The Skinny May 2024

Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball

The Housemartins – Build

Queen – Hammer to Fall

Four Tet – Scythe Master

JoJo – Tool ittle tool ate

Benny Benassi – Satisfaction

Tool – Schism

Steely Dan – Peg

Foo Fighters – Monkey Wrench

Deli Girls – No Such Thing as Good and Evil

Hak Baker – Telephones 4 Eyes

The Breeders – Divine Hammer

Yaeji - With a Hammer

Janelle Monáe - Screwed

The Knife - Handy-Man

Kate Bush – Hammer Horror

Meet the team

Championing creativity in Scotland

We asked: Tell us about a DIY project you've been involved in?

Rosamund West

Editor-in-Chief

"My friend split up with her boyfriend and subsequently didn't have a bed or a sofa for some reason (did he take them?) so we spent an evening building her new furniture and it was very empowering."

Cammy Gallagher Clubs Editor

"My journalism career"

Peter Simpson Deputy Editor, Food & Drink Editor

"The glorious run of weekday evenings in which I tried and failed to fix the toilet. Don’t DIY kids, get someone else to D it for Y."

Polly Glynn Comedy Editor

"I looked VERY OLD AND RESPONSIBLE when I was 16-18 so my local am-dram company let me build sets for them. You've never seen a teenager look so anxious with glee as they handed me several power tools."

Harvey Dimond Art Editor

"Helped my parents paint their tenement flat on one of the worst comedowns of my life (still a bit traumatised). "

Editorial Sales

George Sully Sales and Brand Strategist

"I am my own DIY project, and –readers – it's not going well."

Anahit Behrooz Events Editor, Books Editor

"If the toilet isn’t flushing properly I’ll lift up the cistern lid and prod the ballcock (lmao) free from whatever it’s got stuck on and then the toilet works again like I am Super Mario :)"

Eilidh Akilade Intersections Editor "Do loom bands count?"

Ellie Robertson Digital Editorial Assistant "Sawed a couch in half once."

Sandy Park Commercial Director

"I successfully unscrewed a TV from a wall last week and that is, genuinely, about as good as it gets for me and DIY."

Business

Laurie Presswood General Manager

"My flatmate asked if I could help her with DIY in the flat. Turned out she needed me to assist while she removed three moles from her thigh using surgical supplies she stole from work."

Ema Smekalova Media Sales Executive

"Driven by the sheer desire to seem more butch, I spent about a week figuring out how to put a shelf up. But I managed and it never fell! Let's go lesbians!"

Jamie Dunn Film Editor, Online Journalist

"I don't do DIY but I recently tried to repot some plants. They're all dead now."

Rho Chung Theatre Editor

Tallah Brash Music Editor

"I fixed the U-bend of my kitchen sink in my old flat about 15 years ago and still feel proud to this day"

"If you meant DIY like in my home: I painted my living room millennial green this year and I'm really enjoying it. If you meant DIY like in art: Clive Barker once sold the adaptation rights to Mister B. Gone to my friend and me for a dollar and we made a musical about it in my apartment."

Production

Dalila D'Amico Art Director, Production Manager

"That’s a tri ering question, my latest one involves a roadkill deer."

Emilie Roberts Media Sales Executive

"I once tried to put a bed together and it broke in a record 1.5 days and then I lived with a broken bed for six months. So there's that."

Phoebe Willison Designer

"Sorry to be annoying but I'm actually a DIY queen lol sucks to be u guys x"

Gabrielle Loue Media Sales Executive

"I tried to make a gingerbread house for Christmas a few years ago... after that disaster I have done nothing since"

Editorial

Words: Rosamund West

Inspired by the long-trailed emergence of the ‘summer’, big outdoor gigs (the imminent arrival of the Eras tour in Edinburgh), Eurovision before it was (ideologically) cancelled – this month it’s the POP issue, 2024 style. We’re thinking pop where it meets DIY, pop that doesn’t ask for permission to exist – as in Honeyblood setting up a guerilla gig outside The Arches, as opposed to your hopefuls selling their life’s pain on TV for a chance to be exploited by some record executive. The energy we’re talking about is bold, creative, challenging, perhaps you would say gallus?

Lauren Mayberry has spent over a decade fronting synthpop phenomenon CHVRCHES and is now taking a DIY approach to her burgeoning solo career. She looks back on her roots in the DIY scene, where she used to produce a zine called TYCI, which provides a seamless link to our chat with Black Lodge Press’s Cj Reay. Ahead of Glasgow Zine Fair, we meet the radical publisher to discuss the art of protest and the zine as a tool for the dissemination of anarchist thought. We talk to musician mui zyu about the joy of experimentation and improvisation, and meet Stina Tweeddale of the aforementioned Honeyblood as the band celebrate a decade since their debut. We have a nuanced dissection of the work of Charli XCX and the bratpop genre, and celebrate a collab between two queer party planners – Ponyboy and INFERNO – with a b2b interview.

As is often the case when we decide to theme a magazine around two seemingly disparate but – we are certain – extremely related concepts, headlining the cover prompted a deranged brainstorming session. Su estions included, but were not limited to: Pop it Yourself (fairly self-explanatory); Pop til you DIY (DIY like die, yeah?); Poppin Off; Do It Yourpop; and finally, Pawp Patrol – attempting to meld together the pop theme and the emergent cat subtheme* and also authoritarianism I guess?

Beyond the theme, Film talks to Love Lies Bleeding director Rose Glass about casting Kristen Stewart and considering, albeit very briefly, setting the bodybuilding action in Glasgow. As Glasgow Film Theatre celebrates its 50th birthday, we talk to some of the staff, programmers, back and front of house, to hear what makes this Art Deco cinema such a magical place. As much-anticipated British debut Hoard arrives on screen, we meet writer-director Luna Carmoon and actors Joseph Quinn and Saura Lightfoot-Leon to hear more. And as Shallow Grave turns 30, we ponder its damning indictment of the Edinburgh flat rental market.

Intersections explores the Edinburgh graffiti scene as a means for public expression and resistance, and considers the role of knitting as a coping mechanism and creative outlet. Theatre meets author and host of The Big Scottish Book Club Damian Barr, as his memoir Ma ie & Me is adapted for the stage by National Theatre of Scotland. As she launches her new children’s book The Hidden Story of Estie Noor, Nadine Aisha Jassatt writes about the magic of reading children’s literature. We also meet Giulia Galastro, whose regular nights Open Comedy and The Other Show have become some of Scotland’s most inclusive spaces for comedy. We close with The Skinny on... Lovefoxxx, who’s back touring with CSS and has a lot of strong opinions about a lot of things.

* The cat subtheme developed as Lauren Mayberry and mui zyu’s interviews both feature cats entering the Zoom rooms. A further subtheme emerged around a surprise resurgence of 90s Oscar-winner Mediterraneo, which was both the first film ever seen at GFT by now-head honcho Allison Gardner, and the worst film ever seen anywhere by Lovefoxxx, a position which she defends in an impassioned and heavily edited rant on our closing page.

Cover Artist

Jamie Johnston is a graphic designer based between Dundee and Glasgow. He mainly works within the music industry with clients such as Sony Music, Callum Beattie and Spyres. His work often utilises hands-on methods like collage and printmaking to achieve tactile finishes to his work.

@byjamiej

Love Bites: Alone With Carluccio and the Leopard

This month’s columnist celebrates the familiar company of an old television favourite in moments of loneliness

Words: Myrtle Boot

Ican’t remember much about 2008 – other than watching the Beijing Olympics and doing a school project on the Tudors – yet it was a year that ignited a lifelong love of mine. One afternoon, my Italophile father showed me a recently aired documentary, Carluccio and the Leopard Beloved TV chef and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio leads you round Sicily’s back streets, dining on lamb intestine (sti hiola), drinking Marsala wine and schmoozing with us, the viewer. Think the Godfather Part II meets Chef’s Table. Interspersed are excerpts of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s classic novel, The Leopard. The melancholic tale set in 19th century Sicily was inspired by the Lampedusa family’s fall from aristocracy, following the Second World War. Carluccio introduces the island’s politics with the aid of biscuits; a Bourbon for the Bourbons, Garibaldi for Garibaldi and a Ladyfinger for the Kingdom of Savoy. I was immediately engrossed. After leaving school, I chased my love of Italian art, history and cuisine to a Medieval hill town in Umbria, renting a small room with savings I’d amassed waitressing. With a meagre grasp of the Italian language and in the final throes of my awkward adolescence, I found myself contending with profound loneliness for the first time.

Aching to emulate passing an afternoon with dad, I returned to this jewel in BBC Four’s archive. It seems ironic to have found solace in this slow moving, full-of-heart programme, considering Carluccio’s depressive state while creating it, as well as the loss that pervades Lampedusa’s novel. Yet, I still return to Carluccio and the Leopard at times when the familiar pangs of loneliness creep up on me. It never fails to reaffirm my love of Italy, awakened by my father, and reminds me, whenever that lonesome feeling comes, it’ll pass.

Heads Up

Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival

Various venues, Hawick, 2-5 May

Spring is officially in the air and the cities are waking up, with underground festivals in car parks, touring film festivals, and dance aplenty.

Every year, the delightful Borders town of Hawick gets taken over by Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival, one of Scotland’s most innovative celebrations of the medium. Focusing on avant-garde and experimental short and feature films, this year’s programme is a banger: there’s a series by Palestinian filmmaker Noor Abed, screenings and exhibitions on ecology and imperialism, and even a film quiz to show off your cinephile chops.

Kontemporary Korea: A Double Bill of K:Dance

Tramway, Glasgow, 16 May, 7:30pm

A double bill of two of Korea’s leading choreographers – Cheol-in Jeong and Sung Im Her – Kontemporary Korea presents some of the country’s most cutting edge dance works in the UK for the first time. Exploring the boundaries between the human and the technological, the two works chart the complexities of the human experience through the limitations and possibilities of the body.

World of Twist presents Moving Still

The Rum Shack, Glasgow, 25 May, 9pm

Vinyl dance night World of Twist welcomes an exciting guest this month: Saudi-born, Ireland-based DJ Moving Still, with support on the night from local Southside residents Jamo Kidd and How Bizarre. Expect a real cultural fusion here, with old SWANA gems transformed into high-energy edits, featuring everything from Arabic psychedelia to disco and Italo

GLOW Festival

Various venues, Edinburgh, until mid-Jun

Compiled by Anahit Behrooz

Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970–1990 Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, 25 May-26 Jan 2025

Fresh off a stint at Tate Britain, this seminal exhibition of feminist art travels up north for the rest of the year, offering a stunning, powerful overview of a tumultuous three decades in British history. Spanning paintings, sculpture, moving image and performance alongside other archival materials, the myriad works illuminate the complex political and social change around the likes of Section 28, the AIDS crisis and the Women’s Liberation Movement.

Sukaina Kubba

DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, until 4 Aug

The first solo exhibition in the UK by Iraqi-born, Canada-based artist Sukaina Kubba draws on the artist’s ongoing interest in material culture, exploring objects and textiles as carriers of cross-cultural histories. Featuring pieces drawn from her existing body of work, as well as new commissions created during a residency in the DCA Print Studio, examining printmaking as a vehicle for considering cultural assimilation and appropriation.

Porridge Radio (solo) + Naima Bock

The Caves, Edinburgh, 18 May, 7pm

Two post-punk legends – Dana Margolin from Porridge Radio supported by Naima Bock previously from Goat Girl – come together for this intimate show, performing a selection of old and new songs. Known for her raw lyricism and unbounded vulnerability, Margolin’s work with Porridge Radio lends itself to the kind of intimacy for which this bandless gig allows: get ready to get all your emotions out.

DJ Haram The Flying Duck, Glasgow, 28 May, 7pm

Ponyboy vs INFERNO Exit, Glasgow, 4 May, 9pm

Yardworks Festival SWG3, Glasgow, 4-5 May

Graduate Show at Edinburgh College DJ Haram

Photo: Fabio Scalici

Photo: Kate Mcmahon

Photo: Michael C Hunter

Ponyboy

Yardworks

Photo: Ebru Yildiz

Image: courtesy of Alchemy Film and Arts

Image: courtesy of the artist

Image: courtedy by DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts Photo: Sang Hoon Ok Photo: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

Image: courtesy of World of Twist

Sanaz Sohrabi, Scenes Of Extraction

Gina Birch, still from 3 Minute Scream, 1977 for Women in Revolt

Sukaina Kubba, Afterfeather, TPU Filament, 2024

Sung Im Her, TiNTiY

Dana Margolin from Porridge Radio

Moving Still

Archival Resistance

Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh, 5 May, 5pm

Discover more about sound archival practices and Palestinian musical and revolutionary history in this immersive archival session with the Majazz Project, a Palestinian record label and research platform dedicated to rediscovering and redistributing lost Palestinian recordings. The evening features sounds from the Majazz Project, as well as a screening of Voices from Gaza screened directly from 16mm.

Glasgow Zine Fest

CCA: Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, 1-5 May

There’s an embarrassment of riches on at Glasgow Zine Fest this year, which celebrates materiality, ephemera, and radical publishing in all its many forms. There’s a writing workshop on divination, mediumship and channelled writing, an in-conversation with author K Patrick, and a special edition of beloved EHFM show Cocoon Radio, as well as an enormous zine fair, perfect for picking up DIY treats.

Rachel Chinouriri

SWG3, Glasgow, 30 Apr, 7pm Indie pop sensation Rachel Chinouriri heads to Glasgow to tour her debut album, What a Devastating Turn of Events. Known for her soft, lo-fi, soul-inflected voice and deeply intimate and vulnerable lyricism, she’s fast making a name for herself on the alternative scene, having been shortlisted on BBC’s Sound of 2023 and the Ivor Novello Rising Star Award.

haptic: Surusinghe

Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 1 May, 11pm

Sneaky’s regulars and party purveyors haptic welcome legendary DJ and producer Surusinghe to the decks this month. Born in Naarm (Melbourne) and now set up in London, her international upbringing is reflected in her sonic approach, blending a mix of bass-heavy genres from bass and re aeton to breakbeat and techno. Support on the night comes from haptic regular Bartek so head down early.

Hidden Door Birthday Party

St James Quarter, Edinburgh, 10-11 May

Hidden Door – one of Edinburgh’s most unique festivals, taking over abandoned locations and filling them with music and art – is delaying its 2024 edition until autumn, but they’re throwing a 10th birthday bash in a car park to tide us over until then. Curated by local synth-pop legends Maranta, the weekend features unique collaborations with the likes of Paradise Palms Records and EHFM, built around their multisensory live show Microsteria.

Falastin Film Festival

Various venues, Scotland, 8-11 + 24-26 May

Grassroots festival Falastin Film Festival throws its inaugural edition this month, with a touring programme that goes as far afield as Oban and the Isle of Mull before coming to the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh. Catch the likes of Khaled Jarrar’s Infiltrators, Mai Masri’s 3000 Nights and Jumana Manna’s Foragers, as well as a solo exhibition by Malak Mattar at Embassy Gallery during the festival’s Edinburgh weekend.

The Flock & Moving Cloud Dundee Rep, Dundee, 24-25 May, 7:30pm

Knockengorroch Galloway, 23-26 May

Laura Aldridge: Lawnmower Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, 11 May-29 Sep

Stag & Da er Various venues, Edinburgh + Glasgow, 4-5 May

Laura Aldridge, The Inside of Aliveness, 2024

Photo: Rory Barnes

Photo: Brian Hartley

Photo: ReCompose

Moving Cloud

No Windows

Image: courtesy of the artist and Kendall Koppe, Glasgow

Knockengorroch

Photo: Melanie Lehmann

Image: courtesy of the Majazz Project

Photo: Jumana Manna, courtesy of Falastin Film Festival

Photo: Ed Hartley

Photo: :Lauren Harris

Photo: Nicole Pfister.

Foragers for Falastin Film Festival

Glasgow Zine Fest

Rachel Chinouriri

The Majazz Project Maranta

Surusinghe

What's On

Music

Things get fully underway straight out the gate in the capital this month with Wide Days (1-3 May) for three days and nights of music industry panels and showcases, featuring Kohla, Leif Coffield, Supermann on da Beat, Pearling and more, before Edinburgh TradFest returns (3-13 May) with a whole host of exceptional concerts and workshops to help get you in touch with your Scottish roots.

Stag & Da er is also back this month, taking place on consecutive days in the grassroots venues of Edinburgh and Glasgow, with Hamish Hawk topping the bill (4-5 May). On the same weekend, you’ll find more experimental offerings courtesy of the BBC’s Tectonics festival at City Halls and Old Fruitmarket. The following weekend, the brand new Houses festival takes over the full SWG3 complex (11 May) with Alice Faye, EYVE, Joell, JusHarry, Psweatpants, Queen of Harps and loads more local talent set to play.

Outside of the central belt, Rise Up takes place in Aberdeen (2-4 May), with the mighty Bemz headlining Lemon Tree on the final night with support from Rebecca Mani and Fiza, while the end of the month brings the first camping festival of the year in the form of Knockengorroch (23-26 May), with Both Hands, Eva Lazarus, Thundermoon, Malin Lewis and Yoko Pwno among this year’s lineup in the gorgeous Carsphairn Hills.

Outwith festivals, new release shows from locals abound. Karys launches her latest single, do you have a lighter?, in support of N’Famady Kouyaté at Leith Depot (4 May), Joell brings his latest mixtape, No Flowers Without Rain, to Sneaky’s (10 May), and post-metallers DVNE launch Voidkind at La Belle Angele (16 May). On the same night in Glasgow, party with Guests in honour of their debut record “I wish I was special” at The Old Hairdresser’s.

The following night, back in Edinburgh, local producer sevendeaths celebrates the release of Concreté Misery Decayed Edition at Whitespace for Wavetable, while the end of the month sees Doom Scroller launch The Flat Earth at Sneaky Pete’s (31 May). And don’t miss anniversary shows at Stereo from Moni Jitchell (25 May) and Honeyblood (30 May), or Hidden Door’s 10th Birthday Party in the St James Quarter carpark (10-11 May).

For other local shows head out for Kathryn Williams and Withered Hand at Mono (1 May) and Summerhall (4 May); catch Pippa Blundell at Stereo (11 May), or get yourself to Dunfermline for Megan Black at PJ Molloys (31 May).

Out on the road this month, in Glasgow catch Sandrayati (King Tut’s, 3 May), Mount Kimbie (QMU, 5 May), Olivia Rodrigo (OVO Hydro, 7 & 8 May), Danny Brown (SWG3, 28 May), Nicki Minaj (OVO Hydro, 29 May), Dana Gavanski (The Hug & Pint, 31 May) or claire rousay (The Glad Cafe, 31 May). In Edinburgh, choose between Montreal art-punks La Securité (Sneaky Pete’s, 11 May), or Leeds outfit English Teacher (The Mash House, 17 May). [Tallah Brash]

Film

Three film festivals – two old favourites, one mint fresh – should keep Scottish film fans occupied throughout May.

Over the month’s first bank holiday weekend, we’d urge you to make a pilgrimage to Hawick in the Borders for the Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival (2-5 May). As ever, Alchemy blends an imaginatively curated programme of internationally celebrated moving image work with experimental

All details correct at the time of writing

Bemz

claire rousay

Alice Faye

Photo: Andy Xplore

Photo: Zoe Donahoe

Photo: Demelza Kingston

films made closer to home. Highlights look to be Empedocles Syndrome, a new performance from Glasgow-based artist and Alchemy regular George Finlay Ramsay, described as “a lecture on the joyously dense entanglements between volcanoes, the pre-Socratics and early cinema,” and a trio of films from Palestinian artist Noor Abed exploring imagined histories, myths and folktales of her besieged nation. There are also moving-image installations to take in at your leisure at venues around town, plus a ridiculously fun ceilidh.

