2026 - Scottish music scene

Happy New Year.

Welcome to my first blog of the year. Read on to learn about;

• New bands/artists I'm excited about following through 2026 and beyond
• Emerging acts I continue to champion 
• Albums I am looking forward to
• Gigs I already have tickets for
• Gigs or festivals I am looking forward to

I hope that you might check some of the artists and shows out.

ENJOY!

5 new bands/artists

Fatale

The most exciting young band in Scotland? I think so. They are certainly my favourite. Fuzzy and scuzzy guitars, loads of songs (Moves You, Another Sunrise and Jesus Christ to name a few) that sounds like potential singles and choice covers of songs by legendary Scottish bands like Primal Scream (Velocity Girl), The Mary Chain (Taste of Cindy) and The Vaselines (Molly's Lips) as well as The Velvets Femme Fatale where they got their name from.

Fatale are a real gang who (literally) bounce off each other with natural ease and humour. Their taste and knowledge of music is exceptional and they have a thirst to discover all kinds of stuff - the influences of their influences. Like all good bands, Fatale have fantastic hair. As an added bonus, they regularly showcase a first class collection of retro band t-shirts and AC Milan (via drummer James) football tops.

Fatale are kicking off 2026 with a headline show at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut on Friday 9th January. Still in single figures for gigs, they then head out on the road with fellow faves of mine The Cords for dates in Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness in February. Teenage Kicks!

Yet to release a single, Fatale are focusing on building a following, while also hitting the studio to build up a string of singles and work towards an album.

Instagram  Soundcloud - demos

Introducing blog (June 2025)

Radhika

Citing The Pastels, Cocteau Twins and Strawberry Switchblade as inspiration, Radhika has played some choice gigs through 2025 and starts 2026 by playing London and Manchester shows with support from Gerry Love and Wor_kspace (Finlay MacDonald). Radhika's song Future Me on her Bandcamp is gorgeous dreamy indie pop, I hear a tinge of Belle & Sebastian (especially in the outro) in addition to her aforementioned influences. Starry Eyes (below) is swirling, swoony and sublime. 

Full INTRODUCING blog and interview coming soon.

Bandcamp  Instagram

Angelface

Described by my sister Carla as - the best new girl band in Scotland that you haven't heard of yet. Think The Sundays meets Big Thief with a massive dose of harmonies a la The Roches. 

The band themselves say - we're an all girl indie folk dream pop band.

Angelface play King Tuts on 29th January. 

Instagram

Supersun

3 siblings and their cousin, two twelve string guitars, a shared love of melodic guitar pop music, the introduction of their own regular night and the desire to become part of Glasgow's musical heritage and future. Supersun formed in the fall of 2025 and have only played one gig to date.

Their next is at Mono on 12th February with The Cords and a stripped back set by BMX Bandits. TICKETS 

Full INTRODUCING blog and interview coming soon.

Instagram

Other People's Leisure

Other People's Leisure have a studio/lock up with a bank of electronic equipment and lights. IT LOOKS AMAZING!  The duo released 3 singles within a couple of months at the end of 2025, mixing house beats, ambient and shoegaze textures with all kinds of synth goodness. Debut shows are booked at Leith Depot and The Hug & Pint in March.  Full INTRODUCING blog and interview coming soon.

Instagram

2 emerging bands/artists

Kerr Mercer

After a very busy 18-24 months on the road, supporting a vast array of artists, Kerr 'finally' released his debut single Alcohol at the end of 2024. I say 'finally', as his social media posts made it clear that he was chomping at the bit to get his songs out into the world. No wonder! 

Alcohol is a belter of a debut.Stripped back, leaving plenty of room for Mercer's rich and soulful voice, telling the teenage tale of going out drinking and falling for someone. Check the live video below - exceptional.

Kerr's voice is incredible and in addition to a busy time gigging, Kerr has also been writing constantly. Alcohol could open the floodgates. Still a teenager, Mercer is set to be around for decades.

Instagram

March 2025 BBC Scotland article

The Cords

Eva and Grace gigged hard through 2025 and released their eponymous debut album. With a 3-date tour with Fatale in February followed by an extensive tour supporting The Charlatans in spring, The Cords star is set to continue to rise. Infectious melodies, punky guitar, primal beats and honest lyrics that make observations and tell stories and feelings are winning fans everywhere.

Instagram

Introducing The Cords (Jan 2024)

3 albums I'm looking forward to

Gerard Love & The Magic Influence

2026 will surely be the year that Gerry releases the much anticipated solo album that he has been working on for a while. This has included time down in Liverpool with Bill Ryder-Jones. 

Given the members in his band, Gerry is likely to have to fit a release around Belle & Sebastian and Teenage Fanclub tours. My hunch is that if it happens, it will be a Spring or Winter release ... of this year! 

