On Halloween night renowned Scottish artist Paolo Nutini arrived in Edinburgh for a 3,000-capacity sold-out show armed with new tunes from ‘Last Night in the Bittersweet’, his fourth studio album and third album to reach number 1 in the UK.

Nutini and the O2 Academy Edinburgh have both seen a resurgence of late. While this year’s album is Nutini’s first since ‘Caustic Love’ in 2014, the venue formerly known as the Corn Exchange was acquired by O2 in 2021 and is of Edinburgh’s largest and award-winning entertainment venues.

As the Corn Exchange, the Grade A listed venue - which was once a cattle market and slaughterhouse - hosted gigs by some of the biggest acts in the business including Blur, Pulp, Oasis, Kings of Leon, Chemical Brothers and Massive Attack.

With venues in Glasgow, London and Liverpool among others, O2’s investment in Edinburgh is an indication of the continued growth and standing of the capital’s live music scene.

The performance

Nutini was visibly pumped up for the show as he arrived on the stage and immediately moved into ‘Afterneath’, the opening track from the new album.

Across 2 hours, Nutini delivered new favourites such as ‘Acid Eyes’ and ‘Through the Echoes’. Both are from the new album, but such is the response from the audience they feel as if they’ve been set regulars for years. There were outings for mainstays ‘Jenny Don’t Be Hasty’ and ‘New Shoes’ with Nutini combining the two either side of The Undertones ‘Teenage Kicks’.

Nutini is a hugely accomplished live performer as evidenced by his ability to reimagine songs such as ‘Pencil Full of Lead’, giving it a much heavier guitar and keys feel in place of the brass that is synonymous with the album version.

The set finished with the ever-powerful ‘Iron Sky’ before what felt like a prolonged wait for the encore was explained when the band entered the stage in full Ghostbusters costume accompanied by John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween Theme’. The band gave a flawless rendition of the Ray Parker Jr. hit ‘Ghostbusters’ and there was a slightly surreal moment when Nutini and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man shared a stage!

‘Let Me Down Easy’ received an excellent rework before the Springsteen-esque ‘Shine A Light’ brought the evening to a close.

About the venue

(Image Credit Alan Rennie Photography)

The O2 Academy Edinburgh sits in the southwest of city in the neighbourhood of Chesser.

Well served by local transport, the venue can be reached with Lothian Buses numbers 4,34,35,44, N33 and 300. The nearest train station is Slateford, just a short stroll from the venue, with trains running to and from Waverley and Haymarket stations. The venue does not have its own parking facilities – if travelling by car there are limited options for on-street parking in the surrounding area.

Within O2 Academy Edinburgh there are bars serving a variety of drinks and snack food. Alternatively, the neighbourhoods of Gorgie & Dalry are close by and cater to a wide range of tastes and budgets.

With performances encompassing club, comedy, music and festivals, the venue offers a packed programme of events all year round. Upcoming shows include Irish band, Fontaines D.C, the festive Big Big Christmas Party, Mcfleetwood & Freddie & Queen Experience and acclaimed DJ, Fatboy Slim.

View all upcoming performances at O2 Academy Edinburgh here > 

This was a paid review, written by Stuart Niven for Forever Edinburgh and in partnership with Edinburgh Music Lovers