The Skinny November2011 by The Skinny

.co.uk

INDEP ENDEN T FREE

C ULT URAL

JOURNAL ISM

Issue 74 November 2011

Art Torsten Lauschmann

Film British cinema renaissance: Interviews with Terence Davies and Andrew Haigh

Books Neil Forsyth, aka Bob Servant

Music The Fall Bwani Junction Josh T Pearson The Fruit Tree Foundation turn mentors

CLUBS DJ Shadow Fashion Kristen Orme

“It’s very, very difficult to leave...” 20 years at Sleazy’s

– Aidan Moffat

FEATURING ARAB STRAP, THE TWILIGHT SAD, MOGWAI, FRANZ FERDINAND

CONTENTS Tues 3rd April Thurs 5th April GLASGOW ABERDEEN CONCERT HALL MUSIC HALL 0141 353 8000

01224 641 122

Wed 4th April Sat 7th April PERTH INVERNESS CONCERT HALL EDEN COURT THEATRE 01738 621 031 01463 234 234

Sun 8th April EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE 0131 529 6000

Tickets: £26.50/£24.50

Nanci Griffith Randy THE KENNEDYS Newman GLASGOW a Regular Music/ITB presentation

SATURDAY 10TH MARCH

IN CONCERT

0141 353 8000

PHOTO: EOIN CAREY

CONCERT HALL

PHOTO: SAM LUNTLEY

plus special guests

P. 14 ROD JONES FRUIT TREE FOUNDATION

PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

P.23 TORSTEN LAUSCHMANN

Fri 24th Feb 2012

Glasgow Concert Hall

FRI 18 NOV

0141 353 8000 0871 220 0260 www.ticketmaster.co.uk www.randynewman.com

EDINBURGH PICTURE HOUSE

A REGULAR MUSIC / ITB PRESENTATION

Jim Lauderdale fri 23 dec edinburgh liquid rooms

JANIS IAN

WED 9TH NOV

Edinburgh Voodoo Rooms

ORAN MOR

THE

IN CONCERT

SUN 30TH OCTOBER

SILENCERS SAT 17TH DEC GLASGOW ORAN MOR

THURS 10TH NOV O2 ABC2 GLASGOW

EDINBURGH QUEEN’S HALL

Mary Coughlan

Sunday 13 November Glasgow

Lloyd Cole In Concert

WED 02 NOV

GLASGOW

ORAN MOR GLASGOW ORAN MOR

FRI 04 NOV

EDINBURGH

VOODOO ROOMS

Gillian Welch

Wed 16th Nov

NICK LOWE

Sun 20th Nov

Glasgow Clyde Auditorium

0844 395 4000

In association with Neil O’Brien Entertainment

SUN 26TH FEB

Edinburgh

QUEEN’S HALL 0131 668 2019

EDINBURGH HMV PICTURE HOUSE

SUN 20TH NOV ATE WED 23RD NOV E AD AT ABERDEEN EXTRA D EDINBURGH EXTR MUSIC HALL FESTIVAL THEATRE 0131 529 6000

01224 641 122

TUES 22ND NOV T SOLD OU ABERDEEN MUSIC HALL

THURS 24TH T NOV SOLD OU GLASGOW CONCERT HALL 0141 353 8000

www.ticketmaster.co.uk www.regularmusic.com 0871 220 0260 or in person from Ticket Scotland: Argyle Street Glasgow, Rose St Edinburgh & Ripping Records and all usual outlets THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

P.47 PLASTIKMAN

NOVEMBER 2011 Issue 74, November 2011 © Radge Media Ltd.

Editorial

Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 3 Coates Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7AA

Editor Music & Online Editor Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Competitions Editor Deviance Editor DVD Editor Fashion Editor Film Editor Food Editor Heads Up Editor Listings/Cyberzap Editor Performance Editor Tech Editor Travel Editor

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

WED 30TH NOV

by arrangement with wme

P.29 ANTICS WITH THE LOUCO–LS IN PORTUGAL

Thurs 10 Nov Edinburgh Pleasance Theatre T LD OUNov Fri 11 Nov & SatSO12 Glasgow Oran Mor

IMELDA

01224 641 122

IMAGE: JOSH WILSON

thur 22 dec o2 abc2 glasgow

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

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

Rosamund West Dave Kerr Andrew Cattanach Keir Hind Neil Murchison Bernard O’Leary David McGinty Ana Hine Keir Roper-Caldbeck Alexandra Fiddes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Anna Docherty Anna Docherty Gareth K. Vile Alex Cole Paul ‘Teendream’ Mitchell

Production Production Manager Designer Chief Subeditor

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printed on 100% recycled paper

Sales/Accounts Head of Sales & Marketing Marketing Executive Accounts Administrator Sales Executive

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Sophie Kyle

DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…DF CONCERTS PRESENTS…DF CONCERTS PRESENTS… 6: We ease you into this month’s issue with Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones musing eloquently on his hero Thurston Moore and some nice pictures. Then, all hell breaks loose when certifiable mentalist Fred Fletch takes to Twitter to harass John Lithgow 8: Heads Up: Our hand-crafted, specially selected diurnal highlights for this, the eleventh month of 2011 (in case you were wondering).

FEATURES 10: Nice’n’Sleazy does it every time… We say a big Happy 20th Birthday to one of Glasgow’s foremost live music institutions and November’s deserving cover star. 12: Josh T. Pearson, more myth than man? He speaks to us and we’re still none the wiser. 14: The Fruit Tree Foundation return with a mentor programme featuring Rod Jones, James Yorkston and Withered Hand, and they’ve given us exclusive access to the recording sessions. 18: British cinema has possibly never been in ruder health. We speak to two men directly responsible for this renaissance, Terence Davies and Andrew Haigh. 20: Neil Forsyth aka Bob Servant has been entertaining us with his wind-up emails for years. He’s back with a new book, which gave us the ideal opportunity to send him some wide emails of our own. 23: Glasgow-based, German-born Torsten Lauschmann talks about embracing technology, whilst simultaneously being suspicious of it. 24: DJ Shadow's missing an album from his 100,000 strong collection, can you help? 26: How The Fall’s Mark E. Smith keeps himself motivated to write in the aftermath of the notorious ’difficult 29th album’. 28: Quirky (and remarkably successful) visual artist David Shrigley talks about his involvement in an opera of all things. It’s called Pass the Spoon btw.

LIFESTYLE 29: Travel: A jolly to Portugal throws up some unusual cultural observations from our (admittedly probably quite drunk) correspondent. 31: Deviance: Is it a boy or a girl? Harder to say in the English language, than say, French. Thankfully. 32: Showcase: The Skinny is setting up a shop in association with Culture Label and Own Art. You’ll be able to buy limited edition prints by our selection of seven artists from late November. Here’s the preview. 34: fashion: My that cardigan looks lovely on you? Oh, it’s also a skirt? Innovative knitwear designer Kristin Orme reveals her secrets. 36: Food & DrinK: Has the rise of the ’deals’ websites made cheapskates of us all when it comes to dining out? Quite probably, says our F&D Ed.

REVIEW 39: Music: Clean George IV returns the royal verdict on this month’s singles, and we spend some quality pub time with the affable Edinburgh quartet Bwani Junction, this month’s New Blood. Lots of album and gig reviews, and a look forward to November's live highlights. 46: Clubs: We catch up with Toronto quartet Azari & III, one of dance music’s most hotly tipped bands, and laud the return of Plastikman. 48: Film: Our film reviews include Moneyball, Weekend and Wuthering Heights, while we look ahead to the intriguing Africa in Motion film festival. 50: ART: A closer look at exhibitions Warp & Woof at CCA, and Against Anti-Intelligence at SWG3. 51: Books: Includes a review of Frankie Boyle’s latest opus whilst our Tech editor asked Siri to help dispose of a body. We didn’t ask any more questions. 52: Performance: Venue of the month is Brunton Theatre, (and we’re offering a prize to anyone who can name the dog hidden in the photograph of the building) and we preview some forthcoming theatrical highlights. 53: Comedy: There’s a comedy explosion in Edinburgh, and local boy Ben Verth is a part of it. We take a closer look at Claudia and David O’Doherty’s latest book, 100 Facts About Sharks. 54: COMPETITIONS: WIN! Tickets to Anoushka Shankar, and a VIP ticket to the Cathouse’s 21st birthday celebrations. 55: LIstings: A somewhat exhaustive chronicle, we think you’ll agree, of all the is great and good, culturally speaking, in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee, this November. 63: None other than Tom Vek reveals his favourite tracks of all time, and as far as our Crystal Baws can tell, you’re probably fucked!

Perform their classic album The Optimist for it's 10th anniversary

+ RINGO DEATHSTARR

+ JERSEY BUDD

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW

SUNDAY 20TH NOVEMBER

Sunday 13th November

EDINBURGH THE QUEEN’S HALL

GLASGOW O2 ABC

MONDAY 21ST NOVEMBER

New album OCEANIA coming out soon! www.smashingpumpkins.com

www.turinbrakes.com www.myspace.com/turinbrakes

+ CEREBRAL BALLZY + CROWNS

+ ALEX WINSTON O2 ABC GLASGOW TUESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER

GLASGOW THE ARCHES SATURDAY 5TH NOVEMBER

THE ALBUM PASSIVE ME AGGRESSIVE YOU OUT NOW FEATURING YOUNG BLOOD, PUNCHING IN A DREAM AND GIRLS LIKE YOU WWW.THENAKEDANDFAMOUS.COM Plus Special Guests

GLASGOW GARAGE SATURDAY 5TH NOVEMBER NEW ALBUM 'FREEDOM RUN' OUT NOW

GLASGOW ORAN MOR MONDAY 7TH NOVEMBER

MAGAZINE

+ guests IN FEAR OF OLIVE

O2 ABC GLASGOW

SATURDAY 5TH NOVEMBER

NEW ALBUM. NEW MATERIAL. ‘NO THYSELF’. IMMINENT www.wire–sound.com www.facebook.com/magazineofficial

+ THE ORCHIDS (GLAS ONLY) + CLOUD CONTROL (EDIN ONLY) + THE HISTORY OF APPLE PIE

GLASGOW O2 ABC

Saturday 3rd December

EDINBURGH HMV PICTURE HOUSE Sunday 4th December

The album ‘THE DRUMS’ out now www.THEDRUMS.com

Glasgow The Arches

Tuesday 29th November

Glasgow, Oran Mor Auditorium

+ Tanya Auclair

Monday 7th November

WIRE

GLASGOW ORAN MOR

WEDNESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER

New album

Out Now

+ TALK NORMAL

LOS CAMPESINOS!

EDINBURGH LIQUID ROOM Thursday 17th November GLASGOW THE ARCHES Friday 18th November

Glasgow Oran Mor Thursday 10th November

+ Strange News From Another Star

Album ‘Red Barked Tree’ Out Now. www.britishseapower.co.uk

PLUS SPECIAL GUEST

Glasgow Arches

Thur 10th November

GLASGOW ORAN MOR

+ LOUISE AND THE PINS

WEDNESDAY 30TH NOVEMBER

‘100 ACRES OF SYCAMORE’ OUT NOW ON HEAVENLY RECORDINGS

tomvek.tv

I DREAM IN COLOUR

+ THE BRAZEN CARS

GLASGOW ARCHES

WEDNESDAY 23RD NOVEMBER

EDINBURGH CABARET VOLTAIRE

TUESDAY 8TH NOVEMBER

GLASGOW PIVO PIVO

WEDNESDAY 9TH NOVEMBER

GLASGOW PIVO PIVO TUESDAY 1ST NOVEMBER

EDINBURGH CABARET VOLTAIRE THURSDAY 3RD NOVEMBER

PLEASE NOTE: CHANGE OF VENUE/DATES - ALL TICKETS FOR ORIGINAL DATES STILL VALID

Glasgow, The Arches

Wednesday 30th November

Call: 08444 999 990 Online: www.gigsinscotland.com

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Follow gigsinscotland on twitter @gigscot November 2011

THE SKINNY

Editorial This month we salute a Glasgow venue that has been an integral part of the Scottish music scene for twenty years. To celebrate Nice'n'Sleazy's milestone birthday we've had some words with some of the multitude of musicians who have played, drunk, and vomited on the couch there over the years. Their birthday programme offers a bit of a who's who of Scottish music past and present, and even includes some secret gigs with some as-yet-to-be-named acts. Turn to page 10 to learn more. In other Music news we're also marking the launch of the new Fruit Tree Foundation mentor programme. You may remember the Fruit Tree, spearheaded by Rod Jones, from last year's Music Like A Vitamin collaborative album in aid of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. This year they've returned with a new project, bringing together established Scottish musical talent (Rod Jones, James Yorkston and Withered Hand) and emerging songwriters to collaborate in the studio. The results went down a storm live last month, and now they're releasing a 6-track mini-album. You can download it for free on our site (www. theskinny.co.uk) now. Other interview highlights in

this month's music include The Fall's Mark E Smith, Josh T Pearson, and DJ Shadow. In Film, we celebrate a banner year of British film with a pair of interviews with directors releasing films in November, one a grand master of cinema (Terence Davies) the other the young pretender (Andrew Haigh). In Art, we went round Torsten Lauschmann's house first thing one morning to quiz him on the meaning of art, ahead of his exhibition in DCA, running now. He handled it rather well, considering. Books continued its trend of challenging interview styles by email-interrogating author Neil Forsyth, aka Bob Servant, on why Jimmy Savile won't return his calls anymore. Our Showcase this month looks forward to a new development round Skinny way. We're launching an online shop at the end of the month, in association with Culture Label (www.culturelabel. com), and with the support of Own Art, where you will be able to purchase some truly beautiful prints by some of the dozens of early career artists who have featured in our Showcase section over the years. We've got a sneak preview of what's on offer in the centre spread. Vogue.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton, aka Arab Strap, in Nice'n'Sleazy in 1999. PHOTO: Eva Vermandel

HERO WORSHIP Idlewild’s Rod Jones tips his hat to Thurston Moore, the man who inspired him to pick up a guitar in the first place When I was asked to gush in admiration about one of my heroes, I instantly started battling myself in the confines of my scatterbrained mind. “Do I go cool so that everyone thinks I’m cool by association, or do I just shout from the rooftops about Bruce Springsteen and to hell with everyone?” As much as I love The Boss, and really I do... there is someone else. I feel like I’m cheating on Bruce here, but in terms of the person who inspired me musically and shaped my 'Sonic Youth' (sorry) I have to choose Thurston Moore. I don’t remember the first time I heard Sonic Youth exactly, but I know it was through the thick mist of British heavy metal that filled my listening hours in my early teen years. I’d bought a copy of Daydream Nation on cassette from Jumbo records in Leeds on the recommendation of my best friend’s older brother who mentored our early musical growth. Almost immediately, or after the very long intro (which I’m not ashamed to admit passed me by on first listen), I was transfixed by the abrasive yet hooky guitar riff of Teen Age Riot which sounded so foreign and exciting to me. I played the whole cassette through numerous times in a row, pausing only to turn it over as I didn’t yet have one of those fancy players that did that on its own, and soon fell in love with this chaotic but beautiful noise that came from Mr Moore’s guitar. It sounded to me like a man arguing with his guitar and then kissing it better afterwards. So angry and noisy but then also melodic and pastoral at times. Add to this his vocal delivery, that sounded like he just didn’t give a fuck and almost like he was drunk. This all

added up to one thing for a teenage Jones: Thurston Moore was the coolest guy on the planet I had been brought up in a very classical background with my parents being a conductor and a soprano, pushed to play violin, piano and trombone from an early age. These all went out of the window with the discovery of Sonic Youth and Thurston Moore. Heavy metal seemed so far away from me that it had never inspired me to want to play it, but when I heard Mr. Moore play I felt I needed to have a shot at that. Maybe it was laziness in part; maybe I thought it would be easier to play Sonic Youth than Iron Maiden. He seemed to make it sound so effortless and easy. Enter cruel reality: it really isn’t as easy as you might think. Fom his obscure tunings and customised guitars to his way of playing that sounded like nothing I’d ever heard, he changed the way a lot of people thought about the guitar. It felt to me that suddenly the guitar had become an instrument I could teach myself and there was no right or wrong way to play it. I could develop my own way and style and didn’t need to learn a bunch of scales again. Happy times. I’m a big fan of prolific songwriters and Thurston is no slouch here. There is an immense body of work from sixteen Sonic Youth albums, several solo albums and multiple experimental noise projects. True, some of the noise projects are challenging at times, but this is a guy who just seems to love to write music and wants to push boundaries and limits. All of this, and he’s still able to produce a great three minute pop song with ease (and a 4 minute noise intro...). To this day, I still marvel at his ability to write the catchiest of riffs and melodies that sound so effortlessly cool and unique; after making so much music over such a long time he’s still able to surprise me at every turn. A great and inspirational songwriter and probably the ultimate alternative guitar hero. My hero, at least. Thurston Moore plays The Arches, Glasgow on 28 Nov Rod Jones & The Birthday Suit release The Eleventh Hour on 11 Nov

Shot of SKINNY the month ON TOUR

GRUFF RHYS

AT THE BONGO CLUB, 8 oct by EOIN CAREY See more great photography at www.skinny.co.uk

THE SKINNY November 2011

You, Fact Lovers. Did you know the pope's gaff hasn't always been the Vatican? Our Blogs Editor Adeline stopped by his old dwelling last month, and if you can guess where that is you're in for a treat. Go to www.theskinny.co.uk/competitions and you might win a bottle of wine courtesy of our expert friends at VINO WINES.

Closing date: Wed 30 Nov 2011 Terms: www.theskinny.co.uk/terms and www. drinkaware.co.uk for the facts. Over 18s only. The prize isn't redeemable for cash and is to be collected from one of the Vino Wines stores.

STOP THE PRESSES!

OPINION

Important stuff we don’t have space for anywhere else

Illustration: Arthur Chiverton

from Graphic Scotland: Writers and artists throughout Scotland are being invited to think about creating comics, by new organisation Graphic Scotland. Graphic Scotland is an independent non-profit organisation, set up dy by Ariadne and Lizzie (Former Skinny Come Ed) Cass-Maran, aiming to bring together Scottish-based writers, artists and publishers e in international collaborations to create divers te and innovative new graphic fiction. The websi unity launched last month, and includes a comm space where writers and artists are encouraged as to gather and discuss the latest comics news, with. well as to find other creators to collaborate Check it out at www.graphicscotland.co.uk

FRED FLETCH

TWITTER: Telling our planet’s most exciting celebrities that you're a fucking idiot

The Skinny's resident blogging maniac finally catches on to the Twitterverse and uses it to upset respected actor John Lithgow Celebrities make us feel special. They take us to magical places where everything is awesome. When someone like Kim Kardashian appears on TV doing something glamorous with her ass and possibly a cat, it can shut down the part of our brains reserved for silent, private approval. Before the internet was invented, the only way you could talk to a celebrity was if they were on a book-signing tour, attending a premiere or hitting you with their car while drunk. Imagine Tess Daly just appeared on Strictly Come Dancing next to the unkillable corpse of Bruce Forsyth and you wanted to thank her personally for adding sparkle to your evening – you’d probably have to travel great distances, climb up fire escapes and hope that ‘under her bed’ is not on a hotel security guard’s check list, just to get that once in a lifetime chance to tell her how much of your everything needs to be inside her. Since the average human face has not developed the capacity to be resistant to the business end of Tess Daly, it’s not surprising that the internet has developed easier options for making contact with our idols. These days all you need to tell a celebrity how much your genitals enjoy their work is a computer, a fast connection, and a keyboard that can support both flippers and a star struck erection. Welcome to the wonderful world of Twitter. For those of you who have been in a coma since March 2006, Twitter is an online social network & microblogging site that has been popularly utilised by many famous celebrities. Although, much like the jacuzzi in Geordie Shore, 99% of Twitter is filled with the worst anythings to dribble out of a human being, 1% is non-yeast-infected-celebrity gold. It quickly became a self-publicity machine that allowed the likes of George Clooney and Ricky Gervais to share their thoughts and dreams with the world. Sadly the results are generally underwhelming, as for every Stephen Fry you found saying something witty and clever, there were roughly 100 Heidi Montags telling everyone that “Ice cream is yummy.”

You have to realise that I am pretty much a chinbeard and slow dance with Kelly McGillis away from being technologically Amish. I’m the kind of person who owns an internet but doesn’t know how it works. Allowing me to fool around in Twitter was like giving a Sasquatch a raygun. After 48 hours of primitive grunting and awkward experimentation it would ultimately end with the smell of burning hair and a confused John Lithgow. Desperate to log on and run screaming into a conversation with StreetHawk’s Rex Smith, I had to have a friend explain the finer points of the network to me in a manner similar to how you might describe the plot of Turner & Hooch to a victim of head trauma. “TOM HANKS AND DOG HILARIOUSLY FOIL CRIMES. REMEMBER TO PUT A FUCKING ‘@’ AT THE START.” And with that I was ready to Tweet. Trying not to sound like an idiot on the internet isn’t easy. The problem with people contacting stars via short electronic communications is that anything we write is automatically subject to the ‘Nights on Broadway’ Factor (A scientifically proven theory based on the popular BeeGees 1975 hit, in which even the most honest and heartfelt expressions of love can sound so creepy you’d think you wrote them while dressed as a werewolf and covered in centipedes). This issue is amplified by the fact that Twitter only gives you 140 characters with which to express yourself. With so many things to say and so little space to hammer, attempting to concisely express your feelings of admiration to William Daniels, the voice of Kitt from KnightRider, is like trying to scream the lyrics to Kiss From A Rose out of the back of a speeding pick-up-truck and it’s a lot easier to sound insane in 140 letters than it is to sound poetic, as the product description on a pack of ‘intimate urethra sounding rods’ will testify. Everything feels rushed and the pressure of messaging a celebrity can often cause our brains take a shit on the keyboard which is probably why, less than 24 hours into Twitter, I ended up doing what anyone else with a Twitter account would do: I found ‘JOHN LITHGOW’ and embarrassed myself. I wandered into the Emmy Award winning actor’s page just as he was sharing links to his new book. He had accidentally directed his fans to a page relating to a Salma Hayek autobiography and apologised appropriately with the style and dignity you’d expect from a classically trained actor who once appeared in a movie where Sasquatch comically destroyed his toilet. So obviously I replied. I can only pray that when he read ‘EXCITING MEXICAN TITS’ he nodded both patiently and approvingly before reclining back onto a bed made entirely from BigFoot & The Hendersons dollars. Twitter: Sometimes it’s smarter to shut the fuck up. www.theskinny.co.uk/blogs/fred_fletch

Edinburgh Hogmanay: The line-u p has been announced for the capital’s New Year’s celebrations. The eclectic range of acts appe aring include Friendly Fires, Mark Rons on, the Peatbog Faeries, Capercaillie, Fringe favo urites Frisky & Mannish and Fife’s own former X Factor hope Jade Richards. This year’s Concert in the Gardens will be headlined by Primal Scre am, bringing their year of the Screamadelica tour to a fitting close with support from Bombay Bicycle Club. More info on the line-up and ticke t acquisition can be found at www.edinburghsho gmanay.com

Going for Gold: Voluntary Arts Scotlan d are holding their third annual conference in the Scottish Storytelling Ce ntre, Edinburgh, on 18 & 19 November. They’ve planned two days of talks and workshop s on arts and health, funding, attracting me dia coverage, planning and time management , getting involved in the Commonwealth Game s, and even how to run interesting committee meetings. The craft and cocktails session sou nds particularly engagi ng. Go to www.vascotland. org.uk for more info. Event Transgender Day of Remembrance (19 November) e affected Annual event to remember those trans peopl Centre by hate and prejudice. Organised by the LGBT with work their of part as ing Wellbe and Health for Scottish the trans community in connection with the ly supTransgender Alliance – the centre hosts month n, as port groups for Trans Men and for Trans Wome gender about t bookle ation inform an cing produ as well rgh Edinbu , Street Howe e, Centr dysphoria. LGBT

Happy 21st Birthday to the Cathouse! The Glasgow institution is celebrating in inimitable style, with a special night on 9 December coinciding with the afterparties of the Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe rawk out. Rawk. You can win tickets including queue jump and a pile of bar credit on page 54, and get more info at www.cathouse.co.uk I: and il Withna Celebrate Sleazy’s 20th with love-fest on GFT are joining in the Nice‘n’Sleazy screening of Bruce LOLing out loud: The Shack 25 Nov with a special late night ia a new dediby free entry cated comedy venue that’s just open Robinson’s boozy classic followed ed on Rose a cinem the from walk t shor that Stree And t in Edinburgh. Promoter and com to Sleazy’s. edian ty rtuni oppo ct perfe the is t Stree JoJo Sutherland hopes it'll be "grun along Sauchiehall gy, alter nayour up k spar and tive and very funny". 119 Rose St, to down a can of lighter fluid Edinburgh ing past Sleazy’s barg re befo ot, Carr ell berw Cam the finest wines bouncers declaring, ‘We demand !’ available to humanity Performance highlights: The Traverse’s en DANCE:FILM 2011: From Fred and Autumn Season – in that difficult period betwe Ginger ors – has continued Dominic Hill’s to Footloose, DANCE:FILM (12-1 direct artistic 9 Nov) of covers all the bases for fans of tradition of including dance as a central part a cinematic La Nuit Intime sees Liv Lorent boogie. Taking place in various mme. progra the venues across Edinburgh, highlights include docu get sexy while NowwhatNow is Dance Base’s mentary A Good Man, which follows inter annual props for the local crew. nationally acclaimed director/choreographer Bill T. Jones over two tumultuous years, and A sad farewell to seminal guitarist/s Ron Honsa’s ongwriter paean to the medium, Never Stan Bert Jansch, who passed away last d Still. Both month. Often are European premières. The festi Scotland’s unsung treasure, acco val closes at lades have the Cameo with an all-nighter of come from the likes of Jimmy Page cheesy guilty , Neil Young pleasures including Xanadu and – who Jansch just recently toured America Flashdance. – and Best dust off those leg warmers. Johnny Marr.

Deviance

Barbershop Condoms “Something for the weekend, sir?” Seems a pretty innocuous question, and not being a gentleman myself I had no idea what it meant before this month. Not that someone said it to me, of course, no; the discovery of one of the major unofficial channels of condom distribution came during Fresher’s Week. A new barber has opened in Dundee (called Benjamin Barkers, it’s about half way up the Perth Road, next door to the costume shop), and one of their guys was handing out information at our societies fair. I was surprised to find he had supplied both a free comb and a free condom. Free condoms themselves aren’t exactly surprising during Fresher’s Week (beware of expiration dates, kids), but the juxtaposition struck me as odd.

The explanation given was that ‘back in the day’ barbers would supply condoms to their customers. My little feminist heart leapt at the idea of a community taking care of their own fertility in such a way. I was even happier to find out the practise is still going on – for instance in North Carolina a charity called the Trial Health Project has teamed up with a number of local businesses (including barber shops) to provide free condoms in an effort to fight HIV/AIDS and general STIs. Back in Dundee the proliferation of free condoms coupled with the high rates of teenage pregnancy and STI infection simply affirm that merely having access to contraception does not necessarily mean an increase in safe sex practise. So if your barber does happen to offer you a little something for the weekend, remember they’re only effective if you use the bloody things. [Ana Hine]

November 2011

THE SKINNY

TUE 1 NOV

WED 2 NOV

To coincide with the release of their new combined live album and DVD boxset, SIGUR RÓS are screening the accompanying film in a series of shows across the world (taking them from Honolulu to an ice cinema in Finland, no less). The film itself is a close-up beauty of a thing, featuring zoomed in shots of the band playing live, sometimes shot through prisms and found objects, and interspersed with archive footage. Òran Mór, Glasgow, 7pm, £10

Edinburgh’s own African film festival, AFRICA IN MOTION, kicks off its five-day run with a screening of the last film in Tunisian director Nacer Khamir’s Desert Trilogy, Bab’Aziz (The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul). Filmed in the stunning sandscapes of Tunisia and Iran, it presents a multi-layered glimpse of Sufism, the mystical expression of Islam, through the eyes of a blind dervish. It also stands as one of the richest pieces of filmmaking we’ve seen in some time. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, 8.15pm, £7.50 (£5.50)

SUN 6 NOV

MON 7 NOV

Post-Fence Records’ sell-out Guy Fawkes festival in Anstruther (Fence’s Flamin’ HOTT LOGGZ, what else?), Johnny Lynch has personally asked music blogger Song, By Toad to host the come-down, presenting a chilled FENCE VS SONG, BY TOAD night, for which Meursault, Jonnie Common, and Avital Raz are all on the bill. Hew Scott Hall, Anstruther, details tbc

NEoN digital arts festival (5-12 Nov) takes over Dundee for the week, and amongst the packed programme of lectures, treasure hunts, film screenings, and digital happenings will be the rather wonderful interactive sound exhibition, Moving Sound Together. Its highlights will include artist Tim VincentSmith’s building of a harmonograph from found objects, using the instrument to trace the curves of sonorous vibrations and conduct its own songs. Inspired stuff. Chamber East, Dundee, until 12 Nov, Free

THIS MONTH WE GIVE YOU PIANOS DROPPING FROM CEILINGS, SLEAZY’S MONTHLONG 20 YEARS OF ACENESS CELEBRATIONS, BUTCHER BOY MAKING A RARE LIVE APPEARANCE, AND MR DAVID SHRIGLEY’S SORT-OF OPERA ABOUT COOKERY

JONNIE COMMON

COMPILED BY: ANNA DOCHERTY

PHOTO: LIMBO LIVE

HEADS UP

FRI 11 NOV

SAT 12 NOV

SUN 13 NOV

Innovative collaborative theatre company Sound&Fury return with another of their immersive surround sound performances, GOING DARK, for which the theatre will be plunged into total darkness for a twinkly star-filled exploration of contemporary society’s lost connection with the night sky and its wonder at the cosmos. Our month probably won’t get any more magical... Traverse, Edinburgh, 11-12 Nov, 7.30pm, £17 (£13)

The ALL NIGHT HORROR crew are back in Glasgow, with a quartet of grisly offerings screening right through the night. On the bill is John Carpenter’s horror classic, Halloween; an uncut version of Sam Raimi’s cult video nasty, The Evil Dead, before it all turns a bit weird, with jigsaws made of chainsawed-off body parts (in Pieces), and a perverse Frankenstein mating zombies in Flesh For Frankenstein. Grosvenor, Glasgow, details tbc

A sex special you say? Don’t mind if we do. The spoken word specialists that are GLASGOW’S WORDS PER MINUTE crew host a one-off, strictly over-18s, sex-themed night, mixing words, live music, and performance of a decidedly sexy bent. On the bill is novelist Sarah Hall reading from her new short story collection, and poet Billy Letford reading from his ’Sex Poems’ series, plus music from Tragic O’Hara, and, if you’re lucky, some on-stage dancing. The Arches, Glasgow, 4pm, £5

ANIMA BOUTIQUE

FRI 18 NOV

Proving popular with his debut night last month – when his guests included Bwani Junction and Blank Canvas – Vic Galloway returns for his, now monthly, showcase slot at Electric Circus, where the man himself gets to pick the acts for your aural delectation. And we’ve got no complaints about this month’s choice of line-up, featuring as it does a trio of Glasgow-based talent: Remember Remember, Dam Mantle, and Adam Stafford. Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 7pm, £6 (advance)

Legendary Glasgow artist David Shrigley joins forces with award-winning composer David Fennessy, and acclaimed director Nicholas Bone for the premiere of their brand new performance piece, PASS THE SPOON, which fuses actors, musicians, food, and a dung beetle in one glorious whole. The Shrigley designed poster sums it up as thus: “a sort-of opera about cookery”. We’re sold. Tramway, 17-19 Nov, 7.30pm, £14 (£10)

ADAM STAFFORD

PHOTO: ASHLEY GOOD

THU 17 NOV

IMAGE: DAVID SHRIGLEY

THE EVIL DEAD

WED 23 NOV

THU 24 NOV

FRI 25 NOV

Texan singer/songwriter with a beard and flowing locks to envy, JOSH T PEARSON (aka the former Lilt To Experience man) tours on the back of his debut solo album, Last Of The Country Gentleman, a precious collection of soul-infused songs that evoke the saddest and most bittersweet emotions. Tender stuff. Oran Mor, Glasgow, 8pm, £11.50

Continuing with their 20 Years Of Sleaze celebrations, Nice ’n’ Sleazy welcome live favourites SPARROW AND THE WORKSHOP to the stage, who with any luck will be cherry-picking from this year’s second album proper, Spitting Daggers, which came fueled on stop-start drums, crackling percussive crescendos, and, o’course, Jill O’Sullivan’s yowling battle cries. Stellar support comes from Martin John Henry (aka that guy from De Rosa). Nice ’n’ Sleazy, Glasgow, 8pm, £6

Occasional experimental film night (i.e. it happens everynow-in-a-not-very-often), LOW DEF, is back with a set of one-minute screenings, where a selection of amateur filmmakers have risen to the challenge of making a (very) short film in low definition, be that on shitty camcorders, mobile phones, or old Super 8. The fruits of their labour then screen in Word Of Mouth cafe, with free popcorn for all. Word Of Mouth, Edinburgh, 6.30pm, Free

Things get a bit serious over SECRET WARS way, as they host the last of their semi finals. It sees head honcho Conzo Throb (who’s also the man responsible for the décor in Glasgow’s Club 520) going head-tohead with experienced local artist, Smug. The rules to abide by remain the same: both artists are armed with only black paint, a white wall, and 90-minutes on the clock, before the usual post-painting raveathon kicks in. Flat 0/1, Glasgow, 11pm, £tbc

PHOTO: MARKUS THORSEN

TUE 22 NOV

THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

THU 3 NOV

FRI 4 NOV

SAT 5 NOV

Continuing with his exploration of sonic repercussion, Glasgow-based artist and musician Raydale Dower presents PIANO DROP, his latest sound installation piece which sees him, well, drop a piano from the ceiling of Tramway and record the unfolding cachophonic composition. presenting the result as an ambisonic sound and film installation. Bow down, that man. Tramway, Glasgow, until 6 Nov, Free

Fresh from last week’s birthday shenanigans with disco dons Crazy P, DEVIL DISCO CLUB are ready to do it all over again with Part II of their birthday celebrations. For it, the one-man-show that is Redinho will be taking over the decks, serving up keys, synths, beats and talkbox vocals in one shiny-like-the-future robo-electro whole. Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh, 11pm, £7

Another day, another favourited ’burgh club night celebrates its birthday. Tonight sees regular gig-in-a-club night LIMBO celebrate four years since it first launched as a weekly, and for the occasion they’ve invited Conquering Animal Sound back for a headline set (after their support slot for Meursault back in April), armed as per with their unusual song structures and DIY battered electronics. Support from Pumjaw and PET seals the deal. Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 8pm, £9

TUE 8 NOV

FRI 9 NOV

SAT 10 NOV

Kilmarnock’s own bearded baldie disco legend (every town should have one), David Barbarossa hosts the weekly musical wonderland that is WILD COMBINATION, which finds the man himself digging out all sorts of unknown gems from his rather large record collection. He’ll be joined on the night by one-half of Optimo, the inimitable JG Wilkes. That’s a dream team right there. Nice ’n’ Sleazy, Glasgow, 11.30pm, £3

Wu-Tang Clan banger GHOSTFACE KILLAH (aka Dennis Coles) does his gloriously noisy solo thing, with his inimitable stream-of-consciousness style rap narratives blasted out a-top high-energy machine gun-like basslines (i.e prepare thyself for a full-on sensory assault). Support comes from Scottish hip-hop turntablist Nasty P, and Ghanian experimental grime artist Kobi Onyame. The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7pm, £14

As Nice ‘n’ Sleazy celebrate 20-wholeyears of general aceness, so they have put together a month-long programme featuring all their favourite bands and DJs (see listings for full line-up). Tonight finds MEURSAULT back in their dingy basement, or, more precisely, Neil Pennycook and his howlin’ tones. Support comes from beguiling folky Glasgow trio, Foxface. Nice ’n’ Sleazy, Glasgow, 8pm, £6

JG WILKES

MEURSAULT

WED 16 NOV

Taking inspiration from a myriad of musical sources – electronica, prog rock, opera even – and condensing it into their own unique brand of emotive chamber pop, WILD BEASTS continue with their allencompassing world tour schedule, still quite rightly riding high on the back of their stripped-back third album, Smother. Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7pm, £13.50

THE TWILIGHT SAD boys get back on the live circuit, performing an intimate set cherry-picked from their new album, No One Can Ever Know (due in early 2012), which was overseen by a certain Mr Andrew Weatherall. Early previews (namely the free download of Kill It In The Morning) sound like a glorious, sonic smack to the face. Bongo Club, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £10. Also playing Dundee’s Doghouse (13 Nov), and Glasgow’s Nice ’n’ Sleazy (18 Nov) over the course of the month

PHOTO: SARAH ROBERTS

TUE 15 NOV Bringing together a trio of artists from the GIZEH roster in once place, CCA play home to Belgium dark-pop duo Sleepingdog, Parisian music, poetry and film crossover collective FareWell Poetry, and Glasgow’s own lo-fi noisemakers Conquering Animal Sound. This is to be the label’s first venture in what they hope will become a unique series of concerts, pairing beautiful music with interesting settings. Can’t say fairer than that. CCA, Glasgow, 8pm, £6

PHOTO: EUAN ROBERTSON

MON 14 NOV

SLEEPINGDOG

SUN 20 NOV

MON 21 NOV

Something of a ghost on the live circuit, BUTCHER BOY give their third album its first proper airing in the kind of grandiose surrounds it deserves, as they take to a Grade Alisted old bank out in the sticks of Shawlands. Cue a careful layering of strings, guitars, and piano arrangements, resplendent with John Blair Hunt’s emotive vocals, and you’re hopefully close to imagining how magical this’ll be. Stellar support comes from one-time Y’All is Fantasy Islander, Adam Stafford. Langside Hall, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £8

Talbot Rice put beauty quite literally in the frame with BEHOLDER, which invites a selection of artists, individuals, and organisations to loan or nominate an artwork that they consider represents ’beauty’ in some form or another. Visitors are then invited to vote for their favourite piece (either in the gallery, or online via Facebook), creating a silent exchange of views on this much contested theme. Talbot Rice, Edinburgh, until 18 Feb 2012, Free

Bristol-born Fence Records’ lady ROZI PLAIN gets set to woo with her delightfully plucky Catherine wheel vocal harmonies and intimate songsmithery, playing an intimate set at Edinburgh’s Electric Circus. She’ll be joined by long-time musical allies, Kate Stables’ Bristol and Parisstraddling band, This Is The Kit, and folk singer/songwriter Jamie Harrison. Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 7pm, £5

SAT 26 NOV

SUN 27 NOV

MON 28 NOV

BOLD SOULS return to The Arches for the second of their November pop-up shops, showcasing the wares of Glasgow’s vibrant fashion community over ranges of clothing, accessories, jewellery, millinery, and beauty, plus the chance to get your grubby mitts on couture pieces direct from the designers, at discount prices. It’ll also mark the first outing for their ’Shop It Swap it’ feature (y’know, take your old stuff you don’t want and swap it for shiny new stuff you do). The Arches, Glasgow, noon, £4

Twisted folk fairytales are the order of the day, as music blogger Song, By Toad invites WITHERED HAND to Henry’s basement stage for a stripped-back acoustic set, with support coming from American singer/songwriter Samantha Crain, and Michael McFarlane. Now we just have to hope and pray he plays the ’wanking on futons’ song (aka Religious Songs). Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh, 7pm, £5

Yes, ’tis the season already, apparently – well, in ROB DEERING’s world anyway, as he hosts his comedy Christmas Special, with the man himself musing over all things seasonal in his own inimitable musical comedy way (i.e. there will be some rock guitar action). Rejoice, etc. The Stand, Glasgow, 8.30pm, £10 (£8). Also playing Edinburgh’s The Stand the following evening

PHOTO: JUSTIN MOIR

SAT 19 NOV

WWW.LITTLE-RED-SHOP.COM

PHOTO: KENNY McCOLL

CONQUERING ANIMAL SOUND

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY

20Years of Sleaze Raising a glass to the health of a Scottish institution, this month we join a few famous patrons in celebrating two colourful decades of Nice’n’Sleazy Words: Chris Buckle

When Nice‘n’Sleazy first opened its doors, Sauchiehall Street looked rather different: The Garage was yet to set up shop across the road, the CCA was a year away, while ABC was still a cinema (fancy that). Twenty years later, and the shabby-chic saloon has come to inhabit a significant role in Glasgow’s alt-music scene. Paul Thomson (The Yummy Fur/Franz Ferdinand) is one of several regulars happy to dispense memories of the bar’s formative years: “I’ve been coming to Sleazy’s since I was seventeen, which is about eighteen years ago. I went to see AC Acoustics, and John Peel was there too. I’d only recently started listening to Peel as he played a lot of hardcore, like Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror, and through his shows discovered The Fall, The Wedding Present, Captain Beefheart, King Tubby and hunners of other artists that never really fit into what was fashionable at the time. In a way Sleazy’s has always been that way – venues and bars come and go, but Sleazy’s continues, and hopefully will for another twenty years.”

10 THE SKINNY November 2011

Aidan Moffat shares Thomson’s appreciation of the Sauchiehall mainstay. “I’ve been going the full twenty years! I used to come through from Falkirk and we’d go there and get drunk before we went to the Art School and got drunker.” Any particular nights that stand out? “I remember being woken up on a downstairs couch by the cleaner one morning, and being very surprised she knew my name. Couldn’t tell you what happened the night before though…” Foggy memories are a recurring theme (“and now it’s open till 3am, things are even hazier,” rues Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite), but some nights are evidently too eventful to slip the mind. “Our first gig was in there,” recalls Andy Wake of The Phantom Band. “We had bits of exercise equipment on stage with us for audience members to work out on, plus the smoke-breathing bat-wolf thing we used to take everywhere. We didn’t really have songs to speak of, so we were mostly improvising and having a hoot. It was rammed and stupid, and it’s been all downhill from there.”

Now that it’s reached the venerable age of twenty, the venue is taking stock via the age-old method of A Massive Party, with a month-long shindig boasting a pretty fly line-up of gigs. Talking it over with programmer Fielding Hope, the roster seems deliberately designed to cover all bases. Firmly un-run-of-the-mill touring acts? Acid Mothers Temple will be over from Japan (9 Nov). Secret shows from big names? Yep, but don’t expect to learn their identities here (“I’m not allowed to tell a single soul, or the world might turn on its head…” Hope protests when pushed for clues). A who’s who of current Scottish talent? Take your pick from Meursault (10 Nov), United Fruit (12 Nov), The Twilight Sad (18 Nov), John Knox Sex Club (19 Nov), Django Django (26 Nov), FOUND (30 Nov), and dozens of others. “Yeah, there’s a real variety of stuff – we’ve tried to get a lot of Scottish representation, both fresh acts and some of the bands that have been associated with Sleazy’s in the past. I think the result reflects the bar’s openminded programming over the years.”

The DJs can get away with anything Fielding Hope

photos (from left to right): NICE'N'SLEAZY EXTERIOR BY BRUCE FYFE; LADYHAWK BY JAMES CADDEN; DESALVO BY GEMMA BURKE; OVER THE WALL BY ALISHIA FARNAN; SHONEN KNIFE BY GEMMA BURKE; TIMES NEW VIKING BY CLAIRE TAYLOR; SHES HIT BY GEMMA BURKE; Banjo or freakout by claire taylor; red light Company by Shiona Walker; james blake by euan robertson; a sunny day in glasgow by takeshi suga

Check our listings for a full guide to the club and gig nights planned at Nice’n’Sleazy throughout November www.nicensleazy.com

favourite would have to be the Arab Strap Acoustic Request Show we did. We enjoyed it so much we put it out as an album! I hosted a karaoke night downstairs once too, which was good fun but I ended up singing most of the songs myself. Sleazy’s in five words? Very, very difficult to leave.

MALCOLM MIDDLETON We’re raising a glass in celebration – what’s your beverage? A White Russian please. I usually move onto these when I’ve had too much beer. Which probably isn’t a good thing. Here’s a quid – what’s going on the jukebox? Sonic Youth – Shadow of a Doubt, and maybe some Twilight Sad. Best gig (as either performer or punter? Viva Stereo, 15th Feb 2002. I nearly met my wife. Describe Sleazy’s in five words… Safe. Friendly. Aidan. Comfortable. Hangover.

AIDAN MOFFAT What are you drinking? I usually have a pint of Heineken, but if you’re paying then I’ll have one of those expensive cherry beers. What’s going on the jukebox? How much does a pound get you? I haven’t looked at the jukebox for years – I never have to, there’s always something good on without my input. Although when one of my own tunes pops up, I still get a bit embarrassed. That’s if I even recognise it, mind you. Best gig? Seeing Mogwai there was good, but my PAUL THOMSON (FRANZ FERDINAND) What are you drinking? Maker’s Mark and Coke please. If it’s after 1am and I’m still drinking, I’ll have a Jaeger with that. What’s going on the jukebox? I’d probably stick on Mogwai Fear Satan – that loud bit always catches me off-guard. Best gig? Recently, Thee Oh Sees tore the place apart. Franz Ferdinand played there the weekend we got signed, at one of the 16 band bills where you got to play for 15 minutes for a case of beer. They were always pretty messy with just the right amount of band rivalry, all good fun. Sleazy’s in five-words? Does it does it everytime. Sorry, that was terrible.

PHOTO: PETE DUNLOP

ANDY WAKE (THE PHANTOM BAND) What are you drinking? Wouldn’t normally be my tipple, but I’ll have a tumbler of tonic (Buckfast). What’s going on the jukebox? Sometimes I am the fucking jukebox, so can I just keep the pound and stick on The Stooges? If it has to be in the jukebox then maybe Take a Worm for a Walk Week, but only since it’s your quid – mine’s going in the arcade machine. The jukebox is brilliant, but I’m scared to check what’s there in case anyone thinks I’m just checking that The Phantom Band albums are still in there. They better be… Best gig? One that sticks in my mind is when Triple School played at the Hot Club birthday party a few years back. I’d never seen the place so packed – the door staff said it was the biggest number of turn-aways they’d had to do since the pub started staying open late, so that was a nice accolade. Sleazy’s in five words? It has ruined my life.

STUART BRAITHWAITE (MOGWAI) What are you drinking? Now, Brooklyn lager. Twenty years ago, whatever was cheapest and least likely to draw attention to the fact I was under age. What’s going on the jukebox? Mudhoney, if I think. Best gig? I recall a show with Bis, Yummy Fur, The Delgados and Spare Snare. Amazing! Sleazy’s in five words? Ned free pub Sauchiehall Street.

PHOTO: WES KINGSTON

Aidan Moffat

PHOTO: STEWART FULLERTON

I remember being woken up on a downstairs couch by the cleaner one morning, and being very surprised she knew my name

PHOTO: KaT Gollock

It’s that open-mindedness that presumably led to twenty-three year old Hope’s appointment in the first place; twenty years in, Nice‘n’Sleazy can hardly be accused of fossilising when its gigs are booked by a guy who’d likely have been more interested in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than Teenage Fanclub when the first pints were pulled. “I’ve been doing Sleazy’s for about a year,” he explains. “I’d put on Cry Parrot shows here, and I was just asked to take it on really. I think they wanted to get that feeling back that Sleazy’s is an important venue. There’s a sense that, with the Captain’s Rest, PCL have a big stronghold over bookings, King Tut’s have a stronghold over bookings, plus there’re new venues opening all the time. I think some people forgot that there is a venue downstairs because it’s always so busy upstairs – which is fantastic, don’t get me wrong – but we wanted to make sure that when people come in for a drink, they’re checking the gig listings as well.” Not that the bar’s basement stage is the only place to spot bands and artists; over the years, Sleazy’s has developed a reputation for attracting famous punters. “I think the obvious regulars are Aidan Moffat and Mogwai,” Hope suggests, but locals are only part of the picture. “Touring bands playing the Barrowlands or ABC tend to drop in after – when Sonic Youth played Daydream Nation, they came by.” Any others that have made a particularly strong impression? “Loads: Pavement, Elliot Smith, Animal Collective… more recently, John Maus, but he got chucked out. Elliot Smith got chucked out as well actually.” The Skinny suggests Brett and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords as a personal favourite. “Yeah, it’s a never-ending list. Lou Barlow as well – he did a residency here a while ago. He spent three days doing sold-out gigs, so Lou’s got his place in Sleazy history as well.” Ask around, and the bar’s appeal seems obvious. “It just has a good atmosphere, every night of the week,” offers Malcolm Middleton. “A lot of this is probably down to [long-term music programmer] Mig’s choice of bands over the years; the whole aura of the pub has soaked them up.” Then there’s its diverse roster of club nights, encompassing tastes from rockabilly to postdubstep (full disclosure: this writer runs another of its clubs – Bottle Rocket, since you asked). “The DJs know they can get away with anything,” Hope laughs, “and they generally do. Some people expect it to be exclusively indie music I guess, but we don’t want to rest comfortably within that bracket. It’s got to be, well, challenging isn’t quite the right word, because you don’t want it to be pretentious, you want it to be fun, but it’s got to be slightly alternative.” For Wake, who DJs the Hot Club as Nobodaddy, it’s a long-term commitment. “If I’m lucky enough to be there for the fortieth anniversary, I’ll probably be behind the decks playing the same shite records as I do now,” he ponders.“Otherwise, I’ll be above the bar in an urn, sat next to that cuddly rat thing.” In light of recent events, talk of cremation is perhaps a sore subject. Earlier this year, a fire broke out in neighbouring restaurant Steak and Cherry; surrounding businesses were evacuated, and many (including Sleazy’s) stayed closed for days as safety inspectors gauged the structural damage. For an agonising moment, a twentieth anniversary seemed far from guaranteed, never mind a fortieth. “We were very concerned at first, but I think it was only one week we were actually closed,” Hope notes. “It was obviously a big concern at the time, but we were very lucky.” Indeed. So, barring any acts of God, Nice‘n’Sleazy have November all sewn up. Of course, just because it’s your birthday doesn’t mean everyone has to be nice to you, though when asked what changes they’d welcome in the bar’s twenty-first year, the proposals are mild (Malcolm would like Munich Red or Bitburger on tap; Sierra Nevada for Stuart – oh and, James requests Abba in the jukebox, cheers). So we’ll leave the final words to the infinitely-wise Aidan Moffat, when asked what he’d scribble in their suggestions box: ‘You don’t need advice from me’. True, that.

JAMES GRAHAM (THE TWILIGHT SAD) What are you drinking? I’ll have a buckaroo and a pint of cider. Since you’re buying I’ll also have one of those £2 White Russians. Cheers and that. What’s going on the jukebox? Probably put us on as I would get some PRS money. In all seriousness I’d choose the usual suspects: Mogwai, Arab Strap, Errors, Phantom Band, Frightened Rabbit, Pixies, Remember Remember, Desalvo, Pixies, The Smiths, Take a Worm for a Walk Week and Rihanna. Best gig? I’ve been to loads but cannae remember any. Sleazy’s in five words… Biggest fun in a million years! That’s six words though…

COMPETITION To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Nice'n' Sleazy are offering you the chance to win tickets to each of the five Skinny-recommended gigs from their birthday lineup this month, including William Harness (17 Nov), Twilight Sad (18 Nov), Sparrow and the Workshop + Martin John Henry (23 Nov) Django Django + Robert Redford (26 Nov) and FOUND + Over the Wall (30 Nov). To enter, tell us five words that you think capture the spirit of Nice 'n' Sleazy. Tweet us your entries @theskinnymag using the

hashtag #20yearsofsleaze or by emailing competitions@theskinny.co.uk and remember to highlight which particular gig you'd like to attend. Competition closes Mon 14 November. Winners will be notified on the day of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Entrants must be 18 or over. For full terms and conditions, go to www.theskinny.co.uk/about/terms.

November 2011 THE SKINNY

MUSIC

The Pariah Returns Josh T. Pearson was piquing people's interest long before he was the architect of one of the year's finest albums. The Skinny finds the man behind the myth Interview: Finbarr Bermingham

ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them”?). His father refused to work and his mother, faced with a starving brood, packed up the kids and left when Josh was four. He’s philosophical about the whole thing. “I’ve got nothing against organised religion,” he says. “We’re all doing our best here to survive this shit out. Denton’s in the Bible Belt so, yeah, it’s going to be a little more religious than other places. If anything, it’s necessary. It’s a hard country. Texas is bigger than France; it takes 16 hours to drive across it. Right now, it’s 38 degrees at the low, 42 at the high. It’s hot and it’s hard; you go crazy there. It’s only natural that the religion is a little extreme.

