The Skinny Scotland February 2015

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CULT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

Scotland Issue 113 February 2015

MUSIC Ibeyi Tombed Visions BADBADNOTGOOD John Carpenter

FILM Glasgow Film Festival Mia Hansen-Løve Peter Strickland Céline Sciamma

CLUBS Rødhåd Egyptrixx Ben Sims

ART Rachel Levine David Eustace Matthew Arthur Williams

FASHION Igor Termenón

BOOKS Helen Fitzgerald

TRAVEL SPECIAL Travel Writing Competition Winners International Events Calendar 2015 The Touring Network

Back from the brink

MUSIC | FILM | CLUBS | THEATRE | TECH | ART | BOOKS | COMEDY | FASHION | TRAVEL | FOOD | DEVIANCE | LISTINGS

THE GODDESS OF GIN HAS RETURNED.

DAFFYSGIN.COM

P.32 Matthew Williams

P.41 BADBADNOTGOOD

February 2015 I N DEPEN DENT

CULTU R AL

JOU R NALI S M

Issue 113, February 2015 Š Radge Media Ltd. Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 3 Coates Place, Edinburgh, EH3 7AA The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business.

Get in touch to find out more.

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

Printed by Mortons Print Limited, Horncastle ABC verified Jan – Dec 2013: 32,104

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Music & Deputy Editor Editorial Assisstant Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Deviance Editor Events Editor Fashion Editor Film & DVD Editor Food Editor Games Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor Intern Production Production Manager Lead Designer Sales Commercial Director Sales Executives

printed on 100% recycled paper

General Manager Chief Operating Officer Publisher

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Contents

Rosamund West Dave Kerr Will Fitzpatrick Adam Benmakhlouf Alan Bett Ronan Martin Tasha Lee Anna Docherty Alexandra Fiddes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Darren Carle Emma Ainley-Walker Paul Mitchell Kate Pasola Nick Holt Eve Somerville Sigrid Schmeisser Nicola Taylor Tom McCarthy George Sully Claire Collins Kyla Hall Lara Moloney Sophie Kyle

THE SKINNY

Credit: Nele Anders

Photo: Kirstin Kerr

P.24 Travel Writing Competition

Photo: Matthew Williams

P.47 Dressin Red

Contents

LIFESTYLE

32

Showcase: Appropriately for this travel special, our Showcase takes the form of a travel journal. “Travel is one of the themes I carry with me – this outsider looking in,” says photographer Matthew Arthur Williams.

34

Deviance: You’ve heard of sleepwalking, right? What about sleepshagging? We thought not. We find out more. Plus, one writer has a go at Plato and his theory that we all want to be like the self-satisfied, two-faced octo-humans of old.

35

Fashion: Glasgow remains the background for Igor Termenón’s fashion shoots – the Spanish-born photographer discusses Scotland’s influence on his work.

36

Food & Drink: The sandwich is back, apparently, and this time it’s art.

Phagomania discusses scanning your lunch against the backdrop of sarnie capital New York.

06 Chat & Opinion: Marvel at the subtle-

ties buried in another Spot the Difference; gasp at the soothsaying power of those Crystal Baws; amaze yourself with lastminute essentials in Stop The Presses

08 Heads Up: Succesfully escaped from

January’s wretched clutches? Excited by your rediscovered ability to spend?

Then why not plan the month ahead with our handy cultural calendar?

FEATURES

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Back after a five year break, Idlewild’s Roddy Woomble and Rod Jones share their musings on changing times and how to deal with back catalogue embarrassment.

Twin French-Cuban prodigies Ibeyi talk family history as they trace the paths that led them to work with XL Recordings’ head honcho Richard Russell.

15

Director Peter Strickland continues to defy expectations with sadomasochistic love story the Duke Of Burgundy; meanwhile Berlin techno producer Rødhåd ponders the dystopian and architectural nature of his influences.

16

David Psutka takes time out from his Egyptrixx schedule to get to grips with his new album, and the transcendental elements of club music.

18

Tales of Parisian sisterhood, esoteric horror gems, French Touch DJs… the Glasgow Film Festival presents its usual plethora of must-see cinematic wonders. We get to grips with the pick of the bunch.

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Rachel Levine picked up The Skinny Award at RSA New Contemporaries 2014 – she tells us all about her forthcoming show Soft Chaos. We also chat to David Eustace about creative control, ahead of his solo exhibition at The Scottish Gallery

39

Music: Tombed Visions founder David McLean mops up this month’s New Blood; Punch Brothers deliver a (wait for it) knock-out performance; plus excellent new records from Father John Misty, Screaming Females and BADBADNOTGOOD, among others.

46

Clubs: A DJ Chart from ageing B-boy Ben Sims, words with Glasgow producer Dressin’ Red and Ninja Tune producer Romare, plus all the Scottish clubbing highlights for February.

49

Comedy: Aussie comic Brendon Burns tells us why he’s eschewing the conventional comedy circuit on his latest tour.

50 Film: Coming to the big screen this

month: the (unjustly) Oscar-snubbed Selma, older generation love story Love Is Strange, and terrifying STD horror It Follows.

51

DVD/Books: You’ve a chance to catch up with the likes of Fury and Mr Turner in the comfort of your front room, and add classics Two For the Road and Spring in a Small Town to your DVD collection. In Books, meanwhile, there’s the new novel from the multi-talented Miranda July and Pulitzer-prize-winner Anne Tyler.

52

Theatre: As Slab Boys returns to the Citz, we take a closer look at John Byrne’s iconic play. Plus reviews of Macbeth and Faith Healer.

53

Art: In review – Craig Mulholland at Queens Park Railway Club and Futureproof at Street Level, as well as our monthly exhibition highlights column.

Does ‘taboo’ feature in Helen Fitzgerald‘s lexicon? We explore the darkness at the root of her new novel The Exit.

TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT

24

REVIEW

We asked you for your travel stories, and you responded in droves. Read the winner of our inaugural Travel Writing Competition, Damien Cifelli, who has, shall we say, a rather unconventional take on the genre – plus some of the best runner-up entries.

26

With this International Travel Calendar you’ve a handy one-stop-shop guide to the year’s cultural highlights beyond Blighty.

54

Competitions: WIN! Dinner for two and a pair of tickets to Touring Network shows across the nation. OR tickets to Return to Forbidden Planet.

29

Linking up arts venues outside the central belt, The Touring Network takes theatre and music to diverse audiences across the nation.

55

Listings: Look at all these great things you can do now you’ve given up pretending you’re going to be a better person this year.

63

Last Word: The master of horror John Carpenter on his new album.

February 2015

Contents

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Editorial Y

ou’ll find a lot of publications like to embrace the concept of romance and love in February, as a nod to that old Valentine’s Day we’ve been hearing so much about. Not us, though. We’re against that sort of thing. The closest you’ll come to suggestions for how to treat your paramour this year is a treatise in Deviance arguing that the concept of the soulmate is a pile of old baws, alongside an article on the first hand experience of sexsomnia (sleep shagging, people – harrowing).

This is romance at its finest, I’m sure you’ll agree.

On our cover this month we have the return of your favourites Idlewild (see album of the last decade public vote for confirmation of this accolade), back from five years in the wilderness with new album Everything Ever Written. They’ve done us the honour of an exclusive interview on these pages, and also shared an exciting project in the form of seven live videos of the band in session performing tracks from each of their seven albums. They’ll be released via our site over the period of a week, kicking off on Tuesday 10 February – seven tracks from seven albums over seven days. Poifect.

Elsewhere in Music, Franco-Cuban twin prodigies – and our Northwest edition’s cover stars – Ibeyi talk family, musical histories and Yoruba as they prepare to unleash their selftitled debut. Horror meister John Carpenter has some words with our Music ed, celebrating the release of his new improvised album, Lost Themes; Tombed Visions’ founder David McLean discusses the label’s current activity and his own multiple recording guises; and Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD talk to us about infiltrating the rap world and collaborating with Ghostface Killah.

This month also marks our first Travel supplement, and the unveiling of the winners of our inaugural Travel Writing Competition. We had a deluge of entries sharing a wealth of experience from the startlingly intimate (thanks for telling us about vomiting on a prostitute in Amsterdam, that guy) to the touchingly mundane (many tales of getting the bus) to the downright insane (drunkenly smashing up a Peruvian village’s toilet, anyone?) You can read a selection of our

favourites on p24, and also find out who is the ultimate victor. The Travel special continues with a calendar outlining our team’s picks of the best international events for 2015, and ends with a look at travel closer to home with an interview with Scotland’s Touring Network, joining up rural venues to allow artists to tour to far flung locations across the nation.

You’ll find a number of references to the fact that the end of January signals the end of the Christmas-induced austerity and the crucial acceptance of the insanity of New Year self improvement in this issue, alongside much excitement at the reawakening of the cultural scene after its midwinter slumber. In Art, 2015’s exhibitions programme kicks off with one of our own, as last year’s The Skinny Award winner from RSA New Contemporaries, Rachel Levine, arrives in CCA’s Intermedia gallery with Soft Chaos, a show of new work created in part on residency in Canada’s Rocky Mountains. Turn to p21 to find out more, and also to read some words with photographer David Eustace, a local boy turned international creative who’s back in the capital with his first UK show this month. We have more photography of the travelling kind in our Showcase, as Manchester-educated, Glasgow resident snapper Matthew Williams shows us his pics.

Last, but by no means least, Film! It’s a big month in the Film section, as Glasgow Film Festival rock up with another excellent programme branching from cinema into music into art with a nod to emergent horror genres, also the (inevitably sold out) cat video bonanza. Our team will once again be loitering around Glasgow Film Theatre gathering news, reviews and interviews for our very own CineSkinny, a guide to the festival that you can pick up for free from Wednesday 18th. In the meantime, you can whet your appetite with our guide to the top ten events of the programme plus some words with Mia Hansen-Løve and a closer look at a new, cerebral horror genre.

Finally, in important news, our Food section has informed us that 2015 is The Year of the Sandwich. To avoid missing out, turn to p36 and find out why. [Rosamund West]

Spot the Difference

The Glasgow Short Film Festival has revealed the details of its 2015 programme, the first to take place outside the main Glasgow Film Festival.

It opens with Vertical Cinema, a screening of ten specially-commissioned works displayed on 35mm film projected vertically rather than in the traditional landscape format at The Briggait.

Misery Guts, the new film by The Skinny Short Film Award-winner Rory Alexander Stewart, will get its premiere at CCA, alongside Rory’s winning film from 2014, Good Girl, and some of the best runners-up from last year’s competition.

Elsewhere, Hamburg-based film collective A Wall Is A Screen offers a short film-packed guided tour around Glasgow, Still Game’s Greg Hemphill presents the Short Com showcase of comedy shorts, and Strange Electricity at The Glue Factory features a showing of clubbing documentary Sähkö the Movie followed by sets from Golden Teacher and JD Twitch. GSFF also host the UK premiere of Midwestern filmmaker and artist Jennifer Reeder’s most recent film, Blood Below The Skin, in the International Competition, and to celebrate they've curated a mini-retrospective of her work, which channels the likes of Miranda July and David Lynch. The 2015 Glasgow Short Film Festival runs from 11 to 15 March; get the full programme and ticket information at glasgowfilm.org/gsff Showcasing Scotland in Austin, Texas returns in March. The Twilight Sad, Hector Bizerk, Dave Arcari, Fatherson, Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire, United Fruit and Holy Esque will all feature in Creative Scotland’s annual event at South by Southwest. Looking ahead to this year's festival, Marco Panagopoulos of United Fruit said: “We are aiming to meet like-minded individuals who enjoy our sound and are willing to help us and our music reach as many people across the world as possible.” The seven selected acts will receive funding for their trip to the music and creative arts festival, which takes place at venues across Austin, Texas from 17-22 March.

TWO LORISES Yo, look at these two tickled slow lorises! Lories?

Lorii? Loriseseses? Whatever. This month we’re offering one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of Get in Trouble by Kelly Link, courtesy of our good loris friends at Canongate. For your chance to be the ultimate triumphant winner of all time, head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and tell us what defining feature separates these two tickled/tortured lorises from each other.

Competition closes midnight Sun 1 Mar. Winners will be notified by email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Full Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions

BEST IN SHOW: RABBIT V HIPPO Here are just a few of our favourite responses to our Christmas issue’s lagomorph-based conundrum. If you’ve some animals you’d like us to spot the difference between, email them to pics@ theskinny.co.uk

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Chat

Stag & Dagger presents Live At Glasgow.

Django Django, The Thurston Moore Band and Honeyblood are among the first bands announced for the inaugural Live at Glasgow all-dayer this May. Glasgow garage rockers Jim Valentine, Californian two-piece Moon Duo and Danish punks Iceage will join them, along with JP Cooper, Laura Doggett, Palace, White and Tobias Jesso Jr. The event, which follows in the footsteps of the Stag & Dagger festival, will take place at ten venues across central Glasgow on Sun 3 May. Tickets go on sale on Thu 29 Jan via liveatglasgow.com V&A Dundee: Design in Motion. Ahead of the long-anticipated opening of the V&A Museum of Design Dundee, and hot on the heels of the city being awarded the first ever UNESCO City of Design, the V&A are piling a wealth of contemporary art into an impressive custom-built busgallery and touring it all over Scotland, in partnership with the Travelling Gallery. The exhibition will showcase seven leading designers currently working with digital technology within games, product, jewellery, fashion, and textiles. Kicking off in Dundee on February 13, the journey will stop by 80 locations, urban, rural, and out-ofthe-way, including secondary schools, art colleges, museums, community centres and libraries, finishing in London in June.

V&A Dundee are also teaming up with eeGeo, a Dundee-based 3D-mapping development outfit, to produce the Design Scotland app, free to download for iOS and Android from 13 Feb. The app will allow you track the tour as it happens using tailor-made 3D-mapping technology, and with a social angle too: you’ll be able to pin your favourite designers and their work, and participate in discussions about Scotland’s rich and varied design heritage. To find more about when the Travelling Gallery is near you, check out vandadundee.org (Dundee 13-27 Feb, Edinburgh 2-13 Mar, Glasgow 18-22 May)

Question: Can you spot the difference between these two rabbits?

Answers: – “The rabbit on the left is a domesticated pet bred for its festive fur coat and distinctive St Nick hat. The rabbit on the right has escaped from its owners and gone feral – no longer confined by urban spaces it has grown to gargantuan size.” (AM) – “Hmmmm, one appears to be a bunny rabbit and the other is Reginald Perrin's mother-in-law.”

(HM) – “The one on the right is wearing lip gloss.” (GH) – “Essentially they are the same, but the one on the left has a golden helicopter rotor sticking out of its arse.” (SW) – ”Neither are cats but both wear hats, in the absence of mats, both prefer other surfaces” (anon) “Sorry, but the one on the left is in fact the legendary Esquilax.” (IS) – "Is it that one is a dog?"

– "No, I can't."

THE SKINNY

THIS MONTH'S COVER Mihaela Bodlovic is an Edinburgh-based photographer specialising in the performing arts, portraiture and events.

She is interested in images that capture a moment of action, a glimmer of an expression that lasts barely long enough to leave its mark on the camera and the people around it.

She is passionate about live performance, and enjoys theatre that affects its audience. In her work, she strives to capture a connection between the spectator and the performer. You can see more at aliceboreasphotography.com

Shot Of The Month

Crystal Baws With Mystic Mark

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Ibeyi, Photographed in London by Nuria Rius

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TAURUS With the onslaught of winter your chakra energy bills are going through the roof. To try and save money you put your vibrational frequencies on a timer but with two bills still outstanding your guru demands full payment or he’ll send round the spirit bailiffs to repossess your soul and sell it at auction.

GEMINI Whatever race you are don’t try to race ahead in the rat race. Instead try to be a member of the human race, racing in a car.

CANCER This month you forget to, erm, do that thing.

LEO Sometimes you can’t help but think how much easier things would be if only you weren’t trapped inside a storage container at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

VIRGO Your teen prodigy son feverishly completes his Naked Lady Across the Road Observatory (NLARO) on the roof of your home in February. The mirror is 5x the size of its predecessor, and is powerful enough to chart the hidden flesh of your nearest neighbour, giving your son access to reams more data and allowing him to build a computer model he can then manipulate in the lab. He plans to publish his findings after the

summer holidays with infrared images of unprecedented resolution giving never before seen glimpses through the frosted glass of the Naked Lady’s bathroom window. This work could overturn months of accepted thinking amongst teen-scientists about the scale and density of the Naked Lady’s boob bags. The teenage community welcomes the news, especially after a critical failure of last year’s rover mission, when it was destroyed upon landing by an angry husband.

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LIBRA You often get the sense the dead are hovering around you, but it’s simply the self-released fumes from the slightly off chilli con carne you ate last night.

SCORPIO It has been said that there are more stars in the cosmos than there are grains of rice in a 1kg bag of rice.

SAGITTARIUS This month you find out that your entire life has been a cruel TV prank hosted by Ashton Kutcher.

CAPRICORN You start snowboarding to work.

AQUARIUS Although you never took your drug dealer for a New Age type, in February the suggests you take a month-long Crystal Meth healing retreat behind the bins at Farmfoods.

PISCES Plant the seeds of love, grow that love, harvest the love, herd the love into the thrashing gears of the mincing machine, then mechanically reform any leftover love into a pale block of affection-flavoured love substitute.

twitter.com/themysticmark facebook.com/themysticmark

jockmooney.co.uk

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ARIES When your wife asks you if her bum looks big in a new dress, always tell her the truth: that you are the Lord of Chaos and that upon the rising of the blood moon you shall ascend into immortal demonhood and spill humanity’s blood across the stars. Assuring her that even if it takes 1,000 years you will take your vengeance against mankind.

February 2014

Opinion

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As the cultural calendar wakes up from its January snooze, February brings with it such delights as the Glasgow Film Festival, the inaugural Fringe Abridged Festival, the Glasgow Pop!South Weekender, an anti-Valentine's fun night with the Milk troops, and more...

The joyous alter-egos of LA punks The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx take to a live setting for s'more of their merry mariachi mayhem, armed with third LP, Mariachi El Bronx III, and bedecked in dapper charro suits, as per the Mariachi El Bronx law.

Also playing Glasgow's King Tut's the following evening. The Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 7pm, £12

Manipulate Festival continues into February, alighting at the Trav for a triple bill of premieres – taking in Paper Doll Militia's physical theatre piece, Unchained; CEC's contemporary elaboration of Tristan and Isolde's tragedy, Tristissimo; and Spotted Stripes Circus' Frankenstein reworking, Welcome My Son. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £16 (£12/£8)

Mariachi El Bronx

Unchained

Sun 8 Feb

Mon 9 Feb

Tue 10 Feb

Ten years since androgynous elf Vince Noir first baffled tellyboxes in cult hit The Mighty Boosh, Noel Fielding brings his appropriately titled 'An Evening with Noel Fielding' show to Scotland (thanks to an extended tour run), kicking off in Glasgow, before taking in Aberdeen (9 Feb) and Edinburgh (10 Feb). The King's Theatre, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £25

Wymeswold trio The Wave Pictures make a return visit to Glasgow's CCA for more in the way of their trademark indie-pop wittiness allied with squealing guitar solos, fresh from a collaboration with Billy Childish on their new LP, Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon. Also playing Edinburgh's Sneaky Pete's the following evening.

CCA, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £8.50

Curated storytelling night The Speakeasy makes merry for its monthly outing, with February's line-up of treats including comics Gareth Waugh and Bruce Devlin, writers Laura Guthrie and Julie McDowall, plus music from Andy Tucker (formerly of The Dead Beat Club). And, as per, all the stories they tell must be true. Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, 8pm, £6

Noel Fielding

The Wave Pictures

Gareth Waugh

Mon 16 Feb

Offering up summat a little different for your Valentine's Day, a trio of folkie stalwarts – King Creosote, Catriona McKay, and Christ Stout – unveil the fruits of their special commission by The Queen's Hall, taking to the venue to perform a batch of new songs for the first time, as well as revisiting their individual work as a trio. The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 8pm, £17.50

Everybody's favourite Scots-Anglo-Irish artrockers Django Django hit up Edinburgh's Liquid Room to play the second of two intimate February shows (following their set at Leeds' Wardrobe the night prior), showcasing tracks from the muchanticipated follow-up to their Mercury-nominated debut LP, due this spring.

The Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 7pm, £15

US indie-rock stalwarts TV On The Radio hit the road with their fifth LP, Seeds, marking their return from hiatus following the death of bassist Gerard Smith from lung cancer in 2011.

And, perhaps fittingly so, it's arguably their most poppy outing to date, all jangly guitars and glossy dance grooves.

The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 7pm, £18.50

King Creosote

Django Django

Fri 20 Feb

Sat 21 Feb

Winner of our RSA New Contemporaries 2014 award, Glasgow-based sculptor Rachel Levine takes to a gallery setting as part of her prize – continuing with her exploration of sculpture as both a method of research and as a medium, showcasing pieces developed on residency at the Banff Centre in Canada. Preview 6-9pm.

CCA, Glasgow, 20 Feb-14 Mar, free

Especially for all you crazies – sorry, we mean cat lovers – the GFF host the UK premiere of the Internet Cat Video Festival, curated by Will Braden (creator Henri Le Chat Noir) and taking in meawsome (see what we did there?) clips from as far back as 1901, alongside a selection of animations and shorts. Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, 21 & 22 Feb, 1pm, free (but ticketed) Rachel Levine, Fold Up Snap On

Thu 26 Feb

Fri 27 Feb

Theatre-maker Sam Rowe marks his debut solo outing with Denton & Me, a moving story taking diarist Denton Welch's confessions on his obsession for a chaotic land-boy and weaving them together with his own autobiography, reflecting on the intricacies of loneliness and longing as he goes.

Part of LGBT History Month. The Arches, 24 & 25 Feb, 7.30pm, £6 (£4)

The British Council literary team bring their Writers Return series up to our neck of the woods, inviting various authors to Edinburgh's Summerhall to tell stories about their international journeys and reflect on how travel can inform new writing, among them Scotland's own Jenni Fagen, whose new novel, The Sunlight Pilgrims, has travel at its heart.

Summerhall, Edinburgh, £9 (£7)

Now firmly in the throes of Series 2, Nightvision rounds off the month with a weekend takeover at La Belle Angele, which finds bass label Shy FX making merry on the Friday night, while Saturday's shenanigans are taken care of by tech house specialist Patrick Topping, each with a slew of supports in tow. La Belle Angele, Edinburgh, 27 & 28 Feb, 10pm, from £10/£12.50

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Jenni Fagen

TV On The Radio

Internet Cat Video Festival

Wed 25 Feb

Denton & Me

Credit: Gemma Burke

Sun 15 Feb

Credit: Sarah Roberts

Sat 14 Feb

Shy FX

THE SKINNY

Credit: Trudy Stade

Compiled by: Anna Docherty

Wed 4 Feb

Credit: Crimson Glow Photography

Heads Up

Tue 3 Feb

Fri 6 Feb

Sat 7 Feb

In celebratory mode for its 25th anniversary shenanigans, King Tut's hosts a month of special giggage, with We Were Promised Jetpacks on hand for a set of their trademark rolling drums, big guitars, and massive effing finales, before The Twilight Sad play a sold out set the following evening, with yet more treats later in the month (see listings).

King Tut's, Glasgow, 8pm, £13.50

The fifth Edinburgh Iranian Festival comes to the capital to celebrate the history, culture, language, and art of Iran – kicking off with a special Opening Ceremony which will include an introduction to the 2015 programme, plus a specially-composed poetry reading from Rab Wilson, music from Arezoo Symphony Orchestra, and more. St John's Church, Edinburgh, 8pm, £5

In the Bafta running for best British short animation for Monkey Love Experiments – about a misguided lab monkey who dreams of flying to the moon – Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson take to Manipulate Festival to screen (and talk about) the film, showing alongside a selection of animation which has inspired them. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 9pm, £8

Arezoo Symphony Orchestra

Monkey Love Experiments

Thu 12 Feb

Fri 13 Feb

Gig-in-a-club fun night Milk enjoys its annual AntiValentine's outing, shunning the mushiness in favour of live sets from Algernon Doll and Man of Moon, plus the Fantastic Man chaps on decks, a specially-concocted cocktail they're calling 'Fuzzy Love Punch', and all the romance that an in-club game of Shag Tag can bring.

Flat 0/1, Glasgow, 9pm, £4 (£3)

Inspired by interviews with child evacuees of the Spanish Civil War, Kam-Ri Dance Theatre's The Typist tells the solo story of one of them: a typist, 20 years later in post-war Britain, who makes the dangerous journey back to Franco's Spain. Narrated by Alexei Sayle. Also at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, 27 & 28 Feb. The Arches, Glasgow, 12-14 Feb, £12 (£10)

Enveloping your whole weekend with indie-pop loveliness, Southside gig promoters Pop!South take to the (firmly Southside – phew) Glad Cafe digs for the Glasgow Pop!South Weekender (13-15 Feb), taking in sets from the likes of Withered Hand, How To Swim, Kid Canaveral, Insect Heroes, The Just Joans, and more. The Glad Cafe, various times, £20 (weekend)

Credit: David P Scott

Wed 11 Feb

Algernon Doll

The Typist

Withered Hand

Tue 17 Feb

Wed 18 Feb

Thu 19 Feb

Taking its cue from PBH's Free Fringe, the Fringe Abridged Festival has its inaugural outing (15-21 February; see Comedy listings) – a highlight of which includes Spontaneous Sherlock, which, funnily enough, is an entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes play based on a single audience suggestion, performed by a four-strong cast of comic champs, Canons' Gait, Edinburgh, 8pm, free

The Glasgow Film Festival kicks off its eleventh year with a programme studded with myriad new strands and premieres – of which Noah Baumbach's follow-up to Frances Ha, While We're Young, takes the Opening Gala slot, starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as a stagnating middle-aged couple.

Post-party at The Art School, from 10pm.

Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, 8pm, £12 (£10)

Adrenalin-soaked Scottish alternative rock unit The Jesus and Mary Chain continue to celebrate the 30 th anniversary of their 1985 debut LP, Psychocandy (following two sold out shows at Glasgow's Barrowland at the end of last year), this time taking to Edinburgh to play said LP live and in its gloriously scuzzy entirety. Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, 7pm, £25

Spontaneous Sherlock

While We're Young

Mon 23 Feb

Tue 24 Feb

Following her sold out book tour at the tail-end of 2014, English playwright, poet, Ninja Tune-signed rapper and all-round literary starlet Kate Tempest returns to Scotland, this time in full-band guise, performing songs from her Mercury nominated album, Everybody Down.

Also playing Edinburgh's The Bongo Club the following evening. Stereo, Glasgow, 7pm, £12.50

Five years after his debut tour de force I Killed My Mother, Xavier Dolan returns to screens with Mommy – a companion piece of sorts to his debut, exploring an intense bond between a mother and son. Showing as part of Glasgow Film Festival.

Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow (23 Feb, 8.30pm) & Grosvenor Cinema, Glasgow (24 Feb, 3pm), £9 (£7)

Jellyman's Daughter

Credit: Bart Heemskerk

Sun 22 Feb Following an Edinburgh outing at the start o' the weekend (20 February, The Bongo Club, 7.30pm), the Rally & Broad literary merrymakers skip across to Glasgow for round two of their bondage-themed specials, with guests Harry Giles, Jellyman's Daughter, Rose Ruane, Jim Monaghan, and Genesee getting suitably saucy. Stereo, Glasgow, 2.30pm, £5

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Mommy

Kate Tempest

Sun 1 Mar

Mon 2 Mar

Philly rockers The War on Drugs return to our shores as part of their biggest UK tour to date, with founder Adam Granduciel (sans partner in crime Kurt Vile) and company continuing to combine rock'n'roll classicism in the 70s AOR mould, all psychedelic, hazy and lushly-layered, dipping heavily into dreamy third LP Lost in the Dream.

Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 7pm, £22

Drawing to a close a sprawling programme lasting a day – ONE WHOLE DAY! – longer than ever before, the Glasgow Film Festival's final day of festivities include an airing of Mia Hansen-Løve's fourth film, Eden, based on his brother's experiences of the rise of the French electronic scene in the 90s. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, 28 Feb & 1 Mar, 8.40pm/11am, £9 (£7)

Continuing its weekly gig residency at Traverse Theatre, departed Edinburgh music venue Soundhouse host a special set from e'er magical folk singer/songwriter Alasdair Roberts, helping raise funds for The Soundhouse Organisation – a charity dedicated to founding a new music venue in Edinburgh offering a fair deal to musicians.

Go support the cause.

Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 8pm, £10

The War on Drugs

February 2015

Credit: Neil Jarvie

Sat 28 Feb

Eden

Alasdair Roberts

Chat

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Credit: Charlotte Rodenstedt

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Credit: Elliott Hatherley

Thu 5 Feb

A Distant History On the eve of their 20th anniversary, Idlewild are set to return after a five year break with new album Everything Ever Written. We spoke to singer Roddy Woomble and guitarist Rod Jones about old days, new band members and where to draw the line with back catalogue embarrassment

Interview: Darren Carle Photography: Mihaela Bodlovic

Idlewild in session at Chamber Studio, Edinburgh, Jan 2015

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ack in 2009, when The Skinny met with Roddy Woomble and Rod Jones to reappraise Idlewild's sophomore album 100 Broken Windows, we noted that the Edinburgh-formed band had experienced a career trajectory that was almost custom built as a teaching tool for aspiring indie cadets. A scrappy yet spirited EP with a strong local buzz was followed by a confident debut which was in turn followed by a barnstorming second album that really put the band on the radar. This was followed by huge commercial success before industry downturn led to them being dropped, picked up by a smaller label before crowdfunding their sixth album, Post Electric Blues, in 2009.

Amazingly, since then the somewhat-amorphous quintet have managed to tick a few other boxes on the rock ‘n’ roll itinerary, namely the classic album tour, followed by the ‘indefinite hiatus’ and subsequent reunion. It's the last of these points that finds us chatting with lead singer Woomble and guitarist Jones ahead of their new album Everything Ever Written, on the occasion that they've recorded a new session for The Skinny, comprising seven specially selected tracks, one from each of their album releases thus far.

“I think some of the songs on our early records are still quite strong,” begins Woomble when asked whether the session is an indicator that he is comfortable with Idlewild's legacy, and where each release stands within it. “Musically speaking, a lot of it is pretty rudimentary as it was heavily influenced by what we were listening to at the time but those are the things that people like about it, of course. Nowadays though it's hard for me to get excited about playing some of

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it. Generally speaking, for me it starts at 100 Broken Windows – from then on I can listen to our stuff without getting embarrassed.”

That may seem a bit harsh on debut EP Captain and 1998's Hope Is Important, yet listen to early single and fan favourite When I Argue I See Shapes for example and you might mistake Idlewild as an angsty American post-punk band rather than the more rustic, familiar indie-rock outfit they would soon become. “With Windows I started to sing in my own accent,” explains Woomble of the Yankee snarl he had previously adopted. “We became a bit more assured, partly due to being a wee bit older, but also we were starting to feel that we could do this, we could be an interesting band – bearing in mind that after Hope Is Important, quite a lot of people wrote us off.”

“There was definitely a lot of criticism of us back then,” agrees Jones of the period running up to their second album. “People felt we were great live but that the records didn't quite convey this and weren't up to par. I suppose Hope Is Important maybe felt like an advert for our gigs, so the jump to 100 Broken Windows was huge in terms of songwriting and production. I remember listening to Little Discourage and Roseability with Colin [Newton, drummer and third surviving original member] and thinking ‘this sounds like a proper real band.’ I think we were as surprised as anybody else at that point in time.”

In this regard, 100 Broken Windows cemented Idlewild's status as a studio band once and for all, so much so that at the end of 2009 we proclaimed it the best Scottish album of the decade.

When speaking to both Woomble and Jones at the

time, it was clear that neither quite felt the love for their own baby that we clearly did, however, a five year hiatus has softened opinions. “I think 100 Broken Windows is a great reflection of who we were at the time,” admits Jones looking back.

“It was a young band with excitement and energy; that's something I understand now more than I did at the time or in the years following it.”

“The minute you take a break from something, what quickly comes into focus is why it was important to you” Roddy Woomble

Whilst their second album ushered Idlewild into the fringes of public consciousness, it was their third offering, 2002's The Remote Part, that really brought the band huge commercial success. Peaking at number three in the UK album charts and spawning the hit singles You Held the World in Your Arms and American English, it saw their ever-increasing levels of production and pop-orientated songwriting reach out to a new audience whilst managing to keep a large portion of their existing fanbase. Yet not everything was

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rosy behind the scenes and amid acrimonious circumstances, bassist Bob Fairfoull left the band in 2002, leading to several line-up changes over the ensuing years.

“I don't consider the band as ‘us three’ with other people just stuck in,” clarifies Woomble of their membership's fluidity. “Everyone who's been brought in at different points has really added something to the band, but obviously Rod and I have stuck together through friendship and by having a good working relationship.” Jones agrees and gives praise to Newton. “I don't think people give him enough credit because it's quite often about the singer, the guitar player or the new members whereas there's something Colin does that just makes things sound like Idlewild.”

That indefinable chemistry continued with 2005's Warnings/Promises, an album written in the Scottish Highlands but recorded in Hollywood, California. Marking a clear departure from their over-driven guitar roots and embracing more folk and melodic influences, it proved divisive with fans but remains a firm favourite with the band.

“We were really able to take our time with it,” says Jones of what makes it an exemplary record by his own standards. “To have those experiences in L.A., and be able to take three months over a record – nobody has the time to do that these days, except Coldplay. It's a shame because I think sometimes records can suffer because of it.”

Though marking the beginning of a ‘new’ Idlewild, it also signalled the end of such excesses, as the band were subsequently dropped by Parlophone in late 2005. However, anyone expecting the band to be full of major label-baiting bile should probably look elsewhere. “Bitter musicians

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should probably look elsewhere. “Bitter musicians slagging off major labels is more often because they've been dropped,” laughs Jones. “For us, it was a really crucial part of our growth and without it we wouldn't have got to where we did. We weren't really thinking of where it was going at the time so much as we were getting to make records and go on tour. To have that time and luxury to just focus and concentrate on it as your main thing and not having to squeeze it into evenings and weekends, that does make a massive difference to a band.”

Warnings/Promises also marks the last Idlewild album – until their latest – that both Woomble and Jones can truly get behind. 2007's Make Another World is described by Jones as “probably our weakest, in the sense that we decided we wanted to quickly make a rock record and consolidate where we were. I think that was a mistake.” After a 10 year ‘Best Of’, they returned with 2009's Post Electric Blues, notable for its brush with crowdfunding at a time when Kickstarter was just getting kick-started. However, Woomble admits it wasn't their finest hour either. “We stalled a wee bit latterly,” he says. “We were just a bit… bored is too strong a word, maybe disheartened, so we decided to take a break and re-evaluate what was important to us.”

Both concur that the subsequent break was always a hiatus and not a split, though at around five years there have certainly been lengthier periods of silence, even from fully functioning bands. That silence was broken in November last year when Woomble ended several months of online speculation, revealing that the band had been working on an album with new members

February 2015

Luciano Rossi and Andrew Mitchell taking up keyboards and bass guitar respectively.

“We didn't sit around and have some kind of board meeting about it,” laughs Woomble when asked what prompted the decision to reunite now. “I really like working with Colin and Rod so we always knew we were going to keep in touch and work on a new record within a certain time frame, we just didn't really know when that would be.”

With writing and recording sessions in the band's spiritual home of Edinburgh and Roddy's actual home in Mull, both chief songwriters had to make slightly more arduous journeys than the days when, as Rod puts it, he could “put some guitar parts on a tape and then take them over to the next block of flats where Roddy lived.”

“We've only just scratched the surface of where we can go” Rod Jones

Yet it only took the pair an extended visit each to lock down the bulk of what has become Everything Ever Written, with Jones putting such efficiency down to the pair's longstanding relationship. “It was really easy to slip back into,” he reveals. “We have an understanding of what the other person means without needing to explain

it, so at that point I knew we were going to do something and when Colin got involved it was obviously going to be an Idlewild record.”

Both agree that their latest recruits helped shape Everything Ever Written beyond the constraints of the original trio. “We just gelled as a band really quickly,” says Jones. “So much so that we tried to write a couple of new ideas and that's where the lead song Collect Yourself came from, at the very last moment, as lead songs often do.”

Woomble agrees, adding that “with Andrew and Luci, vocal harmonies are much more prominent, so we've got this whole other layer of atmospherics going on now. In that respect it feels like the reincarnation of an old band.”

It's a fair statement, even for a band who have always pushed and evolved their sound.

Everything Ever Written is, perhaps more than any previous Idlewild release, an album that sounds beholden to nothing from their past. It's a fresh canvas woven from a five year clear-out; where Come On Ghost, a woozy blues stomp with an unexpected jazz coda, rubs shoulders with the sombre, gospel-inflected likes of So Many Things To Decide.

“We have quite eclectic musical tastes as a group of people,” explains Woomble. “With past records, we've not really let that seep into it as we realise that Idlewild are known as a melodic rock band, so we've kind of kept to that template in the past.” Yet with soaring pop harmonies, as seen in Nothing I Can Do About It, even purists can get on board with Everything Ever Written.

“It's probably the most diverse record we've done,” agrees Woomble.

With 2015 marking twenty years since their

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original formation, it's entirely understandable, necessary even, that Idlewild are progressing in this way. In conversation, it's the sound of individuals more assured of their place than they were when we spoke to them pre-hiatus and on record, a band back to doing what they love. “We've already talked about working on some songs for another record,” Woomble reveals of their new found drive and determination. Jones is no less enthusiastic. “It really has reinvigorated us and made us look at the possibilities,” he adds. “We've only just scratched the surface of where we can go with this new incarnation of the band.”

A change is as good as a rest, as the saying goes, but Idlewild have benefitted from both.

With it has come a renewed strength and determination, and a band near-unrecognisable from the one that broke onto the music scene all those years ago. “The minute you take a break from something, what quickly comes into focus is why it was important to you,” Woomble concludes. “It didn't take me too long to realise it was quite a special thing, an important thing, and certainly something I didn't want to close the door on.”

With Everything Ever Written, that door is most definitely open once more, and we'd encourage fans old and new to step inside.

Everything Ever Written is released on 16 Feb. Idlewild play Glasgow's O2 ABC on 7-8 Mar Visit theskinny.co.uk/music to watch our 7 Days of Idlewild sessions beginning on Tue 10 Feb idlewild.co.uk

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The Cuban Revelation As they team up with Richard Russell for their transcontinental debut, French-Cuban prodigies Ibeyi trace the entwined paths that led them here Interview: Jazz Monroe Photography: Nuria Rius

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hortly after the sudden death of Angá Díaz, his twin daughters Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé packed bags and prepared to fly from Paris to Cuba for his hometown burial ceremony. Angá, a fêted percussionist who once covered Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight with seven congas instead of a piano, had travelled all his life and his family's return was keenly awaited back home. But when the girls arrived at the airport, officials zealous over Cuban borders denied them re-entry. Dejected, the 11-year-olds waved bye to their mother, Maya, and instead staged their own private memorial, moping the Parisian streets.

They brought home a stray kitten with fiery red fur and named him Echu Mingua, after Angá's 2005 solo album.

In the nine years since, Echu the cat has witnessed a quiet revolution in the sisters’ Montparnasse home. After Angá's heart attack Naomi took up the cajón, the last instrument he had been learning, and Lisa-Kaindé became a skilled noir-soul singer, able to snap from velvetcroons to volatile hollers. Their stylish pop blend of international roots – Yoruba folk, Latin American jazz, fraught R’n’B – radically departed from their classical schooling, and it swiftly turned heads.

After early scepticism due to their age, they signed a deal with XL Records at age 19 last year, sweetened by the personal tutelage of boss Richard Russell. Not that his high guidance should snatch the spotlight. Start to finish, it transpires, the Díaz twins held the reins; when I praise the smashedglass climax in the single, Oya, they light up: “We broke it!”

February heralds the duo's debut album, Ibeyi.

Their high spirits testify to its brilliance. Over Skype, Naomi is coolly enthused, jumping into her sister's pauses and chain-smoking straights with Parisian dedication. Lisa-Kaindé, presumably the younger one (the name Kehinde traditionally denotes a second-born twin), laughs loudly and often, and rocks back and forth when excited.

Even outside the studio, the pair are never less than musical: their conversations are so vibrant and sing-songy you suspect they'd hold up over a Naomi beat.

Unlike the Díaz home, where family friends parade in and out, the recording sessions were deliberately intimate, with a strict ban on session musicians. As producer, Richard Russell was unpatronising but selectively assertive, obediently weaving in the odd hip-hop and electronic note as well as accentuating their Yoruba flair. “When we met Richard,” Lisa-Kaindé recalls, “this fire started burning. He helped us to find our sound in ourselves.”

The songs, which Lisa-Kaindé began composing at fourteen, benefit from Naomi's complex yet unfussy percussion. “One day someone came out with the idea of making an EP,” Naomi recalls.

“And I said to Lisa, ‘You are not going to do this EP without me, darling.’” Both sisters sing in English, French and, most emphatically, Yoruba, their ancestral tongue from southwest Nigeria and Benin. (Ibeyi means “twins” in the language.)

The undercurrent of Yoruba chants and militant dancehall is the record's saving grace. One song, Yanira, is a stirring, conga-driven waltz that memorialises their older sister, who died in 2013 of a stroke. Another is Think of You: anchored by their father's influence – it samples his string section and speaking voice – the song segues

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nostalgically between Yoruba and English over a juddering, digitally haunted beat. “We walk on rhythm and we think of you,” goes the chorus.

In the mid-70s, Angá Díaz was not a man to dwell on his troubles – diminishing funds foremost among them. But even the beaming optimist must have felt butterflies when he left the tobaccofarming village of San Juan y Martínez for Havana, to fulfil his classical percussion scholarship at Cuba's National School of Arts. Angá, whose own father played saxophone and clarinet, had learned percussion beating his mother's saucepans before knuckling down at a nearby arts school. But his crucial leg-up was pure luck.

“If you hear hip-hop around here, it comes from our house” Lisa-Kaindé Díaz

The day Angá arrived in Havana, the school's vanguard outfit, Opus 13, were down a conguero.

Word spread of the young villager famed for his rhumba, and thus began a nine-year relationship with the group, during which Angá would adopt and adapt his predecessor's five-conga trademark.

He would later make his name touring the world with Irakere, before entering the pantheon playing with high-flyers like the Afro-Cuban All-Stars and Buena Vista Social Club.

The Díaz brood had been one of many displaced from Nigeria and Benin during the transatlantic slave trade. The 19th century African diaspora skewed heavily towards Latin America and, prominently, Cuba. Yoruba culture followed close behind, and Ibeyi, who visit Cuba once a year, attest to its lasting magic. “There's a lot of music,” says Lisa-Kaindé, beaming. “Everybody has something: everybody sings, everybody dances, they have rhythm in them – there are special energies. You can reach and talk to people who inspire you. Walking down the streets of Havana is mind-blowing.”

Montparnasse, just south of central Paris, is where the twins while away the rest of the year, in a low-key artistic neighbourhood. The house is a marvel in itself. Full of art books, stray CDs and Frida Kahlo prints, it's an eccentric celebration of their past. “I used to be ashamed,” admits Naomi, “not of our family, but of our house. Most of our friends have money, so the houses were all white, super-fashion.”

“Trendy, super light and black and la la,” adds Lisa-Kaindé.

“And it's like, Oh my god, when you go into my home it's like-” “Africa.”

“The smell of Africa. And I was ashamed.”

“But,” Lisa-Kaindé says, “when we used to invite our friends, they liked it so much. Me, I never felt ashamed of my home, not at all. I actually think our family's kind of the best.” And the glue holding it together, they agree, is their mother.

While the young Angá Díaz was puncturing his parents’ kitchenware, many miles south over

the Caribbean Sea there resided a displaced French girl named Maya Dagnino, whose parents had left Paris to raise her in Venezuela. Just as Angá grew up around music, Maya – a burgeoning photographer – was never far from art; she enjoyed the company of her father's poetry and paintings, some of which survive at chez Ibeyi.

After settling in France, Maya discovered Yoruba culture at a singing class aged 18, years before meeting Angá through a mutual friend at a Brixton Irakere gig.

Today, as we discuss the family tree, the house is abuzz with history. Occasionally Maya's voice pierces the wall to correct her daughters’ narrative. Despite the twins’ routine arguments, a current of musical and family activity keeps the homely vibe afloat. “At first,” explains Lisa-Kaindé, “all our parents wanted was for us to enjoy music.

We used to put on music and dance everywhere.”

As the girls’ creativity blossomed, the family adopted a new team spirit, not least thanks to their uncle, a feverish storyteller with a knack for catchy lyric writing. “He's not our mum's brother,” clarifies Naomi, but, says Lisa-Kaindé, “He's our heartuncle. He fits so perfectly in our family he's a family member. He's not like the old uncle that you don't wanna listen to.”

While Richard Russell's cosign was key, it was

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Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo who orchestrated Ibeyi's break. In 2013, Kidjo invited the duo to Festival Cotonou Couleurs Jazz, a rare international festival in Benin populated by Yoruba music fans.

“As I walked on stage,” Naomi recalls, “I was thinking, 'This is a moment that's going to happen once in your life.' The first time you are playing and singing Yoruba in front of a Yoruba crowd.”

“We were really worried,” says Lisa-Kaindé, “because we were going to sing a Yoruba that they can't understand. Because of course, when the slaves went to Cuba it changed a little bit.”

“But actually they were proud.”

“They were happy to see that Cuban people are carrying on Yoruba. They all want to go to Africa, and I think they were happy to see that.

Being in Benin, it feels just like Cuba.”

In what way are Cuban and Beninese Yoruba similar? “What people have, is that they believe in the humanity,” asserts Lisa-Kaindé. “They have nothing, but they do believe in humanity. In Paris they have everything but they are scared. There, they are not scared. They share everything with each other, and they say, ‘We can do better.’”

Ibeyi's self-titled debut album is released on 16 Feb via XL Recordings. They play Glasgow Stereo on 21 Feb ibeyi.fr

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TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

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The Daily Telegraph

The Herald

The Independent

The List

“A winning combination, both Meckler and Lopez Ochoa bringing drama, pathos, hope, love and a myriad of other emotions to the tale.”

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The Scotsman

Wed 18 – Sat 21 March Festival Theatre Edinburgh Box Office: 0131 529 6000 Book Online: edtheatres.com

Photography by Nisbet Wylie | Registered in Scotland No. SC065497 | Scottish Charity No. SC008037

February 2015

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THE SKINNY

Role Play Peter Strickland, the director of Berberian Sound Studio and Katalin Varga, is back bending genre and defying expectations with his new film, The Duke of Burgundy. Much to some YouTube commenters annoyance, it’s not about some French dude Interview: John Nugent

“I

guinely thought my career had prema turely ended.” It is April 2012, and British filmmaker Peter Strickland's second film, the unconventional horror Berberian Sound Studio, has been rejected by both Cannes and Berlin film festivals. He has no distribution deal. The future looks bleak. Defeated, he begins work on a remake of Jesús Franco's 1974 erotic fairytale, Lorna the Exorcist, expecting nothing to come of it. “What was liberating about that month or so of perceived failure,” he says, “was that I had nothing to lose. I didn't feel I was writing to any expectation.”

You certainly sense this unabashed freedom in The Duke of Burgundy, the eventual product of that low ebb. (Like his earlier film, it too was rejected by Cannes, perhaps simply too strange to risk ruffling feathers on the Croisette.) A sadomasochistic love story unlike any other, the film's initial B-movie inspiration ultimately became a “springboard to explore something quite domestic,” as Strickland describes it.

Just as Berberian Sound Studio lightly pays tribute to Italian giallo horrors, before emphatically becoming its own strange and disturbing beast, so The Duke of Burgundy doffs the occasional cap to 1970s B-movie cinema (note the charmingly retro opening credits) before transcending to more complex planes.

Dispensing with the usual whips and straps of S&M, Strickland instead explores the dynamics of a submissive relationship, and the burden of conflicting desires. The tangled, tender affair between two women, Evelyn and Cynthia, elevates the film beyond any sort of glib pastiche.

“It is perverse that violence is considered more acceptable than a loving couple pleasuring each other” Peter Strickland

“I wanted to begin The Duke of Burgundy as if we're inside Evelyn's fantasy and see Cynthia conform to that functional ideal,” Strickland says.

“But how about letting the air out of that fantasy and showing an ice queen snoring in her baggy pyjamas, and, most importantly, an ice queen unable to come to terms with that prescribed persona? How much can one do for a lover when the act leaves them cold?”

The role-playing and showmanship of such a relationship seem well suited for Strickland's playful approach to reality. Similar tactics are found in Berberian Sound Studio, where reality and sound-edited fantasy often blur. What is it about deconstructing artifice that fascinates him?

“I can't deny that artifice and the process of creation is a wonderful mystery despite the fact that showing it is demystifying. The theatrics

of sadomasochism are inherently self-reflexive, but what's so exciting about that is that it's also inherently part of the drama of the film, so one can explore that kind of artifice without ever pushing the audience too much out of the filmic dimension. I didn't want to get all Brechtian on the audience, but still wanted to explore these impulses and lapses in performance.”

In particular, reality takes a heady topple in the film's third act, when a bewildering virtual flipbook of butterflies bombard the frame. “It seemed like a very charged image to have moths invading the screen to convey this silent anguish or anxiety,” Strickland says of the sequence. It recalls the work of film artist Stan Brakhage (“a big influence”), who would physically attach pressed moths and butterflies to film strip, creating a film without a camera.

Ultimately, for all its retro stylings and experimental gusto, The Duke of Burgundy is a simple tale of romance. Yet, bizarrely, despite a total lack of nudity, swearing, or violence throughout, the BBFC have decided to rate it ‘18’ Strickland does not seem too concerned – “it's

not as if I had a teenage audience in mind when I wrote the script” – but worries whether there are double standards in film censorship. “If you really want to discuss perversity, then it is perverse that violence is considered more acceptable than a loving couple pleasuring each other.”

But why call it The Duke of Burgundy? To some, the film's title is another confusing piece of an often impenetrable puzzle. As one baffled YouTube commenter lamented: “A duke would be a dude, not one of these chicks, plus none of these people are speaking French. Helloooo, Burgundy is in France. Fire your research team, Hollywood, and do this one over.”

The research team needn't worry: the Duke of Burgundy is in fact a species of butterfly, Hamearis lucina, of the kind featured heavily in the film. Strickland says it was a “fairly intuitive” choice. “I wanted some reference to Lepidoptera in there and went through other names, such as ‘True Lover's Knot,’ but that felt on the nose.

In hindsight, I wish I called the film ‘Cabbage White.’” Perhaps, with a name like that, Cannes might have reconsidered the application.