The Edinburgh Folk Film Gathering (3-12 May) celebrates its tenth anniversary this year with a lively programme featuring international folk cinema (films from Finland, South Africa and Ireland to name a few), most screenings of which will have some sort of live musical or spoken word dimension. The festival kicks off with a rare showing of 1993’s As An Eilean (3 May, Cameo), one of the first Gaelic language feature films. Wilma Kennedy, one of the film’s stars, will perform some songs on the night. Among the must-attend events is Alexander Dovzhenko’s lyrical 1930 film Earth (11 May, Cameo), which screens with a brand new soundtrack by Scottish musician Luke Sutherland. We also love the sound of Itu Ninu from Edinburgh-based Mexican director Itandehui Jansen (6 May, Cameo), which is described as an imaginative work of indigenous science-fiction shot in the Scottish capital.

The new festival on the block is the Falastin Film Festival from a collective dedicated to bringing Palestinian art to Scotland. “We strive to highlight Palestinian steadfast resistance, cultural preservation, stories of love, and in the words of poet Rafeef Ziadah, teachings of life,” they say. Screenings will take place in Oban and Mull between 8 and 12 May, before the festival heads to the Edinburgh Storytelling Centre from 24 to 26 May. The programme hasn’t been revealed yet (keep an eye on FFF’s Instagram for details), but for a taster, Falastin have teamed up with the Folk Film Gathering for their screening of Michel Khleifi’s wonderful Tale of the Three Jewels, which blends magic and folk tale to tell the story of two children growing up amid the brutality of the occupation in Gaza (9 May, Cameo).

[Jamie Dunn]

Clubs

On Wednesday 1 May, Haptic host Australia’s bass innovator Surusinghe at Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s. From Otford to Glasgow, Orbital take The Green Album to a sold-out Barrowlands on Friday 3 May, followed by an official Afterparty at Room 2 with Posthuman. At Sub Club, ButhoTheWarrior is joined by Louie Vega for JAIVA – don’t miss these masters at work. Alternatively, Blasha & Allatt bash out techno at The Berkeley Suite (3 May). On Saturday, our favourite hair salon turned club night brings hell to EXIT for PONYBOY VS INFERNO – dress up encouraged. For bars, bass and wheel ups, head to Stereo for SOUND: Feena b2b Skillis. Otherwise, the Barras Art & Design Centre hosts acid house pioneers and Hacienda hero 808 State + Jon Dasilva (4 May). Midland lands in Edinburgh on Sunday, seamlessly manoeuvring house, disco, and techno grooves at Sneaky Pete’s (5 May).

On Monday, masque mystique Kontravoid performs live EBM and electro at Stereo for Pop Mutations (6 May). Rave sludge legends Rezzett stop at EXIT on Saturday for Boosterhooch’s ERP – bagpipe warmup from GLARC affiliate Harry Gorski Brown (11 May). Meanwhile in Edinburgh, naafi, Proc Fiskal, Nikki Kent and more play St James Quarter’s carpark for the Hidden Door Birthday Party (10-11 May). On Sunday, LUCKYME teams up with Postal in bringing Nikki Nair’s hybridised dance selections to Sneaky Pete’s (12 May).

Berghain resident Barker joins Voigtmann on Wednesday for the Night Tube SEASON FINALE at Cabaret Voltaire (15 May). On Friday, Numbers return to Sub Club, joined by Olof Dreijer + Shy One, while Jossy Mitsu and Bluetoof come together for BLUTMISU at EXIT (17 May). On Saturday, Near Field showcase ambient and experimental explorations from KMRU, Dylan Henner, and Noble Leisure at The Flying Duck (18 May). Don’t miss Dundee’s DEMSFEST 2024 with Jay Carder and Papa Nugs, alongside a strong selection of local names across Saturday and Sunday (18 & 19 May).

WET PAINT debuts at La Cheetah on Thursday with Bristol bass queen re:ni. In Edinburgh, Uplands Roast shell with Flowdan at The Bongo Club. Otherwise, catch NTS favourite Moxie at Sneaky Pete’s (23 May). On Sunday, Ross From Friends plays a sold-out Sneaky Pete’s (26 May).

New Jersey’s DJ Haram brings her live set – comprising rap and electronics, amidst Middle Eastern touches, on Tuesday at The Flying Duck (28

Olof Dreijer and Shy One

A Night We Held Between

Earth

Photo: El Nine

Photo: Wagner Cria

Ponyboy — Luca Eck

Itu Ninu

May). Friday at The Flying Duck see’s Redstone Press present Livity Sound - Peverelist, mi-el & Lewis Lowe (31 May). [Cammy Gallagher]

Art

At Talbot Rice, artists from the gallery’s final two cohorts of its Residents residency programme are represented in a group show, which surveys key concerns confronted by contemporary creative practice and is a chance to see artworks developed during the two-year residency. Exhibiting artists include Thulani Rachia, Alaya Ang, Sekai Machache and Crystal Bennes Continues until 1 June. Also at Talbot Rice, Candice Lin’s first solo show in Scotland explores the University of Edinburgh’s former Natural History Museum as a site of corrupted encounters, transgressions and transformations. The Animal Husband continues until 1 June.

At Edinburgh Printmakers, This… I Like It is a joint curatorial project with Tiphereth Print Studio. The exhibition, which continues until 30 June, gathers works selected by members of Tiphereth that reflect on the studio’s ethos of collectivity, inclusivity and shared ownership.

Jupiter Artland’s summer programme opens with two new exhibitions. New York-based Andrew Sim’s paintings foreground archetypal and cultural images in their paintings to represent their experiences as a queer person. This will be the most extensive display of Sim’s work in Scotland to date. Meanwhile, Laura Aldridge’s installation Lawnmower combines ceramics, textiles and modroc and will create a highly sensory and stimulating experience for visitors. Both exhibitions open 11 May.

It’s your last chance to catch Glasgow Print Studio’s exhibition of David Osbaldeston’s work, which closes on 25 May. A Pastiche of Different Techniques brings together two bodies of work which explore the legacies of conceptualism and the artist as publisher, melding printed and sculptural form. Also in Glasgow, iota presents an exhibition of paintings by Adelaide Shalhope titled Somewhere Between the Soul and the Centre of the Earth: a lyrical gathering of paintings and mixed media works informed by the connections of spirit and the strange beauty of the natural world. Opens 11 May.

It’s exciting times for the people of Greenock, as a brand new art gallery opened in the town at the end of April. The Wyllieum celebrates the life and legacy of artist George Wyllie, who was born in Glasgow and lived in nearby Gourock, and will be a space for arts and culture for the Inverclyde region. A retrospective of Wyllie’s work, titled Spires, will be on display until 1 September, followed by a group exhibition by Sculpture House, an artist-led initiative based in nearby Paisley. [Harvey Dimond]

Theatre

May in Scotland brings entertainment for crowds of every age, with the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival opening towards the end of the month (25 May-2 Jun). The Festival offers a diverse and ambitious programme of work for infants to teens. Oulouy’s Black, an international dance piece for children 23 and older, interrogates structural violence against Black people in the western world. For younger theare-goers, Spain’s Engruna Theatre brings Univers, an interactive object-theatre piece based on visual imagery and live music.

This month, National Theatre Scotland will begin its tour of Ma ie & Me (7 May-15 Jun), a fresh adaptation of Damian Barr’s iconic memoir. Ma ie & Me tells a timeless and pertinent story of growing up and coming out in Scotland. Penny Chivas will bring a sharing of her work-in-progress, STOP, to Dance Base (10 May). Based on interviews with people who have taken part in nonviolent direct action for climate justice, the piece uses movement and media to explore their tactics, motivations, and adaptiveness.

At the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Kate Bradley will showcase In an Upstairs Room (9 & 10 May) as part of RCS’s Fields of Performance series. The performance piece is an autobiographical and site-specific work set in the historic Reid Hall, which was once a Methodist Church. Glasgow’s Tramway will host a double-bill of Korean contemporary dance. Kontemporary Korea (16 May) showcases the work of Cheol-in Jeong and Sung Im Her, who received rave reviews for her 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe piece, Nutcrusher. The 90-minute double-header kicks off A Festival of Korean Dance 2024, which runs until 4 June.

In association with Hull Truck Theatre, Silent Uproar presents the Scottish premiere of Dead Girls Rising at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre (17 & 18 May).

Image: courtesy Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh.

Photo: Sally Jubb

Image: courtesy of the artist

Image: courtesy Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh. Photo: Sally Jubb

Crystal Bennes, O and Pecunia non olet [“money no smell”], Installation view

Laura Aldridge, LAWNMOWER

Candice Lin, Piss Protection Demon 2022. Installation view

Melancholy Dance Company, Flight

Photo: hanfilm

Ma ie & Me

Photo: James Chapelard

Written by Maureen Lennon, Dead Girls Rising is a punk cabaret about patriarchy, true crime, and justice.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre will stage the world premiere of Nan Shepherd: Naked and Unashamed in a co-production with Firebrand Theatre Company (24 May-6 Jul). The production explores Shepherd’s impact on Scottish literature and culture and why her seminal work, The Living Mountain, went unpublished for 30 years. [Rho Chung]

Books

There’s some really special book launches this month: over at Lighthouse Bookshop, Akira O’Connor and Erin Robbins are in conversation to celebrate the release of their essential non-fiction book Colonised Minds (14 May), while acclaimed poet CAConrad launches their ritualistic new collection Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return in conversation with the remarkable Anne Boyer (4 May). Over at Portobello Bookshop, meanwhile, Nadine Aisha Jassat releases her new middle grade novel The Hidden Story of Estie Noor on 9 May (turn to page 44 for a piece by Jassat on the importance of reading children’s literature as an adult), while the impossibly brilliant Sheila Heti launches her latest memoir-ish book Alphabetical Diaries on 21 May, in conversation with yours truly.

Over in Glasgow, thi wurd launch their new anthology of fiction, poetry and experimental writing Earthly Rewards at Glasgow Uni Union on 10 May – a fun chance to see some of the best and most radical writing coming out of Scotland and further afield. There’s also more experimental shenanigans at Stereo, where Darren McGarvey supported by the likes of Iona Lee and Imogen Stirling, launches their new hip-hop cum poetry album on 26 May. Over in the Southside, meanwhile, Time for One Poem are putting on a free open mic night on 15 May at Sweeney’s on the Park – everyone is welcome and first-time readers are encouraged! [Anahit Behrooz]

Comedy

Coming to Scotland for his debut UK tour is this month’s Dream Gig writer Morgan Rees. The BBC New Comedy Award Finalist’s show covers sex, shame and pride and was an impressive hypeman when he supported Jayde Adams on tour last year (Turning Thirsty, Monkey Barrel Edinburgh, 9 May, 8pm / Stand Glasgow, 22 May, 8.30pm, £15). Also embarking on her first tour is Lou Conran – expect Tangent to be flirty, filthy and very fucking funny, perfect for a gal’s night out (Monkey Barrel Edinburgh, 16 May, 8pm, £12).

Also touring are the lovely Catherine Bohart (Once More with Feelings, Stand Edinburgh, 22 May / Stand Glasgow, 23 May, 8.30pm, £14) with musings on adulthood and queer reproduction, and Michelle Brasier (Reform, Glasgow Glee, 19 May, 7.30pm, £18.50), with her musical tale of Facebook, friends and redemption during COVID which got four stars from us at the Fringe.

Subversive US prankster Eric André starts his string of UK dates in Glasgow this month (02 Academy Glasgow, 16 May, 7pm, from £41.35). Famed for his wild Adult Swim faux-chat show, this tour is a live version of his particular brand of chaos. Also coming to Scotland from the States is The Bechdel Cast (Monkey Barrel Edinburgh, 26 May, 8pm, £25), a podcast on stage from US comics Jamie Loftus and Caitlin Durante who explore film through a female lens and Shrek refs.

As for brand new comedy, there’s a heap of work-in-progress gigs from acts building their Fringe hours at Edinburgh’s Monkey Barrel. Tamsyn Kelly (of best photos of last Edinburgh fame) (11 May, 6pm, £7) and Krystal Evans (15 May, 8pm, £8) warm-up their sophomore hours, while Sara Barron (31 May, 8pm, £8) brings her brand new show to the venue. And finally, just squeaking into this month’s roundup, is Jin Hao Li (1 June, 8pm, £7) – catch another WIP of his first hour before August if you missed the chance (like us) to see him at Glasgow Comedy Festival. [Polly Glynn]

Image: courtesy of author

Photo: Alan Garden

Iona Lee

Sheila Heti

Jin Hao Li

Catherine Bohart

Photo: Angela Lewis

Photo: Wong Rui En

Photo: Matt Crockett

Nadine Aisha Jassat

Features

20 Kicking off our pop / DIY special, we sit down with Lauren Mayberry, branching out from CHVRCHES to do it herself as a solo artist.

23 We meet mui zyu to discuss the intrigue of growing mould, and new album nothing or something to die

24 Just what is bratpop? One writer explains its evolution, and the allure of Charli XCX.

26 Cj Reay of Black Lodge Press unpacks zine culture and the importance of DIY.

28 Stina Tweeddale on the ten years since the debut album from Honeyblood

29 As Glasgow’s Ponyboy collaborates with London’s INFERNO, two of their key players sit down to talk queer nightlife and DIY community.

30 Love Lies Bleeding director Rose Glass on casting Kristen Stewart in her new tale of violence and bodybuilding.

43 We meet author Damian Barr to discuss the National Theatre of Scotland’s adaptation of his memoir Ma ie & Me

44 Nadine Aisha Jassat on the magic of reading (and writing) children’s books.

46 Glasgow Film Theatre is 50! We share some happy memories from the people who make the magic happen.

48 Giulia Galastro on the success of her Open Comedy night

49 As Shallow Grave turns 30, we consider its enduring message of the Edinburgh rental market being a nightmare.

On the website... A chat with Palestinian sound archive The Majazz Project, a bunch of gig and theatre reviews, new episodes of The Cineskinny film podcast every fortnight, and weekly Spotlight On… catch-ups with some of our favourite new Scottish musicians.

Image Credits: (Left to right, top to bottom) Scarlett Casciello; Holly Whittaker; courtesy Club

Shot of the month

Adrianne Lenker @ Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 24 Apr by Rosie Sco

Across

1. Go beyond – then hop up sleeve (anag) (4,3,8)

9. Quits (7)

10. Wonder (7)

11. Conspicuous (5)

12. Silliness (9)

13. Missing people (9)

14. Keyboard, watch and calculator manufacturer (5)

15. Circular movement (5)

17. The other way around (4,5)

20. Apple's support desk (6,3)

22. Speedy (5)

23. North, South, Central or Latin? (7)

24. Get rid of (7)

25. Atypical (perpendicularly?) –straighten again (anag) (7,3,5)

Down

1. Unwelcome figure – senator gonna rap (anag) (7,3,5)

2. Siblings (7)

3. Very close – knight tit (anag) (5-4)

4. Trap (7)

5. Antagonist (7)

6. Mistake (5)

7. Flowers (7)

8. Occasionally (Bonnie Tyler falls apart?) (5,3,3,4)

14. Reprise – veg croons (anag) (5,4)

16. Brand of mouth ulcer ointment – lone jab (anag) (7)

17. Bright – full of life (7)

18. Vehicular cleaner (3,4)

19. Copy (7)

21. Joining together – association (5)

Compiled by George Sully

Feedback? Email crossword@theskinny.co.uk

Turn to page 7 for the solutions

In this month’s advice column, one reader asks how best to negotiate a mid-20s identity crisis

Do you have any advice for someone who’s having the cliché mid-20s identity crisis? I’ve watched Frances Ha and The Graduate so many times lol but I can’t find a lasting route out of the ennui… Start a podcast? lol. It all feels insurmountable but I’m also so aware of the pity-party nature of it all.

Oh, my sweet summer child. I know you don’t want to hear this, I would not have wanted to hear this, but: buckle up, baby, because you’re in it and there’s no way out. I don’t mean this to sound defeatist – in all honesty, I think it’s kind of beautiful. The whole point of your mid-20s is to have an identity crisis; it’s why you are on God’s green Earth for those crazy few years, to feel strange and panicked and ill-at-ease, to want things so desperately you can hardly breathe and to maybe not get them even slightly, and to learn whether you want them at all.

The lesson to take from Frances Ha (banger) isn’t how best to navigate past an identity crisis, but rather that such crises are points of generation rather than failure: your mid-20s are meant to be a coming-of-age, a second adolescence minus the braces and underwire bras. (The lesson to take from The Graduate is that Anne Bancroft was only six years older than Dustin Hoffman and if six-years-younger-than-me Dustin Hoffman were in front of me, I would fuck him too.) The other lesson to take from Frances Ha is that trying to impose any kind of redemptive narrative on your life – a bohemian weekend in Paris, an impossibly romantic friendship, Adam Driver in sunglasses – is only going to break your heart because life isn’t a French New Wave film, and every small and ugly thing you feel will still be there.

And honestly, thank fuck for that. My 20s were so hard (my 30s are also a disaster but maybe you will be built different), but when I think of the alternative – everything settled and decided barely out of childhood, being exactly where I needed to be and staying there for the rest of my life – I want to scream and scream. I’m so grateful for the ennui, for the mess, for the agency I had to imperfectly compile my life myself, to do it without a blueprint. So many things didn’t work out, haven’t worked out, but like – at least my failures are mine. Start a podcast if you like! Keep watching mumblecore! But also try and just sit in it, in the possibilities as well as fears of the blank page.

This issue celebrates the DIY of pop – pop as a place for joy, creativity, learning as you go, speaking up, challenging the status quo. Pop that is bold, that doesn't take orders, pop that knows itself. We meet Lauren Mayberry, who’s entering a new era with a do-it-yourself approach to her burgeoning solo career. Musician mui zyu talks honing her craft at home in lockdown while Honeyblood’s Stina Tweeddale looks back on ten years of the band, going back to their roots of DIY gigs, of playing without waiting for permission.

One writer pens an impassioned thesis on the identity of bratpop, while a pair of queer club nights who’re going back to back this month in Glasgow, Ponyboy and INFERNO, discuss the importance of DIY in building space for community. As Glasgow Zine Fest returns to CCA this month, we meet Cj Reay of Black Lodge Press to talk DIY culture, considering the zine as a key tool for the expression and dissemination of radical thought.

PizzaBoy has a bold vision, immersed in music subcultures, film, tattoo art, and Americana culture. PizzaBoy's influences pour out from him, producing work that is drenched in nostalgia and grit.

@pizza_boy_uk www.pizzaboypizzastore.com

Changing Shapes

After spending her 20s on tour with Scottish synth-pop phenomenon CHVRCHES, we catch up with Lauren Mayberry as she enters a new decade and a liberating moment of do-it-yourself artist evolution

Words: Cheri Amour

“‘W

hit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye,’ as my Granny used to say,” explains Lauren Mayberry knowingly, against the backdrop of her soft wood piano. “That’s what’s funny about all this now, it was a happy accident.” One third of bona fide Scottish synth-pop phenomenon CHVRCHES, Mayberry is opening up about moving into a new realm of songwriting. Back in the height of summer last year, the 36-year-old began reflecting on a decade of her career with the group announcing she would be working on an upcoming solo record. “Looking back on what we’ve achieved together, so much of it doesn’t feel real or even possible,” she shared with her 269k followers on Instagram.

Since forming in 2011, the band has racked up four UK top ten studio album releases, ba ed the Best Song by a UK Artist at the 2022 NME Awards (How Not To Drown featuring The Cure’s Robert Smith) and even co-headlined the mighty Hollywood Bowl with style icon Grace Jones. It’s not surprising that Mayberry feels like all the accolades and accomplishments have been whipped up from a dream. “It took several years for that to sink in [but] the best part about Glasgow is that nobody likes you to get too big for your fucking boots,” she says dryly. “It was good because it kept my head on my shoulders when mad things were happening to us.”

