AS a massive supporter of the exuberant Glasgow music scene, it’s touching to see a young band’s popularity skyrocket over such a short space of time due to the sheer amount of drive and determination they possess. From their first gig at the Record Factory a year and a half ago, to a sold-out mass of limbs and frenzy at Stereo on Friday night, four-piece ‘council punk’ band The Dunts are currently proving themselves to be the most exciting and hard-working group in Glasgow at the moment.

The tone of the night was set by the first support act, Gallus. Formed in early 2017 and having just released their debut single, Nice, on March 28, they’re relatively new on the scene, but had an infectious on-stage energy. From vocalist Barry Dolan’s attention-grabbing dance moves, to guitarist Daniel Blake shredding so hard that he slashed his finger open and had to do an impromptu guitar swap during the set, they played their way through an admirable set of unreleased tunes. Never once losing momentum, Gallus got the already-excitable crowd warmed up even more, and showed them exactly what was to be expected throughout the rest of the night.

Next up was Voodoos, who have already made quite the name for themselves after playing popular monthly club night Club Sabbath back in 2016. Since then, they’ve released a string of singles and in turn gained themselves a massive local fanbase, which was extremely evident on Friday night. With the crowd in the palm of their hand, Voodoos showcased a remarkably stylized and polished performance. Their latest single, ‘Garden Ornaments’, saw the first of the pints go flying and brought an unrelenting wave of energy to the night. A few songs later, the catchy chorus of ‘Natalie’ was screamed back into their faces, and the ethereal sense of pride felt by the four-piece was clear.

This was all just a hint of what was to come. With none other than Girls Aloud blaring as they strutted on to the stage, the opening chords of their first song, ‘G53’, whipped the packed-out venue into a mass of pure, unadulterated chaos. The excitement and off-the-wall unpredictability of their sets is something that’s hard to master, especially in small venues, but they appear to have mastered it. Lead vocalist Rab Smith had the crowd hanging on his every word as they rattled through an impressive setlist featuring songs from their most recent release, ‘Not Working Is Class’, as well as some older tracks such as ‘Astroboy’, to which loyal fans belted out the lyrics into each other’s faces down at the front. Their performance of ‘Tommy’ was as raucous as they come, with Kyle McGhee’s foot-stomping drum beat and clashing guitar hooks from David McFarlane and Colin McGatchy, paired with people being flung into the air every couple of seconds. Set closer and fan favourite ‘Dimitri’ was the highlight- defiant, hyper-punk and oozing frantic energy, it brought the night to a close on a rush of exhilarating vigor that didn’t stop when they came offstage. ‘Mon the f***ing Dunts!’ was chanted as the final stragglers left the venue.

With more people being thrown out for crowdsurfing than people who attended The Dunts’ first gig at Stereo, it is clear that the band have gone from strength to strength in the past year and a half- and they can only get bigger. Bringing a loyal and close-knit group of fans and friends to every gig, their live presence is like that of a band who have been together for years, and all eyes are firmly on them as they’re set to release their new single within the next couple of weeks. With several tour dates in the likes of Germany and London, they will undoubtedly become very successful very soon.