The Skinny April 2018 by The Skinny

.CO.UK

INDEPENDENT FREE

April 2018 Scotland Issue 151

CULT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

Glasgow International SCOTLAND'S BIENNIAL ART FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH HARDEEP PANDHAL, YON AFRO COLLECTIVE AND MANY, MANY MORE

Books Irvine Welsh Theatre Little Light McLuckieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Line Film Todd Haynes Alchemy Film Festival Robin Campillo Clubs Project Pablo DALI Music Makeness Solareye Wye Oak Confidence Man UK Festivals 2018 Mastersystem Home$lice Wide Days Half Waif Outskirts Festival

P. 19 Irvine Welsh

P.63 Scottish Ceramics

April 2018 I N DEPEN DENT

CULTU R AL

JOU R NALI S M

Issue 151, April 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.

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

Printed by Mortons Print Limited, Horncastle ABC verified Jan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dec 2016: 27,332

printed on 100% recycled paper

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

THE SKINNY

Photo: Bronwyn Ford

Credit: Esther Ferrer

P.26 Project Pablo

Photo: Jeffrey Delannoy

P.10 Glasgow International

Contents Chat & Opinion: Welcome to the maga06 zine! Featuring Shot of the Month, a diorama-based competition, What Are You Having For Lunch? and Online Only. Heads Up: A cultural selection for every 08 day of April. FEATURES

10 It’s back! The biennial Glasgow

International festival of visual art returns with another city-wide presentation of artists both local and international.

Scottish electronic-pop soloist 12 Makeness tells us about recording in a barn ahead of the release of his debut record Loud Patterns.

Doctor of hip-hop and Stanley Odd 15 mainstay Dave Hook, aka Solareye,

introduces solo release All These People Are Me.

16 Australian party band Confidence Man’s Janet Planet shares tales of fabricated origin stories and getting drunk in a hot tub.

18 Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner on their latest record The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs and why she reckons all band names are rubbish.

As he unleashes definitely the last tale 19 of the Trainspotting crew Dead Men’s Trousers (‘one won’t make it out alive’) we meet Irvine Welsh for uplifting talk of the death of youth culture, a world without paid work and the grand con of the healthcare economy.

21 Director Robin Campillo on award-winning AIDS drama 120 BPM

22 We meet Wonderstruck director Todd Haynes to hear about using sign language and The Velvet Underground. Two festivals you should travel to 24 visit this month. First up, Outskirts in Easterhouse’s Platform presents another programme including unique collaborations between musicians and the local community. Down in Hawick, Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival offer up another lively array of work including the last film from the great Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer.

25 New play McLuckie’s Line sends a love

letter to Scottish theatre while aiming to address the disastrous class divide which is emerging in the wake of changes to education and funding models.

26 Montreal’s Project Pablo on forthcoming EP There's Always More at the Store second part of our 2018 music festival 29 The guide provides an exhaustive list of the

How Glasgow started the Edinburgh 30 Fringe. Intrigued by this seemingly incendiary statement? Read on… LIFESTYLE

31 Intersections: We ask why the Netflix

Queer Eye reboot failed in its quest to free queerness from the straight gaze.

32 Showcase: Part of Glasgow

International, Yon Afro Collective presents an exhibition in Govanhill Baths which aims to amplify the lives of Black women and women of colour in Scotland.

35 Food and Drink: We’ve got news, new

openings, and the latest from the hipster trend coalface (we hear llama 360 is a really big deal for 2018). Plus a look at Ugly Delicious and some more in-depth food TV and podcasts.

REVIEW

39 Music: New sibling supergroup

Mastersystem share their influences as they prepare to drop their debut, Dance Music. We have a selection of highlights from this year’s Wide Days music conference, meet Home$lice and Half Waif and review the best of this month’s album releases.

47 Clubs: Your live highlights for April, and a guest selector from the enigmatic DALI.

48 Books: Reviews including the latest from Nikesh Shukla, Sharlene Teo and David Peace, plus a guide to the month’s live poetry events.

49 Art: Exhibition highlights for April, and

reviews of DCA’s Shonky and the multivenue GSA POC society.

50 Film & DVD: We’ve scrutinised cinema

releases including Ghost Stories, Custody and Let the Sunshine In. For your at home viewing we recommend Neon Bull or some French New Wave with La Chinoise. Competitions: Win things! Beery things.

52 Theatre: Our pick of April’s finest performances, and a look at Vision Mechanics’ Little Light, their new touring production produced collaboratively with Jordan’s Haya Cultural Centre.

53 Comedy: Is the cost of putting on a Fringe show exclusionary?

55 Listings: What’s on in Edinburgh,

Glasgow and Dundee throughout April.

63 This month’s Local Heroes design col-

umn focuses on some of Scotland’s finest ceramicists.

best the UK has to offer.

April 2018

Contents

Editorial

his month we are mainly looking forward to what should be a biennial rite of spring – Glasgow International arrives with a city-wide celebration of visual art in galleries, public halls and forgotten spaces. Given the forecast currently says it’s going to snow for the next four days, the spring part may be optimistic. The celebration is real though – GI is under new management, as 2018 represents the first outing for new director Richard Parry, who we spoke to last month (find it on the internet, kids!). This month our art team have trawled through the programme and approached 25 of their favourite artists and curators to find out about what they have planned. We also have a closer look at one of the exhibitions in the Showcase – the centre spread features work from Yon Afro Collective, who’re presenting four artists in Govanhill Baths with the aim of amplifying the voices of Black women and women of colour in Scotland. In Music, we speak to electronic-pop soloist Makeness aka Kyle Molleson about recording in a 200-year-old barn, being pressured into being a folk musician and debut album Loud Patterns. You’ll be able to catch him at our Hidden Door night next month, more details TBA online shortly. Solareye, aka Stanley Odd’s Dave Hook, aka Scotland’s foremost doctor of hip-hop, is releasing his long-gestating solo record next month and talks to us about politics and the voice afforded by the genre. We also meet Wye Oak to hear about rubbish band names, Confidence Man’s Janet Planet offers some thoughts on recording in rural hot tubs while drunk, and Home$lice explain why they’re so insistent on sticking with a band name with a dollar sign in the middle of it even though they’re from Glasgow. “I thought it would be funny if it had a dollar sign in it, aesthetically. Because I wrote it down, and it just looks pure shite without a dollar sign!” says guitarist Scott Whitehill. In the second part of our desperate anticipation of a summer of music basking in sunlit fields, we have a guide to the best music festivals happening across the UK this year. In more immediate festival news, we look at the

What Even is This?

programmes for Outskirts and Wide Days, happening in Easterhouse and Edinburgh respectively this month. Justin Lockey of Editors, James Lockey of Minor Victories, and Grant and Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit have somewhat secretly formed a new sibling-tastic group whose debut will be unleashed on 6 April – they each share some of their formative influences to offer a taste of what to expect from Mastersystem. In Film, we have some words with Todd Haynes, a long-standing key voice in American cinema, about new film Wonderstruck. Robin Campillo discusses channeling his own memories of being part of AIDS activism collective ACT UP for new film 120 BPM, and we offer some incentive to take a trip to the Borders this month as Hawick’s Alchemy Film Festival rolls back into town with another exciting line-up of experimental moving image. Dead Men’s Trousers is definitively the last outing for the Trainspotting crew, or so author Irvine Welsh claims. We meet the man himself for a wide ranging discussion of the changing state of Britain in the past three decades from youth culture to the end of labour. Theatre meets the duo behind new play McLuckie’s Line, playwright Martin Travers and actor Martin Docherty, who aim to broaden the audience for Scottish theatre and combat the increasing class divide highlighted by actor (not physicist) Brian Cox that can be felt behind the scenes and front of house. In Comedy, our editor has been trawling through the Fringe archives again and come across a pair of startling discoveries – first, that Glasgow started the Edinburgh Fringe cos well obviously, Glasgow smiles better (also reasons); secondly, he’s unearthed the first recorded usage of the term ‘fringe’ used to describe the entity. We close the magazine as is traditional, with a look at another facet of Scottish design in Local Heroes’ ongoing mapping exercise. This month, the first of two studies of the vibrant world of contemporary ceramics including work referencing Renaissance painting and macaroni. [Rosamund West]

Back in a Jiffy After a month off, our monthly diorama-based competition is back to celebrate the return of Glasgow International with a take on one of GI’s greatest hits. Jeremy Deller's ‘bouncy castle Stonehenge’ installation Sacrilege (2012) is faithfully recreated here – the material choice lends the piece a dystopian vibe in keeping with the modern malaise of 2018, while also subtly referencing this month’s office run-in with the Post Office. Also,

you can tell it’s a bouncy castle because everyone’s floating in midair. But which piece of contemporary art would you like to see recreated in our stationery-inspired style, and why? Head over to theskinny. co.uk/competitions and let us know – the best answer will win a copy of Forever Words by Johnny Cash, courtesy of the delightful folk over at Canongate.

Competition closes midnight Sun 29 Apr. The winner 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 full Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

By Jock Mooney

COVER ARTIST Plebeian Archive (2015), by Hardeep Pandhal

Hardeep Pandhal, Self-Loathing Flashmob is on show at Kelvin Hall 20 May-7 May, part of the Glasgow International Director's Programme hardeeppandhal.com

Chat

Photo: Max Slaven

Born in Birmingham, Hardeep Pandhal now lives and works in Glasgow. His work was selected for Bloomberg New Contemporaries (2013), the Glasgow International Open Bursary (2013), the Drawing Room Bursary Award (2015) and the New Museum Triennial (2018). Forthcoming and recent solo exhibitions include Liar Hydrant at Cubitt, London and A Nightmare on BAME Street at Eastside Projects, Birmingham.

THE SKINNY

Online Only EELS’ frontman on the band’s return Burnout and heartbreak forced EELS into hiatus; four years on they’re back and buoyant, with inimitable frontman E reinvigorated. "We all need to be reminded that things aren’t totally hopeless, and that there’s still beauty to be found." Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/music

My Dad Wrote a Porno hits the road What started as an obscure podcast about a dad's fumblings at erotic fiction is now on a world tour. Podcast creator Jamie Morton chats about My Dad Wrote a Porno's success and the live show's interactive elements. "He keeps writing these insane stories that keep us intrigued.” Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/comedy

Bryan Cranston, doggy style The Breaking Bad star speaks to us about his lead role as a mangy stray in Wes Anderson’s stop motion adventure Isle of Dogs. “I had anger issues... I think part of the reason I love to act so much is that it creates opportunities to live through that pain again.” Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/film

Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor goes solo once again Taylor’s new solo album is a very different beast to its predecessor, breaking new ground musically and lyrically. “I wanted very much to see what someone else could help me to bring out in my music, and I wanted to be pushed by that producer.” Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/music

Yo La Tengo cause a riot Bassist James McNew talks us through There’s a Riot Going On, their most ambitious LP yet, ahead of a Glasgow gig this month. “I think the very fact that we exist as a band is a very strong form of protest.”

EELS

Photo: Gus Black

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

Hi & Saberhägen get Intergraded The Edinburgh duo discuss being hand-picked by Midland for his second Intergraded release, with a little help from Ben UFO. "I sent him over a list of about 50 demos which is quite a lot, actually."

Time for a Keychange We speak to the PRS Foundation Chief Executive Vanessa Reed about their vital Keychange initiative that empowers women to transform the future of music, and encourages festivals to achieve a 50/50 gender balance by 2022. “Many festivals are now tackling gender equality in their own way and recognise the importance of better representing the diversity of their audiences on festival stages.” Read the full interview at theskinny.co.uk/festivals

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

Find more at theskinny.co.uk

Shot of the Month ZATHU, Lake of Stars, The Art School, 11 March by Kat Gollock

April 2018

Opinion

Coin Locker Girl

Sun 8 Apr

Mon 9 Apr

Edinburgh's West End Arts Festival is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. Two specially commissioned artworks from Kevin Harman (UNION Gallery, 9-13 Apr) and Paloma Proudfoot and Aniela Piasecka (The Scottish Arts Club, 1018 Apr) will be on show, as well as a longer-running exhibition of original Matisse prints at Gallery TEN (until 5 May). Various venues across Edinburgh, until 18 Apr, free

New Orleans cocktail festival Tales of the Cocktail returns to the Capital for another extended weekend of learning and drinking and learning about drinking. A variety of talks, seminars and tastings will be held over the course of the festival by a selection of movers and shakers (cocktail shakers, geddit?!) in the European drinks industry. Various venues across Edinburgh, (7-10 Apr), times & prices vary

Kevin Harman

Sat 14 Apr

Sun 15 Apr

Whoever said Friday 13th was unlucky was definitely wrong because we think a Girl Ray gig on a Friday night is pretty lucky actually. The lovely North London trio make a stop in Glasgow tonight as part of their UK tour, after releasing their very cleverly-titled debut album Earl Grey in June last year. Girl Ray. Earl Grey. 10/10. The Art School, Glasgow, 7pm, £10

A magazine suggesting you go and look at other magazines? It’s so meta! Well, it’s a print lover’s dream this weekend, as the Glasgow Zine Fest touches down at the CCA, showcasing the very best in self-publishing over two days. There will also be a range of workshops, screenings, talks and socials held over the weekend for those with an insatiable appetite for zines. CCA, Glasgow, 14-15 Apr, 12pm, free

Everyone’s favourite Spanish girl band (step aside Las Ketchup), Hinds return to Scotland, following what we described as a “dynamite” show at Edinburgh’s Summerhall in August last year. This time round, they’re heading west, so get ready to dance the night away to their infectiously catchy DIY punk bangers. We can almost certainly guarantee a good time. SWG3, Glasgow, 7pm, £14.50

Thu 19 Apr Before they went on to bring us the Anglo-Welsh rom-com Gavin & Stacey, Ruth Jones and James Corden starred in the BAFTA Award-winning sitcom Fat Friends together. The hit TV show has now been given the musical treatment (because everything needs to be turned into a musical apparently) in the aptly-titled Fat Friends – The Musical. Playhouse, Edinburgh, 2.30pm & 7.30pm, 19-21 Apr, £16.50-72.50

Tales of the Cocktail

Glasgow Zine Fest

Hinds

Fri 20 Apr

Sat 21 Apr

Wide Days returns for its ninth year, bringing together members of the Scottish music industry through a range of networking events and seminars by music industry professionals. This year’s live music showcases will include performances from the likes of Zoe Graham, LUCIA and Rascalton and there will be an after party at The Mash House headlined by Glasgow producer Wuh Oh. Various venues, Edinburgh, times & prices vary

A feminist punk and rock festival – need we say more? Well we will, because Girls to the Front is worth shouting about. An annual twoday event held in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, the festival aims to promote women within punk and rock music. Today’s line-up in Edinburgh includes music from Petrol Girls, Yur Mum with B-Trash and stalls from Debauchery Lee Designs and SPILTHdesign. Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh, 7pm, £7

Wuh Oh

Photo: Amy Muir

Fat Friends

Photo: Jay Brooks

Girl Ray

Photo: Kathryn Wood

Fri 13 Apr

Thu 26 Apr

Fri 27 Apr

Character comedian Anna Morris brings her 2017 Edinburgh Fringe show, Bitchelors for another jaunt up North, with dates in Edinburgh and Glasgow this month. Taking on the character of the newly single Georgina Francis hosting The Woman of the Year Awards, the show also sees Morris reprising some of her favourite other characters. The Stand, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £12

31 years and still hopping, Paisley Beer Festival is back and this year they’ve got 250 beers for you to taste, supplied by breweries from all over Scotland and the UK and ranging from pale ales to dark stouts. There will also be a cider bar and a wine bar if beer’s not your thing but if that’s the case, why would you go to a beer festival? Paisley Town Hall, Paisley, 25-28 Apr, times very, £4-6

Unf*ckable is – you guessed it – all about sex, and Desiree Burch doesn’t hold back. From fetishes to oral sex to masturbation, Burch covers it all in this celebratory hour of sex, as it actually is, while also managing to bring race and capitalism into the mix. A fiery and impassioned storyteller, Burch is a comedic force to be reckoned with. The Basement Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £8-10

Chat

Photo: Idil Sukan

Wed 25 Apr

Anna Morris: Bitchelors

Locker Room Talk

Paisley Beer Festival

Photo: David Monteith-Hodge

Originally staged as a response to Donald Trump’s infamous “grab them by the pussy” comments, Gary McNair’s Locker Room Talk feels even more pertinent now since its premiere at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Four women recite comments made by men in conversations anonymously recorded by McNair played through their earpieces, followed by a post-show conversation with the audience. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £6-12, until 7 Apr

Photo: Jennifer Mitchell

It’s officially spring! Or is it? We never know what’s going on anymore. Regardless, there’s all the usual fun goings on in April to keep you occupied through the warm or cold days and nights...

Filmhouse’s Korean Noir: Illuminating the Dark Side of Society season finishes up this month, with just two films left to screen. Tonight, you can catch Han Jun-Hee’s directorial debut Coin Locker Girl, starring South Korean actress Kim Hye-soo as the psychotic crime boss ‘Mom’ and Kim Ko-eun as a young orphan she recruits as her protégée. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, 6.05pm, £6-8

Photo: Sarah Donley

Compiled by: Nadia Younes

Wed 4 Apr

Girls to the Front

Desiree Burch

THE SKINNY

Photo: Teän Roberts

Heads Up

Tue 3 Apr

2018 sees the seventh edition of Counterflows Festival hit a dozen Glasgow spaces from 5-8 April, with the focus, as ever, on underground, experimental and international music. This year’s programme includes performances from American contemporary composer Susie Ibarra, Tanzanian electronica courtesy of Sounds of Sisso and a debut UK performance from self-proclaimed ‘Queer Black Diva’ MHYSA. Various venues across Glasgow, times & prices vary

Believe it or not, there is a music festival taking place in St Andrews this month (IKR, shut the front door). ELAGA is a student-run festival taking place in Craigtoun Country Park, combining art and music, with a headline set coming from Hackney drum'n'bass lot Rudimental and live art installations available to view throughout the day. Craigtoun Country Park, St Andrews, 12pm, £56

MHYSA

Rudimental

Thu 12 Apr

Dubbed ‘La Sylphide for the Trainspotting generation’, Matthew Bourne's Highland Fling is a classical ballet set in modernday Glasgow. The show’s costumes, designed by Lez Brotherston, give a comical nod to Scottish icons The Krankies and Sean Connery, as the Scottish Ballet dancers dawn tartan kilts, leather jackets and biker boots – y’know, your classic ballet attire. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £2641.50, until 14 Apr

If you’re not a fan of audience participation, then Richard III (A OneWoman Show) might not be for you, but don’t let that put you off. Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir and Emily Carding’s reimagining of Shakespeare’s Richard III has won rave reviews at theatres and Fringe festivals across the world, recently travelling as far as Pakistan for NAPA International Festival. Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £12.50-16.50, until 14 Apr

You just can’t stop the kids from partying these days, and Sneaky’s resident Thursday night crew Juice continue to help you kickstart your weekend. Tonight, they’re bringing resident DJ at The Bunker New York and Detroit OG Mike Servito back for round two to help get the party started, following a knockout set in the club in June last year. Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 11pm, £5-9

Highland Fling

Richard III (A One-Woman Show)

Photo: James Brokenshaw

Wed 11 Apr

Photo: Andy Ross

Tue 10 Apr

Mon 16 Apr

Wed 18 Apr

Four visual artists from different parts of Asia, now gathered in Glasgow, explore the changes in culture and climate in a new exhibition entitled Fishes out of water. Nienting Chen (Taiwan), Supapong Laodheerasiri (Thailand), Sooa Lee (South Korea) and Jaxton Su (Singapore) will all exhibit work using water as a focal point to express the changes in their everyday lives since moving to Scotland. Veneer Gallery, Glasgow, until 22 Apr, free

Scotland’s leading risograph print specialists and designers of some of the best, brightest and boldest stationery that you need in your life right now, RISOTTO have put together a programme of workshops, events and installations celebrating the art of risography. RISOTTO’s Riso Room will also include specialist, first-time workshops from fellow print enthusiasts CORNERS, Atelier Bingo and Wobby.club. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, until 13 May, free

Tommy Wiseau in The Room

Fishes out of Water

Sun 22 Apr

Breakfast Muff

Sat 28 Apr Cross-arts festival Outskirts takes over Platform today, with a typically diverse and intriguing mix of music, literature, art, theatre and dance. This year’s Easterhouse Conversations project brings together Barry Burns of Radiophrenia and Oliver Pitt of Golden Teacher, while KOR! Records will collaborate with Breakfast Muff to encourage ways in which musicians can crossover with one another's work. Platform, Glasgow, 3.30pm, £7.50-10

April 2018

Photo: Paul Burt

A cross-cultural and diverse selection of contemporary folk, jazz, rap, literature, spoken word and music from around the world and locally are set to head to Aberdeen for the Other Music Festival. Tonight, you can catch the Bollywood Brass Band – a London-based, ten-piece brass and drum-driven band playing hits from the Bollywood film tradition. The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, 7.30pm, £14

Despite being considered “the worst film ever made,” The Room is an indisputable cult hit, even more so since the release of The Disaster Artist last year. While James Franco may want to shun Tommy Wiseau though, Burnt Church Film Club don’t and they’re screening the classic film and Wiseau’s recent reunion with The Room’s cowriter Greg Sestero, Best F(r)iends B2B tonight, (also 18 Apr). Flying Duck, Glasgow, 7pm, £5

RISOTTO's Riso Room

Mon 23 Apr

Tue 24 Apr

Glasgow’s biennial visual arts festival, Glasgow International returns this month. Like previous years, the festival will continue to utilise unusual and occasionally otherwise inaccessible venues and places outside of the city centre, with a large commission in the East End in Dalmarnock by Mick Peter and a collaborative project by Graham Eatough and Stephen Sutcliffe in Govan, to name a few. Various venues across Glasgow, until 7 May, times & prices vary

Former member of hardcore punk outfit Leather and apparent fan of the colour yellow, Antwon hits Glasgow tonight on his European tour. The Californian rapper’s lyrics are anything but PG, but masked by lo-fi beats he makes music that you can zone out to, and then very quickly be jolted up by when he drops a particularly saucy (and questionable) bar. Broadcast, Glasgow, 7pm, £10

Glasgow International

Sun 29 Apr

Mon 30 Apr

Following a successful expansion to Stirling last year, unDependence Film Festival will return to the city once again, following a stop in Edinburgh from 20-23 April. As always, the festival aims to bring independent and arthouse film to a wider audience, with an interactive programme of workshops, talks, and screenings taking place across the course of the festival. Various venues across Stirling, 27-30 Apr, times & prices vary

Fire, drumming, and acrobatics up a hill at night may sound like a recipe for disaster but Beltane Fire Festival happens every year, so it must be safe.. right?! Brought to you by the same team behind Samhuinn Fire Festival, those fire-loving pyromaniacs at Beltane Fire Society just can’t seem to get enough of those sweet burning flames. Burn baby burn. Calton Hill, Edinburgh, 8pm, £9-13

Credit: Mick Peter

Bollywood Brass Band

Photo: Sooa Lee

Tue 17 Apr

Mike Servito

Antwon

Beltane

unDependence Film Festival

Chat

Photo: Ove Hansen

Dive Queer Party

Photo: Mark Alesky

Unleash your inner goddess, just like those Venus adverts told us to, at Dive Queer Party: Goddess Awards tonight. Hosted by Queen of queer cabaret, Miss Annabel Sings and with performances by drag queen royalty Fedora Veronica Homburg and drag kings Agent Cooper and King Biff, as well as many more, it’s certainly going to be a night to remember. The Basement Theatre, Edinburgh, 8pm, £7.50-10

Photo: Seze Devres

Sat 7 Apr

Photo: Naima Green

Fri 6 Apr

Photo: Rod Penn

Thu 5 Apr

International Community We meet 25 artists and curators who are part of Glasgow International to share details, hints and insights on what to expect from this year’s biennial spring art programme

Hardeep Pandhal

t’s April and an even-numbered year ergo it’s time for the new edition of Glasgow International (GI), taking place this month from 20 April-7 May. With international relations taking a historical backflip for the worse, the idea of an international visual arts festival feels more optimistic and indispensable than ever. Last month, we had a good chat with the new Director Richard Parry about his takes on the exhibiting artists and his new life in Glasgow after relocating here less than a year ago. This month, we’ve taken a sizeable sample of some of the exciting projects that will be happening over the course of GI’s two week run. The range of artists involved cover all different types of work, media and subject matter. As always, you’ll find lots of topical works and some of the most vital emergent artists working in Glasgow and further afield, as well as some more art-historically relevant names too.

Critical gaze As well as looking to wider contexts of GI, there are parts of this year’s festival that officially and unofficially import a sense of reflection to the broadly celebratory atmosphere. In Kind, by Janie Nicoll (former president of the Scottish Artists’ Union) and artist Ailie Rutherford, specifically sets out to log the unpaid hours and out-of-pocket artistic expense that makes GI possible. “Even people that are getting paid to

Feature

work in the festival are going above and beyond,” they explain. Working with cabinetmakers, Nicoll and Rutherford promise a trolley that will allow them to distribute their research and cultivate further engagement across several sites, including CCA, Platform and the GI 2018 Hub at Trongate 103. Recognising pioneering female artists Two projects in particular bring two older European women artists’ works to the fore. One of these, in the Hunterian Gallery, will feature the work of prolific 75-year old German filmmaker and photographer Ulrike Ottinger, who has had “a long and interesting career,” according to curator Dominic Paterson. “The films are carnivalesque,” he says, involving aspects of “masquerade and drag.” Paterson in particular mentions one title Freak Orlando, that includes cross-dressing and disabled bodies. Another, Johanna D’Arc of Mongolia takes the form of a travelogue as she brings a cabaret troupe through Mongolia. For most people in and around Glasgow, the Hunterian exhibition of Ulrike Ottinger’s work will constitute their first introduction to her decades-long career. Similarly, when it comes to the Spanish artist Esther Ferrer, her established practice is unlikely to be within the purview of artists and other cultural workers in the city. One of the curators, Fritz Welch sums up

Credit: Max Slaven

Ferrer’s influence, saying, “Her approach to anarchy is helping to fuel the tractor that is pulling the wagon that is harvesting my soul.” The other curator, Mónica Laiseca conducted extensive research into art in Spain during the 60s, with particular emphasis on the effects of the rule of the fascist dictator General Francisco Franco, who ruled until 1975. Her work will be on show across presentations in the Pearce Institute and Project Ability. As a different kind of meditation of avantgarde 20th century figures, for her show in the Reid Gallery artist Susanne Nørregård Nielsen especially translated a book by Sophie Taeuber Arp, whom she describes as “one of the pioneers of abstract art, alongside Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich.” Nielsen specifically tracks her research back to Arp’s time as artisan and teacher at Zurich School of Arts and Crafts in 1922, when she wrote Remarks on Instruction in Ornamental Design, including suggestions of geometrical painting exercises involving circles and squares. Nielsen’s exhibition emerges from a sustained period of experimentation in drawing using the systematic rules set out by Arp. Alternative realities and fictions While many of the artists mentioned so far work across disciplines like history, music, dance and construction, Deborah Jackson has curated an exhibition of work across CCA, Platform and Savoy Centre entitled We who are about to... that centres around the possibilities of speculative fictions. Thinking in particular of its admonitions and imaginings of the future, Jackson questions “Whose future gets to be the future? Who is empowered and legitimised and who is excluded?” Looking instead at retrofuturism, in Fairfield Heritage in Govan, Marija Nemčenko combines references to her upbringing in brutalist prefabricated flats in Lithuania with the architecture that characterises 20th century Glaswegian urban regeneration. “Often these buildings… tend to have negative connotations attached to them – in Lithuania these Soviet artefacts have become a definitive feature… in Glasgow they stand as a reminder of poor city planning decisions, crime and drug problems, anti-social behaviour and so on.” From this, Nemčenko tracks a kind of “erasure” and “amnesia,” but also links two propaganda-esque films from the period when they were optimistically designed, Glasgow 1980 by Oscar Marzaroli and Lazdynai, Architektų gatvė by Vytenis Imbrasas, studying the “shocking” number of similarities of content. More film is on show in the work of Florrie James and Sam Bellacosa who have collaborated over recent years to make a feature-length film, 4 Day Weekend Underground. “The story is set 40 years in the future, as a man, Runner, travels from Glasgow to the Inner Hebrides in search of [another character] Lover,” they explain. Merging dystopia and utopia, James and Bellacosa’s film combines references to road and action genre movies with ambitious soundscaping, speedboat chases and improvisational performances from the actors they’re working with. They’ll be presenting the work at the Garnethill Multicultural Centre between 5-6 May. Experimental video Also situating Glasgow within an international axis, in House for an Art Lover Glasgow-based Alex Sarkisian and Istanbul’s Bahar Yürükoğlu have been working between their respective cities. Sharing the editing process across the 2000+ miles between them, they started thinking initially about meeting and working side-by-side

ART

Interview: Adam Benmakhlouf in the Arctic and then collaborating in Panama. “The resulting work borders on sci fi strangeness,” they say, even though they’ve added no effects or filters to the work. During the work, Sarkisian’s plans to travel to Turkey were frustrated by a travel ban. “The physical separation of trying to work on the GI project together leading up to the festival brought forward political contexts of international collaboration and added another layer to the project.” Also working with experimental video, Hardeep Pandhal has repurposed footage he took in 2010 when part of student occupations and will be showing in Kelvin Hall. Some of the footage has been lost, and parts of the experience forgotten. Pandhal thus considers his additions as “superimposed on the documentary footage, imagine scenes that I cannot currently envisage otherwise, in a physical film studio for example. The objects morph and change shape, their transitions frustrate and play with conventions within documentary filmmaking or linear storytelling. It looks like a digital mind-map, with propositions and scenarios taken from imagination and other histories/contexts that I want to put in relation to the documentary material somehow.” Historical interests Going further back into Glasgow history, at the Anderston Fire Station artist Douglas Morland considers the grisly 19th century practice in Glasgow of following some executions with surgical intervention to attempt reanimation of the body. These “were widespread across Europe in the early 1800s,” he explains. Morland condenses and deconstructs these lineages in a choreographed video work, which has been in turn manipulated magnetically using analogue televisions and re-filming. He considers the work as speaking to “layering and blurring of historical voices, and the absence of Clydesdale’s own voices, [which] speaks volumes about class, power, historical veracity, identity, the body, science and superstition.” Looking to more recent Glasgow history, a project by artist duo Beagles & Ramsay involves setting several artists around historical Glasgow landmark shops and well-known materials haunts for artists in the city. Jack Cheetham is one of the participants, and will be showing outside Tam Shepherd’s Trick Shop, Garnethill Store and Bill’s Tool Stores. In figuring out his exact response, he’s been walking from one to the other “in a kind of cycle over the past six months, to the point where one of the shopkeepers told me that they were worried I was ‘casing the joint’!” Thinking more broadly of important political events, in the CCA, Kirsty Hendry and Ilona Sagar consider an early 20th century social investigation in public health, The Peckham Experiment, a health centre that generated unprecedented observation of the circulation, causes and consequence of health and sickness over the course of 25 years from 1926-50. Hendry and Sagar both question some of the legacies of this report, such as the moral implications of relating responsibility and health, as to who might deserve healthcare. Nevertheless, they set the findings within current threats to public healthcare and moves to increase privatisation. “We should take every opportunity to question and challenge policy and increasing health inequalities. Once it’s gone it’s gone.” Throughout the various invited artists’ works and screenings, they “explore the notion that health and illness are not just biological phenomena but are also socially, culturally, and politically constituted.” Also taking cue from Glasgow lore, Rosie O'Grady looks to Margaret Macdonald, longtime

THE SKINNY

collaborator and wife of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. As one of the many projects taking place in House for an Art Lover, O'Grady thinks in particular of Macdonald’s often overlooked but pivotal influence and work that’s often subsumed within the mythology of Mackintosh. “The work will be visible within the house, and take over all the screens,” says O'Grady. “They usually display the conference room schedule and venue hire. The same footage will be screened all around the house, a little bit like a virus.” The footage is from a drone camera above a crop formation in the shape of Macdonald’s May Queen gesso panel. Taking a more theoretical view of the operations of power and historical narrative, again in the CCA Camara Taylor, Zoé Schreiber and Ewan Mitchell put together their exhibition Roadmaps, which uses “archival materials as springboards to explore themes relating to memory and time,” and especially thinking of “forgotten stories.”

It’s official, G.I. has now spawned an unofficial fringe Performance With one foot squarely in fun and the other in the Clyde, there’s Robert Thomas James Mills’ The Legend of St Mungo? “I’ll be rowing down the River Clyde to the South Portland Street Suspension Bridge,” he says. Before he arrives, collaborators will be telling stories about St Mungo. Then, Mills will tell the story that sees Mungo convincing animals of the forest to help a farmer pull his cart, after his horse can no longer do the job. Taking a different slant on performance, Raydale Dower considers more specifically the impact of absence and pause in order to combine

April 2018

careful mathematics with logic-defying perceptual trickery. He has processed a 71 minute 1991 Nirvana concert to include a minute of pause for each second of sound, elongating the entire recording to 71 hours. To accommodate a sequential once-round playing of the work, the CCA will be open for 24 hours a day over one weekend. “There will be a light show and an empty stage,” says Dower, He also describes people who work in the CCA on a daily basis “becoming disoriented” while others, on seeing the work “described the seconds getting longer as the minutes shortened.” For their presentation, South Africa-based artist collective iQhiya bring their communal spirit of institutional critique to Transmission. Working with local women of colour artists, they’ve hinted at potentially creating a public procession through the streets of Glasgow. Interdisciplinary sculpture House for an Art Lover also features the work of Tine Bek and Paul Deslandes who consider the concept of mobility across video and sculpture. This might provide a counterpoint to MollyMae Whawell across town in TS Queen Mary, Pacific Quay, who considers ideas of movement, dance, stillness, bodies and objects. Whawell asks “how can these things go together?” and especially looks towards the point at which objects are consumed when materials and bodies meet. Picking up several commercial kitchen tables and combining with what she describes as “elemental materials,” and edible flowers, Whawell combines her interests into a large scale sculptural and site-specific installation. While Whawell looks to the sculptural possibilities of dance, fellow GI exhibitor Susannah Stark considers “music and voice as a form of sculpture.” For GI, her work Unnatural Wealth collages viewings of London luxury apartments and references to the Ancient Cynic

philosophers, a body that responded to the materialism of ancient society by making a virtue of begging and challenging polite decorum. Remembered for being open to including women, Stark refers to them as a means of considering “public platforms for speech and how voices are used in public spaces, at a time dominated by online/virtual communication.” Thinking of the Ancients, too, in one of the works central to Ross Birrell’s show in the CCA, he has filmed a horse that he calls Hermes, set within New York streets with some particularly topical landmarks nearby but out of sight: Trump Tower, Central Park, equestrian statues dedicated to historical figures. This is intended to operate in a way that is “imagistic, poetic and evocative,” while being at the centre of several lines of political and historical relevance. Back in House for an Art Lover, Winnie Herbstein’s Studwork considers the male domination of the construction industry across video, a publication and studboarding. “Underpinning the whole thing is the fact that so many movements [that sought to redress problems with gender representation] push so hard and try to make a difference, then it’s forgotten again.” Also during Herbstein’s research, she pursued enquiries into women-led activist skillsharing and learning exchanges. “I met a bunch of women that were involved in setting up amazing projects in the 80s, like the Suffolk women’s wood workshops that taught working class women and women of colour woodworkshop techniques. Then it was passed on and on. One of their students went to Nicaragua and set up a women’s workshop there that continues today.” Considering the past and present of communications, Francis McKee is one of the exhibitors as part of a group show on writing forms, Invitations to Forms. Inspired by George Jackson and Angela Davis’ prison and love letters,

ART

he thinks of the way this form has been consigned to redundancy in the immediacy of the digital age, “You say something then there’s this three-week gap,” he says. He also considers the kinds of ephemera that come with it. “I got interested in the material culture around letters, so I’m making a stamp and I’m making some postcards.” Inspired by the Irish stamp that commemorated 1930s Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, McKee has repurposed into a stamp one of his images of the year-long 2016/17 occupation of a Parisian French square by activists and radicals, Nuit debout. Unofficial fringe It’s official, Glasgow International has now spawned an unofficial fringe. Outside of the official roster, there is Glasgow Why Open House Arts Festival (GYFest) from 27-30 April. As GY Fest Committee member Jack McCombe describes, “The grassroots festival has over 40 venues/shows across all sides of the city from 27 April with over 100 artists taking part.” Describing the rationale, McCombe goes on, “we are looking to showcase the spontaneity and fun that exists within the development of emerging local artists’ practices through an open house platform – especially against the backdrop of a festival which hosts such a wide array of global players. GI is undeniably exciting and great for Glasgow, but nonetheless we feel it is our duty to keep these larger organisations honest with fringe events such as this one. It’s essentially just a shameless bit of symbiotic piggybacking!” Events will include a DIY pizza oven open to all, an art taxi, and Queer Mechanisms: a collective that will “drag and drop oppressive binaries into the trash and rewrite alternative social scripts.” All events are free, more details and further information available from glasgowinternational.org

Feature

Credit: Samuel Devereux

Credit: Peel Eezy

Ulrike Ottinger, Chamisso’s Shadow (2015)

Credit: Ulrike Ottinger Filmproduktion

Alex Sarkisian, arc'teryx (2016)

Ross Birrell, Athens-Kassel Ride: The Transit of Hermes, (2017), documenta 14, Image of Tina Bosche, Macedonia

Credit: Alex Sarkisian

Peel Eezy, The Peel Eezy Public Art Museum, (2015) Still image from CAD animation

Unpicking the Pattern We catch up with Kyle Molleson, aka Makeness, to talk Scottish heritage, recording in a 200 year old barn, and his debut record Loud Patterns

Photo: Dexter Lander

Interview: Claire Francis

yle Molleson’s debut record Loud Patterns is an album of contrasts. The Scottish electronic-pop soloist has crafted an album of eleven tracks that traverse Molleson’s varied and disparate influences, using the 4/4 rhythms of house and techno as a foundation and layering in experimental sounds and pop melodies. It’s no surprise, given the divergent nature of the music he makes, that Molleson’s own background reflects a similar pattern of juxtaposition. Molleson grew up on the Isle of Harris in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides where he was immersed in a world of Gaelic culture and Scottish folk music. “I lived there until I was like, 11,” he explains. “My grandmother’s from the Isle of Harris, I went to primary school up there until my mum decided to retrain as an art teacher, so we ended up moving to south-west England, and I swiftly lost my accent,” he adds with a laugh. “My grandad plays bagpipes, that was quite a big thing when I was growing up,” he says. “I was definitely – well, not forced into lessons, but my dad and all his brothers are really quite involved in folk music in Scotland. When I was growing up my dad was in a band called Peatbog Faeries. They’re from the Isle of Skye, and it’s kind of Celtic dance music, with bagpipes. So there were always lots of instruments around at home.” Molleson started playing in bands as a teenager, but it was in Leeds where he became interested in recording, production, and exploratory electronic music. He moved to Leeds to study electronics at university, describing the course as a hybrid electronical engineering/music degree that combined “digital signal processing, music on the web and stuff like that.” Having always been interested in the more experimental side of indie music, his

Feature

time in Leeds exposed him to the city’s thriving electronic music scene, and this confluence of influences underscores the Makeness sound – that, and Caribou’s 2010 release Swim, he explains.

