The Skinny June 2024

T he Art Issue

The Skinny's favourite songs about architecture / urban planning

Jurassic 5 – Concrete Schoolyard

Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Grace Jones – The Apple Stretching

Talking Heads – Burning Down the House

Yard Act – The Trench Coat Museum

LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing at My House

The White Stripes – Hotel Yorba

Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House

Village People – YMCA

Flume – Highest Building

Hamish Hawk – The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion, 1973

The Decemberists – Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

Weird Al Yankovic – Another One Rides the Bus

Ella Fitzgerald – Take the A Train

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Pavement – Grave Architecture

We Built This City – Starship

Kate Nash – Foundations

Roxy Music – Street Life

The Pogues – Dirty Old Town

Listen to this playlist on Spotify — search for 'The Skinny Office Playlist' or scan the below code

Issue 221, June 2024 © Radge Media C.I.C.

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Meet the team

Championing creativity in Scotland

We asked: If you could live in a piece of art, what piece of art would it be?

Rosamund West

Editor-in-Chief

"I'd probably be quite happy inside James Turrell's massive rainbow light space Apani, although it also might feel a bit like purgatory in the long term. Can I leave or am I locked in permanently?"

Cammy Gallagher Clubs Editor

"The Starry Night."

Peter Simpson Deputy Editor, Food & Drink Editor

"James Turrell's Skyspace at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Calming, grounding, ever-changing – plus I already know the way to the cafe and toilets."

Polly Glynn

Comedy Editor

"I'd like to be one of those angry naked baby statues who live in Oslo (by Gustav Vigeland). Imagine coming to life as part of the horde battling that angry man?!"

Harvey Dimond Art Editor "NA"

Editorial Sales

George Sully

Sales and Brand Strategist

"Any of M.C. Escher's trippy worlds. Euclidean geometry is so passé."

Ellie Robertson Digital Editorial Assistant

"If I could live in The Treachery of Images, then this WOULD be a pipe, and I could finally wipe that smug look off Magritte's stupid Belgian face."

Sandy Park Commercial Director

"The Scream. It actually looks like an attempt at a badly drawn spaniel if you look at it closely. And spaniels are fun."

Anahit Behrooz

Events Editor, Books Editor "The Scream. I could fix him."

Eilidh Akilade

Intersections Editor

"The Birth of Venus – I love nice shells. "

Jamie Dunn Film Editor, Online Journalist

"Wouldn't mind taking a dip in any of David Hockney's pool paintings."

Rho Chung Theatre Editor

"I want to live in Renoir's Coco Eating His Soup (1905). I want, need and deserve that little outfit and that little soup. "

Tallah Brash Music Editor

"I could quite happily live in the ball pit at The Color Factory in New York, although it might not be very practical, and I'd surely lose all my stuff. Alternatively, any Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright or Gu enheim building will do, thanks x"

Business

Laurie Presswood General Manager

"The Mona Lisa, so I'd never have to compete for attention ever again."

Ema Smekalova Media Sales Executive

"The Garden of Earthly Delights, duh. Just stay away from the hellish bit."

Production

Dalila D'Amico Art Director, Production Manager

"It would be my dad's parmigiana. Yes, that's where I'd live."

Emilie Roberts

Media Sales Executive

"Nighthawks. Those guys are so sad for some reason. What they need is me there, to tell jokes."

Phoebe Willison Designer

"Funnily enough I already do live in a piece of art because my life is a movie!!"

Gabrielle Loue

Media Sales Executive

"Anything 'Weird Medieval Guys' talks about; I want to hang out with vegetables that have faces."

Editorial

Words: Rosamund West

June is approaching / here (depending on when you pick this up), and the country’s exhibitions programme is in full swing, so it’s time for our Art issue! We’re particularly excited this year to welcome back Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art, which occupies Scotland’s bi est city with a programme of exhibitions, events and performances presenting the grassroots alongside internationallyrenowned artists local and non-local in spaces across the city.

There seems to be a particular focus on community this year – on the cover is a work by Sadaf Syeda in the Maryhill Integration Network Museum of Things Art Group, a creative space for people seeking asylum and refugees in Glasgow. We focus on five diverse artists whose work will be on show in the programme and who are building their careers in the city to offer a taste of what’s in store, and also take a look at some of the moving image work which will be on show.

Clubs gets involved in the Art theme, talking to Numbers and Headset about the art of throwing a party. We meet internationally-celebrated Glasgow design duo Timorous Beasties as they launch a new collection and a new store in Edinburgh. Our centre pages have a poster of Unnatural* Urges, a collaborative work by Laura Lulika, Hang Linton, Jack Murphy, and Clay AD, on show in the GI programme.

The centrepiece of the issue is this year’s special supplement providing a guide to The Glasgow School of Art’s Degree Show. Written by third year students (surely people with the most insight into what’s going on beyond the graduates themselves, who’re probably quite busy), there’s a rundown of some of the works to look forward in each of the schools, plus a calendar of events to look forward to at GSA in degree show and beyond.

Past the theme, in Music we are looking forward the Pyramid Stage at Kelburn Garden Party, which has three days of acts programmed by our very own Music editor Tallah. We’ve got a rundown of who’s who, plus the acts’ tips on who else to catch at the festival. We also have an interview with Bikini Kill

frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, as the trio return to the live stage, older and wiser but with the riot grrrl manifesto still intact. And, in a piece entitled Bars, Beefs and Butt Lifts, one writer considers what a song about Drake getting a Brazilian butt lift tells us about the role of generative AI in the music industry.

Film meets Vi o Mortensen and his Scottish co-star Solly McLeod to learn more about the Western Mortensen wrote, directed and produced, The Dead Don’t Hurt. We talk to George MacKay about playing three versions of a character across three timelines in inventive sci-fi The Beast. Theatre meets Andrea Cabrera Luna, the director and writer of devised theatre piece Rambles of the Heart, inspired by the Scottish ballad Lord Randall, and developed with young disabled artists. In Books, Glasgow-based author Elle Nash discusses her new novel Deliver Me, and how it was informed by the experience of being pregnant in the American rural South.

This month Fringe Dog has been given the assignment of his life, conducting a very serious business interview with very serious businessman Brian Butterfield. Read it, it’s funny. Our Dream Gig comes from West End Mum Zara Gladman who takes us down a frankly unexpected The Lord of the Rings rabbit hole, perhaps sensing the presence of Vi o Mortensen in the preceding pages.

Intersections has a first-person account from within Edinburgh’s Gaza Solidarity Camp, sharing the collective grief and their desires to forge a just future. Taking a turn into the world of kink, we meet the founders of LUDUS, a women-owned, queer business that runs hedonistic, invite-only events.

We close the magazine with a return to the Art theme, as painter Andrew Sim takes on the Q&A. Their luminous paintings of plants and trees are currently hanging off-kilter in Jupiter Artland’s stucco-covered ballroom, just past Laura Aldridge’s similarly glorious snail fountain. Turn to the inside back page to find out why they dream of cooking dinner for three Anna Nicole Smiths.

Cover Artist

Sadaf Syeda, Monuments for the Present –Collage, 2023. Courtesy of the artist.

Photo by Paria Goodarzi

Part of the Maryhill Integration Network Museum of Things Art Group, a creative space for people seeking asylum and refugees in Glasgow. Weekly sessions, led by artists Paria Goodarzi and Mousa Al Nana since 2021, provide a platform for participants interested in developing skills and accessing creative opportunities by engaging with the local cultural landscape. This forms part of a process of social integration, enabling them to express and incorporate their individual voices, heritage and lived histories into new collective artworks.

Monuments for the Present, presented by Paria Goodarzi, Mia Gubbay and Francesca Zappia with Maryhill Integration Network Art Group Museum of Things, Centre for Contemporary Arts, 7-23 Jun

Love Bites: A Recipe Shared

This month’s columnist explores a tomato soup recipe and the loved ones it connects and comforts

Words: Tee Tolmar

When my boyfriend was hospitalised, I messaged his mother for the recipe to his favourite tomato soup. When we first started dating, he told me it was his comfort food and god knows he needed some comfort then. It was intimidating texting a woman I had never met – especially one I so badly hoped would come to love me – but her reply was littered with hearts and kisses. “Thank you for looking after my boy,” she said, noting that she was a phone call away if I got stuck with the recipe, or needed to talk. We were no longer strangers, but two women caring together.

I followed her recipe with religious zeal. While cooking, I harassed my friends with questions.

“Would you describe this as a small onion? Is that a medium or large sundried tomato?” I checked with her to make sure I was dissolving my stock cubes in the right amount of water. I was scared I may have added too much salt. This – making his mother’s tomato soup – was something I could do to make things better, and I wanted it to be perfect.

He cried when I gave it to him. Months later, he remembered it as the first moment he thought he truly loved me, in the undying, this-is-the-woman-Iwant-to-marry sense. That stained tupperware, heated up by the nurse I pleaded with, held so much more than just soup. To him, it tasted like his childhood. I savoured it as a piece of the boy’s past with whom I hoped to share a future.

I sent his mother a picture of him eating the soup. I called my own mum when I left the hospital that night, heating up leftover soup for my dinner. She asked me for the recipe, and I thought of her standing over her stove making a meal, now passed through three women.

Heads Up

Kelburn Garden Party

Kelburn Castle, Fairlie, 4-8 Jul

Everyone’s favourite scrappy music festival returns, with a stunning programme of music and workshops in the gorgeous grounds of Kelburn Castle just outside of Largs. Head to the Pyramid Stage – curated by The Skinny! – to catch the likes of Becky Sikasa, LVRA, sarya and Nikhita, head to the magical secret forest or waterfall pools for a little wander, and have a little midnight dance with Strawberry Jam Soundsystem and EHFM DJs.

It’s finally almost summer, the sun has been shining (!!!) and there are so many bubbly gigs, outdoor festivals, late-night dancing, and more exhibitions than you can shake a stick at to fill the long days.

Compiled by Anahit Behrooz

DRIFT presents Eloi Lost in Leith, Edinburgh, 1 Jun, 7pm

Nights at Parveen’s

Civic House, Glasgow, 7 Jun, 6pm

The supper clubs at Civic House are becoming the stuff of legend, offering a gorgeous celebration of South Asian and SWANA food and music. There’s incredible Pakistani food on offer from in-house cafe Parveen’s, with music drawn from Iran, the Arab world, and Indian carnatic and 70s disco from DJs How Bizarre, Joumana, and headliner Mera Bhai.

Glasgow International

Various venues, Glasgow, 7-23 Jun

If you love a painting (or a drawing, or an installation, or something that transcends generic boundaries in the name of creative experimentation), then you’re going to have a great month – Glasgow International, Glasgow’s biennial festival of visual art, is back in town with a gorgeous programme of exhibitions, art performances, and talks. Highlights include Mina Heydari-Waite’s Farang and Alexis Kyle Mitchell and Ima-Abasi Okon’s Anticipate, sublimate.

Head to the Shore for a delightful night of local music. Headliners Eloi are a seven-piece neo-soul and jazz outfit, known for their dreamy, swaying melodies and rich, soul-infused vocals. Rising stars of the Scottish jazz scene, they’ve released two EPs and are set to play on the main stage at Kelburn. Support comes from also-Kelburnheaded R’n’B singer Nikhita and DJ sets from Toni McVey and SSID.

SAFAR Film Festival

Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, 22-29 Jun

The largest film festival in the UK dedicated to cinema from the Arab world, SAFAR is headed to Glasgow with a programme of beautiful films informed by themes of hope and resilience in the face of brutal war and instability. There’s four films in the Glasgow programme, including Bye Bye Tiberias, a documentary exploring Succession star Hiam Abbass’ chosen exile from her homeland in Palestine, and her daughter’s return.

Ma ie & Me

Dundee Rep, Dundee, 30 May-1 Jun, various times

The National Theatre of Scotland takes on Damian Barr’s acclaimed memoir Ma ie & Me, written by Barr and James Ley and directed by SubaDas. Charting Barr’s experience of writing the memoir, and the strange collision between past and present, Ma ie & Me opens a door onto Barr’s childhood in the 1980s, and the political spectre of Margaret Thatcher that forever changed his family, community and country.

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk

V&A Dundee, Dundee, until 5 Jan 2025

The Reeling Rouken Glen Park, Glasgow, 8-9 Jun

Troye Sivan The OVO Hydro, Glasgow, 23 Jun, 6:30pm

Alberta Whittle Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute, 1 Jun-31 Aug

Women outside Daimaruya Utagawa Kunisada, Edo (Tokyo) Talisk

Image: courtesy of Victoria and Albert, London

Photo: Stuart Winecoff

Image: courtesy the Artist and The Modern Institute/Toby Webster Ltd., Glasgow

Troye Sivan

Alberta Whittle, Beneath the waves, we shapeshift (before I was a seal), 2024

Photo: Ryan Buchanan

Ma ie & Me

sarya for Kelburn Garden Party

Eloi

Bye Bye Tiberias at SAFAR Film Festival

Joumana

Alexis Kyle Mitchell, The Treasury of Human Inheritance 2024

Photo: Eoin Carey

Photo: June Ku

Photo: Hope Holmes

Photo: Frida Marzouk, Beall Productions

Image: courtesy of Civic House

Image: courtesy of the artist. Cocommissioned by Glasgow International and The Vega Foundation

Moyna Flannigan: Space

Shuffle

Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, 28 Jun-15 Sep

Renowned Scottish artist Moyna Flannigan returns to Collective for a mesmerising solo show responding directly to the unique architecture of their City Dome gallery space. Her exhibition Space Shuffle is appropriately cosmic, with large-scale collages and constellations of paper sculptures drawing on myth, art history and pop culture to articulate visual memories and experiences.

Live Audio Essays: Air Pressure

SWG3, Glasgow, 6 Jun, 8pm

Part of Glasgow International’s events programme, sound artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan’s work weaves together urgent political narratives that pivot around acoustic experience and memory. These three performances draw on sonic data pulled from Lebanese soundscapes between May 2020 and May 2021, during which there were over 22,111 instances of Israeli fighter jet and drone violations in Lebanese airspace, making audible lived experiences of violence and a ression.

Common Ground Festival

CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, 7-26 Jun

There’s a brand new festival in town! Common Ground is a social and creative project designed to bring diverse communities together through arts and culture; their inaugural festival runs this month, with a gorgeous programme of exhibitions, screenings and performances. Check out Palestinian choreographer Farah Saleh’s performance lecture Balfour Reparations (2024-2044), and HOW IF WHEN, an exhibition of work made by children living in a refugee camp.

Bad Bad Hats

Broadcast, Glasgow, 29 May, 7pm

For music that sounds exactly like a sun-bleached adolescent summer, there’s no better band to turn to than Minnesota twosome Bad Bad Hats, whose peppy indie-pop sound sits perfectly alongside at times bittersweet, at times gushingly optimistic lyrics. Now on their fourth album, the eponymously titled Bad Bad Hats is a sunny, charming affair – perfect for a warm May evening.

First Date

Summerhall, Edinburgh, 14-15 Jun

It’s finally hot girl summer (no one mess it up!) and what better way to celebrate than with the second edition of First Date, Lighthouse Bookshop’s literary festival dedicated to all things romantic and erotic. Featuring the likes of Ada Barumé, Andrés N Ordorica and Kate Young, the programme includes panels on romantasy, sensuality, and the comedy end of the rom-com.

Rare: Moktar

Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 18 Jun, 11pm

Sneaky’s weekly techno night welcome Egyptian-Australian DJ Moktar to the sweatbox for a night of Arab-infused beats. Effortlessly mixing high-octane club and techno tracks with traditional Arabic instrumentation, sampling and producing, Moktar’s sets are characterised by groundbreaking cross-genre fusion and an irresistible dance-y vibe.

4 Jun,

Polka Dot Disco Club invites Cici Sub Club, Glasgow, 21 Jun, 11pm

R.A.P. Ferreira Summerhall, Edinburgh,

7pm

The Last Pearl Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 6-8 Jun, 7:30pm

Matilda Bull: Flowers from Jericho Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh, until 30 Jun

The Last Pearl

Photo: Matilda Bull

Image: courtesy of Sub Club

Photo: John Hill Cici

Flowers from Jericho

Photo: Peter Martin

R.A.P. Ferreira

Ada Barumé for First Date

Bad Bad Hats

Moyna Flannigan, Cosmic Traces

Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Air Pressure

Moktar

Balfour Reparations for Common Ground Festival

Photo: Imi Holthouse Photography

Photo: Zoe Prinds-Flash

Photo: Lucas Chih Peng Kao

Photo: John McKenzie. Courtesy of Ingleby Gallery

What's On

Music

With festival season now fully underway, you’ve loads to choose from in June. If you want to keep things cosy, head for the Saint Luke’s All-Dayer (8 Jun) with Uninvited, Health and Beauty and Martha May & The Mondays all set to play, before the Glasgow Jazz Festival kicks off in various venues from the 19th, with highlights including Mama Terra (20 Jun) and Kitti’s Caledonian Songbook (21 Jun) at Saint Luke’s, and Pippa Blundell at The Glad Cafe (23 Jun). Or check out Midsummer Melt (22 Jun), a new all-dayer split between The Rum Shack, Radio Buena Vida, Some Great Reward and Rumpus Room, raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians.

If a weekend camping festival is more your thing, head for Moffat’s Eden Festival (13-16 Jun), where Amadou & Mariam, Jamz Supernova and corto.alto are among the lineup. Or later in the month, choose between two massive outdoor all-dayers on the 29th. Mogwai head up Big City with Slowdive, Nadine Shah and Kathryn Joseph, or get yourself to Stirling City Park where you’ll catch Young Fathers, Self Esteem, Noname, Petite Noir and more.

Of course, there’s loads of standard gigs going on too. On 2 June, catch Chloe Matharu, Diljeet Kaur Bhachu and Miwa Nagato-Apthorp at the latest instalment of AMPLIFI at The Queen’s Hall. rEDOLENT celebrate the release of their debut album dinny greet with shows in Edinburgh (Sneaky’s, 5 Jun), Glasgow (The Poetry Club, 6 Jun) and Aberdeen (The Tunnels, 7 Jun), while Afterlands celebrate We Are the Animals In the Night with a similar trio of shows at The Hug & Pint (7 Jun), The Tunnels (8 Jun) and Leith Depot (13 Jun). Towards the end of the month, join Stephanie Lamprea, Richard Craig and Alistair Macdonald for a night of improvised music at Stereo (26 Jun), party with DOSS at The Rum Shack (28 Jun) as they unleash their Bootlicker EP on the world, or there are two chances to catch Adam Stafford as he releases Daylight Slavings with shows at The Hug & Pint (27 Jun) and Summerhall (29 Jun). There are still plenty of artists touring throughout June too. Our Glasgow highlights reel include Ratboys at The Rum Shack (5 Jun), Chromeo at SWG3 (10 Jun), Chastity Belt at Room 2 (11 Jun), Katy Kirby at Broadcast (13 Jun), Bikini Kill at O2 Academy (14 Jun), Mannequin Pussy at King Tut’s (18 Jun), Kali Malone at Glasgow Cathedral for Glasgow International (21 Jun), CSS at Drygate (22 Jun), Troye Sivan at OVO Hydro (23 Jun), Alvvays at O2 Academy (24 Jun), Ora Cogan at The Glad Cafe (27 Jun) and LCD Soundsystem at the Barrowlands (30 Jun, 1 & 2 Jul), while in Edinburgh catch Beth Gibbons at Usher Hall (11 Jun), or Fenne Lily at The Mash House (18 Jun). Oh, and Taylor Swift is playing three nights at Murrayfield, but then you probably already knew that. [Tallah Brash]

Film

June is Pride Month, so your local cinema screens will be populated by more LGBTQ+ folks than usual. Whether you’re looking for stories about a surly gay farmer who gets mucky with the handsome new farm hand (God’s Own Country, 5 Jun), a group of adorable gay socialists standing up to Margaret Thatcher (Pride, 12 Jun), three Aussie drag queens hitting the road in a bus across the Outback (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 19 Jun) or an avant-garde riff

Amadou & Mariam

Kali Malone

Photo: Ojoz

Photo: Julien Mignot

Uninvited

Photo: Rory Barnes

on Oedipus Rex set in and around a transgender Tokyo club (Funeral Parade of Roses, 26 Jun), Cameo’s ace Out season has you covered.

The term ‘visionary director’ gets bandied about quite a bit but it can be legitimately applied to Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. GFT clearly agree. They are crowning Villeneuve this month’s CineMaster, and screening six of his movies, from breakthrough film Incendies (1 & 3 Jun) to his sci-fi masterpiece Arrival (12 & 16 Jun) to box-office smashes Dune Part One and Part Two (30 Jun). Both chapters of Dune are screening in a double bill, with Part Two from a 70mm print.

Film fans in Glasgow have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a cinema marathon with Legacy of an Invisible Bullet, a ten-and-a-half-hour cinematic experience from BAFTA-nominated Glasgow filmmaker Doug Aubrey. Taking place over five days and featuring 170 films and videos, the series is essentially a retrospective of Aubrey’s life spent with a camera in his hand. That film cycle screens 8 to 12 June at GFT, but you can get a more condensed experience with the feature-length cut of Legacy of an Invisible Bullet (GFT, 13 Jun).

All this, plus a trio of righteous film festivals. There’s Refugee Festival Scotland (various locations, 14-23 Jun); the UK-wide SAFAR Arabic Film Festival, which has four screenings in Glasgow (GFT, 22-29 Jun); and the UK Green Film Festival, which has events in Dundee, Glasgow and Inverness (DCA, 22-29 Jun; GFT, 23 & 25 Jun; Eden Court, 23 & 24 Jun). There’s also the delightful-looking Take One Action: Summer Gathering at Edinburgh’s Biscuit Factory on 30 June. We’re getting summer fair vibes, with a vegan group lunch, a jumble sale, screen printing to upcycle your old T-shirts, games for social change and a Take One Action quiz all planned. There’s also the opportunity to help the TOA team decide the theme for their next festival. Sounds like oodles of fun. [Jamie Dunn]

Clubs

Find yourself Lost in Leith at Drift on Saturday 1 June to the smooth neo jazz, soul and R'n'B performances of Eloi and Nikhita, followed by Toni McVey B2B SSID [Vinyl DJ Set]. Glasgow, meanwhile, celebrates an evening of cabaret – encompassing everything from drag to darkwave singing – at Stereo for Queer Theory: Gayscension. Alternatively, acid house veteran, Sean Johnston, holds down A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE at The Berkeley Suite, as Audio host the BEG 4 U: Chappell Roan Special – free entry for June birthdays; fugly jeans discouraged (1 Jun).

The illusive underground livestream, Keep Hush, lands in Scotland on Wednesday 5 June in Glasgow, and Thursday 6 June in Edinburgh, alongside EHFM – sign up for ticket access. At Sneaky Pete’s Japan’s ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U ju les trap, trance, and gabber for Volens Chorus (6 Jun). In Glasgow, Nights at Parveen’s have Friday night dinner covered, as the Civic House kitchen celebrates South Asian + SWANA music + food with Mera Bhai, Joumana, and How Bizarre. At Stereo, New Zealand-born, berlinbased, DJ Fuckoff brings no-nonsense bush doof energy to CL!CK – support from DIJA, Maveen, and DV60 (7 Jun). On Saturday, some of the UK’s most vital noisemakers and experimentalists gather at the Flying Duck for Near Field, while at The Berkeley Suite, it’s Loose Joints with Or:la & naafi (Live) However, the real sound of the underground lies in Renfield Lane for the Girls Aloud: Unofficial Afterparty at Stereo (8 Jun).

Expect UK bass and 140 in Edinburgh for Miss World: Ila Brugal at Sneaky Pete’s on Friday 14 June – support from Feena & Chicha. In Glasgow, Red Museum returns to Stereo, alternative and angelic as ever, accompanied by DJ Corpmane (Organ Tapes), 500, and Halal Kitty

On Thursday 20 June, start your weekend early with queer and femme DJs for FEMMERGY PRIDE 2024 at The Bongo Club with drag hosted by Groundskeeper Fanny

Back at Volens Chorus, Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek producer umru navigates the pop and underground intersection with fun,

Keep Hush Fliss Mayo

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Legacy of an Invisible Bullit

Photo: Khadija Moustafa

Photo: Keep Hush

Photo: Aubrey Northern Souls

Mojxmma

Dune

forward-thinking selections at Sneaky's (27 Jun). On Friday 28 June, think UK Funky, Amapiano, Afrobeats, and hard drum for Mojxmma x Stereo: Blck Mamba. Alternatively, the iconic, Offen Music big boss, Vladimir Ivkovic, curates off-kilter house records at Brunswick Cellars. [Cammy Gallagher]

Art

June is a busy month, with the return of Glasgow International as well as Scottish undergraduate and graduate degree shows. The Glasgow School of Art’s undergraduate and graduate shows take place across multiple venues in the city from 30 May to 9 June, while Edinburgh College of Art’s degree show opens a day later, on 31 May, continuing until 9 June. In Dundee, the Duncan of Jordanstone degree shows take place from 25 May to 2 June. In Aberdeen, The Gray's School of Art degree show takes place later in the month, between 8 and 15 June.

Glasgow International returns to the city this month after a three-year hiatus. Opening to the public on Friday 7 June, for the next two-and-a-half weeks over 45 exhibitions and projects will take place across Scotland’s largest city. Highlights include Camara Taylor’s exhibition [mouthfeel] and Delaine La Bas’s Delainia: 17071965 Unfolding at Tramway; artist duo Josie KO and Kialy Tihngang’s film and sculptural installation fir gorma at 5 Florence Street and Alexis Kyle Mitchell and Ima-Abasi Okon at 83 Portman Street. Performances and one-off events include American musician Kali Malone at Glasgow Cathedral on 21 June at 9pm.

Elsewhere in Glasgow, a new exhibition by Peter McCarey at iota, titled The Syllabary, features visuals, readings and streamings of a 3D poem in over 2000 parts. Opens 8 June and continues until 22 June. Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, illustrator Pirkó Édes will present an exhibition at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, which explores her experience of being diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2022. You can catch Beyond My Forehead, a Star – Astrocytoma Diary between 24 and 28 June. [Harvey Dimond]

Theatre

Ever wanted to see a play in a whale? Now is your chance. June in Scotland brings a wide array of adaptations of classics, from Austen to Euripides. With ambitious new work popping up all over Scotland, summer is a time for unlearning and experimentation.

A Play, a Pie and a Pint continue their dazzling season with Medea on the Mic (10-15 June, Òran Mór), a queer and feminist reworking of the ancient Greek tragedy. Written by Scottish poet and playwright Nazli TabatabaiKhatambakhsh and directed by Philip Howard, the piece interweaves the story of Medea with contemporary threads.

For lovers of literary classics, Glasgow-based writer Frances Poet brings her brand new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility to Pitlochry Festival Theatre (21 Jun-27 Sep). The world premiere leans into the visceral heartbreak of the story without losing any of the original’s signature wit.

On the Orkney Islands, the 48th St Magnus International Festival (21-29 Jun) offers a wide menu of installations and theatre (as well as music, art and more). Highlights include a 50-foot, life-size replica of a sperm whale, in which the women’s circus group Circo Rum Ba Ba performs a piece aptly called The Whale, which explores the pollution of our oceans. Indoors (or rather indoors not in a whale), Aotearoa/New Zealand-based company Trick Of The Light offers The Bookbinder, a solo show that follows the winding story of an apprentice bookbinder after the style of Neil Gaiman.

In Edinburgh, local company Cutting Edge Theatre is staging Rambles of the Heart (The Studio, 28 & 29 Jun), a devised adaptation of the traditional Scottish ballad, Lord Randall. Devised and performed by a cast of young adults with intellectual disabilities, the piece explores coming of age and romance through music, experimentation and metatheatre. You can read more about Rambles of the Heart in our interview with the director, Andrea Cabrera Luna on p42. [Rho Chung]

Image: courtesy of the artist

Image: courtesy of the artists Image: courtesy of the artist.

Photo: Iris Ranzinger

Alexis Kyle Mitchell, The Treasury of Human Inheritance, 2024

Josie KO & Kialy Tihngang, fir gorma 2024

Delaine Le Bas, Incipit Vita Nova. Here Begins The New Life_A New Life Is Beginning, installation view, Secession, 2023.

Rambles of the Heart

Photo: Tiu Makkonen

Kirsty Findlay and Lola Aluko, Sense and Sensibility

Photo: Fraser Band

Books

There must be something wordy in the water because there are so many book events on this month – let’s zip through them quickly. Four festivals dominate the weeks ahead: Cymera Festival, the UK’s bi est celebration of genre fiction returns 31 May to 2 Jun with the likes of Cassandra Clare, Joanne Harris and Camilla Grudova; Borders Book Festival runs 13-16 Jun with the likes of Natalie Haynes and Tan Twan Eng; the Village Storytelling Festival takes over the CCA from 25 to 30 June with world-class storytellers and performers aplenty; and First Date, Lighthouse Bookshop’s romance festival, comes to Summerhall (14-15) Jun with the likes of Andrés N. Ordorica, Jenny Colgan and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé.

People are also writing books (they can’t be stopped!), and there are some gorgeous book launches throughout Scotland (the books of many of which are featured in this issue). Find Harry Josephine Giles launching her latest poetry collection Them! at The Portobello Bookshop on 6 June and at Waterstones Sauchiehall Street on 11 June; Julia Armfield launches her second novel Private Rites at The Portobello Bookshop on 21 June in conversation with Heather Parry; Jason Okundaye launches his groundbreaking account of Black queer history Revolutionary Acts at Lighthouse Bookshop on 28 May; Elle Nash launches Deliver Me (our book feature!) at Waterstones Sauchiehall Street on 26 June; and Madeleine Docherty launches her novel Gender Trouble at Lighthouse Bookshop on 6 June. [Anahit Behrooz]

Comedy

Sun’s out, Funnies out! It’s time for June’s comedy highlights! Starting with some low-key events from local favourites, on 4 June we have work-in-progress gigs from posh boy comedy rapper MC Hammersmith (Monkey Barrel, 7pm, £7) and the latest jokes from Clydebank comic and co-host of Some Laugh podcast, Marc Jennings (Monkey Barrel, 9pm, £10/9). Same day at The Old Hairdresser’s, Glasgow Improv Theatre premieres a brand new show Oops Forgot My Lines! (8.30pm, Free), where an actor performs a scene from film, stage or TV, but the improviser hasn’t seen the script.

The following week, take your pick of something silly. Launched at the beginning of the year, Screen Time, hosted by Fearghas Kelly, brings Stand audiences a slice of unpredictable new multimedia comedy (Glasgow Stand, 13 Jun, 8.30pm, £5/8), this month featuring Yvonne Hughes and Ralph Brown. Elsewhere in Glasgow, the West End Mum herself, Zara Gladman, brings a raft of alter-egos to Òran Mór (13 Jun, 7pm, £10) following her show’s success at Glasgow Comedy Festival. The day after, Soup Group’s Phil O’Shea presents an evening of gleeful silliness, previewing his Edinburgh Fringe show and inviting the totally joyful Amelia Bayler to share the stage (Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh, 14 Jun, 7.30pm, £5).

Funny friends from further afield include: surreal observational US comic Chris Fleming (The Glee Club, Glasgow, 19 Jun 7.30pm, £22.50, returns only); puppet twink Lachlan Werner (Glasgow Stand, 22 Jun, 5pm, £10/12); BBC New Comedy Winner Yuriko Kotani (Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, 22 Jun, 8pm, £7), gearing up for her third full Fringe; and staple of the London comedy scene Laura Smyth (Glasgow Stand, 27 Jun, 8.30pm, £15.50). Finally, and much more seriously, is international man of bonbonbonbons, Brian Butterfield, delivering a VERY SERIOUS business talk. His Call of Now tour visits Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall (23 Jun, 8pm, £27.50-£35.50) and Glasgow Pavilion Theatre (25 Jun, 8pm, £30.50-£35.50). Read his interview with the iconic Fringe Dog in this month’s issue… now. [Polly Glynn]

Photo: Sophie Davidson

Photo: Christina Webber

Camilla Grudova

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

MC Hammersmith

Amelia Bayer

Photo: Joy Olugboyega

Photo: Lance Fuller

Julia Armfield

Features

22 As Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art returns, we talk to some of the exhibiting artists about community and the city.

26 The art of throwing a party with Glasgow’s Numbers and Edinburgh’s Headset

30 Internationally-renowned design duo Timorous Beasties share their new collection and new Edinburgh showroom.

32 A guide to all the acts we’ve booked to perform three days of Kelburn Garden Party’s Pyramid Stage.

34 Fringe Dog meets Brian Butterfieldfor a very serious business interview.

36 Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna on the trio’s return.

38 Vi o Mortensen and his Scottish co-star Solly McLeod introduce The Dead Don’t Hurt

40 George MacKay on playing three versions of a character across three timelines in The Beast

42 Director and writer Andrea Cabrera Luna on Rambles of the Heart, a piece of devised theatre by young disabled artists.

43 Glasgow-based author Elle Nash on her new novel Deliver Me and the cultural capital of pregnancy.

47 A 16-page guide to The Glasgow School of Art’s Degree Show 2024

64 A member of Edinburgh’s Gaza Solidarity Camp reflects on creating a just future.

On the website...