Y’all drive on the wrong side of the road. Surprised I ain’t been hit yet, but there’s always tomorrow. JOSH T. PEARSON

“The South,” Pearson explains, “is very, very different from the North.” America isn’t the only country with a North – South divide. He thinks the UK is an inversion of the USA. “They’re conservative in the South of the UK,” he says, “and they’re just wild in the North. It’s the opposite of the US. With Lift… when we got up to Scotland, they were always really up for a rock show. They were passionate and they feel it. It’s much more what I’m used to and that’s what I come from. They get so high and worked up, it’s just like you’re in Texas sometimes. There’s one place in Glasgow, King Tut’s. I always presumed it was good, because the owner would always go for a big hug at the end. I don’t know what the fuck he was saying, but I think he liked it. I was just happy to hug him back.” Playing Òran Mór, Glasgow on 22 Nov www.joshtpearson.co.uk

Beard of Truth Mr Pearson speaks his mind on the burning issues On playing the Fence Collective’s Homegame this year: “They’re good people. They gave me hope for this the United Kingdom. I can’t speak highly enough of them. I think it’s the favourite I’ve ever done. “

12 THE SKINNY November 2011

On facial hair: “We have a lot more beards in Texas. I dunno why the men wear them. It’s so fucking hot there. I guess they like the men to look like men. I like men with beards.”

Photo: Steve Gullick

There’s an aura surrounding Josh T. Pearson, one that’s helped make him one of the most enigmatic, whispered about singers of recent times. It’s apparent in the authoritative, stark initial that punctuates his name. It’s evoked by the fabled, crash and burn story behind his old band, Lift to Experience. You can hear it in the ten-minute-plus vehicles for self-flagellation that appear on his album, and see it in the flowing, messianic beard he wears to his chest. It percolates through everything that’s been said or written about Pearson this year so strongly, that whenever he lifts the phone and announces himself to The Skinny in his thick, Texan drawl, it sounds like a proclamation from on high. “This is he.” In March, Pearson released his first solo record, the rapturously received Last of the Country Gentlemen. It’s his first output since the double album The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads ten years ago, which signalled the end of the road for Lift... and the beginning of a nomadic, primitive existence for Pearson. “I was just working,” he reluctantly says of the hiatus. “I scrubbed toilets, I was a janitor, I did construction, I was painting outdoors, mowing – lots of mowing – I was a caretaker on some property in Texas for a time. Thirteen acres. I was down there with goats and chickens. Just normal straight work.” The idea that he’s happier now to be making a living from his music is quickly dismissed, though. “Not really,” he says. “I’m glad if it does good for people, but being on the damn road, playing the same damn songs; I would’ve written a lot more if I had a straight job.” Pearson is currently homeless. He’s in Brixton as we speak and is annoyed at having to speak to me from the street, in case the mobile reception won’t hold indoors. “It’s fine,” he says, graciously letting us off the hook. “Except y’all drive on the wrong side of the road. Surprised I ain’t been hit yet, but there’s always tomorrow.” He’s been touring the album, playing songs that stemmed from intense personal heartache, to steadily growing crowds. But rather than enjoying the fruits of his labour, Pearson finds them harrowing. Success is, for him, a poisoned chalice. He hasn’t been able to listen to the record since he recorded it and each performance is a drain. “It’s difficult every time,” he tells us in an austere, considered manner that lightens gradually as the conversation unfolds. “After the last show I swore I’d never play them again but I’m back doing it, since I’d already committed. You’re only as good as your last show. I’m risking a lot every time I step out. If I had easier songs I’d be glad to play them. But I don’t.” Pearson has never led what you might call a “normal life”. He comes from Denton, a college town and oasis of music in the barren Texan desert. His father was a Pentecostal preacher and a loyal disciple of the Word of Faith Movement, biblical literalists whose adherence to the scriptures discourages employment (why earn a crust, when Mark says “soever ye desire, when

ONLY JACK DANIEL KNOWS WHAT OLD NO. 7 MEANS. AND WE WON’T BE HEARING FROM HIM ANYTIME SOON.

Was it the number seven train that carried his barrels across the land? Or was seven simply his lucky number? Truth is, no one knows the origin or significance of “Old No. 7” on our label. Except Mr. Jack. And he’s not talking.

J A C K D A N I E L’ S

TENNESSEE WHISKEY

November 2011

THE SKINNY 13

MUSIC

A DIFFERENT BRANCH After the success of last year’s First Edition, ROD JONES is branching out with his Fruit Tree Foundation to give some young saplings a fighting chance in the murky musical undergrowth

ROD AND LIZ CRONIN AT GREAT JUNCTION STREET STUDIOS

AT A time of year when other trees are shutting down shop for the long winter ahead, The Fruit Tree Foundation, an independent project which aims to highlight mental health issues through music, is getting ready to “sprout another branch.” These are the words of Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones, who set up the project with Chemikal Underground co-founder Emma Pollock last year. Their first project was the collaborative concept album First Edition, which saw a slew of local indie and folk favourites hole up in a Perthshire house to pen the record over five days. This time however, the collaboration process is taking place at a more grassroots level. With a call through The Skinny’s website in July, Jones invited singer-songwriters to submit demos of their music, with successful applicants being paired up to work with more established artists from the local scene. The first run will see three aspiring musicians paired up with Jones himself, Dan Willson AKA. Withered Hand and Fife folk singer James Yorkston. A six-track mini-album launched by a free performance late last month will cement the process and hopefully lead to it becoming a regular fixture, with one such collaboration per month for the next year being planned. “We got 170 applicants within a week, which was amazing,” says Jones as we meet up in the midst of orchestrating the whole endeavour. “I listened to them all but had to be very objective and think about the bigger picture, being very aware of my grumpy old man tastes.” As we speak, Jones himself is overseeing Dan Willson’s pairing with Marie Collins, one of the three successful candidates, at Great Junction Street Studios in Edinburgh. “I have to be here not just for moral purposes but also for legal reasons,” he explains,

14 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

giving a glimpse into the less glamorous side of running a project such as Fruit Tree. It’s a necessary evil it seems, especially if Jones is to see things evolve as he would like them to. “I don’t want to limit the Fruit Tree Foundation project to being just another indie project,” he says. “It’s supposed to include everybody, so just because I don’t listen to Shania Twain or whatever, there’s no reason we shouldn’t have people who sound like that in the project.” Inclusion is the keyword for Fruit Tree. Initially spawned by dint of Jones’ work with the Scottish Mental Health and Arts Festival, Jones is keen to keep the ethos of the project close to its roots. “This project is much more about benefitting the individual than raising awareness as a whole, which is what the first Fruit Tree record was about,” he explains. “When I came up with the idea for this project, I was running these music sessions. Several of the people who came were quite open about the fact that they have mental health problems and quite often we’d talk about it. So I think this is something that can give people an outlet or give them some experience of working with other people and get a bit of extra help, even if it is only for their own enjoyment.” The original outline for Fruit Tree was for it to grow with each project, not just in terms of numbers, but in its reach and scope. There were perhaps some stifled guffaws when Jones was casually mentioning the likes of Bruce Springsteen as a future collaborator during the recording of First Edition, but it’s not something he particularly regrets stating. “I know I get teased for this but my original plan was Scotland, national, Springsteen,” he laughs. “I have a tendency to aim high, sometimes too high, but if you don’t ask you don’t get.”

Does that mean he’s actually asked The Boss himself? “Not yet,” he sadly confirms, “but he’s at the top of a list which I’ll gradually work my way through. Seriously though, I think it’s about getting that one first person signed up to have a knock-on effect. It’ll also be easier this time in some respects because we have a record to show people. We can show them how well it’s done, the press it got and so on.” The plan for Jones is to repeat the process of First Edition on a larger scale. “The question of course, when you’re working with people at that level, is do we need to pay them?” he reasons, adopting his logistical head once more. “I’m assuming they don’t really need the money and further, can we afford to pay them anything that wouldn’t be insulting?” He continues: “I know straight away that trying to tie it to a deadline with the Mental Health Festival isn’t going to work – we’re just going to have to be more flexible. If it has to be done over computers then it’ll just have to be that way. It may not be everyone gathering in a house like First Edition was, but it’s at the stage right now that I’ve written my list, made some enquiries to studios as well as to producers that may be heavyweight enough to attract some musicians as well.” Other than Springsteen, Jones remains tight-lipped on who he may more reasonably approach, but it’s clear that his ambition for Fruit Tree runs equally through its different guises. “In the meantime I want to focus on this part of the project,” he states, returning us to the humbler but no-less noble mentorship programme. “I don’t want this to be seen as some sort of downtime project,” he explains. “It’s just a different branch.” With that, Jones takes The Skinny from the greasy spoon café that is our meet up, down into CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

PHOTO: EOIN CAREY

PHOTO: HANNAH KILLOH

INTERVIEW: DARREN CARLE

Just because I don’t listen to Shania Twain, there’s no reason we shouldn’t have people who sound like that in the project ROD JONES

ALBUM DOWNLOAD HERE

Photo: Eoin Carey Photo: Matthew Beech

james Yorkston live at nobles, october

November 2011

THE SKINNY 15

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16 THE SKINNY November 2011

Photo: Eoin Carey

Marie Collins

Quite often it’s the person who shouts loudest that gets heard, but it’s not always the voice to listen to Withered Hand

up on this. “I almost instantly thought that Marie’s songs were really strong,” he confirms. “She had a natural melodic thing going on that I liked. Marie has such a quiet voice, and I don’t mean just literally. For someone like myself, being naturally quite shy, I felt like I’d be able to identify with her as a person as well and I think that’s true having met her now. Quite often it’s the person who shouts loudest that gets heard but it’s not always the voice to listen to.” After today’s session, Dan and Marie will go on to enter a studio along with the other two winners and their respective mentors. Jones himself successfully rehearsed with his own pairing the previous week to our meet and James Yorkston has since completed the trilogy with the final successful applicant. Six songs were ultimately recorded, two per partnership, debuted live at Noble’s bar in Edinburgh last month, and released

Photo: Matthew Beech

Photo: Eoin Carey

the bowels of Great Junction Street Studios where the aforementioned Dan ‘Withered Hand’ Willson and protégé Marie Collins are meeting up for the first time. Seventeen year-old Marie has also brought along friend and bass player Dan Drennan for moral support, though she isn’t the only one showing some nerves today. “I was just telling Marie and Dan that when I was seventeen, I was still playing a guitar which had no strings,” laughs Willson. “I was just prancing around my bedroom listening to Iron Maiden, and here she is writing these amazing songs. So I think I was as scared as she about this whole thing.” Whilst Marie’s nerves are understandably evident, the importance of this opportunity is something she is all too aware of. “My past experience has just been with boring music teachers playing piano and talking to me about song-writing,” she begins. “There’s not much of a scene in Paisley, so it’s been great to get this opportunity.” That said, she’s not been idly sitting on her hands, awaiting a musical partnership to land in her lap. “I’m in a band so I play in Paisley quite often and I host a couple of open mic nights there too,” she reveals. Willson picks up this thread of conversation. “Sometimes if there’s not much of a local scene or not many opportunities around, you can make them happen yourself if you stick at it for long enough,” he reasons. “With a lot of the demos that Rod passed onto me, I sometimes wondered why they were in the pile because they already sounded so good. But sometimes the opportunities don’t present themselves to people or they don’t know how to access them; so they’re often just doing their thing, and it’s really good, but they just don’t know what to do with it.” Whilst Marie has clearly been getting out there and improving her local scene, her current opportunity is still a considerable leg up for her. “It was amazing getting the call,” she says of winning the coveted spot. “I really didn’t think anything was going to come from it. It was really cool just having someone like my songs.” Willson backs her

withered hand aka dan willson

as a free downloadbale mini-album on the day that this particular edition of The Skinny is released. The album artwork follows a somewhat similar style to the music itself, with three artists, also recruited from a public call-out, combining to form one cohesive piece of art. “It’s a bit like consequences, that game you played as a kid where you drew a head then folded the piece of paper over and someone else drew the body,” explains Jones. “Each artist knew how big each piece should be with some idea of where it will join the next piece.” With all of this ahead for the new recruit, it’s understandably an exciting prospect. “I can’t wait to hear what it comes out like,” confirms Marie, with Willson nodding in agreement. “I’m looking forward to getting all the different instruments together for the recording process and of course playing it live will be really exciting.” With all three together, it feels like a good point

Lucy Cathcart Frödén

to ask Jones how he feels the project has gone so far. “As Dan said, listening to some demos, it felt like musically this person or that person didn’t need our help, but it’s not just about that. It’s also not about a teacher and a pupil relationship so much as it being about two equal people bouncing ideas off each other. It’s a different thing to write with people for the first time and it’s a good experience for everybody. But it’s not just about the musical side. It’s about showing people how to get their music out there, to give them that little lift off the ground and get some exposure. There are lots of fantastic musicians out there who just don’t know how to get heard. Hopefully this will give some of them the help they need.” You can download 'new branch‘ for free from www.theskinny.co.uk today www.fruittreefoundation.com

November 2011

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FILM

British Cinema Renaissance

Something has happened to British filmmaking. It’s got good. Where we once had to rely on the perennial Mike Leigh or Ken Loach for quality indigenous cinema, practically every month of 2011 has seen the release of a homegrown gem. Here’s the year’s embarrassment of riches so far: Neds, 127 Hours, Archipelago, Submarine, Attack the Block, Hanna, Senna, Treacle Jr, Kill List, Tinker

Tailor Soldier Spy and We Need To Talk About Kevin – all British or by British filmmakers. What’s more impressive than the quality is the breadth: all of these films reject, to a greater or lesser extent, the narrow traditions of British social realism but contain quintessentially British quirks that set them apart from the cookie cutter American genre product in our multiplexes. It’s always a bit dangerous

to get jingoistic about national cinema – Colin Welland’s “The British are coming!” bluster when receiving his best screenplay award for Chariots of Fire at the 1981 Academy Awards ranks just below James Cameron’s toe-curling “I’m king of the world” for all time wankiest Oscar soundbite – but it does feel like we are going through some kind of British cinema renaissance. As well as Andrea

The grand master

The UK film industry has committed some heinous acts — Revolver, Rancid Aluminium, Richard Curtis — but perhaps its worst crime is failing to support Terence Davies, its great visionary. We spoke to the Liverpudlian about his latest feature Interview: Philip Concannon Illustration: Christine Jones As gratifying as it was to see Terence Davies’ 2008 documentary Of Time and The City receive such unexpected and deserved acclaim, The Deep Blue Sea feels like Davies’ real return to the cinema. This adaptation of Terence Rattigan’s play is the director’s first narrative feature since his masterful The House of Mirth in 2000, and it’s a welcome reminder of Davies’ gifts as a storyteller, his elegant way with a camera and his astute understanding of turbulent human emotions. When we spoke ahead of the film’s UK premiere as the London Film Festival’s closing night gala, Davies described filmmaking as his raison d’être, but he admitted that he was nervous about adapting his first stage play for the screen when he was asked to make a film in honour of Rattigan’s centenary. “At first I was a little worried because I had never done a play before,” Davies admits. “I had never seen the plays staged, and the only ones I knew were the 1951 [film] version of The Browning Version, which I love, and the late-1950s [film] version of Separate Tables, which I also think is very good.” Disregarding the idea of remaking a film he already admires, Davies sat down and read Rattigan’s entire canon, eventually landing on his 1952 play The Deep Blue Sea. It has been filmed once before but Davies only had vague memories of Anatole Litvak’s picture (“I had been taken to see it by my mother and all I could remember was one scene with Kenneth More coming down these stairs”) and he felt that he could do something with that story once he had found the heart of the play. “The subtext is about love, three forms of love, and a love that each person cannot get from the other, it cannot be reciprocated,” Davies explains. “Once I knew that, it made it relatively easy to adapt the rest of the play.” The Deep Blue Sea is a tale of love, sex and scandal in 1950s London. Hester Collyer (Rachel Weisz) is the middle-class woman who leaves her respectable husband (Simon Russell Beale) for charming young pilot Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston), but who fails to find the happiness she desires in this new relationship. It’s perfect material for Davies, chiefly because it allows him to recreate the era that’s closest to his heart, the 1950s, a period that he feels is often misrepresented on screen. “The thing that is really important, and this is something that they often get wrong when they do the 50s in this country,” he says, “is that while I know how it looked I also know how it felt, and that’s a huge difference. There was still rationing, for God’s sake, and everything was down at heel because the country was bankrupt.” True to this spirit of verisimilitude, The Deep Blue Sea takes place in a London of shabby bedsits, smoky boozers and cold, dark streets, all depicted

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Arnold’s glorious return with her idiosyncratic adaptation of Wuthering Heights, this month sees the release of works from an old master (Terence Davies with The Deep Blue Sea) and an exciting up-and-comer (Andrew Haigh with Weekend). As a nod to the rude health of UK filmmaking, The Skinny spoke to Davies and Haigh about their upcoming features. [Jamie Dunn]

on screen with a sense of detail that is immersive and richly atmospheric, and all produced in 25 days on a budget of £2.5 million. “We did it because everybody pulled together and everybody – I mean literally everybody – was so committed to the film,” Davies says of this achievement. “It was the most wonderful display of commitment from everybody, from the people who financed it, to the actors. It was quite marvellous.” As well as vividly evoking the 1950s, The Deep Blue Sea evokes some of the great films of a bygone age too, and although Davies chuckles modestly when I mention names like Max Ophüls or David Lean, he acknowledges the influence they’ve had on his work. “You can’t see Letter From an Unknown Woman and forget it; you can’t see The Heiress and forget it; and of course you can’t see Brief Encounter and forget it, you just can’t,” he says. “They were there subliminally.” However, sharp-eyed viewers will spot direct references to some of Lean’s early pictures, and Davies happily admits stealing from a director he adores, adding with a laugh, “I suppose we don’t say stolen, we say homage, don’t we?” Another remarkable aspect of the film’s small budget is that it stars an Oscar-winner in the lead role, with Rachel Weisz saying yes to Davies without having to be asked twice. She is astonishing as Hester, brilliantly expressing her character’s internal conflict and bringing a stunning depth of emotion to the film. I asked Davies if he always had her in mind for this part but it turns out that her casting was the result of a happy accident, coming about after Davies did something he very rarely does – turn on the TV. “I don’t watch a lot of television but I switched it on and there was a film on, I think I had missed the first ten minutes, and then this fabulous girl came on.” The film in question was one of Weisz’s most obscure efforts, Beeban Kidron’s Swept From the Sea, but Davies saw enough in it to immediately ring his manager and ask if he had ever heard of Rachel Weisz. “Terence,” his manager replied, “you’re the only person who hasn’t!” “Don’t act it, feel it” is the instruction that Terence Davies gives his actors on set, and that’s the lasting impression one takes from The Deep Blue Sea, a film that is deeply felt both in its emotions and its view of the past. It is a wonderful addition to Davies’ extraordinary body of work, but I wonder if the director will ever surprise us with something a little more up-to-date? “Well, I did write a contemporary comedy but I couldn’t get the money for it,” he says. “Whether it will ever happen or not I don’t know, your guess is as good as mine. I would have liked to have done it because I thought it was a good and funny script. Maybe one day.” That lack of funding has been a perennial problem for Davies, but one hopes The Deep Blue Sea will spur financiers to back one or more of the four projects – ranging from a film on Emily Dickinson to an Ed McBain adaptation – that he is currently working on. “It’s just as long as I get the production money. If not I suppose it’s back to the old Labour Exchange” he says with a self-deprecating laugh. Surely, the British film industry can’t allow that to happen to one of its truly great artists. The Deep Blue Sea is released 25 Nov by Artificial Eye www.terencedavies.com

FILM

The Up-and-Comer We spoke to Andrew Haigh about his second feature film Weekend, the year’s finest romance, ahead of its premiere at the London Film Festival Interview: Jamie Dunn Illustration: Christine Jones

“No one’s going to come and see it because it’s about gay sex. The gays will only come because they want a glimpse of cock, and they’ll be disappointed, and the straights won’t come because, well, it’s got nothing to do with their world.” So says Glen (Chris New), a character in Andrew Haigh’s wonderful new film Weekend. He’s talking about his art installation, which aims to explore how a person adopts an idealised identity at the start of new relationships, and how talking about sex with a new partner can reveal the barriers that stop them embodying this identity in their day-to-day life. It’s a moment so meta that Charlie Kaufman must lie awake at night cursing that he didn’t write it himself. “Obviously when I wrote that I was addressing the fact that I was worried that no one would come and see it,” says Haigh when he speaks to me from his home in Norwich ahead of Weekend’s UK premiere at the London Film Festival. “It does feel like you’ve got to persuade straight people to come and see it. Don’t scare them off: ‘it’s going to be okay, come and watch it.’ So it can be quite frustrating sometimes.”

I spend a lot of my time in interviews telling people that it’s a universal story, but really I want to say, ‘of course it’s a universal story, it’s about two people falling in love,' you know? Andrew Haigh

His concerns have proved unfounded. Weekend is currently doing great business in the US and has been the toast of every festival it has attended, from Austin’s SXSW to London. And rightly so: Haigh’s follow-up to 2008’s Greek Pete is a funny, lyrical hymn to romance that’s easy to embrace. The film opens in Nottingham, Friday night. Russell (Tom Cullen), a shy lifeguard with one foot still in the closet, is reluctantly visiting his small circle of friends – all of whom are straight – for a night of beer and curry. Obviously uncomfortable among the hetero-exclusive chat about stag nights and kids’ birthday parties, Russell makes his excuses and heads out to cruise a cheesy gay club in town instead, but he’s no more at home here. It’s only once he’s three sheets to the wind that he approaches the guy he has his eye on, the aforementioned Glen, but ends up instead with a short-arse with terrible dance moves. Cut. It’s the

morning after and Russell’s making coffee for his original target Glen. We only hear how the night panned out second-hand when Glen interviews Russell for his art project. This one-night stand develops over the course of the weekend from butterflies-in-stomach flirtation to life altering romance and is beautifully observed by Haigh, who uses languorous takes, witty edits and eschews non-diegetic music to create an authentic and wholly naturalistic atmosphere. “People just cut all the time now,” says Haigh, who served as assistant editor on several Ridley Scott productions, a filmmaker not exactly known for his vérité visuals. “You have to have a good reason to cut, I think, otherwise don’t bother. But for me it’s also about going for this almost semi-documentary approach. I really feel like each of the film’s themes is just life unfolding in front of our eyes: we’re getting

this intimate insight into two people and their growing relationship and I’m not forcing you to look at certain things.” It also helps that Haigh is working with actors as talented as New and Cullen, whose performances are so captivating it’s a miracle that Haigh ever said cut at all. “It’s so good working with actors and them knowing that we’re going to have these long six and seven minutes takes – it meant they could really get into it. I think it makes their performances feel so much more real.” Cullen, a broad shouldered six-footer, seems to physically shrink when playing Russell, whose insecurities about his sexuality, as well as his class and education, manifest as nail biting and awkward body language. Haigh, however, isn’t interested in the tortured-gay clichés that dominate the queer canon, from The Children’s Hour to Brokeback Mountain. “When I was writing

it, although it’s very clearly about sexuality to some extent, to me it was always about the difference between how you define yourself in private from how you define yourself in public and that constant need for self definition,” explains Haigh. “It’s always something that I’ve been interested in and that to me is what these characters are struggling with: issues of their own identity, and being authentic to that. It’s almost like the gay context works really well as a way to try and explore these kinds of issues.” What makes Russell particularly susceptible to this private and public dual identity is that he doesn’t fit the stereotype of a gay man. “I always wanted the Russell character to be very kind of straight-acting. It’s such a weird word that,” laughs Haigh. “I mean he still sleeps with men, so that’s not very straight, but he is kind of adrift from his sexuality. I think, in a weird way, it’s quite hard if you’re gay and you’re like that because obviously it’s not something you necessarily cultivate. Some people are less camp, or whatever you want to call it, than other people, and it becomes quite hard for you to fit in because you’re constantly having to come out to people. And also Russell is not like his friends, he’s not like his straight friends and he’s not like the gay people he sees out at the club, so he’s kind of stranded between two worlds.” If Cullen’s tender performance is the heart of Haigh’s film, New’s funny, funky, cocksure turn as Glen, who’s always ready, like a belligerent Peter Tatchell, to take on burly homophobes, is the film’s angry, politicised brain. In every scene where Glen and Russell are in the outside world there’s an underlying homophobia that they can’t escape from: a loving embrace at a train station receives sarcastic wolf-whistles from some off-screen bigots; Russell overhears teenagers on a bus mock a gay schoolfriend; Glen’s story about a disastrous date with a leather clad sadist goes down like a lead balloon with some beer bellied punters in a spit and sawdust boozer. “If you’re gay and you’re saying something about gay people the politics become inherent to it a little bit, which, I suppose, is the same for any minority – politics become very important.” But Weekend is not an issue movie: it’s a love story that’s informed by its characters’ social milieu. “It was about having that integrated within this story about these characters, rather than it being, as you say, just an issue movie,” Haigh says. “I don’t think anyone wants to see that.” Films with gay themes that are as confident and assured as Weekend are hard to come by, in UK cinema at least. When I ask Haigh about the last British LGBT film that had a significant resonance with him he has to think back to his adolescence and the 1980s. “They certainly took more risks in those days. Like nobody would fund Derek Jarman nowadays if he was still with us, you know what I mean? Even someone like Terence Davies has such a hard time getting funding [see our adjacent interview with the Liverpudlian filmmaker]. People were more willing to take risks with interesting British material, but now we have the tendency to think we should just be a bit more genre based, we should appeal to people across the pond. But that doesn’t make for interesting cinema. I don’t think so anyway.” Towards the end of my time with Haigh I ask him if he thinks there will come a time when a film featuring gay protagonists won’t need to be labelled as a ‘gay film’. “It’s difficult,” sighs Haigh. “I spend a lot of my time in interviews telling people that it’s a universal story, but really I want to say, ‘Of course it’s a universal story, it’s about two people falling in love,’ you know?” Weekend is released by Peccadillo Pictures 4 Nov www.andrewhaighfilm.com

November 2011

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BOOKS

The Funniest Men In Dundee

Think that title’s a bit underwhelming? You don’t know how wrong you are. Neil Forsyth fills us in on his new book Why Me? Interview: Keir Hind

CH AN LA CE ST TO SE E

BOB AND NEIL

Tony Cragg

Until 6 November 2011 Belford Road, Edinburgh £7/£5 With support from

Media partner

SCULPTURES AND DRAWINGS National Galleries of Scotland is a charity registered in Scotland (No. SC003728) Tony Cragg, Bent of Mind, © The Artist; photography © Charles Duprat

20 THE SKINNY November 2011

Bob Servant is a 64 year-old former cheeseburger magnate from Broughty Ferry, who was first sprung upon the world in 2007. The world is still laughing. This first book, Delete This At Your Peril, was a collection of wind-up emails that ‘Bob Servant’ – in actuality a character created by Dundonian author and journalist Neil Forsyth – had been sending email scammers, and it was hilarious. It’s not often that front characters get their own spin offs, but the second book, Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee was just that. Forsyth’s attention to detail in creating Bob Servant was such that a biography was practically a necessity, and just as hilarious. The books were even eventually successful enough that Bob Servant turned up in a Radio 4 series, written by Forsyth. The Forsyth/Servant team’s third book is a return to the wind-up email format, entitled Why Me? If anything it’s funnier than its predecessors, and that’s about as high as praise can be. Given the format of Delete This and Why Me?, I decided that I had to interview Neil Forsyth by email. This was something of a daunting task, given that he’s a master of taunting, amusing replies. So I started with some proper serious questions, just to ease in to the interview. The questions and answers went like this:

I imagine Bob has his basis in several people, but are there any particular models for him? He’s an amalgamation of lots of old guys I grew up around in Broughty Ferry. It’s a place where old men seem to get issued with a new anecdote alongside their pension each week. Trying to walk down Brook Street in Broughty Ferry with my older relatives when I was wee would take about an hour. Bob seems to be even more blatantly winding people up here than before – outright telling them that he’s writing a book, or just saying that they’re scammers, even if it is in verse. Was this an intentional change, or just a symptom of increased daring, anger, boredom or something else? The premise of Delete This At Your Peril was that Bob had won his computer in a bowling club raffle and was bewildered by the internet. This time round he’s a bit more streetwise for sure, which allowed me to move the humour on a bit. How on earth do you manage to receive so many spam emails? How high a hit rate do you have – as in, how many email discussions do you have to go through before you actually have one that’s fit to print?

There are sites online where they post hundreds of email addresses for scammers. I email about a hundred at a time saying “tell me more” and then slowly whittle them down to those who are properly engaging with me and sound suitably mental. I’d probably get two exchanges from that first 100. Has it gotten easier over time to wind scammers up successfully? It’s always easy. There’s very little you can tell them that won’t have them coming back asking for cash. Delete This at Your Peril was followed up by the tale of Bob’s life – will Why Me? be followed, similarly, by another non-email based tale? I think so yeah, I have an idea that I’m working on just now. At this point I wonder if Bob’s started to make a name for himself – has anyone ever recognised him, as far as you’re aware? Broughty Ferry is a hard place for Bob to live these days, it’s like Beatlemania. Men want to be him and women want to carry his groceries. I actually meant whether any scammers had recognised him there, but okay, there’s actually some truth in this. Bob actually includes a real photograph in one of his emails of Waterstones Dundee’s book chart, with his books ranked impressively at numbers 1 and 4. “That’s the kind of form you used to get from the Beatles for fuck’s sake” he tells one scammer. Anyway, the first round of questioning having gone well, I followed up with some increasingly less serious queries: Have you ever strung someone along for so long that you’ve considered actually giving them some money, even for a second? Nope. They’re not the worst crooks you can get, but they’re crooks all the same. What have you got against Trevor McDonald? I’ve personally always thought it was Jackie Bird who had the eyes of a killer. [For legal reasons, some context: the book includes

several footnotes going into quite some detail about McDonald’s past as a serial killer. As far as I’m aware, this is fictional]. I met Trevor at a party at Irvine Welsh’s flat and he talked me into investing £8,000 in a “topless dentist’s” business. I haven’t heard a word from him since and his phone seems to have been disconnected. Malpas, Bannon, Narey, Milne, Lynch/McColgan, Marra, and so on are all referenced in the book. Are there any other famous Dundonians, by birth or adoption, that you wanted to squeeze in, but didn’t manage? They’re pretty much all there in the books now I think, it’s like a Dundonian Who’s Who? Bob manages to put off ever paying anyone using endless excuses and delaying tactics. Well played. Any advice for me on how to stretch my deadlines? Just say that you’re really sad. I frequently do, but no-one listens. Bastards. Continuing the slide into absurdity, I then decided to start with some downright cheeky questions. Which went like this: The book has been praised for its Dundonian humour – what’s the word that sounds funniest in a Dundonian accent? (In the interests of fairness, I reckon the funniest Glaswegian one is ‘rarity’. Two rolled ‘r’s and a glottal stop all in one short package). “Fife”. (I could have sworn he’d go for “Peh”, as in the phrase “a Peh and Bovril, mate”, often heard at Tannadice. I’ve got to say his answer is better). The book’s also been particularly praised by the Private Eye writer, Barry Fantoni, who was voted TV Personality of the Year (Male) in 1966. Are there any other living sixties TV stars that you’d like to be praised by? Savile was also a huge help until we had a silly falling out (I borrowed the £8,000 from him to pay Trevor McDonald). Jimmy, if you’re reading, pick up the phone. Brian Cox played Bob Servant on the radio.

No proper question, just how cool is that?! He was Hannibal Lecktor! He’s the Pride of Dundee and rightly so. He was brilliant and I hope to see him playing Bob again very soon. And lastly – given Bob’s former occupation, do you get an odd feeling now when (or if) you eat a cheeseburger from a wee van? The last food I ate from a takeaway meat van was in Germany where I went to watch Scotland. I had a pulled pork sandwich that caused me terrible, terrible problems. It was a humbling couple of days and maybe talking about it here could help me finally forget it. This email exchange wasn’t a competition. But Neil Forsyth wins anyhow. WHY ME?: THE VERY IMPORTANT EMAILS OF BOB SERVANT IS RELEASED ON 1 NOV IT’S PUBLISHED BY BIRLINN, AND COSTS £6.99 IN PAPERBACK

This time round he’s a bit more streetwise for sure, which allowed me to move the humour on a bit." NEIL FORSYTH

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NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 21

fopp stores: edinburgh rose st // glasgow union st & byres rd

ART

The Machines of Loving Grace

Glasgow-based, German-born artist Torsten Lauschmann’s star has been on the rise in recent years. We popped round his house for a chat ahead of his solo exhibition at Dundee Contemporary Arts Interview: Andrew Cattanach

There’s a picture that has always stuck in my head, which is this Papua New Guinea warrior with a Kelloggs cereal box on his head – for him a sign of sexual potency and power within the tribe Torsten Lauschmann

Torsten Lauschmann

before the revolution

it more evident than in cinema, where technology is firmly in the driving seat – It was not clever plot devices or directorial integrity that saw James Cameron’s Avatar the highest grossing film of all time. “Technology was always that thing stuck on at the end,” says Lauschmann. “Even filmmaking, when you think about it – it’s a script, it’s a story, and then there’s the technology bit. Increasingly I feel like that technology is coming into view, and you can’t not look at it because it’s just so overwhelming. It becomes more and more the context. The narrative becomes more and more about the technology that produced it.” As part of this year’s Glasgow Film Festival Lauschmann produced a brand new work called At the Heart of Everything a Row of Holes. Shown in the Glasgow Film Theatre’s main cinema, it was

one of the most ambitious and breathtaking works seen in Glasgow since Tramway was in its prime. It received a standing ovation – a degree of effusiveness rarely seen this far north. A massive projector with a moving head was plonked in the middle of the auditorium – rather than tucked away in the projector booth. Every surface of the room was utilised as a screen: a flying carpet floated above the audience’s heads as it slowly unravelled; a cymbal-playing monkey was projected on high. A more conventional cinema space has been constructed in DCA’s Gallery 1, only the films are far from commonplace. Skipping Over Damaged Areas is a 10-minute video made entirely from the title sequences of other films. Read aloud by a voiceover actor, the titles form a coherent, if not a little

Photo: Sam Luntley

It’s 8.30 in the morning and artist Torsten Lauschmann has been up most of the night. “I’ve only had five hours sleep,” he explains, leading me to his kitchen where we talk over breakfast. He’s taller than I imagined, with the economic gestures of someone accustomed to keeping long limbs in check, and seems younger than his 41 years. Perhaps it’s his casual dress sense – he wears jeans and a hoodie – or his awkward stature, but you could almost imagine him a teenager. He’s been busy setting up his solo exhibition at Dundee Contemporary Arts – his biggest yet – and despite a lack of sleep talks enthusiastically about the new work. One installation in particular, called Dear Scientist Please Paint Me, has him especially excited. “There’s a whole wall that is painted with this luminous paint,” he explains. “You know, the paint that you would use for exit signs so they retain the light. And there’s this moving headlight that I basically use like a massive pen. When it moves it inscribes the light onto the wall.” Like a lot of the work Lauschmann produces, Dear Scientist Please Paint Me doesn’t feel much like art. The materials used – luminous paint, moving headlight and controlling software – have none of the integrity we have come to associate with an exhibition of this magnitude. But in no way is this a self-conscious manoeuvre. Lauschmann arrives at these materials intuitively, as though oblivious to the pressures of art history and its tacit conservatism. “I’m just trying to include every material that is available to me, which includes everything from a mirror ball to paint, or whatever. I’m trying to forget that there’s a hierarchy to the material. I find it important just to step back and say this is a playground and it’s not symbolic what you use – it just makes sense.” He’s dismissive of my compliments as I try to congratulate him on his independence as an artist. “I wish I could limit myself to one thing my whole life,” he says. “It would make things far easier. I’m really envious of those that have a methodology of working – limitations and materials – and they just go into the studio and they know what they’re doing and why.” I suggest the assured figure he imagines in the studio is just as envious of him, what with his ability to flit between video, light and sound installations. His technical competence alone is surely the envy of most contemporary artists. But this only aggravates the ambivalence that Lauschmann harbours for the technology that is central to his practice. “You could say I’m a geek – like a painter is a geek. But I’m also quite critical. I’m afraid of technology.” The self-playing piano has come to illustrate this ambivalence Lauschmann feels towards technology. One has been positioned underneath a snow machine in the centre of DCA’s Gallery 2, almost entirely cloaked in darkness. The snow machine briefly whirrs into life as a spotlight illuminates the snowflakes landing on the instrument’s keys. An atonal tune suddenly bursts from the piano but soon comes to a stop as the light is turned off again. It’s pure theatre. Only there’s no actors, just automatons programmed to carry out their choreographed tasks. Even the work’s title, The Coy Lovers, suggests these machines are more than just animated objects. They are characters in dialogue. The introduction of technology into our cultural foreground, as parodied by Lauschmann’s romantic automatons, can be seen across all media, infiltrating everything from books to music. But nowhere is

eccentric, story about a character called Sabrina and her elaborate adventures. What transpires is a farcical horror that includes all sorts of gruesome acts and every kind of nocturnal creature. Not only does it emphasise the ridiculousness of a large proportion of the films we watch (Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!), it also parodies the craft of the classic horror film, where the gruesome act almost always takes place out of shot. The anticipation, partly set up by the title sequence, is enough to have you jumping at everything that moves. How the original films’ intended meaning is subverted in this way is central to Lauschmann’s practice. “I’m really interested in that question of understanding and meaning,” he explains. “Is the meaning created by the author or the listener? “There’s a picture that has always stuck in my head, which is this Papua New Guinea warrior with a Kelloggs cereal box on his head – for him a sign of sexual potency and power within the tribe. I always think of the design company in New York in the 50s sitting round a table discussing the type face and spacing on the box – and then suddenly the meaning is out the window. “The problem with meaning is how far we can fix it as artists – that dilemma of having responsibility for what you do, on one hand, and an inability to actually fix it at all. If you can’t fix it as an artist then what are you doing? What is it we’re actually doing?” But surely that’s the excitement of making art – that everything’s up for grabs. Don’t these opportunities to subvert meaning jolt art from its self-referential slump where the media – the very technology that creates it – is the message? Shouldn’t this fluidity be celebrated? “The history of art is the history of misinterpretation,” Lauschmann adds. “We simply make it up, and it’s just so far from what was probably intended. I find that really liberating as an artist – and perplexing.” 22 Oct - 8 Jan, DCA, free www.dca.org.uk

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 23

CLUBS

Lost & Found

DJ Shadow on the curse of the crate digger and the importance of a spam filter Interview: Dave Kerr

The last time we spoke to Josh Davis things were different. Back in the summer of 2006, with the advent of The Outsider, the artist also known as DJ Shadow was about to come out swinging; sick of journalists asking why modern hip-hop sucked and well aware that his third studio album was about to divide staunch followers of the esoteric sample-heavy records that gave his alias weight. Apparently at odds with his status as a critical darling and keen to steer away from the trappings of past successes – 1996 breakthrough Endtroducing continues to be upheld as his truest groundbreaking masterwork, while 2002’s The Private Press remains his greatest commercial triumph – The Outsider found the San Franciscan in combative mode, adding colours to his ‘palette’ that many purists found incomprehensible. Politicised in the aftermath of the U.S. government’s botched reaction to Hurricane Katrina and faced with opposition to the ‘hyphy’ direction that the album explored, Davis was subsequently forced to publicly defend his new work when jeers erupted at live shows. With headstrong track titles like This Time (I’m Gonna Try It My Way) that made no bones about The Outsider’s agenda, his unlikely co-conspirator David Banner was on the money when he remarked in song: “Shadow, you’ve got some nuts for this one, baby.” Currently enjoying one of his most productive years in some time, there’s a sense that Davis has come full circle as we catch up in 2011, having headlined the Glastonbury stage christened after John Peel – a vital channel to British audiences, pre-Endtroducing. “That was definitely a big one,” he admits. “Although I think everyone else around me felt so more than I did – the context of it being John Peel made it very relaxing for me in a way… very friendly.” He has since released The Less You Know, The Better in recent weeks – an album which, at least in part, makes efforts to reconnect with that lost audience. But Davis remains resolute that his last album did exactly what it was supposed to by culling the herd. The Outsider was a bold album that some listeners considered self-sabotage, and it took a lot of flak from fans and critics at the time, mainly because it didn’t fit with anything else you’d recorded. How do you look back on it now? I’m definitely still proud of it, I think time has softened the harshness of some of the initial reactions – I think a lot more people get it now. At least, I’ve noticed a lot of people saying and writing that. But it did what it was designed to do: it separated the true fans from the marginal fans and it cleared the slate. I didn’t really know the extent that it was successful until I sat down to work on this record and I felt absolutely no agenda whatsoever; I just wanted to pursue the sounds that I enjoyed. I think it makes sense; it made this record flow a lot better. That’s not to say this wasn’t also a difficult record to make, but I think it should be difficult at a certain point. The Less You Know… seems like a clear return to sampling. Two of the initial songs you released – Def Surrounds Us and I’ve Been Trying – set its stall out as a jukebox album early on; one’s purely for the dancefloor while the other is this psychedelic ballad. Do you strive to produce a linear listening experience these days, or is it more important to present a challenge? I certainly want it to hang together, to be a coherent listen, but I became aware a long time ago that I seem to listen to music in a different pattern to a lot of people. I think just by virtue of the fact that I’m a DJ, and by virtue of the fact that I receive a lot of music, I pursue a lot and digest a lot of music.

24 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

In my opinion there’s very little need for boundaries and for separating this from that. So the music that I make tends to – to some people anyway – sound a bit schizophrenic. Any combination of artists I put together is going to sound a bit silly. That’s how I listen to music – from Bad Brains to Little Dragon to some hip-hop demo cassette from 1987 to some 50s country western thing to some 1982 heavy metal record. That’s the way it is for me, so the music that I make tends to be equally diverse. You can hear hints of dubstep on Def Surrounds Us, is that a development in music that you’ve personally enjoyed since you’ve been away from the limelight? Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that’s an influence that’s crept in. But I think that’s just normal – any new style of music that comes along, and obviously dubstep’s been around for ages. Any new thing that creeps in, whether it’s drum’n’bass coming out of cars circa ‘94/’95 in London – all of

The landscape has changed, the rules have changed... Dj Shadow

these things work their way in. I don’t know how to make drum’n’bass, or dubstep for that matter, anymore than I know how to make 50s rockabilly or whatever. But once you hear it a few times, it becomes a new colour in your palette wheel. The trick is using just enough to give a new stylistic edge to the painting you’re working on without trying to imitate or steal from anybody. There were a lot of guest MCs and vocalists on the last album that dictated its form to a degree, and a number of left turns at that – even by your previous standards with U.N.K.L.E. As a pioneer of instrumental hip-hop, were you cautious about going down that road again? At one point the record was going to be all instrumental, but I realised I was placing another restriction on myself. There were a few songs I felt could possibly be better with vocals and so I allowed myself to go down that road, but only on a few tracks. Little Dragon’s on one, Posdnous from De La Soul is on another, and a couple of other people. The title seems to reiterate this feeling that’s arisen in recent times, that we’re at the unhealthy end of the information age. Is that what you’re saying? Yeah, I think that’s safe to say. I mean, I live in Silicon Valley, which is the primary test market for any new gadget, any new app, website, internet service – whatever you want to call it. You’re being told on a daily basis that your life is incomplete unless you go out and you buy this thing that’s supposed to be way better than the last thing which doesn’t do what it was advertised to do – it gets very wearying. I walk around and I see a lot of people not really understanding how they’re supposed to be internalising these messages. I see a lot of passionless, hollow, zombie-like people in America. Anyway, [sighs] the title refers to that! [laughs]. It’s just a bit much… What keeps you driven these days, despite this state of affairs? It’s a compulsion, just an overwhelming desire to contribute and to keep things pushing forward, because I value music so much in my life and I just desperately want to contribute to the lineage of it. And do what I can as a DJ to showcase other people, and to do what I can as an artist to express myself and try to offer an alternative to the landscape. There’s a scene in [2002 documentary] Scratch where you’re pretty much swimming in vinyl as you talk about how important the medium is. With the dominance of digital music, are you still as big a crate digger now? The landscape has changed, the rules have changed – the way I go about what I do has changed a lot, but I’m definitely still a hardcore collector, yeah. On the other hand – and this is related to the spirit of your new album in a sense – can you still form close attachments to particular records when you have this museum of music at your finger tips? Well that may have been true at one point years ago, although I think that famous number comes from a quote that Questlove said on [National Public Radio] back in 2002, which I sampled on one of my mix CDs. It’s a lot more than that, but it’s sort of irrelevant in my opinion. I don’t have some false pretence that owning 100,000 records makes me a better DJ... On the other hand, with a museum of records at your fingertips, can you still form close attachments to particular albums? That’s a good question; I can think of one pretty good example where I had a friend come over to help me organise one of my storage units, and

in return for his week of lifting and moving vinyl around I let him take some records that he’d found. He took this one record, which I knew was rare and had never listened to before, and I probably bought it because the cover was a bit silly – it was a very amateurish pencil drawing of a man’s face. He got it home, called me up and said ‘listen, one of these records I took from you is fucking amazing; you’ve got to hear it’. So I heard it and now it’s one of my top wants. And that’s a record that came from my own storage unit. There are records I picked up on a trip in 2004 I still haven’t had a chance to listen to. But then I can still hear some records and it takes me back to a certain moment in time, as with anybody. But those records in my life that matter, I know where they came from and where they fit in. What’s the status of Quannum [the independent hip-hop collective established by Davis alongside groups like Latyrx and Blackalicious in 1992]? Greatest Bumps still gets a lot of play in The Skinny office, there’s a fiver well spent in FOPP about 10 years ago… Well, I suppose that like any group of friends, real life sets in and people get families, mortgages, there’s a lot of water under that bridge. I still communicate fairly regularly with several of the guys, I most recently saw everybody at Xavier’s [Chief Xcel] son’s birthday. Quannum still exists as a label, I haven’t been actively a part of it since 2004 and I made it pretty clear, once my wife was pregnant, that there was a lot going on in my life. I just said ‘look, I can’t dedicate the energy to this…’ But I always imagined it being a place that we’d keep going – keep that door open, so at any point any of us can return and have it as a resource. I genuinely feel that if I decided to use that to distribute my music then it would be there. I think relations are at a fairly healthy place, given what I know has eventually happened to so many other musical endeavours in the past. There are so many examples of things coming to a pretty ugly conclusion and I think we managed to avoid most of that. Finally, you’re bringing the ‘Shadowsphere’ production to Glasgow in December, which is pretty far removed from your typical DJ booth. What can fans from both extremes of your catalogue hope for? The type of show that I do, with the way the visuals are, it’s not like I change the set every night – the set is what it is and I just have to perform it as technically adept as I can. I mean I pride myself on actually doing stuff during the show, not just pressing play on a hard drive and moving my hands about. So long as every ten or fifteen minutes people hear something they recognise – as long as you keep the vibe going and dazzle them with things to look at and listen to – it’s OK. PLAYING O2 ABC, GLASGOW ON 5 DEC THE LESS YOU KNOW, THE BETTER IS OUT NOW ON ISLAND WWW.DJSHADOW.COM

BEST FOOT FORWARD

A Centre for the Arts and Creativity

Shadow’s got your entertainment recommendations for the month covered...

LITTLE DRAGON

THE LAST good band I went to see in concert was...a great Swedish group called Little Dragon when they played in the Bay area. Well, it’s the last gig I entered at the beginning and left at the end! The last entertaining film I watched was...80 Blocks from Tiffany’s – it’s a documentary from 1979 on two gangs in South Bronx. It was only previously available as a very hard to find video cassette but recently got a legit release on DVD – it’s amazing. The last TV series I enjoyed was...Treme. I have a love affair with New Orleans, ever since I first went there in ‘93. I was very profoundly affected by the events of Katrina – obviously made a song about it – and so I’m very into the subject matter. I like that music is so pervasive in it. The last decent book I read was... Beefheart – Through the Eyes of Magic, a book about Captain Beefheart written by the drummer of the band. It’s very dense but I have a lot of respect for why it was written and the manner in which it was written. It’s a summation of a lot of people’s lives and it was obviously a big burden to tell the story and I appreciate that it was told. LITTLE DRAGON PLAY THE ARCHES ON 30 NOV

highlights November EXHIBITIONS Project Ability Collected

DJ SHADOW

Russian Cultural Centre Sunday evening music recitals* Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre performance*

Sharmanka Early Bersudsky Trongate 103 Foyer Language for Sale Street Level Photoworks The Obsidian Isle Glasgow Print Studio Unique and Original

Those records in my life that matter, I know where they came from

EVENTS Street Level Photoworks Graham Fulton book launch

CREATE* Trongate 103 offers a wide choice of creative classes in a variety of techniques and media including print, photography, digital imaging animation, film and video. Please visit website for more information troNgate 103 Welcome visits Get to know Trongate 103 better by joining one of our free behind the scenes tours.

admissioN Free 103 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HD 0141 276 8380 info@trongate103.com

T FIRS DAY S R THU

Gallery previews, music, and fun — monthly 6-9pm

www.trongate103.com *Charges may apply for some performances, workshops, classes and events.

