The Skinny May 2011

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ISSUE 68 • MAY 2011

WILD BEASTS BRANCHING OUT

INTERVIEWS:

PLUS:

LOW

BRITISH ART SHOW 7

JOE CORNISH

BILL WELLS & AIDAN MOFFAT

BILL CALLAHAN

MAYFESTO

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

REEL FESTIVAL

MOON DUO

CROOKERS

LADY NORTH

ECA GRADUATE FASHION

MUSIC|FILM|CLUBS|PERFORMANCE|DIGITAL|BOOKS|COMEDY|ART|FASHION|TRAVEL|LISTINGS

Shelbnyne Ly

EDINBURGH

Queens Hall

SUNDAY 01 MAY

0131 668 2019 0871 220 0260

plus special guests

Roddy Hart

DEVON SPROULE

plus special guests

GLASGOW Oran Mor Fri 27th May

CCA

FRI 03 JUNE

O871 22O O26O

0871 220 0260

O871 22O O26O

TUES 10 MAY EDINBURGH VOODOO ROOMS

SPECIAL GUESTS

HOKAM JAM THE ASPECT

0871 220 0260

P.15 BILL CALLAHAN

P.17 THE BRITISH ART SHOW HITS GLASGOW

FIGURE 5

Loudon Wainwright III plus special guest Lucy Wainwright Roche

PLUS GUESTS

Maker & Selective Service

Glasgow Concert Hall

GLASGOW

Friday 6th May

Nice’n’Sleazy Sat 28th May

0871 220 0260 www.seetickets.com

0141 535 8000

EDINBURGH

Queens Hall

Sun 22nd May

g d.lan

By arrangement with Asgard

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL

k.

Smiss Boo ang B

he and t

PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

Simon Lynge 0131 668 2019

TOM TOM CLUB

Wed 20 July 02 ABC Glasgow

LEON RUSSELL

New Album ‘Sing it Loud’ Out Now

Glasgow Clyde Auditorium

FRIDAY 01 JULY GLASGOW CITY HALLS

0871 220 0260 Monday 6th June www.seetickets.com 0871 220 0260 www.seetickets.com 0141 353 8000 WWW.JAZZFEST.CO.UK A REGULAR MUSIC & SYNERGY CONCERTS PRESENTATION

NCED U O N N A T

JUS

PERFORMING

PHOTO: AYLIN GUNGOR

D

VINTAGE TROUBLE

AN J NO US UN T CE

IMAGE: CHRISTIAN MARCLAY, THE CLOCK , 2010

GLASGOW

& The Lonesome Fire

PHOTO: CHRIS TAYLOR

Tue 1O May Glasgow Oran Mor

CONTENTS

P.29 TRAVEL JAPAN BY RAIL

P.20 MOON DUO

THE SKINNY MAY 2011 Issue 68, May 2011 © Radge Media Ltd.

Editorial

Cover photograph by Paul Phung.

Editor Music & Online Editor Art Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Competitions Editor Digital Editor DVD Editor Fashion Editor Film Editor Heads Up Editor Listings/Cyberzap Editor Performance Editor Reading Editor Travel Editor

Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, The Drill Hall, 30-38 Dalmeny St, Edinburgh, EH6 8RG The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business. Get in touch to find out more.

E: sales@theskinny.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the printer or the publisher.

Printed by Mortons Print Limited, Horncastle ABC verified Jan – Dec 2010: 32,147

O2 ABC GLASGOW TUESDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER 0871 220 0260 www.seetickets.com

TICKETS: www.seetickets.com 0871 220 0260

or in person from Ticket Scotland: Argyle Street Glasgow, Rose St Edinburgh & Ripping Records and all usual outlets

4

THE SKINNY MAY 2011

Production Production Manager Designer Chief Subeditor

printed on 100% recycled paper

Rosamund West Dave Kerr Andrew Cattanach Luke Dubuis Lizzie Cass-Maran Adeline Amar Alex Cole Keir Roper-Caldbeck Alexandra Fiddes Jamie Dunn Anna Docherty Anna Docherty Gareth K. Vile Keir Hind Paul Mitchell

Peter Marsden Lewis MacDonald Paul Mitchell

Sales/Accounts Head of Sales & Marketing Advertising Sales Execs Accounts Administrator

Lara Moloney Jan Webster Liam O’Brien Solen Collet

Publisher

Sophie Kyle

DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…

6: Opinion: Hero Worship by Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison; The Proposition demands more Rock Death; Skinny on Tour visits a North European riverside; Jamie Dunn questions the value of coming first; GKV protests the role of the critic.

8: Heads Up: Find out what to do each and every day of May.

FEATURES 10: Wild Beasts come out of the woods to tell us about their new album and rail against the ubiquity of U2.

12: Attack the Block director Joe Cornish tells us what inspired him to set a sci-fi movie in South London, and we pick our favourite Adam and Joe Toy movies of all all time.

14: As the British Art Show 7 rolls into Glasgow, we caught up with Sue Tompkins to hear about her performance plans.

15: Bill Callahan, or the Artist Formerly Known As Smog, faces up to The Inquisition.

17: The fantastically-named Low frontman Alan Sparhawk on their ninth studio album C’Mon, and why they’re happy being outsiders.

18: Looking forward to Reel Festival, a programme of cultural exchange through film between east and west.

19: Aidan Moffat gives us a track by track guide to Everything's Getting Older, his new album with Bill Wells.

20: Moon Duo’s Ripley Johnson talks Karma, and why two heads are better than four.

21: The Filmhouse brings us Dylan at the Movies, a season of Bob Dylan films – we we we so excited.

23: Crookers are coming to Death Disco, and we took the opportunity to pry some chat out of them.

24: May brings us Mayfesto, a season of politically-inspired theatre – here are our picks.

25: Funding has been cut across the arts; we talk to some performers who’ve found ways to self-fund.

26: Cult Texan instrumentalists Explosions in the Sky talk coming back from the brink.

27: Introducing Valve, a new literary journal from Strathclyde University students.

LIFESTYLE 29: Travel: Trainhopping in Japan reminds us of the astonishing country behind the headlines.

32: Showcase: brings us Jamie Fitzpatrick’s weird and wonderful world of genetic splicing, taxidermy and flowers.

35: fashion: presents a shoot featuring our picks of this year’s ECA graduates.

36: Food & Drink: Beer gardens! Where are they, what they’re good for and when you should go.

REVIEW 39: Music: Lady North are this month’s New Blood, plus we’ve got our traditional blend of upcoming highlights, a wide array of album reviews and a taste of last month’s live calendar.

46: Clubs: You dancin? We’re askin. Here’s where we’ll be going this month.

47: Digital: What apps will save your holiday? We can tell you 48: Film: The best of the month’s cinema and DVD releases, as well as the events we think you should attend.

50: Art: Caroline Gallacher tells us about her Sierra Metro show, and what we really thought of Narcissus Reflected and Rob Churm.

51: Books: Books you should maybe think about reading.

52: Performance: Venue of the month is Stirling's Macrobert, and we look forward to Cryptic Nights and Scottish Opera's Rigoletto.

53: Comedy: Profiling Joe Heenan and introducing Richard Gadd.

54: Competitions: WIN! Rigoletto tickets! Camping equipment (for festivals ‘n that).

55: LIstings: In essence, details on what is happening across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee every day in May. 63: Starter for 11 challenges Andi Osho’s knowledge of female comedians, and Crystal Baws continues its predictions of doom while trying to sell you a premium rate phone line.

EDINBURGH HMV PICTURE HOUSE MONDAY 30TH MAY THE ALBUM, `COSMIC EGG´ OUT NOW THROUGH MODULAR / UNIVERSAL MUSIC WWW.WOLFMOTHER.COM WWW.MODULARPEOPLE.COM

MILES KANE EDINBURGH LIQUID ROOM

WEDNESDAY 18TH MAY

DUNDEE FAT SAMS THURSDAY 19TH MAY WWW.MILESKANE.COM

Benjamin Francis Leftwich Glasgow The Classic Grand Saturday 4th June

Glasgow Classic Grand Tuesday 14th June tomvek.tv

+ THE LAST REPUBLIC

O 2 ABC GLASGOW

WEDNESDAY 25TH MAY

EDINBURGH LIQUID ROOM WEDNESDAY 1ST JUNE GLASGOW ORAN MOR THURSDAY 2ND JUNE WWW.JAMESBLAKEMUSIC.COM

+ MIDNIGHT LION

GLASGOW THE ARCHES TUESDAY 17TH MAY

FUNERAL PARTY Plus Special Guests

GLASGOW PLEASE NOTE: CHANGE OF VENUE (GLASGOW ONLY) KING TUT’S THURSDAY ORIGINAL TICKETS STILL VALID 19th MAY EDINBURGH LIQUID ROOM FRIDAY www.facebook.com/funeralpartymusic 20th MAY Debut Album ‘The Golden Age Of Knowhere’ Out Now.

+ MECHANICAL BRIDE

EDINBURGH CABARET VOLTAIRE Monday 16th May

AND SO GLASGOW ORAN MOR I WATCH YOU MONDAY BLA BLA FROM ++ MOJO 9TH UNITED FRUIT AFAR + TRAPPED IN KANSAS MAY

Glasgow Brel Tuesday 10th May

+ LUYAS + THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

GLASGOW THE ARCHES SAT 21ST MAY

+ DOG IS DEAD

EDINBURGH, CABARET VOLTAIRE SUNDAY 29TH MAY

DOWNLOAD THE DEBUTSINGLE ‘DARLINGBUDS OF MAY’ NOW FROM ITUNES

GLASGOW GRAND OLE OPRY TUE 14TH JUNE EDINBURGH CABARET VOLTAIRE WED 15TH JUNE

GLASGOW ORAN MOR

FRI 20TH MAY

Tickets 24hr credit card hotline: 08444 999 990 Online: www.gigsinscotland.com | www.ticketmaster.co.uk In person: GLASGOW SECC B/O, Tickets Scotland | EDINBURGH Tickets Scotland, Ripping | ABERDEEN B/O, One Up Records | DUNDEE Grouchos.

May 2011

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We’re missing another Bank Holiday to bring you this magazine. As I type, a Royal wedding is playing out in Westminster Abbey and I am being denied the opportunity to catch a first glimpse of the beginnings of a very modern fairytale. I jest, of course – we’re got it on the iPlayer; I’m mainly sad that we’re missing another sunny day.

Back to more important matters. The May issue brings you some quality time with Wild Beasts, whose new album is a tour de force and who have honoured us with some exclusive chat. We’ve also spent some happy times with comedian Joe Cornish, hearing about film debut Attack The Block and reminiscing fondly about our first encounters with him as a director on Adam and Joe’s Toy movies.

In Art, the British Art Show 7 is coming to Glasgow (we get to see it for free AHA Londoners!) and we met with Sue Tomkins to gain some insight into her contribution. In Music, we’ve exchanged some musings with Bill Callahan, heard from Low about the slow burn of success, talked to Moon Duo and Explosions in the Sky and even coerced

Aidan Moffat into giving us a track by track guide to his new album (so beloved by The Skinny staff that we have baptised it Album of the Month).

In Clubs we’re most looking forward to Crookers at Death Disco, and the excitement in Theatreland revolves around upcoming political theatre-fest Mayfesto, playing out in Glasgow’s Tron throughout the month. Our Performance editor also offers some evidence of hope behind the arts funding cuts, although he is still clearly raging at them.

Our Showcase this month displays gene-splicing taxidermist Jamie Fitzpatrick whose work has previously graced our cover in the form of half duck / half rabbit that ran just over a year ago. In Fashion, the shoot gives us a special insight into our picks of the upcoming ECA fashion grads.

And to top it all off, there’s a specially compiled guide to beer gardens in Glasgow and Edinburgh, backed by literally years of tireless research by a crack team of drinkers.

The Skinny – always here to help. Have a good month.[Rosamund West]

Hero Worship Jeff Tweedy

Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison waxes lyrical on Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy There are many reasons why Jeff Tweedy takes the top spot in ‘My Very Own Book Of Heroes’ (narrowly beating Ted Hughes and Chris Ware).

There are the rhinestone ‘nudie’ suits and ten gallon hats he has been known to wear, plumped as he is, and still come across as more ‘respectful homage’ than ‘total plum’. There is the way he plays guitar, ever understated and measured, yet with a dynamite stick of bluegrass runs and Neil Young solos stuffed up his arm, should it be called for. There’s his voice that, though limited in range, is able to conjure decades of American music and decades of his own life in one line. It’s a voice that tends towards the melancholy and often speaks of abject misery (something I am particularly drawn to) without ever sounding bleak. And in others’ music, as on Mavis Staples’ incredible You Are Not Alone, Tweedy has a wonderfully deft and delicate way with production. If you don’t own that album then you’re a tit (see also Mermaid Avenue, Vols.

1 & 2, you tit.). I love that he is able to cut a commanding presence on stage, all the while looking like a brow-beaten, tired geology professor (nudie suit nights excepted).

However, there is really only one reason why Jeff Tweedy has the dubious honour of being the subject of my worship and that is because he wrote (with help from an incredible band and producer) what is probably my favourite record of my life so far: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I would need at least another page if I were to go into the reasons why I love this album. Needless to say, if you don’t own it… you’re a tit. Cheers Jeff.

Photo: Chris Butler

Editorial

Shot of SKINNY the month ON TOUR

Asobi Seksu The Garage 17 Apr

By Pete Dunlop

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THE SKINNY May 2011

Rocks and famous docks – reader Aedin took our April Skinny for a wee walk on a north European beach. Can you guess where this picture was taken (it's not Aberdeen)? You might win a precious bottle of wine, courtesy of our mates at VINO WINES.

Deadline: Tuesday 31 May Terms: www.theskinny.co.uk/terms and www.drinkaware.co.uk for the facts.

Over 18s only. The prize isn't redeemable for cash and is to be collected from one of the Vino Wines stores.

Reel Talk

If you ain't first, you're last

OPINION

What is it with mankind’s compulsion to be The First? Fifty years ago the USA, the richest, most powerful nation in the world, was shaken to its core when the Soviet Union managed to sling a trash can carrying a diminutive cosmonaut into outer space before them. Next summer, in London, men and women who’ve been training for four years will be crushed when they finish fractions of a millisecond behind their competitors.

Our psychopathic need to be first also extends to cinema. Piratebay.com isn’t populated by skinflints and terrorists, as we’re led to believe, but by the NOW generation. The Messenger, which is reviewed in this month’s magazine, has been flying around cyberspace since it opened in the US back in 2009 and will have been watched by thousands of British torrent hounds before its official UK release date (27 May). I myself get impatient with film distribution here in Scotland, where the rule seems to be: the more interesting the picture, the longer it takes to get here – for example, the much praised The Portuguese Nun, released nationwide in January, will finally make its Glasgow screen debut 2 May. Therefore it was heartening to hear that The Cannes Film Festival is above such pedantic madness. Despite Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life opening in UK cinemas two weeks before its Cannes debut it was still awarded a place in the festival’s main competition. And why not? Will the film’s qualities diminish if a “single mother from Leeds” sees Malick’s film ahead of the “Cannes elite”, as one blogger suggested? How mature of artistic director Thierry Fremaux to consider it for the Palme d’Or despite not getting the world premiere. But, unsurprisingly, a week before its planned 4 May release date, Tree of Life was pulled from the UK schedule indefinitely. Turns out that, like America in the space race, Usain Bolt in the hundred metre sprint and horny teenage boys during their first erotic fumbles, Cannes always comes first.[Jamie Dunn]

The Proposition When did musicians stop dying?

CRITICal mass

Political Maelstrom

Illustration: James Mousley

Think about it. Forty years ago Britney would never have made it to her puffy, balding, demented phase. She’d have been found face down in a cheap hotel next to an empty pill bottle, her pillow still wet with tears and a snowy TV buzzing away in the background.

Justin Timberlake would have drowned in his own vomit, the needle still poking out from beneath the sleeve of his rolled up Versace shirt and The Black Eyed Peas would have plunged into the Atlantic Ocean like some shitty comet when the engines on their private plane suddenly gave out. Even just twenty years ago, Lady Gaga’s bus would have swerved off the highway, throwing her out of the window only to be finished off when the vehicle rolled down an embankment and crushed her into something resembling a foil-wrapped ham sandwich sat on by a builder.

The only people dying these days are the underground stars like Elliot Smith and Mark Linkous.

Maybe that’s because, in a world where the music was to the fore, these guys WOULD be the rock stars. Seems the whole damn industry has been turned on its head.

It took Buddy Holly, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, John Denver, Jim Morrison, Keith Moon, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Elvis, Karen Carpenter, John Bonham, Kurt Cobain, 2Pac, Notorious BIG and many, many others before it all got too much for the big five record labels. Their products kept expiring until now when they apparently FINALLY have gotten control of the situation. This new breed are fully laminated, bullet-proof, germproof, coated in polystyrene for long journeys, genetically modified with DNA extracted directly from Keith Richards’ still-beating heart. Yes, the lumbering great PR machine that is Pop has made its new tools of destruction damn near indestructible.

Leave it to past masters like Rick James to uphold that most ignoble of traditions by finally succumbing to his supposed $10,000 a week coke habit in 2004. With a nose that busy, how he even found time to take two women hostage and torture one with a hot crack pipe is a mystery.

Therein lies another difference. That kind of mayhem takes real application. There’s no effort these days. Our most risqué celebrities are probably Amy Winehouse – a horse-faced drunk shambling back from a costume party dressed as one of the Supremes – and Pete Doherty, the trolley boy from your local concentration camp. There’s no comparison: boring nonentities with faces only HEAT magazine could love.

Surely the original deal was that becoming a famous musician was like Russian Roulette.

Yeah you had the perks; fame, girls, boys, drugs, money – but everyone was also aware that, at any time, their number might come up. That third bottle of bourbon might be their last. Yes, that might be smoke coming from the engine.

Auto-erotic asphyxiation may indeed prove to be a dangerous hobby.

I mean come on, who wouldn’t like even just a little more mayhem injected into modern music? To keep things fresh, to cull the talent when they get too complacent. Imagine: Chris Martin is found

clutching a bloody knife over Gwyneth’s lifeless body and finally tops himself in his cell whilst awaiting trial. Justin Bieber’s long battle with alcoholism ends in defeat. Fall-Out Boy are crushed when their logo comes loose from its moorings half-way through their set at T in the Park.

So many appealing scenarios but actually... hold that thought. That’s the REAL difference. In none of these situations is there any remorse on the fantasist’s part. What modern music actually lacks is anyone worth giving a damn about! When Barry White died the world got noticeably less sexy.

When Freddie Mercury died so too did one of the

last genuinely great showmen. When Iain Curtis died his music became all the more profound and his lyrics all the more troubling.

We have nothing to lose any more. Musicians are whimsical and transitory. Like buying furniture from IKEA: if it breaks don’t worry about fixing it, just get a new one. After all, when Ke$ha finally chokes to death on the bell-end of Satan, the only real inconvenience will be Pepsi having to print a new label for their 500ml bottle.[Marc DeSadé] Marc DeSadé stands firm in his belief that George Michael is rock’n’roll’s chief hellraiser in 2011, and it makes him very sad.

It is fair to say that March was equally frustrating and elevating. New Territories redefined itself after winding up the National Review of Live Art through a programme that was both accessible and challenging: the NTS supported new work through their Reveal season. While the two festivals emphasised the amount of new work Scotland hosts, they managed to coincide, making it difficult to support both sets of events, beyond keeping an eye on the regular programmes coming through the Theatre Royal.

Given the amount of energy in Scotland’s performance scenes – and the recent news that only London has a more supportive audience base than Glasgow, I am increasingly irritated by the apparent lack of old media support for the arts. Scotland has a remarkable cohort of critics, yet these are not supported by ongoing features – weekend newspapers are more interested in generic articles about American screen stars, or long meditations on the latest Rangers-Celtic antics. While a few theatre companies seem to think that the economic depression means that audiences want an escapist laugh, there are plenty of plays that grapple intelligently with socio-political issues – Stellar Quine’s Age of Arousal – and further the sort of debates that gather around actions like the Free Hetherington occupation, or the massive anti-cuts protests.

In this context, the role of the critic is crucial – to further the arguments, to reach behind the headlines and encourage debate. Performance is a political act, and writing about it even more so. Excluding the critic from the national press is a form of censorship, reducing opinion to the usual columnists and excluding those places where shared experience, community and discussion are encouraged. As long as the career of a Gossip Girl trumps the arrival of Michael Clarke at Tramway, there is a danger that the media is pumping out an insipid aesthetic, that neither challenges nor engages. [Gareth K Vile]

May 2011

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wed 4 may

Starting the month off with the jubilant pop brilliance of Glasgow’s Mitchell Museum could never be a bad thing. They headline a Japan fundraiser night alongside Esperi, Lady North, and Dave Hughes (and his Renegade Folk Punk Band, naturally). 13th Note, Glasgow, 8pm, £5

The ECA’s annual Fashion Show breaks with the template this year and goes salon style (i.e. the models are at audience level, rather than elevated above), whilst also splitting the work of the 20 graduating students into three separate showings: Fashion, Mixed Show, and Performance Costume, who like to go all out, in an all-singing, all-dancing way. Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, until 6 May (various shows), £15

Bigfoot’s first BBQ of 2011 (with a certain Mr Butane), a big screen showing of The Goonies (with free ice-cream!), and Stag & Dagger’s musical all-dayer.

Perfect month ahead alert

Photo: Markus Thorsen

HEADS UP

Victoria Middleton modelling designs by graduating ECA Fashion student Barbra Kolasinski

sun 8 may

mon 9 may

Our childhood film numero uno (well, aside from when we weren't watching things we shouldn't, mostly with Arnold Schwarzenegger in) The Goonies gets an airing on the big screen, in the plush surrounds of The Scotsman Hotel's luxury screening room. Free popcorn and ice-cream seals the deal. The Scotsman Hotel Screening Room, Edinburgh, 8pm, £10

Veritable hip-hop legend Rakim makes a rare appearance over Glasgow way as part of his 25th anniversary tour, setting the bar high with his intricate MC style, layered deep with internal rhymes, jazz rhythms, and intellectual lyrics. There's a reason he's oft referred to as The Master.

Watch, listen, and learn. The Arches, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £13

FRI 13 May

SAT 14 may

SUN 15 may

A kindly selection of local and international artists have donated their work for auction, in aid of the Save the Forest campaign, with anything and everything from a knitted piece from Rocio Jungenfeld, to a cardboard suitcase from Matthew Kolakowski, going on sale and show. The work is previewed tonight (7-10pm) and then on auction tomorrow evening (6-10pm). Help 'em reach their £50,000 June target. Axo Gallery, Edinburgh, Free

The Welsh boy wonder that is Jamie Jones takes centre stage at heavyweight clubber's delight, Musika. A professional deck-fiddler since the tender age of 16, he will likely play his dancefloor-bothering mix of bass and groove-driven house. And we shall likely dance ourselves silly. Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 10.30pm, £10 (earlybird)

With their intricate instrumental melodies, Texas four-piece Explosions In The Sky are just about as good as it gets, fluttering and intertwining in the most dazzling of patterns. And we're thoroughly looking forward to the new album getting a live airing. HMV Picture House, Edinburgh, 7pm, £16

COMPILED BY: ANNA DOCHERTY

FRI 20 may

Writer and performer Daniel Kitson tells his quite magical tale of a death postponed by life, in The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church. It starts out with the hopeless task of writing 57 suicide notes and moves into something much more cathartic and hopeful, managing to be far-fetched, eccentric, and poignant in careful measures. Traverse, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £14 (£10)

Dave Grohl's favourite band (aka Queens Of The Stone Age) return for an extra special live set, where they’ll perform their eponymous debut album live and in its bloody entirety. If you've not got your golden ticket yet, then you might want to start weeping now... O2 Academy, Glasgow, 7pm, £sold out

Photo: Bartosz Madejski

THU 19 may

qotsa's latest member out-riffing josh

tue 24 may

wed 25 may

Thu 26 May

fri 27 may

Pretty much our favourite regular live music-cum-club night, Limbo return triumphant from their sold-out April show (with Meursault et al) with a rare four-band bill. Taking to the stage will be The Lovely Eggs, Kid Canaveral, Cancel The Astronauts, and Zed Penguin, plus the everreliable Black Spring DJs playing into the bedtime hours.

Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £7 advance (£8 door)

Acting as the final show in his mini series, writer and theatre-maker Martin O'Connor takes over The Arches bar with the last of his Weegie-inspired spoken word installation piece. This one will take inspiration from the patter of Govan Market, accompanied by a rather 'special' cafe menu (think tattie soup, Scotch eggs and Angel Delight). The Arches, Glasgow, 5.30pm, Free

Spank Rock hooked us long ago with their 2006 debut album, YoYoYoYoYo. That year they also played Cabaret Voltaire, and, rather fittingly, it is there that they return. Expect a mastermind crossover of rap, electro, and hip-hop as they play live at Sick Note club, with the lads from We Were Promised Jetpacks taking to the decks in support. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, 11pm, £5

Celebrating the 100th birthday of horror movie legend Vincent Price, the Cameo screen The Tingler, a foray into the physical manifestations of fear, with LSD-induced nightmares, creatures that feed on fear, and lots of screaming. The Cameo, Edinburgh, time and price tbc

The Lovely eggs

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THE SKINNY May 2011

Photo: Tony Marsh Photography

Tue 3 MAY

thu 5 May

fri 6 may

sat 7 may

The Dead By Dawn mini horror festival is back with its mix of premieres, classics, short films, and, yes, the shit film amnesty (a collection of audience members' most embarrassing DVDs). On the bill this year is the UK premiere of The Afflicted, alongside tales of schmoozing with psychopaths in Chop, and tea, cake, and zombies in Harold's Gone Stiff.

Filmhouse, Edinburgh, until 8 May (various times), £65 pass

Glasgow's renowned burlesque club teasers arrive with their first ever Club Noir Cabaret stage show, a feather-ruffling mix of striptease, American vaudeville, crystal-encrusted showgirls, and O.T.T. variety acts, in a more intimate theatre setting. But, yes, just as excessive and cheeky.

Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 8pm, £15

The Bigfoot's Tea Party gang stage their first outdoor BBQ event of 2011, complete with shisha pipes, squishy sofas, giant umbrellas, and the ever-present threat of vodka jelly. And, of course, seeing as it's a Bigfoot party, there's a special guest DJ in the form of US producercum-musician-cum-armchair scientist, Butane. The Goat, Glasgow, 1pm, £12. After party at Sub Club (11pm-3am)

Chop

Butane

Formed by a bunch of high-school chums from Toronto, Fucked Up are about as experimental and hardcore as it gets, taken up a notch by their notoriously imp-like ways of spreading misinformation about themselves, and, of course, their nude stage diving antics. Go witness the mayhem. Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, 7pm, £10

Frànçois Marry – aka FrÀnÇois and the Atlas Mountains, with his merry band of ever-changing players – is a bit of an all-round talent: songwriter, musician, animator, and artist, hailing from a small town on the west coast of France. He's also a fully signed-up member of the Fence Collective, making rather lovely, sweet-voiced, bilingual pop ditties. Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £5

Where would our month be without a delightfully obscure evening over at The Forest? Join the fun as experimental music club, Click Clack Club, celebrate their first birthday, with the typically diverse wailings of Orange Claw Hammer (playing the music of Captain Beefheart), hard-edged rappers Church of When the Shit Hits the Fan, and spoken word beatsmith Young Dawkins. The Forest, Edinburgh, 9pm, Donation

young dawkins

MON 16 May

TUE 17 may

WED 18 may

Hardcore? Yeah, that's us. The 13th Note pull it out the bag again with a noisy showcase taking in the joyous black metal of OvO, alongside the howlin’ hellraisers that are Divorce (they like screaming. A lot). The bill’s ably completed by Gropetown and Hivver. 13th Note, Glasgow, 8pm, £tbc

Hyperactive funnyman Rob Rouse comes to Edinburgh as part of his second national tour, with, well, more tales of his own misfortune, idiocy, and general daftness. He’ll also likely stray into cruder and ruder territory as the evening progresses, which may well involve more tales of his sexually deviant dog. The Stand, Edinburgh, 8.30pm, £10

Hailing from that lesser-known mecca of punk-rock delinquency, er, Oxford, The Young Knives return triumphant with new album Ornaments From The Silver Arcade. And, yes, they do still have a bassist called The House of Lords. And enjoy dressing in tweed, blazers, and fine woollen knits. We salute them. King Tuts, Glasgow, 8pm, £10

Sun 22 may

Mon 23 may

Edinburgh's first ever pop-up Stitch Lounge has busily gathered together a tonne of fabric for their weekender event, where local designers and visitors alike can drop in and get creative on their donated Singer sewing machines. It's all aimed at investigating the experimental nature of fashion, culminating in a catwalk showcase of the fruits of their labour on the Sunday (i.e. today!)

Led by the drawling countryesque tones of Jill O'Sullivan, Sparrow and The Workshop’s tunes ebb and flow, speeding up and slowing down with an animalistic unpredictability. Suffice to say we never tire of seeing them let loose live. King Tuts, Glasgow, 8pm, £7. Also playing Edinburgh's Sneaky Pete's the following night

sat 28 may

sun 29 may

mon 30 may

The five-yearly British Art Show returns for its seventh incarnation, and its first spell in Glasgow for 20 years. For 2011 the touring show, which acts as a survey of the best British art now, will feature the likes of Karla Black, Duncan Campbell, Luke Fowler, and Alasdair Gray, with new work being revealed for each stop on the tour. Various galleries (Gallery of Modern Art, CCA, and Tramway), Glasgow, until 21 Aug, Free

Roguish rock duo par excellence, The Kills, formed

by American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince, drop by Glasgow for the only Scottish date on their current tour. And, for the record, we are unhealthily addicted to the kicking-and-screaming beast of a thing that is new album Blood Pressures. O2 ABC, Glasgow, 7pm, £13.50

Electric Circus turn screening room for a showing of the fruits of the 48 Hour Film Project (y'know, where a bunch of amateur filmmakers run riot in the city for two days making their own mini masterpiece). With just a character, a prop, and a line of dialogue as their starting point, it should be a suitably eclectic collection. Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 7pm, Free. The 48 hour project itself runs over the weekend of 20-22 May, www.48hourfilm.com

Photo: Markus Thorsen

sat 21 may The one-ticket, multi-venue Shoreditch export of Stag & Dagger arrives in Glasgow again with a pretty hot line-up.

We'll be flitting between venues, doing our damndest to join the dots between Sons & Daughters, Broken Records, Yuck, Conquering Animal Sound, Warpaint, Admiral Fallow... and so on, until we fall over. Glasgow, various venues, £17

Photo: Shawn Brackbill

warpaint

Alasdair Gray, Andrew Gray Aged 7 and Inge’s Patchwork Quilt, 2009

Photo: Jeremy Heflin

THU 12 may

Photo: Tom cops

wed 11 may

Photo: Ricky Adam

tue 10 may

May 2011

THE SKINNY

9

MUSIC

Out of the WoODS With the follow-up to their Mercury-nominated Two Dancers due to drop any day, Wild Beasts’ Hayden Thorpe talks progress, success, and Bono’s big yap Interview: Paul Mitchell

Photos: paul Phung

“It’s almost like saying you’re a fan of Ford, McDonalds or Coca-Cola. I think they’re an amazing model of what you can get away with in this capitalist society.” Wild Beasts’ Hayden Thorpe is possibly not the world’s biggest fan of U2, with whom the Lake District boys will be sharing space at Glastonbury this summer.

“They’re like these big trees that grow tall, in the woods,” he elaborates. “They suffocate and don’t let the light through to the smaller trees. The more they grow, the more nutrients they suck up. When U2 put things out, they take up so much press and airtime. People all around the world know what they’re doing and they don’t need to be these all-consuming creatures. I think there’s this sense of egotism that really needs to be put an end to.

It’s not like they should just go away but there are a lot more exciting acts to see in this day and age than U2. I think it’s fair to say that Bono likes the sound of his own voice.”

As it happens, the subject of voices, specifically Thorpe’s own distinctive countertenor, invariably occupies any discussion of the English quartet; and it is as much a feature of their aesthetic as their arty, progressive pop and sexually charged lyrical tendencies, drawing frequent comparisons to the otherworldy vocal of Antony Hegarty.

Thorpe admits that people can be quite divided on the issue, but explains that this was pretty much the point when he first started performing live. “It was part of a specific ‘project’. We grew up playing in pubs and clubs where it was all AC/ DC cover bands and heavy metal groups and it was more of an ‘up yours’ to arrive at these

10 THE SKINNY May 2011

places and sing in a more sensual, effeminate way than it was to go in with a leather jacket screaming down the mic.”

But does he really think it’s ‘effeminate’? “It probably isn’t actually, but I think that’s what’s been drilled into me. From day one it’s always been quite an expressive thing, almost spiritual. I don’t want to get cheesy about it but I think that’s the way I feel about the release from singing.

It’s quite a cathartic process, it unburdens me; a kind of coping mechanism. That’s why my voice has progressed and changed over the records, expressing different things, different faces as a person, different ways of seeing things.”

The nature of progression is a motif explored on Wild Beasts’ third LP Smother, released on 13 May. Thorpe is of the opinion that the record is an indication of their increasing maturity as a band, but is keen to point out that this shouldn’t be confused with the notion of playing it safe. “Normally maturity would mean a dulling of the edges and a sanding down and taking away of those jagged bits. I don’t think that’s the case for us, we’re actually learning how to be more raw; almost do less. Trying to be a bit braver and stripping the songs down, making them more simple in a way.”

Musically, that bravery is marked by the introduction of elements of electronica to their sonic palette, a move designed, according to Thorpe, to add to the overall atmosphere, rather than simple experimentation for its own sake. “We had one mission statement, and that was to make a beautiful record, everything else stems from that. And we found that this involves imperfection,

being daring... and spontaneity. Capturing the spirit of those things rather than trying to polish things, which is a difficult thing to do because it can’t be faked. I think the layers, the density, are more atmospheric really. There are a lot of invisible sounds I would say.”

The Wild Beasts’ career trajectory graph is one which is currently headed in the right direction as far as they are concerned. After Thorpe and bandmate Ben Little started calling themselves Fauve (French for wild beasts), they expanded to a four-piece on relocation to Leeds, changed their name and produced a couple of EPs. After signing to Domino Records they released their well-received debut album Limbo, Panto and followed that up in 2009 with Two Dancers, a record which was nominated for 2010’s Mercury Music Prize with all the attendant increase in exposure.

But has this nomination affected how the band approached the making of Smother? “I think it did affect us. We had two options really. One was to make a record which caricatured ourselves even more, make Two Dancers Mark Two, we knew that formula would probably work, or we felt we could be a little more introverted and daring. I think we took option two, definitely. We don’t have to scream from the top of our lungs anymore, we can speak a little more calmly in that sense. If you know people are listening, you can do the same thing that they liked or you can take advantage of the fact that they’re going to give you time.”

Certainly, Thorpe speaks with a calm sense of determination, it’s evident that they (and when he is referring to the band and their ambition, it’s always with the collective ‘we’) have a certain career path in mind, and a defined way of going about that. “From day one we’ve said we’re making pop music and I think that got a certain type of monkey off our back, there’s no pretence. We want to be popular and we think people deserve to hear intelligent, meaningful music.”

Of course, ‘meaningful’ is a subjective term, so Thorpe elaborates what it signifies from a Wild Beast’s perspective: “There is a lot of bravado that goes on and maybe music made by design, just to fulfill certain roles. When we make music we often think of our 16 year old selves and how we felt, trying to take in music from places like New York, LA and even London. So there was all this exciting music from really exciting places but they never spoke about us, or our lives. By meaningful, I mean we’re speaking about our lives rather than as a character that we’ve fallen into. We never had the advantage of coming from New York, Paris or somewhere romantic where we could lean on the bravado and the legacy of these other bands. We had to start from scratch.”

Since starting from scratch, one overarching theme of the group’s lyrical output has been dealing with notions of sexuality. The band are perfectly conscious of this association and Thorpe suggests that it is something that they play with, perhaps to parodic, burlesque effect. “To be fair, since we were handed the baton in terms of our sexual content; maybe it’s been blown out of proportion a little bit but we really took that baton and ran with it [ooh matron]. There’s plenty for us to go at there because there isn’t a lot of music which speaks of heterosexual males, in the vulnerable open sense.”

So is this a theme which continues on Smother?

“Well, it’s less slap and tickle, and more sensual I think. I think a lot of male music is dominated by expectations of an all-conquering testosteronefuelled life, where you have a girl in each paw and

you can’t get your trousers on quick enough before getting on the plane to the next place. I know that’s a bit OTT but there is a fascination for us in picking those complex dynamics in sexuality, with all the emotions that come into play. In general, all these songs are about love but they’re maybe three-dimensional. We try to allow for complexity and hypocrisy. Like it or not, people are that sort of species, it doesn’t mean we’re bad people.”

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We don’t have to scream from the top of our lungs anymore Hayden Thorpe

❞

Renowned for what is often described as a ‘keen sense of literary history’, Thorpe also claims that the cinematic endeavours of Pedro Almodóvar proved inspiring for the latest album because films such as Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown “details people in a really imperfect way, it was daring enough to make a film which didn’t really have a happy ending. The classic text of choice in this instance is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein because we are faced with addressing the question of whether or not the monster is good or bad.

“It’s about people who feel maybe they’re outside of things looking in,” he continues, “and that is probably a reflection on our lives. We don’t have normal routines, with a predictable structure.

We’re always moving around a lot and I think that comes across in the record. I think a lot of people feel like that at least at some point in their lives.”

So, with all that circumspection, and the admitted pressure of following up a successful record, does Thorpe have any specific ambitions he’d like to see realised as a consequence of this latest release? “I’d like to widen our net. There are places around the world where we have good followings, but maybe make more friends around the world, places we haven’t played before, Japan, Iceland, China. Those ambitions can be fulfilled I think, but on a creative level, just to keep learning, to keep making. Keep feeling that what we do feels essential and that when or if that stops happening, we’ll have the dignity to call it a day.” Over to you Bono.

Wild Beasts play Òran Mór, Glasgow, on 6 May Smother is released 13 May on Domino Records www.wild-beasts.co.uk

May 2011

THE SKINNY 11

FILM

Time To Put Away Childish Things

Joe Cornish swaps Song Wars and Star Wars spoofs for high-octane action and political commentary in his blistering directorial debut Attack the Block Interview: Jamie Dunn

horde. Duncan Jones took inspiration from Alien and Silent Running to create his space station in Moon, but Cornish has found something as other worldly and futuristic on his doorstep: the modernist estate architecture of inner city London, which through the lens of cinematographer Tom Townend (also making his feature film debut) look like dilapidated spacecrafts.

The film is also boldly political in its choice of hoodies as heroes. “I just wanted to show a bit of empathy to a milieu that’s usually, in quite an unimaginative way, painted as monstrous and inhumane, and I feel really strongly that that’s not the case.”

Cornish, although he’s lived in that area of London all his life (during the 1981 Brixton riots he recalls “playing Superman II with his Playmobil figures”), can’t claim to be part of the culture depicted in Attack the Block. “During the day I was ferried out to various posh little schools, so it was never really my world, but I do love that area of London. The bottom line is, depending on the circumstances into which you’re born you have to struggle to a greater or lesser extent. It’s easier for some people in some situations to make the wrong choices.”

There’s a palpable sense that Cornish is a man making absolutley the right choice in his move to movie-making. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, the comedy thing was a happy accident. Adam [Buxton, Joe’s TV and radio comedy partner] is certainly more of an evolved and professional comedian.

In 2001, Joe Cornish, then best known as the lanky half of cult late night TV double act Adam and Joe, was mugged by a gang of inner city youths near his home in Stockwell, South London.

Where other celebs might have taken this as their cue to join London’s media set in one of the less down-at-heel areas of town – trendy Islington or fashionable Notting Hill, perhaps – Cornish found the incident inspirational. “I was struck by how cinematic the kids looked – they were like ninjas or cowboys or bandits in the Wild West,” Cornish tells me in that precise, sardonic voice that’s so familiar from his 6Music radio show. “And I thought their vehicles were very science fictional – they were on mopeds and little bikes. Even the weapons that the kids in that area mess around with, the fireworks and the samurai swords that they import and then sharpen, are so cinematic.”

It got him to thinking: “Everyone has been making these depressing sociological dramas when, actually, all around them was all the equipment you need for an action adventure film.”

Attack the Block, Cornish’s eagerly awaited directorial debut, grew from this decade old epiphany. Set in and around a tower block close to where the crime took place, it begins with a similar bout of petty larceny. In this case, a trainee nurse Sam (Jodie Whittaker) is jacked at knife point by a gang of hoodies. This scene, straight out of a Daily Mail reader’s worst nightmare, is soon interrupted, however, when a white hot meteoroid crash lands beside them, delivering an alien creature from its smoking wreckage. The kids proceed to do to the extraterrestrial what they would do to any unfamiliar face that appeared on their patch: they kick the living shit out of it.

When I meet Cornish in a swanky Soho hotel, just a few miles north of his Stockwell stomping grounds, the comedian, himself wearing a chunky, darkly coloured hoodie despite the unusually clement April weather (perhaps in honour of Attack the Block’s anti-heroes?) talks about his film with a steely intensity. I ask him why it’s taken ten years to get from idea to screen. “I was just waiting till I was ready, I guess. My life is littered with abandoned first acts.

12 THE SKINNY May 2011

It took writing with Edgar Wright [the film’s executive producer and Cornish’s writing partner on the forthcoming Steven Spielberg motion capture epic Tintin] on Ant-Man to give me a hands-on screenwriting course. Not from the ground up, hopefully, but it gave me the courage and confidence to work something through from beginning to end.”

I suggest to Cornish that Wright may also have had a less direct impact. In 2001 there weren’t too many British set sci-fi projects, not on the big screen at least. “You’re right, Shaun of the Dead [2004] helped financiers realise that the British could make genre films, and I think Noel Clarke’s work [Kidulthood, Adulthood] made people realise there was a market for youth movies that could be quite honest about youth culture.”

With Attack the Block Cornish joins a new wave of British film-makers – Gareth Edwards (Monsters), Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), and Wright – who, having been weaned on Star Wars and Speilberg, are unwilling to follow our national cinema traditions of gangster films, bonnets and kitchen sink dramas. But Cornish’s debut seems like an even more daring development in British production than the work of his contemporaries.

Where Wright’s first two features were satirical romps, and Jones and Edwards chose to set their sci-fi pictures outside the UK, Attack the Block is both muscular and set on his home turf; for once it’s not America that the aliens choose to invade.

That’s not to say Attack the Block isn’t funny – much humour is mined from the Stockwell youths’ matter-of-fact reaction to the alien attack and their singular urban patois. But what might surprise audiences is that this radio jester and toy movie-spoof creator has crafted, with considerable panache, a lean, mean action film that’s reminiscent of Walter Hill or early James Cameron.

While Wright started this British genre movie renaissance with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (who also has a small role in Attack the Block) using Prince records to see off Shaun of the Dead’s zombies, Cornish’s gang of tearaways don’t dick around, using baseball bats, kitchen knives and Super Soakers filled with petrol to take on the alien

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It's easier for some people in some situations to make the wrong choices joe cornish

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When he got offered Take Over TV I was brought in as his director friend to help put it together. It only became a double act because I was such an ego maniac that I bullied my way in front of the camera, but in truth I was always much happier behind it.”

For a while there it seemed that British comedy double acts were contractually obliged to create some of the worst British cinema imaginable – see Morons from Outer Space (Smith and Jones), Alien Autopsy (Ant and Dec) and Lesbian Vampire Killers (Corden and Horne) – but Cornish, breaking out on his own, has created an urgent and hugely entertaining debut.

Does this mark the end of Song Wars and Text the Nation? Cornish assures me that this is not the case; but if it were, it would be a fair sacrifice.

Attack the Block goes on general release 11 May www.attacktheblock.com/

A Toy the Block Our top 5 favourite Adam and Joe toy movies

American Beautoy

toy snatch

1. Toytrainspotting (Trainspotting) ‘Who needs reasons when you’ve got sherbet’ The first of the toy movies, Toytrainspotting helped make The Adam and Joe Show a hit.

Alongside the violent Bean Bagbie, Spod, knitted sheep Sick Toy, and stuffed pig Runton star as the sherbet addicted miscreants choosing not to choose toys.

(Sick Toy, whilst affecting a Sean Connery accent, lines up a sunbathing Ken Doll and toy rottweiler in the sight of his air rifle) Sick Toy: It’s certainly a phenomenon in all makes of toy.

Runton: What do you mean?

ST: Muffin the Mule, Gordon the Gofer, Sooty and Sweep, Keith Harris and Orville… You’ve got it, then you lose it, then it’s gone.

R: Some of Orville’s solo stuff’s not bad.

ST: Merely a blip on an otherwise uninterrupted downward trajectory.

[Sick Toy shoots the rottweiler causing it to attack the Ken doll] R: For a big poncy knitted lamb you sure are an evil shot.

2. Shakesbeare in Love (Shakespeare in Love) The real tragedy is that the world will probably never experience the sensational play within a play, Romeo and Juliet Bravo.

Romeo: What light through yonder window breaks? ‘Tis a panda car and Juliet Bravo is within.

Juliet: Romeo, Romeo, this is Juliet Bravo where for art thou? Over.

3. American Beautoy (American Beauty) Molester Birnham, a cuddly monkey, ogles his daughter’s friend, a cheerleading Barbie.

Molester Birnham: Too bad she’s under 18.

Barbie: Only just, I’m 17.99.

4. Twat (Snatch) Guy Richtoy in conversation with Mark Cousins’ Tortoise.

MCT: Now we come to the climactic fight scene featuring Brad Pish. This is a stylistic tour de force.

GR: Well there’s no fucking bikes in it, is there?

5. Toytanic (Titanic) Dancing below the decks: Rose: Jack, this is amazing! Is it always like this in third class?

Jack: Yes being poor is fantastic!

[David McGinty]

May 2011

THE SKINNY 13

ART

The Best of British The seventh British Art Show arrives in Glasgow at the end of this month, and we're pretty bloody excited to see such an extensive survey of contemporary art in Scotland. So much so, we had to speak to Sue Tompkins about her upcoming performance Interview: Andrew Cattanach

Sue Tompkins

Having already been to Nottingham and London, this impressively hefty show makes its way up north to showcase the best of British art from the last five years. With 39 artists, including eight graduates from Glasgow School of Art, it’s unlikely anyone will try dissuading you from seeing it all.

Spread over Glasgow’s three major art institutions – GoMA, CCA and Tramway – it’s doubtful you’ll catch the whole thing in an afternoon. But where the London leg would have set you back a few quid, here in Glasgow all they ask is you don’t piss in any of the galleries. This allows you to take your tantric time about it, perhaps revisiting some of the lengthier video works.

There’s also a pretty tasty looking series of one-off events, including a live performance by Glasgow graduate Sue Tompkins. “I do text works that are usually installations, but they didn’t want that,” Tompkins says of her BAS7 commission. “They just wanted me to do performances.

My job is to do a performance in every city that it’s in.”

Tompkins’ performances are normally partly spoken and partly sung. She keeps time by shifting her weight from foot to foot, as though incapable of staying still. Meanwhile, her face is endearing, smiling at the audience as she repeats the same sentence over and over until its sense is reduced to abstract sound. “They take a lot of time to write,” she explains. “In between I use a lot of the writing I make for everything else – text contributions, books, lots of group shows, and things like that.”

Once the singer of Glasgow based band Life Without Buildings, Tompkins has often found it difficult to define what she does as art. “For a long time I remember thinking it was hard to call myself an artist and hard to call myself a writer, because I didn’t really fit into either,” she says. “As time’s gone on I’ve become less worried about that definition, I suppose.”

Originally from Bedfordshire, Tompkins recently

14 THE SKINNY May 2011

moved back down south after years of living in Glasgow. She bears a close bond with the city nonetheless. “It feels like home, Glasgow. All my friends are there, really. It sounds a cliché, but it is an amazing place to be an artist.”

