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J O U R N A L I S M
June 2019 Issue 165
SACRED PAWS RACHEL AGGS AND EILIDH RODGERS ON THEIR RUN AROUND THE SUN
MUSIC | FILM | CLUBS | THEATRE | ART | BOOKS | COMEDY | TRAVEL | FOOD & DRINK | INTERSECTIONS | LISTINGS
P.36 Street Food
P.41 Pocket Knife
June 2019
Issue 165, June 2019 © Radge Media Ltd. Get in touch: E: [email protected] T: 0131 467 4630 P: The Skinny, 1.9 1st Floor Tower, Techcube, Summerhall, 1 Summerhall Pl, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL The Skinny is Scotland's largest independent entertainment & listings magazine, and offers a wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business. Get in touch to find out more.
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Contents
Editorial Editor-in-Chief Art Editor Books Editor Clubs Editor Comedy Editor Events Editor Film & DVD Editor Food Editor Intersections Editor Music Editor Theatre Editor Travel Editor
Rosamund West Adam Benmakhlouf Heather McDaid Nadia Younes Polly Glynn Nadia Younes Jamie Dunn Peter Simpson Katie Goh Tallah Brash Eliza Gearty Paul Mitchell
Production Production Manager Designer
Rachael Hood Fiona Hunter
Sales Sales Manager Sales Executives
Sandy Park George Sully David Hammond Joanne Jamieson Megan Mitchell
Online Digital Editor Online Journalist Web Developer Intern
Peter Simpson Jamie Dunn Stuart Spencer Emily Corpuz
Bookkeeping & Accounts Publisher
Aaron Tuveri Sophie Kyle
THE SKINNY
Photo: Ida Henrich
Photo: Chris Scott
P.31 Pride
Photo: Kosuke Arakawa/Netflix
P.25 Leith Theatre
Contents Chat & Opinion: This month, a real 06 reader actually sent in a photo for The Skinny on Tour! Glory be. We welcome you to the magazine with shot of the month, What Are You Having For Lunch?, Online Only, and some more information about this month’s cover photographer. Plus one writer shares the role sausages have played in dealing with his grief at the death of a friend. Heads Up: June culture, day by day. 08 FEATURES
10 Sacred Paws’ Rachel Aggs and Eilidh
Rodgers on working together in Glasgow and new album Run Around the Sun.
The newly solo Stina Tweeddale of 12 Honeyblood introduces third album In
LIFESTYLE
29 Travel: Our Art editor journeyed to
Venice for the opening week of the Biennale and sent back this insightful interview with Scotland’s representative Charlotte Prodger.
30 Intersections: One writer meditates on
the prevalence of imposter syndrome; four writers share what Pride means to them.
32 Showcase: Architect James Dalley shares some of his beautifully rendered images of a counterfeit ecosystem based in a post-truth age.
35 Food and Drink: Our team rigorously taste
test a range of popular ice lollies with some potentially explosive results. Plus a review of Netflix’ new series Street Food, and all your regular food and drink-related news.
Plain Sight.
15 Holy Ghost! return with Work and resurrect one of the pillars of New York disco after six years in hibernation.
Australia’s Harriette Pilbeam, aka 16 Hatchie, discusses the influence of pop on debut album Keepsake.
18 Hot Chip multi-instrumentalist Owen
Clarke ponders the literal implications of the band's new album title, A Bath Full of Ecstasy.
19 We meet filmmaker Morgan Quaintance
ahead of his David Dale Gallery solo show.
20 Edinburgh-born Ninian Doff discusses his Duke of Edinburgh expedition-inspired EIFF opener Boyz in the Wood.
21 We look forward to Agnès Varda's moving final film, screening at Edinburgh International Film Festival alongside a free programme of some of her mostloved films. Director Jamie Adams discusses Balance, Not Symmetry, his new collaboration with... Biffy Clyro? 22 Peter Strickland on In Fabric, his new film about a demonic frock.
look forward to the annual comedy 25 We fundraiser Stand Up for Leith Theatre. does Scottish theatre reflect the 26 How nation’s changing relationship with oil? Our former theatre editor investigated.
28 Niven Govinden discusses protest and subversion in the drag communities of New York ahead of the release of new novel This Brutal House.
REVIEW
39 Music: We meet Neil Pennycook, aka
Meursault, to discuss long-awaited multi-platform album Crow Hill. We meet the brains behind Glasgow festival Flying Moon, look at our Kelburn Garden Party Pyramid Stage takeover, review the best of the month’s album releases and offer you a rundown of our gig highlights for the month ahead.
44 Clubs: We talk to Heaters’ founder Chris
Murray and Huntleys + Palmers boss Andrew Thomson about the month-long Rinse FM residency at Sneaky’s. Konx-OmPax shares his visual and audio influences, plus clubbing highlights for June.
48 Books: Poetry news and book reviews 49 Art: Exhibition picks for June (it’s de-
gree show time!), plus reviews of David Austen and Robert Anton.
50 Film & TV: Our picks for your cinema
and at-home viewing this month, featuring Dirty God, Support the Girls, Diego Maradona and Hings.
52 Theatre: In the first of a new series ana-
lysing how to make Edinburgh’s festivals a better place for all, we look at employee rights in the Fair Fringe campaign. Plus news of shows hitting the stage for June.
goes full fangirl for Amy 54 Comedy: ICYMI Growing. Schumer’s
55 Listings! Exhaustive detail of what’s on
this month, plus a secret look at some of Dundee’s finest new venues.
62 Local Heroes looks to Fife Contemporary and their new digital design exhibitions platform, Materialise.
June 2019
Contents
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T
his month we’re bringing back band photography to the cover after a surprisingly long hiatus. And who better to lead that return than Sacred Paws’ Rachel Aggs and Eilidh Rogers, here to introduce their second album Run Around the Sun, the follow-up to their much lauded SAY Award-winning debut Strike a Match. They discuss living in the same city, finally, after years working between London and Glasgow, as Aggs has made the journey north to move in round the corner from her bandmate. Elsewhere in Music we speak to many bands / acts whose names begin with an H. There must be something in that, not sure what it is, maybe something to do with H from Steps. First, Honeyblood return with ambitious new album In Plain Sight – we talk to Stina Tweeddale about the lonely experience of songwriting solo after so long as part of a duo. New York’s Holy Ghost! return with Work after six years in hibernation; Hot Chip multi-instrumentalist Owen Clarke discusses the positive effect of solo projects on a long-standing collaboration; and Hatchie shares the love for fellow Aussie Kylie ahead of the release of her debut Keepsake. In a departure from the H theme, Meursault’s Neil Pennycook shares his multi-faceted new project Crow Hill, based on an account of a fictional town. We also discuss the Keynote pledge of 50:50 gender representation in festival line-ups (shocking news for 2019: women can play instruments and people are willing to watch them doing so) with the always-balanced Flying Moon Music & Arts Festival’s Nicole Stapinski, and share the line-up for our Kelburn Garden Party Pyramid Stage takeover. In Film, June meanz Edinburgh International Film Festival! As the glittering hordes descend on the city, we talk to local boy Ninian Doff about his gala opener, Boyz in the Wood, based on his own experiences of Duke of Edinburgh expeditions
and featuring one Eddie Izzard as a murderous duke. We look forward to a strand celebrating the late, great Agnès Varda, and meet Jamie Adams to discuss his collaboration with… Biffy Clyro? We also talk to Peter Strickland, one of the UK’s most interesting filmmakers, about class, the death of the high street and demonic frocks ahead of the release of In Fabric. Art is just back from the Venice Biennale – Instagram fans may have enjoyed Adam’s Instastory rampage through the many many exhibitions of the opening week, featuring much celebration, appropriate derision and carroteating. We speak to our national representative Charlotte Prodger about their film piece, which is also touring Scotland throughout the duration of its Venetian residency. We also meet filmmaker Morgan Quaintance to hear about his David Dale solo show, opening this month, while Local Heroes take a virtual trip to Fife with a look at a new digital exhibition space, Materialise. Books meet Niven Govinden whose Brutal House inhabits New York’s ball and vogueing community in the present day. Comedy meets the folk behind Stand Up for Leith Theatre, an annual fundraiser for that community-owned performance space, and strongly advises you to watch Amy Schumer’s Growing. In Theatre, we kick off a new series looking at Edinburgh’s festivals and how they could be made more responsible / ethical, with a look at the Fair Fringe campaign for employee rights. We also take a look at Scottish theatre’s relationship with oil, in light of stagings of Local Hero and The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black, Black Oil. Written by recently departed Theatre editor Amy Taylor (bye Amy, we’ll miss you!), the piece is an enlightening meditation on our national relationship with the black stuff, and how it has changed over the last four decades. [Rosamund West]
By Jock Mooney
Editorial
The Skinny on Tour In a dramatic turn of events, our very own Jamie gets a month off from his Photoshop-powered adventures as The Skinny genuinely, actually, goes on tour. We’re living la dolce vita this month courtesy of reader Patrick, in the city of all things historical, gladiatorial and imperial. To be precise, we’re in the shadow of a grande altar in the middle of town which is loved and hated by the locals in equal measure. Honestly, even though we’ve roamed a little, it’s like we’re back at home. But whereabouts are we? If you think you know, head over to theskinny.co.uk/competitions and give us your answers; one lucky winner will receive a copy of My Name is Monster by Katie Hale, courtesy of the good folk at Canongate. Competition closes 23 Jun
COVER ARTIST Gaëlle Beri Gaelle Beri is a French photographer currently based in Glasgow. Never home for too long, she loves documenting bands on tour and photographing festivals in sunny places. More of her work is available at www.gaelleberi.com
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Chat
THE SKINNY
Shot of the Month Wu Tang Clan, Gods of Rap Tour, The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, 12 May by Ian Schofield
CHINAH at SPOT festival, Aarhus
Cannes Film Festival We joined the cream of the film world down in the French Riviera to catch a few of the year’s most anticipated features. Read our reviews of Tarantino’s latest Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe’s grim wharfside horror The Lighthouse, and Jim Jarmusch’s all-star zombie horror The Dead Don't Die. Find our Cannes coverage at theskinny.co.uk/festivals/ international-festivals/cannes
On grief and sausages This month’s Intersections columnist explores how grief and love goes into sausages Words: Harry Harris
I
would say the hardest thing about becoming a vegetarian was giving up sausages. I’d probably eaten at least one sausage sandwich every week since the age of 13, and every single one was perfect. My friend John was not helpful or in any way supportive of my decision. He couldn’t understand it at all. Once I went round John’s house with the intention to pick up the guitar I’d left there the night before. He had a bottle of wine, and something called lardo – cured pork back fat – and so he made us lardo sandwiches and we drank the wine and I stayed all day. John was the kind of man who might have pig trotters in his freezer at any point. When he first got sick and his iron levels were low, he used this as an excuse to eat more offal. Lamb hearts were a favourite. He invented something called Fry Up Linguine, which was mostly black pudding, that I never got to try. My not eating meat was almost certainly taken by him as a personal betrayal.
June 2019
When he died – very annoyingly the day before I was meant to go down and see him (and maybe eat the Fry Up Linguine, who knows) – nothing made sense. This is a cliché but it’s also true. I still loved him, but I couldn’t tell him anymore. I used to tell him a lot. Where do you put that? Where does that love go? In my case, it went into breakfast. Even in the throes of grief, you still need to eat. “I’ll go to the butchers, they have award-winning sausages,” my friend Gav said. I mean, what would you do? I could deal with my alive friend mad at me, but a dead one? Absolutely not. Asking for a haunting, that. How to describe those sausages? I don’t know. When people – people who self-define as foodies and go to street food festivals – talk about good sausages they say things like “coarse cut” and “herby”. They probably were. They were award-winning, after all. But I don’t know, it didn’t matter at the time, they were just delicious. I loved them, and then they were gone. Now what?
Venice Biennale We report back from contemporary art’s grandest biennial exhibition, and find a topical and politicised edit of artists from across the world “In its best moments the work featured comes as a reminder of the power of film, installation, sculpture, performance, painting and photography in cutting through complacency, and redefining audiences’ relationship with painful imagery and information.” Read the full review at theskinny.co.uk/festivals/ international-festivals/venice-biennal
SPOT Festival Sometimes you have to get lost to find what you're looking for, and at the SPOT Festival of new Nordic music in Aarhus, getting lost leads us to some pretty great moments “The one thing that’s prevalent is that
Photo: Morten Rygaard
Online Only
Aarhus crowds love their music, and it’s particularly thrilling to see so many obsessed with their homegrown bands. Witnessing a packed room screaming lyrics to a song you've never heard before back at Copenhagen R’n’B outfit CHINAH is one heck of a thing to witness.” Read more at theskinny.co.uk/music
TEFL: Enriching Experience or Example of Neo-colonialism? Why exactly do other countries desire young, inexperienced Westerners to come and do a job in lieu of their own professionals? “If we view TEFL as a product, we are selling a product that exploits a win/lose situation with no regard for how beneficial it is to those receiving it. In fact, when I think about it, I don’t think I know anyone who wanted to do TEFL solely out of altruism. I know I certainly didn’t.” Read more at theskinny.co.uk/travel
The Skinny on EH-FM Want even more of our expert guidance on which records to listen to, clubs to check out, and gigs to snap up tickets for? Check out our weekly show on Edinburgh’s online community radio station EH-FM; join our Music editor Tallah Brash and our Clubs editor Nadia Younes every Monday from 12-2pm on eh-fm.live
Find more at theskinny.co.uk
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The Duchess [of Malfi]
Bill Bailey
Tue 4 Jun
You’ve probably seen the name Pip Blom on just about every ones to watch in 2019 list and every music festival lineup going. But who/what is Pip Blom you ask? Well, Pip Blom is an Amsterdamborn musician who makes lovely summery indiepop, as can be heard on debut album Boat, accompanied by her band, which includes her brother Tender Blom (real name, no lie). The Mash House, Edinburgh, 7pm, £10
Degree show season is upon us, and those grads have been working themselves to the bone, predictably with countless sleepless nights to get their final work completed. The GSA Degree Show (Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, 10am, free) and ECA Degree Show (Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, 11am, free) both run in tandem on opposite sides of the M8 throughout the first week of June.
The Fringe is coming! Tickets have already been on sale for a few months and Edinburgh residents have been psyching themselves up for just as long. To whet your appetite for the main event, rotating line-ups of comedians will be previewing their Fringe shows at Monkey Barrel’s Sneak Peek shows, which tonight includes test material from Krystal Evans, Susan Riddell and Liam Withnail. Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, 7pm, £0-3
Pip Blom
Photo: Hal Haines
Mon 3 Jun
Photo: Raymond van Mill
Sun 2 Jun
Bournemouth Pier
Sun 9 Jun
Mon 10 Jun
Three cheers for the return of LeithLate following a break last year – hip hip hooray! We’re teaming up with the festival to assist in co-curating their afternoon Gala Day collaboration on Leith Links, featuring a line-up of female and female identifying-fronted bands with a connection to Edinburgh and Leith. Catch performances from the likes of Tongue Trap, Goodnight Louisa and more. Leith Links, Edinburgh, 1.30pm, free
Southside Film Festival concludes today, following an opening event on Friday night and a jampacked programme of screenings and workshops on Saturday. On its final day, take your pick from screenings of The Never Ending Story, Labyrinth and a double bill of The Miseducation of Cameron Post and short film My Loneliness Is Killing Me, directed by Southside filmmaker Tim Courtney. Various venues, Glasgow, times & prices vary
If NuArt wasn’t doing a good enough job of livening up Aberdeen’s city centre, and putting the city on the Scottish art map, then Look Again Festival is here to give it that extra push. Several acclaimed artists and designers, including Morag Myerscough and Studio N_ NAME, will respond to the festival’s theme this year of New Narratives, creating major new site-specific commissions. Various venues, Aberdeen, times & prices vary
Fri 14 Jun
Sat 15 Jun
Edinburgh International Film Festival and Essential Edinburgh team up to put on three days of open-air cinema action, screening movie classics of the past and present at Film Fest in the City. Today’s line-up includes 80s rom-com When Harry Met Sally, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Bill Murray-starring Groundhog Day and Marvel’s 2018 blockbuster smash Black Panther. St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, from 4.30pm
A Scottish festival with a 50:50 gender balance? We never thought we’d see the day, but here it is! Following a successful inaugural event (women do sell tickets!) last year, Flying Moon Music & Arts Festival is back with poetry from Leyla Josephine and Imogen Stirling, music from Heir of the Cursed, Lemon Drink, WYLDE, a range of craft stalls and much more. Flying Duck, Glasgow, 3pm, £5-7
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Lemon Drink
Wed 19 Jun
Thu 20 Jun
If last year’s EIFF Opening Gala film left something to be desired, it looks like we’re in for a treat this time around. The debut film from Scottish writer-director Ninian Doff, Boyz in the Wood centres around four boys embarking on a Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. What’s more, the film’s score was developed by Glaswegian producer Alex Smoke, with contributions from fellow weegie S-Type. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 8.45pm, £15
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of Scotland’s biggest beer festivals, Midsummer Beer Happening, Stonehaven beer brewing extraordinaires six°north are crafting a special brew for the occasion. During the festival, the public will be invited to name the newlydeveloped beer, so you better get your thinking caps on, or simply just enjoy a selection of the 120 beers on offer. Baird Park, Stonehaven, 5pm, £20
Chat
Morag Myerscough
Sun 16 Jun
Black Panther
8
Liam Withnail
Rosie Jones
Boyz in the Wood
six°north
Photo: Phil Dunsmore
Goodnight Louisa
Photo: Emanuele Centi
Sat 8 Jun
Photo: Andy Hollingworth
It’s pretty safe to say that Bill Bailey is pretty much comedy royalty. But Bailey’s talents don’t just lie in stand-up, he can also count a successful acting career and musical ventures on his list of achievements. His latest stand-up tour, Larks In Transit has already been heralded as a work of genius, so catch him while you can. Caird Hall, Dundee, 8pm, £38
Photo: Aemen Sukkar
Fringe previews, degree shows, music festivals and film festivals; it’s all kicking off across Scotland this month...
Edinburgh-based playwright Zinnie Harris revives John Webster’s 17th century revenge tragedy in new production The Duchess [of Malfi]. The play centres around two brothers who try to control their sister, block her marriage and repress her with fatal results. Harris’ adaptation focuses on the themes of abuse of male power and the ever-topical issue of toxic masculinity. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £10-32
Monkey Barrel aren’t the only ones warming up for the Fringe this month, with a series of preview double bills taking place at Gilded Balloon’s Basement Theatre this month too. At tonight’s Fringe Preview show, Rosco McClelland and Rosie Jones will have a go at trying out some new jokes ahead of their upcoming Fringe comedy hours. The Basement Theatre, Edinburgh, 7.30pm, £4-5
Bossy Love
Fri 21 Jun Pretty much the Mecca for Scottish music fans, as always, Southern Exposure brings with it a line-up of local talent to Summerhall’s courtyard over two days. Friday’s lineup features Lost Map boss Pictish Trail, pop duo Bossy Love and former TeenCanteen frontwoman Carla J. Easton, while Saturday sees Meursault launch his Crow Hill project, alongside performances from Callum Easter and Savage Mansion, among others. Summerhall, Edinburgh, 6pm, £17-25
THE SKINNY
Photo: Beth Chalmers
Compiled by: Nadia Younes
Wed 29 May
Photo: Laurence Winram
Heads Up
Tue 28 May
Kid_X
Fri 7 Jun
Forward Prize shortlisted poet Harry Josephine Giles gathers a team of three artists using three different media to form a live cabaret band for latest work, Drone. The live production fuses sound by Neil Simpson, visuals by Jamie Wardrop and poetry by Giles to tell the story of a military drone’s life and fears, exploring what it might feel like to be one. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, 8pm, £5-12
Celebrating ten years of running as its own entity and nine years at its current site in Raehills Meadows near Moffat, Eden Festival hosts 13 stages of live music, DJs, comedy, cabaret, and even a circus tent and a drive-in cinema over four days. This year’s line-up includes the likes of Flamingods, Optimo (Espacio), John Cooper Clarke and a DJ set from Irvine Welsh. Raehills Meadows, Moffat, 7pm, £69-135
With his new album, Ways of Seeing, due out on 14 June, Glasgow-born and now Berlin-based producer and graphic designer Tom Scholefield, aka Konxom-Pax, will celebrate its release with three launch shows. Following the Berlin album launch, Scholefield will head to his hometown, DJing in-store at Rubadub alongside friends Ribeka, Holy Other and Rob Data, before ending with a London launch at Rye Wax. Rubadub, Glasgow, 5pm, free
Drone
Flamingods
Thu 13 Jun
In their new home of Castle Mills, Printmakers have commissioned a new work by German activist artist Thomas Kilpper, The Politics of Heritage vs. the Heritage of Politics, comprising a large scale sitespecific floor carving. There are also permanent commissions within the building by Rachel Duckhouse, Mark Doyle and a collaborative work by Calum Colvin, Suzy O’ Leary and Peter Smith. Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh, until 7 Jul, free
Rinse FM stop by Sneaks every Wednesday in June for a month-long residency at midweek party Heaters. Huntleys + Palmers boss Andrew Thomson kicks things off on 5 June, followed by object blue tonight, Willow the following week and rounding things off with Laurence Guy on 26 June. Each night teams up the headliners with hand-picked local supports, so get down early for optimum dancing time. Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 11pm, £6-8
Widely regarded as the finest grime MC ever, D Double E is still somewhat of an underground success. Having only released his debut solo album, Jackuum!, in August last year, he is best known for his work as one half of grime duo Newham Generals. He makes a long-awaited return to Glasgow tonight, with support from Inkke, K4CIE, Dj Milktray and Yaw. SWG3, Glasgow, 7pm, £15
Thomas Kilpper, The Politics of Heritage vs. the Heritage of Politics
object blue
Tue 18 Jun
The Architecture Fringe takes over Glasgow’s Lighthouse this month with a series of talks, workshops, installations and exhibitions. Included in the exhibitions are Diaspora, a series of drawings by migrants to Scottish Architecture Schools, and Filter/ Boundary/ Borderline, exploring the ways in which we seek refuge, with a strand also exploring queered space through the queer Glasgow club scene. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, 7-23 Jun
After a few years away, Foals are really making up for lost time. Since announcing their new twopart album, Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, they’ve been on tour up and down the country playing a series of intimate warmup shows. But ahead of the release of the album’s second half, they’re taking to the larger surrounds of SWG3’s Galvanizers Yard for a big summer blow out. SWG3, Glasgow, 6pm, £38.50
Sat 22 Jun Despite spending much of his career shying away from the media and revealing little to nothing about his personal life, Nick Cave will be giving something back to his fans in his Conversations with Nick Cave shows. Fans will be able to ask questions, as well as hear Cave talk openly about his life and perform some of his most beloved songs on piano. Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 7pm, £33-93.50
June 2019
D Double E.
Sun 23 Jun
Mon 24 Jun
Continuing the tenth anniversary for 2019 trend – 2009 was a big year for ideas apparently – Solas Festival are celebrating ten years of running with its usual mix of music, spoken word, theatre, dance and visual art. Kobi Onyame, Niteworks and Martha Ffion are all set to perform, with speakers including Josie Long and Chris McQueer and theatre from Robert Softley Gale. Errol Park, Perth, £22-95
British artist Patrick Staff reinterprets 19th century German writer Heinrich von Kleist's play The Prince of Homburg in a major video installation and series of sculptural works at the DCA. The exhibition explores cycles of violence, desire and repression through a range of mediums, as Staff considers ideas of discipline, dissent, labour and the queer body. DCA, Dundee, until 1 Sep
Martha Ffion
Konx-om-Pax
Foals
Photo: Laura Meek
Conversations with Nick Cave
Photo: Daniel Boud
Architecture Bar
Photo: Gordon Burniston
Mon 17 Jun
Photo: Natalia Podgorska
Wed 12 Jun
Photo: James Boyer Smith
Tue 11 Jun
Photo: Sara Cameron
Thu 6 Jun
Photo: Rich Dyson
Wed 5 Jun
SÒLAS Sleepwear
The Prince of Homburg
Chat
Photo: Ruth Mitchell
Ray BLK
Photo: Alicja Khatchikian
Spot Design Market is a new seasonal market and Glasgow’s inaugural design market, where 20 of Glasgow’s best designers will be showcasing their work. On the list of participating designers are Emily Siân Hart, Freya Alder, SÒLAS Sleepwear, The Squid Ink Co. and many more. There will also be food provided by Civic House Kitchen and drinks from Dear Green Coffee and Rapscallion Soda. Civic House, Glasgow, 11am, free
Photo: Daniel Smith
Bassline Circus’ unique cross-platform output continues in their latest production. Produced with MHz in association with Feral, KID_X combines circus, street dance and 3D animation by OnceWereFarmers, Beeple and William Chyr, with an original electronic score produced by Mungo’s Hi-Fi featuring live vocals from Eva Lazarus. Tramway, Glasgow, 7.30pm, £5-12
Photo: Jon Ellenor
The road to Hidden Door has been a slightly tougher one this time around, but a successful crowdfunding campaign has allowed its return for another year. The weekend of events kicks off with South London singer Ray BLK and sister duo Let’s Eat Grandma, alongside local supports Chuchoter, The Honey Farm and Sarra Wild taking you through to 1am with a DJ set. Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 6pm, £22-29
Photo: Patrick Staff
Sat 1 Jun
Photo: Brian Hartley
Fri 31 May
Photo: Olivia Rose
Thu 30 May
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A Tale of Two Cities We speak to SAY Award-winning indie pair Sacred Paws on letting go of shame and letting loose on the live circuit with their new album, Run Around the Sun
Interview: Cheri Amour
’ve just moved house.” Despite her reputation as an energetic onstage performer, Rachel Aggs tells us she’s feeling a bit tired, as she holds the phone between herself and Sacred Paws bandmate Eilidh Rodgers on a call from Glasgow. It’s quite a moment for the pair who, up until now, have put out all respective releases to date – 2015’s Six Songs EP, one-off single Everyday and 2017’s SAY Award-winning debut, Strike a Match – with a 400-mile gulf between them. Aggs nestled in amongst the DIY scene of South London and Rodgers up in Glasgow. So today marks a shift for the band and the end to Sacred Paws’ long-distance dynamic, something the guitarist is particularly thankful for. “It means we can take it a bit more seriously and devote more time to it but, at the same time, be a bit more relaxed because it was crazy having to plan everything around travelling up here. I was often away from home a lot while recording because we’ve always recorded up here. It’s been nice not having to do that,” she admits. Turns out the band has gone from one extreme to another when it comes to proximity. “I’ve moved literally around the corner from Eilidh,” Aggs chuckles as Rodgers interjects: “We have the same back garden so we’re going to get out there with little tin cans and talk to each other.” It’s not a bad metaphor for a band who have been committed to staying connected since their paths first crossed performing together as part of twee-pop troupe Golden Grrrls at the start of this decade. And, as they talk from the upstairs offices of Glasgow’s Monorail – where Rodgers works between writing, recording and life on the road – it’s clear what a tight unit they’ve become. But even the best of friends have to face certain challenges. For Sacred Paws, it was the prospect of delivering that second album, and Aggs can recall a particular moment when her faith faltered. “When we wrote Shame On Me we were having a slight moment of despair because we couldn’t write anything, literally lying on the floor and then it came out of the ether. It ended up being a little bit about that process. Almost feeling like you want to give up on something and then you get it back and you remember what it is you’re doing and feel a slight shame of, ‘God, I almost gave up. Isn’t that awful?’” Nothing about the new record, Run Around the Sun, is awful though. Instead, you’ll feel warmed by its rousing horn section, bountiful handclaps and dizzying hi-hat work, all jostling together like a happy skank session on the dancefloor. The summery tropicana vibes aren’t a far cry from that of Paul Simon’s Graceland, although unlike the decade-spanning songwriter the pair didn’t follow his loose production approach as we
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Feature
“ When Rachel and I met, we were both playing in different projects but Sacred Paws is the only thing I'm doing now... it's second nature” Eilidh Rodgers
MUSIC
Photo: Gaëlle Beri
“I
THE SKINNY
“ There’s something about Glasgow that feels like a music town and people are really proud of that which is really nice to be a part of”
Photo: Derek Robertson
Rachel Aggs
share that he actually went into the studio without having a single song prepared. “I can’t imagine going into the studio without songs,” Aggs responds, clearly shaken at the thought. “That sounds so terrifying. Because we don’t write in a particularly methodical way. It feels like magic when we do come up with a song. We’re just like ‘Oh, a song!’ or we spend ages staring at the ceiling thinking ‘We’re never going to write a song again,’” she says in an exasperated tone for added effect. “Then finally something happens. You can’t predict it,” she pauses. “Well, if you’re as good as Paul Simon perhaps you can but that’s definitely not how we work.” Rodgers doesn’t imagine their label being so trusting either. “Things were different back then. I don’t think Rock Action would be very comfortable putting us in the studio without anything to go on!” Despite the moments of songwriting frustration, Sacred Paws had a handful of live favourites in their midst that at least formed the beginnings of their second release. “We were always writing songs when we could get the chance,” Rodgers recalls. “But there was definitely a point where we thought ‘Okay, we do need to get our shit together and write more for the album, but there’s a few we’ve been playing live for a while’.” There were definitely early hints at the band’s return after 2017’s celebrated Strike a Match. New Year teaser Brush Your Hair welcomed Aggs’ classic climbing fretwork back onto our speakers, while album opener The Conversation let out a bit of a red herring with that feedback screech, only to glide into the band’s signature sunshine strings. Alongside their own tight-knit relationship, it’s clear that community is also at the heart of Sacred Paws’ sense of belonging as a band. The pair seem to revel in being in the thick of it, alongside fellow ambitious sorts for collaboration rather than competition. Thankfully, Glasgow’s cultural melting pot provides a bit of a home from home for Aggs who’s still acclimatising herself from the sprawling streets of London. “You can definitely feel there’s a community here. Although I have tonnes of friends in London and it’s been great over the years, it started to feel a
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bit more disparate towards the end because it’s so big as a place and it’s so difficult to survive there. Everyone was doing a thousand other jobs and kind of struggling.” Meanwhile, a stalwart on the Glasgow scene and positioned in its independent record shop Monorail for the best part of a decade, Rodgers has seen the city change and a new wave of hopeful indie types descend. “There’s kind of always been a hub and it’s good because Monorail exists like a bit of an epicentre,” she says. “There’s always an influx of young people who start making music,” which prompts Aggs to add: “There’s something about Glasgow that feels like a music town and people are really proud of that, which is really nice to be a part of.” From Honeyblood’s return to the Glaswegian suburbs to write her latest release to BBC Introducing favourites Cloth picking up heavy support from national stations like 6 Music, it certainly feels like Glasgow is proudly supporting a slew of independent artists. In fact, Rodgers found herself teaming up with one of its rising acts, Free Love (fka Happy Meals), as part of this year’s Outskirts festival on a project documenting the lives of residents in the Glasgow suburb of Easterhouse. “It felt like quite a lot of pressure to represent those conversations,” she explains when we ask her about it, confessing that, despite the distance, Sacred Paws had sort of become her go-to approach for songwriting. “When Rachel and I met, we were both playing in different projects but, over time, Sacred Paws is the only thing I’m doing now so you get into the flow and comfort of that and it was quite strange to make music with Lewis [Cook] and Suzi [Rodden] because I don’t know them inside out. With Rachel now, it’s second nature.” That’s another element, of course. It wasn’t only the miles between them draining their creative wells. You might also recognise Aggs’ freeform fretwork from post-punk band Shopping or, indeed, charming lo-fi trio Trash Kit – the latter also have a new release coming out next month. It’s an ambitious juggling act but one that Aggs is very humble about, putting a lot of the
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creative differences down to her fellow (and multiple) bandmates. “There’s only so much I can do on my own. It’s always about being in a room together and what comes out of that collaboration and that conversation. It’s definitely not just me coming up with stuff on the guitar. Each band is a combination of its parts and everybody brings their own flair to it.” But she recognises that there are also strengths to Sacred Paws’ two-pronged personality that sets it apart from your traditional jamming-in-a-sweat-box rehearsal space set-up. “Sacred Paws might be the only band where I’ve managed to write a song, sort of on my own, and bring it to Eilidh, but that’s only happened once or twice for us.” With the 2019 SAY Award recently launched, at the top of our conversation we ask the pair what an accolade like winning the Scottish Album of the Year Award meant to them as a band. Both, surprisingly, and with huge doses of humility, admit there’s an element of relief. “We never really wrote those songs with a view to putting them on an album,” Aggs says. “We casually went about writing songs that would be fun to play live but it all came together really organically. We were just surprised that people liked it so much.” For Sacred Paws, it really is the best of both worlds. The pair get to perform together, now only a yard apart in a city they both love with the prospect of a tour on the horizon following the release of album number two. Because now, of course, all that travelling doesn’t seem like such a drag. “We haven’t really toured that much as a band because it’s always been this long distance thing of travelling to do gigs anyway, so a tour was like, ‘Oh god, even more travelling’,” Aggs jokes. “But [touring] always reminds me why I do it and what it’s all about really.” Leaving the rat race behind, Sacred Paws have moved closer towards one another and into their happy place. All is golden. Run Around the Sun is released on 31 May via Rock Action Sacred Paws play Rosyth Library, 5 Jun; St Luke’s, Glasgow, 7 Jun; Summerhall, Edinburgh, 15 Jun sacredpaws.co.uk
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Taking the Wheel Losing another drummer might have spelled disaster for Honeyblood. Instead, Stina Tweeddale has stormed ahead solo with a ferociously ambitious third record Interview: Joe Goggins
’m really, really scared, but it’ll be an adventure, right?” Seven years since she started out, Stina Tweeddale is finally on her own. Until now, Honeyblood had always ostensibly been a two-piece, but there was always the sense that the band was really Tweeddale’s baby – she wrote the songs, fronted the group and seemed very much as if she was solely in control of the creative direction. As she gears up to release her third album, that’s now entirely the case. “It’s a solo project now, officially,” she confirms. “When I started Honeyblood, I always wanted it to be a full band – it was just that it worked as a duo. I was looking for that feeling of community that comes with being in a group. I think I finally came to the realisation that it’s always evolving, and that this seems to be the next logical step. I’ve always had a really strong vision of what I wanted to do and achieve, and I needed to be true to that. I’m a bit of a control freak.” The transition has resulted, for the first time, in a Honeyblood album that is completely in Tweeddale’s image; after the departure of drummer Cat Myers, who joined Mogwai as a touring replacement for Martin Bulloch during his illness, Tweeddale no longer had a sounding board during her writing sessions, instead conducting them in solitude. “I became a bit of a hermit,” she explains. “I moved to the outskirts of Glasgow, bought a piano and locked myself away in my studio. It was a very lonely existence for about six months; it was a learning process, figuring out how to write for myself rather than a two-piece. I had cabin fever by the end of it, but I came out with maybe 30 potential songs.” Eleven of them comprise In Plain Sight, and all of them indicate a marked change in direction. Honeyblood’s self-titled debut struck a peculiar, pointed balance between jangle and grunge and then ran with it; its 2016 follow-up, Babes Never Die, subtly skewed that formula, with a darkening of the tone and a measured broadening of the sonic palette. Both sound a little bit one-note by way of comparison to In Plain Sight, which hums with ambition throughout a noisy tour of Tweeddale’s wider influences. The bratty stomp of lead single The Third Degree borders on glam-pop, as does the defiant strut of Tarantella; elsewhere, Touch and You’re a Trick are confrontational electro jams, and Harmless is a disarming voice-and-piano diversion. The blistering pop-rock of old has been
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polished and preserved, too, albeit with new flourishes; Gibberish is scored through with clever distortion, while both the title and the musical essence of A Kiss from the Devil bring Queens of the Stone Age to mind. “It was a little bit intense to be left to my own devices,” Tweeddale admits. “I was writing the last record with Cat in mind, particularly in terms of how it was going to work live. It took a while to get out of that mindset; it wasn’t until about halfway through the writing for this record that I thought, ‘screw this, I shouldn’t have any constraints now’ – I added a lot more synth and keys, which I didn’t have the flexibility to do before. There was nothing I held back on too much, because I wasn’t shooting ideas down thinking, ‘how are we going to play that on tour?’ It was nice to have that freedom.”
“ What’s the point of doing something if it doesn’t scare you?”
Photo: Marieke Macklon
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Stina Tweeddale
The one base that Tweeddale didn’t cover herself was the production. The dream pick for that role was John Congleton, whose CV in recent years reads like a who’s who of indie-rock powerhouses, although it was specifically the way in which the in-demand Texan has managed to coax entirely new levels out of female artists like St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen that enticed Tweeddale. She reached out, and he – perhaps improbably – said yes. “I feel exceptionally lucky that every idea I had for this record came off, and working with John was one of them,” she explains. “It seemed like a pipe dream, but I also really felt he’d be a natural fit for me. I didn’t want to go with a traditional guitar-rock sound again. After Babes Never Die, I wanted to change it up a bit.” Congleton’s view of the guitar as an infinitely malleable tool was key to that; he helped Tweeddale extract a kind of fuzzy electronic growl from her instrument, in evidence throughout In Plain Sight. “I love that he can make guitars sound nothing like guitars, and I love that he works so
quickly. We did the whole thing in nine days, and every time I’d call him to say, ‘maybe I’ll redo this bit,’ he wasn’t going to let me. I threw myself in at the deep end going out to Los Angeles to work with him; it felt like the first big move I’d made since Cat left, and I spent my first few days out there kind of shitting myself in the build-up to recording. We gelled really well, though; I think some people maybe thought these songs were a bit too ambitious. John didn’t. He really got it.” There are aspects of the record that Tweeddale won’t be drawn on; there’s clearly an acrimonious break-up hanging heavy over it, but she’d rather leave any explanation at “a lot of change happening in my personal life over the last year,” with listeners instead encouraged to make their own minds up. She’s reticent, too, about what kind of shape the new live iteration is going to take, although the plan is to take an expanded all-girl band on the road that “will be interesting for people – it’s not going to please
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everybody, but it’s a change for me too. I don’t want to stagnate – I want to move forward.” On the basis of In Plain Sight, you feel as if maybe that progression was overdue; this, her most daring and forward-thinking album, is as comfortable as Tweeddale has ever sounded in her own skin. “I spent so much of the making of this album wondering how I was going to navigate all of these massive changes, and it was only once I’d recorded it and had a bit of distance that I realised that the answers were there in my writing all along – which is where the title came from. I’m glad things worked out the way they did, now. What’s the point of doing something if it doesn’t scare you?” In Plain Sight is released on 24 May via Marathon Artists Honeyblood plays The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, 31 May; The Beat Generator Live!, Dundee, 1 Jun; Summerhall, Edinburgh, 3 Jun honeyblood.co.uk
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XpoNorth 2019 XpoNorth returns to Inverness to inspire creatives and offer professional advice
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model. In Lifestyle Choices Non Fiction: Creating Beautiful Illustrated Nonfiction, she is joined by Emily Dewhurst, who founded the specialist food and drink imprint Kitchen Press. For those interested in narrative non-fiction, Andrew Franklin, managing director of Profile Books, and Angie Crawford, Scottish buyer for Waterstones, answer What’s Selling Now? There are also sessions over the conference on writing and marketing for children, a look at the current state of travel journalism and a talk on influential women in publishing, amongst others. If you are pursuing your passion for music there’s plenty to choose from in XpoNorth’s programme. What it takes to create a hit song, and to develop the artist behind it, is not an exact science. In a special keynote Dougie Bruce, who signed Adele to UMPG, will discuss both the business and gut instincts which may propel the next era of global hits. Other music events go into great practical detail. In Modern Music Entrepreneurs a panel of professionals discuss what you need to know to stay ahead in the contemporary music industry including how to adapt a business model, use data and identify future opportunities. Help Musicians Scotland will discuss career longevity. As a charity who are there for professional musicians of all genres, offering a lifetime of support in times of crisis, illness, and funding for career development, they have much real life
Photo: Paul Campbell
poNorth is the place to bring your innovative ideas. Scotland’s leading creative industries festival has a reputation for its unique conference, allowing those ambitious to make their way in the cultural sectors learn from experienced professionals. Professionals with inspiring stories to tell and lots of practical advice to offer. Returning to Inverness for 3-4 July, registration is non-restrictive – you do not have to live in the Highlands and Islands to take part. What’s more, it is also entirely free. Whatever you want to do in music, broadcast media, publishing or fashion, XpoNorth aims to help your potential become a reality. Even when the possibilities don’t seem to belong in this world: in one event this year, a former chief knowledge officer from NASA, Dr Ed Hoffmann, will discuss how NASA became a global brand and tourist attraction rather than only a scientific organisation. Kate Davies has a story closer to home. But, one no less compelling. Over the last decade, her business Kate Davies Design has published eleven books and manufactured its own knitwear brands and lines, winning the UK Microbusiness of the Year in 2016. Yet Davies only started her then one-woman business after she suffered a stroke at just 36, bringing an end to her career as a literary academic. Finding a way to support herself in her recovery, Davies brought together her flair for writing and design into the business
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experience and cases to draw on to help ensure your career in music is a lengthy one. For musicians, the XpoNorth Listening Room is an informal listening session where you can showcase your work and gain feedback from industry. More invaluable advice which is easy to overlook when focussing on the creative side can be found in sessions on rights, distribution, pitching, building a successful campaign team and royalties. Screen junkies meanwhile won’t want to miss out on In Conversation with Ian Hunter. Double Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor for Interstellar and (most recently) First Man, he's co-founder and Creative Director of New Deal Studios. Hunter has won several VES Awards for his sequences in The Dark Knight, Inception and First Man. Then there’s Jason Lust, a producer whose work has specialised in screen adaptations of children’s content. His company Soluble Fish Productions has set up a wide variety of movies, including the recent The History of Tom Thumb. During Lust’s previous producing partnership with Animal Logic Entertainment The Lego Movie was made. He also spent seven years as head of Jim Henson Company’s feature film division, building a feature list which included Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio. DIY innovations in filmmaking are shared by Finnish director Timo Vuorensola. His model of producing films with the help of audience involvement proved successful for his first film Star Wrecks. Expanding the idea further, his second film Iron Sky’s sci-fi trailer was downloaded seven million times within three months of appearing at the Berlin Film Festival. And if you’ve ever wondered if your screen projects will have a wider impact, there’s a discussion on ‘The Outlander Effect’ and the popular series’ role in boosting tourism to Scotland. There is also good news from Screen Scotland, the organisation tasked with delivering support for all aspects of Scotland’s screen sector. An increase in specialists and resources means it can offer more advice, engagement and development in all areas of production, exhibition, distribution, skills and training. Executive director Isabel Davis will lead an open session. While the cultural industries are sometimes perceived as something metropolitan, for people
Words: Ben Venables
in cities, XpoNorth goes some way to correcting the misconception. There are several events which focus on how remoter locations offer unique and original angles for stories and also have the potential to reach an often overlooked audience. For instance, in Re-orientating the Map... the idea of ‘minority languages’, which make up most of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world, is turned on its head. Furthermore, there are two events on Remote Participation in Cultural Projects, which will show how best to combine your distinctive location – your great asset – with technology such as live streaming to a seemingly limitless audience. After all, global brands have started as unknown podcasts, videos and live streams. And this subject is covered in Establishing Your Content Kingdom, featuring a speaker from YouTube, presenting case studies charting the progress of DIY outfits which now dominate world markets. Another event which complements this theme is the DIY Marketing Toolbox, offering effective advice for independent artists and labels to market releases and the best practices for digital campaigns. For those working in fashion, crafts and textiles there’s opportunities to look at international markets and networks. If preparing for Paris and Japan, the Exploring International Fashion Markets is a fashion workshop with a focus on accessories. Whatever your creative passion, Skills Development Scotland are also on hand to showcase the range of programmes they deliver and give information on how they can support young creatives. They are holding an interactive session which offers practical advice on routes into the industry. Moreover, in Meet The Support Agencies participants can learn from representatives of regional and national organisations on how to access support to bring creative ideas to life, such as securing funding to develop your business and gain a valuable insight into current programmes which offer support. XpoNorth, Inverness, 3-4 Jul, free Xponorth.co.uk
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West End Boys Six years since their last record, Holy Ghost! are emerging from hibernation – and resurrecting one of the pillars of New York disco in the process
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e were sitting around and brainstorming: like, ‘what would be the dream label, from any era, to put out a new Holy Ghost! record on?’” Nick Millhiser is recalling the state of flux that he and Alex Frankel found themselves in as they geared up to release the first new Holy Ghost! full-length in six years. They’d already decided, for “nuanced reasons that wouldn’t translate well to being talked about publicly,” that they would make a clean break from DFA, the label that had put out their entire catalogue to date and nurtured them pretty much from day one – “without them we wouldn’t have a career,” is Millhiser’s straightforward analysis. In many ways, you’d think James Murphy’s imprint would have fit the “dream label” bill as neatly as anybody else; Holy Ghost!, after all, share the same ferocious appetite for melding their disparate influences into something modern and danceable, just as LCD Soundsystem always have.
