Coming out of the cold, depressingly wet and wild of Storm Dennis and entering into the very cosy warmth of Sneaky Pete’s, Rebekah Kirk would take to the stage, somebody I hadn’t heard by this point but certainly had heard of, and always in the positive sense, and yeah, rightfully justified I’d say.

She carried herself with a distinctly radiant and confident manner that you would expect from big stars; even when dealing with a sudden technical fault, she carried on like a professional and finished up.

On top of a good writing and instrumental ability, her strongest tool was her voice, which could cover all bases where required, from the sweet and tender low notes, to the sharper, broader pitched vocals .

Whether it’d be Just, her grand single Haunted or the infectiously memorable Too Late, she had myself and the rest of the folk completely entranced, making for an overall dashing start to the show.

I first became acquainted with Megan D when they supported Be Charlotte at The Attic last May, and I was honestly blown away by their talents.

Right from the get go, they were sh*t hot, unleashing so much love and care into what they sang, strumming away without a care and being quite active. The buzz was maintained throughout the whole set, showcasing a wonderfully vivid personality, genuine harmonies and picture-perfect guitar skills; a complete package, to be quite frank.

In combination with the aforementioned elements , all the songs were a delight, with no weak links to be found. I Can’t Wait was beautifully touching, previous singles Holding On and Save Me A Seat pleased as always, and new cuts Thief and Time To Kill were excellently written.

I’ve recalled saying this in the past, but it bears repeating that Megan is one of the Scottish scene’s best kept secrets, and given how long they’ve been grinding away, they really do deserve to be rewarded.

Now for the stars of the night DENI to make their way on in the bid to launch their latest single, and the crowd eagerly filled the space as they commenced with the amazing Never Know. They flew through a selection of classic numbers to begin with, the majority blending a mixture of pop and country, perhaps even a tinge of rock lurking in the more involved pieces.

Deni herself, geared up in her fancy trademark dungarees, was a pure natural with a keen presence, an acoustic savvy and a beautiful voice. She also has one core strength that’s all so important – the power to hook in an audience – and this was perfectly showcased when she performed Inhaler solo and she was so captivating, you couldn’t take your eyes off her, it was stellar stuff; likewise with All At Once.

Making up the rest of the outfit were William and his combo of hardy riffs and grooving chords, George and his super slick bass lines, and lastly Matt and his consistently solid drumming.

In terms of other notable highlights, I Don’t Know How To Feel was great,
Exposed was driven by an intoxicating smooth rhythm, and Miles was joyfully superb, so much so that Megan D brought up her pal for a wee dance. And as for Change itself, it was a lyrical wonder.

Not too surprising to say this given that I’ve seen the group in the past, but it was a fabulous set that was definitely worth braving the weather and making the long journey to come for, and if an act can achieve something like that, then they must be a little special, right?