And an amazing place to see art – especially between 27 May and 21 August. Glasgow will be premiering some new works, not seen in the other cities. The CCA will show part four of Nathaniel Mellor’s Ourhouse series, a quartet of films that follows an eccentric and dysfunctional family living in rural England, trying to deal with the arrival of an uninvited ‘object’ the family fail to recognise as a human.

There will also be a special 24-hour screening of Christian Marclay’s film The Clock. Constructed from segments of films in which the characters interact with a clock, watch or a particular time of day, the film counts down the minutes in real time for the duration of one whole day.

GoMA will be showing a brand new drawing

by Oban-born artist Charles Avery, who, through drawing, sculpture and installation, has spent over a decade creating an imaginary island full of odd beasts and peculiar characters. An exquisite drawer, Avery’s large scale piece will be a definite crowd pleaser.

Last, but not least, those unable to go all the way to Italy to visit the massive art festival, the Venice Biennale, need not fret. Sculptor, and Glasgow School of Art graduate, Karla Black, who is representing Scotland at the festival this year, will be showing work at Tramway alongside fellow alumni Mick Peter, Luke Fowler and Duncan Campbell.

A rare treat for Scotland, the British Art Show should see visitors swamp Glasgow from all round the country this summer. With a range of artists as broad as this, there’s a little something for everyone. And if you’re cultural omnivores like us at The Skinny, you’ll likely be in your element.

British Art Show runs from 27 May – 21 Aug www.britishartshow.co.uk

Nathaniel Mellors Ourhouse, 2010

Alasdair Gray May in White Bodice, 2010

Christian Marclay The Clock, 2010

Wolfgang Tillmans, Freischwimmer 155, 2010

MUSIC

The Inquisition:

Bill Callahan The Artist Formerly Known As Smog explains his own Apocalypse

Photo: Kirstie Shanley

interview: Paul Mitchell

Bill Callahan has been making records since 1990, when he tended to lay his hands on whatever plastic utensil or out of tune furniture was nearby and released the discordant mess under the moniker Smog. His later career has been marked by the addition of wry, observational lyrics – delivered in crystal clear baritone – and a seeming sense of structure. Since 2007 he’s been releasing under his own name at a rate of almost one album a year and his 15th LP Apocalypse is out now. We caught up with him for a wee blether.

Apocalypse, as an album title, sounds pretty foreboding. Is this title a comment on society as a whole, or does it refer to something more personal as suggested by One Fine Morning?

Apocalypse is a state of mind. It can have positive connotations. The definition based on scriptures has tainted it and made it something to be afraid of. It can mean a revelation, a lifting of a curtain, seeing something in a new light. It does not have to be scary.

It’s difficult to tell if your new song America is meant to be hagiographic, or a deeply satirical sideswipe at the country in question.

Our guess it that it appears to be both. Are we correct?

An uncritical biography of Scotland would be called haggisography. You can use that one in your act! It is not at all a sideswipe nor is it satirical. It’s just straightforward, factual.

Observational. It is supposed to be the story of songwriters as a kind of armed forces, and it’s all wrapped up in a song that sounds like missiles and bombs.

The music and lyrics are given a lot of space to breathe throughout, and there are frequent references to the beauty of the landscape.

Were these styles and themes chosen to match, or am I missing something?

I’m not recalling many references to the beauty of the landscape. But you’ve probably listened to the record more recently than I have. I wanted the record to breathe, to be like a body that was breathing and touching you. If you are over 18.

The notion of Smog conjures up notions of ethereal, suffocating forces, whereas Bill Callahan sounds like a guy trying to make sense of the world. Is this true?

I can see that. It is more about being a force for change or movement or understanding than just a filter or barometer like it was in the past.

What was the single most important factor in determining the transition from Smog to Bill?

I was tired of writing those letters on cover art.

The “S” is OK, but the “mog” looks ugly together in a row like that. That is why I put parenthesis around it for awhile, because parentheses are graceful looking.

Smog releases were quite experimental and often dissonant, Bill’s material seems much more focused. Is this true?

Early on I was involved with randomness, chaos. But I think it was focussed then, too. I don’t think it’s a matter of focus. It was just different way back when.

Do you feel estranged from your old persona in any way as a consequence, or are you two still pals?

I believe you become a new person over time, repeatedly. So the old records are as if made by several different people. I feel aligned to the past few records I’ve made, but not all of them since 1990. I don’t care about the guy who made Wild Love. I don’t want to hang out with him or even remember him or respect him. It’s like taking a bus to get to work but taking the bus that takes you to your old job not your current job. Why would you do that?

Finally, are you looking forward to visiting and playing in Scotland?

I love Scotland. I have a Scottish tour manager so that I can bring a little bit of Scotland with me everywhere we play.

Bill Callahan plays Glasgow School of Art on 7 May. Apocalypse is out now on Drag City www.dragcity.com/artists/bill-callahan

May 2011

THE SKINNY 15

MUSIC

Low and Behold

With ninth album C’mon, Low have found their beating heart once again. Frontman Alan Sparhawk explains why he got tired of making things ugly, with a little help from Katy Perry’s producer Interview: Darren Carle

Back in 2007, as the Bush-led war on terror continued in Iraq, a family-centred, clean living Minnesota trio called Low took something of a stand with their eighth album Drums and Guns.

Previously, the veteran ‘slow-core’ pioneers had only gone conceptual with their 1999 Christmas EP, an eight track collection of songs that openly celebrated the yuletide season in an era of ugly commerce and cynicism. Eight years later, they were opening an album with the line “All the soldiers are all gonna die and all the little babies, they’re all gonna die.” Bad times indeed.

Yet four years, a financial collapse and a new war later, Low are on very different territory with new album C’mon, an unapologetic letter of love.

In putting these points across to frontman Alan Sparhawk, it’s clear that easy notions between the political and personal are not things he ascribes to.

“I’m at the point right now where I can’t necessarily tell,” he begins ahead of the release of his ninth album. “But I feel like the new record is more intimate, more like one person talking to one person. Intimacy and spirituality define your politics. What you say with politics is everything to do with how you view yourself as a human being, and vice versa.”

In that setting, C’mon is certainly more of the human reflection on the political mind. Musically it finds the group having cleansed themselves of the soap-boxing on Drums and Guns and the noisy, guitar-centric rock of 2005’s The Great Destroyer.

Sparhawk agrees that such extremes were necessary for C’mon to take the shape that it has. “I specifically remember as we were finishing Drums and Guns that I already had a sense of what we were going to do next,” he says. “For some reason that record gave me permission to let myself go the opposite way.”

That ‘opposite way’ has resulted in Low’s best record in some time, certainly since 2001’s Things We Lost In The Fire. The threesome, centred around Sparhawk and wife Mimi Parker, have

16 THE SKINNY May 2011

hinted at making such an album for some time now.

“In the past, if we were writing something beautiful, I always had to try and find a way to make it a little bit ugly,” he confesses. “It’s maybe just the Midwest, American, uninformed punk rock in me, but doing that this time just felt dishonest. There are a few songs on the record that are some of the most pure love songs I’ve ever written. I felt that if I really love this person, then why do I need to put the claws in? Why do I have to make it ugly?”

It’s an aesthetic that runs throughout C’mon, from the opening twinkling xylophones of Try To Sleep to the wonderful Nothing But Heart, which finds Sparhawk repeating the title mantra-like to a steadily rising choral of slide guitar, white noise and hypnotic drum pacing. “The thing that people forget about minimalism is that it’s an effort to make the few things which are there as large as possible,” he elaborates. “Lyrical minimalism is always a goal. The best thing to say is ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

That’s something I’ve always pursued, but I guess it’s a little more evident this time.”

In point of this, C’mon is fairly plush in its production. Recorded in the same vaulted space as 2002’s Trust, a former Catholic church in the band’s hometown of Duluth, it’s a record of grand scale yet with typically brittle human tales at its heart. The paucity of Low’s usual approach was bolstered this time by guest turns from Nels Cline of Wilco and Caitlin Moe of Trans-Siberian Orchestra. However, the choice of location turns out to be a little more humdrum than romantic observers might like to think. “Well, it’s only three or four blocks from our house,” is Sparhawk’s honest reply as to why they returned there. “Between having a family and a limited budget we just thought we’d go to a place where we knew we could work for two or three days and then take a break.”

Recording sessions found the group experimenting with toy drums, kick drums and beat-up boxes,

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We’ve always been on the outside and I think we always will be Alan Sparhawk

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yet despite this process and the end result, it wasn’t always a pleasant experience. “There was still a lot of head shaking over why something wasn’t sounding right, but with each recording experience those factors always vary,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s the space you’re battling against, sometimes it’s the time and sometimes it’s working with someone who has a different vision of what you’re trying to do.”

Which leads us nicely onto Matt Beckley, who produced the album. Although a long-time friend of Sparhawk, through Beckley’s father Gerry (of 70s folk rock band America), Beckley Jr. is better known for his work with such pop alumni as Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne. It’s quite a creative gamble for a band more used to working with the bleeding-edge likes of Steve Albini and Dave Fridmann. “There was a lot of trust involved,” he laughs. “I mean this guy could’ve completely ruined our career but I trusted that he’d make good decisions and the way I work with him made me feel very comfortable. I felt like he was someone I could communicate with and that he was very respectful of what we were trying to do.”

Long-time fans can rest easy though as Beckley’s work has only exemplified the nub of what has always been at the heart of Low; in short, some beautiful and affecting music. C’mon may assuage a few more listeners towards their cause for sure, but Low seem content with beating out their own path. “We’ve always been on the outside and I think we always will be,” agrees Sparhawk. “Our music may be simple and boring to the general public but that’s fine with us. We didn’t get into it for that.”

It’s a heart-warming thought that after nearly twenty years, Low are still steadfast in their initial aim of making simple, beautiful music for the few.

Long may they continue.

Low play Classic Grand, Glasgow on 17 May C’mon is out now via Sub Pop www.chairkickers.com

© 2011 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks.

MR. JACK DåNIEL WAS ñO SåêNT. BUT Hé DI∂ S†A®T ßøμíT˙ING øF A RE¬IGêON.

Pay homage responsibly. Drink responsibly.

May 2011

THE SKINNY 17

FILM

CLASH OF CULTURES: EAST MEETS WEST

REEL FESTIVALS returns to give Scottish audiences a view of the Middle East beyond the headlines, this year focusing on Syria and Lebanon WORDS: MATTHEW STANGER

EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY

REEL FESTIVALS returns in May with a trilateral exchange of contemporary film, music and literature between Scotland, Syria and Lebanon.

Following the success of Reel Afghanistan in 2008 and Reel Iraq in 2009, this year’s programme continues to raise awareness of the Middle East beyond the headlines.

Conflict in the region dominates world news, but cultural understanding is often disregarded in favour of political analysis. The 2011 Reel Festivals is an opportunity to gain an alternative perspective on the Middle East through engagement with the arts and dialogue among communities.

The series of events kicks off in Beirut, Lebanon, on 9 May, where locals will be treated to screenings of Gregory’s Girl, Hallam Foe and The Wicker Man (what will the Lebanese think of us?) as well as a performance by Scottish musician and artist Bill Drummond, who co-founded late 80s avant-garde acid house group The KLF and once burned a million pounds.

The festival arrives in Edinburgh on 16 May and begins at the Filmhouse with a screening of Every Day is a Holiday, in which three women are incongruously stranded in the Lebanese desert, followed by a Q&A session with its director, Dima El Horr.

Every Day is a Holiday is the first of fifteen films to be shown, with each providing a rewarding insight into different aspects of life in the Middle East.

The range of complex and persuasive issues considered throughout the week is illustrated no more so than in 12 Angry Lebanese, 21 May, Filmhouse. In this powerful project organised by Lebanese director Zeina Daccache, inmates at Beirut’s Roumieh prison acted out an adaptation of 12 Angry Men in which the performance of the criminal justice system was put in the dock and examined in front of high-ranking state officials.

One of the most important purposes of Reel Festival 2011 is to highlight current protests in Syria, where the programme was unavoidably cancelled. Fortunately the Syrian element will still take place in Edinburgh, with a focus on influential documentary filmmaker Omar Amiralay a particular highlight.

Amiralay died in February of this year, and he is remembered at the festival through a two-part retrospective. His work offers a critique of political and socio-economic problems in Syria, with the highly critical A Flood in Baath Country capturing the zeitgeist of his age.

❝

Reel Festivals is an opportunity to gain an alternative perspective on the Middle East through engagement with the arts and dialogue among communities

❞

Another reflection on Syria is presented in Zabad, 18 May, Filmhouse, a personal story told from the point-of-view of a disabled man.

The documentary explores issues of politics, responsibility and opportunity, and director Reem Ali, who will take part in a Q&A after the screening, was given access to deeply intimate and private conversations between family members.

The vibrancy and variety of Reel Festivals 2011 ensures that there is something for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Alongside the film programme, collaborations of music and poetry such as the enticingly titled Golden Hour promise to capture the imagination and make this year’s event well worth a visit.

THE SCOTTISH LEG OF REEL FESTIVALS 2011 TAKES PLACE IN THE FILMHOUSE, EDINBURGH, FROM 16-22 MAY. SEE REEL FESTIVALS WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS WWW.REELFESTIVALS.ORG/FULL-PROGRAMME/SCOTLAND

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18 THE SKINNY MAY 2011

Everything’s Getting Older:

a track by track guide

John Keys tips his hat to the selfless work of DIY Glasgow promoters Cry Parrot, celebrating their fourth birthday this month

illustration: Julian dicken

To celebrate the imminent release of his collaboration with musical polymath Bill Wells, fellow Falkirk troubadour Aidan Moffat introduces Everything's Getting Older

Happy Birthday Cry Parrot!

TASOGARE The very reason I first got in touch with Bill back in 2002 was probably because of a track called Singleton from his album Also In White. I think all his music’s lovely, but that track in particular is heartbreakingly beautiful, and like all great instrumental music it says a great deal by saying nothing, and still gives the listener room for interpretation. I feel the same way about Tasogare, which almost had lyrics – both by me and by Bill – but we became so used to it as it was that we soon realised it didn’t need anything else, it says enough with its melody and sets the scene perfectly. Bill had been learning to speak some Japanese at the time of the recording, so I looked up a word that I thought would suit the song – it’s a romantic Japanese word for ‘twilight’.

LET’S STOP HERE I’ve written a lot about infidelity in the past, so with this song I decided to do the right thing for once and stay faithful. Again, it’s a good scenesetter, it references a lot of the themes that crop up later. Plus, if you’re familiar with my older lyrics, it might offer a bit of a surprise that also signals what’s to come. Kind of.

CAGES I realised one day in a supermarket car park that life – or my life, at least – was all habit. Humans need routine to function, and no matter how wild and free you think you are, you’re probably stuck in a pattern of habitual behaviour, whether you’re a sensible parent or a disco drunk. The music made me think of old black and white footage of factories; it sounded machine-like to my ears, so it seemed to sit well with the lyrics’ ideas of repetition.

A SHORT SONG TO THE MOON A very simple song about my undying love for the moon. She’s always there and she never fails to impress; undoubtedly the most beautiful object

the human eye can see. She never loses her wonder, and I often find myself staring at her with the same fascination I’ve had since I was a child, and I imagine I always will.

BALLAD OF THE BASTARD Heartbreak in love songs and rom–coms is almost exclusively from the point of view of the victim, and it occurred to me that it would be nice to hear the other point of view for once. It turned out that it’s equally as sad but for different reasons. There’s an element of autobiography here of course, like everything I write – we all take turns at being a bastard, although I’d like to think I’ve never been quite so cold as the guy in this song. Or maybe it’s a perfect portrait of me – you decide.

THE COPPER TOP A lot of the time when I’m writing lyrics to other writers’ music, I just put on the demo or whatever and see where it takes me and what kind of memories and mood they evoke. I’ve no idea why the memory of a post-funeral pint popped into my mind when I listened to this the first time, but it seemed to suit the piece perfectly, so as always I just go with it and hope that other listeners feel the same way.

GLASGOW JUBILEE This was adapted from an old play from the turn of the last century, La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler.

It’s a story about class, sexual morality and STDs – syphilis in the original – so I transposed the action to modern Glasgow to see how it would sound. In the original play, the men are philosophical slaves to nature and the women are all meek, mousey types, so in my version I made the men total bastards and tried to make the women stronger.

The original has a poet, and rewriting his part as my own was too good a trick to miss. ‘Glasgow Jubilee’ is a Scottish roundelay dance, which is what the original title refers to, and reflects the structure of the play.

(IF YOU) KEEP ME IN YOUR HEART This was written years ago, but if I remember correctly it was inspired by my Better Half when we first met. She had some pictures of her ex on the wall for no other reason than she hadn’t got round to taking them down; I started to wonder what my ex would do with her pictures and it all stemmed from there. Soon it escalated into a desperate and slightly obsessive plea to be remembered by an old lover, feelings that are easier to address once they’ve faded away.

DINNER TIME The less said about this one the better; you can work it out for yourself.

THE SADNESS IN YOUR LIFE WILL SLOWLY FADE A song about drowning your sorrows and how futile it can be, about friends trapped in that routine I mentioned earlier, and about the ironic loneliness of being extremely sociable.

THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD This is obviously about my son and how he was created. Babies aren’t miracles, they’re everywhere and most people can make them. What’s important is not how you were made but why, and this song is about being a product of love, which hopefully most babies are. It was when writing this song that I realised all the themes that were popping up – ageing, the universe, love, sex etc. – so it’s almost like the key to the record, lyrically.

AND SO MUST WE REST And so we end with the boy himself. I wrote him a lullaby and sang it to him in the bedroom and recorded it on my wee portable Zoom thing. I must have sung it a few times before he fell asleep, and thankfully the best take was the last one – that’s him snoring at the end.

It’s strange to think that Cry Parrot have only been in operation now for a mere four years; the wealth of left-field, experimental music they’ve nurtured in Glasgow, as well as bringing exotic talent from out of town and overseas, is staggering. What’s also staggering is that they’ve kept to their fundamental principles as DIY, non-profit organisers. This has kept their door prices down to a very affordable level and there’s no doubt it’s been nothing but a benefit to Glasgow’s musical community.

But don’t mistake Cry Parrot as puritanical, brown-rice cultural activists – their tastes couldn’t be further from the myopic tub-thumping of ‘the good old days’. They have successfully tapped into the weird world of bedroom-based maestros and the international blog underground, bringing truly unique and invigorating sounds from around the world to our doorstep, from the off-kilter psychedelics of Ducktails and Sun Araw to the breathtaking exploratory tones and textures of Lawrence English and Grouper, by way of the woozy hi-energy electronics of John Maus and Lucky Dragons. These are acts that push the parameters of their craft and who, in Cry Parrot, have the perfect promoter to represent them when they come to town.

Choosing the road that Cry Parrot have is not the easiest one to take; Glasgow’s a city saturated with gigs and gig promoters, too many of whom do not have the scene’s best intentions at heart, but Cry Parrot have made it plain they’re not here to take the money, fuck the bands over and run.

Four years in and we need people like Cry Parrot in our city more than ever. Long may they reign.

Everything’s Getting Older is released via Chemikal Underground on 2 May

Cry Parrot’s 4th Birthday at SWG3, Glasgow on 14 May Moon Unit (live) Ben Butler & Mousepad (live) Muscles of Joy (live) Button Up (DJ) David Barbarossa (DJ) £5 entry, 10pm – 3am Tickets available on the door or in advance at Monorail

www.chemikal.co.uk

www.cryparrot.co.uk

May 2011

THE SKINNY 19

MUSIC

The Dynamic Duo Moon Duo’s Ripley Johnson on the importance of location, two heads being better than four, and why he believes in Karma

Moon Duo’s Erik ‘Ripley’ Johnson is eager to gauge reaction to his group’s album Mazes, the second full-length born of his collaboration with his partner Sanae Yamada. “It’s interesting to get feedback because it’s hard for us to have any sense of how people perceive it,” he offers, very politely. An on-the-fly cliché-laden appraisal follows (“Eh, multi-layered, hooky, accessible, notes and stuff, not bad at all”) which Johnson duly considers and responds to: “OK, that’s cool. The one thing we tried to do was a lot more tracking, so there are more guitars on the record. It’s less minimal than on the previous recordings, so that is something we did consciously. I expected people to say ‘it’s more pop’, because there are a couple of songs on there that have that kind of thing going on.”

Johnson and Yamada have been recording their kraut-psych-drone (and now pop) out of San Francisco since 2009, when Johnson decided he needed another creative outlet for his musical vision to operate in tandem with his other, increasingly successful, going concern: psych-rockers Wooden Shjips. “Basically, I have control freak tendencies sometimes when it comes to the music and with two people it’s easier for me than with four people in that sense, because there is a little more control. Sanae and I have pretty similar musical taste whilst with the Wooden Sjips it’s varied, we have common interests but people are all over the map as far as potential direction is concerned. So it’s more focused on things that I like and things Sanae likes.”

The pair have also departed San Francisco in order to live in rural Colorado, a move motivated not just by economic reasons (“San Francisco is expensive, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to record the album if we stayed there”) but also to immerse themselves more fully in the project.

“There are no distractions, we’re off the road and we can play music, be in nature, and it’s very tranquil.”

Is this relocation likely to have an adverse impact on the productivity of the Wooden Shjips? “It doesn’t really have an impact because when we do stuff I can just go to San Francisco.

We’re not as active because other people have other responsibilities. Omar [Ahsanuddin] has a child, he’s busy with that. Everyone has got things going on, so even the boundaries that we set up for that band, left me with lots of free time to do other stuff. So Sanae and I decided to do our thing mostly full-time and then whenever the Wooden Shjips are available, I can just go and hang on with them.”

Johnson is at first taken slightly aback when asked if his lyrical content is primarily autobiographical (“It’s funny because nobody’s really asked me about that so I haven’t really thought about it too much“). One of the album highlights is a track called When You Cut, a rumbling, driving maelstrom which seems to be an ode to hedonistic excess. Is this a concept with which he is familiar? “I don’t want to take a cynical view on that, but maybe it’s a commentary on that type of attitude,” he admits. “There are people who do that and it’s part of rock ‘n’ roll and it’s what you see touring around and part of the lifestyle. I think it can distract people from playing music and you can see that in other bands, but that’s just not something we do.”

More generally, he is of the view that the album is about transition, reflecting his own scenario at the time of recording. “Themes tend to pop out of the subconscious or something. Generally, I think the songs on the album, for me looking back

20 THE SKINNY May 2011

Photo: Aylin Gungor

interview: Paul Mitchell

at it, are a lot about moving on, about trying to find your place in the world I guess, in the general sense, and saying goodbye to things and moving on to greener pastures.”

Speaking of pastures new, it turns out that this is the first time that Johnson has had experience of dealing with “a proper label.” Well, two actually, Sacred Bones in the U.S. and Souterrain Transmissions for the European release. Holy Mountain, the imprint used for Wooden Shjips releases, is, in Johnson’s words, “a midwife for the album, to help get it out there, but other than that it’s not like a normal label which is spending money and putting pressure on to tour. So I’ve never had a lot of contact with the music industry.

There is a lot of support there and they do a lot with promotion, so the question will be ‘does it pay off in the end’? We’re going through that now and hoping for the best.”

❝

I have control freak tendencies sometimes Ripley Johnson

❞

But he’s not all about conforming to industry norms and expectations, admitting that he tends to prefer smaller, spontaneous projects which kleep alive the spirit of the DIY ethos. Touring 7”s with Wooden Shjips, releasing a Christmas EP with Moon Duo and making plans to produce another one in October with a Halloween theme are all part of the plan, he says, “of keeping things interesting for us, but also as a way of connecting on a deeper level with the fans. I believe in Karma, trying to do the right thing and being nice to people. And working with people who are nice, good people and aren’t industry assholes, I think that helps. People have to like the music obviously, but I attribute a lot of it to that.”

Moon Duo play Captain’s Rest, Glasgow on 14 May Mazes is out now via Souterrain Transmissions www.moonduo.org

FILM

DYLAN AT THE MOVIES

Always changing, ever enigmatic, and consistently relevant, Robert Allen Zimmerman, aka BOB DYLAN, turns seventy this month. In celebration, the GFT is presenting a season of films looking back over the career of the inimitable songwriter and musician WORDS: DAVID MCGINTY

THE FIVE films which make up the Dylan at the Movies strand have been carefully selected by curator Dr Pasquale Iannone, who, rather than opting for more conventional documentaries, has chosen to screen films which explore and better represent Dylan’s unique relationship with cinema.

Though there are a great many films that are in some way Dylanesque, a most notable absence from the season’s lineup is Martin Scorcese’s No Direction Home, by and large the most conclusive Dylan documentary in terms of its scope and extensive research. The film that does occupy this introductory and biographical role in the programme is Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There (3 May), and truly there is as much to learn about the inscrutable singer from this unconventional multiactor biopic as there is from any of the talking heads of No Direction Home. Featuring an all-star cast of Dylan incarnations, the film explores the varying aspects of his personality and self-made mythology through each of the actors’ identities and interpretations.

The highlight of the season is undoubtedly the screening of D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back on Dylan’s birthday (24 May), which will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by John Cavanagh. To call Don’t Look Back influential does it about as much justice as describing Blowin’ in the Wind as whistle-able. Pennebaker’s film has not only served as the model and watermark for music documentaries since, but also significantly affected documentary filmmaking as a whole

thanks to his unobtrusive style and fly-on-the-wall approach (not an easy feat considering his camera was barely portable by today’s standards). The film captures Dylan in a state of flux just prior to ‘going electric’; the fragile relationships within his entourage are exposed and the film provides great insight into his renowned press conferences, where he would give captivating and provocative performances in front of journalists.

Perhaps the most intriguing inclusion is Fellini’s La Strada (10 May), which apparently greatly influenced the young songwriter, inspiring Mr. Tambourine Man. Thankfully at least one Dylanologist will be on hand to introduce each film, contextualising the individual screening in terms of its association with the singer.

As well as Sam Peckinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (17 May) for which the man of the hour provided the soundtrack and a cameo appearance, the GFT will also be showing the Dylan directed Renaldo & Clara; featuring many of his inner circle, the film is rarely seen and far from widely available in any format. Whilst the strand is providing a great opportunity to see any of these films on the big screens once again, it is this showing (29 May) that presents a real treat to the fans, proving that even after seventy years there’s still a rarity or two to entice the die-hards.

SCREENINGS THROUGHOUT MAY. A TICKET FOR ALL FIVE FILMS CAN BE PURCHASED FOR £30 (£22.50) WWW.GLASGOWFILM.ORG/THEATRE/WHATS_ON/ SEASON:DYLAN_AT_THE_MOVIES

MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 21

22 THE SKINNY MAY 2011

CLUBS

CROOKERS PRESENT: DR GONZO

DJ BOT from Italian ‘hip-house’ duo CROOKERS on their new collaborative venture, DR GONZO INTERVIEW: SOPHIE DAVIES & NATHAN JONES

SOMETHING HAPPENED in the electro scene some time around 2008 that is possibly best explained by listening to Day N Night, the Kid Cudi vs Crookers track which pretty much kickstarted Crookers’ career. Their “monster”, they joke.

It’s harder to pinpoint exactly when it began, but at some point drops became bigger and earlier, basslines less compressed, and every mutated copycat now came with the added option of including a female vocal screeching on about binge drinking. Electro ‘bangers’ were passed around the Radio 1 office, cheesy student union DJs and crappy clubs vomiting out Jäegerbomb promos, fast becoming what the electroclash mash-up was to the first half of the decade.

Alongside Herve, Jesse Rose and the fidget house crew, Crookers (Italian DJs Bot and Phra) had been brewing up quality ‘hip-house’ tracks since they began working together in 2003, whacking out three EPs, including the celebrated Knobbers, in 2008. Their best remixes (think Busy P, Chromeo) are arguably still valid staples of the record bag. But, with debut album Tons Of Friends ready to drop, interviews started filtering through in which they were less than enthusiastic about that whole sound. Especially considering they, if not invented it, then most definitely fronted it for the best part of the past four years. “We’re trying to find a way to go back but still be new...”

Bot mused to a bewildered Clash journalist.

If they were feeling a frustration about the sheer number of crap copycats out there, they counteracted it in two ways: by following their glut of 2008 remixes with the “fun” (Britney, U2, Lady Gaga) or “more mature” ones (Two Door Cinema Club); and, by smothering themselves in their much documented, much flaunted hip hop roots, with the album featuring Major Lazer, Poirier, Spank Rock, will.i.am and Kid Cudi. Wannabe producers take note – in times of moral (musical) panic, nothing salvages the soul like referencing your Credible Musical Roots.

I don’t think anyone was surprised when current project Dr Gonzo emerged at the start of this year. “It began as an EP, Bust ‘Em Up, but we got carried away and it’s being made into an album,” says Bot. “We started working with Savage Skulls and other people [Wax Motif, Neoteric] ended up getting involved. It’s a great feeling because we’re making club tracks but in a new way. That’s what’s really inspiring and interesting right now.”

If Tons Of Friends was the Skins party that makes the 6 o’clock news, Dr Gonzo is the makeor-break moment when the booze has run out and your best mate for the night has been playing the same track on repeat for the past hour. You know it’s never going to be the same, but there’s nothing to do but embrace it; it’s time to make a move. “We’re very much still continuing what we’re doing, making club tracks that make people dance,” Bot consoles, “but in a way that’s fresh.

It’s an added bonus if people enjoy it and are happy with it.”

You’ll either love it or hate it. It’s fun, cartoonish, 3D, all screaming CMYK sounds and oversized Nike hi-tops, and with Savage Skulls sharing a love of “cheesy hooks, bouncy beats, and fat bass lines,” it’s hard to see how it could differ from Crookers’ previous stuff. As Bot reminds me, “Gonzo is still Crookers. It’s crazy how you change a name and people expect everything to be different.”

But there are key differences. This is sparser, stripped down Crookers. It owes more to techno

than house: there are no massive dirty drops, instead relying on clean, brain-damaging repetition. What’s really nice, though, are the rapping dancehall snares, crisp ghettotech claps and baille funk beats threading the parts together.

Bass is now an enhancement, not the track’s sole reason for being.

Similarly, the hip-hop element of tracks off Tons Of Friends have been stripped of radio friendly vocal hooks and replaced, in Springer for instance, with sounds; boingy sounds, as if the Klaxons have stumbled across a sampler and a bucketful of MDMA, and not necessarily in that order. Get The Fuck Out, paying tribute to the new moniker’s Fear And Loathing reference, centres upon a ketamine-washed slurring of the track’s title.

So, why the change? “That’s evolution,” Bot sums up succinctly. “It’s actually more difficult to repeat the same song over and over. When people do that I can see they’re kind of freaking it, just repeating their success with something by cloning it and making another version of the same thing.”

So, where did the influences in Dr Gonzo come from? Are they simply cloning the new sounds making the rounds in dance music right now?

“No, it’s more than that. There’s some French house like Canblasters, and yes, of course, Major Lazer... we actually did a track with them. It’s everything that’s around, but it takes elements from everything and puts them together in a way that’s different.”

For a duo who have spent their public career labelled as ‘hip-house’, it could well be seen as a two-fingers-in-the-air move. Only time, and the fickle nature of today’s club crowd, will tell.

Having resolutely championed hip hop despite an almost non-existent scene in his home town of Milan (his words), they don’t seem the types to change according to the trends. Are they trying to actively escape their “monster” genre with this project? “No, it’s about being open to every influence, every contamination between different genres, so it’s pretty much never ending. There are infinite possibilities.”

If Gonzo means they descend as suddenly as they ascended, then so be it, it seems. We talk about club trends popping up, and he mentions the main one he’s noticed in the last year: “Everyone is more open. They’re up for moving away from classic 4/4 beats, by which I mean the classic kick-snare-kick-snare, and it seems to be a recent change. They may not know how to dance to it but they’re definitely more open to it.”

One influence that hasn’t ‘contaminated’ the Gonzo stuff is precisely that wonky sound; have they had to tailor their sets to get the crowds interested? “Not really, because we’re playing our new tracks that are pretty much made like that, and we’ve found people have been really receptive. A year ago it was definitely more difficult.

Now we’re getting the reaction from the people.”

From the excitement a Crookers set generates in Glasgow, I think it’s safe to say the duo’s new tracks will be appreciated. Is he looking forward to a warm reaction at Death Disco this month? “I remember a beer bottle almost hitting me in the face last time. I was scared, but the guy said, no, it’s because he’s happy. Well, OK then, if that’s the way that you share your happiness, that’s fine...

“No, but seriously, people are warmer in Scotland. It’s a good vibe.”

CROOKERS PLAY DEATH DISCO AT THE ARCHES ALONGSIDE AEROPLANE, JOAKIM AND MORE ON SAT 21 MAY GO TO WWW.THEARCHES.CO.UK/CLUBS FOR MORE DETAILS

❝

We started working with Savage Skulls and other people [Wax Motif, Neoteric] ended up getting involved. It’s a great feeling because we’re making club tracks but in a new way. That’s what’s really inspiring and interesting right now BOT

❞ MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 23

PERFORM

Social Engagement As Mayfesto returns for a second year, The Skinny takes a closer look at their programme of politically-inspired theatre words: gareth k vile

Top Five for Mayfesto Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco The Welsh contribution to Mayfesto, CGMD heralds the welcome return of Leann O’Kasi to the director’s seat. O’Kasi was one of last year’s successes, infusing a politically confused tale of American intervention in the Middle East with lively energy. This time, she has Gary Owen’s script about small town life, incompetent crooners, existential frustration and the old school bully’s quest for love. Expect karaoke, a sharp pace and a humorous take on the futility of the Big Night Out. 24-28 May, 7.45pm, £7-£15 Photo: Ger Blanch

In 2010, Andy Arnold’s decision to programme the inaugural Mayfesto as a festival of political theatre now seems prescient: the last year has seen major changes in the political landscape, including a wave of unexpected student activism, the collapse of the Liberal Democrats as a meaningful alternative to the sterile dualism of Labour and Conservative in England, and a round of arts cuts that successfully combined ideological intention with the cant of necessity’s demands. While the range of last year’s selections took a broad view of politics – Rhymes with Purple took on the torture of suspected terrorists, while Gappad looked at the social alienation that can cause a mother to kill her child – 2011’s programme steps back from the explicitly political. With contributions from Ireland, Wales and Scotland, the theme is more Celtic Nations than British Revolution.

Politics hasn’t slipped entirely off the agenda – a programme packed with Irish work would not be complete with a piece or two about the troubles, including Scottish legends Communicado doing a rehearsed reading of Ten Men Dead, focussing on the Republican hunger strike. The return of Wildcat and 7:18 veterans Dave Anderson and Sandy Nelson for “a night of political comedy, music and Mayhem” as A Bunch of Five’s It’s A Dead Liberty revives the songs, sketches and spirit of Scotland’s most famous political agitators. Apart from giving credence to the frequent comparisons between 2011 and the early 1980s – as if the riots in London weren’t enough – A Bunch of Fives links up cabaret with politics, a far too rare alliance since the burlesque revival.

Andy Arnold, both as a curator and director, has always had an enthusiasm for Irish theatre: he made his name through his versions of Beckett at The Arches. Unsurprisingly, this Mayfesto is loaded with Irish companies. The wonderful Fishamble, who brought Forgotten to Dance Base at the Fringe in 2008, bring back their kabuki inspired contemplation on old age. This gentle, yet biting,

Pat Kinevane in Forgotten

one man show demonstrates how physical theatre can bring life to the monologue. Pat Kinevane’s transitions from pensioner to pensioner are astonishing and moving, and a reminder never to discount the geriatric. Blue Raincoat made their name as Flann O’Brien’s premier stage adaptors with The Third Policeman: they return with At-Swim-Two-Birds for more surreal word play and supremely imaginative theatricality.

Mayfesto maintains a high level of social engagement at a time when some theatres are

considering backing off the serious stuff and letting the audience away with a laugh and wistful moral. Given that the cuts hitting the nation are currently threatening at least one space and the Physical Theatre course run by Al Seed, it is difficult not to take sides. If Mayfesto refuses to play the obvious card, and throw out all manner of dialectical pomposity, it at least encourages the idea that theatre is a place where social issues can get an airing. www.tron.co.uk/mayfesto/

A Quiet Chat

24 THE SKINNY May 2011

14 May, 7.30pm, £2.50

Everything Between Us Playwright David Ireland was last seen as a mad raconteur at A Play, A Pie and A Pint, lecturing and boxing his way through an apocryphal family memoir. Tinderbox have gone for a more political work: set on the first day of Northern Ireland’s Reconciliation Committee, it makes the connection between family and national conflict through the terse confrontations of two sisters. With an international scope – the Committee itself is inspired and led by a South African chair – it boils the grandiose vision of political compromise down to its emotional, personal core.

11-14 May, 9.30pm, £7-£15

Grenades Winner of the 2010 PJ O’Connor award, Mephisto’s entry may come from Northern Ireland in the late 1970s, but its tough portrayal of filial love and growing up in the mean streets has a clear resonance in 2011’s Glasgow. Set in the late flowering of punk, and concluding a decade later, Grenades explodes the myths of innocence and calculated the impact of a single, shocking act of help.

Playwright David Harrower gives us an insight into new play A Slow Air David Harrower is often regarded as one of Scotland’s finest playwrights. His scripts, frequently revived or picked up by national companies or for smaller productions in the Fringe, reveal a writer fascinated by the poetry of language, and with a fine ear for detail. A Slow Air, although it has the chamber quality characteristic of his recent work at A Play A Pie and A Pint, is a new direction for the writer. “It’s the first and only play I have directed,” he explains.

“I didn’t want to be the writer sitting in the corner as this play is so personal. It’s about people I know very well.”

Softly spoken and as sensitive to the meaning of words in person as he is on the page, Harrower is cautious about his foray into greater control. He is taking his new role seriously.”I’ve been reading books about it, and I know some stuff,” he admits.

Play Me Something Catriona MacInnes adapts the film adaptation of John Berger’s short story; this is a work-inprogress that goes for the cross-platform vote, mixing up cinema, photography and storytelling, as a stranger brings a tale of a musician that finds an echo in his audience’s own way of life. Part parable, part meditation on social change, it comes complete with Berger’s political sensibility.

18-21 May, 7.30pm, £9 (£7)

“But I am pretty sure that the actors will help me.” And directing is as much a personal quest: “I wanted to take responsibility, to engage with people.There is something a great director has, and I want to know what that is!”

Yet he can also see how the move to direction challenges a man who acknowledges that his own creative process can be insular. “Everything about this goes against the grain of me! I guess I’ll be a better person at the end of it,” he jokes.

A Slow Air looks at the dysfunctional relationship between a brother and sister, fitting nicely with Mayfesto’s take on the personal.”It’s political, but not preachy or shouty,” he concludes. “It’s about people living in Scotland, and what they have to deal with. What the world entails for them, and how they resist it, or how they react to it.”

A Slow Air, part of Mayfesto, 11-21 May, Tron Theatre, Glasgow, 9pm, £9 (£7)

King of Scotland Jonathan Watson, better known as the sardonic satirist of Scottish football on Only an Excuse, brings his humour to the role of Tommy, a man who has made unemployment his career. Somewhere between magical realism – dogs talk, taxis fly and a banker drops his trousers – and a slap at Caledonia politics, Iain Heggie’s script won Fringe First, and is now updated for that very special voting session.

10-14 May, 7.45pm, £7-£15

MAYFESTO: A NEW THEATRE FESTIVAL FOR GLASGOW Wed 4 – Sat 28 May, Tron Theatre www.tron.co.uk/mayfesto

PERFORM

Escaping the State

In the wake of the long-dreaded arts funding cuts, self-funded performance companies offer a glimmer of hope Words: Gareth K Vile

rekindle

Although most political parties pay lip-service to the importance of funding the arts, the recent attacks on grants and theatre spaces, including Stratchclyde University’s proposed closure of The Ramshorn, suggest that performance is expected to exist on a volunteer basis. Yet some theatre groups, like Flatrate, Pony Pie and Rekindle, have supported their inspiration through alternative financing. Free of the burden of developing a commercial theatre and the tick box formulae of applications, they go it alone.

Scott Cadenhead from Rekindle is funding his double bill of plays at the Arches himself “as I have done with all the shows,” he explains. “I’ve been paying for performance rights out of my own pocket and everything else that we needed we got on the cheap or borrowed from theatre companies.” This frees the company creatively: “The financial situation means that the main focus of the work that we put on will always be the play.

I think a good play can be done on an empty stage if needs must. You have to find the right team and use this disadvantage and turn it into a positive for the production.”

Amanda Monfrooe, Pony Pie’s superstar, found a way of getting her tale of Keanu Reeves, postmodern doubt and the search for meaning into Arches Live! by enlisting her friends.

“I should be clear that I didn’t need a huge sum to produce How Keanu Reeves Saved the World.

I worked full time as a waitress at Two Fat Ladies.

The owner is a former thespian and advocate of the performing arts and I suggested to him that I host an evening fundraiser at one of his smaller restaurants. Using volunteer chefs and waiting staff and food from my allotment, I earned the money I needed for the show, and the restaurant earned money from bar sales and benefitted from the PR. This is a slow process, and there was no guarantee I would get the money: I depended on the charity of my employer, friends and the people who bought tickets. But if I wanted to pay my collaborators and buy materials for the show I needed to try.”

❝

I think a good play can be done on an empty stage if needs must Scott Cadenhead

❞ Both Pony Pie and Rekindle have been rewarded for their ambition: Keanu was a work of humour and profundity, and Rekindle have sold out previous shows at the CCA and the Tron. What they demonstrate is the possibility of working outside of the existing systems of financing – although Monfrooe acknowledges that “going without means producing work on an annual basis. And that means professional progress at a snail’s pace.” Fortunately, the NTS have now offered her a role, a positive for both her and the company’s own future.

Pony Pie and Flatrate and Rekindle – along with Rhymes With Purple or Itsy in Edinburgh, and the Traverse’s Autumn Season – fly the flag for an arts independent and imaginative. The foundations of their art are as radical as their product: while fighting the closure of the Ramshorn is essential, finding paths to make theatre that does not rely on funding sends a message that government need the arts more than the arts needs them. After all, art has been defined as the lie that tells the truth, while politicians have been defined as a bunch of lying c**ts.

Rekindle Theatre presents My Child/One Good Beating Wed 4 - Fri 6 May, 7pm, £5-£7 http://talkingpish.blogspot.com/2009/06/ save-ramshorn-theatre.html

May 2011

THE SKINNY 25

MUSIC

Take Care and Carry On

Explosions in the Sky’s Chris Hrasky explains how the cult Texan instrumentalists made it back from the brink, and why they’ll never mess with history interview: david bowes

Photo: Nick Simonite

Twelve years is a long time in the music business; long enough to break many a band.

Thankfully, Explosions in the Sky haven’t plummeted through the trapdoor, but with the writing of their latest album they came close enough.

“We did a lot of touring behind the last record and we’re not a band that can write when we’re on tour, it’s just impossible for us,” drummer Chris Hrasky explains of the time since 2007’s All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone. “But then there were other things; I had a family member who had gotten sick so I was dealing with that and it derailed us for a while; one of the guys in the band had a couple of kids so obviously that changed his life. Then a lot of it was just us working on stuff and not really coming up with anything we really liked. There were several months spent frustrated, like ‘whatever, we’re done’; not even that depressed, just ‘well guys, it’s been fun. We had a great run.’”

All of this transpired to be a bump in the road for the Texan outfit. “We just took a few months off to not even think about music and then got back together, says Hrasky. “Over the course of a few months we wrote the record so the little hiatus seemed to work for us.” The result is Take Care, Take Care, Take Care – an album which aficionados may come to regard as a significant turning point in the band’s catalogue, still as emotionally wrought but possessing a new, more focused musicality or, as Chris aptly puts it, “it’s a little less obvious.” ”I think that’s something we’ve maybe fallen into in the past,” he elaborates. “For this one we tried to make a more dense record, one that was more mysterious. But also, we tried to make a more layered record. Before, it’s always been just the four of us playing in a room, setting up some mics essentially. This one was a lot more of a studio

❝

We definitely don’t want to do any sort of George Lucas tinkering with the past Chris Hrasky

❞

record, where we made some kind of foundation and built from there; there’s a lot more going on.”

With this new dynamic and a revitalised spirit, the quartet decided that not only would they be taking new risks musically but also visually, marking the first time they’ve given the green light to making a music video. “We were just opposed,” Hrasky reasons against the industry standard. “I still feel a little weird about music videos. After I’ve seen one, I can’t help it but when I hear the song again, that’s all I see.”

Despite this avoidance of more obvious ubiquitous media, Explosions in the Sky’s step into the big leagues came in 2004 when prolific music supervisor Brian Reitzell (The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation) contacted the band to ask if they might be interested in assisting his score for American football drama Friday Night Lights, which many have now come to align with the band in lieu of any music video.

Hrasky is clear to draw a distinction between the two. “We were actively involved and were excited to do [that soundtrack]. It’s a little weird, because a lot of people then associate us with that movie and [subsequent] TV show, particularly in the States, which has its pluses and negatives.

It’s been a way for a lot of people to find out about us, which has been great. It’s something we did almost 7 years ago, so it seems like ancient history to us but it’s still something people talk about.”

Then there’s the other bane of any band working with what’s perceived to be ‘atmospheric’ music (see Mogwai and Massive Attack’s IMDB.com profile for evidence), the creature that strikes revulsion in the hearts and bellies of independent artists the world over: scoring adverts.

It’s almost possible to hear Hrasky’s voice shuddering on the other side of the Atlantic at the

mention of the subject. “We certainly don’t have a problem with soundtracking,” he affirms “but having songs in commercials is a little weird. Sometimes we were embarrassed with that stuff, in that this is our job. We have kids, it’s a way to make a living but it’s definitely a weird feeling; hearing your music that was written for a completely different, and much more personal, purpose being used in some other form is awkward. But it’s up to us, it’s always our decision.”

Despite an understandable reticence to see their music manipulated and contorted for commercial ends, Hrasky was fully behind the remix album that accompanied limited copies of the band’s previous full-length – an individual entity within its own right with artists as esteemed and varied as Four Tet and Jesu trying their hand at working with the Explosions blueprint.

“I love that remix record! I guess this is real bad to say, but in some ways I actually like the remix record more than the actual record”, he guiltily laughs, “Which is weird, ‘cause I’m not usually a big fan of remixes, but the people we got to do them changed the songs completely. The Four Tet mix, there was so much stuff; there were these crazy beats over it. We were huge Four Tet fans so it was a big deal to us.”

So, any plans for a repeat performance? “I don’t know if it’s something we would necessarily do again. It just depends on who wants to do it, it’s got to be someone we’re excited about. The idea hasn’t really come up for this record; we actually thought about remixing it ourselves, that could be a fun little project.”

It’s their devotion to spotlighting forwardthinking talent that has seen Explosions in the Sky touring with so many daring new bands ahead of the pack, from fellow collaborators Eluvium to multi-instrumental experimentalists Lichens, who’ll be joining them on their upcoming UK tour. So what makes a good touring partner? “Obviously we want to take someone along whose music we really respond to,” he patiently explains, “and it’s important that if you’re spending a lot of time with people, hopefully you’re going to have a support act that you get along with well. We’re lucky enough to have people who are extremely talented and who are also good friends of ours.”

Unanimous critical acclaim is a rarity in 2011, for all the polarising efforts of the blogosphere’s cool kids, but in Explosions’ case the critics are all too willing to reach a general consensus on an international level. This had led to statements ranging from the complimentary (“To speak emotions without words is impressive, and no band is better at it then EITS” – Redefine Magazine) to the noticeably more poetic (“a band whose music is as dramatic as finding hope” – Pitchfork). Can they do no wrong?

“The first record, half of it’s out of tune – we didn’t even know how to tune our instruments!”

