The month in Scottish music...
Welcome to May 2012. Welcome to a world where we’ve just lost Maurice Sendak, where Barack Obama has voiced his support for marriage equality and where most magic of all, the Xcerts have just been announced as support for Guns’n’Roses. With all this in mind, here is the pick of the pack for the upcoming month and a bit….
+ Fresh from celebrating their 5th birthday, Cry Parrot have assembled the stellar line-up of James Ferraro and Heatsick to entertain the masses on the 17th June at the Berkeley Suite. Come along and witness the live work of an eternally progressive, forward-thinking musician.
+ Join the clamour for the finally released long-player from French Wives – ‘Dream of the In-between’. Released on Electric Honey, this breathlessly awaited debut album is the follow-up to the stand-alone e.p. which saw them voted winners of the Scotsman Radar Prize in 2010. And rather predictably, it’s brilliant.
+ Another single launch in the guise of Kitty the Lion and their new song “Duck”. Officially released to buy May 30th, it’s sneakily offered as a free download from May 16th for those who tweet/share the official video on Facebook. Go along on May 16th to Old Hairdressers to see it first-hand.
+ Prodigal sons of Glasgow, Errors play their biggest show to date at the Arches tonight, alongside Mermaids and Mother Ganga. Too funky? The famously noisy Divorce are holding an album fundraiser at the Old Hairdressers – joined by Ultimate Thrush, the Cosmic Dead and Ex-Servicemen. You’ll be able to hear it on the other side of town. Too loud? Rachel Sermanni and Beerjacket are doing their folky thing at the Oran Mor. All tonight, Friday 11th.
+ Otherwise, why not catch the Xcerts on the warm-up for those Guns’n’Roses stadium shows? Bright young things Fatherson and Carnivores are playing support. It’s all taking place on the 16th at the Garage.
+ The reliably wonderful MILK nights at Flat 0/1 are delivering more of the same – on the 16th May Vigo Thieves, Library Voices and Queen Jane will be providing the soundscape. Other than that, the long absent My Latest Novel are making a bit of a return on Thursday the 17th, doing a stripped-down acoustic show at the Beatclub in Café Continental, Gourock.
+ A line-up as strong as this doesn’t come along often – the triple-threat of Withered Hand, the Second Hand Marching Band AND Beerjacket on the 18th at Sleazys.
+ In the main though, it’s Stag and Dagger Season. Go along on the 19th May to cheer on the Scottish talent at venues across the city. Wave your wristband arm and support the offerings from Django Django, The Phantom Band, Die Hard, Holy Esque, Miaoux Miaoux, Bwani Junction and Washington Irving. It’ll be a night to make us all proud.
+ Celebrate the life and spirit of Mark E. Smith at the brilliantly-conceived “Wonderful and Frightening Fall Whirlpool” at Mono on the 24th May. With music from Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers, Casual Sex and Silk Cut – triple whiskeys and line-up changes will be the order of the evening.
+ Shrugging off the Human Don’t Be Angry mantle for one night only, Malcolm Middleton is doing a night of solo delights at Tuts on the 16th of next month. Not for you? Acquaint yourself with the finer parts of the Fence Collective when King Creosote and The Pictish Trail unite for a gig at Glasgow’s The Old Fruitmarket two nights later.
+ Returning from a week-long stint on The Craig Fergusson show in America, The Imagineers are playing a homecoming gig at Tuts on June 23rd. Expect it to be packed to the rafters, so get your tickets early. Will they do what Oasis couldn’t?
+ Speaking of triumphant returns, both Admiral Fallow and The Twilight Sad are both playing the Barras in June. The 8th and the 15th, respectively. Almost guaranteed to be brilliant.
+ Champion of new music Ally McCrae’s Detour rolls into town, hosting a show at Stereo in collaboration with Glasgow Podcart. Come down on the 28th May to witness United Fruit, Ice Sea Dead People and Alarm Bells bring the house down.
+ There’s a party going on at Captain’s Rest in honour of Overlook Record’s first birthday. Enjoy sets from Trapped in Kansas, So Many Animal Calls and Crusades before helping to blow out the candles. 2nd June. Same night, different part of town – We Are the Physics, New Fabian Society and Chapman Family are on at Stairway.
+ Witness the riff-heavy spectacle of Glasgow trio Holy Mountain (accompanied by Guitar Wolf) on the 4th June at Mono. New critically acclaimed album ‘Earth Measures’ is out now on Chemikal Underground.
+ There’s a bit of a spectacular at the Oran Mor on June the 24th. The massed forces of We Were Promised Jetpacks, John Knox Sex Club, Olympic Swimmers and the mighty Aidan Moffat (with Bill Wells) are present and correct to round off what’s surely one of the strongest line-ups you’ll find till festival season.
