The Skinny September 2018 by The Skinny

.CO.UK

INDEPENDENT FREE

CULT U R A L

J O U R N A L I S M

September 2018 Scotland Issue 156

MOVIE MAGIC STEP INTO AUTUMN WITH OUR CELEBRATION OF SCOTLAND'S CINEMA SCENE

Film Take One Action! Irvine Welsh Glasgow Youth Film Festival Scalarama & DIY Film Nights Filmhouse & GFT Film Festival Calendar Desiree Akhavan Lenny Abrahamson

Music Mountain Man We Were Promised Jetpacks The SAY Award Lost Map Jlin Fatherson The Beta Band L-space The Honey Farm

Theatre Cyrano de Bergerac Books Tomi Adeyemi Comedy Rachel Parris Fringe Dog

Art V&A Dundee Doors Open Days Clubs Maribou State Brain Dancing Krystal Klear

September 2018

Issue 156, September 2018 © 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 – Dec 2017: 25,825

printed on 100% recycled paper

Contents

Editorial Acting Editor Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Events Editor Film & DVD Editor Food Editor Intersections Editor Music Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor

Peter Simpson Adam Benmakhlouf Heather McDaid Claire Francis Ben Venables Nadia Younes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Katie Goh Tallah Brash Amy Taylor Paul Mitchell

Production Production Manager Designer

Sarah Donley Fiona Hunter

Sales Sales Manager Sales Executives

Sandy Park George Sully Keith Allan David Hammond

Online Acting Digital Editor Online Journalist Web Developer

Nimita Bhatt Jamie Dunn Stuart Spencer

Editor-in-Chief Publisher

Rosamund West Sophie Kyle

THE SKINNY

Photo: Andrej Uspenski

Photo: Roosa Päivänsalo

P.70 What Lydia Made

Photo: Josephine Lohoar Self

P.40 The Malecon, Havana

P.35 Autobiography

Photo: Tim Anderson

P.16 Glasgow Film Festival

Contents Chat & Opinion: An introduction to this 06 month’s magazine, plus details of things we couldn’t quite squeeze in, a lovely cartoon, and assorted other content amuse-bouches. Heads Up: Your monthly events calen08 dar to help ensure not a single day of September goes to waste. You’re welcome, sort of. FILM SPECIAL film scene is one of the best 10 Scotland’s in the world; here’s a look at the small-

scale film festivals that help make it so exciting.

F ilmhouse and GFT on fighting the rise of streaming with the shocking plan of programming good and interesting films; some of the country’s best DIY film clubs on what makes them tick. ake One Action! returns with Swedish T music doc Silvana; Irvine Welsh explains his choices for his Filmhouse takeover.

15 Glasgow Youth Film Festival’s young programmers pick out some highlights for 2018 (they should know, they programmed ‘em...) 16 A comprehensive film festival calendar for the coming 12 months.

FEATURES of North Carolina folk trio 18 Two-thirds Mountain Man on reuniting for their first new album in eight years.

19 We Were Promised Jetpacks blast back into the limelight after a few years of personal milestones – frontman Adam Thompson fills us in.

A look at the runners and riders ahead 21 of the announcement of the 2018 Scottish Album of the Year Award.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday 22 to you! Happy Birthday to Eigg-based

record label Lost Map, happy birthday to you!

25 The V&A Dundee throws its fancy Kengo Kuma-designed doors open this month. We chat to its director to talk design, community and a new dawn for the city. 26 Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone is a genuine publishing phenomenon; the author talks us through its rich magical lore, inspired by her Nigerian heritage.

29 The Mash Report’s deadpan genius

Rachel Parris brings her new solo show to Scotland this month, so naturally we talked about her appearance on TV quiz show Eggheads.

30 Lenny Abrahamson delves into the

equally horrifying worlds of ghosts and the English aristocracy in new film The Little Stranger.

31 Desiree Akhavan on bringing legit portrayals of teenage love and female sexuality to the screen in her latest feature, The Miseducation of Cameron Post. September 2018

32 Krystal Klear on dropping one of the

year’s hottest tracks and DJing for Kate Moss; a guide to the old, old buildings you can look around this Doors Open Day season.

34 Fatherson on the albums that have in-

fluenced their new record. Spoiler: they like Death Cab for Cutie.

35 Jlin’s latest project comes in collaboration with ballet stalwarts Company Wayne McGregor; she brings us up to speed.

LIFESTYLE

36 Showcase: David McLeish’s Costa Del Prole project probes the relationship between class and the arts.

38 Intersections: A look at Queering the

Map, highlighting queer experiences from individuals around the globe; female and non-binary skate culture in Scotland; the debut of a new column on that crazy little thing called love.

40 Travel: A jaunt down the Malecón in

Havana, often referred to as ‘the world’s longest sofa’.

43 Food & Drink: Our annual Food and Drink Survey returns; a round-up of good new places you’ll want to check out; our pick of the events at which to get cheese and/ or steamin’.

REVIEW

47 Music: Revisiting The Beta Band’s classic

The Three E.P.’s; meet female rap trio The Honey Farm and dream-poppers L-space; a look at the month’s albums and the gigs not to miss this September.

52 Clubs: Maribou State on the story behind their new album; Glasgow duo Brain Dancing introduce their debut EP; this month’s clubbing highlights.

56 Books: A look through this month’s re-

leases, plus a peek at September’s spoken word events.

57 Art: Reviews from the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Common Guild’s Festival 2018 event, and the art events and opportunities to avoid sniffing at.

58 Film & TV: A suitably crackin’ month of

new releases beckons you to your local cinema; we also cast our eye over Matt Groening’s new show Disenchantment.

60 Theatre: The cast of a new revival of

Edwin Morgan’s translation of Cyrano de Bergerac give us the lowdown, plus a look at what’s gonna be on Scotland’s stages.

62 Comedy: What’s a Fringe Dog to do when the Fringe is over? Let’s find out!

63 Listings: A comprehensive look at what you could be doing other than reading these contents.

Our Local Heroes design column returns 70 to look at the thorny history and exciting present of craft.

Contents

Editorial C

inemas are pretty magical places. They bring us stories, experiences and characters from around the world; they make us laugh, cry and think. They can also, as I found while sitting in the back of a beige Volkswagen Jetta in a rainstorminduced traffic jam in 1996, blow your tiny mind. How did they manage to make those toys come to life? Why did it take a cowboy and spaceman so long to realise they were basically past and present examples of the same frontier archetype? Who told Pixar to put in an extremely neurotic dinosaur with tiny arms specifically for my benefit? That’s the power of cinema – to overwhelm, entertain and make you think. Plus they make the popcorn for you, their screens make your telly look like a postage stamp, and their sound systems are so loud they’ll knock your pint out of your hand. Having worked in a cinema for a number of years in the mid-2010s, I can confirm their power lives on. Also, there’s nothing funnier than a digital cinema file becoming corrupted at the tenderest, sweetest moment in a film, leaving the protagonist holding their hand out in a rictus state as the soundtrack glitches away in the background. Probably shouldn’t have laughed quite so audibly at that one, but no harm done. Perhaps it’s for all these reasons that Scotland’s cinemas haven’t been swallowed up by the streaming tide. In fact there are so many great film festivals, seasons and events going on in the coming weeks and months that we’ve had to bring them all together in order to more effectively shake a stick at them. Take One Action! are back with an exciting programme of powerfighting film, Glasgow Youth Film Festival show young people the power of cinema by letting them run the place, Scalarama pulls together indie and DIY cinema from across the country

this month under the banner of ‘weird and mad shit’, and Irvine Welsh is taking the reins at the Filmhouse with a series of screenings as part of their House Guests strand. He’s showing a Danny Boyle, but which one? There’s also a calendar of the year’s film festivals to come, and chats with Desiree Akhavan and Lenny Abrahamson about their new features. Away from the silver screen, we talk to a pair of bands returning after a while off (Appalachian folkies Mountain Man and Scottish rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks), run over the shortlist for The SAY Award 2018, celebrate five years of Johnny Lynch’s Lost Map record label, and reappraise The Beta Band’s classic The Three E.P.’s. Turns out, it’s still a banger. Speaking of bangers, our annual Food and Drink Survey is back so it’s time to prod you all into telling us where the good breakfasts are being hidden. Go on. Tell us. Go on. Elsewhere, the V&A Dundee finally opens this month (he said, crossing everything so as not to be accused of jinxing it), so we chat to its director about rooting the museum in its new home. Speaking of home, the temporarily nomadic Citizens Theatre introduce their Tramway-based production of Cyrano de Bergerac from Edwin Morgan’s gallus-tastic adaptation, while Intersections talks to the people behind Queering the Map – a web project that allows queer and LGBTQ+ individuals to share the stories and places that matter to them. Local Heroes looks at the nebulous artistic phrase that is ‘craft’ and all that it entails, plus there’s chats with Fatherson, Rachel Parris, Jlin and others, plus loads of reviews and stuff to do. To partially paraphrase Buzz Lightyear in a copyright-safe way – to September, and beyond! [Peter Simpson]

COVER ARTIST Giulio Castagnaro is a freelance illustrator based in Rome, Italy.

and cultural association focused on self-publishing.

He graduated in illustration at The European Institute of Design, Rome and is a founding member of Studio Pilar, an illustration collective

He is both a cat lover and allergic to cats. See more of Castagnaro's work at: giuliocastagnaro.com

Shot of the Month Wye Oak, Summerhall, Edinburgh, 21 Aug by Kate Johnston

Chat

THE SKINNY

Online Only Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival returns More films! Berwick plays host to the 14th edition of this artists’ moving image festival and all-round avant garde hotbed this month. There’s brand new work from Glasgow artist/ filmmaker/musician Luke Fowler, a global film retrospective, live music and a whole lot else beside.

Birdhead

Photo: Kristie De Garis

Read our festival preview over at theskinny.co.uk/film

Birdhead’s new album, track-by-track The radge AF Edinburgh duo are back with new album Massive Aggressive, and guitarist/singer Stephen Donkin has given us a track-by-track breakdown of the new record. To give you a flavour of what’s in store, Donkin describes second track Isolator as “a relentless, buzzy wee bastard of a tune. Once this gets going (which it does from 0.0001s) it never lets up. The big, sharp, metallic synth slice chops up the airwaves in the track out of nowhere. It's a bit of a blade to the dish.” Read the full feature at theskinny.co.uk/music; read our review of the album on p50

Franz Ferdinand headline Edinburgh’s Hogmanay You thought you’d wriggled free of the festive fun, didn’t you? Well, here’s something to look forward to at the end of the year – Franz Ferdinand have been announced as headliners for this year’s end-of-year tear-up in Edinburgh. “Hogmanay is the greatest party of the year and there is nowhere in the world like Scotland to celebrate it,” said the band’s frontman, Alex Kapranos. Get the latest on this year’s plans at theskinny.co.uk/ music

Nightvision add new names to Terminal V The latest all-dayer from the Edinburgh club night just got a whole lot bigger, with Amelie Lens and Eclair Fifi joining a line-up that already featured Optimo, Sam Paganini, Len Faki and The Black Madonna. Also, it’s a Halloween special at the Royal Highland Centre, so you know things are gonna get spooky. Get the latest on Terminal V and the rest of the Scottish club scene at theskinny.co.uk/clubs

Find more at theskinny.co.uk

The Skinny on Tour W

here has The Skinny been on their holidays this month? I know what you’re thinking: lovely canal, bike culture, charming bridges, we’ve had a long weekend hanging around the Union Canal so we can be near Edinburgh and Glasgow at the same time. Close, but no cigar (or should that be ‘cigar’?). In the photo (left) we’re fresh from eating a breakfast of soused herring and stroopwafel, and we’ll be avoiding those streets lit up in red. We might drop by one of this city’s many coffeeshops, which seem very popular with tourists – we hope they’re watching their caffeine levels. After that, we’ll probably have a whole lot more stroopwafel. If you think you know where we are, send your guesses to competitions@theskinny.co.uk and you could be in with a chance of winning a copy of Dancing with the Gods by Kent Nerburn from our good pals at Canongate Books.

The Black Madonna

Send your shots of The Skinny in various exotic locations to news@theskinny.co.uk

Competition Win a pair of VIP tickets to Terminal V – Halloween 2018 erminal V are bringing the largest and spookiest Halloween party Scotland has ever seen to the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh on Saturday 27 October. As well as next-level production, it promises a mix of international headliners for the all-day extravaganza including the superstar likes of The Black Madonna, Sam Paganini, Amelie Lens, Call Super, Prosumer, Or:La, George FitzGerald, Eclair Fifi, Optimo, Len Faki, Moodymann, Eats Everything, Robert Hood and many others to make this a party to remember. We’ve a pair of VIP tickets to Terminal V’s mammoth Halloween party and afterparty to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, simply

September 2018

head over to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and correctly answer this question: Where is The Black Madonna from? a) Germany b) USA c) Spain Competition closes midnight Sun 30 Sep. Entrants must be 18 or over. Tickets cannot be resold, and you must enter the party before 4pm. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Transport to and from the event is not included. Our Ts&Cs can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms

By Jock Mooney

For more information on Terminal V – Halloween 2018 and to buy tickets, head to terminalv.co.uk

Chat

This year’s Art Walk Portobello festival, more commonly known as Art Walk Porty, will explore the beach’s Pleasure Ground and the history of its seaside entertainment. Sound artist and musician, Ross Whyte has worked on a new commission entitled The Bandstand Project, a composition responding to Harry Lauder and the seaside musical era. Portobello Beach, Edinburgh, until 9 Sep Shirley Manson

Art Walk Portobello

Mon 10 Sep

Tue 11 Sep

Take a peek into some of Scotland’s most historic sites and venues, as Doors Open Days returns for another year. Taking place over the weekends of the 8-9 September, a few of the venues open to the public today include Vogrie House and Country Park, the Adam Smith Theatre and The Old Tobacco Warehouse. Various venues across Scotland, times vary, free

Comedian and broadcaster Susan Calman continues her crusade to spread joy and eliminate fear in her latest book Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy. While Calman’s first book, Cheer Up Love, aimed to provide people with a better understanding of depression, her latest urges us to be kinder to one another. Hear her talk about it tonight. Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, 7pm, £10-22

Coinciding with Russian activist and performance art group Pussy Riot’s 10-day residency at Summerhall during the Edinburgh Fringe, artist Tamsyn Challenger curated this exhibition of works of art made in protest to the imprisonment of three of the group’s members by the Russian government in 2012. Free the Pussy! features work from Yoko Ono, Jamie Reid and Judy Chicago, among others. Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 23 Sep

Susan Calman

The Old Tobacco Warehouse, Inverclyde

Fri 14 Sep

Sat 15 Sep

The time has come; the wait is finally over; and other melodramatic statements, which inevitably lead up to the announcement that the V&A Dundee opens this weekend. Scottish music icons Primal Scream will headline the V&A’s 3D Festival, with the band also unveiling a new work with contemporary visual artist and Turner Prize nominee Jim Lambie. V&A, Dundee, 6.30pm, free

Glasgow Youth Film Festival returns, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Tonight, the festival presents the Scottish premiere of Crystal Moselle’s second feature Skate Kitchen, following the all-female New York skate collective of the same name. Moselle and select cast members will also be in attendance for a Q&A following the screening. GFT, Glasgow, 8.10pm, £10.50

V&A Dundee

Credit: Steve Ullathorne

Sun 9 Sep

Skate Kitchen

Wed 19 Sep

Thu 20 Sep

Fri 21 Sep

Let’s go, girls! Shania Twain’s in town, so get ready to let it all hang out, because as we all know, the best thing about being a woman is the prerogative to have a little fun. This is the first time Shania’s toured on this side of the world in 13 years, so you don’t want to miss it. SSE Hydro, Glasgow, 6.30pm, £70-85

Fun fact: the grossly underrated Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum-starring teen comedy She’s the Man was loosely based on the Shakespeare play Twelfth Night. This production was adapted for the stage by the team at the Lyceum in collaboration with Bristol Old Vic and includes a score by Welsh Music Prize winner, Meilyr Jones. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £10

If being knee-deep in mud and nearly getting blown away in your tent is more your thing though, then take a trip out of the city to Skye Live this weekend. Tonight, Edinburgh DJ Eclair Fifi presents a collection of DJs, including Big Miz, Afrodeutsche (live) and Ribeka, alongside Dan Shake, Or:la and Denis Sulta. Portree, Isle of Skye, 21-22 Sep, £39-109

Shania Twain

Free the Pussy!

Twelfth Night

Eclair Fifi

Wed 26 Sep

Thu 27 Sep

Fri 28 Sep

Luscious vocal harmonies and bouncy surf-rock melodies with a psychedelic twang make up the essence of LA quartet La Luz’s distinguishable sound. The group released their third album Floating Features back in May, and now they’re taking it out on tour. We guarantee you’ll want to be in the band by the end of the show. Mono, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £10

Anyone who writes a poem called Twat is pretty cool in our books and Dr John Cooper Clarke did just that back in the 70s, when he rose to fame and was heralded a “punk poet.” His lengthy, influential career in poetry and music earned him an honorary doctorate from the University of Salford in 2013 (hence the Dr part). The Gardyne Theatre, Dundee, 7.30pm, £22.50

You’ve probably seen many a clip of Rachel Parris circling round your social media channels from one of her sketches on BBC series and viral sensation The Mash Report. Riding solo in her latest show It’s Fun to Pretend, Parris will combine stand-up, song and sketch, showcasing some of her best bits with new material. Òran Mór, Glasgow, 8pm, £12

If you haven’t already balled your eyes out to Lisa Genova’s novel or the Julianne Moore-starring film then now’s your chance to shed some tears to the stage adaptation of Still Alice. Scottish actress Sharon Small stars as university professor Alice Howland, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 50 years old; it’s a proper sobber. King's Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £18-31.50

Chat

Photo: Chona Kasinger

Tue 25 Sep

La Luz

Dr John Cooper Clarke

Rachel Parris

Photo: Art Walk Porty

The Fringe is over, it’s getting cold and the nights are getting darker, but don’t let that put you off. We all know you just want to curl up on the sofa with a cup of tea (or a glass of hooch) but get out the house and see some shit instead; sleep is for the weak, or so they say...

Edinburgh-via-Wisconsin rockers Garbage are back, and they’ll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their second album Version 2.0 with a special edition release of the album and an extensive world tour. Shirley Manson and co begin the tour tonight in Edinburgh, with a stop in Glasgow tomorrow before continuing on across the globe. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 7pm, £38.50

Credit: Jamie Reid

Compiled by: Nadia Younes

Wed 5 Sep

Still Alice

THE SKINNY

Photo: Geraint Lewis

Heads Up

Tue 4 Sep

Young Fathers

Liquid Sky Bassline Circus

Wed 12 Sep

Thu 13 Sep

Take One Action! Film Festival’s programme this year offers over 40 films from six continents screened in 12 venues across Edinburgh and Glasgow, from two-seater police boxes to full-sized cinemas. Opening the festival is Anote’s Ark, a film which tackles the impact of climate change, set in the paradisiacal Pacific nation of Kiribati. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, 8.10pm, £4.50-10

Scottish singer-song-writer and composer Kathryn Joseph recently released her second album, From When I Wake the Want Is, the follow-up to her SAY Award-winning debut bones you have thrown me and blood I’ve spilled. Tonight, she’ll be perform a live staging of the new album, in collaboration with Cryptic, with the performance abbreviated to From When I Wake. Tramway, Glasgow, 8pm, £9-14

Anote's Ark

Pictish Trail

Kathryn Joseph

Sun 16 Sep

Tue 18 Sep

A cult hit TV show about a bunch of layabout weed dealers, set in a Canadian trailer park, with endless running gags – what’s not to like? And if 12 seasons and four feature films wasn’t enough, you can join starring trio Julian, Ricky, Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys at this brand new live show. Remember Ricky’s smokes. Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 7pm, £31.50-36.56

With the Citizens Theatre currently undergoing a £19.4m redevelopment project – yeah, expensive right – the theatre’s artistic programme has been moved to Tramway, launching this month with a production of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. The play is given a Glaswegian makeover in this new production by Citizens Theatre Artistic Director Dominic Hill of Edwin Morgan’s Glaswegian-Scots translation. Tramway, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £12.50-26.50

Sunshine

Mon 17 Sep For the September edition of Filmhouse’s House Guests season, they’ve signed up Scottish author Irvine Welsh to pick some of his favourite films. Tonight, Welsh will introduce Danny Boyle’s 2007 film Sunshine, admitting “... this is my favourite film of Danny's. It's one of the three he's done where I've bothered to drop him a line saying 'good work mate'.” Funny that. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, 6.05pm, £6.50-10

Trailer Park Boys

Sun 23 Sep

Mon 24 Sep

Pay some money and eat some food; it’s a pretty basic concept. If you’re a fan of all things hot and spicy food-wise then you can do those things at Lupe Pintos’ Chili Cook Off 2018. Ten venues will be challenged to make the best chili they can, and you get to judge which is best. Eating food and judging things? The dream. Various venues, Edinburgh, 125.30pm, £10

Who says you can’t party on a Sunday night? Well, standard working hours that’s who. But we’re rebels here at The Skinny, and we know you are too. Hit up Subbie for a Sunday sesh with Spaniard John Talabot tonight, and rue the day you thought it would be fine not to take the Monday off tomorrow. Sub Club, Glasgow, 11pm, £12

Scotland’s contribution to the 16th International Architecture Exhibition at this year’s Venice Biennale, The Happenstance explores the theme of Freespace, bringing together artists and architects to work with young people nationwide in Scotland’s Year of Young People. It aims to shine a light on inspiring individuals, organisations and situations through images, films and testimonials. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, until 30 Sep

Chili Cook Off

Photo: Nick Cocozza

Sat 22 Sep

John Talabot

Sun 30 Sep

Mon 1 Oct

So you want to start an indie band? Here’s what you need: four lads, four zipup shell suit jackets, four pairs of skinny jeans and a handful of black and white press shots. At least that’s what seems to be the criteria for this year’s Tenement Trail line-up. But, it’s a nice idea and The Cribs are headlining and they added some women recently, so we’ll give them credit for that. Various venues, Glasgow, 12.30pm, £22

Part of UK-wide film festival Scalarama, World of Film International Festival Glasgow presents a free film screening of current international short films at Sleazy's. The screening will be followed by music from emerging DJs living in Glasgow and you can drop in anytime you like on the night, so you can come and watch some films, have a dance or both. Nice 'n' Sleazy, Glasgow, 8pm, free

London-based blues rockers The Pearl Harts will thrill you with their hair-raising riffs and growly vocals. Oh, and their debut album is called Glitter and Spit, so extra points for that too. The duo, made up of Kirsty Lowery and Sara Leigh Shaw, have been tipped for big things, so catch them in an intimate venue before they get huge. The Mash House, Edinburgh, 7pm, £7

September 2018

The Cribs

Photo: Stuart Moulding

Sat 29 Sep

World of Film International Festival Glasgow

Cyrano de Bergerac

The Happenstance

Photo: Beth Chalmers

In case you missed the news, the Johnny Lynchheaded, Isle of Eigg-based record label, Lost Map turned five this year, and they’re really milking the celebrations. Following on from two separate parties in July, the celebrations continue into September with their Strange (Birthday) Invitation alldayer. After all, they do say go hard or go home. St Peter's Hall, Edinburgh, 1pm, £20-25

Photo: Kat Gollock

Inspired by Doris Lessing’s feminist sci-fi novel The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five, Liquid Sky combines sonic art and aerial circus. The immersive performance is a collaboration between aerial artist Aedín Walsh and electronic musician SUE ZUKI, presented in association with Feral, which received its premiere at Take Me Somewhere back in May. Platform, Glasgow, 7pm, £4-8.50

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Postgraduate students in Fine Art, Architecture, Design, Simulation + Visualisation and Innovation from Glasgow School of Art exhibit their work across two sites in their Graduate Degree Show today (Merchant City, Glasgow, until 9 Sep). In the evening, keep your ears and eyes peeled for the results of this year’s SAY Award, as the announcement takes place in a ceremony in Paisley, no less. Paisley Town Hall, Paisley, 7.30pm

Photo: Bash Khan

Sat 8 Sep

Photo: Jack Wrigley

Fri 7 Sep

Photo: Gabriela Zigova

Thu 6 Sep

The Pearl Hearts

Chat

Small Packages In Scotland, barely a week goes by without a film festival bringing interesting cinema to our shores. We speak to some of the people who help deliver these festivals to discover how they’re creating film spaces that are both ambitious and inclusive

ut of Scotland’s creative landscape emerges a film festival scene that will be familiar to Skinny readers. There are, of course, the biggies: Glasgow Film Festival and Edinburgh International Film Festival. With their red carpets, inventive pop-up locations and star power, these two behemoths cast a large shadow over the scene, but behind the flashbulbs are a collective of smaller festivals no less vital to Scottish film culture, bringing inclusive artistry from around the globe here, and they want you to be a part of it too. These small festivals are plentiful. Over the next few months, sitting in your local arts centre cafe, you’ll find a plethora of festival brochures with which you’ll need to start honing your scheduling skills. Between now and Christmas you can choose from Africa in Motion to World of Film, Take One Action to Document, The French Film Festival to The Spanish Film Festival, and Scotland Loves Anime to SQIFF, and that’s not even close to the full scale of the scene. How can so many festivals co-exist in such a small nation, you might ask? Part of the explanation lies in what they do differently from their more sprawling counterparts. The heaven-sent Africa in Motion (AiM), for example, eschews hierarchy from its film curation. “We want Africa in Motion to be an inclusive space for programming and selecting African cinema,” explains Justine Atkinson, AiM’s project director. The festival brings African cinema to the people of Edinburgh and Glasgow by working collectively and collaboratively, directly involving the communities the festival is representing. Atkinson explains: “Each month the community group, refugee centres, integration networks, make suggestions about themes or genres they’re particularly interested in seeing on screen. These could include films with a female focus, Nollywood or films in a specific language.” Having been sent a selection of films, the community focus group get to decide what is shown. This kind of process translates to a

broader, even unexpected, selection that speaks to audiences in a way that most festivals hope to. Reaching beyond festival HQ is an element of festival programming that many of this cohort of small festivals do well. Human rights film festival Document have ventured into distributing videotheques across Glasgow, while the similarly socially conscious Take One Action has found multiple homes for their festivals in Aberdeen and Inverness as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow. AiM, too, takes its films outside Scotland’s largest cities, holding a mini-festival in Paisley. Ten minutes by train to Glasgow Central may not sound an insurmountable distance, but when there is no local independent cinema in your town there is also no easily accessible forum in which to engage with world cinema. AiM reached out to local BAME groups, providing opportunities to curate. “It was extremely important for bringing African cinema, which wouldn’t otherwise be seen, to communities living in Paisley,” says Atkinson. Enabling a community to be involved in their own representation is vital, and something the organisers of the Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) know well. Helen Wright, the co-founder and co-ordinator at SQIFF, explains why representation is important: “There are films with ‘queer’ themes shown in mainstream festivals and cinemas, but these tend to represent cis gay men, white people, most recently cashing in on the trend of representing trans people but without involving them in the production and/or exploiting them.” This poor representation on screen spirals, and perpetuates the reluctance of LGBTQIA people becoming filmmakers. In programming terms, this results in a tired, narrow view of LGBTQIA stories. Wright continues: “There are a very large number of queer films out there and you need queer people themselves to be programming them as well as making them to properly cater for a range of LGBTQIA communities.” With this in

mind, SQIFF is 100% organised, programmed, and delivered by LGBTQIA identifying individuals. Recognising that LGBTQIA audiences are just as likely to have either physical and/or financial needs as straight audiences, the festival goes to great lengths to prioritise and provide ways for D/deaf and disabled access and representation. “We make accessibility a central point of the Festival rather than an extra or afterthought (or a non-thought),” says Wright. SQIFF does this in several ways, including, crucially, a sliding ticket price scale. There is a guideline provided for the various price brackets (pay £8, £6, £4, £2 or £0) and no proof of a person’s situation is asked for. When SQIFF implemented this method, the festival saw a box office increase of 69%. “This is very similar to a ‘pay what you can afford’ scheme,” explains Wright, “and is typical of more grassroots and community film and arts events.” The choice to screen most films with English language captions for D/deaf and hard of hearing access sets SQIFF apart too. It might be expensive for small festivals, even with funding, but as Wright notes “it is absolutely the correct choice and a necessary, as well as [an] exciting one.” When festivals with smaller resources can reinvent the standard for accessibility, as Wright points out, “there should be a question asked over why more big, funded film festivals don’t implement and address things like this.”

“We make accessibility a central point of the Festival rather than an extra or afterthought (or a nonthought)” Helen Wright (SQIFF)

Glasgow Short Film Festival (GSFF) director Matt Lloyd credits SQIFF with leading the way on this. “Since our inception as the screening series The Magic Lantern, we’ve always foregrounded the work of women filmmakers, and in recent years we’ve aimed to improve the diversity of our programme and to provide greater access to screenings. That said, it would be unfair of me not to credit SQIFF as an inspiration in this respect. SQIFF has blazed a trail for greater access and diversity in Scottish film culture.” Existing as a smaller festival doesn’t need to mean small ambitions. “We’ve always aimed to have as international a reach as possible,” says Lloyd of the GSFF programme. “We established an international competition first, then a Scottish competition. This meant that we built a reputation overseas, attracting filmmakers and talent spotters to the festival, giving us a foundation from which to promote Scottish talent.” In its 11 year run, GSFF has consistently encouraged filmmakers and programmers to look north. As a form the short film can be overlooked.

Feature

Interview: Eleanor Capaldi Illustration: Giulio Castagnaro

FILM

Where once it was a matter of course to see a news bulletin and a few shorts before the feature, the convention has been mostly lost to wistful history. However, it is a hugely active and creative filmmaking scene, and intriguing to watch. Not least for catching filmmakers in their early days as they determine their style and voice. “Short film is such a nebulous concept, it can include fiction, animation, documentary, artists’ moving image,” Lloyd explains. “As such it affords endless options for curation, and can appeal to many different audiences. At its best it is experimenting with form and suggesting new directions for cinema, but it can also provide a platform for discussion of a range of subjects.” With the particular artistic buzz of Glasgow, it may make seamless sense that it’s the place where short films in all their incarnations can thrive. Lloyd elaborates: “There is a range of risk-taking visual arts and music audiences here. We’re never sure who’ll turn up to our events.” Alongside the ambitious audiences are the arts centres, studios and venues, such as the Glasgow Women’s Library, Glad Cafe, Kinning Park Complex, Transmission, and of course the CCA. “Our main venue,” Wright says, “who offer open source programming, which means we don’t have to pay a hire fee. [The CCA] are incredibly supportive and accommodating, which makes a big difference to what we can achieve.” Atkinson adds: “There are so many other small festivals and arts organisations that there is a great network of support, and space and scope to collaborate across the city.” As Scotland’s small film festivals shoulder together to share in their thriving scene, inclusive programming and honest commitment to their respective audiences are key. Which means another canvas bag full of programmes and pencil at the ready... For more on AiM, SQIFF, GSFF and the other small film festivals in Scotland, turn to p16 theskinny.co.uk/film

THE SKINNY

Dead and Loving It New technology and the increasing sophistication of home cinema systems are putting a squeeze on indie cinemas across the UK, but Scotland’s two great art houses, GFT and Filmhouse, appear to be weathering the storm Interview: Jamie Dunn

he reports of cinema’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Every few years it seems an industry insider will write a hysterical thinkpiece exclaiming that “Movies are over, man.” The latest person to make such a definitive proclamation was Danish enfant terrible Nicolas Winding Refn. “I have come to Lyon to declare film to be dead…,” he told the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw at the Lumière film festival in Lyon. “If you look at Instagram or Twitter or all these things that my children use – they’re all for free! What on earth are we thinking? That it doesn’t mean anything for cinema?” It should be noted that Refn was launching his own streaming service byNWR, so he has skin in the game. As much as we usually enjoy the Drive director’s hyperbolic statements, we must respectfully disagree here. For one, cinema can’t be dead as long as people like Lynne Ramsay, Wes Anderson, Claire Denis, Lucrecia Martel, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Spike Lee and Paul Schrader are making films, to name a few of the filmmakers injecting life and imagination into the medium in 2018. To quote Richard Brody in the New Yorker, “Movies aren’t dying; they’re not even sick.” It’s easy to be optimistic about the health of the movies when you live within travelling distance of one of Scotland’s two chief cathedrals of cinema: Glasgow Film Theatre and the Filmhouse in Edinburgh. While film fans in some cities in the UK are certainly underserved, Scotland’s independent arthouses continue to provide some of the most illuminating and vibrant film programming in the UK in the face of competition from home viewing and other commercial forces.

Needless to say, though, keeping audiences’ attention in this digital age isn’t child’s play. “Beyond simply the challenge of getting enough people through the door, the biggest challenge for us is finding that perfect balance between commerce and art,” Rod White, Head of Filmhouse, told us recently. “That is, staying viable financially while fully supporting the great films we love that the ‘market’ tends to fail.” Filmhouse’s other significant challenge is that the Cameo, once another gem in the capital’s indie film scene and now part of the ever-growing Picturehouse chain, is just up the road. “Though not a competition for audiences per se,” notes White, the cinema does compete with Filmhouse for film titles. “We simply cannot get all the films we want on their release dates – where most of the income from them is realised – as many film distributors often prefer to supply our chain operator competition, to our exclusion, instead,” he explains. Over in Glasgow, GFT has its own set of difficulties. “Our biggest challenge is ensuring there is a breadth of quality films being released in the UK,” explains Allison Gardner, GFT’s Programme Director. “While there are an increasing number of films being released, we have to balance the programme and often due to release date patterns can’t fit in all the films we’d like to show.” When the UK film release schedule gives you lemons, these cinemas have to create their own lemonade, and that often means programming out of the box. “During the more lean periods for quality product, GFT looks to ensure a robust season of classics and curated seasons,” Gardner tells us. Take this summer’s release schedule,

which as usual has been heavy on blockbusters but low on the type of indie and foreign language films popular with GFT’s audience. Gardner and her team’s solution was to look to the past, and, ironically, three blockbusters from the 1980s. “This summer we have had great audiences for the Indiana Jones trilogy,” she says, “and a season of Berlin-set films to tie in with the European Championships, among others.” Filmhouse also looks beyond new releases when planning their programmes and “do a huge amount of work with a number of externally-programmed festivals (Take One Action! is an example) who link us to their own distinct audience groups and networks.” The key, says White, is the cinema’s programming variety. “We try to give a lot of different audiences a lot of different reasons to keep coming back!” So we can agree cinema-going in Scotland is relatively robust, but will it stay that way? A key factor to cinemas sustainability will be defying Refn’s suggestion that young people raised on Twitter and Instagram won’t pay to see films on the big screen. It’s a challenge that both GFT and Filmhouse are aware of, but seem prepared for in several ways. GFT, for example, have a free membership card for 15 to 25 year-olds that offers tickets at £5.50 for all standard shows. “We promote this in conjunction with titles that we know a younger audience are interested in – BlacKkKlansman and The Miseducation of Cameron Post would be two current examples,” notes Gardner. Sometimes, though, it’s simply a matter of smarter marketing: “Often it is about communicating to that younger audience that those titles are on at GFT,” she says,

“as they may not necessarily expect us to be playing them, or may not even look beyond the Cineworld listings.” Filmhouse, too, has youth-oriented schemes, but agrees with Gardner that the hard part is getting younger cinephiles through the door. “When they are here, we try to infect them with our sheer unbridled enthusiasm for the medium – preferably without them really noticing!” filmhousecinema.com glasgowfilm.org

Just Do It How DIY film nights and community film clubs are enlivening Scotland’s film scene

very night in towns across the UK you’ll find DIY gigs taking place in dingy pub basements and back rooms, playing to healthy, enthusiastic crowds and breathing life into their local music scene. But stumble into that same venue another night and you might find a different artform being celebrated: cinema. This is particularly the case throughout September when indie exhibitors throughout the land unite under the collective banner of Scalarama, the annual festival inspired by the eclectic programming of the Scala cinema, a legendary grindhouse in London that sold its last ticket stub 25 years ago. One such indie outfit is Matchbox Cineclub. Sean Welsh, who runs Matchbox, describes the current DIY film scene as thriving. “Since Matchbox Cineclub started, there’s been a huge growth in film clubs and indie exhibitors and there’s now a great mix of really interesting stuff,” he tells us, before reeling off some examples of DIY nights in his hometown of Glasgow. “There’s film clubs like She’s En Scene, who specialise in women-only screenings/discussions; Burnt Church Film Club, who focus on cult favourites and Q&As with special guests; Pity Party Film Club, who screen just cool stuff, but often with an American indie focus...” And that’s far from an exhaustive list. Morvern Cunningham, who manages VHS

September 2018

Trash Fest among many other creative projects, suggest this DIY film scene’s rude health might be down to the fact it has become easier to navigate the complicated vagaries of exhibition licencing. “Umbrella licencing organisations such as Filmbank have emerged as a first port of call for many starting out,” she tells us. “There’s also more mutual support among exhibitors, particularly in the run-up to Scalarama, which encourages people with no prior experience to get involved and share a film they care about with others.” While the viewing experience at DIY nights can leave a lot to be desired (dodgy sight lines, backbreaking chairs, tinny sound), they more than compensate with their diverse content. “DIY programmers can bring films you won’t see on a screen, or on a screen with other people, otherwise,” notes Welsh. Cunningham argues the necessity to use spaces not necessarily designed for cinema presentation can be a virtue too. “Community cinemas and film clubs can offer audiences unique film experiences,” she says, “whether it be screening films in local venues such as pubs and church halls, or programming films to be screened in site-specific locations that have a relevance to the films on screen.” As a concrete example, Cunningham points to her recent A Wall is a Screen event in Leith, a

FILM

Interview: Jamie Dunn guerrilla film night in which short films are projected on to residential and commercial buildings. One of the films screened that night was The Banana Republic, projected on to a wall next to its subject: Cables Wynd House, aka Leith’s iconic Banana Flats. “Screening this short film that documents some of the inhabitants of Cables Wynd House back where it was originally filmed was a truly special experience for everyone in attendance. I believe site-specific screenings can add additional layers of meaning, narrative and significance to the experience of film going.” If the DIY scene in Scotland is to continue to grow, Welsh says sympathetic venues will be vital. “If you’re legitimate, you have to pay a licence for each film you screen, and your venue also needs a licence to screen films generally,” he explains. “That starts to become prohibitively expensive and difficult to sustain if you don’t have a supportive venue.” And these DIY film nights also need enthusiastic audiences, so why not seek out your friendly neighbourhood film club this Scalarama. As part of Scalarama, Matchbox Cineclub screens Joe Dante’s The Movie Orgy, 9 Sep, The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, and VHS Trash Fest takes place 21-22 Sep, VideOdyssey, Liverpool For full Scalarama listings, head to scalarama.com

Feature

Smashing Nazis and the Patriarchy Roaring documentary Silvana follows one of Sweden’s most unapologetically outspoken musical acts, Silvana Imam, a lesbian hip-hop artist of Syrian and Lithuanian descent. We speak to the filmmakers ahead of its screening at Take One Action!

Interview: Sanne Jehoul

“G

o kiss your fucking swastika,” Silvana Imam spits on her 2015 hit Imam Cobain, in defiance of fascism and the rise of hatred and intolerance in Sweden. Three years later, on the day of another neo-Nazi march and counter-protest in Stockholm, we’re speaking to Mika Gustafson, Christina Tsiobanelis and Olivia Kastebring, directors of Silvana – the trio’s film which won Best Documentary at the Guldbagge Awards (Sweden’s Oscars) and screens at Take One Action Film Festival this month. Beginning in 2014, the documentary follows Silvana as her provocative, political raps take her from the underground to national superstardom, along with her highly publicised relationship with Swedish pop musician and LGBTQ icon Beatrice Eli. “When we started out, Silvana wasn’t known at all,” Kastebring says. “We thought we were making a film about an underground feminist artist who we wanted to write into the history books.” But 2014 was also an election year in Sweden, one in which both the Feminist Initiative party and the Swedish Democrats, a far-right party rooted in fascism, spiked in popularity. This political hotbed fuelled the success of the rapper, a gay woman from immigrant parents. “There were two parts of society fighting against each other, and Silvana was clearly stating what hadn’t been said before,” Kastebring explains. “That context helped her gain attraction.” The doc depicts Silvana as confident, slightly arrogant – stereotypical traits of a male rapper, yet an attitude that society still struggles to tolerate from women. She asks herself on camera why our world won’t allow us to say we’re great. She ponders why anyone would describe

Silvana

her as a ‘strong woman’, since it implies that women are generally seen as weak. “We were initially talking about making a fiction film with a diverse female character,” Tsiobanelis explains, “but when Olivia and Mika were making a music video for Silvana they realised ‘well, this is the sort of person we’ve been trying to write.’” In addition to the challenges of documenting Silvana’s unexpected rise to the top, the filmmakers came across another surprise element: her budding relationship with pop star Eli. “She literally just showed up in front of our camera!” Kastebring remembers. “During that time Silvana appeared quite weird when we were filming. She liked this person. We had a lot of discussions with Beatrice about how to portray her so she’d feel comfortable. In the end this is a

film about Silvana, not about both of them. Beatrice deserves her own film.” The directors’ own footage is interwoven with the rapper’s childhood home videos, and clips shot by Silvana and Beatrice themselves, showing private and intimate moments in their relationship. That level of access and collaboration between the filmmakers and their subject elevates the film. We see the first indications of Silvana’s sexuality as a young child, her ease around the camera, and her vulnerability when she’s alone with Beatrice. “She told us there were videos in which she’s rapping in school, so we asked if we could get those. She said, ‘yeah just call my mum,’” Tsiobanelis laughs. “Her mother just gave the tapes to us not knowing what was on them. They were really open about it.”

“We also wondered how we could give power to Silvana and Beatrice,” Kastebring adds, “so we gave them an old camera which they kept for half a year. When we saw their material we were like, ‘wow, this is gold!’ We didn’t think they’d let us use anything because it was so intimate, but they agreed that those images were what was missing from the film up until that point.” What was supposed to be a short-term project – “when we started we just wanted to make some YouTube films about Silvana to post before the elections,” says Gustafson – ended up taking more than two years to complete, tracing the musician’s personal and professional arc at a crucial point in her life. The directors set out to portray her as an individual, as a complex young woman behind the art and the politics. “We talked a lot about when we should film her and when we should take a step back,” Gustafson continues. “Sometimes she’d just say ‘guys, I’m getting tired of you.’” The process reached a natural conclusion. “The last time we were filming her we spoke about how famous she’d become,” says Gustafson. “It got harder for us to get her to be personable, for her not to be promoting herself. She had grown into her artist persona.” Take One Action! runs 12-23 Sep; Silvana screens, Filmhouse, Edinburgh 14 Sep and 18 Sep, CCA, Glasgow Both screenings are followed by programmes of spoken word and musical performances by Scotland-based artists whose work explores women’s empowerment, marginalised experiences and notions of belonging. At the time of writing, poets Nadine Aisha Jassat and Hannah Lavery are confirmed for the Edinburgh screening, while hip-hop artist Erin Friel, musician Heir of the Cursed and poets Tawona Sithole, Katie Ailes and Leyla Josephine will perform in Glasgow takeoneaction.org.uk

Filmspotting Ahead of his House Guest season at Filmhouse, we pick the brains of Irvine Welsh to discover why he chose the six films he’s screening at the Edinburgh cinema and how film has influenced his writing

The Skinny: What were your first thoughts when Filmhouse approached you to be a ‘House Guest’? Irvine Welsh: I love talking about movies and I love the Filmhouse so it was a straightforward joy. I once did a programme for Channel 4 years and years ago called Cult Saturday, where I had to pick and present obscure films of my choice for people who [had] just come back from the pub or from clubbing. These things are always fun. How did you go about narrowing down your choices for your Filmhouse season? Choices are always easy if you don’t overthink them. Just let the movies come into your head. If I was asked today I’d probably have an entirely different list but you should allow it to be a snapshot of your thinking at that moment in time rather than something definitive. It’s interesting you’ve chosen Sunshine, which is one of Danny Boyle’s less-loved films. What is it that draws you to that movie over his others? The best space movies have to be religious movies. It’s all about looking for the big answers. This, I think, is Danny’s best movie (and I’m shooting myself in the foot here) and a lot of credit for that

Feature

is in Alex Garland’s script. You’ve also included a couple of film noirs in your picks – Double Indemnity and the lesser-known Each Day I Die. What appeals about this era of filmmaking? I love the glib, smartarsed, confrontational machine gun dialogue, the tough guys and the sassy women. Pure, beautifully stylised entertainment.

