The Skinny March 2018 by The Skinny

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March 2018 Scotland Issue 150

WE CELEBRATE A MILESTONE ISSUE WITH AN EXPLOSIVE ARRAY OF EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS & FEATURES

Music Young Fathers Frightened Rabbit Martha Fion Gwenno Broken Records SHHE Walt Disco Superorganism International Festivals Guide Last Night From Glasgow

Film Isle of Dogs Steven Soderbergh Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Art Glasgow International Kobi Onyame vs The Artist RSA New Contemporaries

Comedy Glasgow Comedy Festival: Mark Thomas The Delightful Sausage Mae Martin Stuart McPherson Veneer Gallery

Books The Little Book of Feminist Saints

Clubs Peggy Gou Capri Collective Intersections International Women's Day Drag Kings

Theatre How to Act

Credit: Craig Waddell

P.12 Scott Hutchison

P.23 Steven Soderbergh

P.30 International Womens' Day

March 2018 I N DEPEN DENT

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JOU R NALI S M

Issue 150, March 2018 ÂŠ Radge Media Ltd. Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 1.9 1st Floor Tower, Techcube, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Pl, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business. Get in touch to find out more.

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Contents

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Events Editor Film & DVD Editor Food Editor Intersections Editor Music Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor

Rosamund West Adam Benmakhlouf Heather McDaid Claire Francis Ben Venables Nadia Younes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Kate Pasola Tallah Brash Amy Taylor Paul Mitchell

Production Production Manager Designer

Sarah Donley Fiona Hunter

Sales Sales Manager Sales Executives

Sandy Park George Sully Keith Allan David Hammond

Online Digital Editor Online Journalist Web Developer

Peter Simpson Jamie Dunn Stuart Spencer

Bookkeeping & Accounts Publisher

Rebecca Sweeney Sophie Kyle

Cover Artist

Elena Boils

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Illustration: Kate Costigan

P.32 ...RSA New Contemporaries

Contents Chat & Opinion: Welcome to The 06 Skinny’s 150th issue! To mark this big ol’ number of magazines produced, our team select some of their favourite covers from over the years. There’s also more What are Your Having for Lunch? From Jock Mooney. Heads Up: If this wintery hell ever ends 08 and the snow thaws, there’s all this fun stuff to do in March. FEATURES

10 We pop into Young Fathers’ Leith

studio to discuss pop dreams, improv poetry, huge horses and the future of Edinburgh's live scene.

Want to feel old af? Frightened Rabbit's 12 The Midnight Organ Fight was released ten years ago. Scott Hutchison talks us through the album on its landmark birthday.

15 Martha Ffion muses about Seinfeld and Peep Show ahead of the release of her debut record Sunday Best. 16 Ahead of International Women’s Day,

Julia Pierpont, author of The Little Book of Feminist Saints, talks to us about the women who have been breaking glass ceilings for centuries.

17 Eight-piece Superorganism formed online and now share a house. We’re welcomed into their strange world. 18 Ahead of Glasgow International

Comedy Festival, we catch up with Stuart McPherson, The Delightful Sausage, Mae Martin and Mark Thomas, who has some harsh words for white saviours like Bob Geldof.

21 We meet Gwenno, who’s helping keep

her mother-tongue alive by singing her new album completely in Cornish.

22 Fancy a movie sleepover? Glasgow

Short Film Festival have one planned with the dreamy shorts of Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The Thai filmmaking genius lets us in on what to expect.

23 Steven Soderbergh is one of the great

boundary-pushers in mainstream American cinema. His latest film, Unsane, is another experiment: a thriller shot on his iPhone.

LIFESTYLE to decide this year’s holiday? How 28 Still about taking in a music festival abroad and adding a few days to your trip to explore the surrounding area? Here's a handy guide to the festivals you should consider.

30 Intersections: Besides St Patrick’s Day, what exactly has March got going for it? International Women’s Day on the 8th, that’s what. Intersections also quiz Scottish drag kings Agent Cooper and King Biff on the art of transforming into a man.

32 Showcase: With the Royal Scottish

Academy’s emerging artist showcase New Contemporaries coming up, we take a whistle-stop tour through the work that will be on display.

35 Food and Drink: We take a peek inside those police box cafes scattered across Edinburgh serving up delicious espresso. Plus sustainable coffee cup options and Beer Makes Glasgow.

REVIEW

39 Music: A word from Edinburgh band

Broken Records, Dundee-based singersongwriter SHHE and not-for-profit label Last Night from Glasgow. Plus reviews of the new records from Young Fathers, Martha Ffion and Gwenno, among others.

45 Clubs: We call Peggy Gou at the nail sa-

lon to talk through her meteoric rise to DJ superstardom and her mint fresh EP Once. Capri Collective’s guest selector; plus all this month’s clubbing highlights.

48 Books: StAnza and Aye Write! events

dominate our poetry column, and new books by Zoe Gilbert, Mick Kitson, and Laura Dockrill, catch our reviewers’ eyes.

49 Art: Reviews of Margaret Salmon and Rehana Zaman at CCA, Glasgow. Plus exhibition highlights.

50 Film & DVD: This month’s new films

include the latest from Lynne Ramsay, Steven Soderbergh, and Wes Anderson. On DVD there’s Kickboxer: Retaliation starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, ‘The Mountain’ from Game of Thrones and, er, Ronaldinho.

52 Theatre: Feminist collective Accalia

Arts talk to us about their ambition to buy a West End theatre, and a look ahead to March’s theatre highlights.

25 Wes Anderson’s latest is stop motion

54 Comedy: There’s a Fringe flavour to

26 Kobi Onyame's acclaimed new album

53 Competitions: Get your mitts on tickets

adventure Isle of Dogs. We speak to some of the actors who play the film’s mutts, including Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston and Jeff Goldblum.

GOLD is the inspiration for a new arts project at Many Studios in Glasgow. Onyame and some of the artists involved explain more.

27 As the 2018 edition of Glasgow

International draws near, we pick the brains of the festival's new director, Richard Parry.

March 2018

Glasgow Comedy Festival this year thanks to ARGCom’s lively pop-up festival at Veneer Gallery. We speak to ARGCom’s mastermind, Pax Lowey. to Terminal V, a celebration of Bob Marley at The Queen's Hall.

55 Listings: A not-to-be-beaten guide

to what’s happening in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee this month.

Local Heroes design column takes 63 Our a look at some of Scotland’s most forward-thinking architecture.

Contents

Editorial “Y

our editorial writes itself – 150th issue, snow, Young Fathers. Sorted.” This month’s helpful advice from the Digital editor as I embark on introducing the magazine, four hours before our print deadline. So… what about that snow eh? Hasn’t it been mental. Our production team was unable to get into the office for much of our key layout week, so making issue 150 has been quite the adventure. Coupled with the fact it’s also our designer’s first month and she lives in Glasgow – aka the place which is inaccessible to all transport at this point in time – and it really is quite miraculous that we’ve managed to put anything together at all, let alone something so typically dazzling and fascinating. It’s sort of mind-blowing that we’ve made 150 of these Scottish magazines – not even counting the title in the North of England, or the various additional projects and supplements we’ve produced over the years. It feels like we’ve come a long way from delivering stacks of magazines in wheelbarrows to disinterested shopkeepers, and also like we’ve come no distance at all. We’re still obsessed with much the same things – promoting local culture, creating a platform for dialogue, questioning everything. Also brightly coloured illustrations. We didn’t want to distract too much from getting on with that through unnecessary navel gazing, so our salute to the 150 landmark is limited to the cover and a quick survey of some of the team’s favourite covers across the run. It’s a personal insight into the love and passion which make this thing happen, an insight we’re hoping to turn outwards by asking you the readers to share your favourite memories from the last 150 months of The Skinny online, #theskinny150. Find out more on p7. Back to the issue at hand, we do indeed have a lead feature speaking to local favourites Young Fathers. Our reporter in the field Katie Hawthorne heads to their Leith studio to quiz them about new album Cocoa Sugar, collaborative working and rocking horses. Elsewhere in Music, Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison has kindly penned a mini memoir looking back on the recording of the band’s seminal The Midnight Organ Fight, a former Skinny album of the year which turns ten in 2018. We also meet Glasgow-based northern irish singer-songwriter Martha Fion, whose debut Sunday Best comes out this month, while Gwenno shares an insight into her album Le Kov, a warm

exploration of collective memory sung entirely in Cornish. We speak to band of the moment Superorganism (they live in a shared house in East London and met online across continents, it’s all very 2018), more local favourites in the form of Broken Records, plus SHHE, Last Night from Glasgow and Walt Disco. We’ve also compiled our now annual guide to music festivals around the world, just when you may be looking at booking something for summer to provide a glimmer of hope in this snow-filled awfulness. Film looks forward to Glasgow Short Film Festival with some words with Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who’s bringing an overnight screening of multiple shorts to the programme and very much encourages the audience to take a nap. We talk to the legendary Steven Soderbergh about Unsane, while the Film editor went to Berlin to meet the cast of Isle of Dogs and, in a wasted opportunity we will all live to regret, refused to wear a Bill Murray T-shirt when meeting real Bill Murray. We’re also excited about Glasgow Comedy Festival, taking place across the city this month. We meet Mark Thomas to hear about his project setting up a comedy night in a Palestinian refugee camp, white saviourism and hating Bob Geldof. The Delightful Sausage introduce some new material; Mae Martin talks addiction, sexuality and honesty; and Stuart McPherson discusses cybercrime, spuds and Coke Zero In another milestone anniversary, RSA New Contemporaries are celebrating their tenth edition. We take a look at some of the graduate artists who stood out for us in the 2017 degree shows, who will be landing in the galleries on the Mound this month. Looking ahead, we meet Glasgow International’s new director Richard Parry who offers an insight into the motivations behind his new programme. Another exhibition we’re all very excited about this month is Kobi Onyame vs The Artist, a collaboration between the Ghanaian musician and a host of artists presented in MANY Studios. We meet the man himself and a few of the participants to find out more. Finally, we celebrate International Women’s Day with a focus in Intersections and event recommendations across the magazine, while Books talks to the duo behind The Little Book of Feminist Saints which aims to celebrate creative women from history’s achievements in word and image. Says author Julia Pierpont, “Books about great women are severely outnumbered by books about great men. How are we to advance as a culture if we don’t know what the people before us have accomplished?” Enjoy your International Women’s Day, wherever you may be. Probably stuck in snow. [Rosamund West]

By Jock Mooney

Online Only Glasgow Short Film Festival preview Meet the future of Scotland’s film scene We chat to some of the talented short filmmakers in this year’s Glasgow Short Film Festival Scottish competition.

Liu Jian on Have a Nice Day If Tarantino made an animation.... This rising Chinese filmmaker shines a spotlight on the rise of greed in his home with brutal animated crime picture Have a Nice Day.

Read more at theskinny.co.uk/film

Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/film

Essaie Pas introduce New Path Marie Davidson and Pierre Guerineau on their latest album’s link to Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly “We both find the book is still really relevant with [the] actual social, political, spiritual climate of our society,” Davidson tells us.

Katie Kitamura on A Separation Her dark take on the ‘hunt for the dead woman’ literary trope arrives on paperback “There are so many dead women [in literature], it’s really extraordinary.” Kitamura shakes her head. “The thing that I find kind of crazy is that it’s almost as if that’s the trigger for the narrative…”

Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/music

Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/books

Ruben Östlund on The Square Satire taking down pretentious art wankers Ruben Östlund's follows up Force Majeure with another toe-curling comedy The Square, which won the top prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival. Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/film

Dominic Hill on Rita, Sue and Bob Too The Artistic Director of The Citizens Theatre discusses the importance of programming controversial plays. “The thing about good drama,” Hill says, “is that it does have the ability to resonate beyond the time in which it’s written.” Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/theatre

Shot of the Month

Chat

Find more at theskinny.co.uk

Franz Ferdinand, O2 Academy, Glasgow by Alexandros Costa

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We asked The Skinny team to tell us their favourite covers from the last 150 issues. You can find out more about why each has been chosen online at theskinny.co.uk or on Instagram @theskinnymag

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December 2009, Issue 51: “The artwork we used was made specially by Rabiya Choudhry, and she gave me the original when I got this job. It now say ‘Congratulations on the new job ya bugger!’ at the bottom in biro.” [Rosamund West, editor-in-chief]

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Issue 77 February 2012

February 2012, Issue 77: “I’ve always been a massive Errors fan, but by this point my best friend was going out with the drummer James Hamilton, so I just found it hilarious, not to mention it was cool as fuck because Rachel Maclean. D’uh.” [Tallah Brash, music editor]

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March 2015, Issue 114: “I read this recovering from appendicitis in my childhood bedroom and it surrounded me for a good few hours with all The Skinny’s really funny, critical and supremely knowledgeable writers, most of whom I’ve never met/will never meet. On that day they were my indispensable and imaginary urbane friends.” [Adam Benmakhlouf, art editor]

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March 2015 Scotland Issue 114

Bringing the laughs to Glasgow

Comedy Glasgow Comedy Festival Music Lightning Bolt Scotland at SXSW Gang of Four Wolf Alice Sacred Paws

International Festival Guide Warpaint WIFE

Clubs Channel One Sound System Wee Dub Festival

Art RSA New Contemporaries Ben Martin

Books StAnza Jon Ronson Mark Ellen

Film Will Anderson & Ainslie Henderson Rory Alexander Stewart Xavier Dolan Desiree Akhavan

Fashion Edinburgh Fashion Week GSA Fashion Show London Fashion Week A/W 15

November 2017, Issue 146: “I still can’t believe how long the process took, but the cover came out so amazing, and the interview that Peter did with Run The Jewels was excellent so it was all worth it in the end!” [Tallah Brash, music editor]

KILLER MIKE and EL-P on people, politics and powerful moments

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Scotland Issue 107 August 2014

COMEDY Tony Law Juliette Burton Kim Noble Mae Martin Natasia Demetriou Marcel Lucont Abigoliah Schamaun Trevor Lock Ellis & Rose Tim Key THEATRE Handspring Puppet Company Theatre of the Absurd Christeene Red Bastard Young Pleasance Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas The Curing Room THE PLEASANCE AT 30 Special 8-page supplement ART Jessica Harrison Paul Carter Where Do I End And You Begin Graham Fagen The Skinny Showcase Exhibition

I T 'S T HE FE S T I VA L!

BOOKS Gruff Rhys Letters of Note The Moth Haruki Murakami MUSIC The Bug St. Vincent Trans Am The Last Big Weekend Electric Fields Adult Jazz J Mascis

D O N ' T L O S E YO U R H E A D

CLUBS Rustie Erol Alkan Roman Flügel

March 2016, Issue 126: “I remember my feedback to the illustrator being something along the lines of ‘Can you reduce the overall amount of skag in the illustration and can you make the dagger that’s embedded in Begbie’s shoulder look less horrifying?’” [Sarah Donley, production manager]

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March 2016 Scotland Issue 126 Music Mugstar Cosmosis Festival Drive Like Jehu Protomartyr Bob Mould TRAAMS Clint Mansell Art RSA New Contemporaries Ettie Wyatt Gosebruch Ignite Dundee

Travel São Paulo Carnaval Theatre Go Dance / Y Dance Comedy Glasgow International Comedy Festival Richard Gadd Larry Dean The Last Laugh Lloyd Langford

November 2010, Issue 62: “No offence to all the brilliantly talented designers, artists and photographers who have contributed covers over the years, but it was quite a thrill to have my first ever issue illustrated by a bona fide icon.” [Jamie Dunn, film editor]

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CELEBRAtING A NAtIONAL tREASURE

INtERVIEwS:

Books Lara Williams

Irvine Welsh reveals The Blade Artist

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LES SAVY FAV

Film Pablo Larraín Glasgow Short Film Festival Brian M Ferguson

Begbie’s Back

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August 2014, Issue 107: “It has everything you want from a Skinny cover. It’s topical, striking, features emerging artists, and there’s a cracker of a pun on there as well.” [Peter Simpson, digital editor]

INStAL FEStIVAL

EDwYN COLLINS

BREAkIN' CONVENtION

MIkE LEIGh

GEOFF BARROw ON JOhN CARPENtER

NEIL CLEMENtS

thE CAthOUSE tURNS 20

OVER thE wALL

FLORENCE tO

FILM Stuart Murdoch TECH Dare Protoplay Fringe Apps

“WE ALREADY GOT THE WACK SECOND ALBUM OUT OF OUR SYSTEM”

INTERVIEWS:

PLUS:

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FESTIVAL SEASON AHOY!

VAST AIRE

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

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REFUGEE WEEK

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October 2016 Scotland Issue 133

Life Death IN

FILM Africa in Motion Play Poland Scotland Loves Anime

ART Graphic Design Festival Scotland Arika 16 Nicholson St Dario Fo

BOOKS Helen Sedgwick Glasgow Women's Library Dundee Literary Festival

? hungry

Shogun takes on the system

September 2016, Issue 132: “The Charlotte Church one because trolls and fingering.” [Katie Hawthorne, contributor]

CLUBS Groove Armada Moscoman

BOOKS Naomi Alderman Cixin Liu

FILM Amy Adams Paul Schrader French Film Festival

THEATRE Chrysalis Festival

ART Ewan Murray Judith Hagan Jacky Sheridan NEoN Digital Arts

COMEDY Scott Gibson Romesh Ranganathan DEVIANCE Reclaim the Night No Make-Up Movement

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September 2016 Scotland Issue 132

k SPecial D anD Drin ny Foo The Skin

MUSIC Angel Olsen Frankie Cosmos How to Dress Well Shield Patterns Teenage Fanclub Dinosaur Jr Teen Canteen Cowtown

BOOKS Ron Rash Bloody Scotland

FILM Michael Barbieri Taika Waititi Take One Action

COMEDY Greg McHugh James Hamilton

CLUBS Theo Kottis Detroit Swindle

ART Katy Dove Sarah Forrest Kieran Milne The Print Project

THEATRE The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil Scottish Ballet

TROLLS, POP DUNGEONS & FINGERING

January 2018, Issue 148: “As I’m a Skinny baby, I would have to say the Food & Drink survey special issue as it was my first magazine with a sales target and I really enjoyed meeting wagamama and organising their advertorial.” [David Hammond, sales executive]

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November 2016, Issue 134: “Aside from being really striking, I think it signified an exciting point in Scottish music, where the urban music scene up here was actually starting to be taken seriously and it was interesting to see it being covered not just in Scotland but all over the UK.” [Nadia Younes, events editor]

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November 2016 Scotland Issue 134

MUSIC Kristin Hersh Sad13 Honeyblood Indigo Velvet Biffy Clyro Save As Collective

COMEDY Felicity Ward

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“ Fear Is What Drives People ”

Ross Fraser McLean presents CEIBA, a portrait of Mexico MUSIC NAO C Duncan Kano Mitski Arab Strap Spring King CLUBS Jasper James Ivan Smagghe & Tim Paris Wuh Oh

June 2008, Issue 33: “It reminds me of the last ever episode of Fawlty Towers, where Basil calls Mr Carnegie ‘the scavenger gourmet.’” [Ben Venables, comedy editor]

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June 2011, Issue 69: “This reminds me of working in Focus, my local skate shop, when I was a student in Glasgow. We’d get copies of The Skinny delivered to the shop and I’d kill time by reading the mag in between serving customers.” [Keith Allan, sales executive]

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January 2018 Scotland Issue 148

Plate Expectations Dive into 2018 with The Skinny Food & Drink Survey

Hollie McNish interviews Charlotte Church

muSic i art i TheaTre i Film i DvD i games i comeDy i Fashion i liSTingS

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YOU HOLD DEATH GRIPS “IFONFEARS, TO YOUR BOOKS EWAN MORRISON JONAH LEHRER

FASHION ECA 2012 GRADUATE PREVIEW

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May 2012, Issue 80: “I thought which was my favourite to create? Would have to be the Death Grips cover with its homage to jazz record covers.” [Lewis Macdonald, former designer]

Which is your favourite cover from the 150 we’ve launched out into the world over the years? What made it stick with you, and why is its image indelibly burned on your retinas? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #theskinny150, or just fire us a good old-fashioned email to news@theskinny.co.uk with the subject line ‘The Skinny 150’ – one of you will receive a copy of Matt Haig’s new novel How To Stop Time, courtesy of our fellow cover-lovers over at Canongate.

Opinion

The days are getting longer and the nights are getting lighter, so make the most of winter finally coming to an end by filling up your March calendar with some of these lovely events...

Putting an end to your moaning that nothing happens near you, the Travelling Gallery are taking Arpita Shah, Alice Theobald and Holly White’s exhibition Are Teenage Dreams So Hard to Beat? all over the country. Beginning in West Lothian College today, the exhibition will travel as far north as Uist, Lewis and Harris, before concluding in Edinburgh. Various venues across Scotland, until 15 Jun

London-based fashion photographer Amelia Allen is no stranger to the human body, but her latest photo series, Naked Britain, has taken her closer than ever. The photographs, which were originally published in November last year in Allen’s first photo book of the same title, portrays British naturists ‘au naturale’ and celebrates the diversity, liberation and freedom of body image. Gallery Close, Edinburgh, until 3 Apr

Dear Green Place, Arpita Shah

Sun 11 Mar

Mon 12 Mar

The Lake of Stars Malawi Festival comes to Scotland, promoting creative and trade connections between Scotland and Malawi. Shop at the Malawi market during the day before taking in the evening’s showcase, featuring live performances and collaborations from Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit, Ghanaian hip-hop artist M.anifest and poetry from Neu! Reekie!’s Michael Pedersen. The Art School, Glasgow, 11am, £16

A live cooking and comedy show, at the same time? It’ll be like Sunday Brunch, but funny, and competent. As part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival – running from 8-25 March – George Egg, the ‘Anarchist Cook’, will return with a new show of cooking and laughing. As well as enjoying the jokes, you’ll also get to taste the food at the end – at your peril, of course. The Stand Glasgow, 8.30pm, £12-14

Naked Britain

George Egg: Anarchist Cook

M.anifest

Sun 18 Mar

Another day, another Saint to celebrate by getting absolutely hammered. To honour Ireland's patron saint, venues across Edinburgh’s Co-wgate are throwing a St Patrick’s Festival. Five participating venues will host a range of musical and comedy performers, including Irish legends Boyzlife, made up of Brian McFadden from Westlife and Keith Duffy from Boyzone, and boisterous, big-haired twins Jedward – yep, you read that right. Cowgate, Edinburgh, times & prices vary

Glasgow Short Film Festival concludes today with a day-long celebration of Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who has specially curated four screenings of his short films. For the hardcore fans, GSFF have put together an all-nighter, starting at 11pm the night before, where 25 of his short films and audio-visual installations will be shown in one continuous all-night dream-screening. CCA, Glasgow, times & prices vary

Sat 17 Mar

Boyzlife

It may only be March, but Leeds five-piece Hookworms have already dropped a strong contender for album of the year with their new album Microshift. The band take a step away from their scuzzy garage-rock roots and well into the world of psych-pop mastery, juxtaposing upbeat melodies with downbeat lyrics to produce a collection of songs that are equal parts emotive and euphoric. The Art School, Glasgow, 8pm, £11

Photo: Richard Manning

Fri 16 Mar

Hookworms

Mobile Men

Sat 24 Mar

Join the Northern Ballet where it’s better, down where it’s wetter, under the sea, as they bring Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid to Edinburgh on the final leg of its world premiere tour. Choreographed and directed by the company’s Artistic Director David Nixon OBE with an original score by Sally Beamish, immerse yourself in the production’s underwater wonderland. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £16-37

RSA New Contemporaries returns today for its tenth year, promoting contemporary art in Scotland. The exhibition will showcase work from 62 graduates selected from the 2017 degree shows, featuring a diverse selection of painting, sculpture, filmmaking, photography, printmaking, architecture and installation. This year’s exhibiting artists were selected by Derrick Guild, while the exhibiting architects were selected by Ric Russell. RSA, Edinburgh, until 18 Apr

Dream Wife

Photo: Allan Lewis

Thu 22 Mar

Photo: Guy Farrow

Fri 23 Mar

The Little Mermaid

Fresh from releasing their critically-acclaimed self-titled debut album back in January, Dream Wife return to Glasgow tonight to further prove themselves as one of the most exciting live bands around right now. We awarded their last Glasgow show five stars, describing it as “oozing with confidence, energy and ultimate sass,” which is surely something you’d like to witness for yourself. Stereo, Glasgow, 7pm, £10

Thu 29 Mar

Fri 30 Mar

British-born, Berlinbased DJ/producer George FitzGerald is known for his unique techno/house works in the vein of Joy Orbison, Mount Kimbie and Pearson Sound. His new album, All That Must Be came out earlier this month, featuring collaborations with the likes of Bonobo and Lil Silva, and he’ll be playing tracks from it tonight with a live band. The Art School, Glasgow, 7pm, £12

Fusing rap, grime, R'n'B and the sounds of his Ghanaian homeland, Glasgow-based musician Kobi Onyame’s latest album GOLD brings highlife to the forefront, but sounds just as current as it does nostalgic. Kobi Onyame Versus The Artist will see six artists, selected through an open call, respond to one or two of the album’s tracks, providing unique visual representations of the release. Many Studios, Glasgow, until 1 Apr

Lionoil once again prove their knack for bringing together quality artists and putting on damn good parties, as they pair up Lena Willikens & Violet for their latest affair. The moreestablished of the two, Willikens is a resident at Düsseldorf institution Salon des Amateurs and has released work on Berlinbased label Cómeme, while Violet, aka Inês Coutinho, is steadily building a reputation for herself as oneto-watch. The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, 11pm, £8-10

Chat

Kobi Onyame

Photo: Ryan Johnston

Wed 28 Mar

George FitzGerald

Photo: Amelia Allen

Compiled by: Nadia Younes

Wed 7 Mar

DJCAD Degree Show 2017, Rhona Jack

Lena Willikens

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Photo: Phil Struck

Heads Up

Tue 6 Mar

Two titans of electronic music meet at La Cheetah Club Presents Shanti Celeste & DJ Python. Chilean-born DJ/ producer Shanti Celeste’s reputation seems to be getting stronger by the minute, following releases on the likes of Julio Bashmore’s Broadwalk Records and Secretsundaze, as well as her own Peach Discs label. Tonight, she’ll play alongside DJ Python, aka DJ Wey/ Deejay Xanax/Luis, currently on his debut European tour. La Cheetah Club, Glasgow, 11pm, £10-12

Fire breathers, magicians and tarot card readers may not exactly scream fashion show, but that’s what you’ll find at this year’s Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show. Taking on the theme of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, Dynamic Earth will be transformed into a circus tent, with all of the aforementioned performers and 30 models walking the runway. Luckily, though, this show won’t have Hugh Jackman randomly bursting into song. Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, 7pm, £30-75

Maiden, Jannica Honey

Shanti Celeste

Wed 14 Mar

Thu 15 Mar

No, How to Act is not an acting workshop, despite what its title may suggest. In a slightly Inception-like turn, Graham Eatough’s new play follows internationally-renowned theatre director Anthony Nicoll, as he gives an acting masterclass about storytelling and truth in the theatre. Promise, an aspiring actress, is chosen to participate and what unfolds forces Nicoll to question what he knew about life and art. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 8pm, £9-17

On their new album I can feel you creep into my private life, TuneYards frontwoman Merrill Garbus explores her relationship with whiteness through a series of 80s throwback bangers. Always ones to line-up exciting and unique support acts, joining them for the entirety of their UK tour is Brazilian psych-rock band Boogarins, so make sure you get down early. The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7pm, £17

Fergus Tibbs and Mikey Rodgers describe their Reckless Kettle nights as 'parties for freaks', and that’s something we can entirely get on board with. This mo-nth, they’re bringing us The Reckless Kettle Drag Party and there’s a prize for best dressed so you might want to revisit a bit of RuPaul in the days prior for some outfit inspo. The Reading Rooms, Dundee, 10.30pm, £3.50

How to Act

Photo: Tim Morozzo

Tue 13 Mar

Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show

Reckless Kettle

Tune-Yards

Mon 19 Mar

Wed 21 Mar

Commissioned for the Venice Biennale in 2017, Rachel Maclean’s Spite Your Face makes its UK premiere. The 37-minute film references the Italian folktale The Adventures of Pinocchio and plays on a continuous loop with no definitive beginning or end. In it, Maclean addresses issues including the abuse of patriarchal power, capitalist deception, exploitation and the destructive trappings of wealth and fame. Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, until 5 May

The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival will open this year with a screening of The Last of the Mohicans. The 1920 original adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s classic novel will be accompanied by a new score composed and performed by multi-instrumentalist David Allison, who has previously created live soundtracks for other silent films, including The Island Tapes. Hippodrome, Bo’ness, 7.30pm, £11-13.50

Phantom Thread

Spite Your Face, Rachel Maclean

Photo: Patrick Rafferty

Tue 20 Mar Coinciding with the release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest directorial outing, film buffs will be offered the opportunity to view Phantom Thread on 70mm this month. PTA reunites with DDL (Daniel Day-Lewis) for this seductive story of a toxic love affair set in 1950s Britain. We described it as PTA’s “most disciplined and refined work to date, and it's among his very best.” Filmhouse, Edinburgh, times & prices vary

Sun 25 Mar

Mon 26 Mar

Tue 27 Mar

To commemorate the centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which enabled women in the UK to vote for the first time, the UK Asian Film Festival are running an F-Rated theme this year, with a programme of female-centric screenings and events. Today, you can catch British-born, Jewish documentary filmmaker Danny Ben-Moshe’s Shalom Bollywood and Andrew Morahan’s Boogie Man. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, times & prices tbc

New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords are taking their rapturously daft songs out on the road this month. Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie have parodied every genre of music over the years, from the Marvin Gaye-esque Business Time to the Black Eyed Peaslike Sugalumps to their hilarious David Bowie homage Bowie in Space, so you can expect that and much more. SSE Hydro, Glasgow, 6.30pm, £28.40-62.45

Celebrating the quirkier and less refined side of contemporary art, the Hayward Curatorial Open’s first Scottish outing is a group exhibition entitled Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness. Fourteen artists’ and architects’ work will be used to explore the nature of visual awkwardness and show how ‘shonkiness’ can be used for critical purposes in the visual arts to explore issues including gender, identity, beauty and the body. DCA, Dundee, until 27 May

Sophia Duleep Singh

Flight of the Conchords

The Last of the Mohicans

Shonky

Sat 31 Mar

Sun 1 Apr

Mon 2 Apr

The 30th edition of the Edinburgh International Science Festival will explore the somewhat vague theme of Life, the Universe and Everything. This year’s programme includes Eco2ville, a high-profile outdoor exhibition on the Mound, the interactive exhibition Existence: Life and Beyond in National Museum of Scotland’s Grand Gallery and the building of a #Pianodrome amphitheatre in the Botanics. Various locations across Edinburgh, until 15 Apr

Back for another Easter Sunday party, Terminal V have put together a huge party to give you the hangover to end all hangovers on your bank holiday Monday. Derrick Carter, Helena Hauff, Bicep, Rødhåd and Peggy Gou are just a few of the names lined up for the day-long festival, with plenty more huge names also set to play. Remember to stay hydrated. Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, 12pm, £36.35-54.95

There’s no band better to ease you out of your bank holiday hangover than Brooklyn-based indie troupe Big Thief – go on, try and name one. On new album Capacity, vocalist Adrianne Lenker's songwriting took a great leap forward, beyond even the quartet's debut; not bad given that this is the band who modestly named their earlier album Masterpiece. La Belle Angele, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £11

March 2018

Existence: Life and Beyond Jason Hackenwerth

Terminal V

Photo: Beth Wood

Another artist exploring body positivity this month is Jannica Honey, whose exhibition When the Blackbird Sings, celebrating the female form, runs until 25 March. To coincide with International Women’s Day, Honey will join forces with Danni from The Chachi Power Project tonight, where the reality of the feminine will be celebrated through words from a selection of professional and amateur Scottish storytellers. Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh, 6.30pm, £10.50

Credit: Zoe Gibson

Sat 10 Mar

Big Thief

Chat

Photo: Jonathan Bassett

Fri 9 Mar

Photo: Andy Sawyer

Thu 8 Mar

Philosophical Polyfilla We pay Young Fathers a visit in their Leith studio space to talk about new album Cocoa Sugar via pop dreams, improv poetry, huge horses and the future for Edinburgh’s live scene

Interview: Katie Hawthorne

’ve got it! Melange. It says ‘mixture, blend, variety, miscellany, diversity, collection, selection, combination, jumble, mess, confusion, mishmash, hotchpotch, ragbag, pastiche…’” Alloysious Massaquoi, one third of Young Fathers, is reading aloud from an online dictionary entry for his preferred word to describe the band’s sound. “I just think it’s more specific! You’ve got all the different elements. I think that’s more accurate than ‘eclectic’.” “Yeah, ‘eclectic’ is one of those words that as soon as someone says it I’m like ughhh – I don’t trust you,” Graham ‘G’ Hastings weighs in. “I’ve never believed it. I like contrast. I think contrast would be a good name for a genre.” He laughs. “I like… contrast music.” We’re in Young Fathers’ basement studio, just off Edinburgh’s Leith Walk, in the middle of a polar vortex. A space heater’s working hard to cut through the chill but no-one’s taking off their coat. Ahead of the release of new album Cocoa Sugar on 9 March, the trio – Massaquoi, Hastings, and Kayus Bankole, who joins us a little later – are preparing for their UK tour. It’s been three years since The Skinny caught up with the band, and there’s much to discuss. When we last spoke, the trio had given an almost riotous performance at a Neu! Reekie show at Central Hall – Hastings finished the show nose-to-nose with a bouncer set on sticking to curfew. After the gig they railed against Edinburgh’s prioritisation of “security over art”, and despaired at a lack of larger venues in Leith. What’s changed? Hopefully a little more than you’d think. After winning the Mercury Award with their album Dead in 2014, a shock to some bookies who’d pegged them at 25-1, the band’s star continues to rise. Notable recent achievements include releasing excellent follow-up album White Men are Black Men Too (2015); collaborating and touring the world with Massive Attack; playing shows in Russia and South Africa; sound-tracking T2 Trainspotting at the behest of Irvine Welsh; curating a season at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse cinema; producing a video for the National Portrait Gallery (more on that later); and, most recently, scoring a film for the Barbican. Throughout all this, journalists have struggled (this one included) to land on a viable set of adjectives to describe the band’s sound and accompanying activities. Young Fathers’ restless innovation makes them a band of ideas, rather than one with any fixed mission statement, and never has this been truer than on Cocoa Sugar. Bittersweet Cocoa Sugar First on the agenda: the new album. On a first listen, Massaquoi’s enthusiasm for “hotchpotch, ragbag, pastiche” becomes clear. Each track is a mini-universe, weaving worlds out of threads of language – half-familiar folk phrases, Biblical imagery, nearly nonsensical rhymes. But for all this, Cocoa Sugar never feels rushed. He explains: “A lot has been stripped back, to get to the essence of the group. It creates more space, so that you can breathe in a track. You know like when you watch movies? It feels like I can swim in it, it’s really airy.” For him, Cocoa Sugar is a more straight-forward listen than their previous records. “It’s in the focus of ideas,” he says. But for Hastings, finding that focus was a trip in itself. “We’d been on tour for basically six years, and we just needed to be [in Edinburgh], to spend time with people. But after a wee while of that you get itching to do something else. We needed to be uncomfortable again, and to do something that we hadn’t done. Once you’ve been a weird and wonderful group that can kind of do

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Photo: Julia Noni

“I

anything – that was our tag, ‘oh, they’re just weirdos’ – even that gets boring. The only way to challenge that is to do something linear. Normal. Normal?” he laughs. Cocoa Sugar’s claim to ‘normality’ is tenuous at best. Choose any song and you’ll end up somewhere completely different than where you started; Border Girl begins with jagged, electro-pop not dissimilar to Little Dragon, and steadily swells to fit a cathedral with choral harmonies calling for a miracle. Hastings continues: “You hear one thing, and then our instinct is to go against it somehow. To find something you’ve never really experienced before. I don’t think we’re contrarians, it’s just what we like. We have completely different tastes, but if we join up on anything it’d be that love of light and dark, hard and soft, against each other. Fake and real. We grew up listening to reggae and soul. The contrast in those songs mean that you’re dancing to it, but it’s a fucking sad song. I think that’s our root.” “That’s what I’m talking about,” Massaquoi confirms. “We like that contrast. There’s something really basic, human, about it, because it’s honest.” “It’s reality,” adds Hastings. “The world isn’t this shiny thing. It’s finding a bit of glory in some dark place.” Not a band to stick to a fixed script, on Cocoa Sugar they seek clarity by way of contradictions. “You know, the Bible’s fuckin’ full of what we like – which is never saying anything straight. It has a really good way of saying, well, it could be this, or it could be that,” Hastings says. “You decide!” “And it’s exciting [what it's like] when you’re pitching words together,” Massaquoi grins, standing up. He points at objects scattered around the studio. “Like, ‘Highland Spring / Our union brings…. / Owner’s manual, barking like a cocker spaniel.’ Something like that…” Swivelling on his chair to point at the space heater; “The

energy / That we bring together / Manufactures outside… the unit?” Everyone’s laughing. “But you just put it together and think, what is that? Everything’s disposable! You can just take things.” Bankole jokes that we should look out for that verse on a future record, but Hastings looks serious for a second: “I remember when you first started doing cut-up. I was like, this isn’t right, man, it doesn’t feel real. But actually not being precious about the words being real makes them better, because you’ve never thought about them that way before.”

“ You know, the Bible’s fuckin’ full of what we like – which is never saying anything straight” Graham ‘G’ Hastings

“It’s painting pictures.” Massaquoi enthuses. “These are conversations you have with people! Anything! Stories…” Hastings says, “It’s like Ally’s verse in Holy Ghost: ‘I saw myself self-assault in a premonition / I saw myself smelling salts in the South Pacific / I’m so prolific…’ And you’re just laughing!” “It’s a tongue-twister, but it’s all there in the imagery, too,” Massaquoi counters. “You know, you’re enjoying yourself, basking in glory, having a wank or whatever, there’s the image of drugs...” Later, the track uses a phrase that, for the band, best captures this kind of poetic

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irreverence. “’Philosophic polyfilla’ – it’s an inside joke, because that’s exactly what Ally’s doing at that point.” Filling cracks in rhymes with linguistic plaster? “Exactly. And if you’re aware of that then it’s like a double or even a triple fuckin’ entendre.” No Time for Ego “We feel things, as a group. You know if it’s good,” Massaquoi says. “Sometimes I record something and I can’t hear it?” Hastings explains. “Then these guys say it’s great, and I’ll sit back and trust them. It works because we’re also able to say ‘nah, don’t do that.’” They admit that their brusque way of doing business isn’t always easy for potential collaborators. “It’s because of ego,” Bankole reckons. “Ego’s got a huge part to play, because you can feel so precious about what you come up with, and then it’s like, ‘well this chord needs to stay on the song because I did that.’ I think sometimes [other people] aren’t used to being in an environment when people are combatants in a sense. [We’ll] be like, ‘okay, cool try this’, ‘no, try this…’” He drums with his hand, indicating pace. Tim London, the producer behind SoulPunk studio (Iklan, Callum Easter, Law Holt), has co-producer credits on Cocoa Sugar, and worked closely with the band for years, familiar with their pace. This time around, they also worked with TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek in LA. “He’d come in and we’d be having a disagreement and he’d be like ‘arghhh’ and leave again,” Massaquoi says. “The next minute the whole song’s done. Then he’d come back and say ‘add this, try this.’” “I think it can be hard to catch up to the pace,” Bankole nods. “You’re always trying to suss someone out when they enter your environment, so with Dave he was just trying to understand the band. You can’t know until you meet a band and see them in that kind of environment. It was good though! The end goal of wanting shit to be good

THE SKINNY

Mixed Media Collaborations For years Young Fathers have been a self-contained unit. “We’ve always been mixed media,” Hastings says. “We’ve had the confidence just to do things, not feeling that we need professionals involved.” He links this independence to a distrust of the industry. The trio started the band aged 14, and received plenty of bad advice: “We were listening to people who were professional but also shit! We’re an ideas band and ideas always ring much better than quality. So after distrusting people's ideas, we decided we should just pick up a camera. We should just get Photoshop. We should edit videos. Then eventually you meet people who are good at what they do. It’s rare, and it’s a taste thing – pure subjective.” They found a kindred spirit in Tom Hingston, the artist who worked on Cocoa Sugar’s showstealing cover art – a manipulated photo of Massaquoi that echoes Grace Jones. “We wanted something iconic,” Massaquoi says. “A new lease of life. A new confidence.” Bankole brought an old rocking horse to the studio and one night a recording session turned into a photo shoot. They showed the photos to Hingston, and name-checked Rock Dreams, a book by artist Guy Peellaert. “The style is kind of spray-painted. Kind of real, kind of fake,” Hastings explains. The result is a glossy, high-resolution evolution from

their previous artwork-turned-logo, “Scarf man”, which still hangs on the wall of the studio. The video for single Lord picks up the same cowboy vibe. Lit electric blue, Massaquoi rides that rocking horse until – spoiler – the song shifts and he’s on an actual horse, charging through the waves. The band worked with Edinburgh director Rianne White and are quick to blame her: “The real horse was her idea!” Hastings shouts. “She says, ‘Have you ever ridden a horse?’” Massaquoi laughs. “I’m like yeah… in my head. When I first saw it, I’m telling you it was” – he stands and gestures to a height somewhere near his eyebrows, and he is tall – “huge. It was intimidating. Then we introduced a bit of colour, so it looked more like a film. There’s this [pop] format, and we’re applying what we do to that; the horse, the rain, the water.” One shot sees Hastings pop his collar against a storm, a shameless pastiche of an East 17-style boyband, and he laughs, “[The video] lends itself to this idea of fake glamour, fake stardom.” In 2016 the band were asked to record with trip-hop giants Massive Attack, resulting in Voodoo in My Blood, a track on the Bristol group’s Ritual Spirit EP. Later Young Fathers joined them on tour, taking in China, Japan and a mammoth show at London’s Hyde Park. Massaquoi explains their connection: “We’d listened to the hits when we were younger. But since we’ve been a band and people have said, ‘oh, they’re like Massive Attack’, I’ve been like, ‘shit, I should hear what people are talking about.’ They created a sound, their own world, and they stuck to it – and then they had success.” And obviously that’s appealing. “Of course it is,” says Hastings. “We want as much success as possible!” Massaquoi confirms. “But without losing who you are, and Massive are a testament to that. Going on tour and seeing the thousands of people who turn out to see this fucking weird band, man… I mean, how are they this big?” Hastings adds, “We grew up as pop boys, so our idea of success was pretty narrow. The kind of thing you see on the music channels. We just make what we want to make, and hopefully it will become this platform that reaches people. Massive have done that. [They’re] great collaborators. They work with people constantly. They bring it together in this melting pot, and even when you’re on tour everyone’s in the same dressing room. It’s a family thing and not everyone is like that.” A new openness to collaboration led to scoring a film for the Barbican in celebration of iconic artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. It turns out gallery spaces suit them, recognising Young Fathers’ love of ideas. “There’s a weird joy in

bastardising things,” Hastings laughs. “Going [to these spaces] thinking, well, we’re complete amateurs, but we’ll be proud amateurs. Very professional amateurs.”

“ Because we’re so close, we can just spit out whatever’s in our minds at the time, and then say, no that’s shit. Scrap it” Alloysious Massaquoi

Last summer, a similar commission turned into controversy. The band contributed to the National Portrait Gallery’s touring exhibition Looking Good: The Male Gaze from Van Dyck to Lucian Freud. Their film shows Bankole shadowboxing in the gallery after hours, confronting walls and walls of ‘the endless gazes of dead, random white dudes’, as Massaquoi’s spokenword puts it. It’s a powerful provocation that questions the values of an institution like the Portrait Gallery: Who are these faces in gilt (or is it guilt?) frames? Who have we chosen to forget? What abuses of power and privilege have led to these decisions? The video attracted the grim attention of right-wing trolls who protested tax-payer funding contributing to so-called ‘anti-white’ art. At the band’s request the video was temporarily removed and the comment section disabled. In reflection Bankole says, “I feel amazing. It definitely needs to be out there in the ether, it does more good than anything else. For me it’s all about being engaged with stuff you wouldn’t normally do. You need to be eager to try new shit, and I think we are, one hundred percent.” Culture Shift Talk turns to the type of art that Edinburgh prioritises. When Young Fathers first announced their tour dates, the lack of a hometown show felt symptomatic of the capital’s fraught live music scene. Last year beloved venues like Studio 24 and Electric Circus closed their doors for good, but there’s been a recent crack of light: the Leith Theatre Trust was awarded one million pounds

Young Fathers at UntitledLive, Edinburgh, 2015

March 2018

Music

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

doesn’t differ. He just wanted shit to sound good.” Hastings attributes their easy outspokenness to an innate confidence – as well as childhood friendship. “We’ve never needed to be confident, not [with] drugs, none of us drink that much. For years you play gigs and you see bands get fucking caned, because they’re really nervous. We’ve never had that. They’d be like, ‘oh, you want a bit of this?’ ‘Nah, I’m alright mate. We’re alright.’ That’s us in the studio as well.” “Because we’re so close we can just spit out whatever’s in our minds at the time, and then say, no that’s shit. Scrap it.” Massaquoi says. “And that’s a system in itself!” Bankole agrees. “Brutal, but it feels right,” Massaquoi adds. “You need to capture it, quick. If you miss the moment, it drains it. Don’t draw out something that doesn’t need to be drawn out.” Unsurprisingly, Young Fathers believe in the power of first takes. Cocoa Sugar sounds like there’s a choir of voices at work, but, as they put it: “Why book someone else when Kayus can sing it? It’s easier to experiment. Don’t be lazy, just fucking do it! And if you do it yourself it’s not going to sound the typical way that it would be done.”

for a refurb designed to get the venue running all year round. Before that happens though, Hidden Door festival will be occupying its lofty spaces once more this year from 25 May-3 June, and Young Fathers are set to headline one of its nights. It’s been three years since the band spoke about the lack of larger venues in Leith, and the trio are clearly excited: “It’s just fucking great.” Hastings adds, more cautiously. “I think it’s going to take 20 years for the culture to change, though. You need venues available. You need these weird nights. Leith’s perfect for it. I’ve seen the change [begin] in the last couple of years. If I finish at the studio on a Friday night, I walk past a few bars that now have a DJ. I walk past Leith Depot – there’s a band playing and I can walk in and see them. The next step is that it becomes the alternative to going out on George Street. Edinburgh has club culture, cheesy club culture, but in Glasgow people go out early, catch a band – it’s a whole night.” Still, changes have been made. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Music is Audible campaign, venues can no longer be shut down just for being ‘audible’. Formal noise complaints must be based on proof of nuisance, not just because faint strains of Despacito can occasionally be heard on the breeze. More recently still, the Scottish Government backed the Agent of Change policy, which places the burden of soundproofing on developers looking to build near a venue, rather than on the venue owner. This is particularly important for the Cowgate, given the development plans for the space behind the Central Library, and should safeguard Glasgow’s most central venues too. Young Fathers are characteristically quick to point out the flaws in The Skinny’s optimism. “This should have already been done! It’s taken this long. I mean, look what [the Council] did to the GRV (now The Mash House). They soundproofed the whole thing, and then it still got shut down,” Massaquoi says, shrugging. It’s galling, given Edinburgh’s global reputation for a thriving arts scene, not to mention how disruptive seasonal events like The Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo seem to be overlooked. “Edinburgh’s PR is on point, it’s fantastic.” Massaquoi argues, “But [the Council] doesn’t care about that side. We have the festival once a year, for a month, and that’s good enough for them. I’d rather they just say that, to be honest.” “Even for our tech rehearsals we have to go to Glasgow,” Hastings tells us, “because there’s no venue in Edinburgh that can do it to the size we’re playing. We have to go somewhere that’s already got a PA.” They point out that the most recent shows they’ve played in Edinburgh – at the Hub for the EIF, Central Hall for Neu! Reekie, and even 2014’s Hogmanay – are shows in atypical venues, without permanent sound systems. “For [Hidden Door at] Leith Theatre we’re hiring our own. “Wait, when does this interview go out?” Hastings asks. After confirming the magazine’s March release, he suddenly looks shifty. “You could say something about a rumour…” he grins. And that’s all we’ll say. There may (or may not) be an Edinburgh-based pre-tour party on the cards, but you didn’t hear it from us. At that, there’s a buzz from upstairs. The band’s live drummer, Steven Morrison, has arrived for an afternoon rehearsal, needing to learn the new set before the tour starts. Those tongue-twisters take practice, too. Really though, Edinburgh would do well to listen to its brightest band – but Young Fathers’ rise will continue regardless. Cocoa Sugar is the sound of Young Fathers fully embracing their ambitions – a miscellany of genres, a confusion of voices, cut-up combinations. And if they need to hire a sound system to get it to you, to make you laugh, cry, dance, you can trust that they will. Cocoa Sugar is released on 9 Mar via Ninja Tune Young Fathers play Barrowlands, Glasgow, 24 Mar; Hidden Door Festival, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 2 Jun young-fathers.com

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Tiny Bits of Colour As Frightened Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight approaches its tenth birthday, Scott Hutchison talks us through the album from self-inflicted heartache to living in cupboards

’ve been asked so many times about the process of making The Midnight Organ Fight, how the songs emerged and the method of recording everything, and the only honest answer I can give is that I don’t really know how on earth it came together at all. There are of course elements of this album which were studiously considered, but that really only makes up about 20% of it. The rest was an exercise in trusting the collective gut instinct and flying pretty swiftly by the seat of our pants. I don’t even think the producer Peter Katis knew what our game was after the first week of recording at his studio in Bridgeport, Connecticut. I couldn’t blame him, because we didn’t have much ‘game’ at all and if we did, we certainly weren’t aware of it. Having had a good reason to go back and listen to the album of late (we’re in the midst of rehearsals for the anniversary tour at this point), I find there are lots of surprising elements that I had forgotten about after years of simply performing the songs live and rarely referring back to the album as a whole. Subtle details peek through the most to me, some of which I have no recollection of putting on there, some of which immediately transport me to a specific time and place like a whooshed-up flashback from a lazy television show. The biggest surprise, however, is that there isn’t much I would change. I think (I hope) I’m a better singer now and I still believe that the piano sound in The Twist is fucking dogshit, but aside from that it’s in pretty good shape. Before discussing the recording of the album, I suppose it’s worth rewinding for a minute to consider the writing of the damn thing. This album was clearly borne out of a prolonged period of heartache after the demise of a long-term relationship, I can’t deny that, but there is a broad misconception about this album and I’ve not really had any call [to] address it until recently. Until now, in fact. This is not an album written by a person who was dumped. It’s

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an album about a person who left a relationship and regretted the shit out of that decision. That’s a fairly broad brushstroke of course and nothing in life is so simple and one-sided, but I thought it was time to correct the popular notion, because even though I was very, very sad... it was my fucking fault.

