Having had the privilege of seeing First Aid Kit not so long ago at Maida Vale studios in London, performing to 100 people, I was keen to see if they could transfer their sound to a larger venue. And the answer is they can and impressively so.

It's been almost five years since First Aid Kit were in Edinburgh when they played Sneaky Pete's in the Cowgate. This time around the crowd was at least 20 times bigger and a far more spectacular venue too.

Arriving on stage to a rather ghostly scene of smoke and blue lights the Soderberg sisters, backing band of local boy Scott Simpson and Melvin Duffy, launched straight into 'Lion's Roar'. From then on in it was a hugely tight performance with plenty of crowd interaction that shows the sisters to be pretty down-to-earth people.

A trip to the newly opened cat cafe in Stockbridge was a highlight and may prompt a career move should Johanna and Klara become tired of making excellent, evocative music.

Continuing to play their most memorable hits 'Stay Gold' and 'Waitress Song' were interrupted by a version of 'Ghost Town' performed without microphones. I had long wondered whether the sisters could fill a hall with just their voices alone and this version proved it. They even managed to get the crowd singing along too, a rather spine chilling moment.

It seems that Jack White is held in high regard and a jokey version of ' Seven Nation Army' was attempted before being cut short for the real cover version, 'Love Interruption'.

Drawing it all to a close was an extended version of 'Wolf Mother' with a big guitar solo by Melvin Duffy and then a pounding drum solo brought huge applause from the crowd.

First Aid Kit delivered a wonderfully powerful gig, full of audio images of wagon trains, small-town diners and lonely souls and I half expected a bar brawl to break out at any moment.

Fingers crossed it won't be another five years before they return. And by their appreciation of Irn-Bru I'm sure it won't be.

Kicking off their set with signature tune 'Long Way To Nowhere' The Parkinsons barely pause for breath tonight as they power through a set lifted from their four albums to date. 'Body & Soul', 'Bad Girl' and 'Too Many Shut Ups' provided high points in a performance marked out particularly for Alfonso's unfailing energy and near-constant movement (working up a sweat being clearly the best way to throw off the lurgy). Victor was a close second in the covering the stage stakes, clearly relishing the live environment and the opportunity to thrash out. 

Pedro's bass was oddly lacking in the overall sound for the bulk of the set but the general cacophony from the drums, guitar & vocals more than made up for that. Whether the weather was to blame or not is obviously unclear but the crowd was disappointingly sparse for a show from one of the most important bands of their generation. Still, being a punk show with available alcohol, there was an altercation in the dancing element of the crowd resulting in the delivery of one of the best right hooks I've seen in person. Maybe not the riotous reaction the band have inspired in the past then but an indication of the tensions that love for them can unleash and the did enjoy a minor stage invasion for the final number of the night. On this form whatever they do in the studio next should see headline-grabbing once more be their byword when they take it on the road again.

Support tonight came initially from local act Little Love & The Friendly Vibes, who're not as the name might have you believe tree huggers. Melodic pop-punk with overtones of Wire is the quartet's forte (along with a dose of ADHD where there scampering singer/guitarist's concerned - this venue can't have ever held such energetic use of a cordless guitar before). Tackling the great number of First World problems we all currently face (social media blocking, late buses etc.) as well as the interference of authority in songs such as 'Parental Guidance' and 'Heads Down, Thumbs Up' theirs was a throughly entertaining opening half hour that for at least one member of the crowd was the best element of the night.

Sandwiched between Little Love and The Parkinsons were Glasgow's The Jackhammers, one of the most aptly named bands I've seen this year. Pounding away at their instruments in the fine style of The Ramones, Action Swingers etc. the trio they gave the impression of being able to go on all night, delivering their short, sharp bursts of punk fury. What were the songs called? No idea. Other than a dedication to the "Edinburgh dogging community" communication from the stage wasn't that clear between the songs but then we weren't there for oratory and musically they were extremely satisfying.

Although for the past few months Metronomy has been restlessly touring America and Europe, the English foursome have returned to Glasgow for their second gig in the city this year. And, as always, it is far from being a let down.

Metronomy are well-known for their attention to detail when it comes to live performances. Therefore it is no surprise that the stage set consists of Love Letters artwork-inspired cut-outs and that all the members are wearing coordinated white outfits. It's obvious that the band enjoy the performance; frontman Joseph Mount is chatting to the crowd about Christmas, bassist Olugbenga Adelekan exchanges smiles with the fans, and drummer Anna Prior is goofing around with keyboardist Oscar Cash, as they do their synchronized dance to 'Heartbreaker'.

The set is a mixture of the new and old material: the band play almost all the songs from their latest album Love Letters, their biggest hits from English Riviera (including 'Everything Goes My Way' with Anna Prior as the lead singer), and a selection of tunes from 2008’s Nights Out – such as 'Radio Ladio' and 'A Thing For Me'. Even though every single album the band has released is completely different, Metronomy's unique style and their distinctive sound helps to make their set incredibly coherent. The mix of heavy synthesizers in 'Reservoir' and the slower, almost ballad-like 'The Upsetter' and 'Corinne', with its distinctive drums, all fit together superbly and there’s not a single weak moment to the night. The absolute highlight, though, comes in the form of a cover of The Beatles' 'Here Comes the Sun', with the vocals being supplied by Oscar Cash.  It says a lot about Metronomy that, despite being a very electronic-sounding band, they manage to incorporate such a classic to their setlist without it sounding at all out of place in their setlist. This only proves that they are truly a band of many faces, and many talents.

Even though there has been no news just yet regarding the follow-up to Love Letters, one can only hope that we fans will hear some new music from Metronomy very soon. And if not, another gig or two while we are waiting will be highly appreciated. It never gets old with this band!

One of the country’s most critically acclaimed new folk duos, Hannah Martin and Philip Henry play for a large and animated audience, appearing at Lichfield Guildhall.

With an ever-growing fan-base, and recent wins of various awards including 2014 Best Duo at the BBC Folk Awards this year has seen the performer’s stars in the ascendant. With an innovative sound blending tradition with new arrangements and sounds that include tight harmony vocals, technically accomplished fiddle, viola and banjo playing, dobro that's as flawless as it is musical, and beat-box harmonica that has to be seen and heard to be believed, the pair pack a lot into the evening.

The music comes mostly from their two most recent albums in Mynd and Live in Calstock, and range from well thought-out arrangements of traditional music to their own quality songs and instrumentals. In the first half the tone is set withPhilip Henry beatbox harmonica tour-de-force of 'Underground Railway' which sets some fine harmonica playing against beat box sounds and beats, using pedals but creating the sound and momentum in real time; the slow ballad 'Silbury Hill' is a haunting exercise in restraint and musicianship, whilst the traditional Death and the Lady is a stand-out track for Hannah Martin’s vocals and fiddle.

New sonic ground is covered in the second half, with much of their own music, which ranged from 'Ms Wilmot’s Ghost', a story about a keen gardener who still carried on her life’s work from the other side, to 'Painter', a song about the losses felt in the war. They also feature new music in the hard hitting song 'Stones'. The energy level lifts even further, with The Nailmaker’s Strike' and 'The Boy Who Wouldn’t Hoe' both becoming fearsome displays of musicianship and technique.

An encore of James Taylor’s famed lullaby You Can Close Your Eyes shows the duo at their peak, melodic yet innovative, with mass appeal that will also please the purists, showing that the faith that the record industry and the media have placed in this is being well rewarded.