The Skinny Scotland July 2016 by The Skinny

.CO.UK

INDEPENDENT FREE

CULT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

July 2016 Scotland Issue 130

INTRODUCING...

Music The Julie Ruin Be Charlotte Film Nicolas Winding Refn Rebecca Miller Clubs Jackmaster Rebecca Vasmant

THE LAPELLES COMING TO A FESTIVAL STAGE NEAR YOU

EXCLUSIVE Edinburgh International Book Festival's 2016 Unbound programme revealed inside

Theatre Joyce McMillan on Scottish Theatre Comedy Luisa Omeilan Art 2016 Degree Show round-up Megan Hampton

P.18 2016 Scottish degree shows

P.26 Be Charlotte

P.43 Lauren Eliza (Heriot -Watt Fashion Graduate)

P.33 Unbound

July 2016 I N DEPEN DENT

CULTU R AL

JOU R NALI S M

Issue 130, July 2016 ÂŠ Radge Media Ltd. Get in touch: E: hello@theskinny.co.uk T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 1.9 1st Floor Tower, Techcube, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Pl, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business. Get in touch to find out more.

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

Printed by Mortons Print Limited, Horncastle ABC verified Jan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dec 2015: 30,875

printed on 100% recycled paper

Contents

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Music & Deputy Editor Editorial Assistant Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Deviance Editor Events Editor Fashion Editor Film & DVD Editor Food Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor

Rosamund West Dave Kerr Will Fitzpatrick Adam Benmakhlouf Alan Bett Claire Francis Ben Venables Kate Pasola Kate Pasola Alexandra Fiddes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Emma Ainley-Walker Paul Mitchell

Production Production Manager Designer

Sarah Donley Kyle McPartlin

Sales Sales Executives

General Manager Publisher

George Sully Sandy Park Grant Cunningham Kyla Hall Sophie Kyle

THE SKINNY

Contents Welcome to the magazine: here’s 06 Crystal Baws, Spot the Difference, Shot of the Month and a guide to events on the website. Heads Up: Your daily cultural calendar 08 for July. FEATURES quite a buzz about East Kilbride 10 There’s five-piece The Lapelles. We speak to them ahead of a summer of festival appearances.

12 The Julie Ruin’s Kathleen Hanna discusses their return, and the anger she shares in the wake of Orlando and Brock Turner’s sentencing. 15 As Luisa Omeilan prepares to return to

the Fringe, she tells us why What Would Beyonce Do?! is still the mantra by which she lives her life.

Once dubbed ‘the best living writer in 16 Britain', Geoff Dyer explores both literal

and metaphorical travel in new book White Sands – here he tells us why croissants are a lost cause.

18 Now the 2016 Scottish degree shows

are out the way we look back and ask – what have we learned?

Having comfortably conquered the 21 Scottish clubbing landscape, Jack Revill aka Jackmaster talks us through the ethos behind his new DJ Kicks mix. This country’s foremost theatre critic 22 Joyce McMillan reflects on three essential productions, ahead of her new tome Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams.

25 “Comedy is a civilising force,” says director Rebecca Miller, whose new Greta Gerwig-starring movie Maggie’s Plan takes a sideways look at the pitfalls of modern life.

41 Deviance: Following the horrific events in Orlando, it’s important to remember why Pride is as necessary as ever. Speaking of which, here’s some advice for your hetero friends.

43 Food & Drink: We look at the never-

ending slate of World [Blank] Days filling our foodie calendars, while Phagomania casts its eye over a host of obscure (read: terrifying) cocktails.

UNBOUND 2016

33 We once again reveal the programme of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s unruly offspring, Unbound. Free late night events! In a tent! With booze! Boxes: all ticked.

REVIEW

47 Music: An in-depth look at the Primavera and Brew at the Bog festivals, while we run the rule over new albums from The Julie Ruin, BADBADNOTGOOD and Descendents.

55 Clubs: Rebecca Vasmant digs through

her records to choose ten of her favourite tracks; plus yer guide to the best goings-on in Scottish clubland this month.

57 Art: All the unmissable exhibition info

for July, alongside reviews of Sarah Rose and the Jerwood Prize show.

58 Film: Our reviewers polish their gleam-

ing wit and wisdom to offer vital critical opinion on Maggie’s Plan, Queen of Earth and A Poem is a Naked Person. Vital, we say!

59 Books: Liz Lochhead talks to our poetry column about new collection Fugitive Colours; plus review of Jean-Paul Clébert’s Paris Vagabond and more.

60 DVD: One of Robert Altman’s earliest efforts comes up against our Film team.

Kendrick Lamarr offer much for 26 Does a teenage girl from Dundee to identify with? Rising star Be Charlotte explains the importance of authenticity.

62 Competitions: Win tickets to Eurobeat,

at Cannes, an unconcerned 28 Panned Nicholas Winding Refn weighs up the

63 Listings: So many things to do, so little

themes behind LA-set horror flick The Neon Demon, and talks us through the films that influenced his work..

LIFESTYLE

30 Showcase: A look at the work of artist

Megan Hampton, invited to take part in next year’s RSA New Contemporaries thanks to an impressive degree show.

Edinburgh Blues & Jazz Festival and more!

time to process it all. Still, don’t worry about it too much; we’ve compiled this handy list for your perusal. We’re so good to you.

71 Theatre/Comedy: More life advice from

agony Auntie Trash, plus the big question: is the Fringe too small? “If anything I think it’s too big!” said many a Twitter user.

32 Travel: One traveller remembers a 50-

hour bus trip from Lima to Cali. It’s all in the journey, etc.

July 2016

Contents

Editorial

his editorial is brought to you on the morning after the night of the EU membership vote so is naturally in both sombre and angry mood. Attempting to be positive about upcoming cultural events is somewhat challenging, what with the overwhelming depression at the British public’s positive response to a discourse of hate and exclusion. Luckily our cover image this month is mainly black. Take this as a mark of our mourning. Featured on said cover are The Lapelles, a band with a lot of buzz about them at the moment. The hard-working East Kilbride five-piece are taking to the festival stages over the summer, from T in the Park to Electric Fields. We catch up with them to hear about supporting Last Shadow Puppets and the creative possibilities of Scotland’s new towns. Elsewhere in Music, Dundee’s Be Charlotte talks musical influences, the importance of legitimacy in pop and blending analogue and digital. Appropriately enough, given the thinly veiled rage of today, The Julie Ruin’s Kathleen Hanna focuses her chat on the issues of America today, namely fury at Orlando and the sentencing of Brock Turner. The month we once again present an *EXCLUSIVE* first reveal of the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Unbound programme. Our central eight pages are dedicated to a beautifully illustrated pull-out-and-keep supplement telling you all about the late night goings on in Charlotte Square come August. We’ve got interviews, listings, poetry and even a comic. Film speaks to director Nicolas Winding Refn about his eagerly anticipated new film The Neon Demon, while also inviting him to guide us through a selection of his favourite cinematic gems. Rebecca Miller also discusses her new Greta Gerwig-starring love letter to New York, Maggie’s Plan. In Art, we’ve come to the end of the year’s degree shows here in Scotland – but what have we learned? Our Art editor turns a critical eye on the student output to see if he can pick out any trends. As if Books didn’t have enough on its plate what with the Unbound supplement and everything,

we’ve also had some words with popular author Geoff Dyer who called up from LA to discuss his new book White Sands (renamed from its rather more evocative working title Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?). Theatre takes a look back on the history of contemporary Scottish theatre, talking to critic Joyce Macmillan about her new book Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams. She elaborates on the productions that helped to forge Scotland’s confidence and identity, from Slab Boys to the Mahabharata, whose iconic red wall still lurks in the Tramway. Finally, we close the magazine looking forward to the impending extravaganza of August. Theatrical agony aunt Aunty Trash helps one anxious punter who’s going to see their pal’s show and is worried it’s going to be shite. And one writer asks – is the Fringe too small? This question was taken surprisingly literally by many of our Twitter followers. Read the article then react, people. [Rosamund West]

THIS MONTH'S COVER ARTIST Kate Johnston is a freelance photographer based in Scotland. Her work ranges from small local commissions to national articles and photo essays and even the odd cat photo. You can take a look at her work on www.katejohnston.co.uk or find her on Instagram @johnkateston

It’s almost Fringe time, which means our sister mag Fest is back to help you make sense of this year’s festival. Fest’s preview issue hits the streets on 26 July to help you prepare for the impending cultural onslaught, with five biweekly issues on the way over the course of August. For more info go to festmag.co.uk Edinburgh Pride Edinburgh's annual Pride celebrations take place on 2 Jul with a Pride Scotia March assembling outside the City Chambers from 1pm; a health and community fair at the Omni Centre; a trans engagement space at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel on Picardy Place and Order of Perpetual Indulgence's annual Tea Dance at Chalky's. Many performers due to appear at the cancelled Main Stage (including Ru Paul’s Drag Race's Morgan McMichael) have relocated their shows to venues across the city. See prideedinburgh.org.uk for more information. National Museum of Scotland opens new galleries This month the National Museum of Scotland unveils ten new galleries featuring exhibitions of art, design, fashion, science and technology. Join in a launch celebration on 8 Jul at 9.30pm with Forth 1's Mark Martin, Beltane Fire Society Drummers, Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band and Animo samba band.

Scottish Album of the Year 2016 shortlist unveiled The shortlist for the 2016 annual Scottish Album of the Year Award was announced at the BBC's Quay Sessions this month, with fresh faces joining past nominees in the race for this year's prize. Whittled down from a longlist of 20, the short version was selected by a panel of ten journalists and arts figures as well as a public ballot to decide one of the finalists, which took place from 13-15 June. The full SAY Award 2016 shortlist: Anna Meredith – Varmints Auntie Flo – Theory of Flo C. Duncan – Architect CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye Emma Pollock – In Search of Harperfield FFS – FFS (Public Vote Winner) Lau – The Bell That Never Rang Steve Mason – Meet the Humans The Revenge – Love That Will Not Die Young Fathers – White Men Are Black Men Too A ceremony to announce the winner, who will also claim a £20,000 award, will take place at Paisley Town Hall on Wednesday 29 June.

SAY awards 2015

Online Only theskinny.co.uk/travel Fancy making a break for it in the wake of the EU referendum? We’ve got you covered, with our Living Abroad series. From Madrid to Portland, Seoul to Santiago, residents of some of the world’s greatest cities share their tips on getting started in a new location.

jockmooney.co.uk

theskinny.co.uk/clubs Find our new weekly clubs round-ups online, with the best nights in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds picked out for your perusal each Wednesday.

Chat

theskinny.co.uk/film Catch up on last month’s Edinburgh International Film Festival – find all our reviews and interviews from this year’s EIFF on the website. theskinny.co.uk/food Looking for a favourite new restaurant? Look no further than our monthly New in Food round-ups, picking out the best new places in Scotland and the North of England. theskinny.co.uk/music Read our list of our ten favourite albums of the year so far.

THE SKINNY

Crystal Baws After more than five years of reading your stars month in, month out, Mystic Mark has decided it’s time to take a holiday. We’ve used the opportunity to delve into the archives and bring you a greatest hits selection of some of his top predictions. They should still apply to the month ahead...

ARIES Lately you’ve been working your way into the heart of a certain someone special, really getting to know them inside. In July however, a malfunction in the miniaturisation ray causes your microscopic vessel to expand without warning, exploding out of their body in a flash of meat and metal. With the engines powering down and the windscreen wipers moving guts back and forth across your cockpit window, you stumble out into a dripping red living room for a scream-filled meeting with the parents of the person you spent the last fortnight inside.

or have been available for sex each week. Your lover reminds you that you could lose your Friends With Benefits status for up to 13 weeks if you: leave a sex act voluntarily; fail to take part in a mandatory sex act; fail to produce a completed sex diary when asked. CANCER Despite your staunch atheism and general lack of superstition, that first wank after the death of a relative is always an uneasy one. LEO Like the lion, you don’t have a job.

TAURUS Yes, you’re living the dream. But it’s the one where you’re naked and all your teeth fall out.

VIRGO Don’t get cocky with how good things are going because this July you wake up in your basket to the sudden and harrowing realisation it’s February 1951, your owner lives in Middlesborough, your entire life was merely a dog’s

GEMINI Your Tory lover takes your ‘friends with benefits’ relationship a bit too seriously, making you fill out forms to prove you’ve actively been seeking and/

dream and you’re an arthritic Jack Russell terrier called Keith. LIBRA This month after finding out you’re pregnant, you begin inexorably mutating into a two-headed, eightlimbed monster which craves flesh. SCORPIO Uranus has been bleeding since a NASA probe visited it in 2010, and it enters your sign this month. You have my sympathies. SAGITTARIUS Like your sphincter, you tend to relax after a few drinks. CAPRICORN Your technical skills in achieving your fetish goals reach new heights this month when you successfully scuba dive inside a whale’s vagina for a wank.

With Mystic Mark

AQUARIUS Russell Grant’s star sign is Cunt.

PISCES Wanting to move house but lacking funds, you cram each room with enormous quantities of rotting meat and maggots before welding the doors and windows shut. At the helm in your sealed off control room you await the hatching, and before long your home is alive with the cacophonous buzz of forty million bluebottles. The immense lift generated causes the foundations to crack and you whoop with delight as the writhing black engine pops your house from its crater, floating like a brick balloon in the grey Glasgow sky. But no sooner have you left the ground than the pressure gauge alarm sounds and the shuddering door bursts off its hinges unleashing a solid swarm of fizzing hell into the room, instantly smothering you in a crunchy ocean of thick horror. With your skeleton still at the controls the insatiable, sentient death house flies off into the sunset in search of fresh victims.

Shot Of The Month Secret Machines at Brew at the Bog by Ryan Johnston

Spot the Difference

rick question, these are clearly two pictures of the same thing LOL. For your chance to win a copy of Some Rain Must Fall by Michel Faber, courtesy of our pals at Canongate head along to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and tell us what you’re going to miss most about Europe.

Competition closes at midnight on Sun 31 Jul. 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

July 2016

Opinion

Heads Up Compiled by: Kate Pasola

Shit. We’re on the precipice of Fringe. But don’t look down – there’s a whole month left of navigating Scotland’s cultural offerings without being flattened by stampedes of lanyard-wearers. Relish in it.

Tue 28 Jun

Wed 29 Jun

It’s the west coast’s turn to fine tune its cosplay game in time for Glasgow Comic Festival 2016 (not to be confused with Comic Con, which doesn’t arrive in the G-Town until early 2 Jul). Taking place between 28 June and 3 July, the festival involves all your usual panel talks, screenings and workshops, and one event excitingly titled Drink’n’Draw. Kapow! CCA, Glasgow, ticket prices vary

Anderson .Paak’s latest musical output Malibu is dizzying. It’s filled to its 16-track brim with smirky, emotive rap and thrilling trap beats hung on a skeleton of R‘n’B. It’s soulful, blissful and more eastivally indulgent than a cold glass of Sunny D. It is not something you should pass up on the opportunity to see live. You’ve been warned. O2 ABC, Glasgow, 7pm, £12.50 Glasgow Comic Festival

Anderson .Paak

Tue 5 Jul

Wed 6 Jul

We’re edging ever closer to your last chance to catch Borrowed Time at CCA; two moving-image works by artists Karen Kramer and Alice May Williams, developed with funds from the Jerwood Charitable Foundation and FVU. The works engage with the theme of borrowed time and the unsustainability of deferring costs to the future. Get a look while you can. Until 10 Jul, times vary, free

Tonight’s your chance to catch instrumental trio The Dirty Three at Summerhall’s Nothing Ever Happens Here programme. Their songs are sometimes melodic and rhythmic, sometimes freeform, but to quote our Editoral Assistant, also ‘blissfully illustrative of landscapes you've never seen’. He’s also of the opinion that they ‘sound like how deserts look’ (which sounds like it’s a good thing). The Dissection Room, Summerhall, Edinburgh, 8pm, £20-22

Derren Brown hasn't become shit yet – isn't that wonderful? Whether he's just an extremely talented showman, or has actually brainwashed us all into unconditionally supporting his tours, he's still going strong. In fact, his new show Miracle has received some pretty hearty applause, critics-wise – so get yourself down to King's and check it out for yourself. King's Theatre, Glasgow, 4-9 Jul, £30-50

Karen Kramer, The Eye That Articulates Belongs on Land, (2016)

Credit: image courtesy of the artist

Mon 4 Jul

Derren Brown

The Dirty Three

Tue 12 Jul

Wed 13 Jul

Thu 14 Jul

Kennth Branagh Theatre Company's interpretation of the Bard's Romeo and Juliet gets a screening in the velvety quarters of Cameo Cinema this July. Featuring Richard Madden and Lily James as the terribly unfortunate lovers and Sir Derek Jacobi as poor old Mercutio, it's a star-crossed, star-studded treat for the eyes and the soul. P'raps take a tissue. Or seven. Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh, 7.15pm, £15.50-20

The Scottish International Photography Festival (aka Retina) returns, and as part of the affair Out Of The Blue Drill Hall will host an Association of Photographers Awards exhibition featuring the works of over 35 awardwinning artists. The competition is highly regarded by industry pros and is your prime opportunity to catch some banging picture-taking talent. Out Of The Blue Drill Hall, Edinburgh, Until 23 Jul, times vary, free

King Tuts wants you to find your new favourite band. To ease the process, they're hosting Summer Nights, a fortnight-long festival fulla' talent in the Wah Wah Hut. A Golden Ticket gets you access to every single gig, or you can come and go as you damn please. Tonight features The 21st State, Dancing On Tables, Real Life Entertainment, and the FCK YES DJs. King Tuts, Glasgow, 8.30pm, £5-50

Glasgow Women's Library boasts a pure massive selection of zines dating back to the 1990s, and tonight they're celebrating having catalogued the lot – and publishing them online, too. There'll be panel talks from local zine makers, live music, refreshments (fingers crossed for wine) and a mini zine fair where you'll be able to browse the contemporary works of local zine makers. Glasgow Women's Library, Glasgow, 5pm, free

Romeo and Juliet

Credit: Kenneth Branagh Theatre

Mon 11 Jul

Jon Enoch

Tue 19 Jul

Wed 20 Jul

Head The Stand today and catch a Fringe preview from Susie McCabe and Rahul Kohli. McCabe's show discusses her mortal fear and anguish at the prospect of turning into her parents. Kohli's show, Newcastle Brown Male, is a funny-man's look at current affairs and 'the world today'. Monday night sorted. The Stand, Glasgow, 8.30pm, £1-8

Today's your chance to catch acclaimed opera company Raucous Rossini, who formed in order to bring opportunities to perform Italian opera to young musicians, and in turn bring the musical fruits of their work to a wide variety of venues and audiences. The group mainly comprising RCS trained musicians will perform Gioachino Rossini's one-act comedy opera Signor Bruschino, a story of forbidden fraternisation and young love. CCA, Glasgow, 8pm, £7-12

The capital's volcanic party of all things sultry and syncopated Edinburgh Jazz Festival returns for another year from 15-24 Jul. The programme’s too fulsome to detail in a single sentence, but out of today’s offerings we’d seriously recommend ALA. NI at City Art Centre. She’s got vocal chords straight outta the 1940s, with powerful, expressive songs delivered as delicately as sugar glass. City Art Centre, 1.30pm & 7.30pm, £10-13.50

Rahul Kohli

Credit: The Stand

Mon 18 Jul

Tue 26 Jul

Wed 27 Jul

Yes, world’s terrifying at the moment – but here’s hoping the art of satire can save us. Topical Storm return for their monthly show, with Keir McAllister, Vladimir McTavish, Stu Murphy and Mark Nelson whipping up a comedic treat that’s bound to leave you in a lol-stricken state of panic and intellectual elevation. Also at The Stand Edinburgh on 20 Jul. The Stand, Glasgow, 8.30pm, £5-7

Following a tour supporting PAWS, The Spook School are readying for the limelight – and with good reason. Their fuzzy-punk hooks cling to the eardrum on first listen, their beats are ripe for joyful jigging and their lyrics comprise insightful comments on sexuality and gender, delivered with a nonchalant shrug and radical bite. They're something 2016's wailing for. The Glad Café, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £6

Isao Takahata’s handdrawn masterpiece The Tale of the Princess Kaguya gets a screening in Edinburgh today. The work comes from Studio Ghibli, a studio known for films Spirited Away and Ponyo. Centred around a famous Japanese folktale, it’s a breathtaking voyage through topics of heritage, womanhood and divinity. Also screening at GFT on 26 Jul at 8.00pm. Cameo, Edinburgh, 8.30pm, £6-10.50

Topical Storm

Chat

Credit: The Stand

Mon 25 Jul

The Spook School

ALA.NI

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

THE SKINNY

Thu 30 Jun

Fri 1 Jul

Sat 2 Jul

Sun 3 Jul

The weekend’s in sight, you’ve accepted the fate of a Frangover (Friday hangover, duh) but you’re torn about whether to go to a gig or the club. Porque no los dos? Tonight’s the launch of Broadcast’s new dance party Throw Shapes, featuring live tunes from Atom Tree and new resident DJs to kick off a welcome streak of indie shindiggery. Broadcast, Glasgow, 9pm, free

With a little luck, you’ll be reading this while bathing in blazing sun, outdoors, with a beer in hand. If so, we’ll bet you’re in the mood for some sunny, sunny reggae tonight. If we’ve succeeding in the task of reading your mind (god knows we try), head over to a show from U Roy (aka The Originator), powered by Messenger Sound System. Studio 24, Edinburgh, 8pm, £16-20

Kick off your afternoon with Edinburgh's Pride march at 1pm, then mosey on down to Leith's lovely Prilig Church Hall tonight and imbibe more than your fair share of summertime entertainment courtesy of the Neu! Reekie! gang. Our May cover star LAW (aka the achingly cool Lauren Holt) will be in attendance, along with Rebecca Perry, Alan Bissett and bunches more besides. Prilig Church Hall, Edinburgh, £6-8

Sparklingly batshit festival Kelburn Garden Party returns to the glen this year with yet another scintillating programme. In classic Kelburn style, there's a truly eclectic music line-up featuring everyone from Haitus Kaiyote to Trembling Bells, Admiral Fallow to Denis Sulta, alongside live theatre, art installations, waterfall plunge pools, cruises and family attractions. Kelburn Castle, Kelburn, 1-4 Jul, £25-114

U Roy

Atom Tree

Neu Reekie!

Trembling Bells

Fri 8 Jul

Sat 9 Jul

Sun 10 Jul

If access to 170 real ales all under one roof (or outdoors, weather-permitting), cider and perry from across the Scottish spectrum and a roster of folk and pipe music sounds like your kinda thing, you're in luck this month. The Real Ale Festival returns to the 'Burgh between 7-9 Jul for another year of bubbly, brewing-based banter. Cheers to that. Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, 7-9 Jul, 12-10.30pm, £4-6

When was the last time you saw some actually impressive magic? Not recently enough, we'll bet. Luckily, that's something you can address via Edinburgh International Magic Festival, which rolls into town on 1 Jul and sticks around until its finale gala on 8 Jul at Festival Theatre. More illusions, trickery and more recently-disappeared-rabbits than you can shake a wand at. Ta-dah! Venues across Edinbugh; times, dates and prices vary.

Edinburgh Printmakers hop aboard the summer fair train this July with their very own Printmakers Market, filling up their Union Street premises with local artists and crafters flaunting prints, books, paintings, zines, ceramics, textiles and various other miscellany. And if all that shopping leaves you peckish, you can always head on over to The Manna House Bakery's stall for something to tide you over... Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh, 11am-5pm, free.

2016 is the year of Scottish architecture and design, in case you've been living under a (beautifully carved) rock for the last six months. That in mind, a group of architects, photographers, engineers, visual artists, curators and musicians have united to complement the Festival of Architecture with its very own Architechture Fringe, featuring exhibitions, architect-led tours of Edinburgh, events and projects from 1-10 Jul. Venues, times and prices vary

The Real Ale Festival

Fri 15 Jul ^

Vanessa Boyd

Sat 16 Jul ^

The riotous VODUN are completely, completely unique. Lead up front by the staggeringly talented Oya, they take soulful melodies, set them atop apocalyptic, combative rock and wrap their hearer’s ears in the sounds of fire and battle. They’re passionate to divine levels and are known to deliver incredible, outrageous live shows. If you can’t make the gig, at the very least make them part of your playlist. Broadcast, Glasgow, 7pm, £7

Fancy a little live music and outdoor carnivalling, New Orleans style? Well you're in luck, with the likes of Criterion Brass Band, St. Aidan's Swing Band, James Brown Is Annie and Charlotte Marshall & The 45s all flocking to Edinburgh's Mardi Gras on the Grassmarket today. On an unrelated note, does anyone else feel like they've missed an opportunity for an excellent pun here? The Grassmarket, Edinburgh, 1pm, free

^ ^ VODUN

Credit: Robb McRae

Thu 7 Jul

Sun 17 Jul Glasgow's vibrant Mela returns for another year, setting up camp at Kelvingrove park for a day-long jubilation of the city's multiculturalism and diversity. As per, there'll be local and global talent, with a headline show from Lehmber Hussainpuri and sets from Asad Abbas and the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band. And, of course, there'll be all the usual dancing, acrobatics, illusions and international fare. Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, 12, free

Mela

Charlotte Marshall

Thu 21 Jul

Sat 23 Jul

Sun 24 Jul

Catch-net for cinematic outcasts that they are, Matchbox Cineclub have yet another gem in store to mark their debut at a new location of CCA. July’s screening is a truly topical choice – Maurice Hatton’s 1978 work Long Shot, which is set and filmed at Edinburgh Film Festival, and satirises the trials and tribulations of indie filmmaking. A treat for any lens boffins. CCA, Glasgow, 7pm, £4

Edinburgh International Fashion Festival turns four this year, strutting into the city with what we’re hoping will be a programme more polished than a pair of brand new Blahniks. If last year’s anything to go by, there’ll be symposiums, exhibits, shows and workshops hosted by innovative venues across the city. Keep an eye on their website for up-to-date listings. 21-24 Jul, various venues across Edinburgh, times, dates and prices vary

If you’re anything like our Food & Drink editor, the trend of assigning days of recognition to every single beverage, foodstuff and inanimate object under the sun will probably enrage you (go to p43 for more on that). But guys. C’mon. It’s National Tequila Day! Go celebrate with shots, nachos and margaritas at the likes of Taco Mazama, Bodega, El Cartel, Illegal Jack’s (the list goes on...).

Fri 22 Jul

Maurice Hatton, Long Shot, (1978)

Here’s a thing you never thought you’d marry together – beer and doughnuts. But, to quote Duke’s Corner, who’re proudly hosting a Doughnut and Beer Weekend this month, if Homer could do it, why can’t we? Potentially not the most responsible of philosophies to apply to life, but when they're offering us Krispy Kremes expertly paired with beers, we’re inclined to let ’em off. Duke’s Corner, Dundee, 22-24 Jul, all day

Saskia de Brauw for EIFF

Batanga Cocktail

Fri 29Jul

Sat 30 Jul

Sun 31 Jul

Coffee boffins – this one’s for you. Sit in on Coffee Loves Milk, a tasting and discussion event in which Dear Green Coffee Roasters supply the beans, West Mossgiel Farm brings the milk and Slow Food Youth Network Scotland bring the chat. Learn about coffee, milk, and their wildly differing histories (and get caffeinated to your eyeballs while you’re at it). CCA, Glasgow, 11am, free

Cultural overachiever that this blessed country is, we also boast the UK’s largest annual visual art festival. Between 28 Jul-28 Aug, Edinburgh Art Festival brings a blissfully bustling programme to Edina. Top of your to-do list: Ciara Phillips’ Dazzle Ship. It’s designed with the lesser known histories of women in the WW1 in mind, it’s 239 ft long and it’s fucking fantastic. Prince of Wales Dock, Edinburgh, until 28 Aug, free

Clowns! Bet you’ve forgot how much you like clowns (unless you’re coulrophobic, in which case, sorry for reminding you of their existence). Plutôt La Vie Theatre Company and CloWnStePPinG bring their collaborative Clown Cabaret Scratch Night to Tron Theatre, with a roster of talented merry-makers including Andrew Simpson, Ronan McMahon and Melanie Jordan. Tron, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £5

The good ship Sub Club’s been renovated – hooray! So, first things first, it goes without saying that you should get yourself over and raise a glass to the glorious new interior. Your prime opportunity comes in the form of a bank holiday Sensu bash featuring Eats Everything and Denis Sulta. Sub Club, Glasgow, 11pm-4am, £15

Ciara Phillips’ Dazzle Ship

July 2016

Credit: Ross Frazer McLean

Thu 28 Jul

Clown Cabaret Scratch Night

Eats Everything

Chat

Almost Gold The Lapelles are five hard-working youngsters from East Kilbride who are already commanding the attention of London’s music industry. We retrace their appeal to a certain new town mentality Interview: Chris McCall Photography: Kate Johnson

t's a feel good story that even Bill Forsyth would be proud of. Four years ago, Gary Watson was a 16-year-old busker playing acoustic covers in a retail centre close to his family home in East Kilbride – his only audience being shoppers that briefly set down their carrier bags. But last month, Watson and his band, The Lapelles, were paid to support the very bands he once covered as a starry-eyed teenager. You can imagine such a tale delighting Forsyth. The director of Gregory's Girl, the 1981 coming-of-age-classic set in Cumbernauld, did much to mythologise Scotland's new towns as places of boundless potential. They were communities where young families could escape the post-industrial blight of cities like Glasgow and settle down to raise a family in solid, semi-detached homes with parks and schools a short walk away. It seems fitting that a young five-piece indie pop band on the verge of success

Feature

– four of them are still in their teens – would hail from a new town like East Kilbride. When The Skinny meets two of them for a Tuesday afternoon pint, they exude all the excitement you would expect of a group who were little known outside of their home town just six months ago. We're here to talk about their much-anticipated gigs at T in the Park and King Tut's Summer Nights, and all things EK. Looking remarkably fresh-faced after a month of near-constant touring are Watson, lead vocalist and one of two guitarists in the band, and Chris Ballantyne, keyboard player and the most recent recruit to the cause. The missing trio – Leon Green, Jack Anderson and Jamie Holmes – are otherwise engaged with the kind of tasks you have to put on hold when travelling the UK in a van with only a few amps for company. So lads, how does it feel to be touring with the likes of Alex Turner? “It was a weird

experience to suddenly be playing shows of that scale,” says Ballantyne of their recent Last Shadow Puppets support slots, with admirable understatement. “I think as a band we were surprised at how well we've handled it.” Watson grins. “We're more used to playing venues the size of Stereo or Broadcast. Going from that to playing a 2000-capacity theatre was a bit daunting at first. But as you go through it, you get the hang of it. It's more space on stage than we're used to, especially as a five-piece.” The Lapelles were formed at the tail-end of 2012 when Watson, who had been writing songs since his mid-teens, decided he wanted to flesh out his musical ideas with others. “I used to go busking at East Kilbride Shopping Centre when I was about 16 and played songs by the likes of The View and Last Shadow Puppets. It would have been unbelievable then to think in four years’ time I would be playing shows with them. At the time, I was writing a lot of my own songs, but by the time I was 18 I decided I wanted to start a band. I met Leon at a party, and we got Jack and Jamie in shortly after that. We were a four-piece for about a year before Chris joined. When he came on board, it gave us a much better idea of how we wanted to sound.” The group have since secured a heavyweight management deal with the same London agency that looks after the likes of the Arctic Monkeys, and record labels are reportedly dispatching A&R reps to predict just how massive this band have the potential to be. So why all the hype? That can be partly answered by The Lapelles’ new single, Grab Life By, which has all the youthful exuberance you could want from a break-out track. “You've lost that magic feeling,” croons Watson, sounding a lot like a young Roddy Frame, a fellow East Kilbride export. “Oh girl, you've lost your way.” It's the kind of song teenagers will fall in love to, a track to melt the cynicism of any jaded music fan who thought they'd heard it all. When listening to The Lapelles, it's hard to imagine one of the most toxic political campaigns in modern UK history is taking place outside. The single is a timely reminder that pop music can transport us

MUSIC

to a more positive place, one far removed from the bitter sloganeering of Farage or Gove. But that's not to say that the Lapelles’ world is all sweetness and light. While Bill Forsyth helped create the positive impression of Scottish new towns in the 1980s, it was another East Kilbride band who offered up the flip side; boredom, alienation and general youthful frustration at being stuck miles from the city. The story of how the Reid brothers formed The Jesus and Mary Chain in their shared bedroom and changed the history of alt-rock seemingly by accident is well-known. When Jim and William can bear to be in each other's company for a few hours, the JAMC still play shows which are rapturously received around the world. Unsurprisingly, their legacy hangs heavy over the East Kilbride music scene to this day.

“ It's weird to come off tour and sit in the house for three days” Gary Watson

The Lapelles share the Reids’ love of perfect three-chord melodies, if not the screaming feedback of their debut. “The original drummer from the Mary Chain works in a hairdressers across the road from my work,” Watson explains with the relish of a die-hard fan. “He's in another band now – they're meant to be pretty good. Even when you see old photoshoots they did around town, it can inspire you. The album cover from Darklands is actually one of the old factories in East Kilbride.” Another, more sinister, link with the town's past also inspired The Lapelles’ debut single, Seventeen. Its title is a reference to the age of Anne Kneilands when she was found bludgeoned to death on an East Kilbride golf course

THE SKINNY

A New Hope (or 5) The T Break tent is the place every up-and-coming band in Scotland wants to be come July. But who are the pick of the acts booked to play Strathallan this month? Let us be your guide Words: Chris McCall

Sweaty Palms

F in 1956. Two years later, the infamous serial killer Peter Manuel finally admitted he was responsible. Manuel killed at least eight people in a reign of terror across the west of Scotland in the late 1950s. He became the second-last man to be hanged in Glasgow following his conviction in 1958. “With East Kilbride, from an outsiders’ perspective, it's a nice, friendly town,” Watson says. “But when you dig deeper there's a lot of doors left unopened. Not a lot of people in the town are aware Manuel's first murder took place there.” Ballantyne agrees. “It's such a wrapped-in-cotton-wool place you don't think that kind of thing could ever happen there. Everything about the town is so recent – that's what can be scary about it.” It is only now, almost 60 years later, that Manuel's crimes are being discussed outside

of cheap true-crime paperbacks. In the same week The Skinny meets the band, the Scottish Government announced it would help bankroll a new ITV drama inspired by the murderer, with filming due to get underway this summer. The Lapelles’ interest in Manuel is not morbid, but rather stems from an understandable desire to place their modern home town in a wider historical context. The group clearly hold East Kilbride in a lot of affection. Each of the quintet still lives there, and view it as a handy base for gigs in Glasgow and further afield. “The music scene is great here,” Watson insists. “There are loads of really good bands – like Between Mockingbirds – but then it's such a small community, and you're only half an hour from Glasgow on the train, so you pretty much end up basing yourself in Glasgow. The first place we played was The Arts

Centre in town, and we've had a great support network from day one. A lot of our friends turned out for our first show and it's grown from there. They didn't know any of our stuff but they still wanted to support us.” “We've never imagined doing anything else other than making music,” Watson continues. “We have that shared mindset, all working together. All we've done for the past month is play gigs. It's been great to step out of our comfort zone. It's weird to come off tour and sit in the house for three days.” Next up for The Lapelles is an appearance at T in the Park on Sunday, 10 July at the festival's celebrated T Break stage. While it's their first venture to T as a band, they are by no means strangers to the event. Ballantyne had such a good time at last year's festival he ended up falling and breaking his arm. The very recollection of this event sends Watson into howls of laughter, but his bandmate opts not to elaborate further. “This will be our first proper festival in Scotland,” he says, tactfully changing the subject. “We've done a few multi-venue festivals, but this will be our first in a tent in a field. A lot of bands we like, such as The Van Ts and Sweaty Palms, are already on the bill. It should be a lot of fun.” The following Saturday, the five-piece will be back at King Tut's for the venue's Summer Season. It will be their first show in the city since May and one they are treating as a homecoming after a hectic month of gigging across the UK. “This is our first time headlining Tut's,” grins Watson. “I think it will be like a homecoming show, it's the one we want everyone to be at. It's the weekend after T so we're sure there will still be a party atmosphere.” It would mark a fitting final scene for a coming-of-age film about the remarkable rise of a Scottish indie pop band from a new town. The Lapelles play T in the Park on 10 Jul and King Tut's, Glasgow, on 16 Jul Playing Electric Fields, Drumlanrig Castle, 26-27 Aug www.thelapelles.com

July 2016

MUSIC

orget the lengthy queues out of Strathallan Estate which marred last year’s festival for many revellers. After years of hassle-free events, the T organisers can be allowed some slack to deal with teething problems caused by flitting a mammoth rave-up to a brand new site. Instead, focus your attentions on five of the best rising acts booked to play at this month’s shindig. Because if there’s one thing the festival has consistently done well over the years, it’s choosing the finest young acts in the land to grace the hallowed T Break stage. Certain to ramp up the perspiration levels are Glasgow garage rockers Sweaty Palms. This four piece pride themselves on playing all killa’, no filla’ sets which invariably see at least two or more members of the group going taps aff. With songs as beguiling as Captain of the Rugby Team – choice lyric: “I can’t stress enough, how much I want to be a man” – the Sweats are guaranteed to woo you with a combination of charm and unbeatable fuzz riffs. Playing the remote corners of Scotland is nothing new to brothers Jacob and Rory Green, who perform as JR Green. The duo hail from the village of Strontian in north-west Lochaber and were signed up to Claire Mackay’s Hits The Fan Records last year – the same label that released none other than Frightened Rabbit’s debut LP. The Greens unveiled their Bring the Witch Doctor EP last year and it’s still winning over new fans. Describing themselves as making “big sounds from little Scotland” are Foreignfox, a five-piece post rock explosion from Dunfermline who are also capable of writing a fine line on the human condition. They’ve already stormed Wickerman, and the Foxes look capable of making the step-up to Scotland’s biggest festival. Another stick-on for bringing the noise to Strathallan are Bloodliners, a Glasgow-based quartet who some might notice take inspiration from a major international act with strong links to T in the P – did anyone mention Biffy Clyro? This ecstatic, guitar-driven group already have a sizeable following and a sound that can surely travel. Rounding off our T picks is Mt. Doubt, a project by Edinburgh-based songwriter Leo Bargery whose dark pop has won comparisons with everyone from The National to The Twilight Sad. Expect to hear some choice cuts from his sophomore album, In Awe of Nothing, once he finds his way through Auchterarder.

Feature

Hot Topics With her health restored, Kathleen Hanna spoke to us about the return of The Julie Ruin. But with our interview taking place just days after the tragic events in Orlando, and the outcry over the Brock Turner sentencing, music was – for once – sidelined

“O

h, I don’t know where to start,” says Kathleen Hanna. “All those letters of support – I couldn’t even make it through them. I have no doubt as to how this happened after reading the parents’ letters. How many other excuses have they made for this kid to get to excusing him for rape? I know that if it was my kid, I’d want him prosecuted, despite my best efforts to raise him correctly.” She pauses, exasperated. “I mean, the name Brock – it just makes him sound like this ridiculous rich, white guy. You could not have a better poster child for date rape.” Another pause. “Though I don’t know how you go on a date with someone when they’re unconscious.” It’s mid-June and Kathleen Hanna is at home in New York. It’s two weeks since Stanford freshman Brock Turner was sentenced to just six months in jail for the sexual assault of an unconscious woman. The judge in the case, Aaron Persky, ignored the jury and chose to believe Turner’s assertion that his victim gave consent. In her moving 7,000-word statement to the court during sentencing, the victim addressed Turner and began: “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.” And she ended with: “To girls everywhere, I am with you.” An online petition to remove Persky from his position has received over a million signatures. Hanna is incensed. “I really think it has to do with little more than white men and their sense of entitlement. And when they don’t get what they want, they just start blaming everyone around them because they don’t know how to take personal responsibility. Which is exactly what happened here.” Hanna is at the start of a promotional campaign for the second album by her band The Julie Ruin, the excellent Hit Reset. Now largely recovered from the lengthy bout of Lyme disease that saw her withdraw from public performance in

2005, and subsequently cut short touring for the band’s debut in 2014, the Bikini Kill and Le Tigre founder is looking forward to promoting the new record. But events have overtaken us, and cruelly. Just three days before we speak, Omar Hateen had walked into Orlando nightclub Pulse – a long-standing fixture of the local LGBT scene – and shot and killed 49 people. The shock waves are still reverberating. “My heart is just absolutely broken,” says Hanna. “Watching it all unfold on the news and watching the whole ‘now we’re going to call it terrorism’ and then ‘now we’re going to call it a hate crime’ – the fact is, someone walked into a bar and murdered 49 members of the LGBT community, and we need to at least acknowledge that this wasn’t a random event. “This was a hate crime on a massive scale,” she continues. “Whether it’s a domestic thing because he was American – and I don’t even know if he religiously practised or not but we’ll throw in the ISIS thing, which is bullshit, right, to divert attention? I mean, the day before, a female singer was shot in Orlando [The Voice contestant, Cristina Grimmie, was killed during an autograph session after a show] as well. People not being allowed to see their partners and their friends in the hospital because they weren’t married to them. Gay people not allowed to give blood. Here’s a moment when everybody wants to help – not just members of the LGBT community, but everyone. Jesus Christ – what a slap in the face to have someone come down and want to give their blood to people in hospital and to then be rejected because you’re gay. As you know, places where marginalised people meet are few and far between, and I hate the fact that gay people, trans people, lesbians, every time they go to a bar, they have to look over their shoulder. Cos that’s what this kind of shit does. It makes you scared to live your life. It’s really, really sad and it’s been hard not to think about it every second.”

Orlando, of course, is merely the latest in a series of gun-related murders in the US. “Absolutely,” continues Hanna. “We just had a kid walk into a church and murder a bunch of people [white supremacist Dylann Roof killed nine church-goers in Charleston last year]. This is ongoing in our country. My mother’s partner of 40 years was shot in Arizona at a ‘Congress on Your Corner’ event where Gabby Giffords was shot. [Democrat Giffords survived an assassination attempt by Jared Loughner in Tucson in 2011, which saw six others die]. And he was at Kent State in 1970! So we’re starting to see people and families who’ve experienced more than just one of these shootings. That’s insane. And the thing that I don’t want to get distracted from is: gay bashing and hate crimes happen every day. The day to day slowburn of hostility, of racism and sexism and homophobia – people are being murdered. And we’re supposed to be a beacon of freedom?” With the US still clinging on to its right to bear arms, it makes you wonder what it would actually take to finally prick the broader public consciousness. “Oh, seriously, I can’t imagine going into an old people’s home and killing 200 people being enough. It’s just a lot of talk and nobody changes anything. People are dying. Why wouldn’t you, as a gun manufacturer, be willing to take a hit and be cool, to help this not happen any more? I don’t get it, apart from the fact that we live in a greedy, capitalist culture. I much prefer socialism and I much prefer being in Britain, where there are barely any guns.” We explore it further, and Hanna’s clearsighted reason is, as ever, inarguable. But there is new music to talk about and we move on. A quarter-century since she began her musical career, Hanna is still making music that is challenging and invigorating. Hit Reset smartly mixes personal confession with unflinching social commentary. A highlight is Mr So and So, a

Interview: Gary Kaill pointed take-down of the shark-eyed, cameratoting gig perv (a permanent fixture on the front barrier of any female act’s show these days). “Oh yeah. Disgusting. I hate that,” agrees Hanna. “But it’s not just the sleazy guy at the show, it’s all the underhanded compliments. You know, ‘You play good for a girl.’ So obvious. And situations where the guy comes backstage with his girlfriend but she doesn’t talk and he tells me she’s a fan.” You get that? “Yeah! And the guy never says he’s a fan. ‘Can you autograph this so she’ll be impressed and know I met you?’ This happens so many times and I’m sure many of these guys have good intentions but so often, they do patronise me. Kind of patting me on the head and like, ‘It’s really nice what you’re doing.’” “Festivals, too. I understand that we’re not a huge band but I’m always the last person invited to a panel discussion. At the last minute. Because they realise there are no women on the panel. Or no feminists on the panel. No one talks about sexual harassment in the work place, either, and then during ‘women’s month’, women get to go to sexual harassment training and the guys get to sit at their desks while we’re told not to wear certain clothes. I hear these stories all the time. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, so I’ve seen it a thousand times. These are experiences female musicians have been having forever.”

“ The day to day slowburn of hostility, of racism and sexism and homophobia – people are being murdered. And we’re supposed to be a beacon of freedom?” Kathleen Hanna

Credit: Shervin Lainez

WIth months of touring to come, Hanna and her band arrive here in December. For her devout UK audience, a full Julie Ruin tour can’t come soon enough. But still, selflessness lies at the heart of her art. “Well, I’m a lot better now, so I’m just working to get strong for the tour,” she says. “You know, writing songs about rape and murder and domestic violence – really fun stuff like that – is one thing, but I still haven’t dealt with much of my childhood, which was pretty abusive and awful. So, I just wanted to tell the truth on this record. I’m sick of hiding stuff, being made to feel that it’s not proper dinner conversation. Because I think there are more people who might relate to my life, and growing up with an abusive father, than who grew up in a totally happy, safe, loving family. And that’s what’s really important.” Hit Reset is released via Hardly Art on 8 Jul. Playing Manchester Gorilla on 4 Dec; Leeds Brudenell Social Club on 5 Dec and Glasgow Art School on 6 Dec thejulieruin.com

Feature

MUSIC

THE SKINNY

July 2016

THE SKINNY

Destiny’s Child Interview: Ben Venables

Credit: Kristian Dowling

Luisa Omielan comes back to the Fringe with a book and two dates at the EICC. Is she still the same ‘free festival girl?’

“W

e’re the same age,” says Luisa Omielan, about her hero Beyoncé, “but when she was 21 she was selling out arenas, while I was drinking Bacardi Breezers in Wetherspoons.” Fast-forward to their late 20s: Beyoncé was in control of her international fame, but Omielan was back at her mum’s trying to unclog shit from a toilet with a stick. But it was then that Omielan had a change of attitude. Even beside this universal throne, she could ask, ‘What would Beyoncé do?’ “As a role model I think she is superb. I still think, ‘What would Beyoncé do?’ because it helps me have that confidence in myself. In February, I played the Kentish Town Forum – I hired that myself. It’s a 600-seater and I sold it out.” Back in 2012, Omielan arrived at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to perform her debut hour What Would Beyoncé Do?!. Now she returns to the Fringe with the same show – only this time she isn’t performing in an upstairs pub closet, but to a room with 20 times the capacity. Although this is the WWBD’s fourth ‘victory lap’ in Edinburgh, having run for five years, 2016 is special for Omielan as the show now has a companion book. (And that’s without mentioning Omielan’s hit sequel show Am I Right Ladies?!, which also returns for its third Fringe outing since it powered into the Counting House Ballroom in 2014.) Omielan wasn’t initially keen on adapting her rapturous debut from the stage into a book. A publisher accosted her after a gig and tried to persuade her that it would help What would Beyoncé do?! reach more people. “I was all, ‘No, thank you, I have no intention of writing a book,’” she says. “But then she said, ‘We would pay you,’ and offered £3,000. So, I was like, ‘Okay.’” It’s said with humour, but Omielan isn’t the

July 2016

type of artist to become shy when she talks of money and ambition. “I’m just more honest about it,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to be rich and famous, but I think some comics are scared of what everybody thinks – or how they come across. It’s exhausting, because anyone with half a brain... If I just wanted to be rich and famous I could’ve done Big Brother 12 years ago, or had sex with a footballer and sold the story.” Instead, Omielan’s ambition is of the kind that simply desires to make a living through her work: “I want to be able to buy my own flat off the back of doing my own shows, I want to be able to stop renting and afford my lifestyle. It’s a long slog and it’s hard. I’m still renting, I don’t have any savings – and I’ve had some stupidly successful shows.”

