I think Tom Waits could be playing in Edinburgh this week and I would strongly consider missing it.  I have already spent a day sleeping it off, but I am still not convinced I have entirely dealt with the damage of Homegame just yet. In fact, I’m pretty sure I haven’t.

What I have done though is just about pull myself together to the point where I feel emotionally capable of dealing with our excellent lineup at the Bristo Hall tonight: Francois, This is the Kit and Babe.  With the exception of Babe I made the effort to avoid them all at Homegame, just to make tonight’s gig more special.

Then I am going to sleep again.  Lots.

Tuesday 10th May 2011: Francois & the Atlas Mountains, This is the Kit & Babe at the Bristo Hall.

This is the perfect opportunity for those who missed Homegame to figure out what we’ve all been going on about, and I can tell you that Babe (who are Gerard from Findo Gask’s new band) were absolutely storming on the weekend.  Also, Francois has just signed to Domino, so there will be excitement all round.

Tuesday 10th May 2011: Fucked Up, Black Lungs and Iceage at Cabaret Voltaire.

I actually know almost nothing about Fucked Up, but on Record Stor SHOP! Day they released the rather excellent David’s Town, which is a compilation of fictional bands from an equally fictional British seaside town.  This idea, and the execution of it, were brilliant enough in themselves that I thought this gig definitely merited mention here.  But of course you’ll all be at Francois right?  RIGHT?

Animal Man – Do You Feed? From Fucked Up’s Record Shop Day release David’s Town.

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Friday 13th May 2011: The Douglas Firs, Le Reno Amps, The Scottish Enlightenment & Iliop at Old St Paul’s Church (the one in town, not the one in Leith!).

Somewhat reversing my habit of releasing Glasgow bands like King Post Kitsch, Yusuf Azak and Inspector Tapehead from the other side of the M8, Al at Armellodie have done with The Douglas Firs what Chemikal did with FOUND earlier in the year, and turn the traffic in the opposite direction. This is the album release celebration for The Douglas Firs

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 the Festival this year.

So, given the people reading this blog are probably the people most likely to want to come along, I figured I would give you a handy preview list, so you know what’s in store for you over the next few months – all tickets can be bought either at Avalanche Records on the Grassmarket or online here.

Saturday 23rd April 2011: Kid Canaveral, Thee Single Spy & Monster Island at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

I think you already know quite enough about this one so, er, let’s move on shall we.

Tuesday 10th May 2011: Francois & the Atlas Mountains, This is the Kit & Babe at the Bristo Hall.

The Bristo Hall is upstairs from the Forest Cafe, and this is part of the Roofraiser series of events being put on to help save the Forest.  It will also serve as something of a Homegame wind-down for those of us going, and for those who aren’t it is the chance to see Francois, This is the Kit and Babe, the last of which is Gerard from Findo Gask’s new project.

Saturday 21st May 2011: Jonnie Common, Kill the Captains & Enfant Bastard at the Wee Red Bar.

Jonnie is a pop genius hiding behind excessive modesty, Kill the Captains make a face-melting racket and Enfant Bastard is the only person we could think of to make sense of a bill this diverse!

Saturday 4th June 2011: Avital Raz house gig.

This has just been arranged as my friend Baz (who is putting on the excellent-looking Imploding Inevitable Festival to which you should all go) was looking for dates and I was really keen, but with all the gigs we have on at this time I was a bit scared to take on anything else.  So a house gig seemed like the ideal solution, not least because we haven’t had one for ages.

Friday 17th June 2011: Meursault & Inspector Tapehead at The Caves.

Umm, gosh The Caves is a big venue. So you fuckers better all come to this because I have never booked anywhere this size before!

Saturday 2nd July 2011: Edinburgh School for the Deaf, The Louche FC & Spook School at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

This could, and hopefully will, get noisy.  Edinburgh School for the Deaf make a ferocious racket, and The Louche FC may have distinctly innocent-sounding vocals, but the guitar is nasty as hell.  And I know nothing about Spook School bar the song on their Bandcamp page above, but they sound really promising.

Saturday 16th July 2011: The Second Hand Marching Band at The Wee Red Bar.

Alright, this bill might not be entirely finished just yet but I promise it will be excellent when it is.

So, whilst the first half of 2010 was relatively quiet on the live music front, August was absolute mayhem. And as the dust settles on another festival period, and we try to assess the physical and financial damage in a calm and orderly fashion, it doesn’t look like things are slowing down on the gig radar. Which I’m rather pleased about.

Monday 6^th September 2010: Miaoux Miaoux and Wounded Knee at Electric Circus. Bart’s House. Sneaky Pete’s.

The rather talented Justin Corrie – not content in being in one third of indie popsters Maple Leave – brings his solo electronic project to Edinburgh. Also I’ll be intrigued to see how Wounded Knee’s looped folk meanderings go down amongst the glitz and glamour of Electric Circus.

Tuesday 7^th September 2010: Super Adventure Club, Luis Franscesco Arena and Hopwood & Black at Sneaky Pete’s.

I’ve no idea about the other two, but Super Adventure Club are brilliant in a really mental way. Or maybe mental in a really brilliant way.

Tuesday 7^th September 2010: Kath Bloom, This Frontier Needs Heroes, Woodpigeon and eagleowl at the Roxy Room.

Basically, an End of the Road warm up gig. And I may be biased, but I think this is one of the most interesting line-ups the cities seen in a while – an incredible coup for first time promoters Powan Presents. This Frontier Needs Heroes will be playing their own set before joining the legendary Kath Bloom as her backing band, just as eagleowl will do the same before swelling the ranks of Woodpigeon. So basically one big old alt.folk love-in.

Thursday 9^th September 2010: Panda Su, The Occasional Flickers and The Last of Private’s Balladeers at Sneaky Pete’s.

The Occasional Flickers will be playing a stripped down set for their first show in a  long while.

Friday 10^th September 2010: The Buzzcocks at The Liquid Rooms.

The Buzzcocks are one of only three good bands that have ever come out of Manchester. Discuss.

Friday 10^th September 2010: Francois & The Atlas Mountains at The Roxy.

Francois & the Atlas Mountains pretty much single handedly turned this year’s Homegame from a really nice community folk festival into an all out weekend dance party. And I’ll love them forever because of that.

Friday 10^th September 2010: Come on Gang!, FOUND and Jesus h. Foxx at The Caves.

Come on Gang! Single launch, featuring support from two of the most exciting and interesting bands in Edinburgh. You can’t go wrong, really.

Given I have now sworn off festivals with a population over about five thousand, I think it’s only fair that I start noseying around some of the smaller ones and seeing what they have to offer.

I have loved Homegame and Pickathon, narrowly missed out on the Insider and Kelburn, but I think I will be making it to this one: Doune the Rabbit Hole on the 30th and 31st July.  I don’t really know the organisers, but they’re two young lads from Glasgow taking a chance, apparently, and my friend Ed from the Roxy is now helping them out too.

Add to that the fact that there are two Toad Records bands on the bill – Meursault (who are at Truck this weekend too) and Inspector Tapehead – and two Fence ones too – Francois and the Atlas Mountains and Rozi Plain – and I think that this will do very nicely for me indeed.  Oh and Doune Castle is, I believe, the location of the insulting Frenchman and the English knight whose mother was a hamster and whose father smelled of Elderberries (see below).

And if you fancy it you can get discounted tickets from me, here, now. Generally they’d be £48, but you can get them from the link below for £38 if you fancy coming along.