News of Gerry going into CHEM19 to mix leaves me extremely hopeful. But who knows?

Instagram

Carla J Easton

Solo album number 5 for my sister. 10-years since her Homemade Lemonade album and also Say It All With A Kiss by TeenCanteen. 20-years since she formed her first band - Futuristic Retro Champions.

Carla recorded at CHEM19 with Howard Bilerman on production duties. The two had previously worked together when Carla recorded her Impossible Stuff album in Canada at Howards hotel2tango studio. It's probably my favourite album of Carla's, I love the natural and live feel to it. 

What a shot of confidence to have Howard fly over! And to have so many friends answering calls to play on the album. I think it is Carla's best body of work to date. Her live show at the Old Hairdressers for Tiny Changes was brilliant - I loved seeing and hearing Carla play guitar with a huge beaming smile on her face.

Website   Instagram

Teenage Fanclub 

Touch wood. Teenage Fanclub will be recording an album in early 2026! Will it come out this year? Well, if it's mixed and mastered quickly, you just never know! Autumn gigs? You never know ;-)

Website

4 gigs I already have tickets for

Fatale at King Tuts - 09/01

Less than a year since playing their debut show, Fatale headline King Tuts. Expect new songs alongside early favourites.

Hen Hoose album launch at The Tramway - 30/01

Hen Hoose have really gone from strength to strength in the last couple of years. Tamara Schlesinger had a clear vision and along with her growing collective, she has paved a way for female and non-binary artists to gain peer support, confidence and community. 

12 of the community decamped to the Isle of Lewis in late summer of 2025 to write and record an album, suitably entitled The Twelve, due for release this month. I've been fortunate to hear the album and it's a super fresh mix of pop, reflection and joy.

Instagram

Geese at The Barrowland Ballroom - March and August

Photo by Tommy Krause

Instagram

Big Thief at The Barrowland Ballroom - May 

Photo by Michael Buishas

4 gigs/festivals I am looking forward to

• Summer Nights at Kelvingrove Bandstand

I already have tickets for Cast playing the Bandstand, but I always look forward to the Summer Nights announcement.

• Heather on the Hill Festival

Nathan Evans and the Saint PHNX Band are putting on a massive show in Edinburgh and it is all ages and family friendly. In addition to seeing friends Stevie and Alan headline with Nathan, my kids have their eyes on Ella Henderson.

• Teenage Fanclub tour

Teenage Fanclub are at a beautiful stage in their career where they are releasing and touring regularly, with a desire to play venues, towns and countries they have never played before. The band have played pretty much everywhere in Glasgow, but have yet to play Saint Luke's ... maybe a couple of nights there? Come to think of it, BAaD would also be brilliant for them!

• Tenement Trail

My friend Joe and I try to go to this every year. Can we last until the end in 2026?!

The area around the Barrowland becomes awash with exciting young bands and artists, full of fans mingling between venues, a real buzz. Madra Salach (below) were a highlight.

Oasis - the reunion

The only way to keep them together?

And so ... it's on.

Oasis are back and their reunion will make a lot of people extremely happy, some very rich, some fans very poor (tickets won't be cheap - prices are notably not being announced in advance of tickets going on sale!) and it will no doubt piss off a few people as well. 

I have mixed feelings about it. I always thought that Noel would adopt the approach of Paul Weller, his friend and idol, who has passed up numerous offers to reform The Jam.

However, an Oasis reunion is on a completely different scale. In fact, it may well be off the charts. Early indications are that Noel and Liam will each make 50 million in 2025. Noel, as songwriter, will likely make even more from the increase in streaming, radio plays and album sales.

I'll have a look for tickets, but I'm not excited by paying loads of money to stand miles away from them in a stadium or field. Will there be VIP golden circle options?! How much will they be? Will they play warm up shows? 

Truth be told, I found the 8am announcement this morning a little cold. I hope that Liam and Noel will come together for a press conference in advance of tickets going on sale, or issue a full press release with details about how their reunion has come about. The photo (below) to accompany tour dates being announced looked photo-shopped. It turns out that the brothers were in the same room for a shoot. Hopefully they smiled at some point!

The contrast between the Roses press conference to announce their reunion and the accompanying Penny Smith photos of them hugging and laughing is stark. I was also super excited about the Roses reunion, but that was due to the fact that I never caught them live. I kind of did Oasis and got the t-shirt; the small shows, breakthrough shows and Knebworth. 

So, while I'm pleased that Liam and Noel are getting together again, I'm not excited ... yet. I suspect that will change when I see them together, laughing, joking, vibing off each other.  

Why are people excited by an Oasis reunion? It's the question that TV channels, radio shows and countless social media accounts have been asking.

