Madra Salach at McChuills

Paul Banks, Madra Salach singer, McChuills, March 2026

Dublin six-piece Madra Salach blew my friend Joe and I away last year. We caught the band playing The Van Winkle in the Gallowgate as part of Tenement Trail. Singer Paul Banks was like a cross between Lydon and MacGowan, singing with his heart and soul. 

In my blog, I highlighted Madra Salach's closing song The Man Who Seeks Pleasure (Is the Man Who Seeks Pain) stating that it was a genuine spine tingling moment. It will be interesting to see if they can capture this kind of intensity on record. This was beautifully raw, heartfelt and soulful. Banks gave it his all and his band played as if their lives depended on it. 

Madra Salach, The Van Winkle, Tenement Trail, October 2025

The band have since released the song and it has been gathering attention from the likes of 6Music and is no doubt helping them to sell out every gig they currently have listed. In addition, Madra Salach will be supporting Kneecap at their huge summer show in Crystal Palace.

In the short term, the band are on a tour playing small venues that must be in the 100-250 capacity range. I am sure that they could have upgraded last nights show at McChuills to a larger venue, but I'm so glad that didn't happen. Seeing a band on the verge of breaking in a small venue is incredibly exciting for music fans, but I think it is equally as exciting and even more important for bands and artists to play in those venues at such a time and 'feel' the mood, experience the atmosphere. Madra Salach know that bigger venues will come. 

So, yes, there is a buzz about Madra Salach and there was a sense of anticipation in the air, possibly helped by the fact that it was the day after St Patrick's Day. McChuills was in full swing. 

A 10pm week night curfew for live music meant that Madra Salach were on at just after 8.30pm. Joe and his 2 brothers were in supping Guinness and Murphy's by the time I arrived just before 8. It was the first time I had caught the train to Glasgow Central since the recent fire. I felt a tingle of pride as I approached the station, gazing out at the city lights as the train crossed over the river. Glasgow is a resilient city. The loss of the corner building and defining dome is tragic. But we will rebuild.  

The venue was rammed as Madra Salach took to the stage bathed in red light to set up. All of the band are seated, other than lead singer Paul Banks, who ambled on and cleared his lungs to begin Blue & Gold, their debut single that was released in September 2025.

Banks tells the story of a young couple being broke and down on their luck. In the first verse Banks sings of having nothin' in me pocket except the old linin', while in the second his lover tells him of how they have no food for eating, nor money for heating.

Banks has hope, in the form of a lottery ticket;

We will not be going cold

Don't worry my dear

Look what I have here

A ticket of blue and of gold

Is it a winner? Is it sheer hope and desperation? We don't know. But what we do know is that Madra Salach deliver this modern tale of their own and others that have been around for a long, long time with passion and soul.

The Tunnel Tigers is introduced as being an old Irish folk song about Irish men that went over to London to create the tunnels for the Underground and lost their lives. Banks introduces The Blantyre Explosion by asking how far away Blantyre is, and there is a bit of banter by the crowd, with a couple of people shoutin out to declare the town as a shitehole. 

Banks laughs and says that he is about to sing a song regarding Scotland's worst ever mining disaster that happened back in 1877, killing over 200 people. Banks then gets serious as he pours his heart into the song so much that you believe that he is the young man telling the story about wandering by the Clyde in mourning and meeting a girl crying;

I stepped up beside her, and thus I addressed her

Pray tell me, fair maid, of your trouble and pain

Sobbing and sighing, at last she did answer

Johnny Murphy, kind sir, was my true lovers name

Twenty one years of age, full of youth and good looking

To work down the mines of High Blantyre he came

The wedding was fixed, all guests were invited

That calm summer's evening, young Johnny was slain

Banks jokes afterwards that they have more miserable songs to sing! But the crowd are mesmerised by him and his band. The intensity they play with, the soundscapes they conjure (slight and delicate tinges of electronica and psychedelia merged with Celtic folk and soul) and Banks exceptional voice.

At times, he is lost in the music, twitching and biting his nails (or what he has left!), turning his head, then back to the mic to give it his all.

In the Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel is more upbeat and works beautifully. Single I Was Just A Boy is pretty euphoric with the crowd singing along, the extended instrumental is ferocious. Then they close with The Man Who Seeks Pleasure. The crowd are singing underneath Banks, subconciously mindful that they want to sing, but also want to take in his voice. The recorded version that they have released is special, but live, this song takes on more power. It's really special. A modern classic.