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 25

MUSIC

Comes With The Fall Working in isolation from his band and rallying against ‘laptop ignorance’ on The Fall’s 29th album, Mark E. Smith explains the idiosyncrasies that keep him sharp Interview: Sam Wiseman PHOTO: EUAN ROBERTSON

The Fall performing at Electric Frog Festival, SWG3, September 2011

Mark E. Smith has now fronted The Fall for thirtyfive years, but they remain a peerlessly inventive, idiosyncratic and unpredictable outfit. With their 29th studio LP Ersatz G.B. out this month, the band’s legendarily prolific workrate shows no sign of letting up. When The Skinny catches up with Smith ahead of their upcoming tour, he sounds as enthusiastic as ever, expressing some frustration over the relatively long time to get the previous record, 2010’s Your Future Our Clutter, released: “It was a bit too long to wait for the last LP, bloody two years or something like that. I’m not used to that.” When asked if that delay had anything to do with Smith’s departure from Domino Records to release the new album on Cherry Red, he explains that the band were only really with the high profile London indie for a one-record deal. “It was all very amicable and that. Cherry Red appealed to me, because they made a promise to get it out fast.” Evidently that remains a priority, and Smith states that he expects to make at least “a few more” albums with the label. Ersatz G.B. continues to develop The Fall’s sound in a startlingly intense, frenetic style: songs like Cosmos 7 and Nate Will Not Return are in a similarly rambunctious, riff-driven vein to Clutter’s O.F.Y.C Showcase, or Wolf Kidult Man, from 2008’s Imperial Wax Solvent. These three albums, which have seen the band’s core personnel unchanged, work as a series, and demonstrate that The Fall are still finding plenty of room for innovation within their own distinctive parameters. Has Smith aimed to develop the ever-evolving outfit’s music in a particular way over these records? “Yeah, we made a conscious effort. I

26 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

mean it’s not like I said to the group exactly what we’ve gotta do. But we worked on the songs in a new way. I sort of did this thing where we had to do three new songs a night – it all sounds a bit crackers, but it seemed to work, so that’s why they sound pretty tight.” There is, undoubtedly, a sense of focus and discipline to Ersatz G.B. that isn’t always present on Fall records, evincing the benefits of having a relatively stable lineup over the past few years. Partly, Smith puts this down to a different approach to recording, which saw the band laying down guitar, bass, drums and keyboards in Chiswick, while Smith recorded the vocals separately, in Hounslow. This had the consequence that “the band didn’t know what the songs were about half

It gets a bit weird at times, to be honest MARK E. SMITH

the time” – something which Smith feels may have helped in certain ways. That sort of difficulty and uncertainty, he explains, is “something I’ve always wanted, y’know. And they’ve been quite flexible.” The method has enabled the band to develop an intuitive approach which complements Smith’s notoriously eccentric attitudes to musicianship: “We’re talking about a group here,” he explains, “where I can sort of hum a tune about three hours before, and they can get it pretty much on the nail. It’s quite amazing really.” Smith’s comments suggest that inter-band relations are going well, and he’s looking forward to their upcoming tour, which will see them play Edinburgh’s Picture House on 3 November. Their recent set at Glasgow’s Electric Frog festival in September boded well; it was telling, too, that they were one of the few guitar bands on an adventurous dance-oriented bill. He says, though, that he’s “not listening to much” these days, although “the group are all into dance music.” Smith has always consciously avoided thinking too much about influences when writing: “I wouldn’t be in a group otherwise,” he says. “I’m just writing a lot myself, really. I just keep trying to keep the words as sharp as possible. You get into a self-editing process. It gets a bit weird at times, to be honest.” Even now, the 54-year-old feels that he’s still developing as a lyricist, and Ersatz G.B. pursues some unusual avenues: the song Greenway, for example, describes a Danish rock video featuring a singer bearing “a remarkably coincidental resemblance” to current guitarist Pete Greenway, and sets this tale over a cod-heavy metal riff borrowed from “this Greek band, whose name I can hardly pronounce.” The process of writing

songs, Smith emphasises, is something that should be constantly revised and re-examined to keep things fresh. The new album’s first single, Laptop Dog, obliquely critiques technological dependency, bemoaning the “laptop ignorance” that increasingly permeates British culture. Smith feels that addiction to technology is a real problem, and one that tends to stifle creativity: “There are people like that – it is a true story, that song. I know some people who are worse than alcoholics.” Characteristically, Smith is sceptical about developments that are assumed by some to herald genuinely significant cultural shifts. Producing valuable music remains something that depends upon hard work, dedication and the gradual evolution of ideas – but also upon being prepared to adopt a new direction when life gets too familiar. For now, though, Ersatz G.B. showcases an incarnation of The Fall buzzing with ideas; one that has evidently benefited from the record’s unusual recording process. Not doing everything as a group in the studio is also, Smith hints, good for the cohesion of the band, and he declares himself “really happy” with the current lineup. He is already writing songs for the next record, and expects to continue working with the same group. Does he see this as a long-term arrangement? “Yeah, yeah, but I’ve said that before haven’t I?” As ever when The Fall are involved, the only safe prediction to make is that Smith will always be there, making challenging, strange and utterly distinctive music. Playing HMV Picture House, Edinburgh on 3 Nov Ersatz G.B. is released via Cherry Red on 14 Nov www.visi.com/fall

World Premiere 17 – 19 November, 7.30pm Tramway, Glasgow £14 /£10 0845 330 3501 www.tramway.org

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NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 27

David Shrigley heads North for a cookery opera: Liz Lochhead pays tribute to Edwin Morgan INTERVIEW: Gareth K Vile

Like every other art form, theatre has fashions, dictated by notable success, funding considerations or social events. During November, Magnetic North team up with composer David Fennessy and artist David Shrigley for Pass the Spoon, while Glasgay! brings together Glasgow’s makar Liz Lochhead and the Tron’s artistic director Andy Arnold to conjure the life of Edwin Morgan. Both productions are evidence of an increase in crossplatform collaborations. “I think that Pass the Spoon will bring in an audience who would not normally consider going to a contemporary music event or a new opera,” says Magnetic North’s artistic director Nick Bone,“and that is a good thing.” Pass the Spoon promises to combine Magnetic North’s taut approach to drama with an original score and Shrigley’s surreal take on TV cookery. Supported by the imaginative Vital Sparks funding, which previously helped rising playwright Rob Drummond fulfill his childhood fantasy of beating up hard men in Wrestling and has a mission to encourage artistic mash-ups, Pass the Spoon is an unexpected addition to Shrigley’s cannon. Well known for fanzine style cartoons that cleverly subvert the sentimentality of postcard art through a faux naïve conceptualism, Shrigley admits that this is a surprising direction. “Composer Dave Fennessy asked me and I said yes,” he remembers. “I knew his music a little and I thought he’d be good to work with. I guess you’re not going to be asked to write an opera too many times in your life, if you’re me, so it seemed like an opportunity that had to be taken.” The shift to opera, however, has not removed Shrigley’s idiosyncratic vision of the world. “There are certainly some unusual elements to the production,” Bone admits. “It asks the audience to engage in quite a straightforward way with characters who are very straightforwardly presented – some of them may be items of food, but their psychology is clear.” And the high art cachet of opera hasn’t curbed Shrigley’s sly wit. “It’s

28 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

quite close to panto in this sense, and, like panto, its humour is apparently pretty straightforward but, like a lot of David Shrigley’s work, there is a darker after-taste – you laugh and then catch yourself.” Under Bone’s direction, Magnetic North has built up an eclectic body of work: in recent years, through pieces like Walden, they have established themselves as masters of intimate, site responsive theatre. Pass the Spoon is a more expansive project, which called for another alliance. Bone went to one of Scotland’s most radical orchestral ensembles. “It seemed obvious to get the Red Notes involved, they’re the go-to guys for contemporary music,” he says. “The players are so experienced at working on new music that we knew they would be an enormous asset to the project. They’re great performers as well as great players, and as they’re in view onstage the whole time, this was very important!” With the line up complete, Pass the Spoon had become a major fusion of Scotland’s cutting edge companies. The choice of venue, Tramway, was almost inevitable. “Once we realised what the scale of the show was going to be, Tramway seemed the obvious place to do it,” Bone continues. “There was a balance necessary between quite a formal theatre space (in terms of the audience/performer relationship) and one that wasn’t too fixed (in terms of the performance space) and Tramway 1 is somewhere that combines these elements in a very interesting way.” Even the building’s history made it an important player in the production. “The fact that it’s a venue for theatre, visual art and contemporary music also means that it already has an audience for whom the idea of a collaboration between the three of us would be intriguing,” Bone states. “In terms of design and staging, you have to take the architecture into account: as Pass the Spoon is set in a television studio, the rough brick walls and concrete floor easily become part of creating that environment.”

This sort of collaboration, which brings together artists established in their own form to create unexpected combinations, is increasingly fashionable. Tramway’s recent productions have seen visual artists taking on the large performance space, and Glasgay!’s tribute to Glasgow’s former poet laureate Edwin Morgan’s Dreams and Other Nightmares pairs the Tron’s artistic director Andy Arnold with current poet laureate Liz Lochhead to celebrate the poet who is both a popular choice for school curricula and, after he came out in his old age, an iconic gay figure. Lochhead has already demonstrated her skill as a playwright – her Mary, Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off was recently revived by The Lyceum and Dundee Rep to great success – but for Edwin Morgan, she has used both a recent biography and Morgan’s own poetry to conjure the final years of the legendary poet. While working on a smaller scale, and lower budget, than Pass the Spoon, Edwin Morgan aims at a similar synergy of different components. At the same time, it suggests that getting work to the stage is increasingly dependent on engaging diverse talents, and presenting unfamiliar combinations of creativity. Both Edwin Morgan and Pass the Spoon bring together some of Scotland’s most energetic artists to explore and experiment, a heartening suggestion that even artists as successful as Bone or Lochhead are willing to challenge their own boundaries. After the historical, and political, scope of Lochhead’s Mary, or her rewriting of Antigone, Edwin Morgan is a far more intimate and personal project – she called Morgan a friend – while Bone is pushing himself beyond the subtle intimacies of Walden and the social philosophy of his most recent production of Pamela Carter’s study of feral children. It even has echoes of that other fashionable movement in performance, the immersive experience. “Pass the Spoon is definitely a change in scale – Magnetic North has never done anything this big before, but it wasn’t a conscious decision to make a change,” Bone continues. “With each production, I try to find the space and audience relationship that is the correct one for that particular piece. With our adaptation of Walden, the audience was so close to the actor, and he interacted with them in such a personal way, that they understood that the performance wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t turned up. I love that sense of implicating the audience in some way – in Pass the Spoon the audience is the live studio audience for the daily broadcast of a daytime TV cookery show called Pass the Spoon.” For Shrigley, taking on an opera was even more of a leap. “I guess I was interested in trying to write a longer narrative than I have before,” he admits. “I think ordinarily I would have problems with a ‘feature’ length piece.” Fortunately, the collaborative process helped him through. “I thought the music would do a lot of the storytelling so it would be easier somehow. If I was influenced by anyone it would be Dave Fennessy, as I had what he might do with the music in mind when I was writing it.” Whether crossing between different genres, or bringing together disparate artists towards a shared interest, these two works represent theatre’s fascination with integrating new skills and strategies. Lochhead points out that performance is an inherently collaborative medium – she acknowledges that script-writing is a process which forces the writer to engage with the performers, especially in the early stages of development. These super-group line-ups articulate one of theatre’s hidden creative processes. Pass the spoon, Tramway, 17 - 19 Nov, 7.30pm Edwin Morgan's Dreams and other nightmares, Tron, 2-5 Nov www.magneticnorth.org.uk

Images: David Shrigley

THEATRE

PASSING THE LIMITS

I guess you’re not going to be asked to write an opera too many times in your life, if you’re me, so it seemed like an opportunity that had to be taken David Shrigley

TRAVEL

A Good Feeling for Portugal?

Portugal, a country with an unexpected north-south divide, and an ample supply of hammocks Words and Photos: Josh Wilson

Mr Robin Duncan: Louco in Lagos

Portugal, has, to generalise somewhat crudely I’ll admit, two distinct regions: The Algarve – in the South – and everywhere else. Fortunately for us, generalisations allow for exceptions and towards the bottom left of the Algarve we found something we didn’t expect to find in a region so focused on catering to the booze cruise bunch: we found a place of respite, and it was even covered in hammocks. Arriving in Raposeira was to the drunk partied out fool what a shiny, clean, cold-water tap is to anyone who’s found themselves inexplicably wandering around the Sahara for a week. We had spent the best part of a week exploring the coast, only to find red faced English speakers at every turn. Fortunately we managed to escape somewhat around Faro and the surrounding hills, which harboured some refreshingly – actual – Portuguese folk. These people were friendlier than you could really have hoped for, given the abundance of tourists in the region and we were kept obscenely well fed and watered, and ate local specialities including a lobster filled Cataplana and a thousand gallons of local wine. The rest of the Algarve though… it’s as if someone took the land, shook off all the people and replaced them with whatever came out of the pub at 2am. Take Lagos, for example: some phrases uttered in ignorance before the onset of night: “A beautiful town”, “Look at the castle!”, “Wow what beaches”. With the dark came an insane number of drunk, belligerent, vomit covered tourists: Australians by the half billion, Germans by the tens of thousands and even a spattering of French (the UK was surprisingly underrepresented here). So we ended up drunk by osmosis, after trying to find something, anything, else. But there isn’t anything else, just the stench and scream of the 19 year olds slowly falling over into puddles of their own making. At the end of our days in Lagos, and the Algarve as a whole, I’d almost lost a toe (I’ve never seen a stubbed digit bleed so), burnt a hand (hostel cooking: one for you, three for

But there isn’t anything else, just the stench and scream of the 19 year olds slowly falling over into puddles of their own making

me!), sliced my other foot nice and deep (thanks crustaceans!) and almost split my head open (spatial awareness and wine do not mix well). The North of the country is a different kettle altogether. The North is where Portuguese people live. If The South was a lot of small, quaint villages and towns covered in red-faced tourists, the North (well, from Lisbon up) is varied, vibrant and jam packed with life. Coimbra sits inland, North of Lisboa and South of Porto. It’s a place heavily populated by university students, and what a city! The centre is steeped in all sorts of olde history. Something about the Moors and something else about a library, too, according to the guide books. I wouldn’t know as my day was spent by a glorious pool in the city’s fantastic camp site... Venturing in at night gave us a good idea though; beautifully maintained cobble streets wheel about over a hilly town littered with fantastic university buildings, churches and small squares where the students gather, sit, chat and share a smoke. Porto is a similar affair, with some extra

spectacular on top. Set in a valley by the sea, with the huge, super-scenic (and yes, touristy) Douro river flowing into it. Porto city centre is a sight to behold (a site to behold perhaps?): buildings are beautiful yet wearing thin from years of neglect. If you look too close you might notice that half the buildings don’t actually have all the walls you might hope for; the number of them that are nothing more than a façade is staggering. From there, it was on to Lisboa. Staying in the capital is pretty simple, hostels jump out at you everywhere. We stayed at the overreaching Oasis Backpackers Mansion, which may have once been a mansion, in the way of having a hundred rooms, but the aristocratic theme came to an abrupt halt after that. One bathroom (toilet and shower) between every ten poor suckers negated any sort of comfort, replacing it with a constant wonder about when you might next get to micturate. And while the place strived to fit in with the young tourist crowd (ie. with pub crawls and other such organised ‘fun’), it was hard to shake the feeling that the staff wanted you to fuck off, stop asking them to do ‘stuff’ and leave them to be horrifyingly cool. Rude doesn’t even cut it. The rest of Lisbon did its level best to make up for this though (and staying at The Poet, a nearby hostel, one night, left us with a much better impression of Lisbon’s hospitality). Life in town is good: drinks aren’t too expensive, especially in the Bairro Alto, which was both hectic and mad in a refreshing local way. During the days there is something for everyone, if you can drag yourself out of bed (thanks, Bairro Alto!). Our experience of the North was a good one, an improvement over the South for sure, but that’s probably only thanks to the rest we got in the small town of Raposeira, at the hostel with the hammocks. They were a sight for sore limbs and livers, peppered around the side of the most aptly titled hostel ever: The Good Feeling, a place plonked on the edge of the town, 20 minutes from anything else in the South East of the Algarve. Run by ex

pro surfers (Hugo, Miguel and Abel), at The Good Feeling there is no stress. It’s not even possible. When we arrived, the hostel was quiet, the only hint of a person was a note on the open door: ‘Back Soon, Just Relax’, it said. So we had a little explore around the large, comfortable lounge and kitchen, and, after a minute or two, settled down in the hammocks to wait. Maybe an hour later, as we were drifting off, a car pulled up full of people kitted out for the beach, looking well sunned and rested. Standard procedure, it turns out, is that they happily drive you wherever you need or want to be – gratis: beaches, bars, shops. They go ‘cos they want to; they want you to see it, have fun and hell, if they have to have a little surf or a small beer while they wait, well they’ll just bloody well do it. Our time there was spent – between blissfully calm beers, chats and meals in the evening – on a couple of trips that are run out of the hostel. Surf lessons were taken at a great little local school, and we went on an amazing cave-exploring, leg-wobbling rock-jumping ball-smashing trip, too (ProTip: try not to land on your back, legs splayed when leaping into the sea off of a 15m rock). There is no doubt that these were some of the nicest days of the trip. We didn’t know what to expect from Portugal, and it’s fair to say The Algarve was not it. But The Good Feeling was an antidote to the somewhat relentless South, and a great precursor to our – slightly – more sober explorations up North. No matter if you are heading to Portugal for a booze and beach trip, or to party all night in Lisboa, it’s well worth making the trip to Raposeira, where there is peace, calm and hammocks. If you’ve been anywhere else in Portugal, you will goddamn need them. Hostel Oasis Backpackers Mansion Lisboa www.oasislisboa.com/ €€16-25/night for dorm beds The Good Feeling www.thegoodfeeling.com/index_en.html €€15/night for dorm beds (Oct-May) Fly: Glasgow-> Faro w/ Easyjet ~£100 return Glasgow-> Lisbon w/Iberia £144

November 2011

THE SKINNY 29

TRAVEL

THE FALLS FESTIVAL, TASMANIA

To me, New Year’s Eve is a rubbish night. I almost inevitably find myself switching between the extreme heat of a sweaty party and the extreme cold of Scotland’s streets as I traipse home without hope of finding a taxi. If, like me, you are sick of feeling let down by the anti-climax of New Year’s, then the Falls festival in Tasmania could be the perfect escape. Of course, for most of us, jetting over to Oz for Hogmanay is a completely far fetched notion, but it’s always nice to fantasise and for those of you who are heading out there this December or in situ already (there are Skinny readers everywhere), here’s a low-down of the edgy music and art festival set in one of Australia’s most beautiful locations. The 3 day festival kicks off on 29 December with headlining international acts like Artic Monkeys, Crystal Castles,

The Kooks and The Wonderful World of DJ Yoda as well as almost 70 Australian talents set to rock you into 2012. With almost a hundred bands, DJs and comedians to choose from there really is something for everyone. The festival is held in the stunning setting of Tasmania’s South East coast, just a couple of hours away from the breathtaking Wineglass Bay. Free on-site camping for all 3 nights is included in the $216 ticket price. If you fancy a shorter visit then a 2 day pass is $188 but you’ll miss out on the Boogie Nights celebration on the 29th which features great acts like Anna’a Go Go Academy and Ritchie Lumb 2050. This event guarantees a unique New Year’s experience in amazing surroundings you’re not likely to forget in a hurry. [Rose Howie] TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.FALLSFESTIVAL.COM.AU/

GO AWAY: TO THE PAPAY GYRO ARTS FESTIVAL Papa Westray is a remote island, 4 miles long and 1 mile wide just north of Kirkwall in the Orkney Isles. Since February, this tiny island has been the home of the annual Papay Gyro contemporary art festival. The festival will take place from 6 to 13 February 2012 across the whole island and brings together a variety of contemporary art from short to feature length film, through to architecture, live painting, music and story telling. Following on from last year’s success, creators Ivanov and Chan have told The Skinny that next year’s festival is ‘going to be revolutionary’. The complete line up is to be released in November but check out http://www.papaygyronights.papawestray.org/index.html for more details. The festival was inspired by a Norse tradition called The Night of the Gyro which was celebrated on the island until 1914 in

honour of a goddess who took the form of a female giant. The new festival tries not to simply recreate the old revelries but draws on new and contemporary art forms to remind us of folklore and the island’s heritage. Another aim is to spark debates about new media and modern society’s relationships with old traditions. A video recap of last year’s festival is available at http://vimeo.com/30673435. This exciting new festival looks set to be a storm just like the last one, so if you’re brave enough it should be well worth facing the trip up to the remote island and the February weather. [Rose Howie] FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO GET TO PAPA WESTRAY, ACCOMODATION OPTIONS AND OTHER THINGS TO SEE CHECK OUT WWW.PAPAWESTRAY.CO.UK/DIRECTORY/SCOTLAND.HTM WWW.PAPAYGYRONIGHTS.PAPAWESTRAY.ORG/INDEX.HTML

ANTONIO NODAR: POSTCARDS FROM THE YEAR 2222

Edinburgh

Art Fair 18th - 20th November

Edinburgh Corn Exchange

New Market Road, Edinburgh , EH14 1RJ : 65 Galleries : Crèche : Bistro/Bar : Doors Open 11am Daily : Entry £6 / £4

www.artedinburgh.com 30 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

As I’m sure you’re aware, many of the European languages are gendered. When a table or chair can be masculine, feminine, or neutral how are the more gender ambiguous among us supposed to get through everyday interactions? Words: Caitlin Field Illustration: Paul Smith

Boy or girl? It’s a distinction that everyone’s forced to make from their very first day on this earth. Usually quite a formal affair, the entire thing boils down to a quick glance, a ticked box, and Bob’s your uncle, you’ve got one definitively gendered child. The process of growing up is, for a lot of people, also a process of learning what these different labels mean: what they signify, and what counts as a transgression of such an apparently fundamental natural fact. Primary school children are quite frequently heard to enquire, “Is that a boy or a girl?” but this tendency gradually declines after secondary school, when every ball of raging hormones has settled down into something resembling a more stable, more mature human being and everyone just gets on with their lives. Particularly in the UK, with the male beauty standard shifting further and further towards the slender boys. We can see that gender is not as rigid as it seems to be when you’re growing up. Those of you who keep your ears firmly tuned in to the queer-o-sphere will no doubt have heard the ripples (or, rather, tidal waves) that androgynous model Andrej Pejic is making in the fashion world. If you are particularly well-informed (read as: spend too much time on Tumblr), you might even have seen excerpts from an interview he did with an American news channel, in which the interviewer demonstrated her quite spectacular capacity for asking invasive questions (“When you see yourself in a mirror, do you think of yourself more as a man or as a woman?”), to which Pejic responded with a maturity well beyond his years (“You know, I like to keep my options open about how I see myself”). Described variously as a man, transgender and, by one particular tabloid not exactly famed for sensitivity in dealing with any issue outside the hetero-norm, “it”, Pejic has stated that he began to experiment with his gender presentation at the age of 14, having moved to Australia with his family when he was 8 years old. This freedom of expression almost definitely came with age, but it was perhaps also fostered by the culture of his adoptive country. Certainly in the UK, which isn’t radically different to the land down under, you can go the entire day without revealing your gender identity to anyone at all. In English-speaking countries we enjoy a freedom that a lot of other countries don’t – the freedom to talk without committing to one gender or another. In interviews, Pejic is usually referred to with a male pronoun, but he has said that he feels comfortable with the female pronoun, that it’s not really a big deal. Linguistically, it probably isn’t. The gender-neutrality of the English language means that we can identify however we want, we’re not forced to reveal it to the world and their partner (the world and his wife being so… normative) with a single word. In English, we can be any adjective we fancy without also necessarily being either a boy or a girl. To contrast, in France the entire language is inherently gendered – the endings of adjectives change depending on whether you take the masculine or feminine form. You are never able to be merely happy; you are either a happy guy (heureux) or a happy girl (heureuse). Every time a gay person opens their mouth to talk about their partner, they are standing on the threshold of the closet door, and depending on which adjective they choose, they either stride right out, or stay rooted to the spot. Even social interaction is charged with gender associations – the famous French tradition of

I Am Not A Naughty Boy Do you feel like your BDSM experiences have been ruined slightly by sex-negative language? This month we looks at how we can make our kinky sex more... celebratory. We’ve got nothing to be shamed of after all (unless you’re into that) Words: Matthew Bobbu

In English, we can be any adjective we fancy without also necessarily being either a boy or a girl.

kissing on the cheek is complex in ways that Brits cannot even begin to imagine. Among the thousands of intricate rules and regulations governing the practice is the fact that it depends on the gender of the kissers. Girls kiss boys and girls, but boys only kiss girls. A select few boys are allowed to transgress this article of the unwritten social constitution – mostly gay boys, along with a few brave straight ones who have decided to throw machismo to the wind. Generally boys will shake hands instead, and if they cannot immediately tell the gender of a person they are approaching their discomfort is often tangible. So it falls to the other person to take a decisive move. To shake hands, or to go in for the bise. Male or female. Take your pick. I don’t mean to suggest here that English is perfect – the grammar enthusiasts among you might find that the pronoun 'they' often sits badly – but the English language is trying, bless it, and while we’ve still got a way to go in terms of ensuring that our language is universal, we should perhaps take a step back every now and then and be proud – neither masculine nor feminine, just proud – of what we have at our disposal.

“You’ve been a naughty girl.” “I’m such a bad boy.” “I want to do terrible things to you.” Anyone who’s spent time around kinky people will be familiar with phrases like these, but I want to know why it all has to be so sex-negative? I think spanking during sex is mighty good fun, and I’m lucky enough to have partners who agree. Being kinky is a big part of my identity, and it’s a point of pride that I know what excites me. So I find it curious to hear it always spoken of as “bad” or “naughty.” Sure, it’s all part of the excitement and roleplaying. Many people love the forbidden aspect of kinky sex the most. But does it have to be taboo to be exciting? Even when it is taboo, does it have to be spoken about with negative language? Whenever I’m having a discussion about sex I emphasise that it should be open and honest, avoiding negative euphemisms like “doing the dirty.” Every sex-positive activist and educator encourages people not to be ashamed or fearful of their sexuality, despite what our predominantly Christian culture tells us. Yet the topic of sex-negative words in kink is rarely broached, even in the circles I debate in. No one thinks to correct associations made between fetish and “bad” behaviour – it’s dismissed as part of the fetish, or that it is ok because everyone involved understands the real meaning. I disagree. Not only does the constant use of sex-negative language perpetuate negative perspectives on sexuality, it also undermines the BDSM community’s battle for acceptance. All I ask is for kinky folks to experiment a little more. Humour me, and try talking shamelessly about your fetish. Picture the scene – you get home from work and your partner has made you a delicious meal, opened a bottle of wine, put candles on the table, and dressed up. You have a wonderful meal, then slide into the boudoir for some intimate time together. But when they strip off to show their sexy underwear, you don’t tell them how naughty they are – oh no! You keep telling them how wonderful they are, and that you’re going to do wonderful things to them. Then you throw them on the bed and spank the hell out of that bum.

Image: Liz Henry

DEVIANCE

In Defence of the English Language

November 2011

THE SKINNY 31

SHOWCASE

THE SKINNY SHOWCASE SHOP

32 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

FROM LATE NOVEMBER you will be able to buy limited edition prints online courtesy of The Skinny Showcase in collaboration with Culture Label (www.culturelabel.com) and with the support of the Own Art scheme. Seven artists who have previously been featured in the Showcase section have been selected to create collections of works that will be available to buy from next month onwards. Here is a sneak preview of the beautiful original works by Markus Thorsen (1), Rabiya Choudhry (2), David Lemm (3), Goodwives and Warriors (4), Rachel MacLean (5), Jamie Johnson (6), and Ross Fraser McLean (7) that could be yours to own in just over a monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time. Read more about Good Wives and Warriors and the Own Art scheme on page 50.

www.theskinny.co.uk www.culturelabel.com

THE SKINNY SHOP EMERGING ART FROM SCOTLAND

7 NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 33

FASHION

Kristen Makes

As she recovers from her stint at London Fashion Week as assistant to Di Gilpin, knitwear designer Kristen Orme lets us have a sneaky peak around her Edinburgh studio and talks about experimentation, technology and her future plans Interview: Alexandra Fiddes

After gaining a BA in Fashion Design & Technology from Florida State University in 2004, designer Kristen Orme made the move over to Scotland to attend Heriot-Watt University’s prestigious School of Textiles in Galashiels where she graduated with an MA with distinction earlier this year. “While my BA focused on fashion and how to develop a collection, I directed my MA towards knitted textiles,” Kristen tells us, although her love of knitting isn’t new, adding,“I realised that fashion and making was more than a hobby to me when I taught myself hand-knitting at a young age. I saw that I had a skill and an interest, and I needed to develop that.” Galashiels was an introduction into working with alternative processes and trying out techniques. “To learn something new I utilised the machineknitting facilities and explored the capabilities of the industrial-level Shima® knitting technologies.” Different processes such as devoré, laser-cutting, digital print were all taught as part of the course, in addition to working with computer software and large scale knitting systems. ‘’Tutors at university helped me to step out of

34 THE SKINNY November 2011

the uncertain over-self-editing mindset and start to think more design-orientated. They encouraged me, as a chronic over-thinker, to dive in.” Which proved an invaluable lesson. Kristen explains that her design process after her time at university is now much more experimental then something which is traditionally planned or mapped out. “I think of perhaps a technique I’d like to develop, sketch out some ideas to incorporate that technique, and swatch until I am happy with every specific detail. Swatching for knitters is similar to making a toile or a sample, only you create a specific section of fabric to test the scale and mechanics of the structure.” This interest in the way the garment itself will work is essential to the way Kristen designs and makes. “I want to demonstrate how the knitted structure is well-suited for slow and sustainable design so I design samples and a garment concept that combine the element of reversibility with multi-functional design to invite the wearer to ‘play’ with their clothes and eliminate the perception of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ side of the fabric.” This is especially highlighted in the Many-Ways Dress, a final piece handed in as part of the Masters course

(see above image) which is subtly beautiful as well as practical – it can be worn in a staggering 10 different configurations. Life after university seems to be going well and keeping this young designer busy, travelling to Glasgow to work with the brand Showpony (which specialises in printed bags and purses) and also spending time in Fife as the assistant to designer Di Gilpin, a hand knit specialist with over 30 years experience in the industry. ‘’I went to London Fashion Week in September to assist Di Gilpin, whose collection was debuting there, as part of Design Collective Scotland.’’ Was the LFW experience a good one for Kristen, whose work can be said to be an alternative to fast fashion? ‘’I found myself suprised by how pleasant everyone was. I met so many people excited about fashion and innovation. The whole experience was completely uplifting and encouraging.’’ As well as working with Di Gilpin and Showpony, Kristen is busily starting on her next ‘solo’ collection (for Autumn/Winter 2012), the aim of which is to create garments which will be entirely hand-knitted with the material used being sourced locally. It will also be “Organic in the fact that shape and

fabric are simultaneously created,’’ whereas with some woven and cut-and-sew methods Kristen tells us that they commonly, ‘’Yield about 30% fabric waste onto the cutting room floor!’’ The hope is that her own pieces will make people think about how things are made by reinventing traditional garment shapes by exploiting them in subtly non-traditional applications and will be, as she puts it, “A return to my roots after a machineknit saturated MA.” Kristen has, “A few stockists interested in offering unique hand-knitted items at a luxury level,” in mind for her collection once it’s completed. Additionally, she has just launched a website where garments, accessories and even knitting patterns are available to buy online. Sustainable, reversible and visually appealing – yes please! www.digilpin.com, www.showpony.co.uk, www.tex.hw.ac.uk/index.htm kristenmakes@gmail.com www.kristenmakes.com

Photogaphy: Vala Jónsdóttir (The Lindstrom Effect) www.thelindstromeffect.co.uk thelindstromeffect.blogspot.com/ Model: Olivia

FASHION

PREVIEWS

Jessica Howarth

Pop Up Precious Framed Gallery, 19 Nov - 2 Dec

Preview - 6:30pm - 9:30pm Fri 18 Nov Framed Gallery, 11b Gayfield Square, Edinburgh, EH1 3NT www.framededinburgh.co.uk www.acj.org.uk/ popupprecious.wordpress.com/

S.T.A.G : White Junk Fashion Pop Up The Korova Klub, 12 Nov

Fashion is an enormous global industry now estimated to be worth around £21 billion pounds a year to the UK economy, yet it’s notoriously difficult to break into. That’s where collectives like S.T.A.G (Scottish Talent and Graduates) come in, giving hard working and talented young people support. Based in Aberdeen, S.T.A.G was set up by two fourth year fashion students from Gray’s School of Art, Emma Noble and Toni Roddie, who aim to offer all designers (from those starting out to the already established) from the Aberdeen area and beyond a unique chance to connect with others working either in or towards a career in the industry. This networking aims to build collaborations through fashion shoots, shows and unique fashion events. The White Junk Fashion Pop Up is their second

pop up event and will take place on Saturday 12 November at The Korova Klub. The event will showcase the work of up and coming fashion design talent such as Laura Sherriffs, Heather Grant and Tracey Bruce, pieces from local jewellery designers including Kelly McAllister, along with gift wear and pieces from local vintage boutiques. Additionally, there will be delicious treats from Hannah Bakes Cakes and a bespoke cocktail that S.T.A.G have created for the event. So as well as looking at beautiful handmade work, you can even enjoy a drink and a cupcake or two! We have some incredible talent here in Scotland, talent we should be proud of and wholeheartedly support. [Victoria Paterson] 1pm-6pm, The Korova Klub, 18 Bridge Street,Aberdeen, AB11 6JL Tickets cost £2 www.barkorova.co.uk stagstudio.blogspot.com

Photo: Martina Salvi

Founded in the spring of 2010, the Edinburgh branch of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery (the ACJ) started as a community of local professional jewellery designers who had the shared aim of producing work of ‘an exceptional standard’ and who wanted to ‘become pathfinders within the jewellery world’. On 19 November ten of its members will be, for the first time, showcasing their work together in an exhibition entitled Pop Up Precious, where the general public will be able to see and also purchase unique and one-off jewellery pieces; potentially solving this years Christmas present buying dilemma in one fell swoop. Designer/makers confirmed for Pop Up Precious include Jessica Howarth, a recent Duncan of Jordanstone graduate whose work fuses Indian and Moroccan influences within large scale, bright

enamelled pieces; Joanne Garner who uses a combination of textile and traditional silversmithing techniques; and Caroline Cloughley whose macabre lepidophobia (fear of butterflies) inspired jewellery has been a Skinny favourite for a number of years. Additionally, Dorothy Hogg MBE, formerly the Jewellery and Metalwork course leader at Edinburgh College of Art, will be speaking at the opening event on Friday 18 November. She will surely voice her support for independent events such as this. We can only hope that the Framed Gallery, with its extremely large exhibition space, will be a suitable host venue for some of Edinburgh’s brightest jewellery talent. [Alexandra Fiddes]

Bold Souls - Santa, Baby! Sat 5 and Sat 26 Nov at The Arches

Let’s face it, the countdown to Christmas has already begun. Over the past few years, craft fairs and Christmas pop up shops have become part of the seasonal tradition, appearing all over the country. Bold Souls, however, deserves a special spot in your holiday diary, both for the quality of the items and the fact it strongly encourages shoppers to have fun. Fashion designers, jewellers, milliners and fashion illustrators will display upcycled, vintage and bespoke items, whilst being on hand to chat with shoppers and answer their questions. The event’s creators have also promised make up artists, nail technicians and free hair styling (courtesy of Rainbow Room International), making the day a whole lot more entertaining than the usual Christmas crowd elbowing on Buchanan/Princes

Street. Finally, there will be an opportunity to witness the behind-the-scenes of a live fashion shoot or get involved in a clothes swap ‘Shop it Swap it’ so just don’t forget to bring your unwanted clothes along. Beginning in July 2010, Bold Souls is the fashionable offspring of Jonathan Pryce (the photographer behind the street-style blog LesGarconsdeGlasgow) and Silvia Pellegrino (designer of fashion brand Chouchou). A bit over a year later, they have gathered a strong following, with the pop up shops even dubbed the city’s fastest growing fashion event. [Adeline Amar]

from 12-5.30pm. Tickets are £2 in advance or £4 on the door www.thearches.co.uk/events/arts/bold-souls-2

2 Colours Inspace , Sat 26 and Sun 27 Nov

To a student of the university, Edinburgh’s Informatics building could be just another place where lectures are held, but hidden within it is the Inspace laboratory/gallery space. The venue has a clear ai: to explore the cultural significance of informatics and new media. And in new project 2colours, it has certainly found that. A unique combination of fashion, visual instillation, live performance, 3D projection and more, 2 colours is a collaborative project between Edinburgh College of Art’s Jacob Birge and Inspace. Presenting two collections over two days, Birge aims to ‘give people a chance to witness a battle between fashion, sound and abstract visualization’. Whilst events which combine the visual/audio world with fashion aren’t necessarily groundbreaking

in and of themselves, what is unique about 2colours is the way in which the days are organised. The activities that make up both days are divided to represent certain aesthetics. One day is ‘blue’ (representing ambience and space) whilst the other is ‘red’ (offering an extreme and sharp view of objects). The 3D aspect of the work is also an exciting addition to the exploration of cross-media art. In addition to more ready-to-wear presentations, both days feature a variety of activities; from Birge’s 3D conceptual fashion collection, to a pop-up shop selling one of a kind garments. This allows for an interesting use of the space, offering an interactivity not found in traditional exhibitions. Birge has told us to ‘expect the extraordinary’ and from what we’ve seen so far, we may well just have these expectations met! [Emma Segal] www.inspace.mediascot.org

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FOOD & DRINK

VOUCH POTATOES The Skinny delves into the world of the money-off voucher, and finds anger, joy, and the death of romance

C O C K TA I L C O LU M N WITH

WORDS: PETER SIMPSON ILLUSTRATION: THOMAS BOSWELL

HERE’S A scenario. You’re out for dinner on a first date with a reasonable young man. He appears nice, the conversation is a bit stilted but he seems OK. As the bill arrives, our reasonable young man whips out a dazzling array of vouchers, discount books, and money-off cards. Now, the question; when running away from this unromantic skinflint, how fast is too fast? Yes, if you end up in the same situation as our source (who shall remain nameless) it can be a little awkward. We all know there’s a recession on. Times are tough, and we would be tightening our belts had we not burned them all to save on the gas bill, but we don’t need to be reminded of it at the dinner table by a man we respected mere moments earlier. Food and drink has always been the home of the money-off deal, a strange world where the same item has dozens of simultaneously-occurring prices like a tastier, less radioactive Schrödinger’s Cat. But the spread of the ‘daily deal’ website has seen these offers take on a life of their own, affirming the widely-held theory that multiplying any commodity by ‘the internet’ always results in loads of choice, great value, and people losing their tiny, shiny minds. Case in point: startup voucher website itison. com had launched successfully in Glasgow and Edinburgh, offering the usual range of meals, drinks and other experiences that sound great until you work out you’ll actually have to go through with them and have no way of getting to Loch Lomond. For their big splash in Dundee, itison paired with corporate pizzaiolas Domino’s to offer a voucher good for one large pizza for just two quid. The City of Discovery went wild, bought 5000 pizzas in an afternoon, and tried to redeem all their vouchers that evening. Needless to say there were not 5000 pizzas lying around and things went a little bit wrong. Once the staff had uncurled from the foetal position and pointed out that the vouchers were valid for another eight weeks the rage receded, but the episode points out the two main problems with deals of this type. If a ‘great deal’ really is a great deal then every mug with an email address is going to snap one up, leaving you locked in your frenzied speed-booking mode usually reserved for making a dental appointment or for the five minutes that T in the Park tickets are on sale. If you do grab the deal before it sells out, there’s the tiny matter of jostling with hundreds of other people to try and use the damn thing before it expires. Of course, these are all whinges that detract

36 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

from the fact that getting things for less than normal is great. After all, sites like Groupon, vouchercloud and itison wouldn’t exist if us capitalist pig-dogs didn’t love a good bargain. Afternoon tea has, thanks to these deals, become an entirely affordable pursuit. Seriously, check your emails, at least one of them will be on behalf of a posh hotel offering you cakes and a cuppa for a suspiciously low price. And while the dating game may now be fraught with questions as to just why that girl wants to go out on Tuesday and only Tuesday, it’s a great time for the singleton who has no need for false pretences, or those in relationships who know full well that their partners are penny-pinching nihilists. This author, for example, refuses to eat in a number of high-street restaurants unless there is some kind of deal on. This author knows that a sushi roll isn’t worth a fiver, and now he doesn’t need to pay a fiver. Now if you’ll excuse me, we have an Indian head massage, a two-hour beer tasting session and a five-course Chinese buffet to get to. We just need a discount code for some new belts and we’ll be sorted.

Food and drink has always been a strange world where the same item has dozens of simultaneouslyoccurring prices, like a tastier, less radioactive Schrödinger’s Cat.

REVIEW PARLOUR CAFE COOKBOOK BY GILLIAN VEAL

rrrr In the world of food there are really two ways to get noticed outside of your own kitchen. You can present a television show in which you berate then console, simpletons for whatever culinary infractions they may have committed, or you can write a recipe book. Gillian Veal of Dundee’s Parlour Café has plumped for the second, less sweary option. The first title from Dundee’s Kitchen Press, the Parlour Café Cookbook does what it says on the cover, presenting a collection of recipes from the café’s not-quite-vegetarian menu. The book is broken down into the various meals of the day, and there are influences from around the world in the dishes. In short, there’s plenty to be getting on with. The most pleasing thing about the Parlour Café Cookbook is how, well, book-like it is. The level of detail in individual recipes is great, with techniques and quantities explained properly. It feels strange to compliment a recipe book for using measurements rather than ‘bits’ or ‘splashes’, but this simplicity gives the impression that this book is designed to be used, as well as giving

you the confidence to actually use it. Introductory paragraphs and insights into café life make this an interesting read in its own right, and the book pleasingly refuses to show off its recipes with enormous photos of smug, self-satisfied young people enjoying themselves. Instead, simple black-and-white illustrations from Jen Collins are dotted throughout the book, and while they’re nothing special on their own they do help maintain the theme of doing the basics well. However, all this simplicity does come at a cost. The balance between sections is a little off; as an example, there are 18 pages on salads and mezze platters, but just 12 pages of main courses. For those of us who don’t make a living as café chefs, cooking time is primarily main course time and a recipe book with so little focus on actual meals seems a little off. It all seems a bit too straightforward. That, of course, is the whole point. The Parlour Café Cookbook shows that good café cooking is within the grasp of all of us, and that food shouldn’t be complicated for the sake of complication. It shows us all that with a little perseverance, some creativity, and a larder full of ingredients, we too can land our own pseudo-motivational food programme on Channel 4. [Peter Simpson] PARLOUR CAFÉ COOKBOOK IS OUT NOW FROM KITCHENPRESS.CO.UK AND AMAZON, RRP £15.99

THE MARY KING’S

Fraser Ramsay – Electric Circus ——————————————————————— Ingredients 50 ml Edinburgh Gin 25 ml Grapefruit Juice 10 ml Noilly Prat Vermouth Orange Bitters Caster Sugar Garnish; Thin slice of orange peel Method Add 10ml Noilly Prat to a rocks glass filled with ice, fill the glass with water. Take a mixing glass filled with ice and sprinkle a bar spoon of sugar over the ice. Put three drops of orange bitters over the sugar and ice. Add 25ml Edinburgh Gin and stir to give a dilute flavour. Add further 25ml Edinburgh Gin and stir. Add 25ml grapefruit juice and stir. Discard vermouth wash and use a Julep Strainer to strain from mixing glass to rocks glass. Flame thick slice of orange peel and zest rocks glass. Garnish with thin slice of orange peel and serve.

EDINBURGH GIN IS A CLASSIC BIG JUNIPER G I N W I T H A T W I S T. T H E WAY W E M A K E I T I S S I M P L E : E D I N B U R G H G I N I S BAT C H D I S T I L L E D I N “ J E N N Y ” , A M U C H T R E A S U R E D S C OT T I S H C O P P E R P OT S T I L L , U S I N G T R A D I T I O N A L G I N B OTA N I CA L S . W E T H E N A D D E X T R A S C OT T I S H J U N I P E R A S W E L L A S H E AT H E R , P I N E A N D MILK THISTLE. EDINBURGH GIN'S CLEAN CITRUS N OT E S A N D A R O M AT I C J U N I P E R M A K E I T T H E P E R F E C T BA S E F O R A G I N A N D TO N I C O R M A R T I N I , N OT TO M E N T I O N M A N Y O F T H E C L A S S I C G I N C O C K TA I L S .

Confessions of a Foodie #3 This month, don’t be like Guy Fawkes and blow the place up; simmer down instead Fireworks are defined as devices for producing a display by the combustion of explosive or flammable compositions, or as outbursts of anger or displays of brilliance or energy. Whichever of the two options you fancy, it seems like we just can’t get enough of kitchen fireworks these days. Perhaps the reason we’re compelled to watch wrinkly philanderers bullying hand-picked dullards in aprons is that we’ve mostly been there. We’ve all experienced the crucible heat of the kitchen, the pressure of getting food onto the table for people we don’t necessarily want to be with. The kitchen is the busiest room in the house, the place where bills get sweated over, homework gets done, discussions happen. A recent survey established that 85% of people are habitually angry at their partner’s bad kitchen habits. Frankly, my mind boggles at the 15% who manage to keep a lid on it. Now imagine what it’s like in a professional kitchen. So, in the festive spirit, here’s a fast, failproof, recipe for avoiding kitchen pyrotechnics. Clear your kitchen surfaces (all of them), get rid of extraneous people, keep a jar of pesto and a bag of good pasta on your shelves, and remember that it’s only food and probably not worth the rammy. Failing all that, you could become so notorious that people just leave you the hell alone. You can only imagine what led up to Hunter S Thompson setting off a marine flare in a Manhattan pizza joint one lunch time. Follow his recipe and you will go

Photo: Thomas Munter

Words: Fiona Buchanan

down in a blaze of infamy, but perhaps people will write about it decades later. I defend the right of people to eat well and enjoy their food, but overall, the right for all of us to lead a happy, sane life has to come first. Sláinte.

Food News With Peter Simpson

Celeb-spotting, WWII fighter pilots, and tasty cakes; it can only be November’s Food News We begin this month by mentioning CELEBRITIES in the hope that you will be enticed into reading on. Why mention CELEBRITIES? Because A-list magnet and purveyor of healthy foodstuffs Whole Foods Market is opening its first Scottish branch in Giffnock, Glasgow this month. If past form is anything to go by, we can expect to see Scotland’s celebs being papped while blearily stumbling through Whole Foods’ car park as we head in to pore over myriad varieties of hummus. If you enjoy healthy and ethically-sourced food but dislike soap stars and the paparazzi, the Fife Diet’s Food Revolt conference will be right up your street. Speakers from across Europe will be on hand to pass on tips on how to be good to your fellow man and the planet, as well as pointing out that eating out-of-season fruit with more air miles than Biggles might not be a great idea. Now, gang names. Some put you right off joining, while others can’t help reel you in. The Wine Gang falls into camp number two. Sadly, you can’t join – you’d have to be one of the UK’s top wine critics and besides, they’re full – but you can scope out the dress code and any secret handshakes at their Christmas wine fair. You can also try a huge range of wines, take part in masterclasses, and go for a ‘wine walk’. You won’t even have to rough anyone up. We assume. There’s even less chance of roughhousing at Make It Glasgow’s cupcake decoration classes. Instead you’ll discover the tricks and nuances needed to make your cakes as twee and cutesy as possible, rather than looking as though they’ve

MAke it Glasgow

been sat on whilst in the oven. And if that doesn’t take your fancy, Bar Gandolfi in the Merchant City are hosting an art exhibition entirely dedicated to the Tunnocks Teacake. For the second time in as many months, we must point out that this is not a misprint and that this exhibition will actually take place. On that note we’ll see you next month, in the bastion of sanity and reasonable behaviour that is the Christmas season. Whole Foods Market, Giffnock opens 16 Nov; Food Revolt, Kinghorn Community Centre, 12 Nov, free tickets from foodrevolt.eventbrite.com; The Wine Gang Christmas Fair, Merchant’s Hall, Hanover St, Edinburgh, Nov 12, £20; Cupcake Decoration, Make It Glasgow, 3 Osborne St, various dates, £20; Gandolfi Loves Tunnocks, Bar Gandolfi, 64 Albion St, free.

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November 2011

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WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS: PHOTO BY SOL NICOL

MORE INTERVIEWS, PREVIEWS AND REVIEWS ONLINE

38 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

W W W .T H E S K I N N Y. C O . U K

MUSIC

Live Music Highlights

METAL COLUMN

King Creosote & Kid Canaveral play a slew of dates this month in support of their forthcoming collaborative 7” single. Perky indie-pop vibes and top-drawer songwriting chops together at last. See them at Edinburgh Liquid Room on 2 Nov, Dundee Doghouse on 3 Nov, Woodend Barn in Banchory on 4 Nov and at Fence Records’ ‘HOTTLOGGZ’ Guy Fawkes shindig in Anstruther Town Hall on 5 Nov. Alt-rock trailblazers Throwing Muses are set to play Glasgow Òran Mór on 7 Nov in support of their recent Anthology release. Ok, so Tanya Donelly isn’t on board, but this has always been her stepsister Kristin Hersh’s baby and she’s still an unbelievably electric performer. So many great tunes. We wholeheartedly endorse this shit. Arguably Wu Tang’s most consistently on-form rapper, Ghostface Killah is set to play Edinburgh’s Liquid Room on 9 Nov. Famed for marrying his supple flows with a relentless, aggressively fast-paced performance style, Ghostface has more classic cuts than will fit in a single live set – and don’t be surprised if he drops some bangas from the Wu Tang catalogue to take things to the next level. With a back story that involves organic farming and rural recording sessions conducted during the harsh Canadian winter, it’s clear that Siskiyou are playing fucking hardball when it comes to projecting an image of earthy, hard-bitten folkiness. Thankfully they’ve got the skills to back up their front (not to mention some surprisingly rocking chops), as evidenced by their impressive new LP, Keep Away the Dead. See them at Glasgow’s Captain’s Rest on 10 Nov. Hard-to-categorise retro operators Twin Sister (think Stereolab meets 80s soft pop via Cocteau Twins) stop by Glasgow Captain’s Rest on 9 Nov and Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s on 10 Nov. If you can get past their slightly queasy aesthetic then this is some strangely compelling stuff. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks found a sweet, sweet groove with this year’s Mirror Traffic LP, and the word on the grapevine is that his postPavement tour performances have been some of Malkmus’ best in a long time. We expect a great night at Glasgow’s Arches on 11 Nov. So The Smashing Pumpkins have a new album dropping early next year, and as tempting as it is to write off Billy Corgan as a legit moron at this point (protip, Baldy: taking potshots at your few remaining fans is not the road back to relevance), the material we’ve heard from it so far is actually very promising indeed. Take into account the fact that recent shows have found him dialing back the proggy excess that plagued the Zeitgeist tour in favour of dusting off old gems like Geek USA, Obscured and For Martha, and we reckon their gig at Glasgow O2 Academy on 13 Nov might be a very pleasant surprise. Gizeh Records have put together a quality evening of performance featuring the cream of their roster, to take place at Glasgow CCA on 15 Nov. Stars of the Lid man Adam Wiltzie teams up with Chantal Acda to unfurl spectral vistas of slo-mo drone pop under their Sleepingdog moniker; Conquering Animal Sound will lay down some loop-tastic lushness; and Farewell Poetry will attempt to blur the boundaries between visual performance, spoken word and traditional composition. Nice. St. Vincent’s Strange Mercy has turned out to be one of the albums of 2011, and having previously been awed by her confidence and virtuosity when she stopped by on her Actor tour, we can’t wait to find out what Annie Clark has in store when she plays Glasgow Stereo on 15 Nov, especially now she’s rejigged her live setup to a more stripped back, synthy orientation – we’ll take a wild guess at more awesomeness.

Having released a glowering hulk of a new song online in September (and with new single, Sick, dropping this month), The Twilight Sad are building anticipation nicely for their forthcoming LP, No One Can Ever Know. We expect nothing less than a visceral, brazenly emotional slab of rock action when they hit Dundee Doghouse on 13 Nov, Aberdeen Tunnels on 14 Nov, Inverness Ironworks on 15 Nov, Edinburgh Bongo Club on 16 Nov, Glasgow Nice n Sleazy on 18 Nov and Stirling Tollbooth on 25 Nov. That man Vic Galloway is putting together another night of top Scottish talent at Edinburgh Electric Circus on 17 Nov. Prepare thyself for the swooning, vibrant sounds of Remember Remember, genre-defying electronic workouts from Dam Mantle and some tasty experimental solo jams from former Y’all is Fantasy Island man Adam Stafford. Thurston Moore will play Glasgow Arches on 28 Nov to promote his recent solo offering, Demolished Thoughts. Seriously, we shouldn’t need to hype this one. How this dude has maintained his full-time, full-tilt, red-hot maximum pace for so many years we’ll never know. We’re not worthy.

