Live Review | Gig at the Grandstand | Musselburgh Racecourse

Musselburgh Racecourse played host to Gig at the Grandstand with headliners The LaFontaines.

The rather damp Tuesday evening saw four live acts take to the stage with compere comedian Iain Stirling hosting the night.

Opening the gig was Battle of the Bands winner Lucy Stannage who brought her laid-back sound to the stage. The young singer seemed confident throughout her performance, however the set lacked variety and was a rather slow start to the night as the crowd’s mumbling seemed to overpower the sound. Particular set highlight was her cover of Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Drown’.

Stepping up to the stage next were Glasgow alt-rockers Altered Sky who certainly ramped up the energy levels. The five-piece managed to engage the crowd much more than the opener, with front woman Ana Nowosielska commanding the stage with ease.

As the night drew in, local lad Callum Beattie won over the crowd with his soothing sound and charming personality – think Paolo Nutini meets Twin Atlantic. Highlights in set included ‘Lion’s Heart’ which engaged the crowd throughout and hit single ‘We Are Stars’, with some eager members of the crowd stepping out in the rain for a dance.

Headliners for the Gig at the Grandstand were Glasgow’s The LaFontaines who turned a rather quiet gig into a full-blown party in the rain.

From the moment they stepped onto the stage, their energy was infectious as the crowd, who were reluctantly sheltering from the rain all night, eagerly made their way to the front of the stage with no worries about the weather.

Aptly named the ‘rain pit’ by the band, umbrellas were bouncing in the air as the crowd happily danced with rain dripping down their faces as the band performing a range of tracks including hits from their 2015 album release ‘Class’ including crowd favourite ‘Under The Storm’.

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If they hadn’t won over the crowd by the final song, frontman Kerr Okan invited the youngest members of the crowd on stage to join the band as the ‘Little Fonsters’ as parents proudly watched their little ones dance the night away – with many ending their first ever gig on stage.

Every time we’ve seen The LaFontaines live, they seem to get better. It was hard not to be charmed by the five-piece who managed to create a festival atmosphere in the middle of racecourse on a Tuesday night.




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