Organised by Kina Productions, three of Scotland’s upcoming talents take to the stage of Edinburgh’s iconic and memorable Sneaky Pete’s venue. Each of their sets were very complimentary to the overall feel of the show.
Joe Goodall & The Free Radicals
First to take to the stage were Joe Goodall & The Free Radicals. The young talents have been named one of Scotland’s “most exciting emerging acts” by The Scotsman, and for good reason. Joe Goodall has an incredibly positive and determined attitude, something very refreshing to see in music. With stories to back up every tune, Goodall made the crowd feel involved in the performance, and like they were part of the music. Having been shortlisted for “The Young Songwriter of the Year Award 2023“, there is no lacking in talent within his tracks and performance.
Goodall was accompanied on stage by a four piece band. The bassist, Nathaniel Lue, also plays in Wishbone, the headline band and there was only one rehearsal with him. This made the set even more impressive as they were able to work through quite a major hindrance of not having a bassist. Completing The Free Radicals were Corin McDonald, Dylan Clark, and Alexander Bland. Together, Goodall and his band brought their catchy anthems to life before the Edinburgh crowd. This included most recent single ‘Coffee Shop Dates‘, a self-released track from Goodall from June of this year.
Both as solo artists and as a band, Joe Goodall & The Free Radicals are talents that will go far. They have ambition and drive but haven’t dropped the importance of having fun and making music that they love, and are proud of. Throughout their set, it was obvious they enjoyed performing and they are a treat to see live. You can catch them at various upcoming events, including King Tut’s Summer Nights.
Dazed & Confused
Edinburgh four-piece Dazed & Confused were next to perform. They are led by Callum O’Reilly on vocals and guitar. O’Reilly is joined by fellow guitarist Ruariadh Rattray, Archie Brewis on bass, and Alfie Smith on drums. The impressive thing about Dazed & Confused is their overall sound. With an almost country western sound to their tracks, the band mixes this with a modern rock element that fuses into something pleasantly unique.
Their set consisted of almost all original tracks with the exception of an incredible cover of Aerosmith’s ‘Sweet Emotion‘. Dazed & Confused’s original songs incorporated those already released including ‘Red Road‘, ‘1000 Guitars‘, ‘Who’s In My Mind‘ as well as some that are currently unreleased. Every song they played was done so with immense energy, with this reflecting to the crowd. Each of the band smiled, danced and grooved all through their set, encouraging the Sneaky Pete’s audience to do likewise.
Their performance catered for the musical preferences of every age group present in the venue. Each member of the Edinburgh based band stands out individually, even while playing together as seamlessly as they do. For example, in ‘Red Road‘, there was the chance to hear Ruariadh’s addicting guitar work, Alfie’s rhythmic drumming, Archie’s groove enforcing bass playing, and Callum’s enticing vocals. As well as it being enticing, Callum’s voice also sounds as though it should belong to someone a lot older. This is why their cover of Aerosmith’s 1975 track ‘Sweet Emotion‘ was a perfect fit for them. This track also boasted Callum and Ruariadh’s very impressive harmonising.
Dazed & Confused are an incredible band, their studio releases and live recreations of them are just sublime. They are destined for huge successes, and are not a band you’d want to miss. They are playing at this year’s Summer Nights from King Tut’s and are also playing two Edinburgh Fringe shows in August alongside some other incredible Edinburgh talents.
Wishbone
The headline band, Wishbone, took to the stage met with cheers from around the venue. The five-piece took their respective spaces, fronted by Martin McFarlane on vocals and guitar. We also see Nathaniel Lue return for his second performance of the night, his first being with Joe Goodall at the start of the evening. Also taking to the stage were Arran Black on drums, James King on lead guitar, and Chris Ennis on bass. The band presented a much heavier rock edge to the night, this was built up by the two previous support acts.
In their passion and power filled performance, Wishbone show the crowd their individual and collective talents. This was through a very well constructed setlist of both their own material and a cover. This included their singles ‘Static‘ and latest release ‘High Tide‘, both from 2023. It is obvious they are influenced by rock bands such as Bon Jovi with their guitar heavy music.
Like Dazed & Confused, Wishbone catered for the preferences of various generations. They infused their heavier rock style into a cover of Elvis Presley’s ‘Viva Las Vegas’. This went down incredibly well, with the whole audience singing the chorus back to them. Normally, covers of Elvis’ tracks tend to arguably not sound that good. However, Wishbone’s take on the musical legend’s song was refreshing, and one that I’d have on repeat if it was released as a studio recording.
I’d definitely go and see Wishbone again, they have an impressive ability to draw a whole audience into their show, even if their heavier style of playing is unfamiliar to some listeners. This was the band’s first ever Edinburgh show and it was nothing short of successful.