“ Sunshine, I think, is Danny Boyle’s best movie (and I’m shooting myself in the foot here)” Irvine Welsh

I can see shades of the codependent relationship from Midnight Cowboy in some of the

toxic relationships in Trainspotting – has that film influenced your writing? Definitely. Midnight Cowboy’s Joe and Ratso have that archetypal relationship. In the world of fiction there are many glaring examples; George and Lennie from Of Mice and Men, God and Joseph (then Jesus) from the Bible. In general, does film influence your writing in any way, and have any of the films you’ve chosen for Filmhouse’s House Guests seasons (Midnight Cowboy, Double Indemnity, Sunshine, Quadrophenia, Each Day I Die, Fitzcarraldo) influenced you in particular? Everything you watch, read or hear influences you. You just never know how much and therefore you come to rely on people who know your reading, viewing and lifestyle habits much better than you do to helpfully inform you. As a writer whose books have been adapted, what qualities of cinema appeals to you that you don’t get from literature? Immediacy. You can sit in a cinema and get that instant feedback. Sometimes you can see somebody reading one of your books on the tube but it’s hard to work out what’s going on in their heads. But in a picture house you know where an

FILM

Interview: Jamie Dunn

audience laugh, gasp, cheer or squirm. Which one of your stories that hasn’t been made into a film yet would you love to see make it to the big screen? The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins – if only because we have a killer script for it and I think it’s two great lead parts for women. I’d also love to see Marabou Stork Nightmares as an animated movie. Is there a filmmaker who you’d love see adapt one of your books? It has to be someone who gets the material, is enthusiastic about it and has interesting plans for it. To me that’s much more important than track record. All the guys I’ve worked with weren’t names when they started working with me, but they all had those qualities in common. Irvine Welsh’s Guest House season at Filmhouse is as follows: Double Indemnity, Sat 8 Sep, 6.05pm Fitzcarraldo, Sun 9 Sep 7.30pm Sunshine, Mon 17 Sep 6.05pm (introduced by Irvine Welsh) Midnight Cowboy, Thu 20 Sep, 5.55pm Quadrophenia, Sun 23 Sep, 8.30pm Each Dawn I Die, Thu 27 Sep, 8.40pm filmhousecinema.com

THE SKINNY

julieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kopitiam malaysian inspired cooking

01412379560 1109 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, G41 3YG

September 2018

@julieskopitiam

THE SKINNY

Teen Cinephilia The Young Programmers of the Glasgow Youth Film Festival clue us in on what to look forward to at this year’s event, from a film about kickarse female skateboarders to a documentary about a legendary science-fiction writer

hat do young people want from the movies? Superhero flicks? Romantic vampire yarns? Young adult fiction adaptations? Cinemas have long tried to crack this code, but back in 2009 Glasgow Film struck upon a then-novel solution when they set up the Glasgow Youth Film Festival (GYFF): they asked young people themselves, making them the first festival in Europe for young people where members of the target audience were also involved at the programming stage. Almost a decade later, and the festival is going strong. The tenth edition coincides with Scotland’s Year of Young People, and once again is curated by a group of sharp Young Programmers aged 15-19, who’ve been mentored on a year round basis at Glasgow Film Theatre. They’re kicking this edition off in wild style with Anna and the Apocalypse, a homegrown riot of a movie that should sate both the romantics and the gorehounds out there, given that it features the unlikely combination of high school romance, teen comedy and zombie horror. If it isn’t already clear, this Scottish-set fantasy (shot just down

the road from the GFT in Port Glasgow) is a complete one-off. Oh, and we forgot to mention the best part: it’s a musical. There’s a musical note to the finale of the festival too, with a special screening of joyful Jack Black comedy School of Rock, in which Black poses as a substitute teacher and finds himself passing his love of rock’n’roll on to some uptight preppy school kids (“I have been touched by your kids... and I’m pretty sure that I’ve touched them,” Black’s character tells the children’s mortified parents). For those of you who’ve seen the 2003 film, you’ll remember it ends with the kids taking part in a battle of the bands competition, and the GYFF team have delightfully decided to host their own battle of the bands contest before the screening, inviting bands from local schools to enter. That’s the alpha and omega of this year’s GYFF, but we’ve asked some members of the Young Programmers team to clue us in on what else to seek out over the festival. Here are their choices. GYFF takes place 14-16 Sep. The full GYFF line-up can be found at glasgowfilm.org/gyff

Skate Kitchen chosen by Maya Zealey From award-winning director Crystal Moselle, Skate Kitchen follows gnarly skateboarder Camille, who lives in the quiet suburbs of Long Island with her mum, who disapproves of her daughter’s pastime. When Camille meets and befriends a confident female skate crew, her life becomes split as she’s immersed into New York City’s skating scene. While she’s telling her mum that she’s at the library, Camille is secretly skating through the streets of the big city, where she’s also experimenting with drugs, parties and new relationships. The film sees Camille grow more comfortable with herself as she develops strong friendships with people who understand her, but at the cost of the breakdown of her relationship with her mother. Easily the best – and most unique – aspect of the film is the honest conversations we see between the girls about the less glamorous aspects of growing up as a woman in today’s society. The dialogue is raw and the relationships are refreshing: it’s not often that female friendships are portrayed so positively in film. The result is empowering. When Camille takes control of her own life, Crystal Moselle is telling young women to be unapologetically authentic. 15 Sep, GFT, 8.10pm Maya is 16 years old and her favourite film is Little Miss Sunshine

The Worlds of Ursula K Le Guin

Superbad chosen by Anna Paterson

The Worlds of Ursula K Le Guin chosen by Julia Mazur

Superbad, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and produced by comedy king Judd Apatow, turns ten this year. The film stars a babyfaced Michael Cera and Jonah Hill (and Oscarwinner Emma Stone in her film debut) as our two antiheroes who attempt to get booze to a party when nothing seems to be going their way. A surprisingly subversive teen comedy, it manages to take notes from movies like American Pie and Dazed and Confused, but creates its own path and develops two codependent characters that have to find their own feet and learn to live without each other, as for the first time in their lives they will be attending different schools. The film oozes Apatow’s style in its raunchy laughs and instant quotability, but also definitely manages to touch on something deeper and build real, relatable (to some extent) relationships and characters. Complete with a soundtrack soaked in funk, soul, classic rock and heaps of laugh-tilyou’re-hyperventilating moments, there is no doubt that Superbad is one of the greatest and most memorable comedies of the last decade. 14 Sep, GFT, 11pm

Ten years in the works, Arwen Curry’s new documentary The Worlds of Ursula K Le Guin explores the life of Le Guin and the legacy the sciencefiction writer left behind after her passing earlier this year at the age of 88. The movie features well-known authors such as Margaret Atwood and Neil Gaiman, as well as Le Guin’s family members and friends, who share their memories of the author. The interviews are intimate and sweetly sentimental, and are accompanied by spectacular cinematography, courtesy of Andrew Black. These beautifully shot interviews are skilfully intertwined with archival footage of Le Guin and charming animation by Em Cooper and Molly Schwartz. Curry’s study of the sci-fi novelist shows how she conquered prejudice in her industry and became a “literary icon” to many. The Worlds of Ursula K Le Guin is both a wonderful introduction to Le Guin, and a tribute to the author that long-term fans are sure to adore and appreciate. 16 Sep, GFT, 5.30pm Julia is 16 years old and her favourite film is The Grand Budapest Hotel

Anna is 16 years old and her favourite film is Do the Right Thing

Skate Kitchen

Superbad

Young Solitude chosen by Ben Warnock

Young Solitude

September 2018

Words: GYFF Team

French filmmaker Claire Simon’s new feature Young Solitude is an interesting window into the minds of the younger generation. It gives a voice to the often voiceless and shines a spotlight on those who can sometimes be belittled by society. Focusing on a series of conversations between teenagers, Simon lets her subjects speak for themselves and restrains from using any stylistic flourishes that might distract from the conversations on screen, which cover a wide range of important topics such as mental health, toxic masculinity, immigration and identity. These conversations are intimate. On-screen chats tend to take the form of one-on-one conver-

FILM

sations, with the camera set-up like a fly on the wall, a silent third-party in the discussion simply listening to the opinions being voiced; the confidential nature of these teen interactions makes them feel even more important and illuminating. For adults, Young Solitude serves as an insight into the thoughts and ideas of the younger generation, but perhaps more importantly, the film provides an empathetic and oftentimes relatable portrayal of life as a teenager in a world where they are often overlooked. Young Solitude might be the most important film at this year’s GYFF – especially in the Year of Young People. 15 Sep, GFT, 12.30pm Ben is 17 years old and his favourite film is Tropical Malady

Feature

Scottish Film Festival Calendar Scotland’s cultural calendar is overflowing with excellent film festivals. Below is just a taste of some of the smart, inventive and inclusive festivals that help make the Scottish film scene the most vibrant in the UK

Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival Edinburgh & Glasgow, 4-20 Oct 2018 Despite its title, Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival brings both coasts a welcome peek at what’s cooking in Spanish cinema in any given year. Alongside these recent cinematic triumphs, the festival’s curators make sure to thread in classics of Spanish film too – many of them little-known on these shores – to give a flavour of what might have been influencing the country’s contemporary filmmakers over the years. For foodies, a highlight should be the annual Gastronomic Film Evening, where short films are paired with small plates. Buen provecho! edinburghspanishfilmfestival.com

Scotland Loves Anime Glasgow, 12-14 Oct; Edinburgh, 15-21 Oct 2018 The wildly inventive animation of Japan is lovingly championed in this annual festival, with insatiable anime fans travelling far and wide to sample SLA’s programming. Details of the upcoming edition are to be announced, but expect features from some of the most exciting names in Japanese animation alongside anime series being given a big screen outing and some classics of the genre being resumed from the archives. There might even be a few live action films thrown in there for good measure. lovesanimation.com

Africa in Motion Edinburgh & Glasgow, 26 Oct-4 Nov 2018 Each year, Africa in Motion steps in where UK distribution continually fails and delivers a fascinating snapshot of a whole continent’s film scene that’s as vibrant and varied as the continent itself. As well as new movies, the festival also sprinkles its programme with older films, with the context helping show where African film has been so UK audiences can better see where it’s going. Of late, AiM has incorporated a more democratic approach to its film curation, with much of the festival programmed in collaboration with local groups and organisations. africa-in-motion.org.uk

Africa in Motion

Document Glasgow, 18-21 Oct 2018 Scotland’s human rights festival, for over a decade Document has helped no-end in raising awareness of human rights abuses abroad and at home. The programme always offers a wide-range of films, with each one acting as a jumping-off point for wider discussions, with filmmakers and organisations often present to kick off an impassioned conversation with the audience. Tickets for the festival screenings are free to refugees, asylum seekers, OAPs and those on income support. documentfilmfestival.org

SQIFF Glasgow, 5-9 Dec 2018 Scottish Queer International Film Festival has only been running for three editions, but in its relatively short life-span it’s become one of Scotland’s mostloved and vital film festivals. The aim is simple: get Scotland watching, talking about and making more queer films. As well as the thoughtful programming, what makes SQIFF sing is its inclusive atmosphere and focus on access. Screenings are subtitled and BSL translators join the stage for most Q&As and talks, the CCA’s toilets become gender neutral and the brochure provides trigger warnings specific to people in the queer community. SQIFF also throw a great party too. sqiff.org

Feature

Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival Hawick, 2-6 May 2019 Bubbling away in the depths of the Scottish Borders is a razor-sharp but deeply welcoming festival of experimental film, where stalwarts of the avant-garde scene rub shoulders with enthusiastic newbies. The main hub is the Heart of Hawick cinema, but the festival spills out across the town with site-specific installations and expanded cinema events in pop-up venues. The festival is capped off on the final day by a blissful film walk to a picturesque corner of the local countryside to watch an experimental movie. alchemyfilmfestival.org.uk

French Film Festival UK wide, mid-Nov 2018 French film fans are relatively well-served in the UK, but with around 300 films produced in France each year we only see a fraction of this output on our screens. For a quarter of a century the French Film Festival has been filling that gap. Whether you’re into existential dramas centred on the Parisian intelligentsia, souffle-light romantic comedies or riotous farces, the French Film Festival will have something for you. Each year, the wide-ranging programme also presents a handful of gems from French cinema’s glittering past. frenchfilmfestival.org.uk

Glasgow Short Film Festival

Glasgow Film Festival Glasgow, 20 Feb-3 Mar 2019 Scotland’s dreichest month is warmed up no-end by one of its most lively festivals. The best of World cinema rubs shoulders with newly minted homegrown film for a programme rich with famous auteurs and talented greenhorns, with ten of the latter competing for GFF’s Audience Award. Best of all, GFF has built a reputation for reviving older films, with a free retrospective of Hollywood classics and a sprinkling of inventive pop-up screenings where familiar favourites are given a new lease of life in a new context (eg. Jaws on a boat, The Thing on a snow-covered ski slope). glasgowfilm.org/glasgow-film-festival

Glasgow Film Festival

The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival Bo’ness, Falkirk, 20-24 Mar 2019 A silent film fan’s dream, The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival (or HippFest, as it’s affectionately known) has for the last eight years been lovingly celebrating cinema of the pre-sound age. The programme blends Hollywood classics with lesser-spotted foreign titles, archive material and forgotten oddities for an eclectic programme that’s always full of surprises. Best of all, each film gets the live score treatment, with several mint fresh scores commissioned each year, often from unusual sources. falkirkcommunitytrust.org

Words: Jamie Dunn

Glasgow Short Film Festival Glasgow, 13-17 Mar 2019 An effortlessly cool and casually brainy edition to Scotland’s cultural calendar, GSFF celebrates the art of short films, while also stretching the definition of what a short film is to breaking point (last year’s edition opened with Kevin Everson’s epic eight hour doc Park Lanes). The international competition is an expertly curated snapshot of short filmmaking in any given year, while the Scottish competition gives a platform to emerging local talent. Add in sharp retrospectives, witty guest programmes and insightful symposiums, and you have a must-attend festival. glasgowfilm.org/glasgow-short-film-festival

Edinburgh International Film Festival

Scottish Mental Health Art and Film Festival Scotland-wide, mid-May 2019 A festival that seems to grow more vital with each passing year, SMHAFF uses cinema – alongside other artforms like theatre, art and music – as a way to access and explore myriad issues surrounding mental health. With every edition, SMHAFF helps to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and challenges preconceived notions of the people who suffer from it. Most importantly, it celebrates the artistic achievements of people with experience of mental health issues and gives a platform to their talent. mhfestival.com

FILM

Edinburgh International Film Festival Edinburgh, mid-Jun 2019 Look out your glad rags, this is Scotland’s glitziest film event. The heart of the festival is the Michael Powell competition, in which a dozen or so homegrown films compete for the Best British Film award. The huge programme also includes UK premieres of films from around the globe, with a particular focus on American indie titles. A sparkling retrospective or two can also be expected (this year featured a Women of American Cinema of the 1980s strand) along with short programmes, industry events and a sharply-curated experimental section. edfilmfest.org.uk

THE SKINNY

September 2018

Photo: Shervin Lainez

The Sound of Silence We speak to Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Molly Erin Sarlé, two thirds of North Carolina Appalachian folk band Mountain Man, about Magic Ship, their first release in eight years

omething special happens when the three individual voices in Mountain Man come together. It’s a cooling comfort that has remained just as reassuring and unhurried in the eight years since the release of their debut album, Made the Harbor. A lot of life has happened in that time. The group formed while in college, instantly capturing a rare musical chemistry that has stuck with them as they gained new experiences. They toured the world together, captivating huge crowds with disarmingly naked a capella folk, and they could’ve continued to do so as a trio. But their own paths diverged. Amelia Meath went on to form the electro-pop duo Sylvan Esso with Nick Sanborn; Alexandra Sauser-Monnig continued to perform, releasing solo material earlier this year; Molly Erin Sarlé relocated to California, and after being convinced by her close friends, moved back to North Carolina. “After three years, I realised that the best decision you can make about where to be living is one based around the people that you love,” Sarlé says. “Alex and Amelia are two of the people that I love the most in the entire world, so I felt that I should probably be close.” Their musical return blossomed naturally from this closeness, and after a reuniting performance at Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival in 2017, new songs followed. This return is one done for the pure joy for creating and performing. That’s clear when asking Sarlé and Sauser-Monnig what new song sticks out to them the most: “All of them?” laughs Sarlé. Her bandmate chuckles in agreement, “I’m very excited about Boat at the moment,” before the pair blurt out, “ooh, Stella is really exciting,” tumbling over each other. “I feel like I can say that about Mountain Man because it’s really just what happens when the three of us sing together, so it’s not like I’m saying

Feature

‘I enjoy listening to my own music,’” jokes Sarlé. That joy is right there on Magic Ship, felt on even a passing listen. That’s thanks in part to a beautifully raw approach to recording, which preserves the air of their space, the sharp intakes of breath, their shifting weight around each other. “The person who recorded us is Nick Sanborn,” Meath’s partner-in-crime as Sylvan Esso, explains Sauser-Monnig. “He’s just a really smart producer and engineer. We would be getting ready to record a take of a song [and] he would be just looking around the room and moving microphones and thinking of ways to do things in subtly different ways to animate or capture our space in that moment.” The result when wrapped in headphones is like being there with the band as their voices interact. Sarlé adds: “I think one of the interesting things about making music together is that it seems like every nook and cranny of our relationship dynamic is reflected in the way that we sing together.” Despite the eight-year gap, the Mountain Man style remains intact – stripped-back music, built on silence. “Silence feels like a natural starting place when most of what you’re working with are your voices and your feelings,” explains SauserMonnig. “A really centring part of making music is to be quiet in each other’s presence and let feeling come out naturally.” Sarlé adds: “Singing together has always been a lot about listening to each other and that’s where the magic comes from. I’ve never felt any pressure to add anything to what we do because it seems like the essence is pretty immediate.” Despite sounding off-the-cuff, the intricate interplay of harmonies on Magic Ship’s 14 tracks couldn’t be done on the whim. “There’s a lot of practising, but in the most low-key way,” SauserMonnig says. “We’ll decide to get together and make breakfast at one of our houses, and then

we’ll present a song to everybody and then sing it three times. Then a week later, we’ll get together again and go over everything. It’s a pretty gentle form of rehearsal, but I feel that we’re pretty good at intuiting what a song needs, so if we’re not happy about it, we just talk about it.” This short collection of songs features three covers, which flow incredibly into their originals: “I love covering songs because I get to look into somebody else’s experience,” says Sarlé. “They’ve carved out their story through melody and made it live.”

“ Being a human being feels so complicated in the modern world, but you can always slow down” Alexandra Sauser-Monnig

“And then sometimes it’s like they’ve channelled the most basic experience of being alive in a way that feels universal and moving, and it feels really good to sing a song that’s accessible to everyone,” adds Sauser-Monnig. “It’s good to just get to the core in some way.” “It’s similar to the way that we sing on each other’s songs,” says Sarlé. “We all just know what it’s about. Each of us as individuals, we’ve all been

Music

Interview: Stephen Butchard

singing since we were babies, so using our voices to express how we feel comes intuitively and naturally to all of us, so I think we’re just trying to create that feeling, no matter what we’re singing.” It’s clear that Magic Ship means a lot to the trio. “One of the ways that it affects me is that it just slows me down,” explains Sauser-Monnig. “Being a human being feels so complicated in the modern world, but you can always slow down. It’s always available to you to be quiet, and breathe, and listen to what’s happening around you. Somehow those songs feel like they help me do that.” “We always had the intention to share it,” Sarlé adds, “but we make it in a way that feels authentic to us, and knowing that it’s something that resonates with other people is comforting.” As our conversation draws to an end, the word ‘joy’ comes up again. “The purpose is joy,” Sarlé says simply. “Our hope is that this record helps people enjoy their lives more, because it’s hard.” Is it harder to exist now than when Mountain Man first got together? “No. I think it’s always hard. For everyone,” says Sarlé. “That’s part of the reason why there are songs that are universal. There are songs that were written four hundred years ago from people who lived lives that we don’t relate to. There are particular things about this time that other human beings haven’t had to deal with, but then we don’t have to deal with things that other people struggled with. “I think part of getting older is learning how to bring joy into your life, and that is just as important as an artist as anything else, that you have the power to create joy, and that you have the power to create healing in people. To be given the opportunity to do that is amazing.” Magic Ship is released on 21 Sep via Bella Union wearemountainman.com/

THE SKINNY

Dream Sequence We speak to We Were Promised Jetpacks frontman Adam Thompson about their most ambitious record yet, The More I Sleep the Less I Dream

“W

dramatic fashion. “I came up with the guitar riff and then we slowly started to piece things together around it,” Thompson explains. “We got the groove together, and then the drum beat, and in its own quiet way it was beginning to sound massive. It was turning into this five-and-a-half, six-minute song that was kind of epic and that made everything else we’d written for the album up to that point sound weak by way of comparison. It was in this drop C tuning, unusual for us, and it just very much sounded like the sort of song that wouldn’t have been written for radio. That was the point at which we felt as if we’d broken through the wall.” The band had struck new creative gold, and the rest of the album began to fall into place from there – the melodic boisterousness of Hanging In, the noisy urgency of In Light, the crackle and fizz of Repeating Patterns. It didn’t matter what shape or form the excitement came in, according to Thompson, just that it did at all; with everybody chipping in their own ideas in the rehearsal room, WWPJ were once again having the kind of fun, and working in the same way, that they did as teenagers when they founded the group in high school. The result was that, for the first time ever, they had an album’s worth of songs fleshed out and ready to record before they even set foot in the studio. Thompson uncharacteristically had even finished up all of the lyrics. The irony was that they didn’t have a label to release through. Ultimately, they chose not to go back to FatCat, and instead inked a deal with Big Scary Monsters, the Oxford imprint that also hosts the likes of Modern Baseball and DZ Deathrays. “A lot of the circumstances around the band had changed anyway, so it seemed like the right time to start a new chapter,” Thompson recalls. “We’d already changed management to some new people in Seattle, and they were getting things done for us.” WWPJ have had nothing but positive experiences on the other side of the pond, so it made sense for them to start talking to US producers over Skype. One man who made a part-

icular impression was Jonathan Low. “The signs with Jonathan were good straight away. He was this younger guy who was really easy to get along with, and he had all the credentials, too. He’s been working out of Long Pond, which is Aaron Dessner’s new studio up in Hudson, New York. He’s the main engineer there, so he’s already worked with the likes of The National, Sharon Van Etten and The War on Drugs.”

“ I think for the first time we were thinking about making music that was going to see us turn a corner creatively” Adam Thompson

Low’s CV helped put the band’s minds at rest. “Often, you’re kind of gambling on a producer, because you talk to them for maybe half an hour or an hour over the internet, and the next thing you’re committing to them and spending more money on them than you would anything else. Knowing what Jonathan can do gave us a lot of confidence.” Low devised a smart plan. First, they’d head to Miner Street in Philadelphia; he was fond of the drum sound there, and in order to capture the most vibrant live takes possible, the band had originally wanted to record with no click tracks; they eventually went back on that when they realised Low was well capable of bringing out ener-

getic percussion with or without them. With the bass and drums finished in Pennsylvania, the group played a bunch of shows to get a handle on the guitars and vocals before decamping to Long Pond to lay them down. The blend of environments was key, with the hustle and bustle of Philly offsetting Long Pond’s isolation, and fending off cabin fever in the process. With that in place, and the songs ready to go, everything else ran smoothly. “I’m not a big studio person,” Thompson admits. “I like to get in, bash out the guitar parts and that’s that. This time, that worked fine, because the songs were complete and we had Jon (Low) to guide us. We’d played those detailed demos to people and we got a lot of good feedback. We found the sound we were looking for really quickly. It was just such an enjoyable experience, which isn’t how it’s been in the past. I’m usually really stressed.” A major contributor to Thompson’s fraught prior experiences in the studio was the fact that he seldom had finished penning the lyrics going in. Now, his prodigious writing form for The More I Sleep the Less I Dream is indicative of the band’s new confidence overall, as well as their acceptance of the challenges that lie ahead of them in their 30s. “It was so nice to not have to keep scuttling off to another room in the studio to try to fart out some more words!” he laughs. “Everything seemed to flow more easily this time though. I think when you’re past 30, you have to reflect and re-evaluate whether you want to or not. In the build-up to this record, there were breakups, marriages, houses bought, kids born, job changes. We were thinking about why we wanted to do this in the first place, and in doing so we figured out exactly why we intend to carry on.” The More I Sleep The Less I Dream is released on 14 Sep via Big Scary Monsters We Were Promised Jetpacks play The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, 14 Nov; Saint Luke’s, Glasgow, 15 Nov; The Old Dr Bell’s Baths, Edinburgh, 17 Nov wewerepromisedjetpacks.com

Photo: Eleanor Petry

e were at a crossroads, to be honest.” We Were Promised Jetpacks have spent the past decade cementing their position as one of Scotland’s premier indie rock bands, with their soaring, panoramic approach to the guitar winning them an ever-burgeoning cult fanbase, at home and abroad. On top of that, their critical notices have been consistently glowing. All of that aside though, by the time they wrapped up touring for Unravelling, their blistering third LP from 2014, they had some decisions to make. They responded initially by avoiding them. Their contract with FatCat, the Brighton label that nurtured them, was up, but they decided to take a beat before rushing into any new deal. They needed to start thinking about when they were going to begin writing again, but felt it best to wait until the inspiration found them. The circumstances of their personal lives only heightened the sense of flux; all four members of the Edinburgh outfit were about to turn 30, and accordingly were increasingly examining precisely what it was they wanted from life. It might not necessarily have included the continuation of We Were Promised Jetpacks. After much reflection, it turned out that it did. Not only did the hunger to write new songs resurface, but it was soon followed by the kind of creative breakthrough they’d been craving. “We didn’t want to set ourselves any kind of deadline,” says frontman Adam Thompson, calling during a break in rehearsals. “It was a case of waiting until the songs were good enough, so that we could carry some genuine confidence into the recording sessions. I think, for the first time, we were thinking about making music that was going to see us turn a corner creatively, whatever way that came.” The turning point arrived with the song that would go on to be the album’s title track, after a slew of early demos that were never looking likely to cut the mustard. The More I Sleep the Less I Dream is the most ambitious Jetpacks record to date, and so much of its compositional daring is rooted in that track, which closes the record in

Interview: Joe Goggins

September 2018

Music

Feature

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Be Seen in the Deen Cutting-edge street art and chucklesome comedy come to Aberdeen this autumn – here’s what’s in store

Comedy: Not Just for the Fringe Launching in 2015, the Aberdeen Comedy Festival has grown year-upon-year and, now in its third year, continues to persuade even more top-name comedians to make the trip up north because, y’know, Aberdonians like jokes too. Over 50 events will take place at 25 venues across the city between 4-13 October this year, including standout headliners, fringe favourites, comedy legends, magic, musical comedy, movies and family shows; from stalwarts of international comedy festivals to bright-eyed, fresh-faced up-and-comers on the comedy circuit. After celebrating 20 years at the Edinburgh Fringe, Reginald D Hunter features as one of this year’s festival headliners, alongside Irish musical comedian David O’Doherty, ex-Never Mind the Buzzcocks team captain Phill Jupitus and the always sharply-dressed Tom Allen. Also on this year’s line-up is Scottish rising star Larry Dean, whose new show Bampot was nonimated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for best show at this year’s Fringe. There are also two comedians reprising their critically-acclaimed 2017 Edinburgh Fringe shows: absurdist John Kearns, with Don’t Worry They’re Here, and Rob Kemp, with The Elvis Dead. Both shows were awarded four stars by this very publication at the time, so you know you’re on to a good thing. If you, like Flo Rida, are wondering where them girls at, fear not. Desiree Burch, the New York-born and London-based comedic force to be reckoned with, will be making an appearance at the festival, as will frequent TV panel show guest Tiff Stevenson with her critically-acclaimed stand-up show Bombshell. Another New Yorker, actress, singer and impressionist Christina Bianco’s show Life of the Party will see her re-

prise a selection of fan favourites from her comedy arsenal, as well as previewing some new material, and she’ll also be taking audience requests, so come prepared. The festival also caters to those who like their comedy more spontaneous. Those of you will probably be interested in seeing award-winning improv troupe Men With Coconuts. Based in Edinburgh and regulars at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Men perform regularly in venues across the central belt, and now they’re spreading their wings to give those up north a taste of their 90-minute long show, entirely made up of improvised comedy sketches and songs.

“Aberdeen Comedy Festival continues to persuade top comedians to make the trip up north because, y’know, Aberdonians like jokes too” For the film buffs, independent cinema and local favourite Belmont Filmhouse will celebrate comedy in film, screening classic comedies (with options to suit all ages) throughout the duration of the festival. Some of the films already on the bill include the Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz-starring clusterfuck of a rom-com that put everyone off hair gel for life, There’s Something About Mary; modern comedy classic Bridesmaids; the actual Spice World film – yes, starring the actual Spice Girls; and that one about that bear that isn’t Winnie the Pooh, Paddington.

Reginald D Hunter

Feature

Super Scurry by Ciaran Glöbel and Conzo Throb

Nuart Attack Quite literally painting the town red – among many other colours – street artists from all over the world have descended upon the city for two years running now to participate in the multiaward winning street art festival Nuart Aberdeen. Originating in Aberdeen’s twin city of Stavanger, Norway, Nuart first arrived in Aberdeen in 2017, with artists adding a splash of colour to various locations around the Granite City and winning five awards along the way, including the British BID (Business Impro-vement District) Place Management Award, voted for by the public, and the Association of Town Centre Management Award for Innovation. In its debut outing last year, the festival saw artists from varying disciplines, specialising in everything from tile design to stencilling to text art, make their mark on the city in a series of murals. German duo Herakut’s mural, spread across the external walls of the Aberdeen Market and most clearly visible from The Green, was one of the year’s standout pieces. The duo’s unique creative process involves them improvising on top of the other’s work as they go, allowing their different styles to be brought together in an unplanned, unrestricted fashion. But the artworks go beyond traditional ideas of street art too. For his contribution to the festival, Spanish artist Isaac Cordal scattered miniature sculptures around the city, as part of an ongoing series called Cement Eclipses, which he has been working on since 2006. In contrast, Scottish-born, ex-Edinburgh College of Art student Robert Montgomery, sometimes referred to as the ‘poet’s Banksy’, produced a powerful piece of politically-charged text art on the concept of modernism. Following the success of 2017, Aberdeen Inspired secured another three years of Nuart Aberdeen and the festival returned in April 2018 with 12 international artists adding murals to the city’s street art scene. Union Row, situated just off Union Street, Aberdeen’s equivalent of the Las Vegas strip – except with less bright lights, casinos, street hustling and general goings on – has become a particular hub for artists’ murals, with four of this year’s contributions located there.

Photo: Brian Tallman

f you thought Aberdeen was all blinding granite and massive, ungodly seagulls then think again. The Granite City is being put back on the map, in part, due to a series of projects from Aberdeen Inspired. The growing success of the Aberdeen Comedy Festival and outdoor street art extravaganza Nuart Aberdeen have helped to build the city’s cultural profile over the past few years.

Photo: Kash Yusuf

Words: Nadia Younes

Two murals paid homage to the city’s infamous birds of prey – yes, those infamous seagulls really. Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic contributed the largest mural in the city so far, on the side of the Union Plaza office block, of a young boy climbing up a wall where some seagulls are sitting. Meanwhile, Glasgow-based duo Ciaran Glöbel and Conzo Throb combined their skills in illustration and typography to reimagine the notorious ‘gulls in the style of an advert for an action figure on Willowbank Road. In another Scottish-inspired work, Portuguese artist Bordalo II, famous for his trash animal sculptures, designed a 3D creation of a unicorn – Scotland’s national animal – made entirely out of found plastics. Carrie Reichardt brought her self-titled ‘craftivism’ to Aberdeen’s Merchant Quarter in four mosaic installations, with three focusing on inspirational women from Aberdeen and Scotland, on Adelphi and St. Nicolas Lane. Once a hub for Aberdeen’s youth, St. Nicolas Rooftop Gardens – more commonly known as St Nicks – was also given a makeover by Amsterdam-based cartoon artist, and self-proclaimed pioneer of ‘art comedy’, Bortusk Leer; his monster cartoon creations pasted across the walls of St Nicks. Fancy seeing all the murals in one day? Well, conveniently you can. Free street art walking tours take place in the city every Saturday until 30 September, leaving from Contour Café on The Green at 1pm and taking you round the city’s murals. Or, if you want to go it alone at your own pace, you can pick up a map from the Visit Scotland tourist office on Union Street or download it at nuartaberdeen.co.uk and form your own route. Take a tour of some street art, catch some comedy, buy a buttery and probably have that buttery instantly nabbed out of your hand by a seagull; Aberdeen’s back, alright. Aberdeen Comedy Festival, 4-13 Oct aberdeencomedyfestival.com

THE SKINNY

Anyone’s Game Ahead of The SAY Award ceremony in Paisley on 6 September, we take a closer look at the albums and artists featuring on this year’s shortlist

hen the longlist for the 2018 SAY Award was announced on 1 August we felt an immediate sense of pride for the creative output of Scotland’s music scene, and instantly embarrassed for the Mercury Music Prize’s offering this year, which features absolutely zero artists from Wales, Ireland or, you guessed it, Scotland. It’s utterly astonishing how none of the 20 strong albums featuring on the SAY longlist were present in the Mercurys; a far more inclusive and varied list that’s representative of what’s actually going on within Scotland’s music scene, the Mercurys could certainly learn a thing or two from the Scottish Album of the Year Award. Since 1 August, that longlist has now been halved and having been one of the judges last year, we don’t envy this year’s panel and their epic task trying to whittle down the remaining ten to just one who’ll be announced as the winner on Thursday 6 September. With such a diverse list, we reckon it’s going to be a particularly hard one to call this year, but before the big reveal we thought we’d take a closer look at the ten albums in the running. To be in with a chance of winning the coveted £20,000 prize, eligible albums needed to be released between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018. Released on 28 April via the Kartel Music Group, the first to have come out on this year’s shortlist was the self-produced, groove and R’n’B-laden Kiss & Tell by Babe. In our interview with Babe frontman Gerard Black that same month, he told us that unlike their 2014 debut Volery Flighty, Kiss & Tell “was all written in the same six months and all recorded in the same three weeks, and then produced and mixed in about a month.” As Babe, Black is joined by guitarist Thomas Ogden, bassist Amaury Ranger (of Francois and the Atlas Mountains) and the latest addition to the band, Bossy Love’s John Baillie Jr on drums, who produced the record. Of Baillie Jr, Black exclaimed: “I always knew he was a good drummer. He’s a total beast!” Next came Siobhan Wilson’s There Are No Saints on 14 July via Edinburgh’s Song, by Toad label. After the announcement of her place on the longlist, Wilson told the SAY Award: “I put so

September 2018

Words: Tallah Brash

much of myself into There Are No Saints and have been touring these songs as much as I can since its release. There are so many great things happening in music in Scotland right now it’s humbling to be included.” Engineered and produced by Catholic Action’s Chris McCrory (who also featured on the longlist), a seemingly unlikely collaborator as the two come from different ends of the musical spectrum: classical and punk. “We had this super-DIY bedroom set up in his parents’ house, with a big mattress and sheets and fairy lights,” Wilson told us last July. “It was very homely and efficient and everything was rehearsed so quickly and organically. I like some of the new stuff you hear on the radio, but I just want to hear something that sounds like it was made in the room. It moves me far more. Chris was on the same page – he agreed to keep things sparse and it worked. I feel like it’s the first time I’ve been brave enough to truly be myself.” Kobi Onyame’s GOLD followed on 1 September. Released one track at a time over the course of a few weeks via Spotify, we were first introduced to his music via email by Young Fathers’ co-producer Tim London who was championing the musician and rapper’s return to his Ghanaian roots, and rightly so. “I wanted to challenge myself to do something that I haven’t done before because I feel like I did the hip-hop thing and I didn’t want to just make another boom bap hip-hop album,” Onyame told us last August. “I’ve kept the hip-hop undertones but it incorporates a lot more percussion and that whole West African, Ghanaian highlife feel.” On the same date in September, stalwarts of the post-rock scene Mogwai put out their ninth studio album Every Country’s Sun – perhaps the musical antithesis to Onyame’s GOLD, these two highlight in a nutshell the diversity to be found in Scotland’s output. Recording in New York with Dave Fridmann, Stuart Braithwaite spoke to us about the process last August: “We really lived and breathed this album, out in the woods with Dave, where there’s nowhere to go even if you wanted to. It’s a really immersive way of making an album, and I don’t think you can ever really get that same intensity when you’re at home.”

A month later, on 2 October, and back on Scottish soil, Aberdeen’s Katie Buchan released her eponymous second album under her Best Girl Athlete moniker via her musical partner in crime (and dad) Charley Buchan’s Fitlike Records label. Written before she even turned 18, Buchan is the youngest artist on this year’s shortlist. “Growing up I tended to just write songs about boys, as you do,” she told us last September, “whereas now I write about situations more explicitly – relationships with people, places I’ve been. It sounds silly but being with someone is such a focal point in most people’s lives.” From introspection on Best Girl Athlete to focussing on the lives of others, a few weeks later came Out Lines’ Conflats on 27 October via Mogwai’s Rock Action label. A collaboration between The Twilight Sad’s James Graham, Kathryn Joseph and Marcus Mackay inspired by Platform’s Outskirts Festival and Easterhouse Conversations Project, the album was created off the back of the three spending time with people in the local community, interviewing them about their lives. “Going from the interviews, which were great, but intense, and exhausting, just being told so much about people’s lives, I was feeling a bit like ‘how do we do this?’” Joseph told us last October. “But Marcus started writing on the harmonium, then James immediately wrote a whole song, which made me want to go and write something.” Golden Teacher then hit us on 1 November with their debut album No Luscious Life, released via, in true DIY fashion, their own Golden Teacher Records label. Across seven tracks and an aurally pleasing collision of styles, from African rhythms to post-punk disco via funk and dub, it’s impossible to pigeonhole Golden Teacher. Of their nomination, the Glasgow sextet said: “After releasing a whole bunch of EPs it’s great to be nominated with our debut album which we’re extremely proud of.” Later that same month, Karine Polwart’s A Pocket of Wind Resistance came out, going on to receive a physical release on 1 December. The companion to her 2016 Edinburgh International Festival show, and a musical collaboration with sound designer Pippa Murphy, Wind Resistance

Music

the album is “essentially an old-school concept album.” In a chat with Polwart last October, she told us: “I sort of made up the pitch on the phone. I had this notion to try something that was different, that wasn’t just songs, that had spoken word and a connecting theme – but I conjured the title Wind Resistance on the phone. The heart of it was there but it was quite messy.” Jumping over the end of year hurdle into a new year, 2018 brought us the final two albums to be shortlisted for this year’s award. First up is Franz Ferdinand’s Always Ascending – released on 9 February via Domino – which won the Public Vote. “This year has been a particularly good one for music coming out of Scotland and the SAY Award longlist and shortlist reflects that,” Franz Ferdinand drummer Paul Thomson said. “We’re delighted to be up there with the hard hitters.” The band returned this year with not only a new album, but a newly invigorated line-up including Dino Bardot and Miaoux Miaoux’s Julian Corrie, who we spoke to earlier this year: “I guess in any situation, where someone new comes in, there will be a bit of mixing up [...] I was obviously aware of the band’s work. It did feel like a very collaborative thing. I think that was the idea from the start – come in with your ideas, what you know how to do, and we’ll see what happens. And it really works.” Completing the shortlist is Leith three-piece Young Fathers, who have been in this position before with Tape Two in 2013, which went on to scoop the prize despite only being an EP. With their third studio album Cocoa Sugar, released on 9 March via Ninja Tune, Young Fathers sounded energised. “A lot has been stripped back, to get to the essence of the group,” Alloysious Massaquoi told us just ahead of the album’s release. “It creates more space, so that you can breathe in a track. You know like when you watch movies? It feels like I can swim in it, it’s really airy.” So as you can deduce, it’s really anyone’s game at this point. Congratulations to everyone on the shortlist and good luck to all on 6 September. The SAY Award winner will be announced at Paisley Town Hall, Paisley, 6 Sep sayaward.com

Feature

Island Records As Eigg-based label Lost Map Records get ready to celebrate their fifth birthday, we chat with label founder and director Johnny Lynch about their new Visitations project

head of Lost Map’s showcase at Green Man Festival and the label’s Strange (Birthday) Invitation all-dayer on 8 September, we catch up with Johnny Lynch – aka Pictish Trail – on a busy Edinburgh Fringe afternoon in the Summerhall courtyard to discuss all things Lost Map. From the many different artists he’s worked with during his time managing the independent record label, he lets us in on his vision for their new project Visitations, which has just been launched. Lynch founded Lost Map Records in 2013 with close friend of 18 years, Kate Lazda (Kid Canaveral). The label was quickly established as a means for them both to make and distribute music from their friends as well as their own. “There’s something so satisfying about working with your friends and really enjoying their music,” Lynch says. “It’s the easiest thing to promote. You say: ‘You should listen to this music – it’s totally amazing,’ not just because they are my friends but because it’s a really great tune.” Lynch describes how Pictish Trail as a performer is an extension of himself, the two names are interchangeable and the way he works with other musicians is key to understanding the way he manages Lost Map and the collaborative approach he takes towards working with other artists on the label. “Lost Map is a collective of musicians who are self-releasing. A lot of the music we release is either home-recorded or produced by the musicians themselves... not recording in studios but in their bedrooms. We have a policy of not owning anyone else’s work.” Lynch continues: “That collective mindset has definitely informed my career as a musician. Lost Map and Pictish Trail go hand in hand... Lost Map forms a big part of the identity of who I am and has created opportunities for Pictish Trail which has been great.”

“ There’s something so satisfying about working with your friends and really enjoying their music” Johnny Lynch

The label currently works with artists including Alabaster dePlume, Rozi Plain, Monoganon and Randolph’s Leap and is renowned for releasing artists across a multitude of genres, a reflection of Lynch’s esoteric tastes both as a music lover and as a musician. “I realise that not everything we release is going to be to everyone’s taste,” Lynch acknowledges. “There’s stuff that we’ve released that’s been quite grungy and rocky then there’s stuff that’s been really happy and electronic. We’ve got singer-songwriter stuff; we are working with Savage Mansion at the moment and we’ve done full-on rock – it ticks all the boxes. “Nowadays, people are a lot less purist about their music tastes. You can like cheesy pop music and something really hardcore at the same time and nobody is going to make any kind of judgement. In fact, they would be more likely to

Feature

judge if you didn’t have those extremities of taste.” Lynch concludes: “For me, everything that we’ve released is what I love about music and I kind of take some perverse joy out of the fact that I know that not everyone is going to have the same taste as me.” As well as distributing records, promoting artists and putting on shows, the label hosts Howlin’ Fling, a friendly festival that invites musicians and music lovers to inhabit the Inner Hebridean Isle of Eigg, where Lynch currently lives and works, for a two-day long celebration of all things Lost Map. “What’s great is that you’ll get a group of people that like the label who have their own sets of acts that they are really into,” he explains. “You might have some people that are only into Rozi Plain, Ed Dowie and Alabaster dePlume, and some who are more into Kid Canaveral and Pictish Trail and Tuff Love. When you see the two audiences combined at Lost Map events, it’s a good mixture of people. “Eigg is slightly renowned among the islands as being a very musical island. The community here are very fun-loving people, very relaxed, and they all love music. To be honest, I don’t think Lost Map would be able to exist without the support of that community.” Lynch continues: “It’s one of those places that’s quite dangerous to visit – it can get under your skin and it’s quite difficult to leave.” Lynch’s ability to run a successful label from the remote island counters the notion that you have to move to bigger Scottish cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow to be part of its vibrant scene. Lynch tells us that he enjoys life on the island, despite it being so vastly different from his life on the road. “There’s no convenience culture there. The shop shuts at 5pm and it’s not always got milk or bread. It’s annoying the first couple of times that happens but then you just have to plan your life and make sure you always have a loaf of bread in the freezer.” Many of the artists who have attended Howlin’ Fling can appreciate the lure of the land, which has prompted the idea for Lost Map’s latest project, Visitations; “I knew that I wanted to do a residency on Eigg ‘cause so many musicians who’ve come over for Howlin’ Fling say, ‘Oh god, I’d really love to come over and make some music on Eigg. Do you have a little caravan that we could stay in and leave the city life for a week?’ So I thought it would be great to start a residency here.” Part of the idea behind Visitations, Lynch says, is “to create an archive of music from Eigg. It’s happening there yet all of the music that’s being recorded is from musicians from all over the world.” Recordings as part of the project will be released as EPs and will be available either as a physical or digital only subscription. “I understand in this day in age that people want to own records but others just want to have everything digitally, they don’t want to have clutter in their house,” says Lynch. “There’s all sorts of music fans. There’s music fans that don’t want to have all sorts of stuff in their house and then there’s music fans that are totally obsessive about having all the different artefacts and the physical elements that come with it.” The way Visitations will be presented to listeners is directly inspired by Lynch’s own substantial collection of CDs, cassettes and vinyl, which has gathered over the years, particularly from the sheer quantity of demos he receives through the label. The first in the subscription series includes the already available EP from

Photo: David Galletly

Interview: Amy Kenyon

Monoganon which came out last month; another will then be available in October, followed by the final of the three coming in December, just in time for Christmas. The physical releases will be pressed to 12” vinyl, featuring cover art from David Galletly and will include a CD copy (often with bonus tracks), as well as a printed postcard with download code for all audio and photos taken during the artist’s residency. Monoganon, the first artist to be fully released through Lost Map with his second album F A M I L Y, was also the first to take part in a week-long residency, helping Lynch establish the blueprint for all future Visitations. After the great amount of work that went into producing the first EP, Lynch soon realised that it wasn’t “really enough just to put the music out.” He wanted more of a focus on the artists’ creative processes as a whole, deciding that the release of diary entries, interviews and a series of podcasts linked to the project would be the best means of documenting how the music was made. “We wanted to do podcasts in conjunction with Visitations,” Lynch says, “that way those that are getting all of the music digitally can still feel as though they are involved in what the project is all about and can immerse themselves fully in the

Music

whole experience.” The first EP is available now alongside the first official Lost Map Podcast (which is free and readily available from most podcast providers), and while we can’t let you know who the upcoming October and December artists set to release via Visitations are, we can hint that the next one is from an artist who was recently longlisted for the 2018 SAY Award. If, like us, you trust Lost Map then you should get yourself subscribed pronto. Also, those who do subscribe “are going to be the first to know about the big [Lost Map] events as a reward for signing up and helping to support this project,” so what are you waiting for? Beyond their upcoming birthday celebrations and Visitations, we ask what Lost Map’s future plans are and Lynch laughs. “I’ve never really had a plan, it’s always just been on the strength of the music. There’s no plan to make Lost Map any bigger. If Lost Map stays at the same level that it’s at forever, then I’m happy!” Strange (Birthday) Invitation: Lost Map’s 5th Birthday All-Dayer takes place at St Peter’s Hall, Lutton Place, Edinburgh, 8 Sep Visitations by Monoganon is available now via Lost Map; subscribe at lostmap.com lostmap.com

THE SKINNY

September 2018

THE SKINNY

Design for Life After years in the making, the ambitious V&A Dundee will open its doors this month, changing the Dundee cityscape for good. Philip Long fills us in ahead of the grand opening

Interview: Adam Benmakhlouf

“ From the beginning, V&A Dundee needs to be a place that is rooted in the city and the region, and that people are involved in helping formulate” Philip Long

For Long, there are multiple lineages that brought around the V&A Dundee as a concept. He cites, for example, the Tate Liverpool as an important predecessor of a major cultural institutions seeking in earnest to expand access beyond their capital city locations. Long finds in these projects an indispensable attention being given to cities that face large scale economic and social barriers to prosperity. “That was only one part of a much wider policy to make sure that Liverpool didn’t stagnate. It is a much more recent phenomena that cultural centres within the major population centres have taken the initiative not to be associated purely with those places. There are a number of ways that could be done.” Taking this point on how famous cultural institutions in major population centres attempt to extend their reach and coverage, he cites ambitious programmes that place work across the country. In particular, he reflects on more

September 2018

Photo: Rapid Visual Media

major institutional landmark devoted to culture doesn’t come about all that often these days, so it’s with huge anticipation and excitement that the V&A Dundee opens its doors this month after years of aspiration, planning, ambition and – of course – design. And design is exactly what the multi-million pound development will promote and exhibit to local and international audiences for its long lifetime ahead. To mark the occasion, we caught up with the museum’s director, Philip Long, who has been leading the project since 2011. On first finding out about the V&A Dundee, it would be reasonable enough to wonder what made Dundee the prime candidate for the V&A to open its first ever museum outside of London. More than that, what made the V&A consider this kind of project in the first place? To begin to answer both questions, Long puts it plainly: “Dundee in many ways chose the V&A.” Expanding further, he says: “It came about as a consequence of the redevelopment of the city and particularly the waterfront. With that, came a strong desire to make a cultural presence on the waterfront. What was becoming increasingly clear was the importance of culture as part of the life of the city and the opportunities it could offer.” Here, Long cites the ongoing success of Dundee Contemporary Arts, the Dundee Rep Theatre and Scottish Dance Theatre.

unique styles of expanding access, like the Artist Rooms collaboration between National Galleries of Scotland and the Tate collection (a project which Long ran from 2007 to 2011). Since 2009, Artist Rooms has set up exhibitions across the length and breadth of the country, showing the most influential and important artistic figures of the last century in smaller institutions that would not otherwise be able to access works by the internationally renowned artists involved. Following a substantial acquisition of works, for Long it was a matter of urgency that the new collections immediately had the broadest possible reach, circulated beyond the usual channels, and reached audiences that may never have seen works by the most renowned figures of recent art history. The new V&A Dundee is driven by this same commitment to ensure collections are experienced by and inspire populations outside London or other international capitals. However, there is a concomitant responsibility to involve local communities and encourage a sense of ownership by the people of Dundee. Long describes the excitement of the V&A to have a new location and space outside of London, but acknowledges that this raises the question: “How do you make sense of all of that in the local community? One of the responsibilities we have felt as V&A Dundee is that you cannot just be an institution that lands from outer space into Dundee. From the beginning, it thus needs to be a place that is rooted in the city and the region, and that people are involved in helping formulate. We’ve worked hard to do that through a whole range of learning programmes that have got the project out into the community and more widely across Scotland.” This not only has

increased awareness and understanding of the new museum, but increased understanding of design and the opportunities therein. Expanding the idea of the social reach of the collection, one of the major threads of the initial programme of the V&A Dundee is Design and Society. This collection showcases “how design influences and shapes the places we live and the way we live our lives”, considering design as a method of problem-solving and community transformation. For example, one of the objects that is part of this section of the museum is Snap40, a wearable device that “use artificial intelligence to monitor a hospital patient’s vital signs”, reducing observation of vital signs from a two-hour task for a nurse, to two minutes. For Long, this part of the museum will demonstrate through a variety of objects from various periods that “designers’ consciousness about the effect design has on society is not new. When you come to see the display, you will see the contribution that designers have made on how to shape the world around us.” He thinks in particular of James Craig designing the New Town in Edinburgh in the second half of the 18th century, which eased the very poor living conditions in the middle of Edinburgh. He considers, too, the slums of Glasgow, and figures like Thomas Annan (1827-99) whose photographic practice motivated reform through heightened public awareness of terrible living conditions, and the lesser-known work of renowned Glasgow architect Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson in creating solutions to the overcrowding and low quality housing stock. “Designers don’t only [find] solutions to challenging circumstances, they see where there are problems.”