“ This is not an album written by a person who was dumped. It’s an album about a person who left a relationship and regretted the shit out of that decision” Scott Hutchison

Maybe you don’t need to know that though. Maybe you want to hear about the cupboard I lived in for a few months, financially and emotionally depleted as I was, in (my brother, and our drummer) Grant’s flat. That cupboard was where I conceived The Modern Leper (points to a door like Alan Partridge in ‘Bono’s house’). See, you don’t need to have a big fancy studio to do good things. It is nice to have windows though. Perhaps you’d be interested in the day I wrote and demoed My Backwards Walk in Marcus Mackay’s studio The Diving Bell Lounge just off

Gibson Street in the West End. Once I had finished I came back to the flat feeling reeeeally chuffed with myself. I thought it was worth celebrating this song emerging from nowhere (to this day, the ones that waft in from under the door like a visit from an apparition are the most thrilling moments in my life) and I started drinking to mark the occasion. I drank a lot, even for a tubby 20-something musician. That night I announced my victory to the band and invited them along to the studio to hear the Hot New Track. Unfortunately by the time we got there I was no longer functioning effectively enough to operate the Tascam machine and very soon vomited all down my front, slumped in a corner. Victory was mine! I suppose that sums it up rather well. The process of writing the album was the equivalent of being sick on yourself then picking through the bits of carrot and sweetcorn to find interesting shapes and tiny colourful items that you didn’t know could exist in the bile and lining of a stomach. A big chunk of that beauty was supplied by the aforementioned Peter Katis, producer of numerous wondrous albums and player of ice hockey. Although we are now close enough that I’m able to call him ‘Pete’ from time to time, when we first arrived it definitely felt a little odd and he was definitely ‘Peter’. I guess it can often be that way at the start of a project, however at that point I was quite aware that he essentially took the album on as a favour to his old friend Adam Pierce at FatCat. Though I must give major props to Adam for this move, initially it felt like Peter wasn’t quite sure why these Scottish chaps were in his house. We were nervous and quiet. I was initially extremely worried about being allergic to the cats (Bob Dylan and Petey deserve a special mention here; to this day they are the only two cats I’ve met that I didn’t have any allergic reaction to). The atmosphere did change pretty swiftly after week one. We sweetened up Pete and his

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Words: Scott Hutchison Photo: Kat Gollock talented studio assistant Greg [Giorgio] by making regular iced coffees; it was the middle of summer and we couldn’t have the AC on while we were doing takes so ice-cold caffeine was the chosen fuel. I think aside from the (admittedly GREAT) coffees, the ‘vibe’ shifted as it became more obvious that we were there to work and did NOT want to fuck around. Having said that, it was probably Peter’s wonderful wife Ann Risen who really changed his mind at that time. Ann still maintains that The Midnight Organ Fight is her favourite album he’s ever been involved in, which I still maintain is my favourite accolade that FR have ever received. When we left Peter’s place in the middle of the process to spend 12 days or so tracking in the much more financially viable (read as “almost free”) confines of Adam Pierce’s studio in upstate NY, we had to start again in a way. Had to show another two engineers that we were not there to fuck around. Those middle sessions with engineers Kevin McMahon and Jeremy Backofen (both excellent dudes) were pretty long. 12 to 14 hour days of tracking, breaks for grilled cheese sandwiches on potato bread, only one or two heavy whisky nights. We worked hard. Having written this short throwback (it could have been a lot longer and included Billy [Kennedy] nearly setting off Peter’s studio sprinklers with birthday cake candles, the infamous channel 901, and the fact that I missed my brother’s stag party to stay in Bridgeport and finish mixing the album, sorry again Neil) it has struck me that the things I said at the beginning about us not really knowing what we were doing aren’t entirely true. Because although we WERE flying by the seat of our pants, we weren’t mucking about. We didn’t really know how to operate in a studio but we’d sure as fuck try to learn and listen and get better. In so many ways, this was the album that set us on the path we still stroll along today, at our own pace whistling a wee tune. I left the studio and flew home to Scotland from Newark on the evening of 4 July with a mixed version of the album to listen to on my iPod. The plane took off, I was alone, I played My Backwards Walk to check everything on my shite headphones. There were fireworks foofing away below, little explosions across the city and into New Jersey or wherever. They seemed synchronised with the tiny bits of colour I was hearing. It was, admittedly, pretty fucking magic. Still didn’t know if the album was any good though... The Midnight Organ Fight was released on 15 Apr, 2008 via FatCat Records Scott Hutchison plays Lake of Stars, The Art School, Glasgow, 11 Mar; Frightened Rabbit play The Midnight Organ Fight, Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 12 Mar, The O2 Academy, Glasgow, 17 Mar frightenedrabbit.com

THE SKINNY

Greek Tragedy We meet theatre maker Graham Eatough as his much-lauded How to Act returns to the Scottish stage Interview: Amy Taylor

remiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year, Graham Eatough’s How to Act quickly became one of the hottest tickets at the festival, picking up critical acclaim, plaudits and awards. The play takes the form of an acting masterclass led by a fictional but extremely well-respected theatre director using techniques learned in Africa and Asia. The audience are in a sense the masterclass participants, watching an older, experienced director (Anthony Nicholl, played by Robert Goodale) and a young aspiring black actress (Promise, played by Jade Ogugua) explore theatrical methods, while slowly revealing a history of exploitation, power play and exposing one another’s world view. In the seven months since its premiere, and just before it embarks on a tour around Scotland, the play has developed a new meaning in light of recent news stories, specifically #MeToo and #TimesUp. The current news cycle is increasingly drawn to stories of abuses of power and exploitation in the entertainment industries. For writer and director Eatough, the new attention brings a different layer to his play, which was developed, as he puts it, as “a genuine experiment. “The #MeToo thing is very fascinating,” he says. “I think it’s going to make Robert’s job even harder in the play, because I think there are certain assumptions around Anthony, particularly now, that are – if not negative – they’re certainly questioning. It’s going to be fascinating to see how people read the show differently in that light. It’s not something that we were addressing specifically in the original production in terms of sexual harassment, but I think it will definitely be at the back of people’s minds when they’re watching this workshop unfold between the older white male actor, and this younger actress.” The dynamics of power and gender are plain to see in the premise of How to Act, but there are also a number of other issues at play. Eatough explains that the play, which he’s worked on since 2013, was inspired by Greek tragedy, specifically the characters of kings and rulers, who are often initially presented as being infallible and powerful, but lose everything because of their humanity. “The challenge I set myself was, would it be possible to use this opportunity as a way of telling this grand, quite extreme, story that attempted to speak beyond its immediate coordinates to something broader, really and more societal?” The older, renowned male director in How to Act substitutes for the ancient Greek Kings of past tragedies. Eatough’s reasoning was that a person of Nicholl’s standing would have the same powers in the world of theatre, especially when confronted with younger, less experienced actors eager to learn from someone at the top of their game. “A theatre director would have that same ability, albeit in microcosm, that same ability to impose their will and to be in control of the story,” he explains. It’s not just the fictional characters that Eatough is interested in, but the idea that Nicholl, while not a monster or a predator, has engaged in oppressive behaviour without even knowing it. “I’ve been interested for a while in how we in the West approach different cultures, particularly within the arts, how we refer to and incorporate – you might say appropriate – cultural influences into our own privileged western theatre practices,” begins Eatough. For a

March 2018

character like Anthony Nicholl, whose career has allowed him to work in foreign countries, specifically in Nigeria, his experiences have formed the basis of his theatre practice, which has led to a long and successful career. He only wants to create a better theatre for everyone, but he has done so using methods he learned in Nigeria and elsewhere, to further himself and not the communities from which they came, which in itself speaks to a larger trend in the West. “Those kinds of ideas can be created with completely the best of intentions,” says Eatough. “You know, they’re about artists trying to form bridges and connections with other cultures. But at the same time, potentially, there was a huge problematic [element to] that kind of relationship, because we also are part of a society that has exploited some of these places, and that continues to rely on these usually poorer countries and cultures for our much-needed resources.” These much-needed resources are things that we tend to take for granted – in the case of Nigeria, oil, the exploitation of which has led to a host of political, humane and ethical issues. “However we live our lives in the West, it’s fuelled by oil, really, and in order to get that, there’s this idea that we communally are responsible for some horrific circumstances. That, to me, felt very Greek in a way,” explains Eatough. But How to Act’s references to Greek Tragedy don’t just relate to the characters. The play is really the retelling of a story from two different, and often opposing points of view. It is not a play that paints issues as one or the other, but rather one that airs both sides of a story that is at points complicated and at other times, uncomfortable. How to Act, Tron Theatre, Glasgow, 6-10 Mar nationaltheatrescotland.com/production/how-to-act/

Robert Goodale and Jade Ogugua in How to Act

Credit: Tim Morozzo

THEATRE

THE SKINNY

Making Do We talk Seinfeld, Peep Show and growing up in Ireland with Glasgow-based singer-songwriter Martha Ffion ahead of the release of her debut album Sunday Best

Interview: Chris Ogden

hen we call Martha Ffion – full name Claire Martha Ffion McKay – the Glasgow-based Irish singer-songwriter has just been spending her Sunday afternoon doing a spot of life admin and continuing to get into 90s comedy Seinfeld. While many people are re-watching Friends and finding out that it’s quite badly dated, McKay says that Seinfield’s comedy of manners has held up pretty well – unlike some of the characters’ outfits. “It was pretty excruciating,” McKay says, laughing about the episode she just watched. “I’ve only just started watching it, like, a week ago. I’m getting quite invested.” With our conversation touching upon Catholic guilt, Peep Show and MTV2, McKay proves to be wry, canny company as we discuss her debut LP Sunday Best, coming out this month via Turnstile – the label of artists like Emmy the Great and Cate le Bon. As every debut takes a lifetime to write, it’s worth telling Martha Ffion’s story from the beginning. McKay was born in Prestwich, Greater Manchester to an Irish father and Welsh mother who’d met in the North West English city before the family moved to Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland when McKay was two. The small coastal town was picturesque and McKay relished the liberty it offered. “[Warrenpoint’s] a really beautiful place,” McKay says. “I mean, I never felt I was missing out on anything else being there – definitely quite a quiet and sheltered upbringing, but in another way we had a lot of freedom. Ironically – given that it was the early 90s in Northern Ireland – it was quite a safe place to grow up and we could just run wild, go and play on the beach and do what we wanted.” Warrenpoint’s location right on the border of Northern Ireland with the southern Republic meant that for McKay growing up, hopping on a twenty-minute ferry from Warrenpoint to Carlingford in the south was a common occurrence. That led McKay to plenty of experiences of crossing the border as a teenager to drink, wrestling with currency. “When we got older and wanted to go out to clubs, we’d go to ones that were across the border so to go on a night out you’d go and get your euros,” McKay explains, chuckling at the memory. “You’d have to go to the bureau de change during the day to go in the pubs that night because it was easier to get served. Things like that were quite funny, but I guess as you’re just used to it you don’t really think it’s strange.” That liminal space that Warrenpoint holds between northern and southern Ireland is similar to the one McKay’s music occupies, nestled between classic pop and the alternative music she listened to as a teen, being of the generation that got much of its initial music taste from MTV2. “Early Strokes is as much emb‑ edded in my songwriting as anything,” she says. While McKay played violin and harp growing up, she didn’t really write songs until she learned guitar when she moved to Glasgow in her late teens, after an aborted stint studying drama at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh – she dropped out because she was “rubbish,” she says. By the time she’d learned two covers, she was writing her own material, while never planning to enter the music industry. “I never even intended to play open mics or anything,” McKay explains, “I just spiralled into it all.” After a few years of “writing lots of songs behind closed doors and being terrified of being on stage,” McKay released her first EP Go in 2014 under her middle names Martha Ffion, recording it cheaply with the help of her friends in the Glasgow-based band Poor Things. The experience

March 2018

Photo: Laura Meek

of playing with a full band led McKay to expand her songwriting horizons, recording a double A-side postcard single for Lost Map before releasing her first EP, Trip in 2016 with Turnstile. She learned fast about touring and playing for a live audience, saying working with a full band “opened up” the way she wrote songs. Now McKayis releasing her first full record as Martha Ffion, Sunday Best -recorded with her full live band by Jamie Savage at Glasgow’s Chem 19 Studio. It’s a clever, apt title for a debut – referring to clothes reserved for church, which are in effect a faÇade. Having grown up in a predominantly Catholic part of Northern Ireland, McKay explains that the title partly jokes about Catholic guilt, but is wider-ranging too.

“ I never even intended to play open mics or anything, I just spiralled into it all” “It’s not just Catholic guilt,” McKay explains. “All of us in this day and age kind of feel guilty about everything. We’re more conscious in a way of the impact of our actions than ever before. It’s like even [when you’re] at a supermarket and no matter what you take off the shelf there’s a feeling of guilt attached to that. There’s a really good joke about that in Peep Show actually, that I can’t be bothered to retell! “That is a theme that runs through a lot of

the songs – what does it mean to be good? Sometimes [I was] literally looking at that question and sometimes I was inhabiting a character of either a ‘good woman’ or ‘bad woman’ – sometimes people that I actually knew or know, or sometimes depictions from other songs or books and things like that. I think that’s something that can be especially difficult for women: this idea that you should be good and pleasant and smiling.” As the culmination of the first phase of her career to date, Sunday Best shows McKay putting on her best face as Martha Ffion. It showcases some songs written in early 2017, older cuts, like No Applause and Lead Balloon, and some of the earliest songs she wrote, such as Punch Drunk – a track originally recorded as Punch Drunk Love for the Go EP. McKay remains fond of the original version, whose jangly lo-fi recording made it sound “a little like something off Rubber Soul.” When revisiting it this time, McKay admits that she actually wanted the track not to sound as glossy, out of a desire to create something recognisable as human and flawed. “We were trying to make it ropier!” she laughs. “Things were sounding too polished or too good. I think we’re always trying to keep away from anything being too perfect.” While that might make Sunday Best sound like it’s a ramshackle type of record, it’s definitely not – on the contrary, it’s a bright, bracing listen. With almost all of its tracks hovering around the magical three minute mark, the album’s songs combine classic 60s pop, like The Beach Boys and Nancy Sinatra, with more modern iterations like Camera Obscura, the surf-y stylings of Best Coast and the guitar rock of Rilo Kiley. We ask McKay, with so many reference points on Sunday Best, how she strikes

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the balance between her influences and her own personality. “I guess it’s the melodies, mostly, that I’m drawn to in classic songs,” she says. “I like songs that make you feel something – something that can be missing in mainstream music nowadays – writing about things that are really either affecting you or that you’re really empathising with from someone else. I think I probably do more of the latter. More often than not, a situation I’m writing about isn’t directly happening to me but I try to empathise as much as possible and maybe write it from my perspective.” Inspired by her mum, who in McKay’s childhood was a librarian involved in Ireland’s storytelling community, the writing doesn’t disappoint. It’s easy to see how a confessed cynic like McKay would be attracted to a show like Seinfeld, as Sunday Best’s songs tackle how our attempts to do good things backfire or are scuppered by our past. Whether it’s the guarded love of Take Your Name, ‘life getting in the way’ of dreams in Beach, or the Lead Balloon which she admits ‘is tethered to my heart’, much of McKay’s delivery is evocative of Jenny Lewis, another songwriter who finds experience hard-won but retains an inherent optimism. The track at the very heart of Sunday Best is We Make Do, a graceful, piano-led waltz in which McKay insists ‘there’s no shame in facing every day with an overwhelming sense of making do’. If Martha Ffion is making do right now, we can’t wait to see her when she’s really doing it. Sunday Best is released on 9 Mar via Turnstile Martha Ffion plays Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 9 Mar; Mono, Glasgow, 10 Mar facebook.com/marthaffionmckay

Feature

The Matron Saints The Little Book of Feminist Saints showcases the women through history who broke new ground, shattered glass ceilings, and broke the mould. We talk to its creators, Julia Pierpont and Manjit Thapp

“I

grew up around a lot of strong women, who taught me to admire other strong women,” explains Julia Pierpont. “This book was a terrific excuse to celebrate some of them, and to introduce their achievements to others.” The Little Book of Feminist Saints is a pocket-sized guide to women who have broken ground and ceilings for centuries, declaring each the Matron Saint of their respective world. Pierpont, bestselling author of Among the Ten Thousand Things, joined forces with UK-based illustrator Manjit Thapp to create the perfect pocket-sized celebration, just in time for International Women’s Day. “I think it’s important for these women’s stories to be told,” notes Thapp. “I think through history, it’s often the stories of men that we hear about. The women’s stories, though they are out there, we’re not as familiar with them. It’s important for these to be told and for everyone to hear them.” These stories are told in bitesize chunks, each fitting snugly onto a page and accompanied by a beautiful illustrated portrait. We see the Williams sisters (the Matron Saints of Athletes); Maya Angelou (Matron Saint of Storytellers); Sappho (Matron Saint of Lovers). Pierpont condenses a lifetime into a few lines, capturing their essence in a striking snapshot. With the whole of human history to choose from, where do you start? “It was so tricky!” says Pierpont. Between everyone the list swelled to many hundreds more than the book could hold and, bit by bit, it was whittled down into a selection of familiar faces and some lesserknown. There were some that they knew from the start they wanted to include. For Thapp, she was drawn to artists. “I definitely wanted to have a few female artists in there. We’ve got Louise Bourgeois

These women “ deserve to be celebrated. How are we to advance as a culture if we don’t know what the people before us have accomplished?”

Feature

Credit: Manjit Thapp

Forugh, the Matron Saint of Free Voices, was “an Iranian woman and wrote about the repression that came with that.” She wrote thousands of lines on cheap paper she would never publish; she travelled to Europe, but she always came back home. It’s these small details that lift their lives from the page. You’re not reading a welltrodden biography. Both Pierpont and Thapp, like readers, learned a lot from The Little Book of Feminist Saints. For Thapp, she was unfamiliar with a number of those included, but really enjoyed the process of discovering them across the project. Ruby Bridges, the Matron Saint of First Steps, was a stand out. “She was the first African American child to attend an all-white school and that was a story that I hadn’t heard of before and I was quite inspired by.” She was one of only six black children to pass a test that was designed for them to fail; she stayed strong despite protests from pupils, and lack of acceptance

Frida Kahlo - Matron Saint of Colour

from teachers. She kept her head down and persevered where many sought her to fall. Small acts can cause huge waves. “I was nervous about tackling the most famous women on the list – people like Oprah, or Helen Keller,” recalls Pierpont. “What could I possibly tell you about these women that you didn’t know already? And then I found things that surprised me. I didn’t know that Oprah had testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the early 1990s, pretty much singlehandedly pushing through the National Child Protection Act. I didn’t know that Helen Keller was one of the founders of the ACLU! It was a terrific education for me.” Each year, International Women’s Day shines a light on women; each year we are gifted with new books. The Little Book of Feminist Saints is a thoroughly brilliant and informative read. It’s not the first book of its kind, nor will it be the last, but in its pint-sized form, it’s a gift to give, and a gateway to discovering brilliant women – the scientists, creators, artists, protestors, inspirations, pioneers, the doers who broke the

BOOKS

mould world over. And now it’s out there, what do they hope people take from it? “I hope that readers learn something about each of these women,” says Thapp. “I think the way that Julia wrote the stories – she pinpoints specific moments, so it’s not like you’re just reading a Wikipedia entry. It’s emotive and moving – I hope that people are moved and inspired.” “Books about great women are severely outnumbered by books about great men,” continues Julia. “These women deserve to be celebrated. How are we to advance as a culture if we don’t know what the people before us have accomplished? “I hope the stories in this book find a home in the minds of its readers, that they are remembered and repeated and serve as inspiration.” From the radical Kanno Sugako to the punks of Pussy Riot, via Oprah, the Night Witches and Jin Xing, the Matron Saints are plentiful, and their stories are waiting to be heard. The Little Book of Feminist Saints, published by Little Brown, 6 Mar, £12.99 littlebrown.co.uk/books/

THE SKINNY

Credit: Manjit Thapp

[dubbed the Matron Saint of the Avant-Garde], Frida Kahlo [the Matron Saint of Colour] and Yayoi Kusama [the Matron Saint of Visionaries]. Frida Kahlo - I love how she puts herself in her work and the personality that she has in her work. Despite it sometimes being quite dark she was confident to put that onto the canvas. The three of them have that confidence to express themselves through their art.” For Pierpont it was similar, drawn to the women of her creative artform. “I was excited to include some of the writers I admire — Virginia Woolf especially. I really wanted to do justice to her, because her novels mean so much to me.” The sheer expanse of women covered is the strength of the book. Pages showcasing the familiar sparkle to life with facts or anecdotes that you were previously unaware of; those new to you envelop you briefly into their lives. “It would have been a disservice both to the book and its readers if we hadn’t included a range of women, both from all over the world and throughout history,” says Pierpont. “I don’t know, for example, if many of my fellow American women have heard of the poet Forough Farrokhzad, who is sometimes referred to as Iran’s Sylvia Plath, and we are the poorer for it. Ada Lovelace was born in 1815, but she is considered to have been the first computer programmer.”

Julia Pierpont

Malala Yousafzai - Matron Saint of Students

Interview: Heather McDaid

Reality Bytes Superorganism tell us about the process of making their cross-continental debut album, nearly suffering an existential crisis and building the Superorganism world

Interview: Nadia Younes

hen a little song called Something For Your M.I.N.D. appeared on SoundCloud in January last year, the band behind it instantly became the biggest talking point in music, as people began to wonder, “Who the fuck are Superorganism?” Unlike the Arctic Monkeys back in 2006 though, Superorganism have turned out to be something of an anomaly. The eight-strong band/ collective – made up of B, Emily, Harry, Orono, Robert, Ruby, Soul and Tucan – initially came together via internet music forums, with members scattered all over the globe. A small group of them formed while living in Wellington, New Zealand, with the idea of putting a band together, before relocating to Auckland for a few years, and then eventually to their current base – a shared house in Homerton, East London, where all eight members now reside. “A lot of the time for us in this band, things just happen naturally and there’s not necessarily been a grand plan,” says Harry, the band’s guitarist and one of its songwriters/producers. “That’s kind of the beauty of Superorganism, and who we are and what we are, that none of us really have super strong ties to any one place, in terms of the way the band formed and even who we are as people.” The process of making their self-titled debut album was a bit of a globe-spanning affair too, with Korean backing singer Soul still based in Sydney, Australia at the time and lead vocalist Orono recording vocals from her high school dorm room in Maine, New England. “When I recorded some of the stuff, I would have to wait until my roommate was taking a shit,” says Orono, very matter-of-factly.

Photo: Steph Wilson

“ What we did is a very low budget version of what Kanye did” Orono

As a previous incarnation of the band, some of its members had met 17-year-old Orono at one of their gigs in Japan, who had come across their music through YouTube recommendations. When it came to putting vocals together for the track that was to become Something For Your M.I.N.D., they remembered Orono and sent her the track. Within an hour, she had recorded her vocal parts on her MacBook, sent the track back to the band, and the rest is history. The track’s success came about just as quickly as its development and within a few days of it being put up on SoundCloud, it had received thousands of listens and been picked up by just about every music blog in the world. Then, adding further fuel to the fast-spreading fire, Frank Ocean played it on his Beats 1 radio show, blonded RADIO, swiftly followed by Ezra Koenig doing the same, on Time Crisis. The latter was particularly exciting for Orono, who had previously dabbled in writing a bit of Vampire Weekend fanfiction. “Exciting would be an understatement,” she says. “He not only played the song, he replied to my tweet at him, with the fanfiction.” And Orono’s writing talents don’t stop there, with even more of her fanfiction attempts visualised on the band’s YouTube page, featuring various other celebrities.

A listen to the band’s music and a quick glance at their website, and it becomes clear that they are very much fans of early-mid 00s music and pop culture. Tracks like It’s All Good and Everybody Wants to Be Famous recall the electro, indie-pop explosion of the mid 00s, and their website looks like it was designed using Windows 2000. Their videos too – all of which are directed by in-house videographer Robert Strange – have an equally grainy aesthetic, made up of a mixture of self-shot and archival footage and images. “What we’re trying to do with this project is, it’s kind of like a world-building exercise in a way; we’re trying to build the Superorganism world,” says Harry. “[The album is] like a foundation on which we’re going to build and grow. It’s got the tracks on it that are already out, so those are kind of a taster of what there is on there, but there’s also some more reflective, mellow moments to it, there’s some more crazy and far out psychedelic moments on it, then there’s everything in-between those two moods.” The band liken their unconventional work method to that of the process of making a mainstream pop record – but in a more indie, DIY fashion – in that some of the members (Soul and Orono) hadn’t even met until after it was finished. “It’s a weird way of working I guess but it kind of just feels natural to us in the modern world,” says

Harry. “We didn’t come up with this revolutionary new way of working; it just happened.” In a rather bold fashion, continuing on the subject, Harry goes on to reference Kanye West’s guest-heavy fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, as a similar method of working. “He rented out three studios in Hawaii – three within the same complex – and just had a rotating cast of collaborators coming through. I bet there were points where two artists ended up on the same song that, because of their schedules not aligning or whatever, didn’t necessarily work on that song together,” he says. “What we did is a very low budget version of what Kanye did,” adds Orono. Such was the mystery around the band when they first began to pick up buzz that many actually began to question Orono’s existence, some even suggesting that she was a hologram and not an actual person. Then, as press interest increased and photos of the band began appearing, it was Soul who became the next topic of questioning. Due to his location restricting him from being present at the band’s earlier photo shoots, they instead came up with other creative ways to include him and make his existence in the band known – placing a picture of him in the background of a photo, or putting up a poster of him on a wall behind them,

for example (see above image for proof). “With the Everybody Wants to Be Famous video, the whole narrative in that is whether or not Orono is real and now Soul’s this weird, elusive figure as well, so I kind of like this idea that none of us are quite real,” says Harry. “It was funny, because I mean I get where people were coming from, but I feel like it put me in a kind of life crisis... so I was like ‘hmm I wonder if I am real?’” adds Orono. To add even further to the already bubblingover hype, the band were recently included in both the BBC Sound of 2018 and DIY Class of 2018 lists, tipped as ones to watch this year alongside the likes of Norwegian pop sensation Sigrid and Mancunian goth-pop outfit Pale Waves. But despite their incredible success, the band seem unfazed. “When you’ve got eight people in a band, you become this little group and this little tribe... so it kind of insulates you a bit from whatever pressures and stuff,” says Harry. Superorganism’s world may be spinning at a lightning pace and showing no signs of stopping, but all eight of them are keeping their feet firmly on the ground – if the ground they’re standing on is even real at all. Superorganism is out now via Domino Superorganism play CCA, Glasgow, 11 Mar wearesuperorganism.com

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“I didn’t think it was going to be this uplifting” Mark Thomas on setting up a comedy night in a Palestinian refugee camp, white savourism, and uh, Bob Geldof t’s great, it’s like being in a sort of punk rock gang that’s got really good culinary skills,” says Mark Thomas. His latest show, Showtime From the Frontline, charts his attempts to set up and run a comedy club in the Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine, though he is not alone in his latest endeavour with the show a co-production with Jenin Freedom Theatre. And he’s joined onstage by comedians Alaa Shedada and Faisal Abu Alhayjaa from the company. Founded in 2006, Jenin Freedom Theatre is based in the refugee camp. The camp was formed in 1953 after the displacement of Palestinian civilians from the Carmel region of Haifa. The theatre began as a way to help children work through the fallout from the first intifada, or uprising, in the late 80s and early 90s. Thomas encountered the theatre while taking part in the Walking the Wall project, which saw him walk the length of the Israeli border in 2011. He was so enthralled by the idea of a theatre in a refugee camp, and got on so well with its founder (the late Juliano Mer-Khamis) that he stayed there most nights. “It’s thrilling to me, because it speaks to who we are as human beings and it also challenges people’s visions of refugees as perpetual victims with their fucking hands held out,” explains Thomas. “People start to see them as human beings.” Thomas is angry about how Westerners think and speak about Palestine. From the people who’ve gone over and believe that they “...will

bring them something by our presence,” as he calls it, to those with a white saviour complex. Of these, he saves most of his ire for Bob ‘Feed the World’ Geldof. “I fucking loathe him,” he growls, before listing, articulately and forcefully, Geldof ’s many past mistakes and transgressions, including but not limited to, the song, I Don’t Like Mondays to “The Boomtown Rats and their fucking punk pop shit, the use of a bloke who wore pyjamas and played piano as if it was some kind of radical gesture, like a student prank in a fucking medical student review.” But Thomas’s rage blisters white hot when he gets to the subject of Geldof ’s charity work. “He has fostered this attitude that we fix the world’s problems by singing, putting money in a pot and then going, why are the problems still there? We’ve paid for this to be sorted! And actually, what he’s done is foster this instant debit card attitude that you can fix poverty and the world’s problems of institutional racism with a donation to a charity single. Words cannot describe my fucking contempt. I think it’s despicable the attitude it’s created.” This attitude is part of the reason why he decided the best way to help the people of Jenin was in giving skills and new ways to explore performance. “I’m really conscious of the fact that I’m not a white saviour, I’m not going to ride in, and suddenly everything’s sorted out, I’m not. I’m a bloke that’s got a few tricks that might be useful

to other people to help them express themselves.”

“ What [Geldof]’s done is foster this instant debit card attitude that you can fix poverty and the world’s problems of institutional racism with a donation to a charity single” Mark Thomas These ‘tricks’ include a three-and-a-halfweek comedy course at the theatre, which culminated in two nights of comedy by ten participants. When the workshops were organised, Thomas made the theatre commit to two things; that there would be women on the course, and that the teachers at the theatre took part as well. This ensured that the skills and the knowledge stayed with them long after Thomas and his team had left. “You have to have a tangible skill you can teach others and it has to stay there, they can’t be dependent on you coming back,” he explains. One of the most surprising things to come out of the project was the inspiring feeling that the experience and show gives Thomas, Shedada and Abu Alhayjaa, who ensure that the performance is different every night.

Showtime from the Frontline

“I didn’t think it was going to be this uplifting, that you would leave with this feeling. So, I’m delighted that people come to a comedy show about Palestine and it’s funny.” Mark Thomas: Showtime from the Frontline, Tron Theatre, 21-24 Mar, 2.30pm & 7.45pm, £15-18

Job Lot Interview: Jay Richardson

Photo: Eve McPherson

Rising star Stuart McPherson talks about turning bad jobs into great stand-up

t says something about Stuart McPherson that when he landed his first acting role, a guest spot as cybercrime officer Archie Pepper on the BBC Scotland cop mockumentary Scot Squad, he just assumed the character would be shit at his job. “I don’t think I was in front of the camera for more than like, 25 minutes, and didn’t have an amazing handle on who he was,” he reflects on

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Pepper, who nevertheless proved popular enough with viewers to be promoted to a regular on the hit series. “I just thought he was this vaguely arrogant person who wasn’t that great,” the 24-year-old Fifer admits. “But it turned out he was amazing at it. It’s just that it’s an absolute piece of piss for him so he’s not really bothered. Which I’m happy to play, that suits me down to the ground.”

McPherson’s assumption about the casually insouciant crimefighter could be linked to his own chequered professional history. He recently managed two and a half days as a barista before being “let go,” having only just been made redundant when The Potato Shed in Glasgow’s Central Station closed. Fortunately, that line of employment and his dubious responsibility to check the concourse for terrorist activity wasn’t merely £7.05 an hour for the comic, who began gigging in 2015. His recollections of extolling baked spuds to disinterested commuters is now a signature routine for this enjoyably dry, sardonic act, who reached the final of the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny competition and was voted best newcomer at the 2016 Scottish Comedy Awards. “It’s weird isn’t it?” he acknowledges. “I suppose I was thinking about this when I applied for it. I’m at a point where I’m only taking jobs that are inherently funny. Because why would you bother with anything else when you’re trying to come up with stuff? “I would stand in the shed just writing on sandwich bags constantly. And flyers too. We had these flyers that said: ‘The best bacon rolls in Glasgow? You decide.’ And the people did

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decide. Otherwise.” Also touching on a school trip he took to the Coca-Cola factory in East Kilbride – “not the Willy Wonka experience you might expect” – and a job he had handing out free cans of Coke Zero, McPherson’s debut solo show at the Glasgow Comedy Festival is named Same Great Taste, Zero Sugar. That’s partly a pointless plug for a huge brand, partly to challenge Bill Hicks’ assertion that entertainers hawking commercial products must be dismissed from the artistic roll call forever. More inspired by offbeat, ‘otherworldly’ stand-ups like James Acaster, Tim Key and John Kearns, McPherson attributes his offhand stage persona to the fact that “I really am that guy, I’m not very jazz hands.” Indeed, whether tracking fictional criminals from a computer, or unlikely jihadis from behind a sightline of steaming potato, he gets the job done without putting himself out there. “Rather than the guy jumping on the table, I prefer being off to the side of a situation,” he maintains. “Taking the piss.” Stuart McPherson: Same Great Taste, Zero Sugar, McPhabbs, 10 Mar, 7.30pm, £5 glasgowcomedyfestival.com

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Photo: Lesley Martin

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Interview: Amy Taylor

Sausage Surprise The game is afoot as The Delightful Sausage arrive in Glasgow with new material on the back of their debut hit Cold Hard Cache

Interview: Polly Glynn

Photo: Jim Bayes Photo: Jim Bayes

Cold Hard Cache turned heads at the Edinburgh Fringe. Were you disappointed they didn’t turn all the way round, like that little possessed girl who hates her mum? A: “We couldn’t have predicted exactly how our silly show about The Internet would be received. We’re very, very aware that it’s not for everybody but we’ve been pleasantly surprised and really are chuffed to bits with the last 12 months.” C: “It gave one middle-aged lady a nosebleed. which I thought was wholly uncalled for.” The show’s on NextUp, the online comedy streaming platform. What’s it like looking at yourself in the past from the future? C: “I’m consistently brought to tears as another year passes and yet I’ve still not aged. Oh when will you come for me Father Time?” A: “If I knew then, what I know now…” C: “Stop dreaming of another life. The contract is signed.” Your next show, The Delightful Sausage: Regeneration Game is part of the silly-kidz parade that is Chunks’ Glasgow Comedy Festival offering. What’s your fave chunk in a soup? C & A: “Croutons!” Regeneration Game aims to turn a down-onits-arse town into the new Capital of Culture. What would you say constitutes a cultural capital? (I’d have to go for a decent chippy and

Photo: Jim Bayes

The Skinny: In the style of Friends’ Joey Tribbiani, ‘How you feelin’ (today?)’ Chris: “I’ll field this one. Hey, Mrs. Cunningham! We’re feeling ten out of ten – let’s all have some of those delicious cheeseburgers down at Al’s Diner. Heeeeeeey.” Amy: “I have no further comment at this time.”

he Delightful Sausage have been all aboard the success train for the past year as their Edinburgh Fringe debut marked them on the alternative comedy map. In 2018 alone, they’ve released a special on streaming service NextUp, had a run at the Soho Theatre, and played Leicester Comedy Festival. The duo – Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill – radiate mirth as they pause their packed schedule to answer some quickfire questions.

at least two ‘hole in the walls’). C: “What is culture? That’s the question which keeps us up at night.” A: “Also, when is it?” C:” And if we were to swab under the President’s fingernails, what culture would we find there?” A: “Full disclosure? The show is still very much a work-in-progress and there’s a strong chance we’ve not really understood the question.” There’s also mention of a pivotal Working Men’s Club. I think what we all really want to know is: Will there be a meat raffle? A: “Well, we don’t want to give away too much of the ‘plot’, but there’s a chance that the meat man could very well be making an appearance at the Greater Ickleton Working Satanist’s Club.” C: “She says ‘plot’ but really it’s just 400 Post-It notes with the word ‘success’ written on them.”

Classic question: Have you ever thought about just stopping what you’re doing, sliding into a big bun and having a bath? C: “Sadly, we’re not really in a position to stop anything at the moment.” A: “Yes. They said they’ll hurt the people we love.” And finally, what does the frankFUTURE hold for The Delightful Sausage? C: “We want to build a loyal fanbase. So loyal we could launch a lit firework into the crowd and all they’ll say is ‘thank you’.” A: “In the future, I plan to spend more time working on my hobbies, which includes full-time admin work.” The Delightful Sausage: Regeneration Game (work-inprogress), McPhabbs, 16 Mar, 9pm, £5 glasgowcomedyfestival.com

“We’re all just horny monkeys” W

hen Mae Martin performed her 2015 hour Us about the spectrum of sexuality, she found teenagers using it as a conversation opener to come out to their parents. Similarly, when she performed Dope at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, about the various addictions of her life and drugs in particular, an audience member pulled out a crack pipe. “I had a lot of recovering addicts and I guess some not-so-recovered addicts coming as well, which I’m up for,” the Canadian comic recalls. “But there was so little ventilation in that room. He was chiming in during the show, just commenting. And it was manageable. “But when he pulled out the pipe, I worried about causing a panic. Because there was no oxygen in there. And he was right down the front and would have had to go through the audience to leave. So I kind of left him to it. He wasn’t behaving badly. Definitely a very Fringe experience.” Judges for the Edinburgh Comedy Award were in too. And Dope was duly nominated, leading to a first UK tour for a comic whose thoughtful, progressive material about sexuality and lifestyle has already spawned two Radio 4 series, a forthcoming book and a loosely

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autobiographical Channel 4 sitcom pilot. Candid about her relationships with both men and women, to the extent that as a compere she once introduced fellow comic Jack Barry as someone she’d had a threesome with, Martin used to feel “ahead of the curve” discussing sex. “But now,” the 30-year-old ventures, “when I perform at freshers’ weeks, young people sort of accept that everyone’s fluid, there’s not this rigid cultural identity around it. Human beings, we’re all just horny monkeys. I hope in 50 years we’ll look back and realise we got it wrong for more than a century.” Although she finds catharsis in being so honest, Martin rejects the notion that she uses stand-up as “my main type of therapy. I see an actual therapist”. Nevertheless, Dope required “a bit of distance from my teens to be able to talk about them confidently. “When you’re talking about some quite dark stuff, you want to make sure you’re able to bring the audience there comfortably and then bring them the fuck out again because there’s a danger you’re going to wade into bleak territory. But I feel I’m chill enough now to keep it light.” Martin's absorbing, revelatory show

Interview: Jay Richardson

Photo: Ed Moore

Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominee Mae Martin chats about addiction, sexuality and honesty

recounts how, since she began performing stand-up in Toronto aged 13, her addictions have become intertwined with her love of comedy. She’s also experimented across the spectrum of genre, including character, sketch, musical and improv. “I wasn’t always sure who I was or confident enough in what I had to say,” she reflects “It maybe took me a while to get to straight stand-up, to be so close to who I am in real life on stage.” Although she’s been weaning herself off using real names and omits certain details that might embarrass those close to her, “it wo-

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uldn’t feel authentic to me if I wasn’t being largely honest. “In my early 20s, I was always described as ‘fresh-faced’, ‘diminutive’ or ‘innocent’. I didn’t play up to that. But maybe I edited myself a bit. So, it’s nice to be more open about the layers of who I am now, be a bit more three-dimensional and not worry about freaking people out.” Mae Martin: Dope, The Stand Comedy Club Glasgow, 13 Mar, 6.50pm, £11-13; also at The Stand Comedy Club Edinburgh, 14 Mar, 8.30pm, £11-13 glasgowcomedyfestival.com

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Power of Words Sung entirely in Cornish, Gwenno Saunders’ new album is a warm world of collective memories and a document of a language that’s well and truly alive

usic is a really lovely way to communicate in languages that are not as familiar to other people,” Gwenno Saunders says. For her, the medium has certainly afforded her the opportunity to do just that. Her debut solo album Y Dydd Olaf was performed almost entirely in Welsh, with the exception of the final track Amser which was sung in Cornish. Now, she’s picked up that thread on her new album Le Kov, a record entirely sung in the Brythonic language. Saunders is one of only a few fluent Cornish speakers, but it’s a language that she’s been intimate with since childhood. As such, making an album in Cornish was something of a nobrainer. “I just thought that I wanted to utilise it and take ownership of it, because it’s not widely spoken but it’s one I’m really familiar with,” she explains. Despite the natural move, she was still aware that “it’s a really weird place to be because it’s something very personal to you, yet not one that many people understand,” even more so than Welsh. Yet understanding Cornish is hardly a prerequisite for enjoying and app‑ reciating Le Kov. Instead, Saunders believes it simply adds a unique dynamic to her music. “It naturally becomes an otherworldly thing, which I really love,” she explains. “I think it creates this hypnotic element to the music and something that you can get lost in, because it’s harder to place. But this is the thing about music, it’s a place that’s open and where anything goes, particularly anything different goes. “It gives you another power to play with that perhaps can offer new ways of thinking and new ways of sounding. A language has its own melody and it encourages particular melody,” she continues. Cornish has indeed helped to open up a distinctive musical world for Saunders, one where she explores new moods and sonic palettes. The languid, relaxed words and phrases she sings on Le Kov are gorgeously accompanied by warmer tones that distinguish the album from Y Dydd Olaf. Some of the harsher electronic drums and melodies are stripped back in favour of cosmic yet comforting, earthy psychedelia that feels far less synthetic than her debut, a move partially inspired by Saunders’ own musical experiences: “when I was thinking about the music that I loved growing up [sung] in Cornish, it was all very warm and homely.” That more organic feeling implicitly reflects the long history that Cornish carries. “You’re very conscious that you’re using words that other people have used over centuries, going back to the middle ages,” Saunders explains. Digging into research and diving deeper into that history, she learned about the Brythonic myths of sunken cities such as Langarrow and Lyonesse, beginning to imagine the metropolis of the album’s title. ‘Le kov’ means ‘place of memory’, a place that it is ‘dhe ni oll’ – for us all – built from a collective consciousness. “This idea of community and collective memory was sort of behind how I imagined this place,” she says. Within this psychological terrain, Le Kov feels quite far removed from the dystopian themes that characterised her debut. “It’s utopian!” she declares enthusiastically. While it isn’t really a concept album in the purest sense, in the wake of Brexit particularly Le Kov’s use of Cornish in and of itself feels like an inherent pushing back against isolationist thought, highlighting the inherent diversity that resides within the British Isles. On Herdhya, Saunders touches on this issue, imagining escaping to a welcoming haven. “My feelings were that these people were trying to push back

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to this non-existent Middle Ages that never really happened, that there was only one culture here and that everyone was the same. It’s just a really right-wing view of what Britain was like in the Middle Ages, whereas it was actually a really diverse place,” she says. “I think it’s a really good time to reflect on the history of the island that’s been incredibly diverse for thousands of years.”

“ I liked the idea of making a song that sounded quite angry but was actually about cheese!” Gwenno Saunders

There’s also a more playful side to Le Kov that’s still similarly grounded in the society and linguistic history of the region too, not least on Eus Keus? It’s named after an old Cornish rhyme: ‘Is there cheese? Is there or isn’t there? If there’s cheese, bring cheese, and if there isn’t cheese, bring what there is.’ Despite its origins though, it’s hardly cheesy and, through its urgent arpeg‑ giated melodies and stomping, exuberant hook, it becomes “kind of a call to arms,” especially when brought into its live form. “We’ve been rehearsing a lot and when we play it it’s kind of a raucous thing,” she says, “and I was looking into the druids, how they would chant the same thing over and over because they really believed in the power of words, that some sort of magic would happen.” That this mystical yet vociferous chant

happens to be based on an old, cheese-based saying is magic in itself. “I liked the idea of making a song that sounded quite angry but was actually about cheese!” she explains excitedly. Le Kov doesn’t just look to the past for inspiration though; Saunders also embeds the album with some more modern references. Tir Ha Mor is a soaring tribute to Peter Lanyon, a St. Ives school painter who learned to fly a glider to observe the landscape, dying while doing so in 1964. Opener Hy a Skoellyas Lyf a Dhagrow borrows its title from a track found on Cornish native Aphex Twin’s 2001 album Drukqs, developing a unique scenario behind the origins of Richard D. James’ song. “I imagined that he was wandering around in Le Kov and going into a record shop to find this vinyl of a 70s folk-rock band and there was this song that he’d use the song title for!” Saunders explains. Jynn-amontya, or ‘Computer’ in English, reflects more closely a troublesome relationship with technology that Saunders examined on Y Dydd Olaf. “The computer’s been part of Cornish language history and I wanted to acknowledge that,” she says. It’s a love song (of sorts) inspired by the use of a computer program that could decode linguistic patterns by scrolling through old texts. “I think that was something people struggled with, because they thought it makes [the language] synthetic if technology is a part of it,” Saunders explains, “I was thinking about our relationship to technology; it’s a really ongoing, difficult relationship that we’re dependent on, pretending that we don’t need it but we do and are completely obsessed with it.” That relationship may be fraught, but the existence of a word for “computer” in Cornish emphasises how the language is as alive and vibrant as the land and images Saunders conjures with her music, adapting to changing

times. “What happens with smaller languages is that you feel the evolution, it’s more apparent to you. You think, ‘if I don’t come up with a word for this, who else is going to come up with a word for it?’” she says. It’s a creative, ongoing process, one that has a definite pull: “I think it’s interesting how it draws creative people. It’s like creating linguistic utopias too, you have to be really inventive,” she says, “you’ve got to invent it and you’ve got to make it.” Despite this, Saunders doesn’t really see herself as a deliberate, self-appointed guardian of the language. “I’m definitely not consciously thinking about that, I’m getting more excited about the subject because if you think about it as a conservation thing, you become very aware of how delicate something is and get protective with it,” she explains. Instead, Cornish has afforded her the freedom to explore avenues she may not otherwise have been able to tread. “Creativity and music is just about trying to reach a point of freedom,” she says. “Because there’s not such a big body of work, it’s given me freedom to be out in the wilderness and not be too oppressed by all of your influences.” After making two albums in two of her most familiar languages, even Saunders wonders what her next move will be. “Who knows where I’ll go from here,” she muses. She knows though, that no matter where she heads, she’ll be led by her instincts: “I’ve reached a point where I can follow my muse and not think about what other people would think of that.” Wherever her muse leads her, whatever language she sings in, following Gwenno into her immersive creative realms remains a greatly rewarding experience. Le Kov is out now via Heavenly Recordings Gwenno plays Hidden Door Festival, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 25 May gwenno.info

Photo: Michal Iwanowski

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Interview: Eugenie Johnson

Music

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Let’s Spend the Night Together A movie sleepover with the beguiling short films of Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the treats on offer at this year’s Glasgow Short Film Festival. We ask the great Thai filmmaker what to expect

Interview: Philip Concannon

ccording to Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s 2009 essay The Memory of Nabua: A Note on the Primitive Project, “ghosts will appear under certain conditions, when it is not quite dark and not quite light (at the break of dawn and twilight).” That twilight zone – where dreams and reality become indistinguishable, and ghosts walk among the living – is where Weerasethakul’s cinema exists. His work seems designed to lull us into a hypnagogic state, inviting us to readjust the rhythm of our bodies and completely surrender ourselves to the film; in fact, when he introduced his last feature, 2015’s Cemetery of Splendour, at the London Film Festival he told the audience, “It’s okay to fall asleep.”

“ I always feel that seeing film is an event. It is performative. Sometimes the actual films are secondary”

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

With that in mind it makes sense that Weerasethakul favours nocturnal outings for his work, and an environment that encourages viewers to relax into his films and loosen their grip on consciousness. In 2016, he presented a 16-hour retrospective of his body of work at Tate Modern, beginning at 10pm on a Saturday night and ending just before 2pm the following day. Last month in Rotterdam, he curated SLEEPCINEMAHOTEL, an immersive experience in which guests checked into a fully-functional pop-up hotel and spent the night in beds that were surrounded by images he had filmed, none of which would be repeated over the course of the five-day installation. Now Weerasethakul is bringing an overnight

Mobile Men

odyssey to Glasgow Short Film Festival, with a presentation of his films that begins at 11pm and ends just as the sun is rising outside at 6am. You’ll emerge into the new day blinking away your tiredness, with a head full of strange images and sounds, and feeling connected to any other hardy audience members who have stayed the course, knowing that you’ve all been through something special and unrepeatable together. That’s what the director wants you to feel, anyway. “I always feel that seeing film is an event, of being in a certain kind of architecture, of looking at people, at the red curtains, at the dimming of the lights, etc,” he says. “It is performative. Sometimes the actual films are secondary. It’s the same feeling when I make films – now the process of making is more interesting than the finished films, which afterwards have their own lives.” That process varies from film to film, and the line-up he has put together for Glasgow audiences encompasses a remarkable range of diverse works. While the Tate event included some of his most acclaimed features – such as Blissfully Yours and Tropical Malady – these four programmes, each running to just over 90 minutes, consist of his short and medium-length

Behind the scenes, Mobile Men

films (although some, like the wonderful A Letter to Uncle Boonmee, are connected to his longer work). The films range in length from one minute to an hour, and they represent the work of an artist at his most free and experimental. “They have different rules,” he explains when asked about his shorter work. “Many of them contain a short burst of feelings. There was no script. We were shooting and sculpting. Some of them are just me and the camera.” Take Mobile Men, for example. Weerasethakul is sitting in the back of a pick-up truck with a couple of migrant workers, who pose shirtless for his camera and show off their tattoos. Aside from one man describing the pain his tattoo caused, the only sound we hear is the noise of the engine and the wind rushing through the microphone, which muffles the men’s conversation and laughter. It’s just four minutes long but it is utterly compelling, exhilarating and full of life. He achieves a similar effect in his 2011 short Monsoon, a video response to the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Tohoku earlier that year, which features a man Skyping his partner on the other side of the world, leaning close to the camera and showing him a firefly. It is a remarkably intimate and poignant

piece of work. Like any great artist, Apichatpong Weerasethakul needs nothing more than a camera to capture something vital, expressive and human, but there’s also a beguiling sense of collaboration and camaraderie in his work. For Malee and the Boy, he gave his microphone to a ten-year-old and allowed him to roam the streets of Bangkok, collecting sounds to match the images he was filming. He introduces a narrative that he picked up from a comic book, and a similar appropriation of pop culture storytelling is evident in Haunted Houses. In this hour-long film, the director travels to remote villages and encourages the locals, all 66 of them - to recreate melodramatic scenes from the wildly popular Thai soap opera Tong Prakaisaed. Haunted Houses is extremely charming and touching while also containing a pointed, subversive commentary on Thai society and culture, and it’s possibly Weerasethakul’s funniest movie too, made in an infectiously playful spirit. That sense of playfulness is present throughout Weerasethakul’s work. It’s particularly evident in 2011’s The Anthem (presented here on 35mm), in which a conversation between three middle-aged women segues into a dazzling rotating shot of a badminton court, accompanied by a catchy pop song. The scene pulses with energy – it’s the closest this director has come to making a musical. Along with Mekong Hotel, which closes the event, it might be the best film of the bunch - a dazzling representation of this artist’s spirit, imagination and virtuosity. Even if you’ve never seen a single film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul before, it’s worth taking a head-first plunge into it through this special event. His work is so open, engaging and varied, every viewer is bound to find something different to connect with, and you’ll often find yourself being moved in ways you won’t understand, particularly when you are experiencing these unique visions in a sleep-deprived state. When asked what intrepid audience members will need to prepare for this Apichatpong marathon, the director just says, “Bring pyjamas and pillows.” We’d also like to add that the only requirements are an open mind and a curious spirit. Sweet dreams... and watch out for ghosts... Glasgow Short Film Festival, 14-18 Mar; Apichatpong Weerasethakul All-Nighter takes place 17 Mar, CCA, 11pm6am If you don’t fancy an all-nighter, the four Apichatpong Weerasethakul shorts programmes are repeated during daylight hours on 18 Mar, CCA

Mekong Hotel

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Rule Breaker, Cinema Innovator Despite announcing his retirement from cinema, Steven Soderbergh has been as busy and innovative as ever over the last few years. His latest film, Unsane is another experiment: a psychological thriller shot on an iPhone

Interview: Ian Mantgani

teven Soderbergh is one of the most active minds and boundary-pushing experimenters in mainstream American cinema. From shaking up independent film with Sex, Lies and Videotape, to remaking Tarkovsky with Solaris, to winning an Oscar for Traffic and spinning blockbusters out of Erin Brockovich, Magic Mike and the Ocean’s Eleven franchise. From 16mm experiments like The Underneath to DV freakouts like Schizopolis and Full Frontal, to being a pioneer of high-end digital cinema by taking the RED camera into the jungle in 2008 to tell the story of Che Guevara, to TV shows like The Knick and interactive murder mystery Mosaic, which first appeared as an app before being broadcast on HBO. And this is only to begin to laundry list his achievements – he has proven restless, searching, and more often than not, quite brilliant. After announcing his retirement from film five years ago, he in fact has come back with a slew of multimedia projects, including his latest thriller Unsane. It stars British prestige queen Claire Foy in a live-wire, go-for-broke performance as a woman who finds herself haunted by visions of her homicidal stalker while involuntarily confined in a mental institution that’s running an insurance scam. It’s both a political commentary on America’s incarceration-for-profit machine and a wacked-out prowler horror. What’s more, Soderbergh – who acts as his own cinematographer – has shot for the first time on the iPhone 7. It was our great pleasure to sit down with Soderbergh as part of a press roundtable at Berlin Film Festival. As soon as he’s in the room, he’s already noting the phones and digital sound recorders on the table, and musing about technological trends. “See, this is the problem,” he says, in reference to the machines. “You used to be able to, if a story ran that you didn’t like, say, ‘I never said that!’ Now you don’t have that luxury.” We offer that he could just label it “fake news” and claim it was doctored, which leads him on a thought about the advancement of artificial intelligence in faking video and audio. “I mean, you can really make somebody think that’s real. Or convince somebody something’s not real, because you show somebody something and go, look, doesn’t that look real, well it’s not. So how do we trust all this other stuff? It’s pretty terrifying.” The conversation quickly turns to the choice of shooting method. Is Unsane an invitation for every one of us to shoot a movie with an iPhone? “There’s nothing keeping you from doing that,” says Soderbergh. “But it’s not a substitute for talent, or for the kind of application that’s required if you’re going to become good at anything. It’s not a substitute for a point of view, or an approach. It’s just a tool. “I wanted to make sure that the project would be better for having employed this methodology than it just being incidental. If I’d shot it using the equipment that I shot Mosaic or Logan Lucky, then it would be a different movie, and for my mind, it would be diminished. “It’s sort of a process of exploring a tool and determining for yourself what its strengths are, what its weaknesses are, and whether or not something that you think is a weakness actually, if it’s approached a certain way, can turn into a strength. Sometimes a thing that you think is the problem actually turns out to be the solution if

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you double down on what you think the mistake is. “I don't know if you’re aware of these... Brian Eno put together a series of these cards, mostly in the form of questions you should ask yourself, if you find yourself stuck creatively. Sort of like a solution box, based on his experience of working. One of the things that he talks about is, maybe the thing that you think is the problem is actually the solution, and I read somewhere, he was working on this music track, and there was this noise on the track that they couldn’t get rid of. And he goes, ‘we were spending a lot of time trying to get rid of this noise, but every time we pulled that noise out, it would affect everything else, and it would screw the song up’. What they realised was, what if we make the noise part of the point of the song? Why don’t we embrace the noise, and do things musically to indicate that we like the noise? We want the noise to be part of the song.” We note that one thing he embraces for Unsane is how everything stays in maddening focus in the iPhone image, and also how looming and unnatural the foreground looks. “That’s a situation where I made a conscious decision to embrace the fact that you have almost infinite depth of field. And therefore you need to stage and compose accordingly. Part of the fun of making this movie was to literally do things that I wouldn’t do. Especially, it was really liberating to throw all sense of subtlety out the window because I felt that’s not going to help this movie. It’s not a subtle movie, and it shouldn’t be. And as a result, you know, I had a lens closer to some actors in this situation than I’ve ever had before. That’s what I felt it required.” Soderbergh was so determined to do something different with Unsane that for a brief period, he tried to convince the Directors Guild to let him be credited under an alias. Authors, of course, do this all the time. “But authors don’t have the kind of unions that the film business has. And I understood... you can imagine them

gaming out the bad scenario of everyone going, great, I’m going to call myself something really inappropriate just because I can. But in my case, it was a sincere attempt to want to kind of annihilate my own name. What I realised is, I’ll just have to do that for myself [in my own mind], without that crutch. I wonder, if this exact film was dropped by a 23-year-old Dutch filmmaker, what would people be saying about it? Would they be saying the exact same things they’re saying about it, when my name is on it? I think probably not.”

