BLUEGRASS

Out of the ashes to scratch Edinburgh’s leftfield itch, Octopus Diamond has inherited much of the feel (as well as the previously flouted constrictive license) of its predecessor The Left Bank. It is early days and for now the decorative odds’n’sods are a little lost in the unforgiving church hall environs - a whiff of paint adding to the air of the no frills music box.

Tonight’s attraction seemed somewhat typical of the venue’s atypical roster, The Boys being a rough and ready five-piece that err more on the side of spit and sawdust than Grand Ole Opry. There’s a real authenticity to their two-minute wonders (I’m pretty sure ‘Teenage Kicks’ came in at under 90 seconds), and while they took a few numbers to get up a head of steam the hoedown moshpit was soon knees-up and elbows out. The banjo and banter were a little lost in the levelling but fiddle, skiffle and string bass proved top draw indeed.