Issue 43 - May 2018 by dtech

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THE ILLUSION OF SOVEREIGNTY It is interesting to observe how British politics in recent times has been shaped – maybe even coerced – by the concept of sovereign power. Around two years ago, the campaign for leaving the European Union had channelled it through a vitriolic propaganda against intra-European migration. It was backed up by prompts such as “holding history in our hands” and regaining control over British issues, in sharp contrast with previous talks about further integration under the guidance of the bureaucracy overseeing things in Brussels. If Boris Johnson’s words may only seem a heartfelt attempt to put himself on the map in the history of this country, it is nevertheless true that the hidden sense of self-awareness and political revolution has somehow appealed to elites as much as to the common people who voted for it. And yet, the recent developments in the United Kingdom’s foreign policy regarding the Syrian civil war show that sovereignty is not a leitmotif for the actions of the British government, but more of a rhetorical device. At the time of writing, the BBC’s flashing headlines report that a first joint air strike on objectives in Damascus and Homs has marked the beginning of the cooperation between the United States, France and the UK. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been promoting similar tactics to taunt rebel factions, is pretending to be the voice of reason and has promptly defined the strike as a “destructive influence on the entire system of international relations”. Although the Allies like to play the humanitarian card to distance themselves from Putin and Assad’s authoritarian stances, they are now proving not to be different from the two leaders: by taking such an inconsiderate decision, the three musketeers are violating Chapter VI and VII of the UN Charter, dealing with the settlement of disputes and reacting to acts of aggression respectively. Of course, the reports of chemical warfare in Syria are a legitimate concern and are another piece in the gruesome puzzle into which the conflict has turned. However, acting without the consent of the Security Council puts military action in a new light for the UK, especially when you look at the leaders’ rationale.

As long as the dialogue remains fruitless, the Syrian catastrophe will be exacerbated by useless tests of strength by countries who rely on their own resources rather than uniting for a harmonious resolution. Will the UK show us it is better than that and truly follow the advice of the majority? Will it really become independent and lead the way for a legal compromise, rather than hopping on the bandwagon of violence? The Syrian lives at stake so far seem to say no.

By Lucia Posterado

It is worthwhile noticing how sovereignty has been mischievously brought into this international discourse by Theresa May. In her public statement on April 14th, she immediately resorted to this idea to explain the reason behind the intervention: “I have done so because I judge this action to be in Britain's national interest”. May’s assumption is flawed in many way, starting with the general public’s aversion to the air strikes: not even two days before, a YouGov poll showed that only 22 per cent of citizens supported the strategy, while 43 per cent opposed it. With such low percentages, we are far from the expression of the general will so dear to Brexiteers, let alone from the legitimation of deranged military intervention; and if the mystification and sense of urgency are used to bypass the check and balances of a parliamentary vote, it is hard to see sovereignty at work, except for the leadership’s purpose of atonement. There is another aspect of the Syrian question that undermines the presumed relevance of sovereignty, and that is the cabinet’s dependence on Donald Trump. Until the United States confirmed that a retaliation against Russian strikes and Syrian violations would occur, Britain had put on hold all options and waited for additional support by France. Following from above, the true reason has nothing to do with sovereignty in its purest democratic form, and more with Britain’s increasing isolation on the global stage. On one hand, the former empire has to count on stronger States to organise raids in complex post-colonial realities, a lesson that Tony Blair had already learned in the 2003 Iraq invasion. On the other hand, May’s sudden machismo can be seen as a form of alignment with both a potential trade partner and a former EU partner, after the relations with other European countries have become strained. Under any of those two assumptions, the perspective of keeping the United Kingdom independent is a utopia which is causing politicians to choose lawlessness over diplomacy and an arbitrary executive over parliamentary debates: in other – ironic - words, to act as unconscious American patriots in a noman’s-land. The nuisance of old-fashioned systems based on privilege and borders is crumbling down in front of international challenges and human rights violations, and yet In the chit-chat of the Westminster palaces and newsrooms there is no mention of the damage. May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

We speak to Beth Ditto on an uncharacteristically pleasant Glasgow evening. This surprises Ditto, well aware of our undesirable climate: “One time, we were a festival in Scotland and there was a mom and a little girl, who’s probably about 20 now, and the mom wanted to see a band. She asked “do you mind if I leave her with you,” and I said “Totally” and took her about. The sun came out and she seemed really hot. I asked her if she was okay, and she said “It’s okay, I’m just from Glasgow!” She could barely see. It was so cute.” We catch Ditto as she brings her debut solo album Fake Sugar to Glasgow (O2 Academy, Fri 25 May), assuring us that we share a climate with her adopted hometown Portland. She embraces her southern roots on Fake Sugar, a southern rock-tinged album touching on former flames, band betrayals and the realities of love. A far cry from the alternative rock and dance of Gossip, the band that made her the coolest woman in music. “The record’s sound was organic: people always ask if I knew what kind of record I wanted when I went to make it, but I never really know what I want, which can be really frustrating for some people. But I always know what I don’t want, and I knew that I didn’t want it to be a dance record. I had done that before and it was really fun: I like the idea of people seeing us live and being happy, not asking “What was that weird B-side?” With this record, I really wanted to make something bringing me back to guitar music, with really beautiful riffs and layers, as well as using as many organic instruments with as little digital sound as we could. I didn’t want a specific genre. So it was a departure from Gossip in one way, and totally different to the EP, but Gossip music, especially at the beginning, was always super guitar-driven, at least until the last record. It’s my favourite format to write to: piano, guitar, bass.” Much has changed, culturally and politically, since Gossip released their signature song “Standing in the Way of Control,”

an angry anthem against President Bush’s anti-gay laws and rhetoric. What has changed since then? “I was 20-something then, and it must’ve been about 15 or 16 years ago. I definitely feel like a different person: well, I feel like the same person but an adult version of me! I learned to be more confident. When making Standing in the Way of Control, I wouldn’t even give them the lyrics sheet, which is so important when working with a producer on a record. I would only do one or two takes of singing because it was so painful: I had no problem singing live but singing in front of two or three people, it felt like I was being strangled and I hated it. I had to really learn to accept myself.” This struggle with confidence is hard to fathom given Ditto’s electric onstage persona and reign as pop culture darling. Once voted no. 1 on NME’s Cool List, Beth was the poster girl for the current alternative scene that defined the era. “It was such a different time. There were a lot of new ideas, a big resurgence of punk and guitar driven rock and roll. And DIY was such a buzzword, like people had never used it before. But we came from a punk scene, where that’s all that ever was: there was only one way, and that was doing it yourself or it didn’t get done! In pop culture, it felt like a different world. It was a really innovative time, where people were making cool art and being in bands and it felt pre-internet, pre-Facebook, preInstagram.”

Honesty, openness and transparency are the biggest forms of activism.

coming from a point where everything and everyone was so connected, like from the New York scene who are all still friends. My favourite thing about working with Blondie was the advice that Debbie Harry gave me: “Always do your own make up.””

This punk scene was Riot Grrrl, the underground feminist punk movement that originated in the early 1990s in Washington. How did a country girl from Arkansas get wrapped up in a movement that defined a generation of women and queer artists? “I was drawn to Riot Grrrl because I was a self-identified feminist from a really young age and I had an understanding for things I didn’t necessarily have the language for. When I met [Gossip band mates] Nathan and Kathy in the late 90s, I was really starting to learn about my identity and coming out of the closet, meeting gay people for the first time. I was being introduced to bands like Bikini Kill and The Need. And at the same time, Missy Elliott released “Supa Dupa Fly” which felt like the start of female, queer driven music in the public vernacular. I was already really frustrated and alienated and hungry for something I could identify and cling to.

Even when it came to clothes: I grew up poor and we had to make everything, so to have found this movement that allowed you to embrace that side of you really blew my mind. Queer core and Riot Grrrl.” What follows is a geek out over our favourite queercore music, and I mention the unparalleled excitement of once meeting Imperial Teen guitarist Roddy Bottum by chance in Edinburgh. “I know exactly how you feel! Because that happened to me when I was 19 and going around Olympia, and you would see Rachel Carns or Tobi Vale, people I idolised and never thought I would ever meet, and here they are!” Ditto has gone onto to work with some of her heroes, from Kathleen Hanna to Blondie, mastering the transition from fan to peer. “It’s nice to work with people who remember a time before the world was so small. And even listening to them talk about music,

2007’s “Standing in the Way of Control” is the queer anthem we needed – and arguably still do – to jolt us into action and take what we need for our community to survive. In Trump’s America and May’s UK, she is the bold and fearless leader the queer community needs. The track is so pertinent it could have been written today. Now, Ditto contends, is time for us to embrace our queerness as visibly as we can. “I think it’s really important, especially now when we’re on the brink of something really big: we have Theresa May, we have Donald Trump, and it feels like there is a lot of backlash against us. Being a radical queer person at all is really important: your visibility matters and you don’t realise who is looking up to you. The youth are so motivated and hungry for change. You’re living your authentic life and that’s what it really means to be an activist. Living your life to the fullest and being happy is the biggest “f**k you” you can give! Honesty, openness and transparency are the biggest forms of activism.” Our current political climate is a hard pill for liberals and radicals to swallow, Beth believes this is the shot in the arm we needed, and that holding a mirror to ourselves may be the way out. “For me, the biggest thing about the Trump administration is going through more self-reflection, especially when it comes to racism: as a white person, what does it mean to have a racist in the White House, and what can I do to play my part in preventing that hate? And especially as a queer person, who is now dating a trans man and being viewed as “straight” in the world, or getting a divorce from a woman after working so hard for marriage equality. It has been an experience of self-learning and asking tough questions to allow me live life to the fullest and being as healthy

as you can. Not “push ups” healthy, I’m talking being strong and brave and independent. We need to be strong, and the only way we can do that is being honest with ourselves. Look at places like Moscow, where it’s illegal to be gay, and young amazing queer people have to fight for their lives. We forget that there are places in the world that need our support and we need to help however we can, even just by living life honestly.” Fans can expect her bold, infectious energy and staggering voice when she brings Fake Sugar to the O2 Academy later this month. On album track “We Could Run” she sings “There are rules that I’m in to break…We could always play it safe but that’s no fun;” Beth Ditto is at her best when she takes risks. Her voice and character are unlike anything else on pop’s current landscape; her music and persona have remained a force that jolts and moves us in the right direction.

SUPER GAY QUICK FIRE ROUND Madonna or Kylie? Madonna RuPaul or Divine? Divine Dolly Parton or Cher? Ohh…Dolly Really?! Yeah, I’m Southern! What would your drag name be? Beth Amphetamine, or Doug H. Nuts What is your karaoke jam? “Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry Should Gaga have gone country or done more disco? I think Gaga has gotta do what she’s gotta do. That’s all I can say. Who is your favourite queen on RuPaul’s Drag Race? Sharon Needles. Oh, and the girl with the “Fat Fem and Asian” shirt… Kim Chi? Yes! She’s so cute. And such good make up. How would you describe partying with Kate Moss? Oh, epic. Who can handle their drink better between the two of you? Kate What was it like making that programme with Fearne Cotton where she became pals with different celebrities? Oh I love her, I call her Fearné. You gave her full Southern hospitality and took her out into your town. I remember Paris Hilton wasn’t quite as good a host. Completely different. Whoops. Well, you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em. by Jonny Stone @jonny_stone_ j.stone@tsaglasgow.com

May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

by Liam Menzies @blinkclyro

www.blinkclyro.com

Liam's Corner

SAYING NO TO PAY 2 PLAY As someone who has been vegetarian for three years now, I’ve warmed up to quite a few establishments in Glasgow that cater to those who’d rather have a quorn based alternative to what we used to dish on before. Places like Stereo and Mono have managed to become a haven for people like myself that would love a great vegan dinner before their gig that same night so you might think to yourself, why the attention on The Hug & Pint? It’s fairly simple as today (1st May), the pub located on Great Western Road sent out the following tweet:

TRACKS OF THE MONTH The Voidz - Pyramid of Bones How would you react to someone telling you in 2004 that, a decade and a half later, the frontman of that popular wee rock outfit The Strokes would craft an experimental track that meshes doom metal vocals and a Black Sabbath riff? Aye, with that face you’re making just now, maybe a wee chuckle as well but lo and behold, The Voidz have hit out with just that very song. Better yet, it’s not only one of the best tracks on the album it appears on but one of the finest songs you’ll hear this year.

