Psychobilly - The Ginger Quiff

Shrunken Head Promotions present Thee Scarecrows aka in Glasgow

November 4, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

It was a Saturday of highs and lows. The highs? Back to back plays of the stunning new album from The Cure, Songs From a Lost World, a record that is going to be top of so many end of year “Album of the Year” lists. The lows? My football team’s unbeaten run ended… well not so much ended as was ripped asunder with a humiliating annihilation at Hampden…

Nothing else for it, who cares about the football anyway? There is music to be enjoyed…

If you missed out because you didn’t heed the recommendations and low ticket warnings, more fool you as you missed a quite extraordinary experience.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 5 – May

July 24, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I am so unbelievably behind it’ll be Halloween soon and I’ll still be at Easter… I’m still working month’s behind in singles round ups, and about 6 months behind in album and EP reviews. I’m putting that down to shit like life getting in the way, but I’ll also use the excuse that there is so much fantastic new music out there by bands old and new that I can’t keep up with the sheer volume of music to listen to, which to be fair, ain’t that far from the truth.

My May (yeah I know, May, that was like months ago, literally…) round up follows, as does a playlist of all the songs on Tidal.… 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

Singles Round Up 2023 – Part 4 – April

April 29, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Four months into 2023 and the new music keeps coming thick and fast, so much to listen to, so much to love. As usual, there is the evil Spotify playlist at the end, try then buy….

Lambrini Girls – Lads, Lads, Lads

Ahead of the release of their EP, You’re Welcome, comes single number three from feisty punks Lambrini Girls, this time tackling the subject of lad culture and toxic masculinity with great gusto, venting their spleen with impassioned fury. Be sure to catch them when they play The Hug and Pint in June, and if you’re going south for Iggy’s Dog Day Afternoon, get their early to see them.… Read the rest

His Lordship – Live in McChuills

July 10, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

While the hordes of fake tanned youths and lads with bum bags descended upon Glasgow Green and a large contingent of the potential His Lordship crowd were lording it up at Pineda psychobilly festival, a small gathering in Glasgow could have a smug grin on their faces that they were at an insanely epic gig by the aforementioned His Lordship in the small but perfectly formed McChuills venue.

Nicky Stewart was spinning the tunes in the main bar, the bar staff serving drinks to Fontaines DC who had popped in for a pint after their TRNSMT set, meanwhile in the venue, the early birds were enjoying a superb set by Zydell Henry, the Rockytonk troubadour, proving that its always a good idea to get in early for the support.… Read the rest

The Hurricanes Devil's Choice album cover

The Hurricanes – Devil’s Choice – album review

August 22, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Neil Young once sang in Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) that rock and roll can never die. A sentiment I couldn’t agree with more. So it is with a huge amount of joy I’m glad to say that, one of the purest forms of rock ‘n’ roll is in rude health.

Certainly rockabilly on the streets of Glasgow is appealing to a whole new generation thanks to the efforts of young wolves, The Best Bad Influence. The band draw huge crowds on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street when they ply their trade. The Bikini Bottoms left Glasgow for pastures new.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2021 – Pt 8

August 16, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

This is a singles round up of mammoth proportions. I spent some time scrolling through the wealth of e-mails I received over the last few months, and other singles I’ve been particularly enjoying. 2021 has been a treasure trove of new music across so many genres. Even though this is my biggest singles round up of the year so far, it still only scratches the surface of what is going on just now…

…and then there are all the albums, just recently, over and above the ones I’ve already featured/reviewed I’ve been enjoying the new albums from The Media Whores, monsterpop, The Hurricanes, Jackal Trades, Mickey 9s, Jeshua and The Strays to name but a few.… Read the rest

Natalie Pryce – Bad Men – album review

April 9, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

The mysteriously enigmatic band Natalie Pryce unveiled their latest album Bad Men recently. As usual this is an unsettlingly enjoyable listen. The musical content of the 10 male-monikered songs to be found within is suitably reflected in the cover art featuring a sinisterly creepy masked man in crumpled pyjamas reclining aggressively on a bed…

This album comes at a time where issues like taking back the streets for women are to the fore in the wake of recent events following the murder of Sarah Everard at the hands of a serving policeman. I’m sure the messages portrayed on this album won’t be popular with the “not all men are like that” brigade.… Read the rest

The Ginger Quiff – 2020 review

December 23, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Albums of the year

2020 might have been a year to forget for uncountable reasons, a year many would rather forget. However, the amount, and quality, of new music that saw the light of day in 2020 was astounding. So much so, narrowing down my favourite albums of this year to a top ten was a nigh on impossible task.

Even now as I have committed to and published this list, I am still making changes in my head. To say that some of these albums were “better” than others would be to dismiss the quality of said albums. Just know that I appreciate and applaud the time and love that has gone into the recording of all of these albums.… Read the rest

The Bikini Bottoms – Inversion/Mental Records – Graveyard Tapes Vol 2

March 9, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

If you haven’t already made yourself familiar with them, there are a couple of compilation/companion albums you need to get yer lugs round.

The Bikini Bottoms – Inversion

First up, the companion release to one of last year’s top albums, Bikiniland from The Bikini Bottoms. Inversion is available to stream and features seven tracks; demos and live versions of songs that ended up in their polished form on the final cut of Bikiniland.

I’ve been stung before with albums that purport to be a document of the bands’ roots or sold as some amazing unearthed and unheard before demoes. On listening you realise they should have remained unearthed as you vow never to listen again to the grainy tinny shite recorded on a C90 on a battered old mono tape deck.… Read the rest