After finishing up at Maisie Peters’ album release show, it was only a few metres down the road to Drummonds I needed to walk to get some free live music in the form of ‘Hometown Sessions’. Put together as a showcase of local bands, I was pleased to see such a wide range of talent on the roster.
Opening up were Junes who were very fresh to the scene. Unfortunately set times were not in my favour, but talk in the venue suggested they fared well for their first gig showing a lot of potential.
Next were Familiar Enemies, who ticked all the alt-rock boxes and gave a tight performance full of subtle hooks and impressive musicianship. Hailing from the Highlands it was maybe not quite a hometown show for them, but they still made a fantastic impression on those seeing them for the first time. Hopefully we’ll see more of them down our way in the future. Those who want to find out more can read their musical backstories on their website.
Busking extraordinaire, David Angus, was next to take the stage with session drummer genius Kit Purnell providing the backing to his upbeat tracks. David has been a mainstay of the local scene for several years, building on his craft with many likely recognising him from delighting passers by with his music outside the St. Nicholas shopping centre.
David played a range of songs spanning his three albums, ‘When the Clubs Come Out’, ‘Afters At The Casino’, and his most recent release ‘Post Saturday Night’. David’s gritty vocals, paired with a powerful falsetto were the perfect combination of opposing elements and brought an undeniable energy to everyone’s Friday night, even getting a singalong going with closing track Are You Going My Way.
Finally it was local favourites, Audiokicks who turned the evening into a Drummonds dance party, with a 45 minute set full of upbeat, passionate tracks, mostly taken from latest album ‘Let Us Be The Last To Leave’. However, we also got a glimpse into newer tracks such as Harrison Fjord (quite possibly the best song name I’ve heard in a while) and an old classic in No Place Like Home which was the perfect way to end an evening of ‘Hometown’ sessions.
Whether it was the outstanding sound quality in Drummonds or the standard of playing from the band (I expect it’s both). This may be the greatest set I’ve seen from them: secure and confident from start to finish with a well-judged collection of soaring, energetic songs perfect for a free gig on a Friday night on Belmont Street.
Enjoy tracks/sets from the bands in the playlist below.