We head through to the bar and agree that Madra Salach will probably be selling out the Barrowland next year. They are a special band. The band are doing a roaring trade at the merch desk and mixing with fans. The guitarist/mandolin player is next to us at the bar and agrees that his singer has 'a fair set of pipes on him' and hints that they will be back in Scotland in October/November when they have a tour planned. Joe and I mentioned we saw them at Tenement Trail last year and he talks fondly about their day playing the Van Winkle and the response from that show and from the McChuills crowd. It was a pleasure to buy his round for him.  

Setlist

1. Blue & Gold

2. Spancil Hill (Michael Considine cover)

3. The Tunnel Tigers (Ewan McColl cover)

4. The Blantyre Explosion (Luke Kelly cover)

5. Murphy Can Never Go Home (Mick Curry cover)

6. In the Aeroplane Over The Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)

7. The Ribbon Factory

8. I Was Just A Boy

9. The Man Who Seeks Pleasure

Fatale at McChuills - March 2026

Fatale l-r James, Euan, Oscar (top), Ben, Chris

Saturday nights in McChuills have been the source of much pleasure for me over the years. Old Nick DJ-ing behind the bar early on, DJ's taking to the decks later, playing (or attempting to play in a busy area!) pool, meeting friends, ending the night there after a gig at the Barrowland Ballroom ... It's a wonderful pub full of characters, behind the bar and on the other side. McChuills has soul and strong values. They know what is right and what is wrong. And they love music! Lots of old faces still regularly frequent the bar and the decks. 

McChuills the kind of pub you fall for, dream of and pine for. These days, visiting is more of a treat, but every time I visit I think of my old flat in Dennistoun and times where I'd wander in for a pint after work and stay for a few, or ... wilder weekends.

It's great to see that McChuills still attracts a variety of subcultures of all ages. I mentioned Old Nick (who was DJ-ing before Andrew Divine last night) above and his son young Nick has done a grand job of changing things just ever so slightly, to put on bands and club nights in the side room ... or Acid Arch. Wet Leg (old blog here) and David Holmes are just 2 of the names to have graced the stage through there.

Fatale were back to the venue where they played their first gig in May 2025 - still less than a year ago! The band hang out in McChuills regularly and both are a perfect fit for each other. Fresh/recovered from 3-date tour of Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness with The Cords and a show with Warren McIntyre and James Kirk in Edinburgh the previous night, the 5-piece were gig fit. 

Taking to the stage at 10pm, Fatale blitzed straight into Moves You, their traditional set closer. It was a bold move and it worked a treat, the place was bouncing. This is a fuzzy punky pop gem with a glorious breakdown, before zipping back to full throttle. Exhilarating!

Fatale have improved every time I've caught them live since last summer; sound, performance and songs. New song Sugar Bowl was melodic with the duelling guitars sounding sublime. Own Embrace and Another Sunrise sound like old friends. I find myself half singing a-long, even though I've only ever heard them live.

A cover version of Buttermilk by Eugenius fitted like a glove. That guitar riff never got the credit it deserves. Winged Horse, By The Tide and September kept things going while allowing Fatale to show different sides to their natural instinct for melodies, guitar sounds and hooks. 

The rhythm section of Oscar (bass) and James (drums) keep things tight, while also driving the sound along, while the guitars of Euan and Chris (also backing vocals) carry the joy of youthful enthusiasm through chords, riffs, solos and the effects they use. Ben Robertson was born to be a front man - conducting band mates and crowd with his on stage moves. All have fantastic hair! 

Wired sounds like a potential single. While Jesus Christ most definitely will be at some point. Beginning with a warm Big Star-esque riff, the song then explodes into life and is like one big chorus, full of infectious energy.

Fatale seem to have a natural feel for songwriting. Their musical knowledge and taste comes across in the songs they have covered since I first caught them last summer. The confidence that comes from playing gigs and generating a buzz from them seems to be lifting them to new levels. Building on the solid foundation they had from the off with early songs like Moves You, Jesus Christ and Another Sunrise.

Speaking of which, the band are clearly taken by new song Saint Mungo - named after the patron saint and founder of the City of Glasgow. It's the title track of their debut EP that is coming out on a limited edition 12-inch. ORDER HERE

Coming on for an encore, Ben announced that this would be the last time they played their cover of The Velvets Femme Fatale, however given the reaction, I'd be surprised if that's the case! They should definitely keep it up their sleeves for their adventures outwith Glasgow.

The band ended as they began, with an even more super charged version of Moves You, starting with Ben crowd surfing, before their good friend Ben Brown took over and somehow managed to stay aloft! Great fun.

Keep an eye on Fatale's Instagram page for news of up coming shows.

