The Rahs The young whippersnappers from Edinburgh are up first on the bill on this massive stage, from looks alone they give away a very early Artic Monkey vibe, all except the front man, Jack McLeod who has a young Kyle Falconer look going on.  It’s not just looks either, there is a certain swagger to how they approached the stage that says “we’re having this”.   The Rahs music is comparable to probably most epic sounding indie bands from the 90’s and naughty’s, however most of all I get the feeling the lads have been listening to The Enemy a lot.  This is no bad thing!

Setting the platform, the drums give off a massive sound as Neale Gray aims to destroy his kit alongside his rhythm partner Andrew McLeod on Bass.  The other band members follow suit with melodic vocals and overdriven guitars, it is also worth saying that Jordan Mcintyre at 19 years of age is one of the most talented guitar players around at the moment.  There was John Frusciante influence powering through which is very impressive.

I managed to catch up with Neale after the show who gave me a few insights into how they do things.

What are you listening to at the moment? 

Anything Indie, Rock, Blues, cheeky bit of Ska and not forgetting the filthy Dance Beats

what are you reading?

Not really into reading, We enjoy reading interviews of other bands before gigs

What are you guys playing (apart from the set)?

Anything, we love just jamming, usually heavy guitar riffs and loud drum

What Do You Like To Eat On The Road

McDonalds

There was a huge amount of atmosphere leading up to the headliners The Rifles coming on stage.  The Rifles are on tour after a few years of the radar and with a third studio album called ‘Freedom Run’.  Lately this band has been getting plugged by clothing label Pretty Green and musicians such as Paul Weller to name just two.

By now the room was almost full and the crowd were calling on the band to make an appearance.  As the band swagger out the crowd irrupt into frenzy and the band waste no time cracking into the first tune instantly with guitar riffs and feedback filling the room, just to let everyone know they have arrived!

Their sound has a 90’s Brit pop vibe and these days as a ‘big’ band, it is hard to pull that off and keep a crowd happy.  As we all know the music scene is changing, however their style fits in well with the loyal crowds expectations and they made sure the band were aware of the appreciation.    If am perfectly honest I could not see the fascination, in my own opinion the music that I heard was a bit bland, a bit monotone.  Perhaps I require more of a hook form this style to engage my interest but I’m afraid to say I did not come away impressed.  I feel that the set blended into one massive song rather than several separate hits.   I would however point out that the majority of the room seemed to be digging the new songs as well as the old numbers.

If you want to check out the Rifles out for yourself then check out their new video and tour dates on the official page by clicking here.