“ On the last album, our whole mission statement was kind of, ‘everything but the kitchen sink’, so I’m glad that we were forced to pare it back”
BMG, where he has an old friend. He asked them what they were up to and it turned out not much, at least in terms of new music; there were remixes and reissues happening, but there hadn’t been an original West End album in over 30 years.” Until now, that is; later this month, Work will arrive via West End, making it a remarkable double comeback after the band’s own lay-off, with just the one EP since 2013’s Dynamics. It’s no gimmick either; it’s an album that genuinely sounds at home among West End’s illustrious alumni, not because it sounds particularly retro – like its predecessors, Work comes complete with enough modern polish to see your face in it – but instead because it’s a dance record with soul, one that burns with a genuine passion for the genre in the same way that the best joints from the likes of Taana Gardner or Raw Silk did. The deal with West End was one of a series of serendipitous twists of fate that came to define the making of Work; on reflection, it feels as if the six-year gap between albums was merely a case of waiting for everything to begin falling into place. “It’s always been the way for us that things are a little bit slow to get started,” Millhiser explains. “And there was a lot of other stuff going on in our lives, independent and together. We were working on a score for a documentary (Chef Flynn), Alex opened a couple of restaurants with his brother, I was working on a Juan Maclean album in there somewhere, and I was building gear for LCD when they started playing again. We were keeping busy, and we don’t tend to push the Holy Ghost! stuff too hard if we don’t have any ideas.”
Interview: Joe Goggins
The pair weren’t truly struck by inspiration until fate intervened; when Millhiser was forced to dismantle and move his studio (which previously operated out of his apartment) across his native Brooklyn a couple of times, he and Frankel ended up working in a shared space – forcing them to either leave much of their impressive array of gear in storage or sell it off. By the time they came to piece together Work in earnest, they were working with, by their standards, a limited set-up – two synthesizers, a Minimoog and a Yamaha CS80. “It ended up working out really nicely,” says Millhiser. “On the last album, our whole mission statement was kind of, ‘everything but the kitchen sink’, so I’m glad that we were forced to pare it back; it makes the songs feel a little bit purer somehow. Plus, I’d spent my whole life, ever since I was a teenager, dreaming of owning a Minimoog and I finally managed to get hold of one right before we moved into the new space. I would have been happy just working with that, with this new toy I’d been wanting to make music with for years.” Working out of a shared studio space came with some perks too; when they needed a piano to add some colour to a handful of tracks, they borrowed one from the next room, and the fact that they weren’t secluded in Millhiser’s basement was advantageous when it came to bringing in an impressive array of collaborators, which has ended up including Nancy Whang of LCD, Ahmed Gallab of Sinkane, Neon Indian engineer Alex Epton and multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose, whose CV includes work with everybody from Bon Iver to David Bowie.
“Alex and I have never been precious about bringing in a different player or vocalist if we felt they could do it better than us,” explains Millhiser. “And truthfully, we’re lucky to have a broad, talented circle of friends. It means you can just call up Nancy or Alex or whoever else and see if they’re into it; usually they are. In fact, we only had one knockback this whole album. One of the songs has a big Fleetwood Mac vibe, so we thought it’d be very cool if we could get Lindsey Buckingham to play a solo on it. No harm in asking, right? He never got back to us though, so I played something on it instead. That’s why it’s called Nicky Buckingham!” Even with a relatively simplistic instrumental foundation, Work remains a dense affair defined by the complexity of its construction; so encyclopaedic is Holy Ghost!’s knowledge of disco and dance that it feels as if they’re trying to cram in as many nods and winks as they can to the genre they’ve had a decade-plus love affair with. Accordingly, it might be a while before they figure out how to take it on the road extensively. “We’re just starting out now, playing a few shows,” says Millhiser. “It’s a pretty complicated live set-up, so we’re easing ourselves back into fighting shape. We just played Corona Capital in Mexico this past weekend and it was nerve-wracking enough just to be doing 45 minutes there. We’ll play a few clubs that we know and love I think, and then look at committing to something bigger and broader next year. By then, it’ll be good to be back.” Work is released on 21 Jun via West End Records holyghostnyc.net
Nick Millhiser
Photo: Harry McNally
It was time for a change after a decade with their fellow New Yorkers though, and so the duo began to cast their minds back; if they could settle on a perfect home for the band from days gone by, they reasoned, they could set about finding the modern equivalent. “It was actually our manager Justin who said, ‘It would be sick to see Holy Ghost! on a West End record’,” Millhiser says of the 70s label that, in its prime, was at the forefront of the New York City disco scene. “He looked up who owned their catalogue and it was
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Photos: Sophie Hur
Making Up For Lost Time We speak to Harriette Pilbeam, aka Hatchie, about Kylie Minogue, working across multiple genres and her debut album Keepsake
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hen she picks up the phone, Brisbane singer-songwriter Harriette Pilbeam, who performs under the moniker Hatchie, is a month into supporting indie duo Girlpool on their North American tour. Despite relentlessly playing shows and travelling across a patchwork of US states, her chipper voice is suspiciously devoid of the slightest trace of fatigue. Even before we’ve wrapped our head around this inexplicable tolerance for tiredness, it soon becomes clear that Pilbeam is someone that will belie all of our preconceptions. Throughout our crackly transatlantic WhatsApp call, her answers are strikingly straight to the point. We say striking because the Harriette Pilbeam talking to us about her songwriting process seems a million miles from the idea of her that the languid lyrics and wistful cadences of musical alias Hatchie conjure up. Yet it would be foolish to identify Pilbeam too closely with her music, not just with the knowledge that art and artist are separate entities, but because her sound is constantly changing at a fundamental level. Nowhere is this more apparent than on debut album Keepsake, a record that splices together industrial, new wave and synth-pop against cascading guitars, working in a markedly different tenor to 2018’s more unitary EP, Sugar & Spice. The discrepancies between the two works are far from being incidental; it’s part of a deliberate strategy on Pilbeam’s part as she plans her forwards trajectory. “I took it upon myself to expand and try out different things on this album as I wanted to keep things open from the get-go and allow myself to have opportunities to try out new sounds in the future. I think there’s plenty of bands that have one particular sound for years and it works for them, but for me I would just get so bored of it and stuck.” It comes as no surprise, then, that Pilbeam is keen to distance herself from early associations with shoegaze. “To be honest, I’m surprised people still relate my music to shoegaze. There’s definitely songs where I understand why people are making that connection, but I feel like I’ve moved away from that a little bit. I feel like it’s ultimately dream
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Interview: Megan Wallace
pop, which I know is still in the same kind of umbrella.” Yet the categorisation continues to stick, no doubt fuelled by the fact that Cocteau Twins co-founder Robin Guthrie has not only declared himself a fan but even provided a remix for Sugar & Spice track Sure. However, Pilbeam’s musical inspirations are far further reaching than ethereal indie rock. Her sound is unabashedly hybrid and, a far cry from any musical purists out there, she’s not ashamed of the poppier antecedents audible in her catchy hooks.
“ I think there’s plenty of bands that have one particular sound for years and it works for them, but for me I would just get so bored of it and stuck” Harriette Pilbeam
In fact, for someone with so much currency in the alternative music scene, she’s surprisingly open about the impact that pop stars like Carly Rae Jepsen and fellow Aussie Kylie Minogue have had on her sound. While music buffs can be quick to write off pop as vapid or mass-produced, the scene is infinitely more nuanced than they give it credit for. “I think there’s still a whole world of pop that’s very clean cut and doing what it’s always done, but there’s definitely a section of it that’s super experimental and has always been
that way. They both co-exist and the world of pop is constantly changing – even if there’s always going to be that same pop music being regurgitated out, in a good or a bad way.” Pilbeam’s enthusiasm for Kylie, for example, is largely down to the fact she “did a lot of experimentation in the 90s and 00s” – something which even her most fairweather fans can confirm. With the likes of 1997’s Impossible Princess, an album that somehow brings together both Britpop and electronic influences, you can’t deny that Kylie hasn’t been afraid to stray from the formula of cut and dried bubblegum pop. Kylie’s decadespanning career has had an incredible longevity thanks to her essential mutability, a shared quality with other divas like Cher or Madonna. Ultimately, it seems that Pilbeam’s ambitions are to transcend genre distinctions, and not be too closely defined by a specific scene or sound. As she puts it: “I think that genres will be obsolete to some extent soon. There’s already so many genre-spanning artists and I really admire that and that’s definitely something I want to do – whether it’s because I’m making lots of different kinds of music at one time or because each album covers a different base. It’s something I’m very interested in and would love to play a part of.” Curiously, however, this desire to embrace new and different sounds regardless of genre feels oddly out of step with the emotional timbre of her latest project. While a spirit of innovation can be clearly heard at a production level and in terms of genre, there’s an ironic tension on her debut album between these elements and the lyrics, which seem tinged with a personal nostalgia. As Pilbeam elaborates, the album title Keepsake distills much of the album’s thematic content. “‘Keepsake’ is a lyric in one of the songs – I say it in the outro to Kiss the Stars. I just thought that it was a really nice word that encapsulates a lot of the ideas on the album about nostalgia and intimacy and wanting to hold onto something.” An homage to missed romantic potential, lead track Without a Blush consolidates the theme, with wistful laments like ‘You and me, we
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were destined to fall apart / Can you believe it’s been three years since the start?’ The backwards look of the lyrics, so at odds with the forwardthinking approach to musicality, is not just an anomaly but rather a symptom of the creative method, with the songs on the album being written over a period of up to three years. As Pilbeam explains, the process of creating the album was a long-running lyrical trial and error, by which she accumulated a brimming bank of material. “I wrote all the songs on it over maybe a year or two. There are some that are as old as the EP songs, so about three years old. I didn’t really have a plan and I had heaps and heaps of songs that I whittled down to six that I was really happy with. Then I wrote a few more, kind of keeping in mind to fill in the gaps between the different songs and link them together.” The period that this process spans is no doubt particularly fruitful for Pilbeam to draw from, given that it charts the take-off of her career and her progression towards her mid-20s. As she explains, however, the lyrics pull from an even wider reaching pool of personal experience: “[Keepsake] covers a lot of things I’ve seen and done and heard over the last four years of my life and even feelings I was having as a teenager. It’s kind of like making up for lost time and bringing up to date with the current mental and personal state I’m in now.” Pilbeam has channeled years of creativity into this project – and it doesn’t disappoint. However, the concern is that, as for most artists, her second album will prove somewhat trickier, with the need to draw out a similarly substantial body of work from a much shorter period of time. Yet, as we finish up our conversation she shares how much she’s ready to launch back into working on fresh music. “I’m really excited to already get back into writing. We finished the album in December and I’m itching to start work on new stuff.” Her words shining with enthusiasm, we can’t wait to hear how she delivers on this next challenge. Keepsake is released on 21 Jun via Heavenly Recordings hatchie.net
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Just Enough Ahead of the release of their new album, A Bath Full of Ecstasy, we catch up with Hot Chip multi-instrumentalist Owen Clarke Interview: Lewis Wade
or a band that makes such jubilant, emphatic music, Hot Chip have made it through their career in fairly unassuming fashion, curating a string of consistently fantastic records that have dabbled in electro-indie, synth-pop and even dance/house, while never straying far from a signature ‘Hot Chip’ sound. Since their second and third albums (The Warning and Made in the Dark) made them household names with a string of hits including Over and Over, Boy from School and Ready for the Floor, they’ve been flying somewhat under the radar, despite critical plaudits and a cult following for their immersive, original live performances. Having just completed a month of touring in the US/UK (“a good innings”) and with a new album on the way, the band are taking a little break before a packed summer/autumn schedule. However, Owen Clarke (synthesiser/bass/ guitar) has more domestic concerns on his mind when we catch up with him on a gorgeous May afternoon. “I have this jacket that I’ve been wearing on tour,” he begins, ready to spin a yarn, “and I’ve washed it, and it’s shrunk.” There’s an uncertain pause that belies his concern for the jacket’s future, “I’ve had the rubber gloves on, going inside and out with the bleach to try and fudge a new copy, but I think I might’ve been a little too... not shy... but timid with the bleach. Anyway, it’s my problem to deal with... so that’s been my morning. How’re you?” It’s a charming introduction, a homely scene that fits perfectly with the group’s quaint image and seeming inability to take themselves too seriously (see also: their barnstorming cover of Beastie Boys’ Sabotage in recent sets). The band have also been airing new material on tour, a process that “makes the songs come alive... they feel like they’re yours again, after the long, fragmented process of recording, editing, mastering and everything else.” Having to reconfigure and practise for live shows also helps to see how new material fits in with the older stuff. “One thing we’re noticing is with songs that start quiet, on record you can [restart] each time, but during a live set you have to think about where you’ve got to in the previous song and how you’re gonna get into the next one. Melody of Love is good for that because the focus on the vocal feels very intimate at first, before it really gets going.” However, tour life is not without its perils, especially in the US; “I think I’ve gained some weight... they just do calories very differently out there; it’s powerful stuff,” before a lightbulb realisation; “maybe I sweated some of it off in the desert [at a show in Pioneertown] and that’s why the jacket shrunk!” The aforementioned new album, A Bath Full of Ecstasy, leans into the band’s club-ready tendencies, exemplified by lead single Hungry Child, with its slick bassline and punchy melody, and backed up by other certified indie-ravers like Melody of Love and Positive. But why a Bath full of ecstasy? “Well, it could’ve been a shit-ton or a tankerful,
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some sort of excessive amount (which a bath is), but it’s a little more domestic, or attainable. There’s also the idea that you can immerse yourself in it – it’s too much and just enough. “It’s also kind of stupid – I don’t mean stupid! – but it’s situation dependant, it’s hard to carry a bath full of stuff around (or that much ecstasy), it seems like both a small amount and a big amount... you wouldn’t need much more.” Tying himself in verbal knots, Clarke encapsulates the apparent ambiguity in the title, along with the nebulous imagery it conjures in the mind’s eye: “It’s ridiculous and kind of accurate, it’s a stupid amount but it’s the right amount, it’s particular without being specific.” The idea that the word ‘ecstasy’ might not be universally appropriate only dawned on him when talking to a member of their merch team who mentioned that some people maybe don’t want to buy clothes with ‘ecstasy’ written on it; “It hadn’t really occurred to us. We weren’t being naive, we know it could be a drug reference, or a feeling. We just found it quite playful. It’s probably not a literal bath of ecstasy, that would be punishable by prison, that much...” Clarke trails away, seemingly pondering the legal ramifications of a literal tub of mandy.
“ We weren’t trying to go into the woods and clang things together and find a ‘new sound’, but we were trying to challenge ourselves” Owen Clarke
For the album, the band brought in outside producers, Philippe Zdar and Rodaidh McDonald, for the first time. “It’s not a groundbreaking idea: ‘Band goes into studio with producer’ – not exactly a headline, but for us it was a big change.” Fighting the old adage of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ against the fear of creative stagnation can be a tricky line to walk, but there seems to be enough awareness in Hot Chip that you can shake things up without throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater (or the ecstasy). “If you get five people in a room doing the same thing for years and years, you’ll inevitably get similar results,” Clarke explains. “But we go away between records and do different things; solo records, DJing, other projects – it gives you
Photo: Ronald Dick
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space to experiment and bring ideas back to the band. When you’re in a band, there are certain itches that you can’t scratch with the group, but the same is true with solo stuff, so you bring back ideas you think will work there and keep other things for a different project. “We’ve been rattling along for quite a while [almost 20 years!] and we’ve got the things that we’re into. Between the five (or six or seven) of us, there’s enough going on that we all have ideas, but we do have our sound. So it was good to work with someone else who approaches things in a different way. We weren’t trying to go into the woods and clang things together and find a ‘new sound’, but we were trying to challenge ourselves.” An outside perspective can sometimes give that creative jolt that musicians need every once in a while. “Having someone else come in just shakes up what you’re doing – it’s good to have someone there to say ‘I like that guitar or synth part you did, but the structure’s wrong’. No one in the band is going to pipe up in the midst of recording good stuff and say that. It’s quite hard to say that to your friends. I’m not saying [the album] was created from conflict, but there was this sense of new, unfamiliar ideas being shared. Sometimes they seem super obvious, but unless you’ve got someone else saying it, it can’t really happen. “There’s a lot more killer intention [on A Bath Full of Ecstasy]. Having a new producer makes you go for things a lot more directly.
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Sometimes we think something sounds too much like this, or we could do this another way – which is still present – but there was more of an inclination to really go for what we wanted, whether that’s a Vangelis motif or a bit of reggae or something we’d heard on an Al Green record.” Despite the generally euphoric arrangements, Alexis Taylor’s lyricism feels more personal than usual, threading a melancholy streak through the album that doesn’t just revel in the good times, but details the struggle to reach those points. “There’s a lot of stuff about reflection, redemption; it’s quite introspective, but the lyrics do get offset by having something joyous or ‘up’ behind it. It’s a thing we’ve always been into, in a similar way to Small Town Boy [by Bronski Beat] or old disco records, where [the music] makes the sadness sadder or the happy moments more beatific. I think it comes together nicely on this record.” And with that understated confidence, Clarke seems lifted once again, ready to take on the world, or at least his jacket woes. After wishing him well on his quest for appropriately-fitting concert attire he states defiantly, “don’t worry, it’s definitely going to be ready for the next tour.” A Bath Full of Ecstasy is released on 21 Jun via Domino Hot Chip play Playground Festival, Rouken Glen Park, Glasgow, 4 Aug hotchip.co.uk
THE SKINNY
Sounding it Out Morgan Quaintance has worked in art criticism and across music, sound and moving image. This month, David Dale Gallery showcases his film practice in a new solo show
ollowing an exhibition at LUX in London, David Dale Gallery will show the first Scottish solo exhibition of artist Morgan Quaintance. Probably best well known for his writing and sound practices, Quaintance’s filmmaking practice is fairly young. He studied Sound Art at London College of Communication before pursuing an MA in Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal Academy, and has written extensively for publications like Art Monthly and e-flux journal. However, he never really saw himself as an art critic or identified with that. Filmmaking was something Quaintance felt was outwith his grasp; his experience of being on music video sets in the late 90s had put him off, too reliant on large crews and long days. But he’d always loved film, rifling through his older brother’s VHS tapes and finding an informal film education in Hong Kong action movies and cult horror. And when he did get his hands on a camera, he was into it. Now, Quaintance is continuously making work – he’s never not making a film. He works intuitively and usually has a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t early on in the process. “If I’m not involved in the material or I don’t feel enchanted by it somehow, then it’s probably not going to work,” he says. It was through making documentaries, first for the BBC and then for DAM projects, that he found his feet in filmmaking, marrying his adeptness for sound and image to weave portraits of people, situations and places. The two elements are equally important in Quaintance’s practice. “One of the main things about when I make work is I really want to draw the viewer in. I want you to be emotionally involved in the material and kind of want people to enjoy what they are engaging with. I’ve never been shy of affect, I suppose, which is the academic way of talking about feeling. For me, sound is a way to bypass the concrete. What I mean by the concrete is more just stuff – tables, chairs, the world, people, identity etc – and somehow get to something that is almost beyond speech. But that’s more to do with feelings. And the currency
of feelings, I feel is more to do with what can’t really be spoken, and, in some ways, music allows you to push at and prod at those things. So sound is really important in that sense.” And he has a knack for this, using sound as a way to fill the space that words can’t articulate. Some of his composition work features in his films and he cites musique concrète as an influence on his sound practice. He explains: “It’s sounds from the world, so a cup smashing or a door closing, and the composers would make sound collages by reversing the sound down or pitching the sound down or speeding them up or changing the EQ, and would make these sound collage pieces that are really kinetic; it feels like a sonic world where sound is colliding into each other. Like objects in space hitting each other, propelling towards each other.” This influence can be seen not just in his sound compositions, but in the editing of his films too. He utilises sound to “propel the viewer through something that doesn’t necessarily have such a strong narrative”. His interest in the use of sampling the everyday in musique concrète and using archive footage almost feel interconnected. Quaintance utilises archive footage as a method of building relationships, a way of building a new narrative from pre-existing material and building relationships through that. While making the films, he has reconnected with the people in the footage, forging relationships with them in the present. “Even if I’m not actually interviewing them, all of the films do have this thing where I as a person have gone out to meet and talk to people; even though I’m saying that’s not so important, I think methodologically speaking
Morgan Quaintance, Early Years, 2019
maybe that might be described as part of my practice – being with people,” he says.
“ It’s not my place to go out and tell people about themselves, but within my work, I’m obviously going to talk about my own experience” Morgan Quaintance
If being with people is part of his practice, then the relationship between filmmaker and audience is an interesting one. The three works in the show could be seen in so many different settings. Another Decade has screened at Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival, but also screened to
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sold out audiences as part of the London Film Festival’s Short Film Award programme. His films have screened as part of lectures and talks, and Quaintance is not precious about the setting in which people experience his films, but is more concerned with the viewer and their response. He notes: “There’s no ideal situation, it just means in some situations it might be read in a different way.” While his own life and experience influence the work, he is reluctant to explicitly impress too much upon the viewer, instead leaving the work the space to be interpreted. “It’s not my place to go out and tell people about themselves, but within my work I’m obviously going to talk about my own experience, and my experience is multicultural, is multi-ethnic and it cuts across lines in terms of class and race.” He talks about growing up in London, and “watching the city change rapidly, not nostalgically or anything like I want to go back but I think living in London, where I’m from, anyway, everything’s just gone.” None of his three films are necessarily nostalgic. Quaintance isn’t longing to go back to another time, but maybe, instead, in his work there is a sense of wanting to reflect on and preserve moments that are easily lost in a city of rapid change and development. He is using what is already there to make something new. Hysteresis runs at the David Dale Gallery from 15 Jun-27 July
Photo: Max Slaven
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Interview: Myriam Mouflih
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The Lost Boyz Ninian Doff is set to open Edinburgh International Film Festival with his rambunctious action-comedy Boyz in the Wood. He talks about politicising today’s youth, embracing a music video aesthetic and casting Eddie Izzard as a demented Scottish Duke
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ver the years, movies haven’t exactly been the best advert for visiting Scotland’s great outdoors. An island in the Hebrides proves less than hospitable for a police constable investigating a girl’s disappearance in The Wicker Man, while in Dog Soldiers a routine army training expedition in the Highlands ends in torn limbs for a bunch of grunts who wander into a werewolf den. And in last year’s fat-free thriller Calibre, a lads’ hunting holiday turns tragic when something other than deer pops up in one of the men’s rifle cross-hairs. Boyz in the Wood, the debut feature from Edinburgh-raised director Ninian Doff, is the latest in this lineage of rural films that should stress out the VisitScotland. It centres on four teenage boys who’re dropped off in the Highlands to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Doff himself was part of this character-building award scheme in his youth, which he did with three friends. “It was a miracle we came out of it alive,” jokes Doff down the phone, “we were so completely useless.” The germ of his film came when he collided his memories of that expedition with the rather malevolent image of the awards’ figurehead. “The first line of the idea was something like, ‘four inept teenage boys are doing the Duke of Edinburgh and a psychotic Duke is after them.’ That was the first inkling and it just blossomed out very quickly; it really was such a blast to write.” The pleasure Doff experienced while penning Boyz in the Wood has certainly filtered through to the screen. It’s a riotous and touching action-comedy that sparkles with visual invention and is flecked with hope for the future generation. The film’s visual bounce is more than matched by the vim of the four young leads. There’s Lewis Gribben as Duncan, who doesn’t strike you as all that smart, but when it comes to explosives, he has the ingenuity of MacGyver. The gang’s soulful leader is Rian Gordon’s Dean, while much of the comedy emanates from Viraj Juneja as rapper-wannabe DJ Beatroot, who spits beats pretty much exclusively about his penis (typical lyric: “they call my dick Loch Ness/’cause it’s a mystery”). Joining this rambunctious trio is the
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more straight-laced Ian (Samuel Bottomley), who’s actually volunteered to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards – the other three are being punished for blowing up a school toilet – and keen to tick off the Duke’s three chief tenets of ‘orienteering’, ‘foraging’ and ‘teamwork’ on his laminated lanyard. Ian’s dream of the boys completing the hike looks in doubt early on when Dean rolls a joint using their only map. When Eddie Izzard’s homicidal Duke turns up sporting headgear borrowed from Leatherface to do some class cleansing, their chances of making it to their campsite checkpoint look even more dubious. “When Eddie’s name was mentioned, it wasn’t even a light bulb, it was just a revelation in my mind,” says Doff of the stand-up. “It’s mad that I toyed with casting anyone else. He comes with an amazing presence and voice that we already know, so considering that he first appears in the distance, he immediately lures you in.” Elsewhere in the cast there’s Kate Dickie and Kevin Guthrie as clueless cops who get it in their heads that the boys might be a terrorist cell, and James Cosmo as a local farmer whose ardour for hallucinatory rabbit droppings puts the ‘high’ in Highlands. If the film sounds to you like a goofy riot then you’d be right, but Doff has ambitions to make us think as well as laugh. He secretes plenty of political ideas and comments on our modern society into the action-comedy framework. “I’ve always struggled with this notion – particularly in UK cinema – that films about political topics have to be really gritty,” says Doff. “The options are be very gritty and depressing or it’s just knob jokes only. Why does a film with something to say have to be depressing?” From the first page of the script, his ambitions were clear. “I was like, I want to make a film that you put on on a Friday night for the fifth watch, that you’re able to quote inside out, the kind of film you watch with your mates, but it also gives you a slight political kick up the arse.” It’s easy to guess why Doff had such a fire in his belly. The film was written while the Brexit debate was raging across the country; Trump was elected during pre-production. “I wanted the film
to be this massive validation of teenage voices and the next generation, with nothing patronising about it. I wanted the film to very sincerely say to young people, ‘If you all say no, you can change the world’. You don’t need to listen to this older establishment who’s very much saying ‘shoosh now, stay in your place’. So that was my goal from day one.” Another lively element to Boyz in the Wood is its electronic score (Alex Menzies fka Glasgow producer Alex Smoke) and soundtrack (Glasgow hip-hop producer S-Type provided DJ Beatroot’s tracks). If you know Doff ’s stylish and playful music videos for the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Miike Snow and Run the Jewels, this adroit use of music should be no surprise. “Often filmmakers try and ignore their past,” says Doff. “They like to pretend they’re some sort of hotshot who’s now making feature films. But I very much had this strong feeling I wanted to weirdly pay homage to all the videos that got me to this point and unashamedly be like, ‘So yeah, a music video director made this film and this is my thing’.” This self-realisation was ultimately extremely creatively freeing, explains Doff. “Instead of saying to myself, ‘OK, time to put my serious hat on because this is a film and not a video’, I was like, ‘Oh, you know what, the most exciting way of telling this story is to make the middle section literally be a music video’.” His instincts were good. These musical vignettes are what gives the film its unique flavour and sets it apart from your typical teen comedy. “I was giggling to myself when I was writing those [musical sequences] because I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m getting away with this’. The script went from being quite conventional to one of the funniest things I’ve written.” Boyz in the Wood will have its European premiere as the opening film of Edinburgh International Film Festival. It goes without saying that it should make for a lively night. Being bestowed an opening gala slot at your hometown festival is always an honour, but it’s particularly special for Doff, who earned his filmmaking stripes at EIFF as part of a young person’s film club called SKAMM – short for Scottish Kids Are Making Movies – a program set up by Mark
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Interview: Jamie Dunn
Cousins (EIFF’s director at the time) and Filmhouse’s Shona Wood. “I was part of SKAMM since I was 13 and every single summer we’d somehow blag press passes and would make video diaries of the Edinburgh Film Festival,” he recalls. “Somehow we had access-all-areas; we’d meet insanely big directors ‘cause we were a bunch of cheeky kids, and no one can say no to a cheeky kid.” Among the directors accosted by these filmmaking scamps were homegrown talents like Alan Rickman, Gillies MacKinnon and the cast of Trainspotting. There were more exotic names too. “We’d meet all these arthouse auteurs that we’d not even heard of at the time. I remember I was talking to Bernardo Bertolucci, which now seems utterly insane to me, but I was only 14 and I was like, ‘Bernardo, come meet my mum.’”
“ I wanted the film to very sincerely say to young people, ‘If you all say no, you can change the world’” Ninian Doff
This introduction is the least Doff should have done for his mother. “Bless her for her support,” he laughs. “My mum would let me miss school for it; she was like, ‘Oh, this is more important than school’. So instead of going back to school at the end of the summer holiday, I’d go to the Edinburgh Film Festival.” Boyz in the Wood opens Edinburgh International Film Festival on 19 Jun edfilmfest.org.uk
THE SKINNY
Au revoir, Agnès Edinburgh International Film Festival says goodbye to the great French filmmaker Agnès Varda with a season of her films, including her swansong Varda by Agnès, released only a few months before her death Words: Katie Goh
“I
tried to be a joyful feminist, but I was very angry,” says Agnès Varda, the mother of the French New Wave, in her film The Beaches of Agnès (2008). In the film, she goes on to reflect on the joy and anger of her long life and career as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Because, despite her much-quoted line, Varda was as full of joy as she was of anger, and both were as essential for her filmmaking as each other. The empathy that arose from her lust for life was what made her filmmaking political, as much as her anger at the injustice she saw around her. In this way, Varda’s filmography epitomises second-wave feminism’s mantra “the personal is political,” reflected in her fictional films of that time. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962) is a portrait of a woman in motion, walking and watching the city with a female gaze, while One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (1977) explores two women on parallel journeys, both restricted by the societal paths they can follow. Varda’s feminism also had a global reach with a 1968 documentary about the Black Panther civil rights movement in the US. Grand political movements were as much her realm as stories of quiet lives just about getting by. Varda was a prolific filmmaker, consistently working until her death at the age of 90 earlier this year. She was one of the few old school directors
to embrace digital filmmaking, as well as social media (her charming Instagram account is as much a part of Varda’s legacy as her filmography). While Varda was always a documentarian – she began her career as a photographer – towards the end of her life, more and more frequently, she turned the lens back on to herself. In The Beaches of Agnès she creates a portrait of her life made up of fragmented memories, a collection of her past and present selves. Her swan song, Varda by Agnès (2019), meanwhile, reflects on her filmography and her life, giving us her interpretations of her films, their contexts and meanings, cut with clips of her giving an actual lecture in 2017. It’s a rare example of a female filmmaker cementing her own auteur legacy during her lifetime. But as much as Varda interrogated her own identity and past, she also remained outward-looking. In her Oscar-nominated Faces Places (2017), made with street photographer JR, Varda journeys around rural France, meeting new faces, as she says, to not “fall down the holes in my memory.” Her fascination with landscape also manifested in The Gleaners and I (2000), a documentary about foragers in rural France. At the 2003 Venice Biennale, in a true-to-form maverick Varda-esque move, she presented an art installation on potatoes while dressed in a potato costume.
Varda by Agnès
Whether a transient wanderer in Vagabond (1985), a flâneuserie in Cléo from 5 to 7 or a potato forager in The Gleaners and I, Varda’s magic was in her ability to capture people in their environments, working diligently while Varda and her audience quietly look on. Too deeply invested in her subjects to be a voyeur, Varda with her camera was much more an empathetic guardian angel rooting for her female protagonists. Labelled an artist, feminist, punk, maverick,
filmmaker, portraitist, leader of the French New Wave and an influence for generations of filmmakers following in her steps, Agnès Varda was – like her films remain – big and small, playful and serious, private and public, political and personal, and always full of righteous joy and anger. The Features of Agnès Varda screening in EIFF’s retrospective: The Beaches of Agnès, Cléo from 5 to 7, Jacquot de Nantes, One Sings, the Other Doesn’t, Vagabond and Varda by Agnès
Glitter and Trauma Glasgow-set Balance, Not Symmetry sees indie director Jamie Adams collaborate with Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro for a film about a young woman working through grief. We speak to Adams ahead of its People’s Gala screening at Edinburgh International Film Festival
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e’re speaking to Jamie Adams blind. The powers that be have not made his new film, Balance, Not Symmetry, available to us ahead of our interview, but the 39-year-old Welsh director is making a good fist of explaining the concept. It’s a film that’s been swirling in his brain for nearly two decades. It’s concerned with grief and threaded with music, and sprung from the darkest period in his life. “The one project that I’ve had in mind since my mum passed away when I was 19 was to do a film in conjunction with
an album, a kind of Quadrophenia situation,” he tells us down the phone from his home in Porthcawl, South Wales. Adams is, of course, referring to Franc Roddam’s great 1979 teen film, which was loosely based on The Who’s 1973 rock opera of the same name. Adams is no stranger to music-led movies. His 2014 rom-com Benny & Jolene concerns the on/off romance of a hipster-folk duo and last year’s Alright Now (originally titled Songbird) centres on a singer who was once in a hot Britpop
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band. In Balance, Not Symmetry, the music becomes a way of Adams dealing with his grief. “My whole world just turned upside down when mum passed,” he explains. “I kind of started to come up with all these ideas or ways of expressing how I was feeling because I wasn’t able to talk through them with anyone around me.” The film centres on an American-born art student (Laura Harrier) whose father has recently passed away. We follow her as she juggles her grief, her graduation project at Glasgow School of Art, a turbulent friendship with her housemate and a burgeoning romance with a new boyfriend. Adams calls the film “a Romeo and Juliet story, but from Juliet’s perspective”. Like his chief inspiration, Balance, Not Symmetry will also act as a time capsule for this time and place. “I want this film to feel like [Quadrophenia], in the sense that if you watch it in 10 years’ time, you’ll see an element of what the world is like right now for young people.” If he’d made the film back when he was 19, he tells us, he’d have loved to have worked with Oasis or Stereophonics. It was while listening to Puzzle, Biffy Clyro’s breakthrough album, that Adams realised he’d found his collaborators. “The thing about Biffy Clyro’s music is it’s incredibly cinematic,” he says. “Their records are so full of colours and atmospheres.” When Adams eventually got in touch with Simon Neil, the band’s frontman, he discovered the Scottish rock trio
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Interview: Jamie Dunn could bring more than just music to the film. “As soon as Simon and I started talking, I realised that we both lost our mothers at relatively young ages – I think he was in his mid-20s – and we talked about the impact that had on both of our worldviews.” One thing Adams is keen to make clear is that this isn’t a musical. But the album Biffy Clyro have created in conjunction with Adams’ images aren’t simply acting as soundtrack either. “It’s hard to explain it, but the songs are the film, the film is the songs; they’re so intertwined.” Adams says he thinks of the songs as being like narration. “Simon’s voice is actually a character in the film. If you listen to his voice and what he’s saying, it really helps you understand the journey of our lead character.” Another character in the film is Glasgow itself. Adams fell in love with the city while working as assistant editor on another musiccentric Glasgow production, Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl. “There’s just something about Glasgow,” he tells us, “I guess it reminds me of Cardiff in lots of ways. There’s a Celtic atmosphere, one of trying to seize the day and everyone’s just trying to get on with their lives in an upbeat fashion, and I felt it a city very much about communities and about telling stories.” Balance, Not Symmetry screens as EIFF’s People’s Gala on Sun 23 Jun, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh; Biffy Clyro’s album Balance, Not Symmetry is available now
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Dressed to Kill Peter Strickland, long one of the UK’s most interesting filmmakers, returns with In Fabric, a sly horror about a demonic frock. He discusses the death of the High Street, Britain’s obsession with class and his fascination with how clothes make us feel Interview: Philip Concannon
“I
buy a lot of dodgy DVDs, that’s no big secret,” Peter Strickland says halfway through our conversation. We’ve been discussing the demise of the High Street, the simultaneous rise of online shopping, and the lost thrill of making an unexpected discovery after chatting to a sales assistant or patiently browsing through the aisles. Having a website guess what you want based on your prior purchases just doesn’t have the same magic. “Oh, the algorithms!” he groans. “They drive me mad. I just want to speak to a human being and flick through a rack. There’s something physical about flicking through records and that process of discovery and talking to people, and I think something would really be lost if we only did things online. You know, we all shop online and we have to sometimes, but when I go into DVD stores they’re empty now. It’s just tragic.”
“ Objects have a power. A dead person's clothing can make someone cry, so objects are not just objects, they're very powerful things that create human emotions” Peter Strickland
In Fabric is Strickland’s homage to a lost era of retail, recreating the plush and palatial shops he remembers from his youth. But this is no rose-tinted nostalgia trip. As soon as you enter the Dentley & Soper’s department store to take advantage of its winter sale, you might sense that something feels off. The ostentatiously costumed and overly attentive staff, led by Strickland regular Fatma Mohamed, address the customers in odd, contorted phrases that sound like they’ve been twice filtered through translation software (“Did the transaction validate your paradigm of consumerism?”), and they exhibit a genuine panic in their eyes if any shopper dares to return a purchase. One item in particular that sends a chill up their collective spines is a red dress, purchased by single mother Sheila (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). This dress – listed as ‘artery red’ in the store’s catalogue – has a life of its own. Driven by a murderous instinct, the dress floats from one owner to the next, seemingly a perfect
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fit for their disparate bodies, until it renders those bodies lifeless. It’s Strickland’s most extravagant premise to date, and it’s also his biggest and most ambitious film. The director’s previous features have focused narrowly on a small group of characters, and have often felt hermetically sealed within a single environment, but this time he is opening up the narrative and telling his story from multiple perspectives. Aside from Dentley & Soper’s, In Fabric invites us into Sheila’s home and place of work as well as a chintzy Greek restaurant, before switching focus entirely halfway through the film to a new set of characters – washing machine repairman Reg (Leo Bill) and his fiancée Babs (Hayley Squires). It creates a darkly comic panorama of quotidian British life, which in Strickland’s view has unnerving, Kafka-esque undertones. “I think it’s because I lived in Eastern Europe too long. In Eastern Europe, Kafka is regarded as a social realist, and I think it’s very important not to be surreal for the sake of it. Everything has to be grounded in some kind of reality. It is exaggerated but there’s still a link to real life,” he explains. His time spent away from the UK has allowed Strickland to look at the country from the outside, highlighting different aspects of British culture. “It’s this petty-mindedness. So much British humour comes from one-upmanship and making people look stupid – that’s just a British thing and you don’t get it so much in Hungarian humour. And class hits you like anything here. I guess because I’m middle-class I’d never really thought that much about it, and it’s only when living abroad that it really hits you how class seeps into everything in this country.” Class isn’t the only thing seeping through this movie. Strickland also examines the relationship we have with the clothes we wear, and how deeply intimate that relationship can be.
“I really wanted to explore this idea of bodily fluids on clothing because, you know, all clothing has bodily fluids: sweat, blood, cum, whatever. It’s very taboo but it’s such an everyday thing, and there’s something haunting in that. Objects have a power. A dead person’s clothing can make someone cry, so objects are not just objects, they’re very powerful things that create human emotions. I think the film is just using the haunting as a device to explore ideas about... not about fashion – which I’m not very interested in, as you can probably tell – but about how we feel when we wear clothing and how we feel when we see clothing.” This tension between the outré and the everyday is at the heart of In Fabric. It’s a tension that extends to the performances too, with Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s grounded, naturalistic work clashing with the theatrical otherworldliness that Fatma Mohamed brings to the movie. Strickland found that the costume design was the key in bringing these characters to life, giving his design team a very different challenge to the sleek and elegant The Duke of Burgundy. “Reg has a fleece jacket, Sheila has an ordinary coat, and what I loved about working with Jo Thompson in costume is that she’s not afraid to put those on a character,” he says. “Sometimes people are like, ‘It doesn’t look good on my portfolio!’ but she was so good like that. She didn’t care about the portfolio; she just cared about the characters. Yeah, Reg looks really, really plain in jeans and a fleece jacket, but that’s his character. So I was really liberated by that and I think what’s good about having the plain clothing is that it really contrasts with the staff in the store. My favourite moments are when you’ve got Marianne’s plain jacket with Fatma’s very flamboyant costume.” That taste for flamboyance, combined with the immersion in classic genre cinema and a fetishistic attention to details of texture and
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sound, is what sets Strickland’s work apart from his contemporaries in British cinema. He’s come a long way in the decade since his self-funded debut Katalin Varga, but despite the bigger budgets, realising his exacting vision is still an uphill struggle. “We had more money than my previous film and I thought, ‘Wow, this is great!’ But then we had more than triple the amount of actors, more than triple the amount of locations and so on, so that money doesn’t go far at all. Plus we shot it in London, whereas the last film was shot in Hungary, which is cheaper. It was tight, very tight, but you just have to make it work somehow.” The biggest challenge may yet be to come. Just before our interview, Strickland was meeting with the great American independent producer Christine Vachon (Carol, Boys Don’t Cry, Vox Lux), who may finally help him get his long-gestating film about gay life in 1980s New York off the ground. “It was going to be my next film after Berberian and then after Duke, it’s on and on,” he says with a sigh. “It’s just so difficult to get money for that kind of thing, just because of what it is. You can’t sell it to many countries, hence you can’t make the money back. If it was cheap I reckon we could do it, but because we have to recreate a lot of nightclubs, it’s really difficult.” Don’t expect a documentary-like recreation of 80s New York, though; the vision taking shape in Strickland’s mind has been fuelled by artists like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Wakefield Poole and James Bidgood. “I mean, I can’t recreate the clubs because I wasn’t there – I was in my school shorts in Reading – so you might as well go completely the other way and make it into this cinematic netherworld, which has its own logic,” he says. “I’m trying. The cynic in me suggests it’s just going to go on like this, but I hope not.” In Fabric is released on 28 Jun by Curzon
THE SKINNY
June 2019
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Photo: Chris Scott
Standing Up for Leith Theatre We talk comedy and community with Ellen Asquith in the run up to her second annual funny fundraiser for Leith Theatre
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t’s fair to say that local and thriving venues are something of a commodity across Scotland at present, particularly in Edinburgh. One such place risen from the ashes is Leith Theatre, a much neglected space until Hidden Door Festival reopened it for performance in 2017. “The history of Leith Theatre is just incredible,” exclaims Ellen Asquith, organiser of Stand Up for Leith Theatre. “The way it was gifted to the people of Leith on their incorporation into Edinburgh. It was essentially a bribe because the Leithers voted five to one against joining the city, almost like they were forced to Brexit and given this theatre as a placatory measure.” It is completely community owned and run, and in its heyday was the weightlifting arena for 1972’s Commonwealth Games and hosted acts from Thin Lizzy to The Wombles. The community spirit can be felt in every rejuvenated inch of the building. Charities and their volunteers have got stuck in to refurbishing the place. The Edinburgh Tool Library helped build the bars out of reclaimed items from the theatre and the Edinburgh International Festival helped fund the lighting in the main space, amongst other action from local groups. Asquith’s confident that it’s infectious throughout Leith. “In other parts of the city, because Edinburgh’s so driven by finance jobs, you do see the selfish society ‘I’m alright Jack’s with their shiny shoes’ with no particular interest in their local area. I think everyone [in Leith] has a sense of investment in their surroundings and the support that has been growing for the theatre is a perfect example of that.” It’s exciting that venues like Leith Theatre seem to be influenced by the lo-fi, DIY nature of some of Glasgow’s best spaces. “Good things happen when there’s that kind of drive and spirit.” Even more exciting is the prospect of it happening on your doorstep: “It’s perceived that if you live in Central Scotland you can go and see stuff
June 2019
Interview: Polly Glynn
in Glasgow just as easily as you can in Edinburgh. I feel like there hasn’t been as much drive from councils and funders to invest in Edinburgh because the perception is: ‘oh there’s all this stuff going on in Glasgow and it’s only a stone’s throw away,’” explains Asquith. Close, yet far from accessible when it’s £25 for a peak return train between the cities. Edinburgh’s “a fantastic place to live if you’re a 65-year-old baby boomer retired teacher who wants to go and see opera”, but it also needs to be a great place to live whatever people’s cultural interests and backgrounds.
