Water Machine again… with The Cool Greenhouse and Former Champ

Witnessing Water Machine again came at the end of a week that began with Westminster making an attempt to block the Gender Recognition Reform Bill recently passed by the Scottish Parliament, resulting in loads of Karen’s coming out of the woodwork to express their outrage, literally. I heard a debate on the radio where an atypical Daily Mail reader, called Karen, I shit you not, was having apoplexy live on air, but could not back up the reason for her anger with anything remotely resembling coherent thoughts. The week ended in a show of support for the trans community with a protest at the Concert Hall steps on Buchanan Street against using trans rights as a political football.… Read the rest

Bikini Body/Water Machine/Jock Fox/Sacred Noise – First Footing – live in The Hug and Pint

This gig was brought to you by 432 presents. And COWBELLS!

In my world you can never have too many cowbells so this gig felt like cowbell utopia.

All joking aside, the abundance of cowbells that ran throughout most of the bands sets tonight was only a small contributing part of what made this the perfect gig to start my music year off with a bang.

Tonight was the perfect tonic for the January blues. Despite being known as Mr Christmas in some quarters, I didn’t really “feel” Christmas last year, so there wasn’t the usual post Christmas comedown, just a general feeling of malaise and relief that the shitshow of 2022 is now in the past.… Read the rest

Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something Miffed

Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something – Miffed – album review

If there is one thing for certain, after listening to this album, your feeling will be anything but Miffed, as Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something follow up their 2019 debut, Oh Really, What’s That Then? with this colossal selection of ten astronomically epic and exhilaratingly life affirming songs.

Having been introduced to the music of Jemma and co in 2019 by Ged Babey, the debut album appeared in my top ten albums of that year, and was a fixture on my turntable for some time. I finally got to experience the Jemma Freeman live show earlier this year when they played Broadcast with Glasgow’s very own Run Into The Night.… Read the rest

Water Machine – S/T Demo Tape

Water Machine have recently been making waves in the Glasgow music scene, currently bubbling under and fresh from what I gather was a superb support slot at Monorail’s birthday bash supporting Gerry Love, if there is any justice, 2023 will see the band reach boiling point and explode like a geyser.

Enough of the shite water puns. The band’s music deserves better than my lame attempts at humour.

I’ve recently been conversing online with Jimmy from the band, who are a bit of a Glasgow music scene supergroup, and was half joking about creating a family tree to trace all the connections.… Read the rest

22 for 22

22 for ’22 (re-visited)

At the end of 2021/start of 2022 I posted a blog about 22 bands/gigs/records I was looking forward to in 2022. I thought I’d have a quick look back on this before I consider the 23 for ’23 blog…

The Courettes

I’m not sure I can say anything about The Courettes that I’ve not said before. Their gig in McChuills certainly did not disappoint and with an album of B-sides and outtakes from the wonderful Back in Mono album to keep us going until the next album proper, the hardest working band in music ticked the boxes once again. Fabulous. Until the next time…

The Courettes – McChuillsThe Courettes – Back in Mono (Outtakes & B Sides)

Run Into the Night/Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something

I had been looking forward to the double header from the Glasgow duet and the remarkable Jemma Freeman and her band for ages, and with good reason.… Read the rest

Lungleg and bis live in The Classic Grand

I recently went to a gig by a band with “leg” as part of their name. I left the gig feeling uninspired and despondent as I felt I’d witnessed the result of a band being hyped to the nines on the strength of one (maybe two) songs, a band that could undoubtedly play, but felt like they had no soul. (I know Manda will disagree with me on this…)

Anyway, my final (planned) gig of 2022 was headlined by a band whose name included the word “leg”, and with a support from the mighty bis, I was in no doubt before either band played a note that this was going to be a special night, there was something in the atmosphere, an air of anticipation in the venue that was palpable.… Read the rest

LNFG Review special: bis – Systems Music for Home Defence/Lungleg – Maid to Minx (re-issue)

Ahead of a very special return this weekend with a gig to support the re-issue of the superb Maid to Minx album from Lungleg with the mighty bis in support, promoting the release of their own latest long player, Systems Music for Home Defence, it seemed appropriate to review both albums in one go…

I’ve always hated the word iconic as I feel it was one of those words that became overused and lost its meaning, much like the word literally, which is literally used incorrectly just about every time I read it somewhere or hear someone say something stupid like “I literally died on the spot”.… Read the rest

The Carol Hodge Band & Sarah Borges live in The Glad Cafe

I achieved a hat trick of Carol Hodge performances for 2022, covering all bases, Carol solo, Carol with Crass and finally The Carol Hodge Band. I have to say that on a dreich November Thursday, The Glad Cafe was the place to be, amongst friendly faces and a musical welcome that was like a pure shot of Serotonin.

I’ve always been an advocate for turning up to gigs early to catch the support band. You never know what you might miss. I was once lucky enough to see a fledgling Radiohead support Kingmaker in King Tuts. Tonight I was there specifically for the support band, and anything else was a bonus.… Read the rest

Countess of Fife

The Countess of Fife live in The Glad Cafe

Having had a disappointing gig experience on the previous evening, it was down to The Countess to restore my faith in the re-invigorating nature of immersing yourself in live music. I had every faith in the band to deliver, and deliver they did, a first-class performance to announce the arrival of the stunning debut album Star of the Sea (reviewed here)

The venue was the intimate setting of southside gem, The Glad Cafe, where I was delighted join a sea of friendly faces in celebrating the album’s release. Before the main attraction it was the turn of Kirsten Adamson (as a fellow Fifer, Kirsten is also a member of the headliners) to entertain.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – Star of the Sea – album review

Those who pledged to Fay Fife & Co’s Kickstarter campaign will be delighted to finally hear the realisation of the fruits of The Countess of Fife’s labours with the release of the CD and digital versions of the album Star of the Sea*, and a launch gig in Glasgow’s Glad Cafe on Friday.

If you haven’t been fortunate to pick up on this project so far from the fireball of frantic energy who is the spirited front woman of the mighty Rezillos alongside Eugene Reynolds, The Countess of Fife is an altogether different proposition from the interstellar punk ‘n’ roll of The Rezillos.… Read the rest