ART

For Long, designers thus make a contribution “to making a better world, that is fairer, safer and provides greater opportunity.” Not only demonstrating this important work through the objects shown, the V&A Dundee is itself an ambitious object of social design by Tokyo-based architect Kengo Kuma. For Long, the museum must be “a place for everyone, that provides the facilities and environment where people can discuss, have fun and be involved in opportunities.” Kuma himself coined the phrase “a living room for the city”, which Long uses to describe this intention. Looking at the scale and unique design of the building, it’s safe to say that the entire sense and shape of the city has been changed indelibly by the new V&A Dundee. “It’s something that symbolises a new confidence and the ability to get things done in quite a modest-sized city compared to Edinburgh and Glasgow. It will attract attention, interest and new investment to the city from around the world.” Long also considers the reconnection of the city to the river, which it had lost in the 1960s during the loss of industry. Long speaks with a sense of the V&A Dundee’s place within a greater constellation of efforts to bring prosperity and new confidence to the city of Dundee. “The V&A Dundee is not the answer to all of the challenges that Dundee faces… There are many people from many different fields with a responsibility to carry on addressing those. V&A Dundee can contribute a sense of optimism and desire to invest, and that creates great new value in the city for its population.” Opening 15 September, Free, Mon-Sun 10am-5pm. vam.ac.uk/dundee

Feature

Spell Bound T

omi Adeyemi crafts magic. Her debut is an international bestseller, the movie adaptation is in development and it was the first book picked for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon's Summer Reads – that’s just the beginning. Buy Children of Blood and Bone and the back cover is sparse; few words go a long way: “They killed my mother. They took our magic. They tried to bury us. Now we rise.” In Children of Blood and Bone, Zélie remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Under the rule of a ruthless king, those with powers were targeted and killed – her people were left without hope. She has the chance, alongside a rogue princess and her brother, to bring power back to her people, strike against the tyrannical monarchy and save magic before it’s eradicated for good. Six months since its release, it feels the perfect time to hit pause and reflect on the literary revelation. “It’s been a whirlwind for sure,” says Adeyemi. “I’m definitely still wrapping my head around it, but I’ve loved getting to meet the readers and see how they’ve embraced this story! The most rewarding part is getting to meet readers and see how much they love this story, especially when readers tell me how it’s changed their lives. The messages they send and the art they create is unreal.“

“ My heritage was the foundation... I got to make magic out of the wonderful culture I was born into” Tomi Adeyemi

The incredible array of art Tomi receives is particularly fitting. It was a collection of beautiful illustrations of the Orïsha she stumbled across in a gift shop in Brazil, where she studied West African mythology and culture, that initially brought her magic to life. The four striking images she’s shared online – featuring Yansã, Oxum, Oxalá Oxalufan and Oxóssi, wrapped in bold and bright colours – capture the moment the world vividly crafted itself in her mind; it was later via a discovery on Pinterest that the story took shape. “I had never seen black people depicted in such a magical and sacred way so I knew it would be in a story I wrote one day,” she recalls. “Several months later I saw a picture of a magical black girl with bright green hair and it lit my imagination on fire. As I daydreamed about what that girl’s world was like, the pieces of Children of Blood and Bone started falling in place. Seeing someone like me in a setting I’d never gotten to experience really got my creative juices flowing. “The book’s magic system is based off of the ten Orïsha I featured in the novel. While Orïsha are often called gods and goddesses in Western

Feature

settings, they’re actually more similar to angels or saints. Each one represents a collection of things, so building a magic system off of one of the things they represented felt natural to me. “There are types of magic readers will be used to seeing, like the ability to generate and control fire inspired by Sàngó, the Orïsha of fire, lightning, and thunder. But there are several types of magic readers won’t be used to, like the magic over life and death inspired by Oya, the Orïsha of cemeteries, transition, and wind.” What brings the magic of Children of Blood and Bone to leap so vibrantly off the page is that it is grounded in reality. Adeyemi created her world order and inserted it into what she knew. “My Nigerian heritage influenced my worldbuilding by becoming the world of the story,” she says. “The kingdom the story takes place in is named after the Orïsha, the West African spirits from the Yoruba religion. Seas and mountain ranges are named after my late grandparents. The characters wear dashikis, geles and headdresses as they eat jollof rice and fried plantain. “My heritage was the foundation [from] which the world of this story was built, and that was really gratifying for me because I got to make magic out of the wonderful culture I was born into.” Within this world, Adeyemi works with larger themes – it’s an epic adventure, but there’s another layer reflecting what’s happening today; she has noted it’s an allegory for the modern black experience. There’s the suppression of a whole swathe of society, state brutality – Adeyemi has spoken widely about how she wanted to write about Black Lives Matter. She also explores the complexity of the villain – King Saran is a tyrant, but when readers see his motives of protecting his people, they sound almost noble when removed from his actions. She steps beyond the archetypal bad guy to consider bigger questions: mainly, why? “Typically, there isn’t absolute good or evil in the world. There are multiple sides, multiple beliefs and multiple paths people are willing to take to get what they want. I find the antagonists and conflicts I love most as a consumer reflect that. Those characters aren’t bad to be bad – they believe they’re doing the right thing, and if the creator has done a really good job, we agree with the villains in the story as much as we agree with the hero. “I wanted that reflected in the book. No one is simply wrong or right – they’re all trying to do what’s best for their people and their kingdom, but they’re letting negative emotions like fear, anger and revenge guide them, and that’s where they go wrong.” There’s a number of complexities in the book that speak to the world today and the impact can already be seen. On Twitter, and at her Edinburgh International Book Festival event, Adeyemi beamed about a young girl called Ava-Rae. After an event on her book tour, she stomped up to the front of the line and began telling her about all the stories she was working on. Adeyemi said this was her favourite thing that had happened to her. “I often talk about how I’m writing for the little Tomi, the younger me who spent ten years writing fantasies alone in my room that didn’t feature any black characters,” she says. “I internalised that black people didn’t get to be in stories and didn’t get to have these big adventures at a young age, and so my protagonists were

Interview: Heather McDaid

Photo: Ronke Champion-Adeyemi

Tomi Adeyemi has created a new world through her young adult fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone. Six months on from its publication, she pauses to take stock and talk more about her story

always white or biracial. “It took me a long time to overcome that serious self-esteem damage, so I’m committed to stopping as many kids (especially black kids and especially black girls) from experiencing that. So to meet a young black writer so full of confidence and purpose was a dream come true.” The impact of Tomi’s Children of Blood and Bone has only begun. In six months, it’s taken over the book world and the rest of the series is on its way. It’s easy in moments like this to focus on the success alone, but her debut wasn’t actually her first book – in the vein of inspiring readers in all forms, what did she learn of persistence and resilience from the often-forgot novel that never was? “Lots of people don’t talk about my first book,” she notes. “I spent four years on it and it didn’t even get me a literary

BOOKS

agent, but it taught me everything I needed to know about myself, my writing and publishing. It gave me the confidence to really go for my dream. “I actually laid out a ten-year plan to achieve my publishing goals and I had planned to write five books to help me get there. Children of Blood and Bone was just my first attempt, but it would not have been successful at all had I not had the valuable experience from my first book.” It’s lucky then that this initial hurdle gave Tomi Adeyemi the confidence to really go for her dream. Children of Blood and Bone is a triumph and with the second book in the series due in 2019, there’s still plenty of time to join the journey at its first stop. Children of Blood and Bone is out now via Pan MacMillan panmacmillan.com/authors/tomi-adeyemi/children-ofblood-and-bone

THE SKINNY

September 2018

THE SKINNY

Laughter of Parris An established live act and a breakthrough star on TV, we catch up with Rachel Parris as her tour arrives in Edinburgh and Glasgow

o-one ever asks Rachel Parris about Eggheads. “Thank you!” she says. “At last someone asks me about this.” With her success in improv, music and solo comedy shows, Parris’ reputation has since soared beyond live comedy, presenting The Mash Report and in the past few weeks she’s picked up the breakthrough talent award at the Edinburgh TV Festival. But before any of this, she’d already enjoyed a claim to fame when her first improv troupe entered the BBC’s uncompromisingly clever quiz show. “They did a quiz to see who had the best general knowledge and I made the team! I do have pretty good general knowledge and love a pub quiz. I took TV and entertainment and I went to tie-breaker and lost my round but overall the team won, we beat those Eggheaded overlords! Yey!” Parris studied Music at Oxford University but had graduated before her induction to comedy. “I was living in Oxford, not really knowing what to do with my life. I’d finished my degree two years earlier, I was working in a shop and doing some waitressing and hanging around with some very very funny people who, I found out, were in this group called The Oxford Imps. When they held auditions, one of them (Hannah!) basically put my name down without asking me, as a shove up the arse, and I went along and got in.” She adds: “I was scared but as soon as I started doing stuff in the auditions I realised I found it fun, and, less difficult, and less scary than most other things. It felt natural. I was in the group with some of the funniest people I’ve ever met – including my Austentatious peeps Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Andrew Hunter Murray and Joseph Morpurgo.” Improv became the foundation to Parris’ comedy career and much more besides: “It gave me the idea that I could be funny onstage, that being funny was a particular thing I could, and perhaps should, do. If I had never done improv, I would never have done musical comedy, presenting, or standup. It gave me confidence. It gave me performing experience. It also taught me a lot about being a woman on stage and how little that should matter. The Imps was directed by women, produced by women and from then til now, the improv community I am part of is overrun with obscenely talented, confident women playing every role under the sun, doing every kind of improv, and I continue to be inspired by them. I’d like to name them – the queens of improv that I know – but there are genuinely too many.” Parris was one of the co-founders of Austentatious. In the show, the players act out a story suggested by the audience and frame it within the Georgian world of Jane Austen’s novels. It’s been phenomenally successful to say the least. Arriving in Edinburgh in 2012, it’s a true breakout hit, with a residency in London and regular tours. One detail that may have helped position the show correctly is the attention paid to its visual aspect. “Yes, we do consider it carefully: costume, set, photo style, aesthetic. Having started it all by ourselves, we’ve all got opinions on every aspect of it, but the one thing we always all agreed on from the start is not wanting to look too kerazy and kooky. We wanted something that stood out and looked just pretty cool. The photo Idil Sukan took for our first Edinburgh absolutely nailed that.” As each of the players have become successful solo artists, surely it has become harder to keep Austentatious going?

September 2018

“Yes a bit I guess. I mean, many of the cast had either begun a solo career first or around the same time as Austentatious started, so we have always had to balance those things. We are individually busier but equally we still love it, so we prioritise it. Also, we have more help than when we started! She adds: “It was just six of us, running a pub gig, digging costumes from charity shops and all putting in change for the float. Now we have producers and tour bookers and all that; but it remains very much ours... we want to protect it and work hard for it.” Parris’ own solo career, before The Mash Report, perhaps attracted the most attention when her show Best Laid Plans explored a period of low mood in her life. “I think it did the very first time I tried that material. The first time I said on stage that I wrote to the Samaritans was a gamble. It was an early preview and I thought it would just be a small throwaway paragraph in a show mostly about something else. But it became clear that it was the most interesting thing. I remember being emotional saying it out loud that first time. But once it becomes part of a show it changes. It’s still true but it is something crafted, it is script, it is narrative, and so, after that it’s not therapy – it’s your job.”

“ Improv gave me the idea that I could be funny onstage... it also taught me a lot about being a woman on stage and how little that should matter” Rachel Parris

Her latest show now arrives at The Stand and Òran Mór as it tours the UK and includes a mix of her best material. “It is called It’s Fun To Pretend and it is a standup and musical comedy show about having confidence in yourself, in spite of everything! It’s about imposter syndrome, as well as relationships, kids, Boris Johnson, line dancing and cats. It. is. relatable.” Finally, on the topic that everyone asks her about... After Piers Morgan’s butt-hurt response to Parris presenting his image licking Trump’s rump, has she found viral fame a twoedged sword? “Ha! I don’t feel famous! Not yet! But, to answer the question, no, because that implies 50/50 and it’s not, it’s mostly lovely. It has down sides, sure – trolling, nasty comments, and people getting the wrong impression of you... but mostly it is very nice because I’ve been given more opportunities to do what I love doing, and that’s absolutely brilliant.”

Photo: Karla Gowlett

Interview: Ben Venables

Rachel Parris: It’s Fun to Pretend, The Stand (Edinburgh), 26 Sep, 8.30pm, £12; Òran Mór, Glasgow, 27 Sep, 8pm, £12 rachelparris.com

COMEDY

Feature

Class Ectoplasm Lenny Abrahamson, the director of Frank, Room and What Richard Did, discusses the challenges of bringing Sarah Waters’ class-conscious ghost story The Little Stranger to the big screen

“A

ll good ghost stories are about something else,” begins Irish director Lenny Abrahamson when talking about his latest project, The Little Stranger, an adaption of Sarah Waters’ Booker Prize-shortlisted novel. He’s right to note that this text, like many quality spooky yarns, concerns more than the supernatural. Like Waters’ novel, Abrahamson’s film is a ghost-story, period and psychological drama weaved into one that potently explores a turbulent period of change in post-war Britain. “The novel is very clever, and has great depth,” says Abrahamson. “That got rid of that squeamish feeling I would have if I were making a film about things that go bump in the night.” Abrahamson admits this was a project where he could have his cake and eat it by “getting to play in the playground of genre but also deal with those insights about what it means to be human, and how we are as people.” The setting of The Little Stranger is a crumbling English manor house, Hundreds Hall, owned by the family matriarch Mrs. Ayres (Charlotte Rampling), who lives with her two adult children, Caroline (Ruth Wilson) and the battle-scarred former pilot Roderick (Will Poulter), who manages the land. When their maid Betty (Liv Hill) becomes ill, Caroline calls in the local doctor, Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson). His visit brings back childhood memories of when Hundreds was in its heyday before the war. The good doctor’s arrival stirs something lurking in the house, something dark and menacing. Following on from Abrahamson’s AcademyAward nominated Room, some were surprised that he would opt for a period set ghost story,

Feature

but as he explains, there are themes in Waters’ novel that run throughout all of his work. “They tend to be about people who are at odds with themselves or feel a degree of exclusion,” Abrahamson explains.

“ The novel is very clever, and has great depth. That got rid of that squeamish feeling I would have if I were making a film about things that go bump in the night” Lenny Abrahamson

So, what was the draw? Partly, it was the technical challenge, especially the chance to play with the expectations that come from a story that dabbles in the genre. “With genre, there is a gravitational pull of tropes and conventions, and it

was about the challenge of not toppling over into those.” But this challenge alone wasn’t enough. Abrahamson found himself drawn to Faraday, who he describes as an “abrasive character, who’s not overtly winning, but he’s very moving.” Faraday’s appeal to Abrahamson lies in the fact that the character embodies one of The Little Stranger’s very British central themes – class. Faraday’s mother once worked in service as a maid at Hundreds Hall, and despite now having a middle-class profession he still yearns to be accepted as an equal by the Ayres family. “Class is the key to the destructiveness of the relationships that are there, and Faraday’s internal struggle is largely to do that,” explains Abrahamson. “Faraday recognises the injustices of the society he grew up in, but at the same time he can’t help but want to be lifted out of his class to what he sees as a more glamorous world.” Class struggles today operate in more insidious ways, but in The Little Stranger they are potent, and Abrahamson wanted this theme to operate on a level that would resonate with those not familiar with the woes of the British class system. “Faraday has a universal relevance because we all have those destructive aspects that we would rather not recognise but do determine our lives,” he explains. The broader context of The Little Stranger touches on how Britain was going through profound changes at the time. The film opens in 1948; a year earlier, India declared independence, heralding the collapse of the British Empire. The population was becoming more multicultural with the influx of migrants from around the world, and as is mentioned in the film, on 5 July 1948, the NHS was created. Abrahamson sees The Little Stranger

FILM

Interview: Joseph Walsh

as a drama that’s “a study of that moment of British history,” more than a traditional horror film. As the film explores, this moment in Britain’s history was one that saw a tremendous shift in power, where the once-dominant landed ruling class became an anachronism, with the working classes now asking for a fairer share from those who sought to dominate them. While class is one of the themes of The Little Stranger, Abrahamson sees it as a metaphor for any system of power. “It could be race, or gender, or any number of things that impose a hierarchy on society.” He adds: “What is interesting is how those that are in the position of power are also damaged by this dynamic as well. But more obviously and more directly, those who are disadvantaged are damaged by it to a greater extent.” Does he think audiences will be surprised by The Little Stranger, given that those unfamiliar with the book could easily be forgiven for thinking it is more of a typical haunted house horror? “There are images and expectations of a ghost story with a crumbling house,” he explains. “You have to work hard to make sure that audiences don’t get lulled into those expectations and then feel they aren’t getting what they expected.” We then discuss what he thinks fans of the book will think: “I always really want to produce something that is the essence of the novel, but I am also aware that I have a responsibility towards the film.” He jokes: “It’s also not like it’s Star Wars where there’s a degree of hysteria among the fan base.” Released 21 Sep by Pathé

THE SKINNY

Desire Lines Female sexuality and desire is at the centre of Desiree Akhavan’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post. We speak to the Appropriate Behaviour director about her sharp and witty second feature

Interview: Katie Goh

esiree Akhavan hates the sex in Blue is the Warmest Colour. “I feel like that film is a thesis statement to finally answer the question that straight men have been wondering: how do women have sex?” Speaking to The Skinny in-between editing The Bisexual, her new Channel 4 sitcom, the Iranian-American writer-director of The Miseducation of Cameron Post is not holding back. “To me, a sex scene is a place to be subjective – you want your audience to be in it with them. You want them to lose themselves in it and to come away taking something away about the characters’ relationship with them. When you have a nine-minute-long sex scene in a wide shot that doesn’t move, that’s not a journey – that’s a check list of positions.” Never mind queer women’s sexuality, films about female sexuality full stop are few and far between. While there’s been a recent influx of films centring on young gay men coming to terms with their sexuality – Call Me by Your Name, God’s Own Country and Love, Simon spring to mind – how many recent and wide-release films can you think of about young queer women figuring themselves out? The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a rectification of Hollywood’s embarrassment around female desire. Based on the 2012 book by Emily M Danforth, the film is about Cameron Post (played by Chloë Grace Moretz), a teenage girl who is sent to a gay conversion camp when her guardian learns she’s having sex with another girl. Although the film is set in the early 90s, during filming the cast and crew realised they were making a far more relevant film than they had initially thought. “We were shooting during the US election,” says Akhavan. “It was a real shock to everybody. When we were writing the film, the gay conversion therapy was a metaphor. It was such a great metaphor for what it’s like to be a teenager because, no matter if you’re queer or not, all of us get it in the head that we’re diseased. That there’s something deeply wrong with you. In your 20s you can kind of de-brainwash yourself out of it but as a teenager you get increasingly brainwashed that anything about you that’s against the status quo is wrong and you need to change.” The election of Donald Trump and his right-hand-man Mike Pence, a person who believes in gay conversion therapy, turned the metaphor into a very literal reality. “It was supposed to be a metaphor,” sighs Akhavan, “I was being naïve.” Cameron Post has been six years in the making. “I read the book when it first came out and gave it [to] my girlfriend at the time,” explains Akhavan. “Instantly she said, ‘you have to make this into a movie.’ I thought it was a really good idea but that I was not at all up to the task of doing it. It felt way too intimating and way more emotionally complicated than what I’d attempted before.” Akhavan went on to make her debut feature Appropriate Behaviour, and while her and her writing partner Cecilia Frugiuele were travelling with it to film festivals, they started plotting their next project. “I told her that there’s this book that I love so much but we could never do it next, maybe later in our careers when we have more experience. But I told her to just read it. So she read the book and told me we were doing it next. I listen to her about everything – she’s my guiding light – so I said OK. She optioned the book and next thing I knew we were writing it.” In the film industry, there’s a (not-so-secret) secret that independent female filmmakers who

September 2018

make successful debuts often struggle to make follow-ups. When asked if she experienced this, Akhavan is emphatic: “The opportunities are not there. We wrote this film to cost three or four times as much as it did. We had one opportunity to finance it because only one of the companies we sent it to was interested in engaging with us. So we took it, even though it was a tiny percentage of what we needed to make the film. We rewrote the film for the budget. It was compromising left and right and deciding what compromises we would make and what ones we would never make.” Even with Moretz as the film’s lead, Cameron Post still hasn’t seen a wide release in the US. “We have great releases in the UK and in France. In the US, we’re just releasing it in a handful of theatres, even with Chloë involved. Chloë is a Hollywood star, she’s someone who attracts an international audience. And even with her attached, America is still afraid of putting female sexuality in the limelight. A film about female sexuality is something people shy away from and I don’t think distributors were confident putting their money and their brand behind a film like this, even with Chloë attached and even though it won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize.” Despite the film’s limited release in the US, Akhavan hopes that young people will still be able to seek it out. “I hope teenagers are the ones who watch it because it’s so much about sex. The sex teenagers are exposed to is porn on the internet and I’d rather a teenager watched sex that is realistic. We’re coded to be fucked up about our bodies and our fucking through porn. And I love porn actually. I would love to make it because I wish porn reflected the way people actually fuck. There should be much more conversation around sex and the different kinds of sex that people have.” Akhavan was cautious approaching the sex scenes and our conversation returns to Blue is the Warmest Colour and how men film women having sex. “It’s such a huge difference between

how male and female sexuality is depicted on screen. You can watch a girl giving head till the cows come home but if a girl gets head, suddenly it’s disgusting.

“ I hope teenagers are the ones who watch my film because it’s so much about sex. The sex teenagers are exposed to is porn on the internet and I’d rather a teenager watched sex that is realistic” Desiree Akhavan

“So few films about female sexuality are given wide theatrical release,” she continues. “The only two recent films given that in America both had male directors: Carol and Blue is the Warmest Colour.” Akhavan wanted the sex scenes to be as realistic and naturalistic as possible, something the audience would be in rather than voyeuristically watching. “I gave the girls space. I hid all of the crew and told the girls what I wanted but didn’t choreograph it, which I usually do. I wanted them to experience it and for them to feel empowered. I left them in the car

FILM

with the cinematographer and the focus-puller hid under the car and that was it. We did a take and it was magic! The girls lost themselves in that moment. It felt personal and vulnerable and as long as it looked like they knew what they were doing I was happy.” Our conversation comes to an end with a discussion of the recent headlines about the lack of diversity in film criticism, something that Akhavan says has affected her films directly. When Appropriate Behaviour premiered at Sundance, the Hollywood Reporter was the first to publish a review. “It was really negative,” remembers Akhavan. “It was written by someone who admitted in the review that this was not his type of film. When I read that I was like, ‘then why are you reviewing this?’ That review hurt me and hurt my prospect for sales because it was the first thing that was released about the film. I remember thinking, why is that man reviewing this? I would hope someone reviewing would know that genre.” Cameron Post suffered a similar fate this year, this time from Variety. “The review said it was like a Lifetime film and it made me think, no women would ever say that. The entire point of this film was to take the subject matter that was like a Lifetime film and turn it on its head. He also wrote that The Tale was like a Lifetime film. So because these films are about women and directed by women, they’re suddenly subjugated to the ghetto of movies for women. “I use those anecdotes because I feel very strongly that those were experiences of middleaged, straight, white men who aren’t my audience judging my work and being put in a very powerful position to judge it and affect my sales. However, I also think you can enjoy anything. Other straight white men have loved the work and I’ve had great conversations with them. At the end of the day, the dialogue we have around films and consuming film is really powerful.” The Miseducation of Cameron Post is released 7 Sep by Vertigo

Feature

Klear Vision Neutron Dance is being tipped as the track of 2018, so we fired some questions at Dec Lennon, aka Krystal Klear, about living in NYC, what keeps him inspired, and how it feels to have the hit of the year on his hands Interview: Claire Francis

esident Advisor called it “an impossibly cheery nu-disco track that might be 2018’s Inspector Norse,” referencing Todd Terje’s 2012 hit; Mixmag stated in a nod to Midland’s 2016 standout banger, “this is 2018’s Final Credits.” Krystal Klear’s EP The Division was released earlier this year on Gerd Janson’s Running Back imprint, and its opening track Neutron Dance has all the hallmarks of becoming the anthem of 2018. Dublin-born, New York City-based Krystal Klear has been DJing and producing for the better part of a decade. With previous releases on All City, MadTech and EGLO, and high-profile shows with the likes of Skream and Ben UFO, Dec Lennon is no stranger to the spotlight, and Neutron Dance looks set to become another career highlight. Ahead of his upcoming shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh, he answers some questions from The Skinny from his home in NYC. The Skinny: You’ve had an amazing response to The Division so far, in particular to Neutron Dance. Did you anticipate the reaction you’ve had, critically and commercially, to this record? KK: I thought it would do well but by no means to the extent that it has gone. Signing to Running

Krystal Klear

encounter remained particularly memorable for you? I smoked a cigar with Tom Jones in the Playboy Club in Mayfair once when Skream and I DJed at Kate Moss’ 40th... that sentence alone should give an indication of how ridiculous the night was.

Back was the dream and anything after that has been a bonus. What prompted you to relocate to New York, what attracts you to the city as a DJ/producer? I was tired of what was happening in the UK and wanted a change. I have somewhat of an obsession with NYC and it basically reached a point where I felt I needed a new deep end, a new challenge, and New York was it. The history continuously motivates me with what I am working on and that has always been an everlasting attraction. Sum up your feelings on Donald Trump for us? No. Which other DJs/producers inspire you? What are some of your favourite albums/tracks of 2018 so far? I tend to avoid listening to a lot of ‘dance music’ as it keeps me excited to play it when I am DJing but I guess I dig for anything on Running Back (naturally) – I like Fango, Terr has some great stuff, and TEED’s new album tracks are fantastic too. You’ve met and worked with all sorts of artists, from Nile Rodgers to MF Doom. Has any one

You’ve spoken out previously about the ‘boys’ club’ nature of the industry and the mental health issues that come with it. How do you steer clear of this side of the industry when you’re touring night after night? I don’t necessarily know about it being entirely a ‘boys’ club’ thing [rather than] just a universal part of the industry I am in. But I think to answer your question, I know what I want now more then ever and that’s especially evident when I DJ or travel so I guess that steers me in the right direction and avoids me getting into any pent-up frustration on the road. Is writing and releasing a full-length album still on the cards? 100% You’re playing La Cheetah Club in Glasgow in September, and Terminal V’s Halloween

Festival in Edinburgh in October. What’s your favourite memory of playing in Scotland? I think the best memory I have of playing in Scotland is that I have never had a bad gig in Scotland – but playing Subbie always gets me going. What do you think of Gerd Janson’s remix of Neutron Dance? In an interview last year you were quoted as saying “If you’ve got a Gerd Janson or a Sven Vath playing [your record] at Time Warp, then that makes people want to get it and play it.” I think it’s amazing. I mean, to have one of your mentors bash out a remix with such an interesting take was such an amazing addition to this release. What do you like to do when you’re not playing or making music? If I’m not taking photos, I am generally slagging Janson about his brown vest, or Alex Olson about his homeless-chic. Krystal Klear plays La Cheetah Club with Ezup, Glasgow, 22 Sep; Terminal V Halloween, Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, 27 Oct soundcloud.com/krystalklear

Access All Areas Walk, run and jump through Scotland’s built heritage from churches to concert halls as Doors Open Days returns for 2018

Leith Theatre

n 2018 you can pull up the highest-res photographs or dive inside a Street View approximation of an iconic building at the touch of a button, but there’s just no substitute for seeing things up close and personal. Helpfully, that’s the exact premise of Doors Open Days, returning this month with a huge range of doors kicked ajar throughout the month. Glasgow’s celebration of all things architectural is the most impressive – there are dozens of

Feature

Photo: Roosa Päivänsalo

Words: Peter Simpson

exciting sites to explore from 10 to 16 September, including a host of new places to check out this year. These fresh additions range from the shiny and contemporary – like the Scottish Ballet headquarters at Tramway, or Dear Green coffee roastery in the East End – to the chunky and venerable. Ever wanted to look around the Old Central Police Courts, but didn’t want to do the crime that would necessitate doing the time? Now you can, although you’d also have a lovely

afternoon at Robert Allason’s Greenbank Gardens, home to more than 3,600 species of plants. From the restored 1840s Engine Works in Maryhill to cultural hotspots like The Common Guild and the Rockvilla base of the National Theatre of Scotland, there’s a veritable shitload to see and do. The Anderston Kelvingrove Parish Church serves as a pop-up hub throughout the Doors Open Days festivities in Glasgow, with an extensive programme of talks and events lined up over the course of the week. We’re talking Parkour tours of the city, walks that shine a light on the buildings shaped by the M8’s path through Glasgow and trails around the city’s examples of brutalist architecture. Oh the concrete you’ll see! Up in Dundee on 8 and 9 September, things are equally varied. Artistic? Take a behind-thescenes tour of the Dundee Rep, taking in the costume department, workshops and rehearsal rooms as if you’re the real theatrical deal. You can also head over to DCA for a look around their Print Studio and a glimpse of their cinema set-up. Like boats? You can have a peek around the HMS Unicorn, one of the world’s oldest surviving warships, and have a gander at the exterior of the V&A while you’re at it. Big pub fan? Hit up the Edwardian classic that is the Speedwell Bar for a 15-minute guided tour. And if you like a variety of things, get to the Collections Unit at the McManus to see the various Archaeology, Natural and Social History artefacts on offer.

CLUBS / ART

And in Edinburgh (29-30 Sep), spiritual home of the old old building, there’s a plethora of places to check out. Down in Leith, you can take a wander around the renovated Leith Theatre, or have a tour round the newly-revived Custom House (we advise bookending your visit with a coffee in Custom Lane and lunch at Leith Market). The Drumsheugh Baths in the New Town are a Moorish marvel built in the 1880s, so if you like big shadows and lovely arches we suggest you pop along; Edinburgh University’s flagship McEwan Hall in Bristo Square is also on the list for this year, offering a chance to check out its ceremonial grandeur without being shouted at for disrupting someone’s graduation ceremony and/or stand-up comedy gig. Music-lovers can check out St Cecilia’s Hall, Scotland’s oldest concert hall that dates back to the 1760s and now houses hundreds of musical instruments and artefacts. Book fans can head to the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre (come for the literature, stay for the engraved glass dome ceiling), and those of you who are into skeletons can take a rare opportunity to check out the Anatomical Museum at the University of Edinburgh. Basically, there’s something for everyone – just push open the door and find out what’s behind. Doors Open Days takes place across Scotland on weekends throughout September doorsopendays.org.uk

THE SKINNY

September 2018

Feature

Fatherson: Under the Influence Ahead of its release, Fatherson talk us through the albums that have helped influence their third studio album, The Sum of All Our Parts

Words: Fatherson

Fatherson

head of releasing their third studio album, Sum of All Our Parts, via Easy Life Records on 14 September, Fatherson, who formed in 2010 in Kilmarnock, talk us through some of the albums that have helped inspire their new record. Manchester Orchestra – I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child [Canvasback Music, 2006]

Manchester Orchestra are probably one of our collective favourite bands and this record sums up a lot of what is so great about this band. They are definitely a rock band but there is so much depth and variety throughout their albums. That is something we’ve always put a lot of importance on when writing music. It was hard to decide on which record to choose but this was the one that turned me on to the band and I still love it over ten years later. [Marc Strain] Pinegrove – Cardinal [Run for Cover Records, 2016] This record was recommended to us by a friend and we all immediately fell in love with it. There’s a rawness in each track that really gets under your skin, you can totally imagine that it was recorded live in a room with each take being slightly different from the last. This album is partly the reason we recorded our new record totally live. [Greg Walkinshaw] Snow Patrol – Final Straw [Polydor Records, 2003] Final Straw is one of those records that you would know

Feature

every song from it even if you had never listened to the album. Songs like How to Be Dead and Spitting Games perfectly straddle creative and interesting songwriting whilst still being massive hits. I would urge everyone to listen to this album again and see how well the songs stand up against other indie albums that were released around the same time. [GW] Death Cab for Cutie – Plans [Atlantic Records, 2005] Death Cab are such a special band to all of us so it makes sense that two of their records make this list. Plans is a record that we all came back to when writing our new album and fell in love with all over again. The production on this album is beautifully understated yet still really interesting, I find myself getting lost in the songs almost every time I put it on. Special mention to Brothers on a Hotel Bed for being possibly the most beautiful piece of music ever. [GW] Ludovico Einaudi – Una Mattina [Decca, 2004] We first came across Ludovico Einaudi when we watched This is England and instantly fell in love with his music. Una Mattina was the album we connected with the most as a group and were inspired by the simplicity of his arrangements and the way his piano sounds on this record. We referenced this and the second Bon Iver album when we were recording a track called Reflection on Sum of All Your Parts. It’s been my go-to instrumental album for about five years now and I hear something new in it every time I go back. [Ross Leighton]

Bon Iver – 22, A Million [Jagjaguwar, 2016] This is a masterpiece in writing music. Ever since For Emma, Forever Ago we have been big fans of Bon Iver and Justin Vernon’s other bands because of his ability to remain innovative and consistent through everything he has done. Musically, the exploration of synths and sampling alongside vocal effects were super inspiring. It was certainly the album that made me think we could do stuff like that with our music, without it sounding super try-hard. [RL] Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi [Atlantic Records, 2015] We’ve been big Death Cab fans for years and they are a big influence on us, hence their multiple entries on this list. In my opinion this is one of their best albums and I had it on constantly whilst we were writing the album. To be on album eight and still producing interesting and compelling guitar music is testament to a great band and a place that I hope our band can reach. [MS] Frank Ocean – Blonde [Boys Don’t Cry, 2016] This album changed my life. I’ve never got lost in anything like this before. I think I listened to it every day for a year and I still don’t understand what’s going on with it and I still think it’s incredible. Productionwise it’s super forward thinking and composed with incredible melodies and subject matter, and the annoying thing is that he makes it sound easy!

Music

He makes music the way he wants to and doesn’t seem to care what other people think – that’s about the most freeing thing I guess you can do and that was cool to see someone not getting caught up in the minefield of releasing music these days. [RL] Idlewild – 100 Broken Windows [Food Records, 2000] Our first show as Fatherson was supporting Idlewild on the 100 Broken Windows anniversary tour. For that reason, this record holds a very special place with all of us. It was the first time we had really travelled around the country playing music in big venues and was a great jumping off point for our band. As a band we grew up listening to, Idlewild have been a big influence to us from the beginning. [MS] Radiohead – The Bends [Parlophone / Capitol, 1995] In my opinion, this is one of the coolest guitar albums ever made. Sonically and structurally, it really had a massive influence on The Sum of All Our Parts. Trying to emulate Radiohead’s guitar tones is like trying to repaint a Van Gogh, but every guitar part on The Bends sounds unique and angular – which we tried to replicate in a couple of instrumental sections on our new album. The guitars on My Iron Lung and on Fake Plastic Trees in particular helped us judge how The Rain and Oh Yes would sound. [RL] The Sum of All Our Parts is released on 14 Sep via Easy Life Records Fatherson play Barrowlands, Glasgow, 2 Nov fathersonband.com/

THE SKINNY

Breaking the Rules We speak to Jlin about self-care, Scooby Doo and her latest album Autobiography, written for Wayne McGregor’s trailblazing ballet of the same name

Photo: Madhumita Nandi

Interview: Rachel Bowles

errilynn Patton, more commonly known as Jlin, cuts an impressive, prolific figure – a gifted and sought-after composer, musician, producer and DJ; her sophomore album Black Origami racked up rave reviews and graced many Best of 2017 lists including The Skinny’s. Jlin has had a meteoric rise to critical fame from her humble start composing in her own bedroom in Indiana, she still maintained her day job as a steelworker even up until last year despite her musical talent being in demand from the likes of the Kronos Quartet (whom she has an upcoming collaboration with!), Björk and Max Richter – just to name a few. After immersion in her work, it’s clear why. How would Jlin describe it? “Vulnerable, naked,” she says, not wanting to overly dictate how her music is received. “I’m not going for a certain thing. I’m just creating. The listener feels how they feel because they like it, they don’t, they hate it, they love it, I’m just creating it and that’s it.” She also dislikes the negative effects of our 24-hour-media-hype culture on music, “I think what happens is sometimes we overexplain. Why don’t you let your listeners, your audience form an opinion? We don’t need a preview to every damn thing. Life is not a trailer. Sometimes just rolling into something and not knowing what to expect is a really beautiful experience.” Not to contradict Jlin’s wishes, but to give her work context – influenced by the footwork and juke music scenes in Chicago, she’s crafted her own signature, post-house electronic sound. It’s inherently experimental, complex and crafted, whilst visceral and raw, and perfect for groundbreaking dance. No doubt this is what first attracted world renowned Resident Choreographer of the Royal Ballet, Wayne McGregor, when he needed to commission a composition for his new piece Autobiography – something electronic yet resonant with biological themes to match his own aesthetic interests. “When Wayne first approached me I was actually very excited and scared at the same time because I didn’t know what to expect,” Jlin explains. “I had never done anything like this in my life, the only person I had ever created for is

September 2018

myself. And I was just blown away for that reason. I’ve always wanted to go to a ballet, I just had no idea that the first ballet I was going to go to would be the ballet that I was composing for! And what does composing for a ballet even entail?” As if this prospect wasn’t daunting enough, McGregor’s Autobiography is a high concept complex piece – working with scientists at the Wellcome Trust, McGregor has sequenced his own genome, using the mass data from his own DNA to inform and affect the ballet each time it’s performed, so each performance is unique for every dancer and each audience, never to be repeated. McGregor was keen for Jlin to research this subject in depth, “I had to do a lot of research before I started creating, on top of the time that I didn’t really have to create,” she laughs. “I researched for about two months. Wayne gave me a book to read, The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee. It was really helpful and interesting, and then on top of the material he was giving me we became joined at the hip as I was creating. I used to wake up at two in the morning, working until six in the evening – and those were the best hours for creating. It was cool. I was enjoying it because I was on Chicago time and he was in London, so if I ever did need to hit him up for anything he was available. It worked out really well. And trusting me with something that was so intimate because it was based on his genetic code, I was honoured.” Trust and a deep mutual respect of each other’s artistry is really at the core of Jlin and McGregor’s collaboration. Jlin found in McGregor a kindred spirit, “Wayne, very much like me, breaks all the rules. He does not follow the rules of being contemporary in any way. It’s his way and he has his signature and you know it when you see it and I love and respect that about him.” In return, McGregor accepted Jlin’s perfectionism, giving her complete control over her creative process. “I can’t operate any other way. Anytime I go in with a person who asks me to do something, I say it like a disclaimer – I can’t be micromanaged. If you came to me, there’s obviously a reason you came to me. Wayne is one of those people who realise that when you micromanage

you restrict the piece, he has the wisdom to know that. There was a track in there I had originally, and he loved it but I didn’t like it, he said if I didn’t like it, I could take it out.”

“ I’ve always wanted to go to a ballet, I just had no idea that the first ballet I was going to go to would be the ballet that I was composing for!” Jlin

Initially, Jiln wasn’t sure how to start composing, “I kept procrastinating. And Wayne texted me one day, ‘I can’t wait, I’d love to hear a piece soon,’ and I went into nervous mode. I hadn’t even started... It was [the] end of June and the ballet is in October!” Jlin laughs. “And that day, I started Annotation and sent it to him. He was blown away and said, ‘Keep going, keep going! Do your thing!’ I finally went to his studio in July and I had finished Kundalini. We listened to it and his mouth was wide open, and he asked, ‘You made this?’ He called his staff in, ‘You gotta hear this!’ They listened to it and were like, ‘Woah!’ The stage designer, Ben Cullen was in the room as well and when he heard it he said, ‘I have all these ideas now!’ It was like a domino effect, we had all this energy.” As time passed, this creative momentum intensified. “We became [like] a family. We did everything together, we were in 12-hour rehearsals all day, every day but it didn’t feel like 12

Music

hours. It was a magical, organic situation. It never felt like work because everybody was doing what they love.” McGregor also insisted that Jlin take time to enjoy the fruits of all that hard work. “Wayne wanted me to go watch Autobiography without me [performing], seeing it with my music playing, so they played the audio file and I cried like a baby because that was probably one of the most fulfilling moments. [I’d] never seen my music come to life like this.” Jlin’s gamble to work so hard throughout 2017 particularly – “it wasn’t crazy, it was insane!” – has paid off serious dividends but it came at a personal cost, however enjoyable the labour. “I suffer anxiety and that’s what made me come to terms with the fact that you can’t do everything. The smallest things would stress me out. I was making Black Origami and [writing for] the ballet at the same time. That was almost impossible. Honestly, I would never wish that on anybody. It’s not anything to brag about because believe me, it’s brutal. You’ve got to look after yourself.” Jlin now practices self-care and mindful gratitude, “I just cut off seven inches of my hair and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to start meditating for seven minutes a day, and just taking seven minutes to myself.’ I feel very free. You know how they say, ‘a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life?’ I feel that! I’m [also] always grateful. I think the key to life is gratitude. I’m very grateful for the opportunities [I’ve had] and will receive in the future. You can’t just say you’re grateful, you show you’re grateful by the time, the dedication and the focus you put into your work and God knows I put the time in! But it’s [balanced], I give myself time to grow. Your ears, spirit and mind need to rest.” And what does Jlin do when she really needs to power down? What is the key to her unfettered success? “You really want to know? You’re going to get the exclusive! I’ve been watching Scooby Doo episodes from 1970-1973. I love Scooby Doo, and somebody is gonna be like ‘You are the biggest nerd ever!’ And that’s ok.” Autobiography is released on 28 Sep via Planet Mu jlin.bandcamp.com

Feature

SHOWCASE

THE SKINNY

Photo: Mark Flattery

David McLeish Greetings from the Costa del Prole

ith the arrival of the V&A, it got me thinking a lot, as I usually do, about class inclusivity in the arts. Gentrification is a dirty word, however ‘prole’ shouldn’t be an informal derogatory in the dictionary. Prole prəʊl/ noun 1. proletariat, a member of the working class Riffing off of this, and the pun on the ‘Costa Del Sol’, I reimagined a hypothetical Dundee as not an arts tourism destination, but as how it might be as a working class tourist resort. As a working-class person, I have felt the class divide, and ‘prole’ is the only derogatory term I would even begin to feel comfortable ‘reclaiming’.

September 2018

In doing this, I want to open a dialogue between the arts and the working classes, between the incumbent institutions and the people who have always been here. There’s no shame in who they are, their opinions on art are just as valid as anyone’s. This needed to not be encoded, a message in symbolism or hieroglyphs, so I adopted a very literal visual language – familiar and comfortable that doesn’t talk down to anyone. A love letter to these things, not a sneering patronisation. I worked hard, and physically, to make all of the objects for a souvenir shop, putting in over 37.5 working hours a week on pretty much everything that would then go on sale in the fully functional shop. I also performed 37.5 hours of a karaoke version of ABBA’s Super Trouper, as a means of putting in the hours and questioning whether it’s

harder to work in a shop or perform as an entertainer, a Z-lister and former Leng medallist consigned to living out the rest of their days in some god-forsaken resort town. Trying to run a whole resort like chaotically spinning plates, in the manner of Fawlty Towers, I would be compering karaoke at the show as well as trying to run the shop and do everything. Peppered with many personal references, telling my own secret narrative about holidays I’ve had and one I’d dearly like to, breaking the fourth wall, and keeping the aesthetic lo-fi, the screen prints deliberately misregistered. Maybe I’ll get there, one day… [David McLeish] David McLeish graduated from Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone. He’s currently looking into developing this project further. davidandrewmcleish.wordpress.com I: @skeltmilk

SHOWCASE

Feature

LE Y ST FE LI

Skate and Destroy Interview: Iana Murray Illustration: Susie Purvis

One skater girl recalls her experience of getting back on a board and learns how women are taking a stand against sexism in the skatepark

earning to skateboard at 20 years old is, frankly, embarrassing. You can be forgiven for wiping out on the hard concrete when you’re a kid – that’s the time to make mistakes – but adulthood is less accommodating. There’s an expectation to be mature and you definitely shouldn’t be playing with toys. My relationship with skateboarding is a tenuous one. I tried skating when I was younger – the result of a brief obsession with the Tony Hawk video games – but like most of my fixations, I quickly gave up. I was frustrated with myself for not being very good, and oblivious to the fact that I wasn’t going to land kickflips any time soon with the cheap skateboard my parents bought from the garden centre. But there was also something else. I had never seen a girl skater, in real life or on screen, and I was acutely aware of how lonely I felt skating. Add to that the judgemental glares of dog walkers and teenage boys on their BMX bikes, and the pressure to prove myself as a skateboarder got to me. I hung up my board in the shed to gather dust. Skip to six years later when I saw Skate Kitchen earlier this summer. Starring the real-life group of the same name, the film follows an introverted teen who finds friendship in an all-girl skate crew. I was entranced by the group’s ferocious camaraderie and badass attitude, deflecting sexist men with the wry confidence I wish I had. Most of all, I admired their skating, looking effortlessly cool as they traverse the streets of Manhattan like it’s their personal playground. I was that pre-teen girl again, raring to cruise on the board from the

garden centre. Getting back on a (better) skateboard, I immediately recalled why I had stopped. The stares and double-takes were all the same, inducing unwelcome anxieties that lurked wherever my board and I went. Will people laugh at me if (or more appropriately, when) I fall over? Will people think I’m a poser? It’s a sentiment shared by other girl skaters. “When you go to an outdoor park, I definitely feel as though eyes are drawn to female skaters,” says Megan Bruce, a student from Aberdeen. “It gives you a feeling that you need to try and prove yourself, as if you’re not as worthy to be at the skatepark as guys are. I think there’s also a stigma that a lot of guys might think girls are trying to skate to look ‘cool’ rather than to actually enjoy the hobby itself.” Megan started skating with her friend two years ago after a school trip to Aberdeen’s Transition Extreme. They learned that the centre holds a Girls Night exclusively for female skaters and have been going weekly ever since. Skateparks can be a scary place, especially for people who aren’t at a level to face the scrutiny of others yet. Skate sessions provide a far less intimidating alternative, such as the inaugural beginners skate session held at Kelvingrove Museum in August. Those in attendance were welcomed to the sight of beer cans being passed around and the sound of heavy metal blaring from phone speakers. Everyone was readily embraced, whether you had been skating for years or had never stepped on a board before, and you could tell from the diverse group who had congre-

gated at the museum front. A girl in a hijab was landing ollies, while close by a newbie was being taught how to find her stance. The session was held by Doyenne Skateboards, a Scottish-based brand founded by a collective of girl skaters. “We decided to hold a beginners session because we believe that people just need an invitation, even to a small event like ours, to feel like they have an opportunity to start skating,” Doyenne tell us. “We believe that everyone deserves the same opportunities, and there are not many for women, queer folks and people with disabilities. So we decided to create that opportunity for them.” The company was created in response to the boys’ club mentality of the skatepark, with the hope of encouraging more women to skate. Doyenne operate on the values of inclusivity and equality. “We wanted to create a skateboarding brand that all skaters could feel represented by, regardless of gender, race, sexuality and disability,” they say. “Offering inclusivity means raising awareness that everybody can be a part of something.” Doyenne’s mission of inclusivity also extends to their merchandise. Emblematic of the growing acceptance of gender fluidity in everyday fashion, the company sells ungendered clothing, ensuring everyone feels welcome to buy their products. Doyenne Skateboards’ activism also extends beyond Scotland – a portion of the profits go towards Skatepal, a non-profit organisation that helps young Palestinian skaters by building skateparks and teaching classes. As conversations and stories are shared with the group, it soon becomes clear that the

sport is more open to women than others. One woman speaks about a young girl who was a talented skater and when she snapped her deck at a skatepark, a male skater rushed to the shop to buy her a new one. The unspoken bond between skaters crosses the gender divide and yet women are still reluctant to get on a board. So, how can we encourage more girls to skate? Ultimately, there needs to be a change in skateboarding’s innate boys club culture and an erasure of the stigma against girl skaters. Doyenne believe it’s only a matter of time until women achieve equality in skating, as long as girl skaters continue to support each other. “If skater girls encourage other girls to start, and show there is a community they can be part of, girls would be less intimidated to start,” Doyenne say. “It’s actually pretty beautiful how much support there is within the girl skater community around the world, and we believe it’s just going to grow bigger.” It speaks to the power of representation that one movie was the push I needed to start something I knew I’d love. It may have taken me the better part of a decade to finally pick up a board, but hopefully I’m a rare case in the fast growing movement of empowered young female skaters. With the knowledge that a community exists that shares my worries and anxieties, skating has suddenly become a lot less lonely. When I fall, I just get back up again. Skate Kitchen screens 15 Sep at GFT as part of Glasgow Youth Film Festival, and is released 28 Sep by Modern Film doyenneskateboards.com

Modern Love Love is a complex thing, so we're going to explore it this new column. Our Intersections editor has the details

Words: Katie Goh

ove loves to love love and so do I. Welcome to Modern Love, the Skinny’s new column that will explore what love looks and feels like today. Each month, a new writer will offer their interpretation of what modern love means to them, because if love can be defined as anything it’s as an interpretation. As The Troggs told the world in 1967, love is all around us. It’s online and offline, digital and analogue, in our politics, pop songs and Facebook likes. It’s experienced in glances, across sticky club floors, through the monotonous endless scrolling of Instagram, in beds and on buses. Love in 2018 is a multi-faceted beast. While patriarchal, heteronormative capitalism has perpetuated that the only kind of love that’s valid looks like a wedding card cartoon or a nuclear family, love can mean anything. It is romantic, obsessive and platonic, experienced between parents and children, new friends and old friends, and by yourself. I’ve had love affairs with bowls of ramen

Lifestyle

INTERSECTIONS

on a winter’s night, or an art gallery’s installation, or a film that in that moment has burned brighter than any past romantic relationship. Love is a lot of things, but most of all it’s lonely and isolating and pretty fucking weird. It’s hard to talk about or put into words. This column will create snapshots of modern love, from a mother’s love to a fan’s love to an ex’s love. Gird your loins for writing that is personal, inwardfacing, outward-looking, subjective, empathetic, sad, sentimental, intimate, and over-bearing — just like love. As a society, we’re currently experiencing an ironic dissonance with love. Whether it’s the 24-hour news cycle or a disassociation with our politicians, or the internet warping our perceptions of ourselves, the last few years have hardened us against vulnerability and empathy. This column will take a sledgehammer to that wall. We can’t wait.