“ I think comedy doesn’t come without a social conscience” Ellen Asquith
There’s also an innate sense of community in Scottish comedy; one which puts aside individual differences and pulls together for the greater good. Asquith was formerly the programmer for The Stand’s charity benefits and infamous Red Raw new material/new act nights and saw first-hand the warmth and generosity of some comics. Experienced acts were keen to mentor newbies and had a willingness to give time to “something that they think benefits comedy within Edinburgh as a whole”. It’s permeated the younger acts too. “A lot of the 20-30 year old comics at the moment are just a really nice bunch all across the central belt and whatever in-fighting or fallouts go on after people have accidentally shagged each other just sort of fade into the background
because it’s a collective endeavour for them. One person’s success rubs off on another and they’re able to pull each other up by doing nights together and giving each other exposure in that way.” Recently there’s been a surge in comedian activism and desire to help others in need. Aisling Bea and pals spent time in the Calais jungle, the Repeal the 8th campaign was backed by scores of comedians and, more recently, Romesh Ranganathan ran a huge fundraiser in support of victims of the Sri Lankan Church bombings. But why, more than ever before, are comics front and centre of social movement? “I think comedy doesn’t come without a social conscience – all art is trying to comment on society in some form but because of the nature of comedy, whether it be satire, left-wing alternative comedy or some of your right-wing comics, there’s always that political component, so they all have quite an ingrained social consciousness.” Asquith also suggests it might be a result of the public’s perception of comedians. Because sometimes they’re accused of narcissism, there’s a reactive need to be “more outward-looking, and yes you do get the odd narcissist but actually I’ve met some very well-rounded people.” Well that, and the flexible working hours must help. The line-up Asquith’s curated for the fundraiser is Avengers-esque in its ambition; a who’s-who of Scottish comedy. “What’s really nice about the showcase this time is being able to give a big stage platform to some of the acts I saw doing their first five minutes at Red Raw.” And it’s impressive to see just how far some of them have come: “the intermediate crew, so the likes of Gareth Mutch and Rosco McClelland, Christopher Macarthur-Boyd, Stuart McPherson and Wayne Mazadza, it’s just been so heartening to see the growth in their careers and the award wins and being picked up by agencies – following that has been a delight.” Sketchy boys Planet Caramel
COMEDY
(“They have such a fun performance style and a lovely dynamic between them as performers”) and Donald Alexander (“My God, what a boy! He just has comedy in his bones”) bring some variety to the bill. It’s not all men and a mic though. “I’ve always championed Kimi Loughton. She has so much energy on stage and is so driven. Also Natalie Sweeney and Megan Shandley – I’ve always just been rooting for their success.” Keeping everyone in line is compere-supreme, Susan Morrison. She’s “a kind soul. Couldn’t be happier that it’s her because I know she will hold that audience down tight”. With the aim of the fundraiser not just to relax Leith Theatre’s purse strings, but let the public see what great work the place is doing, it champions opening new spaces to new audiences and art forms. The same can be said for contemporary award-winning comedy. Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, Richard Gadd’s Monkey See Monkey Do and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag have all allowed comedy to spring from unlikely places and opened up the art form for ‘non-comedy people’. “Things that have been really successful in the comedy scene recently have been extremely personal. Often they’ve been quite painful shows, and when you’re willing to be so vulnerable and put a piece of yourself into your performance I think people respond to that with a lot of positive emotion.” It brings a greater understanding and consideration for other perspectives and welcomes audiences to try comedy they wouldn’t ordinarily seek out. For Asquith though, her hard work will be thoroughly rewarded by finally watching the gig at this historic venue. “I’m just excited for the comics to be on that stage. I know a lot of them are rockers and reprobates so it was nice to be able to say ‘hey, you’re gonna be on a stage that AC/DC played’.” Stand Up for Leith Theatre takes place at Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 7 Jun, 7pm. Tickets £5-£7, discount with EH6 postcode
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Scotland, Theatre and Oil Following the Scottish Government’s recent declaration of a climate emergency, can two very different shows about Scotland’s oil boom help us learn from our past mistakes?
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t first glance, The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil has little in common with the new musical theatre adaptation of Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film, Local Hero. John McGrath’s 1973 verbatim theatre piece with songs, tells the story of the violent displacement of Scotland’s crofters, told in three acts: The Highland Clearances (The Cheviot) further displacement for hunting (The Stag) and finally, the economic changes brought by the discovery of North Sea oil, or ‘Scotland’s oil’ in the 20th century (The Black, Black Oil). Meanwhile, the musical adaptation of Forsyth’s cult film follows what happens when Mac, an ambitious, yet unfulfilled American oil executive arrives in the fictional Scottish town of Ferness, to buy the land so they can build an oil refinery. However, the occupants of the village are willing to sell; on their own terms. Both plays tackle the legacy of land exploitation in Scotland, but can we learn from past mistakes?
It’s Their Story It’s fitting that when we speak to Joe Douglas, the director of The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black, Black Oil, he’s in Inverness, getting ready to open the show at Eden Court. Having revived the show at the Dundee Rep in 2015, this National Theatre of Scotland production is now touring the Highlands and Islands as the original production, by McGrath’s 7:84 theatre company, did for one very important reason. “Because it’s their story,” Douglas explains. The Highland Clearances of the 18th century and the North Sea oil boom in the 70s had an undeniable impact on the land and the people – the resonance is still felt in these parts of Scotland. “Obviously it’s more in the psyche of people up here, the memory of people up here. It’s still terribly, terribly taught in Scottish and British schools; the Highland tragedy and the ethnic cleansing,” Douglas continues. The Cheviot perfectly captures the tragedy of generations of people being displaced and robbed of their lands and livelihoods to make way
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for farming, then hunting, and, most recently, oil through the words and music of the people. And although it was written in the early 70s, it’s still an eerily prescient piece of theatre for modern Scotland. “It speaks more widely to Scotland about where we’re at now, particularly as we’re beginning to address the climate emergency,” says Douglas. “It’s our oil” The climate emergency declared last month by Nicola Sturgeon adds a new urgency to Scotland’s resources and lands. To a modern audience, the appeal or perhaps the charm of Local Hero lies in its innocence. It takes place in 1983, a few years after the discovery of oil in Scotland, when the effects on the environment wouldn’t have been seen as a ‘big issue’. “I think it’s really interesting, partly because they didn’t know then that oil was going to turn out to be this catastrophic climate-changing thing,” says David Greig, who adapted Local Hero for the stage with Forsyth. “Maybe some people did, but basically, in terms of popular culture, the only thing really was, ‘Well, this is really great, don’t spoil it with a big refinery,’” he continues. Forsyth’s snapshot of Scotland in the early days of the oil boom was inspired, in part, by a real-life event in the 70s in Shetland, where a local councillor made the oil company an unusual offer. “He said, ‘You can do it, but you have to give the community royalties.’ And nobody else in Scotland did that! What I love about it is he’s [Forsyth] transformed it into a different thing, it seems in some way like an epic fairytale, but it was inspired by a canny civil servant on the island of Shetland in 1975,” explains Greig. This “epic fairy tale” of oil being a golden opportunity rather than something that could be harmful to the environment, is echoed by Douglas. “In the 70s, that wasn’t part of the discourse around the oil, it was all about, ‘It’s our oil! It’s down in the ground! We need to get it!’” he says.
A Warning from History? Although the creators of the Local Hero musical were keen to not draw parallels between the show’s storyline and similar real-life events – such as the ongoing issues with Trump’s planned extension to his already controversial Turnberry Resort in Ayrshire – the spectre of land exploitation was never far from the rehearsal room, where forgotten subversive gems from the film were unearthed and reappreciated. “There’s a scene where Mac’s talking about how great oil is and all the things you can do with it,” says Greig, “and he says ‘Imagine, a world without oil!’ And all you can see is the rock, and the beach and the trees!” It’s easy to forget that the film was made in a different time, when the impact of oil refineries was either unknown or underreported. So, if we view it through a more contemporary lens, then who are we to judge them for wanting the better life that selling their land to an oil company would bring them? “To see things from a community’s point of view, where you need three jobs to survive, who are we to tell them what they should be doing and shouldn’t be doing with their lives?” asks Mark Knopfler who wrote the music and lyrics for the musical, and the celebrated soundtrack for the original film. “So, from that point of view, as an educational tool it’s a fantastic thing; the story. And part of the challenge for us is to make it relevant for now. We’re setting it in 1983. We’re looking at it in a different time entirely,” he continues. What price is home? However, unlike the people who were forcefully displaced as portrayed in The Cheviot, in Local Hero they are given a choice. And after a bit of peaceful protest, and a stroke of good luck, a deal is struck to build the refinery offshore. It feels like a victory; the company get the oil, the people get their share on their own terms, and
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Interview: Amy Taylor Illustration: Harry Woodgate Mac finds the sense of belonging he’s been looking for. But what price can you put on your home, the land that raised you? How much is it worth? It’s a universal message that is perhaps more topical now, given the climate crisis, than it was in 1983. “I also think it still stands the test of time,” says John Crowley, who directed the musical adaptation of Local Hero. “Because it’s still about what’s important in life. Now, there may be more urgency about environmental issues – the story now has a few more layers of irony than it did, back then.”
“ They didn’t know then that oil was going to turn out to be this catastrophic climatechanging thing” David Grieg
Can we learn from past mistakes? Meanwhile, Douglas believes that Scotland is about to experience another boom, and it’s important that the government learns from the mistakes of its past. “We’ve got an opportunity now with renewable stuff in Scotland – there’s a boom coming,” he says, “and we have to organise it differently this time. We can’t let the same thing happen again because if it happens differently it could be an opportunity, an extraordinary thing.” The Cheviot, The Stag and The Black, Black Oil is currently touring Scotland Local Hero premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in March and will open at The Old Vic, London, Jun 2020
THE SKINNY
June 2019
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Silent Protest Niven Govinden discusses protest and subversion in the drag communities of New York ahead of the release of new novel This Brutal House
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he morning after a flock of camp-ified celebrities descended upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for Vogue’s annual Met Gala, author Niven Govinden is contemplating whether there is still political power to drag, camp and queer culture. “Drag remains really really subversive,” he says with enthusiasm. “Not even just drag, but gender identity more broadly and how you want to present yourself. It remains subversive because people still fear it. There is a beauty to drag and it has a showbiz element for sure – the queens from Drag Race are pretty much the new pop stars – but underneath that there is still subversion. How you present yourself to the world and how you find community through it is still a powerful tool.” Queer culture as a powerful social tool is what Govinden explores in his new novel, This Brutal House. The title – a wink to the Nitro Deluxe song, “an old vogueing tune back in the day” – also perfectly captures the novel’s tone and subject matter. In This Brutal House, brutality and domesticity, cruelty and safety, aggression exteriority and stable interiority rub against one another as a group of house mothers (the drag queens who preside over their ‘houses’ as mentors and carers) sit in silence on the steps of City Hall, protesting the lack of action by city officials and the police over the deaths and disappearances of members of their community in the 1980s and 90s. Much of the book came from Govinden’s own experience of New York’s drag scene in this time. “It’s very much a product of lived experience and going out and consuming culture,” he explains. “So while the book is set in the present, it’s about a community looking back at what they feel was their era of the 80s and 90s when they felt they
had the most power. I primarily wanted to write a novel about protest, and one about queer experience and [people of colour’s] experience. So much has been written and made about the beauty of the ball community and vogueing and the glitter and good times. I wasn’t interested in writing that. I was more interested in what happens afterwards. “So the novel’s not a social primer and it’s not a historical document,” he continues. “The beauty of fiction is that you create your own world and, for me, it feels like it’s rooted in the protest culture of now and the ability of people to drive forward social change and how we need that more than ever. The beauty of writing fiction is that none of it is real and none of it has to be accurate. If I carry you in that world and make everything in it feel believable and credible then I’ve done my job.” In the novel, the house mothers protest through silence, explaining that they “no longer use words because they are a defunct currency [because] what [they] say carries no value in this world.” Their collective voice and vow of silence becomes almost like a religious mandate, a comparison Govinden was keen to explore. “As someone who doesn’t follow a religion, I’m always massively interested in the point when people who don’t believe in any way, turn to faith to try to find an answer for something they can’t find an answer for in any other way. “So the protest in the novel comes about because they’ve tried protesting in every other way. Through it, they’re saying maybe this way, sitting in a mass and in silence without words, we can have a more meaningful impact than when we used our words and fists and placards. It’s similar to what Act Up did in the late 80s, early 90s. I
Interview: Katie Goh
wanted to explore what protest can mean as a collective. It’s really about how you use your power and become visible.” While the house mothers take up one half of the novel, the other half is told through the voice and eyes of Teddy, who works at City Hall but who was raised by the mothers in their community. “Teddy developed out of this idea of living within the community of protest,” explains Govinden. “I wanted to give a different experience to the protest so you could see what was happening on two different sides. So when you have a character like that, who has a foot on both sides, you feel a greater sense of emotional conflict and again that felt really powerful and important to explore.” Teddy also raises the novel’s central question over ethics: is it possible to be part of the establishment and also be a protestor? “That’s very much a decision you come to when you finish the book,” says Govinden. “You can see positivity on both sides. Teddy works there because he feels he has a purpose; he was raised by the mothers and gay people which was a protective environment, a home where he could study and really fulfil what he wanted to fulfil. But he still feels a sense of gratitude and paying forward, wanting to put back into these communities the way he knows how and the way he sees fit. He reflects the contribution of the queer community within the city and the infrastructures of contributions to the community, and trying to change things within the city environment, whether it’s policy or social care, all those things.” The house mothers and Teddy’s sections are also broken up by smaller parts from the perspective of a Vogue Ball caller. One part is made up of pages that simply say ‘Walk’ while
another calls different categories of drag. “This is very much a novel about voices,” he notes when asked why he wanted to devote so much physical page space to the Vogue Caller sections. “The Vogue Caller voice was needed so you had these moments of illumination and brightness and savagery and wonder of what the ball is. And as well as the ball being a visual space and physical exhibition, in terms of movement and freedom and losing inhibition and rejecting, it’s also a massive celebration of wordplay and wit. That was what I wanted to reflect. The magic of a Vogue Ball through wordplay.”
“ It’s important that queer voices exist and people continue to use those voices however they can because they’ve always been needed and always will be needed” Niven Govinden
The juxtaposition of silence and amplified voices in the novel brings us back to the proclamation by the house mothers near the beginning of This Brutal House – “[we] no longer use words because they are a defunct currency. What we say carries no value in this world” – and the question: do queer voices have value in society today? “Queer voices of any era always did a service and always had a value to them,” says Govinden after a pause. “I think especially in our digital age, how you can reach people in different ways; you can dress up in your bedroom and share that with a million people on Instagram, you can write something online. That ability to find your own community online is phenomenal but I think it’s important that queer voices exist and people continue to use those voices however they can because they’ve always been needed and always will be needed.” This Brutal House is published by Dialogue Books on 6 Jun littlebrown.co.uk/titles/niven-govinden/this-brutal-house
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THE SKINNY
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Charlotte Prodger's new work is a development of their enquiries into experimental artistic film movements, while at the same time prioritising queer subjectivity within a constellation of aesthetic, political, social and personal narratives Interview: Adam Benmakhlouf harlotte Prodger has been interviewed in The Skinny before, seven years ago for their Intermedia Show at the CCA. In the meantime, Prodger won the Margaret Tait Award, and in December became the most recent winner of the Turner Prize. On 11 May, Prodger opened their show as part of the Venice Biennale, representing Scotland. In sum, Prodger’s work has received due recognition on an international level for its deft film experimentation, and timely enquiries into the interaction of personal, social and natural histories, grating different blocks of radical art and film practice against the grain of queer subjectivity. Prodger’s latest work for Venice is ambitious, and skilfully manages to cover a tremendous amount of ground as it reconsiders boundaries between personal and social histories, while calling on natural sciences and politically charged environmental concerns. All the same, this isn’t a “Biennale Blockbuster Special” of Prodger’s practice. Slow tracking shots of geological strata are combined with footage of the road seen from a car driving through an open landscape, as well as hypnotic abstract visuals of the materials that Prodger uses to edit and write their films. Prodger voices a narrative of growing up in the North of Scotland, and a brief time in youth religious groups. This shifts to the lists of what sounds like the observed behaviour of lionesses that grew manes and have started “acting like males” – to quote the New Scientist article you’ll find if you Google the name of Prodger’s new film. The shifting narratives and imageries glance off one another in nuanced ways. One of the most satisfying comes in Prodger using the same naming categorisation from the natural scientific field notes to anonymise the names in the personal memories Prodger shares. In one part, Prodger reads: “Date: 16th November 2015. Start time: 17:49. Location: -19.53368357 23.64108922 938.0 5.0. Behaviour: Approach. Behaviour time: 18:17. Who: SaF05. Habitat: Acacia scrub. Recipient ID: Woody. Outcome social: Rubs. Comments: SaF05 presenting. Count: 3. End time: 19:50. Date: 21st November 2015. Start time: 05:55.” In the next part, a past partner is referred to as so: “GaF93 was training to be a radiographer. We met at Club X.” Prodger describes making the new work and how to productively navigate the sense of anticipation that comes from showing at the highest international level. “It’s a huge honour, and I’m very excited to be doing it, but I think when you’re making the work, you have to try to switch off the idea of what the expectations might be for the Venice Biennale. Otherwise, it’s just too abstract. I just tried to keep in that line of enquiry of those three works.” Here, Prodger refers to a series of works from 2015-17: Stoneymollan Trail, Bridgit and LHB. One of the noticeable similarities across the series of videos that together make up Prodger’s recent body of work is the sequence of long shots that Prodger structures each of the films around. Often what happens in the 20-40 minute videos can be catalogued in terms of less than half a dozen different shots. In this parsimonious filmic economy, how does Prodger choose what ends up in the videos? “Sometimes there’s images that I know I’m going to use when I start out with the work and they stay, then what comes next revolves around those… Often, it’s all contingent; what image goes
June 2019
Charlotte Prodger, SaF05, installation view, Venice Biennale 2019, courtesy of the Artist; Koppe Astner, Glasgow and Hollybush Gardens, London
before it, and what comes after.” The voiceover also plays a big part. “I’m cautious of things being read literally. Often I’m trying to set up a tension between what’s being said or described in the voiceover.” What’s seen is not meant to illustrate, in a straightforward way, what is heard. “A lot of it is to do with colour, light, different frequencies or vibrations and how they interact with each other. Sometimes you put an image with a sound and it’s just right, it just clicks in some way. It’s a grid really, editing. It’s this constant moving around of elements within that grid.”
“ Growing up as a queer person, visibility is a very complicated and often terrifying thing” Charlotte Prodger
One example is the sequence called Revelations. In this part of the film, there’s a bagpipe soundtrack, and Prodger talking about their experiences of going to youth fellowships – religious groups. The visual throughout is of rocks on the Greek island of Paxos, shot by Prodger on iPhone. “I had shot that a couple of years ago, those rocks. The whole of the coastline of Paxos is [formed of] incredible layers of strata.” On holiday at the time, Prodger describes filming for four of five minutes at a time, moving across the different surfaces. “I didn’t know why at all, but I went back the next day and did more of them. I just had that footage for a couple of years. When it came to
making this [film for Venice], I was going through a lot of my phone footage and somehow that started to feel right in relation to that particular piece of writing [about the youth fellowships]… I was moving from one surface to the next. It’s one continuous shot and there aren’t any cuts in it. I could see that these different pictorial surfaces could be framing devices for paragraphs in the voiceover.” Crucially, there was a relationship between the gaze of the video on these surfaces and the “looking” that is described in the voiceover, “looking at the missile [which features in the narrative of the video, as Prodger sat in a church meeting and was shown videos of weapons of mass destruction], looking at the boy flicking his ash, and obviously the footage is looking at these different blank surfaces, which have a [great deal] of history compressed into the rock.” These visuals offer a contrast to the small movements and moments of physical contact that recur in the voice over. “I was thinking of these small intimate gestures that are seen in a global sense as inconsequential. If you’re standing in a doorway and you have a hand in [someone else’s] pocket [Prodger is referring to a memory of a charged queer encounter that is described in the video]. “You know how it is,” says Prodger, acknowledging me as a friend of Dorothy (to use a semiarchaic phrase Prodger taught me a few years ago), “growing up as a queer person, visibility is a very complicated and often terrifying thing. You feel like you’re being observed. Even though no one can see you, it feels like a loaded moment. I was interested in all these small gestures and intimate moments, then the zooming out from that into vast landscapes of vast power structures. There’s definitely a physicality to the material. Editing is a very physical thing. You’re cutting, moving and layering.” As part of this process, Prodger describes being interested in the “messy” parts of this physical process; for example the resulting “offcuts”. Prodger describes the feeling of being “inside” and “outside” the shot. “For example, if I say ‘goat bell’ at the beginning of the shot, the
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Photo: Cristiano Corte
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sound of the goat bell is the inside of the shot.” There’s also a long sequence that shows the reflection of Prodger’s laptop screen, marked with smudges and the fingerprints that have been left there while Prodger used it to edit the film, and the desk lamp under which they wrote the voiceover and edited the film. “All the way through the piece I was interested in these indexes.” With this discussion, we loop back around to the conversation that started in 2012 with Andrew Cattanach’s interview with Prodger, about the experimental Structural Film movement which sought to provide challenges to the illusion of conventional filmmaking, and Prodger’s conflicted relationship with that legacy. Prodger distances their output from some of the dogmatic rejection by Structural Film thinkers that identified as being “anti-language, anti-image, anti-subjectivity.” Nevertheless, Prodger’s work follows some of the interests of Structural Film in the materials, cameras, screens and the kinds of speech moments that are usually edited out when following the usual rules of good film production. There is a caveat, however. “Although I’m formally very interested in the physicality of the moving image format, for me it feels very important to rub that up against queer subjectivity. I also think of the moments I’ve written about [in the voice-over]. There are all these optical devices throughout the writing: glass, perspex, mirror. “I was thinking about this when making I Was Confused about the Dancefloor,” says Prodger, referring back to the work from about a decade ago that Cattanach asked about in 2012 – “a 16mm film installation that tells the story of a friend’s first-hand experience of the nightclub Berghain in Berlin.” Prodger takes proud ownership of this work from their MFA degree show and draws it into the fold of SaF05: “The work looks different... the same concerns remain.” Charlotte Prodger, SaF05, Venice Biennale, Arsenale Docks, S. Pietro di Castello, until 24 Nov 2019 Prodger’s new film will tour across Scotland later in 2019
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How Society Makes a Fraud of You One writer asks if impostor syndrome is all in our heads or if something more socially insidious is at play
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moved to Scotland when I was 17, a time when my comprehension of English was as limited as my comprehension of what it really took to assimilate a new culture. Keen to start university, I signed up for five Highers, including English and for the very first prelim got to see the true Lovecraftian dimensions of my hubris. The practice exam asked us to examine two articles. The first was an opinion piece on whether Winnie the Pooh had been a bad influence on the eating habits of British children, exacerbating the obesity epidemic. I cannot for the life of me remember the writer’s conclusions. But I can clearly remember a single thought going around in my head: Who the fuck is Winnie the Pooh?
I was put off by the thought and failed the test in catastrophic fashion. On the following week I went to the after school English support class. But before I could go in, the support teacher took me aside and explained that he could no longer help me in class. Clearly my struggle with language and culture meant I should not be taking Higher English, he told me, and the more time he spent with a student who had no hope of passing the less time he had to spend with others who did. Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about impostor syndrome; that feeling that you are not [insert adjective] enough to be in a given position, and soon everyone will find out you’re a fraud. The feeling that your insecurity is foreshadowing an inevitable moment when someone asks you to leave the room because they just realised you are no longer good enough to be there.
“ If someone is a fraud then they are trespassing – and the natural conclusion is to eject them” Asking for experiences of impostor syndrome, I was surprised to receive responses from people whose work I’ve always admired. Becca Inglis, one of my favourite essayists currently working in Scotland, was one of them. She explained the difficulty in accepting compliments for her work and the constant anxiety about losing jobs for being unable to match the expectations of everyone around her. Other responses were from people who are objectively doing well on a certain endeavour and yet firmly believe at some point they will be found to not match up with the level of skill amongst their peers. One filmmaker told me she’s been considering retracting her new film from a prestigious festival out of a sense that every other film selected seems much better. If this fear of being found out to be a fraud is something so many people feel, yet doesn’t seem
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Words: Sam Gonçalves Illustration: Tom Saffill
to be connected with a real assessment of their surroundings, then where does it come from? We could put it down to mental health. Provision and education around it are nowhere near sufficient, so it is no surprise that in certain competitive environments we would see an increase on this type of anxiety. Asking my interviewees about the possible cause, however, each identified that the main cog turning this specific image of themselves was connected to their background, class, ethnicity or gender, and seeing those (contextually) as an impediment to be part of a certain community. Sure, many of them would say this is a product of a broader sense of anxiety, but they all agreed that their first experiences of impostor syndrome come from lines they perceive in society, over which only some are allowed to cross. Take Greta Thunberg for instance, the 16-year-old Swedish activist who went from organising strikes in her school to addressing world leaders on climate change. The criticism immediately thrown at her from the British media was not at all concerned with the emergency of Climate Change. Instead it was all about the hypocrisy of a generation’s alarm over the issue while also being part of a society that contributes to making it worse. Instead of engaging with issues, it seems like The Discourse is all about trapping your opponents in some kind of hypocrisy, proving they’re a fraud. It’s no wonder accusing someone of being an impostor becomes a weapon of choice for so many. If someone is a fraud then they are trespassing – and the natural conclusion is to eject them. Thunberg’s critics cannot argue with the urgent need of transformative action on climate, so all they can hope to do is remove her from the conversation entirely. Change only comes about when the most forgotten and oppressed voices in society are given a place to speak and make decisions. That’s why the establishment’s ‘white cells’ go into overdrive when a Thunberg or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Mhairi Black shows up, and why they try to paint them as frauds. In his book Capitalist Realism, Mark Fisher writes about how ‘Capitalism seamlessly occupies the horizons of the thinkable’. It defines itself as the ‘end of history’, as a way of saying that maybe it’s not always great but hey… what else would we have instead? When a 16-year-old shows up to suggest the kinds of transformative actions needed to fight climate change, the only thing the system can do is try to flush her away. It tries to take her out of the conversation completely. If you are not fighting the corner of power and privilege, society will hope that you feel like a fraud. Empowering anything other than the status quo poses an existential threat to the establishment; they have nothing to gain from a culture or workforce who feels like their voices are valid and important. Instead it will draw lines and say that if you cross them, you will inevitably become a fraud – even if those lines are based on some of the most universal human characteristics around gender, sexuality, age, class, religion or fluency in the language. Feeling like a total fraud, I find myself ending this piece by forcing a way to mention that I passed Higher English that year, while hoping someday I’ll know that none of it matters.
INTERSECTIONS
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Pride and Prejudice As Pride season descends upon the UK’s cities again, we ask some of Intersections’ LGBTQ+ writers what Pride – the march and queer pride – means to them
Words: Katie Goh, Liv McMahon, Cathy Brennan and Andrés Ordorica Illustration: Ida Henrich
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n 2019, what it means to be queer has changed drastically. While rainbow flag Costa cups and LGBT M&S sandwiches (bacon in an LGBT sandwich, really M&S, really) are markers of how a certain, hetero-palatable version of queerness has become mainstream, it also points to how this same image of queerness has been hijacked by corporations out to make a few bucks by sticking rainbows on soggy BLTs. The same can be said for Pride, the march, itself. Once a fringe movement of protest, many cities’ Pride events have become festivals, ticketed and costly, making queer solidarity inaccessible, while banks, the government and global tech companies have taken to throwing some glitter from their floats once a year for woke points. Growing up as a teenager at Belfast Pride, where the march is both a party and very much a protest at the Northern Irish and British government’s refusal to legalise same-sex marriage in the country, instilled a sense of Pride being an essential display of visibility and solidarity. Cut to 2018, at London Pride where I stood in the shade with 30,000 queers and allies watching on while Google, Virgin, Barclays and Facebook paraded past spewing rainbow capitalism across the city and I’ve never felt less represented or more glum about Pride. While it shouldn’t be taken for granted that young queer folk today are growing up with Drag Race, rainbow cups and bad gay sandwiches as the norm, Pride needs to be held to a higher standard. Last year’s London Pride was hijacked by transphobic protestors and excluded marginalised LGBTQ+ groups and notable queer BAME people, while more and more LGBTQ+ people are being pushed out of Pride by businesses to look on at a version of mainstream rainbow flag queerness meant to represent them. As Pride season begins again, we ask some of Intersections’ LGBTQ+ writers what pride – whether the march or the feeling – means to them today. Liv McMahon on bi-pride For me, being bisexual often entails the feeling of living in-between – a sensation felt across the spectrum of LGBTQ+ as the inexplicable queerness of being raised in a world demanding either the performance of our sexuality or the erasure of it. From being asked to sum up my preference for men or women in the form of a fraction, to having ex-boyfriends completely deny the duality of my sexual attraction, my bi-pride is regularly wounded by the slim definitions imposed by socio-sexual homogeneity. So, when Pride season arrives, I find myself trying to tackle how this all translates into the day-to-day reality of just being me – and desiring both being lazily understood as confusion or greed. And as our reality diverges to encompass a digital world where heteronormativity thrives alongside an endless stream of Drag Race memes, overused rainbow emojis and #diversity, so do the ways we have to navigate and challenge another dimension which proclaims queer liberation as it death-drops into the trappings of tokenism. There’s a susceptible weirdness, for example, in watching celebrities have their sexuality secondguessed, sought after and assumed by so many online – as if their being in the spotlight means owing us their whole soul and whatever its self-definitions. It speaks to my personal exper-
June 2019
ience, whereby I repeatedly put off publicly owning my bisexuality for fear of having to repackage myself accordingly for it to be accepted. Claims that in 2019 we’re all woke now, fail all those still in the throes of fighting to be seen as simply ourselves, having to straddle enforced cis-heterosexuality which dictates that we perform and police our queerness for it to be acknowledged or applauded. Pride can be a dreamy scene of dancing in pure drunken delight amongst a mass of queer bodies, bonded together by love, sweat and glitter, to sweet sounds of disco at Scottish clubnights like Hot Mess or HEY QT. But through the banners and rainbows and whistles are still the people who have to fight to belong in their own body and identity. Cathy Brennan on transphobia at Pride I have never been to Pride and I don’t intend to start this year. In the last two years there has been an undeniable hostility towards the trans community in the UK, and Pride events have reflected that. At Glasgow Pride in 2017 several trans people were arrested for protesting against the inclusion of police officers in the march. Given that Pride was born out of the anti-police Stonewall riots, the protestors’ actions were justified. In 2018, transphobic hate group Get the L Out hijacked the front of the march at London Pride. Organisers and police (who were also part of the march) did nothing. I received much criticism for demanding violent action against these TERFs. By ‘criticism’ I mean that I was stalked for several months on Twitter by someone purportedly from Edinburgh. While my comments were extreme, I stand by what I said because the goal of Get the L
Out was to make trans people unwelcome at an event where they should have felt safe. In my opinion their actions already constitute a form of violence with long-lasting implications. This is particularly important since the steady rise of transphobic reporting in the British press (a wave of transphobic articles also swept through the Scottish press over the Easter weekend this year) has made it less safe for trans people to participate in public life. I have been harassed and threatened both online and off before comments on London Pride. Furthermore, in March there were two instances of serious assaults on trans teenagers in Essex and Grimsby. Although the events in Glasgow and London took place both a year and a country a part, it’s still worth noting how trans protestors were violently arrested while transphobic protestors continue to be treated with kid gloves. It is a reflection of the distorted media narratives surrounding trans people in the UK. Unless meaningful action is taken against transphobes at Pride and in wider public life, then the situation will continue to deteriorate for trans people across the UK. Andrés Ordorica on writing queer pride The first time I felt proud of my queerness was on the dancefloor of Oasis, a gay nightclub in upstate New York. I was nineteen and in my second year of university. Having only come out nine months prior and having carried the weight of my hidden sexuality for most of my teenage years, being in the nightclub was both a revelation and a revolutionary act. Once I accepted my sexuality, venues like Oasis became a common feature of my early
INTERSECTIONS
twenties. Whether a queer disco in a former railroad arch or bar full of leather daddies, each venue became my classroom. Proximity to other queer people taught me about the beauty and diversity of our community. I grew proud of being gay, began to own my desires and love the freedom of the dancefloor. I am now almost thirty and nightclubs rarely feature as part of my evenings and weekends. Pride, for me, now means something entirely different. It means engaging with community in new ways. Lighthouse – Edinburgh’s radical bookshop – has become a welcome resource in my quest for community. Here I have met wonderful writers, bibliophiles and activists who represent the spectrum of LGBTQ+ people and allies. I have discovered books that bring to life the myriad of experiences that exist in our community. I have learned from people whose queerness is entirely different to my own. All of this has challenged and inspired how I approach my writing. There is strength in the words LGBTQ+ writers use to unpack the trauma of living closeted lives. There is beauty in how we depict the act of sex. There is power in how we write of our future hopes. My fellow writers have helped to unlock new meanings of pride. My mission is to now write stories that are unabashedly queer. After ten years of being ‘out’, I have a renewed sense of purpose. Stories and characters present opportunities to change lives and open minds. I am resolute to not let this pride grow complacent. It may have taken a decade to get here, but I am proud to be queering the page one story at a time. Edinburgh Pride takes place on 22 Jun
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James Dalley T
his pleasure garden is a gift from the digital economy to a society that has redistributed its identity to the digital. It defines a world that is no longer solely understood through systems founded on human dimensions, visions, and patterns of occupation, but through the heterotopia of cyberspace; a landscape absent of order where users are in a state of deviation from the truth. Fake news, populist rhetoric and subliminal propaganda have become symptoms of a political culture that incentivises click-bait and confrontation. Combined with the advancements in data mining, algorithmic and analytical capabilities of online platforms, the stability of functional democracies is now threatened. This project proposes a satirical commentary that critiques an era dominated by post-truth culture and surveillance capitalism within the digital economy. Masquerading as a landscape of desire, this counterfeit ecosystem mines the populace for its most valuable asset; data. Accessing the internet
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continuously activates the engine of the ecosystem, generating enough heat from the server farm to facilitate tropical biomes, saunas, massage parlours and thermal baths within Stockholm’s Nordic climate; where inhabitants cultivate and consume the product of their own untruths. James Dalley (b.1994) graduated from the Mackintosh School of Architecture at Glasgow School of Art in 2018. His thesis project, ‘The Misinformation Ecosystem’ was awarded the Bram Stoker Award and W.O Hutchison Prize, receiving nominations for the RIBA Silver Medal, RIAS/A&DS Rowand Anderson Silver Medal, Archiprix International Award and a Commendation for the GIA Stage 5 Award. Earlier this year he exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy for the New Contemporaries of 2019 and was awarded the Walter Scott Global Investment Award. He currently works in London for architecture studio Carmody Groarke.
SHOWCASE
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Ice Ice Baby Summer’s here, and that means chomping on frozen treats. Here’s our guide to what you’ll find in the freezer, and which ices are worth the inevitable brain freeze
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hat are we like, honestly? The first burst of sunshine and everyone’s flocking outside to smash cans in the park, catch a big slice of sunstroke and accidentally set a whole load of bins on fire. But the summertime isn’t just about wanton destruction and ‘needing a lie down for five minutes’. It’s also about mainlining as much cold, icy sugar as you can, as quickly as possible. It’s about ice lollies, and that’s why we’re here. There’s just so much choice, all singing out through the freezer door with bright colours, oversized imagery and the promise of sweet, sticky refreshment. Refreshingness is one of the five categories we’re judging on, as well as looks, flavour, ease-of-use (working title for this category was ‘suckability’) and, crucially, how quickly they melt into a disgusting puddle. We kick off with Rowntree’s Watermelon lollies, which, to be fair to them, do look a bit like a slice of watermelon. They also look a lot like an emoji come to life, and their rounded edges are reminiscent of a plastic dog toy. The pink segment of the lolly is, by agreement of all present, “rank”, but the green rind-like bit at the bottom fared a lot better. It’s also too sweet and cloying to be genuinely refreshing, and dribbles all over the place. We’ll take the Fab and its weird cousin, the Nobbly Bobbly, in tandem. For the uninitiated, a Fab is a three-part banger consisting of a strawberry section at the foot, a strawberry and cream middle section, and a strawberry, cream, chocolate and sprinkle section at the top. The Bobbly, meanwhile, is essentially just that top bit but the whole way down, and with hundreds and thousands instead of sprinkles and chocolate in the middle. Healthy.
way to go, but this means they’re both uncomfortably sweet. Throw in some questionable texture – the Fab’s middle layer will coat your mouth like the fat from a good steak, and ol’ Bobble-Bobbs has the texture of a cheap sofa cushion – and there’s not much positive to say. Things hit a low with the Mini Milk, which is a real shame because many of us have fond memories of these weird rods of whipped dairy nonsense. Still, the fact that these things will melt if you say the word ‘sunshine’ within earshot isn’t a great start. In terms of taste, Mini Milks do taste like milk; they also kinda taste like cheese, which, fair play, is made of milk. Strong dairy vibes either way. Chalky texture, excessively creamy taste; we are not refreshed. What a good ice lolly needs is a fruity angle, with a mix of flavours and something a bit left-field to pique one’s interest. Twister lollies have most of the boxes ticked – the look is iconic, the flavour is surprisingly well-balanced, and the structure holds up to the heat. That helps with the lickability issue; you could conceivably eat one of these while walking down the street without getting it all over yourself. See, we don’t just do these tests to dunk on mass-market
foodstuffs; sometimes we actually like things! As these things go, they don’t get much more mass-market than a Mars Ice Cream bar. All the sugary goodness of a Mars bar, but cold! Visually, it doesn’t scream summer fun; it just looks like a Mars bar. This also means it completely fails the lickability test; you can’t sit there licking a Mars bar, people will start to murmur. Two things it does have in its favour are its chocolate shell, which helps it stay in one piece, and the taste. It’s just a really, really sweet choc ice, but we like choc ices and we’re chomping ice lollies on a Wednesday afternoon so it looks as though we enjoy sweet things as well. The less said about the Strawberries and Cream Calippo the better. A standard Calippo is just a long extrusion of vaguely fruity sugar water; this thing looks like a scallop that’s been forced through a keyhole. It doesn’t taste bad, per se, but there’s just no reason for it to exist. It melts very quickly, there’s a strange goopiness to the whole thing; it’s a no from us. As we said at the outset, these lollies are really only suitable for the occasions when you want a nice ice cream but can’t find one. But when you really want an ice cream, needs must,
Words: Peter Simpson Illustration: Kate Costigan
and that’s where a Cornetto comes in. Slightly soggy cone? Check. Weirdly synthetic ice cream? Mmm-hmm. Odd chocolate bits on the top? Sure, why not. Visually, it hits the spot, but when it comes to refreshment, the Cornetto just can’t get it done. How can you be refreshed when you’re constantly thinking that you’d rather have a good, actual, proper ice cream? Nope, the best ice lolly can’t be too close to real ice cream. It needs to be a technicolour marvel of food science, and should probably taste of about fifteen different fruits but also nothing in particular. Ideally, it should evoke some childhood nostalgia and stand up to an extended burst of sunshine. Really, we’re talking about Rowntree’s Fruit Pastille lolly. It has a solid structure and an excellent look; so many colours, so little time. It’s fantastic in that generically fruity way and is a truly excellent licker. You’ll go on a genuine journey with this one, although that may just be the sugar talking. It’s the best ice lolly we could find, now point us in the direction of the nearest good ice cream shop and pass us an enormous glass of water. Head to theskinny.co.uk/food for our guide to Scotland’s best ice cream
“ Summer is about mainlining as much cold, icy sugar as you can, as quickly as possible” Looks-wise, the Bobbler edges it. It screams ‘youth’, it cries out ‘colour’, it looks like something Oliver Bonas would print on a sofa cushion. The Fab has a similar vibe, but when you bite into it, there’s a striking resemblance to a tuna steak. They both score well on the meltability front. If you want your ice lolly to remain intact, encasing it within a thick film of sugar seems to be a good
June 2019
FOOD AND DRINK
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Chews Bulletin June features a host of beer festivals, the return of a nostalgia-powered cocktail bar and some soon-to-be award-winning street food
Words: Peter Simpson
The Upside Down
Midsummer Beer Happening
Street Food
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The latest documentary series from the team behind Chef ’s Table, Street Food is a classic piece of clue’s-in-the-title television. Each half-hour episode focuses on the street food scene in a particular Asian city, and turns its microscope onto the story of one particular member of that city’s street food community. In Osaka, we meet Toyo-san, the borderline-pyromaniac proprietor of outdoor diner Izakaya Toyo, permanently wielding his blowtorch and shouting at his customers. In Seoul, the focus is on Yoonsun Cho’s noodle stall in the city’s Gwangjang Market, where cutthroat competition between vendors makes for an intimidating atmosphere for new cooks. The episodes also present with their own overarching theme – in Japan, it’s the importance of family and tradition; in India, it’s the community aspect of food; in Korea, it’s about personal sacrifice and overcoming difficult changes. That, on its face, seems like more than enough material to fill 30 minutes, which makes the insistence on cutting away to brief vignettes talking about the street food dishes of other local venues seem a little strange. Street Food seems to be caught between two houses; it wants to be an inspirational deep dive into the stories behind the dishes, but also a potted history of an entire city’s street food traditions. As a result, it ends up spending a little too
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e begin this month’s round-up with a chance to meet one of our favourite breweries from the north of England. The fantastic Cloudwater brewery (big flavours, lovely branding) host Meet the Beer at Six Degrees North’s Glasgow pub. Chat to the team and find out how they tick, or just fire through the delicious beers pouring from the ten taps they’ve taken over. Warning: your ability to say phrases like ‘ten-tap takeover’ may diminish as the evening wears on. 30 May, from 6pm, 566 Dumbarton Rd, Glasgow Staying with the beer theme but getting a bit festive with it, Fyne Ales’ FyneFest returns with dozens of great breweries from across the UK and beyond. A main bar with 40 beers on tap! A delightful lochside location! The kind of festival that suggests getting a cask of beer to drink while pitching your tent! Truly, a fyne job all round. 31 May-3 Jun, Fyne Ales Brewery, Cairndow, Argyll, tickets from £47.50, fynefest.com Do you like the pop culture of the 1980s, as well as extremely gnarly synth lines and delicious cocktails? If so, you’re in luck – Edinburgh pop culture drinkmongers The Pop Up Geeks are reviving The Upside Down, their Stranger Things inspired cocktail bar. Expect tasty and intriguing drinks, vaporwave on the stereo, and veiled references to the Demogorgon. From 7 Jun, East Market St Arches, Edinburgh, thepopupgeeks.com/ theupsidedown June in Edinburgh also means Leith Festival, a celebration of community and creativity that takes place throughout the first half of the month. Of course, celebrations of community and creativity also need that other ‘C’ – cash – and that’s where Steel Coulson Tap’s Beer Festival comes in. 10p from every pint sold over the festival weekend will be donated to Leith Festival’s coffers, and that’s the kind of charitable giving we can get behind. 13-16 Jun, 24 Henderson
much of its time on the backstory of its principal characters but without leaving room to really get into their food, while the fleeting glimpses of the wider scene only serve to detract from the emotionally-charged central stories. Also, and this feels like an odd complaint to make, but there isn’t a whole lot of ‘street’ or ‘food’ in large chunks of this series. The energy and vibrancy of roadside dining doesn’t always come across amid the hails of slo-mo and swells of music. On the plus side, Street Food looks brilliant – the food photography is so appealing you may end up headbutting your laptop to try and grab a taste, and there are some very nice long shots of city bustle and glistening street lights. While they may be a bit muddled, the half-hour episodes are brisk and well-paced, and it’s great to see this kind of food given the full HD streaming treatment – although if you aren’t careful with your settings, you’ll end up stuck with inexcusably shoddy and ridiculously out-of-place dubbing over some of the interviewees. But overall, there’s a lack of energy and vibrancy to Street Food. Instead of a vibrant celebration of one of the most exciting and immediate forms of food there is, this is an earnest, reverent but somewhat po-faced look at the subject. For series two, the Street Food team would do well to bring some of Toyo-san’s flamethrowing energy to the screen. [Peter Simpson]
St, Edinburgh, facebook.com/SteelCoulson Mid-month, the best of Scotland’s buzzing street food scene comes together for the Scottish Street Food Awards at everyone’s favourite scran-packed shed, The Pitt. Expect a wide array of the country’s best food trucks; expect live music and DJs; expect, if the last few years are anything to go by, to see the fried chicken legends of The Buffalo Truck somewhere near the top of the rankings. As fans of street food and a good bit of competitive ranking, count this Food and Drink section as ‘thoroughly on-board’. 15-16 Jun, 11am - 10pm, The Pitt, 125 Pitt St, Edinburgh, entry £2, facebook.com/pittstmarket Real Ale. Two words that often pose more questions than they answer – what makes it real? Who determines what is real? Have we been drinking Fake Ale this entire time? One place to find out is at the Glasgow Real Ale Festival, brought to you by the brown beer-loving, ‘we were into beer before it was cool’ folks at CAMRA. They’ll take over the Briggait with 150-or-so ales over the course of a weekend. Yes, that’s right; one hundred and fifty beers. 20-22 Jun, The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate, Glasgow, entry £4-10, glasgowrealalefestival.co.uk And finally, it’s the tenth anniversary outing for the Midsummer Beer Happening. Run by the fine folks behind the aforementioned Six Degrees North, the Happening somehow combines a mega-sesh featuring more than 100 beers from across the UK with an enormously popular 100-mile bike ride up some fairly big hills. As much daylight as you can handle while exhausted bike riders flop around you – what better way to mark the midpoint of 2019? 20-22 Jun, Baird Park, Stonehaven, tickets from £20 via Eventbrite, midsummerbeerhappening.co.uk theskinny.co.uk/food
Street Food
Street Food is streaming now on Netflix
FOOD AND DRINK
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Photo: Jisang Chung/Netflix
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Life Through a Lens At the helm of a project in three parts, Meursault’s Neil Pennycook meets with us to chat about his new record, and the tales of fiction that bleed through it
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ollowing the redundancy of their five-year break, and recent shift in record label after 2017’s engrossingly insidious I Will Kill Again, there is a burning need to question what is next for Neil Pennycook’s Meursault. Though perhaps with the meticulous thought that lays the foundations of upcoming release Crow Hill, and the project itself sitting as a multifaceted being, we should really be asking, what has changed? Crow Hill in its entirety is conceptual, although Pennycook is ambivalent at the thought of it being considered a ‘concept album’. The record itself, being only a third of the project, finds itself accompanied by both a comic book and stage adaptation to come, the pull to such an abhorred term compels. “Basically,” Pennycook laments, eagerly avoiding this topic of concept, “with this record I’m taking a piece of fiction, without it getting caught up too much in metaphor or symbolism. I just wanted to give a fictional account of this town, Crow Hill. In terms of telling it as directly as I could, the way the songs came about I knew they would act as dialogue, the lyrics telling the story. “But the way I was divvying that up in my mind,” he continues, “that just tells a third of the story. The next part is told when we perform it live, where we can give visual representation to the words you’re hearing on the album. It comes down to three compartments.”
