At Shiiine On 2022, Scotland’s Ecko stole the weekend in a rags-to-riches story that the world of rock ‘n’ roll hadn’t seen in some time. A small crowd gathered for that set in the Inn on the Green, and such was their prominence, word spread instantly. So, when the Shambolics pulled out of their Sunday night slot, Ecko stepped up to play to the 1500-strong crowd on Centre Stage to back up the spreading gospel.
All images courtesy of A Deeper Groove.
As such, their slot in Reds on Sunday night at this year's festival was one of the weekends most eagerly anticipated. It came with a certain amount of tension. Had we misremembered 2022? Have we pushed them too far, too soon?
Any doubts were smashed into pieces by their supreme talent. The temptation to come out all guns blazing was withheld. Instead, ‘Miss Hurricane’ emerged chest-out, mid-paced but dangerous, staring down the barrel with grit and assurance few peers can match.
Where 2022 oozed with a ragged glory, 2023 was a polished outfit toying with pace and intensity as they saw fit. ‘Get Out’ stepped on and off the gas with mesmeric skill. ‘L.A.X’, like all truly dangerous ’ only showed teeth when necessary, coming in the closing moments as Matthew Welsh’s solo cut through Liam O’Connor’s crunching bassline.
Former single ‘Still Know Nothing’ closed the set out. It felt less like a euphoric climax and more an admonition that the main stage would be theirs next year. Ecko's rise in a year is nothing short of remarkable. They’ve gone from plucky upstarts to show stealers, and now, they look ready for the stages, drama, and glory that befell so many of the icons of the Shiiine On line-up.