Photo: Ross TRevail

words: Mark Shukla

Stephen Malkmus

Billy’s Little Pumpkins

HOT TICKET of the month 20 Years of Sleaze

We’re not usually big on birthdays, but Nice n Sleazy turns 20 this month, and it seems like an appropriate moment to get a little misty eyed about a venue that has been at the epicentre of the Glasgow scene for just about as long as any of us can remember. In tribute to this fine institution – which, lest we forget, has been instrumental in nurturing acts such as Mogwai, Arab Strap, Franz Ferdinand and The Phantom Band amongst many others – we are going to casually suggest (drunkenly demand) that you show some love and check out at least one of their gigs this month. Helpfully, the options are plentiful, and include gigs from fearless cosmic warriors Acid Mothers Temple on 9 Nov, neo-folk savants Meursalt on 10 Nov and a thrill-packed triple-bill courtesy of United Fruit, Hey Enemy and Salò on 12 Nov. We’d also like to draw your attention to hotly tipped troubadour William Harness, who play on 17 Nov, as well as the hugely enjoyable John Knox Sex Club on 19 Nov. Space-pop experimentalists Django Django take to the stage on 26 Nov with

support from phantastic shapeshifters Robert Redford, while closing out the festivities are none other than our March cover stars FOUND, joined by the inimitable Over the Wall. Check and mate, you filthy savages. Cheers! Taking place 1-30 Nov; check our listings for the full lineup www.nicensleazy.com

To Mexicans, November is a time to honour the departed. For Accident & Emergency workers, it’s a time to stifle a giggle as another hapless chap is wheeled in after attempting to launch a firework from his arse. For Scotland’s headbanger contingent it’s the month to get our chilly arses down to the clubs and support the cause. If we’re talking old, then you can’t get older than Lemmy. He’s probably done your mum and he’s still bringing Motörhead to the O2 Academy (5 Nov) with UK Subs and Anti-Nowhere League for (im) moral support. And while Manowar aren’t quite as old, can you think of a band that better embodies everything metal ever stood for? Thought not. They’ll be at the Academy a mere four days earlier (1 Nov), so you might as well just camp out. For those who desire an old-school level of leather-clad mayhem but with less warts or oiledup Germans, Classic Grand is the place to loiter. The infernal eve of 13 Nov brings not only Polish death-metal titans Vader to its stage but also corpse painted lunatics Gorgoroth. You might want to watch your drink with Infernus around though. Make sure to buy industrial goliaths KMFDM a pint or two on 15 Nov when they’re in the building, while a more dramatic night can be had on 18 Nov as Dimmu Borgir rock out with their synths – and possibly some ludicrous body armour. On the new front, try ABC2 on 24 Nov for the sheer unbridled carnage of the unholy meeting of Norway’s primo rock’n’rollers-that-aren’tTurbonegro Kvelertak, fellow Scandinavian hellions Wolves Like Us, Portland nu-thrashers Toxic Holocaust and Italian sludgecore mob The Secret. Then again, Monster Magnet will be bringing several skipfulls of chemically-enhanced riffage to the Garage that night too, so what is the conscientious metalhead to do? Choose wisely, kiddies. And as a special treat? Home of all that is unholy in the UK, Candlelight Records, will be bringing their roving death machine Candlefest to Ivory Blacks (20 Nov). Altar of Plagues, Winterfylleth and Brummie lovers of Nietzsche, haters of everything else Anaal Nathrakh will all be incinerating eardrums, as will Glasgow’s atmospheric black metal warriors Falloch, in this night of eye-watering extremity. Eagle-eyed readers may have found things to be a bit obsessive on the West coast front here, but rest assured, audio terror awaits the rest of the nation too. The inimitable grindcore nuttiness of Take A Worm For A Walk Week can be witnessed within Sneaky Pete’s hallowed walls (3 Nov) while Glesgae metalcore militia Azriel will be heading up a night of metal shenanigans in Studio 24 (25 Nov). If you want bigger, it’ll be hard to top Opeth. They’ll be bringing their prog-metal wonders to the HMV Picture House on 10 Nov, and with a consistently astonishing back catalogue there’ll be no shortage of epic compositions, and maybe it’ll bring a nostalgic tear or two to the eyes of chronic Robert Fripp fantasists. Finally, the delectable Cristina Scabbia, as well as the rest of Lacuna Coil, will be bringing gothicleaning metal to the country, taking in King Tut’s (8 Nov), Aberdeen Lemon Tree (9 Nov) and Dundee Doghouse (10 Nov). Say goodbye to your pennies and get ready for the trench run. [David Bowes]

November 2011

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Ut / Divorce / North American War Stereo, 28 Sep

rrrr

divorcetheband.blogspot.com soundcloud.com/northamericanwar www.utmusic.net

rrrrr Dwarfed and surrounded by the overwhelming array of instruments belonging to the nine piece Bon Iver, Canadian singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards confronts the vehement early comers of the Edinburgh crowd with stripped down renditions from her forthcoming album Voyageur. Flanked by two electric guitars, multi-instrumentalist Edwards’ set is charming and her sound, ordinarily somewhere between Aimee Mann and Laura Veirs, has largely been adapted well for these shows opening for her sometime producer Justin Vernon’s troupe. In the changeover time between acts the fraught anticipation of those in attendance, some of whom have been hanging around most of the day in hope of any elusive spare tickets, builds to nigh on hysteria. The collective

True Widow / Vom / The Downs Captain’s Rest, 10 Oct

rrrr Both of tonight’s support acts bear superficial similarities with their headliner – being guitar/bass/drums trios that rely heavily (excuse the pun) on distortion – but the comparisons can’t be stretched far. The Downs recall early Spacemen 3’s more wigged-out space rock moments, while Vom’s lurching, atonal riffs, laid over insistent basslines, make them one of the more wilfully noisemongering and prickly bands around at the moment. It all stands in disorienting contrast to Dallas slowcore outfit True Widow, who use feedback and noise to build space and tension, rather than

inhale of the Usher Hall is almost audible over the opening notes of Perth from the album Bon Iver, and as the augmented flourish of the band kicks in there comes the palpable realisation which invariably accompanies witnessing something special. The audience response almost mimics the enormous brass section. In the midst of Holocene the crowd release a strange short unified burst of applause which doesn’t fade in or out, but blasts and stops, as if not wanting to drown anything out but unable to contain their elation any longer. Though sticking mostly to newer material, on the comparatively minimalist takes from For Emma, Forever Ago’s Flume and Skinny Love, Vernon’s emotional falsetto resonates throughout the silent hall, a reminder of what initially drew most to one of the only artists to command this sort of fervour. [David McGinty]

Gruff Rhys Bongo Club, 8 Oct

rrrr The latent tension of a heavily oversubscribed Bongo Club and a few early technical “malfunctions” fail to deter Gruff Rhys from his stated mission; that of entertaining arrivals at the faux-shambolic, slacker haven that is Hotel Shampoo. Guests are treated to a comprehensive rummage through the Super Furry Animals’ frontman’s back catalogue with surf rockin’ support act Y Niwl joining him on stage/in reception. Thus, pleasing gentle folk pop from Pwdin Wy (1 and 2, happy then sad) and The Court of King Arthur from previous albumsYr Atal Genhedlaeth and Candylion become formidable slices of power pop delivered with gusto, introduced with deliciously sardonic humour. In fact, Candylion comes

out of the whole experience rather well, as further highlights include a turbo-injected Gyrru Gyrru Gyrru and a simply constructed yet stunningly effective techno finale (reminiscent of the Furries) to Cycle of Violence (possibly the highlight of the evening’s set). In comparison, tracks such as Conservation Conversation and Sensations in the Dark from his eponymous Hotel seem flat. But that’s probably because they’re among the weaker songs on the album – Rhys goes on to knock the socks off wistful ballads Vitamin K and If We Were Words (We Would Rhyme) while playfully indulging in 6 minutes of powerchord rock with In a House With No Mirrors. In other words, it’s a genuine shame for the 50 or so folk outside (with tickets) who couldn’t get in. [Paul Mitchell] www.gruffrhys.com/ hotelshampoo

www.boniver.org

aggression. If Low can be (lazily) summed up as Codeine without the loud bits, it’s tempting to say the Texans are more like a perpetually heavy version. Songs like Skull Eyes, certainly, have the awkward, flawed vulnerability of early Codeine; but there is little dynamic precision or variation to give a sense of development. The strongest moments, in fact, utilise guitarist Dan Phillips and bassist Nikki Estill’s male/female vocal combination in ways that place their sound closer to Alan Sparhawke’s sleepy troupe. Their music is understated yet full, an exercise in texturing over complex songcraft, and the cumulative effect is mysteriously compelling: evidence that slowcore, in the right hands, still offers some potentially fertile ground. [Sam Wiseman] www.truewidow.com

40 THE SKINNY November 2011

Herman Dune King Tut’s, 16 Oct

rrrr In recent months, Jon Hamm, a blue yeti, and a Spanish lager endorsement have proffered two versions of the perfect Herman Dune show. The Hammand-furball-starring promo for Tell me Something I Don’t Know culminates in an enchanted grotto-full of fans bopping to the French-Swiss act’s latest finger-clicker; meanwhile, the Estrella campaign sees the band’s core duo serenading on golden sands. Herman Dune, these clips emphatically suggest, will

photo: Gemma Burke

The Usher Hall, 22 Oct

photo: Gemma Burke

Bon Iver

photo: Alex Woodward

photo: Sol Nicol

It seems fitting that Ut’s first gig in 21 years sees support from two local acts influenced, in different ways, by the No Wave scene from which the New Yorkers first emerged in the late 70s. North American War’s sound reflects a similar obsession with swirling, treble-heavy riffs, although their songs have a precision that Ut readily eschew. Divorce, too, have evolved into a remarkably focused unit. Abrasive, spiked and compellingly simple guitar lines are laid over brutally grinding bass and pummelling drums; imaginative shifts between levels of feedback and distortion mean that variations are mainly textural, rather than rhythmic or melodic. With the shouted vocals functioning essentially

as an additional sonic element, the quartet’s sound manages to appropriate the familiar elements of hardcore to create something strikingly abstract. Following Divorce’s blistering noise, the tentativeness of Ut’s droning twin-guitar dynamics feels almost alien; the sheer inventiveness of their sound emphasises the enduring originality of the mid-to-late 80s Blast First era. Tracks like Canker, which layers subtly-varying entangled guitars over an insistent rhythm, elaborate upon the sense of openness that the Velvet Underground brought to rock. Although the evening’s intensity and sharpness does begin to dissipate as the set progresses, all three acts tonight testify to the continuing creative potency of the No Wave movement – as well as to the sheer elasticity of the label. [Sam Wiseman]

photo: Eoin Carey

Live Reviews

make your life better. Though it takes place in a less inspiring locale, from tonight’s show we draw much the same conclusion. David-Ivar recalls Jonathan Richman in both lyrical style and behaviour: whether leading sing-alongs or posing for photographs, his charisma and warmth supports the set whenever it threatens to sag. Musically, minor facelifts (particularly a noisy coda to When the Water Gets Cold…) revitalise older material, but, as an unplugged banjolele Not On Top proves, stripping things down is an equally effective invigorator. [Chris Buckle] www.hermandune.com

Envy Stereo, 24 Oct

rrrrr Tonight, Envy are awesome in the truest sense of the word. Their set isn’t exactly varied, but it is consistently soul-stirring: guitars start out icy before their inevitable, devastating crescendo; Dairoku Seki pounds his kit with fervour; while Tetsuya Fukagawa’s cathartic growl abrasively cuts through the maelstrom. Their hardcore/ post-rock hybrid hews closer to the sublime than the beautiful, inspiring awe and demanding reverence.

At the heart of the set is recent single As Serenity Calls Your Name, written following the Tohoku earthquake that devastated Japan’s Eastern seaboard earlier this year, and released to raise money for relief efforts. Over a crisp military beat and dense noise, Fukugawa delivers spoken vocals in lieu of his regular larynxshredding, reserving his throat’s full force for the song’s final minutes. For anyone not fluent in Japanese, the words don’t sink in, but the emotional quotient does; an appraisal equally applicable to their performance as a whole. [Chris Buckle] www.myspace.com/officialenvy

RECORDS

THE DIRTY DOZEN With his debut album finally rearing its cosmic noggin this month, CLEAN GEORGE IV sizes up the competition with bandmate and Aberfeldy frontman RILEY BRIGGS keeping him in check INTERVIEW: DARREN CARLE PHOTOS: EOIN CAREY

Gruff Rhys – Whale Tail (Ovni Records, 31 Oct) George: Aargh, distorted vocal alert. That’s always a no-no. Riley: It betrays a lack of confidence in the material. This is post-shagging music. It’s what you play whilst you’re making the egg sandwiches. George: Let’s be generous then ‘cos people have to have sex. Riley: Yeah, a seven then. Birdeatsbaby – Feast of Hammers (Dead Round Eyes Records, 7 Nov) George: I’m very sorry Birdeatsbaby, but you’ve got a terrible name, and I’m sure you’ve got a great record in you, but it’s not this one. I think you should all take heroin for several years... Riley: You can’t advise people to take heroin. It’s irresponsible. George: OK, I don’t recommend that. I’m going to give it a five because they got up in the morning and they rehearsed and stuff. That’s commendable. Kasabian – Re-wind (Columbia, 21 Nov) Riley: They look like they’ve been styled. They don’t really look like they want to dress like that. George: One of them loves dressing like that but the rest of them don’t. The singer shouldn’t have cut his hair. I suspect they’re all pillocks but he did look quite good with long hair. To be unfair, this has got a very generic chord sequence... Oh God, I’m not sure I can handle another verse. Riley: Five for turning up? George: But they should lose points for the lead singer cutting his hair, so three. Kid Canaveral and King Creosote – Homerun and a Vow (Fence Records, 31 Oct)

George [before record starts]: I think it’s really important work. Riley: If I was on Jukebox Jury in the sixties I’d say it wasn’t the most imaginative of melodies but I think it’s a hit. George: Whatever that is. Riley: Do you want me to critique it in more of a musical sense? OK, well obviously it’s not as good as... Beethoven. I’m going to give it eight. George: I don’t mind it being an eight but I’m scared it will mean it’s the one we have to hold up over our heads. We’ll give it an eight, but we have to find a better song. WU LYF – We Bros (LYF Recordings, 7 Nov) George: They’re precocious and cryptic aren’t they? The Skinny: Well, they used to hide their faces and not do interviews. George: I think maybe they should have taken things further and not released records. It sounds a bit like Vampire Weekend. Riley: Yeah, it’s that fucking Graceland influence again! George [sighs]: I believe that they are sexy, virulent young Mancs but I don’t think they’re at the cutting-edge of British rock music. It’s a six because they rehearsed and they recorded and all that. It keeps them off the streets and stops them impregnating people’s sisters. Other Lives – Old Statues (TBD Records, 28 Nov) George: This is 17 year olds pretending to be 75, isn’t it? I think they should take heroin for a couple of years... It’s pretentious teenagers listening to too much Scott Walker and Nick Cave, then thinking they can bypass the whole drug phase and go straight to the angst. You can’t just go straight to the angst; you’ve got to fucking work for it.

Fuckers! How old are they? If they’re in their twenties, it’s a three. If they’re in their thirties, it’s a five. Crushed Beaks – Close-Ups (Too Pure, 21 Nov) Riley: I like the name but it sounds a bit My Bloody Valentine. George: Ah, it’s alright but it’s not pushing anything forward. Well, there’s only two of them and a band with two indie boys is less offensive than a band with four indie boys, so they should get extra points. Also, we should give them an extra point just because they’re from London and they’ve got to pay more rent down there and it’s the frontline. Let’s face it, if it was a war, we’d be in the back supplying medical aid and they’d be up the front getting their fucking faces blown off. So we’ll give it eight. But we don’t really like it. Cass McCombs – Robin Egg Blue (Domino, 21 Nov) George: Sounds a bit like Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, which is always a good thing. Riley: Yeah, it’s the same kind of chord structure. George: Has it changed chords yet? Riley: No, but that’s Kraut-y. George [reading press release]: He propels the avant-garde!? Three out of ten! That’s for propelling the avant-garde. Riley: No, you can’t use the press release to... George: Oh come on, ‘he propels the avant-garde’!? My Tiny Robots – Rock Bossa Nova Fourbeat Black (Self-released, 28 Nov) George: They’re from Edinburgh so they get extra points, just in case we run into them. Riley: It’s got a good, classic rock ‘n’ roll structure. George [deadpan]: I think it’s important in that it will act as a buffer to the more interesting records coming out in November. Riley: I like it. Ten, it’s fantastic. George: I’m not sure I can hold this up as single of the month so let’s give it eight. Have they got any birds in the band? If they’ve got birds in the band we’ll give it nine. Snow Patrol – This Isn’t Everything You Are (Polydor, 14 Nov) George: It’s a bit Deacon Blue, which is a good thing. Snow Patrol are the new Deacon Blue... hang on, here’s the chorus. Riley: Nah, it’s going all Arcade Fire now. George: Listen Snow Patrol, stick with the white soul, Deacon Blue shit. It’s fucking terrible, but a five seeing as they rehearsed and stuff. Riley: Nah, I think a band like Snow Patrol should get less for rehearsing.

EP REVIEWS

SINGLE OF THE MONTH The Augustines – Book of James (Oxcart Records, 7 Nov) Riley: It says it’s a eulogy for his brother James who suffered from mental illness. George: That’s nice. We have to make this single of the month then because it’s attempting something very brave, which is sincerity. I think that sincerity, especially coming from this Godforsaken, cynical land, should be rewarded. Riley: They always say Americans don’t do irony but that’s not the case, they’re just good at sincerity. George: And we’re cunts. Riley: Yeah, exactly, so ten for meaning it.

Washed Out – Amor Fati (Weird World, 7 Nov) George: This is Vice magazine music, this. Riley: It’s well Jackson! George: It’s quite good but it’s not sincere. It’s trying to be a weird, 80s shimmery homosexual thing and that’s insincere because I think that they have sex with girls. Riley: Let’s give it seven. I like it but it’s not going to change the world is it? George: It’s not going to change my world. Riley: Nothing’s going to change your world. GOD SAVE THE CLEAN BY CLEAN GEORGE IV IS RELEASED VIA TENEMENT RECORDS ON 28 NOV WWW.TENEMENTRECORDS.COM/CLEANGEORGEIV.HTML

SIMIAN GHOST

RINGO DEATHSTARR

HEIST OR HIT, 14 NOV

AC30 RECORDS, 7 NOV

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LOVELORN EP

With Simian Ghost, Sebastian Arnström of Swedish post-rockers Aerial swaps out sprawling guitar epics for frothy electronic pop sheen with impressive results. The cynical might detect an element of opportunism in the blogger-friendly chillwave shimmer, but Arnström is such a smooth operator that any such charges slide right off. Lead track Free Agents is the EP’s sparkling high-point, with warped-tape effects ruffling a pristine synth melody, while Bicycle Theme is blissed-out pop of the finest calibre. Where Simian Ghost’s debut full-length Infinite Traffic Everywhere (released in Sweden earlier this year and available online/on import), felt like a compromise of sorts, Lovelorn is the sound of Arnström embracing his new guise vigorously – as well he should; it rather suits him. [Chris Buckle] WWW.SIMIANGHOST.COM

SHADOW EP

It’s been said before, but the point remains valid: Ringo Deathstarr, whilst undeniably good, are so overwhelmingly derivative that it surely calls into question the band’s underlying motivations. To put it politely, this trio owe some enormous “favours” to My Bloody Valentine and The Wedding Present and whilst opening track Shadow is periodically set alight by the vocal contributions of Jason Reece (of fellow Austin natives Trail Of Dead) even that merely serves to remind us that this could be a pretty great band if only they would do something different, anything different. Though none of the tracks are poor, the highlight of the EP is probably the closing cover of Just You from Twin Peaks where their 80s shoe-gaze obsession collides with 50s rock and roll innocence to mesmerising effect. [Chris Cusack] SUPPORTING THE SMASHING PUMPKINS AT O2 ACADEMY, GLASGOW ON 13 NOV

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 41

ALBUM REVIEWS

RECORDS

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: RUSSIAN CIRCLES EMPROS

SARGENT HOUSE, 7 NOV

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Post-rock has been painting itself into corners for too long now, as some acts persevere in rehashing the same delay-heavy prog instrumentalism that worked on their first two records, it’s now sadly and rapidly getting old. Only the best have been canny enough to let their sound evolve and avoid the quiet/loud rut, a hallowed clan including luminaries such as our very own Mogwai, Portland shapeshifters Grails, Montreal masters of emotional cacophony Silver Mt. Zion and now, thankfully, Russian Circles. With production once again helmed by Secret Machines mainman Brandon Curtis, fourth album Empros begins with the huge and utterly vulgar 309 which, overdubs notwithstanding, renders the fact that we’re listening to a trio almost unbelievable. When that bass part

kicks in, it’s about as hideously brilliant as metal has been since Neurosis redrafted the blueprint. With track lengths breaking the eight-minute mark, there is hardly a sense of urgency, yet little time goes to waste, with even the labyrinthine ambient passages shrewdly judged. As Empros continues to unfold, the initial mathy guitar and pervasive optimism of Mladek gives way to something altogether more contemplative on Schiphol, before morphing again into the despondent opening dirge of Batu. When the unnervingly pleasant Praise Be Man finally arrives to close the album, it becomes apparent just how far these six tracks have travelled. It’s a journey many of Russian Circles’ contemporaries would do well to study. [Chris Cusack] WWW.RUSSIANCIRCLESBAND.COM

LOU REED & METALLICA

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG

DAVID LYNCH

VERTIGO, 31 OCT

BECAUSE MUSIC, 7 NOV

SUNDAY BEST, 7 NOV

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LULU

A collaboration between Velvet Underground founder Lou Reed and thrash pioneers Metallica is indeed as bizarre as it sounds. Read: Lulu is a 90 minute concept album based around a theatrical interpretation of two works by modernist playwright Frank Wedekind. The results are messy to say the least; first single The View brings with it the kind of stellar riffery you’d expect of Hammett and Hetfield, then it all goes south with Hetfield's repeated proclamations that “I am the table!” Though Reed and Hetfield’s rasping voices may appear distantly compatible on paper, perhaps the most baffling thing about Lulu is just how little these two artists ultimately complement each other – Reed tirelessly delivers poetry rife with awkward sexual references in drunkenly off-beat fashion while the Four Horsemen appear to stretch out short-sighted ideas that haven’t yet become fully-formed songs. Yes, Lulu’s cup runneth over with novelty value, but the album ultimately smacks of a botched experiment that both parties were just too proud to abort. [Ross Watson]

STAGE WHISPER

‘Brave’, ‘searing’, ‘extraordinary’: Charlotte Gainsbourg’s acting has quite rightly prompted many a critic to splutter enthusiastic paeans (even those who hated Antichrist took the time to praise her ladypart-lopping performance). Her music has had a more mixed reception, with praise often measured, or, somewhat insultingly, directed at her collaborators – Jarvis Cocker and co on 5:55; Beck on last year’s IRM. The latter returns for the studio-half of this double album, though you wouldn’t necessarily detect his presence on the Goldfrapp-aping Terrible Angels, a strong opener that sees Gainsbourg confidently embody her role as electro-pop siren. Thing is, Terrible Angels has already appeared on its own EP, as has closing gem Memoir (written by Conor O’Brien of Villagers, for anyone keeping track). Which leaves just five tracks (less than twenty minutes-worth) of previouslyunreleased material – a slightness that makes the live disc seem less like a bonus, and more like compensation. [Chris Buckle] WWW.CHARLOTTEGAINSBOURG.COM

CRAZY CLOWN TIME

Created with the help of engineer Dean Hurley (Inland Empire), Crazy Clown Time is a Lynchian vision of experimental ‘modern blues’ that only partially manages to follow through on the promise of his remarkable 2007 single, Ghost of Love. To his credit Lynch shows a knack for spinning unsettling narratives and embroidering them with compellingly straightforward poetry but the prevalence of reverb-soaked tremolo guitar (together with Lynch’s prodigiously untrained monotone) endows the album with an unfortunate sense of homogeneity, notwithstanding a convincing cameo performance from Karen O. An interminable vocoder monologue about the evolution of consciousness sucks the wind out of the album’s middle stretch before the outstanding closing one/two hit of Movin’ Up/She Rise Up confirms that Lynch has put real heart into this project; the latter track uncannily transforming a simple tale of devotion and loss into a bruisingly powerful hymn to loneliness by means of some seriously astute production choices. [Mark Shukla]

ANE BRUN

THE BLACK DOG

CLEAN GEORGE IV

BALLOON RANGER, 14 NOV

SOMA, 31 OCT

TENEMENT RECORDS, 28 NOV

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IT ALL STARTS WITH ONE

LIBER DOGMA

A couple of years ago, a Cyndi Lauper cover for a Sky HD ad looked like it just might break the stalemate scenario whereby Norwegian-born, Sweden-residing Ane Brun would conquer charts in Scandinavia, yet was largely unknown beyond the Baltic. It didn’t, it transpires, so It All Starts With One presents a fresh opportunity for international recognition, and as ever, Brun’s voice is its principal selling point. Her remarkable range and tone are as striking as ever (occasional excess warble notwithstanding), particularly when offset by José González’s earthier tones on Worship. On Do You Remember?, First Aid Kit add velvet backing vocals to the pot as well, but there’s more than Nordic semi-celebrities to recommend Brun’s latest. Her song-writing has taken a turn for the darker, particularly on the aforementioned Worship, where swirling strings crackle with drama. But it’s Undertow that best showcases her talents; simple in melody and metaphor, though with a potentially huge impact. [Chris Buckle]

While The Black Dog’s early-90s IDM peers tend to have pursued either bewilderingly expansive realms in their later releases (Autechre, Aphex Twin), or struggled to develop their sound beyond its initial bases (LFO), The Black Dog have tenaciously stuck to a form of purist techno that has proved to be remarkably fertile. Having brought out that sound’s brooding, downtempo side on last year’s Music for Real Airports, on Liber Dogma they return to a dancefloor-oriented approach. The album’s great strength is in its sense of narrative progression: tracks are seamlessly interwoven, avoiding the stuttering feel that afflicts so many dance LPs, and shift between the floating textures of Dark Wave Creeping to the arpeggio-led intensity and crashing snares of Single Light Focus. Liber Dogma is the sound of a band in complete command of their form, evincing an assuredness that only an astute awareness of techno’s history could produce. [Sam Wiseman]

PLAYING KING TUT’S, GLASGOW ON 9 NOV

WWW.THEBLACKDOGMA.COM/TBD/

GOD SAVE THE CLEAN

Enigmatic Edinburgh citizen Clean George has busied himself with a classical music degree, a lawsuit from Kraftwerk and myriad projects since we last heard from him way back in 2007. It hasn’t been time wasted as even a cursory listen to debut album God Save the Clean will attest. Bulging with ideas and slapping genres with glee, here’s a record that is both stupidly fun whilst being subtly intelligent. Notable highlight Real Men Take Speed blusters in as stadiumsized, electro glam rock anthem on the surface but hides an astute social commentary beneath its fret-board burning overload. The likes of Cecilia and Pets In The Blitz carry the baton effortlessly, the wayward formula always bowing down to a solid rock riff or synthpop hook when it needs it. That might make for a somewhat dizzying listen, but a thrifty runtime overall ensures that George doesn’t outstay his welcome. Let’s hope the follow up to this wonderfully quirky nugget isn’t quite so long in the making. [Darren Carle]

MARCEL DETTMANN

JOKER

MIKE PATTON

MUSIC MAN, 14 NOV

4AD, 31 OCT

IPECAC, 31 OCT

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CONDUCTED

Invoking the spirit of Europe’s favourite techno fortress for the second time since his inaugural Berghain 02 mix, Marcel Dettmann’s Conducted offering is another sinewy 60ish minutes of rhythm-led techno. A facile analysis of Dettmann’s resolutely eyesdown style of DJing might conclude that Conducted is a purist’s pursuit, but it’s not without its passages of levity. Following Bluemoon Production’s tape-worn warehouse keys (Night), While You Love Me’s salacious latin vocal acts as one of several useful breaks from the mix’s simmering intensity, the seedy, childlike vocal of Cheeba Stark’s GoGo Bop being another. Conducted’s thoughtful feel seems geared towards home listening – Don’t Phonk is one of the few out-and-out ceiling smashers – but its slipperiness is a credit to Dettmann’s guile. Once Escape Myself’s Blawan-esque drum pattern gives way to Shed’s best Pantha du Prince impression (44A), you can only admire the precision with which Dettmann orchestrates this expertly compressed hour of Berghain techno. [Ray Philp]

42 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

THE VISION

THE SOLITUDE OF PRIME NUMBERS

Joker’s foray into longplayer territory mirrors that of fellow dubstep pioneers Skream, Benga and Artwork’s Rubicon-crossing debut of last year, Magnetic Man. In a similar vein, The Vision finds Joker foregoing the dystopian grooves of his most celebrated cuts for something altogether brighter, the results of which depend entirely on your degree of prejudice towards the sploshes of funk, R&B and Radio 1ish fare filtered through his bass-conscious production. Whatever the case, Joker’s ear for a killer melody remains; Milky Way and My Trance Girl are spectaular insights into the album that this could have been. That said, The Vision’s overreaching ultimately proves its undoing. Even at 12 tracks, the album feels bloated, torn as it is between Joker’s bold pop nous and the accompanying apologetic concessions to ‘the hardcore’ (Lost, Back In The Days). Harsher critics will write this off as dubstep for the BBC3 generation, but taken as a computer-borne R&B record, you could do worse. [Ray Philp]

Featuring music created for the film (and inspired by the book) of the same name, The Solitude of Prime Numbers is being touted as a “sonic departure” for Mike Patton. It’s a bold promise, given Patton’s ability to assimilate styles as diametric as death metal and lounge, but not an inaccurate one. Indeed this could well be the most focused and contemplative work of his career, taking in spectral minimalism, stirring orchestral motifs, Pendereckilike dissonance and ambient drone; all effortlessly blended into one subtly intoxicating whole. Of course, Patton being Patton, he makes no effort to hide his influences, but his quotations generally come across as respectful nods rather than shameless lifts. For anyone previously put off by the man’s aggressive stylistic infidelity, this album could well be the ideal means of broaching a wider appreciation of his talents; for longtime fans, it’s another gem to add to the collection. [Mark Shukla]

WWW.4AD.COM/ARTISTS/JOKER

WWW.IPECAC.COM

THE FALL

ROB ST. JOHN

KING’S DAUGHTERS & SONS

CHERRY RED , 14 NOV

SONG, BY TOAD, 21 NOV

CHEMIKAL UNDERGROUND, 21 NOV

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ERSATZ G.B.

WEALD

Having created two essential Fall albums in recent times (last year’s Your Future Our Clutter and 2008’s Imperial Wax Solvent), Mark E Smith’s current line-up looks set to challenge the achievement of the band that made seminal 1985 LP This Nation’s Saving Grace. There’s nothing quite as stirring as last year’s Bury Pts.1+3 here, but Nate Will Not Return and Taking Off offer up a similar cocktail of half-rhymes, free associations and propulsive bass-lines. Greenway, the most peculiar piece on the album, employs severe, Slayer-like riffs and a fragmentary tale of Danish TV and cats to striking effect. Eleni Poulou coaxes a slender performance from the rhythm section to cushion her lead vocals on Happi Song – a well-placed counter to the multi-layered drums and verbal repetitions of I’ve Seen Them Come and Age of Chang. Make no mistake, Ersatz G.B. is yet another inventive addition to the Fall canon. [Simon Fielding]

As part of the Edinburgh folk scene, Rob St. John has been quietly scratching out a name for himself for some years now with makeshift gigs, live recordings and 10p bundled singles. As such, some songs on debut album Weald may be familiar, with the likes of the hauntingly beautiful Acid Test or the dark funeral march of Domino offering two differing but equal highlights. Whether it’s a solitary folk guitar echoing out on Emma’s Dance or the brooding, chiming chug of Rob and cohorts slipping into more ethereal yet driving plains with Sargasso Sea, there’s a multitude of reasons to fall for this record. Coupled with Rob’s delicate, understated vocal delivery, the ghostly otherworld of Weald, a stated direction of the liner notes, has been captured in spades. He may have been overshadowed by a few of his Auld Reekie peers, but Weald really ought to ensure that Rob St. John gets to bathe in a little more limelight. [Darren Carle]

PLAYING HMV PICTURE HOUSE ON 3 NOV

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ROBSTJOHN

BWANI JUNCTION

JUSTICE

AKSATAK, 14 NOV

ED BANGER / BECAUSE, 24 OCT

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FULLY COCKED

Edinburgh quartet Bwani Junction have been standing out from their peers due to their world-traipsing influences for a while now. Obvious connotations have paired the group’s Carribean-inflected sound with Vampire Weekend, though the vocal harmonies of The Police may provide a more accurate, if less trendy likeness. Thematically they mix local reference points and youthful nostalgia alongside global issues to surprising success. Middle Meadow will likely draw a chuckle from Auld Reekie residents, whilst Today’s Crusades is a deft turn at an anti-war song that even calls The Clash to mind. Highlights like I’ve Got The Minerals, My Body My Mind and their best known tune Two Bridges inject some pace into Fully Cocked, though a tad too many second-half tracks merge together as mid-paced and overly long for what the album needs to be. Still, these are minor gripes for what is a fun, accomplished and promising debut. [Darren Carle] PLAYING AVALANCHE RECORDS, EDINBURGH ON 14 NOV (5PM); LAID AT BLOC, GLASGOW ON 23 NOV; SUPPORTING THE PIGEON DETECTIVES AT THE LIQUID ROOM, EDINBURGH ON 25 NOV, AND HEADLINING KING TUT’S, GLASGOW ON 30 DEC

AUDIO, VIDEO, DISCO

The four years taken to produce a follow-up to 2007’s † inevitably raises suspicions that Justice have been experiencing Difficult Second Album syndrome; and on first listen, Audio, Video, Disco does little to allay them. The French duo’s familiar crunching electro beats and chunky, stadium rock-influenced riffs remain here, but the ecstatic disco of the early material has been supplanted by more indulgent, wayward structures. Given their adulation of 70s rock, it’s no surprise: Justice are following a similar hedonism-to-conceptualism trajectory pursued by The Who, Led Zeppelin, and countless other cited influences. Nonetheless, that distinctively cartoonish and hard-edged techno sound ensures that Audio, Video, Disco rewards repeat listens. Justice are essentially attempting to shoehorn the playful pomposity and melodic complexity of their heroes into a club format (see, for instance, the descending sampled guitar soloing of Brainvision), and while that ultimately renders this is a less immediately gripping record than †, it’s still a bold development of that album’s aesthetic. [Sam Wiseman]

IF THEN NOT WHEN

Chemikal Underground welcome members of Shipping News, Rachel’s, The For Carnation, and Shannon Wright in the form of new band King’s Daughters & Sons, releasing their debut album If Then Not When. The record is an eclectic mesh that draws on the sound of the various members’ former projects and mixes it all together into something quite special. If Then Not When varies between letting guitar driven immediacy akin to that of My Morning Jacket take hold, and subsiding under the soothing sweetness of Rachel Grimes’ vocals. The shuffling chords and harmonies of tracks like Act of the Absentees seem impossibly removed from the bluesy rock of Dead Letter Office, but when the two converge in songs such as The Anniversary it would be difficult not to compare them to Chemikal founders The Delgados. An incredibly intriguing record that satisfies and rewards repeat listens. It will be interesting to see what comes next from the union of these disparate bands. [David McGinty]

WOODEN WAND AND THE BRIARWOOD VIRGINS BRIARWOOD

FIRE RECORDS, 7 NOV

rr James Jackson Toth, the phenomenally-prolific songwriter oft-known as Wooden Wand, recorded Briarwood in Alabama, and boy, does it show. This is Toth’s Southern rock opera, a sour mash concoction of country rock and gospel, Hammond organ and lonesome-road lyrical journeys. He sings of stays of execution, bourbon and salvation in the kind of rough-hewn drawl that renders the word ‘man’ as ‘may-an’. And all of that is, of course, pretty cool, but only if taken as knowingly recycled: if Toth is self-consciously channelling oft-reprinted hymn sheets, his odes to good whiskey, bad women and other such clichés warrant a hallelujah from the congregation, but take Brairwood straight-faced and it’s exasperatingly limited, with little to recommend it over a re-spin through The Band’s back catalogue with a whiskey chaser. Peddle-steel and aching breaking hearts are an irresistible combination, but ultimately Wooden Wand’s latest resembles a Driveby Truckers you’ll wish had kept trucking on by. [Chris Buckle]

PORTUGAL. THE MAN

JOHNNY FOREIGNER

ATLAS SOUND

ATLANTIC, 14 NOV

ALCOPOP!, 7 NOV

4AD, 7 NOV

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IN THE MOUNTAIN, IN THE CLOUD

In the Mountain, In the Cloud is Portugal. The Man’s sixth album in six years (seventh if you count acoustic miniature Majestic Majesty), and though their punctuation remains annoyingly wayward, their retro-style is gaining traction with each venture. Here, their stalwart Americana-based sound is tarted up with glam tinsel and enough old-fashioned rock n roll heart to have Almost Famous-er Cameron Crowe weeping clichés of appreciation. The immediate reference points are either decades old (Elton John, David Bowie) or styled that way (with hints of Scissor Sisters – in a good sense – in Got It All (This Can’t Be Living Now)’s falsetto pomp, and Oasis – in a slightly less good sense – on Beatlesy closer Sleep Forever), yet they always sound fresh. The parenthesising continues with Everything You See (Kids Count Hallalujahs)’s summer jam and Head is a Flame (Cool with It)’s sauntering space-walk, accumulating track-by-track into their finest full-length to date. [Chris Buckle] PLAYING CAPTAIN’S REST, GLASGOW ON 15 NOV

ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER REPLICA

SOFTWARE, 7 NOV

rr Billed as “an electronic song cycle based around lo-fi audio procured from television advertisement compilations,” Replica plays out like an awkward marriage between the kind of sample-based experiments that filled out 2009’s Memory Vague DVD and the evocative soundscapes that have become the artist’s trademark. When Lopatin foregrounds his gorgeous synth work (as on opener, Andro) the results are hypnotising, but when his jarringly workmanlike sample manipulation dominates the mix it honestly feels like Lopatin is barking up the wrong tree, especially given the fact that operators like Actress and VHS Head have already covered similar terrain with infinitely more finesse. When he dials back the glitch and lets his samples breathe, as on the album’s title track, the overall effect is much more compelling, but such moments are few and far between on on album that too often feels like a frustratingly unsophisticated collage of unsympathetic elements. [Mark Shukla] WWW.POINTNEVER.COM

JOHNNY FOREIGNER VS. EVERYTHING

With each album, Johnny Foreigner seem to find it harder and harder to relinquish material: their thirteen-track debut seemed the optimum length for such high energy tumultupop, whereas its fifteen-track follow-up felt comparatively swollen. Unfortunately, the seventeen-track Johnny Foreigner Vs. Everything suffers the same ailment as its predecessor, only more acutely. Parcelling the material into smaller portions does wonders, since nothing here is wholly disposable (though twin concrète interludes would be first for paring were it given a proper filleting). Taken together, however, the flow is damaged by frequent tempo swerves – take, for instance, the transition from Hulk Hoegaarden, Gin Kinsella, David Duvodkany, etc’s punky swish (they still christen their songs with expert irreverence) to the bland sorbet of Johnny Foreigner Vs. You. Interpreted more favourably, the preponderance of slower tracks suggests a band midst-metamorphosis; an exciting proposition, as when they get the balance right – see 200X’s sensitive breather – they triumph. [Chris Buckle]

PARALLAX

Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox retains the mid-tempo groove of his band’s more recent output on this third officially released LP as Atlas Sound. A solo guise has always given the Atlantan virtuoso’s fascination with experimental and ambient sounds a considerably extended scope, but here he demonstrates restraint. With album visuals prepared by Mick Rock (David Bowie, Lou Reed), that 70s glam-aesthetic somehow seeps its way into the music – songs like Amplifiers and Lightworks hark back to the golden age of jangly radio pop, hinting at a desire to finally come forward and replace mystery with simplicity. That dreamy, effects-heavy aspect synomymous with Atlas Sound can still be found – Modern Aquatic Nightsongs is a case in point, with its reverb-drenched vocals and dizzying electronics – but most of these cuts aren’t so much adventurous as they are disciplined and refined. This is no bad thing, especially when the result is such a robust set of pop songs from an ever-evolving talent. [Ross Watson]

THE TOP FIVE

SEAFIELDROAD

rrrr

2 3 4 5

RUSSIAN CIRCLES

EMPROS

THE FALL

ERSATZ G.B.

ATLAS SOUND

PARALLAX

CLEAN GEORGE IV

GOD SAVE THE CLEAN

KING'S DAUGHTERS &SONS

IF THEN NOT WHEN

SEAFIELDROAD

BIPHONIC RECORDS, 21 NOV

Released almost exactly a year after his debut as Seafieldroad (itself released a mere six months after Swimmer One’s Dead Orchestras), Andrew Eaton-Lewis’s latest makes this stately adult-pop piano-ballad bag look effortless – though to be fair, he’s been at it a while, with hundreds of home-recorded albums already on tape. On this self-titled release, evocative titles like What Became of Pinky and Honker are backed ably by Eaton-Lewis’s redolent croon and deftly sketched narratives. Though erudite, Eaton-Lewis evidently knows not the meaning of the words ‘diminishing returns’, as this is a comfortable improvement on There Are No Maps For This Part of the City, despite operating from roughly the same stable.The only real complaint is its brevity – just seven songs, plus a nicely-arranged cover of Empire of the Sun’s Walking on a Dream – but at the rate he works, album three is no doubt already on the horizon. [Chris Buckle] PLAYING VOODOO ROOMS, EDINBURGH ON 20 NOV

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 43

MUSIC

NEW BLOOD

UP THE JUNCTION With their bastardised name, ‘playful’ artwork and fresh Afro-Caribbean sounds, Edinburgh quartet BWANI JUNCTION have been brightening up the musical underbelly of Auld Reekie and beyond for some time. With their debut album now on the horizon, the time felt right to take stock of their story

INTERVIEW: DARREN CARLE PHOTOS: SOL NICOL

SERENDIPITY LAYS a claim to The Skinny’s meeting of Bwani Junction at a boozer next door to their Edinburgh rehearsal space on a miserably wet Monday night. Having a Glasgow gig cancelled at the eleventh hour, the band opt to drown their sorrows and chat all things Bwani with us instead. But spirits are both high and flowing freely as they take to celebrating the pressing of their debut album Fully Cocked, due for release in November. “This is the only copy in the country right now,” announces singer and guitarist Rory Fairweather, handing the, for now, unique artifact forward. More copies are of course in the post, though the band themselves remain unsure of quite what they will do for the launch itself. “We don’t want to do that thing where you play with a couple of bands and you sell maybe a hundred records at the gig, then it’s back to scratching your balls,” begins guitarist Dan Muir somewhat colourfully. “We’ve been playing with the idea of doing a very small version of the Camden Crawl, but in Edinburgh,” adds bassist Fergus Robson rather more helpfully. Whatever transpires, they can be proud of a flourishing debut that belies their tender ages. Only a few years out of school, the band have already been playing in some guise or other for eight years. In the past year or so though, they’ve begun to puncture the public consciousness with sessions for Maida Vale and Vic Galloway as well as a slot at the BBC Introducing Stage at this year’s T in the Park. Yet when asked for a highlight so far, Fergus opts for something less obvious to onlookers. “We knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge being with each other day after day, but working in the studio on the album was so much fun,” he states. The band worked in Chem 19 with producer Paul Savage, a man who has pushed the buttons for such Scottish alumni as Arab Strap, Mogwai and The Twilight Sad among many others. With such a pedigree it’s perhaps no surprise

alternative pub Cask Ale: Hobgoblin, Deuchars IPA & Guest Ale Addlestones Premium Cloudy Cider Student Discount On All Food Including Our Famous “Big Nachos” Metal, Punk & Goth Jukebox Find Us In CAMRA’s 2011 Good Beer Guide! www.theauldhoose.co.uk 23-25 St. Leonard’s Street, Edinburgh EH8 9QN

44 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

NEW BLOOD

THE SKINNY 51

and Afghanistan respectively. “There are some barracks near where we live and one morning we saw all the guys going out to Afghanistan,” explains Dan. “Then we saw them coming back and there were about a third less.” If soaking up their surroundings is what makes a Bwani Junction song, then such a sight was always going to wriggle its way into their sound. “Art has always reflected society and politics,” says Fergus. “It was the closest thing to us at the time so we thought we had to write about it.” These factors have helped shape Fully Cocked, an album that is at times humorous, at others sobering, but as light and refreshing as a tropical breeze. And with said debut now complete, thoughts are turning to how others will receive their labour of love. “People who say they never Google themselves, that’s fucking bollocks,” rants Dan about what influence critical opinion will have on them. “We could get a bit obsessed by what people are saying about us, but some nice reviews would obviously be welcomed.” It seems a likelihood, but regardless of the short-term response, all four lads want to be in this music game for the long-haul. “If we can make a living out of music, just recording what we want, when we want, not focusing on selling out the world, then I think I’d be happy with that,” claims Fergus. We can only hope so, as life would be that wee bit drabber without Bwani Junction. FULLY COCKED IS RELEASED VIA AKSATAK RECORDS ON 14 NOV. PLAYING WITH THE PIGEON DETECTIVES AT THE LIQUID ROOM, EDINBURGH ON 25 NOV WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BWANIJUNCTION

Supported by King Tuts Wah Wah Hut and the Electric Circus

www.theelectriccircus.biz

AUGUST 2010

See www.edinburghpeoplesfestival.org for further details and tickets

• Drama from SpartaKi Theatre Company

• Why the finest comics in Edinburgh end up in Gorgie

• Aid for Afghanistan - a concert

Clockwise from top left: Pablo; Callum; Michael; Sam

www.theelectriccircus.biz

• 3rd Annual Hamish Henderson memorial lecture

August 7th-14th

MUSIC

• Photographic exhibition 'The Bad and the Beautiful'

that the award-winning producer put his mark on Fully Cocked. “There’s a track on the album, I’ve Got The Minerals, that we weren’t going to record originally,” explains Rory. “But Paul picked it up, said it was good but had a shit chorus, and made us work on it. He gave us some really good ideas and pretty much forced us to record it. But he was right – it’s one of our best tracks.” Savage’s approach didn’t stop with song choice though. Drummer Jack Fotheringham also got some sage advice on his style. “My problem is that I try to do too much with crazy solos and all,” he admits. “So when it was my turn to record he put up a huge sign saying ‘DO LESS’ in massive capitals. He kept telling me off and I was

• Investigating Rebus's Edinburgh

DAN MUIR

• Tour Edinburgh's dramatic radical past

We don’t want to do that thing where you play with a couple of bands and you sell maybe a hundred records at the gig, then it’s back to scratching your balls

• Film premiere of 'Morticia' by Nabil Shaban

getting pissed off, but he was right and it worked in the end.” Despite a breezy, summer sound tempered with homegrown tales, the usual pigeon-holing has cropped up as the band’s profile has risen. Top of the reference points are Vampire Weekend, something the band wince at but admit to some common influences. “I think a lot of the African influences that people have commented on in our music come from Dan’s riffs,” claims Fergus. “But we’ve never really tried to focus on one kind of sound because then I think our music might lose its authenticity.” Perhaps a large part of Bwani Junction’s appeal lies in their scope of influences, be it reggae, Afro beat or more homely indie-pop. It certainly stands them apart from some of their peers, though they’re not so blinded as to believe they stand on a podium all of their own. “Everyone wants to think that their music is so fucking original,” rails Dan a few pints in. “They want to think that no one else has ever done it before but really, no one can do that. Everything is influenced by something else so it’s impossible not to be compared.” Yet despite their exotic name, altered from the 1956 Ava Gardner political film Bhowani Junction, many of their lyrics deal with more everyday issues. “We get asked if there’s a running theme of party tunes or heartbreak anthems, but we don’t work like that,” says Rory. “There are some songs about friendships and love and so on, but there are some tracks that are just about mindless fucking.” “You can’t just write a whole album about trying to get a shag at the weekend,” adds Dan. “Even that would get boring.” Evidently so, as tracks like Roots Too Deep and Today’s Crusades deal with a nostalgic look at their home city and at the war in Iraq

WE NO LONGER CHARGE BOOKING FEES

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London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival On Tour 10 Aug to 2 Sep

Highlights from this year’s hugely successful two-week festival, which took place in March at BFI Southbank. The season includes LLGFF Closing Night Gala Children of God, a fascinating and politically bold study of sexuality in the Bahamas; lesbian comedy And Then Came Lola; erotically charged crime thriller The Fish Child; acclaimed Argentinian drama Plan B; and two programmes of shorts, one for the girls and one for the boys!

A key work from an era that’s now considered the last Golden Age of American cinema, Bob Rafelson’s superlative character study established Jack Nicholson as the foremost actor of his generation. One of the few honest American films about social class, family and alienation. Don’t miss this wonderfully restored classic.

Five Easy Pieces 13 Aug to 19 Aug

Directed by Juan José Campanella and showcasing two of Argentina’s biggest stars, this is a riveting thriller spiked with witty dialogue and poignant romance. Receiving rave reviews and awards, it was also the surprise winner of this year’s Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film, beating off stiff competition from The White Ribbon and A Prophet.

The Secret in Their Eyes 13 Aug to 9 Sep

HOME OF THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

recommends this month...

MILK SUPPORT FOUND AT THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS, EDINBURGH ON 7 AUG AS PART OF THE EDGE FESTIVAL

challenge each other, taking our disparate inspirations and finding ways to harmonise them. We enjoy sifting through the noise.” When the sifting is finished, nuggets of Lizard King stargazing, smooth 80s grooves, moody atmospherics, deadpan humour and prog-squiggles remain. The unorthodox blend slips through genres like cow lactose through fingers. “We converge in strange places,” they acknowledge. Milk confound classification in part through tactical shyness. Their low-profile moniker and lower-profile web presence constitute a genuine attempt to avoid the pigeonholing that rubberstamps acts straight from the womb. Milk are leaving their options open and keeping followers guessing. “We’re still in the formative stages of playing this music together, so anything that allows the freedom to go off on creative tangents is a must,” they explain. “The name gave us the blank slate. If you treat a band’s name as a statement of intent, then ours remains open to interpretation.” Refreshingly, in an age where choosing a MySpace background sits uncomfortably high on new-starts’ ‘to do’ lists, they’re uninterested in cultivating a potentially-straitjacketing online persona. “We want the opportunity to surprise others and ourselves.” Live, they don’t let such opportunities pass them by. But what about recordings? Any releases on the horizon? “In this regard,” they assert, “we reserve the right to remain mysterious.” Seems Milk will be whetting appetites a little longer yet.[Chris Buckle]

NOVEMBER

“CALLUM, up in the crow’s nest, is all guitar-cradling and neckerchief-wearing, while Sam will go down with the ship, laughing to the last at his cockpit of keyboards,” collectively explain Glasgow (via Fife) quartet, Milk. “Michael plays at drums and dressing up down in the engine room, and Pablo stands at the prow, full of windy rhetoric and last night’s leftovers.” Any room for a celebrity endorsement on board? After all, that ‘Got Milk’ campaign has done wonders for dairy sales over the years – want to co-opt any Milk-the-Drink lovers as spokespersons for Milk-the-band? “Can we breed them? If so we’ll take the lithe and insatiable sexuality of Isabella Rosellini, couple it with the high-society histrionics of Elton John, and marry that off with the future-race breeding of the Olsens and the ruthless art-as-a-sacrificial-cow ambition of James Cameron.” Finally, this sexual, ambitious future-race progeny would be “wrapped in plastic, à la Joan Rivers.” If their creation sounds elaborate and messy, it fits their musical identities; if their answers sound articulate yet obfuscating, it reflects their crafty, cultured smarts. “We think that bands are too readily vilified for not nailing a signature sound,” they argue. “It seems to us that using a broad palette can produce the most interesting and enjoyable results.” Their particular palette reaps the rewards of a four-way musical input that doesn’t necessarily flow naturally in the same direction. “I think it would be fair to say that we began this at odd angles, and so the approach has been to try and

TU 1 WILD COMBINATION FEATURING ITAL (100%SILK) + GUESTS WE 3 THEME PARK TH 4 ST DELUXE + PAWS + EDINBURGH SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF FRI 5 GUMMY STUMPS + THE ROSY CRUCIFIXION SA 6 WOODLANDS CREATURES MO 7 OPEN MIC ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) WE 9 CRY PARROT PRESENTS: ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE + VARS OF LITCHI TH 10 MEURSAULT + FOXFACE FRI 11 WE ARE THE PHYSICS + OTHERPEOPLE + GALOSHINS SA 12 UNITED FRUIT + HEY ENEMY + SALO SU 13 HAIGHT ASHBURY + ADAM STEARNS MO 14 OPEN MIC ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) WE 16 CROC PARTY TH 17 WILLIAM HARNESS FRI 18 THE TWILIGHT SAD (SOLD OUT) SA 19 JOHN KNOX SEX CLUB + OLYMPIC SWIMMERS SU 20 WAKE THE PRESIDENT + SCHNAPPS + AGGI DOOM MO 21 OPEN MIC ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) TU 22 MAKETHISRELATE WE 23 SPARROW AND THE WORKSHOP + MARTIN JOHN HENRY (DE ROSA) TH 24 DUTCH UNCLES SA 26 DJANGO DJANGO + ROBERT REDFORD + SHE’S HIT MO 28 OPEN MIC ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH GERRY LYONS (free entry) WE 30 FOUND + OVER THE WALL + FRENCH WIVES Text Chris Buckle Photo www.ryanmcgoverne.co.uk

Got Milk?