“ You’re your own worst nightmare, your own worst enemy, when you record and produce your own work” Kyle Molleson

“I was always into [electronic music] but didn’t really understand it, or hadn’t really been around a lot of it. I definitely come from a live music background, playing with a band [or] playing with other people, and I think that when I was getting more into club music – electronic music – I was still coming at it as ‘how do you make this stuff?’” he laughs. “I remember that album Swim, being really into that, because I could understand it, I guess, coming from a live music background.” Though Loud Patterns is Molleson’s debut LP, he has a series of EP releases behind him that have established his distinctive, left-of-centre approach to dance music, including two EPs on Manchester/London label Handsome Dad

Records and the self-released Temple Works EP. Written and recorded over the space of about a year-and-a-half – following Molleson’s move to London in 2015 – Loud Patterns stems from Molleson’s desire to create a cohesive long-format album from a host of seemingly incongruous elements. “I was definitely aware of trying to make it a piece, rather than a collection of ideas. Which was actually a really difficult thing to do! “From the outside it looks like it crosses lots of genres, or crosses lots of disparate influences, but I never really listen to music within its genres,” he explains. “I respect really good songwriting and really good pop – some of it can be quite bad, but some of it’s amazing – so I really wanted to touch on that [with the album]. I’m also really into the energy and physicality of techno and more industrial sounding stuff. I wanted to try and see if I could make something that had all of those ingredients but still had a voice, and I think part of putting my own voice on it was to try and tie all those things together.” As well as lending his own vocals to the project, Loud Patterns has further physical ties to Molleson’s family and heritage. “My dad lives just south of Edinburgh, in the Borders sort of, and [Makeness] is the name of a ridge, a series of hills near his house,” he explains. “We have a studio there, so I made a lot of the music there and it seems like quite a musical place – and I guess when you’re looking for a name for a project, I always find it quite hard. That just popped out: Makeness. I think it’s quite a positive sounding word, and it has a connection to where I’m from.” The studio Molleson refers to is The Black Byre, a 200-year-old barn that he and his dad

Music

renovated and converted into a recording studio. “It’s basically in the middle of nowhere, the nearest neighbours are a mile and a half away. It’s quite easy to lose sense of time there and very quickly get into making grungy techno,” he laughs. Of the songwriting process for Loud Patterns, Molleson says, “to be honest, I usually start on a laptop. A lot of the tracks [began] in a café on my lunch break from work,” he laughs. “So a lot of the ideas came from that, and then I had to take them home and start putting ideas through different synthesisers.” According to Molleson, The Black Byre studio played an integral part in transforming these rough sketches into fully-formed songs. “It’s just an amazing place to be able to make really loud sounds, which you’re not able to do in London unless you pay loads of money,” he explains. “To try and give the album a space, and a bit of reality, I’d re-amp a lot of the sounds that I’d make through guitar and bass amps and then record them in the room. I think it gives it a really special character when you do that rather than using digital plug-ins and stuff to recreate things.” Molleson describes a point in the recording process where two car batteries were wired together “for the right voltage needed for a spring reverb to work.” Elsewhere, the album’s final track Motorcycle Idling sounds exactly like what the name implies (albeit with an industrial techno undertone). These more experimental aspects of Loud Patterns, though, are balanced elsewhere on the record by Molleson’s gentle vocals and knack for a pop hook. At the other end of the spectrum, tracks Rough Moss and Gold Star are proper dancefloor bangers. Who Am I to Follow Love is another standout, a sweet pop ballad with vocals courtesy of Babeheaven’s Nancy Andersen. “I did a remix for one of their first releases (Heaven),” Molleson explains. “I had this idea that I wanted one track on the album to have a guest vocalist and I really like Nancy’s vibe on that track. We ended up doing that track in three hours. It just seemed to work.” This was at odds with the more challenging moments of producing his first record, Molleson adds. “You’re your own worst nightmare, your own worst enemy, when you record and produce your own work. I’ve been in bands quite a lot, but with all those projects I’ve never been the front person in the band, or the main songwriter or anything like that, so it was [about] exploring that – a lot of firsts,” he laughs. With an album launch planned at London’s Corsica Studios, followed by a period of travel across the US, Canada and Europe where Makeness will support Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s upcoming tour, Loud Patterns is set to reach audiences across the globe. We close out the chat by asking if there’s a track from the debut that he’s particularly fond of? “I’m proud of the whole thing, really, but there’s a track called Day Old Death on there... a lot of the ones with vocals on them, I was just like OK, I’m going to put a vocal melody on it and replace it with a synth line… but with that one everything came together. There’s something about the mood of it, that I think sums up the kind of music I make at the moment.” Loud Patterns is released on 6 Apr via Secretly Canadian Makeness plays Hidden Door Festival, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 31 May makeness.world

THE SKINNY

April 2018

Feature

THE SKINNY

The Hip-Hop Academic Best known as the frontman of hip-hop sextet Stanley Odd, Solareye is going solo for his latest project. We chat to him about politics, prison rap, expressing identity and his hip-hop PhD

Interview: Jonathan Rimmer

Photo: Cameron Brisbane

concepts. Along with the likes of Werd and Loki, Hook was identified as one of the prominent pro-independence voices in the scene. However, he stresses that hip-hop had been political “long before that came around.” He says: “hip-hop has always lent itself to protest and social commentating so the referendum came around at a good time. Artists were already doing that kind of thing here in Scotland – it just so happened we suddenly had a bigger voice because the media was looking for creative voices on either side. A pal of mine who voted No complained that his side was under-represented, but the truth was we were still the minority even if it’s where most of the hip-hop community stood.”

ou’d be hard pressed finding anyone who cares more about Scottish hip-hop than Dave ‘Solareye’ Hook. When he’s not writing intricate rhymes and catchy hooks in his role as frontman of alt-rap group Stanley Odd, he’s preaching hip-hop’s virtues in schools, holding writing workshops in prisons and lecturing on all things music production at Edinburgh Napier University. Most recently, he even completed a PhD that investigated the Scottish scene, entitled ‘An auto-ethnography of Scottish hip-hop: social commentary, outsiderdom, locality and authenticity.’ He comments: “Being a rapper, I probably should have come up with a snappier title, but the academic world isn’t exactly full of hip-hop studies.” To Hook, hip-hop artists are hip-hop studies. He quotes Will Smith’s famous contention that “rappers are reporters,” whose goal is to give the voiceless a way of expression that tells a story about their stories, struggles and surroundings. “Rappers put so much effort into understanding their art, their culture and where it comes from,” he says. “To me, that’s similar to academic study. “Hip-hop has that didactic element to it where knowledge is central, but not in a preachy way. You’re actively encouraged to know about it. In my study, I argued that you need both those skills which are globally recognised – the multisyllabics, the wordplay, the social referencing, the flow, all the rest of it – but you need to present it in a local voice for people to perceive it as authentic.” For nine years, Stanley Odd have shattered a lot of misconceptions about what authenticity within hip-hop means. Their five albums have combined emceeing, sampling and loops with

April 2018

rock-based live instrumentation, putting their own captivating spin on the genre. In spite of this (or perhaps partially because of it), they have managed to put hip-hop on the radar in previously untouched areas of Scottish culture, playing band-oriented festivals and winning recognition in broadsheet newspapers. “It happened organically,” says Hook. “We worked hard – it wasn’t some magical thing, because we gigged up and down the country a lot, but we understand perhaps our style meant we were that bit more accessible. Ironically, it’s maybe that same element that might put off the purists who are more into the traditional boom bap stuff. But it opened doors and it meant we were able to shine a light on the scene as a whole and play and curate bills with other hip-hop artists. We were the gateway drug.” Hook stresses that the band “aren’t finished” and are looking at putting out another record “hopefully next year,” but for the meantime he has other things on his mind. The upcoming project All These People Are Me is his first solo LP since he began rapping at the turn of the millennium. In contrast to his band’s more conventional style, the album is entirely synth and sample-based with production handled by Stanley Odd drummer Samson and Glasgow beatmaker Harvey Kartel. But as he expresses on futuristic lead single Mr. Margins, the record doesn’t try to be subversive and dystopian for the sake of it. “I wanted to do something completely musically different,” he says. “Someone once told me that you only get writer’s block if you always write in the same way. The album’s title alludes to that – this idea that every single one of us gets placed into categories pretty much from birth. We’re told we’re unable to express certain

elements of ourselves. I wanted to make something that challenges that and recognises that we’re all complex, contradictory human beings.” It’s not lost on Hook that much of his creative process was specifically about analysing the creative process. The album took two-and-ahalf years to complete in total, with “many peaks and troughs along the way.” He says the tracks Reconstruction (Where the Sun Rises) and Deconstruction (Where the Sun Sets), which bookend the record, refer specifically to identity. “I read a book by a late academic called Adam Krims which mentioned how Ice Cube, for example, built up this image of himself – this militant Black persona,” he says. “When he tried to do something different later, his fans rejected it as inauthentic, simply because he wasn’t doing what they wanted. Hip-hop is autobiographical and people change. I’ve done some songwriting workshops in prison and the thing that strikes me about many of them, who have no writing experience, is the most powerful thing is them being confident and being unashamedly themselves. “So I suppose Reconstruction is about how we present ourselves and physically assemble ourselves each day before we’re ready to go, and then Deconstruction takes it all apart again. The stories on the record are all mine and they’re all tied to that concept – there are no guest verses or anything like that. I tried to really shut myself off creatively and fully concentrate on it, but, of course, life often gets in the way.” He’s also keen to point out that “everything is political, but this isn’t an overtly political record.” Arguably Stanley Odd’s two best known tracks – Son I Voted Yes and Marriage Counselling – both sought to frame the issue of Scottish independence through unique thematic

Music

“ I’ve done some songwriting workshops in prison... the most powerful thing is them being confident and unashamedly themselves” Dave Hook

In a way, it’s surprising that Hook has taken 18 years to put together a full album under the Solareye moniker, especially given his status as one of the Scottish hip-hop scene’s leading ambassadors. That might be because he sees himself as a student and a scholar more than any kind of authority – he raves about younger up-and-comers like Ciaran Mac, Futurology and Busker Rhymes, arguing they should be seen as “valid on the highest level.” If anything, he believes his studies have only given him a “broader appreciation of hip-hop culture” and cites rappers with as much enthusiasm as any academic professor. “A lot of the time, academia, and indeed journalism, around hip-hop feels like outsiders trying to explain it – a ‘they write about it while we do it’ kind of thing,” he says. “But my learning has only made me love it more. In Scotland, we have this amazing situation where we’re concurrently global and local. There’s this dichotomy: hip-hop is this worldwide mainstream music, but what we’re doing is this underground sub-culture and somehow the two never meet. “We’ve translated it into Scottish culture. For example, braggadocio is a big part of hip-hop – people find these new, innovative ways to say ‘I’m better than you’ – but it doesn’t always fit with our self-deprecating nature. It’s like a local filter on a global form. And because we’re so underground, we’ve not been limited in our scope of ‘what hip-hop should be’. So, I enjoy actually trying things that are completely different or new – the diversity of hip-hop in Scotland is what I love about it.” All These People Are Me is released 4 May via A Modern Way solareye.co.uk/

Feature

Confidence is Key Janet Planet of Australian party group Confidence Man tells us about playing up to the rumours, getting drunk in hot tubs and learning how to do hip rolls

ild characters, choreographed dance routines and certified pop bangers; Confidence Man have it all, and you’ll either love it or hate it. Led by Janet Planet, the “boss lady,” and Sugar Bones, the “self-deprecating country dude, who doesn’t really want to dance but has to,” the Australian electro pop outfit is completed by Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie, the “best friends (who are) always kind of in the background,” – and who are permanently dressed in black, their faces masked behind beekeeper hats, even on stage. Obviously, these are not any of their real names. Each member goes by a different pseudonym and they all have their own unique persona in the band. “Initially, it was because we were in other bands and we didn’t want Con Man to be like a side project because it’s so different to what we were doing before... then we came up with these names that were much better than our real names,” says Planet, real name Grace Stephenson. Surprisingly though, the names weren’t just made up at random. Instead, the names came to them while they were in a graveyard in Roma – a small town in central Queensland. “We went to this graveyard for my Grandma’s memorial... there were all these crazy gravestones that had [names] like Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie, like all the names of the characters in the band, so we just chose them from all these gravestones.” All previously members of different bands, the foursome came together while living in a shared house in Brisbane and began making music together after hearing a bassline Goodchild was writing one day. The first single they released as a band, Boyfriend (Repeat) was an instant hit, quickly picked up and championed by Australian radio station Triple J; within two weeks the band were signed to London-based label Heavenly Recordings – home to the likes of Gwenno, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and The Wytches. With interest in the band rapidly rising, they decided to relocate to Melbourne and began working on their debut album there in their own studio within their shared house. “Being four times bigger in Melbourne than we were in Brisbane, we just wanted to be a part of the dance scene down here because there’s just not really much of that in Brisbane,” says Planet. But with the band being so young, little was known about who its members actually were and how the band began. So, naturally people started to talk and a game of Chinese whispers seemed to ensue. “I remember Reggie said that he was in a bathroom [at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton] after our show and there were these guys in the bathroom… and the guy’s like, ‘Yeah, so I heard that they found that Janet girl dancing in a club, like one really cool club in Sydney or something, and they picked her, then they found this really cool pool cleaner guy who had a six pack,’ says Planet. “There were all these rumours going around at Great Escape about how we’d formed and the way we formed wasn’t really that cool at all – just a bunch of friends making music in a house – so I suppose we just wanted to play into that because I feel like what isn’t real is actually a lot more interesting.”

Feature

Conventional is not a word you would use to describe anything Confidence Man do, and that applies to their writing process too. “I think with music like ours, if you’re not feeling the way that you’re writing, it actually feels really anxious and weird and it doesn’t match,” says Planet. So, how do you write a really great party song? You have yourself a massive party while you’re making it, of course. “We went away on a trip to somewhere in Victoria and stayed in this house that had a hot tub, so we spent two weeks there just partying really hard and we didn’t get that much done but lots of little bits done, which are all through the album,” says Planet. “Initially we thought we didn’t get anything done there but later on we were like, actually that part that we did when we were really drunk in the hot tub, we’ll use that – and just pulled bits out of these not very good songs that we wrote on this trip away.”

“ There were all these rumours going around at The Great Escape about how we’d formed and the way we formed wasn’t really that cool at all” Janet Planet

There’s not much to be taken too seriously with Confidence Man. They’re not here for preachy lyrics and complex melodies – what they are here for though is upbeat, danceable pop music and their debut album Confident Music for Confident People has that in excess. Already released singles Boyfriend (Repeat), Bubblegum and Better Sit Down Boy are good indicators of the overwhelming sense of fun filtered throughout the album, with hints of 90s dance, 00s electro pop and even a bit of Madchester-esque percussion thrown in. “The band for us has always just been a huge mismatch of things that we like. We haven’t been about creating a cohesive or overarching idea,” says Planet. “I suppose that’s why it’s a bit diverse but it’s also kind of exciting in a way because it means we can really do whatever sound we want. I don’t really feel held back by what the genre is.” On C.O.O.L. Party, Planet recites the lyrics in the style of your typical American high school bimbo, with lines like, ‘They’ve got all kinds of drinks at the party of the year / Gin, vodka, champagne / And the food’s like totally organic.’ “As soon as we wrote that, I was like I know exactly the dance moves we’re going to do here. We’re going to do YMCA dance moves on the C.O.O.L. – that’s obvious,” says Planet. But the

Photo: Wilk

Interview: Nadia Younes

album also unveils another side to the band, veering away slightly from their usual straight up party music. Out the Window sees them venturing into Screamadelica territory, with its psych-y intro, heavy percussion and a pretty epic, euphoric gospel bridge. “I really hope we can, at some point, get a choir for Out the Window – that would be amazing. Do a full Primal Scream rendition… get the whole choral in beekeeper hats.” The band earned praise for their must-see insane, energetic live shows following a string of festival appearances last year, with only a few songs to their name, and those shows featured a lot of dancing. Planet and Bones come up with their own routines specific to each song and as their dancing abilities have increased, so too has the level of the choreography. “Things are getting

Music

more and more complicated now that I think we’re getting better at remembering dance moves, so adding in little flourishes here and there,” says Planet. “Sugar can even do a hip roll now, so we’re probably going to be stepping up the dance move quality.” Between their infectiously catchy bubblegum pop songs, carefree attitude and ridiculously entertaining live shows, it’s pretty clear that Confidence Man are here for a good time, and a long time. Confident Music for Confident People is released on 13 Apr via Heavenly Recordings Confidence Man play All Points East, London, 25 May; Parklife Festival, Manchester, 10 Jun; TRNSMT, Glasgow Green, 1 Jul confidenceman.com.au/

THE SKINNY

April 2018

Present Moments We catch up with Jenn Wasner, one half of Wye Oak, to talk about their latest record, The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs, bad band names and finding joy in music

Interview: Lewis Wade

ye Oak began as a band mired in noiseflecked indie rock and quickly became a polished, efficient dream-folk outfit before taking a hard turn into synth-pop on 2014’s Shriek. Now, after 2016’s brilliant transitional outtakes compilation Tween, Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack have torn up the rulebook once again. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs sees the duo shattering their status quo to make their boldest and most assured creative statement to date. We caught up with Wasner, one half of the duo, the morning after the band’s first live airing of new material at SXSW. “We had our first show last night as a three-piece, and first playing new material... it was all of the emotions at once: exciting, fun, extremely terrifying.” The duo have now added a bass player to help recreate the more densely layered sonics that abound on the new album; “we had to come up with a set of grounding principles... technically it is possible to use the technology we’ve used in the past to duplicate the sound on the record, but the question becomes: is that what you want your live performance to be? As a general rule, if something was created with the use of computers, it makes sense for it to be played by a computer, but if it was played by a human, we want it to be played by a human.” Principles, or self-imposed limitations, have been driving forces behind the band’s previous records, but after years of studio tinkering the pair now have the confidence to go after exactly what they want. “I think a lot of our records were a result of learning to recognise the happiest accidents and work with them, whereas now we’re able to be like ‘we want this sound’ and we know how to get it... so it’s more intentional, rather than ‘let’s use all this equipment and see what happens.’ “In the past we’ve set out to be minimal, but ended up maximal, so with this record we were just like, ‘Fuck it! Let’s be maximal’... It’s the first record we’ve made where there wasn’t some sort of artificial limitation placed on the recording or the composition – not in a negative way, just a limitation we’ve used as a creative jumping-off point... but this is the first time we haven’t given ourselves any limitations, we just decided to put everything on the table.” The cover of the album, as well as recent promo shots and the video for the title track, come from time spent in White Sands Desert, New Mexico. “I like that place so much – it’s like a void, it becomes a sort of blank slate. When you’re in it it’s very easy to become extremely disoriented and lose track of position and space... all of those qualities seemed to lend a perfect backdrop to the image we were trying to create.” The video and album cover demonstrate the hold that the past has on us, despite wanting to move forward – a perfect encapsulation of the album’s thematic concerns: “the image on the cover is that of a figure that is actually being followed by its own former selves – a visual representation of being chased by the past – moving through time, in a forward direction, but at the same time being chased by every past iteration of yourself that has ever existed.” Although the new material is seemingly rooted in personal strife and efforts to progress,

Feature

Photo: Shervin Lainez

it is inevitably influenced by contemporary geopolitics. “More so than any time in my life I feel pretty devoid of hope for the future, and I don’t say that in a super emo/goth way,” Wasner states matter-of-factly, “but I’ve come to realise the present moment is the only thing that matters, and if anyone is going to have any semblance of joy in their lives, it’s going to happen in the small, present moments.” Catharsis via music isn’t a new idea, but the strength of conviction that comes across on the record, further confirmed by Wasner’s striking clarity of vision, is genuinely uplifting and the concept feels all the fresher for it. “The world has always been, in many ways, dark and difficult and unkind and cruel, but we have an access to it [now] that we’ve never had before – we have a window on every horror that’s happening in every corner of the world. The only reaction that I’ve been able to come to, in terms of finding a will to continue, is not manufacturing some sort of artificial hope that things are going to get better. But to do as much good as I can in the small ways that I actually have control over, and to try and bring joy to myself and others through the privilege I have to make music.” Barely pausing for breath, Wasner continues: “music is the only thing in my life that I legitimately feel hopeful about. Everything else is like ‘despair’ and ‘we’re doomed,’ but when I think about music it’s like ‘man, I really think my best work is ahead of me and I’m so excited!’ And I’m so grateful for that, and if I can give other people that sense of joy or peace or comfort then I feel like my life will not have been a waste.” The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs breaks a Wye Oak tradition of snappy album titles (their last three have been single words). “We’ve done the concise, super condensed [titles],” Wasner muses, “I do love trying to capture ambiguity with just one word, as we’ve done in the past, but with the limitations off the table it felt like

the right time to introduce a much wordier title into the mix. “I love this title in particular because it’s like a sort of psychological test you can give people. For me it’s like this: ‘I’m in hiding, and the louder I call for help, the faster whatever I’m hiding from is able to find me,’ whereas I told Andy and his reaction was ‘the more I want something, the faster it goes away from me,’ so it does have that ambiguity I like so much. Even though I hadn’t thought of it that way, the second way still applies to much of what’s going on in the songs; wanting something and trying to figure out how to get it, or watching it slip through your fingers...” We share a few thoughts on the way simple word associations can reveal a person’s psychological state before agreeing that this title is another aspect of the idiosyncratic streak that permeates the record, as well as a rebuke to the charge of creative complacency. “I don’t want to go outside of my instincts to try and create [music] that I think people are expecting, or want to hear, because I think that’s how terrible, terrible music is made,” Wasner scoffs with a chuckle. Every aspect of the creative process is important to Wasner, but especially names/titles, something that she’s managed to indulge through side projects like Flock of Dimes and Dungeonesse, though it seems to be logistical reasons that’s kept Wye Oak going for so long. “If consistency wasn’t a concern in my career I’d probably invent a different persona and name for every record, to match whatever I’m trying to create at any given time. “I’m gonna be honest with you: we’ve never really liked the name,” she laughs, “not even when we came up with it, but every conceivable band name is taken and we had to come with something in like a week when we signed to Merge [after previously being called Monarch]. Most band names are terrible, if not all. No, I’m just

Music

gonna say it, they’re all terrible. All you can really hope for is that it comes to represent not what it originally meant, but what you are and what you do. I don’t love the name Jennifer but [you] gotta call me something!”

“ The world has always been dark and difficult and unkind and cruel... but [now] we have a window on every horror that's happening in every corner of the world” Jenn Wasner

Considering the idea of making music under her real name, Wasner ponders, “it’s possible, but I’m instinctively very afraid of that because it’s the one name I cannot ditch – I could kill Wye Oak or Flock of Dimes and start making music under another name, but I’m stuck with my personal name for life.” Whatever the case, it may come under a different guise, but it doesn’t look like Jenn Wasner is going to slow down her output any time soon, and we’re all the better for that. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs is released on 6 Apr via Merge wyeoakmusic.com

THE SKINNY

The Final Chapter We meet Irvine Welsh to discuss the existential crisis of the workforce, the destruction of youth culture and the battleground of health policy as he releases his latest, Dead Men’s Trousers

enton. Begbie. Sick Boy. Spud. Twenty five years ago, the foursome began their journey into the cult classics with the publication of Trainspotting in 1993; a quarter of a century on, they’re back together yet again in Dead Men’s Trousers, but one won’t make it out alive. As we chat in a bustling CCA in Glasgow, Irvine Welsh is in the middle of his book tour to promote what he says will be the last time we see the gang on the page. He’s (not so) fresh from a special launch event in Leith put on by Neu! Reekie! and Edinburgh International Book Festival. “It was all my mates basically,” he laughs. “So it was all fun and games.” Dead Men’s Trousers wasn’t something he’d always planned to do, checking back in on his most prolific creations decades down the line, but it was while holed up in Edinburgh with the T2 crew, mulling over the changes in the city and where the characters would be that got him thinking further ahead. “Sometimes the book chooses you,” he says. “If you’re a genre writer, you come up with ideas and plan something. When you tend to work towards the subconscious as I do, the material chooses you really. Being immersed and talking about these characters, being part of that team when you’re talking about what the characters would be doing, that forces you into that place. I also had The Blade Artist, which finished on that note where those two guys [Renton and Begbie] met again, these two guys that hated each other – I was curious to know myself what happened next.” What happened next is a twisted attempt at redemption. Trainspotting, to Welsh, was about friends and betrayal, “also about a broader kind of betrayal – betrayal of the working classes, the industrial working classes thrown out to dry, betrayal of organisations by the Labour Party who abandoned social democracy and switched to neoliberalism, all these kind of themes were in the back of it. Porno was about revenge. Life’s about those deep friendships and betrayals, about animosities and revenge, not having anything to do with somebody, and you get to that point when you think well, we actually had a lot of good times, and we are friends despite everything even if you don’t see much of each other. I’ve lived long enough to see that taking place, so I wanted to capture that. “They’re still playing games with each other. They’re still very competitive and that’s the thing – they’ve had 30 years of neoliberalism, it’s distorted the moral emotional compass because now you feel, that Sick Boy thing, you can either be a cunt or a mug, there’s no real choice. Am I a total bastard? Or am I an absolute mug? I think we’re permanently torn there and I think that’s the thing I was trying to play with throughout the book.” There are forces in life that can bring together the most disparate of friends; one of them is football. 2016’s Scottish Cup final to be precise, where their beloved Hibs defied the odds and won. It was an atmosphere that no other win could compare to, past or future, Welsh thinks, and one the characters had to witness. “We could have won the European Cup and nothing would feel like that. We had this relationship with the Scottish Cup, supposed to

April 2018

be programmed about failure. They’d come so close with many great teams in the past – the famous five, Eddie Turnbull’s team and all that – it was almost like this lineage of disappointment in the Cup had been handed down. “We thought we’d never win it. It was Hibs’ ex-captain Pat Stanton who said, ‘Hibs will win it when you least expect them to.’ It was like a catharsis for a whole community. It came at the perfect time for me writing that book because I thought, what could possibly bring these guys together?” Change seems to be a recurring theme when it comes to Dead Men’s Trousers. It began with the changes in the characters, in Edinburgh – even in Hibs’ luck, which is no small feat. But if Renton, Begbie, Sick Boy and Spud began life on the page today and not in the 90s, how would they be different? “We’re moving into this longform change to a world without paid work,” muses Irvine. “Machines are going to replace us, technology is replacing us, so we have this existential crisis – what do we do in a world where there is no paid work? Working class people were asking that question in the 80s and people were getting fucked on drugs and trying to work it out. It was, again, an existential puzzle that people had to solve as well as a practical one, that kind of question of ‘What are we here for? What value do we have?’ in a society that says you have no value and that you’re redundant in every way.

thanks to a recent Guardian interview with Will Self. He states that the novel is “doomed to become a marginal cultural form” and that the last water-cooler moment he can think of surrounding a novel was Trainspotting. It’s caused quite the debate. “That was very kind of him to say, but I think it’s probably true,” he laughs. “I know I would say that, and it is kind of Will to say that, but I cannot think of a book that has culturally captured a thing quite like that since then. Now, when you see these claims made for books, it’s very much marketing and it’ll come and it’ll go, but it’s not really gained traction. It’s very hard for a book to do that – there is no culture now. “Youth culture has all but been destroyed. It’s a media thing. The only thing I can think of that’s been happening is the grime culture in East and South London – since acid house, football casuals, there’s not been a widespread youth culture in Britain, a unifying youth culture. That’s partly due to the way everything is subsumed

into media and into the internet and it doesn’t have a place to incubate and grow. “I think it’s very hard to have a novel or a book that says ‘this is actually happening’, everybody knows about it but nobody in the media, in the mainstream culture is engaging with it in any way. You could do that in the Trainspotting era, but you can’t really do that now. Everybody knows. As soon as something gets any traction, everybody knows about it and it’s almost ruined. It doesn’t get time to make its own kind of mores.” Whether it was truly the last water-cooler moment for literature, it’s undeniable that Trainspotting’s impact has continued for a quarter of a century; the next step in the journey is finding out who will make it through to its next celebratory landmark. Dead Men’s Trousers is out now from Jonathan Cape penguin.co.uk/books/1115641/dead-men-s-trousers/

“ Youth culture has all but been destroyed” Irvine Welsh

“Now, middle class people and even very rich people, privileged people are facing that same crisis because it’s like middle class people now – everything is a scam against them, about getting their parents’ resources. The military industrial complex – war isn’t profitable any more, health is massively profitable, so what you want to do is you want to keep people alive, keep them sick but keep them alive, that’s what the whole American health policy is about. They’ve got a longer run at clearing off people’s resources before they go to their offspring, at getting their capital through the pharmacy stuff that they need to keep going after they’ve stuffed them with all this poisoned food, so they need other drugs to counteract other poisons that they’re ingesting. These are the battlegrounds now. “I think the characters would probably be a bit less from a certain class of society – they’d probably be young, they’d probably be in this dilemma: should I go to college, or do an internship for this crapshoot that might get a job at the end of it, or I might be stuck doing retail which I could do anyway. The dynamic is really interesting. It would be very hard to write a book like Trainspotting now.” The reverence of Trainspotting’s cultural impact has reared its head particularly of late

BOOKS

Photo: C Rankin

Interview: Heather McDaid

Feature

THE SKINNY

Acting Out Robin Campillo channels his own memories of being part of AIDS activism collective ACT UP in the early 90s for this deeply authentic story following the lives of the men involved in the movement

Interview: Philip Concannon Illustration: Lucy Kirk

sex again, and then you have the ghost of the one he had sex with years ago… I love to shoot this kind of intimate scene. This scene is like a continent by itself, it is such a big landscape.” The ghost Campillo mentions is the memory of the man who infected Sean with AIDS – his first sexual experience – and the degradation of Sean’s condition throughout the course of the film is devastating to watch. Sean is such a vibrant presence when he first appears in 120 BPM, electrifying every scene, but we gradually see that vitality and spirit drain out of him as his disease takes hold, and Campillo put his faith in Biscayart’s revelatory performance to chart this character’s decline rather than showing it through external signifiers, such as lesions or extreme weight loss.

“ All of the things that are a little bit swept under the carpet in other films are fiercely important for me” Robin Campillo

hen Robin Campillo collected the Grand Prix at Cannes last May for 120 BPM, it marked the end of a very long road for the director. In 1992, at the age of 30, Campillo joined the AIDS activism collective ACT UP-Paris, and he spent much of the subsequent decades thinking about the best way to bring his experiences to the screen. “I think I did this film to close a door on my youth and also a door in cinema, to do something else,” the very engaging and loquacious director tells The Skinny. “I have this feeling that I had finished a phase of my life. Maybe I won’t have anything to do now – I hope I have some new ideas! But I had this feeling that I had to do this film, and for 25 years I was trying to.” 120 BPM completely immerses us in the world of ACT UP, placing us alongside these young activists and allowing us to experience the energy and intensity of their protests and the heated debates at their meetings. We see them storming the entrance at a pharmaceutical company and hurling bags of fake blood at the walls, or scattering ashes over the food at a lavish banquet. Campillo has described 120 BPM as a “river film,” ebbing and flowing as it moves between various characters and ideas, building an accumulative emotional force, and one of the film’s most potent images is an aerial shot of the Seine turned blood red. This is a film about a group of marginalised people who had to do

April 2018

whatever it took to shake the establishment and make their voices heard. “ACT UP exists because we didn’t exist for the first ten years of the epidemic,” Campillo says, and he cites Tod Browning’s Freaks as an influence as he discusses the group’s often extreme provocations. “If you are afraid of us because of the disease, we are going to frighten you; if you are not OK with gays, we are going to become the evil fags. That was something we accepted, to not be lovable.” And yet, it’s easy for the audience to fall in love with this ensemble, particularly the two leads, Nathan (Arnaud Valois) and Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart). Campillo has given 120 BPM a loose narrative shape, but the relationship between these two young men is the emotional spine of the movie. Nathan is both the director’s surrogate and the point of connection for the audience; a newcomer to ACT UP who helps us navigate this world. He quickly falls for the passionate and charismatic Sean, who contracted HIV when he was a teenager and knows that his rapidly diminishing T cell count means he doesn’t have much time left. Their relationship is tender and moving, but Campillo is keen to avoid talking about his film in the clichéd terms of a standard cinematic romance. “People are talking about this as a beautiful love story and I think... hmm... I mean, love

story?” he ponders. “I can accept the expression if we agree on the fact that the most important word is ‘story,’ because ‘love’… I don’t know what it is. We had a lot of sex in this group and in our lives, but you had couples that just existed for five or six months, because one of them was dying. It was very weird. Nathan and Sean, they are not together for ten years, they just have a few months, or one year tops. I wanted to talk about that, the fact that you have this quick intimacy, which is very strong.” That intimacy is explored through sex scenes that are notable not only for their sensuality and frankness, but for the fact that they are integral to the film’s structure and to our understanding of these characters. “What I’m interested in when I do this kind of scene is what is beneath the scene,” Campillo says. “I don’t like a film when you see a sex scene and it’s just a sex scene; people don’t talk, they just have sex and they do amazing things that you would never do in your life. For me that doesn’t exist. “All of the things that are a little bit swept under the carpet in other films are fiercely important for me. When you have sex, it happens that it’s a little bit too quick and just one of them is having an orgasm and the other is not, so you start talking about your life, and I love to film this. The fact that they have sex, and then they stop and start talking, and then they start to have

FILM

“I didn’t want to see someone with a lot of stigmata, I just wanted to see someone playing less and less and less,” he says. “Nahuel is obviously a very baroque actor and we see that Sean is very theatrical and has a little bit of a theatrical distance from his disease, but when he gets really ill and goes to the hospital, I told the actor, ‘At this moment you stop playing. It’s over.’ For me, that was the most melancholy thing in the film. He has no distance anymore with the disease, and this distance is important when you want to have a political struggle. It cannot be political anymore if you are caught in the intimacy of your disease.” The intersection of the personal and the political is where 120 BPM is at its most riveting and exhilarating. Campillo’s film might be evoking a particular time and place, but as a film about what it means to fight for a cause when your life is on the line, and how messy and difficult political activism can be, it should also resonate in our current era of widespread protest and resistance. During our conversation, Campillo notes that his young cast had little to no knowledge of these events in his screenplay; did he think about younger viewers watching the film and how they might relate to its activism? “No, I was really making the film in a very selfish way, but I knew of these movements,” he says. “I’ve said in a few interviews that these groups – like we have Les Indigènes de la République in France – I don’t always agree with them on a lot of points, but they exist. You have to stay a little bit more open to what is happening now, because if these groups are very radical it’s because there is a lot to fight against. I have this feeling that some people think they are very dodgy, but it was exactly the same thing with ACT UP, so when people are very welcoming to the film today we have to think and remember that we were not so welcome 25 years ago. 120 BPM is released 6 Apr by Curzon Artificial Eye

Feature

To the Wonder For the past three decades, Todd Haynes has been one of the most important voices in American indie cinema. Here he discusses new film Wonderstruck, using sign language and the Velvet Underground

n Wonderstruck, two young children, Ben (Oakes Fegley) and Rose (Millicent Simmonds), live in different eras – the 1970s and the 1920s respectively. They are both deaf and both run away from home, hoping to seek the solution to a mystery in the big city, their stories intertwining in an almost magical way. Using silent cinema as inspiration, Todd Haynes’ adaptation of Brian Selznick’s novel of the same name is a bold experiment and a marked departure from his last film, the lesbian love story Carol. When we met up at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland last summer, we ask what drew the doyen of New Queer Cinema and the director of Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and Velvet Goldmine to make his first children’s film.

The film is set in two distinct historical periods. Which was more difficult: tackling the 20s or the 70s? They were both equally hard. Even where to begin to settle for locations for the 70s, because [New York] has been so cleaned up. But what was logistically the biggest challenge is that we were shooting the movie with kids. So you only have eight to nine hours with any kid and that is way under a normal shooting day. To make a day work we shot the 20s and 70s both on the same day. You can only imagine what that meant from a production standpoint. We had to have sets, costumes, cars, logistics all worked out to shoot some 20s and 70s on the same day, every day.

What appealed to you about adapting Brian Selznick’s novel? Todd Haynes: What it offered me was – and I hate [the] word – the ‘purest’ elements of cinema because it doesn’t rely on the spoken word. There’s even less dialogue than I realised. It wasn’t until we cut it, I realised there was no talking for an hour. These two kids are deaf – Ben is newly deaf and he has no one to talk to as he’s travelling through New York – so it relies on the editorial language of film: music, performance and faces. It relies on the most fundamental elements of cinematic language. It lets all those things shine, without feeling gratuitous: they are elemental to how the film works. It also shows off the talents of my team, from Edward Lachman’s cinematography to the production design to the costume, so in that way it’s a real piece of craftsmanship.

Although there’s little spoken dialogue, there is sign language... Interestingly, there isn’t much sign language. When Julianne Moore’s character shows up, she is an adult who knows how to sign, but Rose doesn’t use sign language and Ben has only recently become deaf so doesn’t know how to sign either. But this really was an invitation to try and think of ways of bringing the deaf people into the process of making the film and that began with the task of casting Rose. It just seemed... how could we not cast a deaf kid for the role of Rose? But you have a limited quantity of people to choose from; it took real research and going out of the conventional modes of casting. No agents or anything like that. So we had to go out into the country and find out what cities had deaf communities, targeting them at schools and putting up notices on bulletin boards in hallways, and wait for a response. And it starts to trickle in.

Feature

How long did you have to look? It took about two months. I saw Millicent’s self-audition and something leaped inside. She just conveyed this whole being; her signing, and the way signing uses body gesture and face. And hers just hit me at the core. You just pray that thing you sensed could be supported by a whole other range of disciplines and abilities that you don’t know. The other cool thing is that we brought all these other actors as players into the silent part of the film, so we could bring even more deaf actors into the process to play hearing roles. A lot of them come from deaf theatre and have long and interesting careers in deaf performance in the community but this was all new for me. It was fantastic to have all of that play out every day on set, and have the crew have lessons in signing. Did you learn some sign language? I learned a bit. It’s hard to retain it when you’re not using it all the time but I know my alphabet really well, so I could also finger spell. This is your first family film. Was it difficult to make that transition? Yeah it was. We decided to bring kids into the process of watching cuts all the way through the editing of the film. I do this with all my films; we’ll have family and friends screenings. In this case, we always had kids come in, so my editor and myself were interested in how the kids would respond, even at the simple level of duration, complexity, the double narrative, the lack of dialogue. A lot of things that one would think in today’s culture, with so much distraction and

FILM

Interview: John Bleasdale

digital stimulus, were asked: the short attention span, kids can’t sit still, the fact kids aren’t supposed to be interested in movies in general, let alone something of this complexity. And time and again, the kids seemed to be completely up for the experience. You’ve also just announced a Velvet Underground film... An invitation to do a documentary about the Velvet Underground came from the Universal Music Group who control the music. They’d been working with Laurie Anderson, who controls the Lou Reed archives, and it was through her recommendation, which meant even more to me. We are just in the very beginnings of the conversations. I’ve never done a doc before so it’s going to be a learning experience. We’re basically doing the research, seeing who is still alive. There aren’t that many people who survived that era. It’s mainly John Cale and Maureen Tucker from the original band who are still with us. Is it important where Wonderstruck is going to be seen? Amazon, TV, streaming? Yeah. Of course, I am first and foremost a filmmaker of cinema. I want my movies to be seen on the screen. Wonderstruck is 2.40:1 aspect ratio and I want Amazon to do that. They still respect and privilege the theatrical experience and have built in theatrical windows into all their releases. And, of course, it will go beyond that into the ancillaries where all movies go, and that’s fine, but I just want it to have a shot in the biggest, most commanding venues. Released in the UK on 6 Apr by StudioCanal

THE SKINNY

April 2018

Inside Platform’s Outskirts Festival Platform programmer Alun Woodward talks us through The Conversation and what makes Outskirts Festival unique

Interview: Ben Venables

utskirts Festival returns to Easterhouse for its sixth year with a wide-ranging programme of new art and unusual collaborations. Platform, the community’s hub, hosts the day’s celebrations in its variety of spaces. Even the swimming pool is subject to a takeover, with Glasgow arts collective Love Unlimited getting creative in and around the water. Alun Woodward is Platform’s music programmer and behind one of the most novel events. The Easterhouse Conversation is an annual collaboration between professional musicians and residents, setting the stories of local lives to contemporary music. “I thought it’d be nice to have a project which had a musical snapshot of a time and place,” says Woodward, on the genesis of the idea. “Involvement in art in any form is a life-enhancing experience for people. And, since we have this incredible building, and so many wonderful people and musicians in Glasgow, I thought it’d be good to actually pair them up and create something unique.” The collaborators enjoy carte blanche in creating their own take on the idea. “I didn’t want it to be prescriptive in any way, where you have to talk about x, y and z. If you want to talk about something in that moment, a social issue to do with housing or employment law, then that’s fine. But, if you want to talk about your love of American films of the late 80s, then that’s entirely legitimate too.” The project has attracted an impressive cast of musicians, all bringing different notes and textures to each creation. Past Conversations include the folk sounds of RM Hubbert and Drew Wright (Wounded Knee) and the electronica of Tuff Love’s Suse Bear and Errors’ Steev Livingstone. Kathryn Joseph, Marcus Mackay and Twilight Sad’s James Graham released their Out Lines collaboration as the album Conflats last year. This year’s Conversation comes from Golden Teacher’s Oliver Pitt and Barry Burns, from indie

Breakfast Muff

station Radiophrenia. They are looking to embed the recordings with residents into the final mix. “It goes back to the idea of having a snapshot,” says Woodward. “If we manage to keep this going for years and years, we’ll be able to look back and have an idea of the people involved, and what people were writing about, the stories people were telling.” Another musical collaboration in tune with the community comes from KOR! Records – an independent record label creating music projects for young people with support needs – working together with pop-punk three-piece Breakfast Muff. “The people from KOR! Records

are involved in a lot of different art projects,” Woodward tells us, about his admiration for one of their endeavours, Switch. “A lot of young people grow up who aren’t even particularly musical, but at some point want to play as part of a band. And KOR! helps them.” Other highlights from the programme include writers James Kelman and Tom Leonard, with researcher Joey Simons, introducing the work of the late Freddie Anderson. Then there’s Turntable, by Michael John McCarthy and Martin O’Connor, which invites listeners to explore the contents of a touring record case. And Laurie Brown brings an intriguing sound

Photo: Paul Burt

installation Analogue, seeking out connections with his personal collection of cassette tapes. There’s an appearance from Kate Clayton – sometimes known as the Art Scrubber – who highlights the mundane jobs creatives often take in parallel to their artistic work. And visual artists Janie Nicoll and Ailie Rutherford present IN KIND, which looks at the ‘below the waterline’ economy of the arts. The full programme can be viewed at platform-online.co.uk Outskirts Festival, Platform, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Glasgow, 28 Apr, 3.30pm, £7.50-10 (under 16s free)

Hike it to Hawick Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival returns to Hawick with a lively programme that includes the new collaboration between Ben Rivers and Ben Russell and the reportedly final film from the great Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer

f one were planning to set up an international festival of experimental moving image, a modest-sized town over 50 miles from the nearest urban population wouldn’t be the obvious choice of location. But that’s exactly what filmmaker Richard Ashrowan did in 2010 when he started Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders. Speaking to Creative Scotland last year, Ashrowan reminisced on how he was inspired to found the festival while travelling to a screening of one of his films at an event abroad. “There was a distinct moment at the European Media Art Festival in Germany when I had the thought, ‘Why am I here in Germany? Why can’t something like this happen in Scotland?’” he recalls. The reason for choosing Hawick as the location was twofold: first, it was convenient as he lives nearby; second, he liked the perverse idea of staging an ambitious international festival of avant-garde film in a more rural setting. “It’s a kind of provocation to the prevailing urban-centrism in terms of culture,” says Ashrowan. Eight years later the festival is thriving. Alchemy’s eighth edition takes place next month

Feature

(3-7 May), bringing a typically diverse programme to Scotland. We’ve yet to see the upcoming line-up in full, but the titbits that have been shared with us so far are mouth-watering. The festival opens with Canadian artist Mike Hoolboom’s curious sounding biopic Aftermath. Described as a quartet of hauntologies in the form of audiovisual graffiti, the four-part film repurposes archival texts to narrate moments from the lives of four artists from various disciplines – Fats Waller, Jackson Pollock, Janieta Eyre and Frida Kahlo. UK filmmakers Ben Rivers and his American namesake Ben Russell are stalwarts of the avantgarde film scene and no strangers to Alchemy, with their collaboration A Spell to Ward Off Darkness screening at the festival in 2014. The pair are back conspiring with new film The Rare Event, which looks like another hypnotic and playful experiment. Working in their preferred 16mm, the film initially looks like it’s capturing a three-day philosophical discussion in a Paris recording studio between some great thinkers, including Jean-Luc Nancy, Étienne Balibar and Hans-Ulrich

Obrist. The first clue this isn’t a straight-up doc comes in the form of a man dressed head to toe in green lycra, who’s nonchalantly mingling among the luminaries, while the Bens’ roving camera seems as interested in the textures of their subjects’ clothes and gestures they make as the actual content of the debate. Having missed its world premiere in Glasgow last September, we’re also keen to catch Alchemy’s screening of Guy Maddin’s dizzyingly eccentric 2003 film Cowards Bend the Knee along with the brand-new live score from Polish composer Ela Orleans. This screening will also include the world premiere of Orleans’ film Apparition, a kaleidoscopic short inspired by portrayals of biblical femme fatale Salome in music, film and art. Other highlights look to be the world premiere of Skye-based artist Julie Brook’s Firestack, an immersive installation documenting a fire stack on the Isle of Lewis becoming gradually overcome by the tides, and the European premiere of Toronto-based filmmaker Izabella Pruska-Oldenhof ’s Relic of Lumen, which brings together 5,000 photos from Ryerson University

Music / FILM

Words: Jamie Dunn

in Toronto and NASA’s collections to create an immersive collage of humankind’s 20th century achievements. There are also some short group programmes that look essential, including a touring programme of 16mm experimental films curated by Ann Arbor Film Festival and an evening celebrating the resurgence of Super 8 as a medium, following an upsurge in artists embracing the visceral, performative potential of the format. And another must-see is Insect, the reported swansong of the legendary Czech surrealist Jan Švankmajer, whose influence spreads from David Lynch to recent Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro. The above is just a taste of the wide-ranging programme of 130 film screenings, 12 film installations and filmmaker symposiums coming to Hawick for five days this summer. This Borders town may not be the easiest place to get to in Scotland, but this lively and welcoming festival make a trip there worth the effort. Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival, Hawick, various venues, 3-7 May; full programme at alchemyfilmfestival.org.uk

THE SKINNY

A Love Letter to Scottish Theatre The Skinny talks to playwright Martin Travers and actor Martin Docherty about the upcoming premiere of their one-man show, McLuckie’s Line, acting, and the class divide in Scottish theatre

n 2015, the Scottish actor Brian Cox was interviewed in The Stage, where he lamented the lack of opportunities for working class actors available today, saying, “For someone like me, starting now would have been virtually impossible.” In 2015, the Scottish actor Martin Docherty and the Scottish playwright Martin Travers read the article, and decided to act. “Reading the Brian Cox interview galvanised us,” begins Travers. “When we read it, we knew we had to write and put on McLuckie’s Line to give working class actors and acting a voice again. But like all good plays we knew it had to be entertaining – it’s funny, we’ve made sure of that. Will there be working class actors, playwrights and directors in five years? If things keep going the way they are going I really doubt it.” For Docherty, who like Cox and Travers comes from a working-class background, the interview was a stark reminder of how the industry had changed since he finished his (then fully-funded) Acting Diploma at the RSAMD (now The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) in 1997. “I realised how difficult it had become, and I think, more importantly, the working class get slightly marginalised. The business is the business, there’s no rules, anything can happen for any reason, that’s how it is.” Their piece, McLuckie’s Line, a self-funded one man show, follows actor Lawrence McLuckie (played by Docherty) as he sits alone in a hospital corridor. A compulsive gambler who was recently diagnosed with cancer, he starts talking about his life as an actor, while awaiting a phone call from his agent, in what Docherty explains is a love letter to acting. “It was basically the actor is becoming a bit of an endangered species, and becoming more and more marginalised, I think. I’ve been working for 21 years since I graduated, Martin has been in it a lot longer, so yeah, it’s a bit of an homage to say that Scottish actors and Scottish acting are fantastic.” “Audiences love actors,” continues Travers, “That’s why they go to theatre. Of course, the story is really important, and the direction and theatre design play a massive part in the experience people get but really they go to see actors’ blood, sweat, laughter and tears. I’m sure most people think actors are paid well, but generally they aren’t.” In the story, the blood, sweat and tears flow from McLuckie’s monologue as his memories and emotions start to catch up with him. Dealing with his diagnosis, and the prospect of losing his career, opens the floodgates and unleashes stories and feelings he had long kept locked away. “Men bottle everything up – it comes out in anger or depression or physical illness. McLuckie is at the end of his tether mentally and physically – that makes for great drama; a character people will care about,” explains Travers. For an hour, this play reveals the reality of an actor’s working life, from the ups and downs, to the heartbreaks and the successes, McLuckie’s past, present and future all have one common theme: uncertainty, something with which every actor is familiar. “Actors are lucky if they work six months of the year,” explains Travers. “The play opens up the world of an actor as he struggles with himself and coping with not working. This will ring true to every actor who ever acted. I’m not sure how much audiences realise the mental strength and grind that goes into giving a brilliant performance night after night.”

