INDIE

The sad but true fact of Edinburgh’s current music scene is that, unless you have local knowledge of the great bands bubbling under the radar, there is no major scene going on which might capture the imagination of the nation. But it wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time, bands like Josef K and the Fire Engines carved a very creditable niche for themselves as forerunners of the early 80s UK post-punk scene, with Malcolm Ross a key member of the former contingent.

For Josef K fans the highlights of this five-band show, then, would have been Ross’ solo set with backing from the Leopards (who also played on their own) and his new band Stac Lee, alongside Fire Engines drummer Russell Burn. Burn also appeared with his brother, the actor Tam Dean, as the folk-punk Burn Bros, yet the most oddly-placed set came from Buckley’s Chance, a proper country band featuring Ross and his wife Syuzen Buckley. So it was an eclectic and exciting night, and a fine advert for the city.