Well, here are 6 immediate reasons;

• Passion and Personality

Liam and Noel kicked down doors that were (and are) very much barricaded to working class kids from a council estate. They had a label (Creation) who believed in them and encouraged them to be true to themselves and their roots. Indeed, Alan McGee wanted their debut single to be Bring It On Down rather than Supersonic. He loved the Pistols punk vibe and the lyrics;

You're the outcast

You're the underclass

But you don't care

Because you're living fast

The Gallagher brothers were up for it, in more ways than one. They gigged relentlessly, took all the drugs they could get their hands on, did all the media going and kept on partying.

Their interviews were hilarious. They spoke like normal people! They'd slag off other bands, talk about girls they fancied, big themselves up, talk about their love of The Beatles, Adidas trainers, Clarks desert boots and their Mam. They wore 'normal' clothes, which Noel beautifully reflects on in the Supersonic documentary when they arrive at Knebworth virtually wearing the same clothes they had on when they started the band. They regularly shopped at M&S!

Oasis were a different world to 'indie' bands or grunge. They were real, authentic, very funny and soulful. 

• Escapism

The world is a pretty f**ked up place at the moment. Losing yourself in music and songs is arguably even more important than ever. Oasis songs, especially the early ones, were all about dreams and escapism. It's why they have stood the test of time. 

Live Forever - Cause I just wanna fly

Fade Away - Fantasy was real, now I know much about the way I feel

Rock n Roll Star - In my mind my dreams are real

Slide Away - We'll find a way, of chasing the sun

Sad Song - Cause it's all just the same at the end of the day

Noel could write something off the cuff that became vital and anthemic, whether the dreamy lyrics of above, or something like stand up beside the fireplace, take that look from off your face line from Don't Look Back In Anger, something his Mum used to say to him. That line is immediately followed by the beautiful;

You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out

As Noel said in an early interview; "It's about the man in the street. When the milkman is whistling your tune, you know you've done it."

We didn't really know what a Wonderwall was, or what it meant to be walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball, or what a champagne supernova was. It didn't matter. When Liam sang, we knew, we connected.

• Those songs, that voice

You can wait for a lifetime, to spend your days in the sunssshhhiiiiiinnnnneeee

In his recent interview with John Robb, Noel memorably describes his own voice as being like a half pint of Guinness on a Tuesday afternoon. While Liam's is like 10 shots of Tequila on a Friday night!

Liam Gallagher's voice was remarkable. Oasis played 288 gigs across 1994, 1995 and 1996 and Liam's voice just got stronger and stronger, despite his appetite for drugs and alcohol. 

When Liam sings lines like; I only wanna see the light that shines behind your eyes it's spine tingling. He looked incredible and he sounded even better. Like no-one before or since. 

Liam did become a bit of a caricature of himself, in appearance and voice. In later years his voice seemed shot, but he has worked hard on his lifestyle to get it back, he sounded great on the DM30 tour.

Of course, 30-years on, it is different, but Liam singing Noel's songs is very much the main reason that people are excited by the reunion.

• The brothers gonna work it out

I'd love Oasis to walk on stage to The Chemical Brothers Leave Home with the refrain the brothers gonna work it out blasting from the speakers. 

Oasis fans worldwide are thrilled that the two Gallagher brothers are speaking to each other again. Never mind the fact that we will undoubtedly have hilarious press conferences and interviews, they will be rehearsing, there might be small and intimate warm up shows (they won't immediately go and play a stadium ... will they?!) and the concerts. 

They will also be delighted for their Mum Peggy. Noel and Liam have always spoken so fondly of their Mum, from their very first interviews. It must have been heartbreaking for her not to see them getting on.

Blood's thicker than mud, it's a family affair 

• The tension

Noel and Liam's relationship has a lot of tension in it! Even the new photos show that! Are they happy about this?! For all that these shows have been booked and tickets are going on sale, the fact is - the relationship will be tested between now and next summer! They will be in the same room A LOT and they are bound to have arguments at times. That's just Liam's nature, he can't help himself. How will Noel react? How will Liam react to Noel's reaction?! Will they make it to next summer? Will it all implode?

But ... that's all part of the charm and attraction.  When it comes to the Gallagher brothers, and Liam in particular, you just don't know what is going to happen!

But with tens of millions of pounds at stake, I'm sure the shows will go ahead by hook or by crook!

• The first time - a new generation

Lets not forget that for many, this will be their first choice to see Oasis. Many will have seen the brother doing their thing, but not together.

Many people of my age (and older) have introduced younger people to Oasis. Liam's shows attract scores of teenagers pining for Oasis songs. DM30 gave them a a healthy taste, now for the main course!

