Courting give an incredible post-punk performance in secret Edinburgh gig.
Organised by the Indie Music Society at the University of Edinburgh, Courting played a “secret” show in The Caves. As this was my first gig in this venue, I didn’t know what to expect.
The support act for the night was Edinburgh based indie-pop and rock band, Figurines. The four-piece impressed me, and I’m sure everyone else in the room. Figurines are Alex Finlay on bass, James Douglas on drums, Ben Vaughan playing guitars and on vocals, and Josh Vaughan on lead vocals. Vaughan as lead vocalist was charismatic, confident, and everything a successful frontman needs to be. With only two currently released songs, Figurines still formed a set of original material like latest release “So I’m Told”. Two covers were the only exceptions to this. They performed a mashup of Oasis’ ‘Supersonic’ alongside Blur’s ‘Song 2’. Their final song was a lively cover of ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers.
Their lead singer has an incredible voice and the whole band look like performing is second nature to them. Because they looked like they were having fun, the audience seemed to reciprocate this. As support acts go, Figurines are one of the best I’ve seen. As a band in their own right, they will definitely go far with their catchy melodies and positive personalities.
When Courting came onto the stage, they got straight into playing their set. From start to finish, I don’t think I saw a single person standing still. Everyone in the venue was dancing in some way or another. In front of the stage, a large mosh pit broke out, including people crowdsurfing. Like Figurines, Courting played an all original set. This included songs from 2022 album, “Guitar Music”.
Courting are a four-piece post-punk band from Liverpool. They consist of Sean Murphy-O’Neill as frontman, Sean Thomas on drums, Joshua Cope on guitar, and Connor McCann as bassist. O’Neill’s voice is powerful but doesn’t completely overpower the instruments playing alongside him. With their post-punk sound and shouty lyrics, the Scouse band gave a refreshing, rebellious feel. I felt like I was a teenager going through their rebellious and punk phase. I really enjoyed seeing everyone living in the moment with barely a phone to be seen.
Both bands are very professional and I really enjoyed the vibrant energy they brought to this intimate venue. It was unexpected but incredibly refreshing to watch two bands with differing music styles compliment the other so well. Courting will be supporting Circa Waves on their rescheduled UK tour in June 2023, including their Glasgow date. It will definitely be a performance you won’t want to miss.