TYLA J. PALLAS - Bannerman’s, Edinburgh 24 August 2025

Originally billed as a launch of Tyla’s latest book, ‘More Cocktails & Dog Tales’, with some songs and stories, the event had grown; first, through the promoted inclusion of a Q&A session with former comedian and ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ host Phill Jupitus, and then some full band participation including some songs from Tyla’s latest album ‘Gilding the Lily’. All in all, the makings of a potentially great night.

In a change to Bannerman’s normal standing layout, seats and tables had been set up cabaret-style and at 8.15pm sharp, minus support and with a curfew to observe due to another Fringe performer on stage after the gig, Tyla and Phill made their way on stage.

Carrying a glass of what looked like milk, Tyla sparked fears that he had gone healthy and provided reassurance that said glass of ‘milk’ was, in fact, a White Russian.

The audience was disappointingly small at first, growing as the night progressed, but it was always going to be a tough sell with the Festival and Fringe in full flow, competition for audiences’ money and time everywhere (including on streets, corners and in closes), lots of people away on holiday and on a Sunday (or school) night just before pay day.

Over the course of the first 30-40 minutes, Phill led Tyla (as much as anyone can) through his life in the Dogs d’amour and the book, jokingly suggesting he should have ticked each page off in the book as he read it, given how much Tyla’s mind, stories and writing jump from one subject to another and back again.

The rapport between the two was clear with Tyla speaking about his life in his own open and disarming manner.

Free from the shackles and censorship of a prime time TV show, Phill appeared much more relaxed in a live setting and is clearly a real music fan himself. Setting himself up for Tyla’s deadpan responses, the session at times felt more like a good-natured comedy double-act, none more so than when Phill asked, “This is your second book about your life, what’s in this one?” and Tyla responded “Stuff that wasn’t in the first one”. Enough to make a comedian laugh.

After Phill and Tyla had talked about Tyla’s musical career, Phill took out a list of questions from fans submitted via the t’internet (read the book) in advance of the gig. This provided a stimulus to those in the room who started to warm up, ask questions of their own and I don’t think any of us would have minded if they’d just kept the chat going for the whole evening. But, the clock was ticking and a gig was to be had.

As fans will be aware, Tyla has hooked up with a range of willing musical collaborators in recent years on his solo output and when playing this live, often depending on who is available and increasingly influenced by the reality that most musicians (barring the biggest acts) need to play in more than one band, or have side jobs or hustles these days to pay the bills - a musical fluidity which is becoming more common in rock music when layering on visa costs when touring in other countries.

Joining him tonight were Jamie Turnbull (the Edinburgh-based producer of his solo and Tyla’s Dogs d’amour albums, and a talented guitarist in his own right who plays guitar on ‘Gilding the Lily’ and is largely responsible for this being thought of as Tyla’s “guitar album”) on semi-acoustic guitar and Christian Kimmett (manager of Bannerman’s and bass player in Warrior Soul, Love / Hate and more bands than I’ve had bottles of wine …. okay, that might be an exaggeration) on bass.

And in a late change, Michael (Brannon, I think) sat in on drums for their acoustic line-up.

There then followed a 14 song set reassuringly sandwiched by the Dogs’ staples of set opener ‘Last Bandit’ and closer ‘Errol Flynn’.

But in a well-balanced set mixing old and new, what I was most excited to hear were five numbers from ‘Gilding the Lily’ live for the first time. As songs, ‘Cadillac Man’, ‘Glory Days’, ‘Baptism of Fire’, ‘Gilding the Lily’ and ‘Don’t Ever Stop Lovin’ Me’ more than earned their place in the set and freshened things up.

As much as we love the old Dogs’ classics, it would get dull if all we got was the favourites, however good they are.

But, with ‘Billy Two Rivers’, ‘I Don’t Want You To Go’, ‘Satellite Kid’, ‘Drunk Like Me’ and ‘How Come It Never Rains’ thrown in for good measure there was enough to keep all happy.

While the seated layout worked great for the Q&A session, it worked less well for the gig which followed and resulted in Tyla and the band having to work harder than they should have to create an atmosphere.

But, minor issues aside, another great night of musical entertainment.

Glass raised.

Words and images: GMcA

(apologies for the lack of photos from the night due to camera issues).