GLASGOW played host to its very own punk festival at Audio a fortnight ago. The second annual Strugglefest, org- anised by DIY record label Struggletown Records, was an all-day event featuring punk, hardcore and emo bands from all over the UK.

Emotive Glasgow rockers Bear Arms headlined an extensive show which featured 10 bands on the bill.

Scotland’s DIY scene continues to go from strength to strength, and that’s due in no small part to the hard work of labels like Struggletown.

Before the event, label founder Steven Hill told The National his goal was to “keep the attitudes and outlooks the same but the music varied”.

With that in mind, Strugglefest was an undeniable success. People of all ages drifted in to watch a range of bands and styles. Local pop punk acts such as Veto and The Kimberly Steaks naturally drew in a younger audience, but there was a community aspect to proceedings throughout the whole day.

The Kimberly Steaks particularly benefited from the supportive vibe. Their bread-and-butter pop punk sound, evocative of an underground era before the likes of Green Day and Blink 182, was refreshingly raw.

Even when the band’s drummer managed to completely lose control of his sticks midway through a song, the crowd didn’t seem fussed. The memo appeared to be: “This is punk rock – just get on with it.” The Glasgow band launched back into the song without flinching.

Scottish emo (or “Ecossemo”) troop Carson Wells were similarly low-key in their performance. Their lack of energy couldn’t be confused as being a lack of passion though – their mix of confessional lyrics and twinkly guitar progressions meant that the sporadic screams and contrasting hardcore excerpts came across more powerfully.

Less sophisticated in their approach were Maycomb, the highest billed English band on the card. Though their songs were dynamically crafted, there was a whiff of stateside to their predictable song-writing approach.

Fans of Fallout Boy would appreciate the sugary vocals and radio-friendly sheen, but little about them would appeal to listeners over a certain age.

With that said, the band’s stage presence and positive outlook were still indicative of the day’s proceedings as a whole. Despite the more melodic sounds exhibited by bands like Veto and Maycomb, their uncompromising DIY ethos felt reminiscent of the punk movement of yesteryear.

Bear Arms were therefore an appropriate headliner, both progressive in their compositional style and mindful of their hardcore influences.

Arguably the most impressive act on the Struggletown label, they were also the biggest draw of the night.

Critics have been quick to pigeonhole them as the next Biffy Clyro or Twin Atlantic, but the Glasgow quartet are arguably even more indebted to American post-hardcore of the early 2000s.

Singles such as Vultures and Cities naturally received the biggest cheers, especially given their accessible edge, but meatier tracks like Courage were the more impressive to behold on a live stage.

One can only hope that the quartet don’t feel the need to adapt their sound to a mainstream environment over the coming months, because in an environment like this they sound unstoppable.