Layer by Layer

Ahead of his first trip to the Scottish capital, the German producer Rødhåd discusses his dystopian sound and how a background in architecture may have informed his approach to techno

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y now, given the interminable flow of electronic music from the city of Berlin, you could be forgiven for not always believing the hype on encountering another hotly tipped talent emerging from Germany's sprawling techno Mecca. Yet, if you've followed the career of Dystopian label boss Rødhåd over the past few years, it's more than likely you've reasoned that he is no passing fad – his tenebrous and penetrating tracks, as well as those he releases through his label, round off a solid résumé on which his reputation as a DJ is perhaps the crowning achievement. Having thrown popular parties across his native city in the late 90s, crafting a sound heavily centred on moody dub techno and pulsing dancefloor rhythms, he has continued to build up steam and is now increasingly in demand in clubs around the world.

Apparently committed to keeping up the work rate with which he has raised his profile in the last couple of years, Rødhåd seems on particularly industrious form as he speaks to us ahead of his appearance for Substance and Pulse in Edinburgh this month. “My year started like the last one ended,” he reveals. “[I've been] sitting in the studio busy and working on new music. I also had to finish a remix for The Howling which comes out soon. Besides that, I took some weeks off after new year to reset myself and get ready for 2015.”

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It would be hard to imagine how Rødhåd could possibly eclipse his work rate up until now – his position at number nine in the most recent Resident Advisor DJ Poll has been the result of considerable hard graft and unquestionable talent, while the growing recognition of Dystopian has been another significant achievement. Asked about the ethos of the label, Rødhåd explains his commitment to a particular vision, though he clearly isn't entirely inflexible in his scope. “We still try to release music which fits in the context of our idea of a dystopic sound – darker, maybe melancholic. It doesn't always need to be four to the floor though. We are also still looking for some nice house tunes, because Dystopian doesn't always need to be techno, as long it has the right atmosphere to it.”

Thus far, that Dystopian theme has been shaped by releases by the likes of Recondite, Alex.

Do and Distant Echoes who in their own different ways complement the glowering productions produced by Rødhåd himself. “As the idea was always to keep it in the family, and involving friends and artists we respect, while still focusing on our Dystopian vision, we don't want it to grow more.

But, from time to time, we try to surprise ourselves and the listeners and release stuff from artists you wouldn't have on your map.”

The producer, who hails from the Hohenschönhausen district on the eastern outskirts of Berlin, appears in Edinburgh this month thanks to the collaboration between promoters Substance and Pulse, both long-serving and worthy ambassadors of the capital's ever-evolving techno scene. Substance, in particular, have gone from strength to strength over the years, with their recent addition to the line-up for this year's Bloc Weekender confirming their reputation beyond the Scottish clubbing scene. “I haven't been to Scotland that often, only Glasgow so far,” says Rødhåd. “But I can say I had one of the best sets in the UK there – so I am prepared for a night full of energy and a wet room!”

While the rampant enthusiasm of Scottish crowds is well known, it's also true to say that we don't reduce our clubs to sweat-coated tinderboxes for any old set. Thankfully, Rødhåd's approach to working a room should be tailor made for the first event in what we hear will be a double bill from Pulse and Substance. The German's knack for expertly shifting the gears throughout his sets is one of his most recognisable traits. Last year's Resident Advisor mix, though in no way a solitary example, is a particularly good showcase for his exquisite sense of structure and pacing.

Given he originally plied his trade in the

FILM / CLUBS

Interview: Ronan Martin architecture business, is it too much of a stretch to suggest that Rødhåd may have honed certain transferable skills which lend themselves well to his chosen form of techno? “To be more detailed, I worked as an architectural draftsman,” he clarifies. “But yes, I think it affected me, in my way of thinking and in the way I work.

“When I'm producing tracks I'm starting with the fundamentals of a track and adding layer by layer to it. When I was drawing, I was also trying to add on the paper more details and layers. You can also hear that in my sets – I really like to have three or four tracks running at the same time, always adding one sound to another.”

When asked about the year ahead, it's pleasing to learn that Rødhåd is considering embarking on an album project of his own, potentially including more ‘non-dancefloor´ material, as well as releasing more work from label mates at Dystopian, including the upcoming release from debut artist Daribow. Most pleasing of all, his touring calendar remains packed with shows across Europe, making it all the more satisfying that an Edinburgh crowd are finally getting to sample a contemporary techno behemoth at the top of his game.

Rødhåd plays Pulse x Substance, The Bongo Club, Edinburgh on Fri 20 Feb, £10/12 | dystopian.de

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Radiant Remains Canada's David Psutka, AKA Egyptrixx discusses his new album and his desire to reformulate the raw elements of club music

Interview: Xavier Boucherat

of the tracks accidentally overlap sometimes, but I'm not too interested in referencing genres.”

It's a response that upends several assumptions about where inspiration comes from, particularly for club music, which is so often dependent on specific conditions. “I do kinda get the sense that the music comes from a specific, tangible place,” he continues. “The Egyptrixx project is about laying bare the elements of club music; celebrating them in isolation. I'm trying to separate and repurpose these because I think they're powerful, even transcendent. The sounds, emotions, rhythms and junctures…”

“The best club music toggles between feelings of concussion and tranquillity” David Psutka

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n downtown Toronto stands the Robarts Library, a concrete monolith supposedly modelled on the form of a peacock, and an uncompromised testament to Brutalism's raw material vision.

Imaginative critics might compare it to Orwell's Ministry of Truth, while others might stick with the somewhat tawdry ‘Fort Book.’ Love it or hate it, it's an intimidating presence in the Canadian capital, where winter temperatures rarely venture above freezing. Its sharp angles, triangular geometrics and sprawling network of skywalks and towers look to have erupted from the ground, planted beneath some million years before by some civically minded Arthur C. Clarke creation – a primitive vision of the future that provokes immediate discord amid its surroundings.

As such, it's an entirely fitting location for the Toronto-based Egyptrixx to get in touch with us to discuss his new record, Transfer of Energy [Feelings of Power], soon due for release on his own newly formed Halocline Trance label. “Can't tell if it's intentional, but the heating system is generating a soft whir of pink noise,” he writes via email. “Feeling pretty institutional and simultaneously chill in here.”

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The foundation of Halocline Trance sees Egyptrixx, real name David Psutka, move away from the London-based Night Slugs, with whom he has spent the last few years establishing a sound that's ventured progressively deeper into the murky architectures of grime and techno.

Tracks from his Bible Eyes record, as well an offering on the label's first All Stars compilation, were rhythmically speaking a neat fit alongside the likes of labelmates Bok Bok, Girl Unit and Helix.

But how can someone over three and a half thousand miles away work with a label tied to such a London sound? This, it turns out, presented little challenge. “I felt the essence of the label was in its conceptual spirit and aesthetic consistency,” Psutka tells us, “textural, abstract, hybridised and playful. It seemed completely appropriate to release a song like A.C.R.R on Night Slugs, a song which really has nothing to do with London club music.

“There are a lot of things I really love about grime, and a few of the ideas probably ended up on the record, but that's as far as it goes. I wouldn't really say I was explicitly referencing or exploring grime. Minimalism and deconstructionism are the central devices to my writing, so yeah, I think some

A/B til Infinity, Psutka's 2013 offering, began to hint at these bare elements, and it's no surprise to hear him describe Transfer of Energy as a sequel, with sound palettes and demos being carried over. With the creation of Halocline Trance however, Psutka has given himself space to go much deeper, and in doing so create something harsh, jarring and occasionally beautiful. Psutka is keen to downplay any notion of a departure however, despite Transfer's dense and often beatless offerings operating on a whole new level of intensity to previous releases. “I'm not so into this idea of making bold or splashy directional statements with records as an objective,” he suggests. “There's no reinvention or anything like that – just different articulations of the same basic concept.

“I've always felt that the best club music toggles between feelings of concussion and tranquillity, and I try to place my songs on this same spectrum. Occasionally I find they feel like the same thing. It's visceral, frequency music.”

The lush, technicolor drone of opening track and label namesake Halocline Trance, itself reminiscent of Eleh's Radient Intervals, gives way to raw, mangled waveforms that, despite Psutka's misgivings, ring out like wails from modern grime's expanded palette. Together they attempt to build something bigger, before purposely falling apart over the metallic, reverb drenched scrape of a hi-hat. You can hear clearly what Psutka means when he talks of elements in isolation, with each synth line and sample occupying a separate room in the same burnt out factory.

“I'm always kinda obsessing about grandiose architecture – power plants and infrastructure, shit like that.” It's an obsession that shines through in that each track on the record seems to follow through on a very particular, mechanical blueprint, the logical product of thoughtful construction. “I have a particular set of rules or parameters for each project, and I stick pretty closely to these, so there isn't much indecision when I write. I like it this way. It's fluid, positive, fun.”

Transfers of Energy joins a collection of releases seen over the last few years that, whilst hardly suitable for the floor, are certainly addressing the club. Last year saw the release of Australian composer Ben Frost's A U R O R A,

CLUBS

which offers listeners a glimpse into a world where “emergency flares illuminate ruined nightclubs and the faith of the dancefloor rests in a dieselpowered generator spewing forth its own extinction, eating rancid fuel so loudly it threatens to overrun the very music it is powering.” We witness similar destruction on Room 40 labelmate Lawrence English's Wilderness of Mirrors. Meanwhile, Leyland Kirby's The Death of a Rave got a reissue, which if you haven't heard, sounds a lot like what The Shining might have sounded like if, instead of ballroom music, Kubrik had used late 80s rave and UK hardcore.

Even closer to the floor, you've got guys like Mumdance, who last year – when not putting out distilled eskibeat with the likes of Novelist – was developing his ‘weightless' sound with Logos, the subject of an excellent mix for Dazed.

So what's with all this reflexivity? When did we get so romantic about our clubbing experiences? Transfers seems to be contending with the type of emotions that intense situations in the club can burn into you – to be remembered, perhaps forever, but never quite experienced again in the same way. As Psutka puts it, “these are concrete and euphoric slabs of sound.”

Setting Transfers apart, however, from the ambient tendencies of similar explorations is a jarring sense of discord throughout. The record never once arrives at a place that might be described as comfortable – never is the listener permitted to languish. Industrial soundbites emerge from below to disrupt wavering drones.

Metallic shards tear open warm washes of synth.

Tracks like Mirror Etched on Shards of Amethyst, which manage to combine all the noise of Psutka's machinery with Ruff Sqwad era heartbreak, fall silent without warning, letting the floor fall out from under the listener. Title track Transfer of Energy bristles with cold, soulless industrial menace, a grotesque patchwork of grime tropes and drum patterns refusing to align.

It’s a lot, and the urge to probe the Pandora's Box of influences behind it proves too strong in this case. “I was listening to a lot of early powerindustrial records,” says Psutka, listing acts like Ramleh, Anenzephalia, and the notorious gasmaskclad Genocide Organ, whose ironic, nihilistic, or possibly even sincere use of fascist, racist themes and imagery is the subject of many a belligerent forum thread. In spite of his earlier insistence on an aversion to making statements, name-dropping a group as extreme in approach as Genocide Organ is definitely saying something, identifying with a sound-aesthetic that most people would respond to strongly – whether that response be disgust, bewilderment, or in some way thrilling. You get the impression that Psutka has concerned himself with limiting an apathetic reception.

“Donald Judd's Specific Objects manifesto was definitely a big inspiration too,” he adds.

“Ideas about understanding the intrinsic framing of your medium and technical ability were important to this record.”

Like A/B til Infinity, tracks on Transfers of Energy will be accompanied by graphic and video design from the Berlin-based artist Andreas Nicola Fischer. ANF's video work, in which elements seem to slip in and out of stable, solid forms at will, assist Psutka in lending priority to the weight and texture of his sounds – an exciting prospect for what’s already a dense, challenging and provocative listen.

Transfer of Energy [Feelings of Power] by Egyptrixx is released on 9 Feb via Halocline Trance halocline-trance.com/

THE SKINNY

LA CHEETAH CLUB - FEBRUARY 2015

Friday 6th February WE SHOULD HANG OUT MORE MARCUS MARR

Friday 20th February OFFBEAT MIRRORS (LIVE) & RESIDENTS

Saturday 7th February LET’S GO BACK... WAY BACK BOSCO & ROB MASON

Saturday 21st February SLEEZE -

ENTRY - £5 ADVANCE / £7 ON THE DOOR

ENTRY - £5 ADVANCE / £10 ON THE DOOR

Friday 13th February LA CHEETAH CLUB PRESENTS LOBSTER THEREMIN LABEL SHOWCASE

Thursday 26th February HIGH RISE KRIS BELL B2B JOE MCGHEE & RESIDENTS

ENTRY - £5 ADVANCE / £7 ON THE DOOR

ENTRY - £10 ADVANCE

Saturday 14th February MADE IN GLASGOW REBECCA VASMANT & BOOM MERCHANT ENTRY - £7 / £5 STUDENT

Thursday 19th February STEREOTONE SESSION DJ’S & J.FERNANDEZ ENTRY - £3 ALL NIGHT LONG February 2015

ENTRY - FIRST 50 FREE / £5 AFTER

PÄR GRINDVIK, HANS BOUFFMYRE & LEX GORRIE

ENTRY - FREE ALL NIGHT

Saturday 28th February NOCUER URBANO & RESIDENTS

ENTRY - £5 BEFORE 12 / £5 AFTER

73 QUEEN STREET, GLASGOW, G1 3BZ T: 0141 221 1379 www. lacheetahclub.co.uk | www.maxsbar.co.uk 17

Esoteric Horror at GFF 2015 Glasgow Film Festival has always had a lot of time for genre films – it is FrightFest’s Scottish home after all – and this year’s programme is especially rich in whip-smart horror, including It Follows and Cannes’ Un Certain Regard winner White God

The horror genre has had a rough decade or so, thanks mainly to the popularity of the ‘torture porn’ movies (Saw, Hostel) in the mid 00s, which prefer explicit gore over implicit terror, and the ever-diminishing returns of the found footage subgenre, their camcorder shocks decreasing with each passing Blair Witch knockoff.

But things are on the up – esoteric horror, where smarts trump scares and atmosphere is as important as action, is on the rise. It can be seen in the work of young directors like Ti West (The House of the Devil) and Adam Wingard (The Guest), who take inspiration from the B-movies they grew up with in the 70s and 80s, and incorporate the era's sharp social satire and stylish camerawork into their films. Scan critics’ top-ten lists for 2014, meanwhile, and you'll find multiple entries for Under the Skin, Only Lovers Left Alive and The Babadook, three art house horror darlings that started life on the festival circuit.

For the first time in years, horror movie IQs are higher than their body counts.

This year's Glasgow Film Festival is peppered with fine examples of this new wave of esoteric horror, including Ana Lily Amirpour's strange and gorgeous A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, which features a hijab-wearing female vampire, Till Kleinhert's nightmarish thriller Der Samurai, in which the werewolf myth gets a queer makeover, and Carol Morley's The Falling, which has drawn comparisons to Peter Weir's chilly masterpiece Picnic at Hanging Rock. Two other such films in the programme are American indie It Follows and Cannes award-winner White God. At first glance, both seem rather different. The former is the sophomore effort from movie whippersnapper David Robert Mitchell, who's following up his delicate and little-seen coming-of-age film

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The Myth of the American Sleepover; the latter is the fifth film by Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó, known for his brooding literary adaptations. But both films see their respective directors using the genre in fascinating ways.

David Robert Mitchell's films are dreamy. A shaky camera and quick editing have become the cinematic shorthand to verisimilitude – Mitchell prefers an unsettlingly long take or the creeping dread of a graceful tracking shot. It's an aesthetic perfectly suited to the stalk-and-slash racket.

When we're dreaming, we know it can easily slip into nightmare, and that's what keeps us on the edge of our seats. From It Follows’ first frame we feel we've left reality and entered a kind of cinematic limbo. The film's characters are in a kind of limbo too. “So much of this movie is about waiting,” Mitchell tells us, “it's about quiet spaces in between moments of chaos.”

What the film's characters, and we the audience, are waiting for is the appearance of the eponymous ‘It,’ one of the most unsettling movie monsters in recent memory. Appropriately for a director who creates dreamlike worlds, the inspiration for the monster came from his own recurring nightmare. “In the dream I sort of knew it was a monster coming to kill me but it looked like different people.” In the film its many forms include a scowling old lady in a dressing gown, a little boy, and, most disturbingly, one of the victim's parents sans clothes. “In the nightmare I could get away from it very easily but that wasn't comforting because of the fact it was always coming.” In the film too you can't escape it. Your only hope is to pass the curse on to the next victim... by having sex with them. Think of it as a sexually transmitted haunting.

Stretching back to the teen slasher pics of the 1970s – including John Carpenter’s Halloween, which It Follows often recalls with its suburban setting, synth score, and gorgeous widescreen cinematography – “sex equals death” has been horror's underlying theme. Has Mitchell just removed the subtext? He's quick to shoot down such a straightforward reading. “My goal with this is not to moralise or make a puritanical statement by any means,” he says. “I like the idea that in this movie the trouble does start and the characters open themselves up to danger through sex, but it's also the thing that allows them to free themselves of it – at least maybe temporarily.”

The themes of White God are far less ambiguous. Set in Budapest, Mundruczó's film initially takes the form of a realist melodrama, and follows a young girl as she tries to reunite with her loveable mutt, Hagen, after her brutish father dumps the dog on the side of the motorway. It looks like we're in for a four-legged version of The Bicycle Thieves or a canine Kes, but then there's a switch, in point-of-view and tone. The camera moves to Hagen's low-angle perspective and the film becomes about the dog's mistreatment at the hands of his human oppressors. He's kicked and brutalised, bought and sold. He's starved, thrown into dog fights and eventually locked up in the pound. Just as Hagen and his fellow inmates look doomed there's a final twist of genre, and the film enters full-on animal-apocalypse mode as the strays take back the streets of Budapest from their two-legged overlords.

“It's alright that it begins as a child's story, because from there it was not far for me to build it as a fairytale – it works like a parable,” says White God's screenwriter Kata Wéber, who's sat next

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Words: Jamie Dunn Illustration: Louise Lockhart

to director Mundruczó. “Specifically, the street dogs represent Hungary's minority groups.”

The world of art house cinema doesn't want for movies about minority oppression, but White God doesn't go down the typically tasteful, earnest route. Like its furry hero, it has bite – and goes straight for the jugular. “We felt there are a lot of movies about minorities,” says Wéber. “They can work but we wanted to make it in a broader sense, we wanted to open up a bit.”

What links both White God and It Follows is an innate understanding of horror's unique powers. For Mitchell, the genre gives him room to experiment with cinematic form. “I think audiences are more open with horror in terms of doing some interesting things that maybe you don't see in other films – doing surprising things with music, with the editing, all of that,” he suggests. “You have a little bit of space to play.”

For Mundruczó, who has worked in a more realist mode for his first four features, horror allows his cinema to be more direct. “I felt there's not so much interest any more in the kind of films I made previously,” he explains. “Europe has changed a lot in the last five years, but Eastern Europe has changed absolutely. There's no melancholy, it's a much more aggressive life, so these topics are simply not working any more. I wanted to use a cinema language that uses a lot of genre elements, to try and make the bridge with the audience. I don't want to be an elite artist.”

It Follows screens 20 & 21 Feb at GFF and is released across the UK by Icon on 27 Feb White God screens 22 & 23 Febat GFF and is released across the UK by Metrodome on 27 Feb glasgowfilm.org/festival

THE SKINNY

Girls on Film Oscar-voters might not think so, but it’s been a great year for female filmmakers, and this is reflected in a Glasgow Film Festival programme rich with female talent.

One such talent is Céline Sciamma, whose vibrant Girlhood is a festival must-see

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espite their similar titles, Girlhood is not a female version of Richard Linklater’s recent coming-of-ager. Céline Sciamma’s take on adolescence (her third in a row following Water Lilies and Tomboy) is far less cosy. This is a beautifully observed tale of sisterhood on the concrete estates of the Paris suburbs. The film centres on Marieme (superb newcomer Karidja Touré), a shy and downtrodden 16-year-old who’s taken into the fold by a trio of glamorous but badass girls who like fighting as much as they like dressing up and dancing to Rihanna. Sciamma discusses her tough but tender new film.

On Girlhood’s inspiration “I would pass by these groups of black girls on the streets of Paris, they had this great energy and charisma – with style and a solidarity. I really wanted to look at them, and that’s a good starting point for a movie, when you want so badly to look at someone. At the same time, I thought, they were never looked at: black girls in French cinema are totally invisible, they don’t exist. I figured, OK, I have the intimate urge to look at them and there’s also a collective urge to do so, so I decided to go for it.”

On the universality of Girlhood’s characters “Of course it’s not the same journey if you are a middle-class white girl like me. Marieme has several boundaries, or burdens: she’s a girl, she’s black, she lives in a poor neighbourhood. So of

course, she has a lot to fight. But I think even though her journey is an exceptional one, it’s also a universal one. That’s why it’s not wholly a work of fiction because I think in those places, the rules that apply for girls are the same. Of course she has these very dark, heavy constraints, but I think it also tells about girlhood in general.”

On what she hopes to achieve with the film “It’s the first time that a film with an all-black teen cast was made in France, so it’s gotten quite a bit of attention. One movie can’t change it all but it can put the question out there. The fact that the movie doesn’t stress a morality and it doesn’t present the character’s destiny as dark or light, the fact that it’s quite open-ended, the fact that life is still ahead of her, that makes the audience kind of responsible for her in a way.

I wanted us to love her. Once you love a character, you care, and once you care you worry. And in the end she’s coming into our world. What will become of her? I don’t know. If you’re optimistic you might think she’s going to be OK. If you’re not that optimistic you might be worried. But this world is ours and we can make something happen. That’s basically the message of the movie – let’s look after each other.”

On shooting the suburbs in a more cinematic way “I wanted to make it very colourful in the beginning, with some style, some grammar, and not go to any clichéd idea of how you should film the suburbs.

Ten of the Best at GFF Interview: Jamie Dunn

Who has the right to mise-en-scène, you know?

There’s a strong naturalistic tradition of filming the suburbs and those characters, but I wanted my camera to be still, for the shots to be composed, and I wanted the colours to be a thread through the film. And I wanted to be able to film more dreamy sequences, like the one where the girls sing to the Rihanna song in the hotel room.

And all the interiors were built, they’re in a studio, so the camera could travel. The movie’s also about refusing the supposed frontier between the art film that looks at real life, which is supposed to be modest in its form, and the entertainment movie, which has spectacle and music and sound and vivid images. For me it’s about bringing all the tools of cinema together.

On when girlhood ends and womanhood begins “I think the end of childhood begins when nostalgia comes. It can come at any time of life. If you’re parents divorce at six you can get nostalgic pretty early. I stayed a girl for a very long time. Actually I still use the word girl to talk about myself, so maybe I still am one. You know, making films about youth keeps the youth alive in you, but now I am getting old and I have a pain in my back. That’s why I’m quitting the world of teenage movies, and maybe also life.”

Girlhood screens 24 & 25 Feb at Glasgow Film Festival, and will be released across the UK by StudioCanal later in the year glasgowfilm.org/festival

This year’s GFF music on film strand, Sound and Vision, is headlined by Mia Hansen-Løve’s brilliant new film Eden, an intimate epic telling the history of the French Touch music scene through one DJ’s bloodshot eyes

Words: Jamie Dunn

den, the new film from French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve, tells the story of Paul, a DJ, and follows his turbulent 20-year career on the French Touch scene, juxtaposed with the meteoric rise of his fellow DJs Daft Punk. Hansen-Løve based Paul’s story on that of her older brother Sven, who co-wrote the script. We spoke to Hansen-Løve ahead of the film’s Scottish premier at Glasgow Film Festival.

alcohol, some of them die, but some of them seem to stay as if they were 25 forever. My brother is 41 now, but we regularly, just for fun, ask people, especially girls, how old they think he is and they all say around 28, it’s weird. This energy of youth: it’s very powerful and strong and beautiful, but ultimately that can become self-destructive when it tends to become an inability to really move on and change and become an adult.”

of the scene. We knew the music very intimately when we started shooting and it really helped to do exactly what we wanted to do on the set. We didn’t want to do what most people do: they film the scene without any music and then just put it on the top, like it was a bottle of perfume. We worked on it in a way that was totally integrated into the scene; it was part of the story, part of the reality.”

On basing a film on her older brother “I had done three films that were kind of autobiographical [All is Forgiven, The Father of My Children, Goodbye First Love], especially the last one, and I had the feeling I was at the end of some way of telling stories. Making this film was a way for me to really explore something new, even though there is a melancholy in the film and other things that connect with my previous work. For many reasons it was really a challenge for me to make this film, but it made sense for me because I know this world quite well – not as well as my brother but I still knew it, I had experienced it for years. I felt I had things to say about it. So it happened very naturally – there was no censorship from him, he kind of just gave me the keys to the story.”

On her preference to let emotion drive her films “I think it’s probably both my strength and my weakness. What I mean is that my scripts are not very dramatic; it always brings me problems when I try to finance the script because people tell me there’s not enough drama, there’s not enough plot, not enough violence. The thing is, my own emotion works this way. I can’t help but trust it. Look at all of my stories: they are all told over like twenty years, you have a big span, so you’d think in twenty years you’d have lots of big events and dramatic moments, but, partly unconsciously, I avoid them and instead look at the aftermath or the moments that people don’t care about, but they’re crucial to me.”

On capturing Daft Punk on film “I actually gave a lot of attention to the Daft Punk characters. I don’t know if you noticed, but in their first scene, even although they are kind of getting famous, and they are already Daft Punk, they’re very ill at ease, they don’t know what to do with their hands. That was something they told us about themselves at that age, the fact that they were not at all like how they appear to be now.

Actually, if you meet them for real now, you don’t have the feeling they are so self-assured – well, they kind of are – but I mean they have this thing about their body: they are not like actors, they have some shyness, and that’s something I really wanted to have in the film because I thought it was actually moving and interesting, this contrast between their fame and how they really are, how they appear physically.”

On the life of a DJ “It’s strange, people who spend their lives in nightclubs, don’t sleep at night, take drugs and

February 2015

Words: Jamie Dunn Appropriate Behaviour/While We’re Young If you like your comedy urbane and spiky, look no further than this pair. One’s from a newcomer (American-Iranian filmmaker Desiree Akhavan), the other’s from the master of toe-curling angst (Noah Baumbach). Appropriate Behaviour, 19 & 20 Feb; While We’re Young, 18 & 19 Feb Catch Me Daddy Music video whizz Daniel Wolfe’s debut film is reportedly as raw and visually inventive as his band promos – that’s me sold. 19 & 20 Feb Clouds of Sils Maria The super-cool Olivier Assayas seems to be back in Irma Vep territory for this study of stardom, which centres on the intense relationship between a movie star (Juliette Binoche) and her assistant (Kristen Stewart). 22 & 23 Feb Dazed and Confused + Roller Disco That’s what I love about Dazed and Confused, man. I get older, it stays brilliant. Miraculously, GFF have come up with a way to improve on Richard Linklater’s masterpiece: a roller disco screening. 28 Feb A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night In this strange and gorgeous horror-western, a hijab-wearing blood-sucker is cleaning up the streets of Bad City, a black and white phantasm of American and Iranian pop culture. 27 & 28 Feb

Bringing Da Funk E

Ten films from Glasgow Film Festival line-up you’d be mad to miss...

On the music “We looked for the music at the same time as we were writing the script: the music or the synth totally influence the mood and the atmosphere

Eden screens 28 Feb and 1 Mar at Glasgow Film Festival, and is released across the UK by Metrodome on 24 Jul

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Land Ho! This road movie about an old geezer odd couple (one a boorish loudmouth, the other sarcastic and zen) on an Icelandic getaway is a deceptively loose hangout movie, beautifully nuanced and endlessly witty. 24 & 25 Feb Mommy Québécois enfant terrible Xavier Dolan’s fifth film, an ebullient melodrama about a hyperactive teen and his trainwreck single mom, is vivid and bursting at the seams with emotion. 23 & 24 Feb Phoenix Christian Petzold’s emotionally complex psychodrama, set in post-war Berlin, channels Vertigo as a mutilated Holocaust survivor is reinvented by the husband who may have given her up to the Gestapo. 22 & 23 Feb A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence Who could resist a film with that title? Or one directed by the brilliantly distinctive master of deadpan, Roy Andersson (You, the Living).

22 & 23 Feb Stop Making Sense Watching this peerless concert film, it’s impossible not to fall for Talking Heads. Jonathan Demme’s camera loves their charismatic frontman Byrne, and you will too. For an encore? Just play the whole movie again. 20 Feb Glasgow Film Festival takes place 18 Feb-1 Mar glasgowfilm.org/festival

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DANCING IN A CIRCLE IS A REMINDER THAT WE ARE PART OF THE WHOLE

31 January – 15 March 2015

Live Performances

Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday at 1pm & 5pm

Movement Workshops & Conversations See cca-glasgow.com for programme

Glasgow Open Dance School Resource Room & Reading Group Meeting every Thursday, 6 – 8pm

cca-glasgow.com glasgowopendanceschool.co.uk

VISIONS OF

VOID

An exhibition by

Florian and Michael Quistrebert Take on gaming’s greatest icons An exhibition created by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne, supported by the Victorian Government.

Media Partner

Until 20 April 2015 Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF Book now at www.nms.ac.uk/gamemasters National Museums Scotland Scottish Charity, No. SC011130

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Sat 7 February – Sun 22 March Dundee Contemporary Arts

Florian and Michael Quistrebert, VOID FIRES, 2014, detail from video still, courtesy Galerie Crevecoeur, Paris and Galerie Juliette Jongma, Amsterdam

Romany Dear

THE SKINNY

Soft Chaos Winner of The Skinny Award at RSA New Contemporaries 2014, Rachel Levine describes the “small things, shifts and turns” that have informed her upcoming show at the CCA Interview: Adam Benmakhlouf

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he title of Rachel Levine's upcoming show, Soft Chaos, comes from theorist Sianne Ngai who describes “the soft chaos of non articulated tensions.” For Levine, “it felt as though reading that phrase as staring into the whirling void or some kind vertigo.” What came next was an interest in “these uncathartic feelings we have, like shame, anxiety, paranoia, and how they are seen as unproductive or possibly cutting or blocking a person's agency to act.” Instead “there is the idea of making an uncathartic aesthetic and that being a political action in itself.” Levine cites Ngai, who came up with the idea of “stuplimity”: a feeling that is equal measures boredom and shock.

Looking forward to the work in CCA's Intermedia, Levine affirms her solid commitment to the medium of sculpture as a means of research into these ideas, as it allows her “a means of accessing the history, the politics and all the constructs of sculpture.” In some ways she sees her emphasis on the small and intermediate feelings as opposed to the “grand gesture of sculpture, and all its maleness, the idea of strong feelings and abrupt violence of the gesture of sheer emotion or sheer beauty.” Yet at the same time, for Levine there's something that doesn't last too long in the awe inspired, for example, by Richard Serra's Steel Arc.”It wears off incredibly quickly, that kind of grand gesture which relies on a historically male aesthetic, that idea of the autonomous object, the singular thing.”

For this reason, Levine's work has tended towards groups of objects, though she is beginning to recognise the value of “the singular thing.”

For example, an interest in casting objects led to a consideration of the single multiple. Instead of engaging fully with a process that was devised to

make multiple copies of an artwork, only making one “cuts the agency of this method in some way.” This idea of removing the agency of objects is key to the works she plans for Soft Chaos, which will include objects enlarged by repeated castings, and flattened (almost 2D) representations of objects whose function requires their three dimensionality – for example, roofing tiles.

"It's that dizzy chaos that takes in everything and at the same time the nothingness as well."

Diaphanous CloakAs part of Vernissage at The Royal Standard, Liverpool February 2014

Rachel Levine

The work for Soft Chaos comes from an exploration of “feelings that are in a state of tension before they're polarised into either utopic or dystopic. So it's the initial point before you, then divide everything out into binary oppositions. That could create an affective state that relocates your anxiety to a field of nothingness where it has no object or direct target, so it's that dizzy chaos that takes in everything and at the same time the nothingness as well.” Soft chaos is therefore “something much more niggling than chaos. It's more malevolent and incipient. It's in the spaces of in betweenness.”

moment thinking how good something looks or that it works on some level. And that's fine, but as long as you can extrapolate something else from that. Why, and on what plane is that working. Because otherwise you can also draw into that idea of producing an overly optimistic object that holds aesthetics and values you don't want to represent.” Citing writer Sara Ahmed's idea of the ‘Happy Object,’ Levine describes the alienation these optimistic objects create when an emphasis on “productive and progressive outward optimist” covers up historical injustices.

Speaking in reverse chronology, the soft but definite development of Levine's practice is revealed. Though she describes the anxious moment when a new idea is capable of casting doubt on the entire enterprise of being an artist, it's clear that by continually courting these moments of complete self-reflection, Levine allows for an exciting space in her work for a subtle, necessary renewal.

This crucially for Levine marks a defined progress from a concern with dialectical thinking in her work to a consideration of the less categorisable feelings, “the intermediate space that works between those things.” A question that now recurs for Levine comes from her time on residency in Canada's Banff Centre, where she met Céline Kopp, the director of the Triangle Gallery in Marseilles. Kopp questioned “the idea you can represent something, and if you can, is it a good idea to represent it? Why are you representing it, and what materials should you use and what are the convergences and the differences between the representative and the real? If those two trajectories, the real and the represented, were to hit, the artwork is dead already. I find this interesting, but there's also a moment when these questions put you off making anything at all.”

Most importantly, Levine emphasises a reflective awareness of what might otherwise be considered the mystical decision-making of the artist. “You can be in the studio and in the

Intermedia, CCA, 21 Feb-14 Mar, Free

This Business of Art Successful photographer David Eustace discusses his career ahead of his solo show at The Scottish Gallery avid Eustace is a sought-after photographer across the USA and UK these days. Having completed huge projects with brands like Samsung, his work often circulates through international advertising campaigns. Yet his first attraction to photography took place in a less professional context: on holiday with his wife, in his twenties. “I had a small camera with me and was taking photos the whole trip and I just really enjoyed it,” Eustace explains. Having served in the navy, and worked as a prison guard, he was 28 when he decided it was time for a change and applied to Edinburgh Napier University.

Studying in the late 80s, Eustace's career crossed the change in commercial photography from analogue to digital. Analogue was important to his early education, when he put in the hours to learn everything there was to know about the processes and materials. And these hours of graft paid off, as he not only attracted prestigious commercial commissions but was also frequently offered that holy grail of creative work – complete creative control. It's for this reason that Eustace does not draw a definite line between his paid work and self-funded projects, as he deliberately works with companies that allow for his distinctive voice. And it's for this reason that the work going on show in the Scottish

February 2015

Gallery this month is drawn from across the entire breadth of Eustace's creative career.

While the photographer may celebrate his complete creative control, he is still often at the receiving end of concerned marketing departments, who are not accustomed to relinquishing control over ad campaigns to an artist. Yet, says Eustace, “The best marketers take risk. They don't rely on strategy and buzzwords, and go for honesty and something authentic.” As an example, he describes the work he completed for a major US clothing brand. “I took a road trip with my daughter across America, and when we got back the marketers were worried that we didn't wear the company's clothes. But the head of the company was completely behind the work, and it was a success. What people responded to was the spirit of the father and daughter journey.” Over and over in discussion with Eustace, he's clear that he's at his best when he works with businesses that prioritise risk over market speculation.

At this point in his career, Eustace has built a strong reputation for himself. This is particularly the case in America, where he enjoys a steady rate of commissions, and the privileged position of being able to be selective when it comes to choosing with whom he works. Does he still face challenges in his practice?

One concern he describes is becoming literate with the latest photography editing software, although he's happy to work with a team of experts – who often reassure him not to worry about Photoshop, as “that's what they're there for.” At the same time, Eustace acknowledges that while he may work with others within projects, “Working within a team is important and necessary, but ultimately one person has to take responsibility for the decisions being made.” He compares this with filmmaking – “You can't have a committee of a hundred directing a film.”

With successful campaigns aplenty, and a body of work worthy of the first solo show of a photographer in 175 years of the Scottish Gallery's history, Eustace still isn't ready to let the comfort of routine set in. He's recently taken on the biggest mortgage of his life for a “guest house that's currently gushing rainwater through the ceiling.” His ambition is to set up a space for young artists and photographers to showcase their work. Setting out his reasons why he'd take on a huge and unremunerative project, he puts it simply: “I couldn't not do it. This is what keeps us alive.”

The Scott Gallery, 4-28 Feb

ART

Edition of 25, Archival Pigment Print, 133 x 110 cms

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Interview: Adam Benmakhlouf

John Byrne in Yellow Tweed Suit, Glasgow, 2011,

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21

Criminal Enterprise Helen Fitzgerald is no stranger to breaking taboos in her novels.

Following the infanticide of The Cry with equally sinister happenings in The Exit, she explains how these dark and provocative tales develop Interview: Alan Bett

t was when I wrote Dead Love, the very first book,” Helen Fitzgerald opens, explaining her simple yet sinister journey into crime fiction.

“I started writing it almost as chick lit… and I just found myself killing someone.” She raises her eyes and chuckles. “I was writing what I wanted to write and it felt really good so I've just kept killing people ever since.”

It's the type of quote to make an interviewer smile, but a simplistic and characteristically unpretentious view of her craft. Our afternoon with this bestselling author is littered with similar moments of smiling self deprecation. While crime novels fly off the shelves, it's a criminally (no apologies) underappreciated genre, critically at least. Even MacIlvanney was seen to be lowering himself by writing the classic Laidlaw detective series. He thankfully had the background and depth to understand this was no genre slumming, as certain sections of literary society judged and believed. “I guess you don't get reviews so much in The Times and The Telegraph,” Helen admits. “…but you know, literary writers… it's a different world and I don't particularly want to be a part of it. Some crime writers I know are brilliant and literary writers, and just because there's some plot and they get a readership, it changes things.

I’d go for the readership and the pay cheque rather than the Guardian review!”

We're here to discuss The Exit, Helen's dark and addictive new book, following on from her controversial bestseller The Cry. Her adopted Glasgow is today being whipped by wind and sleet, punctuated by moments of beautiful sunshine – Mother Nature's black humour revealed, showing us what we could have won. It's a far cry from Helen's Antipodean home but she brushes off an apology for forcing her out on such a day, seemingly eager to discuss the new novel. Unlike The Cry, which in true Columbo style reveals the crime then watches as the perpetrators crumble, The Exit is pure suspense thriller and to reveal its plot is to make it redundant. To say it involves sinister goings on at a care home is enough, if anything a gross understatement. While the narrative moves into disturbing places and imagery, the more everyday yet primal fear below this topography is of death and ageing. “I always end up on forums on the internet listening to what people are talking about.” Helen says, explaining her first steps of research into a central character whose memories are cruelly dissolved by dementia. “With The Exit I read a lot of forums with people who were talking about dementia and how it was affecting them. The title actually came from one of those where a woman said dementia is like a maze and the exit is death.”

She paints a realistically gruesome picture, true to a second career in social work which obviously bleeds into her work. “The Cry starts out with a dead baby. When I wrote that I thought oh god, I'm 30 pages in and there's a dead baby.”

Despite this horrific fact, The Cry, like The Exit, elevates itself above standard genre tropes and is saturated in subtext, in its case spousal abuse.

“It was about an abusive man basically… I don't think that's what I started out thinking, I started thinking that it was a good idea for a story, the parents making a mistake like that [an accidental overdose] and covering it up, but actually there's always so many layers in a novel.”

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“Storytelling probably isn't my natural ability,” Helen tells me, “…that's the bit I've learned.

I think the bit I had when I was 18 and probably still have is the voice of the characters and what I learned was the storytelling, which is technical and hard and sometimes quite boring.” It's a surprising revelation. Helen's books have a turbo charged narrative which bends characters to its will. “I think that's from screenwriting,” she suggests. “I learned to do that from years of trying to write screenplays and doing courses and stuff, you know? The rules of screenplays are so stringent, and I'm so glad I did it, it's been really useful.” And while this explains her technique, the origins of these twisted tales soon become equally apparent. The stories develop from those everyday moral conundrums which plague us all, yet in Helen's case go rogue. “I like to explore and understand why people do things in extreme situations, how they respond. And I'm always thinking about me and how I would. I'm obsessed almost with thinking about, in a plane if it's going to crash I always work out, OK I'm three doors down, if I'm on the floor…” She looks up sheepishly.

“Do you do that, or is it just me?”

“I like to explore and understand why people do things in extreme situations, how they respond.”

Helen Fitzgerald

Hopefully she's reassured that it's not just her, but only she moulds these dark daydreams into what could be termed a new sub-genre.

“People are thinking 'she's crime but not quite, it's femme noir,' it's domestic noir. I don't care.”

What differentiates her from the pack relates as much to what her books are missing as to all that they contain. There are no grizzled alcoholic ex-cops, no doe eyed female companions. In fact cops in general are notable by their absence on her pages. The procedural makes way for the moral Mexican stand-off. “I'm not interested,” she admits, perhaps alluding again to a social work background, dealing in part with offenders.

“I'm not interested in watching sport either but I love playing it. To me it's kind of the same, why would you be interested in the person who's watching and standing on the outside? I'm much more interested in who's involved in the actual incident, the perpetrator or the victim.” Yet as stereotypical as those stock characters she avoids can be, they sell, they stretch into series, provide regular income for jobbing authors. “I try to do something different every time,” Helen counters “…because I would get bored, and the one I've just written, Viral, is different again, it's much more character driven, not as heavily plotted. It's my favourite but that might just be because I've just finished it.” It concerns a teenage girl in Magaluf she reveals later;

Photo: Anna Casci

“I

multiple blowjobs caught on camera, social media, repercussions. The outline she sent to her publisher opened with just such a statement of intent. After the previous two they could hardly have been surprised.

Yet despite stretching genre and avoiding its trappings she is delighted to live under the crime banner. “Oh yeah! For The Donor I was taken off the crime list and I was just on the fiction shelf, and then I came back with The Cry and I was so glad because of Harrowgate Crime Writing Festival, Bloody Scotland… I've made the best friends, I absolutely love them, very supportive and they're the ones who have just read my latest draft.”

It's a community she describes as generous, although, “I'll get jealous if I hear somebody gets a £500,000 advance.” Then, completely deadpan, “I'll like them a little less.”

Support comes from this community of writers but inspiration from wider places. “What I admire most is something I've never seen before and that I feel is brave… There are books that I read where I think, oh my god, you've taken a real risk. I try to take risks and the next one's even

BOOKS

riskier. The writers I like are similar risk takers – like Alissa Nutting's Tampa which is really… wow blimey, gutsy. That's what I admire, gutsy writing.”

And the reason for her own journey down this path? “It's probably because I'm 48, I'm married with two children, I live in the suburbs, my kids go to good schools and my life is so dull so I take the risks in the books.”

It's not simply provocation for its own sake.

These are challenging books to work the mind and test the morals. Which move with the velocity of the finest thriller but live in a far nastier neighbourhood. They make you question and feel – Helen's true aim. “…a book which makes me feel anything, it doesn't matter what it is, whether I cry, laugh, whether it's completely uncomfortable and claustrophobic, as long as I'm feeling something, that's all I wanted to achieve. Otherwise what's the point? There are some people who really like to be numbed as they're reading…

I guess that's not what I'm doing. I poke them with a stick.”

The Exit is out 5 Feb, published by Faber & Faber, RRP £7.99

THE SKINNY

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Own Art: The Scottish Gallery

David Eustace, Highland Heart Portfolio (Plate No.12) Suilven, Western Highlands, 2012, Edition of 15, Archival Pigment Print, 81 x 106 cm

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riginally established in 1842 by Aitken Dott as ‘Gilders, Framers and Artists’ Colourmen’, The Scottish Gallery also exhibited and sold work by the leading Scottish artists of the day. They continue to do that to this today in their current location at 16 Dundas Street, Edinburgh, which they have occupied since 1992. The gallery offers a solid platform for contemporary art and 20th Century Scottish artists, holding monthly exhibitions of fine art. They've also acquired something of an international reputation for applied art – the gallery does not have a narrowly defined exhibition policy, preferring instead to be a broad church to continue the tradition of what they regard as the many golden eras through their long history.

What this means is balancing a programme of exhibitions of living artists with those of historical note. Contemporary artist Victoria Crowe's Edinburgh Art Festival exhibition Real and Reflected was well received, and described by the gallery as “an astonishing and powerful collection of work.” On the more historical end of the scale are shows such as Golden Years which highlighted the careers of Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde. This opened in November 2014, conveniently coinciding with the opening of The Two Roberts which is currently on display at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.

This month brings a landmark in the Gallery's 173 year history as they hold their first contemporary photography exhibition, Selected Works

by David Eustace. This exhibition is a particular cause for celebration as it is a double first – The Scottish Gallery's first photography exhibition and the first time that David Eustace's work has been made available to the Scottish public in the flesh. Originally from Glasgow, Eustace has come a long way since leaving school at 16. Since graduating from Napier's photography department as a mature student, David Eustace has gone on to become a name synonymous with celebrity portraiture. His list of commissions reads like a who's who of contemporary talent, ranging from Tracy Emin to Radiohead via Sir Norman Foster and Sir Peter Blake. A survey of his work will be on display in the Dundas St gallery from 4 February, and this will also represent the first time his work has been made available to the public for sale. Conveniently enough, the gallery also operates the Own Art scheme, offering a great way for avid collectors, or first time buyers to invest in art work and to start building a collection. scottish-gallery.co.uk

February 2015

23

The World in Words In honour of our Travel Special, we threw open the door to contributions from our readers with a debut Travel Writing Competition – and you responded in your droves. The winner is...

Damien Cifelli! Here he is, plus some of our favourite runners-up

Illustration: Nele Anders

Runners-up Derailment in Myanmar by Annapurna Mellor

Peru by Shannon Dymond

I

awoke tied in my mosquito net. My head swam – I was still heroically drunk. Listening to the sounds of the Amazon I began piecing the previous night together. Next to ‘nausea’ the strongest feeling I had was a sense of achievement. I had partied with the locals deep in the Peruvian jungle, and I had partied hard. Slowly the memories began to come back to me. Somewhere between the rum-shots & GoPro'ing, the words ‘Eso Australiana rompe nuestra maldita aseo’ kept repeating in my head. Since my understanding of Spanish was dependent on Google-translate, with less than zero Wi-Fi and more than eight hours drinking, I was totally lost and I needed to pee. It was at this exact moment I remembered what I had done.

Three days earlier we arrived in a slice of paradise; backpacking on Lake Sandoval. It had taken two hours by motorboat, two hours of trekking and another hour of laughing at the word ‘motorboat.’ Our guide was Nil Tong, a man with the eyes of a hawk, who looked like he had

sprung from a Kinder Surprise. Born in Puerto Maldonado, Nil had the passion of the jungle, but also the swagger you have when you own a boat and can name every flavour of piranha. He was the interpreter for a local family who had kindly allowed us to stay on their property. The facilities were basic, but the family were welcoming.

This was what a true trip to the Amazon was all about. Surrounded by David Attenborough`s wet dream, I had left the shackles of Western life and was roughing it in the wild. The excitement and kindness all culminated in a celebration with the family, who were so isolated from civilisation, that their only modern conveniences were booze and a bathroom. So I drank their booze and I used their toilet. Except when I say ‘used,’ I mean ‘fell face first into and completely destroyed.’

I left quickly that morning, and as I trekked away, my last memory was of the entire village standing around a totally murdered toilet repeating ‘those mysterious Spanish words’ and shaking their heads in utter disbelief.

Ireland by John Dillon

I

bombed out of the airport in a cherry red SUV – lipstick on the collar of the surrounding bogland's slate and khaki tones. The smallest, cheapest hire car would usually do, but I had to drive my 83-year-old dad to hospital and he needed the extra space to keep his broken leg straight. The Europcar attendant, handing me the keys, said his friend used to rent this particularly large model every weekend and pretend it was his own to impress his girlfriend's parents.

It was that kind of car. As for me, I felt like an imposter, and couldn't imagine the car felt much at home either, muzzled by the rural landscape's oblique roads, the rain and the driver's awkward reticence. And very wet rain it was too.

My dad looked especially small in such a big car. On our way to the hospital we made small talk and listened to traditional Irish music, the

“N

ot a big problem, maybe only... four hours.”

This was Myanmar, and ‘not a big problem’ took four hours to fix. I jumped from my carriage into the high bushes surrounding the tracks, and saw that the wheels had in fact completely disjointed from the rails.

“This is very common, maybe once a week we have the same problem. These railways are very old, your country, they built this line!” the conductor continued in broken English.

The journey from Mandalay to Hsipaw was already a treacherous 10 hours, but I'd heard the viaduct that ran through the spectacular Shan Hills was worth the slog. Now 10 had inevitably become 14, and the trip over the viaduct would most probably be in complete darkness.

I slumped back into my seat as a wide eyed child approached me with a bag of chilli mango.

Generously he wanted no payment, and I shared the snack with him and his mother, whose face

was painted with traditional Thanaka, and whose heart was as big as so many in this hospitable country. The minutes merged into nothing, as we shared conversations about the world and its beauty.

Two hours into the derailing, the conductor entered the carriage with a beaming smile.

“Finish, finish!” – his excitement was contagious.

The train squealed and began once again to rock through the mountainside. We reached the viaduct at sunset, as the orange glow of the unforgettable Burmese sun glideed across the metal arches and into the endless snaking valleys below.

A travel cliché pinged into my head; sometimes the most spectacular things are worth the wait.

Climbing to Heaven by Tom Coote

squall of his hearing aid sometimes joining in.

Sitting in a wheelchair under strip lights he looked smaller still, and impossibly old. Context, though, is everything, and in the familiar arms of his local pub post-appointment – having escaped hospital and our ostentatious capsule – he depressurised and reanimated to become something approaching spry. I swear he could have passed for 82.

In all his years my dad's rarely travelled more than 10 miles from his house, just content to bore an ever deeper, tighter furrow into the small farming locality he knows and loves. This struck me as I boarded the plane back to Britain on the return leg of a journey I've taken five or more times last year alone. Perhaps the deepening of a familiar groove provides some of the most rewarding, and surprising, journeys of all?

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y feet failed to find a suitable crevice and I fell. My hands burned red as I slid down the rough rope, and the coarse strip of leather wrapped around my waist bit in hard. At the top of the cliff face, at the gateway to the Debre Damo Monastery, an Ethiopian priest sat with his legs jammed up against either side of the rockhewn entrance; wrapped around his muscular arms was the other end of the leather strap that had kept me from crashing down below. Further up still, in the piercing blue sky above the jagged mountain, vultures circled around the 6thcentury stone church.

