Words and photos by Annie Barber.
Alternative country band Divorce kicked off the second part of their ‘Drive to Goldenhammer’ tour in Edinburgh, playing their hits to an adoring crowd at La Belle Angele on the 28th of November. Embarking on the second leg of their 2025 tour, which will see the band grace stages across the country, Divorce showed that they are a force to be reckoned with.
‘Curiosity Shop’ provides a folky and laidback opening set, getting the crowd warmed up for the main act. The band play a mixture of guitars, keys, drums, a cello and an accordion which makes for a country-folk vibe that the crowd loves. The audience cheers and sings along with the band, who called it “the coolest thing any of us have ever done”. Although the band are young, each of them possesses immense talent, which is showcased in their set. In fact, the merch that they have available at the show includes some beautifully painted handmade ceramics, which illustrates their diverse and unique skillset.
Divorce emerge onto the stage which is immersed in complete darkness, with the lights springing to life as lead singer Tiger Cohen-Towell begins to serenade the crowd. Kicking off the show with ‘Karen’, ‘Jet Show’, and ‘Gears’, the band is full of energy and the crowd reciprocates their vigour by shouting the lyrics back to them and cheering loudly.
Fourth on the setlist is ‘AMF’, which brings indie-pop vibes to the band’s show. The audience responds by jumping around and singing along. Playing an unreleased track, Cohen-Towell calls ‘Bone Museum’ “a taste of what’s to come” The track consists of heavy drums, loud electric guitar, and catchy choruses. Multicoloured lights match the upbeat sound of the song.
‘Parachuter’ is a more laidback performance, with soft vocals and harmonies complementing the contemplative guitar. ‘Pill’ contrasts with the slowed-down ‘Parachuter’, with its pulsing electronic intro and screeching electric guitar. This performance is somewhat haunting and the musical interlude is heavy and dark, which juxtaposes with the soft vocals and guitar. The emotions contained within this song are palpable during the band’s live rendition of it.
Drums kick off ‘Sex’ with electric guitar and strong vocals enhance the performance. As it picks up in the bridge, the crowd goes wild. It comes to a screeching end and the audience erupts into claps and cheers. Cohen-Towell calls ‘Scratch’ “probably the most dancey song we’ve got” which is proved to be true by the crowd’s energetic response to the catchy and infectious anthem.
‘Fever Pitch’ is a fan favourite with its mellow sound and delicate harmonies. It’s an intimate rendition of the track which makes it feel like the audience is getting to watch a jam session between friends. ‘Xmas/Heaven’ is a brand new song, which is not a Chirstmas song, despite its title. Curiosity Shop’s Yann joins Divorce on stage to play the accordion, enhancing the folky sound of the track which the crowd loves.
An infectious beat rattles along at a steady pace in the band’s performance of ‘Antarctica’. The crowd bops along and it appears to be their favourite so far. The stage is bathed in pink light for ‘Lord’, a catchy song with strong vocals. The crowd cheers and whistles as the band leaves the stage, before chanting “one more tune”.
Mackenzie-Barrow says “this is amazing” as the band reemerges onto the stage to loud cheers. 2022 fan favourite ‘Checking Out’ is the first song of the encore, a loud and rocky track. The crowd claps along enthusiastically, prompting Cohen-Towell says “this has been the best start to a tour we could’ve ever imagined”. ‘Hangman’ is the final song of the set, with a driving beat and the band’s signature harmonic vocals bringing the show to a close.
In between songs, Cohen-Towell and Mackenzie-Barrow chat with the crowd in a relaxed manner which gives the show an intimate feel. Each of the band’s talents, including drummer Kasper Sandstrom and lead guitarist Adam Peter-Smith’s talents are showcased throughout the whole show which fans enjoy enthusiastically.
Follow the band on social media to see what they do next, and book a ticket to one of their upcoming shows now so you don’t miss out!
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