" If I just wanted to be rich and famous I could've done Big Brother 12 years ago" Luisa Omielan

Despite symbolising the Fringe Dream, of becoming an overnight star, Omielan can add some home truths about the festival’s economics: “Last year at Edinburgh my ticket sales generated £15,000 and I got paid £1,800 – and I was lucky. Many people don’t get that. It’s like that for the rest of the year too. I’ve generated a lot of money for ticket sales,

but I’ll be lucky if I have a tenth of those sales.” That ambition is also driven by a relentless work-ethic: “I put on the show, and I previewed it and I previewed it and I previewed it: I was like a one woman machine. I think I’m still that now – I still feel like the same free festival girl, it’s just things are on a bigger scale. I still have to work just as hard as I did then. Everything I’ve achieved has been off the back of word-of-mouth.” Writing has allowed Omielan the space to cover both the live show and the whole Fringe experience: “The book is the story of the show, but it’s also the story of before and after. It’s a story of how I got previews, gigging and about the people who said no. It’s the story of Edinburgh.” On the parts which overlap with the stage version, she adds, “I’m a bit nervous because it’s not like live shows. With live shows it’s easy to say things in an intonation that people understand, but it’s hard to get that same intonation on the page across.” “However, I’m sure it won’t be for everybody. I talk a lot about the industry and Edinburgh; how it can be quite daunting and stressful. But overall I think the moral of the story is: just do it anyway. It’s always going to be hard, but the reward is having a show that gives you a feeling you can’t replicate anywhere else in the world.” What Edinburgh has done for Omielan doesn’t happen for many, we suggest. “No, it doesn’t... The main problem is that the industry has too much clout over it, and they fiddle and they meddle, and everything they want their acts to have, I had to get organically. The true spirit of the Fringe is where audiences come and see art and experience something, and without the Fringe they may not have otherwise had access to that art – and the artist wouldn’t have the opportunity.” She also remembers that four years ago,

COMEDY

free shows were perceived to be of inferior quality when compared to their paid counterparts: “Many agents were snobby about it, whereas now many want to put acts on at the Free Fringe.” For Omielan there was no plan to storm the city with an arsenal of agents, promotors and propagandists. “No-one was trying to get me gigs,” she says. “Edinburgh seemed the only place where I could play and perform – where I could just book it and do it. When it came to my show there was no other option but to do it on the free festival. And, I thought, ‘If I can get a nice couple of reviews and some audiences, I’ll be delighted.’ That was my game plan. “I was so pleased that I did the free festival and proved that you don’t need a big team behind you,” she says. “What you need it is a lot of hard work and a really good show that will do its thing.” Her performances today retain many of the features she had to adopt in a small and free festival venue. “All the little cute things that happen in the show came from that. For example, I always start the show on stage with music playing as the audience comes into the venue, and that came from the free festival because I had to set up the room, put the music on and clear the glasses. Now I don’t do a show unless I’m on stage when the audience come in. I love that it’s been very grassroots and that it’s the audience that have built it. No one has made me, it’s not because I’ve been on TV that I’ve got this big room. “It’s an Edinburgh show,” she adds, and because it largely grew on audience recommendation, “I think it was built in the truest form.” Luisa Omielan: What Would Beyoncé Do?!, out 14 Jul, published by Century Luisa Omielan: What Would Beyoncé Do?!, EICC (Pentland auditorium), 26-27 Aug, 9.30pm, £17.50 www.iloveluisa.com

Feature

Where Do We Come From? ‘Indescribable’ is Geoff Dyer's trademark term. Ranked among Alain De Botton's favourite contemporary writers and dubbed ‘the best living writer in Britain’ by the Telegraph, his new book captures literal and metaphorical travels with irascible wit Interview: Alan Bett

alking with Geoff Dyer could be kind of intimidating. He's written feature length books on D.H. Lawrence and John Berger. His award-winning criticism tackled Sontag and Fitzgerald. Then again, that obsession with Lawrence is matched by those of doughnuts, cappucinnos and croissants. “The croissant is sort of a lost cause now,” he states, late in our conversation, lamenting its loss like the fall of Rome or the death of disco. So, what to expect? Well, punctuality, of course. A trait claimed throughout his work. And while his writing often separates truth from fiction with a permeable membrane, his hero Berger suggested: ‘To separate fact and imagination, event and feeling, protagonist and narrator, is to stay on dry land and never put to sea.’ He provides stone cold proof of his timekeeping by calling in from LA at our agreed 5pm, proclaiming, “I'm ready,” before the clock can edge to a minute past. Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? was the original title of Dyer's new book. “Yeah, that's right,” he confirms. “Right up until the last moment, in the teeth of considerable opposition from my publishers in the US, I was insisting on calling it after the Gauguin painting.” (Whose epic themes dominate the book's first section, and in many ways all after.) Perhaps it was overlong for a work which also sports the subtitle Experiences from the Outside World. The marketing department would surely be pissed with something which barely fits on the cover. “I've never felt it was my job in life to make my publishers happy,” he replies only in partial jest, a claim his unconventional backlist testifies to.The new book however, is now titled White Sands.

Where Does He Come From?

Born in Cheltenham in 1958 to a sheet metal worker father and school dinner lady mother, Dyer is a working class intellectual who grew up in a house “without books and serious music and all that kind of stuff.” Yet his academic destination was Oxford. Returning to the family home one day, his parents presented him with a cake iced into the shape of a book, with his college name, Corpus Christi, emblazoned across it. ‘It seems the proudest thing in the world – and the saddest,’ he admits in his essay On Being an Only Child, frustration bubbling from the cultural void expanding between them; tempered, however, by his unconditional love. But this upbringing made possible “the thrill of the sense of transformation, of discovery… So I'm glad that I hadn't had all the riches of the world's culture spoon fed to me at an early age.” Dyer admits his absolute passivity in the academic process which enabled him. He simply passed exams. “I was sort of pulled really, just pulled along by the invisible, imperceptible escalator of the English educational system. It's just so incredible looking back on that, the fact that it was all free!” So he's always offered full credit to this post-war system, intended to lift working class kids into higher education. Our most recent general election results, he feels, will inherently diminish this essential ingredient

Feature

of social mobility. “Oh my god. It's great for Scotland but a disaster for England. It's something that Scotland can be really proud of, trying to cling on to what is a nearly obsolete idea of affordable education.” The offending agent is obvious to him: “The existence of public schools in Britain is one of the most egregious things for continuing social inequality.”

“ It's not like I was ever doing it as some anarchist, teenage ‘fuck you’ manifesto kind of thing”

Credit: Rebecca Wilson

Geoff Dyer

What Is He?

With his refusal to conform to literary norms, Dyer is in many ways a contrarian. But contrary to, say, that lauded contrarian Christopher Hitchens, not in the antagonistic arsehole fashion. Which perhaps makes him more contrary still. He is a man who, in White Sands, punctures the bubbles of pretention around Gauguin and Theodor Adorno, while simultaneously blowing his own. If you read certain of Dyer's sentences in isolation his words can form into intellectual vapour, or the salt of the earth. And like Adorno, who Dyer proclaims a ‘badge author’ – someone he once chose as a Guardian book pick, to “egotistically advertise myself as someone who read Adorno” – it is also flattering to be caught reading Dyer on the train; intellectual brownie points. But there's a bone to pick regarding Teddy Adorno, a man who railed against popular music and its interchangeable parts. “Oh yeah?” Dyer questions. Revisiting his work on White Sand's recommendation, I admit to promptly tying myself in knots. “Ha,” he laughs, “it really is pretty intense.” Demonstrating the necessity of making him palatable. “When somebody is so unremittingly, unrelentlessly serious like that there's always going to be scope for comedy.” This same voice was adopted for Zona, Dyer's masterful retelling of the Russian film Stalker. “It's something I became really conscious of in the Tarkovsky book. Here's this film director treated with such seriousness and reverence. One of the important discoveries for me was that reverence as an analytical tool and as an investigative mechanism or tone is kind of worthless really. When you're being reverential, all you can do is revere.” While Dyer's published criticism is admired for that purpose, his writing can rarely be so easily compartmentalised. As he quotes from Don Paterson in an essay on Sontag: ‘Well, critic: fair criticism. But at the end of the day, she did; you didn't.’ Dyer does. The ‘glum majesty’ (Mark Cousins’ term) of Stalker simply

offers reference points along Dyer's meandering cultural journey, bursting notions of genre inside-out like popcorn. The book has a touch as light as the film's is heavy. “It's been one of the fun things for me,” he says, “writing and discovering forms that are appropriate to the subject. But it's not like I was ever doing it as some anarchist, teenage ‘fuck you’ manifesto kind of thing.” The thing to remember amongst all this worthy highbrow subject matter is that Dyer is funny, his ever-evident humour allowing the reader to overlook the fact that he's a celebrated academic. Surely the most backhanded of compliments? And there are more. In quickfire fashion I shoot well-worn accusations his way. His slacker tag: “Never really made much sense to me because that always felt like an American import. Also, during the so-called slacking years I was always quite industrious.” The irritable Englishman abroad: “At the risk of replicating the irritability of which I'm accused, it's incredibly irritating that people can mention that without mentioning in the same breath that it's funny.” Then the most damning accusation, from Zadie Smith, of being a national treasure: “Ha, yeah. That should be inter-national. It's just got such a weary, old, dusty crown jewels kinda feel to it. Something nobody bothers visiting.”

Where Is He Going?

We approach his unwritten masterwork, tackling his obsession, which elicits a giggle. “That's right, Great Pastries of the World: A Personal View… the key to all mythologies, which would demand so much research it's unfinishable.” Sadly, his practical research has been curtailed, those beloved doughnuts denied him since a minor stroke in 2014; its effects described to his wife in White Sands as ‘well trippy’. As a qualified dabbler in drug taking, he can compare it to a narcotic experience with accuracy. “That's right, it really was,” he exclaims, describing his brain struggling to cope with this adjustment. “Isn't it the case, that quite often with psychedelics it's the brain rerouting itself or whatever? So that's pretty

BOOKS

much what was going on there. It was a very strange experience, strange and very interesting, and at the time incredibly scary.” This all took place in LA, the city Dyer now calls home – one he approaches twice in White Sands through the off-piste subject matter of the Watts Towers and, of course, Adorno and his fellow German intellectual emigrants fleeing Nazism in the 30s (the squabbling expat community of Adorno, Thomas Mann, Bertold Brecht et al comes across as the most surreal but wonderful sitcom pitch). They viewed LA as America in its purest form, a crystal ball view of capitalism's future ‘unaware of the peculiarities that made it exceptional rather than representative.’ Dyer finds life there incredibly nice, what with the weather and opportunity to pursue his love of tennis. It's also offered closer inspection of those aforementioned peculiarities.“It's funny, LA. Because it's so vast and sprawling, one leads a life that is inherently ghettoised in the sense that everybody likes to stay in their neighbourhoods. I think it's something that's very specific to America really. There's rough bits of London obviously, but I can't remember there ever being a part you really wouldn't go to; that sort of segregation that's so much a part still of American cities.” We recall a conversation in William Shaw's book Westsiders, where although trapped within the world's most cosmopolitan population, an aspiring South Central rapper has no idea what a cappuccino is, what the froth is made of. In place of Writer in Residence at The University of Southern California, we discuss Dyer being drafted in to teach such a course. “I'm a world expert on that,” he laughs. “The Cappuccino situation here. I could give you an up-to-date report?” White Sands is out 30 Jun, published by Canongate, RRP £16.99 Dyer will be appearing at Topping & Co Booksellers of St Andrews on 12 Aug, and Edinburgh International Book Festival on 13 Aug

THE SKINNY

July 2016

Now Trending: What We Learned from the Class of 2016 What were the memorable moments and parallels across the 300 (or so) Fine Art graduates that exhibited last month? Here's a rundown of some of what you might/not have missed in GSA, ECA and Gray's School of Art's degree shows

egree show season has come and gone. Last month brought three of them – and two came at once with Aberdeen and Glasgow double-booking. Now the diplomas are out, and in case you missed any or all of them, let's have a look at what's happening in the work of Scotland's brand new cohort of emerging artists.

Video Trends: Costume and Performance

Video work with an emphasis on costume and performativity was one cross-country theme this year, with artists like Troy Holmes in Edinburgh. For her installation, she looked to sex sites and burlesque. Setting up a platform with leather gear splayed on the floor and plush walls, there were two sets of red velveteen chairs with fringe set around the edge. Behind the partitions, small laptops were showing a webpage in a sordid-feeling HTML. Here, visitors could browse through Holmes’ videos of her performances in the setting. Taking up an entire room to itself, it was one of the largest presentations and pushed against the tasteful and professional expectations of the final degree show. Also starring in and directing her video work, as well as displaying it within a budget deluxe setting, Eilidh Page Morrissey from GSA set up a narrative of a hatched woman. In the film she presented, Page Morrissey moves in tight shots of highly stylised sets, draped in pinks and peaches, where oven trays can become surfaces from scrolling the internet. A clanging soundtrack and at times unintelligible audio track gave a late night B-movie feel. Nevertheless, Page Morrissey's straight-faced delivery during the most spatially unfeasible tableaux suggested a knowing ennui towards the surreal, whose visuals have come generally to signify something whimsical over an avant-garde shock value. By contrast, in Aberdeen Josie Hudson kept her video work recognisably local. See her walk down the grassy bit outside Gray's and complain when a bus driver doesn't drop her at her front door. In the work shown, with a (Kim) Wildean wig, she's something between Sasha Fierce and imaginary friend Right Said Fred. She tells us she's “Shirley” and “used to be Kim Wilde's cleaner.” “People tell me I look like her,” she says, in The Life of Shirley – a short video on a little screen. In a looping two projector face off, the bitterness reserved for Kylie Minogue becomes self-deprecation: “You need me,” she tells herself, “if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't know how to cope.” All the half jokes and acid become ingrown. It was some acknowledgement maybe of the kind of personae needed to survive. a degree show: abstract painter, war artist, personal confessor, post-internet videographer/animator.

This Year's Painting

In Aberdeen, the Painting department made its presence known with all of its 16 students sticking pretty faithfully to the medium. From this class, Charlotte Johnstone's paintings of gardens represented an interest in turn of the 20th century big names like Raoul Dufy and Pierre Bonnard. Layering semi-figurative growths and daubs, there's often no room for painterly space. Instead, they are images of humid closeness, in terracottas and hot purples.

Feature

On another wall, she displayed a series of ink brush drawings that keep the same sense of atmosphere in black and white. The intent and expression of these drawings can perhaps be related to those of Frances Rokhlin in Edinburgh. Moving from the garden to the interior, Rokhlin's work took as their subject matter lecture rooms and the office spaces of the West End of Edinburgh. In lithographs, pen and ink drawings and oil paintings, there's a return to familiar spaces, an enquiry into the familiar, distilling them to the most essential marks for recognition. In Glasgow, Painting wasn't so disciplinespecific. There were also instances of painting being combined with other media. For example, Camille Bernard combined video, painted set pieces and large paintings to make for densely effective installation of works. In both, ambiguous group scenes shimmer between suggestions of violence, play, bestiality and tenderness. While digital media was present, painting onto cardboard was a means of creating whole environments for the films to take place within, as well as masks for the actors.

Interaction

Consider the little playpark made by the two slides independently exhibited by sculpture students Charlie Cook and Jonny Valdez. For Cook, he made a tile covered deathtrap. To top it off, he made a video of himself rollerblading off of the top. A cliffhanger, since the camera's fixed and in slapstick style the clattering is the only indication of what's happening to the right of the screen. Stretching out to 10 feet or so, its slickness is made a signifier of hazard and injury – looking closer, soap's been scuffed along the top of it, too. Jonny Taylor has made his from timber and plywood, and the slide itself is wavy, making for a rough landing. Next door to Robert Mills’ moveable cardboard box installation, they were flying the flag for fun, DIY, interactive artwork. Taylor didn't do much to hide the materials or decorate the slide beyond some bright red shiny trims for the stairs. With the wood and joints not covered up, it's still impressive but seems doable – like the degree show equivalent of an instructable, an incitement to make more indoor slides. Among the more conventional presentations from GSA, Mills and Taylor brought in some hands-on action. Particularly in the context of being a response to the demands of a degree show, Taylor's slide becomes a kind of obstinately simple gesture of fun. A warning came next to the structure made by Maryanne Royle in ECA: “Do not enter if you have claustrophobia, epilepsy, back or joint problems or are unable to maintain a height of one metre… Do not read the leather bound book.” Setting the story of a changeling child and an old wise woman, it was in the upstairs of a patched together shanty house. The walls were bubblewrap, bin liners and punched through cardboard. Without a clear view of the unusual space, and a quick mention of ‘The Creature’ on the disclaimer next to the entrance, it was difficult to get over the sense that there's someone else in the structure. Stretching and contorting to the first floor, it was cosy and cut-off from the bright bright exhibition space outside, and a comfortable environment to read through the account written

Sculpture Department Install View at ECA

Henning Stednitz

in Scots of the child being violently remedied with burning branches and in front of panicked parents. Then it was just the simple matter of how to get out without scaring the shit out of the people that had just come in downstairs. There was a more distant but still physical interaction in Gray's student Rachel Law's large wooden structures. Right behind the door of the ground floor studios, they had to be navigated on the way in and out. Just beams fixed together, without a façade, they're the same kind of timber skeletons of most buildings and there was a kind of demystifying clarity of what they're made of and how they're put together. Going past them on

ART

the way out, the camera (that sat plainly on one of the works’ steps) projected the passerby's back, making for a sharp moment of bodily and spatial awareness. Thinking of economic rather than bodily interaction, in ECA there was the stylish art and design store installed by Mina Heydari-Waite. Stocked with vases with custom wooden boxes, Heydari-Waite also sold copies of her dissertation on the commodification of the art experience on sale for £2.50 apiece. It also had an instance of one of the minor themes of the ECA show: an unthreatening recorded sales voice, which announced ‘a wide variety of art products

THE SKINNY

Credit: Fiona Stephen

Words: Adam Benmakhlouf

Fiction & Flights of Fancy

One of the big themes in Edinburgh this year was a kind of speculative fiction. Daisy Lafarge set up a dark room for her lush and luxuriously paced video, in which side references were made to some kind of dystopian politics, and an intertwining and enmeshing of thick metaphor, euphemism and an intense animist narrative. The soft focus of a botanic garden was sharpened by the speaker's identification as a ‘privileged specimen’, ‘chosen at birth’ to be ‘saved from a police state’ in ‘the Garden’ – it just sounds capitalised and significant. Then the voice passed through the ‘processing theatre’ and spent years in the dark learning what the sun would feel like. La Farge's soundtrack was meditative, its timbre rounded, muted and plush. There's no quickening of cuts or change in the slow and neutral delivery of the story, as whoever is relaying the events describes rounding on a child – “how easy I could snip him like topiary.” Sent outside, the speaker turns rebel and storms the garden – with no “sense of betrayal”. Its denouement was elegant and level, with all elements throughout well-composed, effective and elegant. Quoting the aesthetics of more handmade science fiction film sets and props, though not in a linear narrative, Kitty Hall in GSA mixed in bits of black paint to make painterly clouds as the setting for a sound, sculpture and painting installation. A V-motif has some significance across her works, but in spray paint they become rounded and blunted. References to an angular and sharp futurism were softened and made dingy, as the disjointed atmospheric sound piece hums like an old hard-drive or an idling engine. On the floor, the V-shapes became 3D and just as rounded. Set on a rectangular panel, there were cones projected and spray-painted to simulate a kind of directional lighting. They've also got pools of water on them, as a grimy Blade Runner idea of what everything might look like one day, there was the reminder that it'll probably still leak. Ann Gray‘s work made up an indiscernible code of repeated I's. She makes a wall-hung scroll and prints from distressed paper, filled with paragraphs of the notches. All of it looked ancient and alien, like a prop from Indiana Jones or a museum counterfeit. Gray's prints are especially complex, repeating triangle segments inside

complicated polygons. Also included was a just larger than life photo print of a woman standing in the pose of a Madonna statue, with the same draping and folding forms but coming from the plastic sheeting that clads her naked body. Hinting at lost languages and the blockbuster prop aesthetic of precious documents and artefacts, Gray's multimedia practice sets up a knowing deployment and wilful clashing of different visual signifiers: futuristic, antique, Close Encounters.

“ It was some acknowledgement maybe of the kind of personae needed to survive. A degree show: abstract painter, war artist, personal confessor, post internet videographer/animator”

Gavin Wood

Politics of Protest and Segregation

Staying closer to fact, GSA Fine Art Photography graduate Gemma Parson looked down the road from Tontine, to the St Enoch Centre where there's a Hamley's with a life sized elephant called Elizabeth. In her short video work shown at GSA, she describes the first steps of trying to steal Elizabeth. Footage from a hidden camera show her walking through Hamley's, it's shaky, blurred and darker looking than it should be, making the interior look cavernous and filled with palms, a red-pink carpet and bright twinkle lights. The rest of her presentation was photographic. For the most part, her prints have an obvious subject, either single persons or objects presented face-on. There was an interesting interplay between the video that describes trying to steal an elephant that's too big for any door and the pictures of grey circle processed ham on square cheese, bread-shaped bread and a white circle plate. There's an inescapable thingness that's celebrated by Parson in her work, a kind of praise of tautology. Things might be complicated, but this is a sandwich and you can't take an elephant-sized anything out of Hamley's unnoticed.

Getting out of the realm of fiction, Douglas Stevens added a few shelves, boxes and an AC unit to make a basement room of ECA even emptier seeming than if it was unfurnished. Coming from behind one of the ceiling panels, he installed a sound piece, that includes transcripts of interviews with Climate Camp activists. Throughout their discussions, individuals are identified only as ‘male voice’ or ‘female voice’ and a number as they describe past protests and best strategies to avoid long prison sentences – supergluing themselves to each other rather than to the building, because that's an easy charge of criminal damage. At one point they allude to ‘the target,’ the voice uncomfortable at naming it specifically. Everyone knows who it is, they say. Just the same with the shelves and table and boxes in the long and carefully whitewashed room, these kinds of objects speak to the institution per se. Even without the labels being printed with a name or any indication of a government or company, there was a sense of organisation, resources and power. Stevens uses different sculptural and multimedia strategies to hollow out the struggle, leaving a skeletal narrative of anonymous protestors, state apparatuses and stakeholders. Similarly in GSA, Fine Art Photographer Mads Holm Jensen presented (so it transpires after some Googling) excerpts from the European Union Institute for Security Studies’ reports that

Hanna Kopp

July 2016

ART

recommend “preparations for mass repression consciously viewed as a defense of the interests of the capitalist elite against mass uprisings.” These detail in fatalistic and reactionary clarity that the problems of social exclusion and economic disparity will not likely have been solved by 2020, “we will need to strengthen our barriers. It is a morally distasteful, losing strategy, but will be unavoidable if we cannot solve the problems at their root.” This terrifying research was presented in a vitrine next to Jensen's photographs, that use atmospheric lighting conditions to create a sense of drama or staginess. In his degree show presentation, there was a fascination with early morning (or possibly late evening) light with its elongated shadows – cast by the buildings and figures in them. One of the displayed works showed some rubble, another a traffic jam, and one a literal uprooting of a tree. Grouped like so, they became deliberately symbolic, and alongside governmental reports on dangers of social upheaval they acted as visual representations of fear mongering rhetoric of overcrowding and upheaval. As Jensen's biggest print, the space was dominated by a figure wearing a large purple wolf suit, giving off the same threatening and ridiculous feeling as an armed robber in a Porky Pig mask. At a time when all hail Nigel Farage, it's was an uncomfortably familiar progression of the laughably stupid turned terrifying.

Jade Sturrock

Anna Gray

Feature

Credit: Fiona Stephen

starting at just £1.’ Carefully and tastefully merchandised, at least one of the bespoke drawer units sold for £75. As the woman protested to pay more, Heydari-Waite stayed true to her formula which calculates price based on materials and fair remuneration for her time (calculated at minimum wage). It was pastiche, a little cynical and a genuine go of getting paid for making art.

THE SKINNY

DJ Kicks and Mastering the Craft Interview: Max Meres

Having conquered the Scottish clubbing landscape with his trademark eclecticism and annual Mastermixes, Numbers co-founder Jack Revill, aka Jackmaster returns with a new entry in !K7 Records’ DJ Kicks series. We meet the man behind the mix

“When I started working at Rubadub and playing at these nights, that's when I started getting into much better music, like Underground Resistance, Dance Mania, alongside some New York house,” Revill begins. “Without meeting Martin Mackay at Rubadub, and watching him play every Saturday at Club 69 in Paisley, where he was a resident, I wouldn't have been into music, full stop. The stuff he used to play every week blew my mind.” Of the ethos behind the record, he explains: “I don't really subscribe to this thing people do when they just flick through DJ mixes and steal tracks; I don't want to be anyone else other than Jackmaster. I think the mix came out really honest, I didn't really have a plan. Although its been branded as kind of a homage to Detroit, Chicago and Glasgow, this wasn't intentional, it just came out like that, so I guess this honesty shows in the mix.” As someone whose reputation has been built on DJing, the difficulty with releasing a new mix is ensuring it stands out from the rest of the bunch. This is made exceedingly difficult given that his back catalogue already includes a highly regarded Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 as well as four acclaimed entries in his annual Mastermix series, which has largely come to define how many view and appreciate Jackmaster. “I guess the Mastermixes have always been something you could put on on a Friday night before going out, or at an after-party,” he says. But this latest record hints at a more eclectic

aesthetic. “The DJ Kicks mix isn't very much like that at all. I think a lot of people who are fans of mine for the Mastermixes, or things that I've been famous for in the past like the Tweak-a-holic mixes, might not like the mix as much as others, but it's just a reflection of where I am right now. “With this mix I tried to really build it from nothing – as you can hear, it starts with no beat – through to different shades of house that I'm interested in, and more drum-work tracks like the Massimiliano Pagliara one.”

" I don’t want to be anyone else other than Jackmaster" Jack Revill

The explorative nature of the album continues: “There's also some acid, some Dance Mania, some Chicago, moving into techno and a few more melodic tracks, alongside some rhythmic ones like the Robert Hood and Villalobos tracks. It ends on some really obscure Detroit breakbeat track by Overmow that always got played at Club 69. That holds a lot of memories for me; Detroit was the first genre which I got really engrossed in, and this got played almost weekly. That was one tune I knew I had to get in the mix.”

Credit: Richard Johnson

hese days anyone with access to the internet can download Rekordbox, load a few hundred tracks onto a USB, and then – hey presto – you're a DJ. The real art of the disc jockey is often forgotten, but the ability to truly capture the minds of fans solely through impeccable song choices and timeless mixes does still exist. Jack Revill serves as a constant reminder of this. As Scotland's very own Jackmaster, Revill has recorded more than his fair share of innovative mixes. From the uplifting blend of Jook 10’s Emotions and Larry Head's The Sun Can't Compare, his contribution to the Fabriclive series; or the alluring combination of The Streets over Kolsch's Der Alte, there's always a flurry of anticipation surrounding a Jackmaster mix. Now comes the news of the Glasgow-based DJ's forthcoming contribution to the !K7 Records DJ Kicks series. Boasting exclusives from the likes of Lory D, Alcatraz Harry and fast-rising fellow Glaswegian Denis Sulta, excitement is understandably brewing around this latest installment. The Skinny managed to catch Revill just before the kick-off to a marathon eight-gig weekend, which saw him playing back-to-back sets with Gerd Janson and Armand Van Helden, to chat about the new album. Boasting 24 tracks, both old and new, it touches on the three main pillars of Revill's musical education: Detroit, Chicago, and Glasgow. Alongside Seismic and Monox – some of the first nights he ever played – the Numbers co-founder credits these sounds as part of the original inspiration behind the mix.

July 2016

Jackhammer

CLUBS

This sharp contrast from Jackmaster's previous mixes hints at a rigorous perfectionism, where each and every mix sets a different tone and tells another story. “If I'd had the time the whole thing would have been two hours long, just to tell the story properly, but I had to cram it into 25 tracks and use a few of my own edits on some,” he laments. “With this one I really tried to make the energy flow from zero to ten. I recorded five different versions, to the point where I was really up against it time-wise.” However, when it came to compiling the original track-list, such levels of perfectionism suffered a slight setback, as Revill reveals how he managed to lose his laptop on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. “I have the worst luck with laptops,” he laughs. “It was a nightmare. My mate fell on the laptop I bought to replace it two days before the DC10 opening. Each time I've lost all my data. My new laptop that I'm traveling with doesn't have any of the tracks on the mix, so I'll have to get !K7 to send me them.” From tropical cruise trips to cold Scottish winters, Revill partially attributes the tone of the mix to the environment it was recorded in – the month of February, in his house in Glasgow. “I very much see dance music in terms of energy levels, rather than genre, or a lot of the time even in seasons,” he tells us. “You can kind of tell that the mix was recorded in the winter, rather than the summer when it'll be released, because of the way it sounds.” Those who have been following his recent mixes will no doubt have yearned for the unreleased Jackmaster gems that the talented local is known to pioneer. Think of Artwork's Let Go Of My Acid, or Adesse Versions’ Pride in his 2014 Mastermix, before it sold out in next to no time and settled within the higher realms of Discogs. The DJ Kicks mix feels no different, bar the odd timeless classic. “When I recorded the mix pretty much everything was unreleased,” Revill explains. “I intentionally gathered music that I knew wouldn't be released until around now, I didn't want it to have a couple of tracks that people were into a few months ago and therefore sound old now.” “With the Fabric mix I approached it very differently, with classics that I thought were timeless, so people would never tire of them. Whereas with this one, I wanted something that was a bit more future-sounding.” A precise vision, and the dedication to realising it. This is perhaps, what drives the latest artist to take the DJ Kicks reins. “A lot of people when they record mixes, they'll have their records, hit record and then just DJ for an hour, the mix isn't planned,” he says. “Whereas with me, I work on my mixes for a long time. It usually takes around two months to finish, and I'll work on it most nights. It's like a jigsaw and you're putting loads of different parts together. “If you're going to call yourself a DJ and solely a DJ you need to be a master of your craft. I still get people hitting me up telling me they still listen to my Fabric mix five years after it came out, and for me that's the biggest compliment you can get as a DJ. For me, there's no half measures.” Jackmaster's contribution to the DJ Kicks series will be released on 8 Jul via !K7

Feature

Reviewing theatre, reflecting a nation For the launch of her book, Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams, we asked Joyce McMillan to choose key moments from her three decades as our most essential voice on the artform and its relationship to our social and political landscape

f anybody reading this went to the Borders Book Festival to see Joyce McMillan, and if her voice gave way mid-event to leave a silent abyss... well then, we take full blame. A short and simple interview that The Skinny arranged earlier that day grew into a dense, verbose and full-on Scottish theatre 101. Which, we suppose, reflects the size and bearing of McMillan's new book, Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams – an experly edited compilation of more than three decades of her criticism. Stand the reviews on their own and they reflect not only the recent history of an artform but also a country. The true critic explores the connections between the art and our everyday lives. In addition, McMillan includes new material, mapping the cultural topography of Scotland's theatre; moving through points of evolution from left-wing companies Wildcat and 7:84 to The National Theatre of Scotland, spanning “Avant guard studio theatre, a strong line of political agitprop and (a) fantastic explosion of visual culture at the Citizen.” She journeys from the early 80s to the present day: last year's award winning production of Waiting for Godot. From our well-known homes of theatre – The Traverse, Citizens and Tramway – to more obscure venues and the outer reaches of our country. How better to reflect not only the nation's theatre, but that nation as a whole? We asked McMillan to choose productions she has found personally significant, and explain why. Her answers below are highly truncated; choices and words pruned with extreme prejudice from the passionate and informed hour-long dramatic monologue our conversation became.

The Slab Boys

JM: “My book starts after the initial run of The Slab Boys, so the initial huge impact of The Slab Boys isn't in there, although there are some early revivals. But that was a great shape-changing moment, when John Byrne was just like, ‘This factory in Paisley could be the centre of the

world, and I'm going to write a play which, in its language and its vitality and its energy, assumes that's the case.’ That sort of sheer creative energy in inventing a language that reflected a fairly comprehensive view of the world in the 1950s, as seen from a wee carpet factory in Paisley, was just absolutely world-changing for people. When I first saw The Slab Boys I could feel barriers in my own brain just falling. Things don't have to be parochial and marginal just because they're Scottish. You can actually reshape the Scots vernacular language in a way that helps to redefine the whole postmodern world. That's what The Slab Boys did! You could see it having the same effect on other people – they just came out absolutely babbling with exhilaration. Seeing your own landscape put front and centre, and made more brilliant than anything in the British theatrical landscape at the time... the impact of that is just impossible to measure.” ‘The opening of John Byrne's The Slab Boys, at the Traverse in 1978... let me see, for the first time in my life, the truth that it was possible to be both absolutely Scottish and absolutely modern; and with it, my sense of Scottishness as an old-fashioned, dying thing left me for good.’ Extract from Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams

A Satire of the Three Estates (Ane Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis)

JM: “In the early years I was arguing about three things. Were 7:84 and Wildcat actually advancing the cause of socialism or left politics in Britain? The second thing I was asking was all about feminism, there was a huge surge in feminist and women's writing in the 70s and that was a constant theme throughout the whole period. And then the third thing was about Scottish identity; how do you reflect and develop that in a way that makes it have a future instead of a couthy past? One of the narratives through which I developed that was my reviews of The Three Estates. [The 1985 Assembly Hall performance]

The Slab Boys production at The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow

Feature

The Slab Boys production at The Citizens Theatre,Glasgow

Credit: Tim Morozzo

was all couthy comedians, every comedy actor in the White Heather Club tradition. So, I watched and thought this was bloody awful. But the whole question is: did the show change or did I? Gradually, through the educative process of being a Scottish theatre critic I was becoming more and more tuned in to different qualities of Scots language. By the second time I saw The Three Estates I had begun to appreciate [Sir David] Lyndsay's play a lot more, and to think, ‘This is really important.’ Then it got this gig in Warsaw [the play opened the International Theatre Meeting in ‘86] and suddenly the pressure of knowing it was going to be seen outside Scotland did something to this production and it became this great European classic about good governance. The front-and-centre couthy Scottishness began to fall away, and the Scottish context became a richness in a story about a universal problem – i.e. how do you get good government, how do you get the voice of the common people into government? So by the time it went to Warsaw it was absolutely brilliant!” ‘What often looked, last year, like a series of couthy comic turns, a garish and expensive summer pantomime, has suddenly emerged as a thrilling, elegant, muscular and heartfelt account of one of the great plays of European literature.’ From McMillan's Guardian review of the Assembly Hall production, 1985

been allowed to drift. I think that Glasgow's still an internationalist city but there's not the drive from the city council to keep those European and transatlantic links. I mean, Robert Lapage was there, people were coming from Canada; it was really powerful, and Glasgow just invested so much money in it, the way Dundee are investing in arts and culture and design now. If you talk to the David Greig generation, who were 20 at that time, they'll say that the things they saw at the Tramway during that period formed them as theatre makers and made them realise what the possibilities are.”

The Mahabharata

‘This event, The Mahabharata in Glasgow, is something that simply overflows the bounds of normal theatrical experience. For Glasgow, it represents a magnificent turning point, a key moment in the city's re-emergence from decades of industrial decline to take its place again as one of the great second cities of the world, vigorous, cosmopolitan, handsome even in dilapidation, fizzing with creative energy and civic pride and – most important of all – living proof that a spirit of a city can survive the worst ravages and humiliations of the post-industrial age.’ From McMillan's Guardian review of the Tramway production, 1988

JM: “One key review in the book is The Mahabharata, Peter Brook's great version of the Indian epic which was the opening production of the Tramway in 1988. Glasgow just plugged itself into this international theatre circuit and for a few years, while Neil Wallace was running the Tramway, it was completely exhilarating. And of course it was coming up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, so in the years around 89-90, the stuff that was coming from Russia was just mind-boggling, the boldness of it. But The Mahabharata was the turning point because it was the first really big international production that they had at the Tramway and it signalled that change in Glasgow's theatre ecology, which is a thing which has really

THEATRE

“ The Mahabharata in Glasgow, is something that simply overflows the bounds of normal theatrical experience.”

Theatre in Scotland: A Field of Dreams is out 30 Jun, published by Nick Hern Books, RRP £14.99

THE SKINNY

Credit: Tim Morozzo

Words: Alan Bett

July 2016

THE SKINNY

Modern Love Writer-director Rebecca Miller tackles modern life at its fullest in her new feature Maggie’s Plan, starring Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore Interview: Joseph Walsh

ontemporary life is messy and rarely goes according to plan. However, if you're like Greta Gerwig's Maggie in Rebecca Miller's latest feature, you'll face this challenge head on, striding confidently in the face of adversity because you know what you want. And what Maggie wants is a baby – but she doesn't have a partner. Fortunately, she has found a sperm donor who meets her criteria, in the form of a mathematical prodigy and pickling company owner (played by Warcraft star Travis Fimmel). This is the opening gambit of Miller's fifth feature, Maggie's Plan, a quirky, screwball romcom with weighty themes running underneath. While Miller's previous films had comic elements, their footing was much more at home in drama. Miller, the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller and Magnum photographer Inge Morath, is also the author of several novels, including Personal Velocity and the recently published Jacob's Folly.

“I think comedy is a very civilising force. If we can laugh at ourselves, there is hope.” Rebecca Miller

Casting Gerwig, the queen of American indie cinema, as Maggie was an astute choice. The star is certainly on familiar ground with her character. Miller, speaking on the phone from New York, describes Maggie as “a very capable, smart, yet somewhat bumbling person who has her own eccentric ethical code and lives by it.” The director is happy to admit that there's some of herself in her lead character's qualities: “I think there are elements of her particular brand of bossiness – like a shepherd dog's bossiness – that I share. Trying to get people to do things for their own good.” At Maggie's core there is always a good intention even if, as Miller puts it, “she's always thinking of ways to help people, even if she's totally messing up their lives while helping them.” She explains that with a character like Maggie, Gerwig was perfect because “[she] is very intelligent but she is wholesome and innocent with it. She is a tremendous comic actress with great emotional reserves.” Of course, by casting Gerwig, Miller's film is likely to be compared to recent work by Noah Baumbach (who frequently collaborates with Gerwig, as well as being her off-screen partner). Like his films, Maggie's Plan possesses screwball elements, rom-com tropes and is set in New York. Maggie's Plan also shares elements of Woody Allen features, minus the crippling neurosis, although Miller shows an equal love for New York, which is sumptuously captured by her director of photography Sam Levy (who, while we are at it, also shot Baumbach's monochromatic comedy Frances Ha).

July 2016

Miller's film does stand apart, however. It possesses a richness absent from recent Allen films and is a long way from the hipster-vibe of Baumbach, weighted in more mature themes. While the tone of Maggie's Plan is gleefully off-the-wall, the film manages to balance hefty issues ranging from divorce, marriage, singleparenting and the film's over-arching theme of self-determination. Maggie's attempts to get pregnant is put on pause when she encounters novelist and lecturer John (Ethan Hawke) at New York's New School, where she works as an administrator. John, described by Maggie's best friend (played by Maya Rudolph) as a ‘panty-melter’, wins Maggie's heart – the only problem is he is married to a fearsome Danish ficto-critical anthropologist, played to perfection by Julianne Moore. Miller previously worked with Moore on her 2009 feature The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. She explains their working relationship: “I love our collaborations. We share a desire to go very far down a path in our work. We are not afraid of extremes.” It's fair to say that they do go to extremes, with Moore stealing much of the limelight. It's also fair to say that ficto-critical anthropology is not a subject that many of us encounter on a daily basis, but Miller is able to clarify her decision to focus on this odd subsection of anthropology. “Ficto-critical anthropology was introduced to me by my scholar friend Barbara Browning. She said when she read my first draft, ‘These people seem like ficto-critical anthropologists.’ I started researching the field, and I was in heaven as you can imagine.” The tenants of ficto-critical anthropology bizarrely provide many of the film's most comedic moments, allowing Ethan Hawke's John and Moore's Georgette to lovingly quip at one another, playing mental chess as Gerwig's character gazes on and wonders if perhaps these two love birds would be better off together. The film's screenplay is written by Miller but began life as an unfinished novel by her friend Karen Rinaldi. “Karen sent me the chapters having to do with Maggie, Georgette and John. The love triangle appealed to me and I thought the hook was funny.” While the set-up of the love triangle attracted Miller to use it for her next project, it was also the opportunity to take the issues explored by Rinaldi and look at them through a comic lens that appealed. “I had written a humorous book, Jacob's Folly, and I was in the mood for laughs. I was exhausted from writing the novel and I wanted something that I could shoot in New York where my kids were in school. I think comedy is a very civilising force. If we can laugh at ourselves, there is hope.” At the core of Maggie's Plan is the subject of choice – who to love, who to have children with (if you want them at all), whether to get married or even whether to get divorced. At the root of many of these questions lies the complexity of modern love. As our conversation draws to a close Miller explains her attitude to a modern marriage: “Marriage these days is totally elective and so a kind of creative act. You are choosing each other anew every day. With our freedom comes responsibility – and confusion.”

Maggie's Plan is released 8 Jul by Sony

FILM

Feature

Credit: Ryan Johnston

I think,” she laughs in mock exasperation. “It's definitely a permanent sort of band. When you feel like you get on with people and people understand what you want the band to be about, then it feels like a natural way to do it. It's so important, I think, that when it is your whole life and it's quite a personal thing, to make sure that everyone around you is on the same page.” Brimner sagely credits the years of Dundee open mic nights as having equipped her with invaluable playing experience, despite the demands such passion placed on those crucial years of teenage socialising. “A lot of the people that were my age at the time were just at school, or they'd be going out – but I kind of just made the decision. I was either going to go and do that, and have a social life, or go and gig. I decided to gig,” she explains of her impressive dedication. “It took me a long time to build up confidence on stage, even to be able to speak on stage. I could sing, but I couldn't really say, ‘Hi, my name is Charlotte,’” she laughs. Unsurprisingly, Brimner admits that her musical influences are drawn “from a range of different stuff,” and cites British funk and soul singer Lianne La Havas is one her current favourites: “I just love her album, I think it's amazing – it's pop music, but her voice is amazing, and it's subtle, she's not trying too hard. I really like Milky Chance too, I saw them at SXSW last year. Because I'm all about mixing digital and live, I just love the way they do that.” And Scottish bands? “Oh, I like Ded Rabbit!” she exclaims after a thoughtful pause. “I just like what they're singing about, it's totally real and they're singing in their own accents. It's cool to see that.”

You Ain’t Gotta Lie It’s a long way from Dundee to Austin, Texas, but that’s just one career milestone that Charlotte Brimner has already taken in her stride. We talk to the innovative young music maker about her effervescent alias Be Charlotte, and why legitimacy matters in pop music Interview: Claire Francis

“T

he thing that's always the same with my writing is that I always want the songs to be authentic,” explains Charlotte Brimner. “About real things; things that are real to me, but that can also be real to other people.” It's an admirable mission statement for any musician who genuinely cares about their craft; in Brimner's case, it's a creative vision that's even more prescient given the teenager's relative newcomer status. As the vivacious, unique and refreshingly original Be Charlotte, the talented Brimner is poised on the cusp of a big-time breakthrough. Since her first major show at T in The Park's T Break stage just last year, Be Charlotte's trajectory has skyrocketed. Supported by her manager Louie – himself better known as a founding member of the SAY Award-nominated hip-hop group Hector Bizerk – the 19-year-old singer-songwriter now counts a further slew of festival appearances, a debut single launch and not one, but two SXSW invitations as early career highlights. With the kind of musical résumé that could induce uncomfortable levels of inferiority among her much older peers, it's hard to believe that just a few years ago, the tenacious singer-songwriter was a single-minded school kid frequenting open mic gigs around her native Dundee. “When I first started writing my own songs I was about 14,” she says, leaning in over the loud rap music pulsing from Glasgow's Art School cafe. “At first I was learning to play the violin, but I was pretty shit at it,” she laughs. “I swapped my violin

Feature

for a guitar and started getting guitar lessons, and when I knew the basic chords and that sort of stuff, I just started writing my own songs.” And what songs they are. Blessed with a naturally elastic, expressive vocal range, and possessing a preternatural ability with melody, Brimner crafts modern, witty, and irresistibly catchy indie-pop compositions. Incorporating spoken word, rap, and beatboxing alongside her beautifully lofty vocals, Be Charlotte songs combine traditional instruments with modern day audio technologies. The result is a rare glimpse of individuality and independence in a genre oversaturated with cookie-cutter pop vignettes. Of the songwriting process, Brimner explains: “Sometimes I have a vocal melody first and then I kind of build the rest of it around that… other times I'll have loops that I made on Ableton, that I maybe forget about and then go back and write a song around. Sometimes I just write on guitar.” The fluidity with which Brimner marries analogue and digital sound technologies is exemplified by her aforementioned involvement in SXSW, where the singer played a part in a groundbreaking audiovisual showcase. “I first went in 2015, I've been working with this technology company in Cambridge called Novalia who create interactive products. I went and did a panel with them last year just to kind of demo their instruments,” she recounts. “This year, I went back, and they had installations around the festival, like there was a 50ft wall that you could touch and it was interactive. So I went

and did the music production side, like remixes of different artists and some of my own songs, which was cool.” The only downside to such a formative career experience being, of course, America's strict enforcement of the legal drinking age. Bar-goers in the States must be 21 years of age to enter a licensed premises – a law which saw the singer unable to actually enter the venue to witness the reactions to her hard work. “I was just standing around outside, tanning juice,” she laughs. The SXSW collaboration certainly confirms Brimner's affinity with digital technologies. As part of a generation to whom analogue is virtually an archaic word, she is eager to emphasise the importance of a modern approach to her music. “After October, we stopped gigging until the Discover single launch in April. I just really wanted to focus on the live show and kind of figure out the best way to mix the digital and the live stuff, and make sure that it came across in the best way. So that's why I've got the laptop on the stage, to kind of show that that's part of what I'm doing now. But I've always wanted to bring guitar back into it. I think we just had to try it this way and see how it worked, and then we can just gradually bring it back in.” Along with her SXSW commitments and the release of the Discover single in April, Brimner has been busy fine-tuning her live show across a string of local festival dates, including recent spots at Brew At The Bog, Kelburn Garden Party and Stag & Dagger. “We're doing T in the Park,” she adds, “so that's a wee surprise.” In the flesh, the pastel-haired, bespectacled Brimner favours a playful, ironic approach to fashion, with brightly coloured ensembles that could be described as ‘Scottish kawaii’. The Be Charlotte live aesthetic is similarly captivating; an electric, eclectic three-member orchestra of thudding percussive beats, keyboard, and pedal loops. The gradual metamorphosis of Be Charlotte from a solo project to a live festival band appears to be a relief for Brimner, both creatively and logistically. “When I was still doing my solo shows, it kind of just got to a point where I couldn't enjoy it as much anymore, because there was so much going on – loop pedal, live instruments, laptops… it was getting a bit too much,

MUSIC

“ I’d listen to a lot of Kendrick Lamar. I love his music, but I couldn’t actually relate to anything he was talking about – it just wasn’t what I was up to as a 14 yearold girl in Dundee” Charlotte Brimner

The concept of authenticity is one that recurs frequently over the course of our conversation. It's clearly an ethos that underpins Be Charlotte's sound, and is perhaps what best embodies Brimner's unique brand of challenging, creative ‘intelli-pop’. “I don't just want to write songs that are just about things for the sake of it, you know what I mean?” she muses. “Like pop music, people sing about things that I just don't relate to, and I think, like, I never want to look back and think, ‘Why did I sing about that? I've never done that in my life.’ For me, being younger, I'd listen to a lot of Kendrick Lamar. I love his music, but I couldn't actually relate to anything he was talking about – it just wasn't what I was up to as a 14 year-old girl in Dundee. “I just always want to write and gig and play songs that mean something to me, and that I can kind of share a message with people that is a bit different. Whatever happens in my career, I'm always going to do that.” Playing Kelburn Garden Party on 2 Jul; T in the Park on 9 Jul and Audio Soup Festival, East Lothian on 23 Jul facebook.com/becharlottemusic

THE SKINNY

Under the Influence: Nicolas Winding Refn To celebrate the release of The Neon Demon, the Danish auteur talks us through some of the films that have shaped his style

Interview: Jamie Dunn

Mixed Blood (1984)

Mad Max (1979)

Man of Violence (1974)

Plot: A gang of underaged Brazilian kids attempt to seize control of New York’s Lower East Side’s drugs trade from a Puerto Rican gang.

Plot: In a dystopian future, one highway patrolman puts an end to the violence of a berserk motorbike gang terrorising the rural roads of Australia after they attack his wife and child.

Plot: Crooks, a mercenary and a police inspector seek gold bullion that’s been hijacked from a shaky Arab sheikdom.

Dir. Paul Morrissey

NIcolas Winding Refn: “I think Paul Morrissey is one of the great American directors of the 60s and 70s. He’s a truly individualistic voyeur who really brings a whole new meaning to fetish. I love Flesh for Frankenstein – when I first saw it I thought, ‘Oh my God, you can do that?’ And this later one, Mixed Blood, is just a knockout gangster movie; a great action-drama. Actually, it’s an action-opus, very operatic. And it’s also one of the great New York films. It depicts an era that isn’t well documented.