CALLING LOCAL BANDS SAY NO TO PAY TO PLAY! We are looking for new artists to play The Hug and Pint this Summer, offering fair deals in a supportive environment!

hard work they put in addition to offering entertainment. Don’t take my word for it, just ask any musician who has ever played in Glasgow and they’ll tell you a tale of either making little money from a performance or making a loss altogether. In an ideal world there would be legislation put in place to put a stop to this but considering how long it took the government to even suggest tackling touts, I wouldn’t hold my breath. So in short, thank you Hug and Pint (plus let's not forget the great work that local heroes New Hellfire Club have been putting in on this front over the years – Ed.) for setting a standard that I and many others hope to see replicated throughout Glasgow to assure that gigging is far more viable and fairer to the musicians we love to see and support.

Get in touch: joe@thehugandpint.com selina@thehugandpint.com Of course, something like this should be the norm at this point but the sad fact is it isn’t - often times up and coming artists will have to pay promoters in order to even play, in turn losing money which they should be earning due to the

Kimbra - Like They Do On TV Before you say or think it - aye, Kimbra is that singer from that Gotye tune that you overplayed to death when it came out but, more importantly, she’s a talented pop star who can now easily be included in the same bracket as someone like Charli XCX or Grimes in the contemporary game. Indirectly touching on what it’s like to be a musician in this social media heavy day and age, this cut off Primal Heart showcases Kimbra’s ability to make things look great on a surface level but leave the listeners with something to chew on. Touche Amore - Green “It’s simple really, how sad it is” goes the chorus of Touche Amore’s first new bit of material since Stage Four, a 2016 record that, if there were an Olympic event for most depressing album of that year, would cry all the way home with the gold medal. This same tone can be found within the lyrics of Green but the guitar melodies on here create an aura

that goes head to head with the content, pretty fitting for a song that focuses on longing for something and finding some sort of focus. Hop Along - Somewhere a Judge Get the cauldron out folks: we’re gonna need one part Haim, one part abstract lyrics and one or two sunrays to end up up with this upbeat yet simultaneously dreary song from the latest effort from Hop Along. Frances Quinlan’s vocals are so alluring that you may miss out on not only her beautiful imagery (“afternoon vanilla sun crawls away across the lawn” being a particular highlight) but how this contrasts with the rather heavy subject matter of things like capital punishment, all tying into the album’s motif of “so strange to be shaped by such strange men”. FIDLAR - Alcohol When bands go away for three years, you assume they’re gonna come back completely changed with a new image and sound - that’s not the case for

RECORD OF THE MONTH

Confidence Man Confident Music for Confident People Hindsight aside, it’ll be a challenge for you to find an album in 2018 that offers as much fun or replay value as this debut effort from Confidence Man. A four part outfit hailing from Melbourne, the band’s complaints about there not being enough dork in music seem to be alleviated with Confident Music for Confident People: from the get go, Janet Planet sets the goofy tone perfectly, paving the way for an album that shares more than a little bit of DNA with the likes of LCD Soundsystem. However, this isn’t a complaint, or even a criticism, as Confidence Man take themselves a little less seriously and keep things tight and, most importantly, enjoyable throughout the whole runtime.

FIDLAR but it’s probably for the best. Alcohol features that trademark care free attitude about the repercussions of a night out, chop full of youthful abandon and some rather raw production.There’s some sinister wordplay floating about in this concoction but when it sounds as fun, rough and tough like it does here, there’s no surprise you’ll be giving it a few goes even if it doesn’t go down as smooth as you’d think.

MAY PICK OF THE MONTH

HARBINGERS DRUM CREW on the fly, everyone has got to be totally focussed and in the same zone to make that work. We’ve got our own language to communicate the patterns, but the rest is good old-fashioned practice-pad stuff. So what inspired you to choose the drums as an instrument of choice in the first place? Was there a specific moment you remember when you thought ‘yes, this is what I want to do’?

Hello there Harbingers! Welcome to the TSA POTM spot, and you are definitely the first heavy metal drum crew we have had in for an interview. In fact, you’re the only heavy metal drum crew I think I have ever met! Start us off by telling us a wee bit about the history of the Harbingers then, like how long have you been together, and where did the idea of a heavy metal drum crew come from?

the audience, the more we can unleash the blast-beats and industrial pummelling. We’ve been putting on our own events in Edinburgh recently and selling them out so that’s a good sign people are hungry for it.

It’s an honour to be chosen for it. We formed in 2015, out of this shared realisation that all the music we liked and listened to could be played using just percussion. Drum ‘n’ bass can be done with all drums, hip-hop can be all drums, and if you really think about it, a good bunch of chunky metal guitar riffs that never get above 5th fret could be just as powerful if played using bass drums. We took the beats we loved, and figured out a way for me to signal them to our live drummers, creating and mixing the patterns on the fly using hand signals. It’s like a DJ using sign language and a live band instead of records. It’s weird but it works.

Well I’ve been drumming since I was a kid, mostly in either samba bands or metal bands. I always found that you can play any one style better by incorporating the techniques of other genres, so it was only a matter of time before I met other likeminded drummers who were having the same idea from other angles. That we were all in the right place at the right time to do this was just a perfect storm of good fortune.

Who would you say our readers need to listen out for, apart from yourselves of course! Anyone you would recommend we check out after you guys? We like to find other artists who are trying to deconstruct what it means to do live music. There’s a group in Edinburgh called Bassface who are reinventing rave and club classics using drummers. That works really well. I think the most overlooked aspect of any city’s music scene is always its jam nights. Not just the open mics where you rock up and do your material, but the ones where musicians of all types get up on stage and improvise a set live. There’s no better way to learn your instrument than to go full deep-end with the best in town and there’s not enough places that encourage that. Go find one – it’ll change you. So what exciting things do you have coming up for the rest of 2018 then? Anything you can share with us, new releases, videos, upcoming events? The floor is yours! We’ll be working a lot with NHC Music this year, including a spot on their awesome compilation album – there’s more news about that coming soon. We post all of our upcoming events on our website (harbingersdrumcrew.com), Twitter (@harbsdrumcrew), Facebook and Instagram (@harbingersdrumcrew) as well as posting various videos on our YouTube channel. The videos will show you what we look like but you’ll never fully capture what it’s like to experience this live. You haven’t lived until you’ve been in a mosh pit, throwing down to Industrial Drumcore.

Theasis Photography (top left) Neil Barton Photography (centre) Bleu Hope (bottom left and bottom right

So tell us a bit about the name then, where did that come from? It almost sounds mythological! A harbinger is like an omen – a sign of things to come. From the outset we were aiming to create something nobody had ever seen before: a new way of experiencing live music, combining beats you’d never expect to hear, played on instruments you’d never think could play them. The name is there to remind us that we should always be looking forward, constantly reinventing what we do, and that we all gain by creating different roads ahead. So how many of you are there all in? Do you find it hard to get regular events going just due to the sheer size of the group? There’s 25 of us in the crew, all with drums, so we do take up a lot of room, but it’s become one of our favourite things: turning up at smaller venues and just blowing the doors off the place. That said, we compose our set in real-time to suit whatever crowd is in front of us, so the bigger and wilder

… it's become one of our favourite things: turning up at smaller venues and just blowing the doors off the place.

So what’s the training like to be part of a group such as yourselves? Last time we had you crammed in the shop (well, some of you!) it was probably one of the most on-point, well-rehearsed sets I had seen. I take it you need to rehearse quite a lot to stay that sharp? That’s great to hear. A lot of hard work has gone into it. We rehearse at least once a week, with additional techniquedrilling sessions where needed. Because I’m signalling and live-mixing the patterns May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

NEAR YOU 10 GIGS COMING TO A VENUE, WELL, NEAR YOU VERY SOON

THE BIG MOON

NEON WALTZ KING TUTS 11TH MAY, GLASGOW

Known by most as the band putting John O’Groats back on the map however this northern six-piece are back on Glaswegian soil amid legendary surroundings and a stellar line-up (including new wave charmers Walt Disco and Dundee psychedelics Beta Waves) with a live-set truly refined through their non-stop tour schedule. Expect classics such as Heavy Heartless and Bare Wood Aisles plus tracks from their latest release the Bring Me To Light EP.

GRAEME MEARNS THE JAZZ BAR 9TH MAY AND EVERY WEDNESDAY 7PM, EDINBURGH

A Hat, a Suit, and a Guitar. With a swing/jazz/acoustic style somewhere between Django Reinhardt and Richard Thompson, you’ll hear familiar songs in a way you’ve never imagined in the coolest basement bar in town.

MACKINTOSH QUEENS CROSS CHURCH 15TH JUNE, GLASGOW

Those undeniable indie anthem makers are back with a Scottish headline to play beneath a real-life moon, nonetheless a truly celestial experience for fans and new listeners alike in this unusual yet rare evening of music amid the serene surroundings of the city’s west end. Greatest hits include Cupid and Silent Movie Susie plus more from their Mercury Prize nominated debut album Love in the 4th Dimension which was released last year, a self assured and charismatic live set not to be missed!

L-SPACE TEVIOT ROW HOUSE 12TH MAY, 7PM, EDINBURGH

Promises to be a wonderful evening of glorious music and beautiful noise with The Farting Suffragettes and Josephine Sillars + The Manic Pixie Dreams supporting. Expect sci-fi dream pop with potential neon pink flamingos and LED headwear.

LOVELY WIFE + SNAKES DON’T BELONG IN ALASKA BLOC 24TH MAY 9PM, GLASGOW

Lovely Wife do huge, bruising, nihilistic noise rock from south of the wall. The kind of demented tone-led madness that Noxagt and half of AmRep were smashing off faces fifteen years back. Snakes... on the other hand are yer warm, expansive, psychedelic, cosmic stoner James T Mackay patter.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT SWG3 1ST JUNE, GLASGOW

For a summer festival revolved around the shared heartbreak induced by these true Scottish legends, it’s a show not to be missed! If the fact this event was curated by the band themselves wasn’t enough to get you interested, it’s split between two stages with the second hosted by Gold Flake Paint featuring The Spook School and Martha Ffion amongst so much more to make for the most eclectic day of music this city will see all season!

SCREAMING FEMALES BROADCAST 22ND MAY, GLASGOW

THE SPOOK SCHOOL SUMMERHALL 10TH MAY, 8PM, EDINBURGH

COURTNEY BARNETT BARROWLANDS 2ND JUNE, GLASGOW

The Aussie native is back on Scottish soil equipped with new single City Looks Pretty, synonymous with producing down and out anthems about suburbia while still maintaining a shamelessly liberal mindset, Barnett’s live set is honest and at times cutting in a real universal way, though known for her at times shy stage demeanour it’s a live set drenched in wit and charm with the nostalgia of her last album still ringing true!

Cover yourself with smiles and perspiration with Scotland’s indie-pop optimists The Spook School. Their 3rd record ‘Could It Be Different?’ is a journey of self-discovery and feel-good realism. Personal/Universal, dancefriendly, noise pop. Societal norms and stereotypes cower at their very name.

THE VEGAN LEATHER + LOST IN VANCOUVER SNEAKY PETE’S 14TH MAY, 7PM, EDINBURGH

If there was ever an excuse to get yourself to a basement gig during the spring heat, Screaming Females would be it! These New Jersey natives are in town with newly released album All At Once, which, released this year packs a punch through all fifteen tracks! Their live set is a real face melter featuring blazing guitar riffs and sharp vocal tones, mighty but in the most freeing way, making this a sweaty but exhilarating affair!

‘The best god darn band the East End of Paisley has ever seen’? Surely. Catch them at Sneaky Pete’s before they finish that album and take over the world. Expect a sweaty frenzy of glam-pop plus sweet metal riffs.

