Michael Franti and Spearhead @ The Liquid Room, 20 Aug

The Liquid Room has never been so hot. As hot, that is, as tonight’s anticipation for its summer residents Michael Franti and Spearhead. As the sublime tunes from ominously monikered Dutch duo Kraak & Smaak warm up the crowd to fever pitch, the remaining dreary and damp bodies pile in from Edinburgh’s ‘summer’ streets. Bass begins to move the floor as Franti’s tenor tones resonate throughout. “A little bit of riddum makes the world go round!” he booms. And this is proved true indeed as the entirety of the audience jumps along to Spearhead's two and a half hour set. From the ceiling to the courtyard there’s not a single punter stationary as Spearhead shows off their wide ranging musical prowess through rock, reggae and hip-hop. Anecdotes, laughter, girls on stage, sweat, politics and love; Franti delivers it all. While still managing - through the chaos and craziness - to shine as the profound poet and dedicated activist he is. [Shelley Blake]