“With the word ‘Gallus’ meaning being bold and daring, this is an apt name for the headliner.“
Edinburgh’s Mash House hosted a night of stellar Scottish talent. Madness, chaos and anger, what more could you ask for from punk-rock bands?
Support 1: Soapbox
Opening up the Edinburgh venue were Glasgow punk-rockers Soapbox. The four-piece introduced the venue to a night of chaos and vibrant volume I’ve never experienced until that night. I previously saw the quartet when they opened up the BAaD venue in their hometown for the city’s Tenement Trail in October 2023. With the level of noise and crowd igniting performing I’d witnessed at Tenement Trail, I didn’t think there was anything else left to witness from Soapbox, but wow was I wrong!
Soapbox have consecutively sold out every headline show they’ve announced, and have supported the likes of fellow Scot Tina Sandwich. As soon as Tom Rowan began vocalising their limited, but still impressive, released discography, the crowd separated and one mosh pit followed another, a theme to notice throughout this entire gig. Bringing alive tracks like ‘Value Added Glasgow‘ and ‘Mad Jungle Beat‘, devoted and dedicated fans yelled the words back to the band.
With their frontman frequently making his way to the barrier, he definitely showed striking skills in how to work up an audience and incite a night of energy few will have felt before. Their latest single ‘Private Public Transport‘ also made the setlist, among many unreleased tunes too. This newest addition to their tracks instantly became a fan-favourite and had the entire audience shouting out the catchy chorus.
Angry anthems are Soapbox’s staple, something I’m excited to see more and more of soon.
Support 2: San Jose
Fellow Scots San Jose were the second, and final, support to further add to the chaos brought in by Soapbox. Having previously supported Gallus in March 2023, dedicated fans already knew what to expect from the group. While they also played at Glasgow’s Tenement Trail, I wasn’t able to catch them which is why I grabbed this opportunity, a decision I’m glad I took.
With only one single out, their debut ‘Self Help‘, I was surprised that they’d been able to build up the momentum they already have. However, this explosion into the Scottish music scene is mainly down to their long list of live performances. Having already played venues like Broadcast and even headlining King Tut’s, it’s obvious that people are excited to see what San Jose have to offer. Their frontman came to the barrier, sang to fans, and even ventured into the audience to join in the madness they’d provoked.
Their energy is relentless and each of the band have personalities that come alive when they begin performing. Known for raucous renditions of their material, I was excited to see what they could bring to a lineup already full of immense talent. Continuing Soapbox’s theme of a tirade of passion and anger, San Jose successfully maintained the mayhem being pursued.
Headline: Gallus
Taking to the stage to the sound of cheers from all around the sold out venue, Gallus quickly gave fans exactly what they’d bought tickets to see. Gallus are no strangers to headlining, having been at the top of lineups playing a huge range of venues including St Luke’s, Audio and SWG3.
Several themes became obvious from the supports and headline. Every one of them understand the importance of audience interaction, making this element a fundamental portion of their performances. Gallus are no exception, with frontman Barry Dolan also continuously approaching the barrier.
Concluding the entirely Scottish lineup, Gallus opened their set with a feature from fellow Scot Tina Sandwich. Their debut album “We Don’t like The People We’ve Become” formed their setlist, providing fans with one punk and rock anthem after another. This included tracks like ‘Eye to Eye‘, ‘Are You Finished‘ and ‘Moderation‘. The latter tune is one that ignited something in a lot of fans, with many signing along and jumping around like their lives depended on it.
If I could summarise this night in two words, I’d say “choreographed chaos“. Not only did Barry Dolan approach the barrier like the previous frontmen, he went even further. He jumped into the crowd who instantly caught him and carried him through the venue. I’ve seen fans crowd surf before but this was the first time I’d been so close to an artist doing so.
With the word ‘Gallus‘ meaning being bold and daring, this is an apt name for the headliner. They, along with their support bands, gave fans a night to remember, and each of them are bands I’d love to go and watch again and again.