Ah Milk. Great source of calcium, won Sean Penn an Oscar… er, hang on, something’s off. Google has failed me – guys, you’ll have to introduce yourselves…

films worth talking about

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THE SKINNY 45

PREVIEWS Q&A: Éclair Fifi

CLUBS

Interview: Niel Murchison

Killer Kitsch Present Visions Tour 2011 THE BUFF CLUB, TUE 29 NOV

The European leg of this tour featuring three of the most hotly tipped young DJs, each playing different variants of bass, arrives in Scotland for the first of two dates. Hailing from Liverpool, Melé has begun appearing on radars everywhere with his melding of house, bass and jittery rhythms. His pre-tour sampler (available on Soundcloud) is the only proven way to heat your home without increasing your energy bills. Dillion Francis has been racking up remixes across the board for the likes of CSS and Digitalism and the Los Angles producer has found his home on Diplo’s Mad Decent label. Locating his own niche in amongst some absolutely crazy sounds, mad samples and brain dissolving bass, he is pretty unforgiving in delivering some utterly destructive tunes and his recent single I.D.G.A.F.O.S is probably best reviewed with the assistance of a richter scale. The final piece of this pretty awesome line up is Brenmer who brings together a whole range of gritty bass and R’n’B and has had numerous releases on Discobelle, Grizzly and Enchufada. The Visions Tour then moves to the capital for a session at Sneaky Pete’s on Wed 30 Nov. [Kenneth Scott]

Éclair Fifi regularly brings the P.A.R.T.Y. to LuckyMe’s shows with a killer ear for pulling out tunes from across the spectrum and dropping them with maximum effect. Later this month she teams up with LuckyMe’s ultra hot ticket Hudson Mohawke but not before she gamely returns fire on the following pressing issues... What were the first records that you bought that remain cool now? The first record I ever owned was The Ghostbusters theme tune which is obviously still cool but the first ‘dance record’ I ever bought was Joey Beltram’s Energy Flash when I was 15 which is still an amazing record to me. What makes an Éclair Fifi set different to anyone else’s? Oh, difficult question. A lot of people tell me my sets are different but can never pinpoint why. Some say that I scan over a lot of different bpms and some say my sets are varied, going from r’n’b into italo into hip hop into house etc, without being too clichéd. When you’re playing you always seem to be having a lot of fun. What comes first to you when DJing, making yourself happy or the audience? It has to be a mixture of both, it goes hand in hand. If you love it and portray that you are having fun then the audience (usually) enjoys it too. I also enjoy it more when I see the audience happy, it’s symbiotic. Do you have a golden rule of DJing that you never must break? I never plan sets out, I always play freestyle. I’m not knocking DJs who plan sets but it’s just my personal rule. Doesn’t matter whether it’s in front of a Sneaky Pete’s crowd of 100 or a Sonar crowd of 10,000, I like to keep it fresh. At the moment what is the record you are most likely to drop into sets? Anything by Nguzunguzu!! Do you have any confessions over records you’ve ‘borrowed’ from other DJs that they will probably never be seeing again? I borrowed Dave Clarke’s Electro Boogie unmixed compilations (for the ghettotech tracks) from someone about ten years ago who I haven’t seen in ages. I also borrowed a bunch of rare Detroit records; Direct Beat records, Fernon Flowers, Blake Baxter, Jay Denham, Dopplereffekt (I lost my own copy) etc from another friend... (if either of you read this, then holler!).

Some artists make their mark with simple raw energy or bold originality. Others are content to show that they are well schooled in existing forms and act as gifted torchbearers, slightly redefining a sound which has long been considered established. Seth Haley, aka Com Truise, is very much in the latter category. His first full album, Galactic Melt, which was released earlier this year on Ghostly International, shows off the New Yorker’s evident adoration and undeniable mastery of the synth. On tracks such as Flightwave, there are echoes of forerunners such as Vangelis. Standout tunes Cathode Girls and Brokendate sound more contemporary and ooze atmosphere and style in equal measure. The overall sound is, in the words of the Washington Post, “retro-futuristic”. That is, it seems, to belong to the kind of future naively dreamt up by those in the past. Having been likened to Krautrock pioneers Tangerine Dream, Boards of Canada and even late era Pink Floyd, Com Truise will no doubt find it hard to evade unfair comparisons with other synth-tamers of old. Yet, while there is nothing particularly groundbreaking about Haley’s productions, you cannot help but be won over by the impact and sheer beauty of his music. [Ronan Martin]

Sneaky Pete's, Fri 25 Nov 1pm-3am, £5

10PM-12PM, £5

Amnesty International: Protect the Human Presents HaHaHa

BedBug presents Jack Beats

11PM-3AM, £4/£3 www.thebuffclub.com

Com Truise SNEAKY PETE’S, SAT 3 DEC

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FRI 11 NOV

TIME: TBC, £5

‘Traversing the boundaries of all things electronic’ is the adopted motto from the intriguingly named monthly night, Bedbug. Serendipitously or not, their next guest is a case in point in adopting this philosophy. Beats’ sound is imbued with elements spanning the electro spectrum: from fidget to bassline, the melange is nothing short of a winner for club nights in the capital. This recipe for success is further enhanced by the idiosyncratic though not intrusive wobble (hello Rusko) of a Jack Beats production, a mysterious entity in itself, that almost insidiously sends students and weekend revellers alike into a full flown array of shape-showing or peripheral dance floor shuffle, respectively. Fidget for some might be a byword for dross; for some Fake Blood are musical paragons. Over the last few years as it happens, a number of Edinburgh’s midweek student nights have catered for the aforementioned scenesters to great avail. Not least is this a testament to fidget’s prolonged popularity but it serves to legitimise Mr Beats’ perennial Edinburgh jaunts, which never seem to disappoint. Stoking the coals in the main room is first rate resident and exponent of the all-encompassing Bedbug sound, Jimmy Wallace, a set that’d be worth checking out on its own terms without the added Beats Factor. Enjoy. [James Corlett]

www.guamnesty.org.uk

11PM-3AM, £12/£10

STEREO, THU 1 DEC

Dancing to make the world a better place has had pretty mixed results. This is based entirely on research gained from Footloose and while dancing may win the day in the film any similar good that might have followed in the real world was soon crushingly nullified by the dreaded song the soundtrack spawned. Instead, dancing tends to work best when a good cause and some great music are lined up together, just as Glasgow University’s Amnesty International Society have arranged. As one of the hottest DJ talents originating from a heaving Glasgow scene, HaHaHa has already become something of a household name (in very cool houses) since becoming a resident at Death Disco. As his Evil EP released last year proved without question, he knows what sounds people want to move to, which I would approximate as a melodic, rhythmic form of house. If you require clarification on this matter try Do Not Go Home or Afraid of Sharks to catch my drift. Backing him up will be one half of Hush Hush and Subcity regular Djamba, another DJ blurring genre lines as he puts together upfront mixes of house, UK funky and other bassline driven madness. And your efforts on the dancefloor will make the world a slightly better place. [Neil Murchison]

46 THE SKINNY November 2011

clubbing HIGHLIGHTS Words: Neil Murchison Illustration: Cat Sims After spending the last month gliding around the darkened streets in my strictly imagined 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle listening to the Drive soundtrack on repeat and making a point of avoiding elevators I’ve decided it’s time to turn my back on all that and get back to clubbing. Is there a better place to start than Subculture, which continues to secure some great names – this month is no different with Julio Bashmore making an appearance on Sat 12 Nov at The Sub Club. Bashmore’s sound is inspired by those South-Easterly zephyrs that blew in from the golden era of mid 90s French house with a touch of added bass. His single Battle for Middle You is a fine embodiment of this warm, hazy sound combined with a hypnotically charged stomp. Pressure’s 13th birthday on Fri 25 Nov will only be unlucky for those who can’t get tickets as this Glasgow institution lines up an impressive array of names, the most notable being Vitalic. Since descending on Glasgow three years ago to promote his last album Flashmob, things have been rather quiet from the French producer whose incendiary and equally stylish debut OK Cowboy is still regularly sought out for a guaranteed assault on the dancefloor. With Chris Liebing and Radio Slave also on call at The Arches and, naturally, with SLAM headlining this should be nothing short of massive. Layo & Bushwacka begin what is destined to be a very special bi-monthly residency at Chambre 69 on Sat 26 Nov. Shake It, named after the London warehouse party project they set up with Laurent Garnier, will be all that you need in terms of absolutely rock solid, groove infested house as they deliver an epic four hour set. Nomad celebrate their first birthday on Sat 5 Nov with former

Minus main man and one of Items and Things’ key architects, Troy Pierce. Topping off what is set to be one of the best nights of the end of the year is a supporting set from Glasgow wonderkid Hans Bouffmyhre to lure you into the eye of the storm. You’ll have to be quick to catch him but Nathan Fake, a prodigy of James Holden’s and often cited as an ‘heir to the electronic music throne‘ headlines Substance’s 5th Birthday at Bongo Club on Fri 4 Nov. With the tantalising prospect of a new album on the horizon (slated for release next year) it should be one hell of a party. If deep house and techno are your thing then Musika residents Derek Martin, Laurie Neil, Kirk Douglas and Jamie McKenzie will be taking everyone on a journey at The Liquid Room on Sat 19 Nov and if you get there early it’s a mere £5 on the door. Erol Alkan: you just can’t keep the man down, right? He and Annie Mac will be doing a double header at Annie Mac Presents at The Arches on Sat 5 Nov. He brings this set to Gasoline Dance Machine for what is a rare, if not even a first, outing in Scotland on Sat 3 Dec at Cabaret Voltaire. The electronic music video website EQTV have stepped out from behind the cameras and will be hosting their own parties from now on, the first of which will feature Hot Flush label head honcho Scuba on Fri 9 Dec at Chambre 69. Having released his ridiculously catchy Adrenaline EP just a couple of months ago and with a new album in development the attention is only going to keep growing. Finally, Azari & III, interviewed in this month’s issue, play live at The Arches on Sat 12 Nov and they will also be DJing at Heavy Gossip & Ultragroove at Green Room/Below the Stairs later that night which, if it is anything like their record, will be crammed full of late 80s and early 90s house classics.

CLUBS

Hungry For The Power

The Return of Plastikman

Having just released their debut album and with a major European tour in progress, Azari & III – one of dance music’s most hotly tipped bands – discuss how they met and the multiculturalism of their home city of Toronto

After years in the making Ritchie Hawtin returns with a new award-winning, multidimensional live show, Plastikman version 1.5

Interview: Neil Murchison

Interview: Calum Sutherland

O2 ABC Love Music Column

Fake Blood

Fake Blood A/V set O2 Academy Glasgow, Fri 16 Dec, 11pm - 3am, £15

Azari & III got some hype after the release of two slices of old school, classic house with a modern sheen, Reckless (With Your Love) and Hungry for the Power. Both songs possess an eerie time warping facility, with big piano chords, handclap assaults and disco-tinged vocals, as if someone has transported the group from the 70s and 80s, let them spend a couple of years clubbing to early dance music and then dropped them off in 2009 to brush up on their Pro-Tools skills. The group, made up of two frontmen, Fritz and Starving Yet Full (Cedric), and two producers – Dinamo Azari and Alixander III – released their self-titled album in August and are about to embark on their first European tour, including a live show at The Arches as part of Glasgay! 2011. The Skinny caught up with them to talk during a hectic period of pre-tour promotion. You guys have a really interesting musical backgrounds, can you give a little bit of insight into that and how you ended up as Azari & III? Dinamo: I had been working on various unique projects, such as PAN-TIKI (Caribbean Techno), Fritz & Hanz Helder (Electro-pop), UNA AVENTURA with Sal Principato (new wave organic punk funk) developing avant garde modern vibrational medicine. All the stars aligned and AZARI & III was born, Toronto 2008 and a local karmic connection was created. Alixander III : I was producing artists in my studios and doing some film scoring, I knew Fritz and Ceddy [Cedric] before Azari & III which started when Dinamo and I met DJing. Fritz: We all met each other through mutual friends years before Azari & III was formed. We all were active players in the Toronto music / art scene. It seemed a lot more common for the electronic music of that time to have some sort of social message which you have reinvoked with songs like Reckless (With Your Love) and Hungry For The Power. Those songs have almost an innocence that has been lost, that music can address real issues and (maybe) change the way people think. Where does that side of your music come from? Fritz: The “innocence” comes from the simple

fact that we were in the studio creating those tracks without any premeditated intent. It was a free atmosphere where we could just let it all out, and try anything. We all come with our own, different musical references. We invoked the mood of that moment. Maybe times have come full circle again? Why do you think you tend to rely on sounds from retro equipment? Alixander III: It’s like old guitars and violins, they just made ‘em better back then and they will always be sought after. With the hands-on nature of analogue instruments and the manipulative capabilities of digital software, there is plenty of room to improvise. When people talk about the multiculturalism of cities do you think that the music that comes out of them, in this case Toronto, is evidence that there is a genuine clash of styles and ideas taking place? Cedric: Absolutely, and it’s a beautiful thing to see! In a city of millions of individuals with multiple cultures and different backgrounds you are bound to see a clash of styles and ideas taking place all the time. And yes, Toronto is a perfect example of that! Right now there are more clubs than ever playing dubstep or variations of it, which actually makes your album stand out for its reliance on classic house, 4/4 beats. Some clubbers who are more used to your style seem bemused by dubstep, almost as if they can’t find a way to dance to it. What are your thoughts on it? Fritz: No offense to our dubstep brothers and sisters but...it’s hard to ‘dance’ to. I also feel like the definition of dance has changed. I just saw Skrillex play and he had the crowd jumping, it was electric! However it was more of a mosh, a communal ‘up and down’ rather than an individual expression of movement and emotion. You will be headed to The Arches in Glasgow this month, with four of you all on stage you don’t fit the usual ‘DJ behind a laptop’ set up. What can we expect your live show to be like? Alixander III: It looks like Sex Pistols 1978!

“Where did Plastikman come from? What is his relationship to Hawtin? And it’s worth asking, even, what kind of entity is he, or it? A studio alias, an alter ego, an ongoing multimedia experiment, a brand or perhaps all of these?” So began MINUS100, the Plastikman compendium Arkives. The complete biographical discography and history of the life of Plastikman thus far was eagerly anticipated by many and received in its entirety by fans who, in November of last year, had reserved the made to order, self-curated chronicles of one of the most significant artists in electronic music history. Now, just as anxiously awaited is Plastikman version 1.5: a unique, awardwinning live show in which every aspect of the experience – the music, lighting, audio, visuals and real-time audience interaction (via the iPhone SYNK app) – are controlled by a single on-stage performer, lurking within a huge LED cage. The rebirth of Plastikman happened at Timewarp in Mannheim in March 2010 and has since toured the world, quickly establishing itself as one of the most involving, hypnotic and spectacular electronic performance spectacles of all time. It has created a new generation of EDM fans who may only have been aware of Hawtin through his unrivalled DJ performances and united them with those who have followed Plastikman since its original inception in the early 1990s. With a handful of exceptions, including the release of Closer in 2003, Plastikman remained in the shadows until early last year and has since evolved over a process of experience, fine tuning and development into version 1.5, with the aid of the Plastikman team. This large consortium, which is approaching a small army, includes longtime Hawtin collaborator, artist and architect Ali Demirel, and Jarrett Smith of Derivative who is responsible for TouchDesigner visuals. In September MTV Ibiza’s end of season round-up featured Plastikman in a half hour long programme where one of dance music’s most subversive and innovative artists appeared in between coverage of the likes of Duck Sauce and 50 Cent. In a recent interview, Hawtin stated that he “…wanted to bring the most forward thinking, underground, liveelectronic show to the centre stage, to the masses... and to show that electronic music can more than hold its own on the stages of today.” This he has certainly accomplished, although he is indifferent to the fact that his alter ego can now be considered appealing enough to take its place alongside some of the most mainstream music acts. As Hawtin stated in a recent live Twitter interview, “You can’t disconnect music from technology, ...it’s an art to find the perfect balance between man, music and machine.”

Azari & III play live at The Arches on Sat 12 Nov, 10pm-1am, £8 + BF

Richie Hawtin presents Plastikman Live 1.5 at Glasgow’s Barrowlands on Sat 3 Dec, 8pm-12am, £25

www.thearches.co.uk

www.richiehawtin.com

When Fake Blood last performed in Glasgow, tickets promptly vanished and the Londoner packed the place out, thrilling the masses with an explosive set. No surprise then that Mixed Bizness and Slam Events have again teamed up to bring Theo Keating to the city, this time taking over at O2 Academy Glasgow. Having cut his teeth as one half of The Wiseguys (of Ooh La La fame), Keating has re-arranged his sonic palette considerably since those big beat days. Emerging incognito under the Fake Blood moniker in 2007, the producer quickly became in demand for remixes, reworking tracks for the likes of Armand Van Helden, Underworld, Noah and the Whale and Hot Chip. His much-aired Mars EP, a raucous flurry of whirring basslines and synths, set down a marker for his new direction and has had crowds shuffling frenziedly since 2008. This upcoming A/V set comes off the back of the September release of the Deep Red EP, an offering that cements Keating’s status as a producer very much committed to bold and brash dancefloor focused sounds. Whether you call it electro house, fidget house or something altogether more sensible, Fake Blood’s music is very much the type that will keep energy levels soaring. In support are Clouds, who released their debut record on the headliner’s Blood Music label last year and Glasgow’s HaHaHa, who has received high praise from such techno and house luminaries as Modeselektor, Ben Klock and The Revenge. He plays back to back with seasoned party DJ Boom Monk Ben and, completing the local lineup in the main room, is Visual Aids, whose refreshingly garish VJ sets have lit up numerous parties in the last few years. Deadly Rhythm and Hush Hush take charge of the second room, with sets from Raksha, Aleksi, Djamba and Point To C so there is going to be absolutely nowhere to hide from some utterly phenomenal tunes.

DJ Shadow, O2 ABC Glasgow, 9 Dec, 7pm, £19.50

As the DJ who elevated the cut and paste style of sampling to the level of genuine art form, he requires no Endtroducing. Coinciding with the release of his new album The Less You Know, The Better, this is a rare chance to catch one of the masters at work. While his later studio albums have inevitably struggled to match the utter brilliance of his early blaze of glory, it is his much underappreciated 2004 live album In Tune and On Time that is the blueprint for his performances and it is on this front that he does not disappoint. You only need two ears and a head for nodding to fall once more under Shadow’s spell. [Ronan Martin] facebook.com/o2academyglasgow o2abcglasgow.co.uk

November 2011

THE SKINNY 47

REVIEWS

FILM

November Events

Moneyball

Weekend

Director: Bennett Miller

Director: Andrew Haigh

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright Released: 25 Nov Certificate: 12A Distributer: Sony Pictures

Starring: Tom Cullen, Chris New Released: 4 Nov Certificate: 18 Distributer: Peccadillo Pictures

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Based on a true story, Moneyball follows the familiar sports movie formula – a team of underdogs trying to compete in the big league. Brad Pitt is typically charismatic as Billy Beane, a former baseball player turned manager for the Oakland As, who stand little chance against big bucks teams like the Yankees. With limited options Beane gambles on a new tactic: taking advice from young unknown Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) and using a statistical computer programme to assemble his new team. Philip Seymour Hoffman is, as always, utterly convincing as Art Howe, the A’s coach struggling to accept Beane’s new methods. Moneyball’s international success may be hampered by a disinterest in baseball outside America, but it is shot with style and features archive footage of the games and fans, so is involving and easy to follow. As the As go up against the biggest teams in the sport, one can’t help but root for Beane’s dysfunctional group of misfits and oddballs. [Becky Bartlett]

Weekend is your atypical (in Movieland) boy meets boy love story. On an impromptu Friday night cruising a cheesy nightclub in unglamorous Nottingham, Russell (Cullen), a shy lifeguard with one foot in the closet, hooks up with Glen (New), a super confident artist whose hobbies include cross-examining his conquests post-coitus and squaring up to burly homophobes like a belligerent Peter Tatchell. This drunken fumble develops from butterflies-in-stomach flirtation to life altering romance as the men tentatively get to know each other over the weekend. Then the bombshell: Glen is emigrating to America on Sunday. It’s a burning fuse worthy of Hitchcock. Writer/ director Haigh (Greek Pete) uses long takes, vérité visuals and crash-bang editing to craft a bittersweet romance where the dynamic between the leads is constantly in flux. Political yet never preachy, Haigh challenges the mainstream heterosexual narrative by subverting that cornerstone of hetero orthodoxy: the rom-com. The irony is, though, that Weekend is the year’s wittiest hymn to romance. [Jamie Dunn]

Wuthering Heights

The Deep Blue Sea

Director: Andrea Arnold

Director: Terence Davies

Starring: Shannon Beer, Solomon Glave, James Howson, Kaya Scodelario Released: 11 Nov Certificate: 15 Distributer: Artificial Eye

Starring: Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddlestone, Simon Russell Beale, Ann Mitchell Released: 25 Nov Certificate: 12A Distributer: Artificial Eye

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There have been many screen versions of Wuthering Heights but we’ve never seen one quite like this. Andrea Arnold has brought her bold, uncompromising vision to bear on Emily Brontë’s novel, denying us the aesthetic pleasures we normally associate with British costume dramas, and instead investing the movie with a bracing sensuality and simmering violence. For the first half of the film at least, Wuthering Heights is a stunning achievement, with Malick-like editing immersing us in Arnold’s richly atmospheric evocation of 19th century Yorkshire. Newcomers Shannon Beer and Solomon Glave impress as the young leads, but when Heathcliff returns a grown man in the movie’s second half, James Howson’s limitations as an actor prove problematic. The film never builds on the potential of its earliest sequences, instead growing repetitive, and it crucially fails to express the heartache of the doomed central romance. Arnold repeatedly asks the anguished Heathcliff to bash his head against a wall or tree, but as painful as this looks, we don’t feel it. [Philip Concannon]

The Deep Blue Sea is the first narrative feature Terence Davies has directed in over a decade, and the material is a perfect match for this great filmmaker. Terence Rattigan’s play tells the story of a love affair between a married woman, Hester (Rachel Weisz), and a dashing RAF pilot (Tom Hiddleston), an affair built on sexual passion that ultimately fails to bring them happiness. This story allows Davies to recreate the sights and sounds of the post-war era that so much of his cinema exists in, and he finds the perfect tone throughout, pitching the film on the cusp of melodrama and utilising some elegant camerawork that recalls Max Ophüls. Hiddleston (alternately charming and cruel) and Simon Russell Beale (sincere and moving) give fine performances as the two very different men in Hester’s life, but both are overshadowed by Weisz’s storming display. A devastating blend of sharp intelligence and raw emotions, Weisz provides the beating heart at the centre of Davies’ beautiful, tragic film. [Philip Concannon]

Jack Goes Boating

50/50

Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman

Director: Will Reiser

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega Released: 4 Nov Certificate: 15 Distributer: Trinity Filmed Entertainment

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen Released: 25 Nov Certificate: 15 Distributer: Lionsgate UK

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Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a solid debut behind the camera with this adaptation of Robert Glaudini’s play, a suitably thespian-friendly piece for one of the best actors of his generation. Hoffman takes the role of Jack, a sad-sack chauffeur struggling to engage with the world at large and in particular with Connie (Amy Ryan), the similarly introverted object of his affections. Inviting Connie for a boating trip and homemade dinner, Jack must first learn how to swim and cook with the aid of chums Clyde (John Ortiz) and Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega), a married couple whose own relationship is in rough waters. Hoffman’s restrained, thoughtful film, with a quirkiness that remains just the right side of irritating, sits awkwardly betwixt humour and pathos. The performances are excellent and Jack’s emotional development through accruing confidence in practical skills acutely observed, but some character traits seem forced and unnecessary, causing a disconnect where one wants to be fully enveloped. Interesting and amusing, if ultimately uninvolving. [Chris Fyvie]

Defying the odds is the very embodiment of 50/50, not just by surpassing its arbitrator title, but by creating the rarest of stories – a delightfully rowdy yet moving tale of one man’s journey with cancer. Inspired by the real life diagnosis of its screenwriter, Will Reiser, whose personal experience brings a raw honesty to the story, director Jonathan Levine traverses this bitter-sweet memoir thanks mainly to the subtle brilliance of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Adam (based on Reiser) and the bawdy charms of his best friend Kyle, played by Seth Rogen (Reiser’s real life friend and based on himself). The two friends make a wonderful pair and handle the film’s descent into the blackest of comedy with aplomb. Joined by a pitch perfect ensemble cast of characters that dance between supportive and smothering, proceedings never delve into sentimentality or make light of its subject. Touching, poignant and heartfelt, rarely has a film about the closeness of death affirmed so much about life. [Thom Atkinson]

48 THE SKINNY November 2011

Weekend screens at the GFT on 25 Oct as part of Glasgay!

Bored of simply watching films? Head to the GFT in Glasgow on 11 Nov for a special 30th anniversary screening of John Waters’ classic Polyester, which is a feast for much more than sight and sound. Not only has Waters filmed a special introduction for the screening, but all audience members will be provided with scratch ‘n’ sniff cards, as they were in 1981 when the film first aired in ‘Odorama’. A trashy, bad taste/smells comedy, Polyester is sure to delight and disgust in equal measure. Between 2-6 Nov the Filmhouse in Edinburgh is hosting twelve films from the Africa in Motion 2011 programme. The festival, now in its sixth year, is focusing its attentions on youth and is providing audiences with a wide range of styles and themes to choose from. Included in the programme are Bab’Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul (2 Nov), a visually stunning tale of Sufism and belief set in the Tunisian and Iranian deserts, and the AiM Short Film Competition (4 Nov), now a staple part of the festival’s line up. For full details, check the AiM website. (www.africainmotion.org.uk)

cabinet du dr. caligari

Fans of Japanese animé should go to the Belmont in Aberdeen on 26 Nov for three films screening in its We Love Animé season. The puzzle-solving professor is back in Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, while the secrets of eternal youth have been lost along with a student in Tekken Blood Vengeance. Finally Mardock Scramble Parts 1 & 2 is showing in the evening. This 18-rated film tells the story of Balot, a former prostitute-turned-cyborg seeking justice for her treatment at the hands of a cruel gambler. The film is billed as a pulse-pounding cyberpunk noir adventure – surely worth a watch. Adrenaline junkies will be pleased to hear that several cinemas across Scotland are hosts for the Adventure Film Festival. Cinemas in Dundee (DCA, 13 Nov), Aberdeen (The Belmont, 3-17 Nov), Edinburgh (The Dominion, 8 & 15 Nov), Inverness (Eden Court, 24 Oct - 7 Nov) and Stirling (McRobert, 7 Nov) are all participating, providing audiences with extreme films about extreme sports. Testing the limits of human endurance, the diverse selection includes Breathe, a documentary about one of the most dangerous sports around, freediving, and Extreme Frontiers: Canada, following Charley Boorman as he travels across the second largest country in the world. For full details, check out www.adventurefest.co.uk

Last Orders

Finally, there’s a chance to see two classic book-to-film adaptations at the Filmhouse. Nineteen Eighty-Four, based on George Orwell’s classic, is screening on 7 Nov, and Last Orders, starring Michael Caine and Helen Mirren, is showing on 28 Nov. Both films will be introduced. [Becky Bartlett]

DVD REVIEWS THE CONVERSATION DIRECTOR: FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA

FILM

STARRING: GENE HACKMAN, JOHN CAZALE, ALLEN GARFIELD, CINDY WILLIAMS, FREDERIC FORREST, HARRISON FORD, ROBERT DUVALL RELEASED: 31 OCT CERTIFICATE: 12 DISTRIBUTER: STUDIO CANAL

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Francis Ford Coppola’s study of surveillance, The Conversation is a timely re-release. Harry (Gene Hackman) is the best in the tapping business because he doesn’t ask questions. When his latest recording threatens to bring violence to a young couple, Harry feels the tingle of a long forgotten conscience and decides to nose about. He soon finds the tools of his trade turned against him by shadowy employers. Coppola uses clever devices to explore the invasion of people’s privacy: CCTV camera shots, queasy close-ups and distorted sounds all portend the rise of machines. It’s the simple study of Harry that’s the main focus of the film, however. Hackman’s portrayal of a social cipher, a paranoid man with nothing to say, is both disturbing and fascinating. Despite its blu-ray buff, The Conversation is an uncomfortable watch. Well worth the strain though. [Alastair Roy]

PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES

IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES DIRECTOR: NAGISA ÔSHIMA

STARRING: TATSUYA FUJI, EIKO MATSUDA, AOI NAKAJIMA RELEASED: OUT NOW CERTIFICATE: 18 DISTRIBUTER: STUDIO CANAL

DIRECTOR: ANDREW ROSSI

STARRING: DAVID CARR, JULIAN ASSANGE, TIM ARANGO RELEASED: 14 NOV CERTIFICATE: 15 DISTRIBUTER: DOGWOOF

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Page One opens inside the New York Times’ mammoth printing press. Alongside it, the stately monolith of its Manhattan headquarters is a statue to the legacy of the iconic daily. In the face of open access to information, new authorial voices online, and a decline in advertising revenue, director Rossi acts as a fly-on-the-wall. Taking us behind the newsdesk with former crack addict and veteran journalist David Carr during a turbulent year of leaks and corporate takedowns, the film quickly becomes a character piece as Carr traverses the new online territory of journalism. While early lines are drawn from WikiLeaks to Watergate, every emphasis is on the Times’ importance as a news arbiter and gatekeeper of journalistic integrity. Rossi deals a firm hand, but over played points and scattered comparisons make it tough to stick it through to the end. In a culture where information is perceived to be free, we may be closer to learning the cost of losing the New York Times. [Nicola Balkind]

A film based on the exploits of a woman who carried her lover’s severed penis around in her handbag really ought to be more entertaining than this. Director Nagisa Ôshima infamously pushed the boundaries of 1970s cinema by showing graphic, unsimulated sex, but leaves no room for anything else. What could have been an interesting story of obsessive love or defiance is nothing more than a seemingly endless string of sex scenes and uncomfortable misogynistic fantasies. Any shock value is lost early on and it quickly becomes boring, despite the odd kinky moment borrowed from an alien autopsy. We learn nothing about the characters other than what they look like naked, and the most interesting part of the whole story is reduced to a note in the end credits. Uncut on blu-ray for the first time, its value now is purely as a historical cinematic footnote. It broke new ground in its day, but that time has long since past. [Scott McKellar]

HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER

A SEPARATION

TAKING OFF

DIRECTOR: JOHN MCNAUGHTON

DIRECTOR: ASGHAR FARHADI

DIRECTOR: MILOS FORMAN

STARRING: MICHAEL ROOKER, TRACY ARNOLD, TOM TOWLES RELEASED: OUT NOW CERTIFICATE: 18 DISTRIBUTER: STUDIO CANAL

STARRING: PEYMAN MOAADI, LEILA HATAMI, SAREH BAYAT, SHAHAB HOSSEINI, SARINA FARHADI RELEASED: 21 NOV CERTIFICATE: PG DISTRIBUTER: ARTIFICIAL EYE

STARRING: LYNN CARLIN, BUCK HENRY, GEORGIA ENGEL, LINNEA HEACOCK, VINCENT SCHIAVELLI RELEASED: 7 NOV CERTIFICATE: 18 DISTRIBUTER: PARK CIRCUS

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Loosely based on the true story of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who confessed to over 600 murders, John McNaughton’s controversial magnum opus is as far from a routine slasher as it gets. Made on a shoestring budget on the backstreets of Chicago, this intelligent and considered thriller follows the psychotic drifter Henry (Rooker) as he stalks victims along with his ex-con friend and murderous protege, Otis (Towles). The real life sexual relationship between Henry and Otis is only faintly suggested on-screen. The main focus is on the frequent and disturbingly realistic murders and their contrast with a tentative romance between Henry and Otis’s damaged and emotionally vulnerable sister. This new uncut blu-ray edition can’t improve the picture, but solid extras include a revealing commentary about the production and the difficulties they faced. McNaughton is at the top of his game and offers a brutalising, unforgiving and unapologetic experience. In every essence a true horror film. [Scott McKellar]

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It’s a miracle that Iranian filmmakers continue to produce complex and deeply humanistic work despite their increasingly draconian film industry, and Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation is the year’s finest example of this art in the face of repression. Simin (Hatami) hopes to emigrate to Europe to provide her daughter with greater opportunities in life. Her husband Naader (Moaadi), meanwhile, feels bound to stay in Tehran alongside his ailing father. What begins as a simple marital battle of wills soon attains greater significance as Naader is forced to hire the pregnant Razieh (Bayat) to assist him in his household. Terrible consequences ensue as the picture explores notions of class, religion, family and responsibility. Farhadi demonstrates a Hitchcockian flair for suspense, while his cast deliver faultless performances. What makes A Separation essential viewing for Western audiences, however, is its depiction of modern day Iranians. While burdens of Islamic culture weigh heavily on its characters, each is eminently recognisable and sympathetic, their moral codes no less confused than our own. [Lewis Porteous]

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Between the bittersweet brilliance of A Blonde in Love and the Oscar glory of Cuckoo’s Nest, Milos Forman made this riotous 1971 oddity about America’s (counter)cultural revolution, where Nixon-voting squares are aghast that their flowers-in-their-hair offspring are embracing drugs and rock & roll. The picture opens with Jennie (Linnea Heacock, a striking actor who wouldn’t look out of place in an Altman movie alongside Shelly Duvall and Lily Tomlin) auditioning for an all-female folk ensemble. Retaining the same nonchalant style that made him a Czech New Wave star, Forman flips between this wannabe Joni Mitchell and her middle-class New Yorker parents, who try to comprehend their daughter’s disaffection by embracing a bohemian lifestyle. Strip poker, a Tina Turner concert and – hilariously – a joint smoking tutorial from Vincent Schiavelli (a Forman regular) are their gateways to understanding Jennie’s rebellion. A biting indictment of both generations, Taking Off is, like Repo Man and RoboCop, one of the great satires on American culture from a squinting Euro-perspective. [Jamie Dunn]

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF

ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW

3D/2D ART, CRAFT & DESIGN FAIR EDINBURGH

“An entrancing magical film” Vogue

“Her most elegant and affecting work yet” Sight & Sound

From 4 November

Adam House, 3 Chambers St. SAT 26 / SUN 27 November (11am-5pm) St Johns, 3 Lothian Rd. FRI 2 – SUN 4 December (11am-6pm) FRI 9 – SUN 11 December (11am-6pm)

GLASGOW

Royal Concert Hall, Sauchiehall St. 12 / 13 Nov, 3 / 4 Dec, 17 / 18 Dec (All open 10.30am-5pm) 3D/2D makers, artists and designers sell only their work – a formidable selection of contemporary work is on display at each event – lots of new faces, lots of new work

0131 661 6600

www.3d2d.co.uk

thefuturethefuture.com facebook.com/thefutureuk

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 49

IRIS, 2011, ANNA BARHAM

WARP AND WOOF 8 OCT - 19 NOV, CCA, GLASGOW, FREE

rr Artists Anna Barham (London) and Bea McMahon (Dublin) show together for the first time at CCA’s exhibition Warp and Woof. Both originally studied mathematics at prestigious universities before taking up art and have a shared interest in that ever allusive subject: how we represent thought through systems, such as spoken, written and visual languages. Bea McMahon’s video Cats, 2011, is a curious montage of converging images. Cats saunter through an overexposed hallway in someone’s house. A shelled walnut is held up on a pin and turned slightly. We see the back of an old lion sculpture whose feline proportions make us think of the cat, its mane the walnut. With seemingly no narrative, the video’s subject lies outside of its own limited parameters. Prone to construct meaning despite the incongruity of

the images presented, we and our thoughts are as much a part of the work as the projected images. But what of the context? Cats conforms to the trends of gallery video art to such an extent that meaning’s free reign is almost entirely oppressed. Its cold, austere colour palette gives little away. Its slow pace sets it in dialogue with the work of artist Rosalind Nashashibi who showed in the same space in 2004. Cats is an interesting look at how the art world and its tropes stifles meaning as much as it expands it. Anna Barham’s video Iris is the most interesting piece on show. A small-scale projection quickly flicks through images of irises, including classical and Egyptian gods, as well as subgenera of the familiar plant. It makes for a fascinating taxonomy that implies a kind of code that might elucidate the etymology of the word ‘iris’. But like all the work on show here, elucidation is nowhere evident, and where this is fine with the otherwise generous Iris, it merely signifies wilful opacity in the other works. [Andrew Cattanach]

AGAINST ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM

PHOTO: WES KINGSTON

ART

REVIEWS

AGAINST ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM SWG3

rr On the exhibition’s poster is written its title in block capital letters in black tape. Its visceral nature little correlates with what one imagines a pro-intellectualist might produce and instead denotes a furious radical in a bedsit. But as we all know, true radicals rarely associate themselves with the intellectual elite. They’re all about pragmatism on the streets, not books and ideas. So, why this seeming contradiction – and what’s with the polemical title? Goodness only knows. The show’s steadfast title is where the polemics both begin and end. Inside is a polite arrangement of installations, paintings and video works by artists Calum Stirling and Andro Semeiko. Calum Stirling’s tasteful installations are inspired by French interior design from the 1920s and include a kinetic sculpture of two concrete, social-realist

ANDRO SEMEIKO, LE GRAND CHARMER

arms that drag their knuckles across the floor in a circle, passing through a wooden panel that has been designed to kindly accommodate them. Stirling’s video The Romans could have been made by a po-faced Vic and Bob. Two characters in janitor jackets and flat caps toss Renault car badges in a curious game invented by a particularly unrelenting Samuel Beckett. Andro Semeiko’s paintings, on the contarary, are fun. In the main, they parody regal portraits of men in armour – only the sitters’ faces have been obfuscated with blobs of paint. They poke fun at the pomposity of portrait painting and the vanity of rulers under the feudal system. So, it would seem those anti-intellectuals have a fight on their hands. A disparate group of the finest radical intellectuals drawn from the far corners of British comedy, Irish drama and iconoclastic republicanism are set to wage war on the thick-headed populists and authoritarians that form the ranks of anti-intellectualism. Beware! [Andrew Cattanach]

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MANDALA NO. 4

Galleries across Scotland are members of the Own Art scheme. By offering interest-free loans of £100-£2,000 through Own Art, buying an original piece of quality contemporary art or craft couldn’t be easier. A list of participating galleries is available at the Creative Scotland website: www.creativescotland.com/ownart Look for the pink logo. (representative 0% APR)

50 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

“WE STARTED working together when we were in second year at art school,” says Louise Chappell, one half of the art and design duo Good Wives and Warriors. But it wasn’t until they graduated that they started taking their collaborative venture more seriously, and even then there were a couple of false starts. They abandoned their original collective name after a change in direction. “We officially started in 2007, making works under a different name, before realising that wasn’t what we wanted to do at all.” Chappell shared a studio with collaborative partner Becky Bolton for three years at SWG3 in Glasgow where they also exhibited their work. It was during this time, Chappell explains, that they would always try and get a mention in The Skinny. She lets out a wee triumphant laugh now the shoe’s on the other foot. Having featured in our Showcase in 2008 and then designed a cover in 2010, we approached Good Wives and Warriors earlier this year asking them to take part in our new project with Culturelabel. Quality, limited edition prints of their work, along with the work of 5 other great artists featured in our Showcase section over the past four years, will be available to buy from December through www.culturelabel.com. “There’s going to be four prints that come from our recent drawings, which have all been based on mandalas.” From the Sanskrit word meaning ‘disc’, mandalas are circular depictions of the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. These often symmetrical and ordered presentations use figurative and architectural motifs, such as gateways and gods. Perhaps less interested in representing the universe and its divine hierarchy, Good Wives and Warriors’ mandalas instead reflect the convictions of our own age. Drawing on biological and celestial structures,

they imply a kind of enclosed neatness, like the Buddhist images of old, and a chaotic excess more attuned to our present age. Tight, geometric shapes are surrounded by floral profusion; precise patterns are inhabited by dark, organic forms. The prints form part of a body of work they’re making for two upcoming shows in London and Berlin where they will create their now signature, large-scale wall drawings. But the exhibitions come at a busy time. Already they find themselves in their London studio until midnight working on design commissions alongside their gallery practice. In recent years, they’ve produced design commissions for Absolute Vodka and Adidas, as well as illustrations for magazines (such as The Skinny). Do they discriminate between the two branches of their practice or do they see the two working in a kind of holistic whole, say, like a mandala? “It comes down to context – as in where the drawing is being shown – and intent,” Louise explains. “So, if we’re making work for ourselves, for an exhibition that is going to be shown in a gallery space or an artist’s publication, then that’s a fine art piece to us. It’s entirely our own concept and has no financial or commercial value, as such. If it’s for a client, if there’s a brief or we’re working to someone else’s specifications, and it’s going into a commercial setting, such as an illustration for a magazine or an illustration that gets used on a bit of packaging, then that’s design.” Spanning both fine art and design is an achievement few artists can accomplish. But Good Wives and Warriors pull it off with aplomb. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BUY THE GOOD WIVES AND WARRIORS PRINTS ONLINE FROM EARLY DECEMBER. BOTH THE SKINNY SHOWCASE SHOP AND CULTURELABEL OPERATE THE OWN ART SCHEME WWW.GOODWIVESANDWARRIORS.CO.UK/ WWW.CULTURELABEL.COM

Offer subject to age and status. Terms and conditions apply. You will need a UK bank account that can handle direct debits, proof of identity and address, and you will also need to be over 18. Own Art is operated by ArtCo Trading Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arts Council. Registered address: Arts Council England, North East, Central Square, Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3PJ

249 West George Street Glasgow G2 4QE

BOOKS

REVIEWS WORK! CONSUME! DIE! BY FRANKIE BOYLE

rrr

Frankie Boyle’s new book is a curious mixture of the expected harsh humour with social commentary and fiction. The book is a series of chapters of Frankie’s views on various issues – the economy, war, celebrity, etc, intercut with chapters of a surreal novella in which Frankie Boyle tries to maintain a certain level of fame, as a serial rapist is targeting celebrities who fall out of fashion. Or that’s what it’s supposed to be about – it’s actually filled with Frankie imagining or dreaming something, which allows extended surrealist passages. These aren’t without interest, but reading them is like reading someone’s dream diary – not as interesting to you as to the writer. This may be a little harsh though, because this book is funny. The topical sections are basically a series of jokes, and often one sentence gags. Many of them seem to have been taken directly from the author’s Sun column, but this problem is surpassed by his pulling no punches with jokes about the phone hacking scandal. Some would say this is hypocritical, but let’s call it a good example of an author biting the hand that feeds when it’s very, very appropriate to do so. [Richard Robeson]

TECH

OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY HARPER COLLINS. COVER PRICE £20

THE GLAMOUR CHASE BY TOM DOYLE

rrrr

KILLING THE MESSENGER

ATROCITOLOGY

BY CHRISTOPHER WALLACE

rrrr

First published a year after Billy Mackenzie’s suicide in 1997, the 2011 edition of The Glamour Chase contains a Foreword written by Björk (described as Mackenzie’s ‘twin musical spirit’), which clearly foreshadows the musical eccentricities to follow. In 1982, Top of The Pops revealed the Associates recorded a song in a bath with coffee cups strapped to their heads – but this is relatively contrived madness when held up against the more organically weird moments that Tom Doyle's book reveals: the impromptu recruitment of a barking dog as backing vocalist, the Harrod’s handmade chocolate guitars used on tour, the on demand projectile vomiting on people who pissed him off. Weirdness aside, the fact that Mackenzie is compared to Bowie, Bono, Bassey and everyone in between hints at something majestic and timeless in his operatic, multi-octave voice. Doyle’s story reveals a character emblematic of the almost-but-not-quite Scottish culture, someone unsatisfied with the sonic realisation of the sounds in his head and tortured by potential. It’s no Flea memoir or Mötley Crüe confessional but Doyle’s removed intimacy reveals an earthy, organic account of disenfranchised post punk pop stars, rock ‘n rollers who are famous for what they might have achieved rather than what they did achieve. [Renée Rowland]

Mental health as a vote-winning issue might stretch the most overactive of imaginations, but that’s the premise behind Killing The Messenger. Dr Greig Hynd’s success in preaching the gospel of positive mental health attracts the attention of a governing party in need of revival. With breathtaking haste, he’s catapulted into Westminster and installed as Minister for Well-Being. Before long, he’s perfectly placed to effect a return to power for a thinly-disguised Blair-alike as Prime Minister. It’s an intriguing set-up. But although Hynd’s meteoric rise is billed as charisma-fuelled, there’s little evidence to justify the glowing portrayal. A banal speech to his party conference mystifyingly delivers a crouching ovation. There’s also a lack of context. With big chunks of political life – elections, opposition parties, the economy – largely ignored, the story of Greig Hynd’s path to power has a curiously hollow feel. More successful is the depiction of Calum Begg, an advertising executive in charge of the government’s well-being campaign. Begg’s sardonic narrative, chest-tightening bouts of stress and shouty meetings inject some welcome bite into the book. But the notion that a government might use mind-messing experiments with subliminal advertising seems far fetched. Unless, of course, you know different… [James Carson]

OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY POLYGON. COVER PRICE £12.99

OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY FREIGHT DESIGN. COVER PRICE £12.99

ASK ME ANYTHING

No more asking anyone for anything. Unless it feels weird WORDS: ALEX COLE ILLUSTRATION: JAMIE JOHNSON

BY MATTHEW WHITE

The premise of Atrocitology seems morbid, at the very least. Author Matthew White has compiled a list of humanity’s 100 deadliest ‘achievements’, ranked by death toll. But he has a reason: he runs a website called the Historical Atlas of the Twentieth Century, within which the atrocity statistics were one of the most widely viewed and discussed sections. So this book sets out a list of atrocities by statistics, and the author discusses his methods of compiling them at every opportunity. For example, number one on the list is the Second World War, with around 66 million killed. Immediately, there will be dispute about that total. But the author consistently uses the same methods for calculating the death tolls, looking first at financial records, because whilst governments may wish to exaggerate or minimise death tolls, tax records and the like can’t function with basic efficiency without proper figures. Debatable, true, but it is one of the better principles for universal application. The more this book is consulted, the more this focus on numbers proves a significant shift away from a focus on empires or rulers. It’s a fascinating read, hard going by necessity, but extremely thought provoking on every page. [Keir Hind]

OUT NOW. PUBLISHED BY CANONGATE. COVER PRICE £20.00

Cider is best for dinner or breakfast. So seeing Apple’s new phone drop last month, despite not having all that much new and fancy, signalled the end of yet another time-honoured tradition: asking anyone for anything. I’m not just talking about regular old internet searches or getting restaurant reviews. If Siri, the whizz-bang robo assistant baked into the new iPhones, actually takes off, it’ll mean the end of bothering to ask for anything. Apple ain’t the first to do voice recognition, Siri was just a humble app before this, and even Wolfram Alpha, the computational site which answers

RAGE

Having a robot just do the damn thing for you can be the breaking point

BITE-SIZED TECH NUGGETS WITH ALEX COLE

THE FEED

IT’S BEEN tossed around that the first real casualty of the smartphone isn’t regular mobiles or computers or board games, but the pub argument. These days after a major debate kicks up in a pub, it’s downright silly to let it go on longer than a few

minutes without someone pulling out their phone and settling the question in a matter of seconds. Doesn’t have to be pure facts, either – it’s just as easy to dig up the results of massive internet polls about who was the best Bond or whether Pear

most of those oddball questions, has been around for a few years now. But putting all these together as a no-brainer for people makes a big difference. It’s the context that matters. Moving around some plans while you’re at home isn’t a problem, but when you’re out and your fat fingers aren’t up to complicated scheduling, having a robot just do the damn thing for you when you tell it to, where you tell it to, can be the breaking point. It remains to be seen if anyone will use it, of course. Giving orders to your phone in public – hell, even in private, is still a generation away from feeling even remotely not weird. Putting aside all the Star Trek comparisons, it’s an even worse feeling than talking on a Bluetooth headset, since you’re actually talking to no one. And look ridiculous. But all of that weirdness may be worth it if you can just ask your robo phone where to hide a body. Not that you’d need to or anything.