Next up is a gig at The Art School as part of the multi-venue House Guest festival on 4th April. The festival also takes in Sleazys and The 1990 (formerly Broadcast).

Fatale at McChuills

Fatale played their first ever headline show at McChuills on Friday night - Halloween. As singer Ben Robertson pointed out when thanking everyone for coming, it felt like the band had come full circle. McChuills was where they played their first gig, back in May. Now, just shy of 6-months later, they had sold it out.

After playing King Tuts Summer Nights in July, a venture through to Edinburgh in September and then Tenement Trail in October, it definitely feels like Fatale are on the rise.

Tenement Trail was great, but this was the best I have seen the band. A headline slot gave them longer to play with, so a packed McChuills was treated to a 45-minute, 11-song set.

Making the most of the screen behind the stage, Fatale came on and fuzzed up their guitars for opening number September. The visuals of logos behind them added to the vibe and a hyped up, dressed up Halloween crowd were well up for it. There was a definite sense of occasion to the night.

The Vaselines Molly's Lips was played next and they tore through it, Robertson was in the crowd at times, bouncing a-long with them. Another Sunrise, with the brilliant hook I'm going out tonight, is becoming more familiar to me with every gig. Definite future single potential.

Speaking of hooks and single potential, new song By The Tide is another that I look forward to hearing again soon. The hook I don't care about what's going on is one I would have loved to have sung as a teenager, but it feels just as relevant to me now. 

A cover of the Mary Chain's Taste of Cindy was a glorious riot. Scuzzed and fuzzed up guitars. Top marks to the couple (pictured below - parents of Adam from support band Bogle) dressed as Jesus and Mary Chained! 

Bogle were on first and their set mixed songs that sounded like early Pink Floyd with songs that sounded like the early Ride EP's. They can play! I'm way more into Ride than Floyd, so those songs were my personal favourites. I really enjoyed their dreamy shoegazey guitars and harmonies. I'll hopefully write a blog on them sometime soon. Their debut EP Shimmer Guitar Pop was aptly named. Also hailing from Lanarkshire, I hope to catch them again soon.

Speaking of Jesus Christ, Fatale singer Ben Robertson had been wandering around dressed as Christ (or now I come to think of it - was he Caesar?)  earlier. He had changed into stagewear for the show but kept his crown of thorns on. I assumed it was Christ because of Fatale's brilliant song Jesus Christ - a song that left its mark on me after I first heard it back at their Tuts show in the summer.

The guitars of Euan and Christopher collide gloriously, there are more hooks than Rocky Bilbao fighting at his peak. Most bands would love to have the verses to this tunes as choruses! The bridges/pre-chorus are even catchier and then there is the chorus itself;

Jesus Christ knocked on my door

Just let me sleep ten minutes more

Coming out with songs of praise

Righteousness lost in the haze

With Han Solo (James) driving things along furiously and beautifully on drums and bassist Oscar in the groove, this is a delicious slice of guitar punk pop. 

How could I hold my head up when you're down

How can I stand the world when you're not around

The little fuzz bass break after the middle eight is superb. Then it's straight back into the chorus for a final blast. Think God Knows It's True era Fanclub meeting The Undertones for a couple of pints of Guinness and then having a jam. Catchy guitar brilliance.

Ending with their (fast becoming) traditional one-two of their demos (CHECK THEM HERE) and currently the only material they have released.

I'd never have thought that The Velvets Femme Fatale would become a sing-a-long anthem for teenagers in 2025, but Fatale are making it one! Their (largely young) crowd lapped it up.

Ben announced that set closed Moves You will be released as their debut single in the very near future. The band tore through it, slowing things beautifully for a breakdown. 

Understand what I'm going through, tried to paint, but it's never you

Understand what I'm going through, tried to paint, but it's never you

It's never you

After another chorus and searing and soaring guitar solo, it's back into the groove with a verse and the catchy hook that is the chorus.  

Keep an eye on Fatale's Instagram for updates.

Anything Goes & Everything Flows 29 60-minute DJ mixes and playlists

I recently spent an evening scrolling through my Spotify playlists and realised that I had a few of my 60-minute Anything Goes & Everything Flows playlists uncompleted. I published the first one back in June 2021 and my 29th in January 2024. Then, for whatever reason, I stopped.

Anything Goes & Everything Flows is a series of playlists I created that were loosely based on imaginary DJ sets I would play in favourite pubs of mine, like McChuills on High Street or The Variety in Sauchiehall Street. Both pubs encourage DJ's with eclectic taste and knowledge to play music that spans a number of genres to soundtrack the incredible nights that take place in their bars.

