Henry’s Cellar Bar played host to a foot-stomping Friday night.
You’d be forgiven for thinking you’d walked straight into a pub in Dublin’s Temple Bar with the trio of indie folk rockers.
Openers Glasgow’s False Friends kickstarted the night with their catchy indie-folk blend. Serving a more relaxed set, as the crowd sat on bar stools scattered across the intimate venue, the band were reminiscent of fellow Scots Frightened Rabbit with their indie rock meets acoustic blend.
Stepping up the tempo and adding to the Irish-esque atmosphere, The Dan Collins Band continued the indie vibe, this time with a rockier folk edge. With a science lesson and cheese jokes thrown into the mix, their set offered something a little different as they transported you Dublin’s fair city. The gig marked the band’s last live show under their current name, but if you want to check them out we reckon their rockier tracks including ‘Panic Attack’ are worth digging out.
With the crowd gathering down the front of the stage, they were ready for a rowdy knees-up and Bare Knuckle Parade didn’t disappoint as they instantly raised the energy levels as the reserved gig-goers seemed to find their feet as they began dancing along with their pints in hand.
Their raucous yet slick set showcased the band’s versatility and continuously proved track-by-track that they’ve cracked the formula for crafting a catchy song. After all, it’s not often you can attend a gig when the crowd are unfamiliar with the lyrics yet manage to join in with enthusiastic sing-alongs.
Their raw and rowdy rhythm complimented frontman Jamie Beale’s raspy vocals as each track managed to stand its own, with particular highlights ‘Come Alive’ and ‘Diamond Eyes’ sounding set for festival stages.
Latest single ‘Every Other Heartbeat’ continued to raise the tempo as the enthusiastic five-piece made the most of the small space, looking completely at ease as they charismatically encouraged the crowd to join in at any given point.
Bare Knuckle Parade have found a balance between indie, folk and rock that transcends extremely well live, with their infectious tracks still looping back into our memory post-gig – a promising sign for their debut full-length release.
With their raucous rhythms, foot-stomping tunes and contagious choruses, the band are bound to come even more to life in front of larger crowds. Judging by the intimate Edinburgh show, they are more than ready to take Bare Knuckle Parade to the next level.