Growing up in rural Stirlingshire, Mayberry craved being in a band since her early teens, scouring the high school message boards to connect with like-minded people. “I would go on my pilgrimage to get the NME and Kerrang! every week. I would read interviews and think ‘Ah, wouldn’t it be amazing to be a part of that community?’ It was a form of escapism. When you’re 14 or 15, it’s exciting to imagine when you’re in that kind of isolation.”

Her short-lived high school band Boyfriend/ Girlfriend hosted their ‘earnest rock’ on MySpace

Photo: Scarlett Casciello

in the mid-aughts. Later that decade, Mayberry began performing as a vocalist and played drums and keyboards in post-rock rabble Blue Sky Archives. And it’s at this point that Mayberry’s path crossed with Iain Cook, the composer and producer behind CHVRCHES alongside synth sampler and fellow production maestro Martin Doherty. After producing Blue Sky Archives’ Triple A-Side EP, Cook asked Mayberry to sing on a couple of demos he and Doherty had been working on. In an article with Stereogum a few years later, her bandmate would describe Mayberry’s vocals as “the perfect electronic voice.” As Granny predicted, the happy accident was complete.

But for Mayberry, her band members’ differing backgrounds flared up some internal anxieties she hadn’t expected, as she admits. “I’ve always been conscious that I’m the least trained person in every room we go into. I’ve never been the person that’s had [any] lessons and then I joined a band with two people who had gone to music school!” Instead, her methods of crafting a song were far more rooted in the DIY scene, taking the building blocks of an idea and scrapbooking together the style of a particular verse or refrain. “If I want to get a point across, I have to find a reference song for the guitar tone that I’m talking about and then sing it at people.”

More recently, those sounding boards have expanded. After over a decade on the Scottish scene, Mayberry relocated to Los Angeles before the pandemic with her partner and two recently adopted rescue cats, Poppy and Cactus. They’re in good company on today’s call as my feline friend decides to make repeat visits, flouncing across my desk and the camera with his raccoon tail. (“So distracting, coming in here dressed like that!” Mayberry quips). It’s not the first time Mayberry has worked abroad, expressing how she lived in New York for a while before adding that she feels “way more foreign in Los Angeles though. I repeat myself constantly. Nobody understands what I’m saying.” Is it an accent thing? “I’m mumbly and fast,” she reasons.

While the relocation hasn’t found Mayberry in her Joan Didion California era, the shift has marked a milestone moment. “I’ve been in a band for 12 years, and I’ve never worked with anybody outside of that,” she reflects once the cats have settled. “[LA] has been good for trying new things and not having it be a pressurised two-week trip where you must get it done.” Trying out new things included teaming up with Canadian artist and first-ever GRAMMY winner for Songwriter of the Year, Tobias Jesso Jr. The fellow LA resident applied his knack for a top hook in the first song

“The best part about Glasgow is that nobody likes you to get too big for your fucking boots”

Lauren Mayberry

to be launched from Mayberry’s solo cannon, tender piano number Are You Awake? The emotional “u up?” of pop songs, the lyrics hint at the pressures of finding fame in her small town surroundings as she soothes: ‘Hometown hero is a poisoned chalice choice / If they all love you, you’re just destined to disappoint.’

Other tracks that we’ve been privy to so far – follow up and dark synth-laden Shame and full blown pop belter/unstoppable earworm Change Shapes – come courtesy of her collaboration with producer Matthew Koma. For Mayberry, the process was the permission slip that she needed to step out alone and get started on this do-it-yourself artist evolution. “When I started the solo idea, it wasn’t even about music coming out. It was more about needing to get some self-confidence and self-respect. I needed to prove to myself that within three hours, you can technically write a song.”

Mayberry didn’t decide to announce her solo record lightly though. On the subject of living away from home, she shares how she’s still got a very good network of pals at home that “don’t give a shit about the band in the best way”. When I ask how they reacted to the news, she’s equally cynical. “I thought it was such a big deal and then I told my friend Amanda and she was like, ‘Yeah, great. You should do it!’ It didn’t require all this mental dialogue.” Because your friends are always rooting for you? “They spend less time mulling over the things that I can’t do, compared to me.”

The reaction so far, from friends and collaborators alike, has only been positive. As Koma posted on his own Instagram post, “I’d call it a solo era but that su ests some sort of temporary stay, and instead I think we’re seeing an artist beginning their most prolific years yet.” Last autumn, Mayberry translated these early efforts into a live set, performing a string of solo shows across the

States, Europe and here in the UK. None of the advertising reflected the band. There’s no qualifying ‘from CHVRCHES’ on any of the listings and yet, on the first night in Washington D.C., the queue of punters snaked around the block to get in.

During CHVRCHES’ performance at last year’s Glastonbury, Mayberry opted for an ivory gown with feather trim from the RIXO bridal range and ended the set doused in blood. The once satin shiny dress was smeared with stains of vivid red. It’s almost as if she needed to dissect the precious parts of CHVRCHES and reform the pounds of flesh into this whole new phase of her career. Because while she’s revelled in a decade of playing with Cook and Doherty, as the songwriter reasons this is a moment of artistic liberation.

“There are certain things that I would not write in CHVRCHES. There are certain things I wouldn’t feel comfortable performing in CHVRCHES. When it came to this era, I thought these songs would be uncomfortable to play with straight men.”

Now flanked by an all-women band and determined to inject a more uninhibited creative backdrop, her solo shows include a newly devised cover every night, often rustled up in the hour or so she and the band have together during soundcheck. And it’s this feeling of spontaneity and creative chaos that Mayberry is grasping for as she enters a new era. Like her teenage years on those high school message boards, she’s changing shapes with no preconceptions. “I want to try and force myself to reconnect with music in a more immediate and primal way. I want to trick my brain into feeling more free.”

Change Shapes is out now via EMI; her debut solo album will follow later in the year; stay tuned for more live announcements via laurenmayberry.co.uk

Photo: Scarlett Casciello

Out with the mould, in with the new

mui zyu speaks to us about how honing her craft and connections through the pandemic made her the eclectic artist she is today, and the oft-overlooked upside of growing mould

Technical difficulties over a Zoom call – like those that appeared in our conversation with Dama Scout vocalist Eva Liu – can be a flashback to the frustrations of connecting over lockdown. But for Liu, aka mui zyu, the bi est problem is her cat walking across the keyboard. That isn’t to say she doesn’t have 2020 on the mind. “We did our first album just after Danny [Grant] moved back to Glasgow, and then the pandemic happened, and it was during that time I was obviously, like everyone else, at home, and working on these songs.”

Grant and his long-time friend from school Luciano Rossi make up the other two thirds of Dama Scout. “I hadn’t been in a band before, and they’re just the best bandmates,” Liu reports. “There’s no judgements, we’re silly in the studio, we just mess about… Their way of making music is just fun.” Experimental, improvisational techniques, like taking horsehair from a bow and feeding it through a piano, is just one example of the freewheeling philosophy that these friends bring out in each other.

Even as a solo artist, Liu marshalls her pals to help in new capacities. “Lucci and I have written music for video games – we were working on the Life Is Strange video game, and that kind of snowballed into working on my new stuff.” 2023 saw the release of mui zyu’s debut Rotten Bun for an E less Century, a bedroom pop anthology of Liu’s contemplations on cultural identity, with Rossi producing. Now, Liu serves a second course; the ambitious nothing or something to die for “My first album was very much looking more inward at my identity and understanding more about my Chinese heritage,” she says. “This is more like my best attempt to understand [...] how the world works and how people are working to destroy the world using whatever code of ethics they decide to suit the pursuit of power.”

Looking outward rather than inward is something we’ll see more of in art as we move further from the confinement of quarantine. Now is when those disciplines we built in our bubbles are becoming lucrative, and a generation of artists are emerging, wondering why the world is so bent out of shape. On the rules of what an earthling can be, a melancholy mui zyu lashes out at the suffocating standards women are held to, especially in Chinese culture: ‘They said you have to be grateful / Be not too loud, not too soft, not too sweet’.

But nothing or something to die for balances the bad with the good. “It’s also about embracing chaos and wandering between absurd nihilism and quite sweet hopefulness.” please be ok, a techno love letter pleading for peace, seems sweeter for the harmonies with guest collaborator Miss Grit.

Words: Ellie Robertson

“This is my best attempt to understand how the world works and how people are working to destroy [it]”

Eva Liu, mui zyu

The LP’s influences range from Ryuichi Sakamoto to Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks soundtrack – and the Lynchian nods don’t end there. The track sparky, featuring lei, e (fka Emmy the Great), references the dog in the opening scene of Blue Velvet, joyfully snapping at the garden hose of his dying owner, as a perfect example of the dissonance that defines the album. Liu, who studied film, takes tons of inspiration from the screen; the imagery of 2001: A Space Odyssey informed orchestral opener satan marriage. “Same with Dama Scout, actually. The three of us, we have very different taste, we’re always giving each other film recommendations.”

Understandably, an artist with such a keen eye strives for a highly unique visual identity. Grant is back in the mix as the producer of nothing or something to die for’s surrealist music videos. “I just knew he would take these songs and create a whole world for them [...] He basically learned how to do 3D stuff over lockdown.” Liu keeping her friends close pays off again, as Grant’s tinkering in Houdini when we were all self-isolating has, years down the line, resulted in incredible, psychedelic vignettes of rabbit people, superimposed faces, and dancing hellmouths.

On lead single the mould, mui zyu wonders whether things turning mouldy is actually such a travesty. “It’s about moving on,” she says, “embracing that mould and decay is meant to represent that these things can be positive, it’s part of the process.” Mould is just another type of life, after all, one that grows when things are left idle, or shut away in the dark. Over time, a few measly spores might become a thriving, mycelial ecosystem.

It’s strange to think of today’s art as having roots in a time as morbid as 2020. nothing or something to die for looks around and sees double standards, injustice and devastation, but also, underneath the topsoil, friends and collaborators are joining up and creating a vivid, living network. Lockdown was tough for a lot of us, but mui zyu shows that the seeds lain all those years ago – practising new skills or even just watching films with friends – can germinate into something very meaningful.

nothing or something to die for is out via Father/Daughter records on 24 May

muizyu.com

Photo: images courtesy of Terminal V

In defence of the brats

One writer takes a look at the evolution of Charli XCX and explores the on-the-surface simplicity of the bratpop genre

Of Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney, it was often said that his power as a poet lay in his instinctive grasp of the sound and shape of the English language – blanch his words of all meaning and they will still sound pleasant in your mouth. Now, attempt that process with the lyrics of Charli XCX and I think you’ll be equally satisfied.

Our Charli gets a fair amount of eyeroll treatment from music snobs: haters will say “this song isn’t really about anything” or “that’s not how cars work.” The silent verdict is that her music is uncomplicated and silly and therefore “not good.”

Setting aside the fact that quality often lies in simplicity (see: the little black dress; the exquisite writings of Adrian Chiles), these people are missing the point of bratpop. The movement, of which Charli XCX is poster child, is based on swanning – it appears simple and easy, as if almost no effort has been put into it, but under the water there are webbed feet thrashing about.

If you’re new to the genre, it can be roughly summarised as follows: bratpop (in its current evolutionary phase) is a spin-off of hyperpop, defined by an industrial or cartoonish sound, blasé, petulant lyrics and, more broadly, a bit of an attitude. Bratpop is saying “I need something to look forward to” despite having a holiday booked in five days’ time; it’s mum using dad’s credit card to de-ice the windscreen; it’s Paris Hilton getting

Words: Laurie Presswood

into the booth to record the words “that’s hot” and coming away with a songwriting credit.

The portmanteau and the ideology has been around for a while. California duo HOLYCHILD released their debut album The Shape of Brat Pop to Come in 2015 and defined it perfectly in promotional interviews: “Bratpop is sarcastic pop music. It’s us poking fun at our culture’s obsession with fame, youth, self […] bratpop extends also to this middle ground […] between experimental and accessible art.”

Their sound is very different from what I’ve been describing up until now – not a million miles from early Charli, but certainly not hyperpop. You can hear parallels with a bi er, more produced version of the Ting Tings, who some people have labelled as bratpop themselves (this writer would not, but these genres are very online so you’ve gotta pay your respect to Reddit).

HOLYCHILD’s sound is distinctly American – while the sound of the contemporary brat is being shaped in large part by a British sonic identity. A.G. Cook’s latest single does after all feature a vocal line that is just Charli singing the word britpop 40 times.

Fundamentally though, we can attribute the different sound to the passage of time. If you’ve ever been stuck in the middle of an argument about the first true punk act, you can hopefully understand how the philosophy behind a genre can make its mark a decade before the sound itself crystallises. If you’re not sure whether what you’re hearing is bratpop, ask yourself one thing: is it self-aware? In this way, identifying a brat is the same as conducting the Turing Test.

Most contemporary pop writing is pretty basic – Boys has about the same melodic and lexical variety as Physical by Dua Lipa, but while Boys knows itself, Physical is delivered with a sincere belt that is wildly out of proportion with the quality of the lyrics. Your typical bratpop vocal line is delivered with a throwaway silliness that is appropriate for the content of the words. It should

“Bratpop is saying ‘I need something to look forward to’ despite having a holiday booked in five days’ time”

feel a little bit faux – like the performer is an actor. This blatant façade is fundamental to the genre. Peel back the lid of any brat and you’ll find someone who uses so much energy on stage that they have to take extra care of themselves for the other 22 hours of the day. You won’t catch Janet Planet at the afterparty of any Confidence Man gig – she’s back at the hotel in bed by 11pm. Charli XCX has strived to align herself with the sesh gremlins, the entitled, and people who get turned on by car crashes, but in reality she is a hardworking songwriter who spends a lot of money on car insurance and is in a long-term monogamous relationship with a man from Cheshire. That’s what a brat is – a performance of laziness, refracted through the prism of the internet age. I, for example, could Google ‘philosophy that justifies being self-obsessed for concluding an article’ and I could give you the perfect lazy yet creative resolution just like that.

Charli XCX

Image: courtesy of Club Classics and B2B

Scotland secures Surrealist painting

This month we take a closer look at another major new acquisition for Scotland’s art collection which can be visited for free at National Galleries Scotland: Modern One – Encounter by Surrealist artist Remedios Varo

Visitors to National Galleries Scotland: Modern One will discover a spellbinding new painting on show, a piece which joins Scotland’s world-class collection of Surrealist art to coincide with the centenary of the Paris publication of Andre Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism. Painted in 1959, Encounter is a major work by the Surrealist painter Remedios Varo (190863) – this is the rst painting by Varo to enter a public collection in the UK, and its acquisition means it is now owned by the people of Scotland. We talk to Tor Scott, Curatorial Assistant (Modern & Contemporary) at the National Galleries of Scotland, to learn more about the work.

Scott is clearly enamoured of Encounter. “There’s so much to love about this painting! It’s gem-like, and highly detailed, demonstrating several of the techniques and motifs that Varo would become famous for. My favourite thing about Encounter is the beautiful clothing worn by the strange gure at the centre of the canvas. They wear a pair of brown stockings which are covered in tiny stripes, and an incredible, enchanted cloak in blue and white. Varo has blown through a straw or some other device to create ripples in the wet paint, so the cloak looks like it’s made from frothy ocean waves.”

The acquisition is part of the National Galleries of Scotland’s mission to expand on the representation of women artists within the national collection. Says Scott, “In recent years, we’ve made a concerted e ort to acquire works by female artists: over the last decade we have acquired paintings and drawings by important proponents of Surrealism such as Edith Rimmington, Leonora Carrington and Dorothea Tanning.” This piece joining the national collection is of particular signicance. “It’s the rst work by the artist to enter a public collection in the UK. Varo’s paintings are incredibly rare – she only completed about 100 oil paintings during her lifetime and many of them are in museum collections in Mexico.”

Remedios Varo was a Surrealist painter and poet, born in Girona, Catalonia, and one of the rst female students at the Academia de San Fernando in Madrid, where she enrolled aged 15 after exhibiting prodigious talent as a child. She moved to Paris in 1935, where she was exposed to Surrealist concepts and introduced to Andre Breton, before eeing the Nazi occupation in 1941. This led her to Mexico, where she became one of a small group of Surrealist poets, painters and photographers, and forged lifelong friendships with artists including Kati Horna and Leonora Carrington.

Says Scott, “This period in Mexico was one of great artistic potential and radical thought, where some of the most signicant works of Surrealist art were produced. Varo’s practice speaks to the wealth of creative, esoteric, philosophical and psychological concepts she encountered there, and to the importance of Surrealist groups and practices that were blossoming beyond Europe in the mid 20th century.”

Encounter re ects a popular theme in Surrealist work. “The concept of the encounter – especially the chance encounter – was a subject favoured by the Surrealists for its mysterious potential,” Scott continues. “In this striking composition, a

seated gure carefully lifts the lid on a tiny casket to nd her own eyes staring back at her. Several similar boxes sit on the shelves in the background, suggesting that there are more ‘selves’ to be discovered. Many of the gures that Varo painted resemble the artist herself, and this work is believed to be a self-portrait.”

Encounter is a mesmerising painting, which you can visit for free in Modern One. Scott is excited about the work, and the opportunity for the people of Scotland to experience it. “I would encourage anyone interested in the eerie, the uncanny, the surreal and the supernatural to visit Encounter at Modern One. Varo’s paintings are full of folklore and adventure – everyone who looks at it sees something di erent.”

To nd out more visit nationalgalleries.org

National Galleries Scotland: Portrait, National and Modern Open daily 10am-5pm, Free

Encounter by Remedios Varo, 1959

Free Press

We chat with Cj Reay of Black Lodge Press about DIY culture, mutual aid, and the anarchist principles which underpin the Press

Words: Paula Lacey

Anyone who’s spent time in queer and activist spaces will be familiar with the work of Black Lodge Press; if not by name, by its distinctive style – high-contrast colour schemes, provocative and bold slogans nestled amongst squares of duochrome printed illustrations. As part of this year’s Glasgow Zine Fest, the founder and sole creator behind Black Lodge, Cj Reay, will sit alongside Anoushka Khandwala and Dr Jess Baines on a panel about radical self-publishing titled Political Vessels.

It’s impossible to miss the central message of any print sold by Black Lodge, with rabble-rousing calls to action or ideological statements emblazoned in bold capitals: ‘SOLIDARITY FOREVER’, ‘LESS TALK MORE RIOTS’, ‘DEMOLISH ETON’. Whilst some designs use quotes and lyrics, Reay tells me that the original slogans are largely inspired by protest banners from his youth involvement with the anarchist scene – antiborder organising camps, direct action for climate justice, and rioting at G20 summits. The skill of conveying a punchy, provocative, sometimes funny yet always meaningful message in a limited number of words became a minor obsession for Reay’s friends, who would stage regular banner drops in and around Newcastle. “I think the protest banner is the best medium for it – fuck tweeting and all that crap,” he laughs. “A protest banner was the original tweet, I think.”

Growing up in rural West Cumbria, Reay was first introduced to DIY culture through the local punk scene as a teenager, before moving to Newcastle aged 19. There, he discovered zine culture through a DIY space called the Star & Shadow, a collectively-owned art space, cinema and bar, which also had free

access to screenprinting equipment, photocopiers and a darkroom. Soon, Reay and a group of friends started self-publishing comics and zines under Newcastle Nerd Punks, producing listing guides for events happening in the city, and eventually Black Lodge Press emerged as a solo project, evolving from hand-drawn comics into prints and printmaking. It has remained a largely one-man operation for its 15 years, and Reay’s designs are riso-printed by Footprint, a worker co-operative based in Leeds.