Hrasky reveals. “It’s a mess, just weird stuff going on in that record but that was what we were doing at the time. We definitely don’t want to do any sort of George Lucas tinkering with the past and trying to improve it because, as evidenced by him, that sort of thing never actually works.”

Music videos, film scores, George Lucas…we all know where this is going: the inevitable ‘cinematic’ tag. “These songs seem like they’re little stories, little soundtracks for movies almost, admits Hrasky “It’s rare that we can say ‘Oh, this song is actually about this.’ We keep it vague – the hope is that people make up their own stories.”

Explosions in the Sky play HMV Picture House on 15 May Take Care, Take Care, Take Care is out now via Bella Union www.explosionsinthesky.com

26 THE SKINNY May 2011

BOOKS

RELEASING THE VALVE

THE STORE FORMERLY THE GRV

LATE NIGHT BAR & CLUB LIVE MUSIC VENUE PRIVATE KARAOKE

Formerly the GRV First Tuesday of every month AFTER SCHOOL CLUB 8pm-1am drawing projects, art exhibits 18+,free entry and £1.50 drinks

VALVE is a new literary journal, and an intriguing experiment. The experiment part is that it’s been created by students of a Strathclyde University class aimed at forming a journal for new writing. Got that?

FRIDAY 6th May SMELLS LIKE THE 90’S 90;s Rock £2 Entry 11pm-3am

WORDS: KEIR HIND

VALVE’S COMING out party was a taster evening in Mono in Glasgow, with readings from all the participants, on 21 April, and it’ll have its full proper launch on 16 June in Waterstones Sauchiehall Street. I attended the taster evening to see what was happening, and found the place packed with people eager to hear these new writers read. The evening was more than ably hosted by one of the writers, Fraser Bruce, who kept the audience thoroughly entertained as a compère, and who described his approach to me afterwards as “building on the friendships, and the character traits that I know. What I wanted to do was simply let the audience know a little bit about the readers.” And he did. First to actually read was Richard Hampton, who confided that “I’m well known for getting too pished to continue – it’s what split up my band. So it made sense that I went first.” He’s being hard on himself, because he was pished when I asked him about it.

Readings then proceeded apace and, after some sound trouble, with great success. “I thought after the sound difficulties I’d have to step up my game to bring people into it,” said Matthew Lynas, “but I felt pretty comfortable.” Libby McInnes got a great ovation, telling me that “I’ve nine brothers and sisters and four of them were missing. That’s because one lives in London and the other three are underage,” which explains why. “It was good to have everyone here that I wanted, and it was a comfortable atmosphere.” True, there was a fantastic community feeling formed by the readers themselves that rubbed off on the audience. Lynsey Cameron, one of the earliest readers, told me: “My friends had made me rehearse today. Once I was up there it was fine. I hadn’t read before – I haven’t even written poems before this year,” which is pretty good going, given the results.

Many of the readers were keen to stress that the atmosphere and reception in Mono that night was a great sign. Cameron Steel told me: “This is one of the best attended and most enthusiastic events I’ve ever heard of, and I’m just proud to be a reader at it.” Samuel Best said: “I was really pleased with it, the audience were really good, a great turnout and a nice vibe.” About the magazine itself, Chris Beattie said: “I’m very excited.

Not just because my work is in print, but because everybody involved has worked together to get it in print and see the mag published.”

The student’s democratically elected project leader was Catherine Baird. “Knowing that I was responsible for guiding the project was daunting, but I was confident that I could lead it in the right direction,” she says. And how would she sum up her feelings on the project? “Totally chuffed,” she replies. “Chuffed that everybody put in as much effort as they could.” Another reader, Martin Schauss seemed a bit stunned: “It feels a bit weird that it’s in print before Uni ends,” he said. “I hadn’t expected that.”

The last reader was Gabriella Bennett, who told me: “I’m glad I was on last – I’ve got the best tights. I was supposed to be the penultimate act, but either way it gave me a chance to enjoy the night. It’s been amazing, the atmosphere was really chilled out and it was busy.” And so, yes, again, it was a great atmosphere. But what of the writing itself, the very core that produced this feeling? You’ll have to get the magazine to find out.

20th MAY - ONLY SCOTTISH DATE!

Tues 31st May with...

Jesus H. Foxx The Last Battle live lounge launch party

with more acts TBC.

3rd Jun. Free. 5pm Doors.

DETOUR’S WEE JAUNT 3 WEE-H1 : SAT 4th JUN a day of live musical adventures throughout the Capital, rounding off at Electric Circus from 8pm.

circus arcade QUIZ & MUSICAL BINGO EVERY TUESDAY FROM 8pm!

£50 H CAS E Z PRI

EVERY WEDNESDAY fun, funk, northern soul & chilled out lounge tunes.

7pm DOORS.

7PM DOORS

ONLY THE LATEST & GREATEST INDIE TUNES !!

BLOGGER SEMINAR with special guest:

SONG, BY TOAD THU 5th MAY. 7pm DOORS.

Edinburgh’s best indie & alternative night Sat 14th May. 10:30pm - 3am

10:30pm-3am

SATURDAY 21ST MAY.

GABRIELLA

MATTHEW

FRIDAY 20th TAPE SINGLES CLUB PRESENTS DEAD BOY ROBOTICS AND THE MACHINE ROOM SINGE LAUNCH. doors 7pm Friday 20th WOLF PARTY MUSIC TO HOWL TO: Pavement, Yeasayer, Memory Tapes, Surfer Blood, Animal Collective, TV On The Radio, The Cribs 11pm-3am £3/4 entry

THU

RSD AYS

BASS MUSIC / DUBSTEP / DNB / ELECTRO / TECHNO / BASSLINE

SAT 14th May DUBST*R END OF TERM RAVE (DUBSTEP/GRIME/HIPHOP) 11-3AM entry £6/£4

SHONA FOSTER

WWW.VALVEJOURNAL.CO.UK/

ELECTRIKAL £3.13 FRIDAY THE 13th SPECIAL

11pm-3am £3.13 entry

a selection of DJs, comedians & live music from...

VALVE’S LAUNCH NIGHT PROPER WILL BE ON 16 JUN AT WATERSTONES SAUCHIEHALL STREET. IF THAT’S TOO LONG TO WAIT, THE MAGAZINE IS AVAILABLE TO PREORDER NOW ONLINE

SAT 7th MAY The Bunker presents TWINHOOKER AND PAULIE WALNUTS! Ragga,Jungle,Dub. 11pm-3am £5 entry

SAT 21st IT’S ALL GOOD 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY 10 DJ's over 2 rooms, playing you the finest in Funky House/House/Filthy Electro.

FREE ENTRY BEFORE 11.30 £5 AFTER SAT 28TH MAY GRAVITY PRESENTS DAVE ANGEL TECHNO £6/8 OPEN TUESDAY - SUNDAY 8PM ‘TIL LATE FREE ENTRY AND FREE POOL EMAIL INFO@THESTOREVENUE.COM OR CALL 0131 220 2987

www.theelectriccircus.biz 36-39 Market Street || 0131 226 4224 Tickets: ticketweb.co.uk || 08444 77 1000 Ripping Records || Tickets Scotland facebook.com/electriccircusedinburgh twitter.com/circusedinburgh

MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 27

May Highlights at DCA www.dca.org.uk GALLERIES Closing Sun 8 May Manfred Pernice: déjàVu The last chance to see the first UK solo show by one of Germany’s most outstanding artists.

Opening Sat 21 May Cara Tolmie / Nina Rhodé: Read Thou Art and Read Thou Shalt Remain / Friendly Fire Experience new and recent works by two exciting young artists, through optics and story-telling.

ACTIVITY ROOM Sun 8 May Craft Sunday Make your own beads from new and recycled fabrics with Syrah Jay. 17 & 24 May Craft Tuesday Tea, cake and contemporary embroidery with Bunty and Bella.

CINEMA Until 12 May Pina An all-dancing cinematic experience in 3D – not to be missed!

Sat 14 & Sun 15 May Discovery Family Film Club: Rio Tropical adventure for the whole family.

Sat 14 May Live at the Met: Die Walkure A stellar cast bring us a live screening of the world’s greatest theatrical journey.

PRINT STUDIO Sat 28 May Andy Warhol Create prints using the simple screen-print process that Warhol used.

Sun 29 May Fish Printing Try your hand at the Japanese art of Gyotaku, using real fish!

152 Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4DY 01382 909 900. Admission to galleries is free 28 THE SKINNY May 2011

TRAVEL

Trainhopping In Japan Holiday in Japan, anyone? Ally Brown recommends it... when the smoke clears WORDS AND PHOTOS: Ally Brown

I could wait tables on this train, I thought. I could serve drinks, heavy drinks in tall glasses, on a tray held on one hand, using only one leg, while drunk, I thought. It’s so smooth! Sitting on a British train is like hatching a nest of pneumatic drills, I thought, compared to the flat-bottomed glide of this gleaming white shinkansen. How can I ever go back? And it’s going so fast, according to the blur of scenery in the window. I stood up, holding my water bottle in my left hand, and scouted. No-one was looking: one suit was transfixed by his laptop, a suit in front was concentrating hard on his bento lunchbox, and the suit at the back was asleep. I lifted my left leg off the ground, crouched, and hopped across a river, three kayaks and a houseboat, without spilling a drop. Take that Jonathan Edwards – you, actually, very nice man – take that jump and stick it!

I exaggerate a little: British trains are okay; what really feels like you’re hatching a nest of pneumatic drills is when you’re sitting on the bog when a massive earthquake strikes 450 miles away.

First thought: am I ill? I can’t sit still, my head is spinning; how much did I drink last night? Then: maybe this is what a faraway earthquake feels like.

It wasn’t my gut or my head, it was exactly what a faraway earthquake feels like.

Although the calamities in the north-eastern part of Honshu have knocked it off any tourist’s schedule for the foreseeable future, most of Japan is continuing with life as normal. The Japanese are legendarily stoic and hard-working – Hiroshima’s tram system was up-and-running just three days after the city was wiped flat by the A-bomb – they’ll bounce back as quickly as is humanly possible.

Japan itself is a beautiful country with a singular culture, more resistant to globalisation than most, and so endlessly fascinating to Western eyes. Ordinarily, this is where I’d say, “There’s never a bad time to visit Japan”, but the Foreign Office might disagree, so check online for the latest advice.

If you want to get the most out of a trip to Japan, you have to get a Japan Rail Pass. It’s a piece of folded card you show to barrier staff to get on any JR train – including most bullet trains and all local trains – whenever you want. So you can wake up anywhere in Japan and go anywhere in Japan that day, on a whim if you prefer, for the duration of your pass. Presently, the pass unfortunately features on its cover a cartoon representation of a tsunami, towering over Mount Fuji – two images iconic of Japan; one with a painful new association.

On my first morning in Tokyo, I handed my JR Pass receipt to Aika at Ueno station, to receive the pass itself. “Oh no!” she said, her face pained with regret. “Your train will be a Kodama, it’s the slow one.” Sadly, I would not be breaking any land speed records on my first day in her country. The sluggish Kodama is the most common shinkansen between Tokyo and Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe). It took 50 minutes to carry me 70 miles to Mishima, where I was to base myself at a friend’s for ten days; that’s 19 miles further than the Glasgow-Edinburgh train travels in the same time. The Hikari stops less, so is faster: it takes 44 minutes to cover 70 miles. But even the Hikari is an apathetic snail compared to the Nozomi (32 minutes), or the brand new Hayabusa (30 minutes), neither of which are covered by the JR pass.

But merely rattling off numbers can’t effectively convey the speed at which a shinkansen travels.

Only one word bullets to mind to perfectly describe the bulleting speed of the Japanese bullet trains: “projectilish”.

Tokyo is the biggest and quite possibly best city in the world. There are 35 million people in Greater Tokyo: that’s seven times the population of Scotland; about the same population as Canada, the word’s second largest country; and almost half the number of Celtic fans who say they were in Seville. But it suffers none of the problems that too-many-people seems to cause other megacities:

it’s incredibly clean, tidy and ordered, there’s no air pollution, it’s shockingly safe, and public transport is efficient and usually comfortable. It could so easily be overwhelming, but it feels less crowded than London, which has a quarter Tokyo’s people. I went to Shinjuku station, the busiest in the world, to catch an evening rush hour train to Tokyo station, expecting to see the famous pusher-oners – employees whose task it is to push as many commuters on to each train as possible – and perhaps be pushed on by a pusher-oner. Instead, I got a seat.

While Tokyo functions impeccably, its character remains eccentric. I took a stroll through Yoyogi Park on a Sunday and saw normal park activities – badminton, frisbee, picnics, couples hand-inhand – and less expected sights: an old woman practising keepie-uppies; young girls dressed as Manga characters; groups of competitive rock’n’roll dancers, all dressed like Happy Days characters (mostly The Fonz); an old man with live fish in goldfish bowls hanging from each ear; red-favouring goths; apocalyptic preachers; karate bouts. Around every other corner in central Tokyo is a bewildering and delightful variety of bars, shops and blazing nighttime lights, using inscrutable symbols to make unknown promises.

All you can do is wander, wide-eyed, and wonder; and wish to be able to sample it all. But you could live in Tokyo all your life and never sample it all.

With a rail pass in hand, you’re discouraged from trying: it’s time to move on. There are plenty of getaways outside of Tokyo, mostly in the surrounding Japanese Alps. Pelting snow greeted me at the mountainous area of Hakone, so I stripped to the nip and walked outside, into an onsen, a hot bath filled with volcanic water. Back inside the traditional B&B, known as a ryokan, I dressed in a yukata gown, drank green tea, ate a pack of delicious convenience store sushi, and slept on a tatami mat. You could say I spent that evening turning Japanese. Further north – but not within

range of the tsunami – is Nikko, another wondrous mountain retreat with beautiful lakes and waterfalls, onsens and elaborate old shrines. Some people use a JR pass to cover as much ground in Japan as possible, but I wanted the pass to serve my holiday, not the other way around. I spent ten days in and around Tokyo, never further north than Nikko, before hopping on a shinkansen to Kyoto.

Kyoto is very different from Tokyo: it’s not a ridiculous size, so it’s less intense, unless you’re a serious scholar of Japanese history, in which case you’d have to spend every waking minute exploring its 2,000 (two thousand) temples and shrines. For the rest of us, we fit in what we can: a golden Buddhist temple here, a zen rock garden there, torii gates and geisha girls almost everywhere. Downtown Kyoto is as clean and modern as any Japanese city, but down its side-streets and alleys you can find flashes of old Japan, as evocative of the area’s history as the Old Town is of Edinburgh’s. Osaka, a convenient half-an-hour westward, is conveniently comparable to Glasgow: twice the size of its ancient neighbour, more commercial and industrial, and with better nightlife. This area, Kansai, also boasts the beautiful former capital of Nara, and Kobe, which you can hop between as you please with a JR pass.

In the days following the disaster, I continued trainhopping around Japan as planned. On the ground, nothing was different; it’s odd to see life continuing as normal when the television shows such devastation to fellow citizens; but continue it does. Despite what some media outlets portrayed, Japan wasn’t on its knees, and it isn’t on its knees now. Don’t write Japan off: the shinkansen must go on.

See the Japan National Tourism Organization website seejapan.co.uk for latest advice and updates on the post-earthquake situation, and for JR Pass prices and more general info. The book Japan By Rail by Ramsey Zarifeh (Trailblazer, RRP £13.99) is highly recommended to assist a trip of this kind.

For the latest travel advice from the British Foreign Office, check out www.fco.gov.uk/en/ www.seejapan.co.uk

May 2011

THE SKINNY 29

Go Away!

To OFF Festival, Poland

Photo: Jacek Poremba

TRAVEL

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So, why pitch your tent at just one amazing August music festival in the Eastern part of Europe (see last month’s piece on Sziget, Budapest) when you can hit two in a week? Hardcore, possibly, but we know you’re up for it. It’s almost time for the happy hive of eclecticism that is the alternative OFF Festival. Rocking out in the beautiful Three Lakes near Katowice, it’s three days of fabulous festival fun from a paltry 45€ (with camping!) for a three day pass. That’s about as much as it costs to merely let the thought of going to a Festival over here cross your mind. This year, get your rocks OFF (sorry) at any one of the four live stages where you can bash about to the sounds of

Primal Scream, Gang of Four, Mogwai, Deerhoof, Low, Liars and... well hunners and hunners more. If that’s not enough you gluttonous bastard then go watch one or all of the film, art, and poetry performances happening around the music and when you just can’t take any more, you can crash out at the OFF Festival village for just 4€ per person per night, before heading to Hungary, of course.

There are regular cheap flights to and from the UK and Europe to Katowice with Wizz Air, Ryanair, Lufthansa and KLM. [Lavinia Ward] OFF Festival 2011 Katowice, Poland 5-7 Aug www.off-festival.pl

Alt-holidays for (alt-) Musicians

The marketplace can sometimes cater to extreme niche tastes. For example, it’s possible to acquire your very own dinosaur bones, fried burgerscented candles, even mementos of strangers’ weddings. But now, courtesy of Craig and Celene McIntyre at The Cottage Residential Music Studio, we have a product catering to those who like to play music, and go on enjoyable breaks away (yeah, weirdos. The world is full of them!)

The McIntyres have linked a refurbished self-catering stone cottage (sleeps 5-6) on the shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll with a purpose built rehearsal and recording studio. It’s more affordable than you would imagine, a popular choice is the weekend break for 2 nights at £250 for up to 5 people (call in advance if there are going to be more of you to discuss with Craig).

The well-equipped facilities can be used to record and produce tracks, but it’s more than just a

recording session - it’s a different type of getaway.

Musicians can bring their friends / partners for a holiday and a jam or they can engage in full audio recording projects. The spectacular surrounds of Loch Fyne offer opportunities for fishing, hill-walking or hanging out in the hotels and restaurants in local village of Cairndow or the nearby town of Inveraray.

The place is already proving popular; Acts such as the Low Miffs, Sabai, Aerials Up and Powertrip have already made the trip, with many subsequently becoming repeat visitors.[Paul Mitchell] Getting there: From Glasgow, Edinburgh and the South by road, M8 westbound until the Erskine Bridge.

82 westbound until Tarbet on Loch Lomond. A83 until the head of Loch Fyne. The Studio is 1 mile past the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar at the head of Loch Fyne Citylink buses 926 and 976 from Buchanan Street bus station Glasgow will drop you off at the studio if you tell the driver For further info, see www. thecottagemusic.co.uk or call Craig on 07796330717

SPEND SOME TIME IN STIRLING THIS MAY WITH SOME GREAT SHOWS! visualise: reloaded Physical Theatre and Live Science

Horse

Deliciously Dark Physical Comedy

Fri 13th – Sun 15th May 2011 Surprising and exciting events in museums and galleries throughout Scotland. Bring yourself, bring a friend, bring the kids, heck – bring the parents!

Bet you’ll have a good time!

Sat 7 May 2pm & 7pm

Sat 21 May 8pm

Six Black Candles

Spring Awakening

Sun 22 May 8pm

Thur 26 - Sat 28 May 8pm

Award-Winning Dark Comedy

Come along and join in the fun – find out more at festivalofmuseums.com

Tony Award-Winning Cult Musical

MACROBERT, UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING

TICKETS 01786 466666 WWW.MACROBERT.ORG 30 THE SKINNY May 2011

Festival of Museums is run by:

We thank our supporters and partners:

May 2011

THE SKINNY 31

SHOWCASE

Jamie Fitzpatrick

“My work looks at how genetic exploration and hybridity affect our perception of reality. By confusing the boundaries between species, human and animal, we lose a sense of specificity in the natural world. So, for example, the minotaur was half man, half bull. But he was neither a man nor a bull. What I find interesting is that transgenic exploration, the science of transferring genetic code from one species to another, is doing a similar thing in as much as it creates animals that are composed from parts. Glowing mice that are neither mouse nor fish, pigs that are neither pig nor man.

For me, the most interesting part of all this is that these animals are 'made'. They have not evolved but, instead, have been created. They are, for want of a better word, 'CREATEures'. By existing outside of the natural order of things, they to some degree operate as a fictional entity. A kind of mythology brought to life. By creating ‘unreal’ organisms in the laboratory, modern science has become the vehicle with which imagination and creativity have overrun nature and evolution.”

Jamie Fitzpatrick graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone in 2009. He recently spent some months in Florence as part of the John Kinross RSA scholarship, and now lives and works in Glasgow. He currently has work in the Hancock Museum in Newcastle and Shoreditch Town Hall, London.

Fragaria dionisea

32 THE SKINNY May 2011

Ananas nepenthes

May 2011

THE SKINNY 33

FASHION

ECA FASHION GRADUATES 2011

This May the capital will again see the newest crop of fashion graduates hit the catwalk with their debut collections.

The Skinny was lucky enough to get up close and personal with some of the most beautiful offerings

Styling Alexandra Fiddes Photography Edmund Fraser www.lightsoutcollective.com Make up/hair styling Victoria Watson vrok@hotmail.com Model Melissa Marshall at The Look 1. Bertie May 2. David Valance (with Topshop shoes £68) 3. Anna Stephenson 4. Anika Hoppel 5. Nicola Paxton FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.ECA. AC.UK/FASHIONSHOW TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING PERFORMANCES: WED 4 MAY 6.30PM: FASHION WED 4 MAY 8.30PM: PERFORMANCE COSTUME THU 5 MAY 8.30PM: MIXED SHOW (FASHION & PERFORMANCE COSTUME) FRI 6 MAY 7PM: PERFORMANCE COSTUME FRI 6 MAY 9PM: FASHION TICKETS £15 FROM HUB TICKETS: WWW.HUBTICKETS.CO.UK; TELEPHONE 0131 473 2000

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THE SKINNY 35

FOOD & DRINK

Outdoor Boozing As the sun peeks through the clouds your thoughts turn to drinking outside.

But where? We’ve compiled a guide Words: rosamund west Illustration: Nick Cocozza

GLASGOW

You can’t drink in the park. Sorry.

EAST END

A brief survey of Glasgwegians revealed that West Brewery (Building 4, Templeton Building) is far and away the favoured outdoor drinking spot for those in the know. It serves St Mungo’s, brewed on site and a lager so pure it is alleged to offer a hangover-free drinking experience. West is located in the old Templeton Carpet Factory on Glasgow Green, a picturesque spot steeped in genuine Weegie history.

Sticking in the approximate area, other recommendations include the beer garden shared by Clutha Vaults (167-169 Stockwell St) and The Victoria on Bridgegate which is secluded, with very reasonable prices and a host of entertaining local characters.

CENTRE

Over in the Merchant City, Babbity Bowster (1618 Blackfriars St) provides both good beer garden and delicious food, if you’re feeling a bit flush.

Down the road, Sloan’s (69 Argyle Arcade) has lots of picnic tables in a central (off Buchanan St) location, but not so much sun. The Social (27 Royal Exchange Square) has extensive seating out front, providing a good vantage point for people watching afternoon shoppers and early evening slaggles.

Heading west, Slouch (203-205 Bath St) is a newcomer to the outdoor drinking scene, with a newly opened beer garden. CCA café (350 Sauchiehall St) has seats outside, good for students slacking off from GSA, or those who like to peoplewatch these weird and wonderful creatures.

At Charing Cross, Chinaski’s outdoor bit (239 North St) is small and sophisticated, better for quiet drinks or a date than a session with a big group. It’s not great for sun, but there’s good food, good drinks and it’s quiet.

The EH10 is inspired by the Gimlet cocktail, with blueberry added as a twist on the cherry element present in the classic Aviation. Inventor Bex Hand, from Montpeliers of Bruntsfield says, “I wanted to use primarily local ingredients to reflect Edinburgh Gin’s Scottish provenance. With this in mind, the tabasco seems a bit out of place but I wanted to give some heat to the overall taste of the cocktail to balance the sweet ingredients.”

WEST END

The West End is really where it’s at when it comes to outdoor boozing. McPhabbs (23 Sandyford Pl) is a very popular suntrap – getting served can take a while on a sunny day, but who cares with all the sunshine? The Big Blue (445 Great Western Rd) overlooks the river Kelvin with sunny seating spilling onto the busy walkway. Big Slope’s (39a Kelvingrove St) newly refurbished beer garden is compact and just below street level on the sunny side of the street, and comes complete with hanging baskets and picnic benches.

Ashton Lane boasts a number of decent outdoor-drinking locations. There’s Brel, famed for its mussels and fine beer selection, which has a grassy bit out back that catches the sun.

It’s a popular choice so best start drinking early in order to secure a seat. Vodka Wodka and Jinty McGinty’s also have outdoor areas, while Glasgow institution The Ubiquitous Chip has a pleasant if compact rooftop terrace.

With its leafy courtyard, summer barbeques, quality bar food and extensive drinks list, converted church Cottiers (93 Hyndland St) is a favourite with media-ish Hyndlanders and students alike.

The Rock (205 Hyndland Rd) has long been a first choice for sunshine pints, although the proximity of a busy road can ruin the atmosphere somewhat.

EDINBURGH

Drinking in the park is permitted.

OLD TOWN

The Beehive (18-20 Grassmarket) is the surprise hit of the Grassmarket, with a large, sunny multilevel beer garden out the back, climbing up towards the Castle. Into Tollcross and the Auld Toll (37-39 Leven St) has a homely beer garden which is very like sitting in someone’s actual garden. It’s better in daytime, when it gets some sun.

36 THE SKINNY May 2011

Around the University The Peartree’s (36 West Nicholson St) giant picnic table-filled courtyard has been the city’s premier beer garden destination for years. It’s decent enough, with good suncatching abilities, although the drinks can leave a little to be desired. Off the Royal Mile, Black Bo’s (57-61 Blackfriar’s St) has a surprise garden out the back adorned with foliage and fairy lights.

BRUNTSFIELD

Up to Bruntsfield, and the Golf Tavern (30-31 Wright’s Houses) has outdoor seating with a view over the Links. You can also hire putters here, should you feel the urge to play sport. Further up is Bisque (69 Bruntsfield Place). Like a wardrobe into Narnia so is the door to Bisque. It has a heated, extensive outdoor area filled with plants and even a hedge. They offer good food and a vast selection of quality spirits.

NEW TOWN

New Town hits include the Starbar (1 Northumberland Pl) – the beer garden’s a bit wee, but they have a 10p juke box which made this place a huge hit with our researcher Lewis. Nearby is the Cumberland (1-3 Cumberland St) which has a big tree-lined garden below street level with picnic tables that fill up pretty damn quickly at the first glimmers of sun.

At the top of Leith Walk you’ll find a bunch of places with outside seating on the street, from the gay bars beside the Playhouse down to ever-popular sun trap Pearce’s (23 Elm Row). There’s also

the Outhouse (12a Broughton St Lane), good for tasty beers, pizza and the occasional barbeque.

LEITH

Exciting find of the week has to be The Yard (2 Bonnington Rd Lane), tucked away behind Pilrig Park with a huge two-tiered beer garden, picnic tables, umbrellas, foliage and live jazz on a Sunday.

The Shore in Leith is the money shot of outdoor drinking locations, with a host of bars offering seats along the waterfront. The Waterline (58 The Shore) has numerous standard pub tables and standard pub fare in drinks and food. The Granary, The Ship and The Shore offer a variety of street front benches, while Cruz (14 The Shore) wins the unusual location prize with a cocktail bar on a boat and seating on the top deck. Across the water you can find somewhat well-kept secret Teuchters Landing (1c Dock Place), which has canal-level seating on a floating platform as well as more traditional picnic benches on the waterfront.

If you’re feeling particularly brave try venturing along Salamander Street to quiet gem of a pub The Pond (2-4 Bath Rd). It’s got a good selection of continental lagers and spirits, and a beer garden with heating and a very small pond. The road to get there’s pretty grim, so stay safe.

Additional research by Lewis Macdonald (and crew), Sophie Kyle, Liam O'Brien and Jamie Dunn Please drink responsibly

EH10

by Bex Hand, Montpeliers of Bruntsfield 37.5ml Edinburgh Gin 37.5ml Roses Lime Cordial 25ml S Blueberry liqueur (Scottish blueberry liqueur based on whisky, with honey) 4 dots Angostura bitters Splash Tabasco Shake and double strain. Serve in a classic coupette style glass. Garnish with fresh lime.

Montpeliers, 159-161 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh. EH10 4DG 0131 229 3115 www.montpeliersedinburgh.co.uk

Photo: Kim Campbell

REVIEW

Bloc 117 Bath Street Glasgow G2 2SZ

There are few pleasures greater than having a decent sit-down lunch on a week day. To feel the benefit you have to have at least two courses, possibly three, and a proper drink. I take a seat in Bloc, have a sip of beer, think of the queue I saw at Greggs on the way here, and sigh contentedly.

Bloc is a popular music bar on Glasgow’s Bath St and wears the scars of its busy nights lightly; its battered wooden benches and tables and easygoing staff are welcoming in the quiet of the afternoon.

The danger of eating lunch in such a place is the temptation to stay, and to lose the rest of the day to slow, steady boozing.

When my lunch companion arrives we turn to the menu, which has recently undergone a revamp. There are the standards that form the backbone of any decent bar menu – burgers, sandwiches, salads, and an interesting selection of pizzas and pastas – as well as a range of Asian/Mexican/European-fusion dishes.

Our starters arrive. The Asian fusion chicken broth is made with a decent stock and freshened with green herbs, noodles and slices of milky white chicken breast lurking at the bottom of the bowl.

The vegetable tempura is as it should be: crisp vegetables, crisp batter and none of that whiff of old oil common to lesser establishments. For mains, we have chilli beef noodles and a Spanish-inspired butifarra negra pizza. The first has a good kick of heat from fresh chillies, the second has the unlikely pairing of chorizo and Scottish black pudding. Morcilla might have been more successful, but otherwise the pizza is excellent with a paper thin, crisp base.

For pudding we order the Hot Bloc Choc Brownies. Expecting the usual small square of underdone cake mixture, we are taken aback by the confection of brownie, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and drifts of chocolate powder that arrives. We stagger out the door, our bodies gripped by an almighty sugar rush, all thoughts of an afternoon of drinking forgotten. [Keir Roper-Caldbeck] Starters from £3, sandwiches from £4, mains from £8

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Food News May

AU BAR Perched on Shandwick Place on the outskirts of the business district, Au Bar’s distinctive Art Nouveau-ish décor houses one of the friendliest places in the West End to meet, eat, drink and chat. They offer a good range of continental beers and a varying selection of cask ales. If you’re hungry, they’ve got great bar food with a French twist. It’s popular with the after office crowd, with an outdoor area and reportedly the dodgiest juke box on the planet.

Au Bar also host office, leaving and (adult!) birthday parties, available with or without a buffet or meal.

Food’s served until 9.45pm or 8pm on Sundays.

Au Bar, 101 Shandwick Place, EH2 4SD 0131 228 2648

Embo The lunchtime queues should be enough to tell you that this is somewhere you want to eat. Located at the top of Leith Walk, Embo delicatessen offers a mouth-watering array of healthy meals in a light, bright, wood clad deli.

They’ve got outdoor tables, a (very) wide range of veggie and vegan options, and are child-friendly. Menu highlights include a nourishing soup of spinach, a tablespoon of crème fraiche and a handful of crumbled feta.

Or a homely spinach and feta muffin with fresh pesto. Or a salad plate of fennel salami, baba ganoush, roast veg, tabuleh and grilled halloumi. Carefully made desserts include home-baked millionaire cheesecake and glutenfree chocolate brownies. They also offer an outside catering service, including meeting and business lunch platters, and free delivery on orders over £20. * Offer! Free coffee and cake/pastry for anyone who 'likes' the embo deli fan page - http://www.facebook. com/pages/Embo-deli/196598043699855

Join us throughout the month of May to try our new summer cocktail menu, and enjoy 2 cocktails for £6

Open Mon–Fri 8am–4pm; Sat 9am–4.30pm. Closed Sun. 29 Haddington Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh, EH7 4AG 0131 652 3880 info@embo-deli.com

Mention this Skinny advert at the bar...

20% STUDENT DISCOUNT (not to be used in conjunction with this offer)

www.smartcityhostels.com/bar50 May 2011

THE SKINNY 37

contemporary art in print

studio exhibitions courses shop

printmaking

summer school 2011 four individual 4 day courses running from 18 July- 4 August: stone lithography alternative etching digital imaging and screenprinting japanese woodblock printing now booking!

For over 40 years Edinburgh Printmakers has provided equipment and expertise to support artists. It is recognised as an international leading pioneer of innovative contemporary printmaking practices.

Sign up for one of our education access courses to gain access to the studio and get involved.

Full details are available on our website.

For further information and booking phone 0131 557 2479 or e: enquiries@edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk 23 Union Street, Edinburgh, Eh1 3LR

www.edinburgh-printmakers.co.uk

Pleasance Theatre, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ Box Office @ Teviot Row House, 13 Bristo Square, EH8 9AJ Box Office 0131 650 4673

Set in the late 19th century, this rock musical concerns teenagers who are discovering the inner and outer tumult of sexuality.

Pleasance Theatre | 24-25 May @ 8pm | £9/£8 conc.

www.eusalive.co.uk 38 THE SKINNY MAY 2011

Spring Season 2011 www.eusalive.co.uk

Boothby Graffoe is back with music & his own uniquely warped view of life.

“A master of the surreal” The Scotsman Pleasance Theatre | Fri 27 May @ 7.30pm | £10/£9 conc.

Live Music Theatre Comedy Dance Literature Film Club Nights

MUSIC

Live Music Highlights

METAL COLUMN

words: Mark Shukla

With his unflappable baritone and rambling lyrical flow, Bill Callahan (formerly Smog) is an enigmatic balladeer very much in the Lee Hazlewood/Leonard Cohen mould, and his show at Glasgow School of Art on 7 May (in support of his cracking new album, Apocalypse) should appeal to anyone hankering for a dose of searching alt-country introspection.

Whilst there’s a slew of hip-hop artists who could justifiably be referred to as legends, none can lay claim to having revolutionised the science of rap in the way that Rakim did in the late 80s. His effortless lyrical dexterity, supremely measured flow and steadfast refusal to play the industry game make his appearance at Glasgow Arches on 9 May a must-see for connoisseurs of the genre.

Hardcore/punk fans take note: Canadian scene darlings Fucked Up will squeeze onto the stage at Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire on 10 May for what promises to be one of the month’s lairiest gigs.

With a 78-minute surrealist rock opera due to drop in June, Fucked Up are nothing if not unpredictable – a quality perfectly embodied by the earthshaking exhortations of lead singer and full-time bearded crazyman, Damian Abraham.

NZ three-piece Die! Die! Die! do a nice line in taut, aggressive post-punk. Sounds so-so on paper but there’s a certain unresolved tension about their music that has seen them fit right in on bills with Slint and Pixies. They play damn hard too.

Touring in support of third LP Form, you can see them at Glasgow Captain’s Rest on 10 May and Edinburgh Bannermans on 11 May. Montreal’s Suuns are undoubtedly one of the most promising young bands to have emerged from the robust Canadian scene of late. This year’s Zeroes QC revealed them to be a band of impeccable taste and technique, blending confident, controlled rock moves with noirish electro motifs to sublime effect. Their gig at Glasgow Captain’s Rest on 15 May comes with our highest recommendation.

Instrumental post-rock legends Explosions In The Sky play Edinburgh Picture House on 15 May. Sure, you know what you’re getting into with an EiTS gig, but if undulating seas of gossamer guitar tone are what floats your boat then it doesn’t get much better than this.

Italian avant-sludge weirdos OvO will attempt to level Glasgow’s 13th Note on 16 May using a saucy combo of monkey-in-a-guitar shop drone riffs and Diamanda Galas-in-a-cement mixer vocals. Support comes from recently reassembled shit-kickers Divorce and Gropetown plus solo drones from Hivver. Take yer hard hat.

With a frenetic aesthetic comparable to the likes of Battles and HEALTH, but possessed of

a creative sensibility entirely their own, Three Trapped Tigers are making solid progress in dissolving the perceived boundaries between rock and electronic music. Theirs is a three-way scuffle between guitar, synth and drums from which each participant emerges bruised but beaming.

Glasgow School of Art 21 May. Sparrow and the Workshop seem to have some serious momentum behind them right now, and with new single Snakes In The Grass sounding uncannily like Grace Slick fronting The Breeders we’re expecting good things from their new album which is released on 23 May – the same day as their gig at Glasgow’s King Tut’s. Edinburghers can catch them on 24 May at Sneaky Pete’s.

Long overdue a return to these shores, synthesising the freakiest vibrations from bass culture, electro and hip-hop, US sensations Spank Rock take no prisoners in their pursuit of good times and filthy rhymes. Politically correct it ain’t, but you won’t see a more energising live show this month.

Glasgow School of Art on 25 May and Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire on 26 May. With a sound that takes in surf and wall-of-sound with layovers at rockabilly and mariachi, rousing eight-piece The Bookhouse Boys have all the tools to make their gigs at Stirling Tolbooth (30 May) and Glasgow King Tut’s (31 May) go with a bang – a fine way to round out a month of top drawer live shows.

Rakim

Suuns

Stag and Dagger Various venues (Glasgow) 21 May

Over the last two years, Stag and Dagger’s Glasgow leg has honed the multi-venue urban festival format into a slick, well-oiled machine.

2011’s eclectic line-up suggests they’ll make it three for three, with big(ish) name veterans like Clinic alongside young guns like Star Slinger.

Sound of 2011 graduates Warpaint and Yuck are potential queue-builders, with buzz still building on the latter and lingering around the former, while you’d be daft to miss Kurt Vile and the Violators woo the Captain’s Rest with tracks from the recently-released Smoke Ring for My Halo.

Toronto’s Rural Alberta Advantage and Oklahoma’s Colourmusic are amongst this year’s

imports, but it’s the array of contemporary Scottish talent that really impresses, including Admiral Fallow, Broken Records, Conquering Animal Sound, The Scottish Enlightenment, She’s Hit, Sons & Daughters, Veronica Falls, Wake the President and, if you’re looking for something more heavy and confrontational, our money’s on De Salvo. Also on the noisier end of the spectrum are Japanese oddballs Bo Ningen and grunge revivalists Tribes, while ambient mavericks Toro Y Moi and Chad Valley should keep the party going into the wee small hours. Early-bird tickets are long sold-out, so act fast.[Chris Buckle] 12pm, £18 Taking place at O2 ABC, Captain’s Rest, Glasgow School of Art, Stereo and Nice ‘n’ Sleazy www.staganddagger.com

Photo: Crimson Glow

HOT TICKET of the month

The transition from spring to summer has got to be the worst time of year for metalheads. Autumn is when life begins its annual descent into decay, cruelly followed by winter, with its stark, frostbitten winds.

So what do the approaching months hold in store for us riff-worshipping children of the night? Sunshine?

Flowers in bloom? At least there’s enough going on in assorted dank dungeons throughout May to keep us in tinnitus till the Big Four take over Sonisphere.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh residents can look forward to a night of blood and entrails-draped brutality with Studio 24 hosting the second instalment of the Dead Haggis Deathfest (7 May) with Wisconsin slaughter-mongers Putrid Pile heading the charge, although the other nine bands will undoubtedly be worth the pennies too.

If an evening of noodly instrumental wonders is more your thing, head over to Òran Mór a few nights later (9 May) for a few new treats by Belfast’s finest, And So I Watch You From Afar.

Classic Grand makes a contribution to the fiery end of humanity by presenting Brummies Anaal Nathrakh (6 May), a night that’ll probably be remembered in the same light as the bombing of Dresden if their past live record is anything to go by. Support will be coming from kindred spirits Chronocide and the amazingly-monikered Drugzilla.

Remember earthtone9? Beardy, proggy, shouty types, and probably the only thing to come out of Nottingham in the past 20 years that didn’t have a gun-crime statistic tacked onto it? They’re finally back, they’re playing Stereo (19 May) and they’ll be bringing fellow prog brethren The Ocean with them. And if you enjoy The Ocean that much, you can catch them again at Banshee Labyrinth and Aberdeen Tunnels (24 & 25 May).

Speaking of comebacks, Queens of the Stone Age will be touting the reissue of their stellar debut at the O2 Academy (20 May, returns only kids) and Rush will be, well, being Rush and hopefully jamming Limelight on a loop at the SECC (14 May).

Inverness will be seeing a visit from sludge heavyweights Soilent Green, finally playing a Scottish date for what’s probably the first time since the Tories were last in power. And at King Tut’s (13 May), no less. Expect whisky and weed induced heaviness on an unprecedented scale.

Finally, praise be to the 13th Note. They’ll be letting Glasgow brutalists Diementia (20 May) roadtest their new vocalist with doomsayers Black Sun kicking arse and taking names beforehand.

Now if all that isn’t reason to go out and brave the sunshine, then there’s just no hope left for any of us.[David Bowes]

De Salvo's P6

Earthtone9

May 2011

THE SKINNY 39

Earth Stereo, 5 Apr

O2 ABC, 4 Apr

rrrrr ‘Legendary’ is an overused epithet in music journalism, but in the case of Californian stoner-rock pioneers Kyuss, it feels entirely warranted. Since their demise in 1995, Kyuss’ influence has grown with each passing year: like the Pixies or Slint, they seemed to disappear just as they were about to explode commercially, and such is the mythology which has developed around them that their appearance at the ABC tonight feels barely plausible.

Admittedly, this is not strictly Kyuss, but Kyuss Lives – the altered name indicating original guitarist Josh Homme’s refusal to join his former bandmates Nick Oliveri, John Garcia and Brant Bjork. His place is taken by Bruno Fevery, and his absence is barely noticed: after all, Kyuss were always about the sound rather than personalities, and that side

That Fucking Tank 13th Note, 24 Apr

rrrr The proto-industrial clamour of Rollor has plenty of strengths, like a drum machine that’ll make the fillings in your teeth rattle, and Matt Harris’ knack for crafting riffs out of feedback, but his creative exuberance has the unfortunate effect of making the more direct bass playing of David Collins appear lifeless by comparison.

Shield Your Eyes are lots of things, but lifeless isn’t one of them, especially given that drummer Henri Grimes’ performance is energetic enough that it sometimes causes him to lose parts of his kit. And his clothes. Concentrating largely on material from their upcoming full-length, the songs from their first two albums that do make it into the set are transformed, expanded and embellished to the point of being almost unidentifiable.

Lacking the more free-form structures of the other acts tonight, it’s easy to peg Hey Enemy as the odd man out on tonight’s bill, yet they make

40 THE SKINNY May 2011

of things doesn’t disappoint here tonight. Gardenia, the epic first track on 1994’s Welcome to Sky Valley, is the perfect opener: a jet-engine assault of bass-driven power chords that perfectly exemplifies the Kyuss blueprint, simultaneously slow-mo and impossibly heavy.

Other highlights include the bruising swingbeat blues of Thumb, which sounds as fresh tonight as it must have done at Kyuss’ fabled early-90s shows in the California desert, and the onslaught of 100 Degrees’ driving riff. In the live context, these tracks hammer home the point: despite Kyuss’ incalculable influence, nobody has managed to convincingly recreate their primal, bass-centred sound.

They may have been away for sixteen years, but on their return, they still feel more vital and relevant than too many bands that have followed in their wake.

[Sam Wiseman] www.myspace.com/kyusslives

up for any lack of spontaneity with a focus on solid riffs.

There’s still enough vibrancy from the band to keep them from falling too far behind and their head-on style packs plenty of oomph, but this is a far more sedate performance than we’ve become accustomed to.

As That Fucking Tank take their allotted floor-space, it seems the crowd has tripled in just a few minutes. Then again, the appeal is evident when Andy Abbott picks up his guitar, pairing a sense of virtuosity and a bass-heavy punch to drive home sinewy melodies. All the while, James Islip makes do with a stripped down kit and he’s still as loud and unrestrained as any John Bonham disciple with a wider array of toms and cymbals at the end of their sticks. It must be migraine-inducing to get this complex a sound from such a basic setup, but this pair make it look easy. [David Bowes]

www.thatfuckingtank.com

www.thronesanddominions.com

photo: Alex Woodward

Kyuss Lives

In a sense, Sabbath Assembly are a headliner’s worst nightmare. Not only are they technically adept purveyors of a particularly hypnotic strain of 70s-tinged rock, but they also have Jex Thoth on vocals, a woman who is intense, hypnotic and undeniably enchanting to watch, wielding the same primal energy that Britt Ekland so perfectly captured in The Wicker Man. When you find your body unconsciously swaying in time with hers, it’s understandable to feel that this is what it’s like to be in a cult, albeit without the robes.

Earth’s intensity is a less visceral thing, not something that is seen by the eyes but more a force that’s absorbed through the body’s atoms.

Descent To The Zenith may not be the strongest moment on their latest album, but as an entrance it certainly works, a lofi journey along unending desert highways via Dylan Carlson’s

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead / Rival Schools The Garage, 17 Apr

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photo: Pete Dunlop

photo: Crimson Glow

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focused picking. It’s also a useful showcase for Nirvana alumni Lori Goldston, her cello tying tonight’s performance together with a melancholy hum.

In contrast, touring bassist Angelina Baldoz seems somewhat unsure in her role, comfortable during more recent works but uneasy when they step back in time for an impressively heavy take on Coda Maestoso in F (Flat) Minor. Thankfully, Adrienne Davies keeps the full band in line with not only a perfect sense of timing but a seeming oneness with her kit to boot. Her body instinctively falls into each strike, the force meeting the flow of Carlson’s molten melodies with absolute sureness.

In an odd turn of events, they return to the stage for an encore of Angels of Darkness Demons of Light, although when the whole show has been this tranquil, this direct and this unrestrained, it’s less of a come-down for the evening than it is an appetite whetter for their next show, distant though that may seem.[David Bowes]

with an enthusiastic performance, but no-one’s willing to listen.

Rival Schools suffer from the same problem, though to a much lesser degree. Instead, it only takes a few songs to get the audience on their side, Travel by Telephone marking the line where the tide turns and some actual enthusiasm can be witnessed.

Walter Schreifels’ schtick has always been near-impossible to dislike, his emotive vocals a mere facet of his punk-rock persona, another one being his wryly playful banter. While their impromptu

photo: Stuart Reidman

Live Reviews

The Unthanks Queen’s Hall, 15 Apr

rrrr It’s probably praising with faint damnation to suggest that Glasgow-based four-piece Trembling Bells definitely have more convincing live performances in them. Their third LP, The Constant Pageant, has extended their sonic palette in many different directions, wilfully averting their previous pigeonholing as a ‘psych folk’ outfit, and it is evident the live show is trying to match this eclecticism.

Founder Alex Neilson and co. have introduced a heavier, rockoriented sound, and the former Jandek and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy collaborator seems intent on bringing that to bear tonight.

Singer Lavinia Blackwell’s deeply impressive and malleable voice struggles in the face of Neilson’s rhythmic onslaught, and it is only when the percussion stops, on an a capella number sung by she and Neilson, that we get a full appreciation of the majesty and potential of this ambitious outfit.

Bon Jovi cover could have been the highlight, the set closes with Used for Glue to bring us back to more stable ground with a glorious bang.

Any scientist worth his salt knows when it’s time to revise a theory, and this is one such case: the crowd have not been caught under our favourite satellite’s lunar sway. No, it seems they were just holding their energy in reserve, because when Conrad Keely walks on stage there’s a borderline-anime explosion of energy on the floor. Which is nice, because ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead aren’t exactly asleep on their feet either, as the opening barrage of Ode to Isis and Strange News from Another Planet makes apparent with all the subtlety of a hand grenade.

It’s this energetic enthusiasm that makes the show, whether it’s in the form of Jason Reece’s alternating energetic turns front of stage and on the drum stool, Autry Fulbright’s tightly groove-wound basslines and smooth-as-butter footwork or Keely’s solid mass of sweat, guitar-god poses and boundless riffitude. [David Bowes]

Neilson, however, does particularly impress in a cameo appearance as one of eleven performers who take the stage as The Unthanks, with the eponymous Northumbrian singers Becky and Rachel taking centre stage throughout.

