After hearing so many great things about 27 Club, I was expecting a night of good live music. What I got was even better: a full-throttle rock show packed with incredible musicianship, huge vocals and an energy that took over the room. By the end, I had discovered a Fringe show that was very much up my street.
The award-winning live rockumentary celebrates the music and legacy of five artists forever associated with the infamous 27 Club: Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. It is an incredible catalogue to pull from, and 27 Club brings it to the stage with powerhouse performances, blistering instrumentals and a band clearly having the time of their lives.
Dusty Lee Stephensen is brilliant on guitar and vocals, bringing loads of energy to every song. His voice is a real standout too, with the power and grit to suit the heavier rock numbers perfectly. Jon Mackenzie takes on some of the show’s grunge-heavy material and makes some notoriously difficult songs sound effortless. Lesley Williams is equally fantastic, moving between Winehouse and the heavier rock numbers with a powerful voice and commanding stage presence.
The musicians behind them are every bit as impressive. Andrew Scott is phenomenal on drums, particularly during a solo that could happily have gone on for another ten minutes without anyone complaining. Milush Piochaud gives the songs their driving bass, with Ed Zuccollo on keys bringing everything together. Watching the musicians together is half the fun; it is clear they all love playing this music.
At the performance I attended, people were standing, dancing, singing along and clearly having the best time. There is something infectious about seeing these songs performed with such enthusiasm, especially in a venue where you can get much closer to the musicians than at an arena rock show.
There is a bittersweet idea beneath all that noise. Every artist celebrated here created an extraordinary musical legacy before dying at 27, leaving the question of what else they might have gone on to make. 27 Club pays tribute without letting that sadness overshadow the reason everyone is there: the music.
Loud, joyful and packed with talent, this is pure good vibes delivered by a seriously impressive live band. If spending an hour listening to Joplin, Winehouse, Cobain, Morrison and Hendrix played at full volume sounds like your kind of Fringe night, 27 Club is an easy recommendation.
CultureCues Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
27 Club, Assembly George Square (Gordon Aikman Theatre), 22:25, until 30 August 2026.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.