As the case always is at gigs, it takes a few songs for the sound to be just right, and unfortunately this affected the first couple of songs for first band on, Farewell Singapore. However, I can’t fault the Elgin bunch and their set went from strength to strength. Lots of movement on stage from both lead vocalist Becky Addison and guitarist Jon Arbuthnott fitted in with the genre of music nicely. These rocky pop-punk tunes have an instrumental-esque edge and are teamed with neat harmonies throughout.
The second female-fronted band of the night was Blue Sky Archives. An elegant start to the set saw high-end lead guitar co-inhabiting seamlessly with Lauren Mayberry’s stunning vocals. Blue Sky Archives are a beautifully quaint and tight Piano-lead pop band with masses of potential.
The Saxophone isn’t your typical addition to a rock band but Skippy Dyes, who were third on, don’t give a fuck. They combine a variety of genres and it isn’t often that you see a band and think not one of the members is expendable – all four have their own personality and bring something special to the band as a whole. Saxophone player, Scott Murphy, steals the show and his melodies flow boldly but elegantly with the rest of the band. I urge you to see this group live and not to base your opinion solely on recordings – they simply don’t do this band justice yet.
Having not played a show in Glasgow for many months, expectations for Penguins Kill Polar Bears were high. One by one the lads climbed the narrow staircase to the stage to what I’m pretty sure was Telstar by The Tornados.
The band performed a mixture of tracks from the Dawn and Vessels and Veins EP’s and aired some new material, with the crowd loving every minute. Skippy Dyes were a hard act to follow sound-wise but the Penguins managed to blow the venue apart.
On a night that was pretty competitive for gigs, Cut Loose Promotions did a sterling job of reeling in the music fans for a packed out night in a great venue with four great bands.
Review by Heather Fraser
Favourite Son 
Posted on June 6, 2012
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