“ I’ve always viewed filmmaking almost like a form of seduction” Steven Soderbergh

One journalist asks, on the subject of audience expectations, to what extent Soderbergh like to set traps for the audience in the content itself? “I think every filmmaker has a line,” he replies. “The ease with which you can manipulate an audience is something you need to be careful about. I’ve always viewed filmmaking almost like a form of seduction. I certainly have a sense in my own mind of what constitutes a fair and appropriate form of seduction, and one that I find sort of off-putting or one that is sort of uncomfortable.” In fact, rather than being cryptic about the way he chooses to tease out emotions, Soderbergh is one of the most open filmmakers in Hollywood about his process and his media consumption. For the past few years, he’s kept an online viewing log on his blog, Extension 765. We note that the last film he watched in 2017 was

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The ParallaxView, another are-you-paranoidenough thriller about US society, and ask what else found its way into Unsane. “If you go back and look at sort of February, March, through June, July, you’ll see some titles in there that are clearly homework for me.” Classics like Rosemary’s Baby and Repulsion are obviously in the mix. There’s also a reference in Unsane to Brian De Palma’s dark satire Hi, Mom! “I watched the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I watched the original I Spit on Your Grave, which is a very disturbing movie, but interesting. Upsetting, truly upsetting, but an interesting movie. I watched this British film, Prevenge, which I thought was kind of interesting. I was trying to get a sense of what I was trying to appropriate, and what I didn’t want to appropriate. Certainly Repulsion was something I wanted to look at closely. But like I said, it all goes into the hopper, and then, sometimes I’m not even sure what I’m gonna use, until I see an opportunity to use it.” One thing is settled: Soderbergh certainly hasn’t retired. About the period when he made that announcement, he’s reflective: “That was a reaction to a set of circumstances that had been evolving over the course of several years, and that just felt like what I wanted to do. And I was serious about it. I had no projects in development, I had nothing in front of me, and I was gonna go explore the painting world. And then The Knick happened. So I decided to go to back to work, and it was while I was making The Knick I realised I was just angry, I was just frustrated by the movie business. I wasn’t frustrated by the job of directing. I like the job. But I’d kind of put the two together in my mind, and it wasn’t until I made The Knick that I realised they were kind of two separate things. So that’s legitimate, and at the end of the day, I don’t think there’s anyone sitting around waiting for my paintings!” Unsane had its world premiere at the 68th Berlinale and is released on 23 Mar by 20th Century Fox

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THE SKINNY

Wild Wes Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Bob Balaban and Jeff Goldblum fill us in on life in Wes’ World, ahead of the release of Wes Anderson’s latest stop-motion animation Isle of Dogs

es Anderson makes cinema on his terms. Utilising set design, expressive colour, models, precision framing and, increasingly, stop-motion animation, he creates worlds all of his own. Critics of the director like to use the phrase ‘hermetically sealed’ to describe this fastidious filmmaking style, but when his work is at its best, these are far from airless places; they’re so inviting you want to step through the screen. You might hesitate to do so with Isle of Dogs, however, given it’s set on an island of rotting rubbish populated by disease-ridden canines. Anderson admits that his initial pitch wasn’t promising, but then he and his co-writers, Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, struck on the idea to combine this basic ‘dogs on garbage’ doodle with another story they had on the back- burner. “We had also been talking for some years about wanting to do something related to our shared love of Japanese cinema, especially (Akira) Kurosawa,” says Anderson. “So in a way, the story of Isle of Dogs could have taken place anywhere, but the thing that made it come to life for us is the decision to set it in a sort of fantasy version of Japan.” For previous feature The Grand Budapest Hotel, Anderson invented a whole new country. He does a similar thing here with this stop-motion adventure, setting events in Megasaki - a Japanese city of the retro-future where the dog is no longer man’s best friend. As for these mutts who’ve been exiled, Anderson has called upon some of his favourite actors to supply the voices, including Bill Murray as former Little League baseball mascot Boss, Jeff Goldblum as the pampered Duke, and Bob Balaban as former dog food commercial star King. There are some Anderson newbies in this four-legged ensemble too: Bryan Cranston plays alpha-dog Chief – a mangy stray who has to prepare the more mollycoddled in his pack for the realities of life without a master – and Liev Schreiber as Spots, the guard-dog of Atari (Koyu Rankin), the 12-year-old orphan who kicks off the action by flying to the island of the title on a rescue mission to find his beloved pet. “Most of the actors here are people who I have either worked with before or have loved for years,” says Anderson introducing his cast at Isle of Dogs’ world premiere at Berlin Film Festival. He jokes that he made his actors an offer they couldn’t refuse: “One good thing about an

March 2018

animated movie is [the actors] can’t really say ‘not available’. We can [record their performances] any time. We can do it at any hour of the day. There’s just no excuse.” Not that many people ever say no to Wes Anderson. Even Murray, who’s turned down everyone from Scorsese to Pixar, isn’t immune to his charms. “I always say yes to Wes,” Murray tells us the following day. “I say yes before I even read it. He says I’ve got a part for you and I say ‘OK, great.’” Murray wasn’t always so amenable. Back in 1998, Anderson had to work a bit harder to cast him in Rushmore, his second feature. “The agents wanted me to work on that one,” recalls Murray, “so I started receiving video cassettes of Bottle Rocket, his first film. And they were relentless. I have the largest collection of video cassettes of Bottle Rocket in the world.” (We asked: he still hasn’t seen it.)

“ I don’t use this word very often, but there’s something that’s just so droll about Wes” Bill Murray

It turned out all the up-and-coming filmmaker needed to do to get Murray on board was have him read his words: Anderson tracked down Murray’s address and sent him the script direct. What was it about it that convinced him? “Because when I read the script I knew this was a guy who knew exactly what he wanted to do,” he says. Murray has appeared in every one of Anderson’s films since, but he reveals it could have been a full house. “You know what the funny thing is, Wes told me later, ‘I was begging your agents to get you in Bottle Rocket, and they would never call you because I was a nobody.’” Incidentally, Murray fired his agents two years after his performance in Rushmore, replacing them with a 1-800 number. Coincidence? He doesn’t say. But one thing is clear, this famously hangdog actor perks up in

current company. “I’m all cranked up on chocolate and a little bit of champagne right now,” Murray exclaims, “but I’m going to say that being a voice with this group is a bit like being in the We Are the World video. I think these are some of the great voices of cinema and I’m very happy to be singing, even if I get just one verse.” The quality of these assembled voices is hard to argue with, as we catch up with some of them on their breakneck visit to Berlin for the film’s world premiere. We ask Bryan Cranston what he took away from working with Anderson for the first time? “He’s just so different,” says the Breaking Bad star. “Every screenwriting workshop and book tells you: write what you know, so that you can be an authority on that. And that makes sense. What Wes does is break that circle. He goes out and writes what he imagines. That’s why when we all go and see a Wes Anderson movie, we don’t really know what we’re about to see. It’s the way art should be. It opens you up to new worlds, new adventures, new experiences.” An older hand in Wes World is Bob Balaban, who’s appeared in Anderson’s last three films, most memorably as the wind-blasted narrator of adolescent romance Moonlight Kingdom. The 72-year-old actor and filmmaker suggests that Anderson’s work feels so rich because of the tender relationships at the heart of all his movies. “I love the fact that he’s really about families,” says Balaban, “whether they’re officially families or not, his films are filled with them. It’s a subject that’s so deep and with so many shades that he could live to be 300 and every movie would still be different.” Balaban also points to the tension between Anderson’s tidy filmmaking and the messy emotions within: “I love the formality of everything and the fact that inside of the characters they’re so alive and so nuts, they’re not regimented. I think Wes thrives on these opposites. Look at all the actors he uses. We’re all very, very different. I think that’s what makes his movie landscapes so rich.” We’re seeing exactly what Balaban means on this Berlinale press junket. The next Isle of Dogs cast member we speak to is Liev Schreiber, a brooding bruiser in the Robert Mitchum mould. “I’ve being doing dog since I’ve been old enough to speak,” he says in his trademark baritone growl. He recalls the panic he felt before laying

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Interview: Jamie Dunn

down his vocals for his role of Spots. “[Anderson] set the appointment for the recording and I thought, ‘Fuck, what am I going to do?’” Schreiber soon came to the epiphany that his formative dog impersonations were going to be no use to him. “It occured to me after thinking about Fantastic Mr Fox: I wouldn’t get to do a dog. I think Wes is a kind of curator when it comes to casting, and I think he picks very carefully the personalities and the human characteristics he wants to attribute to the animals. And unfortunately – because I think it’s every actor’s worst nightmare – he just wanted me to do me.” Let’s test Schreiber’s theory. The most flamboyant of the dog characters is Duke, described in the press kit as a “bohemian mountaindog with a slender face, sleek ears, and a balletdancer’s overly-nimble gait.” In the film, Duke says the thing he misses most about life with his master is his twice-weekly grooming, and he also proves to be a total gossip. Remind you of anyone? Duke is voiced by Jeff Goldblum, who, as ever, is looking ridiculously dapper in a blue polo shirt and slacks. Like Balaban, this is Goldblum’s third film with Anderson. “He’s entirely unique,” Goldblum enthuses in his distinctive, quizzical drawl. “He’s a real artist who’s devoted himself to this life of creative endeavors.” Goldblum highlights Anderson’s devotion to the history of film as a real quality of his work, as expressed in Isle of Dogs through its homage to Akira Kurosawa. “On Grand Budapest Hotel he had a stack in his room of movies that were the inspiration for, or had something a little bit to do with, Grand Budapest Hotel. I take the course when I can and I saw things that I hadn’t seen before, Lubitsch’s To Be or Not To Be, Bergman’s The Silence, lots of things.” We’ll leave the last words to Murray, the longest-serving of Anderson’s muses. “There’s nothing I like better than a good kids’ joke, a joke that makes kids laugh. When you hear a really good one, there’s just no arguing with it. And Wes rolls his jokes out like they’re good kids’ jokes at times, real simple, straightforward. You don’t see it coming and it makes you laugh. There’s no smoke and mirrors, it’s not like dazzling, it’s just a scene will be going along, and then boom, it happens. I don’t use this word very often, but there’s something that’s just so droll about Wes.” Coming from the drollest person on the planet, compliments don’t get much better than this. Released 30 Mar by 20th Century Fox

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Call and Response An experimental music-art collaboration takes place this month in Many Studios in Glasgow, pairing artists with tracks from Kobi Onyame’s acclaimed new album GOLD

hroughout March, Many Studios host a unique project that began with curator Natalia Palombo putting out an open call for artists to respond to Glasgow-based Ghanaian musician Kobi Onyame’s album, GOLD. We recently interviewed the artist himself in these pages, and gave him an excellent review for the album itself. So it’s with a lot of excitement that we speak to Palombo, Onyame and several of the participating artists about the motivations that inspired this current project, and the kinds of collaboration and conversation it has already spurred between the organisers and artists. Ashanti Harris is one of the artists in the show, and she describes first listening to the album. “When I listened to GOLD, I felt like it had a trace, that it was built on all these different things, for example a highlife influence, UK hip-hop. In a way it’s a homage to everything that’s gone before but also turning it into something new and taking it a step further.” Harris then applied out of the motivation of knowing that she wanted to make some kind of response to the album. Nevertheless, she admits, “Responding to a song is really new to me.” Speaking about Kill the Body, the song allocated to Harris, she says “It was really lucky. Even just looking at the tracklist, the title really jumped out at me. I already had an idea of what the song might be about before listening to it. It speaks of all the things I was thinking and more. My method of responding to it was thinking about all the different themes we talked about when I met Kwame [Kobi Onyame] and using those as a stepping stone. It started with the idea that the body isn’t you. It’s this shell, and all the different ways the body can function, as a shell, shield and separation from the soul.” From this point, Harris continued her own research looking into folklore traditions of West Africa, Nigeria and the Yoruba. There was the idea in parts of these traditions that the soul controls the body, and the head controls the soul. “I found it really interesting that there were these three things, then visually how you can represent the head, the soul and the body.” Hearing how Harris responded to Kill the Body, Onyame is clear that “she nails it.” He goes on: “Some people don’t necessarily get the same thing from the song that I did. But, as Ashanti says, there’s a constant battle between your spirit and being and flesh, which Ashanti touched on as being the shell. It’s interesting to see she took it further and introduced the mind or the soul, which I interpret as being the ego, and bouncing between these three different parts.

The whole album touched on that [relationship] between flesh and spirit.” Providing another viewpoint on the album, there is the interpretation by Hakeem Adam, Ghanaian artist and founder of DANDANO, a Pan-African cultural platform for African film and music criticism. “I was particularly impressed by the honesty Kobi Onyame shared on the album, such that it was easy to follow him on each of the stories he narrated. The album had an organic pull that urged me to probe some of the themes, especially of insecurity and triumph.” Another Ghanaian artist involved, Selorm Jay, describes a similar pull to make a visual response to the album: “If it wasn’t for the call I would have personally wished to have given some visuals to any of the songs on the album.” For Jay, the track he was allocated had immediate associations to his experience living in Ghana. “I was given a song from the album to work with. The song titled DMCRZY (democracy) is something, being an African, we question every day and fight for. We have known great names that have fought for the good of my people in the name of democracy. So I choose Fela [Fela Kuti, creator of Afrobeat, who famously married 27 women] and his wives as an abstract to my visual and also because his voice was sampled in the music I had to work with, touching on the idea of democracy.”

“ An uprising causes better art… Without struggle what is the point of good art?” Kobi Onyame

Whereas DMCRZY immediately suggested its wider importance to Jay, for Adam, responding to the album involved listening to the track, but then the important step of looking “beyond the music, to create [his] own experience that would parallel and challenge that of the music simultaneously.” He gives an indication of the kind of output that came of this process; “My work for the show seeks to prove alternate dimensions of two visual images, each rendered through poetry and photography.” Also, when asked about the experience of being part of an exhibition that is entirely people

Kill the Body, Ashanti Harris

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Kobi Onyame

of colour, Adam responds: “It is a great opportunity for myself and the other artists participating in the shows. For me I feel that it is important that we allow art criticism from people of the same heritage as the artist, as they will share certain knowledge bases that will deepen their understanding of a piece of work. I’m eager to see how the other artist received and interpreted the work, but regardless it will be a great triumph in reclaiming space in the global art world.” Continuing to think about the broader implications of this exhibition, Onyame discusses the confidence he found after realising that his priority is putting out his message in the most effective way. For him, this naturally leads to collaboration and sharing expertise, as artists might see the potential for better communicating a certain idea in another artform, but not necessarily have the background to try a new medium or discipline alone. “Artists are allowed that freedom in some places, but perhaps not in the UK or Europe more widely,” Palombo adds and thinks that it might be a leftover of institutional distinctions between fields and forms of artmaking. Onyame adds to this. “Something has shifted and has affected the people and annoyed the people and required them to stand up, and shout and talk. And that’s where art thrives anywhere. That’s why art thrives in a wartorn nation or one that’s suffered. An uprising causes better art...

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Photo: Ryan Johnston

Interview: Adam Benmakhlouf

Without struggle what is the point of good art?” Adding some qualification, Palombo goes on, “It’s not to say that there aren’t injustices that individual artists have faced in their own experience, it’s just that work has been quite insular and (subjectively speaking) not strong from what’s represented in Scotland. It’s not about a lack of social or political drive, just that the artists who are getting chosen are white middle-class artists that don’t necessarily experience that themselves. ” With these ideas in mind, Harris speaks reflectively and generously about some of the biggest questions she faces as an artist. “I think it really is specific to certain people’s situations. I’ve started to realise this more recently as there has been a more diverse range of work being shown in Scotland, and you start to find things you connect to more. It’s because they speak to your experiences. I asked myself recently: ‘Why do I want to do art?’ And I decided that when I was young, it was the way I learned about things that people weren’t teaching me. I liked the fact that it was going to art [events and exhibitions] that you were allowed to question specific things that you’re being told about you or your life or the way you should be. Having something that empowers you to question that is really important.” Kobi Onyame Versus The Artist, 3 Mar-1 Apr, Many Studios, free manystudios.co.uk/gold/

THE SKINNY

Mick Peter

A New Era As the 2018 edition of Glasgow International draws near, we check in with the festival’s director, Richard Parry, to discuss his plans

fter his first nine months in the role, new Glasgow International director Richard Parry is now just a few weeks away from his inaugural edition of the festival. Speaking a month before the biennial visual arts festival is due to kick off, Parry remembers first arriving in Glasgow on the date that the submissions to take part were due in. “There was an amazing energy in the applications,” he recalls. “They gave a sense of what is interesting people here.” Reading through the applications for GI, Parry was firm in his belief that “there has not been a more important time to listen to artists.” The last edition of the festival was in a pre-Brexit, pre-Trump world. “There’s almost been a change in historical period since the previous GI,” he muses. Perry has the sense that two years ago, when the last GI took place, there was a greater number of artists making work from a position that was purely aesthetic, thinking visually and in formal terms. However, in this current period “for many artists making work now, there the sense that you have to take a position and make it explicit in the work.” Parry aligns some of the openness of the exhibition and directness of the artistic voices involved in the personal economy of living in Glasgow. “It’s reasonably affordable to live here,” he says. “Artists are able to make and develop work outside of the marketplace, and they’re free with what they’re doing.” Speaking statistically, Parry describes Glasgow’s “particularly rich art scene” and that there “are many artists that live here, more per head of the population” than other cities around the UK. “There’s a critical conversation, not just backslapping,” he adds. While Parry had picked up some of these observations by proxy to some extent, it wasn’t until living here that he fully understood the distinctive positioning of Scotland. “In some ways you’re closer to Norway than other parts of the UK. There’s an outward-looking perspective in a very particular way.” He sees Glasgow’s other

March 2018

Interview: Adam Benmakhlouf

like-minded neighbours being the rest of Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Berlin and Holland, and that in return the world is intrigued by Scotland, particularly because all 32 of its councils voted Remain during the EU Referendum. While Parry makes these observations as a new Glasgow resident, he nevertheless felt a great deal of familiarity with some of the ways and pace of the city upon first setting up here. In part, this came from having spent four years in the North West of England, in Blackpool. He considers them similar cities: both on the west coast with an industrial past, sharing a large working class population and now a university culture. “I feel very at home [in Glasgow] in a lot of respects, though even after four years in Blackpool I was still discovering new things there.”

“ The world is intrigued by Scotland and most recently by the fact that all 32 councils in the country voted Remain” Going further with his comment that there’s a particular importance to listening to artists now, Parry speaks candidly about what artists can contribute to societal debate. In particular, art is “a way of communicating beyond language… with humour and wit, exuberance and passion. There can be genuine depth and the sense of humanity coming across.” One way of thinking of this, he

says, is “talking in an immediate and emotional way, beyond texts and narratives.” While much has changed in the political climate around GI, one part of the festival that will continue into 2018 is the spreading of key works across unusual and occasionally otherwise inaccessible venues, and places outside of the city centre. For instance, “in the East End in Dalmarnock, there is a large commission with Mick Peter. There will be a 76 metre billboard on the changing architectural face of the city. There’s also a programme of work with young people from across the west of Scotland that are generating a lot of it and the ideas for it. It’s a collaboration between us and Glasgow School of Art’s Widening Participation Department, and the participants come from less fortunate backgrounds, for whom a career in art might not be the first pathway.” He also speaks excitedly about the project that will take place in Govan, “a fascinating and very old part of town, that was once its own town.” GI will take up residence in what was Govan Town Hall, and is now Film City – where many of Scotland’s film and television production companies are based. “Graham Eatough and Stephen Sutcliffe are making a kind of adaptation of the Mr Enderby novels of Anthony Burgess, a fictionalised autobiography. They look at this figure of the poet and the writer. In their work, a group of schoolchildren are transported back in time into the living quarters of the artist, and they prod and poke him in his bedsit. Then there’s another part of the film, when the writer tries to go and converse with Shakespeare. There’s a sense of a time shift, as well as a layering of it being set in a film studio, that will be discombobulating in a really strange and exciting way, as you feel part of this narrative and act of time travel. And there’ll be parts of the set there that will create this sense of a shifting reality. “There are also artists working on the underground system, doing installations in

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stations and trains, as well as in Queens Park Railway Club. There are performances happening on the River Clyde, as well as projects in well-known places like Kelvingrove, CCA, GoMA, The Common Guild. You have everything from those big venues to events taking place in artists’ flats. The Laurieston Arches are hosting a huge programme this year, across all 14 arches. It will be carnivalesque in the most exciting way. Also, in the Glasgow Women’s Library, there is an ambitious and exciting project with Linder Sterling, based on work she made in the Chatsworth Estate in Derbyshire, featuring a flag outside and a film she’s making inside. “The Artist Run sector is also really exciting, with South African based collective iQhiya in Transmission, and Aniara Omann and Gary Zhexi Zhang in Market Gallery. That also has a great overlap and crossover with the Director’s Programme and the Cellular World show in GoMA, looking at the question of bodies, technology and communication in a digital world. So, for instance the effect of social media and a potential siloing in society, and asking the question: If, in social media, people have an avatar, how do we represent ourselves and how do people represent us?” There’s a correlation between this politicisation of artists in Glasgow and Parry’s own sense of one of GI’s strengths. He describes the festival as having “a lot of integrity, and it has allowed voices to come through in a direct way.” Summarising some of the parts of the 2018 festival, he says “there are themes around identity, race [and] gender.” He goes on: “I have a great privilege to be part of this, and as a visitor it’s exciting to see these questions and concerns.” For him, GI 2018 consists importantly of “a body of work responding to this historical period in time.” Glasgow International 2018, 20 Apr-7 May, various venues, free glasgowinternational.org/

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LE Y LI

Tallinn Music Week

International Festivals 2018

It Takes a Village

Cork, Ireland, 13-15 Apr

Tallinn, Estonia, 2-8 Apr

Why not plan your next holiday around a music festival where you go a few days early and stay a few days after to explore the surrounding area – here's our handy guide to the next 12 months in Europe and further afield. Words: Tallah Brash, Peter Simpson & Nadia Younes

TMW is a week-long city festival held each spring in the capital of Estonia. The 10th edition features a food festival, design market, conferences and a music programme, which will see around 250 bands play everything from metal, and hip-hop to folk and jungle. Individual shows from £7; festival pass from £30. Fly: London Stansted to Tallinn via Ryanair. Visit: Estonian Open-Air Museum

Tallinn Music Week

Brand new for 2018, hosted in Trabolgan, East Cork, this offers three nights accommodation in the ticket price. Their inaugural lineup features Young Fathers, Andrew Weatherall, Oh Pep!, Bitch Falcon and Shit Robot. Weekend tickets from £163 including accommodation; Sunday ticket £44. Fly to Cork via Aer Lingus. Visit: English Market

KALA

Roskilde

Exit

Explore the Albanian Riviera with Kala festival; set to take place at an undiscovered paradise beach location. The 2018 line-up includes Todd Terje, The Black Madonna, Hot Chip Mega Mix, Peggy Gou, Ross from Friends and OR:LA. From £441 pp for three nights, includes accommodation & festival access. Fly: Edinburgh via Ryanair or Glasgow International via Jet2 to Corfu, Greece where you can get a boat to Kala. Visit: Blue Eye Spring

A mainstay on the festival calendar since 1971, Roskilde has long since outgrown its hippy origins. This year sees Eminem headline, with St Vincent, David Byrne and Mogwai all also lined-up – there’s always a good reason to visit Denmark, but this might well be one of the best. Day tickets from £124, festival passes from £248. Fly: Edinburgh to Copenhagen via Ryanair or easyJet. Visit: Ragnarock Museum

Exit is an award-winning summer music festival held at Novi Sad's Petrovaradin Fortress. The 19th edition includes performances from Fever Ray, Alice Merton, Richie Hawtin, Idles and Ben Klock, with more confirmed and more TBA. Tickets from £89. Fly: London Heathrow via Air Serbia or London Luton via Wizz Air to Belgrade Nikola Tesla. Visit: Kalemegdan Citadel, Belgrade

Roskilde, Denmark, 30 Jun-7 Jul

Kala, Albania, 20-27 Jun

KALA

Positivus

Salacgrīva, Latvia, 20-22 Jul

Secret Solstice

Reykjavík, Iceland, 21-24 Jun

Experience 72 hours of daylight at Secret Solstice; at this time of year, there’s no such thing as night in Reykjavík! The line-up for 2018 is an eclectic mix of dance (Charlotte de Witte, Steve Aoki), grime (Stormzy, J Hus), and, um, ‘other’ (Slayer, Bonnie Tyler). Oh, and there’s some live music inside a frickin’ glacier! Weekend tickets from £133. Fly: Edinburgh via easyJet or Glasgow International via Icelandair to Reykjavík Keflavik. Visit: Hallgrímskirkja

Øya

Since its debut in 2006, Poland’s OFF Festival has grown year on year and in 2010 it upgraded its location to Dolina Trzech Stawów, a luscious green area in the south of Katowice. The 2018 edition of the festival includes Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jacques Greene, Grizzly Bear and John Maus. Tickets from £61. Fly: Edinburgh via Ryanair or Glasgow via Wizz Air to Katowice. Visit: Silesian Museum

Since its inception in 1999, Øya has grown rapidly and is now one of Norway’s biggest festivals. It currently resides in the Tøyenparken, near the Edvard Munch Museum, and 2018’s line-up includes Arcade Fire, Lykke Li, Phoebe Bridgers and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Day tickets £90; weekend tickets £255. Fly: Edinburgh to Oslo Gardermoen via Norwegian Air. Visit: Oslo Opera House

Tøyenparken, Oslo, Norway, 7-11 Aug

OFF Festival

Positivus

Paredes de Coura

5001 Festival

One of the biggest festivals in Portugal , running annually since 1993 in the north-west of Portugal. This year’s line-up so far includes, Skepta, Big Thief, Arcade Fire, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Curtis Harding. Tickets from £88. Fly: Edinburgh to Porto via Ryanair. Visit: Corno do Bico Protected Landscape

Newly launched 5001 Festival is set to take place at HoneckerBunker, a former nuclear bunker making for what will surely be one of the coolest specialist festivals this summer. The techno and ambient festival’s first wave of acts includes François X, Stephanie Sykes, Shlømo and Jasmine Azarian. Tickets from £47. Fly: to Berlin Schoenefeld via easyJet. Visit: East Side Gallery

Corno do Bico

Le Guess Who?

Utrecht, The Netherlands, 8-11 Nov

Øya

Pula, Croatia, 29 Aug-2 Sep

An underground electronic music festival at a legit Roman fort (Fort Punta Christo), Dimensions is the perfect place to enjoy electronica, house, techno, world, disco, dubstep and other electronic sounds. James Holden & The Animal Spirits, Helena Hauff and Jon Hopkins are just some of the acts you can catch this year. Weekend tickets from £110. Fly: Edinburgh to Pula via Jet2. Visit: Amphitheatre de Pula

Dimensions

East Side Gallery

Trans Musicales

NH7 Weekender

A lovely pre-Christmas retreat, the city of Rennes and Trans Musicales will both blow you away. You may not have heard of anyone who’s playing, but the production and staging of the festival is such that you’ll leave confused as to why you haven’t. Tickets TBC. Fly: Edinburgh or Glasgow via KLM to Amsterdam; Amsterdam to Rennes via KLM or Air France. Visit: Marché de Noël

NH7 Weekender is an annual, multi-city music festival in India and one of the largest music festivals in the country. Held between October and December, travelling to multiple cities, NH7’s flagship event takes place in December in Pune. The festival is known for its diverse line-up with a solid crosssection of established and emerging local acts alongside major international acts. Tickets TBC. Fly: London Heathrow to Pune via Jet Airways. Visit: Parvati Hill

Brittany, France, 5-9 Dec

A club festival across one of the Netherlands’ prettiest cities, Le Guess Who? centres around the TivoliVredenberg. It’s a music nerd’s paradise; not only are there chances to see indie and experimental heroes up close and personal, but the festival’s artist-curated bills always throw up genuine surprises. A must-attend. Weekend tickets £104. Fly: Edinburgh or Glasgow International to Amsterdam via KLM. Visit: De Haar Castle

Le Guess Who?

Feature

EXIT

Berlin, Germany, 17-19 Aug

Portugal, 15-18 Aug

Novi Sad, Serbia, 12-15 Jul

Dimensions

OFF Festival

Katowice, Poland, 3-5 Aug

Latvia’s Positivus festival, launched in 2007, has been held every year since in the coastal town of Salacgriva and is the largest music and arts festival in the Baltics. The 2018 line-up includes Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, The Prodigy, Mura Masa and Torres. Day tickets from £44; festival passes from £79. Fly: Glasgow International to Riga International via Ryanair. Visit: Art Museum Riga Bourse

Roskilde

It Takes a Village

Pune, India, Dec TBC

Trans Musicales

TRAVEL

Parvati Hill

THE SKINNY

Beaches Brew

Primavera Sound

Barcelona, Spain, 30 May-3 Jun

Canadian Music Week

Toronto, Canada, 7-13 May

Now in its 37th year, CMW is recognised as one of the premier entertainment events in North America. This year’s festival sees various networking events and conferences taking place most days with hundreds of bands showcasing at more than 40 venues in downtown Toronto each night from 8pm, including Alice Glass, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Hinds and Loma. Festival wristband from £44. Fly: Glasgow International to Toronto Pearson International via Air Transat. Visit: CN Tower

One of Europe’s best festivals, Primavera Sound’s line-up is incredible yet again, featuring everyone from Björk and Lorde to Nils Frahm and Vince Staples. Partying all night and leaving when the sun comes up – what’s not to love? For a similar vibe on a smaller scale, hit Primavera’s sister fest in Porto (7-9 Jun). Day tickets from £75; full festival pass from £189. Fly: Edinburgh or Glasgow Prestwick to Barcelona El Prat via Ryanair. Visit: Park Güell

Best Kept Secret

Marina di Ravenna, Italy, 4-7 Jun

Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands, 8-10 Jun

Beaches Brew has been running since 2012, always offering a solid line-up on Italy’s beautiful northeast coast and it's free – you literally just need to get there and sort your accommodation, whether that be a hotel, bungalow or campsite. This year’s lineup includes Ezra Furman, Khruangbin, Liima, Sudan Archives, Downtown Boys and Flohio. Free Entry. Fly: Edinburgh to Bologna via Ryanair. Visit: Cineteca di Bologna

Beaches Brew

Parc Güell

Best Kept Secret festival celebrates its sixth edition, held on the grounds of a safari park. Lions, tigers and bears, oh my! Across the festival’s stages, this year’s line-up includes LCD Soundsystem, Chvrches, The National, a live Four Tet set, Father John Misty, Optimo, The Internet and Warpaint. Day tickets from £74; festival passes from £134. Fly: Edinburgh to Eindhoven via Ryanair. Visit: Bierbrouweril de Roos

Colours of Ostrava

Cactus Festival

Ostrava, Czech Republic, 18-21 Jul

Bruges, Belgium, 13-15 Jul

Cactus Festival celebrate its 36th year in 2018 in the beautiful surrounds of Minnewaterpark in the south of Bruges. The festival, which runs annually on the second weekend in July, features an eclectic line-up which so far includes Mogwai, Nils Frahm, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Slowdive, Sampha and TuneYards. Day tickets from £43; festival passes from £97. Fly: Edinburgh or Glasgow via Ryanair, Brussels Airlines or bmi regional to Brussels S. Charleroi. Visit: Choco-Story

Cactus

Sea Dance

Sea Dance Festival

Budva, Montenegro, dated TBC

2017’s festival saw Sean Paul and Fatboy Slim rip up the dancefloor on the beautiful beaches of Budva in Mont-enegro. Voted best medium-sized European festival in the 2014 European Festival Awards, Sea Dance is easily one of Europe’s hottest summer destinations. Go for a few days either side of the festival and enjoy Montenegro’s towering mountains with hiking and mountain biking trips.Tickets TBC. Fly: Edinburgh via easyJet or Glasgow via Jet2 to Dubrovnik. Visit: Lovcen National Park

Colours of Ostrava, aka Colours, is a multi-genre music festival and the biggest international festival in the Czech Republic. Held on a former ironworks, steelworks and mine, this listed heritage site makes for a truly unique festival setting and one which this year will welcome Grace Jones, Future Islands, Beth Ditto, Calexico, Oumou Sangare and Mura Masa among its line-up. Tickets from £95. Fly: Edinburgh via Ryanair or Glasgow via Wizz Air to Katowice. Visit: Landek Park

Colours of Ostrava

Sziget

Budapest, Hungary, 8-15 Aug

In its first year (1993) Sziget festival featured only Hungarian artists; now, in 2018, it’s one of the largest festivals in Europe, which last year saw over 450,000 people descend upon Óbudai-sziget, aka Hajógyári Island or Shipyard Island, in the north of Budapest. 2018’s line-up includes Kendrick Lamar, Gorillaz and Lykke Li, among others. Day tickets from £62; festival passes from £166. Fly: Edinburgh via Ryanair or Jet2 or Glasgow International via Wizz Air to Budapest. Visit: Rudas Baths

Reeperbahn

An LGBT certified festival, Way Out West takes place in Slottsskogen, central Gothenburg. Focusing on rock, pop and hip-hop, the festival runs a complimentary after-hours club programme called Stay Out West at city venues. 2018 includes Kendrick Lamar, Patti Smith, Arcade Fire, Fever Ray, St. Vincent, Iggy Pop and Jorja Smith. Tickets from £148. Fly: Edinburgh to Gothenburg Landvetter via Ryanair. Visit: Universeum

Way Out West

Haven

Copenhagen, Denmark, 10-11 Aug

Bryce and Aaron Dessner of The National’s festival is back for 2018 in Refshaleøen, Copenhagen, with the Dessners collaborating with The Royal Danish Orchestra this year. 2018’s line-up ranges from Kraftwerk to Kamasi Washington; you can also expect a distinct pushing of the boundaries between art and music. Sounds good to us. Weekend tickets £165. Fly: Edinburgh to Copenhagen via easyJet or Norwegian Air. Visit: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Reykjavík, Iceland, 7-10 Nov

Like most club festivals, Reeperbahn includes business and art programmes, but music is the focus. Last year’s fest covered dozens of venues in the St Pauli district; the lineup has yet to be unveiled, but be quick and you might grab a ticket for sideshows at the worldfamous Elbphilharmonie. Day tickets from £31; weekend tickets from £87. Fly: Edinburgh to Hamburg International via Ryanair. Visit: Miniatur Wunderland

Lake of Stars will return to the beaches of Lake Malawi at the end of September to celebrate its 15th anniversary. The festival features a diverse sele-ction of mostly African and European artists and in its first year won the Malawi Tourism Award. Tickets TBC. Fly: Edinburgh to Lilongwe via KLM or Kenya Airways. Visit: Liwonde National Park

Airwaves offers off-venue performances by day in unusual venues, while the evening opens up the city’s bigger spaces. With varied, international music on offer, you might also see the Northern Lights! Weekend tickets from £106. Fly: Edinburgh via easyJet or Glasgow International via Icelandair to Reykjavík. Visit: Golden Circle with Secret Lagoon

Lake of Stars

Eurosonic Noorderslag

Rise is a snowsports, music and wellbeing festival set in the beautiful French Alps. Over the course of a week you can enjoy a massive mix of new music, as well as snowboarding, skiing, ice cave meditation, alpine yoga, snowmobiling, paragliding and more. Tickets and lift passes available from £199. Book now with a £50 deposit. Fly: Edinburgh via easyJet or Glasgow International via Jet2 to Alpes– Isère Airport. Visit: Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet

Flow’s home is, of all places, a defunct power station in downtown Helsinki. Patti Smith, Kendrick Lamar and Arctic Monkeys are head-turning headliners, but lower down the bill you’ll find the likes of Sigrid and Grizzly Bear, plus plenty of local talent. Our advice? Load up on Lonkero and Salmiakki and bliss out. Day tickets £87; weekend tickets £171. Fly: Edinburgh to Helsinki Vantaa via Finnair or British Airways. Visit: Linnanmäki

Flow

Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) started in 1986 initially as a battle of the bands event between Dutch and Belgian acts. It is now a vital date in the annual festival calendar, providing an opportunity for the next batch of exciting European artists to be discovered by fans, agents and promoters alike. During the day, ESNS also hosts a specialist music industry conference. Tickets TBC. Fly: Edinburgh or Glasgow International to Amsterdam via KLM. Visit: Martinitoren

Eurosonic Nooderslag

Gulfoss

Laneway

Groningen, The Netherlands, 16-19 Jan 2019

Rise

Electric Castle is another festival in a unique setting, this time on the amazing site of Banffy Castle in Transylvania. It shakes up the way people interact with a festival by combining an eclectic musical lineup with arts and technology. Musical offerings this year so far include The Horrors, Wolf Alice, London Grammar and a night from Barcelona-based party-starters Elrow. Tickets from £104. Fly: Liverpool or Birmingham via Blue Air or London Luton via Blue Air/Wizz Air to Cluj-Napoca. Visit: Fabrica de Pensule

Iceland Airwaves

Lake of Stars

Malawi, Africa, 28-30 Sep

Les 2 Alpes, France, 15-22 Dec

Electric Castle

Cluj, Romania, 18-22 Jul

Helsinki, Finland, 10-12 Aug

Hamburg, Germany, 19-22 Sep

Reeperbahn

Electric Castle

Flow Festival

Way Out West

Gothenburg, Sweden, 9-11 Aug

March 2018

Best Kept Secret

Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Jan/Feb 2019, dates TBC

MENT

Ljubljana, Slovenia, Jan/Feb 2019, dates TBC

Slovenia’s MENT festival was launched in 2015 and is an international showcase festival taking place across several venues in Ljubljana. At the European Festival Awards in 2017 it picked up two awards; Best Indoor Festival and Best Small Festival. Alongside the music, MENT also hosts a conference focusing on the music industry and creativity. Tickets TBC. Fly: London Luton via Wizz Air or London Stansted via easyJet to Ljubljana. Visit: Ljubljana Castle

TRAVEL

Laneway Festival brings a whole host of the best new bands from across Europe and North America south for a blast of summer each January and February, touring around Australia as well as hitting Singapore and Auckland. 2018’s festival featured everyone from Sylvan Esso to Anderson .Paak, along with local greats like Aldous Harding and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Tickets TBC. Fly: Glasgow International to Singapore, Auckland, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane or Fremantle via Emirates. Visit: Night Safari, Singapore

Laneway

Feature

Sisters in Arms As British feminists look forward to an International Women’s Day that coincides with the centenary of female suffrage, one writer maps out what we could learn from past mistakes

esides St Patrick’s Day, what exactly has March got going for it? Seemingly not much, except International Women’s Day on the 8th. This year’s IWD is being hailed as one of particular importance, due to the fact it marks the centenary of female suffrage for UK audiences. A limited victory However exciting this may be, we should practise a little positive scepticism when celebrating this milestone in the history of British feminism. More than just another opportunity to chat purple sashes and King’s horses, this anniversary is a reminder that we need to keep our eyes on the prize and remember that it is equality for all, and not equality for some, that we are working towards. Though the trail blazed by white, wealthy suffragettes of the late 19th and early 20th century was an exciting one for any of those who benefitted from their sacrifices, it’s also worth noting that their victory only initially benefited those over the age of 30 who owned property. Working class, very young adults, and those who didn't own their own home weren’t granted rights of their own for another decade. The problem with modern marches Much like Pride — which, despite beginning life as an anti-establishment riot led by queer POC, has been both white-washed and turned into a corporate-funded street party — the radical potential of women’s marches and demonstrations can easily get lost in a sea of faux-empowerment. Sticking on an embroidered badge and slinking into a parade isn’t enough to tackle gender inequality, especially if you aren’t committed to feminist principles throughout the year. In 2018, while some individuals across the world are waiting until 8 March for their dose of feminist resistance, this year has already seen

Lifestyle

thousands take to the streets once more, in defiance of one of the Western hemisphere’s most notorious ‘pussy-grabbers’. But those Trump retaliations continue to feel like the domain of white, able, cis women. Take, for example the infamous ‘pussy hats’, which have apparently grown into a fully-fledged ‘social initiative’. This gimmick was one that many protesters got on board with, but very few members of the majority clocked just how exclusionary the whole affair was for trans women and non-binary people and people of colour. Evidently, not all women have vaginas, and not all vaginas are pink. Where next? The feminist goals of empowerment and equality can never be met if we don’t continue to strive for intersectionality. It’s too easy to be swept up in the moment from time to time, but perhaps IWD 2018 should be a time to learn from (and resolve) 2017’s missteps; particularly if we happen to be part of the societal majority. Rather than jumping on the bandwagon and raising our voices to be heard, we should pause to listen to the phenomenal individuals fighting in the name of feminism around us. With the wealth of information afforded by the internet and the relatively democratic platform offered by social media, it’s easy to scroll past opinions, events or accounts that don’t dialogue directly with our experience. Self-education about the experience of trans, differently abled, low income, queer, and/ or non-white individuals is fundamental for understanding your own experience of oppression and how you might be helping perpetuate the oppression of others. Discriminatory ideas are filtered down through the mainstream media and education, touching all individuals in all walks of life. It is only through actively informing yourself about other individuals’ perspectives

Words: Megan Wallace Illustration: Kate Costigan

and thinking empathetically and pragmatically about other people’s needs, that you can begin to work to dissemble these prejudices. Celebrate your sisters (and not just your cis-ters) by making IWD a day for putting these principles into practice. Planning an event for 8 March? Then ensure that all venues are wheelchair accessible, that the ticket price won’t

exclude willing participants and that you don’t allow your own personal experience or prejudices to dictate the course of the event. This can seem daunting, but it’s all about asking for advice and actually listening to the answers. As the inimitable Audre Lorde said: “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

Events Guide The theme of this year’s IWD is #pressforprogress, presumably referring to the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, which helped to bring the issues of sexual misconduct and abuse of power to light, exposing their true scope and scale. But while hashtags are handy, coming together IRL is important for building communities and meeting like-minded people. Glasgow

Edinburgh

Glasgow Women’s Library host a series of six events organised in partnership with Panel and Craft Scotland between 1-8 Mar, focussing on products inspired by the library’s collection. Events include screenings and exhibitions along with banner-making workshops, creative writing sessions, crafting groups and more. Over at the Old Hairdressers on 8 Mar, The BIT Collective invite IWD revellers for an all-female knees-up featuring HEISK and Jenn & Laura-Beth. Funds will be donated to Glasgow Women’s Aid, a charity that provides support to victims of domestic abuse. Doors at 8pm.

Over in Edinburgh, Chachi Power Project and Swedish photographer Jannica Honey join forces to bring When the Blackbird Sings to Arusha Art Gallery (8 Mar, 6.30pm. The evening event of storytelling and poems from amateur writers, set in the surrounds of an exhibition of the same name by Honey (exhibition continues until 25 Mar). More in the way of feminist raconteurs at Cafe Voices’ Sheroes event, in which storyteller Ruth Kirkpatrick (whose own ‘sheroes’ include Billie Jean King and Mary Seacole) will be heading up an evening celebrating great heroines. The event’s open-floor component allows for a dialogue of ideas and for participants to share the ‘sheroes’ close to their hearts. Scottish Storytelling Centre, 8 Mar, 7pm.

INTERSECTIONS

THE SKINNY

Kings of their Castle Interview: Kirstyn Smith Illustration: Jasmine Floyd

As drag queens hit the mainstream, we quiz Scottish drag kings Agent Cooper and King Biff on the art of transforming into a man... profile,” says Cooper. She is pretty positive about drag’s growing popularity though, citing this as a good thing for the visibility of queer art forms and narratives. And both admit that it’s exciting to see the blossoming scene throwing up all kinds of opportunities in Scotland, and more widely across the UK. The Rabbit Hole: King’s Court at CC Blooms in Edinburgh leads the way alongside Bar Wotever, a queer variety show based in the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London and The Glory, a London bar that counts drag artists among its co-owners.

“I

use Diane Torr’s old prosthetic cocks.” At a local LGBT+ bar, Agent Cooper and King Biff – drag king partners in crime – are framed against a painting of a generously-endowed man, which is proving popular with the other patrons. The cock is brought to our attention again and again with each photo that’s snapped, lighting them all up like a triptych of gender fuckery. We’re discussing the act of packing. “But you can use anything,” Cooper continues. “A rolled-up sock, for example, or some cotton wool.” However you choose to create your ephemeral dick, both Cooper and Biff agree that having something between your legs makes a huge psychological difference to the drag king art, as well as physically bringing a new stature and gait. And there’s something to be said for dressing holistically, says Cooper.”If you’re going out as a drag king in pink frillies, it might be what you want to do and you’re welcome to, but a pack does help fill the Y-fronts.” It was the late, great Diane Torr, drag king, performance artist and gender activist, who inspired Cooper to begin exploring drag. Torr’s Man for a Day workshops – as well as the resultant film and her book, Sex, Drag, and Male Roles: Investigating Gender as Performance – remain an essential resource for people interested in developing their drag king persona. Designed to explore gender identity, Torr’s output holds up a microscope to the male experience versus the female experience – in offices, in bars, in car dealerships – how men occupy space, and the concept of, literally, wearing the trousers. “She was capable of complete transformation – into characters like Danny King and Mister EE – by adopting supposed inherently ‘god given’ male traits, and was able to distill and teach them to others,” says Cooper. “We became friends only three years ago, but she made a massive impact on me. I think there’s definitely a sense now that she was before her time and the importance of her work is only really becoming clear now as queer identities are more visible, discussed and explored.”

March 2018

“ In a patriarchal society, women taking on masculine roles and identities is percieved by the powerful, public and media as threatening and distruptive.” Torr was based in Glasgow until her death last year, meaning Scotland was graced with a drag king pioneer leading the way and inspiring up-and-comers in a scene that can often be overlooked. Cooper took what she learned from Torr and brought it to her performance space, Dive Queer Party – an anything-goes performance party for, by and of the people. Biff’s journey to drag was a little different, a performance-based discovery of self. “I was going to see queer work and more and more felt like that was where I felt happiest and most comfortable,” they say. “I was shy and I felt like I wasn’t sure about how to approach getting into these kind of things, so I went in the route that I knew.” That route was through funding from SURGE, a company that supports street arts, physical theatre and circus in Scotland. Through this, Biff was granted some space to try out at scratch nights and develop their work, before beginning to perform wherever they could. One place that gave them a gig was Dive, which is where the relationship with Cooper began. Talking to Biff and Cooper feels particularly pertinent when you take into consideration drag’s steady rise to the near-mainstream. The success of RuPaul’s Drag Race is not to be sniffed at: the show’s tenth series comes out this year, while the third season of its All Stars spinoff is on air now. Not to mention Drag Race alumnus Courtney Act, who beat out Ann Widdecombe – despite Widdecombe’s hateful comments, backward opinions and unrepentant homophobia and transphobia – to win the most recent Celebrity Big Brother UK. While Act’s triumph has been widely hailed as the ugliness of the past losing out to the spoils of the future – a polyamorous, gender fluid drag queen succeeding over a closed-minded Tory – there’s still a bit of a disparity between drag queens and drag kings. “It’s widely discussed that, in a patriarchal society, women taking on masculine roles and identities is perceived by the powerful, public and media as threatening and disruptive and therefore doesn’t get the same air time or

Cooper and Biff don’t take their safety for granted; both admit they’re very aware of how lucky they are to generally feel unthreatened when in drag. Cooper says having a community is to thank for that – “Having a buddy and other folks around you that are doing it and trying it gives you so much confidence.” Biff recalls being in very macho environments, like proper old man pubs, and no one blinking an eye, and has only ever felt uncomfortable when presenting as femme, but with a beard. “That’s when things have gotten strange. But for lots of gender queer, non-binary and

INTERSECTIONS

trans friends, that’s a daily occurrence, and I don’t have to deal with that. It’s really complex, so there’s always risk. We live in a fairly tolerant city, but nothing is perfect. Lots of friends have had pretty terrible experiences, and it’s always in the back of my mind that it could happen.” Ultimately, though, Cooper recognises the privilege of being born and based in Scotland, a country once voted the best place in the world to live for LGBT+ people and where, up until recently, three out of five political party leaders openly identified as gay. “But these are all rights and privileges that were hard fought and could so easily be taken away. World events are spurring both massive leaps forward and tragic steps back for LGBTIQ rights around the world, so we want to spread a message of expressive freedom and acceptance, and those on stage and in the audience to stand up and come together in celebration of difference, promoting a world where you can be whoever you want to be, however you want to be, wherever you want to be.” The LGBT+ scene is a tight-knit and often niche place, but – while they haven’t yet reached the heights of RuPaul’s Drag Race – kings are on the rise. As well as Biff and Cooper, there are so many creative and talented kings to consider. Edinburgh’s Eli Buck supported reigning Drag Race champion Sasha Velour on her February tour; Landon Cider, based in LA with 22k+ followers on Instagram, is king of transformation, morphing into Grandpa Munster, Gaston or Buzz Lightyear with the flick of a make-up brush. London’s Adam All is founder of BOi BOX and resident king at She, Soho, while drag king troupe Pecs perform their binary-bending burlesque throughout the capital. These artists and performers, along with anyone else slapping on a moustache of an evening, are examples of how rounded and exciting drag kings are. Whether it’s creating genius cosplay, screwing with gender’s performativity, inhabiting male spaces or ripping the piss out of the patriarchy on stage, there is much to be discovered – and admired – in the art.

