A Quiet Night In presents EmuBands 1st Annual Christmas Party with Carnivores, Friends In America, FOREIGNFOX at Flat 0/1, 4/12/14
It’s hard to feel in the Christmas sprit when it’s finals week and the Scottish weather is at worse.
However, EmuBands have kindly put on a relatively earlier Christmas party with an impressive line-up of Scottish rock bands, a much welcome distraction and worthy excuse to leave work behind and try remember what December is really about, good live music.
First up are Dunfermline post rock four-piece FOREIGNFOX, shaking the room awake with heartfelt vocals and melodious guitar rifts.
Even though the room is surprisingly empty vocalist Jonny Watt doesn’t hold back, giving it his all from the start to deliver a passionate and energetic set.
A highlight is, the title track from their first EP, ‘We Float Like Sinking Ships’, a slower track offering the crowd a break from the lively set, as well showcasing a soulful guitar and Watt’s incredible vocals.
The deeply personal ‘Yogurt’ is another highlight, its raw and emotional delivery leaves the crowd silent, eagerly listening to the brutal honesty in the lyrics until they clap and cheer loudly as the song draws to an end.
FOREIGNFOX’s live show is intense, proven by Watt’s progression to the floor before finishing, a hard act to follow.
The room has filled up eager for second band of the night Friends in America to take the stage.
Even though Friends in America identify as rock band, they have a very different approach from FOREIGNFOX, drawing on a more upbeat pop influence.
One song in and front man Matthew Rawlings has got the whole room laughing, these pleasantries carry on throughout the band’s set, ensuring everyone is having as good of a time as they are.
Friends in America are extremely entertaining because of their lively stage presence and the great connection their members share, made evident by tight harmonies from the whole band.
Rawlings continuously thanks the crowd for coming to see them play jokingly stated that there is “so much you could be watching on Netflix instead,” however it is evident by loud claps and cheers they much rather be here than binge watching House of Cards.
Final band, Carnivores also have an extremely different style from the previous two on tonight’s bill.
The Paisley three-piece alt rock band come crashing in with ‘Insecuricor’, a track from their recently released album and continue to play a number of energetically delivered, aggressively passionate tracks both old and new.
I’ve heard a lot about Carnivores’ live set and the chaos it brings with it, however the crowd remain rather calm and polite for a punk show.
This could be because the diversity of tonight’s show has kept those hardcore fans likely start circle pits away, however this doesn’t stop the band from raising hell and next thing you know lead Kenny Leckie is standing on an amp.
The crowd becomes more vocal during highlight and obvious crowd-pleaser ‘Apathy in the UK’ by chanting along during the chorus.
Carnivores close tonight’s set with an extended live version of ‘Lion Tamer’, featuring Leckie coming into the crowd with a snare drum, an impressive end to an excellent night of Scottish rock.
Words: Jess Lavin
Photos: Tim Gray (TartanZone Photography)
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