The Termites – live in Audio with Gallowgate Murders and Aftrshocks

There aren’t many guarantees in life, especially in these fucked up dystopian times when Trump does whatever the fuck his perverse addled brain tells him and fuck the consequences while over here Starmer continues to look like a rabbit in the headlights without a clue what he is doing, ultimately both of them acting as the  puppets of Netanyahu…

One thing in life that is guaranteed however is that when you see a gig being put on by Shrunken Head Promotions you just know there will be a party atmosphere from the off, with a vibe that says everyone is welcome and no one is left behind.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – Live in The Glad Cafe

Photos courtesy of Stephen Brown

The Countess of Fife recently released her second album, New Phone, New Car, New Man, so for the Glasgow half of her album launch gigs, having already played Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms earlier in the week, it was fitting for her to return to the scene of previous victories, a local gig for me at The Glad Cafe.

It was a very civilised affair in the intimate surroundings of the room in the Southside venue, and as I took my seat, I was anticipating a highly entertaining night packed with jocose quips from the inimitable Countess herself punctuating a set of rabble-rousing alt-country anthems.… Read the rest

Warmduscher & San Jose – live in the Classic Grand

This was a bit of a last minute one, I’d seen the Warmduscher gig advertised but it was only in the last week or so that I noticed San Jose were to be the support, that sealed the deal for me.

Anytime I’ve seen San Jose before, the gig descends into near riot with stage invasions, beer flying, raucous pits, athletic moves and incursions into the crowd from their rambunctious frontman Calum as well as disrobing by the band, well particularly guitarist Cean. Despite the early set time and the fact it was a Tuesday night, pretty much everything was there apart from the stage invasion for the finale, a boisterous and life affirming multi faceted anthem through one of my favourite singles of last year, Dirty Linen.… Read the rest

Thrum Thirty – La Chunky Studio, The Hidden Lane

Say the names Johnny Smillie and Monica Queen to any music fans of a certain vintage in Glasgow and they will probably nod knowingly with the pair having been a ubiquitous part of the Glasgow music scene for as long as I can remember going to gigs. I’ve seen them live in various incarnations over the years, I believe the first time may have been when they were playing as Moni and supporting Horse in the Barrowland Ballroom? Anyway, this year, in their Thrum incarnation, their classic album Rifferama is getting a long overdue re-release to celebrate thirty years since it received its first outing and in support of this they will be playing several dates across the UK including dates in Edinburgh in the Wee Red Bar and Cottiers in Glasgow.… Read the rest

Alcatraz – live on Sauchiehall Street

A wee bonus gig review for the indominatable Alcatraz who continue to go from strength to strength. The band have been building a head of steam lately with a noteworthy performance early in the day at this years House Guest Fest followed by what looked like an uproariously good night in London where Liv took advantage of her wireless bass to make her way outside mid-song. 

This appearance as part of Sauchiehall Street Music Day was a bonus warm up (maybe the wrong words given Eleanor’s protestations about it being cold onstage…) ahead of their forthcoming headline gig in The Hug and Pint on the 30th,m.… Read the rest

Middle Class Guilt – Their King of Comedy – album launch gig – Nice ‘n’ Sleazy

There is a strange dichotomy that exists when I’m dealing with my mental health that means when I get overwhelmed with anxiety and depression, the first things that fall off the radar are the things that bring me joy, keep me grounded and give me a focus. I end up fixating all my energy on negativity, overthinking and becoming selfishly insular and uncommunicative, and I start to spiral and break before I realise what is going on. I’ve really struggled to keep on top of things for probably the last 2 years now, but with some support from therapy which, along the way, opened up some raw wounds but also allowed me to have some closure, I really believe that I’m starting to feel as if for the first time in a long time, I finally recognise who I am and can take back control again.… Read the rest

Friends Again – live at The Old Fruitmarket – Celtic Connections 2026

I went to my first gig in 1986, February 27th to be precise, to see Simple Minds on their Once Upon a Time tour. This means that Friends Again had been and gone like a fleeting shadow before I even thought about going to my first concert…

I was clearly slow on the uptake when it came to gig going (I’ve more than made up for it since) as my second ever gig was to see a certain James Grant & Paul McGeechan in their Love and Money guise play Level 8 in Strathclyde Universities students union in October of ‘86 (with Thrashing Doves supporting according to my notes, for any useless fact fans, a band whose career was probably cut short when the milk snatcher claimed to enjoy the video for their single Beautiful Imbalance on an episode of Saturday Superstore…) I developed an unhealthy obsession for the music of Love and Money the result being they were a band I went on to see too many times to mention over the years, and as such they were my gateway drug to the sublime music of Friends Again, and of course the glorious atmospheric sounds of The Bathers.… Read the rest

Awful Eyes, Oedipus and the Mamas Boys, Citizen Head & Vacant Pavements – live in King Tuts

All Photos courtesy of Dale Harvey

What should have been my third gig of 2026 turned out to be my first one, and it was a belter with four very different bands all ploughing their own furrow in their chosen genre, or indeed just by ploughing their own furrow full stop and in doing so defying pigeonholing…

The first band on the bill were a case in point, when I previously saw Vacant Pavements supporting Tanzana in McChuills I was late to the venue and only caught the last song of their set, which was more than enough to whet the appetite for more, I’m disappointed in myself that it’s taken until now to fix that.… Read the rest

Looking Back… Junk Pups

Junk Pups recently bowed out playing their last gig as part of the Palestine Red Crescent Benefit gig in the Hug and Pint in December. Here is every appearance in these pages from 2022 to that last gig…

2022

Singles Round Up 2022 – Part 4…

Junk Pups – Front Garden Flamigo

In the time its taken me to eventually getting round to publishing this, Junk Pups have another single out in the shape of Miss Behave, but lets take some time to bask in the glory of the angular post punk guitars and laidback funky groove of Front Garden Flamingo.… Read the rest

The Ginger Quiff – Gigs of 2025

With the count coming in at 44 it was a poor showing on the gig front for 2025 for me, it was a clusterfuck of a year with a mixture of poor physical & mental health curtailing, with a certain irony given the dopamine boost live music brings, my gig going somewhat and also curtailing my writing. I probably missed just as many gigs I’d planned to attend as I actually attended, and among these missed events I’m sure would have been some guaranteed to be amongst the best of the year.

As it was, every gig played it’s part in making it a successful year of gig going despite the high number of missed dates…

The Second House Guest Festival in April alongside Tenement Trail in October were two obvious highlights of the gig going year giving the opportunity to see a whole host of bands who are all part of the reason the live music scene in Scotland is in such rude health, and they also sewed the seeds of an idea in my head that should be coming to fruition imminently despite a delay in the planned announcement…

Several bands had me return to see them time and again, each time proving their worth and playing cracking sets (equally there were bands I had tickets to see several times and didn’t make any of their gigs…).… Read the rest