Lifestyle

James A. Mackenzie

Anne Bak Andersen

Jamie Edmundson

Bright Young Things C

onsisting of a selection of last year’s graduates across five different art schools spread across the country, the Royal Scottish Academy New Contemporaries are, by their nature, a diverse cohort. Nevertheless, if not just to appreciate some of the differences, what follows is a loosely themed series of groupings and suggested comparisons for navigating the exhibition. Each cluster is arranged around ideas like working with found materials, different approaches to humour, or more specific comparisons where these have emerged surprisingly across two distant institutions – for example, large scale abstract painting (the last of the groupings). It’s a whistlestop tour, and hopefully gives a good indication of the exciting and diverse work that will be on show in the Royal Scottish Academy from 24 March to 18 April 2018. In her riotous sculptural assemblages, Sophie Edwards uses everyday and found objects, combining these materials into arrangements that clash between different forms and textures. Working with found materials, too, is Gayle Watson, who sets up man-made plastics

Ross Miller

The Royal Scottish Academy showcases its pick of the 2017 degree shows next month in New Contemporaries: 2018 Adam Benmakhlouf

and other substances that are charged with environmental and political significance. This is a strategy shared by Anne Mie Bak Andersen, who creates juxtapositions of plastic bag sculptures and fake foliage environments. Also seeking to defamiliarise what might otherwise be easily recognisable, Alexandra McGregor’s performance practice involves sculpture representations of irons and repetitive chores made into public events. Repurposing found materials continues with Rhona Jack’s large scale contraptions made from discarded wood and engineered into representations of different kinds of Scottish industries. Lydia Morrow also works within a similar geometrical and graphical aesthetic to Jack’s drawings with her own knitted garment and text pieces, though coming from research into Scottish mythology and the immigrant experience. Giulia Gentili examines the impermanence of seeming solid materials, as well as the translation between two and three dimensions, utilising live film elements and 3D imaging of sculptures. Elements of work transmogrify from

sculpture to sound to moving image. A different kind of transformation can be seen in the work of Lara Hirst, who combines trickery with alchemical alterations to money, and Paula Buŝkevica, whose sculptures are often representative of melted and broken forms. More traditional forms are subverted by Samantha Parkhouse’s large scale portraits, which are slickly rendered and unnervingly face-on. Large scale portraits are also the subject matter of Ross Miller’s work, which is rendered in stark black and white woodcuts. Setting a different kind of tension, Cassia Dodman’s abstract sculptures of wood, plastic and metal are deliberately set in moments of precarity – they often seem overstretched, like they’re about to snap or fall over. There’s some relationship here too with Amorn Bunri’s kinetic set-ups of heavy concrete slabs with pneumatic joints, and Casper Cosmus Alsøe’s ghostly, kinetic mechanic sculptures. There’s also some interest in collaging in this year’s RSA group. Working in a saturated palette and with different kinds of collages,

SHOWCASE

James Alexander McKenzie makes paintings that valorise a kind of intuitive simplicity and childish imagination. Taking a different slant on collage and painting, Louis Bennett combines politicised imagery from news and historical sources, creating lively and bustling compositions. Hugh Morton’s figures on the other hand, often share a painting but are meandering around one another, only to meet in parts in a clash. Also cut-andpasting in his compositions, Jack Dunnett’s small works take a more sparse approach, setting contemporary dressed small figures within romantically sublime, Turneresque landscapes. Then there are David Rae’s paintings of empty open landscapes, often with the sky rendered in a bright warm colour – they could be cinematic scene setters. Taking collage into another direction, Adam Castle’s video work combines acted scenes with rehearsals of lines excerpted from popular culture. Doaa Yule also makes references to pop culture, using clips from films like The Truman Show in order to delve further into complex philosophical ideas of the mind and the self through

THE SKINNY

Amy Grogan

Sylvia Tarvet

Colin Davison

Jerome Wren

text- and video-based multimedia installations. Earthy humour is also well represented. For instance, there’s Elise Bell’s installations that centre on the Grandmothers of Methil, with drawings and sculptural objects that take their cue from grand parents’ living rooms and the idiosyncratic objects often found there. Edith Pritchett’s comic strips are also disarmingly funny, and her multimedia explorations of feminine representation take on a similar informal and bright humour. More humour, though altogether more improvisational and cerebral-seeming, can be found in Robbie Campbell’s draped fabric prints of everyday images and spaces. A cooler joke style carries into Michael Kay Terence’s large scale sculptures, which creates set-like tableaus and set up a cartoonish sense of danger. There’s a similar poker-faced style in Amy Grogan’s sculptural quoting and partial disfiguring of vegetable and poultry forms, combined with direct references to Bernard Matthews’ sandwich meat. Keeping up a certain wry laughter, Marion Miranda’s carefully drawn

March 2018

illustrations of artistic and philosophical exchanges poke fun at the professionalisation of thinking, and its blustering high-mindedness. Lachlan McFeely Bolt’s performance practice also is based around a kind of sharp-edged humour – for his degree show he spoke to visitors through an intercom from a nearby cupboard. Sticking with a sense of nostalgia, Lucy Buchanan’s work is an impressive homage to classic stop motion animations from British television, like Paddington Bear and The Clangers. More imagined beings are to be found in the work of Filippa Pirrip, who depicts strange but nevertheless endearing creatures that are often calm, ethereal, and as friendly as they are extraterrestrial seeming – cf Paul Klee’s Angelus Novus. This brings us to the diversity of film work that has been selected for this year’s show. Coming from the time-based department from outside the traditional fine art programmes, filmmaker Glen Thomson makes narrative-driven and scripted short films. Jamie Edmundson takes his cue from more filmic influences, and investigates through (sometimes epic)

documentary videos of rural lifestyles, as well as legacies for this way of living for those who have moved to urban areas. Emerging from a more experimental ethos, Josephine Lohoar Self ’s uncanny film practice combines surreal narrative and handmade elements of costume and sculpture with drawn and animated segments. There is a perceptible impetus in some of the participants to record urban and rural environments experimentally or imaginatively. For instance, Kirsten Millar’s practice combines experimental sound and sculptural installation. Also thinking of an immersive relationship with the environment, Calum Wallis’ detailed and technically virtuosic drawings call to mind a romantic attachment to landscape, as well as a sincere and thoughtful care in depicting its swoops and infinitely detailed surfaces. These are also to be considered alongside painter Hannah Mooney’s more gestural, but still careful landscapes and still lives. And there is also Suzann Ross, who works with archival images and architectural forms, often making painterly interpretations of parts of Aberdeen’s buildings

SHOWCASE

and streets. Alexander Rodda’s cityscapes combine lively abstraction and emotive colour schemes, taking their cue from the different moments that are abstractly depicted, sliding out of figuration into a visual representation of the sensory overload of walking through a bustling metropolis. They correspond in some ways to the painted works of fellow exhibitor Anna Kajos, who works with freestanding painted frames, as well as wall-mounted work. Thinking still of the urban environment, William Braithwaite’s concrete sculpture’s quote and sometimes pile the forms of modernism and brutalism at an intersection of architecture and sculpture. Fiona Steel’s photography combines sparsely lyrical landscapes, with candid, characterful and intimate portraiture and atmospheric and soft hued, late-afternoon interior shots. Also representing portraiture is Craig Waddell, whose projects have ranged from seeking to explore queer and contemporary masculine identities, as well as more ambiguously charged portraits and cityscape images. Taking on a different way of considering spatial relationships, Emma McCarthy’s cross-media practice considers power relations as played out through group dynamics and collective physical movements and exercises. For example, community hall workshops are considered in their choreography and the kinds of relationships between self, space and other that is fostered by these set-ups. Photographer Matthew Buick also looks to the occupations of familiar spaces, but turns to the spectators of zoos and other tourist spots. Taking on a more complicated relationship with place, Ben Soedira considers the constant redevelopment of Dubai. Thinking globally also, flags are a common feature in the work of David Kennedy and Robbie Spriddle. While Kennedy abstracts the form of a flag in the wind and solidifies it into a heavyseeming pastel sculpture, Spriddle’s sharp edged cubes are emblazoned with crisply painted national colours. This is a visual form that Spriddle shares with fellow RSA exhibitor Rowan Crawford, who prints horizontal line compositions digitally on to perspex as mediated representations of the colour palettes of sublime paintings. Looking around the world in a different way, Bastian Thuesen has embarked on an international project to record the sun as our world travels around it as a large scale photographic collaboration. Chiara Von Puttkamer and Alan Aitken both combine the materiality of paint with abstraction in colourful textural compositions, suggestive of round edged growths and natural forms. These might also speak well to the globular, unnameable forms of Millie Layton’s motorised and brightly coloured sculptures. Still with a keen eye on texture, Juanita Zaldua’s work depicts in trompe l’oeil the familiar sight of cracked and peeling paint, keenly analysing the relationship between the depicted surface and the flatness of the painted surface itself, while resting the viewer’s gaze uncomfortably on the details of decay that might otherwise go conveniently overlooked. Sylvia Tarvet’s figurative sculptures also have a strange fascination with peeling, cracked surfaces in their rough textured casts of heads, set within narratives of aging and carrying on the skin signs of one’s own psychology and past. As well as the exhibition itself, there will also be two events running during the show’s dates. The first is a professional development event for recent graduates, Let’s Talk About… establishing a career in the Visual Arts – challenges and rewards (£10/8). Then there’s RSA New Contemporaries – Creative Conversations, an opportunity to meet and chat with exhibitors over a glass of wine (£10/8). RSA New Contemporaries, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, 24 Mar-18 Apr, £6/4 (Free on Fri)

THE SKINNY

Box Fresh Just why is Edinburgh littered with great, tiny, on-street coffee TARDISes? We delve into the world of the police box cafe Interview: Peter Simpson

n a murky February afternoon, we’re standing in front of something that’s grey, incredibly sturdy, and weighs about two tonnes. The giveaway that we’re stood in front of the Cheapshot Coffee police box near Edinburgh University and not a small African forest elephant is the fact that it is – to be polite – fucking freezing. Not exactly elephant weather, but ideal for a flat white, so we’ll take it. While the police box may have been a staple of British city life in the early 20th century before turning into ‘that place that Peter Capaldi goes before fighting the space robots’, Edinburgh is one of the few places to still have a large number of the boxes standing. After a number of sell-offs and refurbs they’re now a staple of the city’s food and drink scene, home to everything from Brazilian crepes and vegan soul food to coffee shops and ice cream stands. Their longevity in the capital seems to be down to a mix of principle and practicality, according to Cheapshot’s Paddy Maher: “Because a lot of them are covered by conservation areas, everyone was less keen to trash them [than elsewhere]. And because they’re made of cast-iron,” tapping on the wall of the box, “they’re almost impossible to move.” The 23-year-old Maher frequented the Cobolt Coffee police box in Marchmont ‘religiously’ during his uni days, so after graduation he decided to open a cafe to combine his loves for marketing, design and coffee. He then shelved

the idea, only to pick it up again after being reminded of the police box option. So far, so straightforward, but there was only one problem: who do you go to when you want to rent a tiny box in the middle of the road? “It took me about three months to track down the owner of this box,” Maher tells us from his spot between Bristo Square and Nicholson Street. “All I had was a name, and a pretty generic name at that… it was only sheer luck that I managed to track him down.” Sally McFarlane of The Counter – who operate a trio of police box cafes in Tollcross, Morningside and Lothian Road – also got into the world of the box after trying to find somewhere to kick off a coffee business with her husband, Ali. In their premises hunt, they learned two key things: rent is bloody expensive, but the boxes offer a good way to trim the fat off and still get things going. “We always wanted our business to be focused entirely around great independent coffee that was equally convenient,” McFarlane says. “Police boxes fitted this.” They fit the idea, but in all honesty they don’t fit a whole lot else. While there’s a clear ingenuity at play in many of the boxes across the city, it’s in the face of the fact that there isn’t exactly a lot of space to work with. Maher reckons he has about two-and-a-half square metres to play with behind the doors of his box, and it’s a snug fit back there, but he believes that the form factor of the spaces is in itself a positive. “I don’t find there’s many drawbacks to being a small

operation,” he says. “Creativity doesn’t so much come from having loads of space. It can come from having all these limitations; as long as it’s difficult, it’s always going to be interesting.” As McFarlane points out, another bonus to the police box’s size is that it’s a great deterrent against wasting… well, anything. “If it’s not great and doesn’t support our coffee business,” she tells us, “there’s no room for it.” That lack of storage space can also have a positive knock-on effect, as it forces ingenious solutions and encourages the kind of streamlined thinking that tends to lead toward deliciousness. For example, The Counter’s most esoteric venture to date – a boat on the banks of the Union Canal – only came about because McFarlane and co needed somewhere to keep excess stock, before the boat attracted a cult following all of its own. If the swans thought the sight of the canal occasionally freezing over was confusing, imagine what they made of an eggshell blue canal boat wafting delicious espresso everywhere. Which brings us to the ever-present problem of the Scottish weather. While our chat with Maher has an obvious focus on the permachill of sitting in an iron box in the middle of

February, McFarlane points out that it takes “real skill and continual attention” to knock out great coffee when the elements are raging all around you. And yet despite those worries, the police boxes continue to be popular among baristas, entrepreneurs and the public alike. Maher notes that while the tourists who pass his way are often flabbergasted by the idea of a tinned man serving coffee out of a hatch, the locals (in typical Edinburgh fashion) have the insouciant air of folk who feel like it’s the most natural thing in the world. And as for moving beyond the box into a genuine cafe with doors, windows and chairs? “Now that I’ve opened this place up,” Maher says, “I can see how much of a challenge and how many barriers there are to opening a ‘real’ cafe. I feel lucky that so few of those apply to me in this situation.” Thinking outside the box is often seen as the thing to do, but if Edinburgh’s police boxes show anything, it’s that there’s plenty you can do inside the box as well. Cheapshot Coffee, Marshall St, Edinburgh; The Counter, various locations, Edinburgh theskinny.co.uk/food

Beer Green Place Beer Makes Glasgow took the collapse of a beer festival and turned it into a charity success, and now a new mini-documentary tells the story of how it all came to be

Credit: Guy Thompson

March 2018

he story of the Beer Makes Glasgow festival is a prime example of making the best of a bad situation. The festival came about in the wake of the demise of Hippo Beers back in 2017; the shop and taproom’s collapse took with it the annual Great Scottish Beer Celebration festival, leaving a host of breweries and beer-lovers apparently up the creek. That was until a host of movers and shakers in Glasgow’s close-knit craft beer scene came together to bring the festival back from the grave in aid of Drumchapel Food Bank, raising more than £2000 in the process. Jake Griffin of Glasgow-based gypsy brewery Up Front and Drygate’s Sam Corden took the reigns, and drafted in Conor McGeady, who runs the West End Beer Festival, to bring the project to life. The Great Scottish Beer Celebration “was just way too important to the Glasgow beer community to let it fall away”, McGeady tells us. “I was down for it right away. It seemed almost impossible, but everyone was so keen that at the same time it seemed impossible that it wouldn’t work.” The whole story is documented in a new short film from filmmaker Guy Thomson, which

FOOD AND DRINK

Words: Peter Simpson

screens at Drygate this month, telling the tale of last year’s events from the perspective of the breweries involved, while also shining a light on the work of food banks in the city. McGeady’s mother and brother both work with the Drumchapel Food Bank, and he tells us that his only condition when working on Beer Makes Glasgow was that the Food Bank would benefit. He says: “Having volunteered with them myself I have seen what fantastic work they do.” The debut screening of Thomson’s film is a charity affair, with proceeds again going to the Drumchapel food bank, and the plans for this year’s BMG will also be revealed on the night. “We had always spoken about continuing this year,” says McGeady, “but I really feel like Guy’s work, time and effort that has gone into the documentary has been the driving force behind that in recent months!” If they turned a collapse in 2017 into a success, there’s no telling what the BMG team will manage in 2018. The Beer Makes Glasgow short film screens on Sun 18 Mar, followed by a panel discussion; proceeds to Drumchapel Food Bank

Lifestyle

Food News Meaty food festivals, scones aplenty and natural wines for everyone in this month’s food events round-up

Words: Peter Simpson

he month kicks off with the return of Meats and Beats festival, the somewhat-bizarrely named Edinburgh-based celebration of barbecue, tasty beers and dancing. The street food line-up includes burger greats Meat Stack and creole seafood from Shanty Town, and the music promises to rip through the last 50 years of recorded music in the space of an evening. If nothing else, we’re intrigued. 9 Mar, 5.30-11pm, 10 Mar, 12-5pm & 6-11pm; Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Pl, £8, meatsandbeats.co.uk Over in Glasgow, Küche’s latest exploration of the anthropology of food takes a look at Portuguese cuisine. Specifically, the AfroPortuguese Dinner will discuss the ways in which Portugal’s relationship with former colonies Angola and Mozambique has affected each country’s historic and culinary traditions. 9 Mar, 7.30pm; MILK Cafe, 452 Victoria Rd, £15, tickets via tabl.com/kuche Over at Koelschip Yard in Pollokshaws, there’s the chance to pit beers from two of Denmark’s best breweries against one another for your amusement. Evil Twin vs To Øl will feature six beers from each of the breweries; in our

opinion, everyone will be a winner after this, so congratulations in advance. 14 Mar from 4pm; Koelschip Yard, 686 Pollokshaws Rd, facebook. com/koelschipyard Back in Edinburgh, there’s a chance to get the inside track on the wacky world of Kombucha with the latest Fermented Drinks Workshop from Edinburgh Food Social. The Edinburgh Fermentarium will talk you through the history of everyone’s favourite fermented tea-based beverage, as well as providing you with the tools and know-how to give it a go at home yourself. From personal experience, we can guarantee this will appeal equally to health fans and people who like sci-fi films with blob-like antagonists. 24 Mar, 11am; Edinburgh Food Social, 11 Blackfriars St, £30, tickets via Eventbrite Next, wine, and a welcome return for Glasgow pop-up wine bar Pulp. The focus is on natural wines, with some intriguing lambic beers (the spontaneously fermenting kind that come out all fizzy and sour and delicious) and top notch artisan cheese and wine thrown in for good measure. That’s tasty wine, exciting beer, and excellent cheese, all in one place. 30 & 31 Mar,

A Mug’s Game T

ry as we might, people are a bit too good at making a mess. Since the turn of the year there’s been a renewed focus on cutting down the amount of plastic waste that our love for eating and drinking helps to create, thanks in no small part to the latest series of Blue Planet featuring a large number of sad, plastic-afflicted whales. While some people are just contrarian dicks with no regard for their surroundings – see the genuine Telegraph headline, ‘Why does your desire for a cleaner ocean trump the pleasure I get from drinking through a plastic straw?’ – the rest of us clearly don’t want to live in a world packed with tasty food and drink, but also covered in a thin dusting of polyethylene. And it turns out there’s one easy place to start when it comes to cutting down on our waste: coffee. Well, coffee and straws, but while the case against plastic straws seems fairly straightforward – Just Drink The Drink Using Your Mouth – the coffee situation can initially seem a bit trickier. While Stewart Lee was right to ask “What’s wrong with just cupping the water in your hands and licking it up like a cat?”, that doesn’t really apply when it comes to a flat white. You’d be scalded, the microbubbles would go all over your shoes; it’s a bad look. Luckily, there are myriad options for the discerning coffee drinker who also has no time to stop on the way to work. The KeepCup is a ubiquitous, barista-friendly option available in plastic and glass varieties; the JocoCup is a cool,

Lifestyle

7-11pm; Papercup Coffee Company, 603 Great Western Rd, facebook.com/popuptasting If that’s not your thing, how about scones? Yes, you read right, scones. The latest edition of Edinburgh bakery Tasty Buns’ Sconefest will be an opportunity to get stuck into one of eight special varieties, split equally into ‘Savoury, Boozy Savoury, Sweet, and Boozy Sweet’. Can you get a bit drunk from eating too many scones? Only one way to find out, we suppose. 30 Mar; Tasty Buns, 67 Bread St, facebook.com/TastyBunsBakeryEdinburgh One thing that definitely is boozy is gin, and a good way to discover your new favourite is to head along to Barras Art and Design’s Gin & Spirit Festival, where gins by a host of Scottish makers await. You’ll also be able to meet/annoy

the people behind your favourite gin, and try out tipples from across the country. 31 Mar, 12-6pm; BAaD 54 Calton Entry, tickets via tickettailor.com And finally, just time to flag up the return of Edinburgh International Science Festival and its annual GastroFest strand. Among the early highlights are Cheeseology 3.0 (4 Apr, 8pm) which explores the science behind your favourite cheeses, and The One Pound Meal (6 Apr, 8pm) which looks at nutrition, food policy and social activism while also doubling up as a fundraiser for foodbank charity The Trussell Trust. Both events at Summerhall, tickets and full programme via sciencefestival.co.uk theskinny.co.uk/food

Spoiler alert: people generate a lot of rubbish. Here’s a look at what you can do to cut down your footprint in one key area – your morning coffee Words: Peter Simpson

chemical-free bit of glassware that comes in about a million colours; and the Ecoffee Cup is made with bamboo fibre so there’s less chance of your poor dishwashing skills coming back to haunt you. There’s the futuristic Frank Green SmartCup, and then there are options like the Therma Cup by Jody Leach which is basically a standard takeaway cup, but made from bone china. There’s even the chance to rep your favourite local coffee shop with branded KeepCups available from the likes of Edinburgh’s Eteaket and Glasgow duo Gordon Street Coffee and Dear Green. Move over tote bags; there’s a new way to outwardly project your interests while also helping the environment! There are venues who offer a discount for bringing their own drinkware, and then there are the truly enterprising types like Steampunk Coffee in North Berwick who held something of a shit mug amnesty just after Christmas. Steampunk offered a mug from their donated collection to anyone after a takeaway coffee who didn’t have a cup with them, serving as a top-drawer gag, helpful piece of environmentalism, and potent symbol of the dangers of non-compliance, all at once. MPs have floated the idea of a 25p per cup ‘latte levy’ on disposable cups, as well as a complete ban on non-recyclable cups by 2023. This sounds good in principle, but the idea of a cup tax has its own problems; notably, while the

big chains can position themselves to eat a 25p discount on every single takeaway coffee, your favourite neighbourhood indy might struggle to do the same. See, doing the right thing tends to involve some kind of sacrifice, whether that’s in time, convenience, logistics or cold, cold cash. It is undoubtedly easier to grab a takeaway cup and throw it away than it is to bring your own; it is

FOOD AND DRINK

also easier to throw that cup at a seagull when you can’t find a recycling bin, doesn’t mean you should do it though. By going reusable, you might save yourself some money, you’ll definitely be helping your favourite coffee shop, and you’ll be saving the planet as well. So make some room in your bag for your cup; the whales will thank you later. theskinny.co.uk/food

THE SKINNY

FYNE ALES PRESENTS...

1-3 JUNE 2018, CAIRNDOW, ARGYLL

BEER

ABBEYDALE • BEAVERTOWN • BLACKJACK • BURNT MILL • BREWDOG • BUXTON • CLOUDWATER CROSS BORDERS • DEADEND • DEYA • HAWKSHEAD • FIERCE • LEFT HANDED GIANT LOST & GROUNDED • MAGIC ROCK • SIREN • THORNBRIDGE • TINY REBEL • TRACK • MARBLE NORTHERN MONK • PILOT • 6°NORTH • UNITY • VIBRANT FOREST • VERDANT • WYLAM & BARS FROM MA CHE SIETE VENUTI A FA (ITA) & FERMENTOREN (DEN)

MUSIC

COLONEL MUSTARD & THE DIJON 5 • HOLY MOLY & THE CRACKERS THE COALTOWN DAISIES • SAMBA YA BAMBA • AWKWARD FAMILY PORTRAITS • THE HUR TRONGATE RUM RIOTS • DOPESICKFLY • DR HIP & THE BLUES OPERATION • THE PEAS MANDULU & HEPHZIBAH • AVOCET • BARNE SOCIETY • THE LUSH PUPPIES • & MORE TBA

FOOD

LOCH FYNE OYSTERS • BABU BOMBAY STREET KITCHEN • BOWL FOOD • CHURCHILL VENISON HIGHLAND HOG ROASTS • CHOUXMAKES CAKES • REAL MACKAY STOVIES • HOMEGROUND COFFEE AYE LOVE REAL FOOD • MIGHTY MEXICAN • CHICK&PEA • CREMA CARAVAN • ITALIAN KITCHEN

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UNDER-13S GO FREE • BIG FYNEFEST PUB QUIZ • MEET THE BREWERS • GAMES BREWERY TOURS • FESTIVAL PARADE • CIDER & COCKTAILS BARS • LATE NIGHT DJS STREET WRITER • GLASGOW & LOCAL BUSES • ORIGINS BREWING BAR • SUNSHINE (MAYBE)

ONE WEEKEND. 2500+ PEOPLE. 200+ BEERS. 25+ BANDS. ALL THE FUN.

www.fynefest.com

March 2018

Lifestyle

THE SKINNY

RE V IE W

More Money More Music As Last Night from Glasgow prepares to celebrate its second birthday, we catch up with co-founder Ian Smith to find out what the future holds for the crowd-funded, not-for-profit label

Interview: Gary Kaill

here seems to have been a noticeable change in the response of the press in recent months,” says Last Night from Glasgow co-founder Ian Smith, “and maybe it’s simply because we’re still here after two years and we’re still putting records out, still garnering critical acclaim. So maybe those people who thought it was a bit frivolous and was never going to work, well maybe they’ve realised that perhaps we’re onto something?” Smith reflects on the developing success of this unique enterprise as he and The Skinny talk over phone at the start of both the year and the Glasgow label’s 2018 membership plan. Yes: membership. Last year, LNFG’s 200 or so members crowdfunded the not-for-profit venture with a £50 subscription and benefitted to the tune of four vinyl LPs, one vinyl EP, one USB album, and seven digital singles. Artists such as TeenCanteen, Sister John, Annie Booth and Radiophonic Tuckshop ensured quality went toe-totoe with quantity. This year will at least match 2017’s haul and see debut albums from extraordinary noise-poppers L-Space, folk-rock collective The Gracious Losers, singer-songwriter Zoe Bestel and a new record from indie-pop legends Bis. Smith refers to this as an “act of love and madness,” one that, in the current climate, surely inclines towards the latter. “Well,” he continues, “I wonder if, now that we’ve gathered some confidence after having done it for a while, the thing that separates us from other labels that we’ve been compared to, such as Factory, Cherry Red [and] Postcard, is that all of those were started by maverick music lovers at a time of great opportunity. Factory started as independent music and new wave was really taking hold, and people were consuming music at a frightening rate. But we started at a time of great necessity. It’s not us trying to make a pot of money – because we don’t make a penny. So because the label was formed as a business, it was never set up to be a hobby or a fun experiment. This is a business set up by

March 2018

six businessmen. “In the first year, we quickly realised that, in order to function, the business was going to have to be bigger than we had originally anticipated because we were getting more money from people than we had expected. That’s still very much the case. We’re growing exponentially. More money to spend means more artists, more artists means more records, and more records means more money to spend. I remember my friend Stephen [Kelly], who started the company with me, saying that we seem to have created the world’s first [successful] Ponzi scheme!” The work involved in starting an independent label at any time can’t be underestimated. Neither can the fleet-of-foot manoeuvring required to keep the thing afloat – LNFG is, of course, run alongside full time job jobs. With the vinyl revival still gathering pace, two decades after the internet and MP3s removed reliance on the traditional corporate label model, who even knows what the means of distribution is any more? “Well, we actually wanted to be a vinyl only company,” says Smith. “We felt that was the only way to get people to engage and buy. CDs at merch stands is pretty dead; you can’t get any money off digital. I mean, I’m a vinyl enthusiast – I’m standing in my room right now and I’m looking at a couple of thousand records on the wall. So, it was always about records for me. “But at some point in our first year, we came across an album we were convinced could not be released on vinyl because it had been written, recorded, produced and mastered on a phone. Now, nobody can release music created in that fashion on a record, so we released it on a USB stick. That was Stephen Solo’s Pii2 album. TeenCanteen saw this and wanted to do the same [for their debut album Say it All with a Kiss]. So we did it for them too, and it sold out. So, you’re having to constantly rework your idea of what you think is sensible or appropriate at any given time. “All of us involved in the label have differing levels of expertise. You know, we sit around and

“ We started at a time of great necessity. It’s not us trying to make a pot of money – because we don’t make a penny” Ian Smith

Even without the backdrop of a still major label-dominated industry, as focused as ever on breaking flash-in-the-pan newcomers for as many 99p downloads as can be hoovered up before the public and the media moves on, the LNFG approach shows uncommon care for the artist. “Absolutely it does,” says Smith. “We had a situation the other night where Zoe Bestel, who is someone I was very keen to work with, played her first show for us supporting Carla J. Easton [of TeenCanteen] at a Celtic Connections show. Midway through the set, Murray [Easton], one of our co-founders, came over and said to me ‘Now I know why you drove to Dumfries and Galloway to see this girl.’ He had heard her music and liked it but suddenly he saw her onstage and he was like, ‘I get it now.’” Older heads, it should be noted, prepare for how Bestel reclaims and reworks Judie Tzuke’s 1978 heartbreaker For You.

Music

Returned from Sea, Sister John

Last Night from Glasgow celebrate their 2nd Birthday with performances from Bis, L-Space, Sun Rose and Stephen Solo at Stereo, Glasgow, 31 Mar lastnightfromglasgow.com

Transience, Zoë Bestel

Review

Photo: Colin McArthur

“T

“Oh I’ve seen her play it live. It’s astonishing.” Taking their expanding roster out of Scotland is important to Smith – the live experience is key to the label’s identity. At a LNFG gig, you’re very likely to receive your entry stamp in the form of a hand-drawn animal on the back of your hand. “I could be wrong,” says Smith, “but I think that that sort of introduction to a gig, alongside us actually wanting to chat to people on the door and make them feel included, immediately warms the audience. “To be given the chance to actually hear and enjoy the music - we’ve got a pretty aggressive policy with gig-talkers - I have to say, is hugely important. People don’t want to hear some guy telling his mate what he did at the weekend.” Inspired, we set about those champs who spend the entire gig – coincidentally, it would seem, more enthusiastically for female acts – snapping and filming shark-eyed from the front row. “Oh tell me about it. We won’t tolerate that – it’s just terrible. And it’s that kind of thing that adds to a situation where people are not being allowed to enjoy the show as much as they might and as much as they deserve to.” With the label looking to expand membership into the likes of Manchester and Liverpool, the ‘Glasgow’ in its name remains key to the label’s identity despite Smith’s worry that it might nudge observers to presume they’re purely a Glasgow-centric operation. “I was saying to someone the other day that the real disappointment for me with LNFG is that we’re a socialist construct who have had to be inwardlooking to succeed. Because if we were outwardlooking, we wouldn’t be able to look after our artists. That said, in Glasgow there are four or five labels all of similar size to us, and we work together. “For example, if we’re putting on a show and we don’t have a support, then we’ll go and talk to Olive Grove and ask them who they have who might fit, and vice versa. And what I’m actually hoping we achieve over the next 18 months is that we build an even bigger community, where these labels promote the city’s overall music scene in an ethical and committed way. With the artists, and not, for once, the media, the promoters, and the record companies, at the forefront.”

Photo: Brian Sweeney

L-Space

Photo: Brian Sweeney

talk about what we should do. There might be a couple of dissenting voices, but you find that you generally come up with the right path and the right strategy. I think we’ve now found a natural groove – our instincts are pretty good. If I allow myself to be egocentric for a moment” – Smith pauses and laughs – “it’s not the committee-run business it was. If you run a business by committee, you end up with a watered down version of what you should be doing. So we eventually found a way of breaking that committee structure, so that we could get things agreed and decisions happen quickly. I don’t think anyone would argue with me when I say that 75-80% of what LNFG does, happens from inside the hub of the label – which is my house.”

Good Decisions We catch up with Jamie Sutherland to talk family, playing music with friends and Broken Records’ upcoming fourth record What We Might Know

Interview: Andrew Gordon

Photo: Solen Collet

across on the record as being any kind of judgement on Scottish bands, but the miserabilist element of some Scottish music, I really enjoy, but I don’t feel attached to it if you know what I mean. “My wife’s American,” he adds, “so if there’s any way of breaking down the Scottish mindset, it’s to be confronted with that relentless positivity all day every day – best decision I ever made!”

what with their seven-piece line-up, including a cello and accordion. That early fanfare proved a double-edged sword, the weight of those expectations morphing into an anxious perfectionism in the studio. Nevertheless, Broken Records continued to tear up stages internationally, even supporting The National on a European tour, but never quite succeeding in approximating that energy on wax. That is, until now. The first thing that hits you about What We Might Know, their upcoming self-released fourth album, is just how huge it sounds – “It’s really fucking loud!” Sutherland agrees. More than that though, it feels raw and alive; the result, he posits, of reuniting with Stephen Watkins, who produced their much-revered debut EP. “I think one of the big problems with the band in the past has always been the fact that we overthink things horribly, and there’s an awful lot of self-doubt in everything we do. But Watkins has a very good way of just cutting through that shite.” The sessions mirrored that inaugural studio experience with Watkins – just the band in a room playing together like they would on stage, with minimal overdubs. Most songs were wrapped up in just a handful of takes with the whole

Review

Photo: Steven Skinner

Aino Elina

Susanne Sundfør

Susanne Sundfør @ Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, 11 Mar Fresh from releasing fifth studio album Music for People in Trouble, her first on Bella Union, Norwegian singer-songwriter Susanne Sundfør is set to play the beautiful surrounds of Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms this March. Sundfør’s voice is absolutely stunning so this is guaranteed to be one of the most goosebump-inducing nights of the month and one you’ll be kicking yourself months down the line if you miss. You have been warned.

Photo: Raphael Chatelain

Aino Elina EP Launch @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 7 Mar Edinburgh-based Aino Elina released her debut single Vankina last April with a beautiful collaborative music video which we were delighted to premiere on the website. Elina, originally from Lapland in Finland, is now ready with her unique brand of ethereal electro-pop, releasing her debut EP Unissa today with a live launch party at Sneaky’s. In a bid to reduce plastic waste, instead of a CD you can buy Unissa as a digital download on a 100% organic cotton, Fair Wear, climateneutral T-shirt. Yes!

What We Might Know is self-released on 30 Mar Broken Records play Tooth & Claw, Inverness, 13 Apr; Church, Dundee, 21 Apr; Summerhall, Edinburgh, 26 Apr; Tolbooth, Stirling, 27 Apr; Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, 28 Apr brokenrecordsband.com

Good Grief #2 @ Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh, 16 Mar From the good people who brought us January’s Rock Trust fundraiser at the Biscuit Factory, new promoters Good Grief are back for their second outing tonight with a show at Henry’s featuring a trio of bands whose names are worth the entry fee alone: Thick Syrup, Commie Cars and Buffet Lunch. See, we told you! Once again all proceeds from this show will go towards the Rock Trust charity who work with young people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless or socially excluded.

Music

Thick Syrup

Jamie Sutherland

Speaking of family, it seems that just as he’s finally made peace with the burden of hype and his own high standards, he’s gone a found a new lease of neurosis in his own son. “The one thing that always kind of gives me the fear is that I don’t want him to grow up thinking my music is shite! I mean, he always will. I think the only validation you’re looking for in some kind of a weird way is that you don’t want someone to grow up and think ‘Why did you do that Dad? That was awful!’.” Of particular concern is what he’ll make of his old man’s falsetto on the first album. “‘I mean, I know you loved the Jeff Buckley records back in the day but Jeff Buckley does that, you don’t do that!’ But it’s just a way of reinterpreting your own music going forward. It’s the decisions where you go ‘Ah, I’m kind of proud of that, but at the same time why the fuck did I do that?’ Ten years is a really nice gap for looking back at things. Good decisions and bad decisions.” Go ahead and file this new record under the former.

project lasting only a few weeks, something of a revelation for a band known to spend up to six months on a single record. “We did the first [album] in deepest darkest Wales and I didn’t step outside for a month. We were so absolutely sure this has to be the greatest thing ever because otherwise everything’s fucked and the world was going to fall apart and everyone’s expecting all this stuff from us. [This time] we have no expectations at all. We just wanted to make a record that made us happy and was simple.” It’s safe to say that those early-career inhibitions are a thing of the past. What We Might Know is a cathartic record of anthemic pop in the Springsteen mould that radiates positivity, even while confronting the “nagging doubt” of adulthood, from being a good role model to your children to “the creeping responsibility that your parents are getting older, you know, it’s not just you. You have other people to look after.” Sutherland, who namechecks Tom Petty, The Hold Steady and The Replacements, ascribes that optimism to the American influences in his life. “American artists are always kind of the ones that I’ve felt more attached to,” he explains. “I absolutely, fundamentally don’t want this to come

Do Not Miss

Werkha

Werkha (live) @ The Blue Arrow , Glasgow, 16 Mar From his first DIY release, which was picked up by Gilles Peterson for the Brownswood Bubblers Ten compilation, to the skyward trajectory of his further outings, Glasgow-based Mancunian Tom A. Leah – aka Werkha – has become internationally recognised as one of electronic music’s most promising talents. Tonight, Werkha will be expanding his live set-up to include local jazz musicians G. Costello and F. McCreadie as well as the ever present Bryony Jarman-Pinto on vocals.

THE SKINNY

Photo: Dav Stewart

hough it’s only been four years since they released their last album, Broken Records’ recent return to gig calendars feels like a comeback. While the Edinburgh band headed up by Jamie Sutherland never really went away, they agreed to dial things down following a demanding three-album run to focus on the joys and challenges of entering a new phase in their lives; their 30s. “We kind of made a conscious decision with our partners who had supported us through the five years before that we had to give a little bit back,” Sutherland says, crediting that attentiveness to the band’s “human side” with keeping them together for more than a decade. “The relationship of the band is more important possibly than any kind of perceived success on the music side of things,” he explains. “The simple act of playing music with your friends is the thing that is the success.” While today’s indie breakthroughs can spend years self-releasing music before the industry takes notice, just over a decade ago the press parade came charging for Broken Records almost immediately on the back of a rough-andready EP and their considerable live reputation. To be fair, they would have been hard to miss,

Photo: Jonathan Kenworthy

“ We were so absolutely sure this has to be the greatest thing ever because otherwise everything’s fucked”

SHHE-Shaw We speak to Dundee-based musician Su Shaw, aka SHHE, while she’s in Iceland taking part in the Westfjords Residency to chat about her return to music and living in isolation

Interview: Tallah Brash

fter a few years of relative quiet from Su Shaw under her Panda Su moniker, Shaw tweeted on 15 January: “Following the natural course of the earth, @pandasu is now extinct,” confirming that she’d “be back soon, in another form” in the same tweet. “I released Maps in 2013, that was supposed to be the first single from the album which was going to be released under Panda Su,” Shaw explains. “Except the album never came. I was writing a lot but wasn’t satisfied with the outcome. “Then in 2016, I moved to Dundee and began working on music full-time. Dundee isn’t a big city by any stretch of the imagination but when you’ve spent your whole life living in isolation surrounded by fields and silence, it’s a big enough change. I guess that was the catalyst. I enrolled in a sound production course and I began writing again. The music was different this time and fundamentally, I was too, so it made sense to kill off the black and white and start a new project.”

many people there and I wasn’t part of any creative network. In fact, I wasn’t even sure that one existed. But I quickly discovered that Dundee was full of incredible artists and some of them became some of my closest friends. I knew I wanted to collaborate with as many of them as possible and bring them into the music in some way. I suppose SHHE is representative of that.” We’re speaking with Shaw while she’s out in Iceland working on a new piece of music entitled Dýrafjörður that’s set to be performed at Summerhall on 9 March as part of their two-night Scratch event. Dýrafjörður is “inspired by the landscapes found in the Westfjords” of the Nordic country. “I’m currently in Þingeyri, a remote village in the northwest of Iceland where I’m taking part in the Westfjords Residency,” she

Su Shaw

Out Lines

Out Lines @ Summerhall, Edinburgh, 17 Mar Responsible for releasing one of the best albums to come out of Scotland in 2017 with the beautiful and powerful Conflats, Glasgow supergroup Out Lines are set for their Edinburgh debut tonight at Summerhall. Comprised of The Twilight Sad’s James Graham, SAY Award winner Kathryn Joseph and producer Marcus Mackay, the three-piece promise to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Support tonight comes from the equally excellent Lomond Campbell.

March 2018

Photo: Colin Campbell

SHHE is Shaw’s newly-adopted musical persona which came to light at the start of the year along with the announcement of her debut performance under the name as part of Neu! Reekie!’s Burns Eruption night at Edinburgh’s Summerhall at the end of January. “SHHE is my new music project but it’s also a platform for collaboration across different art forms,” Shaw tells us. “True to her animal counterpart, Panda Su was a pretty solitary creature. I didn’t share much, even with myself and I very rarely collaborated with anyone else. SHHE is the opposite. “When I first moved to Dundee, I didn’t know

Open Mike Eagle @ Stereo, Glasgow, 19 Mar Rapper, comedian and occasional pro-wrestling podcast host Open Mike Eagle released his fifth studio album Brick Body Kids Still Daydream last September and he stops in at Glasgow’s Stereo tonight. The album, which featured on various 2017 Albums of the Year lists including ours, was inspired by the demolition of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes, a notorious housing project on the south side of Chicago. It offers everything you’d expect from an Open Mike Eagle album and rivals Dark Comedy for the best in his catalogue.

Open Mike Eagle

says. “The village is located on the coast of the fjord Dýrafjörður and is encompassed by mountains on one side and the North Atlantic Ocean on the other. It’s the middle of winter here, the temperature can drop to -10 daily and the village has just experienced the largest snowfall recorded here since 1994. It’s unforgiving and magical at the same time.” With Dýrafjörður, Shaw is exploring solitude and isolation using only voice, synthesizer and first-handing recordings of sounds from Iceland’s Westfjords. “I have limited equipment with me,” says Shaw, “a Roland Gaia synth, a Sennheiser e840 microphone, a Boss VE-20 vocal processor and a Zoom H4N sound recorder. Before I arrived, I didn’t know what I’d find but I knew I wanted to write music based purely on my

Sigrid

Sigrid @ Saint Luke’s, Glasgow, 21 Mar Having recently impressed us with her performance at this year’s Eurosonic Noorderslag festival in Groningen, the BBC Sound of 2018 winner is set to play Glasgow tonight and it’s definitely worth leaving the house for. Live, Sigrid has bags of energy and her band are super tight making for a wholly enjoyable pop experience which we reckon will be second to none in the majesty of Saint Luke’s. Oh, and you can bet your ass you’ll be singing ‘Stray-ay-ay-ay-aaaangers’ for day-ayay-ay-aaaays after, which is no bad thing.

MUSIC

SHHE performs Dýrafjörður at Summerhall, Edinburgh, 9 Mar and Hidden Door Festival, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 25 & 26 May facebook.com/shhemusic

Photo: Francesca Allen

“Solitude and isolation have always featured in my music. Intentionally or unintentionally, they’ve always featured in my life too”

experience here. I have ten days to create something. I’ve never given myself those kind of constraints before. I wanted to see what I could come up with and when I return to the UK, I have two weeks to pull everything together before performing the project at Summerhall.” “Solitude and isolation have always featured in my music. Intentionally or unintentionally, they’ve always featured in my life too. While I’m here, I’m writing about the connection between these themes and the relationship they have with the landscapes here. If you’re looking for total isolation, Þingeyri is the place to be. The nearest village is over an hour away and in winter months, it can be completely inaccessible. “On my fourth day here, we were hit by a snow storm that was so fierce that all roads leaving the village were blocked for three days. This experience formed the basis for a lot of my recordings so far; the never ending hum of a struggling snow plough, the revving of a car engine stuck in snow, the sea battering the coast. I’m going to incorporate these recordings into the music I’ve been writing while I’ve been out here.” The initial project of Dýrafjörður was to be an exercise in a new way of working for Shaw, but she tells us: “I know the project has a life past the time I spend here and putting out a release is something I’m going to work towards when I get back.” As well as Dýrafjörður, Shaw’s first single as SHHE – Eyes Shut – is a definite progression from her earlier work as Panda Su; the beats are more pronounced, the sound is more committed and Shaw’s vocals are more confident than ever. “Eyes Shut is the first track I’ve ever recorded and produced myself. It sounds more confident because I am more confident. With SHHE, I have a completely different approach to songwriting and production and because of that, the music is more honest.” With “lots of projects and collaborations” in the pipeline for 2018 that Shaw is “really excited about” featuring various artists, photographers and dancers, it’s safe to say we’re really excited too. It’s bloody well lovely to have her back in from the cold.

Counterflows Festival @ Various Venues, Glasgow, 5-7 Apr 2018 sees the seventh edition of Counterflows Festival hit a dozen Glasgow spaces this April, from the CCA, Glad Cafe and The Art School to the more unconventional like the Fred Paton Centre, Queen’s Park Bowling Club and Garnethill Multicultural Community Centre. This year’s focus, as ever, is firmly on underground, experimental and international music; the 2018 programme includes performances from American contemporary composer Susie Ibarra, Tanzanian electronica courtesy of Sounds of Sisso, and Polish duo Zywizna who will make their UK debut at the festival.

Susie Ibarra

Review

Album of the Month Young Fathers

Cocoa Sugar Ninja Tune, 9 Mar

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As always, it’s a mystery how Young Fathers pull it off. Cocoa Sugar slaps sugary boyband choruses against tongue-twister rap, via surreal imagery borrowed from the Bible and a sprinkling of the kind of idioms your nan might use. It’s a potent mix, and their best album yet. Opening track See How begins angelically. ‘Someday, I’ll be a star that’s shining bright in the sky,’ they sing, before a creaking, industrial synth splits the song apart. The Leith trio have never been shy to admit ambition, and on their third studio album Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham ‘G’ Hastings reach for new heights without compromising on a single thing. Cocoa Sugar is sharp and sweet; twelve tracks built from the intentional contradictions which characterise the band’s sound. By Young Fathers’ standards, this album is stripped-back. It’s a slightly softer listen than their fizzing, fiery White Men are Black Men Too (2015) and more succinct than the abrasive chaos which made up most of 2014’s Mercury prize-winning Dead. That said, there’s still a lot happening. Cocoa Sugar finds a kind of tenderness in making connections, then breaking them down.

Martha Ffion

Sunday Best Turnstile, 9 Mar

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Glasgow-based Irish singer-songwriter Claire McKay, who goes by the stage name Martha Ffion, knows the importance of first impressions. From its opening cut, the moony – and ironic – ballad Missing You, Sunday Best is bright and brisk, dressing up songs from across McKay’s catalogue to date. Carefully curated yet never outstaying its welcome, Sunday Best’s songs hit the sweet spot between classicinfluenced indie pop acts like Camera Obscura (Take Your Name), the surf music of Best Coast (Record Sleeves) and the folk heart of Rilo Kiley (Baltimore), all capped by McKay’s soft voice and rich harmonies. Proving to be a thoughtful songwriter on Sunday Best, McKay has produced a concise, sympathetic collection of songs that explore how love makes our plans and best intentions go awry. Whether it’s the tumultuous relationships of Punch Drunk and Record Sleeves, the cautious affection of Take Your Name, or the racing nostalgia of Beach, McKay handles them all gracefully. The keystone of Sunday Best is the piano waltz We Make Do – its clicks and whistles make it playful but when McKay begs, ‘Just please, tell me I’m good,’ its anxiety truly hits home. Boasting memorable songs front to back, Sunday Best is a confident debut chock-full of understated pleasures, one that hints Martha Ffion will only get better as her career progresses. [Chris Ogden] Listen to: Real Love, Take Your Name, We Make Do

Review

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Contrasting voices – some silly, some serious, mostly a combination of the two – mean that the album resists any straightforward mission statement, and instead makes for a kind of conversation. ‘Ever seen a rainbow?’ rubs against ‘I’ll cross the border in the morning’ on Holy Ghost. Picking You sounds like a drill track recorded by a marching band, as Massaquoi sings mournfully about human connections via money, the church and a tendency toward Scorpios. On Wow, a sardonic, pummelling song, Bankole investigates the power of ego against a backdrop of ‘shooby-doo’ barbershop vocals. The album’s intensity peaks on Wire, as screwed disco chords incite a riot: ‘Bring your body to the boil.’ For all the abrupt scene changes, Cocoa Sugar feels a self-contained universe. It gets straight to the point: human experience is messy. Young Fathers will always be restless and surprising, but for the moment it sounds like they’re right where they should be. As Bankole sings on Turn, ‘I didn’t work this damn hard to stay where I belong.’ [Katie Hawthorne] Young Fathers

Listen to: Holy Ghost, Tremolo, In My View

Gwenno

Broken Records

Le Kov Heavenly Recordings, Out Now

What We Might Know Self-released, 30 Mar

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On her solo debut Y Dydd Olaf, Gwenno Saunders explored the importance of preserving a sense of cultural identity almost entirely in Welsh. Closing track Amser, though, was sung in Cornish. It’s this thread that Gwenno picks up again on her new album Le Kov, journeying through both the individual and collective subconscious entirely in the Cornish language. Much like Y Dydd Olaf, Gwenno’s often languid vocal style ensures the language is delivered beautifully, both tuneful and entrancing. On the sparkling pop of Tir Ha Mor, her voice and the seemingly intuitively musical nature of the words give the album one of its strongest hooks. She draws inspiration from Aphex Twin’s Drukqs on Hi a Skoellyas Liv a Dhagrow, delivering a dreamlike landscape alongside her hushed vocals. Eus Keus? (or “is there cheese?”) is more playful, building on propulsive melodies and continually reintroducing warped guitar around Gwenno’s own more exuberant voice. Le Kov is a cinematic and atmospheric collection, crisply produced while also maintaining a sense of mystery. Its cosmic blend of psychedelia and strong synth-pop sensibilities once again bring the listener firmly into Gwenno’s psychological territory. She places another Brythonic tongue firmly in the spotlight, continuing to break through language barriers with sparkling psych-pop. [Eugenie Johnson] Listen to: Hi a Skoellyas Liv a Dhagrow, Eus Keus?

As a seven-piece band with a penchant for The Boss, Edinburgh’s Broken Records have produced a humble, endearing new record celebrating the joys and challenges of adult life that might be their most rewarding work to date. Setting aside the orchestral trappings of their previous albums, What We Might Know is a stripped-back affair by Broken Records standards, streamlining their usual idea fever into forty-five minutes of straightforward, anthemic pop songs that are begging to be blasted from car windows on a summertime drive.

Superorganism

Superorganism Domino, Out Now

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With nods to the sound of the early-mid 00s electro indie pop golden age, Superorganism replicates the energy of that era and is full of fun. The rapturous chorus of opening track It’s All Good is incredibly joyful and entirely infectious, and you would seriously struggle to not bop your head along to Something For Your M.I.N.D. SPRORGNSM too is full of life, sounding like a pop nursery rhyme, with chants of ‘I wanna be / A superorganism’ ringing like the band’s mantra.

RECORDS

Opener They Won’t Ever Leave Us Alone rockets out the gate and keeps gathering momentum, its thundering piano and triumphant brass building towards a climax of pure concentrated catharsis. Perfect Hollow Love and Clarity meanwhile suggests bassist Adam McMillan graduated alongside Future Islands from the Peter Hook school of bass riffs, his propulsive grooves joined by fluorescent synths and reverb-soaked drums to create a melodramatic 80s feel that’s dead cheesy in all the right ways. And when they do indulge in a jam on Someday You’ll Remember Me, it feels earned. All confetti guns blazing, What We Might Know is the sound of a band playing the music they love. [Andrew Gordon] Listen to: They Won’t Ever Leave Us Alone, Perfect Hollow Love, Someday You’ll Remember Me

However, there are some downright bizarre moments towards the end of the album, in the likes of The Prawn Song and Relax. The former – an ode to being a prawn – sees the band’s lyrical immaturity at its height, with lines like ‘You people are all the same / Going blah blah blah / Going bang bang bang’. The latter – an amalgamation of noise, car horns and all – is, ironically, not relaxing at all. Superorganism could’ve been the perfect indie pop record if they’d have cut back a bit on the style and added a bit more of the substance. And for a band being dubbed the future of music, it may come as a surprise just how much Superorganism’s self-titled debut recalls the past. [Nadia Younes] Listen to: It’s All Good, SPRORGNSM

THE SKINNY

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

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Solan Goose Phases, 23 Mar

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Ambient and neo-classical have blossomed as genres over the past few years, as artists explore the boundaries between each. From the earthy explorations of Nils Frahm to the desolate soundscapes of William Basinski, countless artists are tinkering with the form. Though generalised as background music, it’s more the music of tone. These musicians can highlight hyper-specific emotions through subtle sound choice. Like any other genre, ambient artists have their own personalities, their own stories to tell. Erland Cooper is one of these artists. Solan Goose, his debut solo album, brims with personality through its delicate approach to piano music. Cooper explores the anxiety of city living by meditating on his homeland of Orkney. Each track is named after a bird, written in Orcadian dialect; fittingly, themes of migration and nature are evoked by his peaceful palette, which uses electronic music so slight, it barely feels there.

