Qulture Magazine

Words: Kenny Ross

Sneaky Pete’s is not a venue that allows for illusions. Being there for The Now’s first Scottish headline show, it felt like exactly the right room for that reason alone. Low ceilings, questionable airflow and an audience packed in so tightly you become intimately familiar with the back of someone (hopefully not too sweaty..? right?… RIGHT?) If a band’s bluffing, this place will show them up immediately, there is no hiding!

Sidenote: Meeting the guys beforehand was good,all lovely & really friendly guys (but, seriously, what are they feeding the young ones in Wales?) they were all about 7 foot tall – and being 6 foot 1 myself, they made me look like a leprechaun on a night out.

The night also doubled as Q Magazine’s first venture into promoting a live show (joint venture with Weymess Scenes), which added a quiet sense of jeopardy to proceedings… were we nervous? Yes. Thankfully, the bill felt intended rather than thrown together thanks to Wayne Weymess — the sort of line‑up that makes you intend to stay near the stage, even if muscle memory keeps dragging you back toward the bar between sets. And, full disclosure, I did comply more than once.

Arienas were first up, and from a position near the back clutching an early pint, it was obvious they weren’t here to politely pass the time. The Fife‑based indie/rock quartet — Sam Robb, Colm Souter, Owen McCann, and Pandy — came out swinging, bringing enough energy to start pulling attention away from the beer taps and toward the stage. Songs like Start Again and Holy Grail landed cleanly, while Take the Money was among the standout moments that genuinely shifted the room’s focus — always a minor victory at Sneaky Pete’s, where the bar is often the real headliner early on.

By the time Eyes of Home took over, getting a pint required actual tactical planning, as it was filling up more than my work calendar with meetings, that could’ve been emails. Built around identical twins Shaun and Arron Leishman, alongside Jack Brady, Tomas Potter, and Gregor Smith, the Edinburgh band delivered a set full of heartfelt, energetic indie rock. There were familiar reference points — Franz Ferdinand, The Killers & The Strokes — but it felt natural rather than imitation. Songs, Landmine, Mr Nice Guy, and Melted Casino steadily ramped things up, and somewhere between squeezing back into position and deciding I probably didn’t need another drink, the room felt properly primed for the headliners.

When The Now eventually took the stage — the “stage” being more of a suggestion than a clearly defined space — they went straight for it. Opening with Loosen Up, the trio of Shane Callaghan (lead vocals/guitar), Callum Bromage (guitar/vocals), and Will Scott (drums) locked things in immediately, No long introductions, no “how we doing, Edinburgh?”— just a focused start that suggested they understood exactly how this room works.

What became clear pretty quickly was the band’s grip on dynamics. Quieter moments weren’t there to give anyone a breather — certainly not in that environment — but to wind the tension tighter before letting it go again. Sneaky Pete’s has a habit of turning volume into a physical experience once it’s full, and The Now leaned into that rather than fighting it – also,  for once the lighting was decent, and the smoke machine wasn’t getting rattled as per usual! Tune after tune of pure magic, and fun ensued, keeping the room pumped and engaged.

A mild double‑take arrived in the form of a cover of Pink Pony Club, which on paper looks like the sort of choice that gets me questioning their choice in covers. Instead, it was reshaped convincingly into the band’s own framework — less novelty, more cheeky confidence — and it landed well enough that nobody nearby felt the need to loudly question it.

Callaghan’s vocals stayed raw and direct, Bromage added texture without cluttering the sound, bass added extra weight and presence to the mix, and Scott quietly did the unglamorous but essential work behind the kit, keeping everything tight and moving without unnecessary flash. (Being a drummer, I have never played anything quietly…maybe that’s a ‘me’ problem!) Closing on ‘Get Out’, The Now wrapped the set up cleanly. No encore baiting, no false endings — just a firm finish and a noticeably sweaty room that looked quietly satisfied with itself by the end.

With Arienas and Eyes of Home doing exactly what support bands should, and a headliner that clearly understood the misson, and how to survive it — and thrive — in Sneaky Pete’s, the whole night held together surprisingly smoothly.

For a first Scottish headline and a first crack at promotion, it all worked — which, in a room like Sneaky Pete’s, is probably the highest praise going. I can see these 3 bands going somewhere, and can’t wait to see how their future’s pan out!