The Ginger Quiff - Musings on music and mental health

Water Machine – live in the Hug and Pint

November 9, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

After a brief break from gigging in their home city, touring south of the border and recording their hotly anticipated debut album, Water Machine returned to gigging at the Great Western at the weekend, so this gig supporting Snooper was their second Glasgow date in three days.

After a stressful day, a gig is always the perfect antidote. That is unless you come up against transport issues and your stress is multiplied… Unfit, out of shape and bedraggled, I walked into the venue just as the band were assembling to start their set. A joyful sight, especially as I had almost ditched any attempt at making it there on time.… Read the rest

The Bathers, The Cowboy Mouth & Sister John – live in the GUU Debating Chamber

October 28, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The second “grown ups” gig of the week, this time in the impressive surroundings of the GUU Debating Chamber, a first for me, and the third in a triumvirate of gigs featuring the classy trio of Sister John, The Cowboy Mouth and, celebrating the release of the astounding new album Sirenesque, The Bathers.

This time the turn of kicking off what was to be a very special night indeed was down to the multi-talented Sister John, who never fail to impress. Tonight was no different as they treated the gathered throng of music fans to their unique brand of laidback folky rock that takes in all the best bits of the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Velvet Underground, and everything in between, some 60s psychedelia, some tasty Neil Young riffs… As usual I was mesmerised throughout, the soothing effect of their music creating an overall feeling of well-being, especially on Over Again washing away the stresses of the working week. … Read the rest

Sarah Borges & Carol Hodge – Live in the Glad Cafe

October 28, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

The first of two civilised “sit doon” gigs to end the week and the return of Hodge and Borges. And slightly different affair this time around, with Ms Hodge sans band, and Ms Borges joined by just Keith on bass/vocals.

Not that it made a difference entertainment wise, Carol always puts on a show whether it is performing Penis Envy Crass songs, full band performances or solo. Tonight was no exception, with a performance including many of my favourite Hodge compositions – kicking off with Moan of a Thousand Years, and taking us through all her themes – worrying, death, anxiety… including the songs that could be the soundtrack to my own life Stop Worrying Baby, Bear With Me, her cover of Offspring’s Smash and one of the top anti-Thatcher songs out there, The Witch is Dead.… Read the rest

Diablofurs – Welcome to the City of Fun – album review

October 27, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

You know that well known phrase, “Go Big or Go Home?” Diablofurs have done just that with their follow up to the magnificent Neon Satellites, forget Madness and their piddly wee House of Fun, and join me in entering the vibrant and colourful City of Fun. If you know Diablofurs, it will come as no surprise that Welcome to the City of Fun is crammed to bursting full of glorious and hugely anthemic electro-synth punk-pop crowd slayers.

The melee of sound that is the hubbub of fairground noise introduces the albums title track, with a warning immediately following with the opening lyric “welcome to the city of fun, but don’t get blown away,” before the Gang of Furs proceed to do just that… Rob, Suze, Becks, Danii and Kay combining to create an injection of adrenaline, their unbounded vitality helping express their message straight to the core of your being, “welcome to the city of a thousand dreams, you can be most anything you want” and creating an hypnotic burst of neon energy.… Read the rest

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds – Room 2

October 26, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

If you’re reading this expecting a detailed in depth review of Kid Congo Powers at Room 2, you should probably exit. This isn’t so much a review as the rambling thoughts of an aging music fan with social anxiety issues.

On the way to the gig I posted a throwaway comment on Facebook, (mis)quoting Bill Shankly, “Some people believe music is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

That statement, no matter how throwaway it seemed when I posted it, translated in a way I couldn’t have imagined as I headed into Room 2.… Read the rest

Young Fathers – Live in Glasgow Barrowland

October 24, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

For someone who still thinks the 80s was only a few years ago, the realisation that the last time I saw Young Fathers live in 2014 at the Last Great Weekend Festival was nine years ago came as a huge shock. It also started bringing back memories of standing In the excruciating bar queue after their set, with the one and only Keith Martin, debating the qualities of the band and whether they are better live or on record, as well as generally putting the world to rights. In the interim the band has gone on to great things, from winning the Mercury Music Prize that same year, and gaining plaudits left right and centre, right up to the nomination this year for their extraordinary latest album Heavy Heavy, pipped at the post by the Ezra Collective.… Read the rest

The Bathers – Sirenesque – Album (of the year?) review

October 20, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Unassumingly announcing its arrival with solitary and delicately understated piano paired with birdsong in the form of the calming beauty of Culzean, the long-awaited new album from Glasgow’s very own legendary band The Bathers, Sirenesque, then segues smoothly into its majestic title track. When Chris Thomson’s well-kent, instantly recognisable and richly expressive smooth brogue kicks in it almost induces tears, such is the effect of his highly emotive style, a welcome sound that rolls back the years both with a sense of ebullience, but also tinged with an element of melancholia, the song has an element of Blackstar Bowie to it, before the guitar break takes over and the sense of hopeful buoyancy takes the lead once more.… Read the rest

Carla J. Easton – Sugar Honey – album review

October 19, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

Sugar Honey is the follow up to the last solo long player from Carla J. Easton from three years ago, Weirdo. With the interim period including an album release from her Poster Paints project with ex-Frightened Rabbit, Simon Liddell, time has been good to Carla in terms of creativity, Sugar Honey is a continuation of that seam of inspired creativity, the album a formidable statement of intent on several fronts.

Sugar Honey is a bit of a double-edged sword. The album title describes Carla’s music perfectly, a flawless blend of her sugary sweet synth/keys-based pop melodies, that never become mawkish and cloying, matched with her unique honey-coated voice, dripping with that feeling of familiar warming vocal hug, and the addition of a heavy measure of both melancholy and ire… Which is the other side of the double-edged sword. … Read the rest

Parallels & Brenda – Live in Nice ‘n’ Sleazy

October 18, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

*All photographs courtesy of Christopher Hogge Photography*

Early week/Monday night gigs in the middle of the month in Glasgow are notoriously a bit of a risk, and so it may have initially seemed in Nice n Sleazy on the first weekday night of the school mid term autumn break, with a pretty sparse turn out scattered around the venue as support band Brenda’s stage time arrived.

Is that something that bothered the fierce Glasgow trio? Absolutely not. Brenda give not one fuck, they are going to enjoy themselves whatever day of the week it is and regardless of who is there to witness it.… Read the rest

Julie Hamill – June – Book review

October 13, 2023 By neilho27@sky.com

In the latest in an occasional series of book reviews on the Ginger Quiff blog, it is the third book in Julie Hamill’s series of Life and Soul novels, June, that features. The follow up to Frank and Jackie, June picks up the story of this close knit family and their group of friends as they deal with the trials and tribulations of life, touched by tragedy and sadness, but also filled with love, hope and happiness.

As the series title, Life and Soul, suggests, once again Julie has packed her novel full of situations that are entirely relatable, circumstances we can all empathise with, because what Julie writes about is real life.… Read the rest