Flux Velociraptor

Velociraptor Attractor EP Self-released, 20 Mar

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If what you’re looking for in your new favourite instrumental rock band is a good hand-off between build-up and energy, Linlithgow threepiece Flux Velociraptor are for you. They can

There’s a gorgeous Celtic influence on Shalder and Kittiwaako – patient lullabies that widen with ephemeral strings and Charlotte Greenhow’s soprano vocals. The songs evoke a specific Highland wistfulness that Mairearad Green explored on Passing Places. Bonxie instead uses ghostly textures and angelic vocal layering to somehow make stillness feel cathartic, like Sigur Rós and Jon Hopkins both conjure on their most sedentary work. It’s admittedly familiar territory for fans of the genre, which may be a barrier of enjoyment if the textures don’t strike as resonantly as what’s come before. Despite the similarities, tonally Cooper’s album feels unique when taken in its entirety. Tracks build in potency when played together, their quiet crescendos echoing each other. For Cooper, the emotion and intent is front and centre. For a style often described as background music, his music is anything but faceless, and should be celebrated not just for its ability to evoke a liminal mood, but its ability to transport you into someone else’s mindset. [Stephen Butchard] Listen to: Bonxie, Solan Goose

Erland Cooper

bring the monster riffage without doubt, as you can hear for yourself on EP opener Evolutionists and its immediate neighbour Matter / Antimatter Collision. But they can also do the kind of skewed keyboard straight out of a 70s horror film, colliding with those complicated drum patterns we’ve all come to expect (and, of course, the monster riffage), that you’ll likely catch soundtracking some low budget Rafe Spall-starring gorefest any time soon, in the form of Billy Everyteen. A lot of the credit for their crunchy punching

sound has to lay at the door of Gary Clinton who looks after guitar and synths (although full credit for the able support provided by Kenny McCabe on drums and Gary Pycroft on bass), and there are definitely parts of Velociraptor Attractor that function as a showcase for what he can do. This is most evident on They Do Move in Herds which has some ferocious noise twinned with a kind of high-pitched whine that recalls Sabbath-era Ozzy – no mean feat for a vocal-less band. Tracks like Written by Bono and the Edge

show off a keen wit, whilst at the same time veering nicely between that build-up and energy we talked about. And then they finish out, as you’d expect, with their longest track, How to be a Retronaut – which does what all EP-closing tracks should do: leave you wanting more. [Pete Wild] Listen to: Billy Everyteen, Written by Bono and the Edge, How to be a Retronaut

Anna Von Hausswolff

Yo La Tengo

The Breeders

Peggy Gou

Walt Disco

Essaie Pas

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Dead Magic City Slang, Out Now

Dead Magic, Anna Von Hausswolff’s fourth album, is emblematic of the worst kind of turgid, over-serious, over-long, pretentious misery-fest regularly turned out by individuals and groups who consider themselves “serious” artists. This album makes Godspeed You! Black Emperor look like The 1975. Von Hausswolff is a supremely talented singer and organist; her organ playing is impressive but she often overshoots the gothic aesthetic and lands among The Addams Family. Abandoning all pop sensibilities and indulging in long track-times, extended instrumentals and eye-wateringly pretentious song titles can occasionally yield stunning results. Dead Magic though, is utterly derivative of the very few albums in this genre ever to succeed, and lacks all of their spark and life. Above all else it is unbearably, irredeemably boring. [Corrie Innes] Listen to: Ugly and Vengeful

March 2018

There’s a Riot Going On Matador, 16 Mar It’s been a long five years since Yo La Tengo’s last studio album and There’s a Riot Going On is a celebration of the small changes that we can make in our own worlds, and which YLT continue to make with each record. The whole affair is cloaked in a somnambulistic haze of reverb and ambient noise. Slices of dream pop and a surprising salsa turn punctuate the miasmic state of this record, and a couple of the melodies will ring in your head for days. But you will return for the hypnotic mist, full of subtle bleeps, lifts and flourishes, that envelop this record. If this is what the revolution sounds like, sign us up. [Finbarr Bermingham] Listen to: You Are Here, Above the Sound, Shades of Blue

All Nerve 4AD, Out Now

Once EP Ninja Tune, Out Now

‘Good morning!’ Kim Deal shouts on Wait in the Car, and it’s a yell designed to get your sorry ass out of bed. It’s been ten years since The Breeders’ last album, and 25 years since their groundshaking, platinum-selling LP Last Splash, but All Nerve sounds fresher than ever, reverberating with a giddy, reckless kind of thrill. Recorded straight to tape, All Nerve’s audacity and talent reminds us how influential The Breeders remain. There are traces of Honeyblood, Waxahatchee and Chastity Belt in the title track’s expansive storytelling, splintered wit and desperate tenderness. All Nerve shrugs off any burden of a ‘comeback’ and becomes a truly rare thing: a wild, visionary, timeless rock album. [Katie Hawthorne] Listen to: Wait in the Car, Spacewoman, Archangel’s Thunderbird

No Need For a Curtain EP Public, 16 Mar

New Path DFA Records, 16 Mar

Korean-born, Berlin-based producer Peggy Gou has spent the last couple of years blending together elements of house, disco and techno into her own distinctive style, yet there’s one thing that’s always been mostly absent from her work: her own voice. Until now. With her new three-track EP Once, Gou puts her vocals on record for the first time. Her voice is far from the only striking element of Once though. Attempting to capture varying styles and drawing on 90s house, African music and much in-between, Gou creates a landscape that’s both cerebral and party-ready. Once is music for the head as well as the feet, making it as perfect for burying into with headphones as it is for dancing to in the club. [Eugenie Johnson]

With the current newwave trend showing no signs of abating, Walt Disco are the latest local group to put their spin on the genre. The Glasgow five-piece have already earned a reputation for their fun, unpredictable live shows, and the energy and aesthetic of their gigs is slickly channelled into this debut EP. Beach and Your Echoes Fall are both tightly wound indiepop efforts, but it’s the first two tracks that really stand out. Dream Girl #2 is a woozy, tongue-in-cheek ballad that makes full use of co-frontman and bassist James Potter’s crooning vocals, and No Need For a Curtain is an 80s-indebted big room anthem. No Need For a Curtain is an excellent taster EP from a band with mountains of potential. [Claire Francis]

Montreal-based electronic outfit Essaie Pas are husband and wife duo Marie Davidson and Pierre Guerineau. Their fifth album, and second on DFA Records, New Path is a pounding concept album loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s classic dystopian sci-fi novel A Scanner Darkly. Stating its intent early on, New Path sets an uneasy course from its opening note. Playing with a mix of spoken word and sung lyrics in both English and French throughout, powerful techno beats and fear-inducing soundscapes, New Path is a beautifully balanced and flowing record. Full of hard beats in all the right places, it’s stitched together with a stripped-back cinematic narrative that evokes the sense of living in your own paranoid dystopian sci-fi thri-ller. Maybe you are? [Tallah Brash]

Listen to: It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)

Listen to: Dream Girl #2, No Need For a Curtain

Listen to: Futur Parlé, Les agents des stups

RECORDS

Review

Photo: Alex Kozobolis

Erland Cooper

Challenging the Divide Not just another band riding the new-wave trend, Walt Disco are a five-piece from Glasgow who combine glittering indie-pop melodies, playful aesthetics and thoughtful social commentary to create a sound uniquely their own

Photo: Neelam Khan Vela

Interview: Claire Francis

athered together one afternoon in a busy West End drinking spot, the members of Walt Disco are recounting the chance meeting in Glasgow that led to the band’s formation back in September 2016. All five are students at the University of Glasgow; guitarists Lewis Carmichael and Dave Morgan, and drummer Calum Kennedy already knew each other from back home in Perth. At a freshers party in first year, “my friend was going around saying I was good at singing,” cringes frontman and bassist James Potter, “trying to wing-man me or whatever.” Kennedy overheard this and “instead of getting off with someone, it ended up being like ‘oh cool, do you want to start a band?!’” Meanwhile, long-haired co-frontman and multi-instrumentalist Mashu Harada (from Japan via Slovakia) came on board after spotting the equally long-haired Carmichael outside the student halls. Harada recounts the moment he approached with the line: “Hey man, do you play music?” as the rest of the band bursts into laughter. And with that, Walt Disco was born. Cribbed from a Thunder Disco Club poster a couple of days before they were due to play a gig at their student union, Kennedy admits the name “was an accident.” But the group are decisive about their influences, citing the likes of The Associates, Orange Juice and Echo & the Bunnymen as common links. They each then bring personal tastes to the table from disco and pop, to electronic and post-punk. Joy Division was an early template, but “not as dark” – Potter’s nickname in the band’s group chat is ‘Happy Ian’, they divulge gleefully. Described as a band with “one foot in the 80s and the other in shimmering modern indie-pop,” what appeals to them about a decade that all of them were too young to be born in, let alone remember? “It just sort of does things to me that no other era of music does!” exclaims Potter, met with laughter from his bandmates. “When someone who was very much alive in the 80s and went to see all these bands comes up to us at the end of the gig and says that they enjoyed the set, that’s the best compliment.” For a band who’ve only just started out, Walt Disco have already earned a reputation for their flamboyant live shows and androgynous,

Review

MUSIC

tongue-in-cheek attire. At a recent gig at Glasgow’s Priory Bar, Potter took to the stage sporting a wedding dress, his bare chest caked in purple glitter. “Things like wearing a wedding dress, it’s not going to change the world but maybe it’s going to change one person’s opinion about a guy wearing a dress, you know?” Potter muses. Morgan agrees: “We’re not doing it as a gimmick; we genuinely fucking enjoy [dressing up] onstage.” Carmichael adds; “Because we’re a group of five boys, we don’t want to be considered as ‘lads’. We’re five guys in a band, getting rid of those [preconceptions].” The liberal, egalitarian thinking that underscores Walt Disco is apparent in the four tracks that make up their debut EP No Need For a Curtain. “A lot of my lyrics are about sexuality,” says Potter – the jangly, riff-driven title track, with its lyrics ‘Is this what the empire envisaged / A brothel to escape from and thunderous chorus / Big girls with big attitudes’, was inspired by “a documentary about prostitutes in Leeds,” he explains. “I just thought it was really interesting, the women were really fabulous, and I wanted to write a song that’s a wee bit naughty,” he chuckles. Equally, their sense of humour shines through on Your Echoes Fall, a Harada-penned ode to both lost love and a budget brand of wine. Then there’s lead single Dream Girl #2, a retro-tinged, woozy ballad that begs at least one obvious question – what happened to dream girl number one? “It sort of reflects that feeling over the course of a month, or a couple of weeks, where you’re just very in the mood to find love,” laughs Potter. Walt Disco are a prime example of the up-and-coming talent the Scottish music scene is renowned for. While making an album is a dream for the band, for now they’re focused on making a difference at a grass roots level. “We want to appeal to people who are queer and like, go to vegan restaurants, but also to people who love garage rock and go mental at gigs,” Potter states frankly. “We want to challenge that divide.” No Need For a Curtain is released on 16 Mar via Public Walt Disco play Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 7 Mar; The Cellar, Aberdeen, 25 Mar; Poetry Club, Glasgow 29 Mar facebook.com/waltdisco

THE SKINNY

Tough As Nails Is there currently a DJ on the circuit more beloved than Peggy Gou? With upcoming shows at Nightvision’s Terminal V Festival and Glasgow’s SWG3, and a fresh new EP under her belt, we speak to the South Korean talent who has won over the world Interview: Claire Francis

eggy Gou is an excellent multi-tasker. As her profile continues to soar, with it comes an intense touring schedule – last year, she played over 100 international shows. She has just released her latest EP Once via Ninja Tune, and a peek at her social media accounts reveals a constant stream of projects, whether it’s crafting guest mixes, learning new musical instruments, or collaborating with high end fashion brands. So it’s unsurprising that when we call through to talk to Gou, she is multi-tasking at a nail salon in Berlin. Gou explains: “Basically I just arrived [back] in Berlin today; even though I was in Korea I didn’t have a chance to [get a] manicure because I was too busy, so now I’m at one of my favourite nail shops in Berlin. I think it’s appropriate for this interview – ‘Peggy Gou at the nail shop’,” she laughs. This wry self-awareness is just one of Gou’s many endearing traits. As an interviewee she’s open, friendly, and very funny; this likeable personality seems to speak directly to her audiences. Many of her shows are drowned out by the crowd roaring her name, or by chants of ‘Peggy Shoe’ accompanied by shoes held aloft in a (slightly bizarre) appreciation of her talent. She’s quick to show off her silly side via social media – case in point, a recent and rather adorable video that shows her dancing with her mum to one of her new tracks. “In school, I was just kind of one of those girls that was always... so loud! The one that everybody likes, but everybody hates,” she explains with a laugh. “You know what I mean? But the thing about me sharing on social media and things like that, I do share a lot. Maybe sometimes it’s too much information. TMI!” she laughs. “My friend, he’s a joker, he criticises me all the time, he’s like ‘I don’t wanna know what you eat!” she laughs. “But by sharing,” she says, “I feel like I’m connected with people. It’s like, some of the things I’m sharing, it’s things that you can do [too]. I think it’s important to be approachable. In the end, you’re all human, you know?” Though now based in Berlin, it was in London – where she was studying fashion – that Gou realised she wanted to pursue a career in music. In a 2016 interview with Skiddle, Gou said: “London taught me each different genre of music, but Berlin upgraded it.” Though her South Korean heritage proudly plays a part in her music – It Makes You Forget (Itgehane) from Once features her vocals in Korean – she admits that growing up, Seoul was not a major influence. “Seoul is not the city where I got influenced in what I do as a DJ and producer right now. I was always interested in music when I was young, but I moved out when I was 14. There I was listening to hip-hop and some music – I wouldn’t even know what genre it was – I was so young. I got into the DJ scene, the music scene, when I went to London, so I don’t think Korea has an influence on me.” When you’re thinking about music or making music, which language do you tend to think in, we ask? “That’s a good question! People ask me sometimes, ‘when you dream, do you dream in Korean’? I get asked that question all of the time, and I actually don’t know! “I think I’m European when I’m in Europe, because I make music in Europe. Sometimes

March 2018

when I write music, there is no language involved,” she states. “Even the idea of singing in Korean came up in English, you know what I mean? Like I said, there’s no language involved. It’s me, in the studio, alone... just go with the flow, without thinking about it.” Once is Gou’s second Ninja Tune release, and comes after a gap in production after her last EP, 2016’s Seek for Maktoop. Blending a range of styles, Gou has concocted a vivacious house sound that also brings in touches of disco and acid. The three tracks are described as each catering to a specific context: open air, warm-up and ‘proper party’, but Gou describes herself as still very much a “club person.” She explains: “I play differently in the club to [a] festival; the festival, it depends what time you play, and where you play, and which city you play in... I’m more a club person. I like to be close to the crowd. I like to feel connected. Maybe this will change,” she laughs, “who knows!” Gou is, however, excited to return to Scotland. She plays Terminal V’s Easter Sunday festival in Edinburgh, before making her way through to Glasgow that same evening for a show at SWG3. “Scotland is one of my favourite places [in the UK],” she enthuses. “The last time I was there, one of my favourite gigs – top three of all time – was Sub Club. It’s an amazing place, the vibe, the people... they love music, they know how to party. I’m always excited to go back.

has worked incredibly hard for her success. As recently as 2015, she was a relatively unknown DJ who had played just a handful of international shows – to say her rise has been meteoric is an understatement. Tough-skinned in a male dominated industry, she also has an admirable work ethic: “You know, even if I was not a DJ, I would probably find something and keep myself busy every single day. One of my friends said that I’m a workaholic, but this year I’m cutting my gigs down and focusing on [producing] more music. There are other things I want to do. But working hard makes me feel alive. Even if I have a day to do nothing, I go home, I stand still, and then end up doing something!” she laughs. “I think it’s just my personality.” With Gou still mid-manicure at the nail salon, the conversation meanders into a chat about art – Gou is also an artist, and cites

French graphic designer Jean Jullien and Spanish artist Joan Cornellà as current favourites – and inevitably, tattoos. “Because it’s so easy,” she tells us. “I’ve been saying my giraffe tattoo is my favourite, but I think that’s quite boring.” OK, we ask, how about the second favourite? She describes a tattoo on her arm that’s based on a fairytale illustration. “I can send you a picture after! I can even send you an Instagram video of me explaining this tattoo.” True to her word, she sends through a link, and a picture of her arm accompanied by the crying laughter emoji. As a DJ, talent will only get you so far; personality is also key to domination behind the decks. In Peggy Gou’s case, she has an abundance of both. Once is out now via Ninja Tune; Peggy Gou plays Terminal V, Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh and SWG3, Glasgow, both 1 Apr soundcloud.com/peggygou

“ In school, I was one of those girls that was always so loud! The one that everybody likes, but everybody hates...” Peggy Gou

“Not to mention that a Glasgow hero was one of the big followers of mine from the beginning – Jackmaster.” Jackmaster ‘discovered’ Gou after randomly seeing her play a small venue in Bristol – “it was not even a club, it was a pub,” Gou stresses comically. The Glaswegian DJ subsequently invited Gou to play at his Numbers and Mastermix parties, and has become a champion of her work, as well as a close friend. She muses for a second. “You know what? Jack sometimes tells me ‘some people think I have a big head’, but he’s not actually like that; he has a really, really good heart,” she enthuses. “If you walk in the street, he will never walk past a homeless person. I’m pretty good at reading people! I always tell people, ‘I’ve got a gift’,” she laughs. “I can read people very easily. But with Jack, I can say, a lot of people might get him wrong, but he actually is a very good person. He’s a sweetheart.” Supporters aside, there’s no doubt that Gou

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Photo: Jungwook Mok

Review

THE SKINNY

Guest Selector: Capri Collective C

o-founder of the emerging label Octo Trax and one half of Glasgow-based Taijitu, Amadeus Brzezinski runs nights over a series of residencies across Edinburgh and Glasgow. He is also part of the Capri Collective who, consisting of seven members in total, celebrated their second birthday with Hector’s House last month. Their upcoming event, Raveheart (the inspiration for this selection) is an ode to the host of Scottish labels and producers that they have been inspired by. Benita – Time For a Change “I thought I’d open up with a disco 7” from Edinburgh’s Athens of the North. Responsible for some outstanding reissues, this label is exceptionally consistent. Each finely curated cut, selected by label chief Euan Fryer, will either move your heart or move your feet. This track Time For A Change will most likely do both.” Other Lands – Late Feeling Yourself “As a track this has to be one of my favourites of the year. It’s a deep yet playful cut, some low key jazzy space-funk with a touch of Detroit. Typically Firecracker, its comfortably off-kilter; the beat

Amadeus Brzezinski (Goldy B) is a Polish-Ukrainian DJ and producer based in Glasgow. He guides us through Capri Collective’s celebration of Scottish talent, ahead of their Raveheart event at Glasgow’s Flat 0/1 this month Interview: Claire Francis

always keeps you on your toes with brilliant broken rhythms driving the track along.” JD Twitch – Juju “An exceptional and eclectic selector, JD Twitch brings that variety to his own productions. This favourite of mine, taken from his own label Autonomous Africa, is particularly special due to its complex, interweaving rhythms which feel improvised yet are perfectly layered. It has an element of spontaneity to it, almost like a ‘live’ jam caught between three drummers, two synth players and a distant echo-choir.” V – Faux Pas “There’s always been something about Sub Club, be it the people or the sound system or the space itself – Subby is unique and inexplicable. This record, released on the club’s own imprint Nautilus Rising, somehow manages to capture that inexplicability and is, to this day, one of the most dear in my collection.” Posthuman – Exit Drums “I remember seeing Dixon Avenue Basement Jams playing at Subby several months back and it was

electrifying. The club was not too packed, with plenty of room to dance, and the energy they brought to the floor mesmerised me. I don’t know what the last hour’s worth of tunes was, but I would like to hope that one of them may have been this beauty of a rhythm track. Big thumbs up to the glitched out vocals.” Boot & Tax – Acido “Capri Collective’s Rory Graham chooses the A1 from Optimo’s fourth instalment on their Trax label for his selection. He says it was ‘one of the first acid tracks I heard that really got me into the genre, and also led me to dig deeper into Optimo Trax as a label and discover a plethora of incredible music through that.’” Philip Budny – Revaler “Fellow Capri member and Sneaky Pete’s resident Chris Murray (C-Shaman) describes his selection as “top quality deep house from now Berlin, previously Edinburgh-based producer, Philip Budny. Released on Edinburgh label Lionoil, every time I’ve seen this played, people lose themselves in it. Seb Wildblood’s remix is also sick, love dropping it too.”

Lord Of The Isles – Sunrise 89 “For the second Firecracker release of the list we’ve got Capri’s live percussionist, DJ and one half of Say No More, Ruairidh Gallagher (Kanga) choosing the opening track from semi-elusive Scottish legend Lord of the Isles’ Parabolas Of Neon EP. “This tune is pretty special to me, and I’ve been listening to it constantly since booking Lord Of The Isles for me and Baz’s night Say No More. It’s such an emotive song, and after the break when the beat drops back in, it’s just bliss.” Adam Zarecki – Yesterday's “Loop digger extraordinaire, record hoarder and resident at La Cheetah, Adam Zarecki is coming in with a self-released Capri favourite to round off the list. Having met at a rave in a winterswept castle almost three years ago we have grown to become good friends, often sending each other half finished work and swapping disco and soul samples. Though this track has been sadly ‘bagsied’ by another imprint who are looking to release a 12” of Adam’s tunes quite soon, we are working on a collaborative release for our own Octo Trax in time for the label’s launch party at Sneaky Pete’s on the 18 July.” Capri Collective presents Raveheart, Flat 0/1, 8 Mar, 11pm

Clubbing Highlights March madness begins here, with a huge array of quality local and international acts spinning tunes across Scotland this month Shanti Celeste & DJ Python @ La Cheetah Club, Glasgow, 9 Mar Back in October at The Art School, Shanti Celeste delivered one of the most assured and dynamic performances we’ve seen in a long time, making her set the highlight of that particular Sulta Selects event. Celeste is Chilean-born, Bristolraised, and Berlin-based, and the DJ/producer/ label owner seems to combine the elements of her peripatetic background to deliver captivating sets that span multiple genres. She’s joined by NYC-based DJ Python, who turned heads last year with his excellent house/reggaeton/ambient LP Dulce Compañia. There’s a 4am licence in place to contain all the madness – don’t sleep on this one! I AM - Daniel Avery @ SWG3, Glasgow, 9 Mar Daniel Avery’s much anticipated Song For Alpha – the follow-up to 2013’s Drone Logic – is released in April, and if his recently dropped Slow Fade EP is anything to go by, the album is set to be an ambient-techno treat. To mark Song For Alpha’s upcoming launch, Avery will stop by Glasgow to play a special extended set. The Reckless Kettle Drag Party @ The Reading Rooms, Dundee, 15 Mar “Girls dressed as boys, boys dressed as girls, girls dressed as boys dressed as girls” Reckless Kettle duo, Fergus Tibbs and Mikey Rodger, are back with another of their self-described ‘parties for freaks’: expect a wide ranging selection of A+ tunes, and make sure you dress up in your finest threads, because there’s a prize on offer for best outfit on the night. Entry is less than a fiver too – what’s not to like? Wasabi Disco with Happy Meals (Live) @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 17 Mar This is the debut Sneaky Pete’s show for Glasgow

March 2018

Words: Claire Francis Illustration: Ben Boothman

synth-pop duo Happy Meals, who are one of the best live electronic acts around right now. Part of the Optimo-affiliated coldwave label So Low and Green Door Studio family, Suzanne Rodden and Lewis Cook’s live shows are always an inventive, enveloping spectacle. Give their recently released track Tomorrow Could Be Heaven a spin to get a sense of the duo’s talent. Thunder Disco: Or:la @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 23 Mar Liverpool-based DJ and producer Or:la has been described as ‘one of the most underrated DJs on the UK circuit at the moment’. This seems likely to soon change, as she embarks on a huge string of local and international tour dates this year – stopping in at Sub Club this month to kick off Thunder Disco’s 2018 residency at the venue. MYS Turn 1 // COEO @ The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 25 Mar Ruaridh Gill, Matty Lech and Cammy Macphail launched Mind Yer Self last year, a series of bi-monthly nights at The Berkeley Suite that bring exciting up-and-coming DJs and producers to the city, while also raising awareness about mental health issues among young people. All profits from the club nights are donated to Penumbra, one of Scotland’s largest mental health charities – in the past 12 months MYS have collectively raised an amazing £1,400 for the organisation. An excellent cause for celebration, we think. Lionoil: Lena Willikens & Violet @ The Bongo Club, Edinburgh, 30 Mar This quality Lionoil offering pairs Cologne-based selector and producer Lena Willikens with upcoming Portuguese talent Inês Coutinho, aka Violet. Between the two you can expect a

carefully-curated mix of everything from obscure proto-techno and raw house to straight up jungle and synth disco. But, for the love of god, just don’t utter the term ‘female DJs’ on the night. SENSU presents Mall Grab & Denis Sulta @ St Luke’s/Sub Club, Glasgow, 30 Mar Sensu take over Saint Luke’s and Sub Club for a full day and night of madness. Pals Mall Grab and Denis Sulta will be joined by CC:Disco! and the

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Sensu residents for what’s set to be a very Good Friday indeed. Maximum Pressure x Easter 2018 @ SWG3, Glasgow, 31 Mar The line-up says it all really. Nina Kraviz, Slam, Eats Everything, British Murder Boys, Optimo, DJ Stingray, Quail, IDA and more make up this mammoth Pressure Easter event, which runs from 5pm all the way through to 3am.

Review

Becoming Dangerous

Edited by Katie West and Jasmine Elliott

Rhyme Watch Words: Beth Cochran

t’s the month we’ve all been waiting for, as March brings us StAnza, Scotland’s own International Poetry Festival, from 7-11 March. Set in its usual home of St Andrews, this year’s StAnza programme includes titan headliners such as Sinéad Morrissey, William Letford and Liz Lochhead. There’s an outstanding variety in the programme, but let’s take a closer look at what poetic treats are on offer. Physics and Poetry (8 Mar, 7pm) features Iggy McGovern and Gregory Tate leading a discussion on the interconnections of physics and poetry. McGovern and Tate will, through conversation and readings, explore the misconception that science and the arts come as separate disciplines. Rather, the two complement one another more readily than first assumed. The StAnza Slam (10 Mar, 10.15pm) is always a much anticipated evening, with some of the best poets in the Scottish poetry community competing for the coveted title of StAnza Slam Champion. This year, the slam will be hosted by Flemish performance poet Andy Fierens. The final day of StAnza 2018 brings us the Translation Showcase. As part of this year’s language focus, Going Dutch, Scotland’s own Rachel Plummer and Stewart Sanderson have been working with Frisian poets Geart Tigchellar and Sigrid Kingma in a collaboration of new work and translation. Join the poets at 11am sharp on Sun 11 Mar for this showcase of multilingual talent. The month continues with festival happenings at Glasgow’s own Aye Write!, taking place 15-25 March. The poetry strand of the programme is excellent, with two particularly eye catching events in the line-up. Sam Small and Dale McMullen will be discussing the origins and innovations of their new publishing house, Speculative Books, in Mitchell Library. The two will be joined by two of their poets, Leyla Josephine and David Linklater (16 Mar, 7.45pm).

Folk By Zoe Gilbert

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Unlike most isolated stories we know from collections, this is a story in which hearsay, tales and the supernatural are simply part of the warp and weft of community life. Folk’s plotline spans several years and a couple of generations in one island community – Neverness – where each individual has their own story and struggles. A boy who meets his end in a yearly ceremony, a girl who is carried away by a water creature, a selkie’s stepchild, a frustrated man born with one wing where his arm should be and a girl who fashions a fiddle from the bones of her dead aunt all find their place in its pages, tucked alongside

By Thomas Welsh

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A look at the month ahead in the poetry world, as StAnza and Aye Write! festivals return for 2018

Anna Undreaming

Also at Aye Write!, the Glasgow Poet Laureate Jim Carruth will be introducing two massive names in contemporary poetry, Caroline Bird and Robert Minhinnick, to the Mitchell Library stage. With a whole bouquet of awards between them, Bird and Minhinnick are not to be missed, and will be reading on 22 Mar at 7.45pm for your poetic pleasure. Glasgow-based poet Liam McCormick is set to release his debut collection, Beast, via Burning Eye Books on 20 March. The collection not only features poetry but also short stories and plays, which explore a millennial modern-day Glasgow in all its gentrification and toxicity. A shock to the system, McCormick will launch Beast with Sonnet Youth in Basement Theatre, Edinburgh, on 20 March and Drygate Brewery, Glasgow, on 21 March. Amid all the sweetness of poetry, do remember the world is crumbling to right wing rubble all around you. Thankfully, Quercus have produced a new collection, Poems for a World Gone to Sh*t, to ease your impending sense of mild unease and peril. Set for publication on 8 March, the book is separated into five distinct sections, including everything from what the f**k? to life is still f **king beautiful. Poetry ranges from your classic favourites to popular contemporary verse. Finally this month, watch out for [Untitled] Presents: Film Poet, Margaret Tait at 100, at Falkirk’s Behind The Wall on 15 March. The evening includes screenings of Margaret Tait’s three most enthralling silent films, accompanied by some of Scotland’s finest spoken word performers and poets. Come celebrate the Tait centenary with [Untitled] and your host for the evening, Craig Allan.

In Becoming Dangerous, a new crowdfunded anthology by Fiction & Feeling, ‘witchy femmes, queer conjurers, and magical rebels’ write about the interweaving of magic and ritual in their lives in a diverse and compelling book. Deeply rooted in the here and now, the anthology nonetheless sends tendrils to loop the world and its mythologies, to coil around lovers, and to flower in memory of ancestors: ‘It needs only to take root just below the surface for it to grow. And then that beauty can flourish, the way a plant can break through concrete’ (Red Glitter by Sophie Saint Thomas). It can be hard to critique the deeply personal, yet there are moments when overt connections to the theme feel slightly contrived, while the essay order means that at points the listed details of different rituals jostle alongside one another with little room for reflection. Nonetheless, this book has power in it. Becoming Dangerous is a book about loss, love, struggle and survival. The images in Garden by Marguerite Bennett and Buzzcut Season by Larissa Pham are liberating; J.A. Micheline’s stunning Ritualising My Humanity prompts reflections on race, privilege, gender and danger; the beauty of ancestral and familial connection shine through Touching Pennies, Painting Nails by Sim Bajwa and Gayuma by Sara David. This book is transgressive and spellbinding. Believe in magic? Don’t believe? Doesn’t matter. Believe in these writers. Believe in their words. [Ceris Aston]

After a night out gone wrong, Anna finds herself stumbling through the looking glass into a world of artists able to bend reality to their will. Drawn into the middle of a battle between good and evil she didn’t know was raging, she must learn to harness her powers to prevent the rising of a new dark force. Her ‘letter from Hogwarts’ moment is followed by a bombardment of new terms as she is educated in the ways and words of Thomas Welsh’s universe. Dreamers, Doxa, Haze, Vig and Basine – at first it seems like the technique is designed to align us with Anna’s overwhelmed mind but, as the onslaught continues, it soon begins to feel more like the excited rambling of a child so in love with the things they’ve dreamt up that they just can’t wait to tell you all about them, all at once. Unfortunately, that slightly juvenile feeling permeates the book’s style and structure from start to finish. Exposition is inelegantly dumped and then re-dumped as if the author either forgot he’d already explained or didn’t trust the reader to remember. Attempts at feminism are well-intended but hamfisted and often off-target. Characters are largely archetypes who talk in trite metaphors about flames and darkness. Anna Undreaming gives a critical reader every reason to pull it apart, but it’s also an energetic page-turner with an earnest quality that is genuinely charming. It’s a very likeable book, just not a very good one. [Ross McIndoe]

Fiction & Feeling, Out now, £15

Owl Hollow Press, 20 Mar, £14.99

fictionandfeeling.com/products/becoming-dangerous

Big Bones By Laura Dockrill

Sal By Mick Kitson

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theskinny.co.uk/books

simpler tales of building homes and families. The real strength of this novel is that, alongside the clearly mysterious aspects of life on Neverness, the characters concerned are every bit as caught up in more realistic everyday issues that would trigger a pang in most readers – unrequited love, guilt, peer-teasing and a child’s confusion over her pregnant and depressed mother. Moreover, as is the way with community, none of the stories ‘end’ in the usual fashion, but take a new turning as those involved age and/ or have children. All are executed with needleprecise phrasing and imagery, coupled with an almost melodic quality that flows into your brain and stays there like an old tune. Dark, bittersweet and delicious, this breathtaking debut is the literary equivalent of blackberry wine drunk outdoors under the trees. A must-read for anyone into pagan folk tales, myths and legends. [Clare Mulley] Bloomsbury, out now, £14.99 bloomsbury.com/uk

Meet Bluebelle, aka BB. She’s a 16-year-old girl going about her life, encouraged to tackle her weight by dieting and eating better. The thing is that she’s perfectly happy with herself, and more bothered about looking forward and getting on with things. Bluebelle has great friends, a complicated family situation but a close bond with her younger sister – she has no intention of returning to school, instead seeking out an apprenticeship and making her own way. It’s only when a tragedy befalls the family that everything clicks into perspective, all told through the food diary – emphasis on the diary – she was asked to keep. The scene is clearly and immediately set, but Big Bones takes a few too many pages to shift into the main gear of plot. Once that tipping point is reached, though, it’s an enveloping tale, navigating body image, family disruption and relationships with food in bitesize entries that raise a smile. It’s empowering to show a young girl handling weight issues while brimming with body confidence; changes occur through choice and how life unfolds, not because of external pressure. It’s a tale of friendship and sisterly bonds, finding yourself and how family can come together. It may take a while to get going, but Big Bones is a book with a big heart. [Heather McDaid] Hot Key Books, 8 Mar, £6.99 hotkeybooks.com/books/big-bones

Sal and Peppa, two sisters aged 13 and 10, run away and survive in the Scottish wilderness. Sal’s ready for this because she’s watched lots of Bear Grylls on YouTube and she’s read the SAS Survival Handbook and she’s bought the stuff they need on Amazon using the stolen cards her stepdad brings home and leaves around the flat. They’re fleeing a bleak home situation of alcoholism, neglect, and abuse – but their worst fear is being ‘took and split up’. Sal’s voice is immediately gripping, full of the patter of an excited child: she tells us about Gore-Tex, pike teeth, and how to snare a rabbit. She reels off great lists of things she can do that she’s watched online, and in the next breath reveals, in the same matter of fact tone, the horrors of living with an alcoholic mother and a paedophile stepdad. Sal’s resourceful and confident one moment, anxious and powerless the next. In Sal, Kitson has captured a curious quality of teenagerhood: the transitional state of being at once quite grown up and still very young. This is an astonishing debut from Kitson, who’s only lately turned to writing novels: he was one half of 80’s pop band The Senators, and then a journalist, then he moved to Fife to be an English teacher. Sal sits somewhere between Huckleberry Finn and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, with a glint and charm all of its own. [Galen O’Hanlon] Canongate, out now, £12.99 canongate.co.uk/books

Review

BOOKS

THE SKINNY

Art News, Exhibitions and Opportunities This month you’ll find vibrant new exhibitions from well-known and emergent artists, including a self-organised exhibition by artists of colour in Glasgow

I need your love is that true, Holly White

Exhibition Highlights The Travelling Gallery gallery-on-a-bus are exploring the world of adolescence and how it has dramatically changed throughout the years through technological advancements in Are Teenage Dreams so Hard to Beat? (6 Mar-15 Jun) starting off outside West Lothian College before touring across Scotland. In Edinburgh the Fruitmarket Gallery will be presenting work by the late Lee Lozano who was a major figure in the New York art scene of the 1960s and early 1970s, making furiously inventive, irreverent and often tiny paintings and drawings (10 Mar-3 Jun). Talbot Rice Gallery have brought the incredible Rachel Maclean’s work Spite Your Face – first commissioned for the Venice Biennale in 2017 – to Scotland for its UK premiere (24 Feb-5 May) as well as playing host to internationally acclaimed video artist David Claerbout which concludes Talbot Rice Gallery’s year long season of film, curated to coincide with the homecoming of Rachel Maclean’s vivid Scotland + Venice installation (until 5 May). The Royal Scottish Academy’s annual New Contemporaries exhibition arrives on the Mound with another epic survey of oustanding work from 2017’s Scottish degree shows (24 Mar-18 Apr). The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art will be carrying on their programme of celebrating contemporary artists in the third iteration of

NOW featuring a major survey of works by renowned British artist Jenny Saville, as well as work by contemporary sculptors Sara Barker and Christine Borland as well as many others (24 Mar-16 Sep). Over in Glasgow, things are a little quieter than usual as the city gears up for April’s Glasgow International. In Residence is a multi-disciplinary exhibition and symposium, for and by people of colour, across 16 Nicholson Street, Market Gallery and Pipe Factory (16-18 Mar). In MANY Studios, Kobi Onyame Versus The Artist (3 Mar-1 Apr) pairs tracks from the Ghanaian-Glaswegian musician’s latest album GOLD with individual artists – read all about it in our interview on p26. In CCA meanwhile, Rehana Zaman’s solo exhibition Speaking Nearby continues until 25 March with an array of video work exploring identity, religion, gender and protest. Programme Announcements Glasgow International, Scotland’s biennial art festival now heading towards its eighth edition, have released more information about their 2018 programme (kicking off on 20 Apr for 18 days), including details on solo exhibitions, performances, new locations and a list of all the artists taking part in this year’s festival. Highlights include solo exhibitions from Turner

Margaret Salmon Tramway

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Rehana Zaman, Installation view

Rehana Zaman CCA

RRRRR The final work in Rehana Zaman’s current show at the CCA is called Tell me the story Of all these things, taken from artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s 1982 book Dictee. On page 62 the author writes, ‘One empty body waiting to contain. / Conceived for a single purpose and for the purpose only/ To contain/Made filled/ Be full.’ The three film works on show present ‘empty bodies’ as vulnerable to collectivist narratives that are externally imposed on those often marginalised. For example, Zaman uses filmic tropes to their fullest potential in Some Women, Other Women and all the Bittermen, a six part soap opera set in the Tetley Brewery. True to the form, the plot and working class characters follow certain recognisable beats and norms. It’s a deftly self-aware exercise in genre, and the overtly visible framework paradoxically destabilises its place as a stable structuring element in the work. Filling fissures left by the subtly discomfiting scripted elements, Zaman inserts footage

March 2018

from meetings of Justice for Domestic Workers Leeds (J4DW). Working collaboratively with J4DW, the candid footage taken by the groups’ members is shaky, closely cropped, sometimes out of focus and captivatingly intimate. Similarly in Lourdes and Tell me the story Of all these things, the camera seems an extension of the artist’s body. In the latter, it loosely captures an interview with her sister, Farah. Farah often digresses, reflecting on her former work patterns and roles as mother, recent divorcee, and expat labourer. Similarly, the film shifts modes between the interview, formal still lives and a CG animation of a woman made of the desert landscape she variously sits on and melts into. The experimental forms of the films versus their conversational tendrils invoke a dynamic that creates space for lived existence, while fastidiously resisting the concretisation or safety of ‘lived experience’ as a category. These bodies are not to be filled so easily. [Martha Horn]

Documentary weaves together strands of the maker’s experience and strands of their subject’s reality into a single plane; it is both portraiture and self-portraiture. In Tramway’s survey of Margaret Salmon’s work (Circle), pieces taken from across a career reveal the concerns that continually make residence in her work. There is an interest in the necessity of both the ethnographic and the poetic in our comprehension of others and the way documentary can be used to tightly mesh these two modes. For both, observation is the process that allows us to reach towards understanding. In Peggy, observation reclaims its disciplinary meaning of customarily attending to something: it observes observance. A voice cracked by time repeatedly gives thanks by singing Amazing Grace as we watch a woman engage in the worn mundanity of the everyday. Observation is a cousin of obedience and

Words: Rosie Priest Prize winner Lubaina Himid, Mark Leckey, Hardeep Pandhal, E. Jane and Kapwani Kiwanga. The ever-exciting Hidden Door have announced their visual arts programme which sees abandoned spaces reclaimed and explored. 31 artists from a variety of backgrounds have been selected to fill forgotten places in Edinburgh. Hidden Door 2018 will take place from 25 May-3 June, with further information about the programme coming soon. Calls for Submissions The Pipe Factory is welcoming expressions of interest to be part of their 2018 programme. Expressions of interest might be email, a collection of research, a diagram, folder of images or whatever you think best communicates your ideas. Deadline: 11 March The Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture has a history of celebrating young contemporary artists, and their Open Exhibition of Art 2018 is an opportunity for artists to submit work for their annual exhibition. Deadline: 6 May Invererne is a home in the Scottish Highlands where artists take part in creative residencies such as the Multidisciplinary Residency – exchanging creative practices: an opportunity to explore new practices and methods. Deadline: 9 March

Salmon’s characteristic respect manifests itself in the way the work pays heed to theory without it becoming an intolerable pressure on the portraits she creates. There is a respect too for her subjects and the closeness she must gain to see them. There is a palpable sense of the self-consciousness that comes married to intimacy; her presence is tangible and there is no claim to objectivity. Style permeates the work and there is a conflicted awareness that every framed shot is also an act of omission that ties the work more tightly to its maker; in P.S. a man says to his wife, “You have not been honest”, repeating it for such a time that it stretches towards the unbearable. Salmon’s works contain an inner cadence that resonates with both the experiential and the imaginative, yoking together images that are ordinary and available. They recur and recur and are unfailingly observed until suddenly there is a slip into a sharp clarity, a simple awareness. [Colm Peare] Tramway, Glasgow, until 18 Mar, free

CCA, Glasgow, until 25 Mar, free

Margaret Salmon, Installation view

ART

Review

In Cinemas

Unsane

Director: Steven Soderbergh Starring: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Juno Temple, Amy Irving, Polly McKie, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Gibson Frazier, Aimee Mullins Released: 23 Mar Certificate: 15

Have a Nice Day

Director: Liu Jian Starring: Yang Siming, Cao Kou, Ma Xiaofeng, Zhu Changlong, Cao Kai, Zheng Yi Released: 23 Mar Certificate: 15

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Liu Jian chose not to specify the Chinese city in which his second animated feature is set, which seems to suggest that the story could feasibly take place in any of his homeland’s urban areas. The film’s central theme of the blind worship of money, though, is a universal enough one that you suspect a Western remake would not run aground in the face of difficulty in translating cultural differences. Have a Nice Day quite literally follows the money – specifically, a stolen bag containing one million renminbi ($150,000 in US currency), which effectively serves as the film’s protagonist, as it moves through the criminal underworld from one craven pair of hands to the next. Only the in-over-his-head mob driver Xiao Zhang appears to have relatively good intentions for the cash – he wants to use it to correct his girlfriend’s botched plastic surgery – but quickly

Mom and Dad

Director: Brian Taylor Starring: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur, Robert Cunningham, Olivia Crocicchia Released: 9 Mar Certificate: 15

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For fans of a certain brand of cinematic maximalism, it’s been much too long – six years, in fact – since the directing duo known as Neveldine/ Taylor (the Crank series) brought to the screen a dose of their signature high-concept madness. Mark Neveldine went solo with religious horror The Vatican Tapes in 2015, but Brian Taylor’s partner-free return to the directing chair, Mom and Dad, is much more in line with the duo’s earlier collaborations. And what a high concept he has here. A mass hysteria of unknown origin breaks out across the USA, causing parents to turn violently on their children. Not all children, but specifically their own kids; unless one is actively trying to prohibit their attempts at murder, a rampaging parent will generally leave any young person who’s not their progeny well alone.

Review

learns that there is little room for sentiment or virtue in an environment where greed and materialism reign, particularly as an array of crooks move the bag between each other by snatching it in increasingly brutal ways; the comparisons that have been drawn with Tarantino are justified. The gangster narrative is a well-worn one and Jian, superficially at least, appears to do it by-the-numbers, albeit with a consistent vein of deliciously dark humour. The animation style, meanwhile, involves a peculiar juxtaposition between minimally-drawn characters and lush landscapes. It’s the film’s relentlessly bleak commentary on increasing movement towards individualism and commercialism in modern China then, that sets it apart – especially given the parallels that the director draws with the Western world, complete with sharp, direct references to Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. Beneath the rough and tumble of what appears to be a crime caper is a well of cynicism that leaves its mark on the viewer, painting as it does a dark picture of where the whole world seems to be headed, not just China. [Joe Goggins] Released 23 Mar by MUBI

It’s George A. Romero meets the modern family and crucially, Taylor (also the writer) skips any gradual escalation for the chaos. Hostility is always at the heart of the family unit, it’s just usually covered up with a veneer of performative benevolence. Reuniting with Nicolas Cage after Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Taylor exploits his star’s penchant for the manic for all it’s worth. It’s Selma Blair however, who steals the film; an attentive co-star who’s great for Cage to play off. As with Taylor’s collaborations with Neveldine, not everything thrown in alongside the kitchen sink lands, while there’s a sense that a bigger budget could have really helped polish some of the fun ideas. And fair warning: while the film’s grindhouse-y opening credit sequence is enjoyable, it ends up spoiling a plot turn from the finale, one that would have been more amusing had it not been made known that a certain cult favourite was still to make an appearance. Maybe just shut your eyes for roughly the first 30 seconds of those opening credits... [Josh Slater-Williams]

Isle of Dogs

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Director: Wes Anderson Starring: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban, Kunichi Nomura, Liev Schreiber, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton Released: 30 Mar Certificate: TBC

Steven Soderbergh’s experimentation is making headlines again, this time because his new psychological thriller Unsane has been shot on the iPhone 7. Embracing the camera’s deep focus depth of field and unnaturally looming foreground, it’s full of unnervingly crisp and off-kilter images, and tells the story of a corporate drone (played by Claire Foy) who finds herself involuntarily confined to a mental institution that’s running an insurance scam. Haunted by visions of her stalker, the screws turn and through a few unfortunate mood swings and run-ins, she finds herself digging deeper into a nightmare. Part criticism of the American incarceration-for-profit machine, part low-rent quickie, and part deeply unsettling prowler horror, Unsane is sometimes plodding for a movie that has so much going on, but it also has plenty of shocks and as a whole is deeply engrossing. Claire Foy’s live-wire, agitated, fiercely intelligent performance is a terrific shift from her prestige work on British television, and Soderbergh’s filmmaking remains some of the most satisfyingly unpredictable in contemporary Hollywood cinema. [Ian Mantgani]

Isle of Dogs may be an animal movie, but it’s far from cuddly. Set in a future Japan, Wes Anderson’s animated adventure follows a pack of mutts who take one hell of a beating, although the ripping of fur and flesh tends to be obscured in Chuck Jones-style dust clouds. There’s also political assassination via luminous wasabi and the main human character, a 12-year-old orphan on a mission to rescue his pet, spends the entire movie with shrapnel protruding from his noggin. Like with Fantastic Mr Fox, stop motion helps to loosen Anderson’s increasingly fussy cinema, with the jerky idiosyncrasies of the animation breathing life into the pedantic compositions. There’s also a charming looseness to the film’s sprawling shaggy dog(s) story. As well as rescue adventure, the film mixes elements of conspiracy thriller, post-apocalyptic disaster movie, Orwellian state dystopia and a four-legged love story that could have been scripted by Raymond Chandler. If you find Anderson’s dolls' house aesthetic a tad stifling, this rambunctious and imaginative tale made with literal dolls set in a world of trash should prove a breath of fresh air. [Jamie Dunn]

Released by 20th Century Fox

The Square

You Were Never Really Here

Director: Ruben Östlund Starring: Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, Terry Notary Released: 16 Mar Certificate: 15

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Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund’s The Square is a surreal satire full of bravado and strangeness. Sprawling in nature, and less cohesive than his previous feature Force Majeure, this audacious comedy revolves around Christian (Bang), the suave director of a plush art gallery. The Square of the title is the gallery’s newest piece, an installation about “trust and caring” that takes the form of a four by four metre square, and Christian has hired a hipster PR team who are planning a controversial viral marketing campaign to help promote the show. Where Force Majeure explored cowardice, here Östlund points his camera at the fragile male psyche and asks exactly how far removed we are from our primate cousins. The film proves what a sorry species we are, but it isn’t without hope for humanity – we have the odd redeeming feature, even if our ego ultimately gets in the way. Like Force Majeure, this is cinema that will make you squirm in your seat, but this time Östlund has truly unleashed his wild side in a daring film that misses very few beats. [Joseph Walsh]

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Director: Lynne Ramsay Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Alessandro Nivola, Ekaterina Samsonov, Judith Roberts, Alex Manette Released: 9 Mar Certificate: 15

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Lynne Ramsay’s fourth feature, You Were Never Really Here is a brutal, punishing watch, but every minute is a masterclass in filmmaking. It’s like a one-inch-punch to the gut, winding you from the start and giving you no respite. It concerns Joe (Phoenix), a hitman who specialises in the rescue of children trapped in sex rings. When Joe is tasked with emancipating a senator’s daughter, Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov) from one such place, Ramsay shows him at his grizzly work via a CCTV feed. It’s just one of a variety of ways in which she avoids treading into the clichés found in similarly themed revenge thrillers. Both the sound design and Jonny Greenwood’s score (this is one of the Radiohead guitarist’s finest efforts) help intensify Ramsay’s visuals. She also makes good use of a few classic pop tunes that blare out from radios, including a very memorable use of Charlene’s I’ve Never Been to Me. This exquisite examination of suffering will leave you staggering from the cinema. [Joseph Walsh] Released by StudioCanal

Released by Curzon Artificial Eye

Released 9 Mar by Vertigo Releasing

The Square

FILM

THE SKINNY

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami Director: Sophie Fiennes Starring: Grace Jones Released: out now Certificate: 15

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Kickboxer: Retaliation

Director: Dimitri Logothetis Starring: Alain Moussi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert, Mike Tyson, Ronaldinho Gaúcho Released: 5 Mar Certificate: 15

rrrrr Sophie Fiennes’ Bloodlight and Bami divides its time between Grace Jones’ mesmerising concert performances and her quieter moments re-connecting with family in Jamaica, travelling between projects, and arguing on the phone with her collaborators. This approach makes perfect sense given the film’s subject: someone as otherworldly and iconic as Grace Jones lives as much upon the stage as anywhere else, the performance as much a part of her true self as any part of her ‘real’ life. Fiennes commits wholly to allowing Jones to speak for herself, refusing to contextualise or annotate what her fly-on-the-wall camera captures, refusing to probe or force direction upon what unfolds. In costume, Jones belts out classics like Slave to the Rhythm and Love is the Drug with her signature, scintillating gravitas. There are no cutbacks to her “prime”, no explanation of her rise to pop culture’s highest pantheon, and no need for either: a single song is all it takes to show how she took the world under her spell. Offstage, everything feels overheard, like a conversation we’ve drifted into the middle of. Some of the snippets are revealing, like when Jones traces the domineering, masculine qualities of her stage persona to her abusive step-grandfather “Mas P”. However, the formless, naturalistic style leaves most questions unanswered. What lies behind that persona? Who is Jones when she isn’t striking poses that could level skyscrapers? We can watch her cradle the newest Jones to arrive into the world and wonder who Grace the grandmother is, but Bloodlight and Bami gives nothing away. Fiennes’ commitment to her unintrusive style gives the film a softness, creating a misty Jamaican mood piece that leaves Jones’ mystique undiminished. The cost is that we leave the film knowing no more of the human being behind the glittering mask than we did when it began. [Ross McIndoe]

Before we even reach the opening credits of Kickboxer: Retaliation, two people have been thrown from a moving train. Director Dimitri Logothetis puts things into action mode from the off, and basically keeps them there for the next 100 minutes. The plot is, naturally, back-of-a-napkin simple – Kurt Sloane (Moussi) is banged up in a Thai prison, and must fight a very big man in the form of the Mongkut (Game of Thrones’ Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson). Moussi is, to put it politely, a blank slate but Christopher Lambert makes up for him with a glorious hammy turn as Thomas Moore, dodgy underground fight promoter and apparent lovechild of Dr Strangelove and The Riddler. Ronaldinho – yes, that one – cameos to hoof footballs at our hero like it’s a playground reenactment of the bottle scene from Rumble in the Bronx, and Mike Tyson is introduced with the immortal line “you interrupted my meditation.” This enlightenment-based disagreement is, of course, resolved through punching. So the plot is basic, and the characters are so flat you could slide them under a closed door, but this film’s joy comes from its outlandish commitment to hand-to-hand action. There’s a kinetic Crank-esque fury to Moussi’s swedgings, but there’s also a touch of the Bayhem about Retribution; everything’s in constant flux, slowing down, speeding up, shuffling about. A waterside market fight is a highlight as it offers an overblown take on every martial arts trope imaginable – it’s all dolly zooms, environmental weaponry and limbs flying everywhere. That said, the final battle between Moussi and Björnsson is an impressively well-paced and choreographed affair, but only after a truly outlandish piece of deus ex machina to save the day. As a piece of genre cinema, Kickboxer: Retaliation is a pulpy but flawed throwback, but as a Friday night screensaver and slice of action escapism, it’s absolutely unmissable.

Released by Trafalgar Releasing

Extras Leaner than Moussi’s torso, trailer only. [Peter Simpson]

Ramrod

Director: André de Toth Starring: Veronica Lake, Joel McCrea, Preston Foster, Don DeFore, Donald Crisp Released: 5 Mar Certificate: PG

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Veronica Lake might not be the first actress you’d think of to play a no-nonsense ranch owner, but she is outstanding in Ramrod, which was directed by her then-husband André de Toth. The masterstroke of the film is that she plays it like a classic film noir femme fatale who has been dropped into the middle of cattle country, and uses her feminine wiles to control the men around her. She’s determined to do things her way, she says, “and being a woman I won’t have to use guns.” It takes a while for Ramrod’s narrative gears to slip into place, but this soon becomes a fascinating and absorbing western. As Lake and her right-hand man (McCrea) face a campaign of intimidation by cattle baron Frank Ivey (Foster), de Toth develops a slow-burning tension and stages a number of scenes as a series of power struggles, with Lake at the centre of them all. The violence, when it occurs, is abrupt and brutal, with one prolonged beating having a particularly savage edge to it. Ramrod is a tough and stark western, but it’s also a remarkably beautiful one, thanks to cinematographer Russell Harlan’s elegant, shadowy images, and de Toth’s imaginative direction. Extras Both the commentary track by Adrian Martin and the video appreciation by Peter Stanfield are well-researched and illuminating, placing Ramrod in context both within its genre and its era, but the real draw here is André de Toth himself. In an audio interview with Patrick Francis, he offers some interesting nuggets of information (after a little prodding), and he is on highly entertaining form in a 1994 interview that was filmed at the BFI to promote his autobiography Fragments. He has some great stories to tell, even if he does keep telling the audience to buy the book to read the best of them. [Philip Concannon] Released by Arrow Films

Released by Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment

March 2018

FILM

Review

Stage Directions After a quiet few months in the Scottish theatre scene, March is set to be an explosion of premieres, collaborations and storytelling

et's kick off this month's theatre highlights column with a first: Bingo! Bingo! – the first collaboration between site-specific titans Grid Iron, and female-focussed company Stellar Quines – is the first show to be performed at the Assembly Hall outside of the Fringe. Running from the 6-17 March, this new musical comedy follows a group of women as they spend a whole night in a bingo hall,Edinburgh uncovering secrets and deception and work out what to do get the money that they all need. Not a world premiere, but a first for 2018, Edinburgh University Shakespeare Company (EUSC) present their version of Romeo and Juliet from 6-10 March at the Pleasance Theatre. If you don’t know this classic love story, or if you’ve never seen a Shakespeare play, then this production is a good place to start.

The Scottish premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ The Motherfucker With the Hat takes over the Tron Theatre, Glasgow from 1-17 March. This dark comedy tells the tale of love and fidelity, and winning praise for its high-octane delivery, and its New York premiere starred Chris Rock in his Broadway debut. Staying at The Tron the National Theatre of Scotland’s (NTS) revival of their acclaimed show, How to Act, which won a Fringe First, among numerous other awards at the 2017 Fringe, opens on 6 March. This two-hander takes the form of an acting masterclass, in which abuses of power emerge between a well-respected white theatre practitioner, played by Robert

Goodale, and a young black actress, played by Jade Ogugua. The run finishes on 10 March, and then the production tours to the Traverse (13-17 March), Eden Court, Inverness (2021 March) and the Byre Theatre, St Andrews (23 March). Finishing the month, the NTS’s Shift, a co-production with Culture NL and North Lanarkshire Council, opens at the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life in Coatbridge on 29 March and runs until 1 April. This large scale, site-specific piece takes place outdoors and features a cast of over 100 people, who use prose, song and poetry to tell stories of the world of work and the lives of the people that built our world and, by extension, our future.

Over at the Lyceum Theatre, a weekend of theatre runs from 8-10 March. Dubbed ‘Mind Your Head’, it features a double bill of newly devised plays by Lyceum Youth Theatre, Brainstorm and Mr Blue Sky, which both concern mental health. The event coincides with National Conversations Week and the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People. Next door at the Traverse Theatre, a classic play gets a new twist with Lung Ha and the world-renowned Sibelius Academy Theatre Company of the University of the Arts in Helsinki’s production of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters. This new version, written by Adrian Osmond and directed by Maria Oller, concerns family, dreams and loss and runs from 1517 March, before touring to Perth Theatre (23-24 March) and the Citizens Theatre (28 March).

Bingo!

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Bingo!