The ensemble is employed judiciously, with well-chosen orchestral interjections neatly adding to the atmosphere of the sisters’ traditional (and highly impressive) folk delivery.

Despite Rachel looking like she could go into labour at any moment (her partner and pianist Adrian McNally mischievously telling us that ‘The tour was in the book before the bun was in the oven’) the sisters maintain an easy energy and charm throughout, using vocal effects to good effect one minute and then stepping away from the mics altogether to show that theirs is a natural, pristine talent; one just at home on traditional fare such as Gang Tae the Kye as on their wonderfully eclectic take on Robert Wyatt’s lullaby Song For Hamza. [Paul Mitchell] www.the-unthanks.com

Cat’s Eyes St. Andrew’s in the Square, 25 Apr

rrr It’s easy to see Cat’s Eyes preference for more ornate surroundings given that their initial live outing took place in The Vatican; St Andrews on the Square certainly fulfils that premise. However, the reverberent setting does have some drawbacks in that, on the more raucous tracks such as Sunshine Girls and Cat’s Eyes, the swell of instrumentation – although tightly executed – throughout the chamber does serve to drown out the vocal delivery of The Horrors’ Faris Badwan, and most notably, that of soprano Rachel Zeffira.

Being seated for these tracks, and that of an impressively energised cover of Pink Floyd’s Lucifer Sam, also has the effect of draining some of the potential fervour amongst the crowd. Thankfully, Zeffira takes her chance to shine on the ambient arias that are Not a Friend and I’m Not Stupid and does so with aplomb; confirming the notion that her introduction to the world of popular music is possibly the best thing to come out of this particular collaboration. [Paul Mitchell]

www.rivalschools.net

Cat’s Eyes is out now on Polydor

www.trailofdead.com

www.catseyesmusic.com

RECORDS

THE DIRTY DOZEN With the obvious exception of Beady Eye, this month’s singles pile gets a shed more lovin’ thrown at it than by our local rock stars of recent times. Well, summer time is on the way after all, a natural aphrodisiac as the Fresh Prince once claimed WORDS: DARREN CARLE

Wild Beasts – Albatross (Domino, 2 May) Albatross (****) marks the first fruits of our cover stars’ imminent third album, Smother.

Hayden Thorpe’s falsetto delivery has often been a bit of a barrier on past efforts, yet with a turn towards more ethereal electronica, it’s starting to sound more at home here.

Stalking Horse – Heathen Head, Howling Heart (Too Pure, 9 May) As a jangly, up-beat number Heathen Head, Howling Heart (**) doesn’t ask much of the listener. Not an issue in itself, but where’s the chorus? Not that we’re sticklers for pop etiquette, but sometimes there are reasons things are done a certain way.

Beastie Boys – Make Some Noise (Capitol, 16 May) After the overly-conscious To The 5 Boroughs, Make Some Noise (***) finds Brooklyn’s finest shouty rap mongers in spirited form. Throwaway, good time title – check. Inspired, yet goofy lyrics – check. Insane, wiggly electronic, brain-burrowing tune centrepiece – um, check! It’s good to have them back.

Comet Gain – Working Circle Explosive (Fortuna Pop!, 23 May) The dirty garage jangle that kicks off Working Circle Explosive (****) may be entirely derivative but it marks a fine turning point in this month’s singles. Merging chugging guitar and laconic Wire-esque vocals with squalling 60s reverb solos produces a surprising breath of fresh air and will

likely have you rifling through dad’s record collection to source out their influences.

Herman Dune – Tell Me Something I Don’t Know (Fortuna Pop!, 23 May) On a personal note, I have never ‘got’ Herman Dune, their album Giant being one of the few CDs I’ve ever returned. So it would take something pretty special to change my tune and unfortunately Tell Me Something I Don’t Know (**) isn’t it. It’s nice and jaunty enough, with whimsical, everyday lyrics but it’s fairly anaemic and utterly forgettable to these ears.

Arctic Monkeys - Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair (Domino, 23 May) Who would have thought the Arctic Monkeys would have come this far? Lord knows what the kids who shook their bits to ‘Dancefloor’ make of the Sheffield lads these days, but Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair (***) sounds pretty fine. Creeping in on a Cramps-esque spidery guitar line before exploding into a not-too-chanty chorus and bowing out on some QOTSA-lite guitar chops. That’ll do.

Young Legionnaire – Numbers (Wichita, 9 May) Comprised of some blokes from Bloc Party and, er, The Automatic, Young Legionnaire seem to be one of those bands that exist to occupy the lunch-breaks of cocksure ‘lesser’ band members.

Numbers (**) tries far too hard to be crunching of guitar and angsty of voice with twiddling, derivative solos to boot. Basically, even if you haven’t heard this yet, you already have.

P.U.M.A.J.A.W – Mask (Bedevil, out now) Gliding in on some cinematic John Carpenter style brooding electronics will always win you points ‘round these parts. Mask (**) bolsters this with Pinkie Maclure’s ethereal and somewhat genderless vocals, until... a fairly routine 4/4 disco drum beat kicks it into an all-too-familiar shape.

Promising but ultimately disappointing.

Bronto Skylift – Italo Calvino (Dino Rawk, out now) Brutal and unrelenting, Italo Calvino (****) packs a number of ear-fizzing punches over its modest three-minute duration. It’s exactly what we’ve come to expect from this badass Glasgow duo. The drums are ‘pneumatic-drill’ ferocious, the guitars are of the two-chord unrelenting and pummelling variety whilst the vocals, well, they’re just terrifying.

Washington Irving – Abbey Gallop (Instinctive Racoon, out now) The fey pipes of Abbey Gallop (***) are a world away from the dark Bronto underbelly. Yet there’s still a snarl in these young folk troubadours with lines like “Your domesticity appalls me and I’ll bite off the hand that feeds me”. It tempers their floatier aspects although overall it’s hard not to hear the rustic anthemia of Frightened Rabbit lurking around.

Beady Eye – Millionaire (Beady Eye Records, 2 May) What on earth is this sub-Bluetones, workmanlike trudge through a countrified Status Quo off-cut? It’s the new Oasis-sans-Noel single, Millionaire (*)?! Really? This is what gets the cover of Q Magazine these days and is winning the minds (such as they are) of pub lout-oriented rock fans up and down the land? They’re quite welcome to it.

SINGLE OF THE MONTH King Creosote and Jon Hopkins – Bubble (Domino, 30 May) Perhaps there’s been enough praise heaped upon parent album Diamond Mine (not least from these pages) but that’s no reason to go all contrary on Bubble (****). Absolutely gorgeous right from the off, even before the dream-like keys and plaintive banjo take hold and transport you to a world of idle coastal charm in which you’ll swear you want to take up cosy residence.

KING CREOSOTE AND JON HOPKINS PLAYS THE ANNUAL HOMEGAME FESTIVAL IN ANSTRUTHER, FIFE ON 6-8 MAY JON HOPKINS

EP REVIEWS CITIZENS

TRY HARDER EP 16 MAY, SELF-RELEASED

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KING CREOSOTE

WWW.KINGCREOSOTE.COM

STEVE ADEY

THESE RESURRECTIONS EP 9 MAY, GRAND HARMONIUM

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PLAYING STEREO WITH ROLO TOMASSI AND TAKE A WORM FOR A WALK WEEK ON 12 MAY

With only the scarcest of offerings since his 2006 debut album All Things Real, 2011 looks to be a positively prolific year for Edinburgh-based Steve Adey, as he showcases this latest crop of tracks, with a full length LP due later in the year.

As with much of Adey’s first effort, there’s an attractive contrast between the sparse instrumentation and emotional density of the end product.

Opener Tomorrow employs a skeleton-staff of piano, voice and percussion, though in its short two-and-a-half minute span, ramps from a soothing choral refrain to an intense, jarring end. Elsewhere, Adey sets the tone for a promising album to come, genre-hopping between folk and electronica on the wonderful Just Wait Till I Get You Home, and embracing his orchestral persona on the classical, string-rich instrumental Soundtrack/One. [Paul Neeson]

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CITIZENSUK

WWW.STEVEADEY.COM

Few bands better epitomise the continued health and energy coursing through the contemporary underground hardcore scene than Glaswegian trio Citizens. As music continues to be strangled by financial, technological and industry-based factors beyond the control of most musicians, the world has arguably never needed this genre’s uncompromising sense of purpose more.

Confrontational from the outset, Try Harder is something of a gauntlet thrown down to similar bands struggling to persevere in today’s musical climate. With it, Citizens have at last captured the sheer raw aggression of their live shows whilst incorporating the nimble, rhythmical inventiveness that keeps them sounding fresh. It’s a succinct, unrelenting slice of DIY excellence. [Austin Tasseltine]

ALBUM REVIEW

VARIOUS

ONE INCH BADGE PRESENTS SEA MONSTERS: THE BEST OF BRIGHTON 9 MAY, ONE INCH BADGE

Though they’ve since delivered records from the likes of Why? and Casiotone For the Painfully Alone, Brighton-based label One Inch Badge remain besotted with the hometown talent that first persuaded owner Alex Murray to set up shop. This eighteen-track compilation was released locally in January to mark their twentieth release – as good a milestone as any – and now the rest of the country gets to explore the fruits of OIB’s sound-scouting.

It’s not flawless, but such ‘state-of-the-scene’ overviews never are: dunce caps are reserved for Salter Cane, whose Sorrow is far too close to Nick Cave parody to deliver much enjoyment; and The Hornblower Brothers, whose existential ponderings are insufferably twee.

But they’re outnumbered by moments of excellence: Illness’s The Guardian gives steady time signatures the finger to produce awesome instrumental scuzz-rock with echoes of Cowtown; Cold Pumas are deliciously heavy and abrasive on Proof of Man; Nullifier and Soccer 96’s respective takes on 8-bit electro are confident introductions to two acts yet to acquire much of a profile beyond the BN postcode, but fully deserving of one; while Drum Eyes’ John Carpenter-esque Future Police, lifted from last year’s rather good Gira Gira, is no less darkly imaginative for its recycling.

The Squadron Leaders mark a final fine discovery, closing the compilation with nostalgiainducing surf whammy bends and tropical saxophone, affirming the breadth of One Inch Badge’s cherry-picking. And with nary a whiff of Kook or a big-beat banger to be found, it seems London-bythe-sea’s in rude health.[Chris Buckle] WWW.OIBRECORDS.COM

MATT SWEENEY AND BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY MUST BE BLIND/LIFE IN MUSCLE OUT NOW, DOMINO

rrr Picking up where 2005’s Superwolf album and I Gave You EP left off, Must Be Blind sees laconic folk champion Will Oldham reunited with erstwhile bandmate and song writing partner Matt Sweeney, the jobbing guitarist who has wielded his plectrum for a cast of characters including Cat Power and Billy Corgan in the ill-fated Zwan project.

From the warm distortion of Must Be Blind’s first riff, and the tremulous percussion, this isn’t new sonic ground for the duo but it’s as touching a return as followers can hope for, with a lyrical refrain distinct enough to draw most weary souls in to rest their heads. “My guide she’s been run through so many times/ I must be blind.” The flipside – Life in Muscle – isn’t of quite the same quality, but it’s a solid enough effort in itself. [PJ Meiklem]

MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 41

ALBUM REVIEWS

RECORDS

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: BILL WELLS & AIDAN MOFFAT EVERYTHING’S GETTING OLDER 2 MAY, CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND

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Considering the frequency that ageing pops up as a lyrical theme on Everything’s Getting Older, it’s appropriate that it took former Arab Strap man Aidan Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Bill Wells eight years to finish it – the two having first got together when Wells tinkled the ivories for the Falkirk duo in 2003. Happily, it’s a record that’s well worth the wait. Wells’ sometimes sad, sometimes joyous piano is the perfect foil to Moffat’s poised, memorable musings.

At times, Moffat is the filthy raconteur of old, only even more battle-weary, worn-hearted – maybe even wiser. Just as you fear fatherhood has made the once kiss-and-tell swordsman soft, he hits you with Glasgow Jubilee, as nasty (and addictive) as

anything penned in the Strap days. Wells’ music moves from minimalistic lullaby to dark, jazzy abandon, detouring through what very may well be a tongue-in-cheek nod to Elton John.

But it works – oh, does it work – with only the love-will-conquerall schmaltz of The Greatest Story Ever Told letting the side down ever so slightly. A great record for anyone, especially those – as Moffat sings – “still clinging onto youth.” [PJ Meiklem]

WWW.CHEMIKAL.CO.UK

BEASTIE BOYS

EFRIM MENUCK

WILD BEASTS

OUT NOW, CAPITOL

23 MAY, CONSTELLATION

9 MAY, DOMINO

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HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE, PART 2

PLAYS "HIGH GOSPEL"

SMOTHER

This material has been in existence for pushing on two years now and was originally to be released as Part 1, which will now appear at some unknown later date. Confused? Well, it’s nowhere near the head-trip those expecting another Hello Nasty are bound to experience. Rather than pushing forwards, the Boys have spun the hands of time anticlockwise to create a truly old-school hip-hop record, a photo album of everything that made these Brooklynites into genre-straddling hotshots.

There are still a few songs that meet the criteria of Beasties singledom, like the bluntly forthright Nas collaboration Too Many Rappers and the dubby ragga of Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win, but the deeply sinister Say It sounds too much like a DJ Krush mashup to really find a niche in the running order. Maybe Hot Sauce... isn’t the album to gain them any new fans, but it’ll surely prompt a few jaded souls back to the fold. [David Bowes]

As a founding member of both Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mount Zion (under its many varied monickers) Efrim Menuck has spent 15 years as a central figure of post-rock and an inspiration to those other musical pioneers looking to combine the roughness and politicisation of punk with the elegance and grandeur of classical. This record is an accumulated collection of his solo adventures.

As well as the usual haunting passages of guitar and signature delay, High Gospel also brings to the fore Menuck’s work with analogue noisescapes and musical deconstruction. Some of this sound-craft, typically flying in the face of the digital revolution and the dominance of ProTools etc, is intriguing and at times forceful, such as on cacophonous second track A 12-pt. Program For Keep On Keepin’ On. That said, the mayhem is nicely tempered by more familiar excursions into the spacious Canadian melancholy of his other projects, including the delicate, guitar based, August 4. Year-Of-Our-Lord Blues. [Chris Cusack]

WWW.BEASTIEBOYS.COM

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR PLAY BARROWLANDS, GLASGOW ON 22 JUL

If they weren’t tired of the comparisons already, Wild Beasts’ third studio album guarantees they will continue to be talked of in the same breath as Talk Talk and indeed Radiohead – bands capable of courting mainstream popularity whilst maintaining their own sense of singularity, creativity and willingness to experiment. Here, that experimentation is subtle, impressively restrained – make no mistake, this is progress from a band learning assiduously as they go along. Opener Lion’s Share showcases this process pointedly. The menacing synth and plaintive piano create an otherworldy atmosphere, whilst Hayden Thorpe’s voice, in the past often dissonant, now adds dimension. Tom Fleming appears on vocal more prominently, he and Thorpe interplaying rather flirtatiously throughout (see Burning and Deeper). Plaything is a microcosm of the album’s lyrical themes of love, lust and all the complexities and frustrations of those emotions. On Smother, Wild Beasts have taken inspiration from a myriad of musical sources (electronica, prog rock, opera even) and condensed it into their own unique brand of pop. Impressive. [Wilbur Kane]

WWW.BRAINWASHED.COM/GODSPEED

SMOTHER IS OUT 9 MAY ON DOMINO RECORDS. WILD BEASTS PLAY ORAN MOR 6 MAY

ACROSS TUNDRAS

THE DOUGLAS FIRS

16 MAY, NEUROT

9 MAY, ARMELLODIE

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SAGE

HAPPY AS A WINDLESS FLAG

It’s no secret that Neurot is a label that loves to reward hard work and Across Tundras definitely meet the specs, now releasing their fifth studio album (not counting numerous EPs and tour-only treats) despite only having formed in 2004. Their impressive work ethic is reflected in the scope of their sound, a tumultuous core of Americana, country and classic rock bound by a mantle of psychedelic doom, the songs of the pioneers as heard through an Orange stack, a plethora of pedals and a head full of THC. As a unit, Across Tundras have one of the best dynamic arrangements around, Matt Shively’s bass both warm and relaxed, roaming unrestrained through their vast landscapes, while Nate Rose’s percussion strikes onwards with a primitively tribal insistence. The sharper edge is provided by Tanner Olsen, his riffs and solos laden with the soul of his forefathers and his throat possessed by the blues masters. It’s intense, it’s soothing and it’s a true work of American art. [David Bowes]

Considering it was recorded in bits and pieces over a seven year period, Happy As A Windless Flag is remarkably coherent, flowing together with a finely-calibrated sense of pace, tone and atmosphere.

During that time, Jesus H. Foxx’s Neil Insh corralled various musicians to breathe life into his solo compositions, and the results are enigmatic and enveloping, with similarities to Deerhunter’s hypnotic alt-pop.

The quality never drops: A Military Farewell appropriates World War 2 paratrooper song Blood on the Risers (in turn an adaptation of civil war marching-song John Brown’s Body) to ghostly effect; The Quickening’s ambient folk triggers unnamed emotions left right and centre; while closer Soporific is anything but – gently soothing but in no danger of inducing sleep. Apparently, recording of his second album is well underway; with Insh’s debut only partially explored after a dozen listens, it’s greedy to crave another so soon, but difficult not to. [Chris Buckle]

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ACROSSTUNDRAS

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/THEDOUGLASFIRS

THE DOUGLAS FIRS PLAY OLD ST PAUL’S CHURCH HALL, EDINBURGH ON 13 MAY

ENABLERS

BLOWN REALM AND STALLED EXPLOSIONS 23 MAY, EXILE ON MAINSTREAM

rrrr Enablers’ mélange of stream-of-consciousness poetry and juddering math-rock was never going to make them stadium-fillers, but there was always something there that was going to resonate with a certain personality. Their latest looks set to be trying to rope in some new listeners too – not by means of simplification, but rather the opposite; the music here is now more complex than it ever was, moving into a realm that more accurately keeps pace with Pete Simonelli’s dextrous lyricism.

As it has always been, Simonelli’s delivery sways back and forth between vehement and morose, his subjects ranging from the banal to the surreal, but on the likes of Maorandi: Natura Morta #86 they hold their own place alongside – rather than smothering – Joe Goldring and Kevin Thompson’s intricate melodies. By reinforcing the band’s individual strengths yet arranging them in a more harmonious manner, they’ve produced something that has all the intensity of End Note but presented as one of their most balanced releases so far. [David Bowes]

AMON TOBIN

MARK E

EMA

23 MAY, NINJA TUNE

16 MAY, SPECTRAL SOUND

9 MAY, SOUTERRAIN TRANSMISSIONS

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ISAM

STONE BREAKER

PAST LIFE MARTYRED SAINTS

Ninja Tune’s stalwart producer Amon Tobin remains something of an enigma – owing to a reputation largely indebted to the Brazilian’s unique brand of sampling, where one minute you’re basking comfortably in resplendent jazzy vibes and the next you’re quietly shitting it in the face of a Lynchian wall of terror.

Isam, his first album proper since 2007’s Foley Room, furthers the expansive use of field recordings explored on his last record, this time processing those found sounds into playable instruments.

As should now be expected, the result is a heady melting pot; from the speaker-crushing dubstep of Goto 10, to the euphoric Wooden Toy, to the unlikely Kitty Cat – an intoxicating detour of jagged melodies and feline-themed vocals. It all serves to prove that Tobin remains at the vanguard of electronic music – an expert producer of emotive atmospheres, whose creative decisions carry enough shock value to put your iPod’s shuffle function in the shade. [Martin Skivington]

Great unmixed full-length house albums are as rare as hens’ teeth, but with Stone Breaker Mark E has delivered the goods in fine style. This may be his first album of original productions, but the Birmingham-based producer has already acquired a reputation as a master technician off the back of his hypnotic re-works of tracks by the likes of Womack and Womack, Diana Ross and Birth Control.

Whilst deep, slo-mo disco edits have been his calling card thus far, Stone Breaker finds him diversifying his approach and allowing more of his personality to shine through, with cheeky nods to ‘80s pop, electro and Detroit techno popping up on numerous occasions. Direct, deliberate and refreshingly unfussy, Stone Breaker is a considerable achievement and further solidifies Mark E’s reputation as one of the leading lights in modern house music. [Mark Shukla] PLAYING SUBCULTURE, GLASGOW ON 14 MAY

Erika M. Anderson’s solo debut as EMA continues to explore similar territory to her previous outfits Amps for Christ and Gowns: the epic, burned-out hinterlands where rock meets noise, evocative of the vast, empty landscapes of Anderson’s native South Dakota. The songs here defy easy categorisation, lurching unexpectedly from Charalambides-style spectral folk into bass-driven, ritualistic rock (The Grey Ship); or melting into frazzled soundscapes of feedback and e-bowed guitar (California).

That sonic diversity, and Anderson’s versatility as a guitarist, are at the core of the record’s power. Most of all, it’s the juxtapositions that make it work: as on Milkman’s oscillation between breathy, Kim-Gordon style stripped-down vocals and washes of dense noise. Through this kind of instinctive, genre-defying structuring, EMA manages to channel the primal intensity of the blues into a contemporary form, making Past Life Martyred Saints a remarkably accomplished record. [Sam Wiseman]

WWW.AMONTOBIN.COM/

HTTP://MERCMUSIC.NET/BLOG/

HTTP://WWW.SOUTERRAINTRANSMISSIONS.COM/SOUTERRAIN/

42 THE SKINNY MAY 2011

CHRISSY MURDERBOT

AUSTRA

ALAIN JOHANNES

9 MAY, PLANET MU

16 MAY, DOMINO

23 MAY, REKORDS REKORDS

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WOMEN’S STUDIES

FEEL IT BREAK

SPARK

Coming out of the vibrant Chicago dance scene, Chrissy Murderbot is your new favourite DJ / producer. As dubstep grows ever more earnest and cheesy, discerning clubbers are in search of new sounds and tempos – what Murderbot offers is modelled loosely on the Chicago ‘juke’ sound, a long-established movement which incorporates the dance craze known as ‘footwork.’ Cleverly, Murderbot’s approach to juke is to throw wide the doors of the 160bpm, frenetic style to a wide selection of influences and sounds.

Opener Break U Off recalls early Tempa dubstep with its R&B vocals and minimal keys; New Juke Swing is sped-up ragga grime, with a rabble-rousing, party-hard vocal from Rubi Dan. Bussin’ Down featuring juke legend DJ Spinn would sit well alongside the hypercolour synths of Joker or the skewed R&B psychedelics of Hudson Mohawke, but clips along at a much jollier pace than either.

[Bram Gieben]

With a tense phantom-like clasp, Katie Stelmanis’ icy vocals disarm the listener, seeping under one’s skin like anaesthetic. Her operatic proclivity is realised on The Beast, whereas Darken Her Horse is instantly reminiscent of The Knife, teeming with piercing MIDI and scintillating synth trickles. The accompanying video for recent single Beat And The Pulse features erotic lesbian interpretive dance, webbed hands and warped teets.

The Toronto-bred trio shares its name with the goddess Austra from Latvian folklore, personifying the morning blaze. Their esoteric sound is vying for the freak-out, bound within Pandora’s box alongside Siouxsie & The Banshees, Zola Jesus and Fever Ray. Yet with former Björk sound engineer D. Taylor summoning an upbeat pulse at the helm of the project, Feel It Break has a surprisingly accessible quality: feral as CocoRosie and simultaneously remixable as Ladytron. [Era Trieman]

When Alain Johannes’ wife Natasha Shneider finally lost her battle with cancer in 2008 he set out to commemorate her with a collection of songs that he felt channelled the essence of his late partner and reflected her love of music as well as her reputedly terrific personality. He gradually amassed a collection of cigar-box guitars throughout the course of his travels with Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the Stone Age which went on to form the bulk of the instrumentation on this understated but engaging album.

The melodies are typically reminiscent of QOTSA and Masters of Reality, though adapted to Johannes’ more intricate style. Some of his guitar work is quite remarkable and his voice is consistently emotive without being overwrought. Though earlier numbers, such as the memorable Return To You do overshadow the second half of the record somewhat, Spark is still a solid collection and the personal significance of its genesis remains evident throughout. [Chris Cusack]

WWW.MURDERBOT.COM

WWW.AUSTRAMUSIC.COM

WWW.ALAINJOHANNES.COM

TRUE WIDOW

THREE TRAPPED TIGERS

PLANNINGTOROCK

30 MAY, BLOOD AND BISCUITS

23 MAY, DFA

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ROUTE ONE OR DIE

AS HIGH AS THE HIGHEST HEAVENS AND FROM THE CENTER TO THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE EARTH 2 MAY, KEMADO

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Dallas-based doomy slow-core trio True Widow have apparently attempted to convey the sprawling loneliness and desolate beauty of the American prairie on this, their second full album. Certainly the material’s resolutely sombre pace and swirling roominess is somewhat representative of the approach of darkness on a desert drive, but this material only really succeeds when the band turn their hands to stronger melodies, such as on second track Blooden Horse or Wither.

The material attempts to be lead-heavy in places but it doesn’t feel entirely natural, whereas the combination of hymnal dirge with vocal melody is excellent and favourably reminiscent of early Low. It’s a big noise for two guys and a girl but needs those injections of sweetness to keep it interesting. For first-time listeners, be advised to perhaps skip track one, Jackyl, until you’re more familiar with the material, as it’s a slightly meandering opening to an otherwise effective record. [Chris Cusack]

Fans of Hella, Lightning Bolt et al take note: on their debut Route One or Die, Londoners Three Trapped Tigers present a remarkably accomplished contribution to the world of frantic, IDM-inspired instrumental post-hardcore. The group are distinguished, amongst other things, by Tom Rogerson’s jazz-influenced piano and keyboards, which mesh improbably well alongside the whining, frazzled guitars and scattershot drums.

Rogerson has declared the band’s intention to replicate some of the mood and aesthetic complexity of artists like Squarepusher using a rock form. On paper, such a project sounds like a mere exercise in musicianship, but its value becomes apparent on tracks like Noise Trade, which layers gorgeous synth chords over hypnotically fast percussion. While Route One does occasionally drift – penultimate track Magne is a non-committal dub-rock jam – for the most part, its sharpness and breadth of imagination ensure that it retains a sense of narrative focus rare in instrumental rock. [Sam Wiseman]

For the follow-up to 2006’s chamber-pop debut Have it All, Janine Rostron – aka Planningtorock – keeps the tracks tightly encased within a minimalist, spectral netherworld. One of the more challenging acts on James Murphy’s DFA label, the Berlin-based Boltonian creates unearthly atmospheres through the careful layering of repetitive, constrained orchestral flourishes, drum loops and heavily processed vocals.

W’s closest reference points are Fever Ray or the Knife (Planningtorock in fact collaborated with the latter on the opera Tomorrow, In a Year in 2010), but despite the shared aesthetic approach, Rostron’s songs have an intimacy entirely their own. Highpoints such as The Breaks have a strangely uncanny melodrama to them: while the emotional register belies a love of orthodox pop, the mode of expression imbues the songs with a haunting otherness. Such qualities demonstrate Rostron’s willingness to explore the borderlands between songcraft and technology, and make W a deeply imaginative and genuinely distinctive record. [Sam Wiseman]

WWW.TRUEWIDOW.BLOGSPOT.COM

PLAYING STAG & DAGGER, GLASGOW ON 21 MAY

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/PLANNINGTOROCK

rrr

PSYCHEDELIC HORSESHIT

13 & GOD

GANG GANG DANCE

16 MAY, FAT CAT

9 MAY, ALIEN TRANSISTOR

9 MAY, 4AD

rrrr

rrrr

rrrr

LACED

When Matt Horseshit and Ryan Jewell of Psychedelic Horseshit labelled their abrasive-yet-melodic music ‘shitgaze’, they did themselves quite the disservice. While their tongue-in-cheek neologism indicates both compromised recording quality (‘shitness’, if you will) and the immersive dreaminess of shoegaze, it fails to capture the multifaceted dayglo wonder that is Laced, which is great, then horrible, then great again (and, actually, the horrible bits are pretty great too). Thus a new genre is born: tropical-drone treblesore calypso-noise mystic-pop squishy-garage punk-gaze.

OK, so the name needs work but its catalysing album is fully formed and rather awesome. I Hate The Beach’s insouciant eight-minute ramble and the mesmerising title track stand-out from the dense haze, while Another Side suggests, fittingly, another side to the Ohio duo, its conventional structure and harmonica middle-eight emphasising that, for all their egregiously tuneless vocals (not to mention their family-unfriendly name), Psychedelic Horseshit are never far from pop’s shores. [Chris Buckle]

FOR ABEL

GREATER INVENTIONS 16 MAY, FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN

rrrr Back when For Abel were still Nacional (blame The National’s management for the name change – though the cap-tip to Alligator in the new moniker indicates no hard feelings), we reviewed a show of theirs and suggested that anticipation for their debut album was “sky high and rising.” That was over a year ago: unless its ascent slowed pace, said anticipation would have left the atmosphere long ago.

But while Greater Inventions’ arrival carries neither the climactic buzz nor the payoff to support the astronomical assessment, it nonetheless packs a lot of excellence into its tightly-played package.

Their rechristening doesn’t equal a fresh start: opener Telephone was a Skinny ‘Single of the Month’ way back in August 2008, after all. But it does consolidate all that’s marked them out from the get go: big guitars, big ambition, and a mean way with a hook. Nacional esta muerto; long live For Abel. [Chris Buckle] WWW.MYSPACE.COM/FORABEL

OWN YOUR GHOST

As a seven-headed conglomerate comprised of two genre-pushing bands, 13 & God are admirably accessible and ego-free. Adam “Doseone” Drucker of Themselves keeps his scenestealing vocal delivery succinct, stepping out altogether at times and even singing it straight at others. The recompense is the occasional, well-timed breakout of his galloping, head-spinning prose. It’s countered by bucolic vocals, acoustic guitars and glitch electronics from The Notwist, laying down some typically sublime cuts.

Album highlight Armored Scarves is indicative of what works best with this side-project, a rich tapestry of disparate vocal harmonies and staccato percussion that would fall apart with any attempt to study its constituent parts. At other times the delineations are clearer.

It’s Own Sun will be pure Notwist to most ears, with follow-up Death Major much the same story for Themselves. No bad thing of course, and with 13 & God being touted as a bigger concern by both parties, Own Your Ghost should stand as a solid bedrock. [Darren Carle]

EYE CONTACT

The fifth LP from New York electro/worldbeat outfit Gang Gang Dance sees their sound straying ever-closer into all-out prog excess – no bad thing, in case you were wondering.

Opener Glass Jar takes six minutes of wistful, shimmering ambient synths to get going, before launching into a swirl of drum ‘n’ bass psychedelia, topped by Lizzi Bougatsos’ ethereal vocals. From this point, GGD’s music dips into club, global and classic rock influences at will, but always retains a distinctive identity.

Where Eye Contact improves upon its predecessors is in its sheer cohesion, which more often marries the melee of drum programming and sampling with the conventions of a rock band. The audacity of this approach might mean that Chinese High’s synth breakdowns sound like something an energy company might use for hold music, but such moments are rare on an album that demonstrates characteristic scope and ambition. [Sam Wiseman] WWW.GANGGANGDANCE.COM

TOP FIVE ALBUMS

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU

1

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2 3 4 5

BILL WELLS & AIDAN MOFFAT

EVERYTHING’S GETTING OLDER

THREE TRAPPED TIGERS

ROUTE ONE OR DIE

THIS WILL DESTROY YOU

TUNNEL BLANKET

13 & GOD

OWN YOUR GHOST

WILD BEASTS

SMOTHER

TUNNEL BLANKET 9 MAY, MONOTREME

Technological innovation continues, inexorably, to undermine the magic of musical discovery. Since we learned that time-stretching can render even Justin Bieber’s music achingly poignant, the mystique of bands like This Will Destroy You has inevitably lessened. The Texan four-piece produce the kind of glacial, delay-soaked post-rock that sounded genuinely otherworldly back on Mogwai’s Helicon 1 in the mid-90s, but today can all too often feel indulgent and lumpen.

Tunnel Blanket, for much of its hour-long duration, manages to avoid these pitfalls. TWDY accomplish this by taking their cues from the epic narratives of doom and black metal as much as the ambient soundscapes of Sigur Rós. At their best, the resulting compositions achieve the intensity of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s crescendos, but retain an amorphousness that prevents them lapsing into cliché.

It may be hard to generate mystique these days, but TWDY are more capable than most of doing so. [Sam Wiseman]

MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 43

MUSIC

TECHNICAL ECSTASY From hatching schemes in a Tesco car-park to playing gigs for Sunday league footballers, the only way is weird for mathematic riff magicians LADY NORTH INTERVIEW: JASON MORTON PHOTOS: MICHELE D'ELIA YOU WALK down Duke Street in Glasgow, carrying your electric guitar, your effects pedals, heading to your first away gig – a major coup for an Edinburgh band trying to make inroads to the UNESCO City of Music. You’re with your bandmates – who also happen to be your mate-mates. You get up to that bit where Duke Street turns into a post-industrial outback. Then Paul, your drummer, tells you he’s been reading the map wrong; you’ll have to double back, and quick, to make the gig on time. You make it by a thread, only for the barman to serve you with the news that you should have been emailed earlier today – ‘the gig’s been cancelled boys’.

It’s enough to shake any aspiring musician, especially the instrumental trio inquestion, whose more ‘math-rock’ (humour us here) tendencies might seem more natural a fit in the west than their native Auld Reekie. Enter: Lady North.

Scott Bullen, primary songwriter and de facto leader of the outfit, recounts the story with humour and candour in the back room of a Leith bar, as he and bandmates – bassist Jamie Steel and drummer Paul Bannon – reflect on the band’s history to date.

The birth of Lady North occurred in a Corstorphine car park, according to Bullen, set to the soundtrack of the 2006 album Easter by now-defunct American post-hardcore group

A festival in SW Scotland: OPEN ‘TIL 3 AM 7 DAYS A WEEK GIGS 7.30PM-11PM EVERY NIGHT

FOOD SERVED 12.30-9PM EVERY DAY CLUBS WED-SAT 11.30PM-3AM

MAY 2011 SU 1 MO 2 TUE 3

THE MIX UPS ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) JIM MACNULTY + VICKI PAXTON + MCKENDRICK AND SCOTT + PROJECT: UNKNOWN SOLDIER WE 4 KIRSTY’S METAL HANDS + HOT JUPITER + MATT MALONE THU 5 THE RETROFRETS + FILTHY LITTLE SECRETS FRI 6 THE WAVE PICTURES + LE RENO AMPS + MY TINY ROBOTS SA 7 DOUNE THE RABBIT HOLE PRESENTS...

SU 8 THE SPITFIRES MO 9 ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) TU 10 FRESH AND ONLYS WE 11 FRANCOIS AND THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS + BABE + FUR HOOD THU 12 AAMES + RESTLESS SINNERS FRI 13 JOHNNY REB + EDINBURGH SCHOOL OF THE DEAF + THE AMAZING SNAKEHEADS SA 14 THE IDEAL CRASH + DEAR MOUNTAINEER MO 16 ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) TU 17 PRINCE RAMA THU 19 DEAD BOY ROBOTICS + MACHINE ROOM FRI 20 THE TOUCH + GUESTS SAT 21 STAG AND DAGGER FESTIVAL W/ YUCK + TALL SHIPS + DESALVO + SHE’S HIT SU 22 JERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND + THE LORELEI + THE BRO MO 23 ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) WE 25 RED WINGS + BLUE SABBATH BLACK FIJI + WOUNDED KNEE THU 26 JAKILL + RUN/LUCKY/FREE + CAMEO COLOURS FRI 27 JACOB YATES AND THE PEARLY GATE LOCK PICKERS SA 28 FIGURE 5 + MAKER SU 29 THULA BORAH + SUPPORT MO 30 ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry)

A world of music in the hills!

26th-29th MAY 2011 Horace Andy and Dub Asante * DJ Yoda * Salsa Celtica * DJ Food * Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds *

The Demon Barber Roadshow * Lau * Russkaja * Aberfeldy * Future Trad Collective ft Michael McGoldrick * Found * Hidden Orchestra *

Mungo's Hi Fi Sound System * Dr Meaker * Departure Lounge * Niteworks * Dolphin Boy * Bombskare * Mim Suleiman Gol * The Horndog Brass Band * Bajaly Suso * Black Cat * Northern Xposure * Stagger Rats * Walter Strauss * Asazi Space Funk Explosion * Captain Slackship's Mezzanine Allstars * Plus workshops, dance tent, crafts, kids area, real ales, stalls, sessions, healing area, open mic, cabaret, camping, cinema, silent disco

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NIGHT CLUB

44 THE SKINNY MAY 2011

BAR

421 SAUCHIEHALL ST

GLASGOW

More info and tickets: www.knockengorroch.org.uk 01644 460 662

These Arms Are Snakes. “They’re the band that we communed with,” says Bullen. “I remember me and him [nods to Bannon] being in this white van he used to have at Tesco in Corstorphine when we first heard that album. Just listening and saying ‘I can’t believe how good this sounds’.

Like crazy hardcore dreams.” Of the Seattle band’s sustained influence on his own approach to songcraft, Bannon attributes: “The way they play really short things that are repetitive, then things will change, like the timing that they’re in – that influenced the way I write; very short, very sharp things that will loop better and get bigger and bigger. That’s the sort of thing that’ll amuse me more.”

Paying the ultimate respect, the band took its name from the ninth track on Easter and set about forging its own sound in the practice room, time signature by time signature. A major breakthrough for the boys came in the guise of what at the time seemed like a crisis – the departure of singer Ali [Shiels]. Opting for studies in Glasgow, the split left the band seemingly voiceless, but the nowtrio of Lady North had their spirits raised once they hit the practice room. “It was like a light went on,” admits Steel. “We’re an instrumental band now. It just felt so much more natural.”

Bannon – who also puts in time with Steel in Dupec as well as handling the trap kit for Dead Boy Robotics – elaborates: “I think because we don’t have a singer, we have a lot more room to work. We don’t have to worry about writing lyrics or the way that he sings.”

With this newfound focus on instrumentation, the band’s early output garnered unavoidable comparisons to Oxford manufacturers of danceable, staccato guitar-laced tracks Foals and math-rock godfathers Don Caballero, both of whom Bullen concedes have made an impact on their style. “I had a wee nap today, and I listened to What Burns Never Returns by Don Cab,” he

❝

We don’t have a singer, we have a lot more room to work Paul Bannon

❞

says. “As you’re having a nap, it’s nice – as much as it’s crazy and all.” The (math) rock’n’roll lifestyle comes at a price for Bullen – who supports his efforts in Lady North by putting in time at a high street retailer. So it seems excusable if he’s Delivering The Groceries At 138 Beats Per Minute in his dreams during a wee lie down in-between two very different lives.

As for Foals, Bullen acknowledges that the band got him experimenting with guitar triplets, something shared with another band he says he draws yet more inspiration from – Battles, one of Warp Records’ finest. The ‘everything at the wall’ aesthetic allure of that Brooklyn outfit – in addition to a touch of Minus the Bear – crops up tastefully on their latest collection of recorded tracks, which the band plan to release as an EP later this year.

In addition to the musicality of Battles, Bullen suggests the production of Mirrored has led them to seek a refined recording, making the EP’s production a more prolonged affair. “We’re trying to get more of a bigger, more atmospheric sound but it’s not quite coming across yet,” he says of the trial and error process.

Cards close to the chest, the band are also in tentative talks with Edinburgh specialist label Gerry Loves Records about releasing a split vinyl.

However the music finds its way out, they’re in unanimous agreement that they need to find a way to marry the increasing complexity of the sound with the kinetic energy of their live performance, something they pride themselves on delivering.

“That’s all we wanna do,” says Bullen.”Put on a semi-decent live show, especially as we don’t have vocals. If you go see a band with vocals, the singer will speak to you; he sets the tone.

Because we don’t have that, we need something to be staring at.”

Lady North’s spiritual forebears tend to bring a certain electricity to the stage, so it’s no surprise the trio feel the need to up their game when the high profile support slots come knocking, one of which involved attempting to trump Chicagoan post-rockers Maps and Atlases at a packed Sneaky Pete’s recently. “That was a really, really good show,” beams Bullen, still. “Maps and Atlases have been one of our favourite bands since they released Trees, Swallows, Houses years ago.” But the band all agreed they were too star-struck to give their heroes much in the way of chat.

“You just wanna be like ‘I love you, I love you, I love you so much’’...think I came across as a bit of a dick, ‘cause I didn’t know what to say to them,” Bullen admits. “But that was one of the best gigs we’ve played … opening for a band that we love.”

Officials for the Scottish Alternative Music Awards might have caught that show, or one of the other inspired performances they’ve given over the last 12 months, as Lady North were tipped for Best Live Act for 2010. Although the band didn’t win and Bullen couldn’t even make the ceremony at Classic Grand, Steel says it wasn’t a total loss: “There were Jägermeister Girls, scantily clad and giving us test tubes full of Jägermeister… so that was like, a bonus.”

Or at least a warmer reception than they had the first time they visited Glasgow. Coming back to the story, Bullen explains that the barman – after informing them their gig had been axed – saw the band’s plight and offered them fifth support on the bill for another show happening that night, though admittedly it wasn’t Lady North’s usual clientele. “We’re playing to a Sunday league football team – screaming ‘Play us something we know!’ And to be fair, I’ve never gone as crazy on stage - I was absolutely loving it.”

FROM THE ACCLAIMED AWARD WINNING

WAYNE MCGREGOR

RANDOM DANCE

ENTITY

MUSIC BY JON HOPKINS (COLDPLAY/ MASSIVE ATTACK) AND JOBY TALBOT (THE DIVINE COMEDY)

Playing Japan Tsunami appeal with Mitchell Museum and Esperi at 13th Note, Glasgow on 3 May Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh on 8 Jun www.facebook.com/weareladynorth

THE SKINNY 51 AUGUST 2010

See www.edinburghpeoplesfestival.org for further details and tickets

Drama from SpartaKi Theatre Company

Why the finest comics in Edinburgh end up in Gorgie

Aid for Afghanistan - a concert

3rd Annual Hamish Henderson memorial lecture

Photographic exhibition 'The Bad and the Beautiful'

Investigating Rebus's Edinburgh

Tour Edinburgh's dramatic radical past

August 7th-14th

www.theelectriccircus.biz www.theelectriccircus.biz

Film premiere of 'Morticia' by Nabil Shaban

Supported by King Tuts Wah Wah Hut and the Electric Circus

left: Pablo; Callum; Michael; Sam

MUSIC

May 2011

THE SKINNY 45

And es

CLUBS

PREVIEWS BIGFOOT’S OUTDOORS WITH BUTANE

TRAUMA PRESENTS THOMAS SCHUMACHER HMV PICTURE HOUSE, SUN 29 MAY

Vodka jellies, shisha pipes, BBQ, bunting, mezzanine, giant umbrellas, a Funktion 1. Oh yes.

And some DJs. The ever moving Bigfoot’s party takes a leap into the great outdoors this month, with special guest Butane heading an all day, all night affair that starts at The Goat and finishes with an after party at the Sub Club. Alphahouse label owner, producer and DJ, it's fair to say Butane keeps himself busy. Making his first Scottish appearance at this daytime club-cum festival, his straight up warm afterhours techno sounds will of course nicely complement all the extra treats the promoters have in store.

Also providing the music will be the NoSleep DJs, and Christopher Kelly, Dan Hedley and Dave Scott, with visuals from Redux from the ever expanding Bigfoot’s family roster. For those with enough stamina after a ten hour party in The Goat, the festivities will continue in Bigfoot’s last Glasgow party location, the Sub Club, with free buses to make sure you get there for Subculture in one piece. [Kat Young]

Trauma bring a heady twelve hour party to the Picture House in Edinburgh to celebrate one of this month’s many many bank holiday weekends. With a solid lineup consisting of Thomas Schumacher, Davide Squillace, Butch, Simon Baker, Darius Syrossi, Glimpse and Spektrique, this 3pm-3am party will be a nice house and techno treat for Edinburgh clubbers. Schumacher will be appearing as part of his extensive tour that is accompanying the release of the 8 Years of Get Physical compilation last year, which is celebrating the birthday of the influential label. The compilation was selected and mixed by Schumacher himself (who also releases on the imprint under his Elektrochemie moniker), which contains 7 previously unreleased tracks and celebrates the label’s artists friendships and shared love of music. He will be joined at the top of the bill

by Circoloco resident Davide Squillace who made a serious impression on his last Scottish appearance at Sunday Circus last year, and hopefully he’ll be bringing some of the Ibiza Monday morning party vibe to this bank holiday weekender within the grand surroundings of the Picture House. [Kat Young]

1PM-11PM, £12 TICKETS INCLUDING FREE BUS TO SUB CLUB

3PM-3AM, £20 EARLYBIRD / £25

BUMP & RBMA PRESENTS DIPLO & SINDEN

OUTLOOK 2011 PRESENTS: SWAMP81 V FORTIFIED

THE LIQUID ROOM, THU 5 MAY

GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, FRI 20 MAY

The great electro storm of ’07 did many things.

It destroyed treehouses, drowned out some real stale drum n bass (at least in my town), made Rihanna singles great, and brought an absolute catch of brand new artists to our favourite dancefloors. Some appeared only briefly, perhaps to remix a Lightspeed Champion single or something similar, others got their feet firmly in the stirrups and have managed to remain relevant years later – after the dust had settled, once DJ Funk quit bouncing (for the moment, anyway) and we all stopped believing the hype.

Diplo and Sinden are two such artists. Surely we all know who they are, yes? Diplo, the genre hopping producer, one half of Major Lazor and at least some of the brains behind MIA’s distinctive sound. Sinden is equally eclectic, traversing dancehall, hip hop, house and jaggy electro. The two are married somewhat by their individually creative relationships with Switch, another one of those unclassifiable party starters who made their initial mark with the electro boom a few years ago. Yet all three are equally capable of moulding dancefloors into their own distinctive chosen shapes. I’ll be a hexagon. [Calum Sutherland]

If you are looking for a bass heavy lineup this month look no further than Fortified Audio’s night in partnership with Outlook Festival and Swamp81.

Having blown the roof off at Cable (London) last month, the Swamp81 crew are finally bringing their own brand of deep and dark bass to Glasgow.

Having released some of the most important EP’s of last year (Footcrab and Work Them come to mind), Swamp continue to provide us with more dancefloor heat in the form of the Boddika 2727 EP and Joy O’s Sicko Cell. Be sure to catch label head Loefah tear up the floor with some of the most on point and forward thinking selections that had the London crowds eating out of his hands.

For those of you who have yet to witness an Addison Groove live set, you are sure to be stunned as he takes to the stage with his array of music making machines. If that wasn’t enough, one half of Instr:mental, aka Boddika, will be playing his unique and inimitable take on electro and bass. Warm-up will provided by the trusty Electric Eliminators and the required amount of bass shall be supplied by the legendary Mungo’s Hi-Fi team. [Luke Dubuis]

10.30PM-3AM, ADV £10

WWW.TICKETS-SCOTLAND.COM

DEADLY RHYTHM PRESENTS MARTYN AND BRAIDEN

WE OWN SUMMER SEND OFF: SKREAM & BENGA, SKEPTA, T.E.E.D + FRIENDS

THE GOAT, SAT 7 MAY

10PM-3AM GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, £12

ht

nd air irst e o

se he st e re in

SWG3, SAT 28 MAY

Deadly Rhythm, the Glasgow party hybrid delivers a delicious crossover treat in one of the city’s most exciting venues this month with Martyn and Braiden at SWG3; a well kept secret and a great venue to lose your mind in. Since Martyn’s debut LP Great Lengths dropped on 3024 almost two years ago, the Dutch producer has been toying with our emotions and eating away at the boundaries of genre classification with mind blowing sets (Sonar 2009 springs to mind), and perhaps one of the best fabric mixes of last year. A producer and DJ unconstrained by muso politics, or ‘scene’ limitations, Martyn is a fantastic contender for the title of dance music’s own Robinson Crusoe, if Defoe’s protagonist rocked the Berghain on a semi-regular basis.