A tourist who had failed to tip sufficiently received less Christian treatment from his saviour: the priest had vengefully swung the rope from side to side, and by the time this particular

pilgrim's feet were back on solid ground, his clothes were as torn as rags and he was covered in blood.

During the busy Orthodox festivals, lines of men clamber up the same rope without the aid of a safety strap (both women and domestic animals are strictly forbidden from entering the monastery). If they fall and die it means they were never destined for heaven. When a climber caught his foot in the bag of the man below and seemed to slip, screaming women below worked themselves up into a frenzy, shouting for him to fall. Another time, one of the leather straps used to lower down holy water tore apart, and the heavy plastic canister landed on the head of one below, killing her stone dead. Nobody seemed very sure if she would go to heaven or not.

and shaggy, the other possessive of an Alsatian build and a gammy leg – that used to join our little pack during our wanderings into town. The hostel was clean and comfortable and the crisp moon shone unhindered through my window on those first few revelatory nights.

The Australian was also travelling solo, which naturally made us kindred spirits. After our train terminated in Beijing and the rest of the group went AWOL he and I shared a reasonably touching and hilariously mistranslated meal at a restaurant near the hotel (again a twin room for a single female traveller, with a magnificent view of the words ‘sex clinic’ in green neon). We shared

an awful lot more really – the strange, cold, ochre-coloured Gobi desert, the sunrise sparking the snow on the Mongolian steppes, the awkward intimacy of a tiny four-berth compartment.

I sketched up a possible scenario in which, emboldened by my new ‘freshly bi-curious womanof-the-world status,’ I knocked on his door and waxed lyrical about his aesthetic charms. But in the end this seemed melodramatic. Something rather fundamental had shifted. Train travel does that to a girl.

Trans-Mongolian by Alice Spicer

I

t took a Russian sauna near the shore of Lake Baikal, one frigid evening in early spring 2011, for me to realise men held hitherto unrealised romantic possibilities. I was sitting in a thick fug of pine-scented heat and a hastily selected vest and shorts combination, substituted for the swimwear I never thought to pack. A ginger Australian man a few years older than me and possessive of very little in the way of what I would term stimulating conversation, took off his top.

It was probably delayed fatigue – between Moscow and Irkutsk I had spent three days on the Trans-Siberian doing very little else but sketch, sleep, heat noodles at the samovar and

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listen to a Nick Cave audiobook. Each morning the train stayed on Moscow time and the sun rose markedly earlier between the blurred birch trees. I was a sole female traveller, accidentally part of a lads’ tour of Russia and Mongolia, and I had started whittling my eyeliner pencil with a Swiss army knife in single hotel rooms, with no one to talk to due to gender-separation.

I liked Baikal more than Moscow – even before Russian politics grabbed headlines it was the tangible air of concrete bureaucracy to the capital that got to me. Baikal meanwhile had more ice than I have ever seen before in one place, and two stray dogs – one black, tan

TRAVEL

THE SKINNY

The Winner: Damien Cifelli Fuck you Tourists, An open letter

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ear Tourist, You are not a ‘traveller.’

I know you went to Vietnam last year, but everyone knows Vietnam is just the new Thailand and Thailand is just the new Magaluf.

As you were vomiting into Halong Bay with Dean from Milton Keynes, do you know where I was? North. Fucking. Korea. Whilst you were flirting with a ladyboy at the full moon party I was being escorted through the outskirts of Pyongyang by eight uniformed men. That is what travelling is.

Oh, you went to Australia? The less said about that the better…

What's wrong with being a tourist you ask?

Have you ever heard someone use the adjective ‘touristy’ in a positive way? No. Because you make everywhere shit. Mainly with your ignorance of proper pronunciation. (It's pronounced ho-ri-tho not cho-reetzo you fucking pleb.)

While you scour the streets for poppers and tequila in your three-quarter lengths and flipflops, I am in the jungle awakening my spirituality with the powers of ayahuasca. Yeah, my camera went missing and I woke up in a Peruvian family's back garden, but I'm pretty sure I felt something spiritual.

I've made close connections. There's a guy who sold me a knitted ukulele cover in Marrakech, that fat woman who braided my hair in Goa and the black kid from my Facebook profile picture. You know they're authentic because they don't even have Facebook.

But don't bother travelling. The last thing I want to see when I'm watching the sunset from my Bhutanese Ashram is you, stumbling across the horizon with your moneybelt and sunburn.

My next trip will be volunteering with the Congolese Space Program. The Solar System, the least touristy place there is.

See you in space, bitches!

Sincerely, Edward Montgomery-Asquith

Souk

S

miling. Teeth like an overcrowded graveyard.

“This is Morocco, my friend. Not Mogadishu…”

I think this means I won't get it cheap.

His moustache, missing in the middle, hangs like furry parentheses around his mouth.

There is a balcony overlooking the city. My eyes trace the daggers of minarets and gentle oscillations of domes. Below, tiny figures trample calfskins and waft stinging sulphurous odours down dusty alleyways.

I'm not sure how I got here. Above the bazaar.

Above vaults that cascade from the flanks, dripping in Berber history. Above faces with wild eyes peering from dark rooms. They are traders on the darkness of this never ending market. Their

February 2015

bristled lips speak of sales, of cloth and kif and opium dens. And fill the soft air with promises.

And I am here. In this room many floors up.

Stone and tin. In his cave of fabric and incense.

I touch the cool skin. It reminds me of other things.

A school trip to the riding stables. I never rode my horse. I just patted the soft hair on its flanks and looked into its eyes, proud and resolute.

It's the same eyes I see now, reflecting the warm candlelight. He tells me he has children. I tell him I have none.

“Then you can afford a little luxury,” he says.

“I am just a poor man.”

I don't know if I believe him but it is too late.

He smiles and infinite creases creep from the corners of his eyes. Unlike me, he is no amateur.

He is as old as the walls. His life is strategy, maneuvering himself constantly between the pillars of decision and indecision.

He smiles because he knows he has won. This is a game of chess and it is check-mate.

The Nordic Club

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n a leafy back street in Dhaka's high-security diplomatic zone lies the Nordic Club. It cuts an imposing figure, a blank stone wall with an iron gate and armed security. I have been told that this image is deceptive. That from the inside it is a paradise of tennis courts, swimming pools and cocktails.

I am not here for the nightly karaoke party, nor the offers of a 'Full English.' I'm here for the availability of alcohol in this dry country. Post security and passport control, beer in hand, I settle in a corner beneath some chic barbed wire detailing and review my surroundings.

I could be anywhere on earth. Bankers with the look of re-animated waxworks play tennis as their wives watch from the jacuzzi, like hippos in an Attenborough documentary. It's as if an alpine ski weekend has been grafted into the heart of this Asian metropolis. Today I was being escorted around the old town by an entourage of excitable locals. Now I'm watching a woman try to swim without spilling her martini.

I'm regaled with advice from the regulars: "You can get a good fish and chips here every night. Out there they'll feed you a Labrador for your dinner." I glance over at the local staff apologetically. They smile.

"Out there" is mentioned repeatedly. It's as if they're dug into trenches, defending themselves from the people whose city they have occupied.

I suppose the walls are there to keep marauding hordes of locals from using the karaoke machine or taking a dip in the pool.

I begin to yearn for the noise and smell of "out there," its crumpled knot of streets and traffic chaos, to swap these veneered scowls for the Old Town's toothless smiles.

I think I can forgo a pint for that.

TRAVEL

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BERLIN

NEW ZEALAND

The West Coast twin of the NY Art Book Fair, PRINTED MATTER LA ART BOOK FAIR exhibits artistic books, periodicals, monographs, magazines, and catalogues of over 250 publishers from all over the world. Last year, 25,000 people visited in three and a half days – calling all booklovers. Geffen Contemporary at the MOCA, 152 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, free.

BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is one of the more important such festivals on the calendar, with over 400 films per year, mostly indie and art house premieres (which means they won’t be screening The Interview). Andrew Haigh, Terrence Malik and Werner Herzog are all showing, with surreal controversialist Darren Aronofsky acting as President of the Jury. Plus, it’s in Berlin. We love Berlin.

New Zealand celebrates its founding day as only Kiwis know how – by joining up with Bob Marley’s birthday and getting baked in the sun with a massive reggae festival.

Situated in Mount Maunganui on the Bay of Plenty, this year’s ONE LOVE FESTIVAL features acts including local heroes The Black Seeds and all-Maori reggae band Katchafire. Tickets retail at $99 NZ.

5-13 Feb

30 Jan–1 Feb

Berlin International Film Festival

Printed Matter’s LA Art Book Fair

One Love Festival

INDIA, WORLDWIDE

DUBLIN

AUSTIN, TEXAS

HOLI is the Hindu faith’s Festival of Love and if that isn’t enough to get you interested then consider the fact that Love is mostly all about dressing in all white, throwing brightly-coloured water bombs and getting blissed out on bhang. What on earth could possibly go wrong?

OFFSET is a three-day conference designed to encourage creative industry folk (designers, artists, illustrators, and advertisers) to come together and, well, be creative about stuff. What that stuff might be varies (in creative ways, no doubt), but, if you’re serious about getting work in these industries (basically, network, creatively), or just want to see what a person calling themselves a ‘creative’ actually looks like, then this is the place for you.

The biggest music festival (although technically there are three components, Film and, eh, Interactive, but it’s mostly about the Music) in the world SXSW takes place every year in Austin, Texas. Among the 2,200 music acts (yes, that is quite a lot) vying for industry attention are Scotland’s Hector Bizerk and The Twilight Sad joined by Circa Waves and JP Cooper from Northwest England.

Fri 6 Mar

Holi

Photo: Narender9

6-8 Mar

13-22 Mar

Veronica Ditting, OFFSET Design Festival

SXSW

MILAN

BROOKLYN

MADRID

One for seasoned Upholstrophiles everywhere, SALONE DI MILANO is the largest trade event of its kind of the planet, and also goes by the somewhat less flirtatious moniker that is the Milan Furniture Fair. Thousands of furniture brands and their designers from all over the globe descend on Italian style capital Milan to try and set or discern the hottest trends in international design.

Having attracted over 2000 attendees last year, the BROOKLYN ZINE FESTIVAL fourth will display the work of over 150 writers, artists, and publishers from New York City.

Past exhibits and panels have included music-zines, lit-mags, art compilations, meta-discussions over the trend of zining and more – for those in love with the textually ephemeral.

On to Madrid, and another film festival – this one trading exclusively in the non-fiction form. Since DOCUMENTA MADRID inception in 2004, submissions, both feature length and short have been accepted from all around the world. This year’s line-up has, at time of writing, yet to be announced.

Salone di Milano (Milan Design Week)

30 Apr-10 May

Brooklyn Zine fest

Photo: Sylvie Rosokoff

25-26 Apr

Credit: design_lounge

14-19 Apr

Documenta Madrid

VENICE

NEW YORK

BERLIN

NEW YORK

Opening a month earlier than usual, 2015’s instalment of the visual art branch of LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA promises the usual art Olympics with representatives from dozens of world nations coming together to create and display across the City of Love. Scotland’s contribution is Graham Fagen, and the UK is fielding Sarah Lucas.

Expect to be dazzled.

1.54 is a contemporary African art fair which has been held in London for the past two years. The aim is for artists and galleries involved in African and Africa related projects to promote their work to an international audience. The fair will then pop-up in Brooklyn in May with a programme including screenings, lectures, and panel debates.

What might a children’s book creator, a journalist, the current Facebook Communication Design team manager, a photograph collector, a typographer, a code tinkerer and more all have in common? They will meet in Berlin to give talks on design TYPO TALK BERLIN this spring – designers and designer admirers welcome. Berlin, Germany, from 249€.

Golden streets beneath a setting sun, the shadows of the Manhattan skyline stretch over you in NYC’s Bryant Park as you await a classic film, from Saturday Night Fever to The Shining, on the large screen before you.

This could have been you last summer; make sure you show up at NYC PARKS’ FREE SUMMER MOVIES this time! Assorted locations, New York City, NY.

1:54 Pop-Up

Jun

Famous Iberian festival NOS PRIMAVERA SOUND has made like an amoeba and split in two. The ever-popular Barcelona edition which takes place in May, has been joined since 2012 by its Portuguese brother/sister/whatever the offspring of binary fission are called. Details of the line-up are scant right now, but Patti Smith’s going, and that is often good enough for us.

One of our favourite music festivals in the world – LA VILLETTE SONIQUE does precisely what one would expect of a Parisian festival and specialises in experimental rock and electronica. LCD Soundsystem featured in the very first one in 2003, the only year they would have been considered cool enough.

But it’s really not about the poseurs – trust us, the music’s great.

Nos Primavera Sound

26

Lifestyle

Photo: Gold SoundzIt

PORTUGAL

PARIS

4-6 Jun

May

Movies In The Park

Tina Roth Eisenberg, Typo Talk Berlin

BARCELONA 18-20 Jun

The tried and tested SONAR is one of the daddies of electronic music festivals. 2015 is being headlined by the Chemical Brothers, whose first studio album since 2010 is out this year. The often very shy but never less than brilliant Autechre make a rare appearance in public as does festival specialist Kindness.

Hookworms, Villette Sonique

TRAVEL

Photo: Richard Manning

Venice Biennale

21-23 May

Courtesy of M.I.A. Gallery

15-17 May

Photo: Rosamund West

9 May-22 Nov

Photo: Ross Baynham

Planning on travelling this year?

Here are some of the cultural highlights we are most looking forward to.

6–7 Feb

Sonar

THE SKINNY

Photo: Martin Senyszak

International Events

LOS ANGELES

Start your next SYHAdventure

With over half of our Youth and Affiliate Hostels located in the Highlands and Islands what are you waiting for? Get out there!

BOOK NOW. SYHA Hostelling Scotland

@syhahostelling

Scottish Youth Hostels Association (also known as SYHA) is a registered Scottish charity, No. SCO13138

February 2015

syha.org.uk

27

CITIZENS THEATRE PRESENTS

12 FEB – 7 MAR BOOK NOW 0141 429 0022 citz.co.uk

10 – 14 MAR BOX OFFICE 0131 529 6000 GROUPS (8+) 0131 529 6005 edtheatres.com

Citizens Theatre Ltd. Registered in Scotland No. SC022513 and is a Scottish Charity No. SC001337 The Festival and King’s Theatres are managed by the Festival City Theatres Trust. Registered Charity SC018605

Stellar Quines and Marilyn Imrie present

A comedy about teenage love, friendship and betrayal in 18th century Edinburgh!

A new play by comedian Lucy Porter First performed at Edinburgh Fringe 2014

On tour 19 Feb - 8 March

Info & tickets at www.stellarquines.com

28

THE SKINNY

POLAND

CZECH

ICELAND

OPEN'ER FESTIVAL, Poland’s biggest music weekender, lays claim to being the first to introduce the wristband innovation, so we’re talking some serious festival streetcred here. Line-up pretty scant at this point, but those confirmed include St Vincent, Alt-J, Jonny Greenwood and Eagles of Death Metal. So, good start then…

The Czech Republic’s finest film event, now almost 70 years old, KARLOVY VARY FILM FESTIVAL features hundreds of actors, directors, and filmmakers presenting their own work to cinefiles in search of hidden masterpieces. Located in a spa town nestled amid forested hills near the German border, Karlovy Vary is a delight.

Since 1999, London-based firm All Tomorrow’s Parties have put on unique music festivals around the world in which major bands and artists, rather than concert administrators, curate the acts, making for interesting selections: at ATP ICELAND, Iggy Pop, Drive Like Jehu, and Belle and Sebastian will headline this summer in Keflavik – beautiful scenery, a nice mix of indie rock and pop. Ásbrú (Former Nato Base), Keflavík, Iceland, from £91.

3-11 Jul

ATP Iceland

STOCKHOLM

POLAND

CROATIA

Five-day culture-fest STOCKHOLM CULTURE FESTIVAL features music, dance, and art from around the world. Last year’s acts included guitarist Bombino from Niger, vocal group The Pointer Sisters from the US, dance group Swing Latino from Colombia, quartet DakhaBrakha from the Ukraine and more.

Stockholm, Sweden, mostly free.

OFF FESTIVAL in the southwest of Poland has hosted an impressive pedigree of acts in recent years, featuring The Smashing Pumpkins, Neutral Milk Hotel, Los Campesinos, and Belle and Sebastian. So far, this year’s line-up includes hip hop duo Run the Jewels, Sun O))), The Julie Ruin, Jacek Sienkiewicz and Girl Band, plus local flavor and more to come. Katowice, Poland, from 200zl.

Set on a beach-laden peninsula called Fort Punta Christo after the 100-year-old fort built upon it, music acts like Caribou, Warpaint, and DARKSIDE have headlined Croatian electronic music festival DIMENSIONS since 2012. Boat parties depart daily for when you’re not relaxing on the beach. Camping Brioni, Puntizela 155 Stinjan 52100 Pula CROATIA, tickets available 6 February.

7-9 Aug

Dimensions

NEW YORK

TORONTO

LONDON

MALAWI

THE NEW YORK ART BOOK FAIR, a gathering of booksellers, institutions, antiquarians, artists, and independent publishers from 28 countries saw over 35,000 visitors last year and features catalogues, books, zines, and monographs for viewing. 22-25 Jackson Avenue on 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY

Now in its 40 instalment and an acknowledged pillar in the world of film, TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL has in recent years showcased major films like The Imitation Game, 12 Years a Slave, and Silver Linings Playbook, as well as a host of others, documentaries, and short films from around the world.

The annual LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL with over 350 events aims to ‘promote London as the design capital of the world,’ a weighty claim born out by the estimated 350,000 people from around the world who make up the festival’s audience, as well as the countless creative types from ceramicists to bike-builders, who lead its events.

In the Warm Heart of Africa (™), on the beautiful banks of Lake Malawi, LAKE OF STARS brings together local and international audiences to dance through the night to bands from across Africa and beyond. The sun’s too hot for much to happen during the day, but after dark the beach comes alive with revellers enjoying the international sounds of reggae, afrobeat and hip hop until sunrise.

19-27 Sep

25-27 Sep

London Design Festival

Toronto International Film Festival

Lake of Stars

CROATIA

LYON

VIENNA

IRELAND

Set in the beachside Croatian town of Rovinj on the shores of the Adriatic, five-day music festival UNKNOWN includes nearly 100 DJ and live music acts, as well as a selection of boat and island parties to attend as you take in a gorgeous seascape. Past headliners include Chic Ft. Nile Rodgers, Chvrches, Disclosure, me, Daniel Avery, and more – a great festival for the DJ lover.

The LYON BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, held only in odd years, will focus a group of artists on the theme of the term ‘modern life’ as proposed by guest curator Ralph Rugoff. Little more is yet clear, but the project will resurface with different curators in 2017 and 2019; art appreciators take note.

During the annual VIENNA DESIGN FESTIVAL, tens of thousands of design enthusiasts pour into the city which itself becomes a medium of presentation for the performances, talks, and projects happening in the categories of Stadtarbeit, Debut, Laboratory, Education, Passionswege and Programme Partners, with guided tours available.

Assorted locations, Vienna, Austria, most events free.

An independent film and music festival held in the south of Ireland, INDIECORK emphasises that festivals remain a good exhibition point for short films, features and documentaries never shown to larger audiences.

Past winners include A Million Miles Away, Skunky Dog, All Mortal Flesh and more.

10 Sep-3 Jan 2016

7-11 Sep

Unknown Festival

Oct

26 Sep-5 Oct

Lyon Biennale

IndieCork

Vienna Design Festival

REYKJAVIK

AUSTIN, TEXAS

TORINO

RENNES

The year was 1999; bands and fans alike gathered in an airplane hangar at Reykjavik airport for what was intended to be a one time music showcase. Sixteen years later, ICELAND AIRWAVES remains an international event and will feature the likes of Hozier, Anna Calvi, Olof Arnalds, and more in its line-up this November.

In Austin, Texas this past November, Judas Priest, Fred Armisen, Modest Mouse, Wiz Khalifa, Alt-J, and a host of others converged at Auditorium Shores to headline the ninth instalment of FUN FUN FUN FEST; we eagerly await the tenth. With four stages to navigate and likely around 100 acts, you will not want for variety.

For those in search of films which they truly may have not yet heard of, TORINO FILM FESTIVAL in its 33rd year is an excellent fit – last year’s line-up included Anuncian Sismos, As You Were, Big Significant Things, and more.

Heard of them? Neither have I, but a week watching films in the Italian Alps doesn’t sound so bad…

Deriving its name from a focus on the blur of genre and geographic divisions, TRANSMUSICALES DE RENNES in the northwest of France has a reputation for showcasing major artists before the rest of us start hearing about them – Django Django, Nirvana, and LCD Soundsystem to name a few. Indeed, the Trans is something of a hipster of festivals. Not your mum’s music.

Torino Film Festival

Transmusicales de Rennes

Iceland Airwaves

February 2015

21-29 Nov

Fun Fun Fun Fest

Photo: Ralph Arversen

7-8 Nov

Courtesy of Iceland Airwaves

4-8 Nov

TRAVEL

Photo: Rosamund West

Phto: istolethetv

NY Art Book Fair

th

Photo: Stuart Bannocks

10-20 Sep

Sep

Photo: Dan Medhurst

Off Festival

Stockholm Culture Festival

Photo: Anna Spies

26-30 Aug

Photo: Marcin Lewandowski

Aug

Dec

Feature

29

Photo: Dominique Vrignaud

ATP Festival Iceland Karlovy Vary Film

Photo: Weltsport

Open’er Festival

10-12 Jul

Photo: Yves

1-4 Jul

Above the Belt Interview: Emma Ainley-Walker

Photo: Peter McNally

The Highlands and Islands are about more than their beautiful scenery.

The Touring Network's Sam Eccles, promoter Jennie Macfie and Kieran Hurley talk about theatre and culture outside of the cities

W

hen you think of theatre and music in Scotland, you might primarily think of the central belt, and more specifically Glasgow and Edinburgh. However, there is a rich network of theatre and culture far north of these urban hubs. The Touring Network exists specifically to shine a light on the work done by many excellent promoters to bring touring arts productions to the Highlands and Islands. Director of the network Sam Eccles explains that it arose out of “a need to bring together the disparate individuals working independently to bring theatre, music and dance to the Highlands and Islands and to provide the support required to continue and to further their creative work.”

Jennie Macfie is one of the many promoters supported by The Touring Network, who works independently to bring arts to her local community in Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness. Her work includes bringing theatre and music performances to her local village hall and sometimes the local pub, including afternoon concerts for families and for those who don't necessarily enjoy going out in the evening. On the phone to The Skinny – something that the inclement weather made difficult when it snapped Macfie's landline cable – Macfie talks about the “vital nature” of bringing performances up to the Highlands, making it affordable for locals to attend cultural events that they could walk to, rather than having to travel to and most likely stay over in a city. By bringing these arts events to smaller and more rural communities, they are being opened up to new audiences. “If you're putting something on in the local pub, people can choose whether or not to engage in it. For people who don't necessarily go to the theatre, they can be surprised by it and find shows that they love in places that they never expected,” says Macfie. This is one of the reasons she loves finding shows and music events to bring to her local community. She tells the story of the pub's owner who had made it into his 40s without ever attending the theatre, “because there hadn't

30

Feature

been the opportunity before,” who suddenly is hosting plays and performances and falling in love with the art form.

Macfie began promoting after getting involved in an art project at her local primary school. With money left over from the budget she organised a ceilidh in the local village hall to great success. The next year she put on the same event to an even bigger crowd and it grew from there. After a career in film and TV, getting involved in promoting local events “filled that gap and more,” says Macfie, giving her a channel for her artistic endeavours, and particularly her love for traditional Scottish music.

“Culture in the Highlands is more diverse and challenging than people might expect. It's representative of contemporary Scottish culture mixing together with tradition.”

Sam Eccles

She refers to Michael Marra's visit as one of her favourite performances. “It was a tea time gig, and we'd got him a grand piano, which was actually a recommendation from someone at the PAN forum. When he arrived he was over the

moon with the piano, and changed his whole set to suit the instrument. He gave a wonderful performance.” It's not only the audience that can be affected by these performances, but the performers themselves as performances are shaped to suit each space they perform in.

One of the wonderful things about rural touring is the intimacy of the space. Sam Eccles talks about how it specifically “brings performance away from urban spaces and transforms them for community venues. Audiences can be anything from 30 to 250 and they can often feel the breath of the performers on their faces.”

Theatre maker Kieran Hurley toured his play Rantin´ around the Highlands and Islands in early 2014.

Sitting down with The Skinny, he talks about the “smallness” of these performances. “When we played in Durness there were only around 20 people, but then you realise that as a percentage that's quite a lot of the adult population of Durness coming to see your show. There was a real focus of attention on engaging with each of those people in the room. A similar thing happened in Tongue in this tiny little village hall; the stage manager kept having to put a pound in the meter to keep the heater running. We didn't have anywhere to retreat to before or after the show.

There was no real division between where the audience were sitting and the stage space, so we just said we were going to start, we did the show and afterwards there was no darkness to step into. There was no real separation between their experience and ours. Some of the women on the front row just stepped onto the stage and started having a chat with us – that wouldn't happen in a theatre in a city. Rather than having to seek out that direct dialogue with your audience, in certain contexts in rural touring it's more like you would have to work to avoid it.”

“While the Highlands and Islands may, to most people, be associated with the Munros, golf and shortbread, there is amazing theatre and music happening that people need to be made aware

TRAVEL

of,” says Sam Eccles, and Hurley agrees. “Really small towns and communities all around Scotland have amazing arts scenes, you go to somewhere like Ullapool and there's so much going on. So much of that is to do with touring, but a lot of it is stuff that's happening locally. It's important as an artist because you're engaging in a wider conversation about your art by going into different communities in which interesting cultural activities are happening. Touring in that way is really nourishing, not just for the audiences receiving that work, but for the artists that engage in it as a process. It's a really valuable thing in both directions when it works.”

Hurley came up against the local arts scene in Orkney, performing on the same night as the amateur dramatics society's performance of Cats. “It's not a case of the National Theatre of Scotland rolling in and that being the most important show in town; the most important show in town was Cats because it matters to people.

We got a brilliant audience nevertheless and it was smashing fun.” This is just one example of the richness of the arts scene in the Highlands and Islands is and how much it can be explored, by performers, by local audience members, and by visitors as well. As Sam Eccles puts it, “the culture in the Highlands is more diverse and challenging than people might expect. It's representative of contemporary Scottish culture mixing together with tradition. Those on the periphery of the urban culture can be part of a wider cultural exchange,” and this is what the promotors supported by The Touring Network are working to create.

While Kieran Hurley has no plans in the works to tour again, he is confident in his belief that he'll be back. “It won't be too long before I get itchy feet for touring again. I love international touring, and UK touring, but I love rural touring most of all. The opportunity to go to some of these amazing places around the country, and it be your job.” thetouringnetwork.com

THE SKINNY

February 2015

31

32

SHOWCASE

THE SKINNY

Matthew Arthur Williams “M

y work has always leaned heavily on the format of a journal. This body of work consists of a series of photographs, recordings and collections created during a trip to New York in 2013.

"The work will be exhibited in March 2015 at The Glad Café in Glasgow. Accompanying it will be a small publication allowing me to take it a step further, connecting my findings and past experiences with the city, consciously considering how each image is presented in another format.

"After living in London, Manchester and Glasgow in a short space of three years I am

February 2015

aware that travel is one of the themes I carry with me – this outsider looking in. It also comes with the need to capture a fleeting moment, to slowing the world right down to that single frame.

By not allowing the edge of the photograph to be the end of the story I consider ways to integrate the print-making process with an aspect of collaging and layering."

Matthew Arthur Williams lives and works in Glasgow. He graduated with a BA Photography from Manchester Metropolitan in 2012.

Selected Exhibitions: 2015 The Glad Café, Glasgow (forthcoming solo exhibition + book launch) 2012 Manchester to London, Redchurch Street Gallery Shoreditch, London 2012 Ask Why? Degree Show, Manchester School of Art, Manchester 2012 Holden Tearooms - Saloon Hang, The Holden Gallery, Manchester 2011 Interim Show, The Link Gallery, Manchester 2011 Yappy Days, Queenston Art House Didsbury, Manchester 2011 Ephemeros, Kraak Art Gallery, Manchester

SHOWCASE

Publications: Travelogue, 2012 The Dog Walkers, 2011 matthewawilliams.co.uk instagram.com/matthewarthurw twitter.com/matthewarthurw

33

A Hong-Kong of Soulmates Words: Kate Pasola Illustration: Joana Estrela

Valentine’s Day: blame Plato

V

alentine's Day takes meticulous planning.

I'm already predicting I'll spend lunchtime avoiding Instagram, draft a sardonic tweet about Thorntons then delete it in case I upset their social media person, before finishing the day sitting in a shallow bath repeating mental affirmations that receipt of a torso-sized Moonpig ≠ fulfilment.

Single people direct lots of their Valentine's vitriol at businesses. It's just quite satisfying to have a go at something other than yourself for feeling more single than a stale Pringle left in the tube. But there's someone who's been getting off lightly in all of this (shout-out to Plato), and I think drawing attention to it might even be more empowering than that time Beyoncé wrote a song about single people putting their hands up.

In the Symposium, Plato wrote that earth was originally inhabited by a species of four-legged, four-armed and bi-facial humans, with happy souls wanting for nothing. Then we all got a bit big for our mortal boots, so Zeus split us in half, binding everyone to the quest to find our lost soulmates. I'm not one to hate on Plato, but I think it's time we addressed our loyalty to this mythical narrative – even if only because imagining a race of self-satisfied, two-faced octohumans is, frankly, petrifying.

Most of us have acknowledged the fact that it's questionable that all these wandering demi-souls are bumping into their corresponding mates next to the same library vending machines/on Tinder/in a heated kickboxing taster session. When it comes to others we're aware

it's more likely that The One is just the person they like more than anyone else they've met yet.

But that doesn't stop us secretly subscribing to the soulmate story when we fall in love. Those giddy chemicals get to work suspending your rationality, leaving you to consider your luck that, of all the bikinis on all the booze-cruises in Croatia, your very own Mr Right happened to vomit on yours.

But what is a soulmate? Surely it's just a human with whom we're tremendously compatible – similar enough to remind us why we're awesome but different enough to distract us from any possible self-hatred we're harbouring.

They're hopefully the gender we want to have sex with, and have a knack for reducing our hearts to spaghetti hoops.

If that's the case, I think it's naïve to assume that of the seven billion(ish) souls on earth, hanging out with only one of them could ever be this gratifying. So I'm going propose a new framework.

Imagine lining up the world's population, from the person with whom you have least in common (say, an 18-year-old UKIP member wearing a Hawaiian shirt who wants to settle down in Skegness), all the way to your ideal human (perhaps someone with the vocabulary of Russell Brand, the shoulders of Hercules, who doesn't bleat on proudly about being a Man-Feminist and nonchalantly rides a motorbike). Imagine scanning that entire lineup and discounting all but one as unsuitable runners-up. Seems pretty wasteful if you ask me.

Say you think you'd only be relationship-level compatible with about 5% of that lineup… that's

still 35 million contenders. Even the pickiest of romantics who might only consider 1% of that lineup are still looking at a pool of seven million people they'd probably have an awesome time, beautiful babies and a banging golden anniversary with, if that's what they're into. Seven million people. The population of Hong Kong.

“Of all the bikinis on all the boozecruises in Croatia, your very own Mr Right happened to vomit on yours” It's not the stuff of Mills & Boon, but who even reads Mills & Boon now anyway? There's a Hong Kong-ful of people waiting to find out how implausibly immense you are and share their pizza with you. But one thing's certain, it's unlikely you're going to meet many of them until you've pulled the plug on not only the shallow bath you're sitting in, but also the idea there's someone out there whose job is to complete you.

Things That Go Bump in the Night Trigger warning: Nightmares and sleep terrors are familiar bedfellows, but for one writer, the little-known condition sexsomnia comes with its own set of disturbances and difficulties

M

y subconscious has always been a macabre carnival of dark, shadowy nightmares and sleep terrors since childhood. For decades, night time has been prowled by hallucinations lurking at the foot of the bed, invisible incubi tossing me around in torturous episodes of sleep paralysis and dream concoctions of abuse, shame and failure. That part of my brain is a cavernous basement of fear, unlocked only when I close my eyes to sleep.

Imagine then, after a life-time of turbulent nights and prescription chemicals to placate these subconscious monsters of mine, I fall in love with someone whose night-time demons get uncontrollably and inescapably horny at around 3am. So powerful are these impulses, the dreams puppeteer his sleeping body towards me in the night to initiate sex in a dopey, inept fumble. His eyes are closed and crucial parts of his brain are disengaged, mainly the prefrontal cortex which controls the mind's intent and awareness. At first we dismissed the episode as a one-off, but then every few days an arm would be thrown in my direction and a hand would get caught in my bra strap groping blindly for a breast. Either that or the hand would be plunged straight into my pants, which his sleeping self magnetises deftly towards no matter how deep his slumber.

34

Lifestyle

An enthusiastic fingering wake-up call in the wee small hours does not a happy girlfriend make. Especially a girlfriend as plagued with sleep disorders as I, one who counts every minute of uninterrupted shut-eye as precious. I shook him awake in the beginning, demanding he explain what the fuck he was doing. As time went on and the behaviours presented themselves as an unconscious impulse rather than a weird sleep-rape fetish, I became less aggressive and would gently roll him over instead, telling him what happened as he came round.

The condition is called sexsomnia, which we discovered through some online research after around episode 15 (and a serious spike in my night-time anxieties). Sexual activity in sleepwalkers is not that uncommon, and researchers at Toronto's University Health Centre sleep lab registered that one in 12 people studied had initiated sex in their sleep. There have also been several instances of rape acquitted because the perpetrator was unconscious at the time.

I'd dismissed previous news reports I'd read on the subject as nonsense before I experienced it first hand – unable to believe that a primal subconscious urge was enough to power the body into committing such horrendous acts. There was something Night of the Living Dead about it; zombies stumbling blindly along, cognitive power completely reduced, able to comprehend

only the basest of human needs. Thankfully my partner's night-ego urges weren't to eat brains, just pussy.

His sleep antics ended up causing greater damage to his psyche than my sleep pattern, and in time my concern shifted drastically to him once the conscious effects of his parasomnia began to take hold. He suffered incredible shame upon waking, rolling over to the far corner of the bed and refusing to be touched, apologising profusely. He has hazy recollection of events on occasion, but mostly suffers complete amnesia, confusion and embarrassment.

After an episode he would withdraw into himself, become distant and refuse to speak to me. I almost felt like I was the sleepy sex pest in the scenario, rather than the recipient of substandard, surprise late-night foreplay. In order to subdue his shame, I decided to retire the nickname Midnight Molester (and, to my great upset, the 80s-detective-show-style theme tune I often sang to accompany it). Yeah, it might sound harsh and insensitive, but humour is a great defence mechanism when you're being shagged in your sleep, and the theme tune was fucking catchy.

Despite his embarrassment and the gradual settling down of his sleep molestation, my concern is now getting his condition recorded in his medical records in case things progress. In 2009, in arguably the most tragic sleepwalking

DEVIANCE

Words: Lola incident documented in recent times, doting husband Brian Thomas fatally strangled his wife while they both slept. The couple were staying in a camper van on holiday, but the noise of boyracers doing handbrake turns in a nearby car park disturbed Brian's already restless subconscious, driving him to throttle his partner. They were due to celebrate 40 years spent together, but Brian's half-century of secret night terrors built to their terrifying and tragic crescendo just before their wedding anniversary.

Incidents such as Brian's are often referred to as homicidal somnambulism, and aren't exactly equivalent to the mild midnight friskiness my partner and I endure. However, without the correct attention or diagnosis, is it likely to escalate? Will his subconscious self – who speaks in an unfamiliar voice and seems to have his own personality – switch to an aggressive Hyde character and slay me in my sleep? There's also every chance I could be impregnated in the night with an accidental sleep baby, a child conceived by thesubconscious. Perhaps he or she would become a surrealist painter, or the subject of Freudian-esque psychiatric testing – a baby from the beyond.

Perhaps. Or perhaps I will be choked to death with cock in a sleep-deep-throating incident. The cash from the tabloids could pay for the funeral.

THE SKINNY

In Profile: Igor Termenón Originally from Ponferrada, a small town in the north west of Spain, fashion photographer Igor Termenón now lives in Edinburgh and works across Scotland as well as internationally

P

hotographer Igor Termenón creates stunning yet simple and relaxed work, which is strikingly beautiful as well as surprisingly honest. Selftaught, he studied Mechanical Engineering and Product Design, which he calls, “something completely opposite to photography!” However, he tells us he has always been interested in magazines and their editorials: “I started taking photos when I was studying for my Bachelor Degree. When I was a teenager I was really interested in fashion magazines, but had actually never thought about taking photos myself. I bought my first camera when I was 19 or 20 years old and started taking photos of my friends.” He adds, “I wanted to find something creative that allowed me to disconnect from the technical load of my degree.”

Having visiting Glasgow during that degree, Termenón moved to Scotland permanently after its completion. He tells us, “Living here in Scotland and in other places in the UK has definitely influenced my work. The industrial side of Glasgow played a big influence in my work when I lived there over five years ago, and the city is still the background to most of my fashion shoots. Brutalist architecture and British suburbia is something that is really present in my work at the moment.”

As well as this interest in architecture, Termenón always carefully considers lighting and prefers to work with the natural light in a

February 2015

location. He says, “sometimes people tend to talk about the light when they describe my photographs. I also feel inspired by nature which is also prominent in my work.”

Shooting in film rather than in digital is a very important and distinctive aspect of Termenón's photography. “I've been using only film (apart from some specific commissions) in my work for the past 5 years and I like compact and point and shoot cameras because they're easy to carry around and also to shoot with. I like my shoots to be really organic and fast so they are the perfect cameras, as you don't have to spend time focusing or winding the film manually.“

“I don't think I will stop using film any time soon” Igor Termenón

Although he he started photographing with digital cameras, and does so for specific commissions, he feels more confident using film.

I guess I've trained my eye enough to know more or less what's going to turn out after I deve-

lop the film and I know that I'm going to like the colours and tones much better than if they were shot with digital.” He adds, “I don't think I will stop using film any time soon.”

When discussing the behind-scene aspects and the actual workings of a shoot Termenón explains, “My favourite part has to be the moment I'm actually shooting. I've had some great moments shooting fashion and working with people who share the same vision. I also enjoy location scouting and I get really excited when I find what I had in mind, or when a location surprises me and turns out to be amazing.”

And the most important part of a shoot?

“Having the right location is probably one of the most important parts of a photo shoot and I like to make sure I have enough time allocated for this. My least favourite part has to be the production part, in terms of finding models, stylists, etc. and making sure everyone is available. It's really time consuming but it's worth it in the end.”

Explaining that the combination of everything (model, location, clothes, crew) makes a good shoot and therefore a successful fashion image, he tells us, “It helps when you work with a good team of people and everyone respects each other. I think you can definitely see that in the final result.”

When discussing capturing fashion in his images, Termenón mentions designers who he finds inspirational. “I really admire the work of

FASHION

Interview: Alexandra Fiddes

Raf Simons in his menswear label and love the simplicity of Phoebe Philo from Céline.”

As well as being a freelance photographer, Termenón founded two publications in 2011, Girls on Film and Boys on Film. Originally made as small zines, they showcase film photography by emerging artists. Last year the concept grew, and the two titles were also turned into books, made in collaboration with a publishing house based in South Korea. Termenón explains, “I still can't believe how much the concept has grown since I decided to start it from my student accommodation room in Liverpool, when I was studying my Masters Degree.” He adds that one of the highlights of the project was “the Museum of Modern Art in New York buying all the back issues for their library archive!”

Termenón recently finished editing the second volume of the Girls on Film book, which came out in December. He's currently working on the selection of photographers for the second volume of the Boys on Film book. After that is completed, Termenón wants to “shoot even more fashion and focus a little more on portraits.”

When asked about his biggest achievement in photography so far, Termenón says (selfeffacingly), “I guess having my work published in some of those magazines I used to read when I was a teenager.” And we're certainly interested to see where Igor Termenón's photography takes him next.

Lifestyle

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Phagomania: The Year of the Sandwich

Food News

Fresh from a televised appearance plugging our Food & Drink Survey, Phagomania feels the need to follow up on some claims – namely, is the sandwich really back?

Forget your so-called Valentine's Day; February is all about pop-up burger joints, Middle Eastern cookery, and experimenting with strong cheese

Words: Lewis MacDonald

Words: Peter Simpson

A

gainst a tide of burgers, pulled pork, mac cheese and dawgs, the comparatively dainty and humble British sarnie has had a bit of a hard time of late. But sandwiches featured profusely in the On-The-Go category in this year's Food Survey, prompting your columnist to proclaim on local TV that, “the sandwich is back.” Luckily, the sandwich does seem to be on the upswing, and is cropping up elsewhere in the media with pleasing regularity. In what was clearly the biggest food news highlight of last month, a Belfast shop entitled ‘Simply Crispy' took the accolade of ‘world's first crisp sandwich shop,' reporedly selling out within two hours of opening and showing those cereal cafe upstarts how you run a single-issue joke venue. Isolated brilliance you say? Swiftly following suit, a bakery in Bristol launched a menu of crisp sandwiches, becoming the UK's second crisp sandwich shop. They're everywhere, we tell you, everywhere!

But where can the sandwich go from here?

In case you sensed a prejudice against US cuisine with that 'tide of burgers…' remark, we got in touch with a New Yorker who has been flying the flag for sandwiches as works of art. Sandwiches,

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Lifestyle

or, to use Jon Chonko's terminology, ‘scanwiches.'

Jon started a blog scanning sandwiches – yes, that's right, placing his severed lunch upon a computer scanner – which has progressed into a published book of his culinary artworks.

With a delightful backstory, this odd project took off during his workplace's ritualistic lunchtime sandwich munching. Despite being in the global sandwich hotspot that is New York's Soho, Jon acknowledges: “I didn't take advantage of these places. I got the same sandwich (a BLT) from the same deli for lunch every day.”

In an effort to break this lunchtime monotony, it was the lightbulb moment of making a creative project out of scanning sandwiches that kick-started Jon's tastebuds. Jon forced himself “to explore the neighbourhood and the city's options more thoroughly.” He reflects: “Scanwiches really helped push me out of my food comfort zone... that was a good thing.”

A perusal of his website, or indeed his book, finds hundreds of sandwiches sitting against black backgrounds like some unreported phase of Mark Rothko's work, all of which are scanned and then eaten for Jon's lunches. But what part of this

set-up is it that lures so many viewers in?

“I think people just love sandwiches,” Jon projects. “They are one of the first meals people learn to make for themselves.” He then deliberates on a more cerebral view: “They're also so tied up in identity. Sandwiches can be associated with different cultures, regions, and traditions.

They also are individual to a person's personality, and preferences can be reflected in sandwich more easily than a lot of other foods. Hold the mayo, no pickles, extra ketchup, etc.” Jon concludes that “people like to see themselves in sandwiches and think about the memories or emotions they evoke.”

Jon also has a theory on the compelling impact of the scanned images. “It puts it at eyelevel in a way that feels like a view that you would have right before you take a bite.” We can't say we've thought that much about it – and we went on TV to proclaim the year of the sandwich – but we are inclined to agree with Jon that the good old sandwich is everything to everyone.

So go forth and create, sandwich-lovers – now is your time!

Let's start this month with some helpful, practical cooking advice, courtesy of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival. The Festival's Iranian Cookery Class will introduce attendees to the skills, style and quirks of Iranian cookery, with a focus on the stuff one tends to make a bit of a hash of – getting the spices right, and making traditional Middle Eastern flatbreads that look and taste like the real deal. It's a chance to try something new, but with the added bonus that if it all goes wrong you can simply eat the evidence and no-one need be any the wiser. Can't try that at a pot tery class, that's for sure. 8 Feb, 2pm. Nawroz Restaurant, 26 Potterrow, £30. Call 01316672299 to book.

So that's Edinburgh set to emit fragrant and spicy aromas for the foreseeable future, but what about Glasgow? Head to the west these days, and… well… there's a lot of meat going around.

As you walk down West Regent Street to the constant sound of mooing and lingering smell of caramelised onions, it would be easy to say that Glasgow's obsession with all things burgerish has got a little bit out of hand. That said, we're always open to new ways of interfacing with red meat, and that's just what to expect from a pair of pop-ups on the way this month.

First up is the return of the El Perro Negro pop-up to Brewdog in the West End – Nick Watkins’ ‘Top Dog’ burger has been dubbed the best in the city, and given that said city must now be around 35% beef that's a big endorsement. Get down early for your chance to put it to the test, or to try out the ‘Mad Dog’ complete with lashings of Glasgow's own ‘Mega Death hot sauce.’ 22 Feb while stocks last, Brewdog, 1397 Argyle St. Also popping up this month in the city centre is Audio Beef, brought to you by the self-styled ‘Mad Chef’ behind Bloc's outrageous food menu.

Expect a New York-inspired experience with tunes, food, and the kind of exciting foodie experimentation that only a man who calls himself ‘Mad Chef’ can provide. 19 Feb, £23, tickets from Bloc, 117 Bath St. For a slightly more sedate but equally experimental vibe, immerse yourself in a world of savoury goodness with Innis and Gunn and IJ Mellis's collaborative talk at the brewers’ Edinburgh HQ. Over the course of this evening, dubbed ‘Fermentation at its Finest...’, you'll try out four beer and cheese pairings, with the brewers and cheesemongers talking you through each combination. Hear from the experts on what cues to look for when getting your flavours together, and get plenty of inspiration to turn your next trip to the shops into a fermented dairy and hop-filled success. 17 Feb, 6pm, 6 Randolph Crescent, £20.

scanwiches.com

theskinny.co.uk/food

FOOD AND DRINK

THE SKINNY

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Cocktail Column

W

hile the world of food and drink gets more complex by the day, with new techniques constantly appearing and a world of possibilities only a plate or glass away, there's still something to be said for really simple ideas executed well.

That's particularly true when it comes to one of the oldest cocktails on the books – the Flip.

The Flip originated in the bars of 17th century America, with a list of ingredients and processes that involved mulling beer with spices and sugars before placing a red-hot poker into the mixing bowl. It was probably quite good theatre, but not exactly practical for a Saturday night. Iconic US bartender Jerry Thomas hit on a simple solution in his Bon Vivant's Companion of 1887 – add eggs, and give it a bit of a shake. In the original, the drink is caramelised to create a frothy texture, but by simply adding an egg Thomas achieved the same result with both hot and cold cocktails. This revived the drink, and removed ‘smouldering piece of metal’ from the bartender's list of essential kitchenware.

In this modern take on the Flip, created by mixologist Sian Ferguson from Edinburgh gin bar Heads and Tales, apple juice and Edinburgh Gin's rhubarb and ginger liqueur take centre stage in a straightforward but delicious recipe. The only other ingredient is the aforementioned egg, which takes the gin and juice combination and transforms it into a silky, creamy cocktail without distracting from its flavour. Juice, gin and egg; like we said earlier, sometimes keeping it simple pays off.

Apple & Rhubarb Flip INGREDIENTS: 50ml Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur 50ml Fresh Pressed Apple Juice 1 Whole Egg METHOD: Combine all ingredients in shaker.

Shake & strain into glass.

SERVING GLASS: Serve the Apple and Rhubarb Flip in a small latte glass TO GARNISH: A slice of dehydrated apple and a pinch of ground nutmeg Rutland Street, Edinburgh EH1 2AE www.headsandtalesbar.com

Advertise Here!

If you’re reading this advert, so are 160,000 other people this month.

Ask your friendly neighbourhood sales team how you can advertise too. sales@theskinny.co.uk 0131 467 4630 @theskinnymag /TheSkinnyMag

I N D E P E N D E N T

C U LT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

Illustration: Sophie Freeman

February 2015

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THE SKINNY

Gig Highlights

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e made it! Flush from the most joyous payday of the year, and released from January's usual bout of forced frugality, we're now free to irresponsibly waste our cash once more. But wait – before you start lighting handmade Cuban cigars with flaming fifties, check out February's list of unmissable gigs. Your yearning ears might just need you to put some cash to one side…

The month starts promisingly in Edinburgh with Greg Dulli's mighty Afghan Whigs at The Liquid Rooms (3 Feb), going head to head with Mariachi El Bronx on the same date. The LA hardcore types bring their Mexicana alter-ego to Electric Circus, before nipping over to Glasgow's King Tut's the following day. Speaking of reconfigurations, long term indie heroes The Starlets play The Bongo Club under their new guise as A New International (Edinburgh, 6 Feb), but not before Captured Tracks noisemakers Naomi Punk show off their thoroughly idiosyncratic racket at The Glad Café (Glasgow, 5 Feb). That's a treat, alright.

Things get a little busier on 7 Feb, as Forres' own Be Like Pablo do their powerpop thing (Electric Circus, Edinburgh), and experimental noise label Opal Tapes host at The Mash House (Edinburgh) featuring the likes of Basic House and Wanda Group. If that wasn't enough, archdrude Julian Cope takes that night off from

his busy schedule of extra-curricular activities to play some actual songs (King Tut's, Glasgow).

Expect serious lunacy from a master at work – terms which should very much suit The Phantom Band's self-described ‘proto-robofolk' when they hit Dundee's Buskers on 8 Feb in support of surprise fourth LP Fears Trending.

Anyone up for something a little rootsier might want to check out North Carolina duo Hiss Golden Messenger at Stereo (Glasgow, 9 Feb), although that very evening also sees David Tattersall's Wave Pictures combine bookish indie lyricism with nimble guitar heroics (CCA, Glasgow, also at Edinburgh's Sneaky Pete's, 10 Feb).

Glasgow folks who prefer things to be a tad spikier needn't worry, however: returning emo demigods Mineral hit Stereo on 11 Feb, with Mary Timony's bubblegum-glam trio Ex Hex achieving pop perfection at Broadcast two days later.

Washington DC's Spoonboy heads from one capital to another on 13 Feb, playing Edinburgh's Teviot Underground as he joins forces with hyperliterate folk-punkers ONSIND and Fortuna Pop!'s own The Spook School – a formidable line-up of DIY pop royalty. Be sure not to forget about Sheffield's very lovely Slow Club at the same city's Pleasance venue on Valentine's Day, mind, or you'll never forgive yourself.

Slow Club

Sorry, did we not mention that things get hella busy from hereon in? Aye, probably should've done. Diaries out in the meantime: TV On The Radio (Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 16 Feb) and Trust Fund (Nice ‘N' Sleazy, Glasgow, 17 Feb) are more than worth parting with your hardearned dough for, while it's a tricky choice on 19 Feb between LA's hotly-tipped femme-punkers Girlpool (Broacast, Glasgow) and bona fide legends The Jesus And Mary Chain (Corn Exchange, Edinburgh). Might be worth bearing in mind that the latter will be playing their mighty debut Psychocandy in full, following November's rapturously received tour in anticipation of that album's impending 30th anniversary this month.