Introducing Homework

 

Homework are Michael, Santiago, Andrew and Lizzie, a 4-piece band from Glasgow that came to my attention back in October when a couple of people I follow on social media raved about them.

The band have a busy period coming up, with a string of gigs including bringing in the bells with a Glas-goes Pop show at Mono with Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake. Homework then keep momentum going with a gig as part of King Tuts New Year Revolution shows on 27th January.

So they are clearly getting their name out and about the Glasgow scene. That stems from the release of a self-titled 3-track EP via Gold Mold Records back in March 2023.

It has a delicious warm, melodic, fuzzy, slacker vibe to it. Think early Fanclub meets Pavement on a sunny day after a couple of cans of beer.

I was keen to find out a little more, so sent the band an email and they kindly got back to me.

If you read this in time you can catch them at BLOC on Wednesday 6th December.

When and how did you form?

The first two proto-Homework line-ups were formed in parallel back in 2019. On one end, Santiago (guitar) met Forbes (drums) at a cowboy themed party, and they started jamming as a noise duo. On the other end, Forbes was also playing with his primary school friend Michael (guitar).

Forbes cunningly merged these two projects together and recruited his friend Tom (bassist) formalising homework in early 2020. Covid unexpectedly hit before our first gig in april, Forbes moved to Estonia, and Tom to Aberdeen. This left Santiago and Michael playing occasional Maxwell Park acoustic jams before moving back to the studio in summer 2021.

Lizzie (30) was having a mid-life crisis and had just re-taken up the drums, her friend Izzy mentioned that we were looking for a drummer and one awkward email later, she was in. Izzy followed by taking up the bass and for a short period, our rhythm section had 4 zs!

Santiago was at the pub on a date and bumped into his old pal Alec and his brother Andrew (bassist). He started banging on about how great Pavement are, and how we needed a bassist to play on his birthday the following week. Andrew tentatively agreed to play, learning all the songs in a day, and was inducted into homework after quite a stellar performance.

2. Are you all involved in writing songs? How do you write/form your songs?

Santiago, Michael and Andrew are all songwriters. Lizzie plays the drums.

The process itself is quite collaborative with a no-front-person policy. Sometimes someone comes with a fragment of an idea, or a whole song, and we spend a lot of time jamming to figure them out. There is always quite a lot on the workbench and we love jumping from song to song. Every rehearsal is recorded and archived, so we can work on ideas at home individually. Extremely crucial to our process is spending a lot of time faffing about.

3. You've released one EP to date. Do you have any further releases in the pipeline?

Yes! Double a side single release, and a party for it in some near-future Glasgow 2024.

4. You have a busy run of shows into February including a couple of big ones at Mono with Norman Blake and then Tuts in January. What do you enjoy about playing live?

We like the general buzz that comes with hopping on the stage and putting up a good energetic show. We like to keep it quite relaxed, with a healthy dose of fuzzy chaos. One of the best parts is that we get to meet other people in great bands, hang out in a group and drink free beer. The conversations with people who you don't know after the shows adrenaline rush are really motivating.

We love really complimentary Dads. Shout out to the Dads, truly our strongest demographic.

5. Do you have much of a plan, or are you going with the flow?

We've got plans... We've got a gig coming up in London early next year, and would love to do more gigs outside of Glasgow *wink wink* promoters *wink wink* festivals *wink wink*

6. What music are you enjoying listening to at the moment?

Michael's been listening to MJ Lenderman, Bar Italia, Happyness,

Andrew has been listening to Second Grade, Ginger Root, Hotline TNT.

Santiago's been listening to this up and coming band called The Beatles, Autechre, Silver Jews, Kelora, Model/Actriz, and Beach House.

Lizzie's been listening to Divorce, Mega Bog, Dua Lipa's new one, and Beach House.

We have a playlist for this: Homework listens

7. Are there any other bands on the Glasgow scene you'd recommend checking out?

There are so many! As tempting as it is to rattle off a massive list of all our pals, we're wary of unintentionally offending anyone we'd inevitably forget. Come to our gig and well tell ya off the record : ) ; ) But we have a playlist for this to get you started: The Glasgow Scene  

Scottish music scene 2023

It could be my age, or it could be that the pandemic has just f**ked with my concept of time, but 2023 still sounds very futuristic to me. I mean, we are now 8-years after the future that Marty and Doc travelled to in Back To The Future II!

And what does the future hold? People have been predicting the end of time and doomsday for centuries. Now it feels like we really are at the crossroads and sadly it feels like too many people are still facing (and heading) in the wrong direction. 

Are we too far gone? Can we make the world a better place? Safer? Cleaner? More inclusive? Can we look after each other and our planet? Can we place that at the top of every priority list worldwide?

