Category: Live review

Dark Places – a mini festival from The Filthy Tongues

August 13, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The inaugural, I say that in hope rather than having any specific knowledge of this being an annual occurrence, Dark Places festival was to my ears, a roaring success, a glorious celebration of music across a variety of genres, and from new bands to the more established (I was going to say young and old, but let’s say young at heart…)

Martha May and the Mondays

The job of opening the festival was handed to Martha May and the Mondays, a new band for me, part of the virtue of a festival like this, the opportunity to discover music new to you..… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – Live Review, The Gilded Balloon, Patter Hoose, Edinburgh Fringe

August 12, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Having released one of the standout albums of 2023 and 2024 in Star of the Sea (the album was available last year, but the vinyl launched earlier this year), The Countess of Fife aka Fay Fife of Rezillos fame has built a formidable live band around her in the shape of Willy Molleson on drums (Eliza Carthy), Al Gare on double bass (Imelda May, Jeff Beck), Laurie Cuffe on guitar (Cuban Heels, Vellininios). and on acoustic guitar and backing vox, Kirsten Adamson who has been picking up plaudits herself for her 2nd album Landing Place, including My Fathers Song’s a poignant tribute to her late father.… Read the rest

Water Machine & Brenda – FREE live gigs in Glasgow

August 11, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

How often does it happen, Water Machine & Brenda, two of the best new bands in Glasgow, Scotland, the UK, Europe, nay, strike all that, make that two of the best new bands in the WORLD both playing celebratory sets on the same day, in the same city, both FREE and at separate locations – and what’s more, I could get to them both! Mind you it would be difficult for them to play simultaneously due to one common denominator… more of that later.

Brenda

Hot off the heels of their triumphant album launch in The Glad Café, and a spot at the Lost Map Howlin’ Fling on Eigg (I didn’t make it, but my tent did…), Brenda continued their celebrations of the release of a truly remarkable album at a packed-out George Square.… Read the rest

Carla J Easton – The Hug and Pint (with Ruby Gaines & Kohla) & Brontes (George Square)

August 4, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The Hug and Pint Endless Summer gig season is in full swing and what better way for me to go to my first of several nights in August than to see Carla J Easton play a selection of songs from her upcoming album Sugar Honey.

Before Carla we were treated to two very different, but equally impressive sets from Kohla and Ruby Gaines (as a massive Prince fan I keep wanting to type Rosie!). 

Kohla’s album Romance is due to be released soon with an album launch gig in Sneaky Petes, The Hug and Pint served as a perfect warm up for her.… Read the rest

Siouxsie – Summer Nights Live at The Bandstand, Kelvingrove

July 26, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Kelvingrove Bandstand Summer Nights can end now. Last night was the first of this years run of gigs in the iconic and impressive venue, but they may as well not bother with the rest of them, as the equally as iconic and impressive Siouxsie unleashed a performance that, until it actually happened, I could never have even dreamed of witnessing and will be nigh on impossible to beat no matter who follows her.

I need to try to explain just how much this gig meant to me, and I imagine from the response last night there were people in a similar position to me.… Read the rest

Water Machine, Bikini Body & I Wanna Be a Truck Driver – live in The Rum Shack

July 23, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Similar to the previous week in The Hug and Pint, there was most definitely a palpable air of anticipation buzzing around the excellent south side venue ahead of Water Machine’s biggest Glasgow date. 

I think I can safely say all three bands on the bill played a blinder, more than exceeding expectations, more like smashing it out of the park for a home run. The job of warming up the Rum Shack fell to I Wanna Be a Truck Driver, a band I’d never seen live before but was introduced to by Stuart, aka photographer Blackmagicplastic, at a previous Water Machine gig.… Read the rest

Guns ‘n’ Roses & The Pretenders – live in Bellahouston Park

June 28, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

It’s not without an element of happy surprise that I’m writing this blog. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m not what you’d call a hardcore fan of Guns ‘n’ Roses, or more particularly the voice of Axl Rose, having a tendency to lean more towards the guitars in the band, I did have the pleasure of witnessing Slash and Duff several times in their guise of Velvet Revolver. Don’t get me wrong, I think Appetite for Destruction is a classic debut, one that took its blueprint from the likes of Hanoi Rocks and The Heartbreakers and added their own hard rock edge and punk attitude to create the sound that many others would try, and fail, to replicate.… Read the rest

Ex-, 2 Sevens and Buzzbomb – live in Glasgow

June 18, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Second gig of the weekend, and another first for me, this time around, for whatever reason, it was the first time I’d managed to catch Glasgow’s 2 Sevens live, on a triple bill also featuring Ex- and Buzzbomb.

Currently riding high following the release of their recent EP, 13 (count ’em!), Ex- are always a pleasure to witness live, Colin Meek with current line up, Scott on drums, Dave on bass and Tam on Guitar producing an always sublime selection of first wave of punk influenced guitar band sounds, alongside thought provoking and contemplative lyrics, Meek being a prolific and talented writer also having a wheen of books to his name too.… Read the rest

Lambrini Girls & Bin Juice – Live in the Hug and Pint, Glasgow

June 17, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

In a week which ended in a day spent in a sweltering workplace with no air conditioning, a journey home on train full of bams with a lack of any social airs or graces, delivery companies that just don’t deliver, and a thunder and lightning storm that did little to reduce the humidity, I was in need of some light relief. I nearly turned back from the station as I was running late, doubting I would make it in time for the mighty Bin Juice, and I felt like a hideous sweaty mess, even my eyeballs were sweating, and my hay fever was getting the better of me, but I fortuitously looked at my phone to see that Bin Juice stage time was 15 minutes later than I first thought.… Read the rest

The Beat/Bow Wow Wow – live in Barrowland

June 10, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

For some reason I have never witnessed The Beat live. Just one of these things, the planets never aligned. I assumed with the death of Ranking Roger my chance had gone, but not so, with Dave Wakeling bringing his version of The Beat to Glasgow Barrowland. I’ll admit I had a slight concern about the crowd filling the Ballroom, having seen one of the ticket filler companies selling tickets for around a fiver earlier on in the week. Not great news for those who had already paid full price but the approach seemed to work, while the gig wasn’t sold out, it was a healthy sized crowd.… Read the rest