When you see a lot of bands who are unsigned, promising, vaguely decent, whatever you want to call it, then when you see a band who genuinely are the business it becomes really quite obvious. When you see two in one night, then you know you’re on to something good.

Basically, these two bands need to have much higher high points than being on these rather low-profile pages, and I am confident that they both will. Both bands are taking rather different approaches – Meursault had their fingers somewhat singed by the music industry quite early on and have decided to plough a distinctly DIY furrow ever since. They’ve done it with some success, and when their album is ‘officially’ released in the new year they should get the respect they deserve from the music press.

Sparrow & the Workshop, on the other hand, have had the world of music fly at them really rather quickly since they formed in January this year. Labels, promoters, managers, Toads, everyone’s been throwing themselves at them with a slightly disturbing fervour. If I’m frank, I don’t really understand it. They are an excellent band, there’s no doubt about that, and when you hear them, that mark of a band with something special about them is all over. But more so than other groups I could name? Well, I’m not sure. What both they and Meursault have is that they both have a very distinctive sound indeed. Both sound quite familiar, but when I look for comparisons I am stumped.

Whatever you say about it though, both bands were on form. Jill O’Sullivan, Sparrow’s lead singer, had The Rage in her eyes for some reason. There was real fire there, and that really showed in the performance, dwarfing their somewhat tentative first East Coast show at the Liquid Room a week ago. They were playing to an Edinburgh audience for pretty much the first time, and quite frankly, they rocked. They are very much the business, this band.

Their effect on Meursault was interesting as well. Meursault are a sensitive bunch, and they like Sparrow & the Workshop an awful lot, so after such a fine performance they clearly felt the need not to be upstaged, and it showed. Neil’s trademark howl was at its most unhinged, and although the uke and the banjo were somewhat drowned out by the electronics (Meursault are a swine of a band to mix, really they are) it was just a brilliant performance.

We’re lucky people. Scotland is a good place for music, and these bands are two of the finest we have.

View some photos here

Sparrow & the Workshop – Swam Like Sharks
Meursault – Salt Pt. 2