The Skinny Scotland June 2014

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MUSIC The SAY Award The Pixies Parquet Courts LAW

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Scotland Issue 105 June 2014 FILM EIFF Simon Helberg Ed Perkins FASHION GSA Jewellery

ART DJCAD & ECA degree shows LeithLate COMEDY Ask Fred BOOKS Eleanor Morton Scottish PEN Laura Marney SPORTS SUPPLEMENT With aerial pilates, CLUBS trampolining, roller Demdike Stare derby, urban running, bouldering & more Andrew Ingram

STRANGE DAYS

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“Howay” (that’s Geordie for, “Come and join us”)

For a city break decked with a roster of top-notch culture, gigs and performances, visit NewcastleGateshead.

Find out what’s happening and plan your city break at

www.NewcastleGateshead.com @altweet_pet #TheTyneisNow facebook.com/NewcastleGateshead

Win a NewcastleGateshead city break

EAT! Our food festival returns for 2014 First event: Sat 28 & Sun 29 June

Find out more at NewcastleGateshead.com

Travel to Newcastle by train. For the lowest East Coast Advance fares book direct at eastcoast.co.uk T&Cs apply.

P.33 LAW

June 2014 I N DEPEN DENT

CULTU R AL

JOU R NALI S M

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Editorial Editor-in-Chief Music & Deputy Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Deviance Editor Events Editor Fashion Editor Film & DVD Editor Food Editor Travel Editor Theatre Editor News Editor / Sub Editor

Rosamund West Dave Kerr Alan Bett Ronan Martin Vonny Moyes Tasha Lee Anna Docherty Alexandra Fiddes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Paul Mitchell Eric Karoulla Bram E. Gieben

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printed on 100% recycled paper

4

Contents

THE SKINNY

Photo: Kat Gollock

P. 24-27 Sports Supplement

P.42 Degree Shows

Photo: Kat Gollock

P.12 The Pixies

Contents 06 Opinion: Nick Oliveri Hero Worships

Chris Goss; Shot of the Month; The Skinny goes on Tour to a cultural melting pot; after the devastating fire at Glasgow School of Art, former students pay tribute to the city’s creative heart; Crystal Baws makes some devastating political observations; Jock Mooney’s cartoon series What Are You Having for Lunch? continues; Stop the Presses mops up the rest.

08

10

Heads Up: Your social calendar is here – the best cultural events, every day for the month of June.

FEATURES The Phantom Band’s Rick Anthony and Duncan Marquiss discuss glorious new record Strange Friend, and insist they’re not into sorcery.

12

The Pixies’ Joey Santiago on the Indie Cindy backlash, touring, and the band’s creative renaissance.

14

Glasgow author Laura Marney introduces her new novel, For Faughie's Sake, and tells us why the Yes campaign need to get “wee bingo ladies” on side.

15

The Scottish Album of the Year Award shortlist unveiled – we preview the releases in contention for the prize and speak to its previous winners.

16

Ahead of their Scottish debut, we speak to Miles Whittaker – one half of Demdike Stare with Sean Canty – about letting go of tracklists and knocking back Sub Pop.

18

Edinburgh International Film Festival is this month. We take a look at the programme highlights, and talk to Simon Helberg (aka Howard from the Big Bang Theory) about his directorial debut, We’ll Never Have Paris, which closes this year’s festival.

19

EIFF artistic director Chris Fujiwara discusses the artistry of German filmmaker Dominik Graf, subject of a retrospective at this year’s film fest director Ed Perkins introduces documentary Garnet’s Gold.

25

A first person account of a trip to an aerial pilates class, one of the many alternative workouts experiencing a surge in popularity.

26

Speaking of alternative workouts, here’s a load more. How to get into skiing, trampolining, bouldering or roller derby without leaving the comfort of your own city.

28

Comedy shines a spotlight on… Eleanor Morton.

29

Food & Drink: Our Food editor went to

30 Australia and all we got was this… very

topical feature on the various meals he ate on the plane over.

33

22

Local chapter of the international guardians of freedom of expression, Scottish PEN introduce their series of free events tracing the Queen’s Baton Relay as part of the Commonwealth cultural programme.

23

A month of dance events is coming to Scotland, including the Glasgow Mela, the West End Festival, and Matthew Bourne's new production of Lord of the Flies.

24

Kicking off our annual Sports supplement, a look at running in the city and in the country and its many cheap and cheerful advantages.

June 2014

REVIEW Music: Edinburgh-based chanteuse LAW in profile; we take in Prince, Trust and Nine Inch Nails live; our verdict on imminent new records from Remember Remember, PAWS, Fucked Up, Sage Francis, Tom Vek and many more; plus Parquet Courts lift the lid on Sunbathing Animal.

40 Clubs: This month’s clubbing high-

lights, with appearances from Todd Edwards, Andy Stott, House of Traps and Demdike Stare plus Tabernacle cofounder Andrew Ingram on the label's mysterious new techno venture.

42

Art: We assess the degree shows of Dundee’s DJCAD and Edinburgh’s ECA and conclude that students should stop recreating their granny’s living rooms and building sheds.

44

Film: This month’s Film Events highlights, plus Fruitvale Station, Mistaken For Strangers and Of Horses and Men and more in review.

45

DVD / Books: DVDs in review include Nashville, Boomerang! and Lindsay Anderson’s classic If…., Books in review include Laura Marney’s For Faughie’s Sake, and Doug Johnstone’s The Dead Beat.

20 The annual mini festival that is LeithLate arrives for 2014 in expanded form.

Organiser Morvern Cunningham tells us all about the plans for two days of art and spoken word in the people’s republic.

LIFESTYLE Deviance: We speak to Garry Otton, the author of Religious Fascism, a new book on the repeal of Section 28 and the rise of religious extremism in Scotland.

46 Theatre: Matthew Bourne tells us

about his work on the new production of Lord of the Flies, and we run down this month’s top theatre events.

47

Listings: Everything good in Music, Clubs, Theatre, Comedy and Art in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, in June.

54 Competitions: This is your chance

to win tickets to Wickerman, plus win screening tickets for Africa in Motion’s Commonwealth programme, Sports Stories.

55

Ask Fred: Our resident agony uncle tackles the big questions! This month: religion. Take cover.

Contents

5

Editorial

Hero Worship: Nick Oliveri on Chris Goss Nick Oliveri lays his career at the feet of an old mentor, the godfather of desert rock

A

t the time of going to print it is one week since the devastating fire ripped through Glasgow School of Art’s west wing, taking with it the degree show work of an as-yet-unconfirmed number of final year students. The damage to the building itself has proved a heartbreak for Glasgow, but the response from GSA and the whole city has been tremendous – it seems clear that what is lost will be rebuilt.

The impact on the students – presumably already sleep deprived and on the precipice, in the hallucinogenic final moments of degree show construction when it happened – is another story. GSA has announced a perfectly-named Phoenix Fund to provide them with the time and space to rework their final pieces. Thoughts are with them to find the willpower to pick up and start again. We’ve wheeled out our old Art editor to report back from the front line of graduate and student trauma – see opposite for his personal response to the loss.

The thread of GSA runs through this issue, so central is it to the Scottish creative world.

Cover stars The Phantom Band, gracing our front page for a record-breaking third time (or fourth, if you count Rick and his chips), are heavily identified with the institution. We spoke to Rick Anthony and Duncan Marquiss before the devastation, discussing the workings of their eagerly-anticipated third album Strange Friend, out this month, and allowing them to respond to accusations of sorcery.

Elsewhere in Music, we have some words with Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago who tells us about new album Indie Cindy and vehemently refutes claims that the band’s reunion is a ‘craven cash-in.’ This month sees the announcement of the SAY (Scottish Album of the Year) award’s winner, now in its third year. We’ve got some insight from the organisers and past winners on p15. We also speak to Lauren Holt aka LAW about her long-awaited EP Cowboys and Hustlers and chat to Parquet Courts’ guitarist Austin B. Brown about Sunbathing Animal, released this month.

It is a bittersweet task to review the other degree shows in the circumstances. In a touching display of solidarity, both Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee and Edinburgh’s ECA posted collection boxes in their lobbies to raise funds for the GSA, while also offering up their facilities to the affected students. Thoughts on each institution’s own displays are in the Art section on p42.

Elsewhere in Art, or is that Music, or maybe Books… This year marks the fourth installment of

LeithLate, the grassroots multi-arts festival that used to pop up on Leith Walk for one night only.

This year it’s expanded to run over two days, with a Saturday night run down the Walk culminating in a Ferry Road St afterparty, and a more civilised Sunday afternoon programme you can take the kids to. Find out all about it on p20.

This month also marks the second edition of our annual Sports Supplement. Last year we looked at the incredible opportunities for adventure available in the Scottish countryside. This year we’ve taken an urban focus, exploring the many weird and wonderful participation sports that exist in Scotland’s cities. Our intrepid correspondent took on an aerial pilates class (sounds simultaneously fun and really hard) pounded the pavements of Edinburgh and cast an eye over the alternative communities from trampolining to roller derby.

Ahead of this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival, we scrutinise the programme highlights and also quiz Simon Helberg aka Howard Wolowitz from Big Bang Theory about his excruciatingly personal directorial debut, which closes the festival. In Books, defenders of international freedom of speech Scottish PEN launch their own Culture 2014 programme with a series of free events along the route of the Queen’s Baton Relay exploring the relationship between our nation and the Commonwealth countries. All you need to know can be found on p22.

Finally, we have once again inexplicably allowed agony aunt Fred Fletch to tackle an explosive subject in his regular column, this month taking on… religion. What’s most concerning about this month’s installment is that the man screaming Highlander quotes and banging on about his nunchucks offers some eminently rational thoughts on the role of religion in society.

I think we might all have Stockholm syndrome.

[Rosamund West] THIS MONTH'S COVER Eoin Carey has been working as a photographer in Scotland for pure ages. Hailing from Ireland originally, he is never too far from his two favourite things, Ice-cream and rain, so this month's shoot ticked all boxes.

I

have mad respect for the influence of Chris Goss. I was just a kid when I met the guy; me and my friends had this band called Katzenjammer when we were really young – I was gone for a while but my first show back with them was on 14 September 1990, by which time we were known as Sons of Kyuss. We’d been invited to play with Chris’s band Masters of Reality at The Palace in Hollywood on Vine Street. This was also Ginger Baker’s first gig with the Masters and it was a big deal to us which I’ll always remember; we just got up and played our brand of heavy… y’know… whatever we were calling it at the time!

But Masters blew me away.

Right away, I found Chris genuine and he’s remained a dear, sincere friend. He really helped Kyuss find its sound; if you listen to Blues for the Red Sun, we were leaning towards a certain vibe and he helped us narrow that down. He was our

Cézanne, like ‘c’mon, I think you guys wanna go this way.’ Besides being our producer, he was the one who gave us a start by bringing labels down to see us play early on, which meant we could play later. Without Chris, I don’t think Kyuss would have been possible. I’d have him produce every record if I could.

Much later on, Queens were in the middle of making Songs for the Deaf back in winter 2001 when Goss asked Josh Homme and I to play with Masters of Reality in Europe. We thought ‘Well, OK, looks like we’re putting this record on the backburner.’ We dropped everything and left the session to go and play that tour. That’s how much Goss means to me. We had to do it. I wouldn’t be playing right now if it wasn’t for him.

Nick Oliveri plays acoustically at Stereo on 17 Jun twitter.com/NickOliveri

Shot Of The Month

Albert Hammond Jnr, Stag and Dagger, O2 ABC, 4 May by John Graham

The Skinny On Tour For your chance to win Blackbird by Tom Wright (courtesy of those lovely folk over at Canongate), just head along to www.theskinny.co.uk/about/ competitions and tell us where you think this Skinny reader is visiting.

Competition closes midnight Sun 29 Jun. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Full T&Cs can be found at www.theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

6

Chat

THE SKINNY

Crystal Baws

Celebrating the Mac

With Mystic Mark

TAURUS Kerry Katona has written more books than you ever will.

GEMINI There’s nothing better than getting home, putting your feet up and lighting your methane-rich farts.

CANCER You shouldn’t really be using the centrifuge at the lab for drying your underwear, but you have a big date on the Friday and need fresh pants. A single pube is left hurtling around the accelerator all weekend. Returning on Monday you discover something remarkable – you have inadvertently isolated pure pube!

LEO It takes a big person to admit that they can only get out of their house by having firemen take the roof off and remove them with a crane.

VIRGO This month the Tories raise the retirement age to +1 whatever your age is, a perpetual carrot dangling in front of your wrinkly, emaciated mouth.

LIBRA You discover a family member after they’ve taken an overdose of helium, too late to save their life. They do however have time for a few emotionally loaded yet comically high-pitched last words.

SCORPIO If STDs were a game of bingo you’d have won a car, a washing machine and a holiday for one in Tenerife.

SAGITTARIUS At a PTA meeting about your daughter with the infamous demon headmaster, you enter the assembly hall to find him calmly sitting on a throne of skulls, a swirling cloud of blood mist enveloping his viscera-drenched horns.

Taking a seat, he occasionally belches wasps as he explains that Stacey’s attendance has been satisfactory but she needs to knuckle down and concentrate in the run up to her GCSEs.

CAPRICORN This month Right Guard develop an anti-perspirant so powerful it stops turds coming out of your body, giving you full 24-hour round the clock protection at work or play.

AQUARIUS Suffering from a voracious bout of feminine rotting, your doctor prescribes a twelve week course of Quim Relief with Rot-B-Gone technology.

PISCES The nits on your head have uncovered evidence of a mind-shattering conspiracy that their planet might actually be hollow.

June 2014

Former Art editor and Glasgow School of Art graduate Andrew Cattanach talks to staff and students about the impact of last month’s devastating fire Africa in Motion film festival are branching out this month with a special programme of African sports films touring the country from 1 June until 27 July. Entitled Sports Stories, the series forms part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme, an arm of them there Commonwealth Games, and will follow the path of the Queen’s Baton Relay. The programme includes 30 films from the African Commonwealth and beyond, including boxing in Ghana, cycling in Rwanda, long-distance running in Kenya, surfing in South Africa, football in Nigeria and much more.

Screenings are taking place in innovative venues and contexts, including a series of African adventure films at the Glasgow Climbing Academy; a Film and Food Marathon at the Rennie Mackintosh designed House for an Art Lover in Glasgow, where three films from three different African countries will each be accompanied by a course representing that country; and a screening at Britannia Panopticon in Glasgow where the quintessentially British backdrop will be merged with a taste of Africa and the Caribbean through screenings and discussions exploring the legacy of slavery and the British Empire. You can find full details of the programme at www.africa-in-motion.org.uk Urban Outfitters have launched a great competition that offers you the chance to win prizes to some of the finest summer festivals happening throughout Europe. From The Peacock Society in France to Way Out West in Sweden and MS Dockville in Germany to Unknown in Croatia, you could be winning tickets plus accommodation and flights from across Europe. No camping required. Ready to be the most popular in your friendship group? Thought so – then check out URBAN OUTFITTERS X FESTIVALS online at www. urbanoutfitters.com/uk/festival now, and get festival ready with their eclectic edit of everything you need for your best festival season ever, plus exclusive mix tapes, city guides and interviews.

Online Only

I

t’s an image I’m unlikely to forget. Standing on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street I looked on as flames gently licked the roof of the Glasgow School of Art. Smoke filled the surrounding streets as hundreds of passers-by gathered to watch Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece smoulder. It was a profoundly sad sight, to say the least, and one that could have easily tipped into tragedy had not the staff and students escaped in time.

For me, as with most GSA Fine Art graduates, the Mackintosh Building was the alpha and omega of my university days. It was in the basement of that building (where last month’s fire broke out) that I spent my first year as an undergrad, learning to draw naked people and making poor casts of my own limbs. And it was there that I had my degree show four years later, my family gathered around as I made yet another excruciating performance.

My former tutor, artist and GSA lecturer Ross Sinclair, was present when the fire broke out. He began his art career in the basement of the Mackintosh building where he shared a class with Roddy Buchanan, Douglas Gordon, Louise Scullion and Graham Fagan, to name but a few. “I keep thinking about the basement of the Mac,� he tells me. “This was my first year studio where I began my real life with GSA exactly 30 years ago this year. The trajectory of my life was inexorably altered from that day in 1984.�

Sadly, for many students, their memory of the Mackintosh building will now be tainted by last month’s incident. The fire broke out on the same day that this year’s graduating students were due to submit their work for assessment.

Some of those students lost an entire year’s worth of work in the blaze. Most of them, thanks to Glasgow’s fire brigades, who managed to prevent the flames from spreading east of the building’s main entrance, still have much of their work intact, if not a little smoke-damaged.

One such lucky individual is Environmental Art student Winnie Herbstein. She was due

to exhibit her work in the Mac building at this month’s degree show, in what was set to be the finale of her time spent at GSA. She had just about finished installing everything when she was evacuated from the building.

On the day I talk to Winnie, nearly a week after the fire broke out, it is as yet unknown what alternative will be offered to fourth year students who have been robbed of their degree show. But she tells me that the school have been tremendously supportive and communicative and that there will likely be an exhibition this month in an alternative space. On top of that, she explains, the art school looks set to offer bursaries to students that will help them build a new body of work. “There’s a considerable sum of money and they’re looking to offer Fine Art students a sixmonth working period that is funded, with offers from all over the world – and as far as the US – giving students the opportunity to go out there and study,� she says.

Likewise, Ross Sinclair remains optimistic about the effects of the fire, despite his 30-year relationship with the now damaged Mac building. “Someday, this terrible calamity will become a mere blink of an eye in the long and prosperous life of this mighty building,� he says. “Artists will continue to be made here at GSA – this is what we do.�

Danny Brown’s got nothing against the Scotch egg, so long as it’s nice and warm. He checks in with our sister paper before his UK festival dates; plus, they find that Liverpool’s Natalie McCool knows what she wants – and with a new sound and single Wind Blows Harder, she’s going to get it. www.theskinny.co.uk/music As Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), embark on a tour of the UK, Mewes reflects on his potty mouth days. Bob keeps shtum. www.theskinny.co.uk/comedy It’s been 25 years in the game for both Nightmares on Wax (aka George Evelyn) and Warp Records; with the release of compilation N.O.W. IS THE TIME, they celebrate in style. www. theskinny.co.uk/clubs You know Matt Berninger, frontman for The National. Now meet his sibling Tom, the family misfit who followed his big bro on the road with a camera and a thirst for rock'n'roll excess. The result is the hilarious and touching doc Mistaken for Strangers. www.theskinny.co.uk/film

www.jockmooney.com

ARIES Like some sort of Hannibal Blumenthal you open the UK’s first human bell-end restaurant, blowing diners away with your exotic award-winning cuisine. From a steaming bowl of bell-end soup to spicy bell-end tempura, critics rave about the freshness of the ingredients, but a few bitter human rights campaigners picket the restaurant. You address the allegations that the humans are thrown back after their bell-ends have been harvested, assuring the media that all ingredients come from “sustainable sources.�

Opinion

7

With new LP, Strange Friend, dropping on Chemikal the day prior, Rick Anthony and his The Phantom Band cohorts give said LP its first airing – a record which embraces more of a documentary approach to recording, without losing any of the band's hallmark rich synth flourishes and intricate approaches to structure (aka, it's a winner) The Art School, Glasgow, 8pm, £10

Running as part of the Let’s Glow festival showcase, encompassing all areas of Edinburgh College's Creative Industries, this year’s HNDs Illustration, Textiles, and Interior Design final year students mark their biggest display of work to date – High Vis. – with Summerhall's basement space their gallery lair for the duration.

Summerhall, Edinburgh, 4 Jun-18 Jul, free

The e'er inventive Cryptic Nights lot host their latest sensory-messin' piece, Echoes-Reprise – an immersive installation-cum-performance by composer and filmmaker Mikolaj Szatko, intended to provoke the subconscious (and audience interaction) through layered multi-projection animation and live music. Preceded by a Q&A. CCA, Glasgow, 8pm, £5

High Vis.

Tue 10 Jun

Wed 11 Jun

Comic Paul Sneddon once more dons a dodgy wig to become permanently-sozzled ex-player, ex-manager, and serial ex-husband Bob Doolally – taking to The Stand for his irreverent Comedy World Cup Countdown, where he'll be looking forward to Brazil 2014 with some suitably outrageous predictions for the World Cup. The Stand, Glasgow. 7.30pm, £10 (£8)

Glasgow Science Festival delve into the science of the deep in the only way that makes any sense – with a screening of Jaws, o'course! The Glasgow Film Theatre will be giving the Spielberg shark saga a special airing, with a post-screen Q&A with marine biologists David Bailey, Shaun Killen, and Deborah McNeill from the University of Glasgow. GFT, Glasgow, 5.30pm, £8 (£6.50)

Injecting a bit of sport into this month's Heads Up (in honour of our Sports Supplement, see pages 2327), Glasgow Film Theatre host a special screening of Michael Hewitt and Dermot Lavery's Road – the adrenaline-fuelled tale of a family obsessed with road motorcycle racing, with post-screen satellite Q&A with the film's Michael and William Dunlop. GFT, Glasgow, 6.50pm, £8 (£6.50)

Bob Doolally

Jaws

Sun 15 Jun

Mon 16 Jun

Electric Circus host the inaugural Electric Nights Music and Art Festival – celebrating diverse music and artistic talent across five showcase evenings, featuring the likes of musicians Shield Patterns, RM Hubbert, and Rachel Sermanni, plus filmmaker Will Anderson, visuals from the ECA Degree Show graduates, and oodles more. See listings for full line-up. Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 14-18 Jun

In the aftermath of the fire's devastation, Glasgow School of Art rally to host their annual Degree Show on the already allocated dates – showcasing the fruits of a new crop of budding artists' endeavours across a selection of schools. Keep an eye on the GSA website for updates on specific location and the schools that will be showing.

Renfrew Street Campus, Glasgow, 14-21 Jun, free

Shield Patterns

Sat 21 Jun

The judging panel recovene for the SAY Award Ceremony, where the ten albums (whittled down by public vote from the longslist of 20) will be whittled down s'more – with the judges choosing which album will be crowned the official Scottish Album of the Year. Presented by Vic Galloway and Janice Forsyth, with after-show at WEST Brewery.

Barrowland, Glasgow, 7.30pm, win tickets (see page 15)

The Refugee Week Scotland celebrations continue with a music fundraiser on Refugee Day itself, headed up by Young Fathers (aka, they of the tribal rhythms layered with harmonised r'n'b hook-lines, quickfire couplets, and grinding synth/bass flourishes), joined by West Coast ceilidh champs Skippinish, and a curated session from Balkanarama. Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 8pm, from £12

Leith's annual multi-arts event, LeithLate, returns for its fourth year – this time beefed up to a twoday affair – forming a tick'em-off-as-you-go culture trail of art openings and various other cultural events the length and breadth of Leith Walk, including the addition of a LeithLate-curated outdoor exhibition in collaboration with Leith Walkers. Various venues, Edinburgh, 21 & 22 Jun, free

Vic Galloway

Young Fathers

Photo: John Graham

Fri 20 Jun

Photo: Iona Spence

Thu 19 Jun

Road

Glasgow School of Art

LeithLate

Wed 25 Jun

Thu 26 Jun

Fri 27 Jun

Claire Duffy's interactive theatre piece, Money: The Game Show, make its way to Dundee – inviting the audience to play a series of high stake games with £10,000 in real pound coins, interspersing the game show element with disconcerting reality to demonstrate how the world’s economic system came close to collapse in 2008. Dundee Rep, Dundee, 24-26 Jun, £14 (£12)

Getting its world premiere at Tron Theatre, Justin Young's In My Father's Words is a tender play about identity – national and personal – and language, and the utter indivisibility between the two, told from the perspective of a son and his dementia-battling father, and how their lives change when carer, Flora, enters. Tron Theatre, Glagsow, 19-28 Jun, from £8

Following a pop-up at the National Gallery of Scotland (13 June, see listings), the Neu! Reekie! bunch make a second June appearance, this time as part of Edinburgh International Film Festival, presenting a German-themed edition of Weimar Republic animation and movies, accompanied by music from FOUND, Birdhead, and The Sexual Objects. Summerhall, Edinburgh, 7pm, £8

8

Chat

Money: The Game Show

In My Father's Words

FOUND

THE SKINNY

Photo: McAteer

Mon 9 Jun

Echoes-Reprise

Photo: Ross Fraser Mclean

The Phanton Band

Photo: Darren Carle

This is perhaps the most art-filled Heads Up calendar we've ever had – taking in an Edinburgh College showcase, the GSA Degree Show, a dip into the GENERATION programme, Electric Circus' inaugural Electric Nights Music and Art Festival, the mighty LeithLate... and more!

Thu 5 Jun

Photo: Jamie Mellor

Compiled by: Anna Docherty

Wed 4 Jun

Photo: Eoin Carey

Heads Up

Tue 3 Jun

Sat 7 Jun

Sun 8 Jun

Acting as the first in a series of fundraisers to assist the Glasgow School of Art students who have been affected by the Mackintosh fire, Art School United will feature DJ sets from Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, Franz Ferdinand, and Errors, all holing up in The Art School space into the wee drunken hours of 3am. Go support the cause. The Art School, Glasgow, 10pm, £5

Comprising material from some of Scotland’s best playwrights and songwriters – amongst 'em Alan Bissett, Gary McNair, Julia Taudevin, and Nalini Chetty – Sports Day draws on a non-professional cast to tell a series of sketches inspired by Glasgow, acting as a celebration of sorts of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 4-7 Jun, £10 (£8.50)

The open green space of The Meadows – the lungs of Edinburgh's southside come summer – comes to life for the annual volunteer-run Meadows Festival weekender, with myriad stalls snaking up the Meadows' various pathways, bolstered by a live band schedule, local food sellers, a performance area, and the obligatory fun fair.

The Meadows, Edinburgh, 7 & 8 Jun, free

Franz Ferdinand

Alan Bissett

Fri 13 Jun

Sat 14 Jun

The lush Raehills Meadows again play home to Eden Festival, a nine-stage wonderland of music, performance, cinema, and more – with the biggie draw being a headline set from Long Island hip-hop legends De La Soul, alongside the eclectic likes of Happy Monday's Bez, The Nextmen, Black Diamond Express, and, erm, Mr Motivator.

Raehills Meadows, Dumfries, 12-15 Jun, £95 weekend

With 14 June marking World Gin Day (and, yes, there is literally a 'day' for everything now), Summerhall play home to the Scottish Juniper Festival – a two-day gin splurge taking in over 20 different gin brands to sample, as well as boutique fashion stalls, gin-inspired food, and tours of Summerhall's brand new on-site gin distillery, Pickering's Gin. Summerhall, Edinburgh, 13 & 14 Jun, £15 (£12)

The local leg of international freedom of expression organisation PEN International, Scottish PEN, host a showcase of Commonwealth and Scottish writers in venues along the Queen's Baton Relay route – with each night examining a different movement in Commonwealth history, kicking off in Edinburgh with Nnedi Okorafor and Ken Macleod. Summerhall, Edinburgh, 7pm, £tbc

Pickering's Gin

Wed 18 Jun

Expect actual frickin' laserbeams as the Robin Fox Laser Show hits up Tramway – with Fox performing his triple colour (one red, one blue, one green) laser show, with sound converted directly into light geometry and the image itself sonified so you hear the mechanics of the light drawing (aka, prepare to be mesmerised).

Tramway, Glasgow, 17 & 18 Jun, £8 (£6)

Edinburgh International Film Festival’s 12 days of cinematic heaven opens with the world premiere of Gerard Johnson's Hyena, reuniting him with Peter Ferdinando (who played the lead in his debut feature, Tony). The film joins eight other Brits competing for the Michael Powell Award, this year with a prize of £20,000. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 9.05pm, £15 (£10)

Robin Fox Laser Show

Photo: Lasse Marhaug

Tue 17 Jun

Tue 24 Jun

With music-in-a-field season officially nigh, Solas Festival welcomes a wealth of homegrown musical talent – including Stanley Odd, Beerjacket, Hector Bizerk, and a special Olive Grove Records showcase with Randolph’s Leap, Call To Mind, Woodenbox, and Jo Mango – plus a programme of comics, performance, spoken word, and visual art.

That do ye? Blackruthven, Perthshire, 20-22 Jun, £90

National Theatre of Scotland take to the world wide web to showcase the submissions to The Great Yes, No, Don’t Know, Five Minute Theatre Show, screening as a 24-hour online broadcast of live scenes, songs, skits, rants, and dramas on the theme of independence, performed by 840 performers from eight countries.

Streaming via fiveminutetheatre.com, from 5pm, free

Brightening up the last Tuesday of the month, local vinyl fanatic Ewan Chambers and Glasgow artist Tom Scholefield (aka Konx-Om-Pax, he of the broad-ranging and delightfully perplexing DJ sets) join forces to present their all-new night – Unicorn Chasers – promising the very best in party music. And all for the princely entry fee of nowt.

Nice 'n' Sleazy, Glasgow, 11.30pm, free

Photo: Euan Robertson

Mon 23 Jun

The Great Yes, No, Don’t Know, Five Minute Theatre Show

Scottish PEN

Hyena

Sun 22 Jun

Hector Bizerk

Meadows Festival

Photo: James Anderson

Bez

Photo: Eoin Carey

Thu 12 Jun

Photo: Kim Traynor

Fri 6 Jun

Konx-om-Pax

Sun 29 Jun

Mon 30 Jun

As part of the GENERATION programme of exhibitions, Fruitmarket hand over the gallery space to renowned Scottish artist Jim Lambie – bringing together a selection of early sculptures alongside recent work, including a new version of 'Shaved Ice' that'll fill the ground floor with floor-to-ceiling, multi-coloured mirrored ladders. The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 28 Jun19 Oct, free

Taking over all three stages of the building (that's a basement, a bar, and a gargantuan auditorium), Oran Mor host the third annual West End Festival All-Dayer – ably manned by a 14-strong contingent of musical locals, amongst 'em The Vaselines, Laura St. Jude, United Fruit, Hector Bizerk, John Knox Sex Club, and Holy Esque. Oran Mor, Glasgow, 4pm, £15 earlybird (£18 thereafter)

Firmly of the 'yes' camp, National Collective kick off their grassroots touring festival – under the banner Yestival, obvs – by taking to cities, towns, and villages across Scotland with a showcase of large-scale events, pop-ups, and guerrilla happenings celebrating the best of Scottish culture. Support 'em via nationalcollective. com/fundraising. Various venues, 30 Jun-3 Aug

June 2014

Jim Lambie, Shaved Ice

The Vaselines

Photo: Sarah Roberts

Sat 28 Jun

The Yestival

Chat

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THE SKINNY

Embrace the Strange Rick Anthony and Duncan Marquiss talk up the new Phantom Band record, and take the time to dispel a few urban myths about their true identities

“R

ick can be quite hard to get a hold of,” is the apologetic response from the Phantom Band’s record label as The Skinny struggles to pin down singer Rick Anthony (aka Rick Redbeard) and guitarist Duncan Marquiss. The band is preparing to release its third long-player, Strange Friend, an album that’s been more than three years in the works. Most of the band hold down ‘proper’ jobs and pursue a dazzling array of side projects. He needn’t apologise: these are busy guys.

We eventually track Rick down to Inverness, where he’s preparing to kick off a mini-tour of the Highlands and Islands with Adam Stafford and Yusuf Azak, for Edinburgh imprint Gerry Loves Records. Things have gotten off to an inauspicious start. “We had fairly catastrophic car trouble,” he says with a nervous laugh, while ordering some fish and chips. “About 30 miles from Inverness, going 60 miles an hour, the fucking front wheel burst, we skidded along the road. If that had gone the whole wheel would’ve come off.

Fucking pretty hairy.”

He’s on a brief hiatus from Strange Friendrelated affairs to play tracks from last year’s fantastic solo debut No Selfish Heart and admits that it’ll be slightly peculiar to be on his own again. “We’ve been so geared up for the Phantoms stuff, rehearsing and talking about what we’re doing for the Strange Friend record.

Suddenly I’m back on my own with my guitar again, trying to relearn my songs. I’m always doing my own stuff in the background, writing and playing. It might be weird... yeah it seems like a slightly strange diversion to take at this point.

But the opportunity to come up to Shetland and play some tunes was a pretty good one.”

Drummer Iain Stewart is originally from Orkney, but as we talk, Anthony is about to pop his Scottish island cherry. Later in the year, he’ll take his troupe back to the Hebridian Isle of Eigg for Lost Map Records’ Howlin’ Fling festival, and he’s anticipating a different sort of response than your average Edinburgh, Glasgow or London show. The first Phantom Band show in Inverness was, he recalls, “fantastic, wild” and “pretty tasty.” One over zealous fan joined the band on stage to sing (or more accurately scream) along to Crocodile. “Everyone was just kind of going along with it,” he says. “In the bigger cities, you get people waiting to see if it’s okay to enjoy themselves. Often people that aren’t in the big cities don’t really give a shit.” Crocodile, incidentally, is an instrumental track.

When we get through to Marquiss he’s also keen to discuss live shows. Both men are excited to see how the excellent Strange Friend evolves

June 2014

Interview: Finbarr Bermingham Photography: Eoin Carey

on the stage. “We kind of improvise when we’re recording,” he says. “The way it works out, there might be a sound on the record which doesn’t ever get repeated in the live show. In some ways it’s a shame if it’s really good, but it also makes it more interesting.”

Second album The Wants was wonderfully terrifying, moody and uncompromising. By comparison, Strange Friend is much less dark (it would be wrong to call it ‘light’); more airy. Some of the krautish elements have been waylaid, replaced with more straightforward melodies and lyrics with less opacity. “Perhaps it is less dark,” offers Marquiss. “I think the songs on the new album are parts of tracks we’ve been working on for a long period, that’s what the band do. On The Wants, a lot of the material was a bit more aggressive. The Wants was written in a studio as we were recording it. It was a collage work. There’s a bit of that with Strange Friend, but it’s also the product of us playing together. We were playing live together a lot, so playing while we were writing. Maybe that’s given it a bit more life, made it more organic.”

While nobody marched into the studio announcing they wanted to make a pop record, there was a feeling that having toured The Wants extensively, the band wanted to do something different. Anthony says: “The second record we came away after playing live and realised a lot of the tracks had a darker feel, which is only one aspect of what we do. We never thought of ourselves as a gloomy band. I think subconsciously when we were writing this stuff there were tracks that we previously wouldn’t have pursued, because they were too light. We decided to tackle those and I think this one is my favourite record.

There’s a lot more going on in terms of mood and atmosphere. The first record had a lot of tracks that are slightly lighter, slightly more upbeat. It’s okay to write music that’s fun and we were trying to do that a bit more on this record, but everything we do is subconscious.”

Whether or not Strange Friend becomes the band’s ‘breakthrough record’ remains to be seen, but the ingredients required to trouble the mainstream consciousness are all there. Writing this in spring, it is no great leap to envisage the album popping up in end of year lists by the time we complete this lap of the sun, as was the case with the two that preceded it. The media coverage the band currently receive paints them in an interesting light. Words like ‘alchemy,’ ‘druids’ and ‘sorcery’ are often used to describe their genrebending style and sound. Anyone would think a Phantoms recording session plays out like an episode of the Masked Magician, with added acid.

“If only that were true,” laughs Anthony. “It’s weird, people find things they can write about us.

None of us have a serious drug habit, we’re possibly not the most interesting around so they think: ‘What can we use to spice up the Phantom Band?

Let’s pretend they’re all wizards… they’re all druids and rehearse in a fucking stone circle.’ At the start a lot of people were obsessed that we were this genre-meshing beat act, putting everything in a big cauldron and conjuring up this big sound. Maybe our writing was like that but we’d never thought about it like that at all. We’d always played music that was natural to us and people were like ‘wow this is really interesting, so different.’ We thought: ‘Is it really?’ We don’t think it is. We don’t really get where that all comes from.

And we’re definitely not druids.”

Perhaps the band’s dynamism is simply a result of having a range of very different personalities on board, each with their own tastes and ideas on how things should sound. Anthony and Marquiss are markedly different. Both are genial, but conversation is more forthcoming from the frontman. You get the impression that everything Marquiss says is carefully considered and reasoned, Anthony slightly more spontaneous.

“Let’s pretend they’re all wizards… they’re all druids and rehearse in a fucking stone circle” Rick Anthony

Both have individual pursuits away from the band, but seem to view their relationship between the Phantoms and their own work very differently. Atacama, perhaps the standout track on the new album, is the one which closest reflects Anthony’s solo work. Despite this, he’s adamant that the two pursuits are inherently different entities: “I don’t put the two things together at all, I keep them very separate. Something like Atacama, the body was written by me and Duncan and we played it and everyone joined in with their parts. The actual decision to do the track wasn’t me saying: ‘Let’s do an acoustic track.’ We all have

MUSIC

our say on what we thinks works in terms of the material we have. That was a late one. It wasn’t a unanimous thing to put on the record. It was one I liked and thought it worked on the record.

I think it’s something different sonically, it’s important to have different moods, atmospheres and stuff going on. That track gives you a bit of space. When you’ve got a lot of quite dense material it’s good to have a bit of space.”

Marquiss, conversely, is more open to exploring the links between his work as a visual artist and the music he helps create with the Phantom Band. The Scottish Arts Council website carries this quote about Hello - an image sketched by Marquiss in colouring pencil and graphite: “ There is a threatening but seductive quality to Hello, a classic trope of horror, sci-fi and fairytale narratives.” It’s a line that could easily have been penned about the Phantom Band’s last record. “It’s interesting,” he broods. “I suppose it’s inevitable that there’ll be some sort of crossover, but I would imagine it’s all unintentional, all subconscious.”

His work with the band requires some level of diplomacy: each member has equal say on how things end up sounding. With his art, closure is much easier to attain. It’s just him. “If we didn’t have deadlines, I think the band could end up recording forever,” he says.

But where The Wants was thrashed out in a studio and carries that sense of urgency and pugnaciousness with it, Strange Friend has a more natural arc and plenty of room to breathe.

The time away appears to have done the Phantom Band good. But, as anyone who has heard the new record will no doubt agree, it’s fantastic to have them back.

As The Skinny was going to press, the clean-up operation after the blaze that ripped through Glasgow School of Art, destroying the work of innumerable students and the archives of the Mackintosh library.

Rick works as assistant at the library and has been heavily involved in the salvage mission. The GSA has a unique place in the Phantom Band’s history, with many of the band having studied and met there and been shaped creatively by the experience. In the aftermath to the fire, the band’s official account tweeted: “Terrible situation with the Glasgow art school fire.

Phantoms work and studied there. Heart goes out to the final year students.So sad.”

The Skinny seconds the band’s sympathy for all those involved in the GSA – especially those students who lost work in the fire. It’s fitting, however, that the first show on the band’s Strange Friend tour takes place in the GSA, which is scheduled to reopen just in time to host the gig, on 3 Jun. Strange Friend is released on 2 Jun via Chemikal Underground. Playing Glasgow School of Art on 3 Jun and Aberdeen Tunnels on 6 Jun phantomband.co.uk

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Wave of Retaliation

Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago tells us all about Indie Cindy, the trials of being on tour and what he would like to do to those who discount the band’s reunion as ‘a craven cash-in’

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he Pixies have released a new album, their first in 23 years, and guitar whizz Joey Santiago is apoplectic. The first reviews for Indie Cindy have begun to land as we talk and, perhaps for the first time in their career, the band are suffering a critical backlash. Whereas a typical Pixies song consisted of shrieking and gnashing, manic interjections tempered with sporadic lurches into lucidity, the 2014 edition of the band – now with Paz Lenchantin on bass replacing not one, but two Kims – has something similar but it’s tempered with a certain…polish. A certain predictability.

The extremes of emotion are gone, no longer at once haggard and luscious, but existing somewhere in the middle ground. Indie Cindy isn’t a bad album – it’s just that the bar is set staggeringly high. In a rather foolhardy moment, The Skinny has begun to relay some of these… concerns to Santiago.

“What do you mean [The Guardian] said the album was a ‘craven cash-in’? What about the music?” he queries. “Come on. That’s just stupidity.

Cash in? Fuck. We paid for the album ourselves and we weren’t trying to cash in, we were just trying to be relevant. And the other point – of course we want to make a profit. I mean, why do people get up in the morning? I’d love to take this reviewer on tour with us. She doesn’t have to play, she just has to wake up when we wake up, go through different time zones when we go through them, she doesn’t have to play to any fans, she doesn’t have to get as nervous [as we do], she’s just gotta eat at the right time, sleep at the right time, take a shit at the right time… all those things. Come on! This is a more demanding job than most others out there. I mean, going to the office, punching the clock, making coffee, we don’t wanna do that. It’s a hassle... believe me.”

A hassle? “Okay, maybe it’s not a hassle but it’s more difficult than people think. At the end of the day, we’re earning that money but we’re not doing it just for that, we’ve got families! If we didn’t need to earn money, I would keep on composing music. If I start composing music and was

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Interview: Colm McAuliffe

getting big films, is that a cash-in? Am I cashing in? [laughs] It’s silly.”

A lot of this negativity stems from support for the now absent two Kims (Deal and Shattuck); the former reportedly waking out from the band in a Monmouth coffee shop and the latter apparently fired over the phone last November…“Yeah, well you work with the second Kim [Shattuck]. You check her out yourself, you take her to an office, just as a temp, and you hang out with her. See how you like it.”

Relations are still somewhat strained then?

“Not now. Paz is in there and Paz means ‘peace.’

She keeps everything light. I don’t think we’ve ever had this lightness amongst us. That’s nothing against Kim Deal – there was a rub there but it was a healthy kinda rub. Paz is a player, she hasn’t taken a break since she’s been in the band and she’s with her other band right now – Entrance – playing shows across Europe.”

Let’s roll back a little. The Pixies’ first four albums displayed a magnificent hyperactive energy, splendidly impulsive with scant regard for sonic or linguistic syntax, a very natural unnaturalness. But communication between the band members was notoriously ruffled; frontman Black Francis (aka Charles Thompson) seemingly split the band up via fax on New Year’s Day 1993. Since then, his solo career was a case of diminishing returns while Kim Deal briefly burned bright with The Breeders before becoming mired in myriad addictions. Santiago remained away from the spotlight while Lovering took the natural step of becoming a magician. After much speculation, the band reunited as a touring unit in 2003, eventually recording one new single, the Deal-penned Bam Thwok, and were seemingly content to play the festival circuit ad infinitum with little prospect of more material until 2013 when the band began releasing a series of EPs, now collated as the Indie Cindy album. What has changed in the interim?

“We’re definitely better players,” admits Santiago. “We’re more gung-ho about things now, we go to shows and try to give the best

show possible. Not to say that we didn’t do that in the beginning but right now we’re just totally conscious of it. It’s invigorating playing the new songs, we’re still tweaking them. It took us a while to like playing the old stuff [again] because back then, around the time of Doolittle, we were really struggling with it live, trying to figure out the material. In essence, we were still working on it.

And we were taking more substances then. No one has drug problems but before shows we used to – or I used to anyway – take drugs as a crutch.

But now, going on stage with nothing is a natural high. No safety net, so it’s more exciting.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever had this lightness amongst us. That’s nothing against Kim Deal” Joey Santiago

The band re-united with Gil Norton for the Indie Cindy material. The Liverpudlian producer helmed the band’s final three albums first time around and proffered a more polished version of the Pixies’ frantic intensity. Was Gil first choice on this occasion or did they ever envisage taking a different producer on board? “Well, we kicked around other names, we really thought at this point that because we hadn’t been recording for so long, we didn’t want another variable in there, we didn’t want a ‘new thing.’ So we didn’t want some new producer running away [with the album]! With Gil, there was a mutual amount of keeping each other under control.”

How does Santiago feel about playing the newer songs in tandem with the older Pixies material? Does he feel the two eras of the band are on a similar level? “I definitely love playing

MUSIC

Magdalena the most, it goes over really well, even from the get-go – that strange guitar I come in with, the strange beginning, it’s just really haunting and beautiful. As for our sound – it starts with the songwriting but at my end, it starts with the style of guitar I play – people seem to like it.

Charles leaves me alone so it sort of massages itself into sounding like the Pixies.”

As the primary songwriter, does Black dictate what Santiago should and shouldn’t play? “No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t even enter the room. I don’t know what the hell he does when I’m gone, maybe he just goes to the pub. He just comes back in and he’ll be smiling and saying ‘yes.’”

Along with the return of Gil Norton as producer, the cover design is courtesy of the legendary Vaughan Oliver, who designed the band’s previous sleeves for 4AD. Was that sense of continuity important? “Oh yeah, I’m delighted Vaughan is back. And I’m also delighted I finally got used to his accent. It veers between this Scottish brogue filtered through having a few pints. I couldn’t ever understand him. All I could do was nod my head.

I couldn’t for the life of me…‘what the fuck is this guy saying?’ I love the cover on the new album. We just leave that guy alone as well, that’s entirely his department.”

It certainly feels like a rather exciting time to be in the Pixies right now. A new album to promote, another to be recorded imminently, a new member bringing the harmony and tranquil and an entire summer of festivals on the horizon. “Yeah,” confirms Santiago. “We’re off to Sydney next, four shows at the Opera House and then travelling to Barcelona. And sure, I’d love to take that journalist with us, get her to play four shows and go sit in the airport, stop over, and get to the next venue twenty four hours later. We’re earning it!”

Playing T in the Park on 11 Jul. Indie Cindy is out now pixiesmusic.com

THE SKINNY

John Byrne

This exhibition was organised by the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh in partnership with Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, part of High Life Highland.

John Byrne, Self-portrait on White (detail) © Private collection, courtesy Patrick Bourne & Co, London. National Galleries of Scotland is charity registered in Scotland (No. SC003728).

Sitting Ducks 14 June — 19 October 2014 Queen Street Edinburgh

25th & 26th July 2014 25th

26th

The Feeling Alabama 3 Martha Reeves & The Vandellas The Zombies Big Country Finding Albert Model Aeroplanes Young Fathers Hector Bizerk The Amazing Snakeheads Neon Waltz

LAW

FESTIVAL SITE NEAR DUNDRENNAN DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY 2014

June 2014

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Character Driven Laura Marney returns this month with For Faughie’s Sake, a wryly-observed political comedy about the referendum, sustainability, and American imperialism. Here, she tells us why the Yes campaign need to get “wee bingo ladies” on side Interview: Bram E. Gieben

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ith a voice which allegedly impressed Johnny Cash back in the day, and a fifteen year musical career off the back of it, Canadian country songstress Tia McGraff (O2 ABC2, Sat 7 Jun) is touring the UK to support sixth studio album Break These Chains. Her sweet, spellbinding tones have netted her rave reviews in the Americana scene stateside, so if you’re hankering for a dose of earnest country music, tie your nag up here, pardner.

If you wake up the next day covered in bourbon and sawdust ‘cos you partied too hard with McGraff, there’s still time to cross the Clyde and make it to Snoop Lion at the O2 Academy (Sun 8 Jun). He’s a man that needs little introduction, but for the uninitiated, Snoop – aka Snoop Dogg, aka Snoop Doggy Dogg, aka Calvin Broadus – is a multi-platinum selling rapper responsibizzle for over twenty years of quality hip-hop. He may have changed his name through a recent conversion to Rastafarianism, but he’s still the same ol Dogg at heart.

