Feature - The Ginger Quiff

James Domestic – Carrion Repeating – album review

April 20, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

James Domestic (James Scott) isn’t one to rest on his laurels. The frontman of hardcore punk band, The Domestics, he has a list of other bands/side projects the length of your arm, Carrion Repeating is his first solo offering which he describes as “post-punk pop music for weirdos”.

Swagger

How would I describe this solo project? Let me try… To me the album lives in a place somewhere between the cockney geezer swagger of Ian Dury, living in a world of John Cooper Clarke observational poetry and all bundled up with a soundtrack like the coming together of The Fall and Sleaford Mods.… Read the rest

Ginger Wildheart/”Random” Jon Poole/Carol Hodge – live in Bannermans, Edinburgh

April 20, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Being a lifelong weegie, I don’t often venture through to the East for a gig, normally sticking to Glasgow City centre or its immediate environs. However, with no Glasgow date on this tour, I risked a nosebleed and made my way, with my brother, another ginger Hodge (sans quiff) through to my first ever Bannermans gig.

As I thought may be the case, we immediately bumped into another West coaster who had made the trip through and soon, I was bumping into several friendly faces, making the trip worth it before a note was even played.

Carol Hodge

This was a night of firsts, and despite my championing her music for some time, reviewing her albums and interviewing her for the blog, this was the first time I had seen my fellow Hodge live (apart from on several online gigs during COVID – but they don’t count).… Read the rest

The Ones That Got Away… Punk Double Feature – The Pulsebeats & Year Zero

April 3, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

A couple of first wave of punk influenced records here from The Pulsebeats & Year Zero, most definitely on the melodic end of the scale here, with The Pulsebeats verging on power pop, we’re talking Buzzcocks/The Vapors crossed with Husker Du territory here, with Year Zero continuing in the vein of energetic classic punk rock taking their lead from the usual suspects but putting their own spin on things with influences from throughout the decades.

Apologies to both bands as these were albums that were sent to me an age ago and ended up on my “to listen to and review” list for way too long, ending up getting lost amongst the chaos, a great shame and pity that I haven’t shared these before now as they are both exuberant collections of sing/dance/pogo along to punk anthems.… Read the rest

Walt Disco – Unlearning – album review

April 2, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m still buzzing after the Walt Disco gig in St. Lukes earlier this week, such was the beautiful exuberance of the band and the sheer joy that emanated from the stage. The band were genuinely having the time of their lives and are currently deservedly receiving great plaudits from far and wide. Their debut album album Unlearning cements the fact that these acclamations are warranted, its twelve spectacularly arresting songs should see the band hit the heights and continue to ride the crest of this colossal wave for some time to come.

Weightless

Weightless is a faultless and wholly appropriate album opener, a song that means a lot to the band and lyrically speaks of the strength of character it has taken to get where they are today, a song of discovery and acceptance.… Read the rest

Walt Disco – live in St. Lukes

March 30, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

On a driech snowy Wednesday, of course it was snowing, after all Spring had sprung a couple of days ago which obviously is the signal for winter to appear in full force.

Not to worry though, it may already have been a long week, and the weather miserable but inside St.Lukes things were altogether different.

It’s Wednesday, so it must be time to party! The word was obviously out, and the discerning Glasgow music fans were out in force, bedecked in their gladrags.

Unfortunately, I missed openers Fauna, but was fortunate to catch Priestgate’s set. This was a performance and a half.… Read the rest

Sacred Noise – live in Bloc+

March 25, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

This time last week I was still gutted that I wouldn’t catch Sacred Noise play their debut gig in Glasgow’s Bloc+.

I was resigned to this fact so to appease myself slightly I endeavoured to metaphorically shout about the band with a wee Introducing the Band feature.

Little did I know at the time but I was to be the only delegate on my training in Darlington, so we shot through the day at pace and I was on a train back home an evening earlier than expected. Still, I expected not to be back in time…

If i wasn’t an atheist, I’d say someone was looking out for me as, despite nipping into the office to finish some work, I managed to get to Bloc+ before the band made their appearance.… Read the rest

The Ones That Got Away… Simon Bromide – Following the Moon – album review

March 24, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I have Joe Whyte to thank for introducing me to Simon Bromide. Following the Moon came out late last year, and despite not getting around to writing about it, I have been enjoying the lush and soothing laidback grooves from the Bromide frontman ever since. Bromide’s writing, both in terms of the musical arrangements and the storytelling in these nine songs has a calming influence allowing you to listen and disappear into your own cocoon, while the world around you could disintegrate without you giving it a second thought.

Can’t Put YourArms Around a Memory is an interesting reference point for the opening song The Waiting Room, as Bromide reflects on his past, of coming across his younger self in Leicester Square and giving some sage advice.… Read the rest

LNFG Birthday Bash – Domiciles, Deer Leader & Vulture Party

March 23, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I was beginning to think I was going to miss more gigs than I managed to attend this year having missed four so far for a variety of reasons, none more so than work meaning I have been sleeping in more hotel beds recently than in my own.

Judging by the rising cost of fuel, grocery shopping and household gas and electricity, I better make the most of these nights before they become a luxury I can no longer afford…

It’s not that I haven’t been at any gigs this year, I’ve managed a few – John Robb and his Membranes owning the Oran Mor stage as his thundering bass pulsed through my whole body, IDLES doing what they do with great aplomb in Barrowland and a raucous set in Stereo from the Tequila slammin’ party band Los Bitchos among them, its just that my head hasn’t really been in the game in terms of writing about stuff.… Read the rest

Introducing the Band… Sacred Noise

March 21, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Sacred Noise, one of my ”22 for ‘22” recently released their second single Part of Me, and are due to play their debut live gig in Glasgow’s Bloc+ on Thursday this week (24th March).

Unfortunately, having followed the band since their inception, I am missing this debut as I am out of the country with work… That doesn’t stop me encouraging the rest of you to throw caution to the wind and get your glad rags on and head over to Bloc+ on Thursday for a cracking night’s entertainment.

Sacred Noise indulged me and agreed to answer a few questions by way of an introduction to the band and their music…

Introducing the Band

GQ: I feel as if I’ve been on a journey with you as a band, following your social media for some time and hearing you grow.… Read the rest

Prioritise Pleasure (with a nod to Self Esteem)

March 15, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Prioritise Pleasure

Contrary to what the title of this blog may suggest, this isn’t a review of the superbly inspirational album from last year, courtesy of the upfront sass of the talented Rebecca Lucy Taylor laying her soul bare for all, with a heavy dose of honesty. (Having said that I did review the album last year and it appeared in my top 5 albums of the year).

The blog does however pickup on some of the themes visited by the album, none more so than that of its title track, Prioritise Pleasure. A mantra that we should all unabashedly live by without feeling guilty, after all if we want to help others, we can’t share from an empty vessel.… Read the rest