THE SKINNY

Queer, There, Everywhere We speak to Queering the Map, the digital, crowd-sourced mapping project memorialising queer existence and history across the world

here did you have your first kiss? Do you remember the party where you met your partner, and the museum where you had your first date? What about the club where you first realised you liked girls or the park where someone first went down on you behind the bins? Do you walk down the street and pass the spot where you had your heart broken by an ex? These places are more than buildings or names on a map – they’re living spaces that we invest with our memories and desires. For Lucas LaRochelle, the ever-changing, subjective relationship each of us has to place was the incentive behind Queering the Map, which LaRochelle describes as a “community generated mapping project that geolocates queer moments, memories and histories in relationship to place.” It’s a pink interactive Google Map with thousands of pins across the world, each of which captures a queer moment written by an anonymous queer-identifying person. Pins range from the amusing (“gay penguins (they love and support u)” reads a pin in Antarctica) to the heartbreaking (“the kids at this school couldn’t decde weather to call me faggot or dyke”) to affirmations of queer identity (“Me” can be found on lone pins throughout the world). It was a bike ride that inspired Queering the Map. “It’s a route I took every day to and from school,” explains LaRochelle over Skype from Montreal. “There’s this tree where I had met my first long-term partner and it was that same tree where I’d had an explosive argument with him about my non-binary gender. That tree held a significant amount of queer feeling that grounded me in my relationship to the world. So, as I continued that bike ride, I started plotting out and making a mental map of all the spaces, architectures and geographies that informed or had an effect on my own experiences of queerness. I then started thinking about what it could be like to move through these environments and feel the presence of the queer past, the queer present and the queer future all coexisting so as to better understand or feel in relationship to my community throughout history.” Queering the Map began with a couple of pins in Montreal reflecting LaRochelle’s experi-

September 2018

ences of queerness, which was gradually expanded by Montreal’s LGBTQ+ community. It continued to grow substantially until earlier this year when the site was hacked by pro-Trump trolls. “It was spammed by Trump supporters who created a series of pop ups that read ‘Donald Trump Best President, Make America Great Again,’” LaRochelle tells us. “So I took the site down and asked if there was anyone who had the coding capabilities that would improve the site’s security. A group of queer coders and I restarted the project to be significantly more secure and involved a moderation panel so that hate spam and unsafe content could be screened from the map.” Relaunching on 3 April, Queering the Map went from 6,500 pins pre-hack to now containing 23,000 pins, on every continent and in over 15 languages. “They are truly all over the map,” says LaRochelle, “pun intended.” While there are other similar projects that exist which attempt to capture queer experiences, Queering the Map is unique in its emphasis on anonymity and community. “That was the initial impulse – resisting individualism,” says LaRochelle. “Queering the Map is trying to resist the individual as the way through which we come to care for and give value to people and instead move towards the collective as the means through which we care and give value. Which then brings in the reason for the hyper-anonymity of the project. I wanted Queering the Map to be an infrastructurally queer social media platform, in terms of critiquing social media on the way it forces us to construct ourselves as individuals, which in many ways is a weapon of neoliberalism. “However, at the same time, social media is incredibly important in terms of giving platform to queer and marginalised groups,” LaRochelle continues. “So I think a return to or reinvestment in anonymity and collectivity with Queering the Map is allowing for the sharing of stories that don’t necessarily have to be linked back to an individual, rather through experiences that are shared and co-constructed. I was interested in the different ways through which our stories could be articulated when we’re not caught up in how they propagate a certain version of the self.” Queering the Map now has ten moderators

Interview: Katie Goh but LaRochelle thinks that number will soon need to expand. “Posts are flooding in. It’s a labour of love and quite a bit of emotional labour, carefully reading through every point. I’ve read a fucking lot and with no exaggeration, there’s not a single time that I’ve sat down and not cried or been so intensely moved. It’s a gift. The vulnerability that people share on this site. Going on the website and reading these things. I don’t know how to make that articulate but the things that people share and allow other people to relate to or learn from more is moving beyond words.” Undertaking a truly global collaborative project has been eye-opening for LaRochelle in many ways, particularly in how unrealistic mainstream narratives about being queer are. “There’s a Western liberal impulse that makes the assumption that the West is safe for queer people and the non-West is unsafe for queer people which is a rationale for violence and neo-colonialism,” says LaRochelle. “Queering the Map resists the idea of queerness as a Western phenomenon. Homosexuality may be illegal somewhere but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or that people find a way that’s different to the way queerness or homosexuality or transness is experienced in a Western context. It still exists. I think one of the most valuable things about how this project is growing and being used by people is that people articulate queerness on their own terms.” For LaRochelle, resisting Western narratives about queerness that perpetuate colonialism came in the form of resisting the map as “a colonial apparatus that from a top-down perspective tries to describe objective truth and a fucking colonial garbage lie. Resisting objectivity within spacial politics or within mapping practice is so important and I hope Queering the Map contributes to that thought process, that when something is constructed as objective specifically in the case of mapping, we need to examine very intensely what those impulses are and whose being erased.” Going forward, LaRochelle hopes to turn Queering the Map into a series of print publications. “There’s something about a project that starts with the body in orientation to the built environment, and then the body in relation to

INTERSECTIONS

digitally re-experiencing or re-articulating the body’s relationship to the built environment in the digital environment, and then creating this digital world that we are collectively experiencing on Queering the Map to then take that back into the physical world. To encounter these stories once again from the bodies that are experiencing them and sharing them, I think would be a beautiful way of giving even more validity or weight to the stories. There’s a different relationship we have to the physically-written word than we do to things written on the internet.”

“Queering the Map resists the idea of queerness as a Western phenomenon” Lucas LaRochelle

As LaRochelle describes, Queering the Map is a gift of a project. Anonymity on the internet being used for the collective good, to create a community rather than destroy one, is the antithesis of the Trump-inspired hack that the project experienced. LaRochelle says that the cyber attack only revealed just how important Queering the Map is, “that the community came together to solve the problem in the desire for the project to exist as a resource for the community.” Reading through the pins, it becomes clear how important the project is. For the one queer kid living in a country where homosexuality is illegal, seeing pins dotted around their country, revealing that there are people just like them existing beside them and that they aren’t alone – Queering the Map is truly a gift. What an honour to read, re-live and share in the mapped memories. queeringthemap.com

Lifestyle

Couch Surfing Havana’s Malecón has a social significance that far exceeds that of the average promenade, used by Habaneros as a place for fishing, socialising and falling in love

Words: Pete Wise

he Malecón is an eight-kilometre promenade and seawall, built in stages between 1901 and 1952 with the express purpose of protecting central Havana from the sea. Quite apart from being a worthy feat of civil engineering, the Malecón is famous for the unique role it has come to play at the heart of Havana’s social life. From the skyscraper-bristled district of Vedado in the west to Havana Harbour in the east, it’s been dubbed ‘the world’s longest sofa’ and serves as a second home for friends, lovers, dreamers, artists and hunters alike. I get my first good look at the Malecón from my room on the thirteenth floor of the Hotel Habana Riviera – a living fossil from the 1950s, built by the American mobster Meyer Lansky. The gangsters have left the building, but its décor seems thrillingly unchanged. Through the window I see groups of people under the streetlights, chattering, jostling. I hold my ear to the window and hear hints of a guitar strummed hard with fingertips. The next afternoon, I find the Malecón drowsing in heat haze, a band of grey between the darkblue Atlantic and a road striped with technicolour-bright vintage cars. A few hundred meters’ walk from the Habana Riviera, Giraldo is leant up against the seawall, as if in imitation of the fishing rod beside him. I introduce myself and ask him what he hopes to catch here. “You can catch all sorts of fish here,” he says. “It’s a great place to fish in the afternoon. I’ve caught picudas, morenos… once I caught a shark. Some other guys came and helped me get it ashore, right over there where you were walking.” He tells me I’m unlikely to see something quite so big landed today. Keen to find out about the social side to the Malecón – the side I glimpsed last night – I ask Giraldo if he’s made any friends here. “How couldn’t you?” he replies. “Cubans come here to talk, to connect with each other. Here in Cuba there’s a lot of solidarity. In England everyone has their place, everyone has their thing and they tend not to speak even to their neighbours. In Cuba, we tend to relate to each other more closely.” I say goodbye to Giraldo and walk on, past a group of handline fishers with their baits

scattered across the concrete, heading towards the Monument to the Victims of the USS Maine – an American naval boat mysteriously sunk here in 1898. The American eagle that originally ornamented the monument was taken down by antiimperialists in 1961, but it remains a fine tribute, with Grecian columns reaching skyward and the figure of a woman looking out to sea, towards the Florida Keys. She’s looking over the shoulder of Manuel, who I find sat on the seawall holding a carton of juice. There’s not a fishing line or guitar in sight. “I come here for the sea – it relaxes me,” says Manuel. “I’m a religious man, and I like to come here and think.” He sips his juice. “One night here I met the woman who is going to be my wife, Malin,” he says, before going on to tell me how he and his fiancé started dating, of the good life they aspire to lead, and how they’ve sang songs here on the Malecón – “El

Mantero, La Iguana, romantic music.” He’s keen to know what I make of Cuba. Me encanta, I say. I’m getting close to Old Havana now, where the streets are narrower and busier. The sharp sounds of passing cars are flattening into a steady roar and the air smells of petrol. Many of these cars incidentally would turn heads on a British high street, by dint of either beauty or apparent unroadworthiness. Two women are dangling their legs off the edge of the seawall, facing away from the traffic. Their names are India and Barbara, and I’m soon confirmed in my suspicion they’re related. “She’s my daughter,” says India. “I’ve been bringing her here since she was a child.” Barbara smiles in affirmation. “We’re here because we like the Malecón and the sea. It’s a good place to talk and to think,” she says. “I often come here with friends too. We’ll be talking about where to meet and someone will say ‘Ahh – the Malecón!’”

“ Here in Cuba there’s a lot of solidarity. In England everyone has their place, everyone has their thing, and they tend not to speak even to their neighbours” Giraldo

At the foot of the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta – a 16th Century fortress which has lately come to mark the Malecón’s eastern limit – I turn back to look across the curve of the promenade. Though the fishermen, the lovers and even the Habana Riviera are now out of sight, that shimmering grey line sings their stories all the louder. Pete Wise was staying at the Iberostar Habana Riviera (rooms from €132/night) as a guest of the Cuba Tourist Board for the FITCUBA Fair; for further information, visit travel2cuba.co.uk and cubatravel.cu

Fishing by the mouth of Havana Bay

Lifestyle

TRAVEL

THE SKINNY

Credit" the Cuba Tourist Office in London

View of The Malecón from the Hotel Habana Riviera

Photo: Tim Anderson

As I make to leave, India leans over and warns me against returning to the Malecón at night: “Bad people come here.” Perhaps naively, I find it hard to imagine. As I walk the last mile-or-so to the Old Town, I continue to encounter Habaneros with their own particular connections to the Malecón. I meet an artist making pencil drawings of passing cars, who tells me he comes here to get away from his problems. A Jehovah’s Witness pushing a trolley bids me buenos días, waves an evidently holy book in my direction and asks me for 5 CUC. Close to the tourist hotspots of Old Havana I find buskers, some playing Cuban standards, others adlibbing lyrics about passers-by.

September 2018

THE SKINNY

Thoughts for Food Our annual readers’ poll to find the country’s best food and drink returns – it’s time to reintroduce The Skinny Food and Drink Survey, and argue about what a restaurant is

‘O

h no,’ you’re thinking, ‘not this again. How many times can The Skinny stretch the explanation of what is a fairly straightforward concept to something beyond a simple sentence?’ Well, we’re up to eight years on the bounce now, so it’d almost be a shame to stop. Yes, it’s The Skinny Food and Drink Survey, our annual attempt to convince you to do our jobs for us and tell us which are the best food and drink spots in Edinburgh and Glasgow. To encourage you all to get voting here’s a run through each of this year’s categories, some of which we have subtly rejigged so that a) they make sense and b) you don’t give up halfway through filling out the form. Scotland’s food scene is an ever-shifting morass of great producers and venues, and we love to celebrate it as much as we can. We don’t love the spreadsheet-based fun that comes along with this format, but it’s all worth it in the end. Anyway, here are your instructions for this year... Best Pub or Bar Everyone loves a pub full of old wood, nice beers and the occasional fire and/or dog. The best ones are cosy, noisy and filled with tasty and welllooked-after beers. We also all love a bar, packed with crazy light fittings and nice bits of interior design, their cocktail-wielding staff normally fest-

ooned with the full Guess Who? set of disguises (hats, glasses, facial hair etc). Best Cafes and Coffee Shops Much like those pubs and bars, cafes and coffee shops are two subtly different things. A cafe is a sort of daytime cousin of a pub, a place to unwind with a slice of cake in a big comfy chair; a dedicated speciality coffee place is more like the coffee equivalent of a cocktail bar, all about precision delivery of expertly-crafted flat whites. Not to say there isn’t room for both, but we are asking you just to pick one, so choose wisely. Best Breakfast It’s the most important meal of the day, or at least that’s what it says here. From fried breakfasts that haven’t changed for decades to quaint new options which answer the question ‘How Many Ways Are There To Cook An Egg?’, this is a category with plenty of room for interpretation. Just tell us which is your favourite breakfast place, and we’ll take it from there. Best Lunch or Dinner The problem is, and we don’t know the best way to explain this, the phrase ‘best restaurant’ has a bit of an unnecessarily fancy air about it. An office chat revealed that many of our favourite

places to go for lunch and dinner aren’t really what your mum would call restaurants – they’re bars, or canteen-type places, or holes in the wall with two tables in them. We considered ‘laidback eats’ or ‘casual dining,’ but those options made us want to throw up on ourselves. ‘Non-street food’ seemed too sarcastic, so at the end of the day we decided to just describe the thing we meant. Lunch or dinner was what we meant, so that’s what it says. Best Vegetarian and Vegan It’s a good time to be into vegetables – veggie places are springing up like the onions which share their name, and even the most carnivorous of bars and venues are trying their hand at this whole ‘not eating meat’ thing. There are many, many options to choose from here, from veggie fine dining to amazing comfort food that just happens to be mostly cauliflower – good luck picking a favourite. Best Street Food Stall or Takeaway Exciting dishes you can eat with one hand, tasty flavours from around the world to fuel you through music festivals, and enormous piles of chips – these are just some of the things that can be found from our favourite street food vendors and takeaways. People sometimes say you shouldn’t

Words: Peter Simpson Illustration: Silvia Chiclana

eat on the go, but those people are just wrong; the street is where some of the most interesting food can be found, so let’s celebrate it. Best Food and Drink Shop We all have to go home sometimes, but that doesn’t mean the foodie fun has to stop. This category’s all about celebrating your favourite bottle shops, delis, grocers (both green and standard) and all the places you go to get those beers and sauces you can’t live without. Best New Place The last 12 months have been typically interesting in the Edinburgh and Glasgow food scenes, and there are a fair few spots that have joined our list of favourites since the turn of the year. The first few months can be make or break for new places, and it’s hard to underestimate the amount of work that goes into running a cafe or bar – use this opportunity to shout out the brand-new places you’re most fond of.

“ It’s The Skinny Food and Drink Survey, our annual attempt to convince you to do our jobs for us and tell us where the best food and drink is” Best Drinks Finally, another category that’s been slightly expanded this year. Previously we had this down as Best Beer, and would frequently receive the following responses. 1) ‘I don’t like beer, what am I supposed to do?’ 2) ‘What do I do if I prefer gin, or possibly a nice locally-produced craft soda?’ 3) ‘I only drink tea, I don’t understand any of this.’ We don’t really have much to offer that last one, but we get the point on the other two – dive deep into your drinks cabinet and let us know what your favourite tipple is. If you work in the wacky world of food, tell people about this survey. Suggest that they vote for you, stick it on Twitter and the Instagram. If you have a friend who’s doing something cool and culinary, vote for them and tell your friends to do the same. If you have a really nice slice of pizza sometime between now and the middle of November, throw a vote their way. Get ready for a glorious example of democracy in action, only with fewer dodgy political opinions and much more eating and drinking. Vote in The Skinny Food and Drink Survey at theskinny.co.uk/food Voting closes on Sun 18 Nov

September 2018

FOOD AND DRINK

Lifestyle

Chews Bulletin Autumn kicks off with a host of beery parties and the chance to get stuck into some tasty samosas... Words: Peter Simpson El Cartel Casera Mexicana

e kick off this month with a glorious celebration – it’s World Samosa Day! This is one food and drink holiday we can get behind, especially if it’s a chance to head down to the fantastic and community-spirited Punjabi Junction, which is currently under the same development threat as the mighty Leith Depot. Come for the delicious Indian pastries, stay for the solidarity. 5 Sep, 12-10pm; 122-124 Leith Walk, Edinburgh Staying with the solidarity theme for a second, North Sea Bridges is a new project that brings together craft breweries in Scotland and Scandinavia to brew exciting collaborative beers. Typically, the beers themselves have been somewhat hard to come by and a touch on the pricey side, but the Grunting Growler are here to help with a guided tasting through each of the six beers in the debut NSB collection. 8 Sep, 4pm; 51 Old Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow; £12.99-14.99, gruntinggrowler.com Next up, it’s whisky! In the park! Queen Street Gardens Festival is part of the Scottish Malt Whisky Society’s 35th anniversary celebrations, and takes the form of an afternoon knees-up filled with samples of SMWS whiskies and those from other distilleries across Scotland. There’s also the chance to try some extremely rare and interesting malts – squeeze out the last of the summer vibes while you can, while simultaneously finding yourself a new winter drink. 8 Sep, 12-5pm; 28 Queen St, Edinburgh; £20-35, smws.com Over in Glasgow, catch the latest of VSO Henderson’s Cantina Nite series of music-powered nights at The 78. Vegan tacos! Tasty cocktails! Beats from the frankly unpronounceable ΩHuussHΩ! Count us in! 11 Sep, 8pm-1am; 10-14 Kelvinhaugh St, Glasgow Back in Edinburgh, things get extremely funky and flavourful in the latest of Innis & Gunn Beer Kitchen's ‘versus’ food tasting nights. This time it’s Innis & Gunn Beer vs Shaws ExtraMatured Steak vs Highland Park

Whisky – steaks aged for 60, 100 and 150 days and each paired with a whisky and a beer. Select your winner after you’ve tried all three; if that doesn’t sound decadent enough for you, there will also be dessert (naturally, it also comes with two drinks). 13 Sep, 7-10pm; 81-83 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh; £42.51, tickets via EventBrite Do you like secretive things? The Secret Brewery Party is a big ol’ bash going down at an undisclosed brewery near Edinburgh, and features dozens of beers, street food from some of our favourites, DJs and general ‘good vibes’ as the kids say. Not a whole lot more to tell for now, but colour us intrigued. 15 Sep, from 1pm; £8-15, tickets via ResidentAdvisor On the same day, Great Grog Beer Fair returns with nearly 100 beers to try out over the course of an afternoon in an old church hall. Chat to some brewers, discover your new favourite beer, or just maraud around the place tasting as many things as possible – the choice is yours. 15 Sep, 1-5pm; St Peter’s Church Hall, 14 Lutton Pl, Edinburgh; £10, greatgrog.co.uk And the month draws to a close with a pair of Fests. First is the Dundee Oktoberfest, stretching its legs in its new location in Slessor Gardens just round from the V&A. Expect loads of German beer, outlandish bratwurst, live music and big marquees to hide under when it inevitably starts chucking it down. 27-29 Sep, various times; Slessor Gardens, Dundee; £12-20, dundeerotaryoktoberfest.co.uk Then it’s the return of Scot Gin Fest to Glasgow, with over 25 gins from distillers and producers from across Scotland all collected in one place for your convenience. There’s also the chance to meet some of the makers behind your favourite gins, and learn a few tricks about getting your G&Ts just right. 29 Sep, 12-4pm & 5-9pm; Trades Hall, Glasgow; £16.50-24, scotginfest.co.uk theskinny.co.uk/food

El Cartel Casera Mexicana

New in Food A second chance to grab the capital’s best tacos, great new coffee and cocktails, and exciting fishbased cookery all feature in our latest venue round-up The Brunch Club Brunch; apparently it’s not a meal that goes *between* breakfast and lunch, but rather a middle ground between the two. With that fresh/ hitherto-ignored fact ringing in our ears, we’re intrigued by new West End spot The Brunch Club, on the former site of pharmacy-themed cocktail bar Drugstore Social. Now you can have pancakes or eggs any time of the day! 67 Old Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow, facebook.com/TheBrunchClubGlasgow El Cartel Casera Mexicana El Cartel has long been one of our Edinburgh favourites, to the extent that we crowned them world champions when we embarked on a bizarre World Cup-themed pseudo-tournament this summer. Problem is a lot of people seem to agree with us, which leaves us permanently waiting outside for a table. Thankfully, there is now a second El Cartel on the incredible stretch by McEwan Hall that’s also home to Civerinos Slice, Paradise Palms and both of the Ting Thai-run spots. Grab some amazing tacos, revel in the stained glass windows behind the bar and get out sharpish so we can grab a seat. 15-16 Teviot Place, Edinburgh, elcartelmexicana.co.uk Nauticus Big beards! Dark woods! Fancy aprons! This Leith cocktail bar does have something of a seafaring old world vibe to it, making it the ideal place to bunker down for an afternoon. Have a coffee and a pastry round at Twelve Triangles, pull up a chair for a drink and ponder the fate of the immaculately-named ‘Pets & Things’ next door – that’s your Sunday sorted. 142 Duke St, Edinburgh, instagram.com/nauticusbar Peruana This one’s for all the fish fans out there, as Peruana promise an authentic taste of Peruvian ceviche at their weekly pop-up. You’ll find them at esteemed Finnieston fishmongers Wilson’s Catch of the Day, serving up tasty, zesty bowls of South American goodness (and small piles of fried squid on the side). Saturdays only, 71 Houldsworth St, Glasgow, facebook.com/peruanacevichebar

Sonder Sonder, apparently, is “the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.” It’s also, very definitely, a change of pace from previous incarnations of this Newington venue – expect intriguing flavour combinations and exciting presentation in a chilled-out open plan setting which will allow you to sniff other people’s food without having to rudely lean over their tables. 74-78 South Clerk St, Edinburgh, restaurant-sonder.com Three.14 Get it? Like pi! Not the food, but the number. Mathematical jokes aside, Three.14 is intriguing for a number of reasons. We shall list them here – homemade pop tarts, amazing and comically oversized pies from the fantastic Pie Dolly, delicious-looking babka filled with chocolate and spices... we trust you’re on board. 38 Dalkeith Rd, Edinburgh, bakery314.com Thrive Cafe:Bar Things just keep getting better and better for the veggies and vegans among us, with seemingly every other new opening catering to herbivores. Thrive is one such place; a relaxed cafe-style menu based around big salads, chunky burgers and veg-packed brunches. Five kinds of veggie burgers, lads, count ‘em! 171 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh, thrive-edinburgh.co.uk Williams and Johnson The collective march of Edinburgh’s indie coffee shops continues, as Leith’s own Williams and Johnson have snapped up an absolute corker of a location right next to the entrance to Waverley Station. It’s a cool, crisp space filled with chipboard and slightly odd chairs, and the coffee is predictably delicious; that visitors to town will immediately be met by one of the city’s best roasters is great news, second only to the fact that we can now get amazing coffee to drink on the train. Everybody wins! 3 Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh, williamsandjohnson.com [Peter Simpson] theskinny.co.uk/food

Thrive Cafe:Bar

Lifestyle

FOOD AND DRINK

THE SKINNY

September 2018

Lifestyle

THE SKINNY

RE V IE W

Say It Out Loud In September 1998, The Beta Band released The Three E.P.’s. Twenty years on, the compilation is finally being issued on vinyl sounding as fresh and inventive as ever

f Dry the Rain lasted just four minutes, it would still surely rank as one of the best opening songs on a debut release by any group in the last couple of decades. It set the standard for The Three E.P.’s, a remarkable collection of songs that announced The Beta Band to the world in September 1998. Two decades on, it’s finally been given a vinyl release for the first time courtesy of the Because Music label. It’s as good a time as any to look back at this rag-tag group of artists and musical visionaries that mystified some but delighted many more. “I remember hearing Dry the Rain and thinking it was an instant classic and I wished I had written it,” broadcaster and journalist Vic Galloway tells us. “I saw the band play early on as well. It was about their fourth or fifth gig at the Edinburgh Venue and they had very few songs. But you knew something special was going on.” Even if you’ve heard it four-dozen times, Dry the Rain still retains the power to leave you mesmerised. Steve Mason’s distinctive hushed vocal style, a simple slide guitar part, and a scratchy vinyl beat – it’s a straightforward introduction to a band who were never afraid to take a sudden left turn. When the bass and drums kick in, you’re already tapping your feet and nodding along without realising. Then something remarkable happens. With the band locked in to what sounds like a hazy outro jam, along comes one of the most incredible codas in popular music. ‘If there’s something inside that you want to say / Say it out loud it’ll be okay,’ Mason implores, as a trumpet solo suddenly rings out. ‘I will be your light / I will be your light.’ The whole tone of the track is transformed – from dusty folk bar to cathedral choir. It’s one of those songs that makes you want to run outside and punch the air in sheer delight.

“ I remember hearing Dry the Rain and thinking it was an instant classic and I wished I had written it” Vic Galloway

Yet as any fan of The Beta Band knows, Dry the Rain merely hinted at what the group was capable of. It’s just one of the greats on The Three E.P.’s, a record that contains at least six landmark songs. “Throughout those three EP releases, there is that rare thing where pop and experimentation meet,” says Galloway. “It’s dreamy, trippedout and psychedelic and yet still packs melodic punches throughout. It works!” There’s more invention on this one LP than many artists manage in five. From Monolith, a 15-minute-long avantgarde sound collage, to the haunting chamber pop of Dr. Baker, there are surprises at every

September 2018

turn. It’s by no means guaranteed you’ll enjoy them all, but you’ll enjoy finding out. But can we really describe it as an album at all? Such distinctions in the age of Spotify and online streaming may seem redundant, yet it’s impossible to reappraise The Three E.P.’s without reminding yourself it wasn't originally intended as one body of work. Dry the Rain was the first track on Champion Versions, a four-track EP released in July 1997 and only obtainable on 12” vinyl – a bold move in the CD-dominated late-90s. As an indication of the industry clout the group once enjoyed, it was released by Regal – a legendary imprint revived in 1995 by music giant EMI – and immediately won the attention of the then still-powerful music press. Two further EPs, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos, were released in 1998. Each was crammed with beguiling sounds completely out of step with anything else going on at the time. Even today, how do you go about explaining a track like The House Song? Various tags were applied to The Beta Band, yet none of them felt quite right. Folktronica? Trip-hop? Plain old psychedelia? The group were all of these things and more. This undefinable quality provides plenty of copy for music hacks charged with writing a 1,300-word feature, but it made the job of EMI’s record pluggers rather difficult back when daytime radio was the quickest way of promoting music in those distant pre-internet times. According to one source, a BBC Radio 1 boss once frankly admitted while being wined and dined by the label that he simply “didn’t get” The Beta Band.

So who were these guys anyway? Keyboardist, trained artist, and ace producer John Maclean first met drummer Robin Jones at Edinburgh College of Art. By 1996 they were sharing a flat in Shepherd’s Bush with old pal Steve Mason, a drummer-turnedsinger-songwriter from St Andrews. Maclean began adding beats to various songs that Mason had written – particularly one with a hypnotic acoustic guitar groove, whose euphoric coda was written by Mason’s errant songwriting partner, Gordon Anderson. “The Beta Band was built upon a combination of the idea of the beauty of naivety and, also, actual naivety,” said Mason in a later biography of the group. “It all just sort of worked really well.” Champion Versions, with its colourful collage artwork provided by Maclean, was released the same week they played their debut gig at The Water Rats in King’s Cross. The Beta Band live could be every bit as surprising as they were on record. The group offered a riot of projected images, plant pots and instrument-swapping throughout their journey-like songs. “I think people were used to the slick four-piece by then,” added Mason. “People who had the rock and roll haircuts and the right shoes on. Then we come in with total chaos.” The Patty Patty Sound EP followed in March 1998. Three of its four tracks were greeted with almost universal acclaim, and still sound dazzling today. Inner Meet Me, which was accompanied by a bizarre Maclean-directed video shot on a Highland hillside, sets the tone with its bass groove and catchy vocal hook. The House Song would become a live favourite, while She’s the One remains one of the band’s most beloved

Music

Interview: Chris McCall

tracks. Only the aforementioned Monolith divided opinion. It was an indication that nothing with this group was ever straightforward. Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos arrived a few months later that same year, in July. While containing less sonic experimentation, it's perhaps the most consistent of the EPs, closing with the glorious Needles in My Eyes. That same month they appeared on the cover of the NME dressed as comedy Mexican bandits. “We didn’t approach it from the standard angle,” explained Jones. “So there wasn’t really any desire to be standing there looking moody.” On the band’s tendency to dress-up for promo shots and gigs, Maclean added: “That was like our record collections – Parliament/Funkadelic, The Monks. The history of music was littered with people expressing themselves. We just thought music had gone a bit cool then.” For all the quality of their recorded output, a proper mainstream breakthrough always eluded them. Mason would infamously dismiss their self-titled debut album upon release in 1999 as “fucking awful.” You can imagine how that went down with the record label who had just stumped up the cash to pay for its recording. Two great albums – Hot Shots II and Heroes to Zeros – followed, but neither could match the thrill of those first EPs. Today, The Beta Band are remembered as an alternative act, a niche concern left to be enjoyed by people happy to spend hours in second-hand record stores. But this relegation does them a massive disservice. The Beta Band were not another little-known group who recorded a few albums in cheap local studios only to shuffle off into obscurity. They spent time and money on their recordings to a level many artists in 2018 could only dream of. Listen to their albums today and you can’t argue with the result of their creative endeavours. “Much like The Velvet Underground, The Beta Band have had a far greater impact than their commercial appeal alone,” concludes Galloway. “Those songs still sound fresh and will go on to influence music-makers and listeners well into the future.” Their recorded material has barely aged, almost 15 years since they last released a song. But by 2004 a substantial record company debt hung over the band. The music industry was being battered by the internet. A&R men could no longer afford to promote dynamic yet underperforming groups who enjoyed dressing up. The streaming services and profitable live tours that would eventually save it were a long time off. Despite selling out 2,000-capacity venues and winning rave reviews, The Beta Band called it quits. An interview published by The Guardian that year caught them at the end: “The Beta Band have lavished money not on limos and drugs, but on making albums. The quartet have existed for years on “McDonald’s-type wages,” had their phones cut off at home and at one point were so broke that they were thinking of “nipping to Argos for some standard lamps” to use as lights on tour.” Mason summed it up: “I always imagined we’d be as big as Radiohead, but it hasn’t happened. I still can’t understand why.” The Three E.P.’s is re-released on vinyl on 14 Sep via Because Music facebook.com/thebetas

Review

Optimistic Dystopia We speak to Lily Higham and Gordon Johnstone of Edinburgh/Glasgow dream-pop band L-space about their debut album Kipple Arcadia

-space, signed to non-profit label Last Night From Glasgow, are a band that deserve to be as big as their future utopian dreams. The Scottish noise dream-pop trio are made up of Lily Higham, responsible for their ethereal vocals, composer Gordon Johnstone and musician Dickson Telfer, occasionally becoming a quartet with student, synth player Maura Keane. Their music has been likened to Radiohead, Mogwai and Portishead, but their debut album Kipple Arcadia manages to pool together their influences and becomes something more. If the record is reminiscent of anyone it’s perhaps Air at their prime, or a mellower CHVRCHES with expansive, lyrical fairy tales of cyberpunk futures. Nothing is accidental, everything is carefully crafted and placed; references to Philip K. Dick and contemporary scientific research are entwined with complex melodies and rhythms. “All of our songs have upwards of 40 layers of beats and synths,” explains Johnstone. Despite this, Kipple Arcadia is a futuristic chillwave easy listen, its retro-future electronic pop descends on you like a hypnagogic haze and

doesn’t let go for the album’s entire runtime. The band’s name L-space, short for “library space” references Terry Prachett’s notion that the written word has magical properties and that knowledge is so powerful, literature can bend time and space around it. The album name is similarly inspired by literature, an amalgamation of Philip K. Dick’s idea of ‘kipple’ – the decaying, entropic detritus of consumerism that collects in corners around us – and the Ancient Greek word ‘arcadia’ meaning a paradise lost. It’s thus a realist, inherited and used utopia that L-space look towards on this record. “The concept behind the album really [came together] when we started writing songs,” explains Johnstone. “It was late 2016, early 2017; around the time everybody felt the world was falling apart. We subconsciously tried to write songs about better futures and better worlds. As we kept writing we stuck with that theme because it came naturally to us – we are fairly optimistic. We wanted to give people something that wasn’t just the doom and gloom of our current time, something that was a more optimistic dystopia

album, however; the idea that we are already cyborgs because of our reliance on pervasive technology, and the notion of combining the organic with machines, analogue to digital, is integral to their creative process. “I think it’s interesting how a lot of classical musicians using non-digital instruments, they often get an experience of becoming one with their instrument,” remarks Higham. “They are not really thinking about how they are moving their fingers or how they’re operating the instrument, it just flows straight out of the ideas in their brain into the instrument, as if it’s part of them; and so I think that extends into the digital world as well. “When we have tools that are digital such as our phone or the internet to communicate, or an instrument like a synth, if you are really focussed when you are using it, it can become like an extension of your mind or your body.” Johnstone agrees: “Yeah, I think so too – a lot of our writing process is a little bit disparate. There are some songs that Lily and I sat down and wrote together in the same room, but there’s quite a lot that either I wrote the underlying synths and beats and Lily added vocals on top and then we finished everything up. Or sometimes Lily would send me just a track of her singing over a guitar and then I would strip all that away and rebuild it back up with all the electronic elements. I think there’s always been quite a mixture of human and machine and it’s because we live in different cities, you know Lily is in Glasgow and I am in Edinburgh, so this is the only way we could write a lot of the time.” It’s a process that’s paid off dividends. L-space are releasing Kipple Arcadia on pink vinyl and all streaming platforms with an accompanying behind-the-scenes film and are looking forward to playing the album live. What else is in store for the future? “We have had some fun ideas that haven’t happened yet,” laughs Higham, “like we wanted to launch one of our records into space with a weather balloon, to try to get the highest vinyl in the world!”

that they could look forward to, so even though some of the songs sound quite dark they have a hopeful message behind them.”

“ We subconsciously tried to write songs about better futures and better worlds... even though some of the songs sound quite dark they have a hopeful message”

Iceage @ The Great Eastern, Glasgow, 6 Sep Those lovely lads and lasses at Synergy Concerts have only bloody well gone and decided to launch a live music venue within a daycare centre. Yup. We went to check it out last month during their launch event and what a ruddy great space it is. Throughout the course of September, October and November there are already a slew of great shows lined up for this unusual space, so get down to check it out and catch Danish punks Iceage – whose latest album Beyondless, we awarded five stars – while you’re at it.

Review

Photo: Stuart Moulding

Iceage

Future Get Down

Future Get Down @ The Mash House, Edinburgh, 14 Sep For those of you looking for a Friday night dance, look no further than Future Get Down; fresh from their latest release EP2, full of LCD Soundsystem-fuelled grooves, catch the Edinburgh five-piece in full beekeeper attire at The Mash House. They headlined The Skinny’s stage at Kelburn Garden Party at the end of June and are guaranteed to get you moving uncontrollably. What’s more, they have the excellent Glassmasterer on support duty with a DJ set from Finiflex’s Davie Miller. Party party party!

Photo: Ian Schofield

Do Not Miss

These doubled-edged tales of “optimistic dystopia” are sung by Higham, often to uncanny effect. Her voice is dreamy, at times breathy – she sounds like a cyborg mermaid calling us into space, particularly on hypnotic single Backup Baby. “It’s a song that shows the double sidedness of dystopia and utopia quite well,” she explains. “Even though the song is about getting organs so that people can cure themselves and live longer, it’s done in a way that some may see as unethical and horrific.” The eerily blissful music video has been compared to the likes of Black Mirror, with Highman selling mysterious packages on a satellite shopping channel. Such “dark technology,” as Johnstone describes it, occasionally creeps into other songs like Aloe too, a cautionary tale about an everyday Icarus type who has metal wings surgically implanted at great physical cost. Cyberpunk is not just a theme for L-space’s

Kipple Arcadia is released on 28 Sep via Last Night From Glasgow L-space play Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 27 Sep; Conroy’s Basement, Dundee, 29 Sep; The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, 30 Sep l-space.co.uk

Freakender @ The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, 14-16 Sep Back for its third outing, Freakender is taking over Renfield Lane’s Old Hairdressers with a veritable feast of music, DJs and stalls across the entirety of September’s mid-point, and it’s by far their best line-up yet! As well as electrifying live sets from Free Love (fka Happy Meals), Holy Waves, Melenas, Kaputt, Irma Vep and Savage Mansion, there’ll be merch and zine stalls, Freakender’s signature Bloody Mary Hangover Party and loads more besides. Aaaaaaw, freak out!

Music

Free Love

Photo: Allan Lewis

L-space

Photo: Jannica Honey

Gordon Johnstone

Martha Ffion

The Big Sit In Festival @ Saint Luke’s, Glasgow, 15 Sep While Freakender is happening just round the corner and the lovely Kathryn Joseph is melting hearts in Stirling, Saint Luke’s are hosting this year’s Big Sit In Festival following on from last year’s stint in Edinburgh. Aiming to celebrate diversity in people, art and music, you can expect sets today from Admiral Fallow, Martha Ffion, Rebecca Vasmant, Wuh Oh, Stillhound, Malka, Mt. Doubt, Josephine Sillars + The Manic Pixie Dreams and Dixon Avenue Basement Jams, among others.

THE SKINNY

Photo: Laura Meek

Interview: Rachel Bowles

The Bitchin’ Hour We talk to Dunbar trio The Honey Farm, who want to take Scottish hiphop in a new direction, with love and sex at the top of their manifesto

Mitski @ Saint Luke’s, Glasgow, 20 Sep Mitski’s latest album, Be the Cowboy is an absolute triumph; there’s no two ways about it and we’re completely obsessed. From the eerie opening of Geyser to the country-tinged Lonsesome Love via the disco-infused Why Didn’t You Stop Me? and the funk-riddled Nobody, it’s a total stunner and we can’t wait to catch her in the glorious surrounds of Glasgow’s Saint Luke’s. Bring your tissues and your dancing shoes; trust us, you’ll need both!

September 2018

“We’re essentially swinging our metaphorical dicks about... we find the lack of positive sex stuff in hip-hop very annoying” Gracie Brill

The Honey Farm

Julien Baker @ Saint Luke’s, Glasgow, 25 Sep; Half Waif @ The Glad Cafe, Glasgow, 26 Sep Okay, so we couldn’t decide between these two absolute babes, so we figured if you like one, chances are you’ll probably quite like the other, a twofer of sorts if you will. While Julien Baker’s 2017 record Turn Out the Bright Lights didn’t quite make our albums of the year list, it remains a firm office favourite and Half Waif’s Lavender recently featured in our top ten Albums of 2018 so far list. Both are full of undeniable beauty and we reckon two nights of back-to-back joy and emotion could be just the thing to get you through the other side of September in one piece.

Julien Baker

es in Glasgow and Edinburgh and proudly represented “Team Rappers” in BBC The Social’s Rappers v Poets showcase at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe. But they’ve also played alongside indie up-and-comers Man of Moon and are set to support Glasgow punk duo The Twistettes at their Glasgow album launch on 14 September. “We do feel very much distinct from a lot of the other guys doing it,” Singh tells us. “We’ve gone to nights when we’ve performed with other Scottish hip-hop folk. They’re all quite similar guys – well, not all, and there’s some good stuff, but

Birdhead

Birdhead album launch @ Brig Below, Edinburgh, 28 Sep After what feels like a long five years since releasing their debut, Edinburgh duo Birdhead are launching their sophomore album Massive Aggressive today. You read that right, the wait is finally over, and as the famous saying goes, good things come to those who wait – Massive Aggressive is a banger! Head down to Leith Walk’s Brig Below to help the pair celebrate this monumental day and be prepared to have your body well and truly assaulted by an abundance of 80s soundscapes, scuzzy electro and face-melting loudness. Yaldi!

Music

Photo: John Duncan

The group’s touchstones are certainly another point of contrast. Drawing everyone from Azealia Banks to M.I.A. to Die Antwoord, The Honey Farm’s spasmodic style represents a radical departure from the traditional boom bap inclinations of their Scottish peers. DJ Honeybadger, meanwhile, cites electro-funk and worldly rhythms as his preferred template when producing beats to fit the trio’s disparate rap flows. This partly explains why categorising the group by genre is perhaps unwise. The crew have already comfortably headlined hip-hop showcas-

Photo: Seb Singh

ella verses in school, Curran and Singh linked up with Brill and the band eventually debuted at the conveniently nearby Audio Soup Festival in 2016. “We really wanted to be a girl band,” says Curran. “We had songs written and we needed Gracie, who’s good at playing instruments, to help us with them. The songs I’d written were really explicit and I couldn’t write any subtext. It was just all out there.” Curran adds: “It wasn’t particularly subtle, but we just write what we can. Whatever comes out is whatever comes out. I think we all work differently and have different styles. We do like Scottish guys – Stanley Odd and Hector Bizerk are good – but they didn’t influence us to want to rap or what we rap about. It just started to happen. We love rap music and have grown to love it way more since we started to do it, but we all have such diverse tastes.”

what we’re doing is very different. We think the EP clearly conveys our point of view and what we’re saying. It welcomes you to The Honey Farm and introduces our characters: I’m the bad ass bitch, Gracie is the smart ass bitch and Gael is the high class bitch. We’re here to make sexy moves.” Welcome to The Honey Farm is self-released on 9 Sep The Honey Farm play Bloc+, Glasgow, 12 Sep; Stereo, Glasgow, 14 Sep facebook.com/TheHoneyFarmOfficial

Ólafur Arnalds @ Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, 29 Sep; Colin Stetson @ Summerhall, Edinburgh, 29 Sep As the month comes to an end, we’ve another twofer for you, although this isn’t really a twofer as you won’t be able to go to both, so you’ll need to pick one! Saying that though, the two artists in question here are decidedly different so it should be easy. Will you go for the simplistic beauty of Icelandic ambient artist Ólafur Arnalds, whose latest album re:member was released just last month, or the squalling sax of Colin Stetson who’ll be playing his first ever Scottish date at Summerhall for new promoters, Edinburgh Music Lovers? See, different.

Colin Stetson

Review

Photo: Marie Magnin

Mitski

Photo: Sarah Donley

uch of the criticism directed towards Scottish hip-hop tends to be misplaced and rooted in classist snobbery, particularly when it comes to the accent and demeanour of respective artists. Recent releases by the likes of Werd, Mog and Solareye of Stanley Odd also demonstrate the scene has shed the machismo that dominated it in early years, but even the most blinkered emcee would readily admit there’s still something of a gender imbalance. Dunbar’s The Honey Farm identify as “potentially the first and by default greatest Scottish female rap group,” but they have no interest in being pinned by promoters for purely tokenistic reasons. There’s much about their sound which is subversive: their highly contrasting vocal styles, their boogie-inspired instrumentals and their focus on love, sex, femininity and LGBT empowerment. That’s not to suggest the trio are anything but frank and funny in their approach to songwriting. Composed of Gael Curran (aka Sweethardt Dowt), Bee Asha Singh (Pimpses Asha) and Gracie Brill (Bitta DisGrace), plus unofficial member and bespoke producer Robin Brill (aka DJ Honeybadger), they’re shameless in their mission to “take the piss out of the conventions” of the genre they love. “It’s satirical a little bit, sure, and a celebration,” says Brill. “We point out that what we’re doing is daft and we’re daft going on stage doing it. We’re essentially swinging our metaphorical dicks about. We want to do something different because we find the lack of positive sex stuff in hip-hop very annoying. To be honest, we don’t only fit with Scottish rap in that sense – Scottish music in general isn’t sexy. We want to make the sexiest music going.” With track titles such as Pussy All Day and Ass Bitches, their upcoming EP Welcome to The Honey Farm is not so much an introduction as a raunchy manifesto. It’s a record that seeks to celebrate romance, undermine toxic masculinity and promote body confidence all at once, and always with colourful language. If the crew emit a sense of synchronicity and unified purpose, it’s probably because they’ve all known each other since birth. Curran jokes that the band’s “first practice was in 1995,” but siblings Robin and Gracie’s musical upbringing suggests that’s not entirely far off. After writing a cap-

Photo: Roosa Päivänsalo

Interview: Jonathan Rimmer

Album of the Month Gazelle Twin

Pastoral [Anti-Ghost Moon Ray, 21 Sep]

rrrrr rrrrr Shite rrrrr Boring rrrrr Solid

mongst the idyllic rural landscape that adorns the cover of Gazelle Twin’s latest album lies a striking yet altogether anomalous figure. Standing out not just because of its bright red clothing but also because of its digitised design within the painted backdrop, it’s a surreal, somewhat unsettling juxtaposition of images that sets the overall tone for Pastoral. Beyond the cover, Pastoral continues to exhume the terror that can reside within seeming idylls. In an age where Brexit is a perennial shadow and societal tensions bubble under, Elizabeth Bernholz’s latest album delves into what lies beneath, what lurks behind the picture-postcard scenes and England’s green mountains. She draws together the past and the present, retaining elements of the traditional or pastoral (a smattering of harpsichord here or a trill of recorder there) but filtering these through the lens of loops, often warped by the presence of shuddering electronics. Through this, Bernholz combines the past and the present in ways that are

Grand Champ 1990

rrrrr

Birdhead’s David Nicklen and Stephen Donkin have been sculpting the follow-up to their debut Pleasure Centre for the last five years. The craft employed by the Edinburgh pair is evident, as Massive Aggressive manages to be eclectic, unorthodox, considered and brimming with a beastly creative vigour without sounding overstuffed. Their affection for the wailing riffs of classic rock is very much alive and well here, but upped is their penchant for electronica which presents their sound with a greater 80s sheen than they’ve had before. Droning distortion and grizzled electronica of lead single Custom Muscle meld with Donkin’s animated and angered vocal. Sabre-sharp guitar solos duel with a whipping snare. The track’s burly crackle and fuzz is a motif that links much of the album, notable other mentions being Sunsleeper and the title track. Lulls in this sonic skirmish do exist. After the destructive ditty of Tesseract lies minimalistic Incidentals, its slow tempo and spacey signals allow for a pleasant interim of reflection. It also serves as an ephemeral cushion before Science Eye erupts with thrashing percussion and the inaugural line: ‘I fucked it up when I met you!’ The interim between Birdhead’s debut album and here was long, but this product lives up to the promise of its tin. It is massive. It is aggressive. [James Ewen] Listen to: Custom Muscle, Sunsleeper, Beasts of England

Review

seamless yet chilling. Thus, the clipped woodwind-like repetitions of Throne transform themselves into the minimal yet haunting Mongrel. Bernholz ensures even the album’s most musically uncompromising moments incorporate these tropes with ease. Better In My Day has a fluttering motif but layers it on top of relentless pulses and beats. They accompany its punishing repetition of the phrase that casts a critical eye over generational rifts, made all the more dark with interjections like ‘No locked doors / No foreigners.’ While she uses different voices across the record, a cutting observation is never too far away. Little Lambs, which plays out like a twisted rave, begins with ‘Stick it to the man / Or wave those flags.’ By comparison to much of the rest of the record, Dieu et Mon Droit is melodically spacey and cosmic but that only makes its imagery pack an even greater punch: ‘Kicked into the curb like empty coke cans... Trickling down like shit into the sewer.’ On Glory, Bernholz’s vocals are supremely

Birdhead

Massive Aggressive [Good Gear Records, 28 Sep]

rrrrr Brilliant rrrrr Life-changing

Gazelle Twin

commanding, her dramatic performance placed at the forefront of a mix that feels doom-laden, far away from the pomp and ceremony suggested by its title. It’s a microcosm of just how powerful Pastoral is as a whole. Gazelle Twin has crafted a masterpiece that feels timeless, her most deft

L-space

Pressure Points EP [Busy Mum Records, 28 Sep]

Kipple Arcadia [Last Night From Glasgow, 28 Sep]

rrrrr

Edinburgh-based Grand Champ 1990, real name Scott Longmuir, is perhaps best known for his work in folk group The Last Battle, so imagine the surprise of those that know him when he released the first single (Sayonara!) under this name. Pressure Points is Longmuir’s space to try his hand at electro-pop, in which he mostly succeeds, but it’s obvious he’s new to this world. Sayonara! is a fun introduction to this new guise for Longmuir, a formidable pop tune regarding having strength in the face of adversity. A Big Love and Photocopies delve a bit deeper into a harder-tinged electronic edge, while in contrast the EP’s standout track Look For Me is a beautifully handled, dreamy and wistful look at the abyss and afterlife. Closing track Lost Boys explores toxic masculinity, a subject rightly being examined more and this is a razor wire cut through it. The issue with Pressure Points is that it still feels very much like a feet-finding process for Longmuir. There are plenty of solid ideas and concepts here but nothing that really pushes the record beyond unremarkable. It’s clear Longmuir is a fan of the genre, but given that Pressure Points is his first attempt he’s plenty of room to build on its foundations. But for now, this remains a pleasant if slightly generic listen. [Adam Turner-Heffer] Listen to: Sayonara!, Look For Me, Lost Boys

Another direct hit for Last Night From Glasgow, whose nurturing of emerging artists continues to provide a vital outlet for maverick voices. Take a bow, then, L-space. Kipple Arcadia is a debut built from little more than trim beats, atmospheric synths and Lily Higham’s featherlight vocals. Within the atmospherically charged wash of the album’s deftly crafted soundboard, prepare to uncover a depth of artistry and a gift for songcraft that set them some way ahead of a host of more feted DIY adventurers. Pre-release, the luscious Suneaters gave

Mull Historical Society

Wakelines [Xtra Mile Recordings, 21 Sep]

rrrrr

Mull Historical Society’s Colin MacIntyre has been keeping himself busy since releasing 2016’s Dear Satellite, having recently published his first children’s book (The Humdrum Drum) as well as his memoir, Hometown Tales: The Boy in the Bubble. It’s no surprise then that Wakelines finds MacIntyre in a nostalgic mood and looking back. The title track opens the album with a dreamy harp, which lures you into the song and the album proper. MacIntyre’s flair for a lyric has rarely been better and it’s little surprise that he now

RECORDS

blend of punishing and melodic yet as well as a fearless examination of both then and now. [Eugenie Johnson] Listen to: Glory, Little Lambs, Better In My Day

notice of a richly textured dream-pop aesthetic. There is nothing quite so beautiful here, but even so, that exquisite diamond’s nine artful partners run it close enough to ensure Kipple Arcadia is mesmerising throughout. With its soft keys and a candy-coloured hook that recalls prime Goldfrapp, Backup Baby is as warm and woozy as a summer afternoon. Café Electric parades a tricksy beat and is one for the headphones. The unearthly Aloe and the ersatz balladry of Float Through Wires confirm a curiosity beyond the band’s immediate stock-in-trade. Modelling a savvy retro sheen and a dazzling future-shock vision, Kipple Arcadia’s laid-back vibe is uncommonly vital. Don’t go dozing off – these sci-fi lullabies have their eyes on the prize. [Gary Kaill] Listen to: Suneaters, Annihilation spends much of his time penning stories. It’s an introspective record and, although there are flashes of the melodic indie-pop Mull Historical Society are known for, it’s overall more laid-back. In his bid to do something new on Wakelines, MacIntyre enlisted the help of Bernard Butler on production duties. “The songs are about family, and home [...] islands, dreams, travel. Fittingly, we recorded the album in Bernard’s home in London and that has left its mark too,” MacIntyre says in the album’s accompanying press release, “it just all felt right.” The erstwhile Suede guitarist has added a welcome polish and gloss to MacIntyre’s folk-tinged tunes, and it seems like diversifying into the written word has sharpened MacIntyre’s creativity. [Eala Macalister] Listen to: 14 Year Old Boy, Wakelines

THE SKINNY

The More I Sleep the Less I Dream [Big Scary Monsters, 14 Sep]

rrrrr

We Were Promised Jetpacks’ guitarist Michael Palmer recently said of their new album that the band were “going back to our basics and relying on our instincts” when it came to writing/recording new music, and you can really hear that throughout The More I Sleep the Less I Dream. With this being the first album the band have recorded in the US, changes in both label and band members (reverting back to a fourpiece), and the overall walk of life over a hefty four-year span that saw all band members enter their thirties, the want for a reinvented approach is both evident and understandable. As such, The More I Sleep the Less I Dream serves as a substantial marker in the band’s catalogue, aiming

Fatherson

Sum of All Your Parts [Easy Life Records, 14 Sep]

rrrrr

Sum of All Your Parts is the third album to be released by Scottish alt-rock trio, Fatherson. The album is raw and immersive, leaving soft but long-lasting impressions with the listener that intensify with every listen. Each song sets

Jlin

Autobiography [Planet Mu, 28 Sep]

rrrrr

The coming together of dance music and high art can oftenmake for an awkward and ultimately unsatisfactory crossover. Yet when news broke that Chicago footwork protégé Jlin had been commissioned to score Autobiography, Wayne McGregor’s latest ballet, the collaboration felt like a perfect fit; Jlin’s genre-transcending soundscapes expertly complementing McGregor’s hypercomplex vision. The 13-track score is undoubtedly Jlin’s most musically diverse project to date. From the impending apocalypse of the Carrie-sampling The Abyss of Doubt to the ethereal exoticism of Blue i, Autobiography offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex mind of one of dance music’s most enigmatic figures. [Michael Lawson] Listen to: The Abyss of Doubt, Blue i, Mutation

September 2018

for a sound that pushes to progress (much like 2014’s Unravelling did), without alienating their roots, nor the unrefined – but contained – angst that we’ve come to love. The More I Sleep… follows on nicely from their earlier releases, channeling them in a consciously reflective manner, and harnessing their typical dissonance while also not feeling as frantic in places as its predecessors. Mind you, tracks like Make It Easier and lead single Hanging In are as energetic in places as some of the best in Jetpacks’ back catalogue, with animated buildups and carefully constructed structures that flow sonically and sumptuously. As ever, the musicianship of Palmer’s lead guitar and its effects are as clean and glittery as you’d expect them to be, with intricate reverberating melodies ringing airily across trademark groove-lined bass patterns. Concluding on a dramatic, crunching climax of Repeating Patterns (boasting one of the most fun music videos of the year) with its pounding, agitated lead guitar, followed by the slow-burning, sludgy, Queens of

the Stone Age-style title track, closes what is a really dynamic release from the ‘Burgh boys. Welcome back folks. [Dylan Tuck]

Listen To: Repeating Patterns, Hanging In, Make It Easier

a scene and through the extraordinarily visual use of lyrics the band is able to conjure up dark imaginative spaces such as the garden that features in Oh Yes. Whether you find yourself whistling or humming this track (until its lyrics are internalised), it will haunt the mind for days. Although there are echoes of their previous effort Open Book here, Sum of All Your Parts picks up from where it left off, this time taking the band’s sound in a bold new direction. Produced by Claudius Mittendorfer, who has collaborated with artists such as Muse, Interpol and Arctic

Monkeys, the band employ the use of strings (which are a trademark of Mittendorfer’s big studio sound) to manipulate emotion. Throughout Sum of All Your Parts we experience moments of real elation before desperately plummeting back to earth with bass and a whole spectrum of different sounds in-between. Despite there being more of a musical score to it, Sum of All Your Parts still finds the space to showcase Ross Leighton’s powerful vocals, playing with the proximity and intensity of his voice in tracks such as The Rain and Ghost.