Inner ear not taken enough of a pounding following the Reid brothers' glorious assault?

It's all in hand. Just head down to the Sonic Mass weekender at Edinburgh's Bannermans Bar (20-21 Feb), which promises two rifftastic days' worth of space rock, sludge and noise. With a lineup including voluminous veterans Hey Colossus and Stoke doom-mongers Space Witch, you'd be daft to miss out. Glasgow, meanwhile, offers three different sides of soothing psych melodicism in quick succession: Gruff Rhys (The Art School, 20 Feb), Pond (Òran Mór, 23 Feb) and Blossoms (King Tut's, 27 Feb, also at Edinburgh's

Credit: Sol Nicol

TV On The Radio

Credit: Euan Robertson

Words: Will Fitzpatrick

Sneaky Pete's, 24 Feb) will sort that blown mind of yours right out.

Another sterling album in the form of 2014's La Isla Bonita is just one of the many reasons you should really be making plans to catch Deerhoof at Stereo (24 Feb), while youthful ones-to-watch Darlia have surely garnered sufficient Nirvana references for you to wonder what the fuss is all about by now – find out at King Tut's (25 Feb).

That Neu! Reekie! lot curate another dazzlingly eclectic lineup at Pilrig St Paul's Church on 27 Feb, featuring west coast hip-hoppers Hector Bizerk amidst their standard smörgasbård of local wonders. That date also sees Glasgow's Broadcast playing hot to Bostonian newcomers Krill – a treat for anyone who enjoys seeing their guitar rock described as ‘angular'.

For the month's final difficult decision, two of the most universally-acclaimed rock bands of recent times head up this way on 28 Feb: The War On Drugs drape their narcotic fug over Edinburgh's Usher Hall just as Leeds quintet Hookworms melt minds over at Stereo. Hmm, maybe hold back on the reckless splurges; this could well be another expensive month after all.

Do Not Miss Pop!South Weekender, The Glad Café, Glasgow, 13-15 Feb

endearingly wry observations against doomed romance, and Nottingham newcomers Lost Pets supplying more than your fair share of smartly wistful charm. With a bill high on sumptuous hooks and low on squalling feedback, noise is something of a relative matter – still, Friday and Saturday take care of the louder side of things, with an acoustic Sunday on hand to nurse your inevitable hangover. Where better to make your jangly dreams come true than Glasgow?

Nowhere, that's where. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Kid Canaveral

February 2015

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Review

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Credit: Jassy Earl

Having warmed the cockles of Glasgow's indiepop hearts this time last year, the Pop!South Weekender returns with another invitingly cosy line-up. Now expanded, the new-look three-day event brings together Fence-associate favourites (super-spry melodicists Kid Canaveral; the indefatigable Withered Hand) alongside newer heroes from the more sensitive end of the pop-punk spectrum (Fortuna Pop! sensations Martha; pepped-up lyricism from DC's Spoonboy). There's plenty more for your buck, of course, with highlights including Motherwell's Just Joans pitting

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Usher Hall, 19 Jan

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“You guys are awesome!” She's being nice; we're not. This Usher Hall audience is January-cold, and tonight's support – the sweet, punkish, south Londoner Kimberly Anne – has her work cut out for her. Luckily, it doesn't take long to win us over.

With just a guitar and her toasty vocal she's warm and engaging; by the time she's live-looping drums we're all singing along. Later, she gives out teabags in the foyer, each with a free download code. Lovely.

Consider us warmed up: the venue can barely hold us all, excitement chokes the air. When Swedish folkstress duo First Aid Kit finally glimmer on stage, we are transported. Gone is the Edinburgh chill and the ornate theatre cornicing; instead, near-dusk sunlight pierces the barn planks behind the band as 2012 hit The Lion's Roar takes us away.

punchbrothers.com

To those unfamiliar with these sisters’ dazzling work, Johanna and Klara Söderberg are country wunderkinds with 3 albums to date, sung in gorgeously melancholic, American-accented two-part harmonies. But for all the sad lyricism, tonight they're swigging Irn Bru (“Sugar free, I'm diabetic”) and poking fun at their own occasional dourness (“party anthems!”). Hell, they even cover a verse of Seven Nation Army before launching into Love Interruption by Jack White.

Even with a devastating rendition of To A Poet (penned by Klara when she was 17, apparently), and a hotly demanded encore (in which they cover Simon & Garfunkel's America, before closing with, of course, the mighty Emmylou), the stand-out moment above all is the mic-less, amp-less serenity of Ghost Town. The crowd is reverently hushed, not a smartphone in sight; when they start singing along, it is halcyonic. [George Sully] thisisfirstaidkit.com

Photo: David P Scott

Punch Brothers march professionally in like it was the 50s backstage – waistcoats, stiff ironed collars and sleek oiled hair, mothers would be proud of their prim boys. Starstruck screams puncture the air as Chris Thile utters his first word but shame we can't hear much else – a technical hitch sees the entire band without amplification: ‘Well this is awkward!’ Nevertheless they launch into something that those of us at the back will never know. Sound technicians deal with their worst nightmare whilst the first few rows enjoy an exclusive acoustic preview.

Back on track, they bash out a string of hits from Who's Feeling Young Now to keep the fans tamed. Paul Kower boasts a speed driven bass solo during trad Swedish-gone Bluegrass tune Flippen – shape or size of instrument is no handi-

First Aid Kit / Kimberly Anne

cap in this band. Everything is performed with total studio precision and we're questioning their mortality. Movement and Location, and Wayside, especially catch the zing we crave from the live experience.

We're tormented with snippets from new venture The Phosphorescent Blues, which is just days from release after three years of silence.

Prepare for bluegrass reinventions of Claude Debussey's Passepied in line with Thile's solo Bach album of a few years back. More popular infusions see Familiarity rhythmically tease: ‘dun dun dun another one bites the...’ incredibly blending it with their most emotionally transcendent and soulful song yet; ‘Amen’ resounds on repeat. This band really has no reputation to earn, GRCH's chairs are close to collapsing in the collective swing; it feels like Thile could give a solo rendition of Twinkle Twinkle and the crowd would still go wild. [Luisa Brown]

Photo: Kate Johnston

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 23 Jan

Photo: Alexander Bell

Photo: Elliott Hatherly

Celtic Connections: Punch Brothers

Algernon Doll / Manuscripts / Star Rover Banshee Labyrinth, 21 Jan

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In Edinburgh's tiny sweatbox the Banshee Labyrinth, the taut, stuttering rhythms of three piece Star Rover recall hardcore legends Quicksand with a touch of Gang of Four to the formula; they even find neat ways to bring a touch of Grandaddy's darker moments to their groove. A well-rehearsed unit throughout, there's huge potential here – a point underlined when they wrap up this opening set with a wall of blistering guitar noise as every band really should.

Manuscripts' set-up is a little more basic by comparison, but still manage to sound more intricate than a duo has any right to. Every song is full throttle with a waspish buzz and Iain Gillon's kick drum is hit so hard it makes several attempts to migrate from the stage.

To suggest that Glasgow's Algernon Doll are ‘going places’ is an understatement on all fronts,

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with frontman Ewan Grant musing over a move to Chicago in the wake of mounting US label interest. Such regard may have something to do with Shellac frontman and engineering colossus Steve Albini having recorded their forthcoming fourth album – on tonight's evidence it's easy to see why the notoriously prickly producer might have taken a shine to them.

Grant is a wispy and diminutive figure, but onstage is transformed into a ferocious band leader, howling through new material that will soon see the light of day with Albini's post-punk pawprints all over it. Last year's Omphalic is largely ignored, save for a particularly vicious Relate at the close. Even without Albini's patronage, Algernon Doll are an intimidating presence; tonight ensures their next step is a mouthwatering prospect. [Stu Lewis] Algernon Doll play Glasgow Flat 0/1 on 11 Feb; Glasgow 13th Note on 28 Feb. facebook.com/AlgernonDoll

Celtic Connections: From Scotland With Love – King Creosote / Tiny Ruins Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 22 Jan

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A sell-out 2,400-plus crowd restless for the second half doesn't make an easy support slot for understated Kiwi trio, Tiny Ruins. But their back-toned country-soul style effortlessly woos us with slow bass simmering under ethereal vocals and subtle percussion. Self penned Jamie Blue, inspired by the story of a 19th Century Glaswegian town crier, fits the archival theme of the show and the audience couldn't be more apt.

As soon as the interval hits, the stage brims frantically with the AV team – this may well be the last chance we have to see From Scotland With Love's full line up of 13-strong band, film screening, sound effects and all – there's no mercy for anyone who messes this up. Showing just once before as part of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games: Culture 2014, we're already feeling lucky with a

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second viewing.

Virginia Heath's collage of Scottish archival footage seeps nostalgia and stretches as far back as the beginning of the 20th century with colour and black & white clips depicting factory work, fun fairs, demolition. Heavy applause breaks the flow at scenes of protesters and their banners: “Let the voice of the Glasgow people be heard”, clashing with police in brutal, bloody mobs to the accompaniment's fervent repetition of ‘You've got to rise above the gutter you're inside', it takes tear-jerkery to the limit.

King Creosote works his own My Favourite Girl and Auld Lang Syne into the original soundtrack, reinforcing a positive interpretation of potentially sore memories including war and emigration. Something To Believe In frames the show and there's an overriding message of community and strength. It's the perfect remedy for a shaky post-referendum audience.[Luisa Brown] fromscotlandwithlovethefilm.com

THE SKINNY

Ghostface Killah

Bigger than Hip-hop Eclectic Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD on confronting genre and collaborating with Ghostface Killah

O

ver a crackly Skype call to Toronto, it doesn't take long in conversation with Canadian trio BADBADNOTGOOD to establish that their unreal genre-bending is supremely difficult to put into words. The band consists of three academically trained jazz musicians: Matt Tavares, Chester Hansen and Alex Sowinski on keys, bass and drums respectively – so far, so straightforward? You'd think so, but their line of trade is hip-hop. They're probably the only band ever to play both the Edinburgh Jazz Festival and buzz-band showcase SXSW in the same year, and this contrast goes a small way to mark out the musical boundaries they take a swing at.

Matt explains, “It's when you're touring and you tell a random person, ‘Oh, I play music,’ and they ask what it sounds like. I feel that we never know what to say.” Chester agrees, “A lot of times you say, ‘Oh, jazz-hip hop, or jazz-fusion,’ but the thing is that the imagination could assume something totally different.” “Exactly,” says Matt.

“Because our ideas go through phases of what we're listening to, or what's inspiring us. Like, currently right now we're on some kind of more... jazzy... feelings, I don't know?” Chester finishes, “But we're hoping that people don't assume things or put stipulation on what our music sounds like.

We're just hoping that we can give good light to the ideas we're trying to create, you know?”

The three met on the Humber College jazz programme, and – now, infamously – played a reinvention of tracks by controversial hip-hop collective Odd Future for their final assessment.

It didn't go down at all well with the academic examiners, perhaps unsurprisingly. However, in a kind of rags-to-riches, 0 to 100 style tale, Odd Future's Tyler, the Creator found their session on YouTube and freaked out. After the heavy endorsement from OF that followed, the trio garnered an impossible string of namechecks: a booking as Coachella's ‘house band’ culminated in their stepping up to back Frank Ocean on the main stage, and last year's SXSW saw them perform a live showcase with Tyler himself. Off stage, their production credits include tracks on Earl Sweatshirt's Doris and Danny

February 2015

Interview: Katie Hawthorne

Brown's Old, as well as some sickeningly brilliant remixes of artists as diverse as Soulja Boy and Future Islands. Subsequent studio albums saw the band reinvent classic tracks from the likes of Kanye, James Blake and Feist amongst a whole pick’n’mix of others, and last year's III was their first full-length release containing all-original material.

“Ghostface is a pretty extensive character” Alex Sowinski

But now, in the biggest coup of their career to date, they've pinned down Wu-Tang legend Ghostface Killah for a full-album collaboration.

The astonishing result is their fourth LP, Sour Soul. It's a mammoth project that's taken three years to see fruition, one that sparked from a meeting with mythic producer Frank Dukes. “It just happened so early on in our evolution that it seems like… yeah, crazy. We'd barely played any shows when we first started working on it,” reflects Chester. After spending years reimagining seminal rap tracks, the adrenaline involved in writing for and with a figure like Ghost was monumental: “Surreal. I remember the first time we got the emails, with some rough ideas he'd brought back, and some first verses on some stuff. I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ We've got Ghostface rapping. It's insane. The feeling was real, like… fuzzy,” says Alex, bashful.

Sour Soul is vast; brooding, cinematic, urgent, and arresting. BADBADNOTGOOD have crafted an impossibly detailed backdrop that's one minute pin-point-precise and the other loose, vulgar and threatening. Ghost sparks off the vibe they establish, drawing material from his life (“he's a pretty extensive character,” says Alex) to build a near-symbiotic relationship between music and lyric, jazz and rap. It's

dangerous to present these two genres as binary, though; the band talk about how, during the album's conception, they weren't sure if it would turn out as a “rap album” or something other. On reflection, it definitely falls into the latter camp: while their unique jazz-informed but hip-hop biased beats lay the foundations, they far from fade into the background.

It's extra impressive because, while Ghost features on near every track, he's not the only heavyweight name BADBADNOTGOOD are dropping here: Danny Brown takes a verse on the acerbic Six Degrees and cult artist DOOM weighs in on Ray Gun's film-noir underworld, alongside cameos from Chicago rapper Tree and Elzhi of Slum Village. BBNG carve a unique space for themselves within the album. For reference, try the last one minute of Ray Gun: out of left field shoots 60 seconds of swaggering bass and leering horn that adds a whole new context to the track you've just heard. The three describe these unexpected extras as last minute additions, but vital to the coherence of the album's concept of fusion: it creates a flow in which tracks like the fully instrumental mid-album gem Stark's Reality feel right at home. Sour Soul is a complex beast, but far from a difficult listen. Six Degrees and closer Experience could come from albums worlds apart, but the talent's in the storytelling and, in BBNG's context, they make total sense.

The whole project took three years, start to finish, and saw the band embark on a sharp learning curve. Matt explains, “We were learning so much while we were doing it that we'd write a track, go back and forth, send it to Ghost or something, and then come back three or four months later and be like, ‘Woah, we can do that so much better now.’ And then do that times ten, you know? I mean, we were even working on it a month ago. The record had to be re-cut super last minute because we just wanted to add some last sprinkles.”

The band used two studios, starting out in Brooklyn's Dunham Records Studio alongside the Menahan Street Band, and then they took what they'd learned back to Toronto, to work in the

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brand new studio they've built with Dukes. They laugh when they talk of first day nerves, as Alex describes: “We'd go from just chilling and working, no pressure, and then to actually have to record it and do a proper take – that's when the pressure gets you, you're like... man, I'm doing the same thing that these incredible musicians you look up to do all the time, and they kill it. So, we'd better kill it.”

Dunham Studios had an incredibly formative influence on the album's conception, too: “It's all analogue, it's all this crazy old vintage shit.

The whole vibe of the studio is insane. Even being there is almost a time warp,” enthuses Matt. Alex leaps in to agree, “Yeah, using that studio had a certain sound, and that really really works in trying to create a unique, and fresh kind of sounding template for Ghost to write and record to, but still keeping it within the kind of soul realm.

And finding, you know, cool ways to psych it out... or maybe go in a jazzier direction, or a synth-y kind of thing, freak it out, whatever.”

Really, the easiest way to describe BADBADNOTGOOD is as straight-up imagination.

To some, they're breaking boundaries that shouldn't be broached, and to others, they're sparking ideas for how these projects can be pushed further still. As Chester puts it, “It's like, anything can be jazz, you know. To quote Matt, ‘Jazz is more like an approach to music.’” Matt interrupts, “Er, that'll be a hundred bucks for the quote…”

“But it's just about the spirit of improvisation,” insists Chester. “And going with the music, and like, I... I dunno. It's actually pretty hard to explain. Sometimes people don't enjoy how we play music, in the jazz realm. They think that it's not jazz? But we try not to focus on that stuff too much, because at the end of the day we're just trying to do our thing and enjoy what we can do.

Sometimes what you're trying to do doesn't really translate to somebody else, and if that's the case then... it's all good.”

Sour Soul is released on 23 Feb via Lex Records badbadnotgood.com

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Credit: Stan Oh

BADBADNOTGOOD

Album of the Month Ibeyi

Ibeyi [XL, 16 Feb]

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Folklore has it that there’s something a little spooky about twins, and Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz use this to incredible, uncanny advantage. There’s so much going on in Ibeyi’s eponymous debut, but the French sisters handle their heady mix with truly impressive restraint. Drawing upon their father’s Cuban heritage they weave Yoruba-inspired rhythms into a fabric of old and new; influences from jazz, soul and hip-hop emerge and fade. They made a mix-tape recently, featuring everything from Nina Simone to Earl Sweatshirt – it explains a lot. Through stripped back piano and impeccably architectural percussion, the sisters conjure an absorbing, spiritual world that’s warming... but a little unsettling.

Multilingual lyrics lend themselves to harmonies truly twinned, telling tales that manage to be both intimate and timeless. Single Mama Says invites us into the complexities of family, Ghosts is a swelling, goosebump-raising hymn and Stranger / Lover could fill a floor as easily as it’ll break hearts. The album is polished with Richard Russell’s by now trademarked XL-produced gloss, but it doesn’t lose anything in translation: there’s a real sense of space, of being unrushed, and it’s delicious. In case you were wondering, Ibeyi is pronounced “ee-bey-ee.” It’s a name you’ll need this year.

[Katie Hawthorne] Playing Glasgow Stereo on 21 Feb | ibeyi.fr

Twerps

John Carpenter

Last Harbour

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Range Anxiety [Merge, 2 Feb] Antipodean jangle that borrows heavily from New Zealand’s finest guitar-manglers in all their scuffed glory, while still doffing its cap to the widescreen wonder of Brisbane’s much-loved Go-Betweens. The latter proves to be The Twerps’ secret weapon, in fact, because no matter how mopey or dopey they try to come across – exhibit A: Back To You’s goofy, Clean-esque shamble – they just can’t sidestep an inherent knack for magnificent pop songs.

De facto frontman Martin Frawley imbues every second of this star performance with a perfect marriage of heartfelt wisdom and languorous cool; equally, Julia MacFarlane’s vocal turn on the understated Shoulders is windswept and adorable where others might settle for cutesy. Deft opener I Don’t Mind highlights their chutzpah, with hooks layered in creeping tension, only to unspool and recoil in some style. The Twerps’ influences may belie their Melbourne roots, but Range Anxiety is bigger and brighter than mere geography could ever hope to be. [Will Fitzpatrick] twerps.bandcamp.com

Lost Themes [Sacred Bones, 2 Feb] Semi-retired from the film industry, Hollywood’s loss becomes your record collection’s gain as The Master of Horror – a profound influence in the realm of synthesised music – brings a new bogeyman to life.

Dating back to his low budget 1974 debut Dark Star, Carpenter scored his own films mostly out of economic necessity, striking upon a knack for minimal, pulsating motifs for the very specific purpose of evoking a heightened state of dread and suspense in his audience.

Recorded with son Cody and godson Daniel Davies, the endeavour of a lifetime becomes a family affair on Lost Themes.

A series of improvised sequences that morph from doomy harbingers (Abyss) into Vangelis-like dreamscapes (Wraith), the trio manipulate the foreboding aesthetics of those late 20th century thrillers rather than being enslaved by them; the mercurial likes of Obsidian – a pulse-quickening chase down a darkened hall – makes for the ultimate in late night headphone experiences, whichever decade you’re in. If Carpenter has come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, then surely he’s all out of bubblegum. [John Langlands]

Caul [Gizeh Records, 9 Feb] More dark matter from Manchester’s Gizeh Records, the increasingly canny collective responsible of late for shadowy essentials from the likes of Ormonde and Shield Patterns. From the depths of sorrow, Last Harbour conjure hope, belief, solace. Are you ready to be heartbroken? Here’s a meticulously traced map of the human condition to guide you. K Craig’s throaty burr could so easily be a vehicle for morose routine – here it’s an instrument of force and range.

It inhabits Caul like a ghost in the shadows: shades of Scott Walker and the late David McComb. Musically, Last Harbour’s chamber arrangements reference the darklands favoured by The Bad Seeds and These New Puritans. Subtle tonal shifts are its concession to variation. Its immaculate highlight is The Promise, a 13 minute rhapsody in black. Throughout, it’s Caul’s compassion that overwhelms. Those moments when you stumble, where the light retreats, here’s an arm around the shoulder and a heart that understands. [Gary Kaill] lastharbour.co.uk

sacredbonesrecords.com

Idlewild

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah

Everything Ever Written [Empty Words, 16 Feb]

Sour Soul [Lex Records, 23 Feb]

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For context’s sake, let’s just clear one thing up: Idlewild’s days as oblique-angled indie-punkas (“A flight of stairs falling down a flight of stairs”, famously) are long gone. Everything Ever Written is the work of older, wiser heads, leaning more heavily towards Americana than the mosh pit. “It’s been checked, rechecked, rewritten and revised,” observes Roddy Woomble on All Things Different, following a sparse mid-song break that’s positively illuminated by jazz-tinged trumpet flutters.

Annihilate Now! this most assuredly is not.

One of Idlewild’s greatest strengths remains their natural bent towards the melancholic – shorn of their erstwhile velocity, they’re free to play with textures in exquisite fashion. The Whiskeytown-esque So Many Things to Decide is a highlight, while the sunrise-soft glow of Utopia perfectly suits Woomble’s gentle croon. Perhaps ironically, it’s only pacier rocker On Another Planet that feels a little out of place here. So what of the flight of stairs?

Let’s just say it’s been freshly re-carpeted. [Will Fitzpatrick] Playing Glasgow O2 ABC on 7-8 Mar | idlewild.co.uk

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BADBADNOTGOOD’s vision has always been broad, but with Pretty Toney in tow it’s blinding. The Toronto jazz trio might have found wider recognition through a James Blake cover in 2012, but they’ve been reimagining seminal hip-hop since the school yard. It’s no surprise, then, that Sour Soul feels so triumphant. Landing a collaboration with Ghostface Killah is a feat in itself, and over the 11 tracks that follow cymbal-clashing, tick-tocking intro Mono, it’s a proper pleasure to hear the Wu-Tang legend stretch out over such a vital, luxuriously live backdrop.

The guestlist is impressive: Danny Brown, Elzhi, Tree and Doom (!) take turns on tracks that demand live performance. Even more impressive is that BADBADNOTGOOD are far from secondary in this starry lineup. Six Degrees breaks down into unnerving, tripping percussion so precisely recorded that it sounds like it’s in the room with you. An unexpected, bombastic horn section steals the show on Ray Gun. This three-piece know their art inside out, and it’s the balance of the unpredicted with the familiarity of hip-hop’s finest that renders Sour Soul just so sweet. [Katie Hawthorne]

Duke Garwood

Heavy Love [Heavenly, 9 Feb]

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Album number six from the Brit soul man resolves a backstory nigh on three decades in the making.

After working solo and collaboratively – his contacts list boasts entries in the name of Vile, Lanegan and Tinariwen – for most his career, here he serves notice of a vision coming into ever sharper focus.

A bruised catalogue of trouble man meanderings, Heavy Love is soulful, eloquent and deeply affecting. His aim is true on every level: the voice, a soft, near-spoken whisper; his detailed guitar playing (note the exquisitely tender solo on Disco Lights); pinpoint narratives that tremble with hurt. “Over the hill we came, seeking solitude / We could not know this town was so cruel” sets the heartrending scene for Sweet Wine. When he sings “Oh, it’s two for one in hell,” this grizzled troubadour is suddenly visionary preacher, and Heavy Love becomes an experience at once draining and sanctifying. Have faith: this is Garwood’s time. [Gary Kaill] dukegarwood.co.uk

badbadnotgood.com

Father John Misty

Dominic Waxing Lyrical

California X

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I Love You Honeybear [Sub Pop, 9 Feb]

Woodland Casual [Tenement, 2 Feb]

Nights in the Dark [Don Giovanni, 2 Feb]

The working relationship between Josh Tillman and his stage alias Father John Misty is far from straightforward. The sardonic, navelgazing narrative of I Love You Honeybear exploits this conceit to full advantage as Tillman treads an enjoyably thin line between poignant reflection and ribbing the #firstworldproblems of modern American culture. Tillman picks and chooses from the archives of US musical history, borrowing a country twang, nervous ‘80s electronica or a sun-drenched West Coast vibe to storytell as it suits him – but it never once sounds like simple mimicry.

That said, Father John Misty’s unavoidable self-awareness has the potential to wear a little thin. The tragi-comic Bored in the USA even has a laugh-track: is it a witty underscoring of honest irony, or just a smirk of self-indulgence? But with lines like, “She says like, literally, music is the air she breathes”, on a track titled The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment, we fear that if you’re not laughing with him, he’s laughing at you. [Katie Hawthorne]

Dominic Waxing Lyrical have waited so long (18 years) between albums that they’re still quoting the long-dead Melody Maker on press releases.

The better looking sister to NME described the group, built around the considerable talents of Edinburgh singer-songwriter Dominic Harris, as “DIY baroque folk”, and it still rings true on Woodland Casual. With the help of Riley Briggs of Aberfeldy and George McFall, a solid musical plateau has been built which allows the punk-poetry lyrics to take centre stage – for it’s Dominic’s observations that are of most interest here.

The tribute to care-in-the-community discos – “I love you, middle of the week” – on Wednesday, is a particular delight, as is his critique of bog-standard love songs on Fly. With such a singular turn-of-phrase, you can’t help wonder why it’s taken so long for this second album to see the light of day. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 18 years to see where Dominic turns next.

[Chris McCall]

“Please be kind,” begs Lemmy Gurtowsky, but there’s really no need. See, California X trade in the simple art of riffs’n’hooks, and they do so with more than a touch of righteous urgency. Merging drop D grunge with dinosaur schlock, the title track is equal parts artful craftsmanship and a wilfully dumb, rock-hard-and-now sensibility; as heroically uncomplex as Cheap Trick after a plaid makeover and subtly, moreishly smart with it.

A couple of instrumental link tracks point to wider textural capabilities, particularly bass-led hypnothon Garlic Road, but ultimately they’re little more than nicely-timed palette-cleansers between courses of thick, gloopy fuzz. In any case, the primal sludge of the two-part Blackrazor is Nights in the Dark at its best, all muscular chugs and squiggled guitar heroics that barely suppress the plaintive pop lurking within – that they’re almost certainly loser punk nerds posing as lunkhead caveman rockers only adds to their delightful, if not yet world-beating charm. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Playing Glasgow King Tut’s on 23 Feb | fatherjohnmisty.com

facebook.com/dominicwaxinglyrical

californiax.bandcamp.com

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Review

RECORDS

THE SKINNY

Tigercats

Mysteries [Fortuna POP!, 2 Feb]

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The Pop Group

Darren Hayman

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Citizen Zombie [Freaks R Us, 23 Feb]

Chants for Socialists [wiaiwya, 2 Feb]

The indie pop classicists earn their stripes on their debut for Fortuna POP!, a match made in the minor chord, lovelorn heaven exemplified by both parties.

It’s a smart step forward from 2012 debut Isle of Dogs. If, initially, Tigercats appeared ever so slightly in thrall to the staples of their chosen form, Mysteries is altogether more inquisitive. Clued-up listeners will warm to the presence of that arch collaborator Terry Edwards, whose sax and trumpet warm and fill the band’s expanding sound.

When, as on Call Me If You Need Me, the bustling guitars give way to a sure-footed groove, there’s a clue as to where the future might lie. But to stand out in the way that, say, label mates Allo Darlin’ are beginning to, Tigercats really should un-sheath those claws a little more. Altogether now: once more with feline. [Gary Kaill]

When The Pop Group first made their return from a decades-long hiatus, opening what would turn out to be Sonic Youth’s final UK shows around December of 2010, it was met with a degree of curiosity afforded to few present-day reunions. The Bristolian four-piece helped shape post-punk with three of the genre’s most pivotal records in the late 1970s, but their decidedly niche fanbase meant that this was likely not a cash-in.

They must have decided they genuinely had something to offer again, just shy of 30 years after disbanding as this fourth album confirms. It’s erratic and uneven, sure, swinging between sounding outdated (as in the messy Shadow Child) and thrillingly cutting-edge (see Age of Miracles), but the urgency that has always characterised their output remains present and correct in abundance, especially when it comes to Mark Stewart’s vocal delivery. [Joe Goggins]

London Grammar and First Aid Kit can rest easy: certainly, their dubious status as David Cameron’s favourite bands is unlikely to be challenged by Darren Hayman on this showing. The ex-Hefner leader has spent over a decade furthering a unique and unwavering vision, and what better way to signal the current precarious state of the nation than with a reimagining of William Morris’s Chants for Socialists?

In an age where political protest is reduced to smug hectoring and convenient self-advancement, Hayman’s take on Morris’s late 19th century works is modest but true. The arrangements are as impeccable as the intent and nowhere is this selfless enterprise (pay what you can afford for the download) better summarised than on a stirring The Day is Coming: “I tell you this for a wonder, that no man then shall be glad / Of his fellow’s fall and mishap to snatch at the work he had.” Which side are you on, boys? [Gary Kaill]

tigercatsband.com

thepopgroup.net

hefnet.com

Black Rivers

Two Gallants

Crushed Beaks

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Black Rivers [Ignition, 9 Feb]

We Are Undone[ ATO Records, 2 Feb]

Scatter [Matilda Records, 9 Feb]

It’s tempting to retrospectively label Doves a quiet success story, given their lack of ego when compared with other Mancunian groups. There were never any shouty interviews as their well-crafted alt-rock albums like The Last Broadcast did the talking. But such a tag would unfairly diminish the years of effort they put in; brothers Andy and Jez Williams have been making music together since they were 11, and they spent more than a decade building Doves with Jimi Goodwin before the group went on indefinite hiatus in 2010.

Now Jez and Andy have reappeared with new band Black Rivers. While it’s unlikely they will replicate the success of their previous venture, this self-titled debut displays the hallmarks of seasoned songwriters – first single Voyager 1 shines like an expertly-polished pop diamond. But it’s difficult to view Black Rivers as anything other than a Doves side project, as stylistically they are near identical. It’s just as well there are many who will view that trait as a positive. [Chris McCall]

“If you weren’t always talking you might hear me speak,” sings Adam Stephens towards the end of Two Gallants’ fifth record, but he needn’t worry about being ignored on We Are Undone. Stephens’ voice dominates this rock duo’s lean guitar and drums lineup, an utterly committed wail that teeters between Brandon Flowers’ most histrionic Springsteen impression and all-out hair metal screeching.

Its surprising pop-punk highlight Incidental reads as fittingly symptomatic of the anxiety he confesses therein, finding Stephens vying for attention amid a crisis of self-worth that his intensity renders urgent. Elsewhere though, it’s less amenable, threatening to trample the elegant guitar work of the album’s second half and, at worst (see the grating, awkward chorus of Fools Like Us), doing little to conceal the absence of an obvious melody. Two Gallants can batter out a riff just fine, but ...Undone’s admirable musicianship is too often suffocated by Stephens’ reluctance to take a breather. [Andrew Gordon]

Crushed Beaks’ invigorating debut offers a bracing antidote to those proliferating and profiting via the UK indie scene’s current predilection for socalled authenticity. Let’s hope the sixth form band name generator hasn’t nixed their chances from the off, because Scatter is enterprising and accomplished guitar pop, and a hugely appealing opening bid.

Simultaneously raw and refined, and refreshingly uncynical, its eyes are wide rather than on the prize. Matthew Poile eschews vogue-ish slurring or snapping: kudos for singing to the rear circle rather than his feet. Grim models a Buzzcocks-y post-punk rattle.

History displays their lighter side and their disarming way with a melody. Ten songs and each one prioritises craft over attitude: it’s certainly too smart for the lad brigade. So cross everything and hope this one breaks through because at a time when keeping it real never felt quite so tiresome, Crushed Beaks’ songcraft and musicality offers a refreshingly alternative alternative. [Gary Kaill]

Playing Manchester Apollo with Elbow on 7 Feb | blackriversofficial.com

Glasgow Stereo on 21 Feb | twogallants.com

crushedbeaks.tumblr.com

The Unthanks

Screaming Females

A Place to Bury Strangers

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Mount the Air [Cadiz Music, 9 Feb] The much extolled olde-worlde storytelling of The Unthanks has won them an impressive array of famous admirers, everyone from Ryan Adams to Dawn French – can it get any more diverse? Mount the Air is the Geordies’ first release in four years, and the self-titled debut single has been a pleasant, if not slightly misleading reintroduction to their charms. While the radio edit represents a fraction of the ten-and-a-half minute epic that kicks off the record, they both share the swelling and soaring arrangements of Adrian McNall, who manages to merge folk with the unease and medieval European gloom of recent records like Last Ex and the infamous In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. The sisters voices are often gossamer-like but combine into a choral anthem as this records swings and sways its way through their whimsical and charming tales, Madam being a particular highlight – very Northern. Folky, proggy, quiet and loud. It’s a joy to have The Unthanks back. [Thomas Ingham]

Rose Mountain [Don Giovanni, 23 Feb] No sign of let-up for New Brunswick’s Screaming Females, who just can’t seem to gather a pile of irresistible melodies without submerging them in molten guitar heaviosity. Marissa Paternoster (whose voice alone contains enough muscle to leave entire armies reeling in its wake) piles riff upon gargantuan riff and solo upon elastic-fingered solo, making good on Ripe’s promise to “peel the skin raw” and eviscerating all but the most hardy of eardrums. Rose Mountain is their sixth album, and it totally fucking slays.

That’s not to say it’s all face-melting fury: Wishing Well is all dizzy, flowery intricacies that Doug Martsch would happily take under his wing, while Broken Neck sways apprehensively as Paternoster nonchalantly invites us to “swim through the afterbirth”. Still, when it comes to unabashed stoner rock thrills played at amphetamine pace, Screaming Females are miles ahead of the pack.

[Will Fitzpatrick] Glasgow Broadcast on 22 Apr | screamingfemales.com

Edinburgh Queen’s Hall on 20 Mar | the-unthanks.com

Transfixiation [Dead Oceans, 16 Feb] Frenzied wind, screeching subway trains, corrupted radio transmissions and the rusty insides of a petrol engine: these are just a few of the sounds evoked by the shape-shifting cornucopia of noise Oliver Ackermann conjures on Transfixiation. In line with their previous material, Ackermann and crew couch these sonic experiments within familiar proto-punk song structures, inviting comparisons with guitar fuzz pioneers The Jesus and Mary Chain that his blunt, cool-guy vocal delivery does little to hide.

More technologically minded and with access to a heck of a lot of equipment (Ackermann’s other gig is engineering effects pedals), APTBS offer a futuristic reimagining of JAMC’s distorted swagger: take I’m So Clean, which mounts Jim Reid’s motorbike from The Living End and takes it for a night-time spin through a rainslicked anime dystopia. Distinctly lacking though is a sense of urgency or purpose; Transfixiation keeps the 30 year-old racket going but without really adding much to the blueprint. [Andrew Gordon] Playing Glasgow King Tut’s on 2 Apr | aptbs.tumblr.com

Public Service Broadcasting The Race for Space [Test Card Recordings, 23 Feb]

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Dutch Uncles

O Shudder [Memphis Industries, 23 Feb]

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Many wondered where Public Service Broadcasting could go from their debut; could they ever be more than just clips from the British Film Institute?

Well, one sure difference is the subject matter – America versus Russia and the battle for the moon. Musically, however, PSB are in similar territory, if not a little more electro. Their latest documents Sputnik going into orbit, the Apollo 1 fire tragedy and of course EVA (or walking on the moon as Sting called it).

It feels like the space race backed by the Drive soundtrack, occasionally with mournful arpeggiated guitars for those moments with real gravity (yes, pun intended). This record sounds most human and alive on Gagarin, a groove-laden, Michael Jackson-esque thriller for the Russians. The Race for Space is a paradox; compositionally the same, but with a greater sense of occasion and urgency – a progression, but only a slight one at that. [Thomas Ingham]

The fourth album from art-pop five-piece Dutch Uncles is a bit frustrating, and the difference in the first two singles Decided Knowledge and In N Out says it all. The former is laser-sharp, grooved and knowingly weird, showing off the band’s trademark talent for strange, danceable detail. Then, In N Out. It’s an ode to the awkwardness of propositioning your best pal, but it comes off no more smoothly than that scenario would in real life.

The band have described the album as an examination of modern insecurities, but perhaps these insecurities have gotten the better of them? The results at times appear over-thought, and a little lacking in confidence as a consequence. Don’t worry, though; an exuberantly irreverent approach to songcraft and a flamboyant sprinkling of kook keeps O Shudder on a similar page to previous releases, and the swelling, triumphant Upsilon is guaranteed to go down a treat this summer – all is far from lost. [Katie Hawthorne]

Glasgow O2 Academy on 2 May | publicservicebroadcasting.net

dutchuncles.co.uk

February 2015

RECORDS

The Top Five 1 2

Ibeyi

Ibeyi

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah

Sour Soul

3 4 5

Twerps

Range Anxiety

Duke Garwood

Heavy Love

John Carpenter

Lost Themes

Review

43

So Much to Answer For You'll rarely see him at the front of the stage, but Tombed Visions' label founder and solo artist in his own right David McLean is becoming a vital force within Manchester's fractured music scene

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orget your lead roles, it's the supporting cast which often shapes and nuances life's narratives. Just ask Liverpool International Music Festival – their 2014 programme featured MinorCharacters, a live culmination of a project that saw artists such as NOTOWN Records' Luke Abbott and recent hell-in-a-synthline producer East India Youth undertake the task of creating music based around their favourite cameo players. Meanwhile, in a Manchester music scene more disparate and cluttered than perhaps at any point since the dawn of counterculture, it's those same cast members who are thriving. For David McLean, the fissions and discordance of any real unified sense of movement has been a happy hunting ground; the Tombed Visions label founder, promoter and musician has been able to leave footprints in several territories, unconsciously pulling things together again as he jumps between drifting masses.

Originally from Bletchley, near Milton Keynes, McLean's first main impact upon Manchester was as part of promoters Fat Out Till You Pass Out, whose championing of the more outré ways in which bands can push decibel levels culminates yearly with Fat Out Fest, held at Islington Mill and boasting past headliners such as Melt Banana, Lydia Lunch and Årabrot. That's just scratching the surface, though: primarily a saxophonist, but by different turns a guitarist, pianist and producer, his many collaborations include (but aren't limited to) joining Mill-based sonic chameleons Gnod on tour, playing full-time with Sways Records' Birthday Party-influenced French pop provocateurs Naked (On Drugs), and forming meditative drone duo Stushevatsya with Callum Higgins of Sacred Tapes – a cassette label who recently put out, among other notable releases, a set of noise musings by 65daysofstatic's Paul Wolinski.

Then there's his solo material: Punctum, which surfaced on Gnod's own Tesla Tapes label in 2014, appeared live at Manchester Art Gallery as part of Video Jam's first takeover; and as the more free-form Aging, his last album, Troubles? I Got A Bartender, came out just before Christmas.

There's an obvious question to be asked: where does he get the energy for it all?

“Someone else was saying this to me, ‘You get around don't you!'” he laughs as we meet in

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Feature

Soup Kitchen. “For me though it's a hobby, some enjoyment out of work that provides some great opportunities. It doesn't mean I don't take it seriously, but the pursuit really is just to grow and see what can be achieved with different sets of people.” McLean's insatiable thirst to engage in his surroundings musically is influenced by his older brother who, as a promoter, revitalised Milton Keynes' dormant commuter drone with a flurry of DIY shows that pulled in strands of the DIY rock community from around the UK and Europe, including bands like That Fucking Tank, Bilge Pump, The Ex and Zu. His individual projects vary hugely even within themselves – take Aging: self-deprecatingly put down as McLean's “lazy attempt at writing ghosts of songs,” it's arguably his strongest guise.

His first release under the name, the sparse utterances of I Swear I Saw Her Halo, came out in early 2013, acting as both a document of its creator's explorations into the timbral nuances of the piano, and a self-styled homage to the revolutionary jazz label ECM. It differed hugely to its follow-up which, based around guitar and drums, came out sounding like a mix of early90s slowcore mangled into a deconstructed set of whisky-soaked instrumental blues, titles like Vampire Body Blues and Lit Too Soon only furthering that notion. “It's my white middle-class version of blues,” he laughs modestly when The Skinny brings up Troubles? I've Got A Bartender. “I was drinking a lot at the time of the record, and you know when you're approaching your 30s and you're like ‘Fucking hell you've got to stop hammering it so much’ – not that I have – all the titles are around that. But I think both releases share a maudlin link in their sounds. There's a sadness in a lot of my stuff and it's not something profound that's pouring out of my soul, it just feels like there's a lot more reality to that sort of stuff, rather than tweeness and very sharp kind of sunny music – not that I dislike that.”

When put together with the cold, machinedictated techno of Punctum as well, it makes for a markedly sprawling canon. “I think it comes from being a bit ADD and just getting obsessed with one thing for ages before moving onto the next thing. My brother used to call me a fadster,”

he grins, before reflecting further “but it also comes from being in a lot of bands when I was younger and just needing to abandon that whole set-up. Being in a band represented to me this kind of closed space where you think this one thing and you can't explore anything else. There'd be times where I was like ‘What the fuck am I doing? I'm just playing a riff a certain amount of times to go into another thing. This isn't interesting!’ I've a freedom now, and I'm really lucky that bands like Gnod and Naked (On Drugs) share that and allow me to ride over the top of them and pretty much do whatever I want – plus there don't seem to be any other saxophonists around here! I'm getting these gigs by default!”

“The pursuit really is just to grow and see what can be achieved with different sets of people” David McLean Then there's his limited run cassette label, Tombed Visions. With a name taken from a line in Ted Hughes' poem Two Legends, it initially started as an umbrella term for McLean's own music before growing organically as friends, some of whom had similarly dispersed from Milton Keynes' post-Millennial fulcrum of activity, got back in touch. He's known Circuit Breakers – a brilliant two-piece from London in the mould of politically disillusioned anarchic synth industrialists from the late 70s like Cabaret Voltaire – since he was 16. Duke of Zuke, whose melancholic looped guitar evocations Apnoeic was released in December, goes back even further.

Another friend, Remember Remember's Joseph

MUSIC

Interview: Simon Jay Catling Photography: Lucy Ridges

Quimby, has a solo album out through Tombed Visions this spring. “It's one of the best things about running the label, having these friends who give you their record and it's like you're discovering a whole different part of them you never knew,” he remarks, a sentiment which echoes repeatedly throughout our conversation.

Together with the likes of Liverpool trio ExEaster Island Head's prepared guitar minimalist polyrhythms and Toronto multi-instrumentalists I Have Eaten The City (the first act actively sought out for the label beyond his peers) and their Equatorial-referencing expansions on Secret Paths, it makes for a diffusive roster, bonded by a shared sense of working at the periphery of various styles and aesthetics. Key too are the artwork and packaging, designed by twin brother Lewis McLean.

“Lewis is integral,” he confirms. “He's almost like the secret collaborator for each release.”

Packaged in over-sized boxes, so as to emphasise Lewis’s frequently fractured collage pieces, there's a pleasure in providing something “that takes up a certain amount of space in people's habitual surroundings.” There's also the tape itself. “There's this almost kind of underlying tragic quality to them,” he ponders, “the fact they distort and start losing their sound quality.

I like the fact that when you buy a cassette release and you get a download with it, it's like you've got two versions of the record, two different experiences.”

The new year already promises the release of at least three new Tombed Visions tapes by the summer, the likelihood of some shows with Gnod and the beginning of a new band, Lake of Snakes. Oh, and he's already started recording a new Aging album. More pressing though is a short tour as part of Charles Hayward's Anonymous Bash, a live collaborative project with the This Heat drummer born out of a residency at Islington Mill. It's the type of set up meant for such a wandering soul, a chance to support and strengthen the role of others while being allowed to run off in his own direction – a minor character, but a vital one, within Manchester's musical fabric. tombedvisionsrecords.bandcamp.com

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February 2015

45

Sampling the Past Ahead of new album Projections, the enigmatic Romare shares his thoughts on the recording process, folk music and his namesake

Interview: Thomas Short You’ve spoken in the past about seeing your music academically, approaching samples like sources in an essay. I find that really refreshing. Do you wish there was more of this kind of attention to detail in electronic music as a whole?

I’m quite happy that there isn’t much of this kind of attention to samples in music at the moment as it makes me a fairly unique artist. It was one of the additional incentives of using samples in the music-making process.

“I wanted to vary the tracks as much as I could within the aesthetic I was working with, without compromising accessibility” Romare

Photo: Chris J Rhodes

There’s obviously a real thread throughout the album of African-American musical culture, as seen in your use of samples and track titles which nod to various movements, from disco to work songs. It reminds me of an infographic I saw a while ago, in which there are all these arrows crisscrossing across the globe, showing the birthplace of various forms of music and how they intersected. What struck me about that was the juxtaposition, where you have crunk and spirituals both coming from the same place in the South. It demonstrates that it’s not simply a process of evolution, not simply a straight line from one to the other.

Is that what you’re getting at?

The album, like the exhibition Bearden put on in 1964 of the same name, largely explores facets of American musical culture. And like Bearden’s work it tends to focus on African-American aspects. Other than Roots I wouldn’t say there are many other direct nods to Africa.

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ampling has always been something of a musical hot potato. When it’s not in the news for lawsuits that leave lazy artists with a staggering fine and the scorn of the music press, it often serves as an uncomfortable reminder of the public’s weakness for artists who shamelessly appropriate other musical traditions (see Moby’s platinum-certified album Play, which took Alan Lomax’s field recordings and reduced them to coffee shop muzak). Yet there have been samplers whose craftsmanship and devotion to the technique has yielded incredible results that still sound fresh today. DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing remains a headtrip worth taking, and The Avalanches’ Since I Left You continues to pack a hefty emotional punch.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Romare firmly belongs in the latter camp. His nom de plume is borrowed from the Afro-American artist and polymath Romare Bearden, whose 1964 exhibition, Projections, is also the title of the producer’s forthcoming debut album on Ninja Tune. Bearden’s striking collages combined art-historical fragments with magazine clippings to reshape popular representations of black identity. Romare’s sampling is informed by a similarly academic approach, combining and juxta-

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posing long-standing and cutting-edge AfricanAmerican musical forms from jazz to juke with his own entrancing compositions in a way which belies the dusty historical narrative in which they are often placed. Fortunately for the listener, the result is both highly danceable and likely to provoke extended Shadow-esque reveries.

The Skinny: I’m gonna come out and say it. I’ve enjoyed this a lot more than any electronic album of the last couple of years. It really held my attention throughout. How was the experience of producing it?

Romare: It took longer to make and demanded more thought, because more songs meant more diversity. But it was an interesting challenge because it meant I had room to explore new styles.

Did you end up doing any of the live instrumentation yourself?

I made the whole album in my bedroom. I managed to get a big room in the flat I’m living in, so there was enough room to partition the space and set up a studio. This also meant I had enough room for all my instruments. I played all of the live instrumentation myself, bass guitar, acoustic

guitar, synthesisers, drum machines, percussion, etc. This constitutes about half of the music in the songs, the other half are samples, but then you can turn these into instruments too.

The other thing I noticed is that there is this really admirable restraint to many of the songs; there are some really subtle decisions being made to avoid anything obvious in the way of drops or big dumb hooks. Yet it’s also really accessible. That feels like a really difficult balance to get right. Was that your intention?

Yes, generally I wanted to make the songs feel a little less regular structurally. I wanted them to feel a little more natural and tried to give each song its own structural personality where possible. I guess these were subconscious decisions which came under the bigger objective of wanting to vary the tracks as much as I could within the aesthetic I was working with, without compromising accessibility. I found myself getting more involved with things like key changes, tempo changes, and the use of pauses or gaps.

But there are still a few blunt pieces in there.

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Do you think we’ve lost anything now that so much of contemporary music is geographically and historically non-specific? It exists on the internet and therefore it could be from anywhere. Or are we only to gain?

I think it’s fair to say that folk music is slowly dying out because of things like the internet. Old recordings are becoming more valuable. New music is becoming more available.

What’s next on your musical horizon?

I’d like to work on Love Songs: Part Two and make it a bigger body of work than the first volume.

I think Asian or South American music would be great to work with.

Finally, is there a musician/artist working today in your field or any other who really inspires you?

Romare Bearden will always be a central inspiration to me because of the originality and beauty of his work. ninjatune.net/artist/romare

THE SKINNY

Planets in Alignment We chat to Glasgow-based producer Dressin’ Red, whose debut Head/Body EP is the latest release on the city's Astral Black label Interview: Xavier Boucherat

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Photo: Kirstin Kerr

stral Black's first release of 2015 landed at the end of last month and sees them reaffirm their commitment to talented youngsters looking to put in work. This time they have brought in 20-year-old Glasgow-based producer Dressin’ Red, who unleashed his debut Head/Body EP to an encouragingly receptive audience. Fresh with radio support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, The Blessings and Grinel, his first sample-heavy release puts together two sets of tracks to provoke two separate listening experiences – one for the mind, and one for the chest.

But what's behind the decision to separate the two? Dressin Red, aka Lachlan Bolt, suggests it may be his response to a very 21st century condition. “I've always found it hard to narrow down my influences,” he explains. “I get equal inspiration from music that I can chill to, that might be about the details, but then also club music and the effect it has on your body. I think that this was just a way of bringing both together.”

Bolt was singled out by label head Jon Phonics and Burberry-clad label-mate DJ Milktray, plucked from the now familiar online community of beatmakers ceaselessly bugging you to check out their Soundclouds. What kind of an environment is that for young producers, with a seemingly endless sea of voices crying out for attention? “I would say it's been one of my biggest influences,” replies Bolt, keen to emphasise the positives. “I don't think I'd be making anything decent without it.”

Like previous releases on the label, Head/Body will get a tape release – an ideal format perhaps for a record with a duality at its core, looking to make a comment on how we perceive music differently in different places.

Club-friendly efforts like Ruff and Body Plan see the record fit nicely into the label's existing catalogue. Ruff 's chopped up guitars are reminiscent of Milktray's much-loved Hotel edit, while

Body Plan's quick fire vocals and quivering synths draw on the same rich mix of R&B and grime that's characterised previous releases. Results are electric – last November's Boiler Room takeover saw Phonics seamlessly drop the latter into a set of grime edits and hip-hop instrumentals, prompting a big response.