“ No one has the option to disguise the uglier parts of their past, or their community’s past, or their ancestral ugliness”
With his lens of fiction in tow, Pennycook has, in turn crafted a much darker soundscape for Meursault. As he melds with all that is available to him, he creates a narrative voice beyond the literal. Crow Hill embodies a ubiquitous narrator, dancing through both lyricism and soundscape, finding itself at the backbone of the record: tracklisting. “The progression of the story, I’m not sure how important it is for the listener, but for me I had to have certain rules,” Pennycook explains. “One of the rules was that the story – because these are all vignettes, connected but in disparate ways – is going to take place over the course of a day; morning to night. The tracklisting followed suit. It’s important for me to get structure and figure out how this sort of collection of songs or arrangements actually work with each other. It felt different from sequencing any other record I’ve done.” For Pennycook, moving away from the more conventional sequencing of tracks “was quite liberating, but also challenging”, as the tracklisting was relational to the time of day or the setting he wanted the songs to take place at, rather than to pitch or tempo. A habitually Scottish affair, the record too draws its name from Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park. “It’s kind of accidental,” explains Pennycook. “I was working with Mario Cruzado [an Edinburghbased filmmaker and musician] at the time. We were sitting at my old flat, bare bones of the project, and I was explaining what I wanted to do, but I didn’t have a name for the town. In my old office there was an old topography map of Edinburgh, and right beside me was ‘Crow Hill’
written on it.” Remaining as humble as he’s been throughout our entire conversation, Pennycook casts a sense of self-effacing glim on the intricacies of his project. “It’s possibly not the coolest explanation,” he continues, “like drawing the name from a childhood anecdote. But it just became so obvious to me that that had to be the name for it.” Bridged by a gap of gushing over the artistry of the likes of Nina Simone and Cate Le Bon that Pennycook finds himself infatuated with, our conversation shifts to the more theoretical elements that embellish Crow Hill as a whole. A press release for the project finds itself concluding with ‘our monsters are as real as our better angels’ – following a short pause for contemplation, Pennycook elaborates: “I guess if there’s a theme for the stories it’s that no one has the option to disguise the uglier parts of their past, or their community’s past, or their ancestral ugliness,” he begins. “A lot of the stories are about monsters or creatures that, in any other setting, would be mythological. What I’m trying to present is stories of these mythological creatures or figures that have effectively been forgotten. “It’s about the idea that bad parts of us, the terrible stories of our history, are there and they need to be addressed. These bad things tell us as much about ourselves as our good deeds and kinder actions. There is a lot to be gleaned from that acceptance that we are all capable of dreadful, dreadful things; but there’s no point in glossing over or not analysing the bad stuff, because a lot of the time that’s where the answers are.
Interview: Bethany Davison
“The first couple of Meursault records were very personal. I was outpouring how I was feeling and reacting to the circumstances that I was in. The fourth record [I Will Kill Again] was a more extreme version of this. I started this process of writing from a more detached point of view, I used myself as a cartoon version of myself. I felt that by writing as that character, I could do terrible things to that character. I could create fictional circumstances for that character and see how they would react to things that weren’t really happening to me. “That ties into addressing that sort of ugliness – it can be impossible for a single writer to address that head on, but doing it through a fictional means can give you a lot more insight and flexibility to explore those darker areas.” Building from this topic of change for Meursault, following the demise of longtime label Song, by Toad, Pennycook is set to release Crow Hill via the recently launched Common Grounds Records. “My relationship with my previous label was a really happy one,” he affirms, unsurprisingly given all the band have achieved over the past decade. “It’s a small community that we work in – music in Scotland – and I feel Meursault had this big personality, but now it’s time for people to view Meursault through a different lens.” Crow Hill is released on 21 Jun via Common Grounds Records Meursault play Southern Exposure, Summerhall, Edinburgh, 22 Jun iammeursault.com
Neil Pennycook
June 2019
Photo: Laura Meek
Fiction being at the heart of the record, Pennycook is assertive in the fact that he’s telling “entirely, completely fictional” stories. “What I don’t see an awful lot of in contemporary music is people casting reality through the lens of fiction. There’s a really good quote along the lines of ‘don’t write about yourself, you always write about yourself.’ It doesn’t matter what you are writing, you are always writing about yourself: your opinions and thought processes will always be on display. “What I’m interested in is approaching the world through the lens of fiction and narrating this story almost as straightforwardly as I can, without hiding behind this veil of metaphor and overly poetical statement.” With this defence of the inevitability of introspection within any work of fiction, Pennycook resolves that “whatever comes out from the narrative, whatever people take from it, that’s up to them. I’m telling a very linear fictional story as if I was telling a series of short stories, or screenplay for a film, and trying to apply that to the album format.”
Music
Review
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Flying High As Glasgow’s Flying Duck gets ready for the second year of its Flying Moon Music & Arts Festival, we speak to the festival’s director Nicole Stapinski to find out more
Interview: Tallah Brash
craft stalls! Zero waste companies and natural remedies. The community is really going to love what we’ve got to show this year.
oonstruck on Clydeside’s Flying Moon Music & Arts Festival returns to Glasgow’s Flying Duck on 15 June. With it comes a 50:50 gender balanced line-up in line with the PRS Foundation’s Keychange campaign, which aims for 50:50 gender balance at festivals by 2020. This year’s line-up includes Tamzene, fresh from playing The Great Escape, along with Heir of the Cursed, Carla J. Easton, Scarlett Randle, Super Inuit and Bratakus, but it’s not just all about the music. We speak to the festival’s director Nicole Stapinski to find out more.
TS: For 2019, you have a “femme-focused line-up with 50:50 gender balance” – was this always the plan from the beginning? NS: When Flying Moon first began the initial concept wasn’t to bill it as a “femme-focused event”, it was more a way for me and my group of musician pals to put on an affordable festival. Becoming femme-focused was just the way programming last year leant naturally. It’s in my genetic make-up to champion women because I come from a very strong matriarchal family. I’ve never seen the need or value in competing with other women and I openly like to denounce that shit in public when I can. We desperately need to teach our daughters to build each other up. When I realised how dire the situation still was for women across the industry last year it was like a eureka moment and I just ran with it. I had no idea Keychange existed when I started planning this year’s festival, but I’m very excited to say Flying Moon has become an associate of the Keychange campaign as of May.
The Skinny: Going into your second year, what was the idea behind your Flying Moon Music & Arts Festival? Nicole Stapinski: The inspiration for this year’s festival was to keep our finger on the pulse. Industry can become very entrenched in itself sometimes I think, and the gatekeepers almost forget how to look for new music. So Flying Moon makes an effort to promote genuinely well thought-out rosters, introducing new artists alongside some of the independent scene’s more seasoned players. I get a real buzz from introducing these two worlds to each other, because you see some fantastic collaborations between artists as a result [...] When I’m not promoting under my
TS: Tell us a bit more about this year’s festival... NS: We shout about the music a lot, but we’re not just a music festival, we’re an arts festival too. Though this aspect of our day is on the smaller scale Flying Moon is incredibly excited to introduce poetry, spoken word, comedy and a bit o’ theatrics this year. Plus a whole heap of vegan, slow fashion, DIY and environmentally ethical
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Review
Photo: Alix Mcintosh
MIDI Paul
Declan Welsh and the Decadent West
Declan Welsh and the Decadent West @ Beat Generator Live!, Dundee, 7 Jun With a couple of fresh singles – Absurd and Different Strokes – released in April and May respectively, Glasgow-based singer-songwriter Declan Welsh and his band The Decadent West have a busy month ahead, which includes their recently announced appearance at Glastonbury where they’re set to play Billy Bragg’s Left Field stage. Catch Welsh and co tonight at Dundee’s Beat Generator Live! They also play The Tunnels, Aberdeen, 5 Jun; Mad Hatters, Inverness, 6 Jun; The Mash House, Edinburgh, 9 Jun.
Photo: Dougy Hill
Do Not Miss MIDI Paul EP Launch @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 6 Jun Edinburgh-based bassist and producer Phil McBride, who performs under the moniker MIDI Paul, is releasing his brand new Old Future EP on 6 June via the new Edinburgh label Precog Records. In celebration, MIDI Paul plays a live set tonight at Sneaky’s with guests Katherine Aly, Th!nk from Earthwire and Ben Collard. Get down early for support slots from electro duo Chuchoter and fellow Precog artist Krowne, and, as the Facebook event says: ‘expect plenty of bass and hats!’
Photo: Alan Moffat
TS: As well as having a focus on creating a gender balanced and inclusive festival, you also recently launched an affordable festival scheme – what do you hope to achieve from this? NS: Oddly, I think the affordable festival thing has some people scratching their heads. To me it was a no-brainer. It’s not exactly very cool to go on and on about inclusivity and balance, and then make an all-dayer 40 quid. The economic climate has been tough for a very, very long time. For myself. For many. So I don’t think there’s a tangible argument against affordable music, save from other industry folks wondering how the fresh hell we’re paying everyone! The counterargument I’ve heard is that we’re devaluing the experience of live music. I don’t agree with that. Flying Moon aims to challenge that directly and states that there are more ways to creatively break even than expensive ticket sales. Crowds will follow where they see genuine and honest intention.
Moonstruck hat, I’m an assistant venue manager, and the pockets of talent that turn up on your doorstep, often unnoticed, is astounding. Flying Moon exists to tap into the indie plateau and pull out the underdog before they get discouraged.
Music
Nicole Stapinski
TS: What are your plans for the future with Flying Moon Music & Arts Festival? NS: I’d love to keep it grounded, but keep it going. I want to make it more intersectional. I have no intention of making it a field-filler or the sweaty dustbowl that most festivals conjure images of in your head. We’re small, and we’re meant to stay that way. Because without that, it becomes less about supporting the indies and more about the cash. Flying Moon functions as a non-profit at the end of the day, which means whatever money goes into the project goes right back out to the artists involved. How cool would it be if we were still going in five years? Where are all my amazing women at?! Come at me – let’s run a festival! Flying Moon Music & Arts Festival takes place at Flying Duck, Glasgow, 15 Jun facebook.com/MoonstruckOnClydeside
Lucy Dacus @ Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 11 Jun Since releasing her stunning 2018 record, Historian, Richmond, Virginia’s Lucy Dacus has been a busy wee bee, with tours, an eponymous EP release as one third of boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker, and this year she’s launched a 2019 song series. The series includes covers and originals being released throughout the year on notable dates, the most recent being My Mother & I, which celebrates Taurus season, her and her mum’s birthdays and US Mother’s Day. Catch Dacus in all her splendour at Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms tonight.
Lucy Dacus
“ I’ve never seen the need or value in competing with other women and I openly like to denounce that shit in public when I can”
SHEARS
SHEARS @ Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 12 Jun Who the hell is SHEARS? How does she have over 600k likes on Facebook and over 170k subscribers on YouTube, with only one single? Where did she come from and how have we never heard of her? These were the questions we asked when she was announced as one of this year’s showcase artists at Wide Days, where she played her first show as SHEARS. It turns out that in her teens Rebecca Shearing was a bit of a YouTube phenomenon, but more recently has been singing with Stanley Odd. Out on her own now, she plays her first headline show tonight at Sneaks. She’s very very good so you should go!
THE SKINNY
Photo: Trisha Ward
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Nicole Stapinski
Photo: Elizabeth Weinberg
Bratakus
Photo: Mark Richards
TS: What are you most looking forward to about this year? NS: I love meeting new artists – both the musical and crafty kind. But I also really love waving them in someone else’s face until they stop and go, ‘HOLY shit. I get it. They’re FANTASTIC’. It’s why I do what I do.
Bringing the Heat Following the success of our Pyramid Stage takeover last year, we’re back for round two on 6 July at this year’s Kelburn Garden Party
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ur 2019 takeover celebrates what’s going on in up-and-coming Scottish music, and while we’re hoping for a similarly hot one this year, if the weather fails you can definitely count on our line-up to bring the heat. Here’s a brief overview at what you can expect to find on our stage this July. Bossy Love Glasgow-based duo, comprised of Amandah Wilkinson and John Baillie Jr, are our headliners. As former members of Operator Please and Dananananaykroyd respectively, Bossy Love are easily one of the best live bands to come out of Scotland in recent years. Effortlessly infusing their brand of pop with a never-ending passion for late 90s/early 00s R’n’B, expect a pop party of the highest calibre. Get ready to sweat it out, basically.
Words: Tallah Brash
The moniker of Edinburgh producer, DJ and Paradise Palms Records boss Aaron Main, Jacuzzi General (known less formally as simply The General) recently released his debut EP Dreams of the Tropics, which takes listeners on a highly danceable, kaleidoscopic voyage over the course of its four tracks. We can’t wait to see what The General brings for his live show at Kelburn this summer.
Howlin’ Fling festival on Eigg a few years back and we can’t wait to welcome him to Kelburn. Expect big beats, shredding guitars and beautiful hazy vocals. Maranta The Edinburgh duo of Gloria Black and Callum Govan first came to our attention last November at a Save Leith Walk fundraiser. Playing first, they were still the band we were talking about come the end of the night: shimmering synths, luscious beats and Black’s unique vocal making for a memorable and standout performance. They just released their debut single Radiate, a real gem of a tune and we can’t wait to hear it played live on our stage.
Makeness Sitting comfortably between Caribou and Gold Panda, Kyle Molleson – aka Makeness – put out one of our favourite albums of 2018 with his Secretly Canadian-released Loud Patterns. We first caught him playing a full band, late night slot at Lost Map’s
Pleasure Pool We first caught Pleasure Pool in an afternoon slot at last year’s Electric Fields and it was such a party that we’re still thinking about it almost a year on. Since then, every time we’ve seen them it’s been a different experience. With no online presence whatsoever, expect hefty four-to-the-floor disco hi-hats, Talking Heads-esque vocals and bubbling electronics that are more Factory Floor than LCD Soundsystem. Not to be missed.
Bossy Love
Photo: Amy Muir
Callum Easter Originally from Dunbar, but based in Edinburgh, Callum Easter’s debut album Here or Nowhere is a definite early contender for our Best of 2019, and will surely be in the running for 2020’s SAY Award. When Easter plays live, he offers a completely different experience; mostly toting an accordion these days and backed by electronic beats, he’s warm and compelling and it’s hard not to be completely and utterly captivated by him. Chuchoter We’ve had our eye on Owen McAllister and Emily Smith’s electronic outfit Chuchoter for a while now, and their latest single U Can Find is a meaty pop banger with a real air of late 90s Les Rhythmes Digitales. When it comes to their live show, they’ve recently really stepped up their game, with more bass, more confidence and more attitude than ever before. Don’t get in their way.
Megan Airlie We first came across Megan Airlie when Honeyblood’s Stina Tweeddale included her cover of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas in a festive playlist she wrote for us at the end of 2017: “This cover is so beautiful, Megan does it so wonderfully.” Since then, we’ve seen her a couple of times, performing at the SAY Award last year in Paisley with her full band and then again at Wide Days in Edinburgh where she performed solo. With a voice that sounds far older than she is and an immense wit, Airlie is a truly unique voice in Scotland right now.
Pocket Knife Signed to Olive Grove Records, Glasgow synthpop duo Pocket Knife are bundles of fun, and their mantra to make “music for bodies to dance limply to” is the kind of honesty we appreciate. When listening to their jingly-jangly, twee beats and rhythms, all topped off by Louise Connor’s talk-sung vocals, swaying constantly and dancing limply is pretty much all we want to do. With songs about cookies and wanting to be held like a fish, you can also potentially expect to hear some stellar covers from the likes of Abba and, ahem, Survivor. One can but hope.
Heir of the Cursed Originally from Kenya, Glasgow-based Beldina Odenyo Onassis, who performs under the moniker Heir of the Cursed, was inspired at a young age by the godmother of rock’n’roll Sister Rosetta Tharpe to learn the electric guitar and we couldn’t be happier that she did. With a sound so effortless, comforting and warm, we’re delighted to have her opening our stage at this year’s festival.
Maranta
Photo: Svatá Luciá
So that’s our stage; we’re officially ready for the summer, and more importantly, we’re ready for Kelburn! We’ll be hanging out at our stage all day on the Saturday, so come say hi, come dance limply with us and come discover something new and awesome. Kelburn Garden Party 2019 takes place from 5-7 Jul at Kelburn Castle, near Largs; The Skinny’s Pyramid Stage Takeover takes place on Sat 6 Jul kelburngardenparty.com
June 2019
Patience
Double A-Side Records 2nd Birthday @ The Glad Cafe, Glasgow, 22 Jun Following the release of their Play It Like a Woman compilation, which came out on 8 March to coincide with International Women’s Day, Glasgow indie label Double A-Side are celebrating their second birthday tonight with a top gig at The Glad Cafe. Carla J. Easton, Home Economics and Lemon Drink are all set to play, and Double A-Side have promised cake, party hats and a raffle, with proceeds going to MHF Live. And, while we’ve got your attention, The Glad Cafe have recently launched a crowdfunder as they need to raise £40k to fix their roof. If you’re able to help, head to: crowdfunder. co.uk/the-glad-cafe-raises-the-roof
Music
Mac DeMarco @ Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, 26 Jun Fresh from ribbing Mitski with the title of his latest album Here Comes the Cowboy, which came out last month via his own label, unsurprisingly called Mac’s Record Label, Mac DeMarco is set to kick off the summer season in style at the beautiful art deco Kelvingrove Bandstand, where he plays tonight. Throughout the rest of the summer, Kelvingrove Park is also set to host concerts from Teenage Fanclub, Patti Smith, Bloc Party and The National amongst others.
Mac DeMarco
Review
Photo: Ben Harrison
The Hug & Pint 4th Birthday @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 14 Jun If you didn’t get it from the title, our much beloved Hug & Pint are celebrating four years of bringing some of the most exciting up-and-coming bands to the city, and they’ve enlisted our pals at Detour to throw a big ol’ pairty. With five excellent bands playing – the line-up is top secret, but we promise you it’s bloody good – and someone you know from these very pages DJing, we guarantee you’ll have a top night out. As well as the music there’ll be a raffle to raise funds in honour of Scott Hutchison and 20% of all ticket sales will be donated to SAMH. Happy Birthday chaps!
Carla J. Easton
Photo: Jess Scott
The Hug and Pint
Patience @ The Poetry Club, Glasgow, 20 Jun Following the release of her debut solo record as Patience, Dizzy Spells, Veronica Falls’ Roxanne Clifford returns to the UK (she lives in LA these days) for a short string of dates in celebration. Released via Glasgow’s Night School Records, Dizzy Spells is a bright collection of 80s-inspired synth-pop, with tonight set to be a pop party of the highest order. It’ll likely be a while before she plays Scotland again as well, so don’t miss it. Support comes from Romeo Taylor, Lady Neptune and Free Love will be on DJ duties.
Photo: Brian Sweeney
Jacuzzi General (live)
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Album of the Month Meursault
Crow Hill [Common Grounds Records, 21 Jun]
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If boredom is – as frequent Meursault collaborator Faith Eliott attests on her recent single Lilith – ‘the true original sin’, then Neil Pennycook and company can rest easy. Crow Hill consists of 12 songs, each telling the story of a different character with ties to the fictional town of Crowhill, and it’s Pennycook’s most vibrant, ambitious and remarkably cohesive record to date. Something for the Weakened (particularly Marnie) laid bare the Edinburgh-based songwriter’s formidable capacity for empathy, while I Will Kill Again affirmed that the cruelty and failures of his characters were as worthy of exploration as their satisfaction and triumphs, if not more. On Crow Hill, Pennycook’s protagonists are more fully-realised than ever before, whether they’re observing gentrification (‘I see for miles and I see nothing’) or devolving into a sea creature (‘All flippers and gills / I am fully equipped’) and returning to the ocean. The intoxicating abrasiveness of the first two Meursault records returns with a vengeance on Jenifer, a two-minute exercise in seething tension (‘I do believe that no crime should go unpunished / And I also believe that most people cannot stomach
Listen to: Beaten, The Unreliable Narrator
Heavy Rapids
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On their third album, it’s obvious that The LaFontaines have found the sound that works for them and are doubling down. Like past releases, they heavily embrace the rough edges of Kerr Okan’s broad Scots tongue, with fluidly spat bars the order of the day, and here he sounds more charged than ever, his energised, flowing delivery laced with wit and self-awareness. Yet, it’s the upbeat nature of the electronic-laced tracks like Up and Anything At All, that shows The LaFontaines’ funside. Attention must also be given to the band’s trademark ability to write clean hooks, which is surely constructed with a live setting in mind. Arena/festival-friendly, accessible choruses are designed to be shouted back in ear-splittingly loud fashion, as Switch Out the Light, the flamboyant, feel-good nature of Up, or Alpha’s stomping texture, exemplify with great, memorable choruses. From the chugging, boisterous, Don Broco-esque riffs, the slick indie-rap, or the chunky electronics, there’s a lot to be admired in the mash-up of sounds shown here. Fans of The LaFontaines know what the band’s all about by now – the fast bars, the proud Scottish identity, big ol’ hooks and the feeling of a good time. On those merits, Junior ticks all the boxes. [Dylan Tuck] Listen to: All In, Up, Switch Out the Light
Review
it’) and brutal release as all of Pennycook’s barely contained fury is unleashed in conjunction with a nightmarish, cathartic assault of wild electronics. Following the ecstatic charge of Strong Armed Son and feverish musings of The Beast – both of which are propelled by prominent, pulsating synth lines – Nakhla Dog is a little disarming in its stillness. A tender piano melody accompanies gentle strumming; however, Pennycook remains consistent in his distinctive balancing of beauty and brutality as he sings: ‘You be the chainsaw and I’ll be the pine’. Crow Hill is a vindicating listen for those wary of music that leans heavily on sentimentality. Pennycook calls out bullshit and complacency – ‘How many thoughts have died / By your uncalloused hand’ – and he does so with humour, compassion and relish. Harbouring enough masterfully executed twists and turns to merit a seatbelt warning, Crow Hill offers a sublime tonic of sorts for these bizarre and frustrating times. [Fraser MacIntyre]
The LaFontaines
Junior [SO Recordings, 14 Jun]
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Meursault
Julia Shapiro
Cash In Hand EP [Self-released, 7 Jun]
Due to the success of IDLES, Shame and, more recently, Fontaines D.C., it seems we can expect an oncoming slew of UK-based post-punk bands. There isn’t an issue with this, per se, as guitar music on these shores has suffered quite a drought compared to last decade’s flood of ‘landfill’ indie rock. Inevitably, however, as the record label execs desperately search for the next IDLES, much as they scrambled to find the next Arctic Monkeys, there will be more generic examples emerging. It’s too early to paint Glasgow’s Heavy Rapids with the same brush, as their debut EP Cash In Hand is the workings of a young band still finding their feet. There is, at least, enough variation and distinction between tracks to show their potential, while tackling hard-hitting subjects such as gang violence and drug abuse from guitarist Jamie Crawford’s hometown on Paisley Pattern. Equally, Going Down is a catchy enough track, with singer Dillon Squire’s strained vocals a particular highlight. However, there’s nothing in particular on Cash In Hand that you won’t have heard elsewhere already. It’s a relatively safe debut in terms of songwriting and production – all the familiar beats are present. The potential for something great is there, however, making them ones to watch. [Adam Turner-Heffer] Listen to: Paisley Pattern, Going Down
Perfect Version [Hardly Art, 14 Jun]
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How could things be different? Perfect Version, Julia Shapiro’s first solo album, cycles through hypothetical, unlikely solutions to a feeling of dislocation. Her whirring thoughts spin like a glitter ball, anxieties catching in the light. ‘How can somebody be so blindly confident? / I wanna know that trick’, she asks on opening song Natural, before spiralling into the possibilities of a self-imposed exile: ‘I’d like to learn a skill / Something useful / Then I’ll support myself, and I will buy a house / I’ll live alone in it / Somewhere
Hatchie
Keepsake [Heavenly Recordings, 21 Jun]
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Harriette Pilbeam seemed to pop up like a mirage – beautiful, nourishing, out of nowhere fully-formed, and yet with a hard-to-pin-down origin. As Hatchie, Pilbeam deals in ever so slightly skewed dream-pop that has won her comparisons to the Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and other masters of the genre. After the comparatively gentle Sugar & Spice, her debut album Keepsake is an attempt to muddy that EP’s silken elegance with a bit of dirt and scum in the form of fuzzed-out bass and ceaseless beats. Unwanted Guest sees that
RECORDS
out in the woods / And I’ll feel new again / I’ll be my own best friend’. On I Lied, half-baked affirmations like ‘I should really be more present’ grate against sporadic, overwhelming existential dread (‘What happens when we die?’), turning the album into a kind of anti-mantra. Perfect Version’s muted shoegaze feels like a weighted blanket, comforting and restrictive, but Shapiro’s sharply observed social commentary prevents the listener from wallowing. Occasional riffs soar skyward, as on A Couple Highs, offering moments of brightness between cracks in the clouds. Shapiro’s solo album is a portrait in greyscale, dissecting the rules by which we live with nuance and compassion. [Katie Hawthorne] Listen to: Natural, Shape, I Lied
intention work best. But Cocteau Twins this is not (a point of similarity that was always reaching and lazy – Hatchie isn’t as weird or experimental, and Pilbeam’s voice isn’t as extra-terrestrial as Elizabeth Fraser’s). Keepsake is an assured debut, but what it reveals is Pilbeam has actually not yet realised her best self. Keepsake is at its best when not trying too hard for substance, and rather leaning into soaring choruses, as on Without a Blush. Stay With Me begins as a dark 90s dance number, but crucially remains interesting even when it leads to where you expect. This style of music reaches its peaks when aiming for that inexplicable overdose of feeling. And Hatchie is really good at that. [Tony Inglis] Listen to: Without a Blush, Unwanted Guest
THE SKINNY
Photo: Laura Meek
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Small Mercies [4AD, 7 Jun]
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Small Mercies sees Pixx, aka Hannah Rodgers, deliver an illustrious decimation of toxic masculinity in three acts. As she dances between her idiosyncratic nouveau pop-punk torments and bubblegum pop-esque arcade synth samples, we are left in a downward spiral of melancholia that grasps physically. A crooning lament on gender politics, Small Mercies is birthed into vibrancy with album opener Andean Condor. Through its critically catchy hook – ‘Mature males tend to be at the top of the pecking order / It’s stale to test it cos you want to’ – Rodgers sets the pace of the record as a conscious attack on misogynistic behaviour. Though perhaps more on the backburner, this finds Rodgers beginning to undermine the vibrant theme of misogyny in pop music, as she implicitly
Bill Callahan
Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest [Drag City, 14 Jun]
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For two-and-a-half-decades, Bill Callahan was a consistent presence, frequently releasing a record less than two years after its predecessor. Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest is something of an anomaly in his oeuvre: six years have passed
alludes to Justin Timberlake’s 2002 hit Rock Your Body in her oblique taunts of ‘Dance for me boy / Give me a twirl’. From the offset, it’s more than apparent that the record sits as a multifaceted dissection of the chauvinist body politic. Bitch, the record’s second single, embodies the encompassing mood of Small Mercies in that it is a tumbling journey of cutting lyrics and ethereal lilts to the effect of a spiralling soundscape that can be felt through the entire body. The record’s title track, followed by Peanuts Grow Underground trouble each other in their composite conflicts: a quaint introduction to Rodgers’ elaborately complex musical talent, as Small Mercies subverts arcade-like music into speedy punk angst, while the latter seems to teeter almost on the grasp of funk. With Dirt interlude pt. 1 and pt. 2, Rodgers structures the record to complement her narrative – leaving us with these three acts against misogyny, and again evidence of the sheer intricacies of talent that dance through the record. [Bethany Davison] Pixx
Listen to: Andean Condor, Small Mercies since 2013’s Dream River. Over the course of this unprecedented breather, Callahan married Hanly Banks – director of Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film – who gave birth to their son Bass in 2015. Fans used to a more regular Callahan fix will be gratified to hear that the seismic changes in his life have beautifully informed his latest offering of 20 short songs. In his own words: ‘Sky changed sea / Love changed me’. That isn’t to say Callahan’s lens has dimmed due to new-found contentment; his focus has
merely shifted. Rather than directing us towards the wilderness, he welcomes us into his home with songs like Tugboats and Tumbleweeds, in which he offers his son gentle yet sobering words of wisdom: ‘Don’t let yourself get so blue / That you make rash decisions for two / Else you’ll harm yourself and another / Who mistook you for a guide / When you’re still a rogue tide’. Callahan, while characteristically reflective, seems particularly intent on forward motion here, embracing love not as a distraction from reality, but as a communal place of strength and
assurance upon which to make sense of it from. Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest reaches out to us from that place, and his belief that ‘True love is not magic / It’s certainty’ is stirring and welcoming. For those often put off by more trivial declarations of love’s potency: if Callahan were to don rose-tinted glasses, his stoic gaze would likely burn right through them. [Fraser MacIntyre] Listen to: Circles, 747, The Beast
Holy Ghost!
Wovoka Gentle
Jambinai
Bamboo
Lust For Youth
Hot Chip
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Work [West End Records, 21 Jun] It’s been over half a decade since Holy Ghost! released their last album, but this time away has allowed Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser the opportunity to breathe. They moved from their Brooklyn studio into a small room above a doctor’s office, simultaneously stripping back their gear collection. While they may have downsized, Work feels as full as any Holy Ghost! record before it. Across 12 tracks, the duo bring together a cacophony of bright synths and funk-laden grooves, even when there’s a faint bittersweet tinge; the likes of Anxious positively shimmers with ecstatic harmonies and danceable rhythms. There are occasional missteps (see: Nicky Buckingham and Heaven Knows What), but as a whole Work is a heady exploration of dance-pop’s spectrum. [Eugenie Johnson] Listen to: Do This, Anxious
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Start Clanging Cymbals [Nude Records, 7 Jun] The kaleidoscopic nature of Start Clanging Cymbals makes it hard to believe that Wovoka Gentle’s members began their careers in the west London folk scene. Although those influences peek through the curtains in tracks Tell ‘Em, Makoto! and [It’s All OK], all in all it feels like these musicians couldn’t get much further away from where they started out. The album begins with what sounds like a 70s radio jingle, before enveloping itself in a fascinating cocktail of instruments, from trumpets to drum machines, alien-like synthesisers to classical violins. There are moments where we genuinely struggle to figure out what’s going on. But even when it feels like some kind of extra-terrestrial encounter, it still sounds cool. [Amy Hill] Listen: 1000 Opera Singers Working In Starbucks, Tell ‘Em, Makoto!
ONDA [Bella Union, 7 Jun]
Daughters of the Sky [Upset the Rhythm, 14 Jun]
Jambinai’s brand of post-rock/ noise will be familiar to fans of Mogwai, however their use of traditional Korean instruments give them a distinctly eastern sound. It works to devastating effect on opening tracks Sawtooth and Square Wave, as they blend metal with more traditional influences. Sun. Tears. Red is reminiscent of Japanese screamo legends Envy, which gives a pleasing, albeit brief, move away from metal and post-rock. While the album’s centrepiece In the Woods has a positive message and warning against global warming and pollution, musically it is far too close to Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s East Hastings for comfort. Ultimately, ONDA is an interesting but forgettable experience despite its origins. [Adam Turner-Heffer] Listen to: Sawtooth, Square Wave, Sun. Tears. Red
In a cascade of shimmering synths, energetic pulses and percussive stabs, Diamond Springs heralds Daughters of the Sky with a rush. The maximalist tendencies continue on the likes of Weeping Idols, as arpeggiated synths swirl around Rachel Horwood’s soaring yet vaguely mournful vocals. Penultimate track A World Is Born is similarly bold, bursting forth with blasts of saxophone and expansive drums. Although the pair embrace a cacophony of sounds across the record, the break-neck pace of its opening and ending slows in-between. While still evoking a sense of auditory adventure on The Deku Tree and Off-World Colony, this more sedate mid-section can feel slightly too mid-tempo. Despite this, the duo’s sonic voyages make it worthwhile to sink into Bamboo’s realm. [Eugenie Johnson] Listen to: Weeping Idols
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Photos: Steve Gullick
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Lust For Youth [Sacred Bones, 7 Jun] Early New Order remain an enormous influence for Lust For Youth, not just in their cavernous use of echo but in their dedication to recreating the ache of yearning. They’re at their best operating in that difficult meeting point between pain and queasy optimism, and still maintain a spectacular gift for squeezing this specific emotion out of individual sounds: the gently clanging guitar riff on Great Concerns, the momentous little run throughout By No Means and the whirling squeak in Fifth Terrace’s chorus all bleed a specific melancholy that little can measure up to. Lust For Youth may not have made any personal great leap forward with this album, but it remains a set of glorious synth-pop gems, with an aching heart at their centre that most can only dream of. [Joe Creely] Listen to: Fifth Terrace, Adrift, By No Means
A Bath Full of Ecstasy [Domino, 21 Jun] While British chart music bobs to one self-serious whitewashed dembow beat, Hot Chip stay nerdy, with an optimistic, unabashedly camp pop album. A Bath Full of Ecstasy isn’t concerned with writing an obvious banger. Hot Chip don’t use drops. Instead, they consistently reward close listening with little treasures, like on Echo, where a deceptively barebones instrumental is coloured with keys that decay slightly differently every few seconds, and bass that uses flourishes so understated they’re basically subconscious. The sunny presentation of No God is downright cheesy, which is nothing new with this band – just look at that album cover – but their giddy appreciation of all sides of dance music could melt away the cynicism of any music fan. [Stephen Butchard] Listen to: Hungry Child, Echo
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Pure Rinsed With Rinse FM taking over Sneaky Pete’s every Wednesday in June, we speak to Heaters’ founder Chris Murray and Huntleys + Palmers boss Andrew Thomson about the month-long residency
Interview: Nadia Younes
ver the last 15 years, London-based community radio station Rinse FM has offered a platform to both emerging and established DJs to showcase their talents and musical interests through a series of regular or one-off shows on the online radio station. This month, the station is taking the magic beyond the airwaves and back into the clubs, with two month-long residency programmes. While the London residency is set to take over Thursday nights at East London club The Pickle Factory, the Edinburgh edition slots in on Wednesday nights at Sneaky’s regular midweek party Heaters. Chris Murray, aka C-Shaman, is the brains behind the night, having launched Heaters at Sneaky Pete’s in January last year. “I was fortunate to come in at the time that I did because obviously Witness were moving on to do different things, which left the space,” he says. “I never expected to be offered the weekly residency – that was a real amazing moment.” In anticipation of the upcoming residency, Murray assisted in programming a 12-hour Heaters takeover on Rinse FM last month, demonstrating the wealth of talent Edinburgh currently has to offer, with the likes of Sneaky’s regulars Telfort, Percy Main and Miss World all contributing an hour each. “It’s been such a good opportunity for me to get to work with such a diverse bunch of people who are into a really broad range of stuff, and then put them on a radio station that is massive, to be like ‘this is a little slice of Edinburgh from this Wednesday club night at this 100-person venue’,” says Murray. When it came to booking the acts for the residency, the team at Heaters and Sneaky’s focused on teaming up a headline act, each of whom present shows on Rinse, with a local support act for each night. “We obviously had a list of people that are Rinse residents, then we kind of went through them, whittled a few names down just with availability and stuff, then got the four guests that we’ve got, which we’re really happy about,” he says. “Then it was just kind of looking at, for example, Jess Cohen is like the perfect fit for warming up for object blue… And Andrew [Thomson] from Huntleys + Palmers… because he’s done stuff with Lionoil before, I got Matt [Belcher, aka Percy Main] involved for that warm-up.”
Chris Murray
Thomson kicks off the residency on the first Wednesday in June, ahead of a trio of Londonbased DJs, and fellow Rinse show-holders, object blue, Willow and Laurence Guy. Now approaching his fifth year on the station, Thomson began his Huntleys + Palmers show with friend and fellow Glasgow-based DJ Auntie Flo, but as of last year he now presents the show himself, with Auntie Flo moving on to present a solo show on Worldwide FM. In a similar vein to Murray’s Rinse takeover showcasing Scottish talent, Thomson recently put together a 16-hour broadcast showcasing DJs and producers he came across during his recent travels in Latin America. “Since I stopped promoting – it was like the end of 2017 – I’ve just been DJing all the time… so now I’ve been able to explore different parts of the world,” he says. “Over the years I’ve just been building up this network – and it was a totally organic, natural thing – but over time I was bringing over people whose music I liked, and then we became friends
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and the invitation was always there from them to bring me to wherever they lived.
“ Radio has been an amazing outlet to allow me to...share the platform I have with amazing and emerging artists from all over the world” Andrew Thomson
“The one interesting thing for me, especially in that part of the world, is… like I was mostly the gringo guy in every place I DJed; I was almost considered this exotic being because I came from Europe and it was a little bit weird to be in that position. I became really self-aware of the privilege of just running a label and being based in Europe. If I was doing the same thing and I lived in Colombia or wherever it would be a different thing, you would feel like you were detached from this community.” While Thomson was on his travels, Chileborn, Brazil-based producer Valesuchi called out renowned Amsterdam dance music festival Dekmantel for its failure to book a single Latin American artist on its 2019 line-up, despite the festival claiming Brazil to be its second home. This became a prominent topic of conversation during Thomson’s travels. “That ended up defining my trip as well, as every city I was visiting I kept bumping into people who were affected by this in some way or they had an opinion about it,
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Photo: Alix McIntosh
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and it was really interesting. It became this continual talking point the whole time I was away,” says Thomson. With community radio seemingly having a bit of a moment in the dance music community, and with two new stations opening in Scotland in the last year alone – LP Radio in Glasgow and EH-FM in Edinburgh – there is clearly an increase in appetite for the platform. The ability to provide a platform for artists who don’t often get that much exposure on this side of the world is one of the reasons Thomson says he is drawn to community radio. “One of the things I was beginning to find frustrating with promoting events was that my interest in new and diverse artists was at odds with the growing demand to book headliners and those who were guaranteed to sell tickets,” he says. “So radio has been an amazing outlet to allow me to pursue this and share the platform I have with amazing and emerging artists from all over the world; some of those have been on my radar and I’d love to have booked them at one point in time, others are people I’ve met on my travels and they’ve blown me away, and I’m really grateful for Rinse to allow me to do this without the pressure of having big names.” While on a more localised scale, with his weekly 6-8pm slot on EH-FM, the appeal for Murray comes from the ability to communicate and share ideas with fellow promoters and DJs on the local scene in less anti-social circumstances. “One of the big allures for me is having this non-club-orientated music space, and a more sober networking environment I think as well. There’s actual room to make connections outwith 100 decibels and smoking areas,” he says. Community radio stations like Rinse FM have certainly helped pave the way for similar stations to crop up across the UK, and with this series of club residencies throughout the month it looks set to further prove its enduring relevance and importance in dance music culture. Heaters & Rinse FM present: Andrew Thomson, 5 Jun; object blue, 12 Jun; Willow, 19 Jun; Laurence Guy, 26 Jun, Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh
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June 2019
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Club, Actually Hidden Door returns to Edinburgh with an electronic extravaganza, Subculture continue their Subculture Live series, Perth party starters Groovement celebrate their sixth birthday and more feature in June’s clubbing highlights Hidden Door Weekender: George FitzGerald, Nathan Fake, Kelly Lee Owens and Maranta Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 31 May Following a successful funding bid, Hidden Door is returning for 2019 with a weekend of music and visual arts at Leith Theatre. The second night focuses on electronic music, as Edinburgh bar and record label Paradise Palms team up with the festival. George FitzGerald headlines, performing a live set, alongside Ninja Tune’s Nathan Fake and the inimitable Kelly Lee Owens. The line-up is completed by a host of local supports and Palms regulars including C-Shaman, Many Animals, The Reverse Engineer, Maranta and Jacuzzi General. Subculture: Larry Heard (live), Fatima and Paul Cut Sub Club, Glasgow, 1 Jun For the second instalment in the Subculture Live series, following Model 500’s show last month, Chicago house music legend Larry Heard returns to the Sub Club booth for his very own live set in the club. With numerous releases since the mid-80s under several different guises, most notably Mr. Fingers, Heard has earned a reputation as one of the most prolific producers on the scene. And as if that wasn’t enough, the support
line-up is just as inspired, with Heard set to be joined by French DJ Paul Cut and Swedish-born producer Fatima.
esteemed Canadian label 1080p. If those credentials aren’t enough to impress you, you must be hard to please.
