SPREAD EAGLE - BANNERMANS, EDINBURGH
September 24th 2026
Bannermans is the sort of venue where the walls have probably seen more leather, beer and questionable decisions than most city centres, and on this particular night it welcomed Vantage Point, Eld Varg, and New York hard rock survivors Spread Eagle for an evening that deserved a far bigger crowd than it received.
First up were Vantage Point, who came flying out of the gates with enough Iron Maiden worship to make Bruce Dickinson nod approvingly from a distant castle turret somewhere. Galloping riffs, twin guitar harmonies and a no-nonsense love of classic British metal got the heads moving early. There was no reinventing the wheel here, but when the wheel is forged from Maiden steel, who cares?
Next came Eld Varg, who transported Bannermans from Edinburgh straight into a world of mythology, battlefields and ancient spirits. Their set felt less like a gig and more like a saga being told around a Viking fire. One minute you're nursing a pint, the next you're mentally preparing to raid a neighbouring kingdom. Powerful stuff.
Then it was time for Spread Eagle.
Launching into "King", the band immediately showed why they've endured while countless Sunset Strip clones have vanished into history. Ray West remains every inch the charismatic frontman, snarling, strutting and commanding the room with the confidence of a man who knows exactly what he is doing.
From there they tore straight into "SOS", with the gritty street-level swagger that has always separated Spread Eagle from their glam-era contemporaries.
Tommi Pullela's guitar work was superb throughout the evening, balancing filthy riffs with tasteful leads, while Rik De Luca provided the thunder behind the kit, driving the songs forward with relentless energy. Rob De Luca's bass work proved equally vital, laying down a muscular groove that gave each song its backbone and added extra punch to the band's hard-hitting sound.
"Broken City" landed like a back-alley uppercut before "Ant Farm" unleashed another wave of groove and attitude. The band sounded tight, hungry and completely locked in despite the modest turnout.
One of the night's highlights came courtesy of their cover of UFO's "Pushed To The Limit". It was performed with genuine passion and enough fire to remind everyone just how criminally underrated UFO remain.
The frustrating thing about the night was the attendance. Those present made plenty of noise, but there was no escaping the feeling that this should have been a much fuller room. Spread Eagle delivered the goods from start to finish and deserved far more bodies packed into Bannermans' famous basement. Sometimes Edinburgh crowds are mysterious creatures. They'll queue for three hours to buy an overpriced coffee but miss a hard rock masterclass on their doorstep.
Closing with "Scratch", Spread Eagle left the stage having delivered exactly what rock 'n' roll should be: loud, unapologetic, slightly dangerous and utterly entertaining.
While Vantage Point channelled the spirit of classic British metal and Eld Varg took us on a journey through myth and legend, Spread Eagle reminded everyone that real hard rock doesn't need gimmicks, backing tracks or social media dances. Just killer songs, great musicians and enough attitude to level a building.
In an age where too many bands hide behind laptops, backing tracks and TikTok trends, this was a reminder that rock 'n' roll is still best served loud, dangerous, and standing face-to-face with the audience.
For those who were there, it was one hell of a night!
Review :Seb Di Gatto Facebook