Elsewhere though, there are tracks like Our Love and Rudeboy with a focus on texture, similar to Koreless's work on his Yungen EP. Bolt himself cites influences like Eno, Harold Budd and Glassworks, while giving the nod to LuckyMe contemporaries Sevendeaths and Claude Speeed.

Bolt further flavours his work with field recordings, again perhaps tying the effect of environment on the experience of listening.

“It's partly a texture thing I think,” explains Bolt, “maybe just to add a bit more of a human quality too. I like the idea of going round the city listening to the tracks and not being able to tell whether it's the music or the sounds outside.”

Such blurring of the senses is evident on a track like North Edge, over whose subterranean thud we hear what sounds a lot like a card stuck in the spokes of a bike. There's lots of hungover playfulness going on here, charming and thoughtful in equal measure.

These fit neatly into the lighter end of a narrative that's developed over the last year hailing the return of club-orientated ambient tracks – as if to say they ever really went away (spoiler: they didn't). If, as some predict, the chill-out room is due a renaissance, we wouldn't be at all surprised if these get a spin.

Head/Body is out now on digital and cassette via Astral Black's bandcamp. Catch Dressin’ Red and the rest of the Astral Black crew along with Too Nice DJs for the Art School Valentine's party on Sat 14 Feb soundcloud.com/dressinred

DJ Chart

Self-proclaimed ageing B-boy and vinyl junkie, Ben Sims lets rip with ten tracks that have been dominating his sets over recent months Stephen Lopkin – Catherine's Track [M>O>S] Last year saw the continuing revival of sounds from yesteryear in both house and techno but no release comes closer to nailing the original sounds of Detroit than Lopkin's The Haggis Trap EP. Unashamedly paying tribute to the Belleville Three – Derrick May in particular, obviously – he's clearly spent some serious man-hours tracking down the original synth preset sounds for that added touch of authenticity, and pretty much delivers a track that could have been cut from early Rhythim Is Rhythim sessions.

Floorplan – Never Grow Old (Re-plant) [M-Plant] A far tighter 2014 re-edit of a 2013 classic, or early 2012 if you count when he gave me a CD of it (shameless boasting there!) A typically addictive Robert Hood riff workout with an uplifting gospel sample. Simple. Effective. Massive. I don't think I've dropped a set without it since I got it and it's always fun to see those in the crowd who know it try and sing along to the wailing vocal in the break.

Stenny – Boulders [Ilian Tape] Definitely taking the prize for my favourite label of 2014, Ilian Tape released so many quality and

February 2015

balanced EPs last year, from no-nonsense DJ grooves to broken atmospheric beats. This label had it all and this classy groover from Stenny is my pick of the bunch. Intense, almost breakbeatdriven super funk for the floor.

DVS1 – Black Russian [Klockworks] For me this is Zak's Jaguar, his The Bells, or at the very least it's by far my fave track of his to date… and he's released plenty of heat. The premise is relatively simple: a memorable, uplifting riff that builds throughout and one that you don't really want to end, which is rare. It's a perfect set closer and luckily I managed to get it off him before it went out and had six sweet months of dropping it before it went public and every cunt was playing it.

The Raw Interpreter – A One (Part 2) [Warm Sounds] The mysterious outfit behind the above are masters of raw house. Never shy of running the levels red and delivering the kind of filth usually reserved for ‘specialist’ movies only, their sound is uncompromising and pure but, above all, fun. It's the opposite of all the shiny soulless computer house out there and I can't get enough of it.

Elektrabel – Desaft (Tadeo Remix) [Subsist] Admittedly this wasn't even my fave track on the EP when I first heard it but one club test soon sorted that out, and it's been big in my sets ever since. A spacey machine jam that grooves and builds, then peaks, then stops dead, then starts over. A masterfully executed club cut and one that I'll be playing for a long time to come I'm sure.

Trus'me – It's Slow (Truncate Raw Mix Part 2) [Prime Numbers] It's almost impossible to make a top ten of 2014 without mentioning David Flores, aka Truncate.

The sheer volume of quality club grooves from the man gets him a place for sure. This one is truly special, though: a slower, housier but no less Truncate-flavoured workout, topped off with that goosebump-inducing, 'Just can't give you up' vocal. So good!

Ritzi Lee – Subway Trip [Theory] Over the years, Ritzi has progressively become my go-to guy for the tougher-edged cuts. This is the intense gear that you need to change up or climax the session and it's very rare if I don't play at least one in a set; often as many as three

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or four. This particular outing channels the classic sounds of early Waveform-era Mills, and Peacefrog years later. Powerful, energetic machine funk that insists the crowd and DJ alike up their game.

Garnier – Beat (Da BoxX) [Still Music] A stunning return to form from a dance music legend, fusing traditional Chicago vocals and elements with big room beats and bass. Upon hearing clips I pre-ordered two copies and then blagged the label and man himself for advance files. It had definitely been a long time since I got that excited about a forthcoming release!

Rødhåd – Haumea [Token] Last year was undoubtedly a big one for techno and Rødhåd was definitely its rising star profile wise, but it was also the year his music matched the well-deserved hype for his DJ sets. This gem manages to mix heavy Chicago-flavoured drums with sparkling bleeps and deep rolling bass, making it both peak time material and deeply hypnotic at the same. djbensims.com

Review

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Clubbing Highlights Words: Ronan Martin Illustration: Alessandra Genualdo

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ith January over and done with, and the festive excesses near enough atoned for, those of us who spent the first month of the year in hiding are once again ready to venture beyond the confines of our darkened holes to seek the solace of, well... dimly lit basements for the most part. Luckily February boasts a particularly impressive clubbing calendar, so allow us to chart your path as best we can...

We kick off in Edinburgh with an early opportunity for midweek partying as promoters Partial hand the keys to The Caves over to three artists firmly on top of their game. The Hessle Audio Takeover is one we're very excited about, helmed as it is by the label's revered co-founders Ben UFO, Pearson Sound and Pangaea. With its roots very much in the early dubstep scene, Hessle Audio has evolved significantly over the last eight years, incorporating more elements of techno and house into the sound without ever losing the distinctive edge of UK bass music. As for its founders: Ben UFO is regarded as one of the most incisive and varied selectors around, Pangaea has been known to pulverise crowds into submission with his techno-heavy sets and Pearson Sound will likely be on buoyant form ahead of the release of his debut album next month (Tue 3 Feb, £12.50/£15).

Next up, we're off to The Electric Circus to take in a duo who should need no introduction to fans of hip hop and turntablism. Scratch Perverts made their mark in the DJ battle scene, twice winning the legendary DMC title as a team in 1999 and 2000, which gives you an idea of their dexterity behind a set of decks. Their residency at London's Fabric is further proof of Tony Vegas and Prime Cuts’ trusted reputation for seamlessly blending disparate styles together to create endlessly energetic sets. As well as a varied and open approach to selection – evident in 2005's blistering Fabric Live compilation – the duo exhibit the kind of turntable trickery you would expect from one of the UK's finest hip hop exports (Fri 6 Feb, £6).

Also on Friday 6 February, local d’n’b institution Xplicit celebrate their 10th birthday in the company of Dutch trio Noisia, as part of the second season of the Nightvision events which emerged last autumn. With a rich and expansive sound, Noisia bring together elements of bass and breaks, crafting productions which are often almost cinematic in their scope – full of soaring synths and frenetic drum programming. In support as ever are residents Eno, G-Mac and Dominic Petrie, who have played a crucial role in bringing punters back to Xplicit month after month during its reign. We suspect this one will be special, as the crew celebrate the rather impressive milestone of a decade in the game (La Belle Angele, £12.50/15).

The birthday celebrations continue into the following weekend, this time with Fly Club toasting their second year of partying in the capital.

For the second instalment of their bash they have invited Magazine head honcho Daniel Ansorge along to Cabaret Voltaire, off the back of a big year for the German producer. Releasing as Barnt for around five years, Ansorge has steadily built his reputation with releases on his own label and for the likes of Mule Musiq and Cómeme. 2014 saw the release of the His Name EP, unleashing the simplistic but tough techno weapon Chapell to a receptive audience. Last year also gave us Barnt's debut album Magazine 13, a bold and atmospheric trip through bleak electronic soundscapes, further strengthening his credentials as a gifted producer (Fri 13 Feb, £6-10).

Towards the end of the month, two of the city's finest techno collectives team up to bring the mighty Rødhåd to the Bongo Club for his first Edinburgh appearance. Pulse and Substance

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have long been bringing techno heavyweights to the capital and their latest guest is an artist who has been one of the leading lights in the genre's renewed surge in recent years. Emerging from the ever-revered Berlin party scene, Rødhåd has made his name primarily through his expertly sculpted DJ sets, though his productions and Dystopian label venture have served to buttress his reputation as one of the most exciting artists around at the moment. Check out our interview with the man himself on p15 (Fri 20 Feb, £10-12).

Other highlights in Edinburgh include Glaswegian house masters Dixon Avenue Basement Jams’ turn for In Deep (Fri 6 Feb, Sneaky Pete's, £5), wonky techno veteran Dave Tarrida on the same night (Jackhammer at The Wee Red Bar) and Dutch maestro Young Marco who plays Wasabi Disco on Saturday 21 February (Sneaky Pete's, £5).

Moving on to Glasgow, our first port of call is the sweltering confines of the Sub Club for an evening under the ever-reliable banner of partying institution Optimo. On this occasion their guest is Londoner Bass Clef, whose freeform approach to live performance seems perfectly suited to the forward-thinking remit of one of the city's longest running underground club nights. With a sonically diverse approach which has seen him take in influences from dancehall and dubstep to rave, acid house and techno, Ralph Cumbers is pleasingly hard to peg down to any one scene. Tooled up with an arsenal of analogue machinery and effects, Cumbers’ sets are everything you want in a live performance – restlessly innovative and exploring a range of moods, whether it's classic club sounds or improvised jams based around off the cuff manipulation of his trusted trombone (Fri 6 Feb, £TBC).

The following weekend La Cheetah kick off their new series of label showcases by entrusting the club to some of the key players from Lobster Theremin, a label which has amassed a remarkably loyal and continually growing following since its inception in 2013. With standout releases from the likes of Palms Trax, Daze and Panthera Krause, the label has managed to keep the quality of its output remarkably high, while keeping to a hectic release schedule that would shame some more established outlets. Speaking with us last September, label head Jimmy Asquith revealed that he already had the next 20 releases lined up.

Sure enough, he is roughly halfway to fulfilling that pledge already. On this occasion Asquith will be joined on DJing duties by the aforementioned Daze, whose Lips EP delivered clattering electro rhythms and frenetic acid lines to further diversify the label's output last year. Finally, Imre Kiss will also be on hand to offer a live interpretation of his raw, analogue sound (Fri 13 Feb, £10 adv).

Next up, we're looking in the direction of Paisley and The Club, site of many a fabled underground party back in its legendary 69 days. This month Metafreq have enlisted the services of Randomer to shake the foundations of Rocksy's Basement. The Londoner has amassed an impressive back catalogue with releases on the likes of Numbers, Hemlock and Clone among his achievements in the last few years. With a warped and arresting style of techno which more often than not aims squarely for the jugular, Rohan Walder is a producer who is nonetheless able to embrace different approaches on each record – which would explain his wandering between several different labels over the course of his career. The title track from last year's Residents EP for L.I.E.S found him incorporating a more solemn and gentle melody into a typically robust percussive workout. Residents Lindsay and Kendal will be on hand to support (Fri 20 Feb, £5/8).

Elsewhere in Glasgow, Berlin-based producer Burnski hits Saint Judes for Octaves (Fri 6 Feb, £5), Slabs of the Tabernacle return to their city of origin with deep and trippy techno from Scientific Dreamz Of U (Fri 20 Feb, Nice ‘N’ Sleazy, £3) and French veteran Ivan Smagghe joins Glasgow mainstay Billy Woods at The Berkeley Suite (Fri 28 Feb, £8).

Finally, if you’re out in Dundee on Saturday 7 February, you'd be silly not pop along to The Reading Rooms to join Autodisco in toasting their

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eighth birthday in the company of Chicago's Rahaan. A disco specialist of the highest order, spinning records and building his reputation since the 80s, the US producer also has a clutch of his own esteemed edits, released through the likes of Jiscomusic, Disco Deviance and his own Rahaan Muzik. Having already played for the Dundee promoters on a number of occasions, he's clearly a reliable choice to bring the party for their anniversary bash (Sat 7 Feb, £10).

THE SKINNY

Burns-ing Down the House Touring the nation with a brand new comedy show, but actively avoiding comedy clubs? Incendiary Aussie Brendon Burns tells us why he’s gigging everywhere but the places you might expect him Interview: Jon Whiteley

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f you haven’t heard of Brendon Burns, then you’ve been missing out. When the Aussie comic scooped the Perrier in 2007 for his show So I Suppose THIS Is Offensive Now, it cemented his reputation as a firebrand with a firm handle on tricky material. As he puts it: “The one thing I’ve always been able to do is make uncomfortable subjects funny. Generally, it seems I’m able to make people feel good about bad things.” This year he strikes out on his latest UK tour, Outside the Box. The hook? He won’t be playing comedy clubs. Any and all other types of venue are on the table: theatres, cinemas, a burrito bar and a small zoo in Great Yarmouth will all be playing host to his vulgar wit.

His inspiration comes from the American alternative scene that grew up out of the shtick superstars of the 80s, “guys like David Cross, Patton Oswalt and pretty much all the indie/alt guys in the 90s when the US firm was subsiding” – acts who, when the comedy industry was crumbling around their ears, moved to the indie music clubs and forged a new living on this bold frontier. It’s very much become the new model in the US now, with alt acts like Neil Hamburger and bigger names like Doug Stanhope both plying their trade outside of the metropolitan laugh shacks. “There are guys in the States that

February 2015

you have never heard of that make a fantastic living – I mean, we’re talking second-home living – through just booking their own shows and just going to a town,” Burns tells me.

He had a further revelation at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, when he dipped his toes for the first time into the egalitarian free-for-all of the PBH Free Fringe. He quickly discovered that the non-profit had listed his venue at the wrong address, potentially scuppering any promotional work he’d undertaken – but an administrative error that would ruin a newcomer’s show turned out to be the best thing that could happen to him: “I loved it. It worked really well for me, because people had to work hard to find me and there was nothing but die-hard fans... me and this very tight-knit, ear-to-the-ground fanbase went to this secret location and had a blast.”

Although he’s added a ticket price, the national tour seeks to recreate the circumstances of his Edinburgh show in cities across Britain: “If I’m not your cup of tea, there’s no way you would’ve found me,” he explains. “So the impulse of the tour is [that] who doesn’t come is equally as important as who finds it.”

“I do believe funny is a language, and there are many different languages, and not everyone speaks it... There’s that level of communication, because when people laugh it really is the sound of comprehension.

He’s clear that while Outside the Box is an alternative tour, it’s not just a tour of weird venues.

“Some people wanted us to come to their venue because it will be interesting because ‘Ooh, we’ve got this group of people and we’re a pug cafe. It’s all pug enthusiasts.’

“We do have the zoo, the zoo might be the one exception.”

Playing solely to your fans isn’t a luxury enjoyed by most comedians, their followings being spread so thinly as to make it impossible to fill the most modest rooms – but like an increasing number of his peers, Burns has a large and loyal podcast following. The way podcasts are consumed gives a level of intimacy not available elsewhere, tripping the line between the casual and the deeply private. A running joke about toaster gags led to an audience member turning up to a Sydney show armed with a framed picture of his toaster.

The logic follows, if you can get someone to bring you a picture of their toaster, you can get them to come to your gig at a zoo. “I’m basically giving them something they can latch onto rather than hopefully hearing when I’m in their town,” he says. “Because I can’t afford massive publicity campaigns.”

But beyond fiscal prudence, the tour, like the podcasts, is about something more important than a following – it’s about achieving that deeper connection between performer and audience, something that Burns can’t achieve in the thronging attention-deficit pit of the modern comedy club. To paraphrase the author Kurt Vonnegut: “If you open the window and make love to the world, you’ll catch pneumonia.” If you haven’t heard of Brendon Burns, then you’ve been missing out – but he hasn’t.

Brendon Burns plays; The Stand Comedy Club, Glasgow, Fri 13 Mar, 7.45pm £13.20 (£11) thebrendonburnsshow.com

COMEDY

Review

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Film Event Highlights O

h, hi readers! Fancy watching one of the worst films of all time? If so, visit the Cameo in Edinburgh on 13, 14 or 15 Feb, where The Room is screening. Written, directed by, and starring Tommy Wiseau, this bad movie has been amazing audiences for over ten years. As a bonus, The Room is screening back-to-back with the pilot for Wiseau’s proposed TV sitcom, The Neighbours, and the man himself will be in attendance. Bring your plastic spoons and throw a football around with your friends for no reason – these screenings will sell out fast, so get your tickets quick.

Three films are showing at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, accompanying Christopher Orr’s exhibition, The Beguiled Eye, at Talbot Rice Gallery.

The season, Darkness Visible, explores some of the themes running throughout Orr’s work. On 7 Feb, JJ Abrams’ nostalgic alien adventure Super 8 is screening, followed by Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker (8 Feb), in which a guide takes clients across the barren Zone to a room that reportedly fulfils people’s wishes. The line-up closes with Winter’s Bone (9 Feb), for which Jennifer Lawrence received her first of three Oscar nominations.

It Follows

It Follows

The Duke of Burgundy

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Director: David Robert Mitchell Starring: Linda Boston, Caitlin Burt, Heather Fairbanks, Aldante Foster Released: 27 Feb Certificate: 15 As horror premises go, this one is delicious – a sexually transmitted curse that causes a monster to follow its victims to the death, assuming any form, visible only to the victim, coming for them day or night. The teenage cast gives subtle, sympathetic performances, grounding this wild terror in reality, while the cinematography and assaultive score openly recall the cinemascope suburbia and savage synths of John Carpenter’s Halloween while building on the influence and deepening it.

David Robert Mitchell’s script and direction ponder the inevitability of mortality and work with themes of youth and sexuality, allusions to class and collective national guilt, and codified references to disparate works of literature, cinema and TV, making It Follows ripe for intellectual dissection.

But more directly, the film just plain delivers as a bold, terrifying attack of cinema, immersive on the levels of imagery both beautiful and grotesque, and scares from the shallowest to the most pervasive. The term “instant classic” is being bandied around a lot on this one – deservedly.

[Ian Mantgani]

Peter Strickland follows up his chilly giallo-horror Berberian Sound Studio with something altogether warmer and sweeter – though no less strange.

Set in an enchanting pastoral world of butterflies and country houses, populated exclusively by women, it has a dreamy quality about it; a quality which accelerates wildly during a hallucinatory third act, triggered by the camera tumbling towards a lead character’s crotch.

Strickland’s fondness for a choppy, unconventional narrative structure initially suggests an S&M sexual-awakening movie – an arthouse Fifty Shades, if you will. But he deftly bait-and-switches early on, quietly reframing it as a tender love story (albeit one with a human toilet). As well as the inevitable physical strain, the sadomasochistic relationship between Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna) takes on an emotional toil, and the film grapples with the logistics of a submissive love affair. Stagey dialogue and languid pacing make it unlikely The Duke of Burgundy will find a wide audience, but with such magisterial cinematography and an atmosphere all of its own, it deserves one. [John Nugent]

Love Is Strange

Coherence

Director: Ira Sachs Starring: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Darren E Burrows, Charlie Tahan, Cheyenne Jackson, Manny Perez, Christina Kirk Released: 13 Feb Certificate: 15

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The Graduate

The GFT in Glasgow is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a programme of films all focused on – you guessed it – love. Oscar-winning romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story (13-17 Feb) features Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable vying for Katharine Hepburn’s affections, while Brief Encounter and The Graduate (both 14-15 Feb) both explore forbidden love affairs.

Also showing is Love is Strange (13-17 Feb), a new film starring Alfred Molina and John Lithgow as a couple finally hoping to tie the knot after 40 years.

The Filmhouse is celebrating one of the finest comedy ensembles to appear on the silver screen, with a series of Marx Brothers films throughout the month. Highly recommended are A Night at the Opera (1-3 Feb) and A Day at the Races (7-8 Feb), both showcasing the impressively diverse talents of Harpo (the silent one), Chico (the Italian one) and Groucho (the one with the moustache). What about Zeppo (the other one), you ask? You can find him in The Cocoanuts (1 Feb).

Blog-turned-studio CinemaAttic offers a platform for Spanish, Iberian and Latin American cinema and, as well as hosting regular short film nights in Edinburgh, is bringing a short film show to the CCA (5 Feb). Featuring a selection of the best Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American short films around, there’s sure to be something for everyone here. [Becky Bartlett]

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Review

Director: Peter Strickland Starring: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D’Anna, Monica Swinn, Eugenia Caruso, Fatma Mohamed Released: 20 Feb Certificate: 18

Director: James Ward Byrkit Starring: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Elizabeth Gracen Released: 13 Feb Certificate: 15

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In the vein of classics Tokyo Story and Make Way for Tomorrow, Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange focuses on an older couple who are separated by circumstance and the domestic tragedy that gradually ensues. The recently married Ben (Lithgow) and George (Molina) have been in a long-term relationship for nearly 40 years. When George is fired from his teaching post (71-year-old Ben is retired), they are forced to stay with friends and family members separately while they try to sell their now unaffordable New York home, and the living situation weighs heavily on all parties.

Sachs patient, intimate and nuanced vision ventures deeper than just the anxieties of its central relationship. When Ben ends up lodging with his filmmaker nephew (Burrows) and his writer wife (Tomei), buried tensions and petty grievances regarding loss of space and privacy soon bubble to the surface. Lithgow, Molina and Tomei deliver some of their finest ever work in this quietly moving look into the finite nature of so much of life, not just love. [Josh Slater-Williams]

The term ‘mind-bending’ is thrown about far too liberally by critics these days; it’s lazy shorthand for anything requiring even a modicum of thought.

James Ward Byrkit’s very arch Coherence, however, really earns that tag: it ties your mind in so many knots you eventually give up trying to work out whether any of it makes a lick of sense. It’s part of the film’s genius, really.

It takes place on one night in a (sort of) single location as eight middleclass LA chums gather for a dinner party. During this, a passing comet starts messing with time and reality. Schrödinger’s cat is invoked as the idea of parallel universes becomes less and less theoretical. The pace is frantic and the Altmanesque overlapping dialogue disorientating enough without the sciencey stuff, but it’s never alienating to watch these ordinary folk squabble and bumble their way around giant questions of existence.

This comes courtesy of convincing performances (including Buffy’s Nicholas Brendon), lots of nifty rat-a-tat interplay and Byrkit’s tight control of his own script and cast. [Chris Fyvie]

Selma

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

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Director: Ava DuVernay Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carman Ejogo, Tim Roth, Oprah Winfrey Released: 6 Feb Certificate: 12A No Hollywood filmmaker has dared portray the immense legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. until now. It’s easy to see why: how do you do justice to a latter-day saint without devolving into mawkishness? Miraculously, director Ava DuVernay – smartly zeroing in on a brief window of history – has made a remarkably measured and undeniably courageous piece of work, which avoids obvious pitfalls.

DuVernay’s focus is the crucial 1965 peace march in Selma, Alabama, which triggered the Voting Rights Act and transformed the South. We may know the history, but given America’s recent racial struggles, the ugly scenes of bigotry and violence feel urgent, shot with uncompromising force.

It’s hard to understand why Selma was so cruelly overlooked by Oscar voters – in particular, Oyelowo. As King, his performance is technically precise, a nearly flawless impersonation. But the eye-stinging heart and soul is all his. Against all conceivable odds, this is a film as confident and assured in its moral fortitude, and as soaringly powerful in its oratory, as the great man himself. [John Nugent]

FILM

Director: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, Shirley Venard, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner Released: 20 Feb Certificate: 12A Spun from an urban myth, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter begins by following its own original path but ultimately becomes mired in a too-familiar brand of US indie quirkiness. Rinko Kikuchi does her best to give weight to the slight protagonist, a lonely and unhappy Japanese woman who finds an old VHS of Fargo and – believing the story to be true – sets out to retrieve the cash buried by Steve Buscemi in the Coens’ crime drama.

The first half of the Zellner brothers’ film is evocative and intriguing, but when Kumiko reaches the US there’s a tonal shift that it struggles to recover from. Kumiko’s strained interactions with Minnesotan residents introduces an element of eccentric culture-clash comedy that jars with the elegiac atmosphere. Too shallow and incurious to succeed as a character study, the film drifts aimlessly in a manner that frustrates and finally alienates, although many viewers may find themselves entranced by Sean Porter’s admittedly lovely images, the striking score by The Octopus Project, and a scene-stealing rabbit named Bunzo. [Philip Concannon] Released by Soda Pictures

THE SKINNY

My Dear Bessie

By Chris Barker and Bessie Moore, edited

by Simon Garfield

The First Bad Man

The Longest Fight

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By Miranda July

A Spool of Blue Thread

By Emily Bullock

By Anne Tyler

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We've had a glimpse of this captivating love story before. A scant selection of the wartime letters between Chris Barker and Bessie Moore were interleaved in To the Letter, Simon Garfield's excellent exploration of written correspondence.

They were there to illustrate the power of letters in ordinary life, showing in detail a love story that developed almost entirely by letter during the Second World War. The Chris and Bessie letters were so popular that Garfield has edited the whole collection to give us a full, immersive view of their historical and emotional importance.

It's a delight, from the hesitancy of the first letters to the deep, fervent and repeated declarations of love and affection later. There are throwaway details of wartime living – for instance, how many cigarettes you could swap for an egg in Egypt (ten). Chris returns quite often to Bessie's breasts – even after Garfield's extensive editing – and then moves on to planning their married life after the war. Both are fluent, engaging writers, passing swiftly, as Garfield says in the introduction, ‘from overwhelming physical compulsion to domestic furnishings.’

But it is the openness of the letters that leaves the lasting impression – you get a sense that writing these letters was an opportunity to communicate more freely and deeply than would have been possible elsewhere, even in the most intimate whisperings of pillow talk. [Galen O'Hanlon]

Cheryl Glickman, lead lady in indie filmmaker Miranda July's debut novel, bumbles through life as a chaotic bundle of neurotic ticks and bad habits. A lot of her behaviour is at least a little crazy and her irrational inner monologue does nothing to combat the idea that she's somewhat different, but beneath the crazy lie fears and insecurities that are universally relatable. Which is possibly why, at least in the beginning, she's not so much with the likeable – no-one likes having their flaws reflected back at them, even in a funhouse mirror.

The book's easy wit keeps it floating lightly along on turns of phrase and sharp social observations, but by the end it seems to run a little out of steam. The plot is propelled by the pseudosexual relationship Cheryl forms with a young woman named Clee, and the tension builds as they take to acting out scenarios from female selfdefence videos in cathartic bouts of controlled violence. But once it rises to its climax, the energy quickly dissipates and the remaining chapters are spent shooting awkward glances and wondering when it's polite to leave.

Still, it brings to the surface a lot of the weird lurking in every modern soul, with humour and endearing oddness. [Ross McIndoe]

Set against the backdrop of gritty post-war London, The Longest Fight tells the story of former boxer Jack Munday. As a teenager, Jack had no option but to learn to fight, to protect himself against his bullying father. He is both haunted and tormented by these memories, and those of first love Rosie whom he carries constantly in his thoughts. The book switches between present-day and flashbacks, informing the reader of his earlier years which were consumed by love for one, and agonising hate for the other.

Now a great boxing manager, Jack sees new hope in fresh-faced Frank, through whom he can taste victory and re-discovers a burning desire to win. Yet the sweaty, bloody battle in the boxing ring can't block out the past, stirring even more memories.

With her debut novel Emily Bullock shares something special – a clear understanding of her subject matter, and a talent for developing her characters in a way that leaves you craving more.

Tragic elements evoke emotion, and through clever technique Bullock is able to translate the character's surprising actions. For Jack it's a lot harder to forgive and forget. Who will overcome the next blow? And who will fall through the ropes? [Tina Koenig]

Out 19 Feb, published by Canongate, RRP £12.99

Out 12 Feb, published by Myriad Editions, RRP £8.99

There’s nothing vainglorious in this, the Pulitzer prize winner's latest. It's a very American thing: there's Abby and Red Whitshank, more middle class than their parents, almost inevitably called Junior and Linnie Mae. They're also more comfortable with the trappings of affluence and, most importantly, home ownership. Their big porchy house, built by Junior, is as much a character as any of its occupants.

Surrounded by children and grandchildren, Abby and Red's health deteriorates. Their progeny duly batten down the hatches amid the quiet storm of age. It's still the matriarch who takes the fore though, in spite of an occasionally slipping mind.

Indeed, Tyler's third person narrative in many ways echoes Abby's own voice – both are warm and yet they share a gentle snobbery. A daughter-in-law has her dog's name inked on the crook of her arm. The Whitshanks, following Abby's example, pretend to like it.

A Spool of Blue Thread is a layered thing, and Tyler is certainly capable in the assembly.

Generations accrete tidily, but still she manages to accommodate the muddle and muck of people and relationships. Sadly, there's only a hint of Baltimore's “wirey, elastic accent” in the prose, nor is there all that much in the way of emotional heft. It's an American family tale, above all else, sincerely and carefully told. [Angus Sutherland] Out 10 Feb, published by Chatto & Windus, RRP £18.99

Out 5 Feb, Published by Canongate, RRP £8.99

Spring in a Small Town

Mr Turner

Magic in the Moonlight

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Director: Fei Mu Starring: Wei Wei, Shi Yu, Li Wei, Zhang Hongmei Released: 23 Feb Certificate: U

First released in 1948, Fei Mu’s masterful Spring in a Small Town was dismissed by the Communist government and only resurfaced in the 1980s. In the aftermath of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Dai family live on in the ruins of their house. The young master, Liyan, is virtually bed-ridden, and lives a twilight existence with his spritely teenage sister and his lonely wife, Zhou Yuwen. Their lives are turned upside down by the visit of Liyan’s childhood companion Zhang.

By coincidence, Zhang and Zhou Yuwen were sweethearts before the war, and the film develops around the emotional aftermath of this twist of fate. The film’s emotional complexity lends it a weight that has sustained its influence over the decades; Zhou Yuwen’s plaintive and poetic voiceover recalls the similarly romantic and enigmatic In the Mood for Love. [Sam Lewis]

Director: Mike Leigh Starring: Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson, Ruth Sheen, Lesley Manville Released: 2 Mar Certificate: 12 The name is renowned, but the eponymous film is one of those which invite that fundamental filmgoing question: what’s it about?

Plot-wise – even with its two-and-a-half-hour run time – the answer is: almost nothing. There’s no rise and fall or grand romance.

Turner begins the film as an acclaimed artist and ends it only slightly less so. His relationships ebb and flow, some steadily growing deeper while others slowly starting to fade. No dramatic breaks or sudden passions. Mostly, things just gently carry on.

It’s a captivating movie all the same for two main reasons: Timothy Spall and Mike Leigh. Spall’s Turner grunts his way through whole conversations before bursting into sprawling surges of grandiloquence and wit. Leigh’s camera matches his subject’s eye for the sublime, following Turner to the sources of his inspiration and gracefully drawing out their beauty. [Ross McIndoe]

Director: Woody Allen Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, Eileen Atkins, Released: 9 Feb Certificate: 12 Superior to 2011’s lauded Midnight in Paris, Magic in the Moonlight is an atypical offering from Woody Allen. A snappy Jazz Age comedy boasting a surplus of caustic one-liners, its characters are afforded little room for self-analysis and intellectual showboating. While Woody has been known to cast leading men as surrogates for himself, here Colin Firth’s protagonist emerges as a legitimate, one-off comic creation.

Blame the prolific 79-year-old’s tendency to flood his own marketplace or the re-emergence of accusations surrounding his personal life, but this story of a rational illusionist determined to debunk the psychic abilities of ingénue Emma Stone snuck out to little fanfare. A pity since, although somewhat disposable, it stands as further proof of Allen’s undiminished talent for finding new ways to say the same things. [Lewis Porteous]

Fury

The Other

Two for the Road

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Director: David Ayer Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, Michael Peña, Released: 23 Feb Certificate: 15 There’s a scene in David Ayer’s latest film where an ambush sends a vehicle up in flames along with everyone inside it. One soldier leaps out, burning, writhing and screaming in pain. He pulls out his pistol and shoots himself in the head. There’s another where the inside of a tank is cleaned out post-battle to reveal a slice of someone’s face plastered to the floor, the perfectly intact eye staring sorrowfully up at the camera.

Fury received praise for its unflinching depiction of the horrors of war but, at a certain point, its blood and gore approach seems less in service of historical realism and more a means of delivering the kind of masochistic machismo in which Ayer has a tendency to deal, with any insights on the trauma of warfare getting lost amid the chest-pounding, hoo-ahs and machine-gun fire. There are two female characters. They don’t speak English. Their lines are not subtitled. Bechdel be damned. [Ross McIndoe]

February 2015

Director: Robert Mulligan Starring: Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, Chris Udvarnoky, Martin Udvarnoky, Released: 23 Feb Certificate: 12 A frenetic, angry energy announces itself almost immediately in Robert Mulligan’s 1972 gothic thriller The Other. That’s not surprising given the story’s content – imagine the filmmaker’s greatest success, 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird, with a healthy dose of pitchfork impaling, mummified severed thumbs, Game of Thrones-style ‘warging,’ and murderous doppelgängers. Unfortunately, the film is not as fun as all that makes it sound, and that energy quickly fizzles.

In a Depression-era US farming community, young twins Holland and Niles absorb the occult teachings of their Russian grandmother (Hagen), leading to a sizeable body count. Somewhere along the way there’s an obvious, shrug-inducing ‘twist.’ Ironically, The Other ’s pedigree undermines its sense of chaos, lending a respectable sheen that fights against all the pulpy excess. The result is a mixed affair located in uneasy, confused space between The Innocents and a Hammer horror trash-fest. [Michelle Devereaux]

DVD / BOOKS

Director: Stanley Donen Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney, William Daniels, Eleanor Bron Released: Out now Certificate: PG Viewed through a contemporary prism, one might pithily describe 1967’s Two for the Road as being like the entire Before trilogy compacted into one feature, as filtered through the style of the French New Wave. Stanley Donen’s film feels just as potent a tearaway from the fading Hollywood studio system as its contemporary, Bonnie and Clyde, and arguably a greater upheaval in that it came from someone who thrived in that system for two decades prior.

Cut together as non-linear fragments, Donen’s film follows a couple (Hepburn and Finney) through four trips across the south of France, portraying the tale of the dissolution of their relationship, from first meetings to later marriage disputes, across different time frames. Hepburn, shedding her established persona with glee, is particularly great, while Frederic Raphael’s acerbic screenplay has touches of material he’d explore decades later with Eyes Wide Shut. [Josh Slater-Williams]

Review

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The Slab Boys Revived The Citizens Theatre celebrates its 70th anniversary with a revival of The Slab Boys from original creatives and stalwarts of Scottish theatre John Byrne and David Hayman

Cliff Burnett as Scrooge in Citizens Theatre A Christmas Carol Filter's Macbeth

Citizens Theatre

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Macbeth ponders his bloody deed with a bag of Wotsits in hand, while Lady Macbeth prepares party bags for the feast while musicians await the party behind them. Filter's Macbeth is bizarre, often baffling, but never boring.

Macbeth is the latest of many classic texts to receive the Filter treatment, in which the company consistently aim to ‘pin-point the very heart of the plays by uncovering the light and darkness of the language.’ Their stated desire in this instance is to create a more ‘playful’ Scottish Play, and they certainly achieve it.

The performances throughout have a lightness of touch and often pursue humour where a more traditional approach might have favoured

brooding grimness. This feeling of playfulness also extends to the staging, which is interesting but occasionally obtuse – blind man's bluff at the feast may be fun, but its meaning is lost.

Their choices are refreshing, and the result is a production which is as much a discussion of Macbeth as it is a performance of it; an undercurrent which is in fact realised in one brief and entertainingly ‘meta’ moment. The downside being that moments of pathos, such as the death of Macduff's family, are not felt so keenly.

Central to Filter's dissection of the tragedy is the music, which forms the perfect counterpoint to Macbeth's story – whether providing a haunting undertone to his infamous dagger speech or mocking with its joviality his desperate attempts to get clear answers from the witches. Sound is the star of the show. [Cameron MacAskill]

Credit: John Byrne

Macbeth

Credit: Toby Farrow

Words: Emma Ainley-Walker

Filter's Macbeth, Citizen's Theatre, run ended

2

Faith Healer The Lyceum

‘The truth’ in Faith Healer, the programme notes suggest, ‘lies somewhere in the gaps of what is left unspoken.’ Directed as cleverly as it is written, each audience member would have a chance to discover some kind of individual ‘truth.’ Not once is this production given enough space to allow such reflection.

John Dove's direction lacks the bravery to allow the characters to develop in front of the audience. There are moments of poetry in the text, when Sean O'Callaghan is at his best as eponymous healer Frank; but instead of these moments providing ecstatic contrast with the majority of the script, the spontaneity it demands is replaced by elaborate gestures which conflict with the text's ambiguity.

O'Callaghan and Niamh McCann as Grace are clearly hindered by the space. The wide-open set emphasises the loneliness of the characters but a subtle, contained performance would be lost in row two of the stalls, leaving misplaced lofty deliveries to the dress circle. Patrick Driver's showbiz veteran Teddy allows for more showmanship and anecdotal certainty, yet he plays to the audience on a more personal level and his moments of vulnerability and tragedy are far more moving as a result. His wonderful, witty performance lifts the production.

It's a watchable, engaging performance. Each monologue gives body to those before it to create a genuine sense of intrigue by the close of the play.

Credit for this is due to the writer, the director and cast. But Faith Healer surely has more to offer

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Review

Sean O'Callaghan as Francis Hardy in Faith Healer

with potential for harsher character portraits that really get under the skin of the audience.

[Charlie Hanks] Faith Healer, Lyceum, until 7 Feb, Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Wed & Sat matinee 2pm, £15-£29 (concessions from £10) lyceum.org.uk/whats-on/production/faith-healer

Credit: Eoin Carey

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015 marks the 70th birthday of Glasgow's Citizens theatre taking up residence in its now iconic Gorbals home. The Citz celebrates this milestone with another, as John Byrne and David Hayman reunite to revive Byrne's highly successful play The Slab Boys.

The Slab Boys was first performed in April 1978 at Edinburgh's Traverse theatre and quickly became one of the best-loved Scottish plays of the 20th Century. Now, for its revival, Byrne will design the production while Hayman steps back into his original role as director. Although Byrne and Hayman are both stalwarts of Scottish theatre, it is the first time the two have worked together since the original production, and it is all but guaranteed to be an exciting reunion.

In addition to providing direction, Hayman joins the cast as Mr Currie, the gaffer. After last treading the boards there as King Lear in 2012, the Citz feels like something of a home for Hayman, who appeared regularly as a member of the company throughout the 70s.

But it is not just about bringing back the production and reuniting it in its original form.

Instead it is about injecting something new into the play, and making it relevant to a new generation. Hayman will be joined on stage by a cast of young Scottish performers who are ready to make this play their own. Not least in the cast is Sammy Hayman, David Hayman's son and a recent graduate of the RCS, as Phil. There is a nice tradition and handing on of the mantle reflected in a son making his Citizens debut alongside his father, in a production that must be close to the family. It seems an appropriate microcosm of what this production is hoping to do; revive and remember what is already loved and bring it to a new generation.

THEATRE

The story of The Slab Boys is one that is close to Scotland's heart, as it uses the wit and humour of the script to paint a grim picture of working class life in the 1950s. While the boys discuss their aspirations and hopes, they remain working in a Paisley carpet factory. Hayman describes the piece as “a celebration of working class life, a wonderful story of high hopes and lost dreams,” and while Scotland may have come far since the 1970s and even further since the 1950s, these themes still resonate today; its revival shows how much there still is to overcome.

These themes have appeared repeatedly in the programming at the Citz, with 2014's In Time O‘ Strife and Scottish interpretation of Miss Julie, which makes it exactly the right direction to take in celebrating the theatre's past and showing what we can expect in its future endeavours.

In addition, the Citz is providing two special events inviting audiences further into the production. First, on Thursday 19 February, there's John Byrne and David Hayman In Conversation at 5.45pm, allowing audiences to enter into the journey of The Slab Boys, from its initial creation to their new collaboration for the Citz’ anniversary production. Following this on Saturday 7 March is Lunch with The Slab Boys, exploring the text and the production with conversation and questions over a buffet lunch.

The Slab Boys runs at the Citz from 12 February-7 March, before transferring to The King's Theatre Edinburgh for a short run from 10-14 March. This revival is not one to be missed for Scottish theatre lovers. In true Citz spirit, 50p tickets will go on sale at 10am on 7 February at the Citizens Box Office.

The Slab Boys, Citizens Theatre then King's Theatre Edinburgh, 12 Feb-14 Mar, 50p-£20.50

THE SKINNY

Dancing, Witch Hunting, and The Skinny Showcase Our round-up of the latest exhibitions and events to see this February in Scotland Words: Adam Benmakhlouf

Born After Birth

Futureproof

Street Level Photoworks

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In the Futureproof mix this year there is a fair whack of portraiture, yet the strongest work comes from the experimental projections of Jane Beran. Beran's work is not immediately obvious in its approach, yet its exploding of photos by projection onto variously deep and protruding surfaces is a clever and simple strategy. Figures are disrupted and stretched around, and a straightforward consumption of the images is disrupted.

There's also a lot of staged works including Gemma Dagger's four small scale photographs of Maryhill's People's Group and Community Hall.

In these images, the figures in the photographs are moved into different configurations though the light behind them is unchanged. Dressed in what looks like ceremonial white garb, there's the sense of the choreography of culticritual. Barely shifting the camera, there's something of the

A Petit Maison, 2014 Megan Rooney

F

irst off, from the 20 February in the CCA's Intermedia space there's Rachel Levine, winner of our award at last year's RSA New Contemporaries. You can find out more about her exhibition Soft Play, conceived in the mountains of Canada, in our interview with the artist on p21.

Kicking off at the very end of last month, Romany Dear has returned to the CCA, this time in the main space. She was resident in Intermedia throughout March 2013 (as another winner of The Skinny Award), when she used the exhibition space as a place for sharing, discussing and presenting her research into everyday movements.

Along with the Glasgow Open Dance Studio (founded by Dear, Ashanti Harris and Julia Scott), until 15 March there's a rich schedule of workshops, performances and conversation with those involved in the events. Details of the performances and workshops are available on the CCA's website.

February is also the month of the Glasgow Film Festival, and as would be expected there's an overlap between visual arts events and the GFF. A key example of this is Kari Robertson's exhibition in SWG3, previewing on 12 February, 7-9pm. Entitled Ohmage, Robertson uses JeanLuc Godard's 1970 work British Sounds as point of departure for a series of film works that consider ideas of ‘immaterial and cognitive labour’ and how these concepts are present in communication. As part of the exhibition, there will be a panel discussion on sound artists in film, in which the panel will explore audiovisual process and the ways in which this is translated in the gallery. This discussion will take place on Sunday 22 February at 3pm.

From 14 February in Edinburgh's Collective Gallery, there is the latest edition of the Satellites Programme. Georgia Horgan will present the first

February 2015

exhibition of the Satellites Programme 2015 with the fruits of a research project on the proliferation of the textile industry in Scotland and its connection with witch hunting in the 17th century.

Horgan's exhibition will take the form of a workroom, where she will display visuals, objects and writings of the project. Within the space, there will also be a series of screenings, events and discussion around how women, the body and labour are implicated in contemporary capitalism.

Staying in Glasgow, later in the month Kendall Koppe will present a new show by Niall Macdonald.

Macdonald's work consists of casts of groups of objects he finds in markets, streets and shores.

Fusing these objects, Macdonald generates compositions and collages that often combine natural elements such as bone or rock, with fragments of technology, branded items, historical artefacts or objects that are ubiquitous with contemporary life. The exhibition is scheduled to open on 22 February.

Upstairs on 23 February, Mary Mary will open an exhibition by Lorna Macintyre. This show was featured already in the rundown of exhibition highlights of 2015 in last month's issue. Macintyre will present a selection of photographic slides from her personal archive of more than 10 years.

Continuing through this month in the Glasgow Sculpture Studios is the exhibition Till the Stars Turn Cold. Bringing together six artist from across Canada, the USA and the UK, the exhibition pivots on ‘an interest in objects and bodies that carry speech.’ There's a wide remit for the show, which takes in a variety of different moments of speech travelling through ‘objects, bodies, mechanisms and situations, and to the moments of failure, breakage and slippage that reveal structural conceit and rules.’ Till the Stars Turn Cold will continue until 14 March.

diorama about these images.

Craig Gibson bravely exhibits only one A5 photo book, though they are selling well. In this publication, he documents Baptist churches with a sensitive and patient concern for the specific subtleties of the spaces as investigation into the Baptist Church does not allow for any distinguishable faces to feature. One figure plunges another into a previously concealed sunken font. The emphasis is not the wet shirted back or underwater convert but the red floor around them and rolled up carpet.

One of the most interesting colour explorations comes from Jack Luke's photographs of the leftovers of the shale oil industry. Heaped and driven over every weekend by motocross bikers, what is left is bright and sculptural. Luke does not conceal his romantic aestheticising of the landscapes, and it's this same confidently idiosyncratic approach that made for an interesting, and necessarily disparate group show.

[Adam Benmakhlouf]

Craig Mulholland

Queenspark Railway Club

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Straight away there's the music track, the first part of Craig Mulholland's Suspended Intervals.

It's a short and ambient track, with one indecipherable voice and another that becomes understandable, syncing with the two screens opposite one another. They instruct: “Say what you mean, mean what you say.” It's only around one minute before it is repeated, and gives the sense of menu music on a DVD left looping: it doesn't go anywhere.

There aren't many elements to the installation. Two open flight cases are in the middle of the room on top of keyboard stands. On the inside they are reflective with a keyboard printed on the inside of each, with the keys raised in the chord of Dsus2. Separated into two, half the room is repeated in the other half, but rotated 180 degrees so they face each other.

With these printed keyboards, and the synth playing via a media player and through speakers at the side, the computer generated track relates only to the mock instruments in the way YouTube was once signified by an icon of a boxy television with tuning dials. There's a certain functional nostalgia to these visual shorthands that simplify new means of distribution and production, like the cog of all settings functions. There's a frustration to the configuration of the work – these keys cannot be pressed, that manual directness is only a fiction until current digital means of production and distribution can be visualised.

Hands are irrelevant again when it comes to the high finish of the objects, whether in the laser etched glass or the “Say what you mean” animation on the screens which are rendered in the style of

ART

Suspended Intervals

huge stadium gig visuals. Looping over and over, the call to “say what you mean” is heard (though very muffled) from the platform. Seen from outside, the installation is enough for itself, answering over and over with an indecipherable robotic voice in an empty room. [Adam Benmakhlouf]

Review

53

Win Touring Network Win tickets to Return to tickets + dinner for two! the Forbidden Planet!

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he Touring Network represents around 90 venues across the Highlands & Islands, from castles to community centres, that programme some of Scotland’s best live music, theatre and dance events all year round. As part of their #EpicStage campaign, they're giving one reader the chance to have a fabulous night out in one of these beautiful and remote communities. The lucky winner will receive a pair of free tickets to any show in a Touring Network venue as well as dinner on them. The winner will be able to select their show from the Touring Network's listings of theatre, dance, music and more – they'll be sent tickets plus a voucher for a top local restaurant.

You can find out more about the Touring Network on p30 of this month's magazine. If this sounds like something you'd be into, head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and answer the following question:

he cult-spectacular rock 'n' roll show returns to Edinburgh's Festival Theatre for a big night out of classic tunes including Good Vibrations, Great Balls of Fire, Gloria and more. Based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and with stunning special effects and a brilliant cast of actor musicians, this is the wildest night at the theatre, ever. Includes a special appearance from Forth 1 DJ Grant Stott!

For a chance to win two tickets to the opening night of Return to the Forbidden Planet (Tue 10 Mar, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 7.30pm) just head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and tell us, What Shakespeare play the show is based on.

Is it: A) A Midsummer Night's Dream B) 10 Things I Hate About You C) The Tempest

Approximately, how many venues across the Highlands & Islands does the Touring Network represent?

A) around 40 B) between 50 and 60 C) more than 80 Prize includes two full price tickets along with dinner for two to the value of £50. Winners can select any show from online listings at thetouringnetwork.com and will be required to contact The Touring Network at hello@thetouringnetwork.com to claim their prize. Please note that travel to and accommodation near the venue is not provided.

Competition closes midnight Sunday 1 March. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions

Competition closes midnight Sunday 1 March. Entrants must be 16 or over. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions

edtheatres.com/forbiddenplanet

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COMPETITIONS

THE SKINNY

Glasgow Music Tue 03 Feb

TUFF LOVE (MIN DIESEL + PHILLIP TAYLOR)

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £11

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 20:00–23:00, £6 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

RAE MORRIS (FRYARS)

Young Blackpool singer/songwriter singing mostly about love’n’that, as you do.

BABY STRANGE (DOLOMITE MINOR + PSYCHIC SOVIETS)

CCA, 19:00–22:00, £7

Hyped Glasgow indie-punk crew with decidedly dark credentials, made up of brothers Connaire and Aidan McCann and singer Johnny Madden.

Wed 04 Feb MARIACHI EL BRONX

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £12

The mariachi alter-egos of LA punks The Bronx, taking to a live setting armed with third LP, Mariachi El Bronx III, and bedecked in dapper charro suits, as per.

BEARDYMAN

THE ARCHES, 19:00–22:00, £10

The London-based beatboxing king (known to his mammy as Darren Foreman) plays a set of his live-looping beatbox.

RAG N BONE MAN (TWIN HEART + SONIC TEMPLARS)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

One-man brutal trash blues noise machine, on drums, harmonica, guitar and expletives.

DOMINIC WAXING LYRICAL

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

Baroque folksters who describe their things as ‘tales of graffiti, truancy and despair, with the odd toilet roll and vacuum cleaner thrown in for good measure’, which is nice.

SICK OF IT ALL

CLASSIC GRAND, 18:30–22:00, £15

American hardcore punk unit with brothers Lou and Pete Koller at the helm, on vocals and lead guitar respectively.

Thu 05 Feb

STRUGGLE (SLOWLIGHT)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Monthly punk and post hardcore selection of bands from DIY collective Struggletown, this edition with melody merchants Slowlight launching their debut LP. DUNEDIN CONSORT

THE GLAD CAFE, 18:00–20:30, £15

John Butt and Dunedin Consort reimagine the special atmosphere of the Enlightenment coffee house, performing two Bach cantatas alongside the third orchestral suite. Post performance debate on Bach led

by Simon Frith.