Describing himself as an “accidental artist”, Reay has no formal training in art or digital design tools, or “anything you’ve got to pay for, basically”. Starting with the text or slogan for the piece, he selects images with both overt and subliminal connections to the message from a large bank of images he’s built over the years from scavenging old photographs, advertising and anything with expired copyright, combined with hand-drawn illustrations and textural elements made from scanned ink printing. This combination of physical artwork and unorthodox digital techniques is the signature of Black Lodge. “I love that cut-and-paste style,” he explains, “and being able to combine it with the computer to get the neatness – it’s a weird combination, but it works so well with riso.”

When asked what makes zines differ from more mainstream tools of cultural distribution (like journalism or academic

Images: courtesy of Cj Reay

theory), Reay emphasises that “there’s no rules in making a zine – no editorial, no censorship.” Combined with the power to quickly, easily and cheaply produce self-made publications, zines represent one of the few remaining forms of free expression. “Even if it’s not political,” Reay says, “to disseminate an idea that you’ve had or to share your art outside of the structures of galleries, newspapers, publishers – I find it such a powerful thing, and it connects to so many other aspects of what I see as my politics.”

These politics are firmly rooted in anarchist organising, taking control of the aspects of living that are so often controlled by societal structures designed to atomise. Describing visiting large squatted communal housing in parts of Germany and Spain, Reay remembers being inspired by radical ephemera like graffiti, posters and stickers. These experiences became the catalyst for Black Lodge Press. “You can have all the politics you want,” Reay explains, “but if there’s no culture, it’s meaningless [...] you need to

“I think the protest banner is the best medium for it –fuck tweeting and all that crap. A protest banner was the original tweet”

Cj Reay

have art, you need to have graffiti, you need to have music that connects the dots between the radical messages.”

Despite its success and widespread recognition (over 50k followers on Instagram), the press has remained steadfast in these roots as a political project, an ethos echoed throughout their “business model” (a phrase at which Reay bursts out laughing). Many of his poster graphics can be downloaded and reprinted free of charge, and Reay often collaborates with groups on solidarity prints, in which he gives an organisation a free design for them to create prints and merchandise to raise money for their own causes.

In preparing for this interview, I was particularly interested in how Reay grapples with the aesthetic-based politics that has spread since the 2010s, which I have come to fondly refer to as “t-shirt radicalism”, but which actually reflects the hollow co-option of liberatory thinking into neoliberal pandering. As Black Lodge Press has grown as a ‘brand’ (if you can even call it that – he doesn’t) has Reay ever felt weird about how his work could potentially be implicated in that?

“Oh yeah, definitely”, he replies, recounting a story of a friend in Berlin who made similar political products who disbanded the project one day, publishing a zine titled Why I’m No Longer Making Merch For A Revolution That Will Never Happen “I read that, and I was like, fuck,” Reay says. But creating and distributing art has never been about profit for Reay; “I would never charge for zines back when I started,” he says. “I would just leave them in places; I just wanted them to be out there.

“Any joker can put a slogan on a t-shirt and sell it,” Reay adds. “Buying a t-shirt is not a political act, wearing a t-shirt isn’t necessarily a political act – it’s more about being part of a community and sharing and making visible radical ideas, even if it’s just by putting a sticker on a lamp post.”

Throughout our talk we mostly avoided talking about party politics, but I had to bring it up; the UK faces its first ‘leftwing’ government in over a decade, yet people are becoming ever more disillusioned with party politics. At the same time, it feels harder and harder to imagine alternative ways of being outside of the current exhausting system. DIY spaces represent a place for the disenfranchised to build community, but they are hard

to maintain – we reminisce about Edinburgh’s Forest Cafe, a volunteer-run co-operative which closed its physical space in 2022. The Glasgow Autonomous Space, a social centre which at one point had a library, wood and print workshop, and garden before it lost its space in early 2023, recently held its first open meeting about bringing the project back this year – a similar space in Edinburgh, the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, has been without long-term premises since 2022.

Over the coming years, how important will spaces like the Glasgow Zine Fest, Star & Shadow, and other DIY means of creating and sharing community and politics be in offering hope amidst an increasingly bleak political landscape? “I mean, I was radicalised by a Labour government, right?” Reay replies, sighing. “For me, it’s like choosing Pepsi or Coke: do you want to have your life fucked by someone with a red rosette or a blue one?

“Even a supposedly alternative culture can be taken over by people with money and sold back to you,” he adds, “but these places where you can create your own culture, and celebrate that culture – they’re partially for organising, but they’re also for existing in a way that you can be authentic with yourself and with your friends. I learned so much more in DIY, anarchist, or squatted spaces than I ever learned in mainstream education. There’s no limit to what you can do there.”

Cj Reay of Black Lodge Press appears on Political Vessels at Glasgow Zine Fest at CCA, Glasgow, 3 May at 6pm

Image: courtesy of Cj Reay

Getting Away With It

Ahead of Honeyblood’s eponymous debut album celebrating its tenth anniversary, we take a nostalgic trip down memory lane with Stina Tweeddale

Words: Tallah Brash

“Bloody hell, who gets the opportunity to record their debut record after being in a band for only a couple of years, and with Peter Katis?”

It’s emotional listening to Stina Tweeddale recount her time recording Honeyblood’s eponymous debut with then-bandmate Shona McVicar at Katis’s Tarquin Studios in Connecticut; she still can’t seem to process it. “He was like, ‘Sigur Rós used this piano, and The National used this piano, or Interpol used this guitar’, and you’re just like, ‘Why am I even here?!’

“At the time, I just remember thinking it was a dream come true, and it still is… I’ve got such an amazing feeling wrapped up in that recording process and that record. And now, having a lot of hindsight about making records, I feel very, very grateful for that having been my first experience,” she says. “It’s got [Peter’s] stamp all over it, which I love… It’s got a real character, and I think it’s quite a charming record. I can say all this because it’s ten years later,” she laughs, admitting, “I wouldn’t have said that at the time at all.”

Honeyblood came out in the summer of 2014 on much-loved indie label FatCat Records, also responsible for releasing seminal records by other Scottish greats like Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks. It was exciting at the time to see Honeyblood doing so well in a corner of the music scene largely dominated by men. It’s no surprise, then, that

“I always get a little shudder when people tell me they've got my lyrics tattooed”

Stina Tweeddale, Honeyblood

Tweeddale is keen to point out how much things have changed. “It’s amazing how now literally the best art that’s coming out is all women,” she says, adding that it’s a “big fucking deal” to see artists like Doja Cat and Lana Del Rey headlining Coachella this year.

We digress. Speaking ahead of Record Store Day, 2013’s celebrations spring to mind. It was thrilling to see Honeyblood happy to play a free afternoon show in the basement of a Stockbridge pub with a hired-in PA. “I’ll still do it!” Tweeddale enthuses. “I loved that one… I remember we were

on tour… I got kicked out of the van, they dropped me off at the pub opposite VoxBox, I just jumped out with my guitar, plu ed it in and then jumped back in the van.”

She continues: “When we started, we did loads of crazy DIY gigs; being a two-piece, we didn’t take up much space […] I don’t even know whose idea this one was, but we got a generator and we played outside The Arches at the end of the Beach House show,” she recalls. “We set up in the tunnel and we just started playing. I don’t even remember why [...] We just rocked up and played random places and kind of got away with it.”

The intimacy granted by Honeyblood in the beginning is still strong today, and the nostalgia conjured from a recent Instagram post about Tweeddale’s favourite Honeyblood lyrics – Biro’s ‘If I threw my pen into the sea / I know there’ll be someone to write after me’ – felt emotional. “I always get a little shudder when people tell me they’ve got my lyrics tattooed,” Tweeddale tells us somewhat uncomfortably, worried people might one day regret their decision. “When I write something it’s mostly from my own perspective or through my lens, so you never ever think about that... Then you see how someone else interprets it, and how they morph the meaning to make it relevant to their own experience.”

Just like Honeyblood’s lyrics have taken on new meaning for fans, Tweeddale tells us that the meaning of the record has, over time, changed for her too. And so has the Honeyblood live lineup, with Tweeddale now joined on stage by drummer Debbie Knox-Hewson (Nasty Cherry / Charli XCX) and bassist Anna Donigan (PINS). “I love my band,” she enthuses, “I feel like this is the best band that there has been for Honeyblood.”

With Honeyblood continuing to evolve and a hint at new music on the horizon – “I am trying to make a new record” – in celebration of Honeyblood’s tenth anniversary, Tweeddale is keeping things nostalgic for the forthcoming May tour; even the addition of 2023 Sound of Young Scotland winners No Windows to the bill in

Newcastle and Glasgow ties into the vibe. “I’m really happy they wanted to come on this tour; I don’t want to be cliché, but I see myself in [them]… especially being an Edinburgh band just doing [their] own thing… Their stuff reminds me of what I was trying to make [in the beginning].”

Looking to the future, what advice does Tweeddale have for other young artists trying to make their mark? “If you want to make something that stands the test of time, that’s original and is truthful and is you, then you have to take a distance from what everyone else is doing and really just look inward,” she says. “You should ask yourself what you want to make, instead of trying to chase something else. And I would never have said that ten years ago.”

Honeyblood is reissued on red vinyl on 21 Jun via FatCat Records; Honeyblood play Stereo, Glasgow, 30 May

Stina Tweeddale

Photo: Craig McIntosh

Do It Yourself

Glasgow’s favourite salon turned club night links up with London’s legendary INFERNO. Ahead of the two-part thematic cross-border affair, Dill of Ponyboy and Lewis G Burton sit down in conversation

Lewis: I see queer nightlife dying… especially in London. We’ve lost two-thirds of our spaces over the last ten years. The site of [Hackney nightclub] The Colour Factory has been bought by property developers… they’re gonna knock everything down for some overpriced luxury flats. Clubs are essentially our community centres and have been for over a century now. It’s about what we can learn from each other to future-proof our industry. So, I’m actively looking outside London to see who else is doing what in different cities.

Dill: It’s become apparent why we need these spaces. Seeing the community of people around me go on a mental, physical, and spiritual transition, while also going through the same process… it really pays off, as much as it’s tricky having it be nightclubs with alcohol and different components involved.

“Kindness, care and empathy are at the centre of what we do. That means making sure we’re learning and growing”

Lewis G Burton

Lewis: When you put on a club night, you become a leader. You have responsibility and power – which I don’t think is addressed properly. There’s a duty of care, especially when your communities are comprised of marginalised people.

Dill: Absolutely. It’s important that people feel comfortable to challenge me and know there’s always a conversation to be had. Do you remember the initial conversations that contributed to what became INFERNO?

Lewis: I come from old-school gay club land. I was so bored with the music and attitude of people. I’d just left art school and decided to bring art back to the club. There wasn’t a queer techno party at the time, which right now, in London, is like 40% of nightlife. I was gonna ask… how you started Ponyboy?

Dill: It happened by accident. We started as a salon for trans people to have haircuts and styles. We needed a launch party, and I realised the things we’re exploring are quite necessary here in Glasgow. We’ve always had the same intentions, it’s just taken shape in different ways. Why do you choose the concept of hell through which to build the worlds within INFERNO events?

Lewis: Our first two years at Dalston Superstore, there was pop music with drag queens upstairs, performance art and techno in the basement. It was like heaven and hell. Being queer is joyful and something to celebrate, but there’s darkness which predates that. Especially ten years ago… we didn’t have the conversations we’re having now, about class, accessibility and race. Kindness, care and empathy are at the centre of what we do. That means making sure we’re learning and growing.

Dill: I’ve found it a cathartic process exploring trans rage. I’ve been thinking about hell a lot recently… but I just started hormones. Maybe I’m just a bit pissed off.

Lewis: I’m so happy for you!

Dill: I started like three months ago off the back of our last event… I was like, oh I’m trans. Speaking of caring and growing, why do you think your INFERNO family call you mother?

Lewis: I was living with my big extended family when it started… and we’ve just added to that over the years. INFERNO was the first time I felt comfortable experimenting with my gender and identity, so it’s beautiful to witness that for so many others. Obviously, people have moved out of the city, and lots of my friends from the early days, we’re all sober now. But we still go out, dance, and socialise. It’s important to have honest conversations around being sober in nightlife. You don’t just have to do things because everybody else is, and you can get support from NA and Safe Only.

Dill: Through the process of putting on nights, I’ve actually stopped taking drugs, and haven’t really drank in a while. It can quite quickly become a dangerous pattern. If the space that you’re in, and people you’re around are amazing, it’s not needed.

planning on coming to an INFERNO event with a Ponyboy fleet.

Lewis: Saturday 27 July is Trans Pride in London. Next year is our ten-year anniversary. We’re planning on releasing a book, compilation albums, and a big celebration.

Dill: We’ve got our pride party on 13 July with Juliana Huxtable, Opia and Princess Xixi. We’re also working towards the second issue of Ponyboy, and there’ll be a documentary following us over the course of a year. Typically queer people have fewer resources and societal structures, but I think this births the most interesting ideas. I see each event as its own contained world… a utopian lens of how I want society to look outside of the club.

Lewis: My ethos for life is don’t wait for

Lewis: There’s no other job you get drunk or take drugs at. If anything goes wrong, and you’re off your nut, you can’t solve the issue… and therefore, you’re doing a shit job as a leader. Drinking doesn’t make the problem go away, it just pushes it down further. Staying up for days and not sleeping… it has an impact on your well-being. Who would have thought?

Dill: After this collaboration, I’m definitely

things to change. It’s great sitting around and complaining about something, but that doesn’t fix problems. What fixes the problem is going out there and enacting radical, systematic change for future generations. Do it your fucking self.

PONYBOY vs INFERNO, Sat 4 May, Exit Glasgow

Words: Cammy Gallagher

Ponyboy, Sgaire Wood

Photo: by El Nine

Roid Rage

Saint Maud director Rose Glass is back with Love Lies Bleeding, a crime thriller centred on a smouldering queer romance. She talks to us about casting Kristen Stewart as a moody antihero and explains how this tale of violence and bodybuilding was almost set in Scotland

The heart wants what the heart wants – and sometimes that’s a bodybuilder with a sweet smile who gets a bit antsy after one too many steroid injections. That’s the predicament faced by Lou (played to perfection by Kristen Stewart), the protagonist of Rose Glass’s crackerjack 80s-set crime thriller Love Lies Bleeding. Lou is the surly manager of a grimy gym in Nowheresville, New Mexico, but her hard exterior melts when she claps eyes on the bulging biceps belonging to Jackie (Katy O’Brian), an itinerant gym bunny who’s passing through town on the way to a bodybuilding competition.

Love Lies Bleeding is the second film from Glass, who burst out of the gates in 2019 with the knockout psychological horror Saint Maud. This follow-up, co-written with Weronika Tofilska, is similarly bold, but it’s also a much more propulsive piece of work, with a bi er canvas and a starry cast (Jena Malone, Dave Franco and a practically demonic Ed Harris play various members of Lou’s dysfunctional family). The idea of a woman bodybuilder came first, she explains: “Visually, it seemed very striking territory. But it also felt psychologically potent and interesting. And I guess maybe as someone who’s very definitely not a bodybuilder” – Glass is practically elfin –“I was just fascinated by the idea of anybody who manages to have that level of self-discipline and obsessiveness.”

I’m speaking to Glass in an office off Sauchiehall Street a few hours before Love Lies Bleeding is due to open the Glasgow Film Festival. The film goes down gangbusters at that gala screening, but one can only imagine the reaction it would have received had Glass stuck with her initial idea to set the film in Scotland’s largest city. “There was never an official draft set in Glasgow,” recalls Glass, “but when Weronika and I were brainstorming, we were a bit unsure where to set it. Somehow, I could really imagine versions of these characters being butch Scottish lesbians. I don’t know why. Part of me still thinks that would have been great.”

As the story started to develop, though, America became more logical (“just because of the sort of vastness of that place, I guess… and all the guns”). America is also the home of the noir crime genre, but that part had Glass anxious. “The visual language of Americana almost feels mythological now,” says Glass. “There are so many films that have dipped a toe in the same well, so I guess I was just nervous about feeling out of my depth, like how would you make it interesting? Or how do you make it feel new?”

Words: Jamie Dunn

Her approach was to try her damnedest to ignore what had come before. “I actively didn’t revisit stuff like Bound, Wild at Heart or True Romance,” says Glass, namechecking three films Love Lies Bleeding was initially compared to after its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year. “I’ve never seen Thelma and Louise,” she continues, “but that’s so famous that even if you haven’t seen it, you sort of feel like you have, so I’m sure it has an influence somewhere.”

While Glass and Tofilska avoided these classics during the writing of Love Lies Bleeding, they did give some movie-watching homework to their lead actors. “I gave them a list which had things like Showgirls, Saturday Night Fever and Crash,” says Glass. We note that those are three wildly different slices of American cinema. “They are,” she agrees, “but I was hoping to create some sort of weird Venn diagram with a tiny crossover.” She does see a throughline: “I guess in all the films, there’s a real kind of intensity and liveliness to everyone’s performances. In different ways, all the actors feel like they’re literally about to burst off the screen. It’s all very visceral and energetic.”

She’s certainly got similarly visceral turns from her cast. Kristen Stewart is particularly

wonderful, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who has kept up with her post-Twilight career, where she’s given rich, emotionally intelligent and sometimes delightfully weird performances for directors as varied as Kelly Reichardt (Certain Women), Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper) and David Cronenberg (Crimes of the Future). “Once Weronika and I started to imagine what this character was like, we did the exercise of who your fantasy cast would be,” explains Glass. “Kristen was the only actress that sprung to mind; it just felt very natural.”

Love Lies Bleeding straddles several genres. It’s a sexy queer romance, it’s got elements of body horror, it’s flecked at the edges with magic realism, but at its heart, it’s pure pulp noir, and if we think in those terms, Stewart is stepping into the shoes of Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney. “She’s kind of our morally ambiguous antihero who’s haunted by her past and smokes too much,” says Glass. “Kristen, I think, embodies that. And I just liked the idea of her being a bit of a moody heartthrob as well, but a very neurotic one.” Love Lies Bleeding is released 3 May by Lionsgate

Love Lies Bleeding Image: courtesy of A24

The People’s Museum

Perth’s brand new museum illustrates the importance of Perth and its people to Scotland – and to the world

Words by: Harvey Dimond

Perth’s majestic City Hall, built in 1914, has been an important civic space for the city and its people for over a century now. Used for a variety of purposes, including markets and concerts through to political conferences and wrestling matches, it was closed inde nitely when the new Perth Concert Hall became the city’s primary music venue. Astonishingly, it was marked for demolition by the council in 2012; fortunately, Historic Scotland rejected this proposal due to the building’s historic and cultural signi cance. The £27 million redevelopment began in January 2019 to transform the building and ve years later, the city and the Perthshire region now has a world-class museum.

At the physical heart of the new museum sits the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, one of Scotland and the UK’s most signicant historical objects. Returning to Perthshire for the rst time in over 700 years, the Stone is the centrepiece of this new museum and is free for all to view. The stone has been presented in a darkened chamber-like space with stunning 360-degree projections which dynamically illustrate the story of the Stone. Alongside the Stone, the new museum also displays Perth & Kinross’s Recognised Collections of National Signi cance.

The museum has many important artefacts of global signi cance on show throughout, including in its global cultures displays. One particularly impressive object is a kākāpō cloak from the 1810s-1820s; the only known full kākāpō feather cloak in existence. The kākāpō is a ightless parrot that nests on the ground in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and is a critically-endangered species; as of 2020, there were only 210 left. It is a stunning example of a style of chie y cloak (or kākahu), made with highly prized bird feathers, processed ax bre and European wool. Whatu kākahu (cloak

weaving) is considered the most highly revered form of Māori weaving. As a sacred, indigenous cultural practice, weaving is a way of passing down knowledge and customs from one generation to the next. Several days before the museum opening, the cloak and the other artefacts which form the museum’s Aotearoa collections were honoured with a traditional ceremony at sunrise.

