Edinburgh, Scotland –
There’s no way to miss Edinburgh Castle when you arrive in town, perched high upon its volcanic rock looking protectively down on the city below for over 900 years. It is perhaps the most esteemed venue to play in Scotland, and during July the esplanade at the castle’s door is turned into a hugely popular outdoor concert setting. For Edinburgh’s own Callum Beattie, years of playing local pubs and clubs (as well as busking outside the castle after concerts had) have led him to a triumphant headlining show on the very stage he manifested playing on back in 2019 – the video clip before the show of him prophesising this very night proving how incredible talent, hard work and determination can reap rewards.
Hailing from nearby Musselburgh, Callum has built up a dedicated and loyal fanbase over the last 6 years, and as the man himself took to the stage the roar must have been heard across town. He burst onto the stage with boundless energy and launched straight into “Two Pretenders”, the first song from his new independently produced album “Indi”, and the crowd instantly began their singing which continued all night long. Callum has a gritty, soulful indie rock voice that lends itself perfectly to live performance, and his stage presence is powerful – it’s hard to take your eyes off him as he moves around. Backed by his long time band members Jason Tucker (guitar), Johnny Madden (bass), Gus Harrower(Keyboards), Nairn Milne (Drums), Eryn Rae (fiddle) and Lorna Lynn (backing vocals), he led straight into “War on The Streets” and “Dead Man Walking”. Even though he released his first album “People Like Us” just 6 years ago, he already has established his place in the Scottish music scene, and “Fireproof”, “25 Seconds” and “Easter Road” (with a little flourish of “Sunshine on Leith” by The Proclaimers) feel as though they’ll be staples in his setlists to come. It was often an emotional evening as the realisation of his dreams reaching fruition hit him, and he promised us he would do his best to deliver a fantastic night.
As the set progressed the famous Edinburgh mist came down and added another magical feel to the night, and as Callum swapped his guitar for the keyboard he let us in on the news that he has been asked to be the singer in the official David Bowie band. Announcing that he will be working with them to release a cover of “Heroes” at Christmas to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust then treating us to a preview, it was hard not to feel emotional – his voice just works so well with the song. He’s also done an incredible amount of work for charities, raising over £1million in the last 4 years from single “Something in my Eye”.
The night continued with two of his biggest hits “Salamander Street” and “Heart Stops Beating”, and it was incredible to watch a sea of people bouncing along amid the mist. Local laws meant that the set had to close at 10.30pm exactly so unfortunately there was no encore, but before the final 3 songs Callum thanked his band, crew and manager Dave Rogers, who he has built a special bond with, and got him to say a few tear laden words on the stage. He also gave a shout out to Regular Music, who have supported him throughout his career and staged the series of concerts at the castle as well as hundreds across Scotland each year, providing vital support to both up-and-coming and established artists.
Keeping the emotions high with a cover of Dougie MacLeans “Caledonia”, the final song “Always Rains in Glasgow” brought this special night to a close – a show large on scale that felt as intimate and warm as a pub gig with your closest friends. As we all left the castle and made our way down the historic Royal Mile, singing out loud, we passed a busker singing Callum’s songs and it felt like a full-circle moment, from starting out in that very spot himself to being the main event that night, what a journey he has had and I can’t wait to see where it continues to take him.
SETLIST: Two Pretenders * War on the Streets * Dead Man Walking * Fireproof * Daddy’s Eyes * Man Behind the Sun * 25 Seconds * Bed is Burning * Easter Road * Heroes (David Bowie cover) * Something In My Eye * Red * Dancing With Wolves * Sound of Sirens * Salamander Street * Let Me Fall * Vandals * Heart Stops Beating * We Are Stars * Caledonia (Dougie MacLean cover) * Always Rains in Glasgow
Show Date: 10.07.26