Joining the legions of bands now touring their most seminal album, NYC artpunks Television will be playing their 1977 album Marquee Moon in full at Glasgow’s O2 ABC on 14 Jun. Tom Verlaine’s guitar-playing has influenced generations of musicians, and since their initial 2001 reunion for All Tomorrow’s Parties, the band have come out of retirement semi-regularly to engage with their fans and their legacy, which is an impressive one, even if it is based on three studio albums in total.

If you like your hip-hop classic, it doesn’t get much more exciting than the occasional returns of Jurassic 5 – they headline a show at the O2 ABC in Glasgow on 23 Jun, reuniting the full, original lineup. Their solid take on boom-bap hip-hop and collaborative emceeing is no less impressive than it was when they broke through in the late noughties, and even as the band approach the middle age spread, they can still fulfil their promise to “take four emcees and make them sound like one.”

Many things turn 25 this year: Magnum ice creams, the World Wide Web, and Ghostbusters II – but not least of all independent British label XL Recordings. With an enviable roster including, but not limited to, The Prodigy, Radiohead, The xx, M.I.A. and many more, TV, radio & YouTube funnyman Adam Buxton brings his usual brand of idiosyncratic humour and informative banter to a celebration of the label’s output at O2 ABC on Thursday 26 June. Adam Buxton Presents BUG: XL Recordings Special will showcase its earliest influential work (On A Ragga Tip, anyone?) and most famed music videos. Expect to giggle while learning. [George Sully / Ted Maul] o2abcglasgow.co.uk

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B

orn in Glasgow, and a long-term resident of the city’s West End, Laura Marney’s career as a novelist began in 2004 with No Wonder I Take A Drink. Far more important than the relationships, the sex, and the betrayals in her novels are the banter, her acutely observed ear for Scots patter, and the black, gallows humour we value so highly in this country. “Men, when they see a book written by a woman, assume that it is going to be ‘chick lit,’” she says. “Some of my writing is quite girly, but it’s also vicious. It’s about big issues. There’s no reason it should only be read by women.”

Marney has pushed the political, sociallyconscious themes of her work to the fore, engaging with issues that are utterly vital in modern Scotland – the independence referendum, American imperialism, and sustainability in a searing satirical fashion. For Faughie’s Sake is set in Inverfaughie, the same town in No Wonder I Take A Drink. “All the characters from the first book are coming back,” she reveals. In the ten years since the first novel, she believes she has matured, and so have her characters: “Although in fictional terms only a couple of weeks have passed, they’re much deeper this time around.”

Her protagonist, Trixie, “begins to realise that you need community. If you want people to be on your side, then you need to be on their side, and you need to work with them.”

“The town of Faughie is like a microcosm of Scotland,” Marney says. “It’s got all the issues that Scotland has got; it’s got the salmon, the whisky, the water, all the resources, all the sustainables.” As she researched the novel, she became aware of “just how rich Scotland is; how incredibly wealthy we are as a people, in terms of resources, and how most of us don’t have access to that wealth. Most of us are totally blind to this fact.”

Marney was keen to tackle the independence question, but not head on – not in Edinburgh or Glasgow, and not by examining the Yes / No binary of the political campaigns.

Had she decided how she would vote before she began writing? “The formal line is that I was undecided,” she says. “I don’t think I ever really was, but I didn’t want to just let my heart make

BOOKS

the decision.” Marney believes “you have a responsibility to vote in the best interests of the country,” a statement which seems admirably non-partisan.

“I didn’t want to browbeat people into voting Yes,” she says. “Where’s that going to get you?

I wanted to present people with a kind of ‘Aye, right enough!’ feeling. I think a lot of women, in particular, are reluctant to talk about the referendum – they don’t want to be drawn into debates about it, they don’t want to fall out with anybody. I think it’s really important that we don’t sleepwalk our way into a No vote without having thought about it, or talked about it.”

“My writing is quite girly, but it’s also vicious. It’s about big issues” Laura Marney

For Marney, the most important thing is engaging older voters. “We’ve got to get the wee bingo ladies on board. They are crucial. I feel like going down to that Partick bingo hall and just engaging them in conversation. These are the people who read my books, and they might be swayed.” She praises writers like Alasdair Gray, and the Sunday Herald, for publicly declaring their support for the Yes campaign. “I think that is a very brave thing to do. I know other writers who haven’t done it. I was hesitant about coming out myself, at least publicly – in my personal life I will do everything I can to convince people to vote Yes, to win people round.” The novel, however, required a different tactic. “The book is the sneaky, softly-softly catchy-monkey approach to those old bingo ladies,” she says, the mischievous grin returning. “Sneaking up and tapping them on the shoulder, rather than punching them in the face.”

For Faughie’s Sake is out now, published by Saraband saraband.net/author-profiles/laura-marney

THE SKINNY

Race for the Prize Now in its 3rd year, the SAY Award has become an established fixture on Scotland’s cultural calendar – celebrating and focusing attention on the nation’s premiere musical talents. We talk to organisers and past winners about SAY to date

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hen asked, one year on, to reflect upon the night that Thirteen Lost & Found was announced as Scottish Album of the Year, RM Hubbert is understandably hazy on certain details. “[My main recollection] is that the Barras needs better air conditioning – it was roasting,” Hubby replies. “I was drinking cider like water before the announcement so I was completely steaming. And I don’t remember a great deal after the announcement, to tell the truth – the combination of shock and a seemingly endless supply of alcohol took care of that.”

Casting his mind back a year further, to the evening Everything’s Getting Older scooped the inaugural SAY Award, Aidan Moffat is similarly sketchy on details. “I had tennis elbow and my drinking arm was in a sling all night,” he recollects. “I remember nearly dropping my pint when [Bill Wells and I] were announced as the winners, then it’s pretty much all a blur until about 8am the next day when I had stupidly agreed to do a radio interview. Then I slept for a day.”

On June 19th, SAY will return to a dolled up Barrowland Ballroom to crown a third winner.

As in previous years, the ceremony marks the culmination of a process that began months earlier with ballots from 100 nominators; the 20 albums with the highest scores formed a longlist, and this has subsequently been whittled down to a shortlist of 10 via a combination of a public vote and the deliberations of a 12-person judging panel. Biffy Clyro’s Opposites clinched the former, while Boards of Canada’s Tomorrow’s Harvest, CHVRCHES’ The Bones of What You Believe, Edwyn Collins’ Understated, Hector Bizerk’s Nobody Seen Nothing, Mogwai’s Les Revenants, RM Hubbert’s Breaks & Bone, Steve Mason’s Monkey Minds in the Devil’s Time, The Pastels’ Slow Summits and Young Fathers’ Tape Two complete the list.

As Scottish Music Industry Association chair and SAY Award founder Stewart Henderson acknowledges, it can “on the face of it seem like quite a cumbersome amount of numbers – 100s, 20s, 10s, all that stuff,” but the staggered process is ultimately “elegantly simple in terms of what it does”– a means of not only arriving at a winner, but a way of celebrating each of the nominees along the way. “I think that, for me, the longlist is the strongest stage of the award,” Henderson suggests, speaking on the eve of the public vote. “I think that in those 20 albums you have a snapshot of the diversity and the strength of music coming out of Scotland… [and] as broad a representation of Scottish music as you can get in that list, the better.”

June 2014

Hubby notes the longlist’s potential to direct people towards things that may otherwise have passed them by. “I’ve been deeply involved in the Scottish music industry for over 20 years and I like to think that I’m pretty clued in to what’s happening with music in our country,” he says, “but in each year of the SAY Award, I’ve discovered something new that I hadn’t heard before. That’s pretty fucking cool.” Scan what SAY jokingly call ‘the longer list’ – the 137 titles that received at least one vote during the initial nomination stage – and the likelihood of being introduced to something fresh and exciting approaches certainty.

“In each year of the SAY Award, I’ve discovered something new that I hadn’t heard before. That’s pretty fucking cool” RM Hubbert

With two instalments now successfully banked, Henderson is tentatively proud of SAY’s burgeoning status. “It’s not perfect, it never will be,” he caveats, “but I think it’s a remarkable success story in terms of what it’s been able to do in its first three years. Obviously I wouldn’t want to sound too pleased with myself, but I’m quietly struck with just how familiar it all seems to feel now.” He qualifies this, however, with a suggestion that more could be done to ensure nominees capitalise on any exposure SAY might bring. While Hubby credits the win with ‘opening doors’ during promotion of Breaks & Bone (“The most difficult part of creating and distributing any kind of art isn’t getting people to like it, it’s getting people to listen/see/experience it in the first place, [and] having that ‘stamp of approval’ has made it much easier for me to do that”), Aidan is upfront about the current limitations of the Award’s reach, characterising it more as a promising work-in-progress. (“It’ll take years for the SAY Award to become part of the public

consciousness, but it’s on the right path. And if any of the bands sell a few more records because of it, then it’s worth doing.”)

“I look at it maybe with a kind of strange perspective,” Henderson posits, “because I have an old, kind of Chelsea pensioner’s recollection of the Mercury in 2000” – the year his former band The Delgados were nominated for The Great Eastern. “Of course, we were in an entirely different landscape as far as the music industry was concerned, in terms of retail and the kind of traditional, conventional channels that you would use to promote your albums... But still, when we got word of our Mercury nomination, it was like those red lights going up at the start of a Grand Prix. It was like ‘right, you’ve got fucking six weeks to get as much out of this as you possibly can.’”

He expresses his hope that, as SAY becomes increasingly established, its equivalent “media scrum” will intensify, and the benefits for all will multiply. “But I see that not so much as a failing but as a challenge; a fealty on our part,” he states. “And more generally, I think that the structure, the skeleton of the award – I can’t see what’s wrong with it, I really can’t. I think that it’s a format that all of us – and I mean all of us: the music fans, the artists, everyone involved to a certain extent – can sit back and feel quite proud of. Because it’s not just about how the award has been pulled together; it’s the buy-in, the enthusiasm, the support and open-mindedness of the music fans out there.” He allows himself a contented sigh. “I think it’s great for that, it really is.”

We ask Vic Galloway, preparing to compere the ceremony for a third time, to sum up the atmosphere at the last two events. “It’s been lighthearted, friendly and fun,” he replies, “but a definite feeling of tension and expectation hangs in the air until the final announcement. Then there’s a sense of relief and congratulation directly afterwards. I’m glad that people have taken the award in the right way in Scotland. Although anyone would gladly walk away with the kudos and the prize money, it doesn’t feel hugely competitive or cut-throat. The very nature of these things means there has to be one winner, but everyone is magnanimous and cheerful about it.” Last year, he recalls, “it really was down to the wire.

I only found out the winner seconds before the audience did. It was exciting though, and Hubby seemed genuinely thrilled and dumbfounded.”

Hubby wasn’t the only one sent reeling by the announcement. In addition to the aforementioned SMIA and SAY connections, Henderson runs record label Chemikal Underground – home to both the Award’s winners thus far, and

MUSIC

Interview: Chris Buckle

therefore a minor elephant in the room in year three. “I think the fact that Aidan and Bill won it in the first year, and then Hubby went and won last year…” he stops and laughs. “It was a pain in the baws for me more than anything else, because I don’t like people to have the excuse to read into something that isn’t actually there…” Of Hubby’s win, he stresses his amazement. “I can honestly tell you – and this is certainly no reflection on Hubby’s album, make no mistake – but no one was more surprised than me when that won.

I forgot to clap. I remember everyone was standing clapping and cheering, and I think I actually put my hand to my forehead and went ‘oh for fuck’s sake!’ So I hope Hubby never saw me from the stage,” he laughs, “his label boss just ruefully shaking his head when it’s announced he’s won...”

Though he deliberately keeps his distance from the judges’ chamber and doesn’t like to “dig around too deep after the decision’s been made,” Henderson confirms that, by all accounts, last year was “an absolute ding-dong. The judges were being screamed at, essentially, to come to a decision. I think they were still squabbling over a winner literally less than a minute before the envelope was handed over. It was a very, er, active and febrile debate – which is good! I think that’s how it should be…”

Stewart muses further on the award’s unpredictability. “Whenever you take a fairly disparate bunch of people and put them in a room to discuss what is, essentially, an almost impossible question – well, all bets are off. Anyone who says ‘oh such-and-such is going to win it, it’s a fucking stick-on’…” He sighs. “I’m just like ‘you know something? You don’t fucking get it. You’ve not thought about this enough, because nothing’s a stick-on’. If you hermetically seal 12 people in a room to talk about something as esoteric as how to evaluate and rank albums of different genres and styles – well, anyone who says they know what they’re going to come up with is kidding themselves frankly…”

He labels this the “free radical component of the award”– the capricious element that places multi-platinum hits alongside low-key selfreleases without privileging either, and which is liable once again to give bookies a sair heid come the 19th. “It’s something that will infuriate some,” Henderson concludes, “but I think it makes for a pretty interesting envelope opening once a year, you know what I mean?”

The SAY Award is announced on 19 Jun at Glasgow Barrowland sayaward.com Sign up for our weekly newsletter for an opportunity to attend at theskinny.co.uk/zap

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Avert Your Eyes Demdike Stare are master craftsmen in hunting through hidden and secret histories to create scorching sonic experimentalism. But are they happy with being so readily categorised? The Skinny braves the witches’ gaze to find out...

Interview: Colm McAuliffe

hat exactly are Demdike Stare? Are they sonic occultists peering into the magick and mysticism of Britain’s hidden reverse?

Or are they indelibly channelling the spectre of hauntology through their bleak electronics and arcane vinyl raiding? Or maybe it’s just all a load of rubbish. “I’ve never been a fan of pigeonholing,” says Berlin-based Miles Whittaker, one-half of Demdike Stare. “People saying you’re ‘hauntological,’ or ‘witch house’ – fuck that! I’m sorry mate, you’re not pigeonholing me into anything.

No offence to yourself but a lot of the time, it’s just terminology. I do understand the need to be able to couch something in terms so people know what you’re talking about. But there’s pretentious and unpretentious ways of doing that. We got asked a question about it in another interview and we didn’t know about it, we didn’t know it was a Derrida-originated term and we basically said we don’t want to talk about it because we didn’t know what we were talking about! That’s why we did the Testpressing series – we tried to use this as inspiration to push our music somewhere else so people can’t stick us in that hole again!”

So let’s dispense with the tags and genre nomenclature. Whittaker and his musical partner Sean Canty began Demdike Stare in 2008 as an outlet for the former’s technical expertise, steeped in 90sdance culture, and the latter’s pilfering of library records and encyclopaedic knowledge of [un]popular culture. A series of full length albums resulted, all on Manchester’s Modern Love label, along with their vital 12" Testpressing series which hones their craft into uninhibited, unearthly territories.

Whittaker has a vast amount of experience as a DJ and producer, stemming from an unlikely source: his time as a milk delivery boy in Burnley.

“The first time I ever heard electronic music was back in 1989 or 1990 in the north of England,” he reflects. “We were still doing milk deliveries at that time. And I was a milk boy so, before school, I was up at 5am and up on a milk van and dropping pints of milk on people’s doorstep. It was one of the best jobs I ever had, I was so fit from running around all morning! But the guy who I was working for, who was maybe 21, 22, he was going to these illegal raves around Blackburn. So he’d have the tapes from the raves in the van and that was the first time I really heard electronic music. When I was fifteen, there was a club in Burnley called the Angel which was quite a well known club back then and I used to sneak in. There was a DJ there – now known as Marcus Intalex – and he was a God to us kids back then, playing Detroit techno and Chicago acid records and mixing them into Belgian new beat and all that kind of thing. That was the kernel of my introduction.”

He continues: “Sean was my younger brother’s best friend and I was one of the first kids in Burnley to get a pair of decks in his bedroom so they’d come around and just watch me while I pretended I knew what I was doing! They were three years younger than me so that’s how we met. I’ve always known Sean was interested in music but he comes from a very different area – more hip-hop, when he was a kid he was a hip-hop kid whereas I was into techno, hardcore, jungle. For many years, we differed in terms of musical interests but that created a very healthy environment for us to argue and we became like an old married couple before we started working on music. We slammed the phone down on each other so many times, we did all the falling out we were ever going to do.”

Whittaker began producing his own music

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Photo: S Sviri

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early on: “I’ve always produced music since I started buying records, I’ve been buying synthesisers and drum machines and working out how to deal with them but Sean never did and I always thought it was such a waste because he’s got such a good ear for music. So it took maybe ten years of pressuring until he finally relinquished and that was the start of Demdike Stare in 2008.”

Whittaker’s association with the Modern Love label goes back to his days working in record distribution. The sheer level of trust now enjoyed by both parties extends to Whittaker revealing that the label actually sequence each Demdike Stare release, with the duo’s full consent. “Some of the Demdike stuff is me editing old DATs,” he admits. “I used to spend all night writing one piece of music but when you press ‘stop recording,’ the machines carry on for a bit and that’s where all those bits come from. The track that I originally wrote is pretty rubbish but as soon as you press stop, it sounds twenty times better! So I cut that up and edit it because I must send the guys at the label two, three hundred tracks a year and they keep it all, everything. And then one day, they’ll turn around and say these are a good set of tracks and it’ll be stuff from 2002, 2010, 2006, 2013 and so on. It’s just nuts how they do it, the label really is the third member of the band in that way. Me and Sean love it because we’re allowed to do what we do. We don’t worry about which track comes after what track, it’s really difficult as an artist to listen to yourself objectively – I don’t wanna do it, I’m really happy that the label’s ears are doing it rather than mine or Sean’s. Because we’re too close to it, it’s anathema to most people but they’re my friends, why wouldn’t I? They never put a foot wrong, they shield us from a lot of the bullshit. It enables me and Sean to keep writing music. Nothing’s premeditated, it’s all to do with discovery.”

Speaking of discovery, surely the success of Demdike must have led to a few larger labels to

come a-callin’? “I’ve a love hate relationship with the music industry,” he says. “There’s the one industry which is the one I believe in and there’s another one which is the one I despise. And they’re both as inspiring as each other. The majors are utterly clueless. Floundering around in a world which has disappeared. But for the first album, we got so many offers, it was like ‘hold up!

“We became like an old married couple before we started working on music.

We slammed the phone down on each other so many times, we did all the falling out we were ever going to do” Miles Whittaker

Something’s not right here!’. We always knew we didn’t need to release anywhere else [other than on Modern Love]. If we wanted to do pop music, we would do pop music. So what’s the point? We did get an offer from a major indie but it wasn’t right. We wouldn’t fit on this label.”

Which label was that? “It was Sub Pop,

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basically. I associate them with grunge, Nirvana and so on but we don’t need it – what’s the point?

We’re doing absolutely fantastic as we are, we don’t need to take that next step.”

The band’s imminent shows in Edinburgh and Glasgow with Wolf Eyes’ alumni Nate Young are their first in Scotland. But as northern boys, the two have strong views on audiences throughout Britain. “The further up north you go in the UK, the harder it is, in a good way,” says Whittaker. “The audience is completely different further north, especially in Glasgow: the audience is real whereas London’s kinda fake.

Not to be too down on London, I’ve got a lot of friends there but it’s really like playing to a bunch of tourists whereas with Glasgow it’s tighter, everyone knows each other, they’re all out for the same reason, it’s a lot closer and more intimate and, as a musician, it’s more difficult because you don’t get that everywhere. And I’m from a really shitty town in the north of England so I really appreciate places like Glasgow where it’s tougher, it keeps it real and in your roots. And the audience are also capable of throwing bottles at you but… it’s not happened yet.”

What’s next for Demdike Stare? “We’ve got two more Testpressing 12"s coming,” reveals Whittaker. “The label told us we have loads of A-sides but no B-sides… so we finally nailed that in the last few months and we’re playing at various festivals as well. And for the first time ever, we’ve actually got the concept for our next album before the music. I can’t relate anything about it because it’ll be irrelevant by the time of the record being finished. The music may not bear any relevance to the concept. The concept won’t exactly be discarded… it just won’t make any sense!”

Playing with Nate Young at Edinburgh Mash House on 13 Jun and Glasgow School of Art on 14 Jun facebook.com/demdikestare

THE SKINNY

Art Imitating Strife

The Picks

We’ll Never Have Paris, the debut film from Simon Helberg, closes this year’s EIFF. It’s a comedy based on a real life story of a clueless young man who breaks up with the woman he loves. Unfortunately for Helberg, it’s his life story

Ten top tips for EIFF this year Interview: Tom Seymour

Words: Jamie Dunn Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho) Joon-ho is near-as-damn-it the most exciting filmmaker working just now, and this allegorical film set in the near future on a train that’s endlessly circling the Earth looks to be his most ambitious yet. 22&18 Jun Stray Dogs (Tsai Ming-liang) Told in searing, textured long takes (the final one, 14 minutes long, is heartbreaking), Mingliang’s supposed swansong follows a down-atheel family living on the streets of Taipei. Don’t expect grim social realism, though – this is cinematic poetry. 22&29 Jun Monkey Love Experiment (Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson) A misguided lab monkey named Ghandi dreams of flying to the moon. Made using beautifully tactile, herky-jerky stop motion, the 35-second trailer suggests these whip-smart animators might have another bittersweet gem on their hands. Screens in the Scottish Shorts programme, 28 Jun

“W

e attempted to cleanse our demons, and it became this strange, masochistic catharsis.”

So says Simon Helberg, best known as creepy aerospace engineer Howard from the sitcom The Big Bang Theory, of his debut feature We’ll Never Have Paris. It’s a warts-and-all comedy retelling of how some self-destructive vein in his personality very nearly torpedoed his relationship with Jocelyn Towne, now his wife of more than six years – and, along with him, the co-director of this film. “That’s right,” Helberg says on a phone call from their home in LA. “I’ve been living with this agony for that long.”

Due to close the Edinburgh International Film Festival, We’ll Never Have Paris follows Helberg’s Quinn Berman, a neurotic, hypochondriac, heightened version of himself with a dose of Woody Allen mixed in. A year after Frances Ha took the festival by storm, this offers a male perspective on the quarter-life crisis. Quinn’s relationship to Towne (dramatised here as Melanie Lynskey’s Devon) has reached the point where they need to “make a decision,” in Helmer’s words, but when he tries to propose he does so with such cack-handed clumsiness she doesn’t even know what’s going on. So, as any logical man would, Quinn seeks counsel from his blonde bombshell florist-colleague Kelsey (played by Maggie Grace). “I think I might be in love with you, a little,” Kelsey blurts out to Quinn. And then: “Are you really going to marry the first girl you’ve ever been with?”

“I broke up with my girlfriend because I felt like I needed to sow my oats, but I couldn’t even sow one single oat,” Helberg says, stopping to sigh along the way. After an intensely awkward encounter with Kelsey, Helberg/Quinn realises what a mistake he’s made. “I don’t know why, but men have this tendency to want something like this, and they make a real song and dance about it,” he says.

“But I immediately regretted my decision.

I chased down the girl that was supposed to be my wife, and then found myself confessing to

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her every thought and every impulse and every bad decision I’ve ever considered making. I just totally self-destructed.”

Unfortunately for Helberg/Quinn, or at least Helberg/Quinn’s wallet, Towne/Devon took a flight to Paris “to find herself” and immediately met a cultured, affluent, classical violinist who could be an off-the-peg nightmare for any man trying to win a girl back. “You can stop looking now, because you’re perfect the way you are,” he tells her after turning up from America, before getting comprehensively rebuffed. “Maybe I need to do some exploring myself,” she tells him.

“I broke up with my girlfriend because I felt like I needed to sow my oats, but I couldn’t even sow one single oat” Simon Helberg

“Yes, she really met a guy in Paris,” says Helmer. “And I proceeded to weep on all the national monuments of France.”

There’s a pause on the end of the line, before he offers: “We went through it in life. We dramatised some things to make a better movie, but unfortunately there is a lot of truth to the film. I wanted to make a film about that part of my – our – life, almost to make me believe that I did, actually and really, screw up on that kind of epic scale. I wanted to figure out why I did all those things.”

As well as being credited as a director, Helberg performs in almost every scene of this film. Towne watched his performance – as

he doubts his love for her, somehow seduces, masturbates about, and then has sex with, other women – from behind the camera, providing instructions via walkie talkie.

“I lost 15 pounds making the movie,” he says. “I was putting myself out there, while my real-life wife sat behind the camera, instructing me on how to wail more, in a higher-pitched decibel. She’d say things like: ‘No, you need to sound less masculine, because I remember at the Père Lachaise you were really grovelling.’ It was good for her; she got to finally get her own back.”

One moment sticks in his mind, of his wife offering direction on how he should simulate a handjob. “Suddenly my wife was jumping on top of me in front of the crew and saying: ‘The camera’s going to be here, so we need your hand stroking in this direction, so it only looks like you’re touching him…’ My in-laws were sitting behind the camera at this point. There were a lot of complicated elements at play, I think it’s fair to say.”

With an amazing Franco-pop soundtrack and a strong supporting cast, including the everjovial Alfred Molina as his hectoring Dad, Zachary Quinto as a bored, rich clothes-horse, and Jason Ritter in a too-small part as Devon’s brother, We’ll Never Have Paris is an easy, light watch. But there’s an element of seriousness behind the set-pieces. “When you get married, you look into a crystal ball,” he says. “You have no idea what your life will be like when you’re old and withered, but you make the decision to be with this person. Making a decision for the rest of your life is going to raise questions and doubts and fears, and probably everybody fumbles a bit when it comes to the moment. Nobody maybe fumbled things as much as I did. But if anyone out there is having questions then, trust me, don’t beat yourself up.”

A Fuller Life (Samantha Fuller) This doc (directed by EIFF legend Sam Fuller’s daughter) has great filmmakers and actors lining up to sing the Shock Corridor director’s praises. Fuller fans should also check out EIFF’s rare screening of his 1972 crime caper Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street (28 Jun). For another B-movie legend being celebrated at the festival, check out That Guy Dick Miller. 26&27 Jun Life May Be (Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins) Two great filmmakers – and EIFF favourites – correspond with each other through cinema. The result is an epistolary essay film meditating on art and identity. Sounds like a fascinating insight into the creative process. 21&23 Jun Skeleton Twins (Craig Johnson) SNL pals Bill Hader and Kirsten Wiig – aka the funniest comic actor on the planet – play siblings: I’m chuckling already. The film opens with a failed-suicide, though, so it’s not all LOLs. 21&22 Jun A House in Berlin (Cynthia Beatt) Beatt is best known for two uncategorisable films featuring a Scots woman (Tilda Swinton) exploring Berlin. She breaks her MO slightly here, with an uncategorisable film featuring a Scots woman (not Tilda Swinton) exploring a Berlin apartment. 20&22 Jun Palo Alto (Gia Coppola) Ever wondered why Renaissance dreamboat James Franco was taking all those creative writing courses? He was writing short story collection Palo Alto, on which this film is based. Don’t run in terror, though, because first time director Gia ‘granddaughter of Francis Ford’ Coppola shapes Franco’s cliché coming-of-age tales into a lyrical dream of a movie. 20&22 Jun

EIFF runs 18-29 Jun

Iranian Cinema, 1962 to 1978 You’re probably all familiar with the modern masters – Kiarostami, Jafar, Makhmalbaf, Faradi, Akbari (see Life May Be, above). This sharply programmed retrospective shows us how the Iranian cinema revolution started. And you can check out the contemporary films in the Focus on Iran strand to see how far it’s come.

Runs throughout the festival

edfilmfest.org.uk

EIFF runs 18-29 Jun

We’ll Never Have Paris closes the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 29 Jun, screenings at 5.30pm and 8.25pm, £15 (£10)

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THE SKINNY

Secret Master EIFF artistic director Chris Fujiwara explains why German filmmaker Dominik Graf’s artistry shouldn’t be overlooked, even if most of his films have been made for the small screen Interview: Jamie Dunn

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perennial joy of Chris Fujiwara’s tenure as Edinburgh International Film Festival’s artistic director have been the retrospectives. In his short time in charge we’ve been treated to a quartet of career overviews. Two of these retrospectives worked as introductions: Edinburgh audiences became the first in the UK to get acquainted with the emotionally raw films of Japanese director Shinji Somai and the poetic experimentation of Frenchman Jean Grémillon.

The other two retrospectives – Gregory La Cava and Richard Fleischer – worked as reappraisals of Hollywood directors whose films are well known, but whose artistry has been overlooked.

This year’s retrospective, Secret Master: Dominik Graf and the Hidden History Of German Cinema, works in both modes. Graf has been working industriously since the late 70s and is considered a major contemporary director in his native Germany. The majority of this output has been for television, but his sporadic feature films have popped up at festivals across the world – attendees of the 2012 Glasgow Film Festival might recall his fat-free crime drama Don’t Follow Me Around, the middle section of the innovative Dreileben trilogy, which saw three leading German filmmakers create ‘three stories, from three authors who share a place, a crime, and a time’. Despite Graf’s acclaim in his home country, however, none of his work has been distributed in English-speaking territories, and none of his films are available on DVD with English subtitles.

“It was very clear to me that this was the kind of filmmaker who I like,” says Chris Fujiwara, who got acquainted with Graf’s back catalogue at last year’s Rotterdam Film Festival. “He is both classical and modern. That is, the subject matters of his films are modern, and the style of the filmmaking is very modern: there’s a freedom of where to put the camera and how to cut and how to use music – all of these things show that he’s an of the moment filmmaker. But his sense of how to construct a story, of how to move the strands of a plot across the time of a 90 minute

film, of how to build and sustain audience interest, reminds me of what I call an art of classical filmmaking. I think Graf is one of a very small number of filmmakers who you can still speak about today in the kind of terms you could use to speak about filmmakers of the past.”

A possible explanation to why Graf has been ignored by critics outside of Germany is one of snobbery: his CV, which takes in TV crime series and melodramas, suggest a craftsman for hire rather than an auteur. But anyone expecting the kind of straightforward direction that we see on our own small screens will be in for a shock.

Of the few films of Graf’s I’ve been able to track down (Don’t Follow Me Around and 2002’s Der Felsen), there’s a feverish quality to the filmmaking: they move like a whip, not in a linear fashion, but in elliptical cuts, staccato shifts and dizzying montages.“It’s very surprising how nonlinear it is, how complex the story telling is, how complex the sense of time is,” says Fujiwara of Graf’s work. “The interweaving of dreams with reality, the ability to diverge from the narrative from time to time, but without sacrificing the audience interest, without sacrificing the suspense, because most of them are, in some sense, suspense films, psychological thrillers or crime stories.”

This last point perhaps gets to the chief reason as to why Graf as been so overlooked: he is, unashamedly, a genre filmmaker. Given Fujiwara’s previous championing of La Cava (who worked primarily in comedy) and Fleischer (who made films of every genre going), as well as his interests as a film critic, writing excellent books on Otto Preminger, Jerry Lewis and Jacques Tourneur, he’s clearly passionate about filmmakers who channel their own personal style through genre. “I’m interested in this idea that to make art, you have to rely on something outside yourself,” he explains. “And in the case of the genre film, it’s very clear, you’re relying on the rules that govern a preexisting contract with the audience. The audience is going to expect that if you’re making a Western there’s a good

Buried Treasure

EIFF has a strong history of documentary film programming.

Garnet’s Gold, Ed Perkins’ lyrical and melancholic film following middle-aged dreamer Garnet Frost and his search for lost treasure, is a 24-carat example. Director Perkins tells us more

Interview: Jamie Dunn

June 2014

Dreileben

guy, a bad guy and a shootout – this sort of thing has to happen. But what you can do within that preexisting framework is almost unlimited.”

We’re very used to thinking of genre filmmakers of the past as artists, studio men like Howard Hawks and John Ford, or B-movie heroes like Samuel Fuller and Raoul Walsh (directors who were famously celebrated by EIFF in the 60s and 70s). By championing a genre filmmaker who’s still working (Graf’s new film Beloved Sister is included in the retrospective), Fujiwara is pleasingly at odds with the tribalistic nature of modern film criticism. “These days I think there’s a tendency to not see beyond the genre elements,” he says. “Many critics aren’t interested if it’s an action movie with Denzel Washington or

“I

first met Garnet four years ago. At the time I was searching for stories to turn in to feature documentary films – it takes quite an amazing story to warrant 75 minutes of anyone’s time. One of my colleagues told me he’d just been in a pub in London the previous day and there’d been an eccentric and rather extraordinary man who was singing at a piano one minute, the next he was regaling his friends with tales of lost gold and how he knew where it is and that he wanted to go up to Scotland to find it. As a documentary filmmaker, that’s sort of hidden gold in itself. I thought, ‘I have to go and meet this guy.’

“The next week I turned up at Garnet’s front door with a film crew behind me. Every week or every month for the next four years we would get together and talk and film, and slowly the film came to be made I guess.

“For a long period of those four years I had absolutely no idea what the film was going to be about. But when I met Garnet I was immediately drawn into his world. As you hopefully see in the film, it’s a very enigmatic, evocative world full of many colourful characters – Garnet’s mother is obviously extraordinary in her own right. I kind of just became obsessed with Garnet’s plans for flying machines and the coffee-stained maps that were all over his house, and I got drawn into his

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Bruce Willis – it’s automatically not an authorial film in the eyes of most. On the other hand, the other extreme would be a purely artistic film, which everybody acknowledges is the work of a personal director. So I’m interested in bringing the two realms together again and seeing how they overlap and seeing the tension – the very fruitful tension – between genre and an individual artist.”

EIFF runs 18-29 Jun Retrospective Secret Master: Dominik Graf and the Hidden History Of German Cinema runs throughout the festival. See EIFF’s website for full details edfilmfest.org.uk

story and became addicted to trying to tell it in the best way possible.

“Often our heroes in movies are ordinary people who go on extraordinary journeys: they’re thrown out of their somewhat ordinary life and go on an exciting adventure. What I thought was interesting about Garnet is that actually here’s a guy who is an extraordinary person but who has lived a somewhat ordinary life. So he was the inverse of what you would normally find in Hollywood, and I thought that was really interesting: here’s a guy who never fulfilled his potential.

“Yes he’s eccentric and wonderful, he has all this romance and lyricism in his world, so of course he’s an inspiration for you as a filmmaker, but the themes that come out of his story are very universal and very easy for us to empathise with. Who hasn’t at some point looked back on their own life and wondered whether they’ve made the most of it? I think it’s a very core human question.”

Garnet’s Gold screens 25 Jun, Cineworld, 8.25pm and 28 Jun, Odeon, 1.30pm, £5. Ed Perkins and Garnet Frost will be in town to present the film Garnet’s Gold is nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film at EIFF 2014 edfilmfest.org.uk

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A Walk of Art Returning for its fourth outing and newly expanded to a full weekend, LeithLate this year features Andrew Gilbert, King Creosote, Too Much Fun Club, Adam Stafford, Neu! Reekie! and more. Organiser Morvern Cunningham gives us the lowdown

Photo: Damien McGlynn

Interview: Bram E. Gieben

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orget the referendum – on the weekend of 2122 June, Leith declares its independence from Edinburgh with its own mini-festival, LeithLate, celebrating the formerly separate municipal borough’s thriving art community with a breadcrumb trail of gallery shows, pop-up exhibitions, open studios, one-off gigs and special events.

LeithLate launched in 2011 as a one-night pop-up festival, and this time, for the first year, it has expanded to run all weekend. Having already been awarded the Creative Edinburgh award for Outstanding Creative Contribution by a Creative Organisation in 2012, organiser Morvern Cunningham (you may recognise her name from the equally successful Future Shorts pop-up film festival), with the help of a group of co-curators, has cooked up quite an ensemble for the 2014 outing, making it their biggest and boldest yet.

“We’re expanding this year, with a longer duration and a longer route,” says Cunningham.

“We’ve decided that it’s time for it to really blow up.” With the trail of participating venues now beginning at Calton Hill (“sometimes known as the gateway to Leith”), and stretching all the way down to Great Junction Street, this year’s LeithLate will have even more of a carnival atmosphere than last year’s festival, which saw in excess of 1000 people descend on Leith Walk for gigs, visual art spectaculars and film screenings.

“I always bill it as a multi-arts event, but for me the visual art element is very important, and is the primary input,” says Cunningham. This includes the LeithLate Shutter Project, which sees local artists decorating the closed blinds of shops on Leith Walk, launched in 2012 and now gracing seven shop-fronts and counting. “We recently got funding to do three more, which we’re in the process of finishing. Fraser Colquhoun Douglas is finishing his on Blue Tiger Tattoo.”

The latest to be announced is a new piece from illustrator Erin McGrath, on the shutters of local retailer Elvis Shakespeare.

LeithLate engages with what Cunningham sees as the ongoing emergence of a bustling creative community, attracted in part by Leith’s relatively cheaper living costs in comparison to the affluent capital, and its busy, multicultural, welcoming community spirit. “The reason LeithLate came about in the first place was to showcase all of the grassroots art spaces which were springing up around Leith,” says Cunningham. “That was part of the tide of artists moving to Leith, and

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living and working there. Those artists are still there; they are still participating in the community, still reacting to the environment.” LeithLate is “a showcase of places that I and the other curators really like, some more hidden places which people maybe aren’t familiar with... it’s an encouragement for Leithers, and people from beyond, to come in and see what Leith has to offer.”

Previous years have seen exhibitions and installations from names such as Kevin Harman, Katie Orton, Omar Zingaro Bhatia and Ross Fraser McLean, so what have Cunningham and her team got planned for this year? “Vision Mechanics, formerly known as Puppet Lab, are going to be doing an open studios event,” Cunningham reveals.

“We’re putting the Harvest Skate Company and some film work in to the Bainbridge Vaults; and we’re also showcasing some African art in some of the African shops on Great Junction Street.

We’re also taking in Coburg Studios and Sofi’s,” she says, both of which will showcase work by local artists (or in the case of Sofi’s, Glasgow artist FiST).

“If you can’t get it in Leith, you can’t get it anywhere” Morvern Cunningham

“There’s more art than anything else happening at LeithLate, but there’s a hell of a lot of music as well, with a bit of film and spoken word thrown in on top,” Cunningham continues. This includes an animation-focused one-off event by local spoken word heroes Neu! Reekie!, with Kevin Williamson presenting some of his favourite animated films, and Michael Pedersen providing poetic interludes at The Brass Monkey on Leith Walk on Saturday – no doubt they’ll have a few special guests up their sleeves as well.

“This is one of the things we do,” Cunningham explains. “We invite art spaces and businesses to be part of LeithLate, and a lot of them curate their own events. But it’s also really nice when we can facilitate collaborations, and approach people like Neu! Reekie! to curate something in The Brass Monkey, or a venue like that.” On Sunday, The Brass Monkey will also

get a visit from the Too Much Fun Club. “I’ve always wanted to work with them,” Cunningham enthuses. “They’re quite interested in LeithLate because of the previous public art initiatives we’ve done. The Brass Monkey have a rather naff (the manager’s words!) bit of advertising on the outside of their bar, which he’s keen to refresh.

So the TMFC are going to come and do a mural live – that’s their forte, they work really fast, and it’s fun for people to watch.”

This year, as well as featuring events in established and acclaimed galleries such as Collective Gallery, Edinburgh Printmakers, Embassy, Rhubaba, and arts and crafts space Bainbridge Vaults, there are various curated shows popping up around the Leith area. “Andrew Gilbert will be curating a show at The Settlement Project,” says Cunningham. Gilbert’s involvement “was serendipitous – he’s a Scottish artist who’s been living and working in Berlin for the past 11 years, and he’s in Edinburgh for another show, so we invited him to do something for LeithLate, and he’s creating some special pieces for the event.”

Bainbridge Vaults and The Art Cave will showcase work from the Harvest Skate Company; Coburg Studios will present an exhibition titled Art by the Water; Scottish Printmakers will feature work and a live demonstration from Matt Wilson, and the Scottish Print Network offering a tour of their studio. Elsewhere, Embassy Gallery will present an exhibition titled ‘ribofunk.’ Other exhibitions will be happening at Rhubaba, Boda, Victoria, Junkadelic, and Silverhub Studios. Super Five Star and the African Flavour Lounge will showcase African art by Immy Mali and Moses Serubiri, with a DJ playing Afrobeat sounds. “The hipsters can have some Nigerian Guinness!” says Cunningham, assuring us, “It’s good stuff!”

Musical performances include a showcase from newly-minted label MishMish at Joseph Pearce’s, and on Sunday at Out of the Blue, a very special Bruncheon event hosted by singer-songwriter William Douglas. “It’s a regular themed event there, he and his mates do covers and original songs,” says Cunningham. “For LeithLate, they’re going to do a Summer theme.”

The crowning jewel of this very special musical Bruncheon is a full set from celebrated Scottish musical visionary and indie-folk legend, Fence co-founder King Creosote. There will also be live music at venues including The Windsor Buffet, Elvis Shakespeare, Area C Coffee, Victoria, and

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Sofi’s bar.

Cunningham also has a very special afterparty planned after the main festivities on Saturday night. “We’re finishing up at the Thomas Morton Hall for the first time this year,” she says, describing a packed lineup of bands and DJs that includes local indie rock titans Holy Mountain, and SAY Award-nominated singer-songwriter and filmmaker Adam Stafford, plus the RAMMED DJs, with more TBC. There will also be a special double-decker red bus ferrying punters around the circuit, packed with live pop-up performances and special treats. “The thing about LeithLate is the sheer plethora on offer, there’s so much of it,” says Cunningham. “You can take in as little or as much as you want to, but we also wanted to be a little bit playful about how we moved between these spaces.” The bus provides a mobile party, stopping at the beginning, middle and end of the LeithLate trail, and will run throughout the Saturday night from 8pm til 10pm.

As ever, the star of the show is Leith itself.

As Cunningham says, “If you can’t get it in Leith, you can’t get it anywhere. Just walk down Leith Walk, the variety of shops is amazing, and it changes all the time. It’s a constant movement.”

As for her plans for next year, Cunningham has toyed with ideas like bite-sized chunks of Twitter Theatre, inspired by the The Village Pub Theatre’s events, with whom she has discussed ideas for future shows: “I’m definitely up for expanding it in different ways,” she says. “We might expand to be a week long, we might try and replicate it in other areas known for their artistic output.” She grins mischievously. “I’m up for including some flashmobbing next year. Opera flash mob anyone?”

Originally from Glasgow, Cunningham’s organisation of LeithLate comes from a place of passion, and of sincere community engagement.

“It wasn’t until I moved to Leith after graduating that I felt I’d found somewhere that had a heart, had a community, had an edge... somewhere with a bit of personality.” She shrugs. “Edinburgh’s a great place to live, it’s beautiful. But I wouldn’t try and organise something like this in Edinburgh.

I just care about Leith.”

For more information on all of the events happening at LeithLate, visit their website, or check our Listings leithlate.co.uk

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Admission Free Open: Oct-Mar Apr-Sept August

Tues – Sun 10am – 4pm 10am – 5pm Mon – Sun 10am – 6pm

Collective Gallery City Observatory & City Dome 38 Calton Hill, Edinburgh, EH7 5AA + 44 (0)131 556 1264 mail@collectivegallery.net www.collectivegallery.net

Laura Yuile Conversation of Monuments

27.05.14 – 29.06.14

Funded by:

June 2014

Part of Satellites Programme

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Mightier than the Sword Scottish PEN host a series of free literature events, uniting an outstanding selection of Commonwealth and Scottish writers. We speak to some of the participants

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remember strolling through Tiananmen Square some years back, a huge digital clock counting down the seconds, minutes, years until the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Standing in Glasgow’s Central Station last weekend a smaller clock performed this same task for our Commonwealth games. I doubt very much that we will stuff a young girl under a stage while her cuter accomplice lip-synchs proudly above it, but make no mistake, these games will exist in the wake of their own carefully managed propaganda; the grand narrative of the Commonwealth will be thoroughly polished.

Be thankful then that Scottish PEN – our own office of the worldwide association of writers – have cast their critical eye upon this historic occasion, previously known as The Empire Games. They have used it as a skeleton on which to hang six excellent free events, exploring many issues related to the Commonwealth and the countries contained within it. Their President, Drew Campbell, explains their aim. “We’re taking advantage of the fact the Commonwealth games are here, but it’s really very much to show the influence we [Scotland] have had and the connections historically we’ve had. Different places in Scotland have very specific connections,” he says, which is why they have built these events into a cultural and symbolic map, placing them along the route of the Queen’s Baton Relay.

They open with Exploration of Dangerous Ideas, a night of sci-fi at Edinburgh’s Summerhall on 14 June, with authors Nnedi Okorafor and Ken Macleod. I asked Nnedi – a US citizen of Nigerian Igbo descent – whether the genre offers a safe space to explore dangerous and difficult subject matter. “When I wrote Who Fears Death, I was not thinking ‘Oh, if I write this as fantasy or science fiction or magical realism, the story will be easier for people to digest.’ I just wrote my story. When I wrote Lagoon, I was seriously imagining what would happen if aliens came to Lagos, Nigeria.”

But while these tales might not be metaphorical, they still provoke uncomfortable and politically dangerous thought and discussion, but in a palatable way. “In hindsight, I think the mystical aspects of Who Fears Death take the edge off the violence and give the reader a sense of hope

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Interview: Alan Bett Illustration: Louise Lockhart

and spiritual comfort in the midst of very harsh violent realities. And the aliens in Lagoon allow the story to boldly and aggressively take shots at real-life pressing issues in Nigeria without bogging it down with preaching.” Nnedi often writes a curious blend of sci-fi and ancient Igbo myth. “Traditionally, Igbos and Nigerians as a whole do not separate the mystical world and the mundane... therefore, when I write it is perfectly natural to have science fictional and mystical, fantastical or magical elements.”

We move to Ayrshire on 20 June for Politics of Poetry – Burns, Jamaica and the Scottish Slave Trade, with Jamaican born dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and well known Burns fanatic Kevin Williamson performing in Rabbie’s birthplace of Alloway. The man who first published Irvine Welsh sharing a stage with the writer of Inglan is a Bitch promises a night of insight, energy and, dare I suggest, controversy. While these two publish and perform fearlessly in truthful and genuine dialect, further authentic Scottish language can be heard at Celtic Commonwealth – Gaelic Poetry and Literature from Canada and Scotland (8 Jul), with three Gaelic poets performing in Stornaway’s island setting. The full PEN programme of events is rich with language, from Scots and Gaelic to patois and slang, yet image will prove as powerful as word during Reinterpreting Women’s Stories using the Surreal and the Mythological, a night at the McManus Cafe in Dundee on 27 June. Writer and painter Amruta Patil and graphic novelist Karrie Fransman explain how they’ve used comics to tell stories from a woman’s point of view. All audience members will receive a piece of artwork from the artists.

Words in Times of Conflict: if you’ve never been to Innerpeffray Library near Crieff (the first public library established in Scotland), then 5 July is your opportunity, for an evening which explores much of what PEN stands for; the power of words and literature to combat violence and tragedy. Years back, Kenyan writer Philo Ikonya walked barefoot in her homeland with her PEN co-host for the night, the Scottish author Linda Cracknell. She was arrested soon afterwards

and is now in exile. Evidence perhaps of the power of words and the fear they can instill in the establishment. Philo illustates this point: “The police and some people in the Executive back in 2009 did not like the fact that I have no secrets between me and my nation.” She holds strong views on the role of writers in times of war. “During conflict, when a writer is finally able to write, I believe they should simply tell what they see, feel, hear and touch; what they dream even.” Their words can provide more insight than a factual news bulletin; poetry conjures images and emotions which encourage us to feel and understand. “It is not about writing the news of the day. Write about how you heard the chilling cries and how they left you, if they ever did,” she says. “Story is a vaccine against war,” Philo believes, here quoting the writer Annette Simmons.