Is that too much to ask? Could we not put political and religious beliefs to one side, forget about profits and focus on people and the world as one. Humanism. We only have one planet.

2023 is now. The world is quite a scary place. I do believe the youth of today can turn things around. Maybe we should just hand power to them right now.

Music is more important than ever. I truly believe that it has saved people over the last few years. The sense of community it can bring (online and in person) and the beautiful escapism it offers ... we need it.

So here are a few things that I'm looking forward to in 2023 in the Scottish music scene. New acts, reforming bands, old favourites, touring bands, venues, festivals, music ... 

My new year resolution

My new year resolution is to go out dancing at least once a quarter! Not clubbing until all ours, but to bars that the likes of Andrew Divine, the Simply Thrilled lads, Holly Calder or Stevie Elements are DJ-ing in - playing good music, loud. McChuills being the most obvious choice. Also to ensure that any gigs I put on have a DJ playing a set after live music to ensure people have the opportunity to dance. 

Some of my best nights out post pandemic have been dancing with friends; to the Simply Thrilled lads at McChuills after Teenage Fanclub at the Barrowland, to Stevie Elements at McChuills last summer and to my friend Phil (pictured above) at La Chunky in October. It's pure escapism and joy.

New music - 3 Scottish acts to look out for

See this blog on Swim School, Lizzie Reid and Goliath

The return of The Delgados

My first gig of 2023 is likely to be The Delgados at The Barrowland on Burns Night. At their best, The Delgados are inventive, melodic and have a touch of psychedelia about them. The Great Eastern is an exceptional album. I'm sure this will be a real celebration of a very important Scottish band. Their fierce independence and paved a way for so many, taking learnings from labels like Postcard before them to form Chemikal Underground, releasing landmark Scottish singles and albums by the likes of BiS, Mogwai and Arab Strap. They also set up the CHEM19 recording studio. An inspirational band.

Brian Jonestown Massacre at The Barrowland

Talking of inspirational bands and fierce independence, the Brian Jonestown Massacre come into town to play The Barrowland in February. Two trips to the legendary venue within a couple of weeks. A great start to the year!

FRETS CONCERTS

The good people at FRETS always have something cooking. 2022 was an exceptional year for FRETS shows in Strathaven (and beyond). The night before Brian Jonestown Massacre play The Barrowland, FRETS have a night in the CCA for The Hungry Beat book that Douglas MacIntyre co-authored. There will be a Hungry Beat super group playing. Can I do 2-nights out in a row? Can my bank balance?!

FRETS shows in the Strathaven Hotel have been real highlights for me. The setting and stripped back vibe seems to bring out the best in performers. 

Butler, Blake & Grant return to Strathaven for 2-nights in February and there will be a lot more shows announced in the new year. Keep up to date with them all HERE

Starboard Hazes at The 13th Note

My own band Starboard Hazes play our second show to launch (assuming recording goes to plan!) our second EP! Forming this band was a real highlight of 2022 for me. After all, I have dreamed about forming a band for decades! To hear songs I wrote as a teenager and into my early 20's fleshed out has been incredible. I get a buzz from every practice session and to the rush from playing our first gig was exhilarating. Tickets are available HERE It would be lovely to see you there. 

Badly Drawn Boy at Saint Lukes

Badly Drawn Boy was one of the first acts that my wife and I went to see together. Silent Sigh was a big song for us and we still have a mix CD I made with that song on it. I think his first two albums in particular are works of a genius. Damon Gough could pluck a beautiful melody from a rubber band. This show is part of a tour to celebrate 25-years of releasing music. 

James celebrates 40-years with an orchestral tour

James are celebrating 40-years since their formation with an orchestral tour that includes 2-dates in Scotland; at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh and the Armadillo in Glasgow. 

What a truly wonderful band. Never ones to do things by half, they are touring with a 22-piece orchestra and a gospel choir. I've been fortunate to catch James live a number of times over the years and they are always on it. Tim Booth is a sensational front man and he'll be conducting the crowd along with the orchestra.

Belle & Sebastian's Glasgow Bowlie?

Stuart Murdoch has hinted, to the extent that he has pretty much confirmed, that Belle and Sebastian will be hosting a Glasgow version of their legendary Bowlie weekender. The original version took place back in 1999 at Camber Sands Holiday Park.

What venues will they use? How many of those original bands will play? How many times will the Belles play?

I don't think we'll have too long to wait to find out. Hopefully Stuart is OK health wise. The band had to cancel end of year tours at home and in South America and he hasn't been tweeting for a while. 

Murdoch and his band are (in my humble opinion) responsible for one of the most golden periods any Scottish band has ever had. Their 3 albums and 4 EPs from 1996-99 are sublime evidence of a band and songwriter(s) totally in the zone.

