Walt Disco are a band who have succeeded in garnering a near untouchable reputation between the teenaged populations of Edinburgh and Glasgow following their stint supporting the alternative giants that are Sports Team. Their new-wave-come-post-punk sound proceeds them, and expectations were high for their stab at headlining the Mash House. Upon arrival, the crowd was dominated by a slew of bored-faced well-dressed adolescents, perhaps an early testament to the tone of the night.
As the members of Walt Disco ascended the stage of the Mash House, complete with sullen looks and well-coordinated outfits which were largely reminiscent of 1950s, their audience stirred. Launching into their discography of tunes, the crowd became more engaged, and their punchy gothic melodies began to shake the speakers which frame the stage of the Mash House. As frontman James Potter leans over into the crowd, positioning himself as some kind of a saint-like figure, there is a flurry around him. He drawls in a falsetto which is soaked with David Byrne inspiration, and reaches out into the crowd, eager to draw them closer to him. “This is the best crowd yet” he promises, as he oozes frontman bravado.
‘Strange to Know Nothing’ generates the night’s highest levels of enthusiasm from the crowd, as its punky opening is punctuated by Potter thrusting his fist into his chest. Arm raised like a salute, he croons the lyrics to one of their most memorable tracks. As he launches into the crowd’s arms once again, the audience are elated. The stage lighting is dramatic, and the smoke machine which lies at the base of the stage is constantly struggling to maintain the gloomy romantic vibe which emanates from the stage.
The set seems to finish before it has begun, with Walt Disco calling it a day around twenty five minutes after they first stepped their Doc Marten-donned feet onto the stage. There is a flurry of movement, but as the dust settles, the circle of excitable fans dominating the front centre of the room are staying put, vying for a chance to meet their alternative heroes. The whole set seemed on the whole underwhelming for a band who are so widely recognised within the Scottish music circuit, and it seems their reputation is perhaps slightly misleading.
Image: Erin May Kelly