Through discussion, stories and ideas she feels we can diffuse dangerous situations, or forewarn of them. “Writers are often prophetic. Leaders should listen up if writers begin to get agitated.”

“Story is a vaccine against war” Philo Ikonya

The final event,Tales of the Empire Cafe is hosted on 24 July in The Briggait, the very location where slaves were once brought into Glasgow. The city’s historical wealth was based upon tobacco barons profiting from slave labour in the Caribbean, its lavishly designed buildings testament to that. James Robertson, author of the outstanding Scottish novel of slavery Joseph Knight, will be joined by British-Guyanese writer Fred D’Aguair. With Britain believing itself the master of the Commonwealth, sitting at its centre, it will be interesting to hear the opinions of those looking in rather than out. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to get at,” explains Drew. “To make people think about the history of it, what the Empire really represented to the people outside of the UK, because they have a very different

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view.” He shares the story of his own Glasgow primary school, named after the explorer Mungo Park. “We actually had a picture of him up on the wall. We saw him as this brave missionary who went up the Niger and brought civilisation to all these nice native people.” Yet when discussing this years later with an African colleague, “... obviously she didn’t see it this way at all.” The reverberations are still being felt today, with much of the evangelical Christianity affecting swathes of the continent born from this arrogantly misguided past. “We have a lot to answer for,” Drew suggests.

The programme PEN has commissioned is superb. Audience participation is key. This excercise is not about congealing thought; it’s about stretching it, understanding the past and moving forward. These discussions link to our culture, our international influence both positive and negative. They also link intrinsically to location, providing the opportunity to travel to places within Scotland you may never have visited, engage with subjects you perhaps never considered and hear writers you might never have been aware of.

“It’s about promoting Scottish literature and Scottish culture to Scottish people, but also bringing world literature to the attention of Scottish people,” Drew believes. “Hopefully the way we archive and record this will reach an international audience too, so it will project Scottish writers out into the world.” It’s a fluid and developing dialogue, restoring some cultural balance to what has historically been an uneven relationship. “For me there has been no cross pollination and in fact, the bees are dying!” Philo suggests of intellectual exchange within the Commonwealth. Then thankfully she offers a ray of light by repeating this entomologous metaphor more positively in relation to PEN. “Participating in this is enriching... I hope it will lead us to pushing more borders and asking questions, and yes, networking too, like bees.

To find more information on all of the events and authors mentioned here, or to book your free places, visit the Scottish PEN website scottishpen.org

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Dancing In The Streets We take a look at a month of dance events coming to Scotland, including the Glasgow Mela, highlights from the West End Festival, and Matthew Bourne’s new production of Lord of the Flies hile preparations begin for the Edinburgh festivals – including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh Magic Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe and the Edinburgh International Festival – Get Scotland Dancing spreads across Scotland.

From March to November 2014, the Scotland-wide scheme attempts to encourage more people to engage with dance as a way of getting physically fit while having fun. Events thus far have included Dance-Along Movies (think Grease, Footloose, Dirty Dancing), and what the organisers have called Dance Trails. The latter showcases dance in unexpected places, and at unexpected times, such as city squares, parks, and graveyards. In June, the trail lands in Edinburgh, then Dundee. Also, on 21 June, the 24 hour Commonwealth Ceilidh kicks off, both a celebration of dance and the launch of the Commonwealth Games. A few weeks after this (on 10 July), Tramway will reveal the future of dance at the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival, hosted by YDance. This will see approximately 400 young dancers from across the Commonwealth sharing their skills, participating in workshops and performances for the duration of the festival.

Meanwhile, as Glasgow gears up for the Games, festivals run a-plenty. The city will see the West End Festival take over the entire month, while the Glasgow Mela only lasts for one weekend (7–8 Jun), but according to their site, “is Scotland’s biggest multicultural festival.” With May’s weather being so inconsistent, it is hard to

predict whether people who turn up for the Mela in Kelvingrove Park will be drenched. However, the acts themselves are extremely varied and promising – from bhangra beats by Sukshinder Shinda to the “bagrock” (bagpiping-rock fusion) of the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Other events running alongside this include the Bollywood City strand, which involves the screening of four Bollywood films at the Grosvenor cinema marquee during the Mela weekend.

Another outdoor convention returns to Glasgow in the summer in the form of the Bard in the Botanics. Reliant on good weather and Shakespeare-lovers, the 2014 season opens with The Comedy of Errors. Directed by Gordon Barr, the play showcases Shakespeare’s love of plots entangled by a case of mistaken identity. As the name suggests, this event takes place in the Botanic Gardens in the open.

At the same time, with over 400 events in about 80 venues across the West End of Glasgow, the West End Festival brings music, theatre, talks and community events throughout the month of June. One of the most exciting events of the programme includes the Gatsby Club night, which features a cabaret/burlesque live show, and requires a 1920s/vintage dress code.

The theme for this one is ‘Bright Young Things’.

This year, the Festival also features Glasgow’s only professional dance festival in the guise of the Cottiers Dance Project. Running for five days, the festival is intended to promote Scottishbased choreographers and dancers, as well as celebrating older ones through archive material,

Lord of The Flies

like Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations (broadcast 1975) or Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the musical Shall we Dance (1937).

Finally, this month Glasgow welcomes Lord of the Flies to Scotland. Directed by Matthew Bourne and choreographed by Scott Ambler, the latest New Adventures production tries to follow William Golding’s book as much as possible, although it makes sense that without the use of words, adapting a novel so iconic can become quite difficult. Bourne’s decision to take on

young men from each city the production visits means he gets half new cast every other week.

This might add a rougher edge to the dancing, but it could also highlight the dark tale of the schoolboys who find themselves on a deserted island, without supervision, and definitely might motivate more people to see and participate in dance.

See Listings for full details

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www.circusberlin.co.uk June 2014

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Photo: Helen Maybanks

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Words: Eric Karoulla

Born to Run: In the City

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You want a sport that’s accessible, affordable, rewarding and exciting? Look no further than the pavement. Just run Words: Kate Ball

f the idea of running in public fills you with dread, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Taking up any new sport can be daunting, let alone one where there is a chance you might bump into your friends/colleague/ex as you puff your way around the local park. But it’s worth it, because once you get over the initial embarrassment/ pain/urge to vomit, running is actually pretty incredible.

Exercise is scientifically proven to boost your concentration, improve your mental health and increase your lifespan. On the flipside, the Department of Health describes inactivity as the silent killer. It’s a pretty compelling argument for pulling on your trainers and heading out the door. The beauty of running is that it’s pretty much the most accessible sport on the planet.

All you need is a pair of trainers and a little bit of motivation. You don’t need fancy equipment, it won’t cost you £50 a month to take part and despite what your inner voice may tell you, you can leave the sofa and do it in the driving rain. All you need to invest in is a decent pair of running shoes and you’re sorted.

You don’t need any level of fitness to start, simply start running and keep going until you can’t. Then walk for a bit, and when you can face it, start running again. And that’s it, that’s all you have to do to call yourself a runner. Walk through any city park and you’ll see runners of every description, from the barely jogging ladies what lunch to the Lycra clad mums whizzing past with prams. And that’s because anyone can run.

Anyone.

Runners generally fall into two categories: lone wolves and those that enjoy the safety of the pack. If you’re new to running then the idea of simultaneously running and holding a conversation might seem alien, but a running partner can be a great confidence boost. A running buddy also serves as a great motivator – it’s easy to tell yourself it’s OK to loll about the sofa in your pyjamas, more difficult to justify to someone relying on you for their exercise fix.

If you can’t find a friend to join in your quest for running glory, there are any number of clubs around. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have a specific goal in mind, there’s a running

group to suit your pace. Most running shops run at least one running club, and they’re a great place to start. These groups bring multiple benefits, you get to hang out with like-minded people and enjoy the safety of a crowd.

Not only that, but you’ll be shown the ropes by a seasoned professional – it’s sort of like having your own personal coach, but for free.

Edinburgh’s Sweaty Betty store runs a free 0-5K club for women. Barbara Griffin coaches the group. “Running in a group provides motivation and challenges that are harder to find or achieve solo. It’s much more fun running up a hill three times with run buddies than on your own and there’s less inclination to forego your run if it’s raining if you are meeting others.

“The Club is suitable for beginners and improvers alike. I tailor all the routes and programmes to our participants’ aims, objectives and abilities and most importantly it’s great fun.”

And even if you’re a lone wolf, there are few things more satisfying in life than exploring a city under your own steam. Your local park may be an obvious starting point but don’t discount treading the pavements to break up the monotony of laps.

Suzie Anderson is a half marathon runner from Glasgow. “One of the best things about running in the city is the sights you see along the way. I’ve got Kelvingrove Park on my doorstep, but I usually head off into the quieter streets around my neighbourhood as it’s a good distraction. I often found myself in unfamiliar territory but the people and buildings you encounter along the way are what make it interesting. Running the same loop again and again just doesn’t appeal to me, I find it so boring and never run as far as I do when I choose my own route and just see where I end up.

“Don’t get me wrong, there are drawbacks to running in the city. There’s certain areas I wouldn’t feel comfortable running in at night and the traffic can be a problem, but if it’s a choice between the countryside or Glasgow I’d choose Glasgow every time. Running is my alone time when I can block everything else out and I don’t need the quiet of the countryside to make that happen, the running does it for me.”

Run for the Hills Running doesn’t have to mean pounding the concrete – a growing community of runners are taking to the hills to challenge their bodies and clear their minds

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unning in the city has its benefits – it’s convenient, there are streetlights and you’re never too far from a bus stop if it all gets a bit much. But if you want to leave the bright lights behind and really put yourself through your paces, it’s time to head for the hills.

Hill running sounds extreme, but it doesn’t have to be – after all, it’s up to you to choose the size of the hills and the pace you tackle them at.

That said, running off road is generally a bit more strenuous than city jaunts, so don’t be surprised if you notice your times slipping and taking things a bit slower than normal.

Running around the hills comes with distinct benefits – not only is it tougher, but you’ll be challenging your muscles as you swap the Tarmac for turf. Uneven ground means you’ll be pushing your body harder and getting more of an all over body workout in the process.

There are also the psychological benefits

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Words: Kate Ball

that come with leaving the smog behind for some good old-fashioned fresh air. It’s not just about working your legs, it’s a great way to clear your mind and hit the reset button. Chris Asquith, a hill runner from Edinburgh, explains: “I started running as a way to get fit, but the more I do it, the more it has become an excuse to explore new places and get out into the hills. It has definitely opened up new possibilities.

“I tend to run in the Pentlands or around Blackford Hill for a number of reasons. One of the biggest things for me is that the variety of terrain keeps things interesting – you only need to get to the top of a hill or run through a stretch of trees to feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. I love the feeling of solitude while often only being a stone’s throw from civilisation. Plus the more hills I run up the more cake I can eat.” hillrunningscotland.co.uk

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the air as I go to end up in a sort of half handstand. I manage one before unceremoniously hitting the deck.

Another thirty minutes of pain ensues, as I learn to master handstands, shoulder control and some balance work. Throughout the session Debbie makes tiny adjustments and corrections to my posture, making sure I’m engaging my core muscles and working all the bits I’m meant to be. She explains: “Aerial pilates is a great way to learn things about your own body. Because the swing means you’re working with gravity you notice imbalances and discrepancies between the right and left side of your body, things that aren’t always so noticeable when you work on the mat. That’s the thing about aerial pilates, it works you in ways your body isn’t used to. It’s not just about strengthening your muscles, it’s also good for your flexibility. And it’s fun, it’s a really liberating experience.”

And it seems other people agree – aerial classes in all their guises are popping up across the country. Aerial yoga (also known as anti-gravity yoga) is one of the best known. Much like aerial pilates, its yoga counterpart uses a silk sling to aid poses and sequences. The yogi purists might not approve, but it’s attracted a strong following, including the cast of Made in Chelsea, but don’t let that put you off.

Gillian Watt is an aerial yoga teacher in Edinburgh. “Props have always been used in Iyengar yoga, and the hammock is just an extension of that. It allows you to iron out the spine and try inverted and advanced postures with an added level of support. Aerial is a more playful take on traditional yoga classes, there is a lot of laughter involved. But that’s not to say it’s easy, the hammock forces you to be really present in

your practice. Instead of just thinking about left and right, when you’re inverted you also have to think about up and down and it challenges your perception. It’s great for stress relief because you’re concentrating so hard on what you’re doing it’s impossible to think about anything else.”

At the other end of the spectrum is circus style aerial – think flying trapeze, teeterboards, hoops and acrobatics. Although faster paced than either aerial pilates or yoga, they have a lot in common; building strength and flexibility are at the core of both. Mark Gibson is the Director of Aerial Edge, a Glasgow based school that teaches everyone from complete beginners right through to professional performers. “There has been a definite increase in the number of people taking up aerial. When we took over the school in 2006 there were six classes a week, now we run somewhere between 80 and 90 a month. Acts like Cirque du Soleil and Pink have really brought aerial into the mainstream. I think as awareness of aerial grows, people have started to realise that it’s a viable alternative to the gym. Aerial is really good for improving general fitness, as well as being fun and exciting.”

It’s hard to disagree – despite my initial scepticism, aerial is actually incredibly fun – it feels like being back in the playground. The day after my session with Debbie I can really feel that I’ve been worked, much more so than after a regular pilates class. I feel this may be the start of a new addiction – something tells me my fitness regime may have just been turned on its head.

Debbie Robbins Pilates debbierobbinspilates.com Aerial Yoga Edinburgh aerialyogaedinburgh.co.uk / aerialedge.co.uk Get Down Dog getdowndog.co.uk

Aerial Spin It’s well known that yoga is one of the most effective forms of exercise around – but what happens when you combine it with aerial acrobatics?

Words: Kate Ball Photography: Kat Gollock

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t’s a dreich Tuesday afternoon in Leith and I am upside down, suspended only by a slivver of silk. I’m being instructed to clench my buttocks and point my toes. It may sound like role play gone wrong, but I am, in fact, indulging in fitness’s newest craze – aerial.

Aerial is a broad term that encompasses a range of disciplines that involve being suspended from a hoop, a trapeze, a silk or a rope. In the interests of easing myself in gently, I opted to take to the silk to try out Scotland’s first aerial pilates class. A devotee of pilates for the best part of a decade, I’m unsure how the small, precise movements of classic pilates will translate when being performed in a giant silk sling suspended from the ceiling. Luckily, my instructor for the day, Debbie Robbins, has no such qualms. “Aerial pilates shares a lot of the philosophy of traditional mat based pilates, but the addition of the sling allows you to work into poses and target areas you might not be able to reach without it.

You can use the sling to aid your practice and support your weight or it can be used to intensify moves and make them harder.”

As we head into the Get Down Dog yoga studio I’m faced with what look like large hammocks suspended from the rafters, but any thoughts of sleep are quickly banished as Debbie hops into one and promptly flips upside down. She assures me that I can do the same and it’s perfectly safe – and she’s right, it’s easier than it looks. Holding each side of the sling either side of my waist, I

June 2014

tentatively lean back and take both legs off the floor. Before I know it I’m completely upside down with my legs in the air, parted as far as they’ll go in a most unladylike fashion. The next step is to take my hands off the ground, which I do, reluctantly, and with a little (by which I mean a lot) of encouragement from Debbie. And she’s right – I didn’t face plant the floor and it does feel good.

At first all I can feel as I hang there is the blood rushing to my head, but the longer I am suspended, the calmer I feel. As I relax into the position and get used to the inversion, I swear I can feel my spine lengthening. Even my shoulders begin to release from their usual hunched position somewhere near my ears. Just as I'm beginning to enjoy myself, Debbie decides it's time to put me through my paces.

I defy anyone who thinks pilates is an ‘easy’ exercise to try the aerial version of a plank.

Starting on all fours on the ground I tentatively place one foot into the bottom of the silk, followed (even more tentatively) by the other. I am now in the normal plank position, apart from my feet, which are resting on the sling. Not so bad I think. Except that's not all – now Debbie explaines I am going to move my knees together into my chest, supporting my weight on my arms, and then back again. Ten times. It’s hard – really, really hard. My arms tremble, my core burns but I manage the ten, just. Then I’m made to do it again with straight legs, pushing my hips up into

SPORTS SUPPLEMENT

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Active Alternatives Banish the humiliation of doing star jumps in your vest and pants to the back of your mind, grab some pals and go have some fun with our guide to alternative exercise

Trampolining Not just for kids, trampolining is actually a pretty hardcore workout. All that bouncing about not only burns some serious calories, but also enhances balance and strengthens and tones. It’s also really fun and the perfect antidote to sitting listlessly in front of a screen all day. Jumping is becoming big business, with American franchises High Heaven and Gravity (gravityedinburgh. co.uk) opening dedicated trampoline parks in Glasgow (theglasgowactivityzone.com) and Edinburgh respectively this summer. In the meantime Edinburgh Leisure offers adult sessions at Meadowbank Sports Centre on Friday nights. (edinburghleisure.co.uk) Swimming Whether you want to hone your technique or start from scratch, swimming classes are a great way to get back in shape. It’s cheap, good for your joints and this time round no one will make you retrieve a brick from the bottom of the pool dressed in pyjamas. If you’re feeling brave there are also a number of open water swimming clubs around, although these only tend to run in the summer months, for obvious reasons. (scottishswimming.com) British Military Fitness Like a modern day Private Benjamin, British Military Fitness is about us mere mortals being whipped into lean, mean exercise machines worthy of the Great British Army. It sounds unpleasant, but there’s a lot to be said for turning up and being made to exercise. Taking place in a park near you, participants are squatted, press-upped and downright terrorised into getting fit. I jest, there are actually lots of games involved and the hour long classes are generally pretty sociable. (britmilfit.com) CrossFit Originating in California (where else?) CrossFit is a strength and conditioning programme that’s part aerobics, part strong man contest. The concept is that combining strength training and cardio is the holy grail of fitness and yields the fastest results. One minute you’re doing squats, the next you’re flipping over tractor tyres. Not for the faint hearted, CrossFit inspires such devotion from its members that it has been likened to a cult. There are classes across the country – go to map.crossfit.com to find one near you.

Tai Chi For those that like their exercise a little more sedate, Tai Chi might just be the answer. This ancient art form is technically a martial art, but it’s got more in common with meditation than

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karate. This gentle series of slow movements is credited with relieving stress, improving circulation and aiding concentration. Classes are often held outside and you can find a list of approved teachers at www.taoist.org.uk.

Bikram Yoga If you like your exercise high intensity, chances are yoga isn’t at the top of your to do list – Bikram yoga may change that. Performed in a room set at 40 degrees centigrade (140F), this fast-paced practice is seriously challenging. Classes last a full 90 minutes and the same 26 poses are performed each time, but don’t be fooled – it never gets easier. Find out your local classes at hotyogaedinburgh.com for Edinburgh and bikramglasgow.com for Glasgow.

Photo: Karl and Ali

he word exercise can still send a cold chill through many of us – instantly transporting us back to the ritual humiliation that was school PE, and all the associated traumas it entailed.

Changing rooms that smelled simultaneously of feet and Impulse body spray, girls that instinctively knew how to pitch a hockey ball directly above your shin guards and a scary teacher marauding about in some questionably short shorts.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We’re adults now. We can drive and buy alcohol and stay up all night if we want to. We can also eat whatever we want, whilst at the same time watch our metabolism slow down before our very eyes.

You can probably see where this is going.

Just because you hated PE at school and you don’t think of yourself as sporty, doesn’t mean there isn’t an exercise out there for you.

Bouldering Bouldering is rock climbing’s thuggish older brother. No ropes or harnesses here, this form of climbing is about as simple as it gets. Low walls that are set with ‘problems’ – coloured routes that you have to conquer using a combination of brains and brute force. The walls are set low so when you’re finished it’s just a case of jumping off on to the mats below or down climbing. Most indoor climbing centres feature a bouldering room and you don’t need any special training to get started. Check out alienrock.co.uk or eicaratho.co.uk for the capital and tca-glasgow.com for Glasgow.

Track Cycling Thanks to Sir Chris Hoy track cycling has enjoyed a bit of a revival in recent years. For those reasonably proficient on a bike and looking for a new challenge, the velodrome named after he of the giant thighs is the place to be. It’s more difficult than it looks, so there’s a mandatory initiation to get through, but after that you’re free to whizz round the track for as long as you like (or your thighs allow). Find out more at emiratesarena. co.uk/cycling Roller Derby If you like your exercise with an edge and a generous portion of feminism, roller derby is the one for you. This all girl team sport is most definitely a contact sport, as two teams of five girls on roller skates head in the same direction around a track. The aim is for a nominated player to lap members of the rival team, and much pushing and swearing ensues. No crappy uniforms here, the women involved tend to rock a punk vibe and choose roller derby aliases such as ‘Clitty Clitty Bang Bang’ and ‘O Hell No Kitty.’ Full details on the Auld Reekie Roller Girls can be found at arrg. co.uk and the West Coast equivalent at glasgowrollerderby.com Skiing If you’d like to learn to ski without the hassle of leaving town, just head to your nearest dry slope.

Edinburgh has a slope at Hillend (midlothian.gov. uk/info/200131/snowsports_centre) and Glasgow one at Bearsden (skibearsden.co.uk), and whilst they might lack some of the glamour associated with, say, Aspen or Val d’Isere, they’re a pretty convenient alternative. You can hire all the gear, get a lesson and give your thighs, glutes and core a pretty thorough workout, all without leaving the city limits. But if you want a more authentic experience there’s always the indoor snow slope at the Snow Factor in Glasgow (snowfactor.com), which comes with the added bonus of an on site bar for the full après ski experience.

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Photo: Hannah killoh

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Words: Kate Ball

THE SKINNY

ARTIST: TYLER JORDAN | CAPTURED BY: TYLER JORDAN

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Spotlight on...

We catch up with Eleanor Morton to talk gigs, heckles and enormous ducks...

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eftly throwing punchlines and ukulele licks like comedy shuriken, Eleanor Morton is eking out her niche in the Scottish comedy scene.

Recently making it onto The Scotsman’s One to Watch 2014 and The List Top Five Up-and-Comers 2014 lists, things are clearly going well. Could this be the year the world takes notice?

With just eight weeks to go until her debut Edinburgh Fringe hour Lollipop at The Stand, we catch up with Eleanor Morton, to learn a little more about the comic everyone seems to be talking about.

Influences?

Bill Bailey, Josie Long, Bo Burnham, Stewart Lee, Gavin Webster, Seymour Mace, Tom Lehrer, Maria Bamford, Armando Iannucci, Louis CK, Tony Law and Spike Milligan are all people I really admire. I like people who basically go ‘this is my stuff and I’m doing my stuff and I hope you like it, but if you don’t, I’m not changing my stuff.’

Photo: Jamie Dunn

First gig?

The Beehive Inn, in the Grassmarket. I did really well, because the entire audience was made up of my friends.

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Worst gig?

I had one last Christmas where a man kept telling me to fuck off. That wasn’t very nice. Any gig where people aren’t interested or they don’t want to listen is hard for me.

Best gig?

I’ve been lucky to have lots of really enjoyable gigs. I did one in Manchester once which was insanely good, to the point where I was starting to think the whole audience was mental.

Best heckle?

As Mao Zedong once said ‘The best heckle is no heckle.’

What would you be doing, if not comedy?

Something creative I hope; either writing or performing. Or I’d go to law school to win back my exfiancé and then find out I’m really good at law and stuff and end up winning a trial and I’d have really good hair the whole time.

If you could have one day in the life of someone else, who would it be and how would you spend it?

I’d be Michael Gove and I’d buy How To Be Secretary For Education For Dummies.

Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?

A hundred duck-sized horses. As long we’re talking average duck size, and not the Asian Peat-Billed Mallard, which is 14 foot tall. I’m not suicidal.

Scottish circuit favourites?

Paul Sneddon, Mark Nelson, Keir McAllister, David Kay, Michael Redmond, Jo Caulfield, Frankie Boyle

COMEDY

Interview: Vonny Moyes

and Susan Morrison are all fantastic headliners and also really supportive people. I like too many people on my own level to name, but I will say I like Keiron Nicholson, because I owe him £8 and I hope the mention will cancel that out. We’re writing some stuff together at the moment.

Aspirations?

It would be nice one day to get to a stage where enough people knew what sort of thing I do and say ‘Oh, let’s go and see that.’ Or have my own pilates DVD. Bonus questions Mary Bourke (comedian): What’s the joke you love most that the audience just don’t like/get?

That’s a really good question. On some nights, the audience don’t like or get anything. Overall, I’d say it’s bad when the audience don’t like/get my general style – if they find the awkwardness uncomfortable, or they think I’m really nervous, because then I’m in for a long night.

Allan J Park (comedian): During your rap battle with Gareth Waugh, why did you mention Chris Henry so often?

The Wee Man said I’d be battling Chris Henry, so I wrote a bunch of stuff, but I ended up against Gareth Waugh instead. So it was less about a vendetta and more about me utilising old material.

Eleanor Morton: Lollipop, The Stand, 31 Jul-24 Aug, 12pm

THE SKINNY

Remembering Section 28 Religious Fascism, a new book on the repeal of Section 28 and the rise of religious extremism in Scotland was launched last month. We chat to its author, Garry Otton, about the impact of the legislation

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ection 28 was a legal amendment introduced in 1988, which barred state schools from ‘advocating’ or ‘encouraging’ homosexuality. Known as Section 2A in Scotland it was in place for more than ten years, eventually being repealed in 2000. Gay rights activist Garry Otton, author of Religious Fascism – a new book covering the repeal of Section 28 and the rise of religious extremism in Scotland – explains the context that the legislation emerged from. He says: “Accompanying the law’s passage in 1988, a firebomb went off at the offices of London’s gay newspaper, Capital Gay. “Far from condemning the action, Conservative MP Dame Elaine Kellett-Bowman stood up in the House of Commons to voice her contempt for gay sex and declared that it was ‘right that there should be an intolerance of evil.’ What followed were a dramatic increase of attacks on gay men.” The event Otton refers to took place on Dec 15, 1987 during a debate on Section 28 itself. The number of queer-bashing attacks on gay men and lesbians increased dramatically around this time and was commented on by politicians who opposed the legislation.

It’s also important to recall that homosexual sex was only decriminalised in Scotland in 1980.

Those involved had to be over 21 and the sex had to take place in private. 20 years later, as the newly founded Scottish Parliament was finding its identity, moves started to be made to repeal Section 2A. The Equality Network, which was

June 2014

Interview: Tasha Lee Illustration: Maisie Shearring

recently instrumental in campaigning for samesex marriage in Scotland, were heavily involved in these efforts. However, many dissenting voices still remained – particularly within religious communities. Stagecoach owner and evangelical Christian Brian Souter ploughed £1m into a ‘Keep the Clause’ campaign, which aimed to halt the progressive dismantling of Section 2A. Souter privately funded a postal ballot and, although it was dismissed as being unrepresentative, it returned an apparent 86% support. It’s understood that less than a third of Scotland’s 3.9 million population who were registered to vote at the time responded to the ballot. This climate of hate was alarming for those who lived through it. Otton, who began writing for ScotsGay magazine around this time, says: “Social conservatives in churches and mosques united under the Keep the Clause banner to vilify gay people and discredit intellectuals writing to newspapers defending gay people. What was so much like Nazism was to see diagrams in the tabloids at this time showing how to distinguish homosexuals.”

The personal effect of this vilification sometimes had exceptionally tragic consequences.

Otton brings up the case of a 16-year-old boy called Ethan who committed suicide on the eve of Section 28’s repeal after being bullied in his Catholic school for being gay. Increased awareness of homophobic bullying was one of the factors in the Scottish Government’s decision to repeal Section 2A. In their consultation paper they

wrote: “One of the most convincing arguments for repeal is the way it could reduce the incidence of homophobic bullying in Scottish schools. A significant feature of bullying in schools is the issue of sexual orientation.”

The Scottish Government also recognised that teachers were often afraid to tackle homophobic bullying in school, for fear of legal consequences. The Christian Institute, an evangelical Christian pressure group, published a document called ‘The Case for Keeping Section 28: Protection from Manipulation’ in response. In it they explain the legislation for their readers by saying: “It bans local authorities from using public money to promote homosexuality and from presenting homosexual families as acceptable.”

The document goes on to dismiss evidence that children were being bullied in schools for being gay as ‘anecdotes’ and demands that, not only should Section 28 be retained, but that parents should be given the power to withdraw their children from sex education and expect schools to respect the ‘majority’ view that homosexual practice is morally wrong. These suggestions were, and still are, exceptionally harmful. Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell wrote during the repeal process that: “The guidelines are not inclusive enough. They do not oblige schools to provide pupils with gay sex education and safer sex advice. To safeguard their well-being, gay students need specific, affirmative information about homosexuality and HIV prevention. The

DEVIANCE

guidelines do not require schools to provide this information. That is a weakness.”

The mention of HIV prevention is especially important in that the first cases of GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency), the name initially given to Aids, started appearing in the UK in 1982.

Prior to the outbreak of the HIV virus gay rights in the UK had been steadily improving, but the epidemic caused a backlash and helped to create the initial environment for Section 28 to thrive.

Although Section 28 had a specific exception for health promotion purposes, HIV prevention work was severely restricted by the climate of fear that it nurtured. In practice it prevented safer sex information from reaching school children and, critically, prevented gay and bisexual male pupils from being educated about HIV. By 2003 around 10,000 gay and bisexual men had died of AIDS in the UK. Nearly fifteen years have passed since Section 2A was repealed, but Otton maintains that schools are not doing enough to encourage safe sex. He says: “On the face of it, teachers are able to promote safer sex, but the subject still remains toxic with teachers more likely to err on the side of caution.” To echo Peter Tatchell’s statement from so long ago – in this case caution is weakness.

Religious Fascism by Garry Otton is out now, published by Ganymedia

Lifestyle

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Plane Food

Food News

Our Food editor spent 21 hours on a series of aeroplanes last month, and he’s ready to take you on a culinary journey. Please, don’t try the omelette

Words: Peter Simpson Illustration: Guy Roberts

June features indoor picnics, lots of gin, and the chance to have a scientist study your hangover

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he great thing about food and drink is there’s just so much choice, from hole-in-the-wall ramen joints to old man pubs with roaring log fires and dogs that smell of wet tweed. The bad thing about long-haul air travel is there’s very little choice – if you don’t like your dinner, what are you going to do, head to the shops?

So when yours truly headed off on a series of long haul flights, there was really no option but to document the food on offer across the 21 hours spent in the air, and see just what constitutes a good meal for a trapped and strapped-in audience.

We begin at lunchtime, with a nifty threecourse meal to get into the swing of things.

Straight away this seemed like decadence of the highest order, but then it became clear that the salmon starter contained actual, genuine salmon, and concerns moved to finding someone to act as a personal servant for this new life of foodie luxury. Hurtling along on a course for literally the other side of the world, this was a glimpse of what people can achieve if they just pull their fingers out once in a while.

Salmon was followed by chicken curry, complete with a slab of meat that looked deceptively, and disappointingly, similar to a naan bread. The sadly naan-less dish had a whiff of the ‘running through the pantry and seeing what ends up in your pockets’ to it, but it certainly banished your correspondent’s previous plane food memories by strongly resembling something you’d actually want to eat. Wouldn’t order it in a restaurant, but you’d give yourself six out of ten if you’d rustled it up at home. Same goes for the sticky toffee pudding, and that’s in spite of the fact it looked like it had been used to wipe up a spillage in the recent past.

Long-haul plane travel does strange things to people, with time and space falling out of whack and the very sanity of all involved starting to unravel. That said, try to serve a sandwich with chicken, pesto and aubergine on it and you’re asking for trouble no matter what time of day it is. For one thing, bread doesn’t do well at altitude. Now that sounds like the kind of mad nonsense that someone addled with jet lag would come out with, but it’s true – this sandwich was like a rubber stress reliever lined with ‘miscellaneous green catering substance A.’ Still, having left my bread bin and array of sandwich spreads back home there was no choice but to munch on.

It’s a difficult gig, this one, but someone’s got to do it.

Things got somewhat trickier at breakfast.

Remember around three hundred words ago, when there was all that gubbins about choice being the great thing about food? Well after 13 hours in a loud metal box, flanked by a man with no shoes and a snoozing couple who kept not quite spilling over into The Skinny’s seat, choice decided to have its revenge.

The options were simple – chicken congee, or a cheese and herb omelette. Just one problem – congee isn’t a big thing in Skinny-land, so the choice became ‘unknown dish that may be horrible but might be alright’ to ‘well-known dish that almost certainly won’t be great.’ Taking the coward’s way out, it was soon omelette time. The rubbery, eggy mass of mattter looked a little like a deflated football, and the cheese inside did that weird oozing thing normally associated with ghost encounters and oil spills, but at least it was clear what everything was. So, yeah, well done plane chefs!

By the next flight all concept of space and time was evaporating, so the idea of a

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three-course dinner at quarter to midnight seemed just excellent rather than the lunacy it clearly was. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, which was ironic given the weird slab of vaguely tubular meat served as an appetiser on a tiny, almost sarcastic bed of salad. Next, a takeaway-style sweet and sour chicken.

Battered chicken, a viscous and disconcertingly sweet sauce – you’d swear it had been delivered to the plane by a guy on a motorbike if that wasn’t completely impossible and totally mad. A mango mousse sponge dealt the final blow to any pretensions of sanity. This cake was literally incredible – how do you make a sponge that’s thin and light but still firm enough to hold up the mousse?

How do you do it while keeping all the various flavours in balance so each mouthful has a little bit of everything? More to the point, how do you do all this while soaring in a mighty steel eagle over the oceans? Is any of this really happening, what are we doing here, what am I etc etc.

By breakfast, the existential dread had gone

and a new sense of calm had prevailed. Seems life inside planes is full of opposites – it’s very noisy, but everyone tries to be quiet. Passengers fear the effects of jet-lag but hit the drinks trolley like elephants trying to open a tin of beans. The croissants are hot, but the danish pastries are cold.

Repeat, one piece of pastry is warmed and served, while another piece of pastry – with some stuff on it – comes out stone cold. They come from the same place, and are served at the same time – why is this happening? We’re in a giant metal box going at 600-odd miles per hour, and the bloke in the next seat is watching a live football match SIX MILES UP IN THE AIR, but there’s to be no satisfying crunch of buttery goodness or sweet embrace of a warm, gooey apricot filling?

Lights flash on, seatbelts clip, the plane lands, the journey ends, and your correspondent steps onto solid ground, wondering where he can find a mini oven for the return journey.

FOOD AND DRINK

veryone, come quickly, we have an announcement. Summer’s here! Hooray! Even if we spend much of June shuttered in our homes for fear of sideways rain tearing our bodies to bits, the month’s food events offer a chance for a bit of summertime cheer.

Events like the Fireside Collective’s Summer Picnic supper club – it’s a three course meal packed with seasonal fare, and it’s all set in the quirky surroundings of Lovecrumbs’ Edinburgh cafe. It’s an opportunity to get your picnic elbows sharpened early, without having to worry about making any of the food or having your best laid plans swept into the next town over by a gust of wind. 6 Jun, Lovecrumbs, 155 West Port. £35, thefiresidecollective.com for tickets Summer picnics often involve a spot of drinking, and drinking in the sunshine often leads to skull-shaking, spirit-crushing hangovers, so the Glasgow Science Festival’s Hangover Hypothesis event couldn’t come at a much better time. Combining genuine science with a cooked breakfast and a bloody mary, the event will look at some of the common routines, plans, and ‘foolproof remedies’ we all try to brag about when we manage to dodge a bullet after a night out. The scientists will presumably shake their heads, tell us to drink more responsibly, then ask if we’re going to eat that hash brown. 7 Jun, 2pm. Dram!, 232 Woodlands Rd. £10 For those of you who prefer to get the science in before the night really gets going, may we recommend the West End Festival’s Whisky Bottling night, also at Dram! There will be some background chat on the process and history of the drink, but the real draw is the chance to bottle up your own bespoke blended whisky to take home. If test tubes, funnels, and white lab coats aren’t involved we’ll be disappointed, but the unique whisky will soften the blow. 21 Jun, 7pm.

Dram!, 232 Woodlands Rd. £20 But if whisky isn’t your thing as you’re after something more floral and less brown, the Scottish Juniper Festival might be right up your street. The Festival, Scotland’s contribution to World Gin Day, brings together dozens of distillers from around the world, alongside talks on the spirit and tours of the new gin distillery on site at Summerhall. We can’t guarantee the sun will shine on the Summerhall courtyard, but we can say there will be lots of gin, and that should tide you all over until July. 13 & 14 Jun, various times.

Summerhall, Summerhall Pl, Edinburgh. £15

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THE SKINNY

LAW and Order Lauren Holt started out as a jazz singer in Liverpool and now finds herself in Edinburgh making enigmatic soul music with a hard edge. She explains how her transformation into LAW began in the most unlikely of places

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he enduring appeal of charity shops is that you can’t be sure what they will stock from one day to the next. To the unadventurous, such outlets conjure images of badly dated clothes and tatty paperbacks with yellowing pages, but others know them as places of rare treasure; first edition books, out-of-print vinyl and fabulous garments that no high street boutique can offer.

Lauren Holt is a regular visitor to Edinburgh’s numerous charity shops and secondhand clothing emporiums, from which she creates the various striking ensembles she adorns when performing on stage as LAW. “People presume I spend loads of money on my clothes, or that my manager has told me how to dress,” she explains to The Skinny in a bar a short distance from her studio on a quiet Sunday evening in Leith.

“They think it’s more constructed than it actually is. It’s a performance; it’s an embellishment of who I am. Charity shops in Leith are great because they are cheap, and you get really mad stuff that no one else wants. People meet me after gigs and say: ‘You look really scary on stage, but you’re actually quite nice...’” She laughs at the thought. “I am actually a person; I have to hold down a job and a relationship.”

Charity shops have given Holt much more than a steady supply of original garments, however. It was while volunteering at a Salvation Army store that her music career was given a steer, leading to her current status as a beguiling new artist that no one can seem to define. On stage, she is an entrancing presence, seldom speaking between her spectral songs, almost all of which remain unreleased in any formal sense.

Raised in Leicester, she moved to Edinburgh from Liverpool in 2010 and lent her vocals to a variety of groups in the capital – including a ska outfit, a blues ensemble and a covers band – but continued to search for a vehicle in which to explore her own songwriting. Enter fellow Sally Army volunteer Jacqui Cuff, who recommended Holt to Leith-based producer Tim London, manager of avant hip-hop trio Young Fathers. The gang quickly became firm friends and collaborators. “One day I gets a call from Tim, who I had only met once before very briefly, when he came in to look at records. Jacqui still doesn’t admit it

June 2014

today, but she must have given Tim my number.

Where else would he get it?”

Just seven days later Holt was in London’s studio to record Hustle, the mesmerising lead single from her new EP Cowboys and Hustlers.

Its warped pop hooks and tribal rhythms are impressive enough to capture even the most casual listener, but it’s Holt’s vocal which is the real stand-out. The slight quiver you detect can be attributed to her nerves at recording with people she had met just days before. “I was nervous, because it was my chance,” she admits. “It was the first thing we had done.”

Young Fathers introduced her to their improvisational approach to recording – “the power of having no fear,” is how the group have previously defined it – which they in turn had learned from London. It was a technique that Holt found invigorating. “You don’t want to over-think things, you don’t let hang-ups get to you and the little doubts creep in. You take more chances and take more risks. With Hustle, we just went to the studio, they played me the beat and we wrote and recorded it that night.”

It’s a method that would make certain perfectionist producers wince. “I think more people could do it if they wanted to, but it’s not a standard way of working, they think it’s weird,” she continues. “I had recorded before but it was always more traditional. The producer gets you doing all this silly stuff, all these takes, and you don’t need to. When I started working with Tim that’s why we hit it off so well. The way he worked fitted with what I wanted to do. That instantaneous way of working deserves a lot of credit. I mean you must have the ideas before you record, and maybe that’s why people don’t do it – because they don’t have the ideas.”

Hustle is only now being released, but the song and its accompanying video was first posted on YouTube as far back as March 2013, where it has accumulated almost 18,000 views. The video itself makes for compulsive viewing; a naked man lies comatose face-down on a cheap hotel room bed, the word ‘LAW’ carved in his back, while Holt, wearing a green wig, flicks through TV channels and sings in a voice that initially sounds fragile but quickly shows its steel. All concerned are confident it will find a new audience upon

Interview: Chris McCall Photography: Kat Gollock

its official release. “Hustle seems to be the track that has touched people the most,” Holt observes. “I’ve not held it back deliberately, but I did want to give some life to the song, and see it take on its own form.”

It’s clear that this is an artist who is confident in what she’s doing and intrigued to see where it will take her, with no intention of rushing it. While there my have been an element of chance in her meeting London and Young Fathers, Holt has spent considerable time learning her craft and earning stripes as a performer, singing jazz in Liverpool in small bars to often unappreciative audiences. She reserves the right to be selective about where she’ll play and when it’s appropriate to release new music.

“You see people backstage in bits because they’re scared and have been thrown into this because they can make money.

I’m glad I was able to take my time” LAW

“You don’t want to be doing too much nonsense,” she smiles. “I’ve done all that, I’ve played Whistle Binkies. They don’t even give you a free drink in there anymore – Carlsberg if you’re lucky. A lot of venues have no respect for music or for the musicians. In a small city like Edinburgh, if you’re gigging too much, people are not going to bother coming. But it gives you a good experience, mentally, if you’ve had to play places where they don’t appreciate you, and then you start getting a rider or something, or

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you’re playing your own material and not doing covers anymore. You can enjoy it more as you know you’ve worked for it. Sometimes I feel sorry for artists that are very young and are flung out there; they’re not given the time to develop. Their management will say ‘Oh she can do it, she can do it’. You do see people backstage in bits because they’re scared and have just been thrown into this because they can make money. I’m glad I was able to take that time.”

Holt is no slouch, however. She has her first London headline show at the Servant Jazz Quarters on 9 June to look forward to and next month will visit Kirkcudbrightshire to play at the Wickerman festival. It’s a steady increase in pace from the handful of gigs she played in 2013, which were accompanied by growing interest from the music press and industry alike.

Having already worked with producers who have considerable pedigrees, she seems relaxed by it all. “When I was younger, I wouldn’t have wanted the attention as I was still trying to hone my voice and get it right, get the craft right.

That’s why I was trying to sing jazz – just to better myself. I used to go to jazz open-mic nights in Liverpool where I met a piano player called Dave Fisher, who worked with Malcolm McLaren in his youth. He was the one that discovered Annabella from (early 1980s pop sensations) Bow Wow Wow in a laundrette. He was a great man, he really encouraged me. He gave me Billie Holiday CDs and said ‘Listen to this, this will change the way you think about singing.’”

Holt is non-committal on the subject of debut albums, but more songs are likely to emerge later in the year, in one form or another. For now, she plans to keep experimenting. “I see myself doing this for a while; doing different styles, different production. If things turn out our way, we can keep moving forward,” she offers, cautiously optimistic. “I don’t want to make coffee any more!”

LAW’s Cowboys and Hustlers EP is released on 16 Jun via showlovepeoplenowkiss. She plays The Solas Tent at Wickerman Festival on 25-26 Jul soundcloud.com/lawholt

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THE SKINNY

Gig Highlights This June sees the live return of The Phantom Band, Television playing Marquee Moon, indie rock rude boys Parquet Courts, Eden Festival, and a double-header of bleeding-edge electronica with Son Lux and Sun Glitters

Words: Illya Kuryakin

eturning from a stint of showcasing his damn fine solo work as Rick Redbeard, Rick Anthony recalls the troops for a live outing with his much-loved alma mater, The Phantom Band, at The Art School in Glasgow, on 3 Jun. The robofolk outlaws have been hard at work on their long-awaited follow-up to The Wants, and glorious third record Strange Friend will have dropped by the time the Glasgow sextet hit the stage, so expect a set of super-polished new material, with a few classics thrown in for measure.

Crooocooodile!

After causing a global Twitter-storm with his frenetic and heartfelt dancing on the David Letterman show earlier in the year, Samuel T. Herring’s Future Islands have found themselves faced with the kind of celebrity usually reserved for scantily-clad jailbait like Miley Cyrus. The synth-enhanced Baltimore indie rockers have plenty of damn fine material to draw on, trading on the highlights of their 4AD-released album Singles, and showcasing frontman Herring’s unique vocal style and electric stage presence at SWG3 on 4 Jun. On 5 Jun, Howling Bells play Glasgow’s King Tut’s – the Sydney-born, London-based fourpiece are preparing to release their new album Heartstrings in June, marking a decade in the music business for the band, who trade in the kind of lush, understated dream-pop and indie rock that will appeal to fans of Mazzy Star and Beach House.

PAWS return to their native Scotland to play Glasgow Art School (6 Jun) and the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh (7 Jun) after trading blows with Morrissey in a rather public fashion over a US concert last month – the trio claimed Mozza’s management tried to cancel their show, and they hit back publicly at the be-coiffed former gladioli enthusiast-turned-boxing apologist, then watched the whole thing turn into a media shit-storm. They’ve a new record titled Youth Culture Forever to promote too, which is littered with some of the finest, brattiest, off-kilter, lo-fi garage rock anthems you’ll hear this year.

Requests for Big Mouth Strikes Again may be met with total bemusement.

At Stereo in Glasgow on 7 Jun, the frontman of one of the most political and angry punk bands of the 70s and 80s comes to town to play a show with his latest band – Steve Ignorant’s Slice of Life are the Crass founder’s latest touring incarnation, and no doubt they will rattle through a wide selection of the Crass back catalogue, as well as perhaps touching on some tracks from Ignorant’s many side projects, such as Stratford Merceneries and Current 93. One thing’s certain – in these politically apathetic

Future Islands

and corporate-controlled times, Steve Ignorant’s confrontational politics are as relevant as they have ever been.

On 12 Jun, get out of the city and head for the sunny Raehills Meadows near Dumfries for the Eden Festival. The biggest draw on the bill are without a doubt 80s hip-hop legends De La Soul, playing a headline set, one of ony a few UK appearances this year. Hip-hop fans will also thrill to a set from classic UK hip-hop outfit The Nextmen; there’s reggae and dub from Mungo’s Hi-Fi, folk-rock fusion from the magnificent Black Diamond Express, UK garage from Artful Dodger and, really weirdly, a morning exercise class with TV’s Mister Motivator, which must qualify as the most unlikely festival booking of 2014 (if not ever).

On 13 Jun, Electric Honey Records celebrate their 21st anniversary with a very special showcase at Glasgow’s Òran Mór. The studentrun label was home to early releases from worldstraddling rock colossi Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol, as well as early Belle & Sebastian. This showcase celebrates the label’s thriving current roster, with appearances from Young Aviators, Alex Hynes, Harry and the Hendersons and Albert Shakespeare, not to mention the return of Wake The President. Indie kids, you’ll kick yourself if you miss this one.

