The Tropicanas create a night full of talent with three unique Scottish acts at Edinburgh’s Bannerman’s Bar.
Versinio
From West Lothian, Versinio played a set of original material. I thought it was impressive that he was able to make performing alone look so easy and effortless. While it was a primarily acoustic set, his powerful voice created an edge to this. Even while having an incredibly powerful but also smooth voice, Versinio’s songs are very easy to listen to. They are filled with catchy choruses that even had some audience members singing loudly along with him. I definitely think Versinio is a local act to watch, his ability to create original music and perform it himself is a unique and memorable talent. I am excited to see what he does next and if you get the chance, you should definitely see him live.
Fawkes
Next to take to the Edinburgh stage were Fawkes, a trio from Scotland’s central belt. Compared to the other acts that would take the stage that night, they were the heaviest. But this is not a negative thing at all. The contrast in sounds between the acts provides a great level of variety that other live shows sometimes don’t have.
Apart from an electric cover of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor‘, their set was filled with original tracks. This included their songs ‘I Don’t Wanna Talk About It‘ and ‘Don’t Stop Loving Me‘. Fawkes are a band that perform with every ounce of energy they have, especially their bassist. This makes it much more of a positive experience to watch. When the band look like they’re having fun, this tends to reflect in the audience, which it certainly did that night.
Their frontman has a unique voice that is perfect for any genre, it is dynamic and commands everyone’s attention. Fawkes have a somewhat older, nostalgic sound to them, but they throw in a modern twist. Their drummer also used a cowbell in one of their tracks towards to the end of their set. This is something I’ve never really seen live. With their inviting, energy-filled performance, Fawkes set themselves apart from others, but in a completely positive way. It will be interesting to see where the trio take their music next and I can’t wait to attend another one of their performances.
The Tropicanas
Last to take to the stage were West Lothian quintet, The Tropicanas. The band is made up of Andrew Burns, Ruaridh MacPherson, Joe Murty, Joe White, and Ryan MacPherson. Normally with bands, you find that the individual members tend to stick with their own instrument. However, some of The Tropicanas switched instruments a couple songs in. I thought this was really interesting and quite refreshing too, I’ve personally never seen another band do this. It shows how truly talented they all are.
Apart from a cover, The Tropicana’s set consisted of their own material. This included the debut of their latest track ‘Delaydeez’ which was released the same day of the show. The name of the band is very apt as their music is calm which makes for very relaxing and uplifting listening.
Throughout their set, graphics and pictures were displayed over them and onto the wall behind them. This really added something different to their performance. These graphics and colours provided extra focal points and gave that something extra to the song they were playing. However, this was done in a way that it wasn’t overpowering or distracting.
I really enjoyed watching The Tropicanas perform. Their set was different to most, with their instrument changes and the visuals. I look forward to seeing them live again sometime soon, and I encourage anyone who can to see them too. I think it’s incredibly refreshing to see a band like The Tropicanas leaving their mark on the local music scene, and they will definitely go on to achieve bigger things.