Cooking with Palms Trax Pt. 9 La Cheetah Club, Glasgow, 1 Jun Palms Trax just can’t seem to get enough of that La Cheetah basement, as he’s back for his ninth residency night at the club, but this time he’s riding solo and taking the reins all night long. Since beginning his La Cheetah residency just over two years ago, the Berlin-based DJ has invited guests including Hunee, Josey Rebelle and Upsammy, as well as bringing Shanti Celeste, Avalon Emerson and Or:la with him for the club’s 2018/2019 New Year’s party. Going into his third residency year, we can’t wait to see what else he’s got in store.
Miss World: Iced Gem Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 7 Jun The Miss World crew invite Beatroots resident Iced Gem to join them for their latest Sneaky’s bash, following her incredible guest mix on their EH-FM radio show. At their last party over at The Mash House, the Beatroots Collective helped raise over £1500 for the Kamuzinda Clinic in rural Uganda, where Iced Gem and fellow resident Spud Cannon were joined by LuckyBabe, with visuals provided by Kiera Saunders. Good music for a good cause always sounds good to us.
Six Years of Groovement with LNS The Ice Factory, Perth, 1 Jun Groovement have been bringing parties to Perth’s Ice Factory for six whole years, and to celebrate that accomplishment they’ve invited Canadian DJ and producer Laura Sparrow, aka LNS, to help them mark the occasion. Affiliated with DJ Sotofett’s Wania label, Sparrow has released numerous collaborative tracks with the boss man himself, with other releases on DJ Fett Burger and Jayda G’s label Freakout Cult and
Lezure: Dr. Rubinstein La Cheetah Club, Glasgow, 8 Jun Marina Rubinstein, aka Dr. Rubinstein, may be one of many DJs based in the techno hub of Berlin, but the Russian-born DJ stands out from the crowd with her thrilling selections and distinct presence. Rubinstein has built a strong reputation internationally since relocating to the German capital from Tel Aviv seven years ago, with her sets often rooted in acid techno and 90s rave, and you can now find her performing in clubs and at festivals around the world.
Words: Nadia Younes Return to Mono with Slam, Surgeon and Noncompliant Sub Club, Glasgow, 14 Jun Glasgow duo Slam bring us a techno feast this month, like they do most months, for their regular Return to Mono night at Sub Club. Regarded as one of the most important figures in UK techno, Surgeon’s reputation in electronic music is of the highest calibre. As well as releasing music on Slam’s own Soma Records, Surgeon also runs and releases music on his own labels Counterbalance and Dynamic Tension. Joining Surgeon on the bill is Midwest rave legend Noncompliant and Slam themselves. Schwefelgelb (live) Stereo, Glasgow, 21 Jun Two of Glasgow’s finest party starters, Shoot Your Shot and Brain Dancing join forces to bring Berlin duo Schwefelgelb to the basement of Stereo for a live set. With the visual staging an important part of their live show, the duo incorporate synced strobe lights and projections to accompany the music, making it a unique and unmissable experience. SYS resident Bonzai Bonner and the Brain Dancing duo, made up of Ross Anderson and Robert Etherson, will also be on hand for the warm-up. theskinny.co.uk/clubs
Guest Selector: Konx-om-Pax Glasgow producer and graphic designer Konx-om-Pax talks us through some of the music and art that influenced his new album, Ways of Seeing
Photo: Tom Scholefield
Interview: Nadia Younes
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n his latest album Ways of Seeing, Tom Scholefield, aka Konx-om-Pax, brings together the sounds of two cities, drawing influence from his hometown of Glasgow and his current home of Berlin, following a recent move to the German capital. With his recent move has also come a fresh approach to making music, gravitating towards warmer sounds and, in turn, producing a much more danceable record. There’s lots of collaboration on the new record too, as Scholefield teams up with fellow Berlin resident Silvia Kastel on Säule Acid, while Glasgow-based DJ and producer Nightwave lends vocals to I’m for Real. Scholefield also worked with Glasgow-born producer Ross Birchard, better known as Hudson Mohawke, on the album’s lead single LA Melody, developed at Birchard’s LA home. Of the track, Scholefield says: “I generally write music alone, but being around other producers gave me a certain excited energy that reminded me of after-parties back in Glasgow where Ross and myself spent our youth together.” Along with the lead single, Scholefield also
June 2019
released an accompanying trailer for the album incorporating his distinct visual style. With his artistic influences rooted in visuals as well as music, Scholefield tells us about some of the tracks and artworks that influenced his new album, and those that have influenced him throughout his career.
MUSICAL INFLUENCES Transllusion Dimensional Glide [Supremat, 2001] Out of all the amazing material Drexciya have made this has to be my favourite. It’s definitely the main inspiration behind I’m for Real on my album. Om Bhima’s Theme [Daymare Recordings, 2007] Sleep and Om are a couple of my favourite bands; super slow and heavy as hell. Om asked me to support them in Glasgow a few years ago. I’ll
never forget Al Cisneros complimenting me on my bass sound and passing me the blunt after I played. They’re such an amazing live band that induce a trance-like state of mind.
sometimes called the Polish HR Giger and it’s easy to see why. His paintings sit somewhere between Dali and Giger, and in general are pure nightmare fuel.
Tommy Wright III Murda in da 1st Degree [Street Smart Records, 1994] Martyn from LuckyMe put me onto a lot of the mid-90s Memphis rap material. I love how brutal and lo-fi it all sounds compared to the super polished modern stuff. Legowelt’s Memphis Rap mixtapes are highly recommended for people that want to hear more.
Jack Kirby – Brahma’s Pavilions of Joy Kirby makes some of the most tripped-out images you’ll ever see. I love the colour palette he used in this series.
Regis White Stains [Downwards, 2001] This is what it sounds like when you reach the gates of techno heaven. When I was recording the album I was listening to tonnes of Regis and Surgeon. I love the feel of their stuff but wanted to add more melodic elements to their basic techno framework. Shinichi Atobe Butterfly Effect [DDS, 2014] Big fan of everything on Chain Reaction but his material stands out more because of the melancholic emotional elements. This track is simply beautiful to listen to.
VISUAL INFLUENCES Zdzisław Beksiński – Untitled Beksiński was a Polish surrealist painter who was
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Jake & Dinos Chapman – The Sum of All Evil I was looking at the Chapman Brothers’ work a lot when I was designing my album cover. I’ve always been interested in miniature set designs and diorama pieces you see in museums. There’s something deeply disturbing about their work and the level of details make it even more horrifying. Katsuhiro Otomo – Akira Undoubtedly one of the biggest visual inspirations for me for over a decade. There’s a subtle Akira reference in my album cover actually. I’ve been lucky enough to have been working with Koji Morimoto recently on a project with Kode9. He was one the animators on Akira back in the 80s. H.R. Giger – Necronomicon I was probably introduced to Giger’s work at far too young an age via Aliens action figures. His biomechanic style of work has haunted my dreams since I was a child. Alien and Aliens have to be some of my favourite films to watch on repeat. Ways of Seeing is released on 14 Jun via Planet Mu Konx-om-Pax plays Rubadub, Glasgow, 7 Jun
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Please Read This Leaflet Carefully By Karen Havelin
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mid-thirties, Laura has landed on a fulfilling rhythm for her life. This is where we enter Laura’s story and, in a way, this is also where it ends, for Please Read This Leaflet Carefully is a story told in reverse. As the years rewind, from 2016 to 1995, readers witness her life unfold; Laura discovers the heartache and triumphs of relationships with family, friends and romances while negotiating her uncooperative body. Pushing through emotional and physical pain, she rides the wave of her life that takes her from Norway to England, Paris to New York City. Havelin’s debut excels in capturing the nuances of personal relationships that some readers may find familiar: tension with a parent, absolute devotion to a child, as well as the odyssey of exploring one’s own sexuality. Throughout it all is the thread of chronic illness as it disrupts and challenges Laura, though the novel makes it clear that even if you don’t have control over every aspect of your life, you can still have control over your own narrative. Like all stories with poetic realism, Laura’s isn’t neat, but readers will treasure her as she finds her footing with remarkable humanity. [Emily Corpuz] Dead Ink, 31 May, £11.99 deadinkbooks.com/product/leaflet/
Rhyme Watch June brings a poetry prize, highly anticipated releases and a look at some of the regular poetry events happening across the country
Naturally Tan By Tan France
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he first week in June is your final week to enter the Wigtown Poetry Prize. There are five categories to enter, with the main prize offering a huge £1500 for first place and £200 to a runner up. For those of you who write in Scots or in Scots Gaelic there are additional prizes tailored specially to your work. These take the form of the Wigtown Scots Prize and the Wigtown Scottish Gaelic Prize, both with a cash prize of £500. Perhaps the most exciting of the five categories though is the brand new Alastair Reid Pamphlet Prize. Poets are asked to submit 8-12 of their best poems (with a limit of 12 pages) for the chance to win 30 copies of their pamphlet with its text set by The Dark Horse’s very own Gerry Cambridge. The deadline for the prizes, including the Dumfries & Galloway Fresh Voice Award, is 7 June, with winners announced in Wigtown in the autumn. So why not give judges John Burnside, Gerda Stevenson and Kevin MacNeil some standout summer reading and submit before the deadline passes. A few months ago Iona Lee performed an incredible set at Smeaton House in East Linton alongside the powerhouse poet Hannah Lavery. The event is a new feature in East Lothian’s calendar and one that we’d encourage poetry fans to make the trip for. Smeaton House is a beautiful venue, with the poetry readings taking place in the cafe-meets-art gallery. Wine and nibbles were available, and the evening passed in cosy intimacy. Smeaton’s next poetry reading, hosted by Jacqueline Whymark, will be taking place on Friday 7 June at 7.30pm – the perfect way to relax after submitting your poems to Wigtown. Scotland’s National Slam Champion, Dr Calum Rodger, will be performing a feature set and poets are welcome to take a five minute open mic slot on the night.
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Although technically released in May, Janette Ayachi’s debut collection, Hand Over Mouth Music, is launching in the Scottish Poetry Library on Thursday 20 June. Published by Liverpool University Press, Ayachi’s first full collection has been much anticipated after her widely admired first two pamphlets, Pauses at Zebra Crossings (2012) and A Choir of Ghosts (2013). The launch event will not only feature a reading from Ayachi, but also from the popular and talented poets Annie Brechin and Rob A. MacKenzie. This is a great opportunity to not only buy a copy of Hand Over Mouth Music, but also hear three wonderful poets read fresh, new work. There are so many poetry events happening across Scotland that it’s often difficult to choose. There’s Poetry at Inn Deep (hosted every Tuesday) continuing as a firm favourite in the Glasgow calendar. There’s open mic night Inky Fingers on the first Tuesday of the month in Edinburgh’s Lighthouse Books. There’s Speculative Books running Poetry at The Parlour (Glasgow) every Sunday night. There’s a whole explosive poetry scene in Aberdeen that many of us Central Belt-ists have yet to explore (check out the Poetry and Spoken Word Facebook page for more on this). But standing out in the event calendar this month is the William Fuller Poetry Reading on 13 June in Typewronger Books, Edinburgh. Fuller is a poet from Chicago who’s had many books published, most recently Magic Comma Natural, a pamphlet published in 2018 by Crater Press. He’ll be joined by some of the most exciting and experimental poets writing in Scotland at the moment: Andrew Spragg, Zein Sa’dedin, Daisy Lafarge, Oli Hazzard and Joe Luna. This is sure to be something a bit different than many events in the poetry calendar, and one we're incredibly excited to see.
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Part memoir, part commentary and advice on all things style, love, work and politics, Naturally Tan is a joy. For those unfamiliar with Tan France, he’s the ‘style guy’ on Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye, and the first openly gay, British-South Asian man on a mainstream, global TV show. He tells us what it was like to grow up in a close-knit Muslim community in small town Yorkshire, and how he always dreamed of bigger things, first convinced he was going to be a Bollywood star, and then determined to succeed in the world of fashion. It’s an interesting, entertaining look into his life before Queer Eye, how he set up his own businesses, and eventually settled down in Utah with his Mormon cowboy husband. He doesn’t shy away from topics of homophobia, racism and mental health, and how they’ve touched his life and influenced his decisions. It’s also clear that he takes the unexpected role of representative for South Asians with great responsibility and hopes to pave the way for more people who don’t fit the mould. Laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes blunt and always honest, reading Naturally Tan is like hanging out with Tan himself, as he celebrates personal acceptance, rejoices in his marriage, his family and his friends. His memoir will absolutely appeal to Queer Eye fans, as well as inspire anyone wondering how to make their voice heard in a world that doesn’t always want to listen. [Sim Bajwa]
Most stories in Xuan Juliana Wang’s first collection go deep enough to really feel the anxieties of protagonists who are young, troubled by the constraints of money whether rich or poor, and living between Beijing and America. A common strand across several stories is the push-pull factor between meeting expectations of parents, and following the desire to behave freely, live young and fast, and drift aimlessly between pleasures of cars, alcohol and life on the edges of buzzing social scenes. In opening story Mott Street in July, three children are left in an apartment alone after first their father, and then mother, leave to fulfil a life outside of parental obligations. In White Tiger of the West, a young man hires a disappointingly small convention centre to establish himself as a spiritual leader, told from the perspective of a young girl whose parents run a travel agency, and who has never forgotten the odd stranger who boasted of killing a white tiger with his bare hands in front of a sceptical crowd filling up a handful of chairs. Studded with poetic lines, (‘He wanted to be someone who saw the ocean from the sky’), Home Remedies is full of soulful, Beijing-based coming of age stories for an older millennial crowd, putting off the responsibilities (or ramifications) of adulthood for as long as possible, searching for a sense of meaning in the meantime. [Laura Waddell]
Virgin Books, 6 Jun, £16.99
Atlantic Books, 6 Jun, £12.99
penguin.co.uk/books/
atlantic-books.co.uk/book/home-remedies/
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Home Remedies By Xuan Juliana Wang
salt slow By Julia Armfield
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My Name is Monster By Katie Hale
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Julia Armfield’s debut collection of short stories, salt slow is an absolute joy to read. It’s visceral and abject, and much of the writing is beautiful. The craft behind each story and sentence is palpable yet effortless in a way that only the most talented writers can achieve. A highlight of the collection is The Great Awake, a story which explores sleep and our turbulent relationship with having and not having it. Armfield personifies sleep and cuts it from the human experience, creating a world where Sleeps are separate entities from their people, leaving us in a state of constant wakefulness. In another, Cassandra After, a woman’s dead girlfriend returns to her as a living cadaver, only to continue rotting in the protagonist’s home. It’s pieces like this and The Great Awake which most captured the attention and imagination, both for the brilliant execution of plot and the askew strangeness of each concept. Her writing often reflects the world as a dreamlike counter-reality, which somehow sharpens the image by distorting it and it’s hoped this strangeness is expanded in the author’s future work. The writing forces the reader to examine everyday anxieties and relationships in ways which are unfamiliar yet pointedly perceptive. Armfield is certainly a writer to look out for in the future. [Beth Cochrane]
My Name is Monster is a powerful and unflinching story of a woman nicknamed Monster, who survives the Sickness, a disease that seems to have killed the majority of the world’s population. She washes up on the coast of Scotland, having travelled by sea from the Arctic vault that kept her safe and sets off to find a place to survive. She believes herself to be the lone survivor, until she comes across a young girl, alone and almost feral. Deciding to name the girl after herself, she takes on the role of Mother, determined to teach her daughter how to survive. And then, as Monster grows up, guided and protected by Mother, we learn through her narrative what she wants from life and the ways in which she decides to rebel. This is a humane, tender and often painful exploration of the ways in which daughters consider themselves to be braver, smarter and more independent than their mothers, as well as the strength of love and hope in an empty world. Hale has crafted a gripping and intense dystopian fairytale, digging into the differences between Monster and Mother, and how they hold onto each other and push each other away, even as they depend on each other for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Beautifully written, it’s a must-read for anyone interested in power dynamics between parents and children. [Sim Bajwa]
Picador, 30 May, £12.99
Canongate, 6 Jun, £14.99
panmacmillan.com/authors/julia-armfield/salt-slow
canongate.co.uk/books/2713-my-name-is-monster/
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Where Art Now? It’s degree show time. Dundee has already been and gone, and three more are coming this month. There are new shows coming across Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow, as well as upcoming deadlines for residencies, exhibition opportunities and prizes
Degree Shows Glasgow School of Art and Edinburgh College of Art are head to head again this year, both running from 1-9 June. After seeing two cohorts’ worth of artwork, there’s a week of recovery and eye resting before Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen unveils their offerings from the final year students there. Gray’s degree show runs from 15-22 June. Exhibitions Also celebrating their year of art making, the primary 5s of the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop’s Schools Programme present three terms’ worth of performance, print, painting, ceramics and sculpture, made with the help of some of the most exciting contemporary artists based in Scotland. Titled Emotes, the exhibition is a takeover of the exhibition spaces of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, and runs from 11-18 June, from 10am-4pm (closed Sunday), and has a public opening event on 11 June from 4-6pm. During June, there’s a host of grassroots organised art events as part of Annuale 2019. For the full programme check www.annuale.co.uk for 2019 updates. Last year’s programme included exhibitions, a football tournament, and artists and writer-led walks through different locations in Edinburgh. This year’s Annuale runs from 7-23 June.
DCA opens its summer show from Patrick Staff on 22 June, running until 1 September. The work presented is the culmination of several years’ research by the LA-based artist, and comes from readings and reworkings of an 1810 play The Prince of Homburg. Staff begins with the text by Heinrich von Kleist and from there draws out narratives and strategies of the ‘exhausting sleepwalking figure as political dissident’, and from here meets present day queer and trans identities including pop talent Macy Rodman, and transfemme writer and archivist Che Gossett. David Dale Gallery open their exhibition of the work of artist and writer Morgan Quaintance. See an interview with him at theskinny.co.uk/art, where he explains his relationship with avantgarde sound and moving image. Residencies and Opportunities Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada are accepting applications for a range of residences for artists, writers, musicians and performers. Banff Centre has been going since 1933 and is based in the dramatic landscape of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. As a centre for creative development, Banff has gained international renown for the programmes offered. To apply for the latest round of residencies, visit banffcentre.ca.
Words: Adam Benmakhlouf
Shannon Patterson, Painting at ECA
Deadline: varies for different programmes, through June, July and August For all the painting graduates out there, there’s the ARTPIQER’s Painting Award 2019. They’re offering prizes of up to €5000, as well as a promotional platform and networking opportunities to emerging artists that work with paint and have studied the medium at university level. There’s a €20 submission fee, and the deadline is 30 June. For artists not (just) working in paint, there’s the Scottish Portrait Award. They are open to submissions in any medium. They say, ‘The diversity of fine art works in the Scottish Portrait
Awards exhibitions is a key strength that sets it apart from other portrait competitions. The only limitation is on the size of the work.’ Submissions can be no smaller than 30cmx30cm, then no larger than 150cmx150cm. The prizes are £5000, £1000 and £500, then a special £500 prize for artists aged 16-25. Alchemy Film and Arts Exhibitions Programme are currently looking for artists to show moving image work in the Scottish Borders Town of Hawick from September 2019 to March 2020. They offer a £500 fee, as well as a range of different curatorial and technical support. Deadline: 10 June
David Austen Dundee Contemporary Arts rrrrr
The theatre of Robert Anton is suitably presented in Tramway’s smaller room, displaying miniature figurines and illustrations of the artist’s theatrical work. Texas-born Anton quickly reached cult status after moving to New York in 1970. Despite the distinguished reputation of his theatre work – audience members included Yoko Ono and John Lennon – he still managed to preserve an intimacy in his shows. He banned any documentation of his work and allowed only a maximum of 18 invited people to see his performances at once. The exhibition consists of over 40 ‘actors’, props, drawings and a documentary film of audience members recalling their experience of the show. With huge tits and golden claws these figurines may be small but they are in no way demure. Despite each face being roughly the size of a large thumb, they are incredibly detailed with realistic wrinkles and full sets of fake eyelashes. The documentary does less to enlighten the viewer than to tease them, as information is leaked in drips. The interviewees themselves seem to embody 1970s New York, the city and people that inspired Anton’s work. Despite the heinous style of the artwork these plays were a way for Anton to express himself freely with the audience frequently describing it as a spiritual experience. One particularly moving interviewee and close friend of Anton states, “They could make you cry.” In many ways Robert Anton fits the often over-romanticised portrayal of the artist as a solitary and melancholic figure, including his fittingly tragic death during the start of the AIDS crisis. But in the age of blockbuster shows and Instagram-famous artists, there is something extremely humble in his utter sincerity. Now, when the existence of true sub-cultures seems especially unsustainable, it is a great time to reflect on the work of the cult artist Robert Anton. [Katie Dibb]
In a short black and white film, artist David Austen tells the story of his death, while painted to mimic the found photograph of a clown (circa 1930s) that hangs at the entrance of the dark space. The film is one way into the paintings in the surrounding galleries. They are luminous with complex planes, depths and textures, even while there is something deliberately uncomfortable about them. The Swimmer (2012) is a heavily outlined male figure (with lactating nipples) folding in on himself in a glorious field of cerulean blue. DCA gallery 2 is lit starkly by a naked bulb and holds two small drawings on paper. One of them, Exit (1985) depicts a wobbly cartoon of a staghorned flasher who would not be out of place in Botticelli’s upper circle of hell, and whose open mac reveals an outpouring of angelic cherubs and woodland animals. In the centre, a grid of watercolours depict figures fucking, impotent, thinking, despairing, nurturing children, dying. Their simplicity reveals great skill in capturing everything you might expect from a human being. In Gallery 1 there’s a large yellow sculputral object like an orbiting cutout, repeated as an orange object in the main gallery and unpainted steel in the foyer. Holding the space successfully, they also speak to elements of Austen’s collages. A grid of repeated heads underneath is perhaps an insight into a daily task of the artist, running from 2016-19 showing stylistic and material shifts. The steady expression remains. As a whole, the exhibition Underworld is like a dream that requires the visitor to piece parts together. It is non-linear and out-of-focus but with an internal logic. The exhibition notes present Austen as a ‘creator of worlds’ and this seems true, in a quiet way. [Kate McLeod]
David Austen, Underworld, Installation view
Until 6 Jul
June 2019
ART
Photo: Ruth Clark
Image caption Robert Anton, Clown(s) 7, 6, and 5, 1976-77, Courtesy of the Bette Stoler Collection
Photo: Keith Hunter
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Until 9 Jun
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In Cinemas Support the Girls
Director: Andrew Bujalski Starring: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, James LeGros, AJ Michalka, Dylan Gelula, Shayna McHayle, Lea DeLaria
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There’s a version of Support the Girls that winks as it cheats its audience with the shallow promise of ‘girl power’, a version that begs reward for performing the easier – lazier – task of courting sisterhood, in all its slippery allure, without actually getting at anything true. The film Andrew Bujalski has made instead is an empathetic, refreshingly incisive portrait of women at work, principally the work of navigating men, professionally and personally. None of it would quite take shape without the wonderfully layered, considered performance from Regina Hall as Lisa, manager of a Hooterslike sports bar called Double Whammies. Lisa’s warm, maternal, no-nonsense devotion to her waitresses – among them single mother Danyelle (a charismatic Junglepussy) and bubbly secondin-command Maci (Haley Lu Richardson) – frequently puts her in the crosshairs of her
racist boss Cubby (James Legros) and also, as we come to find out, her husband. The film unfolds largely over a single day as Lisa encounters one problem after another, and what forms is a microcosm of all the things that trouble women in the workplace: micro-management, child care, sexual harassment and so on. Support the Girls manages a rather deft balancing act: it’s as funny as it is generous; the cheeky double entendre title and our heroines, clad in revealing crop tops and denim cutoffs, ultimately prove a misdirect. The joke is never on them. Rather, it’s the humour of constructive optimism that animates the picture. Bujalski, who resists the urge to telegraph the film’s feminist underpinnings, reckons seriously and realistically with the limits of their world, where industry abuses against women are so old and common they hardly even disturb anymore. At the end, what these women have is a fearsome resilience deeply linked to the ways they love and protect and rely on each other. Their sisterhood is forged out of real, hard things and those are the bonds that resonate. [Kelli Weston] Released 28 Jun by Bulldog Film Distribution; certificate 15
In Fabric
Director: Peter Strickland Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Fatma Mohamed, Leo Bill, Hayley Squires, Gwendoline Christie
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Pitched somewhere between Suspiria and Are You Being Served?, Peter Strickland’s fourth feature is both his most ambitious film and his funniest. In Fabric revolves around the plush Dentley & Sober’s department store, which is populated by vampiric staff who use semen and menstrual blood to create haunted garments that are then sold to unsuspecting customers. One of these customers is Sheila (Marianne JeanBaptiste), a single mother who purchases a red dress as part of an attempt to kick-start her love life, but this malevolent and seemingly indestructible gown has a life of its own. A haunted dress, a violently malfunctioning washing machine, Gwendoline Christie’s face on a pair of underpants and dialogue like “the hesitation in your voice, soon to be an echo in the spheres of retail”; In Fabric is a baroque, fantastical creation that frequently risks ridicule.
Strickland’s elegant style and exacting attention to detail that distinguished Berberian Sound Studio and The Duke of Burgundy holds it all together, creating a campy, unsettling and intoxicating environment populated with eccentric characters. Leo Bill frequently lapses into a trancelike state when discussing washing machine repair, while the chameleonic Fatma Mohamed’s precise body language and delivery is entirely captivating, but the performances from Jean-Baptiste and later Hayley Squires crucially keep the film grounded in a recognisable reality. There’s a jarring mid-film twist that not every viewer will be on board with, and the second half lacks the impact of the first, but this choice emphasises a sense of randomness in the deaths wreaked by the phantom dress and confirms that Strickland is determined to push his storytelling into risky new areas and confound audience expectations. It’s another extraordinarily rich and strange work from a unique filmmaker; what other contemporary British director would require a citation for “mannequin pubic hair” in their closing credits? [Philip Concannon] Released 28 Jun by Curzon; certificate TBC
Support the Girls
Gloria Bell
Director: Sebastian Lelio Starring: Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Michael Cera, Alanna Ubach, Sean Astin
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Hollywood adaptations of foreign language films are often little more than craven cash grabs. However, if you consider the scarcity of leading roles for women over 50, you can excuse Julianne Moore for asking Chilean director Sebastian Lelio to remake his critically acclaimed 2013 film Gloria so she could star in it. A comedy-drama about a middle-aged woman embarking on an ill-fated romance, the action might have shifted from Santiago to Los Angeles, but Gloria (Moore) is still searching for love in all the wrong places. But one night, on the dance floor of a local singles’ club, she encounters Arnold (John Turturro), a shy divorcee who forces her to reconsider her fears about being alone. Moore’s effervescent performance adds a sensuality that’s arguably missing from the original, but otherwise little has changed in this shot-for-shot remake. Lelio has described the film as a cover version and, just like American singer Laura Branigan’s rendition of Umberto Tozzi’s pop song Gloria, the language might have changed but the sentiment remains the same. [Patrick Gamble] Released 6 Jun by Curzon; certificate 15
Diego Maradona
Director: Asif Kapadia Starring: Diego Maradona
We the Animals
Dirty God
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Director: Jeremiah Zagar Starring: Evan Rosado, Josiah Gabriel, Isaiah Kristian
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Asif Kapadia (Amy, Senna) returns with another rich, candid and immersive documentary about the true price of fame, turning his attention here to Argentina and Napoli footballing icon Diego Maradona. For a moment he was the greatest player in the world, forgiven of all sins for the love of football until it was no longer enough. Kapadia’s film is interrogative and sharp but peaks in its documentation of the stunning chaos of football in Napoli at this particular moment, as the city came to terms with its adoration for their very own Jekyll and Hyde. Perhaps there is more to be explored in greater depth, especially within Maradona’s ties with the Camorra (Mafia-esque clans in Naples), the corruption beneath his glory and the suffering in his drug addiction. But the footage Kapadia slices together makes it clear to see why Maradona’s flaws were all too easy to overlook. The frenetic, invigorating beauty of one man’s skill renders us as captivated and helpless as any defender he faced on the pitch. [Caitlin Quinlan] Released 14 Jun by Altitude; certificate TBC
Gloria Bell
For all its ochre-hued images of Nowheresville, USA and its elliptical rambling through the past of its young protagonist, Jonah, We the Animals does an impressive job of avoiding simple nostalgia. Jonah’s childhood is, after all, not entirely simple. And his recollections are not delivered from distance or hindsight; the narrating voice we hear belongs to the same boy we see – he is trapped there somehow, still alive to the threat of those times. His is a family bound by fractious love and bolstered by a primal pack mentality. His mother is a bruised, crumpled hostage to the men in her life, his father’s idea of a swimming lesson involves controlled drowning and his brothers are a hair’s breadth away from the angry explosion of adolescence. A last act revelation lights the fuse on another detonation. This one is all Jonah’s. It is unhurried, unforced and an uncompromising gut-punch. An apt end to a work that acutely grasps the emotional dissonance borne of family ties; a film that understands how the conditions that drive us together might also beget the forces that tear us apart. [Phil Kennedy]
Director: Sacha Polak Starring: Vicky Knight, Katherine Kelly, Eliza Brady-Girard
Dirty God makes its point from the off. A roaming montage of close-ups uncovers, piece by piece, a mosaic of scarred skin. High in the soundtrack, Sevdaliza’s Human intones: “I am flesh, bones / I am skin, soul.” Abstract images cohere and we meet Jade, a young woman being discharged from hospital after a brutal acid attack. This is a world where what’s on the outside counts. Jade’s rehabilitation is defined by this. She has a daughter to raise and trauma to process, but she diverges from the conventional to pursue a path to the flesh. Seeking the liberation of sex and scratching at the frustrations imposed by her body, she is desperate to recover her social life, cycling all the while through states of anger and shame. Her attempts and failures hit with visceral force, and Dirty God is successful in presenting rarely seen desires without judgement or artifice. But there are compromises as a result of a fixation with the surface. There’s plenty of flesh, skin and bones, but it comes at the expense of some soul. [Phil Kennedy] Released 7 Jun by Modern Film; certificate 15
Released 14 Jun by Eureka Entertainment; certificate 15
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FILM & TV
THE SKINNY
At Home Blue Black Permanent
Tuca & Bertie
Hings
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Director: Margaret Tait Starring: Celia Imrie, Gerda Stevenson, Jack Shepherd Margaret Tait’s career stretched from the early 1950s almost all the way through to her death in 1999, during which time she proved herself one of 20th century Scotland’s most empathetic filmmakers. This BFI release of 1992’s Blue Black Permanent will be celebrated for bringing Tait’s sole feature-length work to a wider audience, but it’s best viewed as a Tait starter-pack. With the feature as its centrepiece, the release draws from across Tait’s work to present Blue Black Permanent alongside three of her earlier films. What’s especially pleasing about the nature of the package is that the accompanying shorts, rather than being a rushed grab-bag, contain recognisable strands of Tait’s work that all feed directly into the feature. Blue Black Permanent follows two timelines: one with visual artist Barbara (Imrie) and the other with her mother, Greta (Stevenson). While Barbara attempts to understand and grapple with her mother’s untimely death, Tait simultaneously recounts the events leading up to Greta’s passing years earlier. These flashbacks are a memory play composed of creaking textures and half-remembered dreams, but this writer longed for Tait to commit fully to that combination instead of continually cutting back to Barbara, whose purpose is merely to process the flashbacks for us. There’s more than enough detail in Greta’s sequences – details of Scottish landscapes and old houses – to make the film a moving enough elegy. Still, when taken alongside the shorts, Tait’s artistry is undeniable. See, for example, how A Portrait of Ga precedes Blue Black Permanent’s maternalism, or how Rose Street’s quiet evocation of the Edinburgh street of the same name flaunts Tait’s knack for documenting Scottish culture. Even The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo, a visual interpretation of Gerard Manley Hopkins’ eponymous poem, showcases Tait’s editing skills, which carefully avoid making the images too literal an adaptation of Hopkins’ text. [Thomas Atkinson]
Created by: Lisa Hanawalt Starring: Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong, Steven Yeun Fans of creator Lisa Hanawalt’s human-animal hybrids made famous by Bojack Horseman may flock (pun intended) to this similarly inventive world, but aside from non-stop visual gags and the zoologically diverse world the comparison ends here. The titular avian heroines are ordinary women in what would be an ordinary (though very well-scripted) sitcom were it not for its colourful, anarchic universe. The show takes a few episodes to find its feet and justify the uniqueness of its setting, and the full-on psychedelics of the visuals are not an easy sell. However, when it finds its stride with its feathered friends’ antics, corporate satire and razor-sharp depictions of everyday sexism, Tuca & Bertie takes flight. The outstanding comedic voice cast makes the most outlandish scenarios feel entirely natural. Most of the histories of Tuca (Haddish), Bertie (Wong) and Speckle (Yeun) come out through flashbacks and casual conversation, which keeps the plot pacey and characterisations unforced. Perhaps the only other way Tuca & Bertie could be compared to Bojack is its exploration of mental health. Addiction, anxiety and trauma are everyday mainstays of its protagonists’ lives and depicted with a casualness that is both horrifying and relieving. This cleareyed approach to the all-pervasive reality of living sober or dealing with the remnants of assault allows the show to give these experiences appropriate weight while not losing its optimism and whimsy. In ten episodes, Tuca & Bertie creates a fleshed-out world with two messy, believable protagonists and their long-term, long-suffering relationship. It is an ode to female friendships and solidarity in the literal and figurative jungle of modern life, where having one’s life together is nothing more than an illusion. It is a delightful, poignant watch – just don’t think too much about how pet ownership or deli meats work in this society. [Carmen Paddock] Currently streaming on Netflix
Released on dual format (Blu-ray and DVD) on 17 Jun by BFI
June 2019
Director: Kris Cummins and David Gray Starring: Chris McQueer, Scot Greenan, Mark Dallas A single episode of Game of Thrones will set you back around $10 million, and that won’t even cover the CGI required to let Jon Snow pet his loyal direwolf. So it’s clear that with a yearly budget of just £32 million, the new BBC Scotland channel is operating somewhere between shoestring and skint by TV standards. It’s a smart move then for the channel to take a punt on Chris McQueer and his surreal, hilariously bleak collection of short stories, Hings. So fat-free is McQueer’s writing that he conjures visceral characters in only a page or two, which makes his stories perfect fodder for low-budget micro-comedy. The first three episodes of Hings run at just five minutes, but McQueer’s skew-whiff vision of Glasgow culture and the show’s vivid performances make them a cut above comedy sketches. The adaptations don’t always do justice to McQueer’s writing. The scatological twist of Night Bus, for example, is gut-busting on the page, but it doesn’t quite have the same shock factor on screen, even with the addition of some semi-digested sweetcorn. The episode does make up for its feeble twist with a twinkly David Hayman as a vape-smoking jakey joker, though. The coal black payoff of Sammy’s Welks, on the other hand, lands even harder after we witness the grotesque consequences of daft Sammy and his father’s exotic dinner choice. Directors Kris Cummins and David Gray do an admirable job of visualising McQueer’s worlds, bringing the pleasingly lo-fi cinematic sensibility they’ve honed in their own comic shorts. We’d love to see what they can do with McQueer’s more ambitious stories though. Sammy’s Welks, Shift Swap and Night Bus all hinge on the coal-black stings in their tails, but Hings has richer treasures. If the five-minute running time isn’t obligatory, let’s see the raucous female friendship of Bowls or the blissed-out summer love of Lads in the next series. [Jamie Dunn] Currently available on the BBC iPlayer
FILM & TV
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Spotlight on: Workers at the Fringe In the run-up to the Fringe, The Skinny launches a feature-series asking how we can make 2019 the fairest Fringe of them all. First stop: employees
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he Edinburgh Festival Fringe is legendary for launching the careers of some of our most beloved performers, writers and creatives, showcasing exceptional international work and drawing audiences in their millions from across the globe. What tend to get less attention are the people who arguably make it all happen – the bar staff, box office sellers and dozens of other workers who do the less glamorous tasks that make the Fringe the well-oiled machine that it is. The Fair Fringe campaign is helping to finally put these people centre-stage. Launched in 2017, it’s comprised of Fringe workers, Edinburgh residents, community activists and trade union campaigners who are fighting to end exploitation at the Fringe. “We knew we needed to take action against a problematic system of Fringe exploitation, in terms of workers not getting the minimum wage, and sometimes not even getting contracts at all,” says Bryan Simpson, an organiser with Unite The Union’s Fair Hospitality campaign – whose members play a central role in the Fair Fringe campaign. One of the first actions of the campaign was to conduct a survey alongside the Fringe Society – the biggest survey of Fringe workers ever carried out. The results were worrying but, Simpson says, not surprising. “The survey confirmed that there was a massive underpayment of workers,” says Simpson. “49% of workers were earning less than £7.50 an hour – the minimum wage at the time. That was either because [these companies] were only hiring young workers [current legislation allows for workers under 25 to be paid up to 40% less than
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those over 25] – or they were breaking the law.” So how are the Fair Fringe tackling this? Simpson says the first step was talking to workers about their rights. “We originally set out to raise consciousness about the treatment of workers at the Fringe and to inform workers of their rights. We did this by hosting collective learning events aimed at educating workers about their rights at work and how to enforce them. We wanted to raise the confidence of workers as a collective unit to take direct action against the worst employers, and to put pressure on the council,” explains Simpson. “Following months of lobbying, Edinburgh City Council voted unanimously to support the Fair Fringe Charter – a series of reforms and changes designed to make the Fringe a decent environment to work in. They’ve also adopted their own version, The Edinburgh Festivals Workers’ Welfare Commitment, which ensures workers are paid at least the local government public sector living wage, a ban on zero hour contracts and unpaid trial shifts, 100% of tips and better protection from discrimination and sexual harassment policies.” In Simpson’s mind, this was one of the campaign’s biggest wins. “[The council] have now made it part of their leasing agreement that, if someone wants to use one of their publicly owned venues, they’ve got to pay the local government living wage,” he says. “In my view, that was the most significant change – it will help improve the conditions and wages of thousands of workers, not just at the Fringe, but any time these venues are used.” However, there is still work to be done. This
Interview: Eliza Gearty Illustration: Susie Purvis
year, the Fair Fringe will continue their campaign against C Venues, one of the Fringe’s biggest employers, and a for-profit company who they claim have continued to use unpaid volunteers. They’ve been accused of paying workers £200 for the whole festival, and of imposing bad working conditions. The campaign have persuaded three of the company’s lease-holders to cut ties, and this summer will see them turn their attention to the other two. Simpson claims the campaign isn’t just about putting pressure on the worst employers – its also about working positively with venues who are keen to improve standards for the better. “The Stand Comedy Club have agreed to pay transport home for all staff after 11.30pm – they’re also just about to sign up to the Fair Hospitality charter,” he reveals. “We’re also in discussion with New Town Theatre – one of the biggest Fringe venues – and that’s going to be our central focus during the Fringe, in terms of hosting Fair Fringe drop ins.” The Fair Fringe campaign is also invested in addressing the murkier aspects of worker exploitation. Sexual harassment, for example, is already a contentious issue within the hospitality industry, and something that is amplified during the Fringe. “Sexual harassment exists in every workplace,” says Simpson. “But with [hospitality] you’ve got a toxic combination – a patriarchal culture of tips, where customers think that for the two hours they’re being served the worker is their servant; and the insecurity of a zero-hour contract.” Workers know they could have their hours cut instantly if they become ‘difficult’ or ‘cause
THEATRE
problems’ – leading to a reluctance to report incidents of sexual harassment. It’s all too easy for managers to take advantage of this and turn a blind eye to the sexual harassment occurring in their workplaces. “During the Fringe, this is even more magnified.” says Simpson. “You’ve got hospitality workers, you’ve got performers, you’ve got box office workers – all are vulnerable to sexual harassment, in a concentrated period of five weeks of mayhem, which exacerbates the patriarchal system of employment. There’s very little duty of care put in place for workers at the Fringe. Hospitality is bad enough – put that under the magnifying glass of the Fringe for five weeks, and you’ve got the potential for a toxic environment, rife with sexual harassment.” Paying for taxis for staff home after 11.30pm, as undertaken by The Stand, is an excellent step towards reducing these incidents, as is holding venues accountable for enforcing clear policies that prevent sexual harassment. It is vital that workers are aware of their right to speak up too, which is why the ‘Know Your Rights’ sessions are so important. In the aftermath of #MeToo, productions that address sexual harassment have been popular. Last year’s festival saw the staging of 29 shows with a #MeToo theme, and this year’s programme includes the debut one-woman show of the campaign’s key instigator, Rose McGowan. Bringing these stories to light at the festival is a positive step – and provides all the more incentive for companies to step up when it comes to their own sexual harassment policies. “Whether they intend it or not, arts organisations will never be able to achieve equal representation if they don’t start with employment conditions and wages,” says Simpson. The Fringe cannot keep relying on “unpaid internships, trial shifts and volunteers” if it wants to be truly inclusive, Simpson suggests. “The arts are very important to working-class lives,” he says. But too many “working class people are told that it is they [who] must sacrifice a decent wage and conditions in order to get that elusive role, which invariably goes to the person with connections.” Giving working-class stories a platform is commendable, he adds. But to really see a sustainable shift in representation, we must change “the long term structures” so that working-class voices can “progress organically through arts organisations” and rise to the top. fairfringe.org
THE SKINNY
Stage Directions Scotland plays host to a variety of theatrical wonders this month, from family-friendly circus-spectaculars to edgy, multimedia performances
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he smell of Fringe frenzy might already be in the air, but there’s no calm before the storm in Scottish theatre: there’s loads to look forward to before the Festival hits Edinburgh in August. Starting the summer off in style, stories of Scottish soldiers, 1990s ravers, post-apocalyptic teens and more are set to hit stages across the country in June. The Glasgow-based company Wonder Fools will be bringing their acclaimed show 549: Scots of the Spanish Civil War to Inverness (1 Jun), Edinburgh (6-8 Jun), Glasgow (11-12 Jun), Dundee (14-15 Jun) and Dunkeld (16 Jun) this month, telling the uncharted story of the 549 Scottish soldiers who joined the anti-fascist International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War. Another show providing an insight into gritty elements of (more recent) history is Wasteland, a riveting fusion-performance of dance, drama and music about post-mining communities in 90s South Yorkshire, brought to Glasgow by the Gary Clarke Company (15-16 Jun). Elsewhere, artists look to the future instead of the past – Harry Josephine Giles & co head to Edinburgh with Drone (4-5 Jun), which follows a aerial vehicle hovering above a dystopian, yet recognisable, nation, while Strange Town’s Stolen Futures (14-15 Jun) is an imaginative tale of one girl given the chance to escape from a post apocalyptic world. Both shows will take place at
June 2019
the Traverse Theatre. For a family-friendly day out, the youth arts festival Light The Blue will be returning to Aberdeen for its second year, taking place from 10-15 June. Highlights include APA’s Senior Youth Theatre’s performance of Abi Morgan’s Fugee (10 Jun), which follows 14-year-old Kojo’s life in the UK after fleeing from conflict in the Ivory Coast, and Modo’s circus spectacular production of Dracula (12 Jun). The Dundee Rep have some exciting productions on this month – notably, the Benny Lynch Story, the story of Scotland’s first ever world boxing champion (5 Jun) and The Fishamble’s Pat Kinevane Trilogy. The latter promises to be an intriguing mix, featuring Forgotten, a hybrid performance of Kabuki dance and Irish storytelling which has achieved huge international success (11 Jun), Silent, a moving portrait of homelessness and mental health and the recipient of an Olivier award in 2016 (12 Jun), and Underneath, another award-winning show about various individuals living on the fringes of society. Shakespeare lovers will be glad to hear that Bard in The Botanics will once again be taking place in Glasgow this month, this time with its ‘Muse of Fire’ programme. Celebrating its 18th birthday, the annual outdoor festival will be showcasing performances of As You Like it, directed by Gordon Barr, and a six-hander
THEM!
version of Henry V, directed by Jennifer Dick, (28 Jun) to kickstart the season. On the other side of the city, The National Theatre of Scotland are premiering a bizarrely intriguing adaption of the 1954 creepy-crawly sci-fi film Them! – Stewart Laing’s first project with the company since becoming its Associate Director. The NTS released a promo revealing that 150,000 leaf-cutter ants will be joining the cast, alongside Moulin Rouge actress Kiruna
THEATRE
Photo: Michaela Bodlovic
Words: Eliza Gearty
Stamell and Glaswegian pop queen Carla J Easton. If that piques your curiosity more than your squeamishness, don’t miss it: Laing and long-term collaborator Pamela Carter are known for blending artforms in a spectacular fashion, and Them! will feature music, television and film in its exploration of modern identity as well as all those ants. The show premieres at Tramway on 27 June and runs until 6 July.
