The Lowlands Music Awards

With The Wendys, The Countess of Fife, Salt, The Guillotines, Meow, Demi McMahon, Cameron Ferguson.

Edinburgh

Sept 2023

Dig deep into the strata of Edinburgh rock and all method of musics seem within the volcanic core. Within the shadow of that historical lava all method of excessive decibel has occurred over the a long time. Perhaps not as busy as Glasgow however actually many excessive factors just like the godlike Hearth Engines, the thrilling Scars, the sharp and angular Josef Ok and nice characters like Wattie from the Exploited.  

Lowlands music awards has come to city to highlight a few of this but additionally embrace the encircling toons and a mix of music graces the stage disguised as an awards occasion with most of the bands from out of city which provides to the journey. Making the quick drive from Glasgow, the opening Cameron Ferguson are the type of callow youth taking over the music world with their very own imaginative and prescient that now we have all the time liked right here at LTW. Delivering a sprightly robust indie rock that leans in direction of the artwork college shenanigans of Franz Ferdinand, they actually pack a punch and have the songs to match. It’s not a straightforward gig for them however they’ve baggage of potential and sufficient originality to make a mark.

Demi McMahon is a flame haired native who delivers her Kate Bush vary of vocals stuffed with kooky strangeness and attraction over a stark and minimal jazz backdrop. Meow are a scuzzy eccentric interlude that deconstruct eighties pop like Frankie’s ‘Loosen up’ into lo-fi shenanigans while  The Guillotines are a wam bam gang of besuited ska punkers who’ve the ribald rabble-rousing songs powered by an infernal power and a wild brass part that cuts them above the standard style cliches.

There’s something very particular about Salt. The band are like an undiscovered basic post-punk band from again within the post-punk wars like these Japanese troopers who guarded remoted islands in world warfare two and have been nonetheless there a long time later earlier than being found. That is no dangerous factor if you’re good as Salt who take the whiff of the Banshees and go on to discover their very own imaginative and prescient. They’re machine tight and ship songs stuffed with a macabre creativeness and emotional discord with their charismatic front-woman wearing full tartan commanding the stage with a theatrical soul energy.

The legendary Fay Fife made her identify again within the punk wars with the Rezillos, who she nonetheless performs with to today. Previously couple of years she has put her personal mission collectively, the quintessentially and aptly named The Countess of Fife who ship the swagger and neon glam of fifties that leaves loads of house for her highly effective voice to stretch out. Even with out their in poor health drummer tonight they sound nice and create an environment of exotica and sensual shadows.

The final time I noticed The Wendys play was once they signed to Manufacturing facility Data at a celebration in Manchester manner again within the halcyon days of the Tony Wilson file label. Months later, the label went bust however the band appear to have reformed and their set is a reminder of that latent Manufacturing facility sound and the soupçon of soiled disco and indie publish punk and the hungry beat of publish punk Scotland that fitted into that label’s home sound on the time of its demise.  They nonetheless sound feisty and razor sharp possibly there may be nonetheless time for them…