Dir. George Miller

Dir. Peter Walker

NWR: “This is just great cinema – it’s relentless. And it’s a great fashion movie too. George Miller is such a natural director, so stylish. He was on the Cannes jury this year, so I’m not sure he liked The Neon Demon so much, but nobody’s perfect.

NWR: “Man of Violence was introduced to me by a friend of mine called Sam Dunn, who runs the BFI’s Flipside label. I was hooked from the second he mentioned it; I just loved the title. It’s one of the best examples of those great offbeat gangster films that the UK made back then, it’s really peculiar. At one point Moon, the film’s macho gun-for-hire lead, has to seduce a gay guy to get some information out of him. You’d never see that in an American gangster movie. Peter Walker never got his due because of the type of genre films he made, but I really respect him.”

Valley of the Dolls (1967)

Planet of the Vampires (1965)

Deep End (1970)

Plot: Based on Jacqueline Susann’s best-selling ‘Hollywood exposé’, we follow three young women who meet as they embark on their careers, tracing the ups and downs as fame, drugs and men consume their lives.

Plot: An astronaut (Barry Sullivan) and his partner (Norma Bengell) flee from walking-dead astronauts on a volcanic planet.

Plot: Naïve teen Michael (John Moulder-Brown) gets a painful education in unrequited love when he becomes obsessed with his older co-worker (Jane Asher) at a crumbling public swimming pool.

Dir. Mark Robson

NWR: “I actually showed Elle Fanning Valley of the Dolls before we made The Neon Demon. It’s a really interesting film, so complex. What I love about it is that you don’t know what you’re watching. Is it a melodrama, or a comedy, or a camp odyssey, or what? (What you do know is that it all looks fabulous.) That’s why so many critics hated it. When you can’t define a film most of the time you become afraid of it, and that’s the exact opposite reaction you should be having; you should be encouraged by it, surprised by it. The music is great too, by the way, from Dionne Warwick singing on the title track, to the closing credits.

Dir. Mario Bava

NWR: “It’s one of those incredible films that’s a combination of all genres: it’s science-fiction, it’s a horror film, it’s a whodunit, it’s an existentialist film. The costumes are mind blowing; it’s very pop-art and fashion orientated. Bava was making films at the same time as those other great Italian directors like Fellini and Antonioni, but I think he’s equally as important. That’s why it was so cool to present the new restoration of Planet of the Vampires in Cannes Classics this year. It was an honour to help bring Bava that recognition he so much deserves.”

Dir. Jerzy Skolimowski

NWR: “This brilliant coming-of-age story is a great view of London in the late 60s, but what’s so ironic is that it’s made by a Polish guy and mostly shot in Germany, which gives it this really unusual tone. I remember seeing the movie and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is truly a unique film.’ And again, it has a very fairy tale-like love story, which I love. It’s also such a wonderful movie about adolescence. Anyone who’s been a teen in love with someone older can relate to Deep End.” The Neon Demon is released 8 Jul by Icon

Feature

FILM

THE SKINNY

Fashion Statement In Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn channelled his inner hero through star Ryan Gosling. For his new feature, The Neon Demon, a silky horror set within the LA fashion world, he tells us he’s exploring the inner 16-year-old girl inside of him

The Neon Demon

“I

really fucking love LA,” Nicolas Winding Refn tells us by phone as he sits by a pool in the city, his two daughters audible in the background as they splash around trying to get their father’s attention. “I really, truly love it.” This won’t be news to anyone who’s seen his minimalist car-chase thriller Drive, from 2011. The Danish filmmaker fetishises the city’s neon-lit streets, full moon-filled skies and sun-bleach strips, turning it into a kind of concrete fairy tale kingdom, where a laconic getaway driver (Ryan Gosling) in a white satin jacket becomes a white knight for his neighbour and her son. “There’s a very magical sensibility here,” he continues, “a kind of almost sci-fi like quality. It’s very much a city that has on one side a very real reality and on the other this superstitious, almost other-worldly side.” The same fairy tale rhythms are at play in the 45-year-old’s tenth feature, The Neon Demon, a slick psychological horror that takes the form of the Snow White tale transposed to the backstabbing milieu of LA’s fashion world. Beautiful supermodel queens who spend their nights admiring themselves in bathroom mirrors at exclusive parties have their feathers ruffled when Jesse (Elle Fanning), a 16-year-old natural beauty, begins to turn heads in their circle. There’s even a big bad wolf in the form of a lupine Keanu Reeves as a sleazy motel owner. Refn tells us he sees Jesse as a female version of Gosling’s character in Drive: “She has a mysterious past, just like Driver, and both films are based on the mythology of Hollywood.” Refn’s not the first foreigner to point his camera at the City of Angels; some of the greatest LA movies have been made by Europeans. Think Repo Man and Point Blank from Englishmen Alex Cox and John Boorman, or all those great noirs from the flood of German directors who fled fascism in the 30s. “I do think that being a stranger in a strange land will always give you a different point-of-view to what’s considered normal,” says Refn, who has become an international director in the mould of someone like Nic Roeg, Louis Malle or Werner Herzog; the world is his film set. “You can either shoot your film on a sound stage or you can use the country you’re in as a source of inspiration. I’ve always preferred the latter.” For Refn, it’s not just the process of

July 2016

making the movie that he loves, it’s the whole experience of travel. “That’s how my family and I live. The way I look at it, it’s something we do together. So whether we’ve been in the Scottish hills of Valhalla Rising, or the Highways of LA, or the streets of Bangkok [for Only God Forgives], it’s always very much the whole package that I enjoy.”

“ Capturing authenticity is essentially an impossible task” Nicolas Winding Refn

Throughout The Neon Demon, characters make similar assertions about Jesse. 'What’s it feel like to walk into a room, it’s like the middle of winter, and you’re the sun?' a fellow model, whose beauty is on the wane, asks her forlornly. Later, a cynical designer calls Jesse 'a diamond in a sea of glass' after shedding tears when he sees her for the first time. Refn is exploring what it’s like to be adored; the pleasure and pain one feels at being objectified. What it’s like when people only judge you on how you look. 'Beauty isn’t everything,' says the fashion designer Jesse moves to tears, 'it’s the only thing.' It’s tempting to assume that Refn shares the same sentiments. Color and texture are his strong suit; each of his scenes is meticulously designed, each shot fastidiously composed. His critics would argue there is no substance to his style. Fans, this writer included, believe his bravura style is the substance. In The Neon Demon’s greatest moments, the dream logic plot is abandoned altogether for a cinema close to pure abstraction. Midway through the film, Refn goes full Jodorowsky as Jesse has her first runway show, depicting it as if she’s stepping through a series of neon triangles into a cave of mirrors where she can make out with herself. Refn argues, however, that there’s plenty to chew on beyond the film’s form – you just have to look. “I think that sometimes, when the surface looks shallow, there’s so much more going on underneath. You know, beauty is a subject that everybody has an opinion about, it’s a subject that becomes very individual, and that, to me, is what makes it so interesting: that on one level it can be as shallow as you can possibly get. At the same time, it’s as complex as you want it to be.” Many at The Neon Demon’s world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival would beg to differ. As Sia’s Waving Goodbye swells on the soundtrack as the end credits roll, it was reportedly drowned out by boos and whistles as some critics took to their feet to holler their disapproval. It’s a sound Refn knows well. His previous film, Only God Forgives, was given similar treatment at the same festival. One gets

As well as embracing the location, with The Neon Demon Refn’s also embracing another side of himself. Up until now, his image has been a slave to his male leads, who’ve included Mads Mikkelsen and Tom Hardy as well as Gosling. Now he’s channeling his feminine side. “I think that every man has a 16 year-old-girl inside of him, and I think that The Neon Demon is the version of mine.” Like his films, it’s sometimes difficult to tell when Refn has his tongue in his cheek. We ask if he’s joking, but he assures us he’s serious. “It’s just like how every man has a hero inside of him – Drive was my version of that.” So he’s living out his fantasies in his films? “That’s the only thing I can really relate to,” he says, “and it’s a lot of course about who plays the protagonist in my films because I very much mirror myself in them, they become my alter egos.” Did he have any trouble imagining himself as a 16-year-old girl? “Strangely it wasn’t very difficult at all, which worried me in the beginning,” he laughs. “I have great pleasure in fantasising. And especially with Elle Fanning, we were a great team.” We wonder how Fanning compares to Gosling, who’s played Refn’s most recent onscreen avatars. “They’re both born with something kind of incredible,” he says. “They’re both born with ‘the thing’. I don’t know what you call it, it just makes you special.”

FILM

Interview: Jamie Dunn

the feeling Refn enjoys getting these buttonedup critics hot under the collar, but the Danish enfant terrible insists that’s not the case. “The only pleasure I get is tearing down the establishment of what is ‘correct’,” he says. “But what was great and quite ironic about the reaction to The Neon Demon is that it was like showing them a mirror. Like The Neon Demon, Cannes is a combination of vulgarity and glitter.” Looking back over the ups and downs of Refn’s career, which at the low point saw him direct a feature-length episode of ITV’s Marple, it’s one of two halves, with the gritty realism of the Pusher series and Bleeder giving way to a visually richer, more abstract phase. “With the Pusher trilogy I kind of felt that the idea of trying to capture authenticity is essentially just an impossible task, because real life will always catch up with you,” he says. From 2008’s Bronson, his in-your-face biopic of notorious prisoner Charles Bronson, Refn has been more concerned on working within a heightened reality. “I felt much more interested in that language because it became more about my own inner canvas,” he says. “And in a way, I had much more fun with that because, you know, it’s always more interesting when you use one’s self as the focus point. Creativity is a lot about one’s self.” Is this why, despite multiple offers from Hollywood (directing gigs he’s turned down include the Denzel Washington-starring remake of The Equalizer and a big-screen version of Wonder Woman) he continues to work on a relatively small, indie scale? “There’s nothing more pleasurable than doing exactly what you like to do,” says Refn. “And I’ve been fortunate enough to have these experiences on indie films and I just prefer those more. Not that the other way is bad, it’s just, for me, less interesting. But I would one day love to make a big Hollywood movie; it could be great fun. I just haven’t found the one that’s worth trading off my creative independence.” The Neon Demon is released 8 Jul by Icon

Nicolas Winding Refn

Feature

Megan Hampton M

egan Hampton was born in South Africa in 1992, moving to the UK in 2005. She completed her foundation degree at Leeds College of Art in 2011 and graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with an MA Fine Art, having specialised in History of Art and Sculpture, in 2016. She has been invited to be a part of a group ‘Best of Degree Shows 2016’ exhibition at 6 Foot Gallery in Glasgow and her degree show has also been selected for the RSA New Contemporaries 2017 show.

“My work focuses predominantly on the interchangeability of domestic and architectural ornamentation that dominates the universal understanding of mortality in relation

to objects. I play on ideas of memory by selecting details that are classical and therefore arguably perennial in style and understanding. I often create work that reflects particular ornamentation found in a specific location. Thus the forms themselves, and my recreations of them, are suggestive of symbolic elements translated from one realm to another. This is accompanied by an evocation of past experiences and potential future understandings through the work's direct relation to the architecture and objects that surround and permeate our everyday lives. “In addition, my work focuses on collapsing the relationship between process and material so they become one and the same. Thus my

choice of materials and the processes I adopt references an understanding of classical formations and traditional processes, this is deliberately cultivated through further research and experimentation. There is always an element of unpredictability within each process or material that I use; and thus the resultant form is synonymous with the unreliability and randomness often experienced within cognitive memory. “Often in my work there is an inherent sense of balance between absence and presence, and between fragility and rigidity. Thus a sense of anxiety as well as subtle contemplative recollection are provoked through the placement of the work, therefore

SHOWCASE

questioning and suggesting both recognisable and indefinable associations that are inherent to our experience of memory. “My work is engaged with questions of how we relate to objects, and the spaces we exist in and come into contact with. Whilst drawing on the theme of the body in relation to architecture and domestic adornment, my work also has influences ranging from classical statuary, the making process itself, and potential sensory evocations that arouse and cultivate traces similar to the processes of remembering and forgetting.“ meganhampton.co.uk

THE SKINNY

July 2016

SHOWCASE

The Longest Bus Journey Illustration: Elena Boils Words: Jasmine Andersson

Sometimes travel is all about the journey; a solo traveller proves a hit on the Peru-Colombia bus route

hen you go travelling, you learn very quickly that people have very honest faces. As we were all sat on the rooftop of our hostel in Lima, onto the eighth bottle of the accommodation’s low-rent lager, I was asked about where my next stop would be. After saying goodbye to my friend the day before as she flew back to the UK, the prospect of movement was daunting, but I knew I was becoming as much of a feature of the hostel as 56-year-old Ricardo. The eccentric Brazilian spent his nights wandering into the corners of our room shirtless, declaring in Portuspanglish that he had 16 children by 16 different women, so he understood if we were so seized by the fervour of passion that we might need to have sex while in his presence. Offering to make a questionable sheet canopy out of one of his shirts and a spare bedroom sheet, Ricardo’s efforts, alongside his egg-shaped head and fervent bronchitis attacks, made him the ultimate antichrist of carnal relations. "I’m getting a coach," I said. "To Cali." I don’t think I was scared until I saw everyone’s faces. The trip, a 50 hour, three day special, would see me leave the capital city of Peru on a bus that would ferry up to the northern boundaries of the country, then through Ecuador, to finally get to the North West of Colombia paradiso. True to South American transport, and my questionable limitations in Spanish in spite of studying the bastard thing for seven years, I didn’t even know if there would be stops. I’d survived coach journeys in which Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing video was declared viable 7am listening as children sashayed up and down the aisle, vestibules in Bolivia where travellers were

Lifestyle

banned from the bus if they dared take a poo in the onboard facilities, as well as one coach to the Atacama that played the same seven-minute salsa track on a loop for five and a half hours. On top of it all, I would be doing the entire thing on my own, with not even the sardonic ping of an iPhone bleating in the heat of WiFi for company. Ignoring everyone’s pleas to consider the luxury of a plane, a car share, or even a cargo boat in which I would share some time with South America’s most hostile crustaceans, I took myself an hour outside of the city to get to the coach terminal, where my last Soles were declared fake by the only stall selling bottled water. Struggling to place a flailing expat voice in the crowd of humans waiting to board the coach, I flung myself onto the vehicle to try and find a viable resting space. Unlike the cruelties of coaches that the UK is encumbered with (urine flying down the gangway of London Victoria – Leeds, anyone?), South America really means relative luxury when you pay for it. Nestling into a 180-degree reclining chair and twiddling with the excessively bright lights of inbuilt TV screen, I smirked as I stretched my legs over the seat next to me. There’s something inherently British about privacy – even though we are in the naked midst of company, normally dribbling down our jumper when we get the chance – we make private palaces, ridden with bad sweets, playlists, Harry Potter... It was about this point in my existentialism that I realised the two heads in front of me had turned around, and were starting to tap my shoulder.

"Hi," said the elder of the two girls, both so young that they would have worn jelly shoes without complaint. "Hi," I said, hoping that my Spanish wouldn’t be outwitted by a seven-year-old’s. "Why do you speak funny?" said the other. Reliving 13 years of remarks about my strong, nasal northern accent, I muttered: "Because I have a cold."

“Somehow my weak, lone travelling self had become the vehicle’s prime entertainment” They looked at each other and giggled. Moron. "Oh no, sorry," I said. "It’s because I’m English." As the coach driver prayed to God in 13 different formats to protect us on our three-day bonanza, my eyes were torn from the Virgin Mary regalia that littered the bus by the other girl tapping me on the shoulder. Simply replying to a child marks you as their prime source of entertainment, and considering I’d already tried and failed to answer a simple question I knew that my Harry Potter Kindle collection was already going to join Sirius Black somewhere in the sky. The barrage included, but is not limited to:

TRAVEL

"Why is your skin really white?" "Why can’t you understand me?" "Can I play with your headphones?" "You have grey circles under your eyes?" "Why are your teeth yellow?" It was at that last remark that I decided to say goodbye to eight hours of clown Jasmine. Jamming a sleeping mask over my eyes and curling up into the foetal position, no more than two hours had passed before another passenger was jabbing me in the arm. "Why, please why," I groaned. "It’s breakfast time!" said the 7.30am voice, with a beer in hand. "IT’S BREAKFAST TIME!" Used to the fact that every human in South America seemed to have little or no concept of morning ineptitude, I found myself shunted off the bus, challenged with the issue of spending about three pound’s worth of money in a restaurant where the average dish was 30. The soggy bread of that restaurant still clings to my heart in the way that bacon only dreams of. It was during this stop, this stop that I knew nothing about, that my anonymity started to slip away. As an incredibly pale, blue-eyed, blondehaired woman, I was already marked as the person who would burn in the evening sun, wear really heinous travelling pants, and would be the ideal person to rip off with a bad exchange rate when we crossed the border. I think these thoughts must have entered the minds of the Colombian lads as they ambushed me when I lay comatose under a palm tree. Throwing rapid-fire questions my way, these 15 guys had just been on a trip to Peru for a decent party and were getting back to their home town of Cali the cheapest way possible. Realising that all I could understand was the fact that they said my next stop was incredibly dangerous, they tried to soothe me with selfies. Yes, selfies. About 162 of them. Mohawks, baseball tops and tribal tattooed men in their twenties rotated around me, who would have been little out of place in Wetherspoons for pre-drinks. Rolled out of position, I sat and gurned on a brick wall as each of the lads got a picture with me, rolling me back onto the bus with a can of lager as compensation. With a can in my hand, I had marked myself out as sociable. Various members of the bus started taking turns to move to the back to speak to me. Like an electrocuted cat hauled into a cage at the vet’s, I smiled and gesticulated as these guys fed me, waxed lyrical about their hazy tropical paradises and the salsa that had taken over their city. Taking about seven minutes to conjugate each verb, I relaxed into drink as I told them about taking this trip on my own, not understanding when we would stop, if ever again, and that my teeth were not yellow, especially as I insisted on brushing them 12 times a day. While I did this, people would touch my skin, play with my hair, and ply me with more snacks and alcohol. Somehow, my weak, lone travelling self had become the vehicle’s prime entertainment, and I only hated about 28% of the performance. When the Colombian lads eventually bungled me into a taxi to the chorus of ‘oi, oi, oi!’ I realised that I had survived the trip without even a minor lapse of anxiety. I might have even acted as a real-life, functioning adult. It was only when I looked up to the meter that I realised that 50 hours, three countries and two sleepless nights later, I still didn’t have a single sodding peso in my purse.

THE SKINNY

14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;29 AUG 2016

Let us introduce you Each August, Unbound offers 16 nights of free literary shenanigans which push performance to the fore. Roland Gulliver suggests you say hello once more to the improper child of the Festival proper Interview: Alan Bett

mmm, how to describe Unbound? Do we have any poker players out there? Of course we do. Now that doesn't sound too literary a comparison does it? That twilight pastime where you might win or lose it all with the turn of a card. Well, au contraire. Poker has been pulled onto the pages of everyone from Updike to Faulkner to Fleming. And just think of that magical scene in Jim Dodge's Stone Junction. A very apt choice of book, because as a second analogy (we have more, lurking), Unbound is the cult novel to the main Book Festival's classic text. Bukowski to the Festival's Brontë. But, back to the green baize of the poker table. Edinburgh International Book Festival is quite simply a sure bet. It is literary royalty; a flush. The after-dark corner of Unbound however is pushing your chips all-in to bluff on a 2-7, and winning of course. It's impish, unpredictable and more than a little intoxicating. For those unaware, Unbound is a 16 night run of free literary performances in the Spiegeltent, nestling in the corner of Charlotte Square Gardens, which the Book Festival calls home each August. At this party of writers, it is the kitchen where the cool kids hang. The literary punch is agreeably spiked with poetry and performance, illustration, song and sometimes dance. Roland Gulliver is the parent of Unbound – he devised the first programme in 2010 and still holds the reins. So he is the man who must attempt to explain that the apple has not fallen far from the Edinburgh International Book Festival tree and his unruly child is really just misunderstood. “When I programme Unbound I'm trying to find things that reflect the main programme,” Roland suggests over wine and a chat, “but present them in an unusual way. So more often it's around storytelling, it's around music. It's around putting together writers and artists in an interesting way. “One of the themes of the main programme is the refugee crisis. Those stories being told are quite scary and sad in terms of how these people are being dehumanised: people are withdrawing and reducing human contact. But the Unbound events look at how we engage as human beings.”

An example: this year Unbound hosts a night confronting the refugee crisis through poetry – showcasing how powerful the form can be for expressing emotion in relation to the tragedy. Unbound gleefully flips the common argument. We often struggle to understand an issue until we wear the shoes and share the experience. Scotland of course has a history of migration: ancestors fleeing the Highland clearances reached Canada and founded Winnipeg. So Winnipeg International Writers Festival are coming to discuss their city's cultural make-up from varying angles and interpretations. “They've brought four writers over from Canada to talk about their work and modern Canada,” says Roland. “With their connection to Scotland it's a really interesting twist on the migration issue.” Unbound also pulls diverse voices to the fore: “What I always try and do with Unbound is to fit different languages into the Festival, so one of the Canadian writers will be reading in Cree and the Pakistani writers (with Highlight Arts Pakistan) will be telling stories in their original language.” To feel the rhythm of a language can be just as important as interpreting its words. Unbound favourites The Bookshop Band will welcome Han Kang to the stage, to read in Korean, with the band performing songs inspired by the 2016 Booker International Prize winner's novel The Vegetarian. You see, Unbound might be absolutely free, but it's far from cheap. On a single night last year, Man Booker Prize winner Marlon James read alongside the newly crowned Bailey's Prize winner Lisa McInerney and the highly acclaimed novelist Ryan Gattis – just imagine those three voices on stage together: speaking for Galway, Kingston and LA. Gattis himself provided one of those magical Unbound moments, when he read the first chapter of his devastating LA riots novel All Involved. “That was the moment where you could just feel in the silence that everyone is there, everyone is listening, everyone is captured,” Roland explains. “On one side you have those beautiful and intense moments where everyone is caught in the story, then in contrast you have the moments where people

Roland Gulliver

just start having fun and start dancing.” This may be a loose reference to talents a little more home grown. Last year, Scottish hip-hop band Hector Bizerk blew the roof off the Spiegeltent while performing for literary rabble rousers Neu! Reekie! Those enablers of rowdiness once again host a night in 2016 and it would be wise to squeeze into the packed Spiegeltent early. They make magical moments part of their routine.

“ You have those beautiful and intense moments where everyone is caught in the story, then in contrast you have moments where people start having fun and dancing.”

Dina Mousawi

Feature

Credit: Helen Jones

Roland Gulliver

Unbound challenges the audience: those who might feel literature is not for them. It simultaneously challenges the traditionalists by showing that there is literary value beyond the words on the page. The word novel means to make new, so why not approach storytelling through as many forms as possible? Stories will be drawn out on stage at Unbound, literally, as one evening's hosts will illustrate. “Phoenix Comic is the best comic being written for kids.” Roland exclaims. “It's storytelling, it's history, it's funny, it's quality – there's no plastic tat toy on the

UNBOUND

front.” And of course the Babble On spoken word strand from the main festival programme lets its hair down (even further) for Unbound. “So, Tongue Fu are on Saturday night. Two years ago we had a boxing ring in there for Babble On's Page Match night, how are we going to match that?” asks Roland. “Tongue Fu are a jazz funk band who get people to come and read and perform and sing, it's going to be upbeat, it's going to be what you need on a Saturday night.” And while acts from the main programme do bleed into Unbound, on the Festival's final night, Unbound itself spills out into Charlotte Square for readings and shenanigans. Vic Galloway is hosting an evening of writers and bands, which will pause politely for the fireworks, then reconvene for further debauchery. What differentiates Unbound from the multitude of shows on offer in Edinburgh each August? It goes beyond simple entertainment. “You need integrity at the bottom of it,” suggests Roland. “You need the belief in stories and storytelling and books… if you're trying to find the thing that drives me, it's for people to discover that books aren't scary, and that if you can just creep a little bit further you'll find something which is quite incredible and can change your life.” And did we mention it's free? For 16 nights in Edinburgh in August you can experience top level writers and musicians from around the globe having fun, challenging your expectations and challenging themselves. “All writers want to be rock stars and all rock stars want to be writers,” is the phrase Roland coins. You can even have a beer (although you'll need to pay for that). Returning to Bukowski, he once suggested “When you drank the world was still out there, but for the moment it didn't have you by the throat.” We're not encouraging you to bevy particularly, but here you can get drunk on words as much as wine. The signs at the entrance to Charlotte Square Gardens invite all in. “There are so few free cultural spaces now,” concludes Roland. “All the libraries are closing, yet here is a free literary space for you to come and discover.” Unbound, 14-29 Aug, Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square Gardens, Free

THE SKINNY

Oh, Canada Canada's history is intrinsically linked with Scotland's, and as the whole world keeps on shrinking, all our futures are tied together. So let's cram into the Spiegeltent, perhaps pour a whisky/whiskey and let four amazing writers educate and entertain us

he great Robin Williams once said that “Canada is like a really nice apartment over a meth lab.” A generally groovy people sitting atop a more powerful and often vocal neighbour. Relatable. “Canada is a patchwork of the world's peoples, and like all countries, we have stories which have been embraced and refined, and others which have been undermined or silenced,” says Charlene Diehl, Director of the Winnipeg International Writers Festival. There's at least a little tartan in that patchwork as Winnipeg itself grew out of a Scottish settlement and even now a glance at the city's map reveals “a litany of Scottish towns and surnames: McPhillips, Nairn, Selkirk, Minto, McMillan, Sinclair, Kildonan, Woodhaven.” The link might be a couple of centuries old now but just last year the ‘Great White North's’ own Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye was named World Whisky of the Year, so it's clear we're all on the same page when it comes to the important things. That kind of cultural connection is definitely worth celebrating and a contingent of Winnipeg's finest are Edinburgh-bound for Unbound, to help us do just that with a night of readings and all-round revelry on Monday 15 August, embracing the love of liquor and literature that still thrives in both nations. But beyond the specific link our two countries share – living on in Winnipeg in the form of what Charlene describes as “a certain combination of practicality, self-reliance, and self-deprecating wit” – is the fundamental experience which birthed it and which has recurred across the world and throughout history: a group of people uprooted and tossed across the globe, seeking something new while trying to keep the old intact. When migration hits the headlines it's mostly relayed through a more pessimistic narrative. Floods of people seeking sanctuary from natural and unnatural disasters, risking

July 2016

everything and arriving with nothing into a system often incapable or unwilling to help them. The story is mostly one of failure, what we're not doing and who we're not helping. Or worse, who we're not even trying to help, as ex-reality TV stars with bad hair and worse ideas rave about building walls and banning everyone as right wingers the world over manage to maintain a straight face while attesting that all of their country's problems are being caused by a small minority who own nothing rather than the even smaller one that own everything. Winnipeg's own history has been no less turbulent, from the original wave of settlers who claimed the land out from under its owners, to the modern day, where like most multicultural cities, it works to reconcile the multiple ethnicities in its make-up into a single community. A night under the Spiegeltent's roof won't fix everything, but what it can do is provide a stage for writers to get up and shout the story of their heritage and history. Those stories, which have been trampled under the dominant narrative of national identity, can get some room to breathe and then to speak. Or shout or sing or do whatever they feel necessary to assert their rightful place in their country's story. Cosmopolitan, modern cities like Edinburgh and Winnipeg have no singular history – there's no one story of who they are now or how they came to be. Instead there are hundreds of little tales, the lived experience of different groups who wound up there travelling different roads, arriving at different times under vastly different circumstances. The writers who'll be hitting Edinburgh in August represent a snapshot of the eclectic mixture that makes up modern Winnipeg. For three of the appearing writers, Canada's history is also their own. Tracing their own heritage back through the generations, they tell a story of how modern Winnipeg came to be.

Writing both in English and Cree, Métis poet Gregory Scofield counters the often sanitised official history of Winnipeg, honouring those who fought and died for their equality in the past and painting a vivid picture of Métis life in the present. Writing as someone of Irish, Scottish and Jewish heritage as well as that of Métis, Scofield is the perfect writer to complicate the idea of Canadianness, tearing up the traditional picture and demanding something fuller in alluring verse. Winner of the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction, Candace Savage traces her own family tree back to the pioneer days, telling a personal story of a nation's past and how migration has shaped then reshaped it in ways good and bad, while Ukrainian-Canadian historian (and anyone who can still say that by the end of the night has failed at whisky) Myrna Kostash has also delved deep into the tale of how the Canadian West was settled.

“We're a long way from the romanticised cowboys and Indians narrative” Charlene Diehl

While these three reach back into the past to unearth the stories which have been long submerged, spoken word poet Chimwemwe Undi points to the ways in which it is still evolving, a new strand of culture to be woven

UNBOUND

Interview: Ross McIndoe Illustration: Jacky Sheridan

into its DNA. Raised in southern Africa and of Chewa heritage, Undi is able to speak for the experience of the modern migrant and, as a student of linguistics, her works explore the language and meaning of home at a time when it is becoming an ever less rigid concept for an ever expanding section of the world. Looking to the past and future, this Canadian quartet are ideally placed to dig into the 2016 festival's migration theme and give us a glimpse of Winnipeg's present. “The underlying idea is to share what ‘The West’ looks like now – we're a long way from the romanticised ‘cowboys and Indians’ narrative, and equally far from the empty prairie waiting to be tamed by sturdy settlers,” Charlene explains. “Those stories are part of our heritage and they're not exactly untrue, but our current writing is challenging the underlying value systems and structures of power contained in those views.” There's a lot of serious ground to be covered dealing with ideas like migration, race and the colonial legacy that still colours places like Canada. This Unbound night will be about celebrating the creative energy sparked out of the conflict, the vibrant diversity which now flows through Winnipeg's artistic scene. “On our Canada Night, you'll hear a Métis poet of Scottish/Cree/Jewish background, a historian of Ukrainian heritage, an environmentalist offering a cultural history of the prairie, a young South African immigrant spoken word poet, and (hopefully) a mixed race poet from the west coast. All of them are knock-out writers, and together they provide a pretty good picture of what the Canadian West looks like – diverse, spirited, self-critical, big-hearted and very aware of the work that needs to be done.” From Sutherland to Saskatoon, 15 Aug, 9pm, Free

Feature

Well-Versed From folk to punk and now hip-hop, music has long enjoyed a powerful kinship with poetry: together more than a sum of their parts. We speak to four Unbounders at the forefront of this cross-cultural collaboration to better understand the relationship

he Skinny: Can you explain the history and ethos behind your multi-discipline events? Michael Pedersen (Neu! Reekie!): For us to be diverse, desirable and daunting enough, we needed to host a fertile breeding ground for cross-cultural collaborations. I've always been enamoured by the idea of poets supporting musicians and vice versa, and all the fecundities of the imagination where those meet in the middle. Chris Redmond (Tongue Fu): I started Tongue Fu nine years ago with our bass player, Riaan Vosloo. The idea was simply to do a few gigs with no rehearsals. I'd book some poets, he'd book some musicians and we'd see what happened. It was pretty low key and experimental. We had no idea if it would work. Sometimes it didn't but when it did, it was clear that it was exciting for us as artists and also for the audience. It kind of pulled everyone in the room into the present moment, because it was all about risk. Jenny Lindsay: Flint & Pitch continues the multi-artform approach that Rachel McCrum and I had with Rally & Broad, where you can see spoken word poetry, live authors and bands all on one bill. It makes for a good live experience: it's engaging, it keeps an audience on their toes and also offers more of a chance for great collaborations to emerge. There is a far bigger audience for live music than there is for spoken word, unless yer talking about folks as well-kent as Kate Tempest. But that's starting to change. The music acts aren't there as some kind of filler: the acts I programme are excellent lyricists – awesome and flexible and adaptable enough to appreciate and embrace the different style of audience at a predominantly literary event. Do performers need to adapt their verbal delivery for these collaborative events? MP: Nah, we'll adapt around them. We booked them for their light and lustre after aw – not the other way around. CR: [Poets] need to be prepared for their work to sound different. They need to be willing to relinquish a bit of control and see the whole thing as a fun experiment. Music gives a context and emotional support to words, and when that music is being improvised it requires the poets to be flexible, and able to listen and respond to what's happening around them. Do only certain vocal styles or types of performer work against the backdrop of

music? What are your considerations when programming? JL: It's the compere's role to ensure that each act is well set up, wherever they are in a line-up; the programmer's role is to programme an event that works as a coherent whole. The band's full set will be the last slot, usually, as yes, it is harder to follow a band than owt else, so it wouldn't be sensible to put the short story writer straight after them, for example! CR: I think the thing that determines whether the collaboration is going to work, is how well they communicate – how open they are, with the band and with the audience. You can tell by watching how people perform, where their focus is. If they appear open and not too introspective and the writing is good then there's a good chance it will work. MP: We tend to start by billing a poet. It all lights up and lifts off from there. It's where we're both coming from after all [Pedersen co-programmes and comperes Neu! Reekie! with Kevin Williamson]. We're conscious of the tempo of the night, the expectations and affectations in raising the volume and bringing it back down – crescendos, diminuendos and each puff of sound or sight in between. It sounds a little wanky to say each event is its own artistic symphony, but I'm not denying it's how we feel. Have you witnessed a cross-pollination in skills, and also audiences at your events? MP: We are our audience and they are us too. We cross paths all over town so I guess and hope so. CR: That's part of what the aim is: most audience members come because they know it's a multi-act thing, but some do come to see one particular act and then leave having experienced acts and art forms they might well never have thought they would like! I do always try to mix well-known folk with newcomers for this reason, of course! JL: Definitely. The skills we've developed as a group have been informed by each other's abilities, perspectives and ideas. We've grown a very healthy audience in London precisely because we mix up art forms. It's more than a poetry night so we get more than a poetry audience. I think there's more of an appetite to smash stuff together now. Purism is fine and has it's place but it's so much more exciting, to us at least, to co-create, remix and reinvent; to push a little at the boundaries.

Rapper's Delight Dave Hook (Solareye of Scottish hip-hop band Stanley Odd) now straddles the camps of both rap and spoken word, and here ponders on the porous borders between them

think as a rapper you generally go into any of these situations [spoken word events] thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’ I certainly feel out of my comfort zone alone on stage. Having said that, the spoken word events I've been at this year have been some of my favourite gigs. There's a real diversity of style and content and the audiences actually listen to folk – which in itself is a bit disturbing if you're used to playing gigs at clubs and festivals! I really enjoy the a cappella spoken word nights because you can slow down your delivery and sometimes you have a bit more time to explain the songs before you rap them. Audience feedback is more direct and you end up in a sort of conversation as much as a performance, which is cool too.

Feature

Interview: Alan Bett Illustration: Jacky Sheridan

UNBOUND

There is very often a different tone between spoken word and rap. Obviously rap is generally written for a beat and the rhythms that you would rap to are there even when you take the beat away. I don't know the art of spoken word well enough to comment really but there seem to be general boundaries for style and tone although I notice that not all spoken word artists conform to them. Hollie McNish is one of my favourite writers and performers. She's also a complete natural at talking to an audience and delivering her poems. Her performance is definitely poetry, definitely not rap, but it feels completely like natural speech patterns and I love that the stories leading up to her poems are regularly longer than the poems themselves. Stanley Odd, Wed 24 Aug, 9pm, free

THE SKINNY

Feature

Found in Translation Highlight Arts focuses on Pakistan in this year's Unbound – the result of a period of collaboration between artists from Glasgow and Lahore, swapping stories across continents through translation and empathy. There will be words and music and celebration

hen you think of Syria, Iraq, or Pakistan, you probably don't think of their poets. Conflict obscures all but the most brutal and wretched faces of a country: we see only the soldier, the refugee, the bombed-out building, the toothless skyline. But what about the people, cultures, and stories buried by the conflict? Highlight Arts works to uncover these, through festivals, events and workshops. The organisation's most recent project has connected artists and storytellers from Glasgow with their contemporaries in Lahore. A group of Scottish poets, illustrators, songwriters and novelists travelled out to Pakistan for the Lahore Literary Festival in February. They worked with fellow artists on collaborative pieces and translations of each other's work – and now they're coming to Unbound, to share the music, art and stories they found. It's a remarkable way to create a deeper connection between two cultures, says poet Ryan Van Winkle, who coordinates the project for Highlight Arts. “Understanding another culture, another country, is not about learning statistics or chatting about the weather,” he says. “Understanding comes from noticing a myriad of differences and similarities. We note the quality of light. We note the riverbanks, the way meals are cooked and shared.” This is cultural immersion on a different scale – but it's not the first iteration of the project. It began in 2014, when the British Council invited Highlight Arts to organise translation workshops for two poets based in Glasgow and two in Lahore. “The idea was to explore the ‘twinning’ of these two important and vibrant cities in a human, personal and artistic way,” says Van Winkle. “It was an incredible experience for us and for the poets on both sides of the exchange. We loved Lahore, we loved the poetry and we loved working with Sang-e-Meel Publications, the

Feature

largest Urdu-language publisher in Pakistan.” The project was designed to go far beyond any kind of surface-level meet and greet. “We knew when we presented the work in Lahore for the first time that, through the intimate act of translation, authentic relationships between poets were forged and were palpable to our audience,” he explains. “We were very excited about this because, really, creating empathy, understanding and appreciation across cultures is a kind of alchemy and you never know how it will go.” Based on the success of the first project, the British Council asked Highlight Arts to expand it. So in 2015 Van Winkle took more poets out to Lahore, and held events as part of the Alchemy Festival in Glasgow and London. This year, the Edinburgh International Book Festival supported their work in Lahore, and they're presenting the widest collection of material so far at Unbound. At the core of all of this is the act of translation. Nobody here is a professional translator, but the gap in fluency seems to give rise to a connection on a level beyond language. There is always common ground, as Jim Carruth found during the project. “Family relationships are a difficult business,” explains the Scottish poet, “but something that most of us have in common. Maybe translation, by its nature and especially with living poets, is a bit like that too.” It's about noticing things, says Ryan. “When Highlight Arts brought two Scottish poets to Lahore and four Pakistani poets to Glasgow we were reminded that the act of translation is one of noticing – of interpreting difference and similarity. All the artists, poets, musicians and storytellers came together with empathy, expecting differences of style and content, and all bared themselves without shadow in an effort to inhabit the other's work. These artists have all sat across from each

other, face to face, and were reminded of the bonds we, as humans, share.” And what of the artists who will appear on stage at Unbound this year? For Ian Stephen, a storyteller, poet and seaman from Lewis, the week in Lahore was intense. “Swapping stories as we looked for shared themes and imagery was friendly,” he says, “but it was also stimulating.” He spent time sharing tales with Pakistani storyteller Mujahid Eshai, and again it was about finding the common strands among the glittering differences.

“Creating empathy, understanding and appreciation across cultures is a kind of alchemy and you never know how it will go.” Ryan Van Winkle

“In times of political unrest and armed conflict,” he continues, “it reminds you of the shared human psychology which results in narratives and imagery with astonishing similarities. For example, the myth of lovers separated in life but united in death occurs in the Outer Hebrides as well as the Punjab. We also have witty trickster tales in common.” For Stephen, working with Mujahid didn't feel like previous translation projects that he's worked on. “In this project it was not so much

UNBOUND

Interview: Galen O'Hanlon

about translations as finding parallel tracks, story for story, assisted by the stunning and detailed imagery produced by Kate (Leiper, a Scottish illustrator working on the project) and her own collaborator. I'd contrast that with poetry translation projects I've been involved with which are about close scrutiny of language and sound and craft.” And while he won't reveal too much of what's in store for Unbound, he will be focusing on the shared ground of riddles, ballads and songs that are the foundations of Scottish and Pakistani storytelling. Together with Shazea Quraishi, a UK-based poet and storyteller from Lahore, they will riff on each other's stories. There'll be music and poetry too. Sarah Hayes from the band Admiral Fallow worked with Sara Kazmi in Lahore, and the pair are looking forward to performing at Unbound. Once again, folk traditions are a rich source of creative material, but they also found similarities in the two cities’ industrial heritages. “Working in a cross-cultural collaboration like this was a new challenge for Sara and me,” says Hayes. “We were keen to find a meaningful musical connection and create something brand new from our respective folk traditions. We settled on our material pretty quickly, drawing parallels between the textile industry in Glasgow and Lahore, perennial themes of love and loss, and the use of bird and animal imagery to illustrate wider subjects.” This is a rare opportunity to see a new blend of folk tales, says Van Winkle. “It's such a pleasure to see how Scottish and Pakistani folk songs and poetry meld together in their set – in which all sorts of Pakistani and Punjabi influences mingle with classic songs from artists such as Nancy Whiskey.” It's a fascinating project, and promises to be a lively night. From Lewis to Lahore, Sun 21 Aug, 9pm, Free

THE SKINNY

Thon Woman, Liz, Lochhead You can put her on stage but can ye Makar sing? Yes and no. Our ex national Bard updates poet Clare Mulley on her Unbound night of folk, pop, poetry and jazz – the performance of her new collaborative album The Light Comes Back with The Hazey Janes

t's easy to see why Liz Lochhead has such a way with spoken word and the stage. She settles into conversation as naturally as a tabby curling up in an armchair, and renders listeners every bit as relaxed in the process. There's no hint of cagey or awkward, as you might expect from any sane person on the phone to a complete stranger – in fact, it hardly feels like an interview. Two minutes in, she asks me to excuse her for a couple of seconds, “…just needed to retie my dressing gown cord on the way to the kettle…” After that we're off again in full flow for the best part of an hour. She chats warmly and easily about her work, her numerous friends and the art of writing, flitting into many fascinating trains of thought along the way. There's no doubt that Lochhead is one of the strongest women's voices in Scottish poetry, and has been a guiding light to many female artists who came after. However, when I ask about the earlier years she spent establishing herself – a time when female poets were still very much a rarity – she is typically modest of her achievements. “I don't know if I really paved the feminist way – being the token woman poet was a

definite advantage. I also had a lot of luck. If I'd started 15 years later, I'd still have been exactly me, but I would have had it harder. I was one of a generation of pioneers.” We briefly discuss the recent election of Jackie Kay, whom she likes a great deal, and the difficulties of picking from such an illustrious shortlist. “I wasn't consulted on the choice of new Makar, to my relief,” she laughs, “I'd have been delighted with any of them.” As you'd assume, her feet have barely touched soil for the past few years, and, with her new play Thon Man Molière already winning rave reviews, it is only now that she can look forward to a more definite rest. She speaks with great fondness of a caravan park on the West Highland coast, where she first used to holiday with her late husband, Tom, and still often uses as a retreat. A painting of its sea view – her own – features on the cover of her latest book of poems, Fugitive Colours. Amongst other things, the collection tackles the theme of bereavement, and the caravan features early on as a setting both for some of her happiest memories and deepest griefs. After Tom passed away, one of the first hurdles was to reclaim the caravan emotionally as

a place she could relax. “I had to go back,” she says. “I said to myself, ‘If I don't go soon I'll never be able to go.’”

“I don't know if I really paved the feminist way... I was one of a generation of pioneers” Like Fugitive Colours, her appearance at Unbound has a lot to do with the theme of commemoration, and audiences are in for something rather special. She will be showcasing the collaborative album, The Light Comes Back (recently recorded by Tob Records on the Isle of Mull) with indie band The Hazey Janes and

Interview: Clare Mulley saxophonist Steve Kettley, which is dedicated to the memory of one of her friends, singer-songwriter Michael Marra. Marra's son and daughter are in the band, and the project was triggered by a poem Liz wrote on the day of his funeral, The Optimistic Sound. The band left room for ‘unspecified Liz narrative’ in their planning (“I can't sing!”) which grew into performances of her poems flecked throughout the music, and the finished album also contains one of Marra's own tunes. It is, in a word, beautiful – a hybrid of Radio 4-style monologue with a mash-up of incidental folk, pop and jazz. Lochhead's clear voice forms snapshots, delicately underpinning every tiny fluctuation in emotion, the mellow sax swooning up and down underneath it all the while like dribbling honey. So what happens after Unbound draws to a close? A very peaceful not much, it seems. “I'm on my own over summer having a break, and I'm going to try and have a slightly different year. I haven't been in the situation of not knowing exactly what to write next for a while… and I need to clean the kitchen.” Liz Lochhead and The Hazey Janes, Tue 16 Aug, 9pm, Free

A Taste of Unbound Instead of reading our words, let's listen to theirs. Here's a selection of sentences and stanzas which have come out of the mouths of our 2016 Unbounders. What is it? Let me explain It’s kind of like a martial art, fought between your brain and your mouth and your body and the spiritual connection. You can call that God or intellectual reflection. It’s a natural selection of provocative poems. We’re funky word farmers and we’ve all been sowing the seeds for some time, scribbling away, trying to write the tight rhymes, all got something to say. But we play a little game here, to entertain you. We mix the music and the words when we do Tongue Fu. – Extract from Fu Man Choo Choo by Chris Redmond I came here all rude American brass, all trash can, fanny pack, Where’s the castle? Then Glasgow rolled itself under my tongue, a grey marble lolling my mouth open with Os: Glasgow, Kelvingrove, going to Tescos, then thistling my speech wi sleekit lisps, wee packets a crisps – Extract from Outwith by Katie Ailes

July 2016

I keep meeting writers, artists and musicians who have given up writing, painting or music. And we get wasted, we smoke and we drink and talk of wasted talent, and it always ends the same way, with me insisting that the colours and the notes and the words don’t die, sometimes they just get lost. I tell them I couldn’t ever quit and walk out on writing. It’s usually then they give me that look always that look – like one day I will give up they look at me like one day I’ll see how hard it is to make it work they look at me like I don’t get it like I don’t understand and I stop talking and I smoke and drink and think they never did. – Don’t Feed the Poets by Salena Godden

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

Editors: Rosamund West & Alan Bett Subeditor: Will Fitzpatrick Designer: Kyle McPartlin Production Manager & Picture Editor: Sarah Donley Illustrator: Jacky Sheridan

Unbound, 14-29 Aug, Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square Gardens, Free

UNBOUND

Feature

What's On at Unbound 2016

All events start at 9pm (7pm on Monday 29 August) in the Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square Gardens. And they're free! Just drop in, no need for a ticket unshackle another stellar line up of music and poetry including Admiral Fallow, Salena Godden, Sarah Howe and more.

Sat 27 Aug

Roddy Woomble & Friends

Sun 14 Aug

The Phoenix Rises The Phoenix Comic has been cool for kids for many years, and now Unbound revellers will be treated to some late night antics from gladiatorial Gary Northfield (Julius Zebra), caped comic crusader Laura Ellen Anderson (Evil Emperor Penguin), adventurer extraordinaire Jamie Littler (Cogg & Sprokit), Cloud Rider Zak SimmondsHurn (Simon Swift) and deadly Corpse Talk creator Adam Murphy. Join them for a night of interactive drawing and performances.

Mon 15 Aug

From Sutherland To Saskatoon Winnipeg was founded by Scots exiled by the Highland Clearances; the Book Festival got together with Winnipeg International Writers Festival to uncover the make-up and mix of modern, multilingual Canada, from the founding nations to new migrant experiences. Host Charlene Diehl is joined by memoirist Myrna Kostash, cultural geographer Candace Savage, spoken word artist Chimwemwe Undi, Métis poet Gregory Scofield, and Edinburgh's own Theresa Munoz. As chilled as the frozen North.

Tue 16 Aug

Liz Lochhead & The Hazey Janes Liz called. She said, ‘I'm working with The Hazey Janes. Together we are creating a celebration of the lyric impulse and the love of strange and new harmonies – I quite fancy doing an Unbound session; what do you think?’ Fresh from their recent CD release The Light Comes Back, former Scots Makar Liz Lochhead and the much loved and lauded indie pop band The Hazey Janes, led by experimental jazz saxophonist Steve Kettley, give you a night of sensational sounds and sonnets.

Wed 17 Aug

Bookshop Band The Book Festival has commissioned new songs by the Bookshop Band to celebrate their day of events spotlighting international fiction and translation, happening throughout Wednesday 17 August. The core of inspiration for the new tracks is Han

Listings

Kang's Man Booker International Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian. To add to the magic, Han Kang will join the Bookshop Band on stage too.

Thu 18 Aug

Poetry As Refuge Fires of fear are being fanned as we watch the refugee crisis unfold across Europe. Writers, artists and poets are restless and responding; countering with words of hope, heart and humanity. Join one of this year's Book Festival Guest Selectors, Bidisha, for a multilingual, multinational, musical poetry evening and discover the healing combination of language, poetry and music. Bidisha offers a welcoming light in dark times.