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ICYMI No room for haters here! Growing is all about love and loving for both Amy Schumer and Rachel Jackson Words: Rachel Jackson Illustration: Emer Kiely
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eople who publically declare how much they hate Amy Schumer are the type of people proud that they don’t like Game of Thrones or something equally as popular. I find it odd how lonely you have to be to use Twitter to let your 119 followers know why they and the millions of people worldwide are so wrong. So this is my chance to fangirl over the world’s hottest current female stand-up and say, “Praise be, bitch.” I first discovered Amy Schumer’s talents when I watched Trainwreck and saw she starred, wrote and co-produced the film. I fell in love with it and with her. Hard. Her stints hosting SNL; The Leather Special on Netflix too. Even the concept was funny – that every comedian has a special where they are wearing leather and someday they’ll look back on it full of regret. So jokes. Fast forward a few years and her latest special Growing is now on Netflix which is like a two birds one stone kinda title as she’s pregnant during the filming and her career has skyrocketed.
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Review
She has the most amazing delivery and comic timing so it always baffles me when people seem to hate her as much as they do. It’s almost like they don’t think it’s attractive when a woman is multi-talented, crazy successful and doesn’t give a flying fuck what Brian from Bristol thinks about her. She also seems like a cool and nice person offstage too. She has a bit about being pregnant and how awful it is and it’s such a sharp, refreshing change from all the positive nonsense you usually hear about it. She says she’s the same amount of pregnant as Meghan Markle (coincidence much?!) but they couldn’t look any more different – she does the funniest impressions of her. That’s another thing about Amy Schumer. All the voices she does taking the piss out of people. It’s like that wee baby voice really condescending people seem to talk with and the faces she pulls while doing it are so, so funny. She also has a bit where she shows her
autistic husband’s drawing of her while she was in the hospital and how her sisters warned her not to be mad cos he ‘tried really hard’. She puts it up on the big screen for the audience to see and it’s hilariously bad! As well as being funny, she’s sensitive too. She talks in great detail and with such poignancy about how all of the things that make her husband unique, because of his autism, are
COMEDY
exactly the reasons she fell in love with him. I know it sounds cheesy but I actually cried at the end. Her last joke is so perfectly crafted, delivered and politically on point, and I just felt so inspired; seeing a woman I love smash her dreams to smithereens and feeling so determined to do the same. Rachel Jackson is an actor and comedian. She’s one of the stars of 90s Scottish rave movie Beats, currently in cinemas
THE SKINNY
Glasgow Music Tue 28 May
Fri 31 May
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £15.40
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20
LIGHTS
BAND OF FRIENDS
Canadian electro-pop singer dirtying up her melodies with analog synths and retro electronics.
A selection of former band members and friends celebrate the musical output of Rory Gallagher.
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £4
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6
KIT TRIGG
Rock band with a background in blues and soul music and songwriting in the vein of the Seattle grunge scene. MILD ORANGE
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £13.20
Orange is the name, orange is the game. Producing melting melodies, with an energy and vibrancy derived from a lust for smooth sounds. I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £13.50
LA-based duo consisting of Dallon Weekes and Ryan Seaman. WESTLIFE
THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £51.10 £102.15
The Irish pop group return for a tour with whoever is even left. MARIO CARIBE: FRET
THE LOW HANGING FRUITS
Four-piece covers band, playing songs by the likes of The Stooges, The Smiths and Sonic Youth, as well as a few original tracks. FIRST AID KIT (HUDSON TAYLOR)
SWG3, FROM 18:00, £35
The Swedish folk sister duo, whose music is joyously steeped in their trademark American woodsy folk and blues. ANEMONE (CORRIDOR)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £14.30
Montreal-based Anemone have a penchant for melodic classicism, 1960s pop rock and airy psychedelia. THE TREATMENT
STEREO, FROM 19:00, £10
Classic rock sounds from the Cambridge quintet of young chaps. EMILY MAE WINTERS
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8
In association with the Glasgow Jazz Festival, Mario Caribe presents his new band Fret.
Emily Mae Winters’ haunting folk songs are quickly permeating the folk and song writing scene. See ‘em live tonight.
Wed 29 May
PIE & BREW, FROM 18:00, FREE
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £10
STORY UNTOLD (BETWEEN YOU & ME)
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11
Pop rock quintet based in Montreal. GWENNO (ARTMAGIC)
MONO, FROM 20:00, £14 - £16
The former Pipette returns with some really rather excellent material. FROG POCKET (RETURN OF THE SWALLOW)
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7
ORGANIC GROOVES
A fusion of Glasgow’s finest DJs collaborate with talented vocalists and exceptional musicians to offer something fresh and exciting to the city’s vibrant music scene. JAMES BROWN IS ANNIE
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £5 - £8
Jazz-funk group, who take their name from an Eddie Murphy Saturday Night Live sketch.
The recording name of Scottish musician John Charles Wilson.
Sat 01 Jun
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £22.50
Duran Duran tribute act.
KSI & RANDOLPH
The two YouTube superstars perform new music on a joint tour. RITA ORA
THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £36.90 - £48.25
Toustle-haired pop singer/songwriter and actress, also know for dating – and dumping – poor ol’ Rob Kardashian. ANGUS MUNRO
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £8
Piano singer-songwriter blessed with a mesmerising four octave vocal range.
Thu 30 May EMMY THE GREAT
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £16.50
More kitchen sink-style melodic storytelling from Emma-Lee Moss. THE MOLOCHS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7
LA group channeling the sounds of Madchester.
CEDRIC BURNSIDE (TODD ALBRIGHT + DIXIE FRIED) BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £14.30
Grammy-nominated blues artist Cedric Burnside continues to build his reputation with each album. BLACK PEACHES
THE RUM SHACK, FROM 19:30, £10
With fuzz-toned slide guitars, Latin percussion and shimmering keyboards, Black Peaches’ sound is a cinematic experience. SPQR
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £6
Hailing from Liverpool, SPQR are a vibrant fusion of gritty riffs, thunderous percussion and driving basslines. MUSE-IC
PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE
Talented singer-songwriters Nicola Evans and Olivia Ennemoser invite local singers and songwriters to join them every week. LOLITA JACKSON
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £13.50
Manhattan-based vocalist, and also a classically trained bass clarinetist and tenor saxophone player.
DURANANDURAN
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12
WUTHERING HEIGHTS – A KATE BUSH RETROSPECTIVE (KATE BUSH-KA)
O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £17.65 - £34.50
Tribute show to Kate Bush, combining art and music. ONE EIGHTY TWO
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.75
Blink 182 tribute.
NANI GURU (20 GUILDERS + PEFKIN)
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10
Hyper-experimental, psychedelic astro-trance duo. ORBITAL (WUH OH)
SWG3, FROM 18:00, £32.50
Brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll show y’all how electronic dance should be done. THE MOODS (BUSKER RHYMES)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £9
LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £17.60
The American goth rockers bring the rammy, led by hellraiser of a frontman JD Wilkes. ANA DA SILVA & PHEW (BAMYA + STEPHEN PASTEL (DJ SET))
THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12
Ana da Silva of The Raincoats and Japanese electronic musician Phew team up for a new collaborative album, Island. SEAN PAUL
THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £39.75 - £45.40
The pop star making Jamaican dance hall mainstream, famous for multiple songs about the temperature – possible past life weatherman. THE KILLING FLOOR
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 21:00, FREE
The Howlin’ Wolf’s open stage blues jam.
Mon 03 Jun
ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC W/ GERRY LYONS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE
Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free. MAISHA (AKU FEAT. FERGUS MCCREADIE)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £12.10
EASY WINNERS
WREST. (PELTS + THE MAP DEPT.)
SLEAZYOKE
CHLOE FOY
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £7 - £8
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £8
Conor and Michael play a classic blues selection from across the decades.
GUERILLA TOSS (DOUBLE DISCONE + WOMENSAID)
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £9
Promoting positive energy and twisted spirituality through the less-traveled path of brutal, intelligent, live rock’n’roll dance music.
Thu 06 Jun MARI WILSON
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20
80s starlet continuing to make music and tour.
COP GRAVEYARD (HOMERUN + SN28)
BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE
Beautifully shambolic indie music with big, emotional, heart and mind on sleeve lyrics about place, love and isolation. ST. MUNGO (LOST THOUGHTS)
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC
The stage moniker for 19-year-old folk/punk/rock singer-songwriter Greg Henderson. BILLIE MARTEN
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £9
North Yorkshire-born singer Isabella Sophie Tweddle, who goes by Billie Marten (for some reason). KAISER CHIEFS
BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £40.30
We’re not going to insult your intelligence with ‘Predict a Riot’ jokes. You’re better than that. And we don’t predict one anyway. KENT DUCHAINE
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Six-piece group, led by bandleader Jake Long, bringing a fresh slant to the weighty spiritual jazz tradition.
An American blues singer and guitarist.
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £19.25
Allysha Joy is best known for performing in Melbourne jazz and hip-hop collective 30/70, and their success over the past two years has lead her to further challenge her expression in a project of her own.
DALE WATSON & HIS LONE STARS
Honky tonk hero and country music maverick, also a member of the Austin Music Hall of Fame. WESTLIFE
THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £51.10 £102.15
The Irish pop group return for a tour with whoever is even left. STUART NEIL
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Stuart Neil of The Hoojamamas and The Easy Peelers’ solo act, fusing rock’n’roll, blues, soul, country, Americana and rhythm & blues.
Tue 04 Jun METHYL ETHEL
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £11
Australian art rock band from Perth. ST.MARTIINS (SWIM SCHOOL + LEWIS ROSS)
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5
Dundee-based indie duo who’ve drawn comparisons to Model Aeroplanes.
WITCHING WAVES (MARBLE GODS + CURRENT AFFAIRS)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6
Now a trio, with Estella Adeyeri of Big Joanie joining the band in 2017, Witching Waves recently released a new album, Persistance on Specialist Subject.
ALLYSHA JOY (LITTLE ACRES + KITTI)
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8.50
MUSE-IC
PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE
Fri 07 Jun
CEÒL ‘S CRAIC: GINEALACH ÙR / NEW GENERATION
Ginealach Ùr celebrates the inspirational mentors and teachers who provide inspiration for the next generation of performers. HUGH KEARNS
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 18:00, FREE
An evening of music from Scottish multi-instrumentalist songwriter Hugh Kearnswith, blending his own Scottish brand with country blues music. BOHEMIAN MONK MACHINE
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £5
Fife-based funk troupe play another monster set.
Sun 02 Jun
TINY GIG FOR SCOTT HUTCHISON
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC
Fundraising gig for the late Frightened Rabbit frontman. EAGLE-EYE CHERRY
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC
Singer-songwriter in Glasgowbased Americana outfit Noah and the West River Band playing solo. WESTLIFE
THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £51.10 £102.15
The Irish pop group return for a tour with whoever is even left.
DESPERATE DAN
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £8
TEETH OF THE SEA (NOTHING > UNIVERSE)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £10
STEREO, FROM 20:00, £6
SACRED PAWS
Glasgow duo with a capriciously rough-edged take on highlife music, tiger-striped with spidery guitar hooks and overlapping vocal shouts. BLACK DENIMS
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
The Black Denims are a rasping screech fest of dirty, haunting rock’n’roll music.
SMOOVE & TURRELL (THE HOOK & SLINGERS)
DRYGATE BREWING CO., FROM 19:30, £15
Smoove & Turrell celebrate 10 years as one of the UK’s most popular live funk and soul acts with a special album, Solid Brass – 10 Years Of Northern Funk.
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £19
Swedish singer best known for his hit single Save Tonight.
June 2019
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £3
Glaswegian indie-pop outfit.
ANDREW ROBERT EUSTACE (GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND)
QUEEN MARGARET UNION, FROM 19:30, £15
Frontman Andrew Robert Eustace, known for his soulful lyrics and powerful voice, invites you along to experience tales of hard blues. DOVES (MAN OF MOON)
SWG3, FROM 18:00, £39.50
Back following an eight year hiatus, the Manchester band are newly reunited and back on the road. WALLOWS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £13.20
LA group signed to Atlantic Records. TOM ODELL
BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £43.70
DAMON & NAOMI (RICHARD YOUNGS)
Motherwell outfit deftly combining portions of hip-hop, pop, rock and electro into one thumping melodic block of noise.
CAUTIOUS CLAY (DUVAL CLARKE)
Singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist (in other words, he does it all). MICHAEL CASSIDY
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Glasgow-based singer/songwriter with a tender voice and intimate lyrics.
Tue 11 Jun
ROBERT VINCENT (ETHAN JOHNS WITH THE BLACK EYED DOGS)
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £17
Liverpudlian singer/songwriter mixing folk, rock and country into one merry musical whole. BULSARA AND HIS QUEENIES
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £22
Queen tribute.
G A L S FOR SAMH (K A T I E + ROUGH DIAMOND + EMIAH + SAMANTHA KELLY + JULIE MICHAELLE & BAND)
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6
Fundraising gig for SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health). THE PIANO GUYS
SEC, FROM 18:30, £39.75 - £51.10
American music duo of pianist Jon Schmidt and cellist Steven Sharp Nelson, joined by their touring live collective. SZUN WAVES (ANNA PLUTO & WORKY)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8
Szun Waves is comprised of electronic producer Luke Abbott, Laurence Pike of PVT and Jack Wyllie of Portico Quartet. ANDREW THOM NEIL
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Andrew Neil of The Hoojamamas and The Easy Peelers’ solo act, fusing rock’n’roll, blues, soul, country, Americana and rhythm & blues.
Wed 12 Jun
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS (WALKING PAPERS)
O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £37.30
American dream pop/folk-rock duo formed in 1991 by Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, formerly of Galaxie 500.
As they approach three decades of rock’n’roll dominance and with a new frontman at the helm, Stone Temple Pilots are thundering forward with a new energy.
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 18:00, FREE
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £11
CHRIS SMALL TRIO
SUMO CYCO
The moniker of Glasgow-based Michael Kasparis’ solo project, founder of the Night School Records label.
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £11.25
KENNETH NOAH BLAIR (THE WELL DRINKERS + TIM AND JULEN)
PETER CAT (ROMARZS + CASPER HEYZEUS)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £9
WET LOOK
SWG3, FROM 18:00, £35
The non-Arctic Monkey half of the Last Shadow Puppets does his nostalgic Merseybeat thing.
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20
A free night of punk and hard rock boogies.
FURNACE AND THE FUNDAMENTALS
KING TUT’S, FROM 19:00, £13.75
Musical chameleons with a sense of humour, or so they claim.
The longest serving and last line-up of legendary Manchester band The Fall.
APOSTILLE (LYLO + BAUHAUS GIRLS + RAISSA (DJ SET) + DIGI-MAN)
A night of live music at Stereo.
BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE
A massive all day 80s party, featuring live performances from Duran2, The Dexys Tribute Band and more.
Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on
FROM SORROW TO SERENITY
Technical metal and threads of groove from Glasgow. THE RUM SHACK, FROM 20:00, £4
Rum Shack presents more local music goodness, this time in the form of indie darlings Wet Look. 60S NIGHT (ITCHYCOO PARK) PIE & BREW, FROM 18:00, FREE
Take a trip through the music of the 60s and beyond, celebrating great songwriting and bands from the era.
Sun 09 Jun ROCK’N’ROLL PARADISE
GUADALUPE PLATA
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £13.75
Hardcore Andalucian delta blues outfit. THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 19:00, £3 - £5
BLACK DENIMS
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
The Black Denims are a rasping screech fest of dirty, haunting rock’n’roll music. HARU NEMURI (L-SPACE + MARANTA)
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £10
Japanese singer-songwriter and poetry rapper, making Japanese pop songs for the new generation.
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £22.50
Thu 13 Jun
EX REVERIE + BURD ELLEN
BLOC+, FROM 21:00, FREE
Rock’n’roll show where music plays the leading role. NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, £8
Two great acts are coming together for the first time to perform songs inspired by powerful woman in Scottish folk lore. BETH MALCOLM WITH DORIAN CLOUDSLEY
THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £5
Singer-songwriter Beth Malcolm and guitarist Dorian Cloudsley finish off their run of UK dates . THE KILLING FLOOR
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 21:00, FREE
The Howlin’ Wolf’s open stage blues jam.
Mon 10 Jun GIODYNAMICS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE
Improvised open mic with Jer Reid.
IMPERIAL WAX (MEMES)
Hackney singer-songwriter who recently performed on the BBC Music Introducing stage at The Great Escape in Brighton.
DRYGATE BREWING CO., FROM 18:00, £8 - £10
Queer hardcore punk band from Olympia, Washington.
Wed 05 Jun
HONEYGRIP (BLACK CLYDE & THE TUBE DISASTERS)
O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 15:00, £23 - £39.90
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £13.75
JNR WILLIAMS
MILES KANE (SHERLOCK + LUCIA)
SLOUCH (LAYAWAY + PRIMES)
SECURITY (SUE ZUKI + OTHERWORLD + STABLE + PURPURA)
Reunited with founding singer Roy Loney, the Flamin’ Groovies are back to perform a set of classic songs.
MOCKNESS 80S
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £8
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £7
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:00, £14.85
Johnny Cash tribute act.
One of the best guitarists and singer/songwriters from Glasgow still working the late bar scene. FLAMIN’ GROOVES
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £16
Nine-piece soul band from Glasgow.
Folk pop musings from the young British singer.
Four-piece Canadian rockers, fronted by Skye Sweetnam.
Heralded as the UK’s most adventurous and unclassifiable outfit in the realm of the psychedelic.
CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:45, £10 - £14
BIG VERN ‘N’ THE SHOOTAHS
The big sleazy karaoke sesh with Gerry Lyons.
Chris Small has been playing the Scottish music scene since he was 13 and is currently performing in various venues around Scotland promoting his new material.
CASH
JAMIE MARTIN
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Sat 08 Jun
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £5
New quartet from Edinburgh, all sharing a love and passion for taking the jazz tradition and moving it forward with new and exciting compositions.
STEREO, FROM 18:45, £6
Female-fronted band from Glasgow.
The Wet Wet Wet bass guitarist makes his solo comeback.
THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £6 - £8
DAVE SERIES: MEERKAT PARADE
Tribute to Steely Dan.
The Irish pop group return for a tour with whoever is even left.
GRAEME CLARK
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £16.50
Chichester-born singer/songwriter who studied at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music.
THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £51.10 £102.15
THE MOODY CHANTS (LUCID HOUNG + ST CLEMENTS + CROWN STATE)
ORGANIC GROOVES
PIE & BREW, FROM 18:00, FREE
A fusion of Glasgow’s finest DJs collaborate with talented vocalists and exceptional musicians to offer something fresh and exciting to the city’s vibrant music scene.
Talented singer-songwriters Nicola Evans and Olivia Ennemoser invite local singers and songwriters to join them every week.
Ten-piece collective of producers, poets and musicians from the Northwest of England combining drum’n’bass, reggae, hip-hop and dubstep.
WESTLIFE
Scottish indie for fans of Frightened Rabbit, We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Twilight Sad and The National.
FHR #002: KARIN (MEGALOMATIC)
For one night only, Karin will be reuniting to play all their hits as well as all the songs you didn’t know you needed. ROB ZOMBIE
O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £40.15
Rob Zombie plays Zombie classics and newer material. THE LAST INTERNATIONALE
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £19.25
American rock troupe featuring Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk. D DOUBLE E
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £15
Grime legend D Double E makes a long-awaited return to Glasgow, following the release of his debut studio album, Jackuum, last year.
THE LAFONTAINES
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £15
HOP ALONG
CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, FROM 19:30, £15
A band allergic to genre, with inspiration ranging from ELO to Elvis Costello to 70s girl group vocal arrangements.
THE HEAD HUNTERS BLUES BAND
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
The Head Hunters Blues Band are stopping off on their tour playing songs from their critically acclaimed debut album Back From The Delta.
WEST END FESTIVAL: CURTIS ELLER’S AMERICAN CIRCUS (SCUNNER + LES JOHNSON AND ME) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8
The banjo-playing, singer/songwriter from North Carolina via NYC brings his vaudevillian style show to the UK, delivering his dreamy rock’n’roll. MUSE-IC
PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE
Talented singer-songwriters Nicola Evans and Olivia Ennemoser invite local singers and songwriters to join them every week. ALEX HITCHCOCK QUINTET
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £5
Award-winning saxophonist Alex Hitchcock leads a powerhouse quintet that combines a compelling, adventurous ear for melody with virtuosic improvising.
Fri 14 Jun TIDERAYS
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £10
Scottish band continuing to perform up and down the country.
BRATAKUS BIRTHDAY BASH II (GAY PANIC DEFENCE + INTRUSIVE THOUGHT + GIMP WORLD + BRAIN ANGUISH + DAVID ROSSI) NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £5
Bratakus throw a birthday party with a bunch of their pals. TENACIOUS G
CATHOUSE, FROM 19:00, £12
Tenacious D tribute. THE HU
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £15
Sat 15 Jun
HUMPFF FAMILY REVIVAL (DREW MCCULLOCH & THE SPIRIT OF SLIM CHANCE)
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £15
Celebrating the release of their latest album. THE KOPYCAT KILLERS
KING TUT’S, FROM 20:30, £13.75
The Killers tribute. THE LAWNMOWER
MONO, FROM 22:00, FREE
80s inspired duo with catchy lyrics and music to make you shimmy. AFTER THE END
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £6
Black Sabbath tribute. DEADLAND RITUAL
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £27.50
Rock supergroup put together by Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler. FLYING MOON MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 2019
THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 15:00, £5 - £7
Glasgow’s newest music and arts festival. MASSAOKE SCOTLAND’S GIRL POWER
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £11 - £13.20
Join the Massaoke band for a Girl Power special.
TRAPPIST AFTERLAND (MOONGAZING HARE + BELL LUNGS) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 19:30, TBC
Trappist Afterland make folk music using vocals and various acoustic stringed instruments, exploring psychedelia and chanting. BABY FACE AND THE BELTIN’ BOYS
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 18:00, FREE
With a rich inventory of upbeat tunes, these fresh-faced boys are bound to get you moving. BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £5
Celebrating 20 years since the release of their classic Teasing the Fat Kids album. THE HOOJAMAMAS
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £7
Glasgow’s finest genre hoppers, The Hoojamamas take you on a whistle stop tour of six decades of great music.
Sun 16 Jun SHRUTI ANDROID
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 21:00, FREE
Indian folk reimagined by local legends.
SUNSET ROLLERCOASTER (ANGEL BABY)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £13.20
A six-piece synth-pop band from Taiwan, known for their 80s style of breezy and chilled out music with incredible live performances.
HIRO KONE (GRIM LUSK + SUSANNAH STARK)
Self-dubbed “hunnu rock” band blending traditional Mongolian instrumentation, including the Morin khuur and Mongolian throat singing.
New York-based multi-instrumentalist, combining hardware, synths and modular to cultivate her sound.
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 21:00, FREE
COLUMBIA
Oasis tribute act.
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
BARROWLANDS, FROM 19:00, £29
American rock unit formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes in Long Island back in 1999. BACKSTREET BOYS
THE SSE HYDRO, FROM 18:30, £45.40 £113.50
Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson (Backstreet’s) back together at last. RIGID SOUL
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
A three piece blues/rock band from Glasgow, with a lot of energy. THE HUG AND PINT’S 4TH BIRTHDAY
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £12
Detour take charge of The Hug and Pint’s fourth birthday celebrations, with five secret guest bands. ORGANIC GROOVES
PIE & BREW, FROM 18:00, FREE
A fusion of Glasgow’s finest DJs collaborate with talented vocalists and exceptional musicians to offer something fresh and exciting to the city’s vibrant music scene. THE VINTAGE EXPLOSION
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £10
The Vintage Explosion are a sevenpiece band authentically recreating the sounds from the golden era of entertainment.
THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12
THE KILLING FLOOR
The Howlin’ Wolf’s open stage blues jam.
Mon 17 Jun
MOKA BLAST & THE FGC DYNASTY SCOTTISH INVASION
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £10
Moka Blast leads a group of rappers in this hip-hop invasion. ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC W/ GERRY LYONS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE
Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free. I PREVAIL
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £15
Post-hardcore, metalcore and Taylor Swift should never go in the same sentence, but all three apply in this band’s case. FEVER 333
CATHOUSE, FROM 19:00, £12
Californian rock trio. THE SHEEPDOGS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £11
Canadian rock’n’roll sextet who formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2006. PAUL CAUTHEN
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £11
Texas troubadour whose debut album was fueled by nearly two straight years of personal and artistic growth on the road. BILLY CORGAN
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £25
Former Smashing Pumpkins frontman out on a solo European tour.
Listings
55
JAMIE REILLY THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Jamie Reilly from JR & The Prime Cuts bringing you soul, funk and blues.
LAWRENCE ARABIA (DECENT SWEETS + CONOR HEAFEY) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8
Tue 18 Jun
The musical moniker taken by James Milne. Indie pop with more than its fair share of oohs and shoobie-doo-wops.
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £8
PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE
THE SOAPGIRLS
Controversial duo return with their blend of rock and pop. FOALS (YAK + KIEV)
SWG3, FROM 18:00, £38.50
The Oxford math-rockers are back, touring in support of their new two-part album project. MADONNATRON
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £7
London-based four-piece playing self-proclaimed ‘psychedelic witch prog’. MOKA BLAST & THE FGC DYNASTY SCOTTISH INVASION
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £11.25
Moka Blast leads a group of rappers in this hip-hop invasion. BLUE MILK
MUSE-IC
Talented singer-songwriters Nicola Evans and Olivia Ennemoser invite local singers and songwriters to join them every week. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: GEORGIA CECILE
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:00, £15.71
Best Vocalist finalist at the 2018 Scottish Jazz Awards, tipped as one to watch. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: MATT CARMICHAEL QUARTET
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 22:00, £11.22
20-year-old saxophonist/composer, influenced by jazz and folk. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: ASTROSNAX
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 23:45, £5
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Blue Milk are a Glasgow-based blues band strongly influenced by the Mississippi Delta sound from the early 1920s to the 1960s.
Wed 19 Jun HANK WOOD AND THE HAMMERHEADS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, TBC
NYC punks blending cowbells, keyboards and attitude. THE MAVERICKS
SEC, FROM 18:30, £34.05 - £45.40
The country-steeped garage ensemble do what they do best (er, that’d be country-steeped garage, right?). OSHUN (NOVA SCOTIA THE TRUTH)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £17.60
Independent hip-hop and soul duo, and the sonic manifestation of Afrofuturism. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: DAVID MCALMONT PRESENTS BILLIE HOLIDAY AT CARNEGIE HALL
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £22.44
David McAlmont gives his unique interpretations of the Lady Day catalogue while quoting from her extraodinary life story. THE EASY PEELERS
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
The Easy Peelers take bring you all the best of rock’n’roll, blues, soul, country, folk, Americana, funk, jazz and rhythm & blues.
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: CHARLIE HUNTER & LUCY WOODWARD
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:30, £15.71
With a career spanning 16 years and almost 20 albums, Hunter consistently ups his game as an innovative writer and bandleader.
Thu 20 Jun DONALD BLACK BAND
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £12
The man who made the harmonica a significant instrument in the Scottish Trad music scene. What a guy. JESSE MALIN (STEPHEN CHOPEK)
KING TUT’S, FROM 19:00, £18.70
New York singer-songwriter who began playing live at the tender age of twelve, in seminal hardcore band Heart Attack. POST IRONIC STATE (VELVETEEN RIOT + MESSED UP YOUTH)
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, £3 - £5
Roots in punk, new wave and electronic music. ALESSO
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £16
The EDM specialist continues his endless touring with a special Glasgow set, with tickets the actual equivalent of gold dust.
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: MARTIN TAYLOR
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £22.44
Witness five decades of guitar expertise come to life, live on stage with the multi award-winning Martin Taylor. THREE CARD TRICK
THE HOWLIN’ WOLF, FROM 23:00, FREE
Scotland’s most popular power trio perform three hours of rockin’ blues. CROOQ
THE RUM SHACK, FROM 19:30, FREE
Banditti Club presents the Rum Shack Sessions with local jazz and hip hop combo, CROOQ. Tickets are free but registration is necessary.
A fresh five-piece band with residency at Lucky 7 present their renditions of party-jazz, funk, hip-hop and soul songs.
Fri 21 Jun THE MULDOONS
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £10
The Muldoons are steeped in the finest traditions of Scottish indie music. DEATHCATS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC
The Glasgow guitar popsters drop a set of their fiery post-surf brand of hardcore. THE ROINANS (CLAIRE DOHERTY)
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £8
The Ronains formed four years ago under the guidance of Gordy Goudie, guitarist and producer for Simple Minds and Echo & The Bunnymen. CANAAN COX
STEREO, FROM 19:30, £15 - £18
Country singer from Nashville, Tennessee tipped for big things. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: BILL LAURANCE TRIO (FERGUS MCCREADIE)
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £22.44
London-based pianist and founding member of the Grammy Awardwinning fusion powerhouse Snarky Puppy. LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM DOUNE WARM UP
THE RUM SHACK, FROM 19:30, TBC
Live music warm up show for the festival stage in July.
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: SKINNY PELEMBE
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £12
Scottish black metal band. STEREOLAB
SWG3, FROM 19:00, £25.25
Heralded experimental avant-pop group returning after 10 years off the scene. VANDAL PALACE
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £5.50
Four-piece indie rock band from Edinburgh.
THE BLUE CARPET BAND (DELINQUENTS) BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £6
A powerhouse five-piece garage/ dirty rock’n’roll band based in and around London. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: JAMES TAYLOR QUARTET (LANCE VANCE DANCE (DJ SET))
ZOVIET FRANCE & O YUKI CONJUGATE (JD TWITCH (DJ SET) + FERGUS CLARK (DJ SET))
THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, FROM 20:00, £6 - £10
Two pioneering groups of the industrial ambient sound perform in the intimate setting of the Old Hairdressers attic.
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: NIMBUS SEXTET
THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £11.50
Contemporary jazz six-piece, blending jazz, hip-hop and world music elements. SEAN MCGARVEY
PIE & BREW, FROM 21:00, FREE
Lead singer/songwriter in Glasgow indie band Static Union, who has been writing his own music since he was 11 and gigging in bars since he was 13. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: UNDER THE SURFACE
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: LOLANDERS
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:00, £15.71
Six fascinating musical friends and individualists, this first formal Going Dutch collaborative project. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: ANIMAL SOCIETY
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 22:00, £11.22
Animal Society is a group of renegade musicians from the darkest corners of Glasgow’s jazz scene, led by Joe Williamson. GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: ORION
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 23:45, £5
HAMPDEN PARK, FROM 17:30, £49.50 - £137.50
Alecia Beth Moore, aka P!NK, will be delighting crowds with her musical badassery. BLACK MIDI
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £11.25
Moka Blast leads a group of rappers in this hip-hop invasion.
Tue 28 May
KALI MASI (TYPESETTER)
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £7 - £10
The debut UK dates for these alt/ punk US-based bands. MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £13.75
Band led by British singer-songwriter Matthew Hagerty. OVERLAPS
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC
Experimental jam sessions with special guests.
ROOTSBASE (BRUCE MACGREGOR + ANNA MASSIE)
THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £9 - £11
KYLE FALCONER
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £17.60
The riotous frontman of The View tours solo. THE RISING SOULS
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £12.10
Dynamic soulful rock band hailing from Scotland’s capital city; a punchy and intoxicating amalgamation of rock and soul. LUKE CAREY
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £7.70
Relatable, honest and truly talented acoustic music from 23-year-old North Londoner Luke Carey, winner of the Unsigned Stars Competition. REFUGEE BENEFIT GIG (THE HONEY FARM + THE RAPTORS + ROCKET REDUCER)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC
The 28th benefit gig organised by Solidarity with Displaced Humans to raise funds for refugees.
Sat 01 Jun VOLTS
A new live music club dedicated to presenting the very best in folk, trad and roots-based.
AC/DC tribute act that cover the Bon & Brian era’s.
Wed 29 May
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £20
BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £10 - £12
A CERTAIN RATIO
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12
Veteran former Factory Records signees among the forebears of post-punk.
LOLITA JACKSON BAND
USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £38.50 - £54.45
BULLETS & OCTANE
Californian rockers return and celebrate 20 years of rocking.
KELLY JONES
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 22:00, £15.71
GOOD GRIEF PRESENTS (BLUE HOUSE)
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: THEON CROSS
As one of the stalwarts of the London jazz scene, tuba player and composer Theon Cross has been dominating airwaves and stages.
Sun 23 Jun
MOKA BLAST & THE FGC DYNASTY SCOTTISH INVASION
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £13.50
ANNE-MARIE
Fife punk rockers with over 40 years experience in the biz.
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC
A killer local headline show at Sneaks from Ivory Caves.
Blue House stop in Edinburgh on a whistle stop tour of the UK to promote their new album Gobstopper.
Thu 30 May
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £10
P!NK (BANG BANG ROMEO)
A night of electronic metal with industrial vibes.
Moka Blast leads a group of rappers in this hip-hop invasion.
Alecia Beth Moore, aka P!NK, will be delighting crowds with her musical badassery. ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:00, £13.46
The Bevvy Sisters mix equal measures of sweetness and sass, grit and glamour, heartbreak and hilarity cut with a dash of potent Scottish spirit. Expect a repertoire of vintage, contemporary and original songs.
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: LUNIR (MEGAN AIRLIE) THE HUG AND PINT, FROM 19:30, £8.50
LUNIR fuse acrobatic vocals, live looping, one-handed drumming and an adventurous sonic palette to create a kaleidoscopic hybrid of colour and soul.
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: MADISON MCFERRIN
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:00, £15.71
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: EMMA-JEAN THACKRAY (REBECCA VASMANT (DJ SET))
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 22:00, £15.71
Mon 24 Jun
ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC W/ GERRY LYONS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 20:00, FREE
Come and see some of the best unsigned artists in the country for free.
THE SKIDS
English singer-songwriter who lent vocals to Clean Bandit’s Rockabye.
DELUDED BUDDHAS (DEVILS QUEEN + SERAPH SIN + THE LONERS)
Sat 22 Jun
P!NK (BANG BANG ROMEO)
MOKA BLAST & THE FGC DYNASTY SCOTTISH INVASION
London Astrobeat Orchestra take their talents to new heights as they reinterpret the classic sounds of rock music legends The Police.
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £30.25
Repped by Gilles Peterson, RBMA, Sounds of The Universe and many more, rising mega-talent Emma-Jean Thackray wears many musical hats.
Singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York.
Dark electronic sounds from the Georgian duo of Jae Matthews and Augustus Muller, who experiment with sound, video and text.
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15
USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £32.45 - £38.50
A collective fuelled almost exclusively by the rawest of sauces, Orion is made up of some of Scotland’s finest young(ish) musicians.
ORAN MOR, FROM 19:00, £20
BOY HARSHER
BROADCAST, FROM 19:00, £18.15
LONDON ASTROBEAT ORCHESTRA PERFORMS THE POLICE
The Stereophonics frontman takes his gravelly vocals out on a solo tour. Lucky us!
Madison McFerrin is a singersongwriter based in Brooklyn.
NELL BRYDEN
Aussie shaggy-haired indie outfit based in French surf hotspot, Hossegor.
New Jersey-born jazz and soul singer touring with her band.
THE BLUE ARROW, FROM 19:00, £15.71
GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: THE BEVVY SISTERS
A fusion of Glasgow’s finest DJs collaborate with talented vocalists and exceptional musicians to offer something fresh and exciting to the city’s vibrant music scene.
SUNSET SONS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 19:00, £8
Edinburgh Music
A new Dutch band formed by Dutch drummer Joost Lijbaart, guitarist Bram Stadhouders and vocalist Sanne Rambags.
PIE & BREW, FROM 18:00, FREE
ORGANIC GROOVES
The classical crossover quartet are back with their bellowing voices.
ST LUKE’S, FROM 19:30, £22.44
Four-piece jazz funk outfit from Rochester, active since 1985 and embarking a tour to work through their extensive back catalogue.
HAMPDEN PARK, FROM 17:30, £49.50 - £137.50
Math rock explosion from the young London group recently signed to Rough Trade.
Listings
IL DIVO SEC, FROM 18:30, £39.75 - £266.75
Born in Johannesburg, growing up in Doncaster, Skinny Pelembe poses a quadruple threat – he produces, plays guitar, sings and MCs.
MONO, FROM 20:00, £12
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NYCTOPIA NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 19:30, TBC
BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5
EDINBURGH BLUES CLUB (MITCH LADDIE + DANA DIXON BAND)
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15
Edinburgh Blues Club is a Social Enterprise established to harness popular support for regular blues events in Edinburgh to ensure that the city and surrounding areas do not miss out on quality touring blues acts. TIDE LINES
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £17
Four-piece band who launched in the summer of 2016 with the release of their debut single Far Side of the World. TUFLAMENCO PRESENTS
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £7
Flamenco, Scottish traditional folk and a little bit of everything else.
MAMMOTH PENGUINS (NICE CHURCH)
BRIG BELOW, FROM 20:00, £5
The Cambridge-based band bring with them a collection of punchy pop songs, garage guitar fuzz and honest songwriting from the band’s principle chronicler, Emma Kupa.
Fri 31 May
PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES (KICKBACK GENERATION + SPC + BLACKLIST) BANNERMANS, FROM 19:00, £11.50 - £15
The band are back for another night of fun punk rock. HOWARD JONES
THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:00, £19.50 - £39.50
The synth-pop master celebrates the release of his new album Transform and the 35th anniversary of his debut album Human’s Lib. GREEN DATE (AC RID)
THE HIVE, FROM 18:30, £10 - £12
The world’s leading Green Day tribute act.
IVORY CAVES
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6
ROAD TRIP
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 13:00, £20 - £60
An early show from the young’uns. DIRTY DIKE
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £11 - £16.50
The freestylin’ hip-hop MC plays a predictably rowdy set – pretty much the filthiest rapper in this game, FYI.
Sun 02 Jun
BURNING GATES (GOTHZILLA + RED SUN REVIVAL + FREAK SHOW)
AMERICANA CENTRAL (PHIL RAMBOW + MARTHA HEALY + DURANGO BLUE) THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10
Weekly showcase featuring live touring and local Americana performers. ROOTSBASE (OBT)
THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £9 - £11
A new live music club dedicated to presenting the very best in folk, trad and roots-based.
Wed 05 Jun
HOLLOWSTAR (FLORENCE BLACK + THE KING LOT)
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12
A cracking triple band line-up of the best in UK rock. WHITE DENIM (BOY AZOOGA)
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £22
Genre-spanning Texans, omnivorously squeezing as many diverse influences as possible into every track. ALLYSHA JOY (OLIVA + KHALID AL KHAJAH)
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £9
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £10
20-year-old Amsterdam native, Pip Blom makes droll super cool slacker grunge with killer tunes. STATE OF GREEN
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC
The combination of groovy synths, distorted guitar, catchy melodies and soul-infused vocal create State Of Green’s signature sound.
Mon 03 Jun DARKCELL
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10
Aussie horror rockers make their Scottish debut. MEZCLA
TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11
Jazz/fusion collective blazing an improv trail.
Tue 04 Jun
PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED
BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE
Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke.
Four-piece indie rock band from Edinburgh. VOMFEST 5
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 13:00, £10 - £15
All-day metal fest. Don’t let the name put you off (or do). SHAMBOLICS
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £9
Four-piece dreamy rock’n’roll band inspired by the best guitar based music from the 50s onwards.
JOEL EVERY (THE HUMORS + CALLUM MACKINNON + MEGAN JOHNSON)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, FREE
A night of original Americana music from local Edinburgh acts.
Sun 09 Jun OPEN MIC
BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE
Monthly Live Jam Session with some of Scotland’s leading musicians playing lounge grooves from many genres. BERNADETTE PETERS
USHER HALL, FROM 19:30, £21.45 - £65.45
The triple Tony, triple Drama Desk and Golden Globe Award-winning champ of Broadway brings a solo concert our way. SHEARS
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £8
The power and energy that emanates from Edinburgh-based Rebecca ‘SHEARS’ Shearing is undoubtedly evident, but so too are the cadences that flow at times with a shimmering sadness. LIZARDS OF ALBA (ERB & TING + VICTOR POPE BAND)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC
A showcase of the best of Leith Festival’s musical acts to celebrate being halfway through festival week.
Thu 13 Jun
Classic rock covers from the 60s to present day.
Thu 06 Jun
TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £17.50
THE ANTHOLOGY
BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, TBC
Symphonic metal band from Slovakia.
MELISA KELLY AND THE SMOKIN’ CROWS
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10
Blues and soul five-piece from local turf.
MIDI PAUL (CHUCHOTER + KROWNE)
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5
Midi Paul is the alter ego of bassist/producer Phil McBride. Expect stuttering drums, spliced up disco samples, wobbly arpeggios and some computer funk.
Fri 07 Jun
LIZZIE & THE BANSHEES (I FOUND THE CURE)
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £12
Two outstanding tributes to the gothic side of pop culture. LEO SAYER
THE QUEEN’S HALL, FROM 19:30, £33
The longstanding fuzzy-heided British singer/songwriter hits the road again. PRINCE PARTY
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £10
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5
PIP BLOM
VANDAL PALACE
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6.50
JAMMIN’ AT VOODOO
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Former Georgia Satellites man brings his acclaimed outfit back to Bannermans for an intimate show.
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £13.75
Jonnie Wallace returns to the stage at Sneaky Pete’s to showcase new music and give Edinburgh a night of upcoming artists and amazing music.
Edinburgh’s post-punk supergroup, featuring members of Scars, Boots For Dancing, Fistymuffs and Matt Vinyl.
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:00, FREE
Celebrate the main man as he turns the big six zero.
Free music all day from acoustic to blues and rock.
A night of rock and goth from four outstanding acts. JONNIE WALLACE
WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £6
PAT DENNIS & FRIENDS 60TH BIRTHDAY BASH
Allysha Joy is best known for performing in Melbourne jazz and hip-hop collective 30/70, and their success over the past two years has lead her to further challenge her expression in a project of her own.
Party with the purple funky people, celebrating the incredible life of Prince.
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10
VOICEX (QUOTES OF THE DEAD + THE TANGO RHUMS)
Wed 12 Jun
FURNACE AND THE FUNDAMENTALS
Musical chameleons with a sense of humour, or so they claim. FRESH PRODUCE (LYLO + MISSY MCANULTY + SPYYN)
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £7
Fresh Produce celebrate their birhtday at Sneaky Pete’s with some very special talent lined up. LES BOF! (THEE GIRL FRIDAYS)
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 20:00, £7
The Edinburgh-based, French language garage outfit.
KILGRVSTON (OSKAR BRAVES + FALSE FRIENDS)
CRANACHAN
BANNERMANS, FROM 21:00, FREE
DAOIRÍ (‘DERRY’) FARRELL
Dublin-born traditional singer and bouzouki player Daoirí (‘Derry’) Farrell has been described as one of most important singers to come out of Ireland in recent years. DECLAN WELSH & THE DECADENT WEST
USHER HALL, FROM 19:30, £27.50 - £33
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5
Multi-instrumentalist singer, demonstrating a haunting and powerful vocal mastery.
