[Edit: The Mammoeth album launch night and my pal Morgan's first ever gig ever anywhere ever have been added to the bottom of the listings.  Sorry chaps.]

That Summertime music wasteland has very much settled on Edinburgh in the last couple of weeks, leaving absolutely sweet fuck all on the calendar on a boringly regular basis.

Fortunately, August is shaping up to be very interesting indeed, with the return of the ear-caressing, liver-punchingly contradictory Retreat Festival now booked in for August 28th and 29th.

Whenever anyone mentions retreat I can’t stop myself thinking of Admiral Ackbar saying ‘I saw it.  All craft prepare to retreat.’ in Return of the Jedi.  Erm, but, er, don’t worry.  I am going to take my pills and have a lie down.

Friday 23rd July 2010: Don McGlashan & Daniel Abercrombie at Cabaret Voltaire.

I first found out about Don McGlashan back in about 1995 or 6 when his band The Mutton Birds played King Tut’s in Glasgow.  One of my flatmates had a pal from school visiting and we were at a bit of a loss as to how to entertain her, so we took a flier on a gig at Tut’s on the back of little more than a couple of positive paragraphs we found in the local press.

It was an ill-considered and entirely spontaneous expedition, but we all absolutely loved the band.  McGlashan himself would occasionally play a euphonium on stage, and as well as adding to the music, it added a lot to the intrigue of the live performance.

I have to confess I have no idea what he’s been up to since the last Mutton Birds album I bought (back in something like 1998 or something like that) but I remember this particular discovery with real affection.

The Mutton Birds – The Heater

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The Mutton Birds – Envy of Angels

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Saturday 24th July 2010: Mammoeth album launch at the Wee Red Bar.

Russell from Mammoeth’s previous incarnation was one of the first times a local band got in touch with me to ask me to review their music.  I think Alex Cornish and Rob St. John were the others.  Anyway, some three years later, here is Russell’s debut album, and the debut release on Mini50 Records – apologies for missing it out the first time around.

Mammoeth – Trigonometry (Live on Fresh Air Radio)

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Sunday 25th July 2010: The Barrett Wise 3 & The Janet Effect at the Roxy Art House.

The Janet Effect are my friend Morgan’s band.  I remember being in Holland in 1997 when he picked up a guitar for the first time, and after all these years he has finally got his shit together to start a band!  And do a gig!  I know!  They may be absolute shite, they may be brilliant, I have absolutely no idea, but I am going to be along anyway, whatever happens.