Fri 19 Aug

The EVP Sessions A collaboration between Penned in the Margins and Mercy, Electronic Voice Phenomena becomes unbound in an electrifying live session. Mercurial multimedia artist Appau Junior Boakye-Yiadom resonates dub echoes and performance poet Harry Giles considers remote technology, but that's not all… Antosh Wocjik investigates memory loss with percussion and award-winning raconteur Ross Sutherland plays [g]host with Trutherstyle video works.

Sat 20 Aug Tongue Fu

In Scotland for one night only at the Book Festival, Tongue Fu is a riotous experiment in live literature, music and improvisation. Created and hosted by poet Chris Redmond (Scroobius Pip's Beatdown XFM; Pick Of The Week – BBC R4), it is among the UK's liveliest and largest spoken word shows; regular performers include Jamie Cullum, Beardyman Dream Team and Nostalgia 77. Unbound Tongue Fu will feature Hollie McNish, Luke Wright, Ross Sutherland, Deanna Rodger and surprise guests.

Sun 21 Aug

From Lewis To Lahore In 2015 the Book Festival began a journey with Highlight Arts travelling from Scotland to Pakistan and back again, refuelling at the Lahore Literary Festival – an adventure involving

telling and translating stories, poetry, pictures and music. The collaboration will be encapsulated by creatives from Scotland and Pakistan in this special Unbound. From Scotland, storyteller Ian Stephen, poet Vicki Husband, illustrator Kate Leiper and Admiral Fallow's Sara Hayes. Representing Pakistan is storyteller Shazea Quraishi, illustrator Mehreen Fatima and musician Sara Kazmi. Thanks to the British Council, the event will travel to the Outer Hebrides later in August.

Wed 24 Aug

Mon 22 Aug

Imagine Better

Macastory & Friends At the heart of Unbound is literary joy and, inspired by their LandWords Festival appearances, sensational storytelling duo Macastory will be shining bright, introducing Scotland’s history in the silliest way possible. It might not ALL be true but some of it is! Come along for characters, costumes, songs and hopefully The Sandpit Men.

Tue 23 Aug

Born To Be Wide Led by ‘Olaf the Enforcer’, Born to be Wide has been doing good in the world of music for many years. They fight the cause for quality music, writing, performance and storytelling, helping new artists to climb up the ladder of fame and celebrating those at the top. Join Olaf for interviews, stories and music with some of Scotland’s newest talents.

Stanley Odd

Fresh from headlining summer music festivals, Scotland's finest hip-hop band are back at the Book Festival and ready to make the Spiegeltent boards bounce with stripped back classics from their recent albums Reject and A Thing Brand New. They will also be testing out new tracks. Exciting times!

Thu 25 Aug

Inspired by The Rising Generation, the latest issue of Poetry Ireland Review, the relationship and conflicts between personal and political identities and the boundaries between art and activism are explored. Alongside Ireland's new generation of poetry activists, readers include IMPAC winning writer Kevin Barry, Canadian Madeleine Thien, whose novels explore her Chinese heritage, and the creator of satirical fables on the former Soviet Union, Hamid Ismailov.

Fri 26 Aug

Neu! Reekie! So far 2016 has seen founders and hosts of Neu! Reekie! Pederson and Williamson continue to trail a blaze across Scotland with their trademark panache presenting poetry, and music and their latest anthology #UntitledTwo. Join them as they

Indie folk band Idlewild returned in 2015 with new album Everything Ever Written. Tonight acclaimed singersongwriter and front man Roddy Woomble will take a break from US and UK music tours to celebrate his debut book; a playful mix of paintings, photographs and words that drive his work. He will be reading and performing alongside fellow musicians Andrew Mitchell, Luciano Rossi and Siobhan Wilson.

Sun 28 Aug

The Flint & Pitch Revue All-round literary powerhouse Jenny Lindsay launches her latest venture, Flint & Pitch, which continues the cabaret style of Rally & Broad but punches stronger and bolder. The first line-up is packed with readings from Hannah McGill, performances from Dave Hook, Katie Ailes and Sam Small, plus music from Roseanne Reid and Pronto Mama.

Mon 29 Aug

Vic Galloway & Friends The last night finale kicks off early at 7pm, bringing together stories, song, festivities and fireworks across the whole of Charlotte Square Gardens. In secret locations around the garden Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature celebrates ten years of Story Shop and the official 20 cities of literature with readings from Story Shoppers past and international names of the future. To go out on a bang, DJ and journalist Vic Galloway has created something extra special in the Spiegeltent, combining Belgium's best Tom Lanoye and Anneliese Verbeke with music guests Adam Stafford and Khartoum Heroes, the elusive seldom-seen ramshackle heroes of rock. See you on the dance floor!

Unbound On Tour Unbound is going on the road with the Book Festival’s Booked! programme, for August sessions in Inverclyde, Galashiels and Aberdeen. A specially curated Unbound night will be part of the Booked! Festivals, bringing together international authors with local writers and musicians for a free, informal night of performance and readings. See edbookfest.co.uk/about-us/booked for full line-ups. 23-24 Aug — MacArts, Galashiels 25-26 Aug — Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock 29-30 Aug — ACT, Aberdeen Booked! is Edinburgh International Book Festival on the road around Scotland, bringing books to life for people in their own communities. Supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

UNBOUND

THE SKINNY

Prejudice and Pride As we approach the anniversary of Stonewall and peak Pride season, Deviance reflects upon last month’s tragic massacre of LGBTQ people and the work left to do in achieving equality for all Words: Kate Pasola Illustration: Isabella Bunnell

n June 28 in 1969, an LGBT haven in New York's Greenwich Village was raided by the police. That haven was called the Stonewall Inn, and it was one of few establishments in the Us which openly welcomed and protected LGBT people, sex workers, drag queens and homeless teenagers, encouraging them to be themselves without fear of persecution. A safe space. A proud space. The raid led to the infamous Stonewall Riots. Those riots led to collective action, and that collective action lead to momentous change for LGBT people. One year later, in 1970, the first ever Pride parade took place. Today, Pride is joyously jubilated in cities across the globe throughout the summer. After all, there’s so much progress to celebrate, right? The sluggish mainstream is widening its bleary eyes to the modern struggles of people who aren’t straight, cis, or either. Binaries are collapsing into a technicolour sea of glittering individuality. Exclusionary marital laws are ameliorating; and from Malta to Vietnam, Thailand to Bolivia, legislation has been passed to bolster the rights of trans people. Teen Instagrammers have platformed and demystified queerness, and although capitalism has commodified the movement into a pulpy excuse to sell Jaden Smith-inspired clothes, the ripples of beauteous change remain. Hell, even the Pope is vaguely on board with the formerly forbidden fruits of LGBT lifestyles. But wrapped up in the momentum of a moderately woke left-wing media, in rainbow profile pictures, in genderqueer clothing lines, we’ve lost sight of just how far we have left to travel on the dirt track to equality.

Take, for instance, June’s Orlando attacks, when a 29-year-old US citizen took a gun into gay nightclub Pulse, killed 49 people and wounded a further 53. Clubbers who’d eaten a big dinner to avoid a hangover the next day. Friends who’d picked outfits with tomorrow’s Snapchats in mind. People who looked forward to kissing crushes in a safe, welcoming and celebratory space. People for whom this was only the start of a month-long string of Pride parties. 49 of them, taken because gun laws, sex education and societal outlook had failed them. The worst mass shooting in the history of the US, and it took place in a gay bar during Pride month.

“ As international security trembles, austerity takes grip and legislation fails us, the LGBTQ community faces mounting hatred” Or, more locally, take the nationwide spike in homophobic hate crime in 2015 – a 22% increase on The Home Office’s figures for 2014. Take the hate-motivated, unprovoked attacks on 21-year-old Adam Senior, in Manchester’s gay village. Or the

vicious verbal abuse Sarah Drummond and her partner encountered as she was photographed and called disgusting by a group of homophobic women on a train in Alloa. Thousands and thousands of incidents that will continue to gnaw at the LGBTQ community’s sense of welfare, confidence and rightful pride unless we start taking action. It’s surely no coincidence that as international security trembles, as austerity takes grip and as legislation fails us, the LGBTQ community is facing mounting hatred and violation. While we panic about terror and rage about Trump, we cannot ignore the voices of the marginalised who bear the heaviest brunt; who are always hurting more deeply and more frequently. We are light years and heptathlons away from healing homophobia. And if we do not learn from

history, the sickest stories will repeat themselves. We cannot afford to repeat stories like Orlando. In the US, gun laws must change. Worldwide, mainstream LGBTQ sex education must be taught, quelling homophobic predispositions before they take hold. Safe spaces, both physical and digital must be protected. Pride must be allowed to shine as a rainbow in a turbulent, uncertain sky. If you thought Pride was irrelevant, you were wrong. And if you thought safe spaces aren’t necessary, you were wrong. If you thought we’d come far enough, you were sorely, sorely wrong. Those who are now afraid to live their truest lives must be reassured that although gunman Omar Mateen had a homophobic ‘grudge in his heart’, we, on the other hand, do not.

Dear Hetero Friends Friendship between gay men and straight men can be tricksy. In the spirit of Pride, tolerance and not behaving like a prick, Toby Sharpe clears up a thing or two for his hetero pals...

t can be difficult for straight men and queer men to be friends. Both sides come to the scene loaded with preconceptions. To some extent, each side fears the other. The gay guy mostly worries that his straight friend thinks he's only in it for the occasional flash of wang against grey sweatpants. Or, alternatively, that he's being ‘too much’. Too flaming, too homo. He worries that he is impossibly different and unable to pretend otherwise. On the other hand, the straight guy worries he'll do something offensive. Maybe he'll say something homophobic, or maybe he'll be too careful. He worries he'll make it obvious that he's over-thinking the interaction as he tries to come across as chill with... well, whatever it is gays get up to. With Pride season in full swing across the world, and in the spirit of resolving this dilemma, I'd like to share a few messages with straight men struggling to navigate their dynamic with a gay friend. A slice of honesty from your friendly neighbourhood queer. Let's do this.

July 2016

1. ‘What does a dick in the ass feel like, though?’ is not an acceptable question to ask your homo friend, your homo acquaintance, or your homo employee. 2. Making that weird tight-lipped smiley-face of tolerance when you walk past gay couples doesn't make you look super-enlightened. It makes you look like you're sucking a Fisherman's Friend made of kitten litter. It makes us feel uncomfortable. 3. Sometimes, men brush past each other. It does not necessarily mean you've been hit on. Sorry. 4. Queer sex is not necessarily just anal sex. Men can look each other in the eyes while they fuck. I know! Shocking! 5. Despite strange societal expectations that gay relationships must mimic straight ones,

being asked which one of us is ‘the woman’ in a given relationship is actually painfully boring and hellishly heteronormative. 6. We don't give a fuck that your uncle is gay. 7. We don't give a fuck that you listened to Macklemore in late 2012. 8. Announcing that you've willing to accept your flatmate is ‘alright looking’ doesn't make you seem hip and tolerant. Neither does your Women's Studies module. 9. We're most likely not in love with you, and we probably don't want to fuck you. If women aren't constantly begging for your meat-trumpet or salivating over your sweaty bodies – why would we? 10. Plus, even if you were the hunkiest of hunks, an obsession with the idea that we're necessarily out to capture your sperm-cannon and butt-palace

DEVIANCE

Words: Toby Sharpe

seems a little odd – and reflects poorly on how you think about your own interactions with women. 11. ...That said, every gay man has his story of unrequited love for the straight best friend. Maybe we lusted for the cute guy on the swimming team whose front crawl was a little less aggressive than the others. Perhaps it was the whimsical but handsome poet fella who winked at us once, revealing an obvious gayness in need of nurture, goddamnit. It happens, and it can be rough. We're only human, we make mistakes, we experiment. Y'know, similar to how straight men like to experiment with man-buns. Or pegging. 12. But remember, friend: just cos we fancied a straight ’un in high school, we don't necessarily fancy you when you're wasted, sweaty, and inexplicably convinced that you're Marlon Brando.

Lifestyle

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Cocktail Column

Looking to advertise this Fringe? Fest is the biggest & best Festival guide ✏

125,000 copies every summer, reaching 500,000 readers

✏

Hundreds of reviews

✏

Hour-by-hour listings

✏

New issue every Tuesday & Friday

✏

Preview Guide out 26 July

✏

Review editions out 9, 12, 16, 19 & 23 August

Contact sales here George Sully on 0131 467 4630 george@festmag.co.uk

ike riding a bicycle or getting your toast just right, the art of making an Old Fashioned is easy to learn but hard to master. The process hasn’t changed much since the drink was first referenced over 200 years ago, with a few simple ingredients and techniques involved, but Old Fashioneds provoke fiery debate in some quarters and frenzied drives for perfection in others. No wonder noted Old Fashioned fiend Don Draper always had such a pained look on his face. At its heart, the Old Fashioned features spirit – typically a bourbon, harkening back to the drink’s Prohibition-era heyday – alongside bitters, a sweetener, and water. After getting those basics down, you’re suddenly thrown into a world of dispute and intrigue, with much debate about the right bitters, spirits and even the kind of ice to use. Your Old Fashioned can also feature fruit, unless you ask the wrong bartender in which case it definitely can’t, and it always requires a good old stir to work that cocktail magic. And we mean a good stir – we’ve heard of an Old Fashioned taking up to 20 minutes to stir through to the ‘tender’s satisfaction. See what we mean about that drive for perfection? The Basement’s take on an Old Fashioned uses Mezcal, the agave-based spirit and close cousin to tequila, in place of the traditional bourbon. Put down your pitchforks, though, because the mezcal’s mild smokiness makes it an ideal substitute. The agave nectar and orange bitters help keep things pleasantly sweet and sharp while letting the spirit do most of the talking, which seems perfectly fair to us. Give it a go yourself – it might take you a few tries to get it right, but some things are worth the effort.

The Ilegal Old Fashioned INGREDIENTS: 60ml Ilegal Joven mezcal 10ml agave nectar 2 dashes orange bitters

Your FREE Guide to the Edinburgh Festivals

festmag.co.uk /FESTMAGUK

METHOD: Add the ingredients to a mixing glass, top with ice and stir. Taste as you go to avoid over-diluting; strain into an old fashioned glass or lowball glass. Garnish with a piece of flamed orange zest. 10a-12a Broughton Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3RH basement-bar-edinburgh.co.uk

@FESTMAG

THE SKINNY

Days and Confused It seems like there’s a dedicated day for every food stuff, condiment and edible situation. Naturally, that’s annoyed our Food and Drink editor – here’s why Words: Peter Simpson Illustration: Eunjoo Lee

e don’t like to go too Behind the Magician’s Code round these parts – if we told you lot how we do this, you’d just run off and put together your own, better food magazine – but allow us to talk you through a typical day in the Food wing of Skinny Towers. Bing-bong, an email comes in – ‘Dear sir/ madam, did you know it’s National [BLANK] Week? Well it is. Here’s some bumph.’ Everyone chuckles a bit, a few minutes pass, and another email lands. Same deal; a missive relating to ‘Global [THING] Day’, along with some handy guides on how best to eat whatever said thing is. Then another email comes in, the laughs turn to sobs, the computer goes flying out the window, and we spend the rest of the morning putting the thing back together. Then lunch. In the past month alone we’ve seen National Martini Day, Negroni Week, World Gin Day (followed by World Cucumber Day), World Whisky Day, National Beer Day, National Wine Day (not to be confused with National Wine Drinking Day) and the improbable, ridiculous and entirely American Waffle Iron Day. It’s been an extremely boozy time, and the food has been sparse but incredibly sugary. Coming up shortly we have the dual delights of National Cream Tea Day AND Afternoon Tea Week – surely those can be rolled into one, lads – as well as the superfluous Picnic Week, plus National Penuche Fudge Day and Eat A Peach Day. Later in the year we can look forward to Sourdough September, World Egg Day, National Yorkshire Pudding Day, and National Hot Cross Bun Day (in September, because at this point, why not?). Sadly, we’ll need to wait until 2017 for the next Sriracha Week, celebrating the hipster’s favourite ketchup substitute, but we can keep ourselves occupied until then. This is not good, and it certainly isn’t fun. We can see exactly why brands, producers, venues and whoever benefits from Cucumber Day are doing this; it’s hard to get noticed, and people won’t just think of cucumbers of their own volition. They’ll be too busy with their Playstations and their Snapchats and their MySpace, and won’t have the requisite time to ponder their fondness for cucumbers, or fudge, or the negroni. Better to focus everyone’s attention, then hit them with some full-force #brand reinforcement. The ‘Day’ is also supposed to make for an easier sell when it comes to esteemed members of the press – writers don’t just suddenly start going on about things for no reason, they generally require at least a mild prodding. And what better excuse for that prodding than an event you’ve just made up?

July 2016

And that’s how we’ve ended up with the modern-day gauntlet of hundreds of foodie days, weeks and months of varying legitimacy and logic. If anyone can set up their own holiday, and noone’s going to stop you, then why not go for it? Well, here’s why – there are already too many, and we don’t need any more. It’s gruelling and ever-so-slightly ridiculous, and not in a good faux-shambolic way. Not to mention the simple fact that most things – be they foodstuffs, drinks, brands or culinary styles – don’t really warrant their own day. Peaches are delicious, but if someone bounded into your office or home espousing their plans for ‘Eat A Peach Day’, you’d have them drug-tested so fast it’d make their head spin. In many ways, it’s symptomatic of the current way we all get our information – every angry tweet is an ‘evisceration’, every new tune is a ‘must-listen’, and apparently we should only want food when there’s a tightly-defined and entirely arbitrary time limit attached.

"If the aim of setting up your own day is to give your chosen field a lift, we have some bad news – that ship has sailed" Above all else, this hail of events and calendar invites just isn’t very good PR. If the aim of setting up your very own day is to give your chosen field a lift, we have some bad news – that ship has sailed. Not only has it sailed, but on its maiden voyage it hit a big load of rocks and fucking sank. There’s basically a food day for every day in the calendar, so any impact you could hope for is going to be somewhat stunted unless you’re hawking a seriously appealing product (like gin or cakes or delicious, delicious Sriracha) or have bags of cash to blow on some top-notch gimmicks and merch. And if you do have money to burn, burn it in hilarious and unexpected ways. Setting up a World Day is an attempt at a publicity stunt, but a really low-risk one. It’s the

culinary equivalent of jumping off a moving skateboard; it is unquestionably an action with risk, but you won’t exactly look like a big shot when you do it. If you’re a food brand and looking to court press attention, go the whole hog. Brewdog driving a tank down the street to raise dat sweet crowdfunding dollar is a publicity stunt; KFC hiring a man dressed as Colonel Sanders to abseil down a forty-floor building is a publicity stunt; the KLF burning a million quid on a remote island is a fucking publicity stunt, although might be outside most people’s price ranges. Launching ‘World Watermelon Smoothie Day’ with a limp press release is, as they say,

FOOD AND DRINK

weak sauce. It’s no Sriracha, that’s for sure. So, if you’re looking at your sandwich or cup of tea, and thinking, ‘Ooh, I wonder what National Half-Eaten Sandwich Day would look like,’ then please stop. Stop right now, thank you very much. There’s so much delicious food, and so many interesting people making it, that assigning each element its own spot on the calendar is a bad idea. We can do so much better, and have so much more fun, if we – in the words of Michael Caine at the end of The Muppet Christmas Carol – honour Sriracha in our hearts, and try to keep it all the year.

Lifestyle

Phagomania: Crazy Cocktails Don’t settle for the classics this summer – give your cocktails a certain je ne sais quoi and/or a bizarre set of garnishes

Words: Lewis MacDonald

The Confused

t’s officially summer; cocktail time. If the cool, fruity tipples that are synonymous with hot holidays have got you raiding the cupboards and shaking your mixer, then welcome to the next level. We ask ‘Why stop at regular ingredients’ and sample the freakiest concoctions that the interweb has to offer.

If you find tossing ice cream into a sweet fizzy drink a little bit much for a regular ice cream float, then you will be truly undone by a beer float. While there are many establishments around the world offering these, in lieu of a local option we decided to create one of these ourselves to sample. We opted for a dark, strong Czech porter with vanilla ice cream. ‘Almost nice’ best sums up our experience – the flavour of a porter or stout, rich and chocolatey, coupled with the ice cream is a lovely, lovely thing. However the sour notes inherent in the beer are unavoidable but unwelcome guests to this tastebud party.

The Glitzy

The Meaty

Here’s a coolness test – had much meat in your cocktails lately? The latest trend for 2016 is meaty cocktails which are currently doing the rounds at a host of high-end London establishments. Typically a bewildering array of ingredients are quoted at you, reading more like a mains menu than a drinks list. Take, for example, the Deer Hunter (from London’s Shrub and Shutter), comprised of Tincup Bourbon, smoking pipe bitters, Capovilla grappa, orange, tobacco amarone and birch sap with a garnish of venison carpaccio. Bill and Tonic (at Seven in Brixton) works biltong into the gin-based classic. Meanwhile London fusion restaurant Sushi Samba offers the Kobe Cocktail, essentially an Old Fashioned washed with high grade Kobe beef fat.

So once upon a time, Hollywood’s Vaucluse Lounge decided creating a $10,000 DiamondInfused Martini was a good idea, with boutique French vodka left to infuse with diamonds (not known for their dissolubility). They invited US rappers Big Sean and 2 Chainz to come along and sample their cocktail swag. “Taste like a Rolex,” remarked 2 Chainz, while Big Sean said: “This is James Bond right here.” 2 Chainz later confessed that he can’t taste any difference, opining: “Who the f **k buys a $10,000 martini?” It’s a fair point. As if diamond martinis weren’t bling enough, the Guinness World Record holder for most expensive cocktail is The Winston from Club 23, Melbourne, setting you back a frankly unjustifiable $12,916. This is mainly due to the 1858 Croizet cognac, as drunk by Churchill on D-Day. Together with an extravagant garnish and various elements you will never have heard of, it takes two days to make.

Words: Peter Simpson

Lifestyle

The Gag

So by now you’ve consumed around 80-odd ingredients and around £16,000 worth of booze – how to finish the evening? There’s a few good candidates for this (ever tried the charmingly titled ‘Horse Jizz’ mixture of beer and milk?) but the best/worst candidate we’ve seen is the Smoker’s Cough; it’s a measure of mayonnaise and a shot of Jägermeister. It sounds bad, it looks vile and it is not just the taste but the sensation you have to worry about. Cheers.

Lounge Bohemia in Shoreditch has a reputation for pushing the mixology boundaries, while keeping things predominantly meat-free, unlike many of its London brethren. Our personal favourite is the bubble bath martini; a classic martini glass comes with joyous mounds of bubbles and a mini rubber duck. An institution that keeps its cards very close to its chest, the secret of the foam remains closely guarded.

This month features a pair of beer festivals, a pre-Fringe food extravaganza, and a chance to sit in the dark

e begin with wars, and specifically a screening of documentary Beer Wars at Glasgow’s CCA. A “no holds barred exploration of the U.S. beer industry,” Beer Wars looks at the ongoing pitched battles between big-time mass-production breweries and smaller craft enterprises. It’s a delicious David vs Goliath clash, and really, isn’t that the best kind? 2 Jul, 6.30pm, 350 Sauchiehall St, free, tickets via ccaglasgow.org.uk In further beer-related news, the Glasgow West End Beer Festival returns to Hillhead at the start of July, with beers from the likes of

No other cocktail is more fun than the Cookie Monster. A typically milky, boozy and sweet delight topped with blue frosting, marshmallow eyes and – in an absolute masterstroke – an oreo cookie substituted for the Cookie Monster’s mouth. Num, num, num indeed.

The Squeaky Clean

Food News

The Dessert

Stewart, Fallen, WEST and Jaw Brew on offer. The weather will probably be terrible, he said, having just dodged a late June rainstorm, but at least the beer will be good. Lovely beer, solving all sorts of problems this month. 1 & 2 Jul, various times, Cafe Source Too, 32 Hughenden Rd, £6 Next up, a couple more events making their return to our food round-up. First up, the chance to sit in the pitch black, with the return of Whisky in the Dark to Edinburgh on 8 July. The concept explains itself – you drink whisky, in the dark. You’ll try out five whiskies without

theskinny.co.uk/food

any pesky visuals to distract you and your tastebuds, with live music to add to the experience while also helping you to echolocate everyone else in the room. You’ll be like an incredibly cultured bat, and we don’t get to say that every month. 8 Jul, 5pm and 8.30pm, Mash House, 37 Guthrie St, £22.50, tickets via whiskybusiness.scot Also returning to Edinburgh this month is the Scottish Real Ale Festival at the Corn Exchange. Expect around 170 beers from brewers across Scotland, as well as dozens of ciders drawn from the length and breadth of the UK, all together under one roof for you to manfully attempt to work your way through. 7-9 Jul, 12-10.30pm, 10 New Market Rd, £6, sraf. camra.org.uk Over in Glasgow, a new coffee competition dubbed the Scottish Barista Battle launches this month at For Fika’s Sake in Partick. Modelled on the Swedish concept of the ‘Barista League’, the battle aims to take all the challenge and networking potential of a standard coffee competition and separate it from the expensive and stressful bits. There will

FOOD AND DRINK

be sensory challenges, there will be mystery challenges, and everything will smell of tasty, tasty coffee which is always a bonus. Let battle commence, we say. 26 Jul, 7.30pm, 7 Keith Street, register via Eventbrite Finally for July, it’s almost time to get ready for the Edinburgh Fringe! Woo! Wait, don’t walk away just yet. The Edinburgh Food Festival returns after last year’s pre-Fringe slot, filling George Square Gardens with a host of foodie stalls, stands and events in the week ahead of Artsmageddon. Among this year’s highlights are a visit from Glasgow pop-up restaurant Section 33 on 30 July, and a free talk and demonstration from Shirley Spear and Scott Davies of the much-loved Three Chimneys restaurant on the Isle of Skye the following day – head to edfoodfest.com for more details on this year’s programme. theskinny.co.uk/food

THE SKINNY

July 2016

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Changing career in 16 weeks at CodeClan

ince launching in October 2015, CodeClan – Scotland’s first digital skills academy – has seen an impressive 32 students graduate, with 70% of those going more or less straight into a job in the tech industry. It’s an encouraging response to the widening skills gap in that sector; around 11,000 new jobs in IT are created in Scotland every year, but many go unfilled. What makes CodeClan so important is its mission to retrain individuals regardless of background, thanks to its intensive programme taking applicants from 0 to qualified in a mere 16 weeks. We spoke to one of the course’s success stories, Graeme Stewart, who now works for Edinburgh tech startup Money Dashboard. “I was working in my local supermarket, mainly on the checkouts,” he tells us over email. “I graduated from university with a degree in Web Systems Development a few years beforehand.” How did he find out about CodeClan, and what prompted him to apply? “From a friend who also ended up signing up. I’d been looking for a way to start a career in the industry but it’s always hard to get anywhere without experience.” It’s quite a daunting prospect, however. ”I felt a certain amount of trepidation as I was setting off into the great unknown, but also excitement at hopefully starting a new career.” CodeClan isn’t a stuffy old institution with miles of red tape to navigate; Stewart describes the application process as “pretty straightforward.” “I applied online then attended an interview.” What does the course itself involve? “I was typically coming in for 9 o’clock and not leaving until I’d finished my homework, which would be at about 6 or 7. As you can guess this was pretty demanding of my time and effort.” But the impact the course has had has been significant. “The course has definitely changed my life for the better. Before I had no real direction in my work life. I knew I was capable of so much more but had no route to advance. “I now work as a Junior Test Analyst. It can be a pretty demanding job but I’m really enjoying it, getting a chance to put what I learned into practice. I’d hoped to be in this position, I always knew that I had an aptitude for IT in general but I honestly had no idea how to get here.” What would he say to someone considering a job in the tech industry? “You can do it, just try to plot your way there. Learn a language. Try to find and attend a tech meet up near you and get your name out there.” So what’s next?” I just want to keep learning and see what I can do. The thing with this industry is it’s always moving. Tech doesn’t stay still so there’s always something to learn.” Total course cost is £4,500, applicants must be 18 or over. Full application details can be found at codeclan.com/apply

THE SKINNY

RE V

Gig Highlights

IE W

Feminist stadium pop! Heroic hip-hop veterans! Reunited 90s indie faves! Yep, summer's officially here, and July's arrival heralds one last chance to throw yourself into the hectic live music calendar before festival season well and truly takes over

uly is a traditionally rather fallow month for gigs as tours take a backseat to festivals, but there aren’t many gems that shine brighter than Beyoncé. The biggest pop star on the planet brings her Jay-Z-baiting, globe-slaying Formation tour to Hampden Park in support of her surprise masterpiece Lemonade on 7 July. In stark contrast to the super slick sheen of Bey comes the scuzzy power pop thrills of London’s Virgin Kids. They’re the sound of punk rock, pin badges, denim and drinking. Lots of drinking. It’s no wonder they’ve been picked up by the world famous Burger Records, and the sweaty underground environs of Broadcast provide the perfect location for their riotous charms (8 Jul) . Across the road at ABC on the same night is a legend in an altogether different genre. Old school hip-hop heads in Glasgow and beyond will rejoice at the former Boogie Down Productions main man KRS-One, who makes a rare live outing in Scotland to run through a back catalogue of hits and hard-hitting rap sermons that could go toe-to-toe with anyone else in the game. 13 Jul offers a tantalising yet tricky dilemma for fans of classic songwriting, alt country and brooding folk, as three distinct artists that share similarly like-minded DNA perform in Glasgow. The heavyweight headliner is the legendary Elvis Costello – he pays a visit to the Barrowlands to perform a selection of songs from his massive repertoire while surely regaling the audience with tales and anecdotes from his long career. Costello is also a man who knows quite a bit about country, so he will surely be aware of Sturgill Simpson, perhaps the most significant country songwriter to emerge in the last few years. Simpson’s dark hearted, psych-tinged wordplay is intoxicating in the extreme and his third album A Sailor’s Guide To Earth is one of this year’s minor treasures. Pay close attention to his stunning cover of Nirvana’s In Bloom when he rolls into the ABC. Completing this Wednesday night hat-trick are Providence’s The Low Anthem who illuminate Broadcast with songs from Eyeland, their first album in five years. You’d be forgiven for thinking that every band in the history of recorded music has reformed and hit the touring trail over the last decade. The return of early 90s indie troupe Belly, led by Tanya Donelly, is one of the more surprising yet welcome reunions though. They’re one of those bands who have somehow slipped from memory, but now re-emerge like a long-lost friend blinking into the bright lights of the stage once more. Catch them getting back into their stride at The Garage (15 Jul). Old bands from the 90s trying to recapture former glories aren’t the only returns this month. The intense, ferocious power of grime is a sound that was slowly diluted for years by grime-lite

July 2016

commercial pop, yet it’s roared back into the ascendancy over the last year and is now stronger and more prominent than ever, led by the chart topping Skepta. Cut from the same cloth is his Boy Better Know brethren Frisco, who promises to bring the noise to the Vic Café bar (15 Jul). Weaves’ idiosyncratic art-pop charms are the sort of sound that thrives in small spaces so Nice ‘N’ Sleazy’s intimate atmosphere is a good location for frenzied buzz-seekers to get an up-close-and-personal acquaintance with the Toronto band’s oddball pop (17 Jul). In a quieter month for those of a more electronic taste, the return of DJ Shadow after five years is an instant must-see. He brings his brand of beats and breaks to the O2 ABC (20 Jul). Continuing this month's theme of artists with a folk/country bent are Scottish siblings JR Green, from all the way up in the Highland village of Strontian. They provide heartfelt traditional laments and rousing sea shanties at King Tut’s as part of their annual Summer Nights series (20 Jul) . Rod Thomas, who performs as Bright Light Bright Light, is a man who can frankly do it all. Insanely well connected and multi-talented, Thomas has cultivated his own little niche as Wales’ best kept pop secret, catching the eye of and sharing a stage with the likes of Elton John and the Scissor Sisters. His show at the Hug and Pint (25 Jul) should be among the more colourful and exuberant of the month. Exuberance of a different, more in your face nature will be on offer when the hard rocking duo of Deap Vally barrel into Broadcast (25 Jul). Be sure to take in the carnage and see what’s left. Less likely to cause chaos, more likely to provoke tears of joy, laughter and sadness are Edinburgh’s The Spook School who play The Glad Café with Happy Accidents in tow (26 Jul). Finally for Glasgow’s July schedule comes a gig where you can genuinely say without exaggeration that anything can happen. Notorious post-punk antagonist Mark E Smith brings his 150th (approx) iteration of The Fall to Òran Mór (30 July) – depending on his mood it will be either the best gig of your life or the worst thing you’ve ever seen. Either way it will be compelling. You might need a refreshing palette-cleanser after The Fall experience, so the pop-punk thrills of The Wonder Years at Stereo (31 Jul) should do the trick. Over in Edinburgh things are fairly quiet in July as the city readies itself for the frenzy of the Fringe; however a highlight can be found right at the end of the month as Lost Map’s indie-pop champs Kid Canaveral launch their third album Faulty Inner Dialogue at Summerhall (31 Jul).

Beyonce

KRS One

Do Not Miss Dirty Three, Summerhall, Edinburgh, Tue 5 Jul Australian music has been enjoying the purplest of purple patches over the last few years, spearheaded by Tame Impala’s psych rock excursions and a burgeoning punk scene. All of these Aussie luminaries fall in line behind Dirty Three. At the forefront of their homeland’s avant-garde for over two decades, visually striking and musically bewitching, they are a group with an uncanny ability to whip any crowd into a frenzy.

No gimmicks are required. The focus of their entirely instrumental live show is often on the imposing, flailing violinist Warren Ellis, who combines with drummer Jim White and guitarist Mick Turner to provide an unshakeable force of nature. Their last record – the bewitching Toward the Low Sun – was released in 2012, so on this rare date with Edinburgh, they don’t have anything in particular to promote but their own general bad-assery. No one can do it better.

The Dirty Three

MUSIC

Preview

Credit: Neil Jarvie

Credit: Scott Carroll

Credit: Sam Brill

Words: Martyn Young

Photo: Beth Chalmers

The Hug and Pint, 4 Jun

rrrrr

Photo: Kathryn Wood

Whoever released Kaspar Hauser from their box is certain to be looking sheepish. Loud, unctuous, and wielding darkwave hooks straight out of some 1983 netherworld, they sound bigger than a three-piece despite each component – strident bass, high-register guitar, Andy Brown’s momentum-framing drumming – representing a stark proposition, backlit by the music. There’s zero acknowledgment of the crowd, sampled dialogue taking the place of betweentrack banter (which doesn’t really work, apart from including Alan Bennett singing Larkin’s They Fuck You Up Your Mum and Dad to the tune of Royal Headache / The #1s at the furthest edges of the stage, facing inwards Last of the Summer Wine), but such remoteness – Broadcast, 14 Jun and giving their singer plenty of room to pace up when attached to material from their recent selfand down propulsively, occasionally kicking out at titled EP and boy/girl vocals heavy on the delay rrrrr imaginary enemies or simply collapsing to his knees: – ensures that mood is sculpted. Two different shades of punk rock come to a mixture of lost-to-the-moment flamboyance and Broadcast. Dublin’s #1s (or ‘Number Ones’ if you justifiable exhaustion. He means it, man, and it’s prefer; they’re not fussy) are up first, and they’re incredible to witness. the ones who lean most immediately towards someIf this relentlessly energetic stage presence thing you might call ‘pop’. betrays Shogun’s background in hardcore bands, There are shades of The Undertones and more his delivery offers more of a throwback to the R’n’B bands of the 60s – channelling soul and the overtly commerical acts like The Records in their blues through conviction, audacity and sincerity hi-octane clatter; a power-pop melange delivered rather than technique or half-hearted attempts gleefully and without subtlety. Their array of twominute belters contains no gristle – Heartsmash towards authenticity. That’s what makes the likes and Sharon Shouldn’t cut straight to the part of of Down the Lane and Really in Love stand out your brain that just wants hooks, with nothing that from a sea of lesser garage rockers: an uncomyou might call ‘let-up’. Pure entertainment, pure joy. monly thrilling urgency. There’s a little more pressure on Royal Things get darker with the more recent Headache. Five years since that majestic selfGarbage, as Law’s strafing guitar picks up volume titled debut appeared, and two years since front- until it reaches full-on aural assault levels. By man Shogun told the world that the band had the end, we’ve heard a stack of excellent brand broken up, only for the band to return with 2015’s new songs and a formidable cover of Womack & triumphant LP High. Unsurprisingly, a sense of an- Womack’s Teardrops, all sticking to their Saintsticipation hangs in the air amidst tonight’s raingo-supernova formula, and our ears have taken a sodden audience. solid battering. This is one headache you’ll welcome Luckily, the Sydney quartet deliver. Bandmates whole-heartedly. [Will Fitzpatrick] Joe, Law and Shortty (it’s all nicknames here) stand royalheadache.bandcamp.com

Parquet Courts

La Belle Angele, 16 Jun

Zyna Hel

The Hug and Pint, Glasgow, 3 Jun

rrrrr

Whisper it, but there’s something of the amdram to tonight. Which sounds catty and mealymouthed when it isn’t designed to be; it’s just that certain frilly accoutrements are present, from the oversized purple moth shawl hanging above the stage to the wiccan performance art of Zorya, whose abstract cadences from keyboard and laptop frame a cover of John Cage’s bewitching The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs, then splay out into an extended soundscape full of heavy breath and dislocated moaning. Meanwhile Hausfrau – the alter ego of Glasgow-based musician Claudia Nova – at times appears to be a one-woman tribute act to the (wonderful) I’m in Love with a German Film Star by The Passions, an old 80s hit that (like Nova herself) hints at all kinds of Teutonic élan (ably

Review

assisted by the glam goth look she’s modelling). This is the first time she’s performed many of the tracks live – not that it shows, vocals floating lavishly above a synth-pop backing that would have been even more enticing if played by a full band rather than a box of tricks. Elisabeth Oswell – a.k.a. Zyna Hel – also arrives with laptop-player in tow, but eyes are upon the presence centre-stage; a combination of alluring dramatic poses and a voice that’s simultaneously warm yet icy. Celebrating debut single Catacombs – produced by the always busy Benjamin John Power – this is a set that celebrates a certain electro-pop provenance – a universal panache that would work fantastically well on a bigger stage. Wispy, bitey, enigmatic lyrics that float in and around each song – they suggest that Zyna Hel will go far (as well as underscoring the folly of that “am-dram” reference up top). [Duncan Harman] facebook.com/zynahel

rrrrr

A near sell-out La Belle Angele crowd is struggling to make up its mind about Housewives. The London group are flexing their muscles and dealing out some industrial multi-segmented soundscapes, which build from nothing to reach a pulsating groove. They make a bold statement but never deviate from their chosen path. You either bathe in this music or instinctively run a mile from it. Parquet Courts are capable, when the mood takes them, of being every bit as loud and challenging. The Brooklyn four-piece are so obviously talented that you just know they could tackle any style of their choosing and still land on their feet. This is a group who can dash off the stand-out title track on their recently released third album, the mesmerising Human Performance, in a mid-set lull and not even pause for breath before launching into another number. Lesser bands would announce such a song

Music

They are however a somewhat strange support when contrasted with Kate Jackson’s upbeat poppy attitude. Indeed, with four-piece The Wrong Moves providing the canvas, she works the stage as if it’s a far bigger venue, material from her recent British Home Movies LP sounding fresh and unfettered. Should you want to be critical then perhaps there’s a suggestion that the themes she toys with – the thrall of first love, the pall of rejection – haven’t necessarily moved on from a 2006 vantage; that this is indie-pop divorced from its timeframe. And yes, there is that, but both Jackson’s good humour and sassy attitude are infectious, through the confidence of Homeward Bound, the geography of Future City, and on to the sheer energy of closer The End of Reason. “What are we doing afterwards?” she asks the crowd. “Can I come to your party?” The answer’s an obvious ‘yes.’ [Duncan Harman] katejackson.co.uk

Photo: Ian Schofield

Kate Jackson & The Wrong Moves

with fireworks. But then they’ll add a seemingly offthe-cuff feedback jam to Dust, an otherwise lo-fi pop gem that sounds like it was rejected from the first Modern Lovers record, and is more than capable of sta-nding on its own two feet. Of course, Parquet Courts fans – and there are plenty of die-hards here tonight – already know this band enjoy being wilfully contrary. In an hour-long set with some brilliant power pop moments, there are at least three occasions when they dissolve into a dreary sludge of riffs before neatly stepping out again. A PC gig can be an occasionally maddening experience as a result, but they could never be accused of being boring. It also helps that they have charm in spades. “We told them we didn’t want a barrier tonight – now we can’t see your beautiful faces,” Austin Brown tells us with a grin. Could they have better paced tonight’s set to allow more of their impressive back catalogue an airing? Absolutely. But then that wouldn’t be a Parquet Courts show. [Chris McCall] parquetcourts.wordpress.com

THE SKINNY

Time to Get Away

Credit: Eric Pamie

For British music festival veterans wearily accustomed to watching live music from under the hood of a dripping anorak, Barcelona’s Primavera Sound – a festival effectively located on a Mediterranean beach – is something of a sunny novelty

t’s not just the weather where the Spaniards have the upper hand. Primavera 2016’s line-up is easily as strong as any other comparable event in the world, boasting a stonkingly consistent curation of alternative pop and rock, not to mention a strong showing of dance and electronica, reflecting the event’s humble club night origins. So strong is the selection, in fact, that inevitable clashes are everywhere. All festival-goers know of the painful sacrifices to be made when circling their programmes with a biro, but some of the Sophie’s choices at Primavera felt particularly fiendish: Sigur Rós or Julia Holter? Brian Wilson or Richard Hawley? Battles or Neon Indian? Radiohead or Dinosaur Jr. or Tortoise or Shellac... This last mega-clash, in particular, felt like a deliberate bit of scheduling, perhaps to tempt people away from a massive headline crowd. If that was the plan, it didn’t work. Oxford’s finest were by some margin the busiest act of the weekend, the main stage area swollen by dayticketers eager to catch Radiohead’s only appearance in Spain this year, and their first in five years. Pity the delicate ears of the Radiohead fans who arrived hours early to reserve their spot, only to be met with the punk brutality of Savages, leaving many in the mosh pit with the glassy-eyed look of a traumatised soldier returning from war. Still, their patience was richly rewarded. There has perhaps never been a better time to see Thom Yorke and his merry band of rock experiminstrels, riding high from their strongest album in a decade, and no longer willing to ignore their vast back catalogue, with songs from all nine of their LPs – yes, even Pablo Honey – across a two hour set. Priority is given to the new record, A Moon Shaped Pool, then they flit confidently and expertly between fierce electronic floor-fillers (Idioteque); emotional belters (the quiet dignity of Nude only slightly punctured by a mobile beer vendor shouting, “Cerveza!”); even festival anthems (Creep, rarely performed live these days). After 30 years together, they remain an enigmatic stage presence. Yorke barely acknowledges the crowd (“I’m impressed you’re all still here,” he says with mock surprise after the first hour) and frequently loses himself in trance-like dance spasms. But for all the cheap barbs about ‘music for bedwetters’, it’s easy to forget that this is a band well-accustomed to knocking out a riotously powerful couple of hours of rock. Frankly, they’re everything you’d want from a headliner.