Two of the museum’s key displays are indebted to the history of the city as a centre for both industry and protest. In the early 1900s, Perth became a focal point for activism for the rights of women. Many Su ragettes were held in Perth Prison and subjected to the brutal procedure of force-feeding, which aimed to prevent women from hunger striking. A 24-hour picket was set up outside of Perth Prison in protest against the mistreatment of these women. 3000 women marched toward the prison, singing the Robert Burns’ song Scots Wha Hae, an uno cial Scottish national anthem sung as a call to rebellion. Women in Perth were forerunners in seeking women’s right to vote – speeches were given in the streets of the city and protests took place in the very building that now hosts Perth Museum. The importance of Perth’s women to the Su ragette movement is recognised in a fascinating display of objects from this time period, the most impressive being a NUWSS (National Union of Women’s Su rage Society) banner.

Another fascinating display explores the industrial and entrepreneurial nature of Perthshire and its people. As far back as the medieval period, Perth was referred to as a ‘craftis toun’ due to the abundance of people working in crafts and trades.

The region has historically been a centre for whisky production: some of the oldest surviving distilleries in Scotland can be found in Perthshire. This display tells the story of iconic institutions and people, such as John Dewar, who famously walked to Perth from his birthplace in Glen Lyon in the Perthshire Highlands and set up a wine and spirits merchant on the city’s High Street in 1846. Dewars was to become one of the best-selling blends in the world; sadly, their Inveralmond bottling plant closed in 1994, with over 300 jobs lost. Visitors can view a miniature which was the last bottle of Dewar’s blend bottled at the factory before its closure in November of 1993. Much of the area’s industry was devastated during the Thatcher era; the city and region’s centuries of industrial importance is captured magni cently through many fascinating objects throughout the museum.

Perth’s brand-new museum is not only for the city itself, but a museum for the region and for all of Scotland. It captures the changing fortunes of not only the city, but the nation too. This worldclass cultural and heritage attraction highlights the fascinating objects and stories that put Perth and Kinross at the centre of Scotland’s story.

Perth Museum is open 7 days a week from 10am

Perth Museum, St John’s Place, Perth, PH1 5SZ perthmuseum.co.uk for more information

Image: courtesy of Culture Perth & Kinross / Rob McDougall

The Stone of Destiny

Perth Museum

Image: courtesy of Culture Perth & Kinross / Julie Howden

Spray Painting the City

Across bricks and concrete, graffiti fills Edinburgh. We unpack the efforts to remove and resist graffiti and how this impacts the city’s artists as well as their communities

My walks through Edinburgh have been changed irreversibly since a friend began to point out the names sprayed and inked on every wall, electrical box, bin, and road sign that we passed. Once you start paying attention, you see the same names everywhere. Some pieces appear and then vanish in a matter of days, either blasted away by a pressure washer or painted over by a rival artist. Some stay for so long they become part of the landscape, gradually fading into their concrete canvas.

“It’s always been a part of the game. Either the council buffs it, or other people decide to go over it,” says LaToy, a graffiti artist who has been active in Edinburgh since the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally from Naples, LaToy spent her teens and early 20s marking the Italian city with her ironic pseudonym; a ‘toy’, in the graffiti scene, being someone who lacks technical skill with a spray can.

This longstanding game of cat and mouse between the city’s council and graffiti artists has recently garnered an increase in attention from local authorities, with a city summit held in January 2024. Moreover, last year, Edinburgh City Council invested an additional £750,000 in anti-graffiti measures last year. As noted in a FOI response from Edinburgh City Council, ‘non-offensive’ graffiti service requests have consistently decreased since their pandemic peak in 2020; despite this, a regional MSP for Lothian, Miles Bri s, described graffiti’s presence in the city as a “growing problem” and “antisocial behaviour”.

‘The very nature of graffiti is transgressive – it puts self-expression directly in your face, whether you like it or not’

“There is some stuff that is just purely antisocial [hate messages] but a lot of stuff they deem as antisocial isn’t done with an antisocial mentality,” says Craig Robertson, lifelong graffiti artist and shop manager at Edinburgh’s only street art focused supply store, Mainline. “Most of the time it’s just people making their mark on a world that, quite often, doesn’t really give a shit about them.” The view of graffiti as a problem to be dealt with, rather than a mode of self-expression, often

glosses over questions we must ask ourselves about what kind of art we deem acceptable. When speaking to Edinburgh street artists, one particular point kept coming back to me: who likes looking at adverts?

In all urban areas, we are bombarded with, what LaToy calls “visual pollution”: endless billboards, posters, and signs plastered across our view. Anyone who has taken a stroll down Middle Meadow Walk during the Fringe can attest to the sheer quantity of signage packed into that quartermile path. And yet, it is the painting of names and messages, sometimes with hours of planning and execution behind them, that is seen as mindless vandalism. “Is it really antisocial? Or are we afraid of things we don’t understand […] obsessed with everything being neat and nice at all times and accepting literal golden shits,” remarks LaToy, referencing the recently erected St James Quarter’s controversial spiral motif. “But no one asked me.”

“It’s a DIY ethic,” says Robertson. “It’s [saying], ‘I don’t need you to tell me that I’m a good artist to put my work out there.. I know I’ve got what it takes. I’m going to put that out there.’” The very nature of graffiti is transgressive – it puts self-expression directly in your face, whether you like it or not. Historically, graffiti has been an artform fuelled by people who lack the resources to bring their work into galleries or even pay for their own studio space. Its presence and production has pushed against gentrification and middle-class anxieties surrounding house prices and ‘respectable’ neighbourhoods. But this relationship between art and its environment does not necessarily have to be adversarial.

Words: Oscar Lund

For LaToy, graffiti and street art can improve community spaces and bring people together. “Especially when you come from a shitty neighbourhood – like this is the space we live in. We make it ours. It’s free art for people,” she says. “You invest a lot of time and even money into a graffiti piece which you give to your neighbours, in a sense.” This sentiment isn’t entirely lost on those involved in city planning, with legal walls and ‘tolerance zones’ – areas where local authorities allow graffiti and street art to exist unpoliced –becoming increasingly common in Edinburgh.

With the help of Mainline’s work with local authorities, Marine Parade in Newhaven became the UK’s longest legal wall in 2018. Talking of the success of the legal wall, Robertson recollects: “I went down [to Marine Parade] to take photos and there was a woman that walked along, and she was on the phone, and she [said] ‘It’s amazing, I don’t feel afraid to walk down here now.’”

Legal spaces have an ability to uplift areas left behind by city rejuvenation schemes and are an effective compromise between local authorities and street artists. However, their existence draws a clear line between acceptable and unacceptable expression. Legal graffiti is presented as street art and unsanctioned painting is regarded as vandalism – and nothing more.

With increased public spending on cleaning services and legal walls now framed as a tool to combat vandalism, it’s important to understand unsanctioned graffiti as an integral part of the artform. As LaToy says: “Tags are frowned upon, but the reality is that humans have been making marks since the beginning of time. And it’s all part of the same process.”

Image: courtesy of LaToy

Knitting with the Times

Recent years have seen many of us learn the odd cross stitch or two. One writer unpacks the evolving role of knitting in our fast-paced daily lives –from coping mechanism to creative outlet

Like so many of us work-from-homers, my living room contains a carefully set up office space. My little desk nook is designed to eliminate the inevitable distractions of being at home and provide a clear division between the ‘office’ and ‘home’. It includes – carefully piled onto my too-small desk – several monitors, a mouse and keyboard setup, a desk lamp, a bin of pens and post it notes, and hand cream. Most importantly, it also contains a basket of wool.

“What are you knitting?” my boss will ask in a meeting when spying a glimpse of multicoloured yarn peeking out from the bottom end of the Zoom screen. I grin at him, and show him whatever project is currently on my needles and helping me focus.

Knitting has increasingly become part of our working and digital lives: the term ‘meeting knitting’ has grown in popularity in both office environments and amongst the online knitting community on platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. But not only are we rediscovering a craft that – in a world dominated by fast fashion and busy lifestyles – has long been dismissed as a hobby for elderly folk, we’re also finding new ways in which this craft can benefit us.

Glasgow-based knitwear designer Lydia Morrow says that her knitting practice helps quieten her mind. “I got back into reading this year and it’s because I figured out a whole strategy of balancing a book on my lap whilst still knitting,” says Lydia, who was diagnosed with ADHD at the start of the pandemic. “There’s obviously some part of your brain that’s just going ‘weee’. It’s completely held in check by knitting.” I experience the same; the manual,

“The manual, repetitive motion of moving yarn and needles back and forth between my fingers helps me focus my thoughts on other things, particularly in situations where I am expected to sit still and listen”

Words: Miriam Schlüter

Illustration: Amy Lauren

repetitive motion of moving yarn and needles back and forth between my fingers helps me focus my thoughts on other things, particularly in situations where I am expected to sit still and listen.

“I’ve not found something else that’s done the same thing for me at all,” explains Brice, who has found the soothing effect of knitting to be a life-changing coping strategy. Brice was hoping to start a career in theatre design but had to drop out of their university course due to insufficient disability provisions. Due to their disabilities, they have reframed what productivity means to them and how to achieve a feeling of accomplishment. Knitting now offers them a creative outlet and an opportunity to focus their energy, which isn’t as dependent on physical capabilities as other creative tasks can be. “It gives me a throughflow, seeing something from start to finish,” they say. “Being able to physically see the creation of something from what is essentially a piece of string is a great thing.”

In This Golden Fleece, Esther Rutter discusses the history of knitting practices in Scotland: “Spinning, knitting and sewing all had to be fitted around the demands of the croft and the creel.” Of course, women’s crafts such as knitting were also fitted around women’s responsibilities such as childcare and housekeeping. However, nowadays the craft is incorporated into other ‘tasks’ – an office job, social media, a social life – especially for young people all too accustomed to multitasking.

But for Lydia, knitting “is inherently anti-capitalist in the sense that there’s no reason to be doing

it.” Why spend hours upon hours manually creating something that you could purchase within a few clicks online? However, her relationship with the craft has changed since she started designing knitwear for a living. “Before I was designing professionally, I feel like I was being really creative with my knitting and that was my art practice,” she says. “Now it’s definitely a job and a stim and a good way to have clothes, but not so much of a fun creative hobby.” Of course, while knitting can be a balm to hustle culture, it can also become interwoven with it. Certainly, knitting is part of Brice’s busy life, accompanying them wherever they go. Brice normally has one small, portable project on the go, and another, more involved project, to work on at home. The busier their hands, the less busy their brain feels. “I do get in holes of having to knit constantly to be able to feel safe but also, when I don’t have a project and I don’t feel excited about a project, I go into despair,” they explain. Relying so heavily on knitting as a coping mechanism is complex: the practice is a tool – and a demanding one to master –but it’s largely seen by others as a distraction. The craft that was once essential to many communities to provide clothes and trade opportunities – and evolved from there to a mere hobby, a luxury even – has now re-shifted to something more complex. It simultaneously demands our productivity and is a coping mechanism for wider productivity demands. Regardless, we can’t go wrong with taking a conscious step back, grabbing some needles and yarn and letting ourselves slow down and knit – however, whenever, and wherever we please.

Glow Up

We spotlight some of our favourite events from GLOW Festival, Edinburgh College’s festival of arts and performance led by its current and graduating students

Words: Anahit Behrooz

As Edinburgh College’s GLOW Festival – its annual celebration of creative talent by students across The Schools of Art & Design, Computing, Media, Music & Sound Production and Performing Arts & Photography – returns for its 10th year, we pick some of the stand out events from the programme.

Cross Currents

The Studio, 16-17 May, 2pm + 7pm

Made up of performances by dancers training at the Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS), Cross Currents is a show-stopping and dynamic exploration of the cutting edge of Scottish dance. There’s four shows spread over two days at Festival Theatre, with performances by students across all years of the HND and BA programmes, offering a wee snapshot of the breadth of contemporary dance performance.

Graduate Diploma Show

Custom Lane Gallery, WASPS @ Granton Station, Leith Makers/Sett Studios and City Art Centre, 30 May-11 Jun

Taking over various atmospheric exhibition spaces across the city, Edinburgh College’s graduating HND and BA students exhibit their final works across a range of disciplines, including 3D Animation, 3D Design, Computer Arts and Design, Contemporary Art Practice, Textiles, Graphics, Illustration, User Experience and Visual Communication. By its nature, the Graduate Diploma show offers insight into the freshest and most innovative work emerging from the Scottish visual arts scene, and is the perfect way to catch rising star artists before they become big names. Each strand has their own exhibition with various dates running from late May to mid June – check edinburghcollege.ac.uk/glow for more details.

Spliced

The Music Box, Sighthill Campus, 13 Jun, 2pm

Something for the cinema and television (and advertisement?) nerds: Spliced is a showcase and awards ceremony celebrating the very best short dramas, documentaries, entertainment shows and commercial productions produced by students across Edinburgh College’s various Creative Media Production, Film, Television and Audio Visual

Technology degrees. There’ll be screenings followed by awards: time to bring a little Hollywood glamour to Edinburgh.

The Break Out Festival

Portobello Town Hall, The Studio, La Belle Angele and Monkey Barrel Comedy Club, 7-10 May, various times

Taking place (or breaking out, you might say) in venues across the city, The Break Out Festival is the culmination of work by students in Performing Arts Studio Scotland’s degrees. Four new devised works created, directed, choreographed and promoted by students take centre stage, spotlighting the breadth of creative performance work from emerging artists across Scotland.

PASS MUA Show

Granton Campus, 7 Jun, 6pm

Students from the HND Make Up Artistry course present a live exhibition of models, focusing on make up for TV, film and theatre. Models will be in full dress – think dramatic, fantastic make up, elaborate hair and stunning costumes – and there will be a live photoshoot taking place as part of the students’ final assessments. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re on set in a Guillermo del Toro film, well: here’s your chance.

Leith Amplified Festival

Leith Depot, 10-12 May, 7.30pm

We love a local festival, and Leith Amplified is as local as they get: taking place in Leith Depot over three days and featuring a curated selection of music drawn from and inspired by Edinburgh College’s monthly music nights over the past six months. Run by previous students from the college’s Music Business degree who have mentored current Music Business and Sound Production students to run and promote the event, the three nights offer an exciting snapshot of local and national up-and-coming artists.

GLOW Festival runs in venues across Edinburgh across May and June. Visit edinburghcollege.ac.uk/glow for more details

Garbage Daze

Hoard, which tells a story of hoarding, grief and sexual coming-of-age, is the best British debut since Aftersun. Writer-director Luna Carmoon, along with actors Joseph Quinn and Saura Lightfoot-Leon, tell us more

Words: Josh Slater-Williams

Unnerving, touching, gross, genuinely audacious; British debut feature Hoard can be labelled many things. What it’s unlikely to be called – even by its ardent fans – is easily digestible. And that’s just the way writer-director Luna Carmoon likes it. “I love messy films,” she tells me. “Textured films that are less polished and not perfect, and that’s what makes them perfect.”

Messiness is key to Hoard. It’s the tale of Maria (mesmerising newcomer Saura LightfootLeon), a girl in her late teens who’s navigating sexual awakening and reemerging grief as specific smells and other stimuli tri er memories of her hoarding mother, Cynthia (Hayley Squires). Maria was taken away from Cynthia by social services and has been living with foster mother Michelle (Samantha Spiro) for a decade. But now, the arrival of Michael (Joseph Quinn), a former ward of Michelle’s who’s now an adult, as a houseguest becomes a catalyst for strange psychosexual and animalistic games, hoarding of rotting waste, and a descent into some kind of madness.

Hoard arrives in cinemas two years after Joseph Quinn’s breakout performance as metalhead Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, though Carmoon’s indie film in fact finished shooting just before that fourth season of the Netflix show premiered. Since then, Quinn’s filmed major roles in imminent blockbusters A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2, and has been cast as the Human Torch in Marvel’s latest attempt at The Fantastic Four.

To Carmoon, Quinn was simply a favourite ‘that guy’ face from period dramas on British TV. “I’ve got this thing for people who have sort of Mathieu Amalric eyes,” Carmoon says of Quinn. “These dark pebbles that feel timeless and draw you in. He was so subtle and magnetising in everything I’d seen him in.” Quinn isn’t the only cast member Carmoon compares to acting royalty.

“Growing up watching noir, I felt that breathlessness of those films was closer to my speaking rhythm than an episode of EastEnders”

Luna Carmoon

For the crucial role of Maria’s mother, who was inspired by the matriarchs of Carmoon’s own life, it was only ever going to be Hayley Squires. “She’s the British Anna Magnani,” Carmoon says.

“For Maria,” she continues, “I knew it was someone who’d have to understand the rhythm of the language and this delivery that’s quite absurd. It’s like Andrzej Żuławski, Ken Russell, it’s the fear of the absurd. It’s like Glenda Jackson in The Maids [1975] with Susannah York. It’s this ping pong that I knew would almost have to be someone who’s a dancer in terms of movement. Saura’s parents are quite famous contemporary dancers and she was the only person who just got it.”

In addition to the aforementioned Żuławski and Russell, Carmoon cites myriad influences for Hoard, including the Jenny Agutter-led British film I Start Counting (1970), Japanese youth classic Crazed Fruit (1956), and the oeuvres of Nicolas Roeg, Joseph Losey, Jerzy Skolimowski, Maurice Pialat and Paul Verhoeven. “The red vest that Michael wears is an ode to Rutger Hauer in [Verhoeven’s] Turkish Delight [1973],” she tells me. Carmoon’s “riddle-like” dialogue, meanwhile, plays like a hybrid of Cockney jargon and film noir lingo. “Growing up watching noir with my grandparents [from the East End of London], I felt that breathlessness of those films was closer to my dialect and speaking rhythm than an episode of EastEnders.”

What of her lead actors’ influences on their own craft? Quinn takes this question as an excuse to rhapsodise about Philip Seymour Hoffman, segueing into strong impressions of the actor in Hard Eight (1996), Along Came Polly (2004) and

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). From the latter he recites, “Don’t you want to fuck every woman you see just once? Ciao.” I begin to wish this conversation had been for video. Quinn’s very passionate online fanbase will likely feel the same. Quinn describes Hoffman as a risk-taking, brave performer, though he and Lightfoot-Leon can surely also call themselves such after their experience making Hoard, including an intimate, deliberate burning incident courtesy of a hot iron.

“Without trying to sound too cliché”, Quinn says, “with material like this, [a lot] was dependent on surrendering to the moment. For so much of what’s happening in these peculiar, quite extreme sequences, the minutiae of the reactions are where you learn about characters under pressure.”

“She becomes rude and crude,” says Lightfoot-Leon of Maria’s taboo-breaking behaviour. “She pushes boundaries in very physical ways with Michael. Her spiralling is reflected in her actions, but also in the way she carries herself, how she dresses, how she smells. For me, it was about finding all the different sensory elements I could touch base with to inform the performance.”

One of the pair also had to consume what’s implied onscreen to be human ashes from a cremation. “It was a vile mixture of meringue, Maltesers and food colouring,” says Quinn of the actual contents, as Lightfoot-Leon chuckles. “I’m sure Luna also spiked it with horse hair or something.” Much like the blend of the surrounding film, “it was a whole party in that bowl.”

Hoard is released 17 May by Vertigo; certificate 18

Hoard

Reclaiming Queer History

The Skinny chats with Damian Barr, whose memoir Ma ie & Me has been adapted by the National Theatre of Scotland for contemporary audiences

Words: Elle Nash

The book business can be tricky. You spend years writing your way into a memoir, for example, and the book comes out to great fanfare if you’re lucky and then it sort of disappears into the ether – and then you have to write another book. Books, of course, are eternal, but once they’ve debuted, well, that’s it – that book is going to be the same book for as long as paper lasts. Some stories, however, are evergreen – that is, they keep connecting with audiences long after they’ve had their pub day fanfare. For writer and host of The Big Scottish Book Club Damian Barr, his memoir about growing up queer during the Thatcher years is one such story, which is taking on new life and being adapted for the stage 11 years after its publication.