Also on 13 June, at King Tut’s in Glasgow, rising gothic folk-pop duo Wye Oak will be playing highlights from their well-received 2014 album

Shriek. Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner incorporate subtle shoegaze and dream-pop influences into their melodic, largely acoustic indie-folk songs, elevating them above the growing crop of boy-girl folk duos currently so in vogue – they’re a cut above.

Over in Edinburgh on 14 Jun, Conquering Animal Sound front-woman ANAK-ANAK headlines a special gig at Out of the Blue (coincidentally, The Skinny’s former Edinburgh home). The event is curated by SCREE Magazine, and features the staggeringly talented Anneke Kampman’s solo project (recently featured in the Glasgow Tectonics Festival) alongside Sarah Hayden, Robert Kiely, Richard Taylor and iliop.

Back at Òran Mór, Orange Juice front-man Edwyn Collins is in session on 15 Jun, playing a selection of classics from his storied back catalogue and newer songs from last year’s Understated, which is nominated for this year’s coveted Scottish Album of the Year Award. The next night, back in Edinburgh at the Electric Circus, you can catch a solo set from last year’s winner, RM Hubbert, playing highlights from Breaks and Bone (also nominated this year for the SAY Award). Support comes from Meursault’s Neil Pennycook.

A veteran rocker and former member of Queens of the Stone Age, Dwarves, and the immortal Kyuss, Nick Oliveri comes to Glasgow’s Stereo for a solo set on 17 Jun. On the same evening, returning to Glasgow’s Royal Concert

Photo: Ross Gilmore

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Hall, king of the American miserablists, Mark Oliver Everett’s Eels hit town for what is sure to be an unmissable show, coming off the back of 2013’s Wonderful, Glorious and Everett’s latest solo outing, The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett.

Rapper Loki debuts his new live band The Cartoon Cartel at Nice ‘N’ Seazy’s on 19 Jun. It’s a trifle disingenuous to describe the MC as ‘emerging’ given he has more than a decade at the forefront of the burgeoning Scottish hip-hop scene under his belt, but as the Scottish rap world edges closer to mainstream recognition, and in the wake of a new-found sobriety and purpose, Loki’s star is once more on the rise.

On 21 Jun at SWG3 in Glasgow, Parquet Courts come to town – the Brooklyn-based punk rockers released the searing Tally All The Things That Broke in 2013, but a follow-up, Sunbathing Animal, is already waiting to drop.

Noisy, full of attitude, and moving faster than a scalded dug, they are an imposing prospect live. The same night, at Nice ‘N’ Sleazy’s, catch Two Wings, aka Hanna Tuulikki and guitarist Ben Reynolds, doing their psych-rock/folk thang, with Tangles and WOLF in support. And finally, on 27 Jun, catch Scottish indie rock royalty We Were Promised Jetpacks playing a sure-to be barnstorming set at Òran Mór; they’ll be showing off material from their as-yet unreleased third LP before they bugger off to America again later in the year.

Son Lux / Sun Glitters Broadcast, Glasgow 3 Jun

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his month’s Do Not Miss recommendation features a visit from two ground-breaking electronic producers who are as adept with their deep, textured beat-work as they are at handling gorgeous singers and complex vocal arrangements. New York’s Son Lux, still touring his magnificent 2013 album Lanterns, first began releasing on Anticon in 2008 – last year’s LP, which matched his stirring arrangements and fragile singing voice with massed choral

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performances and a searing lyrical intensity, was a breath of fresh air. A recent re-working of that album’s centre-piece, Easy, with New Zealand pop scamp Lorde will have helped bring his work to the wider audience it deserves. Support comes from Luxembourg’s Sun Glitters, signed to Mush for his astonishing debut Scattered Into Light, which melded post-dubstep, electronic shoegaze and broken beat with the vocals of Sara Cappai. Catch both of these mercurial talents at Glasgow’s Broadcast on the first Tuesday of this month. [Illya Kuryakin]

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Son Lux

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Photo: Mallory Talty

Do Not Miss

Tori Amos O2 Academy, 10 May rrrr

Tonight we are very much guests in Tori Amos´s house. There is a reassuring assertiveness and sense of purpose in the way the singer, now turned 50, suggests the main bar closes from 8.30pm. Far from being a sober drag, the resultant lack of clinking change in tills and people skipping back and forth across the all-seated eye-lines is gratefully accepted. Especially when Amos invests so much of herself in her music.

Rising and plunging on a sea of faux ivory dynamics, there are few moments that bear missing.

Amidst the solid and well-received newer material from imminent 14th LP Unrepentant Geraldines are a handful of playful covers (the Scottish setting inviting nods to The Eurythmics

and James Taylor) as well as some truly exceptional older numbers, including arguable concert-highlight Winter, which is accompanied by some beautifully judged lighting and finds itself settled in that most clichéd – yet fitting – of categories: spellbinding.

An entreatment by some of Tori´s minions, prior to the show, that the first few rows leap to their feet and stand throughout the encore, is the only slight jarring note. Especially when the plea was made on the basis that we need to “show Tori how much we love her,” the ticket price, clocking in just under £50 with booking fee, apparently not proof enough. Yet that is a small gripe in an otherwise captivating evening.

[Chris Cusack] toriamos.com

Prince and 3rdEyeGirl The SSE Hydro, 22 May rrrrr Whereas the first leg of this ‘Hit and Run’ tour arrived by stealth in the South, Glasgow was afforded a few more days to dust down its raspberry beret for Prince Rogers Nelson’s first state visit of the 21st century. Turning the funk up to full bore, 3rdEyeGirl’s first order of business is to resurrect, redesign and drag original dancefloor thrillers like Let’s Go Crazy and U Got The Look into the modern day. “Dig!” he periodically screams with contagious gusto, Ida Nielsen at his back, cranking out more bass solos than a perilous season of Seinfeld.

“30 years ago this summer, this was the sound,” he declares, casually dropping When Doves Cry, Sign ‘o’ the Times and I Would Die 4 U – a sublime trilogy of undiminished landmarks, both in his own career and for pop music in general. Perpetuating his own enigma by letting the

tunes do the talking, Prince is a living, breathing reminder that sometimes it pays to just let myths be and lock the gossip mongers out. Just a fortnight shy of 56, the voice is still pristine, with a range which only seems to have broadened over time.

“Can I get a friend tonight?” he implores midway through Purple Rain, apparently lost in its youthful angst all over again. Two hours and three encores into an unceasingly exhilarating set from our diminutive ringmaster’s evolving circus – ostensibly an appetiser, the main event and a hazy afterparty lounge rolled into one – His Royal Badness teases the dishevelled hardcore punters who kipped by the Clyde under their purple sleeping bags last night.”You know how many hits I got? We could be here all night,” he’s not even joking now. “Way into tomorrow.” [Dave Kerr] 3rdeyegirl.com The Sonics

Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails The SSE Hydro, 20 May rrrr Slinking on stage through mist to the sinister strains of The New Flesh, Trent Reznor somehow has everything and nothing to prove here tonight.

With a track record for selling out the Academy and Barras in a matter of minutes, aiming for the 13,000 capacity Hydro still seems like a roll of the dice for Nine Inch Nails’ first indoor gig in Scotland since 2007.

Pared back to a minimal (but versatile) touring unit for this latest European leg – flanked by long-term lynchpin Robin Finck, Ilan Rubin and Alessandro Cortini – a Kraftwerk-like formation gathers in the shadows to tease out the sinister pulse of Me, I’m Not. A Gorbals dialect roars from the floor over the reverent awe: ‘Check oot that fuckin’ bass!’ A gauze projector screen drops down and smoke machines billow into overdrive as March of the Pigs’ clattering beat bulldozes

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any sense of ceremony – the first evidence that this is a rock concert as much as a state-of-theart spectacle (with frickin’ laser beams).

No stone is left unturned as Reznor mines the archive – The Downward Spiral‘s 20th anniversary is given due respect next to highlights from last year’s comparatively muted Hesitation Marks – and a keen sense of reinvention permeates every number. A muscular, bass-heavy splice work of Sanctified and Sunspots – representing two distinct eras of the band some 17 years apart – holds a mirror up to Reznor’s enduring pop nous. Sending that gauze curtain skyward, Hurt closes the show with operatic poignancy. It’s just one of the more expansive, slow-gathering moments – like Eraser’s cyberpunk spaghetti western vibe or The Frail/The Wretched’s cinematic majesty – which argue for Nine Inch Nails’ continued climb to bigger stages. [Dave Kerr] nin.com

Photo: Ross Gilmore

The Sonics The Arches, Glasgow, 9 May rrrr

Tonight is The Sonics’ first ever visit to Scotland, a mere 50 years after the release of debut single The Witch. Granted, they’ve spent most of the intervening period on ice, with the band’s classic line-up parting company at the tail end of the 60s and the reformation train only starting up in 2007.

Nonetheless, half a century is a significant build-up – one that’s very visibly underscored tonight by two contrasting images of the band: the iconic young Turks gracing posters and merchandise and the silvered, avuncular elders assembled onstage.

But if rock ‘n’ roll is a young man’s game, the memo thankfully never reached Tacoma, Washington. Three of the personnel responsible for stone-cold classics Here are the Sonics and Boom are present tonight: there’s Rob Lind alternating between saxophone and harmonica, guitarist Larry Parypa generating electrifying riffs, and, centre-stage, vocalist

Trust Sneaky Pete’s, 18 May rrrr Air, when compressed, gets hotter and harder to contain. The same could be said for Toronto trio TRUST and their Sunday night crowd at Sneaky Pete’s. From the opening frazzled klaxons and cardiac beats of Gerylon, an infectious track from recent LP Joyland, there’s a sense of something big forced into something very, very small. Canadian nostalgic and TRUST mastermind Robert Alfons struts on his cramped stage, black CATS tee hanging on his wiry and gangly frame, croaking his sleazy poetry over an explosive synthpop tide.

The set is equal parts Joyland and debut TRST, the latter’s offerings earning whoops of recognition (particularly gut-wrenching closer

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Gerry Roslie.

While the latter’s delivery is less threateningly wild these days, his voice remains surprisingly powerful – particularly when Psycho makes its pre-encore appearance. Sharing the vocal load elsewhere in the set is puckish bassist Freddie Dennis (a veteran of The Kingsmen, amongst others, and a Sonic since 2009), whose unassuming stature houses a startlingly raw howl that’s used to great effect at a number of junctures.

Alongside revered originals (the ever-menacing Strychnine, Shot Down and its machine gun drums, a revved-up Boss Hoss) and trademark supercharged standards (Money, Have Love Will Travel, Keep A Knockin’), there’s even a scattering of brand new songs, set to appear on a forthcoming fourth album. The new material slips comfortably into the fold – the sound of a band no longer blazing a trail but justly reaping the rewards.

[Chris Buckle] thesonicsboom.com

Sulk), but the night’s strongest cards are dealt from the 2014 release, especially the slithering, squeaking Lost Souls/Eelings, and Icabod’s pulsing synthesiser loops. Every nanometer of their production is seductively 80s, from the drumlines to the melodies, so revivalist so as to have time-travelled.

But for all the entrancing synths and dazzling, mesmerising lights, it’s Aflons’ beguiling vocal that carries the show; muffled, grimy, and somehow older than his years. His thin silhouette might get lost in the soupy smoke, but his voice – a Twilight Zone narrator, as esoteric as it is sexy – throbs clearest and most uniquely in the darkness. [George Sully] ttrustt.com

THE SKINNY

Photo: Beth Chalmers

Prince

Ascending The Animal Kingdom Simultaneously everyone’s favourite band and completely misunderstood in 2013, Parquet Courts are back to clarify their position with Sunbathing Animal

Interview: Simon Jay Catling

arquet Courts are not as sullen you think.

Sure you might think it – after all, plenty of the music press have tried to claim it. However, as their guitarist Austin B. Brown speaks to The Skinny enthusiastically over a Skype line from his Brooklyn home, while preparing to head out and watch the New York Yankees, there’s nothing like the hostility or antagonism that was reported last year in the wake of the group’s sleeper success story of an album. They leave that to their music.

“Yeah some of those interviews seemed like we were being rude, right?” Starts Brown, addressing a handful of articles written in the UK last year that suggested something of a distaste towards the press from the punk four-piece; “but on most of those occasions we were talking for well over an hour, talking about specific lyrics in detail and giving anecdotes – and quotes were being taken from the first five minutes of them meeting us. I understand that for a writer there needs to be a narrative – but for me it was a frustrating experience and as a new band it then becomes hard to fight off the reputation that comes from that type of writing.”

Part of the problem seemed to be that, initially released in late 2012 by the band themselves through Dull Tools, Light Up Gold wasn’t picked up until months later by a music media who – kicking themselves for missing a trick in the ever vapid race to be first – hastily tacked on a narrative before meeting the people behind it.

It’s easy to see why they opted to paint the band in the image of disaffected mid-20s caricatures; although it was the group’s second album, Light Up Gold bristled and spat with the unedited rage of youth. It was a record that was – as Brown says – “about growing up in 90s America and figuring out what our place in the world was. Working out how to explain it.”

With an intelligent, caustic wit to it too, it felt like one of the most vital punk records of recent times – though Brown admits he wasn’t happy with where some people seemed to want to bracket them. “We were being put into this slacker rock/90s nostalgia kind of thing – and we didn’t really feel like we were doing that at all,” he says, before admitting that such misappropriation in part influenced their forthcoming record – describing the band as “more deliberate” in their intentions now.

Recorded over a handful of sessions with friend and long-term producer Jonny Schenke, Sunbathing Animal certainly shares traits with its predecessor – the sense of disillusionment waiting for a promised future that never arrived; a vocal delivery that toes the line between snarling sarcasm and aching sincerity – but in its thirteen tracks lies an even greater sense of claustrophobia. Guitar tones are so clean and jagged that they sound like they’ve been scrubbed until they’re bleeding and raw; lyrical imagery is discomforting in its up-closeness. “Bodies made of slugs and guts,” yelps Andrew Savage on its opening track; “what colour is blood? The same as it always was,” he drawls elsewhere, as the ante is upped further by instrumental melodies that pick and bite as they pass, nipping enough to aurally draw crimson. Blurring man and animal throughout, the claustrophobic nature of the record peaks at the seven-minute Instant Dissassembly, which sees the refrain “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe” repeated over and over again, the band seemingly fully aware that they’re pushing its repetition beyond tolerable levels.

“When we started out to make this record,

June 2014

Photo: Ben Rayner

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the focus was – more than ever – on the lyrics,” Brown says. “They came first in the process and are meant to be right at the front, so that you’re forced to listen to them. I mean, I don’t know if there’s a hook or chorus on the whole record; but that forces the audience to create their own, depending on which lyric pops out to them – so in its own way it becomes the chorus.” The intention is that the narrative is broken down by each individual, allowing for a myriad of possible interpretations to arise – although Brown is keen to iterate that there is a cohesive concept behind it too.

“The songs are written from a place of longing for something better,” he elaborates. “This record has a lot of themes, finding the grey areas between obligation and freedom, between oppression and expression and filling your duties to yourself but also working out how they fit into your place in the world.”

For Parquet Courts, their place is on the brink of changing rapidly, even while they get used to their recent ascension. If they were the most anticipated act of the week at Texan music showcase SxSW in 2013, then this year saw perhaps an even greater demand as the music industry – now fully up-to-speed – licked their lips at the prospect of another band to sculpt and mould. Brown, though, is insistent that won’t happen. “We did some official showcases, sure, but all that did was give us the money to get there – and with the extra cash we rented out this DIY venue called the Owl on the east side of Austin and booked our own show and it was awesome.”

Brown says that it was the best line-up of the whole weekend “because it wasn’t put together by industry content providers or brands” – and it’s hard to argue with him. Eagulls, from Leeds

but cut from similar cloth as the Brooklynites, and Sacred Bones’ guttural garage-psychheads Destruction Unit were among those that played on a bill that re-asserted the company Parquet Courts feel they truly belong with. “We have a duty – and a desire – to maintain the relationship we have with the community that has supported us up until this point,” Brown says. “Although we’re talked about in the greater indiesphere now, where we exist is in a different place. We’ve a pretty strong will and determination to show that and maintain our place in that world.”

“Although we’re talked about in the greater indiesphere now, where we exist is in a different place” Austin B. Brown

Before coming to Europe the group have a show coming up in New York and, backing up that quote, the venue they’ve chosen is Sugahill Supper Club – a food banquet hall in Brooklyn.

“We could’ve played a standard venue but it didn’t feel appropriate given that we’re playing at home,” comes the explanation. Decisions like these allow Parquet Courts to maintain their sense of where they came from – self-funded, self-released and truly DIY – even as they take

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advantage of the opportunities that are coming their way, so long as it suits them. “It would be impossible to ignore the machine,” Brown admits. “But I don’t see where we are now as a different place ethically; it’s just an extension of what we’ve always been doing. We came from a place in New York playing DIY shows with our friends and that goal hasn’t left at all.”

Last year The Guardian wrote that the band were at the forefront of an “outernet” culture, purposefully minimising their presence online and what information people can find out about them. While such a movement is surely inevitable in an age of internet over-saturation, Brown rejects the term when applied to his band – pointing to the fact that they have a Wordpress and admitting that someone ultimately set up a Facebook page for them anyway. “I guess what we don’t want to do, though, is get into the advertising business,” he ruminates, talking – as he has for our whole conversation – in a slow but concise manner. “Part of the fun is people finding you for themselves, right? I mean people are writing about us and we can’t really help that – and to be honest I don’t feel a desire to stop that, because we do want to share our music – but it’d be a bummer if you watched a Parquet Courts ad before you watched a video on YouTube or something. It does fans a disservice to make them feel like they’re being advertised to. As a band we make records and play live, and I don’t think our duty should really go beyond that.”

Sunbathing Animal is released on 2 Jun via Rough Trade.

Playing Glasgow SWG3 on 21 Jun parquetcourts.wordpress.com

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Album of the Month Remember Remember

Forgetting The Present [Rock Action, 30 Jun]

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If the sole mark of a good band is the consistent progression of a singular sound whilst remaining true to a core ethos, then Glasgow sextet Remember Remember can be considered up there with the best. Since their 2008 eponymous debut, the group have gone from a side-project for main man Graeme Ronald and his loop pedal to a fully-fledged, prog-like force to be reckoned with.

Such advancement continues with third album Forgetting The Past, whose opening salvo Blabbermouth swoops in with such confidence and poise that it’s initially difficult to reconcile this as being the same outfit who gave us protracted, piecemeal epics such as Fountain/Mountain just a few short years ago. Rather than

Fucked Up

Howling Bells

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Glass Boys [Matador, 2 Jun]

Motherhood has kept Juanita Stein and Howling Bells off the radar these past years and fourth album Heartstrings must surely be a test of their staying power, eight years after the release of a hugely promising debut. The band’s strength remains Stein’s breathless delivery; she could sing the Australian phonebook and still make it a captivating listen. Where Heartstrings falls down is that when the music slips towards the pedestrian, her dark, sultry tones are not enough to hold it up.

After a powerful opening (Paris’s mean hook, Possessed’s battering riffs and the reflective Your Love), the record starts to feel listless and repetitive. Euphoria is less than euphoric and Paper Heart is papyrus-thin – only Original Sin adds a little lust and wrath to the album’s closing stages. It’s all perfectly pleasant, but pleasant just isn’t enough to demand repeated listening.

Thus, Howling Bells, early potential remains unfulfilled for the time being. [Stu Lewis]

lookingforgold.blogspot.com

howlingbells.co.uk

Glitterbug

Roll the Dice

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A companion piece to Gold Panda’s globetrotting electronic odyssey Half Of Where You Live, the second album from Till Rohmann, aka Glitterbug, is almost beatless for its first three tracks – following the by turns drifting and sculptured electronics of Dust and Silent Glory, 47th Floor’s syncopated, reverb-chewed beat sputters briefly into life, giving way to the spare rhythmic workout of Aparition. By the time you reach Far Far Light, a mellow slab of skeletal electro, you will be transfixed by the subtle, spacious alchemy of Rohmann’s minimalist production.

When The City Was Bare, all twinkling synths and echoing, portentous drums, is a standout, as is the gently-tweaked prototechno of 1st of July. Rohmann wanted to evoke “urban shadows of the forgotten, the stories of our cities that remain untold.” This is liminal exploration, like Eno’s Music For Airports, and ranks with albums by Konx-Om-Pax and Recondite as some of the most interesting ambient electronica of the past few years. [Bram E. Gieben] glitterbug.de

Playing Glasgow’s New Dennistoun Parish Church on 13 Jun as part of the East End Social

The Phantom Band

Heartstrings [Birthday Records, 2 Jun]

From their sprawling 75 minute debut to 2011’s double LP David Comes to Life, Fucked Up have always presented themselves as an atypical punk band despite their expletive-dropping name. Contrary to the dozens of short and snappy 7"s they’ve dropped over the years, the Canadians’ album output has gradually positioned itself further away from hardcore and into the realm of melodic indie rock.

Glass Boys opts for brevity above all else, presenting itself as a lean collection of ten well-paced songs.

The guitars are as psychedelic and as multi-layered as ever, and Damian Abraham’s almighty bellow ranges from in your face to drowned out and abstract. Echo Boomer piles on layers of colourful noise, whereas The Art of Patrons relies on anthemic hooks, but there’s still plenty of room for experimentation despite the anthem-geared approach, as lead track Sun Glass will attest. By taking a more aggressive stance, quality control-wise, Fucked Up arrive at their most cohesive record thus far. [Ross Watson]

Dust [NOTOWN, 9 Jun]

aurally build its structures brick by painstaking brick, much of Forgetting The Past comes on fully constructed in this way, like a pre-fabricated crystalline cathedral spinning in a starry cosmos.

The general nod to repetition remains of course, but here the loops form more of a tone-setting background over which the six-piece mesh a looser, livelier organic template. It’s bolstered by the overall feel of more assured production and, despite the countless layers of sound, a mind-set of ‘less is more’ throughout.

Despite the contradictory album title, Forgetting The Present is an indelible work, surely bound to remain etched on the memory way into the future. [Darren Carle]

Strange Friend [Chemikal Underground, 2 Jun]

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Three and a half years is a long time to wait for a Phantom Band record. The Wants, a dark, brooding beast, was unleashed on listeners still punch-drunk from the sextet’s barnstorming debut Checkmate Savage just a year earlier. But the gestation period has done the Phantoms good: Strange Friend is their most refined and coherent album to date. It’s lighter and poppier than its predecessor and more musically akin to the debut, but their penchant to experiment remains.

Shimmering, pulsating opener The Wind that Cried the World, with its squelching electro intro and wordless chorus sets the tone. There are synth splashes all over this, with the band happy to court the sort of hooks they may have tossed away for being too simple before. The gorgeous, folky Atacama and soaring (Invisible) Friends steal the show, on a record that has sound potential to soundtrack the summer ahead. [Finbarr Bermingham] Playing the Glasgow Art School on 3 Jun and Aberdeen Tunnels on 6 Jun

Sage Francis

Until Silence [Leaf, 2 Jun]

Until Silence’s lingering power stems from its galvanising contrasts. For instance, the way the uncompromising Coup De Grace (a visceral combination of infrasonic bass, abrasive clatters and slashing Psycho-strings) is succeeded by the celestial sighs of Aridity, or how Aridity in turn yields to the coldly mechanical Where I Go, Darkness Follows.

‘Darkness’ is certainly an operative noun on Stockholm-based duo Roll the Dice’s third album, as Peder Mannerfelt and Malcolm Pardon venture into increasingly dusky territory with the aid of a 26-piece string ensemble – a forefront addition that adds levity and beauty to some pieces, density and menace to others.

Casting a particularly formidable shadow is Assembly – a brooding, 10-minute colossus that builds from bare, purposefully monotonous percussion to an intensely dramatic climax. A similar dynamic appears in condensed form elsewhere, and, regrettably, overuse slightly dulls its impact. But the album’s moody undertow is persistently felt, keeping the synapses and nerves alert and alive. [Chris Buckle]

Copper Gone [Speech Development, 2 Jun]

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Sage Francis returns with a new album on Scroobius Pip’s Speech Development, putting paid to the notion that his step back from the constant grind of touring was also the point at which he hung up his mic. On the evidence of Copper Gone, Francis is back on top form, spitting the kind of melancholic, philosophical couplets which made him the go-to emcee for literate lyrics laced with dense, allusive layers of meaning.

Opener Pressure Cooker has him spitting about profit and loss over chopped indie rock guitars. Grace has a killer vocal hook and dark, descending piano chords, Francis reflecting on “the difference between confession and conjecture,” the twin poles of his poetry. The electro-flavoured Cheat Code is another highlight; as is the intense, angry Dead Man’s Float and the propulsive, energised Over Under; while Buck 65’s Make ‘Em Purr runs on soft pianos, gently yearning. His most consistent album since Human The Death Dance. [Bram E. Gieben] sagefrancis.net

Taylor McFerrin

Tom Vek

Alpha Male Tea Party

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Early Risr [Brainfeeder, 2 Jun] Taylor McFerrin, eldest son of soul legend Bobby McFerrin, has signed to Brainfeeder, and it’s an excellent fit; more to do with his carefully slack beat-work than his family pedigree. On Early Riser, he takes a stab at reinventing classic 60s/70s soul for the LA beat scene and beyond, downplaying the genre’s heart-on-sleeve emoting, and emphasising its more psychedelic sonic features. The results are breathtaking.

The drifting keys, guitar and echoing vocals of Postpartum lead into the stripped instrumental Degrees of Light, in its own way a quintissential Brainfeeder beat. The Antidote, featuring Nai Palm, is worthy of early Jill Scott, with her vocals breaking into tightly-laced raps. McFerrin repeats the trick on the gorgeous Decision, featuring Emily King. Stepps, another instrumental, melds pitch-bent, FX-laden synths with a stuttering electronic beats. Jazz vibes infiltrate Already There (with Thundercat), and Invisible/Visible, which features his father. A gorgeous record, likely to be seen as a touchstone in years to come.

[Bram E. Gieben]

Luck [Moshi Moshi, 9 Jun]

Luck as an album title must surely be an ironic nod towards Tom Vek’s curious history. Stardom beckoned a decade ago with a storming debut, but a six year delay before second LP Leisure Seizure’s release meant his gathered momentum had all but evaporated.

It’s to his enormous credit that, despite such setbacks and the passing of time, Vek is still keeping the bar high and producing wilfully awkward, angular and sometimes brilliant fare that dresses itself up as floorfilling pop.

The ragged Sherman (Animals in the Jungle) and layered harmonies of Pushing Your Luck are a fine reminder of the Londoner’s talent and equal to anything on We Have Sound. Occasional quality control lapses seep through (The Girl You Wouldn’t Leave For Any Other Girl is little more than acoustic filler) and Vek’s nasal purr might not be for everyone, but this is an otherwise welcome return from a genuine innovator. [Stu Lewis] Playing Glasgow King Tut’s on 9 Oct www.tomvek.tv

Droids [Superstar Destroyer, 2 Jun] Whoever thought up such a ridiculous genre name as ‘math rock’ anyway? It’s just counting.

No sums involved. No challenge, unless you find it particularly difficult to be carried away by molten tides of lurching metrical monstrosity… much like those which erupt from Alpha Male Tea Party’s active imaginations, in fact. Oft compared to the likes of And So I Watch You From Afar and Brontide, their rewardingly complex racket jumps from awe-inspiring metallic proficiency to jagged post-punk gnarl; from brain-crushing heaviosity to wordless, jaw-to-the-floor anthems.

Athlete’s Face is filled with fascinating twists and turns – a complete adventure in itself – but the brilliantly-titled You Eat Houmous, Of Course You Listen To Genesis steals the show.

Seriously, in order to feel this heroic, one usually needs to be in possession of all the powers of Castle Grayskull. Essentially, Droids is full colour instrumental wondrousness, with nary an equation in sight. Get on it. [Will Fitzpatrick] alphamaleteaparty.com

brainfeeder.net/taylormcferrin

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Review

RECORDS

THE SKINNY

Chris Devotion and The Expectations

Break Out [Armellodie, 2 Jun]

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Break Out is both a title and a statement of intent for Chris Devotion. Together with his band, he’s earned a considerable rep around Glasgow as a thrilling live performer whose new wave songs, seldom longer than 3:30, are capable of winning over the most cynical of crowds. Now it’s time to push out of their comfort zone and chart the musical landscape further afield. But while this second album plays to the Expectations’ strengths it offers little in the way of surprises.

She is The One is a bracing power-chord sing-along that finishes too quickly; Don’t You Call On Me is pure Costello circa This Year’s Model. That’s not a bad thing per se, but you’re left feeling CD/EX are capable of grabbing something even greater – such as the terrific Song for a Girl, where the band channel Marquee Moon and build to an awesome crescendo. [Chris McCall] chrisdevotion.armellodie.com

The Proper Ornaments

King Buzzo

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Wooden Head [Fortuna POP!, 9 Jun] The brainchild of Max Claps, who deserves a round of applause for his (real) name alone and Veronica Falls’ James Hoare, Wooden Head is a lovingly imagined collection of neo-psych pop. Think Jesus and Mary Chain but brighter, less reductive. Its melancholic slant and its lo-fi origins (recorded on an Ebay-acquired 8 track) make for sturdy, if not necessarily thrilling, gloom pop.

Its sensibilities are authentic but it’s eventually hamstrung by its running time, 14 tracks exposing a limited palette. It could do with two or three killer tunes, headline big hitters that might make for a more compelling ebb and flow. The acoustic Ruby is a sweet and dreamy contrast to the largely electric soundboard, as is the epic You Shouldn’t Have Gone, whose flighty atmospherics reference MBV. But too few of Wooden Head’s tunes make enough of a mark to allow for more than reserved recommendation.

[Gary Kaill]

Parquet Courts

clipping

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This Machine Kills Artists [Ipecac, 2 Jun] They said it couldn’t happen. They said it shouldn’t … oh, OK. We’re fibbing. Still, after 31 years and 19 Melvins albums, it seems odd that Buzz Osborne should finally choose to strike out alone. Speaking disdainfully of solo efforts that sound like “a crappy James Taylor,” he’s promised that This Machine Kills Artists will be “a different animal,” and sweet mother of crap, he’s not kidding.

Entirely acoustic but formidably hard-edged, it’s filled with crushing riffology and deranged howls – not entirely dissimilar to those of his day job. There are surprises too, of course: the haunting New River hums with desert-parched blues, and How I Became Offensive plays tricks with us all by bordering on the sweetly reflective before exploding into menacing power chords. Meanwhile, Buzz remains as brilliantly manic as ever, ploughing more intensity into these 17 (!) tracks than most bands manage in a lifetime.

Artists beware. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Mastodon

CLPPNG [Sub Pop, 9 Jun]

Sunbathing Animal [Rough Trade, 2 Jun]

Once More ‘Round the Sun [Reprise, 23 Jun]

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There’s an uneasy cheeriness in the way Andrew Savage utters “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe” towards the end of Instant Dissassembly’s naggingly repetitious seven minutes, ten songs into Parquet Courts’ addictively disquieting third LP. Their world’s widened since 2012 breakthrough, Light Up Gold, but much of Sunbathing Animal proves that the Brooklyners remain at their most comfortable making listeners feel a breath from suffocation.

Guitar tones are so clean they’re chapped raw, while the spiking percussion lies like a bed of nails underneath the record’s exterior, most notable on the sadistically chipper What Color Is Blood? and sticking out jaggedly amongst Always Back In Town’s tumbling hooks. The tension throughout is palpable, only fully released on the title-track, which rips and tears apart the cloying claustrophobia as Savage spits belligerently over the top. This is no huge departure from Parquet Courts, it makes for another brilliantly jarring experience nonetheless. [Simon Jay Catling]

If you’re eagerly anticipating the return of punk-rap terrorists Death Grips, or thrilled by the pitch-dark, metal-enhanced goth-rap of BLKHRTS; if Kanye’s Black Skinhead wasn’t feral and intense enough to give you the feels, then LA’s clipping are for you. The trio employ similar tactics on this lean, uncompromising album – it is replete with sheet-metal distortion, 808s that bang like helicarriers under missile fire, and ferociously-spit double-time lyrics.

Part of the album’s intensity is down to front-man Daveed Diggs, whose rapid-fire delivery is an exact mid-point between Kanye’s throwaway exhortations to twerk or eat his dick and the ferociously abstract, nihilistic poetry of MC Ride. Joined by some big name guests (Gangsta Boo of Three 6 Mafia, King Tee and others), he ranges between low-slung bumpers like Work Work, coming off like a more gangsta Cool Kids; to the cut-and-paste noise terror of Williams Mix; to the spectral, Antipop Consortium-like minimalism and abstract poetry of Dream. [Bram E. Gieben]

“All my heroes, they’re all dead,” Troy Sanders bellows on Chimes At Midnight’s apocalyptic bridge. It’s another plunge into the abyss from the Atlantan behemoths; billed as a logical successor to 2011’s The Hunter, Mastodon return hard with a full clip of psychedelic sludge-rock bangers, firing up the lava lamp to find the middle ground between their heaviest hour (Blood Mountain) and their most accessibly progressive (Crack the Skye).

Of its various peaks, Brann Dailor’s haunting vocals add the right spice to The Motherload’s hypnotic, polyrhythmic stew, while Aunt Lisa even affords a welcome detour into glam territory and – as is their ritual – Neurosis man Scott Kelly lends his burr and howl to closing epic Diamond in the Witch House. For a band now in its 14th year – here lyrically meditating on a perpetual life on the road and the looming threat that it could all end at any time – the results are reassuringly invigorated. [Dave Kerr]

Playing Glasgow SWG3 on 21 Jun

clppng.bandcamp.com

www.mastodonrocks.com

The Hazey Janes

Bob Mould

Martyn

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Language of Faint Theory [Armellodie, 2 Jun] For their fourth album, Dundee’s The Hazey Janes returned to El Puerto De Santa Maria – the small Andalusian city where they’d recorded debut Hotel Radio back in 2006. That Language of Faint Theory has such clear ties to the band’s own past seems highly appropriate given the pensiveness that washes through its entirety, from the inscription on its sleeve (“For Michael, and all those who dare,” dedicating the record to Alice and Matthew Marra’s musician father) to the reflective tenor of songs like All is Forgotten.

This wistful quality is accentuated by producer Paco Loco’s rich analogue recordings – a vintage sound. Where 2011’s The Winter That Was foregrounded the band’s power-pop side, Language… is a more muted collection that makes a comparatively light impression. But its mellow tempos and winsome melodies are sincere and satisfying, with a classy maturity that shouldn’t be taken for granted. [Chris Buckle] Playing Edinburgh Queen’s Hall on 6 Jun; Dundee Fat Sam’s on 7 Jun and Glasgow Broadcast on 13 Jun

PAWS

Youth Culture Forever [FatCat, 2 Jun]

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Beauty & Ruin [Merge, 9 Jun] Bob Mould’s been cranking out classics for 35 years, from Hüsker Dü’s deceptively-tuneful blitzkrieg to the heroic powerpop of Sugar, and recently he’s hit upon a rich vein of form. Admittedly, this new ’un is probably the darkest he’s been since second solo album Black Sheets Of Rain in 1990: Beauty & Ruin was composed in the wake of his father’s death, and morosely mid-paced opener Low Season suggests there’s a rough ride in store.

From thereon in, however, the mood changes. The melodies get brighter, the pace picks up, and Bob’s buzzing guitar cuts through the contemplative lyrical tone to make for some pretty exquisite rock’n’roll. Kid With The Crooked Face and The War will provide succour to long-term fans, each meshing intimate self-reflection with velocity and power, but the softer Forgiveness should melt a few hearts too. “We won’t grow,” Bob insists, desperately attempting to salvage a relationship, before pleading, “so don’t go.” Simple but devastating. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Martyn’s debut album Great Lengths was a standout in the first wave of post-dubstep.

2011’s Ghost People, on Brainfeeder, was more restless and experimental, with fewer tracks pitched directly at the dancefloor, although in the intervening time he’s been no slouch at producing solid cuts on 12"s and EPs for other labels. Now firmly ensconced in the Ninja Tune family, he returns with the deliciously analogue, sculptured minimalism of The Air Between Words.

Early track Glassbeadgames, with Four Tet, strips back UK Garage to its atmospheric bones; Empty Mind luxuriates in a subacid riff and pulsing electro beat; while the filtered, jazzy house of Drones harks back to earlier Ninja Tune artists. Love of Pleasure, with vocals from Hype Williams’ Inga Copeland, is a standout; a hazy, emotive slice of deconstructed broken beat. The rest of the record stands up, with excursions into filtered analogue techno and drifting, spectral house. Elegant and beautifully realised.

[Bram E. Gieben]

bobmould.com

soundcloud.com/3024world

Jerry David DeCicca Understanding Land [Electric Ragtime, 2 Jun]

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PAWS took the brave decision to handle production duties of Youth Culture Forever themselves, a bold move that other groups have lived to regret. But the Glasgow-based trio have pulled it off – their second album is a step up from playful debut Cokefloat!, taking them away from a reliance on the trusty quiet-loud-quiet dynamic.

In Phillip Taylor, PAWS have a songwriter with a knack for anthemic choruses and lyrics resplendent with fine deadpan humour (“Do you know how long it takes to get from Scotland to Dalston?” he asks on An Honest Romance, a tale of being stood-up in the capital).

These moments of levity are needed on a record that deals a lot with relationship breakdown. “Just 22 and I feel like I’m through,” sings a weary Taylor on the attention-grabbing opener Erreur Humaine. His emotional honesty on Someone New never jars; not with a chorus that was made for mass crowd participation. Youth Culture Forever speaks a language that fans of all ages can understand. [Chris McCall]

The Black Swans are no more, their fifth and final album, 2012’s Occasion For Song, a frank meditation on the loss of band member Noel Sayre. Sayre was a close friend of Jerry David DeCicca, the band’s singer and songwriter, and the sombre tone of his final band recording informs much of this solo debut.

Recorded alone in his London flat and supported by a starry cast (including Will Oldham and Kelly Deal) who also added their parts from their homes, Understanding Land’s spare and muted arrangements are assembled from little more than acoustic guitar, strings and soft percussion, a setting that gives the various voices room to lift and breathe.

Eve Searls’ lead turn on Opportunity to Love might just break your heart, so beware, but this is DeCicca’s vision and he emerges as a grizzled troubadour of vision and heart. ‘I waited my turn to bloom again’ is Understanding Land’s closing line. Quite.

[Gary Kaill]

Playing Glasgow Art School on 6 Jun and Edinburgh Wee Red Bar on 7 Jun

jerrydaviddecicca.com

June 2014

The Air Between Words [Ninja Tune, 16 Jun]

RECORDS

The Top Five 1 2 3 4 5

Remember Remember

Forgetting The Present

The Phantom Band

Strange Friend

Parquet Courts

Sunbathing Animal

Taylor McFerrin

Early Riser

PAWS

Youth Culture Forever

Review

39

Clubbing Highlights Words: Ronan Martin Illustration: Verbals Picks

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e kick off in Glasgow where Subculture plays host to one of the most captivating live sets you’re likely to see for some time. Both distinguished producers in their own right, KiNK & Neville Watson’s collaborative project has been consistently fruitful since they first teamed up for 2008’s acid stormer Inside Out. Heavily indebted to classic Chicago house, but always advancing the form in their own way, the pair have continually came up trumps with releases for the likes of Rush Hour and Snuff Trax. Known to incorporate elements of DJing from turntables into their hybrid live sets, which also utilise an armoury of drum machines and hardware, Bulgarian native Strahil Velchek and UK counterpart Watson put a lot into their work – a welcome counterpoint to boring laptop-centric live performances. This one is not to be missed (7 Jun, Sub Club, £10-12).

On the same night, Tribal Pulse has an interesting double-bill lined up as they welcome the somewhat incongruent guest pairing of Italian Lorenzo Pavan AKA Johnny Kaos and contemporary Detroit’s leading light, Kyle Hall. The former produces unambiguous, bass-heavy rolling techno with a clear focus on peak-time dancefloor situations, while the latter has amassed a back catalogue traversing deep house, techno and, latterly, more UK-styled bass music. First coming to prominence with his debut release on Omar-S’ celebrated FXHE label, Hall has quickly become recognised as a torchbearer of the kind of rich electronic soul advanced by legendary Motor City mentors such as Theo Parrish and Moodymann (7 Jun, Saint Judes, £11 adv).

The following week, La Cheetah newcomers Ezup invite US maestro Todd Edwards to bring sunshine vibes to Max’s glorious sweatpit of a basement. Over a career spanning two decades, Edwards’ contributions to house music, particularly his upbeat vocal-driven brand of garage, have earned him many accolades. His recognisable four-to-the-floor style of production and infectious vocal reconstruction technique have made his name almost synonymous with the genre and he has been one of the most in demand remixers around for many years. Behind the decks, Edwards’ style is typically joyous so, if you’re looking for a Thursday night pick me up, you really need look no further than the one they call Todd “the God” (12 Jun, £8 adv).

Next up, we’re heading over to the Art School for the visit of Manchester-based producer Andy Stott. Advancing a style of dub-driven techno which exudes atmosphere and depth, Stott has been a stalwart of his hometown’s impeccable Modern Love outlet for around 10 years – commendable loyalty in an age rife with label-hopping and short-lived associations. Maintaining a fine balance between dancefloor-focused tracks, more cerebral fare and a smattering of experimental offerings, Andy Stott is a producer who has always ploughed his own furrow, blending elements of minimalism, acid house and abstract noise into his impressive back catalogue. The culmination of this developing sonic palette was the 2012 album Luxury Problems, a rich and accomplished release which cements Stott’s reputation as one of the most gifted underground UK producers around at the moment. This is a live set well worthy of your attendance (20 Jun, £8 adv/£9 on the door).

Moving on to Edinburgh, and the first night to float our boat comes courtesy of In Deep at Sneaky Pete’s, who have lined up a four hour set from local hero Lindsay Todd AKA House of Traps. Head honcho of Edinburgh’s celebrated Firecracker label and allied with the likes of Fudge Fingas and Linkwood, Todd has espoused

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Preview

a stretched out slow-mo form of deeply funky house jams which ooze with the vibe and warmth of vintage soul and disco. House of Traps DJ sets are pleasingly varied, with his staple deep house grooves complemented expertly with disco, acid and smatterings of techno. With four hours to do his thing, this set promises quite the journey (6 Jun, £5/members free).

Next up, the Karnival crew set up shop at the Liquid Rooms on 7 June. This month they welcome Glasgow’s Sub Club duo Harri & Domenic, currently celebrating 20 years of their beloved Subculture parties. James ‘Harri’ Harrigan and Domenic Cappello have been at the centre of Scotland’s underground club scene since its earliest days. Continually moving with the times, they have held their own alongside legendary guests such as Kerri Chandler and Lil’ Louis – both of whom joined them in toasting their milestone over the last month. Harri and Domenic are joined in the capital by the equally formidable pairing of Dan Monox and The Wasp AKA Dixon Avenue Basement Jams. Honing their craft over many years – not least during their stewardship of the mighty Monox club night – the duo have gained a wider audience over the past two years with the sterling DABJ label. Releasing raw, jacking house from the likes of Marquis Hawkes and Jared Wilson, Dixon Avenue Basement Jams have also recently cemented their status as gifted selectors with a fine mix for Jackmaster’s recent Essential Mix Glaswegian special. Expect tweaking acid jams and full-on percussive workouts.

Also on the bill is recent Moda Black signing Theo Kottis (£6 adv/£10 on the door).

A week before Modern Love’s Andy Stott hits Glasgow, the label’s similarly prolific production duo Demdike Stare take the stage at Edinburgh’s Mash House. When Sean Canty and Pendle Coven’s Miles Whittaker come together they emit a dark, richly-layered and, at times, downright unsettling blend of abstract drones, techno thuds and some of the creepiest samples ever woven together.

Their murky sound, aptly accompanied by dark album artwork and their occult-referencing production moniker, is often said to be perfectly suited to vintage horror films, conjuring images of witchcraft and macabre ancient rituals – though more danceable dub techno and bass-heavy house music nicely rounds off their sets. On a similarly abstract tip, Wolf Eyes’ Nate Young is also on hand to perform a live version of his Regression project – an immersive and ear-splitting journey through drones, white noise and wailing tones. A more sonically intense Friday 13th club experience you’re unlikely to find (13 Jun, £8-10).

Finally, we round off the month with a nod in the direction of Sneaky Pete’s for Coalition vs notsosilent, capably manned by Portsmouthbred house producer, Leon Vynehall. Over a busy two years, Vynehall has amassed an impressive back catalogue with tracks finding their way to receptive ears via trusted labels such as AUS and Martyn’s 3024. Drawing heavily from garage with his use of skewed melodic vocals and from bass music with his diverse rhythmic range, Vynehall also has a more subdued and deeper sensibility to much of his work. His recent 7-track, Music for the Uninvited, finds him incorporating lush strings into his tracks and showing his ability to make music which will resonate beyond the dancefloor. He is joined for this one by London’s Medlar, whose debut album Sleep was released through Wolf Music last year (29 Jun, £5).

With those only a selection of high points from an impressively packed June calendar, the traditional summer clubbing lull seems to be a thing of the past in Scotland. Long may it continue!

CLUBS

THE SKINNY

Beneath the Label: Head Front Panel This month we talk to Tabernacle co-founder, Andrew Ingram, about the label’s mysterious new techno venture

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n an age when genre boundaries are increasingly being broken down and cast to one side; when stylistic cross-pollination is producing more electronic labels with ever-expanding and multi-faceted remits, it can often be hard to find a sure thing to suit your own personal tastes.

That’s not to say the widening and deepening of the pool of possibility and experimentation within club music isn’t to be welcomed – far from it. Yet, sometimes it’s refreshing to come across a label with a firm focus – one which can quickly earn that prestigious ‘buy-on-sight’ status. After only four releases, pressed in limited runs of 150 copies, Head Front Panel is looking set to be one such gem.

Emerging earlier this year as a sub-label of the impeccable Tabernacle outlet, HFP focuses exclusively on techno – and blistering, no-holdsbarred techno at that. Released in pairs beginning in February, the series already has many pondering the identity of its anonymous contributors, such is the quality on offer thus far. In keeping with the finest traditions of faceless techno, the records appeared with little promotional fanfare, and in striking sleeves adorned with images of tribesmen in colourful ceremonial headdress.

Crucially, the music contained within each fourtrack offering has vindicated the decision to avoid over-hyped blurbs, and the bar has been set tantalisingly high for the remainder of the run. With the series gaining momentum, we caught up with Tabrnacle co-founder, Andrew Ingram to pick his brains about the label’s new venture.

Hi, Andrew! What’s new at Tabernacle HQ? The cat is enjoying the increasing amount of cardboard in the house – our first sub-label is in full swing. New artists have joined us from London and Holland. The perennials are suffering snail attack in the garden and we’re dusting off the BBQ. How did the concept for Head Front Panel develop and what was behind the decision to keep contributors anonymous?

We suddenly found ourselves sitting on an arsenal

June 2014

Interview: Ronan Martin

of techno. It would’ve taken us months to put it all out so we decided to detach it from Tabernacle.

The anonymity further separates the two labels, and we all felt it suited the tracks.

