In 2024, the inaugural House Guest Festival was such a roaring success, I had high hopes and expectations for this years event. My hopes were most definitely not dashed as Scottish Music Collective & Crowded Flat pulled off another cracker of an event, planned perfectly and executed with a pinpoint precision, with timings being a major factor in events such as this, everything flowed as gracefully as as a swam gliding across water, but I’m sure this meant no end of unseen frantic exertion behind the scenes. Kudos to all involved.
Count the Days
The Sankaras opened proceedings in Sleazys, but my starter for 10 for the day was a furiously energetic Count the Days. I say starter for 10, as 10 minutes was all I managed as, with any event like this, there were clashes throughout the day meaning I had to tear myself away, I believe just before they played a storming version of their single from the end of last year, Above You. The two new songs I did manage to catch, Kings and Queens and So Much to Give suggested a bright future for the band.
Big Girls Blouse
My reason for exiting early was so I could have a quick sprint across Sauchiehall Street to catch the mighty Big Girls Blouse blowing up a storm on the CCA stage. It’s been a while since I last saw the band… in fact it may have been as long ago as another multi-venue event, Tenement Trail a couple of years ago now. In the time that has passed in between, a lot of water has passed under the bridge, a couple of EPs have been released and most recently, the band now have a new drummer. Their overall sound, while it was always expansive and beautiful and never shy and retiring, felt immense, bigger and better than ever. They rattled through their high energy set with a determined life affirming vigour, Emmy and Ross vibing off each other big time, with Ross twisting into some manic shapes as he wrestled his guitar. Both of them held nothing back despite them having sets to play later in the day with Conscious Pilot and Fiendz YT. Harrison’s bass lines were as sublime as ever and together with aforementioned new drummer Calum they created a solid rhythm section, when you added them all together that sum total was a mellifluous joyous sound. The reception for the band from the fortunate early gatherers when they finished their closing song, Token Girl, was an attestation of the fact that they are a very special band.
Bandit Country
Having retired to the Third Eye Bar for a refreshment, and a catch up with friends, I nearly missed the next band, but managed to catch the end of the set from Lanarkshire’s Bandit Country, a band who first rose from the shadows of COVID. Despite them being around for a while now, I hadn’t managed to catch live before. I’m not sure if they were fired up by Lanarkshire’s favourite tipple or by some sort of incendiary rocket fuel, but from what I witnessed in the short time I was in their presence, their starkly elemental and earnest post punk sounded exuded a high adrenaline vitality which filled the room, and has them set on a positive trajectory to the stars.
Conscious Pilot
The CCA was where it was at for me for the early part of the day, where next up it was the turn of Conscious Pilot, and that second appearance of Emmy from Big Girls Blouse. I did have a ticket for their Rum Shack show with the mighty Bikini Body earlier in the year, but events conspired against me on the day so this was the first time I’d managed to see them live. I was disappointed at missing the Rum Shack gig, but that meant the anticipation that had built in the meantime had me in a heightened state of eagerness, my synapses firing, I was focussed and ready… and what followed certainly met with my high expectations in an electrically charged half hour that seemed to fly by in 5 minutes. Their blend of angular post punk guitar riffing and Postcard era indie styling (think Josef K through to Orange Juice) with a smattering of NYC new wave a la Talking Heads et al, topped off with the urgency and passion of The Clash really hit the mark for me, leaving me with a buzz and adrenaline rush that would only continue to grow as the day progressed.