April 2018

Interview: Amy Taylor

“So, the play is a love letter in the sense that is sings actors’ praises – not just for their time on stage but the sacrifices they make in their lives to keep acting. Actors are brilliant – I’m in awe of them.” The acting business, as Docherty explains, is by nature sporadic, with the number of opportunities available often depending on location. After graduating in 1997, Docherty secured an agent and moved to London for six years, where, as he puts it, he became a “very good barman” but “not a particularly successful actor. “In London, you’ve got generated business, but here it tends to be sporadic… not like feast and famine, it’s like peaks and troughs, but I’ve been doing this for 21 years, I’m sort of used to it,” he explains. If the unpredictability of work is difficult, the rate of pay is often less than expected, and many actors and other theatre creatives often get by on very little. “Most theatre actors can make about £15,000 in a good year,” continues Travers. “Most playwrights make a lot less than that and freelance directors scrape by on the breadline. It’s our cultural responsibility to allow them to make more work – to learn how to get better at what they do. To entertain better. To connect with people on a deeper level. I think audiences deserve that. The fear is that theatre becomes a middle class play thing like it was before the 1960s.” Travers’ fear of theatre becoming more elitist and less inclusive is something that both men have noticed over time. A class divide has emerged in Scottish theatre audiences and actors, where the working class have been marginalised and not as well represented as they were before. For Travers, a lack of funding and an unwillingness to support newer work in some venues has led to programmers choosing more well-known, ‘safer’ work. “I think after the crash and all the funding cuts venues (especially council-run venues) are frightened to put work on stages that isn’t easily pigeon-holed. Tribute acts, songs from musicals and Glesga comedies seem to be programmed more and more. I think there is a place for all of these shows but new plays, even new plays that are funny but with a darkness in them like McLuckie’s Line, aren’t given the support,” explains Travers. “It’s not that audiences won’t enjoy them – they don’t seem to get the chance to any more. In the 1970s to early 2000s there was more choice. More touring work with a bit more meaning – a bit more bite.” This desire to have more choice in theatre shows will not only benefit the actors, by giving them more diverse roles, but also help make the theatre more accessible to those that might not normally choose to go. “What we’re trying to do,” begins Docherty, “is get people that go to the Pavilion to come and see our little theatre show. People that would go to the Pavilion widens up the audience. So, that’s kind of what our aim was, as well as, put on a good play.” This inclusivity is something that Travers is keen to highlight. “The most rewarding part has been feeling we have given every workingclass actor a voice on stage that lets the world know that if we don’t start looking after them properly we’ll lose them from the craft.” McLuckie’s Line, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 25-28 Apr £1 from every ticket goes to Macmillan citz.co.uk/whatson/info/mcluckies-line

THEATRE

Feature

Less Is More We talk stripped-back production, collaborative projects, and Canada’s thriving dance music scene with Montreal-based producer Project Pablo ahead of his forthcoming EP There’s Always More At The Store

Photo: Michael Brock

Interview: Claire Francis

or a self-described “music school drop out,” Patrick Holland has carved out an impressive career as one of Canada’s most exciting up-andcoming producers. Formerly from Vancouver and now residing in Montreal, the twenty-something year old Holland has already made his mark with a string of releases on prominent Canadian labels such as Hybridity, 1080p, and his own ASL Singles Club and Sounds Of Beaubien Ouest labels. He’s also had a number of releases on international labels including Magicwire, Club Lonely and Spring Theory. His forthcoming five-track EP There’s Always More At The Store, to be released via Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint, is another highly anticipated release that sees Holland further pushing the boundaries of his own unique production style. The EP was recorded in the summer of 2017, in a rented mixing room that formed part of a larger studio space run by Montreal-based art rock band Braids. It was, as Holland explains, “my first experience of being in, I guess I want to say, like a ‘hi-fi’ atmosphere,” and the space and the equipment available to him there proved to be a primary source of inspiration for his productions. “You know, being in this purpose-built room, I was trying to produce as ‘hi-fi’ as I could, and really focus on mixing instead of musical parts,” he says. “That’s why I guess this EP sounds more… I mean, there’s less going on than my past stuff. It’s not minimal by any means, but it’s minimal for me. A lot of the stuff I put out as Project Pablo is fairly simple, and that’s always been a main focus. I really toned it back, for myself, in this one.” There’s Always More At The Store subsequently takes a sleeker, more refined approach to production, while still retaining the hallmarks of Project Pablo’s personality-filled, carefully crafted house music: Holland’s gripping bass

Feature

lines, earworm synth melodies and leisurely tempos all happily resurface on this record. Opening track Napoletana is a prime example, employing a MFB 522 drum machine and Juno 106 to create a hypnotic house track that, as Holland explains, was a product of “just using what [equipment] I had there, at the time.” “It was a conscious decision, for sure. Like I tried to choose fewer layers; the first track, specifically, I mean there’s three parts in that song. There’s one drum machine, there’s one bass line, chords, and then a melody, and that’s it. Like, there’s nothing else going on. For me, I was pretty excited to do something that simple,” he laughs. Last Day, meanwhile, is another standout track, and an unexpected mid-record highlight. A sparse, two and a half minute improvised piano piece, it’s an atmospheric, slightly sombre composition that wouldn’t be out of place soundtracking a scene from Twin Peaks. Holland describes it as “a palate-cleanser,” and reveals that the track came to him in a similarly spontaneous, uncontrived fashion. “There’s a stand-up piano in the studio. I’d never used it on anything for like the year I was in there, so I wrote that just super-quickly as well. Like I wrote that in probably 15 minutes. Because the track itself is that first part, and then it becomes more... affected,” he explains. “It was super minimal, it was like one take, and then I looped it, and all the effects are just on that same piano. I did that and I was like ‘damn’, that was really lucky that I can make something that I enjoy listening to, that quickly,” he laughs. “It was super in-the-moment. I did it there, it was done, and then I didn’t touch it again afterwards.” This new ‘minimal’ method of production was clearly an enjoyable way of working for Holland, who took this approach as a kind of

exercise in self-restraint, he admits. “Napoletana specifically came to me really fast – like, I wrote that in the span of two hours, maybe,” he continues. “So that was lucky, but that never happens! It is really hard to do that, for me: I find I could bang away for hours and keep adding stuff until I like it. But it never happens that quickly, so I got lucky, very lucky, with that one.” The closing track I Heard You Breathing is the one Holland’s happiest with, describing it as “really fun to make, because I did it as like an exercise for myself.” Made up of eight parts, Holland recorded each of these parts as a four-bar loop, with each part playing at the same time, but at different volume levels. “It’s just kind of fade in and fade out, for eight minutes, but it sounds like a thing that changes. I was happy with that,” he laughs. Summing up the approach he took to recording the EP, Holland continues: “I’ve found before that I usually kind of go into these worm hole areas where I keep like writing different parts, because I’m not satisfied with the original idea. I was trying to push myself to enjoy the original idea and let that play through. A lot of the Wolfgang Voigt stuff, for example, is what I’ve always enjoyed. You know, like how he does one thing, and that’s the track. It’s kind of taking that ethos and trying to employ that.” With the EP release imminent, Holland is already hard at work on multiple new musical projects (when we call through to speak to him it takes a few attempts before we’re able to connect; when we finally do he apologises profusely, explaining that he got caught up in the studio and lost track of time). A self-depricating, thoughtfully-spoken and easy going interviewee, Holland strikes you as the kind of artist who eschews the limelight in favour of devoting himself to his music – as we chat briefly about his

CLUBS

recent Boiler Room set from Melbourne’s Sugar Mountain Festival, he enthuses about the crowd but adds that “the whole cameras thing wasn’t really my vibe.” Outside of his work as Project Pablo, collaborations feature heavily as part of Holland’s output. He’s one half of Rest Corp, alongside good friend and fellow Canadian Khotin – the duo released their first EP Infinity Scroll via Normals Welcome in March. With Brooklyn-based producer Max McFerren, he has put out some adventurous house releases under the alias 2 Responsible. Since 2016, Holland has also collaborated with well-known Montreal DJ Francis Oak as Jump Source; they have a new record coming out early this summer on Pacific Rhythm. When we ask what appeals to him about the collaboration process, his answer is straighforward. “That’s how I learn stuff. That’s how I’ve learned everything I do, by making music with other people. So I think continuing to do that is super healthy in terms of me improving. I’ve been working all the time, especially travelling all the time – it gets pretty darn lonely out there,” he says wryly. “So making music with some friends is always good.” Holland’s heavy involvement in his country’s thriving dance music scene is equally influenced by his time in both Vancouver and Montreal. Of the former, he says, “the most influental part of Vancouver, for me, was going to the parties there. There’s a huge scene for illegal after-hours there.” With labels from the so-called ‘Canadian Riviera’ such as Mood Hut and the aforementioned 1080p and Pacific Rhythm championing a distinctive, chilled-out style of house music, it’s unsurprising that the Project Pablo sound channels Vancouver’s musical history – deep house and dubstep – into his own personable house style. Likewise, after relocating to Montreal in 2014, his sound has been further influenced by the city’s “huge history in dance music,” he explains.

“ I’ve learned everything I do by making music with other people” Patrick Holland

“There’s this one club called Stereo, which is kind of a world-renowned club that tonnes of people play at, it’s like a 24 hour club, which is one of the only ones in Canada. They don’t serve alcohol or anything, but on a given day – like DVS1 plays there monthly, a lot of the Panorama Bar residents play there. There’s a lot of history around there, a lot of labels from the 90s. The musician lifestyle is what attracted me, for sure.” With There’s Always More At The Store, Holland does what the name suggests, offering up another influential and impressive addition to Canada’s rich history of dance music. There’s Always More At The Store is released on 6 Apr via Technicolour

THE SKINNY

April 2018

Feature

THE SKINNY

UK Festivals

HANDMADE FESTIVAL

THE GREAT ESCAPE

FLY OPEN AIR

Circa Waves, Drenge, The Big Moon, Protomartyr, Future of the Left and Idles lead the musical charge for Handmade Festival’s return to Leicester’s O2 Academy this May. Expect two days jam-packed with carefully curated music, comedy, art, film, performance and photography, along with a Handmade first as they get ready to host their first industry conference. Tickets from £27.50

The Great Escape is an annual three-day multi-venue music showcase and convention which this year will host over 400 bands across Brighton. TGE is all about discovering new up-and-coming talent, and this year several Scottish acts are set to play including Bossy Love, Happy Meals, LUCIA, The Ninth Wave, The Spook School and The Vegan Leather. Tickets from £30

Edinburgh’s FLY Club returns to the grand surroundings of Hopetoun House this May for their much-anticipated second FLY Open Air all-dayer at the stately home, with the line-up curated by Glasgow’s Denis Sulta. Seth Troxler, Gerd Janson, Jayda G, Tom Trago, Or:la and Cromby are all set to play, with after parties following at Cabaret Voltaire and The Liquid Room with secret special guests. Tickets from £44.50

O2 Academy, Leicester, 5-6 May

As 2018 festival season approaches, we take a look at some of the most exciting events the UK has to offer

Brighton, 17-19 May

Hopetoun House, Edinburgh, 19 May

Handmade Festival

The Great Escape

RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL

Riverside Museum, Glasgow, 26-27 May

Brockwell Park, London, 1-2 Jun

From the team behind Coachella festival, All Points East is welcoming Björk, LCD Sound-system, The xx, The National and Nick Cave to London’s Victoria Park for its inaugural year. The ticketed music events will take place over the two weekends, and in between APE In the Neighbourhood will offer four days of free events and activities including cinema, theatre and music. Tickets from £39.95

“Electrical music for electrical people,” is how Riverside Festival describe their huge May Bank Holiday weekender which this year is set to be bigger than ever. Four Tet, Skream, Leftfield, Green Velvet, Rødhåd, Paula Temple, Nastia, Lindsay Green, Richie Hawtin, IDA and Slam are all set to play against the iconic backdrop of Glasgow’s Riverside Museum. Tickets from £55

2018 will be Field Day’s first outing at its brand new location of Brockwell Park in south London and even though the festival is on the move, their line-up, as ever, doesn’t disappoint. Erykah Badu, Thundercat and Fever Ray lead the charge with Four Tet (live), Loyle Carner, Princess Nokia, IAMDDB, Floating Points and Nils Frahm also set to play. Tickets from £44.50

Knockengorroch World Ceilidh

Björk

PARKLIFE

Southbank Centre, London, 15-24 Jun

The Warehouse Project-programmed festival in Manchester’s Heaton Park is back for 2018 with a line-up that should have something to offer for most music fans. The xx, Skepta, Liam Gallagher, N.E.R.D, Lorde and CHVRCHES are all set to play, while a typically strong DJ line-up includes The Black Madonna, Nina Kraviz, Peggy Gou and Jackmaster. Tickets from £65

Digbeth, Birmingham, 22-24 Jun

Solas Festival

KELBURN GARDEN PARTY

TRNSMT

FARR

Situated in the grounds of the 800 year old Kelburn Castle – home of the unique and internationally renowned Graffiti Project – Kelburn Garden Party consists of art installations, carnival entertainment and a multi-genre music programme featuring Ibibio Sound Machine, The 2 Bears and Chali 2na & Krafty Kuts. And, for the first time, there will be a stage curated by The Skinny featuring some exciting up-and-coming local talent. Tickets from £72

TRNSMT festival returns to Glasgow Green this year for its sophomore outing and it’s already expanding from three days to five across two different weekends in the summer. While headliners The Killers, Liam Gallagher, Arctic Monkeys and QUEEN with Adam Lambert are all set to play, we’re more excited about the billing lower down: CHVRCHES, Interpol, Sigrid, Confidence Man and IAMDDB to name a few. Tickets from £59.50

Farr festival is an electronic music festival held within an uninhabited forest in Hertfordshire, and from humble beginnings in 2009, the ninth edition of the festival sees Farr venturing deeper into the woods with new stages, daytime experiences and their first ever Sunday line-up. Mount Kimbie, George FitzGerald, Kelly Lee Owens, Daphni, Eclair Fifi and Or:la are all set to play. Tickets from £125

Glasgow Green, Glasgow, 29 Jun-8 Jul

Kelburn Garden Party

TRNSMT

ELECTRIC FIELDS

LARMER TREE FESTIVAL

April 2018

Africa Oyé: free festival of African music and culture in Liverpool featuring Dr Congo. 16-17 Jun, free entry KALLIDA: a collision of sound and visual arts in Clyro featuring Daniel Avery and Nilüfer Yanya. 22-24 Jun

Farr Festival

Portree, Isle of Skye, 21-22 Sep

Electric Fields

Photo: Neelam Khan Vela

Larmer Tree Festival

Festival of Voice: international biennial arts festival in Cardiff featuring Patti Smith and ReykjavÍkurdastur. 7-17 Jun, prices vary

Since its 2015 inception, Skye Live has become a staple on the Scottish music festival circuit, not to mention an excellent way to get out of the major cities and see some of Scotland’s beautiful countryside. The 2018 line-up features an excellent cross section of acts including Leeds’ Vessels, the Isle of Eigg’s psychedelic resident Pictish Trail and Glasgow DJ extraordinaire Denis Sulta alongside Niteworks and Or:la. Tickets from £79

Electric Fields heads back to the beautiful surroundings of Drumlanrig Castle in the Scottish Borders this year to celebrate its fifth anniversary. Among the highlights this year are Young Fathers, Ghostpoet, Nightwave, Ezra Furman, and Out Lines. We’re also excited to catch hip-hop MC Lady Leshurr, Brooklyn dream-pop trio Sunflower Bean and afro-funk explosion Ibibio Sound Machine. Tickets from £115 Photo: LittlePhoto Company

To celebrate the centenary of female suffrage, Larmer Tree’s main stage will feature a female-fronted takeover with First Aid Kit, Susanne Sundfør and Let’s Eat Grandma all set to appear. What’s more, Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus is helping guest-curate the line-up and has invited some of her favourite female musicians to play including Ibibio Sound Machine, Miss Eaves and Akua Naru. Tickets from £112

Music

Pictish Trail

Other Music Festival: world music festival in Aberdeen featuring Jackill and Bollywood Brass Band. 19-22 Apr, prices vary

Inner City Electronic: a celebration of electronic music in Leeds featuring Floating Points and KiNK. 2 Jun, from £32

SKYE LIVE

Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries & Galloway, 30 Aug-1 Sep

Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire, 19-22 Jul

The best of the rest

AVA Festival: leading electronic festival in Belfast featuring Bicep, Helena Hauff and Floorplan. 1-2 Jun, from £70

Bygrave Woods, Hertfordshire, 5-8 Jul

Photo: Ryan Buchanan

Kelburn Castle, Largs, 29 Jun-2 Jul

Supersonic is an experimental music and arts festival held in Birmingham which launched in 2003 as a one-day event and now takes place over a whole weekend. 2018’s line-up features London-based four-piece Housewives, a UK premiere from Brighton composer and producer Gazelle Twin, a kids’ gig from prolific Dutch band The Ex and immersive art from Dennis McNett. Tickets from £90

Solas Festival is Scotland’s Midsummer arts, music and ideas festival set in Perthshire’s idyllic countryside. This year, the festival is exploring the theme of drift between people and places through performance and discussion and sees Edinburgh’s Song, by Toad celebrate its tenth anniversary with a showcase featuring Siobhan Wilson, Jonnie Common and Adam Stafford. Tickets from £32

Photo: Brian Sweeney

Mogwai

SUPERSONIC

The Bield, Blackruthven, Perthshire, 22-24 Jun

We made the same joke last year, but just to reassure you, The Cure’s Robert Smith isn’t having a meltdown, but he is curating this year’s Meltdown festival at London’s Southbank Centre. Celebrating its 25th year, making it the longest running artist-curated festival in the UK, Smith’s line-up features Placebo, My Bloody Valentine, 65daysofstatic, Mogwai, Nine Inch Nails and Kristin Hersh. Prices vary

Parklife Festival

Field Day

SOLAS FESTIVAL

ROBERT SMITH’S MELTDOWN

Heaton Park, Manchester, 9-10 Jun

FIELD DAY

Riverside Festival

Photo: Stephanie Gibson

2018’s Knockengorroch World Ceilidh festival in the south-west of Scotland takes place by a beautiful river in the Carsphairn hills. Cut Chemist, Transglobal Underground and African supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique are among the international, traditional and dance music acts performing this year with Kobi Onyame, INYAL, MALKA, Awry and SCOPE heading up the Scottish talent. Tickets from £54

Photo: Santiago Felipe

Dumfries & Galloway, 24-27 May

Fly Open Air

ALL POINTS EAST

Victoria Park, London, 25 May-3 Jun

Photo: Beth Chalmers

KNOCKENGORROCH WORLD CEILIDH

Photo: Phoebe Fox

Words: Tallah Brash

Doune the Rabbit Hole: a family friendly festival in Stirlingshire booked by Synergy Concerts. 13-15 Jul, £tbc Cambridge Folk Festival: a folk festival in Cambridge featuring First Aid Kit and Patti Smith. 2-5 Aug, from £175.50 ArcTanGent: rock festival in Bristol featuring Glassjaw, And So I Watch You From Afar and Shellac. 16-18 Aug, from £60 Green Man: music and arts festival in the Brecon Beacons featuring John Grant and Dirty Projectors. 16-19 Aug, from £60

Feature

How Glasgow Started the Edinburgh Fringe The story of how Glasgow Unity Theatre turned a snub to Scottish drama into the first Edinburgh Festival Fringe Words: Ben Venables Illustration: Terri Po

anuary, 1947: Eveline Garratt was angry. Angry enough to write a letter to the Glasgow Herald. As assistant director of Glasgow Unity Theatre, Garratt had been enthusiastic about the new festival planned in Edinburgh for late summer. The group met with Rudolf Bing – the Edinburgh Festival founder – to ask about his plans for Scottish theatre. They were hopeful their season at Edinburgh’s Little Theatre could feature in the inaugural Festival’s programme. But the meeting did not go well. As Garratt’s letter put it, Bing said: “No Scottish theatre was up to standard.” The letter started a back-and-forth about Scottish representation at the Festival in the Herald’s correspondence’ column. And the paper published a further 18 letters on the subject in February. Glasgow Unity were one of the eight theatre groups – without any invitation – to perform alongside the first Festival. And it is this group, more than any other, that can claim to have started what later became called the Edinburgh Fringe. The ‘fringe’ before the Fringe Unity even attracted the word ‘fringe’ before the first festival started. On 12 July, a column in The Scotsman reported: “Scots plays will be seen on the fringe of the festival... [Glasgow Unity Theatre] is to have a three weeks season in the Little Theatre.” This usage is over a year before playwright Robert Kemp used the term in the Edinburgh Evening News – the time from which the Fringe name is usually attributed (though it took a few years to catch on). But it is also ahead of other uses of ‘fringe’ picked up by historians: one describing Little Theatre’s location in September 1947, again in the Evening News, and another in a review of Everyman Theatre’s production out at Dunfermline Cathedral. Curiously, ‘fringe’ is also used some months earlier when debate around Scottish representation is mentioned in a Scotsman editorial. This was only days before Garratt’s letter to The Herald. Both pieces refer to discussions already taking place and the editorial may have had Unity in mind when dismissing certain criticisms of the Festival: “But occasional mutterings on the fringe of the band of enthusiasts, mutterings about high prices and about the lack of this or that Scottish contribution, might, if allowed to go unanswered, assume importance out of all proportion to their true value.” But, why was Scottish drama such a contentious issue to the point Rudolf Bing deemed it not up to scratch? The Origins of Edinburgh International Festival While the Fringe has origins in Glasgow, the Festival had its own start with Bing in East Sussex. Bing had escaped Nazi Germany in the 1930s and brought his talents as an opera manager to England, founding the Glyndebourne Festival near Lewes in 1934. He wanted to energise this festival and secure its finances after the war; so he searched for a city that could accommodate his vision. The legend goes that Bing visited Edinburgh in the early 1940s and, on seeing the Castle, was

Feature

so awed that he conceived the festival idea. Bing’s programming and international outlook made the first Edinburgh Festival a success. But, when it came to Scotland, his mind was swamped in clichés about regimental dances and bagpipes. It is said he considered Bath, Cambridge, Canterbury and Chester before Edinburgh. And in the case of his favoured choice – Oxford – it went as far as formal discussions and committees. Bing once suggested the first Edinburgh Festival start with a High Mass, forgetting it’d be in a Calvinistic city. With all this in mind, a pointed question in Garratt’s letter may have been a fair one: “To Mr Rudolf Bing we issue a challenge: Has he ever seen any Scottish theatre...?” Theatre politics turns nasty Despite the debate about Scottish drama, James Bridie – the most successful Scottish playwright of the era – was actually on the Festival committee. And his new play was initially advertised as part of the first programme. Surely, in Bridie, Unity had an ally? It happened there was an ongoing Glasgow rivalry between Unity and Bridie’s Citizens Theatre. What’s more, Bridie was first to respond to Garratt’s letter. He wrote Unity’s inclusion in an exalted programme “would be rendering a poor service to Scottish drama.” If this wasn’t overbearing enough, Bridie then adopted the tone of a PE teacher speaking to a motivated but wheezy pupil: “Juniors become internationalists in time, and in a year or two Scottish drama may astonish the world; but just not yet...” Bridie’s letter provoked a backlash from the Scottish renaissance poet Hugh MacDiarmid. He replied, rather enigmatically: “If a bantam hen is... only laying the small eggs appropriate to its kind – it does not help matters to set an ostrich egg down beside it, with the label, ‘Keep your eye on this, and do your best.’” MacDiarmid added the whole Festival was a “horrible, wind-egg of a misconceived enterprise.” By the end of February’s heated correspondence, Bridie sounded more like a wounded aunt who hasn’t received a thank you letter: “The Lord Provost of Edinburgh and his committee have conceived and organised a Festival of the arts the like of which has never been seen in Scotland... It would be pleasant to find a little comely gratitude on the part of persons interested in such matters.” Bridie did have his own struggles to contend with in trying to place Scottish drama in the programme. The Old Vic in London led the theatrical front at the Festival but dropped Bridie’s play in favour of Richard II, with Alec Guinness playing the king. Yet sympathy for Bridie can only extend so far – the quarrel between him and Unity soon intensified. Just as the Festival was about to start, Unity were stripped of Arts Council funding. It is suspected Bridie had a hand in this. As The Scotsman recorded: “The council’s decision regarding the festival was intimated to Unity Theatre by Mr James Welsh, chairman of the Scottish section of the council, and Mr James Bridie.” The reasons offered to Unity for this sudden funding cut do smack of bunk. The first reason

given was that they’d struggle to make a financial success while competing with the International Festival. The second accused Unity of “deteriorating artistic standards.” Neither of which chimes with Unity’s popularity at the time. A possible alternative reason is that the Arts Council – who’d put £20,000 into the Festival pot – considered Unity a financial threat to the official offerings. Unity’s Legacy What no-one banked on was Unity’s adeptness when it came to publicity. They turned the tables by holding a press conference and issued an appeal for funds. The Scotsman reported: “When Glasgow Unity Theatre present two plays in Edinburgh during the period of the Festival they should have no financial worries, owing to the generous action of two Glasgow business men guaranteeing sums of £800 and £100.” Had Glasgow Unity arrived in Edinburgh without any of this preamble, and staged both of their plays – The Lower Depths and The Laird O’ Torwatletie – their contribution to the Fringe should still be a major part of theatre histories. But perhaps because the group folded a few years later, the achievements of the Glasgow players seem to have been overlooked by all but a handful of scholars.

COMEDY

The original eight companies at the Fringe do not seem to have performed in Edinburgh in any co-ordinated sense. But the intense debate about Scottish representation, and Unity’s successful funding campaign, show there may have been some common cause independently followed by the groups in the local dramatic community. Five of the other originals, like Unity, were also Scottish. The Scotsman column immediately before the first Festival uses the word ‘fringe’ a second time: “[Little Theatre] may be regarded by some visitors as exploring the remote fringe of the festival city, but though it is off the main thoroughfare... it is familiar to the Unity Players, who have already had successful seasons there.” These days, the Little Theatre is considered a touch more central to the Fringe. It is better known in August now as Pleasance One. With thanks to the staff at Edinburgh Central Library, Scottish Collection Sources: Glasgow Herald and The Scotsman digital archives; Angela Bartie: Edinburgh Festivals; Colin Chambers: The Story of Unity Theatre; George Bruce: Festival in the North; Iain Crawford: Banquo on Thursdays; Bill Findlay (Ed.): Scottish People’s Theatre; Eileen Miller: The Edinburgh International Festival 1947-1996. Alistair Moffat: The Edinburgh Fringe. Article: Adrienne Scullion: Scenes like these: new writing from Glasgow Unity Theatre

THE SKINNY

LI FE

traight people love it, Buzzfeed’s thrilled about the endless new material for gifsets and internet quizzes, and Chrissy Teigen’s gotten more people to follow on Twitter. It’s official, Netflix’s all new Queer Eye has the internet buzzing – understandably, given that it’s charming as heck. The premise of the show, a remake of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, is simple. Men with bad hair, or messy homes, or trouble communicating, find their lives upgraded by the Fab Five, a group who, in their appearances, range from ‘oh, he’s cute’ to ‘if I saw him on the street, I would literally die’ levels of attractiveness (Antoni, if you’re reading this, I’d let you kill me with a rusty spork). For gay viewers, the programme offers glimpses of representation alongside terrible pressure: to be perfect, in absolutely every way. Perfectly-coiffed Tan spruces up your wardrobe. Jonathan, who resembles a Millennial Jesus, gives you a divine haircut. Karamo, never seen without a bomber jacket, delivers fatherly lectures on how to be less trashy in your cultural tastes. The aforementioned Antoni tries to teach perplexed heterosexuals to julienne a grapefruit. And then disproportionately hard-working Bobby renovates the hovels these men call home. All in less than a week! The aim of the game is for these industrious gay folks to turn their new protégés into the men they’ve always wanted to be. You’ve seen shows like this before: makeover and home improvement shows are hardly ground-breaking. Queer Eye sets itself apart by focusing entirely on its stars’ beauty and sexuality. In some ways, it’s a cute gimmick, though not without problematic implications. When you watch an Allsopp or an Oliver fix up someone’s life, you aren’t led to believe that their qualifications stem from their heterosexuality. So why does Queer Eye expect viewers to understand gayness as synonymous with aesthetic awareness? We never find out why

April 2018

these men are qualified to help troubled straights. The Fab Five’s presentation as angels who are gay gives one the impression that coming out has a high chance of making you develop altruistic super-powers. As you might have guessed from the above descriptions, the Fab Five are all cissexual gay or bisexual men. While ‘queer’ is increasingly being understood as an umbrella term for all kinds of sexualities and gender identities beyond the heterosexual, cis-gendered norm, Queer Eye hasn’t quite gotten that memo, despite its title. What’s more, these five men, despite broader attempts at diversity than the original series, are all fit, young, and conventionally attractive. It’s not unusual for a makeover show to pay homage to the ideal of perfection, but Queer Eye wants to be about more than just looking good. The Fab Five are posited by the show itself as new frontiersmen in the war against American homophobia, fighting now to be accepted, not just tolerated. To some, they would be the perfect ambassadors for the gay men of 2018. They’re politically aware, dressed to the nines, and always kind. What more could you want? The problem is that this branding seems so restrictive: in this lens, gay men must be impeccably dressed, beautifully-groomed, and well-muscled (but not disturbingly Terminatorshaped) – as well as being helpful little angels for nearby heterosexuals. The idea of a less ‘perfect’ gay never quite drifts into the show’s consciousness: the Fab Five nervously talk about less than ideal body types or ‘jelly in the belly’ and wince at the idea of larger men dressing in ways that don’t flatter their body type. One wonders if a less conventionally attractive gay man will ever be seen on television. The straight men on the show can be fat, thin, hairy, old, awkward – but the gay men must be variations on male models: indeed, Antoni is a former model, and Karamo just signed with Wilhemina.

Charming and ground-breaking, Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye was the perfect opportunity to free queerness from the straight gaze... So why didn’t it?

Is Queer Eye a Flawed Quest for Acceptance?

Interview: Toby Sharpe Illustration: Susie Purvis

Maybe the heterosexual masses would be uncomfortable with gay men who weren’t physically up to scratch. Our media is still so tightly controlled by what straight audiences are thought to want, and so televisual versions of gay experience are centred entirely around the straight gaze. Why do gay men have to serve straight people to be considered likeable, and thus acceptable? It all makes sense as a kind of marketing exercise – most straight people harbour homophobic worries, so Queer Eye is going all out to show them how gay people can make their lives better if they’re only allowed to. The message seems to be that gay people should make themselves as palatable as possible, putting the onus on gay people to be perfectly pleasant, rather than directly pressuring straight people to be less homophobic. This is hardly surprising, but it is exhausting: one is reminded of all the other times in life that minorities are encouraged to sit politely and wait for their turn to be included. Those that are too loud, too ungainly, are ignored. The fight against bigotry should not rely on respectability politics: we should be encouraging queer men to live their truest, most diverse lives, not imply that gays should flirt sexlessly with straight men to boost their egos, before offering them a haircut. Despite these concerns, the show is still a rung on the ladder towards better representation of queer people – especially in a media environment where queer media seems to be getting cancelled left, right, and centre. Queer Eye gives us certain gems. You’re unlikely to have seen anyone as fabulously camp as Jonathan on screen before, at least not as anything but an object of fun. The Five’s chemistry as friends is palpable, and it’s still such a novelty to see gay men interact on screen without forced romantic tension. Watching the show for these moments is enough to make one deliriously happy, though hungry for more.

INTERSECTIONS

It’s that sense of genuine queer community that fuels what many are calling the best episode of the season. The Fab Five assist closeted AJ, a black guy in a happy relationship, who needs help coming out to his stepmother, and getting his fuzzy beard trimmed down to perfection. Karamo gets to share some wisdom about being out and proud as a black man, and he finally seems genuine in his advice. Antoni and Tan get to giggle over leather harnesses – appearing for a moment like men who’ve had queer experiences, rather than Ken Dolls. And Bobby gets to design a loft for a gay couple, which feels like a relief after watching him pour his labour into straight guys’ homes.

We should encourage queer men to live their truest lives, not imply gays should flirt sexlessly with straights before offering a haircut By the end of the episode, AJ’s come out, and one can imagine a more forward-thinking programme, where gay men help each other, where their stories matter on their own terms beyond straight narratives. For one jewelled moment, thanks to an episode that forgets or refuses to pander, it’s the best show on television.

Lifestyle

Yon Afro Collective (Re)imagining Self and Raising Consciousness of Existence through Alternative Space and (Re) imagined Place is a mixed media group exhibition by Yon Afro Collective at Govanhill Baths, presented as part of Glasgow International 2018. If People Make Glasgow, which People will be allowed to Make a future Glasgow? This exhibition seeks to amplify the lives of Black women and/+ Women of Colour (WOC) in Scotland, and tell stories which are often ignored. (Re)imagining Self... explores the private vs public spheres, the presentation of self, and how the Black Other is viewed. (Re)imagining Self… challenges the concepts of positive initiatives, the performance of being ourselves and examines WOC and/+ Black women’s

existence as resistance within social, political and geographical environments. The selection of work on display reflects the artistic and eclectic talents of Najma Abukar, Layla-Roxanne Hill, Sekai Machache, and Adebusola Debora Ramsay. While each of these artists approaches their craft in a different way, the thread that runs throughout their work is an exploration of issues related to the particularities of the lives of Black women and/+ women of colour, in the form of paintings, photography, sculpture and text. Yon Afro Collective, part of Glasgow International, Govanhill Baths, 20 Apr-7 May. Open Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 1.30-6pm, Thu 2-8pm, Sat 11am-5pm, free. Preview 19 Apr, 6-9pm @yonafro Yonafro.co.uk

Sekai Machache (b.1989 in Harare, Zimbabwe) lives and works in Dundee, Scotland. Her work is based on a deep interrogation of the notion of self. Having been born in Zimbabwe and raised in Scotland, she has a particular interest in W.E.B Dubois’ notion of Double Consciousness which expresses the psychological challenge of having African heritage while living in the West. Machache has developed a multi-disciplinary practice utilising a wide range of media including photography. Her photographic practice is mostly formulated through digital studio based compositions using body paint and muted lighting conditions to create images that appear to emerge from darkness. Solo shows include a solo feature in Ethics and Aesthetics; Living in a Material World, St. Andrews Museum (2017).

Sekai Machache, Musoro 2, (2016)

SHOWCASE

Group exhibitions include Focas Document Shortlist, Ann Lantair, Stornoway, Scotland (2017); Jill Todd Award, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland (2015); AnyAndOrCollective Group Exhibition, Coburg House, Edinburgh, Scotland, (2013). Machache presents works from her photo-series Musoro (2016). Revisiting her previous video piece Braiding Across a Room (2015), Machache will bring Braiding Across a Pool (2018), a sculptural performative work to Govanhill Baths, based on the tradition of braiding, central to many African cultures which has been transmuted across many generations throughout the African diaspora. T:@SekaiMachache I:@sekaimachache sekaimachache.com

Sekai Machache, Compose (Part of Invocation series)

THE SKINNY

Adebusola Debora Ramsay, Origins, (2014)

Adebusola Debora Ramsay (b. 1983 in Lagos, Nigeria) lives and works in Glasgow. Her developing art practice features bold colour and textural detail. She’s also exploring the concept of racialisation, its intersection with other forms of oppression, and inter-generational trauma. Ramsay’s abstract paintings are a therapeutic endeavour for which inspiration comes from Yoruba art, architecture and the weave/patternmaking of traditional cloths such as Aso-Oke, Kente and Adire from West Africa. Other influences include Bauhaus, Impressionism and Expressionism. Ramsay is also a co-lead on Black History Month walking tours commissioned by Coalition

for Racial Equality and Rights, highlighting the historical links between Glasgow’s built heritage and the transatlantic slave trade and chattel slavery, empire and colonisation. Ramsay presents a series of abstract works rooted in her affinity with and use of vibrant colours. Through her pieces Origins (2014), Untitled/Viscera (2017), Twists & Turns (2018) and obfuscation of reality (2018), Ramsay explores the concept of racialisation, its intersection with other forms of oppression and inter-generational trauma. I:@soulfoodhaus

Najma Abukar, Untitled

Najma Abukar (b. 1986 in Mogadishu, Somalia) is a photographer based in Glasgow. Abukar documents cultural and gender identities, the African diaspora and immigrant experiences. She has exhibited at BAaD, Glasgow (2016) and Fields of Wheat: Members’ Show at Transmission, Glasgow (2017). Abukar’s Dear Nina (2018) is a photographic portrait series. Each portrait is inspired by a line from the song Four Women by Nina Simone: My Skin is Black, My Arms Are Long, My Hair is Wolly, My Back is Strong, My Skin is Yellow, My Hair is Long, My Skin is Tan, My Hair is Fine, My Skin is Brown, My Manner is Tough. T:@NajmaAbukar I:@najmahusseinabukar

Layla-Roxanne Hill (b. 1984 in Kano, Nigeria) thinks of Glasgow as home(-ish). Influenced by Black feminism and the activist, she seeks to visibilise Black Scottish lives. Head of Engagement at The Ferret, she utilises new media for communities to create (hi)stories. She is co-founder of Yon Afro and in addition, holds positions within the National Union of Journalists. Shortlisted for Write to End Violence Against Women Awards, group exhibitions include: The House That Heals The Soul, CCA, Glasgow (2017). Hill’s work Mulatto Manifesto: Tragic Retelt (2018) uses experimental mixed media and text responsive to the changing room spaces within Govanhill Baths and the ways interracial identities are always shaped by environments. Layla Roxanne Hill, which i which

T: @lrh151 I: @cuberoxo

April 2018

SHOWCASE

THE SKINNY

New in Food After a quiet couple of months, it’s full steam ahead for Edinburgh and Glasgow’s restaurant scenes. Here’s a round-up of the places to check out

Gnom The new bricks-and-mortar home for the lovely folk behind the Chompsky street food van, the Pollokshaws spot will feature a truly eccentric menu. Outlandish-sounding French toast ice cream sandwiches rub shoulders with dishes inspired by European and Asian cuisines; probably safest to have one of everything to make sure you don’t end up with diner’s remorse. Also, bonus points for the extended two-venue pun that comes from naming your spots Gnom and Chompsky. That’s dedication. 758 Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow, facebook.com/gnomfood/ Platform We all remain sad about the unfair and unfortunate demise of The Arches, but there does appear to be a silver lining to that particularly grey cloud in the shape of Platform. Another indoor base of operations for street food vendors in Glasgow, the initial roster has featured the likes of Food & Drink Survey-winning crème brûlée purveyors The Crema Caravan, the always-excellent Shrimpwreck and Babu Bombay Street Kitchen, local craft soda lads Rapscallion (the folk with the travelling bar shaped like a giant orange), and Arches-based coffee roasters Thomsons. Fri-Sun, 253 Argyle St, Glasgow, facebook.com/PLATFORMgla Bibimbap A new addition to Glasgow’s Korean food options, Bibimbap look to do nice work in two very particular areas. The first is the bibimbap of the title – big bowls of rice, veg and meat that are filled to bursting with delicious things to pick at. The second is tasty-looking cocktails framed by neon signs that should make for ideal Instagram

fodder to cause extreme jealousy among your pals. 3 West Nile St, Glasgow, facebook.com/ bibimbapglasgow Chop House Bruntsfield The latest member of the Chop House stable looks to have many of the same traits that have made the Leith and Waverley Arches venues so successful. Well-stocked bars, brilliant aged steaks and excellent sides, lovely decor that’s all exposed brickwork and enormous, incredibly bright leather sofas. Also, this Chop House has lovely views across Bruntsfield Links, so if you can fight off the ravenous upper-middle-classes it will make for an ideal brunch or dinner spot. 88 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh, chophousesteak.co.uk Seeds for the Soul Just down the road but at the opposite end of the spectrum, Seeds for the Soul is an all-vegan restaurant that offers up meatless takes on all the classics you’d expect in a neighbourhood local. So we’re talking vegan cakes, meat-free breakfasts, tasty salads, and an emphasis on high-quality local ingredients. 167 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh, seedsforthesoul.co.uk

Words: Peter Simpson

outside the front door, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt; we still think that ‘Pink IPA’ chat was phenomenally stupid, though. 50 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh, brewdog.com Finn and Bear New from the team behind The Pantry, this is a place to go when you’re having one of those weekends where you wake up in good time and want to make the most of it. The breakfast selection is truly impressive – porridges, home-made waffles, avocado and crab (!) on toast – and the brunch and lunch options are pretty wild too. Drag your friends kicking and screaming from their beds; their hungover selves will thank you in the end. Plus there’s outside seating for those glorious days when it – oh sorry it’s started snowing again. 58 The Shore, Edinburgh, finnandbear.co.uk Ransacked Black Oven Bow your heads and pour out a glass of deepfried olives for the fallen; Wildmanwood is no

more. But, in the place of the Italian restaurant and bar oft frequented by yours truly sits a new, Persian-inspired contender. Ransacked Black Oven started life as a mobile van, and its menu is centred around sourdough flatbreads in various configurations (sweet wraps, savoury wraps, chipped, you name it) as well as kebabs, salads, and an impressive array of things into which to dip those aforementioned flatbreads. 27-29 Marshall St, Edinburgh, ransackedblackoven.co.uk/ Six by Nico Having proven a hit over in Glasgow, Nico Simone’s concept restaurant (six courses, based on a concept that changes every six weeks) makes its debut in Edinburgh with the chip shop-inspired theme that kicked things off at the other end of the M8. An experimental tasting menu that features scampi and a take on the deep-fried Mars bar; that seems like it’ll get people’s attention. 30 Mar-13 May, 97 Hanover St, Edinburgh, sixbynico.co.uk/edinburgh/ theskinny.co.uk/food

Brewdog Lothian Rd In an ironic turn of events, Brewdog’s latest Edinburgh bar pitches up directly opposite the incredibly controversial Wetherspoons in the former site of the Picture House gig venue on Lothian Road. To be fair to Ellon’s favourite craft beer troublemakers, they have taken over an unloved, empty former bank branch to create their latest hoppy palace, loaded with dozens of beers from across their range and a host of guest breweries. Not sure about the shipping container

Spring-and-Summer Watch After digging ourselves out of snow-enforced hibernation, here’s a look at what we’ll all be eating as 2018 continues Words: Peter Simpson Andean Cuisine Our editor-in-chief has been pushing the idea of ‘Llama 360’ – Andean camelid dominance of all aspects of our cultural lives – and it turns out she may well be on to something. Venezuelan and Colombian dishes like arepas and empanadas are fairly ubiquitous among Scotland’s street food markets, and the region’s food is something of a summery sideways step from the meat-heavy diets of Argentina and Brazil without losing out on tasty South American flavours. We reckon that llama could be in for a run at our menus over the coming months, but to get a genuine expert’s insight into the region’s cuisine, head to Edinburgh Food Studio’s Chilean Bistronomy events with chef Carolina Bazán of revered Santiago restaurant Ambrosia (19-21 Apr) for a taste of modern Chile. Meatless Barbecue We’ve been banging the drum on this one for a while, but it bears repeating at this time of year – you can cook something other than a cheap,

April 2018

bad sausage on a barbecue. You’re out in the park with a few beers; this is not the time to be horsing around with a weirdly over-processed oblong that’ll give you some serious intestinal issues when you undercook it. Have a nice salad, grill some root vegetables, use the money you save on more beer, repeat all summer long. Sheltering from the Elements And speaking of that summer, Scotland’s street food vendors have definitely continued to pursue a great solution to the Scottish weather – namely, heading indoors. With Platform at the former Arches site by Central Station joining The Big Feed in Govan and Dockyard Social in Finnieston, there’s now a trio of places for Glaswegians to run to when foolish dreams of a nice day out get shat on by the sun gods. Edinburghers haven’t quite turned their back on the elements, so we advise taking an umbrella if you’re heading to The Pitt... theskinny.co.uk/food Finn and Bear