May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

Gig Guide: Music

in Edinburgh & Glasgow SUN, 20 MAY

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Edinburgh

SUN, 13 MAY

THU, 03 MAY

MON, 14 MAY

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/ songwriter Henry Ibbs. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

FRI, 04 MAY

MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/ songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00 Headset Bake (All Caps) and Peizo (Swamp 81) headline Headset. Jazz Spastiks headline Room 2 (Old School Hip Hop). Bongo Club: 23:00 £5.00

SAT, 05 MAY

Quintet Every Saturday, a different hand-picked selection of five excellent jazz players meets on stage for the first time (hence the name) – and plays with no rehearsal, and not even a set list! It’s always a ‘surprise’ line-up – even for the players. The Jazz Bar: 21:00 £6.00 Soulsville Est. 2010, this is Edinburgh’s institutional shot of Deep Rhythms and Rugged Grooves. Main Room: Cameron Mason and Calum Evans playing rare funk, deep disco and some raucous worldly flavours. Upstairs: TBC. Strictly party vibes. Bongo Club: 23:00 £5.00

SUN, 06 MAY

The Sunday Sinners Dance to dynamic Funk/Soul grooves from in-the-pocket 5-piece band with outstanding vocals. The Jazz Bar: 12:00 £4.00 Skintight Bank Holiday Sunday Special Edition triple pack featuring Paradise Palms & many other spots top party galdem NikNak; Percy Main & Tuesday Gonzalez who hold down Soul Jam every Tuesday across the road; and everybody’s favourite Sicilian cannoli connoisseur Andrea Montalto, maestro of the Balearic bargain bin. Bongo Club: 23:00 £5.00

MON, 07 MAY

Glamour And The Baybes 6-Piece funk with ripping horns and massive vocals that grab you by the soul and drop you on the dance floor! The Jazz Bar: 23:30 £4.00

gig guide

TUE, 08 MAY

After Work Blues Acoustic/Electric Blues by singer/guitarist John Hunt – and check out his amazing hand-built guitars! ‘Gritty, Funky Boogie-Woogie from a master of blues slide-guitar’ – Evening News The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Midnight Bass DnB, Jungle, Bassline, Grime & Garage with DJs from Junglism, Big n Bashy, Electrikal, Roots, Witness, 59th Degree + more! Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

WED, 09 MAY

Graeme Mearns A Hat, a Suit, and a Guitar. With a swing/jazz/acoustic style somewhere between Django Reinhardt and Richard Thompson, you’ll hear familiar songs in a way you’ve never imagined The Jazz Bar: 19:00 FREE

THU, 10 MAY

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/ songwriter Henry Ibbs. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

FRI, 11 MAY

MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/ songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00 Substance Recognised by the authoritative Resident Advisor to be “one of Edinburgh’s most important outposts for house, techno and bass”, Substance brings a wide ranging collage of classic and cutting edge underground electronic music to the Bongo. Bongo Club: 23:00 FREE

SAT, 12 MAY

Quintet Every Saturday, a different hand-picked selection of five excellent jazz players meets on stage for the first time (hence the name) – and plays with no rehearsal, and not even a set list! It’s always a ‘surprise’ line-up – even for the players. The Jazz Bar: 21:00 £6.00 Messenger Messenger Sound System, the original roots advertiser, consistently programmes the heights of conscious reggae music, dub-wise and otherwise! Bongo Club: 23:00 £5.00

The Sunday Sinners Dance to dynamic Funk/Soul grooves from in-the-pocket 5-piece band with outstanding vocals. The Jazz Bar: 12:00 £4.00 Glamour And The Baybes 6-Piece funk with ripping horns and massive vocals that grab you by the soul and drop you on the dance floor! The Jazz Bar: 23:30 £4.00

TUE, 15 MAY

WED, 16 MAY

THU, 17 MAY

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/ songwriter Henry Ibbs. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

FRI, 18 MAY

MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/ songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00 Electrikal Well it’s been 8 years of throwing parties with the likes of acts such TQD, Mike skinner, Kode9, My Nu Leng, Flava D, Alix Perez, Audio, Mefjus, Dub Phizix, Aphrodite and Champion to name just a few gracing us with their music on the sound system. Bongo Club: 23:00 -

SAT, 19 MAY

The Sunday Sinners Dance to dynamic Funk/Soul grooves from in-the-pocket 5-piece band with outstanding vocals. The Jazz Bar: 12:00 £4.00

MON, 21 MAY

Glamour And The Baybes 6-Piece funk with ripping horns and massive vocals that grab you by the soul and drop you on the dance floor! The Jazz Bar: 23:30 £4.00

TUE, 22 MAY

WED, 23 MAY

THU, 24 MAY

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/ songwriter Henry Ibbs. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

FRI, 25 MAY

MPG Acoustic Showcase Three of Edinburgh’s finest singer/ songwriters, Mike MacFarlane, Paul Montague and Graeme Mearns present fabulous (and occasionally anarchic!) musical entertainment, each week featuring specially invited guests. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. Liquid Rooms: 22:30 £5.00 Lionoil After a run of excellent parties at the Bongo involving international guests such as Soichi Terada, Lena Willikens, Violet, Jonnie Wilkes/Optimo and Move D, they present resident DJ (and house producer of local and international repute) Telfort all night to celebrate the launch of his new 12_ on the label. Bongo Club: 23:00 £7.00

SAT, 26 MAY

Quintet Every Saturday, a different hand-picked selection of five excellent jazz players meets on stage for the first time (hence the name) – and plays with no rehearsal, and not even a set list! It’s always a ‘surprise’ line-up – even for the players. The Jazz Bar: 21:00 £6.00 Mumbo Jumbo Mumbo Jumbo is a night with a mix of musical styles from funk and hip hop to house and electro care of resident DJs Trendy Wendy, Steve Austin and new recruit Eva Crystaltips joined by MC MAD (Groove Armada), with live congas and percussion by Bongo Dave and live musicians jamming. Bongo Club: 23:00 £3.00

SUN, 27 MAY

The Sunday Sinners Dance to dynamic Funk/Soul grooves from in-the-pocket 5-piece band with outstanding vocals. The Jazz Bar: 12:00 £4.00

MON, 28 MAY

Glamour And The Baybes 6-Piece funk with ripping horns and massive vocals that grab you by the soul and drop you on the dance floor! The Jazz Bar: 23:30 £4.00

TUE, 29 MAY

WED, 30 MAY

THU, 31 MAY

Henry Ibbs Expect a mixture of tunes: traditional, original and cover versions (with more than a dash of Scouse!) from well-known singer/ songwriter Henry Ibbs. The Jazz Bar: 18:00 FREE

Glasgow TUE, 01 MAY

Open Mic Night Come down to BOX and play some tunes. Hosted by the extremely talented lads Ross Leighton (Fatherson) and Callum Wiseman (PRIDES) Box: 21:00 FREE I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces. Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00 PERMOCULTURE The History of Dance, made present! Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 FREE Do You Even Disco? An evening of 70s/80s Disco, Italo-Disco and Nu-Wave with dashes of 90s House and just a taste of modern Indie Dance! Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 FREE

WED, 02 MAY

Whitney Rose Whitney Rose O2 ABC: 19:00 £11.00

THU, 03 MAY

Jungle Jungle make a welcome return to the stage in May, with the mesmeric seven-piece live band performing a string of headline dates across the UK. Taking time out from the studio, where they’ve been working on the follow-up to their acclaimed debut album, this’ll be a chance for fans to experience their thrilling live show once again. O2 ABC: 19:00 £25.00 Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

FRI, 04 MAY

The Smyths With a nod to the 30th anniversary of his first solo single and album, The Smyths present a show that celebrates the best of both The Smiths and Morrissey’s solo work. A two hour, two set show that will delight Smiths and Morrissey fans alike. O2 ABC2: 19:00 £15.00 The Alarm The Alarm O2 ABC: 19:00 £26.00

The Red Rum Club + The Medicine Priests + Primes Red Rum Club are a sextet from Liverpool, combing sounds of old and new channelling ‘Tarntinoesque’ wild western vibes with the help of a solitary trumpet. Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 £6.00 Adam Stafford Adam Stafford Hug & Pint: 19:30 £8.00 Catherine McGrath Catherine McGrath King Tuts: 20:00 £10.00 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00 Harsh Tug Harsh Tug OG Kush + Gin n Juice + Hip Hop Bangers Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 £3.00

SAT, 05 MAY

Sir Was Demonstrating a seemingly effortless marriage of organic instrumentation, synthetic sounds and head-bobbing beats, Sir Was shows himself as a master of balance. Stereo: 19:00 £10.00 Scooter Celebrating 25 years in the game, rave-pop icons Scooter will bring their 100% Scooter – 25 Years Wild & Wicked tour to the UK this may, to continue their marathon mission of playing for their supporters and partying all over the world. O2 Academy: 19:00 SOLD OUT Heather Small The voice of M People, Heather Small will grace O2 Academy Oxford as part of her UK tour. M People had massive hits in the 90s including 'Moving On Up', 'How Can I Love You More?', 'Search For The Hero' and 'One Night In Heaven'. O2 ABC: 19:00 £32.00 Wild Rocket + Acid Cannibals + Dead Otter Wild Rocket are from Ireland and fuckin SLAY. Brutal big chunky riffs that just keep on coming, underpinned by the atmospherics of krautrock legends Neu and space explorers Hawkwind. You fancy it? Good, let's dance. Nice N Sleazy: 19:30 £6.00 Guy Jones Guy Jones Hug & Pint: 19:30 £15.00 Ham Sandwich Ham Sandwich King Tuts: 20:00 £13.00 LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on. Sub Club: 23:00 TBA Glitterbang! Glitterbang Europop + Disco + Sweatcore 11.30pm Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 £3.00

SUN, 06 MAY

Stag & Dagger Stag & Dagger, Scotland’s original multi-venue event and biggest new music showcase, is back this May. Known for sourcing the hottest new talent around, this year’s line-up plays host to Glasvegas, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Slow Readers Club and many more. O2 ABC: 19:00 £28.00 The Blueswater The Blueswater will be returning to Glasgow for their first gig in the city in 2018 as part of their UK tour. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £8.00 NF NF King Tuts: 20:00 SOLD OUT

The events listed below were correct and up to date at time of going to print but please check the venue’s own website prior to booking

MON, 07 MAY

J.D. WILKES WITH THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS + FRIENDS JD Wilkes is an American musician, visual artist, author, filmmaker and self-proclaimed “southern surrealist”. Broadcast: 19:00 £12.00 Vundabar Vundabar Hug & Pint: 19:30 £7.50 Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow's longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer! Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE

TUE, 08 MAY

DEEP DARK WOODS + KACEY & CLAYTON For nearly ten years Canadian’s Deep Dark Woods developed an international following with particular success in the Americana realm, nominated alongside Alabama Shakes and Dawes for Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2012 Americana Music Awards. Broadcast: 19:00 £12.50 Anna Burch Anna Burch Hug & Pint: 19:30 £7.00 Open Mic Night Come down to BOX and play some tunes. Hosted by the extremely talented lads Ross Leighton (Fatherson) and Callum Wiseman (PRIDES) Box: 21:00 FREE Badaboum! (FRA) + Misc. Meat + A PUPPET SHOW French DIY scene supergroup. Three women drawn from some of that country’s best underground acts, including the tremendous Headwar. This time in the guise of clattering, overdriven no-wave anti-punk. And yes apparently they are touring with a puppet show. This is not some kind of Spinal Tap reference. Well, ok, that was just there, obviously. Bloc: 21:00 FREE I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces. Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00

WED, 09 MAY

The Bluetones Britpop heroes The Bluetones are making a welcome return to our stages next spring. The upcoming shows will see the band plunder their incredible body of work one more time, playing their most popular songs. If you miss them this time, it may be a lifetime before you get another chance. O2 ABC: 19:00 £22.00 Scott Matthews Scott Matthews Broadcast: 19:00 £17.00 Folklub Folklub Hug & Pint: 19:30 £12.00 Canshaker PI Canshaker PI King Tuts: 20:00 £8.00

THU, 10 MAY

Nap Eyes Nap Eyes Hug & Pint: 19:30 £8.50 The Phase The Phase King Tuts: 20:00 £8.00 Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Drugstore Glamour The Queens of the Glasgow Disco Scene Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 FREE

FRI, 11 MAY

Wilko Johnson Having recently celebrated his 70th birthday and 30th anniversary at London’s Royal Albert Hall, original Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson is taking to the stage once again, so don't miss your chance to witness the legend in all his glory. O2 ABC: 18:30 £29.00 Rita Ora Rita Ora is back and alongside the release of her latest singles ‘Your Song’ and ‘Anywhere’, she’s also returning to the stage for an epic UK headline tour in May 2018. Get your tickets now and be one of the first to see her new material live. O2 Academy: 19:00 SOLD OUT

The Frontiers The Frontiers are a fresh-faced four piece striding into the indie-rock scene in 2018 with a full show schedule and a sound taking influences from other genre greats such as The Jam and Arctic Monkeys. Hailing from Scotland, they are already making waves with their fantastic live shows and brilliant material including brand new singles ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Let’s Go.’ O2 ABC2: 19:00 £9.00 The Animal Mothers Join The Animal Mothers as they lay siege to The Hug and Pint Hug & Pint: 19:30 £5.00 Neon Waltz Neon Waltz King Tuts: 20:00 £11.00 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00