BETHESDA, OUT NOW, £39.99 XBOX 360, PS3, WINDOWS

rrr With its lineage proudly displayed on the box, id Software’s new first-person shooter promises to deliver on the developer’s industry defining history. Quake and Doom are tough acts to follow though, and first impressions might leave you thinking that with RAGE, Carmack and crew have abandoned the safe ground of corridor shooters in favour of an open world epic in an attempt to create something distinctly new. They haven’t, not really. After waking up from a cryogenic slumber, the silent protagonist is thrown into linear missions linked by a hub world. RAGE wears its influences like badges of honour – Borderlands and Fallout particularly – but don’t be fooled by the roaming wasteland. They hide a straightforward, eight to ten hour first person shooter. Fortunately, it’s a good one. The game offers outstanding, albeit completely linear level design, keen artificial intelligence and excellently balanced weapons. Unfortunately, the story leaves a lot to be desired, and there’s too much back tracking in the latter half. You’ll also have to contend with the disappointment of realising that this isn’t a genuine competitor to Fallout, and be aggravated by the blatant technical issues. However, the core gameplay is engaging and fun, making it difficult to stay in a bad mood with RAGE. It just isn’t quite the new classic I was hoping for. [Martin Perry]

DENNIS RITCHIE, CREATOR OF C AND UNIX PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES DIES, PRACTICALLY UNHEARD OF NEXT TO STEVE JOBS • BLACKBERRY’S OUTAGE LAST MONTH COULD BE THE END FOR RIM. AND ALL FRUIT-BASED HARDWARE • ANALOGUE TV GOES AWAY, AND EVERYONE WATCHING AVATAR ON 3D TVS DOESN’T EVEN NOTICE • PORN SITES NOW SET TO BE OPT-IN FOR CUSTOMERS, SINCE, YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE DAMAGED BY EVERYTHING • IPHONE UPDATES CRASHED SOME PHONES, FAILED ON OTHERS, BUT REALLY IT’S JUST THE SERVERS, GUYS • BBC PULLS JEREMY CLARKSON FROM VOICING SATNAV SYSTEMS FOR ENDORSEMENT REASONS, NOT BECAUSE IT’S CLARKSON

NOVEMBER 2011

THE SKINNY 51

THEATRE

venue of the Month:

Brunton Theatre

Hidden within the Brunton hall building in Musselburgh, the Brunton Theatre is a little gem that has entertained the East Lothian community for decades Words: Claudia Marinaro When Mister John D. Brunton died in 1951, he left the people of Musselburgh a legacy of £700,000 to provide halls for the community. Because of the many amateur drama and operatic societies that performed in Musselburgh at the time, it was decided that the new building would include, alongside the Town Council offices, a fully equipped theatre. Opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1971, Brunton Theatre has made involving and entertaining the local community its priority. The theatre’s current activity, in fact, is just as interesting as its history. Offering a wide range of activities and presenting a very varied programme, Brunton really is dedicated to the community and committed to giving it the possibility and tools to perform. One of the theatre’s aims, in fact, is providing local performing arts amateur groups with a chance and a venue to stage their plays, and a professional theatre staff to help them. On the young side, the Brunton has links with both East Lothian Youth Theatre and East Lothian Youth Dance Company, which regularly perform there. But there is room for adults too: several projects offer the community the opportunity to work with art professionals. For example, Something You Should Know, in collaboration with Lung’s Ha

theatre company, is a video and performing arts project for adults with learning disabilities. The current company in residence at the Brunton is the Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, and several others are lined up for the near future. The theatre is also available for hire: only in the past year, ten companies have performed forty-seven plays. Many of these are local arts companies, such as the Musselburgh Amateur Music Association (MAMA), Encore and Queen Margaret University, but UK and international artists are equally welcome. “We do like to support local artists and theatre companies, but we aim to present a balanced programme – it is important to give audiences the opportunity to experience other high quality companies from across the UK and beyond,” says Clare Booth, marketing assistant at Brunton Theatre and East Lothian Arts Council. In fact, this season’s programme includes numbers such as Herefordshire-born guitarist Albert Lee and the Silk String Quartet, one of Europe’s leading Chinese music ensembles, who will play alongside Scottish double bass player Emma Smith in The China Project. Music is not the only treat on the menu. Both classic and new theatrical productions are coming up, including Oh What a Lovely War

Oh what a Lovely War

and Macbeth, together with children’s shows and comedy acts (Russell Kane’s Manscaping returns to Edinburgh after a successful Fringe season). And don’t miss Aladdin, this year’s panto, ‘written especially for the people of Musselburgh and East Lothian and full of local references and jokes.’ With

The China Project

its interesting programme and its dedication to the local community, the Brunton is a very worthy theatre to pay a visit to and should not be overlooked in the Edinburgh performing panorama. For further programme info, see www.bruntontheatre.co.uk

Photo: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

PREVIEWS

James Ley

Spain @ Glasgay! until 12 Nov, Citizens Theatre

James Ley admits that his entry in 2010’s Glasgay!, Up, was “bleak. I had a lot to get out of my system.” After success at Òran Mór’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint with I Heart Maths – “A big fluffy romantic comedy,” adds Ley – this year’s piece Spain “is a happy medium. It’s very much a make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry type of a play. So, I won’t be handing out razor blades with this one!” Moving the action from the claustrophobic hospital of Up to sunny Spain sees Ley, with collaborator Mark Kydd, look at the mid-life crisis of a gay Scottish ex-pat. “I went to Gran Canaria and I was enthralled. I loved the mental 60s architecture and all the English people working in the bars,” he explains. “I think that Spain is the closest exotic place to Scotland. In a few hours you can get

52 THE SKINNY November 2011

there and it’s totally different and you can party and do lots of stuff you can’t do at home.” Spain finds its hero meditating on whether twenty years of doing that sort of stuff has given him a purpose in life. And while Ley thinks “most things are universal and that a lot of gay subgenres are a load of nonsense,” he does see the character’s sexuality as important. “A midlife crisis is often about having an ‘Oh fuck’ moment and screaming – “What am I doing with my life?!” I think that there are cultural things about being gay that add to that problem.” Up suggested that Ley is an exceptionally sensitive playwright, and while he laughs at the suggestion that he is a “young” writer, his recent work makes him one to watch. [Gareth K Vile] various times and prices www.glasgay.co.uk/event/id/519

Little Match Girl Passion Tron Theatre, Glasgow, 10 - 12 Nov Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 22 - 23 Nov,

Exceptionally creative Scottish company, Cryptic Theatre, utilise their strength in visual art combining movement, music and multimedia in their latest work – a staging of David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize winning The Little Match Girl Passion. Josh Armstrong reunites with the company to direct the work in which Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale is fused with Bach’s St Matthew Passion, in a performance that Armstrong hopes will “challenge the way we as a society deal with death, guilt, and attempted self-absolution.” The combination of the classic fable, brutal in content for a children’s tale, accompanied by the Christian verse of the Passion makes for a simple yet powerful piece explored through dance and music. For dancer and director Armstrong the emotive score makes for a clear creative path; on exploring Lang’s music

for the piece he commented; “It asks something of the listener. I listened to the music. I saw movement. I saw images. I felt a challenge.” The double-bill of Lang’s work is completed with the solo cello piece, World to Come, performed by Southbank artist in residence Oliver Coates. Throughout the performance, inspired by the Hebrew Olam Haba, film accompanies cello in an exploration of man’s journey, after death, from the physical to the spiritual world. Spirituality links the works, that both hope to engage the audience in how we deal with death. Armstrong notes that "for many people, death is a pinnacle moment in spirituality/religion" All this combines to create an evening of Cryptic’s signature spellbinding performance both thought provoking in content and captivating in style. [Sally Smith] Tron Theatre, Glasgow, 10 - 12 Nov, 7.45pm / Thurs £11 (£7) / Fri & Sat £15 (£11), www.tron.co.uk Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 22 - 23 Nov, 7.30pm, £15 (£11 Concession, £6 Unemployed), www.traverse.co.uk

COMEDY

Local Boy “Sharks are Makes Good the opposite of pandas” Edinburgh-based Ben Verth is a rising star on the local comedy scene. He tells us about the city’s comedy history and the places that inspire him Interview: Barrie Morgan

This Autumn, Claudia and David O’Doherty (surname coincidental) follow up their 2009 book 100 Facts About Pandas with 100 Facts About Sharks. Claudia tells us why Interview: Kate Russell

Growing up, Ben Verth wanted to be “either a paleontologist or a conservationist.” Studying British and European History at the University of Edinburgh, he has spent his twenties within the very city he now entertains. His background in studying history seems to have spanned to comedy now as he talks openly and enthusiastically about the birth of the Scottish comedy scene. “Undoubtedly, comedy proper in this country started with The Stand in the late 80s. There was a collective called ‘The Funny Farm’ with Fred MacAuley, whom I consider the grandaddies or the Woody Guthries of Scottish comedy. And The Stand is the Bob Dylan or the Joan Baez.” Verth speaks affectionately of both The Stand and its many products over the years. “There’s a bit of a comedy explosion in Edinburgh started by them, making us the children of The Stand if you like. It’s really quite thriving.” Verth is referring to the multitude of comedy nights thoughout the city; Beatnik at the Tron, Rick Molland’s night at The Jekyll & Hyde, the We Happy Few nights (an Edinburgh collective he himself is a part of), The City Café, The Beehive and the recently opened nights at The Shack. The Fringe has played a big part in establishing Edinburgh on the comedy map, and perhaps its most famous participants were the Beyond The Fringe team of Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller. “And when it was in Edinburgh it was in The Lyceum Theatre, and these four guys who I hold up as comedy heroes and influences stayed locally on Cambridge Street. So, whenever I walk past the flat that they stayed in I pause and take a look at it and imagine what it would be like in those days.” The fondly-remembered sketch show Absolutely also holds a special place in Verth’s heart. “It was an Edinburgh sketch show as opposed to a Scottish one. They eventually made it to television through radio and it was a really great show, like an 80s Monty Python. The main thing that appealed to me was that it was the same kind of voice me and my dad spoke with, and they inhabited the same sort of places I did.

There’s a bit of a comedy explosion in Edinburgh BEN VERTH

“One of the places they used to write and chat in was Bannermans pub. And I really liked doing what they did and using it as a place to sit and write ideas. It’s got that historical aspect, it’s a pub settled in the rock of the South Bridge. And like the Cambridge Street flat it is a symbol of attainment and the ability to take success to the next level. “And also, it couldn’t be considered a place but Paul Sneddon (aka Vladimir McTavish – one of the break away comedians of the Scottish comedy scene) is a great symbol of attainment for me. He has an established fanbase, still works and is just a wonderful man. He was one of the people I saw, whilst growing up, on television. And when I started writing sketches for Melting Pot I almost shat when I saw he’d be one of the people performing it.” And what of the future? “I think there is a wonderful renaissance going on not just in Edinburgh but in Scottish comedy in general. More established acts are feeling the freedom to do something different. I’m really feeling I’m on the pulse of it and have a real sense of pride to be a part of the current scene.” We Happy Few are at The Banshee Labyrinth on 3 & 17 Nov. Ben MCs the Beehive Comedy Club on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays each week www.benverthcomedy.com

A few choice words that have previously been used to describe Claudia O’Doherty; bonkers, quirky, imaginative, loveable, captivating, and er, ‘out and out freak’ – in a good way, of course. Add to that sweet, charming, and enthusiastic and you’re pretty much there. A member of established sketch troupe Pig Island, O’Doherty toured her debut solo show Monster of the Deep 3D in 2009, and the awards piled high at both Melbourne and Sydney comedy festivals. This year’s What is Soil Erosion?, despite being named for what O’Doherty herself calls “the most boring topic in the world”, enchanted audiences and critics alike; whether or not anyone came out any wiser about soil is beside the point. You might not think, with all that going on, that O’Doherty could possibly be a world authority on pandas. Well, you’d be right. But she, David O’Doherty (surname coincidence) and image maestro Mike Ahern combined forces to write the definitive guide to pandas in 2009’s book 100 Facts About Pandas. Being based as far away as possible from your co-authors could make collaboration difficult, but the distance between Ireland and Australia is no trouble for this super group. Working mainly over Skype, the O’Dohertys generate facts , then send them on to Ahern who comes up with pictures that make the facts even better. Or in O’Doherty’s words, “David and I would think of something stupid and Mike would do an amazing picture.” And now they’re back, with some not-necessarilyfacts about sharks, in – you’ve guessed it – 100 Facts About Sharks. “Even when we had the panda idea I think we always thought that it could be a series, so why not?” O’Doherty laughs. “Writing books is easy, why not write a series of books, right?” As for the somewhat unusual journey from panda to shark, O’Doherty explains it quite simply; “Pandas just seemed a good place to start. They’re so cute. And then sharks seemed like a good thing to do after that because they’re kind of the opposite of pandas.” This is not the first time sharks have made an appearance through her career – notably the mask from Monster of the Deep 3D. There seems to be a sea theme at play. “It’s true, it does seem

that way! I do love the sea. Sharks are so scary and amazing, Jaws is an incredible movie, and the aquarium is kind of my favourite place. I think I might be at the end of that phase, though.” Saying goodbye over the crackles that live in the wires between the UK and Australia, I ask for a quick piece of trivia to keep in the pub quiz arsenal. This fact I give to you: Actor Nicholas Cage’s middle name is ‘Shark’. Fact. Some important facts about Sharks:

9. The rarest shark of all is the fax machine shark. They were a lot more common during the 1990s, but the internet has had some effect on their numbers.

14. On the Greek island of Corfu, Christmas presents are delivered not by Santa Claus, but by Ozzie, the Great White Shark of Generosity. 72. Whale sharks have an airtight stomach, meaning that, when out of water, the animals may be inflated to ten times their already enormous size. They were commonly used in airship construction in the early part of the last century (pictured above). 100 Facts About Sharks, by David O’Doherty, Claudia O’Doherty & Mike Ahern. Published in hardback by Square Peg. Available now, price £10

November 2011

THE SKINNY 53

COMPS

VIP ENTRY TO THE WIN ANOUSHKA WIN CATHOUSE’S 21ST SHANKAR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS TICKETS

If Raga-Flamenco music is your thing then the last thing you probably need is for us to tell you more about Anoushka Shankar. For everyone else, Anoushka is the daughter of sitar legend Ravi Shankar, and a virtuoso musician in her own right. With her new album, Traveller, Shankar explores the connection between the Indian music of her heritage and Spanish flamenco; merging the two styles into something that offers a compelling and original take on Gypsy tradition and migration. The Skinny has managed to get its hands on 5 pairs of tickets for Anoushka Shankar‘s show at The Usher Hall on Tuesday 22 November. For your chance to win yourself a pair, go to www.theskinny.co.uk/ competitions and answer the following question:

Q. ANOUSHKA SHANKAR’S HALF SISTER IS ALSO A FAMOUS MUSICIAN, WHAT IS HER NAME? Competition closes Fri 18 November Winners will be notified on the day of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. For full terms and conditions, go to www.theskinny. co.uk/about/terms www.anoushkashankar.com www.usherhall.co.uk

They grow up so fast. In the last 21 years, The Cathouse, Glasgow’s award winning rock club, has played host to the likes of Pearl Jam, Oasis and Queens of the Stone Age. To its dedicated clientele, it has become the only place to enjoy nights out without the interference of scenesters, and for a good few of us it has been the site of many inebriated evenings spent dancing to Less Than Jake. To celebrate this monumental occasion, The Cathouse is throwing a massive shindig that coincides with the Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe afterparty (two bands who definitely know a thing or two about a good night out). We’re offering one lucky winner and friend VIP entry to the celebrations on Friday 9 December. This includes queue skip and free entry, a loaded Cathouse Cashcard, and exclusive Cathouse goody bags. There will also be a whole host of giveaways & prizes, and the usual birthday madness. For your chance to be there go to www.theskinny. co.uk/competitions and answer this question...

must be over 18 and may be asked for identification at the venue. For full terms and conditions, go to www.theskinny.co.uk/about/terms Doors 10.30pm. Drinks from £1. Over 18s www.cathouse.co.uk www.facebook.com/cathouserocks

Q. WHICH POPULAR DRINK IS ON TAP IN TOMMY LEE’S HOUSE? A. TIGER BLOOD B. JÄGERMEISTER C. FROBSCOTTLE Competition closes Wed 30 November Winners will be notified on the day of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Entrants

THE SKINNY SHOP EMERGING ART FROM SCOTLAND

54 THE SKINNY NOVEMBER 2011

PHOTO: ROSS MCLEAN

From December, own limited edition art

Glasgow music Tue 01 Nov

Fri 04 Nov

The King Blues

Arctic Monkeys

Katy Perry (Oh Land)

Blueflint

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

London ska-meets-punk trio, taking in everything from folk to doo-wop as they go.

SECC, 19:30–22:00, £sold out

SECC, 18:30–22:00, £sold out

The Old Hairdressers, 20:30–22:30, £7

The Californian popstress treats us to a three-night stint at SECC, mores the joy.

The Edinburgh outfit layer their crisp, vaporous vocals in understated two-part harmonies.

Japanese Voyeurs

First Charge Of The Light Brigade

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Pounding 90s-styled drums and muddy, angry riffs, with singer Romily Alice’s yelping vocals bringing back fond memories of the Riot Grrrl movement.

Emeli Sande Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £10

The deferred medical student does her richly melodic, classically powerful and retro-futurist R’n’B thing.

Sigur Ros: Inni Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £10

To coincide with the release of their new live album and DVD boxset, Sigur Ros screen the accompanying film, Inni.

Dog Is Dead (Pleasure Scene) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Bright and breezy indie-pop from the up-and-coming Nottingham five-piece.

Roddy Woomble (Sparrow and The Workshop) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

The Idlewild front-man tours his third solo offering, with strong local support from Sparrow and The Workshop.

Manowar O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £37.50

Brel, 19:30–22:00, Free

Four songwriters and two frontmen, bridging the gap between indie, Americana and folk.

Butterfly Fridays Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

Live acoustic blues from house band The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

Katy Perry (Oh Land) SECC, 18:30–22:00, £sold out

The Californian popstress treats us to a three-night stint at SECC, mores the joy.

Pure X (Frams Torners, Tangles) Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Experimental shoegaze Texas-based trio, formerly known as Pure Ecstasy.

SubSpheric, Umbilical Cord, The Crimsons, The Larch, Aames Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £6

Mini showcase of Scottish unsigned talent.

Voltergeist (Morphamish, Texture) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

The US metallers return, playing their debut album Battle Hyms in its entirety. Manowarriors unite.

Producer Shaun Dowse using his Macbook Pro and other gadgetry to produce some tinkered with dubtechno remixes.

Wed 02 Nov

St Deluxe (PAWS, Edinburgh School For The Deaf)

Tinie Tempah SECC, 19:30–22:00, £tbc

Pop-styled rap offerings from the South London chap.

Mary Coughlan Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £15

Irish music royalty, with personal influences running like blood through her songwriting.

Washington (Zener Diode) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Australian musician Megan Washington strides out on her own with her minimalist solo take on the indie-rock genre.

My Morning Jacket (The Head And The Heart)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£5 door)

Weegie foursome reviving the spirit of US slacker alt-pop, then immediately drowning the bugger in syrupy scum-gaze textures.

Strike The Colours Paisley Arts Centre, 20:00–22:00, £6

Reindeer Selection alum Jenny Reeve weaves her web of melancholy, with breathy, translucent whispers and rolling country guitars.

The Doors Alive O2 ABC, 18:30–22:00, £10

The Doors tribute act. Rescheduled date.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £16

Rise Against (Tom Morello The Nightwatchman, Polar Bear Club)

Wiz Khalifa (Yelawolf)

More fine adreneline-charged tunesmithery from the Chicagoan foursome, tearing into action like a punk-rock clusterbomb.

Kentucky country-rock five-piece who’ve recently set on an unwavering course of sonic experimentation, ala this year’s sixth album Circuital. O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £20

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

The Pittsburgh-based rapper (aka Cameron Jibril Thomaz) tours on the back of his debut album.

Miniature Dinosaurs (Holy Esque, Waiting For Go)

Thu 03 Nov

Indie-pop foursome hailing from the fiery musical furnace of Stirling.

Click Clack Club The Griffin, 21:00–23:30, £3

Occasional experimental music club, this time featuring WonderWinds, in possesion as always of three saxes and a whole lotta percussion.

Katy Perry (Oh Land) SECC, 18:30–22:00, £sold out

The Californian popstress treats us to a three-night stint at SECC, mores the joy.

Baxter Dury

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £6

Sat 05 Nov Butterfly Saturdays Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

Resident rockers The Meat Men play a live set, followed by DJ Dave Stone. Plus free entry to the Buff Club’s official after-party.

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £6

Gummy Stumps (The Rosy Cruxifixion)

DOOM The Arches, 19:30–22:00, £19.50

Multi-monikered masked rapper renowned for his eccentric lyricism and sample-heavy production.

Hurts (Jess Mills, Niki & The Dove)

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £16

Synthpop duo made up of Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson.

The Beatles tribute act.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

The Darkness (Foxy Shazam)

Collaborative project between two drummers, who be Futureheads’ Dan Hyde and Golden Virgin’s Neil Bassett.

Mind Set A Threat Classic Grand, 18:30–22:00, £5

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:30, £10

Butterfly Strategy Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–22:30, Free

Voltaire (Analog Angel, 13 Tombs) The cult dark cabaret CubanAmerican musican plays his first Scottish date in some years.

Lacuna Coil King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £15

The Italian metalheads tour in support of their sixth LP.

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

Natty

Gardens & Villa

Classic reggae grooves from the young Londoner, providing a gritty soundtrack of inner city living.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Musical project of five college chums from Santa Barbara, formed following the collapse of a noisier post-punk band.

Trapped In Kansas (Dad Rocks, Shoes & Socks Off) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Ayr indie-rockers born out of interband conversations on space, time travel, the Hadron Collider and other assorted quandaries of physics.

Woodlands Creatures Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £6

What promises to be a night of magic and wonder, hosted by Tom Snowball (aka Tom Davis).

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £10

Experimental beat-pop offerings from the Long Island-based five-piece.

Die So Fluid Classic Grand, 19:00–22:30, £10

Metallic-rock styled trio known for ripping it up live.

Acid Mothers Temple (Vars Of Litchi) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £7

Adam Cohen

The Arches, 20:00–23:30, £8

Dr Sketchy Tron Theatre, 15:00–18:00, £7 (£5)

Glam burlesque life-drawing class. Materials supplied.

Blues Kitchen (Missing Focus, Rank Berry, Sweep Across Horizons) Slouch, 18:00–21:00, Free

Early evening showcase of live blues bands.

Mon 07 Nov Brel Sessions Brel, 21:00–23:30, Free

Acoustic, drop-in style, indie-folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Hold Your Horse Is (Lafaro, &U&I, Shapes)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £4

Glasgow trio linking together brazen, spoken-word vocals with clattering percussion and a three string guitar that revels as much in fuzz as it does melody.

Lana Del Ray Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

Haunting Brooklyn popstress responsible for current gem of a song, Video Games.

Rival Sons King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7.50

South Carolina-livin’ quartet of heavyweight rock’n’rollers.

Rock riffs from three chaps from Frimley and Fleet. Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £20

Guillemots Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £15

Experimental pop troupe led by Fyfe Dangerfield, back on the road previewing some new material.

King Charles (The NK Jays) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8

Charming longhaired folkster and winner of the the 2009 International Songwriting Competition over America-way.

The Airbourne Toxic Event (The Chevin) The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

Californian quintet trading in solid indie-rock anthems

Tue 08 Nov WTF...?! Stereo, 19:45–22:30, £6

Eclectic new night, offering a mix of bands that probably should never share the same stage.

Agnes Obel

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £7.50

The folk-inspired Danish singer/ songwriter takes to the road with her cello-toting live band.

Fri 11 Nov Butterfly Fridays

Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

Live acoustic blues from house band The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

King Krule

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6.50

The teenage London newcomer (also going under the guise of Archy Marshall and Zoo Kid), unveils his new four-piece.

The Big Pink

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £10.50

Low Sonic Drift, Headless Kross, Dog Moon Howl

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £7

The Glitch Mob Trio of electronic producers hailing from LA, playing their first ever Scottish date on the back of their 2010 debut.

The glam rockers return with their original line-up, with Justin Hawkins still very much on shrieking duty.

Twin Sister

Indie-pop five-piece led by swarthy young pop prince George Craig.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £25

Multi-instrumental London duo made up of Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell.

Kawabata Makoto and his band of sonic outlaws, mixing traditional melody with hyper-aggressive playing techniques and plenty improvisation.

One Night Only

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12

Wed 09 Nov

Oran Mor, 19:30–23:00, £16

Montreal-born singer-songwriter, and frontman of the band Low Millions. And, yes, Leonard Cohen’s son.

Ane Brun (Bronagh Monahan) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £9

Scandinavian singer/songwriter riding along on her mid-Southern vocal twang, backed by delicately-plucked acoustic guitars, piano and strings.

Boyce Avenue (Tyler Ward)

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £5

An evening of psych-sludge, doom, metal and hard rock. All power trios, all night.

The Part Time Martyrs (The Wrong Boyfriends, The Beautiful Lies, Napoleon’s Dogs) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £3

Experimental Glasgow ensemble moving in waves of quiet and noise, with the emphasis on noise.

We Are The Physics (Otherpeople)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£5 door)

Spindly-legged Glasgow punkrockers, originally going by the catchy moniker of We Are The Psysics Club And Therefore Everything We Say Is Fact.

Lloyd Cole

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

The Lloyd Cole and The Commotions mainman plays a two-night stint as part of his solo acoustic tour.

Friends Electric (Xavia, Blank Canvas, Rose Parade) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £5

Floridian acoustic pop-meets-rock band of brothers.

Electro-styled foursome, employing live electonics and a distinct pop sensibility.

Thu 10 Nov

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (Weird Dreams)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £19.50

Within Temptation (Anneka) Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £17.50

Dutch progressive metal noisemakers, fronted by live howler Sharon den Adel.

Alison Krauss SECC, 19:00–22:00, From £27.50

The cult Amerincan alternative rockers reunited and back on the live circuit. Get excited, yeah?

I Tennessee

The Smiths tribute act.

Hyde & Beast

Handpicked night of folk and Americanatinged tunes from Jim Byrne and his new band, plus the eclectic songwriting of Stewart Traquair and Larry Guild’s fingerstyle guitar tunesmithery.

The Vale, 20:00–22:00, £tbc

Electro-pop funtimes from Glasgowbased duo Ross Pollock and Chris Mitchell.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £12.50

Mon 14 Nov

Throwing Muses

Unique brand of electronic indie-pop from London-way, formed by twin brothers Miles and Marcus Haughton.

The Smiths Indeed

Tragic City Thieves

The Merchants

Sun 06 Nov

Fri 18 Nov

Them Beatles

Scream-meets-metal Edinburgh quintet, of the all-guns-blazing live variety.

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:00, £6

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Jim Byrne and The Blackwoods, Traquair, Larry Guild

Lemmy et al take to the stage for their now annual November tour, letting rip with a growl of incomprehensible lyrics and battering of thrash metal. Local indie punksters fresh from supporting Pete Doherty last month.

Brigade London-based rock quartet who’ve been on the scene for nigh-on eight years.

Donald Macdonald and The Islands

Atom Falling

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £5

O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £sold out

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £5

Clydebank crew currently making their own amiable brand of swaggering indie noise.

Richard Buckner (Siskiyou, Scari Couri)

Theme Park

The young popstar in the making plays a hometown show.

Motorhead (Anti Nowhere League, UK Subs)

Waiting For Go

Belfast five-piece taking their cue from the baggy indie swagger of Primal Scream et al.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Indie-rock singer/songwriter, who’s also the son of the late Ian Dury. Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £6

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £22.50

The Howard Devoto formed band of punksters get back on the live circuit to coincide with the release of their fifth studio album, and first release of new material since 1981, no less.

The Arches, 19:30–22:00, £6

Benefitting from their previous album’s mentoring from a certain Mr Josh Homme, the Monkeys are back on the live circuit with latest offering, Suck It And See.

More honey-toned bluegrass offerings from US country singer/ songwriter.

The West Coast-born, Glasgowbased, folky five-piece launch their new EP.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £7

Magazine

Cashier No.9

The Arches, 19:30–22:00, £14.50

The Pavement mainman tours on the back of his fifth studio album with his band The Jicks.

Mark Eitzel

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

Intimate acoustic performance from the respected American underground musician.

Will Young (Jodie Marie) O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £32.50

Folk-meets-rock singer/songwriter currently residing in Brooklyn, NYC.

The one-time Pop Idol singer/ songwriter tours on the back of his fifth studio album, marking the 10th anniversary of his first Pop Idol audition, no less.

Meursault (Foxface)

Girls

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £10

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £5 adv. (£6 door)

The local faves play a headline set in Sleazy’s basement, headered as ever by the howlin’ tones of Neil Pennycook.

Los Campesinos! Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £8

San Franciscoan buzz band, responsible for that damn catchy little ditty, Honey Bunny.

Sat 12 Nov Butterfly Saturdays

Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

The energetic Welsh enesemble do their overwrough folk-punk thing, touring on the back of yet another album of indie gems.

Resident rockers The Meat Men play a live set, followed by DJ Dave Stone. Plus free entry to the Buff Club’s official after-party.

Givers (Zulu Winter)

Red Hot Chili Peppers

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8

LA-based experimental pop fivepiece, taking their beats and rhythms from modern exponents of Afro-pop.

Tom Vek The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £14

Dreamy, lo-fi rock from the Londoner, back on the live circuit touring his five-years-in-waiting new album, Leisure Seizure.

SECC, 18:30–22:00, £47.50

Anthony Kiedis et al return to pretty much wipe the floor in the funk-rock stakes, in support of their latest album.

YES

SECC, 20:00–22:00, £34.50

The long-standing rockers return with original members Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White.

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Glasgow-based glam rockers, renowned for their sweaty live shows where they dress up and rock out.

United Fruit (Hey Enemy, Salo) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£5 door)

Glasgow quartet known for their allout post-hardcore abrasion served at F1 velocity.

Lloyd Cole

Brel Sessions Brel, 21:00–23:30, Free

Acoustic, drop-in style, indie-folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Tinie Tempah SECC, 19:30–22:00, £tbc

Pop-styled rap offerings from the South London chap.

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

Laki Mera

Kate Walsh (Alan McKim)

Glasgow electronica quartet of the cinematic variety, stretching out conventional song structures over sprawling classical and percussive numbers.

The Lloyd Cole and The Commotions mainman plays a two-night stint as part of his solo acoustic tour. King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £12.50

The harmonic singer/songwriter delivers her richly-layered folkinfused tunes.

Showtek (Allure, Kodex, Obsession) O2 Academy, 20:00–03:00, £18.50

Dutch hardstyle brother duo, playing an all-night session for your aural pleasure.

Led Astray Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:00, £5

Led Zeppelin tribute act.

The Moons Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Northampton-based foursome, trading in psychedelic garage-pop beats, infused with a bit of indie and soul.

Sun 13 Nov Butterfly Strategy Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–22:30, Free

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

The Ocean Between Us Soundhaus, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Post-hardcore offerings from the Leeds five-piece. Part of Gigs For A Cure, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Vessels (Hunt/Gather, Anologue of the Sun) Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Impressive Leeds quintet trading in jilting melodies, soaring waves of feedback-driven noise and vocals that possess an almost crystalline clarity.

Gorgoroth (Vader, Valkyrja) Classic Grand, 17:00–22:00, £15

Norwegian black metallers formed back in 1992.

The Deadly Viper Guitar Squad (Glasgow Glam Bangers, Animal Lover) 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Glasgow-based psychedliuc bluesmen in posession of kazoos.

Haight Ashbury Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £5 adv. (£6 door)

Glaswegian trio pilfering from across the pond, all heart-flipping indie grrrl harmonies, grunged-up guitars and shimmering LA rock.

Jim Lauderdale Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

The American singer/songwriter does his usual bluegrass and country-tinged thing.

Red Sky July King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Vintage-styled country rock from husband and wife duo Ally McErlaine and Shelly Poole, respectively from bands Texas and Alisha’s Attic.

KT Tunstall The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £20

Singalong pop with substance, via Tunstall’s trademark earthy melodies and folky guitar, mixed to great pop effect with disco stomp and clever keyboards.

Smashing Pumpkins (Ringo Deathstarr) O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £35

The kings of daring, expansive rock, Corgan’s crew cherry-pick from their rather enviable back catalogue, in advance of their new album (due early 2012).

Blues Kitchen (Bad Bad Men, The Aspect, Stephanie McClain) Slouch, 18:00–21:00, Free

Early evening showcase of live blues bands.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £6

Tue 15 Nov Portugal. The Man Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £7

Experimental four-piece firmly dedicated to the rock’n’roll scripture.

KMFDM Classic Grand, 19:00–23:00, £15

German beatmasters endorsing the crossover between techno/dance and heavy metal with their signature industrial sound.

Anna Calvi Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

The ballsy new singer/songwriter on the block tours her Mercury Prizenominated debut.

The Antlers King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

NYC-based indie-rockers fronted by vocalist, guitarist and founder, Peter Silberman.

The Naked And Famous O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14

Alternative fivesome hailing from New Zealand, who’ve spent the year getting NME’s pants in a twist.

Sleepingdog, Conquering Animal Sound, FareWell Poetry CCA Café, 20:00–22:30, £6

State Bar, 20:00–23:00, £4

The Ray-Bandos

Brel, 19:30–22:00, Free

Local troupe playing 60s rock’n’roll, soul and motown covers.

Butterfly Fridays

Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

Live acoustic blues from house band The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

Alabama 3 Aftershow Party (Little Buddha, The Carlton Jug Band) Soundhaus, 22:30–03:00, £10

Official after-bash for Alabama 3’s O2 Academy gig, with live bands and DJs playing into the bedtime hours.

Friendly Fires

Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £16

St Albans trio adept at making superb party music: funky, unpretentious and, yes, super-danceable.

Engelbert Humperdinck SECC, 19:30–22:00, From £33.50

Perma-tanned sixties smoothie known for golden oldie hits like Release Me (And Let Me Love Again). Classic stuff, y’hear.

Dimmu Borgin

Classic Grand, 19:30–22:00, £16

Norwegian symphonic black metal artist par excellence.

The Twilight Sad

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £sold out

The Sad boys get back on the live circuit, performing a set cherry-picked from their new album No One Can Ever Know (due in early 2012).

The Sensational David Bowie Tribute Band Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

Er, a David Bowie tribute act.

The Rubberbandits

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £10

Irish hip-hop duo who perform with plastic bags on their heads. Yes, really.

Wire

The Arches, 19:00–22:00, £15

Bringing together a trio of experimental artists from the Gizeh roster in once place.

Experimental post-rock mainstays touring on the back of their latest album, Red Barked Tree.

St Vincent

Small Fakers

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £10

Annie Clark tours on the back of this summer’s gem of a new album, her live band conjuring intense layers of sound as Clark herself knocks hell out of her guitar.

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £12

Small Faces tribute act.

Alabama 3 (Woodenbox) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £18

The Brixton collective do their bluesrock-acid-house thing.

Wed 16 Nov

Sat 19 Nov

Acoustic Tribute Night

Butcher Boy (Adam Stafford)

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Acoustic battle-cum-singalongcum-piss-up, with two classic bands pittest against each other.

The Webb Sisters Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

The harmonic sister duo tour their new album, post their worldwide tour as Leonard Cohen’s backing singers.

Turbowolf (Hawk Eyes, The James Cleaver Quintet) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

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

Thomas Dolby (Aaron Jonah Lewis) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £21.50

The electronic synth master tours his fourth studio album, A Map Of The Floating City.

Thu 17 Nov William Harness Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Part of Sleazy’s 20 Years Of Sleaze celebrations. Just who is William Harness, you may well ask...

Red Snapper King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £15

Dirty jam of hip-hop, jazz and rockabilly from Alan Riding et al. Recheduled date.

J. Cole

Langside Hall, 19:30–22:00, £8

The Glasgow eight-piece play their first gig since the release of their third LP, Helping Hands, merging myriad instrumentation and John Blair Hunt’s trademark emotive vocals in one exquisitely-rounded whole.

Butterfly Saturdays

Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

Resident rockers The Meat Men play a live set, followed by DJ Dave Stone. Plus free entry to the Buff Club’s official after-party.

The Vaccines

Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £15

London-based indie-rockers of dubious musical merit.

Heather Findlay

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:30, £10

The one-time frontwoman of Mostly Autumn does her solo rockin’ thing.

Okkervil River

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:15, £15

Will Sheff fronted Texan indie-rock ensemble who more than know how to hook a crowd, so expect the odd tearjerker, acoustic interludes and plenty off-kilter elucidation

John Knox Sex Club (Olympic Swimmers)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£5 door)

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

The Besnard Lakes (Suuns) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £16

North Carolina MC (aka Jermaine Cole) who also happens to be the first artist signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation label.

Psychedelic and progressive pop offerings from the charming Montreal foursome.

Mac Floyd

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

Pink Floyd tribue act.

November 2011

THE SKINNY 55

G lasgow music Trigger The Escape (Graceless Age) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £8

Alternative pop-cum-punk-cumrock from Glasgow-way.

Death Cab For Cutie O2 Academy, 19:00–22:00, £20

The Ben Gibbard led four-piece do their heart-on-sleeve indie-rock thing, with gem of a song I Will Follow You Into The Dark getting us every bloody time.

Sun 20 Nov Butterfly Strategy Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–22:30, Free

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

The Vaccines Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £15

Wed 23 Nov Miaoux Miaoux (Jonnie Common)

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £5

Expect subtly layered beats and rushes of distorted guitar as Miaoux Miaoux (aka Julian Corrie) previews his new album, playing a full live band set with guest musicans Paul Carlin (Dananananaykroyd) and Kris Ferguson (Mitchell Museum).

Glasgow fivesome moving in waves of metal, thrash and grindcore.

Wake The President (Aggi Doom, Schnapps) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £4 adv. (£5 door)

More impish indie offerings from the Glasgow chaps, shot through with sharp observational guile.

Yuck King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £9

Noise-pop 90s revivalists, building their sound around the lullaby-lilt of Daniel Blumberg’s ghosting tones.

Turin Brakes O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £18

The London folk rock ensemble perform their classic album, The Optimist, in honour of its 10th anniversary.

Blues Kitchen (Castaway) Slouch, 18:00–21:00, Free

Early evening showcase of live blues bands.

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Garage pop from the Glasgow locals.

Cal

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £10

Traditional-styled Scottish/Celtic rock, ala Runrig et al. The Belle and Sebastian guitarist does his solo thing, relying on a heavy dose of reverb and minimal effects.

Sparrow and the Workshop (Martin John Henry)

Martins Room

Classic Grand, 19:00–23:00, £10

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £5 adv. (£6 door)

Lisa Hannigan

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Male Pattern Band (Sick Kids, Black Jash, Casual Sex)

Industrial electronic musical project created by Daniel Graves back in 2000.

Gillian Welch

Co-Exist (Zillah)

Pet Shop Boys tribute act.

Stevie Jackson

Electric and brooding country-tinged trio, led by the ethereal tones of Jill O’Sullivan.

Sweet-toned bluegrass offerings from the master that is Gillian Welch, accompanied by her musical partner David Rawlings.

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:30, £8

Aesthetic Perfection

London-based indie-rockers of dubious musical merit. SECC, 20:00–22:00, £25

Pandemonium Show

Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £17.50

Acclaimed Irish singer/songwriter who cut her teeth playing with Damien Rice.

Jesse Malin and The St Marks Social

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £11.50

Malin and his merry band play their debut record, The Fine Art Of SelfDestruction, in its entirety.

Joanne Shaw Taylor O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

Birmingham-born blues quitarist moving from soulful ballads to funky shuffles.

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £12

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:00, £6

Classic-styled noise rock from the Glasgow trio, who started life in the bedroom of some dude named Martin.

Sat 26 Nov A Little Mixed Up (The Modus, The Laynes, Berry Tweed & The chasers, The Amphetameanies, Les Bof!)

Ivory Blacks, 18:00–03:00, £12.50 adv. (£15 door)

Mini festival celebrating the best of Scottish 60s-influenced bands, followed by DJs playing cool retro tunes from the 60s to the present day.

Butterfly Saturdays

Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

Resident rockers The Meat Men play a live set, followed by DJ Dave Stone. Plus free entry to the Buff Club’s official after-party.

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £6

Psych-folk collaboration from Ryan Hendrix and Nick Turner, turning into a fully-fledged band when Cory Suter joined.

Amber Glass Band (San Antone, Hoi Polloi, Gareth Croll)

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Rockin’ blues troupe from the heart of Lanarkshire.

Dutch Uncles

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £6

Deep Purple

SECC, 19:30–22:00, £45

The British rock mainstays hit the road with their 38-piece orchestra, giving new weight to their classic hits.

Alexi Murdoch

Captain’s Rest, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Scottish singer/songwriter who brings a human charm to his tunesmithery, without lapsing into overly-emotive vulnerability.

Acoustic, drop-in style, indie-folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Detroit underdogs with enough joyful hooks, mischievous wordplay and unexpected pathos to worm their way back into your heart.

Django Django (Robert Redford, She’s Hit)

Morning Parade

Kvelertak

More funky punk-rock from the Somerset lads.

MakethisRelate Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £5

Glasgow alternative rock trio, offering up stadium-sized pop melodies with an enegretic rock agression.

Josh T Pearson Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £11.50

The former Lift to Experience man tours his debut solo album.

Lotte Mullan (Scosha) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £8

Tender pop singer/songwriter originally from the fields of Suffolk, who, asides from music, claims to enjoy bike rides, real ale and cowboys.

Game O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £25

West Coast rapper who’s collaborative buddies include Dre Dre and Snoop Dogg, no less.

Alter Bridge SECC, 18:30–22:00, £24.50

Formed from the ashes of Creed, three of the original members continue to rock (with the added vocal skills of Myles Kennedy).

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10

Energetic Norwegian ensemble drawing inspiration from all four corners of rock’n’roll.

Fri 25 Nov Latecomers

Lauries Bar, 20:15–23:00, Free

Acoustic pop loveliness from the Glasgow-based outfit.

Jericho Hill

Brel, 19:30–22:00, Free

Johnny Cash tribute act.

Butterfly Fridays

Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–02:00, Free

Live acoustic blues from house band The Fortunate Sons, followed by DJ Junior on deck duty.

Frank Turner

Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £16

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

Bryan Adams

SECC, 19:30–22:00, £39.50

The man who put (Everything I Do) I Do It For You at number one for 16-bloodyweeks (also responsible for Summer of 69), celebrating the 20th anniversary of his Waking Up The Neighbours album.

Classic Grand, 19:00–22:00, £6

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 20:00–23:00, £6

Delighful Art School jangle with an electronic edge, fruitily looping and catchily hooking as they go.

Bags of Rock

Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £14

The former Red Hot Chilli Pipers frontman tours with his new band, deftly mixing bagpipes with modern rock’n’roll.

Glenn Tilbrook (Steve Poltz) King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £17.50

Founding member and one-half of the songwriting team behind Squeeze.

Wolfsbane (Diamondsnake, 15 Times Dead) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10

17 years after the release of their eponymous debut album, the English heavy metallers return to the stage.

Skrillex (Feed Me)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

The American electronic producer (aka Sonny Moore) currently tearing up a dancefloor near you with his visionary mix of dubstep, electro and glitch.

Futures Fest 2011 (Skippy Dyes, John Wean, Strike 19s, Smart, Blindfolds, Little Eye) O2 Academy, 18:00–22:00, £10

Hefty line-up of up-and-coming acts, playing across two stages.

Tue 01 Nov

James Morrison

The Leith Theatre Session (Tucker and The Scattered Family, Gordon McIntyre, Casino, Roy Henderson, Spangleshifters)

Solo singer/songwriter who started his days as a busker in Cornwall, before being propelled into the spotlight with his two-million seling debut album.

Voodoo Rooms, 18:30–23:00, £10

Mini music showcase in support of the Leith Theatre Trust.

Washington

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6

Australian musician Megan Washington strides out on her own with her minimalist solo take on the indie-rock genre.

Ghosting Season

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £5

Brooding spectral grooves of the techno-tinged electronic variety from the Machester duo.

The seven-piece, all-girl, Glasgow ensemble launch their new album.

Wed 02 Nov

Kill It Kid

Roddy Woomble

Muscles of Joy

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Groove-infused blues from the experimental foursome, with Chris Turpin on dust-bowl howlin’ duties.

Adam Ant and The Good The Mad And The Lovely Posse O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £22.50

The frontman of new wave popsters Adam and the Ants tours with his current live band.

Blues Kitchen Slouch, 18:00–21:00, Free

Early evening showcase of live blues bands.

Glasgow-based alternative rockers, rich with crunchy guitars and genuinely memorable melodies.

Mini showcase of Scottish unsigned talent.

13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

Butterfly & Pig, 20:00–22:30, Free

Live acoustic acts, both local and far-flung.

Alternative Irish chaps, incorporating elements of traditional Irish music into their sound.

Electric Six (SWOUND!)

Johnny and the Bomb

Sun 27 Nov Butterfly Strategy

Colourmusic

Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £18

Brel Sessions

Tue 22 Nov

Layered harmonies and instruments from the Glasgow indie-pop six-piece, fresh from their EP launch last month.

The Wolfe Tones

Mon 21 Nov

King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £7

Maggie May’s, 20:00–22:00, £6

Thu 24 Nov

Voodoo Six, Armadillo, Suicide Underground

Essex pop-rock five-piece led by Steve Sparrow on vocals and guitar.

Rio Callahan

Pareto

Manc indie-pop five-piece, known for their use of atypical time signatures within a distinctly poppy context.

Brel, 21:00–23:30, Free

E D I N B U R G H music

Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £5

Mon 28 Nov Brel Sessions Brel, 21:00–23:30, Free

Acoustic, drop-in style, indie-folk session with Laura Wilkie (of Rachel Sermanni) and Sarah Hayes (of Admiral Fallow).

Professor Green Barrowland, 19:00–23:00, £16

Simplistic electronic beats and paintby-numbers rapping is the order of the day, as the prof attempts to entertain the yoof.

The Impenetrable Click 13th Note, 20:00–23:00, £tbc

The experimental comedy troupe bring their surrealist blend of sketches, stand-up and puppetry to Roxy 171.

Pure Reason Revolution King Tut’s, 20:00–23:00, £13.50

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

The Idlewild frontman plays solo acoustic, drawing on songs from his new album, as well as handpicking from his previous albums and the Idlewild back catalogue.

Andrew Roachford

Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–23:00, £15

London-raised soulful R’n’B singer/ songwriter who bagged himself a massive seven-album deal with Columbia Records.

Secret CDs (Gordon Ballboy, The Invisible Helpers, Jill Hepburn, Freeloadin’ Frank) Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–23:00, £3

Live gig-cum-CD sale from musicians based in and around the Edinburgh area.

Emeli Sande

The Caves, 19:00–22:00, £10

The deferred medical student does her richly melodic, classically powerful and retro-futurist R’n’B thing.

Ellen and the Escapades (Matt Norris & The Moon, Ben Tatham) Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6

Leeds alternative folk-pop quintet of the delicate and soul-searching variety.

Japanese Voyeurs

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £7 adv.

Pounding 90s-styled drums and muddy, angry riffs, with singer Romily Alice’s yelping vocals bringing back fond memories of the Riot Grrrl movement.

King Creosote (Kid Canaveral) The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £14

The Fence Collective Fifer does his solo acoustic thing, with support from chipperpop fellow Fencers, Kid Canaveral.

Thu 03 Nov

The electro-rock London foursome play as part of their farewell tour, performing a two-part gig cherrypicking from albums Amor Vincit Omnia, Hammer And Anvil and The Dark Third.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Master Pianist

Thurston Moore

The Fall

The Arches, 19:30–22:00, £15

The Sonic Youth singer, songwriter and guitarist plays a special show following the release of new album Demolished Thoughts, with the added joy - without us sounding too ancient - of being a seated affair.

The Impenetrable Click The Roxy 171, 20:00–22:00, £3 (£2)

The experimental comedy troupe bring their surrealist blend of sketches, stand-up and puppetry to Roxy 171.

The Recovery (Kraul, Atlas Empire) Stereo, 19:00–22:00, £5

Full-on blend of hardcore punk from the Glasgow five-piece, with a bit of metalcore thrown in for good measure (read: extra noise).

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £9.50

Bold piano playing from Robert Levin, specialising in the age of Mozart, Beethoven and Shubert. HMV Picture House, 18:30–22:00, £17.50

Seminal 70s post-punk outfit led by the inimitable Mark E Smith.

Viv Albertine (The Tango Rhums) Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–23:00, £10

The ex-guitarist and songwriter from legendary punk band The Slits plays a solo set, as part of her debut Scottish tour.

Martyn Mackenzie (Josh Loftin)

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Acoustic singer/songwriter night headered by broad-accented youngster Martyn Mackenzie.

Take A Worm For A Walk Week

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

The TAWFAWW lads unleash another batch of discordant thrash upon the unsuspecting.

Fri 04 Nov Aye Choons (Earl Grey & The Loose Leaves, The Gold Lions, DJ Tomski)

The Third Door, 21:00–03:00, £4

For full listings go to www.theskinny.co.uk/listings or scan left 56 THE SKINNY November 2011

Raucous night of live rhythm and blues, headered by Earl Grey & The Loose Leave and their howlin’ bearded frontman.

Strawbs (Roy Henderson) Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £14.50

The English rockers return with the same line up as when they first played in 1973.

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £sold out

Paper Aeroplanes (Anna Macdonald) Henry’s Cellar, 19:30–23:00, £6

Acoustic alternative folkies from Wales, led by vocalist and songwriter Sarah Howells.

Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers

King Charles

Legendary taiko drumming group, built on thunderous drum rhythms layered with percussive soundscapes and precise choreography.

Charming longhaired folkster and winner of the the 2009 International Songwriting Competition over America-way.

Mary Coughlan

The Wolfe Tones

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £18

Voodoo Rooms, 19:00–23:00, £15

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £8 adv.

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £20

Irish music royalty, with personal influences running like blood through her songwriting.

Alternative Irish chaps, incorporating elements of traditional Irish music into their sound.

Thank You So Nice (Jen & the Gents, Spook School)

Mon 07 Nov

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, Free

The experimental Edinburgh indiepoppers treat y’all to a special free gig, with stellar indie-pop supports.

Indie Funday Friday (Fishing For Seagulls, Little Love and The Friendly Vibes, Jym Ponter, Alex Foottit) Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £3

Monthly indie-pop night where a selection of, er, indie-pop acts play in aid of the Sick Kids Foundation.

Toumani Diabate (Revere) Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, £20

Malian singer/songwriter and somewhat of a tour de force, accompanied by his trusty kora.

Marcus Bonfanti Voodoo Rooms, 19:15–23:00, £8

The London-born bluesman plays with his live ensemble, featuring Scott Wiber on bass and Alex Reeves on drums.

Tue 08 Nov

UK Subs Aftershow Party (The Puzzlers, Sad Society, Shock & Awe)

Hebrides Ensemble

Henry’s host the official after-bash from the Damned-inspired London punksters.

The contemporary chamber orchestra display their diverse craftmanship, by moving from Charles Ives Piano Trio to a masked performance of Voice of the Whale.

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The China Project

Bongo Club, 19:30–22:00, £10 (£8)

Exploring the blend of Scottish and Chinese musical cultures, with The Silk String Quartet, Emma Smith and a brand new commision from Scottish composer Jim Sutherland.

Oxjam Live Lounge Takeover

Electric Circus, 17:00–22:00, £donation

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, £14 (£7)

&U&I, Shapes

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, £20

Earnest and engaging alternative rock from up’t north.

The glam rockers return with their original line-up, with Justin Hawkins still very much on shrieking duty.

Sat 05 Nov

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £25

Amy LaVere Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–23:00, £9

Memphis singer/songwriter who defies categorisation by jumping genres, moving between rockabilly, jazz and blues balladry.

Edinburgh Light Orchestra

Natty

The popular Edinburgh concert orchestra present their winter programme of musical stage hits and the like.

Classic reggae grooves from the young Londoner, providing a gritty soundtrack of inner city living.

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £6

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £10 adv.

MacFloyd

Declan O’Rourke

Pink Floyd tribute act.

The Irish singer/songwriter tours his new album of collected hits, with O’Rourke’s vocal amalgamation of rawness with sterilized beauty rippling round the ears.

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £15

Limbo: 4th Birthday (Conquering Animal Sound, Pumajaw, PET)

Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–23:00, £8

The beloved musical dance party celebrates four years in its home at the Voodoo Rooms, with lo-fi Glasgow folk duo Conquering Animal Sound headlining proceedings after wowing back in April.

Ides Of Toad (The Last Battle, Dad Rocks, Shoes and Socks Off)

Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Music blogger Song, By Toad curates his usual showcase night, with headliners The Last Battle fusing fragile sounds with Scott Longmuir’s ever-present acoustic guitar.

The Fnords (Sara & the Snakes)

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Edinburgh and Glasgow-born femalefronted garage punk trio, with a very special guest to be revealed on 4 Nov at www.theraft.org.uk.

Jericho Hill

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Johnny Cash tribute act.

The Black Lights, Coholics, Una Fiori

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

A trio of local rock acts, er, rock out.

Sun 06 Nov Denise Black’s Loose Screw Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–23:00, £5

Selection of new songs and iconic faves from Coronation Street’s Denise Black, joining forces with folk rocker Graeme Taylor.

Black Arm Band (The 55’s) Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £4

Alternative Edinburgh foursome playing their second ever gig, on the momentous date of 11/11/11.

Home Grown Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Regular Scottish hip-hop showcase presented by Edinburgh Undersound.

Moving Pictures Studio 24, 19:30–22:00, £10 adv. (£12 door)

Rush tribute act.

RBS Museum Lates (FOUND, Ben Butler and Mousepad, S-Type) National Museum of Scotland, 18:30–22:30, £6 (£5)

The National Museum of Scotland take a foray into late night happenings, offering up a rather fine line-up of live music, plus some pop-up bar action. Hosted by DJ Ally MacRae.

Wed 09 Nov Tom Paxton

The Darkness

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £5

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £11

Mendelssohn’s popular concerto acts as the perfect showcase for Vadim Gluzman’s lush violin sound.

The Ray Summers’ piano man steps out from behind the keys to front his own folk-rock ensemble.

Kobi

Edinburgh alternative noisemakers known for their well-crafted epic rock anthems.

RSNO: Magnificent Mendelssohn

Davey Horne

Classic Americana folk singer/songwriter, a stalwart on the scene since the early 60s Greenwich Vilage scene.

Lost In Audio

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £16 (£14)

The Fife dweller and sometime Fence Collective dabbler performs some new material prior to recording in the new year, as well as some cherrypicked old favourites.

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Co-headliner from a couple of interesting new rock-styled acts on the scene.

Oxjam take control of the reins, showcasing a quality live line-up which they’re keeping secret for now. Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–19:00, £5 adv.

Fri 11 Nov James Yorkston (The Pictish Trail)

Bongo Club, 19:00–22:00, £12

Hyde & Beast Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Collaborative project between two drummers, who be Futureheads’ Dan Hyde and Golden Virgin’s Neil Bassett.

Arcane Roots, 22 Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Co-headliner from two bands pushing the rock fold in unexpected ways.

Ghostface Killah The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £14

Wu-Tang banger Ghostface Killah does his solo thing, with his inimitable stream-of-consciousness style rap narratives blasted out a-top highenergy machine gun-like basslines.

Thu 10 Nov Fred Morrison (Matheu Watson) Voodoo Rooms, 21:00–23:00, £10

Bagpipes playing bluegrass? Glasgow piper Fred Morrison shows you how it’s done.

Pelmet Nites: 5th Birthday (Midnight Lion, Washington Irving, Aerials Up, Matt Norris & The Moon)

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5

The See See (By The Sea) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

The London trio pressent their new adventures in rock’n’roll and psychedelia under the Ma Rainey-inspired moniker The See See.

Sat 12 Nov Eddi Reader Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £23

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

For Those About To Rock (ZZ Tops) HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £17.50

AC/DC tribute act, with ZZ Top tribute act, ZZ Tops, on support for double the tribute act joy.

Mozart By Candlelight Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £17

The Mozart Festival Orchestra perform in full 18th century costume, lit up by candlelight.

Party Fears Three Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–23:00, £8 adv. (£10 door)

The Edinburgh-based 80s tribute act present a special night featuring some of the very best music from the era, plus a special DJ set from Norman Brown.