A clutch of gig reviews, including a report from a particularly lively edition of Edinburgh Tradfest; get your free tickets for our Cineskinny Film Club screenings; Spotlight On…, our weekly new music column

Image Credits: (Left to right, top to bottom) courtesy of Joey Simons; courtesy of Numbers; Adrian Barry; Linzi Clark

@THEBOVINETHING, racecar by Danielle Bakkes, LVRA by Jeff Hahn; Rory Lindsay; Debi Del Grande; Marcel Zyskind; Carole Bethule; Tiu Makkonen; courtesy Elle Nash; courtesy Lola Clementine; Driss Chaoui

Shot of the month

Mitski @ Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 27 Apr by Roosa

Päivänsalo

Across 9. Violent – image (7)

10. Range of colours (7)

11. Inform – I lengthen (anag) (9)

12. Square (5)

13. Less populous (7)

14. Precisely (7)

15. Authorities – what's better, hope? (anag) (3,6,4,2)

19. Display (7)

22. Unconventional (7)

25. Sketch – breeze (5)

26. Unreadable (9)

27. Everlasting (7)

28. Fake (7)

Compiled by George

Sully

Down

1. Concurs (6)

2. Lie (4,4)

3. Between the knees and the hips (6)

4. Unpunished – unscathed (4-4)

5. Absorbent thing (6)

6. Careless (8)

7. Finally (2,4)

8. Data capacity unit (8)

15. Nerd tier (anag) (8)

16. Circling (8)

17. Steal (8)

18. Shook (8)

20. Pearly gates (6)

21. Thrice (6)

23. Person – number (6)

24. Psychedelic colouring (3-3) Feedback? Email crossword@theskinny.co.uk

Turn to page 7 for the solutions

In this month’s advice column, one reader asks how they can introduce lying into their lives in a fun and exciting way

I don’t know how to lie. How can I get into lying more, in a fun, mysterious, sexy, harmless way? You could not have come to a better person with this question. I love this question, almost (but, crucially, not quite!) as much as I love lying. I love lying. I think it should be an Olympic sport, or a designated kind of performance art ratified by the Royal Academy. I once told an Apple employee my best friend and I were long-term lovers so she could buy her husband a Mac using my student discount. I’ve made up elaborate parties and had dates I want to get out of drop me off at them and then gone home. I’ve pretended I’m single, I’ve pretended I’m in a relationship, I skived off half of sixth form with a migraine (I have never had a migraine in my life). If ever I were to be sent to prison, it would be for perjury (I just don’t think it’s the court’s business!). I really do believe in lying as a fundamental lifeskill: it allows you, in effect, to take control of the narrative, to demarcate the porous spaces between your public and private selves. You do have to exercise caution in how you deploy it; lying is, really, a kind of power play – which is what makes it sexy and fun – but is a super dick move in any relationship predicated on trust. Elsewhere though? Omg who cares. Say whatever you want.

On a practical level, you should identify the parts of your life you want to control and start playing from there. Don’t get enough holiday days? Baby, you have regular and insurmountable cramps. A pesky acquaintance isn’t respecting your boundaries and keeps asking invasive questions? Maybe you were adopted. Maybe you’re an heiress. Maybe you’re one of the survivors from Lost. I just don’t think it’s a moral quandary! It’s your fucking life, and you get to decide how it’s shared. As the immortal bards Panic! at the Disco said, lying is the most fun a girl can have! However she’s dressed!

POSTER (p44-45)

Unnatural* Urges

A collaborative project by Laura Lulika, Hang Linton, Jack Murphy, and Clay AD.

What grows on the deadened log of ‘the natural’? How do goodness, purity, and normality mould and decay? Who gets to determine what nature is and isn’t? Unnatural* Urges turn these questions on their head and compost them into the garden. Radioactive pickle orgies! A dysfunctional family tree! Medical devices coming to life! Songs hexing the strongholds of Power!

View the work in Queen's Park Glasshouse, 7-23 Jun, open daily

Art Attack

There’s art as far as the eye can see this month as we celebrate the return of Glasgow International with its city-wide programme of events, performances and exhibitions. June is also the month of degree shows, with the class of 2024 presenting the fruits of their creative labours in art schools across the country. We’ve got a special 16-page supplement providing a guide to The Glasgow School of Art showcase, with first-hand reporting from GSA students themselves.

We talk to Timorous Beasties, the internationally-lauded design duo, as they launch a new collection and a new location. Our centre pages feature a pull-out poster from the Glasgow International programme, and we take a tangential look at the art theme, as Clubs talks to Numbers and Headset to trace the art of the party. Turn to the back for the Art Issue theme conclusion – The Skinny on… Andrew Sim, whose glorious paintings of plants, trees and werewolves currently adorn the already incredibly ornate walls of the ballroom of Jupiter Artland, the art park on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

Image: Sadaf Syeda, Monuments for the Present –Collage, 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Photo by Paria Goodarzi

Stories from the City

Returning after a three-year hiatus, this year’s Glasgow International is embedded in the city’s communities and distinct history, while also embracing voices and ideas from outside the city

Words: Shalmali Shetty

This year, Glasgow International, Scotland’s biennial festival of contemporary art, celebrates its 10th edition after a three-year hiatus. Running from 7 to 23 June, this year’s festival presents a diverse set of projects across the city, in museums, galleries, libraries, artist-run spaces and other venues. The main programme comprises exhibitions and collective and community projects, along with a series of performances, screenings, talks, panels, sharings, radio broadcasts, and workshops activating different spaces, which form the Gatherings programme. A total of 43 projects will be showcased, spanning various mediums and presented by both local and international artists, including emerging and established names.

Speaking with some of the younger artists from diverse diasporic communities living and working in Glasgow (many of whom are being platformed for the first time during the festival), reveals diverse but interconnected narratives that have influenced their projects. The Skinny spoke to five of these artists, outlining their approaches to this year’s festival through mediums such as film, photography and engagement with archival materials.

At Street Level Photoworks, LithuanianScottish artist Kotryna Ula Kiliulyte presents Arctic Swell – a simple melody. The exhibition emerged from a residency in Finland in early 2020 that was cut short by the pandemic and centres on the idea of solastalgia – the anxiety induced by environmental changes and degradation. Across two rooms, the exhibition features a four-part video work alongside light boxes and photographs. The visuals combine drone footage of snowy Finnish forest landscapes coupled with Kiliulyte’s experiences of pregnancy and motherhood during the pandemic. Drawing from Lithuanian and Scottish folk histories, one of the films includes a Scottish lullaby as its primary soundtrack, which speaks to a mother’s anxiety about losing her baby while foraging in the forest. The photographs are created through an interesting process of manipulation using photogrammetry software and printed on organically shaped glass surfaces to enhance their sculptural qualities against the wall. These photographs are showcased

in a room tinted pink by a filter on the gallery’s glass windows, symbolising the light passing through skin and what an unborn baby might see from within the mother’s womb.

Wei Zhang, a queer Chinese artist, is presenting their independently produced film Wah Yen, named after Glasgow’s first Chinese restaurant which opened in the 1940s and eventually closed in the 1990s. Presented at 5 Florence Street, the project takes inspiration from archival film footage that Zhang accidentally discovered on eBay, which follows a family touring Scotland in the 1970s, a time coinciding with Glasgow’s Shipbuilders Dispute. Drawing on these parallel histories and Zhang’s personal experiences of navigating their queer identity within an Asian

household – particularly the challenges of balancing familial expectations and personal desires – the film weaves a poetic narrative. The story further follows two lovers: a queer neurodivergent migrant from Hong Kong and a queer local shipbuilder, who decide to remain living together in Glasgow against the wishes of their families. The characters’ vivid, imaginative costumes reflect their internal turmoil, as their bodies metaphorically transform and decay. Given the parallel narratives, the half-hour film evokes the overcoming of adversity and the fight for a better future. Presented as a single-screen projection, the film is accompanied by a small TV playing archival films about the 70s Shipyard Dispute from STV and the National Library of Scotland.

Mina Heydari-Waite, a British-Iranian filmmaker, also engages with archival film in her presentation for the festival. Her film Farang delves into a personal family archive of 30-hour long Hi8 tapes, interweaving family history with broader sociopolitical contexts. Presented in collaboration with Offline Glasgow, the film takes us through family histories from the 1990s when her mother, pregnant with her, made two high-risk trips to Iran after years of separation from her family. During these trips, her mother documented everything around her on film, from family reunions to local scenery and even hours of Iranian television, driven by the fear that one day everything so personal to her would cease to exist. In her exploration of this history, Heydari-Waite discovered that the route that her parents travelled was the same route established by the British in Iran to set up the Indo-European telegraph line, facilitating communication between the Indian colony and the British Empire after the 1857 Indian Mutiny. The film is central to the exhibition, which also includes photographs and sculptural pieces, such as a fountain; each physical component references historical and personal moments from the film and reflects on themes of agency, communication and the transmission of messages within systems of power. Heydari-Waite has been involved in community-engagement projects such as film screenings and workshops in Govanhill, in the Southside of Glasgow, embedding this exhibition within a larger context beyond the festival itself.

Likewise, Joey Simons explores community engagement in his project Beyond the Forbidden Gate, making the festival a platform for some of his ongoing research into working-class communities in north Glasgow. Simons’ research explores various histories and stru les, including public housing and land ownership issues, addiction and rehabilitation, incarceration and prison recovery, all of which feed into the multilayered project. Developed in collaboration with Glasgow Sculpture Studios and supported by SISCO and Glasgow Open Museums, the project will be presented across four libraries (the Mitchell, Possilpark,

Woodside and Springburn) and showcase a range of archival and research material, publications, projects and zines created by children and adults during community workshops, alongside community-contributed objects and history boxes from the library’s collections. With the Mitchell Library acting as the main hub, it will host a series of talks, workshops and screenings; Possilpark Library will witness a book launch by the sculptor Martin McCreadie; Woodside Library will feature zines and work created by young children; and Springburn Library will showcase two sculptures by Jimmy Boyle, who is considered to be one of Scotland’s most notorious gangsters who, through his association with the Barlinnie Special Unit, became a sculptor and writer upon his release in 1981.

Speaking of archives, Glasgow School of Art Exhibitions, in collaboration with Craigmillar Now (a community-led arts and heritage organisation based in Edinburgh), is presenting an exhibition dedicated to Sandra George (1957-2013), a BritishJamaican photographer. George had an extensive photographic practice documenting the Craigmillar community from the 1980s to the 2000s. Her significant body of work, never exhibited during her lifetime, includes photographs of her community, portraits and self-portraits, offering a reflective and deeply personal perspective on her surroundings. Curated by GSA Exhibitions Director Jenny Brownri , the exhibition will showcase black-andwhite photographs alongside other forms of George’s artistic practice, highlighting her significant but underrepresented contributions as a woman of colour in Scotland. The exhibition will further host an hour-long panel discussion on 13 June at 6pm, led by Glasgow-based artist and

guests Zoe

and

and

and activist). The discussion will honour George’s legacy, focusing on her body of work and its relevance to current community dynamics and the institutional challenges Black women and women of colour still face in the creative sector. Additionally, it will explore different perspectives on Black identity, representation and community engagement in Scotland.

Glasgow, with its long colonial and contemporary history as a port town with global trade connections, has inspired much-needed dialogues in the creative sector around diasporas, community, race, identity, resources and land use. This further supports the organisation of artistic communities and sustains collaborations, highlighting Glasgow’s unique approach to experimental and grassroots initiatives in the arts. This collective effort to activate the city through community engagement has been key in developing 2024’s iteration of Glasgow International. The festival’s support has made possible various community-led projects, emphasising making, sharing, sustaining, and exchanging ideas on both a local and global scale.

Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art, venues across the city, 7-23 Jun

performer Christian Noelle Charles, with

Lorimer (artist

writer)

Titilayo Farukuoye (writer

Image: courtesy of the artist Image: courtesy of the artist

Mina Heydari-Waite, Farang _ فرنگ ’, film still, 2024

Wei Zhang, Wah Yen, film still, 2024

Save £££ with the National Art Pass

Summer is coming and with it comes a packed programme of art and culture across Scotland

From French Impressionist Edgar Degas in the Southside of Glasgow to Irish Impressionist John Lavery in Edinburgh’s National, kimonos in Dundee and tapestries in Dovecot – there’s truly something for everyone to explore.

Buying all those entry tickets can quickly add up – if only there were something that could help us see everything we wanted without blowing our budget… Some sort of pass or membership scheme that provides you with discounted entry to exhibitions… Possibly one that covers the whole of the UK? Did you know, there actually is!

With the National Art Pass membership, you can get free and half-priced entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, as well as 50% o major exhibitions. So you can gallery hop ‘til you drop! Here are some of our top picks to see this summer with a National Art Pass.

Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk

V&A Dundee, until 5 January 2025, 50% o with National Art Pass

Tracing the evolution of the kimono from 17th century Japan to 21st century couture and street fashion around the world, this blockbuster exhibition features over 300 works drawn from the V&A collections and lenders around the world. With designs ranging from lovingly preserved 17th and 18th century pieces to couture works by Alexander McQueen and Issey Miyake, incorporating painting, prints, lm and accessories, this exhibition o ers a rare glimpse into the incredible signicance of this iconic garment. This is the last stop on an international tour so truly the last chance to catch it.

Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990

National Galleries Scotland: Modern (Modern Two), Edinburgh, until 26 January 2025, 50% o with National Art Pass

Fresh from a much-celebrated debut at Tate Britain, Women in Revolt! charts two decades of art and activism, exploring the impact of social issues such as the Women’s Liberation Movement, Section 28 and the AIDS epidemic on women artists. Ranging across six thematically grouped spaces, this is a timely exhibition celebrating the women whose work and creativity paved the way for subsequent generations.

An Irish Impressionist | Lavery on Location

National ( Royal Scottish Academy), Edinburgh, opens 20 July, 50% o with National Art Pass

This celebration of the work of renowned Glasgow Boy John Lavery will take you on a tour around the world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Featuring portraits, impressionistic landscapes and scenes of idyllic leisure, works take in locations from New York to Tangiers, Switzerland to Palm Springs via closer to home

Glasgow and the artist’s native Ireland.

Discovering Degas: Collecting in the Age of William Burrell

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow, until 30 September, 50% o with National Art Pass

The rst international ticketed exhibition at the reimagined museum o ers visitors the chance to see all 23 works by Edgar Degas from the original Burrell Collection, alongside 30 further works lent from renowned collections around the world. Featuring paintings, drawings and sculpture, this is a rare opportunity to take a deep dive into the work of one of the world’s most revered artists.

Have you got somewhere else on your list this summer? Save 50% o exhibitions with National Art Pass at National Museum of Scotland, Jupiter Artland, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, City Art Centre and Dovecot Studios.

Explore and save with free or reduced-price entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, plus 50% o major exhibitions.

Get your pass now: artfund.org/skinny

Edgar Degas, A Group of Dancers c.1898

Akira Times, Blue Mood, 2019

Helen Chadwick, In the Kitchen (Stove), 1977.

Sir John Lavery, The Bathing Hour, 1912

Image: © National Galleries of Scotland

Photo: Akira Times

Image: courtesy Sotheby's

Image: © The Estate of Helen Chadwick. Courtesy Richard Saltoun Gallery, London and Rome. Courtesy of Tate Britain.

Moving image at GI

There’s a rich collection of moving image work coming up at this year’s Glasgow International. In addition to the work discussed on the previous pages, here are five more moving image exhibitions to seek out during the festival

Enzo Camacho, Ami Lien Offerings for Escalante Offerings for Escalante, a new exhibition from Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien, comprises two film elements – an hour-long experimental documentary and a 16mm stop-motion animation – in addition to handmade paper and a light-based installation. The title refers to a city on Negros, a plantation island in the Philippines that’s been the centre of Camacho and Lien’s research for the last few years. The duo describe the show as an “act of remembrance” for the horrifying Escalante Massacre of 1985, a brutal episode of state violence against workers protesting against conditions. Interweaving testimonials from the people of Negros along with organic materials and iconographies from the island, the artists aim to shed light on the significance of collective remembrance and mourning. The choice of GoMA, the former home of a tobacco plantation baron and subsequently a hub for trade exchange, as the exhibition’s venue should add an extra dimension when Offerings for Escalante comes to GI. GoMA, 7 Jun-1 Sep

Camara Taylor [mouthfeel]

Camara Taylor’s practice is concerned with archival documents and fragments of language. They’re particularly interested in Scotland’s entanglement with racial capitalism. Their GI show includes new and recomposed work which includes collaborations with artists 皚桐 (Ai Túng) and Sharif Elsabagh, and the Glasgow women’s welding collective Slaghammers. The centre of the show is new movingimage piece [mouthfeel], which imagines the last gold coin to be produced by the Scottish Mint as it dissolves on a tongue. That coin, incidentally, was minted in honour of the shameful Darien scheme, which was an

unsuccessful attempt by Scotland in the late 17th century to establish New Caledonia, a colony in the Darién Gap in Panama. Tramway, 7 Jun-18 Aug

Alexis Kyle Mitchell, Ima-Abasi Okon Anticipate, sublimate

Several shows at this year’s GI see pairs of artists presenting work in conversation with each other, such as Anticipate, sublimate, which brings together the work of friends Alexis Kyle Mitchell and Ima-Abasi Okon. The movingimage element of the show is Kyle Mitchell’s The Treasury of Human Inheritance, an hour-long film about the experience of living with and alongside disease and disability. The film blends footage of urban decay around Glasgow (a rich well to drink from), family home movies and hand-processed celluloid. Kyle Mitchell also worked with Luke Fowler and Richy Carey, who’ve created an analogue synthesiser soundtrack that mimics inheritance patterns of genetic disease. Kinning Park, 7-23 Jun

Bobbi Cameron, Owain Train McGilvary I’m attended as a portal myself

Another two-person show, the intriguingly titled I’m attended as a portal myself sees friends Bobbi Cameron and Owain Train McGilvary present sister installations joined via ‘an architectural intervention’. Cameron’s work, for the first words of a dreamworld, is a 16mm film that works as an act of time travel. “I am comparing my own experiences of Celtic shamanic practices to the experiences of my grandfather (and others) with dementia to explore what it means to exist in multiple places at once,” Cameron says of the work. The 16mm film is a collaboration with cinematographer Margaret Salmon, composer Richy Carey, movement artist Aniela Piasecka and shamanic practitioner Ruth McCauley, and the result blends deep listening

Words: Jamie Dunn

practices, field recording and Celtic shamanism as a celebration of non-linear and multi-versal communications.

Train McGilvary, meanwhile, continues his interest in working-class queer spaces with Seeing Red, which attempts to reanimate North Wales’s only gay bar, which was burned down in an arson attack over a decade ago. Train McGilvary’s video work blends digital archive with interviews with former patrons that he’s tracked down to create a bilingual tribute to this lost institution. His room will also feature additional drawings lamenting lost queer history.

Taken together, I’m attended as a portal myself offers a duel window exploring memories of rural culture, with the moving image acting as the dreamy conduit to communicate with and explore these lost histories. 5 Florence Street, 7-23 Jun

Anne-Marie Copestake, Emmie McLuskey, Duncan Marquiss

Descants

If you prefer to take in your moving image work in the cinema space, then be sure to make it along to Descants from Anne-Marie Copestake, Emmie McLuskey and Duncan Marquiss, which will have a one-off screening at Glasgow Film Theatre as part of GI. The film was commissioned as a way of documenting the GI festival in 2021, which took place under various COVID restrictions. The aim of the film is that it would act as a “community portal” mapping conversations between artists, both local and far-flung, in the programme. The filmmakers describe it as a “record of local history as it unfolded, revealing individual and collective values and desires,” and it should act as a fascinating window into how artists were feeling, thinking and working during pandemic conditions. Glasgow Film Theatre, 23 Jun, 2pm

Image: courtesy of aritst

Image: courtesy of aritst

Image: courtesy of aritst

Seeing Red, Owain Train McGilvary

Descants, Anne-Marie Copestake, Emmie McLuskey, Duncan Marquiss

Offerings for Escalante Enzo , Camacho and Ami Lien

The Art of Throwing a Party

Numbers and Headset discuss decades worth of past experiences in unpacking the future of club-night promotion in Scotland

Numbers is a label and club night that’s steadily risen to global recognition since its inception in 2003. A representative and collaborator of national underground treasures SOPHIE, Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, and Lanark Artefax, displaying striking shows from Scotland to Barcelona, it’s undeniable they hold a seat at the table of party planning.

“These days we put most of the focus on the label,” Calum Morton, aka Spencer – one quarter of the acting ensemble, alongside Aaron Gonsher, Neil Morton, and Richard Chater – explains. “We’ll release more records this year than any other in the past decade.” In reminiscing about times spent at Sub Club’s under-18s, together with hazy memories of happy hardcore at Archaos, the key piece of the puzzle soon becomes apparent –Rubadub Records. “It was the community hub at the time,” Spencer recounts. “Everyone met through the shop.” The shop was run by Martin McKay – a resident at Paisley’s Club 69, beside Euan, Wilba and Barrie.

“Nights at 69 were the best… I wasn’t old enough to get in anywhere,” remembers Spencer, though as a 16-year-old employee paid in records, not cash, “they knew we were there for the music… I don’t think I realised how lucky I was at the time.” Not long after, in 2002, they “started running shows at Ad Lib,” a burger bar on Hope Street. Spencer connected with Richard Chater through his older brother, and hosted the launch of Chater’s Stuff Records with Sparky (aka Dave

Clark) at the ensuing edition. The night was packed out with a sea of similar faces from Wireblock and Dress 2 Sweat, likeminded in musical motive.

A formative decision was made –“We combined everything into Numbers.” They moved to the Merchant City, beneath the Brunswick Hotel, and hosted the likes of Kode9 and Modeselektor at the 100-cap basement.

“The idea of profit wasn’t considered,” Spencer recalls. Any budget surplus was directed towards maximising “as much sound, smoke machines, and strobes as we could squeeze in. It’s an insane business proposition,” he admits, “but the parties were always rammed.”

Following a course at Stow College, Spencer enrolled at Westminster University, meaning Numbers landed in London, bringing their no-tomorrow gravitas cross-border. Billing the likes of Actress, Lukid, Lory D, and Errorsmith at a newly opened Corsica Studios, Spencer ran through all his student loan. “Musically it was brilliant, but I had to eat pesto pasta for about six months after that,” he says ruefully. By making partygoers of paramount value, the promotions gained a UK-wide respect. The Art School showcases followed, beginning with Autechre and LFO in 2005.

Words:

Numbers slid into a flawless flow state of “believing in what we liked and repeatedly doing it.” Whether turning heads with Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah at Sub Club on a Monday in 2006, or, five years later, combining Joker, James Blake and Girl Unit in reaction to the box fresh post-dubstep of London, a curation style that felt authentically contemporary was evident. A fluid stream of stellar work followed, from Mosca’s Bax to Rustie’s Slasherr, before landing on SOPHIE’s

iconic PRODUCT. Now delivering lectures, workshops and festivals internationally for Red Bull Music Academy between 2014-2019, “there wasn’t as much time to run our own stuff,” Spencer explains. That was until its shuttering in 2019 – “everyone lost their job, and then COVID hit.” Nevertheless, “we released the SOPHIE BIPP (Autechre Mx). The day after speaking to Soph I woke up to find out about the fall in Athens. That event felt emotionally insurmountable for a long, long time – I’m not sure it ever will feel OK… she was such a special artist, friend and collaborator.” Set to celebrate 30 years of Nitsa Club, Numbers head to Barcelona on 13 June with Eclair Fifi and, recently signed Hekt. “I’m playing B2B with Optimo… It’ll be fun seeing how many tracks we can play at the same time.” Though don’t mistake this fun for ease – “running shows isn’t as glamorous as people might want to think. Even more now, the successes are few and far between, and the losses can be devastating… it’s scaring people off.” It’s

Cammy Gallagher

Image: courtesy of Keep Hush

Skillis @ Keep Hush

clear things aren’t the same as they were in 2003, but he questions why we’d want them to be. At the heart of it, for Spencer, “music is tied into youth culture, so there are always new generations of people challenging the status quo – there will always be unique challenges and opportunities.”

Headset, a multi-city party and label celebrating Scottish identity through UK techno and bass, is the brainchild of Nick Karlsberg, aka Skillis. “It’s an alternative to the fake underground thing that’s slowly been getting worse over the past decade,” explains Skillis. “There weren’t that many grime heads in Edinburgh around 2010,” he smirks. “I was probably the first gay grime DJ in the UK.” Four years on, aged 22 and embedded in the Cowgate’s clubbing circuit, “I thought… there’re no local people doing nights for my generation.” So Skillis founded Headset. Recruiting mixed crowds of Bristo Square skaters and astray Cabaret Voltaire clientele, he “hit a niche pretty quickly,” he recalls. “There was no slow build-up.” Twelve months on, the first birthday saw just shy of a thousand pass through what was reportedly the busiest night Bongo’s had since opening in 1996.

Skillis started doing promotion for the Bongo, ultimately becoming a manager for eight years at the venue home to esteemed events such as Messenger Sound System. He started working closely with them, playing contemporary selections upstairs, as roots and re ae sessions took place in the main room, nurturing SSL, aka Sound System Legacies – a monthly jungle and dubstep dance which began in 2017, and hosted UK heavyweights like Mez & Grandmixxer, Sicaria Sound and Commodo, alongside local heads Rapture 4D and Anikonik.

“Since stopping SSL, there’s been a little

more crossover” in the breadth of UK musical genres coming from the label, he explains, “but originally Headset was house, techno, and garage.” Particularly Gay Garage – a 2019 endeavour that parked up at Sneaky Pete’s – is a concept inspirationally fuelled by London’s Twice Shy. “Garage has similarities to disco, techno and house, which are gay genres… originally at least,” he explains. “Growing up in the nineties and noughties was fucking horrendous, there was nothing here for young gays.” As an American citizen, “I’m essentially a foreigner,” he shares. “My parents knew nothing about Scotland when they moved… but it’s slowly become the only thing I have and I love it.”

Proudly curating 100% Scottish music mixes and lineups, Skillis champions label associates Feena, Creep Woland, LWS, Kairogen, Proc Fiskal, and many others, in what’s become “kind of like a family now. I think there’s a problem with seeing local people as deserving of a platform… it’s like we don’t want to see other Scottish people do well sometimes.”

It’s not an easy time for nights in the capital.

“I do kind of want to retire from events,” admits Skillis. “Even in the last month, things have gotten so much worse… people that made a living from this for ten years are fucked for money.” He attributes this in part to a creative brain drain in a capital city rich in tradition, yet barren in contemporary culture. “Anyone who wants to do something interesting will move to, at least, Glasgow.”

The annual Mash House Christmas Day party is his best night of the year, as the people who left return for a week. “Students are always invited, I’m just not relying on them,” he clarifies. “This is part of the reason Edinburgh is dying. People running nights don’t understand that you need everyone for it to be busy all year round.” Nights should appeal to residents as well as the university students inhabiting the UK’s most expensive academic sojourn (as of 2023). “My dream is to open a venue. Loads have closed, but there’s not been a single new one since I started going out sixteen years ago. Things are bad, but sometimes they have to get worse before getting better.”

Poster for Gay Garage

Beastie Mode

We meet Glasgow-based design duo Timorous Beasties at their elegant brick mill headquarters for a preview of the pared-back Stucco collection, and to find out more about their new 2,500 sq ft showroom in Scotland’s capital, opening this month

Words: Stacey Hunter

Photo: Adrian Barry Cornice Crown Wallpaper

Timorous Beasties, the internationallyacclaimed design studio, are launching a showroom in Edinburgh’s New Town. The brand is renowned for its maximalist designs which have appeared in such varied locations as the East Village apartment walls of actor Amy Sedaris, on a souvenir Kate Bush concert programme and on the front of a £50 note. At their light-filled, three-storey production base in Glasgow, master craftspeople painstakingly print wallpaper at ten-metre-long tables in an environment that feels conducive to this new collection – meticulous and calm. The Stucco collection utilises an unusually pared-back colour palette, featuring natural and woven fabrics. New designs like Ripolin combine blurred images based on ink blotches with hand-drawn elements. Its unique layered design is an example of Timorous Beasties’ pioneering use of digital printing technologies mixed with hand printing techniques – it is also fully compostable.

In the atelier at the top of the building, the wrap-around windows lend natural daylight to walls filled with collages, paper experiments and sketches. A variety of mise-en-scènes position furniture and plants alongside the latest iterations of the new designs, contextualising them for both domestic and commercial use. A team of designers and producers move from desk to desk reviewing and planning the studio’s busy international schedule. But overall, there is a sense of purpose and calm focus. Gesturing to a moodboard of images featuring mainly white and ivory, cofounder of Timorous Beasties, Paul Simmons explained the genesis of Stucco.

“In a world that seems divided and vulnerable, we wanted to produce a collection that felt peaceful and quiet. We felt there was so much oversaturation of colour, and pattern on pattern, that we wanted calmer waters for a while. We feel that this collection appeals to our customers who live with white walls, and want something special but not overpowering.”

The starting point was a tongue-in-cheek take on Le Corbusier’s Law of Ripolin, the 60s modernist architect’s declaration that whitewashed walls had a ‘spiritual and moral cleansing power.’

“We imagined a new beginning, where all around us, pattern on pattern clutters our minds, and this oversaturation becomes overwhelming. We envisioned moving into a new house and painting and decorating everything in white, but this time, to Le Corbusier’s horror, we would use ornate plasterwork and damasks as a reference and paint and print over everything with thick opaque ink. Wallpapers become covered, only leaving parts of patterns seen, the paint begins to crack and split, paint daubs, dribbles, and splats cover brightly coloured designs, so that only sections manage to peek through.”

Fellow co-founder Alistair McAuley describes the ethos that has driven Timorous Beasties since its inception in 1990. “We’ve always sought to do and make things our own, and to try and push ourselves and the boundaries of what we do. At

the very heart of our studio is an enduring passion and reverence for print and textiles guided by a drive for experimentation and long-held desire for creating the very finest quality products.”

Timorous Beasties have collaborated with a diverse roster of international brands such as Fortnum & Mason, Liberty, Harrods, Brintons, Ercol and Nike. Their prints are held in collections at the Art Institute of Chicago, Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York, the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, and the V&A in London. The duo have long had showrooms in locations known for contemporary design like Clerkenwell, Berlin and Glasgow – what made Alistair and Paul identify Edinburgh’s slightly more conservative New Town as their next location?

“An Edinburgh showroom is something we have been planning for a while,” says Paul. “We have studied the city periodically from a design perspective, observing the unique characteristics of the different areas. We designed the Edinburgh Toile in 2005 for the Edinburgh Festival. And Alistair and I have lived and worked in Glasgow for over 30 years so it’s lovely to feel like we have a new urban realm to explore and we have come to really appreciate what the capital has to offer – particularly in terms of its rich food and drink culture!”

“Edinburgh, and the New Town in particular, where our showroom is located, has very spacious homes with period detailing that can really showcase our designs at scale,” adds Alistair.

The new showroom situated on the corner of Northumberland and Dundas Streets will house the entire Timorous Beasties collection of wallpapers, fabrics and home accessories. The 2,500 sq ft space is arranged over two floors – the ground floor area will present an array of wallcoverings, fabrics and accessories. The lower level will have a cosier aesthetic with a series of immersive displays where customers can view collections in lifestyle room sets, browse sample books and seek interior design advice from the Timorous Beasties team.

“People know us internationally but they also see us as a Scottish company, so it makes sense to have a showroom on Dundas Street where our clients in both Scotland and internationally can visit us and see our designs in-situ. This is a destination space that allows us to showcase the full breadth of our collections – we want our customers to enjoy an immersive experience and gain a better understanding of over 30 years of Timorous Beasties pattern and print heritage.”

To mark the new opening, Timorous Beasties will also unveil new urban toile ceramic designs exclusive to the Edinburgh space, as well as a number of limited edition cushions that will be launched throughout the year. The designers are also creating a special installation for the upcoming Dundee Design Festival in September.

Timorous Beasties, 35 Northumberland Street, Edinburgh, open Tue-Sat 9.45am-5.15pm @timorous_beasties @localheroesdesign

Photo: Adrian Barry

Ripolin Panel Hand Printed Wallpaper

Sounds of the Summer

We’re back at Kelburn Garden Party this July curating their Pyramid Stage, so it’s time to get better acquainted with the lineup

Words: Tallah Brash

Since 2018 we’ve been helping programme the Pyramid Stage at Kelburn Garden Party. It’s the first stage on your right as you come through the main wristband check of the festival, and it’s a great one for discovering new, exciting and often under-the-radar Scottish talent. To help you get more acquainted with this year’s lineup, we ask all 20 artists the same three questions:

Why should people come see you at Kelburn?

Who are you most excited to see at the festival?

What’s your top festival survival tip?