Another expectation defying DJ, Braiden initially made his mark spinning on RinseFM and his since gone on to hone his talents all across both hemispheres. Tight as nuts mixing combined with impeccable tune choice and a unique vision of what makes a dancefloor turn its collective head has allowed Braiden to cultivate a sound which more than comfortably picks from the best of house, techno, garage and dubstep. Top this off with a fantastic location and some heavy party-savvy promoters and you’re in safe hands. [Calum Sutherland] 10.30PM-3AM, £5 ADV/£7/10 OTD

46 THE SKINNY MAY 2011

OCEAN TERMINAL, FRI 27 MAY

Having recently hosted one of the biggest parties Edinburgh has seen in a long time, We Own are back with another sumptuous line up featuring some of the heavyweights in dubstep, grime and electro. Skream and Benga need little introduction – having played in Edinburgh during the rise of their careers in sweaty 100 capacity venues, these two have gone on to push and shape dubstep as we know it. Skepta, one of grime’s foremost DJs and MCs will also be gracing the stage hot off his sold out UK tour. Expect to hear some of the freshest bars and on point delivery from the man that P Diddy has been asking for lessons from. If that wasn’t already enough, we are treated to a live set from up and coming star of indie electro Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (T.E.E.D) who blends elements of house, techno and at occasional jungle seamlessly. By far one of the most exciting acts currently emerging from the UK, be sure to catch his live set featuring crazy visuals and strangely dressed dancers. Support on the night comes from One Dollar Dave (We Own), Kobi Onyame and DJ Prospect. This is bound to be one the biggest nights of May so be sure to grab your tickets online to avoid disappointment. [Luke Dubuis] 9PM - 3AM WWW.WEOWN.ORG/TICKETS

CLUBBING HIGHLIGHTS WORDS: RAY PHILP ILLUSTRATION: GOODWIVES AND WARRIORS Social anthropologist Morgan Gerard once wrote of club culture as something akin to spiritual experience, referring specifically to ‘liminality’: an ephemeral, trance-like state of being more commonly used to describe those in the awe of totemic ritual and hardcore Christian evangelism.

Whatever you might think of the arguably contrived nature of applying academic discourse to dance music, there’s more than a grain of truth to the metaphor of DJ-as-shaman when you consider one Sam Shackleton.

His contribution to the long-running Fabric canon, a masterful artefact of techno whose emotional register jitters somewhere between anguish and terror, has borne several 12”s of astounding quality. That Shackleton can transform his inwardlooking soundscape into a firmly dancefloor-ready set is all the more remarkable, given that Fabric 55, despite and because of its brilliance, is not a friendly listen. Seek him out at the Glasgow School of Art on Fri 20 May. Deadly Rhythm host another Fabric alumnus on Sat 28 May, 3024 impresario and polygenre producer Martyn. A DJ whose catalogue is as indebted to classic Berghain techno as it is to Rinse FM, Martyn’s richness and diversity of sonic textures should amount to no less than an absolute belter of a set.

Braiden, whose recent Juan Atkins-esque remix of Jacques Greene’s Holdin’ On has been thoroughly rinsed in the windowless bolthole sometimes called the ‘Clubs’ office, will join him at SWG3.

Bigfoot’s Tea Party host their first outdoor party of the year at The Goat on Sat 7 May with St.

Louis beatsmith Butane. His releases for Crosstown Rebels, Little Helpers and his own imprint Alphahouse are typically slow-burn, hypnagogic tech-house jams, but his live sets tend to be more playful and upright. If nothing else, the early afternoon barbecue will be worth hawking.

Over in Aberdeen, DO IT! take the reins at Club Origin on Fri 13 May to welcome fLako. His influences are as exotic and fragmented as his background suggests: born in Chile, and now living between Berlin and London, fLako’s hip-hop sensibilities are bathed in summery synths and broken beat rhythms that should be familiar to anyone up on Brainfeeder or Robots Don’t Sleep. Brian D’Souza, appearing as Auntie Flo, completes DO IT!’s small hours line-up.

A brief mention of Diplo’s visit alongside Sinden at the Liquid Room on Thu 5 May should suffice, but of more interest to this column is Spank Rock’s rendezvous at Sick Note on Thu 26 May. Combining the priapic mischief of 2 Live Crew with a frenzy of 808s and low-frequency bass stabs very much of their own making, Spank Rock’s booty bass orgy will make Caligula look like an Enid Blyton tribute.

Similar levels of moral atrophy may ensue when Âme occupy Subculture on Sat 14 May alongside Mark E and residents Harri & Domenic. Most will have a ken of the duo via the ubiquitous – and slightly dated – Rej, but it should no longer be the primary reference for the quality of their work since; the spindly, Teufelswerk inspired groove of Junggesellenmaschine being one of many examples.

DIGITAL

APPS ON HOLIDAY Apps don’t have to stay at home – they go on holiday when you do

PORTAL 2

WORDS: ALEX COLE ILLUSTRATION: LAUREN GENTRY

PUBLISHER: VALVE RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW CONSOLE(S): PS3, XBOX 360, WINDOWS, MAC PRICE: £34.99

THE WEATHER’S changing, holiday season is coming on strong, and if you’re not exactly the tanning type, you’re going to want to sprinkle your time on a package holiday with some Facebook updates and Angry Birds. Here are some top tips for putting your technology to work while you’re on a break.

• Tripit: If your trip involves more than a flight and couch surfing, you’ll probably have a whole bunch of flight details, hotel confirmation numbers and travel reservations that no one wants to rifle through in a customs line. Tripit is a free app for iPhone, Android and the plain ol’ web, and you only have to forward your email confirmations to their address, and they add that reservation and all the details to your itinerary auto-magically. It’s scary easy and a little creepy, but it saves a boatload of hassle.

• Offline maps: Smartphone maps are great when you’re on WiFi or 3G (when you know where you are), but you don’t have all that on holiday (when you don’t). Saving offline maps of your city destinations means the GPS signal can plot you onto a stored map without using data. There are a bunch of free apps for major cities on the iPhone, and Android can do one better by saving a huge area of Google Maps in the cache. Just look around the area you’re visiting while on the hotel WiFi, and it’ll all still be there when you’re lost in town.

• Translate: Computer translators have gone from massive joke to awkward faux pas in only a few years, but mobile and tablet versions at least put it where you need it. Google Translate can turn your broken English into hilarious foreign versions, and Wordlens, even scarier, means you can snap a picture of foreign words on a sign or menu, and it’ll

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translate them on the picture itself. Always worth it to avoid ordering the squid by accident.

• Ratings: You know to avoid the restaurant with the English menus, but sometimes that’s about all you can tell just by walking by. Apps and sites like TripAdvisor, Qype and Google Places all have

ratings for just about any city in the world, including idiots who expect a 2 star hotel to have embroidered bathrobes. Doing 10 minutes of homework on a decent place to eat can save you an hour of wandering around a shady back alley and settling for kebabs.

Let’s be clear: if you’re reading this column and haven’t played the original Portal, stop reading now. Go play it. I’ll wait.

Back? Best thing ever? Told you so. Portal is an enduringly brilliant game, the start of more memes than the Dramatic Chipmunk, and, hour for hour, one of the most rewarding experiences you can have with a video game. So it’s no surprise that any sequel would be, let’s say, anticipated.

Portal 2 expands on the whole trans-location puzzle madness by taking the story years after the first, exploring the long-overgrown and abandoned testing grounds of Aperture Science. The whole tone is darker, more menacing and complex, but never once sacrificing the bleak humour of the first. The individual challenges, however, involve more elements than the first, and while the solutions seem obvious once you figure them out, it can take a lot of aggravation before you get there.

The new elements include coloured gels that let you slip and slide down levels and bounce over obstacles, energy beams to be redirected with prisms, and transport beams to levitate you from one wall to another, and all of it can be redirected through the portals you set up.

Each new element makes for a clever puzzle addition, but it’s when you start layering a half-dozen new mechanics at the same time that your brain can start to melt.

Portal’s charm has always been equal parts clever puzzle solving and black humour, and on that basis alone the sequel more than lives up to its promise. It’s not without flaws, the multiplayer is still a wait-and-see deal, and it can definitely get too clever for its own good, but ultimately, the cake is not a lie. [Alex Cole]

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MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 47

REVIEWS

May Events FILM

With Ghostface back haunting cinema screens in Scream 4, it’s appropriate to ask the question: do you like scary movies? If so, May is chock-full of films for you. The Filmhouse in Edinburgh is hosting Dead by Dawn, Scotland’s International Horror Film Festival, from 5-8 May. Featuring UK premieres, including The Afflicted, a twisted tale of maternal instincts gone wrong, and The Death of Alice Blue, a contemporary vampire tale from Canada, the festival boasts guest appearances, short films, and a Shit Film Amnesty, which sees attendees bring their most embarrassing DVD from their home collection, for a chance to win everyone else’s rubbish movies.

Check the Filmhouse website for more details.

attack the block

Attack the Block

Heartbeats (Les amours imaginaires)

Director: Joe Cornish

Director: Xavier Dolan

Starring: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Luke Treadaway, Nick Frost Released: 11 May Certificate: 15

Starring: Xavier Dolan, Monia Chokri, Niels Schneider Released: 27 May Certificate: 15

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Attack the Block opens on a scene as prosaic as any social realist film, with a gang of hoodies (the kind of kids that give Daily Mail readers palpitations) robbing a fresh faced trainee nurse (Jodie Whittaker) at knife point. But any fears you’ve wandered into a Noel Clarke movie are undercut when a meteoroid, carrying the first of many vicious aliens, crashes the larceny.

It’s this collision of the familiar urban milieu with a malevolent brood of extraterrestrials with onyx fur and razor sharp fluorescent gnashers that brings the biggest laughs in comedian Joe Cornish’s first feature. But those expecting a knockabout invasion spoof will be disappointed. Like a highoctane John Carpenter film starring N-Dubz, Cornish has delivered a mean, lean siege movie where the modernist architecture of inner city London looks as alien as the invading creatures and the patois of the film’s hooded antiheroes, led by brooding teen Moses (charismatic newcomer John Boyega), is as incomprehensible as Klingon. It’s a blistering debut. [Jamie Dunn]

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www.attacktheblock.com/

The ridiculously talented 22 year-old actor-director Xavier Dolan follows up his 2009 festival hit I Killed My Mother with Heartbeats (Les Amours Imaginaires).

Set in Quebec, it follows the friendship of Marie and Francis and their infatuation with a mysterious newcomer, the cool and insouciantly handsome Nicolas. Opening with a recurring set of interviews with love scorned young people, Heartbeats lays down a tonne of 20-something sarcasm communicated through tongue-clicks, snide smirks and eye-rolls galore.

Bright young things jaded by love, Marie and Francis’ nervous, quick-fire word vomiting sessions are followed by artful moments of introspection. While their fluffed phone-calls and self-reproaches in mirrors are by no means original, the theatricality of their unlikely rivalry is refreshing. Making use of unusual angles and itchy-handed camerawork, Heartbeats’ overall aesthetic matches the tone of casual très cool. Beautifully shot with a striking yet limited palette, it hits all the notes of unrequited love to the tune of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) and Bach’s Suite No 1 on cello. [Nicola Balkind]

Hanna

Holy Rollers

Director: Joe Wright

Director: Kevin Asch

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett Released: 6 May Certificate: 12A

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, Ari Graynor, Hallie Kate Eisenberg Released: 13 May Certificate: 15

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Atonement director Joe Wright makes a side-step into the assassin sub-genre with Hanna. It stars Saoirse Ronan as the titular cute-but-deadly teenager who’s been raised by CIA-defector dad Erik (Eric Bana) in the tundra to hunt, fight and kill. The perfect assassin, she is dispatched on a mission and must kill or be killed by pristine operative Marissa (Cate Blanchett).

Wright drops us directly into survival mode with a visceral film set in inhospitable landscapes, from boreal forest snow to African desert, but it’s the acute sensory moments – the soundscapes of Europe – that lends a resonant jolt to proceedings. Though somewhat overlong and lacking ingenuity of plot, there’s plenty to be discovered in this swift action thriller. Hanna’s temporal mission is a thrill of circles, tunnels, seasons and elements that feels like being plunged into a Swedish rave taking place in a futuristic rabbit-hole. Wright may lag in the race to the finish, but Hanna certainly sets the blood pumping. [Nicola Balkind]

Director Kevin Asch’s first feature film follows the bizarre true story of Sam (Jesse Eisenberg), a naive and awkward Hasidic Jew embroiled in an ecstasy smuggling ring by neighbour and chum Yosef (Justin Bartha) in the late 90s.

Transporting large quantities of pills back into Brooklyn from Amsterdam, Sam realises he has a natural talent for the business.

The fascinating and nicely realised quirk of this tale unfolding within the Hasidic community aside, there is very little new ground broken here. Utterly predictable in terms of both plot and character development, there is also an odd lack of threat from law enforcement or the shadier elements of the trafficking world which promotes a serious lack of drama. Allied with Sam’s motivation for turning his back on his previous life and transformation into drug mule extraordinaire never being fully explained or convincing, one has real difficulty maintaining interest. Beautifully, atmospherically shot and sporting a great soundtrack, this is an otherwise quite dull affair. [Chris Fyvie]

Win Win

The Messenger

Director: Thomas McCarthy

Director: Oren Moverman

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer, Bobby Cannavale, Melanie Lynskey, Amy Ryan Released: 20 May Certificate: 15

Starring: Ben Foster, Samantha Morton, Eamonn Walker, Steve Buscemi, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, Released: 27 May Certificate: 15

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Win Win is a character-driven film that is blessed with real characters; people we can understand, be interested in, and care about. That has been the case with Thomas McCarthy’s two previous films as a director, and his third feature again displays his knack for finding an authentic sense of humour and pathos in his stories. Paul Giamatti is perfect as the struggling small-town lawyer who coaches a useless wrestling team in his spare time, while newcomer Alex Shaffer is a real find as the troubled teen who unexpectedly becomes a big part of his life. McCarthy gives the cast room to shine – Bobby Cannavale, Melanie Lynskey and Burt Young have great moments – and his tight, deceptively simple screenplay develops in an easygoing manner that proves hugely satisfying.

Frankly, it’s a crying shame that such a bighearted movie should receive a 15 rating for a few scenes of swearing (fully justified within the context), but that’s just about the only downside to this marvellous picture. [Philip Concannon] www.foxsearchlight.com/winwin/

48 THE SKINNY May 2011

Recently returned from Iraq, Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is ordered to see out the remaining three months of his commission within the Army’s Casualty Notification Unit. Learning the stringent protocol for the grim task of informing next of kin their loved ones have been killed in action from eccentric hardcase Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), Montgomery is profoundly affected by the people they visit and his new commanding officer.

Although ostensibly tackling the effect of war on those left at home, The Messenger has a much broader emotional resonance. Oren Moverman, debut director and veteran of the Israeli Army, has created a meditative, stark study of loss, grief and guilt, but also imbued it with great warmth and humour. His restrained direction provokes an eerily voyeuristic experience and allows his outstanding cast space to shine; though the excellent Harrelson received Oscar recognition, it is Foster’s subtle, anguished performance as the troubled Montgomery that provides the piece with a hefty anchor. Intimate, powerful filmmaking. [Chris Fyvie]

Les Diaboliques

The DCA in Dundee is also showing a series of horror films in May. As well as Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now, a Daphne du Maurier adaptation starring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, and Italian zombie classic The Beyond (1 May), Les Diaboliques is screening on 8-9 May after being suggested for their monthly wild card slot. The latter was director Clouzot’s attempt to out-do Hitchcock – you can decide whether or not he succeeded.

It’s not all scares and shocks this month. For those with a gentler disposition, the Filmhouse has a special sing-along screening of Calamity Jane on 28 May. Starring Doris Day as the no-nonsense tomboy title character and Howard Keel as Wild Bill Hickock, her friendly foe, it is a highly entertaining Western comedy-musical romp, and a chance to unleash your inner country star.

Staying on a music theme, May marks the 70th birthday of one Robert Allen Zimmerman, better known as Bob Dylan. To celebrate, the GFT have programmed Dylan at the Movies, a season of five films exploring Dylan’s relationship to cinema.

Kicking off on 3 May with Todd Haynes’ dazzling pseudo-biopic I’m Not There and concluding 29 May with Renaldo and Clara, a rarely seen oddity that Dylan wrote, directed and starred in while headlining the legendary Rolling Thunder Revue tour, the season also includes Sam Peckinpah’s haunting Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, D.A. Pennebaker’s rockumentary Don’t Look Back and Fellini’s La Strada, the film that inspired Dylan to write Mr Tambourine Man.

Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid

The newly restored The Last Picture Show, widely considered to be critic-turned-filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich’s finest film, is screening at the DCA on 2-5 May. The 1971 film stars Timothy Bottoms, Cybill Shepherd and a young Jeff Bridges (who gained his first Oscar nod for the performance) as 1950s high school students growing up in a dead-end small town in Texas. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards overall, winning two, and showcases Bogdanovich’s appreciation for other filmmakers, particularly John Ford. [Becky Bartlett]

FILM

DVD REVIEWS BIUTIFUL

I SAW THE DEVIL

RED HILL

DIRECTOR: ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑÁRRITU

DIRECTOR: JEE-WOON KIM

DIRECTOR: PATRICK HUGHES

STARRING: JAVIER BARDEM RELEASED: 16 MAY CERTIFICATE: 15

STARRING: BYUNG-HUN LEE, MIN-SIK CHOI RELEASED: OUT NOW CERTIFICATE: 18

STARRING: RYAN KWANTEN, STEVE BISLEY, TOMMY LEWIS RELEASED: 30 MAY CERTIFICATE: 15

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It’s not as if we expected a frothy comedy from director Iñárritu, but Biutiful raises the bar for just how grim things can get in a film. Uxbal (Javier Bardem) is a petty crook in the Barcelona underworld, trying to reconcile his exploitation of the desperate illegal immigrants who work for him with his natural decency. He is also raising two young children in a squalid, roach infested flat whilst trying to maintain a relationship with their deeply unstable, alcoholic mother. Then he discovers that he has inoperable cancer and only a short time to live. And then something really bad happens...

There are moments of great cinematic beauty created in no small part by Rodrigo Prieto’s photography which manages to somehow be both gritty and vibrantly colourful. As usual, Bardem has us reaching for the word “towering” to describe his performance. And yet these are not enough to stop wishing for some small crack of light in all that suffering. [Keir Roper-Caldbeck]

When his pregnant fiancée is brutally murdered by a batshit crazy serial killer (Oldboy’s Min-sik Choi), a hard as nails secret agent (Byung-hun Lee) swears revenge. The two begin a macabre game of cat and mouse, each determined to cause as much pain and suffering for the other as possible. But with stakes that high, who really wins? Korean horror veteran Jee-woon Kim knows extremes and gleefully pushes the envelope even further. Blood soaked excess mixes with frenetic action scenes shot with skill and deadly black humour. A comic book palette suits the film well, presenting a surreal Lynchian underworld in which every other person seems to be a mass murderer. Choi and Lee are particularly superb and give great performances as these two merciless bastards build towards a final confrontation. It’s hugely entertaining stuff. Exciting and shocking in equal measure, it’s quite simply one of the best serial killer movies there is. Bloody brilliant! [Scotty McKellar]

BALIBO

THE DILEMMA

DIRECTOR: ROBERT CONNOLLY

DIRECTOR: RON HOWARD

STARRING: ANTHONY LAPAGLIA, OSCAR ISAAC, DAMON GAMEAU RELEASED: OUT NOW CERTIFICATE: 15

STARRING: VINCE VAUGHN, KEVIN JAMES, JENNIFER CONNELLY, WINONA RYDER, CHANNING TATUM RELEASED: 30 MAY CERTIFICATE: 12

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From the outset, Balibo impresses both the truth and the seriousness of the events featured. Three timelines are established: present day East Timor, where a woman recounts events that happened during the Indonesian invasion in 1975; just prior to the invasion itself, in which five Australian journalists are covering the news; and three weeks later, when older journalist Roger East (Anthony LaPaglia) investigates their disappearance.

Director Robert Connolly distinguishes the latter two plots by providing the five’s story with a washed-out look, but it then becomes hard to reconcile how little time separates them, while the multiple time-lines are initially quite confusing. Balibo makes no attempts to conceal its political agenda, and, filmed in modern day, still-troubled East Timor, appears largely authentic. It is, on occasion, quite powerful, though one wonders how much creative licence the screenwriters took in recounting the personal story of the journalists and their fate. [Becky Bartlett]

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Ah, the bromance. Where friendship means having matching jowls.

Ronny (Vince Vaughan) and Nick (Kevin James) have been best friends since they were in college. They are in business together, they talk in extended sports metaphors together, they even do ironic dance routines at the disco together. But one day Ronny discovers that Nick’s wife (Winona Ryder) is having an affair. Should he tell him, or should he not?

Ron Howard’s film received a critical mauling on its theatrical release and it’s not difficult to see why. Much of the film is a dog’s dinner, with mawkish dialogue, weird inconsistencies in tone, an awful soundtrack and Kevin James’s lacklustre presence as Vaughn’s mini-me.

And yet, it’s not all bad. Vaughn is as watchable as ever and has some great scenes with a witchy Ryder during which the film deals with some genuinely grown up issues. Strangest of all, Channing Tatum is actually quite funny as Ryder’s bit on the side. [Keir Roper-Caldbeck]

Fresh-faced cop Shane Cooper (Kwanten) has transfered to the Outback town of Red Hill (pop. 120) to find peace and quiet for his pregnant wife. And in this backwater, dominated by its fiery, charismatic Sheriff (Bisley), he seems to have found them. But within hours the town is menaced by an approaching storm and an approaching psychopath – an Aboriginal tracker with a melted face called Jimmy Conway, who is on his way to kill everyone. Talk about bad timing.

Red Hill enjoyably transfers the conventions of the Western to modern Australia as we learn that all is not as it seems in the town.

However, after an effective opening the plot loses its focus, spending too much time on political subtexts (Aboriginal dispossession) and an overly symbolic panther, when it should be fleshing out the conspiracy at the heart of the story. Much better is the atmospheric camerawork which makes great use of the threadbare town and surrounding landscape. [Keir Roper-Caldbeck]

TAXI ZUM KLO (TAXI TO THE JOHN) DIRECTOR: FRANK RIPPLOH

STARRING: FRANK RIPPLOH, BERND BROADERUP RELEASED: 23 MAY CERTIFICATE: 18

rrr It’s been 30 years since Frank Ripploh shocked the world with this semi-autobiographical depiction of the reality of being gay in 1980s West Berlin. It remains a sobering reflection of what was only a generation ago. Ripploh struggles to balance things as a straightlaced teacher with an active sex life in Berlin’s gay scene. Filmed with a grotty kitchen sink brutality, it’s perfectly frank about how he lives his life. Which might be too much for some. Particularly since he’s a check-list of every negative gay cliché there is, and your parents’ worst nightmare. He’s a serial cheater, spends much of his time in gents’ toilets looking for new lovers and is completely unreliable.

Quite remarkable in its honesty and its willingness to show absolutely everything, there’s still a sense we don’t see the full story. While Ripploh is an amusing, if faintly despicable lead, it’s mainly worth seeing just to note how far the world has moved on [Scotty McKellar]

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MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 49

ART

REVIEWS

Jess, Narkissos, 1976–91

Rob Churm Sorcha Dallas, Until 27 May

rrrr A member of the bands Park Attack and Gummy Stumps, Rob Churm has been a prominent figure in the Glasgow music scene. His gig posters were once ubiquitous. Busy, black and white drawings of repeated patterns and mangled figures, there would hardly be a millimetre of paper visible through all the Xerox black.

Much in common with his earlier posters, Churm’s drawings and prints are in the main black and white with a strong emphasis on pattern and distorted human form. Often completely abstract, they can look like doodles taken from a notebook. One series in particular, a group of 10 drawings, each entitled Wyrd Gel, is of various patters, each lying somewhere along an imaginary spectrum between comic book crosshatching and Bridget Riley’s black and white paintings of the 1960s. They are at once rudimentary and bafflingly intricate.

Another series, this time summoning figures from the mosaic of abstract marks, is reminiscent of Dadaist Francis Picabia. The female form is discernable through the kaleidoscope of black lines in Opposable Figurine. Like with Picabia, Churm humorously alludes to the art historical idiom, remaining an outsider, nonetheless.

One of the few appearances of colour is found in the etching Angel (reading). A moment of rare tenderness sees an angelic, winged lady reading a book – while concurrently farting, it would seem.

She has an odd texture to her face, as though bearded, or adorned with odd, scaly facial fingers.

Disappointment is found in the overuse of Tipp-ex.

A distractingly horrid material, it’s the light-absorbing ejaculate of a smelly android. Similarly, the much anticipated wall drawing is easily ignored. Without the limiting parameters of the page, Churm’s abstract doodles are compositional mishaps rendered in materials better suited to the forgiving nature of paper than the harsh, inflexibility of walls. [Andrew Cattanach] Free www.sorchadallas.com

Narcissus Reflected The Fruitmarket Gallery, Until 26 Jun

rrrr When Narcissus gazed upon his reflection in a pool of water he fell in love. Unable to embrace this watery heart-throb, he pined away and became immortalised by the gods into the form of a flower.

With this Greek myth as its basis, the current group exhibition at the Fruitmarket Gallery investigates how artists have explored the story of Narcissus, and themes of narcissism in their work, from the late 19th century through to the present day.

The central focus of the exhibition is undoubtedly Salvador Dali’s ultra-famous Metamorphosis of Narcissus – displayed alongside a poem he wrote to accompany it – and the implausibly impressive hand-drawn collage, Narkissos, by one-name wonder, San Franciscan artist, Jess, shown here for the first time outside of the USA. The strength of these two works alone would have been enough to sustain their own show, but the curators did not stop here.

Paul Nash, Voyages of the Moon, 1934–37

Through the experimental films and photographs of artists such as Pierre Molinier, Cecil Beaton and Claude Cahun, the ground floor of the exhibition explores the adoption of Narcissus as a cult-gay icon and the themes of homoeroticism and androgyny that were a recurring subject in works of the 20th century.

There is a playful nature to the first floor of the gallery. You can experience Pipilotti Rist’s hypnotic, double screened, sub-aquatic, immersive environment, Sip My Ocean, and Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden, a maze of mirrored balls that capture your reflection and distort and replicate it a hundred times over.

This is an ambitious exhibition, but a very successful one, nonetheless. There is an impressive collection of big name artists, presented in an intimate setting and the diversity in the works unites to create layers of complexity and intrigue. As with many of its past exhibitions, the gallery has a great balance of interpretive information and subjective musings, enabling each viewer to have their own uninhibited experience of the show. [Marcus Pibworth] Free www.fruitmarket.co.uk

PREVIEW

Acts of Violence

Caroline Gallacher’s upcoming show explores the masculine culture of fighting.

She tells The Skinny why it’s all a bit of a drag Interview: jac mantle

For a sculptor who uses building materials, working from home would usually be a less than ideal situation. But in Caroline Gallacher’s case, the post-art school move to a home studio has fed her practice generously. Influenced by construction sites, her past works have brought together all sorts of building site ephemera, such as bricks, debris netting and steel rods. But taking her art home has brought to the fore themes that were previously latent – namely gender.

Indeed, gender has now moved centre-stage.

In her upcoming show at Sierra Metro, Edinburgh, she is exploring wrestling as an extreme amplification of masculine culture. Taking the gallery space as an arena for her ideas, she sees the materials as quite literal interpretations of men in combat.

The show’s title, The Pankrateon, comes from Pankration, a style of wrestling practised in the

50 THE SKINNY May 2011

Ancient Greek Olympic Games. Referencing combat sports in general, Gallacher is particularly interested in Pankration for its sheer brutality. Only biting and gouging were illegal, and the winner was announced after his opponent indicated submission by raising his index finger.

“Watching combat is strange,” she says. “There are moments of pure tenderness, and it’s as though only after beating each other to a pulp and having a woman with big tits walk up and down with a scorecard can the men allow a very human embrace with each other.”

One work in the show tries to capture this embrace. Resting on what might be a wrestling mat, two aluminium discs lean in towards each other. Traversing the space, black bituminous felt is wound around the pillars of the gallery, alluding to the strapping around boxers’ hands,

the ritual of binding and unbinding them in preparation for fight.

Gallacher has always seen gender as being very fluid – an act, a performance. She quotes the drag queen RuPaul: “We’re born naked and the rest is drag.” As such, wrestling can be seen as the ultimate performance of masculinity, with preparations and rituals that liken the arena to the stage.

Describing another work, she says: “It reminds me of a guy I saw in a fight with a tiny pair of shorts and a big puffed-out chest, shirt tucked into his pants. It looks kind of self-conscious and unrelenting, and it makes me laugh.” Made from rolled-up metal covered in wadding, its belly pulled in by Velcro, the figure is indeed comical – but also a bit pathetic. One begins to wonder what the show would be like if it were to mimic or parody extremes of femininity instead.

“I didn’t know the materials would actually become the pankratiasts,” says Gallacher. “I imagine a scenario where I’m working in the arena and there’s some kind of head-to-head going on. But I don’t want to think too much about the responsibility of the work to speak for gender as a performance. It’s more like each piece is an observation of men in these fights.”

As someone who has a fluid relationship to her own gender spectrum, it seems doubtful that the artist will alienate anyone with her work. But judging by the two sand-filled Lycra sacks slumped over a metal bar – boxing mitts or testicles, it’s your choice – it’s clear she’s pulling no punches.

Sierra Metro, Ground Floor North, 22 West Harbour Road, Edinburgh 1 May - 5 Jun, Sat & Sun 12-6pm or by appointment www.sierrametro.com

BOOKS

REVIEWS MONSIEUR LINH AND HIS CHILD

EVERYBODY LOVES YOU WHEN YOU’RE DEAD

BY PHILIPPE CLAUDEL

BY KIM NEWMAN

rrrr Alternate history novels can often be clichéd works, where the alteration is that either the Nazis won World War 2, or the South won the American Civil War. Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula, first released in 1992, took a fantastically different tack by making the alteration through a novel – in Anno Dracula, we get to see what would have happened if Dracula’s plot had succeeded in Bram Stoker’s tale.

Dracula has taken over Victorian Britain, and now vampires and humans mix in a new sort of society. But we see this from the point of view of tangential characters – Dracula has become Prince Regent by marrying Queen Victoria, and barely appears directly in the book. Instead, the story is a mystery as a male spy and a female vampire try to track down this reality’s Jack the Ripper, who, in a nice twist, is a vampire murderer. Real and fictional characters mix to amusing effect – Oscar Wilde enjoys being a vampire whilst Sherlock Holmes is locked away somewhere on the continent, lest he solve the mystery too quickly. The clever premise is strong enough to have spawned two sequels, with a third to follow. Bloody good stuff. [Keir Hind] RELEASE DATE: 27 MAY. PUBLISHED BY TITAN BOOKS. COVER PRICE £7.99

BLACK WATCH

BY OLIVIA LAING

BY TOM RENOUF

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BY NEIL STRAUSS

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TO THE RIVER

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Monsieur Linh, traumatised by memories of his war-ravaged homeland, arrives as a stranger in a country whose language he can neither understand nor speak. With his son and daughterin-law dead, he clutches his grandchild to his chest, vowing to keep her safe at all costs. The old man is bewildered and isolated in his adoptive country, but finds an unlikely friend in the portly chain-smoker Monsieur Bark. Recently widowed and equally alone, Monsieur Bark is keen to talk and Monsieur Linh, though he cannot understand, knows how to listen. The two men share their sadness and longing for times past, and their sense of loneliness is somehow appeased. This is an exquisitely crafted little gem of a book, expressing with incredible subtlety the pain and torment of leaving a life behind and the joy and hope of making new connections. It calls to mind the writing of Siegfried Lenz and Le Thi Diem Thuy, employing judicious lexical restraint to create a moving and wonderful simple novella. Monsieur Linh and His Child is a portrait of friendship, endurance and the dialogues that can exist between cultures. Thank you, Maclehose, for putting out such a great little book.

Highly recommended. [Rebecca Isherwood]

Whilst not being the world’s number one pick-up artist, as detailed in his book The Game, Neil Strauss works at his day job, interviewing celebrities for feature articles in magazines.

And rather important magazines too, because he’s had fantastic access to an enormous range of famous people, from Britney Spears to Neil Young and all stops in between, including people who are the kind of famous that allows them to be referred to under one name – Prince, Madonna, Bono, and, erm, Mafia. This book shows the author’s conversations with such people in a fuller form than deadlines and word limits could have allowed in the first place, something of a gamble, as some writers improve with editing.

But thankfully Strauss is a good conversationalist, and by engaging his subjects, for the most part, in (well planned) conversation, he gets many of them to open up to him. Oddly, there are few surprises – most subjects are similar to their public images. But the value of this book is that it shows people engaging in dialogue with a good listener who teases more out of them than soundbites or staged interviews ever could. You still might not like them, but you’ll understand them better. [Keir Hind]

OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY MACLEHOSE PRESS. COVER PRICE £12

RELEASE DATE: 5 MAY. PUBLISHED BY CANONGATE. COVER PRICE £20

To The River charts its narrative along the banks of Sussex’s Ouse, as Laing documents her journey from the river’s confluence to its exit in the English channel. It’s a missive filled with erudite observations of the land and water in the heady in-breath of summer, accompanied by the meandering streams of consciousness naturally provoked by the varying roles of rivers in literature and mythology.

Skimming and deep-diving alternately into lives evermore bound by varying degrees to rivers, it also looks at the life of Virginia Woolf through her relationship with the river. With Woolf at the centre, Laing nurtures a theme of mental illness with grace: Descartes distilled the relationship in his Meditations; Laing, on a less existential level, explores the reciprocal and beholden nature of the mind and brain in her real time riverside commentary. Laing’s river journey (and book) seems to have many motivations: a lifelong affinity, a quixotic curiosity, a heartbroken polymath looking for an escape. Whatever the reason, while it is not necessary prose – but what is when everyone has a blog and a tumblr and must be heard – its beauty and conclusions find a critical hold in both academic and emotive axes. [Renée Rowland]

RELEASE DATE 5 MAY. PUBLISHED BY CANONGATE. COVER PRICE £16

Tom Renouf well remembers his first taste of alcohol; it was home-brewed cider provided by French farmers as he and his fellow Black Watch soldiers completed a tough six mile march “under a blistering sun along dusty, makeshift roads” in an area of recently liberated France. When it offers this kind of small, personal detail, Renouf’s book genuinely sparkles.

Unfortunately, all too often, this supposed “epic story of the 51st Highland Division and a searing personal account of one man’s courage in war” is subtly undermined by its dry narrative of numerous military strategies and the fact that Renouf wasn’t always there to witness the events being described — such as the Highland Division’s surrender at St Valéry, several years before he was called up, or the liberation of the Belsen concentration camp a couple of weeks before he passed it en route to the advancing frontline.To cover this, Renouf nobly quotes fellow veterans. While certainly contributing to the bigger picture, and selflessly giving a voice to brave men who might otherwise never be heard, it nevertheless highlights the book’s own shortcomings and contributes to a more fractured narrative than you might expect from the publisher’s blurb. [Paul F Cockburn] OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY LITTLE, BROWN. COVER PRICE £20 WWW.LITTLEBROWN.CO.UK

Enjoy what you do...

MA Creative Writing MA / MDes Design [by subject*] MA Journalism MA Film MA Screen Project Development MA Screen Writing MA Sound Production MFA Advanced Film Practice MSc Creative Advertising MSc Magazine Publishing MSc Publishing * Named awards offered in: Digital Arts; Graphic Design; Interaction Design; Interior Architecture; Product Design; Sustainability; and Urbanism

School of Arts & Creative Industries www.napier.ac.uk

Image:Kaylie Allan, BDes (Hons) Graphic Design graduate

Post-graduate study for a new career.

Starting in September

LETTERS FROM IBERIA 6 - 23 of May 2011

FRAMED GALLERY - 11 GAYFIELD SQUARE - EDINBURGH - EH1 3NT

MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 51

PERFORM

venue of the Month:

MacRobert For the past eighteen months, the Macrobert has been quietly developing a reputation as one of the central belt's most dynamic theatres WORDS: Gareth K Vile

PREVIEW RIGOLETTO EFT, Theatre Royal May 2011

Rigoletto has enjoyed a lasting appeal because of the wide spectrum of life and emotion that it employs in its drama. One of Verdi’s strengths is his powerful depictions of youth and old age, satirising and honouring both in equal measure. However, whereas in Falstaff and La Bohème there appears to be sympathy and celebration, Rigoletto offers an uncompromisingly dark outlook on life and love. The contrast of the wistful hedonism of the Dukes’ La Donna è Mobile with the Jester’s ugly suffering offers a poignant reminder as to the flimsy conditions that youth and relationships are built on.

Despite this, Eddie Wade, due to sing the part of Rigoletto, still believes it to be “one of the most approachable operas.” It is Wade’s debut in the role, something he has been working towards his whole career: “It’s a tour de force,”

52 THE SKINNY May 2011

Glasgow and Edinburgh ensures that it can pull in punters from both East and West. “We’ve got a great relaxed venue, brilliant performance spaces and fantastic and affordable food. Combine this with interesting programming and there are lots of reasons to visit.”

Because of its location, the Macrobert is well placed to collect the various touring companies from across Scotland: Random Accomplice brought their Smalltown, Janis Claxton her Humanimalia. From further abroad, Moroccan acrobats Chouf Ouchouf arrived in April, and the May programme includes both Scottish Opera’s Clockwork and Iain Heggie’s award winning King of Scotland merging both contemporary circus theatricality and a traditional heritage. The Puppet Animation Festival is also coming to town.

These last two events reveal Macrobert’s concern for an inclusive theatre: for a venue that also includes a cinema and is often hired out by local companies, the programming reflects its ethos. Stirling is often overlooked, due to its East and West Coast neighbours. Yet the imagination of the Macrobert team refuses to acknowledge any limitations. Last summer they even invited Fura De Baus, most famous for their Marquis De Sade scandal at the Fringe some years back, to lead a young people’s theatre festival.That sort of bravery, which encouraged an often neglected audience back to an engaged and inquiring performance programme, could be a template for Glasgow and Edinburgh to follow.

Puppet Animation Festival

www.macrobert.org/theatre.htm

Chouf Ouchouf

PREVIEW he enthuses, “[Rigoletto] is the pinnacle of Verdi baritone.” Wade explains that the production has given the opera a modern edge and brought out darker elements of the story: “My character is darker than normally portrayed… the relationship with his daughter is uneasy. He doesn’t want to touch her, it’s like he’s coveting her.”

Appearing alongside Wade is Nadine Livingston, who you might remember in her stellar performance as Musetta in last year’s La Boheme, whilst Tobias Ringborg takes up the conducting duties.

[Alastair White]

Theatre Royal Glasgow Wed 11 May, Wed 18 May & Sat 21 May, 7.15pm Sun 15 May 4pm Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 13 May 6pm Edinburgh Festival Theatre Tue 24 May, Thu 26 May & Sat 28 May 7.15pm Rigoletto Unwrapped Wed 25 May 6pm His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen Thu 2 Jun & Sat 4 Jun 7.30pm Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 3 Jun 6pm Eden Court Inverness Thu 9 Jun & Sat 11 Jun 7.15pm Rigoletto Unwrapped Fri 10 Jun 6pm www.scottishopera.org.uk/10-11/rigoletto

Cryptically Speaking Artist Robbie Thompson speaks about the development of Inducer At May’s Cryptic Nights in the CCA, Robbie Thompson, Jack Wrigley and Sarah Milne will show their new work Inducer. Mixing their individual practices together, they aim to “create immersive experiences that engage the audience on a number of levels.”

How does Inducer develop from your previous work and in what ways does it depart from it?

Inducer follows from work we made for the ICA. We’re expanding our kinetic orchestra to include new instrumentation – cello, violins, tape loops, pin barrel organ, and reworking older ideas such as Jack’s Glass Armonium. Sarah is using textile and costume work in a more sculptural way to create figurative elements within.

Inducer is inspired by the psychological phenomenon of folie a deux, or shared delusion, how does Inducer convey this eerie partnership?

We’re interested in altered states induced by sound and visual stimulus and the way that this has been explored and exploited throughout history. From cave paintings, mantras and shadow play that are believed to be used by early human cultures to create mythologies to pseudo-scientific machines designed to invoke hallucinogenic states, there is a rich tradition of people experimenting with ways to delude and heighten the senses. The Glass Armonica – glass playing instrument – that Jack has built is closely related to this tradition. In its Victorian heyday the high frequencies and harmonics created by the Armonium had a mesmeric effect that would captivate the audience and was considered dangerous, due to reports of famous players going mad.

Photo: Tamara Polanjar

With a programme that ranges from Dolly Parton tributes, comedy festivals and local dramatic societies to international dance and circus, The Macrobert’s Artistic Director Liam Sinclair has expanded the venue’s horizons beyond its traditional association with Stirling University.

“Macrobert has a wide audience base,” explains Markus Stitz, Marketing Manager. “Our audiences start at 6 weeks and go through to retired pensioners. As such our programme has to be dynamic to respond to this diverse and interesting mix of people. There is a huge variety but, we believe, something for everybody.”

Situated on the University campus – it is part of the same complex that hosts the library and union – it would be easy for the venue to limit its programme to a student audience. “Between staff and students there are around 10,000 people involved in the University and so we need to work hard to find ways to engage them in the arts facility that is right on their doorstep,” Stitz admits.

“Macrobert is well known for our work with children and young people and so we’re looking at extending how we think about young people to include people in their early twenties.”

However, its large stage and comfortable auditorium, seating almost 500, has made it ideal for visiting dance companies. Indeed, an alliance with Norwegian companies and the visit of Jasmin Vardimon saw the Macrobert claiming the space traditionally occupied by Tramway for experimental choreography.

“We’ve got a great space for dance performance,” Stitz continues, “and well developed relationships with good promoters who bring us exciting work.” And being equidistant from both

Though this was later attributed to lead poisoning from the glasses used, the sonic qualities of the Armonium created an enduring perception of its maddening effect! Folie a deux is a psychological phenomenon that provides a fitting metaphor for conveying hypnotic and surrealistic imagery and describing the relationship between the audience and the artwork.

And, finally, what are your plans for the future, and will we be seeing you again at Cryptic Nights?

We’ll be busy this summer with 85A finishing off our self-produced film Chernozem (written by Judd Brucke) – it’s an industrial horror-fantasy that follows the story of a chain-gang escapee with a factory for a head! It will premiere at a specially constructed cinema at the Glue Factory in autumn. [Eleanor Jones] Inducer, Thu 5 – Sat 7 May, 8pm CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow www.tramway.org/performance/253/the_veil/

COMEDY

In Profile:

Joe Heenan Joe Heenan is not just a talented stand-up, he’s also a self-confessed movie geek. We’re testing his skills with some of our devilishly obscure movie trivia interview: Bernard O'Leary

Which musical was directed by Sidney Lumet, based on a Joel Schumacher script? “Oh, that’s The Wiz,” he says after half a nanosecond of contemplation. “Did you know that Joel Schumacher started off as a costume designer?” OK, now you’re showing off, Joe. Perth-born Heenan started his comedy career by accident. He accompanied a friend to the local heats of So You Think You’re Funny and, when the friend chickened out, ended up not only going on stage but winning the heat. “I ended up losing the national final to Lee Mack,” he says. And what happened to the friend who chickened out? “I have no idea. He could be dead. Who cares?” He’s joking (just in case the friend in question is reading this), but when he laughs, he sounds like a man who can’t believe how lucky he is to be where he is.

He’s built up a career as a stand-up and writer for shows such as The Karen Dunbar Show and Chewing The Fat, and regularly MCs at The Stand.

“The pressure’s off when you’re the MC,” he says. “People expect the acts to be funny and if the compere is funny, that’s a bonus. Actually, I’ve had people come up to me after I’ve MCed and say ‘you’re pretty funny, have you ever thought of doing comedy yourself?’” Does it take a particular set of skills to be an MC? “Yeah, you’ve got to basically like people.” Does he like people? “Not really. But I’m good at bluffing it.”

The Movie Madness quiz is Heenan’s brainchild and has become the high point of a Monday night in Glasgow. It’s run like a panel show with two competing teams of comedians battling against the audience in a movie trivia fight to the death. It’s now so popular with comedians that

there aren’t any available slots on the panel until December, and Heenan is considering bringing the format to the Fringe.

We try him on one more piece of trivia before letting him away. Who wrote the screenplay for Stayin’ Alive? “Easy. Sylvester Stallone.”

You win this round, Heenan.

Joe Heenan’s Movie Madness The Stand, Glasgow Mon 2 May 8.30pm £4/£2

New Act of the Month:

Age: 21 Based in: Glasgow (originally from the beautifullynamed Wormit, in Fife) First gig: 1 October 2009, QMU Union, Glasgow Number of gigs: 100-150 Most memorable gig: It was a charity night, which made it all the more odd. This guy came in and picked a fight with the compere – he wouldn’t stop heckling. Then he tried to get onstage and grab the microphone, and all hell broke loose. It was this massive brawl, comedians versus audience. Then it all calmed down and turned out to be one of the best nights of comedy I’ve ever been to.

How did you get into comedy? It was always something I’d wanted to do. I went along to the Queen Margaret Union and saw some comedy and it just inspired me. So I went up to the promoter and asked for a spot. My first ever gig was Freshers’ Week, and it actually went well. So that’s how I got the bug!

How would you describe your comedy? I’d say I fall into the category of being an ‘anti-comedian’. I do a very weird act; I suppose it’s quite subversive.

I think what I try to do most onstage is to be subversive and completely original. I try and push the boundaries of weird, because I think surreal humour is quite funny, awkward humour is quite funny. So that’s what I try and get across onstage: the idea of being funny through being unfunny.

Who are your heroes on the Scottish Comedy scene? In terms of style, someone like David Kay; I think he’s very funny, I love his surreal take on things. People like Mark Nelson and Paul Sneddon

PHOTO: Helen Abraham

Richard Gadd

are inspiring people in what they do; they’re masters of their craft. And they’re not headliners, but people like Matt Winning and James Kirk, and the Stockholm Syndrome... I like anything that’s alternative. [Lizzie Cass-Maran] See Richard gigging around Scotland this month, including: Sun 8 & Tue 31 May, The Stand, Glasgow

skinny ad May.indd 1

May 2011

25/04/2011 17:58:21

THE SKINNY 53

COMPS

Win festival camping equipment!

Festival season is upon us again, and our friends at Highlander Outdoor want to make sure you're all prepared. So we're giving away an extra super fantastic exciting very cool prize: 1 Glenderry tent (2 people; 2.5kg; pack size: 52 x12x12cm) 2 Sleepline 250 Mummy sleeping bags 2 Moray camping chairs (funky design) 10 glowsticks We'll let you bring the coffee, beer and midgie repellent.

Q: How many different festival tent designs are sold on the Highlander Outdoor website?

To enter, visit www.theskinny.co.uk/competitions Deadline: Tuesday 31 May Terms: www.theskinny.co.uk/terms Prize can't be redeemed for cash. www.highlander-outdoor.com

Win Tickets to Scottish Opera's Rigoletto!

We've teamed up with Scottish Opera to offer a lucky reader two top priced tickets to see Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Festival Theatre Edinburgh. The winner will also get complimentary wine and ice cream at the interval.