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £13.50

More rolling drums, big guitars and massive effing finales from the WWPJ gang, dipping heavily into their new LP, Unravelling.

GORGON CITY

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14

The north London production duo hit town, known for their club-savvy pop soundscapes ripe for dancing feet.

BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: VOLKOV CONDUCTS

CITY HALLS, 19:30–22:00, FROM £11.50

Conductor Ilan Volkov leads a reworking of Glazunov’s The Seasons, amongst other works.

JOHN AND JACOB

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, £12

Alabama five-piece build on a hazy diet of feel-good melodies and lyrics.

NAOMI PUNK (FAWN SPOTS)

THE GLAD CAFE, 21:00–23:00, £6

Female-fronted trio of the fuzzy lo-fi guitar pop variety, built on wispy soft vocals and loud instruments, launching their new EP on the night.

DANIEL DOCHERTY

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6

Acoustic folk-pop singer/ songwriter from Glasgow.

Rescheduled date.

SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: RAVEL PIANO CONCERTO IN G

CITY HALLS, 19:30–22:00, FROM £14.50

Pianist Mitsuko Uchida takes on Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, alongside performances of works

by Fauré, Haydn and more.

OLD CORPSE ROAD (CRAVING + ALOSWOOD + ENNERACT)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £5

The raw, yet melodic English black metallers make their Glasgow debut.

VIET CONG

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £7

Canadian no wave battering ram, featuring two thirds of the remaining members of Women on vigorous form.

Sat 07 Feb CROWN THE EMPIRE

THE GARAGE, 18:00–22:00, £12

The Texas-residing six-piece tour their debut album, The Fallout.

THE TELESCOPES (ST DELUXE + SONIC HEARTS FOUNDATION)

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £8

The psych-styled English space rockers bring the dreamy pop soundscapes as only they know how.

JULIAN COPE

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £22.50

The Teardrop Explodes frontman and psychedelic wanderer plays a live set of tunes, y’know, in between being an author, activist, poet and whatnot.

SWORN TO OATH (THE MERCY HOUSE)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Stoke-on-Trent rock/metalstyled trio, big on the riffs.

RSNO: A FRENCH FEAST

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

The RSNO perform a series of French fancies, including a duo of Ravel pieces.

MILKY CHANCE

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10

German folk duo made up of Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch, still riding the wave of their debut release, Sadnecessary.

SAM BAILEY

SECC, 19:30–22:00, FROM £27.50

The X Factor 2013 champion desperately clutches onto her relevancy with a new UK tour.

DONNIE DEACON + FEARGUS HETHERINGTON

IOTA @ UNLIMITED STUDIOS, 19:00–20:15, £10 (£7)

Glasgow-born, Ottawa-based violinist Donnie Deacon plays a rare and intimate set with Glasgow-based violinist/violist Feargus Hetherington.

DILLON FRANCIS

THE ARCHES, 19:00–22:00, £14

SAINT RAYMOND O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £10

Indie singer/songwriter, aka Callum Burrows, fresh from supporting Ed Sheeran on his European arena tour.

MACY GRAY

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £26.50

The husky-voiced soulstress hits the road, nearly 15 years since she released her debut album.

UNDERVIEW (AN OLD FRIEND + CHARLEY HOUSTON)

BROADCAST, 20:00–23:00, £5

Indie-rock foursome hailing from Hemel Hempstead.

Mon 09 Feb THE WAVE PICTURES

CCA, 19:30–22:00, £8.50

The Wymeswold trio make a return for s’more of their indie-pop wittiness and squealing guitar solos, fresh from a collaboration with Billy Childish on new LP, Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon.

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER

STEREO, 20:00–22:00, £10

The North Carolina songwriter (aka M.C. Taylor) plays a set of his delicate and mystical country tunes.

Tue 10 Feb ONE NIGHT ONLY

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, £10

10CC

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, £29.50

The 70s hit-makers celebrate 40 years in the business with a set of greatest hits.

CAIRNHILL TRADING ESTATE (THE FAULTLINES)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The stellar indie outfit return from hiatus with new tunes and a new lease of life.

Wed 11 Feb

A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN

CCA, 19:00–22:00, £15

Collaborative project from a collection of Americans who now call Europe their home, mixing classical, ambient and post-rock sounds.

BEAR’S DEN

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £12

London-based trio led by folkster Andrew Davie (formerly of Cherbourg), still riding the wave of their debut LP last year.

TARIBOWEST (ALRIGHT THE CAPTAIN + ENVOYS)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

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

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY (BLACK TUSK + CROBOT) O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £20

Zakk Wylde’s heavy metal unit take to the road with their highest-ever UK charting LP, Catacombs of the Black Vatican.

WILLIE CAMPBELL AND THE DAY ROTATION (MEMORY MAN + DECLAN WELSH)

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £8

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 20:00–23:00, £6 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

STEREO, 18:30–22:00, £12.50

MINERAL

Fri 06 Feb

Sun 08 Feb

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £13.50

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £12.50

The psyche-folk troops unleash a new batch of harmony heavy, well-crafted pop gems into the world, playing tracks from their self-titled debut LP.

The Sad boys continue to tour their fourth LP, Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave – a synth-driven, gloomy gem that unfurls new riches with each listen.

February 2015

Motherwell outfit deftly combining portions of hip-hop, pop, rock and electro into one thumping melodic block of noise.

ORCHESTRE TOUT PUISSANT MARCEL DUCHAMP (SUMSHAPES + HOWIE REEVE)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–23:00, £8

Tropical post-punk/afro avantpop all the way from Geneva, also managing to squeeze a marimba, a double bass, a violin, a trombone and an electric guitar onto the stage.

NORTH OF THE WALL FUNDRAISER #2 (SKELETON GONG + AYE AYE + THULAH BORAH + TIDINGS) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £5

Fundraiser night celebrating Scottish metal bands of all kinds of bangin’ hues.

Fri 13 Feb

OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

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

The Birmingham Brit-poppers return to a live setting to mark their 25th anniversary with a special acoustic tour.

THE DECEMBERISTS (SERAFINA STEER)

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £16.50

THE USED

11PARANOIAS (OPAQUE + BAD AURA)

THE LAFONTAINES

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

Having a bit of a lame name hasn’t stopped this US country band making it big – they hit the UK to show off their spangly Grammy Awards and presumably play some songs.

THE GARAGE, 19:00–22:00, £17.50

Utah-based alternative rockers currently based in sunny LA.

Texas emo ensemble, origanally from Houston, but relocated to Austin.

THE TWILIGHT SAD

LITTLE BIG TOWN (THE SHIRES)

The Portland, Oregon indie folksters play tracks offa their new LP, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World.

Filthy space doom from members of Ramesses, Bong, Drunk in Hell, Blown Out, Lobster Priest and more.

The Washington post-punk outfit return to the fold with their sophomore record, Television Man.

Post-hardcore DIY gig/club effort, with a selection of live acts dropping by.

North Yorkshire indie-rock pups attempting to take their tunes in a new direction.

The frontman of Glasgow indie rockers Astrid (and sometime foot soldier with The Reindeer Section) plays a set with his live band.

The American music producer and DJ plays a full live bells’n’whistles show.

REPEATER (LOST LIMBS) BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

THE SUNDOWNERS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £7

Thu 12 Feb ORLA GARTLAND

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £7.50

Young singer/songwriter from Dublin, crafting delicately quirky pop songs.

PHILIP SELWAY (EAVES)

English singer/songwriter best known as the drummer of Radiohead.

BLAKE MILLS

CCA, 19:00–22:00, £14.50

The Californian guitarist, producer and songwriter plays tracks from his latest LP, Heigh Ho, recorded in LA’s legendary Ocean Way studios.

POP!SOUTH WEEKENDER (THE FELT TIPS + FROTH + THE HECTOR COLLECTORS + INSECT HEROES)

THE GLAD CAFE, 15:30–23:00, £6 DAY (£20 WEEKEND)

Enveloping your weekend in indie-pop loveliness, Southside gig promoters Pop!South take to the (firmly Southside) Glad Cafe digs for three days of musical hijinks, taking in Withered Hand, Kid Canaveral, How To Swim, The Just Joans and more.

EX HEX (PRINCESS)

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £8

Washington rock trio led by singer/guitarist Mary Timony (also of Helium and Wild Flag).

Sat 14 Feb THE DUNWELLS

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £TBC

Folk rock bunch hailing from Leeds, made up of brothers Joseph and David Dunwell and cousins Robert Clayton and Jonny Lamb.

GUNZ FOR HIRE (OBSESSION + CHIMERA)

THE ARCHES, 22:00–03:00, £16 EARLYBIRD (£20 THEREAFTER)

Hardstyle duo made up of Ran-D and Adaro, weaving together years of sonic creation into one dark and frantic-sounding mass.

INTERPOL

BARROWLAND, 19:00–23:00, £25

Imperially dark New York City rockers, who do their best to sound as though they’ve been dredged from the murkiest depths of the Hudson River.

RSNO: LATIN PASSION

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

Conductor Jean-Claude Picard and the RSNO serve up a lovethemed series of performances (y’know, in honour of Valentine’s Day), including movie love themes and Rodrigo's sultry Concierto de Aranjuez.

MONSTER MAGNET

THE GARAGE, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

New Jersey-based stoner rock unit led by Dave Wyndorf.

JIM VALENTINE’S HEARTBREAK HOTEL (VLADIMIR + DIDA) KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £6.50

The rock’n’roll-styled Glasgow outfit man Valentine’s Day proceedings o’er at King Tut’s, playing a special set of hearbreakers.

VALENTINE’S DAY LOVE MASSACRE (RUBY + SECURITY + ELA ORLEANS DJ + MICHELLE HANNAH) STEREO, 19:30–22:00, £6

Ant-Valentine’s party night, featuring a DJ set from cult chanteuse Ela Orleans, amongst other delights.

POP!SOUTH WEEKENDER (KID CANAVERAL + MARTHA + SPOONBOY + EXPENSIVE + HOW TO SWIM + LOST PETS + NO MORE TIGER + THE SWAPSIES) THE GLAD CAFE, 14:30–22:00, £12 DAY (£20 WEEKEND)

Enveloping your weekend in indie-pop loveliness, Southside gig promoters Pop!South take to the (firmly Southside) Glad Cafe digs for three days of musical hijinks, taking in Withered Hand, Kid Canaveral, How To Swim, The Just Joans and more.

GREATER MARYHILL FOODBANK FUNDRAISER (HALFRICAN + TUFF LOVE + SAINT MAX & THE FANATICS + SHARPTOOTH + WOOZER + BLACK INTERNATIONAL + THE SHITHAWKS + HERBERT POWELL + THE ROCKALLS + STAR ROVER + BOOK GROUP) 13TH NOTE, 15:00–23:00, £5

A selection of bands join forces to raise funds for Greater Maryhill Foodbank, amongst them Halfrican, Tuff Love and Black International.

H HAWKLINE (MONICA + DAVE FRAZER)

KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £12

Talented sibling ensemble encompassing a mixed bag of musical influences, from country to rock’n’roll.

Tue 17 Feb KING CHARLES

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £12

Charming West London folkster, classically trained, and player of guitar, piano and cello.

NATIVES

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £8

Hampshire-hailing pop-rockers formerly known as Not Advised.

FAT SUIT

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, £TBC

The Glasgow instrumental music collective tour their new LP, Jugaad.

EXIST IMMORTAL AKORD

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

London-based experimental metalcore unit built on a diet of lyrical lead guitars and technical riffs.

TRUST FUND (CHRISSIE BARNACLE + FROTH) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 20:00–23:00, £5

The alternative rock twee master blasters play a headline set.

BRNS

BROADCAST, 20:00–23:00, £5

Anthemic Brussels outfit experimenting with dusky dance sounds.

TOUNDRA (IN:TIDES)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The Spanish post-rock collective take in Scotland as part of their current European tour.

Wed 18 Feb ILENKUS

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £7 ADV. (£9 DOOR)

The hardcore Galway five-piece bring their brutal metal soundscapes to bear.

Sun 15 Feb

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £5

Welsh singer/songwriter blending a rich tapestry of folk, psych and indie into his mix.

KODALINE

BARROWLAND, 19:00–23:00, £17

Dublin-based indie-rock quartet who use their music predominantly as a form of therapy (i.e. they write about being dumped an’ that).

POP!SOUTH WEEKENDER (WITHERED HAND + THE JUST JOANS + CHRISSY BARNACLE + THE MINI SKIPS + THE COLOUR OF WHISKY + SHAMBLES MILLER)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:00, £8 DAY (£20 WEEKEND)

Enveloping your weekend in indie-pop loveliness, Southside gig promoters Pop!South take to the (firmly Southside) Glad Cafe digs for three days of musical hijinks, taking in Withered Hand, Kid Canaveral, How To Swim, The Just Joans and more.

THE TWILIGHT SAD: IN-STORE

MONORAIL RECORDS, 20:00–21:00, FREE

The Sad boys give their fourth LP, Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave, a mini airing as part of their week-long whistle stop tour of UK record shops, taking in Edinburgh’s VoxBox (14 Feb) and Glasgow’s Mono (15 Feb).

BOXED IN

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £5

Musical brainchild of Oli Bayston, formerly of indie outfit Keith, taking his name from a Francis Bacon painting.

Mon 16 Feb HAMELL ON TRIAL

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £14

Punk rock-influenced acoustic tunes from the one-man-band that is New York’s Ed Hamell, out and celebrating the 15th anniversary of his Choochtown LP. VOODOO MIND CONTROL (THE INDUSTRY + A.W.O.L.)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

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

KERRANG! TOUR 2015 (DON BROCO, WE ARE THE IN CROWD)

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £16.50

A bunch of acts come together to headline Kerrang!’s 2015 tour, showcasing loud punk-rock sorts from near and far.

THE BLOODSTRINGS (PARTY ASYLUM)

German horror punk experimentalists imbued with trash horror lyrics and smatterings of psychobilly and rockabilly.

WARM GRAVES (MINOR ORGANS + THE BELLYBUTTONS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 20:00–23:00, £5

More in the way of conceptual ambient space-rock from the shoegaze legends.

Thu 19 Feb FATHERSON

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £12.50

The Kilmarnock trio do their alternative rock-meets-powerpop thing.

GRUFF RHYS

THE ART SCHOOL, 19:30–22:00, £16

The Super Furry Animals man takes to the road in support of his latest multi-format American Interior project, promising power presentations, tales of exploration and maybe a few songs.

THE SCRIPT

THE SSE HYDRO, 18:30–22:00, FROM £27.50

The Irish alternative rockers take to Glasgow to kick off their UK arena tour.

HIGH FLIGHT FANZINE PRESENTS...

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £5

The fledgling fanzine takes to Sleazy’s for a night of new sights and sounds.

BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: RUNNICLES CONDUCTS

CITY HALLS, 19:30–22:00, FROM £11.50

Conductor Donald Runnicles leads an orchestral reworking of a selection of Beethoven and Sibelius classics.

THE FALLEN ANGELS CLUB (SONS OF BILL)

STEREO, 20:00–22:00, £13

The Fallen Angels Club plays host to a set from Young American rock outfit, Sons of Bill.

GIRLPOOL

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £7.50

LA-based indie duo made up of high-school friends Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker.A NIGHT

AT THE REGAL (BRITISH SEA POWER + MONOGANON + EAGLEOWL + JOE MCALINDEN) O2 ABC, 18:00–22:00, £16 (£14.50)

Special night of sonic cinema paying tribute to the history of the O2 ABC (formerly the ABC Regal), headlined by Brighton indie-rockers British Sea Power, alongside a Lost Map showcase, a screening of EDIT and more. Part of Glasgow Film Festival.

Fri 20 Feb

OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

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

Sun 22 Feb

THREE BLIND WOLVES (FRONTIER RUCKUS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £8

The Birmingham Brit-poppers return to a live setting to mark their 25th anniversary with a special acoustic tour.

More singalongable, dancealongable alternative countryesque tunes from the Glasgow lads.

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £18

Recent album chart toppers, made up of Michael Kerr (bass and vocals) and Ben Thatcher (drums), playing a duo of consecutive nights at the Barrowland.

THE CRIBS

The Wakefield indie-rockers do their guitar-heavy and frantic thing, still riding along on the wave of their latest LP, Payola.

HECTOR BIZERK (DECLAN WALSH)

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £6

The much-lauded Glasgow-based alternative hip-hop duo – made up of Louie and Audrey, MC and drummer respectively – launch their new EP, The Bell That Never Rang.

THE SCRIPT

THE SSE HYDRO, 18:30–22:00, FROM £27.50

The Irish alternative rockers take to Glasgow to kick off their UK arena tour.

KEVIN MONTGOMERY

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:00–22:00, £14

Country, folk and rock-styled acoustic US singer/songwriter.

PALLAS

CLASSIC GRAND, 19:00–22:00, £12

Longstanding UK progressive rockers known for their atmospheric and epic soundscapes.

COLLABRO (LUCY KAY)

SECC, 19:00–22:00, FROM £27.50

The 2014 Britain’s Got Talent winners descend (or should that be descent?). Best look busy.

GLASGOW PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA: MOVIES TO MUSICALS

CITY HALLS, 19:30–21:45, £15 (£12/£10)

The Glasgow Philharmonia Orchestra perform numbers from London’s West End, including Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked.

HÅRDA TIDER (DAMAGED HEAD + CLOCKED OUT + GLUERASH)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £6

Scandi crossover hardcore with distinctly moshable vibes.

HAWK EYES (GOD DAMN + CARNIVORES)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 20:00–23:00, £7

Leeds-based rock unit out and touring their new LP, Everything Is Fine.

Sat 21 Feb

THE AVIATORS (KUDOS + JONNY JACK)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £6

Lively East-Kilbride foursome led

by Darren Hutton.

ENTER SHIKARI

BARROWLAND, 19:00–23:00, £19.50

More in the way of new-wave, post-hardcore politicking from the St Albans quartet.

VIGO THIEVES

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £12.50

Wishaw alternative indie quartet, rich with synthesizers and emotionally-charged vocals, hopefully still riding high on the fact John-bloody-Leslie was in one of their first videos.

TWO GALLANTS

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

San Franciscoan rock duo expertly matching melodic fury with eloquent, confessional lyricism.

RSNO: JARVI CONDUCTS SHOSTAKOVICH FIVE

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

Conductor Neeme Jarvi takes on Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, which begins in despair and ends in triumph.

SULA SULA

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

The alternative rock unit launch their debut LP, Shark Jumpers Anonymous – in the running for best debut album name ever, surely?

WE ARE CARNIVORES (ALBURN + SEAOFCROWNS + AVANTE)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £5

English post hardcore foursome who got themselves into the final of Red Bull’s download competition.

IBEYI

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £8

ROYAL BLOOD

BARROWLAND, 19:00–23:00, £17.50

GEORGE EZRA

O2 ACADEMY, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

Young Bristol singer/songwriter known for his bluesy, acoustic balladry.

NME AWARDS TOUR 2015 (PALMA VIOLETS + FAT WHITE FAMILY + THE AMAZING SNAKEHEADS + SLAVES)

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15.50

The mighty Amazing Snakeheads and the captivating Fat White Family prevent this year’s lineup from being a shit sandwich, although the bread on the outside has turned somewhat.

WEYES BLOOD (LAVINIA BLACKWELL)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:00, £8

Solo project of New York-based musician Natalie Mering, aka exJackie-O Motherfucker member and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti associate.

FEBRUARY FRIVOLITIES (THEREISNOHEAVENNOW + KEVLAR + IO PAN VS NOMA + YUAN MEKONG + ALISTAIR QUIETSCH + LUMINOUS MONSTERS + MADAM + HOOR PAAR KRAAT + AETHERIC ANOMALIES + ABDULLAH KOBAYASHI + ASAHARA + THE WILDHOUSE) 13TH NOTE, 15:00–23:00, FREE

Dreamdark host another of their experimental noise all-dayers, back in their spiritual home of the 13th Note, with live acts including Luminous Monsters, Kevlar and Yuan Mekong.

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER: LIVE SCORE

POLLOKSHAWS BURGH HALLS, 20:00–22:30, £12 (£10)

Irish composer Irene Buckley leads a live score of Jean Epstein’s silent horror adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Part of Glasgow Film Festival.

RALLY & BROAD: OH BONDAGE! UP YOURS! (HARRY GILES + JELLYMAN’S DAUGHTER + ROSE RUANE + JIM MONAGHAN + GENESEE)

STEREO, 14:30–17:30, £5

The Rally & Broad literary merrymakers skip across to Glasgow for round two of their bondagethemed specials, with guests Harry Giles, Jellyman’s Daughter, Rose Ruane, Jim Monaghan and Genesee getting suitably saucy.

Mon 23 Feb OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

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

The Birmingham Brit-poppers return to a live setting to mark their 25th anniversary with a special acoustic tour.

POND

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

Aussie psychedelic rock band featuring memebers of Tame Impala.

FATHER JOHN MISTY

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £12.50

American folk singer, guitarist, drummer and songwriter Joshua Tillman, currently performing under the moniker Father John Misty.

ROYAL BLOOD

BARROWLAND, 19:00–23:00, £17.50

Recent album chart toppers, made up of Michael Kerr (bass and vocals) and Ben Thatcher (drums), playing a duo of consecutive nights at the Barrowland.

DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £17.50

Toronto-raised duo built on primal, frills-free noise architecture – out and touring their new LP, The Physical World.

Lustrous-haired French/Cuban musical duo consisting of twin sisters, Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz.

Listings

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KATE TEMPEST STEREO, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

English playwright, performance poet, Ninja Tune-signed rapper and all-round literary starlet Kate Tempest returns in fullband guise, performing songs from her Mercury-nominated album, Everybody Down.

Tue 24 Feb THE COURTEENERS

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £20

The Manc indie foursome give their new LP – Concrete Love – another live airing in Glasgow, following a duo of live dates at the end of 2014.

DEERHOOF

STEREO, 20:00–22:00, £12

San Franciscan four-piece noise band, gradually evolving into something we’ve yet to identify or pin down, more's the joy.

ALL BECOMES CLEAR (THE DEAD RAVEN + EVEN IN ARCADIA)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Lake District rockers taking their cue from the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age and Foo Fighters.

SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE + AMY DICKSON

CITY HALLS, 19:30–22:00, £13

The Scottish Ensemble make merry with young Classical Brit-winning saxophonist Amy Dickson.

BARBARA DICKSON

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £24

The folk songstress-cum-actor performs songs from her latest LP, Winter, alongside a selection of classics.

FIGHTSTAR

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £15

Charlie Simpson-led alternative rock unit, still apparently making music.

BOB NANNA (KOJI)

13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

Solo outing from the American muso, perhaps better known as the singer and guitarist for Braid and Hey Mercedes.

Wed 25 Feb

FELIX CHAMPION (EMILIO LARGO + TOY MOUNTAINS)

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Cupar-based alternative rock trio and signess on Bloc+’s own wee imprint.

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS: BROADCHURCH

O2 ABC, 19:00–22:00, £20

The Icelandic multi-instrumentalist makes merry with his usual other-worldly blend of ambient/ classical/electronic pop, performing his eerie beautiful live score to ITV thriller Broadchurch.

Part of Glasgow Film Festival.

JOSEF SALVAT

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £6

Breezy popster from London, drawing comparisons to Gotye and Morrissey.

DARLIA

KING TUT’S, 20:00–23:00, £8

Blackpool boys done good bringing their hard-lined rock music to the masses.

BEFORE YOU EXIT + CHRISTINA GRIMMIE

THE GARAGE, 19:00–22:00, £15

US-of-A popsters Before You Exit hit the road for their joint headline tour with fellow pop songstress Christina Grimmie.

Thu 26 Feb ANDREW MCMAHON

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £14

Better known as the piano-pounding frontman from Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin, now doing his solo synth-pop thing.

RSNO: BEETHOVEN’S PASTORAL

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

The RSNO take on Beethoven’s calming classic Pastoral Symphony, alongside works by Mozart and Haydn.

GAVIN JAMES

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, £8.50

Dublin singer/songwriter with fine soul chops.

THE KILDAS (SEACHANGE)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:00–22:00, £5

One-off evening of islands, songs and loops with artist Deirdre Nelson, Ruth Little, Hanna Tuulikki, Jason Singh, Inge Thompson and Borderline Theatre/Hirtle.

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Listings

CITY RADIO LIVE (LIFE ON STANDBY + NOVEMBER LIGHTS + MIAMI MONRO) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £5

All-new live music showcase night, with female-fronted alternative rockers Life on Standby on headlining duties.

Fri 27 Feb

THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR 2015

THE SSE HYDRO, 19:30–22:00, FROM £19.50

The stars (we use the term loosely) from X Factor 2015 take to the stage for their obligatory tour and – for most – a farewell to household recognition.

THE DAY MAN LOST (NOTHING CLEAN + DROVES) 13TH NOTE, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

The Preston grindcore ensemble continue to ride the wave of their resurgence, after returning to active service in late 2011.

THE VOYEURS

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £7

Charlie Boyer’s still with them but his name isn’t, as this London fuzzy pop band present a united front for their latest shows.

BLOSSOMS

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £7

Manc mosaic-like five piece mixing pop nous with psychedelic blurriness, to everybody’s pleasure.

SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: BRAHMS’ SERENADE

CITY HALLS, 19:30–22:00, FROM £14.50

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra perform a varied programme, taking in vintage Brahms, Serenade No 1, amongst others.

GAZELLE TWIN (ZAMILSKA + HAUSFRAU + DICK-50)

THE ART SCHOOL, 19:00–22:30, £7 (£6)

Edinburgh Music

Coventry based four-piece mining all the known traits of rock and roll.

Sun 01 Mar

Sat 14 Feb

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED: LIVE SCORE

OLD FRUITMARKET, 18:30–21:00, £14 (£12/£5 UNDER 26S)

Garcia-Fons and his live band draw on the musical traditions of the Mediterranean for their live score of Lotte Reiniger’s classic silent film. Part of Glasgow Film Festival.

Tue 03 Feb KAISER CHIEFS

USHER HALL, 19:00–22:00, FROM £27.50

The gangly Leeds indie-pop scamps return to the live circuit over a decade after they first hit the limelight.

THE AFGHAN WHIGS

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £20

From their rough-hewn beginnings with their Big Top Halloween LP, to the enduring elegance of 1965, Greg Dulli et al show y’all how it’s done.

MARIACHI EL BRONX

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £12

The mariachi alter-egos of LA punks The Bronx, taking to a live setting armed with third LP, Mariachi El Bronx III, and bedecked in dapper charro suits, as per.

Wed 04 Feb

THE HOLY GHOSTS (NAILA + BLACK CAT BONE)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, FREE

Edinburgh rock’n’rollers infusing their sound with a splash of country and blues.

The industrial-pop auteur makes her first visit to Scotland since the release of her new LP, Unflesh.

NAILHOUSE RECORDS SHOWCASE (THE MAYANS + SOUFON FANG + JOE ALLAN)

THE FLYING DUCK, 19:30–22:00, £5

Showcase night of blues, garage, alternative rock and pop sounds.

DESIGN A WAVE + BECOMING REAL + TIPPEX DAYS + WILT WAGNER

Showcase night of tunes presented by Night School, headed up by polluted-disco practitioner Tom Hirst (aka Design A Wave).

DEAD ELECTRIC (AZURE HALO)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30–23:00, £5

The garage rock unit launch their new LP, celebrating the occasion by giving away a custom guitar pedal to one lucky punter.

KRILL

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:00, £6

Boston noise-rock trio led by bassist and singer Jonah Furman.

Sat 28 Feb HOOKWORMS

STEREO, 19:00–22:00, £9

The Leeds-based five-piece clamber up another few rungs with their brilliant second LP, The Hum. THE MAVERICKS

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, 19:30–22:00, £35

The country-steeped garage ensemble do what they do best (er, that’d be country-steeped garage, right?).

THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR 2015

THE SSE HYDRO, 19:30–22:00, FROM £19.50

The stars (we use the term loosely) from X Factor 2015 take to the stage for their obligatory tour and – for most – a farewell to household recognition.

BENJAMIN BOOKER

KING TUT’S, 20:30–23:00, £8.50

The Rough Trade-signed young singer/guitarist plays a set of his eclectic punk, folk and New Orleans blues.

PICTUREHOUSE

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £12

The Dave Browne-led Irish outfit return to the stage, playing a select batch of shows based around their Karmarama LP. IN THIS MOMENT

THE GARAGE, 19:00–22:00, £10

LA-based metalcore ensemble formed by singer Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth back in 2005.

ALGERNON DOLL + GREAT COP + MANUSCRIPTS + HERBERT POWELL + KAPIL SESHASAYEE

13TH NOTE, 16:00–23:00, £5

Repeater Glasgow host a charity all-dayer, manned by the likes of Algernon Doll, Great Cop, Manuscripts and more.

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–22:00, £3

Thu 05 Feb

SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: RAVEL PIANO CONCERTO IN G

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £10 (£5 UNDER 26S)

Pianist Mitsuko Uchida takes on Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, alongside performances of works

by Fauré, Haydn and more.

THE BUCKY RAGE + THE CHEATING HEARTS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £5

Weegie noisemakers The Bucky Rage welcome their good friends, St Pauli’s finest The Cheating Hearts, over to the UK for a couple of Scottish shows as part of their 2015 UK tour.

YOUNG LUST

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

Blistering Southamptom rock’n’rollers, playing their first show back in Scotland since supporting Enuff Z Nuff in 2013.

EDINBURGH IRANIAN FESTIVAL: OPENING CEREMONY ST JOHN’S CHURCH, 20:00–22:00, £5 (UNDER 10S FREE)

The fifth annual Edinburgh Iranian Festival comes to the capital, kicking off with a special Opening Ceremony including an introduction to the 2015 programme, plus a poetry reading from Rab Wilson, music from Arezoo Symphony Orchestra and more.

HOLD UP THERE’S HOPE + PICNIC BASKET NOSEDIVE + SAVE THE RECKLESS

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, 20:00–23:00, £5

The Soundhouse takes up Monday residency at the Trav, this time showcasing saxophonist Tommy Smith and pianist Brian Kellock.

GOOD COP GREAT COP (SUNSET ABBEY + IN SEARCH OF SANITY)

Vibrant, emo-tinged indie rockers from Perth.

SAINTS OF ARCADIA

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

Necastle Upon Tyne rock unit, fresh from supporting Rival Sons on tour.

Sat 07 Feb

ALTERED SKY (AYAKARA + TRAVIS OAKS + PORTALOOTH AND THE MUSTKETEERS + BEC SANDRIDGE)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 19:00–22:00, £8

Rockin’ female-fronted Glasgow five-piece, rolling along on Ana Nowosielska’s strong vocal.

THE STAVES

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:00, £13.50

Headline set from the Communion Records all-female folk harmony trio, previewing tracks from their sophomore LP, If I Was. THE LURKERS

CITRUS CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £3 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

The Australian punk-meetsbluegrass scamps make a welcome return to the live circuit.

BE LIKE PABLO (LITTLE LOVE & THE FRIENDLY VIBES + SUGAR PANTHERS)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Powerpop outfit who specialise in catchy pop songs with girl/boy harmonies, Moog synthesizers and noisy guitars.

PRIDES

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £10

Glaswegian synthpop trio who this year had the honour of performing at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.

OPAL TAPES NIGHT (BASIC HOUSE + WANDA GROUP + HOUSE OF TRAPS)

THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00, £7 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND, 13:00–13:40, FREE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:45–23:00, £6 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

The London rock’n’roll night takes a trip north with a selection of live bands taking to the stage.

BEARDYMAN

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £12.50

The London-based beatboxing king (known to his mammy as Darren Foreman) plays a set of his live-looping beatbox.

A NEW INTERNATIONAL

THE BONGO CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £5 ADV. (£6 DOOR)

Regrouped local indie lot, formerly playing as The Starlets, out celebrating the release of their debut LP. THE CANDIDATES

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, FREE

More in the way of good ol’ soul, motown and dancefloor classics from the Edinburgh seven-piece.

RSNO: A FRENCH FEAST

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

The RSNO perform a series of French fancies, including a duo of Ravel pieces.

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–23:00, £10

Rock, dance and jazz are all mashed up in one palatable melange here courtesy of Troyka.

Also that Kit Downes fella’s in them, y’know, one of the token jazz Mercury Prize nominees a while back.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £6

Fri 06 Feb

THIS FEELING (CARAVAN CLUB + BLACK CAT BONE + THE ANGLES + HOT TIN ROOF)

TROYKA (TRIO HSK)

Mon 09 Feb

Leicester-based singer/songwriter big on the haunting vocals.

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–23:00, £6

Sun 08 Feb

Fortune Promotions gig night, showcasing a merry mob of pop, punk and alternative rock.

Showcase night from experimental DIY label Opal Tapes, with performances from Basic House and Wanda Group, plus local support from the mighty House of Traps (aka Lindsay Todd) of Firecracker Records.

MARTHA BEAN (FIONA RUTHERFORD + AMY DUNCAN)

THE CREEP VOID BANNERMANS, 22:00–23:00, £5

The Newcastle alternative rockers make their Bannermans debut.

AZADEH

The Persian folk singer/ songwriter plays a duo of free mini gigs (National Museum of Scotland, 1pm and Summerhall, 8.30pm). Part of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival.

AZADEH

SUMMERHALL, 20:30–21:00, FREE

The Persian folk singer/ songwriter plays a duo of free mini gigs (National Museum of Scotland, 1pm and Summerhall, 8.30pm). Part of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival.

FREEDOM FROM TORTURE FUNDRAISER (MAIRI CAMPBELL + COMBO COMBO + EILEEN PENMAN + FREYLAKH UN TSORES + SANDY WYLES + CARLOS ARRENDONDO + GALVARINO CERON CARRASCO + STONED HOLLY ROLLERS)

THE PLEASANCE, 19:30–00:00, £15 (£10)

A selection of musicians and bands play in aid of Freedom from Torture.

GIRLS ROCK SCHOOL (THE TWISTETTES + MIAOUMIX + THE MEGAPHONE CHOIR + RHUBABA)

WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00, £5 (£3)

The Edinburgh branch of the Girls Rock School project host a live band night, showcasing a selection of female musos.

SOUNDHOUSE @ TRAVERSE THEATRE: TOMMY SMITH + BRIAN KELLOCK

TRAVERSE THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £10

WILL BLACK

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £12

Special acoustic performance from the Canadian singer/songwriter, dipping into his original albums plus other classic rock favourites.

Tue 10 Feb

THE WAVE PICTURES (GOLDEN ARM)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £8

The Wymeswold trio make a return for s’more of their indie-pop wittiness and squealing guitar solos, fresh from a collaboration with Billy Childish on new LP, Great Big Flamingo Burning Moon.

GAZ COOMBES

THE PLEASANCE, 19:30–22:00, £15

The Supergrass frontman goes it alone, playing tracks from his new solo offering, Matador.

Wed 11 Feb ONE NIGHT ONLY

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £10

North Yorkshire indie-rock pups attempting to take their tunes in a new direction.

ORCHESTRE TOUT PUISSANT MARCEL DUCHAMP (DOMINIC WAXING LYRICAL + HOWIE REEVE)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:30–23:00, £6 (£5)

Tropical post-punk/afro avantpop all the way from Geneva, also managing to squeeze a marimba, a double bass, a violin, a trombone and an electric guitar onto the stage.

VOODOO KINGS BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £6

SLOW CLUB

THE PLEASANCE, 19:30–23:00, £12.50

Rather lovely alternative folkiness from Sheffield duo Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor, returning to the touring circuit with their third album, Complete Surrender.

KING CREOSOTE + CATRIONA MCKAY + CHRIS STOUT THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £17.50

As part of a special commission

by The Queen’s Hall, a trio of folky stalwarts – King Creosote, Catriona McKay and Christ Stout – perform new songs for the first time, as well as revisiting their own work as a trio.

LEITH CREATIVE BRUNCHEON

OUT OF THE BLUE DRILL HALL, 11:30–15:00, FREE

Out of the Blue’s afternoon music session teams up with fledgling Leith cultural organisation, Leith Creative, revealing new project plans. Plus music by local Leith musicians, curated by William Douglas.

FULL MOON FREAKS + NORMAN SILVER AND THE GOLD + TEMPLE OF THE DEAD MOTH

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–22:30, £5

Henry’s fully-unromantic Valentine’s showcase, taking in Temple of the Dead Moth’s sadcore, Norman Silver and the Gold’s morose country and western punk, and Full Moon Freaks’ macabre surf.

ENVOYS (TIDINGS + 3 DAYS FROM RETIRMENT + WE CAME FROM THE NORTH)

BANNERMANS, 22:00–23:00, £5

Leeds-based heavy rockers of the largely instrumental variety.

THE TWILIGHT SAD: IN-STORE

VOXBOX, 16:00–17:00, FREE

The Sad boys give their fourth LP, Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave, a mini airing as part of their week-long whistle stop tour of UK record shops, taking in Edinburgh’s VoxBox (14 Feb) and Glasgow’s Mono (15 Feb).

Sun 15 Feb DJANGO DJANGO

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £17

Thu 12 Feb

Everybody’s favourite ScotsAnglo-Irish (keep up, folks) art-rockers play an intimate set, showcasing tracks from the much-anticipated follow-up to their Mercury-nominated debut LP.

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £17

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £20

DUNCAN CHISHOLM

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

PLAYTIME

THE OUTHOUSE, 20:00–00:00, £7 (£5)

A showcase of jazz performers experiment by playing some brand new music.

EDGAR + LITTLE KINGDOM + SEAOFCROWNS

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £4

A trio of emerging Scottish acts launch their brand new singles, recorded as part of CP Productions’ Youth Music Initiative project.

EVEN IN ARCADIA

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

The Glasgow rock scamps bring their usual wall of noise.

Fri 13 Feb

UNIVERSAL THEE (THE OOH LA LA’S + STEVE HERON + THE BASKERVILLEZ)

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–23:00, £TBC

Edinburgh-based alternative indie lot led by husband and wife pairing James and Lisa Russell, providing an interesting quiet/ loud contrast.

RSNO: LATIN PASSION

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

Conductor Jean-Claude Picard and the RSNO serve up a lovethemed series of performances (y’know, in honour of Valentine’s Day), including movie love themes and Rodrigo's sultry Concierto de Aranjuez.

FAT SAM’S BAND

30 years and a day since they launched their distinctive feel-good music on Edinburgh, Hamish McGregor and company bid au revoir with a final farewell concert.

JARRED DICKENSON (ANDY TUCKER)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £7

Texas-born singer/songwriter adept at the slightly spooky melodies and lyrics.

Mon 16 Feb TV ON THE RADIO

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:00, £18.50

The US indie rockers give their fifth LP a live airing, their first album since the death of bassist Gerard Smith.

SOUNDHOUSE @ TRAVERSE THEATRE: MACMASTER HAY

TRAVERSE THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £10

The Soundhouse takes up Monday residency at the Trav, this time showcasing Macmaster Hay (aka Mary Macmaster and Donald Hay), an eclectic duo combining electro harp and percussion into their mix.

Tue 17 Feb

CLICK CLACK CLUB (LIZ LOCHHEAD)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–22:00, £6 (£4)

Experimental monthly music club bringing the good times with their Beefheart-inspired funk and special guests, this month including Scots Makar Liz Lochhead.

Wed 18 Feb KING CHARLES

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £12

Charming West London folkster, classically trained, and player of guitar, piano and cello.

COLLABRO (LUCY KAY)

USHER HALL, 19:00–22:00, FROM £19.50

The 2014 Britain’s Got Talent winners descend (or should that be descent?). Best look busy.

Thu 19 Feb

ILENKUS (LUCIFERS CORPUS)

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £6

The hardcore Galway five-piece bring their brutal metal soundscapes to bear.

MC CHECK

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–23:00, £TBC

Scottish hip-hop event with Odda-city, Wee-d, James OneOz, True Factz, DJ U-Turn, Sean El, Shirley Mcpherson, Prophetic Justice, ZeBaDee & Number 13.

Phew. That do you?

THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN

CORN EXCHANGE, 19:00–22:00, £25

The riotous, adrenalin-soaked Scottish alternative rock unit celebrate the forthcoming 30th anniversary of their 1985 debut LP, Psychocandy, by playing it live and in its gloriously scuzzy entirety.

Fri 20 Feb

SCOTTISH NATIONAL JAZZ ORCHESTRA: TRIBUTE TO BILLY STRAYHORN

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £18 (£16)

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra mark the centenary of the birth of Billy ‘Sweet Pea’ Strayhorn with a special tribute concert.

RSNO: JARVI CONDUCTS SHOSTAKOVICH FIVE

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

Conductor Neeme Jarvi takes on Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, which begins in despair and ends in triumph.

SONIC MASS ONE (HEY COLOSSUS + PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS + VOE + BRITNEY + STAR TURBINE) BANNERMANS, 18:30–23:00, £13.50

A weekend-long mix of space rock, progressive, sludge and more, served up across Saturday and Sunday.

RALLY & BROAD: OH BONDAGE! UP YOURS! (SALENA GODDEN + KIRSTY LAW + KEVIN WILLIAMSON + GRAEME HAWLEY + LIZ CRONIN)

THE BONGO CLUB, 19:30–22:00, £5

The Rally & Broad literary merrymakers host round one of their bondage-themed specials, with guests Salena Godden, Kirsty Law, Kevin Williamson, Graeme Hawley and Liz Cronin getting suitably saucy.

Sat 21 Feb

THE RISING SOULS (ROSS ARTHUR + MEGAN D) ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £8 (£4)

Scottish acoustic rockers infusing their sound with blues and soul.

A CERTAIN RATIO

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–23:00, £15

Veteran former Factory Records signees among the forebears of post-punk.

SONIC MASS ONE (SPACE WITCH + OMMADON + BURIED SLEEPER + DUNE) BANNERMANS, 18:30–23:00, £13.50

A weekend-long mix of space rock, progressive, sludge and more, served up across Saturday and Sunday.

Sun 22 Feb

SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: CHAMBER SUNDAYS

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 15:00–17:00, £12 (£10/£5 UNDER 26S)

Mixed batch of recitals by the SCO’s wind sextet, including a trio of Mozart’s Divertimentos.

BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: RUNNICLES CONDUCTS

USHER HALL, 16:00–18:00, £TBC

Conductor Donald Runnicles leads an orchestral reworking of a selection of Beethoven and Sibelius classics.

Mon 23 Feb

SOUNDHOUSE @ TRAVERSE THEATRE: MARTIN CARTHY

TRAVERSE THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £10

The Soundhouse takes up Monday residency at the Trav, this time showcasing innovative English folk musician Martin Carthy.

HEARTS UNDER FIRE

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

All-female rockers with catchy tunes and righteous riffs to boot.

Tue 24 Feb RYAN ADAMS

USHER HALL, 19:00–22:00, £28.50

The ever-prolific alternative country superstar continues to ride the wave of his fourteenth LP – not bad for someone still the right side of 40.

BLOSSOMS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £7

Manc mosaic-like five piece mixing pop nous with psychedelic blurriness, to everybody’s pleasure.

KATE TEMPEST

THE BONGO CLUB, 19:00–22:00, £12.50 ADV. (£15 DOOR)

English playwright, performance poet, Ninja Tune-signed rapper and all-round literary starlet Kate Tempest returns in fullband guise, performing songs from her Mercury-nominated album, Everybody Down.

Wed 25 Feb JUNGLE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £SOLD OUT

Once-mysterious now inescapable London 6music botherers, extracting all the juicy innards of tribal funk music and leaving behind the hollow outer shell for our ears.

SOPHIE DAVIES

BANNERMANS, 18:00–23:00, £5

The Scottish singer/songwriter plays a stripped-back set.

Thu 26 Feb KATHERINE JENKINS

USHER HALL, 19:00–22:00, FROM £29.50

Perhaps Wales most famous opera singer, returning with tracks old and new.

RUMER

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:00, £22.50

Pakistani-born British singer/ songwriter, aka Sarah Joyce, big on the mellifluous balladry.

THE MARVELS

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, FREE

Edinburgh’s own piano pop trio play their farewell gig.

MONOMYTH

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £7

Netherlands stoner doom ensemble of the mostly instrumental variety.

Fri 27 Feb

TREACHEROUS ORCHESTRA

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:30–22:00, £14 (£12)

Turbo-charged Scottish folk collective mixing traditional rootsy Scottish tunes with contemporary influences, all bagpipes and whistles and loveliness.

QUIET AS A MOUSE

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £4

Edinburgh indie-meets-country quartet riding along on mainman Alex Moran’s vocals, guitar and harmonica-playing.

COMA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:00, £12

Polish rockers who selected their name by coin toss, on tour to promote their latest musical offering, Don’t Set Your Dogs on Me. RSNO: BEETHOVEN’S PASTORAL

USHER HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £12

The RSNO take on Beethoven’s calming classic Pastoral Symphony, alongside works by Mozart and Haydn.

THE RADIACS (BUZZBOMB)

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £5

Sheffield-based punk quartet back in their original line-up.

NEU! REEKIE! (HECTOR BIZERK + EYE OF OTHERS + HELEN MORT + PAUL HULLAH & MARTIN METCALFE)

PILRIG ST PAUL’S CHURCH, 19:00–23:00, £8.50 (£7)

Stellar night of avant-garde poetry, music and short film, this time taking in music from Hector Bizerk and Eye Of Others (aka The Machine Room’s John Bryden), plus poetry from Helen Mort, and myriad other lyrical and literary delights.

THE SKINNY

Sat 28 Feb THE WAR ON DRUGS

USHER HALL, 19:00–22:00, £22

The Philly rockers continue to combine rock’n’roll classicism in the 70s AOR mould, all psychedelic, hazy and lushly-layered, dipping heavily into dreamy third LP Lost in the Dream.

PLACEBO (THE MIRROR TRAP)

CORN EXCHANGE, 19:00–22:00, £29.50

With six studio albums and more than 12 million records sales, Brian Molko and his band of alternative rockers continue to ride the wave of their newest LP, Loud Like Love.

CONTROL (CRITIKILL + HATEFUL + PANIC ATTAK)

BANNERMANS, 20:00–23:00, £8

The self-proclaimed hooligan rock’n’rollers play a trademark set, chock with their usual attitude.

SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: BRAHMS’ SERENADE

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £10

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra perform a varied programme, taking in vintage Brahms, Serenade No 1, amongst others.

LUX LIVES! 2015

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 19:00–03:00, £TBC

Henry’s annual celebration of the life and music of Lux Interior (aka Ericj Lee Purkhiser), the singer and founding member of garagepunk specialists The Cramps.

Thu 19 Feb

THE MONA LISA’S (THE NSA + UNKNOWN ON SUNDAY)

BUSKERS, 19:30–22:00, £TBC

The Fife rock’n’rollers take their debut EP on tour.

Fri 20 Feb

YORKHILL CHILDREN’S CHARITY FUNDRAISER (TONI TAYLOR-OGILVIE + ROBERT CLARK + NOTHING BUT ATOMS + RAZOR SHARP DOGS) BUSKERS, 19:30–22:00, £DONATIONS

Live music fundraiser in aid of Yorkhill Children’s Chairty.

Sat 21 Feb

THE MIRROR TRAP (MISS LUNA WEBSTER + RUSH HOUR SOUL)

BUSKERS, 20:00–22:00, £5

Alternative indie-rock quartet born and bred on the mean streets of Dundee, taking to a hometown setting to launch their new EP. Followed by a post-gig DJ set from David (of Felt).

Fri 27 Feb

ANDREW METCALFE (KROOKED SAINTS + THE SESH)

BUSKERS, 20:00–22:00, £6

The Liverpool based singer comes armed with his big choruses and singalong anthems.

Sat 28 Feb FOCHO ORGANATHON!

CAIRD HALL, 10:00–16:00, £DONATION

The Friends of the Caird Hall stage a six-hour marathon of organ playing, from 10am-4pm, raising funds for their cause.

MILLSYECK (GUTTERGODZ)

BUSKERS, 20:00–22:00, £5

Dundee Music Mon 02 Feb KAISER CHIEFS

CAIRD HALL, 19:30–22:00, FROM £27.50

The gangly Leeds indie-pop scamps return to the live circuit over a decade after they first hit the limelight.

Tue 03 Feb

The classic-styled rock unit launch their new LP.

NICE AND SLEAZY FUNDRAISER (HEADSTONE HORRORS + THE MISPELT + EK DECAY + THE CUNDEEZ + RAZORBLADE SMILE + SHITGRIPPER + THE EDDIES + SKIZOFRENIK + SALEM STREET + NINE BULLETS + PUNKADELIC + THE ROTTEN APPLES + CRIMEDESK + SUBVISION + REACTION) BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 13:00–23:00, £8

A bountiful bunch of bands rally together to help raise funds for Nice and Sleazy.

ALTERED SKY (TRAVIS OAKS + BEC SANDRIGO)

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 19:30–23:00, £6

Rockin’ female-fronted Glasgow five-piece, rolling along on Ana Nowosielska’s strong vocal.

Glasgow Tue 03 Feb

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 20:00–23:00, £8

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Australian punk-meetsbluegrass scamps make a welcome return to the live circuit.

Sun 08 Feb THE PHANTOM BAND

BUSKERS, 20:00–22:00, £9

Having put various side projects on the back-burner, the mighty Phantoms reunite to continue their unholy fusing of indie, folk and krautrock styles.

Thu 12 Feb RSNO: LATIN PASSION

CAIRD HALL, 19:30–22:00, £16 (£12.50)

Conductor Jean-Claude Picard and the RSNO serve up a lovethemed series of performances (y’know, in honour of Valentine’s Day), including movie love themes and Rodrigo's sultry Concierto de Aranjuez.

ISLASORNA (ANIMUS + LOST IN INSOMNIA + THE AUSTERITY + ELEMENTS)

BUSKERS, 19:00–22:00, £5 ADV. (£6 DOOR)

The Edinburgh-based metal outfit do their noise-heavy thing, out touting their debut EP.

Wed 18 Feb

SCOTTISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: WINDS

MARRYAT HALL, 19:30–22:00, £14 (£7)

The six wind soloists of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, playing two clarinets, two bassoons and two horns, alight in Dundee for the first time.

INCITE

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 20:00–23:00, £6

The Arizona thrash groovers bring the bullish riffs and heavy soundscapes.

Thu 05 Feb NEVERLAND

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Themed fun night complete with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic r’n’b and hip-hop.

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

CATHOUSE THURSDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

Two rooms of tunes with DJs David Lo Pan and RYRY, taking in rock anthems, pop-punk, screamo and requests.

BEAT STREET

BROADCAST, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Handpicked Cassette dudes and a rotating schedule of pals take over both floors of Broadcast for their new residency – with danceable beats downstairs, and mellower vibes in the upstairs bar.