While I'm rarely up in Sauchiehall Street these days (what a sorry state it is in!), I still get to McChuills semi-regularly and love the vibe and atmosphere that the DJ's help to create.

Looking back through the blogs and listening to some of the playlists, I realised how much fun I had creating them on an almost monthly basis. This was an excuse to dig deep into my own knowledge of music and also dive headlong into Spotify to discover all kinds of weird and wonderful music. 

Over the years I've DJ'd at weddings, for friends birthdays, in bars and put on my own nights. I love to DJ! Playing music to people and generating a reaction is a real buzz. Don't hesitate to get in touch if you need a DJ and like the music I blog about.

I'll always try to get people dancing, however these playlists/mixes go a little deeper, a little more left field, while still dropping in a well known crowd pleaser's from time to time.

Here are links to the first 29 Anything Goes & Everything Flows playlists/mixes that I published. Numbered and named after the first song in the mix.

Dig in and enjoy.

1 - Felony

2 - Inspector Norse

3 - Dream Baby Dream

4 - Happy

5 - Bentley's Gonna Sort You Out

6 - Didn't I

7 - Close To Me

8 - Hung Up On My Baby

9 - No Golden Throat

10 - Rock The Casbah

11 - I Heard Wonders (Andrew Weatherall tribute)

12 - I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're The Royal Macademia Nuts)

13 - Hope Is The Last Thing To Die

14 - Jazzie's Groove

15 - Rose Rouge

16 - What's Goin' On?

17 - Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)

18 - Love's Theme

19 - Groove Holmes

20 - Afternoon of the Rhino

21 - Heaven Bound

22 - Caitlin's Theme

23 - The Feeling

24 - Beginning of the Heartbreak

25 - Don't You Want My Love

26 - Look Into My Eyes

27 - Embryonic Journey

28 - Let's Go Get Stoned

29 - Music

Introducing - Fatale

What is it about you Uddy (Uddingston) boys and The Velvet Underground?

Back in mid-April, my friend Derek sent me a cryptic WhatsApp message, and then followed it up with soundcloud links to a young teenage band called Fatale . Del had produced and engineered demos for two songs; Moves You and a cover of The Velvets Femme Fatale.

Fatale soundcloud

Del was excited enough to also post in the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub Facebook group with the statement  - If you like Catholic Education era Teenage Fanclub then you'll love Fatale.

Fatale, as you might have guessed from Derek's comparisons, love electric guitars that crash, collide, chime, blur, reverberate and fuzz together in the glorious way that I have loved for over 3 decades.

Hailing from my home town of Uddingston (on the outskirts of Glasgow), I was determined to find out more about this young band that seem to be bursting with talent, taste, looks, great hair (I found out upon meeting them), energy and enthusiasm.

Moves You is the first song that they have released. The overdriven guitars are fired up beautifully, there is a sublime dreamy breakdown, before they burst back into life. Vocally, this is pure So Far Gone/God Knows It's True era Fanclub, raw and soulful harmonies, young romantic lyrics sung from the heart.

Would you find a price for all the stars that shine on you?

Meanwhile, their cover of Femme Fatale is gorgeously raw and warm, sounding like a lost Fanclub cover they recorded for Bandwagonesque era b-sides.

I caught up with guitarist Christopher Jollie to find out more in the interview below. It was also great to bump into the whole band after the BMX Bandits show on Friday night. During the gig they stood to the side, shaking their heads in time and singing-along, Chris wearing a Eugenius t-shirt. They looked like a real gang, tight friends, a band. 

I can't wait to see them live. Read on for info about how they formed, influences, writing and news about their next gig.

1. How did the band form? Where are you all from? How did you get to know each other?

Our singer Ben and lead guitarist Euan are cousins and both of them had came out of playing with other bands. Myself and our bassist Oscar had been school friends with Ben and had played in a drumless, gigless band just before Fatale. A total shambles. Euan and our drummer James had also been school pals but had never played in a band together. 

From James perspective Euan was playing songs with his wee cousin (he thought he was nine) and wanted him to drum with them. When we show up at his garage for a jam, to his surprise there’s three eighteen year old's with guitars. The band just took off from there.

2. How did you start creating music together? Does anyone take the lead on writing? Or do you jam ideas?

We started off with acoustic demos recorded by Ben and Euan, and built up from there. It’s a collaborative process we go for, with everyone coming in with their own songs, and fleshing them out in practice. I’d always hated showing folk my own songs, but I had Moves You as a demo on my phone from months before and tried to show it to the guys. I had to do that another twice before we sort of took it seriously as a song, and now we’re in the process of getting it recorded and produced. We do have very diverse influences, which allows us to do different things with each song.

