While support acts The Young Spooks and Snide Rhythms were both Limbo alumni, Her Royal Highness hadn’t played the club before and had only done select gigs around the rest of Edinburgh as well as choosing to launch debut album The First at this gig, so it was quite hotly anticipated. It didn’t disappoint either and everyone seemed to agree that the programme was a good one.
ECA outfit The Young Spooks are on first and, having recently undergone something of an unintentional PR campaign following the arrest of singer Calvin Laing after a disastrous gig at Electric Circus (a story that was picked up by The Scotsman’s
Radar column, for one), they come with a few shadows already trailing in their wake. Wholly appropriate too, as you’re unlikely to find a cheekier bunch of scallywags on a night out at the Wee Red Bar (or in any other Edinburgh venue for that matter): lovable rogues one and all. But the Spooks match their cheek with their ambition and so it’s a surprise that the one thing missing from tonight’s performance is a level of tightness to counterbalance their slightly shambolic style. They do make a really good noise when they focus – all distorted guitars and thrashing drums plus Calvin’s echoing bellow – and this Mary Chain-esque sound is a large part of their appeal. It’d be great to see them take it to the next level.
Fellow-ECA crew Snide Rhythms are second on. It’s been a couple of years since their last appearance and they’ve just recently released a debut single, so the momentum is growing. And they’ve clearly been practising. There’s a new drummer but the rhythm section remains as tight as before, if not even tighter, and front-man Colvin Cruickshank has definitely gained confidence. There are some fun new songs here, while the sound is mainly referencing the post-punk years – predominantly Mark E Smith – with a contemporary flourish via Colvin’s wee effects box and another twist via a couple of electronic snares which keep him busy when he’s not singing. With no guitarist, it’s minimal stuff – and slightly reminiscent of New York legends ESG in terms of all the drums and bass – so no mess, and there’s a refreshing poetry to it, too. More please!
Her Royal Highness have also got some post-punk reference points – mainly John Lydon and PiL, actually – so it’s a neat segue to the headliners tonight. Front-woman Heather Craig used to front The Gussets – Edinburgh’s legendary, latter-day Slits – so she’s no stranger to punk style herself but one of the facets that initially made HRH such an exciting proposition is the way their sound has embraced so many other classic moments in pop music history from the last half century, from doo-wop and rockabilly to dancehall and electro. And they can get their glam-rock stomp on, too. However, originally the brain-child of producer Tim London, what’s really exciting about HRH is they’re now actually writing their own songs. And these new songs are great, too. Heather actually had a cold the night of Limbo but you’d never guess it from the video recordings. Check them out for a taste of what this band can do live: they only capture half the buzz, of course, but still… Cut You With A Razor and I Miss You Now are particularly special.