THE ART SCHOOL’S 1ST BIRTHDAY (KERO KERO BONITO + THROWING SHADE + RAVIOLI ME AWAY + KANE WEST + PUSH IT + DRESSIN’ RED + JAISU) THE ART SCHOOL, 22:00–03:00, FROM £5

Marking one year since the opening of the new Art School space, the venue makes merry with a troop of guests, plus inflatables, ball-swamps and even candyfloss dispensed from an elevator.

That do you?

SHOW (TIGA)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 EARLYBIRD (£8-£10 THEREAFTER)

Show return to Subbie, this time joined by Turbo’s top man, Tiga, with support from Illyus and Theo Kottis.

GENERAL LUDD

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

General Ludd, part of Glasgow collective Golden Teacher, commence a new Glasgow residency showcasing their new productions and discoveries.

Fri 06 Feb OLD SKOOL

Thu 05 Feb THE LURKERS

Glasgow Clubs

KILLER KITSCH

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Weekly party anthems with Jimmy 11, complete with a bungee run and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night out.

I AM (MIA DORA + ILLYUS & BARRIENTOS)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, with local heroes Mia Dora joining ‘em.

Wed 04 Feb TAKE IT SLEAZY

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

An unabashed mix of 80s pop, electro and nu-disco. They will play Phil Collins.

DISCO RIOT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£4 (£3) AFTER 11.30)

Disco-styled party night bolstered by added karaoke fun.

BEAST WEDNESDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop-punk and hardcore, whilst the bar doles out lethally alcoholic slushies. Slurp.

SUB ROSA (HEX)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Spittal and Nowicki at the helm, joined for a guest slot by the Hex lot.

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your Friday jivin’ pleasure.

PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Residents fun night of rock, metal, punk and emo spread over three rooms.

JAMMING FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tunepicker DJ Jopez at the helm.

THE BIG CHEESE

SHED, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11)

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

HARSH TUG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Hip-hop and gangsta rap brought to you by the Notorious B.A.G and pals.

TEENAGE RIOT

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Members of Glasgow’s posthardcore noise-masters United Fruit curate their lively event of big-beat alternative indie and disco.

FLASHBACK VS FRESHBEAT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£6 (£3) AFTER 11.30)

DJ Craig Guild holes up in in Main Hall playing fresh new tracks, with DJ Nicola down in G2 playing the best of 80s-00s.

THE YELLOW DOOR

MONDO

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 12)

BROADCAST, 23:00–03:00, FREE

New monthly night playing contemporary classics, unheard of gems and a few well-kent belters, all for your general dancing pleasure, natch.

CLASSIC FRIDAYS

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJs Barry and Tailz (upstairs) and Gary and David (downstairs).

OPAL TAPES VS NIGHT SCHOOL (PROSTITUTES + BASIC HOUSE + WANDA GROUP + WHILST + APOSTILLE)

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £7 ADV. (£9 DOOR)

The Opal Tapes and Night School tagteams join forces for double the party, a bounty of DJs in tow between ‘em.

KÖLSCH (VILMOS + HOT DANCE PARTY DJS)

THE ARCHES, 22:00–03:00, £12.50

The Kompakt regular and producer behind 2014 hit anthem Cassiopeia plays a headline set.

OPTIMO (BASS CLEF)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The Optimo boys curate their occasional fun night, this edition welcoming multi-instrumentalist one-man-show Bass Clef (aka Ralph Cumbers).

YES!: JOHN WATERS’ FILTHY FILTHY

THE FLYING DUCK, 21:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Gay indie night with a playlist that mixes oldies and newbies, this edition paying homage to the mighty John Waters, screening Pink Flamingos in amidst all the filthy dancing.

WE SHOULD HANG OUT MORE (MARCUS MARR) (MARCUS MARR) LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7

I HEART SATURDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Student superclub cramming in everything from hip-hop to dance, and funk to chart, with nine – yes nine – bars.

COLOURS: 20TH BIRTHDAY (W&W + SUNNERY JAMES & RYAN MARCIANO + FRANKIE RIZARDO + HELDEEP + OLIVER HELDENS + MR BELT & WEZOL + HIGHER SELF) THE ARCHES, 21:00–03:00, £29.50

House music specialists Colours celebrate 20 years with a suitably sprawling line-up of guests.

SUBCULTURE (SPENCER)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

BLACK TENT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

Indie, electro and anything inbetween with Pauly (My Latest Novel) and Simin and Steev (Errors).

ABSOLUTION

CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, poppunk, rock, emo and ska over two floors.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Punk, rock and metallic selection of beats spread across three rooms.

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Rock, indie and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

VOODOO

CATHOUSE, 17:00–21:00, £2 (£1)

Under 18s rock night playing, er, anything and everything rock.

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

BALKANARAMA (TRAKTORKESTAR)

THE ART SCHOOL, 22:30–03:00, £10 (£9)

All singing, all dancing Balkanstyled club orgy, with an early live jam session followed by live guests, belly dancing, bespoke visuals and free plum brandy for all.

SINGLES NIGHT

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Andy Divine and Chris Geddes’ gem of a night dedicated to 7-inch singles from every genre imaginable.

DEATHKILL 4000 (ROLO TOMASSI)

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Thu 12 Feb RUBIX

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The bass music special returns for another instalment, shaking up yer Thursday night as only they know how.

NEVERLAND

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic r’n’b and hip-hop.

LET’S GO BACK… WAY BACK

Residents Bosco and Rob Mason bring acid-house, techno and rave back to the dancefloor. If indeed it ever left.

SUPERMAX: A HISTORY OF DISCO

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £7

Yer main man Billy Woods presents his annual ‘History of Disco’ party, running down disco hits past, present and future.

Sun 08 Feb VERTIGO

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

DJ Kelmosh plays a mix of rock, dance and indie hits.

SUNDAY SCIENCE

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH WAGE SLIP)

NU SKOOL

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Spittal and Nowicki at the helm, joined by Amsterdam-based producer Breach.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 ADV. (£8 DOOR)

Sat 07 Feb BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

SUB ROSA (BREACH)

Themed fun night complete with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs.

Sunday-bothering night playing house, r’n’b and hip-hop tunes, with added LED frickin’ lazers, just cos.

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

FLAT 0/1, 21:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Anti-Valentine’s edition of the rather ace gig-in-a-club night, with live sets from Algernon Doll and Man of Moon, jollied along by a liquid concoction they’re calling ‘Fuzzy Love Punch’ and all the romance that an in-club game of Shag Tag can bring.

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic manning the decks, this edition joined

by Number’s resident Spencer.

Fledgling disco night, this time welcoming Marcus Marr for a dip into his record collection, taking in unreleased grooves and his own personal edits of classic material.

Industro-rock noise party with live players and bespoke visuals to boot.

February 2015

The fledgling club crew return for another bash, taking merrymakers on a cosmic journey through bass beats and disco weaponry.

MILK: ANTI-VALENTINE’S (ALGERNON DOLL + MAN OF MOON + FANTASTIC MAN DJS)

Mon 09 Feb BURN

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Freshest Monday night going Multiple DJ’s, Beer Pong, Bouncy Castle.

Tue 10 Feb KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Weekly party anthems with Jimmy 11, complete with a bungee run and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night out.

I AM (BODDIKA)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 ADV. (£7 THEREAFTER)

HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

CATHOUSE THURSDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

Two rooms of tunes with DJs David Lo Pan and RYRY, taking in rock anthems, pop-punk, screamo and requests.

BEAT STREET

BROADCAST, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Handpicked Cassette dudes and a rotating schedule of pals take over both floors of Broadcast for their new residency – with danceable beats downstairs, and mellower vibes in the upstairs bar.

OUT OF ORBIT: BANG BANG

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £3

Out of Orbit collaborates with the GSA Porno Society for a saucy pre-Valentine’s fun night, with guests Heavy Daze, Shaun Vitamins and more.

Fri 13 Feb OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your Friday jivin’ pleasure.

KINO FIST

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00, £3

Genre-spanning mix of 60s psych, leftfield pop and Krautrock with resident Charlotte (of Muscles of Joy).

PROPAGANDA

BEAST WEDNESDAYS

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop-punk and hardcore, whilst the bar doles out lethally alcoholic slushies. Slurp.

SHANGRILA (ZOMBIE NATION)

THE ARCHES, 23:00–03:00, £7

The ShangriLa troops make merry for a weekend special edition, joined for the occasion

by German techno fiend Zombie Nation.

RETURN TO MONO (GARY BECK + SLAM)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

Monthly night from Soma Records taking in popular techno offerings of all hues, with guests Slam making merry with fellow Glaswegian Gary Beck.

LA CHEETAH CLUB PRESENTS… LOBSTER THEREMIN LABEL SHOWCASE (IMRE KISS + DAZE + ASQUITH)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

La Cheetah club host a special Lobster Theremin label showcase, with label boss Jimmy Asquith on deck duty, alongside Daze and a special live show from Imre Kiss.

Sat 14 Feb NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

ABSOLUTION

CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, poppunk, rock, emo and ska over two floors.

SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic manning the decks.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Punk, rock and metallic selection of beats spread across three rooms.

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

FANTASTIC MAN

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Messy Saturday night uber-disco armed with Erasure and Papa Roach discographies.

CRIMES OF THE FUTURE

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 22:30–03:00, £5

COMMON PEOPLE

Residents fun night of rock, metal, punk and emo spread over three rooms.

THE FLYING DUCK, 21:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tunepicker DJ Jopez at the helm.

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

The Night Of The Jaguar collective welcome a double dose of guest talent in celebration of their 1st birthday: Comeme’s Christian S and one-half of the Optimo tagteam, JG Wilkes.

THE ARCHES, 22:00–03:00, £16 EARLYBIRD (£20 THEREAFTER)

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

Wed 11 Feb Disco-styled party night bolstered by added karaoke fun.

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FROM £5

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Celebration of all things 90s, with hits a-plenty and a pre-club bingo session.

DISCO RIOT

NIGHT OF THE JAGUAR: 1ST BIRTHDAY (CHRISTIAN S + JG WILKES)

Scott Fraser and Timothy J. Fairplay host their favourited music club playing a decidedly left-field selection of Krautrock, electronic, dub and everything inbetween.

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, this edition joined by Boddika and his hard hitting analogue sounds of joy.

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£4 (£3) AFTER 11.30)

CLASSIC FRIDAYS CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJs Barry and Tailz (upstairs) and Gary and David (downstairs).

JAMMING FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

THE BIG CHEESE

SHED, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11)

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

ENJOYABLE MOMENT BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The Cosmic Dead chaps trip out with an evening of rollin’ Krautrock DJing for your general aural pleasure.

FLASHBACK VS FRESHBEAT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£6 (£3) AFTER 11.30)

GUNZ FOR HIRE (OBSESSION + CHIMERA)

Hardstyle duo made up of Ran-D and Adaro, weaving together years of sonic creation into one dark and frantic-sounding mass.

MADE IN GLASGOW (REBECCA VASMANT + BOOM MERCHANT)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

A new venture from the Let’s Go Back... team, this edition welcoming Rebecca Vasmant and Boom Merchant for a Valentine’sthemed love-in of house, techno, acid and more.

GLITTERBANG

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £3

Sweatcore disco hits played out

by James T and Ramo, with a Gina G tune or two on a promise.

CLUB NOIR VALENTINE’S: FORBIDDEN FRUIT

O2 ACADEMY, 21:00–03:00, £15.50

Glasgow’s burlesque star teasers host the Valentine’s edition of their favourited raunchy cabaret club, transporting revellers to a forbidden wonderland.

LADY ALBA PRESENTS... BAD ROMANCE THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–01:00, £3

Zara Gladman dons her Lady Alba guise for a Valentine’s treat down’t The Old Hairdressers, mixing music, comedy and poetry, while the Milk gals man the decks.

ASTRAL BLACK VS TOO NICE

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The Astral Black and Too Nice crew DJs double date for a Valentine’s special.

ZOOM: VALENTINE’S DAY (JUDGE JULES + MATT HARDWICK + ALLEN & ENVY) THE ARCHES, 22:00–03:00, £16 EARLYBIRD (£20 THEREAFTER)

Trance night Zoom get all romantic, with Judge Jules promising a special ‘Arches Anthems’ set, plus Matt Hardwick back to playing the classics, and Allen & Envy performing an exclusive producer set.

CUPID’S VALENTINE’S DAY

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Student-orientated Valentine’s bash with themed decor and a game of ‘Speedy Dating’ (with shots).

SUBCITY VALENTINE’S BALL

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00, £3

The Subcity crew welcome No Globe, Beats of All Nations and Jackie Your Body for some alternative Valentine’s lovin’.

Sun 15 Feb EASY

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

DJ Jamie spins anything and everything your heart could possibly desire, with requests all night long.

SUNDAY SCIENCE

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Sunday-bothering night playing house, r’n’b and hip-hop tunes, with added LED frickin’ lazers, just cos.

Mon 16 Feb BURN

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH WAGE SLIP)

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Freshest Monday night going Multiple DJ’s, Beer Pong, Bouncy Castle.

DON BROCO OFFICIAL AFTER-PARTY (DJ JONNY) CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

DJ Jonny hosts the official after-bash for the Don Broco gig at O2 Academy, with various band members taking a stint on the decks.

Tue 17 Feb KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic.

I AM

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, oft joined by a guest or two. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Weekly party anthems with Jimmy 11, complete with a bungee run and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night out.

Wed 18 Feb NOT MOVING

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

South African house, grime, jungle, r’n’b and hauntology – a tropical mix, ayes – from yer wumman Laurie Pitt.

SUB ROSA

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Spittal and Nowicki at the helm.

DISCO RIOT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£4 (£3) AFTER 11.30)

Disco-styled party night bolstered by added karaoke fun.

DJ Craig Guild holes up in in Main Hall playing fresh new tracks, with DJ Nicola down in G2 playing the best of 80s-00s.

Listings

57

BEAST WEDNESDAYS CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop-punk and hardcore, whilst the bar doles out lethally alcoholic slushies. Slurp.

Thu 19 Feb NEVERLAND

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Themed fun night complete with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic r’n’b and hip-hop.

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

GOOD GRIEF’S GOOP SHOP

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The DIY label and zine collective present their monthly clubmeets-gig outing and fresh zine launch combined.

CATHOUSE THURSDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

Two rooms of tunes with DJs David Lo Pan and RYRY, taking in rock anthems, pop-punk, screamo and requests.

BEAT STREET

BROADCAST, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Handpicked Cassette dudes and a rotating schedule of pals take over both floors of Broadcast for their new residency – with danceable beats downstairs, and mellower vibes in the upstairs bar.

ON TOP

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£2-£3 AFTER 12)

Following their successful livestream with the likes of DJ Milktray and Bake in December, the On Top chaps launch their first club night.

HIDE GLASGOW

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The fledgling underground night make merry for another edition.

Fri 20 Feb OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your Friday jivin’ pleasure.

PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Residents fun night of rock, metal, punk and emo spread over three rooms.

JAMMING FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Indie rock’n’roll from the 60s to the 00s, with resident tunepicker DJ Jopez at the helm.

THE BIG CHEESE

SHED, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6/£4 STUDENT AFTER 11)

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

SUGO

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The Italian trashy disco returns for another night of supremely danceable carnage.

FLASHBACK VS FRESHBEAT

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, FREE (£6 (£3) AFTER 11.30)

DJ Craig Guild holes up in in Main Hall playing fresh new tracks, with DJ Nicola down in G2 playing the best of 80s-00s.

SWEET STREAMS

THE FLYING DUCK, 22:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

New electronic music-packed live broadcast clubber’s delight, with Michael Kasparis and Gareth Roberts at the reins.

CLASSIC FRIDAYS

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJs Barry and Tailz (upstairs) and Gary and David (downstairs).

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Listings

I AM: SWAMP 81 (LOEFAH + MICKEY PEARCE + PALEMAN + CHUNKY + JOSEY REBELLE + NORWOOD SOUL PATROL) THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £6 EARLYBIRD (£8-£10 THEREAFTER)

The i AM chaps play host to a showcase from Loefah’s Swamp 81 imprint (named after the Brixton laws which lead to the riots of 1981), with Loefah, Mickey Pearce and Paleman amongst the guests.

RINSE FM (ROUTE 94)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £15

Rinse FM stage the latest edition of their Subbie takeover, with the Route 94 residents on hand to play a set of their feverish dancefloor bangers.

SLABS OF THE TABERNACLE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00, £3

The Slabs lads return with a bounty of special guests, including Scientific Dreamz of U delivering long-form synaesthetic explorations of trance, techno and new beat.

OFFBEAT (MIRRORS)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (FIRST 50 GO FREE)

The Offbeat crew take to their now regular home of La Cheetah, this edition joined by a live set from one of the party’s founders – Mirrors.

Sat 21 Feb NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

ABSOLUTION

CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, poppunk, rock, emo and ska over two floors.

SUBCULTURE

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic manning the decks.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Punk, rock and metallic selection of beats spread across three rooms.

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

STRANGE PARADISE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

FANTAZIA: THE VALENTINE’S LOVERS BALL THE ARCHES, 20:00–03:00, £25

The Fantazia troops get their love-on, joined by a promised ‘100% old skool’ line-up being kept under wraps for now.

SLEAZE (PÄR GRINDVIK + HANS BOUFFMYRE + LEX GORRIE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 ADV. (£10 DOOR)

The first installment of the Sleaze Records Presents... series , taking in a headline set from Stockholm Ltd label boss Pär Grindvik, and more.

MONSTER HOSPITAL

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Energetic club outing from DJ duo Beyvnce Nailz and C4lvin Malice.

SYMBIOSIS VS JUNGLE NATION

AUDIO, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Following on from their 10th birthday bash, the Symbiosis crew invite Jungle Nation residents DJ TEZ and G-REG down for a 90 minute back-to-back set.

Sun 22 Feb SLIDE IT IN

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£1)

Full-on mix of nu-metal and hard rockin’ tunes over two floors, with DJs Mythic, DJ Nicola and Div on decks.

SUNDAY SCIENCE

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Sunday-bothering night playing house, r’n’b and hip-hop tunes, with added LED frickin’ lazers, just cos.

Mon 23 Feb BURN

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH WAGE SLIP)

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Freshest Monday night going Multiple DJ’s, Beer Pong, Bouncy Castle.

Tue 24 Feb KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

The Killer Kitsch residents take charge – eight years old and still offering up the best in house, techno and electronic. #TAG

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£3)

Party night from floralshirted Wild Combination man David Barbarossa, specializing in leftfield disco, post-punk and far-out pop.

Weekly party anthems with Jimmy 11, complete with a bungee run and giant inflatables, because that’s obvs a normal Tuesday night out.

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

GIMME SHELTER

Varied night moving from the 50s to present day, via selections of rock’n’roll, soul, garage, psych and r’n’b.

TYCI (HANNAH LOU CLARK + SARAH J STANLEY + PUSH IT DJS)

STEREO, 23:00–03:00, £5

The all-female collective, blog and fanzine bring together a selection of live acts and DJs for their monthly party night.

I HEART SATURDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Student superclub cramming in everything from hip-hop to dance, and funk to chart, with nine – yes nine – bars.

SYMBIOSIS VS JUNGLE NATION (DJ TEZ VS G-REG + ALCANE + CALACO JACK + YELLOWBENZENE + HEX)

AUDIO, 23:00–03:00, FREE

The Symbiosis crew bring the innovative D’n’B beats in a relaxed, bass-rich environment, this edition joining forces with Jungle Nation for double the fun.

HIGHLIFE VS HOYA:HOYA

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £8 ADV. (£10 DOOR)

Highlife residents Auntie Flo and Esa Williams make merry with Manchester club night Hoya:Hoya.

SONGS YA BASS VIII

BUFF CLUB, 19:00–23:00, FREE

An eighth outing for ‘the club night for people who don’t really go clubbing anymore’, taking in punter-generated requests before finishing at the beauty sleep-friendly hour of 11pm.

I AM (DOMENIC CAPPELLO)

Resident young guns Beta & Kappa play the usual fine mix of electronica and bass, joined by longstanding Glasgow DJ/ producer Domenic Cappello.

Wed 25 Feb SUB ROSA

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Subbie’s regular student night with residents Spittal and Nowicki at the helm.

SO WEIT SO GUT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, FREE

The party sounds of residents Fergus Clark, Gareth Roberts, Ruaidhri McGhee and their special guests.

BEAST WEDNESDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

The midweek residents serve up their usual rammy of pop-punk and hardcore, whilst the bar doles out lethally alcoholic slushies. Slurp.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RELAUNCH

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The Garage makes merry for the official launch of its new midweek party... Watch this space, as they say.

JELLY BABY O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £4

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

STRETCHED

BLOC+, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Jazz-influenced sound sauna, moving through mathcore to post-rock, with a few live acts thrown in for good measure.

BEAT SURFING

VARIETY BAR, 20:00–00:00, FREE

Pre-club session with Frizzo from Frogbeats playing selections of nu jazz, funk and electro swing.

HIGH RISE (KRIS BELL VS JOE MCGHEE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Early weekend party starter, with Euan Neilson playing the best in classic r’n’b and hip-hop.

Rock, indie and golden indie classics with resident DJ Heather McCartney.

VOODOO

CATHOUSE, 17:00–21:00, £2 (£1)

THUNDER DISCO CLUB

BEAT STREET

The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits, as is their merry way.

CATHOUSE THURSDAYS

Two rooms of tunes with DJs David Lo Pan and RYRY, taking in rock anthems, pop-punk, screamo and requests.

BROADCAST, 22:00–03:00, FREE

The Handpicked Cassette dudes and a rotating schedule of pals take over both floors of Broadcast for their new residency – with danceable beats downstairs, and mellower vibes in the upstairs bar.

OUT OF ORBIT VS ALGO RHYTHM

THE ART SCHOOL, 21:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Live audio-visual event hosted

by Algo-Rhythm (aka multimedia artist MWX), as part of the GFT’S Crossing The Line Film Festival, with Out Of Orbit taking care of the after-bash.

MODAL (BUGZ IN THE ATTIC + REBECCA VASMANT + JD TWITCH)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The Modal troops welcome the all-star cast of West London beat crew Bugz in the Attic, with support from JD Twitch and Rebecca Vasmant.

Fri 27 Feb OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your Friday jivin’ pleasure.

PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

Residents fun night of rock, metal, punk and emo spread over three rooms.

FREAKY FREAKY

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

OLUM

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Glorious return for the legendary Glaswegian club institution, back and in its indie stride.

GUILTY PLEASURE

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

The Shed’s mainman Andy Robertson spins ‘charty poppy party classics’ for all your Saturday night dancing needs.

I HEART SATURDAYS

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

Student superclub cramming in everything from hip-hop to dance, and funk to chart, with nine – yes nine – bars.

MUNGO’S HIFI

THE ART SCHOOL, 23:00–03:00, £8 EARLYBIRD (£10-£12 THEREAFTER)

More heavyweight reggaem roots and dub selections from Mungo’s sound collective and pals.

DANNY HOWARD PRESENTS...

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS (PHILIP GEORGE + ELI & FUR + ILLYUS & BARRIENTOS)

THE ARCHES, 22:00–03:00, £16

BBC Radio 1’s Danny Howard’s brings his new touring stage show up our way, joined by a cast of handpicked new DJ and producer talent.

SUBCULTURE (NICK HARPER)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic manning the decks, this edition joined

by Nick Harper.

NOCUER (URBANO & RESIDENTS)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£7 AFTER 12)

Cheeky fun with Vitamin’s Sam Murray and guests, sifting through some fresh R’n’B and electronic from Scotland and beyond.

Fledgling night from Glasgow duo Mia Dora and Notsosilent’s Craig Mullen, this edition welcoming techno specialist Urbano into their lair.

BLOC+, 23:00–03:00, FREE

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £8

SHAKE APPEAL

IVAN SMAGGHE

Monthly evening of hip shakers and neck breakers, combining everything from Buddy Holly to Motorhead.

The French composer and producer plays a headline set, with support from disco local Billy Woods.

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Mon 02 Mar

SENSU

Barry Price and Junior provide cutting edge electronic sounds from across the globe, with a guest or two likely in tow.

CLASSIC FRIDAYS

CLASSIC GRAND, 23:00–03:00, £6

Two floors of the best in rock, metal and industrial tunes picked out by DJs Barry and Tailz (upstairs) and Gary and David (downstairs).

THE GARAGE’S 21ST BIRTHDAY

THE GARAGE, 23:00–04:00, £TBC

THE GARAGE, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£4)

HIP HOP THURSDAYS

THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£5/£3 STUDENT AFTER 12)

CATHOUSE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£2)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–03:00, £3

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3)

Punk, rock and metallic selection of beats spread across three rooms.

Under 18s rock night playing, er, anything and everything rock.

Thu 26 Feb Themed fun night complete with a live Twitter feed and a bouncy castle for added LOLs.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30–03:00, £6 (£4)

The High Rise crew call in the talents of two of Glasgow’s finest selectors – Kris Bell and Joe McGhee – playing a live versus set.

The Garage celebrates turing the grand old age of 21 with a packed fun night of live guests, giveaways and drunken dancing.

NEVERLAND

ABSOLUTION CLASSIC GRAND, 22:30–03:00, £6

Alternative weekend blowout, taking in metal, industrial, poppunk, rock, emo and ska over two floors.

ANIKA

The Stones Throw artist and sometime Geoff Barrow collaborator plays a broad selection of electronic goodness.

Sat 28 Feb NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£6)

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

BURN

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£3/FREE WITH TRADE WAGE SLIP)

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

Tue 03 Feb SOUL JAM HOT

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Fresh mix of funk, soul and boogie from The Players Association team.

I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be, joined by a selection of guest performers and DJs. HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

Edinburgh Clubs PARTIAL (HESSLE AUDIO) THE CAVES, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

The Partial crew pull out the big guns, hosting the Hessle Audio honchos on the only Scottish date of their UK mini-tour, with Ben UFO, Pearson Sound and Pangaea all in attendance.

Wed 04 Feb WITNESS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of house, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

TRIBE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4 GUESTLIST)

Weekly selection of dance bangers, played out by residents Khalid Count Clockwork and Craig Wilson.

THE GETTUP

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours. In the cafe space.

Thu 05 Feb I AM EDINBURGH

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Resident i AM young guns Beta & Kappa make their now regular trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo. HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

WATERMELON

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

The Watermelon crew’s fresh house and disco vibes find themselves in a monthly booking and a new home.

Fri 06 Feb PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 GUESTLIST)

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

BALKANARAMA (TRAKTORKESTAR)

STUDIO 24, 22:00–03:00, £10 (£9)

All singing, all dancing Balkanstyled club orgy, with an early live jam session followed by live guests, belly dancing, bespoke visuals and free plum brandy for all.

THE DARK ROOM

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£6 AFTER 11.30)

Dark psytrance-styled night, featuring a batch of DJs from various Scottish tribes.

FOUR CORNERS: 10TH BIRTHDAY (CRAIG CHARLES)

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8 ADV. (£10 DOOR)

Soulful dancing fodder, from deep funk to reggae beats with your regular DJ hosts, out and celebrating their 10th birthday with Liverpudlian funk and soul specialist Craig Charles.

NIGHTVISION PRESENTS... XPLICIT’S 10TH BIRTHDAY (NOISIA) LA BELLE ANGELE, 21:00–03:00, £12.50 EARLYBIRD (£15 THEREAFTER)

Edinburgh club series Nightvision continues, tonight handing over the decks to the basstastic Xplicit crew, out and celebrating their 10th birthday with Dutch trio Noisia.

FLY CLUB: 1ST BIRTHDAY, PART 1 (THEO KOTTIS) CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent, with Theo Kottis manning part one of their 1st birthday celebrations.

EROS REUNION (JIM ETHERSON)

CITY, 22:30–03:00, £7

First ever Eros reunion, with all the original DJs and dancers, playing anthems and mash-ups from 1999-2003.

IN DEEP (DIXON AVENUE BASEMENT JAMS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

The In Deep champs welcome new club residents Dixon Avenue Basement Jams to their lair.

SCRATCH PERVERTS (DJ RITCHIE RUFTONE)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 23:00–03:00, £6

The legendary Fabric residents man the decks for the evening.

Sat 07 Feb TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern tunes.

BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

Mon 09 Feb MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightener playing hip-hop, r’n’b and good ol’ chart classics, with requests in the back room.

NU FIRE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

DJ Fusion and Beef move from hip-hop to bass with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 10 Feb SOUL JAM HOT

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Fresh mix of funk, soul and boogie from The Players Association team.

I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be, joined by a selection of guest performers and DJs. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

BIG ‘N’ BASHY

Wed 11 Feb

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£6 AFTER 12)

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Mighty mix of reggae, grime, dubstep and jungle played out by inimitable residents Brother Most Righteous, Skillis, Era and Deburgh.

SPEAKER BITE ME

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 AFTER 12)

The Evol DJs worship at the alter of all kinds of indie-pop, with their only rule being that it’s gotta have bite.

THUNDER DISCO CLUB

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits, as is their merry way.

GROWN UPS

SUMMERHALL, 20:00–01:00, £6 ADV. (£10 DOOR)

All-vinyl club for fully-fledged music fans, with DJs Kinghorror and The Spotlight Kid digging into their dusty record boxes.

OUTCASTS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

We Own residents’ night playing house tracks dear to their hearts, with producers Theo Kottis and Izzy Demzky on the decks all night.

KARNIVAL: 9TH BIRTHDAY (JORIS VOORN)

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £12.50

The local house and techno legends make merry for their 9th birthday bash, joined for a special guest slot by Dutch techno chappie Joris Voorn.

DIGITAL GROOVE (MARK FANCIULLI)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£6)

For their first foray into La Belle Angele, the Digital Groove dudes are joined by house and techno wizard Mark Fanciulli.

Sun 08 Feb COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly cross-genre of bass from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs. THE CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/handle.

WEEK’S END

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Aisling Murphy holds the fort in the cafe playing a batch of sweet and soulful beats.

COOKIE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

THE GETTUP

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours. In the cafe space.

WITNESS (SUICIDEYEAR)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular welcome Baton Rouge-based producer Suicideyear for a guest set of his trilled-out space rap.

Thu 12 Feb I AM EDINBURGH

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Resident i AM young guns Beta & Kappa make their now regular trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo. HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Playlists of student-friendly chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, r’n’b and urban in the back room.

COLLECTIVE

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

New monthly outing for Collective, with the resident team of Era, Skanky B, Whit3 Noi5e and Textbook Tam playing the best in grime, garage, dancehall and bass.

Fri 13 Feb FUCK YEAH

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Chart, indie and rock anthems spread over two rooms.

PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 GUESTLIST)

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

THE SKINNY

UNPOP

EDINBURGH’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB

PLANET EARTH

WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00, £5

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £8

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Jovial indie-pop dance party for the twee of heart and loose of limb.

Special Valentine’s fun night hosted by local funk and hip-hop aficionado Gav Miller.

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:00–03:00, FREE

Sun 15 Feb

DOMINO CLUB

Weekly institution with DJ P-Stylz at the helm spinning the best in hip-hop, r’n’b and soul. In the cafe space.

IN DEEP (DEEP SHIT)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

The In Deep champs host a return guest set from bi-monthly residents Foals’ Edwin Congreave and Friendly Fires’ Jack Savidge, in their party-ready DJ duo guise, Deep Shit.

CONFUSION

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 12)

All-new spin-off night from the Confusion is Sex peeps, placing its focus on bringing in guest DJs, MCs and live acts from outside Edinburgh.

SURE SHOT

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:00–03:00, FREE (£3 AFTER 12)

All-new night spanning 80s-00s hip-hop and r’n’b, manned by The Skinny’s own Peter Simpson and one half of Edinburgh’s Kitchen Disco, Malcolm Storey.

FLY CLUB: 1ST BIRTHDAY, PART 2 (BARNT)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent, with Barnt manning part two of their 1st birthday celebrations.

DIVE: BROKEN

SUMMERHALL, 21:00–03:00, £12 (£10)

The Dive Queer party night celebrates Valentine’s with a weird and wonderful ‘Broken’ Ball, complete with a macabrethemed series of rooms dedicated to visual art, performance and film installations.

Sat 14 Feb TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern tunes.

BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

SOULSVILLE

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Swinging soul spanning a whole century, with DJs Tsatsu and Fryer.

DR NO’S

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£5 AFTER 12)

Danceable mix of the best in 60s ska, rocksteady, bluebeat and early reggae.

BEEP BEEP, YEAH!

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 AFTER 12)

Retro pop stylings from the 50s to the 70s, via a disco tune or ten.

THINK TWICE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Craig Smith plays an array of deep, soulful house, plus funk in the back room.

TEESH

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

DJ Cheers – frequent flyer at many a Sneaky’s night – finally gets his own show on the road.

NIGHTVISION PRESENTS... MUSIKA’S 8TH BIRTHDAY (EATS EVERYTHING + GREEN VELVET)

THE LIQUID ROOM, 21:00–03:00, £15 EARLYBIRD (£17.50-£22.50 THEREAFTER)

COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 23:00–03:00, £4 (£5 AFTER 12)

THE CLUB

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/handle.

WEEK’S END

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Aisling Murphy holds the fort in the cafe playing a batch of sweet and soulful beats.

Mon 16 Feb MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightener playing hip-hop, r’n’b and good ol’ chart classics, with requests in the back room.

NU FIRE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

DJ Fusion and Beef move from hip-hop to bass with a plethora of live MCs.

Tue 17 Feb SOUL JAM HOT

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Fresh mix of funk, soul and boogie from The Players Association team.

I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be, joined by a selection of guest performers and DJs. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

Wed 18 Feb COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of house, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

TRIBE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4 GUESTLIST)

Weekly selection of dance bangers, played out by residents Khalid Count Clockwork and Craig Wilson.

THE GETTUP

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours. In the cafe space.

Thu 19 Feb JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo. HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

HI-SOCIETY

Playlists of student-friendly chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, r’n’b and urban in the back room.

WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 11.30)

Monthly student night of distinctly tropical electro vibes.

All-new party night playing borderless dance music for the forward-thinking, kicking off on Valentine’s Day with a loosely love-themed edition.

February 2015

PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 GUESTLIST)

Weekly cross-genre of bass from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs.

Edinburgh club series Nightvision continues, with the Musika crew simultaneously celebrating Valentine’s Day and their 8th birthday, with Eats Everything and Green Velvet their special guest headliners.

TUSK: THE ANATOMICAL LOVE PARTY

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

CALYPSO

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Fri 20 Feb PFRI 20 FEB FUCK YEAH

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Chart, indie and rock anthems spread over two rooms.

WONKY

A cast of players take care of all your hardtek and breakcore needs, with full UV decor and glowstick action.

DOMINO CLUB

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 18:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly institution with DJ P-Stylz at the helm spinning the best in hip-hop, r’n’b and soul. In the cafe space.

REVOLVER

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £5 (£4)

Friday fun night manned by a rotating pool of resident DJs, including Animal Hospital, Nightvision, Pulse, Notsosilent, Musika and Body.

IN DEEP (HIGHLIFE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

The In Deep champs welcome bimonthly residents Auntie Flo and Esa (aka the Highlife tagteam) for a set of their divine house and Afro grooves.

SUBSTANCE VS PULSE (RØDHÅD)

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10 EARLYBIRD (£12 THEREAFTER)

The first of two collaborative Pulse Vs Substance parties this spring, this edition welcoming Rødheåd for what will be his Edinburgh debut.

FLY CLUB (DENIS SUTRA)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent – this edition handing over the decks to Denis Sutra for the full four hours.

Sat 21 Feb TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern tunes.

THE EGG

WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 12)

Art School institution with DJs Chris and Jake playing the finest in indie, garage, soul and punk – now taking up a monthly Saturday slot, in what is their 20-somethingth year.

GASOLINE DANCE MACHINE (&ME)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

More classic Italo and straight-up boogie allied with contemporary house and disco, as Edinburgh’s GDM crew do their thing.

POP ROCKS!

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£6 AFTER 12)

Pop and rock gems, taking in motown, 80s classics and plenty danceable fare (well, the Beep Beep, Yeah! crew are on decks after all).

MESSENGER SOUND SYSTEM

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 (£7 AFTER 12)

Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefy Messenger soundsystem.

NIGHTVISION PRESENTS... BLASÉ BOYS CLUB (DUKE DUMONT + B.TRAITS + KIWI)

THE LIQUID ROOM, 21:00–03:00, £15 EARLYBIRD (£17.50-£25 THEREAFTER)

Edinburgh club series Nightvision continues, this time welcome Duke Dumont’s Blasé Boys Club for a guest-laden set of dancefloor fillers.

WASABI DISCO (YOUNG MARCO)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Heady bout of cosmic house, punk, upside-down disco and, er, Fleetwood Mac – this edition joined by Amsterdam DJ, producer and certified dude, Young Marco.

DIGITAL GROOVE (JON RUNDELL)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £10 (£6)

The Digital Groove dudes return to La Belle Angele for a second time this month, this time joined

by Intec Digital’s Jon Rundell.

Sun 22 Feb

MOON HOP (LOMOND CAMPBELL + RIVER OF SLIME)

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Musical club night featuring live performances from a selection of hot musical talent, this editon including Lomond Campbell and River Of Slime.

THE CLUB

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/handle.

WEEK’S END

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Aisling Murphy holds the fort in the cafe playing a batch of sweet and soulful beats.

COALITION (TOUCAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Weekly cross-genre of bass from a cast of Edinburgh’s best underground DJs, this edition with Bristol bass and techno duo Toucan showcasing their wares.

Mon 23 Feb MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, 20:00–01:00, £3

Fri 27 Feb FUCK YEAH

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Chart, indie and rock anthems spread over two rooms.

PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£6 AFTER 11)

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3 GUESTLIST)

Monday-brightener playing hip-hop, r’n’b and good ol’ chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Student-orientated night playing the best in new and classic indie music.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £10

Weekly institution with DJ P-Stylz at the helm spinning the best in hip-hop, r’n’b and soul. In the cafe space.FLY CLUB

NU FIRE (JUST BLAZE)

DJ Fusion and Beef move from hip-hop to dubstep, joined by a special guest DJ set from the legendary US rap producer for Kanye, Eminem and Drake – Just Blaze.

Tue 24 Feb SOUL JAM HOT

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Fresh mix of funk, soul and boogie from The Players Association team.

I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £4

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be, joined by a selection of guest performers and DJs. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines allied with home-cooked house beats.

Wed 25 Feb COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

DOMINO CLUB

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 19:00–03:00, FREE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.

CIRCUS LATES

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 12)

Last Friday of the month venue takeover offering up a carnival of activities including cover bands, live DJs, karaoke, cocktail mixing and free popcorn!

ELECTRIKAL (DILLINJA + CHIMPO)

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £TBC

Soundsystem party-starters, part of a music and art collective specializing in all things bass, this edition joined by big daddy Dillinja and Manchester legend Chimpo for one-hour sets each.

SHAKE YER SHOULDERS: 3RD BIRTHDAY

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£5 AFTER 11.30)

Celebration of all things techno with the Shake Yer Shoulders residents, who are somehow three-years-old already, going all out with a UV Cage Party.

NIGHTVISION PRESENTS... SHY FX (SHY FX + STAMINA MC + DISMANTLE)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 22:00–03:00, £12.50 EARLYBIRD (£15 THEREAFTER)

Sneaky’s resident bass spectacular of house, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

Edinburgh club series Nightvision continues, this time handing over the reins to bass label Shy FX, who bring with ‘em label artists Dismantle and Stamina MC.

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£4 GUESTLIST)

THE CAVES, 23:00–03:00, £10 EARLYBIRD (£15 THEREAFTER)

TRIBE

Weekly selection of dance bangers, played out by residents Khalid Count Clockwork and Craig Wilson.

THE GETTUP

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–03:00, FREE

Midweek party night with DJs Thom and Pagowsky playing disco and deep house into the small hours. In the cafe space.

Thu 26 Feb I AM EDINBURGH

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 (FREE VIA IAMCLUB.CO.UK)

Resident i AM young guns Beta & Kappa make their now regular trip east, playing the usual fine mix of electronica and bass.

JUICE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Pumped Thursday nighter playing a mighty mix of everything from Hud Mo to Fly Mo. HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£2)

Mash-up mix of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Mumbo Jumbo’s Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin, bolstered by Tall Paul’s vintage selections.

HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Playlists of student-friendly chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, r’n’b and urban in the back room.

KAPITAL (MAX COOPER)

The Kapital crew return with their usual beefed-up soundsystem action, welcoming Londonbased electronica and techno producer Max Cooper, known for his remixes for the likes of Hot Chip and Sasha.

IN DEEP (JON K + ILLUM SPHERE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

The In Deep champs welcome a double dose of guest talent in the form of Hoya:Hoya boss and new bi-monthly resident Jon K, bringing his DJ partner in crime Illum Sphere along for the ride.

Sat 28 Feb TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, FREE (£5 AFTER 11)

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern tunes.

MUMBO JUMBO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 (£7/£5 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Funk, soul, beats and mash-ups from the Mumbo Jumbo regulars and pals.

BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, FREE (£4 AFTER 10)

Handpicked weekend mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.MAGIC NOSTALGIC ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£8 AFTER 12)

A hodgepodge of quality tracks chosen by JP’s spinning wheel Ð expect anything from 90s rave to power ballads, amidst a whole lotta one-hit wonders.

RIDE SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

The Ride girls play hip-hop and dance, all night long – now in their new party-ready Saturday night slot.

BETAMAX

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £2 (£5/£4 STUDENT AFTER 12)

Monthly offering of new wave, disco, post-punk and a bit o’ synthtastic 80s with your hosts Chris and Big Gus. VEGAS!

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:30–01:00, £6 ADV. (£7 DOOR)

50s-themed party fun night, with Frankie Sumatra, Bugsy Seagull, Dino Martini, Sam Jose and Nikki Nevada, plus Vegas showgirls a-go-go, natch.

POCKET ACES

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £7 (£5)

Dance-inducing party with an anything goes attitude and rotating schedule of guest DJs. EIGHT & TWENTY (LINKWOOD)

511, 22:00–03:00, £8

The E&T troops welcome elusive DJ/producer talent Linkwood for one of his legendary all-vinyl sets, cherrypicking a set of classic house and techno.

Comedy Fri 13 Feb

Wed 04 Feb

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £10.0

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£4)

HEADWAY (LEVON VINCENT)

The Headway crew welcome NY resident Levon Vincent for a three-hour set of techno-heavy beats.

WARPED

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as they go.

Sat 14 Feb

OPTIMO: VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £10

The Optimo boys take to Dundee for a Valentine’s Day special, hogging the decks for the whole night.

ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes to get your Saturday night movin’.

NIGHTVISION PRESENTS... PATRICK TOPPING

Fri 20 Feb

LA BELLE ANGELE, 22:00–03:00, £10 EARLYBIRD (£12.50-£15 THEREAFTER)

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£8 AFTER 12)

PHAZED: PART 3

Edinburgh club series Nightvision continues, this time welcoming tech house specialist Patrick Topping, recently voted one of Resident Advisor’s Top 100 DJs of 2014.

A batch of Dundee’s younger veterans – Teddy Hannan and Correlate & George – continue their new addition to the Reading Rooms roster, out for round three.

THE ANNEXE, 15:00–03:00, £7

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

TECHNOFEST

Edinburgh heavyweights Pulse join forces with house, bass and techno purveyors Four By Four for a whole lotta techno, playing alongside the Technofest residents.

Sun 01 Mar THE CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/handle.

Mon 02 Mar MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightener playing hip-hop, r’n’b and good ol’ chart classics, with requests in the back room.

WARPED

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as they go.

Sat 21 Feb LOCARNO

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £7 (£5)

Rockabilly, doo-wop, soul and all things golden age and danceable with the Locarno regulars.

ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes to get your Saturday night movin’.

Fri 27 Feb HARRI & DOMENIC

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £7

Sub Club’s Saturday night house specialists Harri & Domenic make the trip Dundee-way for one night only.

WARPED

Dundee Clubs Thu 05 Feb BOUNCE: ROUND 2

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £5 (£3.50)

After the success of their launch night, residents Sister Swedge and Miri lay down s’more funky beats.

Fri 06 Feb SLAM

READING ROOMS, 21:30–03:00, £10

Soma’s Slam (aka Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle) journey to Dundee for a four-hour set of hard-hitting techno.

WARPED

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as they go.

Sat 07 Feb

AUTODISCO: 8TH BIRTHDAY (DJ RAHAAN)

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £8 (£10 AFTER 12)

The electro-funk, house and disco night celebrates its 8th birthday, joined by Chicago’s über-talented DJ Rahaan – who famously started out playing house parties alongside The Chuck Brothers in the late 80s.

ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes to get your Saturday night movin’.

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as they go.

Sat 28 Feb BOOK CLUB

READING ROOMS, 22:30–03:00, £TBC

The Good Stuff DJs spin all genres of disco house and techno, alongside anything else they damn well fancy.

ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00–03:00, £4

Best of selection of rock, metal and alternative tunes to get your Saturday night movin’.

COMEDIAN RAP BATTLES

Ro Cambell and The Wee Man’s comedian rap battle-off, where a select batch of comics compete to see who’s got the most swagger when it comes to hippity-hop wit.

NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

Thu 05 Feb MAG 7

THE GRIFFIN, 20:30–22:30, FREE

Relaunch of the up-and-coming comedy showcase night where each act has only seven minutes on stage, interspersed with music, spoken word, cabaret, magic and more.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (ZOE LYONS + GEORGE EGG + MC BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

VESPBAR VIRGINS

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Fri 06 Feb

THE FRIDAY SHOW (ZOE LYONS + GEORGE EGG + MC BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

LAUGHTER EIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

GILDED BALLOON COMEDY @ DRYGATE (KATIE MULGREW + JOEL DOMMET + CHRIS FORBES + JARRED CHRISTMAS)

DRYGATE BREWING CO., 20:00–22:00, £12.50

Longrunning comedy club the Gilded Balloon hit up Drygate for a new residency, combing the joys of a craft brewery setting with a rotating schedule of live comedy talent.

Sat 07 Feb

THE SATURDAY SHOW (ZOE LYONS + GEORGE EGG + MC BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

LAUGHTER EIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

Sun 08 Feb

Glasgow Mon 02 Feb IMPROV WARS

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6

More improvised comedy games and sketches, with an unpredictable anything-goes attitude – as indeed it should be.

Tue 03 Feb RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (GEORGE EGG)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase manned by resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and his guests.

VESPBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Vespbar’s ‘Comedy Sunday School’.

Mon 09 Feb

SEAN HUGHES: MUMBO JUMBO

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £15

The Anglo-Irish comic muses on the mumbo jumbo that is his life, including being serenaded at the break of dawn by Robert Smith and trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

Listings

59

Tue 10 Feb RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Wed 11 Feb

BBC COMEDY PRESENTS...

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £4

Wed 18 Feb

WAVERLEY CARE BENEFIT (SCOTT AGNEW + JANEY GODLEY + SUSIE MCCABE + LIAM WITHNAIL + MC BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND, 19:30–21:30, £8 (£6)

Comedy benefit night in aid of Waverley Care, with Bruce Devlin on hosting duties.

NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

BBC-selected sketch comedy showcase where handpicked new acts get their chance to shine – with each performer getting a quickfire 5-10 minutes on stage.

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Thu 19 Feb

NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

Thu 12 Feb MAG 7

THE GRIFFIN, 20:30–22:30, FREE

Relaunch of the up-and-coming comedy showcase night where each act has only seven minutes on stage, interspersed with music, spoken word, cabaret, magic and more.

MAG 7

THE GRIFFIN, 20:30–22:30, FREE

Relaunch of the up-and-coming comedy showcase night where each act has only seven minutes on stage, interspersed with music, spoken word, cabaret, magic and more.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (JEFF INNOCENT + JOHNNY KATS + MC JOE HEENAN)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

THE THURSDAY SHOW (IAN COGNITO + MC BILLY KIRKWOOD)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

VESPBAR VIRGINS

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JEFF INNOCENT + JOHNNY KATS + MC JOE HEENAN)

VESPBAR VIRGINS

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Fri 20 Feb

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

THE FRIDAY SHOW (IAN COGNITO + MC BILLY KIRKWOOD)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

Fri 13 Feb

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

LAUGHTER EIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

Sat 14 Feb

THE SATURDAY SHOW (IAN COGNITO + MC BILLY KIRKWOOD) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

LAUGHTER EIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

Sun 15 Feb

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (IAN COGNITO + ARTHUR JOHNSTON)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase manned by resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and his guests.

VESPBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Vespbar’s ‘Comedy Sunday School’.

Tue 17 Feb RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

LAUGHTER EIGHT

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

GILDED BALLOON COMEDY @ DRYGATE (SCOTT AGNEW + PHIL JERROD + GARY MEIKLE + ROB DEERING)

DRYGATE BREWING CO., 20:00–22:00, £12.50

Longrunning comedy club the Gilded Balloon hit up Drygate for a new residency, combing the joys of a craft brewery setting with a rotating schedule of live comedy talent.

Sat 21 Feb

LUCY PORTER: ME TIME

TRON THEATRE, 21:15–23:00, £12 (£8)

The Radio 4 regular and TV panel show luminary returns with her 10th stand-up show, which finds her pondering whether she was born in the wrong era.

Sun 22 Feb

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (JEFF INNOCENT)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase manned by resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and his guests.

VESPBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Vespbar’s ‘Comedy Sunday School’.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS LIVE

CCA, 20:00–22:00, £5

Comedian and noted game enthusiast Rab Florence hosts an improvised session of classic pen and paper RPG Dungeons & Dragons. Part of Glasgow Film Festival.

Mon 23 Feb CHUNKS VII

13TH NOTE, 20:00–22:00, FREE

Anarchic night of live comedy in the Note’s basement lair.

SO... THAT WAS FEBRUARY (MARK NELSON + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH + KEIR MCALLISTER)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£5)

Following the success of Aye Right? How No?, McTavish, Nelson and McAllister return with a new satirical show mixing stand-up, chat and comment in the run up to the General Election.

BUSTER KEATON NIGHT (NEIL BRAND + PAUL MERTON) OLD FRUITMARKET, 19:30–22:00, £14 (£12/£5 UNDER 26S)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Wed 25 Feb BRIGHT CLUB

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5

A selection of comedic academics do a stint of stand-up for your entertainment and enlightenment. Laughs and learning in one neat package = tick.

NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering, yes, all new material.

QUEEN MARGARET UNION, 19:00–22:00, £6 (£8) ADV. (£7 (£9) DOOR)

Relaunch of the up-and-coming comedy showcase night where each act has only seven minutes on stage, interspersed with music, spoken word, cabaret, magic and more.