3. What kind of music are you listening to at present? Have any bands influenced you?

I was just at the Barras seeing Dinosaur Jr. and wow. They’ve always been a band that I’m just in awe of. I’ve been listening to a lot of soul music and bands like Big Star, the Kinks. Apart from that I’ve been getting dead into Eugenius, who had sort of passed me by when I was discovering the Fanclub. Scottish music has shaped our sound unlike anything else. There’s just something inside a lot of Scottish bands that just can’t be replicated. We are very keen to keep that sort of thing going.

4. How did you get on playing McChuills at the start of May?

McChuills was our first gig together, and it was a sellout. We were opening for a very good Irish band, The Labourers, and playing alongside our good pals, Bogle, as part of the Vicar Street Social night. We were originally scheduled to play a Sunday Soundclash on the 4th of May but due to the football it was cancelled. 

That had left us without a gig until July, but thankfully our mate Ben Brown managed to pull some strings and get us a spot on VSS thanks to a demo recorded by Derek McKee. We played 7 songs, including covers of the Scream’s Velocity Girl and the Velvet’s Femme Fatale. Our closer, Moves You ended up getting played twice since we didn’t have another song and the crowd were wanting more. I had already plugged out my guitar when Ben tells me we’re replaying it. You can’t plan for the energy in the room, and everything came so naturally.

5. What do you have coming up in terms of gigs, recording and releasing?

Our next gig is a part of King Tut’s Summer Nights Festival. We’re opening for a band we know called The Violet’s on Sunday 20th July, so it should be another great night. TICKETS

We’re also looking at our options for getting Moves You recorded and released in the next month or two, to keep the excitement going. Del done a great job of our demo so we’ll be looking towards him for potentially recording some covers to put out over the summer. We’re also in the early stages of setting up a once or twice a month event, looking at platforming the sound of young Glasgow. It’s exciting times for us, but it’s just the start of something that we truly believe in.

69 Police and Hey Lisa

Trust me #82 & 83
69 Police and Hey Lisa by David Holmes

David Holmes is DJ-ing in McChuills this Friday night ... and I'm not going! I was, but having been a little run down with a bug since last Thursday, I decided to sell my tickets - cost price naturally! At my age, going on a mad night out while not at 100% isn't a good idea!

Holmes is someone I have admired since my friend Reddy introduced me to his debut album This Film's Crap Lets Slash The Seats way back in 1995. Reddy also fell for the 1997 follow up Let's Get Killed which included snippets and samples of audio recordings Holmes made while walking around New York City. It was kind trippy and totally cool.

But it was Holmes 3rd album, Bow Down to the Exit Sign, released in 2000, before I truly fell for the Northern Irish DJ, electronic artist, producer and film composer. 

Two song in particular stood out. 69 Police is flowing gem, layered beautifully to take listeners on a journey. The synth riff is utterly sublime. A couple of year ago I was fortunate to DJ in McChuills on a Sunday evening and this went down a treat.

The production is insane; the spoken word intro is turned up high in the mix, then the synth sounds and beats kick in, leading to the a glorious synth riff with lovely squelchy sounds interspersed. Holmes layers things and keeps it all going. I doubt that David will drop this into his set, but any regrets I have on Saturday night would be considerably multiplied if he did!

The dreamy atmospheric Hey Lisa closes the album to leave you floating, the mellow beats and swirling strings are absolutely gorgeous. Holmes works real magic here, layering guitars, string samples, synth riffs and bubbles, and what sounds like a xylophone ... weaving them in and out of each other beautifully.

Hey Lisa is a piece of music that never fails to move me. What a way to close the album, listen to the strings as the song ebbs towards the end. Majestic.

69 Police and Hey Lisa are both added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE 

And why not check David Holmes incredible Radio 1 Essential Mix from 1997 HERE

Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem

34. Mondo 77 by Looper

35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton

36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

37. How High by The Charlatans

38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands

39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective

41. There She Goes by The Las

42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes

43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo

44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell

45. Revolution by The Beatles

46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys

47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays

48. American Trilogy by The Delgados

49. Loser by Beck 

50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy

51. Comedy by Shack

52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven

53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr

54. Thank You For Being You by The Pastels

55. I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized

56. Chestnut Mare by The Byrds

57. Cannonball by The Breeders

58. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

59. You Make Me Weak At The Knees by Electrelane

60. Lucky by Radiohead

61. Strange Currencies by R.E.M.

61. I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell

62. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) by Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir

63. Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations

64. Made of Stone by The Stone Roses

65. Tonight In Belfast by Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen and Mike Garry

66. Anything by Adrianne Lenker

67. I Hold Something In My Hand by Bill Ryder-Jones

68. I Meant Every Word by Burnett Sisters

69. Dream Baby Dream by Suicide

70. Stove by The Lemonheads

71. Red Lady by Phil Cordell

72. Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb

73. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart by Taylor Swift

74. Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by The M.V.P.'s

75. Razzle Dazzle Rose by Camera Obscura

76. Such Great Heights by The Postal Service

77. The Rat by The Walkmen

78. My God Has A Telephone by Aaron Frazer

79. Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack

80. Sweet and Tender Romance by The McKinleys

81. Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros

I Think I'm In Love

Trust Me #55
I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized  (and the Chemical Brothers vocal remix)

On Sunday 18th June I fulfilled a long held ambition when I got to DJ at McChuills, my very favourite pub in Glasgow. It was an honour to play alongside one of the bars resident DJ's - Stevie Elements. I had almost as much fun raking through his cases of 7-inch singles as I did playing.

And I also enjoyed looking through my own records while preparing my DJ bag for the night. I was determined to play an eclectic set, in keeping with my Anything Goes & Everything Flows monthly mixes. 

My mission when DJing is to get people dancing/singing/nodding their heads and showing signs of appreciation and I particularly love when people take the time to come up and ask what song I played if they didn't know it. Thankfully I achieved all of the above, including words of acknowledgement from another McChuills resident, the legendary JP who came up to chat a couple of times and I also shared a beer at the bar with him while Stevie was taking one of his turns on the decks.

I played Chemical Brothers remix of Spiritualized's I Think I'm In Love and a couple of people came up to ask who it was. It is an incredible song and sounded out of this world on the big speakers; psychedelic sonic perfection that takes off for the sun and urges you to hold on for the ride.

The original version is on Spiritualized's 1997 classic album Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space. It's an absolute masterpiece, from the elaborate prescription pill style packaging to the melting pot of music and the sound of Jason Pierce's heart breaking spread over 70-minutes. NME's Paul Moody hailed the album as a seismic tour de force, while the Melody Maker praised it as one mind blowing perspective-fusing supernova of an album .. that redefines notions of bittersweet and love-hate to the point where everyday emotions seem very small indeed. I'll save a blog on that for another time.

I Think I'm In Love burns beautifully slow to begin. A continuous note drones for almost a full minute, squelchy guitar sounds are played over the top before a gentle piano is introduced, some mouth organ and then Pierce begins to sing.

Sun so bright that I'm nearly blind

Cool cause I'm wired and I'm out of my mind

Warms the dope running down my spine

But I don't care about you and I've got nothing to do

Pierce's voice sounds blissfully damaged as the Spiritualized sound is layered delicately and delightfully around him. After he sings I don't care about you for the second time the layers drop out leaving Pierce to sing I've got nothing over a few piano notes. 

Everything stops and then the next stage of the song begins, beats are introduced and there is more of a groove, allowed to flow and develop for almost 2-minutes and then Pierce is back with call and response vocals that are catchy and funny. Very probably self depreciating.

I think I'm in love

Probably just hungry

There are times when Pierce sounds lost in the groove his Spiritualized orchestra has conjured, letting out little come on yelps in the background, as if he is urging them to keep going. 

I think I want to tell the world

Probably ain't listening

Horns, guitar, synth, piano, guitars, drones, beats and bass. The way everything is layered together is sublime. Ending with a gospel choir singing I think I'm in love repeatedly, the song is faded out. I imagine Pierce would never have wanted it to end.

And then The Chemical Brothers get their hands on it! 

Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons really do work their magic on their remix, producing something super trippy and dazzling. Spiritualized stop everything to go from part 1 to part 2 of the song, while The Chemical Brothers build and tease, almost sounding as if they are getting all their equipment read to blast off for space.

After the beats have kicked in they bring everything back to allow Pierce to sing;

I think I can fly

Probably just falling

Chemical by name, chemical by nature. This remix is a match made in heaven. Rowland and Simons seem to have dipped Pierce's vocals into pot of LSD and MDMA, thrown in some synths for good measure to see what happens and then dived in after them. Their remix is spacey, trippy, cool and euphoric. The brothers really do work it out.

