Clyde 1 Unsigned Showcase @ Oran Mor

Expecting a handful of Arctic Monkeys wannabes, it's a pleasant surprise to find that the second Clyde 1 Unsigned Showcase is a surprisingly varied affair. Seven-piece Zener Diode (3/5) (it's an electrical component, in case you're wondering, and a name apparently chosen primarily so people will ask what it is) open with their Blondie-meets-The Infadels electro pop; solid tunes, certainly, but their singer should rethink his dance moves. The crowd is slight but receptive, with a few hardcore fans shimmying wildly down the front. Next up are The Jaks (2/5). Clearly fans of Noel Gallagher, they're the least original of tonight's bands, but their sense of fun suggests joy in the old pub rock formula. The crowd swells during The Jaks' set, so the room is packed for The Fire And I (4/5), a drums and guitar two-piece with fantastic tunes and startling, raw-throated vocals, and despite a fearsome set from five-headed rock behemoth in-the-making, Red Snowman (4/5), who steal the show with their winding, grinding blend of prog metal. Although the crowd mainly consists of the bands' friends and family tonight, each band is met with unanimous support, and as Clyde 1 Unsigned unfolds as a regular endeavour, it's easy to imagine a real community spirit developing across these events. [Heather Crumley]