(Woodenbox, Shooting Stansfield) Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Gloriously melancholy folky offerings, as The Stormy Seas launch their new album, with a special support set from Woodenbox (aka Woodenbox With A Fistful Of Fivers in their stripped-back, acoustic guise).

Roy’s Iron DNA (Capstin Pole) Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

The Edinburgh-via-Berwick outfit come out of hibernation to launch their new EP

Mechanical Arms Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

Edinburgh-born experimental rockers formed by two sets of brothers.

KT Tunstall The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £20

The music-loving Dundee night celebrates its fifth year of being with a pretty stellar live line-up.

Singalong pop with substance, via Tunstall’s trademark earthy melodies and folky guitar, mixed to great pop effect with disco stomp and clever keyboards.

Twin Sister

Bruncheon!

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £7 adv.

Experimental beat-pop offerings from the Long Island-based five-piece.

Out of the Blue Drill Hall, 11:30–15:00, Free

Brunch and live music event featuring local musical talent.

EDINBURGH music Sun 13 Nov

Fri 18 Nov

Left Field In Motion (Billy Bragg, The King Blues, Sound Of Rum)

Vintage Trouble

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £13

Post his running of the Left Field stage at Glastonbury, Billy Bragg takes to the road with a showcase of young acts.

Kate Walsh

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £12 adv.

The harmonic singer/songwriter delivers her richly-layered folkinfused tunes.

Shaun Ryder

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £20

Somewhat of a legendary hellraiser, Ryder performs a selection of Happy Mondays and Black Grape classics.

Mon 14 Nov Red Sky July

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £10 adv.

Vintage-styled country rock from husband and wife duo Ally McErlaine and Shelly Poole, respectively from bands Texas and Alisha’s Attic.

Wild Beasts

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

Kendal indie-rockers taking inspiration from a myriad of musical sources electronica, prog rock, opera even - and condensing it into their own unique brand of emotive chamber pop.

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

The R’n’B and soul project of Ty Taylor and Nalle Colt, brought to life in their basic home studio in Venice Beach. Paul Rissmann and conductor Christian Kluxen deconsruct Jean Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony.

Anoushka Shankar

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, £10

Vantage Point (Metal Tech) Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £5

The Edinburgh metallers launch their new album, fusing vocal histrionics, screaming guitar solos, thumping bass and pounding drums. Noisy, yes.

Free Gig In Leith!

Nobles Bar, 21:00–23:30, Free

Chris Bainbridge (of Bainbridge Presents) handpicks a couple of scene stalwarts to try their hand with a proper Leef crowd.

Liz Green (Emily Scott)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

The Edinburgh-based quartet finally drop their debut LP, a glorious punchin-the-gub of jittering ADD art-rock.

HMV Picture House, 19:30–22:00, £28.50

Frank Zappa’s eldest son and his live band perform his da’s classic album Apostrophe in sequence, alongside a career-spanning selection of favourites.

Cake

Monthly live music night featuring a rota of new and established acts.

Voodoo Rooms, 21:00–23:00, Free

The Twilight Sad

Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–23:00, Free

Yuck

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £9

Click Clack Club

The Third Door, 20:30–23:00, £3

Occasional experimental music club, this time featuring WonderWinds, in possesion as always of three saxes and a whole lotta percussion.

Scottish Chamber Orchestra: Romantic Love Stories

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

The Edinburgh singer/singwriter (aka the voice of Amplifico) tours with her live band, in advance of her debut release.

Glenn Tilbrook

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £14

Founding member and one-half of the songwriting team behind Squeeze.

Sun 20 Nov The Damned

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £16

Conductor Robin Ticciati continues his season-long pairing of Berlioz and Schumann.

The seminal punk foursome tour in celebration of their 35th anniversary, playing their classic albums Damned Damned Damned and the Black Album.

Alkaline Trio

Seafieldroad

Classic-styled emo from the Chicagoan trio, fuelled on a steady diet of angst-ridden lyrics and adrenaline.

Solo project from Andrew EatonLewis (of Swimmer One), his rich multilayered, melancholic pop compositions thoroughly hooking us in.

Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £9.50

HMV Picture House, 18:30–22:00, £16.50

Midlothian Proms

Voodoo Rooms, 20:00–23:00, £5

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, £8 (£5)

Virgin Marys (Slow Motion Replay )

Dave Arcari

More raw-edged rock’n’roll from the young Macclesfield trio, who set themselves the task of playing 200 gigs in 2010.

A selection of Midlothian’s finest young musicians perform the closing night concert of the Midlothian Proms. The Caves, 19:00–22:00, £7

Talented rocker playing a mix of slide guitar-driven blues and trash country.

Vic Galloway Presents (Remember Remember, Dam Mantle, Adam Stafford)

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Vic Galloway returns for his, now monthly, showcase slot, where the man himself gets to pick the acts for your aural delectation. And we’ve no complaints about this month’s choice of line-up.

Halloween, Alaska

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £7 adv.

Experimental rock quartet from Minnesota, formed from a handful of other bands from the area.

Wire

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £15

Experimental post-rock mainstays touring on the back of their latest album, Red Barked Tree.

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Nosiy powerpop-meets-rock from the loveable Scottish quartet.

Thu 24 Nov Graeme Stephen Quintet

Queen’s Hall, 20:00–22:00, £13 (£11)

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £7.50

Heartsounds (The Living Daylights, Shields Up) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

San Franciscoan punk-rock foursome who came into being after the demise of Light This City.

Mariachi El Bronx

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £12

Californian hardcore quintet capturing the fiery vitality of Mexican spirit while holding on to their punk roots via Matt Caughthran’s uplifting vocals.

Mon 21 Nov Turin Brakes

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £18

The London folk rock ensemble perform their classic album, The Optimist, in honour of its 10th anniversary.

The Pigeon Detectives The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £15

By the numbers indie-rock, chockfull of staccato and jangly guitar riffs intermixed with unassuming bass lines and hip-swaying beats.

Sat 26 Nov Horse Queen’s Hall, 19:30–22:00, £18

Django Django (The Marvels, Snide Rhythms)

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Delighful Art School jangle with an electronic edge, fruitily looping and catchily hooking as they go.

Alex Cornish

Fri 25 Nov Azriel (Departures, By My Hands, As Autumn Falls, War Change) Studio 24, 19:00–22:00, £7

The Glasgow melodic hardcore noisemakers return with a new singer.

Carl Palmer Band

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £20

Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s Carl Palmer is joined by Paul Bielatowicz on guitar and Simon Fitzpatrick on bass to perform ELP’s Pictures At An Exhbition in its entirety.

Hanson

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £23.50

The Hanson brothers attempt to move on from Mmm Bop, touring on the back of their fifth studio album.

Killer Kitsch

Saturday @ Bookclub

Wild Combination (JG Wilkes)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Wild Combination (ITAL) Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

Emeli Sande Oran Mor, 19:00–23:00, £10

I Am

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £22.50

The Irish collective of songwriters celebrate their country of origin through song.

Concert For Trees (Ani Batikian, St Patrick’s Baroque Ensemble, Conan Doyle String Quartet) Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £10 (£8)

Unique ensemble performance, with all acts playing on instruments made from the Conan Doyle sycamore tree that stood in the childhood home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Aames (Kat Healey) Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £5

Glasgow-based indie-pop-rock band, made up of two Scotsmen, an Englishman, and a Welshman.

Love Music, Hate Racism: Part 1 (Big Fat Panda, Red2Red, This R2 Tone) Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Iain McLaughlin & The Outsiders Soulful rock offerings from way up’t north (i.e. Inverness)

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa joined by the inimitable Thunder Disco Club.

Charity mini festival all-dayer in aid of SSFA Forces.

Rock-themed night headered by heavyweight rockers Toy Machine.

Withered Hand (Smantha Crain, Michael McFarlane) Henry’s Cellar, 19:00–22:30, £5

Music blogger Song, By Toad invites along local favourite Withered Hand for a solo acoustic set.

Loch Lomond Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £6 adv.

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Brand new midweeker playing a lively mix of house, funk and remixes.

Killer Kitsch’s Duncan Harvey provides a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

Pandemic

Wednesdays @ Flat 0/1

Blitz!

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

80s synth and funk with your hosts Dom and Darrell.

Subversion Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in.

Take It Sleazy

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot.

Garage Wednesdays The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and classics with yer man Andy R, plus weekly live movie showings.

Thu 03 Nov Walk ‘n’ Skank Club 520, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Eclectic anything-goes mix of tracks from the OMT crew.

Feel My Bicep Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Nora’s Birthday Party (Beezer, Dick Dangerous and the Lovebastards, Mayonnaise)

Mon 28 Nov

Henry’s Cellar, 20:00–03:00, £tbc

A night of rock and fun curated by the mysterious Nora (seriously, us neither!) for her 30th birthday.

The Hazey Janes (Riley Briggs), Kirsty Adamson), Dropkick) Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Shiny Dundee four-piece trading in relentlessly upbeat rhythms and sweet boy/girl harmonies, plus a trio of top class supports.

Sacconi Quartet Queen’s Hall, 19:45–22:00, From £12 (£11)

The youthful string ensemble turn their attentions to three of the greatest exponents of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries - Mozart, Beethoven and Bartok.

DEMS Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Lo-fi dubby electronics with a distinct indie leaning.

Flying Duck, 21:00–03:00, £5

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Cross-genre danceathon with residents Noj and Mark. They will play The Fall.

Subculture Sub Club, 23:00–04:00, £10 (£5)

Damnation

Long-running house night with Harri & Domenic.

Alternative rock, metal, punk and ska.

Annie Mac Presents (Erol Alkan)

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

David Barbarossa’s Thing Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £10 adv.

The Numbers crew host their final Sub Club party of 2011 with a rota of live guests including a debut set from Space Dimension Controller.

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £14

The Radio 1 DJ brings her club night north of the border, with Erol Alkan at the helm, the DJ known for his endless tours, tight productions and damn fine remixes.

Love Music O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and young Scottish duo Clouds, taking time out from their bedroomproduced techno.

Cathouse Saturdays

Taking Back Thursdays Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Emo, pop-punk and rock, plus extreme death metal and thrash in the back bar.

Misbehavin’ (Drucifer) Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Monthly mish-mash of electro, dance and dirty pop.

Shake It Up Maggie May’s, 22:00–03:00, Free

Indie, rock and pop with resident DJ Jopez.

Born to Rumble The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Themed student night, complete with weekly twists and a bouncy-bloodycastle to boot.

Wed 09 Nov Juke Box

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Brand new midweeker playing a lively mix of house, funk and remixes.

Wednesdays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

80s synth and funk with your hosts Dom and Darrell.

Subversion

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in.

Sub Rosa

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

New weekly student night for Subbie, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

Octopussy

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot.

Garage Wednesdays

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and classics with yer man Andy R, plus weekly live movie showings.

Thu 10 Nov Walk ‘n’ Skank

Club 520, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

One More Tune

Propaganda

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Rock, metal and indie night for the under 18s.

Eclectic anything-goes mix of tracks from the OMT crew.

The Rock Shop

Feel My Bicep

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Rock, indie and golden surf classics.

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Cathouse Fridays

Rip This Joint

Ready Ready

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Rock, metal, dance and indie over two levels, with the inimitable residents manning the decks.

Riot Radio

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Indie rock ‘n’ roll, past and present.

Badseed

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

I Heart Garage Saturdays The Garage, 22:30–04:00, £7 (£5)

Student superclub offering up a slice of everything from hip-hop to dance, funk to chart, and everything inbetween.

Boom Boom!

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

New weekly chart and electro takeover, with two ‘dress up chests’ and a live video feed.

Voodoo

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £24.50

The best in new hip-hop and R’n’B with DJ Cool Master.

Jellybaby

JunkDisco

Electro-house sensation Laidback Luke takes centre stage for the evening.

Sun 06 Nov

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa joined by the inimitable Thunder Disco Club.

Laidback Luke (Oliver Twizt)

Shed Sundays

CMYK

I Am (Bodymilk)

The Mungo’s Hi Fi crew in their official Glasgow residency, bringing you the very best in bass, natch.

Geez Ur Bassface

Considered mix of garage, post-punk and girl groups, presented by Adele of Sons and Daughters and the Sophisticated Boom Boom.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £tbc

Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Ready Ready

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

Brighton-based indie kids touring in advance of their new album, due early 2012.

Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Brand new queercentric night with its focus firmly on 90s-inspired new romantic and danceable pop hits.

Sub Rosa

The Maccabees

12-piece monster of a soul ensemble, packed with classic hits made famous by the genres legendary singer/ songwriters.

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Numbers (Pearson Sound, Space Dimension Controller, Jackmaster)

Soulacoaster

The Liquid Room, 19:00–22:00, £15

Soundhaus, 20:30–02:30, £15

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2

An unabashed mix of 80s pop, electro and nu-disco. They will play Phil Collins.

Abba tribute act.

Voodoo Rooms, 19:30–23:00, £tbc

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of punk-rock, reggae and classic disco, with local scallywag David Barbarossa.

The Homebass DJs are joined by local and international talent for an evening of electro and electronica.

Usher Hall, 20:00–22:00, £27.50

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Fridays @ Flat 0/1

Juke Box

Portland-hailing new signings to Chemikal Underground, lush with multitasking strings and swirling vocals.

Abba: The Show

Power Tools

Absolution

Wed 02 Nov

One More Tune

Wee Red Bar, 19:00–22:00, £5

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Trio of exclusive live guests for the hardstyle clubber’s favourite.

New weekly chart and electro takeover, with two ‘dress up chests’ and a live video feed.

Walter Trout (Popa Chubby)

Love Music, Hate Racism: Part 2 (Toy Machine, Sea Bass Kid, Morris Major)

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul with Solar Disco’s Kev Stevens.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

House-party styled night, with a group of rotating DJs alongside regular guests DJs. Plus free toast for all.

Sun 27 Nov The former lead guitarist with Canned Heat et al celebrates his recent 20th anniversary as a solo recording artist.

Fridays @ Bookclub

Tue 08 Nov

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Nu Skool

Infexious (A-lusion, Titan, DJ Yoz)

The Mungo’s Hi Fi crew in their official Glasgow residency, bringing you the very best in bass, natch.

Queen’s Hall, 19:00–22:00, £20

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Andy Robertson plays a mix of loveable pop, dance and hip-hop.

Funk, soul and hip-hop with everyone’s favourite floral-shirted vinylist, Andy Taylor.

Back Tae Mine

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Octopussy

The Liquid Room, 16:00–22:00, £7

Crash

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

JunkDisco

The Spiders Web, 20:30–23:00, Free

The Big Stooshie Festival (Root System, The Nature Boys, The Seven Deadly Sins, Dead Sea Souls, State Of Emergency)

Playing the very best in tech house and techno, straight from the underground.

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a zesty mix of Italo, disco and house.

New weekly student night for Subbie, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

Scottish swing band, consisting of country, jazz and roots session musicians, topped-and-tailed by DJ Tojo’s rock’n’roll playlist.

Club 69, 23:00–03:00, £6

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

Old Skool

Stretch Dawrson and The Mending Hearts

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

The Edinburgh singer/songwriter and his effortlessly laid-back DIY folk-pop songs, sewn together with some live musical trickery.

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese in the main hall, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

Saw Doctors

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £tbc

Keyboard maestro Fleisher conducts this orchestral piece, while his pupil Angelich plays Beethoven’s youthful concerto.

Shed Saturdays

The deferred medical student does her richly melodic, classically powerful and retro-futurist R’n’B thing.

BAJM

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, From £9.50

Fri 04 Nov Blink (Danny Beggs, Andy Lyon, Nino)

The inimitable Horse and her band preview tracks ahead of their ninth LP offering.

Unique cineconcert projecting the classic silent movie Sunrise, accompanied by the live quintet’s performance of Graeme Stephen’s specially-written soundtrack.

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £25

Tue 01 Nov Killer Kitsch

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Ska-themed night headered by heavyweights in the scene, Big Fat Panda.

SCO: Keyboard Titans

Donna Maciocia

Thu 17 Nov

The Winter Tradition (The Bronze Medal)

Song, by Toad (Weird Era, Gummy Stumps, Battery Face)

As In Bear

Ayr duo made up of David Scott and Grant Donaldson, describing the noise simply as ‘post-everything-core’.

Cabaret Voltaire, 19:00–22:00, £6

Polish pop-meets-rock collective who, in their lengthy career, have released some 13 albums and played over 5000 gigs.

The Sad boys get back on the live circuit, performing a set cherry-picked from their new album No One Can Ever Know (due in early 2012). Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

Wed 23 Nov

Noise-pop 90s revivalists, building their sound around the lullaby-lilt of Daniel Blumberg’s ghosting tones.

Music blogger Song, By Toad’s handpicked showcase, with Manchester’s Weird Era and Glasgow’s Battery Face fulfilling their dream to share the same stage, alongside the ever ace Glasgow trio, Gummy Stumps.

Bongo Club, 19:30–22:00, £10 adv.

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5

Alternative rock four-piece originally hailing from West Lothian, and with the added joy of having Lucy Oates as official ‘backing dancer’. Every band should have one.

Homework

We Luv Musik

Monthly live jam session, with some of Scotland’s leading musicians playing lounge grooves from myriad genres.

Sixteen Fingers (Little Boxes, Seafield Foxes)

The experimental London composer (and ex-hubby of Amy Winehouse) tinkers further with genres of futuristic dancehall and sci-fi soul.

The Manchestrer singer/songwriter tours in support of her new album.

Wed 16 Nov

Jammin’ at Voodoo

Unique raga-flamenco soundscapes, as Anoushka Shankar and her band attempt to re-forge the thousand-year old link between Spanish and Indian music.

Alex Clare

The Little Kicks (We See Lights, Easy Tigers)

Shambolic country folk loveliness from the Californian mainstays, headered by singer John McCrea.

Usher Hall, 19:30–22:00, £20 (£18)

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Sat 19 Nov

HMV Picture House, 19:00–22:00, £23.50

The Fence Records’ lady gets set to woo, with her delightful catherine wheel vocal harmonies.

Tue 22 Nov

Zappa Plays Zappa

Sneaky Pete’s, 19:00–22:00, £5 adv.

Electric Circus, 19:00–22:00, £5

RSNO: Naked Classics

Tue 15 Nov Upbeat and catchy indie-pop from the Scottish four-piece. Can’t say fairer.

Rozi Plain (Jamie Harrison, This is The Kit)

G l a s g o w CL U B S

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro.

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

The best in new hip-hop and R’n’B with DJ Cool Master.

Freaky Freaky (Jackmaster, Bamboo Palace) Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

New fortnightly fun with Vitamin’s Sam Murray, sifting through some fresh R’n’B and electronic from Scotland and beyond.

CMYK

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

Disco, breakbeat and electro monster picnic.

The Shed’s regular weekendextender.

The Homebass DJs are joined by local and international talent for an evening of electro and electronica.

Levels

Quids In

Jellybaby

A mixed-up slice of everything, picking from genres of indie, underground hip-hop, R’n’B, and chart classics over four rooms.

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Flat 0/1, 22:00–03:00, Free

The Garage, 23:00–04:00, £5 (£3)

Sat 05 Nov Back II Jack

Common Room, 20:30–00:00, Free

Pre-club selection of funk, disco and all things house.

The Freak-Beats Club Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, £5

60s dance party, playing mod, soul, psych and ska. Get free guest passes from CCA’s pre-club party, Get The Records On.

Highlife: Journeys To The Depths Of The Black Atlantic (Actress) La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £10

Werk Discs leading man makes an appearance, his innovative and forward thinking electronics most definitely in place. Support comes from Auntie Flo.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Instruments Of Rapture Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £5

Choice picks from the Instruments Of Rapture label, including a live set from Glasgow’s pitched-down house master, The Revenge.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

Chart, disco and party tunes.Can’t say fairer.

Taking Back Thursdays Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Emo, pop-punk and rock, plus extreme death metal and thrash in the back bar.

Shake It Up

Maggie May’s, 22:00–03:00, Free

Renegade

Indie, rock and pop with resident DJ Jopez.

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Born to Rumble

Sunday Roaster

Themed student night, complete with weekly twists and a bouncy-bloodycastle to boot.

Anything goes punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet, plus an allnew hip-hop bar on the side. The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Resident Wee Cheesy throws in mash-ups, chart-attacks and more mayhem that should really be allowed on the Sabbath.

Mon 07 Nov Burn

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Fri 11 Nov Crash

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Andy Robertson plays a mix of loveable pop, dance and hip-hop.

Fridays @ Bookclub

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Melting Pot (Tim Sweeney)

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul with Solar Disco’s Kev Stevens.

Guy Fawkes night set from yer man Tim Sweeney, the NYC-based DJ who’s been manning club decks since the tender age of 15.

Space Invader

Old Skool

The Admiral, 23:00–03:00, £10

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy R plays chart hits and requests, past and present.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

November 2011

THE SKINNY 57

Glasgow CLUBS Fridays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Killer Kitsch’s Duncan Harvey provides a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

Sat 12 Nov

Love Music

JAK (Orgue Electronique)

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and young Scottish duo Clouds, taking time out from their bedroomproduced techno.

La Cheetah, 23:00–03:00, £7

Alternative rock, metal, punk and ska.

Armed with all his usual hardware, Dutch DJ Orgue Electronique plays a full live set, the resulting sounds exploring early techno and house with an anything-goes attitude.

Kino Fist

Osmium

Damnation Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Genre-spanning mix of 60s psych, leftfield pop and Krautrock with resident Charlotte (of Muscles of Joy).

Return To Mono (Carl Craig, Slam) Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £13 adv.

Popular techno offerings, with guests including the inimitable Slam boys, as the Planet E tour reaches Sub Club.

TicTacToe (David Squillace, Marc Houle) The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £12

TicTacToe present two of the most in-demand DJs around, playing on a full Funktion One setup with a warmup set from Andrew Doran.

Propaganda O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Cathouse Fridays Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Rock, metal, dance and indie over two levels, with the inimitable residents manning the decks.

Riot Radio Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Indie rock ‘n’ roll, past and present.

Badseed Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro.

Levels The Garage, 23:00–04:00, £5 (£3)

Blackfriars Basement, 23:00–03:00, £3

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

Cathouse Saturdays Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

Mon 14 Nov

Subversion

CMYK

Burn

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in.

The Homebass DJs are joined by local and international talent for an evening of electro and electronica.

Not Moving

Jellybaby

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Space Invader The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy R plays chart hits and requests, past and present.

DJs Blair Benzini and Andy Blip play a danceable mix of Italo disco, synthpop and funk.

Voodoo Rock,metalandindienightfortheunder18s.

Tue 15 Nov

Shed Saturdays

The Rock Shop

Killer Kitsch

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese in the main hall, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

Saturday @ Bookclub Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Funk, soul and hip-hop with everyone’s favourite floral-shirted vinylist, Andy Taylor.

Nu Skool Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Power Tools Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a zesty mix of Italo, disco and house.

Absolution Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Rock, indie and golden surf classics.

Rip This Joint Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

I Heart Garage Saturdays The Garage, 22:30–04:00, £7 (£5)

Student superclub offering up a slice of everything from hip-hop to dance, funk to chart, and everything inbetween.

Sun 13 Nov Shed Sundays Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

The Shed’s regular weekend-extender.

Quids In Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Azari & III (L-Vis 1990, Visions Of Trees)

Thunder Disco Club

The Arches, 21:00–01:00, £8

90s rave-styled Detroit techno and disco offerings from producers Alphonse Alixander Laza III and Dinamo Axari.

Wrong Island Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

The legendary Teamy and Dirty Larry spin some fresh electronics.

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £5

Gloriously eclectic Italo soundtracked and RPZ-influenced monthly.

Renegade Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Anything goes punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet, plus an allnew hip-hop bar on the side.

Sunday Roaster The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

A mixed-up slice of everything, Resident Wee Cheesy throws in Subculture (Julio Bashmore) Garage Skinny Ad 25_10 PRINT.pdf 25/10/11 16:12:52 picking from genres of indie, unmash-ups, chart-attacks and more Sub Club, 23:00–04:00, £10 derground hip-hop, R’n’B, and chart mayhem that should really be alLong-running house night with Harri lowed on the Sabbath. & Domenic. classics over four rooms.

CMY

58 THE SKINNY November 2011

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Wild Combination Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

I Am (Big Dope P) Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa joined by the inimitable Thunder Disco Club.

JunkDisco The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

New weekly chart and electro takeover, with two ‘dress up chests’ and a live video feed.

Wed 16 Nov Juke Box Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Brand new midweeker playing a lively mix of house, funk and remixes.

Wednesdays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

80s synth and funk with your hosts Dom and Darrell.

Milk (Discopolis, Little Kicks, I Am Blip)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

South African house, grime, jungle, R&B and hauntology. A tropical mix, yes.

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Sub Rosa

Taking Back Thursdays

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Damnation Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Alternative rock, metal, punk and ska.

Sensu Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £10

The popular underground house night returns fresh from their seventh birthday celebrations.

Mr Scruff The Arches, 22:00–03:00, £12.50

New weekly student night for Subbie, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

Emo, pop-punk and rock, plus extreme death metal and thrash in the back bar.

Octopussy

Shake It Up

No less than a DJ mastermind, known for playing marathon sets, mixing a junk-shop bag of sounds and bringing his beats to life with squiggly, scribbled animations.

Maggie May’s, 22:00–03:00, Free

Supernova (Umek)

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot.

Garage Wednesdays The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and classics with yer man Andy R, plus weekly live movie showings.

Thu 17 Nov Walk ‘n’ Skank Club 520, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

The Mungo’s Hi Fi crew in their official Glasgow residency, bringing you the very best in bass, natch.

One More Tune Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Eclectic anything-goes mix of tracks from the OMT crew.

Feel My Bicep Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Ready Ready Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

The best in new hip-hop and R’n’B with DJ Cool Master.

Flat 0/1, 21:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

The Rev Up

Rather ace gig-in-a-club night, headered by Edinburgh electro-synth tinkerers Discopolis. Plus the usual fine array of DJs, milk, biscuits and 75p cider.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

A night of pure vinyl grooving, of the heel-stomping 50s and 60s garage type.

Indie, rock and pop with resident DJ Jopez.

Born to Rumble The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Themed student night, complete with weekly twists and a bouncy-bloodycastle to boot.

Fri 18 Nov Crash Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £15

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Cathouse Fridays Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Riot Radio Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Fridays @ Flat 0/1 Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Indie rock ‘n’ roll, past and present.

Badseed Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro.

Argonaut Sounds Reggae Soundsystem (Riddimtion Crew) Blackfriars Basement, 23:00–03:00, £3

Killer Kitsch’s Duncan Harvey provides a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

The rather fine roots reggae happening welcome Sheffield’s Riddimtion Crew, who’ll be spinning roots, dancehall, ska, rocksteady and bashment.

Primitive Painters

Levels

Flying Duck, 23:00–03:00, Free (£3/£5 after 12)

Monthly indie-pop dance party playing anything good from twee-pop to acid rave. In the kitchen bar.

Nu Skool Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Power Tools Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Absolution

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Funk, soul and hip-hop with everyone’s favourite floral-shirted vinylist, Andy Taylor.

Propaganda

Fridays @ Bookclub

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul.

Saturday @ Bookclub

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a zesty mix of Italo, disco and house.

Rock, metal, dance and indie over two levels, with the inimitable residents manning the decks.

Old Skool

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese in the main hall, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

Supernova invite one of their favourite DJ to man the decks, he be Slovenian techno mastermind Umek.

Andy Robertson plays a mix of loveable pop, dance and hip-hop.

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul with Solar Disco’s Kev Stevens.

Sat 19 Nov Shed Saturdays

The Garage, 23:00–04:00, £5 (£3)

A mixed-up slice of everything, picking from genres of indie, underground hip-hop, R’n’B, and chart classics over four rooms.

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Bottle Rocket Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Indie dancing club, playing anything and everything danceable.

Subculture (Derrick Carter, Luke Solomon) Sub Club, 22:00–04:00, £12

Long-running house night with Harri & Domenic.

Death Disco (Jacques Lu Cont) The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £14

The last monthly club from the DD crew before they take an extended break looks set to be a goodie, with Stuart Price’s faux- Gallic alter ego illuminating the dancefloor with his 80s-inspired electro-synth.

Love Music O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and young Scottish duo Clouds, taking time out from their bedroomproduced techno.

Cathouse Saturdays Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

EDINBURGH CLUBS Voodoo Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

Thu 24 Nov

Rock,metalandindienightfortheunder18s.

Walk ‘n’ Skank

The Rock Shop

The Mungo’s Hi Fi crew in their official Glasgow residency, bringing you the very best in bass, natch.

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Rock, indie and golden surf classics.

Rip This Joint Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

I Heart Garage Saturdays The Garage, 22:30–04:00, £7 (£5)

Student superclub offering up a slice of everything from hip-hop to dance, funk to chart, and everything inbetween.

Club 520, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Derrick Does (Derrick Carter) Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Derrick Carter reappears after last night’s guest slot at Subculture, ready to hosts his new monthly residency.

Renegade Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Anything goes punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet, plus an allnew hip-hop bar on the side.

Sunday Roaster The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Feel My Bicep

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Cosmic and sweaty mix of 80s sleaze, house and disco.

Ready Ready

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 12)

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

The Danse Macabre regulars unite those two happiest of bedfellows, goth rock and, er, classic disco.

CMYK

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

The Homebass DJs are joined by local and international talent for an evening of electro and electronica.

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Emo, pop-punk and rock, plus extreme death metal and thrash in the back bar.

Counterfeit

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Indie, rock and pop with resident DJ Jopez.

Burn

Born to Rumble

Andy R plays chart hits and requests, past and present.

Tue 22 Nov Killer Kitsch Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Wild Combination Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, Free

Kilmarnock’s hairy disco legend, David Barbarossa, digs out some vinyl gems.

I Am (Mia Dora) Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa joined by the inimitable Thunder Disco Club.

JunkDisco The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

New weekly chart and electro takeover, with two ‘dress up chests’ and a live video feed.

Wed 23 Nov Juke Box

Shake It Up

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Themed student night, complete with weekly twists and a bouncy-bloodycastle to boot.

Classic Grand, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

New weekly student night for Subbie, with residents Ray Vose and Desoto joined by various live guests.

Octopussy The Arches, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot.

DJ Fresh The Arches, 19:00–03:00, £12.50

The D’n’B-meets-dubstep crossover sensation brings his first ever live show to the Arches.

Garage Wednesdays The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart and classics with yer man Andy R, plus weekly live movie showings.

Nick Peacock spins a fine selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

Power Tools

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Korben Dallas and Nushta Drognova play a zesty mix of Italo, disco and house.

Absolution

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

Tearin’ it up with 60s psych-outs and modern sleaze, provided by Rafla and Andy (of The Phantom Band).

Subculture (Harri & Domenic)

Love Music (Clouds)

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 after 11.30)

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Cathouse, 16:00–21:00, £4 (£2 members)

The Rock Shop

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Rock, indie and golden surf classics. DJ Jopez plays a choice selection of indie, rock, blues and funk.

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

I Heart Garage Saturdays The Garage, 22:30–04:00, £7 (£5)

Classic Grand, 22:30–03:00, £5

Student superclub offering up a slice of everything from hip-hop to dance, funk to chart, and everything inbetween.

Black Tent

Sun 27 Nov

Alternative rock, metal, punk and ska. Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £3

The Arches, 23:00–04:00, £14

An impressive line up for an auspicious occasion, featuring Vitalic and Chris Liebing

How’s Your Party? (Benga) Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £7

Propaganda (Peaches Geldof) Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Cathouse Fridays

Cathouse, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£5)

Rock, metal, dance and indie over two levels, with the inimitable residents manning the decks.

Riot Radio

Maggie May’s, 23:00–03:00, Free (£5 (£3) after 12)

Indie rock ‘n’ roll, past and present.

Shed Sundays

Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

The Shed’s regular weekend-extender.

Quids In

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Electro, funk and disco soundtrack, plus a chance to win the door fees.

Optimo

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £9

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Two rooms of chart, cheese and all the indie-pop requests you can think of.

Killer Kitsch Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Brand new mix of anything you ears want to hear, from resident DJ Gentleman Jonny.

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Misfits

Dubstep, breaks and bassline house from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

Coalition (Justin Martin) Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Cab Vol Stars (Maciej Pagowski)

Mon 07 Nov Mixed Up

Wed 02 Nov

New night programmed by, and featuring performances from, Cab Vol’s very own bar staff, plus some of their favourite local DJs.

Bangers & Mash

Sugarhill

Trade Union

Non-commercial blend of the best in rap, dancehall, R’n’B, soul and funk brought to you by Papa J Gunn and Black Diamondz. In Speakeasy.

Anything goes trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz (and their pals).

Devil Disco Club (Redhino)

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Fresh mix of funk, soul and hippity-hop.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Midweek student favourite of chart and cheese classics.

Electrosex Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Filthy electro mix from the resident masked DJs Phantom and TonyKeo, plus weekly performers and giveaways.

Slap Bang Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Emeli Sande The Caves, 19:00–22:00, £10

The deferred medical student does her richly melodic, classically powerful and retro-futurist R’n’B thing.

Witness (Seekae)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Cabaret Voltaire, 22:30–03:00, £5

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £5 adv. (£7 door)

DDC host part II of their birthday celebrations, with the one-man-show that is Redinho taking over the decks, serving up keys, synths, beats and talkbox vocals in one shiny-like-thefuture robo-electro whole.

Substance: 5th Birthday (Nathan Fake, DJ Pete) Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £10

For their birthday celebrations Substance present a very special headlining double bill, with electronica mastermind Nathan Fake sharing the decks with legendary DJ-cum-remixer DJ Pete.

Retro Catz

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good old 90s classics. Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Nu Fire

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherry-picked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Split Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Long-running D’n’B night from residents Beefy and Wolfjazz, plus a rotating collective of DJs.

I Love Hip-Hop Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of garage, dubstep and bassline house with residents Attic Kings and Blackwax.

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

Indigo

This Is Music

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Thu 03 Nov Octopussy HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot.

Soul Jam Hot

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Fresh mix of funk, soul and hippity-hop.

Evol

Bangers & Mash

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Sat 05 Nov

Wed 09 Nov The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Space Invader

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy R plays chart hits and requests, past and present.

Dubstep, breaks and bassline house from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

Bedbug (Jack Beats)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £10 adv.

Bedbug return with the kings of wobble, Jack Beats.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £5

The Danse Macabre regulars unite those two happiest of bedfellows, goth rock and, er, classic disco.

Xplicit

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Mon 14 Nov Mixed Up

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good old 90s classics.

Trade Union

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Anything goes trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz (and their pals).

Nu Fire

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 15 Nov

Heavy jungle and bass-styled beats from the inimitable Xplicit crew and special guest DJ Hype.

Jellybaby

Big Time

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)

New night playing all the best in old and new disco, funk, soul and rock’n’roll, handpicked by dapper chaps Gav & Jack. Plus pre-club bandaoke session.

This Is Music

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs.

Evol

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

Antics

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherry-picked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Split

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Long-running D’n’B night from residents Beefy and Wolfjazz, plus a rotating collective of DJs.

I Love Hip-Hop

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

Soul Jam Hot

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Fresh mix of funk, soul and hippity-hop.

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

Slap Bang

Propaganda

Bangers & Mash

Sick Note

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Genre-spanning midweeker with the residents playing a musical mish-mash, alongside rotating guests. In Speakeasy.

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Midweek student favourite of chart and cheese classics.

JungleDub

Bubblegum

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

The Cab’s flagship indie and electro favourite.

14p Party Wee Red Bar, 22:00–03:00, 14p

Eh, pretty much what it says on the tin. A 14p-entry club night, heavy on the dance.

MusiqueBoutique (Weekend Sun, Ordinary All-Stars, Patrick Topping, DJ Ali-T, Indra, DJ Jigsaw) The Caves, 22:00–03:00, £7

Propaganda

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Bubblegum

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and retro 80s classics.

Gasoline Dance Machine (Mustang)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £7

Residents special of classic Italo and straight up boogie allied with contemporary house and disco.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)

Dapper Dans Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The usual mix of disco, house and party classics from Picassio and D-Fault, with Decks FX and OSX.

Motion The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

New mash-up night of electronic fare with Johnny Junk-House at the helm, so expect fresh cuts and underground remixes a-plenty.

Kissy Sell Out (MC Cobra) The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £6

Radio 1 dance supremo Kissy Sell Out brings his huge AV and light show north of the border.

Retro pop stylings from the 50s to the 70s. In Speakeasy. Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

Messenger

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5 after 12)

Sweet reggae rockin’ from the original sound system.

Speaker Bite Me

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)

Brand new night from the Evol DJs that values all kinds of pop music, as long as it’s got bite.

Fake (Bus Daddy, Zombie Lover) Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

The breaks and techno crew present a special horror-themed night.

Pulse: 2nd Birthday

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £15

Party mix of funky house and electro, with the residents joined for their birthday celebrations by techno don Geen Velvet.

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night. HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and retro 80s classics.

Witness

Sick Note

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of garage, dubstep and bassline house with residents Attic Kings and Blackwax.

Indigo The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Slide It In (Nicola Walker)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Octopussy

Resident Wee Cheesy throws in mashups, chart-attacks and more mayhem that should really be allowed on the Sabbath.

Coalition

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Tease Age

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Art School indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Misfits

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Filthy electro mix from the resident masked DJs Phantom and TonyKeo, plus weekly performers and giveaways.

The notorious Magic Nostalgic ‘wheel’ takes on a new persona, picking a more alternative and underground selection with each spin.

Sunday Roaster

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Two rooms of chart, cheese and all the indie-pop requests you can think of.

Tease Age

Frisky

Thu 10 Nov

Cult rock hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s.

The Sunday Club

Killer Kitsch

Sat 12 Nov

The Egg

Cathouse, 23:00–01:00, £2 (£1)

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

Brand new mix of anything you ears want to hear, from resident DJ Gentleman Jonny.

Electrosex

Spin

Anything goes punter requests with DJs Mythic and Muppet, plus an allnew hip-hop bar on the side.

Go-Go

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Cathouse, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Renegade

Citrus Club, 19:30–22:00, £4

Live band karaoke session. Also gets you free entry to retro after-club, Planet Earth.

Midweek student favourite of chart and cheese classics.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Sun 13 Nov

Bandioke

Danse Macabre

Antics

Norwegian disco pioneer takes to the decks, most likely wowing all in his path with his nu-Balearic sound.

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Jellybaby HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 22:00–03:00, £8 (£12 after 12)

Underground Sunday

Tue 08 Nov Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Heavy Gossip Vs Ultragroove (Azari & III)

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Eclectic-themed monthly where guest DJs get to play whatever they damn well want (with all profits going to Oxfam). In Speakeasy.

New night with a cast of all-female DJs working their way through some sexy retro, complete with glitter balls, naturally.

Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

Fri 11 Nov Planet Earth

Bound For Glory

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3

Burn

Live graffiti event Secret Wars host the second of their semi finals. Conzo and Smug will be the ones doing battle with the black paint, fighting for a place in January’s grand final.

Soul Jam Hot

Go-Go

The Sunday Club

Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

Badass mix of indie, rock and electro. Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

Citrus Club, 19:30–22:00, £4

Live band karaoke session. Also gets you free entry to retro after-club, Planet Earth.

The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

Beep Beep Yeah

Mon 28 Nov

Secret Wars: Semi Final

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Two rooms packed full of Scotland’s and the North East’s finest musical and DJ talent, ranging from dancehall reggae to electro jazz.

Glasgow duo JD Twitch and JG Wilkes return with a one-off edition of their infamous party. Get excited, yeah?

Badseed

Slouch, 23:00–03:00, Free

I Love Hip-Hop

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

The Arches, 21:00–03:00, £20

Fridays @ Flat 0/1

Damnation

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Long-running D’n’B night from residents Beefy and Wolfjazz, plus a rotating collective of DJs.

To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Fantazia will be hosting their first event at The Arches since 1992, with a sixhour extravaganza celebrating all that’s great about the Scottish rave scene.

Rip This Joint

Killer Kitsch’s Duncan Harvey provides a soundtrack of funk, motown and northern soul.

Split

JungleDub

Connoisseur’s mix of vintage jazz, funk and soul. Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherry-picked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Fantazia: 20th Anniversary

Classic and underground disco, plus dusted-down old soul with Solar Disco’s Kev Stevens. Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Genre-spanning midweeker with the residents playing a musical mish-mash, alongside rotating guests. In Speakeasy.

Sub Club, 23:00–04:00, £10 (£5)

Rock,metalandindienightfortheunder18s.

Old Skool

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

Long-running house night with Harri & Domenic.

Voodoo

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Durty Booty

Sub Club, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £6

Fridays @ Bookclub

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Sub Rosa

Nu Skool

Punk, rock and metallic beats with DJs Billy and Muppet.

The HYP? crew welcome London dubstep producer Benga to the fold.

Resident DJ Otis Galloway plays hip-hop, breakbeats and funky Chicago house.

Hillhead Bookclub, 21:00–00:00, Free

Funk, soul and hip-hop with everyone’s favourite floral-shirted vinylist, Andy Taylor.

Andy Robertson plays a mix of loveable pop, dance and hip-hop.

Alternative pop from the 80s and 90s, with a bit of industrial dance and classic rock thrown in. Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, 23:30–03:00, £2

Saturday @ Bookclub

Cathouse Saturdays

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£6 after 11)

Wednesdays @ Flat 0/1

Subversion

Pop classics and a good dose of cheese in the main hall, plus hip-hop hits in the Red Room.

Crash

Pressure: 13th birthday

80s synth and funk with your hosts Dom and Darrell.

Shed, 22:30–03:00, Free (£7 after 11)

Fri 25 Nov

Indie, electro and anything inbetween with Pauly (My Latest Novel), and Simin and Steev (Errors).

Flat 0/1, 23:00–03:00, Free

Bandioke

Saturday night disco with Gerry Lyons and young Scottish duo Clouds, taking time out from their bedroom-produced techno.

Brand new midweeker playing a lively mix of house, funk and remixes.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

New mash-up night of electronic fare with Johnny Junk-House at the helm, so expect fresh cuts and underground remixes a-plenty.

Antics

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

The Hot Club

Taking Back Thursdays

Mon 21 Nov

The Garage, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Chart,discoandpartytunes.Can’tsayfairer.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £3 adv. (£5 door)

Maggie May’s, 22:00–03:00, Free

Space Invader

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Metal, industrial and pop-punk over two floors.

Full-on mix of nu-metal and hard rockin’ tunes, with yer man DJ Muppet.

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

A mixed-up slice of everything, picking from genres of indie, underground hip-hop, R’n’B, and chart classics over four rooms.

Jellybaby

Resident Wee Cheesy throws in mashups, chart-attacks and more mayhem that should really be allowed on the Sabbath.

Long-running trade night, with Normski, Zeus and Mash spinning disco beats.

Motion

Eclectic anything-goes mix of tracks from the OMT crew.

Danse Macabre

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £1

Sun 06 Nov Underground Sunday

Shed Saturdays

Buff Club, 23:00–03:00, £3

Shed Sundays Quids In

Fri 04 Nov Planet Earth

Sat 26 Nov

Sun 20 Nov The Shed’s regular weekend-extender.

Tue 01 Nov Jellybaby

The Garage, 23:00–04:00, £5 (£3)

One More Tune

The best in new hip-hop and R’n’B with DJ Cool Master.

Shed, 23:00–03:00, £2

Levels

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

The Cab’s flagship indie and electro favourite.

Pulse

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The Pulse residents return with their usual party mix of funky house and electro.

The Egg

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

Art School indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Mumbo Jumbo

Frisky

Party soundtrack of funk, soul, disco and house from Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin.

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot. The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

Sick Note Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

The Cab’s flagship indie and electro favourite.

Spin Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)

The notorious Magic Nostalgic ‘wheel’ takes on a new persona, picking a more alternative and underground selection with each spin.

Animal Hospital (Gabriel Kemp) Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Minimal and techno for cool kids.

Wed 16 Nov The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Electrosex

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Filthy electro mix from the resident masked DJs Phantom and TonyKeo, plus weekly performers and giveaways.

Slap Bang

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Genre-spanning midweeker with the residents playing a musical mish-mash, alongside rotating guests. In Speakeasy.

JungleDub

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

Witness

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of garage, dubstep and bassline house with residents Attic Kings and Blackwax.

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Indigo

The Den

Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

Electric Circus, 22:00–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)

Handpicked selection of jive, rock, blues and funk from the B-Sides DJs.

Bass Syndicate

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

The regular Edinburgh breaks and bassline crew takeover.

Rewind (Shuggy Bear, Stevie C, Mick Cool)

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £5

Rewind returns after their festival special, taking a journey back through the ages and digging out anthems from the last 40 years.

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Thu 17 Nov Octopussy

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot.

Frisky

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

Sick Note

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

The Cab’s flagship indie and electro favourite.

November 2011

THE SKINNY 59

EDINBURGH CLUBS Dave Arcari The Caves, 19:00–22:00, £7

Talented rocker playing a mix of slide guitar-driven blues and trash country.

Spin Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)

Saturday Night Beaver (Trendy Wendy)

Electrosex

Evol

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Lesbian and bi-friendly favourite.

Filthy electro mix from the resident masked DJs Phantom and TonyKeo, plus weekly performers and giveaways.

The Egg

Slap Bang

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)

Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

The notorious Magic Nostalgic ‘wheel’ takes on a new persona, picking a more alternative and underground selection with each spin.

Art School indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

Genre-spanning midweeker with the residents playing a musical mish-mash, alongside rotating guests. In Speakeasy.

Spare

Dr No’s

JungleDub

Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £5

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Danco and Kami play some hench beats.

Motion The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

New mash-up night of electronic fare with Johnny Junk-House at the helm, so expect fresh cuts and underground remixes a-plenty.

Live band karaoke session. Also gets you free entry to retro after-club, Planet Earth.

Go-Go HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

Brand new mix of anything you ears want to hear, from resident DJ Gentleman Jonny.

Misfits The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

Axis Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The Smiths Indeed

Big ‘n’ Bashy Vs Nasty FM (Mak Ten, Hyper MC, Lil Nasty, Darq E Freaker, Beatfreaks, Grayz)

Witness

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£4 after 12)

Pop and rock gems, taking in motown, 80s classics and plenty of danceable fare (well, the Beep Beep, Yeah! crew are on decks after all).

Wasabi Disco: 3rd Birthday (Fudge Fingas) Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

A heady bout of cosmic house, punk and upside-down disco in celebration of Kris ‘Wasabi’ Walker’s gem of a night turning the grand old age of three.

Musika The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£10 after 11.15)

The Musika residents showcase the cream of deep house and techno.

Sun 20 Nov Underground Sunday The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

Toe-tapping, soul shaking, blistering beats: job done. In Speakeasy.

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

Trash

The Sunday Club

Fine mix of rockabilly, handpicked soundtracks and good ol’ rock’n’roll.

Audacious (Eraserhead, Gizmode, King Tom, Lobotomist) Henry’s Cellar, 23:00–03:00, £4

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Two rooms of chart, cheese and all the indie-pop requests you can think of.

Killer Kitsch Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Hardstyle mix of breakcore, hardcore and electronica.

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Four Corners

Coalition

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

Soulful party fodder, from deep funk to reggae beats with your regular DJ hosts.

The Zombies The Caves, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

The classic-styled English rockers play as part of their 50th anniversary tour.

Kapital The Caves, 23:00–03:00, £tbc

Deep minimal techno fused with electronica.

Retro Catz Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)

New night with a cast of all-female DJs working their way through some sexy retro, complete with glitter balls, naturally.

This Is Music Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Indie and electro from the Sick Note DJs.

Evol The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, Free (£5 after 11)

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Sat 19 Nov Tease Age Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

Propaganda HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Bubblegum The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and retro 80s classics.

Gasoline Dance Machine Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £6

Residents special of classic Italo and straight up boogie allied with contemporary house and disco.

The Fence Collective Fifer does his solo acoustic thing, with support from chipper-pop fellow Fencers, Kid Canaveral.

Student-orientated indie night with guest DJs dropping by, this week being Bob Geldof’s middle sprog.

Damn Hot (The Players Association)

Wee Red Bar, 22:30–03:00, £4

Long-running indie, rock and soul night.

Doghouse, 19:30–23:00, £12

Dub, dubstep and jungle, from DJs across the Scottish scene.

Axis returns with three rooms full of electro, techno and dubstep offerings.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £3

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Sat 19 Nov Small Fakers

Danceable mix of ska, rocksteady, bluebeat and early reggae.

Pop Rocks

Citrus Club, 19:30–22:00, £4

Tease Age

Sun 13 Nov The Twilight Sad

Propaganda

Planet Earth

Bandioke

Sat 26 Nov

Thu 10 Nov Lacuna Coil

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Fri 18 Nov Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Anything-goes indie and alternative anthems: think Sonic Youth and NWA.

Thu 03 Nov King Creosote (Kid Canaveral)

Fri 04 Nov

Big ‘n’ Bashy takes on Nasty FM, taking you through the full spectrum of bass-heavy sounds.

Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

DUNDEE MUSIC

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Dubstep, breaks and bassline house from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

Mon 21 Nov Mixed Up

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of garage, dubstep and bassline house with residents Attic Kings and Blackwax.

Indigo The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

Indie, pop and alternative favourites, with the ever-present threat of the Ting Tings.

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 22 Nov Jellybaby HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

Chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Antics The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Alternative anthems, cherry-picked from genres of rock, indie and punk.

Split Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, Free

Long-running D’n’B night from residents Beefy and Wolfjazz, plus a rotating collective of DJs.

I Love Hip-Hop Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, Free

Selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be.

Soul Jam Hot Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Fresh mix of funk, soul and hippity-hop.

Wed 23 Nov Bangers & Mash The Hive, 22:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 11)

Midweek student favourite of chart and cheese classics.

60 THE SKINNY November 2011

Voodoo Rooms, 20:30–01:00, £5

Karnival

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Chart, indie and electro student favourite, with a bouncy castle to boot.

Frisky The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£8 after 12)

The residents spin the usual fine mix of deep house, funky techno, and everything inbetween.

Chart, dance and electro fare, plus punter requests all night long.

Dare

Sick Note

Disco-tinged 80s delights and eclectic electronica with yer man John Pleased Wimmin. In Speakeasy.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

The Cab’s flagship indie and electro favourite.

Spin Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, Free (£2 after 12)

The notorious Magic Nostalgic ‘wheel’ takes on a new persona, picking a more alternative and underground selection with each spin.

Ride Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Ride girl’s Checkie and Lauren play hip-hop and dance, all night long.

Motion The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £3 (£1)

New mash-up night of electronic fare with Johnny Junk-House at the helm, so expect fresh cuts and underground remixes a-plenty.

Fri 25 Nov Planet Earth Citrus Club, 22:30–03:00, £1 (£6 after 11)

Retro from 1970 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

Bandioke Citrus Club, 19:30–22:00, £4

Live band karaoke session. Also gets you free entry to retro after-club, Planet Earth.

Trade Union

Nu Fire

VEGAS!

Thu 24 Nov

Brand new mix of anything you ears want to hear, from resident DJ Gentleman Jonny.

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart, dance and retro 80s classics.

Octopussy

Go-Go

Anything goes trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz (and their pals).

The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

50s-themed fun with Frankie Sumatra, Bugsy Seagull, Dino Martini, Sam Jose and Nikki Nevada. Plus Vegas showgirls a-go-go, natch.

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good old 90s classics.

Bubblegum

HMV Picture House, 23:00–03:00, £3

Misfits The Hive, 21:00–03:00, Free (£4 after 10)

Chart, electro, indie-pop and alternative anthems over two rooms.

Sugarbeat Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£5)

Sugarbeat residents night with the usual hellraisers, Utah Saints and Vincent Vega.

Stacks Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £1 (£3 after 12)

The finest cuts of soul, funk, motown and good ol’ rock’n’roll with special guest Jamie Spectrum (of Motherfunk fame).

Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The Egg Wee Red Bar, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 after 12)

Art School indie institution with DJs Chris and Paul.

Soulsville Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £5

Swinging soul spanning a whole century with DJs Tsatsu and Red-6, plus live dancers a-go-go.

Magic Nostalgic Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 after 12)

Hotch-potch of tracks chosen by a spinning wheel. Expect anything from 90s rave to power ballads, and a lot of one-hit wonders.

LuckyMe (Hudson Mohawke, The Blessings, Eclair Fifi) Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £10

Homegame show for the globetrotting music, art and all-round party crew, with a rather special guest in tow. Two words: Hud Mo.