Official audio

Chemical Brothers vocal remix

Chemical Brothers instrumental remix

A list of all previous songs I've blogged about in my Trust Me feature are listed below, along with links to each blog. The original version of I Think I'm In Love joins them. You can check the Chemical Brothers instrumental and vocal remixes below on YouTube. 

I've also collated all the songs in my Trust Me series into a playlist on Spotify that you can find by searching for Everything Flows - Trust Me , or you can CLICK HERE

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem

34. Mondo 77 by Looper

35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton

36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

37. How High by The Charlatans

38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands

39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective

41. There She Goes by The Las

42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes

43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo

44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell

45. Revolution by The Beatles

46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys

47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays

48. American Trilogy by The Delgados

49. Loser by Beck 

50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy

51. Comedy by Shack

52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven

53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr

Anything Goes & Everything Flows DJ Mix 23

Hello and welcome to number 23 in my series of 60-minute mixes/playlists.

When I started this series I said that it was inspired by old visits to favourite haunts of mine like The Variety / McChuills in Glasgow. In my younger days I would regularly visit one of those pubs on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, where DJ's would work their magic to get the crowd in the mood for moving on to a club. 

More often than not, I'd opt to just stay in the bar.

In these magical bars that I frequently visited through my 20's, the DJ's would spin incredibly cool tunes, many that I had never heard before, causing me to go up and ask the DJ what they were playing. McChuills and The Variety were places where the music policy was very much anything goes and everything flows.

It's kind of been a (not so) secret ambition of mine to DJ or put on a night on McChuills for a long time. So I am super delighted that Stevie Elements, one of the bars residents, has asked me to DJ alongside him on Sunday 18th June from 5-9pm.

As it's Fathers Day, this will be my little treat to myself after lunch with my daughters. Lynn and I had a great night in McChuills last summer and danced away to tunes Stevie was playing. It's an honour to be asked to play.

Stevie has given me the choice of DJ-ing digitally or with vinyl. While the flexibility of DJ-ing digitally is incredibly enticing (not to mention the fact I wouldn't have to lug record bags around), the excuse to dig into my record collection is simply too great. So I'm opting for a vinyl set.

It would be great to see you there for a beer and possibly even a dance!

Anyway, on to this months 60-ish minute mix! You can find it on Spotify by searching for Everything Flows DJ Mix 23 or by CLICKING HERE. Full tracklist below.

Lots of recent discoveries here. A few groovers, the mix ebbs and flows with funky stuff and some truly euphoric vocal performances. There are a couple of old faves by Ruby Andrews and Gladys Knight & The Pips and from my latest finds I'm particularly enjoying Stay Here With Me by Sandra Richardson and Fly Me To The Moon by Lyn Collins. The strings in Forever And A Day by Mel & Tim are sensationally sublime. The closing song is mysteriously credited to various artists on Spotify. If anyone reading this knows more about it then please get in touch.

The Feeling - California Soul Explosion

Better Keep Movin' - The Perigents

Where The Lillies Grow - Sidney Joe Qualls

Footsteps - Creations

Things Got To Get Better (Get Together) - Marva Whitney

Stay Here With Me - Sandra Richardson

Your Love Controls My Mind - Johnny Williams

Wonderful Night - Candace Love

Don't It Make You Feel Funky - Joe Hicks

Fly Me To The Moon - Lyn Collins

Don't You Care - Alice Clark

In The Middle - Marva Whitney

I'm In Love With You - Bobby Paterson

Forever And A Day - Mel & Tim

Is This The Way To Treat A Girl (You Bet It Is) - The Hesitations

Let Our Love Grow Higher - Eula Cooper

Just Loving You - Ruby Andrews

Soul Dance No.3 - Carl Homes and The Commanders

This Man - Wally Cox

If You Ever Get Your Hands On Love - Gladys Knight & The Pips

I Need A True Love - Eddie Parker

Anything Goes & Everything Flows DJ Mix 22

Hello and welcome to my 22nd in a series of 60-minute playlists/mixes. 

With these mixes I  try to create the vibe I would get from entering The Variety / McChuills in Glasgow on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, where DJ's would (and still do) work their magic to get the crowd in the mood for moving on to a club, or in my case, often opting to just stay in the bar.

In these magical bars that I frequently visited through my 20's, the DJ's would spin incredibly cool tunes, many that I had never heard before, causing me to go up and ask the DJ what they were playing. McChuills and The Variety were places where the music policy was very much anything goes and everything flows.

My last few mixes have been very soul heavy, so with this one I really did just go with the flow. We kick off with a sublime instrumental by the super talented Gruff Rhys, then we have divine Whyte Horses before some old faves by The Avalanches, The Go! Team and Jurassic 5.

