Live Review: Mid Ayr EP launch w/ These Guy & Daggy Man @ Black Bear Lodge

Mid Ayr took to the Black Bear Lodge stage last Friday and delivered an absolutely killer set. The evening was rife with classic onstage banter and an interesting mix of genres. The near-capacity crowd swayed, staggered, and danced through the supports and late into the night for one of the most exciting acts to hit the local scene.

Daggy Man (aka Thomas Calder) kicked off the evening with some sweet and heartfelt acoustic numbers that got the crowd foot tapping and wooing. With only a guitar in hand, the Trouble With Templeton frontman powered through his set of deeply emotional songs, leaving the audience stunned. There was also a performance of Secret Pastures by The Trouble With Templeton, giving some fans hope for a new album from the 5-piece in the future.

With their Client Liaison-inspired beats, the loveable lads from These Guy were up next. The audience began to move a little more as the room slowly filled up. The guitar’s were drenched in rich 80s chorus effects and the drums were thumping. The lead vocalist powered through vocal runs and saxophone solos gracefully, despite the microphone cutting in and out thanks to a dodgy cable.

Illuminated by a single light, frontman Hugh Middleton kicked off Mid Ayr’s set with a solo rendition of Halloween and the room fell silent. Middleton’s ability to captivate the eager audience was astounding. Middleton constantly thanked the audience, truly a humble display of a songwriter gobsmacked by the number of lives his music has effected.

The atmosphere was kicked up a notch when Middleton was joined on stage by his band mates to flesh out their unique folk-meets-alternative sound. Bassist Alex L’estrange graced the stage dancing and gliding through bass lines with ease, whilst Zac Moynihan brought the beats with some skilled drum fills.

While Letting You In and Vampires seemed to be crowd favourites, the audience was treated to a heavier rework of the band’s debut single My Mayhem. The sound was huge, with Middleton stacking guitar effects high and Moynihan putting in 100 per cent on the drums, which was a sight to behold. The lads closed their set with You Think You Know Me, featuring an extended ending as the band thrashed about on stage.

Mid Ayr has proven they can take their tracks to another level. They turn up the overdrive and raise their voice to transform their acoustic tracks to heavier masterpieces. Transitioning between genres, Mid Ayr are definitely an act to keep an eye on in the future!

Check out our Photo Gallery from the evening HERE