July 2016

Words: John Nugent

mood hardly matches the Spanish sunshine, and lyrics like 'I’m always lonely' might come across a tad disingenuous when played to a crowd of 20,000. But Daughter have the nous and intelligence to pull off the tightrope act. One act that emphatically matches the sunshine: Brian Wilson. The former Beach Boy is currently embarking on a worldwide retirement tour, marking the 50th anniversary of landmark album Pet Sounds by playing the whole thing through. Looking as frail and doddery as he did on his 2012 tour – that’s where a heroic amount of drugs will get you – Wilson has to be helped on stage, and often struggles as a performer (those famous falsettos have to be deferred to Matt Jardine, son of original Beach Boy Al Jardine). But the crowd are respectfully encouraging during his occasional bum notes (“te amo, Brian!”) because, heck, Brian was always more of the background songwriter than a singer, but also – what songs! To hear this peerless album played out live is something approaching bliss. Wouldn’t It Be Nice is probably as perfect a pop song as you’ll ever get; Radiohead God Only Knows tingles spines. It’s almost a shame that after performing Pet Sounds in full, the band subsequently run through a quick Greatest Hits Radiohead have been away for roughly as long his fourth live performance ever, but you wouldn’t package, leaving it feeling like a tale of two sets. I as LCD Soundsystem, the Thursday night headlin- know it. “What’s up? I’m John Carpenter,” he announces with a lackadaisical charm, chewing gum, Guess I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times holds a ers, but only the latter are calling it a reunion. The impact of James Murphy’s 2011 ‘farewell tour’ might flanked by a band of leather jackets and bandanas. certain poignancy half a century on; Monster Mash, The set opens with the theme from Escape From less so. Still, the more conventional surfer pop only now feel a wee bit cheapened – their supposedly New York, with a sea of enthusiastic fists pumphighlights what an astonishing achievement Pet final compilation record had the somewhat unforSounds was. tunate title of The Long Goodbye – but any cynicism ing the air in response, and it continues in much Sigur Rós seem to be known as well for their evaporates the minute Murphy and his army of mu- the same vein. Carpenter has an abundant back sicians flood the stage, launching into the staccato catalogue of oh-yeah-I-remember-this-one themes, advert soundtracks as anything else these days, but this is a band cut from a similar experimental from Halloween to The Fog (the latter accompapercussions of Us v Them with ferocious vigour. rock cloth as Explosions In The Sky, and there are, nied by smoke machines, natch). With that and They’re the consummate performers. Playing his recently released albums Lost Themes (I & II), admirably, no careful concessions to accessibility to a monster crowd, Murphy’s stage banter is the result is a joyful window into a forgotten era of (It’s surely a conscious decision that The One From grateful and effusive, acknowledging that “we 1980s synth-driven power rock: simple, unironic, That Attenborough Documentary is not on the set played here 13 years ago – it was a bit smaller list tonight). The Icelandic wizards are barely visthen.” But he mostly shuts up and plays the hits, and utterly exhilarating. ible from behind an elaborate set that looks like to coin a phrase. There’s no new material, as some sort of Middle-earth scaffolding, accompahad been rumoured – just the staples that have nied by intensely psychedelic visuals. The ‘songs’, made LCD such a ruthlessly efficient live act. After meanwhile, are slow, grand, and full of bluster, and nearly two hours of relentless energy, the threetheir trademark Tolkienesque nonsense warbling song encore has a sense of wonderful inevitability holds us in a hypnotic spell. The performance is to it: first, the soulful, gospel-like curtain-closer often so understated that it doesn’t entirely drown New York, I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down; out the general chatter of the crowd, but an occathen the unbearably-long build-up and thundering sional respectful ‘shush’ from diligent fans quickly bass apex of Dance Yrself Clean; and finally, All My puts paid to that. Friends, generating instant camaraderie among What’s perhaps unique about Sigur Rós’ set a crowd of thousands. They play a blinder, and There aren’t many septuagenarian debuamong this line-up is that nobody in the crowd provide a perfect distillation of what Primavera is tantes on the programme, but Primavera certainly feels compelled to dance. A few appreciative head aiming for: that sweet spot where rock, pop, and dance intersects. gives a platform to a smattering of similarly fresh bobs, sure – but nothing too lively. In a move of For a lot of these headliners, it’s all about cre- talent. Julien Baker conjures up a bewitching impudent scheduling similar to Savages-followedating a sense of artful scale and scope. Go big, but acoustic set of heartfelt folk songs, sending half by-Radiohead, the organisers decide to move from the atmospheric operatics of Sigur Rós into the do it thoughtfully. Explosions In The Sky, for exam- of the hungover crowd into an afternoon siesta. thumping dance anthems of Moderat. It’s not as ple, offer up some gloriously theatrical post-rock Holly Herndon, currently a doctoral student in great a tonal dissonance as you might expect: the on Thursday evening; their brand of instrumencomposition at Stanford, serves up an enjoyably tal rock – brash, theatrical, lashings of dry ice all bonkers set of experimental techno, accompanied longstanding Apparat/Modeselektor collaboration balance scintillating, vocal-driven, electronic acaround – is almost like an acceptable form of heavy by a VJ using all the tools that the clipart library robatics with straightforward alt-club behemoths, metal, at least in presentation. In melodic terms, from Windows 95 has to offer. Kiasmos go for a generating a party mood but with no less atmosit’s cinematic and movement-based, all shimmering more conventional line in four-to-the-floor bangers with a melodic twist. phere or mystery than the previous act. crescendos, minutes-long intros converting into Two albums in, London-based Daughter Their sound is so rich, so gorgeously conepic climaxes. The four guitars wield function like structed, and – crucially – so utterly danceable, (incidentally, yet another big Anglophile name on props in a stage show, each member athletically that it ends the weekend on an emphatic high a line-up which mostly relegates the locals to the throwing themselves into each strum like they’re lesser stages) are hardly newcomers any more, but note. Barcelona is a party city, and proud of it, so trying to resuscitate the instrument. It veers on repetitive – if everything’s epic, surely nothing is? – they certainly act like it. Cutting a slight figure on a the festival goes out of its way to acknowledge its but their quixotic, cinematic scope easily justifies large stage, 26-year-old Elena Tonra appears quite status as such (Which other festival would book their headline slot. Har Mar Superstar to play two separate sets?). As startled to see such a crowd. In between songs, If you wanted cinematic at Primavera, mind, the final night of festivities draws to a close at 6am, she’s bashful and self-deprecating (“There’s so you could do no better than John Carpenter, by far many of you! It’s quite scary – and beautiful”); durand the hot Spanish sun slowly rises over the tired the most surprising treat on the entire programme. ing songs, she’s raw and emotional, a blood-let of a but persistent crowd, Blighty’s dripping anoraks The veteran film director wrote or co-wrote the set. This sort of thing can be a tricky proposition at seem gratifyingly distant. musical scores to every film he made, and only a festival, performing songs that don’t immediately www.primaverasound.com now has decided to tour them. Aged 68, this is only lend themselves to boozey jollities: their gloomy

“ Frankly, Radiohead are everything you’d want from a headliner”

Music

Review

Album of the Month BadBadNotGood

IV [Innovative Leisure, 8 Jul]

rrrrr

BadBadNotGood have made some savvy choices. Saxophonist Leland Whitty has joined the band permanently, and they build on Sour Soul (last year’s collab with Ghostface Killah) by exploding that experience into glamorous, gold-leaf-covered shards. Fiery hip-hop instrumentals, creamy rhythm and blues balladry and classic lounge vibes are explored with equal excitement – and pulled off with equal panache. IV has a weighty guest list. Samuel T. Herring (Future Islands) guests on Time Moves Slow with understated, breathy elegance, wunderkind producer Kaytranda’s feature explores the addition of

a beatmaker to BBNG’s instrumentals, Colin Stetson uses his legendary sax skills to melt brains on Confessions pt.II while Toronto’s R’n’B star Charlotte Day Wilson lacquers In Your Eyes with faded glamour. Mick Jenkins’ turn on Hyssop of Love is as lush and cinematic as a Kendrick release, offering a ‘different kind of high’ with a seductive hand. Oddball opulence on And That, Too and Cashmere prove that the band don’t rest on their invitations. Every single instrument is listed with pride on the record’s cover next to a photo of the four of them standing chests bare, towels around waists, bro-ing out. BBNG are showing off – but they’ve more than earned the right. [Katie Hawthorne] badbadnotgood.com

MJ Guider

Rattle

Jherek Bischoff

rrrrr

Precious Systems [Kranky, 15 Jul]

Rattle [Upset the Rhythm, 5 Aug]

Cistern [The Leaf Label, 15 Jul]

There’s something deliciously stranded about Melissa Guion’s debut LP. A sense of hinterland; of viewing things from afar, each brooding chord bathed in retroelectronic dispassion. Like an ecclesiastical take upon synthpop mores, Guion leaves behind the handclaps and sequins, winding back the pace to expose something truer amongst the tape delays and subtle twinges of bass guitar – opener Lit Negative indicating scope with its vaulted elegance and frosted, uninterested vocals. Such themes are repeated elsewhere but with reference points fleeting; one moment it’s Curve (the excellent Triple Black), the next it could be Soft Cell… Ultra-era Depeche Mode… maybe even a little Enya thrown in for good measure; the point being that Precious Systems is an intelligent facsimile of familiarity. By the time that the 10+ minutes of Evencycle arrive, its mantra of ‘In control’ subjugated by conflicting drum patterns and cloying, mutating chords, it’s quite possible to feel a little overawed. This is a very clever pop record. [Duncan Harman]

If we’re all merely swinging in the breeze waiting for musical context to latch onto, then the first long-player from this Nottingham two-piece is a curious proposition. Double drum kit, vox and the occasional tendril of ancillary percussion, Rattle emphasises its structured minimalism whilst functioning as a blank canvas, the lack of conventional instrumentation encouraging the listener to interact with the beat on their own terms. Such an approach doesn’t always work in the album’s favour; awash with snare and cymbal, it’s far from obvious which direction Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley are headed, opener Trainer (Get You) progressive yet craving melody. More successful – particularly during the complex undercurrents of Thunder or the mantra-enhanced Starting – are moments when vocal percussion is added to the mix, the loose harmonies and refracted use of lyrics creating a haze that borders upon the unsettling. An enigmatic listen, crying out for your own reading. [Duncan Harman]

Just your average cinematically orchestral exploration of an empty, subterranean two-milliongallon water tank? Well, composer/multi-instrumentalist Bischoff (last spotted aiding and abetting Amanda Palmer’s quick-release Bowie tribute EP at the beginning of the year) is hardly coy when it comes to inspiration. “I spent three days in the cistern improvising,” he says. “I found it so interesting how much the space itself seemed to tell us how to play.” The result is a suite of modern classical pieces that freewheel on orbits both real and imagined; a caul of percolating strings, woodwind and guitar, circumnavigating in loose patterns. Yet despite the confines of its metal tank setting, Cistern is not a claustrophobic proposition, the hints of seascape and ocean swell prominent, from the violin call and answer of Attuna through to closer The Sea’s Son, whilst the manner in which Headless unfurls is reminiscent of Sigur Rós at their most vivid. An album of fluidity, never stifled by dank or dark. [Duncan Harman]

mjguider.bandcamp.com

rattleon.bandcamp.com

jherekbischoff.com

Flowdan

Disaster Piece [TruThoughts, 15 Jul]

rrrrr

Cold Pumas

Less Win

rrrrr

The Hanging Valley [Faux Discx/Gringo Records, 8 Jul]

TRUST [The Big Oil Recording Company, 1 Jul]

East London’s Marc Veira – aka Flowdan – has impeccable timing. A founding member of Wiley’s Roll Deep crew, he’s served as one of grime’s most dedicated faces... but now his genre’s back in the sun, and Disaster Piece (his label debut for TruThoughts) basks in that heat. Flowdan shows off exactly what we’ve been missing with foot-soldier metaphors, elastic scope and a serious talent for drama. Over concrete pop structures and righteously sharp production, his distinctive gravel holds down tracks like Judgement or Testin’ with winning confidence. Dons and Divas turns out in the record’s hardest gear; Roll Deep pal Manga freaks out over Flowdan’s ‘Cool / Calm’ mantra, holding down a vibe that’s anything but. A couple of lines might still raise eyebrows for a casual listener – ‘he’s done with the bacon but he still goes ham,’ for example, and Animai’s guest vocals feel fresh on Curtain Call but wear a little thin four features in. Mostly, though, Flowdan flexes every inch of hard-won experience for a listen that’s brutally, shamelessly exciting. [Katie Hawthorne]

Ah, yes – indie-pop. Swirling guitars, motorcycle bass, twee (in places) but also beholden to liveliness (and therefore life-affirming), zipping along beneath floppy fringes and a fuzzy take upon melodic intent. And should that sound formulaic, well yes; it can be, at least without that extra unquantifiable ingredient – ingredient X, let’s call it – to provide the intrigue. It’s not that The Hanging Valley is in any way a bad album; now swelled to a four-piece, and with (three-quarters of) the band having swapped Brighton for the London smog, there’s plenty of (early ‘90s) Camden swagger. Yet a lingering suspicion remains that there’s little that’s new or groundbreaking to the bouncy vigour encountered on tracks such as Severed Estates or A Change in Course; even the blissed-out motorcade of highlight Fugue States fails to have all its sirens sounding. Sometimes, when bumping into the perfectly pleasant, you crave something more. Now, where did we put that ingredient X? [Duncan Harman]

Does any act in possession of penises, leather jackets, scuffed-up Telecasters and an audience in double figures have the vaguest clue right now? Every now and then, an outfit with impeccable taste and smart chops threatens to unseat the laddy chancers but, by and large, every Preoccupations (fka Viet Cong) disappears for too long to plan their next step and in rush your fucking Bottlemen. Thank god, then, for Less Win, who are from Copenhagen. Like those other great Danes, The Raveonettes, they know their rock & roll history. This is such a good debut, with reference points as sharp as Crime and the City Solution (the brimstone clatter of Bury the Heart) and Mission of Burma (Rituals). Casper Morilla and Patrick Kociszewski share vocal duties and they both shine, but whoever takes lead on the Bowie-aping Guilt in the Glory is an inch away from heroic. TRUST is a dark beauty and a rare wonder. Lads, (not you, or you), carry on for now. [Gary Kaill]

facebook.com/BigFlowdan

facebook.com/coldpumas

lesswin1.bandcamp.com

Martha

Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart [Fortuna POP! , 8 Jul]

rrrrr

Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart will be total marmite for many: chronically uncool, hearts are stitched to sleeves with glittery thread and although it’s ostensibly a record about adult problems – offices, supermarkets and that – it feels as if it’s been scribbled in a journal with a biro-stained hand, sat at the back of the bus. Martha know that age-old anxieties don’t fade once you have to start adulting, and race through pop-punk tropes and unabashedly intimate lyrics with unapologetic joy. There’s a definite sense of deja vu, and maybe there’s less of the bite that made the Durham band’s debut Courting Strong feel so vital... but when the band kick into heavier tracks like Goldman’s Detective Agency, it’s free-wheeling, cathartic goodness. Stand-out track Do Nothing goes everywhere, melting into breakdowns and forging the fragments into emo’s spikiest sentiments – a bittersweet cure-all for rainy summer days and irrational day-dreams. [Katie Hawthorne]

Descendents

Omni

rrrrr

Hypercaffium Spazzinate [Epitaph, 29 Jul]

Deluxe [Trouble in Mind, 8 Jul]

The godfathers of SoCal pop-punk are back! Ok, their first record in 12 years doesn’t sound much like progress. Victim Of Me could’ve been lifted entirely from their 1982 debut Milo Goes to College; ditto the self-referential, hi-speed daftness of No Fat Burger. But who are we kidding? For anyone excited at the prospect of a new Descendents record in 2016, progress is almost certainly an afterthought. Admittedly, there’s one problematic moment: On Paper distastefully and carelessly asserts that its narrator has the social appeal of a ‘serial raper’ (that sound you heard was a head hitting the desk in frustration). That’s a stinker of an album title too. But if you’re willing to sidestep these issues, there’s plenty to fall for: the band are on fire and frontman Milo Aukerman sounds as brattily energised as ever, nearly 40 years since the band first formed. Some reservations, but good work all in all. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Sprightly lo-fi pop of indeterminable vintage – Deluxe could have been recorded in 1981 just as much as 2016 – there’s little that’s revolutionary to the Atlanta trio’s debut, but it does tick plenty of other boxes. Immediate and uninhibited, this is a record full of oddly pleasing angles – it’s perhaps what the Strokes would sound like if they ditched their cloying slickness and music as marketing shtick. The rhythm section never tries too hard, Philip Frobos’ vocals recline across the ten tracks with languid urgency, but it’s former Deerstalker guitarist Frankie Boyles who steals the show, forming art rock cadences on Eyes on the Floor and the dancey grind of Siam, and drenching Wire in so much jangly guitar you’d expect him to be signed to Postcard Records. Clocking in at just half an hour it’s over way too quickly, but then again, the finer things often are. [Duncan Harman]

descendents.tumblr.com

facebook.com/omniatl

facebook.com/marthadiy

Review

RECORDS

THE SKINNY

The Julie Ruin

Strange Collective

Owen

rrrrr

Hit Reset [Hardly Art, 8 Jul]

Super Touchy EP [Salvation Records, 1 Jul]

The King of Whys [Wichita, 29 Jul]

‘I stand in the crowd with my hand in my coat at every single show / I just love girl bands... it’s a turn-on – you don’t need to know.’ Hey, mister – have you heard? You’ve been rumbled. Just two years after Kathleen Hanna’s Lyme disease forced an unplanned hiatus, The Julie Ruin return in the rudest health. And while Mr So and So shows the gig perv no mercy, elsewhere Hanna’s bonehead-nailing, predudice-lancing manifesto reverberates, as ever, with humanity and truth. Long-termers will crumple beneath the blunt-force impact of Be Nice, where her breathless delivery still has the power to rattle. But it’s the classic pop vitality of the likes of Rather Not (‘If you love me, I’d rather not know’) and I Decide (a stinging blast of self-affirmation) that elevates the whole. The protest song as dancefloor filler. The punk singer as pop star. Hit Reset wants it all. [Gary Kaill]

Psych-rockers Strange Collective start the party for their debut EP and, like every great host, they’re confident, well-prepared and a little bit tipsy. Raucous title track Super Touchy is hardwired to encourage gross doings; crunchy garage riffs and a sneaky change in tempo persuade you that yeah, fuck it, what’s the worst that could happen? Before you know it, you’re gorging on a munchy box and stuck waiting for the 5am bus. Strange Collective’s capers aren’t groundbreaking. Wasted has obvious radio aspirations and that’s no bad thing, but do we need another ode to post-party regret? A final 38 seconds of surging, foot-down rock’n’roll is plenty fun enough to shut up any doubts. Heavy is the EP’s most adventurous track by far, turning down the volume to reveal some sensitivity behind the bravado – ‘I know where I’m going,’ they assure us, before diving straight back into the pit. It’s impossible not to join them. [Katie Hawthorne]

Mike Kinsella shares the reins of his Owen project for once, and the results are excellent – Bon Iver collaborator S. Carey’s production is detectable and delectable throughout. It’s emphatically Kinsella’s album, of course; that familiar voice remains front and centre, offering sadboy musings with grace and clarity. At times it’s reminiscent of American Football’s emo twinkle (Lovers Come And Go; Settled Down), while elsewhere there’s a cosy alt country dressing that fits Kinsella’s reflections like a tailored glove. It’s the intelligence and respect he affords his subject matter that really make the album so absorbing, however – A Burning Soul tells of his father’s alcoholism with neither love nor tragedy oversold (‘In his defence / He never asked to be born / He seemed content to see the world / With his eyes closed’), while the intricacies of 30something relationships are handled deftly and sensitively. Warmly mature yet never dull, this is a rare treat. [Will Fitzpatrick]

thejulieruin.com

facebook.com/strangecollective

owenmusic.bandcamp.com

Shura

Various Artists

Metronomy

rrrrr

Nothing’s Real [Polydor, 8 Jul]

Summer 08 [Because Music, 1 Jul]

Split 12” Vol 4 [Song, By Toad Records, 4 Jul]

If proof is needed of the buzz surrounding London singer/songwriter Shura, the latest face to emerge from the post CHVRCHES synth-gen, then no look further than www. hasshurafinishedheralbumyet.com: the self-explanatory website built to put the kibosh on any lines of trite journalistic questioning. At best, such a move could be read as effacing, tongue-in-cheek hubris; at worst a canny marketing ploy by the beaks upstairs. Thankfully, Nothing’s Real, the finished product in question, is imbued with the type of honesty that lends credence to the former. As far as poppy coming of age records go, there’s not a lot to separate Shura from the pack on initial spins. Like most teenage neuroses, scratch beyond the surface and you’ll find there’s much more going on than first seems apparent. Malibu disco and DFA funk mask lyrical themes of mortality on the title track, while relationship meditative What’s it Gotta Be doesn’t shy from proclamations as bold as ‘I still don’t believe in forever, but I wanna give it a try.’ We wholeheartedly concur. [Graeme Campbell]

More homespun gold from the DIY label that puts the labour into love. With Matthew Young having now moved to Leith, leaving behind the house that was key to the home recordings that make up much of the Song, By Toad back catalogue, this latest split release was recorded in his new place (though a neighbouring warehouse is being readied as a permanent replacement). But practicalities be damned: Vol 4 is, as ever, a savvy assemblage of like-minded souls and big-hearted collaboration. Brendan Massei appears in his Viking Moses guise and Jon Rooney pitches up as Virgin of the Birds, and they’re both the best kind of troubador: candid and compelling. But it’s Supermoon and digitalanalogue who make off with the spoils, the former delivering a stirring cover of Adam Faucett’s Day Drinker and the latter taking on Silver Mount Zion’s The Triumph of Our Tired Eyes. Their originals are equally wondrous but they shepherd the work of others with impeccable care and admirable craft. [Gary Kaill]

Joe Mount finds the not-so-distant past as a ripe source of inspiration on Summer 08. With four albums in his arsenal, each taking Metronomy’s penchant for quirky pop in new directions, this fifth full-length sees Mount venture out by himself and try to recapture the not-so halcyon days of sophomore and breakthrough record Nights Out . The intention to revisit is coupled with the desire to renovate; Hang Me out to Dry, featuring Swedish pop veteran Robyn, switches between icy Badalamenti-like atmosphere and rolling dancefloor-ready rhythms. My House meanwhile shares a similar blend of old and new; the hip-jerking bass lines of the Metronomy that we know and love combine with what is seemingly a solemn church organ to a surprisingly alluring effect. It’s Mount’s wit – both in lyrics and in music – coupled with his restless constant tinkering which make Metronomy such a joy to listen to. And still one of the UK’s most original modern pop bands. [Will Moss]

weareshura.com

songbytoadrecords.bandcamp.com

www.metronomy.co.uk

The Avalanches

MSTRKRFT

rrrrr

Michael Tanner

Operator [Last Gang, 22 Jul]

Wildflower [XL Recordings, 8 Jul]

Suite For Psaltery and Dulcimer [Kit Records, Out Now]

rrrrr

16 years (count ‘em!) since their sample-structured neon masterpiece Since I Left You – Paul’s Boutique as filtered through big beat and the Cartoon Network – The Avalanches unexpectedly re-emerge. Rather than overthink their place in 2016’s brave new world, instead the Melbourne collective aim to get us out of our minds: a colourfully woozy effort, Wildflower is equally in thrall to daisy age hip-hop and ornate psychedelia. There are obvious highlights: the radio-singalong effects on Because I’m Me; Biz Markie’s wilfully silly turn on The Noisy Eater; Danny Brown’s mid-song rap amidst The Wozard of Iz’s pastoral grooves. Even comeback single Frankie Sinatra proves to be as addictive an earworm as it’s initially underwhelming. At 20 tracks long, however, it takes some serious listening to get through the whole thing, and a sense of sag in the latter third threatens to overpower on the first few spins. Essentially, this flower could’ve used a little more judicious pruning. [Will Fitzpatrick]

Pity that Operator, the comeback offering from Canadian electronic duo MSTRKRFT, doesn’t sound more like its fifth track, the lasciviously titled Playing With Itself. Loaded with a sexually charged, distorted swagger, and overlaid with ghostly gospel vocal samples, the mid-album tune oozes the kind of depraved aesthetic that would make Nine Inch Nails proud. It’s one of Operator’s most interesting moments, and a promising line of enquiry for MSTRKRFT’s hardcore-spiked dance music. On the group’s first new material since 2011, Jesse F. Keeler – one half of MSTRKRFT and bassist with Toronto hard rockers Death From Above 1979 – continues to push his rock inclinations into dance music territory and the result is an aggressive, agitative affair. Hardpartying techno heads will love the anxiety-inducing tone of Operator; others may see this as a missed opportunity, after a regenerative fiveyear hiatus, for MSTRKRFT to explore creative nuance over noise. [Claire Francis]

Michael Tanner makes remarkably elegant and literate folk music which derives inspiration from an imagined future as much as from a reimagined past. Suite For Psaltery and Dulcimer is an exquisite album which deconstructs the idiom to create an unusually refined suite of surrealist folk instrumentals. Side one of the record is entirely devoted to a psaltery composition, punctuated by Alison Cotton’s sublime and swooping viola, while side two consists of two separate bowed dulcimer laments. The beauty of the album lies in the absence of any overt explanation behind the songs; accordingly, each is ripe for interpretation, to breathe and exist outside of any specific context. And the Psaltery side in particular is dazzling to listen to where the seemingly most gentle of sounds do the greatest amount of work.[Colm McAuliffe]

theavalanches.com

www.mstrkrft.com

iamplinth.bandcamp.com

Stephen Steinbrink

Big Business

rrrrr

Anagrams Melodic, 1 Jul

Command Your Weather [Gold Metal / Joyful Noise, 8 Jul]

Anagrams is an unashamedly breezy collection: unfussy arrangements, an infectiously upbeat folk-pop vibe and a bag full of melodies. There’s more going on here than the California dreamin’ groove of Imposible Hand and Absent Mind would suggest, but diversions from the template are frustratingly rare, and as a whole, it errs on the side of good manners more than it really needs to. As ever with a dreamy aesthetic, when tone and production trump drama and bite, it connects largely at surface level. Which is fine – just don’t expect fireworks. Anagrams is not nearly as watery as, say, Vetiver, but it’s some distance from the righteous majesty of The Shins. On the odd occasion where it detours into the dark, as on the stirring I’m Turning Inside Out, it hints at an underbelly that would have been worth exploring further. Next time, maybe. [Gary Kaill]

If this is the first time you’ve encountered Big Business, you’re in for a treat. They’re about the riffs, above all: songs rumble mightily atop ominous furious flurries of drums as hyper-fuzzed bass conjures the sound of a thousand guitars. The tunes are pretty great too, but you’ll be under no illusion that they’re anything other than a rock band, and an explosive one at that. Speaking of drums, Coady Willis deserves special mention: his tumbling rhythms poke and jab like solos, but they never feel gratuitus or overpowering. He’s the piston-pumping machine upon which Big Business’ practices are executed; a piledriving force for the headwrecking likes of Blacker Holes and Own Throats. Not that bassist Jared Warren is cast in a supporting role. ‘Avoid the vipers... They’re the ones with the real mean stares,’ he hollers in gloriously hair-metal-esque fashion on Send Help, and he sounds like he genuinely cares. Grand to have them back. [Will Fitzpatrick]

stephensteinbrink.com

bigbigbusiness.com

July 2016

RECORDS

The Top Five 1

BadBadNotGood

Flowan Disater Piece

Shura Nothing's Real

IV 2 Less Win TRUST

The Julie Ruin

Hit Reset

Review

Time For A Brew Sunshine is here – cue the annual slew of summer festivals vying for our holiday time (and a big slice of our bank accounts). Words: Claire Francis Photography: Ryan Johnston

ith a multitude of events on offer across Scotland and the UK, and the whole of Europe besides, how does one choose? Our advice; consider the little guy. Here, we report back on this year’s Brew at the Bog festival and present five reasons why this diminutive grassroots festival should be high on next year’s list of summer must-dos.

Names can be misleading

Don’t let the moniker fool you – this isn’t some murky quagmire, but rather the setting for Bogbain Farm, a rather charming rural location just a short taxi ride from Inverness. Brew at the Bog is a small affair, but what the festival lacks in scale, it makes up for in class. Forget swilling down Tennent’s and stodgy festival scran; Brew boasts craft beers, a gin and prosecco bar, cocktails, food trucks – there’s even a mussel bar, for those seeking to indulge their palates. The fit-out is equally thoughtful – a cosy barnyard bedecked with hay bales and twinkling fairy lights, and with just three stages all located within sneezing distance of one another, there’s no fear of missing your favourite act due to scheduling clashes.

The new guard

Despite the out-of-the-way location, the festival organisers appear to have encountered few problems in securing some of Scotland’s most exciting live acts. A sizeable collection of bands are spread across the festival’s two days, with this year’s headliners Idlewild, WHITE and The LaFontaines joined by a host of intriguing newcomers. Secret Motorbikes are one such act who impress with an early Friday slot. With the Glasgowformed group’s numbers bolstered by the addition of musicians on loan from The Girobabies and The LaFontaines, they kick off proceedings with welcome rock swagger. Gutsy drums and heaving bass drive their sound, and their cheeky, stripped back foray into Superstitious is the perfect complement to boisterous first-day festival spirits. On the Saturday, the enigmatic Laura St Jude draws a handful of early afternoon onlookers to the indoor Bloc Stage, but despite her relative inexperience on the scene, the singer is soon raising eyebrows with her sultry, laconic compositions. The Glasgow-based songstress and her backing band set a deliciously dark scene that would be right at home soundtracking a Tarantino film, with ominous drum rumbles and malefic keys. The gloom comes as no surprise; with the frontwoman’s beau, and band member, none other than guitarist and former Amazing Snakeheads frontman Dale Barclay, plus bassist Roddie McGrath and drummer Jennifer Hamilton, fans of the sadly defunct Snakeheads should mark Miss St Jude as a kindred spirit.

Ladies first

Breaking down a festival lineup by gender dichotomies is a dull affair, but it is a truth universally acknowledged that festivals are generally rubbish at equal male-female representation. Kudos to Brew, though – this year’s lineup includes a raft of talented ladies who are out to impress. Early Friday evening is owned by The Van T’s, whose summery, scuzzy indie rock conjures images of sun-soaked skies, far removed from the thick Scotch mist that has enveloped the festival site. Heavy on fuzz, the Glasgow group, led by twin sisters Hannah and Chloe Van Thompson, slam confidently through grunge vignettes drawn from

Review

their recently rereleased Laguna Babe EP, and their defiant hooks shoot a welcome energy injection into the evening’s highlights. Still on the Friday, Bossy Love follow with a late night slot on the Bloc Stage and draw a strong anticipatory crowd. A fumbled Rihanna sample dropped one too many times makes for a clunky intro, but the faithful audience cheers them on and the Glasgow-based duo (formed from the ashes of Aussie indie-pop outfit Operator Please and Dananananaykroyd) soon gain momentum. Amandah Wilkinson’s velvety vocals combine with John Baillie Jnr’s stomping pop-funk and before long the small room is bouncing with merry revellers. Meanwhile, on the Saturday, a large crowd gather on the sunny lawn to see 19-year-old KLOE take the main stage. The Glasgow teenager’s uninhibited early-evening gyrations and breathy nostalgia pop proves a little too bemusing for some, but over on the Bloc Stage the equally tender-years Be Charlotte, aka Charlotte Brimner, battles with sound issues yet still triumphs with a class set of inspired raps and infectious melodies. Held together by bold percussive beats and the Dundee native’s wonderfully lofty, expertly controlled vocals, it’s yet another feather in the cap of this quirky singer on the rise.

Idlewild

KLOE

Let There Be Rock

After all, what’s a festival without music you can cut loose to? On day one, Ex Libras combine squelchy bass, synth, frigid keys and snappy percussion to liven up the misty mid-afternoon. Punctuated by aggressive riffs and complex, creative time signatures, the London-based group – one of the few non-local acts on the bill – journey from elegant, classically inspired compositions to sudden bursts of thundering drumbeats and shuddering reverb. Switching freely between melodic and metal over the course of their set, they’re nothing if not unpredictable. Schnarff Schnarff hold the Friday mid-evening billing, and their proggy fugue is just the antidote to stave off dropping temperatures. With Oasis-esque swagger, the Inverness locals fittingly draw a large crowd, and the talented musicians storm through an insouciant, grunge-pop-laden set that plays backdrop to one of the few crowd scuffles of the weekend – and what’s more rock’n’roll then that? On the delightfully sunny Saturday, it’s Glasgow trio Pinact who show how nostalgia should be done. Frontman Corrie Gillies’ anguished vocals channel Cobain and strains of Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis, as the band tunnel through a compelling performance of modern-day grunge rock. With volume verging on earsplitting, thanks in large part to the percussive talents of drummer Lewis Reynolds, the Nirvanaindebted riffs come thick and fast, but borrowing is forgivable when it’s handled with such panache. The set ends with melodic slow-burner November, introduced by Gillies as one for his friend Ian (who is duly made to raise his hand to identify himself); it’s a slow-burning end to one of the most compelling acts of the weekend. Tijuana Bibles follow Pinact with fitting dark fury, in an impressive show of classic, solo-driven rock’n’roll from the Glaswegian four-piece. It’s WOMPS who fly the rock flag highest, though – their organic, messy, yet cleverly calculated indie noise rock pulls a deservedly packed crowd to Friday’s Bloc Stage. The shaggy haired duo of Ewan Grant and Owen Wicksted (with touring

The Van Ts

Credit: Ryan Johnson

We Were Haunted

bassist Scot McCall) wear their Pixies influences on their checked shirtsleeves, delivering up a serve of insistent vitriol via crashing snares, throttled bass and bolshy drums. Their set ends in a massive shred-athon, demonstrating the cracking quality of the band's recent debut Our Fertile Forever.

Daring to be different

As well as a slew of indie rock incarnations, Brew has curated an intriguing and brave selection of slightly left-of-centre acts. Inverness rockers Lional do a commendable job of bringing new wave to the main stage – their pitch-perfect rendition of Let’s Dance has a field full of people dancing euphorically under the mid-summer sun – while fast-rising electro glam outfit WHITE, led by the white-leather clad Leo Condie and propelled by sequin-bedecked drummer Kirstin Lynn, prove that they are more than worthy of their Saturday night billing. Pushing at the limits of what a festival act can be, Louie and The Lochbacks merge performance poetry with acapella vocals in what is one of the most individual undertakings of the weekend. The

MUSIC

alter-ego of rapper Louie, from the SAY award-nominated Hector Bizerk, the collaboration brings together the aformentioned Charlotte Brimner, together with members from Pronto Mama, for a thought-provoking, clever, and wryly funny rumination of modern day society (the hilarious Scotrail Would Like To Apologise draws many sympathetic whoops from the crowd). This marks the fourth year of Brew At The Bog, and understandably for an event of this relatively small scale, there is the odd teething problem. Some scheduling times are altered without notice, a couple of acts are pulled from the line-up without explanation, and the schedule itself is not published until the morning the festival begins. Yet these are minor gripes compared with the many drawcards Brew At The Bog offers. With great music, quality brews, a community vibe and a relaxed setting, this year Brew At The Bog proves itself to be one of Scotland’s best kept secrets. Brew At The Bog 2016 took place at Bogbain Farm, Inverness on 3-4 Jun www.brewatthebog.com

THE SKINNY

July 2016

THE SKINNY

Clubbing Highlights Clubbing goes large in Scotland with summer festivals, bank holiday parties, and a five-hour set from a house music heavyweight all on offer this month.

Words: Claire Francis Illustration: Lucy Jones

EDINBURGH July sees Cabaret Voltaire plays host to one of the most intriguing post-millennial house acts around, with London-based producer Mike Greene, aka Fort Romeau spinning up a blend of classic Chicago beats and lush, modern, deep house grooves. As well as playing keyboard in La Roux's touring band, the enigmatic Greene developed Fort Romeau as a DIY project, using an old laptop and vintage Yamaha synthesizer. Also in the house will be Izzy Demky, Gareth Sommerville and Simon Bays (Tweak July16 Part 2, 30 Jul, £8). On the same night, the London-based Perc (real name Ali Wells) will be spinning up a techno storm at The Mash House, flanked by Darrell Harding and local resident Sean Laird. Wells has clocked up sets at seminal clubs across Europe, including Berghain, Fabric, Space Ibiza and Tresor, and is rightfully considered one of today's most respected techno producers – catch him while you can (£8-10). Also in the capital, there's a rare opportunity to catch The Baron of Techno himself, aka the legendarily gruff Dave Clarke. Clarke brings a wealth of experience garnered over his two-decades plus career, and the Brighton-born, Amsterdam-based veteran has always been a forward thinker (he was the first techno artist to release an online-only single, back in 2000). We're sure he's still got a few surprises up his sleeve (The Caves, 9 Jul, £8-14).

GLASGOW Subbie is back in full force this month after taking time out for a facelift in June. Friday 15 July sees local techno collective Animal Farm – who cite their influences as Detroit, Chicago, Berlin and Partick – host New Faces, with two

July 2016

rising stars of techno, Somewhen and SHDW, on the bill (Sub Club, £2-8). There's also a chance to catch German-born, Edinburgh-based house champion Prosumer, who has collaborated with the likes of Murat Tepeli and Tama Sumo, on 30 July (£10); but the feather in the Sub Club hat this month is Chicago producer/DJ/legend Derrick Carter. Since releasing his first EP way back in ’88, Carter has gone on to become one of the best underground house proponents of our time, and the great man will, er, man the Sub Club decks for a full five-hour set (16 Jul, £12). July also marks the return of the Incept crew, who are back and ready to celebrate the season with a mammoth 11-hour event at SWG3: the Incept Summer Special. British duo Dense & Pika and Edinburgh's Theo Kottis take day duties on the terrace, while Fraser Stuart and Nick McPheat provide a solid foundation for evening headliner Nicole Moudaber. Described in DJ Mag by friend and mentor Carl Cox as “the most underrated DJ” back in 2009, the LebaneseNigerian DJ and producer Moudaber has now well and truly shed the newcomer tag. Best move fast on this one; at the time of writing tickets were already down to final release (2 Jul, £15-25) On Friday 22 July, Sleaze Records, one of the UK's strongest techno labels, present none other than the label founder himself, Hans Bouffmyhre, at La Cheetah. At just 25 years of age Bouffmyhre already boasts a decade's worth of experience as a DJ and producer, having started out with his own Sleaze parties in Glasgow back in 2006. His tracks have been spun by the likes of Richie Hawtin, Len Faki, and Ben Clock; no further endorsement needed, in our books (£5-10). Finally, there are not one, but two chances

to catch a set from Glaswegian talent Denis Sulta, as the local lad bookends July with two excellent party options. Sulta, aka Hector Barbour, heads up The Club Paisley on 1 July (£5-7), and then pops up again at the month's end for the Sensu Bank Holiday Sunday on 31 July (£15-25) . He's joined at the latter by Bristol producer Eats Everything, who has been backed by everyone from Seth Troxler to Claude VonStroke and Justin Martin since emerging on the scene in 2011. Further support comes from Barry Price, Junior and Alan Belshaw, with the event starting off at East End hot spot St Luke's before settling into Sub Club for the post-11pm shenanigans.

Strathallan is unique German duo Pan-Pot, the ever-popular Daniel Avery, and the kooky dance magic guru Seth Troxler, whose online bio lists influences such as ‘the chirping of crickets, the whirring of space ships, and the sweet sounds of whistling voodoo magic.’ (8-10 Jul, weekend tickets £184-205; day tickets £82.50).

Do Not Miss Late Nite Tuff Guy

DUNDEE (AND BEYOND)

La Belle Angele, Sat 2 Jul

In Dundee, Dense & Pika, the aforementioned British electronic duo consisting of producer/ DJs Alex Jones (Hypercolour label boss) and Chris Spero, head up the ever-reliable Reading Rooms for a night of hard-hitting, good time techno (2 Jul £12-15). Venturing further afield, the Outdores Loch Ness Garden Party presents a fine opportunity to get down while simultaneously getting back to nature in Scotland's wilds. Set on the banks of the iconic loch, the party features dancefloor-ready tunes from Scottish label Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, as well a strong Scottish/UK contingent in Big Miz, Debukas, Makaze and more (2 July, £15-20). July, of course, also means T in The Park, and T in The Park means it's time for our annual dose of Slam Tent action. This year's line-up is one of the strongest to date, with techno figureheads Len Faki, Jeff Mills and Richie Hawtin sure to be drawcards. Also taking to the tent at

As the recent house music renaissance continues to gather steam, it's only logical that disco is enjoying a parallel resurgence. Late Nite Tuff Guy is one of the new guard of house/disco defenders bringing the best of the 70s and 80s to 21st century clubs across the globe. Even more interesting is the fact that prior to adopting his Late Nite Tuff Guy guise, the Aussie-based Carmelo Bianchetti was well known for his work as DJ HMC, and has been nicknamed ‘the godfather of Australian techno.’ Having pioneered 90s acid house techno Down Under, it's only in recent years that Bianchetti has turned his attention to disco and funk reworks, yet his tracks have already been played in sets by Jackmaster, Heidi and fellow disco vigilante Dimitri from Paris. Now, Late Nite Tuff Guy brings his disco cuts to the capital for a epic four-hour, end-of-season closing party courtesy of the Queens gang (£15).

CLUBS

Preview

Guest Selector: Rebecca Vasmant Interview: Claire Francis

The jazz-inspired Ministry of Sound tour resident gives us a peek inside her record bag and shares her ten favourite tracks of the moment

ridging the gap between jazz and electronic music, Glasgow-based DJ/producer Rebecca Vasmant has cemented her name with her Made In Glasgow and Know The Way parties, as well as running a popular record fair with the venerable Sub Club, and a monthly guest spot on BBC Radio Scotland playing contemporary jazz records. Ahead of a couple of upcoming shows in Scotland, including Glasgow's West End Fiesta with Billy Ocean later this month and the Kelburn Garden Party in July, Vasmant reveals the ten tracks that make her tick, from modern jazz to French techno. Max Cooper feat. Kathrin deBoer & Quentin Collins – Chronology [Tileyard Improvisations Vol. 1, Gearbox Records, 2014] I was completely blown away after first hearing this record. It still to this day makes the hair on my arms stand up when I listen to it, and I really love to play this track at the start of the night in clubs. Max Cooper of course may be better known for techno, but this record is really something different. The way that the vocal and trumpet seem to be playing a game with each other is really beautiful and with each time you listen to it, it feels like you discover something new that you hadn't heard before. It was improvised on the day, which I think is amazing. Quentin Collins on trumpet – he plays in the legendary Ronnie Scott's (Jazz Club) and is a great musician. Stan Tracey Quartet – Starless and Bible Black [Jazz Suite (Inspired By Dylan Thomas's

Under Milk Wood), Columbia, 1965] It may be a strong statement, but this is my favourite record in the world, ever made. I absolutely love this record and it means such a lot to me. When I listen to Starless and Bible Black it makes me feel such deep emotion, and takes me to a completely different place. I have sadly never gotten round to learning to meditate, but listening to this track takes me the closest I have ever been to meditating, I would say. I can feel the story that each instrument is telling and it fills me with a deep feeling of love and warmth. To me, it's absolutely perfect. The record is based on Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood, and if you listen to the music and the poetry at the same time, it completely makes sense. Glasgow-born Bobby Wellins plays the tenor sax so beautifully in this record, and of course Stan Tracey on piano too. I think it's the tenderness of this record that makes it so special and I am so grateful to have discovered it. The Greg Foat Group – For A Breath I Tarry [Girl And Robot With Flowers, Jazzman, 2012] There's not much modern jazz coming out nowadays that inspires me, but Greg Foat and his group are an exception. This track is really beautiful and I would say the album is one of the best albums to come out in the last five years. It's really lovely and strange because my friend and I sometimes have music listening nights, and after listening to this we both said we felt that this is a song about a lost love, but with an element of hope. I spoke to Greg about this record and he told me that it was about a

girl, and was indeed about a lost love. The way that the piano is played with such emotion, along with Matthew Halsall on trumpet, makes the track so perfect. It's really a rare example of outstanding modern jazz. Bill Evans – Piece Peace [Everybody Digs Bill Evans, Riverside, 1959] Piece Peace is, in my eyes, the most thought-provoking and beautiful improvised piano piece ever made. The track was allegedly unrehearsed, and although I have seen much debate online over whether this is true or not, I like to believe that they are just vicious rumours and that it is indeed an ‘of the moment’ masterpiece. Bill Evans is my favourite piano player of all time, and I love how he used his troubles to give the world such amazing music; the classic tortured soul equating to amazing art. I would say this is in my top five favourite pieces of music of all time. I remember once playing this record at a jazz festival. There was a blind person in the audience and his reaction to the track was amazing. He said he felt like he could see colours when he heard it. I always remember that. P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble – Ill Love Song [Winter Winds, self-released, 1975] I first came across this when working in a record shop in Edinburgh, and my colleague had put it on after getting it into the shop. I distinctly remember needing to know what it was right that second because I was so blown away by it. It's dark, raw and I really like its honesty. A few of my jazz musician friends have said they can't actually listen to this due to the fact all the instruments

are played badly and out of tune, but purely from a listening point, I really love it, a lot. The lyrics are beautiful, the piano played almost in a classical style and the space between all the parts make it haunting, and so deeply emotional. There's a very small number of original copies of this album in existence and after discovering it through the Now-Again label, I bid for it online and lost the bid. I actually cried that day because I lost out on owning the original copy of this! I love it so, so much. I heard that someone found a copy of this in a bargain bin in California for the equivalent of 50p. I really wish I had been that guy!

“ I love how Bill Evans used his troubles to give the world such amazing music” Rebecca Vasmant

Pepe Bradock – Deep Burnt [Burning 12˝, Kif Recordings, 1999] Deep Burnt is an absolute classic. I still play this pretty much every time I play live. I think one of the reasons I really love this is the strings which are sampled from a Freddie Hubbard record. It's an absolutely genius track, it's so simple and works so well. It goes with so many other records, and every time I listen to it, ten years after first hearing it, I still like it as much – if not more – than the first time I heard it. OL – Vertical Race [Cover EP, Faces Records, 2013] From the amazing Faces Records, this is an absolute blinder. I always take this with me in my record bag because it's got such a lovely energy to it. So many sweaty memories of wild nights playing this, and the crowds dancing like crazy! It's got some lovely samples which I think is what attracts me towards the record. I still play it out lots now. Cottam – Encephalomyelitis Disseminata [Breaking Through the Pain Barrier EP, Versatile Records, 2016] I really love this acid number from Paul Cottam. He once came to play as a guest at our club night and his DJ sets are always amazing, as are all his productions. I really love the build, and the slow speed of this record completely makes it. I love to play this record at peak time, it always does the job. Laurent Garnier – And The Party Goes On [Honey I'm Home! 12˝, F Communications/ PIAS, 2015] I have to admit, I've never been a major fan of Laurent Garnier, despite his legendary status and following, but when I was sent the promo of this track, it really caught my attention. It's genuinely an amazing record and I absolutely love to play this out in clubs. I would say it's my favourite promo from the last year. Da Sampla – Pursuit Mix 3 [West Side Sessions, Wild Oats, 2012] I really love to play this and listen to it too. Anthony Shake and his really American style of techno really makes me want to dance. I hope this record has given many others as fun memories as it has me!

Feature

CLUBS

THE SKINNY

Art News July brings a new performance work from Simon Starling, a banner exhibit by Inverleith House and a pairing of a late videogame designer with a contemporary multimedia artist by Dundee Contemporary Arts Words: Adam Benmakhlouf

Sarah Rose, Printers Devil, (2016)

Sarah Rose SWG3

rrrrr On the floor, there are about 100 or so variouslysized glass balls with ink and found liquids inside. They’re mostly yellows, blues and greens, abstracting certain hues from the prints on the walls – the green of the leaf, yellow of a root vegetable. Each photo is a succinct visual cue, one thing usually; even when they become abstract, they do so in an all-over way. Bright, new and crisper than the SWG3 interior, they could pass for something like an icon on a Google or weather map. As a means of drawing attention to the cloudy-looking worn-away parts and stains, and giving the marks an odd cartological significance, they’re also making the room more difficult to cross with their seeming precarity. In each of the pairs, one delivers a monotonous prose about keeping all the non-recyclables around home and the possible antisocial consequences and other ‘uncomfortable things.’

The other (and loudest) is a list of common phrases spoken as part of Rose’s donation of her voice to charity. As the six speakers deliver their respective tracks in the echoey room, it’s another efficient filling of the room, this time with the hubbub of a chatty crowd. The papers on the wall have creases from folding, and are a reminder of their own materiality; they can be stored easily. It’s the shutter that’s the largest part of the show, despite being almost invisible. Looking like another feature, it’s only the exhibition map that draws it to attention. With Rose’s voice echoing and made downloadable, and colours seemingly abstracted from photos of vegetables and plants, each part is a reminder of unexpected proliferation. Yet only variously full of a hubbub of voice, the room is both sparse but difficult to pass through. While there might be reproduction, it’s a reversible accumulation, a slow set of spatial convulsions. [Adam Benmakhlouf] Run ended

Karen Kramer, The Eye That Articulates Belongs on Land, (2016)

Jerwood Awards CCA

rrrrr Two films by Alice May Williams and one by Karen Kramer are showcased in Borrowed Time, this year’s Jerwood Prize exhibition at CCA. Williams begins with An Unreliable Witness, featuring a 1959 radio interview of Williams’ grandmother, born in 1865. Shots of London are punctuated by different texts acting as footnotes of relevant historical events. There are moments of soft humour, and the repeated phrase ‘It was the present moment’ appears on screen with each reminiscence, but it’s a conventional narrative with straightforward visuals of central London. In the next video, there are shots of Battersea Power Station, near where Williams’ grandmother lived. Accompanied by a description of a mindfulness meditation session, it then quickly becomes a rundown of 20th century history, accompanied by archival and computer generated imagery. Its impassioned listing of contemporary

July 2016

social problems takes its cue from topical marketing, but without operative self-reflection. Combining this with slow pans of construction sites with little hi-vis figures, there’s little critical content or visual interest. Karen Kramer’s The Eye that Articulates Belongs on Land is divided into a series of atmospheric movements. Still on power stations, Kramer looks to the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor: in one part, the camera picks out little bits of debris during a survey of the interior, followed by a sequence of animated keys and souvenirs talking to each other, poetically addressing the disaster that left the surrounding areas uninhabitable. Kramer’s enquiry into non-recent disaster is atmospheric and inventive – for example, using the unexpected device of a CGI-animated dead fox. It’s bolstered by the installation: a strip light and speaker set behind the screen make the mysterious film glare outwards, thereby bringing a welcome and necessary material and filmic deftness to the two-person show. [Adam Benmakhlouf] Jerwood/FVU Awards at the CCA until 10 Jul

Damián Ortega

pening at 3pm on Saturday 2 July, The Common Guild presents a new exhibition and ambitious live performance work by artist Simon Starling. He takes as his starting point a play by WB Yeats, At the Hawks Well, described as “odd[ly] cross cultural” and first staged during “a traumatic moment in European history” – performed in April 1916. There will be a full programme of events to be announced, so keep an eye on the weekly events column on theskinny. co.uk/art. Previewing on 8 July 6-8pm, there is the new exhibition in the Glasgow School of Art Reid Gallery. Showcasing new work by Birthe Jorgensen and Sogol Mabadi, it’s titled Hosts and Visitors. They take as their themes diaspora, migration, language and identity. During this month, they’ve aranged a free screening of Moshen Makhmalbaf’s 1998 film The Silence (Wed 20 Jul, 6pm), and a public lecture by the Convenor of the Glasgow Refugee Asylum and Migration Network, Prof Alison Phipps (Thu 28 Jul, 6pm). Both events are free and bookable on Eventbrite. Also opening that weekend, there is the Graduate Fellowship exhibition by Katie Schwab at Glasgow Sculpture Studios. Developed during her one-year residency, Schwab continues her enquiry into communal living environments and the the construction and inhabitation of living space. She will present a range of fine art and craft objects, including video and functional furniture, designed with specific purpose and use. Titled Making the Bed, Laying the Table, the exhibition previews on Saturday 9 July. On the same Saturday, the Damián Ortega exhibition begins in the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh. One of the most prominent artists of the new Mexican generation, Ortega sculpturally considers the forces of nature – wind, water, earth and fire, and for this presentation will work primarily with clay to create iceberg and wave forms as well as an array of tools. The next week in Dundee, DCA presents their new summer duo of exhibitions by artist Eddo Stern and writer, filmmaker and computer game creator Theresa Duncan. While Stern consciously uses the video game as a medium for artist expression, Duncan made point-and-click

ART

adventure games for children – conserved and playable in the exhibition, called CD-ROMS. For Stern’s Small Wars, he presents a monumental installation of Vietnam Romance, a cultural mash-up and interrogation of the “fictionalised story of the Vietnam War.” The show will preview on the evening of Friday 15 July, times TBC, then open from 16 July to 4 September.