SAT, 12 MAY

Real Life Entertainment Real Life Entertainment is all low-slung, greased metal paranoia from the edge lands; wide awake eyes scanning the cloud banks for a flash of light. A sign of the times, the living are with us. O2 ABC2: 19:00 £7.00 Iain Morrison Iain Morrison Hug & Pint: 19:30 £10.00 The Teskey Brothers The Teskey Brothers King Tuts: 20:00 £9.00 Stereo is 10 To mark making it to a decade Stereo have enlisted a part bag of Glasgow's finest bands, DJs and performers. Stereo: 21:00 £4.00 LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on. Sub Club: 23:00 TBA

SUN, 13 MAY

Run Logan Run Bristol duo Run Logan Run are a head on collision of pounding tribal drums and screaming guttural saxophone. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £6.50

MON, 14 MAY

PARTNER Genre-defying and terrifying: part musical act and part teenage diary, Partner is unflinching in their exploration of intimacy, friendship, sexuality and rock ‘n’ roll Broadcast: 19:00 £8.50 Wreckless Eric Wreckless Eric is Eric Goulden. He was given the name to hide behind. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £12.00 Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow's longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer! Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE

TUE, 15 MAY

Common Holly Born in New York and raised in Montreal, Common Holly (AKA Brigitte Naggar) puts unpredictable compositional elements into a singer-songwriter/ folk framework, packaged in textured, eclectic electro-acoustic production. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £7.50 ISLAND King Tuts: 20:00 £12.00 Open Mic Night Come down to BOX and play some tunes. Hosted by the extremely talented lads Ross Leighton (Fatherson) and Callum Wiseman (PRIDES) Box: 21:00 FREE

I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces. Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00 Buckfast Supernova Indie Pop Punk emo RnB bangers Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 FREE

WED, 16 MAY

Swervedriver Ahead of releasing their sixth album, due for release this year, Swervedriver will be returning to the UK to play their seminal albums Raise and Mezcal Head in their entirety. This is one fans of the band won’t want to miss out on. O2 ABC: 19:00 £18.00 Ratboys + Wild Pink Led by Julia Steiner and Dave Sagan, Ratboys modern, tender spin on country and indie-rock is a blessing. Broadcast: 19:00 £7.00 Grey Hairs Grey Hairs Hug & Pint: 19:30 £6.00 The Kicks Professional Cover Band, playing all your favourite tunes! Box: 23:00 FREE

THU, 17 MAY

Coco And The Butterfields Coco And The Butterfields O2 ABC2: 19:00 £11.00 Chad Valley Chad Valley Broadcast: 19:00 £7.00 The Osiris Club The Osiris Club Hug & Pint: 19:30 TBC Faithful Strangers Faithful Strangers King Tuts: 20:00 £8.00 Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

FRI, 18 MAY

Broken Records Stereo: 19:00 £12.00 Car Seat Headrest Car Seat Headrest returns to the UK in May, with a seven-piece band in tow, to perform tracks from the re-recorded and re-imagined 2011 masterpiece Twin Fantasy, as well as favourites from his back catalogue. O2 ABC: 19:00 £17.00 Babybird Babybird Hug & Pint: 19:30 £18.00 Elephant Sessions Elephant Sessions King Tuts: 20:00 £12.00 Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00 The Lance Vance Dance Sultry Disco Anthems Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 £3.00

SAT, 19 MAY

US Girls US Girls Stereo: 19:00 £10.00 St. Martiins The fabulous St. Martiins Hug & Pint: 19:30 £7.50 Spear of Destiny Spear of Destiny King Tuts: 20:00 £18.00 LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on. Sub Club: 23:00 TBA Singles Night explore the hits on 7" vinyl Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 £3.00

SUN, 20 MAY Wild Child Wild Child King Tuts: 20:00

MON, 21 MAY

£14.00

Alma Alma O2 ABC2: 19:00 £11.00 Bully Bully Hug & Pint: 19:30 £9.00 Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow's longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer! Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE City Calm Down City Calm Down King Tuts: 20:00 £9.00

TUE, 22 MAY

The Kite String Tangle The Kite String Tangle Stereo: 19:00 £10.00 Sparks Genre-defying duo, Sparks are kicking off 2018 with three very special shows. Showcasing material from last year’s critically acclaimed album Hippopotamus, their upcoming performances will see the band on sparkling form. O2 Academy: 19:00 £31.00 Screaming Females Screaming Females Broadcast: 19:00 £8.00 Cosmo Sheldrake Cosmo Sheldrake Hug & Pint: 19:30 £8.00 Open Mic Night Come down to BOX and play some tunes. Hosted by the extremely talented lads Ross Leighton (Fatherson) and Callum Wiseman (PRIDES) Box: 21:00 FREE I AM Welcoming back those juice enthusiasts Capri Collective to the Sub Club basement for I AM’s first outing of 2018. Having played with the young guns numerous times now over 2017, I AM know what to expect from their friendly faces. Sub Club: 23:00 £5.00

WED, 23 MAY

Machine Head Metal Titans Machine Head are returning to the UK, following the release of their ninth album, Catharsis and they’re ready to riff some faces off. Continuing their ‘Evening With’ shows, the band will be playing for over two and a half hours solid, so make sure you get your tickets and prepare to rage! O2 Academy: 19:00 £31.00 Cloth Delivering angular alt-rock cut through with deep electronic grooves, Cloth are a Glasgowbased trio comprising of twins Rachael and Paul Swinton and Clare Gallacher. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £5.00 Jon Allen Jon Allen King Tuts: 20:00 £17.00 FREAK LIKE ME HipHop/Soul/ Funk Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 FREE

THU, 24 MAY

Sam Evian Sam Evian Hug & Pint: 19:30 Maesego Maesego King Tuts: 20:00

£7.50 £27.00

Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

FRI, 25 MAY Cutty's Gym Cutty's Gym, Glasgow's best alternative band, launch their first EP as a four-piece, with support from Shredd and Objectified. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £7.00 Wojtek Bear Wojtek Bear King Tuts: 20:00

£9.00

Propaganda An unrivalled audio visual mix of the best current and classic indie alternative music with special guests and Propaganda resident DJs. O2 ABC: 22:30 £5.00 Date Night A mixtape of love, lust & nostalgia Nice N Sleazy: 23:30 £3.00

SAT, 26 MAY Dogtooth Dogtooth had an incredible 2017, with the release of their debut EP Breakthrough and shows all over the UK. Now, they're returning to their hometown of Glasgow for a show which will celebrate everything they’ve achieved over the past 12 months. O2 ABC2: 19:00 £7.00 Awate AWATE is a rapper and producer from Maiden Lane Estate in Camden. Honing his craft from the age of 12, he made a name for himself at the legendary hip-hop spot, Deal Real at the age of 15. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £9.00 Mason Hill Mason Hill King Tuts: 20:00

TBC

LOVE MUSIC With great music, the stunning lighting display & the powerhouse of a soundsystem it has been the benchmark for the best in clubbing experiences in Scotland. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00 Subculture Subculture is one of the world’s longest-running underground house night and the longest weekly house music residency on the planet. With Harri and Domenic in control week in week out, it’s easy to see why it has endured for the best part of two decades as they continue to serve up the most upfront and relevant selections of all that’s good in house and techno, keeping the vibe that the reputation of the club is built on. Sub Club: 23:00 TBA

MON, 28 MAY Ezra Furman American songwriter Ezra Furman continues his love for the road, with a handful of headline UK dates in February, his biggest to date. Coinciding nicely with the release of his new album, Transangelic Exodus, these shows are going to mark a monumental moment in Ezra's career. O2 ABC: 19:00 £21.00 Avi Buffalo US-based singersongwriter Avi Buffalo (Sub Pop) joins us for a very special solo show, with support from A. Wesley Chung. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £10.00 Acoustic Open Mic Night Glasgow's longest running open mic is open to all, and each performer gets a free beer! Nice N Sleazy: 20:00 FREE

TUE, 29 MAY G Eazy Californian rapper G-Eazy will be returning to the UK for a run of shows in June. Armed with new album, The Beautiful & Damned, the shows will see him perform his most thrilling material to date. O2 Academy: 19:00 £34.00 The Shades The Shades O2 ABC: 19:00

£34.00

Rev Magnetic Rev Magnetic Hug & Pint: 19:30 £7.50 Ben Mhor Ben Mhor King Tuts: 20:00

£9.00

WED, 30 MAY Charles Howl Enthralled by soundtracks and pop music in all its forms, Howl updates classic motifs to create a signature aesthetic. Hug & Pint: 19:30 £7.00 Fantastic Negrito Fantastic Negrito King Tuts: 20:00 £17.00

THU, 31 MAY

SUN, 27 MAY £18.00

Curse of Lono Curse of Lono Hug & Pint: 19:30 £8.00

Morrisey and Marshall Morrisey and Marshall King Tuts: 20:00 £9.00

Jelly Baby JellyBaby resident DJ Ted plays a party mash-up. O2 ABC: 23:00 £4.00

Superchunk Superchunk Stereo: 19:00

M Aa Yy 1 8 | W e A r e T S A . c o . u k

A POP STAR FOR THE TWITTER GENERATION

SOCCER MOMMY Soccer Mommy, the nom de mic of Sophie Allison, is rapidly rising to indie stardom. On the back of her own heavy touring schedule, she's set to tour with heavy hitters Paramore and having just released her first studio album Clean - she looks set to snatch the world's attention this summer. With her dreamy faraway sound, lyrics based around heartbreak and wanting to be 'that' cool, she is quickly gaining cult prominence. We had a had a wee chat about what it was like becoming a professional musician, her new album, the importance of following your dreams and Avril Lavigne.

“I think it gives me the ability to put more work into it, having extra equipment and having more time to work on it and having you know, having a bigger release and knowing it’s going to effect more people. But I don’t think the way I sit down and write the songs is any different. I think the production is different, for sure, because again, I can have like a producer helping me, taking it where I want it to go. You know, I have some skill in recording stuff and manipulating sounds however I want but not a whole lot of experience in it so it’s having people to help me make everything sound how I want it to,”.

But I don’t think the way I sit down and write the songs is any different. Clean, is Sophie's first studio album - she has however released a couple of other DIY albums as well a collection of re-recorded material which was released on tape. While Clean was recorded in a professional studio, it wholeheartedly keeps the sleepy, dreamy bedroom rock vibe and, to some extent, the lo-fidelity vibe of previous releases. Sophie explains that it was not so much a conscious decision but instead how the music sought itself to be kept, “I think it’s just kind of the sound that I like - and the sound that I like for our music. I think it kind of happened but it was also like a conscious decision that I still wanted it to sound like me. I didn’t want it to sound like over-produced in any way.” We got into talking more about keeping the lo-fi sound; with Sophie going on to explain while recording in a studio, with a full production team there to lend a hand, changes how the music comes together – that, moving on from recording in your bedroom does not fundamentally need to change the song writing process:

Her most streamed track 'Your Dog', is lyrically something you can imagine Courtney Love might pen, though with Love's vocals it might have been a more bitter and angry proposition. With Allison's carefully world weary delivery the anger gently bubbles under the surface beneath a seeming acceptance of, what is to be is to be. “I think all it’s supposed to mean is just like, I don’t like the feeling of wanting to be there for someone who’s not there for you. And just kind of like a little puppy that follows them around. It was never I mean, a lot of people have taken it in the root of abusive relationships. But that was never really what it was about for me. It was just more about feeling like your giving too much in a relationship and not getting the same in return. Just being in a relationship with someone who doesn’t really care as much as you do and not wanting to care more about something and the other person. And you know, just feel like you’re putting all this time into thinking about everything they do and everything they say and they really aren’t thinking of you the same way.”

It was just more about feeling like your giving too much in a relationship and not getting the same in return Allison went on to talk about using songwriting as catharsis and a pathway to articulate feelings, to get things out in the open, “I think it’s helpful to me to express the way that I’m feeling. And to get to like put it into something and kind of get it out of my head and you know, just put it down into a song, put out something concrete that expresses that feeling - rather than just having to feel it all the time. I think it helps me kind of get over it.” Allison started her music career back in 2015, with a self published release called Songs For The Recently Sad, which was released on Bandcamp. We asked her about the explosion of Bandcamp use, and what benefits come from using these social media platforms,

“I think a lot of people are coming out of like Bandcamp or Soundcloud or whatever because you know, it’s just like a place for people to put their music up - it’s a platform that people listen to and actually use, and that’s free. It’s really like, low-effort almost - not that the music itself is low-effort but like, releasing it is low-effort. And there’s not really a ceiling that you have to break through to get other releases which is kind of like a free for all, where anyone can do it.” She went on to talk about how important growing a crop of fans from social media can be in todays age for musicians, “People can kind of pick the talent and stuff out of that and people who are talented who don’t have connections can really release their music and grow a fanbase.

