Gig - The Ginger Quiff

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

Junk Pups – New Years Revolution – with Homework, The Cowards & Velvet

February 5, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

The closing event in this year’s New Year’s Revolution had a lot to live up to after the extravaganza earlier in the month featuring the glory of Sister Madds (many of whom were present for this gig) and the mighty Tina Sandwich whose powerhouse vocalist Tilly was also in attendance for this closing night.

The job of opening proceedings was handed to Homework who went about this task with aplomb. The sparse early crowd soon bolstered as people started filtering in from downstairs as their set caught the imaginations of the early comers. The bands blend of west coast harmonies (take your pick from whichever west coast you chose – Glasgow or USA) paired with their energetic dual guitar assault is a joy to the eardrums coming across like a grungy Teenage Fanclub mixed with elements of Kiwi Jr and Sebadoh.… Read the rest

King Tuts New Years Revolution – Tina Sandwich, Caseveti, Sister Madds & Lost Tickets

January 9, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

Having attended my last gig of 2022 in the same venue celebrating the music of the Clash at the annual Strummer night, two weeks later I was back in the same venue for one of King Tuts series of showcase gigs offering the opportunity to catch some of Scotland’s up and coming talent before they hit the big time.

First up on the Tuts stage it was young hard rock quartet, Lost Tickets, whipping up a storm with the partisan early comers especially when it came to their closing song, their single Mr Misdemeanour.

If Sister Madds aren’t headlining one of the shows at next year’s New Years Revolution I’d be both surprised and disappointed.… Read the rest

Gig of the Year

January 1, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

If you’re anything like me, nearly every gig you go to is the best gig, because it’s the most recent one, you’ve just lived in the moment, the rush of adrenaline is still there and you’re walking away still buzzing from immersing yourself in the glow left by the performance.

A massive genuine thank you to all the bands that put themselves out there and throw their all into their live performances, sometimes to a small gathering but still holding nothing back, bringing both tears and laughter, joy and melancholy, triggering a range emotions at each performance and leaving indelible marks on the audience.… Read the rest

The Scars, Boots For Dancing, Scorpio Leisure, Port Sulphur – Live – La Belle Angele

December 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

(all black and white pictures courtesy of David Kidd)

After what was a stressful day, at the end of an exceedingly trying week, Friday was to bring relief with a Christmas Cracker in the shape of Frets Xmas gig, featuring four courses of prime cuts.

While across the cities in the East and West, carnage was ensuing with Xmas shoppers and once a year drinkers, La Belle Angele was the place to be, it was like Christmas come early, the icing on the cake, or more fittingly, the Angel at the top of the tree.

The starter set the night up perfectly, with Port Sulphur (including half of Quad 90), looking ultra cool in dark glasses.… Read the rest

Bar Stool Preachers/Ultrabomb/Billy Liar – live in Stereo

December 16, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

This week has been one of those that never seems to end. Work all day, head to hotel, eat, work all evening… eat, work, sleep in perpetual motion. So when it got to Thursday it really felt like it should be Friday, I was so tired I had to stop the car for fear of falling asleep…

If I’m honest the thought of hauling my arse out again when I got home didn’t fill me with joy, but I’d been looking forward to it for an age… Time was tight, from arriving home to getting to the station (throwing some food down in between) took around 20 minutes.… Read the rest

Junk Pups, Water Machine, Brenda, Dancer… live and awesome

December 10, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Dancer, Brenda & Water Machine photos all courtesy of @Blackmagicplastic

Despite the gig year hurtling apace towards its inevitable conclusion, December still holds some diamond nuggets in its dying embers, with some of Scotland’s brightest hopes and searing hot burning talents still to perform while continuing to gather plaudits, and gearing up for more to come in 2024 with some festive frolics.

Last week I attended my first ever Queer Theory night in Nice n Sleazy, and what a welcoming night and magnificent celebration of the queer scene in Glasgow it was. Kudos to the organisers for pulling together such a slick night, a combination of comedy, poetry, drag acts, cabaret, performance art, and of course, my initial reason for buying a ticket, Junk Pups.… Read the rest

Dancer – As Well – EP review

December 4, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

At the end of this week at La Chunky in Glasgow’s West End, the scene is set for what is to be one of the gig events of December when three band’s come together to play an exclusive gig to the lucky 40 punters who manage to secure a ticket. The three bands are, the oft-featured in these pages, Water Machine and Brenda, alongside Dancer, who recently released their latest 5 track EP, As Well.

Dancer is made up of members of bands such as Nightshift, Order of the Toad and Robert Sotelo: Gemma Fleet (Vocals), Chris Taylor (Guitar/Keytar). Andrew Doig (Bass) and Gavin Murdoch Drums) who, when they come together, make one glorious racket.… Read the rest

The Hedrons – Tired of Taking – album review

November 29, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The Hedrons announced their return with a bang playing an energised set in SWG3 towards the end of last year to mark the re-release (& for the first time on vinyl) of their debut album, One More Won’t Kill Us on Past Night from Glasgow, with the promise of more to come. A few months later they teased us with the hotly anticipated rollicking rollercoaster that was their killer single Heartache, now the long awaited follow up to that impressive debut, Tired of Taking, is finally available on your chosen digital platform for your aural delectation. For sure this album proves the title of that debut, one more won’t kill them, damn right, it’ll only make them stronger.… Read the rest

King Kurt & The Three ‘n’ Eights live in Rocknrollas

November 12, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

As the chorus of their opening song says, King Kurt are back again, and the way my body feels this morning, it was the first steps on my own road to rack and ruin. I need to remember in the future I’m a man in my 50s and perhaps wrecking should be in the past. But fuck it, it was King Kurt what was I supposed to do?

My first time in Rocknrolla’s in Paisley and it certainly is an imposing and impressive venue. What wasn’t my first time though was seeing tonight’s support band, The Three ‘n’ Eights. A band who, for the uninitiated, play, in their own inimitable style, their unique combination of country punkabiilly, for want of a better description.… Read the rest