I don't think it's much of a secret that I really enjoy my annual trips up to Inverness for Scotland's largest music industry event, goNorth . Not only has it given me the opportunity to meet a lot of people and make contacts that I wouldn't normally have had the chance meet, but it's also been one of the most fun things I have been involved with since I started this blog. I am pretty sure that my liver is only just starting to get over the battering that it took after last years debauchery. Having originally been invited [...]
Well if there's any shit going down in Edinburgh this week I am not going to be there to enjoy it. Not out of shame at having just used the term 'shit going down' as if I was a teenager in the nineties, but because my gigfuns will be happening in London and Glasgow this week. Tomorrow I am in London to see Rob St. John and Neil from Meursault play at the Vortex, and then on Thursday I'll be in Glasgow for the Fence Records Christmas party. And funnily enough, with Detour, Frightened Rabbit and Jill O'Sullivan [...]
Track Listing 1. Missionary 2. And Another Thing!! 3. Homerun And A Vow Download
It's not really a big secret round these parts that I like Kid Canaveral and King Creosote, I don't tend to hide these things very well. I am sure that most of you will already know all of this, but in case it somehow passed you by, they're currently on a co-headline tour of Scotland and further afield. Tonight they're hitting up Inverness, then they'll be moving on to Aberdeen, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Dundee, Banchory, before finishing up at Fence's Hot Loggz Festival in Cellardyke. After which the Canaverals will be heading off down south for some dates with their friends, [...]
Until just recently I had decided that I was now too old to go to music festivals, the thought of waking up in a tent just really didn't appeal to me anymore. In short I was starting to think along the same lines as this grumpy old sod . However, when Randolph's Leap offered me one of their 'plus ones' for this years Wickerman Festival, I found myself changing my mind somewhat. I used to be the kind of person who looked to see who the headliners would be, this time round though I found myself looking at the [...]
So umm... much happening in Edinburgh at the moment? There seem to be an awful lot of people about, so you'd have to assume something was going on. It was actually the T on the Fringe (what the Edge Festival used to be called) lineup which gave me a significant nudge into the world of DIY music, when I first moved up here, just before the Festival in 2005. I really wanted to go and see Yo La Tengo at the Liquid Room, Mrs. Toad wasn't going to come with me, I didn't know anyone else who might [...]
23 July, 2011 It's not very often that you get to a free gig (at least I don't), so it was with much delight I was heading to my third one in three days. Kid Canaveral , fresh from winning my heart and ears at T in the Park, are launching their album SHOUTING at Wildlife on vinyl via Fence Records, with a free in-store performance at Edinburgh's Avalanche Records. Happy days! I'm dropped off in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, which is quite a breathtaking sight this beautiful [...]
Well after an extremely successful Ides of Toad on Saturday (a massive thanks to the excellent bands, and to the fucking loads of people who came along) I think this week I shall be putting my feet up and letting other people do the work for a bit. And what a fuck of a lot of work they've been doing, too, because this week is a bit mental in terms of excellent gigs at which to drink yourself into an early grave. So much for the pre-Festival wind-down I discussed last week. As well as having [...]
Festival Season makes us a little bit insatiable here at Muso's Guide. We've already had Natalie Shaw's review of the festival, but we were so excited about T in the Park, we sent two writers. Here's Steve McGillivray's perspective on the festivities... [...]
Track Listing 1. And Another Thing!! 2. You Only Went Out to Get Drunk Last Night 3. Couldn't Dance Download Watch the Video
I have been promising myself a beak for ages now, but there's always been something that's sprung up that's made me keep going. However, seeing as it's the summer time and things are a wee bit quieter I have decided to cut back on my posts for a few weeks. I will still be posting the odd session here and there, plus I will have a few Fresh Monday posts and perhaps a sporadic ramble or two. However, there will be no Friday Freebies posts for the a few weeks and I'll also be taking a break from my Scots [...]