The memoir, Ma ie & Me, is the story of a time and a place Barr had been hungry to see on bookshelves: growing up working class in Scotland in the 1980s, queer coming of age during the advent of AIDS, being a child of divorce. It’s a story about the way that the decisions of the past shape us – not just personally, not just familially, but also in how political leaders end up shaping the world for the decades that follow, especially for young people. It was vulnerable, and terrifying, Barr says, “Because I grew up being told nobody would believe me in a culture where you just don’t talk about what’s happening at home.” And at a time when Thatcher was calling AIDS a threat to national security, Barr says telling the story felt like he was “breaking a lot of ingrained rules.

“I grew up being told nobody would believe me”

Damian Barr

“But the past is not constant,” he adds. “It’s restless. And the things that happened still happened.” Adapting the book with critically acclaimed playwright James Ley, best known for Love Song to Lavender Menace, has been something of a healing process for Barr, which he says is helping him answer some of the questions that writing the book had left him with. While the memoir is the story of young Barr in a specific place and time, Ma ie & Me is the story of that man reliving his young life, giving yourself permission to tell your story, and “what that costs you, how hard that is.”

The performance comes at a time when queer stories, especially ones that harness joy despite difficult experiences, are more pertinent than ever. Last year, Scotland’s Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service reported that rates of hate crimes against the LGBT community were the highest they’ve been since 2010; hostility from a more conservative government often puts funding for the arts at risk, which has become increasingly precarious amidst a growing echo chamber of political representatives who seek to exploit animosity towards queer and trans rights for internet clout and party power. “We see a very

international, organised, well-funded attempt to unpack many of the legislative advances that our community has worked hard for with allies in the past,” says Barr.

The appetite for queer theatre in Scotland seems to be doing well in a lot of ways: Ley just had a string of three awardwinning productions in a row prior to working with Barr, with two of them touring internationally, and Ma ie & Me’s debut at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre sold out straight away. “That’s something every now and then I have to remind myself,” says Barr. “The National Theatre is making this play, and that says something about the nation.” At its core, the excitement for Ma ie & Me speaks to a community of people that are hungry to see their stories reflected back to them, in part to hold space for narratives that are sometimes quite painful and difficult and how we can hold joy in the centre of that.

Ma ie & Me, touring Scotland, 7 May-15 Jun

Damian Barr

Photo: James Chapelard

Child’s Eye View

Why do we miss out on the magic of reading children’s literature as adults? Nadine Aisha Jassat examines her own entanglement with children’s literature as both author and avid reader

Words: Nadine Aisha Jassat Illustration: Lada Chizhova

Ifirst fell in love with books when I was a child. I would go to the library after school and read shelf to shelf, taking home books which were my plastic-covered, date-stamped treasures. They gave me a love of reading, and introduced me to one of my favourite feelings: being swept away into the magic of a story.

As a writer, I’ve come to look at what I do as a kind of magic, too, one I’m still learning to understand. How is it that I sit at a blank page, put my fingers to the keyboard or pen, and suddenly find myself in another world? How is it that the characters from my books who come from some unknown part of my mind feel so real, so much so that I sometimes think: “Ray from The Stories Grandma Forgot would love this”, or, “I wish The Hidden Story of Estie Noor’s Aunt Ru was here to give me a hug”? I don’t underestimate my many hours of plotting, planning, craft and edits, but there’s no denying the magic. It’s there, too, when young readers tell me that my characters felt like friends, that even after they finished the book, they found themselves wanting to turn around and talk to them. The joy I experienced as a child has come full circle, and I have somehow managed to give this gift, this magic, to readers now.

Reading and writing books for children has taught me that they still speak to us as adults. They answer the questions and feelings we once had, and might still hold. They’re brilliant reads, too. Among middle-grade fiction (the term given broadly to books aimed at 9-12 year-olds), Sophie Anderson’s novel The House With Chicken Legs thrilled me with its plot, pacing and world building, but it also spoke to my grief. The picture book Namaste is A Greeting by Suma Subramaniam and Sandhya Prabhat, who also illustrates my novels, moved me in the same way adult poetry does. Angie Thomas’ young adult novel The Hate U Give is a masterpiece: when I find out a friend hasn’t read it, it’s all I can do to not put a copy in their hands then and there. Dean Atta’s young adult verse-novel The Black Flamingo had me wishing I could time-travel – a bit of a recurring theme for me, given how Nyla understands her grandma’s Alzheimer’s in The Stories Grandma Forgot. I wanted to be able to give Atta’s novel back to my younger self: it was a book I needed then, and a book I met with joy and deep appreciation encountering it as an adult.

When writing my middle grade verse-novels, The Stories Grandma Forgot and The Hidden Story of Estie Noor, I’ve time-travelled to feelings held

within me. I’ve spoken to past selves, and spun their wisdoms and their questions into something solid and glimmering, into words and story and gold. Through that process, my novels have given something back to me, and I hope to readers, too: whether it’s Nyla’s exploration of being mixed, Estie’s journey to finding her voice, or simply the pleasure of curling up with a book and feeling that, within its pages, you have found a friend.

There has been much discussion in recent years about the smaller presence of children’s books in review spaces, award categories, or coverage more broadly. But isn’t their contribution to literature just as valid as any other? Didn’t they make this writer a reader, and so many others? Is it not a phenomenal skill – to take complex themes, or create new worlds – and make them accessible to young readers? The world of children’s literature is an open door for many to embrace, and we should all celebrate that.

Feedback from adult readers of my novels echo the same sentiments I’ve discovered, the most

frequent being that they ‘feel like a hug’, and that they spoke to themes important to readers’ lives – Alzheimer’s, voice, identity – or were simply really enjoyable (“I never guessed that plot twist!”). Children’s books should and must always centre and speak to children, but that doesn’t mean that older readers can’t enjoy them, too.

So many adults may think, perhaps automatically or simply out of habit: “I don’t read children’s books.” And that’s okay – not everybody has to love every book, and life is too short to not read what you enjoy, to not embrace the books that you find magic in. But. If you have space on your shelf, or in your reader’s heart. If you have a spare afternoon, or a library card. I encourage you to explore the books making a new generation of readers, and find one that sparks your interest. It might just be magic, too.

The Hidden Story of Estie Noor by Nadine Aisha Jassat with illustrations by Sandhya Prabhat is out with Hachette Children’s Group on 9 May

The GFT at 50

With the much-loved Glasgow Film Theatre celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, we speak to some of the programmers, technical staff and front-of-house workers who help run this wonderful cinema

Words: Jamie Dunn

On 2 May, 1974, the Glasgow Film Theatre had its very first screening. That film was Federico Fellini’s flamboyant Roma. Fifty years later to the day, on 2 May 2024, GFT will be bringing Roma back to kick off a month-long season of films to celebrate this landmark anniversary. The programme demonstrates the cinema’s catholic tastes. Whether you’re after a Wild West knees-up (Calamity Jane singalong, anyone?), a late-night laugh-fest (a screening of the ‘Citizen Kane of bad movies’ The Room) or existential sci-fi (a double-bill of Solaris and Blade Runner), the GFT’s 50th-anniversary programme has you covered.

This cinema isn’t just cherished for its eclectic programming, however. Speak to anyone in Glasgow who gives a damn about film and they’ll have a story about a transformative experience within GFT’s art deco walls. But what about the stories of the people who make this wonderful cinema tick? Ahead of these celebrations, we caught up with some of the members of the GFT team to hear about their memories of running this cherished Glasgow institution, and where better to start than head honcho Allison Gardner?

Gardner recalls that her first visit to GFT was in 1993, where she saw the somewhat forgotten Italian war drama Mediterraneo. “I was over visiting the CCA for a job interview,” she tells me. “That I didn’t get!” The CCA’s loss was GFT’s gain. Gardner joined GFT later that year and rose through the ranks of the programming team to become the director of the annual Glasgow Film Festival and in 2020, she took over as Glasgow Film’s CEO.

When I ask Gardner for her favourite bit of programming over the years, it’s not a flashy premiere or expansive season she points to, but one of the cinema’s perennial favourites. “I started programming It’s A Wonderful Life [possibly circa 1997] and I was astounded at the reaction from the public; it’s now a staple of the GFT Christmas programme.”

Similarly, Gardner’s favourite memory isn’t a visit from one of the countless stars who’ve graced the GFT stage over the years, but a moment where an audience made a palpable connection with a film. “I think my favourite day at GFT was when we were doing audio descriptions for children who were blind,” says Gardener. She’s a bit hazy on what the actual film was (“The first Harry Potter… I think!”) but the reaction on the kids’ faces hasn’t left her. “In those days we did it live – Carol McGregor did the describing live from the projection booth! The look of sheer pleasure on their faces has always stayed with me and it inspires me to ensure we can share the love of cinema with everyone.”

‘Cinema for All’ is very much GFT’s key mission, and nowhere is this more important than

in the vital work done by GFT’s Learning & Youth Engagement Manager, Rebecca McSheaffrey. Her first memory of GFT is visiting with her mum to see Breakfast at Tiffany’s. “I was 16, I remember feeling it was a very glamorous and grown-up thing to do!” recalls McSheaffrey. More recently, her favourite screening has to be Jono McLeod’s stranger than fiction documentary My Old School, starring Alan Cumming. McLeod, Cumming and the rest of the film’s cast were in attendance at that sold-out premiere. “It was just such a raucous laugh,” says McSheaffrey. “The kind of experience you can only have at GFT!”

McSheaffrey reckons being GFT’s Learning Manager is a privileged position. “I get to see children and young people enjoy their first experience of GFT and how much joy it brings them,” she says. McSheaffrey’s role also includes facilitating the innovative Glasgow Youth Film Festival, where a group of Glasgow teens curate their own three-day event. “It’s great to see new and old audiences celebrate their choices and reward them for all the hard work they put into it,” says McSheaffrey, “because they really do care about putting on a great festival.”

Nicola Scott is GFT’s Community Engagement officer and she tells me her favourite screening at GFT was a “dream double-bill” from 2019. It featured two great films from 1995: Gus Van Sant’s To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman, and Todd Haynes’ Safe, starring Julianne Moore. “I’d never seen Safe before and it was fantastic,” remembers Scott. “It was great to watch along with a film I’d been obsessed with as a teenager.”

Last year Scott launched the Glasgow Film Club, a monthly Pay What You Can screening, and it’s been going from strength to strength. “About four film clubs in we watched Ken Loach’s The Old Oak,” she explains. “By this point we had regulars coming as well as people who just turned up to the film and then decided to come along. We had such a great conversation about the film – also a lot of laughs and cups of tea! The best thing about watching films is talking to people about them.”

The main monthly programme for GFT is corraled by Programme Manager Paul Gallagher,

Photo: Stuart Crawford

Allison Gardner, Richard Ayoade 2011

whose first film visit to GFT was the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? in 2000, but it’s the Surprise Film at Glasgow Film Festival 2013 that sticks out as a favourite memory: Harmony Korine’s wild ride Spring Breakers. “I really didn’t like the film,” says Gallager, “but seeing it in that context with that audience was just perfect.”

As for the best part of Gallagher’s job? Well, it’s getting to programme for a great audience. “I feel very lucky that we have such an adventurous, film-loving audience here in Glasgow, because it gives me the opportunity to put a really wide range of films on screen. Most of the time if we have an idea and think ‘could we…?’ the answer is nearly always ‘yes’, and that is an amazing privilege.”

One of the people in the projection booths making these screenings happen is Technical Officer Euan Bright, who reckons his most memorable experience at GFT was seeing The Grand Budapest Hotel at the opening of the Glasgow Film Festival in 2014. “I remember specifically the atmosphere was nothing like I had experienced in a cinema before. The enthusiasm of the audience was really infectious. A film like that really benefits from a crowd; every joke hit harder.”

What makes the projection so special at GFT is that it’s one of the only cinemas in Scotland that’s still able to screen from 35mm and 70mm film. Bright’s first foray into celluloid projection wasn’t a feature, but a five-minute music video of Haim’s Summer Girl directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. “I was still learning the ins and outs of 35mm projection at the theatre,” recalls Bright, “so it was a nice introduction being so short. No splicing or changeover was required, so the pressure was certainly off. And the fact it was a good track certainly helped alleviate the anxiety!”

Bright says his bi est thrill working at GFT so far “by a mile” has been projecting last year’s Oppenheimer in 70mm. “It was the longest consecutive run of a 70mm print I had run. The

combination of Barbie for the Barbenheimer weekend led to a really busy and exciting couple of days for the cinema. It’s a lot of manual labour, lifting and lacing the spools and film. With four changeovers throughout, you’ve got to know the film pretty well.” Despite running that Oppenheimer print several times, he never got tired of it. “The picture and colours are just so much richer [in 70mm]. It’s certainly the best way to see a film.”

“I feel very lucky that we have such an adventurous, filmloving audience here in Glasgow”

Paul Gallagher

If you’re a GFT regular you might have seen some of the above staff in the GFT corridors, but one person you’re sure to have come across is Tamir Amar Pettet, who’s been part of the Box Office team since 2021. The film that popped Pettet’s GFT cherry was an arthouse classic: François Truffaut’s Jules et Jim. “I heavily recommend it to anyone who has not had the divine pleasure of watching it,” says Pettet. His favourite, though, is more recent. “The best film I have seen at GFT was All The Beauty and the Bloodshed, a documentary about the artist Nan Goldin, a very beautiful and dynamic portrait of one of my favourite artists.”

Some of Pettet’s favourite memories include working the first opening gala after COVID restrictions had been lifted (“It was amazing to see the anticipation to return to the cinema”). He also gets a kick out of working the late shift and getting to

turn off the house lights in Screen 1 (“Knowing that different types of audiences have passed through that day to watch something new or old, it’s very satisfying,” he says). Pettet keeps coming back for the people, though. “I’ve loved getting to know and befriend regulars, volunteers, and staff, and meeting one of my closest friends, Polly.”

Another member of the team at the GFT coal face is Duty Manager Karlean Bourne, who’s been part of GFT’s front-of-house team for a decade now. “Some of my favourite moments are getting to meet some of our guests,” says Bourne. “People like Terry Gilliam, Richard Ayoade, and the fantastic Brian Blessed all spring to mind as moments I will never forget. As a huge fan of Ken Loach, getting to meet and talk with Paul Laverty, the amazing screenwriter of so many of his films, has to be the absolute highlight too. My mum and I bonded over our love of Ken Loach films. Sadly, my mum is no longer able to enjoy these films with me but I think she would have been as excited as me.”

Working front of house at the GFT means Bourne is in a position where she can watch people’s journeys at the cinema grow, from GFT greenhorns to weekly regulars. “Seeing our audiences, volunteers and staff make connections with the films and each other shows the importance that spaces like GFT have within the wider community,” says Bourne. “The intimate relationship that people develop with Glasgow Film is what makes it such a special organisation.”

Whatever brings you to GFT – be it the inventive programming, the world-class projection, the welcoming atmosphere, or the lovely staff – take this month-long celebration as an opportunity to pay the cinema a visit.

To find out about all the screenings in GFT’s 50th Anniversary programme, head to glasgowfilm.org/anniversary-programme

Image: courtesy the GFT

Image: courtesy the GFT

Image: courtesy the GFT

The GFT, 1976

The GFT, 1980

The GFT, 2015

Opening Up

We meet Giulia Galastro, the person behind two of Scotland’s most inclusive comedy nights – Open Comedy and The Other Show

Words: Polly Glynn

Giulia Galastro is a shining light on the current Scottish comedy scene, with fingers in many pies. One such pie is the lo-fi hit Open Comedy, a weekly award-winning open mic night which she runs in the heart of Leith.

“It was actually my ex-partner and good friend Jacob Henegan who first had the idea to start Open Comedy. Having moved to Edinburgh from Australia in 2021, Jacob found the Scottish

genuinely lovely people who want to come and watch it. We also discourage the acts from doing anything racist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise exclusionary, which I think contributes to a generally inclusive feeling. It was also really important to us that the venue be wheelchair accessible, which is not the case for the majority of comedy venues in Scotland.”

Two Chortle Awards followed swiftly afterwards (Best Open Mic Night, Scotland, 2023 and – a clear sign of how well-loved the night is across the country. When Galastro heard the

would be a way to get stage time, as well as hopefully form a little comedy community.”

When local coffee shop Artisan Roast opened a new branch on Leith Walk, Giulia and Jacob stumbled upon the perfect venue for their new night. Starting in February 2022, Open Comedy has quickly established itself as an inclusive home for new comics and new ideas.

“We were very keen from the outset to create a kind and friendly atmosphere. I think we’ve been very lucky that the night seems to attract

news, she was delighted: “I put a lot of work into the night, so it means a lot that people seem to like it.”

The show’s inclusiveness also seems shaped by Galastro’s own stand-up and compering style, describing it as “friendly and tired?!” “My background is in hospitality, and my instinct is to try to make people feel comfortable and at home – this is not the sort of night where the compere is going to pick on people and ridicule their profession, or their shirt.” So don’t worry – you can definitely sit in the front row!

One show a month has dedicated an all female, trans and non-binary lineup (Open Comedy Mango), a jewel in Open Comedy’s crown and a favourite of acts and punters alike. When asked whether the Scottish comedy scene is improving, in terms of gender representation, Galastro describes the still too-often all-male lineups as a “multi-headed hydra of a problem”, with each issue feeding into another. “Who is encouraged to try comedy in the first place? Who has the audience on their side from the second they step onstage? Who feels supported to grow and keep going with comedy despite the inevitable setbacks? Who has the time and energy to pour into a largely unpaid hobby to turn it into a career? It’s complicated, and gender intersects with race, class, disability,” and other marginalised statuses. But Open Comedy isn’t the only string to her bow. Galastro’s also heavily involved in Monkey Barrel’s flagship alternative comedy night, The Other Show. Nestled in a Saturday late-night slot, she describes the bi-monthly gig as a place where “a cluster of Scotland’s funniest weirdos come together to make a show.” Highlights for her have included stand-up and improviser Mara Joy’s channelling of the late great wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage, Soup Group’s joyful clowning antics, a five-minute one-woman Christmas Carol from Charlie Vero-Martin and Maddie Fernando taking a pregnancy test live on stage. It sounds like chaos of the very best kind.

At any gig though, there are a few performers she loves to share a bill with, knowing they will always light up a lineup. They include Ayo Adenekan, Tom Joyce, Paul McDaniel and Steph Browne. The current acts on the Scottish open mic scene sound, well, pretty sound. “Basically, we are blessed to have a lot of good and funny folk come and perform.”

Open Comedy, every Tuesday, Artisan Roast Leith Walk, 7-10pm, free (Open Comedy Mango, last Tuesday of the month)

The Other Show, every second and fourth Saturday of the month, Monkey Barrel Comedy, 10pm, £5

@giulia_galastro on Instagram

Image: courtesy of Giulia Galastro

Image: courtesy of Giulia Galastro

Flatmates from Hell

Shallow Grave is back in cinemas this month for its 30th anniversary. Looking back at this dazzling landmark in Scottish cinema, we have many thoughts, most of them concerned with the nightmare that is renting a flat in Edinburgh

Words: Emilie Roberts

You know the scene well: it’s July, that sweet spot post-students leaving, pre-new students arriving, pre-Fringe even, and you’re on Rightmove. And Gumtree. And Zoopla. And who the hell is naming these websites?! The flat search is on. It starts off optimistic. You’re looking for something light-filled, airy… maybe the New Town? At a certain point, you start to lower your standards and eventually, you get to a place where rooming with three complete psychos seems more and more attractive.

