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Singles Round Up 2023 – Part 9 – November/December

December 27, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The last singles round up was bereft of any comments from me, damn having to work to pay the bills. I’m not going to make any New Years Resolution to be any more organised for 2024… I already know my schedule for January/February.

Anyway, here’s a smorgasbord of tunes for your delight and delectation.

Jo Carley & the Old Dry Skulls – Little Dead Lovin’

With another catchy spooky calypso melody from their latest album, I’ll Put My Voodoo on You, Jo Carley and the Old Dry Skulls continue to plough their gloriously unique furrow. Just try not to be taken by these captivating rhythms, you’ll be recreating the dinner table scene in Beetlejuice before you know it…

Jo Carley & the Old Dry Skulls

The Elegant Chasers – Running Around the Sun

Running Around the Sun, from the band who brought us Clowns and Car Salesman Smile, previously featured in single round ups, comes this huge riff laden behemoth of tune, a spirited uplifting melody but with a hint of melancholy suggested in the vocal and lyrics.… Read the rest

The Scars, Boots For Dancing, Scorpio Leisure, Port Sulphur – Live – La Belle Angele

December 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

(all black and white pictures courtesy of David Kidd)

After what was a stressful day, at the end of an exceedingly trying week, Friday was to bring relief with a Christmas Cracker in the shape of Frets Xmas gig, featuring four courses of prime cuts.

While across the cities in the East and West, carnage was ensuing with Xmas shoppers and once a year drinkers, La Belle Angele was the place to be, it was like Christmas come early, the icing on the cake, or more fittingly, the Angel at the top of the tree.

The starter set the night up perfectly, with Port Sulphur (including half of Quad 90), looking ultra cool in dark glasses.… Read the rest

Bar Stool Preachers/Ultrabomb/Billy Liar – live in Stereo

December 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

This week has been one of those that never seems to end. Work all day, head to hotel, eat, work all evening… eat, work, sleep in perpetual motion. So when it got to Thursday it really felt like it should be Friday, I was so tired I had to stop the car for fear of falling asleep…

If I’m honest the thought of hauling my arse out again when I got home didn’t fill me with joy, but I’d been looking forward to it for an age… Time was tight, from arriving home to getting to the station (throwing some food down in between) took around 20 minutes.… Read the rest

Junk Pups, Water Machine, Brenda, Dancer… live and awesome

December 10, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Dancer, Brenda & Water Machine photos all courtesy of @Blackmagicplastic

Despite the gig year hurtling apace towards its inevitable conclusion, December still holds some diamond nuggets in its dying embers, with some of Scotland’s brightest hopes and searing hot burning talents still to perform while continuing to gather plaudits, and gearing up for more to come in 2024 with some festive frolics.

Last week I attended my first ever Queer Theory night in Nice n Sleazy, and what a welcoming night and magnificent celebration of the queer scene in Glasgow it was. Kudos to the organisers for pulling together such a slick night, a combination of comedy, poetry, drag acts, cabaret, performance art, and of course, my initial reason for buying a ticket, Junk Pups.… Read the rest

Dancer – As Well – EP review

December 4, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

At the end of this week at La Chunky in Glasgow’s West End, the scene is set for what is to be one of the gig events of December when three band’s come together to play an exclusive gig to the lucky 40 punters who manage to secure a ticket. The three bands are, the oft-featured in these pages, Water Machine and Brenda, alongside Dancer, who recently released their latest 5 track EP, As Well.

Dancer is made up of members of bands such as Nightshift, Order of the Toad and Robert Sotelo: Gemma Fleet (Vocals), Chris Taylor (Guitar/Keytar). Andrew Doig (Bass) and Gavin Murdoch Drums) who, when they come together, make one glorious racket.… Read the rest

Johny & the Dead Girls – Dirty Fuckin’ Rock‘n’Roll – EP Review

December 3, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The latest release from the king of scuzzy rock,stand up Mr Johny Skullknuckles – ex-Goldblade & aka JSK, The Kopek Millionaires & Johny Skullknuckles and the Lockdown Lovers, is the aptly titled 6 track EP Dirty Fucking Rock n Roll comes from his latest guise Johny and the Dead Girls.

Dirty Fucking Rock n Roll is just that. A celebration of the music your parents warned you against, just in case it should pervert your mind and soul, attracting you to that seedy world of rock and roll, you know the one, where everyone worshipped The Devil, took copious amounts of illicit drugs, only drank straight Jack Daniels (for breakfast, lunch and dinner) and hid satanic messages in the run out grooves of their records.… Read the rest

The Kosher Pickles – The Kosher Pickles – EP review

November 30, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Glasgow has a great reputation for garage and surf rock, with the likes of Reverse Cowgirls, The Kidney Flowers and The Bucky Rage leading the charge, and a cast of thousands following in their wake – Casual Drag and The Crails to name a couple. Another top outfit that forms part of that scene of rock fiends is The Kosher Pickles, who recently released a self titled 7 track EP, a mix of covers and their own songs which sit seamlessly with the original 60s garage rock tracks, the Glasgow version of The Songs The ~~Cramps~~ Kosher Pickles Taught Us…

Opening in style with a cover of The Others, I Can’t Stand This Love, Goodbye, The Pickles get straight into their groove, full throttle twanging guitars and a solid rhythm section instantly hitting the sweet spot, the band maintaining the frenetic energy throughout the following six songs.… Read the rest

The Hedrons – Tired of Taking – album review

November 29, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The Hedrons announced their return with a bang playing an energised set in SWG3 towards the end of last year to mark the re-release (& for the first time on vinyl) of their debut album, One More Won’t Kill Us on Past Night from Glasgow, with the promise of more to come. A few months later they teased us with the hotly anticipated rollicking rollercoaster that was their killer single Heartache, now the long awaited follow up to that impressive debut, Tired of Taking, is finally available on your chosen digital platform for your aural delectation. For sure this album proves the title of that debut, one more won’t kill them, damn right, it’ll only make them stronger.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2023 – Part 8 – September & October

November 15, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The months are fairly flying by, into the Winter months already, September and October were responsible for another batch of top quality tunes from across a variety of genres as per usual. Maybe you’ll find your new favourite band in amongst this Singles Round Up! I’ve had to admit defeat, due to broken laptops, tech issues, work, gigs, life…. you know…. realistically I am never in a million years going to be able to do an individual write up for each song, so… its just the songs, and some links to the bands socials or otherwise. Apologies, these songs deserve a write up, but just listen and find your new favourite bands….… Read the rest

King Kurt & The Three ‘n’ Eights live in Rocknrollas

November 12, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

As the chorus of their opening song says, King Kurt are back again, and the way my body feels this morning, it was the first steps on my own road to rack and ruin. I need to remember in the future I’m a man in my 50s and perhaps wrecking should be in the past. But fuck it, it was King Kurt what was I supposed to do?

My first time in Rocknrolla’s in Paisley and it certainly is an imposing and impressive venue. What wasn’t my first time though was seeing tonight’s support band, The Three ‘n’ Eights. A band who, for the uninitiated, play, in their own inimitable style, their unique combination of country punkabiilly, for want of a better description.… Read the rest