Fiends YT
From the CCA it was a quick jaunt back across to Sleazys for Fiends YT, having just witnessed Emmy’s second performance of the day it was the turn of BGB’s axeman to turn in his second stint. For such an early hour of the day, this band easily won the title for the most riotous bunch of guid cunts, certainly for the early part of the day, and would probably have won this for the whole day if I hadn’t experienced San Jose’s performance later on the same stage. The garage punk trio took deep down and dirty blues to the edge of its very existence, taking a trip on a ghost train through some bad music for bad people and riding roughshod over the the spirit of The Cramps and coming out screaming and a hollerin’ on the other side. Ross writhed about the stage like a man possessed, preaching his sermons, while the manic activity of their man behind the kit thrashed at the drums with such fury that he was rescuing drumsticks left right and centre as they flew around the stage. Meanwhile, the bass player looked cool, calm and collected in his dark glasses – there was a lot of it about – as thunderous basslines emanated from stage right. The band were about to leave the stage after giving the audience an aural pummelling, but the demand for one more song in the shape of Tesco Elvis was strong, and of course they did not want to leave us wanting. My one question after this set was, why have I not worshipped at the church of Fiendz before? Adrenaline levels were now through the roof…
Alcatraz
I had thought about sprinting quickly across to catch some of Straid who moved from upstairs in Sleazys last year to the CCA, but a wee breather and hanging around Sleazys was a must. The reason? I had to catch Alcatraz, a band whose music I fell head over heels for with the release of their Sedation single in November and after listing the band as one of my 25 for ‘25 earlier in the year. Despite them playing several gigs since then, there was always some sort of clash on the cards, so this was finally the opportunity to break my duck. I can confirm it was well and truly broken as the band played a blistering set of compelling alt-rock, a powerful wall of sound, with a guitarist in Aaron who modelled a stance from the William Reid school of guitarists, ironically battling feedback from his pedal from the start, and winning. Robbie gives that extra layer of soaring guitar riffs, while Dec and Pete create a formidable rhythm section. The icing on the cake, giving the band their distinct sound, is the majestically irresistible vocal from Eleanor. I look forward to what comes next for this band.
Lacuna
It was anther dash across the road, this time to catch a band who have already released what is potentially the best single of 2025, and I imagine will be hard to beat even though we’re only a third of the way into the year. The whole set of their folk tinged indie rock was first class, their three part vocal harmonies so effective and lapped up by those gathered to witness their set. Fittingly though when Lacuna introduced Shelley, I’m pretty sure I heard one of the biggest cheers of the day, and after they’d played a quite enchanting version of this extraordinary song, which included a foray into the welcoming arms of an adoring CCA crowd, the level of appreciative noise and outpouring of love was quite touching. I keep wanting to say, “one of the sets of the day” but to be fair, everyone I’d seen so far had been excellent, Lacuna though are a pretty unique proposition. After their set you could’ve played a fun game for the rest if the night of spot people around the venues who’d starred in the brilliant video for the single.
Tina Sandwich
And talking of unique propositions, if Lacuna are likely to be riding high in single of the year lists this year, then the wonderful Tina Sandwich had already paved the way, having released one of 2024’s prime cuts, the achingly beautiful Joni, the song which Tina closed her set with, bringing a huge smile to my face. But Tina isn’t a one trick pony, the band remains one of the best live bands on the circuit and blasted through a rabble rousing set of what are already bona fide Tina classics like Fast Cars, I Want and the brilliant Sick Girl inducing an exuberant burst of energy which I soon realised I’m too old for…If it’s not already too late, and you’re at a loose end on Thursday, haul your arse over to The Doublet for what promises to be a great night.