Becky Sikasa

Festivals are a great opportunity to find new music. If someone wants to take a chance on something new, I‘d love to play for them... I’m excited to see Nubiyan Twist, corto.alto and LVRA perform. My top tip is probably just pacing yourself. Actually taking the time to watch and listen to the performances and be in the moment for each one. Becky Sikasa plays Saturday

Bikini Body

If you wanna dance, groove, shout, maybe get a little nasty, you’d best come see us. Some peeps we’re excited to see are Jock Fox, Nubiyan Twist, Eyes of Others, Maranta, and above all: our dearest friends and comrades My top tip is to always follow the fun, even if it means wandering off alone. Also, wear sunscreen. Bikini Body headline Friday

Brenda

Come see BRENDA at Kelburn to watch butch synth-punk in drag. BRENDA is most excited to see women playing instruments, women squat peeing, women drinking beer, women acting badly, women breastfeeding etc etc. BRENDA’s top festival survival tip is using your elbows in the toilet queue. Brenda play Friday

Doom Scroller

If you want to party like the world is ending – join us. We will make you feel like the world is ending. Excited to catch our fellow hatchlings from New Teeth Records, sarya and Thundermoon. Last year I had an impromptu emotional collapse and had a cry in a field by the car park. Would highly recommend. Doom Scroller play Friday

Eyes of Others

A camping essential is wet wipes. I’d say they are more of a priority than a tent… there’s ketchup, beer, saliva… all sorts at festivals, yuck, so come catch my set because I’ll be throwing out some free ones onto your beautiful filthy faces. Also, go and see Bikini Body, cheeky bu ers, love them. Eyes of Others plays Sunday

Health and Beauty

I would strongly su est that folk who like to have a wee dance but also maybe a wee emotional time should come and check out my set, especially if you want to hear someone who insists on putting New Order-style basslines over modern dance music. I really love rEDOLENT... So I’m most excited to see them. My top tip would be to go intending to survive but instead to thrive. Health and Beauty plays Sunday

Karys

Come see me if you want to listen to some weird ethereal avant-pop that is equal parts haunting and euphoric. There’ll be a fun mix of quiet intimate moments and big cinematic choruses. Super excited to see HAAi! Been a fan for a really long time now and I just think Baby, We’re Ascending is gonna go so hard! No matter what the forecast says never wear trainers! Karys plays Saturday

Pyramid Stage 2024 Artists, L-R: Kohla by Rhianonne Stone; Thundermoon by Blanka Bandi; Linzi Clark by @THEBOVINETHING; racecar by Danielle Bakkes; LVRA by Jeff Hahn; neverfine by Jen McAnally; Pippa Blundell by Rosie Sco; Leif Coffield by Lee Gannon; Pearling by Stewart Lawson; Doom Scroller by John

Kohla

[Sunday afternoon will be] the perfect setting to sway with me in an ode to honeymoon love and my delicate debut album Romance. I’m most excited to see every member of Popgirlz perform, but it will feel extra special to hear Nikhita’s set. My top tip is to fully embrace the magic, and for a few days give yourself a much deserved break. Kohla plays Sunday

LAMAYA

Pearling

Come see me at Kelburn to dance to some ethereal, otherworldly dance music. I’ll be performing with my two dancers Luxx and Shawn to create an angelic audio/visual spectacle! I’m most excited to see LVRA, I really love their music so that’s going to be a highlight! My top tip is probably to never use a pop up tent. Pearling plays Saturday

Pippa Blundell

It will be a beautiful memory for all of us to share together; a performance I promise you will never forget I look forward to seeing LVRA the most, all of her visuals are 10/10. Top tip: DRINK WATER and lots of it, don’t get dehydrated please LAMAYA plays Saturday

Leif Coffield

You must come see me for it’ll be laden with extravagant outfits and the highest energy possible, both in equal measure. Really excited to see corto.alto, I’ve heard loads of great things about the live show. Top festival survival tip: electrolytes, vitamin c, and chewing gum. Leif Coffield plays Saturday

Linzi Clark

Come see us because this will be our first full band gig of 2024 and we’ll be playing unreleased songs out in the wild for the first time. I’m excited to see Federation of the Disco Pimp... I’ve also been wanting to see Kohla’s live set for a while so I’m excited for that! My top tips are dry shampoo, femme fresh wipes and individually wrapped chocolate crepes. Linzi Clark plays Saturday

LVRA

Come see me at Kelburn to break a sweat and let out a few demons! Shout out to The Skinny for curating a sick genredefying Pyramid Stage this year; there are so many other acts who are out there pushing artistic boundaries – sarya is a personal favourite! People who give the best vibes have the best time :)!!! LVRA headlines Saturday

neverfine

Come see us because we offer something to dance, mosh and vibe to, all in one set. We may also be debuting new music – if we’re feeling generous! We’re so excited to see Pearling, LVRA, Maranta and Doom Scroller! Our top festival survival tip would be: baby wipes = shower. neverfine play Sunday

Nikhita

You should see me at Kelburn, as I would love to take you on a hypnotic journey of introspection amidst the beautiful festival madness. I am extremely excited for Becky Sikasa and LVRA, and also to discover sounds that are new to me – I love how a festival can connect us to so much new art. Hydrate and get lost in the moments!! Nikhita plays Sunday

I’ll be opening the stage on Sunday to soothe any hungover heads with a warm blanket of song. I am super excited to see my pals corto.alto for some movin’ and groovin’. For me, a festival essential has got to be some suncream and a waterproof… especially in the bonnieland. Pippa Blundell plays Sunday

racecar

Come see us for our new, physically attractive nine-piece band, unheard releases from our upcoming album and wall-to-wall bangerz. I’m looking forward to sarya, I’ve produced for them before; they are a lovely person to the point they slightly invasively did my laundry when they last stayed. Also our hometown heroes Logan’s Close racecar play Friday

rEDOLENT

I think people should come see us to see a wee guy shouting about being a radge. I’m going to go and see Becky Sikasa – her voice is wild. I can’t drink or anything, so didn’t have this problem, but my pals would all get so high before putting their tents up they’d have to spend the weekend in this falling apart half put together wee tent, so don’t do that. rEDOLENT headline Sunday

sarya

Come see us because as someone who came up in the Scottish music scene, I hold so much love and inspiration from it. I am excited to see Robin Brill – a close friend and collaborator – with racecar. I’ve never seen LVRA, and I’m mega ecstatic to see more Chinese representation in the Scottish music scene. STAY HYDRATED, have tonnes of snacks and bring sun cream. Last time it was blazing and I saw too many burnt cuties. sarya plays Saturday

Thundermoon

We’re going to play some unreleased tracks from our next EP! [Shaz] We’re looking forward to seeing Karys, Megan Black, Maranta, and fellow New Teeth pals Doom Scroller and sarya. [Kat] Make friends with nearby campers and establish a good trade system! Although someone once tried to swap me an apple for my oat milk latte – I declined. [Lorna] Thundermoon play Sunday

Kelburn Garden Party takes place at Kelburn Castle, nr. Fairlie, 4-8 Jul

kelburngardenparty.com

John Mackie; Health and Beauty by Ronan Park; Becky Sikasa by Susan Mcfadzean; LAMAYA by Kim Simpson; Bikini Body by Rory Barnes; Nikhita by Kate McMahon; sarya by June Ku; Eyes of Others by Christopher Fernandez; Brenda by @chrisho ephotography; rEDOLENT by Rory Barnes; Karys by Cara Barbour

Business Time

Time to start calling Fringe Dog Dog-can Boneantyne in this very serious business interview

Oboy what an honour to interview the brilliant mr brian butterfield - i thought ‘now here’s a man i can do my business with’ !!! what a scoop !!

i failed all my dog training and became a comedy reviewer. how did you get started in business ?!?

It was a very similar story for me too. I failed business studies, failed business school, failed business university and then failed in business. Many multiple times. But from failure comes success. Is what a wise old man told me once. I’m hoping that at some point the wise old man’s words come true.

i once knew a dog who opened a stick shop but his customers kept bringing them back !!! do you have any tips in overcoming sticky setbacks ???

A stick shop is a great idea! Do you know if that dog is looking for investors? Great ideas don’t grow on trees but sticks do. My advice for overcoming adversity in the business world is to not let it get you down. I remember closing a business, filing for bankruptcy, turning away bailiffs and checking my bank account to see that I’d just gone over my overdraft limit and thinking everything was against me. That was just this morning. But I looked myself in the mirror and said “Something will come good. Believe in yourself” I then realised it wasn’t a mirror but a poster for the film Hellraiser. It really took me by surprise.

“Business and friendship go together like fish and chips – a terrible combination that will never work”

i was taught to “take the lead” by a business mentor. i did take the lead, but o boy my owner isn’t happy being tied up outside tescos . must a great leader always put business before friendship to get ahead ?!?

My four rules of business are as follows: 1) I have forgotten the first one, 2) Never say no to an idea, even if it’s a bad one (hence allowing myself to be interviewed by a dog), 3) Failure is not an option (it’s a necessity) and 4) Never be friends with your business partners. Business and friendship go together like fish and chips – a terrible combination that will never work. When you’re a titan of industry, you have to be prepared to fire anyone you work with at a moment’s notice, friendship be damned. I learned this by being fired by the last 15 businessmen I worked for, before going into

business for myself (during which time I was fired a further 15 times).

is it possible to maintain focus and productivity while taking eight naps a day (askin’ for a frend) ???

Who is this friend you’re asking on the behalf of?

I’m worried on their behalf because medically it’s very important to have no more than seven naps in a working day. Eight naps can prove fatal, never mind affecting focus and productivity. During my working day that begins at 8am I will take a nap at 8:04am for three minutes in order to improve brain control, then another nap at 9:16am for 55 seconds, which increases bone oxygen. Then, at 10:38am and again at 11:38am, I will take one-minute long naps in order to recentre my blood. Just before my lunch I will have an hour-long nap from midday to 1pm, in order to ready my body for lunch. And then it’s a solid run through until 11pm, at which time I will take a three second nap before beginning the night shift. Tell your friend to do this.

there are many motivational books for the business leader – ‘howl to win friends and influence puppies’; ‘the art of paw’; ‘think and growl rich’ !!! what are your favourite business books and have you ever thought of writing one yourself ?!?

My favourite business books are The Art Of No Deal by Noel Edmonds, When Needs Musk by Elon Musk and Capitalism vs Keynesianism in the Modern Age by Dapper Laughs. I have thought about writing my own book for some time. I thought about it so much that I ended up actually writing it. It’s called There’s No Business Like BUSINESS! I managed to secure a publisher (me)

and also a printer (also me) who have been very helpful in getting it made. It’s jam packed full of tips, tricks, quotes, business advice and a few pages left accidentally blank. It’s available exclusively at all good merchandise tables at the venues my Call of Now seminar is taking place at.

Brian Butterfield’s Call of Now, The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 23 Jun; Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, 25 Jun, 8pm, various prices @mrbbutterfield on Twitter and Instagram

Words: Fringe Dog

Brian Butterfield

Stream Queens

Explore the history of LGBTQ+ cinema this Pride by digging into queer classics and underrated gems on MUBI

Words: Jamie Dunn

We’re living in a golden age of queer cinema. In 2024, the stories of the LGBTQ+ lives we see on screen are rich, multidimensional and varied, and one of the best places to access these diverse stories is on MUBI. For Pride month, the streaming service has assembled an eclectic collection of queer lms of all shapes and sizes on its platform, from groundbreaking works of LGBTQ+ cinema to mint-fresh gems.

A perfect example of the latter is the invigorating Monica from Andrea Pallaoro. It stars trans actress Trace Lysette as the titular Monica, who’s been living in LA for over a decade after being thrown out of her Midwestern home by her transphobic mother, Eugenia. When Monica hears news that Eugenia is dying from a brain tumour, she makes a reluctant return home to say goodbye, only to nd that her mother doesn’t recognise her, assuming instead that she’s her new caregiver. The result is a stunning lm concerned with queer alienation, familial reconciliation and acceptance.

We like Monica so much, in fact, we’ll be screening it at CCA Glasgow on 18 June and Summerhall in Edinburgh on 19 June as part of the CineSkinny Film Club. Come along and join us! In the meantime, below we’ve suggested some other LGBTQ+ lms to check out on the MUBI platform this Pride.

Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Films

A good place to start is with some of those queer cinema touchstones. For example, Cheryl Dunye’s breezy 1996 mockumentary The Watermelon Woman. Dunye plays a version of herself, an aspiring lmmaker who’s juggling a new romance with a lmmaking project about a mysterious black actress (the eponymous ‘Watermelon Woman’) who was uncredited in early Hollywood lms. As well as being a compelling search for identity and community, Dunye’s e ortlessly cool debut feature also o ers a touching examination of interracial queer relationships and a biting critique of the lm industry.

Sexual repression is the furnace that fuels Merchant and Ivory’s 1987 lm Maurice. It centres on Cambridge student Maurice ( James Wilby) as he comes to terms with his sexuality after a clandestine a air with a fellow student (a young and beautiful Hugh Grant) goes sour. Merchant and Ivory are rarely discussed as part of the New Queer Cinema that emerged in the 1980s and 90s, but this tender, graceful love story should be led among the best lms from that movement.

Modern Queer Classics

Plenty of more recent lms on the MUBI platform have achieved queer classic status, not least Robin Campillo’s electric ensemble drama 120 BPM. With much style and wit, it depicts the direct action tactics of ACT UP Paris at the height of the AIDS pandemic. A lm full of impassioned speeches, hot sex and pulsating music, it follows the various political debates and romantic imbroglios that emerge between the members, some of whom won’t live long enough to see how galvanising their protests would be in changing perceptions around this devastating virus.

There’s a similar propulsive energy to Tangerine, Sean Baker’s hilarious and surprisingly touching lm following a day in the life of two LA trans sex workers. That day is, in fact, Christmas Eve, and this exuberant drama, famously shot on an iPhone, is a wonderful ode to queer friendships and found families forged on the edge of society. Other modern queer classics streaming on MUBI include the love triangle drama Passages, the bisexual crisis comedy Appropriate Behaviour and the dangerously seductive Stranger by the Lake to name just a handful.

Gems to Discover

Perhaps the biggest joy of MUBI though is that as well as curating some of the most acclaimed arthouse lms from around the world, it’s home to smaller titles that made less of a splash on their release but are crying out to be unearthed by curious lm fans. One queer gem that’s own under the radar recently is the utterly charming lesbian comedy Girlfriends and Girlfriends from Zaida Carmona. It concerns the romantic entanglements of six women in their 20s living their best lives in Barcelona. An arthouse cinema that’s screening an Éric Rohmer retrospective becomes a meeting place for two of the lovers, and there’s an obvious nod to Rohmer in the geometrical precision of the shifting relationships between the young women, not to mention Carmona’s lm’s title itself (a ri on Rohmer’s 1987 comedy Boyfriends and Girlfriends)

We also urge you to catch the underseen Winter Boy from MUBI favourite Christophe Honoré ( his moving romantic drama Sorry Angel is also among MUBI’s queer crop). Released by MUBI last year, Winter Boy is an achingly honest lm concerned with the grief of a 17-year-old boy following his father’s sudden death. The lad breaks away from his mother in the suburbs to live with his older brother in Paris, where he works through his emotional distress by exploring art, sex and himself.

To see Monica for free at The CineSkinny Film Club, head to theskinny.co.uk/tickets And to get access to MUBI for free for 30 days, head to mubi.com/theskinny

Monica

Grrrl Power

Frontrunners for the riot grrrl feminist movement in the 90s, Bikini Kill are back. And while their manifesto remains the same, frontwoman Kathleen Hanna has worked through a thing or two

Words: Cheri Amour

Somewhere in the belly of Brixton Academy in 2019, as the last of the sweaty throng wades through the plastic beer cups littering the stalls, Kathleen Hanna is crying. The punk singer has just performed the second of two muchanticipated reunion shows for her band Bikini Kill, a group that spearheaded the riot grrrl feminist movement. She’s had a good time. The fans in the audience who never believed this milestone moment would happen have had a ridiculously good time. And yet there’s an unwelcome energy.

“I’m on cloud nine,” she recalls from her home in sunny Pasadena, California, her small wire-haired dog Terry sprawled out on the bed sheets behind her. “But then someone made this disparaging comment about my performance so when I went backstage to start wrapping up, I sat there and cried.” Hanna, who fronts the band alongside bassist Kathi Wilcox and drummer Tobi Vail, is no stranger to snide comments. During their heyday in the 90s, Bikini Kill’s provocative and powerful performances repeatedly faced abuse and disrespect from male fans and club workers. Male journalists accused her of reverse sexism in their interviews together.

“But I’m saying this as a positive thing,” she insists. “Because back then, when people were constantly saying stuff like that, I had to have this armour where I couldn’t have any feelings about it.” At this show in question, Hanna is found by her bandmate Vail who asks what’s going on before clutching her by the shoulders and reasoning, ‘If someone said that about me, I’d be crying too!’ “It made me feel so fucking validated,” continues Hanna. “That’s so different from Bikini Kill in the 90s, where we didn’t have time to make space for each other. I wrote a lot of the Riot Grrrl Manifesto but I didn’t live it until now. I’m getting to the point where I’m living up to the potential in my writing.”

For the uninitiated, the Riot Grrrl Manifesto appeared in Bikini Kill’s second zine and was published in 1991, shortly after the trio (and guitarist at the time Billy Karren, aka Billy Boredom) formed the band in Olympia, Washington. At this point on the West Coast of America, the indie scene was heavily maledominated with the grunge scene exploding about an hour’s drive away in Seattle. Hard rockers Alice In Chains boasted a ressively crimped bouffant hairstyles and even heavier riffs. Sub Pop-signed TAD posed by tractors and brandished huge chainsaws in their press shots. So when Bikini Kill landed with their debut Revolution Girl Style Now, their scrappy, riotous punk jibes felt like a siren sounding for change.

Inspired by seeing sludgy, fellow all-femme rockers Babes in Toyland play live, Bikini Kill attempted to forge an underground network between girls who played music, put on shows,

“I wrote a lot of the Riot Grrrl Manifesto but I didn’t live it until now”

Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill

and made fanzines creating a forum for female voices. Because, as the manifesto argues, ‘We wanna make it easier for girls to see/hear each other’s work so that we can share strategies and criticize-applaud each other.’ For a band that only technically put out three records (there are a couple of compilations of the first two records and the singles for your convenience), Bikini Kill certainly racked up those plaudits. After seven years on the circuit and just a handful of shows here in the UK though, the band called it quits citing burnout and widespread hate from the media as key components of their dissolution.

Then in 2017, two decades on from their last performance, something was cooking at The Kitchen in New York. Contributing Editor at Pitchfork, Jenn Pelly released her 33 1/3 book on

post-punk godmothers The Raincoats. Following the standard Q&A session, the group surprised everyone with a live performance alongside their original drummer Palmolive of The Slits. Not only that, but Bikini Kill briefly reunited for the first time in 20 years to perform years to perform For Tammy Rae, the album closer from 1993’s Pussy Whipped. The one-off performance didn’t come easily though as Hanna explains, crediting Wilcox for making it happen. “She is the secret weapon in every situation. She’s that kind of person who’s like, ‘It needs to happen’ and she makes it happen.”

She continues: “At first, I said no because I live on the West Coast. I can’t travel for one song. But then I was like, ‘What the fuck did I just do?’” Despite the long-distance setup, the reunion sparked something between the old friends. Hanna sheepishly admits they began “sneaking around” together. “We practised in secret. We’re not super famous but we were in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I mean, if we’re gonna get recognised anywhere!” Holed up in their pal Sara Landeau’s practice space (also founding member and lead guitarist of Hanna’s other project, The Julie Ruin), the initial rehearsals were testing the waters rather than leveraging nostalgia to make a quick buck.

“I would never have set up a gig and then got together because I don’t want to find out in the first practice that I don’t like these songs anymore, [or that] they don’t have relevance to me, [or] I have to play a 25-year-old version of myself to sing them. That would have been horrific,” exclaims Hanna. While piecing the parts of their set back together might’ve been fragmented (Hanna shares that this included downloading and correcting her original lines from lyrics.com alongside matching up fills and structures from original YouTube clips), Bikini Kill’s signature blend of politics and punk was unwavering. “It was obvious so quickly that the material still felt incredibly relevant,” Hanna says, adamantly. “I’m not only singing them from the point of like, ‘Fuck you!’ I’m singing them from the point of, ‘I’m a part of this’. I’m not just a survivor or a victim who’s angry, I’m also singing to the monster in myself.”

While the reunion with Wilcox and Vail was empowering, there was also a sad undercurrent. In the wake of wider women’s marches in the States and the rising prominence of the #MeToo movement, it seemed the gross misogyny that Bikini Kill encountered daily had permeated into countless other decades, even a new millennium. Hanna’s unsurprisingly reflective. “I think there was a little bit of hope that I would feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve worked in therapy and journalled so much that this song about a liberal guy in the scene who is a rapist is going to feel so old to me, and then I’m singing it and I’m feeling every single feeling I felt in the 90s and then everything I feel now added into it.’”

If the sociopolitics have failed to develop over time, Hanna’s own personal growth has been far from stunted. When the singer became the lightning rod for riot grrrl’s radical feminist ideologies, she also faced growing criticism of its whiteness. But by her mid-40s, Hanna was painfully aware of the double standards. “A lot of the songs where I’m angry at white men have turned back to me. Like, how have I been the Star Bellied Boy to someone else as a white person? How have I been the person who seems like, ‘Oh, I’m so cool and liberal’, but then said or done something that made someone else feel excluded?” In a series of lectures delivered on college campuses in her mid-40s, she directed students to the academic and zine author Mimi Thi Nguyen’s critique of the movement – Riot Grrrl, Race and Revival

I’m curious then whether Hanna, now 55, still

“I don’t think girls can change shit if they don’t have an intersectional lens”

Kathleen Hanna, Bikini Kill

believes (as stated in the manifesto) that “Girls constitute a revolutionary soul force that can and will, change the world for real?” Her answer is a mic drop moment before she bows out of our call. “I do believe it but I believe that it has to be led by BIPOC women. I don’t think girls can change shit if they don’t have an intersectional lens. The future of punk is not white.”

Bikini Kill play O2 Academy Glasgow, 14 Jun, with support from R.AGGS

Kathleen Hanna’s book Rebel Girl: My Life As a Feminist Punk is out now via William Collins

bikinikill.com

Photo: Jason Frank Rothenberg

Kathleen Hanna

Photo: Debi Del Grande

Bikini Kill

The Return of the King

Back in March, Vi o Mortensen brought his Western The Dead Don’t Hurt to Glasgow Film Festival. On the morning after he’d sampled a few local whiskies at The Pot Still, he sat down with us and his Scottish co-star, Solly McLeod, to discuss the film

Words: Jamie Dunn

This year’s Glasgow Film Festival, its 20th edition, was a typically stellar affair filled with sharp programming and wholesome vibes. It’s also had a sprinkling of bona fide star power thanks to the presence of Lord of the Rings legend Vi o Mortensen, who visited Glasgow for the UK premiere of his soulful western The Dead Don’t Hurt

The film is clearly a labour of love. As well as starring in the film alongside Vicky Krieps, Mortensen also wrote, directed and produced The Dead Don’t Hurt. He even composed the music for the film. He’s a very talented man.

Mortensen’s film could hardly have gone down better with Glasgow. The multi-hyphenate star had such a good time at the Q&A that he came back for an unscheduled one at the next day’s matinee screening, much to the delight of audience members who hadn’t managed to get tickets for the previous evening’s sold-out premiere.

Set in the 1860s in a small Nevada outpost, the film is both a beautiful homage to the great Westerns of the past and a subversion of this most macho of film genres. It centres on the romance between Mortensen’s character Olsen, a Danish

carpenter, and Krieps' Vivienne, a fiercely independent FrenchCanadian woman who grew up dreaming of being Joan of Arc.

The film begins with Vivienne's death, and from there, the story of Olsen and Vivienne’s life together is told using intersecting flashbacks. As actors, Mortensen and Krieps are a match made in heaven; every scene with them together is a joy. They’re skilfuly supported by a cast that includes Danny Huston, Garret Dillahunt, and the young Scottish actor Solly McLeod, who plays a brutish psychopath who will change both Vivienne and Olsen’s lives forever.

The days after The Dead Don’t Hurt’s UK Premiere, we sat down with Vi o Mortensen and his young co-star Solly McLeod to discuss the film.

What struck me first while watching The Dead Don’t Hurt is that it was made by somebody who really loves Westerns. Vi o Mortensen: You felt that watching it?

Definitely. It reminded me of John Ford, Howard Hawks… VM: Oh, good. That was the idea. Once I realised it was going to be a Western, I wanted to respect the canon, or I guess certain traditions, of classic Westerns. So the way it was shot, the way it looks, historical accuracy in terms of costumes, design, language, reflecting what society would have been back then, which is not so different than now. The West was very multicultural and multilingual, a melting pot.

My film does have a significant difference in having a woman [Vicky Krieps’ Vivienne] at the centre of the story, which is not the norm in classic Westerns. So when my character, Olsen, Vivienne’s male companion, goes off to war, we stay with her, and it’s really about her. It’s a love story between the two of them, but it’s centred on her and that’s unusual, I suppose. But we weren’t trying to reinvent the form.

I guess another way that it’s atypical is Solly’s character Weston, the villain. Solly, who’s young and fresh-faced, isn’t your typical Western bad guy. Solly, how did you get involved in the project?

Photo: Marcel Zyskind. Image: courtesy of Signature Entertainment

Vi o Mortensen in The Dead Don't Hurt

Solly McLeod: It was unlike any audition process I’ve ever had for any other job, in a good way I think. My agent gave me a call asking if I’ve heard of an actor called Vi o Mortensen. And I said, ‘Erm, yeah, I think so.’ And he said, ‘Vi o wants to give you a ring after the weekend to speak to you about a role in his new script that he’s gonna direct.’ So Vi o called me and explained the character, explained the premise of the story and then said, ‘I’ll send you the script. And if you hate it, you let me know.’ You sent it over and I read it, and I thought it was fantastic. It was a wonderful thing just to read. I read it in one sitting.

The role that he thought I could do was far bi er than I expected. I was instantly on board, pretty much, but I think I held off on sending an email right back, I waited a couple of days. And then we had a few discussions after that and spoke through the scripts, and talked about getting the accent right for the character and how we want him to be and come across, and we went from there.

And what were you looking for, Vi o? What drew you to casting Solly?

VM: I was looking for someone who had a really strong presence, which he does, and not any kind of a cliché nemesis or bad guy. I needed an actor who was skilful and somewhat daring, I guess. And brave, because it’s a complicated character. He’s a sociopath basically. He can be extremely charming. But at the drop of a hat he can be unexpectedly brutal, just mercilessly savage, and have no moral compunction about it, and to be able to go from one thing to another, sometimes in the same scene. That demands a lot of an actor. You have to have a certain amount of range and intelligence and subtlety to make it really work. And Solly did that more than I could have dreamed of.

SM: Yeah, it was about layering that dangerous confidence that he has with the knowledge that he could switch at any moment and shoot everyone in the room. We wanted to have that tension for the audience on screen where he comes into a scene and you don’t know which way it’s gonna go.

VM: Yeah, he could be in a good mood today and stay that way. Or he might halfway through the scene, just shoot someone or beat the shit out of them. You know?

And part of that tension comes from the film’s interesting structure, which is told in these interlacing flashbacks. So we open in the middle of the story and know from the off that Solly’s character, Weston, is a killer, but other characters don’t. VM: I like that. The audience has a secret. I like when he goes to pay Vivienne a nice Sunday visit. It’s a beautiful day, she’s gardening, and he couldn’t be more of a gentleman. Right?

But you’re really saying ‘no, no, no, don’t speak to him. You’re all alone...’ So the audience is ahead of the characters.

You used nested flashbacks in your first film, Falling, too.

What draws you to that structure?

VM: Well, I don’t know that I’ll always do that. I mean, I’ve written four other stories. Only one of them has a little bit of that, the other three are linear. But I guess I kind of like showing the effect before the cause, you know, so even though my first images were the little girl running through the woods in her fantasy world, I thought, ‘Oh, who does she become?’ And so I said, ‘Well, let’s go right to the end, literally, of her life, and then build backwards from there.’ It’s not completely backwards. It comes back and forth into the present. And then there’s another string, which has to do with what happens to my character, Olsen, when he goes off. So there’s sort of three threads. And writing it, it was kind of a jigsaw to put it together so that it flowed, and then in editing, I tweaked it a little bit more.

I trust the audience and their intelligence, but it’s not the usual spoon-fed thing. The first 20 minutes or so, you’re putting pieces together. But once you have those pieces, you can build your own structure. In other words, from then on, less is more in terms of information, and the audience will put together the rest as they go along. So it becomes their movie, which I like. I make the kind of movie that I would like to see, where I can participate. And so by the end of the story, it’s my story. You know, it’s not the director’s, and that’s the way it should be. That’s the kind of stories I like.

I think you are both wonderful in the film, but I think I also have to mention Vicky Krieps' performance, which was wonderful. What was it like working with her?

SM: I mean, Vicky, for me, being able to act alongside her, having Vicky as a scene partner made me better in those scenes, she’s so present and so subtle and nuanced, and really kind of looks at you.

VM: And she tests you…

SM: Oh yeah, she was looking at me like she wanted to kill me in some of those scenes. And I was like, okay. I had to up my game to make sure my character wasn’t drowned out, because she’s just so fierce, which is phenomenal. It was a phenomenal experience, I learned a lot. Not even necessarily being in scenes with Vicky but from watching her and Vi o act off one another. I came away from the project a better actor, for sure.

The Dead Don’t Hurt is released 7 Jun by Signature Entertainment

Photo: Marcel Zyskind. Image: courtesy of Signature Entertainment

Vi o Mortensen & Solly McLeod in The Dead Don't Hurt

Rule of Three

George MacKay shows off his acting versatility – and his French skills – in the inventive sci-fi The Beast, where he performs three versions of a character across three timelines. He tells us more about this thrilling and wildly ambitious film

George MacKay is a nice guy, both IRL and in movies. On-screen, he’s made a career out of playing lovely young men who are deeply traumatised in one way or another. He’s best known as the stoic hero of Sam Mendes’ balletic war film 1917, while other signature performances include a salt-of-the-earth Edinburgh squaddie on leave in Proclaimers musical Sunshine on Leith and the adorable youngest member of the lesbian and gay union supporters in Pride. But some surprisingly hard edges have been creeping into his recent roles. He gave a tough, sinewy turn as Aussie folk hero Ned Kelly in The True History of the Kelly Gang and in the recent Femme, he’s terrifying as a closeted thug who begins the film beating up a drag queen. In both films, a softer side is revealed below the tough facade, but it’s startling to see MacKay in this forceful mode after years of gentle performances.

“I don’t want to be an actor who does one type of role”

George MacKay

“I guess it’s a gut instinct that drew me towards these characters,” he says when I ask about this recent run of edgier roles, although he admits he is conscious of trying to keep things fresh too. “I’ve always admired actors who you can’t place too much and who change it up in terms of the characters they play,” he says. “I’d be very wary of getting in a zone; I don’t want to be an actor who does one type of role.”

This versatility must have been useful in his new film The Beast, from talented French director Bertrand Bonello. It’s a hugely ambitious sci-fi romance brimming with existential dread. Léa Seydoux stars as Gabrielle, a young woman living in 2044 who’s undergoing a procedure that will temper her emotions. It involves immersing herself in a vat of black goo, which allows her to

Words: Jamie Dunn

reexperience and ‘cleanse the DNA’ of past lives. MacKay’s character is Louis, or should I say characters? Gabrielle encounters Louis across three timelines, and in each, he looks and speaks differently. In 1910 he’s an English gentleman visiting Paris; in 2014, he’s a dangerous incel roaming the Hollywood Hills; and in 2044, he’s a suave Frenchman considering going under the same procedure as Gabrielle.

“Louis is a dream of a part because he’s three parts,” confirms MacKay. The role came his way under tragic circumstances. Bonello had written the film with his regular collaborator Gaspard Ulliel in mind for Louis, but Ulliel died in a skiing accident only a few months before cameras were due to start rolling. “Bertrand wanted to continue the film,” explains MacKay, “but the role was written for Gaspard; he was the only French actor Bertrand wanted. So he decided to look outside of France, and then it became an audition process.”

MacKay adored the script and Bonello’s wild vision. “I’ve never read anything so existential and romantic. [Bertrand] was taking such a big swing at all of those themes.” The film is inspired by Henry James’s 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle, about a man who lives in a constant state of fear of the titular creature, which is essentially James’s metaphor for living a life too cautiously. Bonello takes James’s premise in some thrillingly heady directions, and imbues each time period with its own specific tone (one is a melodrama, one is a horror, one is pure dystopian sci-fi). It’s a troubling, provocative,

incredibly brainy film held together by the emotional anchor provided by Seydoux and MacKay.

“The through line that binds both characters is a mutual fear of love,” explains MacKay. “The recognition of that fear in each other bonds them, but it also keeps them apart. So if you’ve got that fear as the spine of this character Louis, the question was, how does that articulate in 1910? And how has that been turned inwards in 2014? And how does that go in 2044? It was just the perfect role to question what makes an identity, which I’m really interested in.”

The Beast is MacKay’s finest performance to date, but when I ask for his personal favourite, he immediately cites 2019’s The True History of the Kelly Gang. “That was really important to me as a role,” MacKay says. “It kind of recalibrated everything in my head as an approach and the possibilities of the work.”

MacKay’s next project is with Joshua Oppenheimer. It’s titled The End. Tilda Swinton plays MacKay’s mother and it’s rumoured to be a musical – a genre MacKay knows well from Sunshine on Leith. “I don’t know how much I can say,” MacKay says cautiously of The End, “but yeah, it’s a musical. It’s the story of a family who live in a bunker after the end of the world, who’ve kept themselves safe, and it is a kind of an exploration on, I guess…” he stops himself. “I’m wary of saying too much.”

I don’t push more, but do wonder if the songs are trickier than I’m on My Way and I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)?

“They are?” laughs MacKay. “The amazing Josh Schmidt did the music; it’s A+ orchestration.”

The Beast is released 31 May

The Beast

The Beast

Photo: Carole Bethuel

Photo: Carole

Bethuel

Maybe the Poison Is Love

This month, our Theatre Editor sits down with Andrea Cabrera Luna, the director and writer of Rambles of the Heart, a piece of devised theatre by young disabled artists coming to Edinburgh

Words: Rho Chung

Would you be willing to start us off by just telling us a little bit about the piece and what it’s been like putting it together?

The idea was to create a play based on a Scottish ballad. There was this particular ballad called Lord Randall. There’s a kind of question-andanswer thing going on between his mother and himself, where the mother is asking him, “Where have you been, Lord Randall, my son?”

And then he ends up confessing that he’s been to see his sweetheart and that he’s not feeling well. You realise that what’s going to happen is that he’s going to die. He’s been poisoned. But there’s a delay in the story where you just [find out] at the end.

When we started talking about this ballad, we ended up talking about relationships and romance. And there was this moment when one of the actors was asking, “Well, what is romance?” And then another actor was trying to explain what a crush is. So she was like, “A crush is when you like someone and you want to be with them, and you can’t stop thinking about them.” And then the first actor was like, “Hmm. Nope. Never happened to me.” And so everyone was kind of like collectively trying to explain what a crush is. And I was like, “Oh, my God! This is brilliant! This is the play.”

there, but it’s not. It’s not necessarily an intellectual thing. It’s more like: we are Scottish, therefore this is Scottish. In my head, the mother potentially doesn’t want her son to be in a relationship. So there’s this huge fear about him getting poisoned. Maybe the poison is love. It was more about infusing the rehearsal with these magical moments.

You’ve worked specifically facilitating for actors and non-actors. How did you come to that? And how has that shaped the work that you do? I mean, I went through drama school. I’m a very institutionalised person. So when I meet people who haven’t been to drama school, who don’t have good diction or don’t have, like, an RP accent, blah blah blah, I really love it. I find it really refreshing, and I think it should be celebrated. I think there should be more of that, and less of the other.

I like the idea of this ballad and this representation of Scottishness. Is that something that comes up in the rehearsal room?

At the beginning of the devising process, there were conversations about what it meant to be Scottish. It was an interesting question, because it’s kind of

I love how artist-driven it seems, and how you’re not sort of trying to fit it into a narrative. It’s growing on its own. I’m interested in this idea of the overprotective mother, because I feel like something that comes up a lot is infantilisation with disabled young adults.

