Category: Gigs in Glasgow

Govanhill Street Music Festival – Scottish Faultlines, Junk Pups & San Jose live

August 12, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

After recent weeks events with the racist  right wing rioters taking to the streets (of England & Northern Ireland) to claim “are country” back it was heartening to see UK-wide counter protests claim the streets back from these knuckle-draggers to prove that the fascist scum are in the minority. 

To join in on these celebrations of togetherness, I ventured out to my first “gig” in about 3 weeks to the sun swathed Govanhill Street Music Festival, three stages in the area catering for every music taste.

Scottish Faultlines

Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the Reggae Stage at the Bees Knees Cafe with the Bass Warrior Soundsystem, my day kicking off in the early afternoon sunshine at the Belljar Stage being entertained by the inimitable Hugh Haggerty in his guise of Scottish Faultlines.… Read the rest

Junk Pups, Apologies and National Playboys – live in Nice n Sleazy, Glasgow

July 14, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve not been at many gigs recently so a Saturday night in Sleazys was a most welcome release from the pressures of life that are sent to try us. And after missing a couple of Junk Pups recent performances, including their appearance at the Variety Bar for Crowded Flat’s third birthday celebrations, having this most extraordinary of bands at the centre of the nights entertainment made it all the better.

Glasgow’s Junk Pups were bookended by Apologies from Falkirk and Edinburgh’s National Playboys. Apologies were the first band on the bill, playing what I believe was only their second or third gig as a four piece.… Read the rest

James King and the Lonewolves – The Mortality Arcade – Album Launch gig review

June 9, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

My gig going has taken a hit this year, especially recently. I think I’ve given away more tickets than attended gigs in the last month or so…with the vagaries of life taking over. That meant, apart from managing an hour in The Hug and Pint to marvel at the wonders of Sister MADDs a couple of weeks ago, events around which meant I never did manage a write up (incidentally I bumped into their talented rhythm guitarist Fraser McCallum after This gig). Sister MADDs are a band on the rise with a headline gig at King Tuts lined this summer… (another addendum – the aforementioned guitarist also has a solo appearance during Summer Nights) I’ll certainly be reviewing that one. … Read the rest

James King and the Lonewolves – The Mortality Arcade – Album Review

May 29, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

There is a certain irony that, in a week when I was reminded by events close to home about our mortality as a species, I am reviewing the new album by James King and the Lonewolves. The Mortality Arcade, is album which, while highlighting the fragility of life and exploring the themes of love, loss and grief, both emphasises that raw feeling of emptiness and sorrow that we go though when we lose a loved one, but also is somehow uplifting, a comfort in hard times and an opportunity to reflect on the positive ways in which those we have lost have touched our lives.… Read the rest

Girls Rock Glasgow – Bloc+ Glasgow

May 12, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

A wee afternoon jaunt into the city for the Girls Rock Glasgow fundraiser was a perfect way to wile away a couple of hours on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. This was more than just a couple of bands on a Sunday afternoon, which indeed would have been enough in itself, no, this was an event laid on by Girls Rock Glasgow, to feature some of the current crop of women in grassroots rock bands, but much more than that it was to,raise funds for this years Girls Rock Glasgow summer programme to inspire the future generation of girls in rock bands, and it has to be said they had loads of potential in the audience for future years.… Read the rest

Autumn 1904 – Tales of Innocence – Album review

May 8, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

This album may have taken 40 odd years to come to fruition, with the band disbanding in 1985 having recorded a session for John Peel the previous year and come so close to signing a record deal, but despite the gap, Tales of Innocence is an absolute triumph, finally bringing together that 1984 Peel Session alongside two long-lost songs and four songs which the band wrote back in the early eighties but never recorded until now. The release of this stunning album finally closes out that circle that was started all those years ago, the story of a band who split before the promise of that coveted record deal was fulfilled, with five of their number departing, three of them going on to form The Crows, finally being told, and acting as a great tribute to one of their missing members, the late Indira Sharma.… Read the rest

Xan Tyler – Holding Up Half the Sky – album launch gig review,  Panopticon, Glasgow.

May 5, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

All photos courtesy of Chris Hogge Photography

Holding Up Half the Sky is an extraordinary piece of work. An album of songs inspired by female empowerment, from Xan’s own experiences and those of inspirational women from history. 

An extraordinary achievement needs to be launched in extraordinary surroundings. Where could be more unique and special than the world’s oldest surviving music hall, the place where a sixteen year old Stan Laurel first tread the boards. 

This is an event that has been two years in the planning. I say event as it was much more than just a gig (a phenomenally special and emotional gig granted – not “just” a gig), this was Xan’s vision finally coming to fruition.… Read the rest

Xan Tyler – Holding Up Half the Sky – Album review

May 3, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

This month Xan Tyler follows up her 2021 sunshine-swathed reggae-tinged album with The Mad Professor, Clarion Call, with her latest album Holding Up Half the Sky. The new album is an altogether different prospect than its predecessor, leaving behind the reggae influence and adding an intriguing gamut of alluring instrumentation, I’m no expert but is that flutes, oboes and tubas I hear being used among others to dreamily dramatic effect? The album retains the feel of basking in the sunshine, but this time musically reflecting those relaxed dog day afternoons languishing in the balmy heat with a dreamy listlessness, an album that with any luck will herald in the start of the summer after a long dreary wet winter.… Read the rest

For Your Audio Pleasure – Scorpio Leisure Interview and gig review

April 18, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Scorpio Leisure had me transfixed from the minute I first heard their music, this was courtesy of their bass player Coco sharing an enigmatic video clip of their hypnotic song Driving. The band had an air of mystery about them at the time, other than Coco, I had very little knowledge of the who was in the band. The one thing I knew was they had the potential to be one of my new musical obsessions.

And so it transpired, trying to see the band as often as life and work permits, having been wowed by the first time I saw them in The Rum Shack – even heading out East to catch gigs in Sneaky Pete’s and La Belle Angele, I don’t do that for just any band.… Read the rest

House Guest Festival 2024 – review

April 9, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

First things first, a huge congratulations must go to Scottish Music Collective and Crowded Flat for pulling off a superb inaugural House Guest event. Not only was the sold out day a huge success due to the phenomenal line up, bulging at the seams with a smorgasbord of new Scottish talent, the day ran like clockwork, the dream team in Sleazy’s (where, despite plans, I based myself all day) from bar staff to event management ensuring things ran like clockwork.  I hope the success helps this event to go on to be a celebrated annual event much like its template events such as Tenement Trail. … Read the rest