Words: Amy Taylor

Women Unite Following the launch of a crowdfunding campaign to buy a West End theatre and turn it into a female-led arts space, The Skinny asks whether this could be the next step for a more gender equal theatre industry

he news in January that the Theatre Royal Haymarket was to be put up for sale may not have come as a surprise to industry insiders, but one reaction to the sale could not have been predicted even a few years ago. One of London’s oldest working theatres, the Theatre Royal Haymarket has operated in one form or another since 1720. Based in London’s prestigious West End, it is the perfect place for new investment, new faces and new perspectives. And perhaps, the first feminist theatre venue in London, if not the UK. While the asking price for the theatre has not been made public, a crowdfunding campaign started by Accalia Arts (a group of women creatives) is aiming to raise £3 million to buy the Theatre Royal Haymarket and turn it into a female-led arts space. The plan came about in response to, as Accalia Arts founder Natalie Durkin says, “unequal representation and the lack of safe spaces for women to explore what is

Review

going on around them.” The unequal representation of women in the theatre industry has been a problem for many years, with a now-infamous 2012 study by The Guardian, in association with Elizabeth Freestone of Pentabus Theatre, finding that women are still badly under represented with the male-to-female ratio being 2:1. Although, interestingly, research by Ipsos Mori in 2010 found that women often outnumbered men in the audience. Meanwhile, a study last year found a huge gender imbalance between male and female directors working at 33 theatres across England. Male directors outnumbered female directors at 21 theatres, while women directors outnumbered men at just seven venues; five theatres had a 50/50 split. Theatre, despite some improvements, is still not an inclusive space and that is what Accalia Arts want to change by creating a venue to nurture work by women. The group, which was created by a group of

professionals from Bossy, an online forum for women creatives that boasts over 15,000 members, is also designed to support those who identify as female or non-binary. It aims to create “an inclusive space with a varied season of old and new work. [We are] particularly keen to utilise the space as a facilitation and education space throughout the day,” explains Durkin. Should the campaign be successful, Durkin says that the group aims to “create a corner that contributes to global women’s movements, with a focus on the inclusive nature of the arts. The arts engage us to explore, along with holding valuable transformational capacities.” Durkin adds that despite the growing importance of the creative industries to the UK economy, funding for the arts is consistently being cut. Inspired by the growth of international women’s movements and the creation of initiatives such as #TimesUp and #MeToo designed to call out harassment and abuse in the

THEATRE

Words: Amy Taylor

entertainment industries, this proposed theatre buyout is designed to unite. Accalia Arts want all self-identifying women to come together and create new modes of change in both their social standing and treatment. Understandably, the group are keen to make a success of the campaign, which has raised just over £11,000 to date and has earned praise from Imelda Staunton, saying: “There’s a lot of men-only stuff, let’s maybe have a bit of women only. I think why not give it a go!” And giving it a go is what the group is doing, as they work hard and fundraise in the hope of making their female-led arts space a reality. But if it isn’t to be, they will find another way to keep the objective going. As Durkin explains: “Accalia Arts will continue to support female-led work and spaces if we are unsuccessful.” gofundme.com/accaliaartscampaign

THE SKINNY

The Finnieston Fringe Now resident in Glasgow, ARGCom Festival director Pax Lowey chats about turning the Veneer Gallery into a hub for Fringe acts Interview: Ben Venables

nyone flicking through the Glasgow Comedy Festival programme might think they’ve leapt ahead on the comedy calendar to August. There’s something of an Edinburgh Fringe flavour to the line-up at the Veneer Gallery, which moonlights as a comedy venue for the first time. “The sheer variety of the programme is incredibly exciting,” says Pax Lowey. “We have double comedy award nominee Kieran Hodgson immersing us in characters, while connecting 1970s politics to Brexit; the dry and deadpan Annie McGrath discussing the difficulties facing 20-somethings; offbeat everyman Stuart Laws bringing his fast-paced observations; and madcap Lou Sanders with her heightened surrealism and relatable charm.” Lowey is director of the ARGComFest – short for ‘Actually Rather Good’ – a pop-up London festival which hosts a weekend of eleventh hour Edinburgh previews. Over the last few years ARGCom has become an integral part of Fringe preparations. It offers artists crucial stage-time to iron out any creases but also has its own festival atmosphere, which is hard to recreate for most work-in-progress gigs. From its first year it developed a reputation for the calibre of its line-ups. Now resident in Glasgow, Lowey is bringing this winning formula to Finnieston. “It was actually the Glasgow Comedy Festival team that introduced me to Veneer. They had the idea of using it as a venue a few years ago – then I came along looking for a venue. It’s an elegant little art gallery and when I saw it I knew it was perfect. We

John Luke Roberts

March 2018

are, of course, all putting in a lot of work to transform it into a wonderful intimate comedy venue and we’re all so excited to see it come to life. It’s also very special to be bringing a venue to Finnieston – an area that’s somehow managed to stay off the comedy festival’s map until now.” It is perhaps more notable in Glasgow, with its festival programme often dominated by male stand-ups, that the Veneer’s line-up is gender neutral. “It’s something that I’ve always felt strongly about,” Lowey says. “ARGComFest started back in 2012 and the first year we had 25% women, which was much more representative than other comedy clubs and festivals at the time, but hardly something to brag about. “Achieving gender balance in 2016 was a great milestone – particularly in an industry still so heavily dominated by men – but it’s sad that it took until 2016 for any major comedy festival to achieve that. I’m also still fighting for a more representative programme in other areas: class, race, sexuality, disability, and so on. A lot of the comedy industry thinks ‘this is what comedy looks like now’, whereas I try to think about how it should look. Ultimately it’s all about ensuring that different voices are heard on our stages.” That this perspective aroses curiosity is not something Lowey is looking for, who feels it should go without saying. “When I came to put together the programme for the pop-up venue here it wasn’t even a second thought to apply the same standards – and I long for the day when this isn’t even a talking point.” argatveneer.com

Evelyn Mok

COMEDY

Review

Win tickets to Legend: The Music of Bob Marley

Win VIP tickets to Terminal V S

cotland's biggest dance event of its kind, Terminal V will take place on 1 April (Easter Sunday) in one of Edinburgh’s most iconic venues, with all of the pulsating action at the Royal Highland Centre. The all-dayer will take place across three rooms, with techno, house and disco, plus an outdoor stage too. Headlining this techno, house and electronic odyssey will be some of the world’s biggest names in dance music, including Rødhåd, Derrick Carter, Peggy Gou, Bicep, Amelie Lens, Pan-Pot, Artwork, Bicep, Helena Hauff and many more. We’ve got four VIP tickets to the event to give away. To be in with a chance of winning the tickets for you and three friends, simply head

to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question: In which city will Terminal V take place? a) Glasgow b) Edinburgh c) London

hen you think of Reggae, there's one name that comes directly to mind: the legend that was Bob Marley. Legend, the music of Bob Marley at The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh on Saturday 14 April is an evening celebrating this musical icon in one fantastic stage show extravaganza. Combining his superb, distinctive vocals with flawless musicianship, and a supremely talented cast. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to this event, simply head to theskinny. co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the

following question: What genre of music was Bob Marley known for? a) Death Metal b) Reggae c) Surf pop Competition closes midnight Sun 1 Apr. Entrants must be 18 or over. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/ terms

Competition closes midnight Thu 22 Mar. Entrants must be 18 or over. Names will be at the guest-list entrance. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

CCA Highlights From the criminal underworld to pulling an all nighter, CCA’s spring programme is spiked with adventure Words: Ben Venables

ussell Findlay tracked Scotland’s most notorious gangsters. But the journalist almost paid the price for his intrepid investigations when William ‘Basil’ Burns turned up on his doorstep and attempted to douse him with sulphuric acid. The bungled revenge is recorded in Findlay’s book Acid Attack (22 Mar, 6pm), which he’ll be discussing at the returning literary festival Aye Write! (22-24 Mar). The netherworld’s depths are then plumbed further in Goodfellas & Good Mothers (22 Mar, 7.45pm). Federico Varese, a criminologist and author of Mafia Life, has researched the world’s most clandestine operations. He’s joined by prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti who targeted the Ndrangheta – a group controlling much of Europe’s drug trade. Cerreti helped vulnerable and unhappy women within the mob to turn informants; the remarkable story is now set to become an American crime drama. The underground music festival Counterflows (5-7 Apr) is back at CCA for its seventh outing. Joining the celebration of international and experimental music is mischievous Edinburgh duo Usurper, made up of Malcy Duff and Ali Robertson, premiering music written especially for the festival. And they aren’t the only unconventional musicians powering into the CCA programme this spring. Not long ago, the members of enigmatic and multinational eight-piece Superorganism (11 Mar, 7pm) were strangers to each other and living in different parts of the world. From collaborating on forums and email, they now all share a house in east London and they arrive in Glasgow this month as part of their first European tour. Also making a UK debut are Japanese quartet Otoboke Beaver (17 Apr, 7pm). Part of Japan's feminist punk scene, the band

take their name from a love hotel. And they don’t suffer fools gladly, with tracks about dodgy boyfriends, terrible relationships and sexism. Glasgow Short Film Festival (14-18 Mar) welcomes American filmmaker Kevin Jerome Everson, whose work draws on his background in street photography and sculpture. From everyday tasks to gestures, he documents AfroAmerican working class lives in fine detail. There will be curated screenings and also a special masterclass hosted by Everson. South East Asian filmmaking is also illuminated with ‘an overnight cinema of dreams’ (17 Mar, 11pm). Thirty shorts by Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who is best known for his Palme d’Or winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and his otherworldy style, will be screened at the pyjama party. The eleventh GSFF programme also blossoms with its annual showcase of new Scottish screenings. A trio of Glasgow School of Art graduates – Ewan Mitchell, Zoé Schreiber and Camara Taylor – introduce Roadmaps (20 Apr-3 Jun). This reflective exhibition uses found images and archival material to explore connections between personal and collective memories. The impact of power on an individual and society becomes clearer as forgotten stories are exhumed. Finally, the largest self-publishing fair in Scotland is back: Glasgow Zine Fest (14-15 Apr) is a two-day festival packed with lectures, workshops and screenings. Writers, producers and anyone with a DIY ethos to publishing is welcome and will find something of interest – with plenty of events set to be announced providing a space for artists to chat, exhibit and sell their work.

Susie Ibarra will be performing at Counterflows

Kevin Jerome Everson's work will be showing as part of GSFF

https://www.cca-glasgow.com/

COMPETITIONS

THE SKINNY

Glasgow Music DROWNED OUT (FINDING ARGYLE + TAKE TODAY + VAGUE REALITY) BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6

Sweet alt rock all the way from Paisley.

ANNA SWEENEY – ALBUM LAUNCH

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £5

Young Glasgow singer/songwriter straddling the line somewhere between folk, pop and country launches her new album. DAVE ARCARI

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £9

SLIDE guitarist & songwriter Dave Arcari’s alt-blues sounds owe as much to trash country, punk and rockabilly as they do pre-war Delta blues.

Sun 04 Mar ARCANE ROOTS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £13

Thu 01 Mar DECLAN HEGARTY

ORAN MOR, FROM 21:00, FREE

Fully trained folk harp player who also plays the guitar and sings, bringing his multi-instrumental talents to a regular Oran Mor crowd. AMPLIFIER (AWOOGA)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £15.75

Manc progressive rock outfit rich with a sound that draws as much from post-rock’s modernity as it does from classic space-rock grooves of yesteryear. SLIPPERY NIGHTS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

The stalwart DIY collective bring another evening of top class alternative bands to Bloc.

DR FEELGOOD (THE MEDIA WHORES)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £17.60

The longstanding, no-holds-barred Essex rock’n’rollers continue to do what they do best – tour. MIST

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £16.50

The Birmingham rapper opens his Diamond In The Dirt Tour 2018 at SWG3. TYPHOON

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8

Indie band from Salem, Oregon, with eleven members.

THE OUTLAWS AND ANGELS TOUR

STEREO, FROM 19:30, £6

The King Lot and Thirteen Stars are heading out on the road for their co-headline tour.

ROCK IT! FOR CHARITY: HARD AS NAILZ (FUNDRAISER IN AID OF PROSTATE SCOTLAND) (SATIRACY + DOMINICIDE + SUNDROWN + BEHEAD THE PROPHET)

BOX, FROM 20:00, FREE

Rock It! For Charity goes Hard As Nailz, with a fundraiser for Prostate Scotland Fundraisers and Supporters as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Get your horns up and support the cause. DANCING ON TABLES (MOONLIGHT ZOO)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

Five-piece indie-pop band from Dunfermline. Officially formed in a school cupboard, the boys have spent their last teenage years earning plaudits for their dreamy melodies wrapped up in luring harmonies.

Fri 02 Mar

THE ROLY MO (THE HAVANAS + YOUNGY + GORDON ROBERTSON)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £9

Falkirk-based rock band. THE REASON (TRIMM)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7

Glasgow four-piece.

LOSING GROUND (VOLKA + BLOOD ORANGE)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

Sleazy’s show from the Ayrshire folk-punks.

STEREO IS 10 STEREO, FROM 20:00, £4

Stereo celebrate ten years of fun, frolics and fuck ups with a party bag of Glasgow’s finest bands, DJs and performers. VUROMANTICS (LAST LIGHT + THE VIBE + LIZZIE REID)

13TH NOTE, FROM 19:00, £5

Vuromantics blend pop sensibilities with a passion for electronic music and funk groove to create a very modern take on retro ideas. THE RAGHU DIXIT PROJECT

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £15 - £20

Often hailed as India’s biggest cultural and musical export, Raghu Dixit’s unique brand of infectious, happy music transcends age, genre, and even language. HOLDING ABSENCE & LOATHE

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £10

The Wales-hailing melodic hardcore act team up with Malta’s premiere metal band.

Perfect combination of pop and rock that creates an awesome sound; hear it live. THE WAILERS

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £26.95

The reggae legends perform their legendary album, erm, Legend in its entirety. BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends.

REALITY TV (BELLE FLOWER + JAMIE & THE BUZZ + THE VIGNETTES)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7

Glasgow’s newest and freshest garage fuzz blues rock four-piece. MONEY FOR NOTHING

THEATRE ROYAL, FROM 19:30, £27.75

A tribute to the Dire Straits like no other before. Prepare to be captivated by the authentic sounds of one of the most successful rock bands of all time.

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

DAYLIGHT SESSIONS (HOSTED BY OLIVE GROVE RECORDS) (JO MANGO + HENRY & FLEETWOOD + SKINNY DIPPER)

ELBOW

A lazy afternoon with music, brunch, Bloody Mary’s, tea and cake, for all ages.

JIM GHEDI (MARCUS DOO)

The Sheffield-based experimental guitarist mixes finger-picked guitar and classical instrumentation. THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £32.50 - £45.50

Mancunian songsmiths led by Guy Garvey. SUNDAY MORNING ELVIS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £6

Glasgow three-piece, who formed in early 2016 and set out to write a set of huge unashamedly anthemic indie tunes. AARON WRIGHT

PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE

23-year-old singer-songwriter from Edinburgh, who has developed a reputation as an excellent and charismatic artist.

Sat 03 Mar TOM MISCH

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £18

Composer, singer, guitarist, violinist, producer and DJ. Can tie his own shoelaces, ‘n’ all. NEARLY NOEL GALLAGHERS HIGH FLYIN’ BIRDZ

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £12.40

The U.K’s number 1 tribute to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. THE DUNWELLS (DELPHI + STEPHANIE CHEAPE)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £11

Folk rock bunch hailing from Leeds, made up of brothers Joseph and David Dunwell and cousins Robert Clayton and Jonny Lamb. FREAKENDER PRESENTS: MARK SULTAN AKA BBQ (THE KIDNEY FLOWERS + THE PHARISEES)

MONO, FROM 20:00, £8

'The Man With The Golden Voice’ is back again. PIGSPIGSPIGSPIGSPIGSPIGSPIGS (BAD AURA + DRONE RIVERS) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £8

ST LUKE’S, FROM 13:00, FREE

SPINNING COIN AND FRIENDS (ORDER OF THE TOAD + HEIR OF THE CURSED + THE AVOCADOS) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £6 - £7

Local heroes Spinning Coin swing by after the release of their debut album Permo. PROFANATICA (RITES OF THY DEGRINGOLADE + AUROCH)

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £18

Black metal band from New York. SAMMY’S OPEN MIC NIGHT

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 20:00, FREE

Monthly, popular open mic night with house band The Bucks. Get down early to guarantee a seat or a performance slot. IMAGINE DRAGONS

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £39.75 - £42.55

More beat-heavy indie-rock, laced with raspy vocals and infectiously catchy lyrics, as the Las Vegasdwellers head out on tour. DENT MAY (YOUS)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Mississippi-born, Los Angeles-based songwriter and self-described hotel bar lounge singer and aspiring daytime TV talk show host.

Mon 05 Mar SKID ROW

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £25

American heavy metal gurus led by Sebastian Bach. BLOCHESTRA REHEARSAL

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Bloc’s very own mini-orchestra comprised of professionals, amateurs and general music lovers, brought together to make music. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

INYAL ALBUM LAUNCH

DECLAN HEGARTY

PINEGROVE (PHOEBE BRIDGERS)

TWELFTH DAY (LIZZIE REID)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £5 - £8

ORAN MOR, FROM 21:00, FREE

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £15

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £11

The Glasgow launch of the muchanticipated debut album from local folktronica five-piece, Inyal. BRIT FLOYD

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, FROM 20:00, £33.50 - £44

Pink Floyd tribute act. JOSEPH J. JONES

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7.50

Joseph J. Jones takes his inspiration from the likes of Johnny Cash, Chet Baker, Kanye West and West Ham United.

Tue 06 Mar

WATERPARKS (PATENT PENDING + DEAD!) O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £17.40

Texas trio who’re big fans of Ke$ha, apparently. STRATA

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Enter a world blending minimalism, groove, and unhinged free improvisation (think Steve Reich meets Zu, and The Thing). FREE THE CYNICS (TACADO + LO RAYS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

A diverse mix of blues, rock, indie rock and alternative rock, walloping and wailing groove brilliance. THE BELLRAYS (FUZZY VOX)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Infusing rock with garage sounds and soul vocals. PALOMA FAITH (XAMVOLO)

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £39.75 £112.35

The British singer/songwritercum-actress does her glossy, retro-referencing soul-meetspop thing.

THE BLUE LIGHTS (BLOKE MUSIC + FUNNYBONE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

Alternative rock band from Glasgow.

Wed 07 Mar

LOS PACAMINOS FEAT. PAUL YOUNG

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20

Los Pacaminos play the very best in Tex Mex Border music from The Texas Tornadoes and Ry Cooder to Los Lobos and even Roy Orbsion. REPEATER

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

A night of alternative punk, rock and garage. OBITUARY

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £20.25

Death metal straight outta Florida, oddly.

THE GLORIOUS SONS (BANG BANG ROMEO + KEN HOWELL)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.20

Canadian rock band, hailing from Ontario. BUBBATREES (SNACK VILLIAN + MOTHER FOCUS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7

Glasgow three-piece playing rock music with a twist. THE KALAHARIS (STONE IVY + AFTER SCHOOL CLUB + CONOR HEAFY)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £2 - £4

Killer Scottish indie rock bill. Message The Kalaharis Facebook page for discounted entry. THE ALYN COSKER GROUP – ALBUM LAUNCH

STEREO, FROM 19:30, £10

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra drummer is joined by pianist Steve Hamilton, guitarist Davie Dunsmuir and electric bass player Colin Cunningham. BETRAYING THE MARTYRS

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £12.50

Symphonic metalcore band from Paris. SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £7.50 - £9

The Canadian singer and crafter of songs brings his narration of human experience to The Glad Cafe. ONCE & FUTURE BAND

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

Four-piece who have been confidantes and conspirators for the greater part of two decades, collaborating in Drunk Horse, Howlin’ Rain, East Bay Grease and many other projects.

Thu 08 Mar KING NO-ONE

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £10

Yorkshire indie rock quartet.

The Glasgow band put on a fundraiser gig to raise money for their trip to SXSW.

A band creating an almighty psychic charge that has blown minds and summoned bedlam in sweat-drenched venues across the UK’s underground and beyond.

March 2018

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

TIJUANA BIBLES

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free.

Fully trained folk harp player who also plays the guitar and sings, bringing his multi-instrumental talents to a regular Oran Mor crowd. MON THE WOMEN: MEGAN AIRLIE

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

International Women’s Day celebrations with music, art and more. THE STRANGLERS (THERAPY?)

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £31.45

The long-standing punk-rockers take to the road once more, marking some 40+ years and still standing.

THE WORLD IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AM NO LONGER AFRAID TO DIE CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:00, £14

Gird your angst-loins for a doublewhammy serving of experimental rock and post-rock from the concisely named *deep breath* The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die. Aaaand, exhale. RITUALS (BLACK CAT REVUE + THE TWISTED MELONS + BLUEBIRDS)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8.80

Edinburgh band playing organ-lead scuzz-goth.

THE LOOSE GROOVES + LIZZIE REID + QUICK NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Thy Kemikal Showman presents a night showcasing the best in up and coming folk, blues and singer-songwriters that Scotland has to offer. JADE BIRD

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £9.35

London-based singer-songwriter, who emphasizes melodic craft and emotional subtlety. EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £19.50

Manchester residing indie-rock quartet. JAMIE LAWSON

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £18

Acoustic singer-songwriter with an Ivor Novello Award under his belt, so he must be good. SQUARE ONE FEAT. ANDY MIDDLETON

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7

The award-winning quartet Square One are joined by internationally renowned American saxophonist Andy Middleton for an evening of dynamic modern jazz.

Fri 09 Mar

THE RONAINS (THE JAKS + THE MULDOONS)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £6

A filthy breed of classic rock, glam and grunge with a controversial twist, or so they say. ALYSSA EDWARDS - THE SECRET IS OUT

O2 ABC, FROM 19:30, £23

The former RuPaul’s Drag Race star and everyone’s favourite pageant diva brings you The Secret Is Out, a fully functional one woMAN charade. SATYRICON

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, £18

Black metal duo hailing from Norway, touring the hell out of their latest self-titled studio album. MURLO A/V

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11

DJ, producer and visual artist Murlo brings his AV show to King Tut’s for its Scottish exclusive. THE UNDERSCORE ORKESTRA (THE GUERILLA MYSTICS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7

Oregon band playing a blend of hot jazz, New Orleans jazz, Balkan, Klezmer, swing, Americana, ol’ blues and a bit of Irish/Celtic.

PARLIAMO (SLOUCH + THE ROLY MO + THE SHUTOUTS) BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6

Rock’n’roll guitar music with pop melodies alike to the 60s, all the while carrying a punk energy and the huge echo-y drums of 80s dance music. 1.5 MONTHS

THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 19:00, £6

A part-monthly experimental music and performance arts residency by Mhenwhar Huws, showcasing electronic and live band acts as well as experimental dance, spoken word and theatre.

Pinegrove’s captivating blend of indie rock, pop and country elements is more vivid, fine-tuned, and addictive than ever before. GOD IS MY CO-PILOT (VIDIV + COMFORT)

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £9.80

Collaborative musical project of fiddle player Catriona Price and harpist Esther Swift.

Sun 11 Mar

THE CLASSIC ACOUSTIC SONGBOOK WITH RONNIE & OLIVIA

ORAN MOR, FROM 17:00, FREE

New York duo consisting of Craig Flanagin and Sharon Topper, who play with a vast multitude of other musicians.

Ronnie and Olivia play tunes from their Classic Acoustic Songbook in the cosy bar.

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £5 - £8

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £20.20

GIO-MATAZZ #2

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra return for a second installment of GIO-matazz, a night of free improvisation featuring members of the band in collaboration with guest artists. THE FURROW COLLECTIVE

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £11

Alasdair Roberts, Emily Portman, Lucy Farrell and Rachel Newton are four fine soloists sharing a mutual love of traditional songs, from both sides of the English and Scottish borders, with playful, boundarydefying musicianship. PAUL TASKER (DOG HOUSE ROSES)

PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE

Acoustic guitarist whose notes most often fall in a folk-y pattern.

Sat 10 Mar TURIN BRAKES

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £23

Yes, though many of your fondly remembered millennium musicians are somewhat frozen in time, Turin Breaks continue to pave their path, over a decade under their belts. See ‘em live this month.

FUTURISE (THE MIDWEEK SHUFFLE + DOOTCHI + LEWIS ALEX)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £8

Three-piece alternative electronic rock band based in Glasgow. THE LEGENDARY BIBLECODE SUNDAYS (THE WAKES)

THE HANDSOME FAMILY

Musical collaboration between husband and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks – still making lovely Americana-styled alternative folk tunes after some 20 years together. BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends.

GLASS SHIPS (PHOSPHENES + LOST IN VANCOUVER)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Edinburgh-based band providing a refreshing style of alt-rock with punchy, melodic riffs contrasting with ethereal sweeping lead-lines.

MAJOR MINOR MUSIC CLUB (SCOTT HUTCHISON + HOLLIE MCNISH + WITHERED HAND + MICHAEL PEDERSON) SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 13:00, £5 - £10

A unique opportunity to take the next generation to their first gig. INSECURE MEN

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8

Led by the fiercely talented songwriter and musician Saul Adamczewski, alongside his schoolmate and Childhood frontman, Ben Romans-Hopcraft. FEEDER

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £27.50

The Newport pop-rock ensemble return with more catchy guitarfuelled choruses.

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, TBC

LAKE OF STARS (SCOTT HUTCHISON + M.ANIFEST + FAITH MUSSA + MICHAEL PEDERSEN + AUNTIE FLO & GUESTS)

PRIMES (ROYAL BLOOM + THE SUPER PUMAS)

An exciting new one-day event celebrating UK & African culture and promoting creative and trade connections between Scotland and Malawi.

A musical extravaganza of Irish folk’n’roll music with two of the best bands around. KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

New York garage-rock trio. MARTHA FFION

MONO, FROM 19:30, £8.50

The musical project of songwriter Claire Martha Ffion McKay, recently signed to Turnstile – home to the likes of Gruff Rhys and Cate Le Bon. BELTUR (POWDERKEG)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £8

Glasgow-based rock ensemble formed from the ashes of various other bands. THE WHOLLS (AYAKARA + THE GOOD ARMS)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7

Bedford-based alternative rock foursome.

ICONS OF THE 80S – GO WEST, NIK KERSHAW & CUTTING CREW

THEATRE ROYAL, FROM 19:30, £30.75 - £46.65

The eighties are back and these legendary stars have joined forces for a truly incredible, once in a lifetime, concert experience. TURBOWOLF

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £11

Bristol-based psychic noisemakers on guitars, drums and bass.

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 12:00, £16

SUPERORGANISM

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:00, £10

An eight-piece, multinational collective with fans in Frank Ocean and Ezra Koenig. VENOM INC & SUFFOCATION

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £22

The former Venom members Mantas and Tony ‘Demolition Man’ Dolan play alongside the raw death metal band hailing from Long Island, New York. FINDLAY NAPIER (REBECCA LOEBE)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

A man with handsome folk-vox and clever wee ditties to boot. BECCA STEVENS (SOLO)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £13

Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, band-leader and multi-instrumentalist who delivers spellbinding performances, combining personally-charged songwriting and impassioned vocals.

Mon 12 Mar

SARAH DARLING (EMMA STEVENS)

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £14

American singer bringing her ‘dream country’ to the UK. THE BLAS COLLECTIVE

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Celtic Connections glitterati perform a night of inspiring covers, originals and classics. ASTROID BOYS

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.20

Hip-hop, metal, dubstep collective from Cardiff, mashing up their combined influences with MCs Benji and Traxx leading the way. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free. ALL TIME LOW

SEC, FROM 18:30, £36.90

The chirpy American punkpopsters, all fast-paced and fizzy with hooks, hit town.

Tue 13 Mar CHARLIE BARNES

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Big morbid death pop from the young Lichfielder. BOB LOG III

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £11

The one-man blues punk dynamo and slide guitar legend that is Bob Log III takes to the stage, most likely avec crash helmet. DAMIEN JURADO: AN ACOUSTIC JOURNEY THROUGH MARAQOPA

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:00, £17

Urban folk singer/songwriter Damien Jurado has quietly built up one of the strongest catalogues on the indie scene, earning high critical praise. KARL BLAU

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £14

American indie-rock and folk musician and a member of the Knw-Yr-Own/K Records collective.

Wed 14 Mar JONATHAN WILSON

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

Alternative country mover and shaker paying homage to early-70s country rock. DAMMIT PRESENTS: NIGHTWATCHERS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Young punk/power-pop group from Toulouse, between Marked Men and The Ramones. SEPULTURA (OBSCURA + GOATWHORE + FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY)

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 17:00, £22.50

Brazilian heavy metal bunch with 14 studios album to their name to date.

EYRE LLEW (GREATER THE DIVIDE + DRAWS CREATURE MASK)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, FREE

Three-piece ambient band from Nottingham, who produce a leftfield ambient extravaganza of the highest quality.

JUIDICARY + GUILT TRIP + REVOLVE + STRANDED + ALL FEAR DEATH AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £10

An all-star rock night at Audio.

LEE SCRATCH PERRY

ST LUKE’S, FROM 20:00, £22.50 - £25

Hugely influential reggae and dub producer who was behind Bob Marley’s early studio output. POKEY LAFARGE

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 19:00, £18

Fusing the sounds of the past with the energy of the present day, Americana singer/songwriter Pokey LaFarge makes old-time country, blues, folk, and Western swing-influenced music. THE DEAD SETTLERS

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £7

Four piece indie-rock band based in Glasgow, influenced by the likes of Oasis, Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys and The Fratellis. JOE DOLMAN

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £9

21-year-old singer-songwriter from Leamington Spa.

Listings

A CERTAIN RATIO

OPEN MIKE EAGLE

CLOCKWORK ANGELS

DIANE CLUCK (HOWIE REEVE)

L.A. WITCH (CHUMP + OBJECTIFIED)

MIC CLARK - ACCOUSTIC BUTTERFLY

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £17

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £15

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £11.25

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £11 - £14

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £8

PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE

Veteran former Factory Records signees among the forebears of post-punk. FIELD MUSIC (MARY EPWORTH)

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £13.50

The Mercury Prize-nominated brothers Brewis playing percussive pop music.

POSSESSION RECORDS SHOWCASE (SOFT RIOT + ADAM USI + WOMENSAID + IO PAN) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:30, £6

An electric live performance line-up showcasing the artists of Possession Records. HOOKWORMS

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 19:00, £11

THE KATET

ALL TVVINS (LAKYOTO)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Imagine a classical conductor who leaves his score, baton and concert hall for a sweaty, underground funk dungeon. This is, essentially, how Mike Kearney founded The Katet, Edinburgh’s 7-piece soul\ funk monster.

Thu 15 Mar DECLAN HEGARTY

ORAN MOR, FROM 21:00, FREE

Fully trained folk harp player who also plays the guitar and sings, bringing his multi-instrumental talents to a regular Oran Mor crowd. CANNIBAL CORPSE (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER + IN ARKADIA)

O2 ABC, FROM 18:00, £21.35

New York death metal lot gearing up to release their 14th album. GOLDMOLD PRESENTS: PLEASE, BELIEVE! + CLEARER THE SKY

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Searing, intense and furiously passionate post-hardcore.

AT THE DRIVE-IN (DEATH FROM ABOVE + LE BUTCHERETTES)

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £43.25

The post-hardcore legends head back on the road, following the release of their first album in 17 years.

CLUB DECODE PRESENTS PINK (WALT DISCO + SAHARA + REAL LIFE ENTERTAINMENT) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

You are encouraged to wear your best pink. FEARS CHELLA

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £5

Indie-pop/grunge four-piece from Manchester via Stoke-On-Trent. OUTLYA

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £8

Bright, wide-eyed and upbeat pop band. REA MORRIS

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 00:00, £13

British singer-songwriter Rae Morris crafts her own music, with strong, warm vocals and gently hooky piano-led folk-pop. STATIC UNION

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £6

Four-piece alt rock band from Glasgow’s Southside. Their sound is influenced by their love of The National, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, The Smiths, and Joy Division.

Fri 16 Mar DECLAN HEGARTY

ORAN MOR, FROM 21:00, FREE

Fully trained folk harp player who also plays the guitar and sings, bringing his multi-instrumental talents to a regular Oran Mor crowd. ODL

THE METHOD ONE (ROTTENROW + STATIC ROOTS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

Described by Oasis guru Alan McGee as ‘The Rolling Stones jamming with The Stooges and Spiritualized.’ WYVERN LINGO

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £8

Irish trio blending folk, hip-hop, rock and R’n’B through their glorious vocal harmonies. ACID CANNIBALS EP LAUNCH

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, TBC

Acid Cannibals are a full on riot of hope and good vibes in a sea of squelch. CONFLICT

AUDIO, FROM 16:00, £10

'The Ungovernable Force’ play their only Scottish shows of 2018. YES

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £48.25 - £62.45

Vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Trevor Rabin and keyboardist Rick Wakeman celebrate 50 years since their formation. ADEM (TOM ROGERSON (THREE TRAPPED TIGERS))

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

Founding member of pioneering post-rock band Fridge, now a solo maestro in his own right. MANDULU AND HEPZIBAH

PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE

High octane contemporary folk harmony duo. Still teenagers, they have been performing together for 18 months and their songs are dark but upbeat and lyrically mature.

Sat 17 Mar

BLUE OCTOBER (BROKEN WITT REBELS)

O2 ABC, FROM 18:30, £28.65

Shimmering rock lot hailing from Texas. FRIGHTENED RABBIT – THE MIDNIGHT ORGAN FIGHT 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TOUR

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £22.50

Frightened Rabbit will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their seminal album Midnight Organ Fight, by performing it in its entirety at three very special shows. SLOUCH

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

Queer hardcore punk band from Olympia, Washington.

BANSHEE (100 FABLES + CRASHES)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £10 - £38

American EDM-Pop duo consisting of Drew Dirksen and Levi Jones, who also go by the name Our Dysfunctional Life. THE WARTIME COATS (KINGS OF UNITY + THE SHOWS + EMU WAR)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £8

Four-piece band from the heart of North Ayrshire, taking influence from the likes of The Stone Roses and Catfish and the Bottlemen.

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11

Indie-rock band underpinned by a maelstrom of synths, whose disparate influences result in a sonic melting point of TV On The Radio’s art-pop twists with the psychedelic excursions of Animal Collective.

Listings

Female-fronted alt-rock/pop. THE PEARL HARTS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £7.70

DIY rock duo who have supported Garbage and Skunk Anansie.

SHEAFS (VOODOOS + THE MORNING RETAKES)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6

Breaking through big time, Sheafs are ones to watch. STIFF LITTLE FINGERS (THE RUTS)

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £22

70s punk-pop foursome par excellence, on the go now for a ridiculous amount of years.

Leeds-based band producing heavily electronic and synthesised sounds, built around loops, vintage synths, live drums, guitars and electronics. JAMES FROST

PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE

James Frost is a singer/songwriter based in the South West of England whose songs touch on archetypal themes of love, loss, deep nature and the travelling spirit.

Sun 18 Mar BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends.

RHINOPLAST + FAIIDES + WENDELL BORTON

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

A night of dream filth with rotten cotton rockers Rhinoplast, shimmer sorcerers Faiides and kindergarten fuzz from Wendell Borton. NIALL HORAN

SEC, FROM 18:30, £33.50 - £44.85

The Irishman and former One Direction member takes his Slow Hands out on the road. MARY SPENDER

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £12

British singer and guitarist, combining her sultry voice and electric guitar to create pop songs infused with blues and soul.

RYAN HAMILTON & THE TRAITORS – YOUNG, DUMB & FULL OF RUM UK TOUR STEREO, FROM 19:00, £15

Dreamy melodies and rocking songs from a band whose success grows by the day. GUNTHER PRAGUE (MISC. MEAT + STORM THE PALACE)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5

A post-punk/noise-rock trio from England. CONFLICT

AUDIO, FROM 16:00, £10

'The Ungovernable Force’ play their only Scottish shows of 2018. C JOYNES (BARRETT’S DOTTLED BEAUTY)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £9

Chicago-bred, LA-based rapper conjuring a psychedelic strain of soul-funk, booming drums, and 21st century crate-digging in tropical attics of the imagination. LUNATICS LOST (THE MOTION POETS)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

With influences from grunge, stoner rock, new wave and punk, the band blend big riffs with melodic hooks giving a powerful platform for lyrics full of bite.

Tue 20 Mar FLUX VELOCIRAPTOR

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Livingston-born purveyors of mountainous riffs and earthshaking grooves. YOUNG LOVERS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Filipino-American shoegaze/postrock band based in Los Angeles.

Wed 21 Mar KNOWER

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £14.05

LA duo playing hot futuresonic funk-pop. SLACK!

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Documenting the current wave of great lo-fi, no-fi, slacker, anti-rock, noise and left field indie talent to emerge in Scotland (and sometimes beyond). SIGRID (FRED WELL)

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £12

Young Norwegian pop singer, recently voted BBC Sound of 2018, with a sugary sweet voice to boot. NOVATINES

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £6

Bath five-piece heavily steeped in the pure essence of rock’n’roll. Deep. THE JELLYMAN’S DAUGHTER (ROSEANNE REID) THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £9

For this very special album launch gig, The Jellyman’s Daughter will be joined by the very same double bass and banjo you hear on the album, as well as a string quartet. OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £9.50

An all-singing, all-dancing, party church service where all are welcome.

Thu 22 Mar

THE CLASSIC ACOUSTIC SONGBOOK WITH RONNIE & OLIVIA

ORAN MOR, FROM 17:00, FREE

Ronnie and Olivia play tunes from their Classic Acoustic Songbook in the cosy bar. VANCE JOY (LILY MOORE)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £15

Australian singer-songwriter famed for his single Riptide. MADISON BEER

An experimental guitarist making use of battered old Japanese electric guitars to hack his own distinct sound.

Young American singer and Justin Bieber’s protégé, if that sways you.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £6

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

MICHAEL TIMMONS

The Glaswegian fella, once heralded by Steve Lamacq as “A man of some lovely words in song”, hits The Hug and Pint.

Mon 19 Mar BLOCHESTRA REHEARSAL

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Bloc’s very own mini-orchestra comprised of professionals, amateurs and general music lovers, brought together to make music. MAHALIA

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11

Soulful UK singer-songwriter, fresh from supporting Jorja Smith on her UK tour. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £25

MR MARCAILLE + CHINSNIFFER + RRRAOUHHH + YELT

Raw and heavy hardcore punk oneman Mr Marcaille, playing a cello and two kick drums, with support from some of the finest in heavy alt rock bands. CLUB DECODE PRESENTS GLITTER (STILLHOUND + BETA WAVES + AYLEE) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

You are encouraged to wear glitter and bring your best glitter. VLMV

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £6 - £9

A self-proclaimed ‘ambient-ish post-something’ duo from the southern reaches of London. ANUSHKA

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free.

Brighton-based duo Anushka – aka Max Wheeler (producer) and Victoria Port (singer/songwriter) – play a set of their jazz-inflected dancefloor beats.

SEC, FROM 18:30, £33.50 - £44.85

Fri 23 Mar

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

NIALL HORAN

The Irishman and former One Direction member takes his Slow Hands out on the road.

TOM GRENNAN (TEN TONNES + CUCKOOLANDER)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £13

A celebration of the music of Rush. ALABAMA 3

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £23

Legendary Brixton collective, best known from the theme tune of TV show The Sopranos. They combine techno beats with country instruments in a way that’s best sampled live. SAVE MASTER (DUNGEON + VENOMWOLF)

The intuitive folk New York-based singer/songwriter returns to Glasgow for a rare solo outing. THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £36.90 - £51.10

American alternative rock outfit fronted by Jared Leto, taking in the UK as part of their huge European tour.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £10

Mon 26 Mar

DREAM WIFE

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £22.50

Live music at Sleazys. STEREO, FROM 19:00, £10

London-based trio peddling poolside pop with a bite. CATH & PHIL TYLER (DBH)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 20:00, £8 - £10

DOCTORS OF MADNESS

Formed in Brixton in the mid 70s by composer and lead singer/guitarist Richard Strange. THE BLAS COLLECTIVE

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Cath & Phil Tyler play AngloAmerican folk music using guitar, banjo, voice and fiddle.

Celtic Connections glitterati perform a night of inspiring covers, originals and classics.

Sat 24 Mar

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

THE AMY WINEHOUSE EXPERIENCE… A.K.A LIONESS

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £15.75

Tribute to the late singer, who take you on an emotional journey, showcasing the talent of the songstress.

CATHOLIC ACTION (ST.MARTIINS + SHREDD + THE BELLYBUTTONS + LIFE MODEL + WEST PRINCES + HERBERT POWELL + CROOKY + CLUB SABBATH DJS) KING TUT’S, FROM 18:00, £16.50

The Glasgow four-piece conclude their massive UK tour back home, with an all-dayer at Tuts. FASTER LOVE – GEORGE MICHAEL TRIBUTE NIGHT

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £10

A musical journey and celebration of 35 years of hit records from Wham! to George Micheal’s solo career. YOUNG FATHERS

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £16

The Scottish hip-hop trio return with their rather glorious line in DIY rap and synchronised dance moves. THE SHORES

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £6

Indie-rock band from the North East of Scotland. THE SMITHS UTD

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

Lincoln-based The Smiths tribute act. Expect some Morrissey-esque warbling.

BAHNHOF+ (ADAM BETTS + CASSIE + KEPIER WIDOW) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £7 - £9

Adam Betts, drummer in 3 Trapped Tigers, plays a solo electronics/ drums set. MT WOLF

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £9

The South London dream folksters do their thing in a suitably intimate setting, all hazy electronica, acoustic guitar and whisper-quiet harmonies. CARLY CONNOR

PIE & BREW, FROM 22:00, FREE

PORT CITIES

Trio of celebrated Nova Scotian songwriters from Cape Breton. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free. PHOENIX

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £23.50

The Versailles-based rockers take to a live setting.

WARRIOR SOUL FEAT. KORY CLARKE (SWAMP BORN ASSASSINS) AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £12

The political party rockers return to do their guitar-laden noise of a thing, with added Kory Clarke. FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £28.40 - £62.45

Grammy Award-winning folk comedy duo Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie embark on their first UK and Irish tour in seven years. TERLA MELOS (TANGLED HAIR)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £11

American band from Sacramento, California, who incorporate many styles of rock, ambient electronics and unconventional song structures.

BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends. THE MAGIC GANG (OUR GIRL + BOY AZOOGA)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £12

ANNE-MARIE

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £18.50

English singer-songwriter who lent vocals to Clean Bandit’s Rockabye. CHRISTY O’DONNELL

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8.80

Acoustic folk-rock singer from Glasgow. NE OBLIVISCARIS

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £11

Progressive melodic metal from Melbourne.

ALASDAIR ROBERTS, DAVID MCGUINNESS & AMBLE SKUSE (CUCINA POVERA) THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £14

COILGUNS (CUTTY’S GYM)

One of the proud flag holders of the 2.0 DIY scene since 2011 when they accidentally formed with the purpose of playing fast and simple music.

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £12

Melody-rock driven four-piece Hunter & The Bear have supported many artists, most notably Eric Clapton on his 2014 UK Arena tour. BELL WITCH (MONARCH + THISQUIETARMY)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £12

American doom metal band from Seattle THE LITTLE UNSAID

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

London-based alt/folk/electronic multi-instrumentalist otherwise known as John Elliot. CONOR MARKEY

PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE

Multi-instrumentalist singersongwriter, who has been a stalwart of the Glasgow music scene since a young age. His style ranges from traditional folk to blues and rock music.

Fri 30 Mar

LADY SINGS THE BLUES – ANGEL FORREST

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £13

North America’s number one, award-winning blues diva. THE DOORS ALIVE

O2 ABC, FROM 18:00, £17.40

THE SOUTH

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £25.35

ACRYLIC (VAGABOND)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8.80

Alternative indie-rock quintet originally from Scotland’s Capital. NO ONE KNOWS PRESENTS: A CHARITY GIG! RAFFLE!

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

The Glasgow label put on a charity gig. CLAPTONE

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £12 - £18

Painted as a mythical character shrouded in mystery, Claptone has become one of the biggest names in electronic music whilst himself remaining in the shadows. CHARLIE AND THE BHOYS

THE STRANGE BLUE DREAMS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Long known as go-to players in Glasgow’s vibrant underground roots music scene. MØ (SKOTT)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £17.40

Danish dance-pop princess otherwise known as the slightly lengthier Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen.

ELIZA AND THE BEAR (AVA LOVE + HIGHT) O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £14.10

Five piece euphoric indie pop/ rock lot hailing from London and featuring neither Eliza, nor indeed a bear. MACKLEMORE

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £40

Return of the Mack. Just kidding, it’s Macklemore (of ‘walk in to the club I’m like what up, I’ve got a big cock’ fame). THE POP HITS TOUR (ROAD TRIP + BADZACH + AARON MELLOUL)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 14:00, £20 - £80

Prepare for lots of screaming young girls at this teenybopper’s paradise.

THE FRONTIERS (TRIPTYCH + METRO MAFIA)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

Up-and-coming alternative rock band from Ayrshire.

HONEY RIDE ME A GOAT (SUMSHAPES + SMACK WIZARDS) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5 - £7

Avant-prog band.

THE RAMONA FLOWERS

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8

Five-piece electro indie outfit from Bristol, taking their name from Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. THE FRATELLIS

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £20

The Glasgow indie-rockers, led by lead vocalist and guitarist Jon Fratelli. LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW’S BIGGER BIRTHDAY BASH

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £10

LNFG, L Space and more explore the depth and talent of the label’s roster, whilst celebrating their second birthday (with Jacobs Party Rings, apparently). TOM HINGLEY & THE KARPETS

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £12

Inspiral Carpets tribute featuring lead singer Tom Hingley. STEVEN YOUNG

PIE & BREW, FROM 22:00, FREE

Singer-songwriter in the Glasgowbased band The Imagineers, playing a combination of originals and covers, from the 60s to modern music and everything in between.

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £20

Another Barrowland singalong with the Donegal Celtic rockers. THE TRUDYLOOTS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

Keggy, Dangerpants and G doing their very best to stave off middle-age.

TOM WALKER

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £11.50

The ethical clothes brand bring some tunes to Sleazys.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Guitar-driven alt-pop for fans of Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age and Melvins.

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £10

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £25.85

Experimental black metal unit hailing from Los Angeles.

HUNTER AND THE BEAR

Sat 31 Mar

An evening of acoustic music with Tom Walker and friends.

DAMMIT PRESENTS: SWITCH BONES (NDL) + SLOWLIGHT

CROWHURST (ATRAGON)

The secret meeting place of contemporary jazz-enthused savants.

Born into a large Irish musical family in the heart of Glasgow, Clark sang harmonies with his cousin Olivia Ennemoser and they quickly developed a unique sound, collaborating with other musical friends.

Wed 28 Mar

Energetic Brighton-based indie-pop.

CLYDEBUILT CLOTHING PRESENTS

STRETCHED

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Former members of The Beautiful South, Dave Hemingway, Alison Wheeler and Dave Stead come repackaged as, er, The South.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

DECLAN HEGARTY

ORAN MOR, FROM 21:00, FREE

Fully trained folk harp player who also plays the guitar and sings, bringing his multi-instrumental talents to a regular Oran Mor crowd.

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Breezy indie-pop from California, with support from alpaca-loving Glasgow sweethearts The Pooches.

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £18

DODIE

Thu 29 Mar

The Doors tribute act.

WALTER ETC + THE POOCHES

Sun 25 Mar Singer-songwriter of the YouTube stable, with a channel called ‘doddleoddle’ and a side channel called ‘doddlevloggle’. Mhm.

GEORGE FITZGERALD

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 19:00, £12

British DJ/producer brings his distinctive take on moody, melancholic R&B and deeply analog-based techno/house sounds.

Tue 27 Mar

Acclaimed Scottish folk musician Alasdair Roberts, electronic musician Amble Skuse and pianist David McGuinness launch their new album What News.

24-year-old songwriter, singing straight from the heart, with a spellbinding stage presence.

L.A. trio comprising the achingly cool Sade, Irtita and Ellie. Punky rock on reverb overdrive.

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

EMBRACE

Indie crooners Embrace return with a new album and UK tour.

Bedford singer and Chase & Status collaborator.

THE SKINNY

Edinburgh Music

Sun 11 Mar

Thu 01 Mar

BANNERMANS, FROM 21:00, TBC

OPEN MIC

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself. CRANACHAN

NOMAD MAGAZINE FUNDRAISER (MT DOUBT + SPLOCO + JUNKY FAM)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 20:00, £4 - £5

Dark-pop-come-folk from Mt Doubt playing an acoustic set, soda meets funk with Sploco, and full on psychedelic funk courtesy of Junky Fam. ASHTON LANE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:15, £10

Husband and wife duo Esther and Tim O’Connor are part of a new wave of homegrown modern country music originating in the UK. DAVE ARCARI

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 20:00, £9

SLIDE guitarist & songwriter Dave Arcari’s alt-blues sounds owe as much to trash country, punk and rockabilly as they do pre-war Delta blues. UNDERGROUND LIVE

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

EUSA’s regular live music night showcasing up-and-coming Scottish musicians.

VUROMANTICS + THE NOWES + LAST LIGHT + DEXTER FAWCETT

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Vuromantics blend pop sensibilities with a passion for electronic music and funk groove to create a very modern take on retro ideas.

Fri 02 Mar

STEVE GRIMMETT’S GRIM REAPER (THE DARKER MY HORIZON) BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £18 - £22

The metal legends kick off a short UK run with their only Scottish show. JUNKY FAM

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, FREE

Psychedelic Funk trio from Edinburgh, whose wildly energetic gigs follow the narrative of a cosmic journey, underpinned by a manic funky energy. KERRY ELLIS: 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £25 - £35

The musical theatre legend celebrates 20 years since her West End debut.

EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB (NORTHSYDE + THE GERRY JABLONSKI BAND)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £13

Edinburgh Blues Club is a Social Enterprise established to harness popular support for regular blues events in Edinburgh to ensure that the city and surrounding areas do not miss out on quality touring blues acts. HIDDEN DOOR PROGRAMME LAUNCH PARTY (PRONTO MAMA)

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £7 - £9

Glaswegian indie rock/soul-pop six-piece Pronto Mama headline this year’s Hidden Door programme launch.

CSC WEEKENDER: RASCALTON + THE DUNTS + CHEAP TEETH + NASARI

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

Rascalton take over for a weekend with some of the best new bands in Scotland. MARK SULTAN AKA BBQ + THE MORON-O-PHONICS + THE KIDNEY FLOWERS

WEE DUB FESTIVAL 2018: ROYAL SOUNDS (LIVE) (THE MELLOW CHANTS (LIVE)) THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £10 - £13

Fast-rising London band who’s vintage reggae sound has been compared to the likes of Chronnix and Proteje. CORELLA + NOAH NOAH + GYPSY CIRCUS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

Tipped as “the next big Manchester band,” Corella are joined by Scottish up-and-coming rock groups Noah Noah and Gypsy Circus. PAPER RIFLES (THE TAKE HOME + BILLY LIAR)

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, FROM 19:00, £5

Edinburgh indie punk rock band.

DRUNK GODS + SCREAMIN WHISPER

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Songs about sex, death, TV, growing old, soul-less wage slavery, suicide, greed, apathy and infidelity.

Sun 04 Mar OPEN MIC

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself. JED POTTS & THE HILLMAN HUNTERS

BANNERMANS, FROM 21:00, TBC

More intimate and electric blues from Potts and his merry band. GERRY CINNAMON

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £16

Glasgow singer who sings in his own accent. Oh, the talent. HAK BAKER

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

Describing his style as G-folk, Hak Baker blends the beats of hip-hop with the strums of indie-folk. LITOVSK + KRONSTADT

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 15:00, TBC

An evening of dark, post-punk music.

Mon 05 Mar

SOUNDHOUSE: BRONWYNNE BRENT

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

Mississippi-born roots songwriter channeling the Southern sunshine. JAZZ IN THE LOUNGE

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

The perfect event for jazz loving students, who are encouraged to take part, whether you sing, play bass or dance.

Tue 06 Mar

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke.

CUT + THE JACKHAMMERS + GEEK MAGGOT BINGO

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Two guitars, one drum, full throttle attack. Think Jon Spencer jamming early Wire songs, but this is no post-punk snooze fest. OPEN WANTED SESSION

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 21:00, FREE

Acoustic session downstairs in the bar.

Wed 07 Mar

LITTLE CAESAR (THE DROP)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £14 - £17

Get down Leith for some garage and rock’n’roll.

USA legends hit Edinburgh for a bluesy, rock sleaze affair. Don’t miss it.

Sat 03 Mar

JAZZ BAR, FROM 20:00, £5

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £10

MACTALLICA (TALK OF THE DEVIL)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

The Metallica and Ozzy/Randy Rhodes tributes join forces for an epic night of classic metal. MICKEY 9S

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 19:00, £7

Glaswegian foursome offering up a manic fusion of bass, beats, onstage bodypopping and ski masks (yes, really). THE BLUES BAND: 39 YEARS AND BACK FOR MORE

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £25

Blues band, obviously, formed back in 1979 by ex Manfred Mann group members, celebrate 39 years together.

ELLIOT GALVIN

Playing music from their critically acclaimed new album, The Influencing Machine. EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

Weekly club that showcases the wide international world of folk and related music.

AINO ELINA - UNISSA EP LAUNCH

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

A night where harsh topics are wrapped up in soft hazy harmonies, as Edinburgh-based, Finnish songwriter Aino Elina launches her latest EP, produced by Dave Oscillation and Dave Whitmey. OPEN MIC

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself.

March 2018

Thu 08 Mar

WILLE & THE BANDITS (RIPL)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £12 - £15

Blues rock act rated by many as one of the best bands on the live circuit. KIRSTY LAW’S YOUNG NIGHT THOUGHT

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10

Flint & Pitch is delighted to present the live launch of Kirsty Law’s Young Night Thought album. UNDERGROUND LIVE

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

EUSA’s regular live music night showcasing up-and-coming Scottish musicians. PRETTY VICIOUS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8.80

Welsh four-piece rock group from Merthyr Tydfil. GOD IS MY CO-PILOT + REGRETTA GARBO + FISTYMUFFS

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £7 - £8

Queercore and post-punk triple whammy.

Fri 09 Mar PYGMY TWYLYTE

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £8

A tribute to the legend Frank Zappa. SPH BAND CONTEST

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 17:00, £7

Second round of the SPH Band Contest, featuring more live acts battling it out for supremacy. EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB (SARI SCHORR + RAIN RESERVE)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

Martha Ffion is the musical project of songwriter Claire Martha Ffion McKay, who has just signed to Turnstile - home to the likes of Gruff Rhys and Cate Le Bon. FUNK JAZZ BANDS

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

Jazz, funk and blues from regular guest bands The Black Diamond Review and the Chambers Street Collective helping you get your Friday funk on. 47SOUL ALBUM LAUNCH

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £10

47soul have become renowned for inventing their own genre ‘Shamstep’, which fuses hip-hop and pop lyrics in English and Arabic, featuring elements of Arab roots music. #PIANODROME PRESENTS

OLD LEITH THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £9 - £11

This ruthlessly creative approach to experimental pop music delivers Eastern-influenced anthems, under spoken elements that attempt to challenge and address divisive rhetoric recently prevalent in society.

Sat 10 Mar

F.A.V.L. (BRASSKNUCKLE + LAST STAND + HALF CHARGE)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £10

Combat rock presents oi punk volume 3.

COLOURS CLASSICAL – 20 YEARS OF DANCE ANTHEMS

USHER HALL, FROM 18:00, £38.50 - £41.80

A classical music and club night synthesis, featuring the Scottish Festival Orchestra, guest DJs and a selection of vocalists. TANGERINECAT + KAPIL SESHASAYEE + DUMB MUSCLE

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £4

Cute Owl Promotions proudly presents a night of unusual live electronica, with experimental undertones and an astonishing interplay of many different musical instruments. THE HANDSOME FAMILY

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £17.50 - £19

Musical collaboration between husband and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks – still making lovely Americana-styled alternative folk tunes after some 20 years together.

Classic rock covers from the 60s to present day. SAMOAJA (MIKE WEST + FLEW THE ARROW)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:30, £7

Folk/country artist from Finland. BOOTLEG BLONDIE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15

The only Blondie tribute band to play the legendary CBGB’s in New York City before its demise in 2006 and to have the honour of being mentioned on Blondie’s 11th album. GERRY CINNAMON

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £16

Glasgow singer who sings in his own accent. Oh, the talent.

L-SPACE LIVE WITH POCKET KNIFE AND BETA WAVES

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

L-space celebrate the launch of their new single Suneaters with two other fabulous Scottish electronic bands and not a drummer in sight. LEE SCRATCH PERRY

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £23 - £25

Hugely influential reggae and dub producer who was behind Bob Marley’s early studio output.

Mon 12 Mar

SOUNDHOUSE: LIZABETT RUSSO

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

Big dose of folk for you from goosebump-inducing Lizabett Russo.

THE KALAHARIS + BETTY AND THE BASS + BELLAROSE + MILLIE HANLON COLE + JONNY PATERSON

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £4

Killer Scottish indie rock bill. Message The Kalaharis Facebook page for discounted entry. JAZZ IN THE LOUNGE

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

The perfect event for jazz loving students, who are encouraged to take part, whether you sing, play bass or dance.

