In order to gain access to Edinburgh’s The Caves venue you first must complete the “find the venue” side quest. Google Maps will take you to a bridge above the sheltering spot of the multi-purpose venue, where we stumbled on a couple also looking dejectedly at a flat close entrance wondering where we can hear the sound rumble up through the centuries old stones.

Together, and with the help of a wisened elderly man waiting for the bus home we set off down a rambling back alleyway and with only the distant BPM leaking out from the venue we eventually found ourselves at the tucked away threshold of the medieval archway.

Sadly, this also meant that we missed the majority of Psychotoc Monks play their set but from what we did hear, they provided a formidable counter part to Gilla Bands headline act.

Having missed out on tickets way back in 2016 to catch Gilla Band – touring under the moniker of Girl Band before they switched their name in 2021, it’s fair to say that this evenings show was eagerly awaited with much anticipation, and honestly? This performance quaked our bones to the very core.

Kicking off with the infectious beats of “Fucking Butter,” they immediately set the tone for a night of unapologetic, raucous fun. Bassist Daniel Fox slide bass technique is full of frothy allure, a sound akin to a siren going off amidst a breakout at the asylum. See below.

“Going Norway” followed, oozing unbridled, punk energy with lyricist Dara Kiely drawling and slurring syllables in the same styling of James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

However you can transplant a buzzing wall of sound from guitarist Alan Duggan and salacious, spiralling drums from Adam Faulkner for that of the glitchy fun disco beat that LCD are known for.

Gilla Band are a veritable maelstrom of bedlam. The crowd were instantly hooked. Admittedly it was strange to see men throw themselves around with wild abandon in a venue usually reserved for weddings…

The audience eagerly anticipated what came next. “Post Ryan” hit like a musical punch to the gut, its raw lyrics and intense instrumentation resonating with the audience’s emotions. Imagine The Fall being electrocuted by Bdrmm after dropping steroids and you are not too far off the heady concoction of this track.

Switching gears, Gilla Band ramped up with the gritty charm of “Bin Liner Fashion,” a track that turned The Caves into a makeshift runway for the unconventional and bold or for those willing to seethe in the bubbling mosh pit.

The atmosphere shifted with “Umbongo,” an anything but tropical-infused anthem, with screaming drums (seriously what BPM is this and does Faulkner have an extra set of arms?) juxtaposed with somber moments with Kiely lamenting about fighting a pigeon.

There is a stop-start tempo to this track that’s abrasive beyond belief and seems to defy all logic with the song ending so abruptly it seemed like a plug was pulled from an amp.

But this is exactly what Gilla Band serve up steamy ladle after ladle. They defy contemporary ideals, a beautiful, irate howling at the moon. A tonic to colonial capitalism and all the bureaucracies that modern life entails.

A chokehold on oppression, reminiscent of early Nirvana.

As the night progressed, “Eight Fivers” a song about hipsters and buying “shit clothes” delivered with a snarl enveloped in irony. There’s elements of guitar here borrowed from Just Mustard and Primal Scream.

The penultimate track of the evening is a blinding cover of “Why Do They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?” By Blawan. An absolute stomping Titan of a track perfectly encapsulating the visceral energy of the concert. The castle like walls, now dripping wet.

Closing the show with “The Cha Cha Cha,” Gilla Band left us craving more, proving once again that their live performances are an unmissable experience, weaving together a tapestry of musical genres that captivates the soul and attempts to jolt awake a society sleeping on corruption. Or then again maybe it’s just some songs about fighting pidgeons?

Edinburgh won’t be forgetting this night at The Caves anytime soon, we suggest you keep your eyes peeled for the Dublin quartet to head to your town soon.

Photos: Angela Canavan

Words: Angela Canavan