In the room there’s a range of different gender identities. That’s something that we didn’t really fully explore, because it feels like it would need its own space and time. But there’s a lot of sexual fluidity. And I think the parents want to be super supportive and want to be on board. Having observed the process often, there’s a lot of fear around what’s safe, what’s not safe. [The actors] empower each other so much, and they are their own allies. They’re often helping each other in

ways that I haven’t seen before in other rehearsals with other actors. To me, it’s always been about treating them as artists, not necessarily disabled artists. Obviously, there are things in place that make it a space where disabled artists can thrive. But from the beginning I didn’t want to just come in and think, “Oh, let’s just modify this.” To me, it was like, “You’re artists. This is a rehearsal room, and we’re going to put on a play.” And I think they’ve appreciated the space and the focus of the work. Having said that, there’s always detours or comments and things that I’ve been trying to collect to include in the play. So it’s a combination of ‘normal’ rehearsal and being open or attuned to things that happen, and to things that I observe. Often these things happen not when they are improvising, but when they are commenting on something.

Rambles of the Heart by Cutting Edge Theatre, The Studio, Edinburgh, 28 & 29 Jun, £10-12

capitaltheatres.com

Rambles of the Heart

Photo: Tiu Makkonen

Crimes of the Mother

We chat with Glasgow-based author Elle Nash about her new novel Deliver Me, the eerie cultural capital of pregnancy, and women who fall through the social and political cracks

Deliver Me is a viscerally uncomfortable book. There are passages which are almost overwhelming; the body horror, animal cruelty, and desperate situation of the protagonist, Dee-Dee, are upsetting and often shocking. But author Elle Nash has written an incredibly complex and vivid story with a protagonist for whom readers cannot help but feel a deep and shocking empathy. It’s a story of obsessive hope and love in the darkest of places; focusing on one working-class woman living in the heart of rural Missouri. The novel follows Dee-Dee, who is desperate to become pregnant, set against the complex social and political backdrop of the American rural South. Dee-Dee doesn’t hold many similarities with

“I was just really obsessed with the way that people in the South treated me while I was pregnant. It was like being above a first-class citizen”

Elle Nash

Nash, but the observations of America’s Southern states come from Nash’s experience living and beginning a family there. “I lived in the Ozarks in Arkansas,” Nash explains. “I was just really obsessed with the way that people in the South treated me while I was pregnant. It was like being above a first-class citizen.”

The rural South almost becomes a second protagonist in the story, and Nash deftly uses her own observations and experiences to bring it to life. The prevalence of the United Pentecostal Church, the lack of maternal and social healthcare, and Dee-Dee’s manual labour job in a chicken factory: these factors are the driving forces that make her

life unstable and unsupported.

“It’s very dangerous for women and mothers in general in the rural South,” Nash says. “There’s just not a lot of access to proper medical care… There’s not good access to maternal care, but there’s also not good access to mental healthcare, either. That’s one of the reasons why I feel that [Dee-Dee] ends up falling through the cracks. And that’s a lived reality for a lot of women and disenfranchised people in the United States.”

It’s clear that healthcare is an issue which Nash cares deeply about; Deliver Me is, arguably, a manifesto for nationalised, free healthcare. Dee-Dee’s story is a would-be mother’s horror story; a gruesome fable that threatens us with a reality outside of the NHS.

Words: Beth Cochrane

“I’m extremely passionate about access to healthcare, especially now after moving to Scotland, and seeing for myself internally the way that the NHS works…It has its issues, but there’s something there that is at least functional and it gives access to healthcare. It’s radicalised me a lot more in terms of like seeing what the United States does and how terrible that access is.”

Adequate access to good healthcare would have completely revolutionised Dee-Dee’s life and Nash doesn’t hesitate in highlighting the United States letting its citizens down in this way.

“Being able to assess her mental state of health and seeing how she is – having someone in the system who’s advocating for her, that’s asking her about the state of her relationship and the power dynamic within it… There’s ways that you can catch

and support people through access to healthcare.”

Deliver Me is a tricky book to discuss without giving away the plot, and Nash is conscious to not discuss Dee-Dee’s journey in too much detail. Without giving away any spoilers, Nash says she drew her inspiration from a crime committed by a woman also desperate to become pregnant, in Denver in 2015.

“When I dove further into it, I realised that it was a very fringe crime that happened very rarely. There were maybe 35-40 cases that existed worldwide that had ever happened,” Nash says. But, she is careful to add, she doesn’t write about the fringe crime for just shock or horror value. “I want to look at [the crime] with empathy and say: how does that happen?”

When setting out to write Deliver Me, Nash asked herself, “Can I bring a person with me on this journey to the end? Can I, adequately and believably and with empathy, bring a reader with me to that end?”

Nash says she doesn’t know if she’s succeeded or not, but reading Deliver Me is a bizarre and unsettling experience: it can be horrifying and gruesome, but it’s also profoundly, and uneasily, relatable.

“I don’t want to say too much in case someone wants to go down this rabbit hole, but one of the cases is so sad and so harrowing that you just look at the justice system, and you see the way that misogyny is present in the justice system and the sentencing of these women. And that’s some of where [Dee-Dee] was born out of.”

It’s hard not to fall down the rabbit hole once you’ve read Deliver Me. This is a book that will not just haunt you past its final pages, but also propel you into a warren of your own research: delivering you into a world of fascination, horror, and deep sadness for the women that slip through the cracks.

Deliver Me is out with Verve Books on 27 Jun. Elle Nash will be appearing at Cymera Festival on 1 Jun at 8.30pm, and in conversation with Kirsty Logan at Waterstones Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow on 26 Jun at 7pm

Elle Nash

Laura Lulika, Hang Linton, Jack Murphy, and Clay AD, Unnatural* Urges 2024

Welcome

The Glasgow School of Art Degree Show – the annual exhibition of graduates' work – is one of the highlights of the Scottish arts calendar, and as ever our graduating students have put on a show that represents the ingenuity and bold inquisitive spirit of our creative community.

The features in this special supplement explore some of the works on show at the Degree Show across our four specialist schools: the Mackintosh School of Architecture, the School of Fine Art, the School of Design, and the School of Innovation and Technology. Our writers are all students in their third year of study who have a better insight than most on the materials, concerns and approaches that underpin the GSA creative community. As ever there are works in this show that are reflective, as well as works that are provocative. Works that respond to some of the most urgent concerns of the modern world, and works that ask us to connect with deeply personal and intimate worlds. Our graduates continue to present work that illustrates their commitment to shaping perspectives, problem solving and foregrounding ethical approaches to material, art and design. The features explore these commitments in more detail, and expand on some of the methods and materials that underpin them. Each offers an informed and interesting starting point for exploring the Degree Show and its accompanying online showcase.

Once again, the launch of the physical Degree Show will coincide with the launch of our Digital Showcase. This digital platform offers visitors to the exhibition, as well as audiences

across the world, the opportunity to delve deeper into the work of this year’s graduating cohort. It contains pages curated by our graduates, which offer insights into their work and practice, often beyond their Degree Show presentation. It also offers students the chance to group their work and practice by theme, meaning that digital visitors can explore works that respond to particular concerns, ideas or approaches. This offers opportunities to engage easily in different kinds of work and gives the possibility of fresh perspectives on the traditional Degree Show exhibition.

If you are interested in finding out more about The Glasgow School of Art, check out the Heads Up section at the back of the supplement, which highlights some of the things we are looking forward to in the months ahead.

Finally, we hope you enjoy this exclusive look at this year’s Degree Show. A huge thank you to our student writers who have worked hard to bring the supplement together, and congratulations to The Glasgow School of Art Class of 2024.

The Degree Show begins with Master of Fine Art at the Glue Factory, opening to the public on 30 May-9 June

The Mackintosh School of Architecture, School of Fine Art, School of Design and School of Innovation and Technology Degree Shows run 31 May-9 June over four buildings on the Garnethill Campus

Aaron Alexander Smyth, Master of Fine Art

Features

50 The Mackintosh School of Architecture presents a rich showcase in the Bourdon Building, reimagining the landscape of Glasgow and beyond.

52 The School of Design presents work across different disciplines united by a sense of playfulness and curiosity.

54 The MDes Communication Design presentation sees students engaging with ideas of home, tradition and community.

55 From Sound for the Moving Image to Product Design, the School of Innovation and Technology reveals work impacting on a wide range of fields including medicine, games, heritage and virtual reality.

56 We take a tour through the work of the School of Fine Art as they delve into ideas around the politics of space, memory, personal and collective history and culture.

59 The Master of Fine Art graduates are taking over the Glue Factory with a varied display of work exploring worldbuilding, modern media and digital encounters.

60 From summer courses to exhibitions, here’s a Heads Up of what’s coming up at the GSA in the next few months.

Image Credits: (Top to bottom, left to right) Marta Ł uniewska (Architecture) Lola Clementine(Fashion Design); Euan Moreland(MDes Communication Design); Kristina Una Sandic (MDes Communication Design); Maya Schønning Kjærulff(Fine Art Photography); Aaron Alexander Smyth(Master of Fine Art); The GSASA Afterparty Poster

Cover image: Rachel Hendry, Interior

Architecture

The graduates of the Mackintosh School of Architecture present a rich and diverse showcase in The Glasgow School of Art’s Bourdon Building –reimagining the landscape of Glasgow and beyond

Words: Aoife Hogan, Ellie Harrison and Jules Dunn

Against the backdrop of the climate emergency, the environmental and ethical challenges faced by architects have never been more evident. Yet these graduates present a resolutely hopeful vision for the future. Theirs is an ethos in which sustainability is central and ecological concerns inform the design process at every stage. They are united by an understanding of architecture’s unique ability to shape a landscape: creating buildings which not only modify the topography but enhance social development, transform power structures and mould dynamics within a community.

Stage 3 showcase a collection of architectural projects that push the boundaries of conventional design, sparking introspection on history, identity, and our interconnected relationship with the environment. Through researching the layers of history and contexts to specifically selected sites in the Highlands, this year’s students showcase what carefully considered architecture can offer in Scotland’s rural landscapes.

Examining Scotland’s colonial legacy in India, Arun Bhogal’s work highlights the impact of colonialism on vernacular architecture and traditional building techniques. Aiming to create a memorial for introspection about Scotland’s colonial past, he explores the erosion of cultural memory and identity

under colonial rule, using the site of Highland peat bogs to parallel the flat landscape of tea plantations in India. His abstracted and fragmentary design acts as an observatory of change, inviting viewers to confront these histories and contemplating his own personal connections to identity through his architectural work.

In her project As Above, So Below, Emily Earsman’s project explores the relationship between individual actions on micro scales, and their consequences on the macro. Inspired by the writings of Sydney Scro ie about experiencing landscapes without sight, Emily reimagines an abandoned lodge and its lost community and histories, following the development of the Lochaber hydroelectric scheme. Her design features tall walls that obstruct some senses to highlight others, along with a glass box framing the lodge to symbolise the act of looking. Her work invites viewers to reassess their connections with nature, offering them alternative sensory experiences within architectural settings.

Similarly interested in ideas of reciprocity between people and nature, Ailsa Hutton draws inspiration from the book Braiding Sweetgrass, looking at the work of the Knoydart Foundation in creating models for self-sustaining communities. Her project centres on reforestation efforts in rural landscapes, using mycelium bricks to craft sustainable structures that enrich ecosystems without leaving lasting imprints. Drawing from traditions of Mongolian yurts and Skye’s stone circles, Ailsa’s design combines temporary architecture and ecological stewardship, embodying the concept of mutual gain in human-nature interactions.

The show presents a convergence of architectural innovation and thoughtful engagement with historical, environmental, and cultural narratives. Each project challenges conventional perceptions of space and identity, urging viewers to contemplate the profound impact of architecture on our lived experiences and relationships with the world around us. Through their work, the graduating students demonstrate their commitment to reimagining architecture as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and positive change within our interconnected landscapes.

In Stage 4 students are thinking sociologically about the environment of the city; what it means to decide to live within community; and the social, cultural and power dynamics that are reflected in the city’s structure. Students have designed contemporary housing and community spaces in the East, West and South of Glasgow.

Fascinated by the myriad dormant dookits, or dovecotes, around the city, Jim Cowie has designed a building in Dennistoun that imitates the shape of these structures. The tower-like building serves to promote a relationship between humans, animals and caregiving. The project has grown out of Jim’s interest in the linguistic origins of pigeon keeping and the historical culture of territorial disputes among Doomen. The design of the building borrows dookit aesthetics for human use.

Looking at Pollokshields, Marta Łuniewska has designed a hub for performing puppet and marionette shows. The project is driven by Marta’s desire to incorporate shadow and light, while the element of performance art serves as a non-verbal method of communication to bring people together within the local community. The square building is wrapped in windows, capturing the movement of the sun’s journey throughout the day. Marta is playful in creating a sense of ambiguity in the relationship between audience member and performer, equipping her building with a puppetbuilding workshop and areas where the user can invent their own performance.

Zeynep Tezel’s Contemporary Ritual Centre is also located in Pollokshields. In reference to the Kenmure Street immigration raid of 2021 as well as to similar demonstrations of community strength,

Emily Earsman, MSA Stage 3

Zeynep’s project looks to build on the existing system of solidarity in the area. Incorporating a double-skin design using thatch – a material native to Scotland – Zeynep’s space focuses on the use of senses. Building users are invited to interact with the thatch material at weaving points, while music rooms provide a stimulus for sound. Featuring a muted colour scheme and subtly textural elements, this project promotes communal relaxation and restoration.

Focusing her project around the concept of the 15-minute city, Caitlin Rae’s looks to implement strategies and transform disused spaces within Thornwood to allow this area to be used more accessibly. Using the visual and physical features of Glasgow’s tenements, she has designed a retrofit of the eight-storey building Crathie Court, transforming the roof spaces of the surrounding tenements to form her project The New Tenement – a contemporary living environment which introduces terrace spaces for each flat. She seeks to work empathetically with this existing site in Thornwood by developing what is already there, rather than producing new space.

A commitment to social justice and climate resilience unites this year’s Stage 5 graduates, as they respond to the theme of The Ethical City. The projects of most graduates have centred upon

Marseilles as a case study – reimagining this historic city in bold and innovative ways. Their work shows keen recognition of the complexities and nuances of this diverse urban landscape, with many students seeking to revitalise crumbling neighbourhoods and empower local communities.

This drive towards urban renewal is embodied in the design of Emily Morgan, who responds directly to the needs of a community shattered by a fatal apartment block collapse. Emily’s proposal is for the remains of the site to be rebuilt into a social justice centre, providing a centre for local activism and vital facilities to support the neighbourhood. Repurposing salvaged terracotta tiles and concrete, her design works powerfully to materially memorialise the original site – offering a sensitive and sustainable vision for community repair.

A commitment towards community also lies at the heart of Julia Szimak’s proposal. Inspired by the ethos of the Glasgow Steamies and her research into feminist theories of care, her bold proposal offers a lively cooperative space for shared domestic labour and childcare. Water – an essential resource, and one which is in increasingly short supply in the region – is central to Julia’s manifesto of care. Embedded in her design is a cooling and filtration system that seeks to harness a sustainable use of water, and foster connection and harmony through hydration.

Water scarcity also drove the investigation of Laura Gorman, whose proposal ingeniously blends the existing infrastructure of Roman aqueducts with modern environmental technology. Laura’s proposal provides fresh water for an urban population by creating a desalination plant which connects to the city from a neighbouring island. Her holistic approach also utilises the restorative potential of water, with a large public bath house cleverly situated above the plant – a place, Laura envisages, where bathers might be uplifted and revived by its ocean views.

Louis Aston draws inspiration from the past, as he plans the reinvigoration of one of Marseilles’ historic marketplaces into a vibrant artisanal and cultural hub. Louis’ vision is for a ‘city within a city’ – creating a defined, centralised community for work, education and culture amid the fractured urban landscape of southern France. Though historic in character, Louis’ design is carefully tailored to the needs of the district’s modern demographic – one of its highlights being the beautifully wrought design for a contemporary mosque.

Finally, Thomas Whiting takes a different approach, with a design for the city of Charleroi in Belgium. Rather than a single site-specific structure, Thomas presents an ambitious holistic strategy for urban renewal comprising three distinct centres for sports, nutritional learning, and enterprise. The particular brilliance of his design is its flexibility – with its inherent capacity for adaptation and replication, across a multitude of cities. Thus, he presents a bold programme which offers to reframe not only the city of Charleroi, but the broader Belgian landscape.

Evident among these graduates is a distinct and powerful vision for architectural change – one which they are each committed to developing as they move beyond the Degree Show. Seeing their work, it is difficult not to feel excitement for the possibilities of our future.

Mackintosh School of Architecture Degree Show, Bourdon Building, 31 May-9 June

Thomas Whiting, Stage 5, MSA Stage 5

Marta Ł uniewskal, MSA Stage 4

Design

Based in the Reid Building, with its building-wide feeling of energy and community, it’s no wonder that there is a playfulness, curiosity and quality attention to detail are present in much of the work of the School of Design’s 2024 cohort

Words: Aoife Hogan, Ellie Harrison and Jules Dunn

The School of Design offers perspectives on common themes across various disciplines and 2024’s graduating students produce designs with a considered combination of personal and sociocultural subjects.

The Silversmithing and Jewellery programme showcases a blend of narrative exploration and artistic innovation with sensitive use of materials. Lindsay Mahood pays homage to Scottish suffragettes and women’s empowerment by recreating hunger strike medals with reclaimed wood. Using archival research and narrative storytelling, her pieces aim to preserve and amplify women’s stories. Milly Milenkova draws inspiration from ancestral objects from relatives she has never encountered, using the negative space from glasses, watches, and vases in her collection of what could have been but never was. These objects, crafted with precious metals, embody the preciousness of memories passed down through generations, combining nostalgia with contemporary design. Imogen Hales blends traditional silversmithing techniques with playful, contemporary aesthetics. Her enamelled creations feature whimsical wi les reminiscent of the techniques for making straw hats, exploring painterly markmaking and expression within the processes of traditional jewellery. Together, this cohort of artists exemplify the skill in transforming jewellery into vessels of remembrance, bridging past narratives with contemporary expressions of craft and creativity.

The Interaction Design programme showcases a range of projects questioning human interaction with technology and its potential for personal and cultural storytelling. Elle Crawley examines the realm of AI interfaces by creating a digital version of herself, inspired by her interest in video games and the ethical implications of AI-human interaction. Her project invites visitors to converse with an AI replica of Elle, pushing the boundaries of digital existence and posing thought-provoking questions about identity and reality. Moving away from digital interfaces and more toward nature, Jenny Coyle draws on her emotional connection to water and the beach, using art to confront grief and personal loss. Her sculptures play with the interaction between invisible deep bass sound vibrations and pools of water, releasing memories silently into the ripples. Similarly drawing on personal histories, Matthew Rose pays homage to his late father through a large-scale lighting sculpture. He combines tangible symbolic objects like transit van doors and tools with hazy LED light shows to create an immersive experience that celebrates memory. Each project within the Interaction Design programme intertwines technology with personal narratives, provoking contemplation on the evolving relationship between humanity and digital interfaces.

The Product Design Engineering programme reimagines everyday experiences through innovative design and engineering. Jamie Sach’s project focuses on creating a simplified camera system

that embraces repairability and sustainability. By stripping back the digital complexities, Jamie aims to provide a camera that can be kept, repaired, and updated over time, reducing electronic waste. The design allows beginner photographers to future-proof their camera as their skills progress and technology adapts. Bailey Tuddenham explores the concept of portable immersive entertainment, incorporating touch, smell, and haptic feedback into a consumer product for on-the-go experiences. By integrating sensory elements like vibrations and scent dispersion, Bailey’s design aims to elevate on-the-go media consumption into a multisensory adventure, enhancing engagement and immersion. Jessica Smith looks at affective sustainability in design. Her work challenges conventional notions of product lifecycle, proposing that emotional attachment can foster lasting relationships with belongings, akin to connections with loved ones. The PDE programme nurtures innovation and creativity, embracing sustainability, user experience, and emotional resonance as integral components of forward-thinking design.

This year’s Textile Design students present projects that draw sensitively on a range of personal and cultural themes. Anna De Lange evokes warmth, familiarity and safety in the textures of her knitwork. In these fabrics you will find comfort. This artist views the world through a nostalgic lens, paying close attention to the spaces where

Milly Milenkova, Silversmithing and Jewellery

Matthew Rose, Interaction Design

Rachel Hendry, Interior Design

the repetition of ordinary moments leads us to construct unconscious relationships with space. In the gradient stripes and layered tones of this collection, built around a colour palette reminiscent of Kodak Gold film stock, there is a tactility, and a relaxed sense of domesticity.

Bonnie Magee’s The Feminine Grotesque is a collection of designs that take the form of something recognisably organic, bodily and striking. Strings of stiff, malleable lace are twisted alongside lengths of folded ribbon to create fluid pieces that feel at once elegant and unsettlingly corporeal. She creates textures inspired by organs, taxidermy and dismembered body parts found in museums with delicately sculptural techniques, imbuing darkness and mystery into her fabrics.

Playful in her use of colour, Katie Monteith’s weaving puts a spin on traditional women’s formalwear. Structural and defined, these designs are informed by her immediate physical environment – previously the moss, water and greenery of Northern Ireland, currently the intricacies of Glasgow’s varied architecture. This translates into the collection as tight lines of weaving, grounded in the recurring saturated colours of tay, blue, and purple. Through an interpretation of her current surroundings, Katie seeks to construct a love letter to home.

Working with print, Ross Anderson’s work is dripping in opulence. Maximalist in pattern and making explicit reference to high fashion and ballroom culture of the 80s and 90s, his designs return to images of jewellery – combining silver chains and gold watches with bold pinks and metallic blacks. His motifs are intended for fashion pieces, and his Degree Show presentation toys with ideas of consumerism as he employs a Barbie Doll box aesthetic to display each look.

This maker’s intention is to embrace inspiration from music, bygone eras and global subcultures.

The Fashion Design cohort produce garments combining traditional and contemporary media, exploring themes of heritage and nostalgia. Knit and family are key to the work of Rose Davenport, who has used hand-sheared wool from a sheep named Olive to construct a traditional Scottish fabric skirt. In Faileas, a Gaelic word meaning reflection, shadow or echo, and the title of Rose’s project, she reflects on her heritage and the history of Scottish knitting. Using the threestep process of carding, spinning and knitting, she has combined raw wool with yarn to create a chunky skirt that calls to the Scottish countrysides of Rose’s family holidays.

Interested in perspective, Lola Clementine has constructed a collection of garments that centre around movement. Spinning – and the volume that this motion creates – is at the forefront of their intent with this work, titled Life Is a Carnival. In the form of zines, the garments are presented alongside a selection of the artist’s watercolour illustrations, contributing a refreshingly tactile element to the presentation. Lola’s watercolours feel inquisitive and playful, and are translated into her fabrics through sublimation print.

The graduates from Communication Design present thoughtful and inventive ways of engaging with the world – particularly challenging, perhaps, in an era saturated with information and images. Explorations of culture and community connect across the year group, with many students returning to material methods of making to realise their ideas.

There is an electric quality to the illustrations of Lizzie Eidson, whose work occupies a vibrant landscape of drawing and printmaking, books and zines. Inspiration for Lizzie often stems from the personal – the ritual of the hair salon, a childhood love of roller skating, memories of her grandparents’ clothes. These vivid ribbons of experience are woven by Lizzie into rich narratives engaging POC spaces. A desire for connection, both with specific communities and more broadly across cultures, appears as a driving force behind her practice.

In her risograph magazine Viewfinder, Rose Smith draws our gaze towards moments of curiosity hidden among the banal. The publication riffs on the seemingly archaic concept of a weekly newspaper – its simple monochromatic design a perfect foil for Rose’s idiosyncratic images. The

subtlety and humour which runs through Viewfinder also finds connection to Rose’s film work. Her short documentary on the GSA’s unofficial football team offers a lively and unexpectedly moving account of the connection that sport forges between students.

This year’s Interior Design graduates present a generous and inspiring vision for Glasgow’s future in their work to adapt and regenerate the city’s derelict buildings. The rich history of the Clyde canals is brought to a public audience by Ishika Talukdar, who transforms one of the river’s disused boat houses into a dynamic exhibition centre. Featuring a range of interactive exhibits and a floating canal boat cafe, Ishika hopes to create an engaging space for children and families – inspired by fond memories of her own childhood.

Ewan Murphy’s project is also a reimagining of the exhibition space, highlighting the oftenneglected intersection between science and the arts through an ambitious Science Gallery. Ewan’s emphasis towards kinaesthetic learning is particularly innovative, including a thermochromic star chart and expanding planetarium.

Similarly inventive is Rachel Hendry’s proposal for the Temple Gasworks. Rachel plans for the site to be transformed into an immersive visitor experience, channelling Edmund Burke’s philosophy of the Sublime. Through ingenious use of materials, the seven floors embody various states including obscurity, privation, magnificence – inviting the audience to transcend the limits of their ordinary perspective.

Kat McDicken’s Cultural Community Centre aims to bridge the gap between makers and buyers through a dynamic, Latin-American-inspired marketplace. Accessibility and inclusivity lie at the heart of her design – the space tailored for a neurodiverse audience with vibrant colour-coding and sensory cues. As Kat explains: “Design for people who are neurodiverse is design for everyone.”

The work of Haeun Kim makes an equally bold statement, embracing the needs of the designers post-art school. With shared studios, workshops and exhibition spaces, Haeun’s Maker’s Playground offers a platform for graduates and established designers to develop practical skills and cultivate their creativity.

School of Design Degree Show, Reid Building,

Ross Anderson, Textile Design

Lola Clementine, Fashion Design

Jamie Sach, Product Design Engineering

Lizzie Eidson, Communication Design

MDes Communication Design

MDes Communication Design sees many students investigating personal topics of home and storytelling. Exploring perception and tradition, home, and family has taken student work in varied directions this year

Words: Freya Stanley

Euan Moreland’s projects are a journey in art history through Bradford, and of radicalism and print from 1880 to the present. Amongst other responses, he has produced a handcrafted dossier that documents the links between the printing house Lund Humphries; the British Atomic Bomb; the bankrolling of the modernists in the UK; and a curry house. It’s an investigation about how the process of making affects an object’s value – a letter-pressed journal is digitally printed but bound in a letter-pressed cover to be sympathetic to the craftsteeped tradition.

Blending heritage with personal documents, Kristina Una Sandic has produced a collection of cards that depict Serbian symbolism and Slavic paganism with family photos. As a beautiful tribute to Serbian culture and people, they tell the story of a country misrepresented in Western media. In an age where stereotypes and misconceptions often overshadow people and

culture, Una has crafted a beautiful set of cards to show a personal story of people and family. These cards each hold archived family photographs from the early 20th century, sharing a personal history of Una’s family. Una’s project aims to shed light on Serbian history and people.

Priyanka Vaghela’s work spotlights collectors and their collections. This project began with a local collector in Glasgow who specialised in decommissioned buses. This print collection draws inspiration from the first bus in this individual’s collection. The exhibition is a selection of prints on an A0 scale and arranged to resemble the side of this beloved vintage bus. Priyanka looks at distinct characteristics; mixing and reducing colour ranges to produce a vibrant and eye-catching print catalogue.

Showing that dialogue is not required to tell compelling stories, Bhavani Balasubramanyam’s Avial is a soundscape comic about a building complex in India and the many lives within its walls. Each story is told solely through diegetic and contextual sounds. The sounds of birdsong, buses and clattering keyboards become stories about cats, babies and a man working at his computer. Avial shows that stories can transcend the traditional medium of language and can tell meaningful, rich stories without uttering a word. Indian signage is traditionally handmade and painted. Deepesh Sangtani produced their project not only as a method of celebration but as a method of archiving a dying art form, and traditional design elements combine to produce limited edition prints. Handmade pinwheels accompany Deepesh’s exhibition, with each pinwheel holding within it documented designs from around India. It is a homage to the creativity and skill that goes into their creation – a tribute and celebration to the wonderfully colourful world of signs.

Euan Moreland, MDes Communication Design

Priyanka Vaghela, MDes Communication Design

Kristina Una Sandic, MDes Communication Design

Innovation and Technology

Work from the School of Innovation and Technology includes material product and service design, alongside experiences realised through specialist digital visualisation across medicine, games, heritage, immersive systems design and virtual reality

Words: Freya Stanley

The Immersive Systems Design programme’s studio project is self-directed. Students have the opportunity to explore two distinct pathways – 3D Modelling or Games & Virtual Reality (VR). Metal Head is a fast-paced 2D cyberpunk side-scrolling action shooter set within an 80s universe, realised in retro pixel art. Developed by Omar Said, the Metal Head demo features a short, fast-paced narrative. The game was developed alongside a custom weighted controller to enrich the play experience and provide greater immersion and feedback in VR.

As part of the 3D modelling pathway, Jaime Ojeda has designed and modelled three fantasy Dungeons and Dragons characters for his studio project, A Basic Adventure – ‘The Wizard’, ‘The Rogue’ and ‘The Barbarian’. A ‘Dark Space Marine’ is Jamie’s fourth character, designed for the programme’s VR module. The VR demo with the Marine allows users to assemble a suit of armour and inspect each piece in a virtual 3D space as they construct the armour on a mannequin. Ryan Sims, studying Games & Virtual Reality, explores the potential for filmmaking in commercial game engines. Ryan explored cinematography, lighting and sound in the Unity and Unreal engines. His studio project explored the cinematic potential of Unreal Engine which is growing in popularity in film production. As for Unity, he chose a more indie feel with MONO-NYCTO, a demo horror experience. The player must move safely through a park in the middle of the night to meet up with their friend. MONO-NYCTO strongly emphasises audio, designed to play off the fear of being alone at night. With a love of narrative and compelling stories, Ainoha Sichlidou-Hennessy uses her

passion for narrative design to discuss sensitive concepts. Using the Unity engine as an interactive storytelling device, she produced Boxed In, a game which explores a child’s experience in a hoarder’s home. Ainoha weaves a story that follows a child’s quest for a treasured toy but also delves into deeper, more complex themes of trauma and its rippling effects on family dynamics. Showing that games as a medium can explore sensitive topics and have the potential for thought-provoking narratives, Boxed In is a humble contribution to conversations about childhood trauma, hope, and the complexity of family.

Cardboard City is Sound for the Moving Image student Kyle Martin’s reflection on consumerism and homelessness. This audio-visual [AV] installation uses projection mapping to apply visuals to the sides of cardboard boxes, which begin their life as packaging for products, and once disposed of can become shelter for someone without a home. Increasingly aware of the impact of plastic on the environment and how much plastic the music industry produces through records and streaming services, Kyle explores the life span of a vinyl album. He pressed his own record which degrades slowly as it plays on a loop, with degradation emerging as the primary motif of Cardboard City

Connor Kyle’s film reel accompanies a soundscape of Japanese music. In March, he took recording equipment to Japan to document sounds to accompany his Degree Show. The national music of Japan is shown as a melting pot of several cultural and social influences. Folk music, European Classical, American Rock and Traditional Chinese music are some of the ingredients from

which Japanese sound is born, and becomes the backdrop for Connor’s exhibition.

The Product Design programme has focused on the theme of a ‘Better World’ this year, focusing on improving people’s lives and the environment through creative thinking and innovation. Ruby is Rosina Scarano’s service plan for a menstruation education aid in secondary schools. Ruby brings accessible education and open conversation about menstruation to everyone, with menstrual health not openly discussed in schools. Growing up through secondary school, Rosina felt more education is needed on menstruation and menstrual health. Ruby is designed as a month-long pop-up health facility that would tour Scottish schools, with its proposed second phase finding a permanent place somewhere in Glasgow.

Ian Bownes’ project aims to increase sustainable tourism in Bali. Tourism in Bali is an environmentally destructive industry, and Ian has produced a set of artefacts such as cups, bowls and cutlery cast from local single-use plastic waste. As a creative solution to single waste plastic with a local touch, tourists can invest in and own their own set of individual artefacts for their holiday and to keep as a memento of their trip. This process promotes closing the circular recycling loop by encouraging tourists to bring their single-use plastics to craft shops, allowing local craftspeople to bring their skill set and aesthetic to the curation of these purposeful artefacts.

School of Innovation and Technology Degree Show, Haldane Building, 31 May-9 June

Connor Kyle, Sound for the Moving Image

Jaime Ojeda, Immersive Systems Design

Rosina Scarano, Product Design

Fine Art

As the role of art in the current climate feels both more trivial and more necessary than ever, students in the School of Fine Art’s Stow Building deal with ideas around the politics of space, memory, personal and collective history and culture

Words: Agnes Sharp and Celeste MacLeod-Brown

This Degree Show students in the School of Fine Art are looking back to the past to attempt to piece together an unstable future. Here the romantic is posed alongside the realities of our time.

Artists on the Sculpture and Environmental Art programme showcase a body of work that speaks of their experience of the ups and downs of creating, and the nature of time representing a state of flux.

Exploring the dissonance and unresolved relationship between our ‘speaking selves’ and

physical embodied selves, Joe Cameron’s meticulously crafted stop-motion animation, Island of Forgetful Folk, sings of themes of subjective experience and the constructed self through the eyes of a character whose memory is externalised in a series of notebooks that detail his past. Ancient spaces and archetypal settings function as metaphors for the external and internal self as we are invited to consider our own phenomenological experience of life.

Also considering a means of preserving memory and looking to the past, Sancia Brims creates a sonic representation of a space familiar to many locals and GSA students, offering a display that resembles a contemporary archive, reflecting on the history of the current arts and music venue The Old Hairdressers, the site where her parents once operated a salon in the 1980s and 90s. An enduring hub of energy and party culture, she constructs an interpretation of what it might once have been like.

Out on the third and fourth floor landings, Mike Hill is casting a watchful eye over the Stow stairwell, with his lighthouse nodding to the inevitable passing of time with the words ‘Inspite of you it revolves’. Somewhat more serious than his past satirical approaches, Hill’s work represents an inquiry into the nature of being alive, while reminding the viewer that the work would be there even if they were not. This ‘memento mori’ acts as a second part to a statement in Hill’s earlier work: ‘The world outside is exactly how you left it, spinning uncontrollably.’

Tamsin MacArthur’s work is driven by the inevitability of failure, channelling this through a mixed-media installation that recounts (while also being made in

anticipation for) a pilgrimage to the Holy Isle in a coracle that is fated to sink. ‘Things going wrong’ are mythologised through fragments of walls and arches resembling ruins. The viewer is left to explore the space as they choose – the archway refusing its assumed function as a gateway.

Theodora Koumbouzis Maclellan’s kinetic shadow puppet installation references original beginnings (be those biblical or mythological). We are given a choice between whether to buy into the initial flattened image and experience of innocence, or the sickness of the complexity of the mechanics and the material realities of the ‘puppets’, driven incessantly by a motorised mechanism spawned from a rusted barrel. The original innocence of the romantic and theatrical is contradicted by the material – the mechanised contraptions commenting on the metronomic nature of life and history.