Words by Marianne Gallagher
+ Fresh from celebrating their 5th birthday, Cry Parrot have assembled the stellar line-up of James Ferraro and Heatsick to entertain the masses on the 17th June at the Berkeley Suite. Come along and witness the live work of an eternally progressive, forward-thinking musician.
+ Join the clamour for the finally released long-player from French Wives – ‘Dream of the In-between’. Released on Electric Honey, this breathlessly awaited debut album is the follow-up to the stand-alone e.p. which saw them voted winners of the Scotsman Radar Prize in 2010. And rather predictably, it’s brilliant.
+ Another single launch in the guise of Kitty the Lion and their new song “Duck”. Officially released to buy May 30th, it’s sneakily offered as a free download from May 16th for those who tweet/share the official video on Facebook. Go along on May 16th to Old Hairdressers to see it first-hand.
+ Prodigal sons of Glasgow, Errors play their biggest show to date at the Arches tonight, alongside Mermaids and Mother Ganga. Too funky? The famously noisy Divorce are holding an album fundraiser at the Old Hairdressers – joined by Ultimate Thrush, the Cosmic Dead and Ex-Servicemen. You’ll be able to hear it on the other side of town. Too loud? Rachel Sermanni and Beerjacket are doing their folky thing at the Oran Mor. All tonight, Friday 11th.
+ Otherwise, why not catch the Xcerts on the warm-up for those Guns’n’Roses stadium shows? Bright young things Fatherson and Carnivores are playing support. It’s all taking place on the 16th at the Garage.
+ The reliably wonderful MILK nights at Flat 0/1 are delivering more of the same – on the 16th May Vigo Thieves, Library Voices and Queen Jane will be providing the soundscape. Other than that, the long absent My Latest Novel are making a bit of a return on Thursday the 17th, doing a stripped-down acoustic show at the Beatclub in Café Continental, Gourock.
+ A line-up as strong as this doesn’t come along often – the triple-threat of Withered Hand, the Second Hand Marching Band AND Beerjacket on the 18th at Sleazys.
+ In the main though, it’s Stag and Dagger Season. Go along on the 19th May to cheer on the Scottish talent at venues across the city. Wave your wristband arm and support the offerings from Django Django, The Phantom Band, Die Hard, Holy Esque, Miaoux Miaoux, Bwani Junction and Washington Irving. It’ll be a night to make us all proud.
+ Celebrate the life and spirit of Mark E. Smith at the brilliantly-conceived “Wonderful and Frightening Fall Whirlpool” at Mono on the 24th May. With music from Jacob Yates and the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers, Casual Sex and Silk Cut – triple whiskeys and line-up changes will be the order of the evening.
+ Shrugging off the Human Don’t Be Angry mantle for one night only, Malcolm Middleton is doing a night of solo delights at Tuts on the 16th of next month. Not for you? Acquaint yourself with the finer parts of the Fence Collective when King Creosote and The Pictish Trail unite for a gig at Glasgow’s The Old Fruitmarket two nights later.
+ Returning from a week-long stint on The Craig Fergusson show in America, The Imagineers are playing a homecoming gig at Tuts on June 23rd. Expect it to be packed to the rafters, so get your tickets early. Will they do what Oasis couldn’t?
+ Speaking of triumphant returns, both Admiral Fallow and The Twilight Sad are both playing the Barras in June. The 8th and the 15th, respectively. Almost guaranteed to be brilliant.
+ Champion of new music Ally McCrae’s Detour rolls into town, hosting a show at Stereo in collaboration with Glasgow Podcart. Come down on the 28th May to witness United Fruit, Ice Sea Dead People and Alarm Bells bring the house down.
+ There’s a party going on at Captain’s Rest in honour of Overlook Record’s first birthday. Enjoy sets from Trapped in Kansas, So Many Animal Calls and Crusades before helping to blow out the candles. 2nd June. Same night, different part of town – We Are the Physics, New Fabian Society and Chapman Family are on at Stairway.
+ Witness the riff-heavy spectacle of Glasgow trio Holy Mountain (accompanied by Guitar Wolf) on the 4th June at Mono. New critically acclaimed album ‘Earth Measures’ is out now on Chemikal Underground.
+ There’s a bit of a spectacular at the Oran Mor on June the 24th. The massed forces of We Were Promised Jetpacks, John Knox Sex Club, Olympic Swimmers and the mighty Aidan Moffat (with Bill Wells) are present and correct to round off what’s surely one of the strongest line-ups you’ll find till festival season.
Words by Marianne Gallagher