Belle and Sebastian are celebrated everywhere they go, but if they pull this off I think they deserve extra acclaim and Stuart deserves a very special ovation for his exceptional creative energy and ideas.

Glasgow Goes Pop

Speaking of Belle & Sebastian .... Tita Geddes (wife of the Belles Chris) is someone I've got to know through a mutual love of Teenage Fanclub. We ended up dancing together in McChuills after the bands post pandemic comeback show at the Barrowland in 2021. One of the best nights out I've had in many a year!

In 2022 Tita and her friend decided to put on an 'indie pop happening' in Glasgow. A 2-day festival of independent guitar pop music that they love. It clashed with my cousin-in-laws wedding, so we missed what sounded like an incredible weekend.

The feedback was universally positive and as a result Glas-Goes Pop is back for round 2! Early bird tickets sold out, so keep an eye out for tickets going on sale.

Kelvingrove Bandstand shows

Edwyn Collins at Kelvingrove Bandstand, August 2022

I always look out for the Summer Nights shows at the Kelvingrove Bandstand being announced. Watching bands like Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian, Super Furry Animals, Primal Scream, Human League and legends like Brian Wilson playing in such a beautiful setting has been a pleasure and privilege over the years.

A Teenage Fanclub album?

Teenage Fanclub ended 2022 with a blistering intimate show in Dunfermline and a couple of festival gigs. The band really look like they are enjoying themselves and surely it won't be too long before we hear new material, following on from surprise single I Left A Light On which was dropped back in April 2022.

Hopefully there will be some more shows. After PJ Molloys in Dunfermline, I wonder if they could play some more intimate shows across Scotland?

A Lightships/Gerard Love album?

Watching Gerry Love gently reintroduce himself to the live music scene over the last 4-months of 2022 was an absolute joy. It sounds like Gerard is going to be recording a new album in February/March. Whether this comes out as a Lightships record, his own name, or another guise has yet to be confirmed. All I know is that I can't wait. Fingers crossed for more shows through the year.

Ride & The Charlatans co-headline tour?

Ride and The Charlatans are heading off on a joint American tour, with Ride playing their Nowhere album and The Charlatans playing Between 10th & 11th. Surely there will be some UK shows!

Just putting it out there - how about 2-nights at the Kelvingrove Bandstand? Alternating headline nights!

A Carla J Easton album?

My sister Carla has finished recording her next solo album. I've heard a number of songs and it's yet another strong body of work. Mixing should be completed through January and hopefully Carla will bring a couple of singles out through the year. Potentially the album as well. After a storming December show at The Glad Cafe, I also hope she lines up some gigs. Look out for some news on the Since Yesterday documentary coming soon.

Poster Paints - USA and ?

Speaking of my sister, Poster Paints are heading (all being well) to SXSW in March. The eponymous album that Carla & Simon created with the help of friends is a real gem. One of the great things about Poster Paints is that there was never any real plan. Things happened quite naturally. But after the response to their album and a Stateside trip, it might be time to make a plan. 

Doune The Rabbit Hole

My eldest daughter Zoe watching Teenage Fanclub at Doune 2022

I really enjoyed Doune The Rabbit Hole last year. And until just before Christmas, I was really looking forward to this year. Then things started to sound exceptionally dodgy - artist after artist started to confirm that they hadn't been paid for playing this year. News came out that Doune The Rabbit Hole was going into liquidation and changing owners, although it seems to be staying in the same family.

It's a real shit show. No artists or bookers should be confirming for this festival until all outstanding artist fees are paid. A festival isn't a festival without performers. And they need to be paid for their time and talent.

I'll be keeping a close eye on this and hope it gets sorted. At the time of writing, I'm not holding my breath that Doune will take place in 2023.

The Bootleg Beatles at The Barrowland

A few weeks before Christmas my friend Dougie sent a message to a group chat I'm in and asked if anyone was up for seeing The Bootleg Beatles at the Barrowland. I was immediately in!

Seeing The Bootlegs at The Royal Concert Hall was an annual experience for me for a number of years through the 90's and into the 00's. It's been a while since I've seen them and I suspect they'll take the roof off the Barrowland.

Poster Paints at the Poetry Club

 

God it's so good to be back at gigs. 4 in under a month. Each time I have felt elated from the sounds, the company, the atmosphere, the venues, the little moments of magic, the banter ... 

Through the course of the 4 gigs I've gone from grand (Assembly Rooms) to larger and legendary (Barrowland) to pretty small and legendary (King Tuts) to super cool and intimate - The Poetry Club.

Owned by the artist Jim Lambie, the capacity of The Poetry Club (situated through a blink and you'll miss it door next to SWG3 in an old railway arch) is a mere 120, You walk into a small bar area with a couple of Lambie designs on the walls, then through the to gig venue that somehow incorporates a little balcony due to the high ceilings.