Laurie Knott’s feature film is a culmination of brewing ideas around the idea of success and its entwinement with creativity, starring and celebrating those that have shaped his degree in one way or another. Playing on the idea of what it is to be at art school – where one should know what one is doing – and the notion of being a director, Knott strikes a balance between romanticisation, and the poignant truth of committing to the inherent vulnerability of creating.

In Painting and Printmaking, students have been grappling with current global issues, subverted fantasy stories and archetypal cultural tropes. Eerily yet undeniably relevant, Liz McNeill’s paintings portray abstracted compositions of congestion, dissipation, and fragmented figurative elements that emerge from layers of oil, acrylic and gouache, implying something brutal and bodily. While encouraging viewers to derive their own interpretations and meanings from her works, she also addresses a central concept of moral injury, rooted in her own experiences as a cardiologist during the pandemic and AIDS crisis. This perspective informs her search for release in the present, as she addresses suffering in Gaza and considers more broadly where organisations intended to provide care often lack the necessary support from the very structures in which they operate.

Meghan Josephine’s paintings depict a type of female representation that stands apart from any recognisable environment. The works compel you to focus on the interactions between figures and the ways in which they occupy each canvas – outstretched, slouching, and feeling their way through

Sancia Brims, Sculpture and Environmental Art

space. However, this is no ‘reclining nude’, and Josephine’s work arises from an exploration of women’s representation, influenced by her experiences in America during the reversal of Roe v Wade.

Inhabiting a fantasy world in the darker and lighter senses of the word, Iona Jones’ kinetic sculptures delve into the seductive darkness of fairytales, her irreverent and witty use of materials reminiscent of child-like experimentation. The viewer’s suspension of belief is exercised as she depicts surreal moments of animal transformation and fragments of stories. Fairytales are seen to be a lens through which to moralise the world, as much now as in childhood. A caged swan bleeds five litres of blood throughout the show; a wolf-dog-man’s head, mounted to the wall, dribbles into a dog bowl – all is wonderfully and bombastically unexpected.

A more sombre exploration of fantasy comes into play in Eve Wilbraham's emotionally impactful, thoughtful large-scale paintings. Intimations of the elusive character of Pierrot surface on the canvas, through a playful and soulful use of texture, his collar seemingly floating in the space. The romantic is posed alongside the melancholic, courageously forging paths of light across the surface, alluding to Pierrot’s intrinsic relationship with light. Textural qualities across the works feed into each other as much here as when the works were being created side by side within the space. Similarly exploring the boundless qualities of paint, working reflexively between painting and analogue polaroid photography, Lucas Allan imitates specific tonal qualities in a mixture of oil, acrylic and airbrush. Apparitional forms appear shimmering on the surface as the viewer anchors on an enigmatic yet familiar form that slowly and hazily emerges.

Drawing together the similarities between self care and improvement and domestic labour, Ruby Stewart’s love seat-come-gym bench-comeironing board-come-gossip chair invites you to sit (or lie) within the space. Head-to-head, you are given, with another, the nesting space to have an intimate conversation, surrounded by imagery that would usually lend itself to capitalist structures, but instead serves as a subversive antidote to the isolation of gym culture.

This year the Fine Art Photography programme Degree Show deals with the politics of space and cultural identities, as well as notions of their ownership.

Maya Schønning Kjærulff’s digital weavings present us with scenes depicting an unseen process of removal. A series of rooms that once

contained people, all derived from digital sources, evoke questions of private and public space. The works explore the boundary between what viewers can see and what remains hidden, a theme reflected in the increasing abstraction of each image as one gets closer. Through a digitally produced process, the artist examines algorithms and the removal of information, resulting in works that are both sensitive and intimate.

Similarly, toeing the line between private and public, Matilda Reid’s monochromatic etchings and screenprints on glass and steel depict window views taken from porn sites. Questions of ownership are raised - framed from her window through a stranger's, the window fuctioning as a liminal divider between the exhibitionist 'being seen', and the voyueristic 'seeing in'. The glass prints speak of the fragility of the image and the situation, further encroaching on the private. Two monitors sit facing each other recounting intimate yet universal silent conversations between the wellacquainted and well-accustomed, the contents of which becomes slowly identifiable through their gestures.

Mia Gwenllian shows a series of suspensions, some sculptural, composed of found objects, threads, and two-tone cyanotypes with hints of ancient Welsh language. These elements evoke themes of personal and collective grief, exploring the loss of cultural inheritance, with her installation also including a large silk fabric print, dyed with tea and colour prints mounted on reclaimed wood, arranged dynamically on the wall. Gwenllian’s work presents a unique narrative that entwines past and present.

Primal ancestral heritage is poetically delved into by Freya Cookson. Spawning from a moment where she was struck with a gut reaction of fear, and a sense of the passage of time, while entering a cave in an Aberdeenshire town connected to her maternal family, Cookson displays a series of large format negative prints of the site. Mother

speaks of time immemorial, belonging, personal roots and seeking geological belonging. One photo depicts a visit to a neolithic stone with her mother and her mother, finding solace in the permanence of stone, and how geological features have shaped people and cultures.

Brogan Vandenio‘s highly ambitious period feature-length film is an idiosyncratic ode to his working class family and upbringing. Vandenio’s work seeks to pursue a truth within his identity, drawing primarily on the relationship of brotherhood (his brother Riley Anderson plays the lead) and explores the idea of a child coming to terms with the reality of his family and origins. Using his own archive footage of a period spent in Venice before the concept of the film had fully germinated and a fictionalised home in Scotland, thanks to an eclectic bunch of friends it is a celebration of his time spent film-making.

School of Fine Art Degree Show, Stow Building, 31 May-9 June

Iona Jones, Painting & Printmaking

Maya Schønning Kjærulff, Fine Art Photography

Master of Fine Art

Flirting with world-building, modern media, and digital encounters, artists on the MFA are forging depictions of a climate that they recognise as fruitful yet corrupt with imagery and inspiration

Words: Agnes Sharp and Celeste Macleod-Brown

The approaches of Master of Fine Art graduates are varied as ever, yet there is an undeniable vibrancy and an air of refined playfulness across the works on show, signalling the quality of critical thought and material enquiry that has taken place behind the scenes. The building has been brought to life by these artists, as they continue to develop their maturing practices, many continuing bodies of work that have been ongoing for years.

Derived from his own creative writing processes, informed by Scottish literary theory, Chris Farrell paints scenes that present as both fragmented and immersive at once. Farrell’s display consists of four paintings and a film, tucked away beneath a gazebo, with each component being formed around a fictive music festival fabricated by the artist. Considering theories such as Caledonian Antisyzygy (which refers to the idea of duelling polarities within the same entity, applied to the Scottish psyche and literature), Farrell’s writing is the first step in the process that leads him to collect images from various digital sources and to collage then paint environments that, despite their seemingly disparate contents, render

each component as far from incongruous. The works ring true to the experiences of any Scottish music festival, with the familiar imagery rendering something humorous yet slightly unnerving.

Holly O’Brien constructs a hybrid between the mythological and the digital, through an installation of projected video works that depict the artist in costumes, including two full-body latex pieces. The videos exude something reminiscent of avatars occupying the loading screen of a video game and feel simultaneously alive yet artificial. O’Brien allows an extended visual language to be absorbed into the body of work, blending imagery from a variety of platforms that might play a role in the forming of a new collective unconsciousness, such as social media, pornography, and video games. O’Brien’s work continues upstairs, directly above the videos, with a vibrant and gelatinous installation which appears to seep through the floorboards and into the space below.

Also working in the gap between various forms of media, Cora Weiss’s work Tempo manifests as a rhythmic and curatorially engaged dispersal of imagery, derived from media consumed by the artist. Considering the mass influx of imagery we are met with daily, Weiss is attentive to placement, seeking to map out hierarchies and inequalities between images, considering the time spent engaging with what we see.

Neighbouring Weiss’s work are Louise Campion’s vibrant oil paintings, which portray her exploration of the corporate world through a somewhat subverted aesthetic, reflecting what she calls the “attractive value of greed.” Campion’s work is dominated by imagery that evokes ideas of positions of power within corporate contexts, exploring the pedestals on which we place figures of authority. Elements of homoeroticism arise in the work, and the underlying sense of beauty lends the paintings a strong aesthetic quality which displays a striking dichotomy with the expected dryness of a corporate aesthetic. Overall the work challenges and reframes our perceptions of power and success in corporate environments, through an unexpected relationship between subject matter and visual language.

Aaron Alexander Smyth’s flaming flowers that brightly blaze and a way a lone a last a loved a long is an interdisciplinary work that explores how our experience is visually coded within systems of power. Narrating a personal ceremonial journey through imagery, Smyth intertwines his experience with the broader sociohistorical relationship with the transcendental – grief and absence are portrayed as markings we carry with us through life.

Zeena Wright-Al Tai has staged a dramatised retelling of an episode of psychosis, forging a world that sits on the cusp of something haunting yet beautiful, troubling yet intriguing. The artist approaches the idea of an immersive environment in a different way, inviting the viewer to peer into a sewn tent that contains a set that might be from a shadow puppet theatre. A motorised ring of trees and fluttering moths form the body of the work, enticing the viewer. Adding to its atmospheric nature, these elements are accompanied by a soundscape by sound engineer (Olli) Olivier Jean Julien, featuring harp by Dara Watson. The entwining of textilebased and sculptural elements contribute to a unique experience, as the viewer is both immersed in the work and an onlooker on a depiction of mental illness that is often stigmatised. With their Degree Show taking place across the industrial interior of the Glue Factory, this year’s MFA graduates have presented an exhibition of work that seeps its way into every facet of the imagination.

Master of Fine Art, Glue Factory, 30 May-9 Jun

Aaron Alexander Smyth, Master of Fine Art

Holly O'Brien, Master of Fine Art

Heads Up

Open Studio Summer Courses

The Glasgow School of Art, throughout Jun, Jul and Aug

The Glasgow School of Art’s Open Studio returns this summer with short courses in a wide range of disciplines for adults and young people. Courses for young creatives which run in week-long blocks in June, July and August are perfect as an activity for young people interested in developing their creative skills during the summer holidays, and are bookable now. gsa.ac.uk/openstudio

From summer courses to exhibitions, here’s a look at what’s coming up at the GSA in the next few months

Open Studio Summer Exhibition

Fleming House, 134 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, 31 May-9 Jun

Running as part of the annual Degree Show, this platforms work made by young people in Scotland, showcasing original work from our Widening Participation pupils, the Community Engagement creative residency at Garnetbank Primary School and Castlehead ‘school for creativity’.

Portfolio Preparation –Creative Practices Course

Aug 2024-Feb 2025

Are you thinking of applying to art school? The GSA’s Portfolio Preparation Course gives you the time and space to develop your portfolio in a collaborative, dynamic studio environment. The course is structured to help you choose a specialist area of art and design to study, and has a track record of getting students places at top art schools across the UK. gsa.ac.uk/undergraduate-degrees/portfolio-preparation

Race, Rights & Sovereignty

Events run throughout the year

The Students’ Association and GSA Exhibitions curate this public event series, exploring the relationship between race, place and creative practice. Events in the last year have included public lectures, events and performances with Mindy Seu & Shu Lea Cheang, Alain Kassanda, Jemma Desai & Nehad Khader as well as workshops with Rosalie Yu, Martha Adonai Williams and Hussein Mitha. Race, Rights and Sovereignty is currently programmed by artist, curator and researcher Beulah Ezeugo.

GSA

OPEN Glasgow and online throughout the year

Whether you’re just starting to consider coming to art school, or you’re almost ready to hit ‘send’ on your application, GSA OPEN offers events to support you at whatever stage you are at of your application journey. Find out more on the GSA website.

Postgraduate Degree Show 2024 30 Aug-8 Sep

Hot on the heels of the summer Degree Show, the Postgraduate Degree Show showcases the work of students on postgraduate programmes across the school. From fashion collections to innovative service design andmedical visualisation to painting and sculpture, this is your chance to explore the rich work of our students on many of our postgraduate programes. gsapostgradshowcase.net

CL!CK X GSASA PRESENT – EVOLUTION GSASA Degree Show After Party GSA Students’ Association, Glasgow, 30 May, 10pm-2am IT’S A CELEBRATION ALRIGHT SWEETIE?

Join GSASA as they celebrate the mother tucking Degree Show. The theme is giving Pokémon… EVOLUTION if you will. Come as your favourite Pokémon or just as someone who has travelled through the realms of the Crimson Mirelands. For the evening they have a three-floor takeover in the Assembly Hall and The Vic, hosting a roster of DJs and performers, headlined by DJ, event producer and curator HALFQUEEN.

GSA Open House 25 & 26 Oct

At Open House, our studios and workshops are opened up for prospective students interested in studying at The Glasgow School of Art at undergraduate or postgraduate level, to explore and find out more about life and study here. You’ll get a chance to meet our staff and students, explore the campus, and get to know more about the programmes you are interested in studying through events and activities.

Open Studio Summer Courses

Open Studio Summer Exhibition

Portfolio Preparation

GSA OPEN & Open House

Postgraduate Degree Show

The GSASA Afterparty Poster

Sandra George Part of Glasgow International 5 Florence Street, Glasgow, 7-23 Jun

This exhibition will explore the work of community worker and photographer, Sandra George (1957-2013), who took thousands of images of community projects across Scotland between the 1980s and the late 2000s. Social justice and equity was at the heart of both George’s community and her artistic work, which was not exhibited during her lifetime. This solo exhibition, developed in collaboration with Craigmillar Now, presents George’s photography and a selection from her wider artistic multidisciplinary practice.

An Evening for Sandra George Part of Glasgow International 5 Florence Street, Glasgow, 13 Jun, 6pm

Delve into Sandra George’s profound impact on Scotland’s artistic landscape through a panel discussion led by esteemed hosts Christian Noelle Charles, Zoe Lorimer, and Titilayo Farukuoye. Gain insights into Sandra’s work and participatory practice, exploring the intersections of art and community engagement. Engage in a reflective dialogue on the experiences of living as Black women in Scotland and the pivotal role of community in navigating challenges and fostering resilience.

The First Annual Maud Sulter Lecture with Jackie Kay Part of Glasgow International Reid Lecture Theatre, The Glasgow School of Art, 20 Jun, 3pm Delivered by Scottish poet, playwright and novelist Jackie Kay, this event aims to amplify the legacy of artist Maud Sulter, her roots in Scotland, and the internationalism of her practice as an artist, photographer, writer, poet, curator, and organiser. From the mid-1980s until she died in 2008, Maud strove to place Black women at the centre of an art history that had excluded them. She also challenged Western art, denouncing the erasure faced by the African diaspora.

Eddie Stewart and Stephanie Smith

Reid Gallery, The Glasgow School of Art, 21 Sep-19 Oct

The new academic year starts at The Glasgow School of Art with an exhibition from artists and long-time collaborators Stephanie Smith and Eddie Stewart, aka SMITH/STEWART. Their practice explores collaboration, trust, relationships and communication. Using film, video and sound, they make events and performances as well as objects and installations, with a primary emphasis on the body and the implication of the viewer.

‘Ah, Sugar’, Marlene Smith. Collaboration with Cubitt, and Cubitt Fellow

Seán Elder

Reid Gallery, The Glasgow School of Art, 2 Nov-14 Dec

An exhibition of work by artist and curator Marlene Smith, curated by Seán Elder (MLitt Curatorial Practice). This solo exhibition will include new sculptural and drawing work, emerging from the artist’s ongoing interest in the material and bodily qualities of sculptural practice and inquiries into the cyclical nature of social histories and familial entanglements.

Bet Low Centenary, in partnership with Pier Art Centre, Orkney

Reid Gallery, The Glasgow School of Art, 11 Jan-8 Feb 2025

This exhibition will reflect on Bet Low’s working life, from early studies of Glasgow to the late Orkney landscapes and goes some way in reassessing this important artist’s contribution to Scottish art and culture.

GSA Highlands & Islands Summer Show

GSA Altyre Campus, Moray, 15 Jun, 10am-4pm

An exhibition showcasing our work and generating future opportunities for collaboration across the region in learning, research and knowledge exchange.

Sandra George

GSA Highlands & Islands Summer Show

Jackie Kay

Good Housekeeping III (1985-2023) Marlene Smith

Reid Gallery Image: courtesy of Tate 2023. Credit: Jai Monaghan

Playful Pleasure

Shame free and invite only, LUDUS is all about putting pleasure (and safety) first. We speak with the founders about kink education, community building, and hedonism at its very finest

Mia* and her partner have been deeply ingrained in the UK kink community for over 12 years. Together, they are LUDUS, a women-owned, queer business that runs hedonistic, invite-only events. They provide safe and inclusive spaces for people to explore connection and sexuality. Taking their name from the Latin word, meaning ‘to play,’ LUDUS emphasises the fun and community-based element of the kink community LUDUS and their members wish to explore.

I speak with Mia after one of their socials to learn more about the roads which led them to creating LUDUS. “We both felt like something was missing,” she says. “We both share a passion for crafting safe environments where individuals can foster intimate connections and friendships. It’s incredibly fulfilling to witness guests entering LUDUS, tentatively exploring the liberation of kink and hedonism. We take joy in supporting their growth and seeing them evolve in confidence, navigating our spaces without fear or shame.”

Since debuting, LUDUS has hosted several social and play events across Edinburgh, drawing participants from far and wide. “The bi est myth surrounding spaces like LUDUS is that everyone goes there to have sex,” she says. “People often imagine the atmosphere is going to be overtly sexual or deviant when the reality is quite different.” In practice, LUDUS doesn’t allow intimate play during socials. “While sex might be a motivating factor for some, most of our guests come to explore their curiosity in a liberating, safe and non-judgemental atmosphere. If you just took out the dungeon furniture, you wouldn’t know it was anything other than a cocktail social!”

Individuals are invited to socials where they can meet like-minded individuals in a relaxed setting and begin to explore boundaries. Mia and her partner demonstrate the basics of play, inviting members to take turns if they feel comfortable. “Our signature events include socials of up to 25 guests and play events for up to 16 people,” explains Mia. While some event organisers have opted for more guests, LUDUS has always been keen to keep things on the smaller side, allowing them to vet attendees for safety. “We implemented a thorough vetting process focusing on a person’s vibe, effort, and energy rather than superficial aspects like body, gender, or sexuality. This was crucial in creating a welcoming environment. Additionally, we chose to avoid structured pricing and gender quotas favouring women, as we found these practices unethical, heteronormative, and objectifying.” Despite this, their demographic hasn’t changed a great deal, with 81% of attendees identifying as women.

Mia and her partner explain some of the difficulties they’ve experienced in other kink communities. Through LUDUS they wanted to combat some of the elitism, body-shaming, and transphobia they have experienced in other event

Words: Josephine Jay Illustration: Jack Murphy

“The misconception is that kink spaces are inherently unsafe or chaotic when in fact, communities like ours prioritise communication and consent”

spaces. They explain how some parties will screen heavily on physical attractiveness and often run male-heavy events. Navigating these spaces as single women, they explain, can be intimidating. For these reasons before each social, members are reminded of the rules – to play nice and ask before touching.

Shortly after creating LUDUS, LUDUS VENUS, the women-identifying offshoot was born. “I was previously an ambassador for a bisexual women-only event in Scotland,” explains Mia. “However, I gave up the role after seeing how many women reached out with concerns about not ‘fitting in’. It was heartbreaking to see them doubt their worth and validity.” Both Mia and her partner mention how femmepresenting bisexual women can feel ostracised from LGBTQ+ spaces and objectified or dismissed within heterosexual environments. “We wanted to create a space where women could socialise and relax away from the male gaze,” they explain.

LUDUS also aims to counter misconception and stigma shrouding kink communities. “The misconception is that kink spaces are inherently unsafe or chaotic,” explains Mia, “when in fact, communities like ours prioritise communication and consent. Many of our female guests say they feel more comfortable at our events than in traditional nightclub settings.”

Alongside her full-time day job and running LUDUS, Mia has an educational platform on

Instagram called @Talkingaboutthat which explains some of the practices and terminology used within kink communities. LUDUS provide workshops on kink and on how to build healthier non-monogamous relationships to give members the tools to navigate these spaces independently as the kink community evolves with the times. “One notable aspect is the community’s adeptness at self-regulation,” says Mia who explains there has been a notable shift towards emphasising consent, communication, and safety in the last few years. Additionally, there’s been a growing acceptance of diverse sexualities and body positivity, thanks to the trajectory of the sex and bodypositivity movement. “More people are embracing kink and we’re seeing increased representation in mainstream media,” she says.

“The bi est challenge,” Mia admits, “is finding open-minded venues which fit with our brand. Our venues are secret and only disclosed [to attendees] a few days prior to help ensure safety and discretion.” As LUDUS’ first birthday looms closer, exciting plans are on the horizon. They hope guests enjoy seeing how they unfold.

*Name has been changed for anonymity

Follow LUDUS on Instagram @Ludus_Scotland @Talkingaboutthat @Ludus_Venus

Collective Grief

A member of Edinburgh’s Gaza Solidarity Camp reflects on resisting through spatial transformation and creating a just future

Our grief has been stretched in all directions over the past eight months. As the days and months unfolded a genocide in front of our eyes, we have all, from afar, been forced to expand what it means to grieve. As the bombs continue to drop across Gaza, this grief grows. As a man-made famine is happening, this grief grows. As our institutions and governments act immorally and inhumanly, this grief grows. As mass graves are found in hospitals; as every university in Gaza is destroyed; as culture, archives, and community are under the rubble; as exile and dispossession become a way of life; as death becomes the norm in Gaza – this grief grows.

This grief has become an everyday feeling. Every day we assume that we have reached the extent of how we can grieve, but it is always exceeded. I say ‘we’ because this grief has become a collective experience in the public psyche. A shared space of disbelief. In western societies grief is expressed as an individual experience. To grieve in the west is to do it alone – in isolation, solitude, and introspection. But what happens when our grief becomes a collective experience? Grief, in itself, is love and energy untethered from an earthly place, released and unbounded. What happens when collectively we gather and harness this untethered love and energy towards something more?

At the end of April, my comrades and I gathered together in grief to take the lawn outside of the Scottish Parliament in protest of the Scottish government’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza. Scotland-based arms factories – such as Thales – continue to send weapons and parts to Israel. Meanwhile, as noted by the Time to Divest campaign, many Scottish Local Authority Pension Funds currently invest in companies who directly profit from weapons used in Israel, such as BlackRock. We wanted to resist Scotland’s inability to act on their hollow words of solidarity. Through our grief we acted. We acted against the tides of order to express the grief of injustice, to express the truth we saw in Palestine, to express the love we have for Palestine.

Our grief had to transcend spoken solidarity, which has now become the norm in protesting for Palestine. Collectively more needed to be done. Chanting was no longer enough, wearing keffiyehs was no longer enough. Our grief unveiled a path outside of the world we existed in, allowing us to create our own world – even if small and temporary.

We created our own world of how people living together in liberation could exist. Through occupying, we metamorphosed what these spaces could be used for, transforming them into spaces to act through grief and towards divestment and liberation. This showed us the immediacy in which we can demand for action, not only from the Scottish Parliament, but also from the University of Edinburgh’s Old College, with a second camp now based there. These camps function as a day to day

Words: Anonymous Illustration: Driss Chaoui

“Chanting was no longer enough, wearing keffiyehs was no longer enough. Our grief unveiled a path outside of the world we existed in, allowing us to create our own world - even if small and temporary”

form of resistance. Together we sleep, eat, and strategise what we can do next to resist genocide. The camp gives us the space to learn and act. Through educational workshops, teach-ins, group dinners, and grief circles, we are able to form a radical community. This space has allowed us to live fully within our actions, our politics, and our ethics. This immediacy to act saw many of us decide to embark on a hunger strike. We are currently going into our third week of hunger strike. Individuals swap at the end of each week, passing the hunger strike to the next group, in hopes that the longevity of our hunger strikes will put pressure on the government and university to act with the same immediacy that we are striking with. For months, we have been shouting for justice. For months, we have been organising against this genocide. Yet, for months, these complicit institutions have not changed their ways. Because of their inaction, we have had to escalate our action.

A silence grew from the overextended grief. This silence grew because the reality of Gaza became too much to express in words. In hunger

strike, we have found a way to scream, grieve, and act through this silence and in solidarity with Palestinian people who are now experiencing famine and genocide. It has become a way that we can protest from the depth of our soul and see what is happening in Palestine, while being inspired by the courageous Palestinian prisoners who use hunger strikes to protest within Israeli prisons. By protesting with our bodies we want to show these institutions – the university and government – the extent of our grief. Within both the camps and our hunger strike, we want these institutions to join us in our grief. Grief can only push us towards a future. A future with justice, ethics and humanity. A future with divestment, which our universities can enact now, if they grieve alongside us.

To grieve for Palestine is to be consumed by the need for justice. To grieve for Palestine is to act. To grieve for Palestine is to love. Our protest is a reaching hand to these bodies of power, inviting them to grieve with us. So that in this collective grief, we can all act towards a more liberated future for Palestinians and for all oppressed people.

Bars, Beefs and Butt Lifts

Exploring the popularity of an AI generated song about Drake getting a Brazilian butt lift, one writer questions the increased presence of AI in the creative process

Words: Oscar Lund

If you are anything like me, acutely and interminably online, then you may have come across the song BBL Drizzy in some form or another. BBL Drizzy, released by a comedian who goes by the online handle @kingwillonius, features an AI-generated Motown singer waxing poetic about Toronto rapper Drake’s rumoured cosmetic butt lift surgery. The song gained mainstream appeal when it was sampled by Missouri hip-hop producer Metro Boomin in a beat of the same name.

Earlier this month I found myself at Sneaky Pete’s in the Cowgate on a Sunday of all nights (the perks of being a freelancer I guess). Behind the decks was DJ and producer Nikki Nair, whose Boiler Room set with Hudson Mohawke had recently made the rounds in the electronic music scene. As the clock struck 2am, a familiar butt lift-themed sample blasted its way across the dancefloor. A joke song written by an American comedian, performed by an amorphous amalgamation of thousands of soul and Motown tracks, scraped and compiled by a generative AI model, had been sampled and mixed by a talented producer in an Edinburgh club.

But how did we get here? How did a song about Drake getting a Brazilian butt lift rack up almost five million plays on SoundCloud?

“BBL Drizzy has set a precedent for AI music, with its widespread use being the first of its kind”

Over the last two months, online music discourse has been dominated by an extensive and brutal rap battle between two of North America’s top artists, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. In the middle of May, the Billboard top 100 was being summited by Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, the rapper’s most recent track in the rap beef.

Back in mid-April, in response to Drake’s first diss track in the saga, former collaborator Rick Ross, feeling burned by Drake’s inclusion of his name on Push Ups, hit back two days after the single’s release with Champagne Moments. Ross’s track resurfaced long-dead rumours about Drake’s alleged rhinoplasty and liposuction surgery, posting the phrase ‘BBL Drizzy’ on his instagram story. Inspired by Ross’s words of wisdom, King Willonius picked up the pen and got to writing the lyrics for his magnum opus. The track flew under the radar until Metro Boomin, also upset at Drake’s Push Ups, sampled the AI tune in his own work in early May.

Singles written by humans and performed by generative AI models are nothing new, with 2023 seeing ghostwriter977 release heart on my sleeve, a track featuring AI-generated Drake vocals. Drake himself has dipped his webbed flippers into the AI pool too, with his second diss track, Taylor Made Freestyle, featuring generated verses from Tupac and Snoop Do in a bizarre attempt to put words in the mouths of Kendrick’s West Coast idols and contemporaries. Compared to BBL Drizzy however, these past attempts are nothing but a flash in the pan, with Metro’s/Willonius’ AI ditty gaining significant traction in hip-hop’s sample culture and beyond.

Hip-hop has always been a genre that relies heavily on cutting and chopping existing songs, reshaping them into something entirely new. BBL Drizzy follows this trend, with multiple versions and interpolations spreading like wildfire across the internet. The song uses AI to mimic hip-hop’s long-standing relationship to 70s soul and Motown LPs in a seemingly calculated attempt to draw in producers looking to sample the track.

Comedian King Willonius explains his rationale for using AI in his creative process in an article with Music Tech, saying: “I had an advantage over a lot of my peers, just in the ability to create at

warp speed.” In a cultural landscape where artists are already able to produce music faster than ever before à la Viper and RXK Nephew, both of whom released more songs in a single year than The Beatles did in their eight-year run, AI expedites this process even further.

Although inarguably funny, the track seems to ring a little hollow; it disregards the artistry and skill of composition in favour of the instant gratification of synthetic production. But then again without AI, BBL Drizzy would never have existed. Had King Willonius wanted to create his track unaided by AI, he would’ve not only had to write, but compose and perform it in time for it to remain culturally relevant, a task that wouldn’t have been worth the time and money sink associated with that process.

The breakneck pace of the Kendrick-Drake beef created the conditions for King Willonius to create his song and consequently, BBL Drizzy has set a precedent for AI music, with its widespread use being the first of its kind.

Creative industries as a whole are currently facing a dilemma – on one hand generative AI is a tool that can make some of the most tedious jobs in the industry trivial (I myself have saved hours of my life by using AI tools to transcribe interview recordings) but on the other it seeks to replace creativity itself, offering nothing more than a production line of virtual slurry; music and art that looks and sounds ‘about right’ and nothing more.

King Willonius - BBL Drizzy

Listen to: Oídos (Ears), Enfrente (In front), Angel nuevo

Album

of the Month

Mabe Fratti — Sentir que no sabes

Mabe Fratti’s cello underpins her music, a fifth limb holding the weight of these shape-shifting compositions. But she’s long since left behind the idea she’s tied to, or defined by, it. A virtuoso player, whose blossoming musicianship is reflected by a growing confidence in her voice and an experimental production (which she delivers in collaboration with Héctor Tosta), the Guatemala-born, Mexico City-based songwriter’s Sentir que no sabes (Feel like you don’t know) is the dizzying high point of her career so far.

On Sentir que no sabes, Fratti’s songs are fluid, slippery objects. They take genre – dream pop, jazz, contemporary classical – and turn it inside out, delivering familiar thrills in unrecognisable guises. Take the deep noted plucks and monolithic drums of Kravitz which, at its climax, are joined by overlapping stabs of brass and keys as Fratti’s vocals ascend – this is a doom metal song channeled via a jazz ensemble, slow and monolithic. The album immediately morphs into something else entirely on the following track, Patalla azul (Blue screen error), its repeating melodic riff the offcut of a pop chart hit stripped for parts.

Fratti has described the record as groovy, and it’s true all these tracks have a confident sense of rhythm. However, you can’t help but feel she’s pulling your leg somewhat – she’s dancing to a groove all her own. A known joker, Fratti’s humour doesn’t quite show on music made with such precision – although comparing a fractured relationship to data corruption on a dream pop song called Blue screen error is pretty funny. Sentir que no sabes is endlessly playful, Fratti using either her cello, or some out-of-nowhere sonic texture, to constantly colour outside the lines, conjure dramatic tension, and create real emotional resonance – as on Quieras-o-no (Whether you want it or not), a pained vocoder calling back and forth as Fratti cries with resignation: ‘Whether you want it or not, it’s a disaster’.

The gorgeous centrepiece Enfrente (In front) is built on what sounds like a dangling bucket being gently blown against a fence, and is peppered with sparkling 80s synths. Fratti sings in Spanish, ‘You want to immerse yourself. Soak. Begin’ – it’s the feeling of living in this record. Enfrente sums up Fratti’s achievement: a surprising and accessible entry point to her fast growing catalogue which doesn’t abandon her avant-garde tendencies. [Tony Inglis]

Pe y Gou

Takkak Takkak

Takkak Takkak

Nyege Nyege Tapes, 7 Jun rrrrr

Listen to: Garang, Salamander, Raksasa

Uniting the disparate sounds of legendary beat-mangler Scotch Rolex, aka DJ Scotch E , and Mo’ong Santoso Pribadi, one half of Indonesian pummelers Raja Kirik, may su est a record too bruising for its own good, too jackhammer to let the respective artists’ wonkiness shine through. Not the case though, Takkak Takkak’s debut is too insistent on a good time for that.

Across the record their mutant concoctions surge forward with a giddy sense of abandon. Garang mulches seasick strings, rickety percussion and a crunchy, chu ing riff straight out of a 13-year-old metalhead’s first day with a guitar. But it works perfectly, coming together for a tumbling roughshod energy that is as sneakily danceable as it is chaotic. Salamander, likewise, is in a constant state of mutation, one second rattling and wheezing like an accordion full of vibrators, the next, slinkily circling growled vocals, all sinuous and muscular like the beat is a panther, the listener its gormless prey.

It’s a strong record, a union of two truly unique figures having fun, creating something genuinely undefinable but never slipping into self-satisfaction. It’s another winning collaboration for both artists, and another example of Nyege Nyege Tapes being a great facilitator of these link-ups. [Joe Creely]

Listen to: words fell out, take it away

Below the Waste seeks to sift through the detritus of our broken society, figure out what’s worth saving and what needs leaving behind. These 16 songs traverse a wide range of styles, from undulating electronica to brash, feedback-laden rock, as well as incorporating flourishes of violin, mellotron and taishogoto. There’s a sense that a closer curatorial eye may have been useful, especially when sparser arrangements demonstrate the power of understatement. While not outright experimental, Below the Waste is definitely adventurous with nary a moment that could be called samey.

Lyrically, there’s a similar amount of coded and abstract imagery as previous releases, but the most striking moments are those that confront the addiction issues faced by drummer Rosy Jones. There are references peppered throughout, but tcnc (take care not crack) is the most direct example. Jones takes the lead here, spitting maniacal lines like ‘Not gonna crack like that / Already had a spat with crack’ atop the most unhinged arrangement of the album. There’s a lot to take in across the breadth of Below the Waste, but few could doubt the ecstatic creativity of this trio and their ability to take so many old parts and create something new. [Lewis Wade]

Along with preceding prelude First Day, lead-single Need acts as a perfect introduction to Um, and its dreamy appeal. While the music and the arrangements can be both impressively lavish and immersively plaintive, it is consistently Martha Skye Murphy’s voice that is the most compelling instrument heard. A quiet whisper, or a sharp cry, the Londonbased singer’s vocal performances are capable of soaring above, or piercing through, every atmospheric accompaniment.

