The Pits: Small Bands and Even Smaller Venues

 Danko at Cabaret Voltaire

By Katlyn Mortimer

The freezing temperatures of the northern hemisphere in January are often enough to cause any international touring artist to steer clear for the season, and so I am usually left counting down the days until the slightly-above-freezing weather of Scottish springtime returns, and with it comes an increase of gigs on my calendar. Due to this break in touring schedules, my personal concert lineup was looking bare this month, and so my thirst for live music had to be quenched on a chilly evening in Edinburgh, where I ventured to two of the city’s small live music venues. Although, suggesting that either of the performances I attended bared any resemblance to the tightly packed floor space of a much larger concert would be inaccurate. Yet, it is often solely in a relaxed standing room only jazz bar, or former underground vault turned nightclub, that the intimacy and community of live music can be experienced. In this month’s edition of The Pits, I’ll be discussing how it is crucial that we support both small bands and grassroots venues which have something truly special to offer us, and a legacy which is often forgotten about and threatened by the cost of living crisis.

This past Friday, I travelled from my hometown in the North-East of Scotland to Edinburgh, where I met with a friend and headed to Cabaret Voltaire, a live music venue and nightclub that is held in a former vault complex. With different areas spanning further back, the venue felt much like a cave with its curved ceilings and exposed brick wherever you turn. The purpose of my descent underground was to see a performance by Danko, a four-piece rock band from Falkirk. I had discovered them not long before, while I was contemplating the especially Scottish undertones of New Year’s and the month of January, and decided that paying more attention to local music would make a great resolution for 2025. So, having abandoned expectations and phone signal at the door, we watched as support act The Raeburn Brothers took the stage to warm up the crowd on what was a bitterly cold evening. Their indie-rock sound felt perfectly polished, and would likely find listeners in those who are fans of Wallows and Beach House. The Edinburgh-based band performed tracks from their latest EP Household Names, with the track ‘Waving Goodbye’ being a stand out.

As the headliners later took the stage, the room had fairly filled up with an audience that consisted mostly of older men. I suspect that the reason Danko has attracted this demographic is likely due to their rock ‘n’ roll sound, which is very guitar heavy and Americana. However, I also contemplated how the lack of younger attendees could be related to my own previous overlook of local, and often unheard of bands. Without the tool of the internet to advertise international bands several decades ago, it is perhaps simply second nature, or an old habit for many to keep up with local gigs. In some ways, it appears this has become a forgotten Friday night activity. While I was undoubtedly the youngest person in the room, I was certainly not the most excitable, as fans (of all ages) were jumping and swaying to the music throughout the 50-minute-long set.

The band performed songs from their 2022 EP Farewell which were well received by the audience, but it was the singles from their upcoming EP Take Your Time which saw the most enthusiastic recognition from the crowd. A significant portion of the set consisted of unreleased songs from this EP, set to be released on February 12th, and showed promise of fantastic vocals from frontman Lewis White and 70s style guitar riffs. Particularly, their penultimate song of the evening ‘Losing Your Mind’ had fans singing along to the chorus, and earned a roaring applause before they returned to the stage for an encore. Despite being a new listener of Danko, I was impressed by their refined and precise sound, and they consistently played to a standard which made it easy to imagine their sound on festival stages and in venues much larger than the 250 capacity Cabaret Voltaire.

Once their performance had ended, the crowd slowly filtered out, and some lingered in the bar area discussing the show and the music. I, however, quickly made my way from Cowgate to South Bridge to one of Edinburgh’s most beloved live music venues, The Jazz Bar. Descending yet another set of stairs into the bar itself, I was immediately greeted with the sounds of New Orleans funk and jazz performed by Dave Midas and his band. We were informed at the door that the bar now had standing room only, but I was curious to see not only the musicians performing, but also how The Jazz Bar was fairing following its announcement of closure last year, and then subsequent news of crowdfunding, change in ownership, and becoming a legacy venue saved from the cost-of-living crisis which threatened it.

Small artists and the grassroots venues which they perform at have a mutualistic relationship with one another, but they are equally reliant on the support of those who are in search of a great evening of live music. Edinburgh is host to many such places, but these venues may still be under threat. The Music Venues Trust reported that in 2023, there were permanent closures of 125 of the UK’s live music venues, while many of the remaining spaces saw staggering losses in profit.

 So, take it from me: your new favourite band, or simply a great night out, is waiting for you inside one of these small and (likely) struggling music venues. If you’re a student, try heading out of St Andrews for a weekend this semester and explore the wider Scottish music scene. Sometimes last-minute gigs are the best kind, and serve as a good reminder to why you write a column about live music in the first place!