Tue 13 Mar

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke. COURTNË

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, TBC

Courtnë is an indie/folk/pop band from Glasgow. OPEN WANTED SESSION

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 21:00, FREE

Acoustic session downstairs in the bar.

Wed 14 Mar

THE MEN THAT WILL NOT BE BLAMED FOR NOTHING (IDESTROY)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

Steam Punk legends return for another outstanding show. EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

Weekly club that showcases the wide international world of folk and related music. TATSURU ARAI PLUS KAMIL KOWALCZYK

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

Composer/Sound Visual Artist, who studied composition in College of Music Tokyo.

Thu 15 Mar

U18’S GIG – FIRST OFFENCE + BONNIE HIGGS

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:00, £18 - £20

Young punk-rock singer/songwriters

EUSA’s regular live music night showcasing up-and-coming Scottish musicians.

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £6

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

BULLETBOYS (ENUFF Z’ NUFF)

Two of the finest acts from the hair metal era combine for this special show.

UNNECESSARY SURGERY (WIREMOTHER / MADAM)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 20:00, £5

A rare live appearance from techno punk duo Unnecessary Surgery. THE DOLLY PARTON STORY

THE CAVES, FROM 19:00, £16

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 14:00, £5

STATIC UNION (DEEP.SLEEP + ANNIE BOOTH)

Four-piece alt rock band from Glasgow’s Southside. Their sound is influenced by their love of The National, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, The Smiths, and Joy Division.

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15

BANNERMANS, FROM 21:00, TBC

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £12 - £14

A group of musicians with a long-held relationship with African music bring their unique rendition of Talking Heads to Edinburgh. C. JOYNES (BARRETT’S DOTTLED BEAUTY + DREW WRIGHT)

WAVERLEY BAR, FROM 19:30, £5

Over the last decade, C Joynes has ploughed a singular furrow through solo guitar, with a body of work incorporating English folk-tunes. UNDERGROUND LIVE

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

EUSA’s regular live music night showcasing up-and-coming Scottish musicians. SHEAFS (THE PHANTOMS + LOST IN VANCOUVER)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

Breaking through big time, Sheafs are ones to watch. WYVERN LINGO

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £8 - £10

Irish trio blending folk, hip-hop, rock and R’n’B through their glorious vocal harmonies.

Fri 16 Mar

VOODOO BLOOD (HEARTBREAK REMEDY + MAGIC TRIK + BLACK KING COBRA)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8

Described as blues on steroids, this is going to be an epic Edinburgh debut. GOOD GRIEF PRESENTS (THICK SYRUP + COMMIE CARS + BUFFET LUNCH)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

Danceable funk slanted garagey riff machine with bewitching vox from Leeds’ Thick Syrup (Gringo Records). LONDON ASTROBEAT ORCHESTRA PERFORMS TALKING HEADS

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15

A group of musicians with a long-held relationship with African music bring their unique rendition of Talking Heads to Edinburgh. MOLAGON

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

Edinburgh-based trip-hop/hiphop artist. EYRE LLEW (WHITE BEAR + TRANSIENT SUNS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5.71

Three-piece ambient band from Nottingham, who produce a leftfield ambient extravaganza of the highest quality. THE RHYTHM N’ BOOZE WHISKY CLUB (AKI EMALLY + FELIPE SCHRIEBERG)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £25

One of the most innovative whisky tastings in Scotland’s capital features not only delicious whiskies but also some of the best live music the city has to offer. MCCANN + GEEK MAGGOT BINGO

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

CRANACHAN

Classic rock covers from the 60s to present day. TIDE LINES

THE CAVES, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Four-piece band who launched in the summer of 2016 with the release of their debut single Far Side of the World. GEOFF ACHISON AND THE UK SOULDIGGERS

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:15, £12

Geoff Achison is an award-winning blues-roots artist from Australia known for his energetic live performances and unique guitar mastery. VIDA

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself. ALYSSA EDWARDS - THE SECRET IS OUT

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £20 - £40

The former RuPaul’s Drag Race star and everyone’s favourite pageant diva brings you The Secret Is Out, a fully functional one woMAN charade.

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5

The alternative rock duo return to Bannermans. JOAN BAEZ

USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £30 - £71.50

Catch the amazing, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Joan Baez on her UK tour.

NEHH PRESENTS... OUT LINES (LOMOND CAMPBELL) SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £14

Fickle Friends’ natural talent to write a demo pop number with a knowing nod to the glossy sheen of 80s stompers shines through.

Fri 23 Mar

Muddy Manninen (Wishbone Ash) blues project, playing a mix of originals and covers.

SOUNDHOUSE: KATHRYN ROBERTS & SEAN LAKEMAN

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

The husband and wife duo introduce us to a host of new characters and stories from their fertile and energetic musical imaginations. BANFI

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

Banfi is Joe Banfi, Aaron Graham and Chris McCuaig, making spiky, dramatic pop music. JAZZ IN THE LOUNGE

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

The perfect event for jazz loving students, who are encouraged to take part, whether you sing, play bass or dance.

OH MY GOD! IT’S THE CHURCH

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10

An all-singing, all-dancing, party church service where all are welcome.

THE AMY WINEHOUSE EXPERIENCE… A.K.A LIONESS

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £14

MARK SHARP

After years of picking up a loyal following across central Scotland through his relentless gigging, Mark Sharp stepped into 2017 accompanied by the huge sound of his backing band The Bicycle Thieves. FUNK JAZZ BANDS

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

Jazz, funk and blues from regular guest bands The Black Diamond Review and the Chambers Street Collective helping you get your Friday funk on.

Sat 24 Mar

PUNK FOR PAM AFTERSHOW (WARWOUND + SUBVISION)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

OVERLAPS

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, FREE

Free improvised and experimental session. OPEN WANTED SESSION

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 21:00, FREE

Acoustic session downstairs in the bar. KROW

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £7

EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

Weekly club that showcases the wide international world of folk and related music.

PORTALOOTH: THROW YOUR BODY IN LAUNCH

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Portalooth head to Sneaky Pete’s for a night of synthy madness to launch their latest single, Throw Your Body In. OPEN MIC

JAZZ IN THE LOUNGE

The perfect event for jazz loving students, who are encouraged to take part, whether you sing, play bass or dance.

Tue 27 Mar

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke. THE PARTY SLOGAN

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Green Frog Records host their first live event with The Party Slogan, taking influences from 80s postpunk and alternative rock through to the garage rock revival. OPEN WANTED SESSION

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 21:00, FREE

Acoustic session downstairs in the bar.

Wed 28 Mar

WARRIOR SOUL (LOWDRIVE + A RITUAL SPIRIT)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £12 - £15

Legendary band Warrior Soul hit Bannermans as part of the Back On The Lash Tour. EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

DEVIL’S BEEFTUB EP LAUNCH

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:00, £6

Local blues/metal/swamp rockers.

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE

Double headline show from class Edinburgh breaking talent.

Newbie Edinburgh band Spyyn combine subtle ambient sounds with energetic breakdowns and singalong driven choruses.

BANNERMANS, FROM 22:00, TBC

Aftershow for Punk For Pam Fundraiser.

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £26 - £45

LUNATICS LOST + THE MOTION POETS

SPYYN (STELLAR + ANNA CØNDA)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Weekly club that showcases the wide international world of folk and related music.

Tue 20 Mar

Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke.

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra drummer will be joined by pianist Steve Hamilton, guitarist Davie Dunsmuir and electric bass player Colin Cunningham.

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

Night one of Punk For Pam Fundraiser.

JOAN OSBORNE SINGS THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN FEATURING KEITH COTTON (DELIGHTFUL SQUALOR)

PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED

SOUNDHOUSE: ALYN COSKER GROUP

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

Mon 26 Mar

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

HIPKISS (BLIND LEMON GATORS)

GLENN TILBROOK

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 19:00, £20

Glenn Tilbrook (best known as a member of Squeeze) heads back out on the road, following a sellout tour in 2016.

PUNK FOR PAM (PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES + CONTROL)

Mon 19 Mar

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10

Banjo and mandolin are well complimented by toe tapping rhythms and haunting melodies with Manchester singer/songwriter Izzie Walsh and her Americana band.

BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, TBC

Tribute to the late singer, who take you on an emotional journey, showcasing the talent of the songstress.

Alternative/dark electronica.

BREAKING WAVES (HOLLOW ILLUSION)

FICKLE FRIENDS + CASSIA + SKJØR

Vida hail from the OC and, lead by Josh Cisneros, play a type of music which they claim is influenced by OneRepublic and The 1975. So, erm, yes.

Sat 17 Mar

OPEN MIC

THE JELLYMAN’S DAUGHTER ALBUM LAUNCH (ROSEANNE REID)

SUMMERHALL, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself.

LONDON ASTROBEAT ORCHESTRA PERFORMS TALKING HEADS

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £17

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

Bath five-piece heavily steeped in the pure essence of rock’n’roll. Deep.

For this very special album launch gig The Jellyman’s Daughter will be joined by the very same double bass and banjo you hear on the album, as well as a string quartet.

OPEN MIC

Wed 21 Mar

An energetic line-up as catchy as hell with plenty of grit and fuzz, with Stockport rockers Plastic House and two up-and-coming Edinburgh bands on support.

NOVATINES (SLEEPLESS GIANTS + START STATIC)

Sun 18 Mar

Wild garage and rock’n’roll.

PLASTIC HOUSE (MONSTERS ON MOVIE POSTERS + METRO MAFIA)

IZZIE WALSH HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 20:00, £7.20

Paying tribute to the buxom blonde queen of country-tinged pop.

TUNE-YARDS

Merrill Garbus’ charming lo-fi pop project, inventively bursting with distorted ukulele, horns, bass, drums and whisper-to-a-scat-rap vocals.

UNDERGROUND LIVE TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

Joan Osborne unleashes her sizable gifts as a vocalist and interpreter upon The Bard’s celebrated canon. BELLE AND SEBASTIAN

USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £32.50

The longstanding Glasgow indie-pop troupe head out on the road again.

CATH & PHIL TYLER (DBH + SANDY MILROY)

WAVERLEY BAR, FROM 19:30, £5

Cath & Phil Tyler play AngloAmerican folk music using guitar, banjo, voice and fiddle. SEX PISTOLS EXPERIENCE

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £12

Sex Pistols tribute act.

THIS FEELING - EDINBURGH WITH CALVA LOUISE (THE RAH’S + BOTTLE NOTE + TRIMM)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

With a frantic live show and a fistful of three-minute bangers in their back pocket, Calva Louise are sure to be one of the breakthrough acts of 2018. NEHH PRESENTS... INDIGO VELVET

SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £12

Dubbed ‘Tropical-pop’ thanks to fun, upbeat songs, African rhythms and varied indie influences, Leith’s Indigo Velvet come to the Dissection Room.

OPEN MIC

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself.

Thu 29 Mar

THE GUNS N’ ROSES EXPERIENCE (PLANET LIZZY) BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

Two killer tributes team up for a special tribute night. CLICK CLACK (TEXTURE)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 20:00, £4 - £6

A monthly night of live music and other performing arts of an experimental nature – funky and idiosyncratic. This month featuring Texture as headliner. ANGEL FORREST

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £13

Quebec blues belter Angel Forrest will perform songs from her 2016 album Angel’s 11, and other awardwinning tunes. UNDERGROUND LIVE

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

EUSA’s regular live music night showcasing up-and-coming Scottish musicians. ACRYLIC: ALL I AM EP LAUNCH

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

Alt-pop quintet Acrylic are fresh from touring their first single Where I Lie, released as a split 7” with label mates Mt Doubt, and are now gearing up to release their debut full length. LEITH DEPOT PRESENTS

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Monthly night of changing acts.

Fri 30 Mar

Three of the country’s most intriguing, exciting artists come together as Out Lines to release Conflats.

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself.

Indie and electronic artists to get you dancing.

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £9 - £11

Thu 22 Mar

Sun 25 Mar

Both up-and-coming cream of the crop in British rock acts team up on a special tour.

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:00, TBC

MILK TEETH + FANGCLUB + NERVUS

90’s emo and grunge, fused with punk inspirations fronted by lovely dual vocals.

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

STEVIE R PEARCE & THE HOOLIGANS (SILK ROAD) BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8

Returning to promote his debut solo album, Stevie is a guitar shredder.

GOLDEN ARM + MC ALMOND MILK

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

OPEN MIC

Discover the fresh talent in Edinburgh and have a go yourself.

SKAM (FLORENCE BLACK)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

BRAINGLUE

Fuzz and reverb-infused garagerock.

Listings

ALEX LAHEY THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £9 - £11

Australia’s Alex Lahey offers a remarkably focused set of sing-along choruses, punk-pop dynamics and casually witty observations about relationships. FOLK NIGHT

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Monthly folk night and open session.

Sat 31 Mar

PIST (BATTALIONS + LUCIFERS CORPUS)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:00, £7

Fri 09 Mar

MARTIN METCALFE AND THE FORNICATORS

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £9

The Edinburgh-based singer/ songwriter plays a set with his live band of scallys, The Fornicators. THIS FEELING + METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENT THE WHOLLS (ST. MARTIINS + THE ROQUES)

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £7

Bedford-based alternative rock foursome.

Sat 10 Mar COMBAT ROCK

Mega sludgy riffs from four men you wouldn’t trust with a blunt crayon.

The Clash tribute show.

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 20:00, £5

ALYSSA EDWARDS - THE SECRET IS OUT

FUTURE WEAPONS (GLASSFACE + NOSTRIL FLASHBACK)

A packed bill of post punk, garage, psychedelia and progressive new wave.

RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC – 40 YEARS OF RUMOURS

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 20:00, £23.50 - £33.50

The world’s finest tribute to Fleetwood Mac returns to the stage with a brand new show celebrating 40 years of the iconic Rumours album. BLACK CAT BONE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £8

Black Cat Bone are a rock blues band with a lot of soul, hailing from Edinburgh. NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING CARPETS + THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £12 - £14

The very best of OASIS & NGHFB combined into one show by the UK’s top tribute to the music of Noel Gallagher, with Scotland’s new Doors tribute act opening the show. SWITCH BONES + SLOWLIGHT

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Punk and hardcore acts to thrash out to.

Dundee Music Fri 02 Mar THE BOB DYLAN BAND

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £10

Bob Dylan tribute act.

THE KALAHARIS (THE RANKINES + NEIL MORRISON BAND + BENEDICTUS) CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:00, £0 - £4

Killer Scottish indie rock bill. Message The Kalaharis Facebook page for discounted entry.

Sat 03 Mar

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £8

SEDITION + BRATAKUS + IRON SYSTEM + B. ITINERANT

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:00, £5

Make That A Take showcase four bands.

Fri 16 Mar VIDA

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £6

Vida hail from the OC and, lead by Josh Cisneros, play a type of music which they claim is influenced by OneRepublic and The 1975. So, erm, yes. SHEAFS

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £6

Breaking through big time, Sheafs are ones to watch.

Sat 17 Mar

Sun 04 Mar

BARRY NISBET ALBUM LAUNCH

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £3

THE JELLYMAN’S DAUGHTER ALBUM LAUNCH (ROSEANNE REID)

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £10

For this very special album launch gig, The Jellyman’s Daughter will be joined by the very same double bass and banjo you hear on the album, as well as a string quartet.

Fri 23 Mar WE ARE NOT DEVO

THE SOUND OF YOUNG SCOTLAND (RASCALTON + SAHARA + THE DUNTS + THE PLEASURE HEADS) BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 16:00, £8

TIDE LINES

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:30, £12.50

Four-piece band who launched in the summer of 2016 with the release of their debut single Far Side of the World.

RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC – 40 YEARS OF RUMOURS

CAIRD HALL, FROM 20:00, £25.50 - £35.50

DOYLE

Sat 31 Mar

Los Pacaminos play the very best in Tex Mex Border music from The Texas Tornadoes and Ry Cooder to Los Lobos and even Roy Orbsion.

Listings

HARSH TUG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

OG Kush + hip-hop bangers with Notorious B.A.G. TWO STEP FOR CHARITY

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £8

The Scottish Association for Mental Health fundraiser with the likes of Klyde Kranes, Lotrax, BRDN and GRG. HOTFLUSH – SCUBA (ALL NIGHT LONG)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10

Berghain resident and Hotflush label boss Scuba takes over Sub Club for the duration of the night. THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Sat 03 Mar DAMMIT ALL TO HELL

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

The best in pop-punk, emo, indie, rock, pop and other shit. CLUBLAND LEGENDS

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 21:00, £10 - £15

MC REBORN hosts the dance music acts seen in every town and city across the UK, including Ultrabeat and Ian Van Dahl.

Sat 24 Mar

Thu 08 Mar

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £19

DARKSIDE

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 21:00, £25 - £40

Another techno extravaganza with Partyraiser at the top of the bill.

Disco divas and Euro-pop anthems for those ready to sweat.

The UK’s only Devo tribute.

Doyle stop off in Dundee on their UK/Russia Spring tour.

PAUL YOUNG’S LOS PACAMINOS

Expect the unexpected, your 90s nostalgic dance classics, your 00s R&B and more.

GLITTERBANG

Los Pacaminos play the very best in Tex Mex Border music from The Texas Tornadoes and Ry Cooder to Los Lobos and even Roy Orbsion.

Rolling Stones tribute band.

GHOST GIRLS

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £8

Mon 05 Mar

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £10

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Sun 18 Mar

The world’s finest tribute to Fleetwood Mac returns to the stage with a brand new show celebrating 40 years of the iconic Rumours album.

THE STONES

FOUNDRY007 (MURRAY CY)

The Edinburgh man with serious techno credentials joins the DABJ guys for a live set.

'The Ungovernable Force’ play their only Scottish shows of 2018.

Fri 30 Mar

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £19

A new club night which plans to develop into a long-standing respected night for Glasgow and its scene, off the back of popular Subcity show Forefront.

DABJ WITH NEIL LANDSTRUMM (LIVE)

CONFLICT

Dundee Musician’s award winner and member of Wire and Wool, Barry Nisbet launches his solo project. PAUL YOUNG’S LOS PACAMINOS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Wall to wall bangers of every flavour.

CHURCH, FROM 15:00, £10

Sun 25 Mar

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £6

FOREFRONT (ERSKINE + KAPPA + KYLE WEC)

BLOODBUZZ

Fri 02 Mar

THE CHERRY BOMBZ

Classic rock night with a DJ.

Thu 01 Mar

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £15 - £30

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £10

Oasis tribute band.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Sun 11 Mar

The former RuPaul’s Drag Race star and everyone’s favourite pageant diva brings you The Secret Is Out, a fully functional one woMAN charade.

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £12

BLACKMORE’S BLOOD

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £10

Rainbow and Deep Purple tribute show

STEREO, FROM 23:30, £6

Aftershow party for Frightened Rabbit’s O2 Academy show, where they will play The Midnight Organ Fight in full.

LA CHEETAH MEETS WANIA WITH DJ SOTOFETT (DJ SOTOFETT)

Contort Yourself label boss and fellow Glaswegian, Murray CY joins the Foundry crew.

Some of Scotland’s brightest young bands team up for an extra special show.

DEFINITELY OASIS (NICK MERCER JNR)

Glasgow Clubs

MOUNTAIN HIGH BAND + FRIGHTENED RABBIT DJS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

COLOURS 23RD BIRTHDAY PARTY

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 20:00, £20 - £29.50

Colours celebrate 23 years of events with a huge line-up of legendary acts, including Paul Van Dyk and Faithless. MISSING PERSONS CLUB (DJ SHIVA AKA NONCOMPLIANT)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8

Lisa Smith has been part of the Midwest rave scene for over 20 years and is finally gaining the plaudits her dedication and skills deserve. LEZURE (2 BAD MICE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Hardcore innovators and breakbeat originators 2 Bad Mice scurry into Lezure for a Rave Special.

SOMETHING WICKED PRESENTS (µ-ZIQ + EOD + MOTHER)

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £10 - £13

µ-Ziq, aka Michael Paradinas, is one of the premiere names in the field of electronic music and founder of Planet Mu Records. SUPERMAX WITH DJ BILLY WOODS

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £8

DJ Billy Woods, start to finish, open to close.

Sun 04 Mar NULL / VOID

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, TBC

Industrial goth rock disco.

Wed 07 Mar MELTED

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Afro-disco screamers.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Non-stop eclectic discotheque. OH141 2ND ANNIVERSARY (DJ STORM)

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £7

OH141 bring the first lady of drum and bass, and one of Metalheadz’ chief selectors.

Thu 08 Mar

WE SHOULD HANG OUT MORE WITH JACQUES RENAULT (PART DEUX!) (PETER PANTHER + SHAHAA TOPS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £9

DRUGSTORE GLAMOUR

The Queens of the Glasgow disco scene. KIKABILA SOUNDS: DJ NOMAD OF AFRICAINE 808 (MICHAEL DUGGY SMITH AKA DIDIER DUGBA)

STEREO, FROM 23:30, £5 - £7

A Berlin underground music scene legend, known for mixing modern productions with Tropical sounds and African, Latin and Afro grooves. ELECTRIC SALSA (MINOR SCIENCE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Electric Salsa get things bubbling by bringing over Minor Science from Berlin to make his La Cheetah debut.

DJ, label owner and producer Jacques Renault is back at WSHOM.

Wed 14 Mar

SMALL TALK W/ DJ ADIDADAS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Happy Meals’ Lewis seduces w/ Eurowave + Vaporbeat. AFLOAT (RYAN MARTIN)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

For their second instalment, Afloat welcome one of Rubadub’s finest, Ryan Martin.

DJ Sotofett kicks off a series of parties in La Cheetah by playing his own unreleased music all night. SGÀIREOKE! (SGÀIRE WOOD & SPECIAL GUESTS)

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 21:00, £0 - £2

St Patrick’s day special queer karaoke night with performances. HORSE MEAT DISCO

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Horse Meat Disco return to The Berkeley Suite, spinning discs all night long.

Tue 20 Mar BUCKFAST SUPERNOVA

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Marble Gods will be living their best lives playing indie-pop gems, R&B smashes, sweet disco beats and the gr8est pop songs of all time ever.

Wed 21 Mar DON’T BE GUTTED

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

London production duo Nick Harriman and Alfie Granger-Howell take the reigns on the Subbie decks, with support from Bwana.

Pala welcome back Kieran Apter, following his set at their end of year party with Aera.

Fri 09 Mar

Fri 16 Mar

PERMANENT DAYLIGHT

Thu 22 Mar

DEATHKILL 4000

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Ultra-cutting edge dark electro, hip-hop and post-punk. ANNA & HOLLY’S DANCE PARTY

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Rock’n’roll, garage and soul. DANIEL AVERY

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £10 - £12

Phantasy man playing his hypnotechno, acid-flecked tunneling soundscapes.

LA CHEETAH CLUB PRESENTS… (DJ PYTHON + SHANTI CELESTE )

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

PALA (KIERAN APTER )

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

A smorgasboard of electric music to soundtrack your otherwise frenetic Friday night. FAMOO

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £10

PARTIAL (JOB SIFRE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £12 - £15

I AM – BOYS NOIZE (BETA & KAPPA)

Slam return for their monthly residency at Subbie, with special guest Vril supplying an explosive live performance.

Berlin-based DJ and producer Alex Ridha (aka Boys Noize) takes to Scottish shores for a trademark set of inspired electronica.

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £6

A night of contemporary classics, unheard of gems and well-kent belters, all for your general dancing pleasure, natch.

Bone-rattling, staccato drum machine attacks from Mun Sing. Grime, techno and noise are chucked in the blender and come out rude AF.

MAGIC CITY – NEON LIGHTS (IRA + VALE + MULLY & KEOMA)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5

THE YELLOW DOOR

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

QUEERIOSITY (MARCUS MASTERSON + SYCHOPHANTASY + ALICE RABBIT + KATHRYN CREEPSHOW + FRANKIE MULHOLLAND) THE POETRY CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £8

EUTONY (UNDER BLACK HELMET)

Eutony is the new underground techno experience. DON’T DROP – ONE RECORDS SHOWCASE (ADAM SHELTON + SUBB-AN + MARK DICKOV)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Don’t Drop present a showcase from the Brummie label influenced by the many facets of house and techno.

Fri 23 Mar DATE NIGHT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

A mixtape of love, lust and nostalgia.

SOLID STATE X LA CHEETAH (FUNKINEVEN + THE BURRELL CONNECTION (LIVE ACID SET) + WARDY & DOM D’SYLVA ) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Apron boss man, FunkinEven takes centre stage at the launch of Solid State. THUNDER DISCO: OR:LA (JUBÉ)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10

The Thunder Disco crew bring in Derry-born Or:la to kick off their 2018 residency at Subbie.

Sat 10 Mar

Sat 17 Mar FANTASTIC MAN

PEARL NECKLACE PRESENTS: EAT YR MAKE UP

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

FREEFALL RESIDENTS PARTY

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 22:30, £10

Expect techno, trance, tech house, tech trance, bosh, progressive and everything in between including Freefall classics from the past, present and future. SINGLES NIGHT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Beans + Divine explore the hits on 7” vinyl. MAYA JANE COLES

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £12.50 - £18

Techy electronic lass Maya Jane Coles takes to the SWG3 stage.

Incoherent madness for those with a death wish. The worst club night in the world. BALKANARAMA

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 22:30, £8 - £10

All singing, all dancing Balkan orgy, plus belly dancing and free brandy. As in, we’re sold. THE LANCE VANCE DANCE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Exotic dreamy disco.

SASHA & JOHN DIGWEED

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £15 - £29.50

Sat 24 Mar BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

The infamous model and DJ brings a unique mix of riot grrrl, electro and fierce hip hop. SHAKA LOVES YOU

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Hip-hop and live percussion flanked by wicked visuals. HAVIN’ IT LARGE

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £12

A night celebrating the Kevin & Perry Go Large movie soundtrack – one of the best in history, apparently.

MAXIMUM PRESSURE X EASTER SATURDAY SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 17:00, £25 - £35

Slam will be joined by a double bill of headline Djs, mixed with many new innovative artists for a 10 hour extravaganza on Easter Saturday. EZUP (NICKY + MARK + DEVLN)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

Ezup bring the fourth installment of the Disco Paradise series, paying tribute to Larry Levan’s legendary party series, with four hours of pure fine spun disco heat in the basement. FLEETMAC WOOD PRESENTS SISTERS OF THE MOON DISCO

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £10

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

A night of exclusive edits and remixes of Fleetwood Mac and solo projects (no cover versions).

Tue 27 Mar

Genre-hopping London musical duo made up of Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell.

The Mind Yer Self crew celebrate a year in existence, bringing in producer/DJ duo COEO, aka Florian Vietz and Andreas Höpfl. ONLY THE SUBJECT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

THE 2 BEARS

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

New wave of underground Glasgow DJ talent.

Wed 28 Mar FREAK LIKE ME

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

MINDSET (STEAMED JAMS)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Thu 29 Mar FORUM DRAMA

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, TBC

Club bangers of the future.

RENEGADES OF FUNK (NOWICKI + ALSHY) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Fri 30 Mar

TRIPLE COOKED – NEON BOOGIE

A fun, safe and inclusive night for all, offering up a mixture of performers and DJs, from burlesque to drag. Come casual, come glam, come kink, come as you want.

Botch meets Beyonce DJ smash. A club night like no other.

MYS TURN 1 (COEO)

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £10

The Magic City lot bring an AV show take over, carrying on the party from the MURLO AV Glasgow Show for all those not ready to call it a night. MONSTER HOSPITAL

Oi street punk at its best.

Two DJ’s exploring the sonic spectrum between funk and techno.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Two titans in one spot. Fireworks expected.

DOMESTIC EXILE PRESENTS (MUN SING)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

APPLEBUM

A celebration of hip hop and R’n’B culture.

CONTROL

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, TBC

80s themed party extravaganza. Triple Cooked returns to Glasgow with their tour of light, colour and all things neon.

Partial enlists one of the spearheads of the new wave of Dutch power, Job Sifre.

RETURN TO MONO: SLAM + VRIL (LIVE)

BREAKFAST CLUB W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Delicious disco for dancers, no chancers.

Sun 25 Mar

ALGORYTHM (12TH ISLE)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

AUDIO, FROM 23:00, FREE

Glasgow’s longest running drum and bass club night.

Continuing their local focused series, Mindset invite along newly formed Steamed Jams for a night of grooving house music.

Thu 15 Mar All love songs + all bangers.

SYMBIOSIS (JAMIE BOSTRON + SHANKZ + ALCANE + HEX + CALACO JACK + YELLOW BENZENE)

Soul, hip-hop and funk.

For the next installment of the Algorhythm parties, their residents are joined by the 12th Isle crew. Expect a showcase of the weird and wonderful from one of Glasgow’s best new labels.

SHOW – DUSKY (BWANA)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £12

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ida is joined by collaborator and pal Rebecca Vasmant, playing vinyl all night for another round of Acid Flash.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Nefarious beats for dangerous times.

PRAY 4 LOVE

ACID FLASH (IDA + REBECCA VASMANT + KRIS MCEWAN)

SHAKE APPEAL

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Six decades of rock’n’roll under one roof, hosted by the ultimate DJ trivium.

HARDSTYLE SUPERHEROES EASTER (BRENNAN HEART + KUTSKI + ATMOZFEARS + HARD DRIVER + REBELION) O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £27.60

An Easter special of all the best in hardstyle. UNPRECEDENTED ENJOYMENT LEVELS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

A club night brought to you by Lunacy.

COOKING WITH PALMS TRAX PT.5 (JOSEY REBELLE ) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

Palms Trax’s residency is back in place for the whole year once again, enlisting Josey Rebelle for part five. SENSU PRESENTS MALL GRAB, DENIS SULTA & CC:DISCO!

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £16 - £28

Sensu take over St Luke’s and Sub Club for a whole day and night of Good Friday partying. SENSU PRESENTS MALL GRAB, DENIS SULTA & CC:DISCO!

ST LUKE’S, FROM 16:00, £16 - £28

Sensu take over St Luke’s and Sub Club for a whole day and night of Good Friday partying.

THE SWEET LIFE WITH CRATEBUG (JOSHUA & QUEENY)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Bug out with Cratebug and The Sweet Life crew.

Sat 31 Mar GONZO INDIE DISCO

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

The best indie disco in Glasgow brings all things MTV2 (pre-trash) and 120 Minutes. GO FUNK YER SOUL

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Funk. Loads of it.

The first Scottish show in 10 years for two of dance music’s most legendary artists.

LETS GO BACK (BOSCO + ROB MASON)

THE SKINNY

Edinburgh Clubs Thu 01 Mar JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno. HIJACK PRESENTS: HOUSE AND FUNK SPECIAL

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

A variety of Djs selecting house, disco and funk.

Fri 02 Mar

FLY PRESENTS CHAOS IN THE CBD

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £7 - £10

FLY welcome back favourites, New Zealand brothers Ben and Louis Helliker-Hales. RHYTHM MACHINE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6

Rhythm Machine makes a move to Bongo, and they’re bringing the whole family along. CONVOLVE #1 (GUNDAM + VAJ. POWER + G.H.B.)

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Showcasing grime, club, wave, R’n’G flavours. Respect the vibe.

WITNESS (ROSS WITNESS + FAULT LINES)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Ross Witness & Fault Lines touch down for a monthly session exploring future club music with frequent special guest DJ’s.

WEE DUB FESTIVAL AT LA BELLE ANGELE (THE BUG FEAT. MISS RED + ARIES + ELECTRIKAL SOUND + MRS MAGOO)

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £40

Now in its 8th year, the UKs’ only metropolitan reggae festival returns to the Capital for another world class celebration of soundsystem culture. WEE DUB FESTIVAL 2018 AT THE MASH HOUSE (VIBRONICS FEAT. MADU + ESCAPE ROOTS FEAT. TOM SPIRALS (LIVE) + RIDDIM TUFFA SOUND)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £40

Now in its 8th year, the UKs’ only metropolitan reggae festival returns to the Capital for another world class celebration of soundsystem culture. RIVIERA PARAISO (MONTALTO + NICOLAS BOOCHIE)

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Palms resident Montalto is joined by Brussel’s Kiosk Radio co-founder Nicolas Boochie, a welltraveled man, with many lives and many jobs.

Sat 03 Mar CYBERNETIC DREAMS

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £4

Italo disco, HI NRG, Chicago house and disco. HOTLINE: 1ST BIRTHDAY

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

The R’n’B, disco and funk club ‘run by women, for everyone’ celebrates its 1st birthday. STRUT! (THE CAPTAIN)

THE VILLAGE, FROM 21:00, FREE

Funk, soul and disco on the first Saturday of every month. DISCO INFERNO

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £3

70s/80s disco and Studio 54 vibes.

WEE DUB FESTIVAL 2018: MUNGO’S HI FI SOUNDSYSTEM FEAT. SOLO BANTON & TOM SPIRALS (O.B.F. FEAT. CHARLIE P + MANUDIGITAL (LIVE)) THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:00, £14 - £17

Full power bass vibrations from the champs with exclusive vocal combination.

HECTOR’S SNEAKY BINGO (JORDY DEELIGHT + GARETH SOMMERVILLE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £10

Hosted by CC Blooms resident Jordy Deelight and soundtracked by the don Gareth Sommerville, Hector’s presents Sneaky Bingo, with prizes and pens provided. THE BIG CHEESE

LIQUID FUNKTION: SPECTRASOUL W/ ELECTRIKAL + FROGBEATS THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £7 - £12

SAMEDIA SHEBEEN (47SOUL AFTERPARTY) (SAMEDIA + ASTROJAZZ)

SpectraSoul have earned legendary status within Drum & Bass through top drawer releases on the likes of Shogun Audio, Metalheadz, Exit Records and Critical Music.

As always, Samedia play their usual globe-trotting sounds, focusing more on Middle Eastern beats and sounds at this party.

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

JACUZZI GENERAL

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

BRAW:HAUS (GULSHICK RADIO DJ’S)

Sensual salutations with a man with one foot on land and the rest of his celestial body immersed in the deep end of aural ecstasy.

Join the hosts of Edinburgh’s former Gulshick Radio as they are reunited in a new venture: BrawHaus.

Sun 04 Mar

Sat 10 Mar

WEE DUB FESTIVAL (SESSION 4): YOUNG WARRIOR + MESSENGER + CRUCIAL ROOTS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 21:00, £10 - £13

DR NO’S

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

SKA, rocksteady and early reggae. FOURBYFOUR & DUB LOONS HI-FI

Wee Dub Festival have secured a Scottish debut for Young Warrior – vanguard of the next generation of UK dub music, carrying forward the spirit of the Zulu Warrior himself.

Dub Loons Hi-Fi are teaming up with FourByFour to bring you the finest selection of dubstep, grime, techno, jungle and drum and bass.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5

COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

EATS EVERYTHING (ANDRES CAMPO)

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £16.50 - £20

Bristolian international superstar DJ brings his tour to Edinburgh.

SUBWAY COWGATE, FROM 23:00, £5

SOULSVILLE

Residents Cameron Mason and Calum Evans spin the finest cuts of deep funk, Latin rhythms and rare groove into the early hours. TEESH PRESENTS THE NIGHT BANQUET (DJ CHEERS + COOLANT BOWSER)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Mon 05 Mar

TEESH resident crew lay out a big spread at the All You Can Eat Mind Banquet.

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10

POTTERROW, FROM 21:00, £3 - £5

GAS (EDINBURGH LAUNCH): KADE W/ MC P SOLJA, PALIZE, VAMOS

GAS make their Edinburgh debut with four titans of the UK Bass and Grime scene. NUTS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

Napier University Techno Society go boom.

Tue 06 Mar

EYEANGLE RECORDS / R2: THE FUNK KITCHEN (LIAM DOC + CHRIS ROUX + KEALIN) CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 22:30, TBC

The ‘family run independent label with family values’ present a label showcase.

Wed 07 Mar

17 STEPS TOUR: DUSKY + CHRISTIAN PIERS SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

London duo Dusky bring their 17 Steps label tour to Sneaks, with special guest and label mate Christian Piers (Laszlo Dancehall / A1 Bassline).

Thu 08 Mar

ODYSSEY. 014 - TIGA (TURBO RECORDINGS)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

ODYSSEY. returns to Cab Vol, this time with Turbo top man Tiga and support from Nick Checketts.

DJ PYTHON AT JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

The man of many monikers, it's fair to say Brooklyn’s DJ Python (DJ Wey, DJ Xanax and Luis et al) is already a true heavyweight.

Fri 09 Mar

FLY: DANCEMANIA W/ PAUL JOHNSON

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

FLY presents a Dancemania Label Showcase with Paul Johnson and support from ASHMORE.

ANYTHING GOES (METRAGNOME + DARELL HARDING + DROWZEE + OCTO TRAX)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Techno, jungle and bassline. HEADSET: COOLY G & MA1

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £4 - £7

Skillis and friends put on a UK Funky special of Headset, with the usual old school hip-hop upstairs. HWTS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

THE BIG CHEESE

Student-friendly party, playing – as you’d expect – cheesy classics of every hue. KEEP IT STEEL - REDNECK RODEO

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £4

The best metal club night in the world returns with a throwback to their barn-stompin’, hay bailin’ party games special.

ETHEREUM NIGHTS (SUPERMODEL + FRANK + EXTERIOR + THE REVERSE ENGINEER + REACT + HIVA + OA + SIN/RED )

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

A new programme of contemporary art, live music and DJs happening in Edinburgh.

SHAPEWORK: SKEE MASK (3 HOUR SET)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £11

Ilian Tape mainstay, Skee Mask’s DJ sets include a variety of influences and he has been known to play footwork and jungle alongside techno. OTHER THUMPERS (DONALD DUST)

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Enter Planet Dust. Italo heat and proto house from a man clad in studded leather.

Sun 11 Mar

COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

Mon 12 Mar

Fri 16 Mar

FLY PRESENTS MELLA DEE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

FLY proudly welcomes Mella Dee to take over the reigns, with support from ASHMORE.

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6

Mon 19 Mar

SKIN TIGHT

Some of the city’s best and established DJ crews team up to bring you a new party.

LOOSE THREAD LAUNCH PARTY (JESS COHEN B2B SHOLTO + ATTEN B2B LYER)

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Finely selected techno, breaks and other percussive explorations.

XOXO

The popular queer night returns to the Wee Red. BIGFOOT’S TEA PARTY - 10 YEARS WITH IL BOSCO

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

All hitters, no shitters. The main man from Manchester wheels back up North to kick off BFT’s 10th year in the game. Spicy all night, Bosco is the real deal. BALKANARAMA

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 22:30, £8 - £10

All singing, all dancing Balkan orgy, plus belly dancing and free brandy. As in, we’re sold.

OVERGROUND: BFDM SHOWCASE (DJ NORMAL 4 + J-ZBEL + JUDAAH)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £11.50

Overground celebrate two years, with three Brothers From a Different Mother acts. WD:09 FREE PARTY (LAURENCE NOLAN + JOE HIGHET)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

Minimal house and techno from Edinburgh’s Etiket label mates B2B all night upstairs in The Mash House. MAIN INGREDIENT

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Main Ingredient continue their bi-monthly residency and bring their anything goes ethos to Paradise Palms. Expect live synths, percussion, guest musicians and their vast record collections.

Sat 17 Mar

PLEASURE PRESENTS: ST PATRICK’S DAY

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £0 - £7

Scott Dickie and Simon Bays hold it down in the main room, while Luke Anderson keeps it chill in the new boudoir, with olives and antipasti, of course. SHADOWPLAY

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

A mix of classic goth, post-punk, new wave, dark wave, synth, deathrock and more.

WASABI DISCO WITH HAPPY MEALS (LIVE) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Wasabi Disco welcomes sultry Glasgow synth-pop duo Happy Meals, who sit firmly at the forefront of the live electronic underground.

ALL NIGHT PASSION (EDINBURGH DEBUT) / R2: ELYSIUM

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 22:30, TBC

A journey through disco, love and magic, inspired by the classic sounds of pioneers from America, Germany and Italy.

Wed 21 Mar

HEATERS: VENTURA FREEWAY (C-SHAMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

Three-strong Miss World crew take over Heaters. ITCHY FEET

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

45s full of soul, ska and sass to keep all veterans boogieing all night long, igniting some rock’n’soul fire in your lives mid-week style.

Thu 15 Mar JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

ST PADDY DOES PINNACLE (ACID BUDDHA + LIZ LOUISE + MIKO + SESENTAYUNO)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

Tech house and techno with Groovers, Pinnacle, Coalition and Choons On Toast residents. PERCY MAIN SOCIAL CLUB

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Paradise Palms Resident Percy Main and the man behind Lionoil Industries treats us to another evening of the dancing.

Heriot Watt Techno Society drop in for a follow-up party with fresh student DJ’s covering all realms of Techno.

March 2018

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno.

Sun 25 Mar

Brand new night at The Reading Rooms, dedicated to all things techno.

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Fri 30 Mar

TEMPTATION

Edinburgh’s finest LGBT+ club night, playing the best synth-pop, electro-pop and Hi-NRG from the 80s to the present day. Nothing is too cheesy, nothing is too camp, nothing is too queer.

RIDE (TAYLOR SWITCH + CHECKITTA)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

00’s r’n’b. Who’s that girl? lala lala la la, lala, lala la la, lala. UNITY (T>I + BENNY L)

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £6 - £8

The Unity crew host a drum and bass special.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £7 - £10

The all-female musical beauty pageant of disco, house, techno, soul, funk, reggae, new wave and the rest.

Amp Fiddler’s credentials are the best in the game. He introduced J Dilla to the MPC, he played keys with George Clinton in Parliament and Funkadelic early in his career and he comes to Sneaks for a late live session. CHURCH 2.6: DJ ZINC PRESENTS BINGO (WALTERS)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £12

Church cap off an amazing year by welcoming bass music hero DJ Zinc for the Edinburgh leg of his BINGO UK tour.

Fri 23 Mar

FLY PRESENTS GOURANGA & GUSTEAU, CLAY & COTTA

MISS WORLD

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

Tue 27 Mar

HOMETOWN / R2: THE FUNK KITCHEN

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 22:30, TBC

Cammy Macleod and Justin ‘TB’ Bickler of Hometown fame return for the next instalment of their residency.

Wed 28 Mar

HEADWAY WITH DVS1 (3 HOUR SET)

Immersed in the heydays of the 90s Midwest rave scene, DVS1 has gained a huge reputation for his versatile skills, infectious energy and physical power behind the decks. I AM A RAVER VOLUME ONE DUNDEE ALBUM PARTY

FAT SAM’S, FROM 22:30, £5 - £15

Gary McF takes the reigns in an I Am a Raver special.

HEATERS: EVA CRYSTALTIPS (C-SHAMAN)

Sat 03 Mar

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:00, £17.50 - £19.50

EATS EVERYTHING

BETAMAX

Thu 29 Mar

Fri 09 Mar

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £10

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

New wave, post punk, power pop, dark wave and 80s synth.

ELECTRIKAL: DJ GUV (DRUM & BASS SPECIAL)

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

MJÖLK

Playing the finest in Swedish indiepop, 60s, 70s and independent music from near and far. NSA WITH CRIMES OF THE FUTURE

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £12

No Strings Attached get up close and personal with Scott Fraser & Timothy J Fairplay, aka Crimes of the Future.

STORYTIME PRESENTS: HUNEE (PERCY MAIN + PUGZ)

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £16 - £18

PARTIPETS

Partipets will delight the senses and flutter your ears. An evening of wurrld, rnb, sex basss, italo, electro, disco, fun pops = Bebe Muzika.

Sat 24 Mar SOUL SLAP

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Funk and soul.

MUMBO JUMBO W/ THE GOGO

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7

Funk, soul, beats and bumps from the Mumbo Jumbo gang and new room two residents The GoGo. PLEASUREDOME

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Funk, disco and oh-so-soulful house.

HWTS PRESENTS BIG MIZ

Heriot-Watt Techno Society bring in Glasgow’s Big Miz for their end of term party. ROCKET MAN

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £9

Get off your rocker at the launch of Rocket Man, Edinburgh’s finest charity night, with astronomical art, live music and tunes that will get you grooving.

PALMS TRAX AT JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £12

Palms Trax (Dekmantel/Lobster Theremin/Secretsundaze) returns to Sneaks after a belter set for homies TEESH a few years back.

Fri 30 Mar

FLY: DEKMANTEL SOUNDSYSTEM (ALL NIGHT LONG) CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

FLY welcomes the founding fathers behind one of the greatest musical movements of our time, Dekmantel Soundsystem. LIONOIL: LENA WILLIKENS & VIOLET

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Lionoil pair up another two great Djs for a night of mind-warping industrial boogie, electro, prototechno and everything between. ALL NIGHT WITH PROSUMER

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £10

An all night techno dinner date with your friendly neighbour Prosumer, the former Panorama Bar resident and NTS host. He’s an excellent cook. NIKNAK PRESENTS: DJ PAULETTE

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

NikNak are very excited to be bringing their pal and summer muse DJ Paulette up North for their residency at Palms.

QFX are back with their massive Dance Anthems live show, performing 90s and 00s classics.

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £10 - £15

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

QFX – DANCE ANTHEMS LIVE!

FAT SAM’S, FROM 22:30, £6

Fri 02 Mar

Bongo’s resident disco queen Eva Crystaltips plays Sneaks for the first time.

FLY bring back Gouranga & Gusteau for another party.

Emma Blake is a DJ and Producer who hails from Glasgow and now plays a prominent role in the bustling electronic music scene emerging from Copenhagen.

FINITRIBE PRESENTS SLIPPERY PEOPLE

Mon 26 Mar

AMP FIDDLER (LIVE) AT JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

RECKLESS KETTLE PRESENTS SOLID BLAKE

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £3.50 - £5

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Thu 22 Mar

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

No Scrubs is a night of 90s and 00s hip hop & R’n’B vibes, from the hardest gritty boom bap to the silky vocals of some of the finest R&B.

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Disco, outer-national oddities and edits, world groove, psychedelia and house.

FREQUENCY SESSIONS: 004

Rhythm Machine makes a move to Bongo, and they’re bringing the whole family along.

Dundee Clubs

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

HEATERS: MISS WORLD (C-SHAMAN)

ME AND THE DEVIL

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

Wed 14 Mar

NO SCRUBS (MISS MIXTAPE)

A forward thinking party. Latest tracks and furtive hits. An LGBTQ+ DJ’ed and hosted party, welcome to all.

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

Hip-hop or whatever you ask for really.

POTTERROW, FROM 21:00, £3 - £5

FRESH FRUIT (MONDO BONGO + HORREURSCOPES + ASH IS )

Wed 28 Mar

RHYTHM MACHINE

Like the Drive soundtrack but with too many people dancing in the kitchen when someone arrives with a case of Dragon Soup.

Student-friendly party, playing – as you’d expect – cheesy classics of every hue.

JOHNNY POCKET’S NOT BOTHERED

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

POTTERROW, FROM 21:00, £3 - £5

Sat 31 Mar

Slippery People happened by itself. It’s always been about music and music only.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

Hunee has rapidly become one of the most sought after DJs around, and his unique mixture of disco, techno, house and soul has become his real calling card.

THE BIG CHEESE

Tue 20 Mar

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

A salad of genres: 60s garage and soul plus 70s punk and new wave, peppered with psych and indie for good measure.

Sneaky Pete’s longest running club night, with over 10 years of parties, almost all of which were soundtracked solely by the residents.

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

THE EGG

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefy Messenger Sound System.

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

DEFINITION (MARK BALNEAVES + MARTY LIGHTBODY)

Student-friendly party, playing – as you’d expect – cheesy classics of every hue.

Soundsystem party-starters, part of a music and art collective specialising in all things bass, bring DJ Guv along for a drum and bass special.

MESSENGER

Student-friendly party, playing – as you’d expect – cheesy classics of every hue.

POTTERROW, FROM 21:00, £3 - £5

Sun 18 Mar

Bristolian international superstar DJ brings his tour to Edinburgh. ROOMS RESIDENTS

A selection of Reading Rooms residents hold the fort for the evening, playing good vibe tunes all night long.

Sat 10 Mar

JUTE CITY JAM W/ ANSATA

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £5 - £7

Jute City Jam returns to wobble the Reading Rooms crew, with residents Max Galloway and Ronan Baxter joined at the controls by local warlock Ansata.

Wed 14 Mar

FREQUENCY SESSIONS: 003

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

Brand new night at The Reading Rooms, dedicated to all things techno.

Thu 15 Mar

RECKLESS KETTLE DRAG PARTY

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £5

Girls dressed as boys, boys dressed as girls, girls dressed as boys dressed as girls.

Fri 16 Mar

ALL GOOD PRESENTS: BIG MIZ (VAN D + ETHAN BELL)

READING ROOMS, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10

The newest addition to Scotland’s top tier of DJ and production talent, Big Miz hits Reading Rooms.

Sat 17 Mar

BOOK CLUB: DJ BONE (IS KILL + MARC JD)

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:00, £5 - £12

Book Club bring in Detroit techno maestro DJ Bone for a St. Patrick’s Day party.

Sat 24 Mar LOCARNO

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £5 - £7

The Locarno boys, Red & Steven, Reuben and Max will once again bring their alternative slice of 50s & 60s (and a little 70s) music to the Small Town Club.

Listings

Theatre Glasgow Theatre CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art LOVE OR MONEY

24-25 MAR, 7:30PM, £8 - £10

Karen Barclay and Tom Brogan return to the CCA for the fifth year running with a double bill of one-act plays for the Whyte and MacKay Glasgow International Comedy Festival. TRICKY HAT: THE FLAMES

25-25 MAR, TIMES VARY, £3.50 - £5

Combining performance with striking audio, visual design elements and original music, The Flames take inspiration from everyday life making the extraordinary out of the ordinary.

Citizens Theatre THREE SISTERS

28 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Adrian Osmond presents a new version of Chekhov’s tragi-comedy about dashed hopes and unrequited love. LEMONS LEMONS LEMONS LEMONS LEMONS

1-3 MAR, TIMES VARY, £10 - £16.50

A gag law limiting the country to 140 spoken words a day forces young couple Oliver and Bernadette to find different ways to understand and communicate with each other. COME HELL OR HIGH WATER

21-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, £10 - £12.50

A cast of twenty perform entertaining sketches and belt out new songs of angst and optimism with a live professional band.

Oran Mor

THE PIEMAN COMETH: A CAUTIONARY FOOTBALL TALE

18-21 MAR, 7:30PM, £10 - £12

A play by Bryan Jackson and David Belcher about the addiction and insanity of Scottish Football. Part of GICF.

The King’s Theatre

THE LYRIC CLUB: PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

6-10 MAR, TIMES VARY, £10 - £28.90

Based on the smash-hit movie, the musical is the heart-warming, uplifting adventure of a glamorous Sydney-based performing trio who agree to take their show to the middle of the Australian outback.

Theatre Royal OF MICE AND MEN

1-3 MAR, TIMES VARY, £15.90 - £40.40

This landmark play by the Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck is the story of George and Lennie, two migrant ranch workers who dream of owning their own ranch.

Tron Theatre CEILIDH

7-10 MAR, TIMES VARY, £8.50 - £11

Wild, outspoken and buried face down on Harris, poet Màiri Ruadh is back, with one last night to resurrect the true meaning of the cèilidh. SHOWTIME FROM THE FRONTLINE

21-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, £15 - £18

Dodging cultural and literal bullets, Israeli incursions and religion, Mark Thomas and his team set out to run a comedy club for two nights in the Palestinian city of Jenin. STUNTMAN

1-3 MAR, 8:00PM, £8.50 - £11

A new performance about movie violence and masculinity, Stuntman is an intensely physical, funny, and tender duet by two men who wrestle with their relationship to violence. THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT

1-17 MAR, TIMES VARY, £12 - £17

Stephen Adly Guirgis’s high octane, tough-talking play about love, infidelity and survival gets its first out-of-London UK production.

Listings

HOW TO ACT 6-17 MAR, 8:00PM, PRICES VARY

Graham Eatough’s play sees two individuals drawn together in the world of theatre, but both with different versions of the truth. IN BURROWS

23-24 MAR, 8:00PM, £8.50 - £11

Shifting between poetry, movement and prayer, In Burrows is an act of faith – a slow fall into the gaps between words, hoping to find something worth landing on. BUNNY

28 MAR-7 APR, 8:00PM, £8.50 - £11

A funny, exhilarating and poignant play by Jack Thorne, the Olivier award-winning writer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, as well as TV shows Skins, This Is England and National Treasure.

Edinburgh Theatre

Royal Lyceum Theatre THE BELLE’S STRATAGEM

1-10 MAR, TIMES VARY, £14 - £32

A witty riposte to Farquhar’s The Beaux Stratagem, Hannah Cowley’s rediscovered gem turns the tables on the farcical goings-on and has the women coming out on top.

BINGO!

3-17 MAR, TIMES VARY, £13 - £19

A new musical comedy focusing on lives of six characters and one fateful night at the bingo, with cracking original songs, a lot of banter and cheeky humour.

Assembly Roxy THE TURN VOL 1. SPEAK

10 MAR, 7:00PM, £10

Taking inspiration from the party tradition of ‘doing a turn’ and our love of a ceilidh, TwentySomething presents the first edition of The Turn, an exciting new evening of performance, spoken word, dance and music.

Festival Theatre THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

12-17 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Comedy mashing up the theatrical side of Noises Off with the farcical qualities of Fawlty Towers, following a polytechnic drama society as they attempt to stage a 20s murder mystery. NORTHERN BALLET’S THE LITTLE MERMAID

22-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, £16 - £37

Caird Hall

A MAN’S A MAN FOR A’ WHIT?

Part of the Burns Unbroke festival, the young theatre company Wonder Fools present the first performance of a new work in development. SUMMERHALL SCRATCH

8-9 MAR, 7:30PM, £5

Two evenings of fresh new work across all genres, featuring some exciting artists.

ANATOMY #17: SAM SATYR’S BREAKING NEWS ACTION PLAYSET

16 MAR, 8:00PM, £7

A contemporary variety show, ANATOMY presents a bubbling cauldron of performance and shenanigans.

