Category: Gig preview

Three ‘n’ Eights – Leopard Print Hearts – album review

March 6, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

I believe I once commented in a live review something along the lines of Three ‘n’ Eights being the ultimate party starters, a band that will have your foot tapping from the very first note, but more importantly by the end of their set you’ll no longer be in control of yer dancin’ feet.

I mean, part of that might be the levels of drink imbibed on occasion, but all joking aside, I challenge even the soberest of souls not to find their feet moving of their own accord, and unconscious smiles breaking out across the most miserable of faces while listening to the fourteen slices of rabble rousing anthems from this gallus group who never fail to bring the shenanigans to the shindig.… Read the rest

Hens Bens – World’s Strongest Band – Album Review

February 23, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

Do you miss off the wall 70s eccentrics Devo? Do you yearn for the cartoon rave-punk of Hadouken!? Are the three Michael’s (and The Shoe of course!) of Slime City one of your favourite live bands? Do you revel in the music of Glasgow legends The Mickey 9’s? If you answered “yes” to any, or all, of the above, then your new favourite band comes in the form of the anarchic comic-nihilism of Hens Bens.

The bands genre-bending debut album is World’s Strongest Band, thirteen tracks of chaotic electro-punk pandemonium. You could equally change one of the vowels in the album title and it would be equally true, the music being so radically leftfield in its offbeat eccentricity, and with some riotously outlandish lyrical tales meaning its general weirdness causes a wide grin to spread across this listener’s face.… Read the rest

f.o. machete – Mother of a Thousand – Album Review

February 12, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

After an extended hiatus of a dozen or so years, the mighty machete returned to the fray in style around this time last year with a live show supporting another legendary Scottish band who had also returned after too long out of the limelight. That show in Room 2 featuring The Hedrons and f.o. machete will live long in the memory, both bands at the top of their game, with The Hedrons celebrating the release of their long awaited sophomore album and f.o. machete quite obviously just stoked to be back playing live. Now it is f.o. machete’s turn to release a new album, their hotly anticipated follow up to My First Machete.… Read the rest

Lambrini Girls – Who Let the Dogs Out – album review

January 29, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

Lambrini Girls first caught my attention with their 2023 single Lads Lads Lads, which spurred me into purchasing their impressive  “You’re Welcome” EP and to take a trip over to Glasgow’s West End to catch the band live in the Hug and Pint. That was where I experienced the Lambrini Girls tour de force in full effect, playing a no holds barred set and laying waste to the heaving mass of bodies in the tiny and very sweaty basement venue. I would defy anyone to have walked away from that gig without a look of euphoric startled bewilderment on their faces and filled with a feeling of solidarity and righteous empowerment.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up – 2025 – January – Part 1

January 26, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

2025 has got off to a bang with some singles that I imagine I’ll still be loving in 12 months as we reach the end of the year. As usual there is an eclectic mixes of styles representing in this cross section of what January had to offer, this is Part 1, I’ll include a link to a playlist of ALL of January’s featured singles when I get to the last part…

Voitures – Doesn’t Know It Yet

A great start to the year from Glasgow’s Voitures with buzzsaw guitars aplenty on this addictive slice of psych rock that channels elements of The Beatles and Mansun on the hypnotic Doesn’t Know It Yet.… Read the rest

25 for ‘25

January 2, 2025 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve still to finish several reviews for last year and finalise my best of 2024 lists, but here goes for a list, in no particular order, of 25 music related events, bands, gigs etc I’m looking forward to in 2025…

Tanzana – having witnessed them live for the first time in 2024 supporting Death Valley Girls alongside Junk Pups and being blown away by their performance, I’m looking forward to more from Tanzana including their debut single, Covet, released on 9th January.

Tanzana

Xtro Ghost – Rob and Suze from Diablofurs have been posting clips on socials of rehearsals for songs for their new project Xtro Ghost.… Read the rest

November Singles – Pt 7 – V.C.O., Count the Days, Gallus, Kneecap, Brielle, Corrine…

December 3, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Loads of local talent in the last section of this months round up…alongside some celtic cousins with Kneecap joining some of Scotland’s best young talent, V.C.O., Count The Days, Gallus, Brielle, Corrine.

V.C.O. – Slow Dance

When you press play on V.C.O.s Slow Dance it is like being transported back to the 1980s, a decade of music that often gets a bad reputation with cheesey pop, leg warmers and day glo taking centre stage in misrememberings about what 80s music was all about. The utterly addictive Slow Dance has me yearning for the hedonistic highs of 80s music with its retro post punk alt-pop electronica feel.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – Interview with Fay Fife

November 13, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

The Countess of Fife, the solo project from the iconic Fay Fife have recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for their second album, the follow up to their well-received and critically acclaimed debut the Star of the Sea. The current campaign, for the album A Woman of Certain Wisdom ends on November 22nd, with plenty of tempting packages to attract the discerning music fan.

HELP FAY FIFE MAKE A NEW ALBUM : A WOMAN OF CERTAIN WISDOM by Fay Fife — Kickstarter

I met up with Fay recently in Coffee Saints in Edinburgh to catch up with her (and Harris – her beautiful Golden Retriever, who enjoyed his pup cup) on all things Countess of Fife and navigating the music industry in the 21st Century.… Read the rest

Carol Hodge - Photographer John Middleham

Carol Hodge – Selenite Songs Tour Preview Interview

October 27, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I recently interviewed The Courettes after their show in Glasgow, a duo often labelled as the hardest touring band on the circuit. Closer to home another artist who seems to be touring/playing live incessantly is friend (no relation…) to these pages, Carol Hodge, who must have mornings like “today its Yorkshire it must be Selenite Songs/Steve Ignorant/The Wildhearts/rare day off at home* (*delete as appropriate).

Within that busy touring schedule Carol managed to squeeze in some time for a chat about relentless touring, part two of the Selenite Songs tour with Julia Othmer, her new album EffortLess InSecurity and being an independent touring artist.

… Read the rest
The Soul of The Fabulous Courettes album cover

The Courettes – The Soul of The Courettes – album review

October 1, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Over the years, the husband and wife duo that make up The Courettes have deservedly built a formidable, and “fabulous” reputation for being one of the hardest working touring bands on the circuit, barely taking a break over the last few years to catch their breath as they tour relentlessly around the world. Somehow within this punishing schedule they have managed to fit in the recording of this glorious new record.

The globetrotting dynamic duo have never been backward about wearing their influences on their sleeves, quite literally, with their glamourous monochromatic sense of style matching the remarkable era of music that has played such an important part in influencing their sound and image.… Read the rest