“ At DCA, Eddo Stern presents a cultural and multimedia mash-up and interrogation of the “fictionalised story of the Vietnam War.” From 23 July until 23 October, Inverleith House celebrate the past 30 years of the gallery’s programme in I still believe in miracles. New commissions and existing works from 30 artists who have made solo exhibitions there will be exhibited, including Louise Bourgeois, Cy Twombly, Corin Sworn, and Isa Genzken. There will also be botanical drawings shown alongside, and sculptures installed throughout the gardens. At the end of month, Edinburgh’s Arusha Gallery presents the work of stylist, art director and photographer Carolina Mizrahi alongside emerging artist Juno Calypso. While Mizrahi is predominantly a fashion photographer, Calypso presents an alter-ego Joyce in her photographic work – and has built up a dedicated Instagram following. However, both set up a deliberately staged-looking aesthetic in their images, as well as a complicated femininity. The exhibition previews 6-8pm on Thursday 28 July. theskinny.co.uk/art

Review

Film Event Highlights Bill Forsyth turns 70, POUTfest goes on tour and Southside Film Festival asks you to get on your bike A Poem is a Naked Person

Words: Jamie Dunn

ill Forsyth, Scotland’s greatest living filmmaker, turns 70 on 29 July, and GFT are throwing him a little do in the form of a threefilm retrospective. There’s Local Hero (29&30 Jul), his loosy-goosy fable about an American executive (Peter Riegert) who falls for the kooky residents of a Scottish fishing village he’s trying to buy up; Comfort and Joy (31 Jul), which sees a cheesy DJ (Bill Paterson) get embroiled in a Glasgow turf war… between ice cream vendors; and his whimsical coming-of-age film Gregory’s Girl (6 Aug), about a gangly teen (Gordon John Sinclair)’s romantic imbroglios. As ever, there are no big screen outings for his equally brilliant but hard-to-find American films (Homecoming, Breaking In, Being Human) – maybe for his 80th.

Gregory's Girl

POUTfest returns to cinemas across Scotland this summer with a wide-ranging series of queer features and shorts. Highlights look to be the witty and wise heartbreaker Holding the Man (GFT, 6 Jul), which follows two lovers coming of age during the burgeoning AIDS crisis of the 80s, and Stephen Dunn’s stylish and tender Closet Monster (GFT, 4 Aug), which curiously features a talking hamster played by Isabella Rossellini. Add to this Andrew Steggall’s promising debut Departure (Filmhouse, 29 Jul), The Girl King (GFT, 21 Jul; Filmhouse, 22 Jul), a true-life Scandinavian royal lesbian love story and the return of queer shorts series Boys on Film (GFT, 28 Jul). See poutfest.co.uk for full details. Matchbox Cineclub kick off their new residency at CCA Glasgow with a super rare screening of Maurice Hatton’s Long Shot (21 Jul), from 1978. Filmed during the 1977 Edinburgh International Film Festival, it’s a sharp satire on the movie business following filmmaker Charles Gormley as he tries to get financing for his Aberdeen-set western. Cameos come from the likes of Wim Wenders, Susannah York, Stephen Frears, Alan Bennett and John Boorman. Long Shot has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray in the UK. This 35mm screening should be cherished. Richard Fleischer was one of Hollywood’s most dependable genre filmmakers, responsible for classics like train-bound noir The Narrow Margin and dystopian sci-fi Soylent Green. He also made some less-than-classic movies, and Edinburgh Zombie Club are celebrating two of them with a Richard Fleischer double-bill (The Banshee Labyrinth, 29 Jul): haunted house schlock Amityville 3 (the 3D one) and actionrevenge flick Mr Majestyk, which has Charles Bronson at his gruff best. Finally, Southside Film Festival are telling you to get on your bike with Wee Green Cinema, a bicycle and solar powered cinema event taking place at Pollokshields Playhouse 2-3 Jul. Expect films on food, community gardening, sustainable transport, cycling, recycling, upcycling and more. If you’ve a film event you’d like us to know about, send details to jamie@theskinny.co.uk

Review

Queen of Earth

A Poem is a Naked Person

Queen of Earth

rrrrr

Director: Les Blank Starring: Leon Russell, Mary Egan, Jim Franklin, George Jones, Charlie McCoy, Willie Nelson Released: 8 Jul Certificate:

Director: Alex Ross Perry Starring: Elizabeth Moss, Katherine Waterston, Patrick Fugit, Kentucker Audley Released: 1 Jul Certificate: 15

“I thought it was more of a movie about him than it was about me,” Leon Russell said when he first saw Les Blank’s A Poem is a Naked Person, before refusing to sanction the film’s release and allowing it to languish out of sight for decades. Now it has received a restoration and long-overdue release, we can probably see Russell’s point. Blank’s film exists in a constant state of curious distraction, pulling away from its ostensible subject to explore the world around Russell, but this free-roaming sensibility is exactly what makes the film such a joy to experience. Instead of spending time inside Russell’s studio, Blank pops next door to meet the elderly neighbours. He lingers as a mural is painted, and then we see a mouse eat a snake and a man eat glass. Les Blank always followed his own path, happily rambling through the American wilderness in search of eccentric humanity, and A Poem Is a Naked Person is a glorious time capsule, bursting with life. We are lucky to have this film. Celebrate it. [Philip Concannon]

Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Waterston deliver terrific performances in Alex Ross Perry’s caustic psychological horror. Moss plays Catherine, who’s retreating to her friend Virginia (Waterston)’s lake house for a summer of recuperation after a break-up. The film opens with a tight, uncomfortable and lengthy close-up of Catherine’s despair-ravaged face immediately after discovering her partner is leaving her and this sets the tone for what follows: a tight, uncomfortable 90 minutes as Catherine unravels, and her already fractious relationship with Virginia becomes toxic. Queen of Earth is ostensibly a measured study of depression and anxiety, where, despite the leads’ spooky work, what’s most unsettling is actually what doesn’t happen, Perry making shocking allusions to the extent of Catherine’s mental health that hang unresolved. If this sounds a bit much, well, it kind of is, but the writer-director’s bone-dry wit is pervasive and there are innumerable aesthetic and thematic nods to Bergman, Polanski and Fassbinder that denote his being playful. That said, Perry being playful is still more unnervingly aggressive than most filmmakers going at you full-throttle. [Chris Fyvie]

Men & Chicken

Maggie’ Plan

rrrrr

A Venn diagram that unites fans of slapstick comedy, genetic experiments, dysfunctional families and bestiality is unlikely to find many moviegoers falling into the centre, but those who do appreciate all of those things will be in their element with Men & Chicken. This determinedly weird film has a heavyweight Danish cast – including Mads Mikkelsen, David Dencik and Nikolaj Lie Kaas as brothers – but they are almost unrecognisable here, being largely defined by their physical deformities and sexual perversities. The prosthetics team are given even more work to do as these characters proceed to beat each other up Three Stooges-style with whatever heavy objects they can lay their hands on, but the repetitive nature of the comedy quickly palls, and Anders Thomas Jensen’s laboured film is often dull. With a late and unconvincing tonal shift, Men & Chicken is ultimately more funny peculiar than funny ha ha, although there is undeniably some enjoyment to be had from watching these actors attack their grotesque characters with such gusto, and Mikkelsen’s performance as a chronic masturbator is certainly something to behold. [Philip Concannon]

Maggie’s Plan is one of those New York-set rom-coms where neurotic bourgie types fret over crumbling marriages in tasteful yet funky rooms with books by Carl Jung placed under lamps for height. But director Rebecca Miller has a mildly devious plan of her own: to subvert much that’s wrong with the icky sub-Woody Allen tropes often infecting the genre. Greta Gerwig stars as Maggie, aka the now-official Greta Gerwig role of slightly frazzled, sharp yet emotionally compromised woman-child who has the best of intentions but messes up badly. Her own plan involves getting current wannabe-novelist husband John (Ethan Hawke) back with his ex-wife Georgette (Julianne Moore, hilariously brittle as a Danish academic). Complicating matters considerably, John actually left Georgette for Maggie. The film’s most charming surprise is the peculiar friendship that develops between the two female romantic sometimes-rivals; Moore and Gerwig have a surprising chemistry in polar opposite roles. Unfortunately their screwball hijinks can’t totally redeem Maggie’s Plan from being an amusing and sweet, if sometimes cloying, trifle about smart people acting dumb. [Michelle Devereaux]

Chevalier

From Afar

Director: Anders Thomas Jensen Starring: David Dencik, Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Søren Malling, Nicolas Bro Released: 15 Jul Certificate: 15

Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari Starring: Vangelis Mourikis, Nikos Orphanos, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos Released: 22 Jul Certificate: 18

rrrrr

What does ‘being a man’ mean in 2016? That’s the question asked by Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Chevalier, an absurd buddy-comedy that reduces the masculinity-in-crisis debate into an extravagant pissing contest. In the middle of the Aegean Sea, on a luxury yacht, six men compete to see who is the ‘the best in general.’ They rank each other on their cholesterol level, ability to assemble flat-pack furniture and who has the most ‘beautiful erection.’ The rules are vague and difficult to follow – a stiff hard-on is rewarded with two points but an excessive use of adverbs results in a five-point deduction. Each of these contests is designed to expose the insecurities of the men, yet a sympathetic understanding of how widespread unemployment has led to the erosion of masculinity tempers the unbridled testosterone. A hilarious critique of traditional gender roles, Tsangari harnesses the comic potential of this Olympian clash of egos to create a mordant portrait of the 21st century man. [Patrick Gamble]

FILM

Director: Rebecca Miller Starring: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel, Julianne Moore Released: 6 Jul Certificate: 15

Director: Lorenzo Vigas Starring: Alfredo Castro, Luis Silva, Jericó Montilla Released: 1 Jul Certificate: 15

rrrrr

From Afar opens with gay cruising on the streets of Caracas. Armando (Castro), a middle-age loner, is shown in shallow focus, casually waiting at a bus stop. The depth of field then shifts to the object of his gaze, an athletic blade – and without a word the hunt is on. It’s an opening of pure cinema that perfectly tees up From Afar ’s themes. This is a film about the anguish of desires – as the title suggests – held at a remove. Castro, the ghostly actor known for his work with Pablo Larraín, adds to this alienation; his deadpan visage holds us at an emotional arm’s length and keeps us guessing as this study of an autumn-spring romance shifts imperceptibly into thriller. The film does have an emotional kick: street tough Elder, the young man with whom Armando makes an exception and begins a tentative relationship. His moments of violent outbursts and tender yearning seem to take the actor (impressive newcomer Silva) by as much of a surprise as us, the audience. [Jamie Dunn]

THE SKINNY

Paris Vagabond

Nemesis

Negroland

rrrrr

By Jean-Paul Clébert

By Misha Glennny

By Margo Jefferson

A much-needed new translation of one the great post-war French novels, even if it seems to contain little fiction. As one of the best books ever written about the French capital, Paris Vagabond takes its place alongside those other 20th century dreambooks – Le Paysan de Paris, Tropic of Cancer, Last Nights of Paris, Julian Green’s Paris, etc. – that make a world of that city, and one endlessly amenable to examination. Clébert’s book is an assemblage of various notes made during and about his time on the streets of Paris – time spent not, he makes clear, as a mere flâneur, strolling full-bellied along the boulevards, but as a genuinely destitute vagabond living day to day in the city’s underbelly. They’re reports from a side of Paris that even then was ‘gradually disappearing, like a grease spot being vigorously rubbed out’ and which now is gone almost entirely. But the book’s documentary aspect (enhanced by the simple, clear-eyed photography of his friend Patrice Molinard, included in this edition), though valuable, is not the reason it will endure. What’s truly remarkable about Paris Vagabond is its proximity to life; its fidelity to and celebration of lived experience. Almost every one of its rolling, seemingly spontaneous, conversational paragraphs is filled with a kind of unfeigned awe at simply being alive, even when that life consists of hardship and brutality that most of us could barely imagine. [James Troeltsch]

Rocinha, a sprawling favela in Rio De Janeiro, compresses the population of a medium-sized city densely into a small town. Its weaving streets break off into unmapped capillaries to create a fiefdom enforced by forever youthful gang lords, their careers cut short by crackling automatic gunfire. Nemesis focuses into a single life within the teeming mass – Nem of Rocinha, a longserving king of the traffickers. It is also a wider social history of the Favela drug economy which occupies the vacuum left by the state; a wide lens view of the global cycle which sucks in ‘the arms manufacturers of America, the traffickers of South America, and the coke habits of the middle classes from Berlin to Los Angeles.’ Misha Glenny (author of McMafia) builds a taut and thrilling narrative within this, and while his hands-on research is exemplary – especially considering he is working from a largely unwritten history – his treatment of Nem borders on the hagiographic. There are few on the streets of Rocinha willing to dispute this popular – and enforced – opinion. Then again, the Favela drug lords inhabit a complex role beyond our general comprehension of a criminal. They are the community’s judge and jury; mayor and protector. The police match their brutality and corruption, but rarely their firepower. In depicting this world and its characters, Nemesis is a triumph: the violent, kinetic City of God brought up-to-date on the page. [Alan Bett]

Margo Jefferson grew up in the late 1940s and 50s, in an area of Chicago she describes as ‘Negroland’. This was a time when her class and location offered a paradoxical ‘privilege’ in terms of being black in America. Certainly, the sheltered elite living in this enclave experienced a lifestyle very different to those in the rest of the country during the period – yet there still existed a gulf between black and white elites. Jefferson uses the highly charged word ‘Negro’, she writes, ‘as a word of wonder, glorious and terrible’, and because the word introduced and developed her own ideas and experience of race. And this personal experience is of course key; Negroland is a memoir. But Jefferson combines her own memories with elements of the broader academic history of black communities in America, slavery and societal structures. As an overall text it can take real effort to engage with, especially if approaching the work without background knowledge of the key historcal points that the story weaves around: the civil rights movement, the dawn of feminism, the fallacy of post-racial America. Slowly, however, the more evocative stories will draw the reader back. This can be read start to finish as the memoir it is, or treated as an encyclopaedia to dip into for specific information. It is an important and deeply interesting text on a little known slice of history. [Sacha Waldron]

Out now, Published by The New York Review of Books, RRP £12.99

Out 7 Jul, published by Vintage, RRP £8.99

Out now, published by Granta Books, RRP £12.99

The End of the World Running Club By Adrian J Walker

rrrrr

Popular fiction’s current dual fixations continue apace. Characters negotiate the dismal misogyny of elaborately plotted murder/abduction fantasies or struggle post-apocalypse as those pesky zombies add complication to the world’s end. Walker plumps for the latter (but dispenses with the flesh-eating) in his tale of a UK destroyed by an asteroid strike. It’s a stumbling, uneventful chore that will hopefully hasten the end of a genre crying out for a merciful death. Meet Ed: a self-pitying corporate drone who drinks heavily and ignores his young family. When disaster strikes, and Edinburgh is flattened, he sets out for the south coast and the prospect of safety. This a long, long novel and, like its protagonist, it doesn’t carry its flab well. Ed’s journey is punctuated with drawn-out, dreary set-pieces and narrative flags. A sharp editor would have lost a third of its 450 pages. Boring then, and at times unsavoury with it. One of Ed’s eventual cohorts is ‘mid-coitus’ as the sirens start – the ‘straggler from a hen party’ leaves ‘pulling on her jeans, stilettos and pink t-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Threepinter.’’ You search in vain for the black comedy that might validate the observation. To add to the argument, the book’s only Asian characters are corner shop owners or takeaway workers. The usual prejudices survive global catastrophes, it seems. [Gary Kaill] Out now, published by Del Rey, RRP £7.99

Bard is a Four-Letter Word Ahead of her appearances at Edinburgh International Book Festival, we speak to Liz Lochhead about her new collection Fugitive Colours, then look at two recent collections from esteemed Australian poets

iz Lochhead is just starting to come back down after her hectic few years as our Makar, but the game has not so much halted as slowed down for a while. She has just published Fugitive Colours, her first new collection in ten years, from which she is performing a reading as part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival programme in August. “It didn’t actually start as an idea for a book,” she says when we catch up for a chat. “The question was did I have a book to put together at all? But I have a lovely, lovely, lovely young editor – I liked him right away – and a friend of mine helped get everything together.” Inspired by a real mélange of names, including female American poets like Denise Leverton as well as W.H. Auden and Louis MacNeice, she’s certainly not one for rigidity, and doesn’t believe collections should necessarily have themes. “When you write a poem, that’s a thing in itself – I tend to write poems now and again, provoked by particular things, like what I’m doing at the time. Collections are difficult to put together, because poems are a set of complicated, individual works which shouldn’t be connected.” At this point we pause to admit that the modern poetry world does seem very into ongoing thematic links throughout works, and appears to discourage random mixtures of pieces. We touch on the idea that Creative Writing degrees are one of the main upholders of this creed. “I’ve felt in the past that some people on

July 2016

these courses ‘will’ poetry to come rather than letting it come instinctively, although of course I have no objection to people choosing to work at it seriously in this way.

“ Writing a poem is the greatest company you can have” Liz Lochhead

“But poetry is a hotchpotch. Burns published his first collection at 26, and he wrote it hotchpotch. It’s different for novelists; take my friend Helen Simpson, the short story writer – she releases something about every five years.” Lochhead also refers to the current Poet Laureate as someone who has a natural talent for structuring. Carol Ann Duffy recently commissioned her, along with others, to write Christmas poems – a task which, at the time, seemed unbearably rigid. “I said I couldn’t do it, but she said, ‘That’s exactly why you should.’ So I have, and I’m writing it at the moment. I’m still finding a form, to tell you the

truth, but I want to tell the poem in as good a structure as I can put it.” Lochhead is refreshingly succinct and down to earth in the way she talks about what writing poetry means to her, the artist (“Writing a poem is the greatest company you can have”) and has no qualms with admitting that being a poet doesn’t give her the inherent ability to understand others’ poems right away. “I’ll read the Guardian poem and sometimes think the clue is missing somewhere… You shouldn’t be worried by the things you don’t understand, but celebrate the things you do. Sometimes the energy, the sound or the music draws you and makes you want to try to understand a poem. If it doesn’t, you don’t.” That’s a philosophy a lot of writers and readers would do very well to learn from.

In print:

This month saw The Skinny getting a lot better acquainted with two of Australia’s best-known poets, Peter Porter and John Kinsella, and their respective recent collections Chorale at the Crossing and Drowning in Wheat – highly recommended to readers who enjoy a peaceful tone, even in the face of potentially tense topics as well as beautiful ones, and also something to unravel. We had already read the keynote poem for Kinsella’s new collection a couple of years back, as a workshop-selected example of how poetry could be born through the way lines of prose are

BOOKS

Words: Clare Mulley

divided and slide together on a page. After all this time, it still both delights and engenders a shudder of horror. Most of Kinsella’s work is like this; loosely strung, but with very sharply-etched imagery. There are too many poems to mention at length (the collection spans three decades) but it’s worth remarking upon his series of short poems on chillis, a subject not often encountered in poetry – strange, considering their physical and metaphorical potential as objects. Porter’s collection, being fairly small, is easier to digest as a whole, and even contains a letter to Kinsella in poem form – a highlight being The Castaway is Washed Ashore. There is a definite flavour of Auden in some of his more structured, rhyming verses, and the way their light pace contrasts with the gravity of the subject matter, as many of the poems are meditations on philosophical, natural and artistic topics. Just don’t pick it up if you’re not in a frame of mind to chew your food – we had to put it down and go back to it later. Fugitive Colours is out now, published by Polygon, RRP £9.99 Liz Lochhead appears at Edinburgh International Book Festival on 14 Aug, performing with The Hazey Janes at Unbound on 16 Aug Chorale at the Crossing is out now, published by Picador Poetry, RRP £12.99 Drowning in Wheat is out now, published by Picador Poetry, RRP £16.99

Review

Here Comes Mr Jordan

That Cold Day in the Park

The Here After

rrrrr

Director: Alexander Hall Starring: Claude Rains, Robert Montgomery, James Gleason Released: 20 Jul Certificate: U Charming body-swap comedy Here Comes Mr Jordan gets the Criterion Collection treatment. Body-swap comedies are more or less a subgenre in themselves nowadays and the premise is so well established that the audience can just jump right in. Children become parents, look-alikes trade lives, young black men become old white dudes, Rob Schneider becomes a ‘Hot Chick’ and everybody just goes with it. Naturally it wasn't always so and Criterion's re-release of 1941’s Here Comes Mr Jordan has the time capsule effect of letting us see how the story was told before it was so well worn. There's something really charming in the way it labours the explanations of how Brooklyn boxer Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery) comes to find himself occupying the body of a crooked millionaire, walking the audience slowly and repeatedly through the rules of the game. Beyond that, there's just something hugely charming about the film as a whole – revolving around a comic kind of divine intervention, its elegant, understated style and bumbling hero give it a similar feel to the iconic heart-warmer that would follow it a few years later, It's a Wonderful Life. It has the goofy glamour of an era when characters in love could only embrace standing up, brought to life by big, broad performances from Montgomery, James Gleason and Edward Horton. And then there's Claude Rains, gliding through the film with ethereal composure that sells the whole ‘celestial being’ thing without a special effect in sight. DVD Extras: As well as inspiring a pretty constant stream of sequels and remakes in the decades to follow, Alexander Hall's film had a massive impact at the time in a myriad of ways, which the essays and interviews included in the new release do a great job of exploring. A film that's likeable in an immediate and unthinking way turns out to be well worth thinking about afterwards too. [Ross McIndoe]

Director: Robert Altman Starring: Sandy Dennis, Michael Burns, Susanne Benton, David Garfield Released: Out now Certificate: 15 That Cold Day in the Park is a fascinating early work from influential New Hollywood director Robert Altman. Made in 1969, directly before his breakout hit M*A*S*H, the film sees wealthy 30-something Frances (Sandy Dennis) take in an apparently mute 19-yearold boy (Michael Burns) who she finds sat slumped on a park bench in the pouring rain. Frances initially seems like a lonely but sympathetic spinster – her mother is recently departed and she's inherited comfortable living quarters and a social circle (and suitor) about 40 years her senior. However, she swiftly develops an unhealthy fixation on the boy – pitched somewhere between maternal and lustful – to the point where she nails the windows shut in an attempt to stop him leaving. What gradually unfurls is a film of slow-burn deviancy where the tension gently mounts towards an unexpectedly demented denouement involving a kitchen knife and a befuddled prostitute. There's some bagginess around the middle third but there's much to enjoy once it becomes clear that the film is to be taken as a psychosexual horror piece rather than a nuanced character study. Those viewers well versed in the work of Robert Altman will find plenty that suggests where he would go stylistically; the film is full of the drifting long shots, slow zooms, and overlapping dialogue that would help to characterise his later masterpieces. Come for the unhurried intrigue and atmosphere – just don't expect realistic psychological shading. DVD Extras: Included is a booklet with new writing and a 20-minute conversation in which critic David Thompson explores the making of the film and its place in Altman's career. Thompson, who, with Altman on Altman, quite literally wrote the book on the director, is illuminating in his comments, but it's hard not to wish for a few more extras on a boutique release such as this. [Tom Grieve] Released on Eureka's Masters of Cinema Dual Format

Released on Blu-ray and DVD by Criterion Collection

Review

DVD

Director: Magnus Van Horn Starring: Ulrik Munther, Mats Blomgren, Wieslaw Komasa, Alexander Nordgren Released: 4 Jul Certificate: 15 The poster for Swedish born director Magnus Van Horn's debut shows a group of students posing for a class photo, with the face of one of them scratched out. Protagonist John (played by teen pop star Ulrik Munther) returns to his small town after several years away in an institution. The school headmistress nervously respects John's decision to return but the other students are reluctant to speak to him. Even John's father (Mats Blomgren) appears uneasy. It's slowly revealed that John committed a crime as a child but people aren't ready to forget; as the violent incidents escalate, the townsfolk begin to look more and more like a lynch mob. There's possibly only 30 minutes of dialogue in The Here After, and the aching silences add to the tension. Munther's face is almost permanently blank. Is he medicated or simply choosing not to think about the consequences of his actions? He's good in the main role, though it's Blomgren who provides the emotional centre; his carefully concealed heartbreak is quietly affecting. If The Here After were remade by Hollywood, it would conclude with lessons and hugs. Director Van Horn offers no easy solutions: here the dead-eyed John merely goes off for a bike ride to who knows where. DVD Extras: A trailer and two short films. Echo is Van Horn's first effort, and works as a companion piece to The Here After. A police psychologist escorts two Polish killers to the place where they murdered a girl. Later, Arek (Radomir Rospendek) agrees to meet the dead girl's family in a restorative justice encounter. Echo ends with the killer emitting a self-pitying howl; a horrific image which lingers in the mind for days afterwards. [Steve Timms] Released by Soda Pictures

For more DVD reviews, go to theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews

THE SKINNY

CCA Highlights What makes a city? What does it mean to be on TV? How would you dispose of a politician’s body in near-future Cameroon, and what's the feminist subtext? All the usual questions and more at the CCA this summer Words: George Sully

ur personal and communal identities are wrapped up in the spaces we share, be they our homes, our cities, or our countries. Even before the outcome of that poisonously binary referendum was announced, the notions of nationhood and where people belong in the wider world had already been discussed ab absurdum, with varying degrees of care and empathy. From now until March 2017, the CCA will turn that outward gaze inwards, to the city, and explore its uniting, isolating, enabling and inhibiting powers via governmental, architectural, social and economic forces. A multi-platform series, the Cities programme involves talks, film screenings and other events exploring the urban. Film highlights include Chantal Akerman’s intimately reflective News From Home (Tue 12 Jul), Patrick Keller’s economically motivated ROBINSON IN SPACE (Mon 1 Aug), and Fritz Lang’s mighty Metropolis (Wed 10 Aug), widely considered a pioneering sci-fi masterpiece, visually groundbreaking and timelessly allegorical. Talkswise, check out Prototyping Public Spaces (Tue 5 Jul) which discusses the public space as a catalyst for change, and Sarah Schulman on her 2013 book The Gentrification of the Mind (Thu 21 Jul), an incisive (and vividly personal) look at the AIDS

July 2016

years of ’81-’96 and how the lack of LGBTQ rights during this period affected the infrastructure of US cities. Outwith the Cities programming, GSA grad and shrewd videosmith Kathryn Elkin unveils three new works, alongside a small retrospective, in her solo show Television (Sat 23 Jul-Sun 4 Sep), a defragmented look at film and broadcast media. In existing work Why La Bamba, a 1975 Dustin Hoffman interview transcript informs a chat with former Hero frontman John McKeown; in Dame, 2 Elkin performs verbatim, as a song, an interview with Helen Mirren. TV as we know it is interrogated, deconstructed, and reconstituted. Find her jazz-like edit of Parkinson (Michael’s Theme) online for a taste of her artistry. Going from the screen to the page, and a welcome shot at two-dimensional escapism, stop by Black Hearted Press’s Comic Book Summer Classes (Mon 25-Wed 27 Jul). Open to ages seven and up, these workshops teach the basics in character creation, comic narratives, and the techniques required to sketch, ink and colour your very own comic, all for a mere five crowns. And in a similar vein, be sure not to miss BHP’s Glasgow Comic Festival (Tue 28 Jun-Sun 3 Jul) at the start of the month. Incendiary curators Digital Desperados,

Chantal Akerman's News From Home (Tue 12 Jul)

seeking to “empower the creativity of women of colour” and eliminate prejudices against minorities, are putting on a series of films (some as part of the Cities programme) this summer at the CCA. Les Saignantes (Thu 4 Aug) is a trip through 2025 Africa, where two young sex workers must deal with the unexpected mid-coitus demise of a high-ranking politician. Their journey takes them through Cameroon’s corrupt upper echelons, interspersed with bewildering scenes of sorcery, sex and violence (supposedly “the best African sci-fi vampire political satire with homoerotic overtones you’ve ever seen”). Most compelling is maverick director Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s meta-commentary on the trials of making

ART

such a film under an oppressive government. Mommy is Coming (Sat 27 Aug), meanwhile, is a provocative romantic sex comedy from director Cheryl Dunye, a leading lesbian filmmaker of colour. Set in the fetishistic Berlin underbelly, there are sexual misadventures aplenty as spunky power-femme Dylan and butch-performing hotel clerk Claudia seek to reignite their idling relationship. The titular ‘Mommy’ is Dylan’s mother, played by noted Swiss pleasure-educator and sex-toy merchant Maggie Tapert. Digital Desperados are following up the screening with a GLITCH party (‘GLITCH’ being the name of their biannual queer film festival) at the CCA. Come one, come all.

Preview

Win tickets to Win tickets to Cross the Tracks 2016! Edinburgh International Book Festival! E dinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival returns this month, and from 19-24 July La Belle Angele will be home to Cross the Tracks 2016: a celebration of innovative and groundbreaking sounds with jazz and blues heritage. Featuring acts such as UK hip-hop legends The Mouse Outfit; New Orleans party starters The Hot 8 Brass Band; and afro-punk exponents United Vibrations (pictured) in a double header with Italian Berlinbased Mop Mop Sound System, it's guaranteed to be an unmissable series of shows. You can find the full listings at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival website, but to win two tickets to a Cross the Tracks performance of your choice, just go to theskinny.co.uk/ competitions with the correct answer to the following question: Which artist is not featuring in this year's Cross the Tracks?

uthors at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival include hundreds of familiar faces and plenty of up-and-coming talent – last year alone included appearances from 2014 Mercury nominee Kate Tempest, and Mountain Goats frontman and debut novelist John Darnielle. From 13-29 August 2016, over 750 writers from across the world – literary stars, debut novelists, musicians, comic creators, thinkers, politicians, international award-winners and poets – will gather in the Book Festival’s lively tented garden to take part in fascinating interviews, rousing debates, creative workshops, lively spoken word performances and more. And guess what? You could be there too. For your chance to win a pair of tickets to two events of your choice

(subject to availability), simply go to theskinny. co.uk/competitions, with the correct answer to the following question: Rapper, poet and musician Kate Tempest will appear at the Book Festival on Sat 13 Aug. For what coveted music award was she nominated in 2014? a) Billboard Music Award b) The Mercury Prize c) American Music Award Competition closes midnight Sun 24 Jul. 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 edbookfest.co.uk

a) Ghostpoet b) United Vibrations c) Hot 8 Brass Band Competition closes midnight Thu 7 Jul. Entrants must be aged 18+. Winners will be placed on the guestlist of the selected concert, and can collect tickets at the venue on the day of the event. 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 edinburghjazzfestival.com/

Win tickets to Insomnia Win tickets to Eurobeat at the Gaming Festival! Pleasance this summer! W

he Insomnia Gaming Festival returns to Birmingham NEC between 26-29 August! A unique videogaming event combining LAN gaming halls, special guests, large-scale eSports tournaments and a whole host of activities tailored to gamers of all ages. It’s all of the social enjoyment of gaming as a hobby in a live environment; a weekend’s worth of gaming action suitable for gamers both casual and hardcore. Insomnia run three events a year; one in spring, one in summer, and one in winter. Find the full list of events over at the Insomnia website. There's a range of ticket types available, including BYOC ('bring your own computer/console') entry, but we've teamed up with Insomnia to offer

a pair of weekend tickets to one lucky winner! To be in with a chance of winning, simply fill in the form below and correctly answer this question: Where is Insomnia held this year?

Which country won the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this year?

a) Coventry Ricoh Arena b) Birmingham NEC c) London Wembley Stadium

a) Ukraine b) Australia c) Narnia

Competition closes midnight Sun 31 Jul. Entrants must be aged 18+. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms insomniagamingfestival.com/

elcome to Eurobeat, an irreverent, hilarious, sequin-soaked celebration of the international phenomenon known as the Eurovision Song Contest. This year’s honour falls to Moldova, a country determined to present a fantastic new glittering contest against all odds. The evening is hosted by the glamorous former KGB agent Katya Kokov (Rula Lenska), and the three-time winner of Moldova’s Got Talent, Nikolae Nikovsky (Lee Latchford-Evans). Both are desperate to make this a fabulous night to remember – no matter what it takes. You can see Eurobeat at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, at the Pleasance Grand between 3-29 August (except 16 & 23), but we've got five pairs of tickets to be won for the preview performances on 3, 4 & 5 August! For your chance to win, just fill in the form below with the correct answer to the following question:

Competition closes midnight Sun 24 Jul. Winning tickets will be available for Box Office collection before the show. 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

COMPETITIONS

THE SKINNY

Glasgow Music Tue 28 Jun LOST IN STEREO

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £6.50

Pop punk from four men residing in Glasgow who take influence from Neck Deep, All Time Low and State Champs. LUKE WINSLOW-KING

BROADCAST, 19:00, £7

An eclectic mix-up of rock’n’roll, ragtime, classical composition and pre-war blues from a lyricist, composer and guitarist known for his slide-guitar work.

Wed 29 Jun

ANDERSON .PAAK & THE FREE NATIONALS

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £12.50

American rapper, producer and generally cool human Anderson .Paak trades in the California rays for a trip to our gloomy Glasgae, bringing with him a slice of sun to accompany his latest album, Malibu. We hope, anyway... MAIREARAD GREEN (HECTOR MACINNES + IAIN HUTCHISON)

THE HUG AND PINT, 20:00, £10

Mairearad Green performs her new album, entitled Summer Isles, which is inspired by the Summer Isles in the Northwest of Scotland. ELECTRA MUSTAINE

KING TUT’S, 20:30, £10

Country singer-songwriter all the way from Fallbrook, CA.

Thu 30 Jun EARTH, WIND AND FIRE

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £33.50

America’s seventh top-selling musical group of all time, with more than 90 million LP sales to their name, show no sign of let-up 45 years into their career. COMBICHRIST & FILTER

O2 ABC, FROM 18:00, £20

A night of aggrotech from a Norwegian band who’re now onto their seventh album, entitled We Love You. CHRISTOBAL AND THE SEA

THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30, £7.50

A SUDDEN BURST OF COLOUR NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7

Instrumental rock quartet hailing from the fiery musical furnace of Motherwell, likely playing tracks offa their new EP. GLASS HAVANA

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £9

Four-piece indie band from Glasgae. If you like your 1975, these are for you.

Sat 02 Jul

CLAY (SHVLLOWS + DRIVE IN CINEMA)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7

Leeds export and serious upand-comer Clay create a fusion of Factory Records-style indie with a falsetto groove. COLD DOG SOUP (LE THUG + ELMO’S MAGIC MIDDLE FINGER)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £5 - £6

Cold Dog Soup reunite for a oneoff show at Broadcast to celebrate the life of the staple member of the group, singer-songwriter Andy Hughes. THE NAKED FEEDBACK

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Glasgow natives touting fast’n’hard riffs and lashings of swag.

JACOB YATES & THE PEARLY GATE LOCK PICKERS

STEREO, FROM 20:00, £6

The local rock’n’rollers launch new EP entitled GOTHS!!! [sic]. And for dessert, the Lockpickers will DJ in the Old Hairdressers ‘til late. JAMIE ROBERT ROSS + STEVE GROZIER (JOHN HARVEY + AIMEE PENMAN + TAYLOR BUNTAIN + DOMINIC BOGLE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, FREE

A double-heider from singersongwriter Jamie Robert Ross and quirky act Steve Grozier and a dashing line-up of supports.

CAULDER (THE MINORITY RULE + TOM KEREN + THE BIKINI BOTTOMS)

BUFF CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

A showcase of local music headlined by Caulder.

The London-based union of Alejandro ‘Ale’ Romero, João Seixas, Leïla Seguin and Joshua Oldershaw harnesses an altogether fluid, rhythmic and exquisitely melodic energy as colourful and evocative as their band name.

Sun 03 Jul

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:30, £5 - £7

CAVALIER AND HYLA

OMMADON (LEGION OF ANDROMEDA)

Droney doom and gloom from a band whose self-titled album supposedly explores ‘the intolerable agony, the paralysing misery, and the stifling alienation which make us who we are’. Cheerful. BROKEN WITT REBELS

KING TUT’S, 20:30, £7

Bluesy rock’n’rollers from Birmingham. THE RECKLESS YOUTH

AUDIO, 19:00, £5

Five-member rock band from Leicester; for fans of You Me At Six, Bring Me The Horizon, 30 Seconds To Mars.

Fri 01 Jul

BREAK THE BUTTERFLY (MARK FRAIL)

JOE BONAMASSA

CLYDE AUDITORIUM, FROM 20:00, £45 - £75

The American blues rocker previews songs from his forthcoming album, alongside a selection of songs cherrypicked from his back catalogue. CLASSIC GRAND, 18:00–22:00, £6

Five-piece rock band from Surrey. MIDNIGHT ENSEMBLE

BROADCAST, FROM 23:00, FREE

A late night session hosted by classically trained folk guitarist, accordionist and singer Luc McNally. SAUL WILLIAMS (LOUIE & THE LOCHBACKS)

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £16.50

The incomparable poet, musician, actor and MC brings his multifaceted performance style to the O2.

Mon 04 Jul RICK REDBEARD

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

The Phantom Band’s Rick Redbeard plays a solo set of material at The Hug and Pint.

JAMES BREADNER

Tue 05 Jul

Levenmouth rock quartet led by Cameron Barnes. CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:30, £8

Musical comedian James Breadner plays his biggest headline show yet. Ticket price includes entry to the aftershow party. SONGS UNSEEN

ORAN MOR, 19:00, £13

New Inck Theatre and Capall Dorcha Theatre Company unite to bring Songs Unseen, a showcase of never before seen Broadway and West End songs and new work from up-and-coming Musical Theatre songwriters. SWEATY PALMS (LYLO + LAURA ST. JUDE + GUINNESS)

BROADCAST, 18:00–21:00, TBC

Fuzzkill riot-starters Sweaty Palms fuse gritty proto-punk with the melodic tendencies of surf and early psychedelic pop.

July 2016

BIANCA + THE PALE KIDS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Good Grief-signed Biana stirs up mathy, dissonant treats with support from The Pale Kids at Bloc. ERIC13 (SPLINTERED HERO)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6

Hailing from Philly, Eric13 specialise in American underground and rock’n’roll.

Wed 06 Jul

10 PENCE MIX (LUMINOUS + CHRISSY BARNACLE + KAPIL SESHASAYEE) BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

A third trip back to Bloc+, this time with a pick’n’mix of noisy weirdness, sludge and electronica.

DH LAWRENCE & THE VAUDEVILLE SKIFFLE SHOW + CIARAN MCGHEE NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £11

Washboard and kazoo woven into folksy Americana. Expect to feel like you’re in a timeless transatlantic circus.

Thu 07 Jul BEYONCE

HAMPDEN PARK, FROM 19:00, £68.50

Yoncé returns to bestow pure, unadulterated talent ‘pon the Scottish quarters of her sprawling Beyhive. FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY (FROM SORROW TO SERENITY)

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 18:30–22:00, £10

Death metal from New Jersey. ZEITGEIST (BISHOP + THE EAGERTONGUE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

English contemporary jazz trio influenced by artists such as Tigran, Hamasyan, Phronesis, Meshuggah, Avishai Cohen and the Esbjörn Svensson Trio. CRYPTIC NIGHTS: |’SAÚND| (KIAN MCEVOY)

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 20:00, £5 - £8

A meditative audio cinematic experience that blurs the boundaries between what we see and what we hear, played live by Kian McEvoy. GYUTO MONKS OF TIBET: HARMONIC CHANT CONCERT

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, 10:00–16:00, FREE

For their first ever performance in Scotland, the world-famous Gyuto Monks of Tibet will come straight to the CCA from performing in Glastonbury to offer three days of harmonic chanting, meditation, sand mandalas and public talks.

Fri 08 Jul MITCHELL BOYLE

CLASSIC GRAND, 19:00–22:00, £8

The 24 year-old acoustic / indie / folk scene stalwart (and skater!) plays his biggest show of the year at Classic Grand. THE VIRGIN KIDS (THE BELLYBUTTONS)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £4

Catchy garage three-piece from London Virgin Kids play Broadcast with a little help from The Bellybuttons.

LOST LIMBS (CIVIL ELEGIES + BRIDAL SHOWER + MILKTOAST)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £5

More sharp-angled circular guitar saw with malicious intent, or summat.

LEANNE & THE RADIX (LUCIENSGHOST + BRYNOVSKY) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

An eve of local acts headed by reggae unit Leanne & The Raidix. KRS-ONE

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £15 - £20

The highly respected KRS One brings his iconic catalogue of tracks to Glasgow’s O2 ABC.

GYUTO MONKS OF TIBET: HARMONIC CHANT CONCERT

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, 10:00–16:00, FREE & FROM 19:00, £13 - £15

Sat 09 Jul JAMES BLACKSHAW

PLATFORM, 19:00–22:00, £7.50 - £10

A farewell show from Scottish guitarist James Blackshaw.

WIRE & WOOL (THE DIRTY BEGGARS + THE TRONGATE RUM RIOTS) STEREO, FROM 19:00, £10

Dundonian bluegrass outfit Wire & Wool launch their new album at Stereo. THE TELESCOPES (ST DELUXE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

A band founded by Stephen Lawrie in 1987 whose skills lie in noisy experimental vibes, drone, dream and psych.

GYUTO MONKS OF TIBET: HARMONIC CHANT CONCERT CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, 10:00–16:00, FREE

Fri 15 Jul BELLY

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:00, £20

Boston based alt-rock band Belly which features Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses.

Sun 10 Jul

CLENCH (PAINTED WAVES + THE CAIRDS + BRITTLE HEAD GIRL)

WILLIWAW

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS , 18:00–20:00, FREE

Expect ukulele mayhem as Williwaw brings his merry cavalcade of melodious din to a live setting once more. TINY VINYL (STRAMASH + THE ELEPHANT MEN)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £4

A Sunday night of rock, punk and bluesy goodness at Sleazy’s.

AN EMPIRE WILL FALL + AWAKENING ATHENA (SHATTERED HORIZONS + SCATTERED SINS)

STEREO, FROM 19:30, £6

A show from touring co-headliners An Empire Will Fall and Awakening Athena. Expect deathcore and doom. RAUCOUS ROSSINI: CONCERTO

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 16:00, £0 - £5

Raucous Rossini are an acclaimed young opera company who provide an opportunity for emerging singers and musicians to engage in Italian opera. The centre piece to this concert will be the Mozart Clarinet Concerto, played by Ross Montgomery.

Tue 12 Jul IAN MOSS

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £18

One of Australia’s most iconic musicians, known as the founding guitarist of Cold Chisel. TIRED LION (HELLO OPERATOR)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7 - £9

Fronted by Sophie Hopes, Ozzie band Tired Lion bring sulky grunge to Sleazy’s following a set on Glasto’s John Peel Stage in June. JESSE MALIN

ORAN MOR, 7:00PM – 10:00PM, £14

New York singer/songwriter who began playing live at the tender age of twelve, in seminal hardcore band Heart Attack.

Wed 13 Jul ELVIS COSTELLO

BARROWLANDS, FROM 20:00, £40

The Grammy Award-winner and Music Hall of Fame inductee draws upon 35-odd years of – let’s face it, a pretty damn impressive – back catalogue. THE LOW ANTHEM

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £16.50

The Rhode Island indie-folk quintet take to Glasgow, admired (by us, anyway) for recording one of their LPs in an abandoned pasta sauce factory. THE HAZEY JANES (BLOOD OF THE BULL + FAITH ELLIOT)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Dundonian indie from The Hazey Janes with support from Blood of The Bull and Faith Elliot.

BEST OF FCK YES (THE 21S STATE + DANCING ON TABLES + REAL LIFE ENTERTAINMENT + FCK YES DJS) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £5 - £30

Alternative rock from Glasgow. Part of King Tut’s Summer Night series. STURGILL SIMPSON

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £17.50

The American country artist brings his latest album, entitled A Sailor’s Guide to Earth to Glasgow’s ABC.

Thu 14 Jul

LET’S PLAY GOD (WHEN WE WERE DEAD)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, FREE

The Glasgow metal-makers take to the stage for an evening of shredding riffage. HOME$LICE (LIFE MODEL + JOSHUA GRAY + ECHO MOON + SWEATY PALMS DJ SET + BISHOP)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Melodic garage band Home$lice headline a show at the King Tut’s Summer Night series.

VÔDÛN

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7

Intense rock and death metal infused with Afrobeat and R'nB. It’ll be mesmerising NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6 - £7

The alternative bunch take to Sleazy’s.

THE GINGER WILDHEART BAND (RYAN HAMILTON + THE TRAITORS + MASSIVE WAGONS) STEREO, FROM 19:00, £15

Geordie four-piece rock band Ginger Wildheart get stuck in at Stereo.

THE TREND (CIVIC PRIDE + THE RAIN EXPERIMENT + WÕLVES + THE PHANTOMS DJ SET + PROUD HONEY)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

ONR.

THE MIKE & RUTHY BAND

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7

CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 20:00, £13

Scottish act who cite the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen and Arcade Fire as influences and believe in delivering heartfelt, passionate live performances.

Wed 20 Jul DJ SHADOW

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £20

Five years on from the goodtime crunk and tombola-plucked guests of 2007’s die-hard riling The Outsider, Josh Davis plays a set cherry-picked from new jukebox album, The Less You Know, The Better. MARTIN CREED

SWG3 GLASGOW, 19:00–00:00, £10

The 2001 Turner Prize winner brings the his sonic talents our way to celebrate the release of his new album, Thoughts Lined Up. JR GREEN (NORTHERN CENTRAL + QUICK + DOUG GIBSON + POP COP DJ SET + COURIER’S CLUB)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

The Trend take inspiration from the Halcyon days of Britpop. See them play a headline show at the King Tut’s Summer Night series.

King Tut’s Summer Nights welcomes purveyors of poetry and feral-folk brother duo JR Green.

THE VIC BAR, FROM 19:00, TBC

Thu 21 Jul

FRISCO

Member of the Boy Better Know Collective, CEO of The Den and otherwise known as Tottenham’s Deshane Cornwall.

SUPERGROUPS: THE FLYING DUCK’S 9TH BIRTHDAY (BREAKFAST MUFF + SPINNING COIN + WHILST + MR TC + GONG BATH + ELARA CALUNA + GOLDEN TEACHER + BODY GAMES + CHUMP + LO KINDRE + RAPID TAN + PASSION PUSHER + J HILL A) THE FLYING DUCK, 20:00–03:00, £5

The Duckie celebrates nine years by taking members of various bands and mashing them up into surprise new bands, with cake, cocktails ‘sort of on the house’ and all proceeds going to Green Door and TCI’s Ghanaian Door Recording Studio in Tafi Atome.

Sat 16 Jul

SETH FAERGOLZIA’S MULTIBIRD

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £9

Freaky folk, oddball songs and baffling beats from a band which never stops rocking the boat of musical conventions. PARADIGM SHIFT (ANTHONY GOWRIE + CHAPTER & VERSE)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Rock fusion combining delicate melodies, layered vocals, consummate musicianship and earthshaking riffs in one impressive whole. Tonight they launch their second EP. CALACAS (LIONAL)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

Calacas return from a brief five years’ hiatus with old and new material in support of new single Ten Tiger Trax.

Sun 17 Jul

THE DEVIL MAKES THREE

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £10

American blues revivalists now 14 years on the go. WOODWIDE’S SUMMER PARTY

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, FREE

ON THE FENCE CLOTHING

CLASSIC GRAND, 18:00–21:00, £12 - £20

Clothing line On the Fence bring a line-up of live tunes to Classic Grand. Features performances from Bailey Connell, Delphi, Michael Sutthakorn and Ryan Lawrie. VIP tickets available if you’re feeling flush. THE MISS’S

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

A duo comprising the SAY Awardnominated Audrey Tait of Hector Bizerk and singer-songwriter/ Glasville lead woman Michelle Low. SERVANT SUN (DEADLY INSCRIPTION + BLACKWORK + TRANCENSION + MOSHVILLE TIMES DJ SET + HEAVY SMOKE)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Servant Sun headline a show at King Tut’s Summer Nights.

Fri 22 Jul

JACOB’S MUSIC NIGHT (THE BUCKS + THE RELATIVES)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

A fundraiser at The Glad for Jacob – the son of a Glad Cafe open mic regular Paul Chapman – who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumour. Proceeds donated to the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. CRYSTAL (DAS PLASTIXX + JIM ORTON)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

A Glasgow-based duo bolstered by a full band whose sound is influenced rock, grunge, blues and punk. Tonight they launch their five track EP Youth. CUT CHEMIST: THE AUDIENCE’S LISTENING

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £17.50 - £22.50

Cut Chemist of iconic hip-hop band Jurassic Five visits the O2 for an exclusive 10 year anniversary party marking the release of his first LP The Audience’s Listening. THE DEADLINE SHAKES (INVISIBLE DEARS + GET OUT STRONG)

Get a sneaky gander at Woodwife’s Mugstock Festival set with their brand new bassist. Gypsy-folk, rock and thundering drums.

A SAY Award nominees headline show at The Buff.

Mon 18 Jul

Sat 23 Jul

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £10

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5 - £6

RAGING SPEEDHORN

The Northants-formed British heavy metal band continue to rock hard 16 years into their existence. CIARAN MAC (MAX SCYTHER + MACKENZIE + RORY O’B + KUTZ COBAIN DJ SET + LEWIS A. KENNEDY)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Emcee Ciaran Mac flaunts his biting wit and sharp tongue at a King Tut’s Summer Nights show.

