Micko & the Mellotronics – The Trinity – album review

July 23, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I’d love to go for a pint with Micko Westmoreland. Funnily enough Micko is the sartorially elegant and distinctly left field genius behind Micko & the Mellotronics, who have recently released their third, and best, album to date in the fittingly titled The Trilogy. So why the “go for a pint” statement? Quite simple really, I find him to be quite an intriguing character, with a background, among other things, including playing Jack Fairy in the glam-rock inspired epic Velvet Goldmine, several musical scores recorded under the name Bowling Green and of course his three most recent works under the Mellotronics banner, which, to state the bleeding obvious is where we’re landing at today. … Read the rest

King Tuts Summer Nights – Limerence with So Boring, Bed and Late Night Getaway Drivers

July 20, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

My third gig of this years Summer Night season (if you count the pre-Summer Nights warm up up with Alcatraz, Awful Eyes & Leisureland) and all bands on the bill were a first for me, buying a ticket having heard great things about so boring. live gigs and being addicted to Limerence’s debut single She Bites since its release.

As always with these gigs… well pretty much any gig… I was in position ready for the first band. That’s one of the things I love about these multi band bills, half hour sets with a quick turnaround between so there’s no hanging around for ages.… Read the rest

Dead Pioneers – Wagon Burner- album review

July 17, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m currently listening to Wagon Burner for the umpteenth time on my commute to work, while at the same time reading Chris Brookmyre’s latest novel, Quite Ugly One Evening. Music and books, two of my favourite pastimes. As I listen and read, it becomes apparent that there is a link, howevertenuous it may seem, between the two, based on the social commentary that forms the core of them both.  

Wagon Burners is the third vitally unapologetic and intensely passionate album from the forthright Dead Pioneers on which they continue to kick against the pricks, the pricks in this case being racism, the rise of right wing and the conveniently brushed under the carpet and, if it wasn’t for voices like Greg Deal’s, conveniently forgotten genocide of the indigenous people of America and the theft of their land.  Quite… Read the rest

King Tuts Summer Nights – Close Control with Corrine, Brittle and Bite the Bullet

July 11, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

My first time experiencing the 2026 Summer Nights series of gigs (bar the brilliant opening party last week with Leisureland, Awful Eyes and Alcatraz) was for one of Scotland’s hottest properties right now, Close Control, who captured my imagination earlier this year with their edifying debut single, Proximity, one of 2026 tracks of the year for sure.

As always with Summer Nights, the bill features an eclectic mix of bands ahead of the headliners with Brittle opening the night playing a fierce set of earnest alternative post-hardcore rock with shades of nu-metal influences set, my highlights being Be Mine and an ironically bruising Delicate If you’re heading to Belladrum this year, be sure to seek them out.… Read the rest

Gichard – Chins For Lefty – album review

July 7, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

When I listened to Gichard’s debut album, Chins for Lefty for the first time, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d just heard. I knew I loved it, but my head was full of questions, mostly along the lines of what the hell did it all mean? 

Since then, and having listened to the album dozens of times now, I’m still not sure I fully comprehend. And I love it for that. It’s one of these records that probably asks more questions than it answers, and I hear something new or different each time I listen, whether that be a little musical nuance or a rethink of what the lyrics actually mean, sometimes they question the absurdity of life, and are often seemingly obscure.… Read the rest

The Termites – Square Go – album review

July 5, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

After a long hiatus since their last release, 2008’s Kicked in the Teeth, The Termites will shortly release their first album in eighteen years on 13 Deluxe Records in the shape of a live album, Square Go. The record is a celebration of their recent return to the live stage with gigs in a big top in the grounds of Kilmarnock’s Dean Castle, from whence this album recording comes, and Glasgow’s Audio, which I was fortunate to have attended.  

The album’s title was initially planned as the name for a new studio album, but Square Go was far too appropriate a title to pass up for a recording that catches for posterity the raucous nature of those live shows with wrecking pits of heaving bodies slamming into each other, chicken dancing elbows akimbo in a good natured square (dancing) go… I admit that despite my advancing years, I was sorely tempted to join the melee in Audio but my sensible head took over telling me I’d probably have needed about a week to recover.… Read the rest

Summer Nights Warm Up – Alcatraz, Awful Eyes & Leisureland

July 4, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I was fortunate to be invited to a secret gig in King Tut’s last night ahead of the start of their Summer Nights series of gigs. This annual showcase features a whole host of the best of new and emerging Scottish bands and the warm up event featured three bands who have headlined at either Summer Nights or New Years Revolution, Leisureland, Awful Eyes and Alcatraz.

The venue was packed with invited members of bands who are performing at this years event, many for the first time and as such, one of the Summer Nights promoters, Meg hosted a Q&A before the bands played their sets with all three acts giving some insight and the benefits of their experience.… Read the rest

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – live in Glasgow

July 3, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I don’t use the word icon lightly, with a period in recent years where the word was ubiquitous, utterly overused, everything seemed to be described as “iconic,” almost as much misused as another of my most hated words, literally… literally, everything was iconic… ha ha.

Anyway, when it comes to Joan Jett, the word fits her as perfectly as her tight leather breeks did last night. Hers was a performance of understated cool NYC nonchalance, cutting a suave figure of effortless style, and an air of unhurried consummate professionalism, having the hyper-hyped crowd eating out of her hands from the get go.… Read the rest

Saint Sappho – Between the Lines – album review

June 29, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Between the Lines, is the debut album from Saint Sappho, the Glasgow based duo of Zoe Young and Tammy Bryson. an entirely DIY project recorded and produced in their home studio and independently released on vinyl and CD as well as on streaming platforms. The result of their hard work and commitment to the cause is a stunningly atmospheric collection of 13 sublime surging anthemic songs with an existential edge whose lyrics ponder identity, belonging, grief and the meaning of life and death. The soul of the songs is deeply rooted in 1980’s and 90’s alternative rock, with the duo carefully cherry picking a variety of elements from a range of diverse genres of the era, from trip hop to grunge, indie rock to baggy/indie dance to create their very own distinctly rich and vibrant sound, moody and sweepingly vast in equal measures, while also maintaining a mysterious air of hypnotic hazy dreaminess.… Read the rest

Carla J Easton – I Think That I Might Love You – album review

June 23, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Carla J Easton has had a busy few years, co-writing/directing and narrating the wonderful Since Yesterday documentary, and the promo that went along with it, and a Hen Hoose Collective album, The Twelve, in January (review here). Now she has followed up her 2023 solo album, Sugar Honey with the excellent I Think That I Might Love You in May. Taking her motivation from many of the inspirational women featured in Since Yesterday, and being encouraged to pick up a guitar by Eugene Kelly of The Vaselines, who Carla has toured with since 2017, on this new record she has stepped out from behind her synths and keyboards to play guitar for the first time, and the results are a captivating new chapter in her glittering career.… Read the rest

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