Dead Hope - The Ginger Quiff

Death Valley Girls with Junk Pups and Tanzana – Broadcast

March 19, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

The last time I caught Death Valley Girls live was on a dreich and miserable Monday night in the self same venue, but with the stage where the bar is, and vice versa. Bonnie and the band were on top form back then with local duo Run Into the Night in tow. This time around they outshone themselves with a mind-bending stellar performance.

Before the headliners took to the stage though, they already had a lot to live up to after the performances from the two support bands for the evening.

First up it was the turn of fresh faced quintet Tanzana.… Read the rest

Scorpio Leisure – Apology E.P. review

March 7, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

2024 is set to be a bumper year for releases by some of the Scottish music scene’s rising talents. Not satisfied with the release of their self titled debut album later in the year, Edinburgh based post-punk supergroup Scorpio Leisure release their 4 track EP, Apology this month, a treat for those who have a voracious appetite for the band’s music and need an amuse-bouche to keep them going ahead of the main course.

The band is the coming together of like-minded friends and musicians from a variety of bands past and present, representing a cross section of the alternative music scene, all throwing their individual styles and influences into the melting pot and resulting in the serving up of an unconventionally unique and luscious offering in their own inimitable style.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 1 – January

February 28, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

A new year for music and (eventually) the first round up of 2024, and what a bumper crop already for January. A massive 62 songs (OK, so some might be from the end of 2023 as I posted end of year posts early…). Anyway, we’re certainly out of the traps and off running at speed, with this list containing some well-kent names, some new kids on the block, as well as the return of some legends. All told providing a wheen of top quality tunes which succeeded in lifting the January blues. If that was January, this is set to be another cracking year for music…

The hazard of deciding to do a monthly singles round up means also trying to find the time to write up the blog… I seem to be caught in a vicious circle of promising myself I’ll spend more time on writing, then disappearing in a world of work, or spending hours overthinking things and getting fuck all done…

I’ve therefore had to make an executive decision.… Read the rest

The Hedrons – Tired of Taking – album launch with f.o. machete

February 24, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

All photos courtesy of Chris Hogge Photography

They’re back. With a huge fuck off vengeance. Who’s that I hear you ask? Well, The fucking Hedrons of course… but, before they utterly owned the Room 2 stage, it was the return of another legendary band to return to the live arena. And what a fucking return it was.

The band with one of the best names in music, f.o. machete (in its original context, not the family friendly “fresh orange” on their current badges and stickers), tore through their set, laying waste to Room 2 and leaving a scene of joyful devastation, and gobsmacked punters, in their wake. … Read the rest

The Alleged – Don’t Hold Back – album review

February 22, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

The punk scene of the late 70’s/early 80’s was a green light and an opportunity for many to pick up a guitar or drumsticks, or make their voice heard for the first time. Inspired by the early proponents of the scene, many of these bands shone brightly as they made their mark on their local scene only to burn out as they blazed their trail before getting the chance to release an album.

One such band was The Alleged from Glasgow, forming in 1978 and becoming one of the shining stars and stalwarts of the Glasgow punk scene before splitting again only a couple of years later in 1980.… Read the rest

Thee Effits Psychic Coffee Shop album cover

Thee Effits – Psychic Coffee Shop – album review

February 19, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Call this what you like, a post CD release, or a pre-vinyl release review on Tarbeach Records, so you could say it’s either well overdue, or it’s way ahead of the proposed summer vinyl release. The question is who are the mysterious Thee Effits, I hear you ask? The band is the latest incarnation of the ever mysterious The Electric Fits, the brainchild of Walt (aka Thee E-Fits), who released a debut album Opposable Thumbs back in 2015/6. The band is now, pick your adjective, re-formed, re-imagined, re-invigorated, re-generated, re-born, re-invented, re-incarnated into…Thee Effits and to celebrate this re-birth, have released this six track album in the form of Psychic Coffee Shop.… Read the rest

Swansea Sound. Water Machine and I Wanna Be a Truck Driver – Live in Mono

February 19, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

ALL Photos – courtesy of Stuart @blackmagicplastic • Instagram photos and videos

Nearly March already and not a dish done. I still haven’t managed to get to an album review this year, or published the January Singles Round Up, despite my thinking I would get a chance to play catch up. Life and work gets in the way…

I have however managed to get to another gig though… should have been more, but… see above! Anyway. This was another belter. There may be less gigs for me this year due to… see above (again)… and funds… however, the ones I’ve attended to date have been nothing short of inspirational, and this one was to prove no different.… Read the rest

The Filthy Tongues and Scorpio Leisure – Òran Mor, Glasgow

February 7, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

All photos courtesy of Chris Hogge Photography Chris Hogge (@chrishoggephotography) • Instagram photos and videos

What a start to the gig year this has been. Already having been entertained by some of the country’s best rising talents in January, my February gigs dawned with a double header from two bands featuring legends of the Scottish alt music scene. Fire Engines, Win, Boots for Dancing and Gin Goblins amongst the bands featuing members of Scorpio Leisure while headliners The Filthy Tongues of course featuring the well-kent inimitable trio of Metcalfe, Kelly and Fin of Goodbye Mr MacKenzie fame, now more than embedding themselves in the story of Scottish music with these songs revealing their even darker more foreboding side… because of course Goodbye Mr MacKenzie songs were all bunny rabbits and flowers weren’t they…?… Read the rest

Junk Pups – New Years Revolution – with Homework, The Cowards & Velvet

February 5, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

The closing event in this year’s New Year’s Revolution had a lot to live up to after the extravaganza earlier in the month featuring the glory of Sister Madds (many of whom were present for this gig) and the mighty Tina Sandwich whose powerhouse vocalist Tilly was also in attendance for this closing night.

The job of opening proceedings was handed to Homework who went about this task with aplomb. The sparse early crowd soon bolstered as people started filtering in from downstairs as their set caught the imaginations of the early comers. The bands blend of west coast harmonies (take your pick from whichever west coast you chose – Glasgow or USA) paired with their energetic dual guitar assault is a joy to the eardrums coming across like a grungy Teenage Fanclub mixed with elements of Kiwi Jr and Sebadoh.… Read the rest

Albums of the Year 2023

December 30, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Before I list my favourite “Albums of the Year 2023”, an apology.

I have been inundated this year with new music, new albums, requests for reviews and features. First, I’m happy that there is so much great music out there and that I’m party to being able to hear and share that new music, but secondly, a huge apology to many bands and artists whose music I’ve loved and planned to review/feature but it hasn’t happened. I’d love nothing more than to spend my life listening to and writing about music (and the book I keep meaning to finish), but that doesn’t pay the bills.… Read the rest