Tue 19 Jul THE WHITE BUFFALO

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £12.50

The White Buffalo (AKA Jake Smith) is a Californian artist whose five-album wide discography boasts serious songwriting prowess. Expressive vocals, distinctively woven instruments and epic tracks.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 19:00, £6

SUNWOLF (FVNERALS)

Leeds-based group touching the heavier sides of doom, post-rock and drone references. THE WALL

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £12.50

First wave punk band from Sunderland who’ve been around since the late 70s.

Sun 24 Jul

DIXIE FRIED (MIRACLE GLASS COMPANY + THE RIVERS + THE OUTLAWED + BARRIE JAMES O’NEILL DJ SET + THE NORTHERN )

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Trance-inducing duo Dixie Fried headline a Summer Nights show at King Tut’s.

SINGLE BY SUNDAY (THIS MANKIND + PART TIME HEROES) O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £8

The Woodstock, NY-based five-piece are renowned for their high-octane live shows; the line-up includes fiddle, banjo, ukulele, guitar, pedal steel, bass and drums, fronted by stunning vocal harmonies.

Pop from a local four-piece who specialise in an infectious kind of pop sound.

Mon 25 Jul

Alt-rock, all-female four-piece for fans of Pvris, Mallory Knox and Brand New.

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

Bright Light Bright Light (aka Rod Thomas) is a Welsh-born pop artist who now splits his time between London and New York. He’s opened for Ellie Goulding, Erasure and Scissor Sisters. EMME WOODS ( MARK W. GEORGSSON + STEVE GROZIER + MICHAEL TIMMONS + LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW DJ SET + SOPHIE ROGERS)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Solo artist Emme Woods (formerly known as Something, Someone) heads up a night at King Tut’s. FULLEE LOVE

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Jurassic Five's Zaakair Muhammad, aka Fulle Love, graces Glasgae in support of his most recent EP Still in Fullee. DEAP VALLEY

BROADCAST, FROM 20:00, £12

Deap Vally break blues down to its simplest, most fundamental form: beat, melody, and meaning, while the duo’s scorching live shows are fast becoming the stuff of legend.

Tue 26 Jul

THE SPOOK SCHOOL (EXPERT ALTERATIONS + HAPPY ACCIDENTS + PALE KIDS)

Sat 30 Jul

YOUNG STATES (GET OUT STRONG + CONCRETE KINGDOM)

CLASSIC GRAND, 19:00–22:00, £6

THE FALL

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00, £25

Seminal 70s post-punk outfit from Manchester – led by the inimitable Mark E Smith with an otherwise interchangeable line-up.

TOY MOUNTAINS (BROTHERS + HERSHEL’S HEAD + FALSE HOPES + HALO TORA DJ SET + DONNIE WILLOW) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Glasgow’s progressive-alternative and post-hardcore band Toy Mountains headline a show at King Tut’s Summer Nights festival.

B IN THE DARK (FEED THEM TO THE FOREST + BEAFETS + THE TALES + WEATHERSTON + PAINTED WAVES + KYLE WOOD)

BUFF CLUB, FROM 17:00, £6

Alt, emo and rock backs at The Buff Club.

Sun 31 Jul

THE DECLINE (FAIR DOS + ENIGAMI)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8

Skate-punk from The Decline with support from Fair Dos and local grunge outfit Enigami. THE WONDER YEARS

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £15

Philly-born pop punk sextet.

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £6

Fuzzy-punk hooks, beats ripe for joyful jigging and insightful comments on sexuality and gender delivered with radical bite. Go see The Spook School.

TALK (WE WERE HUNTED + START STATIC + THISFAMILIARSMILE + LOST MANAGEMENT DJ SET + FUSCHIA)

Edinburgh Music Wed 29 Jun

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

CHRISTOBAL AND THE SEA (SHOULD’VE BEEN AN ASTRONAUT + CARO BRIDGES & THE RIVER)

Wed 27 Jul

A King Tut’s Summer Nights show headed up by pop-rockers TALK. THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £17.50

Grammy Award-winning veterans of Southern Rock with a musical legacy of nearly 50 years. TANNARA (INNES WHITE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 20:00, £7 - £8

Contemporary folk four-piece.

OTHER HUMANS (REBEL WESTERNS + UP THE DANCIN’ + THE VAN DAMMAGE + BREATHE UNDERWATER DJ SET + KELVIN) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

80s synth-pop band leading proceedings at a King Tut’s Summer Nights show.

Thu 28 Jul JESSARAE

O2 ABC, FROM 19:00, £7.50

London-based singer-songwriter from LA, embarking on her first UK headline tour having shared stages with the likes of Plain White Ts, Matt Corby and others. ANNA & ELIZABETH

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £12

Ballad singer Elizabeth Laprelle joins talented multi-instrumentalist Anna Gevalt-Roberts for a mesmerising contemporary folk show.

TOY TIN SOLDIER (BILLY JEFFREY JNR + GRAEME QUINN & THE GRAEME QUINTET + THESE WOODEN BONES + EVERYTHING BRIGHER DJ SET + NOVEMBER LIGHTS) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Scottish indie rock from singersongwriter Joe Gallacher AKA Toy Tin Soldier. Part of the King Tut’s Summer Night series.

Fri 29 Jul

THE VEGAN LEATHER (THE NINTH WAVE + BOOHOOHOO + ALI ROBERTSON + AMTRART DJ SET + WUH OH)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7 - £30

Art-pop quarted from the far-off lands of Paisley. Part of the King Tut’s Summer Nights series.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00, £6

Fri 01 Jul

CLAY (WHITEHILL GROVE)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £7

Leeds export and serious upand-comer Clay create a fusion of Factory Records-style indie with a falsetto groove. U-ROY (KING STURGAV)

STUDIO 24, 20:00–00:00, £16 - £20

Also known as The Originator, Jamaican roots U-Roy brings full night of reggae and dub vibes powered by the Messenger Sound System. ID KID (UNIVERSAL THEE + COUSIN KENNY)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, TBC

ID KID release their new EP at Bannermans. THE AW BLACKS

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £13 - £16

Kirsty Baird and her band The Aw Blacks perform a selection of originals and covers.

THE RECKLESS YOUTH (SILVERBYSKYLINE + BELLAROSE) OPIUM, 19:00–22:00, £5

Five-member rock band from Leicester; for fans of You Me At Six, Bring Me The Horizon, 30 Seconds To Mars.

Sat 02 Jul STIPE

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £10

Stipe play R.E.M.'s eighth album, Automatic for the People in full, live at The Electric Circus, Edinburgh. Holy shit.

CHILDREN ON STUN (BERLIN BLACK)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12

The legendary goth rockers play a dark set in Edinburgh.

Listings

Edinburgh Music NEU! REEKIE!’S SUMMER SQUEEZE (LAW + REBECCA PERRY + ALAN BISSETT) PRILIG CHURCH HALL, 19:30–23:00, £6 - £8

Mosey on down to Leith’s lovely Prilig Church Hall and imbibe more than your fair share of summertime entertainment courtesy of the Neu! Reekie! gang.

Sun 03 Jul

THE SPOONFUL BLUES FESTIVAL

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:00–01:00, TBC

Edinburgh’s brand new blues dance festival.

Mon 04 Jul PLAYTIME QUARTET

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

The Soundhouse takes up Monday residency at the Trav, this time showcasing the Playtime Quartet.

Tue 05 Jul THE DIRTY THREE

SUMMERHALL, 20:00–00:00, £20 - £22

Australian three-piece made up of Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White, who’ve been on the circuit since 1992. CRAZY TOWN

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00, £12 - £15

US rap-rock outfit of Butterfly fame touch down at La Belle for a festival season warm-up show.

Wed 06 Jul GLADYS KNIGHT

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £52.50 - £62.50

Goddess of soul and winner of seven (yes, SEVEN) Grammys Gladys Knight swings by the Festival Theatre.

SAINTS OF ARCADIA (GUILT CITY + TANTRUM) BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £6

A night of hard rock from three bands at Bannermans. SCOOPS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £8

Breakthrough Dublin indie band Scoops make their way down to Sneaky’s as part of their UK tour.

Thu 14 Jul RANGDA

SUMMERHALL, 19:30–00:00, £15

Solo shows from Richard Bishop, Ben Chasny and Chris Corsano, followed by a collaborative headline set from all three. Between them, the gang have appeared on over 400 albums. ACRYLIC

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Acrylic are an alternative indie-rock quintet originally from Scotland's capital; this show celebrates the release of their new single Overrun. THE KING LOT (BIGFOOT + MASON HILL)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £7 - £9

Three top drawer rock bands share the stage for a special event at Bannermans.

Fri 15 Jul

MARCIN WASILEWSKI TRIO

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £18.50 - £22.50

Lyrical, melodic jazz piano from the ECM signed Marcin Wasilewski Trio.

BLACK CAT BONE (THE WET LOOK + SMITTEN ) ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £7

Down-tempo electronic and triphop from Canadian artist Iskwé.

British blues and rock’n’roll fourpiece equipped with a pounding rhythm section, layered vocals, catchy guitar riffs, heavy distortion and hollering harmonica.

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 20:00–23:00, FREE

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00, TBC

ISKWÉ

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:00, TBC

MT. DOUBT

Edinburgh based alt-rock and dark pop band. FOREIGNFOX

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, FREE

A special T in the Park warm-up event at Bannermans. GLADYS KNIGHT

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £42.50 - £62.50

Goddess of soul and winner of seven (yes, SEVEN) Grammys Gladys Knight swings by the Festival Theatre.

Thu 07 Jul LAPTOP LOUNGE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–01:00, TBC

Edinburgh’s alternative live electronic music event returns, marrying live electronica and visual performances to create an evening of multimedia entertainment. JOE MCMAHON (BILLY LIAR + BENNY MONTEUX)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, TBC

The Smoke or Fire mainman does special unplugged show with two top notch local acts.

Fri 08 Jul

ROBIN ADAMS (KIERAN ROBINSON)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Robin has a strong following and his songwriting has won him multiple awards. His albums are critically acclaimed, and he’s also releasing a collaborative album this July with everyone from Bonnie 'Prince' Billy to Alasdair Robe. Get excited. TYLA J PALLAS BIRTHDAY BASH

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12

A special birthday show from The Dogs D’Amour frontman. THE INFINITY PARADE (THE JULIE ANN BAND + DALE RADLEY + PAUL TAYLOR)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, FREE

A Left Wheel Records release night with music from some of Scotland’s best up-and-coming singer-songwriters.

Sat 09 Jul I AM I

LA BELLE ANGELE, 18:00–23:00, £8 - £13

Ex-Dragonforce and current Skid Row vocalist ZP Theart brings his latest power metal project to La Belle.

Listings

TWIN ATLANTIC

Glasgow’s own alt-rockers play an intimate end-of-tour show at La Belle.

TOMMY CONCRETE & THE, WEREWOLVES (LUCIFERS CORPSE + RUNEMASTER)

STUDIO 24, 19:30–03:00, £5

Intense metal from former Man Of The Hour frontman and all-round Edinburgh metal legend Tommy Concrete. If metal of yore is your jam, don’t miss this show. TYSONDOG (SPARTAN WARRIOR)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £10

A top night of NWOBHM. SWEATY PALMS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £5

Fuzzkill riot-starters Sweaty Palms fuse gritty proto-punk with the melodic tendencies of surf and early psychedelic pop. CURTIS STIGERS

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £23.50 - £37.50

Singer, saxophonist and general smooth man Curtis Stigers returns to Festival Theatre with his American band. TOM BANCROFT + FURIO DI CASTRI BAND

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £12 - £12.50

Contemporary melodic jazz courtesy of a band fresh from a stint at Turin Jazz Festival.

Sat 16 Jul

BRIAN KELLOCK QUARTET

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £16 - £20

Pianist Brian Kellock unites his favourite musicians to play swinging jazz in the style of the Oscar Peterson Trio. GROUPO FANTASMA

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–23:00, £15

A Latino band whose ‘incendiary’ live shows tend to be knock-outs, with a sound deeply rooted in mambo, merengue and cumbia. Expect fiery, intricate horns, percolating percussion and biting guitars. No wonder that Prince chose them as a backing band. LIQUID NIGHTS

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, TBC

Florida-based band popular for their strong acoustic roots and melodic rock sound

KID HARLEQUIN (58 SHOTS) BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £6

A mix of grunge, electro and classic rock.

DED RABBIT (REBEL WESTERNS + THE DIRTY VINYL EXPERIENCE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £5

Indie quartet Ded Rabbit warm-up for their summer festival dates with support from two bands who aren’t strangers to Sneaks. SKANK FUCK IT’S FRIDAY (BIG FAT PANDA)

CITRUS CLUB, FROM 19:30, £5

Summertime Ska from Big Fat Panda and guests. THUNKFISH + NO HAY BANDA

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £12.50

Post-rock from duo No Hay Banda and a dose of phthronk (that’s jazz, punk, thrash, prog and funk, for those yet to be acquainted with this ‘not quite nascent scene’) from Thunkfish. JOHN MCLAUGHLIN

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £27.50 - £37.50

An Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival concert from guitar grandmaster John McLaughlin. MARDI GRAS

GRASSMARKET , FROM 13:00, FREE

New Orleans-esque carvival featuring music from the likes of Criterion Brass Band, St. Aidan's Swing Band, James Brown Is Annie and Charlotte Marshall & The 45s

Sun 17 Jul

MAGNUS ÖSTRÖM BAND

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £18.50 - £22.50

Formerly a drummer for the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Magnus Öström brings his very own band of talented jazz musicians to Queen’s Hall for a night of post-rock, jazz and electronica.

THE VELVET OVERGROUND (MIRACLE GLASS COMPANY + WILLIAM DOUGLAS & THE WHEEL + ALFONZO + THE WELLGREEN + THE HOLY GHOSTS + THE LAST BATTLE + MAYHEGO) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £8

Two hours of Velvet's songs featuring an original 60s oil wheel light show. Postponed until further notice.

HAFTOR MEDBØE + ESPEN ERIKSEN + GUNNAR HALLE FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £13

Haftor Medbøe’s highly acclaimed trio, featuring the talents of pianist Espen Eriksen and trumpeteer Gunnar Halle.

Mon 18 Jul OCTOBER DRIFT

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

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

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–23:00, £15

A heady cocktail of old school soul and authentic, gritty R'nB delivered straight from the hip. The Excitements kick on where Etta James, Ike and Tina Turner and James Brown left off in the 1960s. THE GRASPING STRAWS

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5

Psychedelic rock with a twist. PIXEL

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £15.50

A boisterous blend of jazz and indie rock featuring vocalist Ellen Andrea Wang.

Tue 19 Jul THE MOUSE OUTFIT

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–23:00, £12

Fronted by UK hip-hop legend Dr Syntax and verbal acrobat Sparkz, this nine-piece band’s horn-heavy and funk-driven live show combines original grooves with classic hip-hop, b-boy and funk breaks. SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL (OSIAH + SHATTERED HORIZONS + CLAWHAMMER + REVOLT) STUDIO 24, 18:30–22:00, £7 - £8

A fully stacked evening of death metal, mosh pits and shredding.

EMMET COHEN TRIO FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £15.50

RETRO VIDEO CLUB (SHVLLOWS + LYNDSEY CRAIG)

Jazz pianist Cohen teams up with his trio to charm the arse off the Festival Theatre auditorium with his ebullient swing sounds.

The Scottish indie-rockers whose EP is called Back To Normality headline The Mash House.

CITY ART CENTRE, FROM 15:30, £10

Sun 24 Jul

ALA.NI

ALA.NI’s got vocal chords straight outta the 1940s, with powerful, expressive songs delivered as delicately as sugar glass.

Wed 20 Jul SELETAL REMAINS

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

Old school death metal from California.

JAN GARBAREK GROUP (TRILOK GURTU)

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £22.50 - £37.50

The ECM signed Norwegian saxophonist and composer Jan Garbarek performs with his group for the first time in over a decade. They’ll be joined by Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu. MADS MATHIAS

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:30, £16.50

Charismatic crooning and and cool sax from award-winning Danish musician Mads Mathias. ALA.NI

CITY ART CENTRE, 13:00-19:30, £10

ALA.NI’s got vocal chords straight outta the 1940s, with powerful, expressive songs delivered as delicately as sugar glass.

Thu 21 Jul RYAN QUIGLEY BAND

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £16 - £20

Thr Queen’s Hall is pumped to the rafters with 60s soul classics, courtesy of trumpeter Ryan Quigley and his esteemed band of musicians, including Andrew Strong and Bryan Carter. AMELIA WHITE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:15–23:00, £10

Rootsy pop, neo-folk and raw rock from Virginia-raised musician Amelia White. THE HOT 8 BRASS BAND

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–23:00, £18

New Orleans’ Hot 8 Brass Band return with their party-rocking sound and indomitable energy.

Fri 22 Jul WARREN HAYNES

THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:00, £25 - £27.50

The Grammy Award-winning American rocker demonstrates the fruits of over 25 years of musical experience. BRITTLE HEAD GIRL (LAW OF THE CHORD THE ELLIES)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Influenced by 70s rock, 80s cock, 90s alt-rock and 00’s stoner rock, BHG set out to kick the folk out! UNITED VIBRATIONS (MOP MOP SOUND SYSTEM)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–23:00, £13.50

Inspired by Fela Kuti and Sun Ra, United Vibrations fuse Afro-punk with jazz, twelve-tone and mulatto and layer the results beneath hypnotic chants and philosophical poesy. THE WALL

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £12.50 - £15

First wave punk band from Sunderland who’ve been around since the late 70s.

Sat 23 Jul SIX STOREYS HIGH

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £5

The Edinburgh four-piece bring their robust, energetic and melodic rock sound to the capital for a farewell show. All funds raised from this show will be donated to The Sick Kids Friends Foundation! CHARLOTTE MARSHALL & THE 45S (FEDERATION OF THE DISCO PIMP) LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–23:00, £10

Retro, roots, Mississippi blues and jazzy soul from an eight-piece groove band. DISPOSABLE (REDEYE REVIVAL + KINGPIN + SCUMPULSE + CRYPTIC SHIFT + BLACKENED RITUAL)

STUDIO 24, 18:30–03:00, £5

Thrash metal from some hometown heroes. BANSHEEMANS FESTIVAL

BANNERMANS AND BANSHEE'S LABYRINTH, FROM 20:00, £5 - £7

A roster of local metal acts split across two venues.

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £6

FAT-SUIT (WERKHA)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–23:00, £12

A 14-piece instrumental collective who deliver a mighty fusion of jazz, rock and folk with a line up of guitars, violins, keyboards, horns, bass, drums and percussion. KAINE (NEST OF VIPERS + DAMAJ + SANITY WARD)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £6

A night of classic metal.

CROSS THE TRACKS CLOSING PARTY

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 22:00, FREE

A night of live music curated by Paradise Palms' record label with special guests. CTT Showcases new music in club environments – an Edinburgh International Jazz & Blues Festival event. AVERAGE WHITE BAND + JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £22.50 - £37.50

AWB bring their distinctive combination of R'nB, jazz, soul and motown to Festival Theatre along with long time acid jazz creators the James Taylor Quartet. ALAN BARNES QUARTET

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £13

Multi-instrumentalist Alan Barnes demonstrates his improv prowess, delivering classical jazz and riffing on songs of the great American songbook.

Mon 25 Jul LEWIS WATT

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £10 - £15

A headline gig from Lewis Watts as part of his tour of Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester.

Tue 26 Jul AIRBOURNE

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £17.50

Longhaired Aussie hard rockers known for crafting underdogchampioning anthems with reckless abandon.

Wed 27 Jul

PLUM DUFF ( DOUGLAS KAY)

Sat 30 Jul KID CANAVERAL

SUMMERHALL, 21:00–01:00, £10

Following their SAY Awardnominated album Now That You Are a Dancer, Kid Canaveral return to Summerhall with an expanded lineup to launch new record Faulty Inner Dialogue (released 29 Jul).

EDINBURGH BLUES N ROCK FESTIVAL (DR.FEELGOOD + JO HARMAN BAND + BERNIE MARSDEN + THE RISING SOULS + SAFEHOUSE + THE AL BROWN BAND + NEIL WARDEN + GARY MARTIN DAVEY SLOAN + THE RATTLERS) CORN EXCHANGE, 13:30–00:00, £15 - £25

A showcase of national and international blues and rock talent, along with a DJ room, tasty treats and licensed bars. Cheap tickets if you’re a member of Edinburgh Blues Club!

LORKIN O’REILLY (KEV MINNEY + DELLALUP)

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5

Explosive four-piece alternative rock band based in Edinburgh.

DOG TIRED (TOMMY CONCRETE & THE WEREWOLVES + RUNEMASTER + GAREEDA)

A night of riffs galore

SARA AND THE SNAKES

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:00, TBC

Henry’s Cellar Bar reunites Sara and her Snakes for one more set in Edinburgh. HALFRICAN (ABJECTS + RUMBLE DJS)

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 20:00, £6

Halfrican and Abjects stop off in Leith on their joint UK Summer Tour for some fuzzy indie garage mayhem, with Rumble DJs spinning the best in 50s rock’n’roll, blues and sleaze.

Sun 31 Jul SERTRALINE

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £7 - £9

The Stoke-on-Trent rock-metal band stop by Bannermans on a tour promoting0 their latest single. ALEXANDER CHAPMAN CAMPBELL

ST GILES’ CATHEDRAL, FROM 18:00, TBC

The 27-year-old Scottish composer and pianist performs in Edinburgh.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

Morningside Young Team invite you to party as Tongue Trap, Edinburgh’s riotiest grrrl gang, release their debut EP. They are joined by lo-fi loafers Fuzzystar and slacker storytellers Nice Church.

Fri 29 Jul

SUNDAY PUNK CLUB (DUNT + DANIEL WAX OFF)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

Sunday Punk Club share treats from their EP called VICTIMISED, recorded after winning a deal through Edinburgh Battle of the Bands.

THE POWERS TOUR (RANSOM FA + SKYBOII + WILL BLAZE)

STUDIO 24, 19:00–22:00, £5 - £7

Following the sucess of their latest releases Ransom FA and Will Blaze team up with Skyy Boii for a fiery one. STONE BROKEN (MASON HILL)

BANNERMANS, FROM 19:00, £5 - £7

A must-see for fans of the hardest of rock. YOUNG STATES (CONCRETE KINGDOMS + ROBYN HERDMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00, £6

Alt-rock, all-female four-piece for fans of Pvris, Mallory Knox and Brand New.

A young guitarist, singer and songwriter who blends blues, folk and soul.

Sat 30 Jul UPLOAD

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 14:00, £8

A mini music festival featuring the cheerily titled Bereavement, Burnout, From Sorrow to Serenity and Excellent Cadaver. Because Summer!

Dundee Music THE ALLEY (SAHARA)

Two live bands followed by MAD SOUNDS DJs through ‘til the tender hour of 3am. YOUTH MUSIC INITIATIVE 3

THE GARDYNE THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £6

Glasgow Clubs

THIS IS NORTHERN SOUL 40TH ANNIVERSARY

MARRYAT HALL, FROM 15:00, £9 - £10

Marryat Hall hosts an all-dayer to celebrate the 40-year-strong legacy of the soul music scene in Dundee.

Wed 13 Jul THE CARLOWAYS

DUKE’S CORNER, FROM 22:00, FREE

Perth-based country with a distinct touch of rock.

Sat 16 Jul

AFRICAN PRAISE AND GOSPEL MUSIC CONCERT

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £5-6

Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk. Long-running house night. Residents Harri & Domenic man the decks along with special guests. THE ROCK SHOP MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00, £0 - £4

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

#TAG TUESDAYS

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

Wed 29 Jun KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

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

Thu 30 Jun HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Euan Neilson plays the best in classic R'nB and hip-hop. JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, 23:00–03:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

HARSH TUG

Hip-hop and rap brought to you by Notorious B.A.G and pals. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you. LOVE MUSIC: MAGIC NOSTALGIC

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. 0 DARREN EMERSON (ARNAUD LE TEXIER + OLIVER WAY)

STEREO, FROM 23:00, TBC

The Underwater and Detone label boss brings three decades worth of experience blending electronica, techno and house to Stereo.

Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mashup.

Sun 03 Jul

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:30–00:00, FREE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

BREAKFAST CLUB

Gerry Lyons delivers 80s and 90s pop and rock hits.

WALK N SKANK: VIC GALLOWAY (MUNGO’S HI FI)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Turns out, Vic Galloway’s a huge reggae fan. This is his return to Walk n skank following a riotous evening last year.

Fri 01 Jul CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your jivin’ pleasure.

Sat 09 Jul

Sat 02 Jul

DJ Paddy promises he’ll rock your blues away. We’ll choose to believe him.

Fri 08 Jul

BUSKERS, 19:00–00:00, £5 - £6

Rock’n’roll, soul, funk, jazz, indie rock, punk and more with DJ Lopez.

Tue 28 Jun

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off the week's stressors in true punk style.

Buskers hosts a night of rock’n’roll, psychedelia and dirty blues.

JAMMIN’ FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

SUBCULTURE (HARRI + DOMENIC)

A showcase of talent from YMI 3, an initiative conceived jointly between D&A, Creative Scotland, DC Thomson, Amazing Radio and DCC Leisure and Arts to assist 10 young people in the development of their skills and talents. BUCKY RAGE (ANIMAL MOTHERS + FRANCIS DUFFY & THE KINGPINS + TRIP + NEIL MORRISON)

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

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8

UNHOLY

Thu 28 Jul

TONGUE TRAP (FUZZYSTAR + NICE CHURCH)

REECE HILLIS

DUKE’S CORNER, FROM 22:00, FREE

CATHOUSE, 22:30–00:00, £2 - £4

READING ROOMS, 21:00–03:00, £5 - £7

Unplugged sets from a range of local acts.

Wed 20 Jul

BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, TBC

Fri 01 Jul

OLD TOWN ACOUSTIC FESTIVAL

A musical, choreographic and dramatic celebration of the culture and history of Africa from the Dundee African Gospel Choir and the Afro-Scottish Heritage Drama Group.

ACADEMY STRANGERS

An eve unplugged genius with Bright Eyes vibes aplenty.

BANNERMANS, FROM 18:00, £5

FRESH BEAT THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £6

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 19:00–22:00, £7

The bad boys of midlife crisis rock return, playing their forthcoming album Turn On The Foam in its entirety. Proceeds donated to the Joshua Nolan Foundation.

AFRICAN PRAISE CAIRD HALL, FROM 18:00, £5 - £8

CATHOUSE, 23:00-3:00, £4

OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. NUMBERS (POWELL + PANGAEA + SPENCER)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

XL hero Powell stirs up grit and sonic smut at Subbie with help from Numbers’ own Spencer and Pangaea. GLITTERBANG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Exactly what it says on its sparkly tin – a dazzling night of disco Europop. WTF FRIDAYS

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

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

SUNDAY SCIENCE

As scientific as a club filled with tipsy Sunday night partiers can get, really. LED lights, glow in the dark wands, ‘Science’ cocktails and cannons. Unlikely to instigate any eureka moments, but it’ll do.

Mon 04 Jul BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no? BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

Tue 05 Jul #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

Thu 07 Jul JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £2-4

Cathouse's Thursday night rock, metal and punk mashup.

WALK N SKANK: EVA LAZARUS (MUNGO’S HI FI + EVA LAZARUS )

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Eva Lazarus is a multifaceted MC / singer based in Bristol.

CAIRD HALL, FROM 18:00, £5 - £8

An expression of part of Africa’s unique culture and history, performed by the Dundee Gospel Choir and guest artists.

THE SKINNY

July 2016

Listings

Glasgow Clubs Fri 08 Jul CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00-3:00, £4

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off the week's stressors in true punk style. OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your jivin’ pleasure. PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

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

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8 - £10

A Slam Tent afterparty at Subs with a surprise special guest. WTF FRIDAYS

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

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

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

Rock’n’roll, soul, funk, jazz, indie rock, punk and more with DJ Lopez. COMMON PEOPLE & 90S BINGO

THE FLYING DUCK, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £5

Coupl’a hours of bingo followed by a 90s disco. What’s not to like? Get your dabber ready. LA CHEETAH CLUB X OFFBEAT (DJ FETT BURGER + BIG MIZ + WARDY)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

DONUT

FRESH BEAT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

A crunken night of hip-hop fun.

Sun 10 Jul SUNDAY SCIENCE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, TBC

House, techno and dance at Sleazy’s.

Mon 11 Jul BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no? BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

Tue 12 Jul #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk.

SUBCULTURE (MARQUIS HAWKES)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

The enigmatic Berlin-based artist makes a trip to Subbie following the release of his debut full-length Social Housing. THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

DJ Paddy promises he’ll rock your blues away. We’ll choose to believe him.

WE SHOULD HANG OUT MORE (JACQUES RENAULT)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £8 - £9

New York-based disco don and crate-digger extrodinaire Jacques Renault gets stuck in at La Cheets. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. ARE YOU RECEIVING ME

SWG3 GLASGOW, 19:00–02:00, TBC

A DVD premier of Transmission, BSD’s first full length team video, followed by a party into the wee hours. DANSE MACABRE

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:30, £5

After a long break in the crypt, Danse Macabre are back above ground for a night of goth from 1979-2016 interspersed with a healthy burst of italo-disco and the inevitable 80s synthpop as everyone’s blood:cider ratio increases...

Listings

DOJO (MARK FAZZINI + DARRAN + MCNEIL + NEIL ROBERTSON +JAY BLAIR)

SWG3 GLASGOW, 21:00, £5

Brand new house and techno.

Sat 16 Jul

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £5-6

Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk. THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

DJ Paddy promises he’ll rock your blues away. We’ll choose to believe him. LOVE MUSIC

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Wed 13 Jul KRIS BREEZY

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Kris Breezy mans the decks at Sleazy’s.

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

NU SKOOL

Rock’n’roll, soul, funk, jazz, indie rock, punk and more with DJ Lopez.

Pop, disco and rock action at Sleazy’s Singles Night.

Sat 09 Jul

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

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

Thu 14 Jul

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

JAMMIN’ FRIDAYS

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

La Cheetah Club team up with Offbeat to bring Sex Tags dude DJ Fett Burger to the basement.

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £5-6

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

JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

DARK PARTIALS PROJECT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Mixed bag of house and techno obscurities. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £2-4

Cathouse's Thursday night rock, metal and punk mashup.

WALK N SKANK: BASTILLE DAY SPECIAL (MUNGO’S HI FI + STALAWA + BREEZAK + FINTO ) THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Happy Bastille Day! Celebrate with reggae. Obviously.

Fri 15 Jul CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00-3:00, £4

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off the week's stressors in true punk style. OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your jivin’ pleasure. PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

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

KUNST (BASIC HOUSE + PATRICIA + CLOUDS) LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £7

Kunst presents Opal Tapes with Basic House and Patricia live and a clouds DJ set.

NEW FACES (SOMEWHEN + SHDW + QUAIL + TURTLE + LAMB)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

All the latest in underground techno, headlined by the ever-mysterious Berlin-based Somewhen. ISLE (RAMZI)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £0 - £3

A bitta techno and acid-house madness from Ramzi to get your weekend off to a belting start. WTF FRIDAYS

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

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

SINGLES NIGHT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £0 - £3

SUBCULTURE (DERRICK CARTER)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £12

Derrick Carter plays a five-hour set at Sub Club’s long-running house night. CODE (UVB)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £10

CODE return to La Cheetah with French DJ and producer UVB making his Scottish debut. GIMME SHELTER

THE FLYING DUCK, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

The Gimme Shelter crew move to a new mid-month slot, powering through rock’n’roll from Bo Diddley to Brian Jonestown. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

STEREO, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Hot Mess and Dive unite for a special Love is Love Fundraiser in celebration of queer spaces. DJ Simonotron’s specially selected vinyl delights get squelchy with Dive’s trademark immersive weirdness. Come together in support of LGBTQ people worldwide.

Sun 17 Jul SUNDAY SCIENCE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Mon 18 Jul BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Tue 19 Jul #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

Wed 20 Jul NOT MOVING

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Golden Teacher and Dick 50 DJs spinning outer-national sounds.

Thu 21 Jul JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Hey Daddy-o! A Pulp Fiction themed night complete with a film screening, live surf-rock bands, rock’n’roll all night, an extra special menu and the infamous twist competition. SHAKA LOVES YOU: JOINTS N JAMS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £0 - £3

Hip-hop and live percussion flanked by wicked visuals.

LOVE MUSIC: NOWT BUT NORTHERN

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests.

Sun 24 Jul

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

IN THE BASEMENT

Thursday session of the finest in northern soul and rock’n’roll.

SUNDAY SCIENCE

Local selector and producer DJ CJ hits La Cheetah’s basement.

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £2-4

Mon 25 Jul

STEREOTONE (DJ CJ + LAMPCHOP + WHEELAMN)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

UNHOLY

Cathouse's Thursday night rock, metal and punk mashup.

WALK N SKANK: SHEPDOG (MUNGO’S HI FI + SHEPDOG)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

The main man behind Niceup! Records Shep brings righteous party vibes to Wank n Skank.

Fri 22 Jul OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your jivin’ pleasure. PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no? BURN MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

Tue 26 Jul #TAG TUESDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £4

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

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Wed 27 Jul

OSMIUM

Italo, disco, synth-pop and funk with the e’er capable Osmium residents. SLEAZE (HANS BOUFFMHYRE)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Sleaze Records, one of the UK’s strongest techno labels, present none other than the label founder himself, Hans Bouffmyhre, at La Cheetah. WTF FRIDAYS

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

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

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

Rock’n’roll, soul, funk, jazz, indie rock, punk and more with DJ Lopez. BUM NOTES

THE FLYING DUCK, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £5

A new monthly event of karaoke and queer performance open to all.

Sat 23 Jul

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £5-6

Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk. THE ROCK SHOP

DRUG STORE GLAMOUR

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Trashy, tacky, glamorous and ridiculous. Oh, and fun, too. Very fun.

Thu 28 Jul JELLY BABY

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer. BREAKFAST CLUB

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Gerry Lyons delivers 80s and 90s pop and rock hits. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £2-4

Cathouse's Thursday night rock, metal and punk mashup.

Fri 29 Jul CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, 23:00-3:00, £4

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off the week's stressors in true punk style. OLD SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Connoisseur’s mix of old-school jazz, funk and soul for your jivin’ pleasure. PROPAGANDA

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £5

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

SHED, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

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

EZUP X IAM (BETA + KAPPA) LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

The Ezup boys are joined by Beta and Kappa of the i Am bringing their regular Sub Club party to La Cheetah for the first time. COSMIC GATE (MICHAEL HUTCHESON)

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £15

The first Scottish show in over two years from world-famous DJ duo Cosmic Gate.

Sat 30 Jul

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, 22:30-3:00, £5-6

Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. NU SKOOL

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Nick Peacock spins a Saturdayready selection of vintage disco, soul and funk. THE ROCK SHOP

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

DJ Paddy promises he’ll rock your blues away. We’ll choose to believe him. LOVE MUSIC

Edinburgh Clubs Tue 28 Jun I LOVE HIP HOP

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00, £3

Weekly selection of hip-hop classics and brand-new classics to be. TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 29 Jun COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS (ROSS BLACKWAX + FAULT LINES + SKILLIS + SQUELCHY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

House, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines. TRIBE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

O2 ABC, FROM 23:00, £6

Midweek student night with local DJs and the biggest beer garden on the Cowgate.

JELLY ROLL SOUL (FUDGE FINGAS)

Thu 30 Jun

Saturday night disco manned by your man Gerry Lyons and guests. LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £7

Jelly Roll Soul turn 6 years old and celebrate back at their old haunt, La Cheetah. They’ll be joined by special guest and Jelly Roll favourite Fudge Fingas making a long overdue visit. LANCE VANCE DANCE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £0 - £3

Red-hued adventure travelling through 70s funk, motown and 80s R'nB, highlighted with glorious rays of disco sunshine. Or summat. I LOVE GARAGE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £5 - £9

Paramida’s colourful, tropical and Balearic-tinged house sound and party-starting DJ sets have seen her become one of Berlin’s most in-demand selectors, with appearances all over Europe, the US and Central America. SUBCULTURE (PROSUMER)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £10

Prosumer (also known as Achim Brandenburg) hits Subculture, bringing two decades worth of experience in the game to Glaswegian party people. LOCKAH (DTTØ + MR FUDSON + TOCS )

PROUD MARY, 22:00–03:00, £5

Minder favourite Lockah leads the way a label launch night.

Sun 31 Jul

SENSU (EATS EVERYTHING + DENIS SULTA)

SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00, £15

Bank holiday bash featuring Eats Everything and Denis Sulta. SUNDAY SCIENCE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £4

JUICE (KAMI + DAN JUICE + DECLAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £2

Dan, Declan and Kami make weird waves through house and techno. HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–00:00, £2 - £3

Mash-up of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin.

THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Residents The Captain and Der Kaiser sling the latest and greatest disco, house, electro and techno into the Maze.

Fri 01 Jul TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, FROM 00:00, £0 - £5

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern. PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 23:30–03:00, £5

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £3 - £5

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

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

Edinburgh’s original rock ‘n’ roll bash, mixing indie, pop, electro, hip-hop and alternative styles to make one hell of a party playlist. XY (JAKWOB + TODD)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £12

Jakwob, with his melange of dubstep, drum & bass, jungle, house and techno is one of the most versatile producers in the UK and has remixed for the likes of Lana Del Ray, Ellie Goulding, Icona Pop and Breakage. See him this July at LBA. SUBSTANCE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

An Edinburghian outpost of bass, house and techno in the beautiful Bongo. FLIP

FRESH BEAT

PARTIAL

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £6

WEE RED BAR, 22:30–03:00, £3

BUFF CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

I LOVE GARAGE

JAMMIN’ FRIDAYS

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00–00:00, £3 - £5

Rock’n’roll, soul, funk, jazz, indie rock, punk and more with DJ Lopez.

Whether it’s breezy funk or towering emotional house, Hot Chip have been filling dancefloors for 15 years. Band member Felix makes a debut at Sneaky Pete’s – and he’s playing all night long. GLOBAL ROOTS

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Red Light Radio resident DJ Dribbler offers up a wide spectrum of genres from house to world music, obscure funk to disco, Balearics to jazz-funk.

Sat 02 Jul

THE GO-GO (TALL PAUL + BIG GUS)

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £5

Edinburgh’s longest-running 60s night is back. Soul, mod, garage, beat and rock’n’roll. SOULSVILLE

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £5

Raw, high energy R'nB from DJs Francis Dosoo and Cameron Mason. GASOLINE DANCE MACHINE (CHEAP PICASSO + MARTIN VALENTINE)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

More classic italo and straight-up boogie allied with contemporary house and disco, as Edinburgh’s GDM crew do their thing. SPEAKER BITE ME (EVOL DJS)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £8

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R'nB and urban in the back room.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

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

FELIX HOT CHIP DJ

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £7 - £9

MAZE

HI-SOCIETY

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £3 - £5

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

SLVR celebrates exactly one year of party-chucking with sets from Brazilian selectors Kleber and Camila Costa.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Gone are the days of So Weit So Gut. Witness the birth of something new.

DJ Paddy promises he’ll rock your blues away. We’ll choose to believe him.

SLVR + ALTITUDE (KLEBER + CAMILA COSTA)

A night of indie, pop and R'nB from the Evol DJs. Everything from Madonna, Snoop Dogg and Rihanna through to Belle & Sebastian and The Smiths. If a tune’s sure to get you dancing, you bet your bottom dollar it’ll get a play.

MAGGIE MAY’S, 22:00, £3 - £5

Partial residents Ewan and Adler bring the usual Partial heat to La Cheetah.

Long-running trade night with Normski and Mash spinning the disco beats.

THE FLYING DUCK, 15:00–03:00, £5

Thursday nighter of chart, disco and party tunes. Can’t say fairer.

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no? BURN MONDAYS

JACKFRUIT SLIMS (THE FNORDS + SURF MANCHU + EL RANCHO DJS + SHAKE APPEAL DJS)

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £3

HEY QT

Sweaty dance disco for queer folk and their pals. FLY (LA LA LAND)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.

DILF

The DILF gang are moving downstairs for their biggest Edinburgh party yet in honour of Pride. QUEENS (LATE NITE TUFF GUY)

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, £15 - £16

Following his residency at Defected Ibiza’s Glitterbox, the well-travelled Late Nite Tuff Guy returns to the ‘Burgh to headline Queens’ first season closing party. LIQUID RAVE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, TBC

Psyche-pop riffs, vocal melodies and a film noir meets 60s aesthetic at The Liquid Room.

ETIKET 4TH BIRTHDAY (YOUANDEWAN + JOSH TWEEK + TOMMY VICARI JNR + LAURENCENOLAN + JOE HIGHET) THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £7

Four big ones for Etiket. Expect a big’un, with Britain to Berlin expats Josh Tweek and Younandewan on the bill, along with a handsome spread of supports. HECTOR’S ULTRAGROOVE: FUDGE FINGAS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–05:00, £7

The Hector’s crew present local house hero Fudge Fingas as their special guest at Sneaky’s.

Sun 03 Jul

COALITION (BELIEVE + GAV MILLER + STU + JORDAN COCHRANE + GED & SKANKY B) SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly bass institution hosted by DJ Believe and friends. THE CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. TASTE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

The latest in a series of one-off club nights at Liquid Room, with DJs Fisher & Price and Marco Smooth.

Mon 04 Jul MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R'nB and chart classics, with requests in the back room. NU FIRE (DJ FUSION + DJ BEEF)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Hip-hop and bass since 2008.

Tue 05 Jul TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

THE SKINNY

Edinburgh Clubs HECTOR’S HOUSE

JACKHAMMER

SAMEDIA SHEBEEN

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £5

THE CAVES, 23:00–03:00, £14

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines cooked up with house beats.

Wed 06 Jul

Jackhammer’s back, continuing a series of dates at The Caves with one of The Baron (also known as Uncle Dave, or his actual name, Dave Clarke).

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £6 - £7

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS (ROSS BLACKWAX + FAULT LINES + SKILLIS + SQUELCHY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

House, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines. TRIBE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

Midweek student night with local DJs and the biggest beer garden on the Cowgate.

Thu 07 Jul HULLABALOO

THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00, £2 - £3

Mash-up of beats, breaks and hip-hop from Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin. HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R'nB and urban in the back room. JUICE (NICK STEWART) (NICK STEWART + KAMI + DAN JUICE + DECLAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan, Declan and Kami make weird waves through house and techno, joined by Sneaky’s boss Nick Stewart as a special guest.

Fri 08 Jul PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 23:30–03:00, £5

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £3 - £5

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

ANYTHING GOES (DISCOBAW + JONRAX + NAUGHTY NOMS + SYNOPSIS) STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £5

Anything Goes gets the psytrance treatment this month, with a dresscode theme of ‘colour’. Time to get tie-dying. VIBE (VIBE DJS)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £12

James Longworth's VIBE is back for one night only. Join the original cast for a night of pop, camp and general chaos. FLIP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £3

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. PARTIPETS

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Three ladies go back to back all night. Expect party pumpers, electro thumpers, world music wobblers, dancehall fillers and stone cold classics. FLY (YOUNG CARDINALS)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £5

MESSENGER SOUND SYSTEM

Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefy Messenger soundsystem. TEESH NO.36 (SEMI DELUXE + DJ CHEERS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £5

Oslo Hackney / The Pickle Factory resident Semi Deluxe returns to join DJ Cheers for their ‘all you can eat mind buffet’. Cosmic disco, boogie, soul, house, techno and electronica. DANGERZONE

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

An AOR and soft rock event brought to you by DJs Ball and Scrotes (lovely). Expect big’uns from Journey, Foreigner, Rush, Aerosmith, Kansas, Marillion, B.O.C. Bon Jovi, The Eagles, Bob Seger, Stevie Nicks and the likes.

Sun 10 Jul

COALITION (BELIEVE+ GAV MILLER, STU, JORDAN COCHRANE. GED & SKANKY B)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Jackhammer touches down in Leith Depot for a party.

Mon 11 Jul MIXED UP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R'nB and chart classics, with requests in the back room. NU FIRE (DJ FUSION + DJ BEEF)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Hip-hop and bass since 2008.

Tue 12 Jul TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more. HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £5

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines cooked up with house beats.

Wed 13 Jul COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS (ROSS BLACKWAX + FAULT LINES + SKILLIS + SQUELCHY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

House, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines. TRIBE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

Thu 14 Jul

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan, Declan & Kami make weird waves through house and techno. HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £5

BEEP BEEP, YEAH! (AT THE HOP)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

Expect only the best pop tunes from the 50s, 60s and 70s at this retro pop club night.

July 2016

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £3

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. FLY (JEZZ SIMPSON)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS (ROSS BLACKWAX + FAULT LINES + SKILLIS + SQUELCHY)

PLANET EARTH

TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

BUBBLEGUM

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. THE GREEN DOOR

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £5

The Tropical tiki club night playing the hottest old-school rock’n’roll, rhythm & blues, doo wop, garage, surf and soul. And there’s cake.

GASOLINE DANCE MACHINE (CHEAP PICASSO + BOOK CLUB + MARC JD)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £5 - £7

More classic Italo and straight-up boogie allied with contemporary house and disco, as Edinburgh’s GDM crew do their thing. POP ROCKS (TALCOLM POWER DJS)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

Crackin’ indie, pop and dance from the 80s and 90s. If you don’t hear Kelis or Wheatus at least once, sue us! (Don’t.) DECADE

STUDIO 24, 22:30–03:00, £2 - £5

Decade’s 4th birthday an Spring Break theme night. Expect inflatables, solo cups, beer pong and prizes. Free entry for those dressed in Hawaiian shirts (as if people needed any more encouragement). WASABI DISCO & HEAL YOURSELF & MOVE (HASHMAN DEEJAY + RAMZI, KRIS WASABI + HOUSE OF TRAPS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £7

Future Times, Moodhut, Going Good, Total Stasis, 1080p and Rvng Intl all getting a deserved repping at Sneaky’s this July. PERCY MAIN SOCIAL

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

Raucous boogie and disco from Paradise Vinyl and Lionoil boss Percy Main and pals.

Sun 17 Jul

COALITION (BELIEVE + GAV MILLER + STU + JORDAN COCHRANE + GED & SKANKY B) SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Weekly bass institution hosted by DJ Believe and friends. THE CLUB

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday.

CITRUS CLUB, 23:30–03:00, £5

Mon 18 Jul

PROPAGANDA

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R'nB and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £3 - £5

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

MIXED UP

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

Underground house and techno inspired by the likes of Sonar, Pressure, Fabric and Berghain – now in its ninth year of triumphant party-throwing. Prepare to dance until you have holes in the soles of your shoes.

House and techno tastemakers notsosilent DJs make a trip across to Edinburgh from their usual home in Glasgow’s infamous La Cheetah Club.

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00, FREE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

SOUL. DISCO. LYF

Sat 30 Jul TEASE AGE

…Lyf’s back at last for EJ&B festival with a free late night party. Tonight they’re going full disco and total soul.

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern.

Sun 24 Jul

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

Respected techno producer and internationally touring DJ PERC gets a go in The Mash House booth at Pulse.

Thu 21 Jul

JUICE (NICK STEWART + KAMI + DAN JUICE + DECLAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan, Declan and Kami make weird waves through house and techno. HI-SOCIETY

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R'nB and urban in the back room. RETROCITY: JAZZ FEST FUNK SPECIAL

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–05:00, FREE

PLANET EARTH

CITRUS CLUB, 23:30–03:00, £5

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £3 - £5

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

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £3

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. FLY (HERD)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.

LIFE'S A BEACH (DAPPER DAN'S DJS)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £2

Default and Picassio make a one-off return to bring an night of summertime pop tunes to Eleccy-C. There’ll also be a limited edition themed cocktail, and beachwear is strongly encouraged. SAMEDIA SHEBEEN X CROSS THE TRACKS

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–05:00, £0 - £5

Cutting edge tropical electronica spanning old and new sounds from across the globe, with world music ranging from African beats to Latin American rhythms and New Orleans grooves. TELFORT’S GOOD PLACE: SMALLPEOPLE (SMALLPEOPLE + TELFORT)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £7

The Smallville Records label and shop team join Telfort as special guests.

Sat 23 Jul TEASE AGE

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. REWIND

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

NU FIRE (DJ FUSION + DJ BEEF)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

POP TARTS

Crackin’ indie, pop and dance from the 80s and 90s. If you don’t hear Kelis or Wheatus at least once, sue us! (Don’t.)

THE CLUB

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday.

Mon 25 Jul

NU FIRE (DJ FUSION, DJ BEEF)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

PULSE (PERC)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

MADCHESTER

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £5 - £6

Hip-hop and bass since 2008.