Verdi's Rigoletto is playing from 11 May – 11 June in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness, with Edinburgh performances on 24, 26 and 28 May. She was sweet and innocent, he was powerful and experienced. He liked the ladies and he liked her; Daddy tried his best to protect her but a father’s love isn’t always enough, and Rigoletto’s Gilda meets a sticky end. Is she: A) stabbed, stuck in a sack and

thrown in the river

B) hit by a bus while out shoe

shopping

C) injured while bungee jumping

off the Forth Bridge

Deadline: Friday 20 May Terms: www.theskinny.co.uk/terms Prize can't be redeemed for cash

THE SKINNY IS SEEKING... FOOD AND DRINK EDITOR ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BEING THE SKINNY’S FOOD AND DRINK EDITOR? WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THE SECTION IF YOU WERE? If you've got a good knowledge of what Scotland's culinary world has to offer and you think you have a grasp of what our readership would like to know, you might be the right person for the job.

If you would like to apply, please write to us and let us know what you don't like about the section at the moment, describe your vision for the section, plus a brief paragraph on why you are the person for the job to jobs@theskinny.co.uk by the 31st May. Illustration by Jamie Johnson and al white - Their Degree Shows are this month in Dundee

54 THE SKINNY May 2011

Glasgow music Tue 03 May The Dirty Hugos, Dirty Project, The Industry

Grandfather Birds (Where We Lay Our Hands) Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Tasty Jailbait (Man & Superman) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £5

Damon & Naomi Dreamy psychedelic pop/rock duo.

Rolo Tomassi (Holy State, Take A Worm For A Walk Week, Citizens) Sheffield’s most frantic exports let rip, with a stellar trio of support acts.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £9

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £6

Geordie quintet of glitchy electrorock musings.

Glasgow’s hook-laden indie rock outfit, fresh from supporting Bez of Happy Mondays.

Dreams & Empires (Gary Gordon, Umbilical Chrod)

The Secret Sisters

Fri 06 May

The Jury (The Toi, The Sneaky Russians)

Ambient rock from the Glasgow young guns.

Indie, punk and rock showcase.

Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £8

New-age traditional country duo inspired by the sounds of the 50s.

Anaal Nathrakh (Drugzilla, Chronocide)

Kirsty’s Metal Hands (Hot Jupiter)

Extreme metal mentallists, fusing black metal with industrial and grindcore.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £2

Glasgow-based alternative rockers.

Olly Murs SECC, 19:30–22:30, £26.50

Essex boy done good shocker. Well, if runner-up in X-Factor counts as ‘good’.

Citizen (Lemon Party, Diddums, Umbilical Cord) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Alternative rock with bells on.

Psychadelic Horseshit Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £4

Lo-fi pop from the Ohio noisemakers of dubious title.

Mitchell Museum (Esperi, Lady North, Dave Hughes and His Renegade Folk Punk Band) 13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £8

Jubilant pop brilliance from Glasgow’s Mitchell Museum, as they headline a Japan fundraiser night.

The Glasgow Slow Club Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10

Wild Beasts Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

Kendal indie rockers currently doing the rounds on the back of their rather good new album.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

A couple of Glasgow boys getting messy with a tonne of synth.

Apart From Rod

The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £13.50

Codeen, Kris Tennant, Sharpey

Alternative four-piece.

Free alternative showcase of bands.

The Clock (Days Of Days, Finality Jack)

The Crowdaddies

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £6

Chilled-out Glasgow R’n’B five-piece, fond of beer and boogie-style blues.

The raffish alternative trio launch their new EP.

UK Subs (Prairie Dugz, Gypsy Mojo, Fire Exit, Razorblade Smile) Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £9

Damned-inspired London punksters in for the long-haul.

Twin Atlantic Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £12

Butterfly Fridays

Ivory Blacks, 18:30–22:30, £7

Live acoustic blues from The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

Swimming

The Wave Pictures (My Tiny Robots)

Frontier Rukas

Polock

Slouch, 20:30–23:00, Free

Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free

Carefully-crafted melodies from the experimental Nottingham band.

The Mouse That Ate The Cat (Inner Sight, Digital Jones, Miss Baudelaire)

Rod Stewart tribute act.

Wed 04 May

Stereo, 20:00–22:30, £7

Tue 10 May

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £6

Glasgow alternative rock four-piece.

Long-haired Welsh death metallers.

Glasgow chaps straddling the line between pop, punk and rock.

Ocean House (The Dorian, Death By Ambition)

Relaxed music night with live guests from the local scene.

Anterior (What’s The Damage)

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £9 (£7.50)

Melodic English rock trio and sometime backing band for The Mountain Goats.

Ivory Blacks, 21:00–23:00, £tbc

Fury & The Ambassadors

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

50 and 60s-styled rock’n’roll, with soulful vibes.

Robin Adams and The Circle 1901 Bar, 21:00–00:00, Free

Alternative acoustic.

Sun 08 May

Explicit Creed, As Faith Fades, The Ship Is Sinking, Break Through Reality Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £6

Hardcore showcase of bands. There will be screaming.

Little Comets

Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £8.50

The Leisure Society (Sarabeth Tucek)

Wolverhampton indie rockers.

Stringman (Dirty Face)

Filthy Little Secret (Death

By Misadventure, Ian MacDonald, Brian Gatens)

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Acoustic folk rock, born of Nick Hemming’s creative nuggin’.

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

Four-piece Glasgow band mixing bruising rock with a nip of blues.

Amy Wadge, Pete Riley The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £10

Rough-voiced country singer/songwriter, joined by writer/producer Pete Riley.

Muso (Alburn, Alan Panther & The Energy Treadmill, Meanwhile City) Buff Club, 21:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Anything goes fusion live band and club night.

Blueflint, The Dirt, Craig Hughes State Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4

Acoustic Americana and roots, including bluegrass banjo duo Blueflint.

Fixers King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Bold and experimetal pop types, with a cheeky glint in their eye.

David Thomas Broughton The Arches, 20:30–22:30, £7

Improvisational-led show from the unique folk singer/songwriter, on acoustic guitar and loop pedals.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Dave Dominey Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

Funked-up bass loops on laptop and electric bass.

All The Young (The Barent Sea, The Regiment) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Stock On Trent foursome making indie rock’n’roll with brains and balls.

Sonny and the Sunsets Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Beach-pop from the San Franciscoans.

Mixkings (The Being) 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc

Cross-genre mixmasters.

Husband and wife songwriting duo making lovely, lovely pop songs.

Broken Down Heroes (Pornosec) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Glasgow-based punk/rock threepiece with big ideas.

Dr Mango and the Chickpeas Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Swoonsome pop from the young Detroit native.

Die! Die! Die! (Kick To Kill, Ursula Minor, Blue Sabbath Black Fiji) Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Rising New Zealand art-rockers bring the noise.

The Glasgow Slow Club (Finding Albert) Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Relaxed music night with live guests from the local scene.

Wed 11 May Yes, their back. With a show encompassing their entire history. Rejoice.

Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

Mon 09 May

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £20

Friendly Fires (Vondelpark) The Arches, 19:00–22:30, £sold out

St Albans trio who make superb party music: funky, unpretentious and, yes, super-danceable.

Francois and the Atlas Mountains (Babe, Fur Hood) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Gothenburg native splattering a broad pallet of influences against a canvas of intricate pop.

Limehouse Lizzy The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £12.50

Thin Lizzy tribute act.

Sonic Hearts Foundation

Moon Duo (Kim Ki O)

OvO, Divorce, Gropetown, Hivver

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £9

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

San Franciscan vibe, coupled with the righteous abuse of sustain and distortion.

Black metal and screaming from this noisy four-band bill.

Iron Chic (Bangers, Citizens, Shields Up)

Tue 17 May

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £6

Melodic punk rock from the NYC-ers.

Peppermint Fiction (The Richard Burton Experience) Slouch, 20:30–23:00, Free

Glaswegian indie rockers on vocals, guitars, bass and drums.

Strung Out Ivory Blacks, 21:00–23:00, £tbc

Hardcore noise of the punk rock variety.

Fistfights and Foreplay 1901 Bar, 21:00–00:00, Free

Rock with a capital ‘R”.

Black Volvo (The Murderburgers, Tragic City Thieves) Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Khaira Arby (RM Hubbert)

It Bites (Thirteen Stars)

Malian singer/songwriter talent who sings in several languages.

80s pop act, back and touring the classics.

Niki and The Dove (Midnight Lion)

Misstallica (15 Times Dead)

Dark and spooky musings from the Swedish eletro-poppers.

Dead Boy Robotics (Machine Room)

Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £12

The Arches, 19:00–22:30, £7.50

Yellowman & The Sagittarius Band

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £15

The Mademouselle

Cry Parrot Is 4! (Moon Unit, Ben Butler & Mousepad, Muscles Of Joy)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

Canadian-born singer/songwriter works his magic on guitar, vocals and auto-harp.

Candid Cabaret

Juliana Barwick (No Comet, Cheer)

Alternative experimental from the Glasgow four-piece.

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

Alternative rock types. Ain’t they all.

Porch Song Anthology (Changing Horses) Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Rich, folkie sounds from the ashes of Scots heroes, Telstar Ponies.

Fri 13 May Nick Harper O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £10

Folk troubadour, with a touch of rock’n’roll on the side.

Butterfly Fridays Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free

Live acoustic blues from The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

Big Fat Panda Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £5

Mash-up ska from the local faves.

Johnny Reb (Edinburgh School of the Deaf, The Amazing Snakeheads) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–22:30, £2

Glasgow’s indie-rockers tuned into the sounds of the early 90s.

Soilent Green (Dripback, Co-Exist) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Grindcore metallers from the US-of-A.

SWG3, 22:00–03:00, £5

Celebratory night with a trio of quality live bands joined by Kilmarnock’s disco legend David Barbarossa and the Button Up DJs.

Sun 15 May Hazy Recollections (Findlay Napier and The Bar Room MountaineersEndor, Little Fire) Stereo, 14:00–17:00, £7

Afternoon of hazy indie, folk and roots, with Findlay Napier and co. launching their new albim.

Twisted Rainbow (Rose Glass, Papa Foxtrot) Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £6

Metallic punk rock from the fiery shores of, er, Wishaw.

The Black Heart Procession The Arches, 19:30–22:30, £11

Prince Rama

Oran Mor, 19:30–23:00, £11.50 (£9.50)

A collection of RSAMD students bring their cabaret show to Oran Mor.

Gus Stirrat

Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £3

Monthly jazz session with bassist Gus Stirrat and live guests.

Randolph’s Leap

Mono, 20:00–22:30, Free

Scottsh troupe charmingly twisting folk-pop into odd knots.

The British Pink Floyd Show

Juxtaposition of metronomic beats from Alexei Perry and dissodant guitars from Dan Boeckner.

Pete Yorn

13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc

Ambient experimental from Laandan.

The Glasgow Slow Club (Joshua Caole)

Jamie Barnes and Cochise Ivory Blacks, 18:00–20:30, £2

Early evening show from classic blues Glasgow rockers.

Bill Callahan Glasgow School of Art, 19:00–22:00, £14

American singer/songwriter and guitarist (aka Smog).

Kenny Bogan Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £7

Marc Evans (Andy Johnston, Andrew Flett, Jay Ingrim, A band Called Cadence) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

The talented acoustic/Americana solo launches his new EP.

Michael Simons

Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

The Irish musician-cum-poet launches his new album.

Folk and blues fingerstyle guitarist.

Long Fall Up (Hot Rails, Darrel Muldoune)

Brel, 20:00–22:30, Free

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £6

Arbroath four-piece, making merry with the pop, punk and rock template.

The Smyths

Brel Sessions

Indie folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Sad City

Life In December, Always Read The Label, Cullan 13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

Progressive rock and experimental.

Skinny Molly The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £12.50

Juffage

Early evening show from classic blues Glasgow rockers.

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

One-man-band from Leeds creating huge, undulating melodies through a band of loop stations and arsenal of instruments.

Muso Buff Club, 21:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Anything goes fusion live band and club night.

Live Glasgow jammin’ from Gary Caruth.

Thu 12 May

The Wolfe Tones

Anna Calvi, Grouplove, Big Deal

Page 44, Makethisrelate (Aspen Tide, The Corleones)

Trio of alternative up-and-comers, as part of the NME Emerge Radar Tour.

Unsigned showcase, of the alternative indie, pop and rock variety.

Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £18

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £9

Sat 14 May

Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute act.

Mono, 20:00–22:30, Free

Alternative Irish chaps, incorporting elements of traditional Irish music.

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Live showcase dedicated to the murky world of modern punk and rock.

Jamie Barnes and Cochise

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £10

The Smiths tribute act.

Alburn, Wolves At Heart, Yeah Detroit!

O2 ABC, 18:30–22:30, £5

Ivory Blacks, 18:00–20:30, £2

The Dirty Cuts (Vendor Defender, Galoshins) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £6

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £15

Chain and The Gang (The Gummy Stumps, Palms) Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £9

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £tbc

Relaxed music night with live guests from the local scene.

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Svenonius’ newest musical project, riffing on oppression, class struggles, greed and the like.

Kettle Of Kites (Jo Mango)

Burn The Sunset (Here Lies A Warning, From Apathy, What’s The Damage)

Glasgow-based indie gang.

Fri 20 May

Cloud Boat

Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free

The veritable hip-hop legend sets the bar high with his intricate MC-style, layered deep with internal rhymes, jazz rhythms, and intellectual lyrics.

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

French hook-masters.

Youthful jazz renegades; pretty much as authentic as you can get, without Sun Ra trumpeter Phil Cohran actually being their father. Oh wait, he is.

Rakim

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Brel, 15:00–18:00, Free

Rock and indie classics, done good.

The Fiction

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £12

Acoustic pop/rock band of brothers.

The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £20

Second Communion Glasgow night with a stellar foursome of headliners.

95-C (Spoutmouth, The Real Stoichkov)

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £8

Butterfly Strategy

13th Note, 20:00–00:00, £5

13th Note, 20:00–00:00, £5

Handsome Furs (Boycotts)

Pink Floyd tribute act.

Candid Cabaret

Headlight

Communion Glasgow (Bear Bones, In Flight Safety, Little Kicks, The Echoes)

Gracious melodies and chunky riffage, of the pop/rock variety.

The LA-based singer/songwriter exposes his rock’n’roll heart.

A collection of RSAMD students bring their cabaret show to Oran Mor.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Brooklyn-based experimental singer/songwriter

SECC, 20:00–22:30, From £10

A special stripped-back show from the Californian indie chaps, playing as duo Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel.

Oran Mor, 19:30–23:00, £11.50 (£9.50)

Andrea Heins

Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

Psych-rock three-piece hailing from Brooklyn.

Dawn Partol

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Edinburgh duo incorporating laptops, guitars, vocal yelps and tribal drumming in their rather epic brand of new wave.

The Jamaican reggae/dancehall man, touring with his ever-faithful band.

Hamish Napier Quartet

Galleries (We See Lights, Letters)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £8

All-girl Metallica tribute act.

Swedish punk and roll (yup, it’s a thing), with support from two local underground heroes.

Boyce Avenue

The Arches, 19:30–22:30, £13

The Arches, 19:00–22:30, £17.50

13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc

Goth-dappled art rock foursome, with Shemi Ben on vocals.

Piano-driven quaret playing a mix of originals and standards.

Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £12.50

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

Self-taught, all-singing, piano and guitar playing internet sensation.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

SECC, 19:00–22:30, From £30

Nottingham’s own alternative metallers, newly reformed and back on the live circuit.

Instrumental rockers from Ireland, delivering a rhythmic barrage where’er they go.

Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £7.50

Duran Duran

The Minnesota trio tour their rather beautiful ninth album, a minimalistic paean to love.

The pseudo-rockers celebrate the 20th anniversary of album Pocketful Of Kryptonite.

Sat 07 May

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £8

The singer, rhythm guitarist and principle songwriter in The Wonder Stuff.

Earthtone9 (The Ocean, Maybeshewill)

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £7

Gabrielle Aplin

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Miles Hunt (Dave Hughes and the Renegade Folk Punk Band)

Low (Sleeping Dog)

Spin Doctors

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £6

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £9.50

LA-based ensemble leading a frothymouthed post-punk-dance-craze revival.

Legendary 80s new wavers.

Alternative rock types. Ain’t they all.

Alternative rock types. Ain’t they all.

Gentle folk and acoustic goodness, with a special set from Germany’s Kurt Sawalies (aka Nurkurt).

Brel, 19:30–22:30, £5

Little Dragon

Stringy and melodic indie troubadours, hailing from Ireland.

And So I Watch You From A Far

Katy B

Nurkurt (Dougsy, Chris Gould, Danielle Hutchison, Who Needs A Diva)

Trevor Moss, Hananh-Lou

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £12.50

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £12

Welsh singer/songwriter and former leadsinger of Gene.

Talented producer mixing dubstep, funk, pop, rock and electronica.

Rally

Glasgow five-piece currently experimenting with the garage blues template.

Jangly pop/rock from the keen San Franciscoans.

High Llamas

Bell X1

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £15

Hot Jupiter (Hunky Dory, Arthouse, Andy Galbraith)

Slouch, 20:30–23:00, Free

NY five-piece trading in sprawling 80s hardcore and punk rock beats.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £7.50

Turn To Crime (Fur Hood, Float Riverer, Palms)

Butterfly Strategy

Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

Dreamy pop harmonies from Sean O’Hagan and chums.

Chas ‘n’ Dave Reunion Tour

Ambient experimental from the ex-Awesome Colour chaps.

If You Lived Here You’d Be Home By Now

Fresh and Onlys

Five-piece indie rockers from Newport Beach, Californ-i-a.

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

Legendary English vocalist, guitarist and songwriter.

Martin Rossiter (Songdog)

Heavy guitar riffs and dancey basslines, sung, screamed and rapped-over loudly.

The Glagsow acoustic folk rockers launch their new mini album.

The Retrofrets (Filthy Little Secrets)

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £5

SECC, 19:30–22:30, £60

Fine purveyors of indie-pop, plus more of the same from support Dear Mountaineer.

Rudi Zygadlo (Galaxian, Mitoma, Kid Robotnik)

Thu 05 May

The Arches, 19:00–22:30, £sold out

Young The Giant

Eric Clapton

Funeral Party

Brel, 20:00–22:30, Free

Sweet-voiced French popster Francois Marry and his merry band of ever-changing players.

Cerebral Ballzy (DZ Deathrays)

Young R’n’B, garage and dubstep crossover.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Glasgow-based indie-pop-rock band, made up of two Scotsmen, an Englishman, and a Welshman.

Thu 19 May

Indie folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–22:30, Free

You and What Army

The Rudiments

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £7

Indie rock quartet led by the somewhat dynamic Robert Coles.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

Haunting and lyrical acoustic group.

Alex Winston (Jonathan Sebastian Knight, Fridge Magnets)

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10.50

Motherwell noisemakers combining hip-hop, rock and electro into one melodic nugget.

Alternative rockers from Glasgow.

Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £9.50

Aames (Restless Sinners)

Irish singer/songwriter with added bonus of being a rather talented storyteller

Melodic power metal from the Southampton gang.

The Lines (PartWindPartWolf, Sweet Relief) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

James Vincent McMorrow

Power Quest (Farseer, Defiance)

La Fontaines (The Toi) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £tbc

CCA, 19:00–22:30, £6

Five young Spanish dudes making Euro-tinged garage rock under a giant disco ball.

Scottish and French-Canadian traditional and contemporary music.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Lyrical folk rockers in cowboy shirts.

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £9

Brel Sessions

The Ideal Crash (Dear Mountaineer)

The Glasgow/Aberdeen progressive indie rockers launch their new EP.

Wed 18 May

Guns 2 Roses

Stereo, 20:00–22:30, £5

Hundredth (Heights, Hero in Error)

Guns ‘n’ Roses tribute act.

Suuns

Myrtle Beach rockers straddling the line between hardcore and melodic.

Iron Maiden tribute act.

The experimental Glasgow five-piece launch their new EP. Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £8

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

Mon 16 May My Favourite Runner Up (I Spy Strangers) Ivory Blacks, 18:30–22:30, £6

Welsh punk rockers with a worrying tendency for powerpop florishes.

Talking Back Sunday Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £16.50

American rockers formed in the late 90s by Eddie Reyes.

Candid Cabaret Oran Mor, 19:30–23:00, £11.50 (£9.50)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £10

Ivory Blacks, 18:30–22:30, £7

The Arches, 19:00–22:30, £17.50

Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Full metal racket from the hardcore Scottish punksters.

Candid Cabaret

Oran Mor, 19:30–23:00, £11.50 (£9.50)

A collection of RSAMD students bring their cabaret show to Oran Mor.

Young Knives (The Neat) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Twee-clad chaps hailing from the lesser known Mecca of punk rock delinquency, Oxford.

Sub Pop Vs. 4AD

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, Free

Maiden Scotland

Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Queens Of The Stone Age

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £sold out

Josh Homme et al play their eponymous debut album live and in its entirety. Eek!

Pete Doherty

Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £18

The Ex-Libertines frontman still has a way with a tune.

Butterfly Fridays

Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free

Live acoustic blues from The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

The Touch

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £6

Alternative types.

FlyinAmbeR (Blue Nova, Crank, Peter) Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Glasgow alternative popsters of the DIY varient (i.e. their songs are home-recorded).

Four miscreants from Glasgow making new wave disco to dance to.

A collection of RSAMD students bring their cabaret show to Oran Mor.

Kate Dunn & the Redundants (B Movie Junkies)

Hosemox (Safetynett, The Remnant Kings, The Blitz)

He Slept On 57, Fires Attract

MAX RAPTOR (The Holidays, Skinny Villains)

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Challenging new rock from both sides of the border.

Midland-conceived alternative rock four-piece.

Muso (Twisted Melons, The Fiction, Kieran Robinson)

Credo, Abel Ganz, Comedy Of Errors

Anything goes fusion live band and club night.

Contemporary progressive rock lineup from three local bands.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £5

Enchanting Live and Unsigned finalist Kate Dunn and her six-piece pop ensemble.

The Coal Porters Brel, 20:00–22:30, £10

Bluegrass combo headed by Sid Griffin and Neil Robert Herd.

Fuzzy punk with hook-laden melodies and rambling vocals. Oh, and songs about dentists.

Michael Simons Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

Folk and blues fingerstyle guitarist.

Acoustic battle-cum-singalongcum-piss up.

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Buff Club, 21:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £10

May 2011

THE SKINNY 55

E D I N B U R G H music

G lasgow music Daylight For Dead Eyes (The Works)

Braids (No Joy) Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Slouch, 20:30–23:00, Free

Experimental Canadian quartet.

Diementia (Black Sun)

The Hoosiers (The Dirty Demographic)

Rock with a capital ‘R’.

13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £12

Hardcore Glasgow types dealing in death metal and thrash.

Exeter indie popsters, all feelgood and fizzy-like.

Bastard Killed My Rabbit, Stomphouse Sauce, Dianne Jardin

The Fnords, Black International

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £3

Local types playing garage-punk and concrete noise, handpicked by Art Idiot.

Pete MacLeod (The Vespas, Lynnie Carson)

The Mountain Goats

Tue 03 May

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £15

London-based rockers, packing post-punk energy.

Scottish singer/songwriter who recently swapped LA for Lanarkshire.

Heartfelt US trio who oft sound like poetry set to music.

Leith Folk Club: Mike Whellans

Said Ensemble

Andrew Jackson Jihad, The Stay Gones, Tragical History Tour

Arms Aloft (Calvin Ball)

The Duke Spirit (The Computers, ANR) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Live sets from a small assortment of classical ensembles based in Glasgow.

Muso Buff Club, 21:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Anything goes fusion live band and club night.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

Fast rockabilly and punk-rock, handpicked by Wreckin Pit.

The Groundhogs (Brothers of Craig)

Local band showcase from Blackbird Studios.

Butterfly Strategy

Kill The Captains, Vendor Defendor

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

Thu 26 May

Mon 23 May

Abigail Williams (Thulcandra, Iskald)

Adam Ant

Ivory Blacks, 18:30–22:30, £7

Incineratour UK 2011 (Je$us Loves Amerika, Concrete Lung, Digicore)

D:Ream

Hardcore and alternative types as part of the Incineratour mini tour.

Bloc+, 23:00–01:00, Free

Handpicked acts from the contemporary alternative scene, chosen by Armellodie Records.

Sat 21 May Gus Stirrat Quartet Brel, 15:00–18:00, Free

The eclectic bass virtuoso and his merry bunch of players.

Stag & Dagger Glasgow School of Art, 19:00–22:00; Stereo, 18:00–23:00; O2 ABC, 19:00– 22:30; Nice N Sleazy, 19:30–22:30; Captain's Rest, 20:00–23:00; £17 adv.

The one-ticket, multi-venue Shoreditch export returns to Glasgow with a batch of live treats from (amongst many others) Clinic, Warpaint, Yuck, Kurt Vile and the Violators as well as local favourites including Admiral Fellow, Broken Records and Conquering Animal Sound.

Joanne Shaw Taylor (P-A-U-L) O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £12.50

Birmingham-born blues quitarist moving from soulful ballads to funky shuffles.

The Dodos The Arches, 19:00–22:30, £9

San Franciscoan experimental indie duo, moving in waves of psych and folk.

Born Accused, The Steady State Regime, Kleptocrats, The Beagle Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Alternative indie, pop and rock from a mostly local bill.

Beatsteaks (Failsafe) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £12

Punk rockers from Berlin.

Larry Miller (Against The Grain) The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £10.50

Blues rocker showman who likes to dine out on encores.

Band Of Heathens Classic Grand, 20:30–22:00, £13

Finely-crafted and soulful rock from the Texan troupe.

No Fxd Abode Slouch, 20:30–23:00, Free

Glaswegian indie rock four-piece from the westside.

Black Jash 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc

Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:30, £22.50

The frontman of new wave popsters, Adam and the Ants.

Emeralds The Arches, 19:00–22:30, £7

Ohio trio fusing ambient electronica, 80s synths and field recordings.

MC Lars O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £8

Songs for a clued-up generation, from the post-punk laptop rapper.

Hiroshima Blackout (Sintonic, Insomniac, Portion Fed, Twisted Rainbow) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Thrash metal, energetic punk and dark melodies galore.

Michael Simons Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

Folk and blues fingerstyle guitarist.

Brel Sessions Brel, 20:00–22:30, Free

Indie folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Mandrake Shepherd Mono, 20:00–22:30, Free

Mellow and soulful folkiness.

Alessi’s Ark (Georgia Seddon) Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Folk-rock brainchild of Londonbased Alessi Laurent-Marke.

Sparrow and the Workshop (Haight Ashbury) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Electric and brooding country-tinged trio, led by the ethereal tones of Jill O’Sullivan.

Social Circkle (Profile, Knots) 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc

80s-styled hardcore noisemakers.

Tue 24 May Black Lips Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £12.50

Atlanta boys reinventing the wheel with their southern-fried garage rock sounds.

Miaoux Miaoux Mono, 20:00–22:30, £tbc

Single launch from the electronicpop-soul crossover.

Allie Moss Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Indie-folk songstress from New Jersey.

Garage, punk and rock crossover from Glasgow.

Sound Of Guns (The King Hats, Run From Red)

Hypermusic

Dramatic Liverpudlian rock, served raw and loud.

1901 Bar, 21:00–00:00, Free

Alternative psych-rock from Glasgow.

The Shivering Sheiks

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

The Glasgow Slow Club Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

Relaxed music night with live guests from the local scene.

Getawaycab (Fiction Faction, DJ Tony Goddamn)

Wed 25 May

Rock, soul and gospel with a 50s bombastic-pop edge.

Bloc+, 22:00–01:00, Free

Glasgow PodCart night, with Finnish indie-poppers Getawaycab headlining.

Sun 22 May Palladium (Search For Solace) Ivory Blacks, 14:00–16:30, £6

Alternative rock, with support from the altogether darker and more metallic tones of Search For Solace.

THE RISING O2 ABC, 18:30–22:30, £10

Bruce Springsteen tribute act.

Gerry Jablonski & The Electric Band (The Lorelei, The Bro) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

The prolific Scottish blues rockers launch their new album.

Candid Creep (Media Whores, Tiny Cuts) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

The akternative indie newcomers play their second ever gig.

Ourzone Tour 2011 (The Summer Set) O2 ABC, 18:30–22:30, Free

Mini tour band showcase. Free tickets from ourzonemag.com.

The Alarm (The Last Republic) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £15

The Welsh old-timers play as part of the Sound & The Fury 30th anniversary tour.

Mike & The Mechanics SECC, 20:00–22:30, From £35

Longstanding pop/rockers, formed back in 1984.

Detachments (Tape The Radio) Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Dark and deadly metal from the unassumingly named Abigail Williams.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £13

The legendary dance duo of Things Can Only Get Better fame. Oh yes.

Punto The Feef (Restless Sinners, The Sea Kings) Slouch, 20:30–23:00, Free

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £10

Majestic Dandelion

The singer/songwriter warbles his way through some blues and garageinfused pop.

The Phoenix Foundation Glasgow School of Art, 19:30–22:00, £7

New Zealand indie-rock outfit.

Jakil (Run/Lucky/ Free, Cameo Colours) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £6.50 (£5)

Emotive pop rockers hailing from the ‘Burgh.

The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

70s-style foot-stomping rock’n’roll.

Mitchell Museum (Nevada Base)

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Jubilant pop brilliance from Glasgow’s Mitchell Museum.

Sat 28 May

Street-punk types from the US-of-A.

Butterfly Strategy Butterfly & Pig, 21:00–12:00, Free

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

Mon 30 May

The Wise Affair The Wise Monkey, 21:00–00:00, Free

Public Information

Modern jazz quartet on sax, guitar, electric bass and drums.

Hardcore Toronto sextet with garage, rock and punk influences.

Late ‘n’ Live: James Brown Is Annie

Leith Folk Club: Linda McRae

Heady brew of funk, soul and rock from Barry Gordon’s six-piece.

Vintage Trouble

Springbok Nude Girls (You Already Know) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £15

Cape Town alternative rockers, fresh from touring with U2.

Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £22.50

SECC, 19:30–22:30, £26.50

Essex boy done good shocker. Well, if runner-up in X-Factor counts as ‘good’.

Local artist showcase hosted by Natalie Clarke.

Poor Things (Happy Vandals, Cancel The Astronauts) Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Post-punk-meets-alternative rock trio Poor Things launch their new EP.

Fri 27 May Slam Dunk 2011 (Less Than Jake, Anti-Flag, Goldfinger, Set Your Goals) O2 ABC, 17:45–22:30, £20

Alternative mini tour.

Roddy Hart Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

The local singer/songwriter back out on the road.

Letz Zep O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £12

Led Zeppelin tribute act.

Michael Simons

Butterfly Fridays Butterfly & Pig, 19:00–03:00, Free

Live acoustic blues from The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

Celtic Music Radio (Public House Orchestra) Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Banjo-strumming, accordion-pumping, fiddle-soaring foikies. You get the idea.

Wing and a Prayer Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

An easy mix of indie, rock and pop.

The Empathy Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Cass McCombs Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £8

US singer/songwriter; musically melancholic but lyrically sharp.

Desafinado

Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Gentle jazz and bossa nova from Marcus Ford and Nick Gent.

David Ford

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £12

Metamap (New Fiction)

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Scottish eletro pop/rock outfit.

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £13

Nu-folkie Charlie Fink returns with a batch of polished pop numbers.

Brel, 20:00–22:30, Free

Shooglenifty

US-based bluesy-poppy-thrashy trio.

Indie folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Uptempo mix of traditional talent and funky phonics, melding heritage and hedonism into one unbreakable whole.

Random Hand

The Radiation Line

RSNO: Season Finale

West Yorkshire types moving in waves of metal, punk and ska.

Mono, 20:00–22:30, Free

Symphony performance of Beethoven’s ninth.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

Alternative, skiffle-tinged roots from Glasgow.

Hurray For The Riff Raff King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–01:00, £10 adv.

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:30, From £10

Session A9

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £14 (£12)

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4 (£3)

The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

Sat 07 May Stewart Maclennan

The Jazz Bar, 19:30–22:00, £4 (£3)

Four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes and four rhythm. That do you?

Glamour & The Baybes

The Jazz Bar, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£1)

Jazz rock powered by drummer Jordie Gilmour.

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £10

The Village, 19:30–22:45, £8

All hail the queen of Canadian folk.

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £6.50 adv.

Live-wired, dirty-mouthed, pelvispushing juke music from LA.

Wed 11 May

Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Anthems:KerryEllisandBrianMay

Augustalia (Kochka, Something Illustrated)

Live showing of Kerry Ellis’ debut album produced by and co-starring Queen legend Brian May.

Singer/songwriter guitarist deftly mixing popular songs and new compositions.

Festival Theatre, 19:30–22:00, From £36

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £3 (£2)

Television Personalities (Post)

TheWavePictures(MyTinyRobots)

Influential 70s indie band favoured

by Alan McGee and the like.

Edinburgh funk-cum-pop-cum-rock four-piece.

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £7.50

Melodic English rock trio and sometime backing band for The Mountain Goats.

The Fire and I (Scrap Brain, Acrylic Iqon)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5

Experimental rock from the Bathgate duo. Raising money for Edinburgh’s Sick Kids charity.

The Kevock Choir

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:30, From £12 (£10)

Long-standing Midlothian choir, with guest artists the Edinburgh Guitar Orchestra.

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £7 adv.

Sam Coombes Quartet

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £6 (£5)

The Edinburgh-based jazz-man tours on the back of his new album, with the full band in tow.

Conscious Route, Man Gone Missing, The Forget Me Nots, Colin Milne Royal Oak, 20:00–23:00, £2

Local live-and-unplugged showcase.

Die Die Die (Fatalists, Pilotcan, Vasquez)

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Rising New Zealand art-rockers bring the noise.

Thank You So Nice

The Ka-Tet

The experimental Edinburgh indiepoppers return.

Blues and funk five-piece, with added horns.

Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–03:00, £4

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Cute Lepers (Critikill, Patrol, Jackhammers)

Thu 12 May

Fury and The Ambassadors

Droneyfolknoise-makingfromtheStirling duoofJamesTMcKayandEuanMeikle.

SCO: Italian Serenade

Screaming popwer-punk rock from the States.

Pinky Suavo (Vasquez, Aviation For Kids)

Big quiffs, sharp suits, and a good dose of rock’n’roll.

The Travelling Band (The Rudiments, Dead Mans Waltz)

Brahms and Haydn concertos, with Jean-Guiden Queyras on cello.

Ben Butler & Mousepad (Forkeye, Guanoman)

The Edinburgh-based post-hardcore popsters launch their new EP.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Limbo (Her Royal Highness, Snide Rhythms, The Young Spooks)

1901 Bar, 21:00–00:00, Free

United Fruit

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

The energised noise rockers launch their new album, good-and-proper.

Manchester alternative folkies, all shimmering and harmonic.

Open mic-style event for storytellers, poets, musicians and jammers alike.

Chicago-style blues. Smooth.

Thu 05 May

Classic rock and grunge types.

Pete & The Pirates (Let’s Buy Happiness, Schnapps)

1901 Bar, 19:00–00:00, Free

Blues and funk five-piece, with added horns.

Brel Sessions

Figure 5 (Maker)

Tchai-Ovna, 20:00–22:00, £2

The Llandellas

The George Lindsay Band

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Folk and blues fingerstyle guitarist.

David Bowie tribute act.

The Gathering

Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £5

The Ka-Tet

Noah and The Whale

Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Indie hitmakers from Reading.

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Alternative fundraiser for the Zapatista movement.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Tue 31 May

Madness tribute act.

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)

Kent-born singer/songwriter, all fingerplucked guitar and heartfelt lyrics.

Sun 29 May

Madnesh

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £3

Voice Of The Black Knife, The Barrels, James McKay, Martin Livingston

Ivory Blacks, 19:00–22:30, £5

The Jazz Bar Big Band

Pianosa, T-34, Total Disaster (Malicious Mischief, Puddock Stew)

Co-founder of lo-fi alternative rock group Half Japanese in his solo guise.

Bank holiday special line-up of acoustic pleaseures.

The Sensational David Bowie Tribute

Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–01:00, £tbc

Tue 10 May

The Glasgow punk rockers play home turf before jetting off to LA to record their new album.

All-out death thrash from the London lads.

Keava

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:30, £16

Fucked Up (The Black Lungs,Iceage)

Eradication (Vidina) 13th Note, 21:00–23:30, £tbc

Bourbon-soaked storytelling that brims with indisputable talent and ass-kicking Southern style.

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £6

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Static Cult (Inner Logic, Jamestown) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £6

DIY instrumentalists from Leicester, with epic orchestral flourishes.

Intricate, intelligent little pop songs from the Glasgow-formed chaps.

Mon 09 May

Iron Maiden tribute act.

Stereo, 19:00–22:30, £8.50

Swedish group of three house DJs and producers: Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso.

Barrowland, 20:00–00:00, £sold out

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5

Drive-By Truckers

Maiden Scotland

Stuart Ross (Danielle Hutchison, Little Miss Emma, Bobby Deans, Ed, Myles Leggat, Eryn Strachan)

Swedish House Mafia

Maybeshewill (You Slut)

Lightguides (The Little Kicks, The Spitfires)

Glasgow five-piece currently experimenting with the garage blues template.

Live band fusion of jazz, soul and blues from vocalist Kerrie Stirling and her rockin’ five-piece.

John Otway, Wild Willy Barrett

All-day line up from Theoretical Records, plus local craft stalls scattered throughout.

Relaxing jazz from fine young talent Fraser Urquhart.

Tamla motown funk and soul, fronted

by Fiona Lynch.

Kerrie Stirling Band

Jad Fair (Gilles Rieder, Phat Trophies)

Olly Murs

13th Note, 15:00–00:00, £5

Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Traditional Scottish ensemble: a powerhouse of fiddles and sophisticated tunes.

Fest For A Fiver (Cosmic Dead, Neoviolet, Augustalia, Tanera Heights, Matt Norris & The Moon)

John Otway returns with longtime buddy and collaborator Wild Willy Barrett.

Fraser Urquhart

The Sunday Sinners

Live gig-cum-CD sale from musicians based in and around the Edinburgh area.

The Corrs lead vocalist returns with her solo offerings.

The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £13.50

The Retrofrets (Filthy Little Secrets, Acid Fascists)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £13.50

The rhythms of South America brought to Glasgow’s west end, courtesy of Reginaldo Dias.

Americana-flavoured storytelling from the Nashville chap.

Wed 04 May

Colorado-based electronica duo tour their new album.

3oh!3 (Inner Party System)

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £13.50

Kevin Montgomery

One man blues band.

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Classic rock covers, interspersed with a chilled-open mic session.

Edinburgh indie-rock fusion on guitar, bass, vocals and drums.

Andrea Corr

Brel, 15:00–18:00, Free

The Store, 19:00–22:00, £6

Energetic synth-pop loveliness from the Edinburgh four-piece.

CRANACHAN

Secret CDs (Adam Holmes and The Embers, The Beggar Girls, Lindsay and the Storm, Paul Gladwell)

Dias Quartet

Redwings, Blue Sabbath Black Fiji, Wounded Knee

56 THE SKINNY May 2011

Classic Grand, 20:30–22:00, £5

Psychedelic rockers from Glasgow.

Blues-influenced singer/songwriters.

A psychedelic instrumental rock quartet, a freeform guitar noise duo, and an experimental vocal loop soloist. That do ye?

Longstanding British rockers, formed way back in 1963.

Jamie Woon

Minimal electronic from London via the Northwest.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £5

The Ferry, 20:00–00:00, £12.50

13th Note, 20:00–23:30, £tbc

The Village, 19:30–22:45, £8

Friends Are Friends (Fragile Chaos, Discopolis)

The Arches, 19:00–21:00, £3 donation

The Kills

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:30, £13.50

Rock duo par excellence, formed by American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince.

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:30, From £9

Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:30, £4 (£5 after 8.30)

Electro-dance behemoth, featuring clever off-kilter timing and layers of electronic funk.

Tangles

Hair of the Dog Sundays (The Mars Patrol, Cherry Suede)

Mono, 20:00–22:30, Free

The Freaky Family

A band from Canada and a band from London go head to head.

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £5 (£3)

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Jason Collett

Fri 06 May

John Irvine (Pronto Mama, Alex Wayt)

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £9

Canadian troubadour, blurring the lines of rock, folk and countrified soul.

Woodenbox With A Fistful Of Fivers (Matt Norris & The Moon, Trapped Mice)

The Bookhouse Boys (Alice Gold)

Woodenbox do their thing with a lively brass section and windswept prairie blues aesthetic. Bloody brilliant, too.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Graham High

Alternative indie from Glasgow, done the acoustic way.

Peppermint Fiction

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:30, £5

Glaswegian indie rockers on vocals, guitars, bass and drums.

London nine-piece combining surf guitars and mariachi horns.

Penguins Kill Polar Bears (The Darien Venture, Verse Metrics, Little Yellow Ukuleles)

The Glasgow Slow Club (Beer Jacket, Reverie)

Sweeping post-rock quartet from the fiery furnace of Linlithgow.

Relaxed music night with live guests from the local scene.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

Handpicked selection, with old-timers Mystery Juice ably heading the bill with their hard-rockin’ brand of blues.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, Free

Glasgow four-piece with a passion for mod, garage, prog and psych.

The post-alternative Glasgow rockers promote their new album.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £4

Late ‘n’ Live: Stuart McCallum Battery of cinematic soundscapes using loops, filters and samples.

Aki Remally-fronted funk four-piece.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 19:30–22:30, £tbc

Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £tbc

Live music club night, with disco funkster Her Royal Highness: think Blondie paggering Kylie Minogue in a back alley.

Unpeeled (Mystery Juice, The Dull Fudds, The Gold Lions, Matthew Whittaker)

Mellow Glasgow popsters, all ambient and lovely like.

Thulah Borah

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Bloc+, 21:00–01:00, Free

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–20:00, £5

Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Live ‘hot club’ jazz with guitarist Graham High and guests.

Sun 08 May

Die So Fluid (Idiom, Dead Eyes Opened, Dirty Rose) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £8

Gothic-powered London trio, powered by rock vixen Grog.

Conscious Collective (Lyrikool Lipz, Conscious Route Band, James Brown is Annie, Floor Gangz) Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £3.50 (£4.50 after 9)

Keepng it real with beatbox champions, funk fusion and a bit o’ blues.

Red Dog Music, 15:00–16:00, Free

Oswald

The Alarm

Anthemic pop, complete with a twist of old school rock and some killer hooks.

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £15

The Welsh old-timers play as part of the Sound & The Fury 30th anniversary tour.

PS I Love You (Juffage, People, Places, Maps)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5

Kingston Ontario noise-pop two-piece.

Scrap Brain (Lady North, Jump: Press A, Art of Privilidge) Maggie’s Chamber, 19:30–22:00, £3

The Scrap Brain gang launch their debut single.

Apart From Rod

Renee Syefanie, Nikki Marshall (Suzie Young)

Rod Stewart’s former band play sans the man himself.

Jazz singers night, headed by vocals tutor Renee Stefanie.

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £11

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £4

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £4 (£3)

Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–23:00, £5

Paper Beats Rock. Gascan Ruckus Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Abrasive alternative rock.

Riley Briggs

Carter’s Bar, 21:00–23:00, Free

The Aberfeldy mainstay plays a solo acoustic set.

Click Clack Club: 1st Birthday

The Forest Café, 21:00–23:30, £donation

Experimental night with Orange Claw Hammer (playing the music of Captain Beefheart) and hard-edged rappers Church of When the Shit Hits the Fan.

The Freaky Family

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Aki Remally-fronted funk four-piece.

G la s gow CLUBS Fri 13 May

Sun 15 May

Eye Of The Duck

Hair of the Dog Sundays (Supermarionation)

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, Free

DIY psychedelic Edinburgh gang.

The Dead Beat Club (Brawth, The Chinaskis) Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £6

Red Dog Music, 15:00–16:00, Free

Whack-to-the-nuggin’ noisy Sheffield five-piece: hard rockin’ done proper.

Brilliant Disguise

I Spy Strangers

Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£3)

Country-folk popsters from Edinburgh, all melodic and lovely like.

Death Trap City (Hagana, A Fight You Can’t Win)

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £16

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5

The Soul Foundation Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, Free

Quality soul covers, playing close reference to the originals.

Mariza Usher Hall, 20:00–22:30, £25 (£21)

Leading Portugese fado singer working in traditional and contemporary song.

Blow, The Black Lights

Explosions In The Sky Intricate instrumental melodies from the Texas four-piece, fluttering and intertwining in the most dazzling of patterns.

Imprisoned In Edinburgh Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:30, From £10 (£8)

Semi-staged operatic concert sung in Italian, taking inspiration from Sir Walter Scott’s Heart of Midlothian.

Black Volvo, The Murderburgers, Shock & Awe Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:30, £4

Punk and rock showcase.

Jed Potts & the Hillman Hunters Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Straight-up rock’n’roll. Can’t say fairer.

Rockin’ blues, interspersed with a chilled-open mic session.

J-Phunk

The Sunday Sinners

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4 (£3)

Classic 70s/80s jazz and funk from electro-bassist Sam Firth and his mass ensemble.

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Tamla motown funk and soul, fronted

by Fiona Lynch.

BLITZ! (Bart B More)

Mon 16 May

The Caves, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£9)

Smoke Fairies (Mechanical Bride)

Launch night with house-infused headliner Bart B More, plus support from a crop of Edinburgh up-and-comers.

Late ‘n’ Live: Big Hand The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Bluesy folk duo formed by Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies.

The Jazz Bar Big Band The Jazz Bar, 19:30–22:00, £4 (£3)

Manic ska with a party vibe and a crazed trumpeter.

Four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes and four rhythm. That do you?

Sat 14 May

Operation Certain Death, Absent Manifesto

Stewart Maclennan Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Singer/songwriter guitarist deftly mixing popular songs and new compositions.

Headlight (Curators) Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

The Glasgow/Aberdeen progressive indie rockers.

Sex Pistols Experience Studio 24, 19:00–22:00, £10

The Sex Pistols tribute act.

Dead Sea Souls (The Begbies, Velvet Morning, Rolled-Up 20s) Electric Circus, 19:00–22:30, £5

Singalong West Lothian quartet touting their funky ska wares across the Central Belt since 2006.

Night Noise Team Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Bainbridge Presents night, featuring local rock and pop hopefuls.

The Fnords, Dead and the Live Wire, Sister Bitch, Acid Fascist, Babylon Dub Punks, Seafield Foxes, Hosemox Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–03:00, £4

Beach Party-themed night, with alternative live bands a go-go.

Hotel California Festival Theatre, 19:30–22:00, £20

Eagles tribute act. In aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Up-and-coming new metal showcase.

Glamour & The Baybes The Jazz Bar, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£1)

Jazz rock powered by drummer Jordie Gilmour.

Tue 17 May Boyce Avenue The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £17.50

Acoustic rock band of brothers.

Delta Maid Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £6

Young Liverpudlian blues and countryesque singer.

Leith Folk Club: Frank Burkitt The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6

Young singer/songwriter with a sure-handed melodic facility and skilful wordcraft.

Primal Swing The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £5 (£4)

Jazz fusion combo from Oklahoma (cue singalong).

Wed 18 May Fraser Urquhart Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Relaxing jazz from fine young talent Fraser Urquhart.

Miles Kane The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £9

SCO: Mozart’s Requiem

Wiley indie chap, best known as the cofrontman of The Last Shadow Puppets.

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:30, From £9

Klabbes Bank

All-Mozart orchestral programme, including Requiem and Symphony No.41.

Shapeshifter Bongo Club, 20:00–22:00, £12.50 adv. (£15 door)

New Zealand duo trading in a unique blend of rugged soul and D’n’B.

Deportation, Constant State of Terror (Sufferinfuck, 69 Dessous)

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £10

Contemporary jazz six-piece moving in lingering sounscapes, rather than rootin’ tootin’ trumpeting sounds.

Storming rock from the booming Birmingham five-piece.

Mercury Rev (Chameleons Vox)

Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:30, £20

An essay in magestic musical explorations from the New York ensemble.

Larry Miller Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–01:00, £10 adv.