Support on the night was a solo set by Broken Chanter, AKA David MacGregor. In the intimate setting I grew to appreciate his guitar playing and style, songwriting and storytelling, all the more. Should We Be Dancing? from his eponymous 2019 debut album is a gem of a song, as is Don't Move To Denmark which was my favourite of MacGregor's songs on the night, he really got into a flow at the end, repeating the a glorious chorus over and over.

don't move to Denmark, don't stay on my behalf,

the brass on my neck made you laugh all night, all night

what if you stay and I disappoint

thoughts like this keep me up all night, all night

On to Poster Paints, their first headline show after 3 support slots with Teenage Fanclub last month. This time they had their own teenage fanclub with a number of cool young kids standing to my right.

The band played beautifully, full of confidence, unafraid to play slower songs that built, but also playing faster paced songs like their two singles to date; Never Saw It Coming and Number 1. Fall Hard could well be a candidate for single number 3, while the closer My Song is fast becoming a favourite, the way the song develops after a couple of minutes, with new layers being added, the pace picking up, New Order style synths being introduced and the hypnotic guitar riff just keeps playing, backing vocals come in ... sublime. Might be too long to be a single, but for a gig and album closer - perfect!

I gave you the chance to have and to hold me

It turns out, that I got it wrong

Poster Paints invited Broken Chanter up on stage to sing a song called Ribbons in place of Lomond Campbell who co-wrote the song, due to Campbell living in the Highlands. The dreamy psychedelic, reverb-y guitars were sublime. Carla came in to sing the chorus - a gorgeous song.

The song that melted my heart, probably most hearts in the room, was a beautiful ballad called Hard to Sweeten. Callum on drums switched to a mellatron, while the band delivered gentle chords and riffs, while Carla's voice was crystal clear;

Cause I was warned of love like yours

That's hard to sweeten

But I adore a fire that burns

That scars me deeper

A beautiful song, it sounded instantly classic, a beautiful gig. I look forward to seeing what Poster Paints do next.

Photo by Robert Winning

Blue Flowers

Within the next week I'll be posting about Kipple Arcadia, the debut album by L Space. Ahead of that I felt compelled to write a short blog about the divine Blue Flowers video they have just released.

Blue Flowers is a song I first fell for coming on a year ago, leading to this blog and interview. I've caught the band a few times since then and have enjoyed watching them prepare for the release of their album.

Back in November 2017 I described this song by saying; think Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval fronting Portishead. The song might have been polished a little but it hasn't changed massively since the first recording I heard.  The trip hop beats and squelchy bass are essential to the feel, the sparse piano melody has a calming effect and singer Lily Higham is dreamy and lost in the song. 

The video is fantastic; taking in Mitchell Lane, the Botanics and hang outs in Glasgow and adding psychedelic Tron like effects when Gordon Johnstone's guitar fizzes and soars over pulsating Massive Attack like ferocious bass before it all calms down by going back to the beats and piano.

Quite simply, this is one of my favourite songs to have come out of the DIY scene in Glasgow over the last 10-years, I think it is stunning and Lily Higham could be a star with her style, musings and vision.

In the Skinny L Space say 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.

Check this gem out and you can order the vinyl LP, released this Friday on Last Night From Glasgow by visiting their online shop HERE

L Space play a trio of dates this week with Cloth and Domiciles in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

The rise and rise of Gerry Cinnamon

Pretty much everyone who was at TRNSMT on Saturday was at Gerry Cinnamon

The rise ..... and rise of Gerry Cinnamon fills me full of excitement, hope and wonder.

This guy isn't just ripping up the rulebook .... he isn't interested in it ... won't have read it ... won't care about it ... Gerry is doing things his way, playing by his own rules, keeping to his strong beliefs and it is working.

Gerry's rise was highlighted, underlined and set in bold at the TRNSMT festival that took place at the weekend. Cinnamon performed to the largest crowd of the weekend in glorious sunshine..... unsigned....with no marketing budget for his album.....virtually no airplay (come in Radio Scotland!!!!).... pause and consider that.

My spine tingled when Gerry approached the mic after prolonged applause to introduce his song Kampfire Vampire, viewing the crowd he said;

Look at this, look at it, it might never happen again, remember this day, best days of your life

This is a song for any young musicians kicking about, anybody on the circuit trying to start out

Don't feel the need to pull your pants down to anyone in the industry

The told me it wouldn't work

They told me I couldn't sing with a Scottish accent

They told me I couldn't record it myself

They told me I couldn't

Look what happened, know what I mean?