The Edinburgh Playhouse 5-10 MAR, TIMES VARY, £15 - £57.40

The favourited musical tale of separated-at-birth twins who grow up on opposite sides of the tracks. HAIRSPRAY

12-17 MAR, TIMES VARY, £20 - £77.50

Toe-tapping musical based on the film by John Waters, following the tale of a girl with big hair and an even bigger heart.

ELLEN KENT’S MADAMA BUTTERFLY

30-31 MAR, 7:30PM, £19.40 - £42.40

Ellen Kent’s take on Puccini’s classic Italian opera, as lavishlycostumed as ever. ELLEN KENT’S LA TRAVIATA

29 MAR, 7:30PM, £19.40 - £42.40

Verdi’s interpretation of one of the most popular love stories of the 19th century is given a modern reworking by Ellen Kent. THE RAT PACK - LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS

1-3 MAR, TIMES VARY, £18 - £60.50

This production sends you back in time to the glamorous, golden era of 1950s Las Vegas, when Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin joined forces at the famous Sands Hotel. GIRLS NIGHT OOT!

27-31 MAR, TIMES VARY, £20 - £32.50

Traverse Theatre

King’s Theatre Edinburgh FOOTLOOSE

14-17 MAR, TIMES VARY, £16 - £20

The Bohemians Lyric Opera Company present their take on the crowd pleasing musical. HELLO DOLLY

6-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Southern Light Opera provide their take on Jerry Herman’s perennial Broadway block-buster Hello, Dolly!

ALLAN STEWART’S BIG BIG VARIETY SHOW

1-3 MAR, TIMES VARY, £27

Comedy, music and entertainment from yer pal Allan Stewart and a roster of guests. EDGAS H.M.S. PINAFORE

20-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, £17 - £25

The comical tale of a love affair between sailor Ralph Rackstraw and his captain’s daughter, Josephine.

THE CASE OF THE FRIGHTENED LADY

26-31 MAR, TIMES VARY, £19 - £32.50

The latest star-studded chapter in the classic thriller series from Edgar Wallace.

2 MAR, 7:30PM, £15

3 MAR, 7:30PM, £5

25 MAR, 6:00PM, £18 - £26

Set in 1974, but with modern-day relevance, James Graham’s play gives us a timely, moving and often amusing insight into the workings of British politics.

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES

Summerhall

Reimagining the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, this adaptation will take you on a journey beneath the waves. THIS HOUSE

Bonar Hall

A play providing an insight into the forbidden areas and depths of the female body.

BLOOD BROTHERS

Assembly Hall

Dundee Theatre

Sequel to feel-good production I Will Survive, featuring songs from the 60s right through to modern hits. Frothy as it comes. THREE SISTERS

15-17 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Adrian Osmond presents a new version of Chekhov’s tragi-comedy about dashed hopes and unrequited love. THE RETURN

1 MAR, 7:30PM, £9 - £17

Inspired by the true story of Martin Guerre, The Return is a gripping play about the mystery of identity and the survival instinct TUTUMUCKY / RITUALIA

3 MAR, 7:30PM, £9 - £17

This exciting double-bill from Scottish Dance Theatre pairs TuTuMucky by Botis Seva alongside RITUALIA by Colette Sadler. HOW TO ACT

6-17 MAR, 8:00PM, PRICES VARY

Graham Eatough’s play sees two individuals drawn together in the world of theatre, but both with different versions of the truth. WINTER SOLSTICE

21-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, £9 - £17

Family, betrayal and the inescapable presence of the past reverberate through Roland Schimmelpfennig’s razor-sharp comedy about the rise of the new right across the globe. NT CONNECTIONS 2018

27-31 MAR, 7:00PM, £6 - £8

The National Theatre Connections festival is a celebration of young people, theatre-making and the importance of access to the arts.

BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY

23 MAR, 7:30PM, £23.50 - £25

10th anniversary tour, celebrating a decade of Big Girls Don’t Cry featuring The East Coast Boys.

Dundee Rep SPRING AWAKENING

22-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, £9 - £25

Comedy Glasgow Comedy Thu 01 Mar

THE THURSDAY SHOW (IAN MOORE + SUSAN MURRAY + LIAM WITHNAIL + WISARUT JANTARASORN + ASHLEY STORRIE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £7

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

Fri 02 Mar

THE FRIDAY SHOW (IAN MOORE + SUSAN MURRAY + LIAM WITHNAIL + WISARUT JANTARASORN + ASHLEY STORRIE)

Classical musical, this time set to a contemporary rock soundtrack, following a group of teens as they revolt against the status quo.

The big weekend show with five comedians.

1-10 MAR, TIMES VARY, £9 - £25

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

DEATHTRAP

One of the most successful black comedies ever, Deathtrap is a truly satisfying spine-chilling thriller that will have you laughing and screaming in equal measure. SINGIN’ I’M NO A BILLY HE’S A TIM

30 MAR, 7:30PM, £9 - £16

Des Dillon’s brilliant satire of bigotry in Scotland and its connection with the nation’s two biggest football teams has been a near-constant fixture in Scottish theatres since 2005.

The Gardyne Theatre ONE NIGHT OF ADELE

16 MAR, 7:30PM, £22

A truly immaculate replication of Adele’s most captivating performances THE SHIRLEY BASSEY STORY

17 MAR, 7:30PM, £22

Both stunning and moving, the show charts the life and musical career of Shirley Veronica Bassey. RHINESTONE COWBOY: THE GLEN CAMPBELL STORY

30 MAR, 7:30PM, £21.50 - £23.50

A high-energy and unforgettable tribute to this legendary performer, telling his story through projections and featuring an incredible catalogue of hits.

Whitehall Theatre HELLO DOLLY

6-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Southern Light Opera provide their take on Jerry Herman’s perennial Broadway block-buster Hello, Dolly!

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

THE LATE SHOW

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sat 03 Mar

THE SATURDAY SHOW (IAN MOORE + SUSAN MURRAY + LIAM WITHNAIL + WISARUT JANTARASORN + ASHLEY STORRIE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. THE LATE SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sun 04 Mar

STEPHEN BAILEY: CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £12.50

The man from Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side (nah, us either) heads out on a stand-up tour.

Mon 05 Mar

MONDAY NIGHT IMPROV (BILLY KIRKWOOD + STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

Hold on tight for this fast, frantic unpredictable showdown of improvised comedy games where the same game is never played twice.

Tue 06 Mar

RED RAW (GEORGE FOX + GARY MEIKLE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts. GLASGOW HAROLD NIGHT

BLACKFRIARS BASEMENT, FROM 20:00, FREE

One hilarious show, completely improvised by two teams, based off an audience suggestion. Improv comedy at its finest.

Wed 07 Mar

COMEDIAN RAP BATTLES (NEIL THE WEE MAN BRATCHPIECE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £4 - £6

Comedy and rap collide.

SUSIE MCCABE – DOMESTIC DISASTER THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 22:30, £10 - £12

This year, Susie looks at why she is generally rubbish and a disaster at all things domestic and more. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

DRYGATE BREWING CO., FROM 20:00, £11.50 - £12.50

Craft comedy in a Craft Brewery, with a different line up every Friday during the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 18:50, £11 - £13

LATE LAUGHS

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Wed 14 Mar

Sat 17 Mar

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £21.90 - £23.40

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 22:30, £17.50

ORAN MOR, FROM 18:30, £16.50

Scotland’s kilted comedy treasure is back with a riotous night of comedy. Part of GICF.

Sat 10 Mar

THE FESTIVAL CLUB (FRED MACAULAY + DARREN CONNELL + JAY LAFFERTY + ASHLEY STORRIE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 22:30, £17.50

The best late night comedy at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit. SUSIE MCCABE – DOMESTIC DISASTER

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

This year, Susie looks at why she is generally rubbish and a disaster at all things domestic and more. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. GARY FAULDS – WELCOME TO SESHLEHEM

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 17:00, £10

Join the Glaswegian funny man for his fourth Glasgow Comedy Festival. Fast-paced, punchline-packed, relatable comedy. LATE LAUGHS

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. CRAIG HILL: SOMEONE’S GONNA GET KILT!

ORAN MOR, FROM 18:30, £16.50

Scotland’s kilted comedy treasure is back with a riotous night of comedy. Part of GICF.

Sun 11 Mar

ALAN BISSETT: MOIRA MONOLOGUES & (MORE) MOIRA MONOLOGUES CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £13 - £25

An evening of hilarity and hardhitting truths from Falkirk’s hardest woman. For the first time as a double-bill, as part of the Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

ALAN BISSETT: MOIRA MONOLOGUES & (MORE) MOIRA MONOLOGUES CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £13 - £25

An evening of hilarity and hardhitting truths from Falkirk’s hardest woman. For the first time as a double-bill, as part of the Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

JIM SMITH – BACK TO THE TEUCHTER

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 18:30, £9 - £10

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

GILDED BALLOON COMEDY AT DRYGATE (CHRIS FORBES + ROSCO MCCLELLAND + WIS JANTARASORN + SCOTT GIBSON)

MAE MARTIN: DOPE

Sit down on a chair as Iain shares his take on the familiar yet unpredictable ingredients that make life Some Buzz. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

CRAIG HILL: SOMEONE’S GONNA GET KILT!

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:30, £9 - £10

Fri 09 Mar

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £25.50

Following a sold out run at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory and two critically-acclaimed West End runs, David Baddiel takes his Olivier-nominated one-man show to theatres nationwide.

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Rural life meets comedy. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Glasgow’s own Jamie MacDonald is blind dynamite. A master story teller. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

IAIN CONNELL – SOME BUZZ THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 22:30, £11 - £12

The award-winning stand-up, and star of BBC Radio 4’s Mae Martin’s Guide to 21st Century Sexuality, presents her debut UK tour. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

LATE LAUGHS

Thu 08 Mar

JAMIE MACDONALD – DESIGNATED DRIVER

DAVID BADDIEL – MY FAMILY: NOT THE SITCOM

DAVID KAY – LIVE

One of the hidden gems of the Scottish comedy circuit. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. AYESHA HAZARIKA: STATE OF THE NATION

TOMMY TIERNAN: UNDER THE INFLUENCE

He once set the World Record for the longest stand-up comedy show at 36 hours and 15 minutes. Expect something a little shorter from the Irish comedian tonight though. DES CLARKE: JUST DESSERTS

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £15

Glasgow’s star of stand up is back at the Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival with more nonsense stories, topical gags and offbeat observations. LARRY DEAN – FANDAN

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:30, £10

Larry Dean brings his criticallyacclaimed new show on tour following a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run and a debut appearance on BBC1’s Live At The Apollo. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival

Thu 15 Mar

LARRY DEAN – FANDAN

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:30, £10

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:30, £9 - £10

Home Sweet Home is the debut hour from Scotland’s best new comedian, who STV says is ‘following in the footsteps of Kevin Bridges’. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival ROB SCHNEIDER: AN EVENING OF LIES

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £25

SCOTT GIBSON

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

The winner of the 2016 Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer. Part of GICF. THE FESTIVAL CLUB (IAN COPPINGER)

The best late night comedy at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit. BRIDGET CHRISTIE: WHAT NOW?

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £16 - £18

Join the winner of Rose D’Or, Edinburgh Comedy Award and Southbank Sky Arts Award for a night of hope and despair.

JAMES CAMPBELL: THE HILARIOUSLY FUNNY WORLD OF...

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 14:00, £7.50

A show which finds The Hilariously Funny Things about everything including pets, yoghurt, bees, and why do we have hair? ASHLEY STORRIE: ADULTING

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 17:00, £9 - £10

Ashley returns to the Glasgow Comedy Festival with a brand-new show about not growing up. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. ST. PATRICK’S DAY IRISH COMEDY SPECIAL (IAN COPPINGER + ANDREW RYAN + MARY FLANIGAN + MICHAEL REDMOND)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:30, £13 - £15

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style with Ireland’s finest under one roof. Excellent value Celtic showcase. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. LATE LAUGHS

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. PHIL DIFFER: LIFE IS PISH

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Three time Emmy winner, as part of SNL’s writing staff, household name and bonafide comedy star. Part of GICF.

Having recently completed a PhD on the subject, Phil Differ is here to prove that life is pish. Part of GICF.

Fri 16 Mar

Sun 18 Mar

PHILL JUPITUS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

The inimitable Mr Jupitus returns to the live stand-up stage, his quick remarks and cheeky sarcasm as prevalent as ever. Part of GICF. JERRY SADOWITZ

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £25.40 - £28.90

NO SUCH THING AS A FISH

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £18

Join Dan Schreiber, Andrew Hunter Murray, Anna Ptaszynski and James Harkin as they serve up their pick of the most bizarre, extraordinary and hilarious facts known to man. IAIN CONNELL – SOME BUZZ

The defiantly un-PC comic – known for hating, well, pretty much everything – does his reliably offensive thing.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £11 - £12

DRYGATE BREWING CO., FROM 20:00, £11.50 - £12.50

The winner of the 2016 Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer. Part of GICF.

GILDED BALLOON COMEDY AT DRYGATE (SCOTT AGNEW + MAT EWINS + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + RICHARD GADD)

Craft comedy in a Craft Brewery, with a different line up every Friday during the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. THE EARLY SHOW

Sit down on a chair as Iain shares his take on the familiar yet unpredictable ingredients that make life Some Buzz. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. SCOTT GIBSON

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

Mon 19 Mar ALEXEI SAYLE

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £18 - £20

Ayesha Hazarika returns to her comedy roots after dabbling in politics for a while. Part of GICF.

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

The Godfather of alternative comedy brings his hit Edinburgh show to the Whyte & Mackay Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Tue 13 Mar

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £16 - £18

TRAMWAY, FROM 20:00, £12 - £15

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12.50

THE BEST OF RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £5

The very best of the weekly new material night brought together in one show. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. LIGHT BULB

BLACKFRIARS BASEMENT, FROM 20:00, FREE

An alternative comedy showcase and brand new night of stand up comedy.

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

BRIDGET CHRISTIE: WHAT NOW?

Join the winner of Rose D’Or, Edinburgh Comedy Award and Southbank Sky Arts Award for a night of hope and despair.

CRAIG CAMPBELL: EASY TIGER 2017-18 WORLD TOUR

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:00, £15

The majestic mountain moose in a tiger striped onesie brings his thrilling new show Easy Tiger out of the frightening Fringe jungle and into the Stand’s premier kitty house.

LIMMY’S VINES

Join Limmy as he introduces a screening of his infamous Vines, followed by an audience Q&A where you can ask him how, what and why. ALUN COCHRANE: ALUNISH COCHRANISH

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Grumpy-joyful, silly-serious stand-up. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

THE SKINNY

ROB ROUSE – ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY? THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £13 - £14

Rob takes this trademark comedic storytelling to a career high in this full length show. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. WIT’S GOIN’ ON? (WITSHERFACE)

WEBSTER’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12.50

Witsherface are back with a brand new show. Join the all-female comedy group for a night of topical humour and sketches. Part of GICF.

Tue 20 Mar THE BEST OF RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £5

The very best of the weekly new material night brought together in one show. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

MILES JUPP AND FRIENDS IN AID OF THE PRESHAL TRUST

CITIZENS THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £17.50

The host of The News Quiz and regular on TV panel shows brings along some pals for a benefit show. LIMMY’S VINES

TRAMWAY, FROM 20:00, £12 - £15

Join Limmy as he introduces a screening of his infamous Vines, followed by an audience Q&A where you can ask him how, what and why. THE COMEDIANS AT THE KING’S

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £15.40

A comedy gala showcasing some of the greatest working comedians in the UK, featuring John Moloney, Fred MacAulay, Gary Little, Janey Godley and more.

Wed 21 Mar

FERN BRADY: SUFFER, FOOLS!

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £10

Following a sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe and a UK tour, Fern Brady brings her show to Glasgow before taking it to Melbourne. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. LIMMY’S VINES

TRAMWAY, FROM 20:00, £12 - £15

Join Limmy as he introduces a screening of his infamous Vines, followed by an audience Q&A where you can ask him how, what and why. THE COMEDIANS AT THE KING’S

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £15.40

A comedy gala showcasing some of the greatest working comedians in the UK, featuring John Moloney, Fred MacAulay, Gary Little, Janey Godley and more.

ROBIN INCE – PRAGMATIC INSANITY

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £13 - £15

Robin’s first new stand up show in three years is a clash of the two cultures, a joyous romp through his favourite artists and strangest scientific ideas. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Thu 22 Mar HARDEEP SINGH KOHLI

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £10 - £13

The comedian, broadcaster, journalist and chef returns to GIFC with his decent chat and quickwitted patter. LIMMY’S VINES

TRAMWAY, FROM 20:00, £12 - £15

Join Limmy as he introduces a screening of his infamous Vines, followed by an audience Q&A where you can ask him how, what and why. ELAINE C SMITH: BURDZ EYE VIEW

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £25.40

The comedienne, actress, singer, writer, raconteur, political activist and star of Rab C Nesbitt returns with her new show – a mix of intelligent stand-up, storytelling and music.

CRAIG CAMPBELL: EASY TIGER 2017-18 WORLD TOUR

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:30, £15

The majestic mountain moose in a tiger striped onesie brings his thrilling new show Easy Tiger out of the frightening Fringe jungle and into the Stand’s premier kitty house. COMIC RELIEF – LIVE!

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 18:30, £15 - £17

Fri 23 Mar

GILDED BALLOON COMEDY AT DRYGATE (CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + MICHAEL REDMOND + VIV GEE + JAYDE ADAMS)

DRYGATE BREWING CO., FROM 20:00, £11.50 - £12.50

WILLIAM ANDREWS: WILLY THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:00, £6

New show from William Andrews, known to mix stand-up, sketches and performance art. Part of GICF. WILL SEAWARD’S SPOOKY GHOST STORIES

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 20:30, £8

Craft comedy in a Craft Brewery, with a different line up every Friday during the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

After four years at the Edinburgh Fringe, Will Seaward’s legendary late-night show is coming to Glasgow. Part of GICF.

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Tue 27 Mar

THE EARLY SHOW

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit. ELAINE C SMITH: BURDZ EYE VIEW

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £25.40

The comedienne, actress, singer, writer, raconteur, political activist and star of Rab C Nesbitt returns with her new show – a mix of intelligent stand-up, storytelling and music. CHRIS FORBES – UNQUIET MIND

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:00, £9 - £10

Inspired by variety shows of old, Forbes pulls out all the stops to present an eclectic live experience that represents his unquiet mind. RAYMOND MEARNS – LIVE @ THE STAND

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 22:30, £10 - £12

Life can be a curse but laughter is the cure; that’s what Raymond has been successfully dispensing for over twenty years. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. LATE LAUGHS

RED RAW (MARC JENNINGS + BRAD BADRAN)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Wed 28 Mar SCRAM!

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £4 - £5

SCRAM! is the brand new sketch and ensemble night from some of Scotland’s finest new comedians. stand-up, sketches and improv.

Thu 29 Mar

THE THURSDAY SHOW (LLOYD LANGFORD + FRANCESCO DE CARLO + JAMIE DALGLEISH + SUSAN RIDDELL + JANEY GODLEY) THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £7

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

Fri 30 Mar

THE FRIDAY SHOW (LLOYD LANGFORD + FRANCESCO DE CARLO + JAMIE DALGLEISH + SUSAN RIDDELL + JANEY GODLEY) THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

The big weekend show with five comedians.

JANEY GODLEY: REVELATIONS OF GODLEY

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £11 - £13

True stories of someone who will never cease and desist.

CHRIS BETTS: WORK IN PROGRESS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 20:30, £5

New jokes, stories and thoughts from comedian and huge Point Break fan, Chris Betts. Part of GICF. THE WEE MAN’S RAP BATTLE SHOWDOWN 2K18

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 20:30, £5

Comedians battle rappers in a showdown of hip hop wits. Part of GICF.

Sat 24 Mar THE FESTIVAL CLUB

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 22:30, £17.50

The best late night comedy at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit. LIMMY’S VINES

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £14.90 - £17.90

Join Limmy as he introduces a screening of his infamous Vines, followed by an audience Q&A where you can ask him how, what and why. AMERICA STANDS UP 2018

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:30, £13 - £15

Be the first to see some of the biggest stars from across the pond in our superb showcase of American comedy talent. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. LATE LAUGHS

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. JANEY GODLEY: REVELATIONS OF GODLEY

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £11 - £13

True stories of someone who will never cease and desist.

LATE NIGHT AT THE HUG AND PINT

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 22:00, £8

Late night comedy sessions at the Hug and Pint, hosted by David Bratchpiece, featuring some of Scotland’s top comedians and international guests. Part of GICF.

Sun 25 Mar

MICHELLE MCMANUS – RELOADED

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

LATE LAUGHS

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sat 31 Mar

THE SATURDAY SHOW (LLOYD LANGFORD + FRANCESCO DE CARLO + JAMIE DALGLEISH + SUSAN RIDDELL + JANEY GODLEY) THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit. LATE LAUGHS

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Edinburgh Comedy Thu 01 Mar

THE THURSDAY SHOW (DAVE FULTON + JARLATH REGAN + KIMI LOUGHTON + SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. SPONTANEOUS POTTER

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards. DYLAN MORAN – WORK IN PROGRESS

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 18:00, £15

A work in progress by Dylan Moran.

Fri 02 Mar

THE FRIDAY SHOW (DAVE FULTON + JARLATH REGAN + KIMI LOUGHTON + SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (JAY LAFFERTY + JIM SMITH + MICHAEL REDMOND + RAYMOND MEARNS) THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sat 03 Mar

THE SATURDAY SHOW (DAVE FULTON + JARLATH REGAN + KIMI LOUGHTON + SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (JAY LAFFERTY + JIM SMITH + MICHAEL REDMOND + RAYMOND MEARNS) THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sun 04 Mar

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. THE TBC IMPROV COMEDY THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics. DYLAN MORAN – WORK IN PROGRESS

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 18:00, £15

A work in progress by Dylan Moran. BOBBY MAIR – LOUDLY INSECURE

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £12.50

Solo tour show.

Mon 05 Mar

RED RAW (GUS LYMBURN + LIAM WITHNAIL)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Tue 06 Mar GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £1

Come and see the freshest comedy Edinburgh has to offer, watch acts grow and perform brand new material. PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X.

BENEFIT IN AID OF WORKING RITE (JIM SMITH + GARETH WAUGH + DONALD ALEXANDER + SUSAN RIDDELL + SUSAN MORRISON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5

Charity comedy benefit with all ticket proceeds to charity.

Wed 07 Mar TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. STEPHEN BAILEY: CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £12.50

The man from Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side (nah, us either) heads out on a stand-up tour.

Thu 08 Mar

THE THURSDAY SHOW (KEITH FARNAN + STU & GARRY + ARIELLE SOUMA + JOSEPH GOSS + BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Join one of the UK’s top comedians as they host a special Comic Relief Live show at the Glasgow Comedy Festival, bringing a line-up of some of the most exciting up-andcoming comedy talent.

Singer, presenter and columnist Michelle McManus brings her second one woman show to GICF.

March 2018

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

JANEY GODLEY: REVELATIONS OF GODLEY

SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK

PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

An entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes comedy play from Scotland’s hottest improv troupe. PETER PANCAKES’S COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, FREE

Phil O’Shea brings a handpicked selection of riotous lols to Monkey Barrel. DANNY MCLOUGHLIN: 01/02

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £9 - £10

A stand up show about one week in a young man’s life. A week full of excess, terrible decisions and even more terrible clothes.

Fri 09 Mar

THE FRIDAY SHOW (KEITH FARNAN + STU & GARRY + ARIELLE SOUMA + JOSEPH GOSS + BRUCE DEVLIN) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X. LARRY DEAN – FANDAN

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £8

Wed 14 Mar TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. MAE MARTIN: DOPE

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £11 - £13

The big weekend show with five comedians.

The award-winning stand-up, and star of BBC Radio 4’s Mae Martin’s Guide to 21st Century Sexuality, presents her debut UK tour. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Thu 15 Mar

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. CHARLIE BAKER: THE HITS

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

In this part-comedy, part-cabaret show, Baker’s best jokes and favourite songs will send you into the Edinburgh night with a happier soul.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (ANDREW RYAN + DONAL VAUGHAN + GARETH MUTCH + JODIE MITCHELL + IAN COPPINGER)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. SPONTANEOUS POTTER

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

THE COMEDY SHOW (DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MATT STELLINGWERF + GRAINNE MAGUIRE + CHARLIE BAKER)

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards.

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £6.25 - £12.50

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £7

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sat 10 Mar

THE SATURDAY SHOW (KEITH FARNAN + STU & GARRY + ARIELLE SOUMA + JOSEPH GOSS + BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (DANNY MCLOUGHLIN + MATT STELLINGWERF + GRAINNE MAGUIRE + CHARLIE BAKER) THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sun 11 Mar

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. THE TBC IMPROV COMEDY THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics.

Mon 12 Mar RED RAW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Tue 13 Mar GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £1

Come and see the freshest comedy Edinburgh has to offer, watch acts grow and perform brand new material.

GLENN WOOL: VIVA FOREVER TOUR

Glenn Wool returns to Monkey Barrel Comedy with his hit show ‘Viva Forever’. MAT EWINS: ADVENTUREMAN 7

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £9 - £10

Multimedia, adventure, jokes; join Adventureman on another adventure.

RICHARD GADD: WORK IN PROGRESS

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £9 - £10

Gadd has made a small name for himself in comedy. Now he is trying theatre. Unfortunately for him, he has to try theatre in comedy venues because nobody knows who he is anywhere else.

Fri 16 Mar

THE FRIDAY SHOW (ANDREW RYAN + DONAL VAUGHAN + GARETH MUTCH + JODIE MITCHELL + IAN COPPINGER) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. THE ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING MYSTERIES

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

The award-winning comedian’s debut solo show opens a cabinet of curiosities, tackling the conundrums of impending extinction, archaic axioms, emotional repression and vegan flimflam. THE COMEDY SHOW (MEGAN SHANDLEY + JOJO SUTHERLAND + LOU CONRAN + ALISDAIR BECKITTKING)

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sat 17 Mar

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (MEGAN SHANDLEY + JOJO SUTHERLAND + LOU CONRAN + ALISDAIR BECKITTKING) THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sun 18 Mar

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. THE TBC IMPROV COMEDY THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics. ALUN COCHRANE: ALUNISH COCHRANISH

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £12.50

Grumpy-joyful, silly-serious stand-up. Part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Mon 19 Mar

RED RAW (GEORGE FOX + FERN BRADY)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Tue 20 Mar GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £1

Come and see the freshest comedy Edinburgh has to offer, watch acts grow and perform brand new material. PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

PATRICK MONAHAN: REWIND SELECTOR 90’S THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £9 - £10

Multi-award winning stand up Patrick Monahan returns with the third sequel to his autobiographical exploration of race and identity.

THE COMEDY SHOW (JAY LAFFERTY + KAREN BAYLEY + HARRIET KEMSLEY + PATRICK MONAHAN) THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sat 24 Mar

THE SATURDAY SHOW (MARK MAIER + PAUL MYREHAUG + JAMIE MACDONALD + KIRSTY MORRISON + ASHLEY STORRIE)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (JAY LAFFERTY + KAREN BAYLEY + HARRIET KEMSLEY + PATRICK MONAHAN) THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sun 25 Mar

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X.

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow.

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £13 - £15

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

ROBIN INCE – PRAGMATIC INSANITY

Wed 21 Mar TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene.

Thu 22 Mar

THE THURSDAY SHOW (MARK MAIER + PAUL MYREHAUG + JAMIE MACDONALD + STEPHEN BUCHANAN + ASHLEY STORRIE) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

An entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes comedy play from Scotland’s hottest improv troupe.

SCOTT GIBSON: LIFE AFTER DEATH

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £8 - £10

A debut solo show from Scott Gibson which tells tales of pain, love, laughter and Blackpool.

Fri 23 Mar

THE FRIDAY SHOW (MARK MAIER + PAUL MYREHAUG + JAMIE MACDONALD + KIRSTY MORRISON + ASHLEY STORRIE) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE TBC IMPROV COMEDY THEATRE

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics.

CRAIG CAMPBELL: EASY TIGER 2017-18 WORLD TOUR

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £15

The majestic mountain moose in a tiger striped onesie brings his thrilling new show Easy Tiger out of the frightening Fringe jungle and into the Stand’s premier kitty house.

Mon 26 Mar RED RAW (RAY BADRAN)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Tue 27 Mar GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £1

Come and see the freshest comedy Edinburgh has to offer, watch acts grow and perform brand new material. PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X.

Wed 28 Mar TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene.

Thu 29 Mar

THE THURSDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + RIA LINA + TATS NKONZO + JOE HEENAN) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. SPONTANEOUS POTTER

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards.

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £11 - £13

True stories of someone who will never cease and desist.

Listings

CHRIS FORBES – UNQUIET MIND THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £9 - £10

Inspired by variety shows of old, Forbes pulls out all the stops to present an eclectic live experience that represents his unquiet mind.

Fri 30 Mar

THE FRIDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + RIA LINA + TATS NKONZO + JOE HEENAN) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

Art

Objects of Celebration is a solo exhibition of new work by artist Claire Heminsley exploring the rituals of celebration.

CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art

JONATHAN GARDNER: THE SPOT OF THE EYE

REHANA ZAMAN: SPEAKING NEARBY

10-25 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

THE COMEDY SHOW (CHRIS FORBES + PAUL PIRIE + CATHERINE BOHART + TANYALEE DAVIS) THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £6.25 - £12.50

9 FEB-8 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. CATHERINE BOHART: WORK IN PROGRESS

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £5

Catherine Bohart is the bisexual, OCD daughter of a Catholic Deacon and she’s got a hell of a lot to say about it. An hour of new material from a rising comedy star.

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Sat 31 Mar

THE SATURDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + RIA LINA + TATS NKONZO + JOE HEENAN)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. COMEDY KIDS

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 14:00, £5

Eight brave mini comedians will don the iconic Stand stage to dazzle you with their comic timing, reduce you to tears with hilarious sketches and blow you away with their pintsized stand up routines. THE COMEDY SHOW (CHRIS FORBES + PAUL PIRIE + CATHERINE BOHART + TANYALEE DAVIS)

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £6.25 - £12.50

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

REFRACTION

Treading the line between reality and imagination, composer and sound designer Luci Holland invites you to embark on an interactive, virtual exploration of an underwater environment.

Glasgow Print Studio

CALUM MCCLURE: SOMEWHERE BECOMING RAIN

1 MAR-8 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

In his first major solo exhibition with the Glasgow Print Studio, Calum McClure explores ideas of place, transience and nature in his latest series of paintings and prints. The places where he walks and gathers images, through taking photographs, are predominantly parks and gardens, places that can be public or private; once private but now made public in the case of the country estates; places of botanical research or the private celebration of nature. All inspire differing modes of depiction and evoke contrasting atmospheres. They share in common that they are places we use for specific purposes, even if that is merely recreation, and are not landscapes in the traditional sense of the word, nor are they wildernesses.

Glasgow School of Art QE2 50 YEARS LATER

1-4 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Dundee Comedy Fri 02 Mar

ACARI – COMEDY HYPNOTIST

THE GARDYNE THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £16

The comedic hypnotist will have you in hysterics, with audience participation being a big part of the fun.

Fri 16 Mar

ED BYRNE: SPOILER ALERT

DUNDEE REP, FROM 19:30, £25

Recognized as one of the finest observational comics in the industry, the Irish comic asks questions like “Is life that bad?” and “Are we spoiled?” in his new show.

Sat 17 Mar

ED BYRNE: SPOILER ALERT

DUNDEE REP, FROM 19:30, £25

Recognized as one of the finest observational comics in the industry, the Irish comic asks questions like “Is life that bad?” and “Are we spoiled?” in his new show.

Sat 31 Mar

MCGONAGALL’S CHRONICLES (WHICH WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR A VERY LONG TIME)

DUNDEE REP, FROM 19:30, £9 - £15

The latest show from multi-award winning writer/performer Gary McNair, telling stories of the trials and triumphs of growing up in working class Scotland.

Listings

OBJECTS OF CELEBRATION

1-4 MAR, 12:00AM – 12:00AM, FREE

Glasgow Art

Rehana Zaman’s moving image practice explores the ways in which social expectations and identities are produced and performed. Often humorous in her use of tropes from cinema and television, from forms of documentary to soap opera, her works are generated through careful collaboration and discussion with groups and individuals. The resulting films take up the entanglement of social life and individual experience, where intimacy is set against the hostility of state legislation, surveillance and control.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

House For An Art Lover

An exhibition focusing on the design of the the last great Clyde-built passenger liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, and its interiors, which represented a high point for British post-war design and involved a number of very significant British architects, industrial, interior and graphic designers. Through imagery, text and ephemera, a notable ‘Clyde-built’ design achievement is celebrated. This exhibition is curated by Bruce Peter, Professor in Design History at The Glasgow School of Art. TO SEE THIS STORY BETTER, CLOSE YOUR EYES

1-7 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

This exhibition gathers the work of twelve artists and writers currently exhibiting and publishing in South Africa. Each of the films, audio recordings and texts featured in the exhibition employ narrative as a technique, subject or medium. The work is deliberately positioned in the gallery to prompt multiple and overlapping readings.

GoMA POLYGRAPHS

1 MAR-20 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

A group exhibition with a central point of Hito Steyerl’s film Abstract, which explores truth, fiction and evidence in a complicated world. Features Jane Evelyn Atwood, Muirhead Bone, Boyle Family, Gerard Byrne, Graham Fagen, Ian Hamilton Finlay and more. AARON ANGELL

1-18 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

For this exhibition, Aaron Angell has created an interior that mines various historical points and hobbyist cultures partly in response to the complex history of GoMA’s site as a former private residence, garden and Neoclassical fancy.

Mary Mary 1-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

In this series of new works, Gardner places his attention on invented interior imagery, navigating a terrain between abstraction and representation. Gardner’s focus is on windows, doorways, paintings within paintings, exits or entrances, both in to the paintings, and the various spaces within them. Ever disrupting linear narratives, Gardner invites the idea of passages or a never ending series inside the private world of the works themselves.

Project Ability MANIFESTO

6-9 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Exhibition exploring personal artistic manifestos expressed through textiles and printmaking.

Street Level Photoworks

MARCELO BRODSKY - 1968: THE FIRE OF IDEAS

1 MAR-7 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Marcelo Brodsky is an Argentinian artist and human rights activist, working with images and documents of specific events to investigate broader social, political and historical issues. In 1968: the Fire of Ideas, Brodsky features archival images of student and worker demonstrations around the world, carefully annotated by hand in order to deconstruct what lay behind worldwide social turbulence in the late 1960s. Images of anti-Vietnam war demonstrations in London and Tokyo sit alongside protests in Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico, Prague and San Paolo against military regimes and oppressive government structures.

The Lighthouse FACSIMILIZATION

1-25 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Facsimilization is the reworking of a mural by Alasdair Gray commissioned for a private home in Glasgow and completed in 1965, but since unseen by the general public. RISOTTO’S RISO ROOM

23 MAR-13 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Scotland’s leading risograph print specialist, RISOTTO comes to The Lighthouse to present a colourful programme of workshops, events and installations celebrating the art of risography.

The Modern Institute

WALTER PRICE: PEARL LINES

1-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Walter Price presents a new exhibition of paintings at The Modern Institute, and it looks very blue. THANK YOU VERY MUCH

1-17 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Thank You Very Much is Marco Giordano, Aymeric Tarrade, Caitlin Merrett King and Mark McQueen, a group of artists based in Glasgow who organise exhibitions and events. They invite performers, artists and curators at various stages in their career to participate in their events, with a view to always maintain a collaborative approach.

The Telfer Gallery

SUGGESTIONS AND ENCOUNTERS: PHYSICAL OR OTHERWISE

1-4 MAR, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Following on from his 2017 residency at The Telfer Gallery, Leontios Toumpouris presents his first UK solo exhibition. The exhibition will be accompanied by a publication, titled Physical or Otherwise: Suggestions and Encounters, featuring commissioned and re-edited essays spanning academic, theoretical and experimental responses to notions associated with Toumpouris’ practice.

Tramway

STEVEN CAMPBELL: LOVE

1-25 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Love is an exhibition of twelve large scale multi-media collages made between 1988 and 1991 by Steven Campbell, one of Glasgow’s most celebrated artists. Campbell began the works on his return to Scotland in 1987 following a five year period of living and working in New York. The collages represent a little known, experimental area of Campbell’s practice which also includes clay, plaster and papier mache sculpture, drawing, printmaking and textile design. MARGARET SALMON: CIRCLE

1-18 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

For Glasgow Film Festival 2018, LUX Scotland and Tramway present a major survey of works by acclaimed Glasgow-based artist and filmmaker Margaret Salmon in Tramway’s main gallery. Salmon’s films draw from various cinematic movements, including cinema vérité and Italian neorealism, and capture the minutiae of daily life with gentle grandeur.

iota @ Unlimited Studios EMMA CRICHTON + IAN GRAHAM + LAJI VARGHESE: PEOPLE-PLACE

15-31 MAR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Featuring three photographers with Glasgow connections, PeoplePlace presents contemporary photography in a Scottish and International context. Uncontrived reality is portrayed by all three artists in works linking Glasgow, The Forth, Galicia and the Himalayas, showing we may all have more in common then we realise.

Edinburgh Art &Gallery

MICHAEL CRAIK / JEFFREY CORTLAND JONES

3-24 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition of reductive abstraction painting – bringing together two artists, Jeffrey Cortland Jones from Ohio, USA and Michael Craik from Scotland – who both share the same interest in minimal painting.

Arusha Gallery JANNICA HONEY: WHEN THE BLACKBIRD SINGS

2-25 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

A new series of thirty works by Swedish photographer Jannica Honey will explore the links between the female body and nature, shot exclusively outdoors and at twilight on every new and full moon over the course of a whole year.

City Art Centre HIDDEN GEMS

1 MAR-13 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

The City Art Centre showcases ‘unsung and unusual’ hidden gems from its collection of fine art. SONGS FOR WINTER

1-4 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

City Art Centre host an exhibition exploring the work of Charles Poulsen and Pauline Burbridge; artists for whom drawing is at the centre of their practice.

Codebase TWO-WAY PATCH

29 MAR-27 APR, 9:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Exhibition featuring work by contemporary video artist, Melanie Gilligan, presented by Edinburgh College of Art.

Dovecot Studios BUILT IN TAPESTRY: DOVECOT TAPESTRIES AND ARCHITECTURE

1-17 MAR, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

A balcony-based exhibition at Dovecot highlighting projects from the studio’s history, featuring innovative and bold projects from commissions new and past.

Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on

BEN HYMERS: MAGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS 1-17 MAR, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Now a fully instated member of the Dovecot weaving team, former Apprentice Weaver Ben Hymers charts his journey through a series of pieces completed during the apprenticeship. GARRY FABIAN MILLER: VOYAGE

1 MAR-7 MAY, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

This exhibition showcases a new Garry Fabian Miller tapestry created in collaboration with Dovecot Tapestry Studio, placing it within Garry Fabian Miller’s recent body of work as well as tracing back long term influences through key early pieces from the artist’s career. Applying craft ethos to digital printing, his current work extends his ongoing research into colour in photographic image, to how an image comes into being both in print and in tapestry. BATHS TO BOBBINS: 10 YEARS AT INFIRMARY STREET

29 MAR-29 JUN, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Celebrating 10 years of weaving in the Infirmary Street Baths, Dovecot will share some memories on the Tapestry Studio Viewing Balcony. The display titled Baths to Bobbins will explore memories of those who attended the Baths, the stories of the old Studio in Corstorphine, the saving of the Infirmary Street building and its conversion to a modern tapestry studio.

Edinburgh Printmakers ARTOBOTIC

1-31 MAR, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, £10

Edinburgh Printmakers celebrate their 50th Anniversary year with an ‘Artobotic’, an art vending machine which distributes artworks ‘blind’ to audiences. FROM PAPER TO GOLD

1-31 MAR, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

To celebrate 50 years of printmaking excellence, Edinburgh Printmakers has invited 50 artists to participate in a special anniversary exhibition of exemplary Scottish printmaking.

Patriothall Gallery

ALAN EGLINTON: ONLY THE FIRES SAY

2-20 MAR, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Only the fires say consists of photographs Alan Eglinton took without premeditation over the course of several summers, between 2006 and 2016, in Europe and East Asia. He responded to particular lighting states and to seemingly insignificant scenes that ‘called’ to be photographed and transfigured.

Royal Scottish Academy RSA WINTER FLOWERS

1-8 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Winter Flowers was made by Anne Redpath in collaboration with Harley Brothers in Edinburgh. From prints to watercolours, oils through to sculpture, the exhibition highlights a terrific breadth of practice and raises some surprises and questions about how we see, interpret and engage with what we imagine to be the familiar plant world around us. RSA NEW CONTEMPORARIES 2018

24 MAR-18 APR, TIMES VARY, £0 - £5

Now in its tenth year, RSA New Contemporaries offers a unique opportunity to see some of Scotland’s finest emerging talent under one roof. Showcasing 63 graduates selected from the 2017 degree shows, this exhibition will feature a wonderful array of painting, sculpture, filmmaking, photography, printmaking, architecture and installation. OPEN 2018

1-8 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Two of Scotland’s leading arts organisations, the Society of Scottish Artists and Visual Arts Scotland have joined forces for the first time to present an ambitious collaborative exhibition celebrating the best in contemporary and applied art. Featuring established artists and makers, based in Scotland and internationally, and new artists, the exhibition is a unique survey of the diversity of contemporary and applied art being created today.

Scottish National Gallery A MEETING OF TWO MASTERPIECES

1-25 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Six-footer British masterpiece Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (1831) by John Constable, displayed alongside another celebrated landscape painting, William McTaggart’s The Storm (1890). THE ART OF THE FUTURE

1 MAR-29 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Young people from across Scotland deliver an imaginative and innovative response to the question, what is the ‘art of the future’? Their original artworks are the outcome of a ‘mail art’ project, which got young Scots talking about the issues that are shaping their futures. The display, which mimics a mail order warehouse, includes a brave street performance about mental health, an inventive short film about the perils of social media, and an ‘unbearable teenager’. The artworks were created from materials delivered to the participants via a contemporary art ‘tool kit’ in a box.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ARTIST ROOMS: MUSIC FROM THE BALCONIES – ED RUSCHA AND LOS ANGELES

5 MAR-29 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A display highlighting the ways in which Ed Ruscha draws upon urban landscape and architecture, cinema, brands, car culture and language that refer and relate to LA and Hollywood to create works about the American Dream.

A NEW ERA: SCOTTISH MODERN ART 1900-1950 1 MAR-10 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £8 - £10

An alternative version of the history of modern Scottish art, featuring over 80 works by around 50 artists, including some of Scotland’s artistic giants and more unfamiliar artists.

NOW: JENNY SAVILLE, SARA BARKER, CHRISTINE BORLAND, ROBIN RHODE, MARKUS SCHINWALD, CATHERINE STREET AND OTHERS

24 MAR-16 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The third instalment of NOW will feature a major survey of works by renowned British artist Jenny Saville, spanning some 25 years of the artist’s career across five rooms. A graduate of The Glasgow School of Art, this presentation marks the first museum exhibition of the artist’s work ever to be staged in Scotland. Featuring monumental paintings and drawings by Saville dating between 1992 and 2017, the exhibition will demonstrate the scale and ambition of the artist’s practice, and her singular and dynamic approach to composition, gesture, materials and subject matter.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery SCOTS IN ITALY

1 MAR-5 MAR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase of the Scottish experience of Italy in the eighteenth century, a time when artistic, entrepreneurial and aristocratic fascination with the country was reaching boiling point. THE MODERN PORTRAIT

1 MAR-27 OCT 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A display collating paintings, sculptures and works from the Portrait Gallery’s twentieth-century collection, featuring a variety of well-known faces, from Ramsay Macdonald to Alan Cumming, Tilda Swinton to Danny McGrain. REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION

1 MAR-1 APR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition examining the cultural consequences of the national religion becoming Protestantism in sixteenth century Scotland. HEROES AND HEROINES

1 MAR-31 MAY 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A re-examination of major Scottish figures which questions our habit of framing history around individuals and idols. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG: PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHILDHOOD

1 MAR-15 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Part of Luminate 2017, this exhibition documents the experience and representation of childhood to coincide with Scotland’s Year of the Young Person 2018. Photographs from the permanent collection of the NGS are used to explore how the experience of childhood has changed over the years, and how the portrayal of children has shifted too.

ART AND ANALYSIS: TWO NETHERLANDISH PAINTERS WORKING IN JACOBEAN SCOTLAND 1 MAR-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE

A small exhibition focusing on two 17th-century artists Adrian Vanson and Adam de Colone, showcasing a group of paintings which have been examined by paintings conservator Dr Caroline Rae, along with the findings from her research. IN FOCUS: THE EXECUTION OF CHARLES I

1 MAR-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition centred around a painting of the execution of Charles I – based on eye-witness accounts and contemporary engravings – by an unknown Dutch artist. BP PORTRAIT AWARD 2017

1-11 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition representing the best in contemporary portrait painting, selected from 2,580 entries by artists from 87 countries around the world.

Stills

COLLECTED SHADOWS: THE ARCHIVE OF MODERN CONFLICT

1 MAR-8 APR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Collected Shadows is an exhibition of 200 photographs drawn from the extensive collection of the Archive of Modern Conflict.

Summerhall

RACHEL MACLEAN: SPITE YOUR FACE 1 MAR-5 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Commissioned for the Venice Biennale in 2017, Rachel Maclean’s Spite Your Face returns to Scotland at Talbot Rice Gallery for its UK premiere. Referencing the Italian folk-tale The Adventures of Pinocchio, ‘Spite Your Face’ (2017) advances a powerful social critique, exploring underlying fears and desires that characterise the contemporary zeitgeist.

The Fruitmarket Gallery LEE LOZANO

10 MAR-3 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Lee Lozano was a major figure in the New York art scene of the 1960s and early 1970s. Lozano’s radical approach to art and life, in particular her systematic refusal to engage with the institutions and support structures of the art world, led to her work being neglected and becoming much less well known over time. Recently, this has begun to change, and this first exhibition of her work in Scotland brings together paintings, drawings, language pieces and notes on making paintings that have only just come to light.

DELICIOUS SOURCE

1-10 MAR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multiarts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. Delicious Source is a largescale detailed monochrome mural, painted onto a wall in the Laboratory Gallery by Ciara Veronica Dunne.

Dundee Art

1-10 MAR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

8 MAR-13 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

AS ITHERS SEE HIM

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. A group show of contemporary interpretations of Robert Burns’ appearance, featuring works by David Begbie, Rosie Dahlstrom and more. GANG DRY

1-10 MAR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. An installation of objects, paintings, photographs and prints inspired by the life, time and works of Robert Burns by Derrick Guild. INSPIRED BY TAM O’SHANTER

1-10 MAR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. Three installations inspired by Robert Burns' epic poem Tam o’Shanter, by Ross Fleming, Laura Ford and Laura Graham. INSPIRED EDITIONS I AND II

1-10 MAR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Part of the new contemporary multi-arts festival offering diverse creative responses to Robert Burns, Burns Unbroke. Group shows of editioned work from Calum Colvin, Holly Johnson, Jo McDonald and more. A’ YE WHA LIVE AND NEVER THINK

Cooper Gallery INGELA IHRMAN: WE THRIVE

The first UK solo exhibition from Swedish artist Ingela Ihrman draws upon a poetic absurdism characterised by craft and amateur theatrics, contesting and subverting how we see and interact with nature. Featuring a giant hogweed, intestines, a giant otter giving birth before a human gaze and a toad doing gymnastics, Ihrman’s artworks index debates on our complex and problematic relationship with invasive species and the anthropomorphising of the animal kingdom.

DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts SHONKY: THE AESTHETICS OF AWKWARDNESS

10 MAR-27 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

This exhibition aims to explore the nature of visual awkwardness through the work of artists and architects. By drawing together artists and architects whose work has not previously been exhibited together or discussed within the same context, Shonky will allow for new ways of thinking that privilege shonkiness over other aesthetic forms that have dominated recent visual culture.

The McManus REVEALING CHARACTERS

1-10 MAR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

1 MAR-31 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE

PROJECT SUMMERHALL

1 MAR-31 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE

Graham Fagen is one of the most influential artists working in Scotland today. His work mixes media and crosses continents; combining video, performance, photography and sculpture with text, live music and plants. 1-18 MAR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Catch a glimpse of some of the work of Summerhall’s resident artists, management and staff who call this arts complex home, as the building is filled to the brim with their work for their first ever collaborative exhibition. There will be photography, film and video, plus publications, print and jewellery.

Talbot Rice Gallery DAVID CLAERBOUT

1 MAR-5 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

David Claerbout is an internationally acclaimed video artist, known for his subtle manipulation of images and their not-so-simple construction. This exhibition presents six major works from the past 10 years. David Claerbout presents a thorough experience of an artist whose work can mesmerise and beguile.

Part of a joint exhibition of selected works from the City’s permanent collection, Revealing Characters includes an array of portraits, which examine the construction of identity. FACE TO FACE

Part of a joint exhibition of selected works from the City’s permanent collection, Face to Face includes an array of portraits, which examine the construction of identity. PORTRAITURE

1 MAR-31 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE

In the history of art ‘the portrait’ has taken on many guises, from exact likenesses to abstract collections of ideas and emotions. Selected from the City’s permanent collection this exhibition includes an array of portraits, which examines the construction of identity.

THE SKINNY

Architecture for Humanity This month we look at three Scottish Projects– The Bothy Project, Architecture Fringe and Collective Architecture – using design and architecture in innovative ways Words: Stacey Hunter

here do pre-fabricated cabins, fast-paced urban prototypes, audio archives of female architectural experiences and high-tech museums intersect? Right here, with the Local Heroes column on design – with this month’s focus on architecture, we explore design from the rural to the restorative and the revealing, with the newly available Artist Bothy; the Architecture Fringe, including Test Unit and Voices of Experience; and finally, Scotland’s first high street museum store in Paisley, designed by Collective Architecture. This month, The Bothy Project unveil the first commercially available Artist Bothy – a compact cabin that is easy to transport and install on any site. Taking its name from the Scottish term for a small hut or mountain shelter, the Artist Bothy combines both contemporary and vernacular design with a prefabricated and hand crafted structure. The initial idea was to enable artists and researchers to explore the history, landscape and people of the areas surrounding a network of bespoke shelters in Scotland including the Cairngorms, the Isle of Eigg, and even the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Initiated by Edinburgh-based artist Bobby Niven and architect Iain MacLeod, the original Bothy Project was committed at the outset to using sustainable, innovative materials and natural building techniques to create simple, modern designs. Every bothy is designed to put the Scottish landscape firmly in view creating iconic spaces sympathetic to their surroundings. Niven says, “As an artist, I found myself looking for more opportunities to be closer to nature to inspire my work, but existing mountain bothies weren’t designed for longer stays. The feedback we’ve had shows that there’s a need for this connection between the art, design, architecture and nature.” The final product brings to satisfying fruition the shared mission of the two founders, with sales of the individual bothies helping the wider Bothy Project to grow the network and develop more artistic residency opportunities across Scotland and beyond. Watch out for product launches from sister company Bothy Stores – a curated range of specially commissioned products by leading designers in Scotland. Sharing its communitarian roots with Local Heroes, Architecture Fringe was founded in 2015 in response to a need for independent platforms to present Scottish design and demonstrate its critical importance to society and culture. The festival is organised by a self-initiated group of architects, designers, photographers, engineers, visual artists, curators and musicians. Now in its third year, with the 2018 edition due in June, the ArchiFringe announced their theme for this year is COMMON/SENSES and will investigate ‘our shared, intersectional experience within the urban environment in tandem

March 2018

with a more sensorial exploration of the spaces that we inhabit both off and online.’ Andy Summers, a co-producer of the project, says, “The Architecture Fringe encourages and supports new work, ideas and voices and explores aspects of our daily lives which are universal. The Fringe has been a great catalyst, and excuse, for people across the arts interested in the built environment to get to know each other, to forge new collaborations and to question, challenge and improve our collective situation.” Part of June 2018’s programme is Test Unit, an intensive summer school, symposium and public workshop organised by Agile City that returns this year for its third edition. Outcomes from previous events have included prototypes for public spaces – presented in an area of north Glasgow, between Glasgow Canal and the M8, currently undergoing significant change. Where this differs from architectural programmes that deal chiefly in theoretical or hypothetical musings, is that Test Unit does live prototyping at a 1:1 scale, bringing immediacy and risk to its fun, accessible activities. Another project emblematic of ArchiFringe’s open and eclectic programming is Voices of Experience, an investigation into the largely undiscovered women who have made important contributions to architecture and the built environment. The project constructs a series of conversations between a highly experienced architect or maker of the built environment, and an architect or other professional at the outset of their career. The project originated from a frustration with the blind spot present in much of Scotland’s public architecture programming, obscuring the range and depth of work of women architects. Working with Glasgow Womens’ Library, an audio archive is being built around females working in late twentieth century Britain. The project coincides with ‘a time when we need to rethink the social and public purpose of architecture.’ A physical archive was the remit for Collective Architecture’s vibrant museum store named Paisley: The Secret Collection. A place to safely and beautifully house hundreds of thousands of items, the design facilitates behindthe-scenes visits for school groups, interested parties and researchers opening up the full collection to the wider public, successfully enabling a more complex and meaningful service. The design concept plays on the excitement visitors feel when entering via a narrow yellow entrance and descending into the deep foyer. The scale of the collection is dramatically revealed with a long corridor animated by glazed screens, providing enticing views into the stores. A layer of graphics, developed in collaboration with ISO Design and artist Toby Paterson, further emphasises the surprising scale and unusually industrial nature of the space. Innovative design solutions have lifted the museum collection from a standard store to a hidden gem.

Inshriach Bothy

Architecture Fringe at Civic House

Photo: Robb Mcrae

Kieran Chambers

Last Word