Which of course is an interest for labels because artists that have already started to establish a fanbase and already started to grow on their own that now a label can put money into and know that they’re gonna get a fan response because the artist has already grown a fanbase without anyone’s help.” Pressed on her influences, Sophie is pretty cagey about who makes the list, who she listened to in her youth, and who was coming through in her music: “...pop artists like Avril Lavigne or like, I listened to Springsteen when I was really young - my dad was a fan. And in high school, I got into stuff like The Cars and Sonic Youth and Liz Phair and Mitski, an artist I really liked in high school too. Yeah, I mean, there are a ton of people — Joni Mitchell, too — that I think, kind of inspired me with my writing or musically, either way. But yeah, I don’t know any direct correlation to the how sound ended up coming out” With the idea of going to university being so commonplace today, the idea of not completing your studies can be intimidating for many students. This is however exactly what Soccer Mommy did to pursue her music career in earnest. Looking back it's clear she thinks it's been a positive decision, pursuing something she felt she had to do, whether it meant fully dropping out or taking a break: “I’d never thought of it as something I wanted to do, dropping out of school. Like, I always thought maybe I’ll take a semester off or something. And technically I still am on a leave of absence. But yeah, when it came down to it — it was just like I was getting a bunch of offers for tours and stuff to do in the fall and it was the summer and I still planning on going back to school and was like, why not just take time off and get to do all this stuff. It seemed like it would be a lot better for my career and I wouldn’t be wasting any time, I’d be actually doing something with my time. So yeah, when it came down to it - it was just a really easy decision”

Soccer Mommy are quickly building a fan base and are looking set to take the indie world by storm, and with their super relatable lyrics and catchy hooks, they are doing so in breezy style. Soccer Mommy will be playing a few gigs in the UK over the Summer. The only gig in Scotland confirmed however, will be at Electric Fields, at Drumlanrig Castle in September. She will also play Brighton's The Great Escape in May, which will definitely be a set to check out for anyone heading down for it.

By Dominic Cassidy

May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

"I’m big fans of both Limmy and Irvine Welsh and they’ve definitely influenced my work in a lot of ways."

CHRIS MCQUEER Interview

HINGS & HINGS 2 Think to yourself a hugely successful author and, chances are, the first few writers to pop into your head are probably middle aged, fairly posh and have questionable patter. However, much like his stories, Twitter icon, illegal da fighter and wordsmith Chris McQueer has subverted your expectations: over the past few years the Scottish up and comer has went from sharing short stories on social media to having his work published into a critically and commercially successful book, titled Hings,by 404 Ink with stories being adapted into sketches by Grave Day Productions and venues gagging for him to do readings. You’d think after the whirlwind of a year he had that Chris would be tapping the brakes but no chance - his sophomore effort is underway but to keep those literary taste buds tantalised, the part time shoe salesman is hitting out with a fully fleshed story. Called Leathered, it’ll see a prison guard called Frank going head to head with Kim Jong-Un - aye, that one who is notoriously in charge of North Korea. Of course that tune has changed with both South and North Korea working on restoring peace but it doesn’t make Leathered any less of a hilarious romp, full of Chris’ trademark characteristics. We caught up with the boy himself to see what we can expect from Hings 2 and how he’s taking the reception to his work, both positive and negative. Q: How have you dealt with the commercial and critical success of Hings? Chris: It’s been magic. Both the commercial success and critical reactions have been totally unexpected. To start with, me and 404 Ink had a target of selling 500 books which I remember at the time felt as if it might as well have been a million, it felt like a massive number to me then. The fact it’s now sold 6 or 7 times that has been amazing. As for the critical reaction, that was even

more surprising. I was expecting the book to get panned and I had it in my head that a lot of critics would sort of look down their noses at the book. Thankfully, despite a wee bit of snobbery from some people, it hasn’t been like that at all and I’ve been blown away by the positive feedback. Q: On a similar note, how have you dealt with any backlash from readers (e.g amazon review)? C: Aye there’s been a handful of negative reviews from readers on the likes of Amazon and Goodreads. I was ready for bad reviews before the book came out and was kind of bracing myself for them but there wasn’t anywhere near as many as I was expecting. The first couple I saw made me feel quite shitty and I was a bit gutted to be honest, even if I was halfexpecting to get bad reviews they still weren’t easy or nice to read. Now though, I try and take something from any bad reviews, look at any specifics the person didn’t like and see if it’s something I can improve on. I just want to keep working away and try to become a better writer and taking negative feedback onboard is a big part of that. I was lucky enough to work with a really good editor on Hings (Robbie Guillory) who gave me a lot of constructive criticism and I could tell he really cared about not only making the book better, but wanted to help me become a better writer as well which I really appreciated and I learned so much from him in such a short space of time. Now I'm absolutely tearing my work apart and trying to improve it. Q: How did the collaboration with Speculative Books and Paul dock for Leathered come about? C: I’ve known Sam Small and Dale P. McMullen at Speculative Books for a couple of years now through the spoken word scene in Glasgow. Sam used to run a fanzine called The High Flight which actually the first place to ever publish any of my stuff back in 2016, so it’s really cool that we’ve all progressed to now working

by Liam Menzies @blinkclyro

www.blinkclyro.com

together on an actual real wee book. Dale at Spec Books is a big fan of novellas and so am I. I was maybe around halfway through writing Leathered when I noticed Spec Books were looking for novellas to publish. I finished writing Leathered and sent it over and thankfully they liked it. It was Spec Books who came up with the idea of getting some illustrations done and when they asked me if I had anyone in mind Paul was my first thought. I’ve followed him for a couple of years on Twitter and Instagram etc and as well as being a really genuine and funny guy, he’s a mega talented artist and It’s a privilege to be working with him on Leathered. The illustrations he’s done for the book are amazing, I can’t wait for everybody to see them. Q: You get the Limmy and Irvine Welsh comparison a lot but is there any influences of yours that you feel people may overlook? C: I’m big fans of both Limmy and Irvine Welsh an they’ve definitely influenced my work in a lot of ways. I read a lot of stuff by Japanese writers though, and I think thats been a big influence on me. The short stories of Yoko Ogawa were one of the reasons I went for short stories when I first started writing.

She wrote this collection called Revenge and all the stories in it seem totally different but they all link together, it’s so cool, definitely something I’d love to try and do one day. I love the magical realism and urban fantasy of Haruki Murakami’s novels as well. I really like Ryu Murakami’s books as well. Most of his novels are structured in a way that hooks you in and makes you want to read the whole thing in one sitting, he’s an expert in really building tension. I’d love to try and write something that isn’t strictly comedy in the near future and I’ll definitely be taking the lead from these writers. Q: You’ve said that Hings 2 will be a bit more ambitious with longer stories, how have you dealt with the change in structure? C: It’s been really liberating. With Hings, I’d fallen into a routine of writing stories that ended on punchlines. With my new book, I’ve been trying to deliver laughs more through dialogue and the character’s interactions and this has let me really focus on building proper plots and get right into character development. It’s been a lot of fun to write this book as I’ve not felt under pressure to deliver a big zinger of a punchline for every story, I can just relax and let the story go where it wants to. Q: Lastly can we expect any follows up to some of your iconic stories like Bowls C: Aye definitely! I have a couple of sequels already written and a couple in the draft stages. There’s a couple of more Sammy stories, a follow up to Bowls where Big Angie goes on holiday to everybody’s favourite caravan park Craig Tara and there’s a story set in the same universe as Pat involving drug dealing via drones. Leathered will be released on the 26th May via Speculative Books.

Rebel Rebel Rebel, pick up yer pen Rebel Rebel, we want tae ken Do you have a tale to tell? Write a true story on the theme of Rebel in up to 1,000 words in English, Scots or Gaelic. We’ll publish our favourites for Book Week Scotland (19-25 Nov 2018). Share your rebellious side with us at:

scottishbooktrust.com/rebel

LEFTFIELD You began your musical career in the mid-80’s so how would you describe yourself to new listeners?

very excited...I love playing in Scotland.. great people, my second home, The Sub club is one of the best clubs in the world.

A fabulous human being who sometimes makes a lot of noise. oh I've got bad eye sight...

Do the infamous Glasgow crowds live up to the hype they’re often given and what do you think makes them so good to play for?

You’re still very much going strong today, decades on, what’s the secret to long running success? I sold my soul to the devil a long time ago..every now and again he sends me tunes in my head... What do you wish your younger self knew when you were first starting in music (in terms of the industry etc) Don't be impressed with what people tell you...get a good manager, save what you earn..don't listen to anybody...except your manager. actually don't listen to them either. On a broader scale, looking at music and the industry as a whole have there been any drastic changes in the way things operate now compared to when you started off and do you think it’s for the better? It's a different world..its all different.. completely.but generally i think that it's still the same...instead of record companies ripping artists off..it's music licensing sites. Also, who are your favourite artists of recent times? Shame, Paranoid London. ‪The XX, Bicep, ‪Young Fathers. The Weekend. Hodge, Hammer, Daniel Avery. You’ve had a close relationship with Scotland over the years, how are you feeling making your return for Electric Frog and Pressure Riverside Festival this May?

Who knows.....the Barrowlands is still the best venue in the world..I think the audiences respond to genuine things..or maybe its the water...or genuine Celtic passion.. I have more in common with Scotish crowds than most, I don't consider my self from England, I'm from north London via Poland. We speak the same international folk language. You’ve been used on many soundtracks over the years, most notably “ A Final Hit” for Trainspotting. What’s the process like making music with a specific intention of being used for something like this? It's all about the film and the director. quite difficult to describe the process. I try to imagine what i'd like to hear if I was watching the film. Is the way you approach production any different, what’s the process like being asked to do these things? The process hasn't changed really...You still need good ideas to make a tune. of course new technology has become available..so this means its easier to make bad music. Lastly, what have you got coming up that we should keep an eye out for? Some new remixes on the horizon (just did one for Gaz Coombes for Record Store Day)...and new Leftfield music. May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

I can say I was very much surprised to see him holding an acoustic guitar, on stage, by himself…

COMMUNITY DRIVEN PUNK ROCK A month away from the kick off of Tragical History Tour’s U.K tour (A band whose name was clearly created to ruin young journalist’s well-meaning features with clunky and ungrammatical repetitions), TSA had a talk with the frontman of this one-man-acoustic-punkband, Derrick Johnstone. Derrick, who has been playing punk rock since the age of thirteen, claims that, despite the massive industry change that came with the internet, his approach to the movement and music still retains the same levels of excitement and devotion that it did in is teenage years. “We were the weird kids that were into punk and metal music. The sound is different but the heart is the same.” When asked about how the scene evolved with the popularization of the internet in the early 90’s, Derrick explains, “Punk rock is more accessible now than it ever was. Before, when we were starting (early 90’s), we only had access to mainstream press. We used to buy “Kerrang!” magazine and the rest of the info that wasn’t in there,

we had to dig for, ourselves, by reading liners of albums to find bands and stuff like that. We also used to listen to records to death, ‘cause we only had a few. Whereas now streaming services offer a massive variety of stuff to listen to.” The media and cultural landscape changed, punk rock changed and Derrick adapted like a true DIY Punk Rocker, by doing it himself. “The 90’s were exciting times to get into punk rock”, he says. “Pop punk was all over MTV and that kind of lead us into hardcore and everything else just spun out from there.” “I guess because we grew up in a small village, we had to create our own punk scene. We were DIY by necessity rather than ideology in the first instance, and then that kind of developed because no community can’t sustain itself unless people participate in it.” Having read about Derrick’s hardcore musical background, and having indulged in hours of the relentless and contaminating energy of some of Derrick’s older bands,

When confronted with such a stylistic contrast, one expects the creative process to reflect that…Except if you are Derrick Johnstone. “Most of the songs that I write all start with my acoustic guitar. They usually start with a riff, or a piece of music. I tend to write songs in one go. Write, record and then come back and revisit them. The approach is generally the same to begin with. Only quite late in the process does it become clear which band I’m writing for”.

Most of Derrick’s projects: charity, playing music, running a record company and even a venue, are usually connected to Dundee in some form or another. “When we started in Dundee no one was interested in our sloppily played punk rock, so we had to create something for ourselves. We’ve created Make that A Take 12 years ago and it developed naturally. If you don’t support your punk scene, your punk scene won’t support you.” That in the end is what seems to be at the core of Derrick’s creative journey. The humanity and the value of local communities.

“Most of my bands are very hardcore and political. Tragical History Tour is somewhat more personal.”

On the new album, Derrick says he only hopes that people engage with the record and get something positive from it.

This can be confirmed on the new THT record, Aphorism’s. Here, Derrick kept the political themes in the background instead of having them as the focus of the songs. However, they’re still there. Slowly and discretely informing every single verse.

