Following just six months from its delayed debut in November, The Great Eastern returns in its preferred Springtime slot, though the balmy weather means it can sometimes be difficult to tear yourself away from the courtyard bar to stand in a sweaty room with the afternoon sun streaming in. But, we persevere.
Hater are on early in the Gallery Bar – a room that’s becoming a stalwart favourite of the festival given the likelihood of discovering a hidden gem whilst the bigger names reside in the Dissection Room or Queen’s Hall. Hater fit this bill perfectly as their cheery brand of Swedish indie-pop are an excellent way to start the day.
The Main Hall tends to get short shrift at The Great Eastern due to its relatively out-of-the-way location, but Naima Bock is an early highlight there, bringing the room to silence with her impeccable vocals, using a second reverbed mic to create an eerie counterpoint to her folkish style. It’s a gorgeous set that’s well timed by the organisers, as it would’ve likely been lost in the punky dance party that forms later.
Bikini Body are last-minute replacements for Peaness, who had to pull out due to illness, and they’re more than up to the task. Ironically, the band’s sets have only gotten more rambunctious as they’ve tightened up musically. Singer Vicky Kavanagh jumps down into the front row on several occasions during the explosive finales that the band end many songs with. ‘Daily Mail’ and ‘Posh’ bring the requisite cheers, but the closing segue of ‘Georgie Weaver’ into ‘Mr. Tinnitus’, cowbells and all, ends the set on a delirious high.
deep tan are another gem of the Gallery Bar, bringing moody ESG/Slits energy to songs that twist and turn, refusing any concessions to typical structure, not unlike fellow lowercase peers, black midi. The Wave Pictures are one of the few acts playing that’ve been around for more than just a few years, and their experience shows in an easygoing set that mixes short, peppy romps like ‘Hazel Irvine’ and quasi-ballads like ‘Jennifer’ (sung beautifully by drummer, Jonny Helm).
BULL are another band that’ve similarly skirted the peripheries of UK indie for a while, and they show tonight why they fully deserved their major label signing in 2020. Their sun-kissed indie-rock reminds of Weezer or Pixies, but without the baggage – nothing but anthemic choruses and the occasional bit of trombone.
Ostensible headliners Porridge Radio bring a big crowd to their Dissection Room show, delivering their hits like ‘Born Confused’ and ‘7 Seconds’ with all the necessary rage and reckless abandon, but a few songs from just released ‘Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder to the Sky’ also impress, particularly the reflective title track.
One of the best finds of the day are Banji – an indie/hip-pop group from the Netherlands that truck in unashamed pop goodness, getting the dance party started as an ideal warm-up for Free Love who close the night in The Dissection Room. The famously high energy performers are on electric form tonight, with the help of a pair of dancers/flower distributors, ensuring that the night ends at a feelgood peak that demands movement.
This edition of The Great Eastern may not have had the star power of a name like BEAK>, but the narrower focus ended up being a great strength and the curation felt sharper in terms of finding the right time and space for each artist. A true pinnacle of Edinburgh’s independent music calendar.