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:30, From £10

Live performance from Russia’s national theatre for ballet and opera.

We Luv Musik Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £tbc

The rockin’ blues guitarist launches his new album.

Monthly live music night featuring a rota of new and established acts.

Melange Live

Desecration, Merciless Creation (Nerrus Kor, Psychoanalysis)

Carter’s Bar, 19:00–01:00, Free

Live lounge session featuring The Dak Jokes, and special guest Lewis Gibson.

The Freaky Family The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Aki Remally-fronted funk four-piece.

Fri 20 May Graham High Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Live ‘hot club’ jazz with guitarist Graham High and guests.

Joanne Shaw Taylor The Caves, 19:00–21:45, £12.50 adv.

Birmingham-born blues quitarist moving from soulful ballads to funky shuffles.

Chasing Falcos Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £4

Experimental indie rockers from Edinburgh.

Funeral Party The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £9.50

LA-based ensemble leading a frothymouthed post-punk-dance-craze revival.

Stevenson’s Rocket Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Experimental ensemble piece. They have trumpets.

The Deep Red Sky Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£4)

Edinburgh-based alternative indie four-piece, trading in textured harmonies and jangly riffs.

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Intense death metal.

Late ‘n’ Live: Asazi Space Funk Explosion The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

Funk-fuelled five-piece headed by the high-energy antics of vocalist Asazi.

Sun 22 May Hair of the Dog Sundays (Bouzka) Red Dog Music, 15:00–16:00, Free

Bluesy folk tunes all the way from Canada.

Pete & The Pirates Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £8

Indie hitmakers from Reading.

The Webb Sisters Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:30, £13.50

The harmonic sister duo tour their new album, post their worldwide tour with Leonard Cohen.

CRANACHAN Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Classic rock covers, interspersed with a chilled-open mic session.

Miles Hunt (Erica Nockalls) Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £8 adv.

Voodoo Rooms, 21:00–01:00, Free

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Blues and funk five-piece, with added horns.

Desafinado Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Gentle jazz and bossa nova from Marcus Ford and Nick Gent.

Devlin The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £11

Dagenham-born grime MC.

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £5

Black Tongues, The Merrylees, Marc Malone (Future Capitol, Midnite High)

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Blues and funk five-piece, with added horns.

Thu 26 May Maple Mars

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Melodic sweetness from Rock Hromadka’s powerpop outfit.

Melange

Carter’s Bar, 19:00–01:00, Free

DJ sessions with James Thomas and Danny Bailey of Melange FM.

Leith Folk Club: Long Notes The Village, 19:30–22:45, £8

The return of the Scots/Irish ensemble band.

Quattro Formaggo

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £5 (£4)

Jazz fusion from the electric Czech four-piece.

Sierra Maestra

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £17.50 (£14)

Traditional Cuban ensemble, all lifting rhythms and infexious beats.

Conscious Route, Sea Bass Kid (Calum Carlyle, Hannah Werdmuller) Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–00:00, £4

Soulful roots meets metallic folk, plus indie pop-cum-reggae blues from Sea Bass Kid.

The Freaky Family

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Aki Remally-fronted funk four-piece.

Leith Folk Club: Viper Central

The Village, 18:30–21:30, £8

Bluesgrass and old-time, British Columbia style.

The OK Social Club

Bombskare

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £5

Villagers

Edinburgh’s original ten-piece ska juggernaut.

Bedouin Soundclash Electric Circus, 19:00–22:30, £12 adv.

Toronto-based reggae/soul trio made up of Jay Malinowski, Eon Sinclair and Sekou Lumumba.

Glenn Hughes HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £22

Classic rock vocalist, blending elements of rock, soul and funk.

RSNO: Naked Classics Usher Hall, 19:30–22:30, £10

Orchestral special of Haydn’s final symphony.

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Torra, Beauty and the Beast Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:30, £17.50 (£10)

Two specially composed works, Torra and Beauty and The Beast, featuring saxophonist Tommy Smith.

Haight Ashbury Love Music (Miyagi, Lou Hickey) The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4 (£3)

Country funk and quirky retro-pop.

Lord Bishop Rocks (The Lunes)

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £11

Conor J O’Brien’s folk-rock outfit currently hooking all y’all with their intoxicating blend of poise, verve and raw intensity.

The Nightingales (Ted Chippngton) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £8

Birmingham punksters, and John Peel favourites, make a late return.

The Jazz Bar Big Band The Jazz Bar, 19:30–22:00, £4 (£3)

Four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes and four rhythm. That do you?

Getawaycab Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Five-piece indie-rock from Finland, with added moustaches.

Glamour & The Baybes The Jazz Bar, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£1)

Jazz rock powered by drummer Jordie Gilmour.

Tue 24 May Sparrow and the Workshop

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £7

Henry’s Cellar, 22:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Late ‘n’ Live: The Ka Tet The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Village, 19:30–22:45, £8

Three-part harmonies, constant instrument swapping and plenty banter from the Canadian trio.

Blues and funk five-piece, with added horns.

Appalachian Terror Unit, Oi Polloi, Spat, Bottomfeeders, Total Disaster

Sat 21 May

Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–00:00, £tbc

Stewart Maclennan Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Singer/songwriter guitarist deftly mixing popular songs and new compositions.

Guns 2 Roses Studio 24, 19:00–22:00, £10

Guns N’ Roses tribute act.

Junior Priest Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Judas Priest tribute act.

Punk showcase brought together by the House Of Crust.

Mike & The Mechanics Playhouse, 20:00–22:30, £40

Longstanding pop/rockers, formed back in 1984.

Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £7 adv. (£10 door)

Scrap Brain

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4 (£3)

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Local fuzz-rock maestro’s launch their new album.

Late ‘n’ Live: Le Salon De Jazz Refuse The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

Nine-piece beast of a band, making funk and soul sounds on horns and vocals.

Studio 24, 16:00–03:00, £5 (£8 weekend)

Day two of the alternative weekender, with a noisy local bill including Skinny faves Divorce (they like screaming). After-party DJs until 3am.

Brother Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £9

Slough-based Britpop revivalists currently setting NME’s pants on fire.

Benni Hemm Hemm (Withered Hand, The Second Hand Marching Band, Emily Scott, The Pineapple Chunks) Pilrig St Paul’s Church, 19:30–22:30, £5

Icelandic composer Benni Hemm Hemm’s farewell gig before returning to Reykjavik, with a host of named guests (as well as some secret ones).

Stormy Sunday Blues The Jazz Bar, 20:00–22:30, £5 (£3)

Monthly blues showcase, handpicked by singer James Carr.

CRANACHAN Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

New Zealand indie-rock outfit.

Tamla motown funk and soul, fronted

by Fiona Lynch.

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Sat 28 May Festevil Metal (Town Called Hell, Drive By Audio, Firebrand Super Rock, War Machines, Jackal Headed Guard of the Dead) Studio 24, 14:00–03:00, £5 (£8 weekend)

Two-day alternative music festival, with Saturday being the all-metal night. Bish, bash, bosh etc. Afterparty DJs until 3am.

Stewart Maclennan

Henderson’s Restaurant and Arts Venue, 19:00–21:30, Free

Singer/songwriter guitarist deftly mixing popular songs and new compositions.

Penguins Kill Polar Bears

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Sweeping post-rock quartet from the fiery furnace of Linlithgow.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

From rock to alternative with DJ Muppet, plus live video DJ’ing. In the Attic.

I Am

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Mon 30 May Wolfmother HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:30, £17.50

The big-haired lupine noiseniks return. Ears will bleed.

The Jazz Bar Big Band The Jazz Bar, 19:30–22:00, £4 (£3)

Four trumpets, four trombones, five saxes and four rhythm. That do you?

Friday @ Bookclub

Killer Kitsch

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul.

Residents Beta & Kappa joined by a rota of rotating guests.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Y’Uptae The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Student night with Andy Wilson.

Why Not? Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £4 (£2)

Beats from all over the electronic spectrum.

Tue 31 May

Ballbreaker/Vice Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Rock, metal and indie with the residents.

Damnation Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

Bloc+, 23:00–01:00, Free

Garage rock, R’n’B, and out-andout rock.

Numbers (Jackmaster, Slimzee)

Freshlick (Glitter, Mr Copy) The Ferry, 23:00–03:00, £12

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Special edition celebrating the Jackmaster Live 57 compilation album launch.

Celebratory birthday night, playing a mix of tech, house and minimal.

Plus a special visual and laser show from Video Chris.

Octopussy

Fridays @ Flat 0/1

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Student fun night, with a bouncy castle and hot tub. OH YES!

Stoked The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Pop, punk and ska with DJ Haze. In the Attic.

Wednesdays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

80s synth and funk with Dom and Darrell.

Take It Sleazy Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £1 (£3 after 12)

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Duncan Harvey lays down a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

Jelly Roll Soul La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Local house maestro Wbeeza joins the residents.

Mobile Disco Fridays The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart, indie and hip-hop with Disco Dave et al.

Old Skool Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

A no-holds-barred mix of 80s pop, electro and nu-disco. They will play Phil Collins.

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

Thu 05 May

Student-orientated indie night.

Propaganda O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Riot Radio

Mixed Bizness Glasgow School of Art, 22:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Rockin’ weekly with Boom Monk Ben.

Co-Op Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Weekly party with eye-popping visuals and rotating DJs.

Crank’d Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (students free)

Student night of rock, electro and pop. Students go free!

Cryotec Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (students free)

Monthly industrial, EBM and eletrconic night.

Dirty Distortion Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Lo-fi fuzz, distortion and feedback, plus live slots from Holy Esque and Death By Misadventure.

Feel My Bicep Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Greatest Hits

The Jazz Bar, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£1)

Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Andy Robertson plays pop, dance and hip-hop.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Jazz rock powered by drummer Jordie Gilmour.

Crash

Durty Boogie

Cosmic mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Glamour & The Baybes

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Aternative rock, metal and punk.

Wed 04 May

Jonah Matranga (Falling Into Difference, Mikee J Reds) Rare acoustic show from the ex-Far frontman.

Fri 06 May

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Chart and classics with Andy R.

The Sunday Sinners

Edinburgh alternative folkies, all acoustic and wholesome.

All-out party mix of disco, electro and funk with your master Matthew Craig (of One More Tune).

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Festevil Alternative (Divorce, Secta Rouge, Vasquez, Jackie Treehorn, Shields Up, Lords of Bastard)

The Phoenix Foundation (Bachelorette) Chasing Owls

Cheap ‘n’ Nasty

Gaga Wednesdays

Classic rock covers, interspersed with a chilled-open mic session.

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Tue 03 May Destabilise

Sun 29 May

Female-fronted post-punk, with touches of synth.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Euan Neilson plays the best of Buff.

IDJ Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

Punters provide the iPod playlists.

Misbehavin’ (Dolly Daydream, Drucifer) Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Monthly mix-up of electro, alternative dance and dirty pop.

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

Indie rock’n’roll, past and present.

Subfriction (Kid Robotnik, Floyd, Devnik, Nickson) Club 520, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Promoting local and internation DJs, playing the best in dubstep, grime, funky and all things UK Bass.

Superfly Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5

Funk, soul, rock and soul served up

by Duncan Superfly and George E.

The Toxic Avenger (Homebass DJs, Crocky DaMan) Stereo, 23:00–03:00, £10

The electro-thrash producer makes his Glasgow debut.

Circo Loco (Mathhias Tanzmann, Jamie Jones, Dan Ghenacia) The Arches, 23:00–04:00, £16

The Arches is transformed into the Ibiza institution, known for its unique carnival-esque atmosphere.

David Barbarossa’s Thing Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Two floors of punk-rock, reggae and classic disco, with local scallywag David Barbarossa.

Sat 07 May Bigfoot’s Tea Party (Butane) The Goat, 13:00–23:00, £12

Bigfoot’s first outdoor event of 2001, with US producercum-musician-cum-armchair scientist, Butane. Plus afternoon BBQ and the ever-present threat of vodka jelly.

Snide Rhythms (Palace Of Swords)

The Travelling Band (Jesus H. Foxx, The Last Battle)

Artsy Edinburgh genre-benders, moving in waves of funk, post-punk and psych.

Manchester alternative folkies, all shimmering and harmonic. Stellar local support completes the bill.

Chart, disco and indie.

Voodoo

Rumble Thursdays

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)

Riposta, Evidence Smrti (T-34, Total Disaster)

Themed student fun night, complete with a bouncy castle.

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, Free

Jakil (Lost In Audio, The Marvels, The Industry)

Usher Hall, 19:00–22:30, £5 adv. (£8 door)

Limbo (The Lovely Eggs, Kid Canaveral, Cancel The Astronauts, Zed Penguin)

Emotive pop rockers hailing from the ‘Burgh.

Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £tbc

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:30, From £6

Limbo return triumphant with a rare four-band bill. A bloody good one, too.

Head 2 Head

Man & Superman (The Harkets, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)

Mon 23 May

Edinburgh’s own post-punk indie rock’n’rollers.

Four young Scottish musicians whose sound is heavily-influenced by time spent in the Outer Hebrides.

The Ka-Tet

The Sunday Sinners Tamla motown funk and soul, fronted

by Fiona Lynch.

The Village, 19:30–22:45, £6

Jazz and funk six-piece founded by ex-members of Head.

Fri 27 May

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Leith Folk Club: Lurach

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Swaggering indie and alternative rock.

The singer, rhythm guitarist and principle songwriter in The Wonder Stuff.

Jammin’ at Voodoo

Thu 19 May

Dancefloor-filling six-piece led by singalong master Gerry Coogan.

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:30, £6 (£5)

Deep Purple tribute act.

Pop and punk from in-and-around Scotland.

Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–01:00, £12

The Jazz Bar, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

Noisypowerop-rockquartetfromScotland.

Leith Folk Club: Good Lovelies

Nick Harper

Late ‘n’ Live: Man At The Window

Underclass (The Alibis, Cameo Colours)

Cheep Purple

The Ka-Tet

Folk troubadour, with a touch of rock’n’roll on the side.

Young blues singer/songwriter who also dabbles in hip-hop.

Edinburgh-based rockers back from producing their album in the wilds of Kincraig.

The Store, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Wed 25 May The Winter Tradition (The Scholars)

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £4

Tubby Hayes Quintet Sax players Simon Spillet and Keith Edwards lead a tribute to sax giant Tubby Hayes.

The Caves, 19:00–22:00, £12 adv.

Funk, metal and rock fusion, all rolled into one neat package.

Diddums, The Rope, Pure Dead Brilliant

Monthly live jam session playing genre-spanning lounge grooves.

The Jazz Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4 (£3)

Oli Brown (Daryl Kellie)

Electric and brooding country-tinged trio, led by the ethereal tones of Jill O’Sullivan.

Brutal hardcore punk types.

Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

The power-punk trio go unplugged.

Bruce Springsteen tribute act.

Rocket-powered rock four-piece, hailing from the ‘Burgh.

The Black Spiders (Japanese Voyeurs, Slow Motion Replay)

Edinburgh Light Orchestra Special summer concert of the best in easy listening.

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6

Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–00:00, £tbc

Czech double bill of punk.

Slum Village Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–01:00, £15 adv.

Detroit hip-hop delivering soulstirring tunes.

Rubbermensch O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Shake It Up Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Indie, rock and pop with DJ Jopez.

Skint/Vengeance Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Emo, punk and death metal with the residents.

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

La Roche Rumba (The Rudiments) Pollok Ex-Servicemens Club, 20:00–01:00, £5

Mutant disco and bad behaviour in the usual cosy home of Pollok Ex-Servicemens Club (essentially an old man’s social club).

May 2011

THE SKINNY 57

GLASGOW CLUBS SATURDAY @ BOOKCLUB HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Funk, soul and hip-hop with floralshirted vinylist Andy Taylor.

INFEXIOUS (BIOWEAPON, CHRIS ONE, BRK3) SOUNDHAUS, 21:00–03:00, £13

Three exclusive live guests for the hardstyle clubber’s favourite.

YOYO SATURDAY SHED, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese.

ABSOLUTION CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Punk, metal and metallic beats with Billy and Muppet.

I HEART THE GARAGE MORE THAN YER MAW THE GARAGE, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Classic Garage student night over all rooms.

DISORDERLY DAUGHTERS FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Sound clash of techno and Italo house, as Orderly Disorder lock-horns with the Lock Up Your Daughters crew.

HIGHLIFE LA CHEETAH, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Afrobeat, funk and house with ever-capable resident Brian D’Souza and guests.

LOVE MUSIC O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons.

NU SKOOL BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of soul, jazz and funk.

POWER TOOLS FLAT 0/1, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a mix of Italo, disco and house.

SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£5)

Long-running house night with Harri & Domenic.

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 12)

Rock, indie and golden surf classics.

PANDEMIC

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Cross-genre danceathon with residents Noj and Mark. They will play The Fall.

HOT DAMN

IN ABOUT IT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £4 (£3)

The best in rock, metal and hardcore with DJ Muppet. In The Attic.

Techno and disco from the Subcity Radio crew.

TUE 10 MAY

THU 12 MAY

DESTABILISE

MIXED BIZNESS

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul.

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, 22:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

I AM

CO-OP

PRECISION (RENEGADE, WAPT3K, EM-JAH, )

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Superstar techno DJ hailing from Italy.

KILLER KITSCH

CRANK’D

SUN 08 MAY

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet.

HUNG UP!

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Weekend party curated by Optimo’s Twitch and Wilkes.

SHEDKANDI

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £2

House and R’n’B with sisters Lisa Mafia and Lil Gem.

SIN CITY

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (STUDENTS FREE)

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Y’UPTAE DANSE MACABRE

Cosmic mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Student night with Andy Wilson.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £2

The regulars unite those two happiest of bedfellows, goth rock and, er, classic disco.

WED 11 MAY KNOCK KNOCK (GATEKEEPER) GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, 22:30–03:00, £TBC

SUCK MY DECK

GAGA WEDNESDAYS

Chart, hip-hop and dirty electrohouse over three rooms.

ALIBI MONDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy R plays hits and requests, past and present.

BURN

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

58 THE SKINNY MAY 2011

Student night of rock, electro and pop. Students go free!

FEEL MY BICEP

Selection of funk, disco and electro with Mash and Marky Mark.

MON 09 MAY

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £3 (STUDENTS FREE)

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Experimental clubbing, with live bands, DJs and explorations in light.

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

SHED, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Andy Robertson plays pop, dance and hip-hop.

Weekly party with eye-popping visuals and rotating DJs.

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

CRASH

Rockin’ weekly with Boom Monk Ben.

Residents Beta & Kappa joined by a rota of rotating guests.

CATHOUSE SUNDAYS

HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

From rock to alternative with DJ Muppet, plus live video DJ’ing. In the Attic.

MAURO PICOTTO

THE ARCHES, 23:00–03:00, £10

FRI 13 MAY FRIDAY @ BOOKCLUB

FLAT 0/1, 23:00–03:00, FREE

GREATEST HITS BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Euan Neilson plays the best of Buff.

IDJ SHED, 23:00–03:00, £2

Punters provive the iPod playlists.

RUBBERMENSCH O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Chart, disco and indie.

RUMBLE THURSDAYS THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and classics with Andy R.

Themed student fun night, complete with a bouncy castle.

OCTOPUSSY

SHAKE IT UP

THE ARCHES, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Student fun night, with a bouncy castle and hot tub. OH YES!

Indie, rock and pop with DJ Jopez.

STOKED

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Pop, punk and ska with DJ Haze. In the Attic.

WEDNESDAYS @ FLAT 0/1 FLAT 0/1, 23:00–03:00, FREE

80s synth and funk with Dom and Darrell.

SKINT/VENGEANCE Emo, punk and death metal with the residents.

TEENAGE LUST NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £2

A mutant disco of 80s indie, American punk and wedding standards.

RIOT RADIO

EURO TRIP (CHRIS LIBERATOR)

MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 12)

SOUNDHAUS, 22:00–03:00, £TBC

Indie rock’n’roll, past and present.

STAY PLASTIC (STEVE RACHMAD) LA CHEETAH, 23:00–03:00, £10

Detroit-inspired house and techno, with Wardy and Sidrad welcoming Dutch techno producer Steve Rachmad into the fold.

TEKI LATEZ, DJ ORGASMIC

SUBCULTURE (AME, MARK E) SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

Hard-style night with special guest Chris Liberator, plus body painting and fire dancing as standard.

Long-running house night with Harri & Domenic, plus Ame playing live alongside Mark E from Spectral Sound.

YOYO SATURDAY

THANKYOU FRANKLY (HAIRY AREA)

SHED, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese.

ABSOLUTION CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

STEREO, 23:00–03:00, £5

Monthly club with live bands and DJs. This month’s guests are Hairy Area, made up of members of We Were Promised Jetpacks and Endor.

GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Pounding D’n’B beats and a fancy dress theme, in aid of the Friday the 13th date.

Double headliner set par excellence.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

BALLBREAKER/TEAM-UP

THE CAVE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Punk, metal and metallic beats with Billy and Muppet.

Rock, indie and golden surf classics.

Garage punk, sleaze and good ol’ rock’n’roll.

I HEART THE GARAGE MORE THAN YER MAW

TWO MORE TUNES (MOSCA)

SOUNDHAUS, 22:00–03:00, £5

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Rock, metal and indie with the residents.

DAMNATION CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

Aternative rock, metal and punk.

COMMON PEOPLE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

90s soundclash, plus free bingo. In the kitchen bar.

DUNKELBUNT STEREO, 23:00–03:00, £10

KINO FIST NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Genre-spanning mix of 60s psych, new wave and Krautrock with residents Charlotte and Rafla.

SAT 14 MAY VOODOO CATHOUSE, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 MEMBERS)

Austrian producer with a penchant for mixing hip-hop with Balkan vibes. Watch and learn, kids.

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

FRIDAYS @ FLAT 0/1

HILLHEAD BOOKCLUB, 21:00–00:00, FREE

FLAT 0/1, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Duncan Harvey lays down a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

MOBILE DISCO FRIDAYS THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart, indie and hip-hop with Disco Dave et al.

OLD SKOOL BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

PROPAGANDA O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Student-orientated indie night.

SATURDAY @ BOOKCLUB Funk, soul and hip-hop with floralshirted vinylist Andy Taylor.

808 STATE (SLAM, JUSTIN ROBERTSON, BOSCO) O2 ACADEMY, 21:00–03:00, £19.50

One-off line-up of electronic dance pioneers, headered by a live set from Manc electronic tinkerers 808 State.

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

THE GARAGE, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Classic Garage student night over all rooms.

HOTWIRE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5

Female-driven selection, with Peter and Roz on deck duty. Plus tea cakes and a patrolling magician (we kid you not).

LOVE MUSIC O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons.

MOUNT HEART ATTACK LA CHEETAH, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Fine selection of disco and house from the resident MHA allstars.

NU SKOOL BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of soul, jazz and funk.

PASS THE PEAS (RED6) BLACKFRIARS BASEMENT, 23:00–03:00, £5

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 12)

GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, 23:00–03:00, £5

Mosca (aka Tom Reid) navigates hip-hop, techno, garage, house, and a good lot more.

WRONG ISLAND

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

The legendary Teamy and Dirty Larry spin some fresh electronics.

SUN 15 MAY CATHOUSE SUNDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet.

HUNG UP!

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Weekend party curated by Optimo’s Twitch and Wilkes.

SHEDKANDI

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £2

House and R’n’B with sisters Lisa Mafia and Lil Gem.

SIN CITY

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (STUDENTS FREE)

A fine selection of funk, soul, jazz and classic hip-hop from guest Red6, aka Jonny Crawshaw.

Selection of funk, disco and electro with Mash and Marky Mark.

GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART, 22:00–03:00, £8 (£7)

POWER TOOLS

SUCK MY DECK

Balkan beats, belly dancing and free plum brandy.

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a mix of Italo, disco and house.

BALKANARAMA (PERTROJVIC BLASTING COMPANY)

FLAT 0/1, 23:00–03:00, FREE

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart, hip-hop and dirty electrohouse over three rooms.

E dinburgh CLUBS Fri 20 May

Afro Acid Glasgow

New night of underground electro, techno and good ol’ rock’n’roll.

Friday @ Bookclub

Chicago acid house don DJ Pierre returns for a new residency.

Student fun night, with a bouncy castle and hot tub. OH YES!

Chart, indie and hip-hop with Disco Dave et al.

Mon 16 May

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul.

Love Music

Stoked

Old Skool

Alibi Mondays

Crash

Spectra Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Andy R plays hits and requests, past and present.

Andy Robertson plays pop, dance and hip-hop.

Burn

Ballbreaker/Team-Up

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Hot Damn The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The best in rock, metal and hardcore with DJ Muppet. In The Attic.

Tue 17 May DestabIlise The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

From rock to alternative with DJ Muppet, plus live video DJ’ing. In the Attic.

I Am Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Residents Beta & Kappa joined by a rota of rotating guests.

Killer Kitsch Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Y’Uptae The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Student night with Andy Wilson.

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Rock, metal and indie with the residents.

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £10

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7

Fridays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Duncan Harvey lays down a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

Highgrade La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £10

Dubstep aficianados Untold and Blawan pump-it-up alongside the Highgrade residents.

Lock Up Your Daughters Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Straight-friendly gay party with the LUYD regulars, plus HaHaHa and DJ Lucylicious.

Wednesdays @ Flat 0/1

Propaganda

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of soul, jazz and funk.

80s synth and funk with Dom and Darrell.

Student-orientated indie night.

Power Tools

Dirty Noise

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £3

Beans and Divine play vinyl 7-inchers, all night long.

Subculture: Wee Chill After-Party

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £10

Post-Wee Chill action with Harri, Domenic and some secret guests.

The Rock Shop

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

Rock, indie and golden surf classics.

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £5

Co-Op Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Weekly party with eye-popping visuals and rotating DJs.

Counterfiet Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mungo’s Hi Fi Soundsystem (Pupajim, Stand High)

Say hello to yesteryear, with 90s nu-metal all the way.

The Mungo crew’s last ever regular at Stereo. And it’ll be a good ‘un.

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (students free)

Stereo, 23:00–04:00, £8

Bottle Rocket

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Indie dancing club, playing anything danceable. DANCE!

Crank’d Student night of rock, electro and pop. Students go free!

Feel My Bicep Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Wed 18 May Gaga Wednesdays

Chart, indie and hip-hop with Disco Dave et al.

Antics: Launch Party

Greatest Hits

Chart and classics with Andy R.

Old Skool

Octopussy

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Launch of a brand new night mixing electro and hip-hop, plus a cocktail kitchen and Wall of Shame.

Euan Neilson plays the best of Buff.

Cathouse Sundays

Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Student fun night, with a bouncy castle and hot tub. OH YES!

Stoked The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Pop, punk and ska with DJ Haze. In the Attic.

Wednesdays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

80s synth and funk with Dom and Darrell.

Jakebeats Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £tbc

New electro and dubstep night from the Homebass crew.

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

Propaganda

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Crank’d Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (students free)

Student night of rock, electro and pop. Students go free!

Feel My Bicep Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Greatest Hits Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Euan Neilson plays the best of Buff.

IDJ

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Themed student fun night, complete with a bouncy castle.

Shake It Up Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Indie, rock and pop with DJ Jopez.

Skint/Vengeance Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Emo, punk and death metal with the residents.

Dirty Booty Butter Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £4 (£3)

Hip-hop, breakbeats and deep house with DJ Otis.

Voodoo

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet.

Garage Beach Party The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

Oh, it must be summer. The garage goes all beach party, with real sand, a surf similator and bouncy inflatables.

Saturday @ Bookclub

Hung Up!

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Funk, soul and hip-hop with floralshirted vinylist Andy Taylor.

Club Noir: American Dream O2 Academy, 21:00–03:00, £15.50

Glasgow’s burlesque star teasers, with a double-show bill of American-themed fun.

Yoyo Saturday Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese.

Absolution

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Weekend party curated by Optimo’s Twitch and Wilkes.

Octopussy: Rockness Festival Party O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3

Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

Sin City

Indie rock’n’roll, past and present.

Swampified (Loefah, Addison Groove, Boddika, Electric Eliminators, Benny Ill) Glasgow School of Art, 23:00–03:00, £12

Bass and dance festival-style party, held over two floors.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Sat 21 May Voodoo Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £6 (£3 members)

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

United Noise: Serotonic Sythtacular The Vale, 19:00–00:00, £3

Old school synth-pop and discoelectro treats from the United Noise residents, plus guest DJs Catnip & Pasta of Danse Macabre.

Saturday @ Bookclub Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Funk, soul and hip-hop with floralshirted vinylist Andy Taylor.

Yoyo Saturday Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

The Arches, 22:00–04:00, £14

Huge Death Disco line-up, headered by hip-house duo Crookers.

Absolution Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

Weekend party curated by Optimo’s Twitch and Wilkes.

Shedkandi

Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

House and R’n’B with sisters Lisa Mafia and Lil Gem.

Sin City

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3 (students free)

Selection of funk, disco and electro with Mash and Marky Mark.

Mon 23 May

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Y’Uptae

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Student night with Andy Wilson.

Wed 25 May

Cathouse Saturdays

Spank Rock

Punk, metal and metallic beats with Billy and Muppet.

I Heart the Garage more than yer Maw The Garage, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Classic Garage student night over all rooms.

Glasgow School of Art, 22:30–03:00, £8

A mastermind crossover of rap, electro, and hip-hop from Spank Rock.

Gaga Wednesdays

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and classics with Andy R.

Swirling guitars and driving beats from Aki Remally and his groove band.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3

A soul and disco selection from the Ladies on Rotation. In Speakeasy.

Mad Caravan

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £4

Ska, Latin and gypsy beats, with live bands and the obligatory belly dancers.

Wed 04 May Hush

Electric Circus, 20:00–01:00, Free

Pre-club mix of northern soul and funk, in the bar.

Bangers & Mash

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Indigo

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

JungleDub

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

This Is Music

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs.

Tokyo Blu

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Electro, funky house and disco from the Tokyo Blu team of Graeme Park and John Hutchison.

Everybody

Electric Circus, 23:30–03:00, £5

Pop, rock, indie and electro from 1960 to the present day. Job done.

Sat 07 May Wired For Sound

Slap Bang

Bubblegum

Slide It In: Bank Holiday Special (Nicola Walker)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Genre-spanning midweek party, with the residents playing a musical mish-mash and guest DJs taking over the back room.

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and 80s.

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Indie, rock and pop with DJ Jopez.

Skint/Vengeance Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Emo, punk and death metal with the residents.

The Pump Club Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2

The Garage, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Classic Garage student night over all rooms.

Martyn, Braiden SWG3, 22:30–03:00, £7 adv.

Double-headline set from electronic crossover Martyn and dubstep chap Braiden.

Love Music O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £7

Friday @ Bookclub Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul.

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons.

Menergy (Den Haan) Glasgow School of Art, 23:00–03:00, £6

Italo and hi-NRG dance party, hosted by Lady Munter and the residents.

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of soul, jazz and funk.

Killer Kitsch

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Monthly disco, playing anything and everything danceable.

Crash

Residents Beta & Kappa joined by a rota of rotating guests.

Tuesday Heartbreak

Indie night with rock’n’roll attitude.

The Store, 23:00–03:00, Free

Destabilise

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Ladies On Rotation

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

House, garage and grime weekly.

Tue 24 May

I Am

Long-running D’n’B night from a rotating collective of DJs.

Live-O!

Retro happenings, with guest DJ Pete Wiggs of St Etienne.

From rock to alternative with DJ Muppet, plus live video DJ’ing. In the Attic.

Split

free)

The long-running indie night hands over the reins to some local music bloggers, including Peenko and The Pop Cop.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Girls & Boys

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Selection of funk, disco and electro with Mash and Marky Mark.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The best in rock, metal and hardcore with DJ Muppet. In The Attic.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Funk, soul and hip-hop.

Soulful party fodder, from deep funk to reggae beats with Simon Hodge et al.

I Heart the Garage more than yer Maw

Pin Up Nights Blogger’s Delight

Hot Damn

Soul Jam Hot

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

Shake It Up

Fri 27 May

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

New exclusive student night, with live guests each week. In Speakeasy.

Four Corners

Punk, metal and metallic beats with Billy and Muppet.

Andy R plays hits and requests, past and present.

Burn

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Themed student fun night, complete with a bouncy castle.

Alibi Mondays

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Cool Kids

Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3 (students

An electronic workout with the regulars and pals.

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

A tribute to club promoter, artist and musician Paul Ballingall, aka Dr Strangelove.

Planet Earth

Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

Cathouse Saturdays

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £5 donation

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Shedkandi

Rumble Thursdays

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

Manga Squid Fetish (G-MAC, NICCI, EH1!)

The Store, 20:00–01:00, Free

Midweek student fave of chart and cheese.

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

After School Club (Green Door, B-Side)

Pre-Rockness party starter, with Octopussy and its bouncy castle funtimes.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Death Disco (Crookers, Aeroplane, Joakim, Jokers of the Scene, Clouds)

Rumble Thursdays

Sat 28 May

Cathouse Sundays

Chart, disco and indie.

Rubbermensch O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Indie, electro and anything inbetween with Pauly (My Latest Novel), and Simin and Steev (Errors).

Rock, indie and surf classics, in a bank holiday mash-up special.

Hung Up!

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese.

Chart, disco and indie.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, £5

Riot Radio

Student-orientated indie night.

Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

Punters provive the iPod playlists.

Punters provive the iPod playlists.

Black Tent

A Riot in the Rock Shop

House and R’n’B with sisters Lisa Mafia and Lil Gem.

Good music played by bad peope, with Rafla in the upstairs club.

Weekly party with eye-popping visuals and rotating DJs.

IDJ

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £15

Rubbermensch

Mixed Bizness

Co-Op

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Sensu

Punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet.

Upside Down

Rockin’ weekly with Boom Monk Ben.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Antics

Glam rock with guest Ms Daiquiri Dusk and her troupe of go-go dancers.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Pop quiz and musical bingo, with a £50 prize for the winning team.

Riot Radio

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Thu 19 May Glasgow School of Art, 22:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Sun 22 May

weekend)

Disco-inspired house beats from the massive Sound System.

Electric Circus, 19:00–01:00, Free

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £4

Sensu continues in its new monthly slot, with a live guest to be announced.

Rockin’ weekly with Boom Monk Ben.

La Cheetah, 18:00–03:00, £10 (£16

Evol

Trash ‘n’ Burn

Thu 26 May Glasgow School of Art, 22:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Weekender Issue 2 (Sound System)

Tue 03 May Circus Arcade

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Indie rock’n’roll, past and present.

Mixed Bizness

Sun 29 May

Live art-cum-club event, where punters get given a roll of wallpaper to doodle over.

Underground beats in the usual filthy Dirty Noise fashion.

Mobile Disco Fridays The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Nu Skool

Singles Night

Blackfriars Basement, 23:00–03:00, £3

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

Roots reggae and dancehall with the founder of Axis Sound System at the controls.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Pop, punk and ska with DJ Haze. In the Attic.

Damnation Argonaut Sounds Reggae Soundsystem (Dr Huxtable)

Mobile Disco Fridays

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons.

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a mix of Italo, disco and house.

Aternative rock, metal and punk.

Octopussy

Flying Duck, 21:00–03:00, £5

Shed, 22:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Andy Robertson plays pop, dance and hip-hop.

Ballbreaker/Team-Up Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Rock, metal and indie with the residents.

Damnation Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4)

Aternative rock, metal and punk.

Banjax (Dexorcist, Kanji Kinetic) La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £10

Old school rave from Dexorcist, meets new school rave from Kanji Kinetic.

Fridays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Modern Lovers (St Etienne) Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £3

Nu Skool Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Power Tools Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy R plays hits and requests, past and present.

Burn Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Hot Damn The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The best in rock, metal and hardcore with DJ Muppet. In The Attic.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

From rock to alternative with DJ Muppet, plus live video DJ’ing. In the Attic.

Rock, indie and golden surf classics.

I Am

Weekender Issue 2 (Tiger & Woods)

Residents Beta & Kappa joined by a rota of rotating guests.

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£16 weekend)

Bank holiday weekender with Tiger & Woods blasting exclusive tracks from their forthcoming album.

Hispanic Panic: Mexico Loco!

Hot Club

Stereo, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Thu 05 May

DestabIlise

The Rock Shop

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Tearin’ it up with 60s psych-outs and modern sleaze, provided by The Phantom Band’s Rafla and Andy.

New midweek bass spectacular.

Cinco De Mayo

Subculture Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£5)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Mon 30 May

Tue 31 May

Long-running house night with Harri & Domenic.

Witness

Alibi Mondays

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a mix of Italo, disco and house.

Duncan Harvey lays down a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

Mexican-themed edition, complete with Hispanic beats and free ice-cream.

Cathouse, 23:00–04:00, £2 (£1)

Bank holiday special, with a live performance from The Demon’s Eye.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Killer Kitsch Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Y’Uptae The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Student night with Andy Wilson.

The Village, 21:00–01:00, Free

Carter’s Bar, 21:00–01:00, Free

Rocky Olssen DJ-ing a mix of 60s and 70s Mexican and Latin rock.

Frisky

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Chart, dance and electro fare.

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Rendezvous (Robert James, Russ Yallop)

Hawke & Hunter, 22:00–03:00, £8

Robert James and Russ Yallop play a special double-headliner of underground house and techno.

The Go-Go 11th Birthday (The Shook-Ups)

Studio 24, 22:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 11)

Birthday celebration playing 60s sounds, plus garage-combo ensemble The Shook-Ups playing live.

Luvely

Bump (Diplo, Sinden, Dillon Francis)

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £10 adv.

Cutting-edge DJ and producer Diplo headlines this special edition of Bump.

Exhibit Music

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£2)

Superior indie, electro and rock’n’roll with guest DJs the 10:04s, alongside regulars Del and Adrian James.

Dapper Dans

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Crushed-up disco and soul, with Decks FX and OSX.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £12 (£10 members)

Driving house and trance with the regulars.

Tease Age

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

The Den

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Suitably jumpin’ Saturday selection of jive, blues and funk.

Beat Control

Octopussy

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£5 after 12)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite.

Beep Beep, Yeah

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Sick Note

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Underground indie and electro favourite.

Indie and alternative with the resident Evol DJs.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3

Retro sylings from the 50s to the 70s.

Big ‘N’ Bashy (DJ Q)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

DJ Q makes his debut appearance, alongside Beast overseeing the jungle duties.

Fri 06 May Misfits

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems.

Fake

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Breaks and electro, delivered thick and fast.

May 2011

THE SKINNY 59

EDINBURGH CLUBS Redeemer

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Long-running alternative, rock and metal favourite.

The Egg

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)

Indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

Witness

Sat 14 May

Tue 17 May

New midweek bass spectacular.

Bubblegum

Circus Arcade

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Thu 12 May Movement

Electric Circus, 20:00–01:00, Free

New independent releases, of the local, national and international variety.

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and 80s.

Dunkelbunt The Caves, 21:30–03:00, £10 (£8 adv.)

Frisky

Austrian producer with a penchant for mixing hip-hop with Balkan vibes. Watch and learn, kids.

Epic jungle duo Twinhooker and Paulie Walnuts, plus able support from Dr Breakenstein and Jamin Nimjah.

Chart, dance and electro fare.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

His & Hers

Bump

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Ultragroove

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)

Twinhooker, Paulie Walnuts

The Store, 23:00–03:00, £5

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£5)

House, disco and techno with the original Ultragroove residents.

Sun 08 May Underground Sunday

The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

Rock Show

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Myriad of rock anthems, from classic to metallic.

Coalition

Request-led night of house, indie and underground remixes with residents Master Caird and Johnny Junk-House.

Animal Hospital BuckFest

Tease Age

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

The Banshee Labyrinth, 23:00–03:00, Free

Hardcore, breakcore, jungle and dub.

Octopussy

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Killer Kitsh

Sick Note

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £10 adv.

Minimal and techno for cool kids.

Dubstep, breaks and D’n’B.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Musika (Jamie Jones) Welsh boy wonder Jamie Jones plays his dancefloor-bothering mix of house and techno.

Chart, indie and electro student favourite.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Alternative and indie monthly, cherrypicking from the 70s to the present.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Underground indie and electro favourite.

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

Beat Control HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£5 after 12)

Indie and alternative with the resident Evol DJs.

Bedbug (Jakwob, Tom Staar) Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Mon 09 May

Fri 13 May

Acclaimed young producer Jakwob is joined by Tom Staar for a Bedbug bill takeover.

Mixed Up

Misfits

Devil Disco Club

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of hip-hop, chart and R’n’B.

Nu Fire

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Trade Union

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Anything goes playlist with Beefy and Wolfjazz.

Tue 10 May Circus Arcade

Electric Circus, 19:00–01:00, Free

Pop quiz and musical bingo, with a £50 prize for the winning team.

Antics

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems.

Balkanarama (Pertrojvic Blasting Company)

Studio 24, 21:30–03:00, £7 (£9 after 10.30)

Balkan beats, belly dancing and free plum brandy.

Electrikal: Friday the 13th Special

The Store, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£3 after 11.30)

Bass, dub, techno and D’n’B, plus some freaky going’s on.

Evol

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Alternative anthems, cherry-picked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Cool Kids

Planet Earth

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

New exclusive student night, with live guests each week. In Speakeasy.

Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Soul Jam Hot

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Funk, soul and hip-hop.

Split

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Long-running D’n’B night from a rotating collective of DJs.

Tuesday Heartbreak

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Swirling guitars and driving beats from Aki Remally and his groove band.

Wed 11 May

Submission

Breaks and beats with a host of DJs, including Iain Gibson and DJ Anarkid.

Bound For Glory (Taz Buckfaster, Rob Ralston, Beefy, Flying Saucer)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Anything goes music policy, with yer man Taz Buckfaster at the helm.

Confusion is Sex

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£6 fancy dress)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)

From classic disco to acid jazz with the regulars Giles Walker, Hobbes and D’Viking.

It’s All Good (Tony Keo, Claudio, Tommy Kay, Gregsta, Craig Wilson) Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5

Hard-edged dance music, for hardedged clubbers. In Speakeasy.

Land Of 1000 Dances

Long-running alternative, rock and metal favourite.

Serious mix of hip-hop, dancehall, bashment and soul.

The Egg Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)

Indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

Bass Syndicate Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–05:00, £3 (members free)

Edinburgh’s own breaks’n’bassline crew takeover.

JungleDub

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

Live-O!

The Store, 23:00–03:00, Free

House, garage and grime weekly.

Indie night with rock’n’roll attitude.

Techno For Breakfast

The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Killer Kitsch Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Electric Circus, 23:30–03:00, £5

Pop, rock, indie and electro from 1960 to the present day. Job done.

60 THE SKINNY May 2011

Axis Vs Fuse (Hot Knives, Frequent Flyers, Stu Todd, Gus Armstrong)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5

Axis presents a one-off collabration with the boys from Fuse, plus techno offerings from the Animal Hospital DJs.

Cosmic (Sporophore, Brad Gamma)

Ultragroove

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£5)

Long-running house night with resident Gareth Sommerville.

Wasabi Disco (Daniel Wang)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

House legend Daniel Wang joins Kris Wasabi for a bout of cosmic house, punk and upside-down disco.

Sun 22 May Underground Sunday

The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

Anything goes playlist with Beefy and Wolfjazz.

Slap Bang!

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Genre-spanning midweek party, with the residents playing a musical mish-mash and guest DJs taking over the back room.

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and 80s.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Witness

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

New midweek bass spectacular.

Thu 26 May Dirty District (DJ Blaze, Tragicpro, Rymsplitaz) Bannerman’s, 20:00–23:00, Free

Toe-tapping, soul shaking, blistering beats. Job done.

Crookers (Giles Walker, Dan Rane, One Dollar Dave)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Hush

Girls & Boys

Electric Circus, 20:00–01:00, Free

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Pre-club mix of northern soul and funk, in the bar.

Indie night with rock’n’roll attitude.

Bangers & Mash

Soulsville: First Birthday

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Midweek student fave of chart and cheese.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Indigo Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

JungleDub Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

Live-O! The Store, 23:00–03:00, Free

House, garage and grime weekly.

Slap Bang Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

New midweek bass spectacular.

Electric Circus, 20:00–01:00, Free

New independent releases, of the local, national and international variety.

Frisky The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Chart, dance and electro fare.

Bump The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Liquid D’n’B.

Octopussy HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite.

Sick Note Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Underground indie and electro favourite.

Fri 20 May

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5

Swingin’ soul from across the decades from DJs Tsatsu and Red6, plus live dancers a go-go.

This Is Music: 5th Birthday (Chad Valley)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs, plus a live set from Jonquil dude Hugo’s submerged disco alter-ego.

Wolf Party

The Store, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Alternative tunes for howlin’ too: think Yeasayer and TV On The Radio.

Everybody

Electric Circus, 23:30–03:00, £5

Pop, rock, indie and electro from 1960 to the present day. Job done.

Sat 21 May Bubblegum

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and 80s.

Green Door

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £12 adv. (£15 door)

The Italian DJ/production duo special guest, with a trio of stellar support.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Mon 23 May Mixed Up

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

Xplicit (Hospitality, Danny Byrd, Logistics, Cyantific, Eno)

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £12

Massive line-up of guests for this month’s dubstep spectacular.

Beat Control

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£5 after 12)

Indie and alternative with the resident Evol DJs.

Driven

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Mix of goth, industrial, EBM and futurepop. We hear it’s very danceable.

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

The Caves, 22:30–03:00, £8 adv.

The Caves, 23:00–03:00, £8

Departure Lounge blow-out featuring the turntablistic sonic skull-duggary of yer man DJ Kentaro.

Redeemer

Evol

Saturday Night Beaver (Trendy Wendy )

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Long-running alternative, rock and metal favourite.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Lesbian and bi-friendly night. In Speakeasy.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite.

Ride

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Tease Age Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

The Den Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Suitably jumpin’ Saturday selection of jive, blues and funk.

Ad Hoc Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £3

indie, alternative rock and punk.

Beat Control HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£5 after 12)

Indie and alternative with the resident Evol DJs.

Dare Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5

John Pleased Wimmin hosts a night of disco-tinged delights. In Speakeasy.

Karnival (Damian Lazarus) Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Karnival delves into the world of Crosstown Rebels, with label headhoncho Damian Lazarus making a rare apperance in the ‘Burgh.

Mumbo Jumbo Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 after 12)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Ride girl’s Checkie and Lauren play hip-hop and dance, all night long.

Funk, soul, disco and house from Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin.

Sick Note (Spank Rock, We Were Promised Jetpacks DJs)

The Egg

Nu Fire

Request-driven night of hip-hop, chart and R’n’B. Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Trade Union

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Anything goes playlist with Beefy and Wolfjazz.

Tue 24 May

Indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

Fri 27 May

Thomas Schumacher, Davide Squillace, Butch, Simon Baker, Darius Syrossian

The underground indie and electro favourite welcomes the alternative rap of Spank Rock. Get excited.

Misfits

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Circus Arcade

Pop quiz and musical bingo, with a £50 prize for the winning team.

We Own: Summer Send Off (Skream, & Benga, Skepta, Teed)

Electric Circus, 19:00–01:00, Free

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Cool Kids

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

New exclusive student night, with live guests each week. In Speakeasy.

One 40

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Mixed batch of DJs playing underground dubstep, grime and garage. Proceeds go to the Japan tsunami appeal.

Soul Jam Hot

Ocean Terminal, 21:00–03:00, £22

Massive line-up of live guests in a big ol’ shopping centre, headered

by Magnetic Man’s Skream & Benga.

Evol

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Lovella Ellis

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £5

Local reggae, dancehall and dub showcase with DJs Robigan, C-Biscuit and Mania.

Planet Earth

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Funk, soul and hip-hop.

Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Split

Belleruche

Long-running D’n’B night from a rotating collective of DJs, this week welcoming acclamied London production due Artificial Intelligence.

Live set of experimental hip-hop and soul from the London trio.

Tuesday Heartbreak

All varients of house, from hard to funky. In Speakeasy.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Swirling guitars and driving beats from Aki Remally and his groove band.

