Sat 5 Dec
Sun 6 Dec
Having been one of the bands that helped kick off Summerhall's Nothing Ever Happens Here gig series back when it launched this spring, Glasgow folkpop melody merchants Randolph's Leap return to help end the series' triumphant year of giggage, with support from Lost Map-signed fuzz pop Irish singer/songwriter Martha Ffion. Summerhall, Edinburgh, 8pm, £10
Following a duo of birthday bashes last month to celebrate its 8th, Edinburgh gig-in-a-club night Limbo makes merry for its final outing of the year – headlined by synth-heavy locals Numbers Are Futile, who released their debut LP a few months back, with support from dream pop Edinburgh trio Hiva Oa, and fledgling onesto-watch Delighted Peoples. Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 8pm, £6
Female scratch performers Nic Green, Laura Bradshaw, and Rosana Cade return Cock and Bull to the stage for another airing (following its debut outing at Behaviour Festival in May) – using words garnered from Conservative Party conference speeches, this time in response to issues of climate change. Part of climate change arts season, ArtCOP Scotland. CCA, Glasgow, 3pm, free (but ticketed) Numbers Are Futile
Fri 11 Dec
Sat 12 Dec
Having garnered a fair bit of praise in these very pages – not to mention sets on The Skinny stages at both Electric Fields and The Pleasance Sessions in 2015 – Benjamin John Power (also of Fuck Buttons) tours his solo electronic Blanck Mass project Dundeeway, stopping off at Beat Generator to raise hell/ play tracks from latest LP Dumb Flesh. Beat Generator Live!, Dundee, 8pm, £10
Since no self-respecting Christmas schedule would be complete without a screening of Joe Dante's classic horror furball funny – erm, that'd be Gremlins, for anyone who missed the 80s – Glasgow Film Theatre do the done thing and dig out the cutest little creature ever to don a Santa hat (aka Gizmo – just wook at his wittle face), for a late night airing. Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, 11pm, £8.50 (£7)
Insider fest return to the Pleasance for a Christmas special of their 'Night At The Theatre' curated series, bringing with them SAY Award-winner Kathryn Joseph, Haiku Salut in 'lamp show' form (aka surrounded by a light orchestra of vintage household lamps that flicker and fade to the music), and multi-tasking chap Julian Corrie in his Miaoux Miaoux guise. Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, 7pm, £12
Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
Thu 10 Dec
Blanck Mass
Gremlins
Kathryn Joseph
Fri 18 Dec
Sat 19 Dec
Edinburgh-bothering literary merrymakers Neu! Reekie! mark their final outing of the year with summat suitably festive – #NeuReekiesXmasKracker – returning to Central Hall (where they held their biggest event to date earlier in the year) to celebrate Christmas and their 5th birthday combined in the fine company of Irvine Welsh, WHITE, Hector Bizerk, Liz Lochhead, and more. Central Hall, Edinburgh, 6pm, £16 (£13.50)
Experiential event Midwinter Woodland transforms Summerhall's Dissection Room into a mystical woodland, where punters will be greeted by mythical creatures, whilst enjoying storytelling from Daniel Allison, and being fed with winter pie and watered with mulled cider, They then host a bells'n' whistles Christmas party the following night with added live music and DJs. Summerhall, Edinburgh, 11, 18 & 19 Dec, 7.30pm, £15 (£12.50)
Following its annual Christmas market earlier in the month (13 Dec), Edinburgh Printmakers dons the tinsel for its first ever Christmas Shoppers' Weekend, selling a selection of artwork at bargain prices, plus competitions, family activities, opportunity to meet the studio artists, and some promised 'Christmas treats' (aka mulled wine and Christmas tunes on't stereo). Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh, 19 & 20 Dec, 10am, free
WHITE
Credit: Rita Azevedo
Thu 17 Dec
Daniel Allison
Wed 23 Dec
Thu 24 Dec
Fri 25 Dec
Again winning the annual festive pun points, Let Your Elf Go returns for 2015 – brightening the 23rd of December for seven years now. For it, various club scene favourites will share the Subbie decks, with profits going to Yorkhill Children's Hospital. And the best bit? By the time y'all roll out the door it'll officially be Christmas Eve! Happy-nearly-Christmas! Sub Club, Glasgow, 11pm, free
Christmas Eve should really only be spent consuming sugar and watching festive films, right? If you're venturing out to catch one on the big screen, the pick of the bunch is oldie-butgoodie It's A Wonderful Life (screening at Glasgow's GFT, various times) and Bruce Willis action caper Die Hard (screening at Edinburgh's Cameo Cinema, 6pm).
You're presumably already aware of the fact, but it's the 25th of December, aka Christmas Day, and by rights you should be doing nothing more than eating (every roast potato in sight), drinking (lethal homemade eggnog), and being merry (aka watching The Muppet Christmas Carol in a reindeer-patterned wooly jumper). From all of us at The Skinny, have a very Happy Christmas!
Tue 29 Dec
Wed 30 Dec
Thu 31 Dec
You know how we said that Sub Club were counting down to Hoggers with a messy club night a day (see left)? Well, we weren't lying. Today they hand over to regular Tuesday merrymakers i AM, who host a guest set from Berlin-based UK producer George FitzGerald, mixing it up with his trademark textured house riffs and soulful melodies. Plus the joys/ perils of a 4am license. Sub Club, Glasgow, 11pm, from £10
Offering some pre-Hogmanay prep in noisy gig form, favourited Glasgow basement bar Bloc welcomes Glasgow-based aural astronauts The Cosmic Dead for their final set of 2015, joined by a selection of still-to-be-revealed live guests. And if you fancy making it a two night stay, for Hogmanay they hand over to gig-in-a-club night Milk, with Bossy Love on headline duties. Bloc, Glasgow, 9pm, free
From Scandi dance wizard Todd Terje hot-footing it between Glasgow and Nightvision's series three closer in the 'burgh, to Optimo's always legendary proceedings, Wee Dub's now annual dub shenanigans, and Summerhall's motown-themed fancy dress night, there's a whole lotta Hogmanay events to choose from – see listings for the full rundown. And happy ruddy 2016 when it rolls around!
December 2015
George FitzGerald
Christmas Shoppers' Weekend
It's A Wonderful Life
Let Your Elf Go
Credit: Kat Gollock
Cock and Bull
Credit: Andrew Denholm
Randolph's Leap
The Cosmic Dead
Todd Terje
Chat
9
Credit: Sam Huddleston
Credit: KatGollock
Fri 4 Dec