Although the singles released from the new album – Making Waves and Charm School – are markedly more upbeat, it will be the more slowburning and anthemic tracks that linger, along with the band’s ability to convey intense yet difficult to articulate emotions through their songs and lyrics which are urgent, bittersweet and at times heart-rending. [Amy Kenyon]

Mothers

Render Another Ugly Method [ANTI-, 7 Sep]

rrrrr

‘Show me a beauty routine / To erase me completely,’ sings Kristine Leschper on Render Another Ugly Method’s opening track. The second album from Leschper’s Atlanta outfit Mothers, it reaffirms the band’s talent for making the familiar sound so strange. On a record described as a montage of “cut-up songs that were torn apart and re-built,” Render Another Ugly Method’s tracklist feels more like a landscape – rolling and folding in on itself like belly fat or a mountain range. Ticking, tripping, sometimes fragile polyrhythmic time signatures provide the architecture for an album that tries to contain so much of the world within its walls, and Leschper’s lyrics are precisely worded confrontations: ‘Are you still afraid of my want?’ [Katie Hawthorne] Listen to: BEAUTY ROUTINE, WEALTH CENTER_RISK CAPITAL

Mountain Man

Christine and the Queens

Magic Ship [Bella Union, 21 Sep]

Chris [Because Music, 21 Sep]

rrrrr

‘I’m me, I’ve found it / But I was lost / I was bored by the thought of wanting more’ sings Molly Erin Sarlé in the opening breaths of Window. A gloriously gifted vocalist, she could make that line land like a long sigh of relief no matter when it was sung. But sung now, as the trio settle in North Carolina, returning to their beloved band, it feels like home. Magic Ship is a quietly comforting collection of indie folk and a capella songs, made up of intricate harmonies and quotidian lyrics. The songs are resonant and cleverly unhurried, each finding new ways to light up the three voices. Wrapped in headphones, you can sense every escaping smile colouring the listen. [Stephen Butchard] Listen to: Stella, Blue Mountain, Guilt

We Were Promised Jetpacks

rrrrr

Listen to: Gratitude, The Landscape, Ghost

Oliver Coates

Shelley’s on Zenn-La [RVNG Intl., 7 Sep]

rrrrr

On the Dâm-Funk-featuring Girlfriend, Christine and the Queens’ first glimpse of an album since 2014, Héloïse Letissier gave a hint towards an even bolder pop vision that also blurred gender lines and the boundaries between love and lust in its hook: ‘Don’t feel like a girlfriend / But lover / Damn, I’d be your lover.’ Everything about Chris feels far bigger in comparison to Chaleur Humaine. From the muscular pulses of Goya Soda to the twisting and turning of Damn (What Must a Woman Do) and the neo-baroque vibe of closer The Stranger, it’s almost impossible not to be physically moved. As its title suggests, Chris is a supremely confident introduction to the next phase of Christine and the Queens. [Eugenie Johnson]

At times hazy and ethereal, Oliver Coates’ latest album – inspired by the now defunct Shelley’s Laserdome nightclub in Stoke-on-Trent and the ficticious planet of Zenn-La – is one of great complexity where Coates has modulated his cello to create new harmonisations with its undistorted self. The sheer number of layers within each song make it difficult to pinpoint any real sense of placement, but this is one of the album’s alluring traits. Shelley’s on Zenn-La is an innovative and experimental study of musical form; with the majority of tracks created in Renoise, a digital audio workstation sequencer, it works to the album’s benefit, offering some semblance of structure. It’s hard not to admire the level of dedication committed to its conception. [Evan Osborne]

Listen to: Goya Soda, The Walker

Listen to: A Church, Cello Renoise

RECORDS

Photo: Eleanor Petry

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Agar Agar

The Dog and the Future [Cracki Records / Sony, 28 Sep]

rrrrr

Italo-disco with a Gallic flourish, the frosted synths of opening jam Made segue into the off-piste humour of Lost Dog, underpinning Agar Agar’s technological savvy with a distinct grasp of the humane. Indeed, The Dog and the Future is a record that hurtles past barriers with a gleeful smile on its face, pitting heads down techno thumpers against gentle retrofuturist laments, all with a rich vein of surreal humour. The French duo stretch out into crunching proto-techno territory on Shivers, offering aural dystopia rendered with a human touch, but its closing pair – Requiem and Schlafield fur Gestern – offer the most fully realised snippets of their cinematic pop landscape. Agar Agar chart a wayward path, but it’s one worth persevering with. [Robin Murray] Listen to: Made, Requiem

Review

State Of Play Chris Davids and Liam Ivory of English electronic duo Maribou State explain how collaborating with Khruangbin, and plenty of time spent on the road, helped shape their optimistic new album Kingdoms In Colour

Photo: Alexandra Waespi

Interview: Claire Francis

hris Davids and Liam Ivory are taking a break from rehearsals when The Skinny calls to chat about their forthcoming album, Kingdoms In Colour, the follow-up to their acclaimed 2015 debut LP, Portraits. The duo, who have been writing and performing together as Maribou State since 2011, are currently in the midst of a string of European festival dates, taking in Parklife, Sonar, Roskilde, Pukkelpop, Lowlands and more, before a live album tour begins in October. Incidentally, on the day we speak to Davids and Ivory, they’ve most recently ticked off a headline show at Farr Festival in Hertfordshire, where the pair both grew up. “After sound check, we went back to Chris’ house and had a barbeque at his family home, so that was really nice,” says Ivory. It does definitely feel surreal, especially this summer because we’ve started headlining a couple of festivals. So that’s quite strange, seeing ourselves playing at like 10 or 11 o’clock at night, in the dark, at a festival, it’s mad. Because last year we were playing in the middle of the day,” he chuckles. Maribou State are no strangers to life on the road. The mainstream breakthrough they achieved with Portraits saw them literally touring the globe, with a 32-date European tour plus shows in Asia, Australia and America. This lengthy amount of time spent touring proved to be both a blessing and a curse when it came to writing Kingdoms In Colour. “We overlapped the touring with a year of writing,” Davids explains. “We didn’t get anything done!” After almost two years of touring, the pair returned to the UK, relocating from The Shack – a home-built studio at the back of Ivory’s garden in Hertfordshire – to a new studio space in London. Settling into the city and the new recording environment also had its challenges, they explain. “It’s such a different way of life in London to where we grew up,” says Ivory. “It was kind of tricky to find a balance of having a social life, and getting into a proper work flow and feeling inspir-

ed in the studio.” “We never really found a balance, did we though?” interjects Davids. “Because the first year we didn’t really do any writing, and then the second year we didn’t do any socialising,” he laughs. “We both work quite differently. Like Liam prefers to get up and get to the studio early, whereas I always prefer to work in the evenings. But in the last six months we got into this kind of zone, we literally locked ourselves in the studio.”

“ Our main intention behind this record was to create something that was a little bit bolder, and that definitely had a bit more energy to it” Liam Ivory

“When you look at it on paper it’s actually quite sad,” continues Ivory with a laugh. “We didn’t see friends or family, even our girlfriends who we live with, we rarely saw them. But it was incredible in terms of how quickly everything just came together right at the end. Relatively, that’s a long period of time,” he reflects. “Most bands write an album in half that amount of time. But for us it just seems to take longer.” They both laugh. The upside to the months spent touring was the wealth of new inspirations to be found on the

road. Some ideas were written while touring in places like India, and field recordings were made in Asia, Australia, Morocco and America. This affinity with worldwide music cultures is also shared by Texan ‘Thai funk’ trio Khruangbin, with whom Davids and Ivory collaborated on the invigorating single Feel Good. “We discovered them about three or four years ago. They became one of our favourite bands for quite a while. The Universe Smiles Upon You is one of the best albums we’ve heard in recent years, like the sort of album you can just put on and listen to from start to finish. It’s quite rare to find an album like that,” enthuses Davids. “We got them over to support us at KOKO when we had our first proper big London headline show. During the process of writing the second album, [a collaboration] was always something on the cards that we were trying to make happen. We managed to get it together just in the nick of time. They’re really, really lovely people. And a lot of fun.” Elsewhere on the new album, tracks like Glasshouses, with its buoyant Indian-inspired melody, reinforce a sense of playful energy and optimism that underscores Kingdoms In Colour. Where Portraits tended to centre around a mood of downtempo electronica, this new record feels more upbeat, a suggestion that – when put to the pair – Maribou State agree with wholeheartedly. “You know what, it’s something we hadn’t really spoken about since then,” Ivory says. “After we finished Portraits, we obviously like still love the album, but we always thought that maybe it was just a bit too washed out and ambient. Our main intention behind this new record was to create something that was a little bit bolder, and that definitely had a bit more energy to it.” This energy is also channelled into the track Turnmills, named after the London club which closed its doors in 2008. Released as a single, it was accompanied by a fundraiser DJ set at Corsica Studio for the The Night Time Industries

CLUBS

Association’s #SaveNightlife campaign. “London nightlife is definitely really important to us, and London as a city in general is really important to us. [Turnmills] was the club, the first proper club that we went to when we were younger, when we were like 17 or 18, and it just opened our eyes to electronic music,” says Ivory. “Obviously the landscape of the city is changing so much over the years that we thought it would be a nice thing to do at Corsica, to try and raise some awareness and a bit of cash to help the cause.” The duo’s attention is now turned to the forthcoming live album tour, which sees the return of close collaborator Holly Walker (who featured on Portraits and appears again on Kingdoms In Colour) as well as the addition of two more players to create a full live band. As Davids explains: “It’s kind of the same show as before, but we’ve revisited some of the older tracks and reshaped them. There’s not really any backing track this time, we’ve kind of brought a new player in and taken it fully live.” “Which was really stressful but kind of paying off now,” Ivory adds with a laugh.“It was a big jump, from what we used to do.” Kingdoms In Colour is a commanding second album, representing an evolution in terms of songwriting and as a live act, but as Davids puts it, the ethos of Maribou State remains very much the same. “The main thing again for us was just to create something that we would listen to, and that we would really want other people to get that same emotion from when they listen to it. It’s the kind of album for people to just put on and jam out to essentially, there’s nothing more to it than that for us. We just want people to enjoy it. There’s no deeper message behind it.” Kingdoms In Colour is out on 7 September via Counter Records/Ninja Tune Maribou State play The Art School, Glasgow on 13 Oct mariboustate.com

THE SKINNY

September 2018

THE SKINNY

Dance With Your Head We catch up with Glasgow duo Rob Etherson and Ross Anderson, aka Brain Dancing, to chat about their debut EP Interview: Claire Francis

rain Dancing is a creative collaboration that will no doubt be familiar to many involved in Glasgow’s thriving club scene. A monthly party, studio project and ‘curated visual aesthetic’, Brain Dancing is the brainchild of Rob Etherson (mixing engineer and one half of the techno outfit Mia Dora) and Ross Anderson (co-founder of the Sub Club residency I AM and resident DJ under the moniker Beta; he’s also a graphic artist and creative programming director of The Berkeley Suite). With two years of successful Brain Dancing parties under their belt, the duo are now set to release their debut EP Far from Finished on Boysnoize Records sub label BNR TRAX. The ethos of Brain Dancing, the pair explain, is and was “a manifestation of a need to apply some spontaneity back into clubbing.” Initially the Brain Dancing parties were run on a ‘reveal concept’ – the policy would be to book a guest and not reveal their identity, with the only way of finding out being to turn up at the club. A ‘free before midnight’ entry fee also applied to ensure that the club nights were accessible to everyone regardless of their financial situation. “It removed the reliance on a ‘hypey’ booking to get the venue busy and made it more of an exciting thing; not just for the dancers but for us too,” says Etherson. “Everyone likes a bit of risk, eh? Musically we’re very open-minded, I couldn’t pigeonhole our sets.” This broad-minded approach is reflected in the four tracks that make up Far

from Finished. A wide range of artists influenced the duo during the making of the EP, and Brain Dancing equally take inspiration from Glasgow’s unique club scene, citing the energy and sense of humour that sets the city apart from other locations in the UK. As Etherson puts it: “You can get away with playing slightly off-kilter party tracks every so often and it’s accepted, not shunned. There’s a uniqueness about the crowds in Glasgow, right from the get-go they are so up for it. I guess it’s a by-product of the tight licensing laws; clubbers only have a short time to dance, so they don’t waste it.” A culmination of these influences, Far from Finished is as energetic, boisterous and diverse as Glasgow itself. Humour is ever-present too; as Etherson explains, the wryly-titled opening track Far from Finished, from which the record takes its name, is “essentially as obvious as it sounds; it had been worked on and put to the bottom of the pile too many times to count. So for a long time it literally followed its name.” Anderson continues: “Getting in the studio can be quite difficult at times. It’s very mooddependant, but after running the club night for over a year it gave us the itch to sculpt some music that we could play out. This is what has been giving us the energy and the positive outlook to write. Having an end goal like a club night or record label is always good for motivation”.

Brain Dancing

“ There’s a uniqueness about the crowds in Glasgow, right from the get-go they are so up for it” Rob Etherson

Built on a foundation of urban rave and 80s electro, Far from Finished packs a range of musical references into four neat tracks. From the riot of synth loops of the opening track and its melodic fixations, to the joyful closer Runaway, these tracks are bound to work their way into

many DJ sets in the coming months. Asked to cite their own favourite track from the EP, the pair both agree that “it’s a toss up between Opti C Dorian and Runaway.” “Dance music at times can be quite melody-shy,” explains Etherson, “and we’ve tried to make an effort to write music that works well in clubs but keeps this sense of complexity and emotiveness. We actually decided to make a video around Opti C Dorian as it is the perfect middle ground on the EP.” Much like the EP’s title, Brain Dancing’s foray into production is also far from finished. In fact, Anderson says, the duo are only just getting started. “We do actually have a second EP lined up with [Boysnoize Records], the lead track on which is our favourite thing we’ve ever created together. We’re excited to see it come out – keep them johns peeled!” Far from Finished is released on 7 Sep via via BNR TRAX facebook.com/braindancing

Clubbing Highlights A bumper crop of club nights and a pair of late-in-the-year festivals feature in this month’s clubs round-up

Heaters with Böly & Eva Crystaltips @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 5 Sep This Wednesday night gem features deep house vibes from Böly, who is part of the French DJ collective Bon Son De Bonsoir, plus Edinburgh’s own Eva Crystaltips. The latter scored a spot on the Smirnoff Equalising Music programme and a billing at Austria’s Snowbombing Festival earlier this year on the back of her skills with funk, soul and disco edits. Headway with Avalon Emerson @ The Reading Rooms, Dundee, 7 Sep A last-minute flight cancellation sadly put an end to Avalon Emerson’s scheduled gig at La Cheetah Club last month. In good news, she returns to the country this month for a set at The Reading Rooms in Dundee. Her fans from Glasgow and further afield will know that this is a triple Scorpio supernova worth travelling for. If you’re in town, stick around for Book Club with Brame & Hamo the following night. Naive Melody with DEBONAiR @ The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 9 Sep London-based DJ and former NTS Radio Programme Director DEBONAiR made her Scottish debut as part of the Numbers + Warp showcase in Glasgow late last year. With years of experience in radio programming, Debi Ghose draws on her broad-ranging tastes for her DJ sets, which are high-energy, diverse and pleasingly unpredictable. We’re excited to see

September 2018

what surprises she has in store for The Berkeley Suite dancefloor. Afloat with Lord Of The Isles @ La Cheetah Club, Glasgow, 12 Sep Prolific producer and DFSTA label owner Neil McDonald (aka Lord of the Isles) tends to keep a low profile, but his records speak for themselves. Last year’s Parabolas of Neon was an atmospheric ambient/house gem, and his most recent Irafas EP, released in July, is of equal quality with a more electro bent. Skye Live 2018 @ Portree, Isle of Skye, 21 & 22 Sep On the Friday of this year’s Skye Live festival, you get an insanely good programme featuring Denis Sulta, Or:la, Dan Shake and an Eclair Fifi-curated line up of Saoirse, Big Miz and Afrodeutsche. The fun doesn’t stop on the Saturday either, with the likes of Moxie, Niteworks, Vessels, Fort Romeau and more completing this impressive bill. Ezup with Krystal Klear @ La Cheetah Club, Glasgow, 22 Sep The man behind one of the year’s biggest tracks steps into the La Cheetah booth this month. Krystal Klear’s talent has been bubbling away for almost a decade now, but the popularity of the nu-disco dancefloor hit Neutron Dance looks set to push the Dubliner, who now resides in New York, firmly into the spotlight.

CLUBS

Words: Claire Francis Illustration: Ailsa Sutcliffe FLY Open Air Festival @ Princes St Gardens, Edinburgh, 22 & 23 Sep FLY’s annual open air party at the foot of Edinburgh Castle returns this year as a weekend-long event. With the line-up curated by FLY residents Theo Kottis and Jasper James, Saturday sees Kottis play alongside the likes of Kerri Chandler and Henrik Schwarz, while Jasper James goes back-to-back with Jackmaster on the Sunday as Palms Trax, Peggy Gou and more round out the bill. John Talabot @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 23 Sep Ten years ago John Talabot founded the influential Barcelona-based label Hivern Discs. Since then he’s released his critically acclaimed debut album ƒIN, toured with The xx, laid down a DJ-Kicks mix and worked with a number of collaborators, most notably with Alex Boman as Talaboman. The length and breadth of his vast musical tastes make him the ideal candidate to take over Sub Club’s controls. Subculture with Jane Fitz @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 29 Sep One of the UK’s most beloved and simultaneously low-profile DJs, Jane Fitz brings over 20 years of experience to the Subculture table this month. Expect anything from soul and dubby house to trip-hop and techno from the Londoner renowned for ability to craft a metamorphic dancefloor experience with a flick of her seasoned, deft hand. theskinny.co.uk/clubs

Review

Rhyme Watch

Washington Black By Esi Edugyan

The Way of All Flesh By Ambrose Parry

rrrrr

September’s spoken word calendar sees Wigtown and Islay host their festivals, and a bumper crop of new poetry collections to enjoy at home Words: Beth Cochrane

eed a new poetry collection? September’s got you sorted with a lengthy list of new titles to choose from. Jenni Fagan releases There’s a Witch in the Word Machine with Polygon on 6 September. Although known primarily as an award-winning novelist, this is Fagan’s second full poetry collection and is sure to advance her reputation as a bewitching and beguiling poet. There’s a Witch in the Word Machine was written during her residency at Shakespeare & Co., Paris, and on the Outriders tour (an Edinburgh International Book Festival project) across the USA. Polygon are also publishing Jim Carruth’s verse novella Killochries. A young man leaves his home in the city for work on a remote farm, where he meets an old shepherd who couldn’t care less for the modern world. The two men work together for the duration of a year, and Killochries is the map of their growing and unexpected relationship. Also this month, Harry Josephine Giles releases their new collection with Out-Spoken Press. The Games is written in Scots and English, and is a savage exploration of poetry in many forms: sound, found, computer-generated and much more. Harry Josephine’s work drives at the boundaries of what poetry can be, and their new collection pushes this, with effortless joy, steadily further. With themes of ecology, power and sex, how can you not pick up a copy ASAP? Kate Tempest also releases her third poetry collection Running Upon the Wires via Picador Poetry on 6 Sep. Hailed as ‘one of our most important poetic truth tellers’, Tempest’s new collection is a deeply personal tale, yet one that’s relatable to all. Running Upon the Wires is Tempest’s journey from break-up and self-destruction to the redemption, and challenges, of falling in love again. This is a collection that investigates and reaffirms relationships based on the passion of romantic love. Also out on 6 September, Gaia Holmes releases her third collection, Where the Road

Normal People By Sally Rooney

rrrrr Ever since her first novel, Conversations with Friends, was published, Sally Rooney has been hailed as the next great Irish writer and the novelistic voice of her generation. It’s a lot to live up to, something that she both does and refuses to do with her second novel.

Runs Out, with Comma Press. Although Holmes is based in Halifax, much of her collection was written during an extended stay in Orkney. Where the Road Runs Out was much inspired by the Orcadian landscape and people. The book is, however, conceptually unfamiliar, with each poem inspired by and linked through sinkholes (both physical and metaphorical). In the events calendar, there are two exciting festivals happening in September. Wigtown Book Festival – Scotland’s second biggest book festival – is running 21 to 30 September and has some wonderful poetry events lined up. The festival is set in the heart of Scotland’s official Book Town, boasting 14 (mainly secondhand) bookshops. On 22 Sep, Dumfries favourite Hugh McMillan will be reading from his new collection Heliopolis. Tom Pow will be presenting Barefoot: The Collected Poems of Alastair Reid on 23 September. This collection is the first time Reid’s poems have been published under one cover, and Pow – Reid’s friend and the editor of Barefoot – will be discussing the life and work of this great Galloway poet. Marjorie Lotfi Gill, on 24 September, will be reading from her latest poetry pamphlet Refuge, and will discuss her experience of the Iranian revolution and journey fleeing Tehran. This event, titled A Persian Supper, will also include a gourmet Iranian meal. Islay Book Festival will run 27-30 September, and has a varied lineup of poetry events in its packed programme. Flight of Poets (28 Sep) features short readings from a variety of poets: Ian Stephen, Ciara MacLaverty, Chrys Salt, Donald S. Murray and Brian Johnstone. There’s a strong strand of events surrounding the WWI centenary, with poetry coming into play within these discussions. Events include Trevor Royle’s WW100 Reflections: Flowers of the Forest (30 Sep) and multi-media performance WW100 Reflections: The Fields of War (29 Sep) with Chrys Salt and Brian Johnstone.

It begins on a brutal cane plantation in Barbados in 1830. Washington Black, a slave boy of ten or so, watches his new master arrive – ‘an uncooked pallor to his skin’ – to assume responsibility for his late uncle’s estate. An extraordinary series of events follows, as Christopher ‘Titch’ Wilde, the new master’s brother, selects Washington as his personal servant – he is the right size to act as ballast in Titch’s aerial machine, the Cloud Cutter. Titch is an eccentric naturalist, scientist and inventor, and he treats and trains Washington as if he were an English boy, not a slave. Catastrophe follows, forcing them to escape the plantation and the intrepid adventures of this novel take off. Washington’s journey propels him from the wastes of the Canadian Arctic to the begrimed streets of London, and on to the desert storms of Morocco. At first, he is driven by the fear of being caught, then out of desire to piece together his broken history. There’s a cliff-hanger speed to the plot, which ties the reader from one chapter into the next. At times, this makes the precise, finely worked details of Edugyan’s prose easy to miss – when we’re desperate to know who’s done what, we don’t care about the colour of the soft furnishings. Nonetheless, Edugyan spins a grand tale, bringing Washington’s psychology to the fore. These are not wild adventures in pursuit of some lost ark, but for a semblance of closure in a life of abandonment and brutality. She explores with deft skill the damage done to a slave’s mind and the persistent workings of white privilege on the road to abolition. [Galen O’Hanlon] Serpent’s Tail, out now, £14.99

The Way of All Flesh is the historically criminal brainchild of Chris Brookmyre and Dr. Marisa Haetzman – you can call them Ambrose Parry. Will Raven, a medical student in Victorian Edinburgh, is about to embark on an apprenticeship with the renowned Dr Simpson, specialist in Midwifery. It’s a chance to trade the dangers of Old Town for a safer life in the New Town. However, Will’s past might stand in his way – not to mention an increasing number of young women that have been found dead after botched operations. The primary drive is the development of anaesthetics and the discovery of chloroform, based upon material uncovered by Haetzman. The brutality of Victorian medical advances and the blatant disregard for human life perfectly offsets the spree of deaths which eventually unites Will and Sarah, Dr Simpson’s unconventional protégé. There is a clear parallel between the hazards of medical progress in the Victorian era and the dangers of childbirth, or the prevention thereof, and this makes for a compelling read. This is a novel full of contradictions, for which 19th-century Edinburgh provides a perfect backdrop. The archaic nature of the dialogue can at times feel stunted, though this is resolved as the characters find their footing, while the rich historical backdrop and clever intricacies of the plot are the real stars of The Way of All Flesh. A refreshing addition to the historical crime genre. [Mika Cook] Canongate, out now, £14.99 canongate.co.uk/books/2502-the-way-of-all-flesh

Serpentstail.com/washington-black

Running Upon The Wires By Kate Tempest

rrrrr

Brothers in Blood By Amer Anwar

rrrrr

theskinny.co.uk/books

Normal People is a love story between two childhood best friends, Marianne and Connell, taking place from high school to the end of university. Their story is told in snippets – present tense vignettes – each propelling the narrative forward with leaps in time that are both miniscule and epic as the lovers come together and fall apart. Readers of Conversations with Friends will be familiar with Rooney’s style: passages are largely dedicated to speech with insights into characters’ interiority, more reportage than flowery description. Heartbreak follows heartbreak as the reader is given an insight into characters’ motivations behind their actions. For writing that is so precise, Rooney crams a lot into Normal People, as issues of class, sexuality, gender and money are all explored in intricate detail, although the book never feels overpacked or rushed. Normal People is a brilliantly cunning book. Rooney’s narrative voice becomes as familiar as a friend’s text messages, as she uses the two central characters to crawl inside our secrets, desires and anxieties. What makes the novel so brutal is that it’s the most normal, clichéd story of love, crafted by Rooney into a modern day epic. It’s devastating in its mundanity. [Katie Goh]

It would be a challenge to not relate to Running Upon the Wires, which plots the universal map of heartbreak and eventual optimism of new love. This intimate narrative is split into three sections: firstly ‘the end’, poems which expose moments of desolate pain that inevitably accompany a break-up. The subsequent sections, ‘the middle’ and ‘the beginning’, navigate the unchartered territory of a new relationship, fully equipped with messy yearnings for still-lingering lost love. While Running Upon the Wires is a cathartic and deeply moving read – a go-to for the love-stricken and heartbroken – Tempest’s best poems come from moments out in the world. At your mother’s funeral and Venice Beach are two such instances, where the poet’s voice is not just used to vocalise her internal speech. These examples have powerful narratives which better demonstrate a deepening romantic partnership and the no man’s land that is a heart on the cusp of healing. The title poem reflects on the ‘you’ that signifies both lost love and new love. ‘Yes, we do repeat…/ This does not mean/ we are not new/ You are not her./ This is not then.’ Tempest leaves her reader with this melancholic hope: it’s possible that heartbreak may forever be on the horizon, but new lovers offer a chance to break this cycle. [Beth Cochrane]

Faber & Faber, out now , £14.99

Picador, 6 Sep, £9.99

faber.co.uk

panmacmillan.com/authors/kate-tempest

The debut novel from Amer Anwar is a satisfying slice of action-led crime: a gripping noir tale that delivers an intriguing cast of characters, a West London setting that is vivid and suitably scuzzy, and a dark set-up that should guarantee readers are hooked from the off. That premise is simple enough: Pakistani Zaq Khan, recently released from prison for crimes that he allows those around him to exaggerate for his own needs, is strong-armed into finding his Sikh boss’ missing daughter, Rita. How that search develops, and the trials Zaq (and appealing Sikh sidekick, Jags) has to overcome, power the momentum of this enjoyable thriller. Anwar is good on the violence that punctuates much of his story, and his clear-sighted attentiveness to the Southall locale conjures a pleasingly vibrant sense of place. The central pairing of the charismatic ‘bad boy’ and his old friend is similarly effective and engaging, showcasing an acute awareness of the broader issues faced by these communities living side by side. Refreshing too for that push-and-pull to be presented from a perspective rarely seen in the genre. That the narrative hook ultimately struggles to support the central mystery, dragging the story a little, is of minor consequence. Tighter editing will serve this emerging new voice well. Until then, this is an intelligent and deftly-executed thriller. [Gary Kaill] Dialogue Books, 6 Sep, £7.99 twitter.com/ameranwar

Review

BOOKS

THE SKINNY

Where Art Now? September brings new opportunities, and exhibitions of poignant and ambitious new works from emerging and established artists alike, including massive sculpture, a year-long animation project in Tramway, and poignant records of travel in DCA

o, you survived it all? Whether you immersed yourself in the world’s largest cultural festival in the capital last month, or decided it was oversaturation and hid under your bed, August always seems to be a time when there’s too much to do, see and be a part of in the visual art world. So take a deep breath; the streets are finally decluttered of children who are now imprisoned in schools and the roads are clear for some brilliant art opportunities this September. Exhibition Highlights In Edinburgh, some festival exhibits continue through the month. The Fruitmarket Gallery’s incredible exhibition of work by renowned experimental film artist Tacita Dean is on until the end of September. And in the Talbot Rice Gallery, they host sculptor Lucy Skaer until mid-October. Both galleries offer free tours of the exhibitions, with the Talbot Rice Gallery even including free curator tours of Skaer’s work every Thursday lunchtime. The DCA have not one, but two exhibitions kicking off on 8 September: the first, from Spanish artist Santiago Sierra, is the UK premiere of an immersive photographic and sound installation documenting the process and performance of planting the universal symbol of the anarchist movement – the black flag – at the

two most extreme points on Earth: the North and South Poles. The second is Mike Kelley’s remarkable Mobile Homestead film trilogy, made between 2010 and 2011 in the artist’s hometown of Detroit. In 2015, Kelley’s Mobile Homestead – a facsimile of his childhood home constructed on the back of a trailer – made its maiden voyage from the grounds of The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit to the ‘mother ship’, his original home in the suburbs of the city. See the DCA website for myriad opportunities and events to engage with the work. While in Glasgow, artist Samara Scott has created her most ambitious exhibition to date in the form of a large site-specific installation in response to Tramway’s main gallery. A vast, transparent membrane has been smeared and impregnated with various materials sourced from around Glasgow, creating a patina that will cure, decay, shift and evolve over time until late October. Also on display until October is the culmination of a year’s worth of work: Jamie Crewe added to their piece Pastoral Drama every day for 365 days. Through chronological filming of intricate drawings, speckled clay and encrusted plasticine, Crewe reflects upon the evolution of narratives, (inter-) personal change, and the imperatives of invisibility.

Samara Scott

Awards, Funding and Calls for Entries A unique and potentially inspirational opportunity is being brought to visual artists from The Scottish Wildlife Trust in the form of a self-funded residency which offers artists the chance to spend up to six weeks researching and creating work in the wild and remote hills, moorlands and woods of Rahoy Hills Reserve. Deadline: 3 October Edinburgh’s Embassy Gallery have announced a programme kicking off in October 2018 with a curriculum based around six intensive weekend gatherings: GRADJOB invites graduates from the last two years to apply. Deadline: 24 Sept

For artists working in moving image, Alchemy Film Festival have once again opened the doors for submissions, and they celebrate a breathtakingly diverse range of filmwork, making for an open invitation to the widest range of artistic practices. Deadline: 30 Nov Spilt Milk, a social enterprise based in Edinburgh whose mission is to promote the work of artists who are mothers as well as to support mothers in the local community through artistled activities, are excitingly looking for artist members. Deadline: 1 Dec

Janice Kerbel

beat, setting a militaristic marching pace. There’s a shift to this as the second half of the team enter the water under their teammates near the surface. The new set begin to corkscrew their feet in the air, rising and dipping as one. In their one-shoulder swimsuits, the performers could be the breath marks of musical notation (from the balcony, their precise inhales and exhales can be seen clearly). By the time the syncopated splashing begins, the full force of the 24 swimmers comes with more movements than the eye can track. While the swimmers were arranged in abstract tableaux before, they’re now in a more confounding arrangement: kicking up, fully turning in the water, sinking and rising. Order has not been lost, but become complex. As they kick out and vigorously turn without clashing, the routine splashily crescendoes in volume. In an emotional climax, the performers’ elegance and vigour poignantly demonstrate the power of graceful collective action and the transcendent capabilities of the body. [Adam Benmakhlouf]

Western Baths

Emil Nolde, Paradise Lost, 1921

Emil Nolde

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

rrrrr

In painter Emil Nolde’s Cabaret Audience (1911), purple, yellow, red and green are brought together to suggest an urban motley of nighttime characters. Perhaps this oversaturated record of the intrigue of anonymous revelry is the analogue of some of the alienation and strangeness Nolde paints into what might otherwise be the familiar scenes of his rural home and religious upbringing. For instance, a huddle of Farmers (1908) exclude the onlooker, one peering behind his shoulder and out of the painting. While there are blues, rich greens and browns, there’s a deep obscurity as the farmers huddle in low-light, and there’s a suggestion of them bundling together not only to exclude the invisible watching figure they’re side-eyeing, but also to survive the harsh elements in their heavy coats and hats. Similarly, the titular figures of Milkmaids (1903) curve into the whirlpool landscape, while their diagonal

September 2018

arms angle against the vertiginous slide down of the painted marks that describe the field. Nolde is at his best setting his own nuanced position within images of closed-off European rural and post-WWI city lifestyles. The off-kilter record of communities of which Nolde is a member loses its bite when it trips in places into hackneyed anti-Semitic, colonialist and racist disfigurations – see Martyrdom II, III (1921) or his series of paintings from New Guinea (1914). While the press materials express surprise at how little Nolde has been exhibited in the previous 60 years, there’s no doubt that rediscovering Nolde’s achievements brings the responsibility of acknowledging his dangerous fascist allegiance and these tendencies within his oeuvre. The Modern’s temptation to write off Nolde’s willing alignment with Nazism on account of the professional hardship he later experienced as a ‘degenerate’ artist, however, is a harmful simplification and disturbing apologism which abdicates its curatorial responsibility to frame a problematic career. [Adam Benmakhlouf]

Photo: Courtesy of Nolde Stiftung Seebüll

rrrrr

Responding directly to its European Championships context, Kerbel has created a synchronised swimming routine for 24 swimmers. Even for those who might not have seen enough synchronised swimming to know that this number is three or four times the average professional team, the performers (all professional-level swimmers) together make up a formidable squad. A beeping soundtrack sounds 120 beats per second, as the swimmers sit still in two rows facing forward. The first swimmer enters the water, taking her place, then a second, coming in gradually before they’re joined en masse by the rest of the first half of the team. Without looking at one another, they arrange in a parquet-like pattern. They presumably hear the high pitched metronome through the water; their ears are submerged. Moving consistently to the rhythm, at one point the swimmers kick together every fourth

theskinny.co.uk/art

Run ended.

Janice Kerbel, Sink, 2018

Until 21 October 2018 at the Modern Two, Edinburgh.

ART

Review

Photo: Alan Dimmick

Words: Rosie Priest

In Cinemas Faces Places

Director: Agnès Varda, JR Starring: Agnès Varda, JR Released: 21 Sep Certificate: 12A

rrrrr

Faces Places

Skate Kitchen

Director: Crystal Moselle Starring: Rachelle Vinberg, Jaden Smith, Elizabeth Rodriguez Released: 28 Sep Certificate: 15

rrrrr

When we meet timorous skateboarder Camille (Rachelle Vinberg), she suffers an injury at the skatepark so horrific, it would make anyone with a vagina squirm and cringe. Blood trickles down her legs, and she limps her way back to her Long Island home. Naturally, her overbearing mother (Elizabeth Rodriguez) forbids her from skating again. But it’s impossible for Camille to stay away for long, as she sneaks off to Manhattan, finding her pack in an instafamous collective of female skaters. Skate Kitchen is a work of fiction, but it feels more like a doc-feature hybrid – the film stars the real skate crew that lends its name, and the events that unfold are inspired by their own experiences. It seems like the obvious course of action for director Crystal Moselle, whose debut The Wolfpack followed another eclectic group of New York natives. This unique approach to storytelling, along

with a cast of several first-time actors, gives a sense of authenticity that wouldn’t exist otherwise. Nothing feels scripted, but the freewheeling improvisation from its non-professional cast isn’t hollow either. The badass group’s offscreen camaraderie is rendered lovingly, so inviting and infectious that you may be tempted to shred on a board too. Skate Kitchen is a slice of life movie in its purest form – it brims with vitality and vibrancy. Though ostensibly a simple hangout movie, Skate Kitchen is quietly revolutionary for how it approaches womanhood. The girls talk about tampons and sexuality with the frankness that one would chit-chat about weather. Femininity is embraced in all forms, but zero fanfare is made about it. Similarly, the low-key observations of subtle sexism in skateboarding amount to one woman’s story out of many who face enmity in a male-dominated world. Skateboarding in cinema is likewise dominated by male narratives, from Kids to Jonah Hill’s upcoming debut Mid90s – Skate Kitchen boldly and bravely fights back. [Iana Murray]

rrrrr

Released by Pathé

Review

rrrrr

Chloé Zhao took a risk by casting non-actors in The Rider. After some stiffness and uncertainty in the early scenes, it pays off handsomely. As the rodeo rider recovering from a near-fatal head injury, Brady Jandreau is essentially playing himself, having suffered through this same experience in 2016, and he brings a quiet, introspective quality to his work. Brady knows that getting back on the horse is putting his life at risk, but what else can he do? The young men in The Rider live for those eight seconds on the back of a bucking bronco, and when you take that away from Brady his life suddenly looks very empty. The Rider is a perceptive film about coping with loss and finding a sense of purpose, and Zhao’s sensitive direction gives her cast room to inhabit their roles, to bring us into their world. In particular, the scenes in which Brady tends to his friend Lane Scott (a former champion paralysed after an accident), or his beloved horses, possess the kind of purity and authenticity that can’t be faked. [Philip Concannon] Released by Altitude

Released by Curzon

Skate Kitchen has its Scottish premiere 15 Sep, GFT, as part of Glasgow Youth Film Festival. Crystal Moselle and some of the film’s cast will be in attendance for a Q&A

American Animals

Some books are near impossible to adapt. Sarah Waters’ 2009 novel The Little Stranger shouldn’t really be one of them. It’s perhaps her most conventional work, in the sense that it’s a fairly straightforward ghost story: Dr Faraday (Gleeson) finds himself called to Hundreds Hall, the declining country estate of the once formidable Ayres clan, and it soon becomes clear that something terrible plagues the family, headed by Charlotte Rampling’s matriarch. Whether that ‘something’ is supernatural or psychological, The Little Stranger falls rather cosily in line with the likes of those classic (and perfectly cinematic) tales of British repression: Brideshead Revisited, Rebecca, The Turn of the Screw and so on. Whatever glimpses we get into these characters, the uneven script quickly undermines them. Perhaps most disappointing though is that of all the themes – grief, depression, emotionally stunted motherhood – the film seems largely preoccupied with class, and the ‘twist’, so to speak, feels especially shallow without more layers to the characters. Unlike The Others (2001) or even the more recent Crimson Peak (2015), The Little Stranger adds nothing particularly fresh or cogent to the genre. [Kelli Weston]

Director: Chloé Zhao Starring: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Cat Clifford, Lane Scott Released: 14 Sep Certificate: 15

Released by Modern Film

The Little Stranger

Director: Lenny Abrahamson Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Will Poulter, Charlotte Rampling Released: 21 Sep Certificate: 12A

We would follow Agnès Varda anywhere, but tagging along with the octogenarian filmmaker on a breezy journey across rural France for this whimsical documentary proves particularly rewarding. She’s joined on the trip by JR, a 33-year-old photographer with more than a passing resemblance to Varda’s old mucker Godard, thanks mainly to a pair of sunglasses that never leave his face. The shades mean JR’s view on the world is tinted, while Varda’s own eyes are starting to falter; her filmmaking vision, however, remains pin-sharp and vibrant. Travelling in JR’s truck-cum-giant camera, the pair skip from town-to-town taking hugescale photographs of ordinary people, from a trio of dockers’ wives to the last resident of a row of miners’ cottages due for demolition. These huge images are then fly-posted on to local buildings, turning their subjects into icons. Like many of Varda’s docs (The Gleaners & I, The Beaches of Agnès), Faces Places is also about another icon: Varda herself. She may be barely five feet in her cotton socks, but this moving study of community and memory reminds us she’s a colossus too. [Jamie Dunn]

The Rider

Director: Bart Layton Starring: Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Ann Dowd Released: 7 Sep Certificate: 15 The Rider

“This is not based on a true story,” American Animals boldly declares – that is, until “not based on” suddenly vanishes. Bart Layton (the documentarian who directed 2011’s The Imposter) arriving with his audacious feature debut, is not concerned with the wishy-washy theatrics of true crime dramas. He wants to tell it as it is, even if it means bending the rules to get there. From minute one, American Animals comes in steamrolling with a madcap confidence. It follows educated idiots (played by Keoghan and Peters) who hatch a plan to steal books worth millions of dollars, with only one librarian (Dowd) standing in the way. Alongside the actors, the real perpetrators operate as commentators, and their talking-head interviews that interrupt the action are as insightful as they are contradictory. Scenes bleed into each other, dialogue overlaps, identical conversations take place in two locations at once – the reliability of memory unravels before our eyes. If this is what Layton can pull from a bunch of knuckleheads, we can only imagine what he could do with a film about smarter people. [Iana Murray] Released by STX International

The Miseducation of Cameron Post Director: Desiree Akhavan Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, John Gallagher Jr., Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, Marin Ireland, Owen Campbell, Kerry Butler, Quinn Shephard, Emily Skeggs, Melanie Ehrlich, Jennifer Ehle Released: 7 Sep Certificate: 15

rrrrr

The Miseducation of Cameron Post opens in 1993, Montana. The titular Cameron Post (Moretz) is getting ready for prom where she’ll be caught making out with a female friend in the back of her date’s car resulting in her being sent away to a gay conversion camp to “pray away the gay”. Writer-director Desiree Akhavan has spoken at length about growing up without a queer John Hughes film and the influence of 80s teen cinema is all over ...Cameron Post, from musical cues to prom dresses to the group of social misfits Cameron meets in the camp. While Akhavan’s filmography indicates a desire to explore queer female sexuality – ...Cameron Post’s sex scenes are beautifully composed and make up the film’s emotional core – the film is more generally an

FILM & TV

exploration of teenage alienation and anxiety. Arriving at the camp, Cameron meets her fellow “disciples” – the other kids who have been sent to the camp – as well as the camp leaders; mustachioed Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr), who himself has been “cured” from SSA (Same Sex Attraction), and icy camp leader Dr Lydia (Jennifer Ehle). Rather than cast the leaders as the film’s villains, Akhavan is more interested in characters’ shades, as Cameron and Rick strike up something close to companionship. Moretz’s quiet confidence grounds the film as she plays against type giving a sad, reserved performance. Her one goofy moment is when she bursts out in a sing along to 4 Non Blondes’ What’s Up, leaping on the kitchen counter, potato peeler as mic. It’s the film’s standout scene where we get a glimpse at an alternative timeline where Cameron and her campmates are allowed to act their age. “How is teaching us to hate ourselves not emotional abuse?” says Cameron in a scene towards the end, speaking about the camp and, by extension, society. It’s a question that belongs to the 90s and to today. [Katie Goh] Released by Vertigo

THE SKINNY

At Home I Vitelloni

The Miraculous Virgin

Disenchantment

rrrrr

Director: Federico Fellini Starring: Franco Interlenghi, Leopoldo Trieste, Alberto Sordi Out now Certificate: PG

Director: Štefan Uher Starring: Jolanta Umecka, Ladislav Mrkvicka, Otakar Janda Out now Certificate: 12

Created by: Matt Groening, Josh Weinstein Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Eric André, Nat Faxon Out now

Fellini’s second film as writer-director, 1953’s I Vitelloni tells the story of five young layabouts in an unnamed seaside town and sees the Italian mining the same neorealist-style seam that would produce La Strada and Nights Of Cabiria later in the decade. But it’s notable for also giving the first sight of the themes that would come to define his later masterpieces, such as La Dolce Vita, 8½ and Amarcord – namely Fellini’s use of his own life story for material, his love of theatres, actors and clowns, his psychological probing of his characters’ inner lives and, perhaps most of all, his zest for the riot, movement and chaos of Italian life. It’s also notable for being a powerful influence on Martin Scorsese, whose 1973 film Mean Streets owes it a debt. I Vitelloni is sometimes translated as The Bullocks, though The Young Calves is also used and is actually a more appropriate title. The five amigos – Moraldo (Interlenghi), Fausto (Fabrizi), Leopoldo (Trieste), Alberto (Sordi) and Riccardo (the director’s younger brother) – are young men still reliant on their mothers and easily dominated by their fathers. In one scene, the feckless and philandering Fausto feels the end of his father’s belt. For the others, it’s parental tongues that do the lashing. We first meet them at the town beauty contest, which is won by Moraldo’s sister Sandra (Leonora Ruffo). She’s also Fausto’s girlfriend, though he’s busy chatting up someone else at the time. When Sandra announces she’s pregnant, a shotgun wedding is arranged and as the world of adult responsibility begins to intrude, the five friends find their loafing days are numbered. Sixty-five years old now, I Vitelloni still feels fresh.

Adapted from Dominik Tatarka’s 1944 novel set during the wartime pro-Nazi Slovak Republic, and updated by Tatarka two decades later to speak to a new authoritarian credo gripping the country – Communism this time – Štefan Uher’s 1966 film is a kaleidoscope of surrealist image-making and philosophising. Technically speaking, the primary artistic influence is not surrealism but nadrealist, a specifically Slovak variant pioneered by the country’s poets. But Uher’s visuals owe so much to the work of the surrealists that it’s easier to just stick with that term. A free-wheeling cast of characters come and go, among them domineering mothers, oily bureaucrats and self-aggrandising politicians, but the central trio is Tristan, a young painter living in a rooftop studio space; Raven, an older sculptor who earns his money making death masks; and Anabella, played by Polish actress Jolanta Umecka (star of Roman Polanski’s Knife in the Water). A mysterious young woman dressed in black who arrives in the city by train, Anabella becomes a combination of muse, lust object and deity for Tristan, Raven and the rest of their circle of artists and poets. Uher’s 1963 film The Sun in a Net is one of the founding works of the Czech New Wave. The Miraculous Virgin, however, has long been considered a lesser work and it’s easy to see why: the director started out as a neorealist and it feels as if his heart isn’t really in this surrealist caper. Sure, he puts the stark black and white photography of regular cinematographer Stanislav Szomolányi to good use in a series of early set-pieces, but if it’s a mind-blowing journey through a fantastical dreamscape that you want, check out Wojciech Has' 1973 film The Hourglass Sanatorium instead.

