Dutch Wine - The Ginger Quiff

House Guest Festival 2024 – review

April 9, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

First things first, a huge congratulations must go to Scottish Music Collective and Crowded Flat for pulling off a superb inaugural House Guest event. Not only was the sold out day a huge success due to the phenomenal line up, bulging at the seams with a smorgasbord of new Scottish talent, the day ran like clockwork, the dream team in Sleazy’s (where, despite plans, I based myself all day) from bar staff to event management ensuring things ran like clockwork. I hope the success helps this event to go on to be a celebrated annual event much like its template events such as Tenement Trail. … Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 1 – January

February 28, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

A new year for music and (eventually) the first round up of 2024, and what a bumper crop already for January. A massive 62 songs (OK, so some might be from the end of 2023 as I posted end of year posts early…). Anyway, we’re certainly out of the traps and off running at speed, with this list containing some well-kent names, some new kids on the block, as well as the return of some legends. All told providing a wheen of top quality tunes which succeeded in lifting the January blues. If that was January, this is set to be another cracking year for music…

The hazard of deciding to do a monthly singles round up means also trying to find the time to write up the blog… I seem to be caught in a vicious circle of promising myself I’ll spend more time on writing, then disappearing in a world of work, or spending hours overthinking things and getting fuck all done…

I’ve therefore had to make an executive decision.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up Part 10 – October 2022

November 22, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

We’re well into the last quarter of the year now so it is time to share the third last selection of the best singles, demos and other tracks that have been earworms for The Ginger Quiff during the month of October… as usual I’ve added any that are on the evil corporate musician shafting platform that is Spotify for you to try, then go and buy music, merch and gig tickets from the bands.

Reaction – Bad Trip Express

Much like their forebears The Clash (just as long as we don’t get a Cut the Crap at some point), Lanarkshire punks Reaction have never been a band to stand still, rest on their laurels or become complacent with their sound.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2022 – Part 1 – January

February 10, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

I’ve been in absentia for the entire month of January, like many out there, I’ve been struggling with my Mental Health, to the extent that even things that normally give me pleasure felt like a chore or just utterly pointless.

I normally revel in receiving emails and messages sharing new music and releases, but in the last few weeks I just found it overwhelming. However, I have finally started to dig myself out of the mire and in doing so, have trawled through seemingly unending emails unearthing the best of new songs, singles, demos and so on from January (in my humble opinion)

In no particular order:

Simon Love – I Love Everybody in the Whole Wide World (Except You)

This seems to be a good place to start, lyrically and musically exceptional, there is no mixed message to be picked up from this, Mr Love making his feelings perfectly clear.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2021 – Part 5

May 12, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Mirroring last weekend, I’ve spent all the time my body can manage doing manual labour in the garden, so I’m back to trying to empty my inbox of the influx of e-mails that show no sign of abating.

As before, not reviews as such, more just a round up of singles, tracks or demos that have stuck their heads above the parapet and caught my attention. Where available, I’ve added them to The Ginger Quiff 2021 playlist on Spotify featuring all the bands/albums that have appeared on the blog (or in reviews I’ve done for Louder Than War) this year.… Read the rest