Tonight kicks off a brand new, weeklong, music and arts festival in Glasgow in Restless Natives.
Based in the East End, an area that has been increasing its cultural output since the Commonwealth Games, this festival seeks to capture Glasgow’s burning artistic spirit through a week’s worth of events, culminating the following weekend.
So, with that in mind, there’s something nice about a punk show at the DIY stalwart venue 13th Note coming under the festival banner, even if it’s more a spiritual pairing than anything else.
While this is easily one of the smallest shows within the festival’s programme, it does fit the festival’s purpose and ethos in representing Glasgow’s music scene, as this oft-overlooked punk sub-culture certainly is.
Due to a timing mix up, I miss the wonderful London three-piece Doe, whom I’ve been lucky enough to see plenty of times over the years, so take my word for great they almost certainly were tonight.
Instead, I’m treated to Southsea four-piece Personal Best who, along with everyone on this lineup, are co-touring together with Doe.
Personal Best bring a fun, melodic element to the night with some tight jams and largely positive, poppy vibes to proceedings.
Their charming and enthralling set gets the crowd in high spirits on this unfathomably gloriously sunny Glasgow day.
Meanwhile, headlining (for tonight at least) Caves are a much heavier prospect that the band that precedes them, but are no less enjoyable.
The Bristol three-piece is reminiscent of the fantastic Lemuria and it is not hard to see why they are garnering a reputation around them for their explosive shows.
The band throw a fresh, inventive spanner in the works of the indie-punk sound and it is exciting to witness.
All in all then, a highly successful start to this highly promising festival, which we will be watching with a keen eye to see where it goes from here.
Words: Adam Turner-Heffer
