“Brutal yet delicate vocals danced between different emotions and feelings.”
Figurines
First to take to the stage were Edinburgh quartet Figurines. The loud, indie-rock band made their return to the iconic venue and set the bar high for the rest of the gig. The four-piece have already played Sneaky Pete’s earlier this year supporting The Sheratons. Their infectious tunes had the audience dancing and moving along throughout the entire set. Figurines have a talent of making you feel as though you’re part of their performance, even if you’re totally unfamiliar with them.
Singer and frontman Josh Vaughan‘s voice was powerful in the intimate setting, the emotion in his voice further enticing the people before him. This is met with incredibly energetic playing from Ben Vaughan on guitar, Tal Liston Smith on bass, and James Douglas on drums. Combining a setlist of mostly original material with a cover of Royal Blood’s ‘Out Of The Black‘, Figurines made themselves at home on stage. Popular single ‘So I’m Told‘ was part of this setlist along with ‘Wild One‘ and recently released single ‘Green‘.
Red lighting shone on them for the majority of the set, further adding to the rock environment they’d created. While they played this venue earlier this year, Figurines are no strangers when it comes to supporting heavier bands and creating an electric atmosphere that lasts the entire night. In January, they played before post-punk band Courting at The Caves, also in Edinburgh. With some dedicated fans coming back for more, Figurines were able to prove the lasting effect they are beginning to have with some signing along with their tunes, most of which are still unreleased.
Stuffed Animals
Next up were Scottish trio Stuffed Animals, an indie project from Lewis McClure, and twin brothers Jamie and Russell Goldie. Like Figurines, Stuffed Animals are not new to supporting big names and playing in memorable venues. Bands like Holding Absence, China Bears, and Fangclub are some of the acts that Stuffed Animals have supported in various other Scottish cities including Dundee and Glasgow.
Their setlist consisted of primarily original tracks, including those from their 4-track EP “Know Enough To Get By“. This debut EP was released in July of this year, and includes their single ‘Canary‘. It was amazing to finally hear these tunes live and the blue lighting surrounding the trio really added to the calmer climate created on stage.
With their music not being as heavy sounding as Figurines and Naked Lungs, they were a unique addition to the lineup that still worked very well. While every band had their own distinctive sound, it was interesting to see how a more grunge sounding band integrated into an overall heavier lineup.
Naked Lungs
Headlining this already very impressive lineup were Naked Lungs. The Irish four-piece brought their instantly identifiable sound to life, showcasing their signature DIY approach. Their setlist consisted of tracks from debut album “Doomscroll” which was released in August of this year. Singles like ‘Relentless‘, ‘Pressure‘, and ‘River (Down)‘ were among those performed to the roudy Sneaky Pete’s crowd. The latter of those singles has amassed nearly 9,000 streams showing just how popular the noise-punk group are becoming.
While the venue is an intimate one, Naked Lungs created a bond with the audience. This allowed an environment of noise and mosh pits to come alive. There was a sense of catharsis in the venue which came as a result of the raw emotion demonstrated throughout the entire performance. The brutal yet delicate vocals from frontman Tom Brady danced between different emotions and feelings, illustrating these in a way that seemed to intrigue everyone in the room. Brady’s vocals were met with the striking skills of drummer Matt Pyper, bassist Ryan Mortell, and guitarist Andy Connaughton.
Together, they brought each song to life and I don’t think there was anyone there who wasn’t impressed. The set looked as though it came as second nature to the group, highlighting their insane individual and collective talents.
This was a lineup filled with amazingly talented bands and individuals who are all destined for big things. Each of them were passionate and confident in their abilities as musicians, creating a show that was nothing short of successful and impressive. I encourage everyone to see at least one of these bands live at a gig near them, it will be a gig you won’t regret attending.
