Goodbye Mr MacKenzie

Goodbye Mr MacKenzie/Lola in Slacks/Callum Easter – live in Barrowland

June 18, 2022 By neilho27@sky.com

Who knew that after the last time Goodbye Mr MacKenzie played Barrowland in 2019 we’d have such a long wait until they returned, but return they did and boy was it worth the wait. The gig in The Garage in 2018 was special because it was a gig I thought I’d never see again, the heightened emotions from all in attendance meant a night that will live long in the memory, as will the return to Barrowland the following year, another special night. How would they be able to follow such a pair of remarkable Glasgow gigs?

Before I reveal all, I can’t omit the support bands.… Read the rest

GingerQuiff – Final lists of 2020

December 31, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

Following on from my albums of the year list, the following are my final lists for 2021.

I don’t have a top gigs list for 2021 as I only went to a handful at the start of the year not realising what the year had in store. Though The Wildhearts, Backyard Babies, The Interrupters, Savage Cut and Outstandifold & the Wettygrippers were a pretty good start to what should have been a great year of gigs..

Re-Releases

Bob Mould – Distortion (1989 – 2019) – what can I say, Santa was good to me this year. What a fantastic box set this is.

… Read the rest

SEIL LIEN – Shatter album review

April 14, 2020 By neilho27@sky.com

SEIL LIEN (the band fronted by Marie Claire White) release their debut album this week. Those who have been looking forward to this won’t be disappointed, those who don’t know about her/the band, use your lockdown time to check them out. For those interested, the band name means “little lotus”, Marie Claire’s Chinese name, she has a Scottish mother and a Chinese father.

SEIL LIEN – the artist

SEIL LIEN is more than just a band though. Marie Claire is a consummate professional who cares not only about the music, but the entire package that goes with it. She is also an artist in the true sense of the word.… Read the rest

Run Into the Night ft Martin Metcalfe Mon Cheri

Martin Metcalfe and Co…

August 23, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

There has been a flurry of activity from Martin Metcalfe and associated acts this week.

The Filthy Tongues

First up, the Filthy Tongues dropped a clip of a new song at the start of the week. Mummy Can’t Drive sounds very Bowie-esque to me. Featuring Marie Claire Lee who has been ably filling Shirley Manson’s shoes on recent Goodbye Mr MacKenzie dates, is this a little taster of what is to come from the third album in the trilogy? I hope so…

Talking of Goodbye Mr MacKenzie, Good Deeds and Dirty Rags finally has an official release date and a flourish of promotional activity announced that this week.… Read the rest

Spotlight on: Run Into The Night

July 31, 2019 By neilho27@sky.com

Run Into The Night are a hard-gigging post punk rock ‘n’ roll two-piece who have been busy recently gigging with the likes of Goodbye Mr MacKenzie and playing Doune the Rabbit Hole. They have also been recording with the MacKenzies frontman, Martin Metcalfe with a video due to drop later in the month for their latest single Mon Cheri. I have seen the band live on several occasions and have witnessed them get better and better each time.

With the new single due out soon, I took the opportunity to find out a bit more about what makes the band, and its two members Christina and Ellie tick…

Who are Run Into the Night?

… Read the rest

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

The Speed of Life – review Glasgow 9th September

September 10, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

The Speed of Life

It seems like I had been looking forward to being entertained by Richard Jobson, punk frontman, actor, author, model, presenter, raconteur and the multi-talented Martin Metcalfe writer, musician, composer, artist for aeons when the day finally came around. With those two involved it was sure to be an interesting and intriguing evening’s entertainment.

We were glad to finally take our seats having endured the typical Scottish summertime in getting to The Admiral. Sun splitting the sky, interspersed with monsoon like rain. In typical fashion the sunny bits were just before leaving the house and while waiting in the station/on then train.… Read the rest

The Filthy Tongues – Back to Hell – album review

April 16, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

Martin Metcalfe is a multi-faceted and very busy man.

Playing live in various guises, recording, painting and organising art shows/books and on top of his own workload, writing for other bands.

The Fornicators in Glasgow Part 2

In recent weeks I picked up the second CD (Part 2) of a gig recorded in Glasgow’s Audio last year. Playing under one of his many guises, Martin Metcalfe and the Fornicators, the gig was an acoustic affair. The band played a selection of tracks from the various bands Martin has been involved with over the years, along with some of the songs they have covered and have been an influence on him/the bands he has played in.… Read the rest