Two very different Brighton based bands, at two opposing ends of the British music success scale, clash the best two gigs of the week on Friday night in a wet and windy Edinburgh.

In the bowels of the Cowgate  at Sneaky Pete’s you have a band primed for success in Esben & The Witch. After a year of being thrown around the ‘next big thing’  arena, from Q magazine to the BBC, the trio are throwing themselves into a gruelling gigging schedule for 2011.

Their sound is cascading in it’s simplicity, drawing lazy comparisons to last years hype behemoth, the xx, with each track on Esben and the Witch – Violet Cries swings satisfyingly toward an epic finish. This is in thanks to the very disciplined post-rock thread which breaks up songs avoiding any easy chorus led structures and throwing comforting electro or dizzingly cymbals in where necessary – and often at the same time.

There’s no danger of the three piece being propelled to bigger things this year; their pegged for Stereo in early April could easily be tipped into Oran Mor if their trajectory continues apace. Get cramming into Sneaky’s while you can.

Touring support will come from the haunting Oxford duo, Trophy Wife. Blending an ear tugging electro agenda with assured accompanying vocals, a few dials down the math-rock scale from fellow Oxonian outfit Foals but just as pulsating  – as recent singles ‘The Quiet Earth’ and ‘Microlite’ prove.

Local lads Wintergreens have proven one of the most focussed talents in the last year, festering perplexed and driven new wave music with a visual core. Hopefully fruits of this will be served up early doors on Friday.

Overshadowing the Cowgate at The Liquid Room will be an outfit returning to gig fitness, Brighton’s The Go! Team. Almost four years since their last release, they’ll be fusing their shredding rock sounds with burgeoning hip hop in support of third LP ‘Rolling Blackouts’.

The sextet have never been afraid to throw punches in a wild variety of musical direction, slipping funk, electro and even Bollywood into their sound – with refreshing freestyle female frontwoman Ninja – who has the ability to prance and pogo nonstop throughout a Go! Team set.
After two years off the touring circuit they will be undoubtedly hungry to prove they’re still one of Britiains top alternative outfits.

Real quality touring support will be offered up from New Zealand’s Phoenix Foundation, with a cool and collected antipodean rock sound carved out of over a decade of music making.

Breezy harmonies rise and fall between galloping drums and well worn acoustic guitar work, with their fourth LP ‘Buffallo’ released last month. A band it would be hard to watch without a smile on your face, even after an overpriced early venue pint.