Tanzana
Another horrendous clash of bands with Tanzana, Leisureland and PVC all overlapping. An impossible task to see all three so I made the difficult choice of stopping off at The Variety on the way back to Sleazys for the second half of PVC’s set to see two of Tanzana, Freya and Sarah play some acoustic songs. This is a band who have more than impressed when I’ve been fortunate to see them live as a full band before now, I always think it is a test of how good a bands songs are when you strip them back to a bare minimum. I shouldn’t have expected anything less than the sheer spline tingling brilliance I witnessed, despite the seeming delicacy of Freya’s vocal it holds an immense power, keeping your attention even in an environment, where, expectedly on a day which started at 2pm, there was a lot of distractions and background chatter to overcome. Keep an eye on this lot…
PVC
I squeezed past some mesmerised punters in The Variety to head back to my final destination for the day, Nice n Sleazy, and the second half of PVC’s set. I’d heard a lot of great things about the band, and have been thoroughly enjoying their recent single Cara’s Song, so I’m glad to report everything I’ve heard about the band are true. From what I saw of their set, PVC commanded the Sleazys stage demanding the attention of the crowd, band members intensely focussed on creating their big bad beautiful noise that encapsulated a bit of something for everyone, while their lead singer Cara effortlessly charmed everyone with their naturally electric stage presence. I’m glad I decided on splitting my time between Tanzana and PVC, I wouldn’t have wanted to have missed either.
Sister Madds
If there are any regular, or any readers at all, of this blog, they’ll know of my unhealthy obsession with Sister Madds, who were one of my raison d’etres for today. Hell, anyone who can make me choose them over the magnificent Walt Disco have got to be something special. And I know I’ve probably said this after every time I’ve seen them, but surely that was the best set the band have ever played? A set played with a fervency and passion I’ve come to expect from the band, but multiplied tenfold. Largely, I don’t actually care what anyone else thinks, this was the set of the day. The band always choose a well selected ‘pop’ music cover in their set, Sound of the Underground and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun being great examples in the past, but they excelled themselves with their cover for House Guest summing the band up succinctly..tonight they were primed and Hot To Go… I don’t think there is any doubt that this band love what they do. They seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the sea of smiling faces thronging around me and taking in the ecstatic immediacy of the moment. McKenzie’s bubbly personality transfers perfectly to the stage, his guitar hero-esque antics are a joy to behold, I’m just glad I wasn’t under him when he threw himself backwards onto the heaving throng not missing a riff. He was cleary missing being in the pit as a punter. Maddie herself is like a whirling dervish onstage, never standing still for a second, hence my limited non-blurry pictures… and was putting San Jose’s Callum to task by climbing around pillars and anything else that wasn’t bolted down. Fraser never seems flustered by anything, giving off a laidback coolness, but there was no hiding his enjoyment either, and while it was hard to see their bass player Will and drummer Ciaran in their dark corner, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ciaran without a huge Cheshire Cat sized grin on his face, so I’m sure it was wider than ever…one of the things I’ve said before about gigs like this is that you get to see short sharp sets of bands at their best, having to hit the ground running and engage with the crowd from the off, something that Sister Madds pulled off with aplomb, only tonight, I could have done with another half hour of this affirmation of everything that is gloriously satisfying about live music.
San Jose
If you’ve ever seen San Jose before you’ll know they are no ordinary band. And tonight the band who released one of the best singles of last year in Dirty Linen proved that to be true, by the time Sister Madds wrapped things up upstairs, the band was already in full flow and a scene of what appeared to be unbridled chaos unfolded in front of me as I pushed open the door to the downstairs venue…everywhere I looked it took a few moments to take in what was unfolding before my eyes….from band members in strange garb or bizarre state of undress, audience members flailing around going wild in scenes of exuberant abandon, and Calum performing with his usual acrobatic and athletic style… the audience lapped it up, the expressionism and performance of the band matched by the frenzied anarchy of the crowd as they fed off the exuberantly manic energy exuding from the stage. The scenes I was witnessing were the like of which I’ve not seen since Fat White Family’s infamously tumultuous performances, and their set ended with pretty much most of the audience crammed onto every spare inch of the cramped Sleazys stage.
The end of their set meant it was time for this auld bastard to exit stage left, get a king rib supper from The Blue Lagoon and jump on the last train home leaving the young guns to party the night away until 4am. I’m already looking forward to House Guest 2026…the live music scene in Glasgow is in rude health thanks to the likes of Scottish Music Collective, Crowded Flat and every last one of the bands on this remarkable bill.