FOOD AND DRINK

Lifestyle

Food News This month's food round-up is a mixture of festivals, flower-chomping and artistic collaboration

et’s pick up where we left off last month, with a pair of events from the GastroFest strand of the ongoing Edinburgh Science Festival. In Best Before, science writer Nicola Temple looks at the science of processed food, and the tendency for that science to run amok; The Angry Chef takes on the pseudoscience/ misinformation/ bullshit that often gets thrown around with respect to healthy eating, so if you’ve ever wanted to vent about bad diet advice, here’s the ideal forum. 5 Apr, 8pm, Summerhall, £6.50-8.50; 15 Apr, 3pm, National Museum of Scotland, £6.50-8.50 Also making its return this month is Tales on Tour, the Edinburgh leg of the Tales of the Cocktail drinks industry event. With a daytime programme focused on helping the next generation of cocktail movers-and-shakers (drum roll) get their bars in order, and promises of plenty of nighttime partying led by a host of the world’s top mixologists, it’s definitely one to keep an eye on. 8-10 Apr, various venues, seminars £45, talesofthecocktail.com Also coming up in April is a celebration of all things plant-based, in the form of Glasgow Vegan Festival. It features more than 50 stalls from a whole range of great veggie-based vendors, plus a string of talks and cookery demos across its two days. 14 & 15 Apr, 10.30am-4.30pm, Trades Hall, £3 on the door The CCA host a pair of events looking at the topic of mobile kitchens, with a trio of artists who use the kitchens in their practice to research the ways in which we all communicate and collaborate with one another. Eva De Baerdemaeker, Suraia Abud, and Yannick Roels discuss their experiences across Europe and South America (16 Apr, 6.30pm), before investigating the possibilities for one of their collaborative mobile kitchens in Glasgow the following night (17 Apr, 6.30pm). Centre for Contemporary Arts, free tickets via cca-glasgow.com Next up, a question – how do you feel about eating flowers? Whether you need some convincing, aren’t entirely sure how to work them into your fancier recipes, or just want to get an idea of which horticultural goodies to chow down upon, The Secret Herb Garden in Edinburgh are here to assist. A Beginner’s Guide to Edible Flowers is led by the Herb Garden’s head gardener, and features top tips on what to grow, how, and why. 21 Apr, 11am, Secret Herb Garden, £20, secretherbgarden.co.uk Speaking of food and drink areas that can be a little bit confusing if you don’t really know what you’re doing, The Good Spirits Co. Wine Fair returns this month to help you navigate through the bottles with a bit more confidence as the summer kicks off. The Bath Street greats will present over 120 different wines at this year’s fair, from sparkling bottles to old world classics to intriguing and funky organic wines, and they’ll be bringing some of their suppliers along for the ride too. 27 Apr, 7-10pm, The National Piping Centre, McPhater St, Glasgow, tickets £25 And finally, it’s time for a swift jaunt to just outside Glasgow for the Paisley Food & Drink Festival. It’s a two-day affair in the shadow of Paisley Abbey – Friday sees gin connoisseurs Gin71 host a tasting session alongside a bar from Glasgow southside favourites The Rum Shack, while Saturday centres around a Farmers’ Market loaded with exciting goodies. There’s also a street food selection curated by The Pitt, cooking demos, and a host of other food festival shenanigans. 27-28 Apr, 3-8pm, Abbey Close, Paisley [Peter Simpson]

theskinny.co.uk/food

Lifestyle

Ugly Delicious

Super Size Media As the fantastic Ugly Delicious hits our computers, we look at the ways food TV and podcasts have turned over a new and highly detailed leaf

rom Masterchef’s lightning quick judgements and constant alarm clock-level frenzy to those weird Buzzfeed food videos presented by disembodied hands, food telly in particular is great at presenting snack-sized stories. That’s all good – where would we be without Gregg Wallace to complain about? – but sometimes we need a more filling meal, and that’s where a new generation of in-depth food coverage comes in. Personally, we blame Netflix; for all the talk of ‘paradigm shifting’ and ‘cable-cutting’, the main thing they’ve done is encourage people to throw their stopwatches away and let their ideas grow. Sometimes that results in interminable crime dramas that take hours to show you any baddies or car chases, and sometimes you end up with a live action version of your defunct favourite magazine. Ugly Delicious is essentially the television version of the much-loved and sadly resting-in-peace Lucky Peach magazine, with LP co-founders Peter Meehan and David Chang on hosting duties as they devote hour-long episodes to deep dives into some of your favourite foods. Ugly Delicious’ taco episode unfurls across multiple continents and branches off into personal stories, animated asides and crosstown taste tests all in one sweep; the fried chicken hour delves into the endless variations

on the dish, while also giving a psychedelic glimpse at Chang’s spice-fuelled meltdown on a trip to Nashville. As meals go, this is a glorious banquet thrown on a Lazy Susan spinning at 20 miles per hour. Then there are the deep dives that leave you struggling for air, like Hot Ones. Produced by hip-hop news channel Complex, it’s a curious hybrid of hot sauce review, in-depth interview, and physically dangerous PR stunt. Host Sean Evans uses food as the vehicle through which to conduct pretty extensive chats, and proves that if you need to get someone talking, a chicken wing covered in Pain 100% Hot Sauce is a good place to start. It’s the same deal over in the podcast world. While we’re now all used to extensive rounds of back-and-forth between delightful West Coast types brought to us by Squarespace, the stuff that’s going on in the food podcast space is often pleasingly odd. Take the Spilled Milk podcast, which sees Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton present the minutiae of a particular food and drink topic in anarchic but educational fashion. Their episode on kombucha walks right up to the line of saying the stuff will kill you; the one on scallops dashes off into a morbid discussion

FOOD AND DRINK

Words: Peter Simpson about sentience before turning into a tasting session and Daniel Day-Lewis tribute after the ad break. To hear Amster-Burton list the ludicrous names of Mountain Dew sub-brands for five minutes while Wizenberg tries not to die laughing is to understand that longform does not necessarily equal serious. Closer to home, the Fermentations podcast by TYCI alumni Amanda Stanley and Kate Bailey takes the freedom of a longer format and uses it to present engaging, interesting and in-depth discussions on the roles that gender, social and ethnic background, and corporate power play in shaping our food culture. You know, all the kind of things that people really should be talking about. Fermentations’ debut episode with Dalad Kambhu of Kin Dee restaurant in Berlin is so engaging because it sticks to its guns. Kambhu flags up the recurring kitchen situation in which men constantly ‘try to help’ then throw a wobbler when they’re told off for doing things badly, but instead of doing the standard thing of immediately moving on, the story gets the space to breathe. Like all the shows we’ve mentioned, and like any good meal, it works not because of the number of things on the plate, but the craft of its creators. theskinny.co.uk/food

THE SKINNY

April 2018

Lifestyle

THE SKINNY

RE V IE W

Under the Influence: Mastersystem

Photo: Sally Lockey

As new band Mastersystem get ready to unleash their debut album Dance Music on the world, the band talk us through the records that have influenced them

hen we saw Mastersystem pop up on the poster for this year’s Electric Fields festival, our interest was piqued. New band? Old band we can’t find anywhere online? All-day Sonic the Hedgehog marathon on the big screen? Turns out we were right to go digging, as Mastersystem is the new project from two pairs of prominent indie brothers – Justin Lockey of Editors, James Lockey of Minor Victories, and Grant and Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit. With their debut album coming quickly after their announcement as a band, the Lockeys and the Hutchisons talk us through the albums that have influenced their sound as Mastersystem. Idlewild – Hope Is Important [Food Records, 1998] With the vocals on Dance Music, I finally got to tap into the feeling I got from listening to early Idlewild songs in my late teens and early 20s. This one has the perfect balance of madness and melody for me, and that’s kinda what I was going for on a lot of the Mastersystem tracks. [Scott Hutchison] Sorority Noise – You’re Not As _____ As You Think [Triple Crown Records, 2017] This is a more recent one, but I was listening to it a lot when I was writing the lyrics and melody for the album and I think it influenced my direction quite a lot. This is as ‘emo’ as I’m prepared to go. Right on the brink, but I love the

April 2018

reckless abandon I can hear on this album, while still being intelligent and thoughtful. [Scott Hutchison] The Wedding Present – Bizarro [RCA, 1989] For most, if not all, the bass parts will in some way have been influenced by Keith Gregory, the original bass player of The Wedding Present. Growing up with an art college student older brother who owned and dominated the only hi-fi system in the house, we were raised and exposed to a healthy dose of this record so it’s thoroughly ingrained on the brain (as is the whole back catalogue, stopping at Hit Parade 2). You can hear the influence across the whole record, some of the guitar parts, fuzzy bends, and the bass certainly come from having that record on all the time from the age of 13 onwards. Listen to Crushed, Bewitched and on the US version Don’t Talk, Just Kiss. [James Lockey] Idlewild – 100 Broken Windows [Food Records, 2000] Ashamedly I was proper late to the party with this record. I know Justin hammered it years ago but for me it’s only in the last couple of years that I have started hammering it, making up for all those years. My kids are really into this record too! Idea Track, Roseability and Listen to What You’ve Got are all firm family favourites. [James Lockey]

The Posies – Frosting on the Beater [DGC Records, 1993] Aside from the fuckload of other bands around at the time, this album by The Posies (a truly criminally underrated band for me!) is the one – aside from In Utero by Nirvana – I keep coming back to time and time again... I think the main point that sets it aside from most of the output of Seattle, etc in the early/mid-90s is its melody/ harmony and just fucking actual good songs. Everything on this record just stacks up so well – and the music or the grungy aesthetic never tips the balance over the melody and harmony. Basically you could strip away all the distortion and there would still be a set of fucking great songs. Solar Sister is a beaut slice of power pop – and the album ending Coming Right Along is just guitars and vocals but sounds so fucking heavy. Basically it’s a fucking great record. [Justin Lockey] Nirvana – In Utero [DGC Records, 1993] When I was recording the drums for Dance Music with James he told me to channel my inner Grohl. Obviously this could mean any number of outcomes, but for me In Utero was the Dave I decided to try and bring to life! Although, I’ve read the band didn’t love the eventual sound on that album [but] I think the drums sound absolutely incredible and the power and rawness of what Dave Grohl does on these tracks is something that I keep going back to listen to and figure

Music

out what he’s doing that’s so different. I think the secret is... nothing. He’s just playing and playing really hard. So that’s what I did. It’s been a while since I’ve played in this way with just guitar, bass and vocals so it was nice to strip it back that way and just hit stuff without worrying too much. [Grant Hutchison] Hundred Reasons – Ideas Above Our Station [Columbia Records, 2002] I listened to this album a whole lot in high school and my band, the wonderfully named Uncle Jesus, actually played Silver at every village hall in the Borders. It’s an album that just sounds like a bunch of folk who didn’t really know what they were doing, or wanted to achieve other than just play some rock songs and make people jump up and down. None of them really looked like rock stars either which I think is so much better than the faux rock look so many people try and do to add some kind of weight to their weak pish rock band in an attempt to appear genuine. I listened back to this record recently and I still think it stands up, and although they were essentially a one album outfit, at least they made that one record really fucking good! [Grant Hutchison] Dance Music is released 6 Apr via Physical Education Recordings Mastersystem play The Art School, Glasgow, 27 Apr; Electric Fields, Drumlanrig Castle, 30 Aug-1 Sep mastersystemband.com

Review

On The Money We catch up with three members of Glasgow five-piece Home$lice at The 13th Note ahead of their debut album release this month

Interview: Claire Francis

“I

Scott Whitehill

Tracks like Real Lyf contrast an upbeat, jangly melody with McDowall’s plaintive vocal; with a chorus that laments ‘Is this real life?’ it’s clear that there’s an existential undercurrent to Howdy hidden behind the band’s self-deprEcating humour. “It’s definitely a form of release, I suppose,” McDowall agrees. “Most of the stuff on the album is about getting older. I’m trying not to sound bitter, but I’m just trying to talk about the stupid things I did when I was younger, I guess. I’m not trying to directly attack anybody, it’s more directed at myself.” He pauses, then wonders aloud, “I don’t know, does it sound like I’m pissed

A group firmly rooted in Glasgow’s music scene, the album references the city lyrically and is also indebted to Glasgow’s rich musical heritage. “I like that it’s small, and I like that it’s quite condensed in terms of there’s a lot on offer in a small space,” McDowall muses of his hometown. “I just think it’s a lovely place, I think it’s really nice.” Reid jumps in with, “but the weather’s shite!” The vocalist protests, saying “I like the weather!” Reid concedes that “it’s nice making summery tunes to a mad backdrop of grey.” McDowall, Reid and Whitehill collectively cite bands like Alex Harvey, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Orange Juice and The Pastels as homegrown influences. In terms of their contemporaries, they all namecheck fellow Glasgow-based five-piece LYLO as a current source of inspiration. “Listening to them and looking at how they break stuff down and change it around, in terms of tempo and stuff like that, definitely had an influence on what we’ve been doing just now,”

Goat Girl @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 10 Apr Goat Girl are part of a burgeoning, close-knit South London scene that also includes the likes of Shame, Warmduscher and Sorry. The woozy country-tinged four-piece – who are set to tour with Parquet Courts across the States later this year – release their eponymous debut album this month via Rough Trade, produced by Dan Carey (Kate Tempest, Franz Ferdinand), and tour the UK in celebration, stopping in at Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s tonight.

Review

Photo: Holly Whittaker

Goat Girl

Fenne Lily

Photo: Hollie Fernando

Do Not Miss

Porches @ Mono, Glasgow, 14 Apr Following on from 2016’s Pool, Aaron Maine’s third album as Porches – The House – is an incessantly earnest portrayal of love and regret, decay and change. Released at the start of the year via Domino, it’s an album of rare balance and beauty so make sure you catch Porches in the flesh tonight at Glasgow’s Mono, which is one of only four UK dates on his upcoming tour and the only one in Scotland.

Fenne Lily @ Stereo, Glasgow, 13 Apr Bristol-based singer-songwriter Fenne Lily’s voice is delicate and full of vulnerability. Her debut album On Hold features her breakthrough single Top to Toe and is set for self-release on 6 April. To coincide with the album, Lily and her newly assembled band will be making their way across the UK and Europe this month with Glasgow’s Stereo being her only Scottish date on the tour. You know what to do.

Music

Hollie Cook Porches

confirms Reid. McDowall also speaks of the influence of The Amazing Snakeheads: “That was really a big thing for Glasgow bands. People believed it was possible [to be successful], because they didn’t really have a reputation here – it just shows that if you’re good enough, it can happen.” Reid agrees: “We definitely take inspiration from them, not sound-wise, but just kind of pushing yourself to do different stuff, or go for it a wee bit more.” “It makes it nice to be in a Glasgow band, and feel like you’re making some sort of contribution to what’s come before you,” sums up McDowall. With the release of Howdy, Home$lice add their name to the long list of bands who are carrying on that legacy and continuing to shape the city’s fertile music landscape. Howdy is released on 13 Apr via Spiral Oh Home$lice play Leith Depot, Edinburgh, 6 Apr; The Poetry Club, Glasgow, 13 Apr facebook.com/homesliceglasgow

Courtney Marie Andrews

Photo: Laura E Partain

off about getting old?” “You’re like an old man shouting at a cloud,” replies Reid, as the three bandmates burst into laughter. Another track that deals with self-reflection is the swinging indie-rock gem Sick, which they tell us was “the first song we ever wrote.” The song appears on the album, alongside their newer material, with the three concurring that it stands as a benchmark of their songwriting. “It still kind of fits with everything we play now,” says Whitehill, to nods of agreement. The Home$lice songwriting process is a democratic one. As Whitehill explains, “everyone writes their own parts. Alex and I write the initial chords and lead guitar parts and get the ball rolling, and then everyone just does their own bits on top. In the studio, usually me and Alex will come in with the most basic of things, literally just a verse and a chorus. And then as a band we’ll arrange it.”

Photo: Louise Connor

“ It just looks pure shite without a dollar sign!”

Photo: Gleb Borshchyev

’ve been wanting to call a band Home$lice since I was in school, since like primary seven or something like that,” explains Home$lice guitarist Scott Whitehill, over a pint at Glasgow’s 13th Note bar. “Me and Josh [McDowall, vocals] loathed the name for so long,” interjects bassist Scott Reid. “We wanted to [be called] The Hunks. We thought that was hilarious as a name.” Whitehill continues, “I thought it would be funny if it had a dollar sign in it, aesthetically. Because I wrote it down, and it just looks pure shite without a dollar sign!” With the intricacies of the band’s name now cleared up, we move on to a discussion about Home$lice’s forthcoming album Howdy. McDowall, Reid and Whitehill – along with drummer Joseph Cardle and guitarist Alex Porteous – formed the group in 2015, and their EP Young Creatives was recorded at Green Door Studio and released last year. For Howdy, the five-piece went back into Green Door and have emerged with a seven-track debut record that, stylistically, draws on the guitar-driven sounds of bands like The Smiths, Pixies, and New Order, overlaid with McDowall’s raw vocals and lyrics that confront the “inevitable departure of youth.”

Courtney Marie Andrews @ Summerhall, Edinburgh, 19 Apr Fresh from releasing her latest album May Your Kindness Remain, Courtney Marie Andrews – originally from Phoenix, Arizona – is bringing her own brand of Americana, country and folk to Edinburgh’s Summerhall tonight. The singersongwriter’s latest album was produced by Mark Howard who has previously worked with Emmylou Harris, Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, so tonight is a must for folk and Americana fans alike.

THE SKINNY

True Stories Ahead of her performance at this year’s Wide Days showcase we catch up with Zoe Graham to talk songwriting, rivalry and the merits of pop music

jokes, nursing a black coffee. “I write songs different every time, but with Anniesland Lights, I sat down and it came out, which doesn’t happen to me very often. Now everyone thinks I’m from Anniesland, but it’s more that my bedroom window and the other person’s bedroom window – you can see the same [Anniesland] tower from both.” Anniesland Lights represents a turning point for Graham, reflected on her new EP Hacket and Knackered: “My first EP was released when I was 16 and still at school,” says Graham. “They were all made up stories and none of them were true. I didn’t really have a personal connection to any of the songs. But every single song on this EP is personal to me on some level.”

“ I used to avoid anything with a synthesiser because I thought it was a piss-take”

April 2018

Photo: Jannica Honey

Graham is a seasoned gig veteran frequently on support duty around Glasgow, and she jokes with us that she essentially lives at The Hug and Pint. Her latest slot supporting Rae Morris at The Art School was her biggest gig to date. “The best part of playing that set was just getting to meet Rae Morris. When I got the gig, I hadn’t actually heard of Rae,” she tells us. “I started listening to her music and I really liked it, so I tried my best not to become a fan because I didn’t want to go support her then meet her and be a mess. Now I can be a fan!” Impressive support slots like this are what have helped earn Graham her spot at this year’s Wide Days showcase. “I really was not expecting to get it to be honest,” she says. “It’s probably the biggest opportunity I’ve had so far.” The line-up feels like a community of sorts for Graham. Her college classmate Lucia Fontaine (LUCIA) has also

LUCIA LUCIA are a Wide Days band clearly shooting for indie rock stardom. Their retro grunge sounds ubiquitous. On new single Melted Ice Cream they proudly wear their Pixies influence over every part of their body, while the bratty vocals and sleek production add a modern flavour.

Edwin Organ A true eccentric, Dunfermline’s Edwin Organ’s music rivals the cheese of Ariel Pink, and the scatter-brained production of IGLOOGHOST. His goofy baritone sits under instrumentals that mine from 80s ballads as much as they do footwork. Fans of Thundercat, Aphex Twin and C Duncan will find something to like in this oddball.

Rascalton Rascalton look and sound like your classic lad band, but there’s more depth to the Glasgow punk four-piece than you’d think. Their latest singles are gutsy and grimy, like a bolder version of Slaves. Wuh Oh Glasgow producer Peter Ferguson blurs the lines between jazz, dance and pop, with visceral, drum-led tracks that capture a free, sunburnt euphoria. His music is somehow complex and innocent, his unabashed enthusiasm and giddy use of colourful samples reading like an unironic take on Sega Bodega’s sound.

made the bill, while her girlfriend Lizzie Reid is the bassist for CRYSTAL. “I was worried there would be a rivalry but there’s not – I think what helps is that we do different kinds of stuff.” A self-described Tumblr-kid, Graham started her career covering songs on acoustic guitar and now she’s incorporating a mix of styles. Throughout our chat, influences from Sufjan Stevens and Laura Marling to Hookworms, KT Tunstall and hip-hop get a mention. This diverse range of tastes has encouraged her to follow her gut; “When I was growing up I was way more closed-minded than I am now, I used to avoid anything with a synthesiser because I thought it was a piss-take. I thought it was easy to do. But now I realise that it’s incredibly difficult. It’s

A Fundraiser for Leith Theatre @ Thomas Morton Hall, Edinburgh, 20 Apr The Leith Theatre Trust are putting the FUN in fundraising tonight with a stellar party set to raise money for the incredible venue that is Leith Theatre. The line-up features Edinburgh party starters Book Group, accompanied by the lo-fi beauty of eagleowl and a duo of acoustic sets from Kid Canaveral and Broken Records’ Jamie Sutherland. The Leith Trust’s plea is simple: Choose Leith Theatre! Choose Live Music!

Broken Records

Super Inuit

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Lucy Dacus @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 20 Apr ‘Am I a masochist resisting urges to punch you in the teeth / Call you a bitch and leave?’ are just some of the masterful and honest lyrics you can expect to hear at Lucy Dacus’ show tonight at The Hug & Pint. Historian, her second album on Matador, came out at the start of March and is an utter delight from start to finish and we reckon tonight’s show will be nothing short of magical.

Photo: Dustin Condren

Lucy Dacus

CRYSTAL This Glasgow quartet – who won the public vote to support Paolo Nutini at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay in 2016 – do catchy and thrashy well, flitting from punk aggression to sweet balladry in an instant on their latest EP SEX RICH. Vocalists Anna Shields and Blair Crichton emphasise this dichotomy, alternating song by song.

Graham Costello’s STRATA There’s a punk energy to STRATA, a jazz ensemble that are as comfortable at the Royal Conservatoire as they are Bar Bloc. BADBADNOTGOOD are the obvious point of reference, but their slow, earthy builds stand up all on their own.

Zoe Graham

Who else to catch at Wide Days

Record Store Day @ Various, 21 Apr Make sure you remember to save up those payday pennies this month, so you have plenty left to splurge on some limited edition releases on Record Store Day. Various record shops around the country will stock a selection of the available releases, as well as hosting live performances throughout the day. VoxBox Records in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge have already confirmed sets from Book Group, Super Inuit and Carla J. Easton with more to be announced.

Music

architecture,” she says. “I think it’s the underrated term of the century: pop music. You want something that’s satisfying like Rae Morris’s album. It’s satisfying because you don’t know what’s coming next. The most difficult thing to do is to write a pop song. If you’re going to write a song that caters to a lot of people, I think that’s a noble thing to do, especially if you can make it weird, interesting and fulfilling. I’m totally comfortable with the term now.” For your chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to Wide Days, head to theskinny.co.uk/competitions Wide Days showcases take place on 20 Apr in Edinburgh at Teviot Debating Hall, La Belle Angele and The Mash House. Register for tickets at widedays.com facebook.com/ZoeGrahamMusic

Love Sick @ Clarks on Lindsay Street, Dundee, 29 Apr We recently came across Love Sick thanks to our pals at The Line of Best Fit who premiered their latest single Bullet, and to be honest we’re not quite sure how this Glasgow pop duo weren’t already on our radar. Anyways, all that aside, Love Sick are a band everyone should know about; the production on Bullet is big time radio ready and everyone and their dogs* should head to Clarks tonight to catch them. [Tallah Brash] *Best to leave your dogs at home

Love Sick

Review

Photo: Dan Harris

he first time we saw Zoe Graham perform was at a student magazine launch. You know the kind of event where there’s always some form of live acoustic background music. Zoe Graham was not background music. Her voice was controlled and intimate, with a sureness of delivery most can’t give in such a sparse setting. The lyrics were vivid and intangibly nostalgic. Her heartbreak ballad Anniesland Lights gained her more than a few fans that night. A year later, after countless support sets, a shiny new EP and a spot on the Wide Days line-up, we catch up with Graham to talk about her biggest year yet. “I started that song with having to go through an awful break-up,” she

Photo: Mario Cruzado

Interview: Stephen Butchard

Album of the Month Confidence Man

Confident Music for Confident People [Heavenly Recordings, 13 Apr]

rrrrr

‘I

must confess… / I’ve been sleeping with your ex ‘cause I heard he was the best,’ self-confessed wanker Janet Planet sings on album opener Try Your Luck, setting a precedent for a record that never really lets up from the get-go in both energy and droll lyricism. Melbourne-based Confidence Man – comprising of Planet alongside Sugar Bones, Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild – draw influences across 70s disco and funk, 80s hip-hop, 90s Nuyorican soul, Madchester bagginess and 90s rave to create their own confident brand of 2018 electro pop. Confident Music for Confident People is an erratic mix of genres that shouldn’t work, but it’s masterfully stitched together, making for a beautifully weird and wonderful sonic tapestry that feels both nostalgic and fresh in equal measure. While its chorus of ‘C.O.O.L cooool / I’m a cool party girl in a cool party world’ wouldn’t be out of place on a RuPaul’s Drag Race Lipsync for Your Life, C.O.O.L. Party combines 80s hip-hop with Deee-lite’s Groove is in the Heart and is carried by the funkiest of basslines and cheesy synths. It’s topped with a like, totally awesome Californian ‘valley girl’-style monologue from

Listen to: Boyfriend (Repeat), C.O.O.L Party, Better Sit Down Boy

Confidence Man

Home$lice

Eyes of Others

rrrrr

On I Don’t Run, Hinds return with sunny garage rock weighted by concrete hooks and gritty resolve. The Madrid lo-fi favourites broke through with their 2016 debut, and their time since spent touring the world has fed a follow-up that’s deft and meditative. It bears the bruises of a sharp rise to fame, but Hinds have dodged growing pains in favour of digging deeper in to the four-piece’s irrepressible dynamic. There are still plenty of the magic, chaotic choruses that set alight their live shows, but in-between are touching moments of melancholy, frustration and imagination. You’ll strain your ears for detail through the fuzz on the strummed, submerged tango of closer Ma Nuit, and elsewhere the band’s pop hooks shine so bright and clear that you could spot them from space. New For You, the album’s bouncy first single, speaks to the possibilities of reinvention with more ennui than before: ‘Sometimes I see myself and I can’t stand my… show,’ sings Carlotta Cosials, with just enough ambiguity. Throughout, Cosials and Ana Perrote’s dual vocals are vibrant, flickering from intimate conversation to unruly declarations. An unholy scream in the last thirty seconds of stand-out I Feel Cold But I Feel More is evidence enough that Hinds 2.0 only bring the party when they feel like it. [Katie Hawthorne] Listen to: Tester, I Feel Cold But I Feel More, Ma Nuit

Review

Planet (‘Me and the girls like to go out on the weekend’) as she heads on a BNO, at one point reminiscing; ‘I even went to a party where a guy shoved a lightbulb up his ass / And to be honest, this one is the best / Y’know, it’s the party of the year.’ Elsewhere, Out the Window captures all the wonder of Happy Mondays’ Step On or Primal Scream’s Loaded, but with the punch of fellow Aussie natives Jagwar Ma; Catch My Breath is reminiscent of Disclosure’s 2013 banger When a Fire Starts to Burn, although it later takes an unexpected 90s rave turn sounding like a cross between 2 Unlimited, Donna Summer and Gossip; and bits of Bubblegum sound like they could’ve been ripped straight from an episode of Sesame Street. Confidence Man are a band who know exactly what they want; with a fucking excellent sense of humour to boot, they shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Confident Music for Confident People is littered with unexpected flourishes, comical calland-responses and an overriding element of fun. It’s surely the party of the year. [Tallah Brash]

Hinds

I Don’t Run Lucky Number, 6 Apr

rrrrr Brilliant rrrrr Life-changing

Howdy Spiral Oh, 13 Apr

Lust Unrequited Mange_Moi, 20 Apr

In a few short years Home$lice have become some of Glasgow’s most prolific up-and-comers. After two EPs – the early Citizen Kane 2 (2016), and a more polished release in Young Creatives (2017) – the five-piece condense their varied influences on debut long player Howdy. Recorded at Green Door, and released on Spiral Oh, a new Glasgow label dealing in local lo-fi talent, Home$lice pack a tonne of weight in to seven concise tracks, whipping up storms and conjuring sunshine for their slickest record yet. Gone speeds from brooding clouds to skyhigh euphoria, by way of sparkling shoegaze and carefully controlled drumming chaos. If You Want takes it lower, a jittering rhythm section setting the stage for psychedelic hooks which break themselves apart. Twin singles Sick and Real Lyf capture the double edge of the band: the first is a dreamy, nostalgic indie rock tune, but the second is a brisk, fresh pop hit that jolts like a splash of cold water. It cuts through the album’s fantasy for a crowd-pleasing riot, with a breakdown set to start a room bouncing. At times, Home$lice’s vocals feel a touch predictable, drowned out by pearlescent guitars, but when they rip, they really rip. Sharp, sweet and full of character, Howdy should see Home$lice pack out this summer’s shows. [Katie Hawthorne] Listen to: Gone, Real Lyf, Stillicide

Edinburgh native Eyes of Others’ new EP is a transatlantic mixtape, a hypnotic collaboration with imprints from Europe, America and the Middle East. John Bryden’s first release under label Mange_Moi, the local producer lays down a malleable foundation for the project with Lust Unrequited (Original Mix) – as sinister and seedy as its title suggests. Menacing earthy synths and an unintelligible vocal melody float atop hi-hats, claps, and kick drums, opening up into a beat that twists and turns around the four words that shape the EP: ‘lust for unrequited love.’

Makeness

Loud Patterns Secretly Canadian, 6 Apr

rrrrr

Having so far only released a clutch of records as Makeness, Loud Patterns marks Kyle Molleson’s first foray into the heady heights of a longer player and it’s a masterful debut. The album’s titular track opens the record with a confident stride, wobbling synths and a pounding beat before opening up into a steady groove, slowly making way for Molleson’s ethereal vocals to float effortlessly over the music. Who Am I to Follow Love is a standout track that’s quite different to the rest of the record, with a

RECORDS

From this fertile base, Eyes of Others’ collaborators cast the song into their own image. Mugwump’s remix fares the best of the three, crawling out to an almost ten minute epic that stalks and skulks around an elastic ostinato lead. Elsewhere, California outfit Sordid Sound System kicks off with a screaming siren that soon dissolves into ambient whirling and whooshing for their airborne mix, whilst Tel Aviv producer Maya Danon’s wordless take strips the track bare to its bones and muscle. Bereft of vocals, and anatomically unfussy, it’s a welcome chaser to the preceding triple shot. And at the end of the day, that’s what this EP is: a sugary burst of verve that remains in your system longer than you’d care to admit. [Alexander Smail] Listen to: Lust Unrequited (Original Mix), Lust For Unrequited Dub (Mugwump Erratic Throw Remix) laid-back vibe reminiscent of The Bees’ lazy swagger. But what really lifts this track is the addition of vocals from Babeheaven’s Nancy Andersen, which when coupled with Molleson for the chorus is, simply put, gorgeous. The only real disappointment on Loud Patterns comes in the form of noisy industrial closer Motorcycle Idling which feels like having your head stuck in a washing machine set on spin. It’s upsettingly unbearable to listen to after 44 minutes of blissed out euphoria. That aside, Loud Patterns is threaded through with intriguing noises and the kind of urgency you can only get from a live band, making for quite a uniquesounding dance record which sits comfortably on the shelf alongside the likes of Caribou and Gold Panda. [Tallah Brash] Listen to: Day Old Death, Who Am I to Follow Love, Stepping Out of Sync

THE SKINNY

Photo: Wilk

rrrrr Shite rrrrr Boring rrrrr Solid

Dance Music Physical Education Recordings, 6 Apr

rrrrr

This month, Frightened Rabbit’s monumental sophomore record The Midnight Organ Fight celebrates its tenth birthday, something the band recently celebrated with several huge full-album shows across the UK. A decade on, that record is still something of a masterpiece, which along with the previous year’s Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters by The Twilight Sad, marked a particularly exciting time for Scottish indie music. In the time since, Frightened Rabbit enjoyed brief mainstream success with their third album The Winter of Mixed Drinks and have seen cross-over success signing to a major label and bandleader Scott Hutchison moving to Los Angeles. Mastersystem then, it seems is an opportunity for Hutchison to return to his roots,

Wye Oak

The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs Merge, 6 Apr

rrrrr

Much like frequent collaborators Sylvan Esso, Wye Oak’s latest album begins with a tune-up. But while SE jumped straight into a cheery pop toe-tapper on What Now, Jenn Wasner and Andy

Half Waif

Midas Fall

rrrrr

Lavender Cascine, 27 Apr ‘Don’t expect me to come home in the evening / You know that I’m trying to face the night’ Nandi Rose Plunkett ruminates halfway through her new album Lavender, on which she sings a lot about the night. On In the Evening Plunkett’s voice is tense and animated, hushed one moment, boisterous the next; the tactile synths beneath her capturing all the drama and heft of her words with their fluid, alien quality. It’s one of many stunning Half Waif songs to be found here. Plunkett has effortless control over a melody, an instrumental, a strange sound effect. She’s always been a powerful performer, but she’s nailed the careful art of crafting an album with Lavender. [Stephen Butchard] Listen to: Keep it Out, Slit, Back in Brooklyn

April 2018

recruiting along the way his brother Grant (drummer of Frightened Rabbit) and another set of brothers: Justin (lead guitarist of Editors) and James Lockey, both of whom also play in Minor Victories. Much as Hutchison as a songwriter, and Frightened Rabbit at their collective peak, are excellent, one of the last adjectives one would use to describe them is “fun”. So what a pleasure it is to hear this new project which, while lyrically still filled with the (increasingly ageing) concerns and anxieties Hutchison is known for writing about, is musically reminiscent of all your favourite early 90s alt-rock and indie bands. Ok, so nothing here is exactly reinventing the wheel, but this record is so much fun that it hardly matters. Album opener Proper Home fires things off to a quick start, and that pace never really lets up over the ironically-titled Dance Music’s nine tracks. [Adam Turner-Heffer] Listen to: Proper Home, Notes On a Life Not Quite Lived, Old Team

Stack’s first real punch on The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs comes in a squall of feedback and arpeggiated synths that explodes in multiple directions all at once. This is a hugely creative and wildly ambitious sixth record from Wye Oak, made up of apparently endless waves of sound and experimental slices of indie, folk and synth-pop, all anchored by Wasner’s fantastic, oscillating vocals. There are some sparkling hooks in here as well, and for every moment of gnarly tech-assisted noise – like

Evaporate Monotreme Records, 27 Apr Midas Fall’s fourth album Evaporate is a relatively minor one in the post-rock canon, but it’s certainly not without its pleasures. The most gripping of these being Elizabeth Heaton and Rowan Burn’s ability to move effortlessly from delicateness to punishing waves of sound via stomping electronic beats. The Midas Fall sound is most emphatically exemplified on album opener Bruise Pusher, which feels like being lured into a trap and then punched in the face (in the best possible way) as it moves from something hymnal to something brutal. Glue is dark, pitching its tent somewhere between Crystal Castles and Blanck Mass. Evaporate is a lesson in how to make extreme music that can be ugly and beautiful in equal measure. [Tony Inglis] Listen to: Bruise Pusher, Glue, Lapsing

Project Pablo

There’s Always More at the Store EP Technicolour, 6 Apr

rrrrr

Project Pablo is renowned for blurring the lines between club music and that made for home listening, and his latest offering on Technicolour continues that mantra. Napoletana provides the most obvious example of this, introducing itself with a forceful kick drum, its layers gradually unravelling over its four-and-a-half-minutes. Last Day is the EP’s highlight, utilising an improvised piano loop to carve out a fleeting, evocative ambient piece that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Aphex Twin album. Describing There’s Always More at the Store as a solid set of club cuts would do Project Pablo a serious disservice. Instead, it’s further evidence of an artist with a desire to experiment with different sounds and work outside his comfort zone. [Michael Lawson] Listen to: Napoletana, Last Day

RECORDS

Mastersystem

Symmetry’s droning guitars and chirping beats or the fuzzy guitar that brings in the chorus of It Was Not Natural – there’s an earworm of a melody to keep things from getting too esoteric. For an album that’s packed with invention, Wasner and Stack’s production work does a brilliant job of blending economy and spectacle. Yet even at its most restrained, there’s plenty in The Louder I Call... to pore through. Over and Over seems to be going somewhere fairly straightforward, before diving in two-footed with distorted

vocals and aggressive drum work. Meanwhile, the layers of glitch and reverb on Join frame a simple guitar loop with a sparkling background that just keeps on building and building. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs revels in keeping you off balance; it impresses, inspires and occasionally overwhelms, but it never outstays its welcome. A fantastic statement from an endlessly evolving band shouting louder than ever. [Peter Simpson] Listen to: It Was Not Natural, Symmetry, Join

Alexis Taylor

Firestations

Quiet as a Mouse

rrrrr

rrrr

Beautiful Thing Domino, 20 Apr There’s a lot that’s otherworldly about Alexis Taylor’s fourth solo album Beautiful Thing. The Hot Chip back catalogue has a nice line in melody, and Taylor’s solo albums with their delicate arrangements. Beautiful Thing, though, is more of a straightforward float through space with its starry galactic feel. There’s an overall optimism about Beautiful Thing. The album is about our only too human false starts, where they got us, and how to avoid them. There’s Nothing to Hide is the twinkling, musical equivalent of a journey through the stars. And on album closer Out of Time, Taylor waves us gently goodbye and returns to his own planet. Let’s hope he’ll visit us again soon. [Juliette Jones] Listen to: A Hit Song, Beautiful Thing

The Year Dot Lost Map, 6 Apr London five-piece Firestations are one of many out there promoting themselves as an “alt-pop band with a twist”. And in some places, when they dare to push the boat out, the band succeed on that promise with The Year Dot. The issue with it, and the entire album however, is that everything sounds so wishywashy it’s hard to stay engaged. There are plenty of nice catchy melodies, such as on opener Build a Building or Far Future Morning which gives enough evidence to suggest that, perhaps live, Firestations are worth their weight. As is though, The Year Dot gets lost in the sea of many bands trying to do the same thing, without as much of a liferaft to keep it afloat. [Adam Turner-Heffer] Listen to: Make Your Own Mind Up, Receiver, Old Letters

Is it Funny When it Hurts? Self-released, 27 Apr Thanks to Creative Scotland, Quiet as a Mouse who formed in 2012, are finally releasing their debut album. Is it Funny When it Hurts? bursts into life with Accident Waiting to Happen (Awoo Woo Woo); full of edgy, noisy guitars, it’s a taste of things to come, and Control Freak is a highlight, with its relaxed vibe and thoughtful lyrics. The lo-fi production, courtesy of Kris Pohl who has worked with Idlewild, among others, provides the feeling of a live show, giving QAAM’s Pixies-esque loud/quiet/loud dynamic an extra punch. Is it Funny When it Hurts? is a debut full of relaxed confidence and is a leap forward for the band. One thing’s for sure, this mouse can roar. [Eala Macalister] Listen to: Control Freak, Northern Rain, Accident Waiting to Happen (Awoo Woo Woo)

Review

Photo: Sally Lockey

Mastersystem

Dealing with Darkness Personal apocalypses run through Nandi Rose Plunkett’s new album, but Half Waif also offers a collective sense of comfort to hold in the darkest of times Interview: Eugenie Johnson

andi Rose Plunkett is talking about crystals. She doesn’t claim to be an expert, but she admires their aesthetic beauty, and also because they are formed by the earth’s raw power. “There’s this confluence between the mysterious and the spiritual with the scientific,” she says. “I think that’s pretty cool that crystals embody both.” She’s also intrigued by the idea that, in a spiritual sense, crystals give abstract feelings and concepts a physical shape. “Giving a tactile form to something more amorphous is really kinda comforting,” she says. “I think the same thing can be said about calling this record Lavender.” Under her moniker of Half Waif, Plunkett has released two albums and two EPs, including last year’s form/a. Her latest album Lavender arrives hot on its heels, coming quickly together because, as she says, “I like to share things, I like to experiment. I like to try things and I find that I learn a lot through sharing music that I don’t feel like I could have learned just from writing and keeping it to myself.” It’s also a record that comes in the wake of some personal upheaval, as Plunkett quit her job, left New York and moved in with the parents of her partner, Half Waif drummer Zack Levine. “It was a big time of cutting those ties, moving on and starting the next chapter of my adulthood and musical life,” she explains. The next chapter includes an opening up of Half Waif ’s sound to include both Levine and bassist and guitarist Adan Carlo. “It wasn’t until I started playing with Zack and Adan that I felt like I’d found this musical family, and for the first time was more comfortable with the idea of letting other musicians into the recording process,” Plunkett explains. “There’s so much magic that can happen when you trust other people and when you give yourself over to a process that’s not totally in your control.” As such, the album contains live drums, electric bass and guitar, mixed in with synths and programmed elements. Lavender presents an effortless blend between the electronic and organic, giving Half Waif ’s glacial alt-pop even more bite and emotional urgency than ever before. Writing the songs themselves, however, still remains an endeavour that Plunkett undertakes solo. “My private, special place is writing. I don’t really see myself co-writing songs regularly because I so much enjoy the solitary writing space,” she says. The personal nature of her writing even extends to the album’s title. Lavender is a nod to her grandmother, and the way in which she would pluck the flower from her garden before boiling it on a stove. The adoration that Plunkett had, and still holds, for her grandmother can be felt as she speaks candidly about their bond. “With removing it one generation, you kind of get that unfiltered love, that very easy affection and easy company and pure love. That’s what I felt with my grandmother my whole life,” she explains. This deep fondness was something that felt effortless, beginning even from Plunkett’s initial encounters with her grandmother. “From my first meeting with her I felt really calm in her presence and it was just easy,” she says, “that feeling of calm and peace when I would be in her home, that was what lavender is, this piece of calm that you can bring into life.”

Review

When Plunkett was writing Lavender, her grandmother was still alive. “Of course now, it’s come to stand for something much bigger, which is the memory of who she was for me when she was alive,” she reflects. That something bigger is also the very final ending that people experience in their lives, the spectre of death, just one of many different endings that Plunkett touches upon on Lavender. Themes of decay and disintegration run through its 12 tracks. Even on opener Lavender Burning, she laments ‘I miss New York and that’s the loneliest feeling / To be on a road and not know where it’s leading.’ With In the Evening she touches on a sense of losing oneself: ‘There’s a life going on but it doesn’t feel like me.’ Solid 2 Void reflects on the divorce of her parents, while Keep It Out muses on a sense of disengagement that can come with being in a relationship.

“ There’s so much magic that can happen when you trust other people and when you give yourself over to a process that’s not totally in your control” Nandi Rose Plunkett

Plunkett often places these concepts in very stark terms, laying her feelings out for the listener. It’s often emotionally raw, but also deeply open and honest. “Art as catharsis is an age old idea and I definitely believe in that,” she says. Writing like such is Plunkett’s way of dealing with personal apocalypses. “When you’re in a state of turmoil, that energy is just buzzing around your brain and I think expelling it in whatever way you can, whether it’s running or writing or singing or dancing, that emotion calls for an action,” she explains. “I very much find that writing songs is a way of dealing with that darkness. Not fixing it necessarily; I don’t feel like I’m offering a solution – ever! – but even just singing about it and being in that space with it and seeing it head on, not shying away from it. “As much as I write music for myself for the sense of catharsis and the search for beauty, I also absolutely want to forge connections with other people through these songs. I find that the best experiences for me as a performer are when I can feel that the audience is connecting to the words, even if they are thinking what their own apocalypse means.” Many felt a sense of collective apocalypse in the wake of Donald Trump’s election, that night in November 2016 symbolising a form of decay in America. It’s perhaps little surprise that Plunkett wrote Torches, a track that gently simmers before erupting into a blaze, in the wake of the election.

Photo: Tonje Thilesen

“This is an extremely scary time to be alive and be an American,” Plunkett says. “Our basic freedoms and rights are being eaten away and threatened.” Even in this time of political and social unrest though, she is hopeful that there is still a chance to salvage or forge something better from Trump’s presidency: “What I do know is that I have to tell myself that it’s not going to be this way forever, and that we will eventually reach the end of this time of terror and get out of these burning fields and find some form of peace.” For all of its seeming brutality and darkness on the surface, it’s that very sense of hope and peace that cuts through moments of Lavender. Plunkett herself muses that she frequently uses the night as a metaphor on the album. “I’m actually afraid of the dark; I don’t hate the night but I’m not a night-time person, I’m very much into the morning and the daytime!” she admits. “But I want to be able to literally stay up later and see what the night is about, but also metaphorically come to terms with the darkness in my life and our collective lives as human beings.” But all nights must come to an end, broken by the light of a new dawn. Lavender shows moments of that

Music

light, perhaps most touchingly on Leveler as Plunkett finds solace in a single fact: ‘I’ll be happy that I knew you.’ “We have these endings in our lives all the time but life continues and we’re still here,” Plunkett says. “The night ends and there’s another day and a lot of opportunity to accept that cycle and not fight it so much.” With sunrise comes a sense of tranquillity, a state that Plunkett says can also be garnered from lavender itself. “You can listen to the whole album and go to these dark places but at the end of the day you’re left with the name, the reminder,” she says. “It’s a way of counterbalancing the darkness within by calling it the very thing that I hope will help me deal with these harder times. It’s the ultimate reminder that there are these elements in our lives that can bring a sense of calm to us.” Just as the flower brings her this harmony, Lavender is an album that reminds us that sometimes it’s darkest before the dawn, but that those better times are always on the horizon. Lavender is released on 27 Apr via Cascine half-waif.com

THE SKINNY

April 2018

THE SKINNY

Guest Selector: DALI DALI drops her new EP this month via Edinburgh-based label Hobbes Music. Here, the talented techno producer selects the music that has influenced her sound in the studio

Clubbing Highlights

Interview: Claire Francis

on’t bother looking her up online: anonymous producer DALI eschews social media, press shots and the like, preferring to let her music do the talking. Following on from DALI’s debut 12" record Voynich last year – which was supported by the likes of Ben UFO, Laurent Garnier, Domenic Cappello, Tom Findlay (Groove Armada) and many others – her forthcoming double-A-side 12" Leviathan/Electric Sheep is out via Hobbes Music on 6 April.

Clubs across Scotland this April are bursting at the seams with nights promising good times and great tunes – here are the highlights that you really shouldn’t miss Words: Claire Francis Illustration: Yvette Earl

Rinse FM: Willow @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 4 April Breakthrough house producer Sophie Wilson, better known as Willow, headlines this mid-week show in the capital. The Manchester-born, London-based DJ/producer blew up with the release of 2015’s Feel Me, and has since released a number of deep house gems via the German minimal house and techno label Workshop. A night guaranteed to shake you out of the hump-day slump.

Reckless Kettle with Boots For Dancing & Objectified @ The Reading Rooms, Dundee, 20 April Live bands in a club environment? You’d better believe it. The usual quality dancefloor soundtrack from Reckless Kettle will be preceded by performances from two live acts: re-formed Scottish post-punk group Boots for Dancing, and multi-headed, Glasgow-based behemoth Objectified, who hold the honour of supporting The Fall’s last ever gig back in November last year.