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

LAUGHTER EIGHT

VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

MAG 7

THE GRIFFIN, 20:30–22:30, FREE

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BRENDAN BURKE + WENDY WASON + DAVE GREEN + MC SCOTT AGNEW)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

VESPBAR VIRGINS

VESPBAR, 21:00–22:30, £3

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Fri 27 Feb

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BRENDAN BURKE + WENDY WASON + DAVE GREEN + MC SCOTT AGNEW) THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £12 (£10 STUDENTS/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

60

Listings

THE PLEASANCE, 20:00–22:00, £1

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Mon 02 Feb

Showcase night featuring the best in fresh, local talent – bringing together first-time and up-and-coming comics in a series of quickfire 10-minute slots. In the Cabaret Bar.

BEDLAM THEATRE, 22:30–23:30, £5 (£4.50)

Wed 11 Feb

THE IMPROVERTS

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Tue 03 Feb

Sat 07 Feb

THE STAND, 20:00–21:00, FREE (BUT TICKETED)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

RICHARD MELVIN PRESENTS... MORE RADIO RECORDINGS!

GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE PLEASANCE, 20:00–22:00, £1

Wed 04 Feb

THE BROKEN WINDOWS POLICY

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BRENDAN BURKE + MC SCOTT AGNEW)

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

GILDED BALLOON COMEDY @ FESTIVAL THEATRE (KATIE MULGREW + JOEL DOMMET + CHRIS FORBES + JARRED CHRISTMAS)

FESTIVAL THEATRE, 20:00–22:00, £12.50

More fast-paced and anarchic skits and character comedy from The Stand’s resident sketch comedy troupe and their special guests.

Longrunning comedy club the Gilded Balloon hits up the Festival Theatre as part of its all-new residency, welcoming a trio of comedians and one cheeky MC. In The Studio space.

Thu 05 Feb

Sun 08 Feb

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4)

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BRENDAN BURKE + DEBORAH FRANCES-WHITE + DAISY EARL + MC SCOTT AGNEW) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 06 Feb

SIMON AMSTELL: TO BE FREE

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £21 (£18)

The toustle-haired comic returns with his new show, following sell out residencies in New York and London – again making nuanced comedy out of the most tragic of existential quandaries.

COMEDYDOO (HARRY GARRISON + PETER WOOD + MC JONNY THOMSON) THE WHITE HORSE, 20:00–22:00, £9

Fresh line-up of fledgling comedic talent, topped off with a national headline act and a jovial compere.

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BRENDAN BURKE + DEBORAH FRANCES-WHITE + DAISY EARL + MC SCOTT AGNEW) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

GRASSROOTS COMEDY THE PLEASANCE, 20:00–22:00, £1

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

Long-standing improv comedy troupe made up of an ever-changing line-up of local students, whose rather fine show is built entirely on (oft daft) audience suggestions.

RED RAW

Fri 20 Feb

THE EDINBURGH REVUE

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

Showcase night featuring the best in fresh, local talent – bringing together first-time and up-and-coming comics in a series of quickfire 10-minute slots. In the Cabaret Bar.

Thu 26 Feb

THE SATURDAY SHOW (JEFF INNOCENT + JOHNNY KATS + MC JOE HEENAN)

LAUGHTER EIGHT

Edinburgh Comedy

THE STAND, 13:30–15:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from off-the-cuff audience suggestions.

VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-towork blues.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND, 13:30–15:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from off-the-cuff audience suggestions.

Mon 09 Feb RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Tue 10 Feb

THE SPEAKEASY (BRUCE DEVLIN + GARETH WAUGH + ANDY TUCKER + JULIE MCDOWELL + LAURA GUTHRIE)

SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE, 20:00–22:00, £7

Monthly storytelling night of the rather ace variety, featuring a feastful of writers, comedians and musicians telling (mostly) true stories.

ELECTRIC TALES

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£4)

More in the way of stand-up comedy crossed with live storytelling, with the tease of a promise of robot badges for all (as in, we’re there).

SEAN HUGHES: MUMBO JUMBO

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £15

The Anglo-Irish comic muses on the mumbo jumbo that is his life, including being serenaded at the break of dawn by Robert Smith and trekking mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

Thu 12 Feb MEN WITH COCONUTS

CANONS’ GAIT, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5)

Fringe favourites Improv FX – made up of West End actors, physical comedians and musicians – stage their fast-paced sketch show, inspired wholly by audience suggestions.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + WENDY WASON + BARRY DODDS + MC JOE HEENAN) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

The University of Edinburgh’s resident sketch and stand-up troupe. In The Pleasance Cabaret Bar. Part of Fringe Abridged Festival.

Mon 16 Feb

OUTSPOKEN: NON-FICTION LIVE

THE TRON, 20:30–22:30, FREE

Live storytelling performance where Edinburgh locals tell true stories from their life, alongside stints from a batch of poets and local comedians. Part of Fringe Abridged Festival.

RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

Tue 17 Feb

SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK

CANONS’ GAIT, 20:00–22:00, FREE

Entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes play, based on an audience suggestion of a title, performed by a four-strong cast of comic champs. Part of Fringe Abridged Festival.

WORLD CHALLENGE BENEFIT (JO CAULFIELD + BRUCE DEVLIN)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5 (£3)

Comedy benefit night in aid of World Challenge, with Bruce Devlin on hosting duties.

GRASSROOTS COMEDY

THE PLEASANCE, 20:00–22:00, £1

Fri 13 Feb

Showcase night featuring the best in fresh, local talent – bringing together first-time and up-and-coming comics in a series of quickfire 10-minute slots. In the Cabaret Bar.

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

Wed 18 Feb

THE FRIDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + WENDY WASON + BARRY DODDS + MC JOE HEENAN)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

THE IMPROVERTS

BEDLAM THEATRE, 22:30–23:30, £5 (£4.50)

Long-standing improv comedy troupe made up of an ever-changing line-up of local students, whose rather fine show is built entirely on (oft daft) audience suggestions.

Sat 14 Feb

THE SATURDAY SHOW (GARY LITTLE + WENDY WASON + BARRY DODDS + MC JOE HEENAN) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

THE STAND, 18:00–20:00, £10

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-towork blues.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

Tue 24 Feb

THE SECRET POLICEMAN’S BALL (THE COLOUR HAM + GARETH WAUGH + DAISY EARL + G.L.A.S.S)

Annual student-run comedy benefit, with a whole host of comedy talent pitching in to help raise funds for Amnesty International, under the watchful eye of host Billy Kirkwood. Go support the cause.

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BRENDAN BURKE + WENDY WASON + DAVE GREEN + MC SCOTT AGNEW)

JB BARRINGTON: WOODCHIP ANAGLYPTA AND NICOTINED ARTEX CEILINGS

Salford born performance poet JB Barrington returns with a new show, following on from the success of his 2013 Greater Manchester Fringe show, Words For Class Heroes.

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Sat 28 Feb

Funnyman Richard Melvin introduces an all-star cast of comedy stalwarts – all recording sections for upcoming radio shows.

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGHIN (BARRY DODDS + BISHA K ALI + CHRIS QUINN + AIDAN STRANGEMAN)

Regular comedy slot for Vespbar kicking off at, aye, 8pm – manned by a selection of hot talent form the local circuit.

Comic Paul Merton and pianist Neil Brand (also two knowledgeable silent comedy buffs) pay tribute to Buster Keaton, hosting a special night of classic comedy and live music. Part of Glasgow Film Festival.

RED RAW

Sun 15 Feb

LAUGHTER EIGHT VESPBAR, 20:00–21:30, £8

SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, 20:30–22:30, FREE

One-off screening of probably one of the crappest films ever made, accompanied by live commentary from a trio of comics.

Part of Fringe Abridged Festival.

SO... THAT WAS FEBRUARY (MARK NELSON + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH + KEIR MCALLISTER)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £7 (£5)

Following the success of Aye Right? How No?, McTavish, Nelson and McAllister return with a new satirical show mixing stand-up, chat and comment in the run up to the General Election.

Thu 19 Feb

PLANET CARAMEL COMEDY BARGAIN BIN BUCKET

OPIUM, 20:30–22:30, FREE

LOUD POETS

BLIND POET, 20:00–22:00, FREE

Slam-style poetry collective moving from the side-tickling to the heart-wrenching. Part of Fringe Abridged Festival.

THE FRIDAY SHOW (IAN COGNITO + JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ + MC SUSAN MORRISON)

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

THE IMPROVERTS

BEDLAM THEATRE, 22:30–23:30, £5 (£4.50)

Long-standing improv comedy troupe made up of an ever-changing line-up of local students, whose rather fine show is built entirely on (oft daft) audience suggestions.

Sat 21 Feb F***ING COMEDIANS

THE PLEASANCE, 20:00–22:00, FREE

One-off dating show for comedians, for which one lucky bacherlorette (picked from the audience) will choose a mystery comedian bachelor, with the subsequent ‘date’ taking place on stage. In The Pleasance Cabaret Bar. Part of Fringe Abridged Festival.

THE SATURDAY SHOW (IAN COGNITO + JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ + MC SUSAN MORRISON) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

Sun 22 Feb

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN (SIAN BEVAN + RYAN DOOLEY)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5 STUDENTS/£1 MEMBERS)

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-towork blues.

ROCK AND ROLL PING PONG

THE BONGO CLUB, 19:00–23:00, FREE

The It’s Funtime jokers present a free, fun, table tennis evening with a comedy bent, bolstered by dancing discs from DJ Ding Dong (ahem).

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND, 13:30–15:30, FREE

Sketch comedy trio of the reassuringly absurd variety. Part of Fringe Abridged Festival.

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from off-the-cuff audience suggestions.

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Mon 23 Feb

THE THURSDAY SHOW (IAN COGNITO + JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ + MC SUSAN MORRISON)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

RED RAW

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £2

Open-mic style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to roadtest new material.

THE SKINNY

Tue 24 Feb BRIGHT CLUB

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £5

A selection of comedic academics do a stint of stand-up for your entertainment and enlightenment. Laughs and learning in one neat package = tick.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

Theatre Oran Mor

DORIS AND DOLLY: A DD AND A WEE BIT MOR

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 5 FEB AND 22 FEB, 7:45PM – 10:00PM, £20

New musical theatre piece from the producers of A Bottle of Wine and Patsy Cline, this time turning their attention to Doris Day and Dolly Parton.

The Arches THE TYPIST

12 FEB, 13 FEB, 14 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Inspired by interviews with child evacuees of the Spanish Civil War, Kam-Ri Dance Theatre’s bold piece tells the solo story of a typist, 20 years later in postwar Britain, who makes the journey back to Franco’s Spain. Narrated by Alexei Sayle.

DENTON AND ME

24–25 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £6 (£4)

GRASSROOTS COMEDY THE PLEASANCE, 20:00–22:00, £1

Showcase night featuring the best in fresh, local talent – bringing together first-time and up-and-coming comics in a series of quickfire 10-minute slots. In the Cabaret Bar.

Wed 25 Feb

JOKE THIEVES (JO CAULFIELD + GAVIN WEBSTER + SCOTT AGNEW + KAI HUMPHRIES + MC WILL MARS)

THE STAND, 20:30–22:30, £10

Will Mars hosts his live comedy swapfest, where a handpicked batch of comedians perform their own jokes and then nick each other's.

Dundee Comedy Fri 13 Feb

JONGLEURS COMEDY CLUB

DUNDEE REP, 20:00–22:00, £12

The famed comedy club hits Dundee for its monthly outing, joined by three comics and a compere.

Thu 26 Feb

THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £10 (£7 STUDENTS/£5 MEMBERS)

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 27 Feb

THE FRIDAY SHOW (SEYMOUR MACE + SUSIE MCCABE + JOE WELLS + MARC JENNINGS + MC STUART MURPHY) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £12 (£10 STUDENT/£6 MEMBERS)

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE BEEHIVE COMEDY CLUB

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:30, £7

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of upand-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. Check their Facebook page on the day for line-ups.

THE IMPROVERTS

BEDLAM THEATRE, 22:30–23:30, £5 (£4.50)

Long-standing improv comedy troupe made up of an ever-changing line-up of local students, whose rather fine show is built entirely on (oft daft) audience suggestions.

Sat 28 Feb

THE SATURDAY SHOW (SEYMOUR MACE + SUSIE MCCABE + JOE WELLS + MARC JENNINGS + MC STUART MURPHY) THE STAND, 21:00–23:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

February 2015

RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 9 AND 14 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £10

SANITISE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 12 AND 14 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Another chance to see Fringe First Award winner Melanie Jordan and Caitlin Skinner’s play about a woman torn between fantasy and fear.

CUCKOOED

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 10 AND 12 FEB, 7:45PM – 10:00PM, £14 (£10)

Mark Thomas tells his true story of how Britain’s biggest arms manufacturer (BAE Systems) came to spy on a comedian, using interviews from friends, colleagues, activists and journalists to examine the impact of betrayal.

WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING

4–7 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, £10 (£7.50)

Andrew Bovell’s bold piece charting a legacy of betrayal, mysterious disappearances and, erm, fish soup, moving from 50s London to the Australian desert in 2039 as it goes.

BARD IN THE BOTANICS: ROMEO AND JULIET

26–28 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £12

11 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £16.50

Northern Ballet’s majestic take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers, performed to music by Prokofiev played live

by Northern Ballet Sinfonia.

King’s Theatre SISTER ACT

Glasgow Theatre Citizens Theatre THE SLAB BOYS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 12 FEB AND 14 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £12.50

David Hayman revives one of the best-loved works in 20thcentury Scottish theatre, set in the techni-colour confines of the slab room of A. F. Stobo & Co. Matinee performances also available.

DEAD SIMPLE

10 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £16.50

2–7 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £14

Following the hit premiere production of Peter James’ The Perfect Murder, the novelist returns to the stage with the adaptation of his most famous and popular book, Dead Simple.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

3–14 FEB, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prizewinning novel is given a live stage revival by London’s awardwinning Regent’s Park Theatre.

THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE

ANTON AND ERIN: THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

13 FEB, 19 FEB, 21 FEB, 22 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag dance their way through a selection of golden musical classics, backed by a 25-piece orchestral band.

BRENDAN COLE: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

1 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £20

The Strictly Come Dancing choreographer takes his latest theatre show on the road, with an ensemble cast of musicians and dancers taking audiences on a journey through ballroom and Latin dance.

Site specific drama (performed in Gaelic), taking punters on a journey into the lives of various characters during a power cut.

Performed off-site (bus leaves from Tramway).

Tron Theatre FLEABAG

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 17 AND 18 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s onewoman show, following lead character Fleabag’s quest for rediscovery over a frenzied 48 hours.

THE EFFECT

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 24 AND 28 FEB, 7:45PM – 10:00PM, FROM £14 (£10)

Firebrand, in partnership with Heart of Hawick, present the Scottish premiere of an unconventional and moving love story exploring the limits of medicine in today’s pill-popping culture.

19 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

FLEABAG

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 26, 27 AND 28 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s onewoman show, following lead character Fleabag’s quest for rediscovery over a frenzied 48 hours.

SANITISE

Edinburgh Theatre Festival Theatre ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 17 AND 21 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £14.50

Farcical comedy based on Carlo Goldoni’s The Servent Of Two Masters, based around the character of loveable chancer Francis Henshall.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 10 AND 14 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £15.50

Brand new stage production of one of the most-loved dance stories of all time: no John Travolta, but plenty of Bee Gees hits to ease the pain.

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET: COPPELIA

4–7 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £13

Birmingham Royal Ballet take on the classic comedy of errors, set in a creepy doll-maker’s workshop.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 18 FEB AND 14 MAR, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £12.50

YAMA

Traverse Theatre Russian performance group AKHE’s tale of an unlucky in love hero who meets his alter ego in a place out of time, based on the novel by Prosper Merimet. Part of Manipulate Festival.

19 FEB, 22 FEB, 25 FEB, 28 FEB, 7:15PM – 10:00PM, FROM £10

DANCE OF THE MAGNETIC BALLERINA

6 FEB, 7:30PM – 8:05PM, £16 (£12 STUDENT/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

Musical retelling of the songwriting partnership’s stellar career, told using both original photos and film footage.

19 FEB, 25 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

7 FEB, 7:30PM – 8:30PM, £16 (£12 STUDENT/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

Bard in the Botanics take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

Modern multi-disciplinary take on Madame Butterfly, with Ramesh Meyyappan reworking the piece using handcrafted puppetry and live music. Part of Manipulate Festival.

Damien Jalet’s awe-inspiring piece bulked up to full-length form, taking its inspiration from the pagan and animist rituals practised among the mountains of Tohoku in Japan.

THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY

MR CARMEN

20–21 FEB, TIMES VARY, £10 (£7.50)

BUTTERFLY

5 FEB, 7:30PM – 8:40PM, £16 (£12 STUDENT/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

18 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

OUT OF DARKNESS

CIRQUE BERSERK

1–3 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £19

Five interlocking solo puppet vignettes, taking in the humorous and touching interplay of different puppet characters and their manipulator. Part of Manipulate Festival.

The Queen’s Hall

3–14 FEB, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

26–28 FEB, 7:15PM – 9:15PM, £10 (£8)

Vincent Simone and Flavia of Strictly Come Dancing fame return with their second live show, if any of you, y’know, give a bugger.

AUTUMN PORTRAITS

4 FEB, 9:00PM – 10:10PM, £16 (£12 STUDENT/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

Royal Lyceum Theatre

Theatre Royal

Tramway

Musical retelling of the songwriting partnership’s stellar career, told using both original photos and film footage.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 31 MAR AND 7 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £11

Triple bill of stellar theatre works, including CEC’s contemporary elaboration of Tristan and Isolde’s tragedy, Tristissimo. Part of Manipulate Festival.

Fresh from its West End run, Tom Conti heads up the cast in this taut retelling of the 1957 three-time Academy Award nominated film.

Toe-tapping musical based on the film by John Waters, following the tale of a girl with big hair and an even bigger heart.

19 FEB, 25 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY

The acclaimed Russian ballet company take on the classic comedy of errors, set in a creepy doll-maker’s workshop.Dance ‘Til Dawn

4 FEB, 7:30PM – 8:35PM, £16 (£12 STUDENT/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

Andrea Miltnerová’s latest solo piece, about a magnetic ballerina that flutters inside a minimalist yet multi-dimensional space, intended to expand the viewer’s perception and experience of dance. Part of Manipulate Festival.

23–28 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £15

Classic retelling of the von Trapp family tale, in full singalong glory. Matinee performances also available (Wed & Sat, 2.30pm).

Scottish Opera’s reworking of Gluck’s dramatic play, sung in Italian with English subtitles.

RUSSIAN STATE BALLET: COPPELIA

MANIPULATE TRIPLE BILL: TRISTISSIMO / UNCHAINED / WELCOME MY SON

Embarking on a nationwide tour following a sell-out run in London’s Hyde Park, the world’s most dangerous circus acts hit the road, including the Globe of Death motorcycle stunt and a world record-holding strong man.

TWELVE ANGRY MEN

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 17 AND 21 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £15

Theatrical re-telling of the hit movie, in full singalong glory with original music by eight-time Oscra winner Alan Menken.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 16 AND 28 FEB, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, FROM £14

SCOTTISH OPERA’S ORFEO ED EURIDICE

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

Bill Kenwright’s production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers and that there coat of many colours.

The Olivier Award-winning rock spectacular returns as part of its 25th anniversary UK tour.

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prizewinning novel is given a live stage revival by London’s awardwinning Regent’s Park Theatre.

Russian State Ballet’s reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s dance classic, beginning as night falls on Christmas Eve.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 18 AND 21 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £15

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 3 AND 7 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £18

CANONS’ GAIT, 20:30–22:30, £6 (£5)

THE THURSDAY SHOW (SEYMOUR MACE + SUSIE MCCABE + JOE WELLS + MARC JENNINGS + MC STUART MURPHY)

The King’s Theatre

True tale of teenage love, friendship and betrayal set at the dawn of the Scottish Enlightenment, based on the story of three Edinburgh girls who formed The Fair Intellectual Club in 1717.

RUSSIAN STATE BALLET: THE NUTCRACKER

HAIRSPRAY

MEN WITH COCONUTS

Fringe favourites Improv FX – made up of West End actors, physical comedians and musicians – stage their fast-paced sketch show, inspired wholly by audience suggestions.

Sam Rowe’s debut soloshow, taking diarist Denton Welch’s moving confessions on his obsession for a chaotic land-boy and weaving them together with his own auto-biography. Part of LGBT History Month.

THE FAIR INTELLECTUAL CLUB VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 19 AND 21 FEB, 7:45PM – 10:00PM, FROM £14 (£10)

NORTHERN BALLET: ROMEO AND JULIET

WINTER AGAIN / DREAMERS

Scottish Dance Theatre presents a double bill of two contrasting new works by internationally acclaimed choreographers, taking in Jo Strømgren’s Winter Again and Anton Lachky’s Dreamers.

Inspired by interviews with child evacuees of the Spanish Civil War, Kam-Ri Dance Theatre’s bold piece tells the solo story of a typist, 20 years later in post-war Britain, who makes the journey back to Franco’s Spain.

Narrated by Alexei Sayle.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 20 AND 21 FEB,

Scottish Dance Theatre presents a double bill of two contrasting new works by internationally acclaimed choreographers, taking in Jo Strømgren’s Winter Again and Anton Lachky’s Dreamers.

THREE MEN IN A BOAT

17–21 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £17.50 (£14.50)

Following hit tours in 2012 and 2014, Craig Gilbert’s acclaimed adaptation of Jerome K Jerome’s classic tale of boating misadventure returns to the UK. THERE WERE TWO BROTHERS

26 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, £12

Solo show from Dundonian Mark Kydd, inspired by brothers, both real and fictional, and detailing his experiences with his own brother.

Whitehall Theatre

THE CIRCUS OF HORRORS: THE NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIE

5 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £15

Whirlwind of contortionists, flying aerialists, demon dwarfs, sword swallowers, and any other weird thing you can think of – yep, it’s The Circus of Horrors, out and celebrating their 20th anniversary with a zombiethemed special.

Glasgow Art CCA

JENNIFER BAILEY: FLATS

30 JAN – 14 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Winner of our RSA New Contemporaries 2012, artist/choreographer Romany Dear showcases a new body of work offering an early overview of her collaborative and individual practice, bolstered by a programme of live performance (1pm & 5pm, Tue/ Thu/Sat/Sun).

The Edinburgh Playhouse

NATHAN WITT: A INTERLOPER

7–22 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

DIRTY DANCING

Russian State Ballet’s retelling of the classic love story, brought to life by Tchaikovsky’s haunting score.

WINTER AGAIN / DREAMERS

13 FEB, 14 FEB, 19 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

31 JAN – 15 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

New adaptation of Irish playwright Brian Friel’s undisputed masterpiece, about Francis Hardy (aka Faith Healer), who roams the small towns of Scotland and Wales healing the sick, whilst trying to find a way home. Matinee performances also available.

RUSSIAN STATE BALLET: SWAN LAKE

Damien Jalet’s awe-inspiring piece bulked up to full-length form, taking its inspiration from the pagan and animist rituals practised among the mountains of Tohoku in Japan.

ROMANY DEAR: DANCING IN A CIRCLE IS A REMINDER THAT WE ARE PART OF THE WHOLE

FAITH HEALER

12 FEB, 13 FEB, 14 FEB, TIMES VARY, FROM £16.50

YAMA

12 FEB, 18 FEB, 8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Showcase exhibition consisting of photographs of the Glasgowbased artist’s sister, Sarah, displayed in custom supports, intended to comment on the politics of the occupation of space and surfaces and the mechanisms of subjectivity.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 14 JAN AND 7 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, FROM £15 (£12.50 MATINEE)

The cult 80s film revamped for the stage – cue Baby and Johnny, sexy dancing and a good dose of hungry eyes. Matinee performances also available (Fri 5pm & Sat 2.30pm).

Dundee Rep

THE TYPIST

14 FEB, 27 FEB, 28 FEB, 7:30PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

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. Matinee performances also available (Wed & Sat, 2pm).

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 24 FEB AND 14 MAR, TIMES VARY, FROM £20

Dundee Theatre

8:00PM – 10:00PM, PRICES VARY

Another chance to see Fringe First Award winner Melanie Jordan and Caitlin Skinner’s play about a woman torn between fantasy and fear.

AND THEN HE ATE ME 3 FEB, 7:30PM – 8:40PM, £16 (£12 STUDENT/£8 UNEMPLOYED)

Velo Theatre’s visual theatre piece exploring the poetry and symbolism of house and home.

Part of Manipulate Festival.

Usher Hall

ANTON AND ERIN: THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

13 FEB, 19 FEB, 21 FEB, 22 FEB, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag dance their way through a selection of golden musical classics, backed by a 25-piece orchestral band.

Showcase exhibition spanning Nathan Witt’s 11-year practice examining notions of where our motives aberrate, using A4 texts specifically as counterimages, or artworks that do not need to be made.

RACHEL LEVINE

20 FEB – 14 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

New work by the Glasgow-based artist – winner of our RSA New Contemporaries Award 2014 – whose practice concerns sculpture as a method of research and as a medium, showcasing a selection of pieces developed in residency at the Banff Centre in Canada.

Listings

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Art

Gallery of Modern Art

NATHAN COLEY: THE LAMP OF SACRIFICE

15 MAY – 1 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Interested in how people relate to architecture and what they choose to believe, Nathan Coley presents an installation featuring models of 286 ‘places of worship’ that he found in the 2004 edition of the Edinburgh Yellow Pages. Part of GENERATION. ALASDAIR GRAY: SPHERES OF INFLUENCE I

21 NOV – 25 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Part of a season of Alasdair Gray exhibitions, with this one looking at his practice, influences and work – delving into the Glasgow Museums Collection to explore connections between them.

ART FROM ELSEWHERE

24 OCT – 1 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Touring exhibition set to take in various venues across the UK, and changing with each city it takes in – kicking off at GoMA with artists including Peter Hujar, Jenny Holzer, Paulo Bruscky, Ana Mendieta, Kara Walker and Amar Kanwar.

THE BALLET OF THE PALETTE

20 FEB – 24 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase exhibition of 20th century paintings selected from Glasgow Museums’ collection, chosen by a selection of contemporary artists who exhibited work in the 2013 exhibition, A Picture Show.

Glasgow Print Studio ADE ADESINA

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 20 JAN AND 1 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Extended show responding to printmaker/painter/sculptor Ade Adesina’s relationship with Glasgow Print Studio, charting his previous residency and the overall development of his work.

COLIN JOHNSTONE: THE ROMANCE OF IRON AND CORTISONE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 6 FEB AND 22 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

GSA graduate Colin Johnstone exhibits his second solo show at Glasgow Print Studio (his first being in 1987), showcasing works created in Orkney, where he has lived and worked since leaving Glasgow in the mid-80s.

Glasgow School of Art THE DROUTH FIVE-OH

17 JAN – 15 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase exhibition of cover art featured in quarterly journal The Drouth, which celebrates its 50th issue in January 2015, including work by Alasdair Gray, Graham Fagen, David Shrigley and 50th issue cover artist Ciara Phillips.

THE POLITICS OF CRAFT: AFTER FORD 151

7 FEB – 8 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Goethe-Institut

DICTATORSHIP AND DEMOCRACY IN THE AGE OF EXTREMES: SPOTLIGHTS ON THE HISTORY OF EUROPE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

12 JAN – 27 FEB, WEEKDAYS ONLY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Exhibition presentation of 190 photographs and images from numerous European archives, inviting viewers to take a historical journey through various locations over the past century, commencing with WWI.

Hillhead Library ARPITA SHAH: PORTRAIT OF HOME

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 18 JUL AND 13 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Arpita Shah exhibits a collection of photographs of families based in Scotland who also have cultural roots in other Commonwealth countries, visually representing how migration between these countries has shaped the identity of contemporary Scotland.

ALLAN BOVILL: STEAMIES

10 JAN – 13 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Photographer Allan Bovill displays a series of images capturing the last days of the public wash-house in Glasgow, taken in 1986 and depicting city centre steamies in Maryhill, Reidvale and on Osborne Street, which is now home to The Modern Institute.

Hunterian Art Gallery

MACKINTOSH TRAVEL SKETCHES

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 18 JUL AND 15 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase exhibition of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s watercolours, sketchbook pages and sketchbooks, demonstrating the range of his travels and his interest in Scottish tower houses, medieval English churches and vernacular architecture.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum ALASDAIR GRAY: FROM THE PERSONAL TO THE UNIVERSAL

11 OCT – 15 FEB, TIMES VARY, £5 (£3)

Part of a season of Alasdair Gray exhibitions, with this one taking in a retrospective of around 100 works covering Gray’s student days at Glasgow School of Art right up to the present day.

Double-header exhibition bringing together the work of two artists – Lyndsey Redford and Jayne Stokes – who create work imbued with personal memory, exploring the relationship we have with our surroundings.

Project Ability

INFINITE PSYCHIC LOVE EXPLOSION!

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 20 JAN AND 14 FEB, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

CRAIG MULHOLLAND: SUSPENDED INTERVALS

Queens Park Railway Club

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 22 JAN AND 14 FEB, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

New installation from Glasgowbased artist Craig Mulholland, engaging with issues relating to Accelerationist theory, and simultaneously serving as a set for filming scenes for a longer single screen video work to be screened after the exhibition.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 13 DEC AND 8 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 27 JAN AND 20 FEB, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

FUTUREPROOF 2014

Annual showcase of new photographic talent selected from across Scotland’s Photography and Fine Art degree courses, including Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow School of Art and Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. JUDAH PASSOW: SCOTS JEWS – IDENTITY, BELONGING AND THE FUTURE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 14 FEB AND 12 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Fruits of Judah Passow’s photograph project of the Scottish Jewish community, exploring one of the community’s defining characteristics – the ability to simultaneously acknowledge its heritage, live in the creative present and build for the future.

Group exhibition taking in works

by Dora Economou, Sean Edwards, Lauren Hall, Jamie Kane, G. Kung and Sally Webber, predominantly made up of sculptural works using found objects with anecdotal histories and narratives.

iota @ Unlimited Studios COLIN ROBERTSON: DRAWINGS, FROM YOSHITOSHI TO WINEHOUSE

5–21 FEB, NOT 8, 9, 15, 16, TIMES VARY, FREE

DAVID LEMM: DEBRIS AND PHENOMENA

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 16 JAN AND 7 MAR, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

First solo exhibition by artist/ illustrator/designer David Lemm, showcasing a new body of printed works produced at Edinburgh Printmakers and whilst on an artist’s residency on Eigg.

Embassy Gallery SELF~STORAGE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 13 FEB AND 1 MAR, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Group show from Hannah Black, Paloma Proudfoot, Adriana Ramic and Rosemary Kirton, reflecting upon trends in digital culture towards ‘quantified self’ – exploring ‘self-tracking’ and social media ‘profiling’ as the procurement of personal authenticity.

Ingleby Gallery ABJAD

24 JAN – 21 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

The Lighthouse 27 NOV – 1 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Inverleith House

The Glasgow-based artist showcases a selection of recent work, moving from pieces inspired by prints by the 19th century Japanese woodblock artist Yoshitoshi, to photo images of female pop stars culled from newspapers.

EMPOWERMENT

Thought-provoking exhibition documenting the characters/ narratives surrounding the construction projects of humanitarian design organisation, Orkidstudio – a charity dedicated to developing the connection between architecture and humanitarian aid.

HRAFNHILDUR HALLDÓRSDÓTTIR: THE POSTER ARCHIVE

15 JAN – 22 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Poster showcase of work by the Reykjavík-born artist, graphic designer and DJ, taking in a selection of designs of posters and record covers.

DAVID ROSS DESIGN + BESPOKE ATELIER

26 FEB – 5 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

SCOTLAND + VENICE

Exhibition presentation of Scotland’s five diverse projects presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale since 2004, including the most recent contribution, Past + Future in 2014.

The Modern Institute

JACK SMITH: THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE WORKS

24 JAN – 6 MAR, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

A key figure in the cultural history of downtown New York film, performance and art, The Modern Institute present a showcase of work by queer cinema pioneer and codifier of camp Jack Smith, taking in a mix of theatre and performance pieces.

The Modern Institute @ Airds Lane ALEX DORDOY: MODEL T

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 24 JAN AND 21 MAR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

New exhibition of work from contemporary Glasgow artist Alex Dordoy, known for his fascination with the disconnect between the physical and the virtual.

Tramway

JAMES RIGLER: AT EVERY FADING OF THE STARS

New body of work from ceramic artist James Rigler, this time exploring ruins, architectural salvage and IKEA.

Listings

LIFE LIKE

Edinburgh Printmakers

Group showcase taking in work by Jane Bustin, Kevin Harman, Paul Keir and Jeff McMillan, all of whom, in their sometimes sideways approach to abstraction, balance conceptual concerns with an intuitive touch.

30 JAN – 8 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

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New installation from Laura Aldridge made especially for Tramway’s main gallery, reflecting on her engagement with the relationship between art, craft and performance, and intended to act both as an exhibition and a site for collaboration and discussion.

Transmission Gallery

6 FEB – 18 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

New body of work from GSA graduate Lorna Macintyre, focusing on the photographic element of her practice, drawing upon an extensive archive of photographic negatives, concentrating on the physicality and materiality of her process and subject matter.

LAURA ALDRIGE: CALIFORNIA WOW! 30 JAN – 22 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Street Level Photoworks

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 21 FEB AND 4 APR, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Glasgow Sculpture Studios

Collective exhibition of new commissions and recent works by six contemporary artists – Tyler Coburn, Michael Dean, Kathryn Elkin, Josh Kline, Megan Rooney and Cally Spooner – all of whom display an interest in objects and bodies that carry speech.

31 JAN – 14 FEB, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

LORNA MACINTYRE: MATERIAL LANGUAGE, OR ALL TRUTHS WAIT IN ALL THINGS

Mary Mary

Selection of drawings, video and installation works by transcendental noise artist Lea Cummings, channeling and expressing the universal energy field.

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 24 JAN AND 14 MAR, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

LYNDSEY REDFORD + JAYNE STOKES

Showcase of new collaborative works from the studios of Bespoke Atelier and David Ross Design, who first collaborated on a lampshade design for the Pond Life Laser Lamps launched at The Lighthouse Scottish Design Shop in 2014.

Unique exhibition engaging with historical ideas relating to both mass mechanical reproduction and craft in order to encourage contemporary art and design to have a use, presenting Grizedale Arts’ own polticised history of design.

TILL THE STARS TURN COLD

RGI Kelly Gallery

Edinburgh Art City Art Centre

YOU CHOOSE: FAVOURITES FROM THE CITY ART CENTRE

13 DEC – 24 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Annual showcase exhibition drawing from the City Art Centre’s permanent collection of historic and contemporary Scottish art – this year opening it up to the public to select their favourite works to make up the display.

Collective Gallery

WENDELIEN VAN OLDENBORGH: BEAUTY AND THE RIGHT TO THE UGLY

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 17 JAN AND 29 MAR, 10:00AM – 4:00PM, FREE

Wendelien van Oldenborgh examines the ambition – and failure – of utopian architecture, taking her cue from Frank Van Klingeren cinematic experiment of the exhibition’s title, which sought to propitiate communal forms of habitation.

GEORGIA HORGAN: MACHINE ROOM

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 13 FEB AND 19 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

For the first exhibition of Satellites Programme 2015, artist Georgia Horgan presents a research project about the proliferation of the textile industry in Scotland, and how this affected patterns of witch hunting in the seventeenth century.

Dovecot EDGE AND SHORE

30 JAN – 7 FEB, NOT SUNDAYS, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Visual artist Helen Carnac and dance artist Laïla Diallo present an ever-evolving new work exploring the edges and boundaries of making and working, performance and installation – bringing together objects, images, film, writing and live making.

Edinburgh College of Art

EMMA GILLIES: REDISCOVERED

5 DEC – 7 MAR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Edinburgh College of Art showcase a special collection of ceramics by Emma Gillies, unearthed after the key to a locked cupboard was traced.

RAOUL DE KEYSER

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 14 FEB AND 12 APR, 10:00AM – 5:30PM, FREE

First major UK solo exhibition in over a decade by the prolific Belgian painter, whose work combines elements of both figuration and abstract expressionism in an approach that pushed the boundaries of painting.

National Museum of Scotland GAME MASTERS

5 DEC – 20 APR, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £10 (£8/£6.50 CHILDREN)

The Australian touring exhibit makes its first European stop, featuring 100+ playable games spanning 30+ designers – moving from early heroes like Sonic and Super Mario, to recent gems like Scottish graduates Space Budgie’s 2014 creation, Glitchspace.

Scottish National Gallery WILLIAM STRANG: FAIR FACES AND DARK PLACES

18 OCT – 15 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Retrospective showcase of work from the Dumbarton-born printmaker, portraitist and painter, featuring around 30 prints and drawings spanning his career and drawn from the National Galleries of Scotland’s collection.

DAVID ROBERTS: DRAWINGS FROM THE HELEN GUITERMAN BEQUEST

21 FEB – 14 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase of 30+ drawings and watercolours by late Edinburgh artist David Roberts, many of which are drawn from the important group of works bequeathed to the Scottish National Gallery

by Helen Guiterman through the Art Fund in 2008.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art ROBERT COLQUHOUN AND ROBERT MACBRYDE: THE TWO ROBERTS

22 NOV – 24 MAY, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £8 (£6)

Double-header showcase of the Scottish artists Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun, or ‘The Two Roberts’, who took the London art-world by storm in the 40s, but had faded into obscurity by the 60s.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery MAKING HISTORY

12 OCT – 29 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Solo exhibition of recent work by Sandy Stoddart (Sculptor In Ordinary to The Queen of Scotland), of which the main focus will be the creation of a new figurative statue of William Birnie Rhind commissioned by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

REMEMBERING THE GREAT WAR

4 AUG – 5 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Marking the centenary of the outbreak of the WWI, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery display various portraits and related works in various media - including work by artists Sir James Gunn and Sir William Gillies, who were wounded in action.

BEAUTY BY DESIGN: FASHIONING THE RENAISSANCE

15 NOV – 3 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase exhibition linking the renaissance art collections of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Scottish National Gallery to contemporary fashion design, practice and display.

BP PORTRAIT AWARD 2014

29 NOV – 12 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Annual showcase of the best in contemporary portrait painting from around the world, now in its 33rd year and marking the fifth time the Scottish National Portrait Gallery has hosted the exhibition.

MIKHAEL SUBOTZKY + PATRICK WATERHOUSE: PONTE CITY

6 DEC – 26 APR, TIMES VARY, FREE

South African photographer Mikhael Subotzky and British artist Patrick Waterhouse’s documentation of Ponte City, recording the half-occupied building through a series of photographs and a collection of documents and other debris from the abandoned units.

St Margaret’s House Art’s Complex

TIM VINCENT-SMITH: SOUND SHAPE

GAP IN THE AIR VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 15 NOV AND 14 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Mixed celebration of music and sonic art in the Georgian Gallery space, taking in performances by experimental musicians and artists, a selection of work by staff and students, plus a series of workshops and academic discussions.

The Fruitmarket Gallery STAN DOUGLAS

7 NOV – 15 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Solo showcase from the Canadian artist who came to prominence in the mid-90s when his film installation, Der Sandmann, was one of the highlights of Documenta X in 1997, being shown here alongside other film, video and photography work.

The McManus

CLASSICAL ART: THE LEGACY OF THE ANCIENTS

24 JAN – 10 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase of works with a taste of the antique, illustrating the enduring influence of ancient Greek and Roman culture through paintings, sculpture and ceramics from Dundee’s nationally significant collection of fine art.

University of Dundee MATERIAL CONCERNS

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 7 FEB AND 30 MAY, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Selection of works by Gina Czarnecki and others, shown alongside research and artefacts from the University of Dundee. In the Lifespace gallery (open Sat 11am-5pm and by appointment).

The Scottish Gallery

DAVID EUSTACE: SELECTED WORK

4–28 FEB, NOT SUNDAYS, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase selection of works from the Glasgow-born photographer, currently living between Edinburgh and New York, whose list of sitters include Sophia Loren, Radiohead and Sir Paul McCartney, alongside works in fashion, landscape and documentary projects.

The Sutton Gallery HASSAN MESHKINFAM

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 7 FEB AND 28 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase exhibition of the Iranian artist, whose mixed-media pieces interpret the works of Iranian poet Nima Yushij, representing the poet’s words with his dream-like imagery. Part of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival.

Dundee Art

16 FEB – 1 MAR, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

UK artist Tim Vincent-Smith brings his usual brand of joy, displaying a playable cube made out of three whole upright pianos, plus large scale pendular carpet painting workshops and a prototype harmonographic projection machine.

FIONA HERMSE: IT SURROUNDS ME, PART 2

21 FEB – 1 MAR, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Showcase exhibition of sitespecific sculptures, mixed media pieces and paper forms, marking the continuation of a project Fiona Hermse began during a recent residency in Thailand.

Summerhall PERCEPTION

8–16 FEB, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Multi-artform exhibition featuring work by over 250 Iranian artists, and non-Iranian artists inspired by Iran, from around the world, amassed via open call submission responding to the theme of ‘perception’. Part of the Edinburgh Iranian Festival.

MICHELE CIACCIOFERA: I HATE THE INDIFFERENT

7 DEC – 30 APR, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

First exhibition in the UK for Sardinian artist Michele Ciacciofera, using different means of expression – painting, drawing, sculpture and photography – to illustrate a narrative path that connects ideas of epic and utopia across all of history.

Talbot Rice Gallery

CHRISTOPHER ORR: THE BEGUILED EYE

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 15 NOV AND 14 FEB, TIMES VARY, FREE

Talbot Rice host the first solo show in Scotland for English artist and printmaker Christopher Orr, bringing together new and recent paintings and featuring, for the first time, his remarkable sketchbooks.

Cooper Gallery MEN GATHER, IN SPEECH...

23 JAN – 21 FEB, NOT SUNDAYS, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Collective film exhibition from Emma Charles, Rose English and Abri de Sward, nodding to Hannah Arendt’s proposition of ‘the space of appearance’, offering a mediation upon speech, dialogue and the slow silencing of the political space.

DCA

FLORIAN AND MICHAEL QUISTREBERT

VARIOUS DATES BETWEEN 7 FEB AND 22 MAR, TIMES VARY, FREE

Showcase of hypnotic abstract videos and paintings by collaborative French brothers Michael and Florian Quistrebert, based in Paris and Amsterdam, and nominated for the prestigious Marcel Duchamp Prize.

Generator Projects

GENERATOR MEMBERS’ SHOW 2015

8 FEB – 1 MAR, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

The return of Generator Project’s annual members’ show, featuring work by an array of artists that make up the gallery’s varied collective.

Hannah Maclure Centre CODED AFTER LOVELACE

3 NOV – 6 MAR, WEEKDAYS ONLY, 9:30AM – 4:45PM, FREE

Showcase of work exploring the role of women, past and present, working at the forefront of art and technology, with the exhibition’s title referencing Ada Lovelace, who is credited as being the first computer programmer.

THE SKINNY

Variations on a Theme

The Master of Horror John Carpenter meditates on recording Lost Themes, going digital, and who should be the next Snake Plissken (spoiler: nobody)

Interview: Dave Kerr no Carpenter flick is safe from the jaws of Hollywood's bankers. Just days before our conversation, he's announced as an executive producer for a proposed Escape from New York remake. Who could he accept inheriting the eyepatch from Kurt Russell's wisecracking anti-hero?

“I don't know,” he shrugs. “I don't care. It's just a way for the studios to make money. I hope it's a good movie – that's all I hope. But there's only one Snake Plissken.”

Although certain moments of his career have at times offered a challenging counter to the zeitJohn Carpenter geist (The Thing infamously emerged at cinemas a fortnight after the infinitely cuddlier E.T.), many That less-is-more technique has endured. have come in for retrospective praise. “Am I Whereas later contemporaries would blaze their surprised by how the meaning in They Live has way through ostentatious scores, with a maximal- endured?” Carpenter scoffs. “No. To me, it was ist approach that seemed to operate in tandem a documentary of the time.” with the escalating ambitions of the era's blockYou suspect that although his last shot busters, Carpenter skulked in the shadows. The behind the camera – 2010's The Ward – was met icy chill of his barren, repetitive motifs and eerie with ambivalence, there are a few future classics codas kept more in common with the earliest of left in the auteur yet. He has openly expressed a Kraftwerk's analogue experiments – which had desire to work in television, direct a gothic westdeveloped almost concurrently. ern and tackle an adaptation of the Dead Space Advancements in audio technology over series in recent years, but today he remains the intervening decades – specifically in digital tight-lipped about his dealings in film. “I'm develsequencer Logic Pro – have side-lined much of oping a couple of things, so we'll see. It's nothing the knob twiddling that characterised some of I'm ready to go into production over though.”

Carpenter's most notable work. Despite this Could this second wind for his musical catransition to the digital realm, he makes a pretty reer be the jumping off point for similar projects? convincing fist of emulating those old modular If he has his way, we're about to run out of dry synths on Lost Themes. “We use a lot of plug-ins,” ice. “I'm working on a bunch of different things he says. “There are these amazing libraries of right now – sort of a follow-up to Lost Themes, effects you can get now and we've downloaded and then there's another album, Dark Blues. But a hell of a lot. We never had anything like this in we'll see – maybe nothin’ will come out, maybe those old days – never.” something will.”

Innumerable groups and producers have With his old collaborator Howarth out professed respect for Carpenter's unique feel dusting down some of their old compositions in over the years – from Boards of Canada's ambient concert from time to time, has he given any conpassages to Portishead lynchpin Geoff Barrow, sideration to following suit? “Sure, for a million whose DROKK project in 2012 played out like dollars I'll play live,” he deadpans. “If I play live… it an open letter of appreciation. Carpenter is wouldn't be easy to replicate this record. There's quick to play down any aesthetic similarities. still a lot of gear, which would be complicated. It “Occasionally, people will tell me ‘so and so is wouldn't be a simple thing.” inspired by you’ and I think ‘very nice.’ But it The Skinny wonders, despite all contrary seems to me that they don't play what I do. It's evidence that he enjoys a cheeky game of Sonic all different.” and a good pop tune as much as the next horror It's not just Carpenter's way with a synth director (“Well, I like Taylor Swift for instance. that's been propagated. Over the last decade, She's really talented”), is John Carpenter most some of his most celebrated moments on celnaturally inclined towards a dark path? “I don't luloid have been circled for another round at know so much about that…” he lingers. “Do you the till. From a so-so re-tread of Assault on want my music to be happier? I promise you, I Precinct 13 and Rob Zombie's surrealist stab at will make a happy album!” the Halloween franchise, to a belated prequel Lost Themes is released via Sacred Bones on 2 Feb for nihilistic sci-fi masterpiece The Thing, it seems up; I didn't know anything. So I would just do the playing and the composing and somebody would have to turn the buttons.”

Credit: Gen Use

“This is music for the movies in your head”

“T

his is Hollywood, California…” John Carpenter whispers down the phone line with a sarcastic lilt – a certain mistrust of Tinseltown dripping off his tongue. But he's still living there. Burned out by the film industry after 40 odd years of redefining cinematic suspense with genre-blurring thrillers like Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween and The Thing, somewhere in the Hollywood Hills the cult composer-director enjoys all the NBA playoffs and Xbox binges that semi-retirement has to offer. “They're just for fun,” Carpenter chuckles. “I play the shooters…” he tumbles off into a roll call of his favourites.

“Borderlands 2, The Last of Us, the Far Cry series – you name it, I got it.”

It was here – in the pursuit of a simpler life – that Carpenter struck upon an unforeseen new work ethic. “My son and I would play videogames for two hours, and then improvise music for two hours at our home studio, then return to the videogame, and so forth,” the straighttalking Kentuckian explains in that familiar rasp.

“This just went on and on over a period of around six months.”

Serendipitously, Brooklyn label Sacred Bones – already a haven for the esoteric likes of David Lynch and Zola Jesus – contacted Carpenter's lawyer with a request for any un-used score work he might be willing to release. It just so happened that the record button was pressed during those months of jamming. “A delightful accident,” he affirms. “This was all improvised stuff, so nothing was planned out ahead of time. Man, it's all based on instinct; you just dig down and see what's there… see what feels right. That's the way to intellectualise it. There was no image to play

February 2015

to… it was just playing for joy. Absolute joy.”

‘Joyous’ might not necessarily describe the dark matter that the pair produced, ultimately providing the basis for Lost Themes – a record that comprehensively spins through Carpenter's visionary wheelhouse of tension and terror with reassuring aplomb. Without the old familiar purpose of writing for a particular scene, did his gaming habit provide a certain stimulus?

“No. Hell no!” he laughs. “This is music for the movies in your head; every track has its own imaginary narrative that plays out differently every time you hear it.”

Yet music-making is not a heady process for John Carpenter; there's a temptation to paint the 67-year-old as a carefree tinkerer, but to do so is a disservice to his legacy as an understated visionary, responsible for unlocking many of the emotive possibilities to be found in synthesised music. “I'm not a hobbyist,” he says, before modestly snatching that remark back. “I'm just a musician with minimal chops.” Although minimalism is certainly an enduring feature throughout these nine compositions, with his son Cody and godson Daniel (Davies, whose father happens to be The Kinks’ Dave) on board, there's more flesh on the bones of Lost Themes than fans of those earlier stark instrumentals may be prepared for.

Just as it was when he began, sound design is no longer a solitary pursuit for Carpenter.

“It's a team effort now – and a family team effort, which is the greatest,” he enthuses. “Y'know, when I was scoring for movies I had to team with an engineer – often that was Alan Howarth – because I didn't understand the synthesiser in those days. I didn't know how to get sounds

theofficialjohncarpenter.com

Ask Carpenter Clint Mansell

Geoff Barrow The Thing score is very Carpenter, even though it’s Ennio Morricone at work and credited. Did you also work on it? If so, how did the two of you get on in the studio?

“Me? Most of that score in The Thing is a lush orchestrational score. People have misunderstood it. There’s one piece of music that was synthesised, which was the opening theme. There’s nothing else really like that in the whole movie.

That’s all Morricone; I just suggested he play a piece with fewer notes. We met in his apartment in Rome, he had a translator with him as he doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Italian. He played some things for me and I said ‘that’s beautiful, but try something with fewer notes.”

MUSIC

You have massively influenced my musical career so the question is: Who influenced yours, musically speaking?

“Musically speaking, it would be my father. He was a music professor so he introduced me to classical music at a young age. From there, I came to appreciate some of the great scores of the 50s, from Bernard Herrmann and Dimitri Tiomkin, but I also found influence in The Beatles and Rolling Stones. Both classical music and rock ‘n’ roll are part of my musical language, which is riff-driven.”

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