Live in Edinburgh This Week – 31st May 2010
As the sun makes a rather enthusiastic apperance at long fucking last, and our garden finally begins to bloom, I can think of little I would like to do so little as sitting in a dingy club listening to whiney indie kids complain about how shit their life is and how no-one really understands them.
The Edinburgh weather is depressingly fickle however, so presumably by this afternoon it will be absolutely bucketing it down with rain, but for now the only thing I would really recommend you do this week is spend as much time outside as possible, shunning all music funs and enjoying the sunshine where you can get it. For the last five years I have been here we’ve had glorious Mays and stunning Junes and just as you start to think that this year it might just happen, it all turns to shit until early October, when we get a couple of pleasant weeks before the inevitable descent into eight months of fucking darkness once more.
This Sunday is of course the All Day Scottish Special at the Old Queen’s Head in London, where local (and less local) favourites Yusuf Azak, Rob St. John, eagleowl and Meursault will be playing at what is the official London launch party for Meursault’s new album All Creatures Will Make Merry. Any London Toads, it would be lovely to see you there.
Thursday 3rd June 2010: Glissando, Debutant & Field Mouse at the Roxy Room.
Slanted and Enchanted promotions make their Edinburgh debut, with this three-act bill at the Roxy Room. Phil from Debutant is currently working on his debut album (there’s got to be an hilarious pun in there somewhere, I just can’t be arsed to think of it) at the moment and if his Facebook status updates are anything to go by, there could well be a self-released CD-R available at this show. Glissando are doing this tour as a two-piece, I believe, but don’t quote me on that because I am not entirely certain.
Debutant – Definition
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Thursday 3rd June 2010: Teenage Fanclub at the Picture House.
Erm, is it permitted for a Scottish-based indie kid to confess that he was never that into Teenage Fanclub? Well I wasn’t, not that I listened to them enough to ever really know, but they are famous and they are popular and they get namechecked by bands all the time, and they are also playing in Edinburgh this week, so I thought I might as well mention it.
Kid Canaveral – Teenage Fanclub Song
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Friday 4th June 2010: The Unthanks at the Queen’s Hall.
Another famous band I am listing more because they seem to have had a lot of attention recently than that I am personally all that fussed about them. I’ve heard them do some brilliant stuff in their previous incarnation as the Winterset, but know absolutely nothing of their Mercury-bothering recent work.
Rachel Unthank & the Winterset – Blue Bleezin’ Blind Drunk
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Sunday 6th June 2010: The Wave Pictures at Sneaky Pete’s.
Ah, now this is more like it. The Wave Pictures are one of the best bands in Britain at the moment, as far as I personally am concerned. They have a new EP out rather soon – The Sweetheart EP – and their knack for simple tunes and bittersweet lyrics is clearly in the rudest of health. We even had the opportunity to record a Toad Session with them this weekend, but as most of the team who actually record the sessions will be down in London that was sadly impossible.
The Wave Pictures – Canary Wharf
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There’s also Sleeping Dog at the Roxy on Wednesday, I’ve not seen her live but her last album was lovely. Spookily, I think there might be a label connection (but could be wrong) with Glissando, who are truly excellent live, and yes I think they are a twopiece this time round. I think Ewan’s cheering us all up beforehand on Wednesday with his solo stuff?
WAVE PICTURES? SESSION? CANCEL THE LAUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
were playing at sneaky on wednesday with peggy sue if anyone wants to come along.
yes. i’m playing with chantal on wednesday. possibly even doing a song or two together. who knows. should be good. and yes there is a label connection with glissando. her new album is great. it’s even better than the debut. do come along.
Bear, I was very, very close, believe me.
just for the avoidance of doubt, i am in no way a London fucking Toad….just so you know!
Also down in this shitty smelly town (thats London readers) this week is a free Sparrow and the Workshop gig, they are on stage at 7:30 and you have to say Sparrow on the door! the venue is called Charlotte St Blues.
never that into Teenage Fanclub, don’t know that much Pavement, not heard a lot of Dinosaur Jr (i made that last bit up, but i’m guessing it’s true) you should be shot with shite Mr Young!!!
looking for to seeing you next sunday anyway!
Chutters, you are a London Toad. Your identity is now mine, all mine, mwaahhh ha ha ha haaaaa!
Also on Friday Glasgow band The John Knox Sex Club are playing at the Roxy. I haven’t seen them before but their very nicely packaged CD is quite good in a indie frightened-sad-jetpack kinda way. Worth checking out since its gonna piss down the rest of the week (well tuesday anyway).
Glissando is my pick of the week, a very good band to catch live
Yes I am also quite officially excited about seeing Glissando this week.
if there are any musicians here who want to play a solo show tomorrow at the roxy and thursday at Brel in Glasgow can you get in touch with me at mini50records@hotmail.co.uk asap. Sleepingdog has cancelled her whole UK tour and now I’m in a bit of a pickle. any help would be appreciated guys.
Fucking hell. Have you tried Yusuf or Jonnie Common?
tried jonnie. he’s not responded. edinburgh show is cancelled. i’m not risking it financially. totally sucks.
Never that into Teenage Fanclub because you didn’t like what you’d heard, or because you’d never had the inclination to sit down with an album? I’m curious, because some of their better known stuff (Grand Prix) isn’t their best stuff, and it’d be fair to say that their more recent records haven’t been that good either.
Songs From Northern Britain is in my all time top five, though. As I remember, it didn’t get that many good reviews at the time, but it just grew and grew on me. I love those slow burning records that with a certain weight of expectation kind of underwhelm you initially and then gradually build you back up as you realise what genius it really is. (I’m going to tentatively put All Creatures in that category for me).
Grand Prix isn’t their best stuff? My flaming arse, it is one of the best British albums of all time. Yeah Songs From Northern Britan is pretty good also, but it is kinda like grand prix lite!
A friend of mine bought Grand Prix at the time it was released and I never got that into it at the time, and consequently never really explored further. That was years ago though, and I haven’t listened to them since, so definitely worth a revisit, I think.