Filth // Fine Art Fundraiser & Drag Party @ The Reading Rooms, Dundee, 4 April Help young artists to keep making art with this degree show fundraiser for the Fine Art department of DJCAD. This night of musical debauchery features DJs Nina Stanger, Catriona Beckett and Giles Walker playing all night long. The Reading Rooms will be decked out with visuals and art installations, and your dress code for the night is: FILTH.

WSHOM with Honey Dijon @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 20 April There aren’t many DJs around with the kind of old-school Chicago house credentials that Honey Dijon boasts. Hailing from the Windy City, she counts Derrick Carter as an early influence (and a close friend). She was barely in her teens when she started going to Chicago’s house clubs and loft parties; fast-forward a few decades and she’s conquered both the club and fashion circuits of London, Paris, Berlin and New York. A vocal advocate for LGBT+ rights, her sets blend a hugely dynamic personality across multiple music genres – her Boiler Room set from Melbourne’s Sugar Mountain festival back in January is a must-see.

Palidrone 002: SPFDJ @ The Mash House, Edinburgh, 5 April This second Palidrone party marks the Scottish debut for Swedish-born, Berlin-based artist and radio-show extraordinaire SPFDJ. She’s been championed by Ben UFO, and as a DJ you frankly can’t get much better endorsement than that. Expect hard-hitting techno, kooky acid, and a blend of electro, hardcore and trance. Objekt & Sofay @ La Cheetah Club, Glasgow, 6 April Berlin-based DJ and producer Objekt and Subcity radio host Sofay team up for this late-licence affair at La Cheetah. It will be Objekt’s third time to grace the La Cheetah basement with his carefully executed mixing, while Sofay has become a recent semi-regular feature at the club with her bi-monthly Sunday session featuring good pal Ribeka. 10 Years of Sleaze Records @ SWG3, Glasgow, 14 April Celebrate a decade of Glasgow’s techno label Sleaze Records with this special showcase event featuring headliner Dustin Zahn. Bristol-based DJ and producer Progression will make his Glasgow debut on the night, with the warm-up provided by Sleaze label boss Hans Bouffmyhre and Lex Gorrie.

April 2018

Chaos In The CBD @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 21 April Loungey-house producers Ben and Louis Helliker-Hales drop by Sub Club this month for a Subculture debut. The New Zealand brothers and In Dust We Trust co-label owners make jazz-inflected, sample-heavy deep house – if you need a pre-party soundtrack, check out two of their excellent EPs from last year, Zona Del Silencio and Accidental Meetings. Pulse with: I Hate Models @ The Mash House, Edinburgh, 28 April Enigmatic Frenchman I Hate Models has gained a cult following thanks to his blend of techno, EBM and rave. His DJ sets are as varied as his productions, but you can put money on there being some serious synth wave, cold wave and industrial grooves at this Mash House party that also features residents Darrell Harding and Sean Laird.

Aphex Twin — Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (Apollo) Aphex completely sucked me in with this one. A lot of the material sounds like it was actually made in much closer succession than seven years but I guess the title also bears testament to the time it took him to cultivate his sound, which makes perfect sense. His ear for a killer hook is near-flawless here, it’s pretty much perfect from start to finish. Soundtracked many a late night and hasn’t aged a bit. I love his sense of humour as well. LFO — Advance (Warp) There was probably something in the water in Yorkshire in the 90s. It’s not as immediate as LFO (Leeds Warehouse Mix) but as an album it completely unfolds over you and not always in a tranquil way. The textures rub against themselves and I like the sense of juxtaposition. Tied Up in particular is absolutely brutal but Shut Down is the one that I would drop in a sweaty techno set. Basic Channel — (Basic Channel) Basic Channel mixed reggae aesthetics with hypnotic rhythms and the deepest chords, cultivating a ‘Berlin sound’ a decade before Berghain opened and, as a lover of dub and techno, this really floats my boat. I have a fair few of the 12"s and their BCD album is also essential but this has always been my favourite (closely followed by Octagon). The way they let the rolling rhythms envelop you before they unleash the hats, and then they flit between the two moods before introducing yet more funky rhythms – fierce as fuck! Dr Rockit — Eau d’Erik (Lifelike) One of Matthew Herbert’s pseudonyms. I like artists that play around with identity, it allows you to be bold and not get painted into a corner by your own and others’ expectations. This is my favourite track of his, the emotion he manages to convey in that pad sound is otherworldly. Every time I hear it the skin on my arms prickles. Autechre — Incunabula (Warp) I remember just being, like, ‘WTF IS THAT?!’ the very first time I heard this. I find Autechre’s later stuff increasingly cold and clinical, but Incunabula somehow oozes just as much warmth and soul as abstraction and desolation. Alongside

CLUBS

second and third albums, Amber and Tri Repetae, this still sounds fresh to me. I met them once and they were a properly awkward pair of scamps. Djrum — Untitled 9 (Ilian Tape) My favourite on Ilian Tape, the production on this is some of the best I’ve ever heard. The drum programming is so immersive and intricate and there’s a real sense of forward motion. It’s amazing to put on headphones and listen to this on a train journey or when you come back from a club in some sort of altered state. The Other People Place — Let Me Be Me (Warp) James Stinson made some of the finest dance music of the 90s in Detroit duo Drexciya, before he tragically died in 2002. This is right up there with a more cerebral, introspective aesthetic going on via weird, otherworldly pads, that moody vocal refrain and killer rhythm section. Last year’s mini-album, Jack Peoples’ Laptop Cafe (Clone), is an even airier fare than the original Lifestyles… release but no less vital for pure post-club vibes. He has such a deft, light, soulful touch which gets right under your skin. Mike Dehnert — Beatmatching (Delsin) There’s a very fine line between hypnotism and tedium and it’s one a lot of techno producers fall on the wrong side of, but not here. There’s a freshness to his sound choice and just enough melody to make it hooky as fuck. I once listened to this on repeat the day after a night out while reading the Voynich manuscript and eating Maltesers. I think a healthy balance is important in life. T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, Ne Te Faches Pas from The Kings Of Benin Urban Groove 19720-80 (Soundway) I picked the album up years ago, while discovering Fela Kuti et al but this is probably the stand-out cut. It’s insanely funky and was a bit of a ‘secret weapon’ for me personally until someone did a crafty edit last year. I’ve always been attracted to music from other cultures and African music/rhythms have been undergoing an exciting renaissance of sorts lately, but a good groove is a good groove, wherever it comes from. Patrice Rushen — Haven’t You Heard (Elektra) I’ve a fair mistrust of people who claim to be into house music but don’t like disco. I love Patrice Rushen and she deserves way more credit than she gets. The groove on this is out of this world and it’s just such a joyous piece that I’m scrambling for superlatives to articulate my thoughts. Just turn it up, engage a glitter ball and you’ll know. DALI, Leviathan b/w Electric Sheep is released on 6 Mar via Hobbes Music

Review

Rhyme Watch April's poetry news reveals events to look forward to across Scotland Words: Beth Cochran

pril’s poetry calendar features a brand new literary festival, Crossways: Irish Pages Festival. Crossways is set to become an annual Irish Scottish Cultural and Literary Festival, this year bringing poets such as Kathleen Jamie, Jen Hadfield, and Bernard MacLaverty together with other literary figures such as Lesley Riddoch and David Park. A celebration and exciting development of literary links across the North Channel, Crossways aims to unite Irish writers, musicians, filmmakers and other cultural figures (from both the North and South) with their Scottish counterparts. Running from 8-14 April, venues span Glasgow’s Merchant City, encompassing City Halls, Babbity Bowster, the Tron Theatre and Blackfriars. Full programme set to be announced on Irish Pages in the lead up to the festival. On the east coast, poetry fans have the next strand of Summerhall’s Nothing Ever Happens Here programme to look forward to, with Hollie McNish returning to Edinburgh on Friday 20 April. The Ted Hughes Award winner will be

The One Who Wrote Destiny

By Nikesh Shukla

RRRRR

Do you believe in destiny? With Nikesh Shukla’s new novel, readers are invited into the lives of a family across multiple generations, their interwoven tales, and their quandary with notions of their future. Mukesh moves from Kenya to Keighley, being met with poverty and racism instead of the fame and fortune he sought; he did, however, find the love of his life. Neha is dying – cancer, a genetic gift from her mother, the love of Mukesh’s life. She tries to construct destiny as a crackable program. Rakesh is a comedian, and he is grieving; he lost his mother and twin sister to the same twist of fate. His career isn’t taking off quite as he’d like. And Ba, their grandmother, is central – what happened to her? Could she be the key in destiny’s algorithm?

The Overstory By Richard Powers

RRRRR

Although it grows into a vast novel about trees, The Overstory starts small. We begin with the roots, eight independent short stories, introducing nine people whose lives later interlock. There’s an artist who carries on the family tradition of photographing the lone chestnut tree planted by a great-grandfather on their farm in Idaho; there’s a Vietnam veteran, whose life was saved by a banyan tree; a scientist who discovers that trees communicate with each other in a great interconnected root network; a hard-partying student who electrocutes herself, dies, and is

Review

reading her work and chatting all things poetry (will the infamous The Cult of the Noble Amateur essay get a mention?). Poetry giant John Burnside will be reading at the Scottish Poetry Library on 26 April, at his event Crazy Kings and Rising Waters: An Evening with John Burnside. He’ll be reading his lecture ‘Where the executive never want to tamper?’, a lecture exploring Burnside’s poetological ideas and disagreements to W.H. Auden’s famous line “Poetry makes nothing happen”. Expect discussion to formulate around Burnside’s opinion that poetry is an integral part of what it is to be human, a tool we use for understanding the everyday and a filter utilised to understand the political. Post lecture, Burnside will be reading some of his poetry and opening up to the audience in a short Q&A. More poetry events to look out for: Lighthouse Books are presenting the new poets of Ignition Press in their cosy shop venue. Poets

The One Who Wrote Destiny is engulfing, and funny. Neha and Rakesh’s lives are set in the current day, a counterpoint to Mukesh and Ba decades ago; it highlights the cultural shifts across years and continents with clarity, and shows how family and attitudes evolve over time. A particularly striking scenario shows Rakesh being heckled with racist remarks at a show; his handling and his father’s are very different, and the resulting conversation is a gut punch, but a vital read. Frequently, questions characters raise in their own personal trauma speak to something bigger – how would you handle this situation? Would you want to know your fate? What would you do if you knew your ending? But more so, it shows the importance of family, place and language. Readers are welcomed wholeheartedly into these lives, and you root for them, their loves, their successes, their wonders. The One Who Wrote Destiny is a stunning novel. It speaks to vital issues of the day, but it’s also a beautiful tale of the threads of family. Pull at one and you’ll find a whole, enchanting tapestry to behold. [Heather McDaid] Atlantic Books, Apr 5, £14.99. atlantic-books.co.uk/

brought back to life by tree spirits. And as their lives begin to touch, the stories coalesce. These roots grow into the trunk and canopy of the novel – as each character is summoned to the fight to preserve the unknowably complex beings we know as trees. It is a story of environmental activism, a call to rethink the place of humans in the world, and to appreciate trees for the astonishing things they are. There is a lot to learn from this novel, from the blight that ravaged the mighty chestnuts of America’s east coast, to the timber wars of the 1990s and the fight to save the last pockets of virgin forest. Where a straight argument for saving trees might fall flat, Powers inspires us to look at them with fresh appreciation. But something gets lost in the largesse of his ambition: as each story competes for attention, few have the space to take root. [Galen O’Hanlon]

Lily Blacksell, Mary Jean Chan and Patrick James Errington will be reading from their debut pamphlets, before a Q&A led by Managing Editor, Les Robinson. These poets have already been shortlisted for, or won, international poetry prizes. Errington has even been praised by John Burnside, with the T.S. Eliot Prize winner commenting that “not only is Errington a real find, but the scope of his imagination, combined with psychological integrity and linguistic rigour, mark him out as a poet I’ll return to again and again.” Finally on the events front: don’t miss Interrobang’s Ricky Monahan Brown presenting Field Work at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, 20 April. The newly one-man-ran spoken word night will be presenting poets Stuart A. Paterson, Marcas Mac an Tuairneir and Katharine Macfarlane, who will be responding to 1950s field recordings of Scots and Gaelic song. Expect all three of Scotland’s indigenous languages in song, poetry and storytelling. Although technically available from 28 March, Marjorie Lotfi Gill’s new pamphlet, Refuge, is close enough to the start of April for a mention. Lotfi Gill is a poet of rising acclaim; she is currently the Makar for the Federation of Writers Scotland, and was Poet in Residence at Jupiter Artland 2014-2016. Wishbone, taking pride of place in her new pamphlet, has been shortlisted for the Forward Best Single Poem award. Refuge, which explores journeys and questions of belonging, is available for pre-order now.

Break up By Joanna Walsh

rrrrr

Ponti By Sharlene Teo

RRRRR

Sharlene Teo’s debut novel is set in her home island of hot and dusty Singapore. It’s 2003 and 16-year-old Szu is struggling to fit in, make friends, or connect to anyone or anything. Her father is AWOL and her mother, Amisa, the once radiant star of horror B-movie Ponti!, is emotionally missing. When Szu meets new girl Circe, a friendship forms between the pair, which progresses in more and more intense ways until it spirals out of control. Ponti moves between three parallel narrators: Szu in 2003, Amisa as a young woman in the 70s, and Circe in 2020 looking back at her relationship with Szu and her mother. Despite three distinct storylines, the boundaries between past, present, and future begin to erode as ghosts from their respective pasts haunt each of the woman. The relationship between the three women roots the novel, as does the setting of Singapore. Reading Ponti feels like being in the city: it’s a claustrophobic, confrontational and overwhelming experience. Teo has created a microcosm of her country in the novel. While Amisa and Circe’s narratives explore the past and future for Singapore, it’s Szu’s haunting voice that is Ponti’s emotional hook. The loneliness of adolescence is a monstrosity manifesting in equally ugly and poetic ways. Ponti is a weird and beautiful bildungsroman and Teo’s writing shines as totally radical. [Katie Goh] Pan Macmillan, 19 Apr, £14.99. panmacmillan.com/authors/sharlene-teo/ponti

“Love is also the texture of its communication,” writes Joanna Walsh in Break.up, a novel where the narrator – a writer, named Joanna – mourns the end of a mostly online relationship that was never consummated while travelling around Europe, taking trains between cities and sleeping in spare rooms of friends of friends. Accessing wifi in stations, she looks for new messages as they grow increasingly infrequent, describing the emotional jolt “like an airplane taking off ” when a new one appears and how digital mail doesn’t grow ragged around the edges with re-reading. Occasionally, as a traveller, she grows tired, and street signs in unfamiliar languages “crunch into triangles, polygons.” Can lovers reach an end if they never really started, in a relationship that was not exactly a relationship but definitely something? Facing up to any kind of end is luxuriously and agonisingly postponed while the narrator traverses cities, mapping her love, or fixation, on to them, sometimes imagining she sees her love object in this stranger or that in the distance. Flâneusestyle, there are intelligent segues along the way. In Sofia, she considers what it means to be bored; in Budapest, she muses on aging. This is a novel about the edges of things and where they rub up against each other. In Break.up, Walsh explores what it is to live a digital and analogue existence simultaneously without degrading one or the other in comparing them, and the philosophical quandaries particular to multifaceted existence. [Laura Waddell] Tuskar Rock Press, 19 Apr, £12.99. serpentstail.com/break-up

Penguin, Apr 5, £18.99

Patient X By David Peace

rrrrr

Patient X, a mixture of elegy, story and poetic portrait, focuses on the life of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, one of Japan’s most notorious writers. Adopted and raised by his maternal uncle after his mother developed a mental illness, Akutagawa became known as the father of the Japanese short story, and outlasted the chaotic Taisho period from 1912-1926, only to take his own life at the age of 35. Now Peace, inspired by the writer’s letters, stories and essays, takes us on a journey that is part biographical, part paean to the figure of the writer as a concept, with all the conflicts and impossibilities that being one involves. From the flash-forward beginning, with its parable of Jesus and the Buddha looking down into hell, trying to save Akutagawa, up to the quiet drifting through his last moments, the voices and tenses flicker and change in a dreamlike way. Far from clear-cut, Peace’s protagonist is drawn as a character utterly divided in multiple ways, and, through the drone-like verbal motifs which echo and echo again in the prose, we find ourselves trapped inside his head, experiencing what he does as a kind of lucid madness. While its poignancy and beauty as a work are never in any doubt, nevertheless read with caution: this is not a work to be picked up casually, but one which demands focus and a quiet space. [Clare Mulley] Faber, 5 Apr, £14.99.

penguin.co.uk/books

faber.co.uk/catalog

BOOKS

THE SKINNY

Art News We’ve picked the best of the buds of opportunities, events and exhibitions this month, including GI and its new mini-me, GY

Exhibition highlights We’ve been harping on about the incredible exhibitions currently on at Talbot Rice Gallery for several weeks, and are unlikely to stop until you’ve all explored Rachel Maclean’s work Spite Your Face – which was first commissioned for the Venice Biennale in 2017, and has now been brought to Scotland for its UK premiere. (until 5 May) Also 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 (until 3 Jun). Alongside the exhibition are several events and talks, including a ‘crocheting rude bits evening’ (19 Apr) inspired by the work of Lee Lozano, and a panel discussion exploring the language rich work of the artist (26 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 and many others (until 16 Sep).

Words: Rosie Priest

The CCA in Glasgow have, as always, a huge amount going on – but we are particularly excited about the upcoming exhibition by artist Susannah Stark, Unnatural Wealth, which will see the personal, political, spiritual and economic woven together in a rotating sound and moving image listening experience (21-22 Apr). Definitely one not to miss. Programme announcements Edinburgh Art Festival have announced their partner exhibitions which will be scattered throughout the capital. Featuring a consortium of women artists such as Tacita Dean, Phyllida Barlow and Lucy Skaer these exhibitions are a real celebration of diversity within visual art. Jupiter Artland will be celebrating a decade of bringing international and local artists to the outskirts of Edinburgh from 12 May and have announced an eclectic line-up of events, new site-specific works and a solo exhibition by the well suited Joana Vasconcelos – an artist known for her large scale surreal sculptures. Calls for submissions A truly inspiring possibility to be part of the UK’s

largest ever mass participation artwork has opened up with PROCESSIONS which represents a chance to celebrate 100 years of women’s right to vote, taking place on 10 June. Join this opportunity to create banners and artworks for a project that will inspire, and be inspired by hundreds of women across the country. There is no deadline to sign up, and you don’t need to be a practising artist to take part either. Glasgow-based GY Open House Arts Festival are searching for artists to contribute to their exploration of the work by Peter Fischli and David Weiss. With a very open ended brief, this is a great opportunity for local artists to get their work out there with a festival that runs parallel to Glasgow International. Deadline: 23 April Funding opportunities The London-based Sunny Art Centre have announced their Sunny Art Prize initiative, which will offer participating artists the opportunity to win up to £3000 as well as artist residencies, exhibition possibilities and opportunities for cultural exchanges across East Asia. Deadline: 20 June

Shonky

Dundee Contemporary Arts

RRRRR

Lana Hughes and Christian Noelle Charles

GSA POC Society

Multiple Glasgow Galleries

RRRRR

In the first show by The Glasgow School of Art People of Colour (POC) Society, In Residence took place over a weekend at three venues, The Pipe Factory, 16 Nicholson Street and The Market Gallery. Altogether, 50 artists participated in the show, with works ranging from sculptures, video work, painting, performances, talks and workshops with a self-published POC guide providing a directory of POC-run or POC-friendly spaces from healthcare, restaurants, supermarkets to clubs and online audio. Visiting the Pipe Factory on their opening night, in a corner there is Ashanti Harris, as she quietly performs, sitting on a chair, purposefully pressing a sheet of wire mesh to her face. As the outlines of her face forms, she flattens the sheet before remoulding it to her face again. Her repetitive actions are powerfully nuanced and affecting. On an opposite corner of the space, a flat-screen television on the floor shows a video by Christian Noelle Charles. This work is a

April 2018

confident self-portrait with video clips of Charles dancing, going through daily activities, explaining the meaning of her name, as she repeats through the video the word, ‘HONEY, HONEY, HONEY’. Nina Mdwaba, in her raw spoken word piece, speaks of her lived experience as a black woman, her relationship with a man that doesn't click, and of self-love and care. The two artists find a way of reclaiming language and agency in self-representation through these works. One of the highlights of the night is the performance by Angel Ng and Nene Camara, as they appear with flower petals stuck to their faces, a tender variant to beards. Their movements strong, deliberate and coordinated, paired with powerful music beats define the space. The night ends with a DJ set by Sarra Wild (OH141), Plantainchipps and Vatsu. Perhaps if instituting change comes in small ways, this show is a bold statement by creatives of colour in art institutions across Glasgow to mobilise and create spaces that are able to define their own artistic identity. [Elaine Ang]

Under no more modest a premise than defining a new genre in which to situate his own art practice, John Walter has rallied various international contemporary artists to partake in his ‘shonky’ world: an audacious quasi-defunct funhouse of art, installed in the galleries of Dundee Contemporary Arts. Shonky: The Aesthetics of Awkwardness, which is this year’s Hayward Curatorial Touring exhibition, draws a skittish line around the precarious, the freaky and the boisterous to demarcate Walters’ style and those who fall into it. Delighting in the gaudy, Walters connects Niki de Saint Phalle’s statuettes and immense prints of Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s architectural façades to the dislocated on-screen environments of Jacolby Satterwhite and the collective, Plastique Fantastique. The show is extroverted, tongue-in-cheek and densely colourful, serving a

Jenny Saville, Rosetta II, 2006

dose of hedonism whose ensuing wave of nausea is expressly relished, if not required. Particularly hard to resist are the cheeky provocations made by Tim Spooner’s droid puppets with their twitching beaks and tentpole limbs – yet their evidently programmed flirtations expose the exchange as a seductive ploy. If there is sincerity left wanting, it is provided for by the sensitivity of Andrew Logan’s idolatry busts; Divine in Heaven is one of multiple affectionate homages to queer icons, fusing mosaic and photography. Walter positions the works in Shonky as deviant from and challenging to stylistic conventions of contemporary art through their craft-based processes and intentionally defective goals. However, when faced with this sense of cutting edge curatorialism, an argument lingers whether this style had not already been long recognised and traded as an aesthetic of currency and validity. [Aphra Pilkington] Until 27 May, Dundee Contemporary Arts, free

In Residence, The Pipe Factory, 16 Nicholson Street, Market Gallery Niki de Saint Phalle

Run ended

ART

Review

In Cinemas Ghost Stories

Beast

rrrrr

Director: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman Starring: Andy Nyman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse, Alex Lawther Released: 6 Apr Certificate: 15 Horror anthologies are tricky beasts. For every terrifying tale in a trilogy of terror, there’s often a dud or two to spoil the cumulative experience. Less in the vein of V/H/S and more in the spirit(s) of Dead of Night, Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s Ghost Stories bucks the usual curse in maintaining solid scares throughout. It presents three Britain-set supernatural tales, with a pragmatic academic (Nyman) acting as our guide via a wraparound plot device. A debunker of myths and fraudulent psychics, he’s assigned a mission to solve three unexplainable hauntings. Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse and Alex Lawther are his tragic interviewees and stars of the spooky flashbacks, which explore various personal demons alongside apparent literal ones. Ghost Stories is an expansion of Dyson and Nyman’s internationally successful theatre production, but the evocative and often bewildering use of locations prevents things from ever feeling stagey. In particular, the turn Nyman’s wrap-around story takes – which really lifts the film up a level – makes one unfamiliar with the play wonder how this ever worked outside of cinema. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Director: Michael Pearce Starring: Jessie Buckley, Johnny Flynn, Trystan Gravelle Released: 27 Apr Certificate: 15

Beast, Michael Pearce’s feature debut, centres on Moll (Jessie Buckley), a young woman suffocating in her family home with an overbearing mother (Geraldine James) and working a tourist guide job she hates on Jersey, an island she can’t seem to escape. Moll’s mother’s suffocating hold on her daughter is partially due to a childhood incident when Moll stabbed her school bully, and partially due to there being a serial killer stalking the island, raping and murdering young women. Early in the film Moll falls for Pascal (Johnny Flynn), a hunter-gather who’s keenly attuned to Jersey’s wild landscape. He incites uninhibited desires in her – first for sex and then for violence – but Moll is more than a match for her roughhewn new lover. “Watch out for her,” Moll’s sister tells Pascal, “she’s a wild one.” An exploration of just how flimsy the boundary is between man and animal, Beast is a thriller with a nasty bite. As the murders and accusations continue, the film escalates wildly, ending in pure and brilliant melodrama. [Katie Goh] Released by Altitude

Released by Lionsgate

Custody

Director: Xavier Legrand Starring: Thomas Gioria, Léa Drucker, Denis Ménochet, Mathilde Auneveux, Jean-Marie Winling Released: 13 Apr Certificate: 15

rrrrr

Xavier Legrand’s debut feature opens with a rapid-fire custody hearing, where a judge asks questions like “Which of you is the bigger liar?” It’s a bracing query that leads us to study the characters very carefully in the slower, more static consequent scenes, as the acrimonious couple (Léa Drucker and Denis Ménochet) tussle for time with their two kids, particularly the preteen boy played by newcomer Thomas Gioria. Ménochet’s patriarch claims to want to know where his kids are living, but when he’s with his son, he doesn’t seem to show much interest in him. Legrand generates an astonishing amount of tension in these scenes, holding tight on the child’s discomfort, and when Custody explodes into rage, it’s likely your stomach will clench up with anxiety. Custody seems to promise an investigation into the complexities of emotional violence, but instead reveals itself to be a straightforward horror-thriller. Don’t get us wrong, it’s an effective film, but you’ll be left yearning for the drama of shattered emotion that was hinted at in the beginning. [Ian Mantgani] Released by Picturehouse

Never Steady, Never Still

Director: Kathleen Hepburn Starring: Shirley Henderson, Théodore Pellerin, Nicholas Campbell, Jared Abrahamson Released: 20 Apr Certificate: 15

rrrrr

A portrait of grief, Never Steady, Never Still centres on a small family in rural Canada. Judy (Henderson) is gradually losing control of her life to advancing Parkinson’s disease when her husband (Campbell) passes away. While Judy fights to maintain domestic independence without her primary carer, their son Jamie (Pellerin) is likewise losing grip of his identity in the aggressively masculine oil camps of Alberta. Canadian filmmaker Kathleen Hepburn makes her debut with Never Steady, Never Still, and her skill behind the camera is evident as she captures the Canadian landscape with beautiful delicacy. However, the film falls apart in its subject matter, particularly its depiction of Parkinson’s. It’s glaringly obvious that Henderson is an able-bodied person playing someone with a disability, and the depiction increasingly feels exploitative. In comparison, Hepburn handles Jamie’s subplot of teenage and sexual confusion with sensitivity, proving she is more than capable of nuance. Let down by how it handles its subject matter, Never Steady, Never Still is nevertheless an impressive debut from a promising filmmaker. [Katie Goh] Released by Thunderbird

Review

Love, Simon

Director: Greg Berlanti Starring: Nick Robinson, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Logan Miller, Jennifer Garner, Jorge Lendeborg Jr, Josh Duhamel Released: 6 Apr Certificate: 12A

rrrrr

What’s remarkable about the eponymous protagonist of the blissful and witty Love, Simon is how unremarkable he is; quirks are not his thing. As played by Nick Robinson (best known as the cocky teen from Jurassic World), he’s not a brain, a jock, a basket case or any of the other teen movie archetypes invented by John Hughes. Simon does have a secret though: he’s gay. Being 2018, this doesn’t make him any less ordinary. There’s already an out kid at school who’s owning his genderqueer identity and taking down the school’s few homophobes with wonderfully bitchy one liners (“you look like you got gang banged by a TK Maxx”). And there’s at least one other gay kid in his grade: he calls himself Blue, and describes his loneliness on the

Let the Sunshine In

Director: Claire Denis Starring: Juliette Binoche, Xavier Beauvois, Philippe Katerine, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Alex Descas, Paul Blain Released: 20 Apr Certificate: 15

rrrrr

It’s impossible to predict what a new Claire Denis film will be like – you just know it’ll be something special. After plunging us into the depraved depths of Bastards in 2013, the French filmmaker returns with her warmest work since 2008’s 35 Shots of Rum. The seductively loose and sensual Let the Sunshine In stars Juliette Binoche as Isabelle, a divorced artist looking for love and connecting with a variety of men – a neurotic young actor, a persistent ex, a taciturn stranger – who are all destined to frustrate and disappoint her in a variety of ways. It’s essentially a romantic comedy, but filtered through Denis’ unique artistic sensibility. Once again working with the cinematographer Agnès Godard, Denis brings a ravishing tactility and sensuality to the film. Let the Sunshine In is

FILM

school’s unofficial gossip blog. Simon, heart pounding that he’s found a closeted kindred spirit, replies to Blue’s post instantly under his own alias (Jacques). So sets in motion an irresistible teen romance that’s as light and sweet as candy floss, as well as a charming mystery as Simon tries to figure out which of the guys at school might be his anonymous pen pal – he just hopes to god it’s not any of those greasy geeks with Jon Snow obsessions. The surface of Love, Simon looks superficially conventional, but beneath the glossy visuals and the power-pop soundtrack there’s something quietly radical. There’s no subterfuge or elision of Simon’s desires to find love and none of the usual representational clichés of gay characters in cinema are standing in his way. By the end he’s not left staring wistfully into a fireplace thinking of what could have been, and that’s what makes this breezy rom-com so essential. LGBTQI characters deserve their cheesy finales too. “Things are going to get romantic as f ”, Simon warns us near Love, Simon’s close. Bring it on. [Jamie Dunn] Released by 20th Century Fox

unusually verbose for a Denis picture, with a couple of long monologues that are expertly delivered, but Godard’s camera is always alert, and long conversations are enlivened by the way our view swings from one participant to the other. Despite all this talk, however, Denis still pulls off a few of her trademark scenes of wordless transcendence, with a slow dance set to Etta James’ At Last being one of this film’s standout moments. At Last becomes something of a theme song for Let the Sunshine In, and it might match the cry that went up from cinephiles when we heard that Denis and Binoche were finally collaborating. Binoche is at her unmatchable best here, bringing incredible nuances and a tangible depth of emotion to every single scene. One might expect a 95-minute romantic comedy unfolding in vignettes to be a lightweight work, but Let the Sunshine In is empathetic, perceptive and moving in its exploration of 21st century love and sex. It’s a wonderful film from one of the best directors working today, and the final scene is one for the ages. [Philip Concannon] Released by Curzon Artificial Eye

THE SKINNY

Neon Bull

The Passenger

Director: Gabriel Mascaro Starring: Juliano Cazarré, Maeve Jinkings, Alyne Santana Released: 16 Apr Certificate: 18

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni Starring: Jack Nicholson, Maria Schneider Released: out now Certificate: 12

rrrrr

This second feature from young Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro won a Special Jury Prize at the 2015 Venice Film Festival and it’s easy to see why it wowed critics and audiences. Neon Bull is sexy, earthy and beautifully photographed by Mexican cinematographer Diego Garcia, who also shot Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Cemetery of Splendour. But more than that, its portrayal of childhood, subversion of ideas about masculinity and gender roles, and questioning of human-animal relations make it pleasingly multi-layered. You won’t see a more thought-provoking film about Brazilian rodeo workers this year. Those workers are Iremar (Cazarré) and Zé (Carlos Pessoa), bull handlers who travel to north-eastern Brazil in a huge, rickety, wooden-sided truck driven by their female boss Galega (Jinkings). Also on board is Galega’s young, horse-obsessed daughter (Santana). Their business is vaquejada, a controversial sport which involves two riders pulling a bull down by its tail. For one night-time event, Iremar coats one animal in neon powder; it literally glows in the dark. But Iremar’s real passion is designing women’s clothes. In the film’s startling opening scene we see him walking across a field of coloured litter to retrieve a discarded mannequin and later we watch Galega, dressed in one of Iremar’s horse head costumes, perform a mesmerising dance sequence to a pumping electro soundtrack while bathed in red neon. There are other equally rich set-pieces, such as when Iremar and Zé try to steal semen from a thoroughbred horse (let’s just say it’s a hands-on sort of heist). Mascaro comes at these scenes as he does everything else: unfussily, a dispassionate observer of humanity in all its rough beauty. Extras There’s a Making-of featurette which shows Mascaro, Garcia and their crew at work on some of the more visual scenes, including the dance sequence. There’s also an interesting (though poor quality) on-stage interview from the Film fra Sør festival in Oslo in 2016. [Barry Didcock]

Jack Nicholson’s David Locke is a television reporter struggling to finish a documentary on the Chadian civil war, and the slow-burn of Michelangelo Antonioni’s film’s opening act reflects his increasing disillusionment. When David Robertson, a mysterious fellow hotel guest played by Charles Mulvehill, dies suddenly, Locke assumes his identity and follows the dead man’s appointment book across Europe – only to find himself out of his depth when he realises that Robertson was an arms dealer, supplying the same rebels that Locke was finding it so difficult to track down and interview. From there, The Passenger’s narrative subtly shifts shape as Locke tries to simultaneously outrun his past life and ward off his fascination with Robertson. The latter half of the film increasingly develops into a game of cat-and-mouse as he and Maria Schneider’s unnamed love interest attempt to evade Locke’s family, Robertson’s clients and the Spanish police. It’s once the action reaches Barcelona and the surrounding areas that Luciano Tovoli’s cinematography truly blooms, from Gaudí’s architecture being done lush justice to the desolation of the sunset-lit dust roads on the city’s outskirts. They’re a fitting backdrop for an unusually restrained turn from Nicholson, who is a symphony in alienation throughout; Schneider’s girlish innocence, meanwhile, belies the suggestion that her character has a much firmer handle on existential matters than Locke does. Antonioni completists have hankered after this release for a while, but now wouldn’t be a bad time for a wider audience to revisit The Passenger – a languid, open-ended and quietly devastating study of isolation and identity. Extras Both of the real extra treats come in relation to the movie’s penultimate scene; look out for both Nicholson’s recollections of the process behind it on his laid-back commentary, as well as a featurette in which the director himself breaks it down. [Joe Goggins] Released by Indicator

Released by Second Run

La Chinoise

Director: Jean-Luc Godard Starring: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Anne Wiazemsky, Juliet Berto Released: 23 Apr Certificate: PG

rrrrr

Released in 1967, the year before the unrest of the May ‘68 uprising, La Chinoise, Jean-Luc Godard’s stylishly assembled depiction of a young Maoist cell in Paris, alternately interrogates, skewers and champions the radical politics and political radicals of its time. The French-Swiss director reworked the flat he shared with his then-wife Anne Wiazemsky into the summer outpost of a fictional group of university students (including Nouvelle Vague icons, Jean-Pierre Léaud and Juliet Berto) who decorate it with bright colours, political slogans and stacks of Mao’s Little Red Book. The group call themselves the ‘Aden Arabie Cell’ and over the course of their summer break, they debate and lecture each other on the Vietnam War, American imperialism and the split between Maoist and Soviet-style Marxism. By the end of the film the would-be revolutionaries have turned their theories into action with a plot to assassinate the Minister of Culture of the Soviet Union. To what degree the film and its director agree with their politics is up for debate: Godard treats the ideas seriously and sympathetically but frequently undercuts his bourgeois characters with sight-gags and moments of absurdity. Regardless, given the events in France the following year, La Chinoise would prove to be prescient and even influential. Formally, the film is tremendously exciting, combining direct to-camera sections in which we can hear the director coaching the actors with dynamic camera movements and impeccable mise en scène. Meanwhile, students of cinema will recognise the film as a point of transition for Godard, part way between the narrative pop-masterpieces like Breathless and Bande à Part that made his name and helped launch the French New Wave, and the more politically explicit works that followed. Extras This edition provides a wealth of contextualising material including new and vintage writing, audio commentary, interviews and contemporaneous footage. [Tom Grieve] Released by Arrow Films

Win a 71 Brewing tour and gift pack R 71 Brewing

eviving the art of brewing in Dundee, 71 Brewing is crafting lagers and seasonal beers inspired by traditional European classics and progressive new world flavours. Based in a former ironworks in the city's industrial quarter, 71 Brewing are pouring their hearts into every glass served across the city and beyond.

For your chance to win a pair of tickets for the 71 Brewing tour along with a gift pack of the brewery’s beers, simply head to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question: In which city is 71 Brewing based? a) Glasgow b) Newcastle c) Dundee Competition closes midnight Sun 29 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. The winner will be sent an electronic code enabling them to select a tour date and time via EventBrite. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms For more on 71 Brewing, head to 71brewing.com

Win Tickets to Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival

dinburgh Craft Beer Festival is back! Taking over the Biscuit Factory from 25-27 May, with more than 40 international breweries pouring over 200 different beers across the May Bank Holiday weekend, beer lovers are in for a real treat. Festival-goers will also be treated to DJ sets from the likes of Mogwai and Don Letts, as well as awesome street food courtesy of The Pitt street food market. For your chance to win tickets for you and three friends to Saturday’s Big Night Out, simply head to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer the following question:

Which Glasgow band will be performing a DJ set at this year’s Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival? a) Belle & Sebastian b) Mogwai c) Franz Ferdinand

Competition closes midnight Sun 29 Apr. Entrants must be 18 or over, as must everyone planning to attend the event. Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival reserves the right to turn away any person under the age of 18, or anyone who they deem to be intoxicated upon arrival at the festival. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and 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 For more on the Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival, head to edinburghcraftbeerfestival.co.uk Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival

April 2018

FILM / COMPETITIONS

Review

The Story of Little Light The Skinny chats to Symon MacIntyre from Vision Mechanics and Razan Mbaideen from Haya Cultural Centre, Amman about their first collaboration, a new children’s show called Little Light, now touring across Scotland

Interview: Amy Taylor

he story behind the creation of Little Light, the first collaboration between Scottish theatre company Vision Mechanics and the Haya Cultural Centre in Jordan begins with a bit of coincidence and a sprinkle of luck. Brought over to Scotland as part of a British Council trip, the director of the institute had been educated in Edinburgh, and was looking to start a puppet company back home in Amman, Jordan, which is where Vision Mechanics stepped in. “I like to think that we were the right people for the job, because we have some experience of working abroad and creating shows, which we knew would come in useful when working with Haya Cultural Centre and matching their expectations with their needs,” explains Vision Mechanics' Symon MacIntyre. The centre had wanted to create a puppet company for nearly two years, and for Razan Mbaideen, whom MacIntyre describes as a “cultural sponge” thanks to her decision to attend as much theatre as possible in Edinburgh, and also her incredible ability to blag her way backstage – “I fit in anywhere,” she smiles – the experience has been a very positive one. “It’s fun to work with a company that has that much experience in puppetry and in theatre productions, it’s such a good experience to share our theatre and our culture.” “We’ve created a show that’s a collaboration between two cultures which have very different ideas of what theatre is and can do in Jordan’s theatre,” begins Macintyre. “ We’ve worked with two performers who knew very little about puppetry, and we’ve given them the skills and the tools – that’s come from our side. But, they learned them very quickly because they do have performance skills and they are very adept at picking up new ideas and they’re keen, they’re so keen to create something.” What they created, Little Light is a children’s play with puppets but without words. Featuring two performers it tells the story of a little boy, a dog and a fallen star and the adventures the trio have trying to get the star back into the sky. The story, created by MacIntyre, was based on his experiences in Amman, which was dominated by 40 degree heat, and the memory of going inside to escape the heat where it occurred to him that in order to keep cool, you had to sacrifice the light. “I think one of the things that strikes me when I go to very hot countries is, when you try to escape the heat, you try to escape the light as well – you create shaded, cool spaces to be in. Within those spaces, we’ve brought this little light, that then expands, so we’ve created our own shaded spaces in this fake tent that was inspired by all the tents that were used by nomadic people in these areas,” explains MacIntyre. The tent, as Mbaideen explains, is also a character. “We use it for the characters as well. The tent fits 60 people – 40 kids and 20 adults. The play will be around you all the time, so it’s like magic happening, all the time.” This magic is currently touring the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and touring is something that both companies feel very strongly about, as MacIntyre explains, “Touring is an essence of what the arts should be. It’s all very well having the theatres — and I’m very lucky in Edinburgh, I get to see a lot of theatre but what we take out to all those bits of Scotland that no reviewers ever get to anymore because budgets are tight, that money for touring is the most important thing.”

Little Light is currently touring across Scotland, for further information visit: visionmechanics.org

Review

Vision Mechanics, Little Light

Photo: Vicki Watson

Stage Directions If you thought March was busy, then April will take your breath away. Here’s a quick guide to just some of the shows on offer this month, featuring the ‘F’ word

id somebody say Festival? No, not the one that we love and fear, but the end of March and the start of April marks the beginning of the 2018 Edinburgh International Science Festival in Edinburgh. Now in its 30th year, the festival’s theatre programme always contains some wonderfully wacky, and sometimes very poignant shows for all ages. Some highlights include Mamoru Iriguchi’s Eaten at Summerhall on 5 April, a new show about a very hungry lion exploring food, eating, and uh, being eaten alive. Elsewhere in Summerhall, Valentina’s Galaxy is an intergalactic space adventure for young children and their parents from 4-8 April, while Me and My Bee buzzes into the Royal Botanic Gardens from 8-11 April and teaches kids and adults of all ages about saving the world and also the bees. Over at the Traverse the month begins with two familiar faces performing two shows that you might have missed at last year’s Fringe. Gary McNair’s Locker Room Talk returns from 4-7 April, and explores the way that men talk about women in front of other men. Shôn Dale-Jones (formerly known as the man who was Hugh Hughes) resurrects his popular show The

Duke, (3-5 Apr) which explores kindness and priorities and has so far raised £46,000 for Save the Children’s Emergency Fund. Additionally, you can catch even more McNair at the Traverse’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint season, which begins on 3 April, with McNair’s production of McGonagall’s Chronicles. Later in the month, the long-awaited Traverse production of Frances Poet’s Gut opens on 20 April. This thriller explores who we can trust with our children, and even if we should trust anyone at all. Next door, The Royal Lyceum’s latest production, Creditors, opens on 27 April. Adapted from the play by August Strindberg, this new version by David Greig explores a love triangle that follows a man, his wife and a mysterious new friend. Edward Franklin, Stewart McQuarrie and Adura Onashile star. Moving over to Glasgow, the Citz’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night opens on 13 April. This co-production with HOME Manchester, directed by Dominic Hill, is a revival of Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning great American drama that follows four members of the same family over a devastating 24 hours as resentments, secrets

THEATRE

Words: Amy Taylor

and failings of each person are brought forth for all to see. Starring Bob Costigan. Company of Wolves’ new piece, Unbecoming opens at Platform on 28 April and is set to tour various venues across Scotland until June. Part theatre, part show, part gig, this one person show by Anna Porubcansky explores the duality of femininity – love and rage, and identity after becoming a mother. Staying in Glasgow, The Occasion Theatre’s new production The Monster and Mary Shelley opens at the Tron on 20 April before heading off on a Scottish tour. Written by Stewart Ennis and directed by Peter Clerke, this new piece explores the life of Mary Shelley using music, sound and a darkly comic script. Up in Dundee, the ensemble at Dundee Rep present their latest production, a revival of Stephen Greenhorn’s Passing Places on 17 April. Set in 90s Motherwell, this so-called ‘road movie for the stage’ follows two young men as they set off on a road trip to Thurso in a rundown Lada and a ‘borrowed’ surfboard. The show tours to The Citizens Theatre in May. theskinny.co.uk/theatre

THE SKINNY

Do the costs at the Fringe cause a class divide? The Fringe finance debate has recently centred on how costs stack up against artists from lower income backgrounds

Guru Dodo, The Fringe, 2016

he financial costs of performing at the Edinburgh Fringe may cause a divide in comedy, which dominoes into a wider problem of representation. The Fringe is an open access festival and acts performing in Edinburgh take on a number of financial risks to put on their work. Comedian Lucy Harrington cancelled her 2017 Fringe show after 17 days last year. On her blog she wrote: “I have paid handsomely to be a part of this experience, financially and emotionally. On top of funding the creation of my work, I have paid for venue hire, posters, flyers, travel, accommodation and affording to eat. As well as performing my show I need to work 12 hour days producing and flyering […] if you want to compete in an over saturated market place you need a team of people and a lot of money.” It’s no secret that performing at the Fringe incurs such commitments. And those speaking about the issue often highlight the various differences between venues and their associated costs. This year, however, how costs impact comedians from different backgrounds has become the focus. Tom Mayhew wrote a detailed and representative article for the British Comedy Guide on being a working class comedian. Since then, Lee Kyle has crowdfunded a campaign to produce a brochure at the 2018 Fringe specifically to help working class comedians. Acts who perform at the Fringe are those who can afford to, or are willing to put themselves in a situation they can’t afford. On Twitter, Bethany Black highlighted how this spirals into greater problems of representation. Black’s thread started: “Basically, the way the comedy circuit works, people who can afford to gamble £7000+ per year get to go to Edinburgh to do an hour show which is like an industry audition piece to get them potential TV work over the year, it also has a cumulative effect.” She added: “As a result some really great comics never really go and do a full hour, and then get branded ‘circuit comics’ by reviewers and eventually the whole industry […] As a result the industry promotes mostly men, mostly middle class, mostly white, and mostly straight, some exceptions make it

April 2018

Photo: David Monteith Hodge

Words: James McColl

through. Everyone who got massive success did so by working hard. But the same amount of hard work doesn’t get everyone the same distance.” It is difficult to read this and not think the consequences may show every week on panel shows. Strudel, a data website, has a thorough breakdown of statistics on the composition of these shows. The demographic is overwhelmingly white male comics. However, none of this seems to stop a high number of acts arriving in Edinburgh each August. And there are many valuable reasons for performing that have little to do with climbing the comedy career ladder. Hannibal Buress’s profile puts him in a better position than most comics, but in his Netflix documentary his reasons for coming to Edinburgh are probably fairly representative. It’s an uncompromising marathon-like performance schedule and hones your stand-up skills. As he puts it: “You get better as a comedian, performing every day for a month.” The Fringe finance debate has also broadened this year with the release of the Fringe Society’s workers’ survey. This revealed it is not only performers taking on financial risks, but also everyone else – from box office to bar staff. Almost a quarter of all workers are volunteers. This statistic speaks of a general attitude for many at the Fringe: people are not there to make money, it’s about the experience. And the survey confirms this with 38% answering that “wanting to be a part of the Fringe” as their reason for working there. Unfortunately, this good will can be exploited, and naturally still excludes those who can’t afford to volunteer their time for what might be a valuable experience. That the Fringe Society have conducted and published this survey does speak of a new determination to highlight the extent of the issue. And it puts the onus on all of us who take part in the Fringe, in whatever capacity, to think about where ticket money goes – if it sustains those helping the Fringe to thrive or if it is passing costs on to the performers and workers who actually make the Fringe happen.