Principally this is what Danny Boyle’s film Shallow Grave is really about: how bloody hard it is to find a flat in Edinburgh. And bearing in mind this was 1994! Plus, Ewan McGregor is one of the psychos and you know, you’d forgive a lot of flatmate red flags for Ewan in that green jumper.

Rewatching Boyle’s debut and McGregor’s second sexiest role (the first is Trainspotting and no, we will not be taking questions at this time) is a whirlwind of good fun. Within the first ten minutes alone one has many and varying thoughts, such as: their flat is in Stockbridge, you would truly forgive a lot of crazy for a flat that size in Stockbridge. Did they have the Sunday market there in 1994? I don’t know; God, these jumpers are great. Why does every 90s film have incredible jumpers? Were jumpers just better back then? Will the new UNIQLO on Princes Street have jumpers that can hold a candle to a good 90s jumper? Probably not. Hey, look, they’re playing squash. Whatever happened to squash? It truly seemed to feature in every piece of media in the mid-90s… and other such inanities. This is what people mean when they say they like a film that makes them think – no one has ever said those thoughts need to be profound.

McGregor plays Alex, a journalist who seems to work two days a week maximum, alongside Christopher Ecclestone’s David, an uppity accountant, and Kerry Fox’s Juliet, a doctor who can’t decide whether she’s a mad English posho or a mad Kiwi posho. The accents are truly all over the place here but you just don’t care when you’re having this much fun. They’re seeking a flatmate to join their aforementioned massive Stockbridge flat and in the search, they decide to have a bit of fun and toy with the prospectives. This toying includes riding a bike around inside, asking what the interviewee would do if one of the flatmates was the Antichrist and taking bizarre pictures with them. Honestly, these flat hunters should have copped on they were mental just by the decor. It’s so sparse! There’s about three pieces of furniture in the whole gaff! Run!

They eventually decide on a writer called Hugo, who winds up dead the next morning with a big suitcase full of cash in his room. Naturally, the three decide to dismember the body and keep the money. What could go wrong? Spoiler: lots.

Boyle does the absolute right thing here, keeping the main action to just the trio of flatmates and their descent into madness. He knows no one really cares about a police procedural and instead delves into the psyches of three friends unravelling in the face of a Bad Thing and the allure of lots and lots of money. Ecclestone is the standout here as we watch him go from buttoned-up scaredy cat to insane person, driven there by The Tell Tale Heart-esque manifestations of guilt. A big shout out to the sound design and score: it’s full of creaking, bumping, thudding weirdness and music that can only be described as Goosebumps-y. There’s a bit of a B-plot that concerns the origin of all the money, which is under-utilised, but the whole film is snappy enough that you don’t really mind. The moments where Boyle does go full-throttle horror/ thriller are great fun and deliciously camp, full of blood splattering and genuine suspense. It’s hard to believe this is the same chap who gave us 127 Hours and Yesterday, but in fairness, there’s arm sawing in the former and the latter makes you want to saw off your own arms (and ears), so it’s much of a muchness. What Boyle does prove though is that even campy genre films can look good and boy does Shallow Grave look good. It’s full of primary coloured Almodóvar-esque off-kilter goodness, with some zany camera moves and bold framing choices. It’s also hilarious to boot. Happy 30th, Shallow Grave, they truly don’t make ‘em like you anymore.

Shallow Grave is rereleased 10 May by Park Circus; certificate 15 Head to parkcircus.com for screening listings

Shallow Grave

Image: courtesy of Park Circus / Channel 4

Released 24 May by Father/Daughter Records

Listen to: the mould, everything to die for, donna like parasites

Album of the Month

— nothing or something to die for

Nothing or something to die for is the second solo album from mui zyu, aka Eva Liu, the Hong Kong British singer for UK trio Dama Scout. It’s been about a year since Liu dropped her debut record, Rotten Bun for an E less Century: a hazy combination of bedroom pop, electro-indie, and trip-hop – so, is this new album more of the same, or something else entirely?

In fairness, Rotten Bun... is a wonderful record and nothing else or something to die for is definitely familiar territory – but it’s immediately apparent that mui zyu has taken every awkward beat, moody melody, and breathy vocal, and honed it to perfection here. Think Portishead, Crystal Castles and Burial meets Tunng, girl in red and Frances Forever, orchestrated by Angelo Badalamenti and directed by David Lynch. As odd as that seems, the album sounds gorgeous: lush, modern and dramatic, but with a gloomy heart full of nostalgia for crushed beats, warbling tape and worn-out speakers.

The album gets going just as satan marriage hands the baton of a beat (through a curtain of strings) over to the mould, a bubbling mixture of child-like electronics, cold synths and whispered

Find reviews for the below albums online at theskinny.co.uk/music

vocals. It’s playful and melancholic – attributes this album lives and breathes. The next song, everything to die for, leans heavily into the latter, welling up with layers of aching vocals, creaking guitars, and cold, spectral synths. This sense of devastating beauty permeates the record, but, while mui zyu plays with the ideas of hope and hopelessness, the needle never falls too far on the side of sorrow: raising spirits with a driving bedroom pop beat here, a cathartic piano theme there, or a ballooning electric guitar solo out of nowhere. Typically the album’s tempo is of the laidback variety (especially on haunting songs like sparky), but easily holds the attention with the immediacy of its melodies, beats and harmonies. These moments are memorable too, and the album just begs to be revisited, with each repeated listen a chance to revel in its eccentricities: deliberate flat notes (in otherwise silky pop earworms), quirky muzak interludes, shimmering guitars, screeching violins, and warped vocals. nothing or something to die for is a jaw-droppingly beautiful, immersive experience where each track melts into the next, and in a quiet room with a decent set of headphones, you’ll get lost in its dreamy, bittersweet soundscape. [Chris Sneddon]

Amen Dunes Death Jokes Out 10 May via Sub Pop

Les Savy Fav Oui, LSF Out 10 May via Frenchkiss/The Orchard

Knocked Loose You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To Out 10 May via Pure Noise Records

Niamh Regan Come As You Are Out 31 May via Faction Records

Home Counties

Exactly As It Seems Submarine Cat Records, 3 May rrrrr

Listen to: Uptight, You Break It, You Bought It, Wild Guess

What’s the best response you can have to the disenchantment of modern life? For Home Counties, it’s fun. Their new album Exactly As It Seems is a buoyant call to order to join them on their quest to find light among the gloom and traverse the ups and downs of being in your late 20s with gusto.

Produced entirely by guitarist Conor Kearney, the album fizzes with an eclectic, electroclash pulse reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem, Confidence Man and Devo. Each song is a goldmine of sound; opening track Uptight sets the unrelenting tone with its dancy beats and catchy lyrics, Funk U Up harnesses rhythmic guitars with quirky synth lines while You Break It, You Bought It laments on rubbish landlords with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour.

It’s no surprise that the band are a hoot performing live – the energy is palpable from start to finish. But even more impressive are the melodies that stand out above all of the intricacy, making for an album that’s not only fun, but acutely detailed and instantly memorable. Exactly As It Seems is a beautifully peculiar, joy-inducing triumph. [Jamie Wilde]

From the first dreamy vocalisations on Ghost, Mary In The Junkyard announce themselves as artisans of atmospheric experimental rock on their debut EP, This Old House. With fuzzy instrumentals and slightly surreal lyrics which are spoken as much as they are sung, This Old House is reminiscent of the ethereal and hypnotic rock of NewDad and Wolf Alice. Easing smoothly into Marble Arch, they blend post-punk weight with a haunting gothic coldness. This spellbinding unease is heightened on Goop, an avant-garde horror soundtrack with its unnerving opening and chilling lyrics (‘Flies trapped in the goop of your eyes’). This almost stream-of-consciousness lyricism is made more ominous with the inclusion of Saya Barbaglia’s viola, Clari Freeman-Taylor’s childlike vocals and David Addison’s skittering drums. Their self-proclaimed “angry, weepy chaos rock” reaches its unruly climax on the vampiric Teeth, descending into musical madness before finally falling quiet, channelling the dark glamour of bands like Placebo and She Wants Revenge. This Old House is only a taste of what’s to come from Mary In The Junkyard, a band who are very rightfully generating buzz in London. A delightfully weird start to their career, you’ve got to wonder what dark corners they will explore next. [Vicky Greer]

Kamasi Washington Fearless Movement Young, 3 May rrrrr

Listen to: The Garden Path, Interstellar Peace (The Last

Since the release of 2015’s fantastic and appropriately titled triple album The Epic, Kamasi Washington has become one of the most celebrated talents in modern jazz. His latest LP, Fearless Movement, is a self-produced odyssey, and, despite being almost 90 minutes long, manages to maintain an ardent accessibility. A slew of additional artists help him reach this lofty feat; names like Thundercat and George Clinton are among the star-studded guest list of both old and new collaborators, and even Washington’s young daughter, one of the album’s noted influences, is credited with a contribution towards the melody of Asha The First. Though nothing gets lost among the lengthy runtime, there are several memorable standouts. André 3000 provides a touch of serenity on latest single Dream State, The Garden Path is a bustling celebration, and Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance) is an example of celestial extravagance. The album’s closing statement, Prologue, is yet another epic display of splendour, and may be the best track on the entire album. On this latest opus, Washington and company are a tightened-drum of an ensemble that effortlessly flit between an intense focus and a playful freedom, and the results are stunning. [Liam Casci]

G. Cook Britpop New Alias , 10 May rrrrr

Listen to: Prismatic, Luddite Factory Operator, Lucifer

Not many artists can point to a 24-track, three-disc record (Past, Present and Future) and see it as a comparatively streamlined work. But the new album from A. G. Cook, one of the few people who can claim to have altered the sound of modern pop music, is comparatively slight after the seven discs of his debut 7G It’s all the better for it too, far more focused and emotionally considered. Past leans heavily on the hyper-synthetic take on dance music that Cook made his name with. The likes of Prismatic shows Cook has mastered this sound, making dance music out of what sounds like a mountain of acrylic being sucked into a black hole. Present by contrast showcases his singer-songwriter mode, all distorted guitars and autotuned vocals. These tracks don’t have the same sense of identity as the other two discs, but they work perfectly well.

Future turns back to his more usual palate, but with a more mournful feel, the giddy nostalgia matures into something more bittersweet. It makes for a spectacular conclusion, setting Cook’s touchstone sonics into moods he’s rarely allowed to be so fleshed out. Britpop is a surprisingly tight record, and a superb summary of Cook’s work to date. [Joe Creely]

A.

Mary In The Junkyard

This Old House AMF Records, 9 May

Listen to: Goop, Marble Arch

Bat For Lashes

The Dream of Delphi Mercury KX, 31 May rrrrr

Listen to: At Your Feet, The Dream of Delphi

The Dream of Delphi conjures a beautifully hushed atmosphere, ripe with poignant spaces and considered, philosophical musings on motherhood and the passage of time. Christmas Day contains the bittersweet bon mot, ‘You’re a gift / That I’ll come to give away, in time’. The Midwives Have Left features impressionistic, wordless coos and Breaking Up is a two-minute flute and sax meditation.

Despite the occasionally sparse nature of the album, there is great variety in the arrangements. Flutes abound, Mary Lattimore contributes evocative harp and there are numerous instances of gorgeous piano runs. On Waking Up, Khan channels the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Delphi Dancing has the twinkling quality of a music box and the title track almost veers into Lycanthropyera Patrick Wolf folktronica. A glaring outlier is Home – it’s a lovely pop cut, but anyone hearing this single ahead of the full album might be surprised by the whole.

Despite being the bi est shift in her sound so far, Khan’s silken touch is such that Delphi feels like a congruous and joyful addition to her oeuvre, proof of her claim that motherhood helped her tap into a previously unknown well of creativity.

[Lewis Wade]

Rachel Chinouriri

What a Devastating Turn of Events

Parlophone/Atlas Artists, 3 May rrrrr

Listen to: Garden of Eden, So My Darling, All I Ever Asked

From what I can remember of the mid-aughts, Kelly Clarkson was president and everyone had brickinterior apartments; I’ve been using the same study guide as Rachel Chinouriri. As TikTok harkins in the PinkPantheress style as the one true Y2K revival, artists like Chinouriri dare to hold up the flag of the radio guitar pop sound which dominated at least one of the W. Bush terms. You can add glistening reverb, modern synth-work, and lingo only us Zoomers can translate, but I know JC Penny radio when I hear it. You’ll make me miss it yet.

Long-awaited with a rollout to rival the next Frank Ocean record, Chinouriri siphons every good idea from her previous EPs and evolves them into great ones; hits we saw in the prophecy fulfilled in the present. It also contains what should be referred to as ‘good-ole-fashionedpacing’: front-load with hits, dip for a few ballads, repeat with an uproarious middle section, and coast off with acoustics. It’s familiar, but more like a warm memory than déjà vu. It’s the type of craft that usurps memories; next time I remember Kelly Clarkson, I’ll hum All I Ever Asked. What a classic it was. [Noah Barker]

Beth Gibbons Lives Outgrown Domino, 17 May rrrrr

Listen to: Floating on a Moment, Lost Changes, Beyond the Sun

Middle-age is a period of life that can cause untold anxiety, but rather than dwell on narrowing horizons, Beth Gibbons has released her first proper solo album. Written across the last ten years, in which the Portishead singer grappled with the menopause and the loss of friends and family, Lives Outgrown is a record about departures and the transition to a new equilibrium.

It’s impossible not to hear grief and guilt mingle together on Lost Changes as Gibbons murmurs, ‘I want you to love me, the way that you used to’, her disembodied voice proof that sometimes a whisper can be as powerful as a scream. References abound to setting suns, and flames dying out, but Lives Outgrown is a sonically radical album, with Gibbon’s retaining her sense of adventure and a willingness to push artistic boundaries.

From the John Barry-esque orchestration of Reaching Out, to Talk Talk’s Lee Harris’s febrile percussion on Rewind, the album is full of richly detailed arrangements that allow Gibbons to free herself from the pull of Portishead’s past. Whispering Love concludes the album on a contemplative note, with Gibbons’ voice gradually dissolving into a haze of bird song and the warm aura of self-acceptance. [Patrick Gamble]

Isobel Campbell Bow to Love Cooking Vinyl, 17 May rrrrr

Listen to: Second Guessing, Dopamine, Om Shanti Om

On the second track of this sixth studio album from Isobel Campbell, she quotes Yoda, specifically his maxim, “do or do not, there is no try.” It’s fitting; the Glasgow-born singer has liberally sprinkled Bow to Love with a wisdom all her own, one that places emphasis on dancing in the storm rather than waiting for it to pass. Plus, unlike the diminutive, green Jedi elder, Campbell retains not only a sound grasp of subjectverb-object sentence structure but also an astute and dextrous lyrical eye that sees her wittily skewer everything from toxic masculinity to social media, whilst navigating the post-Brexit debris of a politically polarised western world with humour and optimism.

Thematically, then, Bow to Love is a triumph, a nuanced state-of-theworld reflection; musically, though, it fails to build on the handsome but slight psych-tinged folk of 2020’s There Is No Other. When Campbell does make bold sonic choices, such as on the spacey centrepiece Dopamine, you yearn for more of that, and less of the interchangeably delicate instrumentals on many of the other songs. Still, Campbell’s voice remains a welcome balm in terms of both sound and messaging. [Joe Go ins]

Music Now

It’s another bumper month for new Scottish releases, so we’ve packed in as much as we can including new releases from No Windows, Bee Asha and rEDOLENT

Words: Tallah Brash

Before we get into this month, here’s a nod towards some of what we missed in April. There were new singles from Philip Jon Taylor, Be Charlotte, Lewis McLaughlin, Tamzene, Cathal Murphy, Priya, Zoe Graham and Nina Nesbitt, a mixtape from Joell, an EP from swim school, and the list goes on. A reminder here to follow our Music Now playlist on Spotify which gets updated with all of this good stuff every Friday.

Then comes May. While Point Nemo might refer to a point in the ocean that’s farthest away from land, it’s also the title of award-winning Edinburgh duo No Windows’ second EP, which sees the pair sounding more grounded than ever. Due for release on 3 May via Fat Possum, it’s the first time Morgan Morris and Verity Slangen have written together, and the first time they’ve worked with an external producer – Ali Chant (Dry Cleaning; Yard Act) mixed the record with the pair at his Bristol studio – and the payoff is well worth it. Across Point Nemo’s five tracks, they deliver a more crisp, more mature, more assured and more confident sound than before, with a strong cinematic aesthetic; it’s a beautiful piece of work that leaves you wanting more.

16 May brings the long-awaited The Gitika Project from Edinburgh artist Bee Asha. The project comes in the form of an eight-track album titled Goodbye, Gracious which flows beautifully as songs melt into one another traversing jazz, garage, trip-hop, R’n’B, spoken word, house and more, cautiously navigating its way through tricky subject matters like deception, dishonesty, trust issues, toxic friendships, self-care and healing. The midpoint Message fae Ma brings a comfort that only a mother can; it’s a beautiful touch that places Bee Asha as the main character, despite what closer Grey might say.

The following day, rEDOLENT’s debut album, dinny greet, arrives via Post Electric, evoking feelings of giddiness, claustrophobia and hopefulness. Andrew Turnbull’s skittering drums make your chest feel tight, but there’s a hushed emotional warmth to Robin Herbert’s vocal delivery that keeps things soft, almost soothing, like everything might be okay? That coupled with thoughtful, infectious tumbling electronic motifs manage to keep things bright and balanced, making for an optimistic record that satisfyingly always feels on the brink of discomfort.

On 24 May more fast-paced drums can be heard across MACHINISM, the latest record from Man of Moon, which sees singer and guitarist Chris Bainbridge joined by drumming behemoth Iain Stewart (Pictish Trail / Bronto Skylift). Leaning into influences across kraut, psychedelia, rock and electronica,

MACHINISM is spirited, hefty and ultimately sounds massive as it twists into unexpected shapes across 11 tracks. Sometimes the unrelenting onslaught of instrumentations means Bainbridge’s vocals act more like a tool to shape melodies, but there’s balance to be found and less busy moments allow the richness of his timbre to punch through as topics of “doom scrolling, technological reliance and servitude to our encroaching AI overlords” are explored.

From one type of doom scrolling to another, 31 May sees the arrival of The Flat Earth, the debut album from Alex Auldsmith, Scott Bathgate and Alex Palmer, aka Doom Scroller A record that refuses to stick to one genre, or adhere to a classic album structure, The Flat Earth is bold, dynamic and packed with ideas, but it all really works rather beautifully together. Compositionally, everything feels meticulously placed and thought out as the record dances through rich production and Auldsmith’s spine-tingling vocals at a gorgeous pace, picking up a roll call of contributors along the way – Kapil Seshasayee, Iona Lee (Acolyte) and Gloria Black (Maranta) included. Songs work on their own, but as a continuous and cohesive piece of work, bookended by End 1 and End 2, The Flat Earth could be left on an endless loop, as if we needed more proof that the Earth is round.

But wait, there’s more. The top of the month brings us the vintage sounding, dripping-in-soul For Who To Say (1 May), the latest project from London-based, Edinburgh rapper Oyakhire On 3 May, Skye bagpiper Malin Lewis releases Halocline via Hudson Records, and alt-folk artist Seán R. McLaughlin & The Wind-Up Crows release Goodnight, Lad via Stitch Records. On 10 May, Arab Strap’s latest, I’m totally fine with it, don’t give a fuck anymore, arrives via Rock Action; Rick Anthony and David McAulay release We Are the Animals in the Night, their debut as Afterlands via Lost Map; and LYLO release Thoughts of Never via El Rancho Records.