So far, the HFP records have tended towards a particularly full-on, frenetic brand of techno.

Is the plan to maintain that kind of momentum throughout the series?

That is the plan, yes. There is plenty of techno around as always, but not much like this.

Can you tell us about the idea for the artwork?

My dad went to Papua New Guinea in the 80s and brought us back some tourist guides on local festivals and celebrations. I found them the other month. The heads selected match the tracks – very colourful, tribal and wild.

The records seem to be shifting well. Will you look at repressing at any stage or are they strictly limited?

We’re not thinking about repressing anything at the moment. Once this project is finished, we look forward to moving onto something else.

What can you tell us about the events side of things?

We’re planning to make our Slabs parties more regular again, continuing our focus towards DJs playing on decks on tables, not ‘legend’ bookings.

Finally, what can we look forward to from Tabernacle and Head Front Panel in the coming months?

We’ve got plenty more electro coming up on Tabernacle, plus an EP with three great varied remixes of John Heckle by Call Super, Moon B and Vercetti Technicolor. Meanwhile the Head Front Panel series will continue to appear in pairs until the end of 2014. soundcloud.com/head-front-panel Listen to Andrew Ingram's new mix at mixcloud.com/ theskinny

CLUBS

Feature

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Best in Show This year’s degree show season is in sombre mood, demonstrating an art world solidarity in reverence to the devastating events at GSA. The year’s graduate exhibitions kick off with Dundee’s DJCAD and Edinburgh College of Art’s end of year displays

Ed Humphrey

DJCAD

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isiting the degree shows on the last day can be a poignant experience. The celebratory flowers that bloomed so brightly on that first day are now faded and wilting, filling the corridors with a weirdly funereal scent. Works that on the opening night were pristine are by now scuffed and bashed, in some unfortunate cases even broken down completely. Lesson learned – always go early.

One such example in this year’s Dundee show is Time Based Art’s Ryan Esson. His Void series is intriguing, photographic records showing coloured mist amidst trees and a personal statement revealing the Japanese-derived elemental inspiration behind the piece. His mirror-room installation upon which he was projecting these ethereal images is, unfortunately, by now roped off, the floor a maze of glass shards. A shame, it looked good.

Elsewhere in Time Based Art is Corpach, a collaborative project between Alan McIlrath and Jeppe Rohde. Billed as a prelude, the duo seek to take the short film to festivals through the magic of Kickstarter. The screening holds the audience in rapt attention, a temporally disorientating

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Review

story set in the Highlands blending folklore and reality to form a sort of Scottish Twin Peaks.

Exhibited nearby but flying the flag for Fine Art is Edward Humphrey with One Who Has Lost Forgetting. His film and sound work is immaculately presented on two razor sharp silver screens propped across the corners of a blackened room. Shots of landscapes, scientific instruments, animal skeletons, running horses and, somewhat discordantly, a bit of two person football spool across the screen beneath a multi-voiced narrative incorporating academic lectures, personal opinions and quotes from Shakespeare, Ballard, Darwin, and Total Recall.

That discordance is key – this is a meditative exploration of the fault lines between fiction, memory, reality; revealing their essential fallacies.

Next door, Abi Dryburgh’s Imaginative Geography explores notions of contemporary Orientalism and nostalgia in a pseudo-museum environment. She’s looked at the 90s cover imagery of video smash the Prince of Persia, and woven its likeness into a rug using the traditional Persian sehna knot technique, inhabiting the disconnect between a rich and complex

cultural history and the blockbuster shorthand that throws everything into largely racist polarities. She’s also created distorted wax likenesses of the heads of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, exhibited as though artefacts beneath toy kalashnikovs entitled Old Toys: Throwing Bricks from a Great Distance. An accompanying risograph-printed text meditates on the casual disposal of cultural history in a short dialogue about a brooch.

While some students strive to engage with universal truths, others focus on documenting the world around them. Craig Wright’s Gangs of Dundee celebrates the city’s turf wars with a series of Soviet-influenced screen prints celebrating the different tribes (‘Young Kirky Hoods Fuck Yer Jug’). His Plotting Table creates his very own war planner, with a map of the city and labelled wooden pieces for each of the gangs to mark out their territories. Viewers are encouraged to label their own, drawing on memories of teenaged marauding.

A further exploration of Dundonian culture is offered by Abby Blair, whose Conversation Pieces reveals a vast archive of local eavesdropping.

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Abby has been writing down snippets of overheard local conversations and has created a coffee table book, limited edition paperback and sound work playing in her space. Intriguing fragments are rendered more elusive by the vagaries of memory and omissions caused by freehand transcription. The resulting oral history of contemporary concerns reveals our time to be mostly nonsense.

It wouldn’t be a degree show without at least one explosion of the glitter bomb. Molly Jacobs’ space is a riot of colour and positive thinking, literally festooned with streamers. There’s a giant multicoloured caterpillar, some scaled up pink gums (is that a Claes Oldenburg reference?), naïvely painted portraits and entreaties to be happy daubed on the walls. “Would you like a nipple?” says the artist, handing out stickers of presumably her own (pierced) nipple, to her disconcerted viewers.

Degree shows, eh? Sometimes it’s best just to accept. [Rosamund West]

THE SKINNY

ECA

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f the thought of exposing your soul to the chinstroking scrutiny of the public makes you want to curl up and hide then you will appreciate the feat bravely faced by the graduating students at ECA. Distilling years of investigation and graft into a digestible form to be hastily consumed over the nine day mega-exhibition that is the degree show is one thing; but to remain defiantly visible amongst over 500 co-habiting artists and designers evidently necessitates carving out a niche.

The perennial shed, shack or MDF installation (often inhabited by semi-fictitious mad professors, obsessive-collectors or dreamlike entities) seems to provide a bunker-like cocoon in which to shelter a body of work from crosscontamination. Here, the visiting public can tentatively venture into the intimate territory of the artist’s state of mind. Sadly, few use the roomwithin-a-room device with as much conceptual rigour as Seamus Killick who, in exposing the public/private dichotomy of what artists select to lay bare (and what to self-censor), implies the difficulty of curating a rich, if sometimes unsettling, resource: in his case, a rare and prolific drawing talent nurtured over a lifetime.

Many shared studios display museumquality curation, bringing out the best in already strong work: Suzie Sutton’s soft, delicate oils examine the film noir-ish architectural spaces which literally underpin the UK’s art establishment. Nearby, daylight filtering through the display space plays real-time tricks with Archibald Stewart‘s false-shadows, adding extra intrigue to his expertly-crafted pieces. The light touch in Gavin Blackhurst’s drawings benefits from this stripped-back presentation where an obsessive domestic hobbyist or collector is implicit without reliance on a contextualising space.

Crossing the threshold into Sculpture means traversing JDA Winslow’s virtual boundary between Scotland and England – the only obvious suggestion that the fate of the nation is playing on any of the current flock’s minds; otherwise the political remains resolutely personal.

Richard Phillips-Kerr finds a space to simultaneously hide in a cupboard and live-project his own alabaster coloured flesh onto a full body cast.

Meanwhile, with a more formalist investigation into body-politics, Natasha Ferguson makes succinct experiments with skins, surfaces and noninvasive bodily manipulation. With a ‘slap-crack!’ sound her half-inflated exercise ball wobbles as pleasingly as a smacked arse. Paloma Proudfoot, who benefits from an enviable solo space does it full justice. Her sensitive tailoring of bodily ‘containers’ is paired with sculptural lines drawn around a challenging architectural interior; asserting her ability to conflate the two seemingly disparate areas of investigation.

Stepping out into the open, Arran Rahimian invokes the giants of Land Art within the confines of the studio. His references come from refreshing viewpoints – including that of the ant, which transforms a diminutive metal bar into a Richard Serra-like construction. Hyper-real trompe-l’œil arrangements of photographs on aluminium partnered with their ‘live’ subject is a simple idea rendered extraordinary by a masterful use of media.

In the sprawling corridor where the MFA show is underway highlights include Eóin McCormack’s big, ballsy canvasses and the cloudbusting Jessica Ramm, who casts her magical realism over a 1.4 tonne boulder to skilfully jeuje-up environmental art. Intrepid degree show explorers seeking a space to escape their humdrum lives or to rest their weary bones would be advised to venture into exotica! Here, Suzanne

Leah Pendleton

Van der Lingen’s vivid prints lure us towards spliced vintage footage which seems to radiate humid jungle air into the tarpaulin-covered Cinema space. Hers is one of many excellent research projects executed across print and online media allowing impressive bodies of work to extend far beyond the physical reach of the degree shows.

I often wonder if the inspiration for Cornelia Parker‘s seminal piece in which she blew up and reassembled a garden shed and all its contents had occurred after one-too-many a degree show;

all too often we see delicate draftsmanship or theatrical magic swallowed-up by hiding in fusty, superfluous huts. In contrast and unconstrained by any particular location, Wack Jigley’s crude, life-size marionettes use the whole Art School as their playground. Jigley might lack the forensic eye of Parker but the charm of his black tie interlopers embodies the spirit of the most gallant art school graduate: the persistent drive for new experience signifies that they are unafraid to break out of the box, even if it means getting caught with their pants down. [Kate Andrews}

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Own Art: Videos

T

his month sees the launch of a new extension of the Own Art column, branching out into the multimedia world in the form of a bespoke video series exploring the role collection plays in the lives of artists, galleries and the collectors themselves. Initiated by The Skinny and produced by Glasgow film company Forest of Black, the series roams the Scottish visual arts scene, interviewing participants from across the gallery spectrum to find out why owning art could prove crucial in continuing to foster a fertile and successful contemporary art scene north of the border.

At RSA New Contemporaries, some of the graduate artists share what it means to them to have their work purchased. Painter Rosie Brotherwood explains, “It kind of spurs you on, to think that someone actually likes it enough to put it in their house or their office. It makes you want to do more work.”

Director Colin Greenslade elaborates, “[Collecting emerging artists] at this early part of their career reinforces to them that they are able to be artists, that they have the ability to engage with people, that people want to part with money in order to keep a little bit of them with them.

“It’s so difficult when you come out of art school, to make that leap from being in an institution to finding your feet, finding a studio.

Finding the impetus to keep going when you’re

not surrounded by your peer group quite so readily any longer. So it’s really important that there are these opportunities for artists, to keep them involved and keep them working towards something.”

Kirstie Skinner, director of Outset Scotland, offers a detailed guide to the various projects the new philanthropic organisation has supported in Scotland of late. These include the Collective Gallery’s series of artist walks, launched to coincide with the gallery’s relocation up Calton Hill, and the Common Guild-curated Scotland + Venice presentation at last year’s Biennale, which Outset helped to facilitate. On the subject of collection, Skinner says “Although our main focus is philanthropy, we are keen to do what we can to encourage collecting in Scotland. It’s crucial for artists, in order to make a living here, for their galleries to thrive here, that there is a wider collector base than exists at the moment. What I loved about the shared collecting idea was that it would make that kind of collecting accessible to more people, and that there were conversations about collecting that were inherent to that model.”

This shared collecting idea is demonstrated

by The Collective, a group of friends and relatives who founded an art cooperative 12 years ago with the aim of buying and sharing higher value works of contemporary art. They now have

Rosie Brotherwood

60 works, rotated regularly between them. Says founder Bob Lee, “Contemporary art shouldn’t be restricted to just wealthy people, it should be open to everyone. And I think the Own Art model where you can spread the cost of an artwork over 10 months is a fantastic opportunity and an entry into collecting contemporary visual art.”

Skinner elaborates on the responsibilities of collecting. “You’re holding things in trust, for that

artist and for the culture as it evolves, because that work is never static. The longer you have it, the more complex its significance is.”

The various strands of the burgeoning Scottish collecting community are further explored in films on Spin, Street Level Photoworks and Art Pistol. You can view them online at ownart.org.uk/how-to-start

Galleries across Scotland are members of the Own Art scheme. By offering interest-free loans of £100-£2,500 through Own Art, buying an original piece of quality contemporary art or craft couldn’t be easier. For more information about Own Art and a list of participating galleries see the Own Art website: www.ownart.org.uk

Offer subject to age and status. Terms and conditions apply. You will need a UK bank account that can handle direct debits, proof of identity and address, and you will also need to be over 18. Own Art is an Arts Council England initiative operated by Creative Sector Services CIC, a Community Interest Company registered in England and Wales under number 08280539. Registered address: 2-6 Cannon Street, London EC4M 6YH.

Look for the pink logo. (representative 0% APR)

249 West George Street Glasgow G2 4QE

June 2014

ART

Review

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June Film Events

Mistaken for Strangers

Chef

Camille Claudel 1915

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Director: Jon Favreau Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson Released: 27 Jun Certificate: 15

Chef centres on Casper, a cook, once the darling of the LA food scene, who’s stuck in a rut churning out uninspired nosh for his philistine restaurateur paymaster (Dustin Hoffman). Sound familiar? Chef is directed by and stars Jon Favreau, once the darling of the US indie scene (Swingers, Made), who’s now stuck in a rut churning out uninspired movies (Iron-Man 2, Cowboys & Aliens) for his philistine paymaster, Hollywood.

Favreau’s picture doesn’t represent the filmmaking rehabilitation its meta plot alludes to, but it’s a step in the right direction. Bright and breezy, Chef ’s strongest elements are the blokey kitchen-line banter and the sweetly rendered relationship between Casper and his estranged son, whom the crestfallen chef goes on the road with in a clapped-out taco van to rediscover his culinary mojo. A subplot involving Casper’s social media naïvety and a public spat with a critic lifted straight from Ratatouille, however, is absurd – even more so than the notion Scarlett Johansson’s sommelier would be falling at Casper’s feet. [Jamie Dunn]

Director: Bruno Dumont Starring: Juliette Binoche, Jean-Luc Vincent Released: 20 Jun Certificate: TBC The contemporary king of grim French cinema, director Bruno Dumont’s latest, the stark Camille Claudel 1915, is based on personal letters and medical records regarding the lengthy institutionalisation of Camille Claudel (Binoche), the former sculptor who developed schizophrenia.

The film follows Camille through her daily banalities, as a stellar Binoche conveys subtleties in even the most vacant stares. Dumont’s casting of non-actors with mental illness doesn’t come across as exploitative as it sounds in theory, though there’s an occasional emphasis on ‘otherness’ conveyed through extended shots of Claudel’s resigned reactions to her fellow inmates’ peculiarities that certainly aggravate. The film stops dead in its tracks with the introduction of stout Catholic brother Paul Claudel (Vincent), a curious result considering that the minimal drama the film has stems from whether his promised visit will actually take place. His extensive intellectual rhapsodising veers the film away from its more complicated and compelling look at a troubled woman silently struggling with how both society and her health have shaped her fate. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Cheap Thrills

Mistaken for Strangers

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Director: E.L.Katz Starring: Pat Healy, David Koechner, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton Released: 6 Jun Certificate: 15

Director: Tom Berninger Starring: Tom Berninger, Matt Berninger, The National Released: 27 Jun Certificate: 15

How much money would it take to get you to do something totally depraved, like hack off your own finger? Everyone has their price in E.L. Katz’s twisted comedy, as old friends Craig (Healy) and Vince (Embry) are propositioned by a peculiar but loaded couple in a bar and lured into performing increasingly demented stunts, trading dignity for wads of crisp cash. Soon, in ménage-a-madness they return to Colin (Koechner) and Violet’s (Paxton) opulent abode, to perform for more ready money.

On a superficial level, Cheap Thrills is exactly that; a low-budget black comedy that delivers knuckle-munching moments of anxiety. Delve a little deeper though, and there is something Darwinian that will resonate with every generation X-er’s post-recession rawness. These characters are achingly familiar, a reminder that all of us are willing to play our own private, primal games of commerce and sacrifice to get what we want from life.

[Kirsty Leckie-Palmer]

”I feel like I’m on the outside looking in,” opines Tom Berninger, halfway through this brilliantly idiosyncratic documentary in which he is both the director and star. Hired as a roadie for brooding indie rockers The National, a band fronted by his older brother Matt, Tom spends much of the movie enviously orbiting his employers as they bask in the adulation of a devoted fan base and attend private audiences with Barack Obama. The viewer can’t help but share Tom’s sentiments while being shown life on the road from his perspective, but the film takes a disarming turn in its second act.

When his immature behaviour results in him being relieved of his services on tour, the kvetching knucklehead returns home to lick his wounds and sift through hours of recently acquired documentary footage. What emerges is a surprisingly weighty meditation on success and self-actualisation that renders Mistaken for Strangers altogether more thoughtful and touching than the average hilarious rockumentary. [Lewis Porteous]

Of Horses and Men

Fruitvale Station

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Director: Benedict Erlingsson Starring: Ingvar E. Sigurðsson, Charlotte Bøving Released: 13 Jun Certificate: TBC The horse is a decidedly cinematic beast; aesthetically and symbolically rich, its uneasy alliance with man is instantly and almost universally recognisable across cultures and epochs. Traditionally sacrificed for art, notably in Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev and Haneke’s Time of the Wolf, horse lovers will be relieved to know that though the equine body count is more than zero on screen, no animals were actually harmed in the making of this bizarre, offbeat Icelandic gem.

A weaving of roughly six vignettes, Of Horses and Men – Iceland’s official submission to the most recent Oscars – deftly crafts a darkly comic portrait of rural Iceland mores. Here, all life revolves around local, wild horses that are seasonally tamed; it’s an idiosyncratically Icelandic way of living. An uneasy triumvirate emerges between the harsh Nordic environs, beast and man: each element primal and civilised to varying degrees.

Ultimately, the film is a mediation of our world through an equine gaze, celebrating and critiquing the unequal alliance between horse and human.

[Rachel Bowles]

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Review

There’s a special screening of Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets, streaming from Sheffield Film Festival, across cinemas in Scotland on 7 June. Documenting the iconic 90s band’s farewell concert in Sheffield in December 2012, the film features access-all-areas footage of the gig and exclusive interviews. It also pays special attention to the city itself, offering a portrait of both the band and the place that shaped it. The film will be followed by a special satellite Q&A with Jarvis Cocker and the rest of Pulp, hosted by comedian Adam Buxton.

Director: Ryan Coogler Starring: Michael B Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer Released: 6 Jun Certificate: 15 The difficulty with dramatising true life events – particularly incendiary ones from the recent past – is knowing just how much fiction to infuse in that reality. It’s a problem that haunts debut writer-director Ryan Coogler’s otherwise assured depiction of the hours preceding Oscar Grant’s tragic death at the hands of Bay Area Rapid Transit police on New Year’s Day, 2009.

Michael B. Jordan plays Grant and we follow his last 24 hours as he struggles to support his young family and kick a life of crime that’s already seen him serve time. Jordan’s subtle performance impresses, and the aesthetic is raw and vital, but there’s clumsiness to the storytelling Fruitvale Station struggles to overcome. There are several scenes of wilful sentimentality, clunky foreshadowing and faintly crass attempts to elevate Grant to martyrdom that really disappoint, given admirable efforts to maintain naturalism and a respectful tone elsewhere. It’s an emotive film about an emotive incident, but an unmolested account of Grant’s demise could have had so much more impact. [Chris Fyvie]

FILM

Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets

From Pulp to Pulp Fiction: Tarantino fans should head to the Cameo in Edinburgh for a special triple-bill feature (7 June). With Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown also showing, it’s a great opportunity to see some of the writer-director’s most acclaimed films, each paying homage to the glory days of exploitation, on the big screen – put on your finest black suit and tie, grab a Royale with cheese, and settle in for an evening of cult classics.

The CCA in Glasgow is showing a selection of films by Chantal Akerman, described as “the most important European filmmaker of her generation” by film critic J. Hoberman. News From Home, a film essay shot on the streets of New York, is preceded by experimental short La Chambre (4 Jun), while Je, Tu, Il, Elle is showing on 10 June. The latter, Akerman’s breakthrough feature, explores themes of sexuality, self and otherness, and will be introduced by Professor Karen Boyle.

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of Jaws: it’s honoured as the first summer blockbuster, and turned cheap monster movies into big budget Hollywood productions. It became the highest grossing film of all time (until Star Wars two years later) and made everyone pick inland holiday destinations for years. You can see it in all its (admittedly dated) glory at the GFT (10 Jun), where it’s screening as part of Glasgow Science Festival – and it’s educational too, with a special Q&A session with a panel of marine biologists following the movie.

Anyone who thinks alcohol can benefit the moviegoing experience should head to the Grosvenor, where two special screenings are happening: celebrating the 30th anniversary of Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero, the film is accompanied by a whisky tasting (14 Jun). If the water of life’s not to your taste, there’s a wine tasting (18 Jun) following a screening of comedy Bottle Shock, starring Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, charting the rise of the California wine industry.

[Becky Bartlett]

THE SKINNY

Boomerang!

Delivery Man

The Rocket

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Director: Elia Kazan Starring: Dana Andrews, Lee J. Cobb Released: Out now Certificate: PG

Boomerang!, from 1947, is an early example of ‘docunoir’ – a sub-genre in which facts from a real-life incident are used as framework for exploring film noir staples like violence and corruption. The street murder of a priest opens the film and sends shockwaves through the small Connecticut town of its setting.

Police are pressured to issue swift justice, and all witnesses from that night identify an antsy out-of-towner and WWII vet as the gunman.

The authorities believe they have the right man, but Dana Andrews’ District Attorney starts to have doubts after meeting the accused in person. Shot on location rather than studio sets, Elia Kazan’s third feature is a confident affair, bolstered by a particularly strong supporting cast (Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden) that enriches the margins of this socially conscientious procedural, one that offers a gripping and only occasionally spotty critique of small-town America. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Director: Ken Scott Starring: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt Released: 9 Jun Certificate: 12 Adding another feckless manchild to his dubious performance portfolio, Delivery Man finds Vince Vaughn in uncharacteristically likeable form. He plays David Wozniak, a big-hearted dupe landed with two paternity bombshells in quick succession: girlfriend Emma (a wasted Cobie Smulders) is expecting a baby, and, more improbably, he already has 533 children as a result of sperm donations made 20 years prior. He responds to the latter news by hiring browbeaten best friend and underachieving lawyer Brett (Chris Pratt) to fight for his legal right to anonymity.

Important lessons about responsibility follow in predictable, exceedingly sentimental fashion.

Neither convincing enough to work as drama nor humorous enough to satisfy as comedy, Delivery Man fails to capitalise on its high concept setup. Supporting characters are acutely one-dimensional, and a gushy conclusion attempts an emotional payoff that the slack build-up simply doesn’t merit. [Chris Buckle]

Sullivan’s Travels

Nashville

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Director: Preston Sturges Starring: Joel McCrea Released: Out now Certificate: PG Opening with a film within a film’s ending, director and million dollar talent John L. Sullivan (John McCrea) is looking to abandon the mainstream cinema of the Great Depression, the light-hearted diversions of comedies and musicals, and create a masterpiece of contemporary social comment by filming O Brother Where Art Thou? Sullivan sheds his bourgeois threads and dresses as a penniless tramp. In a downtrodden diner, Sullivan meets “the Girl” (Veronica Lake), a failed actress ready to abandon Hollywood, who takes pity on Sullivan in disguise and buys him some breakfast.

Sullivan’s Travels is a classic screwball Hollywood comedy, with snappy lines, slapstick and silly humour that doesn’t let up, even when the film lurches uneasily into tragedy. A seminal postmodern film, Sullivan’s Travels is self-reflexive about Hollywood, cinema and why we watch comedies. [Rachel Bowles]

Book of The Month: For Faughie’s Sake

By Laura Marney

rrrrr Glaswegian Trixie returns in this brilliant sequel to No Wonder I Take A Drink, sick of the mud, midges and cliques of Highland village Inverfaughie. In an effort to secure a license for her B&B – her financial ticket back to Glasgow – she joins the local council, becoming unwillingly embroiled in village politics.

What begins with petty backbiting over village hall bookings suddenly becomes imbued with much deeper significance when an ancient document is uncovered, which offers a radical new vision for Faughie’s future.

Laura Marney’s fifth novel is hilarious. In Trixie she has created an authentic, likeable heroine whose wry perspective will resonate with anyone familiar with rural life’s joys and frustrations. Marney draws genuine, awkward relationships between the Inverfaughie citizens; from the curses and kindnesses of the bearded stuntmen staying in Trixie’s B&B, to the teenage son who joins the local commune, to the painful love affairs which remain long secret for fear of incurring village disapproval.

As huge political issues play out in this isolated village, the reader, like Trixie herself, is drawn inexorably to care about the characters and Faughie’s future. Blunt, honest and perceptive, For Faughie’s Sake brings much needed warmth and humour to the independence debate. [Ceris Aston] Out now, Published by Saraband, RRP £8.99

Director: Kim Mordaunt Starring: Sitthiphon Disamoe Released: 30 Jun Certificate: 12

The Rocket ’s title refers to a traditional Lao festival: a rambunctious celebration at which participants compete to see who can blast their home-made missiles furthest skywards.

The plucky efforts of ten-year-old Ahlo, hoping to reverse the bad fortune superstitiously believed to have haunted him since birth, makes for a stirring conclusion to a lively piece of magic realism. Yet shadowing the film’s feel-good aspects is another, wholly insidious kind of explosive – the innumerable tons of undetonated ordnance that litter Laos’s landscape as a result of indiscriminate US bombing during the Vietnam War. Australian writer/director Kim Mordaunt handles his first foray into fiction filmmaking with considerable skill, sensitively executing sharp shifts in tone (from childish exuberance to stinging tragedy and back again) and eliciting an exceptional performance from first-time actor Sitthiphon Disamoe. [Chris Buckle]

if....

Director: Robert Altman Starring: David Arkin Released: 16 Jun Certificate: 15

Nashville, Robert Altman’s 1975 masterpiece set over five days at a country and western festival, is full of contradictions. It’s an epic, running two and a half hours, yet it’s constructed entirely from small, personal dramas. Each character, be they a C&W diva (Ronee Blakley), a ditzy BBC reporter (Geraldine Chaplin) or a runaway housewife (Barbara Harris), feels fully formed; their individual vignettes, all vital within the giant tapestry, build to a compelling state-of-the-nation address to a country still reeling from Vietnam and Watergate.

This is a jigsaw movie that breaks all of cinema’s rules (of narrative, sound, structure) but within the loose sprawl Altman never loses sight of his characters, their passions and their heartbreak. The tunes are first-rate too. If a fire was ever to engulf the American Film Institute’s archive, this should be one of the first prints pulled from the flames. [Jamie Dunn]

Director: Lindsay Anderson Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Wood Released: 9 Jun Certificate: 15

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Lindsay Anderson’s if... centres on an elite boarding school populated by subservient pupils and fascistic ‘whips’. Malcolm McDowell plays Mick Travis, one student who marches to his own drum. It doesn’t take long to spot he’s a troublemaker: his hair is too long, his shoulders too slouched, his walls plastered with iconic figures of rebellion – Guevara and Lenin.

Mick targets the school hierarchy for retribution, which is carried out in a blistering magical-realist finale. However, the real target here is the British establishment – blithe, complacent and complicit. The film’s beauty is not so much in the anger and passion – though those are powerful enough – but the flourishes that lift it beyond British social realism and into the realms of the kind of cinema pioneered a decade earlier by the French New Wave: anarchic, funny, and incandescent with rage. [Sam Lewis]

The Last Tiger

The Dead Beat

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By Tony Black

By Doug Johnstone

The premise at least is intriguing: a family relocates from Lithuania to Tasmania in 1910. The father is a shepherd, but he’s adept at hunting Tasmanian tigers and is exalted for it. His son, Myko (to which the first person narrative belongs), is captivated by these semi-mythical beasts and feels compelled to save them from extinction. The tension between father and son is thus pulled taught: the old man trying to make a new life work, the sensitive boy desperate to stop him. The mother, caught between the two, cries a lot.

The prose, though, is overcooked, sludgy and over-seasoned with simile: ‘My mother held me, tight as a saddle belt, where I stood. “My Myko… you have come back to me,” she said. I saw her spirits rise, as surely as cream rises to the surface of a milk-pail, but then, suddenly her voice changed.’ In between things ‘suddenly’ happening, the characters shuffle around and talk the plot to each other. For instance, Mother sees Father with his pocketwatch and says, ‘It was your father’s.’ One might assume he already knew that. It’s all symptomatic of a writer who doesn’t trust the reader’s imagination – and without that subtlety, the thing groans beneath its dead weight, descending into melodrama.

[Galen O’Hanlon] Out 5 Jun, Published by Cargo Publishing, RRP £8.99

Martha Fluke has just been assigned to the ‘dead beat’ – the obituaries desk of an Edinburgh newspaper in decline, and her dead father’s former place of work. As she learns the ropes, hoping to gain a career in journalism, she is drawn further and further into a web of half-truths and white lies which could unravel her sanity, family history, and new career. She discovers some shocking facts about what life was like back in the era of Walkmans and grunge bands; before smart phones and the internet.

Doug Johnstone’s new novel shows an Edinburgh as seen through the eyes of present-day twenty-somethings, and he evokes it vividly. But the other half of the novel is rooted in the indie scene of early 90s Edinburgh, and Johnstone’s clever interweaving of the two time periods allows for some masterful suspense.

While not as poignant and heart-stopping as the magnificent Gone Again, or as unforgettable as the gangster-laden, painkiller-powered thrill ride of Hit and Run, The Dead Beat still sees Johnstone in fine stride, and in Martha Fluke, he has the perfect foil through which to view the bands, songs, technology and culture of his own mis-spent youth. Her soliloquys on cassettes, The Breeders and Teenage Fanclub charm effortlessly. As ever, Edinburgh is a central character, her geography tightly coiled around the plot’s serpentine twists and turns. This is superior crime fiction, a level up from the repetitive procedurals and thinly-veiled politicising of more mainstream tartan noir. [Bram E. Gieben] Out now, published by Faber and Faber, £12.99

June 2014

FILM / BOOKS

The Four Marys: A Quartet of Contemporary Folk Tales

By Jean Rafferty

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Mary, meaning bitter and rebellion, is a name which carries much baggage. We have Mary Magdalene and her namesake, the Mother of God – whores and virgins, those cruel binary stereotypes. Jean Rafferty shows all those vivid hues in between in this quartet of contemporary Scottish folk tales; each intrinsically womanly while avoiding delicate femininity.

The third person prose of a skilled bedtime storyteller lures us into pitch black fables, with well formed floral similes running in synch with their themes; ‘vulvular’ petals of lilies, and roses ‘whose ruffled petals... so much resembled the inner crevices of their own bodies.’ Regular acidic twists curdle these tart and bitter stories; they are gutsy and red-blooded – the blood of both birth and death – with cycle of life narratives comparable to George Mackay Brown’s.

Do ‘a’ women want a wean?’ the author asks unflinchingly. Why the sea of fertility for some, yet a cruel, childless landscape for others? And how will obsession and longing force her characters to remedy this?

Tetralogies can be lopsided, as proved here.

The first three stories are merely very good, the titular fourth tale is superb. In it, the plates of myth and legend move above and below each other over centuries. Our famous Mary Queen of Scots, with her consorts, link with a modern Mariana who attends a wonderfully realised Edinburgh Newtown party of such stifling and grotesque pomposity that the famous decapitation sounds preferable. [Alan Bett]

Review

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Branded Commuter

and, as the piece moves forward, it continues to offer a hilarious take on the branding and consumerism that saturates our lives.

From branded ninja-like characters armed rrrrr with paper shredders to a comical interpretation The end of the academic year at The Space, of animal mating calls that hints at our tendency the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, is to conform, the ideas of Branded Commuter are marked by a performance showcasing work by both fun and clever and it is clear that the cast both teaching staff and guest choreographers. enjoy being a part of this work. After all, there are Aaron Jeffrey, Edinburgh-based dance artist not many pieces where you will see a dancer duet and Artistic Director of Flesh Collective, is one with a shopping trolley. The students are strong of the choreographers working with the final dancers and their comic timing, vital in this year BA Honours students. This year, the guest piece, is near perfect. choreographers include Aaron Jeffrey, Scottish However, behind the bright colours of these Dance Theatre’s Matthew Robinson, Thomas tracksuit-clad, after-hours office workers lies a Small of SmallPetitKlein and John Ross, one of more serious note on the relentless and exhaustthe current recipients of the New Adventures ing drive of the consumerist lifestyle. While the Choreographer Award. message is clear, Jeffrey does not let it distract Inspired by observation of the stereotypical from the overriding upbeat tone of the piece. It office worker, Branded Commuter opens with a is wrapped up with a party, an endless flow of suited stream of dancers crossing the stage, eyes brands and logos flitting across the backdrop fixed straight ahead, intent on their own busiwhile the audience are treated to one of the most ness. In the background, an abstract projection comical interpretations of Bonnie Tyler’s Total suggests the bright city lights that accompany Eclipse of The Heart. [Rachel Elderkin] this daily traffic. It is an opening that effectively Run ended picks up on the robotic rhythm of commuting

King’s Theatre

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For a relatively inexperienced opera-goer, the pared-back darkness of Dominic Hill’s Macbeth is an incredibly bracing experience. From the moment you catch glimpse of a set that is faintly military in sparseness behind a large white sheet hung across the stage, the sense of this work is heavily apparent. Brought to life by Scottish Opera, the troubling tale of Macbeth’s rise and fall rings out forcefully from this bunker-like room, whose walls see untold violence, indecision and madness over the course of the 2 hour and 40 minute run. The artistry of Verdi’s decadent score is in dramatic tension with Dominic Hill’s somewhat heavy-handed aesthetic – from the use of candles to the blood the witches spread triumphantly across the walls as they wait for Macbeth.

Although the weak points in this macabre retelling of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved tales are painfully apparent, there are brilliant moments of tenderness as well, such as when the servant lights candles to honour the dead or when Lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to follow his dark destiny. The show features some truly magnificent operatic performances, the most

46

Review

notable being Elisabeth Meister’s Lady Macbeth, whose madness is as perfectly pitched as her solos, and whose histrionic influence over Macbeth functions as his downfall. Macduff is performed with similar skill and nuance, his character is both hearty and likeable throughout the entirety of the performance, although the same could not be said of the one-dimensional performances given by the three witches.

This performance of Macbeth can be shocking in its force when it succeeds, but when it falters, the misdirected stage work is palpable, drawing attention to its generous run time. The scene in which Macbeth slays Banquo lacks any tension or purpose, and Hill’s bizarre use of child actors throughout the piece is most noticeable when Macbeth glimpses Banquo’s family through a door which seems intended to denote the boundary between the earthly realm and that of heaven. The image of somber children in grey pyjamas is confusing at best and overwrought at worst. Although there is little that could take away from Verdi’s stunning score, or the excellence with which it is executed, this particular performance of Macbeth seems a mixed bag, that doesn’t do its composer, writer and director justice. [Dale Neuringer] Run ended

To celebrate the 30th year of their existence, Dudendance take on the outdoors with their latest physical theatre production called Borderlands. As the title suggests, this involves a series of site-specific performances in the Scottish Borders. More specifically, Dudendance plan to perform Borderlands in three abbeys in Kelso, Jedburgh and Dryburgh. These three lie along the Borders Abbeys way, a circular route 68 miles long that links the four ruined abbeys of Kelso, Jedburgh, Dryburgh and Melrose.

Historically, these abbeys have been used by various religious orders since medieval times, and then inevitably were caught in the middle of the wars between Scotland and England.

Eventually, destroyed by the Reformation, the remarkable structures left behind are a testament to the constant disputes over the territory, this seems an ideal place for Dudendance’s interpretation of invasion and conquest. It coincides

nicely with the hundred-year commemoration of World War I, and the Scottish independence referendum. With costumes designed by Heather MacCrimmon and inspired by Renaissance paintings and minimal technical production, the experience promises a fresh perspective on both performance and history, as well as haunting visuals.

However, Borderlands is not the only event the Aberdeenshire-based company are hosting for their 30th. The company is also putting together a special event for the Queen’s baton relay in the same month, as well as a sculpture workshop in July. Dudendance’s celebration will be wrapped up at the Huntly Halloween Festival, during which the Borderlands piece will be reimagined inside Huntly Castle.

[Eric Karoulla] Check Listings for times and prices

Mayfesto: HEART

Mayfesto: HEART The Tron

rrrrr ZENDEH’s latest production, HEART tries to tackle two themes at the same time: the love triangle between an Iranian woman, a Syrian man and an English man, and the revolution in Iran of the 1950s. Leili (Serena Manteghi) falls for the poet Kais (Tarrick Benham), but has to leave Iran because of his growing fame and obsession. Shortly after, once in Durham, she meets charming older man Arthur (Matt Jamie), and marries him. When Arthur gets posted to Tehran on “business,” the plot unravels.

The lines between the characters and their respective countries are clear, perhaps too clear.

It is obvious when the characters switch back and forth between the personal narrative, and the grander, more symbolic one. Even so, the play becomes burdened with repetition of facts, phrases, and symbols, including a pomegranate,

THEATRE

and the sleeping pills Leili was given by her doctor (“I like to know I have the option...”). The long speeches seem to slow down the action a great deal, losing any sense of tension. Also, it seems bizarre to hear Leili speak on behalf of the Iranian people. While her national identity is not in question, the fact that she would take responsibility for her countrymen and countrywomen seems out of place, especially when a great deal of the time, she and the other two characters seem to be doing what is expected of them rather than taking control of their own actions like Leili does at the end.

Overall, HEART seems an intelligent production, and although it seems to drag on towards the end, the story is captivating of its own accord. Although it does occasionally seem to get bogged down by politics, the simplicity of the symbolism allows for the tale to be interpreted on many levels – both personal and political. [Eric Karoulla]

THE SKINNY

Photo: Jemima Yong

Scottish Opera’s Macbeth

On Tour: Borderlands

Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Scottish Opera's Macbeth

Borderlands

Photo: Ian Holm

The Space, Scottish School of Contemporary Dance

Glasgow Music Tue 03 Jun

NIGHT BEATS (LOS TENTAKILLS + HALFRICAN + AL LOVER DJ)

STEREO, 19:30–22:00, Œ8 ADV. (Œ10 DOOR)

Experimental psych-rock/garage/ soul trio from Seattle, led by guitarist and vocalist Lee Blackwell, marking what will be their first Scottish headline show.

LIGRE

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Alternative noisemakers sounding like a love-in between Daft Punk and Trans Am. SON LUX (SUN GLITTERS)

BROADCAST, 20:00–23:00, £7

Post rock/alterntaive hip hop from Ryan Lott, taking to the stage under his Son Lux moniker.

THE PHANTOM BAND

THE ART SCHOOL, 20:00–22:30, £10

Putting various side projects on the back-burner, the group reunite to continue their unholy fusing of indie, folk and krautrock styles.

Wed 04 Jun

LITTLE BARRIE (GIL DE RAY)

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £10

Nottingham-formed trio (since relocated to London) riding along on a mix of garage rock, r’n’b, surf and psychedelia sounds.

GIRL BAND

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Irish post-punk hotshots currently getting NME’s pants in a twist.

VERSES

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, Œ8

Brighton rockers of the evocative variety, taking to the road in celebration of the release of their debut LP. FUTURE ISLANDS

SWG3, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

The mighty Maryland outfit do their badass new-wave pop thing, with funk-inflected lead singer Sam Herring likely growling his way through the set.

ACODA

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

The Corby-based foursome do their metal with an alternative edge thang.

Thu 05 Jun HOWLING BELLS

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £9

Aussie four-piece fronted by the kitten-sized Juanita Stein, built on gravelly yelps and sexy guitar swirls.

STRUGGLE (ALBURN + LENIN DEATH MASK)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Monthly punk and post hardcore selection of bands from DIY collective Struggletown.

BIRD (MONICA)

BROADCAST, 19:00–23:00, £5

Liverpudlian trio fusing sirenesque vocals, hypnotic drum beats and intricate guitar work into one haunting whole.

THE METEORS

CLASSIC GRAND, 18:30–23:00, £15

English psychobilly outfit formed way back in’t day (aka 1980).

DIRT DIAMOND (GRAEME EDMISTON DJ)

13TH NOTE, 20:30–23:00, FREE

Solo musician built on an eclectic mix of electro styles, covering everything from down tempo to drum’n’bass.

Fri 06 Jun

PAWS (BLACK COP + CHUMP)

THE ART SCHOOL, 19:00–22:00, £9

The Glasgow noisemakers of the tropical thrash variety cart their wares to a gig setting in celebration of the release of their second LP, Youth Culture Forever.

LARRY MILLER

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

Hard-rockin’ bluesman known for this mesmerising guitar playing served at high octane.

BABY STRANGE (FUTURE GLUE + THE ROCKALLS)

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, Œ7

Hyped Glasgow indie crew with decidedly dark credentials.

SUGO

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

Italian trashy disco soundscapes for your Friday night pleasure.

June 2014

MEADOWLARK KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6.50

Three piece folk outfit made up of Kate, Carl and Daniel, touring their debut EP, Three Six Five.

THE SENSES

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 20:00–23:00, £6

The Glasgow-based alternative indie-rockers give their new EP a headline airing at Sleazy’s.

BIG ROCK CANDY RECORDS SHOWCASE (DIXIE FRIED + JAMIE FLETT & THE FLAMING JETS + EWAN BUTLER)

BROADCAST, 19:00–23:00, £5

Special showcase evening from the independent Glasgow label, featuring a selection of their roster.

FLAKES (MUSKETS)

13TH NOTE, 20:30–23:00, FREE

TARA JANE O’NEIL + ELA ORLEANS + KINBRAE THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:00, Œ7

Eclectic line-up of joy, taking in multi-instrumentalist Tara Jane O’Neil and Clan Destine Records star and cult chanteuse Ela Orleans, as well as presenting Andrew and Michael Truscott’s new project, Kinbrae.

BRIDGES (NEW ANCESTORS + REVERIEME)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The kind-hearted jangly indie-folk-rock outfit bring the loveliness.

Wed 11 Jun

TARIBOWEST (SECTIONED + MOUNTAINS UNDER OCEANS)

The Glasgow-based foursome perform their emo originals, with support from Muskets and Patron Saints.

A selection of super-heavy sounds curated by Vasa’s J Niblock and Detour’s Ally McCrae.

Sat 07 Jun

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £19.50

THE VIEW

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

The Dundee indie-pop scamps do their thing close to home, celebrating seven years of being with a special unplugged tour.

JUNEBUG (VERONA + DAVID LAING)

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6.50

Acoustic rock Glasgow quartet, celebrating the release of their latest single with their biggest headline set to date.

AMY DUNCAN + RACHEL NEWTON

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:00, Œ8

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

DAN REEK NETWORK

Funk rock guitarist par excellence, Dan Reed, takes to the road with full band in tow – celebrating the release of their anthology compilation of hits and live tracks.

Thu 12 Jun BEERJACKET

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £7.50

The one-man alternative folk band that is Peter Kelly plays a special 10th anniversary show.

EDDI READER

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £23.50

Singer/songwriter showcase, featuring emotice Edinburgh lass Amy Duncan and a return set from Rachel Newton.

Reader weaves her velvety vocal palette around a selection of traditional and contemporary songs, as is her way.

RUTHERGLEN TOWN HALL, 20:00–22:00, £12

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £TBC

THE NECTARINE NO.9

HEATHER LEIGH (ZAIMPH + RICHARD YOUNGS)

Sat 14 Jun THE PIERCES

Alabama-born alternative folk sister duo, seemingly raised on a diet of Joni Mitchell and Simon and Garfunkel.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 20:00–23:00, £6.50

THE SSE HYDRO, 20:00–22:00, FROM £50

TIJUANA BIBLES

The buxom blonde queen of country-tinged pop works it, 9-5 style, natch.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £25

Bolton-based indie rock fivepiece, touring with their third album, Herd Runners.

TELEVISION

Influential rock band from the US-of-A – part of the 70s New York rock scene along with Blondie, The Ramones and Talking Heads – taking to the stage to perform their debut LP, Marquee Moon, live and in its entirety.

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £5

THE ART SCHOOL, 19:00–22:00, £8 EARLYBIRD (£10 THEREAFTER)

After years o’ wrangling, DIY promoters Cry Parrot bring the formidable talent that is Lancastrian experimental duo Demdike Stare (aka Miles Whittaker and Sean Canty) to these shore for their Scottish debut.

THE REV PRESENTS

BERESFORD LOUNGE, 19:30–00:00, £10.00

Alabama 3’s The Very Reverend D Wayne Love hosts the first in a new series of live showcase nights – welcoming Scottish electronic musician christ. (aka Christopher Horne) for a live guest set.

Sun 15 Jun EDWYN COLLINS

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £18

The former Orange Juice frontman returns to Oran Mor as part of their 10th birthday celebrations – sounding as fresh as bloody ever, now impressively in his fourth decade of recording.

Fri 13 Jun

Mon 16 Jun

BROADCAST, 19:00–23:00, £6

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

LITTLE EYE

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £7

Recently-formed Glaswegian power-pop quartet led by singer and founder Allan Sieczkowski.

Mon 09 Jun

SLOW CLUB (THE BLAS COLLECTIVE)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Relaxed music night soundtracked by a selection of live guests from the local scene, completed by mood lighting, candles and cake. Could it sound any bloody lovelier?

ANGEL OLSEN

MONO, 19:30–22:00, Œ9

Following the release of her latest album, Burn Your Fire For No Witness, the American folkstress takes her dainty self out on the UK road.

HOZIER

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £8

Irish soul-meets-blues one-manband, aka Andrew Hozier-Byrne, who joined his first band at the tender age of 15.

CODEINE CLUB SHOWCASE (HAZEL MCGREGOR + SCOTT MCWATT + JONZIP + PETER JOHNSTONE + ALEXANDER HYNES + DEREK BROWN) BROADCAST, 20:00–23:00, FREE

Regular showcase evening featuring a selection of handpicked talent. And all for gratis.

Tue 10 Jun THE FAMILY RAIN

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £10

Bath-based band of brothers who all had previous projects before embracing tropical indie-rock as The Family Rain.

THE HAZEY JANES (ROSS CLARK)

Shiny Dundee four-piece trading in relentlessly upbeat rhythms and sweet boy/girl harmonies.

VAGABOND SOCIAL CLUB (LAKE MONTGOMERY + DIRTY BOOTS + MATTHEW DICKSON)

END OF NEIL (JAMES METCALFE + MICHAEL STEELE)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

SLOW CLUB (SPLIT SECOND)

Relaxed music night soundtracked by a selection of live guests from the local scene, completed by mood lighting, candles and cake. Could it sound any bloody lovelier?

THE ROXY 171, 20:00–23:30, £4

TOGETHER PANGEA (WILD SMILES + LEMON PARTY + QUAID)

WYE OAK (BACHELORETTE)

Los Angeles-based trio who made their bones as purveyors of postmillennial punk, with reference to the supersonic 90s rock that first inspired them.

The Glasgow alternative Americana night takes up residence at The Roxy 171, with Texan folk-blues troubadour, Lake Montgomery, heading up the bill.

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £10

Baltimore duo composed of Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner, infused with elements of folk, indie rock and dream pop.

LINETTE PENNEY-GAINHAM AND CADENCE (ALLAN MACKINLAY)

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, Œ7

Pre-album showcase where the Scottish worship outfit will be performing their punter-funded new LP in its entireity.

