Music - The Ginger Quiff

Goodbye Mr MacKenzie – Good Deeds & Dirty Rags – a celebration

May 16, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

A Celebration. The 1980s was a fruitful time for Scottish bands. The tail end of the 1970s into the early 1980s saw the rise of innumerable post-punk bands like Josef K, Scars, The Associates, Fire Engines and Orange Juice created a scene spawning cult independent record labels Postcard Records. At the other end of the scale, worldwide mega-stardom was achieved by the likes of Simple Minds. There was certainly plenty to celebrate in the Scottish music scene.

Criminally Under-rated Classic

For me, one of the key releases and a memorable highlight happened in 1989. Following a string of underground quintessential singles.… Read the rest

Swervedriver – Future Ruins -live review

May 15, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

What can I say about last night’s gig, nay, experience, in King Tuts? Intense, emotional, jaw-droppingly beautiful, powerful… I could go on and on with other such superlatives. I was expecting to enjoy it, but not nearly as much as I did. It made the fact that it was only a Tuesday night with another three working days until the weekend eminently more bearable.

Cherry Wave

Cherry Wave who are a new one on me, played a blinder. And a deafener to be fair. The three guitar, bass and drum attack meant visceral distortion, fuzz and plenty of whammy bar vibrato in a wall of sound MBV/shoegaze type manner.… Read the rest

Mental Health Awareness Week 2019

May 13, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

This week (Monday 13^th to Sunday 19^th May) marks this year’s Mental Health Awareness week.

I am conscious that I haven’t specifically written about mental health, either my own or in general for some time, other than referencing it in the music I write about. It makes sense then that I throw down a few thoughts to play a small part in raising awareness of this important week.

I do believe we have come a long way as a society in being able to confront social issues often thought of in the past as taboo subjects, including Mental Health, but we still have a long way to go.… Read the rest

Hard Rock Renaissance – Psychobabylon & The Wildhearts

May 9, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

I read an article recently claiming that heavy rock/metal was on the rise again and is currently one of the most popular music genres in the UK.

One of the key proponents of heavy punk influenced rock/metal in the UK for the last 30 years, The Wildhearts, have just released their first album of new material in ten years in the acclaimed Renaissance Men, featuring their classic line up of Ginger, CJ, Danny McCormack and Rich Battersby. In a tenuous attempt to link the two bands, Psychobabylon, who feature Danny’s bandmate JJ Watt from The Main Grains, also have a new 4 tracks EP out in Is This All There Is?… Read the rest

Duncan Reid and the Big Heads at Scotland Calling

Scotland Calling 2019 – a rambling review (of sorts)

April 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Having been to every Scotland Calling since its inception, tickets were duly purchased 12 months in advance for this year’s event before really looking at who was on the bill. It may sound strange to say but largely, it hasn’t mattered in years gone by. Not to say that it doesn’t matter at all, obviously the bill will switch off and turn on different people accordingly and of course, being a fan of live music, it is always great to see be at a gig. But for me, Scotland Calling has become an annual day out spent with two of my closest pals.… Read the rest

Punk Fests – Old v New – Scotland Calling & Dammit-Fest 2019

April 22, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Scotland Calling

This weekend sees the return of Glasgow’s annual festival of punk, Scotland Calling. Into its 6th year now, I’ve been to them all so far and it has always been a good day out and an opportunity to catch up with friends.

Like every festival, there are bands that suit our tastes and others that give us an opportunity to take a break. Head out for a drink or something to eat in the many hostelries and eating establishments on and around Sauchiehall Street.

We have joked every year about the line-up, with some bands making several appearances.… Read the rest

DELINQUENTS – Sober on Sunday EP – review

April 20, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Dundee’s DELINQUENTS released one of my favourite albums of 2017 in the eminently listenable About Last Night, a raucous selection of punk rock tunes.

This four track E.P. is a step progression from their debut, if anything the four tracks here are a cut above, strong musically and lyrically and a sign of greater things to come. This is the sound of David Hennessey and the band making headway, and signalling their future intent. If About Last Night was Saturday, today it is Sunday, and we know what that means…

The band announce their arrival with full throttle pedal to the metal punk riffing and an ode to drinking too much.… Read the rest

L-Space – Music for Megastructures – Album review

April 18, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Scottish 4-piece L-Space present their glorious opus, Music for Megastructures. An outstanding body of work and departure from their debut album Kipple Arcadia. This release is a most welcome addition to the magnificent and varied output from the burgeoning roster of label Last Night from Glasgow. One remarkable fact about this instrumental album is that it is recorded entirely on synthesisers (save a few bass parts here and there). The resultant futuristic haunting atmospheric sounds had me hooked from the off.

With four sides/themes to the album, it plays out like a metaphoric journey through life. Arriving at this space-age mega-civilisation with part one, Transport, the music conjures images of firing rocket boosters and of air rushing past, of ships horns and space age trains over rails.… Read the rest

Cockwomble – Conspiracy EP

March 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Cockwomble continue to impress with their socially conscious pop punk ideologies on their latest EP Conspiracy.

Taking swipes at deserving targets throughout the four tracks on offer here the band are both eminently entertaining and laden with messages for those that should know better. “It was you” is the message they give to those who are convinced that everything is conspiring against them. “Has reality lost its grip on you” is the message as the antagonist of the song is ridiculed.

One track in and I’m screaming for a Cockwomble album to be released.

Sitting somewhere between The Ramones, The Toy Dolls and The King Blues, Cockwomble are the missing link between seriously solemn punk rock and the much-ridiculed pop punkers.,… Read the rest

PowderKeg – new EP

March 29, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Rock music has very much been pushed to the fore in recent weeks with the release of the Motley Crue biopic The Dirt on Netflix. Regardless of how funny/ridiculous/over the top/shocking/tragic (select your own preference) the movie is, it still doesn’t improve the band in my eyes, after all, Vince Neil cannot sing and apart from 2 or 3 songs (in my opinion) the band are awful (Home Sweet Home is a dreadful song). One final word on the impact the band and their chaotic lifestyle had – Razzle.

So, watch the movie, but then move on and listen to some quality home-grown rock music.… Read the rest