Scottish Punk - The Ginger Quiff

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

Soapbox – Hawd That – EP review

May 1, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Punks no dad, no… dad’s no punk, no, my dad’s more punk than your dad. Hawd on… punk’s no deid? Or is it? Who the fuck cares anymore. Over the years the term has lost its meaning. Is it a fashion, a style, a cynical marketing ploy? The aging punk polis would argue ’til their safety pins pop, their mohawks flop and they’re ready to drop about what is and isn’t punk (how very “punk” of them), as they challenge Primark Ramones T-shirt wearing youths on their punk credentials… “Name three songs…” they’ll challenge as they close their minds to anything beyond UK82…

So let me just say this… Soapbox is PUNK as FUCK…because in the true sense of what punk stood for all those years ago, this energetic no fucks given quartet has all the credentials.… 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

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 3 – March

April 10, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Another month, another singles round up, and a bumper selection it is too, 61 songs in this month’s list, This month’s selection comes from a range of bands and singers from newer talent such as Dancer, Soapbox and recent BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year Bottle Rockets through to established legends such as Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon, as well as home grown legends Arab Strap and the continued welcome return of James King and the Lonewolves ahead of their new album The Mortality Arcade.

The Top 25

Single of the Month

Soapbox – Fascist Bob

Several reasons for this being single of the month for March, first and foremost it’s a fucking great song cementing Soapbox as one of the best of the current crop of Scottish bands displaying a punk attitude in the true spirit of the first wave of punk, kicking against the pricks and railing against the right wing.… 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

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

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