On Saturday night, Bristol duo Getdown Services arrived at Edinburgh’s Mash House carrying a burden of expectation that would crush a lesser band. Over the past few months they’ve ridden a frankly absurd wave of hype, propelled from mid-tier support slots with the likes of Fat Dog and The Bug Club to becoming a righteous, chaotic force with a reputation for live shows that border on the unhinged. And truly, it is hard to believe what these two cheeky chappies manage to summon onstage.

From the second Josh Law and Ben Sadler stepped onto the stage, the room felt primed to explode. Their two-piece setup continues to defy logic, the sheer size and depth of their sound at odds with the minimal gear in front of them: grooves that land heavy but stay nimble, rhythms that push forward with a relentless, infectious drive. They opened with ‘Head Down for The Conversation’, a song with a solid enough groove to set the tone, but you could feel the crowd itching for something with more bite. Perhaps the duo sensed it too as they followed up with ‘Evil On Tap’, a bluesy hard-rock stormer, which immediately snapped the audience into full motion, sending heads whipping and bodies thrashing in time. What really sold it was the ending: an extended breakdown that stretched out the tension, riding a tight, looping groove while Sadler orchestrated a wonderfully daft call-and-response of “oh my god!” The whole room obliged. It was silly, shameless, and extremely fun; exactly the kind of moment Getdown Services have built their reputation on.

The tracks, pulled from their highly praised debut album Crisps and their recent EP Your Medal’s in the Post, landed with the perfect mix of tight precision and delightful unpredictability. The Crisps title track was an undeniable highlight — with their deepest grooves and most iconic, idiotic-brilliant lyrics: “It smells like poo in here / Everyone’s dressed like Doctor Who in here!” Honestly, what more could you want? Their songwriting walks a wonderfully strange tightrope: smart yet silly, daft yet cutting, often laced with sardonic and mildly bleak reflections on modern life. But seeing Getdown Services live is as much a musical experience as it is a kind of semi-chaotic, semi-improvised stand-up show. Between songs, they volley banter back and forth with the crowd, channelling an oafish (complimentary) and self-effacing Chas & Dave energy. It’s that kind of self-aware humour that makes you feel fully in on the joke, even when they’re gleefully shouting obscenities at you.

Despite the fun, full-throttle energy that defined most of the night, there were a few moments where things dipped just a little into something more mellow. Lead lyricist Josh Law stepped forward alone for a solo rendition of ‘I Wish It Didn’t Bother Me’, a song that captures, with disarming simplicity, a moment in the life of someone living with depression (though of course still with the trademark effusive humour) “Am I having fun, or am I only watching it? / It’s hard to tell, I wish it didn’t bother me.” Dialling back the volume drew the audience closer, inviting them to take up the chorus hook alongside Law. What could have been a quietly introspective moment instead became something warm and communal. By the time he threw his arms wide and shouted, “Yes! I am Chris Martin!” the room erupted — of course, we couldn’t get too serious, it was Saturday night after all!