They still sound so fresh!

Elsewhere we have a brass band covering Joy Division, retro dance sounds by The Bees, a moment of euphoria by Flaming Lips and some blissful electronic music to get lost in by Underworld and LCD.

Throw in the super cool Misdemeanor, The Funk Brothers, Tim Burgess fronting The Chemical Brothers and an instrumental of The Charlatans Sproston Green to close and ... it's a pretty cool eclectic mix.

Search for Everyting Flows DJ Mix 22 on Spotify or CLICK HERE

Enjoy.

Caitlin's Theme - Gruff Rhys

Ecstasy Song - Whyte Horses

Since I Left You - The Avalanches

Ladyflash - The Go! Team

Concrete Schoolyard - Jurassic 5

Misdemeanor - The CB's

Life Is Sweet - Chemical Brothers w/ Tim Burgess

Tell Me It's Just A Rumour Baby - The Funk Brothers

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Hot 8 Brass Band

Chicken Payback - The Bees

Race For The Prize (Mokran Mix) - The Flaming Lips

Jumbo - Underworld

Us V Them - LCD Soundsystem

Sproston Green (instrumental) - The Charlatans

Anything Goes & Everything Flows DJ Mix 19

Welcome to my last 60-minute mix of 2022. I've gone a little over, I was really enjoying putting this one together and didn't want to stop. This is one that could have gone on and the last song maybe hints at the direction I could have gone down.

Hammond grooves, funky beats, wah wah guitars, super cool bass, euphoric horns ... I'm really pleased with this one. I was intending for it to be pretty chilled after a rather manic year, but it's still got a groove.

Thanks for checking my monthly mixes. They are the most popular feature on my blog!

Search for Everything Flows DJ Mix 19 on Spotify or CLICK HERE

Groove Holmes - Beastie Boys

3 Kilos - The Prodigy

Song #3 - Marvin Gaye

Outa-Space - Billy Preston

Melting Pot - Booker T & the M.G.'s

Kelly Watch The Stars (Moog Cookbook mix) - Air

Rip Rip - David Holmes

The Well's Gone Dry - The Crusaders

Look-Ka Py Py - The Meters

Soul At Sunrise - Juggy Murray

Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield

Family Affair - MFSB  (ft.Leon Huff) 

Love Is Gonna Lift You Up - Bobby Womack

All Our Dreams Are Coming True - Gene Page

Sport - The Last Poets + Lightnin' Rod

Dock Of The Bay - Peggy Lee

Chico's Groove - The Chemical Brothers

Anything Goes & Everything Flows DJ Mix 17

Welcome to my 17th 60-minute mix where I try and capture the vibe from pre-club nights I used to attend in my younger days at the likes of The Variety Bar & McChuills in Glasgow.

This mix might have a late afternoon/early evening in McChuills kind of vibe. Old Nick would be behind the bar pulling all kinds of cd's out and just going with the flow.

Kicking off with a 12 minute live groove from Donny Hathaway and his band, you are in for a treat with that song alone, never mind the full mix! Hathaway announces he is going to break the song/groove down into 4-movements, allowing each of his band to a chance to shine, a chance for them all to stretch out.

It's a stunner. I love the way piano really takes things a little higher, a little further at around the 3-minute mark and then brings it all back .... then Donny introduces 'the second movement y'all' allowing his guitarist to go for it. Wait for the bass groove though!!!! 'That sounds pretty good y'all!'

I remember getting this album for a fiver from FOPP many years ago, it's been great to revisit it.

Betty Davis' Hangin' Out features, possibly for the 3rd time in one of these mixes. I keep coming back to this song. It's super cool and funky with a catchy chorus.

Elsewhere, most of these songs are new discoveries over the last month or so. God I love music and having the time to explore different artists and sounds.

Search for Everything Flows DJ Mix 17 on Spotify or CLICK HERE

Love the Herbie Mann song, not the album cover!

Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything) - Donny Hathaway

Vampin - The Mack/Soundtrack - Willie Hutch

Push Push - Herbie Mann ft. Duane Allman

Funky Thithee - Shuggie Otis

These Are The JB's - Pt 1 & 2 - The J.B.'s

Thinking Black - Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm

Instant Groove - King Curtis

A Day In The Life - Chocolate Snow

Soul & Sunshine - Harvey & The Phenomenals

Hangin' Out - Betty Davis

I Love Music - Lafayette Afro Rock Band

Unwind Yourself - Marva Whitney

It's My Thing (You Can't Tell Me Who To Sock It To) - Marva Whitney