Some of the influences that helped to shape the LP are audible throughout, whether it’s the meticulous eccentricity of Björk, or the fairytale wonderment of Julia Holter, the spectres of art-pop past haunt each ethereal soundscape. Though, that’s not to su est there has been any sacrifice made for originality. From the fanciful enchantment of Pick Yourself Up, to the crashing electronic crescendo of Kind, or the calmly spacious closer Forgive, Murphy’s balladry is full of satisfying surprises that make these songs sound acutely her own.

After scores of singles – and a single score for the movie The Late Departure – there’s an assurance on Um from an artist that has gained the requisite experience to release such an accomplished debut. [Liam Casci]

Iceboy Violet & Nueen You Said You’d Hold My Hand Through the Fire Hyperdub, 7 Jun rrrrr

Listen to: Fragmentary (Eraser), Still, 6am in Helsinki (Kiss Me Again)

This evocative collaboration between producer Nueen and rapper Iceboy Violet is a condensed epic of a four-year relationship that holds and straddles effect and genre in powerful measure. Nueen’s understated drill elements bring a benevolent, tense space that Iceboy Violet has complemented with their lyrical expanse. The shifting between their idiosyncratic vocoders, autotune, and their raw, reflective croak that edges on a croon is all set to Nueen’s dynamic tracks that shimmer in and out of dominance and highlight the producer’s abilities on this cross-genre journey.

Lyrically, there’s unassuming images of bodily and natural effect, with Pixel Petals and Cement Skin invoking swirling emotional landscapes set to Nueen’s shimmering ambience and beats. The R’n’B choral shocks in Closer tease a chorus that never arrives. In Everything Ends With An Inhale, lyrics reflect back objects of a relationships in a ‘baroque pearl necklace’. In Cement Skin the refrain, ‘Why’s it so hard to leave?’ echoes over Nueen’s more melodic tendencies. Fragmentary (Eraser) uses Iceboy Violet’s range of impassioned registers to brilliant effect, detailing the apex of the collaboration’s efforts in genre switches and codes. You Said You’d Hold My Hand... is a gorgeous reflection of a relationship’s journey.

[Tommy Pearson]

Goat Girl Below the Waste Rough Trade, 7 Jun rrrrr

Martha Skye Murphy Um AD 93, 14 Jun rrrrr

Listen to: Need, Spray Can, Kind

NxWorries

Why Lawd?

Stones Throw Records, 7 Jun rrrrr

Listen to: Daydreaming, FromHere, KeepHer

Why Lawd? is the much anticipated follow-up to 2016’s Yes Lawd from superduo NxWorries! With a successful solo career, a hit album with Bruno Mars, SuperBowl half-time shows and Grammy nominations, it isn’t surprising that it’s taken an artist as prolific as Anderson .Paak some time to circle back around to this particular project, and it also comes as no surprise that him and producer Knxwledge have created another record of genuine quality filled with soulful gems. The blueprint of the record will be instantly recognisable to fans, with the trademark mixture of soul and R’n’B, but with some twists on the old formula.

Daydreaming is one of the album’s standout tracks, a nostalgiasoaked lovesong dripping in an 80s vibe, synths and an absolutely killer guitar tone. Other highlights include WalkOnBy (featuring Earl Sweatshirt and Rae Khalil), and FromHere (featuring Snoop Do and October London), a lowkey slowjam made for those late summer evenings just over the horizon. While there are some tracks that feel distinctly like filler, there’s more than enough substance on Why Lawd? to justify the price of admission. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another eight years for this duo to get together again. [Logan Walker]

Kate Nash

9 Sad Symphonies

Kill Rock Stars, 21 Jun rrrrr

Listen to: Wasteman, Ray, Vampyre

Refreshingly not posturing healing or closure, Kate Nash’s fifth album 9 Sad Symphonies foregrounds pain and honours sitting in low-spirits in order to make sense of it. This rough emotional journey is softened by interminably twee sonics: the album’s staple tentative strings and gentle intonation evoke a sweet, Beatrix Potter-like bucolic world, in which fields are skipped through. Respectably bold to commit to nihilism on a pop song, Millions of Heartbeats itemises malaise: loneliness, numbing, even clunky social commentary. Wasteman is a pointed riot act-reading that curiously adopts a garage beat to efface a prick from memory, while Abandoned feels like a lyrical dance that tells a story of despair. Horsie brings to mind a neglected mid-century housewife, dusting tchotchkes and necking barbiturates; These Feelings is so inoffensive, it’s destined to be weaponised in a British Gas advert, and humorous and hopeful closer Vampyre impresses with bawdy declarations.

As some similar-sounding songs morph into the other, you can sometimes feel the narrow scope of 9 Sad Symphonies, but Nash charms with the winning, irreverent bluntness first employed in her vaunted debut, showing received pronunciation the proverbial finger. [Lucy Fitzgerald]

Red Vanilla Days of Grey self-released, 7 Jun rrrrr

Listen to: Outside In, All These Better Things, Velvet

Days of Grey is the seven-track debut EP from Dundee alt-rockers Red Vanilla. An unrelenting introduction to the band, comparisons to Wolf Alice are well-earned; their influence is keenly felt on woozy opener Embers. This atmospheric track showcases the vocals of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Anna Forsyth, which are sweet and delicate here. It’s a soft launch into a solid collection of songs which kicks into high gear via the grungy guitars and galloping drums of Outside In, a 90s-inflected song about apathy and the claustrophobia of life itself – lyrical themes which persist across the record.

Sonically, the group channel the heft of major stadium rockers one minute on the rabble-rousing All These Better Things, before flipping the script seconds later with Velvet, a tender meditation on lost love (‘Tell me if there’s comfort to be found / But only if it isn’t gonna let me down’) which initially plays out over jangly indie guitars before building to a ragey close. Recorded with Keiran Smith of To Kill Achilles, the energy of live performance has really been captured here. On Days of Grey, Red Vanilla have established themselves as a truly exciting new band on the Scottish scene. [Tara Hepburn]

Bored at My Grandmas House Show & Tell

CLUE Records / EMI North, 14 Jun rrrrr

Listen to: Show & Tell, Friendship Bracelets, Imposter Syndrome

Leeds-based singer-songwriter Amber Strawbridge, aka Bored at My Grandmas House, might have written Show & Tell in her bedroom, but these tracks could easily be mistaken for full-band compositions. Lead single Inhibitions sets the stage for the rest of the record; a cathartic shoegaze ballad about being plagued by intrusive thoughts that sounds both homespun and elaborately produced. Strawbridge might have moved away from the DIY production of her early recordings, but there’s still a late-night vulnerability to her voice when she sings, ‘I’ve recently felt trapped / Confused to who I am’. Or on Imposter Syndrome where her incantatory repetition of the phrase ‘I’m an Imposter’ feels calm, almost soothing, as it collides with a maelstrom of warped guitars and hazy synths.

Sometimes her voice lacks the energy required to keep these songs engaging, and too often you wish she’d wander somewhere unpredictable, like on the title track, which feels like a cry for help and an admission of self-sabotage. However, when she sings ‘You’ve got to work to earn my trust / Because I’m like a fucking closed book’, Strawbridge sounds like a singer who has not only found their voice, but the confidence required to project it. [Patrick Gamble]

Music Now

This June we’re enjoying follow-up albums from some of our favourite Scottish acts, on top of a few delightful debuts

Words: Ellie Robertson

Let’s go over what we missed in the May column. There were new albums from Blue Rose Code, TRAAPS, and Xan Tyler as well as a mixtape from Crush Mouse, with Grayling’s latest EP Cardinal Fire landing at the end of the month. Singles were served by acts like Barry Can’t Swim (Kimbara), Lloyd’s House (Ah), Maz & the Phantasms (Es Lo Que Hay), Constant Follower (Turn Around For Me), Neev (Dianne), Zerrin (Spring Cleaning), Be Charlotte (Rainbows In the Dark), Modernistic (Black Velvet), IndianRedLopez (Obstacles) and Buffet Lunch (Worth (Confirmed)), among others.

This month, master producer Susan Bear’s third album releases via Lost Map (28 Jun). Algorithmic Mood Music opens with euphoric techno-ballad Three Dimensional, a sonic cosmology of heavenly chimes and divine affirmations by a Microsoft SAM-soundalike. AMM renders Bear’s talents in far more than three dimensions; Glass Tunnel shows us Bear’s rollicking guitar work, playing out the summer in breaks and bridges. Bear then DJs their dream rave in Drift, and composes dance track Shake (Say Yes) on old Atari hardware. Bear’s vastly varied output is united by lively composition and joyous lyrics, perfect for any summer plans you might have. We hope the sentiments in Wet Dry World, their love letter to Glasgow, will be reciprocated.

There are follow-ups from other faves too, like Walt Disco Where the ultra-glam outfit’s previous Unlearning personified the panache of a West End musical, The Warping – due via Lucky Number on 14 Jun – dances about in time and place. Following a very Walt Disco overture, Gnomes juxtaposes orchestral strings with trilling Moogs. Come Undone invokes Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy, with occasional glimpses down disco and hard rock avenues. It’s not all roaring 80s; though, Pearl is smooth and smoky, and Black Chocolate ends in a very industrial playout. It’s loud, it’s operatic, it’s obscene, and it’s sexy.

Seasoned songwriter Adam Stafford is back this month with his twelfth record, Daylight Slavings (28 Jun). Out via Gerry Loves, the atmospheric keyboard-driven LP sees Stafford crawling across the scales, with eerie, echoing notes slowly swept up in shuddering sound effects and rare glimpses of some otherworldly distortion. It’s like a liminal soundtrack to some Weird Fiction horror story – very chilling and very well-made.

For a dazzling debut, see Expectations of a Lifetime (14 Jun) by harpist and folk composer Esther Swift. Opening the record by inviting listeners to ‘Run away with me and get out of the city’, Swift transports us with pastoral, even mythic, orchestrations, bringing traditional Celtic instrumentation together with spontaneous, jazzy pianowork. Collaborators include Fergus

McCreadie and all-female string quartet Vulva Voce.

PAWS frontman Phillip Jon Taylor’s new album De Nada (Wish Fulfillment, 28 Jun) comes to us from Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands. Taylor works as studio engineer and multi-instrumentalist, contemplating his move from Glasgow five years ago. The indie-rock/pop anthems really shine, and cover Taylor’s musings on everything from Love In Plague Time to the local HAAR.

For shorter listens with as much kick, female and non-binary songwriting collective Hen Hoose release EP1 (5 Jun), the first of three EPs. Each track is a collaboration between two esteemed artists; soft rock opener The Lucky Ones comes from Lucy Parnell and Djana Gabrielle, Ray A s and Kathryn Williams come together for slow-burn dance hit Night Is Calling, and Shears and Xo team up for bassy beat Let It All Go. It’s a monumental start to a new collection of works from Hen Hoose. Proper punks should check out Bootlicker (21 Jun), the debut EP by Doss, who delighted hardcore Clydesiders last year with anti-gentrification anthem The Mullets are Moving In. Tearing up his own tracks with pounding percussion and droning, earache embellishments, Doss gets in your face in all the right ways. The chant of opener King of the Castle, ‘This is me / This is my shrine / From my arse the sun does shine’ is just a portion of the profanity on offer.

The following week, queer art-rock band Junk Pups release Ball and Chain (27 Jun). These cool cats (or diamond dogs) deliver four punky, bluesy tracks, centring sizzling guitar work and the animalistic howls of lead singer Jack Faulds. The flair of producers Jocelyn Si and Finlay McCarthy (singer and synths for Walt Disco, respectively) give the rockers that largerthan-life sound.

Elsewhere, flip back a page for our review of Dundee alt-rockers Red Vanilla’s debut EP, Days of Grey (7 Jun). On 14 June, vinyl lovers should seek out the exclusive press of Everything There Is (Deluxe Edition) by Day Sleeper (Assai Records, 14 Jun), or Bonnie Tropical 7, a compilation of tracks from 16 different dance/techno artists from Paradise Palms Records, the label of the eponymous Edinburgh venue. For singles, Statue Made of Stone by Joe Hearty, Tomorrow by Marky Wildtype, The Experience by Leah-Brooklyn, D LAW by Nü Cros and Where We Begin by Alx Romance are all out on the 7th, while the end of the month sees Health and Beauty release PIKTRED (25 Jun), and Eve Simpson release More of You (26 Jun).

Scan the QR code to follow and like our Music Now: New Scottish Music playlist on Spotify, updated every Friday

Photo: Laura Meek

Susan Bear

Photo: Izzy Leach

Walt Disco

Film of the Month — Green Border

Director: Agnieszka Holland

Starring: Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Behi Djanati Atai, Mohamad Al Rashi, Dalia Naous, Taim Ajjan, Talia Ajjan, Tomasz Włosok, Malwina Buss, Monika Frajczyk, Jasmina Polak

RRRRR

Released 21 June by Modern Films

Certificate TBC

theskinny.co.uk/film

By producing and releasing Green Border, a fictional depiction of Poland’s refugee crisis and the inhumanity it engenders, legendary director Agnieszka Holland has used her clout to burn bridges with her home nation’s film body. At cinemas in Poland that receive state money, Green Border must play prefaced by a government video offering an ‘alternative’ view of the refugee crisis. This alone may be enough indication that film in general, and this film in particular, is a powerful tool.

The view of the situation shown in Green Border is harrowing. Holland divides the film, co-written with Maciej Pisuk and Gabriela Łazarkiewicz-Sieczko, into chapters. The first centres on a group of refugees who fly into Belarus to cross into neighbouring Poland – the closest EU country – through a razor wire-delineated forest crossing. If caught, they are shunted back and forth across the border by Belarussian and Polish guards who don’t want the responsibility of dead bodies on their side. A subsequent chapter introduces Polish humanitarian activists who work to get asylum seekers legal representation and due process. Another follows a border guard, who tries to keep his battalion life and activities separate from his home life with his pregnant partner. The film also dives into the life of a therapist who lives close to the military-controlled Exclusion Zone and witnesses refugee and border guard action firsthand, becoming radicalised in the process.

These varied viewpoints show a system utterly broken, where small kindnesses may prove futile in the face of statesponsored violence but are never worthless by

themselves. Holland and editor Pavel Hrdlička masterfully weave through these perspectives and lives, allowing each performance to bring full, rounded humanity to their characters without any of them devolving into archetypes.

Green Border is not devoid of lighthearted and even humorous moments, be it in youthful activist daring or teenage bonding across cultures. But what lingers most in the film is a sense that these vibrant lives are diverted and destroyed through no fault of their own, and full fault of those complicit with the exclusionary policies of Europe’s national leaders.

The least charitable reading of Green Border would be to say it is didactic, repetitive, unsubtle, but that seems to be the point. When thousands of people die every year trying to claim asylum – a human right enshrined since 1951, to little evident good – and when Western countries’ inhumane treatment of such migrants creates further social and moral problems, a subtle approach feels deflective rather than interrogatory. Until asylum-seeking is enshrined as a real as well as theoretical right, Green Border remains relevant.

The film’s opening shot is soaked in a deep green, swooping low over a forest before fading to the bleak yet crisp black and white that the rest of the film is shot in by cinematographer Tomasz Naumiuk. After the final chapter closes, an epilogue – set mere months after the film’s events – throws new, maddening light on the situation. Holland saves her strongest rage-inducing blow for last, and the effect is a call to action and reaffirmation of human dignity. [Carmen Paddock]

Scotland on Screen: Three Films by Duncan Cowles

Ahead of the world premiere of Duncan Cowles’ debut feature film Silent Men at Sheffield Doc/Fest, we look back at three of his recent short films

Words: Jamie Dunn

Filmography (selected): Silent Men ( 2024), Outlets ( 2022 ), Desire Lines ( 2022 ), Sighscape ( 2022 ), In the Company of Insects ( 2020), Just Agree Then ( 2018, co-directed with Ross Ho ), Taking Stock ( 2017), Alexithymia ( 2016), Two Minutes of Silence with Bob ( 2016), Isabella ( 2015, co-directed with Ross Ho ), Directed by Tweedie ( 2014), The Lady with the Lamp ( 2012 )

Sighscape

Sometimes a film’s logline need only be as long as its title. Think Snakes on a Plane, A Man Escaped or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Add Duncan Cowles’ Sighscape to that pile. It’s 60 seconds of, well, sighscapes – i.e. Cowles letting out a succession of increasingly hangdog exhales and groans over gorgeous images of seascapes.

The ingeniously simple short emerged after intense work making Scary Adult Things, Cowles’ 2021 documentary series exploring millennial malaise. It was a funny, heartfelt show that had Cowles’ brand of deadpan humour, meta-commentary and skew-whiff philosophy running through it, but it was also made for BBC Scotland, which meant it had to adhere to certain rules. “I’d had all these constraints while making the show,” Cowles explains. “Each episode had to be 28 minutes, had to have a certain element of signposting and that kind of thing, so I was desperate to do something that broke that formula.”

He was racking his brains for ideas, then one day while filming at the beach, and being particularly knackered by the thought of having to make a film, he had the Eureka moment. “I can’t remember now if I registered the sigh while I was doing it, or if it was a sigh that was present in one of the shots when I was watching it back, but somehow the connection was made – sighscapes! – and I thought it could be funny.”

Initially he planned to make individual sighscapes and just send them to friends for fun, but he began to realise they could work together as a micro-short film. As ever with Cowles, the resulting film is somewhat absurd but it also has deeper resonances. It’s a relatable expression of fatigue that we all feel from the grind of daily life – even when we have a gorgeous view to admire.

Outlets

Outlets, Cowles’ moving tribute to his late grandmother, explores topics he’s covered before: the enduring stru le of being a filmmaker, male emotional inarticulacy, the loss of a family member. He was initially worried about retreading old ground, though. “I’d already made a film about my grandad dying [2020’s In the Company of Insects]. So when my granny died, I was like, ‘I can’t just make another film about a dead grandparent.’” Unfortunately for Cowles, though, with every other idea he came up with, no matter what it was, his gran just kept creeping into it.

In true Cowles style, this context – the stru le to create while processing grief – became the content. One day, staring at a list of ideas he’d come up with and quickly abandoned, the film’s structure formed in his mind. “It just came to me, seeing all these ideas written down,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘I could do them all in one film, and then make the film about resisting the process of making the film.’”

For about a month, he made a film each day about one of these abandoned ideas, providing a meta voiceover of why they weren’t working and confessing that he keeps thinking about his gran. “I think it was an accurate depiction of how I was feeling,” he says. “Even though I was slightly recreating it and recording it after the fact, it was a sad process, and it was so therapeutic. Like, I would sit there editing it and crying. It’s a strange way to

process your grief, right? Other people might paint or whatever, but for me, this was my way to work through it.”

Desire Lines

I’ve always loved the idea of desire lines, those cheeky shortcuts off the officially designated pathways. I’d always thought they represented freedom: they’re paths that have been democratically voted on by people’s feet, not decided by square urban planners. Cowles’ Desire Lines shines them in a less flattering light, however.

The film was shot on Arthur’s Seat, one of Cowles’ regular stomping grounds. He’s been wandering that Edinburgh hill for years but recently started to pay attention to its crisscrossing paths. Around the same time, an old Guardian article about desire lines appeared on his timeline.

As well as expressions of people’s freedom to roam, Cowles started to see these paths in more sinister terms. “They show that people don’t follow the path, they sort of do their own thing.” In the film, Cowles has a God’s eye view, looking down from Arthur’s Seat on people (and sometimes dogs) as they scurry across the hill’s mess of desire lines, which, from his high vantage above, look more like scars on the landscape. In voiceover he asks, “If we’re taking shortcuts on this, what else are we taking shortcuts on?” Maybe they don’t represent freedom or democracy, but people’s innate selfishness. The film becomes a compelling musing on the tension we have in the modern world: order vs anarchy, free will vs collective responsibility or methodically sorting your recycling vs saying ‘fuck it! What do a few stray yoghurt pots matter?’

Sighscape is available to watch online at duncancowles.com/sighscape Outlets will be online soon

Desire Lines can be watched online from 5 Jun for World Environmental Day Silent Men has its world premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest on 13 & 14 Jun

duncancowles.com

Shop Local

Robin Grainger

Robin Grainger brings his ve-star show An Audient with Robin Grainger to Monkey Barrel Comedy Club in Edinburgh on 22 June and new show Refurb to Blackfriars in Glasgow on 11 July.

“It’s dope… as a comedian, you have no choice but to shine.”

- Kevin Hart

Sell-out, Fringe 2022/23

Support for Kevin Bridges, Milton Jones, Larry Dean, Adam Rowe

Out of the Blueprint

Fuelled by fury at the genocide in Palestine, artist Matilda Bull dedicated her residency at riso studio Out of the Blueprint to crafting powerful protest posters. Don’t miss the exhibition Flowers from Jericho at the Drill Hall until 30 June, and mark your calendar for poster fundraising days on 8 and 22 June – all proceeds supporting Medical Aid for Palestinians.

outoftheblueprint.org

The Stand

Over a quarter-century since The Stand was established in 1998, their clubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow have become synonymous with Scottish comedy. Frankie Boyle and Kevin Bridges are the biggest regular comedy titans to take the stage, having been the club's own discoveries. Bridges has called it his “comedy home and still the best club in the world” while Stewart Lee has dubbed it “arguably the world’s most perfect stand-up room”. This summer’s Fringe programme boasts 80+ shows but their weekly pro and newcomer nights run year-round from £5

Dundee Heritage Trust

Spectacular ora, wildlife and landscape photography in the atmospheric High Mill at Verdant Works, alongside a special exhibition of Dundee’s nature and unique heritage. Admission to the exhibition is included in museum entry; pay today and go free for the whole year!

International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition 17 Verdant Works Museum, 5 April – 28 August 2024 dundeeheritagetrust.co.uk/attraction/verdant-works

The Art Club

The Art Club's fabulous Paint & Wine evenings are the perfect night out, with Prosecco, popcorn and choccies thrown in. They give you expert guidance in creating your personal masterpiece from Basquiat to Botticelli, with music to match the mood. Come along and see what you can achieve any Saturday night at their New Town Studio, they also host hen parties and regular art classes.

Gift Vouchers are available.

Saturdays 7-9pm Beginners welcome. See you soon!

Indie Icons at The Liquid Room

Enjoy an unforgettable night of indie vibes in Edinburgh on Friday 26 July at The Liquid Rooms, featuring the incredible Frankly, The Smiths, The John Squire Experience and A Northern Soul. Immerse yourself in the timeless hits of these indie icons as the bands recreate your favourite indie anthems.

Robin Grainger

Photo: Craig MacCallum

Photo: Jay Dawson

The Stand

The Art Club

Photo: Jenny Rainolds

Indie Icons

Photo: Andrew Lenihan

The Beast

Director: Bertrand Bonello

Starring: Léa Seydoux, George MacKay rrrrr

“It’s violent. Psychiatric. Rather beautiful, I think,” Gabrielle (Seydoux) says. She’s staring at a painting as Louis (MacKay) stands with her, tethered to her every word. In such tender moments, it’s clear that Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast is violent, psychiatric, and rather beautiful too. In 2044, where AI dominates and human emotion has almost been eradicated, we meet Gabrielle. She’s one of the few humans who still brims with feeling, and is reluctantly attempting to “cleanse her DNA” by exploring her past lives. In her pasts and present, she’s repeatedly drawn to Louis while simultaneously filled with an indescribable fear. A romance for an uncertain future, The Beast holds love and loss as one. The film unfolds taut and sure of itself: in 2044 but also Paris in

Gasoline Rainbow

Director: Bill Ross, Turner Ross

Starring: Makai Garza, Micah Bunch, Nichole Dukes, Nathaly Garcia, Tony Aburto rrrrr

Gasoline Rainbow sees a bunch of American teenagers hitting the road, Kerouac-style, in a search for meaning – or at least a few good memories. Their journey takes them from their quiet Oregon hometown through Portland’s hipster haven and on to the coast. They meet up with all sorts of kind-hearted outcasts along the way, from daytime moshers and ageing skate gurus to a pair of young punks who teach them how to ride the rails.

Like the Ross Brothers’ previous film Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, this is not a documentary, but it is big on authenticity. It’s shot in a close-up, handheld-heavy way that lends it the clumsy heft of reality. The main cast – Tony Abuerto, Micah

1910 and LA in 2014. Bonello sparingly indulges in science fiction visuals: clinically futuristic spaces, all-too-empty streets, and technology that glows – a sudden bronze, a deep blue – with unknown potential. Seydoux carries the film with a performance at once generous and restrained. Her grace rests in an acute authenticity and we warm to it. MacKay, too, is unfaltering across three distinct characters (and accents) yet, somehow, manages to carry a core essence throughout. With slow, sunken scenes and an almost two-and-a-half-hour run time, The Beast is lengthy. Sometimes, it wants to overcomplicate itself. Narratives are sliced and sliced again; then, spliced together anew. However, it soon softens into itself and trades disorder for an accomplished simplicity. The Beast is instinctual, and gorgeously so.

[Eilidh Akilade]

Released 31 May by Curzon; certificate 15

Bunch, Nichole Dukes, Nathaly Garcia, Makai Garza – are all acting under their real names and, you suspect, bringing a lot of their real selves to the screen.

Sometimes, the under-scripted nature of Gasoline Rainbow works against it. The revelations on offer, while affectingly earnest, might not feel all that insightful to anyone who isn’t 18. The pacing can be a bit meandering too, although it does accurately capture the ebb and flow of a long trip. One minute they’re singing at the top of their lungs, the next they’ve slumped back into a weary silence. By the end, you’re left feeling a lot like the group probably will when they look back on their adventure. It’s hard to say how profound the whole experience was, though it sure was fun while it lasted.

[Ross McIndoe]

Released 31 May by MUBI; certificate TBC

The Bikeriders

Director: Jeff Nichols

Starring: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Karl Glusman rrrrr

The Bikeriders is a thrilling and sentimental tribute to Americana, male bonding, and the type of freedom that only a motorcycle and the open road promises. It’s also a tribute to Hollywood. After all, biker gangs are as American as apple pie: their iconic image brings to mind iconoclastic films, from Easy Rider to Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising

In a small, Midwestern town, Austin Butler is Benny, a bad boy with a heart of gold. Butler takes his Elvis swa er and moulds it into something edgier and more gravelly, laced with a gentleness that wins over Kathy, played with wide-eyed pluckiness by Jodie Comer, our spunky narrator. But the real love

Riddle of Fire Director: Weston Razooli Starring: Lio Tipton, Charles Halford, Charlie Stover, Skyler Peters, Phoebe Ferro rrrrr

We have a new entry into the timeless genre that is ‘Kids Doin’ Stuff’. Welcome, Riddle of Fire. Shot in fantastic 16mm, we join Hazel, Jodie and Alice, three rambunctious kids, in the impossible task of baking their mother a pie. High stakes indeed. What follows is a narrative much like a Russian nesting doll, or to borrow Shrek’s analogy, an onion. There’s layers! What starts as a simple errand winds up, through a series of hijinks, as a much more complicated affair. They meet a fairy, get sort of kidnapped, hike through the woods and shoot a lot of people (very accurately) with paintballs, all on their quest to obtain a single speckled e There’s a timelessness to Weston Razooli’s feature debut: it

story isn’t Benny and Kathy’s, it’s the homosocial brotherly bond between Benny and Johnny (Tom Hardy, doing his best Brando impersonation).

Cinema is littered with the history of tough-yet-soft boys like Benny and Johnny bonding together against the harsh reality of the mean streets – think West Side Story, The Warriors, The Outsiders Just like The Bikeriders’ cinematic predecessors, nothing gold can last. Through Kathy’s flashbacks, we see the gang’s devolution from a misfit’s refuge into a viper’s nest of toxic machismo and violence for violence’s sake. It’s a story we’ve seen done before but there’s a delightful joy in taking part in the familiar ritual, a cinematic tale as old as time aided by nostalgic needle drops – from the Shangri-Las to The Animals – that will send shivers down any cinephile’s spine. [Katie Driscoll]

seems to exist simultaneously in the present day, the 80s, and some nether zone time can’t touch. Its quasi-medieval score and the whimsical nature of the gloriously warm cinematography are partly responsible for this feeling, as is the stilted, often awkward dialogue between the characters. It’s fantastical without being overbearing, though the film suffers a little from pacing issues – if it had been 20 minutes shorter it wouldn’t have suffered much. Riddle of Fire’s imaginative narrative often feels like playing make-believe as a kid did: unencumbered, joyful, weird and inevitably confused. A quirky little journey of a film that signals the arrival of an exciting new director, it is well worth a watch. It’ll also make you crave blueberry pie, so do proceed with caution. [Emilie Roberts]

Released 7 Jun by Icon Film; certificate 12A

The Bikeriders

The Beast

Riddle of Fire

Gasoline Rainbow

Released 21 Jun by Universal; certificate 15

Why Would Feminists Trust the Police?

By Leah Cowan RRRRR

In Why Would Feminists Trust the Police?, Leah Cowan traces the history of British feminist organising from the turn of the 20th century to the present day, probing the ways in which different factions of the feminist movement have both resisted and been complicit in the mechanisms of the state, nation and empire.

The early strides towards women’s suffrage and its ties to policing and fascism; mid-century movements splintering over workingclass solidarity and the inclusion of women of colour; the weaponisation of women’s safety as a justification for violent policing – Cowan astutely unpicks the persistent and paradoxical way that feminist advancements have coincided with ‘sharpening the knives of border enforcement and ramping up the violence of the carceral state and its welfare abandonment, as meted out by police and prisons in the name of women’s safety.’

Her historical depth is impressive, casting a celebratory gaze back to the grassroots organising of working-class, migrant and racialised women which is so often omitted and overlooked. The book is peppered with interviews – with activists, advocates, service providers and survivors – which build a vibrant picture of a world where communities take care and safety into their own hands. Above all, Cowan approaches her abolitionist arguments with a clear expertise and care, and her exploration of the ways in which carceral policies impact marginalised communities reflects her career in the sector. Her searing critiques of the state are calm and cutting, but her visions of an alternative are tender and hopeful. [Paula Lacey]

Verso, 11 Jun

By Julia Armfield RRRRR

Private Rites follows three estranged sisters navigating a waterlo ed city and the quotidian fall-outs of living through climate disaster. They are brought back together to clear out White Horse, their recently deceased father’s home and floating architectural magnum opus.

Our protagonists are flawed and sometimes dislikeable but fully drawn with rich personalities and relationships: eldest Isla is recently divorced and at odds with herself; Irene can’t give up the past to create a future with her partner Jude, and their half-sister Agnes lives on the peripheries, encountering intimacy fleetingly and always ready to run.

The setting of an interminable climate disaster permeates the novel, with pragmatic details around city infrastructure adapting through constant floods and grassroots queer club nights still happening during the apocalypse. The novel moves slowly, echoing the sense of the characters treading water, not quite ready to look down at what might be beneath the surface. A speculative reimagining of King Lear, it is unsurprising that the spectre of the patriarch Stephen Carmichael looms large. However, Armfield chooses to highlight the beauty and tension of the sisters’ relationships with each other and their self-made lives.

Those familiar with Armfield’s prose, either through her debut novel Our Wives Under the Sea or her short story collection salt slow will be unsurprised to find Private Rites a similar masterclass in lyrical descriptions, tension and tactility, and atmospheric settings. [Katalina Watt]

Parade

By Rachel Cusk RRRRR

Rachel Cusk’s latest novel is filled with the direct, clean prose that readers returning to her work will find familiar. She writes with a clarity which feels unusual and initially disorienting; in Parade there are at least four artists named only ‘G’ and their associated network of characters never named. This elision leaves a slipstream into which the reader falls, relying on context and the elevated attention to characterisation Cusk employs to locate ourselves within the text.

Confusing perhaps, and yet Cusk captures the visceral imagination succinctly. Grounded in the concrete world, she uses this clarity to traverse the interior landscapes of her characters, each picked to follow for a while as a glance might land on something and linger. Looking, or rather perception, is a core preoccupation of the novel, exploring as it does what constitutes the real and the reality of perception. It flicks back and forth between characters; a couple that rarely breaks from the unit of ‘we’ becomes ‘I’ during a moment of violence perpetrated against the woman, leaving us with the subjectivity of violence and expanding into all of the unseen violence of motherhood. Perhaps all that is missing in this survey of nuclear family and romantic relationships is queerness, the only queer character a brother in the far distance. Cusk is critiquing the patriarchal dynamics hidden within the traditional family and so it follows there are no queers, yet their presence feels conspicuous and missed.

[Marguerite Carson]

Experienced

By Kate Young RRRRR

The premise of Experienced by Kate Young is simple: Bette has recently come out, after ten years in the closet. She delights in the ease and joy of her relationship with her girlfriend Mei. But Bette finds herself floundering when Mei su ests that they separate for three months so that she can catch up on a decade worth of sexual experiences, as Young transforms this familiar plotline into a deliciously awkward personal saga.

Experienced could be cast as a coming-of-age novel, but we are told from the outset that Bette is 30 years old. It is refreshing and genuinely reassuring to read about the sexual identity crisis of a protagonist on the wrong side of 25. This book stands as proof and a comfort to all who, like Bette, are still working things out after their twenties.

While Experienced is delightful in so many ways, Young stumbles at the ending: we can see Bette’s true love on the horizon far too early, so we never feel the true threat of her despair or confusion. But despite all this, the joy of Experienced is in large part due to Young’s exploration of the myriad of ways in which love can manifest. From the intimate, domestic love shared between housemates to the sparkling giddiness of a new romantic love, Experienced is testament to all the ridiculous, testing and deeply affirming aspects of love.

[Laila Ghaffar]

4th Estate, 11 Jun

Faber, 6 Jun

Private Rites

CHANCHO, EDINBURGH

Edinburgh cocktail aces Hey Palu head to Leith with the excellent agave-focused bar, Chancho

Chancho, 7 Bernard St, Edinburgh

Tue-Thu 5-11.30pm, Fri 5pm-1am, Sat 4pm-1am

@chancho_edi

Chancho is the latest in a spate of Mexican-inflected openings across Scotland. All of a sudden, tacos seem to be lurking around every corner, which feels like a combination of cost-of-living reaction and a non-coordinated attempt to backfill gaps in the food scene. Cozzy livs because you can get decent money for tacos but they’re often small and use a lot of repeat ingredients; non-coordinated because if this was coordinated, you’d surely want to give everyone a bit of downtime between all the birria-comparing.