Mon 10 Jun LOLA MONTEZ BAND
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £7 - £9
Nashville outfit make their Bannermans debut. MARTIN & ELIZA CARTHY
TRAVERSE THEATRE, FROM 20:00, £11
Martin Carthy and his twice Mercury-nominated daughter Eliza join forces to perform songs from their first duo album ever. PETER CAT (ERRANT BOY)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5
PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED
BANNERMANS, FROM 17:00, FREE
Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke. LUCY DACUS
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £11
Lucy Dacus uses her gift as a songwriter to help understand and cope with the world around her, including making sense of national holidays.
AMERICANA CENTRAL (STEVE MORRISON + CHARLOTTE CAMPBELL + DURANGO BLUE) THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £10
SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR
Sat 08 Jun
Smoove & Turrell celebrate 10 years as one of the UK’s most popular live funk and soul acts with a special album, Solid Brass – 10 Years Of Northern Funk.
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £11
Possessing a no-nonsense mentality since their inception, Paceshifters have evolved into a devoutly passionate new grungerock band. ARMCHAIR CIRCUS
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, FREE
A five-piece Scottish band playing two sets of original material and covers.
BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5
Hardcore Andalucian delta blues outfit.
SMOOVE & TURRELL
PACESHIFTERS (WALLACE VANBORN)
Tue 11 Jun
Murder On The Dancefloor Informant Ellis-Bextor returns, but has the crime been solved yet?!
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15
The Drifters are back on tour in the UK with a brand new show performing all their classic hits from the last six decades.
Fri 14 Jun
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £7
BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £6 - £8
THE DRIFTERS
Glaswegian indie-pop outfit.
USHER HALL, FROM 19:30, £33 - £55
Rock People management bring this cracking three band bill to Scotland.
NIC TATE AND THE SHARKS
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:15, £9
VICTOR MARC (NOAH BROWN)
MARK SHARP & THE BICYCLE THIEVES
THIRTEEN STARS (RYDERS CREED + EMPYRE)
Legendary Edinburgh band Bilbo are together for the first time in over 40 years for a nostalgic final trip back to their heyday’s in the 70s.
Nic Tate and The Sharks are a three-piece band hailing from East Lothian.
Weekly showcase featuring live touring and local Americana performers.
Mark Sharp & The Bicycle Thieves headline Off Axis Edinburgh at Leith Depot.
BILBO
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £11
Glasgow-based band who deal with words and tunes, often at the same time.
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, TBC
Five-piece alt-rock band based in Edinburgh.
DAN BAIRD & HOMEMADE SIN
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £13 - £15
GUADALUPE PLATA
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £12.50
THE CHURCH
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £22
Starfish 30th anniversary tour . ROOTSBASE (RYAN YOUNG + JEN BUTTERWORTH)
THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £9 - £11
A new live music club dedicated to presenting the very best in folk, trad and roots-based.
THE GOAT BOY
Scottish alt rockers hit Bannermans. THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN
USHER HALL, FROM 20:00, £24.75 - £35.75
In praise of the finest sounds to come out of Detroit and beyond in the Motown period. HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £22
Sardonic post punk veterans known for their relentless touring schedule and surrealist humour. CXLVMBIA (FIRST OFFENCE)
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5
A night full of turbo driving licks and riffs at Sneaks. JOLLYBOAT
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 19:00, £10
Jollyboat are the UK’s best comedy-pirate-geek-rock duo. BABY STRANGE
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £11
Glaswegian three-piece punk band (with a dash of grunge) veering between drones and dirges, wearing their art and world views on their sleeve. MISHKA SHUBALY (EMMA IRVING + ANDY CRONIN +THE ALLEGATIONS)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £10
Veteran singer-songwriter, who has shared the stage with The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Decemberists, and is often compared to Tom Waits, Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen.
THE SKINNY
Sat 15 Jun
LIXX (THE HELLFIRE CLUB)
BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5 - £7
Scotland’s answer to The Sunset Strip are back and it’s going to be fantastic. CINDER WELL (KITCHEN CYNICS + BURNT PAW)
HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 19:30, £8
Cinder Well is the haunting folk project of Amelia Baker. TEDE (LIVE)
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 19:00, £22
Polish rap artist Tede comes to Edinburgh in support of his new album Karmageddon. STEP ON BACK INTO THE 90S
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £10
Charity gig in aid of Sands Lothian’s and in memory of Aaron and Bailey Turnbull. SNIDE RHYTHMS
WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £5
Snide Rhythms come from the mind-your-language school of thought. They were born at night but not last night. FELIX AND THE SUNSETS
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6
To celebrate the release of their upcoming single I Was Born In The Wrong Era, Felix And The Sunsets play their first headline show at Sneaky Pete’s. SACRED PAWS
SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £12
Glasgow duo with a capriciously rough-edged take on highlife music, tiger-striped with spidery guitar hooks and overlapping vocal shouts. ACRYLIC
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £8.80
Alternative indie-rock quintet originally from Scotland’s capital. JD MEATYARD & THE MIND SWEEPERS (PAUL WINTER + ANDREW MCCULLOCH)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5
A night of live performance and spoken word as featured on Gideon Coe’s BBC 6Music show.
Sun 16 Jun OPEN MIC
BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE
Free music all day from acoustic to blues and rock. JED POTTS & THE HILLMAN HUNTERS
BANNERMANS, FROM 21:00, FREE
More intimate and electric blues from Potts and his merry band. THE AFFECTIONATE PUNCH
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £8
The Associates’ debut album performed live. VISTAS
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £9
Indie-rockers Vistas (formerly known as Friend of a Friend) head out on a Scottish headline tour. SHACKLETON TRIO (RACHEL CARSTAIRS)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £10
An original and energetic musical force just as likely to move you to tears as to move you to your feet.
Mon 17 Jun
THE SOAPGIRLS (THE APPARENTS + CRIMEDESK) BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £8 - £10
Controversial duo return with their blend of rock and pop. THE LAFONTAINES
THE CAVES, FROM 19:00, £20
Motherwell outfit deftly combining portions of hip-hop, pop, rock and electro into one thumping melodic block of noise. CAGE THE ELEPHANT (FEET)
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £21
The Kentucky rockers return to the UK with a new album in tow. COMFORT (FATAMORGANA)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5
Futuristic synth punk from Glasgow and melodic airy synth from Spain.
Tue 18 Jun
PRESSURE VALVE UNPLUGGED
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, FREE
Local artists play stripped back sets, before the public get to be the stars at karaoke. AMERICANA CENTRAL (JOHN HINSHELWOOD BAND)
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:00, £10
Weekly showcase featuring live touring and local Americana performers.
BALKAN MUSIC CAMPS FUNDRAISER (DAVID LIMMER + KC E’SILVA + MELISSA BRADD) LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5
Acoustic gig raising funds for the Balkan Music Camps. ROOTSBASE (FINDLAY NAPIER + DONNA MACIOCIA)
THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 19:30, £9 - £11
A new live music club dedicated to presenting the very best in folk, trad and roots-based.
Wed 19 Jun BIG SEXY NOISE
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £16
The unholy triumvirate of Big Sexy Noise, featuring Lydia Lunch, James Johnston and Ian White of the notorious Gallon Drunk. JOHN BARROWMAN
GETTING AWAY WITH TREASON (NELSON SAVAGE + MERRICKS TUSK)
Melodic hardcore from Berlin, Germany.
Four-piece dreamy rock’n’roll band inspired by the best guitar based music from the 50s onwards.
Sun 23 Jun
Sat 15 Jun
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5
OPEN MIC
BANNERMANS, FROM 15:00, FREE
Free music all day from acoustic to blues and rock. CRANACHAN
BANNERMANS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Classic rock covers from the 60s to present day. ALEXANDER ABREU & HAVAN D’PRIMERA
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £25
Havana D’Primera is a Cuban Timba band founded by Alexander Abreu in 2008.
USHER HALL, FROM 19:30, £27.50 £60.50
NOCTURNE WULF (SALT RIVER SHAKEDOWN + IRONVOLT + WE MAKE MAMMOTHS)
JEFFREY LEWIS & LOS BOLTS
Glasgow-based heavy metal band.
Barrowman in singing mode. Approach with caution. SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £14
Born and raised New Yorker Jeffrey Lewis leads a double life as a comic book artist and an indie-rock musician. BIG BEND (FAITH ELIOTT)
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £5
A night of personal music; a meeting ground of experimental and folk music, along with visual accompaniment.
Thu 20 Jun
RYAN HAMILTON & THE HARLEQUIN GHOSTS
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £10 - £12
Melodic rock/country pop vibes from this killer band. THE HI-HATS
THE VOODOO ROOMS, FROM 19:30, £15
A highly experienced five-piece wedding and function band, The Hi-Hats play hit songs from the last six decades. AGUSTITOS NIGHT
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £7
Flamenco, Scottish traditional folk and a little bit of everything with special surprises.
Fri 21 Jun BLUE CARPET BAND
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £5
Sleazeball slick-haired grungey rock’n’roll, all leather jacket and no vest. Just some good no-frills harmful fun.
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE (PICTISH TRAIL + PIROSHKA + BOSSY LOVE + CARLA J. EASTON + HARRY HARRIS) SUMMERHALL, FROM 18:00, £17 - £25
Southern Exposure returns to Summerhall’s Dissection Room with two packed days of the best in Scottish talent. AGP: BAHOOKIE
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 19:00, £13.20
Scotland’s leading rock ceilidh band. SKILLED EMBRYO
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, TBC
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6 - £8
SIXTIES ON A SUNDAY (FAYNE AND THE CRUISERS)
THE BASEMENT THEATRE, FROM 14:00, £7.50
THE HIVE, FROM 19:00, £10 - £12
Oasis and Stone Roses tribute acts collide for one night only. GIRLS ROCK SCHOOL SUMMER SHOWCASE
WEE RED BAR, FROM 19:00, £3 - £5
Edinburgh’s Girls Rock School present their summer showcase. THE BLACK CHARADES
SUMMERHALL, FROM 20:00, £16
CRATER COVE
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
Funk, disco, boogie and house. THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
FOSSIL GROOVES
DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best poppunk, rock and hip-hop.
Tue 28 May
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
CATHOUSE WEDNESDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4
GLITTERED! WEDNESDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
DJ Garry Garry Garry in G2 with chart remixes, along with beer pong competitions all night. EUTONY (CRAIGEN + KANE)
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5
London’s underground techno sound from Temple Recordings residents.
THE RUTLES
Thu 30 May
CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 19:30, £21.91
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4
The Beatles tribute act.
Wed 29 May
MOBINA GALORE (HORA DOUSE + STONETHROWER)
CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £5 - £7
Radical Canadian power-chord punk rock.
Thu 30 May KYLE FALCONER
FAT SAM’S, FROM 19:00, £17.60
SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS
The original line-up of these Manchester stalwarts celebrate 40+ years as a band.
Sat 01 Jun HORSE
DUNDEE REP, FROM 19:30, £10 - £20
25 years on, and like a good wine, Horse’s voice has continued to mature and is effortless in its breadth and depth. JAM PACT
CLARKS ON LINDSAY STREET, FROM 15:00, £5
Ireland’s only The Jam tribute act. THE JUKEBOX ROMANTICS (TRIPLE SUNDAE + THE OVERBITES)
High-octane, heartfelt and rapid melodic punk rock from downstate New York in the finest tradition of east coast melodic hardcore.
Thu 06 Jun TWISTED SYSTEM
CHURCH, FROM 19:00, TBC
UNHOLY
Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC
Ross MacMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey.
RENEGADES OF FUNK (KROKAKAI + ROF) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5
Those funky renegades are back with a brand new resident.
Fri 31 May FRESH! FRIDAY
ORAN MOR, FROM 23:00, £6
Resident DJ John McLean brings you the biggest tunes and best deals to make your weekend one to remember. CATHOUSE FRIDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6
Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6
Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. VICIOUS CREATURES W/ DJ FETT BURGER (LÁRUS)
THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 22:00, £10 - £12
DJ Fett Burger has a habit of playing wild sets where it’s not just that you haven’t heard most of the music before, but rather that you haven’t heard anything LIKE most of the music before. Weird, danceable and uplifting. EZUP (MAURICE FULTON)
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10
USHER HALL, FROM 19:00, £33 - £38.50
The Budapest Café Orchestra play traditional folk and gypsyflavoured music from across the world.
June 2019
Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON & THE STRANGERS
The three-time Grammy winner, herladed as an artist’s artist.
Europe’s premier tribute to Twisted Sister.
The Thunder Disco Club residents churn out the 90s house, techno and disco hits, as is their merry way, alongside a carousel of guests. KEEP IT ROLLING HIP-HOP & JUNGLE TAKEOVER
ROOM 2, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5
Keep It Rolling invite jungle enthusiasts Frogbeats in for a hip-hop clash.
Sat 01 Jun EXCELLENT WOMEN
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3
SWG3, FROM 21:00, £12.50 - £18.50
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 19:30, £3
Dundee Music
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £12
CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £7
Alt-rock band from East London.
Italo, electro, house charity night.
Close Quarters DIY is a new gig night in Edinburgh celebrating local DIY and indie music.
THUNDER DISCO (OR:LA + HAMMER & JUBÉ)
Hip-hop, bass and trap.
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 19:00, £6 - £8
CLOSE QUARTERS DIY PRESENTS (GRAVELLE + BIG FACE)
Glasgow Clubs
CHAPTER AND VERSE (SKY GIANT + VENA AMORIS + HOWLETT)
Killer local line-up including “one of the hardest working new bands to break onto the Glasgow scene.”
CONROY’S BASEMENT, FROM 19:30, £5 - £6
BUDAPEST CAFE ORCHESTRA
Mon 24 Jun
Wed 29 May
TAKE TODAY (TOREADOR + ALTERED SKY + GULLS)
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE (MEURSAULT + BE CHARLOTTE + REV MAGNETIC + SHHE + SAVAGE MANSION + CALLUM EASTER + LITTLE KING)
Southern Exposure returns to Summerhall’s Dissection Room with two packed days of the best in Scottish talent.
Motherwell outfit deftly combining portions of hip-hop, pop, rock and electro into one thumping melodic block of noise.
A night of fuzz-fuelled entertainment.
Mon 03 Jun
SUMMERHALL, FROM 14:00, £18 - £25
FAT SAM’S, FROM 19:00, £17
Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.
BANNERMANS, FROM 19:30, £6 - £8
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 19:00, £10
My Chemical Romance tribute.
THE LAFONTAINES
#TAG TUESDAYS
THE BLACK WIZARDS (DATCHA MANDALA)
BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, FROM 20:00, £15
BRITPOP VS MADCHESTER (DEFINITELY MIGHTBE + ADORED)
One of the UK’s leading orchestras perform a complete rendition of Dr. Dre’s 2001 album from start to finish.
Mon 24 Jun
Sat 22 Jun
Edinburgh-based thrashers make Bannermans headline debut.
CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £18.90 - £22.90
Tue 28 May
The riotous frontman of The View tours solo.
BANNERMANS, FROM 20:00, £5 - £7
AN ORCHESTRAL RENDITION OF DR. DRE: 2001
A Sunday afternoon to drink, dance and sing along to simply the most authentic 60s band you will ever hear.
Punky, indie night from localish lads, originally formed in the 80s, now back for good/bad/ugly. IFREANN (I THE MOUNTAIN + PARIAH + SKYRYDER + RIPTIDE)
SHAMBOLICS CHURCH, FROM 19:00, £8
EZUP invite the inimitable Maurice Fulton for a cosmic journey.
THE ROARING 20S PARTY
Party like it’s the 1920s at this Peaky Blinders themed club night with live entertainment, live music, themed cocktails and more. CATHOUSE SATURDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. I LOVE GARAGE
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you. COOKING WITH PALMS TRAX
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12
Palms Trax's now legendary residency continues, with the man himself playing all night long. SUBCULTURE (LARRY HEARD)
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £25
Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests. LOOSE JOINTS (YU SU)
THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £6
Vancouver’s Yu Su has landed with a bang, with a massive release on Arcade, picked out for RA Mix of the Day and upcoming appearances at some of the world’s finest festivals and venues. NEVER BEEN KISSED (MILK DJS)
THE RUM SHACK, FROM 20:00, £6 - £7
Dance and sing along to girl band/ boy band belters.
Sun 02 Jun
Wed 05 Jun IT’S NOT A PHASE, MOM!
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
Nu-metal, pop-punk, emo and early 00s tunes. CATHOUSE WEDNESDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4
DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best poppunk, rock and hip-hop. GLITTERED! WEDNESDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
DJ Garry Garry Garry in G2 with chart remixes, along with beer pong competitions all night.
SUNNY SIDE UP (KARL FM + ARRAN)
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3
A charity club night focused on developing a more sustainable world and delivering quality music to dancefloors.
Thu 06 Jun
SESH
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night. DABJ B2B BIG MIZ
THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8
Dixon Avenue Basement Jams go B2B with Glasgow young gun Big Miz.
Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. ELEMENT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC
Ross MacMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. FOUNDRY
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5
After a long run of guests, Foundry residents take up the booth for the full night.
Fri 07 Jun GLITTERBANG
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3
Disco divas and Euro-pop anthems for those ready to sweat. CATHOUSE FRIDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6
Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6
Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. FANNY PACK
THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 22:00, £3 - £5
Ultimate 90s party.
9000 DREAMS (AVALON EMERSON) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12
SUB CLUB X SHOW: 2MANYDJS
From politically incorrect progrock to funky R&B, from trendy hip-hop to banging German techno, the Dewaele brothers have it in their record collection.
Sat 08 Jun
NATRICAL SELECTION
Devious creations for sweatlodge atmospherics. #TAG TUESDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.
BARE MONDAYS
Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?
Tue 11 Jun OBZRV MUSIC
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
Hip-hop, grime and UK garage. #TAG TUESDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.
Wed 12 Jun
RETRONIC W/ FRANKIE ELYSE
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
Rock’n’roll, and 50s and 60s bangers. CATHOUSE WEDNESDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4
DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best poppunk, rock and hip-hop. GLITTERED! WEDNESDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
DJ Garry Garry Garry in G2 with chart remixes, along with beer pong competitions all night. ARCADE (FEAR-E)
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5
I LOVE GARAGE
Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you. LEZURE (DR RUBINSTEIN)
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10
Russian-born Maria Rubinstein heads to the La Cheetah basement for a night of acid techno and life-affirming rave tunes. SUBCULTURE
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC
Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.
THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 23:00, £9
Producer and DJ Sascha Funke has reimagined his sound through the years, moving between genres and styles. SHAKARA (MAVEEN + CRAMMOND)
THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, TBC
Afro, disco, funk and soul.
Sat 15 Jun
THE LANCE VANCE DANCE
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3
Exotic dreamy disco. OBSESSION
SWG3, FROM 22:00, £4
A night of deep cuts, quality remixes, the best new bangers and forgotten tracks for serious connoisseurs of disco, pop and electro. CATHOUSE SATURDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs. I LOVE GARAGE
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you. QUARANTINE (THOMAS P HECKMANN + PAULITCAL)
STEREO, FROM 23:00, £7 - £10
Quarantine welcomes legendary artist Thomas P Heckmann for a three hour set.
SOLID STATE (PRIVACY + CRAIGIE KNOWES DJS + PARTS UNKNOWN)
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8
Solid State team up with Craigie Knowes to welcome Berlin electro legend Privacy. SUBCULTURE
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC
Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests. A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE
THE BERKELEY SUITE, FROM 22:00, £10
Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnston’s rather ace London night comes our way.
MOJO WORKIN’ (FELONIOUS MUNK)
THE RUM SHACK, FROM 21:00, £2
60s Rhythm and blues, ska, Motown and Northern soul.
Sun 16 Jun INTO THE MOUSYHOLE
Glasgow-based DJ and producer Fear-E (DABJ) brings the acid madness, supported by Arcade’s residents.
Jungle, drum’n’bass and techhouse.
Thu 13 Jun
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
SCIENCE FICTION
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
The Queens of the Glasgow disco scene, FKA Drugstore Glamour. UNHOLY
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £2 - £3
SESH
Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4
Mon 17 Jun
ELEMENT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up. THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC
Fri 14 Jun
CATHOUSE SATURDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
Tue 04 Jun
SESH
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
Hip-hop and live percussion flanked by wicked visuals.
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3
Mon 03 Jun Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?
Sun 09 Jun
Ross MacMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey.
SHAKA LOVES YOU
Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs.
BARE MONDAYS
Afro, disco and fun times with three of the best record collections in Glasgow (and beyond).
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £10 - £12
From the fab fierce family that brought you Catty Pride comes Cathouse Rock Club’s new monthly alternative drag show.
THE RUM SHACK, FROM 22:00, £4
UNHOLY
Flamboyant disco dream weavers.
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC
HELLBENT
LOOSEN UP (DAVID BARBAROSSA + FERGUS CLARK + CHARLIE MCCANN)
Mon 10 Jun
STAR SIGNZ
Industrial goth rock disco.
NULL / VOID
Centring sex positive and socially radical narratives, LSDXOXO is an artist that refuses to align with a single genre, creating high energy sets that fuse techno with Baltimore club and pop influences.
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
Avalon Emerson is one of the few DJs capable of playing all night long and she does just that in the next installment of her residency.
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
LSDXOXO (JHM + TAAHLIAH (LIVE))
THE ART SCHOOL, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
FENIX 3RD BIRTHDAY: SASCHA FUNKE (AM + 171)
ANNA & HOLLY’S DANCE PARTY
BARE MONDAYS
Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?
Tue 18 Jun KLETO’S MANIACS
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3
Dominantly dance music.
CATHOUSE FRIDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
Rock’n’roll, garage and soul. CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6
Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6
Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. AFLOAT
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3
Two La Cheetah heavyweight crews, Afloat and Attention// Please come together for one night only. RETURN TO MONO (SLAM + SURGEON + NONCOMPLIANT)
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £12 - £14
Monthly night from Soma Records, often with special guests.
#TAG TUESDAYS
Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.
Wed 19 Jun DON’T BE GUTTED
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
All-out decadence in the name of euphoria. CATHOUSE WEDNESDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £4
DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best poppunk, rock and hip-hop. GLITTERED! WEDNESDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £0 - £4
DJ Garry Garry Garry in G2 with chart remixes, along with beer pong competitions all night.
Listings
57
ATTENTION//PLEASE (DEREK CARR (LIVE)) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £4 - £8
Derek Carr, a true pioneer of the scene, brings his new Detroit techno and house influenced live set to the La Cheetah basement.
Thu 20 Jun PRAY 4 LOVE
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, FREE
All love songs + all bangers. UNHOLY
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £2 - £4
Cathouse’s Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up.
SESH THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.
Mon 24 Jun BARE MONDAYS
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?
ELEMENT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, TBC
Ross MacMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey. PALA (PETRICHOR)
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Pala invite Petrichor to bring his live set to La Cheetah to launch his new album.
Fri 21 Jun SINGLES NIGHT
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3
Beans + Divine explore the hits on 7” vinyl. CATHOUSE FRIDAYS
CATHOUSE, FROM 22:30, £5 - £6
Screamy, shouty, post-hardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style. FRESH BEAT
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £3 - £6
Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore. SCHWEFELGELB (LIVE)
STEREO, FROM 23:00, £10
Shoot Your Shot and Brain Dancing team up to bring techno duo Schwefelgelb to Stereo for a live set.
NORTH (DOMENIC CAPPELLO + A DEEPER GROOVE + JOHNNY MILLING)
THE FLYING DUCK, FROM 22:00, £5
Tue 28 May HECTOR’S HOUSE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday. MIDNIGHT BASS
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £1 - £5
Weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.
Wed 29 May WILD ONES
An evening celebrating the music of the legendary Fela Kuti.
Sat 22 Jun CLUB TROPICANA
Weekly Wednesday hosted by C-Shaman, who welcomes house and techno friends from near and there.
Thu 30 May UNDERGROUND SOCIETY
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
TASTY
Delicious start to the weekend with a chart, R’n’B and club anthem flavour. SILK THURSDAYS
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £0 - £5
Weekly Thursday chart, house, R’n’B and indie night with DJ Big Al. COASTAL HAZE
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Coastal Haze, the label and party curated by Seb Wildblood and Hollick, heads to Sneaky Pete’s for an all night long B2B session.
CATHOUSE SATURDAYS
Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
I LOVE GARAGE
THE GARAGE GLASGOW, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you. SISTER MIDNIGHT
STEREO, FROM 23:00, £5
Post-punk funk at LYLO’s club night.
ELECTRIC SALSA (REDSTONE PRESS + BISSET) LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8
For their third party of the year, Electric Salsa welcome back Redstone Press for a second time, following their entrancing warmup for re:ni in December. SUBCULTURE
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC
Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft’ joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.
Sun 23 Jun
CHEERS FOR THIRD SUNDAY
CATHOUSE, FROM 23:00, TBC
DJ Kelmosh takes you through Mid-Southwestern emo, rock, new metal, nostalgia and 90s and 00s tunes.
58
Listings
REWIND
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £4 - £5
Monthly party night celebrating the best in soul, disco, rock and pop with music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and current bangers. HEAL YOURSELF AND MOVE
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5
Travel into the outer with a night curated by Firecracker Recordings. ABSYNTH
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5
Four hours of industrial, electro, noise and goth. SAMEDIA SHEBEEN
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
As always Samedia play music spanning Afrobeat, Latin, kuduru, dancehall, samba, soca, cumbia and beyond. RIVIERA PARADISO (ANDREA MONTALTO + THE SHEIKH)
PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Weekly party every Thursday with residents Merlot and Dave Hill. TASTY
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Delicious start to the weekend with a chart, R’n’B and club anthem flavour. SILK THURSDAYS
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £0 - £5
Weekly Thursday chart, house, R’n’B and indie night with DJ Big Al. POPULAR MUSIC
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £1 - £3
DJs playing music by bands to make you dance: Grace Jones to Neu!, Parquet Courts to Brian Eno, The Clash to Janelle Monae.
Fri 07 Jun FLY
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £8 - £15
Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent. HEXED
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £8 - £10
House and techno night from DJs who run Pulse, Coalition, Haptic and Hometown. FLIP
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4
Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.
Fri 31 May
Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs.
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4
Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.
THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, FREE
WEE RED BAR, FROM 17:30, £15
HEATERS (MAKE ME)
NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, FROM 23:30, £3
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast.
BUBBLEGUM
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £1 - £3
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
SUB CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5
Residents Cameron Mason and Calum Evans spin the finest cuts of deep funk, Latin rhythms and rare groove into the early hours.
Sun 09 Jun
UNDERGROUND SOCIETY
Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect.
LA CHEETAH CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £5
ERA SUITE & SUB CLUB X GLASGOW JAZZ FESTIVAL: MUSIC OF FELA KUTI (THE KALAKUTA SHOW + REBECCA VASMANT + ASTROJAZZ + MAVEEN + CRAMMOND)
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7
Thu 06 Jun
Perfect blend of modern club chart, and 90s and 00s guilty pleasures.
Weekly party every Thursday with residents Merlot and Dave Hill.
Partial residents Adler and Ubo bring in the summer, playing back to back all night long.
SOULSVILLE: HOBBES VINYL RELEASE LAUNCH PARTY
Resident Andrea Montalto hosts a night of new wave, Italo and other electronic oddballs, with special guests often joining him.
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
A new night in Glasgow catering for lovers of deep, electronic house music. PARTIAL
Edinburgh Clubs
FLY
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £6 - £10
OVERGROUND: MEGA RAVE 001
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £0 - £6
Overground bring the rave to new territory, following celebrations of their third year in the game. FLIP
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4
Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. MINISET (PEVERELIST)
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Headset’s Skillis brings his Bongo Club party to the smaller surrounds of Sneaky’s and invites some friends to join him. HUMAN TRAFFIC 90S RAVE
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £10
Go back to the peak of British rave culture at this 90s themed club night. JACUZZI GENERAL PRESENTS..
PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Weekly evening hosted by Palms own musical big man ‘The General’. Expect towels, shower curtains, dancing and maybe a hot tub.
Sat 01 Jun PLEASURE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8
Regular Saturday night at Cab Vol, with residents and occasional special guests.
STAR DANCER
A conscious clubbing experience (in other words, no drugs or alcohol) offering a unique blend of quality underground dance music. CLUB VINYL
LEITH DEPOT, FROM 20:30, TBC
A gathering of DJs each playing a selection of vinyl records for those wishing to toe tap and body move.
Sun 02 Jun SUNDAY CLUB
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE
Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.
Mon 03 Jun MIXED UP
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room. HOMETOWN: BOBBY ANALOG
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £6
Hometown welcome Bobby Analog for his second three-hour set in the capital, this time in Edinburgh’s most intimate venue.
Tue 04 Jun HECTOR’S HOUSE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday. MIDNIGHT BASS
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £1 - £5
Weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.
Wed 05 Jun WILD ONES
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Perfect blend of modern club chart, and 90s and 00s guilty pleasures.
HEATERS & RINSE FM PRESENT (ANDREW THOMSON + PERCY MAIN) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5
Rinse FM take over Heaters at Sneaky’s every Wednesday in June, teaming up Rinse residents with local supports.
PROPAGANDA
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £2 - £6
MISS WORLD (ICED GEM)
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5
A musical beauty pageant from Miss World DJs, bringing you everything from techno, disco, house, soul, funk, garage and everything in between. GREEN DOOR PRESENT LA PORTE VERTE!
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, TBC
A cocktail of rock’n’roll, rhythm and blues, surf, garage and soul.
POWERHOUSE (ESPEN LAURITZEN + KRILL) THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £8
Edinburgh underground heavyweights channeling serious nae-nonsense techno and dark body music. JACUZZI GENERAL PRESENTS… (RYOT) PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Weekly evening hosted by Palms own musical big man ‘The General’. Expect towels, shower curtains, dancing and maybe a hot tub.
Sat 08 Jun PLEASURE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8
Regular Saturday night at Cab Vol, with residents and occasional special guests. DR NO’S SKA CLUB
HENRY’S CELLAR BAR, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
Baz and Dave spin out some belters under a strictly vinyl-only policy. MESSENGER
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Conscious roots and dub reggae rockin’ from the usual beefy Messenger Sound System. BUBBLEGUM
THE HIVE, FROM 21:00, £0 - £4
Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. TEESH
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £6
An all you can eat mind buffet of cosmic sounds and visuals with DJ Cheers. KEEP IT STEEL: CHAV VS GOTH
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £3 - £5
Edinburgh’s No.1 Metal club throw a chav vs goth face-off. KOSELIG (JOSH GIBBS)
PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Palms’ debut from the local Edinburgh club night focused on smooth jazzy house and easy going grooves.
SUNDAY CLUB
Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE
Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.
Mon 10 Jun MIXED UP
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room. ROSSZ VER 1ST BIRTHDAY
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3
Everyone’s favourite Hungarian duo softly invade Sneaky Pete’s for a Monday night and play you all their favourite music.
Tue 11 Jun HECTOR’S HOUSE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, TBC
Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday. CLUB TROPICANA
THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £13 - £87.40
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast. MIDNIGHT BASS
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £1 - £5
Weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage.
TRASH: SUMMER FESTS PREPARTY
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Get in the mood for summer festivals before setting off, or make up for not going. Rock, pop-punk, metal and indie.
Wed 12 Jun CLUB TROPICANA
THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 14:30, £13 - £87.40
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast. CLUB TROPICANA
THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £13 - £87.40
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast. WILD ONES
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Perfect blend of modern club chart, and 90s and 00s guilty pleasures.
HEATERS & RINSE FM PRESENT (OBJECT BLUE + JESS COHEN) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Rinse FM take over Heaters at Sneaky’s every Wednesday in June, teaming up Rinse residents with local supports.
Thu 13 Jun
UNDERGROUND SOCIETY
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
Weekly party every Thursday with residents Merlot and Dave Hill. CLUB TROPICANA
THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £13 - £87.40
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast. TASTY
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Delicious start to the weekend with a chart, R’n’B and club anthem flavour. SILK THURSDAYS
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £0 - £5
Weekly Thursday chart, house, R’n’B and indie night with DJ Big Al.
CLUB TROPICANA THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £13 - £87.40
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast. ELECTRIKAL
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, TBC
Soundsystem partystarters, part of a music and art collective specialising in all things bass. FLIP
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4
Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. PROPAGANDA
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £2 - £6
Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like. HOT MESS
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £6
Hot Mess is a hot and messy queer rave. Non-stop bangers and mash, selected and sequenced with love by Simonotron. STANKY BEATS (SPEKTRE)
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £15
The British duo of Rick Wakley and Paul Maddox play a live set. SESENTAYUNO & FRIENDS: SUMMER PARTY
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5
A night soundtracked with a familiar style of house grooves.
MIGHTY OAK SOUNDSYSTEM (DOWNBEAT MELODY SOUNDSYSTEM)
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £6
Roots and culture, powered by Mighty Oak’s hand-built soundsystem.
JACUZZI GENERAL PRESENTS… (FEENA) PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Weekly evening hosted by Palms own musical big man ‘The General’. Expect towels, shower curtains, dancing and maybe a hot tub.
Sat 15 Jun PLEASURE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8
Regular Saturday night at Cab Vol, with residents and occasional special guests. CLUB TROPICANA
THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 14:30, £13 - £87.40
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast. CLUB TROPICANA
THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE, FROM 19:30, £13 - £87.40
Have some faith in this fruity cocktail 80s feast. MUMBO JUMBO + LUCKY 7
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £3 - £7
Funk, soul, beats and bumps from the Mumbo Jumbo gang and room two residents Lucky 7. BUBBLEGUM
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4
Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure. GBX ANTHEMS
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £8 - £16.75
GBX head honcho George Bowie is joined by Sparkos, DJ Rankin, DJ Bad Boy and DJ Zitkus. PALIDRONE
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5
Local rising club night and DJ collective Palidrone present four hours of energising club music across the spectrum. DECADE
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £4 - £5
Edinburgh’s funnest alt party. MAYHEM.
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5
A night of unrelenting hardcore, hard techno and gabber. AGORA (NEINZER + SKILLIS)
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £1 - £5
Agora returns to The Mash House with Berlin-based Neinzer and Edinburgh’s Skillis.
NIKNAK PRESENTS: THE OTHER GUY
PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
POPULAR MUSIC: MADONNA’S NEW YORK
A new monthly outfit from Paradise Palms residents NikNak.
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Sun 16 Jun
Peaky and Nick take a look at the incredible wealth of total bangers that came out of New York in the 70s and 80s.
Fri 14 Jun FLY
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £6 - £12
Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.
SUNDAY CLUB
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday. COALITION
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE
Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.
Mon 17 Jun
Sat 22 Jun
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £8
MIXED UP
Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room. OVERGROUND (ASQUITH)
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5
Lo-fi raw house and techno.
Tue 18 Jun HECTOR’S HOUSE
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £6
Since May 2012, Hector’s House (known affectionately to many as Hector’s) has become Edinburgh’s stalwart midweek shindig, drawing in capacity crowds each and every Tuesday. MIDNIGHT BASS
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £1 - £5
Weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. TRASH
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Alternative Tuesday anthems cherrypicked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.
Wed 19 Jun WILD ONES
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Perfect blend of modern club chart, and 90s and 00s guilty pleasures.
HEATERS & RINSE FM PRESENT (WILLOW + C-SHAMAN)
PLEASURE
Regular Saturday night at Cab Vol, with residents and occasional special guests.
WINDRUSH DAY CELEBRATION (MESSENGER SOUND SYSTEM + MC ISTA) THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5
Celebrating the music, people and culture brought to these shores from the Caribbean, with a percentage of profits donated to the Windrush Foundation. BUBBLEGUM: PRIDE EDINBURGH
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4
Everyone is welcome! Rainbows and dancing. Chart, R’n’B and pop. XOXO PRIDE
WEE RED BAR, FROM 23:00, £5
The popular queer night returns to the Wee Red for a Pride special. GROOVEJET
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £8 - £13.45
A full on night of house, vocal anthems, special edits and disco edits. DEFINITION
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5
Underground house and techno inspired by the likes of Sonar, Berghain, Fabric and Pressure from our residents Mark Balneaves and Marty Lightbody.
Sun 23 Jun SUNDAY CLUB
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/ handle on a Sunday.
Thu 20 Jun
Believe presents the best in bass DJs from Edinburgh at his weekly Sunday communion.
Rinse FM take over Heaters at Sneaky’s every Wednesday in June, teaming up Rinse residents with local supports. UNDERGROUND SOCIETY
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £3 - £4
COALITION
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, FREE
Weekly party every Thursday with residents Merlot and Dave Hill.
Mon 24 Jun
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
Monday-brightening mix of hiphop, R’n’B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.
SILK THURSDAYS
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £3
TASTY
Delicious start to the weekend with a chart, R’n’B and club anthem flavour. THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £0 - £5
Weekly Thursday chart, house, R’n’B and indie night with DJ Big Al. POPULAR MUSIC: ELECTRIC FIELDS WARM-UP
SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £1 - £3
DJs playing music by bands to make you dance: Grace Jones to Neu!, Parquet Courts to Brian Eno, The Clash to Janelle Monae.
MIXED UP
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, FREE
TENBIT
All round dancefloor motivation from the local Tenbit boys.
Dundee Clubs
Fri 21 Jun
Fri 31 May
CABARET VOLTAIRE, FROM 23:00, £6
CHURCH, FROM 22:00, £7 - £10
FLY
Edinburgh and Glasgow-straddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent. MIDNIGHT BASS
THE BONGO CLUB, FROM 23:00, £5 - £7
Weekly Bongo night by Electrikal Sound System, dishing out drum and bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage. FLIP
THE HIVE, FROM 22:00, £0 - £4
Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and novelty-stuffed. Perrrfect. PROPAGANDA
THE LIQUID ROOM, FROM 22:30, £2 - £6
Clubber’s favourite of indie classics and baggy greats, from Primal Scream and the like.
ATHENS OF THE NORTH DISCO CLUB (FRYER + GARETH SOMMERVILLE) SNEAKY PETE’S, FROM 23:00, £5
Edinburgh’s finest gem-digging, discogs destroying re-issue label goes real world once again. Rare records that’ll make you dance, guaranteed. EVOLVE (NICO BALDUCCI + JOE WILSON + CHRIS CARLYLE)
LA BELLE ANGELE, FROM 23:00, £5 - £9
House and techno. NETFLIX & TRILL
THE MASH HOUSE, FROM 23:00, £5
Binge on Netflix while dancing to some tunes. Electronic remixes of pop, hip-hop, indie, R’n’B and trap bangers.
JACUZZI GENERAL PRESENTS… (YVES) PARADISE PALMS, FROM 21:00, FREE
Weekly evening hosted by Palms own musical big man ‘The General’. Expect towels, shower curtains, dancing and maybe a hot tub.
WILL ATKINSON
A big night of trance.
HEADWAY 15TH BIRTHDAY WITH DAX J (ANDY BARTON + NEIL CLARK + GRAEME BINNIE) READING ROOMS, FROM 22:30, £10 - £15
London born techno don Dax J gets involved at Headway.
Sat 08 Jun DUNDEMO
CHURCH, FROM 22:30, £4 - £7
Emo-themed club night.
Glasgow Theatre CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art CRYPTIC NIGHTS: INTERVAL AND INSTANCE
6 JUN, 8:00PM, £6 - £9
An audiovisual performance examining speed, motion and scale in film and sound.
Glee Club TRINITY THE TUCK
12 JUN, 7:30PM, £20 - £40
After just snatching the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 crown jointly with Monet X Change, Trinity is touring the UK with her one woman show, along with the Klub Kids.
THE SKINNY
Theatre Oran Mor
THE PIEMAN COMETH
6-7 JUN, 7:30PM, PRICES VARY
A play by Bryan Jackson and David Belcher about the addiction and insanity of Scottish Football.
Platform
549: SCOTS OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR 12 JUN, 7:00PM, £4 - £8.50
Based on a true story, this new play follows four miners from the streets of East Lothian to the valleys of Spain. HOLDING IT TOGETHER
1 JUN, 2PM, £4 - £5
Devised and performed by Chloë Smith and Jassy Earl, this original performance explores grief in an intimate space.
The King’s Theatre THAT’LL BE THE DAY
3 JUN, 7:30PM, £26.90 - £43.90
Rock’n’roll variety show crammed with musical favourites from the 50s, 60s and 70s (i.e. you WILL sing along to Buddy Holly). AMERICAN IDIOT
1 JUN, TIMES VARY, £17.90 - £61.40
In an age where almost anything is prime fodder for musical-making, Green Day’s in on the action with American Idiot. CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL
11-22 JUN, TIMES VARY, £13 - £66.65
Award-winning production based on the true story of the calendar girls, a group of ordinary ladies who achieved something extraordinary.
Theatre Royal HORMONAL HOUSEWIVES
2 JUN, 7:30PM, £24 - £42
Vicki Michelle, Josephine Partridge and Julie Coombe muse on the joys (and otherwise) of being a 21stcentury woman. WALK RIGHT BACK
23 JUN, 7:30PM, £13 - £41
Walk Right Back tells the story of the most successful duo of all time, The Everly Brothers. THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL
1 JUN, TIMES VARY, £13 - £39.90
The House on Cold Hill is a modern day supernatural thriller that will send shivers down your spine. THE RED LION
18-22 JUN, TIMES VARY, £16.40 - £33.90
Rapture present a brand new production of Patrick Marber’s hit comedy about the beautiful game.
Tramway
GARY CLARKE COMPANY: WASTELAND
14-15 JUN, 7:30PM, £10 - £15
Wasteland dives head first into a gritty story of loss, hope, tragedy and survival following the next generation in their quest for purpose and escapism in the 1990s illegal rave scene.
Tron Theatre
BLUE RAINCOAT THEATRE PRESENTS ALICE IN WONDERLAND
1 JUN, TIMES VARY, £11 - £17
Alice in Wonderland, Blue Raincoat style, promises to be a visually sumptuous and physical re-telling of Lewis Carroll’s great work. I KNOW YOU ARE, BUT WHAT AM I?
7-8 JUN, 7:30PM, £5
Edinburgh Theatre Assembly Roxy VALENTINA’S GALAXY
1 JUN, TIMES VARY, £9 - £12
Inspired by women in space, this immersive performance features a combustible concoction of experiments, rocket launches and star gazing. TANDEM WRITING COLLECTIVE
14 JUN, 7:30PM, £5
Tandem features tasters of topical new scripts by the three writers, performed script in hand by the best local actors and featuring talented new directors. PUPPETRY SCRATCH NIGHT
14 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
An evening of new ideas and exciting puppetry performances, providing a platform for Scottishbased emerging and established artists.
Festival Theatre
SCOTTISH OPERA: THE MAGIC FLUTE
5-15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £20 - £87
Sir Thomas Allen and Simon Higlett take on the fantastical charms of Mozart’s beloved opera, set in a visual world inspired by steam punk Victoriana. No ‘magic flute’ jokes, please.
King’s Theatre Edinburgh AVENUE Q
1-29 JUN, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Tony Award-winning production set in downtown New York, featuring brightly-coloured puppetry, people and catchy tunes from the same guy behind the songs of Disney’s Frozen. You’ve been warned. CROSS CURRENTS 2019
6 JUN, TIMES VARY, £18.50
Showcasing the talent and diversity of the dancers training at Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS). BALLET BLACK
8 JUN, 7:30PM, £19.50 - £27
Ballet Black collaborates with three bold and inventine choreographers for a triology of narrative and abstract dance. CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN
18-29 JUN, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Louis de Bernières’ epic novel is brought dramatically to life in this stage adaptation by director Melly Still and writer Rona Munro.
Royal Lyceum Theatre THE DUCHESS [OF MALFI]
1-8 JUN, TIMES VARY, £10 - £32
An exploration of male rage and female resistance as two brothers try and control their sister, block her marriage and repress her agency with fatal results.
The Basement Theatre
SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE
12 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
An evening of short plays written and performed by emerging writers specifically for that event.
Join Jessica and the workers of her brain on the eve of her first day at secondary school, as they try and piece together her identity.