COMEDY

Review

THE SKINNY

Glasgow Music JOSEPHINE FOSTER THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £12 - £14

LISSIE

The Rock Island folk-rock songstress (aka Elisabeth Corrin Maurus) hits town.

THE WONDER STUFF & NED’S ATOMIC DUSTBIN – LOVE FROM STOURBRIDGE (GRAHAM CRABB (DJ SET)) O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £34.25

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £35

The two blues icons collaborated on new album No Mercy In This Land and now they’re hitting the road. YES LAD

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £9

Boy band with lyrics for the lads. Head down and crack open some cold ones. STRATA

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Enter a world blending minimalism, groove and unhinged free improvisation (think Steve Reich meets Zu, and The Thing). BENDELACREME

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £15

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 Miss Congeniality and All Stars 3 contestant on a UK tour. THE SUNNY DEVILS (XERO + LAWRENCE OBRIEN BAND)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6

Alternative rock power trio, formed through a will to create riff centric, melodic music that’s not scared to get heavy. VINCENT (GREEN IN REGULATION)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £4

Headline set from Vincent, with an acoustic support set from Green In Regulation. ROLO TOMASSI

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £8

Mildly terrifying multi-instrumentalists who specialise in a sinister type of noisy creativity with drops for days. VATICAN VAMPS (RODENT EMPORIUM + BUTLER’S EXPERIMENT)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5

Live music from Vatican Vamps, on tour from Denver Colorado. DANCE WITH THE DEAD (DANIEL DELUXE + VAN DAMMAGE)

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £15

Californian duo blending metal and synths inspired by 80s John Carpenter horror. FAT GOTH (HERBERT POWELL + CUTTY’S GYM)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

Uncool, uncouth, hilarious and excellent rockers Fat Goth have commanded love and acclaim through their humorous, brazen style which is best served live.

Thu 05 Apr 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. 3 GENERATIONS OF SKA (STRANGER COLE + NEVILLE STAPLE BAND + SUGARY STAPLE + THE AC30S + SKALEDONIA) O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £25.35

The electronica-tinged spazzcore kids bring the chaos to a live setting near you. Amen.

The 3 Generations of Ska tour will pair both new wave and classic ska alike to delight listeners ears.

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £4 - £5

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

WORK (CYNTHIA’S PERISCOPE + DARKROOM + PAUL BARAN)

A new electro pop punk project from Xian and Michael Zamora, half of the Bay Area based psych punk band bAd bAd.

Wed 04 Apr SG LEWIS

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £11.25

Electronic music producer based in Liverpool. DRAW CREATURES MASK (ESPERI + JOHN WHEELS)

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Perth quintet combining indie rock and folk with added classical gusto. NIGHT RIOTS (SILENT RIVAL + NORTH ATLAS)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £9.90

SLIPPERY NIGHTS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

THEE HYPNOTICS (BLACK CAT REVUE)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £14.30

High energy psych and garage rock. IRON BASTARDS (CARTILAGE + RAMROD)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

Fast rock’n’roll hardcore punk and heavy vibes. EVANESCENCE

SEC, FROM 18:30, £44.85 - £85.15

The emo group led by Amy Lee perform their new album Synthesis with a full orchestra.

ADJUST/ALL FEAR DEATH (RAZORBITE + RUTHLESS) BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £5

Los Angeles-based pop rock quintet.

First date on the Adjust/All Fear Death UK run.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £10

St Boswells singer best known for his 1982 hit single Inside Out.

CARLA J. EASTON (WEST PRINCES + BITE)

Carla J. Easton and her band return to Edinburgh to play new songs from her forthcoming second solo album. JOYCE DELANEY (FREAKWAVE + THE MOTION POETS)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £4.78

Joyce Delaney aspire to fuse an unholy trinity of Fall Out Boy, The Spice Girls and intersectional feminism, and are mainly influenced by celibacy and revenge.

JESSE RAE

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £8

ROCK IT! FOR CHARITY: ACTION FOR AUTISM (FUNDRAISER FOR EAST PARK) (ST. PROVIDENCE + BRAVADO + FRENETIX + SIANNEN)

BOX, FROM 20:00, FREE

April is Autism Awareness month and Rock It! For Charity is taking Action for Autism with a fundraiser for East Park (aka East Park Home).

ARTIE ZIFF (BROADSEA + LITTLE HANDS OF SILVER + GULLS)

GORDON JAMES & THE POWER (MURRAY TORRANCE + THE WHISPERING PINES + FUBB)

FLORIST (PORRIDGE RADIO (SOLO) + ZOE GRAHAM)

Formed in Speyside, Gordon James & The Power have quickly garnered a following throughout the north of the country.

Boasting a powerful sound and full arrangements, the five-piece layer lush vocal harmonies over their rustic instrumentation.

Martin Barre has been the guitarist for Jethro Tull for 43 years but this time he’s got his own band to play with.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

CARNIVORES

Sat 07 Apr

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £21

BEN HARPER & CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

DUA LIPA THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £28.40

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Fri 06 Apr

LET’S EAT GRANDMA

THEO KATZMAN ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £11

Math-rock trio from the west of Scotland, describing themselves as two parts pop, two parts noise and one part prog.

Joana Serrat delivers a genre of music she describes as ‘foggy folk’.

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £10

THE MARTIN BARRE BAND O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £28.15

Modern American folk singersongwriter and musician from Colorado. JOANA SERRAT (ROBIN ADAMS)

Tue 03 Apr

SPEAK, BROTHER THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £6.50

Stourbridge legends The Wonder Stuff and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin reunite for a one-off, 12 date co-headline tour.

HUMAN RENEGADE (UNDERNEATH THE LIGHTS + NINETEEN CANTEEN)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £9

Fka The Royal Thieves, Human Renegade are just four guys from Glasgow that love creating fresh music and performing live. Simple. KLUB KIDS – THE TWISTED CIRCUS

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 20:00, £34.25

Prepare to be amazed as Klub Kids return with Twisted Circus, a night full of jaw-dropping circus production and seven of the world’s best drag acts. BURNING LAZY (EVERYDAY PHARAOHS + IAGO + MICHAEL COSTELLO)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £8

Burning Lazy are four guys from Greenock growing up on the Clyde, where the weather is raw just like their music.

THE ROOV (THE 62 + BLIND SUMMIT)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

Four-piece from Lossiemouth who want to make music that could change your life. GREENFINCH (THE LOCAL + NORTHERN CENTRAL)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

Glasgow-based five-piece who perform folk-inflected songs built on a warm bed of intertwining guitars and ethereal vocals in English and Gaelic.

THE TREND (WOLVES + THE PLASTIC YOUTH + TWO TONE TELEVISION)

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £8 - £10

The indie rock’n’roll Glasgow outfit take on their biggest headline show to date.

BOSPHORUS (GROUP OF MAN + TILDE + CULTMASTER) 13TH NOTE, FROM 19:00, £6 - £7

Glasgow-based post metal/doom band. CHARITY FOOD DROP FOR THE HOMELESS W/ FEROCIOUS DOG

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £15

Have a jig to the punky folk and ska beats of Ferocious Dog.

COUNTERFLOWS: RP BOO, SEYMOUR WRIGHT & PAUL ABBOTT (TRIO) (JAKE MEGINSKY) THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 21:00, £8

The first ever trio performance by RP Boo – an originator and continual innovator of Chicago footwork music – and two very radical London-based musicians, Seymour Wright and Paul Abbott. AC PROJECTS/COUNTERFLOWS: SUSIE IBARRA

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:30, £8

Composer/percussionist Susie Ibarra creates live and immersive music that explores rhythm, indigenous practices and interaction with cities and the natural world. AN EVENING WITH HOWARD ‘H’ SMITH

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £5

An evening in the company of vocalist with legendary UK thrash band Acid Reign, stand up comedian and podcaster, Howard ‘H’ Smith.

NEARLY DAN

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £16

The spirit and sound of Steely Dan. EPICA

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £19.50

Symphonic metal heads who specialise in mixing hard, technical and fast soundscapes with intimate and slow moments. SPACE (WILL & THE WILD HORSE)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £18

The 90s indie group return. EPICA

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £22.45

Symphonic metal heads who specialise in mixing hard, technical and fast soundscapes with intimate and slow moments. THE PHONICS

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £12

Stereophonics tribute band, once described by Kelly Jones himself as “awesome”. Praise indeed. THE RUBENS (DAS PLASTIXX)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11

Welsh alt-rock five-piece, not to be confused with the Reuben sandwich. RITTERSKAMP (MICHAEL ANGUISH + NORMAL SERVICE + GIFT HORSE)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

Glasgow band consisting of Paul Herbert and JJ Mills.

FUNERAL SHAKES (SLIME CITY + HICKS)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, FREE

Rock 'n'roll band from Watford. LORDS OF THE LAND FESTIVAL

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £39.50

Barrowlands host what looks to be the heaviest of metal all-dayers in some time. PINACT

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £8

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends. MISTERWIVES

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11

Indie pop band based in New York and led by Mandy Lee.

COUNTYOURFOES: GUTTERSNIPE (CUNTROACHES + GROSS NET + SECURITY + ATATAT + CARTILAGE) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 18:00, £5

Blitzkrieg noise rock and electronics from West Yorkshire, feat. guitar squeal blended and grinding mini-drum chaos. TOTO

SEC, FROM 18:30, £36.90 - £48.25

American rock unit touring in support of their 40th anniversary and still blessing the rains in Africa. DEMOB HAPPY (SOUER + VALERAS)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10

The garage rockers return for another taste of UK life. COUNTERFLOWS AFTERPARTY

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 21:00, FREE

See in the end of this year’s Counterflows Festival with DJs and fun times at The Glad Cafe. NO PLACE TO FALL

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 13:00, FREE

A free afternoon of performances, collaboration, art and conversation every Sunday afternoon in The Hug and Pint, hosted by Phillip Taylor (PAWS) and friends. JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8.50

The Ohio-born singer evokes the pathos of 90s grunge and the folk confessions of her idol Elliott Smith.

Mon 09 Apr ASTON MERRYGOLD

ST LUKE’S, FROM 16:00, £15

A celebration of iconic indie music, including tributes to The Killers, James and Noel Gallagher.

FRIENDS OF THE FANZINE PT.8 (TONGUE TRAP + INIQUITOUS SAVAGERY)

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 18:30, £3

An evening of art and live music at The Old Hairdressers.

COUNTERFLOWS: RUSSELL HASWELL & SUE TOMPKINS (WOL)

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 19:00, £8

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

THE SHEEPDOGS

Canadian rock’n’roll sextet who formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2006. 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. COLDBONES (BLANKET)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, FREE

Four-piece instrumental rock band from Kent. EL MORGAN & THE DIVERS (HAPPY SPENDY + CHRISSY BARNACLE)

Sue Tompkins and Russell Haswell present this exciting new collaboration, performing a set of new and existing compositions and specially chosen covers.

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £0 - £5

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

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.

MIK ARTISTIK’S EGO TRIP

Three-piece from Leeds, who are proving to be one of the most interesting, unpredictable and exciting acts on the circuit.

TEARS FOR FEARS (ALISON MOYET)

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £51.10 - £62.45

The 80s electronic duo are back to win you over all over again. CARNIVORES

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

Math-rock trio from the west of Scotland, describing themselves as two parts pop, two parts noise and one part prog.

Sun 08 Apr CHRYSTA BELL

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20

Talented songstress/model who started her career in Texas as the lead vocalist for 8 1/2 Souvenirs, and went on to collaborate with David Lynch.

Glasgow trio playing ‘rage indie’.

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

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

Five-piece focusing on writing catchy hooks and thoughtful lyrics.

Wed 11 Apr LITTLE COMETS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

Kitchen sink-styled indie-rock quartet led by the dynamic Robert Coles. THE TWEEDS

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, TBC

Husband and wife duo from Paisley. QUEEN ZEE (SNACK VILLAIN + QUICHE)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, FREE

A flamboyant glittery punk-pop band from Liverpool who formed in 2016, bringing much-needed pandemonium with their ferocious live shows. JOLLYBOAT (THE GREAT AZIZ)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7

Jollyboat are the UK’s best comedypirate-geek-rock duo. KASHMERE (MOON STRANGER & THE GOOD ARMS)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, FREE

Stockport-based indie rock foursome.

TIGERS JAW (SLAUGHTER BEACH + DOG + WORRIERS) STEREO, FROM 18:30, £14

Rock duo from Scranton, Pennsylvania. KNOWMADS (NICK BREWER + RAPTURE 4D)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, TBC

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11

BE HERE NOW – INDIE ROCK ALL DAYER

FALSE FRIENDS

THE BLAS COLLECTIVE

The former JLS star smoulders his way into a solo career.

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5

Alternative rock trio based in Lincolnshire.

Michael McMillan and The Hope Street Band will be playing an official live launch of the new album Cross Country.

US hip-hop duo KnowMads travel to Europe for the very first time.

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

KILL THE IDEAL (OF ALLIES)

MICHAEL MCMILLAN & THE HOPE STREET BAND (BRIAN HUGHES)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, TBC

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £17.50

Pinact return with a UK tour and their turn-it-up-to-11 guitar sounds, outstanding melodic riffs and crashing cymbals.

13TH NOTE, FROM 19:00, £4

April 2018

BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

Vulfpeck member, singer, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, whose musical style ranges from pop to indie rock, with multiple areas in between.

A matinee show from the Americana-fuelled punk rockers. DANCING ON TABLES (SNACK VILLAIN)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

Tue 10 Apr NEW HOPE CLUB

ORAN MOR, FROM 18:00, FREE

British pop rock trio formed in 2015. ARLISSA

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £15.20

Singer-songwriter from Brixton with a voice like sugar.

HEADS OF LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Pristine odd-pop from North East England.

BLITZEN TRAPPER (STEVE GROZIER)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £12.10

Portland, Oregon-based experimental country/folk/rock band.

TINY MOVING PARTS (ORCHARDS)

STEREO, FROM 18:30, £10

American emo revival band.

MANISH PINGLE

Indian slide guitar maestro.

Thu 12 Apr 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.

REPEATER PRESENTS GRAND PRICKS + PUPPY FAT BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Alt rock/indie for fans of Dinosaur Jr and Husker Du plus support from a band featuring the most handsome man alive. KAT O’HARE

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, TBC

Glaswegian songstress makes her headlining debut at Classic Grand.

GODDAMNED PROMOTIONS PRESENTS (TITAN BREED + THE THRASHING + UPRISING DEFACER + THE MELODIC + SHREDDING VICTORIUS) CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, £5

Goddamned Promotions presents their first show of the year and it’s going to start with a bang.

The singer-songwriter (and model, ‘cos they all are these days, right?) tours her debut album. THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Soft-synthesizer-folk band and the friendship project of Emily Sprague, Rick Spataro and Jonnie Baker.

Fri 13 Apr

THE STYLE COUNCILLORS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

The world’s only tribute to The Style Council celebrate their finest album Our Favourite Shop by recreating it fully live for the first time ever. THE PONTANGZ (THE ALLIES + THE SHUTOUTS + TRIMM)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £9

Rock'n'roll band from Glasgow.

CALUM SCOTT (DANIEL DOCHERTY)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £18.50

Singer-songwriter who got his break by winning a local talent competition in his hometown in Yorkshire. AQUILO

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £12.10

Electronic duo, dreamily atmospheric and addicted to melancholy. BRUISE (FENELLA)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7

Music to cleanse and uplift a musical palette jaded by conformity and commercialism. ROY ORBISON - IN DREAMS - THE HOLOGRAM UK TOUR

SEC, FROM 18:30, £45.40 - £56.75

Yes, someone has made a Roy Orbison hologram and decided to take it out on tour. Welcome to the modern world. MADONNATRON (CHUPA CABRA + OBJECTIFIED + YUNG KP)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, FREE

London-based four-piece playing self-proclaimed ‘psychedelic witch prog’. FENNE LILY

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £8

Young Bristolian singer-songwriter embarking on a tour of the UK.

TAKE TODAY (OHNOVA + THE RHUBARB)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5

The Glasgow alternative rock trio play a hometown set. SALT HOUSE

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £8

Multi-instrumental trio.

MELODY MAKERS (ATTIC LIGHTS + DROPKICK + THE WELLGREEN + STAR TRIP) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

An all-star line-up of indie pop.

Sat 14 Apr

THE SENSATIONAL DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE BAND

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £8

OCTOBER DRIFT

KING TUT’S, FROM 10:00, £9.35

October Drift appeared at the start of 2015 with their beefy yet melodic sound and gained a reputation for delivering blistering, high-energy live shows. PORCHES

MONO, FROM 19:30, £11

The alias of bleach blonde-haired, cigarette-smoking, funky earringwearing Aaron Maine. AOA (CRESS + MARK AYLING + SANCTION THIS + BASTARD FACE + RAZORBLADE SMILE + REQUIEM)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 16:30, £10

Hardcore legends with a message that resonates. LARKINS

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8

Classic indie rock’n’roll from Manchester. THE MONOCHROME SET

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £13

The Monochrome Set were heavily influential in the post punk scene and feature original members Bid, Andy Warren, Steve Brummell and John Paul Moran. THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

Shadowy ne’er do wells’ hailing from London, led by Norwegian born songwriter and frontman PaulRonney Angel. WALL SUN SUN (HAIRBAND)

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:00, TBC

Wall Sun Sun is a ten person musical project inspired by Pacific vocal music, African Highlife guitar and a sunny disposition. ERIC CHENAUX (SIGNY JAKOBSDOTIR)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

Adventurous guitarist, singer and composer based in Paris.

Sun 15 Apr GG JAZZ DUO

ORAN MOR, FROM 17:00, FREE

Sunday Jazz in the main bar with saxophonist Gordon Dickson and guitarist Graham Mackintosh. BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends. ISAAC GRACIE

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.20

Since touring with Michael Kiwanuka, Isaac Gracie’s broken hearts with his soulful, lo-fi, scratchy love songs. Get yours broken too! SWEÆTSHOPS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £20.75

A memorial tribute to Ruaridh Crosher of SHEEP, raising funds for the release of his album Markets, recorded during his battle with cancer.

CHERRY SUEDE & STEWART MAC STATE OF THE UNION TOUR 2018

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 13:00, £5 - £10

David Bowie tribute act. WALK THE MOON

The Cincinnati lyrical indie lot come to the UK to cheer us all up with their upbeat anthems. O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £39.40

Co-headline tour from Cherry Suede and Stewart Mac.

MAJOR MINOR MUSIC CLUB (ADMIRAL FALLOW)

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

BBC MUSIC INTRODUCING PRESENTS: GLASSMASTERER (TUPPER WEREWOLF + BABY TAYLAH + NEON PRISM) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8.80

Experimental electronic producer from Edinburgh, influenced by the likes of Aphex Twin and Flying Lotus. HIIP PRIEST PRESENTS: SWAY

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Paisley four-piece.

DARK WEBS (WASTED YEAR’S + THE BAR KEYS + MOONSOUP)

13TH NOTE, FROM 19:30, £5

Woolly Hat Promotions host an eclectic evening of live music, from heavy rock to easy listening. THE METEORS

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £16

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

THE COLOUR OF WHISKY (TENEMENT & TEMPLE) THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £7

The Colour of Whisky and Tenement & Temple present an evening of song and good cheer, in a melancholy alt-folk/country crossover kind of way.

Listings

Fri 20 Apr STEVIE NIMMO TRIO

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £13.50

One-half of the Nimmo Brothers, Stevie Nimmo – a longstanding figure in the blues and roots world plays with his own live band trio. ERNEST

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £11.25

Talented bunch of players taking in everything from 60s soul to country-folk covers, also dipping into their own back catalogue for the occasion. THE STREETS

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £71.50 - £147.50

Dry Your Eyes because Mike Skinner and co are returning to the stage for the first time in seven years. ITZIARREN SEMEAK (THE GLUTEN FREAKS + ESPERANZA)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £5

HINDS SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £14.50

Since bursting onto the Madrid DIY scene, Hinds – Ana Perrote, Carlotta Cosials, Ade Martin and Amber Grimbergen – have mastered a raw and playful sound all their own. PILLOW QUEENS

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

While taking influence from US DIY indie and punk scenes, Pillow Queens stay true to their Irish heritage, using Dublin colloquialisms in their lyrics and singing in thick Irish accents. NO PLACE TO FALL

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 13:00, FREE

Wed 18 Apr

PHIL VASSAR (GARY QUINN)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £20.25

Phil Vassar’s live shows are never the same but always full of energy, purely built by fan requests. SLACK #4 PRESENTS: DANCEHALL + GIFT HORSE

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

One of the finest new alt-rock bands play Scotland for the first time with support from Gift Horse. NOT3S

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £13.20

Afro bashment from a rising London star. JUST JACK

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Bloc’s very own mini-orchestra comprised of professionals, amateurs and general music lovers, brought together to make music. THE WHITE BUFFALO (ALICE DRINKS THE KOOL-AID)

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £19.10

The White Buffalo, aka Jake Smith, is a Californian artist whose discography boasts serious songwriting prowess. Expressive vocals, distinctively woven instruments and epic tracks. JERRY HARMON (STEVE YOUNG + CONNOR ADAMS + BOBBY DEANS + BEX CURRIE)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8.80

Authentic Grand Master Appalachian Mountain storyteller and Grammynominated singer, songwriter and guitarist. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

DECLAN HEGARTY

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

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £18

Award-winning hip-hop artist and younger brother of rapper Ms. Dynamite, currently carving out his own path with his rap, rock and electro influences. PODCART & GOLDMOLD PRESENT: FONTAINES D.C. + SHREDD

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

FLAT SIX

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Florida’s finest bring the mayhem. LITTLE HOURS (LOU STONE)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £12.10

Singer-songwriter from Donegal going solo since the departure of former bandmate Ryan McCloskey. PURE AND HEAVY (PARSANOL + A BAD MAN + PHANTOM CHIPS + DJ SWIPE RIGHT)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

A selection of live music and DJs. BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £15

JAMES KIRBY

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £12.50

Acoustic singer-songwriter James Kirby stops in on his UK tour. SAYTR PLAY (0141 + VEMODALEN + ACTING STRANGE )

Four-piece alternative rock band hailing from Perth for fans of QOTSA, Weezer and Biffy Clyro.

Exciting, energetic rock'n'roll.

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:00, £15

Australian Music Prize-nominated composer Luke Howard has been described as “absolutely heavenly” and his music as “an ambient masterclass.”

DAMNABLY PRESENTS: OTOBOKE BEAVER 2018 TOUR (SAY SUE ME + LEGGY)

Punk-rock/garage quartet from Kyoto, Japan. THE HOMESICK

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7.50

Pop trio from Dokkum in the north of the Netherlands.

Listings

Secular progressive thrash band from Canada. HAWKLORDS

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £15

LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM (KIOKO)

KIOKO’s Love Music Hate Racism tour lands in Glasgow.

LUCY DACUS (JAMIE CRUICKSHANK)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Richmond-based singersongwriter.

Sat 21 Apr DIRTY HARRY

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £14

A definitive homage to punk and new wave’s best, Blondie. THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £14.65

The AC/DC Experience deliver the legendary sound, spirit and attitude of one of the world’s greatest rock bands. NEON HURRICANE

The angsty country chap plays a set of his twisted Americana soundscapes.

TRIVIUM (VENOM PRISON + POWER TRIP + CODE ORANGE)

ARCADE FIRE (PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND)

Tue 17 Apr

ST LUKE’S, FROM 18:00, £17.50

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £27.50

SALAD (SCUNNER)

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £62.45

PROPAGANDHI

Four-piece alternative rock band from all corners of Glasgow.

UK-based indie pop band formed in London, England in 1992 by Marijne van der Vlugt, Paul Kennedy, Pete Brown and Rob Wakeman.

Canadian art rock unit.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Live music at Sleazys.

An epic collaboration brings two of the most exciting new bands to Bloc. The buzz around this show has reached monumental proportions.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

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

AIR | SEA (BLACK KING COBRA)

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 20:00, £8

Mon 16 Apr

BLOCHESTRA REHEARSAL

Ex-Kaiser Chief ditching Ricky Wilson and co for his moment in the spotlight.

Thu 19 Apr ORAN MOR, FROM 21:00, FREE

The White Buffalo, aka Jake Smith, is a Californian artist whose discography boasts serious songwriting prowess. Expressive vocals, distinctively woven instruments and epic tracks.

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11

Psychedelic legends returning for another hallucinogenic evening.

Just Jack is back to put more stars in your eyes.

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £16.50

NICK J.D. HODGSON (SAM JOHNSON + CHRIS GREIG + DAVID CURRIE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £12

A free afternoon of performances, collaboration, art and conversation every Sunday afternoon in The Hug and Pint, hosted by Phillip Taylor (PAWS) and friends. THE WHITE BUFFALO

Brass-driven ska, punk and reggae party band from the Basque Country.

AUDIO, FROM 19:30, £7

LUKE HOWARD

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £12

URVANOVIC (MITCHELL MUSEUM + MAYOR STUBBS)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

Pronounced ‘er-van-o-vitch’, the pop-styled seven-piece pitch up for their usual variety bucket of strings, synths, vocals, percussion and other noises.

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £8

GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS (JARROD DICKENSON)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £19.25

FREAKENDER X MONO: BABY SHAKES

MONO, FROM 21:00, FREE

Freakender and Mono present a Record Store Day after party with New York rock’n’roll punk band Baby Shakes and Djs til late. LAST GREAT DREAMERS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

UK Glam-tinged power pop rockers. 100 FABLES (THE REASON + REBEKAH KIRK) BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7

Fronted by Lyndsey Liora, four-piece 100 Fables combine influences from the likes of Blondie, Altered Images and Le Tigre. THE LOW ANTHEM

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £11

The Rhode Island indie-folk quintet head our way, admired (by us, anyway) for recording one of their LPs in an abandoned pasta sauce factory. 1.5 MONTHS

THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 20:00, £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. GLASGOW GLAM BANGERS (NUTMEG CITY GROUP + MISS THE OCCUPIER + SPREAD EAGLE)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5

Glam-styled Glasgow trio made up of Paxton Andrews, Piano Reeves and Reginald Shite – all their actual birth names. Probably.

BALAAM AND THE ANGEL

GENGAHR (LOW ISLAND + INDIGO HUSK)

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £16

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £14.30

The Scottish rock band play the singles from 1984-1988 and more.

SONGS OF PROTEST AND HOPE (KATHRYN JOSEPH + BIFF SMITH AND FRIENDS + VINNIE BLACKWELL WITH MARCO REA + EMILY SCOTT AND FRIENDS) THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £7

An evening gig, part of Glasgow’s first ever bread festival Crossmyloof Bread Festival. THE VAMPS (JACOB SARTORIUS + NEW HOPE CLUB + HRVY)

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £14.20 - £67.55

Acoustic-driven British pop unit led by singer Brad Simpson. THE SEA ATLAS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

Atmospheric folk rock from the Isle of Lewis drawing influence from the Hebridean winter surroundings.

Sun 22 Apr WILL HEARD

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £15.75

Singer-songwriter and Cara Delevingne’s pal showcases new material. OF MICE & MEN

Gengahr are a hypnotic North London quartet specialising in smooth melodic indie-rock. 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. FAKEAR

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10

Young French producer and genreblender who takes his inspo from world music. NADA SURF

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £12

Brooklyn trio big on the melody, with Matthew Caws’ vocals soaring over gentle backing.

CHRISSY BARNACLE (DANA GAVANSKI + MOLLY LINEN)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

The eccentric, comedic and poignant Chrissy Barnacle headlines a Song, by Toad night in Glasgow.

Tue 24 Apr PETER HAMMILL

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £22.45

Prolific songwriter, singer and cofounder of Van Der Graaf Generator.

BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £11.25

American metalcore band from Orange County, California. BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

THE YAWPERS

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends.

Three-piece rock'n'roll band from Denver, Colorado, whose name is derived from a Walt Whitman poem.

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £19.80

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £24.70

MALLORY KNOX (DEAD! + JUDAS)

Pop-meets-rock quintet named after Juliette Lewis’ psychopathic character in Natural Born Killers, in case you were wondering. NO ONE KNOWS RECORDS & DAMNIT PRESENTS: THE COPYRIGHTS (THE BENNIES + THE MURDERBURGERS + APOLOGIES, I HAVE NONE + VETO )

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 17:00, TBC

Pop punk band from Carbondale, Illinois. COASTS

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £17

Pop hooks, rocky riffs and big choruses from a five-piece who released a new album in August last year entitled This Life. OUGHT

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £13

Think The Fall but with more Canadian accents and less band memberreplacing. Ought are captivating and ridiculous and life-affirming and tiring as hell. Do not miss this show. LUKE DANIELS

ST LUKE’S, FROM 16:00, TBC

SKINDRED (CKY + DANKO JONES)

Longstanding Welsh rockers mixing heavy metal, alternative rock, punk rock and reggae into their mash-up mix. GENDER ROLES (PILLOW TALK)

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Bombastic Brighton trio Gender Roles hit hard with their scuzzfuelled, punk, emo gargantuan sounds.

JOHN MCLEAN (SASHA KALOHERIS + KERR JAMES + KELSEY JONES + ZOE MARTIN)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, £8

John McLean headlines his first Glasgow show. ICON FOR HIRE (RIOT CHILD)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £11

Anthemic, guitar-based rock band from Illinois fronted by pink-haired vocalist Ariel Bloomer. FROG POCKET

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

The recording name of Scottish musician John Charles Wilson.

NORTHERN HORIZON (NORTHSHORE + SPOKE TOO SOON)

MANIC STREET PREACHERS (THE CORAL) THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £40.90 - £53.20

The veteran Welsh art-punk trio who just won’t let it die.

ANGUS MUNRO (JERRY LEGER & THE SITUATION + KAZE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7.50

Piano singer/songwriter blessed with a mesmerising four octave vocal range.

Thu 26 Apr 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.

STRETCHED PRESENTS EWAN LAING + MARTIN FELL

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

The secret meeting place of contemporary jazz-enthused savants.

TTNG (ADAM BETTS + VASA + ADULT FUN)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £12

Oxford’s math rock heroes TTNG return to Glasgow as part of the upcoming European tour. THE ACADEMIC (ZUZU)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Big night of doom at Sleazys. DEATH BY STEREO

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £12

The Californian hardcore punk band celebrate their 20th anniversary. RYAN DRIVER (SING LEAF)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £9

Inspired by the more adventurous figures of jazz and other musical genres, Driver’s sound is unconventional and profound. QUIET AS A MOUSE

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

Edinburgh based band Quiet as a Mouse formed in 2012, and their live reputation has quickly grown, having supported Hinds, The Orwells, Palma Violets, Coasts and The Crookes.

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8.80

NO PLACE TO FALL

COLUMBIA MILLS (THE OTHER TWO SIDES + DOLOS + PORT OF ESSEN)

Noel Gallagher and his new band of warriors hit the road.

Named after a building based on Dublin’s Quays, the Irish five-piece play ‘indietronica’.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

FLING

THE ANIMAL MOTHERS

Bradford’s Fling provide the previously unsearched-for missing link between T-Rex and the Fat White Family, forging together glam rock, punk and psych with a solid sense of Northern irony and an ever-present aura of late night haziness.

Punk surf rock with a dash of garage rock from Glasgow.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

Wed 25 Apr

Mon 23 Apr

Jonathon Ng, known professionally as EDEN, is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer from Dublin.

New supergroup from members of Editors, Frightened Rabbit and Minor Victories.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 13:00, FREE

A free afternoon of performances, collaboration, art and conversation every Sunday afternoon in The Hug and Pint, hosted by Phillip Taylor (PAWS) and friends.

LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW: ZOE BESTEL – LIVE ALBUM LAUNCH (ANNIE BOOTH)

Zoe Bestel takes you on a journey through her new album released by LNFG. CALLAGHAN (JESS TERRY)

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £13

Originally from Lincolnshire, Callaghan moved to the USA in summer 2010 to record and tour with Grammy-nominee Shawn Mullins. Since then, she’s been performing and winning fans all across the USA. THE BLAS COLLECTIVE

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Celtic Connections glitterati perform a night of inspiring covers, originals and classics. GBH (WHITE ROSE + MIRA K)

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, £8

Scottish hip-hop sensation makes his debut headline appearance at the Classic Grand.

EDEN

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £14.10

VORONOI (BISHOP)

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Alternative post punk fused with sultry vocals and eerie electronics, fka Zeitgeist.

TOMMY MCGUIRE (HOLLIE ROBINSON + KAT O’HARE) CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, TBC

BLEED FROM WITHIN

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £14

Glaswegian metal band led by shouty vocalist Scott Kennedy. MASTERSYSTEM

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 19:00, £15

SCOTLAND CALLING PRE-SHOW: 4 PAST MIDNIGHT

OUTSKIRTS 2018

PLATFORM, FROM 15:30, £7.50 - £10

Blurring the boundaries between theatre, music, art and film, Platform’s annual celebration of cross art form experimentation, Outskirts returns with a line-up of music, spoken word, film and visual arts. UNSHELTERED: CHAPTER AND VERSE: AN EVENING WITH WILLIAM MCCARTHY OF AUGUSTINES

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £14

Since the disbanding of Augustines in late 2016, William McCarthy stayed touring internationally and has quietly emerged as a force, writing his debut record Shelter as well as accompanying book Unsheltered. GOMEZ

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £27.50

THE LONELY SOULS

Alternative folk, Americana and blues-tinged rock from Mark Clinton’s Bellshill-based outfit.

NIRVANA ‘MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK’

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £12

Relive Nirvana’s legendary 1993 performance as Edinburgh-based singer Ewan Mackenna and a talented band pay homage to MTV Unplugged’s most famous concert.

London-based band led by the award winning Irish vocalist Lauren Kinsella and British multi-instrumentalist Chris Hyson. HATTIE BRIGGS

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

24-year-old singer-songwriter with a penchant for telling stories of emotion and impulse, of love and loss. NO PLACE TO FALL

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 13:00, FREE

A free afternoon of performances, collaboration, art and conversation every Sunday afternoon in The Hug and Pint, hosted by Phillip Taylor (PAWS) and friends. SLUG (THE CORNSHED SISTERS)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

A project of Ian Black’s, a merrily disruptive influence on the North East music scene for more than a decade.

Mon 30 Apr

MC LARS (KOO KOO KANGA ROO)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £9

MC Lars is the answer to the widespread problem of having too few Edgar Allen Poe references in hip-hop, making indie hip-hop with literary inspired lyrics. 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. JUSTIN NOZUKA (FERRIS & SYLVESTER)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.75

American folk singer-songwriter of Canadian and Japanese descent, who has also tried his hand at a bit of acting. 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. WHITE HILLS (GNOD)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £13.50

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Gypsyfingers return with their unique blend of ethereal folk-rock.

Fuzzed out psych rockers Dave W. and Ego Sensation make risky and cutting edge music, rooted in dystopian futurism.

Sun 29 Apr

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £12.50

GYPSYFINGERS

GG JAZZ DUO

ORAN MOR, FROM 17:00, FREE

Sunday Jazz in the main bar with saxophonist Gordon Dickson and guitarist Graham Mackintosh. BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends. NATALIE PRASS

MONO, FROM 19:30, £13

METZ

The Toronto-based grunge trio bring the energy and volume as only they know how.

OMNIUM GATHERUM & SKÁLMÖLD (STAM1NA) AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £18

Co-headline tour from Finnish melodic death group Omnium Gatherum and Icelandic Viking folk metal band Skálmöld. TEARS FOR FEARS (ALISON MOYET)

The Nashville-based singer/songwriter returns to the UK with a new album of songs to play.

The 80s electronic duo are back to win you over all over again.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7.50

NOTW PRESENTS

North of the Wall Festival showcase. YO LA TENGO

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £25

The Hoboken trio return on fine form, moving nicely from pure doo-wop to fuzzed-up alternative pop gems.

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £51.10 - £62.45

KATIE VON SCHLEICHER (FISKUR)

Brooklyn-based singer who is proof that interning can pay off, signing to Ba Da Bing Records after completing an internship there.

BRAINGLUE

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, TBC

Fuzz and reverb-infused garagerock.

FREYA RIDINGS

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

23-year-old singer-songwriter from London. THE LAKE POETS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

Sat 28 Apr RAINTOWN

Psych-pop from Bristol.

Multi award-winning Scottish duo.

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £13.50

Hard-styled one-day festival featuring a headline set from Buzzcocks, amongst a whole host o’ others.

She Past Away is dark-wave with a reworked 80s sound.

Alt indie rock five-piece.

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 20:00, £6

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £6

The musical alias of Martin Longstaff, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Sunderland.

SHE PAST AWAY (SELOFAN + SOFT RIOT)

NEONWAVES

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

SNOWPOET: THOUGHT YOU KNEW 2018 TOUR

Longstanding Glasgow punk outfit playing a pre-show for Scotland Calling 2018.

Tommy McGuire headlines the Classic Grand fresh from his impromptu country to country appearance.

COUSIN KULA (MACHINES IN HEAVEN + THINGS THAT AREN’T THERE + DTTØ)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

The Irish and Manc five-piece stir up a lil folky goodness.

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £8

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £39.75 - £79.45

KATEE KROSS & THE AMBERJAX (REDWOOD RIDGE)

NOTW: PRIMITIVE MAN (BISMUTH + OMMADON)

Band of four chucking out indie rock intelligence.

Fri 27 Apr

Award-winning singer-songwriter from Aghagallon in County Antrim, Ireland, with a knack for poetic heart-stopping lyrics.

TRINITY TAYLOR

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 17:00, £12.50 - £25

Trinity ‘the tuck’ Taylor is coming to slay.

Gomez celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their Mercury Prize winning debut album Bring It On.

13TH NOTE, FROM 19:30, £5

CIARAN LAVERY

Plan B (aka Ben Drew) is known for sharing the raw and brutal realities of his own existence through music, and making the odd film here and there.

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £9.90

Singer and multi-instrumentalist coming from a background of folk and traditional music.

Four-piece pop punk band from Newcastle.

PLAN B O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £34.25

SCOTLAND CALLING 2018

O2 ABC, FROM 12:00, £34.25

THE SKINNY

Edinburgh Music Tue 03 Apr

HOME$LICE (CLOSE READING + SNACK VILLAIN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

Glasgow’s latest hype band show Edinburgh what all the noise is about.

TREMBLING BELLS

Ever-adored five piece lineup, fronted by the entrancing Lavinia Blackwall. KEEP DANCING INC

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Parisian indie pop trio.

Wed 04 Apr THE FALLEN STATE

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

Going from strength to strength, the UK rockers play their only Scottish date in Edinburgh. EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

MILK & BENDELACREME

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £25 - £45

The two RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 contestants come to Scotland with SLAY!

Singer, performer and multi-instrumentalist from Lisbon, based in Porto.

USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £28.60 - £31.35

A 23-piece drum crew with a sound like unleashed thunder.

HELLBOUND HEARTS (GIN & SONIC)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £6

A cracking dark pop/rock outfit. TOKIO MYERS

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £23.50

Tokio Myers is a multi-instrumental artist and composer fusing classical piano with electronic sounds and beats, creating an immersive and compelling show. WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

Alt rock, electro, punk and possibly some poetry. SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, TBC

Female-led alt rock trio of central belters, with bright chords and an experimental rhythm section. MY ELECTRIC LOVER AFFAIR (RODNEY RELAX + D. COURTNEY) THE SAFARI LOUNGE, FROM 20:00, FREE

An evening of temperamental guitar music.

Sun 08 Apr

CECIL ALLEN MOORE (PEEWEE)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £12 - £15

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £6

UK 82 hardcore punk legends.

YOUNG MONARCH

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £7

Drawn from the sunny shores of Jersey, Gibraltar and small towns across the UK, six young people with a passion for music and songwriting congregated in Manchester. WORK (SUPER INUIT + CYNTHIA’S PERISCOPE)

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

A new electro pop punk project from Xian and Michael Zamora, half of the Bay Area based psych punk band bAd bAd. LEITH LIFE CENTRE FUNDRAISER

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 13:00, TBC

Founded by Josie O’Neill, the Leith Life Centre is being launched to support children and families in Edinburgh to access creative arts and holistic wellbeing services.

Fri 06 Apr

MAID OF ACE (BRATAKUS + CRITIKILL + THE DREGGS + DUNT)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:00, £7 - £9

Down and dirty street punk. BEATS ON BOOK

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:00, £4 - £6

Jazz, funk and words from the finest talents in the country. Refuse to dance or refuse to stop dancing. NEARLY DAN

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, FREE

The spirit and sound of Steely Dan. JETHRO TULL

USHER HALL, FROM 19:30, £34.50 - £42

Ian Anderson and the Tull band celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the formation of one of the world’s most successful and enduring progressive rock bands. LITTLE MAMMOTHS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

Little Mammoths are a Londonbased rock’n’roll Bar Band formed in 2014, that continue charging down the vein of Drive-by Truckers, The Hold Steady and Wilco. 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. JEREMY LOOPS

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £17

Jeremy Loops is an award-winning musician from Cape Town, who has achieved cult live act status in his hometown and a chart-topping album across South Africa.

April 2018

Former session and backup singer and guitarist for nearly 40 artists, who has built a reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter.

Sat 07 Apr

Thu 05 Apr

Cracking double bill of doom/ psychedelic rock.

COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS

SUMMERHALL, FROM 19:30, £20

A night of great music held in the Traverse Theatre Bar to raise funds for humanitarian aid and rescue work in Syria. All proceeds will be split between the Syria Project and the British Red Cross.

American Outlaw Country star.

CYBERNETIC WITCH CULT (MORASS OF MOLASSES)

Glass Caves are “a word of mouth phenomenon” four-piece with lots of hair.

USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £44 - £49.50

THE VIOLET KIND (GENTLEMEN JACKALS)

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

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

SYRIA BENEFIT GIG (EAGLEOWL + GORDON MCINTYRE + THE JUST JOANS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, TBC

OPEN MIC

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 20:00, £22

An unforgettable evening celebrating musical icon Bob Marley in one fantastic stage show extravaganza.

GLASS CAVES (LOST IN VANCOUVER + 100 FABLES)

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

LAND OF CAKES (FOREVER ALIEN + KURTZ)

The all Electronic Music Open Mic & Forum comes to Edinburgh as part of the UK wide tour. Host Martin Christie lets us discover the sounds of electronic Scotland.

LEGEND – THE MUSIC OF BOB MARLEY

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Weekly club that showcases the wide international world of folk and related music. ELECTRONIC OPEN MIC & FORUM

EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

Sat 14 Apr

DISCHARGE (SOCIAL INSECURITY + SUBVISION)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:00, £12.50

CAMBELL’S WILD (EQUALISER + KILGRVSTON)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Cambell’s Wild play Sneaky Pete’s with Equaliser and KilgrVston. SUNDAY SESSIONS: ERIN BENNETT

VOXBOX, FROM 16:00, FREE

Post Sexy, Post Truth album tour. BETA WAVES (TRAAPS + MAD GERALD)

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 17:00, £5

Ambient electronic duo from Dundee.