Stepping into the breach are the folk behind the excellent Edinburgh cocktail bar Hey Palu, one of the top cocktail bars in the country, with a new mezcal and tequila-first cocktail spot. It’s the hottest day of the year as we wander down by The Shore, and while the day is slowly turning to night the temperature is stubbornly refusing to drop. It is roasting; ideal tequila-drinking conditions.

Outside, Chancho offers a flash of bright yellow, and a huge window coated in cactus-inspired decals. Inside, it’s working with a similar vibe to its city centre sibling. Unfussy

wooden tables, a comfy leather bench down one wall and exposed brick down the other. Flashes of colour and greenery, an enormous yellow neon extolling the word ‘YUZU’; it’s your classic low-lit, trendy but respectful bar fit-out.

As for the drinks, it’s a selection of agave-based cocktails. These aren’t showy or overblown drinks – they look nice, but there’s no dramatic garnishes or smoke domes or random stuff attached with clothes pegs. What they do have is flavour, and complexity. The Pastello (£10.50) is a sweet and surprisingly refreshing mix of tequila, mezcal, apricot and mango. It’s light, sugary without being too syrupy, and the gigantic ice cube in the glass keeps everything nice and chill. The Picante (£10.50) is… well, it’s picante. Chilli, lime, and a nice pastel-pink colour to lull you into a false sense of security before the spice catches you out.

At the stronger end of the scale, the Tequila Martini (£10.50) is a punchy, crystal clear example of the form, the condensation glistening in the light. We cannot stress this enough: it is a very warm day. The hit of the night is the Mezcaloni (£11), a bitter, zingy, fire engine-red drink with another one of those mega ice cubes, and garnished with the most fragrant piece of lemon we’ve sniffed in ages. Is it dehydrated? Is it some

kind of olfactory illusion, like squinting at a magic eye picture but for your nose? Is it just a really good lemon? Whatever it is, it’s lovely, while the drink itself is a well-rounded sipper with a real kick.

There’s something about Chancho that gives it a real holiday vibe. That could be the heat – these ice cubes are holding up miraculously, but after a day out in some actual sunshine it feels like we might burst into flames – or it could be the rare focus on tequilas and mezcals rather than more expected spirits. It could be the decor, or it could even be that weirdly wide continental pavement outside. Bars in Edinburgh don’t have standing room outside; we all just huddle in the doorway! Whatever it is, Chancho has captured a bit of sunshine in this corner of Leith... the paint job! Maybe that’s what it is! Head down and see what you reckon – no need to wait for the next mini-heatwave.

Words: Peter Simpson

Image courtesy of Chancho

Image courtesy of Chancho

Dream Gig

Online comic Zara Gladman (of West End Mum fame) gives us a Dream Gig which will leave you wanting mor…dor

Illustration: Manhoor Khan

My best gig happened just a few months ago. After dipping in and out of comedy for over 12 years, I finally committed and performed my debut hour at Òran Mór.

I’m one of those so-called ‘TikTok’ comedians. Since the pandemic, I’ve built a following for my characters, the most popular of which is ‘Aileen’, an oat-milk slurping, Pilatesgoing snobby mum from the West End of Glasgow. Encouraged by the Glasgow International Comedy Festival team, I registered my show, having no idea if anyone would want to come.

As it turned out, 270 people wanted to come – the show sold out! I booked a second show, which sold out too. Holy shit! Keenly aware of the potential pitfalls of transitioning from screen to stage – and let’s be honest, the snobbery directed towards ‘online’ comedians – I spent the next five months preparing. I was desperate to get it right. In between working full time, my evenings and weekends were spent obsessively writing, filming and editing, practising in my living room and hassling friends for feedback. There was no ‘work in progress’, I went all in.

So here’s the twist: I didn’t bomb. I had the time of my life! The show, which was perhaps foolishly complicated for a debut with costume changes, a live band, props and untested sketches, worked. Of course there were some pre-show nerves, but they quickly melted away thanks to my gorgeous audience who (as predicted by social media analytics) were ~60% women, of all ages. I even got to wear a Britney mic! I’ll never forget it. Good job I’m getting to do the show all over again this month.

From Òran Mór to Òran… Mordor: my dream gig would take place at the summit of Mount Doom, Middle Earth. How’s that for a gear shift?

The audience comprises various characters from Lord of the Rings, plus ageing millennials who Livejournalled their way through the 2000s, holding heated debates on who’s hotter: Aragorn or Faramir.

Gollum hosts. He’s gained a loyal online following for his offbeat, playful and sometimes surreal DIY videos, reminiscent of early Limmy (you’re not telling me Gollum wouldn’t put a spider in his mouth). His unconventional crowd work involves slapping audience members with a wet fish and shrieking “JUICY SWEET!”

Treebeard is a relative newcomer on the scene, having recently branched out (sorry) from acting to stand-up. His

excruciatingly slow delivery means that he only manages a single one-liner during his five-minute spot: “I tried to write a joke about oak trees. But it was too a-corny!”

Aragorn bombs. But nobody cares, cos he’s hot.

The middle (Earth) spot goes to Shelob, the only spider on the lineup – the giant, flesh-eating arachnid community remains under-represented in comedy. Shelob fearlessly tackles taboo subjects like incest or feasting on your own kids.

Sauron, a comedy critic for The SmeagLOL lurks at the back, rolling his eye at hack material.

The bar is inexplicably staffed by Paul McCartney, who keeps the audience well-watered with his signature margaritas. He also doubles up as a musical act, performing his ‘Meat Free Monday’ rap during the interval. This deeply offends the orc community who are adamant that “meat’s back on the menu, boys!”

Meanwhile in the green room, Gimli – an alternative comic known for his underground gigs in the Mines of Moria – makes awkward chat with Faramir, an open spot who was heckled off the stage by his dad after five minutes. Other acts include Eowyn (“one to watch” – The Nazgûl) and Legolas, who trained at clown school and won’t shut up about it.

The standout performer is Galadriel (“a rising, elven star” – The Rivendell Chronicle), who holds up a magical mirror to the unrealistic beauty standards entrenched in elf culture, leaving the audience in bits.

After the gig, the audience vote on their favourite performers; the losers are cast into the fires of Mount Doom. The surviving acts head to Paesano (the Balrog always orders a number 4, Saruman loves a 6) then Sleazy’s where Pippin and Merry are DJing (pastoral folk floor-fillers).

Zara Gladman & Friends, Òran Mór, Glasgow, 13 Jun, 7pm, £10, as part of WestFest @zaragladman on Tiktok / @zanyzaz on Instagram and Twitter

Glasgow Music

Mon 27 May

JAY SEAN

SWG3 19:00–22:30 Pop from London.

Tue 28 May

DANNY BROWN SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Rap from the US.

FLORRY

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Country folk from Philadelphia.

DJ HARAM [LIVE] (NAAFI)

THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Bass/club from New York.

BURD ELLEN (MICHAEL KASPARIS) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Folk from Glasgow.

Wed 29 May

BAD BAD HATS (NIAMH MORRIS) BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from the US. CANAAN COX STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Country from the US.

NICKI MINAJ THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the US.

Supported by Listings

Looking for something to do? Well you’re in the right place! Find listings below for the month ahead across Music, Clubs, Theatre, Comedy and Art in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. To find out how to submit listings, head to theskinny.co.uk/listings

LEMONCELLO THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Alt folk from Ireland.

MI CASA ROOM 2 19:00–22:30 Pop from South Africa. Thu 30 May

GRAYLING ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Glasgow. KING TUT’S PRESENTS: HAVER + THE CLAES + THE REGRETS + THE STOTES KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Ecletic lineup.

ADAM ROSS MONO, 19:30–22:30 Indie folk from Scotland. 49 WINCHESTER SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Country from the US. INFINITY SONG THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rock from New York. NEW RULES BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Pop from the UK and Ireland.

BELUGA LAGOON BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Scotland. HONEYBLOOD STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Glasgow.

BRENDA (PINK POUND + THE LOWEST BITTER) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Synth punk from Glasgow. ZUNG! (QUINIE) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Experimental from Glasgow.

NATHAN BELL THE RUM SHACK, 19:30–22:30 Folk and roots from Tennessee.

UPCHUCK (HANDCUFF) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Punk from Atlanta. Fri 31 May

BARRY ADAMSON (NADINE KHOURI) KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Rock from the UK.

LOU THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Pop punk from Telford.

HANNAH WICKLUND THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rock from the US.

WARRINGTONRUNCORN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PLAN (SULK ROOMS [ THOMAS RAGSDALE] + DOHNAVÚR)

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Indie from the UK.

JANE’S ADDICTION

BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Rock from LA.

SUNKEN

STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Black metal from Denmark.

GROTESQUERIES THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Death metal from the US.

CLAIRE ROUSAY THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Ambient from the US.

DANA GAVANSKI (BINGO FURY )

THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Canada. CHERRY GLAZERR ROOM 2, 19:00–22:30 Rock from LA. Sat 01 Jun

PG CIARLETTA (CLOAKS) KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Scotland. THE KATUNS SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from West Lothian.

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM (GAEREA + MORTIFERM) THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Black metal from Washington. SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Synth punk from California. THE KIDNEY FLOWERS (COWBOY HUNTERS + OPIUM CLIPPERS + THE BUCKET CHUCKERS) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–22:30 Pop from Glasgow. FAT SALAMI (MIXED SIGNALS + NECRONIC) ROOM 2 19:00–22:30 Rock from Scotland. Sun 02 Jun

RICHARD HAWLEY BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Sheffield. BXRRELL STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Singer-songwriter from the UK.

GIRLI ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Indie pop from London. HAMMOK (VOS ROUGH + JOROGUMO) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Hardcore from Norway.

Mon 03 Jun

LA PRIEST

STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Space pop. VIR THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Improv from Glasgow. Tue 04 Jun

WOLF EYES BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Experimental from Detroit. LAYLOW (PETER JOHNSTONE + ANDY MIDDLETON TRIO) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Jazz.

PET SHOP BOYS THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Synth pop from London. SCOTT LAVENE THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Alt indie from London. Wed 05 Jun

MACKENZY MACKAY KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Indie rock from the UK. THE CLOVERHEARTS NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–22:30 Celtic punk from Australia. R.A.P. FERREIRA (AJ SUEDE + G'S US + ELDON + DESTRUCTION IS THE MASTERPLAN) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–22:30 Rap from the US. GROUP LISTENING (ANCIENT PLASTIX) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Modern composition. RATBOYS (LANDE HEKT) THE RUM SHACK, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Chicago. Thu 06 Jun

DEAP VALLY KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Rock from LA.

REDOLENT SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Glasgow. CANNIBAL OX STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Hip-hop from New York. MIKE NISBET THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland. THE SENSORY ILLUSIONS (ABY VULLIAMY ) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Jazz pop from Glasgow. THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rock from LA. Fri 07 Jun

STEVEN ROTHERY ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Prog rock from the UK. RUBY WATERS (TONI SANCHO) KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Alt indie from Canada. NICK SHANE SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Dundee. ODDISEE THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rap from DC. RANDOM RULES, RADIO FREE ALICE BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Ecletic lineup. JAMES KING AND THE LONE WOLVES STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Rock ‘n’ roll from Glasgow. FIEVEL IS GLAUQUE (BERNICE) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Psychedelic jazz pop from New York/Belgium. BLUE ROSE CODE ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Jazz from Scotland. HOW TO SWIM (THE SLACKHEAD INCIDENT + DANIEL DREVER) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Indie pop from Glasgow.

JAMES (RAZORLIGHT) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rock from Manchester. AFTERLANDS (JILL LOREAN + RICK REDBEARD) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Scotland. Sat 08 Jun

STEVEN ROTHERY ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Prog rock from the UK. THE IMAGINEERS KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Alt rock from Glasgow. HAZY SUNDAYS NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–22:30 Indie rock from Glasgow. THE KAVES SWG3 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Glasgow. IMPERIAL WAX (CURDLE) BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from the UK. SIMPLE KID STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Folk from Ireland. RICHIE CULVER (SOCKETHEAD + SHELL COMPANY + HEAT) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Experimental electronica.

GNAWA TRANCE FUSION THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Trance fusion. GIRLS ALOUD THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the UK. JAMES OLIVER BAND (LIZ JONES + BROKEN WINDOWS) DRYGATE BREWING CO., 19:30–22:30 Blues rock from Wales. GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie from London. GLASGOW STREET SOUNDS PRESENTS

DANIEL LADDS + HAYSTACK MONOLITH + JOHN TAYLOR SPENCE + GINGER NETTLE ROOM 2, 19:00–22:30 Ecletic lineup. Sun 09 Jun

DENVER NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Rock from Scotland. DANNY MELLIN THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Oxford. OTIS GIBBS THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Americana.

GIRLS ALOUD

THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the UK.

MIKE WATT AND IL SOGNO DEL MARINAIO

THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Avant rock from Italy.

Mon 10 Jun

CHROMEO

SWG3 19:00–22:30 Electro funk from Canada.

GL2024 7 (HEY LONELY PLANET, COMFORT GIRL)

STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Emo from Glasgow. GIRLS ALOUD THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the UK.

Tue 11 Jun

PILLOW QUEENS

ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Indie rock from Dublin.

UNHARM THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Jazz.

DOJA CAT (HEMLOCKE SPRINGS)

THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rap from the US.

CHASTITY BELT (MEAGRE MARTIN) ROOM 2, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from the US.

Wed 12 Jun

JODIE NICHOLSON

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Alt pop from the UK.

FANNA-FI-ALLAH SUFI

QAWWALI

ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Sufi Qawwali music. THE MAGPIES

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Folk and Americana. THE SMASHING PUMPKINS (WEEZER) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Alt rock from Chicago.

Thu 13 Jun

BLUE VIOLET

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Alt indie from Scotland.

YOUTH FOR SALE (HOMEWORK + ROAN) MONO, 20:00–22:30 Indie from Glasgow. MT. JOY SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Folk rock from the US. ELI ‘PAPERBOY’ REED THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Soul from the US.

KATY KIRBY BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Nashville.

TIJUANA BIBLES ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Rock from Glasgow.

CALEB NICHOLS (DAYYDREAM + RADIO BANTER) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Wales. ASTREL K THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Alt indie from Stockholm. Fri 14 Jun

BIKINI KILL

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Punk from Washington.

FRUIT TONES (EEL MEN)

THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Psych from Manchester. Sat 15 Jun

KS CHITHRA O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 16:00–20:30 Classical from India. PEATBOG FAERIES SWG3 19:00–22:30 Trad from Scotland. THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS (CAULDRON) THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Mathcore from Georgia.

Sun 16 Jun

MAX & IGGOR KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Heavy metal from Brazil. FAT WHITE FAMILY THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rock from London.

SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: UN:TITLED ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Classical from Scotland.

COZY TOWN WITH L.T. LEIF THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Scotland.

Mon 17 Jun

MACHINE HEAD

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Metal from the US. BER SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from the US. CHARLOTTE SANDS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Emo pop from the US. KATE CLOVER BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Punk from LA.

Tue 18 Jun

MANNEQUIN PUSSY

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Rock from Philadelphia. JAMES MARRIOTT

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie from the UK.

TOBY JEPSON

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rock from the UK.

BILLY TALENT

BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Canada. POOLSIDE STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Nu-disco and chillwave from LA.

DYLAN GOSSETT

OLD FRUITMARKET GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Country from Texas. HOWIE REEVE & COD O'DONNELL (NYLA) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Folk and pop from Scotland.

Wed 19 Jun

MICHELLE WILLIS THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Jazz.

BLACK UMFOLOSI THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Imbube music from Zimbabwe.

Thu 20 Jun

JIM MULLEN TRIO ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Jazz from Scotland. UNDERSIDE KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Metal from Nepal. WHEN CHAI MET TOAST BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Folk pop from India. MAMA TERRA ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Jazz from Scotland. GLEN BRIELLE THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Prog from Glasgow.

SLIME CITY THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie pop from Glasgow.

Fri 21 Jun

KYOTO JAZZ MASSIVE ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Jazz from Japan.

VIDA + JORDAN ALLEN + THE DEENYS

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Ecletic lineup.

SOVEREIGNS

SWG3 19:30–22:30 Indie rock from the UK.

KITTI ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Jazz from Paisley.

LEWSBERG (NIGHTSHIFT + BLUE KANUES) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Rock pop from Rotterdam.

RAINBOW GIRLS

THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie from LA. Sat 22 Jun

HAMISH STUART

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Funk from Scotland.

ANCHOR LANE (LO RAYS) KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Rock from the UK. NOTION

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from the UK. THE CRAILS STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Post punk from Glasgow.

BOBBY WATSON

ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Jazz from the US.

FAYE MACCALMAN (DAVID BOWDEN) THE GLAD CAFE, 13:00–16:00 Jazz.

DD DRAGON THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Hip-hop from Dundee.

CSS

DRYGATE BREWING CO., 19:00–22:30 Rock from Brazil. Sun 23 Jun

GLASGOW IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA WITH ORPHY ROBINSON ST LUKE’S, 19:30–22:30 Jazz from the UK.

WALL SUN SUN THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 20:00–22:30 Pop from Glasgow. PIPPA BLUNDELL THE GLAD CAFE, 13:00–16:00 Jazz.

TRAPPIST AFTERLAND (KITCHEN CYNICS + HENRY PARKER) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Acid folk from Australia. DOSS THE RUM SHACK, 19:00–22:30 Post-punk from Glasgow. SLOW FLAME THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Glasgow. Sat 29 Jun

TROYE SIVAN THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from Australia.

Mon 24 Jun

THE SHIRES ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Country from the UK. ALVVAYS

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from Canada. I MONSTER KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30

Electronica from Sheffield. ABBATH SWG3 19:00–22:30 Doom metal from Norway.

Tue 25 Jun

RISKEE AND THE RIDICULE STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Grime punk from Kent. OVER THE MOON THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Roots and Americana from the Rocky Mountains. THE KILLERS THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rock from Las Vegas.

Wed 26 Jun

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Soul from the US.

ALYSSA BONAGURA SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Country from Nashville.

STEPHANIE LAMPREA STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Classical from the US. THE KILLERS THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rock from Las Vegas. DUAN & DÀNA THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Celtic from Scotland.

Thu 27 Jun

TY SEGALL

QUEEN MARGARET UNION, 19:00–22:30 Alt from the US. CORE. X OUTBREAK PRESENT: MODERN COLOUR (BUG BATH, OVERSIZE) STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Rock from California. ORA COGAN THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Psych from Vancouver Island. THE KILLERS THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rock from Las Vegas. ADAM STAFFORD THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30

Post-punk from Falkirk. Fri 28 Jun

CALUM MACPHAIL

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Folk from Fort William.

DLÙ SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Trad from Glasgow. CORE. X OUTBREAK

PRESENT: THE WORLD

IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Connecticut.

CANAAN COX

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–22:30 Country from the US. BAD ACTRESS (THE WICKED JACKALS) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Hard rock from Inverness. Sat 01 Jun

BIG VERN ‘N’ THE SHOOTAHS ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Funk from the UK. DEAD SEA SOULS

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Scotland.

METH THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Heavy metal from Chicago. LILY BELL PENNY THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland. DEATH LENS THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Britrock from the UK. Sun 30 Jun

I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from the US. BIB

STEREO, 19:00–22:00 Hardcore from Omaha. PRINC€ SS (SPINNEY ) THE HUG AND PINT,

19:30–22:30 Pop from Ireland.

Edinburgh Music

Mon 27 May

FLORRY (TACK + GURRY WURRY )

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Country folk from Philadelphia.

DARREN KIELY

THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Folk pop from Ireland.

Tue 28 May

JOEL HOEKSTRA & BRANDON GIBBS (JOEY WIT)

BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Acoustic from the UK.

Wed 29 May

THE EMERALD DAWN (MARLEY DAVIDSON)

BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Prog rock from the UK.

BURD ELLEN

SUMMERHALL, 19:30–22:30 Folk from Glasgow.

Thu 30 May

WARRINGTONRUNCORN NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PLAN

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie from the UK.

KRISSY MATTHEWS BAND

BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Blues rock from the UK.

Fri 31 May

JO JET I MARIA RIBOT

WEE RED BAR, 19:0022:00 Indie pop.

DOOM SCROLLER (MIDI PAUL)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Experimental pop from Edinburgh.

KERRANG’D

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Emo, pop and punk. MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES CABARET VOLTAIRE, 19:00–22:00 Folk pop from the UK.

THESE WICKED RIVERS (SHE BURNS RED) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Derby. RHYTHM & REVOLUTION (ZORACLE + ECHO HOTEL COLLECTIVE) SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:30 Jazz from Edinburgh. DRIFT PRESENTS ELOI (NIKHITA + TONI MCVEY B2B SSID) LOST IN LEITH BAR & FERMENTARIA, 19:00–22:30 Neo-soul from Scotland. GENDER PUNK, COMFORT WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Riot grrrl and punk.

Sun 02 Jun

AMPLIFI (CHLOE MATHARU + DILJEET KAUR BHACHU + MIWA NAGATOAPTHORP) THE QUEEN’S HALL, 17:00–22:30 Folk from Scotland.

SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE (HENS BENS + SARAH/ SHAUN) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Synth punk from California. THE JIG SHOW WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Country and folk.

Mon 03 Jun

CROOKED LITTLE SONS BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Punk rock from the UK. RICHARD HAWLEY USHER HALL, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Sheffield.

Tue 04 Jun

MARCO MENDOZA TRIO (WHITESNAKE + THIN LIZZY + THE DEAD DAISIES) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Bass from the US. R.A.P. FERREIRA SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:30 Rap from the US. THE CLOVERHEARTS SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Punk from Australia.

Wed 05 Jun

KRIS DREVER BAND THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:30 Folk from Scotland. REDOLENT SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie from Glasgow.

Thu 06 Jun

JAMES OLIVER BAND (LIZ JONES + BROKEN WINDOWS) THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Blues rock from Wales. VIKING SKULL (GURT) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Heavy metal from the UK. ROZALEN THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Spain. GROUP LISTENING + ANCIENT PLASTIX + DAYYDREAM SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Instrumental from Wales.

GRAD SHOW GIG WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Acoustic and folk. Fri 07 Jun

MICKEY O’BRIEN THE BONGO CLUB, 19:00–22:30 Hip-hop from Canada. ALEX LOWE (HURRICANE # 1) (CRAIG WEIR) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Rock from the UK. THE CASTROS THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Indie from Fife.

Sat 08 Jun

TEN BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Hard rock Manchester. PORKPIE THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:30 Ska from Scotland.

GEORGE HINCHLIFFE’S UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:30 Classical from the UK.

RANDOM RULES: RADIO FREE ALICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie from Naarm/Melbourne.

Sun 09 Jun

GUEVARA + INSIDER TRADING + DOT PIXIS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Post-punk from Glasgow.

Tue 11 Jun

BETH GIBBONS USHER HALL, 19:00–22:30 Trip hop from the UK.

Wed 12 Jun

THE MARY’S + CHERRY

RED SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Folk rock.

Fri 14 Jun

HAPPY SPASTICS (GNASHER + DYSTOPIAN FUTURES)

BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Punk from Edinburgh. THE JACK FLETCHER BAND SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Wolverhampton.

WILDCARD THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock.

Sat 15 Jun

EMILY DUFF

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Rock ‘n’ roll from New York. SAME MOON IN THE SAME WORLD THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:30 Jazz from the UK.

KURTZ WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Alternative and indie. TRIOSMASH (KULTURA + FULL FAT AND THE ACADEMICS) THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Rock and blues.

Sun 16 Jun

LA DOLCE VITA SWING COLLECTIVE THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Jazz from the US. HIMALAYAS SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Rock from Cardiff. CALEB NICOLS (STUFFED ANIMALS + MOUNT MISERY ) WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Indie and rock.

SWIM DEEP THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Grunge pop. Mon 17 Jun

SUFFOCATION LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Metal.

Tue 18 Jun

THE LAFONTAINES SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Rock from Motherwell. FENNE LILY THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Alt folk from Bristol.

Wed 19 Jun

WHEN CHAI MET TOAST SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Folk pop from India. JAMES MARRIOTT LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Indie from the UK. TOBY JEPSON THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Rock from the UK.

Thu 20 Jun

TROY REDFERN BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Indie blues from the UK. MANZANITA Y SU CONJUNTO (LOS CHICHANOS + SAMEDIA SHEBEEN) THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Psych from Peru.

Fri 21 Jun

BERNARD BUTLER THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from the UK.

JET STREAM (ARMS AGAINST + THE FUTURE US) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from the UK. CALLUM BEATTIE USHER HALL, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland.

GAFF (SAVE FACE + MANGO MANGO MANGO + PEPLO) WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Alt and pop.

Sat 22 Jun

LOL GOODMAN BAND BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Blues rock from Manchester.

CALLUM BEATTIE USHER HALL, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland. THE SHIRES (ALYSSA BONAGURA) THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:30 Country from the UK. Sun 23 Jun

LYDIA BENNETT SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Singer-songwriter from Edinburgh. NORTH BY NORTH WEST THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Ecletic lineup.

Tue 25 Jun

ZACH PEARSON (THE BLUE BONNETS (KATHY VALENTINETHE GO - GO’S)) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30

Thu 27 Jun

XIII DOORS (CARBELLION) BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:30 Metal from Ireland. CRUSHED SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Dream pop from LA.

Regular Glasgow club nights

The Rum Shack

SATURDAYS (THIRD OF THE MONTH)

MOJO WORKIN’

Soul party feat. 60s R&B, motown, northern soul and more!

SATURDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH)

LOOSEN UP

Afro, disco and funtimes with three of the best record collections in Glasgow and beyond.

Sub Club

SATURDAYS SUBCULTURE

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft' joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

FRIDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH)

RETURN TO MONO

SLAM’s monthly Subbie residency sees them joined by some of the biggest names in international techno.

Cathouse

WEDNESDAYS

CATHOUSE WEDNESDAYS

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best pop-punk, rock and Hip-hop.

THURSDAYS

UNHOLY

Cathouse's Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up.

FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS Screamy, shouty, posthardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style.

SATURDAYS CATHOUSE SATURDAYS Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs.

SUNDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH)

HELLBENT

From the fab fierce family that brought you Catty Pride comes Cathouse Rock Club’s new monthly alternative drag show.

SUNDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH) FLASHBACK

Pop party anthems and classic cheese from DJ Nicola Walker.

SUNDAYS (THIRD OF THE MONTH)

CHEERS FOR THIRD

SUNDAY

DJ Kelmosh takes you through Mid-Southwestern emo, rock, new metal, nostalgia and 90s and 00s tunes.

SUNDAYS (LAST OF THE MONTH)

SLIDE IT IN Classic rock through the ages from DJ Nicola Walker.

The Garage

Glasgow

MONDAYS

BARE MONDAYS

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

TUESDAYS

#TAG TUESDAYS

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

WEDNESDAYS GLITTERED! WEDNESDAYS

DJ Garry Garry Garry in G2 with chart remixes, along with beer pong competitions all night.

Regular Edinburgh club nights

Cabaret Voltaire

FRIDAYS

FLY CLUB

Edinburgh and Glasgowstraddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.

SATURDAYS

PLEASURE

Regular Saturday night at Cab Vol, with residents and occasional special guests.

The Bongo Club

TUESDAYS

MIDNIGHT BASS, 23:00

Big basslines and small prices form the ethos behind this weekly Tuesday night, with drum'n'bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage aplenty.

FRIDAYS (THIRD OF THE MONTH)

ELECTRIKAL, 23 00

Sound system and crew, part of a music and art collective specialising in BASS music.

FRIDAYS (MONTHLY, WEEK CHANGES)

SOUND SYSTEM LEGA-

CIES, 23 00

Exploring the legacy of dub, reggae and roots music and sound system culture in the contemporary club landscape.

FRIDAYS (EVERY OTHER MONTH)

DISCO MAKOSSA, 23 00

Disco Makossa takes the dancefloor on a funk-filled trip through the sounds of African disco, boogie and house – strictly for the dancers.

FRIDAYS (EVERY OTHER MONTH)

OVERGROUND, 23 00

A safe space to appreciate all things rave, jungle, breakbeat and techno.

FRIDAYS (FIRST OR LAST OF THE MONTH) HEADSET, 23 00 Skillis and guests playing garage, techno, house and bass downstairs, with old school hip hop upstairs.

SATURDAYS (FIRST OR SECOND OF THE MONTH)

MESSENGER, 23 00

Roots reggae rocking since 1987 – foundation tune, fresh dubs, vibes alive, rockers, steppers, rub-a-dub.

SATURDAYS (MONTHLY )

MUMBO JUMBO, 23 00 Everything from disco, funk and soul to electro and house: Saturday night party music all night long.

SATURDAYS (MONTHLY )

SOULSVILLE INTERNATIONAL, 23 00 International soulful sounds.

SATURDAYS (EVERY OTHER MONTH) PULSE, 23 00 Techno night started in 2009 hosting regular special guests from the international scene.

Sneaky Pete’s

MONDAYS

MORRISON STREET/STAND B-SIDE/CHAOS IN THE COSMOS/TAIS-TOI House and techno dunts from some of Edinburgh's best young teams.

TUESDAYS RARE

Weekly house and techno with rising local DJs and hot special guests.

THURSDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH) VOLENS CHORUS Resident DJs with an eclectic, global outlook

FRIDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH)

HOT MESS A night for queer people and their friends.

THURSDAYS

ELEMENT

Ross MacMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey.

FRIDAYS

FRESH BEAT

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore.

SATURDAYS I LOVE GARAGE

Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you.

SUNDAYS

SESH

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

Fri 28 Jun

ALT ROCK PUNK

TRIPLE BILL (OLIVER WARDELL + GUTTERBLOOD + COWBOY HUNTERS)

SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:30 Punk lineup. GIRLS ROCK SCHOOL (THE FARTING SUFFRAGETTES + FINGERING AT THE DISCO)

WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Riot grrrl and punk. Sat 29 Jun

SHALAMAR

USHER HALL, 19:00–22:30 R’n’B from the US. ADAM STAFFORD

SUMMERHALL, 19:30–22:30 Post-punk from Falkirk. THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Post rock.

Sun 30 Jun

SEAN FOCUS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Afro pop from Edinburgh.

Dundee Music

Wed 29 May

SAINT PHNX

SATURDAYS (LAST OF THE MONTH)

SOUL JAM

Monthly no-holds-barred, down-and-dirty disco.

SUNDAYS POSTAL

Weekly Sunday session showcasing the very best of heavy-hitting local talent with some extra special guests.

The Liquid Room

SATURDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH) REWIND

Monthly party night celebrating the best in soul, disco, rock and pop with music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and current bangers.

The Hive

MONDAYS MIXED UP MONDAY

Monday-brightening mix of Hip-hop, R'n'B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

TUESDAYS

TRASH TUESDAY

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherry picked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

WEDNESDAYS

COOKIE WEDNESDAY 90s and 00s cheesy pop and modern chart anthems.

THURSDAYS HI-SOCIETY THURSDAY Student anthems and bangerz.

FRIDAYS

FLIP FRIDAY Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and noveltystuffed. Perrrfect.

SATURDAYS BUBBLEGUM Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

SUNDAYS

SECRET SUNDAY

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/handle on a Sunday.

Subway Cowgate

MONDAYS

TRACKS

Blow the cobwebs off the week with a weekly Monday night party with some of Scotland’s biggest and best drag queens.

TUESDAYS

TAMAGOTCHI

Throwback Tuesdays with non-stop 80s, 90s, 00s tunes.

WEDNESDAYS

TWISTA

Banger after banger all night long.

THURSDAYS

FLIRTY

Pop, cheese and chart.

FRIDAYS FIT FRIDAYS

Chart-topping tunes perfect for an irresistible sing and dance-along.

SATURDAYS

SLICE SATURDAY The drinks are easy and the pop is heavy.

SUNDAYS

SUNDAY SERVICE

Atone for the week before and the week ahead with non-stop dancing.

The Mash House

TUESDAYS

MOVEMENT

House, techno, drum ‘n’ bass and garage.

SATURDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH)

SAMEDIA SHEBEEN Joyous global club sounds: think Afrobeat, Latin and Arabic dancehall on repeat.

SATURDAYS (LAST OF THE MONTH)

PULSE

The best techno DJs sit alongside The Mash House resident Darrell Pulse.

REDSTONE PRESS PRESENTS LIVITY SOUND (PEVERILIST + MI-EL + LEWIS LOWE) THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–04:00 Techno/bass. XL - DJ BORING SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 House. CÉLESTE + ALLEYCAT ANTHEM THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and techno. GRIND YER AXE THE RUM SHACK, 21:00–01:00 House and disco.

Sat 01 Jun

ACT NATURAL NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 House and Italo disco. STEREO BAR: LEWIS LOWE STEREO, 22:00–02:00 House and bass.

NIGHTS AT PARVEEN’S (HOW BIZARRE + HIBA + MERA BHAI) CIVIC HOUSE, 18:00–23:30 Electro and disco.

Sat 08 Jun

CHURCH, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Glasgow. Sun 16 Jun THE LAFONTAINES CHURCH, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Motherwell.

Glasgow Clubs

Wed 29 May

FRENETIK: LAZLO B2B

DJ SUZIE LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Thu 30 May

BLUNT FORCE SAUNA

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 House, funk and soul. PLTFRM PRESENTS INTR0 SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 Techno and house.

Fri 31 May

BOOTYCALL NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 Baile funk. SIKOTI

SWG3, 23:00–03:00 Hard techno. DOJO SWG3, 23:00–03:00 House and techno. ERROR404 INVITES: SPEEDCORE ITALIA + FRIENDS PT.II (NEKROSYSTEM + KURWASTYLE PROJECT + EXECRATE + VOIDSHOCK + SOFTORCHESTRA) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Hardcore and gabber.

