By Trevor
Gig Review: Altinak at New Year's Revolution 2020
I’d not seen this young Linlithgow-based band before so was querying the wisdom of trudging along a dark and frigid St Vincent Street on a Wednesday night in January. Then suddenly I was in King Tut’s and it started making sense - why would you not catch four bands on a Wednesday night in January?
The gig kicked off with Last Light laying down some jangly rhythm guitar overlaid with a melodic wailing lead. They included an accomplished cover of Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out” and rounded off with their own single “Red Diamond”, which built to a crashing finale and left us all ready for more. Next up were Neon Seas with a cool electronic vibe underneath guitars and Samantha Kelly’s moody and emotive vocals. The sound was a bit messy where I was standing, so much of the detail and nuance evident in their recorded work was buried. I hope to see them again soon with a setup better suited to the beauty and complexity of their music. Third up was an unexpected treat - Dee. I’m not sure if this guy should be doing music or comedy because he mixed them up pretty well. Either way, he’s a great entertainer who grabbed the audience and had us all jumping and clapping along by the end of his set. Good effort fella!
Before Altinak started their set the audience had piled down to the front without needing to be asked. Starting with a cover (could have been Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” - the old memory only goes so far these days!), they quickly moved into their own material and demonstrated their songwriting quality early on with the gentle “Australia”, a song about missing someone close to you. The drummer looked like he’d been at the Haribos and was obviously ready to step things up, and the set list duly obliged with the crowd dancing enthusiastically through songs like “Fall” and “Winter”. They rounded off with “IDK” - a great crowd pleaser leading to rapturous calls for "wan more tune", which came in the form of U2’s “Vertigo” - Hello Hello (Hola), and good night!
As they started to pack up they were pulled into the crowd for high fives, hugs and back-slapping. It was fabulous to see the genuine joy and excitement of a young band who've pulled off a good show in the hallowed hut that is King Tut’s.
Not a bad way to spend a dreich midweek January night after all.
Gig Review by Trevor