“There’s quite a lot of myself on this record. to use sports analogy, I kind of left it all on the ring.

“I don’t think anything I do is going to be completely devoid of politics. I’m quite politically active within my community and that kind of leaks into the song writing.” This political mentality is very evident in every single one of Derrick’s projects, from the bands to his independent record label, Make That A Take, and even leaking into active charity work. “We do a couple things. The main one would be tins for tunes. Which is basically a food for music program. We have shows and people will bring items to donate and trade for music. We then take everything we collect to the Dundee food bank. We also do work with Dundee refugee support. Which is the same kind of idea, but usually more focused on Blankets, clothes, etc.”

For me this was almost like an exorcism. If people can take a fraction of the hope that writing this album gave me, then I’ll consider it a job well done.” Tragical History Tour starts his U.K tour on the 10th of May at Bloc. To check other gig dates and locations visit the website: www.makethatatakerecords.com manel.cardo@gmail.com By Manel Cardo

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WE INTERVIEW

GENGARH Yesterday night I picked up the phone to interview Felix, the frontman of Gengahr, about their new album, Where Wildness Grows. Now, sitting here looking over the transcript, I read quote after quote of Felix's thoughts on the creative process and the value of honesty and vulnerability in songwriting. It's great. I'm fully engrossed and my fingers tingle with ideas above the keyboard. However, with the guitar grooves of “Before Sunrise” still bouncing around in the back of my head, I can't help but worry. Have I messed this up? What am I really writing about here? Gengahr's new album, or Felix's experience as an artist? Well, with the power granted to me by looming deadlines I've decided I'm writing about both. After two years of touring their first full length album, Gengahr went back to the studio. This time they were after something louder, harsher and generally more confident. So they wrote a lot about anxiety and vulnerability. Wait, what? Felix explains, “It is very easy to hide behind metaphors. It takes a real kind of courage to open up and shed a tear. I think me having the confidence to be more honest in the song writing is a massive step forward for me as a person and an artist. I can write about other things, but at the end of the day to be able to open up and talk about yourself is often very difficult for people to do.”

The power that comes with the sheer desire to be honest, grounded and more direct comes across not only lyrically but also sonically in Where Wildness Grows. With bolder guitars and more prominent melodies and dynamism, Gengahr went after a sound that feels a lot more impactful both on the record but especially live. “We did feel like the first album was hard to transpose to a live sound in every setting. It felt like the set lacked a few songs that would kind of bring the tempo up a little bit and get people going. That was very much in the back of our minds when writing this album. We wanted it to be highly emotive, but also fun and something that packs a punch and delivers a little bit more harshness at times. Something that gives people a little bit more of a kick.” In the end, the combination of the fun aspect and dance vibes, with the emotive and grounded lyricism contributed to a final product that feels very personal and comes across like a true and wholehearted attempt at portraying something that's universal and yet unique. “Thinking about how I wanted to make this new album...it was supposed to be earth bound. I drew a lot more from personal experience. I didn't want to have everything very crowded you know? I wanted it to feel a little bit more honest and heartfelt. I figured that might give the audience a slightly better chance of connecting with the songs and by making it feel more personal, you kind of allow it to be taken in by someone else. You allow people to kind of share in these ideas and to be able to empathize with the song itself.”

The recording process coincided with a difficult time in Felix's life and when talking about the time spent in the studio, the frontman opened up about how the loss of his mother shortly before the album was finished deeply affected him and his outlook on the project. “It made the whole process a very sensitive topic for me but it also gave me the kind of drive to push on and to want to make this as good as it could be and try and craft the best thing I could, given the circumstances.” Felix followed by explaining how the processes of writing and performing usually have a positive effect on his ability to deal with emotional turmoil. “There's always a level of therapy to it. It's a very cathartic process, writing a song. You get to kind of pour out everything into it and then carve out the bits you want and represent it as a song. I feel like all the best songs have stems of truth. They're grounded in something real. You have to believe in what you are saying, otherwise it's going to lack that authenticity.”

I think when you're creating your own destiny you should be aware of everything that is being done. It forms more of a sense of branding. If you are doing it yourself there's less chance that someone else will kind of water down what you are trying to convey. What we do is innately very honest and very sincere.” Now at the end of their U.K tour, the band having played King Tuts in Glasgow a couple of days before the interview look back to their reception as a barometer of the progress they've made. “We had played king tuts before, but this time it was wicked. It felt like a real step up. It's great to see people out there knowing the new songs and singing along. It's been a gas.”

Writing and performing music are, however, not the only talents of Gengahr. Felix talked about how, despite the bands increasing success, the four of them still do most of the photography and all the album covers themselves, creating a more cohesive and complete piece of work. “The covers are all painted by Hugh the bass player. We do our own photography stuff. The filming and editing. It is all fun. It's a opportunity to do something a little bit different, but still creative. These things are all intellectually connected.

manel.cardo@gmail.com By Manel Cardo

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ART FUND WINNERS THE GLASGOW WOMAN'S LIBRARY The Glasgow Women’s Library in Bridgeton has received excellent news in being named a finalist of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 Award, and this comes as no surprise: the library is an invaluable resource created to advance the education of the general public by informing people of women’s history, lives and achievements. It is the only Scottish museum shortlisted this year, as well as the first time a museum rooted specifically in feminist history has been acknowledged as this level. The nomination comes after 25 years of innovative and inclusive education: last year, for example, GWL established “Equality in Progress,” a programme of research and events drawing on its own ground breaking work with the aim of addressing issues of exclusion evident in the cultural and museum sectors. by Jonny Stone @jonny_stone_ j.stone@tsaglasgow.com

The month of May sees much to be enjoyed in the library. For one, on Sat 12th May, the Moving Minds exhibitions opens: an afternoon of traditional crafts with some of the Moving Minds contributors, Moving Minds shares memories and photographs of objects with special significance to tell diverse stories from Scotland’s Gypsy and Traveller population. The exhibition will be exhibited at the library from 12th May to Saturday 9th June, during opening hours and is free to attend, so we expect to see you there. Save us a seat. Also, there is the Library Story Café on 15th May 1.00-3.00, a great chance to chill out, discover some new women authors and enjoy the company, and on the 10th May 6.007.30, join Utter: Raise Your Voice, a singing group bringing together women of all ages and abilities to celebrate womanhood through the power of our collective voice. If you, like me, need to get off your kitchen bench and away from your laptop for some fresh air, the Heritage Tours are for you. On Sat 12th May 1pm-3pm, the library’s volunteer tour guides will lead you on their Women’s

Heritage Bike Ride at a leisurely pace along off road cycle paths (no hills, promised), stopping along the way to share some key events in women’s cycling history. Don’t worry if you don’t have a bike: Next Bikes are available to hire from Bridgeton Cross for buttons. And make sure to check in with the GWL website to catch their next Women’s Heritage Walk, which takes a group on a walking tour celebrating the unsung women who helped shape this city. May’s top pick may well be Tips for Girls at Glenburn Library on Wed 16th May 6.30-8.00, where you can find out the answers to the burning questions found in magazines of yesteryear and check out more useful, quaint and downright dangerous advice, fashion and health and beauty tips contained in the archives of Glasgow Women’s Library and the National Library of Scotland film archive.

Scottish women and girls from all walks of life and tackles issues regarding women’s health and domestic violence. May also sees many other events through GWL, including their excellent heritage tours around the city, Creative Learning drop in sessions, packed with engaging workshops, performances and talks. There are a whole host of events throughout the Sex in the Women’s Library Season to explore and enjoy. GWL is open all year, with workshops, services and programmes set up to celebrate and support women throughout Scotland.

As well as its extensive lending library GWL boasts an enormous number of resources celebrating the history of women in Scotland, including historical artefacts and archive materials. The initiative also provides a range of services and programmes to support May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

LGBTI NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Great progress has been made as Scotland’s highest ranking judge has revealed plans to allow rape victims to provide their evidence by video link as opposed to testifying in person. Lord Colin Sutherland hopes to bring in a new rule that means victims will not have to face their abuser, their families or a jury, recommending a system in which give evidence in a recorded statement 24 hours after they report the alleged crime. Lord Sutherland told BBC news “A person’s memory does not improve with time or being

put under stress. If we can attack both of these elements the time of cross-examination and resolve the issue of stress we may end up with a much better quality of evidence than what we are getting at the moment.” Rape convictions have dropped to 39% in Scotland in the last year, down 10% from the year before, and of the 41,150 rapes reported in England and Wales between 2016 and 2017, and only 2,991 of those cases ended in convictions.

Russia’s media censorship is in full swing as their Federal Service for Supervision of Communications continues to shut down and silence LGBT+ themed content online, in one case an HIV health resource. Roskomnadzor has ruled that LGBT+ portal and health website Parni PLUS can no longer run as it “promotes unconventional sexual relations.” This has been justified in that it defies Russia’s strict anti-propaganda laws which prohibits any content or information that undermines traditional family values

or “unconventional sexual relations.” This follows the shut down of Gay.ru, Russia’s longest-running gay site. According to Pink News, however, there are sites that serve to incite members of the public to kidnap and torture gay people. Known as ‘Saw’ in English, inspired by the horror film, the website is asking users to target Russians in different geographical areas each day of May to bring about “Chechnya’s comeback,” a purge of gay people that saw at least 200 LGBT+ people held in prison and tortured.

In more encouraging news, LGBT+ members of the Scottish Episcopal Church are celebrating as a vote was held successfully allowing same-sex couples to marry in their church. In turn, they become the first UK Anglican church to change canon law regarding marriage, which currently describes it as a union between a man and a woman. According to the vote results, at least a two-thirds majority was needed among all three groups to pass the motion to amend Canon 31 Section 1, which contains the

existing definition of marriage, but the final result exceeded the minimum requirement markedly. The historic vote by the church was welcomed by Rev. Scott Rennie, the first married, gay minister in the Church of Scotland, who told BuzzFeed News: “I and many other ministers and members of the Church of Scotland will want to congratulate the Scottish Episcopal Church today in their historic vote which affirms marriage and recognises God’s blessing in the lives of LGBT people in Scotland.”

A new study conducted by Stonewall has confirmed that transgender people continue to be the most persecuted members of our community and are most likely to be victims of hate crime. In the last year, 41% of trans people – or 2 in 5 – have been subjected to a hate crime as a result of their gender identity. So large is the proportion that when the figures for trans people are added to those of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, 21% of LGBT people overall – 1 in 5 – have experienced a hate crime in the last year. According to Stonewall, 16% of those asked within the LGBT community stated they had been victims of hate crimes and homo, bi and transphobia, an increase of 7% since 2012. As

well as the concern that there are even more cases of assault going unreported, LGBT people who are black, Asian, or from other ethnic minorities are also disproportionately affected by hate crimes because of their gender or sexuality, with 34% – 1 in 3 – reporting a hate crime to the Stonewall survey (as opposed to 1 in 5 white LGBT people). What is concerning is that these figures are not surprising, and rather than repeating a hollow statement of how we must remain vigilant and uncompromising, I would appreciate a statement from the authorities on what they will be doing to combat these alarming figures and systematic abuse that is only getting worse.

Here at TSA we love our queer history and believe paying homage to those who lay the groundwork for us is absolutely paramount. We are in luck, then, as the worlds largest LGBT+ history museum has been announced in London, potentially as early as 2021. Organisation Queer Britain is working to establish the UK’s first national LGBTQ+ museum, a place as exciting as the people, stories and ideas it explores and celebrates. “It will be an essential place for all regardless of sexuality or gender identity, to find out about the culture they have been born into, have chosen or seek to understand. It will

help complete the Nation’s family tree.” According to Queer Britain CEO Joseph Galliano, “The history [of LGBT people] has been recorded in a very piecemeal way and if you just take men, the most visible part of the community, the pre-1960s generation is ageing, we’re losing those stories and a lot were already hidden. If you think about BAME [black, Asian, and other ethnic minority] people, women, and trans people’s stories, which were prioritised even less than the men’s stories, than that’s a wealth of untold material.”

While celebrating our progress is vital, it is equally important to remember how dire things were for our community, even in the 1990s and especially in the world of football. This year sees the 20th anniversary of Justin Fashanu, whose life could have been spared had he been born in a different era. Fashanu was a trailblazer, becoming both the UK’s first black footballer worth £1 million and the first footballer to come out as gay while still playing at a professional level. As of 2018, he remains the only footballer to do so, while others have since come out post-retirement. In a July 1991 interview with Gay Times, Fashanu revealed that his career was “heavily damaged,” and that no club had offered him a contract since he had made his homosexuality public. Even his brother, footballer Jon Fashanu, offered him £75,000 to not come out, and was the subject of the infamous tabloid headline “My Gay Brother is an Outcast.” It’s all good, though: in a 2017 Guardian article, John pondered that “I feel a bit cross with myself that I didn’t see these challenges Justin was having.