Do what you want man, see whats in there (points to heart), that's all that matters

The view from the sound desk for Gerry Cinnamon

Gerry then played his heart out, tearing through the song and firing out his lyrics dreams, bullsh*t scenes, rules were made to be broken

And oh how this young guy is breaking the rules; upsetting the old school, the cliques and the 'scene'. Cinnamon is making his own rules and with the help of his exceptionally passionate fanbase, he is creating a new scene.

It really is quite incredible. As a seasoned music fan I've never seen anything like it. In the 00's did see some bands like Artic Monkeys breaking through via MySpace, but they went on to get signed to a major label pretty quickly and get sucked into the machine. Of course they have gone on to become one of the biggest bands in the planet, but what hoops have they had to jump through along the way? 

And things have changed, MySpace has died and there are plenty of new ways to work as an artist or band that don't involve selling your soul. Cinnamon is proving that with the way he is working. Word of mouth is still the best form of promotion and with Social Media and online streaming, word of mouth is spreading like wildfire.

That word of mouth is coming from Cinnamon's incredible fans. Seriously, catch his TRNSMT 2018 performance on the iPlayer or read on to view his 2017 performance. Go on YouTube for fan footage or look on Twitter. Gerry Cinnamon is connecting with people in a way that I don't think I've ever seen before - certainly not from a Scottish artist. 

I don't doubt for a second that labels are not monitoring this situation. They will smell the possibility of money. Who is this young lad playing to virtually every punter at TRNSMT? Gerry and his tight team may well be fielding offers in the future, they may have done already. Does he need a label? Does he want one?

As a fan, I really don't think he does. He can record and release music to a dedicated (and growing) fanbase and play festivals and sold out shows across the country.

We'll get back to TRNSMT 2018 in a moment.

Gerry had performed last year. Hi social media posts from that time really indicate how important it was, fuelling his natural fire and taking hom on to the next level. You can watch his whole TRNSMT 2017 set that was filmed by the BBC below.

A lot has happened in the year that followed TRNSMT 2017. Gerry released his debut album. Yes that's right, the show and response above happened while Gerry had only released one single!  By the end of 2017  there were two sold out nights at the Barrowland Ballroom and scenes of Cinnamon-mania across Scotland.

The doubters who said people wouldn't get it outwith Glasgow were left looking dumb as Cinnamon strode into 2018 playing sold-out shows across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Ireland. Shows were sold out, venues were upgraded and those shows were sold out as well. Someone in Lisburn even captured Gerry as a mural - insane.

You only need to listen to Cinnamon's debut Erratic Cinematic and watch him live to understand why the artist and his music are generating a buzz all over the place.

Gerry writes from the heart, from experience, with honesty, soul, humour and with no drama or effects. He lays himself and his songs bare across his debut album. A rich and soulful voice, packed and racked with emotion, an acoustic guitar, drum machine, mouth organ and loop pedal.

The way he tells his stories, shares his thoughts, regrets, dreams and memories is really clever and yet really simple. Cinnamon tells it like it is and he tells it from his heart. Cinnamon connects with people, he touches people.

Diamonds In The Mud is verse after verse of memory with real emotion attached to it and a clear love of Glasgow; Sometimes pokes fun at himself with the line I'm not the ideal person to be lecturing on life before going on to talk about things he has learned; What Have You Done is Cinnamon questioning himself and his life, being a messed up circle in a room of squares

Belter always bring a smile to my face, but then I totally feel it when Gerry sings about having been stung a few times so he doesn't let anyone in. He has that ability to make you smile, make you think and most importantly - to make you feel something, something you can relate to.

Lullaby mixes demons with a beautiful tender chorus; Fortune Favours The Bold has a 60's style shoo-dop intro that was captured perfectly by the TRNSMT audience with Gerry laying his beliefs out clear - can I buy back my soul when it's gone?

Keysies remains my personal favourite. Such a beautiful song that evokes such strong imagery and memories of my own childhood. All in 90-seconds! Gerry's voice is incredible on this one.

Cinnamon's songs are social, caring, funny, loving and in the case of album closer War TV - fiercely political. Is anyone else commenting on the world in song in such a frank way?

I'm no' scared of dying I'll fight any man

I might no' be the strongest but I'll do what I can

And I'm no' religious but if God's got a plan

Then I don't think it's bombing in a far away land

Cinnamon-mania is set to continue with tickets for 4 huge Glasgow shows going on sale tomorrow. 2-nights at the Barrowland Ballroom and 2-nights at the Academy. Might need to add the Hydro!

As Gerry comments in many of his online posts the bonny is burning.

Get involved. This is a talented and soulful young Scottish artist who is blazing a new trail. This is street poetry, this is punk, this is soul, this is DIY, this is special, this is Gerry Cinnamon.