Mon 09 Apr CHRYSTA BELL

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £20

Talented songstress/model who started her career in Texas as the lead vocalist for 8 1/2 Souvenirs, and went on to collaborate with David Lynch. SOUNDS OF SIRENS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

The Exeter-based country duo combine a natural facility for connecting with their audiences and unforgettable performances. THE WASHBOARD RESONATORS

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Duo playing foot-stomping blues, vaudeville, ragtime, hokum, skife, swing and folk like it was in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

Tue 10 Apr NERINA PALLOT

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £18.50

After starting out as a singersongwriter, who traversed the lands of piano ballads and big-time grooves, Pallot entered new territory with her fifth album and continues to do so. GOAT GIRL (SUITMAN JUNGLE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

Rough Trade-signed female four-piece boasting guttural guitar sounds. MANISH PINGLE (EARTH WIRE)

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 20:00, TBC

Indian slide guitar maestro.

Wed 11 Apr

SECRET HEADLINER (VENREZ + JIRO + KILLA) BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £8 - £12

Four band rock show with an amazing mystery headliner (hint: they’re from the US). LISA STANSFIELD

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £27.50 - £37.50

Lisa Stansfield’s unmistakable voice has been a constant presence on the dance floor and airwaves ever since 1989.

BASTILLE REORCHESTRATED

Indie pop four-piece Bastille head out on an exclusive tour, performing in intimate venues and concert halls with a string and brass section and choir, showcasing reworkings of their hits.

CARLA J. EASTON (WEST PRINCES + BITE) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £11

Carla J. Easton and her band return to play new songs from her forthcoming second solo album. OPEN MIC

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

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

DR VZX MOIST (HORSE WHISPER + BANYA) LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Fast and bulbous rock band.

Thu 12 Apr THE ROCKET DOLLS

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £6 - £8

Kick ass rock’n’roll band make their Bannermans debut. ROY ORBISON - IN DREAMS - THE HOLOGRAM UK TOUR

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £45.15 - £55.15

Yes, someone has made a Roy Orbison hologram and decided to take it out on tour. Welcome to the modern world. UNDERGROUND LIVE

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

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

MADONNATRON (CHIUPA CABRA + LOCAL) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

London-based four-piece playing self-proclaimed ‘psychedelic witch prog’.

REFUGEE BENEFIT GIG #19 (ANDY GUNN + HELEN MCCOOKERYBOOK + THE COUNTESS OF FIFE + THE PITIFUL FEW) LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5 - £8

A selection of musical acts perform at this benefit gig.

Fri 13 Apr

PONTUS SNIBB’S WRECK OF BLUES

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £13

Bonafide frontman trades in the rock for a bit of good old fashioned blues. ERIC CHENAUX + CHEER

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:30, £7.50

A true post-modern troubadour, Eric Chenaux and Glasgow-based solo artist Alec Cheer.

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 18:00, £12

PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING (JANE WEAVER)

The corduroy-clad brainchild of London-based J. Willgoose, Esq.

Premier Style Council tribute act tour the Our Favourite Shop album. STONE SOUP

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Jolly mix up of music, spoken word, crowdsourced creations, good cheer and beer.

Sun 15 Apr THE MONOCHROME SET

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £13

The Monochrome Set were heavily influential in the post punk scene and feature original members Bid, Andy Warren, Steve Brummell and John Paul Moran. ADAM SUTHERLAND BAND

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

Talented Scottish fiddle player, composers and teacher who has in his time been a part of The Treacherous Orchestra, Session A9 and more is joined by his six-piece band. BARON SALMON

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:00, TBC

Scottish singer-songwriter from East Lothian.

THE TURBANS + THE LANGAN BAND

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £10

A night of high energy folk music and wild dancing awaits you. Two of the mightiest bands on the festival circuit are coming to town. ISAAC GRACIE

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £12

Radio 1-friendly Torch-song troubadour Isaac Gracie comes to Edinburgh on his UK tour. KROW

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Alternative/dark electronica.

Gypsyfingers return with their unique blend of ethereal folk-rock.

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:30, TBC

BARENAKED LADIES

The longstanding Canadian rock quartet take to the road, allowing audiences nationwide to once again try and keep speed with the verse of One Week.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: PHIL ‘SWILL’ ODGERS WITH BOBBY VALENTINO

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £14

Only Scottish solo gig for The Men They Couldn’t Hang singersongwriter and Bobby Valentino, renegade violinist supreme. THE SEA ATLAS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Atmospheric folk rock from the Isle of Lewis drawing influence from the Hebridean winter surroundings.

NORTHERN STREAMS 2018 – FRIDAY EVENING CONCERT (FIKA COLLECTIVE + V-DALA SPELMANSLAG)

THE GRASSMARKET CENTRE, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

In its 15th year, the Northern Streams Festival continues to bring award-winning and emerging Nordic and Scottish artists to Edinburgh. MOUSES (SULKA)

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 18:30, £40.15 - £170.15

Sat 21 Apr

The eyebrow-twitching, high-note hitting Take That member embarks on a solo UK tour. CONNLA

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

Ireland’s Connla arrive in Edinburgh riding a wave of acclaim. BRYDE (TOM JOSHUA)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

Pembrokeshire-born, Londonbased Bryde, aka Sarah Howells, is a girl with an electric guitar playing fierce and fragile songs. GARY BARLOW

The eyebrow-twitching, high-note hitting Take That member embarks on a solo UK tour.

FAT GOTH FAREWELL SHOW (FATALISTS + BRITNEY)

SONIC JESUS (BLACK DOLDRUMS)

Sun 22 Apr

Billingham lo-fi punk-rock outfit.

GARY BARLOW

EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

Weekly club that showcases the wide international world of folk and related music. SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

Catch the final dying groans of this beloved Obesemoth with two equally gnarly class acts. OPEN MIC

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

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

Thu 19 Apr

BLACK ACES + DERANGE

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

Two killer outfits team up for an exclusive joint show. BRYAN FERRY

USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £38.50 - £82.50

Ex-Roxy Music frontman on a UK tour. UNDERGROUND LIVE

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

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

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

THE POLIS

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, TBC

SUGARSPUN (MONSTERS ON MOVIE POSTERS + MOTION)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:00, £6

DEATH ENGINE (WREN + HARR + SAPIEN)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £7 - £8

WAYWARD SONS

After some incredible success, a number one album and millions of records sold, Toby Jepson is back with his new band.

Mon 23 Apr

WONK UNIT (RAGING NATHANS + KIMBERLY STEAKS + AREIL SALAD)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

Punk rock at its finest. CIARAN LAVERY

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £8

Award-winning singer-songwriter from Aghagallon in County Antrim, Ireland, with a knack for poetic heart-stopping lyrics.

NIKKI LAMONT - SINGLE LAUNCH (MOOJI + DAWID + THEO LE DERF) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Edinburgh’s girl Nikki Lamont is back and taking Sneaky Pete’s with her new single What I Would Do and she’ll also be debuting her new band lineup.

CHRIS HOLMES MEAN MAN

BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, £15 - £18

EDINBURGH FOLK CLUB

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

FRANK TURNER

The former Million Dead singer turned folk troubadour does his thing – full of his usual rockabilly charm.

THIS FEELING + METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENT TRAMPOLENE (HIMALAYAS + SOPHIE & THE GIANTS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

Seemingly a protégé of NME and The Libertines alike, Trampolene had a bit of a batshit year warming up the stage for Pete Doherty himself on a tour of the UK. GIRLS TO THE FRONT

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, FROM 19:00, £7

Scottish non-profit DIY feminist festival in its third year running.

RECORD STORE DAY AT VOXBOX (BOOK GROUP + SUPER INUIT + CARLA J EASTON + DANA GAVANSKI)

VOXBOX, FROM 11:00, FREE

VoxBox hosts its annual RSD party, with more bands to be announced.

SLEEPLESS GIANTS + NOVEMBER LIGHTS + BELLAROSE

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £8

Alternative rock and pop sensibilities with soaring, epic indie moments. QUIET AS A MOUSE (SPLOCO + TRAMPLED DAISY)

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5

OPEN MIC

TEVIOT, FROM 20:00, FREE

Thu 26 Apr

WEAPON UK (BLUE NATION)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

NWOBHM legends make a welcome return. SHERIDAN SMITH

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £27.90 - £62.65

BAFTA and Olivier awardwinning performer Sheridan Smith embarks on her debut UK tour, following the release of her brand new self-titled album, Sheridan. JAH WOBBLE & THE INVADERS OF THE HEART (LIVE)

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £16

Original UK post-punk legend John Wardle, aka Jah Wobble, is among the most unique acts ever to have graced the Bongo’s stage. UNDERGROUND LIVE

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 21:00, FREE

The Highland fiddle player dips into his Strathglass Trilogy of tunes, backed by violin, piano and cello.

LOGAN’S CLOSE (AYAKARA + SHREDD)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £5 - £7

Cheeky chappies Logan’s Close from Edinburgh, for fans of indie, 60s rock and rhythm and blues. THE CLONE ROSES VS OACES

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £16.50

The ultimate Madchester tribute act stand-off. THIS FEELING - EDINBURGH W/ AVALANCHE PARTY

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

Garage-punk act Avalanche Party have been frequently tipped as the most exciting live band in the UK right now. HALF FORMED THINGS + I AM PLUTO

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £8

SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £14

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:00, £6 - £7

Post hardcore from London.

Fri 06 Apr

BETA WAVES (TRAPPS + THE MEDINAS + THE ROQUES) BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 19:00, £5

Ambient electronic duo from Dundee.

REAL LIFE ENTERTAINMENT (BRAINGLUE + WALT DISCO + THE RANKINES) CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 20:00, £3 - £5

Real Life Entertainment roll in with their psych punk sound.

Sat 07 Apr GERRY CINNAMON

FAT SAM’S, FROM 19:00, TBC

Glasgow singer who sings in his own accent. Oh, the talent. THE BAD KIND (INERTIA + VFLAMBDA)

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 19:30, £6

A local show for Dundonian DIY altrock four-piece The Bad Kind.

Sun 08 Apr

EL MORGAN & THE DIVERS (DELINQUENTS + LOU MCLEAN) CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 14:00, £4 - £5

A matinee show from the Americana-fuelled punk rockers.

DUDE TRIPS & HOWLETT (AFTER PARTY + MARA) CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:00, £5

THE CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS BACK IN BLACK TOUR

CAIRD HALL, FROM 19:30, £10 - £26

All your favourite Blues Brothers classics and some, as the touring show continues its reign.

LEGEND – THE MUSIC OF BOB MARLEY

WHITEHALL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £22 - £23

An unforgettable evening celebrating musical icon Bob Marley in one fantastic stage show extravaganza.

Sat 14 Apr

SONIC JESUS (BLACK DOLDRUMS)

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:00, £8

One of psych’s best kept secrets, Sonic Jesus will stir up some trouble.

Sun 15 Apr

COLONEL MUSTARD & THE DIJON 5

There’s some David Sylvian, Kate Bush, Tindersticks and Nick Cave evident in Half Formed Things’ sound, with soaring vocals, offkilter melodies, relentless drums, sublime piano, driving guitars.

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:30, £10

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £18

Mon 16 Apr

JOSH ROUSE (FIELD DIVISION)

In 2003, acclaimed singer-songwriter Josh Rouse went back to the 70s with 1972. Now, Rouse is bringing his troubadour sounds to the 80s with his latest album and tour.

Sun 29 Apr

ROMI’S CONCERT FOR RETT

THE CAVES, FROM 19:00, £5

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

Having recently celebrated their 10th anniversary, Edinburgh’s Broken Records return in 2018 with the release of their fourth studio album entitled What We Might Know.

GROUP OF MAN (DEFACER + BED OF WASPS + CULTMASTER)

Thu 12 Apr

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

NEHH PRESENTS… BROKEN RECORDS

The two RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 contestants come to Scotland with SLAY!

DUNCAN CHISHOLM: THE GATHERING

LA VILLA STRANGIATO

A night of top class vintage rock and roll in aid of Reverse Rett.

The musical alias of Martin Longstaff, a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Sunderland.

MILK & BENDELACREME

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £25 - £45

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £8 - £10

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

North Carolina trio playing Americana tunes.

Co-headline show from Aberdeen pop punk/emo four-piece Dude Trips and local Dundee boys Howlett.

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £18 - £45

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £20

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £32.45

SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £14

A Hawk and A Hacksaw return with new record Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese medical term Shinrin-Yoku and the Valle De Oro National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.

Wed 25 Apr

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

Indie folk rock hard-knock from Denver, Colorado, touring with his band of spirited musicians.

NEHH PRESENTS… A HAWK AND A HACKSAW

The spirit of Rush (Rush tribute).

A stunning celebration of one the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS

Sam has lent his crystalline voice to artists as diverse as Basement Jaxx and Lucy Rose. Now, he returns to give some of his new material its first full-band outing.

Piano singer/songwriter blessed with a mesmerising four octave vocal range.

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10

USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £27.50

SAM BROOKES

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

Sat 28 Apr

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £22.50

Edinburgh Blues Club is a Social Enterprise established to harness popular support for a regular blues event in Edinburgh to ensure that the city and surrounding areas do not miss out on quality touring blues acts.

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 18:30, £27.50

Polish rockers on a European and UK tour.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Legendary W.A.S.P. guitarist is back for another storming set of classics and solo material.

EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB (IAN SIEGAL BAND + DAWN BROTHERS + REECE HILLIS)

ØRGANEK

Tue 24 Apr

Post metal/alt rockers kick off their world tour in Edinburgh on their only Scottish date. FAITH – THE GEORGE MICHAEL LEGACY

GYPSYFINGERS

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10

Edinburgh based band Quiet as a Mouse formed in 2012, and their live reputation has quickly grown, having supported Hinds, The Orwells, Palma Violets, Coasts and The Crookes.

ANGUS MUNRO (KAZE + NORTHERN CENTRAL)

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:45, £10

Fri 20 Apr

Mon 16 Apr

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

Thu 05 Apr

KARMAMOI

Fantastic tribute to the music of The Police.

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £10

Wed 18 Apr

One of psych’s best kept secrets, Sonic Jesus will stir up some trouble.

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:15, £8

Fri 27 Apr

ERRANT MEDIA

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £30

THE STYLE COUNCILLORS

Shadowy ne’er do wells’ hailing from London, led by Norwegian born songwriter and frontman PaulRonney Angel.

The Farting Suffragettes (yes, you read that right) throw a massive pro-choice celebration to support their Irish sistas as they fight for safe, legal and free abortion.

Dundee Music

In its 15th year, the Northern Streams Festival continues to bring award-winning and emerging Nordic and Scottish artists to Edinburgh.

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £10

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 18:30, £40.15 - £170.15

ROCK THE BOAT! REPEAL8TH FUNDRAISER

Karmamoi came into being in 2008, out of the needs of Daniele Giovannoni and Serena Ciacci to give life to a musical project that could express their personalities and their concept of music.

An all-star line-up of indie pop.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £16.50 - £42

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £16

THE GRASSMARKET CENTRE, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

NORTHERN STREAMS 2018 – SUNDAY EVENING CONCERT

The latest in the series of bimonthly nights put on by Leith indie Errant Media in Leith Depot.

OI POLLOI, AOA, HAPPY SPASTICS, SOCIAL INSECURITY AND FRENETIX

WOODY PINES

Monthly folk night and open session.

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 21:00, TBC

DRUM CLUB

Mon 30 Apr

Her’s strike an immediate blow with a brilliantly sludgy take on tropical pop.

A show in memory of two people who sadly passed away earlier this year, Doc and Bod.

Tue 17 Apr

THE URBAN VOODOO MACHINE

FOLK NIGHT LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC

After heavy praise from BBC radio plus a headline UK tour within 6 months of forming, Sugarspun are set to release their debut single Spaceman Dreams in April 2018.

MELODY MAKERS (DROPKICK + ATTIC LIGHTS + THE WELLGREEN + STAR TRIP)

DECLAN O’ROURKE (RORY BUTLER AND MARK HEAVENOR)

Highly successful Irish singer whose soulful music is rooted in folk and trad.

RITA BRAGA

HER’S THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £8

THE FRETLESS

Juno award-winning Canadian super group seen by many as one of the most powerfully charged forces on the roots music circuit.

SONGS OF THE ROMA (SIMON THACKER + JUSTYNA JABLONSKA + MASHA NATANSON) SUMMERHALL, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

A new Romani musical journey full of spiritual intensity, catharsis and joy.

A ginormous blend of genres, from indie to flamenco, gypsy to hip-hop, new school to North Lanarkshire ska. And probably the best fun you’ll have this month.

NOSEBLEED (FREDDY FUDD PUCKER + TIM LOUD + TRAGICAL HISTORY TOUR) CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:00, £5 - £6

Yorkshire’s wildest shit-kicking punk rock’n’rollers.

Thu 19 Apr

FAITH – THE GEORGE MICHAEL LEGACY

WHITEHALL THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £22.50

A stunning celebration of one the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. ROSIE BANS (ADRIANA SPINA & FRIENDS)

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:30, £7

A fierce Glaswegian independent artist, drawing inspiration from the songwriting skills of Imogen Heap, Amanda Palmer and Tori Amos.

Listings

Glasgow Clubs FRESH BEAT THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore.

LA CHEETAH CLUB PRESENTS… (OBJEKT + SOFAY)

RUFFNECK – 25 YEARS OF F*CK YOU

ANIMAL FARM – CLERIC

Celebrating the harder and faster side of 90s hardcore techno and gabber.

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10

GARY BARLOW

CAIRD HALL, FROM 19:00, £68.50 - £168.50

The eyebrow-twitching, high-note hitting Take That member embarks on a solo UK tour. DEFINITELY OASIS

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £10

Oasis tribute band.

Sat 21 Apr BROKEN RECORDS

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £10

Edinburgh band, who use their different musical backgrounds and a wide variety of instrumentation to compliment the eclectic sound they create. SAINT-LOUIE (RUVELLAS + THE MEDINAS)

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 19:30, £6

Lego haircuts, Burberry scarves and Harrington jackets? It must be another indie band.

Sun 22 Apr

DANCING ON TABLES (MOONLIGHT ZOO)

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £6

Thu 26 Apr

ARK ROYAL (THE MEDINAS)

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £3

Indie punk band from Dundee.

Fri 27 Apr

JAH WOBBLE & THE INVADERS OF THE HEART (LIVE)

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £18

Original UK post-punk legend John Wardle, aka Jah Wobble, is among the most unique acts ever to have graced the Bongo’s stage.

Sat 28 Apr

THE SENSATIONAL DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE BAND

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £10

Er, a David Bowie tribute act. We hear they’re sensational.

Wed 04 Apr MELTED

FRIDAY NIGHTS

BEAST

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue.

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong. WRAP-IT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage. ATTENTION PLEASE (THE MIRROR DANCE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

DO YOU EVEN DISCO?

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Italo disco and no wave. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’.

JELLY BABY (RUBBERMENSCH)

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer. FIRST DATES W/ SPOOK SCHOOL DJS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Pop-punk and nu-metal school disco vibes. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. FOUNDRY (DOMENICO CRISCI)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7

Foundry invite Domenico Crisci for a go on La Cheetah’s decks.

Fri 06 Apr FRESH! FRIDAY

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £4

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

JAMAICA SPECIAL (IRA + MM)

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £4

Sat 07 Apr ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro. LOVE MUSIC (MAGIC NOSTALGIC)

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. DAMMIT ALL TO HELL

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

The best in pop-punk, emo, indie, rock, pop and other shit. GLITTERBANG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Disco divas and Euro-pop anthems for those ready to sweat. HIP HOP KARAOKE

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Channel your inner Snoop and get your G thang on, with this karaoke party for the hip hop heads.

LETS GO BACK TO THE 80S DISCOTHEQUE

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £10

DJ’s Bosco, Rob Mason and JP have been DJ’ing since the 80s and will take you back to the sound of the dancefloors in the 1980s. SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits. CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Expect the unexpected, your 90s nostalgic dance classics, your 00s R&B and more.

Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

GHOST GIRLS

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

HARSH TUG

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

DABJ W/ MELLA DEE

Jamaica Special invite two young Glasgow DJs to explore their Jamaican-influenced collection, dancehall and related treats.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

I AM (MULLEN + BETA & KAPPA)

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £6

RP Boo, aka Kavain Space, is cited as one of the originators of Footwork.

Thu 05 Apr

#TAG TUESDAYS

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

COUNTERFLOWS: LATE NIGHT COUNTERFLOWS’ SOCIAL – RP BOO (DJ SET) (LETITIA PLEIADES + MARIAM REZAEI)

New kid on the techno block Mella Dee stops over to join in on the party for the DABJ residency.

OG Kush + hip-hop bangers with Notorious B.A.G.

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

SHED, FROM 22:30, £4 - £6

The first installment of a new selector series, hosting local and international DJs known for their excellent selections.

PROPAGANDA

Tue 03 Apr

Cleric has steadily established himself at the forefront of a certain sound – colossal, booming techno with crisp, studied production value.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Afro-disco screamers.

FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits. TRAX

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

DJ Daryl kicks off the first weekend of the month, spinning hip-hop, grunge, trap and dance tunes.

I LOVE GARAGE

Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you. ELECTRIC SALSA (BISSET + PEDER MANNERFELT)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Electric Salsa celebrate two years at La Cheetah Club with the one and only Peder Mannerfelt.

SUBCULTURE (NAUTILUS RISING + HARRI & DOMENIC) SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

Listings

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £6

Sounds of Sisso hail from the Tanzanian megalopolis of Dar Es Salaam, home to one of the most exciting underground electronic music scenes in East Africa.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

Maverick producer/DJ Objekt is joined by Sub City stalwart Sofay and Wardy in the booth.

Fri 20 Apr

COUNTERFLOWS: LATE NIGHT COUNTERFLOWS’ SOCIAL – SOUNDS OF SISSO (SARRA WILD (DJ))

AUDIO, FROM 22:00, £15 - £20

Sun 08 Apr WHITE WALLS EVENTS

UNHOLY CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. HEADSET – ROSKA (SKILLIS + CLIPPA)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7

Headset welcomes UK Funky originator and legend Roska for his Sub Club debut.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £0 - £3

Fri 13 Apr

SESH

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

House, tech and funky disco.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

JUNGLE & BREAKS (FROGBEATS + LIQUID FUNKTION)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

FRESH! FRIDAY

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. DEATHKILL 4000

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Ultra-cutting edge dark electro, hip-hop and post-punk. SHAKA LOVES YOU

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

BEAST

FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

Chicago don Rahaan joins local legend Craig Moog as he kicks off his new Elisco project. SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

MUSIC’S NOT FOR EVERYONE (ANDREW WEATHERALL)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 20:00, FREE

Deep, high quality tune selections from this esteemed DJ in a free show. A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £9

Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston’s rather ace London night comes our way.

Round three of Frogbeats’ Jungle & Breaks residency at the legendary Sub Club invite Edinburgh’s own Liquid Funktion crew through for a party not to be missed.

Hip-hop and live percussion flanked by wicked visuals.

Mon 09 Apr

All the best in hardstyle.

Tropical, Afro, disco and fun times with the holy disco party trinity.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Sun 15 Apr

BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

Tue 10 Apr OBZRV MUSIC

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

All the electronic dance. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’. #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunkeyed existence. I AM

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

Wed 11 Apr

SMALL TALK W/ DJ ADIDADAS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Happy Meals’ Lewis seduces w/ Eurowave + Vaporbeat. BEAST

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

HARDSTYLE SUPERHEROES - THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £16 - £22

FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits. RUCKUS

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

Sarah Legatt’s monthly hip-hop, trap and R’n’B night. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. LT (RIBEKA)

RTM welcome back one of techno’s true originals and one of the most exciting DJs around, making a rare appearance at the Sub Club, playing for the first time since 2011. FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, FROM 22:30, £4 - £6

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, TBC

The Queens of the Glasgow disco scene. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Tue 17 Apr

ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro. LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. MONSTER HOSPITAL

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

TRANCELATE 6TH BIRTHDAY (SCOT PROJECT )

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

DRUGSTORE GLAMOUR

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Sat 14 Apr

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

SESH

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

Two hour trance classics set from Scot Project.

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC

A hearty blend of emo, drive-thru, old school and new school pop punk, to see your Sunday through to the stars.

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue.

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

JELLY BABY (RUBBERMENSCH)

CLIFFHANGER

Mon 16 Apr

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 21:00, £10

Thu 12 Apr

Sound engineer of brand new Italian label Khöss drops in for a set.

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £11 - £15

RETURN TO MONO (SLAM + DAVE CLARKE)

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

For Afloat’s next soiree, the residents take control all night long for the first time.

KHÖSS (PALUMBIA RECORDS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Musical explorations with resident Ribeka.

Botch meets Beyonce DJ smash. A club night like no other.

AFLOAT

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £3

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong. WRAP-IT

LOOSEN UP (FERGUS CLARK + CHARLIE MCCANN + DAVID BARBAROSSA)

ANNA & HOLLY’S DANCE PARTY

Rock’n’roll, garage and soul.

10 YEARS OF SLEAZE RECORDS W/ DUSTIN ZAHN & PROGRESSION SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £7 - £12

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. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’.

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

ALGORYTHM (SEBASTIAN SWARM + KEO + ERNESTO HARMON + ADAM ZARECKI) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

For the next installment of the Algorhythm parties, the residents are joined by one of the Lunacy head honchos, Sebastian Swarm.

Thu 19 Apr

JELLY BABY (RUBBERMENSCH)

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer. PRAY 4 LOVE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

All love songs + all bangers. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. 420 CLUB (SHOWCASE LAUNCH) (JORDANNE SIDNEY + GOURLAY + THERØN + EDDY KENNEDY) STEREO, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Get your dancing shoes ready for a stomper of a night. 420 blaze it. PARTIAL (MAFALDA)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £8

Melodies International co-founder and NTS host Mafalda will take you on a journey through her collection of sun-soaked, smile-instigating records.

WE SHOULD HANG OUT MORE – HONEY DIJON

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £9 - £10

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

Hailing from Chicago and now living between New York and Berlin, Honey Dijon’s sound is a deft, heady blend of the club land influences.

ELEMENT

SHED, FROM 22:30, £4 - £6

UNHOLY

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. PALA (IDA)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

Pala welcome Pressure resident and founder of Acid Flash, IDA.

INCEPT 3RD BIRTHDAY WITH SPEEDY J (FRAZIER + RADIATE.) SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £10

iNCEPT start 2018 by making their debut at the Subbie, celebrating their 3rd birthday with techno pioneer Speedy J.

Fri 20 Apr FRESH! FRIDAY

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £4

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. SUGO

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

FRIDAY NIGHTS

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue. SHY GIRL (LIVE) (LYZZA + AUCO + FLUFFIE)

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, TBC

South East London vocalist, lyricist and rising star on the club scene plays a live set. THE YELLOW DOOR

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

A night of contemporary classics, unheard of gems and well-kent belters, all for your general dancing pleasure, natch.

Sat 21 Apr ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro. LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. FANTASTIC MAN

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Incoherent madness for those with a death wish. The worst club night in the world. SINGLES NIGHT

Shake what you got to the sound of the best of the worst Italo / Euro trash from the last four decades.

Beans + Divine explore the hits on 7” vinyl.

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 21:30, £8 - £15

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £19 - £21

RESONATORS

Nine-piece dub reggae troupe inspired by the meditative quality and universal appeal of Jamaican roots music. THE LANCE VANCE DANCE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Exotic dreamy disco.

TONGA - THE STREETS AFTERPARTIES

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

Mike Skinner and Murkage present TONGA, an after party following their show at the O2 Academy.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

TORTURE GARDEN

Infamous fetish club spread over three dungeon-themed playrooms. Dress code: all the PVC you can slither into. A CELEBRATION OF THE CARTERS

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £8

J and Bey seem to have made up again, so SWG3 are hosting a night dedicated entirely to their combined and respective back-catalogues.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence. I AM (MAGIC CITY)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Wed 18 Apr

SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

WRAP-IT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits.

#TAG TUESDAYS

One in a string of showcase events across Europe celebrating 10 years of Sleaze Records. Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits.

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong.

DON’T BE GUTTED

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Nefarious beats for dangerous times.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

THE SKINNY

SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

I AM (KIWI)

BALLIN’ EAST VS WEST COAST

SUBCULTURE

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £10

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits. CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10

RSD 2018 after party with Kowton and Parris. SUBCULTURE (CHAOS IN THE CBD)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests. FENIX – PRINS THOMAS

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Fenix welcome one of electronic music’s greats, an innovator of the cosmic disco sound and one of their favourite DJs playing music today. MOJO WORKIN’ (FELONIOUS MUNK)

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £2

60s rhythm and blues, ska, Motown and Northern soul.

Sun 22 Apr CLIFFHANGER

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC

A hearty blend of emo, drive-thru, old school and new school pop punk, to see your Sunday through to the stars. SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with a special guest or two oft in tow.

Wed 25 Apr FREAK LIKE ME

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Soul, hip-hop and funk. BEAST

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best in pop-punk, metalcore, house & EDM and there’s even beer pong. WRAP-IT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage. MINDSET

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Mindset residents Gourlay and Craig Hamilton are joined by Attention Please residents Keyden, Kopka and Findlay Steven.

Thu 26 Apr

JELLY BABY (RUBBERMENSCH)

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer. BREAKFAST CLUB W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

80s themed party extravaganza. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R’n’B and hip-hop. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. SLIVER DOLLAR CLUB (DJ NORMAL 4)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7

Mon 23 Apr

SDC invite Aiwo co-founder and breakbeat and rave maestro DJ Normal 4 to the Queen Street basement for his Glasgow debut.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

BURN MONDAYS

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

Tue 24 Apr ONLY THE SUBJECT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

New wave of underground Glasgow DJ talent. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Eclectic Tuesday nighter playing the best in house, techno and electronic – or, in their words ‘casually ignoring shite requests since 2005’. #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

EZUP (NICKY + MARK + DEVLN)

Ezup’s residents take you on a four hour journey of music that was made to dance to.

Fri 27 Apr FRESH! FRIDAY

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £4

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. SHAKE APPEAL

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Six decades of rock’n’roll under one roof, hosted by the ultimate DJ trivium. NOTW DJS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Dark wave, goth, rock and glam. SOLARDO

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £10 - £17.50

Mancunian duo, hailed as one of the most exciting names in UK dance music.

Expect classic tracks from Tupac, Biggie, NWA, Snoop and Wu Tang in an epic battle. FRIDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

A selection of funk and soul and 60s and 70s hits. CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. SENSU – DJ SEINFELD (JUNIOR + BARRY PRICE)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

DJ Seinfeld’s beats are ultimately guided by an idea of authenticity and the unwashed rawness of early house pioneers. FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, FROM 22:30, £4 - £6

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue. LOOSE JOINTS 2ND BIRTHDAY – FANTASTIC MAN AND ROSE HIPS

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Loose Joints celebrate their 2nd birthday with Australian DJ Fantastic Man and Subcity Radio manager Rose Hips. FRIDAY REGGAE SHACK

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £3

Local selectors from Glasgow and Edinburgh in a sound clash.

Sat 28 Apr ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro.

FUSE (SHY ONE + SARRA WILD + POLONIS + DIJA + FORIJ)

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 21:00, £5 - £8

VAJ.Power team up with Forij to deliver a super-packed line-up for the sixth edition of FUSE. THE BERKELEY SUITE PRESENTS: YOUANDEWAN (OOFT!)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Youandewan, aka Ewan Smith, has been quietly crafting his gentle brand of house, with careful, considered drums, and dreamy keys and synths, in Berlin (via Yorkshire). RUDIMENTARY

GONZO INDIE DISCO

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

The best indie disco in Glasgow brings all things MTV2 (pre-trash) and 120 Minutes.

MONTA MUSICA ESCOCIA: ROUND TWO

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 21:00, £15

After the massive success of the last one, the North East masters of Makina and rave return to Glasgow. SHAKA LOVES YOU

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Hip-hop and live percussion flanked by wicked visuals. GROOVEJET

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £10

A full on night of house, vocal anthems, special edits and disco edits. EILIDH’S IBIZA DISCO (HARRI & DOMENIC + IONA HAMILTON + ROSS HAMILTON + DAVE GRANT)

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £20

Ibiza-themed charity night in memory of Eilidh McHugh. SATURDAYS AT THE BUFF CLUB

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock, Alex O and John Ross spin a Saturday-ready selection of Northern soul and 60s and 70s hits. MISBEHAVIN

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Retro-pop, alt, dance and electro from DJ Drewbear. I LOVE GARAGE

A CUT ABOVE (LATE) (PLEASURE POOL + JUNTO CLUB + SO LOW DJS) THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

A Cut Above is back at The Flying Duck but this time in a special late night slot.

RAPID WITH ECLAIR FIFI (BAMBOUNOU)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

Part 2 of Eclair Fifi’s Rapid series sees Parisian selector Bambounou join her in the booth. RE-ND-ER-ED MID | 1.0

SUB CLUB, FROM 17:00, TBC

MID | 1.0 brings you more exploration into experimental techno and audiovisual artworks.

Fri 06 Apr

FLY PRESENTS JASPER JAMES

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £7 - £10

The youngest DJ ever to play Sub Club, Glasgow’s Jasper James returns to Edinburgh for another set at FLY. WINGIN IT

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

A night of happy hardcore, donk and all things mad, funny and ravey.

HEADSET: BAKE (ALL CAPS) & PIEZO (SWAMP81)

Sun 29 Apr

Glasgow’s Bake and Milan’s Piezo drop in to Headset, with Edinburgh duo Jazz Spastiks headlining upstairs.

Drum'n'bass, garage, hip-hop and more. SLIDE IT IN

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC

Classic rock through the ages from DJ Nicola Walker. SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

Mon 30 Apr BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

FLIP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. INTERLIFE

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £4

Old school techno, garage, bassline and D’n’B. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £3 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

WITNESS SPRING PARTY (MANSA ‘91 + ROSS WITNESS + FAULT LINES)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

The 4th Witness installment of 2018, providing you with all the fresh tracks, dubplates, demos and all sorts of party tunes and this month with special guest Mansa ‘91. BIG CHEESE: SPRING BREAK S CLUB PARTY!

POTTERROW, FROM 21:00, £3 - £5

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

Edinburgh Clubs

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £2

LOVE MUSIC

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

April 2018

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

Tue 03 Apr

METROPOLIS’ 1ST BIRTHDAY

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 22:30, TBC

Metropolis’ Commander-in-chief Prophecy will be joined by DJ Void, Sherlock and J O E to soundtrack his party’s birthday celebrations. MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Brand new weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 04 Apr WICKED WEDNESDAYS

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

All new, all fun, all cheese club night.

RINSE FM: WILLOW (C-SHAMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Rising Manchester-based Workshop affiliate Willow makes her second trip to Sneaks, this time for a night courtesy of Rinse FM.

BOSSY 2018 (BOSSY + SEXPRESSION + FEMSOC + FRESHAIR) THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

All female/non-binary DJs playing all female/non-binary artists. Supporting Femsoc, with proceeds from the night going towards the womens charity they support.

Thu 05 Apr HI-FI REBEL

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll. JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno. PALIDRONE 002: SPFDJ

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

SPFDJ started her career with acclaimed London collective Universe of Tang and has since appeared on guest mixes for Whities, NTS and Ben UFO on Rinse FM.

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

SAMEDIA SHEBEEN (SELECTA MADMAX + ASTROJAZZ) THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Selecta MadMax from London’s excellent Love Carnival joins Samedia to play music spanning afrobeat, Latin, kuduru, dancehall, samba, soca, cumbia and beyond. JACUZZI GENERAL

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Dip your toe into the sounds of pleasure power house Jacuzzi General.

Sun 08 Apr SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. 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 09 Apr MIXED UP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Tue 10 Apr SEVENTYSEVEN

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 22:30, TBC

New collective seventyseven return to Cab Vol, but this time to host and soundtrack the main room all night. MIDNIGHT BASS: 59TH DEGREE SPECIAL

Celebrate the start of the spring vacation, spring break style with S Club’s Tina, Bradley and Jo, who are still riding that wave.

59th Degree special with Metragnome (Electrikal) and Liquid Funktion.

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

SHAPEWORK

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

TRASH

Hot young techno team have a residents jam after a slew of techno heavyweight guests.

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Wed 11 Apr

RIVIERA PARADISO (MONTALTO + CAM)

An evening warmed by world sounds, disco and electronica. Residents Montalto and Cam take you one step closer to the summer sunshine.

Sat 07 Apr SOULSVILLE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5

Residents Cameron Mason and Calum Evans spin the finest cuts of deep funk, Latin rhythms and rare groove into the early hours. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. STRUT! (THE CAPTAIN)

THE VILLAGE, FROM 21:00, FREE

Funk, soul and disco on the first Saturday of every month. REWIND

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £8

Monthly party night celebrating the best in soul, disco, rock and pop with music from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and current bangers. FIRECRACKER: HEAL YOURSELF & MOVE (HOUSE OF TRAPS + SPECIAL GUESTS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, TBC

House Of Traps’ ‘Heal Yourself & Move’ parties always come with very special guests from the Firecracker family and very special vibes. MADCHESTER PRESENTS GET LOOSE W/ ANDY HOPKINS (THE ENEMY)

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Manchester-inspired indie disco with 60s, punk, new wave, classic acid and modern indie dance flavours.

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

All new, all fun, all cheese club night.

HEATERS: B. TRAITS (C-SHAMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

In Toto label boss, BBC Radio 1 queen and a top producer, B.Traits is packing a ridiculous range of gems and the ability to mix them all seamlessly.

Thu 12 Apr HI-FI REBEL

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll.

MIKE SERVITO AT JUICE (AMI K + DAN) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £9

PROPAGANDA THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £3 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. HOT MESS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Hot Mess is a hot and messy queer rave. Non-stop bangers and mash, selected and sequenced with love by Simonotron.

SHOOT YOUR SHOT (BONZAI BONNER + GLORIA) PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, TBC

Dig out your old Kappa poppers or your best 3-stripes for this chav-fest. SUBSTANCE: FREE ACID RAVE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

Substance brings a wide-ranging collage of classic and cutting edge underground electronic music to the Bongo.

Tue 17 Apr DOUG + FRIENDS

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 22:30, TBC

Woodland Dance Party Warmup, with two rooms of music and a ticket giveaway.

MESSENGER

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefy Messenger Sound System.

EROL ALKAN (ALL NIGHT LONG) - TO THE RHYTHM

THE CAVES, FROM 23:00, £11 - £15.40

Erol Alkan takes the distinct sound of ‘To The Rhythm’ to The Caves for an all-night set, care of his friends at Sneaky Pete’s. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. I AM A RAVER VOLUME ONE EDINBURGH ALBUM PARTY

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £5 - £20

All your favourite happy hardcore DJs in one place, including DJ Rankin, DJ Cammy and DJ Bad Boy. TEESH (PAKO VEGA + DJ CHEERS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

DJ Cheers is joined by musical chameleon Pako Vega for this edition of the all-you-can-eat mind buffet. THE EDINBURGH SOUL TRAIN

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £16 - £18

An uplifting journey filled with funk, soul, disco and Motown classics.

GROOVERS (SESENTAYUNO + THOMSON SO ELECTRK + ACID BUDDHA)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Fri 13 Apr

ANYTHING GOES: TRAKKIES JUST DO IT

NICK’S CANDY SHOP

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, TBC

Nick’ll take you to the Candy Shop (uh-huh).

Sat 14 Apr

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

FLY PRESENTS SAM SIGGERS

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Launch party for HWTS resident Douglas Johnson’s new night.

Tech house and techno with Groovers, Pinnacle, Coalition and Choons On Toast residents.

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

MIXED UP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

SYS commence their Paradise Palms voyage in style with gigantic German and sexual strumpet Gloria as your host, alongside the visionary and spinner Bonzai Bonner.

Resident at The Bunker NYC and close friend of The Black Madonna, Mike Servito has earned a recent surge in popularity, playing hot shows at Dekmantel and the like.

FLY Club resident Sam Siggers takes the reigns, playing all night long with support from IAGO.

Mon 16 Apr

OTHER THUMPERS #15 (DONALD DUST + MOZAIKA)

Other Thumpers welcomes Poland’s wunderkind Møzaika to Paradise Palms for four hours of new age house, OST edits and white label head scratchers.

Sun 15 Apr SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

MIDNIGHT BASS: WOODLAND DANCE PARTY WARMUP

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

TRASH

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 18 Apr WICKED WEDNESDAYS

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

All new, all fun, all cheese club night.

HEATERS: PALIDRONE (C-SHAMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

Fresh-faced powerhouses Palidrone bring their whirlwind selection of bangers to Sneaky’s for the first time.

Thu 19 Apr HI-FI REBEL

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll. JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno.

Fri 20 Apr HAVIN’ IT LARGE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £10

A night celebrating the Kevin & Perry Go Large movie soundtrack – one of the best in history, apparently. ELECTRIKAL: 8TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £10

Soundsystem party-starters, part of a music and art collective specialising in all things bass, celebrate their 8th birthday. FLIP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £3 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. MOXIE PRES. ON LOOP WITH EARL JEFFERS & NICK STEWART

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Moxie invites shaking bass bump house wunderkind Earl Jeffers to the club as part of her Sneaky’s residency. Expect to party from start to finish.

FLIP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.

Listings

REMEDY (RICH MUNDI)

PARADISE PAINS

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

From the roots of hip-hop to future bass, DJ and producer Rich Mundi brings a curated look at hip-hop, Jamaican dub, synth pop, boom bap and the 808 clap.

Sat 21 Apr

CHASING DRAGONS (GRACE & LEGEND + FREAKSHOW) CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 19:00, £6

Leeds-based Chasing Dragons incorporate frenetic post-hardcore bursts of guitars, thunderous vocals and a titan-esque rhythm section. 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. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. THE EGG

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

A salad of genres: sixties garage and soul plus 70s punk and new wave, peppered with psych and indie for good measure. COLOURS PRESENTS: BEN NICKY

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 23:00, £18.50 - £22.50

DJ/Producer Ben Nicky stirs up the trance.

WASABI DISCO WITH GABE GURNSEY (LIVE) (KRIS WASABI) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Gabe Gurnsey of Factory Floor (DFA Records / Optimo) returns to Wasabi Disco with another briefcase full of grizzled acid-making analogue hardware. DECADE: SIMPSONS PARTY

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Decade’s pop punk party gets a special themed party of everyone’s favourite animated comedy, The Simpsons. PINNACLE PRESENTS: PAX (ACID BUDDHA + MIKO)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Paradise Pains returns bringing students and emerging artists together for a night of performance art, music and dancing.

Thu 26 Apr HI-FI REBEL

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll.

Fri 27 Apr

UNDERGROUND SOUNDS ON DECKS (REFRACTA + CONNOR COVENTRY + DANIEL YATES) CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 19:00, £5

A two-night event at Cab Vol, bringing you the freshest up-andcoming DJs. HOTLINE X APH STUDIO

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5

Hotline collaborate with all girl ECA collective APH Studio to have art and visuals within the club night. FLIP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £3 - £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

LIONOIL: BRADLEY ZERO & PERCY MAIN

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Rhythm Section boss, former Boiler Room host and all round smiley dancer Bradley Zero DJs all night with Lionoil head Percy Main. Anyone for pool? NIKNAK PRESENTS KIWI

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

NikNak return for a monthly dose of delicious meaty medicine. This month, the ladies are joined by acclaimed DJ and producer Kiwi.

Sat 28 Apr

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 17:00, £7

PERCY MAIN SOCIAL CLUB (PERCY MAIN)

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

An evening with you, Percy and a bag full of boogie throbbers and haus melters.

Sun 22 Apr SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. 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 23 Apr MIXED UP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Tue 24 Apr

MIDNIGHT BASS: DRUM & BASS ALL NIGHTER

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

At the end of every month, the Midnight Bass crew run DnB all night long. TRASH

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 25 Apr WICKED WEDNESDAYS

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

All new, all fun, all cheese club night. O’FLYNN AT HEATERS (C-SHAMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Blip Discs’ O’Flynn pens raucous, percussion-led, sought-after afrobeat jammers that are every good DJ’s secret weapons right now.

Listings

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hip-hop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room. MISS WORLD

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

The all-female musical beauty pageant of disco, house, techno, soul, funk, reggae, new wave and the rest.

JUICE (AMI K + DAN)

UNDERGROUND SOUNDS INDIE NIGHT (EL SALVADOR +FEVER DAYS)

No Scrubs is a night of 90s and 00s hip-hop and R’n’B vibes. From the hardest gritty boom bap to the silky vocals of some of finest R&B.

MIXED UP

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 18:30, £5

Expect some big riffs, heavy bass lines and a good night. SPH BAND CONTEST (HEAT 2) (JAMIE ROBERT ROSS + RIOT VANS + HOUDINI SAID NO + SMOKING JEFFREYS)

Second round of the SPH Band Contest, featuring more live acts battling it out for supremacy.

SOUND SYSTEM LEGACIES: OM UNIT & GROOVE CHRONICLES (JUNGLE SPECIAL) (PROC FISKAL + SKILLIS) THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10

Dundee Clubs Wed 04 Apr

FILTH: FINE ART FUNDRAISER & DRAG PARTY

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:00, £3 - £5

The Fine Art department of DJCAD present a night of musical debauchery all for the very good cause of raising degree show funds.