ELECTRIC HONEY RECORDS: 21ST ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH (YOUNG AVIATORS + HARRY AND THE HENDERSONS + SCHNARFF SCHNARFF + ALEX HYNES) ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £5

Annual showcase of the world famous student-run label, taking in live sets from Young Aviators, Harry and the Hendersons, Schnarff Schnarff and Alex Hynes, as part of West End Festival.

PAUL MILLS’ MIND EXCURSION

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

The drumming legend brings his blinding live funk band back for one night only.

VOODOO MIND CONTROL (SAINT SÉCAIRE + SUPERBAD COMRAD)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, FREE

The female-fronted indie rock outfit play a hometown show in the Note’s basement lair.

BRONAGH AND THE BOYS (HANNAH JACKSON + NEW ANCESTORS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £6 (£4)

DEMDIKE STARE (NATE YOUNG)

The Swedish quartet play their own brand of hardcore punk at suitably noisy levels.

The legendary, multi-platinum selling West Coast rapper (Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. to his mother, the Doggfather to us) hits up Glasgow.

Wed 18 Jun

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6.50

Raw young quintet rising from Kilwinning’s post industrial landscape.

Sun 08 Jun O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £35

CHERRY GHOST

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

Glasgow-based pop-meets-folk outfit led by young Belfast songstress Bronagh Monahan.

COMMON GROUND (OPPORTUNITY CLUB + STEADY STATE REGIME)

Stirling-based singer/songwriter who’s supported the likes of The Vaselines, Withered Hand, Simon Townshend and Rachel Sermanni to date.

SNOOP DOGG

DOLLY PARTON

Glasgow rock’n’rollers built on a diet of gritty guitars, driving bass lines, baritone vocals and rocksteady drums.

Still reinventing the pedal steel guitar as a sonic disruptor par excellence, the former Charalambides lady does her solo thing to suitably jaw-dropping effect.

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

The mullet-haired 80s ensemble return with more classic rock tuneage – celebrating the release of their new LP, and the fact they no longer all have poodle perms.

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £15

The Edinburgh indie outfit mark their first live performance in ten years at the Chemikal Underground-curated East End Social festival, playing their Saint Jack LP live and in its entirety, originally released back in 1995.

AGENT ATTITUDE (CLOCKED OUT + GUNFINGER + LOST LIMBS)

WINGER (JETTBLACK + BLACKWOLF)

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6

CODEINE CLUB SHOWCASE (ANTON AND THE COLTS + MIKE SMITH + CLAIRE L SHAW + LYNSEY HURREN + KAPIL SESHASAYEE)

BROADCAST, 20:00–23:00, FREE

Regular showcase evening featuring a selection of handpicked talent. And all for gratis.

Tue 17 Jun

JOHN KNOX SEX CLUB (POOR THINGS + ROSS CLARK) BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Rather ace Glasgow quintet and their helter-skelter brand of art-rock.

EELS

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £25

Virginia’s own tragic hero, aka Mark ‘E’ Everett, and bandmates sing the lo-fi blues – marking the release of their new LP, The Cautionary Tales of Mark Oliver Everett.

REVERIEME

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

Airdrie dweller Louise Connell brings her delicate acoustic indiepop soundscapes to a live setting.

NICK OLIVERI

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, Œ12.50

Solo project of Ex-Queens of the Stone Age member, embarking on a small European tour, taking to the stage unplugged.

THE KIMBERLY STEAKS (THE WALKING TARGETS + GET IT TOGETHER + PURE PAPA)

The super-tight Glasgow pop-punk ensemble are on tour again, celebrating the release of their debut LP, To Live and Die in West Central Central Scotland.

REPEATER (BILLY RAY OSIRIS + BRITNEY)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Post-hardcore DIY gig/club effort, with a selection of live acts dropping by.

NEW BUMS (DAVID MORRIS)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:00, Œ8

Ben Chasny from Six Organs of Admittance and Comets on Fire returns with his new project, New Bums, in collaboration with Donovan Quinn from Skygreen Leopards.

Thu 19 Jun

MEURSAULT (THREE BLIND WOLVES)

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £10

Following their tour of the big, bad US-of-A, Neil Pennycook and his Meursault cohorts hit home turf to give third album, Something for the Weakened, a proper airing.

GEORGE BENSON

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £42.50

R’n’B and jazz-straddling musician whose career spans some five decades.

HOLLYWOOD ENDING

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10

Young pop-rock scamps, taking to the road for what will be their first UK headline tour.

LOKI AND THE CARTON CARTEL (MACHINES IN HEAVEN) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £5

Lyrically-gifted, Glasgow-based writer and rapper Loki (aka Darren McGarvey) performs with his live band of experienced musos.

HAPPYNESS

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The much-touted London trio make a special trip north.

NATALIE CLARKE

BROADCAST, 20:00–23:00, £6

The Glasgow-based songstress launches her new EP.

THE MUSICIANS OF BREMEN (ROLLER) 13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £3

Fast-paced and noisy rock lot, rich with plenty of deadly riffs.

Fri 20 Jun KINGS OF LEON

THE SSE HYDRO, 18:30–22:00, FROM £45

Tennessee-hailing quartet made up of three brothers and a cousin, out and touring their latest LP offering of suitably stadium-sized and chantable choruses.

THE TELESCOPES

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £TBC

The psych-styled English space rockers bring the dreamy pop soundscapes.

WOZNIAK (INUIT + WE CAME FROM THE NORTH)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

The Edinburgh-formed noiseniks celebrate the release of their new EP with the usual feedback-fuelled set.

BELTUR (DEAD ELECTRIC + THE NK JAYS)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6

Glasgow-based rock ensemble formed from the ashes of various other bands.

SNAKE PLISSKEN KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6.50

House-styled duo made up of Lewis Cochrane and Stuart Parmley, taking their name from Kurt Russell’s one-eyed lone warrior in Escape from New York and Escape from L.A.

WORLD REFUGEE DAY CONCERT (YOUNG FATHERS + SKIPPINISH + BALKANARAMA)

OLD FRUITMARKET, 20:00–22:30, FROM £12

The Refugee Week Scotland 2014 festivities take in a special musical celebration, headed up by postmodern rappers, Young Fathers, alongside West Coast champs Skippinish and a curated session from Balkanarama.

RSNO TUNE IN: TROMBONE QUARTET

THE GLAD CAFE, 17:00–18:00, FREE (BUT REGISTERED)

Mini session of classical and popular music by the RSNO Trombone Quartet, moving from 1714 to 2014.

AGUA ROJA

THE GLAD CAFE, 20:30–22:30, ŒTBC

The melodic indie French six-piece play as part of the Alliance Francaise de Glasgow celebrations for Fete de la Musique; a music day held in France every year allowing the expression of all styles of music.

THE DELINES

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £13

Retro country soul outfit hailing from Portland, formed around Willy Vlautin, otherwise known as the frontman of Richmond Fontaine.

THE #1’S + BLACK COP + THE JACKHAMMERS

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

The Dublin outfit hit the UK to coincide with the release of their new LP, trading in punk/power-pop soundscapes influenced by modern garage and power pop.

Sat 21 Jun

TWO WINGS (TANGLES + WOLF)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £5

Experimental ensemble born of a songwriting collaboration between singer/multi-instrumentalist/ visual artist Hanna Tuulikki and guitarist/singer Ben Reynolds, launching their new LP on’t night.

ERIC CLAPTON

THE SSE HYDRO, 19:30–22:00, FROM £50

Widely regarded for his guitar skills and hits a-plenty, the Surrey-based songwriter hits town to play the classics.

JUSTIN CURRIE

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £20

The Scottish singer/songwriter – famous for his role as a founding member of Del Amitri – takes his 90s pop/rock sound on the road.

PARQUET COURTS

SWG3, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

The NYC ensemble return to the UK, mixing up punk-rock and indie in their own inimitable way.

THE JIMI HENDRIX RE-EXPERIENCE

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12

Jimi Hendrix tribute act.

SOMEONE’S SONS (THE APPARELLS +THE URCHINS) KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6.50

The Clydebank indie-rockers launch their new EP.

Sun 22 Jun

GARETH GATES (JAI MCDOWALL)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £17.50

The former Pop Idol chappie embarks on his UK tour, if anyone’s bovvered.

Mon 23 Jun JURASSIC 5

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £25

Perhaps the most revered hip-hop crew of the 90s tour the hits, making five emcees sound like one (aka bow down).

SLOW CLUB (THE BLAS COLLECTIVE)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Relaxed music night soundtracked by a selection of live guests from the local scene, completed by mood lighting, candles and cake. Could it sound any bloody lovelier?

LUKE ABBOTT (RIVAL CONSOLE + DAM MANTLE) MONO, 20:00–22:00, Œ8.50

The Norwich electronic producer tours new new LP, recorded last winter in the middle of the countryside with no mobile phone reception and limited internet access.

Tue 24 Jun SCARLET SHIFT

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £7

Indie rock trio made up of lifelong friends Lewis Murphy and Andy Black, joined by bassist Adam Teiger, launching their new single on the night.

ROBOT DOCTORS (MARFA FRONT)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Dundonian indie-punk exponents, blending a love of melody with a penchant for balls-to-the-wall rock.

Wed 25 Jun

TRIPHAZARD (LIFE ON STAND BY)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Emotive and metallic-tinged power rock outfit.

HEALING POWERS + HEY, JONI (MANUALS + THE CHERRY WAVE) THE ART SCHOOL, 19:30–22:00, £4

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6

Alternative indie Glasgow scamps, formerly playing under the name No Fxd Abode.

POND FLOYD

CLASSIC GRAND, 18:30–22:30, £10

Pink Floyd tribute act.

EARTHS

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 20:00–23:00, £3

Launch gig night of the Borders via Glasgow punk and folk-influenced troupe.

RHOMBUS (DEAD EYES OPENDED)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:30, £4

The Huddersfield goth outfit make it north to promote their crowdfunded third album, Here Be Dragons, built on swirling guitars, drum machines, electric violin and twin male-female vocals.

BILL WELLS’ NATIONAL JAZZ TRIO OF SCOTLAND (SUE TOMPKINS)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:00, £8.50

Not jazz, not a trio, and in no way officially ‘national’, the Bill Wells-led, er, National Jazz Trio of Scotland launch their new LP as part of the Glasgow Jazz Festival celebrations.

DUMB INSTRUMENT

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £4

Durham’s Healing Powers and Kent’s Hey, Joni stop off at The Art School on their joint European tour: expect crushing screams and twinkly guitars.

The winners of the Oran Mor Billy Kelly Songwriting Award in 2012 hit the venue up once more to launch the album the award spawned, The Silent Beard.

Thu 26 Jun

Sun 29 Jun

STRETCHED (FAT-SUIT)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Jazz-influenced sound sauna, moving through mathcore to postrock, with a few live acts thrown in for god measure.

TERRY NEASON

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £16

Popular singer and comic diva Terry Neason presents an eclectic mix of country, jazz, blues and pop covers.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

THE SSE HYDRO, 18:30–22:00, FROM £55

The former Take That-er continues to ride the wave of his profitable solo career, playing tracks offa his new LP, if that kinda thing does it for you.

THE AFTERNOON GENTLEMAN (FAMINE + SHOOT THE BASTARD + WHEELCHAIR X4 + NO FUCKS GIVEN)

13TH NOTE, 19:30–23:00, £5

The Leeds-based grindcore mob make their annual passing through Glasgow, generally promising to blow the bloody doors off.

Fri 27 Jun

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

More rolling drums, big guitars and massive effing finales from the WWPJ gang, playing as part of Oran Mor’s 10th birthday celebrations – cherrypicking from their two LPs, alongside a smattering of new tracks from their eagerlyanticipated third.

HEAVEN AND EARTH (M.ILL.ION)

O2 ABC, 18:30–22:00, £15

Joe Retta-led rockers on a mission to resurrect the sanctity of classic rock to its purist form.

LAURA MCGHEE (BELLE IN THE MEADOWS + LORI MCTEAR)

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £11

Nashville-based, Scottish singer/ songwriter working her magic on fiddle, guitar and vocals.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS

THE SSE HYDRO, 18:30–22:00, FROM £55

WEST END FESTIVAL ALL-DAYER (ADMIRAL FALLOW + THE VASELINES + HECTOR BIZERK + HOLY ESQUE + JOHN KNOX SEX CLUB + UNITED FRUIT + LAURA ST. JUDE) ORAN MOR, 16:00–23:00, £18

Taking over all three stages of the building (basement, bar and gargantuan auditorium), Oran Mor host the third annual West End Festival All-Dayer – manned by a 14-strong contingent of locals, amongst ‘em The Vaselines, Hector Bizerk and United Fruit.

GLASGOW PHILHARMONIA SUMMER CONCERT

ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE OF SCOTLAND, 19:00–21:00, £10 (£8)

Young orchestra consisting of some of the best fledgling musicians in Scotland, founded by Ross Gunning in 2012.

FULL OF HELL (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST + GUNFINGER + ENDLESS SWARM + BOAK) 13TH NOTE, 19:30–23:00, £8

Maryland and Pennsylvania-hailing mob with widespread influences ranging from late 80s and early 90s hardcore/powerviolence to harsh noise/power electronics.

Mon 30 Jun

SOUTHSIDE AMERICANA (THE SUNSHINE DELAY + JOHN HENSHELWOOD)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:00, Œ5

Showcase night of acts with, yep – you guessed it – a distinct Americana flavour.

DAVID GRAY

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £29.50

Twenty one years since his first studio LP, Mr Gray tours his tenth and latest offering, Mutineers, in case anyone’s still keeping track.

JACOB AND RORY GREEN

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The upbeat Scottish indie-folk duo do their jolly thing.

The former Take That-er continues to ride the wave of his profitable solo career, playing tracks offa his new LP, if that kinda thing does it for you.

RHOMBUS (DEAD EYES OPENED)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

The Huddersfield goth outfit make it north to promote their crowdfunded third album, Here Be Dragons, built on swirling guitars, drum machines, electric violin and twin male-female vocals.

PROJECT RAE

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

F.O.E.S + ATLAS:EMPIRE

Three-piece synth pop outfit hailing from Glasgow.

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £4 ADV. (£5 DOOR)

Sat 28 Jun

Liverpudlian alternative rock four-piece F.O.E.S (aka Fall Of Every Sparrow) take to the road for a joint headline tour with Glasgow progressive rock quartet Atlas:Empire.

REVOLVING DOORS (THE TREND + THE SNEAKY RUSSIANS)

FINDING ALBERT (SENEKA + MARTHA AND THE MOODIES)

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6.50

Scottish indie-rockers led by Robert Shields, and accompanied by a four-strong string section.

Listings

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Edinburgh Music Tue 03 Jun FLOOD OF RED

STUDIO 24, 19:00–22:00, £6

Airdrie-born experimental indie sextet who will play for cheese sandwiches, so say they.

THE ORWELLS

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £9

Raunchy flower punk from the Illinois-residing five-piece outfit, touring with their latest EP, Other Voices, bringing the fresh-faced rock’n’roll energy by the bucket load.

Wed 04 Jun LIVE @ THE LOFT

THE OUTHOUSE, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Live showcase night featuring a varied selection of local singer/ songwriters.

MILES END

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:45–21:45, £6

Falkirk-based rock-meets-blues outfit led by James Paterson.

EMPIRES FADE (OUR IMBALANCE + HERE LIES A WARNING + TO KILL ACHILLES + MIND SET A THREAT )

OPIUM, 18:00–22:30, £TBC

Melodic metal-meets-hardcore Manc outfit built on a diet of frenetic guitar work and ferocious double bass.

Thu 05 Jun THE VIEW

THE PLEASANCE, 19:30–22:30, £16.50

The Dundee indie-pop scamps do their thing close to home, celebrating seven years of being with a special unplugged tour.

THE DARK JOKES

JAM HOUSE, 19:30–01:00, FREE

The Edinburgh-based alternative quintet play their debut LP, EKCO Transmissions, live and in its entirety.

TITUS PULLO (DON’T LOOK DOWN + DANCING ON TABLES)

WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5

An offshoot of established Edinburgh-based band Death Trap City, which began as a solo project for singer/songwriter Craig Robson to explore a more intimate, acoustic vibe.

PLAYTIME

THE OUTHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £7 (£5)

A showcase of jazz performers experiment by playing some brand new music.

GIRL BAND (STAR ROVER)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £5

Irish post-punk hotshots currently getting NME’s pants in a twist.

NEIL ZAZA

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–23:00, £18

Melodic instrumental guitarist imbued with a fiery technical brilliance.

MATTY JAMES

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £7

Rock’n’roll-styled Irish multiinstrumentalist, playing a special unplugged show in celebration of his new LP release.

MIDDAY COMMITTEE (PICNIC BASKET NOSEDIVE)

OPIUM, 19:00–22:30, £TBC

Four lads from Pompey in the punk-rock vein of Fall Out Boy and Story So Far.

Fri 06 Jun PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

THE HAZEY JANES (ANNA MCLUCKIE)

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:00, £13 (£11)

Shiny Dundee four-piece trading in relentlessly upbeat rhythms and sweet boy/girl harmonies.

THIS FEELING

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–01:00, £6

The favourited London rock’n’roll night takes a trip North with a selection of live bands taking to the stage.

BOATS IN BOTTLES (ACRYLIC)

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £5 ADV. (£6 DOOR)

The Celtic-influenced locals launch finally their debut EP, having bubbled on the underground scene for some time.

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THE ALIBIS (LADYKILLER CATERPILLAR)

SKETCHES FOR ALBINOS (TAVIHORROS)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£4)

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, 19:00–22:00, FREE

Edinburgh-based indie-rockers led

by Gareth Fitzgerald on lead vocals and guitar.

THE PABLOS

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

The Edinburgh-based psychedelic new wave/garage noisemakers play a special charity fundraiser gig, joined by a selection of pals and DJ Rossco.

Sat 07 Jun

MINIATURE DINOSAURS

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £5

Indie-pop foursome hailing from the fiery musical furnace of Stirling.

PAWS (MEURSAULT)

WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £9

The Glasgow noisemakers of the tropical thrash variety cart their wares to a gig setting in celebration of the release of their second LP, Youth Culture Forever.

BABY STRANGE (FUTURE GLUE + VLADIMIR)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £5

Hyped Glasgow indie crew with decidedly dark credentials.

SAM BAKER

PLEASANCE THEATRE, 19:30–22:30, £14

Texas born-and-raised singer/ songwriter whose sound is built on sparse instrumentation and his trademark poetic delivery.

SUNSET ABBEY

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:45–21:45, £6

The fledgling ‘burgh indie rock quartet launch their new single.

TOMMY CONCRETE AND THE WEREWOLVES (PAPER BEATS ROCK + WE ATE THEM OFF THE FLOOR + EDGVILLE HELLRIDE ) BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

Old school Edinburgh extreme metalers led by Tommy Concrete.

RAMMED

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–01:00, £5

Intimate club session with an underground vibe.

LONDON CONCERTANTE

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £19

Revered chamber ensemble whose players were brought together through a shared passion for chamber music.

DECAGRAM 1.7 (MIRACLE GLASS COMPANY)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–03:00, £3 BEFORE 9 (THEN £4 BEFORE 11, £6 AFTER)

Stellar night based on unique collaborations, featuring film (7pm till 9pm) and then live music (9pm-midnight), before discoing down ‘til the wee hours.

LIMBO (HONEYBLOOD + THE DUKE, DETROIT + MY ELECTRIC LOVE AFFAIR)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–01:00, £6 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

Beloved ‘burgh gig-in-a-club night, this time headered by Glaswegian garage rock duo, Honeyblood – whom the Limbo lot have been trying to get to play for about two years now.

Sun 08 Jun

AN EMPIRE WILL FALL (I CALL MUTINY)

OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £5

Melodic metal from Nottingham/ Derby, made up of a fresh-faced a bunch of 16-17 year-old lads.

EDINBURGH OXJAM TAKEOVER: LAUNCH NIGHT

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £5

Official launch event for this year’s Edinburgh Oxjam programme, with sets from Algernon Doll, The Gothenburg Address and Now Wakes The Sea.

Wed 11 Jun JAMMIN’ AT VOODOO

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 21:00–23:00, FREE

Monthly live jam session with a selection of Scottish musicians playing lounge grooves from myriad genres.

Showcase of music and film in the intimate surrounds of Banshee Labyrinth cinema, with Sketches for Albinos (aka Matthew Collings) showcasing tracks together with visuals that inspired the music from his time residing in Iceland.

RYAN ROXIE

BANNERMANS, 19:30–23:00, £10

The Alice Cooper/Slash’s Snakepit guitarist brings his solo show to Edinburgh.

Thu 12 Jun

CLICK CLACK CLUB (THUNKFISH + MAKAK)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 20:00–23:30, £5 (£3)

Monthly experimental music club bringing the good times with their Beefheart-inspired funk.

MODEL AEROPLANES (FOREIGNFOX)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £5

Fledgling Dundee-based rockers who recorded their first single whilst they were finishing their Higher exams.

DEER LAKE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £5

Americana duo made up of former Annie Christian frontman Larry Lean and The Felsons’ troubadour, Dean Owens.

PLAYTIME

THE OUTHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £7 (£5)

A showcase of jazz performers experiment by playing some brand new music.

LED INTO ZEPPLIN

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £7

Led Zepplin tribute act.

Fri 13 Jun THE WILDHEARTS

STUDIO 24, 19:00–22:00, £17.50

The British rock veterans head out on’t road, with Ginger reunited with his bandmates CJ and Ritch, alongside the return of Scott Sorry on bass.

THE BEDROOM HOUR (WHERE’S GEORGE? + THE 62)

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

West London-based indie chaps who record and mix everything in their own studio space.

GEORGE EZRA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

Young Bristol singer/songwriter known for his bluesy, acoustic balladry.

DEMDIKE STARE (NATE YOUNG)

THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00, £8 EARLYBIRD (£10 THEREAFTER)

After years o’ wrangling, DIY promoters Cry Parrot bring the formidable talent that is Lancastrian experimental duo Demdike Stare (aka Miles Whittaker and Sean Canty) to these shore for their Scottish debut.

NEU! REEKIE! DOES TITAN (STANLEY ODD + HOLLIE MCNISH + TAM DEAN BURN + JD TWITCH + DANCE TROUPE)

SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY, 19:30–22:30, £10

The Neu! Reekie! merrymakers presents a one-off show for National Galleries of Scotland (coinciding with their Titan exhibition), with guests including hiphop squad Stanley Odd and spoken word darling Hollie McNish.

ERIN BENNETT

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5

Expect more catchy pop-rock from the all-female power trio, previously called Syren, and fronted by Erin Bennett.

THE MANIC SHINE (ART OF PRIVILEGE)

OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £TBC

Multi-influenced modern rockers who have already been out on three national tours since their conception.

Sat 14 Jun THANK YOU SO NICE

WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5

The experimental Edinburgh indiepoppers do their happy-happyjoy-joy sound of a thing.

TEENCANTEEN (THE JUST JOANS + JENNA) HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5

The all-girl pop kids on the block (formed from the ashes of Futuristic Retro Champions) play a tweetastic set in Henry’s basement lair, welcoming their new single into the world as they go.

LAND OF CAKES

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

The ‘burgh indie-rockers play a hometown show, adept at combining delicate melodies and harmonies with doses of all-out noisiness.

DIDO AND AENEAS: PURCELL

CANONGATE KIRK, 19:30–22:00, £9 (£7)

Two of Edinburgh’s best loved chamber ensembles come together to perform Purcell’s monumental baroque opera.

THE 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES GALA CONCERT

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

The Usher Hall, joined by Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Edinburgh Royal Choral Union, celebrate the 2014 Commonwealth Games with a series of classical favourites.

ANAK-ANAK + SARAH HAYDEN + ROBERT KIELY + RICHARD TAYLOR + ILIOP

OUT OF THE BLUE DRILL HALL, 19:00–22:00, £3

SCREE magazine presents an evening of experimental music, poetry and visual art, headed up

by ANAK-ANAK (aka one half of Conquering Animal Sound).

ELECTRIC NIGHTS ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL (SHIELD PATTERNS + MADE OF GLASS + ADIKX + SARAH LAWRENCE)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Inaugural art and music festival, with this session taking in an electronic showcase featuring Shield Patterns, Made of Glass and Adikx, with art in the form of visuals fresh from the ECA degree show.

THE GENTLEMEN (PHILIPPA HANNA)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:00–22:00, £8 ADV. (£10 DOOR)

Sheffield export combining indie melodies and disco kitsch in their own merry little way.

RISEN PROPHECY (NNGNN + GNOSTIC RUIN)

OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £TBC

Old school-styled thrash outfit from Sunderland, currently recording their second LP. CHRISTIAN GARRICK AND THE BUDAPEST CAFÉ ORCHESTRA

SUMMERHALL, 20:00–22:00, £14 (£12)

Entertaining orchestra led by jazz violin superstar Christian Garrick, playing traditional folk and gypsy music from across the Balkans and Russia.

Sun 15 Jun

THE SCOTTISH FIDDLE ORCHESTRA

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £9

Full orchestra programme of musical support for the reels and jigs.

EDINBURGH QUARTET: HANS GÁL

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 15:30–18:00, £15 (£12)

The Edinburgh Quartet celebrate the sublime music of Hans Gál (1890-1987), joined by Juliette Bausor (flute) and Maximiliano Martín (clarinet) to explore two of Gál’s great quintets.

ELECTRIC NIGHTS ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL (JANE BLUE & THE HUNTERS + JAMIE DOE + GWENDOLEN CHATFIELD + MIRANDA KEYS + ANOUK DE GROOT + SUSANNA MURPHY ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Inaugural art and music festival, with this session taking in an experimental electronic folk showcase featuring Jane Blue & the Hunters, Gwendolen Chatfield and Jamie Doe, with Miranda Keys sculpture/costume design and live visuals from Susanna Murphy.

DAN LYTH AND THE EUPHRATES

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:00–23:00, £6

Musician and sound designer Dan Lyth launches his new collaborative LP, Benthic Lines – an exploration of the relationship between music and environment.

Mon 16 Jun RIVAL SONS

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

Long Beach-hailin’ Californian band of heavyweight rock’n’rollers.

ELECTRIC NIGHTS ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL (RM HUBBERT + NEIL PENNYCOOK + GREGOR MORRISON

Sat 21 Jun

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £10

WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £6

Inaugural art and music festival, with this session taking in a special SAY Award showcase featuring 2013 winner RM Hubbert and 2013 nominee Neil Pennycook (of Meursault), plus an art exhibition from 2013 SAY Award Art Prize winner Gregor Morrison.

ACID KING (PET THE PREACHER + SAPIEN)

BANNERMANS, 19:30–23:00, £10

The doom rock lot hit Bannermans for a Scottish exclusive.

Tue 17 Jun

EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB (HAMILTON LOOMIS + GRATEFULLY NOT DEAD)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:00–23:00, £14

Monthly blues club taking in touring blues acts from the UK and beyond, with support from local blues artists.

THE EDINBURGH ACADEMY CHOIR AND CHORAL SOCIETY

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £9

Live choral unit in excess of 300, plus orchestra and two brass bands, performing a selection of works.

ELECTRIC NIGHTS ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL (SKINNY DIPPER + HAILEY BEAVIS + SHAZ & JULES + PATTY MCGONIGAL + RACHEL SERMANNI + NEMATODE + JANNICA HONEY)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £5

Inaugural art and music festival, with this session taking in a special females-only showcase featuring the likes of much-lauded young Scottish folkstress Rachel Sermanni and Edinburgh-based photographer Jannica Honey.

Wed 18 Jun

CODEJAK (TERGAZZI + IN ABSENCE)

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

All-rockin’ quartet driving along on a punk-fuelled and angular manifesto.

LIVE @ THE LOFT

THE OUTHOUSE, 21:00–00:00, FREE

Live showcase night featuring a varied selection of local singer/ songwriters.

ELECTRIC NIGHTS ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL ( WILL ANDERSON + LIPSYNC FOR A LULLABY + BEAM)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Inaugural art and music festival, with this session handing the reigns over to BAFTA Awardwinning filmmaker/animator Will Anderson for a special showcase featuring live animation and accompanying music from Lipsync for a Lullaby and BEAM.

Thu 19 Jun

EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB (RYAN MCGARVEY + BRIAN RAWSON BAND)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:00–23:00, £11

Monthly blues club taking in touring blues acts from the UK and beyond, with support from local blues artists.

PLAYTIME

THE OUTHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £7 (£5)

A showcase of jazz performers experiment by playing some brand new music.

CATHERINE FEENEY + CHRIS JOHNEDIS

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:45–21:45, £12

American folk singer Catherine Feeney tours in support of her new LP, a collaboration with drummer Chris Jonedis, riding along on her incisive lyrics and mellifluous voice.

INERTIA (AYRIA)

BANNERMANS, 19:00–23:00, £10

Reza Udhin of Killing Joke leads up his electronic side project.

Fri 20 Jun

VICTORIAN TROUT CONSPIRACY (HECTOR BIZERK + MICKY 9S) THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:30, £5 ADV. (£6 DOOR)

The high-energy Edinburgh ten-piece bring the dirty ska ghetto funk.

THE JIMI HENDRIX RE-EXPERIENCE

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £7

Jimi Hendrix tribute act.

BOOK OF OSIRIS

OPIUM, 19:00–22:30, £TBC

Metal outfit from the small Scottish town Lasswade, mixing modern metal vibes with typical 80s power metal vocals.

VANTAGE POINT (THE AMORETTES)

The Edinburgh metallers do their usual noise-heavy thing, to pleasurable effect.

PENFOLD

OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £TBC

The Livi quartet offer up another smack-to-the-face slice of alternative rock.

SUNDAY PUNK CLUB (CLASH LIVI ROCKERS)

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

IPA battle of the bands winners, Clash Livi Rockers, headline Bannermans Sunday punk sesh.

LEITHLATE14 @ JOSEPH PEARCE’S

JOSEPH PEARCE’S, 17:00–22:00, FREE

Always a firm fixture on the LeithLate programme, Joseph Pearce’s this year present a Mish Mash showcase of Scottish musical talent. See mishmishmusic.com nearer the time for line-up details.

LEITHLATE14 @ THE WINDSOR BUFFET (ROBERTA PIA)

THE WINDSOR BUFFET, 18:00–22:00, FREE

Joining in the LeithLate soiree, The Windsor Buffet present a Saturday set from Edinburgh favourite Roberta Pia – treating lugs to an accoustic blend of folk-pop, accompanied by Olivia Salazar on backing vocals and kazoo. Yes, the ka-bloody-zoo.

LEITHLATE14 @ BRASS MONKEY (LEITH)

BRASS MONKEY (LEITH), 17:00–22:00, FREE

Getting in on the LeithLate action, Leith’s Brass Monkey outpost host a Neu! Reekie! world animation showcase curated by Kevin Williamson, plus la selection of live poetry and acoustic musicians introduced by Michael Pedersen.

LEITHLATE14 @ ELVIS SHAKESPEARE

ELVIS SHAKESPEARE, 17:00–22:00, FREE

As part of this year’s LeithLate, the musical institution that is Elvis Shakespeare house a selection of local bands over the Saturday and Sunday.

LEITHLATE14 @ RHUBABA

RHUBABA, 18:00–18:30, FREE

Pitching up for a duo of LeithLate musical singalongs on Saturday evening (6pm and 8pm), The Rhubaba Choir and PET perform four songs: I Wanna Be Your Dog; West End Girls; Sloop John B; and When My Dog Died.

LEITHLATE14 @ RHUBABA

RHUBABA, 20:00–20:30, FREE

Pitching up for a duo of LeithLate musical singalongs on Saturday evening (6pm and 8pm), The Rhubaba Choir and PET perform four songs: I Wanna Be Your Dog; West End Girls; Sloop John B; and When My Dog Died.

LEITHLATE14: AFTER-PARTY (NUMBERS ARE FUTILE + HOLY MOUNTAIN + ADAM STAFFORD)

THE THOMAS MORTON HALL, 21:00–01:00, £6 ADV. (£7 DOOR)

Rounding off Saturday’s proceedings, LeithLates official 2014 after-bash will find ‘em taking over Thomas Morton Hall with live sets from Numbers Are Futile, Holy Mountain and Adam Stafford, plus a bar full o’ the Pilot-made bespoke LeithLate14 beer. Hic.

Sun 22 Jun SLUMBER CLUB

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:45–22:30, £TBC

Young pups evoking upstart indie rascals such as Arctic Monkeys and The Maccabees.

DUNEDIN CONSORT: CANTATAS FOR THE SOUL

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 15:00–17:30, FROM £10 (£8)

The Dunedin Consort are joined by heavenly counter-tenor Iestyn Davies to perform two of Bach’s finest cantatas for solo alto.

MARC DUFF + HAMISH NAPIER DUO

THE OUTHOUSE, 19:00–22:00, £TBC

The co-founder of legendary celtic band Capercaillie, Marc Duff, plays alongside Scottish concertina wizard Hamish Napier.

AVITAL RAZ (PETE HARVEY)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:30–23:00, £5

Jerusalem-born singer/songwriter whose vocals travel across many genres, including old English lute songs, Indian classical ragas, cabaret, blues, country music and Eastern-European Jewish melodies.

ALL AT SEA (FINAL SILENCE) OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £5

A bunch of lads from the North East who bring their own brand of groove-laced metal and hardcore.

LEITHLATE14 @ JOSEPH PEARCE’S

JOSEPH PEARCE’S, 12:00–17:00, FREE

Always a firm fixture on the LeithLate programme, Joseph Pearce’s this year present a Mish Mash showcase of Scottish musical talent. See mishmishmusic.com nearer the time for line-up details.

LEITHLATE14 @ THE WINDSOR BUFFET (GRAEME MEARNS)

THE WINDSOR BUFFET, 15:30–17:00, FREE

Joining in the LeithLate soiree, The Windsor Buffet present a Sunday set from bluesy rocker Graeme Mearns.

LEITHLATE14 @ ELVIS SHAKESPEARE

ELVIS SHAKESPEARE, 12:00–17:00, FREE

As part of this year’s LeithLate, the musical institution that is Elvis Shakespeare house a selection of local bands over the Saturday and Sunday.

LEITHLATE14 @ OUT OF THE BLUE DRILL HALL

OUT OF THE BLUE DRILL HALL, 12:00–17:00, £3 DONATION

For their part in LeithLate, OOTB host a special Sunday Bruncheon live music session, featuring a set from Fife-based singer/songwriter par excellence, King Creosote.

Mon 23 Jun

ST MARY’S MUSIC SCHOOL

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:00, £10 (£7)

Pupils of Scotland’s specialist music school perform a concert of music with an American theme.

Tue 24 Jun VINTAGE TROUBLE

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

SOUNDHOUSE BENEFIT #3 (DEAN OWENS + BLUEFLINT + THE BANJO LOUNGE 4 + DJ DOLPHIN BOY) THE PLEASANCE, 19:30–01:00, £10

Second in a series of fundraiser gigs raising pennies for The Soundhouse Organisation – a charity dedicated to founding a new music venue in Edinburgh offering a fair deal to musicians. Go support the cause.

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and its musical director, Wynton Marsalis, celebrate iconic jazz record label Blue Note’s 75th birthday.

FUCK ART LET’S DANCE (BEECHES + PENNY BLACK)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:45–21:45, £6

Hamburg outfit mashing up electronica with hefty beats and indie spirit.

GLASGOW PHILHARMONIA SUMMER CONCERT

ST CUTHBERT’S PARISH CHURCH, 19:30–21:30, £11 (£9)

Young orchestra consisting of some of the best fledgling musicians in Scotland, founded by Ross Gunning in 2012.

NEU! REEKIE!: ACHTUNG! MAYBE! (FOUND + BIRDHEAD + THE SEXUAL OBJECTS) SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:15, £8

Neu! Reekie! curators Michael Pedersen and Kevin Williamson present a special German-themed edition of Weimar Republic animation and movies, accompanied by live music from FOUND, Birdhead and The Sexual Objects. As part of EIFF. GRIFTER (BACCHUS BARACUS + GIANT MONSTER ATTACK)

OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £5

R’n’B and soul project of Canadian duo Ty Taylor and Nalle Colt, brought to life in their basic home studio in Venice Beach.

Dirty and heavy rock’n’rollers hailing from the South-West.

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 20:00–23:00, £12

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £10

LEO AND ANTO

With the Saw Doctors on a year long sabbatical, band members Leo Moran and Anthony Thistlethwaite take to the road as an acoustic duo covering different takes on wellknown Saw Doctors’ songs.

Wed 25 Jun

NICKE BORG (JON GUTTERZ DAVIE + DEBRASCO)

BANNERMANS, 19:30–23:00, £12

The Backyard Babies frontman plays an exclusive Scottish date in his solo guise.

Thu 26 Jun ALTERED SKY

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 18:30–22:00, £10

Rockin’ female-fronted Glasgow five-piece, rolling along on Ana Nowosielska’s strong vocal.

BELLA HARDY AND THE MIDNIGHT WATCH

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–23:00, £10

Acclaimed Peak District singer combining traditional styles and ballad forms into one poetic, fairytale-like whole.

Sat 28 Jun PARTY FEARS THREE

The Edinburgh-based 80s tribute act present a special night of music from the era.

THE BUCKY RAGE (GEEK MAGGOT BINGO + GUMS)

WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5

The veritable noisefest that is Glasgow’s The Bucky Rage, still riding along on their new line-up, new songs and the ever-present hard-ass ethic.

THE WICKED WHISPERS (THE LIBERTY TAKERS + GREEN TAMBOURINE BAND)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £5

Liverpudlian quintet led by local singer/songwriter Mike Murphy, influenced by the folk and psychedelia movements of the late 60s.

WOZNIAK

OPIUM, 20:00–23:00, £4

The Edinburgh-formed noiseniks celebrate the release of their new EP with the usual feedback-fuelled set.

ALBATRONICS

STUDIO 24, 22:00–03:00, £TBC

Alternative Edinburgh foursome heavily-influenced by 90s indie.

All-new traditional folk-styled night, this edition with the Monster Ceilidh Band heading up proceedings, bolstered by resident deck stalwart DJ Dolphin Boy.

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £18

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

THE CHANGES

OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £5

THE HAMISH STUART BAND

The falsetto voice and guitarist of the Average White Band tours his solo material, alongside a classic AWB tune or two.

PLAYTIME

THE OUTHOUSE, 20:00–22:00, £7 (£5)

A showcase of jazz performers experiment by playing some brand new music.

THE DEFENESTRATORS + POLAR BEARS IN PURGATORY + KNEEJERK REACTION + THE STATIC

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–01:00, £5

Showcase night taking in various shades of punk and rock from all over Scotland.

PEACEFULLY SCREAMING

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

Stirling-based rockers playing a mix of original material and rock covers.

LINE OF FIRE (PAPER BEATS ROCK)

The Nottingham metalers make their Scottish debut, allying heavy riffs with catching hooks.

Sun 29 Jun FAR

OPIUM, 20:00–22:30, £5

The Aberdeen trio continue peddling their alternative rock, funk and r’n’b wares.

MARTIN METCALFE AND THE FORNICATORS

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–23:00, £10

The Edinburgh-based singer/ songwriter plays a set with his live band of scallys, The Fornicators.

PORTALOOTH AND THE MUSKETEERS

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Young Edinburgh hard rock quartet on guitar, bass, drums and vocals.

Fri 27 Jun RED RETRO PILOT

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5

Another evening of bands selected from the underground breeding lair of Bainbridge Music, composed namely of different flavours of rock.

THE SKINNY

Glasgow Clubs Tue 03 Jun KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic.

VOODOO VOODOO

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

Duncan Harvey plays a mix of vintage rock ‘n’ roll, sleazy R’n’B, swing, soul, surf and pop from a bygone age.

I AM VS OFFBEAT

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa (of i AM) team up with the Offbeat chaps for a live versus special. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 22:30–03:00, £4

Weekly party with Jimmy 11, complete with a hot tub and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night.

Wed 04 Jun TAKE IT SLEAZY

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

An unabashed mix of 80s pop, electro and nu-disco. They will play Phil Collins.

DAMNATION

DEATHKILL 4000

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJ Barry and DJ Tailz.

Industro-rock noise party with live players and bespoke visuals to boot.

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

CRASH

THE SHED SATURDAYS

Andy Robertson spins chart and party classics, with his musical accomplice DJ Del playing r’n’b and hip-hop in The Loft space.

The Shed’s mainman Andy Robertson spins ‘charty poppy party classics’, for all yer Saturday night dancing needs.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

THE ART SCHOOL, 22:30–03:00, £9 ADV. (£11/£10 STUDENT DOOR)

PROPAGANDA

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Residents night of rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels.

JAMMING FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

HARSH TUG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Hip-hop and gangsta rap brought to you by the Notorious B.A.G and pals.

BALKANARAMA: 7TH BIRTHDAY

Birthday special fusing virtuoso live Balkan performance with DJs spinning contemporary Balkan beats, accompanied by live visuals, aerial performance, puppetry, fire spinners and live drummers.

That do ye?

MELTING POT (THE IDJUT BOYS)

THE ADMIRAL, 23:00–03:00, £10

The Melting Pot crew welcome back production/DJ duo The Injut Boys (aka Dan Tyler and Conrad McDonnell), having last graced the club some five years ago.

SUBCULTURE (KINK AND NEVILLE WATSON)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Ray Vose and Desoto at the helm, joined by a guest or two.

New gay indie night on the block, with a playlist that mixes classic Bowie, The Smiths, Blondie et al alongside new kids like Django Djanjo and Grimes.

The long-running house night kicks off its summer season with two masters of the scene – Kink and Neville Watson – whose stand-up approach to acid house and techno has been carving the dancefloors of clubs globally for many a year.

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Sun 08 Jun

SUB ROSA (OUR HOUSE + JOSH & JOE) SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

DISCO RIOT

Disco-styled party night with Alfredo Crolla spinning a selection of favourites, bolstered by karaoke and popcorn stalls, just cos.

BEAST WEDNESDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop punk, hardcore and lethally alcoholic slushies.

Thu 05 Jun DANSE MACABRE

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £4

The Danse Macabre regulars unite those two happiest of bedfellows, goth rock and, er, classic disco, in their regular home of Classic Grand.

NEVERLAND

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Themed night with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs. R.U.IN THURSDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

Rock, metal and emo mix up, plus guest DJs mixing it up in the Jager Bar. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

OUTBURST

SHED, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 (£2) AFTER 11)

YES!

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

MISSING PERSONS CLUB

Residents-manned evening of techno from the MPC crew.

FRESH BEATS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Split up night of chart classics in the main hall and underground hip-hop in the wee room.

SUGO

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

Italian trashy disco soundscapes for your Friday night pleasure.

OPTIMO (THE TWINS)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The Optimo chaps host a special set from their mysterious label mates, The Twins.

Sat 07 Jun NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

BLACK TENT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Indie, electro and anything inbetween with Pauly (My Latest Novel), and Simin and Steev (Errors).

ABSOLUTION

CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, pop-punk, rock, emo and ska soundscapes over two floors.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Early-weekend student night with DJs Redmond McDonald and Callum Clarke playing a mix of dance, pop, rock and r’n’b.

Rock, indie and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2-£4 AFTER 12)

Under 18s rock night playing, er, anything and everything rock.

PLEASURE GARDEN

Thursday night party hosted by a rotating group of residents from the underbelly of Glasgow’s musical community.

HIDE (LAURA JONES)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£6)

Following Hide’s launch earlier in the year, the formidable Laura Jones joins ‘em for a guest slot – having spent this year busily putting out releases on Visionquest, Leftroom and Crosstown Rebels, plus regular dates in Ibiza and Fabric.

Fri 06 Jun OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul.

June 2014

VOODOO

CATHOUSE, 16:00–21:00, £2 (£1)

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by Gerry Lyons and guests.

LET’S GO BACK... WAY BACK!

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 22:00–03:00, £5 (£7 AFTER 11)

Residents Bosco and Rob Mason bring acid-house, techno and rave back to the dancefloor.

I HEART GARAGE SATURDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Student superclub playing everything from hip-hop to dance and funk to chart.

SUPERMAX

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £5

A taste of the decadent sound systems of NYC’s disco era with yer main man Billy Woods.

SUNDAY ROASTER

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Residents Garry and Andrew incite more mayhem than should really be allowed on the Sabbath, taking in chart anthems, mash-ups and requests.

HAIR OF THE CAT

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Sabbath-bothering mix of rock, metal and punk, with rotating DJs and punter requests accepted all night long.

Mon 09 Jun BURN

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH WAGE SLIP)

Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

SPACE INVADER

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Andy R plays chart hits and requests past and present, while DJ David Lo Pan holes up in The Attic playing retro classics.

Tue 10 Jun KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic.

VOODOO VOODOO: THE LAST EVER!

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

Duncan Harvey plays a mix of vintage rock ‘n’ roll, sleazy R’n’B, swing, soul, surf and pop from a bygone age – marking what will be the last ever outing of the night. Sob. I AM (MIA DORA)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Resident i AM young guns Beta & Kappa invite local heroes Mia Dora into their lair for the evening. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 22:30–03:00, £4

Weekly party with Jimmy 11, complete with a hot tub and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night.

Wed 11 Jun DISCO RIOT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Disco-styled party night with Alfredo Crolla spinning a selection of favourites, bolstered by karaoke and popcorn stalls, just cos.

BEAST WEDNESDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop punk, hardcore and lethally alcoholic slushies.

NO GLOBE THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The No Globe posse play their frenetic night of party music beyond borders, with live visuals, free mix CDs and the launch of a new zine.

Thu 12 Jun NEVERLAND

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Themed night with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs. R.U.IN THURSDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

Rock, metal and emo mix up, plus guest DJs mixing it up in the Jager Bar. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

GOOD GRIEF’S GOOP SHOP (COCO BRYCE)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The DIY label and zine collective present their monthly club outing and fresh zine launch combined.

OUTBURST

SHED, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 (£2) AFTER 11)

Early-weekend student night with DJs Redmond McDonald and Callum Clarke playing a mix of dance, pop, rock and r’n’b.

PLEASURE GARDEN (WHILST)

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2-£4 AFTER 12)

Thursday night party hosted by a rotating group of residents from the underbelly of Glasgow’s musical community.

EZUP (TODD EDWARDS)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8 ADV. (£10-£12 THEREAFTER)

All-new night manned by the EzUp crew, making their debut with US house and garage producer, Todd Edwards, with support from residents Nife and DJJD.

Fri 13 Jun OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul.

DAMNATION

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJ Barry and DJ Tailz.

KINO FIST

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Genre-spanning mix of 60s psych, leftfield pop and Krautrock with resident Charlotte (of Muscles of Joy).

CRASH

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Andy Robertson spins chart and party classics, with his musical accomplice DJ Del playing r’n’b and hip-hop in The Loft space.

PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Residents night of rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels.

COMMON PEOPLE

THE FLYING DUCK, 21:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Celebration of all things 90s, with hits a-plenty and a pre-club bingo session.

JAMMING FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

RETURN TO MONO

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Monthly night from Soma Records taking in popular techno offerings of all hues, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

FRESH BEATS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Split up night of chart classics in the main hall and underground hip-hop in the wee room.

GDANNIC

THE ARCHES, 22:00–03:00, £16

The highly prodigious Netherlands DJ and producer take control of the decks, demonstrating a natural understanding of audio arrangement and structure.

