Ian Donaldson

Singles Round Up 2024 – Part 7 – July

August 16, 2024 By neilho27@sky.com

I love new music. Simple. New music from new bands. New music from old bands. It never ceases to amaze me when I come across people who don’t like music (at all?!?) or are determined to tell me, all the great music has already been made (really?1?)… Suffice to say, EVERY month there are dozens of quality new sounds and bands that blow my mind…

Top 10

I keep digging a hole for myself by rating things. How hard it is to have a favourite! it’s like, do I prefer eating, drinking or breathing? Anyway… here goes…

Single of the Month

Keeley – Inga Hauser

One of the Ginger Quiff’s 24 for ’24, the peerless Keeley Moss and her band Keeley, continue to go from strength to strength, having wowed me from the off with the songs on their Brave Warrior EP, and literally everything that has followed since, culminating in my finally getting to see this musical tour de force live last year.… 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 – Jan to March 2021

March 14, 2021 By neilho27@sky.com

Despite my realisation that I had been slowly disappearing down a black hole, and taking the prompt from Action for Happiness to have a more Mindful March, it has been difficult to get out of the rut, still finding myself lost in “busyness” much of the time and not living life in the moment.

I have managed to take several “moments” out though to listen to the plethora of quality new singles, songs or demos that have come my way by way of e-mail, social media or by pure chance. Many of these songs are due to be followed up later in the year with an album, so the future of 2021, music wise at least, is looking rosy.… Read the rest

Ian Donaldson – Live – Websters Theatre 9th February 2018

February 12, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

It has been a long time in coming. Ian Donaldson performing his first live solo shows since H2O (and a Few Good Men).

Over the last few years Ian is back in the limelight and has been busy, having launched his first novel “A Rainbow in the Basement” and earlier this year releasing his debut solo album, as well as having his own radio show on Your Radio 103FM.

Friday night is gig night

Websters Theatre is an imposing venue from the outside, a converted church in the West End of Glasgow. It is a venue I’d never been in before.… Read the rest

Ian Donaldson – From Stars We Came

January 22, 2018 By neilho27@sky.com

The Return of the 80s

There has been a trend of bands from the 70s/80s returning/reinventing themselves/releasing new albums over the last few years – The Professionals released what Vive Le Rock magazine named as their album of 2018, The Skids have played some of the best gigs of the last few years and released their first album of new material since 1981 in “Burning Cities”.

Is this a welcome trend? I suppose it depends on your point of view and whether you think there are enough new acts about playing live and releasing innovative new music. I love hearing new music from new bands and recently have heard a few that I love.… Read the rest