Extras There’s an informative, though short, video essay from Fellini expert Guido Bonsaver. [Barry Didcock]

Extras There’s an illuminating new documentary (in Czech) about Uher and the making of The Miraculous Virgin. [Barry Didcock]

Matt Groening has lovingly satirised the modern blue collar family in The Simpsons and imagined the workplace relationships and mind-boggling technology of the 31st century in the endlessly inventive, perennially underrated Futurama. With his new project, Disenchantment, Groening’s going back a long time ago to a fairytale land far, far away to tackle gender roles with an animated show following Bean, the heavy-drinking princess of medieval kingdom Dreamland. A pleasingly rebellious role model, she’d much rather be getting rat-arsed than performing her royal duties. From the distinctive character design to the densely-packed background jokes (one road sign reads “Now Entering Enchanted Forest: Beware of Racist Antelope”), this Netflix-produced show bears many of the characteristics of its predecessors. What it misses is those earlier shows’ bite. Adventures riffing on tales by the Brothers Grimm and Homer (the other one) can feel a tad baggy, like they’re Treehouse of Horror sketches that have been elongated to episode length. The fact those episodes run closer to 30 minutes rather than the tight 22 minutes of The Simpsons and Futurama doesn’t help matters. What keeps the show diverting is the character dynamics. Bean is joined on her quests by Luci, the onyx demon she’s cursed with in episode one – the rest of the castle’s household mistake him for a talking cat. Forever by Bean’s side, he’s the proverbial devil on her shoulder, egging her on to make even worse choices than she’s currently making. They’re joined by Elfo, a cloying dweeb who’s in love with Bean and spends most of the series having his magic blood leached from his body. What makes the series promising is that it improves with each episode. By the tenth instalment of this mini-Netflix series, it’s still to reach the heights of Groening’s earlier shows, but it’s moving in the right direction. [Jamie Dunn]

Released by Cult Films

Released by Second Run

Streaming on Netflix

September 2018

FILM & TV

Review

Who Nose Best Brian Ferguson and Jessica Hardwick discuss the newest Citz production, their revival of Edwin Morgan’s translation of Cyrano de Bergerac

Interview: Amy Taylor

Review

clever and funny. The verse in Scots sings out through the show and its rhythm beats like a heart which drives the language and the story along.” But when it comes to the story, it is, essentially, about two men lying to a woman in order to make her fall in love with one of them. While there is no malice in what either man is doing, something about the plot seems a little off in our post-#MeToo society. Is Cyrano de Bergerac a play about manipulation, or is it simply an old-fashioned love story?

“ Cyrano was a lover and a fighter, full of self-deprecating wit and bucket-loads of swagger. Glasgow isn’t short of characters like that!” Brian Ferguson

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

t’s often said that in order for you to know where you’re going, you need to look back. For Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre, recently decamped to their new temporary home of the Tramway while their long-awaited redevelopment is completed, their first play since the move is no exception. A co-production between the Citz, the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh and the National Theatre of Scotland, their revival of Edwin Morgan’s translation of Cyrano de Bergerac – Edmond Rostand’s famous tale of unrequited love and one hell of a big nose – is a comfortingly familiar piece restaged for a new generation in the 21st century, with costumes by Pam Hogg. Written entirely in verse, it’s an enduring tale of love, war and a man with an enormous hooter, with a talent for words. Morgan’s translation was first staged in 1992 by Communicado, with Tom Mannion in the title role, wearing a realistically bulbous beak. Dominic Hill’s revival sees Brian Ferguson take the coveted main role of Cyrano, the eponymous multi-talented wordsmith, riddled with self-doubt thanks to his larger than life schnoz. “I think he is interesting in his contradictions,” explains Ferguson of his role as the swashbuckling romantic. “Extremely intelligent but often his own worst enemy; a lover yet very much a fighter; a despiser of pomp and yet a huge show-off.” Originally written in 1897, Rostand’s play finds the eponymous Cyrano deeply, inescapably in love with his cousin, Roxane (played in the new Citz staging by Jessica Hardwick). Although he is a very well-respected poet and soldier, his confidence is rocked by his aforementioned nose. Believing that Roxane will reject him because of this stupendous appendage, he joins forces with the handsome but dim Christian, who is also in love with Roxane. Cyrano writes love letters to woo her, Christian pretends they were from him, and Roxane unwillingly falls for the wrong man. Of the play, Hardwick explains: “It’s a story about love. The need to love and be loved is timeless and something we can all relate to.” While Cyrano de Bergerac is a classic love triangle, with the addition of themes about confidence and self-worth the story has endured, reappearing time and time again in various new translations for the stage from writers such as Anthony Burgess and Tom Gallagher. Meanwhile Cyrano has also made the transition to the big-screen, with famous film adaptations such as the 1987 Steve Martin comedy Roxanne, and, perhaps most famously, the multi-award winning 1990 French film adaptation starring Gerard Depardieu keeping the tale alive. But why has Rostand’s creation proved so popular? For Ferguson, it’s because the play is the whole (theatrical) shebang. “It’s got everything,” he says. “Its characters are conflicted, compromised, true. It has such room for theatricality and fun, yet it’s set against a backdrop of love and war. Most of all it is, I think, a compelling glimpse of what it is to be human.” Perhaps Cyrano, with his unusually large nose, represents that innate sense of self-doubt that plagues many people, and his embarrassment speaks to our need to be accepted as we are. While Communicado’s original production made Cyrano’s oversized nose appear as lifelike and fleshy as possible, the Citz production sees Ferguson don a much more stylised, and obviously fake nose. Made of dark material, and fixed

on to his ears by shoelaces, it’s a stylised, almost alien piece. Director Dominic Hill appears to be at pains to point out that the nose, and perhaps even Cyrano’s opinion of it, is as removed from reality as possible. After all, no human being would have a nose like this one. “Other directors try to hide or gloss over the mechanics of production, in order to present an audience with a more ‘believable’ world,” explains Ferguson. “Dominic really enjoys a different approach so, for example, with the nose the audience can all see it’s not real. “I love it because it feels like a real celebration of theatre. We have Hollywood films to make fictional worlds look and feel utterly believable. Theatre is different – it’s about people coming together in a room to share a story. Showing the cracks rather than trying to paint over them is,

for me, often more interesting.” For many people, the pull of the original Communicado production was Morgan’s ‘gallus’ verse, which seemed to merge with and lift the play in a way that not many people could have possibly foreseen, let alone Rostand. Translated from English into Scots, specifically Glaswegian Scots, Morgan’s script was and still is a joy to read and hear. “There’s a fantastic amount of panache in the original play that translates beautifully into Glaswegian and Scots,” says Ferguson. “Rostand’s Cyrano was a lover and a fighter, full of self-deprecating wit and bucket-loads of swagger. Glasgow isn’t short of characters like that! Besides, Morgan’s language is so full of beauty and wit, it’s a treat.” Hardwick agrees: “The language is raw,

THEATRE

“I think it’s both,” Ferguson explains, “particularly when we stage the story today amid the vital conversations being had around gender equality and toxic masculinity. That said, we aren’t making a version that examines it through either one of those frames. We’re telling the story as it is written. It is up to each audience member what they take from it. It could definitely make for some lively post-show discussions though.” For Hardwick, the conversation is less about toxic masculinity and more about what falling in love with someone can make people do in order to feel that love in return. “I think love makes us do extreme things,” Hardwick says. “I don’t know if either of these men mean to manipulate Roxane but they both love her, and this drives them to act as they do.” Both men, it seems, are victims of their own limitations; Cyrano is talented but lacks confidence, while Christian is beautiful, but unable to express himself. Together, they can combine their skills and their looks in order to create the perfect man for the woman they both love, a woman who, it seems, ends up loving them both in return. “They both want her love, however, the other has what the other wants,” says Hardwick. “Cyrano has wit and words and Christian has good looks. “Individually they don’t feel that they could win Roxane’s heart, but combined they are perfect. However, as the story progresses Roxane realises that it’s the inner beauty that she is in love with, not the shallowness of the outer beauty that she once loved – she falls in love with the soul of Christian (which is in fact Cyrano).” Cyrano de Bergerac, Tramway, Glasgow, 1-22 Sep, various times; Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 12 Oct - 3 Nov, various times. citz.co.uk

THE SKINNY

Stage Directions If you thought the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was THE main event in the Scottish theatre calendar, then you’re not entirely right, as September is hoaching with great productions, tours and screenings

Festivals And if you thought festivals were just for August, then may we respond with a Mrs Krabappel-style “Ha!” The Fringe may be over, but Scotland’s vibrant theatre scene is just getting started, with the Outwith Festival (5-9 Sep) in Dunfermline and the Findhorn Bay Festival (26 Sep-1 Oct) in Moray, both boasting full theatre programmes. Highlights from the Outwith Festival include Stramashed Potatoes: A Theatrical A-Z of Dunfermline (7 Sep, 7.30pm), and Cutting Edge Theatre: Downs with Love (8 Sep, 7pm), while attendees at Findhorn can watch Martha by Catherine Wheels Theatre Company (30 Sep, 2pm) and Alan Bissett’s More Moira Monologues (27 Sep, 8.30pm) among many others. Productions Meanwhile standalone productions are available throughout Scotland, from the Royal Lyceum’s Season Opener Twelfth Night (from 14 Sep), to The Citz’s first production at its new home of the Tramway, Cyrano de Bergerac (1-22 Sep). Elsewhere, the Traverse begins an exciting month with the premiere of Nests, which questions how we view young people during the year of the Young Person (7 & 8 Sep). This month also sees the start of a new season of A Play, a Pie and a Pint, which opens with Outside In by Chris Grady from 11 Sep, followed by Tap Dancing with Jean-Paul Sartre by James Runcie from 18 Sep and Donna Franceschild’s The Lottery Ticket from 25 Sep. Screenings If you want to go to London to see a big show, but can’t go to London to see a big show, then the Festival Theatre are hosting live screenings of two National Theatre productions early in the month. First is Julie on 6 September, a new version of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie, featuring parties and power games, written by Polly

Stenham. Meanwhile, on 12 September the Royal Shakespeare Company perform The Merry Wives of Windsor comedy and question just who really pulls the strings in Windsor? Tours It’s a busy month with touring as Grid Iron begin the Scottish tour of South Bend, their hit Fringe show described as “a road trip for the stage,” written by Martin McCormick. The tour heads Paisley Arts Centre, Eden Court in Inverness, The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen and Cumbernauld Theatre, before finishing at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow on 22 September. Meanwhile, Solar Bear are also hitting the road with The Arrival, which opens at the SYT in Glasgow on 26 September, before touring to Dundee, Inverness, Carlops and Livingston throughout October. A stage adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Shaun Tan, which uses puppetry, music, British Sign Language and physical storytelling to tell the tale of a man living in a mysterious new city. Muireann Kelly and Frances Poet’s Scotties, presented by Theatre Gu Leòr, supported by National Theatre of Scotland and Abbey Theatre, begins a tour at the Tron on 13 September. That tour also stops in Stirling, Inverness, Aberdeen and Edinburgh before heading to County Mayo, Ireland. Returning to the stage this month is McLuckie’s Line, which premiered at The Citz earlier this year. Written by Martin Travers and Martin Docherty, and starring Docherty as the eponymous McLuckie, the play is a glimpse into the life off an out of work actor and gambling addict. Taking in themes of class, illness and luck, the play opens on 1 September at Eden Court and then tours around Scotland, including dates in Castlemilk, Falkirk and Dundee, before finishing in Edinburgh on 29 September. [Amy Taylor] theskinny.co.uk/theatre

McLuckie's Line

September 2018

THEATRE

Review

Dog Days Words: Fringe Dog Illustration: Xenia Latii

With the Fringe packed away for another year, wonder-dog and journalist Fringe Dog offers some top tips for staying happy post-August

boy ,the edimbrugh fringe is gone and you is thinkin youre never goin to pant again . i am not qualifed doctor in human or veternarian medicine but if you feel like you just went to a place called the biscit factory and found they have no biscits ,you may be sufferin from serius case of post~fringe blues . it complete-ly rational response to end of laughter ,but what can you do to feel better ??? be top dog one trick the fringe pull is we all feel like we matter even when we dont matter very much at all .now you dealin with big status drop .good news !!! inflatin your status back to august levels is much easier than you think !!! i consult psychiatrist who tell me all you need to do : a) move to terible neighborhood where your kenel is like a palace b) hang around people you think you is better than (try fleas ) c) indulge in more nasty gossip than is at an edimbrugh vip bar in august to keep up the pretence of superiority and control uh oh !!! i think psychoatrist been listenin to too much bon jovi ~this is bad medicine bein top dog comes with ulcers and fear of

Review

bein attackd .better to rebuild neighbourhood ,invite people to kennel ,flyer for a fleas , by bein big part of community you is spirit of the fringe and there no higher status than that !!! get the heart pumpin edimbrugh fringe is like comstant walkies punctuated by 5star comedy .september will always feel as listless as a 3star reveiw ,which is why i usually sleep thro it .you mite not have that option .but there briliant short cut to get adrenaline back up :-- cold water !!! now if i tell you to take cold shower youd never do it .youd stand anxious as a cat not darin to go in .insted i will take freezin cold shower and then â&#x20AC;&#x201C;when you is least expectin it â&#x20AC;&#x201C;,i will shake off my wet mangy coat all over you !!! o boy your adrenal glands are goin now !!! review everything keepin gratitude list is good for mental health .o boy it just like reviewin and it work with everythin !!! just reweiw everything you pleased about today .like this today i found unlick biscit, 5stars . today i chase squiril - 5stars today i nap durin 5star theatre show at lyceum ,strange dreams.5stars o boy i never know a bad day a gratitude list cant turn around into briliant 5star outlook !!!

see live comedy o boy support your local comedy club !!! there is still 5star comedy all the time in edimbrugh (the stand ,monkey barrel ,rose theatre) and glasgow (the stand ,yesbar ,the rotunda ) ~ they is all very

COMEDY

briliant and it perfect preparation for next fringe which is less than a year away o boy o boy o boy !!! Edinburgh Festival Fringe runs 2-26 August 2019 twitter.com/FringeDog

THE SKINNY

Glasgow Music Sat 01 Sep TRUE GOLD

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Spandeau Ballet tribute act. YOUTH OF AMERICA

MONO, FROM 19:00, FREE

The songwriting project of Simon Shaw, featuring members of Trembling Bells, Lucky Luke, Big Hogg and Belle and Sebastian (to name a few).

RUN INTO THE NIGHT (THE RAPTORS + FAIIDES + AWOL) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:00, £6 - £7

This record launch night party kicks off Run Into The Night’s UK tour. LUKE LA VOLPE

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £9

The Luke La Volpe band bring together a mixture of blues and rock and roll to form a unique live sound. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

THEATRE ROYAL, FROM 19:30, £20.25 - £25.25

A tribute to Sting and The Police. FIT TO WORK (CARTILAGE + ACID CANNIBALS + ASBESTOS BEACH)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5 - £6.25

Quasi-autonomous, nongovernmental punk act launch their new EP.

MICK HARGAN & ANDY MCBRIDE

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £11.50

Mick Hargan makes his first full show return to the stage after 18 weeks alongside Glasgow songwriter Andy McBride. CHRIS CLARK JAZZ

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

RAVEN AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £15

English heavy metal band associated with the new wave of the British heavy metal movement. KOYO

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, FREE

A powerful live force, KOYO create sonic spectacles through soaring layers of sound.

Tue 04 Sep

THE WOOD BROTHERS (LOGAN BRILL)

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £17.50

The Wood Brothers’ sixth outing, One Drop of Truth dives headfirst into a deep wellspring of sounds, styles and influences. STRATA

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Enter a world blending minimalism, groove and unhinged free improvisation.

TAKE TODAY (FEAR ME DECEMBER)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:00, £6 - £8

The Glasgow alternative rock trio play a hometown set. THE BEN MILLER BAND

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £13.50

THE TIPSY SCHOLARS (JARED CELLOSE + BUBBATREES)

Australian indie folk band known for their heartfelt songwriting and energetic live performances. HOMEBOUND

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 18:30, £7

Pop-punk quartet from Farnham. PSYCH SUNDAY (THE WYTCHES + SAHARA +THE PLEASURE HEADS + FABRIC BEAR+ OBJECTIFIED)

BROADCAST, FROM 18:00, £12.50 - £13.75

An all-dayer doing exactly what it says on the tin, providing psych on a Sunday. BETH ROWLEY

STEREO, FROM 19:30, £12.50

English singer-songwriter championed by Jools Holland himself, touring after the release of GOTA FRIA in September 2017. SAMMY’S OPEN MIC NIGHT

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, FREE

Ever popular open mic night hosted by house band The Bucks. HANNAH RARITY

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £10

BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Hannah Rarity launches her debut album.

Mon 03 Sep

BABY FACE AND THE BELTIN’ BOYS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Jazz and gospel mixed with some southern charm. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £10

Deathcore four-piece hailing from Lincoln, chock full of anthemic riffs and politically and socially charged lyrics.

STONY SUGARSKULL (LANDON REED + KUNDALINI GENIE + BLACK CAT REVUE) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:00, £5 - £5.98

Hailing from Berlin, Stony Sugarskull plays haunting and hypnotic psychedelic rock that is both mysterious and hugely enigmatic.

September 2018

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £14 - £15.40

Imarhan are a pick for fans of Tinariwen, Mbongwana Star, Songhoy Blues, Goat and Gnoomes. SWEET SUZI

13TH NOTE, FROM 19:00, TBC

Sensational blues hall of fame singer Sweet Suzi, all the way from New York. BERRIE BIG SEPTEMBER SOIRÉE

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £5.80 - £7.80

The Berrie Big Band aim to play a wide range of music to appeal to a broad age range.

MACDONALD & REID (KIM MOORE + JESSICA ARGO + RAFE FITZPATRICK & SETH BENNETT + DILJEET KAUR BHACHU) THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Legendary English post-punk band formed by Matt Johnson, with help from the likes of Johnny Marr, Jools Holland and more. LEE ANN WOMACK (CHARLIE WORSHAM)

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £27.40

Sun 02 Sep

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

IMARHAN (THE KUNDALINI GENIE + NEKKURO HANA)

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £40 - £44

THE THE

Part of Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid’s three-day residency at The Glad Cafe.

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends.

Australian rock band.

Infectious melodies and resonant, emotionally insightful lyrics from The Ben Miller Band.

East Texan country singer.

BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

ROSE TATTOO (GIRLSCHOOL)

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 18:00, £28.65

Part of Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid’s three-day residency at The Glad Cafe.

Chris Clark is one of the country’s premier jazz entertainers with an unrivalled knowledge and execution of the American Songbook.

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

KUUNATIC (TIGHTS) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5 - £6

Japanese trio bringing primitive oriental psych sound and creating a lunatic land. We like the sound of that.

DRAWN TO WATER (ALASDAIR ROBERTS + MCKAY & STOUT)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7

BAILE (RHONA STEVENS & CHARLIE GREY)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, TBC

Baile are an up-and-coming trad band based in the hub of the Glasgow trad scene.

Wed 05 Sep AARON WATSON

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £17.50

The rising Texas country singer songwriter makes the trek to the UK. REPEATER

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

A night of alternative punk, rock and garage.

DAVID RAMIREZ (MATTHEW LOGAN VAZQUEZ)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10 - £11

Americana musician from Austin, Texas. GARBAGE

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £37.50 - £41.25

Shirley Manson and co celebrate the 20th anniversary of their second album Version 2.0. THE THE

GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL, FROM 19:00, £40 - £44

Legendary English post-punk band formed by Matt Johnson, with help from the likes of Johnny Marr, Jools Holland and more.

MACDONALD & REID (HOCH MA TOCH + WHITCHURCH & ROBERTSON + CLAQUER) THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7

Part of Raymond MacDonald & Jer Reid’s three-day residency at The Glad Cafe. FRONTIER RUCKUS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

Michigan-based modern indie-folk quartet built on banjos, melodicas, acoustic guitar and a genuine deep American drawl.

Thu 06 Sep SLIPPERY NIGHTS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

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

LIGHT FROM THE CITY (THE ALLIES + MIRAGE) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £7.70

Melodic death metal from the Bay Area of San Francisco.

ERIN RAE

Folk-styled songstress from the wilds of Jackson. MATTHEW CARMICHAEL

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8

Sat 08 Sep THE ABSOLUTE JAM

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £14

Tribute band capturing the authentic raw energy and sound of The Jam’s early punk roots. SIIGHTS (SHEARS + TAMZENE)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8

Half-Irish, half-Scottish dance pop duo. TERRY (KAPUTT + HAIRBAND)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8 - £9

Four-piece from Melbourne, Australia.

BIG BOY BLOATER AND THE LIMITS (MELISSA KELLY) STEREO, FROM 19:00, £11

Big Boy Bloater is a British R’n’B and blues guitarist and frontman who has toured the world.

YVONNE LYON (EILIDH PATTERSON)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

Yvonne Lyon returns to The Glad Café with a collection of songs from her new album, Metanoia. CAMPFIRES IN WINTER (SHREDD)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

The alternative Croy indie-rockers play amidst the usual melodic wall of post-rock and experimental noise. KIRK STRACHAN

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

Kirk Strachan is a singer-songwriter based in Glasgow. GEORGIA CECILE SMITH

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £10

Best Vocalist finalist at the 2018 Scottish Jazz Awards, tipped as one to watch.

Sun 09 Sep

THE CLASSIC ACOUSTIC SONGBOOK WITH RONNIE & OLIVIA

ORAN MOR, FROM 17:00, FREE

19-year-old saxophonist, currently studying at the Royal Conservatoire.

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

Fri 07 Sep

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

CLOUDBUSTING: THE MUSIC OF KATE BUSH

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

An evening of Kate Bush bangers. HAWKSLEY WORKMAN (BOBBY DEANS)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.20

Cabaret pop and glam rock blending Canadian musician. Fond of a cowboy hat. THE KING LOT (THIRTEEN STARS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7

A night of great classic rock with some outstanding bands. HOT DUB TIME MACHINE

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £16.50

The dance party journey through time returns to make merry for a one-off airing, sticking to its tried-and-tested schtick of playing a hit a year from 1945 to present day, accompanied by screens playing the original videos. PRETTIEST EYES

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8.50 - £9.50

Crafting a completely menacing blues-based sound, attacking from all angles and firmly keeping their feet in the murky pools of psych and noise. THE WYNNTOWN MARSHALS

STEREO, FROM 19:30, £10

Edinburgh-based Americana band, who celebrated a decade together last year.

FAST APPROACHES (SLUSHY GUTS + PERSONALITY TOILET)

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5

Split between Edinburgh and Glasgow; highly charged and adept, total masters of melody. SPACE

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £16 - £17.28

The 90s indie group return.

CHARLIE DORE (JULIAN LITTMAN)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

The award-winning Charlie Dore teams up with multi-instrumentalist Julian Littman of Steeleye Span for a night of eclectic, contemporary folk. TALKER

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

In an ambitious project exploiting melodic tenderness and dark, atmospheric textures, Talker aim to create a sound all of their own. BLACK SNAKE ROOTS

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

Glasgow guitarist Fraser John Lindsay and Australian born vocalist and bassist Charlotte Marshall deliver an exciting blend of blues music in their own harmoniously relaxed fashion.

BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends.

PHILL NIBLOCK (TIM SHAW) THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10

Phill Niblock makes thick, loud drones of music, filled with microtones of instrumental timbres which generate many other tones in the performance space. THE NIGHT WITH... JAMES TURNBULL

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £6 - £10

Music for oboe and electronics by Luciano Berio, Emily Doolittle, Peter Gregson and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Wed 12 Sep FARA

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £14

An evening of live hip-hop, lo-fi beats and boogie funk coming straight out the mechanisms. ALBERT HAMMOND JR

Celtic Connections glitterati perform a night of inspiring covers, originals and classics. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 18:30, £12.50

Formed as a Senses Fail and Taking Back Sunday cover band (the horror), Forever Came Calling have now put out two albums of their own material. YUNGBLUD

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £9

Hyped up young indie rocker, whose real name is the less hip Dominic Harrison. 10 YEARS (FLORENCE BLACK + VETO)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £12 - £13.20

Rock band formed in 1999, so nearly 10 years in. It’ll all pay off in the end. PEANUT BUTTER WOLF

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £12.50

Gig-time DJ set from the founder of Stones Throw records, playing a likely pioneering selection of hip-hop and boogie.

Tue 11 Sep

THE DEVIL MAKES THREE

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £18

American blues revivalists now 14 years on the go. FLARE

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

The French duo bring their idealistic, positive Britpop-inspired sounds to Glasgow.

TONGUE TRAP SINGLE LAUNCH (FERRAMOANS) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Glasgow band making grungy riffs, celebrating the release of their new single.

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

NINES

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £18.50

THE VELVETEERS (EMME WOODS + FREAKWAVE)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7 - £7.70

THE TWISTETTES

Psychobilly and ‘real-deal indie’ from Jo and Nicky D’arc. FREAKENDER

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:00, £18.50 - £20.50

Six-piece hardcore metal band from Dundee. ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £15 - £16.50

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

WOODEN SHJIPS

The San Franciscan psych-rock disciples show y’all how it’s done. JAYCE LEWIS (SULPHER + KURO)

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £11

Welsh cyber rock king Jayce Lewis plays a headline Scottish show. MOMUS - POSSIBLE SCOTLANDS

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10 - £13

GOLDMOLD PRESENTS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

DRAPER (MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £12.10

French-born music producer best known for remixing popular songs. Quite the talent.

TONY (KASPAR HAUSER + COMFORT + MOLLY LINEN) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Big night of live music at Sleazys. SEXTILE (MOTHERS LOVE + WOMANSAID)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8 - £9

This LA four-piece outfit has all the makings of a revolutionary sound, combining the raw energy of 70’s punk with the intricate structural elements of 80s post-punk and synthwave. THE DAFT PUNK ORCHESTRA

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £10 - £18.15

A 13-piece live rework of the greatest electronic duo of all time. EWAN MCLENNAN

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12

US (PELTS)

The Scottish-Swedish duo of exGeneva singer Andrew Montgomery and Lowe frontman Leo Josefsson. THE ZEPHYRS (ORDER OF THE TOAD)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Regulars of the Scottish east coast rock’n’roll scene, a guarantee of wit and energy. MARK MORRISS (JOHN RUSH)

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

Mark Morriss is a singer-songwriter who famously made his name fronting English indie outfit The Bluetones. JAMES BROWN IS ANNIE WITH HAMISH STUART

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £10

Jazz-funk group, who take their name from an Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live sketch.

Sat 15 Sep SANDI THOM

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £16

The Scottish singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and wannabe punk rocker plays an Oran Mor set. STAR SHAPED FESTIVAL

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 13:00, £37.05

A one-day festival bringing you the best of Britpop (if you’re into that sort of thing). ECHO PARK (THE LOVE AFFAIR)

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

Five-piece rock band who share a name with the famous Echo Park in Los Angeles. DAS PLASTIXX

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Psych-grunge for people bored to their eyeballs of Arctic Monkeys. Single launch. DEFINITELY MIGHTBE

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 20:00, £14

Emerging folk singer/songwriter combining more traditional sounds with a focus on the music of Scotland.

Oasis tribute act.

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8

PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS (WHYNO?)

AKU

Expansive sax-bone-drums trio made up of three of the UK’s most monstrous musicians.

Fri 14 Sep CAL

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12

Scottish songwriter, seven albums deep. BULLETS AND ARROWS (THE STRAYS + FORGLOW)

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £11.25

Glasgow indie rockers. DOMINICIDE

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £7.70

Glasgow-based thrash/groove metal band.

A multi-stage day festival experience held to celebrate the diverse character of music and arts. FREAKENDER

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:00, £18.50 - £20.50

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £10

TWISTER

Get freaky with Fuzzkill, El Rancho and Eyes Wide Open as they team up to throw a garage / psych / pop festival.

TO KILL ACHILLES (DEATH REMAINS)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6

THE BIG SIT IN

ST LUKE’S, FROM 13:00, £15 - £30

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 18:00, £6

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £5

Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, writing songs about spirituality, humanity, environmentalism and the rights of Indigenous Australians.

A band so good they named it twice, or so they’d have you believe.

Get ready for the return of the world’s biggest hardcore brand.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £19.50

XAVIER RUDD

CIGAR CIGAR 13TH NOTE, FROM 21:00, TBC

Get freaky with Fuzzkill, El Rancho and Eyes Wide Open as they team up to throw a garage / psych / pop festival.

LA-based musician, best known as The Strokes guitarist and for being Albert Hammond’s wee lad.

Mon 10 Sep THE BLAS COLLECTIVE

MASTERS OF HARDCORE SCOTLAND

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 20:00, £15 - £27.20

American rock outfit from Boulder, Colorado that is the epiphany of punk with the aggressive sound and grungy wisdom.

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £15 - £16.50

The stalwart DIY label brings another line-up of indie, alternative and more.

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Meaty 70s classic rock and metal collide in this Edinburgh band.

The musical guise of North London rapper Courtney Freckleton.

Thu 13 Sep

DIY art punks from Portland, Oregon.

KING WITCH (THE GRUDGE + DARK MATTER + DEAD OTTER)

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

HANDPICKED PRESENTS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

LITHICS

Awkward Family Portraits take to Mono Cafe Bar alongside an all-star cast of friends and players from Glasgow’s roots scene.

High-energy rockers.

Dose of vulnerable, soulful music from guitarist and singer Joey Landreth.

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £12 - £13.20

MONO, FROM 19:00, £8

Fara brings together four leading musicians at the forefront of today’s Scottish folk scene.

The mighty Momus (aka the alter ego of artist, musician and writer Nick Currie) rips through every musical style imaginable with lethal lyrical ease, as is his merry way.

JOEY LANDRETH (BABY FACE AND THE BELTIN’ BOYS)

AWKWARD FAMILY PORTRAITS (THE SHIVERIN’ SHEIKS + JUNKYARD DAWG + CARA ROSE + CONOR SMITH)

OCEAN ALLEY

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £10

Australian rock band from the Northern beaches of Sydney. BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7 - £8

If King Gizzard’s name didn’t put you off, then stay tuned for these guys. One mind-meltingly good psych band. SKATING POLLY (LIFE MODEL)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10 - £11

Pop rock duo who came together when playing an improvised set at their family’s halloween party. HALO MAUD

DEMON (DENDERA)

Legends Demon play their classic The Unexpected Guest album in its entirety. FATAI

One of the finest duos to have emerged onto the British folk and acoustic scene in recent years. SKINNY PELEMBE

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8.50

Born in Johannesburg, growing up in Doncaster, Skinny Pelembe poses a quadruple threat – he produces, plays guitar, sings and MCs.

Wed 19 Sep HOME FREE

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £19.50

DELTA SLEEP (TANGLED HAIR + ADULT FUN)

Powerful, progressive, facemelting riffs packed full of passion and controlled emotion.

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

English quartet making chirpy guitar-driven melodies, held together by jazz-influenced percussion and relentless bass. EMMA MURDOCH

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

Emma is a singer/songwriter based in Glasgow.

RIP IT UP PRESENTS MEGALOMATIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

WENDELL BORTON

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Shouty, charismatic, addictive and wholly endearing stuff from Wendell Borton. TORY LANEZ

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £32.85

Canadian hip hop artist, aka Daystar Peterson.

Sun 16 Sep

TEMPESST (TWO TONE TELEVISION + SNACK VILLAIN)

ORAN MOR, FROM 17:00, FREE

Tempesst is the music of Toma and Andy Banjanin, Kane Reynolds, Eric Weber and Blake Misipeka.

BACKBEAT NON-STOP 60S POP

Get stuck into some sixties goodness in a dedicated party at Oran Mor, featuring music from early beat-boom, the mod era and through to psychedelia. WILLY MASON

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

The distinctive-voiced New York-born singer/songwriter plays a set of deep-rooted country tunes twinkling with pianos, a little swing and a little blues. BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends.

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £5 - £6

SPRING KING

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £13.20

Punky indie foursome. SHANIA TWAIN

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £68.10 - £96.50

She’s back but is she impressed yet? There’s only one way to find out.

Thu 20 Sep ANDY MCKEE

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £17.50

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 19:00, £6

Acoustic guitar soloist with a dedicated online community of followers.

LUMERIANS

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

FALSE HEADS

East London-based three-piece rock/punk band.

DAMMIT PRESENTS: OAKMAN + GREEN EYED MONSTER

A double header of other-worldly psych rock, by way of California and Brazil.

Loud, emotional punk from France, courtesy of Oakman and with support from Japanese pop-punk impresarios Green Eyed Monster.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £9.50

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.20

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £8

WALKING PAPERS

Seattle-based blues-rock ensemble formed by Jeff Angell and Barrett Martin, longserving veterans of the Seattle music scene. MURS

STEREO, FROM 19:30, £13

MURS is the stage name of American rapper Nicholas Carter. FREAKENDER

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:00, £18.50 - £20.50

Get freaky with Fuzzkill, El Rancho and Eyes Wide Open as they team up to throw a garage / psych / pop festival. RYDERS CREED (LAST ALIBI)

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £14

Five-piece hard rock band from the Midlands. REALISTIC MONK

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £9 - £11

New duo from Carl Stone in collaboration with artist/musician Miki Yui. LUNIR

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £6

Cologne-based duo LUNIR bring their kaleidosopic future-soul back to Scotland.

KRIS BARRAS

Blues-rock guitarist blending soulwrenching melodies with blistering technique. SCARLXRD

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £12.50 - £13.75

Mask-wearing, trap-metal artist. It’s pronounced Scarlord, obvs. SLOWTHAI

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £11

A rapper with grills and tattoos. Groundbreaking. MITSKI

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £14 - £15.40

Japan-born, New York-based singer-songwriter, Mitski Miyawaki. BEN VINCE (MARK VERNON + CUCINA POVERA)

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £8 - £10

Ben Vince is a prolific saxophonist and composer who radically redefines the possibilities of the saxophone. MEERKAT PARADE

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8

Mon 17 Sep

Quartet who share a love and passion for taking the jazz tradition and moving it forward with new and exciting compositions.

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Fri 21 Sep

THE BLAS COLLECTIVE

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

EUROPE (KING KING)

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

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £32.25

JIMMY ALDRIDGE & SID GOLDSMITH

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

Country-tinged acappella group, also known as the Home Free Vocal Band.

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

The Swedish hard rock ensemble bring the noise.

BIKE

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Brazilian act Bike brings a brilliant dose of eclectic psych to Glasgow, with swirling soundscapes and archangelic vocals.

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £9

Soaring vocals that are powerful and yet delicate, hosting great depth and sincerity from Australian-born Fatai.

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8 - £9

High and hazy pop, reverbdrenched vocals, undulating guitars and weightless melodies.

Tue 18 Sep

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

THE GOON SAX

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £14.50

Pop trio made up of 17-18 yearolds who’re frighteningly talented for their age.

GG JAZZ DUO

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, FREE

Sunday Jazz in the main bar with saxophonist Gordon Dickson and guitarist Graham Mackintosh. PAUL LAMB & THE KING SNAKES

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15

Harp maestro Paul Lamb and his band the King Snakes continue to reinforce the bands considerable reputation.

Listings

FLIPTRIX (PHYSIKS + CIARAN MAC + FUTUROLOGY) KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £14.85

London-born rapper, also one quarter of The Four Owls. SHOWADDYWADDY

THE KING’S THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £21 - £26

Formed in the 1970s in Leicester from several local bands, Showaddywaddy have sold more than 20 million records and recently celebrated their 40th anniversary.

SAVAGE MANSION (HAPPY SPENDY + JOYCE DELANEY + TAX)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Lost Map slacker pop. SKIPINNISH

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £25 - £32

Scottish Trad Award-winning band embarking on their next tour.

BROKEN GREY WIRES PRESENTS (RICHARD DAWSON + DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON + SWEATY PALMS + DEAD HOUSES) STEREO, FROM 20:00, £8

A gig from Broken Grey Wires, a contemporary art organisation responding to and exploring mental health. LISA MCHUGH

ST LUKE’S, FROM 20:00, £20 - £21.25

The leading female artist in the Irish country music scene – yep, that’s a thing. CUTTY’S GYM

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:30, £6

Glasgow’s best noise rock outfit, Cutty’s Gym are having a party to mark the release their new EP Benidorm. Bring ear plugs. This will be a treat. TOBY HAY (DAVID IAN ROBERTS)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £7.50

Contemporary folk baroque from the Welsh fingerstyle guitarist. SHANIA TWAIN

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £68.10 - £96.50

She’s back but is she impressed yet? There’s only one way to find out. OSCAR JEROME

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8.50

Trained in classical guitar and jazz at London’s Trinity Laban music school, Oscar Jerome is a multitalented artist. MANDULU AND HEPHZIBAH

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

High octane contemporary folk harmony duo, whose songs are dark but upbeat and lyrically mature. TÊTES DE POIS

LORI WATSON

ISLAND CLUB (LAST LIGHT)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, TBC

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7 - £8

Award-winning performer, appearing solo and with groups. SEAN MCGARVEY

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

Debut project from award-winning bassist Andrew Robb.

Sun 23 Sep

THE CLASSIC ACOUSTIC SONGBOOK WITH RONNIE & OLIVIA

ORAN MOR, FROM 17:00, FREE

Ronnie and Olivia play tunes from their Classic Acoustic Songbook in the cosy bar. BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends. HALESTORM

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £19.50 - £22.35

Hard rockin’ American quartet led by feisty vocalist and guitarist Lzzy Hale. CHASTITY BROWN

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12

Minneapolis-based banjo-playin’ soul singer, melding bits of soul, jazz and rootsy Americana into her mix.

VAGUE REALITY (THE RIOT VANS + EMMA NAILEN AND THE THIRD WHEEL) BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, FREE

Closing night of Vague Reality’s three-date tour Break the Silence, with all profits going to SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health). MOTHER’S CAKE (DIRTY SOUND MAGNET)

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £10

GAB Music signees, who are due to support Limp Bizkit on four upcoming shows – remember them? BFLF GLASGOW DAVE BOOTH MADCHESTER PARTY

DRYGATE BREWING CO., FROM 14:00, £6 - £8

DJ Dave Booth, Stone Roses’ official tour DJ, brings a Manchester special with indie and Hacienda classics. ADULT MOM (FREAKWAVE)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7

Mon 24 Sep

ORAN MOR, FROM 18:45, £12

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

THE BAD FLOWERS (FEDERAL CHARM)

THE BLAS COLLECTIVE

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

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 18:30, £10

WITH CONFIDENCE (STORY UNTOLD + LIKE PACIFIC + ANAVAE)

ALTINAK (OVER YONDER + PLASTIC POETRY)

Australian pop punk band.

Planet Rock’s 2018 UK tour comes to Glasgow. KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £8.80

Four-piece indie rock outfit from West Lothian. BILL RYDER-JONES

COMMUNITY CENTRAL HALL, FROM 19:00, £15

A viciously talented multi-instrumentalist, film score composer and minimalist musician. HASPAR HAUSER

MONO, FROM 19:00, FREE

Three snippy misanthropes who channel their bottomless malcontent into their noisy, aggravated blasts of blackened post-punk noise. DIRTY SOUND MAGNET (MOTHER’S CAKE)

AUDIO, FROM 19:00, £5

THE NIGHTINGALES (NEAR JAZZ EXPERIENCE + THE RAPTORS)

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £13.20

Sat 22 Sep The UK’s number one Springsteen tribute.

STEREO, FROM 19:30, £8

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8

Clever pop songs offering a glimpse into the journey of a gender-weird queer from Stephanie Knipe and friends.

THE RISING

13TH NOTE, FROM 20:00, £5 - £6.25

Post-punk outfit originally formed by former members of The Prefects.

Seven-piece instrumental band, performing original music influenced by all manner of genres.

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8

Island Club want to make you dance with catchy pop songs, which is pretty nice.

Lead singer/songwriter in Glasgow indie band Static Union, who has been writing his own music since he was 11 and gigging in bars since he was 13. FROM THE EDGE OF EUROPE

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £12.10

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE

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

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £5 - £6

Leeds quartet Mush make heavy yet angular guitar tracks that are intelligent and playful.

ANNA CØNDA (SPYYN + PALMIROS)

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5

Alternative indie band based in Ayr, playing with fuzzy riffs and four way harmonies.

Tue 25 Sep LA LUZ (PEGGY SUE)

CATHERINE MCGRATH

19-year-old country singer from Northern Ireland, living in London. HALF WAIF

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £8.50

The musical project of Brooklynbased singer/songwriter Nandi Rose Plunkett, creating lovely woozy synth-pop.

JOE MCMAHON (CORY & KIRSTY CALL + BILLY LIAR) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Smoke or Fire frontman currently pursuing a solo career.

Thu 27 Sep STRETCHED

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

The secret meeting place of contemporary jazz-enthused savants. BISHOP BRIGGS

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £8.80

Alt-pop musician, who made a name for herself in the L.A. clubs. GLASGOW BLUES AND SOUL ALLIANCE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5

Crafty blues, powerful soul and outrageous funk. BOSTON MANOR (MICROWAVE + DRUG CHURCH + WALLFLOWER)

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £11 - £12.50

Pop punk band from Blackpool. CHELSEA GRIN

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 18:30, £8

Rise Records-signed deathcore band from Salt Lake City.

JARED HART (ROCKY CATANESE + 13 CROWES + MICK HARGAN)

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10 - £11.25

Head of the punk rock band The Scandals, playing acoustic and alone. BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £10.50

Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light makes 80s/90s-tinged electronic pop music with guest turns from Elton John, Scissor Sisters and Alan Cumming. PARIS_MONSTER

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

Employing heavy elements of funk and soul, paris_monster closes the gaps between synth-pop and garage. MEZCLA

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8

Jazz/fusion collective blazing an improv trail.

Fri 28 Sep LIPALI

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15 - £20

BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £20

Wed 26 Sep

CHARLIE AND THE BHOYS

Another Barrowland singalong with the Donegal Celtic rockers. LAUREL

STEREO, FROM 19:00, £8

Welsh-British chamber pop and indie musician from Southampton.

Listings

VUKOVAR

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Indie rock/pop born out of brutalist Northern England.

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

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

FIRST TIGER (ME FOR QUEEN)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £12 - £14

No introductions needed here, surely – it’s only ruddy Kylie! THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8

The Glasgow off-kilter groove merchants.

THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15

Sat 29 Sep

SOLID GOLD SCOTLAND

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £24

Musical spectacular paying tribute to the likes of The Proclaimers, Texas, Lulu, The Bay City Rollers, Paulo Nutini, Del Amitri, KT Tunstall, Annie Lennox and more. TENEMENT TRAIL

KING TUT’S, FROM 14:00, £22 - £25.40

Glasgow media dudes Tenement TV host their annual music fest. TENEMENT TRAIL

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 12:30, £22 - £25.40

Glasgow media dudes Tenement TV host their annual music fest. MUSICIANS AGAINST HOMELESSNESS

BARROWLANDS, FROM 18:00, £10 - £11

A roster of particularly charitable musicians rallying together in aid of the homeless. COLOURS CLASSICAL

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £39.75 - £43.70

A classical music and club night synthesis, featuring the Scottish Festival Orchestra, guest DJs and a selection of vocalists. COLLAPSED LUNG

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 20:00, £7

Pioneers of the UK hip-hop crossover scene live for the first time in 20 years. KITTY

PIE & BREW, FROM 20:00, FREE

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Edinburgh five-piece launch their debut EP, making a similarly standard noise.

Sat 01 Sep

A musical and cultural journey through the streets, cafes and terraces of Europe.

GRACELESS HEIGHTS (DUKLA SLAM + EASTER IN PANAMA)

THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £56.75 £170.25

Mic Clark began his musical journey on violin then moved onto piano during his childhood and eventually picked up the guitar in his mid 20s. LE CAFÉ PARISIEN

A weekend of amazing soul music played by Europe’s finest DJs in the heart of Edinburgh.

MASON HILL

Highway To Hell UK battle of the bands winners.

Sat 08 Sep TRUE SOUL

WEE RED BAR, FROM 20:00, £15 - £30

SMOOVE AND TURRELL

Geordie duo of vocalist John Turrell and DJ/producer Jonathan Watson, deftly putting their seductive spin on all genres of soul. MATT HOLLYWOOD & THE BAD FEELINGS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £12

Former member of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Matt Hollywood has trodden many musical paths over the last two and a half decades. BETH ROWLEY

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £12.50 - £15

English singer-songwriter championed by Jools Holland himself, touring after the release of GOTA FRIA in September 2017. VOICEX (THE DSM IV)

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £6 - £7

A weekend of amazing soul music played by Europe’s finest DJs in the heart of Edinburgh. THE BRIGHT BLACK

THE STATLER PROJECT (MILVUS MILVUS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC

Scottish indie/dance band, with influences ranging from minimal techno to krautrock; expect something interesting. NICK MASON’S SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS (EMMA TRICCA)

SEC, FROM 18:30, £44.85 - £51.10

REEL SERENE

Blending the global animation talents of Axis Studios with the DJ talents of Kiasmos and Scottish duo Vanives. TESSERACT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 18:30, £20

Prog-metal from the musical hotspot that is, yep, none other than Milton Keynes. FLOR

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £9

American indie band signed to (somewhat) legendary pop-punk label Fueled By Ramen.

Weekly Open Mic with host Jamie Stuart and friends. CLEOPATRICK

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £7.70

Canadian rock duo, stating “Fuck what you think rock is.” Very nice lads.

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £5 - £24

JIM WHITE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £18

Best known for capturing the haunting mysticism of the Deep South with an occasional nod to Tom Waits, Jim White takes his twangy guitar sounds out for a whirl. TERRY (BUFFET LUNCH + NICE CHURCH)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:00, TBC

Annie Lewandowski and her band create sparse experimental pop. SEAN FOCUS: THE PASSION AND PROGRESS FRESHERS’ TOUR

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

Edinburgh-based, Africa-rooted Sean Focus launches his Freshers tour.

Mon 03 Sep

COLIN MACLEOD: BLOODLINES TOUR 2018

GARBAGE (HONEYBLOOD)

Shirley Manson and co celebrate the 20th anniversary of their second album Version 2.0. JONNIE WALLACE EP LAUNCH

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 18:00, FREE

SCREAMING FEMALES

New Jersey-hailing punk rockers with – shock horror – only one female in their midst.

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £25 - £28

Thu 06 Sep

Former New Order and Joy Division bloke reliving his glory years. SONS OF APOLLO

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £20

Prog-metal supergroup formed in 2017. MUNCIE GIRLS

FRONTIER RUCKUS

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £13

Michigan-based modern indie-folk quartet built on banjos, melodicas, acoustic guitar and a genuine deep American drawl.

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £10

FRESH PRODUCE (MOTION + ECHO MACHINE + CAMEO HABITAT)

THE TREATMENT (AIRRACE + TEQUILA MOCKINGBIRD)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

Catchy Exeter punk rock band. STEREO, FROM 19:00, £15

Classic rock sounds from the Cambridge quintet of young chaps.

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £8 - £10

SOUNDHOUSE: AMANDA ANNE PLATT & THE HONEYCUTTERS

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

Appalachian honky tonk from the mountains of North Carolina. Your guess is as good as ours.

NICKY AIKEN & THE TEMPLE SONS (THE LONELY TOGETHER + JARGO) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £9

Nicky Aiken & The Temple Sons make their Edinburgh debut alongside joint headliner and friends, The Lonely Together.

Fresh Produce return with a killer local bill of new talent.

A CELEBRATION FOR SCOTT

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

Wed 12 Sep

CELSI, BRAGG & MAITLAND (DROPKICK) HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 20:00, £7 - £8.25

Pop-Americana artists Anny Celsi and Nelson Bragg team up with Dublin’s Duncan Maitland to form a high-energy, high-flying trio.

METRO MAFIA

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, FREE

Hard rock and indie band from Edinburgh. EBB + KROW (MADBH & THE HARLOTS)

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £4

Boudicca Records (in association with Attack Agency) presents its artists EBB and KROW both together on one bill and for one night only. PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

KONCERT: PALLUCH W EDYNBURGU

Polish Concerts in the UK’s last concert of Palucha on these shores. THE NICKAJACK MEN

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £7 - £9

The four-piece indie-rock / altcountry unit from Denny. LUKE POOT (GÖLDEN PÜSSY)

THE SAFARI LOUNGE, FROM 19:30, £5

Yorkshire outsider artist Luke Poot brings his unmissable blend of absurdist clowning and weird-out noise music.

Sun 16 Sep

JAMES BROWN IS ANNIE (HAMISH STUART)

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £8 - £10

Jazz-funk group, who take their name from an Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live sketch.

Mon 17 Sep WILLIE MASON

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15

Willie Mason returns to the UK for a national tour, performing new and released material with a number of musical guests. SOUNDHOUSE: FARA

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £12.50

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8.27

Thu 13 Sep DR SCHWAMP

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 20:00, FREE

The lovechild of Tom Waits and Louis Armstrong brings his blistering live band and their blend of blues, funk, gypsy, ska and grass to The Voodoo Rooms.

NUMBER STATIONS (THE ALPHABOX + END OF NEIL) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £4

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £4

TOKYO TABOO (THE MOTION POETS + FREAKWAVE)

London-based duo, with heartpounding hooks, vibrant songwriting and stand-out visuals.

Thu 20 Sep

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:00, £5

SAD SOCIETY SHOCK AND AWE MANKY HOORS CRIMEDESK

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

The French duo bring their idealistic, positive Britpop-inspired sounds to Glasgow.

Born in Johannesburg, growing up in Doncaster, Skinny Pelembe poses a quadruple threat – he produces, plays guitar, sings and MCs.

Number Stations, and friends The Alphabox and End of Neil, invite you to dance like it’s the end of the world.

