Wrest are a band from Edinburgh and not something I would listen to on a daily basis but I decided that having listened to them that they were definitely worth checking out live, and so were the support bands too.
First up we had These Wooden Bones, made up of students from Glasgow. They kicked the night off with their original song Alibi, which initially grabbed everyone’s attention when the violin kicked in, giving it that little bit of Scottish oomph that it needed. They are very much our ‘own version of Mumford and Sons’ if I were to quote a member of the audience, but I prefer to think of them as a cross between a ceilidh-fied Eliza and the Bear. Each song they played in their set was glued together by every single instrument, and the 5 and 6 part harmonies were the icing on the cake. Not sure about anybody else but 6 part harmonies are a weakness, and there were goosebumps! It then became very clear why I felt so patriotic when watching them as they revealed half of them are in a ceilidh band, and the other half in a
rock band. Every song they played was slightly different to each but their efforts of work put in was clear.Their final song Postcard was something that really hit home, making it more personal to the bands experience this was their farewell song with bassist Nick as he was moving to take on another venture. It captured everything you love about home in a very picturesque way, much like all of their songs.
Next up was Robbie Hutton who is currently taking Scotland by storm at the moment, the singer songwriter from Stirling took to the stage and opened his set with Waves, showcasing his almost husky by gentle vocals. All of his songs are built to fit around his vocals, and he even threw in a few vocal slides here and there. The songs were quirky and very heartfelt which was different from the previous band, but complimented the overall line up of the evening very well. He premiered his new single which went down a treat and was very chatty with the audience in regards to how he found inspiration for writing his songs.
Finally it was time for wrest to take to the stage, and what a warm welcome they received, even with their technical difficulties, which was saved by Stephen and his jokes and chatting about dinner. I personally quite enjoy when little blips like these happen because it gives you a better insight into the bands personality and allows you to create little mind folds of how they all join together musically. The opened up their beautiful set with ‘Alive’, which is the first song on their new album. (They have this on vinyl and seriously – I think it would sound even more epic on vinyl!). Stewart really works his stage presence well, but in a slightly different way from which I’ve seen anybody else work it before, and boy did he make everyone feel alive all singing his lyrics back to him. Although I feel that they have very much been influenced by Frightened Rabbit along the lines somewhere they have put their own spin on everything. Stewart most definitely knows what works for his voice the best and his dynamics are purely magnificent, leaving you longing for more, and when he belts he’s on form and when he’s whispering, it’s like he’s standing right beside you. It was very touching that they done some announcements and wished folk happy birthday, and even remembered who’s birthday it was at their last show. Now if that’s not getting to know your crowd personally, what is? ‘White Flowers’ is what struck me the most. With the most beautiful lyrics I have ever heard, and very much stripped back, but didn’t leave the song feeling empty. The harmonies and backing vocals are something that made the night, from all the bands, and by god I genuinely felt every word that was sang. The dynamics of the guitar, vocals and the drums are all something to be admired and when they all play at once, it evident they all know how to work the music. A brief mention of their album being on vinyl was made, and if you enjoy their music then I reckon it would be even more banging on vinyl! Finishing their set with ‘Attack and Defend’ which was the perfect ending to the set and the night. Light and airy the whole way through, although it’s initially sad, it leaves you feeling revived and refreshed. These guys are definitely worth checking out, either online but preferably live!
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