Quite a mixed bag of entertainment here tonight for the seventh Grrrl Crush night. Disappointingly the pub’s stopped doing all the cheese-related food it used to do but nipping out between acts for some isn’t a drama.

First to play are Girl Scout. Starting out grungy & moody theirs proves to be a short set that unfortunately deteriorates into very dreary and unfocussed territory. Quite what they’re about is a mystery & it’s time to seek out a pizza.

Timing-wise things are run pretty tight tonight so there’s little delay in Thee Girl Fridays moving in to occupy the performance space. Sound quality on the night is a bit ropey for them initially but probably only to be expected given the venue. That kazoo sounds pretty weird though. With a fully formed set of their own material (‘Too Much Of A Good Thing’, 'Big Knicker Twist') and a few choice covers (‘Camel Walk’, ‘Goo Goo Muck’) the quartet, with new drummer Liana fitting in nicely, have come on a lot since their initial gig just a few months back at the Girls Rock School showcase.

The crowd are certainly into the music and the performance, whooping it up at the end of every song and dancing about as best they can in the confined space. For some in attendance this could well have been their first exposure to the styles that Thee Girl Fridays dabble in but if they went away wanting more of it then they’ve been doubly well served by the band. Keep your eye out for them at the pre-fest gig for this year’s Franklin Fest, followed by a show at Glasgow’s McChuill’s in July.

Tonight’s final act was Vixxxionary. As it was still rather hard to get anywhere near the front of the crowd (cool that the event was a popular draw) I may be wrong in my assertion that this was a solo act – one girl and a drum machine/backing tracks. Either way the curse of the iffy sound was once more in effect and the first couple of numbers came over as uninspiring so it was time to head off and catch the first available bus. All things considered though this was a good night’s free entertainment so keep a look out for the next one.

Album number two from Skaters doesn't drastically alter the template set down on their debut, Manhattan. By turns grungy, sunshiny, woozy and spacey Rock And Roll Bye Bye finds the New York-based quartet laying out their stall to grab your attention with potentially one of the great indie rock records of the summer of 2017.

Playful and good humoured throughout, Rock And Roll Bye Bye certainly shows of the band's love of Pixies and other similarly influential acts of the '70s, '80s & '90s. 'Head On To Nowhere' (with it's Muse-like intro) being a case in point.

Modern Life Is Rubbish-era Blur is channeled on fifth track 'Restless Babe' whilst elsewhere The Clash, The Rolling Stones & Primal Scream all exert the odd bit of influence now and again.

The memory of enjoying Manhattan three years ago has remained with me although, as per usual, I'm unable to name a single track from it. The memory of being pleasantly entertained was itself though enough to foster interest in seeing if the band were maintaining the previously enjoyed quality. Being able to report that this is indeed the case is therefore almost as pleasing as the album itself.

There are no fireworks here (or even bells & whistles) but that in no way diminishes the unassuming nature of the work or it's overall quality. Whilst 'I'm Not A Punk' offers a rare lowering of that quality the bulk of Rock And Roll Bye Bye provides ample enjoyment again and again & further highlights Skaters as being their own men & having their fingers on the pulse.

Over the course of the dozen songs on offer here the pacing & ordering has been well thought out & so there's a cohesion maintained for the most part, which succeeds in Rock And Roll Bye Bye being an album of distinctly likeable tunes rather than just a few potential singles bulked out by fodder. They make it seem so easy too.   

Rock And Roll Bye Bye is available from amazon & iTunes.