Madchester The Liquid Room, 22:30–03:00, £6

Indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.

Heavy Gossip Vs Ultragroove (Todd Terje) Hawke and Hunter Green Room, 22:00–03:00, £8 (£10 after 12)

Norwegian disco pioneer takes to the decks, most likely wowing all in his path with his nu-Balearic sound.

Sun 27 Nov Underground Sunday The Southern Bar, 19:30–01:00, Free

The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Two rooms of chart, cheese and all the indie-pop requests you can think of.

Killer Kitsch Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Playdate (Casper Clarke) Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, £3 (members free)

House specialists Stewart and Steven play, er, some special house, joined by a rather special set from London’s own Casper Clarke (aka the writer behind Fluokids, Bloggers Delight and High Horse).

Coalition Dubstep, breaks and bassline house from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

Doghouse, 19:30–23:00, £8

The Sad boys get back on the live circuit, performing a set cherry-picked from their new album No One Can Ever Know (due in early 2012).

Fri 11 Nov Shaun Ryder

Mon 14 Nov

Fat Sam’s, 20:00–22:30, £18

Somewhat of a legendary hellraiser, Ryder performs a selection of Happy Mondays and Black Grape classics.

Shaun Ryder

The Ocean Between Us (Fathoms, Sunset Squad, Empty Eyes, This Murder Of Angels) Dexter’s Bar, 19:00–22:30, £5

Beat Generator Live!, 20:00–22:30, £10

Somewhat of a legendary hellraiser, Ryder performs a selection of Happy Mondays and Black Grape classics.

Sat 12 Nov

Post-hardcore offerings from the Leeds five-piece. Part of Gigs For A Cure, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Wed 16 Nov Dave Arcari

The Sensational David Bowie Tribute Band

Doghouse, 19:30–23:00, £6

Doghouse, 19:30–23:00, £8 adv. (£10 door)

Er, a David Bowie tribute act.

DUNDEE CLUBS

Talented rocker playing a mix of slide guitar-driven blues and trash country.

Beat Generator Live!, 20:00–22:30, £6

Small Faces tribute act.

Sat 26 Nov The Pigeon Detectives Fat Sam’s, 20:00–22:30, £10

By the numbers indie-rock, chockfull of staccato and jangly guitar riffs intermixed with unassuming bass lines and hip-swaying beats.

Exit Ten (Fei Comodo, Never Means Maybe) Beat Generator Live!, 20:00–22:30, £8

Reading-based rock and metal crossover currently setting Kerrang’s pant on fire.

Wed 02 Nov

Wed 09 Nov

Wed 16 Nov

Wed 23 Nov

Dukebox

Dave Arcari

Dukebox

Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Brand new student night for Dundee, offering up quality music from across the genres (plus a good dose of pop and chart classics, as is only right).

Thu 03 Nov Disco Deviance Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Dicky Trisco and Dean Boogie do their darndest to melt the musical boundaries between disco, funk, electro and house.

Fri 04 Nov HEADWAY (Green Velvet) Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £sold out

The disco, house and techno beats spectacular, with a guest slot from Chicago house specialist Green Velvet (aka Cajmere).

Beartrap Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

Eclectic mix of art-rock, indie and punk.

City Life Duke’s Corner, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

The Duke’s residents spin an eclectic mix of funk, soul, disco and house.

Opto The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

Sat 05 Nov Mixed Bizness Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc

Rockin’ monthly Glagsow export, with a four-hour set from regular stalwart Boom Monk Ben.

Asylum Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

Alternative selection of rock, metal and punk.

On The Corner Duke’s Corner, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

Beat Generator Live!, 23:00–02:30, Free

Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

New night playing all the best in old and new disco, funk, soul and rock’n’roll, handpicked by dapper chaps Gav & Jack. Plus pre-club bandaoke session.

The ex-guitarist and songwriter from legendary punk band The Slits plays a solo set, as part of her debut Scottish tour.

The Sunday Club

Electronic music of all ages, for all ages.

Electric Circus, 22:30–03:00, £4 (£5 after 12)

Beat Generator Live!, 19:30–22:30, £8 adv. (£10 door)

The Duke’s residents play the best of disco, funk, hip-hop and house.

Bongo Club, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6 in fancy dress)

Big Time

Viv Albertine (The Creeping Ivies, Ghosts Of Progress, Hookers For Jesus)

Local acoustic acts followed by indie and alternative tunes from the Dream Sequence DJs.

Confusion is Sex (Mortar & Pestle) Glam techno and electro in a Boogie Nights/1977-styled party special.

Doghouse, 19:30–23:00, £10 adv. (£12 door)

The Smiths tribute act.

Doghouse, 19:30–23:00, £15

The Italian metalheads tour in support of their sixth LP.

Let It Rock

Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Doghouse, 19:30–23:00, £6

Brand new student night for Dundee, offering up quality music from across the genres (plus a good dose of pop and chart classics, as is only right).

Talented rocker playing a mix of slide guitar-driven blues and trash country.

Dukebox Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Brand new student night for Dundee, offering up quality music from across the genres (plus a good dose of pop and chart classics, as is only right).

Thu 10 Nov Disco Deviance Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Thu 17 Nov

Dicky Trisco and Dean Boogie do their darndest to melt the musical boundaries between disco, funk, electro and house.

Disco Deviance Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Fri 11 Nov The Book Club Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £4 (£6 after 12)

The regular DJs on rotation all night, covering genres of electro, disco, techno and anything else they damn well fancy.

Transmission

Fri 18 Nov Felt Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

City Life

The Duke’s residents spin an eclectic mix of funk, soul, disco and house.

Duke’s Corner, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

Opto

Opto The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

Sat 19 Nov

Sat 12 Nov

Locarno Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £5 (£7 after 12)

Spektrum Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £tbc

Showcase night for electronic DJs and producers from across the globe.

Asylum Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

Alternative selection of rock, metal and punk.

On The Corner

Rockabilly, doo-wop, soul and all things golden age and danceable.

On The Corner The Duke’s residents play the best of disco, funk, hip-hop and house.

Sun 13 Nov

Sun 20 Nov

Soul Cellar

Chilled Sunday mix of classic soul, funk, motown and dancefloor jazz.

City Life Duke’s Corner, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

The Duke’s residents spin an eclectic mix of funk, soul, disco and house.

Opto The Hideout, 20:00–02:30, £5 (£3.50)

Opto Records night, with guest DJs and live bands.

Sat 26 Nov Autodisco Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £5 (£7 after 12)

Asylum

Sun 06 Nov Chilled Sunday mix of classic soul, funk, motown and dancefloor jazz.

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

Celebrating the sounds of the futures of yesterday (aka forgotten retro classics and decadent Euro-pop).

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

Alternative selection of rock, metal and punk.

Monthly classic rock night with resident DJ Andy G.

Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Zazou

Asylum

The Duke’s residents play the best of disco, funk, hip-hop and house.

Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Reading Rooms, 22:30–02:30, £5 (£7 after 11.30)

Electro, funk and disco with your regular hosts Dave Autodisco and Dicky Trisco.

Duke’s Corner, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

Fri 25 Nov Ear-bleeding electronic beats ‘n’ bleeps with the residents and their handpicked guests.

City Life

The Duke’s residents spin an eclectic mix of funk, soul, disco and house.

Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Dicky Trisco and Dean Boogie do their darndest to melt the musical boundaries between disco, funk, electro and house.

Bleep

Indie, pop and hardcore with DJs Wolfie and The Girl. Duke’s Corner, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

Thu 24 Nov Disco Deviance

Dicky Trisco and Dean Boogie do their darndest to melt the musical boundaries between disco, funk, electro and house.

Indie dancing tunes, from retro-pop to eclectic rock.

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £4

Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Brand new student night for Dundee, offering up quality music from across the genres (plus a good dose of pop and chart classics, as is only right).

Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Chilled Sunday mix of classic soul, funk, motown and dancefloor jazz.

Kage, 23:00–03:00, £5

Alternative selection of rock, metal and punk.

On The Corner Duke’s Corner, 23:30–02:30, £tbc

The Duke’s residents play the best of disco, funk, hip-hop and house.

Sun 27 Nov Soul Cellar Duke’s Corner, 21:00–02:30, Free before 11.30

Chilled Sunday mix of classic soul, funk, motown and dancefloor jazz.

Mon 28 Nov Mixed Up The Hive, 22:00–03:00, Free

Request-driven night of pop-punk, chart, indie and good old 90s classics.

Trade Union Cabaret Voltaire, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Anything goes trade night with Beefy and Wolfjazz (and their pals).

Nu Fire Sneaky Pete’s, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Moving from hip-hop to dubstep with a plethora of live MCs.

For full listings go to www.theskinny.co.uk/listings or scan left

COMEDY GLASGOW Tue 01 Nov Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

Andi Osho: All The Single Ladies Highlight, 20:30–22:00, £9

The award-winning comic tours her second stand-up show, a brutally honest dissection of the perils and pitfalls of dating.

Wed 09 Nov

Wed 02 Nov

Andrew Lawrence

Wicked Wenches (Mary Bourke, Diane Spencer, Jen Brister)

A bit of a stand-up master, Lawrence brings his energetic comedic spewings to The Stand.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3 members)

All-female stand-up, with a suitably varied mix of headliners and newcomers.

Banter In The Buff (Graham Mackie, Micheal Redmond, Des Clarke) Buff Club, 20:30–22:30, £5

Selection of headline acts and rising stars on the comedy circuit. Hosted by Scott Gibson.

Thu 03 Nov The Thursday Show (Mark Nelson, Andy Sir, Diane Spence) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Fri 04 Nov The Friday Show (Mark Nelson, Andy Sir, Diane Spence) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

Lorraine Brown: Polyester Fiesta Tron Theatre, 22:00–23:30, £14 (£10)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

Thu 10 Nov The Thursday Show (Nick Revell, Dag Soras, Neil McFarlene) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Fri 11 Nov The Friday Show (Nick Revell, Dag Soras, Neil McFarlene) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

Sat 12 Nov The Saturday Show (Nick Revell, Dag Soras, Neil McFarlene) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Comedy Live (Kevin Gildrea, Janey Godley) Highlight, 20:30–22:30, £15

T H E AT R E Fri 18 Nov

Mon 28 Nov

Lee Nelson

Tue 15 Nov

Wed 23 Nov

The Friday Show (Graeme Thomas, Gareth Berliner)

The Impenetrable Click

Simon Brodkin’s alter ego, aka the chavtastic Lee Nelson.

Breaking News

Jo Caulfield’s Comedy Collective

Mon 07 Nov

Current affairs with a comedy bent, natch.

The Roxy 171, 20:00–22:00, £3 (£2)

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

The experimental comedy troupe bring their surrealist blend of sketches, stand-up and puppetry to Roxy 171.

Sat 19 Nov

Rob Deering’s Christmas Special

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

The Saturday Show (Graeme Thomas, Gareth Berliner)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Yes, a comedy Christmas special, with Deering musing over all things seasonal. Rejoice, etc.

Axis of Awesome

EDI N B U R G H

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew. Oran Mor, 19:00–22:00, £15

Australian musical comedy act that always proves a mega-hit at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Sun 20 Nov Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Chilled comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond.

Fresh Meat

Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

A mix of Scotland’s experienced acts test out some new material, alongside a selection of the finest up-and-coming talent Glasgow and Scotland has to offer.

Omid Djlili

The King’s Theatre, 19:30–22:00, £22.50

A firm favourite at the Edinburgh Festival, the Iranian comic brings his new show Glasgow-way.

Mon 21 Nov Improv Wars

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)

Improvised comedy games and sketches, with an anything-goes attitude.

Tue 01 Nov Wicked Wenches (Mary Bourke, Diane Spencer, Jen Brister)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3 members)

All-female stand-up, with a suitably varied mix of headliners and newcomers.

Wed 02 Nov Broken Windows Policy The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)

Skits and character comedy: fastpaced and a little anarchic. Just how we like it.

Beatnik Comedy

The Tron, 20:00–22:30, £3 (£2)

Weekly showcase of up-and-coming comedy talent, plus a selected headline act and a weekly art contest (with prize!).

Jimeon

Brunton Theatre, 19:00–21:30, £14 (£12)

Inspired ramblings from the standup Northern Ireland comedian and actor (aka Jimeon McKeown).

Thu 03 Nov

The tongue-in-cheek lounge singer presents her own homage to the king of synthetic fabrics, polyester. Dressing up encouraged. Part of Glasgay!

Mixed showcase of established and up-and-coming comedy talent. Doors 7pm.

Sun 13 Nov

A fine selection of up-and-coming comediennes showcase their wares.

Sat 05 Nov

Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Tue 22 Nov

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Red Raw

The Comedy Academy

Chilled comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond.

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

The Saturday Show (Mark Nelson, Andy Sir, Diane Spence) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Sun 06 Nov Glasgow Kids Comedy Club: Toybox Special The Stand, 15:00–16:00, £4

Jokes suitable for little ears (i.e. no sweary words), with an improvised Toybox special.

Robin Ince: Happiness Through Science The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

The Fringe veteran hosts a rather sweet blend of science and comedy, equalling learning and laughter for all.

Fresh Meat Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

A mix of Scotland’s experienced acts test out some new material, alongside a selection of the finest up-and-coming talent Glasgow and Scotland has to offer.

Steve-O O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

More stunts and general daftness from the Jackass chap.

Mon 07 Nov Benefit Night (Mark Nelson, Stu and Garry, Keir McAllister) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10

Comedy fundraiser in aid of Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. Hosted by Susan Calman.

Jason Manford SECC, 20:00–22:00, £25

Fresh Meat

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

The Thursday Show (Magnus Betner, Mary Bourke, Andrew Learmonth) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

The Shack, 21:30–23:30, £3 (£2)

A selection of up-and-coming Scottish comedic talent showcase their wares.

A mix of Scotland’s experienced acts test out some new material, alongside a selection of the finest up-and-coming talent Glasgow and Scotland has to offer.

Fri 04 Nov

The Thursday Show (Ron Vaudry, Mike Milligan, Ed Patrick)

The Friday Show (Magnus Betner, Mary Bourke, Andrew Learmonth)

Mon 14 Nov

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

Fri 25 Nov

Improv comedy troupe whose show is built entirely on audience suggestions.

Improv Wars The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £4 (£2)

Improvised comedy games and sketches, with an anything-goes attitude.

Tue 15 Nov Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

Wed 16 Nov Benefit Night (Gary Little, Antony Murray, Bruce Fummey, Asim Ali) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£5)

Comedy fundraiser in aid of Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. Hosted by Susan Calman.

Thu 17 Nov The Thursday Show (Frankie Boyle, Graeme Thomas, Gareth Berliner) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Tue 08 Nov

Bright Club

Red Raw

Brand new night for Glasgow, with a selection of comedic academics from Glasgow’s universities standing-up for your entertainment and enlightenment. You will learn stuff.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Oran Mor, 19:30–23:00, £13.50

Thu 24 Nov

Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

The Manchester television comic, stand-up and all-round cheeky chappie does hos solo thing.

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

Stand Out

The Admiral, 19:30–22:00, £3.50

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £8 (£7/£4 members)

The Friday Show (Ron Vaudry, Mike Milligan, Ed Patrick) The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

Sat 26 Nov The Saturday Show (Ron Vaudry, Mike Milligan, Ed Patrick) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Bill Bailey

SECC, 20:00–22:00, £29.50

Bailey tours his Dandelion Mind show, weaving his trademark musical interludes, observations and stories of the road into on jolly crowd-pleaser.

Sun 27 Nov Michael Redmond’s Sunday Service

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Chilled comedy showcase with resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond.

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

The Improverts

Bedlam Theatre, 22:30–23:30, £4.50 (£4)

Friday Night Live

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

New comedy-cum-club venue on the block, The Shack host their weekly Friday night comedy sesh, with resident host JoJo Sutherland introducing top new acts from across the UK.

Sat 05 Nov The Saturday Show (Magnus Betner, Mary Bourke, Andrew Learmonth, Fin Taylor) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Festival Theatre, 19:30–22:00, £24

Red Raw The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Benefit Night (Dan Nightingale, Ro Campbell, Jim Park, Gus Lymburn)

Tue 08 Nov

Comedy fundraiser in aid of Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. Hosted by Susan Calman.

Andrew Lawrence The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£8)

A bit of a stand-up master, Lawrence brings his energetic comedic spewings to The Stand.

Wed 09 Nov The Melting Pot The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4/£2.50 members)

Comedy sketches picked by the audience and performed by a troupe of actors and musicians.

Beatnik Comedy The Tron, 20:00–22:30, £3 (£2)

Weekly showcase of up-and-coming comedy talent, plus a selected headline act and a weekly art contest (with prize!).

Thu 10 Nov The Thursday Show (Phil Nichol, Steven Dick, Donald Mack) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

The Comedy Academy The Shack, 21:30–23:30, £3 (£2)

A selection of up-and-coming Scottish comedic talent showcase their wares.

Fri 11 Nov The Friday Show (Phil Nichol, Steven Dick, Donald Mack)

The Tron, 20:00–22:30, £3 (£2)

Weekly showcase of up-and-coming comedy talent, plus a selected headline act and a weekly art contest (with prize!).

Andi Osho: All The Single Ladies Highlight, 20:30–22:00, £9

Improv comedy troupe whose show is built entirely on audience suggestions.

Friday Night Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

New comedy-cum-club venue on the block, The Shack host their weekly Friday night comedy sesh, with resident host JoJo Sutherland introducing top new acts from across the UK.

Sat 12 Nov The Saturday Show (Phil Nichol, Steven Dick, Donald Mack) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Saturday Night Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

New comedy-cum-club venue on the block, The Shack host their weekly Saturday night comedy sesh, with resident host JoJo Sutherland introducing comedic faves from the scene (and occasional surprise drop-ins).

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Chilled comedy showcase for a Sunday evening.

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Edinburgh Playhouse, 20:00–22:00, £35.75

Bailey tours his Dandelion Mind show, weaving his trademark musical interludes, observations and stories of the road into on jolly crowd-pleaser.

Thu 17 Nov The Thursday Show (Ron Vaudry, Dan Nightingale, Bruce Fummey) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

The Comedy Academy The Shack, 21:30–23:30, £3 (£2)

A selection of up-and-coming Scottish comedic talent showcase their wares.

Fri 18 Nov The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

The Improverts Bedlam Theatre, 22:30–23:30, £4.50 (£4)

Improv comedy troupe whose show is built entirely on audience suggestions.

Friday Night Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

New comedy-cum-club venue on the block, The Shack host their weekly Friday night comedy sesh, with resident host JoJo Sutherland introducing top new acts from across the UK.

Sat 19 Nov The Saturday Show (Ron Vaudry, Dan Nightingale, Bruce Fummey, David Morgan) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Saturday Night Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

Thu 24 Nov The Thursday Show (Dave Fulton, Shelly Cooper) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £8 (£7/£4 members)

The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

Mon 14 Nov

Mon 21 Nov

A mix of Scotland’s experienced acts test out some new material, alongside a selection of the finest up-and-coming talent Glasgow and Scotland has to offer.

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?

Red Raw

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

Spain

26 Oct – 12 Nov, not 30 Oct, 31 Oct, 6 Nov, 7 Nov, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, £12.50

New play from young Edinburghbased writer James Ley, telling the story of an ex-pat Scot thrown into an existentialist crisis and forced to begin a long journey home. Part of Glasgay!

Intimate one-man show with Grant Smeaton at the helm, exploring where our sexuality begins and ends. Part of Glasgay!

The Shack, 21:30–23:30, £3 (£2)

The Friday Show (Dave Fulton, Shelly Cooper) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

The Improverts Bedlam Theatre, 22:30–23:30, £4.50 (£4)

Improv comedy troupe whose show is built entirely on audience suggestions.

Friday Night Live The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

New comedy-cum-club venue on the block, The Shack host their weekly Friday night comedy sesh, with resident host JoJo Sutherland introducing top new acts from across the UK.

Sat 26 Nov The Saturday Show (Dave Fulton, Shelly Cooper) The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £15

25 Oct – 12 Nov, not 30 Oct, 31 Oct, 6 Nov, 7 Nov, 7:30pm – 9:00pm, £12.50

Classic Grand The Tartan Army Goes Over the Top

4 Nov, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, £10

A rollicking musical tale of the tartan army’s exploits both home and abroad, and its impact on their wives, partners and pals.

Oran Mor Six and a Tanner

6 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £12 (£9)

The hugely powerful one-man show featuring David Hayman.

RSAMD Medea

8–12 Nov, times vary, £8 (£6)

Liz Lochhead’s adaptation of the classic Greek tradgedy, performed by RSAMD’s final year Acting students.

Dracula

10–12 Nov, times vary, £8 (£6)

Liz Lochhead’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire tale, performed by RSAMD’s final year Acting students.

Packed bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Scottish Youth Theatre

Saturday Night Live

Truant

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

Dorothy: Retiring From Retirement Festival Theatre, 14:30–16:30, From £14

Dorothy Paul dons her wee Glasgow wumman persona. Cue much ranting.

Dorothy: Retiring From Retirement

17–19 Nov, times vary, £4 (£2)

Challenging new piece of theatre, the result of interviews with people from communities across Glasgow, exploring family values, the challenges of modern parenting and the place of children in society.

The Arches Home Run

1–2 Nov, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £7 (£5)

One-woman play written and performed by Lisa Nicoll, looking at intricate themes of hope and dreams, letting go, and moving forward.

Festival Theatre, 19:30–21:30, From £16

Cabaret Chordelia

Sun 27 Nov

The Love Club: Day Of The Dead

Dorothy Paul dons her wee Glasgow wumman persona. Cue much ranting.

The Sunday Night Laugh-In The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Chilled comedy showcase for a Sunday evening.

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway? The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

Red Raw

Whose Lunch Is It Anyway?

Peter Nichols’ satiral, and oftheartbraking, comedy returns to Citizens Theatre, where it premiered way back in 1967.

The Comedy Academy

The Sunday Night Laugh-In Chilled comedy showcase for a Sunday evening.

1–5, 8–12 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, 5 Nov, 2:30pm – 5:00pm, From £10.50

Ch Ch Changes

Mon 28 Nov

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Citizens Theatre A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg

Handpicked selection of headline acts over a two-hour showcase. Hosted by Scott Agnew.

Sun 20 Nov

Chilled comedy showcase for a Sunday evening. The Stand, 13:30–15:30, Free

Weekly showcase of up-and-coming comedy talent, plus a selected headline act and a weekly art contest (with prize!).

Fri 25 Nov

Improvised lunchtime comedy favourite with cheeky chappies Stu & Garry.

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

The Tron, 20:00–22:30, £3 (£2)

Bill Bailey

Fresh Meat

Butterfly & Pig, 20:30–22:30, Free

Beatnik Comedy

A selection of up-and-coming Scottish comedic talent showcase their wares.

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

Bedlam Theatre, 22:30–23:30, £4.50 (£4)

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4)

A collective of musicians experiment with the medium of stand-up, under the watchful eye of Jo Caulfield.

The award-winning comic tours her second stand-up show, a brutally honest dissection of the perils and pitfalls of dating.

The Improverts

Prime stand-up hosted by Scott Agnew.

Sun 13 Nov

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£1 members)

Beatnik Comedy

The Friday Show (Ron Vaudry, Dan Nightingale, Bruce Fummey, David Morgan)

The Sunday Night Laugh-In

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £9

The Stand, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£9/£5 members)

Sun 06 Nov

Wed 16 Nov

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

Saturday Night Live

The Shack, 20:00–22:00, £9

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5/£3 members)

GLASGOW

8–10 Nov, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £9 (£7)

An evening of song and dance, sensuality and sumptuousness inspired by 1930s Berlin cabaret.

1 Nov, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £4

Markus Makavellian hosts an evening of music, spoken word, tea, cake and knitting, this time paying tribute to the yearly Mexican mourning ritual.

Crossing The Lines

3 Nov, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £3.50

Scratch-style event, in which all kinds of artists perform their version of contemporary texts.

Words Per Minute: Sex Special

13 Nov, 4:00pm – 6:00pm, £5

The Stand, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands roadtesting new material.

DU N DEE Sat 05 Nov Just Laugh Comedy Club (John Gillick, Ray Bradshaw, Steve Day) Fat Sam’s, 20:00–22:30, £tbc

Monthly comedy showcase, hosted by Nic Coppin.

The spoken word specialists that are Glasgow’s Words Per Minute crew host a one-off, strictly over-18s, sex-themed night, mixing words, live music, and performance of a decidedly sexy bent.

The King’s Theatre Dirty Dancing

1–3, 5, 8–10, 12 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, 4, 11 Nov, 5:00pm – 7:30pm, 8:30pm – 11:00pm, 5, 12 Nov, 2:30pm – 5:00pm, From £12.35

The cult 80s film revamped for the stage, cue Baby and Johnny, plus sexy dancing and hungry eyes.

November 2011

THE SKINNY 61

T H E AT R E Theatre Royal Seven For A Secret 3–5 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £13

Rambert Dance Company celebrate 85 glorious years with artistic director Mark Baldwin’s magical new work.

South Pacific 8–19 Nov, not 13, times vary, From £12.50

Edinburgh Playhouse Sister Act 1–12 Nov, not 6, times vary, From £22.50

Theatrical re-telling of the hit movie, in full singalong glory.

That’ll Be The Day 19 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £24

Modern reinvention of Rogers and Hammerstein’s classic musical, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra.

Rock’n’roll variety show featuring hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Tramway

22–26 Nov, times vary, From £24

Pass The Spoon 17–19 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £14 (£10)

Glasgow artist David Shrigley joins forces with award-winning composer David Fennessy for the premiere of their brand new performance piece, which they’re calling ‘a sort-of opera about cookery’. We’re sold.

Tron Theatre Edwin Morgan’s Dreams And Other Nightmares 2–6 Nov, 7:45pm – 10:00pm, From £7

World premiere of Liz Locheads’s new play, in which Edwin Morgan recounts a series of vivid nightmares to his biographer in his West End nursing home. Part of Glasgay! 2011.

Glue Boy Blues 2–12 Nov, not 6, 7, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £9 (£7)

Derek McLuckie’s rites of passage tale, recounted in swirling, psychedelic prose by a glue sniffing, ex-evangelical, secret Judy Garland fan, who falls helplessly in love with his two best pals. Part of Glasgay!

Blackbird 15–19 Nov, times vary, From £7

Unflinching portrait of two people trying to make sense of a painful past, as a paedophile comes face-to-face with his victim many year’s later.

various venues La Nuit Intime 14 Nov, 18 Nov, 19 Nov, times vary, prices vary

Immersive dance piece from Ballet Lorent, telling the seedy tale of an underground world where boundaries dissolve.

Hormonal Housewives various dates between 2 Nov and 26 Nov, times vary, prices vary

Smiley, smiley Carol Smillie and friends musing on the joys (and otherwise) of being a 21st Century woman.

Beauty and the Beast various dates between 15 Nov and 31 Dec, times vary, prices vary

Seasonal retelling of the classic lovecan-conquer-all tale, with added singing teapots.

Little Match Girl Passion 10 Nov, 11 Nov, 12 Nov, 22 Nov, 23 Nov, times vary, prices vary

Combining Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl and J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion in a powerful fairytale interpreted through dance and music.

Letters From America 15 Nov, 23 Nov, 24 Nov, times vary, prices vary

New works from two contemporary American choreographers, featuring Lay Me Down Safe (by Kate Weare) and Khaos (by Benjamin Levy).

EDIN B URGH Bedlam Theatre Immaculate 2 Nov, 2:30pm – 4:30pm, £4

Top Hat Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen star in Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger’s Hollywood dance musical hit of the 1930s.

Festival Theatre Alston 22 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, From £12

Showcase from choreographer Richard Alston, including his iconic 90s signature piece, Roughcut.

Nutcraker 2 Nov, 3 Nov, 29 Nov, 30 Nov, 1 Dec, times vary, From £12

Seasonal updating of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcraker, from Matthew Bourne (y’know, he who is tirelessly reimagining just about every classic in theatrical existence).

Jekyll and Hyde Gutterlane 11–12 Nov, 8:00pm – 1:00am, £9

Brand new monthly back street Victorian gin-addled night, filled with tantalising acts including burlesque beauties, circus amazement’s and freak show fantasies.

King’s Theatre Men Should Weep 8–12 Nov, times vary, From £14.50

The National Theatre of Scotland present their moving new production, an unflinching tale of hand-tomouth poverty in 1930s Glasgow.

Dr Marigold and Mr Chops 1–5 Nov, times vary, From £14.50

The inimitable Simon Callow brings to life two of Charles Dickens’ favourited one-man plays.

Star Quality 15–19 Nov, times vary, From £14.50

9 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £11.25 (£9.25)

Little heartwarmer of a true story, about one man’s single-minded determination to challenge the power-that-be to keep his family and his community together.

Nowwhatnow? 24 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £6

Platform of brand new dance work, with featuring artists including Andy Howitt, Alan Greig and Steinvor Palsson.

Declarations 25 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £17 (£13)

Renowned contemporary dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre present a mixed programme of four diverse works.

The Shoogle Project 26–27 Nov, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, £15 (£11)

Shooglenifty provide the live soundtrack for dance company Plan B’s foot-stomping live ceilidh performance piece.

The Curious Scrapbook of Josephine Bean

22–26 Nov, times vary, From £10

Colourful annual music-meetscomedy show performed by over 200 young things from the world of Scouting and Girlguiding.

Royal Lyceum Theatre 27 1, 4–5, 8–12 Nov, 7:45pm – 10:00pm, 2, 5, 12 Nov, 2:30pm – 4:30pm From £14.50

Abi Morgan’s deeply human new play about loneliness, ageing, science and the loss of our sense of self.

Traverse Kes

Strokes, Colour and Form

Collection of small-scale works, all 20x20cm in size, brought together by an open call for submissions to coincide with the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival 2011.

, times vary, free

Bringing together work by four members of the the late Margaret Mellis’ family, encompassing paintings, ceramics, and wood and metal constructions.

Compass Gallery The Force and Form of Memory , times vary, free

Selection of specially-commissioned works based on the theme of memory, created by over 70 invited artists from across Scotland and beyond. In aid of Alzheimer Scotland.

, times vary, free

Recoat Gallery Ramageddon , times vary, free

London based collective Church of Ram – a studio of designers, artists, and sculptors – travel up from London to install a mural, paintings, prints, photographs, 3D pieces, costumes, leather work and bikes in Recoat. Phew!

3 Nov, 5 Nov, 6 Nov, times vary, Free

Continuing with his exploration of sonic repercussion, Glasgow-based artist and musician Raydale Dower presents his latest sound installation piece which sees him, well, drop a piano from the ceiling of Tramway and record the unfolding cachophonic composition.

Trongate 103 Language For Sale , times vary, free

Collaborative Paris-based artists’ Louise Crawford and Stephan Gueneau present a series of works that explore signage and neon lighting, for which they recover obsolete signs and reconfigure them into wall pieces.

Soren Huttel: The Eclectic Is Now

, times vary, free

Reflection

The Barber Of Seville

New body of work from the visual Danish artist, created during his monthlong residency, exploring eclectism as methodology, for which he has created a large scale installation using UV black light and kinetic sculpture.

25 Oct, 15 Nov, 17 Nov, 19 Nov, 7:15pm – 10:00pm, prices vary

Scottish Opera’s popular production about a cheerful barber and his elaborate plan to unite young lovers, Rosina and Almaviva.

, times vary, free

La Nuit Intime

Flat 0/1

14 Nov, 18 Nov, 19 Nov, times vary, prices vary

Secret Wars: Semi Final

Immersive dance piece from Ballet Lorent, telling the seedy tale of an underground world where boundaries dissolve.

Live graffiti event Secret Wars host the second of their semi finals. Conzo and Smug will be the ones doing battle with the black paint, fighting for a place in January’s grand final.

Hormonal Housewives various dates between 2 Nov and 26 Nov, times vary, prices vary

Smiley, smiley Carol Smillie and friends musing on the joys (and otherwise) of being a 21st Century woman. various dates between 15 Nov and 31 Dec, times vary, prices vary

Little Match Girl Passion 10 Nov, 11 Nov, 12 Nov, 22 Nov, 23 Nov, times vary, prices vary

Combining Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl and J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion in a powerful fairytale interpreted through dance and music.

28 Oct, 25 Nov, times vary, prices vary

Gallery of Modern Art Alasdair Gray: City Recorder , times vary, free

Showcase of work from the celebrated Glasgow artist and playwright, focusing on his City Recorder series – a large body of work that Gray created as an ‘artist recorder’ for the City of Glasgow in 1977.

You, Me, Something Else , times vary, free

Examples of current sculptural practice in Glasgow, focusing on ten artists who are all at different stages of their international careers. Inludes work from Karla Black, Claire Barclay, and collaborative duo Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan.

Videodale 13 , times vary, free

DUNDEE Cooper Gallery A Cut, A Scratch, A Score

Dundee Rep Mary Queen Of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off various dates between 22 Sep and 5 Nov, times vary, prices vary

New production of Liz Lochhead’s acclaimed interpretation of the lives, loves and rivalry of two famed queens.

Going Dark 11–12 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £17 (£13)

Letters From America

62 THE SKINNY November 2011

Collins Gallery

Piano Drop

various venues

Innovative collaborative theatre company Sound&Fury return with another immersive surround sound performances, for which the theatre will be plunged into total darkness for a twinkly star-filled exploration of contemporary society’s lost connection with the night sky.

Project Ability Collected 2011

Showcase of artwork produced by offenders and patients in secure hospitals, selected from entries to the 2011 Koestler Awards – a charitable scheme dedicated to rewarding artistic achievement in the penal and secure sectors.

City Art Centre

A Play, A Pie And A Pint

10–12 Nov, 8:00pm – 10:00pm, prices vary

Double-header exhibition between Anna Barnham and Bea McMahon, who both employ video and drawing in their practice.

New body of work from French artist Lili Reynaud-Dewar, consisting of sculptures made of tinkered with found objects.

, times vary, free

Gayle Chong Kwan: The Obsidian Isle

Comic opera featuring Mezzosoprano Lore Lixenberg and dancer/ performance artist Adeline Bourret. Created to accompany the exhibition of the same name, currently showing at Cooper Gallery.

Afternoon session showcasing work from a selection of UK playwrights, this time with Paddy Cunneen’s Watching The Detective. Plus a pie and a pint, naturally.

, times vary, free

The Koestler Exhibition For Scotland 2001

EDIN B URGH

1–2 Nov, times vary, £15 (£11)

1–12 Nov, not 6, 7, 1:00pm – 3:00pm, £12

CCA Café Warp and Woof

Mary Mary Some Objects Blackened And A Body Too

David Dale Gallery and Studios

Magical tale for little ‘uns, where a scrapbook becomes a window into a secret world.

21 Oct – 5 Nov, not 23 Oct, 30 Oct, times vary, prices vary

Rob Evans’ retelling of the heartwarming tale of one wee boy and his best pal, Kes the kestrel.

GLA S GOW

Street Level Photoworks

26 Nov, times vary, £10

Seasonal retelling of the classic lovecan-conquer-all tale, with added singing teapots.

Exploring the emotions involved as middle-aged children negotiate the changes in their relationship with their parents, with testimonies from Alison Peebles, amongst others.

Calum’s Road

Exciting new work from Company Chordelia, combining dance, music and visual theatre in one tight psychological thriller.

Edinburgh Gang Show 2011

The Caucasian Chalk Circle

Brunton Theatre

20 Nov, 7:30pm – 10:00pm, £15 (£11)

Beauty and the Beast

Kin

Re-telling of Bertolt Brecht’s parable about a peasant girl who steals a baby, only to become a better mother than its natural parents.

Miranda

Golden Globe winner Amanda Donohoe acts the theatrical grand dame in Noel Coward’s satirical final play.

Quirky black comedy exploring how the modern world might cope with the arrival of the Second Coming. 8–12 Nov, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, £5 (£4.50)

A rt

15 Nov, 23 Nov, 24 Nov, times vary, prices vary

New works from two contemporary American choreographers, featuring Lay Me Down Safe (by Kate Weare) and Khaos (by Benjamin Levy).

An installation of ten large-format photographic prints of views which connect up to form a panoramic vista of a fictional island. Oddly magical.

The Briggait Fool’s Gold , times vary, free

Glasgow-based visual artist Janie Nicoll transforms the two glass box project spaces at the front of the Briggait building with vibrant installation works employing assemblage and collage techniques.

The Common Guild Thea Djordjadze various dates between 24 Sep and 26 Nov, times vary, Free

Solo exhibition from the Berlinbased artist, in which she’ll create new works for the grand domestic spaces at Common Guild using her wide-ranging sculptural forms.

The Duchy Simultan , times vary, free

Glasgow-based artist Alex Stallman creates a visceral sculptural installation incorporating vast canopies of material, illuminations and lo-fi ephemera, exploring the inversion of concepts and perspectives.

The Lighthouse The Architecture of Hope various dates between 29 Aug and 18 Nov, times vary, Free

, times vary, free

Exhibition highlighting contemporary art and craft being produced by a handpicked selection of Edinburgh makers, aimed at supporting local artists in the area.

Collective Gallery New Work Scotland Programme 2011 , times vary, free

Group offering from Rhianna Turnbull, Gordon Schmidt, Amelia Bywater and Christian Newby as part of the New Work Scotland Programme, giving Scottish-based graduates their first significant visual art project or commission.

New Work Scotland Programme 2011: Part 2 , times vary, free

Group offering from Florrie James, Joey Villemont and Oliver Braid as part of the New Work Scotland Programme, giving Scottish-based graduates their first significant visual art project or commission.

Dovecot Studios Inches Carr Trust , times vary, free

Exhibition celebrating the work of all of the makers who have received craft development bursaries from the Inches Carr Trust since it was established in 1996, including work from a selection of leading Scottish craft practitioners.

All Tied Up , times vary, free

Looped screening of a selection of artworks from Videodale 13, the 13th edition of the biennial festival for contemporary video art which is held in Germany, hand-chosen by the festival’s curator, Georg Elben.

To mark the 15th anniversary year of Maggies Centres, The Lighthouse present a comprehensive study of the architecture of these wonderful buildings, through an exhibition of beautifully-crafted models.

Bringing together work from a group of makers who excel in the craft of weaving, be that wool, silk, linen or cotton.

Glasgow Print Studio

The Mitchell Library

Jamie Primrose: Serene Impressions

The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts: 150th Annual Exhibition

Atmospheric collection of glistening Edinburgh waterscapes in oils and Indian inks from the collectable contemporary Scottish artist.

Alan Cameron , times vary, free

Series of screenprints which investigate notions of labour and colour, for which Cameron utilises the three primary colours to demonstrates how a subtle change in their placement can alter how we perceive them.

Unique and Original , times vary, free

Selection of unique and editioned work from a range of artists including David Sherry, Adrian Wisziewski, Neil MacPherson and Jo Ganter.

Glasgow School of Art

, times vary, free

One of the UK’s largest open shows, with around 400 works by leading contemporary artists as well as rising stars available to view and buy.

The Modern Institute Sue Tompkins , times vary, free

New body of work from Tompkins, responding as she does to a world where information, sound, and images blur into a flow or a flicker.

Mobile Solutions

Tramway

, times vary, free

Untitled (Ghost)

Bringing together a selection of mobile structures made by designers, architects and artists that are intended to journey out around communities and diverse contexts, from rural locations to urban environments.

, times vary, free

Israeli-born artist Elad Lassry showcases a selection of his highly-staged photographs and films, taking their reference from pop-culture and the origins of still and motion images.

Dundas Street Gallery , times vary, free

Ingleby Gallery

Such and Such

Alison Watt: Hiding In Full View

SEQUENCE

, times vary, free

New series of self portrait paintings, indirectly inspired by the imagery of photographer Francesca Woodman’s intense and dreamlike tableaux.

Inspace 2colours 26–27 Nov, 12:00pm – 8:00pm, £tbc

Callum Monteith: In Colour

Thomas Houseago: The Beat Of The Show

ECA graduate, and resident artist and Co-Director at Superclub, Callum Monteith presents a new series of paintings and photographs using the abstraction of landscapes as a basis for the study into our own relational perception.

, times vary, free

The first major outdoor exhibition of sculptures by British artist Thomas Houseago, comprising of new and recent large-scale works, mostly in bronze. Sculpture map available from Inverleith House reception.

, times vary, free

Reviewing the radical practice of the American artist, known for his use of technical and industrial materials. The exhibition brings together major sculptures, documentary material, photographs and sketchbooks.

, times vary, free

Talbot Rice Gallery

Andrew Kerr

Beholder

, times vary, free

New body of work from GSA graduate Andrew Kerr, featuring a selection of new and recent works. To be accompanied by a mini basement exhibition celebrating the life and work of avant garde filmmaker Maya Deren.

McNaughtan’s Bookshop Paint/Print/Page , times vary, free

A collective of contemporary artists showcase a diverse mix of media and ideas expressed through experimental book structures, including elements of calligraphy, screen printing, collage, laser cuts and painting.

Nobles Bar Analogique , times vary, free

Taking ‘beauty’ as the starting point, Talbot Rice have invited various artists, individuals and organisations to loan or nominate a work that they feel represents beauty. Viewers will then be invited to vote for the artwork they consider most beautiful.

DUNDEE Centrespace The Museum Of Loss And Renewal , times vary, free

Through a period of engagement with The Highland Hospice charity shops, and by working with donated artifacts, Tracy Mackenna and Edwin Jansseb investigate the significance of objects, material culture, life, death and recycling.

Edinburgh-based film photography collective Analogique present their inaugural exhibition, with new works appearing over the course of the exhibition, replacing those before them.

A Cut, A Scratch, A Score

Old Ambulance Depot

Comic opera featuring Mezzosoprano Lore Lixenberg and dancer/ performance artist Adeline Bourret. Created to accompany the exhibition of the same name, currently showing at Cooper Gallery.

If You See Something, Say Something , times vary, free

New series of etchings and screenprints from Liam Golden.

RSA Muse 29 Aug – 9 Jan, times vary, Free

Collection of RSA works concerned with portraying the female character and figure.

RSA Open 2011 , times vary, free

Saleable exhibition of small works sourced by open selection from artists across Scotland, which includes paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and photographs.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 29 Aug – 6 Nov, 10:00am – 5:00pm, £7 (£5)

Bill Bollinger

, times vary, free

Inverleith House

Hidden City: Edinburgh Uncovered

Fruitmarket Gallery

Superclub Ipso Facto New works by Richard Taylor and Ross Hamilton Frew that brings together eight months of correspondence between the pair, centred on the subject of collaborative practice through drawing.

Tony Cragg

Annual members’ exhibition celebrating some of Scotland’s best printmaking talent, with exhibitors offering new perspectives on Edinburgh’s urban landscape.

A temporary print workshop run by artist Rachel Barron, showcasing a unique apparatus that uses ink stamps to generate geometrical designs.

Collaborative project between international designer Jacob Birge and Inspace, combining fashion, sound design, graphics and visual installations over the course of the weekend.

Edinburgh Printmakers , times vary, free

, times vary, free

Retrospective of Liverpool-born sculptor Tony Cragg, known for his found-object and freestanding sculptural style.

The Scottish Colourist Series , times vary, free

The National Galleries of Scotland present the first of their Scottish Colourists Series with a retrospective of the work of F C B Cadell.

Sierra Metro WETODRY , times vary, free

Double-header exhibition between Laura Gault and Perri MacKenzie.

Cooper Gallery 21 Oct – 5 Nov, not 23 Oct, 30 Oct, times vary, prices vary

DCA Torsten Lauschmann: Startle Reaction , times vary, free

For Lauschmann’s largest solo show to date he uses automatons and cinema to play with the notion that we are capable of believing in things that have been proven to be false, with 3D glasses allowing exhibitiongoers to watch multiple films at once.

Generator Projects Generator Project’s Group Show , times vary, free

Generator present their winter group show, featuring work from Graham Kelly, Michael Kent, Laura Smith and Rebecca Wilcox.

Hannah Maclure Centre N55: Space Frame Vehicle , times vary, free

Art collective N55 collaborate with artist Till Wolfer for a unique and interactive design project that enables individuals to build their own vehicles for transportation of people and goods. Part of NEoN Digital Arts Festival.

The McManus Cecil Beaton: Queen Elizabeth II 30 Sep – 8 Jan, times vary, Free

Selection of Cecil Beaton’s portraits of The Queen, depicting her role as princess, monarch and mother.

MUSIC

CRYSTAL BAWS

A Muso’s Top 10:

Tom VEK

WITH MYSTIC MARK

Tom Vek spills the contents of his emergency musical medicine cabinet, should he find himself shipwrecked Words: Tom Vek

6. Ataride by Wagon Christ I was trying to pick something which represents my more electronic music influence and experience. The thing I like about this track is it’s quite undefinable but completely understandable, stabby synth parts, with a Funky Drummer style slightly drum and bass break and Squarepusher-esque bass line. I always DJ this track, this is what I’d have playing in my club on repeat. 7. Soma by Smashing Pumpkins This is my favourite track off my first “favourite album” Siamese Dream. A totally epic track, experimenting with the extremes of the grunge “quiet-loud-quiet-loud” approach, a total lullaby of a track. I’d be bummed not hearing Geek USA, the next track on the album though! 8. Arose by Thomas Newman (American Beauty OST) The American Beauty soundtrack and a great deal of Thomas Newman’s other film scores seem to resonate with me, and this track, from the dream sequence when a rose petal covered Mena Suvari is writhing around on Kevin Spacey’s bedroom ceiling is a truly beautiful piece of music.

1. Soft Serve by Soul Coughing This track will always remind me of summer, I think it’s one of the first songs that pulled me out of my grunge emo formative tastes when I realised it was a track that would make me feel happy and positive, that wasn’t naïve or irritating. Soul Coughing remain my all time favourite band, and this track really represents a blissed out jam that is definitely a go-to track in my musical medicine cabinet. 2. Right Here, RIght Now by Fatboy Slim I like it when I hear a piece of music that I really connect with outside of the genres I’m used to and when I first heard this track I was absolutely blown away by it. The orchestral sample is so perfectly treated and the repetition gives it an incredible hypnotic vibe, it’s what I always thought was a weakness in classical music, the lack of repetition, which is why when a classical sample is repeated it has an amazing effect on me. Whenever I hear this track it makes me think of all sorts of bigger picture stuff.

album Endtroducing... has a huge effect on me, and this track is the lynchpin of the record for me, such a haunting and hypnotising track, that also has this menacing purpose to it. It really educated me in the merits of sampling, looping and repetition of breaks, minimalism and deconstructing tracks, or making tracks out of whatever was needed not just what was in a traditional band setup. The end chorus, with the extra sample, just brings the track up to this crazy crescendo, really moving stuff. 5. Turn The Page by The Streets I have to admit that the first time I heard this song, when the low strings sample came in, I unexpectedly cried, and that’s the honest truth. As with some other tracks in this list, I feel honoured to get true lucid reactions from music. This track has such a great approach, it’s positive without being confrontational which obviously is a major theme in a lot of rap music. I think this is a true masterpiece, and a completely fulfilling listening experience.

9. Low Five by Sneaker Pimps Feels like it shouldn’t be that old but I remember recording this song off the TV onto my recordable walkman at the time and listening to it on loop. It’s an example of an excellent pop song, completely catchy and concise while having some of the best and interesting production going. 10. A Chore (Tom Vek’s re-edit) by Tom Vek A little pretentious to have one of my own tracks but if I was truly deserted I think I’d need something, considering how much I listen to. I’m fond of this rework because it allowed me to explore the cut-up remix approach I was finding so desirable about a lot of great cross-over club music of recent years (Ed Banger etc..) that doesn’t occur in my music ordinarily, although it’s moving that way. Anyway, I just really like the wall of noise in this track, lovely slab of undefinable tuneful mess, good loud on headphones. Tom Vek plays The Arches, Glasgow on 10 Nov www.tomvek.tv

3. Souvenir by Cable Due to the fact that I grew up on grunge and guitar music, I developed a taste for a more angular post rock, abrasive yet angularly melodic stuff, and to me, the British band Cable were the perfect blend of all this while seeming thoroughly modern in how cynical and wry the lyrics were without being pretentious. This track I remember from auditioning the album on a listening post in my local Tower Records, finding it quite harsh and then not being able to get it out of my head for two days and rushing back to the shop to purchase it. This track opens the album When Animals Attack which is my favourite guitar record of all time. 4. Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt by DJ Shadow Like many others the DJ Shadow

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR You commence November still wriggling on that spike you fell on in October like a grub on a hook, desperately trying to reach your mobile phone with your toes to ring an ambulance, the police, your mum...anyone!

TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY Purchasing that diamond-encrusted 6ft “Lucky Cat” from a Chinese supermarket proves to be one of the wisest decisions you ever made. First you inherit an aquatic reserve full of bulimic whales who gleefully barf up a tonne of precious ambergris every hour. Secondly the Germans wire the Greek bail-out fund into your current account by mistake.

GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN You love the sound sheep make when you bring them to a leg-shaking, teethprotruding orgasm.

CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Making enforced small talk about what you do the RBS teller never expects a whispered confession that by night you don a rubber crab suit and rid the streets of evil-doers. Furthermore, you are hot on the stinking trail of your arch nemesis Gastro, a diabolical super-tramp who keeps staggering in and defecating in your close.

LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG After getting caught ogling the Playboy constellation by Venus, love-rat Mars is ejected from the Solar System by protective Jupiter. Back on Earth, in a bid to reignite your flaccid libido with alternative remedies you recycle your homeopathic Viagra by drinking your own piss.

VIRGO 24 AUG – 23 SEP Your aura is made out of chunky brown bovine energy.

Cable

LIBRA 24 SEP – 23 OCT That new job’s not all it’s cracked up to be and has you ageing faster than someone who’s swigged from the wrong Holy Grail. Like Nick Clegg, for example.

SCORPIO 24 OCT – 22 NOV Standing in the shower fully-clothed with all the lights off pretending you’re in a sinking submarine is not a healthy way to spend your days off.

SAGITTARIUS 23 NOV – 21 DEC

November finds you deeply moved by a co-worker’s chronicles of scaling Mt. Everest for charity, about the scene he beheld below; a breathtaking carpet of cloud, the curvature of the Earth visible. You always wanted to drink in the majesty and wonderment of such a profound sight with your own eyes, it’s just you can’t be arsed.

CAPRICORN 22 DEC – 20 JAN

Your cock and balls are a ball and chain. Chop them off. AQUARIUS 21 JAN – 19 FEB You still believe the Queen isn’t a shape-shifting lizard wearing a badly-fitting human suit. That’s fine, I’m not judging you, all I’m asking is that you open your eyes and WAKE THE FUCK UP!

PISCES 20 FEB – 20 MAR A strange happiness engulfs you as Neptune enters your sign. Meanwhile the hitherto undiscovered alien entities inhabiting Neptune spawned in the month of November dismiss the fact that Earth is currently entering their signs. Their swollen, pulsating brain lobes and cortical sacs allow their kind to be unaffected by the bassy waves of psychic scat interminably woofering from Earth.

November 2011

THE SKINNY 63

CONCERT IN THE GARDENS

SATURDAY 31 DECEMBE R 2011 PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

STREET PARTY

DJ SET

PEA TBO G FAE RIES JAYM O & AN DY GE OR GE DJ SE T

C A P E R C A IL LI E

THE CUBAN BROTHERS

FRISKY & MANNISH

and introducing

THE GREAT CALVERTO THE KEILIDH

THE SENSATIONAL JIMI SHANDRIX EXPERIENCE

KASSIDY

X FACTOR’S JADE RICHARDS

HUGH MCDIARMID’S HAIRCUT

FULL LINE-UP TO BE ANNOUNCED

CEILIDHDONIA

BIGGEST EVER LINE-UP OVER SEVEN LIVE MUSIC STAGES, MIDNIGHT FIREWORKS, WORLD'S BIGGEST AULD LANG SYNE, OUTDOOR BARS AND MUCH MORE!

TICKETS FOR ALL EH2011/12 EVENTS ARE AVAILABLE NOW FROM: www.edinburghshogmanay.com or phone 0844 573 8455 IN PERSON FROM: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Box Office, The Fringe Shop, 180 High Street OR: Tickets Scotland Edinburgh & Glasgow and Ripping Records Edinburgh Funded by

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