What’s On in Edinburgh This Week – 1st February 2010
Bloody hell the year has started slowly in the world of Edinburgh live music. The weekend just gone was very good, or at least it would have been if I hadn’t missed most of the good music in order to sit in the office here at Proper Job and stare at my computer while it stumbled through renderings for most of the day.
Other than that though there has been very little on since the new year, which is becoming a bit of a worry. With the Roxy yet to show any real sign that they are going to pick up where the Bowery left off, Henry’s yet to announce their February gigs and the Liquid Rooms burned to the bloody ground, things are looking a little thin at the moment.
Trampoline are still putting on gigs at the Wee Red, but little seems to happen there beyond that monthly night. Cabaret Voltaire have been told to focus their booking effort on enticing outside promoters to work with them (what outside bloody promoters, I can’t help but wonder). Sneaky’s are trying their best, but things have still been a little quiet there too, truth be told. All in all, it adds up to a rather worrying picture, honestly. There is simply a considerable dearth of promoters in Edinburgh at the moment. No-one has replaced Spitfires, Tracer Trails are showing signs of returning, but very slowly, Black Tape have packed it in, and I may do a quarterly night for the label, but that’s hardly enough.
In mitigation, there are apparently soon to be developments at the Roxy for the booking of the downstairs gig space, so hopefully we should see a big upswing there shortly, and coming out of recession a lot of bands have been cancelling tours due to money issues, so these problems aren’t ours alone. I’ve been keeping an eye on the listings at Tut’s and Sleazy’s and the ABC in Glasgow and they too are not showing many signs of life.
So maybe I should just shut up moaning and wait it out like everyone else. Maybe I should even take advantage of the quiet to get some label work done and finish the eagleowl Toad Session. Still, I’m not bloody happy. Not bloody happy at all.
Thursday 4th February 2010: Born to Be Wide‘s German Night at the Voodoo Rooms, with Jeans Team.
This is Born to Be Wide’s sixth birthday celebration, so the usual seminar will be downstairs in the Speakeasy before the gig things kick off upstairs in what I think is called the Ballroom. I don’t know much about German music, apart from the ludicrous excellence of Die Aertzte, so I had to settle for a couple of songs with the word German in them. They’re good songs, but I am as aware as you are just how much of a cop-out it is to post them.
Clem Snide – The Sound of German Hip-Hop
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Sunday 7th February 2010: Still Flyin’ at Sneaky Pete’s.
These chaps are pretty good actually – bouncy indie pop and infectious choruses. Of all the gigs this week this would probably be my pick.
Still Flyin’ – Good Thing it’s a Ghost Town Around Here
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Ah, just remembered, Arran Arctic is playing a Secret CDs show in the basement of the Phoenix Bar on Broughton St on Wednesday 3rd.
http://www.myspace.com/arranarctic
it is lookin a bit guff just now, next week picks up a bit. I’ve been contemplating putting a night on somewhere, if I find the time it might happen.
it’s just a quiet start to the year, calm down young man!
Right since no fucker will be witnessing any live music this evening, then i suggest that you all tune into Vic Galloway’s BBC Radio Scotland programme tonight from 8:05 through to 10:05 and listen to a live Eagleowl session.
you’ll have a nice surprise if you do!!!!
ok?
On the subject of eagleowl and promoters, The Gentle Invasion are back in business at least, which is a good thing.
i’m enjoying this period of giglessness….
…..also i don’t think i’ll miss the Bowery that much, the void will be filled by someone else soon enough.
on another note, i’m getting quite excited over the festivals that i’m going to this year.
Homegame
ATP (Pavement)
Greenman
the confirmed line-ups, coupled with the 1 or 2 whispers that i’ve heard make this summer something to look forward to.
Bring it on!
It has to be said that the Hidden Doors thing at the Roxy this last weekend was much better than I had imagined it would be. It was a great use of the space and although I only went on saturday It was very good – Enjoyed ‘The Leg’ a fine peice of crazyness.
Sick Kids was also very good with over 2000 poonds raised.
I’m sure the gigs will pick up, it’s always quiet in January.
ps. Apparently Timber Timbre are playing End of the Road
Timber Timbre is playing End of the Road. Looks like a really good line up so far
When it comes to German bands you can’t go far wrong with Kraftwerk, Can, Faust, Neu!, Harmonia…
Excellent tip about listening to the eagleowl session, be great to hear that.
Ed
felice brothers, timber timbre and wilco. end of the road line up is getting near bloody perfect.
I’ve been offered to put on a night down stairs at the bowery. That or the Wee Red. Thoughts anyone?
From apunters point of view i think I prefer the wee red as I can sit down while the bands play. On the down side I think the Bowery is a more popular venue (more people seem to go to gigs there anyway). thats my two penneth