Sat 14 Jun NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

ABSOLUTION

CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, pop-punk, rock, emo and ska soundscapes over two floors.

SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

Long-running house night with regulars Harri & Domenic manning the decks.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

CARELESS WHISPER

SELECTED SERVICE: DFA

THE ART SCHOOL, 20:00–23:00, £3

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Early-club session of immersive arhythmic sounds and vocal deviations, taking in live performances, recitations, field recordings and concrete sounds. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 22:30–03:00, £4

Weekly party with Jimmy 11, complete with a hot tub and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night.

Wed 18 Jun

SUB ROSA (RUB-A-DUB YOUNG GUNS)

DISCO RIOT

The Secret Moon contingent welcome Berlin’s Heiko Laux to the decks, celebrating 20 years of his own record label, Kanzleramt Music.

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Ray Vose and Desoto at the helm, joined by a guest or two.

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

CATHOUSE, 16:00–21:00, £2 (£1)

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by Gerry Lyons and guests.

BACK TAE MINE

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

House-party styled night with residents Gav Dunbar and Sci-Fi Steve, plus free toast for all as standard.

SUB ROSA (DAVID BARBAROSSA)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Ray Vose and Desoto at the helm, joined by a guest or two.

FANTASTIC MAN

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

Messy Saturday night uber-disco featuring a rotating schedule of live talent.

THE SHED SATURDAYS

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

The Shed’s mainman Andy Robertson spins ‘charty poppy party classics’, for all yer Saturday night dancing needs.

BEAST WEDNESDAYS

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop punk, hardcore and lethally alcoholic slushies.

Thu 19 Jun NEVERLAND

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Themed night with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs. R.U.IN THURSDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

Rock, metal and emo mix up, plus guest DJs mixing it up in the Jager Bar.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

OUTBURST

SHED, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 (£2) AFTER 11)

I HEART GARAGE SATURDAYS: HOT DUB TIME MACHINE

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2-£4 AFTER 12)

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

The dance party journey through time take to The Garage for a one-off show, sticking to its triedand-tested schtick of playing a hit a year from 1945 to present day, accompanied by screens playing the original videos.

Sun 15 Jun SUNDAY ROASTER

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Residents Garry and Andrew incite more mayhem than should really be allowed on the Sabbath, taking in chart anthems, mash-ups and requests.

HAIR OF THE CAT

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Sabbath-bothering mix of rock, metal and punk, with rotating DJs and punter requests accepted all night long.

PLEASURE GARDEN

Thursday night party hosted by a rotating group of residents from the underbelly of Glasgow’s musical community.

Fri 20 Jun OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul.

DAMNATION

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJ Barry and DJ Tailz.

CRASH

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Andy Robertson spins chart and party classics, with his musical accomplice DJ Del playing r’n’b and hip-hop in The Loft space.

PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

BURN

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH WAGE SLIP)

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Mon 16 Jun Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

SPACE INVADER

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Andy R plays chart hits and requests past and present, while DJ David Lo Pan holes up in The Attic playing retro classics.

Tue 17 Jun KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic.

I AM

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£6)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of house, techno and electronica – a live guest or two oft in tow.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

Residents night of rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels.

OSMIUM

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Italo, disco, synthpop and funk with residents Blair Benzini and Blair Benzini.

JAMMING FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

FRESH BEATS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Split up night of chart classics in the main hall and underground hip-hop in the wee room.

TRIPLE DROP VS MUTINY (STIVS + JUNGLEFEVER + LENKEMZ)

AUDIO, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£10 AFTER 12)

Triple Drop and Mutiny team up for a junglist special, with three heavyweights of the genre gracing the decks.

Andy R plays chart hits and requests past and present, while DJ David Lo Pan holes up in The Attic playing retro classics.

HAIR OF THE CAT

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Sabbath-bothering mix of rock, metal and punk, with rotating DJs and punter requests accepted all night long.

Mon 23 Jun BURN

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH WAGE SLIP)

Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 22:30–03:00, £4

THUNDER DISCO CLUB (BICEP)

Tue 24 Jun

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The Thunder Disco Club residents welcome Belfast-based old school house duo, Bicep, for a special guest slot.

Sat 21 Jun NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

ABSOLUTION

CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

JELLY BABY

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

SPACE INVADER

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

Adventurous DJ blend of house, electro and indie for yer Friday night dancing needs.

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

HIP HOP THURSDAYS

Sun 22 Jun

Weekly party with Jimmy 11, complete with a hot tub and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night.

ROOTOFSOUND

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

The legendary Teamy and Dirty Larry spin some fresh electronics for your aural pleasure.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, pop-punk, rock, emo and ska soundscapes over two floors.

Early-weekend student night with DJs Redmond McDonald and Callum Clarke playing a mix of dance, pop, rock and r’n’b.

WRONG ISLAND

Launch of Zone music collective’s new bi-monthly residency, focusing on the darker and heavier side of dance music, with launch guests in the form of techno wizard Andy Scott and the harware-heavy Mourn.

SECRET MOON (HEIKO LAUX + DARREN QUAIL + KOMPANY)

Rock, indie and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

Under 18s rock night playing, er, anything and everything rock.

ZONE (ANDY SCOTT + MOURN)

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £7 ADV. (£9 DOOR)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Disco-styled party night with Alfredo Crolla spinning a selection of favourites, bolstered by karaoke and popcorn stalls, just cos.

VOODOO

Playing tunes from one record label all night long, yer man Sci Fi Steve plays the finest of famous independent New York label, DFA.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Rock, indie and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

VOODOO

CATHOUSE, 16:00–21:00, £2 (£1)

Under 18s rock night playing, er, anything and everything rock.

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic.

DISCO RIOT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Disco-styled party night with Alfredo Crolla spinning a selection of favourites, bolstered by karaoke and popcorn stalls, just cos.

UNICORN CHASER

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

All-new night from Ewan Chambers and Konx-om-Pax, promising the best in party music. And all for gratis.

I AM (171)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Resident i AM young guns Beta & Kappa hole up for their usual Tuesday night slot – making merry with their special guest, 171.

Wed 25 Jun SUB ROSA

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Ray Vose and Desoto at the helm, joined by a guest or two.

SO WEIT SO GUT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

Saturday night disco manned by Gerry Lyons and guests.

The party sounds of Ean, Smiddy and Kenny White on decks.

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

I HEART GARAGE SATURDAYS

Student superclub playing everything from hip-hop to dance and funk to chart.

SINGLES NIGHT

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy Divine and Chris Geddes’ gem of a night dedicated to 7-inch singles from every genre imaginable.

STRANGE PARADISE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Party night from floral-shirted Wild Combination man David Barbarossa, specializing in leftfield disco, post-punk and far-out pop.

BEAST WEDNESDAYS

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop punk, hardcore and lethally alcoholic slushies.

NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The NOTJ collective nestle into their residency on the Art School roster, known for their love of all things unusual.

Thu 26 Jun NEVERLAND

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Themed night with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs.

SUBCULTURE (JOHN TALABOT)

Rock, metal and emo mix up, plus guest DJs mixing it up in the Jager Bar.

THE SHED SATURDAYS

The Shed’s mainman Andy Robertson spins ‘charty poppy party classics’, for all yer Saturday night dancing needs.

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

After an epic Subculture session last July, John Talabot resounds in the basement once again with his infamous Baleraric DJ set hopefully bringing some sunshine to our Scottish ‘summer’.

R.U.IN THURSDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

FOR THE RECORD (DE SLUWE VOS + RESET SAFARI)

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£10 AFTER 12)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

STRETCHED (FAT-SUIT)

The For The Record residents return with a performance from Dutch producer, De Sluwe Vos, with support from Reset Safari.

Jazz-influenced sound sauna, moving through mathcore to postrock, with a few live acts thrown in for god measure.

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

SHED, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 (£2) AFTER 11)

TYCI (YOUTH MAN + CLAUDIA NOVA)

The all-female collective, blog and fanzine bring together a selection of live acts and DJs for their monthly party night.

SOUL @ AD LIB

AD LIB, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Felonious Munk and guest DJ Claire Hyslop spin a selection of 45s from the 60s and 70s.

OUTBURST

Early-weekend student night with DJs Redmond McDonald and Callum Clarke playing a mix of dance, pop, rock and r’n’b.

PLEASURE GARDEN

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2-£4 AFTER 12)

Thursday night party hosted by a rotating group of residents from the underbelly of Glasgow’s musical community.

Listings

49

HNPKD NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £TBC

The Handpicked Cassette dudes venture into club territory once more.

Fri 27 Jun OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul.

DAMNATION

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJ Barry and DJ Tailz.

CRASH

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Andy Robertson spins chart and party classics, with his musical accomplice DJ Del playing r’n’b and hip-hop in The Loft space.

PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Residents night of rock, metal, punk and emo over two levels.

I HEART GARAGE SATURDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Student superclub playing everything from hip-hop to dance and funk to chart.

JAMMING FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tune-picker DJ Jopez.

SHAKE APPEAL

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

Damn fine evening of hip shakers and neck breakers, combining everything from Buddy Holly to Motorhead.

SENSU

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Barry Price and Junior provide the cutting edge electronic from across the globe, with a guest or two likely in tow.

GLUE

THE FLYING DUCK, 22:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Fresh from their inaugural party smashing night in November, the Glue lads are back with all the best in indie, electro, punk, rock’n’roll and dance.

FRESH BEATS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Split up night of chart classics in the main hall and underground hip-hop in the wee room.

OFFBEAT (SIMONCINO)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£7 AFTER 12)

THUNDER DISCO CLUB NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits.

HOUNDIN’ THE STREETS

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Resident DJs Jer Reid, Martin Law and guests play music from, and some music inspired by, 1970s and early 80s NYC .

THE SHED SATURDAYS

SHED, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

The Shed’s mainman Andy Robertson spins ‘charty poppy party classics’, for all yer Saturday night dancing needs.

BLITZED

SWG3, 21:00–02:00, £10

1940s-themed fun night, with a dress-up vibe, speciallycommissioned visuals and dancing into the wee hours to everything from Glenn Miller to Ella Fitzgerald – this edition taking to the larger capacity surround of SWG3 for the first time.

TEENAGE RIOT

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2 AFTER 12)

Members of Glasgow’s posthardcore noise-masters, United Fruit, curate their lively event of big-beat alternative indie.

SUBCULTURE (DIXON AVENUE BASEMENT JAMS)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

The Subculture crew welcomes a guest set from a label straight from the hedonistic heart of Glasgow, Dixon Avenue Basement Jams.

SOUTHSIDE SOUL

POLLOK EX-SERVICEMENS CLUB, 20:00–03:00, £5

Felonious Munk and guest DJs Trevor Bond and John Adams work y’all into a frenzy via selections of funky soul, motown, r’n’b and Philly.

RACKET RACKET SESSIONS

THE ARCHES, 14:00–23:00, FREE

Saturday day-time music session with a selection of local DJs (and some from further afield) providing sunshine sounds in The Arches cafe bar. #NOTSOSILENT (LEON VYNEHALL VS MEDLAR)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 ADV. (£8 THEREAFTER)

Belch and crew bring the best in underground house with special guests Leon Vynehall and Medlar going back-to-back all night long.

Sun 29 Jun SPACE INVADER

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

The Offbeat crew take to their regular home of La Cheetah – with Italian house and techno meastro, and founder of HotMix Records, Simoncino, in tow. First 50 go free.

Andy R plays chart hits and requests past and present, while DJ David Lo Pan holes up in The Attic playing retro classics.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Sabbath-bothering mix of rock, metal and punk, with rotating DJs and punter requests accepted all night long.

THE LANCE VANCE DANCE

Red-hued adventure travelling through 70s funk, motown and 80s r’n’b, highlighted with glorious rays of disco sunshine.

Sat 28 Jun NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Nick Peacock spins a selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

ABSOLUTION

HAIR OF THE CAT

CATHOUSE, 23:00–04:00, £2 (£1)

Mon 30 Jun BURN

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH WAGE SLIP)

Long-running trade night with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

#TAG

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

Weekly party with Jimmy 11, complete with a hot tub and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night.

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, pop-punk, rock, emo and ska soundscapes over two floors.

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Rock, indie and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

VOODOO

CATHOUSE, 16:00–21:00, £2 (£1)

Under 18s rock night playing, er, anything and everything rock.

LOVE MUSIC

THE GARAGE, 22:30–03:00, £4

Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefty soundsystem.

Tue 03 Jun

Thu 12 Jun

STUDIO 24, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 11)

HIVE TUESDAYS

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

LOS MODERNOS

THE OUTHOUSE, 19:00–01:00, FREE

DJ Jasmine of Club NME in Berlin plays fresh selections of new indie and electro.

Wed 04 Jun COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek student rundown of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of house, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

CHAMPION SOUND

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 AFTER 12)

Midweek celebration of all things dub, jungle, reggae and dancehall.

TRIBE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5

Weekly selection of dance bangers, played out by residents Khalid Count Clockwork and Craig Wilson.

THE GETTUP

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours.

Thu 05 Jun JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo. I AM: EDINBURGH

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa make their now regular trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Student-friendly chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, r’n’b and urban in the back room.

FREE DUNT: THE VINYL COUNTDOWN

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Vinyl dance party with a freeentry-for-all policy.

Fri 06 Jun MISFITS

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. CONFUSION IS SEX

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 AFTER 12)

FLY (THEO KOTTIS) CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

A powerhouse of local residents take over Cab Vol, joined by a selection of guest talent both local and further flung (aka London).

TERROR (PERISHED GUSSETS + CIARAN MAC + THE DDN + EXTREMEST)

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The Terror crew raid the underground for a genre-hopping night of electronica, rave and dance, played out by a plethora of guests.

MINI ETC

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Concentrated version of Edinburgh Tekno Cartel’s main party night – ETC – playing the usual wealth of sleazy bass and techno beats.

ROAD TRIP

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

All-new night intended to act as an audio visual vacation around the globe, with the best mixtapes to match.

BALKANARAMA: 7TH BIRTHDAY

STUDIO 24, 22:00–03:00, £9 ADV. (£11/£10 STUDENT DOOR)

Birthday special fusing virtuoso live Balkan performance with DJs spinning contemporary Balkan beats, accompanied by live visuals, aerial performance, puppetry, fire spinners and live drummers.

That do ye?

RETURN OF THE WUB (FROZEN P + SWANK N JAMS + JFB + SLAMBOREE SOUNDSYSTEM)

THE CAVES, 22:30–03:00, £10

The Wub Hut bring the visual and audio delights – 20KW of audio delights, to be precise – showcasing a selection of homegrown and international talent, alongside live visuals from The Too Much Fun Club.

AWKWARD

511, 23:00–03:00, FREE

After their 2nd birthday party in May, resident turtles Cilla Wet, Dutch El, Brown Noize and JD McGee return to play their mighty mix of funk, soul, motown and pop.

WE OWN

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5 (MEMBERS FREE)

The We Own crew bring a concentrated version of their famed house party blowouts to Sneaky Pete’s diminutive lair.

WEE DUB CLUB (DUB SMUGGLERS + RIDDIM TUFFA SOUND + MC DANGERMAN + MESSENGER)

THE MASH HOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

Wee Dub festival host their concentrated clubber’s fun night, welcoming Manchester soundsystem champions – Dub Smugglers – for their Edinburgh debut.

KARNIVAL (HARRI + DIXON AVENUE BASEMENT JAMS + THEO KOTTIS)

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £6

The local house crew welcome a selection of their west coast brothers for a guest-laden evening.

MUTHAFUNKIN’ SOULFUL BEATS (MIKE MCDONALD + CHRISTOPHER MANN + LEE DAILY + DAVID ELDERS + YOGI HAUGHTON) THE ANNEXE, 15:00–21:00, FREE

Fresh from their stint at Dundee Dance Event 2014 last month, MuthaFunkin’ Soulful Beats reciprocate and welcome some of DDE’s finest down to Auld Reekie, amongst ‘em DDE head honcho, Mike McDonald.

DIRTY DEEDS

OPIUM, 22:00–03:00, FREE

All-new rock night headed up by Joe Darke, playing heavy selections of rock, metal, alternative and pop-punk.

Sun 08 Jun COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly cross-genre of bass from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs. THE CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5 (MEMBERS FREE)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Sneaky’s new Friday nighter welcomes Frirecracker Records boss Lindsay Todd (aka House of Traps) for a guest set, commanding the decks for the full fours hours.

Sat 07 Jun TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the classic and modern spectrums.

THE GO-GO

STUDIO 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11)

Long-running retro night with veteran DJs Tall Paul and Big Gus. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

SOULSVILLE

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Swinging soul spanning a whole century, with DJs Tsatsu and Fryer.

SPEAKER BITE ME

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 AFTER 12)

The Evol DJs worship at the alter of all kinds of indie-pop, with their only rule being that it’s gotta have bite.

THUNDER DISCO CLUB

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

RAPTURE

Sound sauna of eclectic hip-hop, funk and soul with yer DJ experts Cunnie & Beef.

Mon 09 Jun MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

NU FIRE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

DJ Fusion and Beef move from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 10 Jun HIVE TUESDAYS

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

LOS MODERNOS

THE OUTHOUSE, 19:00–01:00, FREE

DJ Jasmine of Club NME in Berlin plays fresh selections of new indie and electro.

Glam techno and electro night, mixing tunes, installation and performance – this time with a beach theme to proceedings.

The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits.

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5

STUDIO 24, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11)

Midweek student rundown of chart, club and electro hits.

ROBIGAN’S REGGAE (RHODA DAKAR)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

PROPAGANDA

BORDELLO

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:00–03:00, FREE

WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£6 AFTER 12/STUDENTS £3)

Listings

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–01:00, £5

Intimate club session with an underground vibe.

IN DEEP (HOUSE OF TRAPS)

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

50

RAMMED

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of.

Classic sleazy rock action, all the night long.

Residents Garry and Andrew incite more mayhem than should really be allowed on the Sabbath, taking in chart anthems, mash-ups and requests.

I AM: EDINBURGH CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours.

Saturday night disco manned by Gerry Lyons and guests.

SUNDAY ROASTER

MESSENGER THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£7 AFTER 12)

Edinburgh Clubs

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

THE GETTUP

DOMINO CLUB

Weekly institution with DJ P-Stylz at the helm spinning the best hiphop, r’n’b and soul.

Dub, reggae and dancehall clubbing spectacular, featuring a guest DJ set from the queen of 2-tone, Rhoda Dakar.

Wed 11 Jun COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

WITNESS

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of house, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

CHAMPION SOUND

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 AFTER MIDNIGHT)

Midweek celebration of all things dub, jungle, reggae and dancehall.

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo. I AM: EDINBURGH

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa make their now regular trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Student-friendly chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, r’n’b and urban in the back room.

Fri 13 Jun MISFITS

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. ELECTRIKAL

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£6 AFTER 12)

Soundsystem party-starters, part of a music and art collective specializing in all things bass.

DOMINO CLUB

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly institution with DJ P-Stylz at the helm spinning the best hiphop, r’n’b and soul.

FLY (CHEAP PICASSO)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

A powerhouse of local residents take over Cab Vol, joined by a selection of guest talent both local and further flung (aka London).

4X4 (L.G.I.C)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 12)

Two-fold night of house and techno manned by the regular 4x4 crew and this month’s special guest, L.G.I.C. ROAD TRIP

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

All-new night intended to act as an audio visual vacation around the globe, with the best mixtapes to match.

IN DEEP (BELCH + HUGGY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5 (MEMBERS FREE)

Sneaky’s new Friday nighter welcomes a double dose of guests DJs, with ‘im from #notsosilent (aka Belch) and ‘im from the Burger Queen and the Radio (aka Huggy).

Sat 14 Jun TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the classic and modern spectrums.

BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

DR NO’S

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£5 AFTER 12)

Danceable mix of the best in 60s ska, rocksteady, bluebeat and early reggae.

TORTURE GARDEN

THE CAVES, 21:00–03:00, £20

Infamous fetish club spread over three dungeon-themed playrooms in the cavernous surrounds of The Caves. Dress code: PVC, loadsae PVC. BEEP BEEP, YEAH!

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 AFTER 12)

Retro pop stylings from the 50s to the 70s, via a disco tune or ten.

UNSEEN

More stripped-down techno with a back-to-basics warehouse style from the Unseen crew and their handpicked guests.

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa make their now regular trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

THINK TWICE!

Student-friendly chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, r’n’b and urban in the back room.

TEESH

DJ Cheers – frequent flyer at many a Sneaky’s night – finally gets his own show on the road, playing disco, house and boogie gems.

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Dance-inducing party night, with Think Twice’s Craig Smith making his monthly appearance rich with deep, soulful house sounds.

REPUBLIK (FUNKAGENDA)

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £15 EARLYBIRD (£16.50 THEREAFTER)

After taking a break at the start of 2014, the Republik contingent return with their biggest booking to date: Grammy nominated DJ and Gold record producer, Funkagenda.

DIRTY DEEDS

OPIUM, 22:00–03:00, FREE

All-new rock night headed up by Joe Darke, playing heavy selections of rock, metal, alternative and pop-punk.

Sun 15 Jun COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly cross-genre of bass from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs. THE CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of.

RAPTURE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Sound sauna of eclectic hip-hop, funk and soul with yer DJ experts Cunnie & Beef.

Mon 16 Jun MIXED UP

HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Fri 20 Jun MISFITS

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. DOMINO CLUB

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly institution with DJ P-Stylz at the helm spinning the best hiphop, r’n’b and soul.

FLY (BEN PEARCE)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

A powerhouse of local residents take over Cab Vol, joined by a selection of guest talent both local and further flung (aka London).

ROAD TRIP

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

All-new night intended to act as an audio visual vacation around the globe, with the best mixtapes to match.

IN DEEP (DEEP SH*T)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5 (MEMBERS FREE)

Sneaky’s new Friday nighter welcomes Edwin from Foals and Jack from Friendly Fires under their Deep Sh*t DJ guise.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

DEFCON (PAHTWORLD + KID LAB + CONCEPT OF THOUGHT + ONETZU + TEKNIQUE)

NU FIRE

Jungle, jungle and, er, more jungle, as the Defcon crew return for the first of three events during 2014, with myriad guests in tow.

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

DJ Fusion and Beef move from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 17 Jun HIVE TUESDAYS

STUDIO 24, 22:30–03:00, £5 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

Sat 21 Jun TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the classic and modern spectrums.

I LOVE HIP HOP

WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£5 AFTER 12)

Alternative anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

LOS MODERNOS

THE OUTHOUSE, 19:00–01:00, FREE

DJ Jasmine of Club NME in Berlin plays fresh selections of new indie and electro.

Wed 18 Jun COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek student rundown of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of house, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

CHAMPION SOUND

THE EGG

Art School institution with DJs Chris and Jake playing the finest in indie, garage, soul and punk – now taking up a monthly Saturday slot, in what is their 20th year.

BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

THE GREEN DOOR

STUDIO 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 (£5/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11)

Surf, blues and rockabilly from the 50s and early 60s, plus free cake.

Job done.

XPLICIT

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 AFTER 12)

Heavy jungle and bass-styled beats from the inimitable Xplicit crew, likely joined by a guest or two.

SATURDAY NIGHT BEAVER

THE ANNEXE, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£5/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11.30)

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 AFTER 12)

Lesbian and bi-friendly featuring a rotating schedule of female DJ talent.

THE GETTUP

STUDIO 24, 19:30–03:00, £2 (£5/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11)

Midweek celebration of all things dub, jungle, reggae and dancehall.

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours.

Thu 19 Jun JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo.

DECADE

Fresh playlists spanning pop-punk, emo and hardcore soundscapes.

WASABI DISCO

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5 (MEMBERS FREE)

Heady bout of cosmic house, punk upside-down disco and, er, Fleetwood Mac with yer man Kris ‘Wasabi’ Walker.

THE SKINNY

POP ROCKS! ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 AFTER 12)

Pop and rock gems, taking in motown, 80s classics and plenty danceable fare (well, the Beep Beep, Yeah! crew are on decks after all).

GASOLINE DANCE MACHINE (ISAAC TICHAUER)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

More classic Italo and straight-up boogie allied with contemporary house and disco, as Edinburgh’s GDM crew do their thing, this edition joined by Isaac Tichauer.

MUSIKA VS RHUMBA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £TBC

Favourited ‘burgh house night, Musika, return with some heat and assistance from the Rhumba crew.

DIRTY DEEDS

OPIUM, 22:00–03:00, FREE

All-new rock night headed up by Joe Darke, playing heavy selections of rock, metal, alternative and pop-punk.

Sun 22 Jun COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly cross-genre of bass from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs. THE CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of.

RAPTURE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Sound sauna of eclectic hip-hop, funk and soul with yer DJ experts Cunnie & Beef.

Mon 23 Jun MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

NU FIRE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

DJ Fusion and Beef move from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 24 Jun HIVE TUESDAYS

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

LOS MODERNOS

THE OUTHOUSE, 19:00–01:00, FREE

DJ Jasmine of Club NME in Berlin plays fresh selections of new indie and electro.

Wed 25 Jun COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek student rundown of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of house, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

CHAMPION SOUND

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£3 AFTER 12)

Midweek celebration of all things dub, jungle, reggae and dancehall.

THE GETTUP

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours.

Thu 26 Jun JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo. I AM: EDINBURGH

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa make their now regular trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

June 2014

HULLABALOO THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Student-friendly chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, r’n’b and urban in the back room.

Fri 27 Jun MISFITS

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

FOUR CORNERS

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 12)

Soulful dancing fodder, from deep funk to reggae beats with your regular DJ hosts.

PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. SHAKE YER SHOULDERS

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11.30)

Celebration of all things techno with the Shake Yer Shoulders residents.

XY

511, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Eclectic clubber’s delight of house, electro, garage and techno, served up by resident DJ TODD and a schedule of local and international guests.

DOMINO CLUB

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly institution with DJ P-Stylz at the helm spinning the best hiphop, r’n’b and soul.

FLY (NOLAN + HERD)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

A powerhouse of local residents take over Cab Vol, joined by a selection of guest talent both local and further flung (aka London).

ROAD TRIP

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

All-new night intended to act as an audio visual vacation around the globe, with the best mixtapes to match.

MORE DIALOGUE

THE OUTHOUSE, 20:00–23:00, FREE

The resident self-confessed vinyl junkies play out the highlights of their eclectic record collection.

CREATURES OF HABIT

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 11.30PM)

House, tech-house and techno from resident DJs Peter Annand and Jack Swift.

Sat 28 Jun TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the classic and modern spectrums.

BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics as standard.

RIDE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

The Ride girls play hip-hop and dance, all night long – now in their new party-ready Saturday night slot.

MADCHESTER

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £6

Monthly favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

BIG ‘N’ BASHY

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£6 AFTER 12)

Mighty mix of reggae, grime, dubstep and jungle played oot by the inimitable residents.

BETAMAX

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£5/£4 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Monthly offering of new wave, disco, post-punk and a bit o’ synthtastic 80s with your hosts Chris and Big Gus. DR NO’S

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£5 AFTER 12)

Danceable mix of the best in 60s ska, rocksteady, bluebeat and early reggae.

VEGAS! THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:30–01:00, £6

50s-themed party fun night, with Frankie Sumatra, Bugsy Seagull, Dino Martini, Sam Jose and Nikki Nevada. Plus Vegas showgirls ago-go, natch.

VITAMINS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5 (MEMBERS FREE)

The Vitamins party starters do their usual (i.e transforming the decor of venue space and playing the latest underground dance), a secret guest or two likely in tow.

ALBATRONICS

STUDIO 24, 22:00–03:00, £TBC

All-new traditional folk-styled night, this edition with the Monster Ceilidh Band heading up proceedings, bolstered by resident deck stalwart DJ Dolphin Boy. DEEP EXCURSIONS (SVEN WEISEMANN)

THE MASH HOUSE, 21:00–03:00, £10 (£6)

All-new night playing deep underground dance music, with guest Sven Weisemann, plus resident Stephen Rodgers, and the Ladies on Rotation in the pre-club bar from 9pm.

MAGIC NOSTALGIC: UNOFFICIAL T IN THE PARK SPECIAL

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£8 AFTER 12)

A hodgepodge of quality tracks chosen by JP’s spinning wheel, this time handing over half an hour of playlist to acts playing this year’s T in the Park.

DIRTY DEEDS

OPIUM, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Sun 22 Jun

F.O.E.S + ATLAS:EMPIRE (WECAMEFROMWOLVES + JUDGES) NON-ZERO’S, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

Liverpudlian alternative rock four-piece F.O.E.S (aka Fall Of Every Sparrow) take to the road for a joint headline tour with Glasgow progressive rock quartet Atlas:Empire.

The Reading Room residents hold the fort for the evening, playing good vibes tunes all night long.

Durham’s Healing Powers and Kent’s Hey, Joni tick off Scotland on their joint European tour: expect crushing screams and twinkly guitars.

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Americana country-styled Perth ensemble led by former Southpaw singer/songwriter and guitarist Gavin Munro.

Wed 04 Jun

JUTE CITY JAM: LAUNCH NIGHT

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £4

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £3.50

ROOMS THURSDAYS

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of.

Thursday nighter (as the name would suggest) playing anything and everything ‘good’.

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £12 (£10)

FAT SAM’S, 22:30–03:00, £4

The Coalition and #notsosilent crews join forces to present a stellar house curveball of a night.

Mon 30 Jun MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good ol’ 90s classics.

NU FIRE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

DJ Fusion and Beef move from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Dundee Music Sat 07 Jun THE HAZEY JANES

FAT SAM’S, 19:30–22:30, £9

Shiny Dundee four-piece trading in relentlessly upbeat rhythms and sweet boy/girl harmonies.

DEATHCATS

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 20:00–22:30, £TBC

The Glasgow guitar popsters drop a set of their fiery post-surf brand of hardcore

Sun 08 Jun

BABY STRANGE (FUTURE GLUE + THE ROCKALLS)

BUSKERS, 19:00–22:00, FREE

Hyped Glasgow indie crew with decidedly dark credentials.

Sat 14 Jun THE BOMB

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 23:00–02:30, £6

Pumped Saturday party night playing nowt but doof doof techno.

ASYLUM

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

All-new early weekend partystarter, bolstered by a bouncy castle, gambling tables and a wedding chapel.

Fri 06 Jun VISION

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £5

Deep and funky house served up by Tobias, Correlate and Sonho.

FAT SAM’S FRIDAYS

FAT SAM’S, 23:00–02:30, £4 (£3)

Fun Friday nighter soundtracked by big party tunes and punter requests.

WARPED

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead.

JUNGLISM

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 23:00–02:30, £3 (£5 AFTER 11.30)

Friday night party of drum’n’bass soundscapes, ripe for dancing feet.

Sat 07 Jun AUTODISCO

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £5 (£7 AFTER 12)

Thu 19 Jun ROOMS THURSDAYS

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £TBC

Thursday nighter (as the name would suggest) playing anything and everything ‘good’.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

FAT SAM’S, 22:30–03:00, £4

All-new early weekend partystarter, bolstered by a bouncy castle, gambling tables and a wedding chapel.

Fri 20 Jun COOKIN’ SESSIONS

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £TBC

Special sessions night catering for all your dance music needs, with bespoke visuals to boot.

FAT SAM’S FRIDAYS

FAT SAM’S, 23:00–02:30, £4 (£3)

Fun Friday nighter soundtracked by big party tunes and punter requests.

GORILLA IN YOUR CAR

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Hardcore, emo, punk and scenester selections. Also perhaps the best-named club night in Dundee’s existence.

Sat 21 Jun LOCARNO

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:30, £TBC

Rockabilly, doo-wop, soul and all things golden age and danceable with the Locarno regulars.

MASK

FAT SAM’S, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£5)

Classy club takeover snaking across four rooms, with a VIP lounge to boot.

RESET-DIVIDE TOUR (DAVE SEAMAN + THERMALBEAR + PARKS & WILSON + BRENT LAWSON + NAMESPACE + TR20 + ROBBIE FRASER) FAT SAM’S, 21:00–03:00, £10

The second instalment of the Reset-Divide tour sees Pro-B-Tech Records coming home to Scotland with another big night, carrying on from the success of Electric Social.

ASYLUM

Thu 26 Jun

ASYLUM

Saturday best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes.

Thu 12 Jun ROOMS THURSDAYS

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £TBC

Thursday nighter (as the name would suggest) playing anything and everything ‘good’.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

FAT SAM’S, 22:30–03:00, £4

All-new early weekend partystarter, bolstered by a bouncy castle, gambling tables and a wedding chapel.

Fri 13 Jun LIBRARIAN’S CHOICE

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £5

Underground house and deep techno vibes provided by Neil Clark and Dyte.

ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Saturday best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes.

Glasgow

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 23:00–02:30, £6

FAT SAM’S, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£5)

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

FAT SAM’S, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£5)

Classy club takeover snaking across four rooms, with a VIP lounge to boot.

5 JUN, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £5

Saturday best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes.

Classy club takeover snaking across four rooms, with a VIP lounge to boot.

MASK

CCA

THE BOMB

Electro-funk, house and disco with your regular hosts Dave Autodisco and Dicky Trisco.

MASK

The Good Stuff DJs spin all genres of disco house and techno, alongside anything else they damn well fancy.

Saturday best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes.

Pumped Saturday party night playing nowt but doof doof techno.

Dundee Clubs

BOOK CLUB

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £TBC

FAT SAM’S, 23:00–03:00, £8 (£5)

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 20:00–22:30, £5

THE RED PINE TIMBER COMPANY

Sat 28 Jun

MASK

Sat 28 Jun

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

ROOMS RESIDENTS

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £TBC

Classy club takeover snaking across four rooms, with a VIP lounge to boot.

Thu 05 Jun

COALITION VS #NOSOSILENT (LEON VYNEHALL + MEDLAR)

KAGE, 23:00–02:30, £4

Handpicked-style night inviting a guest DJ to play tracks from artists and albums that would make their definitive mixtape.

NON-ZERO’S, 19:30–23:00, £5

Sun 29 Jun

Edinburgh’s underground meets the glam side of clubbing, as the Illusion lot celebrate their 2nd birthday with a selection of the freshest international DJs in tow.

CASSETTE

Sat 14 Jun

HEALING POWERS + HEY, JONI (FROWN + MELOPHOBIA)

Launch of an all-new funk, soul, disco and Latin night, taking in vinyl selections from Max Galloway and Calvin Crichton.

ILLUSION: 2ND BIRTHDAY (JOYCE MUNIZ + RUSS YALLOP)

Fun Friday nighter soundtracked by big party tunes and punter requests.

Tue 24 Jun

All-new rock night headed up by Joe Darke, playing heavy selections of rock, metal, alternative and pop-punk.

THE CLUB

FAT SAM’S FRIDAYS FAT SAM’S, 23:00–02:30, £4 (£3)

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

ROOMS THURSDAYS

READING ROOMS, 22:30–02:30, £TBC

Thursday nighter (as the name would suggest) playing anything and everything ‘good’.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

FAT SAM’S, 22:30–03:00, £4

All-new early weekend partystarter, bolstered by a bouncy castle, gambling tables and a wedding chapel.

Fri 27 Jun SLAM

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:30, £10

Producer/DJ duo Slam (aka Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle) make their now regular trip to Dundee, sharing deck duty over a four-hour set of underground techno, bolstered by the joys of a late licence.

FAT SAM’S FRIDAYS

FAT SAM’S, 23:00–02:30, £4 (£3)

Fun Friday nighter soundtracked by big party tunes and punter requests.

CRYPTIC NIGHTS: ECHOES-REPRISE

Composer and filmmaker Mikolaj Szatko’s presents an expanded reworking of his indulgent cinema experience, blending visual and sonic art intended to spark the subconscious through multiprojection animation and live music (aka, it’ll be magic).

HYPNOSIS DISPLAY

6 JUN, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £12

Meditation on contemporary America in sound and image, for which Portland-based musician Grouper (aka Liz Harris) layers processed field recording, choral vocal harmony and keyboards behind and through Paul Clipson’s 16mm film.

FALLOUT

17–21 JUN, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £5 (£3)

Inter-disciplinary work from People Show in collab with artist Rob Kennedy, examining themes of isolation, media-induced fear and mass extinction using performance, film, sound, live music and light (installation 11am-6pm; daily performances 7pm).

Citizens Theatre SPORTS DAY

4–7 JUN, TIMES VARY, £10 (£8.50)

Community production inspired

by Glasgow and its people, in advance of the Commonwealth Games, boasting material from some of Scotland’s best-known playwrights and songwriters – amongst ‘em Alan Bissett, Gary McNair and Julia Taudevin.

BETTY BLUE EYES

18–21 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £TBC

Toe-tappin’ new musical based on Alan Bennett’s comedy film, A Private Function, about the numerous eccentric residents of a town in Yorkshire, Shepardsford.

SECC

CARRIE’S DANCE COMPANY: LOST IN THE SHADOWS

29 JUN, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £15

Modern dance troupe taking in myriad different dance forms, including hip-hop, stage, jazz, ballet, lyrical, tap dance and more, performed by dancers aged between 3-50 years.

The Arches ON THE VERGE

VARIOUS DATES 6 JUN, TIMES VARY, £8 (£6) DAY PASS

Mini festival of diverse theatrical works from emerging artists on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s MA in Classical and Contemporary Text, including devised physical theatre and improvisational performances.

The King’s Theatre

ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 30 JUN AND 5 JUL, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £10

Farcical comedy based on Carlo Goldoni’s The Servent Of Two Masters, with Gavin Spokes taking the central role of loveable chancer Francis Henshall.

Theatre BUDDY VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 16 AND 21 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

West End tribute to the Buddy Holly story – serving up all the classics including La Bamba and Johnny B. Goode – continuing its feel-good trajectory, some 25 years and counting.

TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 2 AND 14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

Ben Elton’s musical comedy inspired by the songs of Rod Stewart, taking to the road under the watchful eye of director Cjay Ranger and choreographer Denise Ranger.

FAME

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 24 AND 28 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

New production of the high-octane stage musical, based on the Oscarwinning classic 80s film of the same name.

The Pavilion Theatre THE WIZARD OF OZ

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 5 AND 7 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £14

ROBIN FOX’S RGB LASER SHOW 17–18 JUN, 7:30PM – 8:00PM, £8 (£6)

Expect a saturation of sound and light as Robin Fox performs his immersive laser show – with sound converted directly into light geometry and the image itself sonified so you hear the mechanics of the light drawing (aka prepare to be suitably mesmerised).

UNTRAINED

20–21 JUN, 6:30PM – 7:30PM, £12 (£8)

Unique dance fusion from four men – two who are highly-skilled and experienced dancers, and two who aren’t – all with the same complex movements to perform.

A SMALL PROMETHEUS

20–21 JUN, 9:00PM – 10:30PM, £12 (£8)

Dance exploration of the physicality of heat – how does it move, what does it sound like, what are its implications? – told via convection-driven sound sculptures, intricate choreography, and the sound of heat dissipating in different situations.

PIN DROP

28–29 JUN, 7:30PM – 8:30PM, £15 (£10)

Theatre Royal

Audio-sensory theatre work that tells its stories through 12 voices – one live, 11 pre-recorded – using text, sound, movement and design to piece together an investigation of our collective responses to real or perceived threats.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 24 AND 28 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

Tron Theatre

All-singing production of the musical favourite, complete with live orchestra and an adorable dog.

DIAL M FOR MURDER

Frederick Knott’s intense and darkly gripping thriller, famously filmed by Alfred Hitchcock, takes to the stage as part of its UK-wide tour.

PRIVATE PEACEFUL

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 25 AND 28 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

Based on the Michael Morpurgo novel, adapted for the stage by Simon Reade, following the last night of Private Tommo Peaceful as he awaits the firing squad at dawn, recounting his childhood in Devon and the love of his life, Molly.

LORD OF THE FLIES

11–14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £6

Matthew Bourne’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies, choreographed by Olivier prize-nominated Scott Ambler and starring New Adventures dancers from Glasgow.

GO DANCE 14

17–21 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £7.50

Now in its seventh year, Go Dance returns with another diverse programme of dance performances from dance groups across Scotland.

Tramway

FESTEN

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 5 AND 7 JUN, TIMES VARY, £10 (£7.50)

Oft-disturbing exploration of middle class respectability, adapted for stage by David Eldridge from the hit Dogme film.

IN MY FATHER’S WORDS

19–28 JUN, NOT 22, 23, 7:45PM – 10:00PM, FROM £8

Tender play about identity – national and personal – and language, and the utter indivisibility between the two, told from the perspective of a son and his dementia-battling father.

HAMLET

5–7 JUN, TIMES VARY, £12 (£7)

New reworking of the Shakespearean domestic tragedy of two families, brewing on love, longing, loss and the ultimate failure of each generation to live up to the expectations of the one that follows.

Edinburgh

GRIT: THE MARTYN BENNETT STORY

30 MAY – 7 JUN, NOT 1 JUN, 2 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £8

Ambitious new cross-form, site specific production penned by Glasgow playwright Kieran Hurley, based on the inspiring life and music of late Scottish musician Martyn Bennett.

CONVERSATION PIECE

12–13 JUN, 7:30PM – 9:00PM, £15 (£10)

Exploration of the humorous and frivolous nature of human interactions, for which an ensemble cast will perform a different conversation each night.

DUAL

15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £12 (£8)

Two contrasting and idiosyncratic dance solos performed one after the other, followed by a third act where the two solos miraculously interlock. Preceded by a selection of Australian dance made for screen.

SHIFTING GROUND

17–18 JUN, TIMES VARY, £8 (£6)

Unique dance performance and installation drawing parallels between geological transformations and those found within the human race, exploring the idea that all forms are temporal and metamorphic.

Edinburgh Playhouse LET IT BE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 2 AND 7 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

West End show charting the meteoric rise of the Beatles, taking the audience on a musical journey through all the hits, from their early days at the Cavern Club to global hits like Yesterday and Hey Jude.

IMMORTAL CHI

13 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £17.50

All-new fusion of Chinese martial arts, incorporating the Chinese Girl drummers alongside multi-media images and an original musical score, created by the team behind the renowned production Shaolin Warriors.

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 17 AND 21 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £10.50

Tony award-winning version of Irving Berlin’s classic musical, now with added Jason-bloodyDonovan.

Festival Theatre BALANCHINE/MILLEPIED

3 JUN, 6:30PM – 9:00PM, FROM £15

Live streamed double bill, with Paris Opera Ballet presenting George Balanchine’s 1947 ballet Le Palais de Cristal, alongside Benjamin Millepied’s new work – an adaptation of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé.

Listings

51

Theatre

Comedy

PILRIG PARK: GOING FOR GOLD

Glasgow

13 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £9

One-off production from the talented youngsters at Pilrig Park school, involved in every aspect of the production – with the choreography, costumes and sets are all put together by pupils and teachers.

EDINBURGH CHOREOGRAPHIC PROJECT: ROYSTON MALDOOM

14 JUN, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, FROM £12

Following a successful collaboration in 2013, Edinburgh Choreographic Project presents an evening of modern dance devised by legendary international choreographer, Royston Maldoom.

King’s Theatre AVENUE Q

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 10 AND 14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £15

Sell a Door Theatre Company’s revival of the singalong tale of a New York street populated by an unholy comedic alliance of humans and puppets.

LAST OF THE DUTY FREE

2–7 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £14

Staged version of the favourited British sitcom, reuniting Keith Barron, Gwen Taylor and Neil Stacy to play-out the next instalment in a series which regularly pulled in audiences of over twelve million.

Summerhall 4.48 PSYCHOSIS

20 JUN, 7:30PM – 8:45PM, £8 (£6)

Powerful performance from Edinburgh Acting School about what most people shy away from confronting: depression, suicide and sadness.

THE END OF THE WORLD (AS SEEN

BY ONE JOSHUA RAMSEY)

6 JUN, 8 JUN, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £8 (£5)

A bold and dark comedy from Alan Gordon and Sam Siggs, two of the Trav 50.

Traverse Theatre FIRST COSMONAUT

5–7 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £15.50 (£12.50 CONCESSION/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

Award-winning Blue Raincoat Theatre Company return to the Traverse with their new production – the story of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space and the first human to see Earth.

LA TRAGEDIE COMIQUE

6–7 JUN, TIMES VARY, £15.50 (£12.50 CONCESSION/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

One-man show from Plutôt la Vie, with an epic story unfolding as great characters of literature wait to be born to this world, brought to life by authors and incarnated by actors.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

27–28 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £15

All-new musical comedy tale based on the characters of The Addams Family, in which Wednesday Addams falls in love with a sweet young man from a respectable family.

Opium FAR

4 OCT, 29 JUN, 8:00PM – 10:30PM, £5

The Aberdeen trio continue peddling their alternative rock, funk and r’n’b wares.

Out of the Blue Drill Hall FISH IS THE FUTURE

19–21 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Leith-based theatre company Active Inquiry take a humourous look at what Scottish independence would mean for the small island community of Fishtown.

Royal Lyceum Theatre NT CONNECTIONS 2014

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 3 AND 7 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £8 (£5)

Part of the National Theatre Connections programme – a series of plays developed by writers from the National Theatre Company and performed by youth theatre groups from across the UK.

Scottish Storytelling Centre

ELEANOR THE ADVENTURER AND THE LAND OF SPLENDIFEROUS HATS

14–15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £8 (£5)

Dundee Dundee Rep BIRDSONG

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 8 APR AND 14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FROM £17.50 (£12.50)

Sebastian Faulks’ acclaimed story of love, courage and sacrifice during wartime is brought to the stage in a critically-acclaimed new adaptation marking the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI.

Tue 03 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Wed 04 Jun COMEDIAN RAP BATTLE

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£4)

YOUTH DANCE FESTIVAL 14

22 JUN, 7:00PM – 9:00PM, £8 (£6)

Series of awe-inspiring youth dance performed by groups of talented young pups from across Scotland.

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

Thu 05 Jun

ZOMBIE SCIENCE: BRAIN OF THE DEAD

THE ADMIRAL, 20:00–22:00, £5

Spoof tutorial hosted by Theoretical Zombiologist Doctor Austin, uncovering the dark complexity of the zombie brain – featuring interactive demonstrations and a multi-media presentation. Part of Glasgow Science Festival.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (PAUL SINHA + SIMON DONALD + PHIL DIFFER + DAISY EARL + MC JOE HEENAN) THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

VESPBAR VIRGINS

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

THE FRIDAY SHOW (PAUL SINHA + SIMON DONALD + PHIL DIFFER + DAISY EARL + MC JOE HEENAN) THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

Sat 07 Jun

THE SATURDAY SHOW (PAUL SINHA + SIMON DONALD + PHIL DIFFER + DAISY EARL + MC JOE HEENAN) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Adventure-themed piece written

by Tim Primrose, and performed by 8-10 year-olds.

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

12 JUN, 15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £8 (£5)

Sun 08 Jun

SECOND FACE

Charlotte Hathaway-penned piece which ponders whether your friends are those online or the tangible ones. Performed by 11-14 year-olds.

YOUR GAME

13–14 JUN, 7:00PM – 8:00PM, £8 (£5)

When word gets out that a schoolboy has died suddenly an entire year group spontaneously skives off school to remember him.

