Ecko: Shiiine On Festival 2022

Scotland’s Ecko were second on in The Inn On Green This past Saturday at Shiiine On. It was, unbeknownst to them (and us), to be the start of something truly magical.

All images courtesy of Joc Anquetil (aka A Deeper Groove)

Many bands attempt to be Oasis. You can spot them a mile off. They don’t have it. No matter how good a tune they write, they’re plastic punks. Not Ecko. They look the part, they walk the walk, and they have the tunes but crucially, their souls are forged in the working class turmoil and that led to the Burnage boys’ glory.

Destiny awaits!

The noise and confusion of those early Oasis years hissed across the tightly packed pub. The devil shimmered through their guitars, satan has found his purpose and is going to lead us to the promised land once more. A quick glance around the room observed the 4am hungover looks of bewilderment. Was this really happening?

‘Psycho Candy’ pumped with the blood of ‘Alive’ and ‘Cloudburst’ was interjected with the sumptuous stoner noodling of John Squire. It was happening!

‘Get Out’ took Keith Richards for a ramshackle jam with explosive blues of 22-20s and threatened violence throughout, ‘Teenage Trip’ throbbed with raw power and demanded academy-sized venues immediately. Then, on the latest single ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’, they rendered all 00s bands dead as they took indie-rock to stomping new heights. People left the venue singing in Scottish accents their power was instantaneous.

The crowd was small, but, this isn’t any festival. This is Shiiine On! You’re looking at a generation who sought music out on the evening session, Peel, and at gigs. People sang to snobby record store owners in order to find the white-label demo of their favourite band that never made it. This crowd bleeds new music!

A group Real People Brummies stopped us for The Institutes (who were insatiable btw) set time, 20mins of Ecko chat later, they got it. Glancing around, Supercool Indie Night, Shiiine On management, and many from the Shiiine Thursday club are doing the same. One by one Ecko are making it before our eyes.

Sunday morning, the news filters through that Ecko are standing in for Shambolics on the Centre Stage. The potential for 1800 people was on the horizon for the band. Should be fine, wasn’t like they were dancing to 4am with their old man in Reds the night before.

As The Fannies signed off the main stage in style, the Inn on The Green loyalists filtered to the dancefloor upstairs. If was to be just us again, so be it. Their rise is only a matter of time. What happened next was astonishing.

All images courtesy of Joc Anquetil (aka A Deeper Groove)

Saturday’s crowd had all studiously revised for this exam. Their Soundcloud demos had been pillaged, words had been learned. We were going down swinging for them. Some fledgling bands can falter in this light, Ecko are not one. They grew in stature as destiny flocked to them like a gravitational pull. Swagger oozed through their shoulders. Somehow the slight 18-year-olds looked colossal now.

By the set close, that 1800 mark was virtually amassed.

They weren’t done yet!

They could have walked off into the sunset heroes. Instead, they partied until 4am with the Inn on the Green loyalists to Utah Saints. Celebratory yes, but, to rock ‘n’ roll lovers, it felt more. It’s not enough to be at the party, if you’re going to leave an impact, you need to live that party like it’s your last. Ecko knows it and did it. Shiiine On!