QUEER THEORY: GAYSCENSION (CRAIG MANSON + SLUR + SERSI + CHARDONNAY EMERALD + ELIKA BEERQUAFFED + FEMME CASTRATRICE + SAM LAKE+ SUZIE MAC + TAMBOI) STEREO, 20:30–03:00 Queer cabaret and club. STEREO BAR: LORETO STEREO, 22:00–02:00 Latin bass and reggaeton. INSOLAR (CAMI LAYÉ OKÚN + HIBA) THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00 Vinyl rhythms. A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE (SEAN JOHNSTON) THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House. VOCAL OR VERSION THE RUM SHACK, 21:00–01:00 Dub and dancehall. ELEVATE DAY & NIGHT PARTY ROOM 2, 23:00–03:00 House. SEVEN8 SOUNDSYSTEM PRESENTS: MISCHLUFT ROOM 2, 23:00–03:00 Trance and techno. Fri 07 Jun SWG3 X GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL PARTY SWG3, 21:00–03:00 Pop, disco and techno. CL!CK X STEREO : DJ FUCKOFF (DIJA B2B MAVEEN B2B SOFSOF + MISS CABBAGE B2B DV60) STEREO, 23:00–04:00 Bass, footwork and juke. JAIVA + HUNEE B2B MENDEL + BUTHOTHEWARRIOR SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 House and afrobeats. MISSING PERSONS CLUB: ALARICO (LIVE) + ANDY BARTON + DJ SMOKER THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

JOINTS N’ JAMS NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 House and disco. UNWIND X AFTER DARK SWG3 21:00–03:00 Techno.

SHITEPOP: GIRLS ALOUD AFTERPARTY STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Pop.

STEREO BAR: LEWIS LOWE STEREO, 22:00–02:00 House and bass. LA CHEETAH CLUB PRESENTS: ANTAL LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 House.

LOOSE JOINTS: OR:LA, NAAFI (LIVE) THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Techno and house. LOOSEN UP THE RUM SHACK, 21:00–01:00 Disco and afrobeats.

COORIE DOON CIVIC HOUSE, 17:00–00:30 House and disco.

Thu 13 Jun

VENØM PRESENTS: SHIELSY, SALLYX, DXMI NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 Trance and techno. FLIPSIDE WITH LWS LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Techno and bass.

Fri 14 Jun

RED MUSEUM (ORGAN TAPES + 500 + HALAL KITTY + AKUMU) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 House and techno. SHAKARA: MAVEEN & CRAMMOND THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and disco.

Sat 15 Jun

LESSSS SWG3, 22:00–03:00 Techno. STEREO BAR: RAHUL. MP3 STEREO, 22:00–02:00 Bass, Jersey club and Baile funk.

JÄGERMEISTER PRESENTS: ‘I LOVE MUSIC’ LAUNCH NIGHT (KOOSHTY + CARMEN BAÍA + GLOSS + JACUZZI BABY ) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Garage and breakbeat. CHISPA X THE FLYING DUCK: MISS JAY (EFFUA + CHICHA) THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00 Experimental club. SHOOT YOUR SHOT: FAFF THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and synth.

TIME TO LIME THE RUM SHACK, 21:00–01:00 Dancehall and reggae. Wed 19 Jun

TALKLESS DANCE MORE: MAX HAMMUR & BANDOLIER LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Bass and reggaeton. Fri 21 Jun

POLKA DOT DISCO CLUB INVITES CICI SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 Acid and electronica. LUKE UNA PRESENTS É SOUL CULTURA THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and techno.

Sat 22 Jun

SOILSE X SWEATBOX X STEREO: ZULI (MM + DIJA) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Electronica and bass. STEREO BAR: SOILSE X SWEATBOX TAKEOVER STEREO, 22:00–02:00 Techno. FUR THE RECORD: MIDSUMMER MADNESS (LEGGY + SABLE + WORLDWIDEWOLF + MALLARD B2B MUTTKUTZ + ELECTRO) THE FLYING DUCK, 16:00–22:00 Early furry club. COMMON GROUND FESTIVAL: CLOSING PARTY (3MR + HALAL KITTY + HU-SANE) CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, 22:00–02:00 Electronica, garage and techno.

Sun 23 Jun

BLOOM (TROYE SIVAN AFTERPARTY ) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 House and pop.

Wed 26 Jun

A.D.S.R LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Industrial and techno. Fri 28 Jun

MOJXMMA X STEREO: BLCK MAMBA (HALAL KITTY+ JAM EYE + RAHUL.MP3 + NENE ETZA SAIGON REVLON + ZULAA + LOLA DING) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Funky, Amapiano and afrobeats. ANIMAL FARM: CLERIC + QUAIL SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 Techno.

Thu 12 May

FRESH BEAT THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 22:00–02:00, £3 - £6 Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore.

Edinburgh Clubs

Mon 27 May

SATSUMA SOUNDS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House.

Wed 29 May

ONA:V INVITES DUPLICITY

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Thu 30 May

FULL FRONTAL

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Queer disco.

SWIFTOGEDDON: ERAS TOUR PRE PARTY - 1989/ REPUTATION

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop. FORM 696: DJ CLASH

SPECIAL THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Grime.

Fri 31 May

LIONOIL

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House.

SWIFTOGEDDON -

ERAS TOUR PREPARTY - LOVER/FOLKLORE LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop.

TRANCEPARENCY WITH 8:15 THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Trance and techno.

ALIEN DISKO WITH SPECIAL GUEST: WAYPOINT THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Drum and bass and jungle.

Sat 01 Jun

EHFM: NEIL LANDSTRUMM & COLVIN

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Techno fom Edinburgh.

SWIFTOGEDDON: ERAS TOUR PREPARTY - EVERMORE/ MIDNIGHTS

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop.

SAMEDIA SHEBEEN THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Tropical world. ETERNAL THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Wed 05 Jun

HAPTIC PRESENTS É SOUL CULTURA: LUKE UNA

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House from Manchester. Thu 06 Jun

OASIS PARTY

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Afrobeat and R ‘n’ B. Fri 07 Jun

NIGHTS LIKE THIS (LEE MARVIN + JIMMY JAMMIN’) WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00 House, techno and disco.

BALKANARAMA - BIG BDAY BASH LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Balkan beats. EPIKA CIRCLE: YIOTA THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Techno and house. Sat 08 Jun HAND -MADE: AEROBICA SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House from Chile. ASCENSION WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00 Goth, EBM and alternative. TEEN SPIRIT - 90’S ROCK NIGHT LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 90s rock. VIVID X ELATION THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Wed 12 Jun

OVERGROUND

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Rave.

Thu 13 Jun

RED ROOM: FARSIGHT

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Breaks.

Fri 14 Jun

MISS WORLD: ILA BRUGAL SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Bass.

REGGAETON PARTY LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Reggaeton. CELTIC TERROR SQUAD THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Hardcore.

Sat 15 Jun

Sat 22 Jun

ATHENS OF THE NORTH

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Disco. QIWA PRIDE (KIKI RIVERA AND FRIENDS) WEE RED BAR, 19:00–02:00 Ballroom and drag.

DILF LA BELLE ANGELE, 22:00–04:00 House.

EDINBURGH UNDERGROUND

PRESENTS UBERJAKD THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Hard trance. PRIDE THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Pride party.

Mon 24 Jun

YBZ COLLECTIVE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 UK garage.

Wed 26 Jun

SHLEEKIT DOSS: 96 BACK, PROC FISKAL SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Experimental from Manchester.

Thu 27 Jun

FILM PARTY

WEE RED BAR, 20:00–00:00 Soundtracks and alternative.

Fri 28 Jun

DAN NIGHTINGALE & FRIENDS

9 JUN, 7:00PM – 8:00PM

After two hugely successful national comedy tours, Dan Nightingale (host of the Have A Word Podcast) is doing something a little different in 2024.

CHRIS FLEMING: ON STAGE

19 JUN, 7:00PM –8:00PM

After multiple sold out runs in recent years at London's Soho Theatre, don't miss your chance to see Chris' brand new show live on his first UK tour.

ABHISHEK UPMANYU

LIVE

30 JUN, 6:00PM –7:00PM

Following on from his touring show of Jealous of a Sabziwala, Abhishek Upmanyu is back with a brand new show. Please note the show is in Hindi.”

The King’s Theatre

SAM CAMPBELL: WOBSERVATIONS

27 JUN, 7:30PM –10:30PM

As seen on Taskmaster, Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Sam Campbell tours his absurd new show.

AL MURRAY: GUV ISLAND

28 JUN, 7:30PM –10:30PM

SPONTANEOUS

POTTER: THE UNOFFICAL IMPROVISED PARODY

2 JUN, 8:30PM – 9:30PM

Grab your wands, don your house robes, and apparate yourselves to The Stand, a very magical improv show awaits.

JOSIE LONG: A WORK IN PROGRESS ABOUT GIANT EXTINCT ANIMALS

23 JUN, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Silly, informal shows where Josie tries out new ideas.

MATERIAL, GIRL

30 JUN, 3:00PM –4:00PM

The best and most exciting female stand up comics both established and new with regular hosts Susan Riddell and Amanda Dwyer.

SCREEN TIME

13 JUN, 8:30PM –9:30PM

A new mutlimedia comedy night hosted by Fearghas Kelly.

LOOKING FOR LAUGHS: FIRST DATES

MEETS WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY!

8 JUN, 4:00PM – 5:00PM

A real blind date on stage with a gang of comedians concocting improvised sketches out of the date chat.

ANUVAB PAL: THE DEPARTMENT OF BRITISHNESS

LAURA SMYTH: LIVING MY BEST LIFE

27 JUN, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Fresh from tour support for Jack Whitehall and Michelle de Swarte, this is her at her uncensored and ridiculous best.

BILLY KIRKWOOD: WILD THING (FRINGE PREVIEW)

29 JUN, 5:00PM –6:00PM

A brand new wild, fast, funny, and often filthy show from Award winning comic Billy Kirkwood

Edinburgh

Comedy

Festival

Theatre

I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T A CLUE

27 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM

BBC Radio’s multi awardwinning anti-panel show goes back on tour.

IAIN STIRLING: RELEVANT

31 MAY, 8:00PM –10:30PM

BAFTA-winning comedian goes on tour with his brand new stand up special.

Monkey Barrel

Comedy Club

MARC JENNINGS: WORK IN PROGRESS

4 JUN, 9:00PM –

Regular Glasgow comedy nights

Drygate Brewing Co.

FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

DRYGATE COMEDY LAB, 19:00

A new material comedy night hosted by Chris Thorburn.

The Stand

Glasgow

FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH

MONDAY NIGHT IMPROV, 20:30 Host Billy Kirkwood and guests act entirely on your suggestions.

TUESDAYS RED RAW, 20:30

Legendary new material night with up to eight acts.

FRIDAYS THE FRIDAY SHOW, 20:30

The big weekend show with four comedians.

SATURDAYS THE SATURDAY SHOW, 20:30

The big weekend show with four comedians.

The Glee Club

FRIDAYS FRIDAY NIGHT COMEDY, 19:00

The perfect way to end the working week, with four superb stand-up comedians.

SATURDAYS SATURDAY NIGHT COMEDY, 19:00

An evening of awardwinning comedy, with four superb stand-up comedians that will keep you laughing until Monday.

Regular Edinburgh comedy nights

The Stand

Edinburgh

MONDAYS RED RAW, 20:30

Legendary new material night with up to 8 acts.

TUESDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH)

STU & GARRY’S IMPROV SHOW, 20:30

The Stand’s very own Stu & Garry’s make comedy cold from suggestions.

THURSDAYS THE BEST OF SCOTTISH

COMEDY, 20:30 Simply the best comics on the contemporary Scottish circuit.

FRIDAYS THE FRIDAY SHOW, 21 The big weekend show :00with four comedians.

SATURDAYS THE SATURDAY SHOW (THE EARLY SHOW), 17:00

A slightly earlier performance of the big weekend show with four comedians.

SATURDAYS THE SATURDAY SHOW, 20:30

The big weekend show with four comedians.

Monkey Barrel

SECOND AND THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH

THE EDINBURGH REVUE, 19:00

The University of Edinburgh's Comedy Society, who put on sketch and stand-up comedy shows every two weeks.

WEDNESDAYS TOP BANANA, 19:00 Catch the stars of tomorrow today in Monkey Barrel's new act night every Wednesday.

THURSDAYS

SNEAK PEAK, 19:00 + 21:00

Four acts every Thursday take to the stage to try out new material.

FRIDAYS MONKEY BARREL COMEDY'S BIG FRIDAY SHOW, 19:00/21:00 Monkey Barrel's flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

FRIDAYS DATING CRAPP, 22:00 Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, Farmers Only...Come and laugh as some of Scotland's best improvisers join forces to perform based off two audience members dating profiles.

SATURDAYS MONKEY BARREL COMEDY'S BIG SATURDAY SHOW, 17:00/19:00/21:00 Monkey Barrel's flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

SUNDAYS MONKEY BARREL COMEDY'S BIG SUNDAY SHOW, 19:00/21:00 Monkey Barrel's flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

TAIS-TOI X RARE // SOUL MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00 House and garage. ARUSA & JEEM’S BEACH PARTY SUMMERHALL, 23:00–03:00

R‘n’B, disco and pop with a bow on top.

THE MIRROR DANCE: HELÉNA STAR

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House from London. DECADE

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop punk.

EDINBURGH DUB CLUB: MIGHTY OAK SOUND IN SESSION THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Dub and roots. Top.

Mon 17 Jun

MILE HIGH CLUB

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 UK techno.

Wed 19 Jun

THE BIG GREEN 2ND BIRTHDAY: COSMIC

SLOP

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Disco from Leeds.

Thu 20 Jun

FEMMERGY THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Pop and disco. AGORA

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Fri 21 Jun

EDINBURGH DISCO LOVERS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Disco.

HOPELESS ROMANTICS WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00 New Wave, goth and alternative.

RHINESTONE RODEO LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Country.

TELFORT’S GOOD PLACE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House.

COMPRESSION (MARK

EG + MC BOFF) WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00 Hard house and trance. BAILLE DO BRASIL

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Baile funk.

Sun 30 Jun

BIG FISH LITTLE FISH SCHOOL'S OUT FAMILY RAVE WITH DJ MISS MIXTAPE

LA BELLE ANGELE, 13:00–15:00 Rave. Dundee Clubs

Fri 31 May

HOUSEGROUNDS PRESENTS GROUNDWORKS 002 CLUB

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 Techno.

REGGAE GOT SOUL KINGS, 23:00–03:00 Reggae.

Fri 07 Jun

TKNO CLUB NIGHT

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 Techno.

GONE DARK KINGS, 23:00–03:00 Italo disco.

Sat 08 Jun

SWIFTOGEDDON

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 Pop. Sat 29 Jun

DISTORTED

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 Rock, metal and pop punk.

Glasgow

Comedy

The Glee Club

THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING

23 JUN, 7:00PM-8:00PM

The Muslims Are Coming -so round up your friends and join for an uplifting night of laughter.

The Pub Landlord is back to make sense of the questions you probably already had the answers to.

The Old Hairdressers

HAROLD NIGHT

4 JUN, 7:00PM – 8:00PM

Two Glasgow Improv Theatre house teams performing the improv format

The Harold. PERFECT IMPROV SHOW SHOW

11 JUN, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Watch GIT improvisers create a show based on a story from our special guest monologist. This monthAmelia Bayler!

YER DA WANTS A WORD

18 JUN, 7:00PM –8:00PM

Join us for our monthly show from friendly neighbourhood improv team Yer Da.

COUCH SURF

25 JUN, 7:00PM –8:00PM

A night of improv comedy from Couch and special guests who are crashing for the night.

GIT IMPROV CAGE MATCH

25 JUN, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Two improv teams battle to be crowned champions of the Glasgow Improv Theatre this month.

OOPS FORGOT MY LINES!

4 JUN, 8:30PM – 9:30PM

An improv show where the actor knows their lines but the improviser... doesn’t. The Stand

Glasgow

CHRIS FORBES: WORK IN PROGRESS

1 JUN, 5:00PM – 6:00PM

From musical comedy to colourful character creations, you never know what you're going to get from Chris’s madcap mind.

29 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Anuvab explains in detail why Indians should embrace Britishness, having done it himself.

PATRICK MONAHAN: EXCLUSIVELY

30 JUN, 8:30PM-9:30PM

High energy comedy meets hilarious material. Patrick makes an effortless connection and becomes everybody's favourite comedian.

BRIGHT CLUB

GLASGOW

10 JUN, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Laugh and learn as researchers from Scotland's universities take to the stage for your enlightenment, engagement and entertainment.

STEVE BUGEJA: SELF

DOUBT (I THINK)

12 JUN 8:00PM-9:00PM

A show discussing babies, eye tests and the time he went on holiday with 20 women.

JOE MCTERNAN: LIFE

ADVICE THAT WON’T CHANGE YOUR LIFE

16 JUN, 5:00PM –6:00PM

Hugely anticipated hour of stand up from the Scottish viral sensation who’s amassed over 45 million views online.

LACHLAN WERNER: VOICES OF EVIL

22 JUN, 5:00PM –6:00PM

A surprising, rebellious and ridiculous hour of frights, where demonic voices come from every corner.

10:00PM

Marc Jennings returns to Edinburgh with a work-inprogress of his new show following sold-out Fringe runs in 2022 and 2023. THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING

23 JUN, 6:00PM-7:30PM

The Muslims Are Coming - so round up your friends and join for an uplifting night of laughter.

VITTORIO ANGELONE: WORK IN PROGRESS

7 JUN, 8:00PM – 9:00PM Vittorio Angelone previews a work in progress of his brand new show ahead of the Fringe.

STEVE BUGEJA: SELF DOUBT (I THINK)

13 JUN, 8:00PM-10:00PM The creator and star of ITV2’s hit sitcom, Buffering, returns to Monkey Barrel Comedy following a sell-out 2022 tour.

LUISA OMIELAN: BITTER (SPECIAL LIVE RECORDING)

30 MAY, 8:00PM –9:30PM

BAFTA Breakthrough winner Luisa Omielan, returns to Monkey Barrel for a special live recording.

SARA BARRON: WORK IN PROGRESS

31 MAY, 8:00PM –9:00PM Sara talks through a passion for eavesdropping, a hatred of the countryside, and one awful thing that she did to her mom.

Glasgow School of Art

GSA DEGREE SHOW

2024

3-11 JUN, 10:00AM –

4:30PM

Exhibiting cutting edge, dynamic work by students from the GS graduating class.

Glasgow Women’s

Library

REIKO GOTO COLLINS + YOKO ONO: PEACE

ARBOUR

1 JUN-31 AUG, TIMES

VARY

A temporary orchard becomes a place to acknowledge grief and imagine new futures, drawing on work by Reiko Goto Collins and Yoko Ono.

GoMA

SAM AINSLEY: WEDNESDAY IS COBALT BLUE, FRIDAY IS CADMIUM RED

1-30 JUN, 11:00AM –

4:00PM

Renowned Glasgow-based artist Sam Ainsley’s first major exhibition in the city for 30 years continues the artist’s career-long interrogation of the female body.

ENZO CAMACHO + AMI

LIEN: OFFERINGS FOR ESCALANTE

7 JUN-1 SEP, 11:00AM –

4:00PM

Experimental filmmaking, works on paper, and lightbased installation explore forms of resistance within globalised economies of labour.

Market Gallery

DARRAGH AMELIA + ALMA SIMBA: AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE

7-23 JUN, 11:00AM –

5:00PM Sound works created in collaboration between two artists examine ideas of intimate friendship and human connection through fluid materiality, landscape, and the notion of home.

Platform SOULSINQUEST

7-29 JUN, TIMES VARY

Photography and writing explore experiences of state violence and grief, created in collaboration with 18 bereaved family members living in the aftermath of state related deaths.

Project Ability

JONATHAN

MCKINSTRY: I LIKE THINGS I REMEMBER

7 JUN-20 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

A new collection of paintings inspired by childhood memories and collective nostalgia.

SWG3

MARTIN BECK: LAST NIGHT

7-23 JUN, 12:00PM –

6:00PM

A 13-hour video work marking the 40th anniversary of the penultimate iconic disco party hosted by David Mancuso in New York, exploring the intimate shifts in music and dance culture in the 1970s and 80s.

Street Level Photoworks

KOTRYNA ULA

KILIULYTE: ARCTIC

SWELL – A SIMPLE

MELODY

7-23 JUN, TIMES VARY

Still and moving images works seek to soothe ‘solastalgia’ – anxiety stemming from the man-made climate crisis – exploring patterns of resistance and repair.

The Briggait ROSIE VOHRA + GABRIELLE

LOCKWOOD ESTRIN: HAND OVER 1-4 JUN, TIMES VARY

A collaborative exhibition exploring collage as a process and principle entangled with ideas of human connection, growth and sustainability.

The Mitchell Library

JOEY SIMONS: BEYOND THE FORBIDDEN GATE

7-22 JUN, TIMES VARY

A body of work informed by histories of enclosure, public housing, refugee organising and workers’ resistance in North Glasgow and created in collaboration with local communities and artists.

The Modern Institute

KIM BOHIE

6 JUN-5 SEP, TIMES

VARY

Western and Korean landscape traditions play off each other in this first solo European exhibition by acclaimed Korean artist.

The Modern Institute @ Airds Lane

RICHARD WRIGHT

6 JUN-5 SEP, TIMES VARY

A new exhibition of work by Turner Prize-winning artist responding to the gallery’s architectural space.

KEITH HARING

6 JUN-5 SEP, TIMES VARY

An exhibition of studio works and urban pieces by acclaimed American artist who died of AIDS-related complications in 1990, and whose work reveals complex interrogations of semiotics, language and counterculture.

The Pipe Factory

WHERE A CASTLE MEETS THE SKY

7-23 JUN, 12:00PM –6:00PM

A new body of work by artists Emelia Kerr Beale, Suds McKenna, Josie Perry, and Jonny Walker interrogating ideas of figuration and embodiment.

Tramway

CAMARA TAYLOR: [MOUTHFEEL]

7 JUN-18 AUG, TIMES VARY A collaborative exhibition centring work on Glasgowbased artist Camara Taylor and their investigations into the historical traces that register Black presence as a fugitive undercurrent of Scotland’s entanglement with racial capitalism.

iota @ Unlimited Studios

PETER MCCAREY: THE SYLLABARY: A POEM IN 2272 PARTS

8-22 JUN, 12:00PM –5:00PM Exhibition, reading, audio visual stream and the Scottish premier in print of a recently completed poetic epic.

Edinburgh

Art

&Gallery

EMILY MOORE: FRAGMENTED

LANDSCAPES

1 JUN-3 JUL, TIMES VARY Paintings that take inspiration from the natural environment to explore experimental forms of mark making.

City Art Centre

SHIFTING VISTAS: 250 YEARS OF SCOTTISH LANDSCAPE

1-2 JUN, TIMES VARY Sweeping landscapes both classical and modern are drawn from the City Art Centre’s permanent collection.

EDINBURGH RISING FROM THE ASHES: 200 YEARS OF THE SCOTTISH FIRE SERVICE

1 JUN-22 SEP, TIMES

VARY

Celebrating 200 years of the world’s first municipal fire service founded in Edinburgh.

ADAM BRUCE THOMSON: THE QUIET

PATH

1 JUN-6 OCT, TIMES VARY

A retrospective of a largely neglected landmark Scottish artist, who was among one of the first to study at the Edinburgh College of Art.

Ingleby Gallery

CAROLINE WALKER: NURTURE

1 JUN, 11:00AM –

5:00PM

A new body of work exploring the artist’s ongoing interest in intimate depictions of women at work in both domestic and labour contexts.

HAYLEY BARKER: THE RINGING STONE

15 JUN-31 AUG, 11:00AM – 5:00PM

WOMEN IN REVOLT! ART AND ACTIVISM IN THE UK 1970–1990

1 JUN-26 JAN 25, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Fresh off a stint at Tate Britain, this exhibition documents two decades of seismic social and political change and the art that emerged from and challenged the ensuing culture.

EL ANATSUI: SCOTTISH MISSION BOOK DEPOT

29 JUN-28 SEP, TIMES

VARY

Collective Gallery

MOYNA FLANNIGAN: SPACE SHUFFLE

28 JUN-15 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Figurative collages and paper sculptures drawing on myth, art history and pop culture that explore the fragmentary and generative potential of collage.

Dovecot Studios

ANDY WARHOL: THE TEXTILES

1 JUN, 10:00AM –5:00PM

A groundbreaking showcase of the commercial textile designs of one of the most famous artist’s of the 20th century.

PAULINE CAULFIELD

TEXTILES

1 JUN-20 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Large-scale screen-printed panels that draw on architecture and ecclesiastical themes, veering between abstraction and illusion.

CHRIS OFILI: THE CAGED BIRD’S SONG

28 JUN-5 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Chris Ofili’s major tapestry in which colours, myths and magic of a watercolour design are transformed into a textile.

Edinburgh College of Art

ECA GRADUATE SHOW

2024

1-8 JUN, TIMES VARY

Edinburgh College of Art’s annual degree show, featuring work by graduating students across the schools of Art, Design, Music and Architecture.

Edinburgh

Printmakers

THIS...I LIKE IT

1-30 JUN, 11:00AM –4:00PM

A joint curatorial project between Edinburgh Printmakers and Tiphereth Print Studio, this exhibition looks into curation as a collaborative practice, informed by the Printmakers’ collection.

WHOSE GALLERY IS IT ANYWAY?

1-30 JUN, 11:00AM –4:00PM

Anyone can add or move artworks around this interactive exhibition that queries ideas of markmaking, art curation and the relationship between artist and audience.

Fruitmarket

MARTIN BOYCE: BEFORE BEHIND BETWEEN ABOVE BELOW

1-9 JUN, 10:00AM –

6:00PM

Glasgow-based artist whose sculptures rework the textures and forms of the built environment to explore the conceptual histories of art and architecture.

The first exhibition in Europe of paintings by the Los Angeles painter, whose elaborate landscapes record her intimate experiences of her surroundings.

Jupiter Artland

LAURA ALDRIDGE: LAWNMOWER

1 JUN-29 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Textile, ceramic, glass, found objects and moving image examine the emotional and sensory potential of materiality.

ANDREW SIM

1 JUN-29 SEP, 10:00AM

– 5:00PM

Symbolic and mythic paintings explore experiences of queerness and the visibility of the cis/het gaze.

Open Eye Gallery

CHRIS BUSHE RSW: WIND, WAVE, ROCK AND SAND: NEW PAINTINGS OF ISLAY, MULL AND IONA

1-22 JUN, TIMES VARY

An exhibition of wild and windy Scottish landscapes. KIRSTY WITHER: A LAYERED VIEW

1-22 JUN, TIMES VARY

An exhibition of new work by UK-based artist. Out of the Blue Drill Hall

MATILDA BULL: FLOWERS FROM JERICHO

1-29 JUN, 10:00AM –

5:00PM

An exhibition of riso prints by Out of the Blue’s artistin-residence expressing anger and solidarity in the face of the war in Gaza.

Royal Scottish Academy RSA

198TH RSA ANNUAL EXHIBITION

1-16 JUN, TIMES VARY

The largest and longestrunning annual exhibition of contemporary art and architecture in Scotland. THE DISCERNING OBSERVER

1-16 JUN, TIMES VARY

Everyday life captured by Royal Scottish Academicians. CONSTRUCTED NARRATIVES

29 JUN-28 JUL, TIMES VARY

A group exhibition by Lennox Dunbar, Ian Howard and Arthur Watson exploring the significance of construction, whether physical or implied.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

DO HO SUH: TRACING

TIME

1 JUN-1 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Exploring the foundational role drawing and paper play in acclaimed South Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s practice.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

BEFORE AND AFTER COAL: IMAGES AND VOICES FROM SCOTLAND’S MINING COMMUNITIES

1 JUN-15 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Quiet, intimate portrait photography examining the history and ongoing legacy of coal mining on Scottish communities.

Scottish Storytelling Centre

STEPHANÏE VANDËM: FISHING

1-15 JUN, 10:00AM –6:00PM

A modern exploration of contemporary identities and heritage, fishing imaginatively combines oil painting and materials salvaged from the shoreline to evoke the connections between Scottish communities and their fishing heritage.

OTHERWORLDLY TALES

21 JUN-20 JUL, 10:00AM – 6:00PM

An exhibition of paintings, poetry, glass, willow and talismanic jewellery created with gratitude for the quiet wisdom and wonder of the Otherworld.

Sierra Metro

BEVERLEY HOOD: BOTS AND BEINGS

1-2 JUN, 10:00AM –2:00PM

Watercolours and collages on paper reimagine humanlike representation in robotics and AI.

Summerhall

YUMIKO ONO: COMPOSITION IV

1 JUN-1 NOV, 12:00PM – 5:30PM

Developed out of a residency program in Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, this large-scale work explores intersections between art and architecture.

JOHN MOONEY: METAMORPHOSIS 1-2 JUN, 12:00PM –5:30PM

A selection of watercolour drawings developed over four decades, exploring ideas of change, contradiction and harmony.

JAMIE KING: FROM ONE GROWS ANOTHER 14-21 JUN, 12:00PM –5:30PM

A cast bronze sculpture exploring themes of birth, life and death.

Talbot Rice Gallery

CANDICE LIN

1 JUN, TIMES VARY

Situated in Talbot Rice Gallery’s former natural history museum, this exhibition examines how ideas of the human and nonhuman have been shaped by histories of science.

Generator Projects

THEY HAD FOUR

YEARS

A major exhibition by renowned Ghanaian artist in which tens of thousands of aluminium bottle tops are stitched together, reflecting the complexity of stitching together cultural, national ideas of belonging in post-colonial Africa.

The Scottish Gallery

JAMES MORRISON: UNDER A NORTHERN SKY

1 JUN, TIMES VARY

Representational records of the landscape by acclaimed Scottish artist that articulate his experience moving through the natural world.

DOUG CROCKER: THEMES AND VARIATIONS

1 JUN, TIMES VARY

24 wall sculptures use abstract shapes and structures to explore the formal aspects of sculpture, from light and shade to negative space, scale and depth.

LARA SCOBIE: CHROMA

1 JUN, TIMES VARY A new body of work in fine porcelain detailed with bold and delicate linear patterns.

JOANNE THOMPSON: CHAINS

1 JUN, TIMES VARY

Ancient chainmail is an inspiration for this exhibition of intricately crafted jewellery.

Dundee

Art

DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts

SUKAINA KUBBA: TURN ME INTO A FLOWER

1 JUN-4 AUG, TIMES VARY

Industrial and packaging materials examine material objects as carriers of cross-cultural history in the artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK.

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design

ART & DESIGN

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE SHOW

1-2 JUN, TIMES VARY

An exhibition of work by the university’s graduating class, covering a range of artistic disciplines across multiple media and genres, from architecture to animation.

1-23 JUN, 12:00PM –5:00PM

Generator Projects’ annual flagship show in which a group of artists present work one year on from graduation.

V&A Dundee

PHOTO CITY: HOW IMAGES SHAPE THE URBAN WORLD

1 JUN-20 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Bringing together items from the V&A archive as well as two specially commissioned works to explore how two distinctly modern phenomena – cities and photography – have informed each other.

KIMONO: KYOTO TO CATWALK

1 JUN-5 JAN 25, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Part-fashion survey, partexploration on material culture, this exhibition traces the history of the kimono from 17th-century Japan to contemporary runways.

The Skinny On... Andrew Sim

Andrew Sim’s beautiful paintings of plants, flowers, rainbows and werewolves are currently hanging in Jupiter Artland’s ornate ballroom – to celebrate the launch, they’ve taken on our Q&A

This exhibition in the leafy surrounds of Jupiter Artland’s art park is Andrew Sim’s bi est Scottish show to date, with works made on site and in their London studio. The artist lives and works in New York and their practice draws upon their everyday experience, conscious and unconscious. The work on show here is mainly plants and trees, each with a special significance in Sim’s personal history moving between Glasgow, London and New York. These autobiographical moments document their use of symbolism and the duality and evolution of Queer lives.

What’s your favourite place to visit?

Naples, it has amazing and cheap food and a very intense energy and is weirdly a bit like Glasgow, and is beside a volcano (and you can go to Pompeii)

What’s your favourite food to cook?

Lasagne, I cook it every New Year’s Day when I’m hungover and it takes all day and is never ready before midnight which is kind of exactly when you want it

What’s your favourite colour?

Green, during the summer when it’s rainy but still humid, Glasgow goes this really intense glowing green colour and it always stuck with me. I’ve not seen that anywhere else I’ve been

Who was your hero growing up?

omg literally probably my gran?! I used to pretend to be sick every day of primary school and she’d come get me and we’d bake together

Whose work inspires you?

Alasdair Gray, his work and books are so amazing and different and he gave lots of his drawings away so lots of people have work of his

What three people (dead or alive) would you invite to your dinner party and what are you cooking?

I feel like famous dead celebs from ages ago or history wouldn’t have been that fun? and I kind of cba with contemporary celebrities so would probably have to be people from the 90s but now I can’t think of a single person from the 90s. Can it

be 3 Anna Nicole Smiths? I’d cook whatever they wanted

What’s your all time favourite album?

I really really wanted Steps’s debut album when I was little and my sister made fun of me so I didn’t get it so probably that. Or the Carpenters best of album, I listen to that in the studio lots

What’s the worst film you’ve ever seen?

This one where sharks are stuck in an Australian shopping mall. But it’s still good

What book would you take to a desert island?

The Golden Bough, by James Frazer

Who’s the worst?

J K Rowling. Hands down

When did you last cry?

A little bit at my last show cos I’d been travelling for a long time and hadn’t seen it installed and was with lots of friends

What are you most scared of?

Going back in time and getting stuck there, I have contact lenses so would have to get big glasses and I don’t know enough about sports or the stock market to put bets on like events so I couldn’t even make money

When did you last vomit?

I don’t vomit very often, I think a few months ago in London when I was hungover

Tell us a secret?

My close friends story on Instagram has 450 people on it I don’t think I have any secrets?? Although technically the fact that I have that many people on it was a secret

Which celeb could you take in a fight?

Macaulay Culkin. 1000%

If you could be reincarnated as an animal, which animal would it be?

An orangutan for sure, I think I have that energy, and would like the time in trees

What’s your favourite plant?

I should say a monkey puzzle cos I always draw them but I really love beech trees, or for houseplants geraniums

New paintings by Andrew Sim, Jupiter Artland, until 29 Sep part of Edinburgh Art Festival