YOU'D think that a dude manhandling woodwind in a Chinese mask would steal the show.
But he had a close contender in Meursault's uniformly excellent frontman, Neil Pennycook, whose sublime-to-ridiculous rendering of their devastating ballad, Hole, blended grave expression with party spirit. Pennycook variously carolled on his knees, on his back and on the floor, and it made for a jaw-dropping climax to the annual knees-up from Edinburgh DIY label Song, by Toad.
Meursault remain the label's headline act, but this day-long shindig was testament to the increasing diversity of Matthew Young's Song, by Toad roster.
There was unplugged rock 'n' roll from New York's self-proclaimed anti-folk architect Lach, engaging Central Belt song-craft from the Japanese War Effort (aka Jamie Scott), and terrific, unhinged chamber-punk from recent Edinburgh signings The Leg. Song, by Toad's proud manifesto may be "swearing and gin", but its touchstones are quality music and communal spirit. And so it was that the day's standout, if too-brief, performance was a collaborative set from Ian Humberstone and Rob St John.
Their alt-folk, doom-pop, post-rock – call it what you will – came backed by an Edinburgh grassroots super-group starring Eagleowl's axe-wizard Bart Owl, string-diviner Malcolm Benzie and super-drummer Owen Williams. His beats throughout were versatile and arresting, and he crowned the collective's prog-rock finale with the aforesaid foray into Oriental death-by-clarinet. Masked or unmasked, Williams is a DIY pop superstar.
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