After reading the tour description for Childcare, I knew it wasn’t going to be your average show.

“In Childcare style, the tour will be unlike any other as the band build upon their ‘Get Well Soon’ wellness campaign, mixing mindful eating, yogic breathing and mass meditation alongside the band’s live set.

Fans will also be able to enjoy lavender scratch ‘n’ sniff vinyl, personalised bath bombs, scented candles and sleepwell audio meditations, promising a gig like no other!”

On entering Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s, each ticket holder was given a raffle ticket with a conspicuous mention to hold onto the ticket as all would become evident later…

The intimate venue began filling up as the band stepped onto the small stage launching straight into swagger-fuelled ‘Omega Grey’ which immediately saw the once still crowd grooving along.

Performing in the bask of their neon light, the set felt comforting for a Saturday night with a rather chilled groove-along atmosphere adding to Sneaky Pete’s dive bar stylings.

The night saw Childcare perform back-to-back tunes showcasing their ‘psych-rock’ stylings with definite indie elements throughout. On stage, the band seemed extremely comfortable, in an almost relaxing state, as they bopped along with the crowd with an effortlessly cool air surrounding them.

‘Dust’ was a set highlight which showcased the band’s vocal harmonies as they began to raise the tempo with ‘Bambo‘ and ‘Sugarcane‘ following in its strong holding. One thing was evident, as each new track began it was impossible to stand still, something which isn’t appreciated when listening to Childcare recorded instead of in a live atmosphere. From stripped back singles to energetic bops, it was a set that flowed seamlessly with an impressive mix of eclectic tunes.

During the set, frontman Ed Cares and bassist Emma Topolski swap positions to take the lead which was a simple yet effective twist instead of simply remaining in the same positions, allowing Emma to command the room with her polished vocals.

Now, it was time for Childcare’s ‘wellness’ campaign to launch into full force. With a short mid-set meditation, the crowd were surprisingly on board for a boozy Saturday night as the venue dropped to silence as everyone took a moment to relax. It was then time for the band’s tour favourite ‘levitation lottery’…which I’ll keep as a surprise…but it was an extremely simple, yet clever, touch that had the full room engaged. It would be interesting to see how Childcare would expand this to larger spaces and if that engagement could retain on a larger level.

It was soon back to the music as if nothing had happened before the highlight of the night came in the form of ‘Getting Over You (By Dressing Up Like You)‘ which I can safely say is one of the best live songs I’ve heard this year. An upbeat light-hearted pop-infused track that flows with a contagious rhythm soundtracking quirky lyrics, which are easy to pick up for crowd singalongs, it was a song that I’ll remember hearing live for a long time to come.

By the end of set, the entire crowd were all dancing along grooving to Childcare’s distinctive sound, they’re a band that don’t conform to your usual sounds and gig routine, yet who commands the space in seconds.

Childcare at Sneaky Pete’s was a special night, with the intimate venue’s dive bar styling adding to the band’s overall aesthetic. With a slick set packed with singles that could easily standalone as hits, the night was an incredible showcase of the band’s undeniable talent and proved why Childcare deserve to be heard.