The Edinburgh Playhouse
15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £5
Rock’n’roll variety show crammed with musical favourites from the 50s, 60s and 70s (i.e. you WILL sing along to Buddy Holly).
THE CRANIUM KIDS
Join Skillshop Seniors as they discover what really goes on inside the brain.
Traverse Theatre 549: SCOTS OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR 6-8 JUN, 8:00PM, £5 - £15
Based on a true story, this new play follows four miners from the streets of East Lothian to the valleys of Spain. DRONE
4-5 JUN, 8:00PM, £5 - £12
With bleak humour and tender fury, Drone sees the unmanned aerial vehicle as the technology of a neurotic century, asking how anxious people can live as part of systems of astonishing destruction. LITTLE BOXES
14-15 JUN, 7:00PM, £8.50 - £12.50
Little Boxes is an exploration of mental health and societal pressure on young people today. STOLEN FUTURES
14-15 JUN, 8:30PM, £8.50 - £12.50
Struggling to live in a postapocalyptic world, Becky had never seen a plane until the strangers landed, offering a better future.
THE CARPENTERS STORY
Dundee Theatre Caird Hall
HORMONAL HOUSEWIVES
31 MAY, 7:30PM, £25
Vicki Michelle, Josephine Partridge and Julie Coombe muse on the joys (and otherwise) of being a 21stcentury woman.
Dundee Rep SILENT
12 JUN, 7:30PM, £10 - £15
Dare to laugh at despair and gasp at redemption in this brave, bleak, beautiful production for which Fishamble and Pat Kinevane won an Olivier Award in 2016. FORGOTTEN
11 JUN, 7:30PM, £10 - £15
A unique collage of Kabuki dance and Irish storytelling, Forgotten has been a huge international success for Fishamble during the past decade. CURIOUS SHOES
3-4 JUN, TIMES VARY, £8
A collaborative performance for people living with dementia, their loved ones and those who care for them. 549: SCOTS OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR 14-15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £10 - £15
Based on a true story, this new play follows four miners from the streets of East Lothian to the valleys of Spain. THE BENNY LYNCH STORY
5 JUN, 7:30PM, £10 - £20
A poignant and entertaining look at the life of Scotland’s first ever boxing world champion, from his childhood in the Gorbals, to his boxing success and global stardom.
HAIR THE MUSICAL
17-22 JUN, TIMES VARY, £13 - £80
A bunch of hippies celebrating peace and love in late 1960s New York, in the shadow of the Vietnam War.
FRIDAY NIGHT COMEDY
7-28 JUN, 7:00PM, PRICES VARY
The perfect way to end the working week, with four superb stand-up comedians. SATURDAY NIGHT COMEDY
1-29 JUN, 7:00PM, £8 - £17
An evening of award-winning comedy, with four superb stand-up comedians that will keep you laughing until Monday.
Oran Mor NEWS HACKS
16 JUN, 5:00PM, £12
Writer of the long-running hit topical radio show Watson’s Wind Up, Rikki Brown presents a fresh take on the news and those making the news.
The King’s Theatre 23 JUN, 8:00PM, £31.65
Multi-award-winning Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert returns from a six-year break from stand-up with a new show.
The Rum Shack RUM DIARIES
Comedy, spoken word, rehearsed readings and more.
The Stand Glasgow
MICHAEL REDMOND’S SUNDAY SERVICE
9-30 JUN, 9:00PM, £5 - £6
The Stand’s popular Sunday show has resident Irish funnyman Michael Redmond at the helm. RED RAW
3-25 JUN, 8:30PM, £3
Legendary new material night with up to 10 acts. Every Monday in Edinburgh and Tuesday in Glasgow. THE THURSDAY SHOW
6-27 JUN, TIMES VARY, £5 - £10
Start the weekend early with five comedians. THE SATURDAY SHOW
1-29 JUN, 9:00PM, £17.50
The big weekend show with five comedians. THE FRIDAY SHOW
7-28 JUN, TIMES VARY, £6 - £12
The big weekend show with five comedians. GLASGOW KIDS COMEDY CLUB
2 JUN, 3:00PM, £4
The Stand Comedy Club presents a live stand-up show for younger fans every month. BRIGHT CLUB
10 JUN, 8:30PM, £5
The freshest thing in stand-up – straight from the (research) field to funny with a new crop of comedic academics from Scotland’s universities every month. COMEDIAN RAP BATTLES
5 JUN, 8:30PM, £4 - £6
1 JUN, 7:30PM, £10.50 - £11.50
12 JUN, 8:30PM, £4
JESUS L’OREAL: NAILED IT
Jesus L’Oreal returns once again to complete the Holy Trinity with another high-octane show of song, dance and Jehovah’s Fitness. THE PIEMAN COMETH
6-7 JUN, 7:30PM, £10 - £12
A play by Bryan Jackson and David Belcher about the addiction and insanity of Scottish Football.
The country’s best comedians battle it out. BBC COMEDY PRESENTS
GLASGOW HAROLD NIGHT
4 JUN, 8:00PM, FREE
One hilarious show, completely improvised by two teams, based off an audience suggestion. Improv comedy at its finest.
LARRY DEAN: WORK IN PROGRESS
12-15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £4 - £5
Fresh from an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination, Larry Dean tries out some brand new jokes. 29 MAY, TIMES VARY, £5
A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards.
ELEANOR CONWAY: WALK OF SHAME 2 (REALITY BITES)
Eleanor Conway returns with her hotly anticipated sequel, Walk of Shame 2 (Reality Bites). THE ADAM RICHES EXPERIENCE
2 JUN, 8:30PM, £12
Enjoy a unique show of off the wall, absurd and downright hilarious live comedy from Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Adam Riches.
LIGHT BULB
Stand-up, characters and sketches for fans of weird and silly things.
Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on
A monthly round-up featuring sketch, character, musical and stand-up comedy all from the minds of Joe McTernan, Megan Shandley and Jojo Sutherland.
MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SUNDAY SHOW
2-30 JUN, 7:00PM, PRICES VARY
Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.
6-27 JUN, 8:00PM, £3
1 JUN, 11:00PM, £9 - £10
YESBAR VIRGINS
Graham Barrie introduces a selection of fledgling comedy talent handpicked fae Scotland every Thursday. NEW MATERIAL COMEDY NIGHT
5-26 JUN, 8:00PM, £3
ROAST BATTLE
Roast Battle puts two comedians head-to-head in a battle of wit and put-downs. SNEAK PEEK: KRYSTAL EVANS, SUSAN RIDDELL & LIAM WITHNAIL
4 JUN, 7:00PM, £0 - £3
Resident host Julia Sutherland introduces a variety of stand-up comedians from the Scottish circuit delivering all new material every Wednesday.
Comics doing the Edinburgh Fringe 2019 try out sections of their new shows.
2-30 JUN, 8:00PM, £3
SNEAK PEEK
YESBAR VIRGINS: COMEDY SUNDAY SCHOOL
A selection of five fledgling comedians do their best to win over the audience and graduate Yesbar’s Comedy Sunday School. THE EARLY SHOW
1-29 JUN, 7:30PM, £10
Resident MC Viv Gee hosts a weekend comedy club with some of the best comedians on the circuit every Friday and Saturday.
Edinburgh Comedy Assembly Roxy FRINGE PREVIEW: MEN WITH COCONUTS
8 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows. FRINGE PREVIEW: ANUVAB PAL
13 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows. FRINGE PREVIEW: STEPHEN BUCHANAN & ANDY FIELD
14 JUN, 7:30PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows.
Monkey Barrel Comedy Club SPONTANEOUS SHERLOCK
13 & 27 JUN, TIMES VARY, £5
An entirely improvised Sherlock Holmes comedy play from Scotland’s hottest improv troupe. MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG FRIDAY SHOW
1-28 JUN, 7:00PM, £10 - £12
THE WEE SHOW
8-29 JUN, 4:30PM, £5
Saturday afternoon comedy show at Monkey Barrel. 18 JUN, 7:00PM, £0 - £3
Comics doing the Edinburgh Fringe 2019 try out sections of their new shows.
5-26 JUN, 7:00PM, £0 - £3
PROJECT X
Iain Campbell hosts an experimental and new ideas alternative comedy showcase every Tuesday. PETER PANCAKES’ COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA
10 JUN, 7:30PM, FREE
Phil O’Shea brings a handpicked selection of riotous lols to Monkey Barrel on the second Monday of the month. SPONTANEOUS POTTER
6 & 20 JUN, TIMES VARY, £5
A brand new Harry Potter play from some of Edinburgh’s most top notch improv wizards. CABARET FROM ELSEWHERE
17 JUN, 7:00PM, £5
Elsewhere is a troupe of artists, musicians and circus performers. Find them staging shows, telling stories or playing music and games anywhere people gather in celebration.
The freshest thing in stand-up – straight from the (research) field to funny with a new crop of comedic academics from Scotland’s universities every month. STU & GARRY’S FREE IMPROV SHOW
2-30 JUN, 1:30PM, FREE
Improvised comedy at its very best every Sunday. VIVA LA SHAMBLES
5 JUN, 8:30PM, £4 - £5
Anarchic comedy mayhem from Scotland’s finest young acts. BONA FIDE
11 JUN, 8:30PM, £5 - £6
New comedy show with a different theme every month. BENEFIT IN AID OF ABUSED MEN IN SCOTLAND
EMILIA BEATRIZ: DECLARATIONS ON SOIL AND HONEY
1-30 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Emilia Beatriz draws on ongoing research between Scotland and Puerto Rico in sites connected by military occupation, land struggle and environmental toxicity.
David Dale Gallery and Studios
MORGAN QUAINTANCE: HYSTERESIS
15 JUN-20 JUL, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE
An installation of three films, each work deals with how past events have impacted, or been occluded from, the UK’s artistic and sociocultural present.
18 JUN, 8:30PM, £10
Glasgow Print Studio
LARRY DEAN: WORK IN PROGRESS
1-7 JUN, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Comedy benefit in aid of AMIS, which offers support to male victims of domestic abuse and their concerned family and friends.
SCOTT CAMPBELL: TWENTY YEARS OF MONOPRINTS
Bringing you top notch line ups from the best in the world of comedy for a side-splitting evening every Friday and Saturday at 8pm.
15 JUN, 5:00PM, £3 - £4
13 JUN, 8:00PM, £6
2 JUN, 8:30PM, £10 - £12
THE COMEDY SHOW
1-29 JUN, 8:00PM, £10 - £12
BELTER COMEDY
12-15 JUN, TIMES VARY, £4 - £5
CATHERINE BOHART: WORK IN PROGRESS
Fresh from her Edinburgh debut, Catherine Bohart has some new jokes she’d like to try.
JIM SMITH: BACK TO THE TEUCHTER
Bringing you the best and brightest of the comedy scene, showcasing brand new gags alongside tried and tested material.
The Perthshire farmer returns with another trailer load of tales of rural life and how country people view the outside world.
20 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
19 JUN, 8:30PM, £5 - £7
SONNET YOUTH
Sonnet Youth is a spoken word house party curated and hosted by Kevin P. Gilday and Cat Hepburn. BESOMS: COMEDY & CABARET
30 MAY, 8:00PM, £6
A monthly night bringing you the best from across comedy’s glorious communities, hosted by self confessed cheeky besom Jay Lafferty.
FRED MACAULAY IN CONVERSATION
9 JUN, 5:00PM, £8 - £10
Fred MacAulay, one of Scotland’s best-loved stand-ups, is back with his monthly live chat show. Joining Fred will be stars from the worlds of sport, entertainment, business and politics. FRINGE PREVIEW: SCOTT GIBSON & RICH WILSON
2 JUN, 7:30PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows.
FRINGE PREVIEW: LOU SANDERS & GARETH WAUGH
FRINGE PREVIEW: ROSIE JONES & ROSCO MCCLELLAND
TOP BANANA
10 JUN, 8:30PM, £5
Art
1-2 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
The Basement Theatre
8-29 JUN, 7:00PM, £14
Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.
BRIGHT CLUB
A retrospective exhibition of monotypes by master printmaker Scott Campbell showing progression in style and skill.
6 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
MONKEY BARREL COMEDY’S BIG SATURDAY SHOW
The big weekend show with five comedians.
Fresh from an Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination, Larry Dean tries out some brand new jokes.
Monkey Barrel’s flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.
4-25 JUN, 7:00PM, £0 - £3
MONDAY NIGHT IMPROV
Comedian improv battle.
THE FRIDAY SHOW 7-28 JUN, TIMES VARY, £6 - £12
Yesbar
3 JUN, 8:30PM, £3
11 JUN, 8:00PM, FREE
June 2019
See two fantastic Fringe previews for the price of one.
Join BBC Comedy and The Stand for a night of brand new comedy.
8-9 JUN, TIMES VARY, £10 - £12
Blackfriars Basement
19 JUN, 8:30PM, £5 - £6
Monkey Barrel’s comedy competition for new folk on the scene, hosted by Liam Withnail every Wednesday.
SPONTANEOUS POTTER
Glasgow Comedy
FRINGE PREVIEW: JAY LAFFERTY & LIAM WITHNAIL
13 JUN, 8:00PM, £3 - £4
The Gardyne Theatre
1 JUN, 7:30PM, £27.40 - £29.40
A musical dedication to the life and times of The Carpenters.
Glee Club
RHOD GILBERT: THE BOOK OF JOHN
THAT’LL BE THE DAY
2-3 JUN, TIMES VARY, PRICES VARY
Comedy
MONKEY NUT LIVE 24 JUN, 7:00PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows. 16 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows. FRINGE PREVIEW: MICHAEL ODEWALE & GARETH MUTCH
19 JUN, 7:30PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows.
THE END OF THE WORLD SHOW
Armageddon is not so much nigh as teabagging the world in the face. So now that we’ve bought the tickets to Hell in a handcart and this really is the end of civilisation, surely we can still find the time to trivialise it? LEE KYLE: KICKING POTATOES INTO THE SEA
4 JUN, 8:30PM, £7 - £8
Have you ever kicked potatoes into the sea? Lee Kyle has. It was a lot of fun but it doesn’t solve any of your problems. THE STAND ACADEMY: COMEDY COURSE
1 JUN, 10:00AM, £125
Have you, or someone you know, ever wanted to try stand-up comedy, but didn’t really know where to start? Well, The Stand Academy is here to help. THE STAND ACADEMY: COMEDY COURSE SHOWCASE
2 JUN, 4:30PM, £3
The Stand Comedy Club welcomes you to The Stand Academy, where seasoned professional working comedians are tutors on a boot camp comedy course taking place the day before.
ELEANOR CONWAY: WALK OF SHAME 2 (REALITY BITES) 8-9 JUN, TIMES VARY, £10 - £12
Eleanor Conway returns with her hotly anticipated sequel, Walk of Shame 2 (Reality Bites). FRINGE PREVIEW: ROSS LESLIE & RAY BRADSHAW
9 JUN, 5:00PM, £5 - £6
See two fantastic Fringe previews for the price of one.
FRINGE PREVIEW: JAY LAFFERTY & STEPHEN BAILEY
23 JUN, 8:00PM, £5
Some of the UK’s best comedians give you a sneak peak at their Fringe shows.
Glasgow Art
The Stand Edinburgh
CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art
RED RAW
3-25 JUN, 8:30PM, £3
Legendary new material night with up to 10 acts. Every Monday in Edinburgh and Tuesday in Glasgow. THE THURSDAY SHOW
6-27 JUN, TIMES VARY, £5 - £10
Start the weekend early with five comedians. THE SUNDAY NIGHT LAUGH-IN
9-23 JUN, 8:30PM, £5 - £6
Chilled Sunday night comedy to see out the weekend. THE SATURDAY SHOW
1-29 JUN, 9:00PM, £17.50
The big weekend show with five comedians.
SHADI HABIB ALLAH: FREE REIN
1-2 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Shadi Habib Allah’s exhibition at CCA explores the legacies of government welfare policies, examining how local areas adapt and survive in response to changes of city planning and strategy over time.
FEATURED ARTIST: ELKE FINKENAUER
New works in print.
SAWTI (MEANING ‘MY VOICE’ IN ARABIC)
1-2 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
A cumulation of the prints created through the Saheliya programme run by Amal Azzudin, which supports and promotes the positive mental health and well-being of black, minority ethnic, asylum seeker, refugee and migrant women and girls. ALASDAIR WALLACE
7 JUN-28 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE
New paintings and prints by Alasdair Wallace examining the parallel processes across painting and printmaking, where they overlap and diverge and how they can inform each other. ANDREA CARDOW
7-30 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
New works in print.
Six Foot Gallery MOIRA BUCHANAN: MORPHOLOGY
11 JUN-5 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Moira Buchanan’s latest exhibition at Six Foot Gallery transforms photography with traditional and contemporary material processes in an inquiry of organic forms and the natural landscape.
The Briggait LOWER OLLACH
1-5 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition developed from ideas conceived during Alison Harley, Liz Munro and Fraser Taylor’s shared residency at The Admiral’s House in Braes, Skye, a Visiting Artist Space run by Wasps.
The Glasgow Art Club LACHLAN GOUDIE: SHIPYARD
1-7 JUN, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
An exhibition capturing the work, vibrancy and renewed optimism at shipyards on the Clyde and Forth, created by renowned Scottish artist, and broadcaster, Lachlan Goudie. ALASDAIR WALLACE: OSCILLATE, VACILLATE, ORBIT & REVOLVE
15 JUN-15 JUL, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Hannah Lyth explores symbolic narratives connected to the apple in watercolour, pencil and printmaking, touching on religious iconography and composition. FEATURED ARTIST: ANDREA CARDOW
15 JUN-27 JUL, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Annual exhibition of work by Artist Members of the prestigious Glasgow Art Club.
The Lighthouse REFLECTING MACKINTOSH COLLECTION
1-16 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Craft Design House presents a bespoke collection of original pieces by designer makers, celebrating Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s 150th anniversary.
Listings
59
MY PLACE 2019 1-3 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
The Scottish Civic Trust’s My Place exhibition invites you to celebrate the built environment, place and architecture through its annual projects that encourage involvement from Scotland’s communities. ARCHITECTURE FRINGE
8-30 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Architecture Fringe takes over The Lighthouse with a series of exhibitions and installations exploring the theme of ‘In Real Life’. JOHNATHAN ELDERS: TEMPLE OF LIGHT
6-9 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Bringing together art, design, science and technology, Temple of Light explores the power of light and geometry in a creative new experience.
Tramway
PIA CAMIL: BARA BARA BARA
1-23 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Tramway presents the first solo exhibition in Scotland by Mexico City-based artist Pia Camil. This immersive installation hosts new and existing textile sculptures which visitors are invited to inhabit and activate. THE THEATRE OF ROBERT ANTON
1-30 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Tramway presents an exhibition of the extraordinary theatrical puppets, props and drawings of the late artist Robert Anton (1949– 1984), marking the first time this incredible archive of Anton’s work has been seen in the UK.
iota @ Unlimited Studios CLARA BRASCA: ATELIER
14-29 JUN, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE
Atelier presents large format work and a carousel from the Milan born and raised artist.
Edinburgh Art Arusha Gallery ELEANOR MORETON
1-23 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Moreton’s figurative paintings engage with mythical, picaresque and folkloric undertones. Her seemingly sweet, tranquil and fairytale-like depictions carry a notion of rigid structures being threatened by what is lurking in the shadows. ILONA SZALAY
1-23 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Szalay looks to female sexuality and female lust in order to redefine womanhood. Her work is restrained and poetic, and performs in the vocabulary of gendered performance and its theatricality.
City Art Centre VICTORIA CROWE: 50 YEARS OF PAINTING
1 JUN-13 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE
Embracing every aspect of her practice, this exhibition of Victoria Crowe’s work will feature over 150 paintings, stemming from youthful student works to the assured, timeless landscapes and portraits of recent years.
Collective Gallery
PETRA BAUER AND SCOT-PEP: WORKERS!
1-30 JUN, 10:00AM – 4:00PM, FREE
Workers! is a new film resulting from a long-term collaboration between Collective, HER Film, Swedish artist and filmmaker Petra Bauer and SCOT-PEP, a sex-worker led organisation in Scotland. KIMBERLEY O’NEILL: ENIGMA BODYTECH
1-30 JUN, 10:00AM – 4:00PM, FREE
A new exhibition by Glasgow-based artist and filmmaker Kimberley O’Neill, exploring the interconnection between energy, technology and the body.
Dovecot Studios ORLA KIELY: A LIFE IN PATTERN
1-29 JUN, 10:30AM – 5:30PM, £0 - £9
This exhibition offers a privileged insight into Orla Kiely’s world, and explores the story of pattern and how some designs can come to epitomise the style of their time.
Edinburgh College of Art ECA DEGREE SHOW 2019
1-8 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Open Eye Gallery
IAN MCKENZIE SMITH CBE PPRSA PPRSW RGI
1-24 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition celebrating Ian McKenzie Smith’s quietly evocative abstracted landscapes. A selection of early landscape drawings will also feature alongside, exemplifying his artistic journey throughout the years. ALBERTO MORROCCO OBE
Edinburgh College of Art present their annual graduate student round-up, showcasing the fruits of more than 500 budding graduating artists, filmmakers, designers and architects over an e’er eclectic programme.
1-24 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
Edinburgh Printmakers
Royal Scottish Academy RSA
THOMAS KILPPER: THE POLITICS OF HERITAGE VS. THE HERITAGE OF POLITICS
1 JUN-13 JUL, 10:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
An ambitious exhibition comprising a large-scale site-specific floor carving, commissioned by Edinburgh Printmakers to celebrate the launch and heritage of its new home at Castle Mills.
Embassy Gallery THE GLOW IS REAL
1-2 JUN, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE
Rhona Foster and Meg Jenkins present a new video and performance installation. ANNUALE 2019
7-23 JUN, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, TBC
Embassy’s grassroots festival of visual contemporary art returns to venues across Edinburgh and online.
Ingleby Gallery THE GATES OF ONOMATOPOEIA
1 JUN-13 JUL, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
A new exhibition of drawings, sculptures and text by Charles Avery representing aspects of a lifelong project called The Islanders.
Jupiter Artland
DANIEL LIE: THE NEGATIVE YEARS
1 JUN-14 JUL, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
The culmination of a two-year research partnership focusing on decentring human agency in favour of other actors in our shared ecological and emotional field.
Leith Depot NOT A SLAVE
15 JUN, 12:00PM – 1:00AM, FREE
An exhibition by Leith Depot resident artist Andy McKay. An excartoonist’s angry take on modern day existence (painted). BLACK ARCHES
16 JUN, 1:30PM, FREE
Black Arches will improvise a live performance to visual artists Tara Stewart and Elizaveta Maltseva’s new video, and Alex Amorós presents from his new book of street photography.
Museum of Childhood BRINGING UP BABY
1 JUN-29 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE
A new exhibition exploring the choices and challenges faced by parents, featuring a range of objects from the museum’s collection.
National Museum of Scotland
BODY BEAUTIFUL: DIVERSITY ON THE CATWALK
1 JUN-20 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Discover how today’s fashion industry is challenging perceptions and championing alternative ideals of beauty on the catwalk, in advertising, editorial and behind the camera.
An exhibition of drawings and paintings by celebrated Scottish-Italian artist Alberto Morrocco, renowned for his superb draughtsmanship and traditional teaching practices.
SILENT MUSIC | SEEING SOUND
IN FOCUS: THE EXECUTION OF CHARLES I 1 JUN-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition centred around a painting of the execution of Charles I – based on eye-witness accounts and contemporary engravings – by an unknown Dutch artist. THE REMAKING OF SCOTLAND | NATION, MIGRATION, GLOBALISATION 1760-1860
An exhibition exploring the lives and careers of the Scots behind the period of dramatic change between 1760 and 1860, when Scotland rapidly attained a central role in European cultural life and in Britain’s industrial and imperial expansion. It documents the material and artistic benefits of their achievements, while also confronting the darker shadows they cast. ARTIST ROOMS: WOODMAN, ARBUS AND MAPPLETHORPE
1-16 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
STUART MACKENZIE RSA: SPECIES MORPHOLOGY
1 JUN-27 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE
1-16 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition of new works by Stuart MacKenzie RSA, exploring phenomena that exist in nature and the related morphological and transformative characteristics. OUR INFINITE LAND
22 JUN-28 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE
This exhibition will highlight the emotive power of the Scottish landscape and show the contrasting approaches taken by Royal Scottish Academicians toward the subject.
Scottish National Gallery BRIDGET RILEY
15 JUN-22 SEP, TIMES VARY, TBC
A comprehensive exhibition, and the first museum survey of Bridget Riley’s work to be held in the UK for 16 years, spanning over 70 years of the artist’s work.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
ANDY WARHOL AND EDUARDO PAOLOZZI: I WANT TO BE A MACHINE
1-2 JUN, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Taking its theme from a muchquoted remark by Andy Warhol, this exhibition examines Warhol’s and Paolozzi’s work, showing how they captured images from photography and advertisements.
NOW: ANYA GALLACCIO, CHARLES AVERY, AURÉLIEN FROMENT, ROGER HIORNS AND OTHERS
1 JUN-22 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
The fifth instalment in the NOW series will be centred on a major survey of work by Anya Gallaccio.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery THE MODERN PORTRAIT
1 JUN-27 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE
A display collating paintings, sculptures and works from the Portrait Gallery’s twentiethcentury collection, feat. a variety of well-known faces, from Ramsay Macdonald to Alan Cumming, Tilda Swinton to Danny McGrain. HEROES AND HEROINES
28-31 MAY, TIMES VARY, FREE
A re-examination of major Scottish figures which questions our habit of framing history around individuals and idols.
ART AND ANALYSIS: TWO NETHERLANDISH PAINTERS WORKING IN JACOBEAN SCOTLAND
1 JUN-26 JAN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE
A small exhibition focusing on two 17th century artists, Adrian Vanson and Adam de Colone, showcasing a group of paintings which have been examined by paintings conservator Dr Caroline Rae, along with the findings from her research.
WE ALSO ASKED FOR LOVE: GAY MEN’S NARRATIVE PORTRAITS OF RESILIENCE AND RESISTANCE
2-27 JUN, 12:00PM – 6:00PM, FREE
Visual artist Eleonora Scalise responds to research conducted by Dr Edgar Rodríguez-Dorans with ten gay men from different ages and backgrounds.
1 JUN-21 JUN 20, TIMES VARY, FREE
1 JUN-20 OCT, TIMES VARY, FREE
The latest exhibition by Jo Ganter RSA in collaboration with musician and composer Raymond MacDonald, featuring a series of original prints as musical compositions, creating sound visually.
Whitespace
Celebrating the work of three of the twentieth century’s most influential photographers, with a particular focus on self-portraiture and representation. THE LONG LOOK
Dundee Art DAVID AUSTEN: UNDERWORLD 1-9 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
This exhibition will offer up a new constellation of work by British artist David Austen, bringing the breadth of his artistic practice to audiences in Scotland for the first time. PATRICK STAFF: THE PRINCE OF HOMBURG
22 JUN-1 SEP, TIMES VARY, FREE
This exhibition by British artist Patrick Staff will debut a major video installation and series of sculptural works reinterpreting 19th century German writer Heinrich Von Kleist’s play The Prince of Homburg.
The Long Look is a collaboration between the painter Audrey Grant and the photographer and printmaker Norman McBeath.
Generator Projects
Stills
Annual group exhibition featuring newly commissioned work by recent graduates from art schools across Scotland.
AMBIT: PHOTOGRAPHIES FROM SCOTLAND
1-2 JUN, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
THEY HAD FOUR YEARS (TH4Y) 2019
1-9 JUN, 12:00PM – 5:00PM, FREE
AMBIT is an exhibition of work celebrating new and diverse approaches to photographic image making in Scotland.
LifeSpace
Summerhall
An art/science collaboration between Rod Dillon and Jen Southern, inviting you to imagine life from the perspective of the Leishmania parasite.
FRAG'M NT (TERRA NON-FIRMA)
1-23 JUN, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
Frag'm nt (Terra non-firma) brings together two recent recipients of Lateral Lab’s Robert Callender International Residency for Young Artists, Russell Beard and Stephen Kavanagh.
PARA-SITE-SEEING: DEPARTURE LOUNGE
1 JUN-31 AUG, 11:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
The McManus LINKS WITH THE PAST
1-30 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
1-23 JUN, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
A partnership project between The McManus and the University of Edinburgh’s Unit for Forensic Anthropology Research has uncovered new details about a Pictish man’s life and death, which are revealed in a new display.
NICKY BECKETT: BROKEN IMAGES. BROKEN LIVES
1 JUN-22 DEC, TIMES VARY, FREE
LOUISE MACKENZIE: PITHOS (ONE POSSIBLE STORY OF OUR LIVELY MATERIAL)
Works in film, installation and participatory performance reimagine the myth of Pandora for the biotechnological era. 1-30 JUN, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
Rather than being interested strictly in the aesthetics of photography, self-taught photographer Nicky Beckett is drawn to the documentary potential of the medium. JENNY BRUCE: COSMIC TIMELESSNESS
2-30 JUN, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
Jenny Bruce’s experimental work in this exhibition sometimes uses natural dyes, from coffee, tea, turmeric, dandelion, nettle, beetroot and lemon juice instead of traditional paint mediums. MICHAEL KAY TERENCE: THE MARKS TO PROVE IT
15 JUN-7 JUL, 11:00AM – 6:00PM, FREE
The largest solo show of the works by artist Michael Kay Terence to date. His practice combines minimalist sculptural forms with video and contains an element of performance.
Talbot Rice Gallery TRADING ZONE 2019
1 JUN-22 JUL, TIMES VARY, FREE
Trading Zone 2019 will reflect work from second year to PhD level students at University of Edinburgh’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Queen’s Gallery
RUSSIA: ROYALTY & THE ROMANOVS
21 JUN-3 NOV, 9:30AM – 6:00PM, £7.20
An exhibition exploring the relationship between Britain and Russia and their royal families, through more than 170 works of art in the Royal Collection.
The Skylark Portobello
AS WE SEE IT: TWENTIETH CENTURY SCOTTISH ART
Exploring the innovative and diverse approaches artists have taken in their creative practice. Whether representing the real world, abstracting elements from it or depicting a realm from the imagination, each artwork is unique and individual.
WISE WAYS: TRAVELS OF A DUNDEE DOCTOR
1 JUN-25 AUG, TIMES VARY, FREE
Thanks to a loan from the British Library, this exhibition reunites the maps and objects collected by physician and surgeon Dr Thomas Alexander Wise.
V&A Dundee MAEVE REDMOND
1 JUN-15 SEP 20, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
A compelling piece of graphic design that unpacks the wider context around a 19th century trade catalogue by cast iron manufacturers Walter MacFarlane & Co. CIARA PHILLIPS
1 JUN-15 SEP 20, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
A new commission, championing the often-unseen process of making by evoking a moment suspended in time where vital decisions about materials and their composition are made. SCOTTISH DESIGN GALLERIES
1 JUN-15 SEP 20, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, FREE
Explore the everyday relevance of design and how it improves our lives, experience the processes that underpin it and discover little-known stories of Scottish design with international impact. VIDEOGAMES: DESIGN/PLAY/ DISRUPT
1 JUN-8 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM, TBC
Gain a unique insight into the design process behind a selection of groundbreaking contemporary videogames.
JO TENNANT: PLUNGE
31 MAY-3 JUN, TIMES VARY, FREE
An exhibition from a winter sea swim in Portobello.
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Listings
THE SKINNY
New in Dundee This month’s new venues round-up is focused on the City of Discovery, featuring a family-run independent record store, a tiki-inspired cafe/bar and a new speakeasy which pays homage to one of America’s most notorious gangsters Underworld Cafe This recreation of the original Underworld Cafe, last open to the Dundee public in the 1960s, can be found in the city’s trendy West End area. Styled with vintage decor, by day the cafe offers a varied selection of vegetarian and vegan-friendly breakfast and brunch dishes from all over the world. By night, the venue draws back its tiki-inspired bamboo doors, revealing the subterranean layer of Underworld’s bar and dancefloor area where the venue comes to life. This step into the underworld has welcomed an array of live music events. The venue’s DJ line-up also features weekly and monthly residents, such as Millhouse Collective and DJ RussoRosso. Underworld’s community spirit is not forgotten too, with the cafe holding a free soup kitchen every Wednesday; an idea inspired by an age-old Dundee tradition from the 1800s, where wealthy merchants in the city distributed free soup to poor and struggling students of the newlyformed university. 204 Perth Rd, facebook.com/underworldcafedundee 3 Session Street Located, funnily enough, at 3 Session Street and less than five minutes from various attractions in Dundee’s city centre, this aptly-named cocktail bar is proving to be a much talked about hotspot by punters from Dundee and beyond. Previously known as Sessions Bar, the building itself is steeped in musical history, with the likes of Supergrass and even Oasis having played gigs at the venue in years gone by. With no signage outside, emphasis on a word-of-mouth approach has been key to the
Words: Jamie Wilde throw from the V&A Dundee. Modern, artisanal beers driven by Belgian brewing tradition are at the heart of all of Six Degrees North venues across Scotland, with each offering new and unique collaborations with local and international breweries almost every week. Dynamo’s continental feel is further enhanced by its minimal, understated decor, which helps to create its perfectly relaxed environment while you ponder over the extensive selections on offer. 42 Union Street, sixdnorth.co.uk/dundee
Le Freak Records
The Giddy Goose Run by the team behind Dundee’s The White Goose on Dock Street, their second restaurant venture, The Giddy Goose is a bohemian-style wine and pizza bar in the city’s West End, which has received rave reviews for its laidback, welcoming atmosphere. Ideal for a light lunch or dinner, their stonebaked pizzas, which can also be made vegan, are the star dish here. What’s more, there are plenty of craft beers and ethically-sourced wines for washing down the edible delights. 2 Perth Rd, facebook.com/TheGiddyGooseDundee
venue’s notable rise in popularity since opening late last year. A must visit for locals and newcomers to the city alike. 3 Session St, 3sessionstreet.co.uk Capone’s As you’ve probably worked out by now, this new speakeasy, situated underneath 172 At The Caird, is based around the infamous American gangster Al Capone. Features throughout the venue, such as its rich 20s decor and Capone’s own jail cell, offers punters a unique, memorable escape into prohibition America – as long as you abide by the house rules. Delectable, 20s-inspired cocktails are the main attraction at Capone’s, and you can sample some of the concoctions while the cell doors are open, but mind the barkeep – his word is final. 172 Nethergate, facebook.com/caponesunder172
Dynamo Part of the Six Degrees North family, Dynamo is the latest outpost from the community-focused craft brewers based on Union Street – a stone’s
Le Freak Records Fronted by brothers Jack and Tom LeFeuvre, Le Freak Records has risen from strength to strength since first opening at the tail end of 2017. With other notable independent record shops in the city, including Assai Records in Broughty Ferry and Groucho’s, just a five minute walk down Perth Road, Le Freak pride themselves upon offering a unique hub to customers who are encouraged to relax, listen to some records and, most importantly, have a good blether about all things music. Le Freak’s dynamic duo frequently host a range of events, with regular live in-store performances where BYOB is encouraged, along with the notable escapades of Le Freak & Friends, which has seen the LeFeuvre brothers team up with various local DJs to perform across Scotland. It’s easy to see why Le Freak have already made their presence noticed in Dundee and beyond. 159 Perth Rd, lefreakrecords.co.uk
Competitions Win tickets to the Architecture Fringe Big Lecture! tickets for the Architecture Fringe Big Lecture, simply answer the following question:
a) 13 October 1990 b) 30 April 2000 c) 1 July 2016 Competition closes midnight 16 Jun. Entrants must be 18 or over. One winner will receive two tickets for the Big Lecture, two complimentary drinks, two Architecture Fringe t-shirts, and two goody bags. Winners will be notified via email within one working day of closing and will be required to respond within 24 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our full Terms & Conditions can be found at theskinny.co.uk/about/terms
AF2019, Peter Barber, McGrath Road Housing
June 2019
Find full listings at theskinny.co.uk/whats-on
Òran MÓr
Photo: Beth Chalmers
On which day did the very first Architecture Fringe begin?
Photo: Morley von Sternberg
The Architecture Fringe returns to venues across Scotland this June with a huge range of events from exhibitions and talks to workshops and performance. Since its launch in 2016, the Architecture Fringe has worked to offer a platform for a wider conversation about architecture. The final event of the Fringe's core programme takes place at Edinburgh's Fruitmarket Gallery on Friday 21 June at 6.30pm, with architect Peter Barber – one of the UK's leading contemporary urbanists – delivering the Architecture Fringe's Big Lecture. A complimentary drink by Sweetdram will be provided upon arrival together with an exclusive Architecture Fringe t-shirt and goody bag too. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of
Win tickets to Nahko and Medicine for the People in Glasgow! Nahko and Medicine for the People blend rock, hip-hop and alt-folk in their unique sound, and are firm believers in using music as a tool of empowerment to protect and preserve. The band's 2017 album My Name is Bear – a 16-track collection which debuted at number 1 on iTunes – is packed with soul, authenticity and spirit. The band are releasing new music and touring around the world this year.Their UK tour brings them to Glasgow this July. We have two pairs of tickets for Nahko and Medicine for the People's show at Òran MÓr in Glasgow on 4 July to give away. To be in with a chance of winning one of the pairs of tickets,
simply fill in the form below and answer the following question... What is the name of the album Nahko and Medicine for the People released in October 2017? a) My Name is Bear b) My Name is Bird c) My Name is Nahko Competition closes midnight 26 Jun. Entrants must be 18 or over. Winners will be notified via email within two working days of closing and will be required to respond within 48 hours or the prize will be offered to another entrant. Our full Terms & Conditions can be found at theskinny.co.uk/ about/terms
Listings
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Virtual Materiality This month, Fife Contemporary launch their first dedicated online exhibition microsite. Materialise 2019 is where work by exceptional craft and design graduates from last year’s Scottish degree shows has been selected for presentation
Caitlin Hegney
Photo: Rydel Cerezo
for a period, was more expensive than gold as it was the raw material used to make ultramarine paint.” This work simultaneously references but also subverts ancient aesthetics and traditional processes, employing techniques that carry rhythms throughout a varied material palette. Georgina Hickey is designer in residence in the printed textiles department of DJCAD. She is passionate about slow, hand processes, explaining that these fulfil her as a craftsperson and demand careful consideration and Morag Seaton investment from her customers. “People are more likely to cherish and repair handcrafted products, rather than add to the growing issues of our throwaway culture and fast fashion. I believe in the importance of well decorated environments in terms of personal wellbeing and happiness. My mission is to create bold, timeless interior accessories from my hand-printed textiles for people to value in their homes.” Morag Seaton graduated from Garment Design, Construction and Illustration at Glasgow School of Art. She has produced a set of books, illustrations and a collection titled Memories of Dress which draws from stories of garment use – a series of illustrated interviews about people’s most valued clothes. For Seaton, talking to people about their clothes and “communicating the ways in which we use garments, are just small ways in bringing value to our things. Each piece of the collection has been developed from these stories and takes the key elements of comfort, security, identity and childhood memory together to create functional accessories.” Laura Ukstina’s design journey has taken her from “Memphis to Lego.” The Fife-based textile designer is a graduate of Gray’s School of Art and uses laser-cutting to create unique patterns from neoprene, faux leathers, suede and plywood. The colours, shapes and structures of Lego have been an inspiration for her collection of multimedia fabrications which explore knit, vinyl and paper constructed textiles. “Lego’s system of colourful, interlocking, plastic blocks has inspired my collection of interchangeable and modular shapes where each garment can be customised to personal specifications. I wanted to create something that can be manipulated by the consumer to make the product last longer
T
he idea behind the Materialise portal is to provide a platform for these emerging designers in a highly accessible format. “We re-evaluated what the craft sector in Scotland is doing in terms of maker support and it emerged that what was needed was an alternative platform for makers, allowing international and local audiences to appreciate craft – especially the crossover between art, design and craft,” says curator Stefanie Cheong. “This is especially true for recent graduates who often experience a ‘drop-off ’ after graduating. We want to help them sustain a career in craft. These makers were also put forward for a Cove Park residency to help them see practical ways to retain the integrity of their conceptual ideas.” Materialise is conceived of as a ‘virtual venue’ that’s specifically for exhibitions. Fife is spread out geographically with wide distances between partner venues so an online format prevents the organisers from being limited in terms of their ambitions to exhibit innovative practice. Instead, they are able to present widely the outcomes of nine designers who have spent the last year working towards a collection of work, researching areas of interest, exploring the possibilities of materials, and finding their voice as makers. Caitlin Hegney is based between her studio in Argyll and Bute and The Glasgow School of Art’s Silversmithing and Jewellery Department in her role as Artist In Residence. Hegney forges her own tools and describes how for her, this makes chasing metal the equivalent of drawing. Her work explores material value and is underpinned by research into the rich and contradictory history of the colour blue. “The lapis lazuli stone,
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Last Word
and reduce fashion and textile industry waste.” Jewellery designer and silversmith Kathryn Reid is a recent graduate of ECA and is inspired by the natural beauty of coastal Northern Ireland where she was born. She has captured the daily narrative of her parents’ home farm in County Antrim in the form of medals, tools and jewellery. In her medals Reid uses brass, silver, resin and crushed eggshell finished with gold plating, oxidation and patination. “I created a ‘bucket of cow meal’ where the cow meal was made out of dyed polymorph plastic and stamped using my steel punching tools. For each of my medals I have fashioned the material carefully to ensure the narrative behind the piece is clearly embodied. Through my designs, I aim for the audience to experience the challenging and rewarding nature of my dad’s job.” Catherine Sinclair is the founder of Cove Design. Two years ago, she moved from Edinburgh to the far north west coast of Scotland. “We sold our home and bought the side of a hill, with an edge of coastline and an inlet or cove. Living on the side of a sea loch surrounded by the most dramatic scenery has inspired me to work in a bolder, more instinctive manner. Moving to the remote Highlands has meant that the natural forms, textures and colours that surround my life now inform what I find inspiring.” Her collection of knitted textiles is called Building Shelter and grew from a desire to experiment with materials and technology to create fabrics with a sense of fluidity and surprise. “Deliberately restricting the materials used to lambswool and elastic enabled me to be more courageous with colour proportions and experimental with technology.” From rural North Yorkshire is costume and set designer Liberty Bramall who graduated with a degree in Performance Costume from ECA. She has developed a methodology that uses detailed clothing designs to explain complex stories and produces clothing that has multiple functions, such as a hat that becomes a lampshade and skirts that detach to become soft furnishings. “When producing clothing for the characters in my performances I adorn their costumes with images or textures that I design after extensive research into their experiences or into
DESIGN
Photo: Shannon Tofts
Interview: Stacey Hunter
their role in a script. Ultimately, my final pieces are often garments where every inch of fabric has been treated as a canvas for storytelling. The many layers and sections of the costumes I make give a series of clues into the character’s life prior to and even during their role in the performance.” A fellow graduate of ECA is Orla Stevens, a textile designer whose work is influenced by the Scottish landscape and the cultural traditions tied to rural locations. First hand research is integral to her practice; “having a genuine connection to the people, stories and an immersion in the places that inspire me helps ground my making in something that I aim to be visually enjoyable, culturally relevant and hold a level of conceptual substance. I love sharing ideas with other people; collaborative practice, especially in the research stages of a project help to broaden ways of thinking, and see new connections between gathered research and making stages.” Zoe Hutchison says that when people think of the beach they think of romantic walks and beautiful scenery. However, the reality is that “the ocean and its seaside are suffering from pollution and destruction.” As a designer and maker, she is deeply concerned about the environmental impacts that we have on the planet and by working with found objects from the beach the jeweller sees first-hand how we affect the environment at a local level. A graduate of DJCAD, she uses silver, copper, yarn, natural found objects and 3D printed plastic using processes that produce “as little waste as possible” to create desirable, wearable and non-wearable jewellery. See the exhibition online at www.fcac.co.uk/exhibitions/ materialise-2019/
Laura Ukstina
THE SKINNY