Performed by 11-14 year-olds.

INTO THE UNKNOWN

12 JUN, 14 JUN, 9:00PM – 10:00PM, £8 (£5)

Sophie McCabe and Natalie Mackinnon-penned piece exploring what happens when you venture into the unknown. Performed by 11-14 year-olds.

TRASH PALACE

13 JUN, 15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £8 (£5)

Sam Siggs’ hangover-enducing portrayal of a 24-hour binge fortress. Performed by 16-18 year-olds.

52

Listings

RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Fri 06 Jun

Claire Duffy’s interactive theatre piece, inviting audience volunteers to play a series of high stake games with £10,000 in real pound coins – demonstrating how the world’s economic system came close to collapse in 2008.

Tue 10 Jun

THE PAVILION THEATRE, 19:30–21:30, FROM £35

NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

WOMEN IN MIND

24 JUN, 25 JUN, 26 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £14 (£12)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

Comic Paul Sneddon once more dons a dodgy wig to become Bob Doolally – hosting his irreverent Comedy World Cup Countdown, looking forward to Brazil 2014 with some suitably outrageous predictions for the World Cup.

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

21 MAY – 7 JUN, NOT 25 MAY, 26 MAY, 1 JUN, 2 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £10

MONEY: THE GAME SHOW

BOB DOOLALLY’S COMEDY WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN

Ro Cambell and The Wee Man’s comedian rap battle-off, where a select batch of comics compete to see who’s got the most swagger when it comes to hippity-hop wit.

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Reworking of Alan Ayckbourn’s humourous and poignant play about a woman slowly unraveling, as her real and fantasy worlds start to collide and merge. Matinee performances also available.

Mon 09 Jun

GLASGOW KIDS COMEDY CLUB

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £4

Comedy session suitable for little ears (i.e. no sweary words), for children aged 8-12 years-old.

THE UGLY ANIMAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY (SIAN BEVAN + PAUL CURRIE + CHRIS FORBES + ALLY HOUSTON + JOJO SUTHERLAND + ELEANOR MORTON + MC SIMON WATT) THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10

Simon Watt and his comedic chums set out to raise the profile of some of Mother Nature’s more aesthetically challenged animals, interpreted via stand-up. Part of Glasgow Science Festival.

DAWN FRENCH: 30 MILLION MINUTES

The longstanding British comic takes to the road for her first ever solo tour, based on her life and career – a period of time that amounts to 30 million minutes.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (ROGER MONKHOUSE + LLOYD LANGFORD + JAMIE DALGLEISH + LIAM WITHNAIL + MC SUSAN MORRISON) THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Wed 11 Jun NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

DAWN FRENCH: 30 MILLION MINUTES

THE PAVILION THEATRE, 19:30–21:30, FROM £35

The longstanding British comic takes to the road for her first ever solo tour, based on her life and career – a period of time that amounts to 30 million minutes.

Sun 15 Jun

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and guests.

Mon 16 Jun ARIES SPEARS

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £15

American stand-up comic, actor and voice artist who discovered his comedic abilities as the tender age of 14.

Tue 17 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Wed 18 Jun

WHIZZ KIDS BENEFIT (JANEY GODLEY + CHRIS FORBES + SUSIE MCCABE + MC RAYMOND MEARNS)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7)

Live comedy fundraiser in aid of Whizz Kids, with Raymond Mearns the brave MC keeping a selection of stand-up acts in check.

NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

Thu 19 Jun

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BEN NORRIS + SILKY + LARRY DEAN + MC RAYMOND MEARNS) THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

WASASA COMEDY NIGHT: REFUGEE WEEK 2014

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 20:00–22:00, £5 (£3)

Wasasa bring their unique fusion of Zambian-Glaswegian humour to 2014’s Refugee Week.

VESPBAR VIRGINS

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

Thu 12 Jun

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

Fri 20 Jun

VESPBAR VIRGINS

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BEN NORRIS + SILKY + LARRY DEAN + MC RAYMOND MEARNS)

THE PAVILION THEATRE, 19:30–21:30, FROM £35

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

DAWN FRENCH: 30 MILLION MINUTES

The longstanding British comic takes to the road for her first ever solo tour, based on her life and career – a period of time that amounts to 30 million minutes.

Fri 13 Jun

THE FRIDAY SHOW (ROGER MONKHOUSE + LLOYD LANGFORD + JAMIE DALGLEISH + LIAM WITHNAIL + MC SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

Sat 21 Jun

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BEN NORRIS + SILKY + LARRY DEAN + MC RAYMOND MEARNS)

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

Sat 14 Jun

THE SATURDAY SHOW (ROGER MONKHOUSE + LLOYD LANGFORD + JAMIE DALGLEISH + LIAM WITHNAIL + MC SUSAN MORRISON) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

Sun 22 Jun

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and guests.

Tue 24 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Wed 25 Jun VARIETY CLUB

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

Ye olde style variety showcase taking in selections of music, comedy, magic and dance.

NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Edinburgh Tue 03 Jun G-SPOT

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5

MC Jojo Sutherland leads an all-new camp-styled evening of comedy and cabaret.

Wed 04 Jun

THE BROKEN WINDOWS POLICY

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4)

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

More fast-paced and anarchic skits and character comedy from The Stand’s resident sketch comedy troupe.

Thu 26 Jun

Thu 05 Jun

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

THE THURSDAY SHOW (DAVE FULTON + BENNY BOOT + MC BRUCE DEVLIN)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

VESPBAR VIRGINS

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Fri 27 Jun

THE FRIDAY SHOW (DAVE FULTON + BENNY BOOT + MC BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

Sat 28 Jun

THE SATURDAY SHOW (DAVE FULTON + BENNY BOOT + MC BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE 10 O’CLOCK SHOW

VESPBAR, 22:00–23:45, £10

Your weekend host Viv Gee introduces a mixed bag of new talent, topped off with a bigger name headline act.

Sun 29 Jun

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and guests.

ZOMBIE SCIENCE: BRAIN OF THE DEAD

THE STAND, 18:00–19:00, £6 (£5)

Spoof tutorial hosted by Theoretical Zombiologist Doctor Austin, uncovering the dark complexity of the zombie brain – featuring interactive demonstrations and a multi-media presentation.

Mon 30 Jun

AL MURRAY THE PUB LANDLORD: ONE MAN, ONE GUVNOR

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £15

Alastair James Belshaw once more dons his Pub Landlord persona, serving up the ale-inspired acumen and bar-room buffoonery, performing a special work in progress session.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BRENDAN DEMPSEY + PAUL CURRIE + JAY LAFFERTY + MC RAYMOND MEARNS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

ABSOLUTE IMPROV

THE TRON, 19:00–20:00, £5 (£3)

Improv-styled comedy show in the vein of Whose Line Is It Anyway, in which the performers create sketches based on audience suggestions.

MEN WITH COCONUTS

CANON’S GAIT, 20:30–22:00, £5 (£4)

Fringe favourties Improv FX – made up of West End actors, physical comedians and musicians – stage their fast-paced sketch show at home in the ‘burgh, inspired wholly by audience suggestions.

THE FRIDAY SHOW (IAN MOORE + BRUCE FUMMEY + MC BILLY KIRKWOOD)

THE TRON, 19:00–20:00, £5 (£3)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

ABSOLUTE IMPROV

Improv-styled comedy show in the vein of Whose Line Is It Anyway, in which the performers create sketches based on audience suggestions.

Fri 06 Jun

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BRENDAN DEMPSEY + PAUL CURRIE + JAY LAFFERTY + MC RAYMOND MEARNS)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Fri 13 Jun

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

Sat 14 Jun

THE SATURDAY SHOW (IAN MOORE + BRUCE FUMMEY + MC BILLY KIRKWOOD) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

Sat 07 Jun

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

Sun 08 Jun

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND, 13:30–15:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions.

BOB DOOLALLY’S COMEDY WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

Comic Paul Sneddon once more dons a dodgy wig to become Bob Doolally – hosting his irreverent Comedy World Cup Countdown, looking forward to Brazil 2014 with some suitably outrageous predictions for the World Cup.

Mon 09 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Tue 10 Jun THE SPEAKEASY

SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE, 20:00–22:00, £6

Monthly spoken-word show of the rather ace variety, featuring a feastful of writers, comedians and musicians telling (mostly) true stories.

THE BROUGHTON BENEFIT (TOM STADE + JOJO SUTHERLAND)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £8

Live comedy fundraiser in aid of The Broughton, featuring Tom Stade and Jojo Sutherland.

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10)

Wed 11 Jun

The comic and science enthusiast presents another in his line of unhinged stand-up lectures – this time turning his attention to the mind, looking at the last 100 years of psychiatry, psychology and brain dabblings.

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Mon 23 Jun

ROBIN INCE IS (IN AND) OUT OF HIS MIND

Thu 12 Jun

THE THURSDAY SHOW (IAN MOORE + BRUCE FUMMEY + MC BILLY KIRKWOOD)

THE MELTING POT

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Sun 15 Jun

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND, 13:30–15:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions.

FRINGE PREVIEW DOUBLE BILL: LLOYD LANGFORD + JARRED CHRISTMAS

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10

Yes, The Fringe is nigh! The Stand celebrates with a double-billing of two Fringe 2014 acts set to showcase their new shows in Edinburgh come August.

Mon 16 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Wed 18 Jun

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UNEXPECTED

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5

A bright collective of comedians experiment with the medium of stand-up, under the ever-watchful eye of regular host Jo Caulfield.

Email your questions for the audience round to shewasfunny@ yahoo.com.

Thu 19 Jun

THE THURSDAY SHOW (MARKUS BIRDMAN + ALEX BOARDMAN + JIM SMITH + MC VLADIMIR MCTAVISH)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4 STUDENTS/£2.50 MEMBERS)

Series of comedy sketches picked by the audience and performed by a varying troupe of actors and musicians.

THE SKINNY

Fri 20 Jun

THE FRIDAY SHOW (MARKUS BIRDMAN + ALEX BOARDMAN + JIM SMITH + MC VLADIMIR MCTAVISH)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

Sat 21 Jun

THE SATURDAY SHOW (MARKUS BIRDMAN + ALEX BOARDMAN + JIM SMITH + MC VLADIMIR MCTAVISH)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

City of Glasgow College

Goethe-Institut

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

10–13 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Sun 29 Jun

Compass Gallery

The HND Photography students from West College Scotland (formerly known as Reid Kerr College) display a series of photographs taken during their most recent field trip to Berlin to document the city.

THE STAND, 13:30–15:30, FREE

15 MAY – 6 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

THE SATURDAY SHOW (JEFF INNOCENT + STEPHEN CARLIN + SULLY O’SULLIVAN + MC SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

Sun 22 Jun

Alastair James Belshaw once more dons his Pub Landlord persona, serving up the ale-inspired acumen and bar-room buffoonery, performing a special work in progress session.

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions.

ROBIN INCE IS (IN AND) OUT OF HIS MIND

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10)

The comic and science enthusiast presents another in his line of unhinged stand-up lectures – this time turning his attention to the mind, looking at the last 100 years of psychiatry, psychology and brain dabblings.

Mon 23 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Tue 24 Jun BRIGHT CLUB

AL MURRAY THE PUB LANDLORD: ONE MAN, ONE GUVNOR

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £15

Mon 30 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Wed 25 Jun

THE BEST OF SCOTTISH COMEDY (STEPHEN CARLIN + MC RAY BRADSHAW) THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£3 MEMBERS)

A selection of top comics from the contemporary Scottish circuit do their thing, aye.

Thu 26 Jun

THE THURSDAY SHOW (JEFF INNOCENT + STEPHEN CARLIN + SULLY O’SULLIVAN + MC SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

MEN WITH COCONUTS

CANON’S GAIT, 20:30–22:00, £5 (£4)

Fringe favourties Improv FX – made up of West End actors, physical comedians and musicians – stage their fast-paced sketch show at home in the ‘burgh, inspired wholly by audience suggestions.

Fri 27 Jun

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JEFF INNOCENT + STEPHEN CARLIN + SULLY O’SULLIVAN + MC SUSAN MORRISON) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

June 2014

CULMINATION

New exhibition of work by HND Contemporary Art Practice students, representing the high point of the students’ last two years of study.

LESLEY BANKS: BREATHING SPACES

Solo showcase from the Glasgowbased artist, taking in a selection of paintings and pastels of the West End of Glasgow and its environs.

Dundee Fri 06 Jun

JIMMY CARR: FUNNY BUSINESS

CAIRD HALL, 20:00–22:00, £25

The hardworking comic tours his new solo show, packed with oneliners, stories and incisive musings on the human condition.

Glasgow 1 Royal Terrace COMMITTEE SHOW

8 JUN, 14 JUN, 15 JUN, 21 JUN, 22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

The new non-commercial, artistrun exhibition space in central Glasgow, 1 Royal Terrace, present their first Committee Show.

CCA

RACHEL MACLEAN: HAPPY&GLORIOUS

31 MAY – 13 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

New batch of hyper-seductive, super-saturated work from the Glasgow artist – taking the transformative power of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and characteristically turning the positive vibes into something a little bit more disturbing.

MOLLY PALMER: THE FADE

7–8 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Filmed during CCA’s Creative Lab residency in 2012, artist Molly Palmer presents a three-channel video work created with local actors using green screen effects – transporting them into handmade, scaled down sets where a dreamlike narrative plays out.

PEOPLE SHOW 124: FALLOUT

17–21 JUN, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

People Show make their first return to Glasgow in almost ten years to create a new inter-disciplinary work in collaboration with visual artist Rob Kennedy, incorporating performance, film, sound, live music and light.

BERLINBILDER

15 MAY – 13 JUN, WEEKDAYS ONLY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Hunterian Art Gallery SCOTTISH GOLD

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 14 MAR AND 15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £5 (£3)

Gallery of Modern Art

Major new exhibition featuring an array of Scottish gold items from the Bronze Age to the present, focusing on the occurrence of gold in Scotland and Scottish gold mining.

15 MAY – 1 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Mary Mary

NATHAN COLEY: THE LAMP OF SACRIFICE

Interested in how people relate to architecture and what they choose to believe, Nathan Coley presents an installation featuring models of 286 ‘places of worship’ which he found in the 2004 edition of the Edinburgh Yellow Pages.

MOYNA FLANNIGAN: STARE

29 MAY – 2 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5

A selection of comedic academics do a stint of stand-up for your entertainment and enlightenment.

Laughs and learning in one neat package: tick.

GARETH MOORE

Produced during a three month residency at Glasgow Sculpture Studios, sculptor Gareth Moore’s presents a series of new commissions that engages with the environment and landscape surrounding the studios and the Possilpark area. Part of GI.

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

30 MAY – 20 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 4 APR AND 7 JUN, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

THE SCOTTISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR AWARD ART COMMISSION

Group show for the SAY Art Commission, timed to coincide with the announcement of The Scottish Album of the Year Award shortlist, offering the winning artist £12,000 and the opportunity to create a new artwork for the short listed albums of 2014.

Sat 28 Jun

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

THE STAND, 13:30–15:30, FREE

Art

Glasgow Sculpture Studios

The Edinburgh-based artist presents a new body of work drawing on the story of Adam and Eve, in particular the figure of Eve as an original model of Woman, to reflect an underlying conflict between individualism and conformity.

DOUGLAS GORDON: PRETTY MUCH EVERY FILM AND VIDEO WORK FROM ABOUT 1992 UNTIL NOW

27 JUN – 28 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Dividing his time between Glasgow and Berlin, Douglas Gordon presents an encyclopaedia-style installation of his output to date – shown on over 100 old televisions.

SARA BARKER: FOR MYSELF & STRANGERS

27 JUN – 5 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Interested in what she terms ‘biological space’, Manchesterborn, Glasgow-based artist Sara Barker showcases a new series of sculptures that include brazed, welded and cast metals, sometimes divided by glass structures that frame and contain the work.

Glasgow Print Studio

THREE OF US: DENISE BLACKBURN + ARMELLE FRANÇOIS + LISETTE THIBEAULT 23 MAY – 22 JUN, NOT 26 MAY, 2 JUN, 9 JUN, 16 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

As part of an exchange between Engramme :: centre de production en estampe in Québec City, GPS present work by Armelle François, Denise Blackburn and Lisette Thibeault. The reciprocal exhibition of Scottish artists will be in Québec in autumn 2014.

GSA Renfrew Street Campus GSA DEGREE SHOW 2014

14–21 JUN, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Glasgow School of Art present their annual undergraduate student round-up, showcasing the fruits of a new crop of budding artists’ endeavours across the schools of Fine Art, Design and Architecture.

INSIDE ARRANGEMENT

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 7 JUN AND 2 AUG, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Group exhibition taking in a selection of work by John Finneran, Jonathan Gardner, John McAllister, Gerda Scheepers and Sam Windett.

RGI Kelly Gallery

RGI NEW GRADUATE PRIZE: BROGAN RAMM + KATIE CARLISLE

6–28 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Selected from the Glasgow School of Art Degree show as the recipients of the RGI New Graduate Prize in 2013, artists Brogan Ramm and Katie Carlisle showcase a selection of new work one year on.

SWG3

FOLKLORE CONTEMPORAIN III: BASTIEN AUBRY & DIMITRI BROQUARD + ANNE DE VRIES

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 30 MAY AND 21 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Common Guild

GABRIEL KURI: ALL PROBABILITY RESOLVES INTO FORM

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 4 APR AND 7 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

New body of work by the internationally acclaimed Mexican artist, known for works that utilise the remains of everyday objects and materials. Part of GI. HAYLEY TOMPKINS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 21 JUN AND 2 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

First of a trio of solo exhibition as part of the GENERATION project, presenting three consecutive solo exhibitions by Hayley Tompkins, Corin Sworn and Duncan Campbell, the artists presented by The Common Guild for the exhibition Scotland + Venice 2013.

The Glasgow Art Club DIANA HAND

12 MAY – 5 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Showcase exhibition of contemporary equestrian drawings by Stirling-based artist Diana Hand.

The Lighthouse STARTER FOR 6: MAKER OR MANUFACTURER?

11 APR – 8 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

INDUSTRIES: ALICIA BRUCE + CHARLES-FRÉDÉRICK OUELLET + MARTIN HUNTER + NORMAND RAJOTTE 24 MAY – 22 JUN, NOT 26 MAY, 2 JUN, 9 JUN, 16 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase of work by artists from Scotland and Quebec, whose work exists on the edges between documentary and poetry – addressing cultural identity, post-industrialism, and how boundaries of control are reflected in the urban and rural landscape.

The Arches SARAH ROBERTS: HOME

5–30 JUN, 11:00AM – 11:00PM, FREE

Working with people who have moved to Scotland from elsewhere, Sarah Roberts presents the fruits of her research-based photographic exploration of the concept of home.

Tramway

NEIL CLEMENTS: THE GARAGE FORDIST

Annual exhibition of modern jewellery design incorporating the works of final year jewellery students and staff from colleges across Scotland, highlighting the use of modern technologies in the jewellery industry.

The Modern Institute IN NO TIME

24 MAY – 21 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Group exhibition taking in work from a hefty batch of talent – Matt Connors, Urs Fischer, Luke Fowler, Isa Genzken, Andrew Kerr, Adam McEwen, Wolfgang Tillmans, Sue Tompkins, Jonnie Wilkes and Heimo Zobernig.

ANNE COLLIER

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 4 APR AND 7 JUN, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

The Pipe Factory DUNCAN MARQUISS: SPANDRELS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 23 MAY AND 6 JUN, 12:00PM – 4:00PM, FREE

The Aberdeenshire artist presents a new body of work that takes the architecture of the gallery space as its starting point, displaying a selection of exploratory drawings and moving image work.

The Telfer Gallery NAKED SINCE 1480

30 MAY – 15 JUN, NOT 2 JUN, 3 JUN, 9 JUN, 10 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Drawing from the themes and motifs of Hieronymous Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (1480), Glasgow-based artist Sally Hackett reconfigures The Telfer Gallery and this nude masterpiece into a utopian paradise.

A CAPITAL VIEW – THE ART OF EDINBURGH 10 MAY – 6 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Special exhibition tracing the growth and development of Edinburgh as seen through the eyes of painters, printmakers and sculptor, amongst the earliest views of which are works by William Delacour, Paul Sandby and John Clerk of Eldin.

Coburg House Art Studios

LEITHLATE14 @ COBURG HOUSE ART STUDIOS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 10 MAY AND 15 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

CATHY WILKES

Collective Gallery

The Glasgow working and living artist displays a new batch of work, concerned as ever with the way in which authorship, or ideas of artistic agency, have evolved in relation to broader technological and cultural developments.

28 JUN – 5 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Glasgow-based artist known for her imaginary environments which variously resemble interiors, uninhabited worlds and spaces of loss, engaging with the fabric and industrial history of the Tramway gallery space to further explore these themes.

JOANNE TATHAM AND TOM O’SULLIVAN

iota @ Unlimited Studios

HANDMADE BY MACHINES

St Mungo Museum

Street Level Photoworks

Double-header showcase from and Becky Catterson and Declan Malone, revolving around the theme of curiosity – exploring the simplistic idea that we all subconciously have a natural instinct to be curious.

20 JUN – 13 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

First solo exhibition in Scotland by the New York-based artist, presenting photographic work drawing on continued investigation into perception and representation, the nature and culture of photographic images, and the mechanics of the gaze. Part of GI.

Exhibition of photographs by Glasgow Museums’ photographer Jim Dunn, exploring the rich diversity of religious life in 21st Century Glasgow – capturing the ways in which festivals are celebrated across the city.

6–21 JUN, NOT 9, 16, TIMES VARY, FREE

28 JUN – 27 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Modern Institute @ Airds Lane

JUST ANOTHER DAY

CURIOSITY

Four Starter for 6 businesses at different ends of the maker/ manufacturer spectrum exhibit their products, giving an insight into their process and hint at whether they consider themselves makers or manufacturers.

Third and last exhibition of the Folklore Contemporain series at SWG3, featuring new commissions

by Berlin-based artist Anne de Vries and Swiss duo Bastien Aubry and Dimitri Broquard.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 1 APR AND 29 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Virginia Gallery

Working collaboratively to create drawings, performances and large scale sculptures, Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan re-visit their seminal 2001 exhibition, Heroin Kills, to present a new commission for Tramway’s front gallery space.

GSA TAKE 2: VOLUME I

7–14 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Volume I and Volume II together form a two-part exhibition of works by Master of Letters 2013/2014 students at the Glasgow School of Art, questioning medium specificity and interdisciplinarity in a hyper contemporary context.

Edinburgh

LeithLate mixed exhibition of contemporary paintings, textiles, accessories, jewellery, silver and metalware, all produced by artists and makers at their Coburg House studios.

CAMILLE HENROT

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 10 MAY AND 15 JUN, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Looped screening in the City Dome space of Camille Henrot’s Grosse Fatigue – am ambitious film for which she won the Silver Lion at 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, attempting as it does to tell the story of the universe’s creation from a computer desktop.

DANE SUTHERLAND

30 MAY – 27 JUN, NOT 2 JUN, 9 JUN, 16 JUN, 23 JUN, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

New project by the Satellites Programme Intern, for which he’s worked with a number of artists to create new music, sound artworks and texts, available to purchase as a limited edition USB designed by Plastique Fantastique, or as a free digital download.

LAURA YUILE: CONVERSATION OF MONUMENTS

27 MAY – 29 JUN, NOT 2 JUN, 9 JUN, 16 JUN, 23 JUN, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Installation and public research process by Satellites Programme Critical Discourse Intern, Laura Yuile, attempting to realise a plan for a new monument for the city – one that communicates something about the present time to an uncertain future.

LEITHLATE14 @ COLLECTIVE GALLERY

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Bainbridge Vaults and The Art Cave LEITHLATE14 @ BAINBRIDGE VAULTS AND THE ART CAVE

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Special LeithLate showcase, taking in an exhibition from Stacks (who document different projects led by Harvest in and around Leith), plus a film screening of Faction North’s bespoke LeithLate film – From Edinburgh With Love.

Boda Bar

LEITHLATE14 @ BODA BAR

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

For LeithLate, Boda Bar host work from eight invited artists – Robyn Benson, Kate McAllan, Martyn McKenzie, Ross Fraser McLean, Natasha Russell, Dan Seex, Mairi Timoney and Liam Walker – responding to the theme of ‘the energy of Leith’s culture’.

Brass Monkey (Leith)

LEITHLATE14 @ BRASS MONKEY (LEITH) 22 JUN, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Following Saturday’s Neu! Reekie! takeover, Brass Monkey in Leith continue their LeithLate shenanigans with a Sunday showcase of films from the night before, plus live outdoor mural painting from the Too Much Fun Club.

City Art Centre A-Z: AN ALPHABETICAL TOUR OF SCOTTISH ART

26 APR – 16 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

Informative exhibition cutting across time periods, themes and media to explore the breadth and diversity of Scottish art, representing the key movements that have shaped Scotland’s artistic identity.

Special LeithLate opening of Laura Yuile’s installation and public research process, Conversation of Monument, attempting to realise a plan for a new monument for the city – one that communicates something about the present time to an uncertain future.

Dovecot

BARNABY BARFORD

13 JUN – 19 JUL, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Embassy Gallery LEITHLATE14 @ EMBASSY GALLERY

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Embassy Gallery pop-up at LeithLate with their collective exhibition – entitled ribofunk – featuring Rapidshare, Laura Yuile, Naomia Davies, Thomas Aithchison, Katie Cercone, Joey Holder and Ilona Sagar.

Forest Centre Plus

PAINT LIKE YOU MEAN IT: IR11 PAINTING PRIZE AND EXHIBITION

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 30 MAY AND 14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Exhibition of shortlisted works by artists from around the world who work within the medium of paint, demonstrate the versatility and different approaches of the medium, with the winning artist invited to hold a solo show at IR11 in 2015.

Gallery TEN

CURRENT: NEW ARTISTS & NEW WORKS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 10 MAY AND 14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

As it says on’t tin, Gallery TEN display a showcase of seven new gallery artists and five gallery artists with new work, encompassing prints, jewellery, glass, monoprints and more.

Gayfield Creative Spaces

LEITHLATE14 @ GAYFIELD CREATIVE SPACES

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Especially for LeithLate, Broughton Design Disctrict hole up in Gayfield Craetive Spaces with a showcase from comtemporary textile collective, Kalopsia, and recent ECA graduate, Natasha Russell.

Ingleby Gallery RICHARD FORSTER: MODERN

3 MAY – 21 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

The Bristol artist displays a series of his complex pencil drawings, made with an intense level of skill and a lonely determination over many months, drawing from photographs rather than life.

Inverleith House CORIN SWORN

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 12 APR AND 22 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:30PM, FREE

The winner of the 2013-15 Max Mara Art Prize for Women presents a body of new work made after a period of research into the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh’s Herbarium’s collection of plant specimens.

Junkadelic

LEITHLATE14 @ JUNKADELIC

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Direct from MOCA The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Dovecot host a selection of works from ceramic sculptor Barnaby Barford – with his kitsch figurines exploring all aspects of society in a sinister and sardonic, but invariably humorous, way.

An avid collector of bad art, Junkadelic owne Callum McIntosh gives LeithLate attendees a treat by displaying a collection of his ‘best’ worst pieces.

Edinburgh Printmakers

CHRIS BUSHE: WHERE THE SEA MEETS LAND AND SKY

CAROL RHODES + LOUISE HOPKINS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 4 JUN AND 19 JUL, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Printmakers Carol Rhodes and Louise Hopkins respond to ‘Below Another Sky’, an international residency programme designed to support research and the development of new work in print by artists from Scotland, Australia, Canada, India and Pakistan.

LEITHLATE14 @ EDINBURGH PRINTMAKERS

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

As part of LeithLate, Edinburgh Printmakers present their current exhibition by printmakers Carol Rhodes and Louise Hopkins, alongside printmaking demonstrations and studio tours.

Open Eye Gallery

19 MAY – 4 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase of new paintings by Aberfeldy-born artist, depicting the allure of the beaches, foreshores, headlands and waves that edge the Hebridean islands of Islay, Colonsay and Harris.

KIRSTY WITHER: FIELDS FLOWERS FRUIT

19 MAY – 4 JUN, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Scottish-born, Brightonresiding artist explores further the context of still life, taking in a selection of fruit studies and table arrangements alongside vibrant landscapes.

Out of the Blue Drill Hall EXPOSED 14

9–23 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Annual end of year graduate showcase exhibition from Stevenson College Edinburgh’s Photography department.

Listings

53

LEITHLATE14 @ OUT OF THE BLUE DRILL HALL 21 JUN, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FREE

For their part in LeithLate, OOTB showcase their current Exposed 14 photography exhibition by Stevenson College students, bolstered by live ping-pong on the Saturday (from 7.30pm) and a Bruncheon music special with King Creosote on the Sunday.

Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) OPEN DIALOGUES

28 JUN – 31 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

Special showcase inviting one artist from each of the RSA New Contemporaries (2009-2014) to make and display a new body of work, selected on merit of their impact upon contemporary practice and their proven track record since RSA New Contemporaries.

Scottish National Gallery TITIAN AND THE GOLDEN AGE OF VENETIAN PAINTING

22 MAR – 14 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Special exhibition celebrating the recent acquisition – jointly with the National Gallery in London – of two mythological paintings by Titian, shown alongside work from almost all of the major names in Venetian art of the period.

EDWARD LEAR IN GREECE

15 FEB – 8 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collection of 27 watercolours by the famous Victorian writer, poet and artist, taking in his depictions of Greek landscapes – an area which, from his first visited in 1848, positively mesmerised him.

GENERATION @ SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY

28 JUN – 2 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

Celebrating some of the best art to come out of Scotland in the last 25 years, the Scottish National Gallery’s GENERATION exhibition includes installations from Steven Campbell and Martin Boyce, plus new work from Karla Black and David Shrigley.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

THE SCOTTISH COLOURISTS SERIES: JD FERGUSSON

7 DEC – 15 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £7 (£5)

The National Galleries of Scotland draw to a close their Scottish Colourist Series, culminating with a retrospective of the work of Edinburgh-born JD Fergusson – taking in more than 100 paintings, sculptures, works on paper and items of archival material.

A RED APPLE AMONG THE ORANGES

5 APR – 15 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The fruits of a project that began in January, for which a group of third year students from the Painting and Printmaking Department at GSA have produced work in response to the third and last exhibition in The Scottish Colourist Series, J.D. Fergusson.

GENERATION @ SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART

28 JUN – 25 JAN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Celebrating some of the best art to come out of Scotland in the last 25 years, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art’s GENERATION exhibition includes installations

by Ross Sinclair, Graham Fagen and Simon Starling.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery MAKING HISTORY

12 OCT – 28 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Solo exhibition of recent work

by Sandy Stoddart (Sculptor In Ordinary to The Queen of Scotland), of which the main focus will be the creation of a new figurative statue of William Birnie Rhind commissioned by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

JOHN BYRNE

14 JUN – 19 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase of works from the Paisley-born artist, celebrating his innovative and richly varied portraiture across an exhibition of 60 drawings, paintings and multimedia works from throughout his career.

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Listings

Settlement Projects Shop LEITHLATE14 @ SETTLEMENT PROJECTS SHOP

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Taking over the unique surroundings of a Leith Walk charity shop, Berlin-residing Edinburgh artist Andrew Gilbert pops up at LeithLate with a showcase exhibition of old and new work.

SilverHub Studios

LEITHLATE14 @ SILVERHUB STUDIOS

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

For the duration of LeithLate, the silversmithing jewellery designers at SilverHub studios host an open studio showcase.

Sofi’s Bar

LEITHLATE14 @ SOFI’S BAR

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

LeithLate regulars Sofi’s Bar hand over the wall space to Glasgowbased graphic designer and artist, FiST, known for his Steampunk ethic and visual manipulation of Victorian photographs. Plus a live set from The Last Battle on Saturday evening.

St Margaret’s House Art’s Complex PIXELAGE

7–14 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Showcase of work from the HND Computer Arts and Design students from Edinburgh College, taking in the schools of 2D/3D Animation, Concept Art, Editing, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interactive Media, Motion Graphics and Time Based Media.

Stills

A THOUSAND OF HIM, SCATTERED

12 APR – 20 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Group exhibition exploring the history, definitions and simultaneous utility/redundancy of diaspora as an umbrella term, sparked by Edward Said’s outright rejection of the concept.

Summerhall

MICHELE MARCOUX: HAG-RIDDEN

7 JUN – 11 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Ohio-born, Scotland-based artist Michele Marcoux displays a new body of work exploring the idea of personal identity – specifically female identity – as a form of haunting.

CLAIRE ANDERSON + HANNA DÍS WHITEHEAD: WEAVING DNA 7 JUN – 11 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Collaboration between Icelandic product designer Hanna Dís Whitehead and Scottish textile designer Claire Anderson – reappropriating traditional Nordic and Scottish textiles to examine the ways they represent and shape aspects of national identity.

HIGH VIS.

4 JUN – 5 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

This year’s Edinburgh College Creative Arts HNDs Illustration, Textiles and Interior Design final year students mark their biggest showcase to date, running as part of the Let’s Glow showcase from all areas of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College.

GSA TAKE 2: VOLUME II

21–28 JUN, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Volume I and Volume II together form a two-part exhibition of works by Master of Letters 2013/2014 students at the Glasgow School of Art, questioning medium specificity and interdisciplinarity in a hyper contemporary context.

Super 5* & African Flavour Lounge LEITHLATE14 @ SUPER 5* & AFRICAN FLAVOUR LOUNGE

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Special LeithLate showcase by artists Immy Mali and Moses Serubi of KLA ART – a biennial contemporary art festival held in the city of Kampala in Uganda during the month of October.

Talbot Rice Gallery

JASON LEE: PURSUIT OF A SHADOW

31 MAY – 5 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

9–13 JUN, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz shows a series of 3D printed shoes inspired by his former flames, with each shoe representing how he remembers its counterpart: either by a nickname, a personal attribute or sexual behaviour.

SALLY HACKETT: FUN JUST WANTS TO HAVE GIRLS

7 JUN – 11 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Known for her contemporary ceramics documenting social rituals associated with current youth, Sally Hackett presents new work exploring notions of selfobsession, self-objectification, the monotony of celebrity and the absurdity of certain viral phrases.

GEORGIA ROSE MURRAY: SNAKEWISE

7 JUN – 11 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Creating narratives inspired by the painting process, Georgia Rose Murray displays a collection of her surreal landscapes – desiring to understand the role of the conscious and subconscious within our awareness of experience.

LEITHLATE14 @ WOODLAND CREATURES

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcasing a selection of photography and film, Woodland Creatures’ LeithLate input showcases work from Lithuanian photographer Ingrida Danieliute, plus a showcase of screenings from CinemaAttic.

Dundee Cooper Gallery STUDIO JAMMING: ARTISTS’ COLLABORATIONS IN SCOTLAND

28 JUN – 2 AUG, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Taking its cue from the improvised excitement of musical jamming, Cooper Gallery present the first discursive survey to foreground the grassroots character of artists’ collaboration that’s contributed to the achievements of contemporary art in Scotland.

DCA

NAVID NUUR: RENDERENDER

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 29 MAR AND 15 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase of work from the DCA Editions programme 2013 – one of the most productive years in DCA Print Studio’s history, including work by Ilana Halperin, Jutta Koether, Nikolaj Larsen, Ciara Phillips, Thomson & Craighead, Lucy Skaer and Hiraki Sawa.

Showcase of the Scottish-born Canadian animator and film director’s fluid – almost alchemical – creative process, screening examples of his films alongside the physical materials that made them possible.

ELIZABETE RANCANE

Photography exhibition from Elizabete Rancane, investigating portraiture and issues exploring identity and cultural diversity, whilst examining the links between globalization and relationship.

The Fruitmarket Gallery JIM LAMBIE

28 JUN – 19 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Solo showcase from the renowned Scottish artist, bringing together early sculptures alongside more recent work – including a new version of ‘Shaved Ice’ that will fill the ground floor of the gallery with floor-to-ceiling coloured mirrored ladders.

Union Gallery

JIM MCCUTCHEON + LINDA DOWNIE: REALLY

5 JUN – 3 JUL, NOT SUNDAYS, 9:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

DCA EDITIONS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 19 MAR AND 15 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

CONTINUE WITHOUT LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 28 JUN AND 24 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

Trio of solo exhibitions – taking in work by Rob Churm, Raydale Dower and Tony Swain – built around a core installation, featuring events, concerts and interventions reflecting their symbiotic approach to art and music.

The Skinny has a pair of weekend tickets to give away to one lucky reader. To enter just head along to theskinny.co.uk/about/competitions and answer:

a) Dizzee Rascal b) Texas c) The Killers Prices for an adult weekend ticket start at £105 and children aged 12 and under can attend for free. For further information please visit www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk Competition closes midnight Sunday 29 Jun. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant.

Our T&Cs can be found at www. theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

Win tickets to Africa in Motion's Commonwealth screening!

THEY HAD FOUR YEARS 2014

Annual exhibition featuring new works by recent graduates selected from across Scotland, this year featuring new works by the Brownlee Brothers, Flo Gordon, Jonny Lyons, Ailsa M. Mackenzie and Mary-Beth Quigley, curated under a contextual arch.

The McManus A SILVERED LIGHT

6 DEC – 30 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

20 JUN – 31 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

LEITHLATE14 @ VICTORIA

This year’s hotly anticipated line-up is topped with British rap superstar Dizzee Rascal and Scottish pop-rock band Del Amitri who will headline the Summerisle Stage. The Feeling, Alabama 3, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas and more are set to give electrifying performances in 2014.

Who is headlining the Summerisle Stage at the Wickerman Festival this year?

17 MAY – 8 JUN, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Victoria

As part of this year’s LeithLate, Victoria bar host the latest exhibition by mixed-heritage, Neo-Primite artist Omar Zingaro Bhatia (a formed The Skinny Art Prize-winner, no less). Plus live music from Albaroma on the Saturday evening.

Boldly mixing established, emerging and retro artists with top DJs playing until 5am, the Wickerman Festival (25 & 26 Jul) is one of Scotland’s leading independent music festivals.

Generator Projects

Exhibition of Scottish art photography selected from Dundee City’s permanent collection, showcasing images from over 50 photographers collected in the 28 years following the purchase of two important early photographs

by Thomas Joshua Cooper in 1985.

Having recently relocated to Edinburgh from London, artists Jim McCutcheon and Linda Downie host their first Scottish exhibition in over a decade.

Win tickets for Wickerman!

Woodland Creatures

31 MAY – 5 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

NORMAN MCLAREN: HAND-MADE CINEMA

7 JUN – 11 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

7 JUN – 11 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Independent arts company Vision mechanics host a special LeithLate opens studios event, showcasing work from some both heir large scale installations and smaller projects alike.

Largest UK exhibition to date by Dutch-Iranian artist Navid Nuur – known for his magical mixed media installation, he plans develop an ambitious new installation for DCA, presented alongside a developed configuration of existing work.

Tent Gallery

SEBASTIAN ERRAZURIZ: 12 SHOES FOR 12 LOVERS

LEITHLATE14 @ VISION MECHANICS

21–22 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Glasgow-based video artist displays his most comprehensive exhibition of work to date, concerned with the transformation of cinema’s material origins, revealing the uncanny effects of a contemporary medium still haunted by its past.

ANDREW GILBERT: THE GLORIOUS RETURN OF EMPEROR

For his first Scottish solo exhibition, Andrew Gilbert has built his Imperial Palace in Summerhall – featuring drawings depicting moments from European Colonialism, and the reign of Emperor Andrew, interspersed with trophy heads and fetish sculptures.

Vision Mechanics

NICK EVANS: THE WHITE WHALE

Immersive new sculptural installation by Nick Evans – known for his organically-shaped white plaster sculptures – inspired by the Gothic architecture of The McManus and the museum collections held within.

Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival is holding a vast touring programme of African sports films in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games, and they're offering two lucky winners the chance to attend one of the Filmhouse screenings on 2 July.

You'll be able to read all about the programme in the July issue of The Skinny, but in the meantime you can enter the competition by heading along to theskinny.co.uk/about/competitions and answering this question:

In which country is the film The African Cypher set? a) South Africa b) Malawi c) Nigeria Competition closes midnight Wednesday 25 Jun. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant.

Our T&Cs can be found at www. theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

THE SKINNY

Ask Fred: Religion Words: Fred Fletch Illustration: Paul Law

Unfazed by the perils of the job, this month our resident everything-expert gets spiritual...

D

ear Fred, Recently my politician friend received criticism for suggesting the UK is a “Christian country.” Atheist protesters gave him a hard time over it, and I’m baffled over their remarks. It‘s historical fact (unwelcome to some, but true) that UK law, ethics and culture were based on its teachings and traditions. Please join me in supporting our status as a Christian country.

Yours holily, ArchBish105

T

hanks for your email, ArchBish105.

Generalising is cool. It helps us pigeon-hole or stereotype large groups we neither have the time, nor the motivation to get to know.

Great, if your sweeping statement is awesome, like “EVERYONE IN THE UK CAN ELBOW DROP A MOUNTAIN GORILLA THROUGH THE CHEST AND HAS A 10-INCH BONER” but less so if you suggest everyone believes Sky-Daddy doesn’t like men kissing each other. Saying an entire country believes in something is a good way to draw criticism. This ‘baffling’ response is a direct result of something called ‘pissing people off;’ a concept which (historically) has been around since the invention of ‘mouths’ and Highlander 2: The Quickening. You and your friend arbitrarily declared 62,641,000 people as Christian; please excuse us for getting a bit sassy. Majorities are important, but for every 51% ‘real beef’ in my lasagne, there are 32,320,000 angry horse-ghosts in my U-bend.

Generalise, and our planet becomes a world of half truths and ignorance. Be proud of heritage; but categorising an entire country as sharing your superstition seems ballsy. And dumb. My morals were gleaned from an entire decade of 80s movies, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to suggest every custody battle be resolved via arm wrestling championships, and that you’ll have the greatest weekend of your life with your boss’s corpse.

What future do we leave the kids if we negatively stereotype? “Have a good day at school, Billy. Be careful; all Asians are ninjas, Muslims explode and most Italians are murder-turtles. But if a millionaire playboy offers to adopt you and put

June 2014

you in hot pants and a fruity mask to fight crime, remember to high-five your old man!”

Just because something was true, doesn’t mean it is. Nations develop. By the logic that the UK is Christian ‘historically,’ our ethics system is built on Chinese people finding opium yummy, and knowing people pick sugar faster if you point guns at them. We have a shameful past, but the here and now is what matters. We’ve learned from our fuck-ups. Our country is rich, diverse, and stronger for it.

Never undervalue your own beliefs; but don’t decide someone else’s for them.

D

ear Fred, Politicians are being advised not to ‘do God’ in Downing Street. What are your feelings on an openly religious leader? Is it really a problem to have someone in power seeking divine guidance, or praying for enlightenment?

Anon

S

ince it’s scientific fact that faith can move mountains and melt Draculas, it’s reasonable that a bit of balls-to-the-wall-prayer might solve some of the spare poverty, sickness and war we have kicking around. With our treasury reduced to three magic beans and a free hug coupon from China, ‘closing our eyes and wishing’ might have a higher success rate than the opposite: ‘not doing any of that because it’s stupid.’

Problem is, I can’t accurately judge the merits of prayer because I don’t pray. I’d always assumed there was more to it than blowing out candles; that there was more to getting miracles than just wishing really fucking hard. If the power to make wishes was really that easy, we’d all be living in ice cream and blowjob world.

Thankfully the internet can teach me to make a prison flesh light out of water-filled rubber gloves with the same level of comforting accuracy as it can bring me closer to Jesus. I’m Googling ‘PRAYER.’ * * * * After several pages on Cory Haim’s rollerblading adventures, I discover a site that teaches the internet generation to pray. They get that in a

world filled with famine and disease, it’s important to take some time out to hope someone else will do something about it. The site, based in Scotland, offers guidance in the art of God speak, detailing how loud and often you should talk, and exactly how long you’ll wait for that sequel to Tango & Cash you just ordered.

Right off the bat, the whole faith thing seems to have a passive-aggressive vibe to it: ‘Too busy to pray? Try our seven day prayer challenge and see what happens.”

Did... did God just call me a pussy?

‘TRY PRAYING RIGHT NOW. MAYBE GOD IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK’ reads like ‘TRY REACHING FOR YOUR WEREWOLF LASER NOW, ASSHOLE. WOLFMAN LEAPS IKEA SOFAS IN LESS THAN 1.0002 SECONDS.’ Better take this seriously.

Although the site never guarantees answers, it’s filled with testimonies of changing things with mind magic.

‘A conversation on a train went like this. The guy in his 20s was asked, “Do you ever pray? “ His reply was, “Yes. I prayed for two people who were seriously ill. One died and the other got better.”

He concluded he’d had 50% success.’

and how even more precisely to do it. Since the makers know that most wishers are either nine, or unkillable genies, they emphasise how notcrazy prayer is with facts and figures only slightly more logical than vague tales of saving half of two sick people.

In light of the figures, I worry with so many asking God for stuff, a politician asking for less poor people and coastal Armageddon-proofing might get lost in 19,999,999,999 other prayers.

What if the Syria crisis was caused by too many people wishing at once? If some kibbeh-saleman in Hom is wishing that he wasn’t being set on fire at exactly the same time that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is wishing militia flamethrowers were filled with hugs, the universe gets confused.

Prayer can be seen as reflection. It’s not about ‘receiving something,’ but getting to know yourself. Voicing worries is often the first step towards solving them. Collectively, we do awesome things when we get our heads straight and talk openly. Remove the whole Biblical deity tracing your calls thing, and you have a quiet moment to think. In light of the bullshit the government pulls, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Religion and government are like a buddycop movie with a gruff veteran three days off retirement, and the other an African bee hive collector. They’re working the same case, but two minutes into a car chase, everyone is too pissed to make sense. Faith might seem silly to some but it should NEVER be taken away. The only problem with faith (be it a belief in a God or not) is that I’m no religious maths-scientist, but given since the dawn of time, people have been working two sick people + closed eyes and wishing = 1 on a reverse toilet. It’s a noble thing to passiondead person; my conclusions all rhyme with ately support an ideal, but when forcing it on ‘FUCKING SORCERY.’ others at the cost of their beliefs, all you end up Despite never clarifying whether the prayer with is 100lbs of porcelain forcing your crap up had been for ‘miraculous cures’ or ‘free pair of their ass. So pray or don’t pray; just don’t invent a dead person’s slippers,’ the story is enough to reverse toilet. convince me of the authenticity of mystical wish P.S. I did try the seven day prayer challenge. lasers, and I sign up for a free guide.

Couldn’t tell if it worked. I wasn’t expecting a At 47 pages, it is exactly 45 pages longer than lightning bolt or an angelic high five, but at least my Ouija board instructions, and 47 more than a timely order confirmation. Compared to my the nothing received with my nunchuck starter recent purchase of glow-in-the-dark lube, I think kit; praying is more complex than Ghostbusting God runs things a little looser than radicalsexor hitting people in the face with awesomeness. toys.com.

The book details precisely what I need to pray

“Pray or don’t pray; just don’t invent a reverse toilet.”

COMEDY

Out Back

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