A little bit more understanding and a little bit more softness could’ve changed a lot of things…” In 1998, Justin Fashanu was found hanging in an east London garage, following rape allegations against him from his time playing in the US. He had denied these allegations and stated the relationship had been consensual. In the suicide note he left behind, Fashanu wrote “I realised I had already been presumed guilty. I do not want to give any more embarrassment to my friends and family. I wish the Jesus I love welcomes me home.” Between the media’s hounding of him, his brother’s betrayal and no support from the Premier League, Justin’s death could have been prevented had he been supported for his authentic identity.

ANNIVERSARYOF JUSTIN FASHANU But this was 20 years ago: have things changed for the better when it comes to homosexuality in football? There are still no openly gay footballers in the men's game today, while there is an increasing abundance of gay athletes outside of the beautiful game, from Tom Daley to Adam Rippon. Women’s football is far more open in terms of celebrating out players, such as Arsenal Ladies defender and England captain Casey Stoney, who publicly came out in 2013 and boycotts the Russia and Qatar games due to the countries’ respective attitudes towards LGBT+ people, and striker Melanie Garside-Wight. This openness and transparency is an important part of women’s football, as identities are at once celebrated and treated equally across the board as it should be. Yet gay male players must exist: Belgian player Carl Hoefkens, who played for Stoke City, last year revealed that he knows of at least three gay players in the English Premier League. “One of them would even arrive at training with his boyfriend. They asked us to keep quiet to the outside world, but don’t ask me why. I find it strange that homosexuality is still a taboo in football. It is a pity.” However, the sanctions being put in place by major sporting bodies has the scope to improve things immeasurably. Take the 2022 World Cup in Qatar: FA chairman Greg Clarke stated earlier this year that the FA will promote LGBT+ inclusion at the games, claiming that he hopes

“engagement” with Qatari FA can lead to provisions for LGBT fans and players in attendance; homosexuality is of course illegal in Qatar. Clarke stated at the time that “The real objective is to build relationships across the game and play our part in promoting internationally integrity, inclusion and transparency - the great social values football can bring...I think there is a chance we may be able to find accommodations that make 2022 an inclusive event for fans with a real social legacy.” So the sanctions appear to be in place to support LGBT+ players and supporters: perhaps pressure from leagues within countries with homophobic attitudes may be still be a factor in this reluctance to come out. And there have been real strides towards equality, not least by straight allies in football themselves: last year, Manchester United dedicated a Premier League match to promoting its pro-LGBT campaign #AllRedAllEqual, which promotes “equality, inclusion and diversity.”

Players including Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Michael Carrick donned training shirts with the campaign logo, visible on the pitch before the match, ahead of their game against Swansea City. An enormous banner read “All Red All Equal is Manchester United’s promise to champion equality, diversity and inclusion. To celebrate individualism. Accepting people for who they are, embracing the differences that make the world a more exciting place. There’s no greater goal than a more equal world.”

And Dundee FC revealed their “Proud Dee’s” flag for the first time, marking the founding of the club’s first LGBT+-friendly supporters group and becoming one of only a handful of top flight clubs to have a group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Dundee FC’s spokesperson commented “We want to make everyone who comes to Dens Park feel welcome and along with the Dundee Supporters Association will be happy to offer support and assistance to the group.” Justin Fashanu was a victim of his era, and his legacy is tarnished not by his sexual identity but by the cruelty with which he was treated. Fashanu continues to be an unsung LGBT+ hero for risking his career and very life for living his life authentically. In many ways, the world is a much more open and supportive place for the LGBT+ community – despite many countries still perpetuating dangerous attitudes towards us – but UK football has much to do in achieving equality and ensuring Fahsanu’s death was not in vain. by Jonny Stone @jonny_stone_ j.stone@tsaglasgow.com

"There are still no openly gay footballers in the men's game today, . . ."

May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

obvious but does not overpower the record: compared to the likes of Justin Timberlake or Bruno Mars, Monáe’s interpretation of Prince’s work feels organic and like she is taking his ideas and running with them herself. Never does Janelle’s inspiration from other artists – Prince, Erykah Badu, David Bowie, even TLC – feel like parody, more a fusion of two amazing different entities. Don’t overlook the album’s sci-fi companion “emotion picture” for Dirty Computer on YouTube, a visual representation of the record that brings the songs to life beautifully.

Janelle Monáe has always been a trailblazer. Since her debut The ArchAndroid, her music and style has made future facing, exploring themes of identity through music that refuses to bend to one fixed genre. What other artist you can name would even think of creating an alterego, Cindi Mayweather, who becomes a messianic figure to the android community of Metropolis on her first album? However, after a short break, in which she starred in Oscar winning and nominated films like Moonlight and Hidden Figures, Monáe returns with Dirty Computer, a protest album of sorts that blends funk, pop and vagina imagery. Monáe recently made headlines by confirming that she is queer. Speaking to Rolling Stone, she stated “Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a freeass motherf**ker.” She initially 26

identified as bisexual, but according to Rolling Stone, “later read about pansexuality and was like, ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with too.’ I’m open to learning more about who I am.” This revelation is not necessarily surprising: her music has an inherently queer sensibility, her exploration of cyborg theory is innately queer and she revels in embracing androgyny onstage and on the red carpet. But having Monáe publicly acknowledge and celebrate her identity as a queer black woman is a powerful statement, and in today’s political climate, only the bold “Crazy Classic Life” is an upbeat and stylish ode to living by no one else’s rules. This mantra of living life authentically without judgement fits in perfectly with her coming out. Another album highlight is “Pynk,” featuring the wonderful Canadian alt-pop princess Grimes. Monáe featured on Grimes’ rapid fire anthem “Venus Fly” and has had the favour returned, in a gorgeous

ode to all things…pink and foldy. The dynamics of the song – from whispered falsetto in the chorus to the bombastic chorus, complete with choir – make this a real stand out track. Props to her vagina trousers in the video, which I would kindly like for my summer wardrobe, please and thanks. The Prince influence is hard to miss, especially on the final track “Americans,” a blistering and fast-paced number which could be easily mistaken for “Let’s Get Crazy,” the opening number of Purple Rain. Or on the album’s best track “Make Me Feel,” which has Prince’s recognisable blend of synth hooks and sex appeal. The two were close friends, with Prince serving as an unofficial and logical mentor to Monáe; she states “As we were writing songs, I was like, ‘What would Prince think?’ And I could not call him. It’s a difficult thing to lose your mentor in the middle of a journey they had been a part of.” His presence on her palette is

The record has the same energy and feeling that records like Beyoncé’s Lemonade have had, records that have the power to make a colossal cultural impact and make people think. Monáe explores issues of black feminism, queerness, race and class using innovative music. Janelle Monáe has created another album to add to her eclectic and awe-inspiring repertoire, all while cementing herself as one of pop culture’s boldest and most exciting queer figures.

by Jonny Stone @jonny_stone_ j.stone@tsaglasgow.com

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Aidan O'Rourke's new project came about from a personal mission to write a new piece of music every day for a year in response to a similar project taken on by author James Robertson. Robertson's short story collection '365' which involved writing a short story everyday for a year with each of the stories limited to exactly 365 words. We caught up with Aidan to find out more. So are you writing a new piece everyday? Well, the short story collection I got for Christmas 2015 and started reading it on the 1st of January. There's 365 stories. Each of them has 365 words. So I started reading it at the beginning of the year and I started feeling a kind of affinity with the length of the stories and it would take me like 2 to 3 minutes to read nice little vignettes at the start of the day. I found there was something quite musical about the shape of them. I got through February, met the author at an event and I told him, “I'm thinking of writing a musical response to your short stories”. His first reaction was, “Don't do it.” So I ignored his advice and started writing a piece a day from the first of March and by February 2017 I had 365 new pieces of music, each connected to the daily story by James Robertson. So, we're releasing a new album that comes out in May which is “365 Volume 1” and that's 22 of the tunes and stories. So are they quite succinct songs to mirror the length of the short stories? The thing is a piece of music can last as long as you want to. You can repeat it and... especially trad music thrives on repetition and that kind of dance form. A lot of the music that I play is kind of related to dancing. The Jigs and reels are all originally for dancing. Ceilidh band music has taken one route and the music that I play and perform with my trio “Lau” and in my own projects... we use those forms but not particularly for dancing. So the tune itself could be as long as you wanted it to be, but I didn't give myself any limitations like James gave himself. He really limited himself. Each of the stories had to be 365 words long. I just wanted the tune to make sense at least as a two part melody.

I didn't want it to just be a riff, or a theme, or a musical idea. It had to make sense in a kind of traditional form of at least two parts and as a melody. So, I succeeded in delivering 365 tunes. I'm still editing them, and revisiting them now a year and a half after starting them. It's been quite an interesting cycle. So when you're going back and listening over older pieces do you see a progression as time goes on? Well, so I started in March and you can tell by late April that I'm getting a little bit, bored is not the right word but, a little bit tired of spending... Usually I write and perform with other people and this time I was writing solely for myself and only on the fiddle which is quite limited.

It was kind of meditative exercise . So, after the year when I finished, at first I was relieved but then after a few days I kind of missed it. I kind of miss that cycle. So I guess with there being 365 short stories, there's going to be this kind of wide range of different themes tackled, emotions, colours involved, when you only have one instrument and have to put that together how do you interact with that? I mean the stories vary but there's these common theme through some of them.

When I write I play so all these tunes, their starting point was on the fiddle and the fiddle is quite limited in it's harmonic capabilities and so I could sense myself stepping out of my normal character traits, my safe places and habitual melodics and harmonics. I could sense myself stepping out of that, adding extra harmony, extending my abilities to add extra harmony. That's within six weeks. I only got so far as listening back to September so I don't know what's going to happen for the following six months.

There's this character called Jack, who is kind of a lovable village idiot type. He reappears through the book and is a little bit silly, little bit funny, but very lovable. Death is also a character that appears through the book, again as this lovable, lonely, hard working character. And then there's quite a lot of stories that are kind based on old scots myths and legends, some based on old Scottish ballads. Some of the stories are political and contemporary... so there's a lot of different tones and atmospheres.

I've got quite a busy gig and rehearsing life so it was an extra task attached to all this, which sometimes... sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was difficult, but when I finished the whole cycle I really missed it. It became this sort of sweet thing in my day. I was this extra feeling of accomplishment because I gave myself...It was time to myself.

My method was that I would try my best to clear my mind, read the story and immediately start recording and playing. And I would just try and pick up on that, a certain tone or atmosphere that would come out of the story. You know? Very personal to me. Some of them have quite a haunting mood about them, others are quite uplifting and I was just trying

to settle in that atmosphere and see what happened. I would play and the notate it. Some of the came quite easily in like 15 to 20 mins to complete and others took most of the day. And I know where I was. Quite often I was at home and the rest of the time I was in recording studios or on the road so I can map my year on the title of the tune, the date and where I were. It's like a year long musical diary entry. That's really interesting that you'll always have that to look back on. Some of them are on a flight between Glasgow and Moscow. Others are in a train between Edinburgh and Glasgow... Actually... A lot of the are in a train between Edinburgh and Glasgow. And quite a lot of them are in a tour bus or in a hotel. When I set about it it was only to generate some music. I didn't envision it yet becoming albums full of material and... now the mission is to actually record every single one of them. So the first album is released in May “365 : Volume 1”, the second one in August 2018 and along with that we're hoping to build a sound art installation where you can select any day of the year and then hear the music attached to that story and read the story. Fantastic. Do you have a space in mind for the installation? Well, the plan thus far is for it to launch at Edinburgh International Book Festival of 2019. That's if all goes well. It's a lot of material to be recorded between then and there. 365: Volume One is out on Reveal Records, 25th May

By Kenny Lavelle (Photo by Peter McNally)

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WHAT'S NEXT? Looking for your first job and something to make your CV stand out? Don't worry. There are lots of ways to build up your experience beforeyou have to go into the world of work. Here are some ways you can build up your CV and experiences to make yourself more employable.