Electric Circus, 20:00–01:00, Free

Pre-club mix of northern soul and funk, in the bar.

Bangers & Mash

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Midweek student fave of chart and cheese.

Indigo

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems.

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Tease Age

Bump

Octopussy

Magic Nostalgic

Unpredictable hotch-potch selection chosen by ‘The Wheel’, from power-ballads to 90s rave.

Chart, dance and electro fare.

Killer Kitsch

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Antics

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Frisky

Dubstep, breaks and D’n’B.

Studio 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5 after 11)

Surf, doo-wop and rockabilly from the 50s/60s, plus free cake!

Movement

Request-led night of house, indie and underground remixes with residents Master Caird and Johnny Junk-House.

Coalition

Departure Lounge (DJ Kentaro)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Bubblegum

The Store, 23:00–03:00, Free

Wed 18 May

Wed 25 May

Trade Union

House, garage and grime weekly.

New independent releases, of the local, national and international variety.

Hush

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

50s-themed fun with showgirls a go-go.

Myriad of rock anthems, from classic to metallic.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–01:00, £5

Live-O!

Damn Hot (Frazer McGlinchy, The Players Association)

The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Swirling guitars and driving beats from Aki Remally and his groove band.

Techno and electro for dancing feet, with Dutch dance maestro Michel De Hay stepping up to the decks.

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

VEGAS!

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Electric Circus, 20:00–01:00, Free

Jackhammer (Michel De Hey)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Sat 28 May

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

Rock Show

Tuesday Heartbreak

Mon 16 May Mixed Up

JungleDub

Live old school hip-hop club night.

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems.

Nu Fire

Everybody

Electonic bass spectacular with a live set from Neil Landstrumm, alongside DJs C-Biscuit, Wolfjazz and Keyte.

Indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

Misfits

This Is Music

Genre-spanning midweek party, with the residents playing a musical mish-mash and guest DJs taking over the back room.

Stepback

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £5 adv. (£7 door)

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11.30)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Techno and electro fare.

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Myriad of rock anthems, from classic to metallic.

Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

The Egg

Psychadelic trance and progressive house, with decorative visuals.

Long-running D’n’B night from a rotating collective of DJs.

Homegrown

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Underground Sunday

Request-driven night of hip-hop, chart and R’n’B.

Slap Bang

Split

Sun 15 May

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £5

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

Funk, soul and hip-hop.

Request-led night of house, indie and underground remixes with residents Master Caird and Johnny Junk-House.

Dubstep, breaks and D’n’B.

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Thu 19 May

Elementary is taken over by cutting-edge edge techno/house producer Max Cooper, marking his debut headline set in the city.

Girls & Boys

Soul Jam Hot

Movement

Midweek student fave of chart and cheese.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

New exclusive student night, with live guests each week. In Speakeasy.

The Store, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Coalition

Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Sugarhill

Elementary (Max Cooper)

Indigo

Cool Kids

Witness

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Bangers & Mash

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £6

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Redeemer

Pre-club mix of northern soul and funk, in the bar.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Genre-spanning midweek party, with the residents playing a musical mish-mash and guest DJs taking over the back room.

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Rock Show

Electric Circus, 20:00–01:00, Free

Antics

Detroit soul, Chicago blues and some handpicked delights from the 50s and 60s.

The glam techno night takes on a porn theme (it was bound to happen some time). Discounted entry for fancy dress.

Hush

Electric Circus, 19:00–01:00, Free

Pop quiz and musical bingo, with a £50 prize for the winning team.

Planet Earth

Studio 24, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£8)

Club 100 (Yogi Haughton, Stewart Wilson)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5

Girls & Boys

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Indie night with rock’n’roll attitude.

Sugarbeat (Joy Orbison)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £6

Joy Orbison headlines the Utah Saints-hosted night.

Sun 29 May

HMV Picture House, 15:00–03:00, £25 (£20)

12-hour bank holiday day party.

Underground Sunday The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

Club 10-86 (Mr C) The Store, 22:00–03:00, £tbc

Mr C (frontman of The Shamen) drops by for a bank holiday special.

An old-school must.

Rock Show The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Myriad of rock anthems, from classic to metallic.

Coalition Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Dubstep, breaks and D’n’B.

Mon 30 May Mixed Up The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of hip-hop, chart and R’n’B.

Nu Fire Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 31 May Circus Arcade Electric Circus, 19:00–01:00, Free

Pop quiz and musical bingo, with a £50 prize for the winning team.

Antics The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Xplicit

Soul Jam Hot

D’n’B evolution with guests Redlight, Roska and Dread MC.

Funk, soul and hip-hop.

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Everybody

Electric Circus, 23:30–03:00, £5

Pop, rock, indie and electro from 1960 to the present day. Job done.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, Free

Tuesday Heartbreak The Jazz Bar, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Swirling guitars and driving beats from Aki Remally and his groove band.

DUNDEE MUSIC Thu 05 May Howl Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc

Garage, R’n’B and good ol’ rock’n’roll.

COMEDY The British Pink Floyd Show Caird Hall, 20:00–22:30, £27.50 (£10)

Pink Floyd tribute act.

GLASGOW Tue 03 May

Thu 19 May

Red Raw

Fri 06 May

Miles Kane

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Rudy Alba & The One Flesh Band (Northern Xposure, DJ Akrim)

Wiley indie chap, best known as the cofrontman of The Last Shadow Puppets.

Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £6 (£4)

Scottish reggae music aficionado.

Sat 07 May GerryJablonski&TheElectricBand Dexter’s Bar, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Prolific Scottish blues rockers.

Twisted Wheel (The Twist) Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £9

Tight indie-punk melodies, passionate delivery and a relentless touring schedule that even brings them Dundee-way.

Tue 10 May Frank Turner (Franz Nicolay, Ben Marwood) Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £18

Acoustic folk singer/songwriter from Winchester, with flourishes of punk.

Fat Sam’s, 19:00–22:30, £10

Fri 20 May The Brackets (Pure Dead Brilliant, The Secrets) Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £5

Hard-hitting indie/punk indie troupe, with catchy riffs and dominating bass lines.

Sat 21 May Adam Ant

Fat Sam’s, 19:00–22:30, £22.50

The frontman of new wave popsters, Adam and the Ants.

The Sensational David Bowie Tribute Band

Wicked Wenches (Marian Pashley, Caroline Mabey, Lucy Oldham, Sarah Cassidy) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3)

All-female stand-up, hosted by Susan Calman.

It’s A Dead Liberty Tron Theatre, 21:30–23:30, £10

Political comedy, music and mayhem, with Dave Anderson, Allan Tall, Sandy Nelson and other ex-Wildcat performers.

Thu 05 May Charity Show (Janey Godley, Billy Kirkwood)

Sun 22 May

Comedy showcase in aid of Stepping Stones charity. Psst, Tom Stade in a likely very special guest.

David Bowie tribute act.

Stevie and The Moon

Japanese Popstars

Solo acoustic set from the pop/rock chap.

Dexter’s Bar, 19:30–22:30, £5

ElectronicdancetriofromNorthernIreland.

Sat 28 May

Fri 13 May

Afternoon Blues Session

The Local Yokels (The OK Social Club, Havoc!)

Lunchtime live blues session.

Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £5

Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £5

Dundee folk super group consisting of members of The Law and Luva Anna.

Wed 04 May

Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £8

Thu 12 May Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £8

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

Doghouse, 15:00–17:30, Free

The Asps

Edinburgh indie, pop and rock crossover.

Highlight, 19:30–23:00, £8

The Masters Of The Humourverse The Universal, 20:00–22:30, £5

I Spy Strangers

Brother (Dog is Dead)

Dexter’s Bar, 19:00–22:30, £tbc

Storming rock from the booming Birmingham five-piece.

Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £9

Slough-based Britpop revivalists currently setting NME’s pants on fire.

DUNDEE CLUBS

Tron Theatre, 21:30–23:30, £10

Political comedy, music and mayhem, with Dave Anderson, Allan Tall, Sandy Nelson and other ex-Wildcat performers.

Fri 06 May Comedy Live (John Ryan, Anthony King, Raymond Mearns, Andrew Learmonth) Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £12

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

Sat 14 May

Headway:7thBirthday(JoshWink)

Spektrum

Prime stand-up hosted by Joe Heenan.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5)

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc

Disco,houseandtechnobeatsbirthdaycelebration.Oh,andJoshWink’smanningthedecks!

Electronic tunes for dancing and jumping to, so say we.

Renegades

Asylum Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

Electro,trip-hopandfunkwithCBandPictux.

Rock, metal and punk alternativeness.

Sat 07 May

Fri 20 May

Mixed Bizness (Benny Boom)

Opto The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

Rockin’ monthly Glagsow export, with a four-hour set from Benny Boom.

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

Let it Bleed (Chase and Status, MC Rage)

Felt

The Manchester-formed producer duo play their favoured brand of D’n’B.

Asylum Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

Rock, metal and punk alternativeness.

Wed 11 May Carbon The Hideout, 22:30–03:00, £4

An eclectic mix of alternative music, ranging from metal to thumping dancefloor.

Thu 12 May 4Matt Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £3.50 (£5 after 11)

Dubstep, beats and electronic in a special collaborative performance from 4Matt.

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

Indie, retro pop and danceable rock.

Sat 21 May Asylum Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

Tron Theatre, 21:30–23:30, £10

Political comedy, music and mayhem, with Dave Anderson, Allan Tall, Sandy Nelson and other ex-Wildcat performers.

Sat 07 May Comedy Live (John Ryan, Anthony King, Raymond Mearns, Sandy Nelson) Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £15

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

The Saturday Show (Dave Johns, Marian Pashley, Mikey Adams, Rob Kane) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Joe Heenan.

It’s A Dead Liberty

Wed 25 May

Political comedy, music and mayhem, with Dave Anderson, Allan Tall, Sandy Nelson and other ex-Wildcat performers.

The Hideout, 22:30–03:00, £4

Tron Theatre, 21:30–23:30, £10

An eclectic mix of alternative music, ranging from metal to thumping dancefloor.

Melting Pot (Funktifeyeno, Piacentini)

Fri 27 May

A tribute to Paradise Garage resident Larry Levan.

Opto The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

Fri 13 May

Beartrap

Opto

Art rock, indie and punk.

The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

It’s A Dead Liberty

Rock, metal and punk alternativeness.

Carbon

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

The Admiral, 23:00–03:00, £10

Sun 08 May Tom Stade The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10

Tue 24 May

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5)

The Best of Irish Comedy (Owen O’Neill, Robbie Bonham, Dave Hurley)

Prime stand-up hosted by Bruce Devlin.

Sat 14 May

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £15

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Wed 25 May The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£6/£3)

Top comics from the contemporary Irish circuit.

Sat 28 May

Tue 10 May Red Raw

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

Thu 26 May The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4)

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Bruce Devlin.

Sun 15 May Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1)

Chilled comedy showcase with resident funnyman Michael Redmond.

Mon 16 May The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)

Tue 17 May Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Fri 27 May Jason Manford SECC, 19:30–22:30, £20

Welcome to Joly’s world, with tales of skiing down volcanoes and eating from Gillian McKeith’s pants.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £15 (£10

Fri 06 May Comedy Live (Patrick Rolink, Paul Pirie, David Hadingham) Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £10

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

The Friday Show (Ian Moore, Gus Tawse, Sanderson Jones, Lucy Oldham) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)

Prime stand-up hosted by Bruce Devlin.

Thu 26 May

The Sunday Night Laugh-In

Boothy Graffoe

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £13

The Saturday Show (Ian Moore, Gus Tawse, Sanderson Jones, Lucy Oldham)

Out With The Old

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Mon 16 May City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Bruce Devlin.

The comedy showcase formerly known as Absolute Beginners has a brand spanking new venue.

Sun 08 May

Red Raw

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Improvised comedy favourite with Stu & Garry.

Dan Clark Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £15

Cheeky chappy mixes stand-up with comedy songs, performed with his live band.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Tue 17 May Rob Rouse: The Great Escape The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10

Hyperactive funnyman Rob Rouse tells tales of his own misfortune and general daftness.

Wed 18 May

The Friday Show (Ian Moore, Robbie Bonham, Neil McFarlane, Dave Hurley) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5)

Sat 28 May The Saturday Show (Ian Moore, Robbie Bonham, Neil McFarlane, Dave Hurley) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Susan Calman.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9)

Monday holiday showcase of laughs, hosted by Michael Redmond.

The award-winning comic plots her complicated relationship with race.

Tue 31 May Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Joe Heenan.

EDINBU R GH

Fri 20 May

Tue 03 May

Gallus (The Wee Man, Kid Robotik, Panda, John Ross, Ray Bradshaw)

Wicked Wenches (Marian Pashley, Caroline Mabey, Lucy Oldham, Sarah Cassidy) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3)

Brand new fusion night of live hiphop, comedy and DJs.

All-female stand-up, hosted by Susan Calman.

Comedy Live (Joe Heenan, Tom Allen, Jeff Innocent, John Smith)

Wed 04 May

Prime stand-up hosted by Raymond Mearns.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1)

Chilled comedy showcase hosted by funnyman Billy Kirkwood.

The Broken Windows Policy The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4

Skits and character comdy; fastpased and a little anarchic.

Thu 05 May Comedy Unplugged Highlight, 19:00–22:00, £5

Live open mic competition.

The Pleasance, 20:00–22:00, £10 (£6)

Boothy returns with his blend of comedy and live music.

The Thursday Show (Owen O’Neill, Barry Castagnola, Ray Bradshaw, Bob Graham) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Susan Morrison.

Fri 27 May The Friday Fix (Patrick Monahan, Paul Savage, Phil Buckley, Andrew Learmonth, Withered Hand) Voodoo Rooms, 18:30–01:00, £tbc

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£5)

Friday night bill of comedy, live music and DJs. Hosted by Billy Kirkwood.

Mon 09 May

Thu 19 May

Out With The Old

The Thursday Show (Tony Burgess, John Gillick, Juliana Deane, Chloe Philp)

The Friday Show (Owen O’Neill, Barry Castagnola, Ray Bradshaw, Bob Graham)

City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

The comedy showcase formerly known as Absolute Beginners has a brand spanking new venue.

Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Charity night in aid of Fast Forward.

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Billy Kirkwood.

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

Fri 20 May

Tue 10 May

Comedy Live (Alex Boardman, Nige)

Electric Tales (Sian Bevan, Susan Morrison) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£3)

Comedy meets storytelling, with the promise of robot badges.

Wed 11 May

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5)

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

Q Fusion Improv

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £12

Sun 15 May

Benefit Night

Prime stand-up hosted by Susan Calman.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3)

Improvised comedy favourite with Stu & Garry.

Comedy sketches picked by the audience.

Pivo Pivo, 19:30–23:30, £5

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Scott Agnew.

The Best of Scottish Comedy (Mark Nelson, mark Mratchpiece, Gus Lymburn, Jay Lafferty)

Sat 07 May

Mon 30 May

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4)

The Saturday Show (Paul Tonkinson, Steven Dick, Toby Hadoke, Luke McQueen)

Wed 25 May

Comedy Live (Patrick Rolink, Paul Pirie, David Hadingham, Janey Godley)

Andi Osho

The Thursday Show (Alun Cochrane, John Scott, Gerry McDade, Viv Gee)

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £13

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway

Thu 19 May Highlight, 20:00–22:30, £4

Comedy Live (Martin Mor, Keith Farnham, Junior Simpson, Davey Connor)

members)

Charity night in aid of the Ruby Lambert Trust.

Top comics from the contemporary Scottish circuit. Hosted by Bruce Devlin.

Melting Pot

Fast-faced improvised games and gags.

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:30, £21

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1)

Wed 18 May The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£5)

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Bruce Devlin.

Chilled comedy showcase hosted by funnyman Billy Kirkwood.

Bank Holiday Special (Ian Moore, Robbie Bonham, Barry McDonald, Andrew Learmonth)

Charity night in aid of Orkidstudio.

Hosted by Des Clarke.

Tue 24 May Benefit Night (Fred MacAulay)

The Sunday Night Laugh-In

Sun 29 May

Benefit Night (Gary Tank Commander)

Sat 14 May Dom Joly: Welcome To Wherever I Am

The Thursday Show (Ian Moore, Gus Tawse, Sanderson Jones, Lucy Oldham)

Manchester television comic, presenter and stand-up.

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

The Friday Show (John Scott, Pat Burtscher, Viv Gee)

Asylum Rock, metal and punk alternativeness.

Chilled comedy showcase with resident funnyman Michael Redmond.

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

Miss DLove Essentially music for rude boys and girls.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1)

The Friday Show (Mark Nelson, Michael Fabbri, Michael Manley, Alan Scott)

Co-star and co-writer of Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights.

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service

Red Raw

Improvised comedy games and sketches.

Indie,popandhardcorewithWolfieandTheGirl.

Fat Sam’s, 22:30–03:00, £15

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £12

Sun 22 May

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

Opto

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc

Comedy Live (Karen Bayley, Roger D, Sean Meo, Barry McDonald)

Improv Wars

The Friday Show (Dave Johns, Marian Pashley, Mikey Adams, Rob Kane)

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

Fri 13 May

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

Transmission

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £15

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Joe Heenan.

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Raymond Mearns.

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Joe Heenan.

Fri 06 May The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4)

The Saturday Show (Alun Cochrane, John Scott, Pat Burtscher, Viv Gee)

The Saturday Show (Mark Nelson, Michael Fabbri, Michael Manley, Alan Scott)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4)

It’s A Dead Liberty

Tue 31 May

The Thursday Show (Mark Nelson, Michael Fabbri, Michael Manley, Alan Scott)

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

The Thursday Show (Ian Moore, Robbie Bonham, Neil McFarlane, Dave Hurley)

Doghouse Acoustic Session

Wed 18 May

Thu 12 May

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £15

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

ThreeBlindWolves(OverTheWall)

Live acoustic acts, for your listening pleasure.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£2.50)

Diverse and obscure offerings from the comedy spectrum. There will be magicians.

The Thursday Show (Dave Johns, Marian Pashley, Mikey Adams, Rob Kane)

Sun 29 May

Glaswegian alternative country foursome. Lovely, too.

The Fun Junkies

Comedy Live (Karen Bayley, Billy Kirkwood, Roger D, Sean Meo, Barry McDonald)

Sun 15 May

Doghouse, 17:00–23:45, £3

Sat 21 May Comedy Live (Joe Heenan, Chris Forbes, Tom Allen, Jeff Innocent)

Mix of stand-up and sketches, hosted by Scottish comic Johnny Mac, followed by fast-paced improvised comedy.

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Joe Heenan.

Doghouse, 20:00–23:45, £6

Wed 11 May

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£2.50)

Thu 12 May The Thursday Show (Paul Tonkinson, Steven Dick, Toby Hadoke, Andrew Learmonth) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted

by Scott Agnew.

Fri 13 May

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £10

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

The Friday Show (Tony Burgess, John Gillick, Juliana Deane, Chloe Philp) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)

Prime stand-up hosted by Billy Kirkwood.

Comedy Live (Alex Boardman, Nige)

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £13

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

The Saturday Show (Tony Burgess, John Gillick, Juliana Deane, Chloe Philp) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Billy Kirkwood.

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Improvised comedy favourite with Stu & Garry.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9)

Monday holiday showcase of laughs, hosted by Susan Morrison.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1)

Out With The Old City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

The comedy showcase formerly known as Absolute Beginners has a brand spanking new venue.

Chilled comedy showcase hosted by funnyman Billy Kirkwood.

Red Raw

Mon 23 May

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Showcase of headliners and newcomers.

Out With The Old

The Friday Show (Paul Tonkinson, Steven Dick, Toby Hadoke, Luke McQueen)

The comedy showcase formerly known as Absolute Beginners has a brand spanking new venue.

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

Bank Holiday Special (Owen O’Neill, Barry Castagnola, Ray Bradshaw, Bob Graham)

Mon 30 May

Sun 22 May

The Sunday Night Laugh-In

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)

Sun 29 May Whose Lunch Is It Anyway Improvised comedy favourite with Stu & Garry.

The Caves, 18:30–22:00, £7 (£10 VIP)

Highlight, 20:00–23:00, £10

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Array of stand-up headliners, hosted

by Susan Morrison.

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Sat 21 May

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway

Comedy Live (Martin Mor, Keith Farnham, Junior Simpson)

Sat 28 May The Saturday Show (Owen O’Neill, Barry Castagnola, Ray Bradshaw, Bob Graham)

Red Hot Comedy (Vladimir McTavish, John Purves, Rik Carranza, Sir Reginald Tweedy Duffer, Graham Mackie) Stand-up comedy showcase.

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5)

Prime stand-up hosted by Susan Morrison.

City Café, 20:30–22:30, £3 (£2)

Red Raw

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open mic-style beginner’s showcase.

Tue 31 May Andi Osho The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

The award-winning comic plots her complicated relationship with race.

May 2011

THE SKINNY 61

T H E AT R E GLASGOW CCA Cryptic Nights: Inducer 08:00PM, 05 May, £5

Glasgow-based artist Robbie Thomson collaborates with Sarah Milne and Jack Wrigley for a fusion in kinetic sculpture and musical instruments.

Citizens Theatre Club Noir Cabaret 08:00PM, 06 May—07 May, £15

Glasgow’s burlesque club teasers arrive with their first ever stage show, a featherruffling mix of striptease, American vaudeville, and crystal-encrusted showgirls, in a more intimate theatre setting.

Love, Love, Love 07:30PM, 11 May—14 May, From £10

Following one couple’s 40-year journey, from the heady 60s baby boomer generation onwards.

After The End Various times, 17 May—28 May, not 22nd, 23rd, £5 (preview special)–£12.50

Nightmarish psychological drama of survivial against an explosive attack.

Terminus 07:30PM, 17 May—21 May, From £10

A trio of folk say goodbye to normality, and hello to a world of singing serial killers, avenging angels and love-sick demons.

Divided City 07:30PM, 25 May—27 May, not 26th, £7.50

Set during Orange marching season, two footie-mad youngsters find themselves helping an asylum seeker and his Glaswegian girlfriend.

Eastwood Park Theatre Six Black Candles 07:30PM, 18 May, £12 (£8)

Black comedy in which six sisters, their maw and granny gather to take revenge by witchcraft on a wayward husband.

Clockwork Various times, Mon 9th, Tue 10th, Sun 22nd, £10–£7 (£5)

An unravelling story, told through a diverse mix of puppetry, live action, music and song. Adapted from an original work by Philip Pullman.

Oran Mor Six and a Tanner 07:30PM, 22 May—26 May, not 24th, 25th, £10

Hugely powerful one-man show feat David Hayman.

The Glue Factory Property & Theft Various times, 06 May–08 May, £donation

Interactive theatre project, about life under capitalism.

The Naked Truth

Various times, 10 May—30 May, not 15th, 22nd, 29th, From £20

“The Hills are alive...”

Theatre Royal Scottish Opera: Rigoletto Various times, Wed 11th, Sun 15th, Wed 18th, Sat 21st, From £10–From £16

Giuseppe Verdi’s theatrical tale of a hunch-backed jester and his mater, sung in Italian.

Richard Alston Dance Company 07:30PM, 26 May, From £8

The modern dance company present a trio of works, set to a diverse selection of musical scores.

Spellbound 07:30PM, 28 May—29 May, From £26– From £23.50

Variety show, of the gold spandexclad acrobatic type.

One-woman comedy drama, performed by Fiona Knowles and written by playwright Rona Munro.

RSAMD Plug III: Dance Plug 07:30PM, 03 May, £7 (£5)

Modern Ballet students will perform new choreography to new music performed by MusicLab.

Much Ado About Nothing 07:00PM, 10 May—14 May, £7.50 (£5.50)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream 07:00PM, 24 May—28 May, £7.50 (£5.50)

Ramshorn Theatre Bold Girls 07:30PM, 03 May—07 May, £6 (£4)–£9 (£6)

Rona Munro’s powerful classic about a trio of women bound together though love and friendship.

The Arches My Child/One Good Beating 07:00PM, 04 May—06 May, £7 (£5)

Double bill from new theatre company Rekindle Theatre, exploring family relationships pushed to breaking.

Time After Time 07:00PM, 11 May—12 May, £5 (£4)

The endearingly flamboyant performance poet hypothesises over life, time and Cyndi Lauper.

Tom Pritchard 07:00PM, 28 May, £3 (£2)

Glasgow-based performer Tom Pritchard presentsaseriesofimprovisedperformances.

08:00PM, 18 May–21 May, £18–From £19

All-girl comedy production set in a pole dancing class. Calendar Girls with balls.

Scottish Opera: Rigoletto Various times, Multiple dates, From £10–From £16

Giuseppe Verdi’s theatrical tale of a hunch-backed jester and his mater, sung in Italian.

Playhouse Grease Various times, 06 May—21 May, not 8th, 15th, From £20–From £23.50

Frothy singalong musical favourite with the lovelorn Danny and Sandy.

Spellbound 07:30PM, 28 May—29 May, From £26– From £23.50

Tramway

Variety show, of the gold spandexclad acrobatic type.

Na Grani

Evita 07:30PM, 30 May, From £15.50

07:30PM, 13 May—14 May, £10 (£8)

Visually exciting piece which incorporates a set of white neon and moveable blocks to mimic an urban environment.

Entity 07:30PM, 27 May—28 May, £15 (£12)

Blending bodies, light, technology and film against a pounding soundscape from Jon Hopkins and Joby Talbot.

Tron Theatre Forgotten 07:45PM, 05 May—07 May, From £7

Solo piece portraying a quartet of Irish carehome residents, via a unique collage of Kabuki dance and Irish storytelling.

King Of Scotland 07:45PM, 10 May—14 May, From £7

A razor-sharp parody of Scotland’s parliament, featuring trouserless bankers and talking dogs. Really, truly.

A Slow Air 09:00PM, 11 May—21 May, not 15th, 16th, £9 (£7)

An estranged brother and sister are re-united in a life-changing way.

Everything Between Us 09:30PM, 11 May—14 May, From £7

Play Me Something

07:30PM, 25 May, £10 (£6)

07:30PM, 07 May, From £15

The King’s Theatre

Blackout

Mad, Bad and Dangerous To Know

Paul Daniels: A Salute to The Great Lafayette

The Sound Of Music

Controversial dark comedy set in Stormont’s Parliament building, awash with secrets, lies and reconciliation.

Atheatricalsmackintheface,inspiredbythe stories of a young offender from Glasgow.

Festival Theatre The one and only Paul Daniels pays tribute to The Great Lafayette. File under ‘magic’.

Paisley Arts Centre 07:30PM, 04 May, £10 (£6)

ART

07:30PM, 14 May, £2.50

Visiting the romantic and poignantly socio-political parable of by John Berger short story, using photography, film and live performance.

At Swim Two Birds Various times, 17 May—28 May, From £7–£14 (£10/£6)

Show-stopping tunes in the political hagiography

Royal Lyceum Theatre Educating Agnes 07:45PM, 03 May—07 May, From £12.50

Scottish National Poet Liz Lochhead’s new translation of Molière’s comedy The School For Wives, adapted and re-titled, but just as wicked.

Dunsinane Various times, 13 May—28 May, not 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, From £12.50

Gary Owen’s debut play, set in the nightmare that is a small Welsh town on a Saturday night.

From A City Balcony 08:00PM, 26 May—28 May, £6

The talented Tron Young Company showcase their latest piece of work, inspired by the poems of Edwin Morgan.

EDIN B UR G H Brunton Theatre Golden Boy 07:30PM, 03 May—07 May, £7 (£5)

Spring Awakening 08:00PM, 24 May—25 May, £9 (£6)

Classrooms, sexual awakenings and metaphors for life.

Traverse Pandas Various times, 03 May—07 May, £14 (£10)–£16 (£12)

Rom-com meets thriller in Rona Munro’s new play, set between Edinburgh and China.

Clockwork Various times, 09 May—22 May, £10–£7 (£5)

An unravelling story, told through a diverse mix of puppetry, live action, music and song. Adapted from an original work by Philip Pullman.

07:30PM, 19 May—20 May, £14 (£10/£6)

At Swim Two Birds Various times, 17 May—28 May, not 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, From £7–£14 (£10/£6)

Comic send-up of Irish literature and culture, with three beginnings and a never-ending number of endings.

Voodoo Rooms Saturnalia Cabaret 08:30PM, 19 May, £6

Cabaret evening, chock-full with acclaimed singers, virtuoso musicians, brazen burlesque and a bit o’ magic.

DUNDEE Dundee Rep The Hard Man

Bugsy Malone

07:30PM, 26 May, £9 (£6)

A panto spoof of the Dracula tale, with two dames and a naughty Count.

We wish we were joking.

62 THE SKINNY May 2011

Jeff Koons

China Through The Lens Various times, 03 May—30 May, Free

The work of pioneering travel photographer John Thomson, from 1837-1921.

CCA Resemblances, Sympathies, and Other Acts 11:00AM, 03 May—07 May, Free

Using a broad range of artistic approaches, Jeremy Miller brings disparate sculptural, photographic and video pieces together with a selection of new commissions.

To This Place I Return 11:00AM, 03 May—28 May, not 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free

Phyllis Katrapani’s video outcome of a selfportrait through architecture and time.

British Art Show 7 11:00AM, 27 May—28 May, Free

Multiple-venue show, held every five years and acting as a survey of the best in British art. Highlights at the CCA include the UK premiere of The Otolith Group’s Hydra Decapita.

New body of drawing and painting work from the Glasgow-based lawyer turned artist, created in response to the development of the iconic Riverside Museum.

Kendal Koppe Sometimes I Am Content 11:00AM, 04 May—07 May, Free

Inaugural show from Memphis-born artist Grier Edmondson, consisting of new paintings and works on paper that explore society through the juxtaposition of appropriated images.

Mary Mary Aleana Egan: Nature Had An Inside 12:00PM, 03 May—28 May, not 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free

New solo show from the Dublin-born artist, concerned with the interplay between literature and sculpture.

Anna Karenina

12:00PM, 03 May—14 May, Free

DIY types, thiscollection, present a library of 56 films and 100 poems, from professionals to amateurs.

Bealtainne 12:00PM, 04 May—14 May, not 9th, 10th, Free

Over a dozen cross-disciplinary research students from the art school exhibit their work.

The Modern Institute Hayley Tompkins: A Piece Of Eight Various times, 03 May—07 May, Free

New solo work from the Glasgowbased artist associated with DIY, lo-tech pieces.

Martin Boyce Various times, 14 May—30 May, not 15th, 22nd, 29th, Free

New solo work from the Glasgowborn artist known for his unique visual art installations, oft inspired by modernist design.

Tramway

Collins Gallery

Mono

British Art Show 7

Jenny Soep

12:00PM, 27 May—29 May, Free

Unite

12:00PM, 04 May—17 May, Free

Various times, 03 May—07 May, Free

Presenting a showcase of 38 makers who unite, inspire and champion Scottish craft.

David Dale Gallery and Studios Container and Contents 12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free

Installation and photography works from a trio of artists: Naomi Bell, Dominic Samsworth and Joanna Waclawski.

The Scottish artist/illustrator who favours drawing on location, as the events unfold.

Project Room Terrestrial Objects 12:00PM, 29 May—30 May, Free

Solo exhibition by Daisy Richardson, consisting of sculpture, painting and collage.

Recoat Gallery

Drawing class with a backdrop of DJ beats and a bar to the side.

New production of Tom McGrath’s classic, about hardman Byrne in the ganglands of Glasgow.

Dracula: The Panto

10:00AM, 03 May—06 May, Free

Various times, 03 May—30 May, Free

The Pleasance

Various times, 03 May—07 May, £12–From £15

20s-set musical classic, presented by amateur East Lothian company Encore.

Burrell Collection

Solo exhibition from the up-andcoming Scottish artist, with a definite nod to his graffiti past.

A New York youngster tempted by the world of prize fighting.

07:30PM, 18 May–21 May, £9 (£8)–£10 (£8.50)

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

Flying Duck

The really quite magical story of a death postponed by life.

07:45PM, 24 May—28 May, From £7

Doubtfire Gallery Hugh Murdoch

All The Young Nudes

Grenades

Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco

The Glue Factory dis-place: thiscollection

Macbeth sequel set in 11th Century Scotland, focusing on one officer’s attempt to restore peace.

The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church

A nine-year-old toughie takes a massive bullet for her brother, finding her in a prison years later.

Kelvingrove Drawing (on) Riverside: Patricia Cain

Elph

Comic send-up of Irish literature and culture, with three beginnings and a never-ending number of endings.

07:30PM, 18 May—21 May, £9 (£7)

GLASGOW

08:00PM, Tue 3rd, Tue 10th, Tue 17th, Tue 24th, £4

Cassettes Present Various times, 26 May, Free–£4

One-day exhibition featuring performance art, projections, film, sculpture – pretty much anything – around and within the Duck’s various nooks and crannies.

Gallery of Modern Art Blueprint for a Bogey Various times, 03 May—30 May, Free

Group exhibition exploring the right to play, and how we play, including work from Dame Paula Rego, Eduardo Paolozzi and Andy Goldsworthy.

British Art Show 7 Various times, 28 May—30 May, Free

Multiple-venue show, held every five years and acting as a survey of the best in British art. Exhibiting artists include Karla Black and Alasdair Gray.

Glasgow Caledonian University Helen Keller International Award Exhibition 10:00AM, 09 May—26 May, not 15th, 22nd, Free

Award exhibition and competition where local and international artists explore ‘the senses’ in any artistic medium they wish.

Glasgow Print Studio After, Growth and Form Various times, 03 May—15 May, not 9th, Free

A range of new and existing paintings and prints by Sam Ainsley and Roger Wilson.

Monotypes and Etchings Various times, 06 May—29 May, not 9th, 16th, 23rd, Free

Inspired as she is by her time growing up on the Isle of Lewis, Marion McPhee explores themes relating to natural environment, history and mythology.

Glasgow School of Art

07:30PM, 23 May—28 May, £13–From £15

MFA Interim Show

Tolstoy’s tragic tale of love, sex and marriage in imperial Russia, given new life by Jo Clifford.

The annual exhibition of new work by students in the first year of the Master of Fine Art Programme.

Various times, 07 May—14 May, not 8th, Free

12:00PM, 03 May—15 May, not 9th, Free

SWG3 Moiré (Stages/Taxed) 12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free

First solo exhibition from Josh Whitaker, concerned with producing artwork that examines the utility of the work of art itself.

Sorcha Dallas Rob Churm 11:00AM, 03 May—27 May, not 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free

New solo work from the GSA graduate, known for his tonal pen and ink scrawls.

Street Level Photoworks Victoria Clare Bernie: Slow Water Various times, 03 May—29 May, not 9th, 16th, 23rd, Free

Working with digital video, filmmaking, drawing and photography, Victoria Clare Bernie creates a visual document of insect life and death in a Highland loch. Quite beautiful.

The Arches Jenny Wicks: Business As Usual 12:00PM, 03 May—23 May, Free

Photographer interested in looking at subsets in society, this time focusing her attention on elderly identical twins, Dick and Ted.

The Common Guild Ulla von Brandenburg: Neue Alte Welt 12:00PM, 04 May—21 May, not 8th, 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 17th, Free

Solo work drawing on European cultural heritage, including the enchanting Chorspiel, a three-part, opera-like film featuring five characters from three generations.

Multiple-venue show, held every five years and acting as a survey of the best in British art. Exhibiting artists include Karla Black and Alasdair Gray.

Transmission Gallery Tino Sehgal 11:00AM, 03 May—28 May, not 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free

Dance piece that combines a specific movement technique with improvisation, interpreted continuously by a group of Glasgow-based dancers over the six-week exhibition.

EDIN B UR G H

Edinburgh Printmakers An Informed Energy: Lithography and Tamarind

Embassy Gallery On Tomorrow 12:00PM, 05 May—08 May, Free

Diverse new show from a mixed group of artists.

Fruitmarket Narcissus Reflected Various times, 03 May—30 May, Free

Examining the potency of the Narcissus myth in art, photography, installation, film and video.

Ingleby Gallery Jonathan Owen 10:00AM, 03 May—14 May, not 8th, Free

New sculptural works and drawings from the ECA graduate, including a series of intricately-carved found wooden figures.

Winston Roeth 10:00AM, 03 May—14 May, not 8th, Free

Groups of slate roof tiles, sourced from a quarry in Maine, arranged in multi-coloured compositions.

Bond No9 08:00PM, 03 May—13 May, Free

Exploring notions of the ‘living picture’ within contemporary photography and moving image.

Central Library This Is Lo-Fi Various times, 04 May—30 May, not 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, Free

New photography showcase from Edinburgh’s Lo-Fi Photography Group, using toy and retro cameras.

City Art Centre Scottish Art: 1650-2010 Various times, 14 May—30 May, Free

Hand-picked selection of Scottish artists’ work taken from the City Art Centre’s private collection.

Collective Gallery How To Turn The World By Hand 11:00AM, 03 May—29 May, not 9th, 16th, 23rd, Free

Research project-style exhibition, with the focus on ‘trade’ in regard to contemporary art.

Corn Exchange Gallery The Imaginary: Katsutoshi Yuasa 11:00AM, Multiple dates, Free

Japanese artist, Katsutoshi Yuasa showcases a new collection of meticulously handcrafted woodcuts based on photographs.

Dean Gallery

12:00PM, 28 May, Free

Artist Rooms: August Sander 10:00AM, 03 May—30 May, Free

The German photographer depicts a variety of fruity characters from the Weimar Republic that includes dwarfs, artists and Nazis.

10:00AM, 14 May—28 May, not 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free

Sierra Metro Caroline Gallacher: The Pankrateon 12:00PM, Multiple dates, Free

New solo work from the Glasgow School of Art graduate.

St Margaret’s House Art’s Complex Bi-Degrees 11:00AM, 07 May—22 May, Free

Preview of a selection of painting, printmaking and sculpture work from BA and MFA students ahead of Edinburgh College of Art’s annual June Degree Show.

Floral Facade 10:00AM, 14 May—22 May, Free

Group exhibition aimed at bringing new life to that oft-tired looking artists’ muse: the bunch o’ flowers.

Gravity’s Rainbow

Stills

10:00AM, 21 May—30 May, not 22nd, 29th, Free

Ruth MacLennan: Anarcadia

An exhibition from a collection of artists concerned with ‘found’ colour, i.e. that which is borrowed or stolen from elsewhere.

Collection One

Tableaux Vivants

Scottish Poetry Library

Showcasing a two-year research project exploring our aesthetic and cognitive responses to visual-poetic art works.

Prints from the Tamarind Institute of Lithography, in New Mexico.

Save The Forest Art Auction Local and international artists donate their work for auction, in support of Save the Forest Campaign. Auction to be held Saturday 14 May, 6-10pm.

Through his use of popular imagery, Koons explores the aesthetics and culture of taste.

10:00AM, 03 May—21 May, not 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, Free

Institut Francais d’Ecosse

06:00PM, 14 May, Free

10:00AM, 03 May—30 May, Free

Poetry Beyond Text: Vision, Text and Cognition

Axo Gallery

You Seem The Same As Always Bringing together a diverse range of works which all share a particular focus: that of the artist’s hand.

Exhibitors include Yvonne Rainer, Douglas Gordon and David Shrigley.

Retrospective exhibition of the Scottish painter’s remaining work, from 1945-2010.

Various times, 07 May—30 May, not 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, Free

Six artists who make up The Photography Collective explore diverse approaches to photography.

Inverleith House

11:00AM, 03 May—30 May, Free

New film installation work and series of photographs made among the desert expanses of Kazakhstan.

Talbot Rice Gallery Academic Collaborations: Postgraduate Curators 10:00AM, 27 May—28 May, Free

Contemporary art meets historic collections, in this annual collaboration between Contemporary Art students and History of Theory students.

The Jazz Bar

Thomas Houseago

Dr Sketchy

10:00AM, 14 May—29 May, not 16th, 23rd, Free

Glam burlesque drawing class. GO!

Solo exhibition of celebrated British sculptor Thomas Houseago, featuring a new sculpture made specially for Inverleith House.

03:00PM, 08 May, £7 (£6)

Traverse Rock Trust Postcards 11:00AM, 03 May—07 May, Free

Newington Library Drop In And Draw!

01:00PM, 07 May, free

A free event, for Free Comic Book Day - hang out and draw with amateurs and professionals.

Patriothall Gallery Arboretum 11:00AM, 12 May—15 May, Free

Collective exhibition exploring ideas of forest, looking at changing light, altered perception and orientation.

RSA RSA 185th Annual Exhibition Various times, 03 May—30 May, £4 (£2)

A highlight of the RSA’s calander, featuring invited new works from across Scotland and beyond.

Schop Re:alignment 09:00AM, Multiple dates, Free

Digital technology collides with a more traditional painterly practice, in Richard Strachan’s bold new solo exhibition.

Scotland-Russia Institute Janet Treloar Various times, 07 May—28 May, not 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, Free

Series of paintings from the Cornwall-born artist, inspired by the heroism of the Russian people during WWII.

Mass collection of postcard-sized art, from the likes of David Shrigley, John Byrne and Sally Pring. In the Traverse bar.

DUNDEE Centrespace Cabin: Codex 12:00PM, 04 May—29 May, not 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, Free

Tactile exhibition of a selection of over 100 artists’ books, celebrating the artists’ intentions in adopting a non-hierarchical approach.

DCA Déjà vu: Manfred Pernice Various times, 03 May—08 May, Free

German sculptor Manfred Pernice comes to Dundee with his typically ‘unmonumental’ work that looks a lot like architecture.

Duncan of Jordanstone Degree Show 2011 10:00AM, 21 May—28 May, Free

Yearly round-up of work from the current crop of students.

Generator Projects They Had Four Years 12:00PM, 21 May—28 May, not 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, Free

Double header between video artist Stefan Blomeier and installation artist Eric Schumacher.

STARTER FOR ELEVEN:

ANDI OSHO

CRYSTAL BAWS WITH MYSTIC MARK

Stand Up For The Week star ANDI OSHO is coming to Scotland at the end of the month, with gigs at The Stand in Edinburgh and Glasgow. We want to know how much Andi knows about women in comedy over the past 30 years.

Our guest quizmaster had forgotten about the regular haggis supper prize and tried to instead entice her with a free pen. It didn’t go well QUIZMASTERS: LIZZIE CASS-MARAN & BERNARD O’LEARY The Skinny: The theme is women in comedy, and if you get them all right you win a cheque book and pen.

Andi: Oh really?

No, not really. But you do win the respect of our readership, which is worth so much more.

Q1. Who prompted P Diddy to tell her “I have a saying that you can’t really trust a woman until she’s farted in front of you.�

Sarah Millican A: Sarah Millican (1 point) Q2. Who was the founder of the Perrier award (now the Edinburgh Comedy Award?

Erm‌was it Joan of Arc? No, that’s wrong, you’re laughing, it can’t be right. Was it Karen somebody?

A: Nica Burns (0 points) Ah! That was going to be my 18th answer.

Q3. Who was the first solo female winner of the award? Bonus point if you can name the second female winner.

Jenny Éclair and Laura Solon A: Jenny Éclair, Laura Solon (2 points) Q4. Who is best known for her appearance as Holly in series 3 and 4 of Red Dwarf?

Hattie Hayridge.

A: Hattie Hayridge (1 point) Q5. Which comedian began her performing career on Grange Hill in 1994?

Andi: Ah‌interesting. A stand-up comedian?

Skinny: Yes. She’s got an exotic name. And she’s been in Extras, too.

Andi: Shappi Khorsandi?

A: Francesca Martinez (0 points) Q6. Fiona Allen from Smack The Pony went on to feature in Coronation Street. Who did she play?

Did she play the bar?... I have no idea.

It’s ok, we would have judged you if you knew the answer to that.

A: Julia Stone (0 points)

Q7. Complete the quote: ‘Hello, my name is __________, at least that’s what it says on my pilot’s licence’ Oh, Shazia Mirza A: Shazia Mirza (1 point) Q8. Comic actress Mollie Sugden, best known for her portrayal of Mrs Slocombe in Are You Being Served?, died in 2009. How old was she?

Erm‌82?

No. But I’ll pretend you said 86 and give you a point anyway.

A: 86 (1 point?)

Q9. Who called TV panel shows ‘male-dominated, testosterone-fueled and bear pit-ish in the extreme?’ Erm, every female comic that’s ever been on one? I know that Jo Brand said it. I’ve probably said it under my breath just as I sat down on Mock The Week.

I’ll give you half a point for that. It was actually Victoria Wood, but Jo Brand backed her up in the Guardian. If we ever use this question again, you’ll be the extra bonus point.

A: Victoria Wood (1/2 point) Q10. Who recently won a hat trick of awards at the British Comedy awards?

That’s probably Miranda A: Miranda Hart (1 point) Q11. Which musical comedian is currently touring as one of Robin Ince’s Uncaged Monkeys?

Ooh - Helen Arney A: Helen Arney (1 point) Total score: 8 1/2, according to the pretty kind scoring techniques.

SEE ANDI AT THE STAND, GLASGOW ON 30 MAY AND THE STAND, EDINBURGH ON 31 MAY. 8.30PM (DOORS OPEN 7.30PM) ÂŁ10 (ÂŁ8) WWW.ANDIOSHO.CO.UK/

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR It’s not you that’s a bad loser, it’s that everyone else is a bad winner. Will you ever win in the sexual marketplace? The charts say no. The charts are laughing at you, slapping me on the back and pointing and laughing at you.

TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY You wake to find my pusdripping sockets staring down at you, my steaming jaws slung with poison between dagger-like teeth, claws blackened with gypsy blood. I love you. I just have trouble expressing it.

GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Venus, your horrible mentor, enters your chart in mid-May right as you land that dream job at Sea World. Like a siren of myth she urges you into the realm of the out-of-character faux pas, culminating at the finale with your head being blown off like a firework-stuffed melon performing fellatio on one of the killer whales.

CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Even if I thought you were the scum-sucking spawn of a writhing, pulsating ball of sewer rats, I wouldn’t say that, because I’m a nice person.

LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG How did nature get your head-shape so wrong? God must’ve let Jesus operate the skullmaking machine when you were conceived. He was shit at making tables and by God he’s even worse at fashioning human craniums. You look like Joseph Merrick after a whole summer at The Brian Harvey School of Driving.

VIRGO 24 AUG – 23 SEP Go jogging with a bottle of poppers up each nostril.

Please. Just to see what happens.

LIBRA 24 SEP – 23 OCT You’re thinking of shaving your glorious hair off? Do that. Then send me it. I’ll wear

the blessed locks. You can skulk around resembling a superconducting ball bearing placed near a pile of iron filings.

SCORPIO 24 OCT – 22 NOV In May Mercury’s testicle-shaped orbit makes sure dancing with you is like moving a fridge.

SAGITTARIUS 23 NOV – 21 DEC

Mars scores whale steroids and enters Sagittarius like a brick fist this month, grabs your psyche by the gusset, tears off its spindly limbs like a daddy long legs, then tosses your dreams screaming into the sun.

CAPRICORN 22 DEC – 20 JAN

Despite your best efforts, your healthy eating regime ends and your mouth becomes an event horizon for Greggs, your rumbling stomach a singularity of steaming hot gut treats and you find you can’t pass a McDonald’s without your digestive tract’s high gravity pulling the entire stock of meat products through the glass at close to the speed of light.

AQUARIUS 21 JAN – 19 FEB If you have vomited a little further than other men it is by vomiting from the shoulders of giants.

PISCES 20 FEB – 20 MAR You find yourself somewhat out of pocket after ringing my 24/7 premium-rate tarot reading hotline. Don’t ask the bill payer’s permission beforehand, it’s a trap. They don’t want you to know the vital info I’ll reveal to you about you dying in, perhaps, some avoidable accident or something at some point. The alternative: your mangled remnants will plummet headlong through a razorbladelined, Barclaycard-swiping blood-slide to hell for an infinity of tortured teeth-gnashing. A £1.53/ min phone call is very lucky.

MAY 2011

THE SKINNY 63