Fara brings together four leading musicians at the forefront of today’s Scottish folk scene to produce a fiery sound.

FLARE

SKINNY PELEMBE

Described by this very publication as loud, dark, synth-fuelled dance music that’s not for the faint of heart.

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £22 - £25

Glasgow cowboy jazz, boogie rock’n’roll trio. PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT

FUTURE GET DOWN

Mon 10 Sep

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

WHOLLY CATS

SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £14

Award-winning singer-songwriter Kathryn Joseph returns to Edinburgh in a poignantly staged, live performance of her new album, From When I Wake The Want Is.

Sun 02 Sep

POWERDOVE (BAMYA + BELL LUNGS)

JAMMIN’ AT VOODOO

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

Four-piece from Melbourne, Australia.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8

Wed 19 Sep

NEHH PRESENTS… KATHRYN JOSEPH

Sat 15 Sep

Selected tracks from the Songbooks of Jazz Masters, arranged and conducted by Florian Ross.

Tempesst is the music of Toma and Andy Banjanin, Kane Reynolds, Eric Weber and Blake Misipeka.

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

‘Pop-tinged noir’ and other pretentious statements.

Sun 09 Sep

JAZZ RE-IMAGINED: THE JAZZ ARRANGER’S ART

TEMPESST SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

Monthly Live Jam Session with some of Scotland’s leading musicians playing lounge grooves from many genres.

If King Gizzard’s name didn’t put you off, then stay tuned for these guys. One mind-meltingly good psych band.

Glasgow cowboy jazz, boogie rock’n’roll trio.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 16:30, FREE

SONS OF DESCENT (HAILEY BEAVIS + THE LINE)

Edinburgh’s post-punk supergroup, featuring members of Scars, Boots For Dancing, Fistymuffs and Matt Vinyl.

Fresh from his debut solo performance at Leith Depot, Jonnie Wallace bounced straight into the studio to produce his debut four-track EP.

WHOLLY CATS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 19:00, £15

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

Shock and Awe and Sad Society haven’t played this venue together since one rammed January night about 10 years ago.

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £35.50 - £38.50

BLOC+ JAM OPEN MIC

THE LOW ANTHEM

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE

Sludge metal trio hailing from New Orleans, crafting a slow and brooding sorta sound interspersed with fast hardcore punk influences.

Fri 14 Sep

Funk and soul-inspired pop band, who blend upbeat floor fillers with soulful lyricism.

Tue 04 Sep

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £17 - £18.70

Jangly dream pop from one of Liverpool’s brightest acts.

THE LAKE POETS

THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10

KYLIE

WEE RED BAR, FROM 20:00, £15 - £30

Sun 30 Sep

CROWBAR

SPINN

Gut wrenching lyricism and rousing acoustic songwriting from Memphis-based Julien Baker.

Yorkshire singer/songwriter working her virtuoso guitar magic on the blues genre.

TRUE SOUL

KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £19.25

SEC, FROM 18:30, £51.10 - £73.80

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6 - £7.06

HARD ROCK CAFE GLASGOW, FROM 19:30, £14.50 - £16.25

FAITH ELIOTT

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £4

Faith Eliott writes songs, draws, hoards stuff and encrust things with beads and googly eyes.

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £8

Not a Bowie tribute act, but musicians and guest artists coming together to play the songs they love and that mean the most to them.

A charity night in aid of the Scottish Association for Mental Health to celebrate the life and work of the late Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit.

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:30, £18

JULIEN BAKER (BECCA MANCARI)

CHANTEL MCGREGOR

AUDIO, FROM 18:30, £15

Heavy psych band from Boston founded by long-time friends Nicholas DiSalvo, Jack Donovan and Matt Couto.

BOWIE BLINDERS

Tue 11 Sep

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £16

Living legend Dionne Warwick plays some of her greatest hits.

HORSE FEATHERS

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £8

Over twelve years and five albums, a passionate fan base has experienced this band as a precious commodity that they want to keep close to their hearts.

ELDER (ANCESTORS)

Fri 07 Sep

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8.80

Pop rock trio from Poughkeepsie, NY.

AGAINST THE CURRENT

A roster of particularly charitable metal musicians rallying together in aid of the homeless.

CLOTH (L-SPACE + DOMICILES)

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:30, TBC

Cloth deliver angular alt-rock cut through with deep electronic grooves.

Edinburgh Music

Stornoway alt-indie songwriter Colin Macleod tours his debut album Bloodlines.

Seattle-based surf rock quartet rich with doo-wops.

DIONNE WARWICK

METAL AGAINST HOMELESSNESS

Ballsy singer/songwriter and guitarist whose debut LP received a Mercury Prize-nomination.

20-year-old songwriter from Glasgow mixing jazz and funk sounds with her soulful voice and lyrics beyond her years.

Mystic Rock power trio that will blow your mind away with their unique multifaceted compositions and virtuosity.

MONO, FROM 19:30, £11

Billyclub bring their punk fury to 13th Note.

ANNA CALVI ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £22

Lipali was created as the solo project Tomek ‘Lipa’ Lipnicki after the break-up of his previous band Illusion.

Nick Mason, Gary Kemp, Guy Pratt, Lee Harris and Dom Beken play songs from Pink Floyd’s celebrated and significant early body of work.

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £10

BILLYCLUB (THE EDDIES + SHATTERHAND + RAZORBLADE SMILE)

JOHN MURRY (BENJAMIN FOLKE THOMAS)

Two masterpiece albums, a heartbreaking and astounding life story, and help from American Music Club and Cowboy Junkies.

Tue 18 Sep

ROBERT SERVICE: POET OF THE YUKON

SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE, FROM 19:30, £7.50 - £10

Storytellers David Campbell, Barbara McLean and cellist/singer Wendy Weatherby celebrate the 60th anniversary of the death of poet Robert W. Service.

THE VIGNETTES (LUCID HOUND + ERIN AT ELEVEN)

Up-and-coming band in the heart of Glasgow, intent on delivering high-energy performances.

Fri 21 Sep CARA

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 20:00, £14 - £16

Traditional Scottish ensemble fronted by two female lead singers: Gudrun Walther and Kim Edgar. ANDY MCKEE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £17

Acoustic guitar soloist with a dedicated online community of followers.

BIFFY CLYRO – MTV UNPLUGGED

USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £39.50 - £61.50

The MTV Unplugged tour allows a wider audience to see Biffy Clyro play a rare full-length acoustic set in magnificent surroundings. BLESS.

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

London-based five-piece. LA RAÍZ

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £20

The Valencian group head out for one last hurrah before calling an indefinite break. SHANGELA PRESENTS SHANGELA IS SHOOK

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £20 - £35

An evening of comedy and cabaret from the RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar and fan favourite.

Sat 22 Sep

EDINBURGH BLUES N ROCK FESTIVAL

CORN EXCHANGE, FROM 14:00, £20 - £32

A showcase of national and international blues and rock talent, along with a DJ room, tasty treats and licensed bars. FISH

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £27.50 - £29.50

The set list for this tour will include the entire Clutching at Straws album and songs from the new Weltschmerz album. SOLID GOLD 70S

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £12

All 70s, all night.

THIS FEELING: VOODOOS + WHITEHILL GROVE (PRIMES + NANA WHITE PEPPER)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

Fast-paced, fuzzed-up punk rock. CITY OF GLASS #17 (WENDELL BORTON + STAR ROVER + NICE CHURCH)

THE SAFARI LOUNGE, FROM 20:00, £4

Three excellent guitar-led pop bands from across the central belt in a tiny basement. MEOW (BLEAT + DEVIL’S BEEFTUB)

LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £7

‘The smeagols of death metal’ appaz.

Sun 23 Sep

MY DARLING CLEMENTINE

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £13

British country from Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish. THE MAGIC GANG

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £14.30

Energetic Brighton-based indie-pop.

THE SKINNY

CENTRAL BELTERS: SAVAGE MANSION (HAPPY SPENDY + YUNG KP) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5

A woozy, lackadaisical mix of grainy vocals and spiky guitar struts.

Mon 24 Sep SOUNDHOUSE: MALCOLM MACFARLANE

TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11

MacFarlane/McNeil is Malcolm MacFarlane on guitar and Gordon McNeil on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet.

Tue 25 Sep

RECONSTRUCTED: JONI MITCHELL (JESS ABRAMS + BECC SANDERSON + SOPHIE BANCROFT + CLAIRE DALY) SCOTTISH STORYTELLING CENTRE, FROM 19:30, £9.50 - £12

Singers Jess Abrams, Sophie Bancroft, Claire Daly and Becc Sanderson take the audience through a journey of Joni Mitchell’s music, via jazz and folk adaptations.

Sun 30 Sep

Sun 16 Sep

THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 15:30, £5 - £15

The four-piece indie-rock / altcountry unit from Denny.

Glasgow Clubs

Tue 18 Sep

DANSE MACABRE 8 YEAR CELEBRATION

CELEBRATING HANS GÁL WITH JUDY BROWN & SARAH BETH BRIGGS

In this special piano and Lieder recital, Edinburgh-born mezzosoprano Judy Brown returns to The Queen’s Hall to enjoy Gál’s vocal treasures. DEVON

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7.50

20-year-old producer, singersongwriter and multi-instrumentalist, whose live shows are full energy and chaotic as his band make the dark, neo-soul productions come alive. ALABAMA 3

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £20 - £22

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

JOAN ARMATRADING

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £6

NOWHERE (SHATTERHAND + THE MARX)

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £5

Melodic punk rock from Berlin.

BROADCAST, FROM 23:00, FREE

Goth, disco, Italo and synth. PUSH IT: SPICE WORLD

STEREO, FROM 22:00, £4

Thu 20 Sep

Spice-filled female pop, R’n’B and hip-hop.

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £6 - £6.60

THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 22:00, £5 - £6

THIS FEELING (VOODOOS + NEIL MORRISON + THE MEDINAS)

The indie club night returns.

A CUT ABOVE #2

A Cut Above is back at The Flying Duck, this time in the main room.

Fri 21 Sep

LETS GO BACK (ACID ULTRAS (LIVE) + BOSCO & ROB MASON )

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £10

Non-stop eclectic discotheque.

KRIS BARRAS BAND

Blues-rock guitarist blending soulwrenching melodies with blistering technique.

Sat 22 Sep

SHANGELA PRESENTS SHANGELA IS SHOOK

USHER HALL, FROM 19:30, £35.75

The longstanding British singer/ songwriter plays a selection of newer songs and older classics.

THE NICKAJACK MEN

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £20 - £35

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6

SUBCULTURE (HARRI & DOMENIC)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £9

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests. FENIX WITH MANFREDAS

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Fenix presents Manfredas, master of the slow burner but who can also rock a dance floor to the max.

Dundee Music

An evening of comedy and cabaret from the RuPaul’s Drag Race superstar and fan favourite.

Glasgow-based band who deal with words and tunes, often at the same time.

Sat 01 Sep

Fantastic tribute to the music of The Police.

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £10

Wed 26 Sep

Glasgow band who’ve been together for more than 30 years and still going strong.

Sun 23 Sep

Sun 02 Sep

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £7

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

DECLAN WELSH & THE DECADENT WEST

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8.80

THE LAKE POETS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £10

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

RUF RECORDS’ BLUES CARAVAN (BERNARD ALLISON + MIKE ZITO + VANJA SKY) STRAMASH, FROM 19:00, £17

Ruf Records presents the Blues Caravan, showcasing well-known blues artists alongside new artists.

Thu 27 Sep VUKOVAR

WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5

Indie rock/pop born out of brutalist Northern England. L-SPACE (CLOTH + DOMICILES)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7

Noisy electronic dream-poppers from the central belt. WILDWOOD KIN

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £11 - £13

STILLMARILLION

Fri 28 Sep

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC

MORT WRIGGLE & THE PANTHERS

CHURCH, FROM 19:30, £7

A Weegie rock band with a touch of prog to their timbre. CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 15:00, £5

The Panthers’ reunion will be revisited as they get together again for an afternoon of classic rock’n’roll.

Sun 02 Sep PORKPIE

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 15:00, £5

This eight-piece band recreate the classic songs of two tone and rocksteady ska.

Fri 07 Sep ALBANY EP LAUNCH

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £5

Sat 08 Sep

ALASDAIR ROBERTS (AMBLE SKUSE + DAVID MCGUINNESS) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £12

Inimitable folk musician and songwriter.

Sat 29 Sep

ALY BAIN & PHIL CUNNINGHAM

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

Two stellar musicians embark on their 31st year of working together. THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10

The Doors tribute band. A CERTAIN RATIO

THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £19

Veteran former Factory Records signees among the forebears of post-punk.

THE BRIGHT SKIES & THE CAPOLLOS JOINT TOUR

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6

The Bright Skies and The Capollos embark on a co-headline tour around Scotland.

STD: STETSON - FOX - DUNN (COLIN STETSON + GREG FOX + TREVOR DUNN)

SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £18

A coup for Edinburgh, this is the only UK date by SFD, the new postrock/jazz/metal, post-everything avant-garde American trio fronted by Colin Stetson.

THE VIGNETTES (SAINT LOUIE + PLASMAS)

CHURCH, FROM 19:30, TBC

Up-and-coming band in the heart of Glasgow, intent on delivering high-energy performances. DECLAN WELSH & THE DECADENT WEST

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 19:30, £5

Glasgow-based band who deal with words and tunes, often at the same time.

Thu 13 Sep

RASCALTON (HEAVY RAPIDS + THE ROQUES + SAINT LOUIE)

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 19:30, £8

The increasingly popular Glasgow upstarts drop by for another predictably raucous live show. JAMES BROWN IS ANNIE WITH HAMISH STUART

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £15

Jazz-funk group, who take their name from an Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live sketch.

Fri 14 Sep LIVE/WIRE AC/DC

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £15

The hugely successful and unique six-man tribute to rock music’s greatest band AC/DC. FRANKIE STUBBS (TRAGICAL HISTORY TOUR)

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £6

Legendary Leatherface singer/ songwriter returns to Scotland for his first UK solo shows in almost twenty years.

Sat 15 Sep XSLF

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 16:00, £10

Stiff Little Fingers homage, composed of original ex-members Henry Cluney and Jim Reilly.

September 2018

NULL / VOID

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:00, £6

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £25 £27.50

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

THE SWISS FAMILY ORBISON

The long running club comes to the Southside of Glasgow. Funk, soul, latin, psyche and more.

Industrial goth rock disco.

Fri 28 Sep KT TUNSTALL

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 15:00, £5

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £5

An acoustic tribute to the music of The Swiss Family Orbison.

MEGALOMATIC (HOWLETT + SKY GIANT)

Albany is a two-piece instrumental progressive rock band from Dundee, featuring guitarist Jamie Cruickshank and drummer Jack Guyan.

Award-winning alternative/indie/ folk trio from Exeter.

THE POLIS

DIVINE! (ANDREW DIVINE)

BETA WAVES

Ambient electronic duo from Dundee.

JOE MCMAHON (CORY & KIRSTY CALL + BILLY LIAR) CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8

Smoke or Fire frontman currently pursuing a solo career.

Sat 29 Sep

SIMPLE MINDED & DEACON BLUES

CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £14

A night of tribute to two of Scotland’s greatest bands. HORDES OF BELIAL

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 15:30, £10

One-day noise fest welcoming a selection of bands of the underground metal and hard rock persuasion; you do the moshing. DOMICILES (CLOTH + L-SPACE)

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £7 - £7.50

From sneering garage rock and throbbing motorik to blissed out space rock via experimental noise music, you’ll see it all.

Sun 30 Sep

MARC BOLAN/T.REX NIGHT

CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:00, £5

A celebration of what would’ve been the 71st birthday of a true British rock pioneer, Marc Bolan.

CLIFFHANGER

A hearty blend of emo, drive-thru, old school and new school pop punk, to see your Sunday through to the stars. SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

Mon 03 Sep BUFF MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Dance classics and party anthems. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

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

Tue 04 Sep CRATER COVE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Funk, disco, boogie and house. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Classic house, techno and disco. #TAG TUESDAYS

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

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

Wed 05 Sep ALL U NEED

Sat 01 Sep ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

All U Need for a good time is good tunes. BEAST

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

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

GLITTERBANG

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

DAMMIT ALL TO HELL

Big chorus club extravaganza where punk meets pop hits. NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Disco divas and Euro-pop anthems for those ready to sweat. OLD SKOOL SATURDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Funk, soul and disco.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

WRAP-IT

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

SUNNY SIDE UP (ZAPATA + LYLA)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3

Sunny Side Up believe in nourishing music lovers with their fix of ear candy.

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

Thu 06 Sep

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

Classic R’n’B and hip-hop.

I LOVE GARAGE

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

DJ NICK(ERS)

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Highly accessible hits from heaven. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey.

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

FOUNDRY (MANNI DEE) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Expect fast-paced electro, unrelenting acid, the kicking noise of hardcore and everything in between.

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

Fri 07 Sep

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

STEREO, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

FRESH! FRIDAYS

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. GHOST GIRLS

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

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

PARTY LIKE GATSBY PRESENTS ‘THE MAD MANSION’

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £25 - £39.80

An immersive show and party, themed around The Great Gatsby. SHAKA LOVES YOU

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Hip-hop and live percussion flanked by wicked visuals. DENSE & PIKA

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £10 - £15

UK house & techno producer Chris Spero (also known as Glimpse) with British DJ, producer & Hypecolour co-founder Alex Jones. FRIDAY NIGHT DISCO JUICE

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Disco, boogie and soul. TRAX

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

DJ Daryl kicks off the first weekend of the month, spinning hip-hop, grunge, trap and dance tunes. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

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

RUSH – 006

RUSH is back to give you hard techno all night long. LEZURE (FIT SIEGEL)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £8

A group of pals renowned for booking some of the most interesting artists, local and international.

SUBCULTURE (NIGHTMARES ON WAX)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £13.50

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests. SUPERMAX 11TH BIRTHDAY

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £8

DJ Billy Woods, start to finish, open to close, as Supermax celebrates its 11th birthday.

LOOSEN UP (FERGUS CLARK + CHARLIE MCCANN + DAVID BARBAROSSA) THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £3

Tropical, Afro, disco and fun times with the holy disco party trinity.

Sun 09 Sep SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

NAIVE MELODY: DEBONAIR (BAZ + SOFI) THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

NTS Radio’s Debonair brings her signature style, juxtaposing genres, eras and textures.

Mon 10 Sep BUFF MONDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10

Dance classics and party anthems.

BLOTTER VS WEC

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Fundraiser for Dale Barclay. STEREO, FROM 23:00, FREE

Control invites Glasgow-based label West End Communications to rage in the cage against Glasgow/ Paisley label Blotter Records.

LA CHEETAH CLUB PRESENTS... COURTESY & INTERSTELLAR FUNK (WARDY & DOM D'SYLVA)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

Courtesy and Interstellar Funk return to La Cheetah to play together, having both played incredible sets in the club before. FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

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

BASS WARRIOR CARNIVAL SPECIAL (IRA + CAROLINE MURPHY) THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, TBC

Reggae, dancehall, D’n’B and soca served big and loud.

Sat 08 Sep ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro. MONSTER HOSPITAL

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

BARE MONDAYS

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

Tue 11 Sep

KLUB KIDS GLASGOW PRESENTS... THE PARTY MONSTER BALL 3

CLASSIC GRAND, FROM 20:00, £12 - £40

Klub Kids have created The Party Monster Ball to create a safe space for all you Monsters to dress to impress, live the fantasy and be your fabulous creative self. OBZRV MUSIC

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

All the electronic dance.

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £11.25

OLD SKOOL SATURDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Funk, soul and disco.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

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

DRUGSTORE GLAMOUR

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

The Queens of the Glasgow disco scene. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Classic R’n’B and hip-hop. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. MADONNATHON

BROADCAST, FROM 23:00, FREE

Get into the groove with Madonna hits all night.

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

Wed 12 Sep

SMALL TALK W/ DJ ADIDADAS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

ALL U NEED

FRESH! FRIDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. DEATHKILL 4000

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Ultra-cutting edge dark electro, hip-hop and post-punk. HARSH TUG

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage. FOOTWORK

STEREO, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

A club night with the aim of bringing the original values of underground music back to the clubbing scene.

Recreating the fun, passion and atmosphere felt at their favourite clubs the world over. SUBCULTURE (WAAJEED LIVE)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £11

A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE

Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston’s rather ace London night comes our way. MUSIC’S NOT FOR EVERYONE

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 20:00, FREE

Deep, high quality tune selections from this esteemed DJ in a free show.

MOJO WORKIN’ (FELONIOUS MUNK)

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £2

Northern soul, Motown, 60s R’n’B and more, all at 45rpm.

OG Kush + hip-hop bangers with Notorious B.A.G.

Sun 16 Sep

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

A hearty blend of emo, drive-thru, old school and new school pop punk, to see your Sunday through to the stars.

FRIDAY NIGHT DISCO JUICE

Disco, boogie and soul. RUCKUS

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

Sarah Legatt’s monthly hip-hop, trap and R’n’B night. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

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

DREXCIYA DAY (AUTUMNS (LIVE) + NIGHTWAVE + WORKY)

CLIFFHANGER

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC

SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

Mon 17 Sep APPLEBUM

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £6 - £11

BROADCAST, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

A celebration of hip hop and R’n’B culture.

PARTIAL (JOHN GOMEZ + INVISIBLE CITY SOUNDSYSTEM)

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

A tribute to James Stinson.

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Promoting nights to dance at between Glasgow and Edinburgh, est. 2014. RETURN TO MONO (REBEKAH)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

Monthly night from Soma Records, often with special guests. FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

JUNGLE TESTAMENTS: MANDIDEXTROUS + JAMIN NIMJAH

Jungle Testaments are back with one of their all-time favourite producers, Mandidextrous. JAMAICA SPECIAL (DJ SKIMASK)

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £5

All things reggae, dancehall, dub and Jamaican-influenced, with Caroline Murphy and Gee Ball.

Sat 15 Sep ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

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

ELECTRIC SALSA (HILLTOWN DISCO)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 22:00, £9

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

WRAP-IT

LIGHTSOUT (MWX + JOE WILSON)

BROADCAST, FROM 23:00, £3

High-energy disco, Italo and maximum love.

Fri 14 Sep

CANT COMPLN

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro.

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

I LOVE GARAGE

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

STEREO, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

A night of energetic blends of house, techno and disco.

All U Need for a good time is good tunes. BEAST

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

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

AUDIO, FROM 23:00, £8 - £9

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Go back to a time when trance ruled the airwaves.

Thu 13 Sep

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

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

#TAG TUESDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

A NIGHT OF TRANCE CLASSICS

The Afloat residents cruise by once again, inviting some guests to share the booth now and again.

Classic house, techno and disco.

Free Love's Lewis seduces w/ Eurowave + Vaporbeat.

Rock’n’roll, garage and soul.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

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

KILLER KITSCH

Botch meets Beyonce DJ smash. A club night like no other. ANNA & HOLLY’S DANCE PARTY

AFLOAT (LORD OF THE ISLES) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

FANTASTIC MAN

Incoherent madness for those with a death wish. The worst club night in the world. SINGLES NIGHT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Beans + Divine explore the hits on 7” vinyl. TORTURE GARDEN

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £19 - £23.23

Infamous fetish club spread over three dungeon-themed playrooms. Dress code: all the PVC you can slither into. OLD SKOOL SATURDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Funk, soul and disco.

BUFF MONDAYS

Dance classics and party anthems. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

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

Tue 18 Sep

BUCKFAST SUPERNOVA

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Marble Gods will be living their best lives playing indie-pop gems, R&B smashes, sweet disco beats and the gr8est pop songs of all time ever. KILLER KITSCH

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Classic house, techno and disco. #TAG TUESDAYS

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

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

Wed 19 Sep DON’T BE GUTTED

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Nefarious beats for dangerous times. PROJECT X

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, TBC

All-new student night themed around the film of the same name, Project X. ALL U NEED

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

All U Need for a good time is good tunes. BEAST

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

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

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

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

Listings

ALGORHYTHM (GRANARY 12)

BASEMENT JAXX (DJ SET)

MINDSET (IVAN KUTZ)

ABBA DISCO WONDERLAND

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £10 - £27.44

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £5 - £12.91

A collective of music lovers dedicated to bringing beautiful sounds to some of Glasgow’s best venues.

Thu 20 Sep

UN/KNOWN + VAJ.POWER

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Brand new exhibition and club night bringing the next generation of young talent to the forefront.

Electronic dance duo from London, made up of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, hit the weeg for a DJ set.

Coming down to grace the hallowed decks at La Cheetah is Platform 18 bossman Ivan Kutz.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Thu 27 Sep

OLD SKOOL SATURDAYS

Funk, soul and disco.

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

All love songs + all bangers.

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

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

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

PRAY 4 LOVE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

HIP HOP THURSDAYS

Classic R’n’B and hip-hop. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. STEAMED JAMS

BROADCAST, FROM 23:00, FREE

Resident Danny Mad plays all the house, disco and techno belters, groovers and toe tappers you could possibly need. A GOOD TECHNO PARTY

STEREO, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

Join Willy and Gmac for a first time evening with an aim of no-frills or gimmicks, just straight-up, forward-thinking techno.

I LOVE GARAGE

STEREO, FROM 23:00, TBC

Arcade welcome Glasgow-based DJ and producer The Burrell Connection. EZUP (KRYSTAL KLEAR)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £10

The Ezup crew return with their standard electric atmosphere and stellar guests. HORSE MEAT DISCO (OOFT!)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £10

Horse Meat Disco return to The Berkeley Suite, spinning discs all night long.

Fri 21 Sep

P.O.W. PRESENTS (WERKHA + REBECCA VASMANT)

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

DJ sets from Werkha and Rebecca Vasmant.

FRESH! FRIDAYS

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. SUGO

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £5

Sun 23 Sep SKREAM

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £12 - £15

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Shake what you got to the sound of the best of the worst Italo / Euro trash from the last four decades. THE LANCE VANCE DANCE

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Exotic dreamy disco.

Oliver Dene Jones AKA Skream is a British electronic artist hailing from Croydon, playing on his Open to Close tour. CLIFFHANGER

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC

Disco, boogie and soul.

A hearty blend of emo, drive-thru, old school and new school pop punk, to see your Sunday through to the stars.

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

FRIDAY NIGHT DISCO JUICE

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

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

SESH

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night. JOHN TALABOT

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £13.50

After a number of epic Subculture sessions, John Talabot resounds in the Subbie basement once again with his infamous Balearic DJ set.

COOKING WITH PALMS TRAX PT. 6 (UPSAMMY)

Mon 24 Sep

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Part six of Palms Trax’s now legendary residency. This time he welcomes a new face to the fold in the shape of De School resident Upsammy.

THUNDER DISCO (LAUREN LO SUNG + HAMMER & JUBÉ)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits, as is their merry way. FRIDAY NIGHTS

SHED, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

Student-friendly Friday night party, playing (as one might expect) cheesy classics of every hue. PERMANENT VACATION WITH BENJAMIN FRÖHLICH (BRAIN DANCING)

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

German DJ Benjamin Fröhlich brings his Permanent Vacation party to Glasgow. JUNGLE NATION

AUDIO, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Jungle, drum’n’bass and dubstep. FLOORED PRESENTS: CROSSPOLLUNATION

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £0 - £5

Two live sets from Cucina Povera and Semispecific Ensemble and a DJ set from Reverse Engineer.

Sat 22 Sep ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro. FANTASTIC WOMEN

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

No pleasures are guilty.

Listings

BUFF MONDAYS

Dance classics and party anthems. BARE MONDAYS

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

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

Tue 25 Sep ONLY THE SUBJECT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

BREAKFAST CLUB W/ GERRY LYONS

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

80s themed party extravaganza. HIP HOP THURSDAYS

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Classic R’n’B and hip-hop. UNHOLY

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4

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

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC

Ross McMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. RENEGADES OF FUNK (GORBALS NEBULA + ALSHY + NOWICKI)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Lunacy’s own Gorbals Nebula steps up to the La Cheetah booth for a futuristic lesson in the funk. HEADSET

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

Skillis and friends playing garage, techno, house and bass, with special guests often joining in.

Fri 28 Sep FRESH! FRIDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6

Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. SHAKE APPEAL

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

Six decades of rock’n’roll under one roof, hosted by the ultimate DJ trivium. DATE NIGHT

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

A mixtape of love, lust and nostalgia. KÖLSCH

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £17 - £23.63

The Kompakt regular and producer behind 2014 hit anthem Cassiopeia plays a headline set. FRIDAY NIGHT DISCO JUICE

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6 - £7

Disco, boogie and soul. CATHOUSE FRIDAYS

CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6

Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. J-BONE PRESENTS: DEVILMAN & RAPTURE 4D

STEREO, FROM 23:00, £5 - £11.30

J-Bone welcome one of the most notorious rappers in the UK, Devilman for his Scottish debut.

LA CHEETAH CLUB PRESENTS... CALL SUPER (RIBEKA + WARDY)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12

An extravaganza of soul shaking and body rocking disco classics alongside the greatest hits from the legendary ABBA. LANE 8

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 22:00, £10

Daniel Goldstein’s musical project, through which he has released two albums on his own label This Never Happened. ELISCO (DANIEL WANG + CRAIG MOOG)

LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10

Elisco flies back into orbit for their second party, with none other than NYC disco don Daniel Wang at the controls. SUBCULTURE (JANE FITZ)

SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £11

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests. ADVENTURES IN PARADISE

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, TBC

Wayne Dickson, Malcolm McKenzie and Roddie Gibb host their monthly party, fuelled on uptown funk and soulful disco tuneage.

Sun 30 Sep SLIDE IT IN

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC

Classic rock through the ages from DJ Nicola Walker. SESH

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

NUTS

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £2

Napier University Techno Society return with a storming selection supplied by the next generation of DJs.

Tue 04 Sep HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday. MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

IRREGULAR OWL MOVEMENTS

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, TBC

End of festival blow out and elaborate dance party.

SOUND SYSTEM LEGACIES (THE GENERAL (MANGA))

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Wed 05 Sep WICKED WEDNESDAYS

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

All new, all fun, all cheese club night. HEATERS: EVA CRYSTALTIPS & ST VALIN (C-SHAMAN)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

Weekly Wednesday hosted by C-Shaman, who welcomes house and techno friends from near and there.

Thu 06 Sep

Groovers nights are all about the music, focusing purely upon the tastiest groove-infused underground house music.

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, TBC

HECTOR’S PRESENTS ALL GOOD

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Dundee resident party starters, ALL GOOD visit Sneaks courtesy of Hectors.

PLANT CITY (DJ DOMCORE + JIMMY ROSA)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

A genre fluid night of rare dance music for those serious about techno, house, disco, Afro and dancing.

SHED, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

FIRST EDITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

Fri 07 Sep

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent. THE THANES (LES BOF!)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, TBC

The Bottom Rung present garage/ beat legends, The Thanes.

SOUND SYSTEM LEGACIES (FOAMPLATE + GROOVE CHRONICLES)

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Sound System Legacies explores the legacy of dub, reggae, roots music and sound system culture on more contemporary club and dance music styles. FLIP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

THE 2 BEARS

MISS WORLD (NIKNAK NIK + APHID + EMILY ‘GROOVE’ GRIEVE + SYDD VISCOSE)

#TAG TUESDAYS

THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £11.30

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

A musical beauty pageant from Miss World DJs, bringing you everything from techno, disco, house, soul, funk, garage and everything in between.

Classic house, techno and disco. THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

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

Wed 26 Sep FREAK LIKE ME

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE

Soul, hip-hop and funk. ALL U NEED

BUFF CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

All U Need for a good time is good tunes. BEAST

CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4

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

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

DJ Craig cures your Wednesday woes at The Garage.

Genre-hopping London musical duo made up of Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell. REGGAE SHACK

THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £3

Reggae, dub and dancehall.

Sat 29 Sep ROYALE SATURDAYS

ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

Resident DJ Bobby Bluebell plays a mix of chart and electro. GONZO

BLOC+, FROM 23:00, FREE

The quest to bring epic nostalgia back in the form of all things MTV2 (pre-trash) and 120 Minutes continues. The return of Indie Disco. SHAKA LOVES YOU

NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3

Hip-hop and live percussion flanked by wicked visuals.

OTHER THUMPERS (DONALD DUST)

Enter Planet Dust. Italo heat and proto house from a man clad in studded leather.

Sun 02 Sep SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

EVOLVE X BROKEN DISCO: INTERFACE 2090

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Interface 2090 is a next level visual and aural mind bend brought to you by Glasgow’s Broken Disco and VJ Planetarm. LIQUID FUNKTION

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

Liquid, drum and bass, jungle and breaks at The Mashy.

Mon 03 Sep

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4

MIXED UP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

GBX ANTHEMS

GBX head honcho George Bowie is joined by Ian Van Dahl, Ultrabeat, Sparkos and Dee Dee, among others. TEESH (DJ CHEERS + COOLANT BOWSER)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

The Pickle Factory London resident Coolant Bowser returns to TEESH’s ‘All You Can Eat Mind Buffet’. DANCEHALL CARNIVAL

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £10

The wildest bashment and reggaeton vibes. PALIDRONE (GALAXIAN)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

Palidrone welcome Glasgow electro powerhouse Galaxian to The Mash House for his first Edinburgh show in almost 10 years. DISTRACTION

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £10 - £15

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll.

Techno night from Glasgow and Edinburgh crews on the first floor of Mash House.

KILLER KITSCH

Funk, soul, beats and bumps from the Mumbo Jumbo gang and new room two residents The GoGo.

POPULAR MUSIC (LIAM REILLY)

HI-FI REBEL

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

New wave of underground Glasgow DJ talent.

MUMBO JUMBO W/ THE GOGO

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

FLY CLUB (LA LA + NICK CHECKETTS)

Monthly party night celebrating the best in soul, disco, rock and pop with music from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and current bangers.

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Baz and Dave spin out some belters under a strictly vinyl-only policy.

Distraction takes over the top two rooms of The Mash House to bring you a night of trance and hard dance.

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

REWIND

DR NO’S SKA CLUB

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £12.50 - £17.50

TRASH

A new weekly night with a danceable mix of music made by bands, cutting across genre, age and nation.

BUBBLEGUM

Sat 08 Sep

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Sound System Legacies explores the legacy of dub, reggae, roots music and sound system culture on more contemporary club and dance music styles. Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Join resident Montalto and guests as they explore avant-techno experiments.

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

GROOVERS: CIRCUS PARTY

Sat 01 Sep

RIVIERA PARAISO

Drum & Bass and UK Garage classics as part of EUSA’s Freshers Week programme.

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Call Super is back in the booth after (literally) smashing it to bits on NYE and Ribeka joins, while La Cheetah resident Wardy warms up. FRIDAY NIGHTS

Edinburgh Clubs

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

HONKIN HI FI

JACUZZI GENERAL (CAM MASON)

Dip your toe into the sounds of pleasure powerhouse Jacuzzi General.

Sun 09 Sep SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. MIDNIGHT BASS

TEVIOT UNDERGROUND, FROM 22:00, £5

Drum & Bass and UK Garage classics as part of EUSA’s Freshers Week programme. COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion. KLIMATE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £6

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

All new, all fun, all cheese club night. HEATERS: C-SHAMAN

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

Weekly Wednesday hosted by C-Shaman, who welcomes house and techno friends from near and there. CONFIDANCE

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

Electro, electro-funk and boogie from Glasgow team of producer/DJs.

Thu 13 Sep ARTIISAN

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

New Edinburgh club night with an eclectic range of music from local DJs combined with visuals from talented local artists. HI-FI REBEL

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll. CHECK YOURSELF!

WEE RED BAR, FROM 21:00, FREE

Welcome Week party for BME, disabled, LGBT+ and women students (and their pals), hosted by the Students’ Association’s four Liberation Campaigns. CHURCH 3.1 X THE WAREHOUSE: FLAVA D

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £6 - £13

Celebrating freshers week in style by inviting the undisputed queen of bass into the newly refurbished Liquid Rooms Warehouse. POPULAR MUSIC (LIAM REILLY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

A new weekly night with a danceable mix of music made by bands, cutting across genre, age and nation.

Fri 14 Sep

FLY X HYBRID (CONOR LARKMAN + JACK MILLER + LOBOS + SEAN FINNIGAN) CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent. ELECTRIKAL X UNITY: KINGS OF THE ROLLERS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £15

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room. HOMETOWN SNEAKY PETE’S TAKEOVER

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £0 - £3

Hometown residents take over Sneaks for a Freshers Week party.

Tue 11 Sep HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday. MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Drum & Bass and UK Garage classics as part of EUSA’s Freshers Week programme. TRASH

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

OVERGROUND

Lo-fi raw house and techno.

RHYTHM MACHINE

Rhythm Machine is a night of dance music and performance art, with DJs Yves, William Francis and guests playing dance music from around the world. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. THE EGG

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

A salad of genres: sixties garage and soul plus 70s punk and new wave, peppered with psych and indie for good measure. GORGON CITY (NICK CHECKETTS)

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:00, £16.95 - £27.45

Kyle Jules Gibbon and Matt Robson-Scott have enjoyed wide acclaim with their multi-layered, intelligent and genre-bending dance floor productions. WASABI DISCO (KRIS WASABI)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Mutant disco and sleazy electro throbbers spun til late in a trashy boozer. ALLSORTS (OMARI LYESIGHT)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

A judgement-free party space with no specific genre policy. F.O.N.O (CARLTON TOI + O.C)

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

FoNo (For One Night Only) is the new offering from DJs Peloton and OC. The pair have been brining themselves in all things music for 20 odd years and the pickling juice is oh so sweet. Expect all things soulful, funky, deep and dark.

Sun 16 Sep GROOVERS: JUMANJI

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Groovers nights are all about the music, focusing purely upon the tastiest groove-infused underground house music. SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

Serum, Voltage, Bladerunner and Inja play a special two hour set, as three of the busiest DJs out there combine forces for a brand new concept.

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

FLIP

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

MIXED UP

SHADOWPLAY (DJX)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Bongo Club’s new weekly Wednesday, playing funk, hip-hop, reggae, Afrobeat and more.

Mon 10 Sep THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Official afterparty for The Secret Brewery Party. A mix of classic goth, post-punk, new wave, dark wave, synth, deathrock and more.

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

Dancefloor bombs ranging from raw disco cuts to funky house to stomping techno.

JUNGLEFUNK

PLEASURE (BIG MIZ)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £9

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £7 - £10

Bringing some of the biggest names in the bass scene at the moment.

Nothing but the best bass heavy music Scotland has to offer with dubstep, bassline, jungle and some honkin D’n’B on offer. CAROUSE

Wed 12 Sep

Sat 15 Sep

CONVOLVE

Showcasing grime, club, wave, R’n’G flavours. Respect the vibe.

LEZURE 039: DARWIN (REEF/SPE:C) (DECLAN + SLOAN) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Lezure welcome Canadian-born, Berlin-based DJ Darwin, who runs Reef parties and her own label SPE:C.

Mon 17 Sep MIXED UP

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room. F*CK ME! IT’S FRESHERS

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:00, £9 - £10.15

The UK’s wildest and most actionpacked freshers tour.

Tue 18 Sep HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £14 £19.50

Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday.

SHAPEWORK: METRIST

Drum & Bass and UK Garage classics as part of EUSA’s Freshers Week programme.

CRAIG CHARLES FUNK & SOUL CLUB

The Supernatural funk phenomena that is Craig Charles returns to Scotland’s capital with his Funk and Soul Club. THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8

Metrist is an outlet for Joseph Higgins’ idiosyncratic, constantly evolving dancefloor tailored endeavours. MIGHTY OAK

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Mighty Oak return for their monthly Mash House dub music session, this time welcoming 5 Man Army from Glasgow. SWEET N VICIOUS (LAURA LUREX + KILLER KIM)

MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

TRASH

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more. APPLEBUM

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £6 - £13.50

A celebration of hip hop and R’n’B culture. FRESH AIR: NIGHT FEVER

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5

A night of disco that will transport you back to the good old days.

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

DJs Laura Lurex and Killer Kim will be serving up a delightful mix of saccharine sixties girl group sounds, YéYé, popcorn and borderline kitsch classics.

THE SKINNY

Wed 19 Sep JUNGLEFUNK

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Bongo Club’s new weekly Wednesday, playing funk, hip-hop, reggae, Afrobeat and more. WICKED WEDNESDAYS

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

All new, all fun, all cheese club night.

HEATERS: TELFORT & MYLES MAC (C-SHAMAN) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

Weekly Wednesday hosted by C-Shaman, who welcomes house and techno friends from near and there. GOOD COMPANY

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

Funk, soul disco and house with DJ Spudcannon, Iced Gem and Louis Ravens. FREE YARD

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

Two Londoners bringing a slice of home and their culture to Edinburgh. Serving up dancehall, bashment, Afrobeat and grime.

Thu 20 Sep DON’T DUNK THE FUNK

THE CAVES, FROM 22:30, £3 - £9

A disco extravaganza, playing the groovy sounds of disco, funk, Afro, house and UKG. HI-FI REBEL

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll. WANNABE

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Edinburgh club night, offering all your favourite 90s bangers. POPULAR MUSIC (LIAM REILLY)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

A new weekly night with a danceable mix of music made by bands, cutting across genre, age and nation. NIGHTVISION PRESENTS CONGO NATTY

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 22:00, £8 - £14

Hailing from Tottenham, Congo Natty AKA Rebel MC has been at the vanguard of the genre for over 20 years. His definitive combination of accelerated drum breaks, beefy sub-bass lines and soulful lyrics carries and reinvents the roots of dub reggae. BOBBY ANALOGUE

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Making his way into the sets of Bicep and Denis Sulta this summer, Belfast’s Bobby Analog plays his Scottish debut.

Fri 21 Sep

FLY CLUB (ASHMORE)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent. HEADSET: DANIELLE + DAISY MOON

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £4 - £6

Headset celebrate their 100th party with Bristol stalwarts, Danielle and Daisy Moon. FLIP

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. XOXO

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

The popular queer night returns to the Wee Red. THE MIRROR DANCE (PADDY D + TAISCE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

The Mirror Dance returns to Sneaky Pete’s for their first all-nighter. GARAGE & BASSLINE TAKEOVER (24 HOUR GARAGE GIRLS)

LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £9.05 - £11.25

Power collective who have been gracing clubs and festivals across the UK since 2013. TEXTURE (FOREST DRIVE WEST)

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10

FDW’s productions always encompass the same knack for weightless, polyrhythmic sounds, earning him a well-deserved reputation as one of the scene’s most important producers. DISORDER

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5

Disorder strikes back bringing the original team to the party: Elhoi VG takes over the DJ booth for a two hour set along with the unconditional support from Dari J & Dimebag.

September 2018

MAIN INGREDIENT

HEATERS: PALIDRONE (C-SHAMAN)

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

Main Ingredient continue their bi-monthly residency and bring their anything goes ethos to Paradise Palms. Expect live synths, percussion, guest musicians and their vast record collections.

Weekly Wednesday hosted by C-Shaman, who welcomes house and techno friends from near and there. BIVOUAC

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £8

Sat 22 Sep

90s indie legends Bivouac return to perform their classic debut album.

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5

Thu 27 Sep

SOULSVILLE

Residents Cameron Mason and Calum Evans spin the finest cuts of deep funk, Latin rhythms and rare groove into the early hours. BUBBLEGUM

THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4

Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. PLEASUREDOME

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Funk, disco and oh-so-soulful house. DEFINITION

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Sneaky Pete’s longest running club night, with over 10 years of parties, almost all of which were soundtracked solely by the residents.

JOY (MAGGIE JOY + ALAN JOY + TRENDY WENDY + SALLY FINDLAY + BRETT KING + DJ MICHELLE + DJ CHRISTINE) THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £15

The legendary Edinburgh gay club night returns for a one-off 25th Anniversary extravaganza. Classic tunes from JOY’s heyday supplied by the main club resident DJs. PMSC

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Percy Main flings wide the doors to his social club this eveningwith melters, belters, boogies, woogies, sweat and daiquiris.

Sun 23 Sep SUNDAY CLUB

HI-FI REBEL

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Your weekly dose of indie rock’n’roll.

POPULAR MUSIC (NICK FROM SNEAKS)

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3

A new weekly night with a danceable mix of music made by bands, cutting across genre, age and nation. HIJACK

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8

An underground music night focused on drum and bass and 140.

Fri 28 Sep

HOWLIN’ BONES (KID CONGO POWERS SEX BEAT DJ SET)

HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £6

Nottingham Hasil Adkins inspired rockabillies.

SUBSTANCE X PULSE: PHASE FATALE

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. MJÖLK

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

Playing the finest in Swedish indiepop, 60s, 70s and independent music from near and far. SHE BANG RAVE UNIT DANCE PARTY

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

NikNak are back with B2B bangers and 2018 startovers. Let’s start afresh with fresh tracks and new leaf blowers.

DMS TAKEOVER

HEADS UP

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4

NIKNAK

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Sat 29 Sep FLY CLUB (SALLY C)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent. MESSENGER

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7

Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefy Messenger Sound System.

Tue 25 Sep

Sweaty dance disco for queer folk and their pals.

HECTOR’S HOUSE

CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6

Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday. MIDNIGHT BASS

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

Drum & Bass and UK Garage classics as part of EUSA’s Freshers Week programme.

20 SEP, 7:45PM, £13 - £17

HEADWAY WITH AVALON EMERSON (ANDY BARTON + NEIL CLARK + GRAEME BINNIE) READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £8 - £15.80

Ex-software developer and now world-renowned DJ/producer Avalon Emerson hits the small town club.

Sat 08 Sep

BOOK CLUB: BRAME & HAMO (IS KILL)

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £5 - £12

Brame & Hamo have expertly produced some of the most effortless house music of the last few years via their first imprint Splendor & Squalour.

T.N.T LAUNCH NIGHT

CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 23:00, TBC

A rock, metal and alternative night to fill the void left by Kage.

Sat 29 Sep

BOOK CLUB 8TH BIRTHDAY

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:00, TBC

The Good Stuff DJs spin all genres of disco house and techno, alongside anything else they damn well fancy; this time for their 8th birthday.

HEY QT

WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5

RIDE

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5

Live fast die yung, Ride gals do it well. Teacha El and CheckyerStrides play 00s R’n’B and 90s hip-hop and put their lighters up. PULSE

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £6

Slamming techno with resident Darrell Harding. MANY ANIMALS (DAVIE MILLAR)

PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE

Glasgow Theatre Oran Mor GIRLS NIGHT OOT!

9 SEP, 4:00PM, £15

Sequel to feel-good production I Will Survive, featuring songs from the 60s right through to modern hits. Frothy as it comes.

The King’s Theatre SHREK THE MUSICAL

25 SEP-6 OCT, TIMES VARY, £17.50 - £54

Join Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona in this all-singing, alldancing production of the Oscarwinning film.

AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN THE MUSICAL

10-15 SEP, TIMES VARY, £19.90 - £64.90

All new, all fun, all cheese club night.

THE ALLUSIONIST LIVE

SUNDAY CLUB

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

ROYAL-T AT COALITION (ROYAL-T + SKILLIS) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £9

Royal-T returns to Sneaks for round two, with Headset’s Skillis on the warm up.

SLUTTY LITTLE GOLDFISH

Rachel Jackson tears into everything from the Harvey Weinstein scandal to the Time’s Up movement that’s followed.

A touring musical celebration featuring the hits of the Spice Girls.

Theatre Royal BEST OF BROADWAY

The best songs from the best Broadway shows brought to you by a first class professional cast.

Tramway

1-22 SEP, TIMES VERY, #12.50-26.50

The hugely romantic Cyrano de Bergerac is given a Caledonian heart in a new production of Edwin Morgan's Scots translation that's brimming with Glaswegian patter. KATHRYN JOSEPH: FROM WHEN I WAKE

13 SEP, 8:00PM, £9 - £14

Cryptic collaborate with Kathryn Joseph in a poignantly staged, live performance of her new album, From When I Wake The Want Is.

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

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: OUTSIDE IN

11-15 SEP, TIMES VARY, £13.50

Jay hasn’t left his flat in years due to a fear of the outside world, but now the outside world is coming to him.

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: TAP DANCING WITH JEAN-PAUL SARTRE

18-22 SEP, TIMES VARY, £13.50

A musical comedy about existentialism, the meaning of life and tap dancing your way to happiness. SPEAKIN’ CAJUN

22 SEP, 8:00PM, £8 - £10

The Jennifer Ewan Band joins forces with spoken word theatre company Poetry Circus for a spectacular evening of distinctly Cajun moves and grooves. A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: THE LOTTERY TICKET

25-29 SEP, TIMES VARY, £13.50

Salih and Jacek are on a run of bad luck but when a lottery ticket blows into Jacek’s coat as he sleeps, Salih is convinced their fortunes are about to change. SCOTTIES

13-29 SEP, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

A powerful new play celebrating the music and languages of Scotland and Ireland.

Edinburgh Theatre King’s Theatre Edinburgh 25-29 SEP, TIMES VARY, £18 - £31.50

Scottish actress Sharon Small stars as university professor Alice Howland, who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at just 50 years old.

Royal Lyceum Theatre TWELFTH NIGHT

14 SEP-6 OCT, TIMES VARY, £10 - £32

BENIDORM

Smash hit ITV comedy Benidorm makes its stage debut in this production of the hugely popular TV show.