WORK ON YOUR CV When writing a CV, you need to make sure you keep improving and updating the CV document. You should focus on the way you are presenting the information to an employer. Make sure the layout is correct. The most important and recent information should stand out on your CV as this is the first thing the employer will see. Your qualifications and experience should be obvious as the employer doesn't know you. Your CV should include information relative to the job you are applying for. Think about improving the appearance of the document to make it more eyecatching, but don't change too much of the layout. Try to show your CV to people in your workplace or on your course to get feedback on the impression it produces. You should also think about developing your CV by improving the content. Your CV is important for giving an employer a great first impression of you as a worker. DEVELOP NEW SKILLS Once you have worked out how to enhance your CV, you might find that you need to develop new skills or areas of expertise in order to achieve your goals. This could mean going on training or professional development courses. There are many different courses on offer. Choose something that you will enjoy and that will be useful in your future career or job.

You could also consider volunteering or an internship. It is a great way of getting new skills and of helping a charity or local organisation. And it will really enhance your CV and give you a sense of self-worth during a difficult time of unemployment. Future employers will look favourably on someone who thinks outside the box to try to develop their workplace skills. CHANGE YOUR JOB APPLICATION PATTERN Perhaps you have got into a rut with your job applications. You might have sent out‚Ä®so many applications that they start to blur after a while and you forget exactly how many you sent and where to. While you might change your application slightly for each job to tailor it to the job specification, you might still rely on a cover letter and personal statement that was written months ago. You should try starting again from scratch. How would you sell your experience and skills now? It is also important to consider the types of job you are applying for. Perhaps you are applying for too narrow a range of positions and could consider alternative roles. Open up your options; you might not land your dream job on the first go but getting any job is better than nothing due to the experience you can gain. Or maybe the opposite problem could be true.

Are you using a scattergun approach and applying for too many jobs when you would be better applying for positions only in your field? You should try narrowing it down to a few certain fields making it easier to keep track of your applications. DO A MOCK INTERVIEW Doing mock interviews is a great way to get ready for that real interview you have coming up. It will give you the chance to rehearse some of your answers to challenging interview questions and hopefully you will get some positive feedback on your performance. You may also notice some things you are doing during the mock interview, like fidgeting. Noticing these bad habits before your interview will give you a chance to learn to control them or stop them completely. Perhaps you haven't had an interview for a while, or are changing careers and are unsure of the interviewing format for a new job. Doing a mock interview will give you more confidence and help you know what to do when the real interview comes. You need to find someone supportive (a current colleague, teacher, lecturer or even a parent) who will take the exercise seriously and is willing to act as the interviewer. The more you practice the better you will become. Practice makes perfect as they say!

IMPROVE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION In a world where everyone is online in one way or another it's no surprise that the majority of employers will check your online reputation by Googling your name. They may also scan your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media profiles you have to find out more about you. This is an area where many potential employees let themselves down. Go through every online profile you have and make sure there's nothing there which will portray you in a negative light. You should also make sure that no-one else has posted anything that might show you in a negative way. A thing to think about when going through your social media is never to post anything you wouldn't be happy with your Mum seeing! It's also important to have an up-to-date online presence and websites such as LinkedIn are a good way to find new jobs. Check your profile regularly and keep your CV updated so potential employers can see it.

MAKE YOURSELF MORE EMPLOYABLE Once you graduate the world's your oyster but figuring out what to do next can be a daunting prospect. Take a look at some of your post-university options After spending three or four years studying, adjusting to life after university can be tough. Your graduation ceremony signifies the end of an era and the start of something new but you may be left wondering, 'what next?' There are a number of different routes to take as you contemplate what to do after university - and everyone's journey will be different. You can search for a graduate job, enrol on a postgraduate course, set up your own business, volunteer or travel the world. Whichever path you choose the competitive nature of the jobs market means that it's important to take full advantage of any free time you have to make plans and start putting them into action. 1. GET A GRADUATE JOB The majority of new graduates will be looking for a job. Your first port of call should be your university careers service, advises Kate Douglas, director of employability at Middlesex University London. 'Most universities provide support post-graduation; at Middlesex our recruitment support for graduates is life-long.' Philippa Hardie, a careers consultant at the University of Chester, suggests looking for graduate roles with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 'Being a small fish in a big pond isn't right for everyone and you can still get good training and future prospects in smaller companies.' You should also check out the getting a job section of the Prospects website for more guidance. If you haven't yet decided on the precise career you want to pursue, take a look at what can I do with my degree?, Job Match and explore job sectors of interest for some ideas. Also, remember that your first job doesn't tie you to a particular career forever, so don't be too cautious about widening your search for graduate jobs. You need to put yourself out there to get noticed so work on building contacts

with industry professionals. This can be done through work experience, attending networking events such as careers fairs and through your social media channels. 'LinkedIn has developed into a recruitment, as well as a networking platform, so if you're not on it, you could be missing out,' adds Philippa. Finding a job can take a while. But you should be careful not to allow a gap to develop on your CV, as potential employers may question it later at interviews. If you're struggling to find a job straight after graduation fill your time with internships, volunteering, part-time work or a stint of work shadowing. Don't be downhearted if you leave university with a 2:2. 'Research has shown that 87% of businesses look first and foremost for graduates with the right attitudes and aptitudes to enable them to be effective in the workplace, while only 55% of employers consider the degree result to be important,' says Kate (CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey 2016, July 2016.) However, while some large employers do accept 2:2s on their graduate schemes, many insist on a 2:1. Therefore, you may need to look beyond these and consider starting your career at a smaller organisation where the entry requirements are often more flexible, then working your way up to where you want to be. In job applications, don't try to hide your result. Instead, highlight your strengths, ensuring that you emphasise work experience or other extra-curricular activities that demonstrate you have the right skills and motivation for the role. If there are genuine mitigating circumstances that led to your grades being lower than expected, don't be afraid of explaining these to employers. You can find more advice about applying for jobs on Prospects. Make an effort to improve your CV and cover letters so that they show off your qualities and experience as fully as possible. And then, when your applications begin to pay off, ensure that you are prepared for interviews.

2. Become self-employed Sometimes you need to think outside the box a little. If you're struggling to find your dream job why not create it yourself by setting up your own company? Perhaps you have a great business idea or believe that your final-year project has commercial potential. If so putting your entrepreneurial skillsto the test could be a smart move. Philippa explains that careers services at many universities can help you to turn your idea into a reality. 'Here at Chester we run the 'Venture' programme, designed to equip students and graduates with the skills and knowledge to start a business. We bring in experts to run training sessions for budding entrepreneurs.' If you have the confidence, tenacity and business acumen to get your organisation off the ground, Kate explains that the advantages to self-employment can include: 1 independence and autonomy to make your own decisions 2 control - over who you work with and the type of work you do 3 freedom - to work when you like on projects that make your heart sing 4 flexibility - to fit work commitments in with family and other interests 5 opportunities - to build a portfolio of activities funded by different sources and to respond to ideas and proposals as you see fit 6 recognition - you're able to take the credit for everything that you do, create, design or invent. However, you need to be sure that self-employment is right for you. Being your own boss might sound like fun but as the owner of a business you'll need to juggle a number of responsibilities such as providing a service, marketing the business and financial and staff management. You'll also have to work to bring in customers and deal with the uncertainty surrounding the availability of work. Self-employment can also affect your home life when the boundaries between work and leisure become blurred.

Don't take on a Masters degree to stall for time or to boost general employability. Courses are expensive and unnecessary for certain jobs. Before committing to postgraduate study make sure you have valid reasons for doing so and research course and institution options thoroughly. Speak to your careers service to weigh up your postgraduate options and talk to family members, postgraduate course leaders and people already in the jobs you'd like to do to ask if a Masters is worthwhile. 4. TAKE A GAP YEAR If you want to see more of the world, learn languages, experience different cultures and meet new people before settling down to a work routine you could take a gap year. Back-packing makes you a much more interesting job candidate and can make you more employable in the long run. Taking time out to travel demonstrates maturity, good organisation and planning skills and self-sufficiency. Working while travelling is also a great way to boost your CV and develop a range of skills. Taking a year out to weigh up your options, decide where your professional interests lie, travel and gain life experience also helps you to make more informed career decisions in the future. If this sounds like something you'd like to do you’ll need to have an action plan in place for when your return. Don't expect a job to be waiting for you when you get back to reality. To find out what it's like to get a job in another country, explore working abroad.

By Jemma Smith In association with Prospects, the experts in graduate careers.

prospects.ac.uk

3. PURSUE POSTGRADUATE STUDY An alternative option is to return to university to study at postgraduate level, a route that many have found incredibly rewarding. However, you'll need to make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. 'If you have a real desire to study a particular aspect of your undergraduate course in more depth, then postgraduate study is the answer. Some career areas, such as law and psychology, require further study at postgraduate level in order to qualify,' says Philippa. Find out more about postgraduate study and then search for courses. To broaden your experience and cultural horizons you may also want to consider studying abroad.

May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

Showtime ‘18 Edinburgh Napier’s Showtime ’18 is an annual showcase of the creative talent of new and emerging designers, photographers, film makers, journalists, creative writers and actors from its School of Arts and Creative Industries. The exhibition runs within Merchiston campus and is open to the public from 10am-5pm between 18-27 May. More details can be found at www.napier.ac.uk/degreeshow

Title: Near Death Name: Rowan J Coleman Course: BA (Hons) Television A short sci-fi drama in which an apathetic detective delves into the mind of a murder victim to find the identity of her killer.

Title: Famous Grouse, Famously Blended Name: Jen Dewar, Lewis Rensch, Ruxandra Dragan Course: MSc Masters in Creative Advertising This series of posters, two out of twenty, have been created to intrigue and promote the fact that unlike single malt whiskies this is a blended one. Famously blended.

Title: Chained to the Supply Name: Charlotte Crozer Course: BDes (Hons) Graphic Design Fashion and textiles is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Every stage in a garmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life threatens our planet and all of its resources. Chained to the supply aims to shine light on what really goes on behind closed doors in the fast fashion industry. Highlighting unethical and unsustainable practices, we often overlook when buying our cheap, throwaway garments and accessories. The project takes you on a journey from reimagined, truthful care labels to paper clothing to pattern kit boxes that you can take home for yourself and upcycle/ make your own garments. Chained to the Supply aims to change peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minds about fast fashion and generate a more thoughtful conscience consumption.

Title: The Old School Name: Guilhem Boujassy Course: BDes (Hons) Graphic Design The Old School explores a simple question: can our ageing population still contribute to our education system? A concept where elderly people will be able to teach in schools in a formalised way. May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

Title: MS, Mexico & Me: Aileen’s Story Name: Calum Menzies Course: BA (Hons) Television “MS, Mexico & Me: Aileen’s Story” is a health-issue documentary showing one woman’s journey from her home in the Isle of Lewis in Scotland all the way to Mexico to get stem cell treatment for her Multiple Sclerosis. It explores Aileen Hunt’s life, her illness and working life and the effects that her MS has on her, her family and particularly her husband Simon. It shows their journey together to Mexico to get treatment which will hopefully halt the progression of this illness in its current state.

Untitled Name: Shu Xinyi Course: BDes (Hons) Design and Digital Arts A campaign to educate society about electronic waste, culminating in the production of a guidebook for turning e-waste into fashionable jewellery.

Title: HIT Name: Euan Bowen Course: BDes (Hons) Product Design HIT is a head impact trauma recognition device aimed at tackling the growing uncertainty of identifying young rugby players who receive head injuries on the field of play. By attaching to an existing heaguard via the lacing structure, the device will illuminate when sensing impact over 45 g-force, clearly identifying when a player needs to be assessed and removed from the field of play. HIT removes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the grey areaâ&#x20AC;? when identifying an on field head injury.

Title: A Flock of Earthly Delights Name: Cathy Rodgers Course: BDes (Hons) Graphic Design The project focuses on the detrimental effects ocean plastic has on marine life. Creating work from recycled materials and getting people from all over the world to make birds from recycled plastic helps to highlight these detrimental effects.

May 18 | WeAreTSA.co.uk

RAISE A GLASS TO THE SMARTEST PERSON OF THE MOMENT WITH OUR GRADUATION MENU AT TIGERLILY & RABBLE. CELEBRATE WITH US & WE WILL ADD SOME EXTRA SPECIAL TOUCHES TO MAKE THE DAY PASS WITH FLYING COLOURS

Tigerlily is only a short walk from the Usher Hall

To book please contact: TIGERLILY: 0131 225 5005 or jo@tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk RABBLE: 0131 622 7800 or vicki@rabbleedinburgh.co.uk Available 7 days a week from 12pm - 10pm. All graduation bookings must be made in advance

55A Frederick Street, Edinburgh EH2 1LH 0131 622 7800 | www.rabbleedinburgh.co.uk

125 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4JN 0131 225 5005 | www.tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk