March into Pitlochry - Cute Festival, Killer Lineups
[The following contains excerpts from 2 reviews originally published in MNPR Magazine]
I was fortunate enough to catch the 2-day March into Pitlochry festival, held indoors but in one of the most picturesque small towns in the UK. Attendees enjoyed not only the fantastic scenery and charm of the place, but were treated to a phenomenal lineup of local talent and upcoming heavy hitters that you’ll no doubt hear more of in a couple years time. The bill included the country and folk fusion of The Tumbling Souls, the indie-pop sparkle from November Lights, The Little Kicks, and Attic Lights. Other highlights (with their own sections below) are from the amazing ska show band that is Bombskare, and the hidden melodic rock gem that is Noah Noah.
Bombskare:
Bombskare are one of the most beloved and dynamic ska juggernauts in Scotland, hailing from Edinburgh. They are a show band through and through, and every one of the (many… 9… we think…) members on stage are in the business of ensuring that the audience has a blast. And yes – the horn section are the craziest.
Right from the second they took the stage, Bombskare behaved in the finest tradition of Ska. They don’t talk nonsense; they do say “here we go!”; and they certainly push the energy to 11 right from their first song. Styling themselves as the best part time band in the uk, these guys are clearly wasted in their day jobs. The gravelly lead vocals never failed to deliver tone and meaning, over some impressively agile guitar. Piano, drums and bass all played their part, with the band members and audience all bouncing on tip toes through the whole set. Of course no self-respecting ska band respects their horn section, and the Bombskare trio of trumpet, trombone and saxophone really showed off their personalities without taking over the performance.
The crowd bellowed (bayed?) for some of the best original material from the genre, and were rewarded with well executed high-stepping, up-tempo gold. Bombskare put on a show with sounds reminiscent of everything from The Specials, to Madness and all the way to Save Ferris. But it’s the humour, or possibly sheer cheek, in their performance that sets them apart. You just can’t help but smile when you hear them break into their original material with what we’ll lovingly call an “homage” to Toxic by Ms Spears, and I could have sworn that Walk Like an Egyptian made an appearance too, but the truth is that I was so busy dodging the flailing limbs of a raucous crowd enjoying themselves that I really couldn’t say.
Bombskare are nothing short of high-octane fun, and you should do yourself a favour and catch them whenever you get the chance – all the tedious crap in the world just goes away whenever you hear them play. Simply awesome.
Noah Noah:
Formed in 2016, Noah Noah are a 4 piece melodic rock / chamber pop group out of Edinburgh. More importantly, they’re a hidden gem on any bill they feature on. Guitar, drums and keys or another guitar are the back bone of this lineup,but you’ll know their set anywhere due to the trumpet featured on a number of tracks.
Noah Noah’s tracks always have a great upbeat quality propelling you through a sonic landscape of solid guitar hooks, thoughtful vocals and cheeky counterpoints from the keyboard, trumpet and synth. The constantly shifting harmonies provided by the changing lineup of instruments (even through the course of an individual song) keeps you fully in a song throughout.
To date these guys have put in solid showings at some of the bigger festivals in Scotland, and provided support to well known acts such as Idlewild and Fatherson. That’s nowhere near their limit. They released 3 singles in 2017 and with some major releases coming up later this year, they’re starting to build the momentum they need to get to the next level.
Expect to hear these guys rightfully making a name for themselves in 2018 and beyond.