Traverse Theatre MANPOWER

26-27 SEP, 8:00PM, £6 - £12

THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sun 02 Sep

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. YESBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

THE RABBIT HOLE (IAIN LEE)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 16:00, £12

1-22 SEP, 7:30PM, £10 - £25

Adapted from Betsy Whyte’s beloved autobiography, The Yellow on the Broom is a heartfelt, funny, and rich account of human endeavour. MCLUCKIE’S LINE

10 SEP, 7:30PM, £10

A raw, hard hitting and at times hilarious monologue that delves into the wounded soul of Lawrence McLuckie. HI, MY NAME IS BEN

30 SEP, 2:30PM, £10

The true story of one ordinary old man and his extraordinary life.

19-22 SEP, TIMES VARY, £14 - £17.50

17-22 SEP, TIMES VARY, £16 - £55.50

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

DRYGATE BREWING CO., FROM 18:00, £5 - £7

THE YELLOW ON THE BROOM

13 SEP, 7:30PM, £26.25 - £51.25

The man behind Dave TV’s hit show Modern Life Is Goodish, as well as Are You Dave Gorman? and Googlewhack Adventure, is back on the road with a brand new live show.

THE LATE SHOW

A funny, frank look at fraternal relationships, inspired by brothers both real and fictional.

The musical story of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield.

9 SEP, 8:00PM, £31.65

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians.

BREW HAHA! (VIV GEE + CHRIS THORBURN + KAVITA BHARDWAJ + LIAM FARRELLY + CHRISTOPHER KC + AMELIA BAYLER + GRAHAM STEWART + CUBBY)

14 SEP, 8:00PM, £10

The Edinburgh Playhouse

The UK’s top ‘male glamour’ show. Expect gallons of baby oil, miles of abs and an audience full of yelping onlookers.

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BRUCE DEVLIN + LIAM FARRELLY + PETER BUSH + ASHLEY STORRIE + KENN GILDEA)

Live podcast recording.

15 SEP, 7:30PM, £22 - £25

THE DREAMBOYS

Sat 01 Sep

Dundee Rep

The Gardyne Theatre

River City and Gary: Tank Commander star Leah MacRae, Scotland’s original and favourite Maggie Muff returns to the role.

Glasgow Comedy

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Yesbar’s Comedy Sunday School.

One of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies (y’know, the one with a man playing a girl disguised as a boy) gets a reworking.

51 SHADES OF MAGGIE

Comedy

Dundee Theatre THERE WERE TWO BROTHERS

DAVE GORMAN - WITH GREAT POWERPOINT COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITYPOINT

WANNABE - THE SPICE GIRLS SHOW

Wed 26 Sep

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

13-29 SEP, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

9-22 SEP, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday.

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

SCOTTIES

14-18 SEP, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

CYRANO DE BERGERAC

THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5

A contemporary tale for Scotland’s Year of Young People that questions how our society treats the young and vulnerable.

Based on true events, An Officer and a Gentleman The Musical follows the Oscar-winning film starring Richard Gere.

Sun 30 Sep

Bongo Club’s new weekly Wednesday, playing funk, hip-hop, reggae, Afrobeat and more.

NESTS

7-15 SEP, 8:00PM, PRICES VARY

STILL ALICE

THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 23:00, £2 - £13.50

JUNGLEFUNK

A tale of hope, of love, of a small country and a vast one, of a good Samaritan and a relationship gone bad.

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £8 - £9

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more. The best funk, soul, disco and Motown.

SOUTH BEND

19-22 SEP, 8:00PM, £8.50 - £11

8 SEP, 7:45PM, £13 - £17

MUNGO’S HI FI SOUND SYSTEM (EL FATA)

2 SEP, 6:00PM, £13 - £22

MOTHERFUNKERS

A unique collage of Kabuki dance and Irish storytelling from Fishamble.

A powerful new play celebrating the music and languages of Scotland and Ireland.

Many Animals return for their monthy residency at Palms, known for booking legends such as Justin Robertson, Timothy ‘Heretic’ Clerkin and Jon Pleased Wimmin.

TRASH

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

FORGOTTEN

Fri 14 Sep

JOHNNY JOHNNY

Mon 24 Sep

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, TBC

Fri 07 Sep

20 SEP, 8:30PM, £8.50

Straight up, no funny business doof doof in all shapes and forms.

Edinburgh University Dance Music Soc complete this month’s tryptich of educated Monday club takeovers.

Dare to laugh at despair and gasp at redemption in this brave, bleak, beautiful production.

READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £10 - £11.30

Sat 15 Sep

FLIP

Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Dynamic DJ duo Slam, Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle.

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4

THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £1 - £3

Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

SILENT

21 SEP, 7:45PM, £13 - £17

Helen Zaltzman brings her witty, effortlessly informative podcast show to the stage, with musical support from Martin Austwick.

SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE

MIXED UP

SLAM DJ SET

Tron Theatre

More heavyweight selections from Mungo’s Soundsystem, playing a full soundsystem set for your clubbing pleasure.

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION

Sat 01 Sep

Theatre

Phase Fatale makes his first Edinburgh appearance at The Bongo Club for Pulse & Substance.

Techno, acid, hardcore, rave and everything in between from the long-running female party unit’s debut Sneaky’s all-nighter.

THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE

Dundee Clubs

OH CAROL!

TLMS PRESENTS LES MISERABLES

Thomson Leng Musical Society presents the ultimate story of love, compassion and redemption.

Whitehall Theatre AVENUE Q

27-29 SEP, 7:30PM, £15 - £16.50

Downfield Musical Society present Avenue Q, filled with gut-busting humour and a delightfully catchy score, not to mention puppets. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

1 SEP, 7:30PM, £10 - £15

Dundee Schools Music Theatre presents their interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musical. THE DREAMBOYS

14-18 SEP, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

The UK’s top ‘male glamour’ show. Expect gallons of baby oil, miles of abs and an audience full of yelping onlookers.

WANNABE - THE SPICE GIRLS SHOW

9-22 SEP, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY

A touring musical celebration featuring the hits of the Spice Girls.

Spend your Sunday enjoying some of Scotland’s finest comic talent.

Mon 03 Sep

MONDAY NIGHT IMPROV (BILLY KIRKWOOD + STU MURPHY + GARRY DOBSON)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

Hold on tight for this fast, frantic unpredictable showdown of improvised comedy games where the same game is never played twice. KOMEDY

YESBAR, FROM 20:30, £0 - £3

From the people who brought you CHUNKS, comes a night of actual komedy.

THE EARLY SHOW YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sat 08 Sep

THE SATURDAY SHOW (VLADIMIR MCTAVISH + GANN WEBSTER + BMR)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. THE LATE SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit. JEST BELOW COMEDY CLUB LAUNCH NIGHT (RACHEL JACKSON (MC) + SCOTT AGNEW + ROB KANE)

MANGO, FROM 19:30, £10 - £11

New stand-up comedy club.

Sun 09 Sep

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (PHIL DIFFER)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. YESBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Yesbar’s Comedy Sunday School. GARY DUNN PRESENTS JOKES AND TRICKS

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 15:00, £5

Gary brings his own brand of slapstick, comedy and fast paced modern magic back to The Stand. ROSS NOBLE - EL HABLADOR

THEATRE ROYAL, FROM 20:00, £29.15

Ross Noble returns to dance around the stage spinning out all the nonsense in his head into a hilarious stand up show.

Mon 10 Sep

MATT AND HAL’S GAG REELS (MATT REED + HAL BRANSON)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £7

Panel show about films that isn’t about films. STEPHEN LYNCH – THE MY OLD HEART TOUR

ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £24 - £26.40

Tue 04 Sep

The American award-winning musical comedian and viral video sensation embarks on his first UK tour since 2013.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

Tue 11 Sep

RED RAW (GARETH WAUGH + MC HAMMERSMITH)

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Wed 05 Sep COMEDIAN RAP BATTLES

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £4 - £6

Comedy and rap collide.

NEW MATERIAL COMEDY NIGHT

RED RAW (ROSS MCLELLAND)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Wed 12 Sep BBC COMEDY PRESENTS

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £4

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

Join BBC Comedy and The Stand for a night of brand new comedy.

JAMES ‘MURR’ MURRAY

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering all new material.

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering all new material. SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 20:00, £28 - £54.75

Star of Impractical Jokers comes to UK with a brand new party tour for his new book.

Thu 06 Sep

THE THURSDAY SHOW (VLADIMIR MCTAVISH + GANN WEBSTER)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

NEW MATERIAL COMEDY NIGHT

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

Thu 13 Sep

THE THURSDAY SHOW (ADDY VAN DER BORGH + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + BISHA K ALI + STEPHEN HALKETT + SCOTT AGNEW)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

YESBAR VIRGINS

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Fri 07 Sep

Fri 14 Sep

THE FRIDAY SHOW (VLADIMIR MCTAVISH + GANN WEBSTER + BMR)

Two Destination Language take you on a romp through men, expectations, work and economics in the years since Britain voted to be a part of the European Union.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

THE FRIDAY SHOW (ADDY VAN DER BORGH + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + BISHA K ALI + STEPHEN HALKETT + SCOTT AGNEW)

7-15 SEP, 8:00PM, PRICES VARY

THE LATE SHOW

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

NESTS

A contemporary tale for Scotland’s Year of Young People that questions how our society treats the young and vulnerable.

The big weekend show with five comedians. Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

The big weekend show with five comedians.

Listings

DYLAN MORAN

THE EARLY SHOW

THEATRE ROYAL, FROM 20:00, £29.15

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Still much loved for 00s comedy sitcom Black Books, Mr Moran returns with a new show, as sharpwitted as ever.

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

THE SATURDAY SHOW (MICHAEL FABBRI + ANDREW DOYLE + PHIL DIFFER + JORDAN WISTUBA + JAY LAFFERTY)

THE LATE SHOW

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sat 15 Sep

THE SATURDAY SHOW (ADDY VAN DER BORGH + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + BISHA K ALI + STEPHEN HALKETT + SCOTT AGNEW)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. DYLAN MORAN

THEATRE ROYAL, FROM 20:00, £29.15

Still much loved for 00s comedy sitcom Black Books, Mr Moran returns with a new show, as sharpwitted as ever. THE LATE SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sun 16 Sep

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (GEORGE FOX)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. YESBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Yesbar’s Comedy Sunday School.

Mon 17 Sep

JAMALI MADDIX: VAPE LORD

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £11 - £13

Critically-acclaimed comedian and host of Viceland’s Hate Thy Neighbour embarks on his first world tour.

Sat 22 Sep

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. THE MIDNIGHT BEAST

SWG3 GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £12 - £13.25

The comedy upstarts return after two sold-out tours. THE LATE SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Sun 23 Sep

MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE (MC HAMMERSMITH)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night laughs to see the weekend out. YESBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Yesbar’s Comedy Sunday School. JEN BRISTER - MEANINGLESS

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 18:00, £8 - £10

Ever wanted to know the meaning of life? No, neither has Jen, she’s too busy trying to stop her twins from using her shoes as a toilet.

Mon 24 Sep

DR PHIL HAMMOND - HAPPY BIRTHDAY NHS?

Dr Phil Hammond has worked in the NHS for 31 years and loves it so much. He is also a broadcaster, journalist, author, campaigner and comic.

Tue 25 Sep

RED RAW (STEPHEN BUCHANAN)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Wed 26 Sep

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £3

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Wed 19 Sep

NEW MATERIAL COMEDY NIGHT

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering all new material.

BENEFIT IN AID OF VISION AID OVERSEAS (GARY LITTLE + CHRISTOPHER MACARTHUR-BOYD + MARC JENNINGS + KIMI LOUGHTON + BILLY KIRKWOOD)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £10

Comedy benefit for Vision Aid Overseas, a charity dedicated to helping visually impaired people in the developing world.

Thu 20 Sep

THE THURSDAY SHOW (MICHAEL FABBRI + ANDREW DOYLE + PHIL DIFFER + JORDAN WISTUBA + JAY LAFFERTY)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. YESBAR VIRGINS

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland.

Fri 21 Sep

THE FRIDAY SHOW (MICHAEL FABBRI + ANDREW DOYLE + PHIL DIFFER + JORDAN WISTUBA + JAY LAFFERTY) THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. THE LATE SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

Listings

THE SATURDAY SHOW (ALISTAIR BARRIE + GORDON SOUTHERN + SUSAN RIDDELL + GUS LYMBURN)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. THE LATE SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. CROSSMYLAFF COMEDY (FERGUS MITCHELL (MC) + VIV GEE + PAUL MCDANIEL + JOE MCSLOY)

THE GLAD CAFE, FROM 19:30, £10

An evening of stand-up comedy featuring a hand-picked selection of local up and coming comics. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit. CHRIS TUCKER

SEC, FROM 18:30, £39.75 - £73.80

The American actor and comedian, famous for his starring role in the Rush Hour film series makes a return to stand-up.

Sun 30 Sep

YESBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Yesbar’s Comedy Sunday School.

RAY BRADSHAW: DEAF COMEDY FAM

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £8 - £10

1 in 6 people in Scotland suffer from hearing loss. Two of those people are Ray’s parents. NEWS HACKS

ORAN MOR, FROM 16:00, £12

Writer of the long-running hit topical radio show Watson’s Wind Up, Rikki Brown presents a fresh take on the news and those making the news.

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £12 - £15

Tue 18 Sep RED RAW

Sat 29 Sep

NEW MATERIAL COMEDY NIGHT

Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering all new material. BENEFIT IN AID OF COSGROVE CARE (JAMIE DALGLEISH + STUART MCPHERSON + JOJO SUTHERLAND)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £8

Comedy charity benefit for Cosgrove Care.

Thu 27 Sep

THE THURSDAY SHOW (ALISTAIR BARRIE + GORDON SOUTHERN + SUSAN RIDDELL + GUS LYMBURN)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. YESBAR VIRGINS

YESBAR, FROM 20:00, £3

Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland. RACHEL PARRIS: IT’S FUN TO PRETEND

ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12

Star of satirical BBC series The Mash Report and viral sensation Rachel Parris presents a show of songs and sketches.

Fri 28 Sep

THE FRIDAY SHOW (ALISTAIR BARRIE + GORDON SOUTHERN + SUSAN RIDDELL + GUS LYMBURN)

THE STAND GLASGOW, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

Edinburgh Comedy Sat 01 Sep

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BILLY KIRKWOOD + MARC JENNINGS + CHRIS FORBES)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. THE RABBIT HOLE (IAIN LEE)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 16:00, £12

Live podcast recording.

Sun 02 Sep

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN (GEORGE FOX + MC HAMMERSMITH) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night comedy to see out the weekend. STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. TBC IMPROV THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 17:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics.

Mon 03 Sep

RED RAW (STEPHEN BUCHANAN + DONALD ALEXANDER)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

The big weekend show with five comedians.

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

YESBAR, FROM 22:15, £10

Tue 04 Sep

THE LATE SHOW

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a late night comedy show, with some of the best comedians on the circuit. THE EARLY SHOW

YESBAR, FROM 19:30, £10

Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit.

PROJECT X MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Host Iain Campbell presents a cult new ideas experimental stand-up showcase.

THE THURSDAY SHOW (RAYMOND MEARNS + ROSS MCLELLAND + BETHANY BLACK + OWEN O’NEILL )

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

Wed 05 Sep

Start the weekend early with five comedians.

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £4 - £5

Fri 14 Sep

VIVA LA SHAMBLES

Anarchic comedy mayhem from Scotland’s finest young acts. TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene.

Thu 06 Sep

THE THURSDAY SHOW (JOE HEENAN + GEORGE FOX + JOE SUTHERLAND + SUSAN MONSON + JEFF INNOCENT) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. SPONTANEOUS POTTER

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards.

SPONTANEOUS POTTER MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards. IAIN STIRLING - U OK HUN? X

KING’S THEATRE EDINBURGH, FROM 20:00, £19.50

THE FRIDAY SHOW (RAYMOND MEARNS + ROSS MCLELLAND + BETHANY BLACK + OWEN O’NEILL )

A show about how this new world of instant gratification has affected our ability to find long term happiness.

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

Fri 21 Sep

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. ROB BRYDON – I AM STANDING UP

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £32.50

Rob Brydon’s first stand up tour since his sell out national tour and West End run of 2009.

Sat 15 Sep

THE SATURDAY SHOW (RAYMOND MEARNS + ROSS MCLELLAND + BETHANY BLACK + OWEN O’NEILL )

THE FRIDAY SHOW (BRUCE DEVLIN + CELIA WILDING + ZAHRA BARRI + GUS LYMBURN + CAREY MARX) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (CHRIS FORBES + JOE SUTHERLAND + KIER MCALLISTER)

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

The big weekend show with five comedians.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Sat 22 Sep

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Sun 16 Sep

Fri 07 Sep

THE FRIDAY SHOW (JOE HEENAN + GEORGE FOX + JOE SUTHERLAND + SUSAN MONSON + JEFF INNOCENT)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

Sat 08 Sep

THE SATURDAY SHOW (JOE HEENAN + GEORGE FOX + JOE SUTHERLAND + SUSAN MONSON + JEFF INNOCENT) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

Sun 09 Sep

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN (CELIA WILDING) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night comedy to see out the weekend. STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. TBC IMPROV THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics.

Mon 10 Sep

RED RAW (KIM COUGHTON + STUART MITCHELL)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Tue 11 Sep BONA FIDE

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

New material specially written for the night by some of the countries finest comedians. PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Host Iain Campbell presents a cult new ideas experimental stand-up showcase.

Wed 12 Sep TOP BANANA

BENEFIT IN AID OF SUPPORT IN MIND (CHRIS FORBES + MEGAN SHANDLEY + GARETH MUTCH + GUS LYMBURN + GARY LITTLE)

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £10

MATT AND HAL’S GAG REELS (MATT REED + HAL BRANSON)

Join some of Scotland’s finest comedians to help raise money for mental illness.

Thu 13 Sep

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £7

Panel show about films that isn’t about films.

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN (JIM PAK)

THE SATURDAY SHOW (BRUCE DEVLIN + CELIA WILDING + ZAHRA BARRI + GUS LYMBURN + CAREY MARX)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

The big weekend show with five comedians.

STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Chilled Sunday night comedy to see out the weekend. THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. TBC IMPROV THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics.

Mon 17 Sep

RED RAW (GEORGE FOX + MC HAMMERSMITH)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts.

Tue 18 Sep

BENEFIT IN AID OF THE CYRENIANS (GUS LYMBURN + AMO MATTHEWS + ROBIN GRAINGER + MC HAMMERSMITH + GARETH WAUGH) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £10

Join some of Scotland’s finest comedians to help raise money for inclusivity. PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Host Iain Campbell presents a cult new ideas experimental stand-up showcase.

Wed 19 Sep

TOPICAL STORM (MARK NELSON + KEIR MCALLISTER + STUART MURPHY + VLADIMIR MCTAVISH) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £7

Satirical comedy at its best. TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene.

Thu 20 Sep

THE THURSDAY SHOW (BRUCE DEVLIN + CELIA WILDING + ZAHRA BARRI + GUS LYMBURN + CAREY MARX)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

An entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes comedy play from Scotland’s hottest improv troupe.

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (CHRIS FORBES + JOE SUTHERLAND + KIER MCALLISTER)

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £10 - £12

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites. SARAH MILLICAN: CONTROL ENTHUSIAST

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £30

Sarah Millican is not a control freak, she’s a control enthusiast. She even controls her own insults, see?

Sun 23 Sep

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN (IAIN CONNELL)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night comedy to see out the weekend. STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. TBC IMPROV THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics. SARAH MILLICAN: CONTROL ENTHUSIAST

FESTIVAL THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £30

Sarah Millican is not a control freak, she’s a control enthusiast. She even controls her own insults, see?

Mon 24 Sep

RED RAW (STEPHEN BUCHANAN)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £3

Legendary new material night with up to ten acts. PROJECT X

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Host Iain Campbell presents a cult new ideas experimental stand-up showcase.

Tue 25 Sep

DR PHIL HAMMOND - HAPPY BIRTHDAY NHS?

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £12 - £15

Dr Phil Hammond has worked in the NHS for 31 years and loves it so much. He is also a broadcaster, journalist, author, campaigner and comic.

Wed 26 Sep TOP BANANA

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £0 - £3

Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene. RACHEL PARRIS: IT’S FUN TO PRETEND

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £12

Star of satirical BBC series The Mash Report and viral sensation Rachel Parris presents a show of songs and sketches. KEVIN BRIDGES - THE BRAND NEW TOUR

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 20:00, £35.15

Scotland’s biggest comedy export, Kevin Bridges is back with his hotly anticipated 2018 tour: Brand New.

Thu 27 Sep

THE THURSDAY SHOW (STU MURPHY + JIM PAK + NEIL MCFARLANE + JOJO SUTHERLAND + JASON CODE) THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £7 - £10

Start the weekend early with five comedians. KEVIN BRIDGES - THE BRAND NEW TOUR

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 20:00, £35.15

Sun 30 Sep

THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £5 - £6

Chilled Sunday night comedy to see out the weekend. STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 13:30, FREE

Legendary free Sunday afternoon improv show. PROGRESS!

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

Monkey Barrel’s rising comedy star showcase; swing by and catch the stars of tomorrow. JOJO SUTHERLAND AND SUSAN MORRISON: FANNY’S AHOY!

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 17:30, £4 - £5

It’s a fanny-filled world. Susan teaches you how to spot and avoid them, if she can remember. TBC IMPROV THEATRE

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £5

The To Be Continued crew return with more sketches, scenes and improvised antics. KEVIN BRIDGES - THE BRAND NEW TOUR

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 20:00, £35.15

Scotland’s biggest comedy export, Kevin Bridges is back with his hotly anticipated 2018 tour: Brand New.

Dundee Comedy

Scotland’s biggest comedy export, Kevin Bridges is back with his hotly anticipated 2018 tour: Brand New.

Sat 15 Sep

Fri 28 Sep

THE FRIDAY SHOW (STU MURPHY + NEIL MCFARLANE + JOJO SUTHERLAND + JASON CODE)

A show about Jason Manford growing up working class then finding, over the years, that part of him has become middle class.

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 20:30, £10 - £12

Fri 21 Sep

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

THE COMEDY SHOW (KATIE MULGREW + JOHN GAVIN + LAURA DAVIS + GLENN WOOL)

JASON MANFORD: MUDDLE CLASS

CAIRD HALL, FROM 19:30, £27.50 - £30

SARAH MILLICAN: CONTROL ENTHUSIAST

CAIRD HALL, FROM 20:00, £27.50 - £30

Sarah Millican is not a control freak, she’s a control enthusiast. She even controls her own insults, see?

Fri 28 Sep

ROBERT FLORENCE AS BISCUITY BOYLE: MY BASTART LIFE

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12

THE GARDYNE THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £16 - £17.75

KEVIN BRIDGES - THE BRAND NEW TOUR

Glasgow Art

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 20:00, £35.15

Scotland’s biggest comedy export, Kevin Bridges is back with his hotly anticipated 2018 tour: Brand New.

Sat 29 Sep

THE SATURDAY SHOW (STU MURPHY + NEIL MCFARLANE + JOJO SUTHERLAND + JASON CODE)

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 21:00, £17.50

The big weekend show with five comedians. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW

MONKEY BARREL COMEDY CLUB, FROM 19:00, £14

Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy. COMEDY KIDS

THE STAND EDINBURGH, FROM 14:00, £5

Eight brave mini comedians from Tribe Porty Youth Theatre.

THE COMEDY SHOW (KATIE MULGREW + JOHN GAVIN + LAURA DAVIS + GLENN WOOL)

THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 21:00, £10 - £12

Weekly comedy show at the Basement every Friday and Saturday night, with a different line-up and headliner each week, combining up-and-coming talent with Fringe favourites.

Character comedy from the co-writer and star of the hit BBC Scotland sketch show Burnistoun.

Cyril Gerber Fine Art SUMMER SHOW 2018

1-29 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Selection of 19th-21st Century British paintings, drawings and sculpture.

David Dale Gallery and Studios RACHEL ADAMS: NOON

15 SEP-13 OCT, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

Rachel Adams’ installation, with iterations in Glasgow and Sheffield, considers the linked systems that govern both the natural and manmade world and the possibilities where the two intersect.

Glasgow Print Studio GLASGOW IN PRINT

7-30 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition of Glasgow seen and imagined through the varied media of printmaking by an invited group of Print Studio members.

KEVIN BRIDGES - THE BRAND NEW TOUR

THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 20:00, £35.15

Scotland’s biggest comedy export, Kevin Bridges is back with his hotly anticipated 2018 tour: Brand New.

THE SKINNY

Art GoMA

CELLULAR WORLD

1 SEP-7 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

A group exhibition that introduces the key thematic concerns of this year’s Glasgow International Director’s Programme, including questions of identity and individual and collective consciousness at a time of prolific social change and uncertainty, when reality can often seem more like science fiction. JACK KNOX: CONCRETE BLOCK

1 SEP-13 JAN 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

One of Scotland’s most influential artists of the 20th century, Jack Knox presents an exhibition looking at a ten-year period of work, from the late 1960s onwards.

Tramway

SAMARA SCOTT: BELT AND ROAD

1 SEP-28 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Inspired by the main gallery’s similarity to open air structures, Samara Scott will create a promenade space in which audiences are confronted by what Scott calls the ‘glitching grit’ of contemporary culture. At Tramway, Scott literally suspends these miscellaneous accumulations to create a series of translucent, putrid, and seductive sculptures. JAMIE CREWE: PASTORAL DRAMA

16 SEP-28 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Over the course of a year, Jamie Crewe has worked on Pastoral Drama every day. The piece comprises two parallel videos, played simultaneously, that use allegory and animation to think about progress.

15 SEP-27 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

ektor garcia's first solo exhibition in the UK.

Platform

FÒCAS: DOCUMENT

1-9 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Indian and Scottish artists make new lens-based work that explores their world as global citizens.

Street Level Photoworks BRIAN GRIFFIN: POP

1-16 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

POP is a comprehensive exploration of the music photography of Brian Griffin, who shot album covers, single sleeves, posters and press for The Clash, Depeche Mode, Iggy Pop, Kate Bush and many more. STEVEN BERKOFF: GORBALS 1966

1-16 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

This never before seen body of work includes photos taken by Steven Berkoff during a period in the Autumn of 1966, when he was an actor with The Citizens Theatre.

The Lighthouse VISAURIHELIX

1 SEP-1 JAN 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s birth, sound and audiovisual artist Louise Harris takes inspiration from the many geometric forms found in his architecture to transform the Tower of The Lighthouse. OCCUPIED TERRITORY

1-2 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition offering a bleakly humorous glimpse into the future by artist Kate McMorrine and photographer Alastair Jackson. RE-IMAGINED STRUCTURES

1-30 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

This project brings together a diverse group of people to produce their own recycled plastic building materials. STUDENT AWARDS FOR ARCHITECTURE 2018

1-30 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Exhibition featuring the winning and shortlisted projects of the Scottish Student Awards for Architecture 2018. THE HAPPENSTANCE

1-30 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Dynamic exhibition showcasing The Happenstance, Scotland’s contribution to the 16th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice 2018. HILLHOUSE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE

1-30 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

As the insides of Hillhouse move out and the outside of the house is boxed in, the National Trust for Scotland welcomes visitors to explore the collections as they have never been seen before, disassembled and up close. WILLIAM CHAMBERS X CRM

1 SEP-7 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

As part of the celebrations around the 150th anniversary of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s birth, this exhibition features hats by one of the UK’s leading milliners, William Chambers. JUSTIFIED

7 SEP-28 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Find out more about the possibilities of “Iteration 21” in this intriguing exhibition from Cody Anderson.

September 2018

Open Eye Gallery

1 SEP-20 OCT, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

1-17 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

NÀDAR / PRAKRITI

Nàdar / Prakriti is the first solo UK exhibition by Indian artist Ravi Agarwal, including new prints commissioned and published by Edinburgh Printmakers.

Embassy Gallery DOZEN

1-2 SEP, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

Edinburgh Art Arusha Gallery

HELEN FLOCKHART: LINGER AWHILE

14 SEP-7 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

This new body of work will explore the legendary events and personal tragedies that marked the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, through the mesmerising brushstrokes of Helen Flockhart. RHIANNON SALISBURY: ACCESSORISE WITH A TIGER

1-11 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Rhiannon Salisbury works from images of luxury brand advertising campaigns found in fashion and lifestyle magazines.

City Art Centre

IN FOCUS: SCOTTISH PHOTOGRAPHY

1 SEP-12 MAY 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

In Focus: Scottish Photography showcases the City Art Centre’s photographic collections, charting the development of fine art photography in Scotland from the 19th century to present day. The exhibition features work by a range of historic and contemporary artists, including Hill and Adamson, Thomas Begbie, Joseph McKenzie, David Williams, Maud Sulter, Wendy McMurdo, Calum Colvin, Christine Borland and Dalziel + Scullion. EDWIN G. LUCAS: AN INDIVIDUAL EYE

1 SEP-10 FEB 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

The first major exhibition to focus on this unusual and enigmatic artist and one of the most unique Scottish painters of the 20th century, featuring over sixty artworks from public and private collections. TRAVELLING GALLERY AT 40

1 SEP-4 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

Travelling Gallery’s rich and socially important archive will be shown for the first time alongside some of the original artwork from its incredible exhibitions history. THE IMAGINATION CAFÉ

17-21 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The Imagination Cafe is a pop-up exhibition touring the UK during 2018, spreading the word about creative approaches to dementia care and showcasing the artwork of people living with dementia.

Dovecot Studios BATHS TO BOBBINS: 10 YEARS AT INFIRMARY STREET

1 SEP-31 DEC, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, FREE

Celebrating 10 years of weaving in the Infirmary Street Baths, Dovecot will share some memories on the Tapestry Studio Viewing Balcony, open from 12-3pm Mon-Fri and 10.30am-5.30pm on Saturday. LIBERTY ART FABRICS & FASHION

1 SEP-12 JAN 19, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, £4.50

Dovecot Gallery brings to Scotland a major retrospective celebrating the innovative retailer and design studio Liberty London. Featuring over 100 garments and fabrics spanning 140 years, this exhibition explores how textiles bring art into everyday life.

DAVID EVANS: PORTFOLIO WORK

Most commonly known for his hyperreal paintings, this exhibition presents a selection of retrospective architectural drawings highlighting Evans’ preoccupation with seemingly mundane interior views, building facades and street scenes. JENNIFER WATT: SCULPTURE

After losing their beloved headquarters, The Number Shop studio residents have kindly been invited by Embassy Gallery to help realise their Edinburgh Art Festival exhibition, DOZEN. New friends, old mates, lots of things happening.

1-17 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Ingleby Gallery

Patriothall Gallery

JACOB’S LADDER

1 SEP-20 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Mary Mary DESHACER

Edinburgh Printmakers

An exhibition celebrating mankind’s relationship with space and our enduring attempts to fathom the unfathomable. Included are rare historical works alongside contemporary artists whose work considers the imaginative territory between Earth and the heavens.

Inverleith House JACKIE MORRIS & ROBERT MACFARLANE: THE LOST WORDS

1-2 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition by Jackie Morris & Robert Macfarlane in Inverleith House.

Jupiter Artland OLLIE DOOK: OF LANDSCAPE IMMERSION

1-30 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Reflecting on parallels shared in zoo enclosures, fabricated microclimates and imagery drawn from the BBC series Planet Earth, Dook will fabricate a sculptural enclosure that both mirrors our experience of observing natures forces whilst also positioning us, the audience, as a spectacle to be observed. JOANA VASCONCELOS: GATEWAY

1-30 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Bursting with colour and energy, Joana Vasconcelos’ art brims with imagination, wit and aesthetic know-how. Rooted in the history of her native Portugal, Vasconcelos gives new life to traditional craft practices.

National Museum of Scotland ART OF GLASS

1-16 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will examine the diverse work of 15 established and emerging glass artists in Britain today. RIP IT UP: THE STORY OF SCOTTISH POP

1 SEP-25 NOV, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £7 - £10

The first major exhibition dedicated to Scottish pop music, exploring the musical culture of the nation over more than half a century, from influential indie pioneers to global superstars.

HIDDEN GEMS: SCOTLAND’S AGATES

1-2 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

A new display exploring the beauty and variety of Scottish agates will examine how agates form, their diversity of colour and texture and how their allure has captured the imagination of scientists and amateur enthusiasts alike.

NEW TO THE NATIONAL COLLECTION

1 SEP-24 FEB 19, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Exhibition highlighting some of National Museums Scotland’s recent acquisitions, several of which will be on display for the first time.

Ocean Terminal MAKE YOUR MARK

6-27 SEP, 10:00AM – 8:00PM, FREE

Collaborative art installation celebrating the diversity and creativity of Muirhouse. Each ‘mark’ is a unique small-scale sculpture made by an individual of the area that come together to represent a snapshot of a vibrant community.

Figurative sculpture in bronze and resin in Watt’s signature style, depicting elongated figures, mothers and their children, interactions with nature, all representative of human life.

EXPLORING THE LIMINAL

8-23 SEP, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of abstract photography featuring his new In The Broken Places series and earlier works, including In Praise Of Shadows.

Royal Scottish Academy RSA

BARBARA RAE: THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE

1-9 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

In 2013, renowned artist Barbara Rae began a series of journeys of discovery into the Arctic, following in the footsteps of Dr John Rae. The result is a new body of new paintings and original prints from an artist with a deep-rooted fascination with the topography and history of place. SHELTER STONE – THE ARTIST AND THE MOUNTAIN

1-9 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition celebrating the completion of a year-long public art project taking the format of a newsprint publication. PAOLOZZI PROJECT

20 SEP-28 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition of work by Royal Scottish Academicians created in response to Scottish-Italian artist Eduardo Paolozzi CBE RA HRSA (1924-2005).

Scottish National Gallery

REMBRANDT: BRITAIN’S DISCOVERY OF THE MASTER

1 SEP-14 OCT, TIMES VARY, £0 - £12

This exclusive new exhibition, which will only be shown in Edinburgh, reveals how the taste for Rembrandt’s work in Britain evolved over the past 400 years. From early beginnings around 1630, it grew into a mania that gripped collectors and art lovers across the country, reaching a fever pitch in the lateeighteenth century. The exhibition also reveals the profound impact of Rembrandt’s art on the British imagination, by exploring the wide range of native artists whose work has been inspired by the Dutch master, over four centuries, right up to the present day. ARTISTS AT WORK

1-2 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

Artists at Work is an exhibition of works by members of staff from across the entire organisation. It is a varied and inspiring selection created by, among others, gallery attendants, conservators, retail team members and volunteers.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

NOW: JENNY SAVILLE, SARA BARKER, CHRISTINE BORLAND, ROBIN RHODE, MARKUS SCHINWALD, CATHERINE STREET AND OTHERS

1-16 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

The third instalment of NOW will feature a major survey of works by renowned British artist Jenny Saville, spanning some 25 years of the artist’s career across five rooms. A graduate of The Glasgow School of Art, this presentation marks the first museum exhibition of the artist’s work ever to be staged in Scotland. Featuring monumental paintings and drawings by Saville dating between 1992 and 2017, the exhibition will demonstrate the scale and ambition of the artist’s practice, and her singular and dynamic approach to composition, gesture, materials and subject matter.

EMIL NOLDE: COLOUR IS LIFE 1 SEP-21 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, £8 - £10

Emil Nolde (1867-1956) was one of the greatest colourists of the twentieth century. Nolde felt strongly about what he painted, identifying with his subjects in every brushstroke he made, heightening his colours and simplifying his shapes, so that we, the viewers, can also experience his emotional response to the world about him. This is what makes Nolde one of Germany’s greatest expressionist artists. RAQIB SHAW: REINVENTING THE OLD MASTERS

1 SEP-28 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

Eight works by Raqib Shaw will be shown, alongside two paintings which have long obsessed him: Joseph Noel Paton’s The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania, 1849 and Lucas Cranach’s An Allegory of Melancholy, 1528. This is the first time Shaw’s work has been exhibited in Scotland. TESCO BANK ART COMPETITION FOR SCHOOLS 2018

1-16 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE

An exhibition of the winning entries from the 2018 Tesco Bank Art Competition for Schools, an annual competition which over 7,000 children take part in annually.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery SCOTS IN ITALY

1 SEP-5 MAR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A showcase of the Scottish experience of Italy in the eighteenth century, a time when artistic, entrepreneurial and aristocratic fascination with the country was reaching boiling point. THE MODERN PORTRAIT

1 SEP-27 OCT 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A display collating paintings, sculptures and works from the Portrait Gallery’s twentiethcentury collection, ft. a variety of well-known faces, from Ramsay Macdonald to Alan Cumming, Tilda Swinton to Danny McGrain. REFORMATION TO REVOLUTION

1 SEP-1 APR 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition examining the cultural consequences of the national religion becoming Protestantism in 16th century Scotland. HEROES AND HEROINES

1 SEP-31 MAY 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

A re-examination of major Scottish figures which questions our habit of framing history around individuals and idols.

ART AND ANALYSIS: TWO NETHERLANDISH PAINTERS WORKING IN JACOBEAN SCOTLAND

1 SEP-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE

A small exhibition focusing on two 17th century artists, Adrian Vanson and Adam de Colone, showcasing a group of paintings which have been examined by paintings conservator Dr Caroline Rae, along with the findings from her research. IN FOCUS: THE EXECUTION OF CHARLES I

1 SEP-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition centred around a painting of the execution of Charles I – based on eye-witness accounts and contemporary engravings – by an unknown Dutch artist. VICTORIA CROWE: BEYOND LIKENESS

1 SEP-18 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

This exhibition brings together a group of the best portraits by the distinguished artist Victoria Crowe. Crowe has developed an approach to portraiture that seeks to do more than record the outward appearance of a person. She aims to represent something of the inner life - the experiences and preoccupations of the individuals depicted - the world of ideas and dreams. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: TRANSPORTATION PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND

1 SEP-13 JAN 19, TIMES VARY, FREE

Planes, Trains & Automobiles is the third in a series of thematic exhibitions exploring the exceptional permanent collection of photography at the National Galleries of Scotland.

THE REMAKING OF SCOTLAND | NATION, MIGRATION, GLOBALISATION 1760-1860 1 SEP-21 JUN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE

An exhibition exploring the lives and careers of the Scots behind the period of dramatic change between 1760 and 1860, when Scotland rapidly attained a central role in European cultural life and in Britain’s industrial and imperial expansion. It documents the material and artistic benefits of their achievements, while also confronting the darker shadows they cast.

Stills

THE DAYS NEVER SEEM THE SAME

1 SEP-28 OCT, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Bringing together the work of photographer Gunnie Moberg and influential filmmaker, poet and writer, Margaret Tait. Both artists shared a strong connection to Orkney: the place, its people and its landscape.

Summerhall FREE THE PUSSY!

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Tamsyn Challenger curates a new exhibition of works of art made in protest to Pussy Riot’s imprisonment by the Russian government in 2012: ‘Free the Pussy’. Featuring work from Yoko Ono, Jamie Reid, John Keane and Judy Chicago, among others. ORSON WELLES DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

For the first time, many of the master image-maker Orson Welles’ sketches and designs are being exhibited; these sketches, designs and Christmas cards give us new insights into his life and work. LIFE DURING WARTIME

EDINBURGH PEOPLE 1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Edinburgh People is a photographic journey through the lens of an Edinburgh taxi driver. Using his black taxi as his mobile studio, Walls frames an ode of his city. Showcased under an unobtrusive taxi backdrop is an anecdotal narrative that brings his portraiture of life.

Talbot Rice Gallery

LUCY SKAER: THE GREEN MAN

1 SEP-6 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Lucy Skaer’s exhibition The Green Man has at its heart an exploration and reanimation of the desire to collect. Skaer will select from the collections of the University of Edinburgh and has invited fellow artists to inhabit the galleries of Talbot Rice alongside her – Fiona Conner, Will Holder, Hanneline Visnes and Nashashibi/Skaer.

Generator Projects

THE PUBLIC IMAGE (SCOTTISH LADY TIGER)

15-30 SEP, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE

A response to the life and work of Muriel Spark by Michael Curran, curated by Hari MacMillan.

The McManus REVEALING CHARACTERS

1 SEP-31 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE

Part of a joint exhibition of selected works from the City’s permanent collection, Revealing Characters includes an array of portraits, which examine the construction of identity. PORTRAITURE

1 SEP-31 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE

The Fruitmarket Gallery

In the history of art, ‘the portrait’ has taken on many guises, from exact likenesses to abstract collections of ideas and emotions. Selected from the City’s permanent collection, this exhibition includes an array of portraits, which examines the construction of identity.

1-30 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

1 SEP-21 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

TACITA DEAN: WOMAN WITH A RED HAT

Taking performance as its theme, this exhibition of the work of Tacita Dean will be presented in the context of the Edinburgh International Festival, bringing into focus Dean’s understanding of the possibilities and complications of performance.

BASH STREET’S BACK AT THE MCMENACE

2018 marks the 80th Birthday of Beano and this exhibition explores the birth of the comic in Dundee, the people behind it and its enduring popularity across generations of readers.

Whitespace KALEIDOSCOPE

1-11 SEP, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE

A joint exhibition of photography and mark-making. Two blind artists express their ways of seeing through abstract depictions of the landscape and world around them.

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

A survey of paintings exploring themes of military, social and political conflict around the world dating from the artist John Keane’s appointment as the Imperial War Museum’s official artist for the Gulf War of 1990-91. KURT SCHWITTERS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING: STORY AND DISPERSAL, LEGACY AND (RE)POSESSION

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Dundee Art DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts

MIKE KELLEY: MOBILE HOMESTEAD

‘Kurt Schwitters has left the building’ explores what’s saved with art-work, what might be salvaged or re-built in reconstructing its stories and how these stories sustain or possess a legacy.

8 SEP-25 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

8 SEP-25 NOV, TIMES VARY, FREE

SURA MEDURA

UZ Arts presents the work of 14 UK based artists who have been resident at Sura Medura in Sri Lanka over the winter of 2017/2018. The programme includes performances, installations, video and visual arts. BBEYOND

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

The world’s foremost performance art group is Bbeyond, from the most fertile region for performance art, Northern Ireland. This exhibition curated by Summerhall will document Bbeyond’s history in Ireland and internationally. ROBERT MCDOWELL: I AM FROM THE 1970S!

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

Robert McDowell founded the inter-disciplinary Troubled Image Group of artists* formed in 1970 in Belfast. TIG presented complex often surreal truths to belie or satirise stereotyping by news media or propaganda such as that of sectarian muralists. 1968

1-23 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

A documentary exhibition curated by Summerhall includes bits of memorabilia with a noticeboard for the public to attach their mementos of the year 1968. THE MAGPIE’S NEST

1-28 SEP, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE

XSexcentenary are a female collective that identify as older and create and perform work underpinned by themes of feminism, ageing and abhorring ageism. Kate Clayton, Wanda Zyborska, Norma D Hunter and Sarah Kent perform in the film The Magpie’s Nest, part of XSexcentenary’s NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON’T series of actions for Buzzcut performance festival, Govan, Glasgow (April 2017), documented by Beth Chalmers.

The Scottish premiere of Mike Kelley’s remarkable Mobile Homestead film trilogy, made between 2010 and 2011 in the artist’s hometown of Detroit. SANTIAGO SIERRA: BLACK FLAG

The UK premiere of one of the Santiago Sierra’s most ambitious undertakings to date. It takes the form of an immersive photographic and sound installation documenting the process and performance of planting the universal symbol of the anarchist movement – the black flag – at the two most extreme points on earth: the North and South Poles.

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design

COOPER SUMMER RESIDENCY 2018

1-13 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE

The 2018 edition of Cooper Summer Residency is an online residency and unique platform for critical and cross-disciplinary conversations, featuring Lorens Holm and Paul Noble engaging in a four-week correspondence. POLITICS OF SMALL PLACES

14 SEP-6 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE

Offering paradoxical visions of the cornucopia of concrete, glass and steel that straddles the world, Politics of Small Places forges a unique dialogue between preeminent contemporary artist and Turner Prize nominee Paul Noble and pioneering Scottish urban planner Patrick Geddes.

Listings

Fun Makes Good, Collage Curtain, Wahaca Bristol

Modern Craft The term ‘craft’ is loaded with political, artistic and social signifiers – we discuss it with some of Scotland’s designers and makers

Interview: Stacey Hunter

Rosie Noon

Last Word

Photo: Jeanine Lohmann

he discourse on craft is one of the most researched and contested in contemporary design. It’s also one of the reasons Local Heroes began in the first place. Yet 100 years after the Arts & Crafts movement saved or destroyed craft (depending on who you ask) we still collectively can’t reconcile or accurately define what or who is ‘doing’ craft. It’s a politically and ideologically loaded term. We got in touch with some of the people we’ve been obsessing about on Instagram IRL to ask them to talk about how they define their own design and making practice in the first in a series on modern craft. Lydia Morrow is Glasgow-based and uses crochet, fabric printing, sewing and quilting alongside photography and sculpture to create her varied art practice. With What Lydia Made underwear, she designs a product that caters to all sizes and genders, promotes comfort and has designs that “look beautiful on every body.” Her made-to-order undergarments give alternative options to women who are interested in beautiful, simple, design-led bras. “I grew up never fitting in to the designs from most companies,” Morrow says, “and the ones that did fit were not very aesthetically pleasing. This affects selfesteem and comfort – ugly, ill-fitting underwear can really wear away at confidence!” Morrow likes to use the word ‘craft’ to explain her practice, but describes it as a term that comes with huge privilege: “What people often seem to forget is that there is no such thing as a machine that makes bras or jeans, or that crochets. Nearly all garments are actually handmade. The denotation ‘craft’ just gets given when the people who make them are treated with respect. So really I love to think of myself as a craftsman, but I am one of many seamstresses the world over making bras and crocheting jumpers. The difference is that I’m compensated fairly and my work is valued. So to me, the term ‘craft’ is heavily loaded and political. It’s been used for decades to devalue the work of women in the arts and yet also works as a class divider between relatively wealthy western makers, and the criminally underpaid workers abroad who make our clothes.” Edinburgh’s Rowan McIntosh and Rosie Noon recently collaborated to create a special bridal project for illustrator Laura Tippenhauer. McIntosh worked with the bride-to-be to design

DESIGN

a top which she then made by hand using specially-sourced lace, with Noon invited to embroider text and illustrations including delicate monogrammed initials. The result is personal, romantic and irreplaceable, principles both designers strive for in their own practice. McIntosh's RowanJoy studio specialises in bespoke bridal and also makes ready-towear collections year round. McIntosh says: “Ultimately, I want what I make to be something unique and for the person who is wearing it to love and cherish it for years to come. I have never used the word ‘craft’ when I describe my work, despite the majority of it being handmade. I think this is because, for me, it has always felt what I do in fashion design has been excluded by what people think of as a craft and the bodies representing craft or designer makers. I see myself solely as a fashion designer/maker because of this.” Noon – an embroiderer within womenswear – described the project as “so special. It defines why I love collaborations: the perfect combination of creative energies, imagination and skill.” Normally working by hand, Noon found digital embroidery was perfect in this instance for capturing the detail required on such a delicate fabric: “I struggle with a solid definition of what my ‘craft’ is as I want to be able to manipulate my design and making skills for each new project I’m working on. I would however call myself a craftsperson as I always have a strong desire to be completely hands-on with each piece I make, and the whole process of making is hugely important in my creative practice.” Fun Makes Good is led by designer Eleanor Young. Specialising in contemporary patchwork, the Perthshire studio produces bold, bright, design-led interior products and upholstery – as well as large scale bespoke pieces for commercial spaces and the public realm. The studio have recently taken on much larger commissions including an over-12-metre-wide bespoke appliqué curtain for the Mexican restaurant Wahaca in Bristol. The ‘Collage’ curtains take their inspiration from cut and paste collage and feature an energetic design of positive and negative shapes, stripes and floating forms. The curtains when closed help to form a dynamic backdrop to the eating space and when parted help to reveal a larger dining area, allowing the restaurant to

THE SKINNY

“To me the term ‘craft’ is heavily loaded and political. It’s been used for decades to devalue the work of women in the arts and yet also works as a class divider” Lydia Morrow

creates a beautiful texture, and I used this technique to enhance the darker tones with densely quilted areas graduating up to lighter quilting in the pale sections. “I don’t think I have ever used the word ‘craft’ when I describe my work. Possibly because I came from a fine art background. I’d describe myself as an artist or maker who uses fabric and thread as a medium and happens to make quilts. Making by hand matters in my practice because it allows me to provide my customers with exactly what they want. I am able to adjust sizes, colour choices and design specifically for them in a way mass production doesn’t allow. There is also something reassuring about handmade items. That someone has spent time considering each stitch, fold and mark to provide the highest quality piece. I become quite attached to them during the making process.” We’ll be returning to this subject so get in touch with Local Heroes if you have something to say... localheroes.design

What Lydia Made

Photo: Josephine Lohoar Self

expand and contract. “I design and produce all of my textile pieces by hand,” Young says. “Although I don’t often use the word ‘craft’ when describing my work, I do like to emphasise everything is handmade or handcrafted. This is important as the majority of my work is custom made. ‘Handcrafted’ for me is a way of describing the process between eye and hand – that allows for experimentation while making. You can make design decisions along the way, which allow you to improve upon your initial ideas and fine tune and tweak aspects which you can’t predict in your sketches. This is especially the case when working large scale.” Lucy Engels makes quilts that are intended to be statement pieces and heirlooms as well as fully-functioning homeware. The idea behind her Test Card Quilt was a nostalgic exploration of the colour gradient found on old test cards used on television channels. “I wanted to play with the relationship between colour and shade in a visually appealing way, staggering the horizontal pieces to give the nod to the screen rolling before your programme came on. It’s hand-quilted, which

Test Card Quilt by Lucy Engels

September 2018

DESIGN

Last Word