Long running Edinburgh club night celebrating the baggiest beats from the late 80s and early 90s.

Tue 26 Jul

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £5

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

TRASH

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more. HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £5

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines cooked up with house beats.

Wed 27 Jul COOKIE

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Resident midweek student rammy of chart, club and electro hits.

WITNESS (ROSS BLACKWAX + FAULT LINES + SKILLIS + SQUELCHY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

House, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines. TRIBE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

Midweek student night with local DJs and the biggest beer garden on the Cowgate.

Thu 28 Jul

JUICE (NICK STEWART + KAMI + DAN JUICE + DECLAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

Dan, Declan & Kami make weird waves through house and techno.

Fri 29 Jul PLANET EARTH

BETAMAX

New wave, synth, electro and the best of the 80s in the Studio 24 overpass. POP TARTS

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

Crackin’ indie, pop and dance from the 80s and 90s. If you don’t hear Kelis or Wheatus at least once, sue us! (Don’t.)

KEEP IT STEEL: COWBOY FROM HELL

STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, £5

It’s cowboy time again with the return of the rodeo bull, a hot dog eating contest, hay bails and Americana party games. A heavy metal hoedown of ginormous proportions. FINITRIBE

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

A classic end-of-month Saturday night at PP – Finitribe rake in some DJ talent to get you dancin’. TWEAK_ (IZZY DEMKY + GARETH SOMMERVILLE + SIMON BAYS )

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £8

Cabaret Voltaire plays host to one of the most intriguing post-millennial house acts around, with London-based producer Mike Greene, aka Fort Romeau spinning up a blend of classic Chicago beats and lush, modern, deep house grooves.

Sun 31 Jul

CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

COALITION (BELIEVE + GAV MILLER + STU + JORDAN COCHRANE + GED & SKANKY B)

ASYLUM

Weekly bass institution hosted by DJ Believe and friends.

Distinctly retro selections from 1960 to 1999, moving from Abba to ZZ Top. STUDIO 24, 23:00–03:00, TBC

Tip-top techno and house selections from the Asylum residents. PROPAGANDA

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £3 - £5

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

SUMMERHALL, 23:00–03:00, £10 - £12

The legendary duo return to Summerhall’s Dissection Room with support from the forward-looking techno/house purveyor that is Sparky. SURE SHOT (PETER SIMPSON + MALCOLM STOREY)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £2 - £4

Golden age hip-hop and R'nB night hosted by two bearded men with an equal love of food and music; The Skinny’s Food Editor Peter Simpson and one half of Edinburgh’s Kitchen Disco, Malcolm Storey. FLIP

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, £0 - £3

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as it goes.

RIDE (LAUREN DJ K + CHECK YE OOT)

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

THE LIQUID ROOM, 22:30–03:00, £4 - £6

WARPED

KAGE, 23:00–00:00, £4

The Good Stuff DJs spin all genres of disco house and techno, alongside anything else they damn well fancy.

TRIBE

Midweek student night with local DJs and the biggest beer garden on the Cowgate.

Fri 01 Jul

Sat 02 Jul

BUBBLEGUM

Hip-hop and R'nB jams all night.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Dundee Clubs

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

Weekly bass institution hosted by DJ Believe and friends.

Classics from the past four decades – From Abba to Gaga – mixed by The Liquid Room’s best selectors.

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

NOTSOSILENT: RESIDENT’S SPECIAL (BELCH + MULLEN + RAY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £2

House, garage and bass adventures with Blackwax and Faultlines.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Hip-hop and bass since 2008.

DEFINITION (MARTIN LIGHTBODY + MARK BALNEAVES)

COALITION (BELIEVE + GAV MILLER + STU + JORDAN COCHRANE + GED & SKANKY B)

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

JACKHAMMER: T-TIME (CJ HARDTIME)

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 17:00, FREE

Fri 15 Jul

Liquid Room’s in-house indie night returns, bringing a taste of summer rock’n’roll.

FLIP

Fri 22 Jul

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday.

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. INDIGO

50s rock’n’roll, disco, sleaze, dirty blues, soul, garage rock and live bands, all jam packed into the last Friday of the month. Aren’t you lucky?

Wed 20 Jul

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern.

THE CLUB

Early weekend-welcoming (y’know, for students) chart anthems, bolstered by hip-hop, R'nB and urban in the back room.

THE HIVE, 21:00–03:00, £0 - £4

RUMBLE (RUMBLE DJS)

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £4 - £5

The HH crew serve up their usual fine mix of electronic basslines cooked up with house beats.

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

JUICE (NICK STEWART + KAMI + DAN JUICE + DECLAN)

BUBBLEGUM

One of Scotland’s leading collectives and the North East’s electronic carnival for freaks heads back to the capital in the intimate surrounds of Sneaky Pete’s. Its time to clown up.

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Retrocity returns to celebrate Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival with a special one-off featuring all things funk, from Jackson 5 to James Brown.

Sat 09 Jul CITRUS CLUB, 22:30–03:00, £0 - £5

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, £0 - £5

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

Sat 16 Jul

Midweek student night with local DJs and the biggest beer garden on the Cowgate.

Long-running indie, rock and soul night, traversing the spectrum of classic and modern.

MINIVAL (CRISTOF + GANGS OF SEATON + DIMBEE)

TRASH

Weekly bass institution hosted by DJ Believe and friends.

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent. TEASE AGE

Samedia returns to the steamy, rum soaked hot-house of Paradise Palms for another wee session of Afrobeat, salsa, cumbia and dancehall.

Tue 19 Jul

ELECTRIC CIRCUS, 22:30–03:00, FREE

ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00, £4

Tip-top techno and house selections from the Asylum residents.

ASYLUM

Tip-top techno and house selections from the Asylum residents.

Fri 08 Jul WARPED

KAGE, 23:00–00:00, £4

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as it goes.

Sat 09 Jul MISS DLOVE

READING ROOMS, 22:00–03:00, TBC

Four hours of Afrobeat, funk, reggae, hip-hop, latin and jazz at Reading Rooms. KAGE ROCK SCENE REUNION

KAGE, 19:00–02:30, FREE

Kage attempts to reunite all those who fondly remember nights of yore spent at Foreigners, Jaspers, The Cafe Club, Lucifer’s Mill, Ceasars, Sin, Cage, Keosene, Coalesce, The Cotton Club, Cellar and Balcony. Live music followed by a classic Cage club set. ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00, £4

Tip-top techno and house selections from the Asylum residents.

Fri 15 Jul WARPED

KAGE, 23:00, £4

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as it goes.

Sat 16 Jul STOOR

READING ROOMS, 21:30–03:00, £5 - £7

Join the Roots residents for forgotten classics and house all night long, along with STOOR stalwarts Baxter Park Sunbather and Marty Tough. ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00, £4

Tip-top techno and house selections from the Asylum residents.

READING ROOMS, 23:30–03:00, £5 - £8

Queen, queer or just straight up crazy, it matters not to Such A Drag’s groundskeeper Fanny (nor to her friends). Leave your judgements and dignity at the door and get involved in the live acts and dancing.

Sat 30 Jul

KAGE, 23:00–00:00, £4

THE CLUB

SUCH A DRAG (GROUNDSKEEPER FANNY & FRIENDS)

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as it goes.

BOOK CLUB (DENSE + PIKA)

Fri 22 Jul

THE HIVE, 22:00–03:00, FREE

WARPED

KAGE, 23:00, £4

READING ROOMS, 22:00–03:00, £12

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday.

Fri 29 Jul

PHAZED

Phazed returns to Dundee’s Reading Rooms, sorting ye Dundonians out with a right good Friday night. WARPED

KAGE, 23:00, £4

Ska, screamo and pop-punk offerings now in a weekly Friday slot, moving from Alkaline Trio to Zebrahead as it goes.

Sat 23 Jul LOCARNO

READING ROOMS, 21:00–03:00, £5 - £7

A night dedicated to the 50s and 60s that’s been running for over half a decade. ASYLUM

KAGE, 23:00, £4

Tip-top techno and house selections from the Asylum residents.

Mon 25 Jul BOOK CLUB

READING ROOMS, 21:00–03:00, £6 - £8

The Good Stuff DJs spin all genres of disco house and techno, alongside anything else they damn well fancy.

NIKNAK

PARADISE PALMS, 21:00–01:00, FREE

The NikNak DJs go b2b in their usual monthly spot with star funk, electro, synth soul, disco, fruity boogie and ‘meat and two veg’. FLY (GAV MILLER)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00, £5

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.

Listings

Art

Glasgow CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art BORROWED TIME

1-10 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Two moving-image works by artists Karen Kramer and Alice May Williams, developed with funds from the Jerwood Charitable Foundation and FVU. The works engage with the theme of borrowed time and the unsustainability of deferring costs to the future. VOICING THE ARCHIVE

1-31 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

MAP presents a series of audio recordings of past MAP contributions, voiced by their authors and installed at a listening station in the CCA foyer and Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. KATHRYN ELKIN: TELEVISION

23 JUL-4 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

As part of her solo show, Kathryn Elkin presents three new works alongside a small overview of some of her recent films. Documentary interviews, proto pop videos and talk shows are reworked into new and less stable forms to find out what constitutes the ‘televisual’. In many of Elkin’s works she channels encounters with charismatic subjects, negotiated live to camera.

Compass Gallery 90 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL FILM POSTERS 1-2 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Planned to coincide with the Edinburgh Film Festival 2016, Compass exhibits a series of rare, collectible and international original film posters from 1915 to the present day.

Listings

David Dale Gallery and Studios SECONDARY OBJECT

1-16 JUL, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

A group exhibition which combines the works of Mikkel Carl, Natalie Dray and Aymeric Tarrade which considers an audience’s engagement with exhibitions experienced through documentation and online platforms.

Glasgow Print Studio THE VIEW FROM THE TRAIN

1-31 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collection uniting artists who span several generations and share an interest in landscapes. The exhibition will feature both paintings and prints, and artists include the likes of Elizabeth Blackadder, Barbara Rae, Claire Forsyth and Bronwen Sleigh, Toby Paterson, Carol Rhodes, Calum McClure and Willy Rodger.

Glasgow Sculpture Studios KATIE SCHWAB

9 JUL-3 SEP, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

WHO’S EXPLOITING WHO IN THE DEEP SEA?

RENAISSANCE PRINTS: MANTEGNA, MARCANTONIO AND PARMIGIANINO

1 JUL-7 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

8 JUL-22 JAN 17, TIMES VARY, FREE

Cosima Von Bonin analogises the human condition via a series of works from 2006 onwards, all relating to a theme of ‘under the sea’. From textile to music, sculpture to performance, video and painting, the exhibition is a charmingly multi-platform affair. DEEP IN THE HEART OF YOUR BRAIN

1 JUL-13 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

A major solo show from Jacqueline Donachie, a Glasgow-based artist whose ambitious new work explores disability, care and loss following over a decade of research and collaboration with scientific and medical professionals.

Hillhead Library DEPARTURES

1-9 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

New Photographers Guild, led by mentors Claire Stewart and Elaine Livingston, present work from nine participating artists, each responding photographically to the theme of ‘migration’.

Hunterian Art Gallery

WILLIAM HUNTER TO DAMIEN HIRST: THE DEAD TEACH THE LIVING

A solo exhibition of the work developed by Katie Schwab during her one year Graduate Fellowship at GSS. Schwab uses sculpture to explore how one’s voice might be expressed through furnishing and upkeep of rooms, especially within communal spaces.

1 JUL-5 MAR 17, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

GoMA

1-17 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

WOLFGANG TILLMANS: PICTURES FROM NEW WORLD

1 JUL-7 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

Turner Prize-winning Wolfgang Tillmans brings an exhibition of photographs from his series Neue Welt (New World) to the GoMA. After ten years spent abstracting and conceptualising, Tillmans exhibits a re-enchantment with seeing the world for what it is.

An exhibition curated by students on GSA / University of Glasgow’s students of Curatorial Practice, featuring objects and art which explore moments of synergy between the fields of art and science. COMIC INVENTION

A showcase of comic works spanning genres and centuries, featuring modern collections, works by Lichtenstein, Warhol, Picasso and Rembrandt, and manuscripts from throughout the ages. Also includes unseen work for Batman, New X-Men and All Star Superman.

A collection of prints by three major figures in Italian Renaissance art: Andrea Mantegna, Marcantonio Raimondi and Parmigianino.

Mary Mary BODY CORPORATE

1-30 JUL, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Body Corporate is an exploration of the idea of an abstract body through a group of sculptural works. It is Gerda Scheepers’ third exhibition at Mary Mary.

Mono

IONA KEWNEY: MY MACHINES EXHIBITION LAUNCH

6 JUL, 7:00PM, FREE

A wee party celebrating the launch of Iona Kewney’s new exhibition MY Machines.

Platform

PROJECT ABILITY ASPIRE EXHIBITION

1-31 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Project Ability return with their annual showcase of work created through the Aspire programme.

RGI Kelly Gallery

RGI NEW GRADUATE PRIZE EXHIBITION

9-30 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition of work by recipients of the 2015 Royal Glasgow Institute Prize Award Sebastian Tay and Rebecca Snow.

SWG3 Glasgow DRESSED IN GREY

15-17 JUL, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

An exhibition examining the context of Aberdeen as a creative city from a collective of 25 Contemporary Art Practice students from Gray’s School of Art.

Street Level Photoworks

The Modern Institute

1-31 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

1 JUL-27 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

GOVAN / GDANSK

An exhibition linking the resilience and post-industrial decline of the shipyards of Govan, Glasgow and Gdansk, Poland through photographic works from Michal Szlaga, Raymond Depardon, Nick Hedges and Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert.

The Common Guild AT TWILIGHT

2 JUL-3 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

With a full title of At Twilight: A play for 2 actors, 1 dancer, 8 masks (and a donkey costume), this project from Simon Starling will begin as an exhibition of a group of masks and costumes for a performance based on WB Yeats play, At the Hawk’s Well.

The Lighthouse OPULENT FOLK

1-17 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition and collection of surface patterns and textile productions by artist and maker Rosie Shepley. LAGI GLASGOW

1-29 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

LAGI stands for Land Art Generator Initiative, and is the name of a project which aims to popularise the notion of clean energy and provide a platform for creative inquiry into the aesthetics of renewable energy. ONE.

22 JUL-11 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

One. is a debut exhibition from The Garnet Collective, and will showcase the work of four Scottish jewellers and designers; Nicholas Faill, Adam Henderson, Jennifer MacKinlay and Hannah Grace Ryan.

ADAM MCEWAN: TINNITUS

Tinnitus aims to ‘reveal a disquieting resistance within the very familiar’. It comprises a steel banding sculpture, several large-scale photographic images printed on sponge and punctuated by rough iron piping and a car airbag cast in iron.

The Modern Institute @ Airds Lane

THE INDIA STREET BAZAAR 1-24 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

The tale of global production, trade and influence is told through an exhibition of seven products created in India by artists responding aesthetically to the Turkey Red archives.

Transmission Gallery MEMBERS SHOW 2016

1-23 JUL, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Transmission present their annual members’ show for your delectation.

CATHY WILKES

1 JUL-27 AUG, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

A new exhibition of the work of Northern Irish Turner Prizenominated artist Cathy Wilkes at The Modern Institute. The showcase contains four paintings which depict visions of ‘the last days before the end’, and of aged or divine atoms and objects.

The Telfer Gallery APART TOGETHER

1-10 JUL, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A collaborative exhibition by Hamish Chapman, Joanne Dawson and Hannah Reynolds which references Glasgow’s history as a ‘cinema city’, and explores how cinemas facilitate people’s need for ‘third spaces’ and escapism.

Tramway

PEHCHAAN: ART FROM ANOTHER INDIA

1-30 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

A collaborative project showcasing a vibrant new collection of North Indian art commissioned for Glasgow Museums, featuring folk art, textiles and contemporary works.

Edinburgh Art City Art Centre

MAKING IT: SCULPTIRE IN BRITAIN 1977-1986 1-3 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition examining an episode of ingenuity in the history of design. Making It illustrates how the design practices of 1977-1986 were influenced by conceptual and performance art from earlier generations and by sculptural inspiration from overseas. STEPHEN COLLINGBOURNE: DON’T BE AFRAID OF PINK

1-3 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Stephen Collingbourne, previously a lecturer of sculpture for over two decades at ECA has now diverted his practices towards oil painting. The title of this exhibition refers to advice he received as a student – to work with the colour he most disliked.

PAPER TRAIL: DRAWINGS, WATERCOLOURS, PRINTS 2 JUL-21 MAY 17, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition exploring some of the many ways artists create works from the starting point of a fresh sheet of paper, including work by celebrated figures like Anne Redpath, Joan Eardley, Eduardo Paolozzi and Paul Sandby. WILLIAM GILLIES & JOHN MAXWELL

30 JUL-23 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition tracing the careers of William Gillies and John Maxwell, two Scottish artists of the 20th century with differing approaches and contrasting personalities but who exhibited, travelled and socialised together and remained friends for life.

Collective Gallery

WILL I MAKE A GOOD FATHER, MOTHER, SISTER?

9 JUL-4 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition by Glasgow based artist Jennifer Bailey, developed as part of Satellites Programme and EAF. Jennifer’s practice explores and questions the permeability of art production to patriarchal structures, desire, capital and paid work. Often revealing the conditions of its making, her work investigates the visual codes that constitute authenticity. Departing from an interest in the productive body at work, the exhibition will include a new wall drawing, a series of ceramic sculptures and photographs.

Dovecot Studios

THE SCOTTISH ENDARKENMENT: ART AND UNREASON - 1945 TO THE PRESENT

1 JUL-29 AUG, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

A showcase of over 40 diverse works which range from the satirical to the dark, aiming to give insight into the range of provocative topics capturing the minds of Scotland’s artists. Features exhibits from David Shrigley and Steven Campbell.

THE SKINNY

Edinburgh College of Art

BROWN PAPER AND IMAGINATION

UNTIL 2 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase of memorabilia relating to ECA's Revel, including photographs of students at the Revel between 1910s to the 1970s, ticket and programme designs and a costume thought to have been part of the 1951 Revel.

Edinburgh Printmakers SPECIES OF SPACE

1-16 JUL, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Robert Powell’s meditation on the notion of the city as a physical artefact, taking the form of a cardboard sculpture of a city, clad in screen-printed laser-cut wood veneers.

Embassy Gallery WHEN I AM YOU THEN I KNOW MYSELF

1-3 JUL, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

A new exhibition at Embassy gallery from Gino Attwood, Anoushka Goodwin, Sam Jones, Daniel Sean Kelly, Scott Mason, James Poyser and Sam Francis Read. ANNUALE 2016

1-3 JUL, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Embassy’s grassroots festival of visual contemporary art returns to venues across Edinburgh and online. Check out annuale.org for more information.

Ingleby Gallery JONATHAN OWEN

28 JUL-27 AUG, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Jonathan Owens transforms artefacts; re-carving busts editing and images to invigorate the pre-existing forms beneath. This exhibition features film stills, celebrity portraits and documentary images in which Owens has erased the subjects. BILLBOARD FOR EDINBURGH: KATIE PATERSON

1-30 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The 30th and final work for the Ingleby Gallery’s public art project, Billboard for Edinburgh, created by Katie Paterson.

Inverleith House I STILL BELIEVE IN MIRACLES

23 JUL-23 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition celebrating the 30 years of Inverleith exhibitions, featuring work from the likes of Louise Bourgeois, Isa Genzken, Nicolas Party and Richard Wright.

Out of the Blue Drill Hall RETINA INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL: AOP

11-23 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Out Of The Blue Drill Hall hosts an Association of Photographers Awards exhibition featuring the works of over 35 award-winning artists.

Royal Scottish Academy RSA UN:REALISED

1 JUL-13 FEB 17, TIMES VARY, FREE

RSA showcases the architectural plans, sketches and competition entries detailing plans for buildings that never came to be. Have a wander and wonder ‘what if?’. INTAGLIO

1-24 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

The RSA showcases a selection of prints and paintings by printmaking pioneer and master of abstraction, Philip Reeves.

Scottish National Gallery ROCKS AND RIVERS: THE LUNDE COLLECTION

1 JUL-31 JAN 17, TIMES VARY, FREE

Long-term loan from one of the finest private collections of 19thCentury Norwegian and Swiss landscape paintings, American collector Asbjörn Lunde, taking in 13 works by artists including Johan Christian Dahl, Alexandre Calame and Thomas Fearnley.

July 2016

INSPIRING IMPRESSIONISM: DAUBIGNY, MONET AND VAN GOGH 1 JUL-2 OCT, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

A showcase of the full artistic output of nineteenth-century French landscape painter Charles François Daubign, who influenced many practices associated with impressionism, yet who has never been the subject of a major international exhibition. RUBENS & COMPANY

1 JUL-28 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase of Flemish paintings, including famous pieces by Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. The exhibition is accompanied by an impressive illustrated catalogue.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art BRIDGET RILEY: PAINTINGS,1963-2015

1 JUL-16 APR 17, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A focused display of selected paintings from the works of Bridget Riley, born in 1931. The exhibition chronicles her earlier, iconic use of monochrome, her transition into using a grey palette, before an expansion into using an array of colour.

SURREAL ENCOUNTERS: COLLECTING THE MARVELLOUS

1 JUL-11 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, PRICES VARY

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art showcases surrealist works from the legendary private collections of Edward James, Roland Penrose, Gabrielle Keiller and Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch. RICHARD DEMARCO AND JOSEPH BEUYS: A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP

30 JUL-16 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A showcase of the artistic works, lectures and ‘actions’ that Richard Demarco – an Edinburgh-based avant-garde gallerist – commissioned from post-war German artist Joseph Beuys. JOSEPH BEUYS: A LANGUAGE OF DRAWING

30 JUL-30 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The largest collection of work by German artist Joseph Beuys (1921-1986) outside of Germany, this exhibition features 110 drawings covering the artist’s career between 1945 and 1986.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery THE TAYLOR WESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE

1 JUL-2 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Selection of 60 portraits anonymously selected for inclusion from over 5000, featuring a batch of emerging young photographers, alongside that of established professionals, photography students and gifted amateurs. THE TWEEDDALES: POWER, POLITICS AND PORTRAITS

1 JUL-28 MAY 17, TIMES VARY, FREE

Artwork featuring and commissioned by the Tweeddale family, a highly influential dynasty at the heart of Scottish society in the latter half of the seventeenth century who were known best for contributions to politics and the military. SCOTS IN ITALY

1 JUL-5 MAR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase of the Scottish experience of Italy in the eighteenth century, a time when artistic, entrepreneurial and aristocratic fascination with the country was reaching boiling point. OUT OF THEIR HEADS: BUILDING PORTRAITS OF SCOTTISH ARCHITECTS

1 JUL-5 FEB 17, TIMES VARY, FREE

An opportunity to peer into the minds of some of Scotland’s greatest architects via The Scottish National Portrait Gallery’s collection of portraits and designs. BUILDING SIGHTS

1 JUL-25 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

A series of photographic portraits by Tricia Malley and Ross Gillespie (aka Broad Daylight), each featuring a celebrity and their favourite building. The exhibition will showcase the magnificent architecture and design to be found in Scotland.

FACING THE WORLD: SELFPORTRAITS REMBRANDT TO AI WEIWEI 16 JUL-16 OCT, TIMES VARY, £7 - £9

Taking lead from the ongoing phenomenon of self-portraits on social media, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery presents a collection of portraits spanning six centuries and various media, from paintings to Instagram posts.

St Margaret’s House STRANDS OF TIME

2-23 JUL, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Spread across all three galleries at St Margaret’s House, the latest exhibition, Strands Of Time, will focus on the inspiring past, the exciting present and the intriguing future of edge-textile-artistsscotland.

Stills

LEWIS BALTZ WITH WORKS BY CARL ANDRE AND CHARLOTTE POSENENSKE

1-9 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Stills presents an exhibition of photographs by Lewis Baltz (19452014) alongside artworks by Carl Andre and Charlotte Posenenske, curated to reflect the affinity that Baltz showed between his photography and the work of his Minimalist peers. JO SPENCE

1 JUL-16 OCT, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Stills exhibits two aspects of photographer Jo Spence’s creative output; documentary images from the 1970s illustrating the educational workshops that she developed with collaborator Terry Dennett, along with therapy-based self-portraiture.

Summerhall IMAGING FAITH

1-13 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Summerhall exhibits Imagining Faith, Isabel Rocamora’s film triptych (a work split into three panels) which observes the act of worship in three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem. The exhibition is contextualised by a series of photographic stills. STATUSSIGNAL

1-13 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

An exhibition in which Hamish Chapman, Jordan Munro and Jordan Pilling use sculptural gestures, minimalist digital works and social intercourse to engage with notions of digital identity, surveillance, and the idea of a ‘self’ in Western society. RETINA INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL: DAVID BONI

1-17 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE

Summerhall hosts an exhibition of the works of David Boni as part of Retina Photography festival. DEEP DARK _ PALE BLUE

1-17 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Florian Schwarz’s audio-visual voyage into the universe combining photography, video, text pieces and an iPad-installation. Located in The Upper and Lower Church Galleries.

Talbot Rice Gallery THE SUBJECT AND ME

29 JUL-8 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

The first solo exhibition in Scotland of Alice Neel’s striking and resonant portraits, entitled The Subject and Me. The exhibition is part of a wider series promoting the work of leading women artists, previously including Hanne Darboven and Jenny Holzer. ECLECTRC PANOPTIC

29 JUL-8 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Jess Johnson’s suite of drawings, tessellating patterns and VR tech which aims to bridge a portal into another realm. The installation takes genesis from psychomagic group rituals conceived by filmmaker and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky.

The Fruitmarket Gallery DAMIÁN ORTEGA

9 JUL-23 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Fruitmarket’s showcase of new sculptures from Damián Ortega, a prominent Mexican artist whose imaginative works will focus on how the forces of nature – wind, water, earth and fire – act on the earth, independently and in relationship to man.

The Mash House ANNUALE 2016 AFTERPARTY

1 JUL, 11:00PM, £3 - £5

Embassy gallery celebrates Annuale 2016 with a closing party at The Mash House.

Dundee Art DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts DUNCAN MARQUISS: COPYING ERRORS

1-3 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Former student of DJCAD and recipient of the 2015 Margaret Tait award Duncan Marquiss presents his largest exhibition yet, comprising a selection of paintings, drawings and videos. SMALL WARS

16 JUL-4 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

An exhibition in partnership with Abertay University featuring an installation of Eddo Stern’s celebrated piece Vietnam Romance. His practice explores the ‘uneasy and otherwise unconscious connections between physical existence and electronic simulation; CD-ROMS

16 JUL-4 SEPT, TIMES VARY, FREE

The second of two DCA exhibitions carried our in partnership with Abertay University. An opportunity to play the conserved computer games designed for girls by the late writer, filmmaker and game developer Theresa Duncan (1966 – 2007).

Generator Projects RESIDUAL

8-31 JUL, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Generator Projects present an exhibition and series of events featuring Alexander Allan and Sarah Smart, Erik Osberg and Josée Aubin Ouellette, Andy Edwards and George Ridgway. With performances taking place throughout the duration of the exhibition, residual will explore the fragmented aftermath of ritualistic and communal happenings, questioning how performance is experienced beyond its live existence.

The McManus

DRAW THE LINE: OLD MASTERS TO THE BEANO

1 JUL-23 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

A celebration of ‘one of the most basic and enduring of human activities’, The McManus showcases a selection of figure studies and portraiture, illustration, preparatory sketches, landscape and topography by historic and contemporary artists. CHARTING NEW WATERS

1 JUL-23 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition introducing two major acquisitions to Dundee’s collection, including Scottish artist Frances Walker’s dramatic icescapes of Antarctica, created after she was granted the James McBey Travel Award in 2007.

Comedy Glasgow Tue 28 Jun RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material. JOE LYCETT: THAT’S THE WAY, A-HA A-HA, JOE LYCETT

CITIZENS THEATRE, 20:00, £13 - £15

Charming and fresh faced young thing, gaining extra points for the supremely daft show title.

Wed 29 Jun

NEW MATERIAL COMEDY NIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering all new material. KIRI PRITCHARD MCLEAN & PHIL ELLIS FRINGE PREVIEWS

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30, £6 - £8

The brains behind multi-award winning Gein’s Family Giftshop, Kiri Pritchard-Mclean is joined by ultra hilarious Phil Ellis of Funz and Gamez fame for a Fringe preview eve.

Thu 30 Jun

THE THURSDAY SHOW (ROB ROUSE + STEVEN DICK + LAUREN PATTISON + RHONA MCKENZIE + JOE HEENAN)

THE STAND GLASGOW, 20:30, £5 - £10

Wed 06 Jul

COMEDIAN RAP BATTLES

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £4 - £6

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 COMEDY NIGHT YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering all new material.

Thu 07 Jul THE THURSDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £10

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase. YESBAR VIRGINS

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Fri 08 Jul THE FRIDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. JIM JEFFRIES: FREEDUMB

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £25

The Australian comic and Netflix fave swings by The O2 Academy to drum up some lols in Glasgow.

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Sat 09 Jul

Fri 01 Jul

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £15

THE FRIDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. LAUGHTER EIGHT

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £10

Regular comedy slot kicking off at, aye, 8pm? Manned by a selection of hot talent from the local circuit.

THE SATURDAY SHOW

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

Sun 10 Jul

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

Sat 02 Jul

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase manned by resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and his handpicked guests.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £15

Mon 11 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

STAND SPOTLIGHT (CHRIS RUTTER + SCOT LAIRD + JAMIE DALGLEISH + ASHLEY STORRIE + PAUL MCDANIEL + KAVITA BHARDWAJ + ROSS MCLELLAND)

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £10

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5

LAUGHTER EIGHT

Regular comedy slot kicking off at, aye, 8pm? Manned by a selection of hot talent from the local circuit.

The Stand shines its comedy limelight on the topic of growing up.

Sun 03 Jul

RED RAW

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase manned by resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and his handpicked guests.

YESBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, 20:00–22:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Yesbar’s ‘Comedy Sunday School’. GLASGOW KIDS’ COMEDY CLUB

Tue 12 Jul THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Wed 13 Jul

BENEFIT IN AID OF THE PAYBACK FOUNDATION

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £7

A charity comedy benefit organised to raise funds for The Payback Foundation.

Thu 14 Jul

THE THURSDAY SHOW

Sun 17 Jul

Fri 29 Jul

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £6 - £8

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £6 - £12

DARREN CONNELL: TROLLEYWOOD

After a ridiculously successful debut at the Fringe last year, Darren Connell (you might know him as Bobby from BBC’s Scot Squad) returns to the venue where his comedy career began.

Mon 18 Jul

SUSIE MCCABE + RAHUL KOHLI (FRINGE PREVIEW) THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £1 - £8

A chance to catch Susie McCabe and Rahul Kohli on the west coast ahead of their August Fringe runs.

Tue 19 Jul RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Wed 20 Jul

BENEFIT IN AID OF ACTION FOR CHILDREN SCOTLAND

Fri 22 Jul THE FRIDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Sat 23 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

Sun 24 Jul

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase manned by resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and his handpicked guests.

Mon 25 Jul TOPICAL STORM

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £7

Radical satire from Keir McAllister, Vladimir McTavish, Stu Murphy and Mark Nelson. 24 HOUR CHUNKY PEOPLE

THE GRIFFIN, FROM 20:30, FREE

A big night out comprising variety acts: sketches, monologues, character bits, animations, inanimations, contemporary dance, readings, or just anything silly, alternative and funny.

Tue 26 Jul RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Wed 27 Jul

DES CLARKE + SCOTT GIBSON (FRINGE PREVIEW) THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £8

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £6 - £12

Tue 05 Jul RED RAW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

Sat 16 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

Chilled Sunday comedy showcase manned by resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond and his handpicked guests.

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30, £5

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 15 Jul THE FRIDAY SHOW

Sun 31 Jul

Tue 28 Jun

THE THURSDAY SHOW

MONDAY NIGHT IMPROV

Two teams of comics battle it out for the biggest laughs under the watchful eye of ‘Improv Warlord’ Billy Kirkwood.

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £10

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £4 - £6

Mon 04 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £15

Thu 21 Jul

Strong tummies are required for Nev’s latest show. A tapeworm’s fever dream on the politics of bleeding, vomiting, pissing, shitting and the Greek gods of the DWP.

An afternoon of giggles for the wee ones, without a single sweary in sight.

Sat 30 Jul

Edinburgh Comedy

A charity comedy benefit organised to raise funds for Children Scotland.

Catch Des Clarke and Scott Gibson’s sets ahead of their August Fringe runs.

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £8

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £10

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 15:00, £4

THE FRIDAY SHOW

NEV: GUTS (FRINGE PREVIEW)

THE GRIFFIN, FROM 22:00, £2

Thu 28 Jul THE THURSDAY SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £10

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

BRIGHT CLUB

A selection of comedic academics do a stint of stand-up for your entertainment and enlightenment. Laughs and learning in one neat package = tick.

Wed 29 Jun

STUART MITCHELL + FRED MACAULAY FRINGE PREVIEW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 20:30, £1 - £5

Beat Edinburgh’s August-time crowds and get a taster of Stuart Mitchell and Fred McAulay’s Fringe sets at The Stand.

Thu 30 Jun

THE THURSDAY SHOW (PAUL TONKINSON + SUZI RUFFELL + JAMIE DALGLEISH + SCOTT GIBSON)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, 21:00, £5 - £10

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 01 Jul THE FRIDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY FRIDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sat 02 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY SATURDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups. GILDED BALLOON COMEDY NIGHTS

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11.50 - £13.50

A hoot-worthy eve with Gilded Balloon featuring The Boy With Tape on His Face, Bec Hill, Robin Grainger and Scottish Comedian of the Year finalist Ray Bradshaw.

Sun 03 Jul

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions.

Listings

SHITE CLUB: THE DOWNFALL OF JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ (FRINGE PREVIEW) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 17:30, £1 - £4

A Fringe preview from the everanarchic Jellybean Martinez.

Mon 04 Jul RED RAW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Tue 05 Jul

RICHARD MELVIN PRESENTS: MORE RADIO RECORDINGS

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:00, FREE

Richard Melvin brings another night of radio recordings to Edinburgh’s comedy haunt The Stand.

Wed 06 Jul VIVA LA SHAMBLES

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £4 - £5

The Stand hosts a monthly evening of total joke-pandemonium as Edinburgh’s top comics join forces.

Thu 07 Jul THE THURSDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 08 Jul THE FRIDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY FRIDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sat 09 Jul THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY SATURDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sun 10 Jul

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-towork blues.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions.

Mon 11 Jul RED RAW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Tue 12 Jul

SILKY + BRUCE FUMMEY (FRINGE PREVIEW)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £1 - £8

A Fringe preview double bill from Silky and Bruce Fummey.

Wed 13 Jul

VLADIMIR TAVISH + FERN BRADY + THE LOST VOICE GUY (FRINGE PREVIEW) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £1 - £8

A Fringe preview triple bill at The Stand.

Thu 14 Jul

THE THURSDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 15 Jul THE FRIDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY FRIDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sat 16 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY SATURDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sun 17 Jul

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-towork blues.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions.

Mon 18 Jul RED RAW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Tue 19 Jul

BENEFIT IN AID OF LEUCHIE HOUSE (VLADIMIR MCTAVISH + KEIR MCALLISTER + GARETH MUTCH + KIMI LOUGHTON + JAY LAFFERTY) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5

A charity comedy benefit organised to raise funds for Leuchie House.

Wed 20 Jul TOPICAL STORM

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £7

Radical satire from Keir McAllister, Vladimir McTavish, Stu Murphy and Mark Nelson.

Thu 21 Jul

THE THURSDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase.

Fri 22 Jul THE FRIDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY FRIDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sat 23 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend.

Listings

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY SATURDAY SHOW BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sun 24 Jul

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-towork blues.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions. F.R.A.N.C (FRINGE PREVIEW)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 17:30, £1 - £5

A Fringe Preview of Keir McAllister and John McGlade's work-inprogress 'comedy monster'.

Mon 25 Jul RED RAW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £2

Open mic-style beginners showcase, plus some old hands dropping by to road test new material.

Tue 26 Jul

DAVID KAY + CHRIS FORBES (FRINGE PREVIEW)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £1 - £8

A double-heider preview from David Kay and Chris Forbes ahead of Edinburgh Fringe.

Thu 28 Jul THE THURSDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £5 - £10

Theatre Glasgow CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art BUZZCUT: DOUBLE THRILLS

27 JUL, 7:00PM, £6 - £8

Buzzcut bring Christeene’s brand new filth fest of a show to CCA. Raw, dangerous and revolutionary, with support from Fallopé & The Tubes. COMPANY OF WOLVES: THE END OF THINGS

15-21 JUL, 7:30PM, £5

The End of Things is a wild celebration of catastrophe. What is the end? How did we get here? What happens after? Join them at the CCA as they explore endings and our all-too-human reluctance to embrace change. RAUCOUS ROSSINI: IL SIGNOR BRUSCHINO

19 JUL, 8:00PM, £0 - £7

This July, Raucous Rossini – with their 27 musicians – are touring the one act comedy opera, Il Signor Bruschino. See it at CCA for one night only. PLAYWRIGHTS STUDIO SCOTLAND: STAGE TO PAGE

Stage to Page is a voluntary collective of writers, directors and actors who meet monthly to conduct short public workshops of scenes from new plays.

Oran Mor

Fri 29 Jul

The makers of A Bottle of Wine & Patsy Cline return with a production studded with the songs of Doris Day and Dolly Parton.

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £6 - £12

Prime stand-up from the Scottish and international circuit, hosted by a rotating selection of Stand stalwarts. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY FRIDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

Sat 30 Jul

THE SATURDAY SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £15

Packed Saturday evening bill of stand-up headliners and resident comperes to jolly along your weekend. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY SATURDAY SHOW

BEEHIVE INN, 20:30–22:45, £10

Regular weekend comedy showcase featuring a selection of up-and-coming acts from Scotland and beyond, topped with a guest headliner. See Facebook on the day for line-ups.

DORIS, DOLLY & THE DRESSING ROOM DIVAS

8-24 JUL, 7:45PM – 9:00PM, £20

Long-running improvised comedy show with resident duo Stu & Garry weaving comedy magic from offthe-cuff audience suggestions. ELEANOR MORTON: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE LEWIS! (FRINGE PREVIEW)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 17:30, £1 - £5

The ‘poster girl for awkward’ treats us to a Fringe preview at The Stand.

BRING IT ON

Remember that ITV police drama set in Yorkshire? Well, they made a two-hour stage production out of it. Yep.

22-23 JUL, 7:30PM, £15 - £17.50

Brrr. It’s cold in here. There must be a Tony Award-nominated musical in the atmosphere.

Summerhall

Tramway

MAGICFAIR

FREAGRA: A BLURRED EXPANSE

Dundee Rep

OUR LADIES OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR

30 JUN-2 JUL, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

A play about singing, sex and sambuca adapted from Alan Warner’s brilliant novel about six girls on the cusp of change, when love, lust, pregnancy and death all spiral out of control in a single day.

1-3 JUL, TIMES VARY, £10 - £12

1-2 JUL, 7:30PM, £7 - £10

Catch up to 10 live Magic Festival shows at Summerhall with a single MagicFest ticket, including family-friendly illusionists, late night horror magicians and award winning stuntsfolk. And, in Summerhall form, there’ll be food and drink in the courtyard.

An ensemble work from Rob Heaslip Dance investigating whether personal identity is a choice or a matter of group consensus.

Tron Theatre THE LONESOME WEST

6-23 JUL, 7:45PM, £10-16

The third play in Martin McDonagh’s bleak but blackly comic Leenane trilogy about a brotherly bicker which turns into carnage.

The Edinburgh Playhouse

30 JUL, 7:30PM, £5

An amateur production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver by Stage Experience, a two week performing arts course for young people aged 10-21.

CLOWN CABARET

An evening of folly with seven ridiculous clowns from Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.

OLIVER

21-23 JUL, 7:30PM, £19.40 - £22.40

CATS

4-9 JUL, 7:30PM, PRICES VARY

One of many musical sensations from Andrew Lloyd-Webber comes to the Playhouse. Matinees available.

Edinburgh Theatre Festival Theatre MAGICFEST GALA

8-8 JUL, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Check out what Magic Festival have up their sleeves (quite literally) at Festival Theatre’s seventh annual Magicfest Gala. The winner of the Great Lafayette 2016 award will also be announced. Ta-dah!

A return to the Clyde Auditorium for Carrie’s Dance School.

The King’s Theatre

DERREN BROWN: MIRACLE

4-6 JULTHE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £27.50 - £37.50

The affable mind-blower returns to Scotland with yet another critically acclaimed performance, this time claiming he’ll demonstrate the feeling of occupying a room on which a spirit has descended. GRUMPY OLD WOMEN

17 JUL, 8:00PM, £29.15

Jenny Eclair is joined by Kate Robbins off Casualty and Mrs Brown’s Boys’ Susie Blake for ‘an orgy of fury’ and an attempt to knock some sense into the nation. We’ll see. THE DREAMBOYS

15 JUL, 7:30PM, £18.75 - £31.65

23 JUL, 7:30PM, £24.40 - £26.40

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

HEARTBEAT

27 JUN-2 JUL, TIMES VARY, £12.50-38

1 JUL, 7:00PM, £17.05

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

Chilled comedy showcase to cure your Sunday evening back-towork blues.

A new live stage show from Peppa Pig, George and their pals. It’ll be riveting. Morning shows also available.

Theatre Royal

CARRIE’S DANCE SCHOOL - I’M FREE

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £1 - £6

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN

2-14 JUL, 4:00PM, PRICES VARY

Dundee Theatre

SECC

Errr... the UK’s top male glamour show. Expect gallons of baby oil, miles of abs and an audience full of yelping onlookers. Oh, and Scotty T from Geordie Shore, too. Just for, y’know, good measure.

Sun 31 Jul

PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE

25 JUL, 7:00PM, £3

Weekend-welcoming selection of handpicked headline acts and newcomers over a two-hour showcase. THE FRIDAY SHOW

King’s Theatre Edinburgh

TLK 2 STDNTS Target 30,000 students across the Central Belt of Scotland The Skinny Student Handbook, published Sep 2016 To secure your advertising space or for more information call The Skinny sales team on 0131 467 4630 or email sales@theskinny.co.uk

THE CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS

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

26-30 JUL, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

All singing, all dancing seventies nostalgia fest Jackie The Musical continues its UK tour. Matinees available. PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE

theskinny.co.uk @theskinnymag /TheSkinnyMag

Illustration: Verbal Picks

2-14 JUL, 4:00PM, PRICES VARY

A new live stage show from Peppa Pig, George and their pals. It’ll be riveting. Morning shows also available.

THE SKINNY

Is the Edinburgh Fringe too small? The Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme was launched to a chorus of disappointment last week, as it was discovered that the Fringe has shrunk in size.

Ask Auntie Trash: A Case of EdFringe Cringe This month Auntie Trash helps a troubled soul who's worried they might hate their friend's Fringe show

Dear Trash, A friend of mine is putting on a show at the Fringe, and wants me to come along. This may sound like nothing, but I can assure you that this is a bad thing. Look, I don’t want you getting the wrong idea – my friend, who is a very close friend, is a lovely person, but they’re not a good actor. They are probably one of the worst actors I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something, since I’ve been involved in theatre since I was a kid. Please don’t think I’m jealous, I’m actually really very proud of them for getting this far, and pushing on with their dream, but I can’t bring myself to go to the show. My problem is, if I don’t go, what do I say? And if I do go, what do I say, then?! Yours hopefully, Bad Friend

ey Bad Friend, Bad Buddy, Bad Pal, I think you are jealous, I mean, you sound jealous, but I wouldn’t worry about it, because it’s a natural reaction to the news that your friend is doing something big and scary and awesome. Your feelings of resentment are valid, but just don’t let them make you do stupid things, like be mean to your friend, (who sounds lovely, by the way.) The good news is that you have two options: either go to the show, or don’t. It’s that simple. The bad news is that it’s actually not that simple, because when you add in things like friendship and feelings it gets messy very quickly. If you were a critic, I would tell you to use the 'Conflict of Interest' excuse, which is just great for old friends, classmates, ex-partners, and anyone else who might come crawling out of the woodwork to ask you for a review. “Sorry, mate, I can’t do that, it would be a conflict of interest.” Boom. Done. Unfortunately for you, you haven’t been asked to review the show, which means that there is

July 2016

Words: Amy Taylor Illustration: Peony Gent

no conflict of interest here, so if you really don’t think you can stomach it, then the answer is: just say no. Sure, your friend might be a bit gutted that you can’t be there, but just because you’ve been asked doesn’t mean that you need to go. If you decline their kind invitation, then you need to have plans for every day that the show is on, even if the play is running for the entire three weeks of the Fringe. Just make sure that you send them a card wishing them well, and saying you’ll catch up with them after the festival. Alternatively, you could grace the production with your presence, and sit your arse down on some impossibly uncomfortable seat for an hour or so. If it was indeed as bad as you feared, then you need to choose from one of the following options: a) Never give your friend feedback, ever b) Change the subject whenever it’s brought up in the future c) Run from the theatre without seeing your friend, buy a one-way ticket to somewhere fancy, and pray that that play will never, ever, find you. But is this the logical thing to do? Hell no. You’re an adult now – in fact, you’re someone that has “worked in theatre” since you were young. If you loved it after all dread and jealousy, tell them. If you hated it, talk about something very specific, like, “I LOVED your outfit in the second act, it really brought out the character, where did you get it?” People love talking about their work, almost as much as they love talking about themselves, so throw in a conversation starter like that, buy them a drink and then excuse yourself as soon as you can. Like only a real adult can. Good luck Trashy x

he official brochure launch, which boasted that the festival was going to play host to 3,269 shows in 294 venues, revealed that the numbers are ‘marginally’ down from 2015, with a whole 0.5% fewer shows. “It’s unbelievable,” said a source, who spoke to The Skinny on the condition of anonymity. “The half-percentage dip is clearly a bad omen. I don’t want a festival that’s 0.5% smaller, I want one that’s bigger than ever before, just like they say every year.” The marked decline in the numbers this year has led to fears that performers might actually make a profit, as a slight decrease in shows could correct the basic supply-and-demand problem causing low audiences at many gigs, prompting the annual glut of handwringing ‘Is the Fringe Too Big?’ articles. The 2015 Fringe was the most successful on record, with 3,314 shows in 313 venues. Over 250 million tickets were bought by people with lots of money. The reason for the unprecedented drop is thought to be due to a number of temporary venues not being used this year, and the fact that 100 dedicated events for Fringe participants have been put into a separate programme for the very first time. However, these mitigating factors were waved away by another attendee: “This is a sign of impending doom. I don’t like change. I’m definitely voting Brexit now.” Fringe participants have also been shocked by the news of this sudden, unpredictable decline, including those who are not appearing at the festival this year. Comedians Jessica Fostekew and Caroline Mabey are about to appear at the Frome Fringe in Somerset, which their PR team, Penny and Polly from About a Comb PR, insist is “actually bigger than Edinburgh now”. “Edinburgh’s been dead for years,” says

COMEDY / THEATRE

Fostekew, “We’ve all been literally flogging a dead horse. My flogging arm is tired.” “Everyone knows it’s dead,” continues Mabey, “but there’s a secret pact not to talk about it, in the hope of getting a few more years of misery out of it before the stench gets too much even for Edinburgh audiences.” Butting in, PR woman Polly of About A Comb PR believes that the Fringe’s inability to reward her acts with fame, fortune and countless industry gongs is further evidence that the festival has taken its last gasp: “Also, it promised to get at least one of our acts a nomination.” When pressed, Polly admits she doesn’t know which award she is talking about, but adds, “Then nothing. Admittedly our acts are awful. They’re mostly female comediennes.” “Last year the Fringe did some really mean things,” purrs PR woman Polly’s trusted associate Penny. “Like, it told me to meet it outside the Abattoir Bar and it would walk me in. But then it never turned up and I had to talk to some people who weren’t famous. It was disgusting.” However, unlike their characterful publicists, Fostekew and Mabey are hopeful the Fringe can revive and return to its former glory and entice both participants and audiences back. “All it has to do is get really, really small – like, just us,” muses Fostekew. “Or else propose, stop sleeping around or apologise publicly for ruining our lives.” Meanwhile Mabey is much more open to returning to Auld Reekie’s cobbled streets once more, sighing wistfully, “I’d do it for a free bread roll.” Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs from 3-27 Aug aboutacomb.com

Credit: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Words: Amy Taylor

Review

Listings

THE SKINNY