Fri 06 Apr

FOOLS GOLD INDIE CLUB NIGHT

CHURCH, FROM 22:00, £5

Dundee’s capacity-hitting indie night.

HEADWAY WITH LEON VYNEHALL

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £8 - £14

Taking obvious foundations from house, techno, disco, funk, hip-hop and soul, Vynehall’s music incorporates many elements from his musical past.

Sat 07 Apr JUTE CITY JAM

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £5 - £7

Resident pushers Max Galloway & Ronan Baxter will be in control for the evening’s dance.

Thu 12 Apr

UNCLE PHILS WITH IRA & DRUMHELLER (MC SALUM LIVE)

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £4 - £5

Ira & Drumheller cook up class sets of hard drum, UK funky, house and garage.

Fri 13 Apr

EROL ALKAN (ALL NIGHT LONG) - TO THE RHYTHM

RECKLESS KETTLE WITH BOOTS FOR DANCING & OBJECTIFIED

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

00’s R’n’B. Y’all gon make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here. THE BIG CHEESE

POTTERROW, FROM 21:00, £3 - £5

Student-friendly party, playing – as you’d expect – cheesy classics of every hue. PULSE: I HATE MODELS (DARRELL HARDING + SEAN LAIRD)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

Synthwave early trance, cold-wave or industrial music are parts of the multiple influences which create I Hate Models’ techno universe.

FINITRIBE PRESENTS SLIPPERY PEOPLE

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Off the back of warm ups for Logical Records, Javier Busto, Ivan de la Rouch and Lee Perry, the Slippery People crew join Finitribe for an Alfresco Party.

Sun 29 Apr SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION (BELIEVE + FRIENDS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

13 APR-5 MAY, TIMES VARY, £10 - £23

17-18 APR, 7:45PM, £11 - £15

Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prizewinning Long Day’s Journey Into Night delves into the private lives and failings of a conflicted family, while revealing insights into his own upbringing.

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

Fri 20 Apr

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

The usual Reckless Kettle shenanigans will be proceeded by a couple of live bands who are guaranteed to please.

Sat 21 Apr 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.

Fri 27 Apr ALL GOOD

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

All Good return to the Reading Rooms.

Sat 28 Apr BOOK CLUB

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, TBC

The Good Stuff DJs spin all genres of disco house and techno, alongside anything else they damn well fancy.

THE SHADOW OF HEAVEN

The Shadow of Heaven is an explosive, hour-long journey through Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, emphasising the work’s visceral, physical and musical qualities.

CATHY

17-21 APR, TIMES VARY, £12.50 - £16.50

New play from award-winning playwright Ali Taylor, inspired by Ken Loach’s pioneering drama, Cathy Come Home.

Platform

THE MARK OF THE BEAST

13-15 APR, TIMES VARY, £4 - £8.50

A new spoken word performance in Scots and English, inspired by Glasgow and its relationship with alcohol and addiction. THE MONSTER AND MARY SHELLEY

25 APR, 7PM, £4-£8.50

An atmospheric, moving, darkly comic exploration of fear.

The King’s Theatre

THE CARPENTERS STORY

21 APR, 7:30PM, £23 - £27.90

A musical dedication to the life and times of The Carpenters. JERSEY BOYS

3-14 APR, TIMES VARY, £18 - £73.50

True life story of multiple-bucketload selling group The Four Seasons, from their beginnings to their extended run along the hit parade. LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL

23-28 APR, TIMES VARY, £15 - £69.50

The Bohemians bring candyfloss coloured musical Legally Blonde to the King’s, complete with real life chihuahua and a talented cast to boot. FASTLOVE - A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE MICHAEL

20-28 APR, 7:30PM, £21.50 - £31.50

19 APR-5 MAY, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

RIDE (LOW REN + YOUNG CHECKY)

Citizens Theatre

Sat 14 Apr ALL GOOD

CTRL + ALT + DEL 6-7 APR, TIMES VARY, £8

A new Control Device prototype promises to make young people healthier, cleverer and all round nicer people, but can technology really make you a better person?

Erol Alkan takes the distinct sound of ‘To The Rhythm’ to The Caves for an all-night set, care of his friends at Sneaky Pete’s.

All Good return to the Reading Rooms.

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

Glasgow Theatre

Direct from London’s West End, the UK’s biggest George Michael tribute show. Now featuring special guest Ed Barker, George Michael’s original solo saxophonist.

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £10

UK dons Om Unit & Groove Chronicles headline this Sound System special, with an old school Jungle session. BUBBLEGUM

Theatre LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

Dan & Ami K make weird waves through house and techno.

With signings to label heavyweights Elrow, Sola, Glasgow Underground and more, PAX have quickly established themselves across some of the most sought after labels in the game. NO SCRUBS (MISS MIXTAPE)

Mon 30 Apr

FAT FRIENDS - THE MUSICAL

The hit TV show of the same now gets a musical adaptation, with an all-star cast.

SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS: THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS

28-29 APR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

The show brings to life the music of Ireland’s favourite sons The Dubliners.

Theatre Royal SCOTTISH BALLET: MATTHEW BOURNE’S HIGHLAND FLING

4-14 APR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Described as ‘La Sylphide for the Trainspotting generation’, Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling follows the downfall of James, a young Scot with sex, love and rock 'n'roll on his mind. MACCA: THE CONCERT

8 APR, 7:30PM, £21.25 - £25.25

Celebrating the music of Paul McCartney and greatest hits of The Beatles.

Tron Theatre BUNNY

3-7 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. BINGO!

12-14 APR, 7:45PM, £11 - £17

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. THE MONSTER AND MARY SHELLEY

20-21 APR, 8PM, £8.50-£11

An atmospheric, moving, darkly comic exploration of fear.

Edinburgh Theatre Festival Theatre WAR HORSE

18 APR-12 MAY, TIMES VARY, £18 - £61

War Horse continues to tour the UK, telling the story of Albert and his beloved horse Joey, adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s novel. You may as well just start weeping now. SCOTTISH BALLET: MATTHEW BOURNE’S HIGHLAND FLING

4-14 APR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Described as ‘La Sylphide for the Trainspotting generation’, Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling follows the downfall of James, a young Scot with sex, love and rock 'n' roll on his mind.

King’s Theatre Edinburgh DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

10-14 APR, TIMES VARY, £18 - £31.50

A twisted tale of nerve-jangling horror, this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gothic thriller stars Phil Daniels as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Royal Lyceum Theatre CREDITORS

27 APR-12 MAY, TIMES VARY, £10 - £32

Tony Award-winner Stewart Laing returns to Scotland to direct an adaptation of August Strindberg’s portrait of an intense sexual triangle, which he considered to be his one true masterpiece.

The Basement Theatre

DIVE QUEER PARTY: GODDESS AWARDS

5 APR, 8:00PM, £8 - £10

The first of Dive Queer Party’s brand new variety-cum-cabaret shows at their new home of Gilded Balloon’s Basement Theatre. The only super-inclusive, star-studded, glitter-splatted awards ceremony of the season.

The Edinburgh Playhouse CRAZY FOR YOU

3-7 APR, TIMES VARY, £19 - £73.40

The all-singing, all-dancing Gerschwin musical is given a new lease of life by Strictly Come Dancing winner Tom Chambers and West End star Claire Sweeney. THAT’LL BE THE DAY

14 APR, 7:30PM, £27.90 - £54.90

Rock’n’roll variety show crammed with musical favourites from the 50s, 60s and 70s (i.e. you WILL sing along to Buddy Holly). MOTOWN’S GREATEST HITS: HOW SWEET IT IS

11 APR, 7:30PM, £23.90 - £56.40

Live show taking you through all of the favourite Motown hits, including tunes from Lionel Richie, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five and more. THE CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS

12-13 APR, 7:30PM, PRICES VARY

All your favourite Blues Brothers classics and some, as the touring show continues its reign.

FASTLOVE - A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE MICHAEL 20-28 APR, 7:30PM, £21.50 - £31.50

Direct from London’s West End, the UK’s biggest George Michael tribute show. Now featuring special guest Ed Barker, George Michael’s original solo saxophonist. FAT FRIENDS - THE MUSICAL

19 APR-5 MAY, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

The hit TV show of the same now gets a musical adaptation, with an all-star cast. FAULTY TOWERS DINING EXPERIENCE

27-28 APR, TIMES VARY, £12.95 - £60

Guests become diners in the Fawlty Towers restaurant, waited upon by Basil, Sybil and Manuel, in this fully immersive, highly improvised and sitespecific show.

Traverse Theatre THE KATET

9 APR, 8:00PM, £11

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 soulfunk monster. THE DUKE

3-5 APR, 8:00PM, £10

Funny, poignant and playful, The Duke weaves together the tragicomic fate of a family heirloom. LOCKER ROOM TALK

4-7 APR, 7:30PM, £6 - £12

Locker Room Talk returns to continue a conversation about misogyny and masculinity which has become even more urgent since its premiere. A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: MCGONAGALL’S CHRONICLES

3-7 APR, TIMES VARY, £13.50

A biography of the late Dundonian poet Sir William Topaz McGonagall, written in ‘almost rhyming verse’. A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: RACHEL’S COUSINS

10-14 APR, TIMES VARY, £13.50

THE BEE GEES STORY

ASHLEY STORRIE: ADULTING

21 APR, 7:30PM, £22

THE STAND GLASGOW, 16:00–17:00, £9 - £10

The Bee Gee’s Story - Nights On Broadway present a tribute to the Bee Gees through a live concert, featuring their songs from over four decades.

Whitehall Theatre

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS

20-20 APR, TIMES VARY, £14 - £15

One of the biggest shows of its kind in the UK, taking the audience on a musical journey through the 50s, 60s and 70s.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE – A TRIBUTE TO STING AND THE POLICE

7 APR, 8:00PM, £22 - £23

You are cordially invited to Sandy’s memorial service, where his life will be eulogised.

Glasgow Comedy Tue 03 Apr

RED RAW (DARREN CONNELL)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £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 04 Apr

COMEDIAN RAP BATTLES (NEIL THE WEE MAN BRATCHPIECE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £4 - £6

Comedy and rap collide.

Thu 05 Apr

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £10

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JOE ROONEY + GUS LYMBURN + JOSEPH GOSS + SUSAN MORRISON) THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £6 - £12

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

Dundee Theatre Caird Hall

THE CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS

12-13 APR, 7:30PM, PRICES VARY

All your favourite Blues Brothers classics and some, as the touring show continues its reign. SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS: THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS

28-29 APR, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

The show brings to life the music of Ireland’s favorite sons The Dubliners.

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sat 07 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (JOE ROONEY + GUS LYMBURN + JOSEPH GOSS + SUSAN MORRISON)

19-20 APR, 7:30PM, £18.25 - £19.25

A production showcasing the velvety four-part harmonies and extensive discography of The Drifters.

Thu 12 Apr

THE THURSDAY SHOW (JO CAULFIELD + PAUL MCCAFFREY + BRUCE FUMMEY + MARC JENNINGS + SCOTT AGNEW)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

GARY LAMONT: DROPPING THE SOAP

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £13.50

After eight years on River City, Gary’s left his role as hairdresser Robbie behind. But is he destined to be an international showgirl following in the footsteps of Kylie? Or will he be flogging yoghurt Martine McCutcheon style?

Fri 13 Apr

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JO CAULFIELD + PAUL MCCAFFREY + BRUCE FUMMEY + MARC JENNINGS + SCOTT AGNEW)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £6 - £12

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.

Sat 14 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (JO CAULFIELD + PAUL MCCAFFREY + BRUCE FUMMEY + MARC JENNINGS + SCOTT AGNEW)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £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

Sun 15 Apr

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

Sun 08 Apr

THE DRIFTERS – SOUL KINDA WONDERFUL

Join BBC Comedy and The Stand for a night of brand new comedy.

THE LATE SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

17 APR-5 MAY, TIMES VARY, £9-£25

The Gardyne Theatre

Wed 11 Apr

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Dundee Rep The story of small town boys Alex and Brian, a Lada, a surfboard and a crate of Irn Bru.

An alternative comedy showcase and brand new night of stand up comedy.

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians.

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

PASSING PLACES

LIGHT BULB

BBC COMEDY PRESENTS

Fri 06 Apr

24-28 APR, TIMES VARY, £13.50

RED RAW (KIMI LOUGHTON + RAY BRADSHAW)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £4

17-21 APR, TIMES VARY, £13.50

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: EULOGY

Tue 10 Apr

BLACKFRIARS BASEMENT, FROM 20:00, FREE

Clutching a Fender Stratocaster, sporting a pair of heavy-rimmed glasses, and sounding exactly like Buddy in his heyday, a legend is reborn.

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

A taut psychological thriller that explores who we can trust with our children, and whether it’s more dangerous not to trust at all.

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £10 - £12

Both hailing from Cork in Ireland, the two comedians bring a double header of their unique brand of comedy on tour in the UK.

13 APR, 8:00PM, £22 - £23

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: MARGARET SAVES SCOTLAND

20 APR-12 MAY, TIMES VARY, £11 - £22

ANDREW RYAN & CHRIS KENT: THE FULLY CORKED TOUR

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

BUDDY HOLLY: A LEGEND REBORN

THE THURSDAY SHOW (JOE ROONEY + GUS LYMBURN + JOSEPH GOSS + SUSAN MORRISON)

GUT

Mon 09 Apr

The iconic sound of one of the world’s biggest rock bands.

When Rachel discovers she is at risk of breast cancer, she feels bound to contact certain members of her family she has previously shunned.

Nine-year-old Margaret Holt embarks on the journey of a lifetime.

Scotland’s favourite funny girl and viral internet sensation, Ashley Storrie returns with a brand-new show about not growing up.

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (STU AND GARRY + STEPHEN BUCHANAN + RACHEL MURPHY + MICHAEL REDMOND)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. IAIN CONNELL – SOME BUZZ

THE STAND GLASGOW, 18:00–19:00, £11 - £12

Sit down on a chair as Iain shares his take on the familiar yet unpredictable ingredients that make life Some Buzz.

RACHEL FAIRBURN & KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN – ALL KILLA NO FILLA

THE STAND GLASGOW, 14:00–16:00, £15

Join comedians Rachel Fairburn and Kiri Pritchard-McLean as they explore a shared passion, serial killers. PATRICK MONAHAN – REWIND SELECTOR 90S

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–21:45, £10 - £12

Brand new stand up show from multi-award-winning Patrick Monahan, inspired by his Irish/ Iranian/Teeside teens in the 90s.

Mon 16 Apr

ROB AUTON – THE HAIR SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–21:45, £10

Award winning stand-up comedian and poet Rob Auton returns with another heartfelt and offbeat show that explores hair and hairs.

THE SKINNY

Comedy

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Tue 17 Apr

Wed 25 Apr

Thu 05 Apr

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–21:45, £12

RED RAW (DAISY EARL)

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Wed 18 Apr

BENEFIT IN AID OF SCOTTISH SPORTS FUTURES (FRED MACAULAY + GARY LITTLE + DARREN CONNELL + CHRIS FORBES) THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £10

A benefit in aid of Scottish Sports Futures (SSF), a charity based in Glasgow changing lives through sport. NEWS HACKS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12

Writer of the long running hit topical radio show Watson’s Wind Up, Rikki Brown presents a fresh take on the news and those making the news.

Thu 19 Apr

THE THURSDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + PAUL MYREHAUG + DAISY EARL + KIRSTY MORRISON + VLAD MCTAVISH)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. MY DAD WROTE A PORNO LIVE

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £28.75 - £31.65

The team behind the hugely popular podcast, documenting the sexual exploits of Belinda Blumenthal, head out on a live tour.

Fri 20 Apr

THE FRIDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + PAUL MYREHAUG + DAISY EARL + KIRSTY MORRISON + VLAD MCTAVISH)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £6 - £12

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. CROSSMYLAFF COMEDY

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

An evening of stand-up comedy featuring a hand-picked selection of local up and coming comics. 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.

Sat 21 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + PAUL MYREHAUG + DAISY EARL + KIRSTY MORRISON + VLAD MCTAVISH)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £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 22 Apr

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (GUS LYMBURN + MARC JENNINGS + ROSS LESLIE + SUSAN RIDDELL + MICHAEL REDMOND)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out.

JANEY GODLEY & FRIENDS: A NIGHT OF COMEDY

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £10 - £13

An evening of comedy curated by Janey Godley, in aid of David Hayman‘s Spirit Aid charity.

Mon 23 Apr CARL HUTCHINSON

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–21:45, £12

Expect killer gags, highly entertaining stories and the trademark twisted logic that has made Carl Hutchinson a must-see fixture in the comedy world.

Tue 24 Apr

RED RAW (CHRIS FORBES)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:45, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

ANNA MORRIS: BITCHELORS

Four diverse ‘contestants’ compete for your vote at a Woman of the Year Awards, hosted by Britain’s Biggest Bridezilla, Georgina Francis (Comic Relief’s Bride Aid).

Thu 26 Apr

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BEN NORRIS + ANDY FURY + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + KIMI LOUGHTON + SUSIE MCCABE) THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

Fri 27 Apr

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BEN NORRIS + ANDY FURY + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + KIMI LOUGHTON + SUSIE MCCABE) THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–22:30, £6 - £12

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.

AN EVENING WITH PUDDLES PITY PARTY

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20

The ‘Sad Clown with the Golden Voice’ is back with his heartfelt anthems and a suitcase full of Kleenex.

Sat 28 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BEN NORRIS + ANDY FURY + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + KIMI LOUGHTON + SUSIE MCCABE) THE STAND GLASGOW, 21:00–23:00, £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.

Mon 30 Apr

TONY LAW’S 2018 ABSURDITY FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE TOUR

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30–21:45, £10 - £12

Tony Law is back to spearhead the UK’s alternative comedy scene with his brand new show.

JESS ROBINSON: HERE COME THE GIRLS

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £18.50

Multi award-winning Britain’s Got Talent 2017 semi-finalist Jess Robinson hosts an evening of spot-on celebrity impressions, musical comedy and stunning vocal gymnastics.

Edinburgh Comedy Tue 03 Apr 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.

BENEFIT IN AID OF ABUSED MEN IN SCOTLAND (KEIR MCALLISTER + STU MURPHY + GARETH MUTCH + RACHEL MURPHY + JOJO SUTHERLAND)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:30, £10

Comedy benefit with all ticket proceeds to the charity. 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 04 Apr VIVA LA SHAMBLES

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:30, £4 - £5

TOP BANANA

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. THE THURSDAY SHOW (BENNETT ARRON + DAMIAN CLARK + CARLY BAKER + JAY LAFFERTY)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £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.

Fri 06 Apr

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BENNETT ARRON + DAMIAN CLARK + CARLY BAKER + JAY LAFFERTY)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. THE IMPROVERTS

BEDLAM THEATRE, FROM 22:30, £3 - £3.50

Long-standing improv comedy troupe made up of an everchanging line-up of local students, whose rather fine show is built entirely on (oft daft) audience suggestions. 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 (SCOTT AGNEW + KEARA MURPHY + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + EDDY BRIMSON) 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 07 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BENNETT ARRON + DAMIAN CLARK + CARLY BAKER + JAY LAFFERTY)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £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 (SCOTT AGNEW + KEARA MURPHY + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + EDDY BRIMSON) 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 08 Apr

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, 13:30–15:00, 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.

ANDREW RYAN & CHRIS KENT: THE FULLY CORKED TOUR

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:30, £10 - £12

Both hailing from Cork in Ireland, the two comedians bring a double header of their unique brand of comedy on tour in the UK.

Mon 09 Apr

RED RAW (MARC JENNINGS)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–23:00, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

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.

Tue 10 Apr 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. BONA FIDE (JAY LAFFERTY)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

New material specially written for the night by some of the countries finest comedians. 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. RUSSELL BRAND - RE:BIRTH

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 20:00, £31.65 - £57.65

Hyperactive, arm-flailing serial shagger Russell Brand unravels the matrix of modern media, politics, sex, fatherhood and death.

Wed 11 Apr TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. LEE KYLE: FOLLY

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–21:45, £7 - £8

Solo tour show.

Thu 12 Apr

THE THURSDAY SHOW (PAUL CURRIE + MIKE MILLIGAN + DAISY EARL + STEPHEN BUCHANAN + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH)

Sat 14 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (PAUL CURRIE + MIKE MILLIGAN + DAISY EARL + STEPHEN BUCHANAN + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH) THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £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 (KATIE MULGREW + JOHN GAVIN + LIAM WITHNAIL + MATT REED) 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 15 Apr

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, 13:30–15:00, 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. ADAM HESS & GLENN MOORE

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:30, £12

Double-bill from two comedians.

SHAZIA MIRZA: WITH LOVE FROM ST. TROPEZ

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10

SPONTANEOUS POTTER

Following her critically acclaimed 2016 sell-out international tour, The Kardashians Made Me Do It, Shazia Mirza’s new show is about lies, lies and more lies; the truth is so 1980s.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Mon 16 Apr

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards. LISA GORNICK: WHAT THE FUCK IS LESBIAN?

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £8 - £10

An off the cuff, irreverent live drawing show about lesbian film from a lesbian filmmaker who wants to make the perfect lesbian film. LOST VOICE GUY

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND, FROM 20:00, £6.50 - £8.50

One of the UK’s first stand-up comedians using speech synthesis technology, Lee Ridley performs as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

Fri 13 Apr

THE FRIDAY SHOW (PAUL CURRIE + MIKE MILLIGAN + DAISY EARL + STEPHEN BUCHANAN + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH)

RED RAW (GUS LYMBURN)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–23:00, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts. PRESENTS: WIP

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:30, £0 - £3

Four of Monkey Barrel’s very favourite acts combine forces for a bumper night of works in progress.

Tue 17 Apr 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. ROB AUTON – THE HAIR SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–21:45, £10

The big weekend show with five comedians.

Award winning stand-up comedian and poet Rob Auton returns with another heartfelt and offbeat show that explores hair and hairs.

BEDLAM THEATRE, FROM 22:30, £3 - £3.50

Wed 18 Apr

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

THE IMPROVERTS

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (KATIE MULGREW + JOHN GAVIN + LIAM WITHNAIL + MATT REED) 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.

TOPICAL STORM (MARK NELSON + KEIR MCALLISTER + STUART MURPHY + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH) THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:15, £5 - £7

Satirical comedy at its best. TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene.

SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

An entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes comedy play from Scotland’s hottest improv troupe.

Fri 20 Apr

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JO CAULFIELD + CHRIS FORBES + JOE WELLS + ROSS LESLIE + MARTIN MOR)

THE IMPROVERTS

BEDLAM THEATRE, FROM 22:30, £3 - £3.50

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. ELF LYONS

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

The giraffe-limbed clown and raconteur presents her one woman production of Swan Lake. In an hour. (Yes, really.) Matthew Bourne would be proud.

THE COMEDY SHOW (SCOTT AGNEW + EDD HEDGES + MEGAN SHANDLEY + JAYDE ADAMS) 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 21 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (JO CAULFIELD + CHRIS FORBES + JOE WELLS + ROSS LESLIE + MARTIN MOR) THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £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 (SCOTT AGNEW + EDD HEDGES + MEGAN SHANDLEY + JAYDE ADAMS) 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 22 Apr

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, 13:30–15:00, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. CARL HUTCHINSON

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–21:45, £12

Expect killer gags, highly entertaining stories and the trademark twisted logic that has made Carl Hutchinson a must-see fixture in the comedy world. 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. BOBBY MAIR – LOUDLY INSECURE

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:00, £12.50

Mon 23 Apr

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £5 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–21:45, £12

The big weekend show with five comedians.

Solo tour show.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (STU & GARRY + CHRIS FORBES + JOE WELLS + ROSS LESLIE + MARTIN MOR)

THE PLEASANCE, FROM 19:30, £1

Come and see the freshest comedy Edinburgh has to offer, watch acts grow and perform brand new material.

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X.

MY DAD WROTE A PORNO LIVE

Thu 19 Apr

GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 20:00, £28.75 - £31.65

The team behind the hugely popular podcast, documenting the sexual exploits of Belinda Blumenthal, head out on a live tour.

Tue 24 Apr

RED RAW (MC HAMMERSMITH)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–23:00, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts. PRESENTS: WIP

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:30, £0 - £3

Four of Monkey Barrel’s very favourite acts combine forces for a bumper night of works in progress.

ANNA MORRIS: BITCHELORS

Four diverse ‘contestants’ compete for your vote at a Woman of the Year Awards, hosted by Britain’s Biggest Bridezilla, Georgina Francis (Comic Relief’s Bride Aid).

Wed 25 Apr TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. ROSCO MCCLELLAND & CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD FRINGE PREVIEW DOUBLE BILL

THE COMEDY SHOW (SCOTT GIBSON + ROSCO MCLELLAND + DANNY DEEGAN + DESIREE BURCH) 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 29 Apr

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW (STUART MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON) THE STAND EDINBURGH, 13:30–15:00, 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.

FANNY’S AHOY! (JOJO SUTHERLAND + SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 17:30–18:30, £4 - £5

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–22:30, £5 - £6

The award-winning grand dames of Scottish comedy navigate you through rough seas with their distinctly comedic take on life.

Thu 26 Apr

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £10

Work-in-progress sneak peak previews of the upcoming Fringe shows before they’re taken to Edinburgh in August.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (DAN NIGHTINGALE + RAY BRADSHAW + ABI ROBERTS + LIAM WITHNAIL)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £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.

Fri 27 Apr

THE FRIDAY SHOW (DAN NIGHTINGALE + RAY BRADSHAW + ABI ROBERTS + MC HAMMERSMITH + LIAM WITHNAIL)

SCOTT GIBSON: SUNDAY SESSIONS

Award-winning comedian Scott Gibson welcomes you to join him for a Sunday Session, with a hand-picked line-up of singers, musicians, poets, storytellers, comics and more. TONY LAW’S 2018 ABSURDITY FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE TOUR

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–21:45, £10 - £12

Tony Law is back to spearhead the UK’s alternative comedy scene with his brand new show. AN EVENING WITH PUDDLES PITY PARTY

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £20

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £6 - £12

The ‘Sad Clown with the Golden Voice’ is back with his heartfelt anthems and a suitcase full of Kleenex.

THE IMPROVERTS

Mon 30 Apr

The big weekend show with five comedians. BEDLAM THEATRE, FROM 22:30, £3 - £3.50

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. DESIREE BURCH: UNF*CKABLE

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

After sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival and Soho Theatre, the 2015 Funny Women Awardwinner presents her comedy show on sex, race and capitalism.

THE COMEDY SHOW (SCOTT GIBSON + ROSCO MCLELLAND + DANNY DEEGAN + DESIREE BIRCH) 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 28 Apr

THE SATURDAY SHOW (DAN NIGHTINGALE + RAY BRADSHAW + ABI ROBERTS + MC HAMMERSMITH + LIAM WITHNAIL)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00–23:00, £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, 14:00–15:00, £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 pint-sized stand up routines.

RED RAW (LIAM WITHNAIL)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30–23:00, £3

Glasgow’s legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Art Glasgow Art CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art INTERVALS

19-22 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Intervals is an expanded playback of a Nirvana concert performed in 1991 at the Paramount Theatre, Seattle, composed of one second fragments of sound and light, programmed to playback every minute continuously, 24 hours a day for 71 hours and 11 minutes. SUSANNAH STARK: UNNATURAL WEALTH

21-22 APR, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

A new work exploring ancient Cynics, language and spam. The personal, political, spiritual and economic are woven together in a rotating sound and moving image listening experience. ROSS BIRRELL: THE TRANSIT OF HERMES

19 MAR-3 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

CCA presents Scottish artist Ross Birrell’s 2017 documenta 14 projects, Criollo and The AthensKassel Ride: The Transit of Hermes, including new film and installation works conceived specifically for this exhibition.

Anarchic comedy mayhem from Scotland’s finest young acts.

April 2018

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

Listings

EWAN MITCHELL, ZOÉ SCHREIBER AND CAMARA TAYLOR: ROADMAPS 19 APR-6 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Roadmaps brings together new sound and lens-based works by Ewan Mitchell, Zoé Schreiber and Camara Taylor. The exhibition opens a space for reflection on the nexus of personal and collective memory. Spanning various eras and places, they bridge the past and present in an effort to probe inherited narratives.

Glasgow Print Studio CALUM MCCLURE: SOMEWHERE BECOMING RAIN

1-8 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. CIARA PHILIPS – GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL

20 APR-3 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Turner Prize nominee Ciara Phillips addresses issues around women’s representation and self-actualisation in a print installation for Glasgow International 2018.

Glasgow School of Art

TORSTEN LAUSCHMANN: WAR OF THE CORNERS

20 APR-7 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

This new solo commission of audio-visual and sculptural works by Glasgow-based Torsten Lauschmann, takes its title from a war of words that broke out in 18th century Paris when an elitist French opera had to make way for a sudden wave of populist Italian opera. PENCIL TO PAPER: SUSANNE NØRREGÅRD NIELSEN

20 APR-7 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

In this playful interdisciplinary work, Nielsen responds to Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s (1889-1943) text ‘Remarks on Teaching Decorative Design’ (1922) to form the foundation for a series of drawings on paper. For the first 15 years of Taeuber-Arp’s career, she taught Design and Embroidery at The Zurich School of Art and Craft, and in this text she shows how to develop textile design. A rare insight into her creativity method, it is translated into English for the first time by Nielsen.

GoMA POLYGRAPHS

1 APR-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. CELLULAR WORLD

19 APR-7 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

A group exhibition that introduces the key thematic concerns of this year’s Glasgow International Director’s Programme, including questions of identity and individual and collective consciousness at a time of prolific social change and uncertainty, when reality can often seem more like science fiction.

Hillhead Library COLIN MCPHERSON: AN INDEPENDENT EYE

1-14 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Former freelance print photographer Colin McPherson presents his photographs and original cuttings from the newspapers.

Listings

Lillie Art Gallery MULTIPLE PROOF

3-19 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

This exhibition includes work by six artists/image-makers embracing a diversity of approaches to the photographic image, in terms of techniques and themes. All of the work celebrates, to some degree, the technical and material properties of photography.

Mary Mary ROSE MARCUS: CORE

20 APR-2 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Rose Marcus’ first UK exhibition furthers the artist’s themes of public space and its intrinsic use of private experiences. Founded on snapshots of recognisable sites in New York City, Marcus uses these iconic sites, and in turn, lets them use her, in order to shift assumptions about physical presence, vision and ownership.

Platform

JESSICA RAMM: PERSONAL STRUCTURES

20 APR-7 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

For GI 2018, Jessica Ramm will present a series of temporary structures that will occupy and respond to the architecture of Platform. JANIE NICOLL AND AILIE RUTHERFORD: IN KIND

27 APR-7 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collaborative action research project by visual artists Janie Nicoll and Ailie Rutherford, examining the “below the water-line” economy of Glasgow International 2018, charting the unseen, unaccounted for efforts that enable Glasgow International to take place; exploring the support in kind, unpaid labour, mutual favours, gifts and volunteer hours that go into making GI an apparent success.

SWG3 Glasgow

HUGO SCOTT: ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

20 APR-7 MAY, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

The first UK exhibition by Hugo Scott, the New York-based photographer and filmmaker, features new and recent photographs documenting contemporary life in the USA. Scott’s work spans social documentary, fashion and portraiture and is characterised by its spontaneity and empathy with the subject.

RICHARD WENTWORTH AND VICTORIA MIGUEL: A ROOMFUL OF LOVERS (GLASGOW) 20 APR-7 MAY, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

A Roomful of Lovers (Glasgow) is the first major presentation of work by internationally celebrated artist Richard Wentworth and writer Victoria Miguel to take place in Scotland and is SWG3’s first contemporary art commission for the Galvanizers. DMITRI GALITZINE: AT THIS STAGE

20 APR-7 MAY, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

At This Stage is a multi-screen video installation by Dmitri Galitzine, filmed during a fourmonth residency at Dance Attic Studios – an acclaimed music and dance rehearsal studio in London’s Old Fulham Baths. Being premiered at SWG3, the work draws upon all aspects of daily life at the Studio, from professional auditions to amateur evening classes, spanning many genres. BALDVIN RINGSTED: LOVE WILL TEAR US APART

20 APR-7 MAY, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

An installation from Icelandic, Glasgow-based multi-disciplinary artist Baldvin Ringsted in SWG3’s Acid Bar.

Street Level Photoworks

MARCELO BRODSKY - 1968: THE FIRE OF IDEAS

1-7 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.

JAMES PFAFF: ALEX & ME 19 APR-1 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Alex & Me is an artistic reappropriation of James Pfaff’s archive, a tribute to a significant broken love and an authentic road trip through North America in the late summer of 1998.

The Common Guild

KATINKA BOCK: RADIO PIOMBINO

19 APR-7 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

For Glasgow International 2018, The Common Guild will present a solo exhibition of work by the Parisbased, German artist Katinka Bock, her first in the UK. Bock works with a range of natural and manmade materials that undergo processes of alteration and translation, transforming materials into objects and experiments into proposals.

The Lighthouse RISOTTO’S RISO ROOM

1 APR-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 Old Hairdressers LAND

3 APR, 6:00PM – 12:00AM, FREE

Land is the exhibition of six artists, coming together on the ground we walk on. With contemporary art practices spread over a variety of mediums, they create a unique exhibition around the subjects of countries, climate change, landscape and humans.

Tramway

KAPWANI KIWANGA: SOFT MEASURES

20 APR-17 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

The continent of Europe is moving towards Africa at the rate of approximately 2cm per year – eventually it will slide underneath entirely. This was the starting point for a new multi-faceted installation by Paris-based Canadian artist Kapwani Kiwanga. TAI SHANI: DARK CONTINENT SEMIRAMIS

20 APR-6 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Tai Shani creates a large-scale immersive installation that also functions as a site for performance. The work is an experimental adaptation of Christine de Pizan’s 1405 proto-feminist text The Book of the City of Ladies. MARK LECKEY

20 APR-15 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

For his solo exhibition at Tramway, Turner Prize-winning artist Mark Leckey has taken inspiration from a small statuette of the biblical figure of Job on display in the Wellcome Collection in London. In the galleries, Leckey scales up the statue to gigantic proportions and converts the figure into a 7.1 surround sound audio system.

iota @ Unlimited Studios RICHARD WALKER: ATTIC GOES BOOM

12-28 APR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Richard Walker’s recent work is based on complex studio installations and attempts to investigate human vision and representation in its full complexity. Many of the newer paintings have a panoramic format and make reference to cinema, both in terms of spectacle and in the way the image emerges from the dark.

Edinburgh Art &Gallery

ELE PACK: HOLDING THE OCEANS

7 APR-5 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Using pattern and mark to create rhythm, Pack uses a range of materials in a very organic way overlaying layers of paint, mark and collage to build up the pictorial space.

Arusha Gallery NIGHT REALMS

1-29 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

A group show of six contemporary European artists whose striking, mesmerising work shows the influence of Baudelaire’s Romanticism. The first collaboration between Kristian Day and Arusha Gallery.

City Art Centre HIDDEN GEMS

1 APR-13 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

The City Art Centre showcases ‘unsung and unusual’ hidden gems from its collection of fine art.

EVENT HORIZON 1-22 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A new colossal work, which will be created live by artist Jason Hackenwerth and then suspended in the museum’s Grand Gallery. Two immersive exhibition zones and two specially-commissioned digital installations by local artists complete the experience.

Open Eye Gallery

ALASDAIR GRAY: SELECTED WORKS – 1962-2018 6-23 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition of new and historic work by the acclaimed Scottish artist. DAVID FORSTER RSW

6-23 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

New works by the award-winning watercolour painter. HEATHER ELIZA WALKER: BRAVE OLEANDER

6-21 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Drawings and larger works executed with Walker’s intricate mark-making technique.

Out of the Blue Drill Hall CULTURE CONNECTIONS

Coburg House Art Studios MARTINA CHLOE SALVI: DUST

7-8 APR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Edinburgh artist Martina Chloe Salvi explores the microcosmic world of dust through the medium of light.

Codebase TWO-WAY PATCH

1-27 APR, 9:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Exhibition featuring work by contemporary video artist, Melanie Gilligan, presented by Edinburgh College of Art.

Dovecot Studios GARRY FABIAN MILLER: VOYAGE

2 APR-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. BATHS TO BOBBINS: 10 YEARS AT INFIRMARY STREET

2 APR-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 TRANSLATING TRAVELS

6 APR-21 JUL, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

British-born, Bergen-based artist, Imi Maufe will be showing work from the past fifteen years – a collection of travels that have been developing into contained boxed pieces that can also involve collaboration with other artists.

Embassy Gallery THE SALON

6-15 APR, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

A Salon show for the EMBASSY membership, showcasing the talent of its members.

National Museum of Scotland ART OF GLASS

6 APR-16 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will examine the diverse work of 15 established and emerging glass artists in Britain today. EXISTENCE: LIFE AND BEYOND

1-15 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

This interactive exhibition will take you on an amazing journey to the outer reaches of life as we know it, from the origins of life on Earth to what’s next for future generations.

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

1-6 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

In a new photographic exhibition, five emerging photographers (collectively named F5.6) are exploring the theme of culture and what culture means to them from different angles.

Patriothall Gallery

LINDA KOSCIEWICZ: THE WHITE SERIES AND NEW WORK

6-22 APR, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Linda Kosciewicz is known for her artwork about the human condition, female identity and emotions in relation to the human body. This exhibition presents her White Series which explores the cultural and symbolic aspects of the colour white. FLORE GARDNER, (WITH) DRAWING(WITH)

6-22 APR, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

(with)Drawing(with) proposes two aspects of Flore Gardner’s drawing practice: a selection of about 100 drawings on paper and a large collective/collaborative drawing made live during the exhibition period.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ARTIST ROOMS: MUSIC FROM THE BALCONIES – ED RUSCHA AND LOS ANGELES

1-29 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 APR-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

1 APR-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 APR-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 APR-27 OCT 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

Royal Scottish Academy RSA

A display collating paintings, sculptures and works from the Portrait Gallery’s twentiethcentury collection, feat. a variety of well-known faces, from Ramsay Macdonald to Alan Cumming, Tilda Swinton to Danny McGrain.

1-18 APR, TIMES VARY, £0 - £5

1 APR-1 APR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

RSA NEW CONTEMPORARIES 2018

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.

Scottish National Gallery THE ART OF THE FUTURE

1-29 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’.

REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION

An exhibition examining the cultural consequences of the national religion becoming Protestantism in sixteenth century Scotland. HEROES AND HEROINES

1 APR-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

1-15 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 APR-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 APR-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.

Stills

COLLECTED SHADOWS: THE ARCHIVE OF MODERN CONFLICT

1-8 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 SYNTHETICA

1 APR-13 MAY, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

A special contemporary art exhibition co-curated by Edinburgh International Science Festival, Summerhall and ASCUS Art & Science, which will showcase the work of established international artists working in the field of bioart, including renowned artists Marta de Menezes, Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr, Tarsh Bates and Ting-Tong Chang. Through works derived using the tools, techniques and often living tissues of scientific research, Synthetica will explore how our notions of the natural and the artificial may need to change in an era in which hybrid and synthetic life forms have come into existence.

Talbot Rice Gallery DAVID CLAERBOUT

2 APR-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 ten years. David Claerbout presents a thorough experience of an artist whose work can mesmerise and beguile. RACHEL MACLEAN: SPITE YOUR FACE

2 APR-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

1 APR-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 artworld, 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.

Upright Gallery

N BY SW: IMPRESSIONS OF ICELAND AND PORTUGAL

2-13 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

This exhibition focuses on paintings Karl Stern made after his travels to Iceland and Portugal – Europe’s most northern and south westerly countries.

Dundee Art Centrespace

NEUROGENESIS: FROM NEURON BIRTH TO ALL THAT WE ARE

1-22 APR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Neurogenesis is a new immersive installation by designer and social artist Helen Storey and developmental biologist Kate Storey. Images of nerve cell generation emerge from a dress formed with materials worn by time. With its central motif of neuron birth, Neurogenesis challenges us to think about how the nervous system forms and changes, connecting us to our lived experience of the function and degeneration of neurons within our bodies.

Cooper Gallery INGELA IHRMAN: WE THRIVE

2-13 APR, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

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

1 APR-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.

Generator Projects

SAM GONÇALVES: INTIMACY WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP

1-8 APR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Intimacy Without Relationship is an exhibition of two parts – an interactive installation and a short film screening, both taking an inside look into the sort of work that makes this kind of art possible. AUTONOMOUS GRACE: JAMES NEWRICK

1-8 APR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Autonomous Grace is an exhibition of work that concerns the social and psychological responses to the changing fabric of a city. Focussing on the civic centre’s protected, yet discretely changing interior, it examines the affect that architectural design has on our mood and behaviour, through elements such as light, space and materials.

The McManus REVEALING CHARACTERS

1 APR-31 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE

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

1 APR-31 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE

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.

THE SKINNY

Contemporary Clay Continuing our tour of Scottish design, Local Heroes bring you the first of two forays this year into contemporary ceramics

Words: Stacey Hunter

Fiona Byrne-Sutton, Blue Penninsula (after Joseph Cornell)

Steph Liddle, Mimic Trio

Wood describes herself as a “restless designer” saying “I like to do new things. This year I want to move away slightly from totally utilitarian homeware and experiment more.” She has recently collaborated with selected illustrators such as Maria Stoian and Savannah Storm, and Bethany Thompson. “I knew that people liked the idea of putting their illustrations on ceramics but found it too complicated or daunting to deal with, so I was able to streamline the process and the results have been amazing. I have a list of people I would like to collaborate with and it just keeps growing.” Working from her studio in a Victorian jute mill, Steph Liddle is a Dundee-based ceramics designer and maker who draws on her background in illustration to create contemporary, graphic ceramic jewellery and homeware. She works primarily with Parian porcelain clay before

using underglaze to introduce hand-drawn pattern and illustration, meaning no two pieces are ever exactly the same. Each piece is polished by hand to create objects with a marblesmooth finish. Focusing on minimal shapes, combined with bold patterns and a limited colour palette, she creates pieces which are “easy to wear and live with.” Liddle’s work hinges on ideas around home and home comforts, especially the role of food, with many of her minimal patterns inspired by culinary staples. Her recurring dash and curve motifs are inspired by rice and macaroni – classic comfort foods reduced to their most basic shapes. “I’m working on a new collection at the moment which uses copper and gold lustres, which is exciting.” Upcoming exhibitions for Liddle include The Hepworth Wakefield Contemporary Ceramics Fair and WASPS

Patricia Shone

April 2018

Designers + Artists Summer Sale in Dundee – both in May. In Fiona Byrne Sutton’s work, landscape is distilled according to modernist formalism into discrete windows, huts, recesses or lairs. Her latest assemblages go under the name The Angel’s Share, an industry term for the portion of whisky lost in evaporation in the cask barrel. Here it is “a metaphor for the poetics of the temporal soul.” The composition, colour and rhythm of her three dimensional assemblages are informed by early Italian Renaissance paintings. The rich layers of metaphor become modular assemblages rendered in a limited palette in porcelain and clay and placed on crystocal plinths creating monumental compositions such as Blue Penninsula. The latest pieces from her Angel’s Share series can be seen in a forthcoming exhibition at the &Gallery, Edinburgh 5-29 May 2018.

Photo: Shannon Tofts

he ceramics scene in Scotland is an eclectic and highly diversified field, both in character and use of materials. It’s also possibly the only sector that embodies themes from early Italian Renaissance paintings, land erosion, Japanese reality and macaroni. Patricia Shone’s work is informed by the powerful landscape around her on the Isle of Skye. Her work has been developing in response to the feeling of connection with Skye’s inhabitants and their passage across the land. Firing her vessels by raku, wood and saggar she depicts the erosion of the hills, creating patterns and textures translated into clay. The designer makes mostly functional forms, boxes, bowls and jars “because they are innately human vessels; they represent the human condition of surface and content.” The natural textures produced are hand formed by texturing and stretching. Sometimes by throwing, sometimes carving from solid lumps. The muted colours are achieved with oxides, slips and glazes but mostly by the firing processes and different clay bodies. “As we advance, technologically, the surfaces we touch become increasingly synthetic and machine finished. I feel that what challenges us now is the reality of nature – wild, uncomfortable, dirty, unpackaged, visceral experience.” Her work will be exhibited in July at the Red Barn Gallery in Cumbria. Natalie J. Wood is a ceramic designer and maker whose minimalist pieces in slip cast Parian are produced using plaster moulds she makes herself in her Edinburgh studio. Focusing on clean lines and unique colours, Wood describes her work as “minimal homeware.” Her range of water carafes, cups, low pourers and plates is titled Detsu. The meaning came from Wood’s two aesthetic inspirations – ’De’ from the Dutch word for ‘the’ and ‘tsu’ from the Japanese ‘genjitsu’ meaning reality or actuality. Wood’s simple, elegant forms are impeccably restrained, decorative and functional. The designer was featured in the 2017 Wallpaper* City Guide to Edinburgh.

Photo: Michael Wolchover

Natalie J Wood

Last Word