The Ukulele Project

Festival newbies The Ukulele Project make their debut here, bringing their unique take on everything from Radiohead and The Beatles to Plan B and Gorillaz.

The young quartet opened with a cheerful take on Blur’s ‘Country House’ and continued the lighthearted mood with a highly entertaining folk rendition of ‘Kung Fu Fighting’. A solo heartfelt performance from lead male vocalist Marcus of Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’ was a definite highlight, followed closely by a seamless Beatles medley which manages to meander beautifully from ‘Twist and Shout’ to ‘Imagine’.

The band look to add new dimensions to their sound by using the ukulele as a form of percussion but this threatens to overpower the delicate acoustic nature of the song and the gentle airyness of the lead vocals, especially evident in songs like ‘Cecilia’. The Ukulele Project are a relatively new group, forming only six months ago, and although there are truly great moments of charm and elegance in their performance, there are times when the group’s nerves are tangible and can leave the audience feeling slightly uneasy.

Underbelly Cowgate, 08445 458 252, until 29 Aug, 12.45pm, £9.50 (£8.50).