This week's podcast is named the Northcast because I was just up in Inverness at GoNorth, which is I suppose the biggest official Scottish music industry chatfest. I am getting better at these, I have to be honest. The music industry is heavily based around status and I do not do well when I suspect people might be looking down their nose at me, consequently my first few were quite a challenge to escape from before I picked a fight with someone I shouldn't, but as my general stature within music, and Scottish music in particular, has slowly [...]
If you're reading this for tips, I'm afraid you've already missed the best gig in Edinburgh this week: Yo La Tengo at the Queen's Hall, tonight. Sorry about that. There's not much else, unfortunately, although Sneaky's have Talons , Lady North and Jackie Treehorn on Wednesday , followed by Thomas Tantrum , New Fiction and Acrylic iQon the following day . Both of those look pretty interesting, but I can't honestly claim to know much about any of the bands. We also have a [...]
After two nights of gigs I am officially gubbed and for once alcohol is not really a factor in my tiredness as I only had one pint. I guess I couldn't have asked for two more different evenings of entertainment, on Thursday we had our third Peenko session at the Hidden Lane Tea Rooms where we were soothed by acoustic sets from Randolph's Leap, I Build Collapsible Mountains and Daniel G Harmann. Then last night I was quite possibly the loudest gig I've ever been to as I squeezed into The Ivy to catch Dananananaykroyd and Bronto Skylift. My right [...]
And as May turns into June... Spring inevitably turns into November. Fucking great, Scotland, well done. Thanks. Anyhow, you'd think putting on a gig on Tuesday, for all its drawbacks, would at least leave you relatively free of competition but this week, for some inexplicable reason, there are two absolutely cracking gigs on Tuesday night. Other than that I have to confess I don't see much on at all this week - neither in my quick skim through the websites of Edinburgh's venues, nor in my own Facebook events calender. In fact, am I the only [...]
The Seventeenth Century return with a their second EP, cunningly entitled 'EP2', on the 2nd May. The release will be available exclusively on Limited Edition 10" vinyl, which includes a free digital download code . The band celebrate the release with a gig at Oran Mor this coming Friday (29th), with support from The Scottish Enlightenment and Sunshine Social . Now that's one cracking line up if I do say so myself. Having caught 17C at the same venue just a few weeks back, I can vouch that they were in top form. The Scottish Enlightenment have [...]
Anyone managed to avoid my relentless plugging of this weekend's Ides of Toad gig? No, thought not, there's nowhere to hide when I start riding the spam train down the middle of the information superhighway. Or er... something like that, anyway. Anyhow, the Ides of Toad gigs are now booked up all the way through to the Summer, at which point they will take a break over the Edinburgh Festival as I get a bit more involved in Lach's Antihoot , which will be returning to the Teviot (I think they call it the Gilded Balloon over [...]
More Ides of Toad action this week, as Kid Canaveral, Thee Single Spy and Monster Island take to the stage at Henry's. I hadn't been to Henry's for so long before The Leg, Louis Barabbas and Zed Penguin show, and I'd rather forgotten that it is actually a cracking little grubby indie club. One of those places whose drawbacks actually seem to add to its charm, so please come down this weekend, and come down early to make sure you catch Monster Island. And there may be some excellent gigs happening in Edinburgh this week, but there are [...]
This video was made on Friday afternoon here in Austin just before the Scottish day party at Latitude 30. Featuring Admiral Fallow, Kid Canaveral, Rachel Sermanni and Bronto Skylift this is really something quite special. Detour Scotland at SXSW 2011 // The Big Walk Quite proud of this. One camera. One take. SXSW's main street. [...]
After a massively successful SXSW in Austin Texas, where they impressed huge amounts of people at the 'Showcasing Scotland -- Night' in Maggie Mae's as well as at various other shows, Admiral Fallow continue their US jaunt by hitting the East Coast. If you're in the area, I'd recommend you get along to see them, [...]
Peenko
Song, by Toad
Muso's Guide
Dear Scotland
Music Alliance Pact. MAP. February 2012.
Skrillex Uses Satanic and Homosexual Influence to Win Grammys
A-Trak - "Round of Applause" / "Where My Money At" (MP3 Download)