The following Friday sees the release of Lou Mclean’s latest EP KILLJOY, as well as Isobel Campbell’s sixth studio album Bow to Love via Cooking Vinyl ('turn back a page for the full review), while the 24th sees Randolph’s Leap frontman Adam Ross release Littoral Zone on Fika Recordings. There’s also a slew of singles to be had this month from the likes of Karys, Linzi Clark, Saint Sappho, Gurry Wurry, racecar, Midnight Ambulance, Thundermoon and loads more.

Photo: Rory Barnes

Photo: Greg Hall

Bee Asha

Film of the Month — La Chimera

Director: Alice Rohrwacher

Starring: Josh O’Connor, Carol Duarte, Isabella Rossellini, Alba Rohrwacher, Vincenzo Nemolato

RRRRR

Released 10 May by Curzon

Certificate 15

theskinny.co.uk/film

The past collides with the present and the living collides with the dead in La Chimera, Alice Rohrwacher’s meditation on personal histories and collective belonging. In 1980s Italy, Arthur (Josh O’Connor), a British archaeologist, is using his training – and a strange dowsing instinct others call his “chimera” – not to preserve the work of ancient civilisations but to steal priceless artefacts from Etruscan graves and sell them to the highest bidder, usually a mysterious middleman known as Spartaco.

When the film opens, Arthur has just been released from prison. The reason is never specified, but a statement from one of his grave-robbing comrades su ests that he was caught on a job while the others got away. Another unspecified secret is the loss of Arthur’s lover Beniamina (Yile Vianello): she is recently dead and haunting his dreams, but the circumstances are never explained. Neither matters: Arthur has no choice but to carry on with his life.

In a masterful, frequently heartbreaking performance, O’Connor balances Arthur’s kindness and curiosity – traits that often come out despite his best gruff affectations – with a deep unease and volatile temper. He crafts an affecting, truthful portrait of carrying on through grief and confusion in a land he loves but is not wholly one with. As he spends time between his workmates and Beniamina’s childhood home with her mother, Flora (Isabella Rossellini), Rohrwacher complicates his journey into the past – both that of an ancient civilisation, and of his own heart – when he meets Italia (Carol Duarte), a distinctly unmusical

young woman helping Flora out around the house in exchange for music lessons. The tension between Arthur and Flora travels an unforced, ever-interesting path and provides the film’s emotional crux – fitting as both characters are new to the other, as compared to Arthur’s other interrupted or ended relationships.

The period details of La Chimera, from cars and cameras to linen suits and jewel-toned tank tops, are painstakingly created and shot with a hazy, sun-drenched melancholy. Hélène Louvart’s cinematography often captures the surrounding setting in a boxy 4:3 aspect ratio and grainier film stock, as if from Arthur or his companions’ lenses rather than the (wider, clearer) shots seen through their own eyes. Some more comedic scenes are sped up at a faster frame rate, adding a whimsy hearkening back to an even earlier era of cinema. As La Chimera works across so many timelines, this technique acts as another fold of history, turning these cycles and eras into one evermoving stream.

As abandoned buildings are given a new chance at life, makeshift houses move up and down the mountainside, stones are cracked and shifted off the top of long-forgotten treasure, and memories of lost loves continually resurface, one refrain remains: do these items and places belong to someone, no one, or to us all collectively? Rohrwacher refuses to accept easy answers for matters of the world and of the human heart. La Chimera examines how humans have always memorialised the transient; the beauty at the end of it all is always the result of love. [Carmen Paddock]

Scotland on Screen: Niamh McKeown

Niamh McKeown tells us how she went from making Black Swan knockoffs with her pals to working with the producers of Fleabag on her first TV show Dinosaur

Words: Jamie Dunn

Filmography: Dinosaur (2024), Ginny Reaper (2022), Flooers (2021), Auntie Empire (2020, co-director), Farmland (2019), Good Girls (2017)

Dinosaur, a new comedy set in Glasgow by Ashley Storrie and Matilda Curtis, doesn’t look like your typical Scottish sitcom. No shade to the likes of Scots Squad or Two Doors Down, but Dinosaur looks good – cinematic even. The show centres on Nina (played by Storrie) and Evie (Kat Ronney), sisters who share a flat in the West End and have become slightly co-dependent. In episode one, Evie drops the bombshell that she’s soon to be married after her new boyfriend proposed. Nina is not best pleased with the news. “You’ve only known him six weeks,” Nina tells Evie. “You’ve had thrush that lasted longer.” This isn’t just sisterly concern. Nina is also autistic, and the prospect of losing her routine of takeaways on the couch while watching trash TV with her sibling sends her into a tailspin.

One reason Dinosaur is a cut above aesthetically is that it’s more generously funded than most sitcoms made on these shores — it’s produced by Two Brothers Pictures (best-known for Fleabag) in a co-commission between BBC Three and US streaming giant Hulu. But another reason is the crisp direction from young Scottish director Niamh McKeown, who’s making her debut in serial television after a run of celebrated short films.

When I catch up with McKeown a few days before Dinosaur lands on iPlayer, she explains that it’s been a long road to helming high-end TV. She grew up in Dumfries, and says that she initially got into directing for the wrong reasons. “When I was 15, my older brother and his friends were starting to get into cinema, but they were getting into it in that classic Scorsese sense.” McKeown was desperate to be part of the club. “I pretended to have seen Raging Bull, but of course I’d never fucking seen it... I was just trying to be cool, basically.”

Around the same time, McKeown was given a book about a film that her brother and his cinephile gang would have deemed deeply uncool. “It was basically Catherine Hardwick’s director notebook for Twilight, so it was some storyboards and other scrapbooky stuff, and I remember thinking, ‘This is so interesting.’” Suddenly, cinema felt more accessible. “My brother wouldn’t talk to me because I hadn’t seen all these gangster films, but here was a female director laying out how it was done, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, maybe I could do this.’”

McKeown threw herself into filmmaking. Roping in her pals, she embarked on her first project. “I cast my friend Poppy, who did ballet classes, in a film called Off Point; it was about a ballerina who gets beat up by her boyfriend.” McKeown cringes at the memory. “I think it’s such a shame that the first film I ever made was basically about abuse,” she says. “I was like, ‘Oh, woman protagonist? Abuse!’ Literally that’s what my 15-year-old brain had thought up.”

After secondary school, McKeown got a place on the film course at Napier University. More unsatisfactory films followed, but by her graduate short, Good Girls (2017), McKeown reckons something clicked into place. Rather than making Black Swan knockoffs, she realised her talents resided elsewhere. “It took me three or four films before I realised I wasn’t making dramas, I was making comedies. I knew my films were funny, but I wasn’t aiming for comedy, it just naturally happened because I think that’s where my instincts lie.”

She describes her filmmaking as all-consuming. “I can sometimes become obsessed with a concept or an image,” she says, “especially when you shoot it and it feels like it’s aligning to what you wanted to make. It feels like an addiction in a weird way.” And like many addictions, filmmaking is expensive. While McKeown has been part of several talent development schemes, such as the recently disbanded Short Circuit, they never led to any funding, so her award-winning shorts like Ginny Reaper (2022), in which the grim reaper goes on a disastrous holiday, or Farmland (2019), about some extreme sibling rivalry, were all self-made, with uni friends as cast and crew and her parents mucking in with driving and catering.

It’s certainly not an ideal situation, but there are some upsides. “What I loved about making those shorts was the freedom,” she says. “It wasn’t like, ‘Okay, you’ve been funded and now you have to deliver it.’ It was literally like, ‘Oh no, we didn’t fund this. Nobody wants to see it.’”

This freedom probably contributes to the freshness of films like Ginny Reaper. McKeown cites Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster and Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby as comedies that have influenced her, and like those comedies, her work is playful and idiosyncratic, with ja ed edges that haven’t been smoothed in development meetings. And they’re ultimately what’s led to her landing the Dinosaur gig.

The films of Lanthimos and Seligman also hint at McKeown’s own philosophy of comedy. “I think what I like best is sad-comedy or happy-drama or a mix of those things,” she says. “I like when you think you’re gonna get one thing but actually some other message is delivered through it all.” The funny, warm, bittersweet Dinosaur certainly fits this bill.

niamhmck.com

Dinosaur is streaming on iPlayer now

Lorn Macdonald and Ashley Storrie in Dinosaur

Image: courtesy BBC / Two Brothers Pictures / Mark Mainz

Made In England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger

Director: David Hinton

Starring: Martin Scorsese rrrrr

Take the sublime filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and give Martin Scorsese – not only one of the great American Directors of his age but also the man who was key in critically rehabilitating the duo – two and a bit hours to explore their work, and you have a match made in heaven.

A common issue with these kinds of career-spanning documentaries is that they can feel un-cinematic; often too BBC4-ready that they might as well stick an advert for the new Lucy Worsley programme alongside the credits. But Made in England is too personal for that, too heartfelt in its love for the films and the people who made them.

Scorsese’s insight into their work is both knowledgable and giddy with enthusiasm for their formal bril-

Hoard

Director: Luna Carmoon

Starring: Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Hayley Squires, Joseph Quinn, Samantha Spiro rrrrr

There are visceral movies and then there’s Hoard. Luna Carmoon’s bracing debut overwhelms the senses. It’s a film concerned with grime, sweat, saliva and other bodily fluids, the textures of life so often sanitised on screen. It’s also a compassionate study of mental health and sexual awakening fractured into two time frames.

The first, set in 1984, follows single mother Cynthia (Hayley Squires), who’s raising her young daughter Maria in a house spilling over with love and rubbish. To Cynthia, they’re one and the same: the mountains of junk she’s scavenged are an expression of her love for Maria. The authorities don’t see it that way, and ten years later we find a teenage Maria (now played by

liance, and he readily admits what he has pinched from them for his own films, elevating the documentary from drab objectivity into something far more valuable: a look at influence in action and a direct nod to true innovators.

It is a thorough work, affording time to forgotten films like 49th Parallel and Gone to Earth. Despite this, Made in England is more sprightly than some of Scorsese’s own documentaries, credit for which should go to director David Hinton who maintains momentum despite the film’s deliberately digressive style. Made in England comes from such an earnest place of appreciation that you can’t help but be charmed by it. You’ll come away as awed by Scorsese’s committed cinephilia as you will Powell and Pressburger’s dazzling brilliance.

[Joe Creely]

Saura Lightfoot-Leon) living an ordinary life in care in a well-ordered home run by a lovely foster mum.

But the arrival of smouldering 20-something Michael (Joseph Quinn) seems to tri er a series of sense memories that sees Maria trying to recreate the filth (and bruising intimacy) of her childhood.

The troubling relationship that forms between Maria and Michael begins with furtive glances and dry humping, before descending to more animalistic antics, from food fighting to bullfighting. Carmoon has an eye for the same kind of scuzzy poetics that distinguished the early films of Lynne Ramsay and Andrea Arnold, but she has a bolshy style that’s all her own. Not everything coheres in Hoard, but its endless cinematic invention marks Carmoon out as one of the boldest voices to emerge on the UK scene for quite some time. [Jamie Dunn]

Released 17 May by Vertigo; certificate 18

Love Lies Bleeding

Director: Rose Glass

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco rrrrr

Rose Glass’s grungy new romantic thriller is Thelma & Louise by the way of Drive – a neon-tinted tale of lovers and lawbreakers that’s equal parts American Dream, erotic fantasy and drug-induced nightmare. Set in a middle-of-nowhere town in 1980s New Mexico, Love Lies Bleeding sees the curmudgeonly Lou (Kristen Stewart), the manager of a dingy warehouse gym, fall for a towering female bodybuilder named Jackie (Katy O’Brian).

The chemistry between the pair is intoxicating. Stewart’s performance is all ja ed edges, though we sense that there might be a sweetness to Lou as well, if anyone could ever get close enough to see it. Despite her burly physique, O’Brian’s Jackie is light and bubbly by

Tiger Stripes

Director: Amanda Nell Eu

Starring: Zafreen Zairizal, Deena Ezral, Piqa rrrrr

“The girl in front of you is no longer your daughter,” a male character tells the parents of the rebellious 11-yearold Zaffan in this fierce, if uneven, feature directorial debut from Malaysia. Censored in its home nation, Tiger Stripes is a feral fable that winks at werewolf period horror Ginger Snaps, tapping into a fear of womanhood and the universal terror of losing grip over one’s body.

Director Amanda Nell Eu (who also co-wrote the film) charts a familiar territory, su esting that few things are more horrific and powerful than being a teenage girl. Zafreen Zairizal channels this ambivalence in her charming performance as Zaffan, who’s stru ling to adjust to her excruciating growing pains in a controlling environment. Tiger Stripes opens with Zaffan dancing it

comparison, greeting almost everyone she encounters with a cheerful smile (although she also has a mean right hook for anyone who tries to take advantage of her friendly nature).

Lou has a brother-in-law, JJ – Dave Franco sporting that patented, Franco Brothers brand of punchable smarm – who likes to beat up her sister, played by Jena Malone (perfect casting). Lou also has a psychotic, gun-running father played by a quietly demonic Ed Harris. Throw in a dirty cop, a too-diligent pair of FBI agents and a ditzy local girl who can’t quite accept that her feelings for Lou are unrequited, and you’ve got a tale that can only end in disaster.

Darkly funny, deeply gross, weirdly sexy and totally propulsive, Love Lies Bleeding is a stylishly satisfying and defiantly queer addition to the neo-noir canon. [Ross McIndoe]

Released 3 May by Lionsgate; certificate 15

out in a TikTok video. It’s a joyous, defiant intro that offers a glimpse into her restrained girlhood, a cage that shrinks further after she starts menstruating and sees her body changing menacingly.

While solidarity is scarce in Zaffan’s microcosm – be it from her strict mum, her cruel classmates or the adults exerting their authority in misguided or exploitative ways – she finds an unexpected connection with a mysterious female figure. Unfortunately, the film fails to explore the intricacies of that bond, giving more time to Zaffan’s cute friendship with classmate Mariam (Piqa).

Tiger Stripes feels undersketched, with one too many horror elements stru ling to stick, but while it’s raw in execution it’s vivid in style and Zairizal’s infectious, profoundly moving performance makes it worth the bumpy ride. [Stefania Sarrubba]

Released 17 May by Modern Films; certificate TBC

Hoard

Made In England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger Tiger Stripes

Love Lies Bleeding

Released 10 May by Altitude; certificate 12A

Frugal Rules

Our regular design correspondent Stacey Hunter is the Creative Director of Dundee Design Festival – this month she sets out her ambition for Dundee to deliver one of the world’s most sustainable design festivals

Our society’s attitude to waste is changing and Scotland’s designers have an advantage. Our characteristic resourcefulness – once a stereotype – has transformed into a true asset in a world where sustainability is at the top of most agendas. At Dundee Design Festival (DDF), it’s not only designers who are reevaluating how they use materials and resources – cultural organisations are also proactively demonstrating how they are responding to the climate crisis.

As DDF celebrates its fifth edition with an ambitious programme occupying over 10,000sq m of space, the collective commitment to sustainability is much more than a theme. Rather, it’s an approach and a set of values. Every festival action and decision is assessed on a festival sustainability matrix and applied to new partnerships being developed in renewable energy, transport and exhibition staging. For example, the team has committed to achieving a goal of less than 30% of virgin materials being used to produce the festival. Over time strategies have developed about how to keep the festival as low impact as possible from simple things like only offering beverages in cans (they will be recycled on site and turned into steam that provides heat for buildings around the festival site) to simplifying sustainable transport routes for visitors.

The festival venue is a vast site that has been transformed into the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) and is now powered by green, and sustainable energy. The former factory will be home to work by over 100 designers, celebrating local, national and international design talent. Showcasing the diversity of design, the festival will recognise the multiplicity of ways that designers and makers contribute to our world.

meeting its target of using no more than 30% of new materials in the festival build.

In many respects, this can be seen as a natural way of doing things in Scotland. We are a close-knit community and any kind of waste is something that most people working in design are always keen to eliminate. By mapping potential materials and manufacturers in, or close to Dundee, we can determine the lowest carbon options for constructing our festival infrastructure. Transforming low value but readily available materials into something beautiful sometimes takes longer, but thanks to our partnership with MSIP, DDF has a very long lead-in time in comparison with other national events. Our materials palette also guides the festival’s overall aesthetic

at UNESCO City of Design Dundee. “There is lots of great work being done in this field, but the impact of temporary festivals can be significantly negative on our environment. I believe that DDF 24 can be a case study in how cultural organisations and businesses can collaborate to lower their collective carbon footprint. Everything we do is shaped by the values of the UNESCO Creative Cities mission statement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Whenever we embark on a project, we ask ourselves ‘What difference will this make?’ and we consider how what we do locally helps to achieve a global impact.”

“We’re delighted that the exhibition materials will now have a second home at this year’s Dundee Design Festival less than five miles away from the museum, and we can support the festival team in achieving their sustainability goals of using less than 30% new materials” says V&A Dundee’s Director of Programme, Caroline Grewar.

with items that can be borrowed or reused.

Festivals are notoriously wasteful, and design festivals can be particularly culpable. With their temporary nature, it’s become normal to see acres of MDF being used to construct false walls and plinths and for signage to be made using acrylic, vinyl and plastic. Food and drink packaging is usually only nominally sorted and recycled, and infrastructure is rarely reused in any meaningful way.

At DDF, the mission is to radically shake up the status quo and to ask how the processes that lead into temporary events can be analysed through a design process; to not only eliminate waste, but to strengthen local ties and share assets. For example, V&A Dundee and Bard have generously donated high quality structural materials from their exhibitions Tartan and The Grit and the Glamour, significantly contributing to DDF

Ultimately the beauty and the challenge at MSIP is the scale of the spaces. All of the available infrastructure and lighting conditions have to be used to their best advantage to achieve a harmonious and exciting balance of dark and light, height, density, volume, massing and porosity.

By working with lighting designer Emma Jones, DDF will use lighting to demarcate vantage points, cluster areas and quiet zones which will enhance visitor experience and encourage a sense of anticipation, hospitality and conviviality. These are all techniques that are regularly employed by interior designers and demonstrate how you can design a space with far less consumables like paint, MDF or acrylic.

“Developing partnerships with a variety of organisations who share our values around sustainability and the value of design has been a really exciting phase,” explains Annie Marrs, Lead Officer

Even the festival’s transport partner Ember is a beacon of sustainability. An all-electric public bus, their services will be the most convenient way to reach the festival from all across Scotland, with services running direct to MSIP from Dundee City Centre, as well as from cities across the Central Belt including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, and more.

One of the bi est insights gained from working with designers who are tackling sustainability through all sorts of lenses – from toxicity to circularity – is that sustainability is a journey. Ecoshaming is said to be holding people back from trying to improve. DDF is working with designers who are pushing the boundaries of their own practice and through conversations with them about their work the festival is able to strengthen its knowledge base in the longer term. I feel confident that our visitors will fully support the decisions we are making as a team and will hopefully feel empowered to make more sustainable choices for themselves whether it’s DIY at home or a gardening project.

Dundee Design Festival 2024, Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, 23-29 Sep

The full programme of free events and exhibitions will be announced in July

@dnd_designfest @localheroes.design dundeedesignfestival.com

Photo: Grant Anderson

Dundee Design Festival

SEVENTY ONE STEPS, EDINBURGH

The Bearded Baker’s brand-new spot blends Scandi style and brilliant bagel-first brunches

OEvery day, 10am -4pm

thebeardedbaker.co.uk /71-steps

ne, two, three… You join us as we amble into Canonmills, past the Bearded Baker. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen… The BB team has just opened a new brunch place down the street, so we’re off to try it out. Thirty, thirty-one… It’s called Seventy One Steps because the two spots are, well, y’know. Fifty-six, fifty-seven… If they’re gonna put it in the name, we’re going to double-check.

Yes, Seventy One Steps is somewhere between 69 and 75 steps down the road from the original Bearded Baker, on the bright side of Rodney Place. On a sunny Saturday morning we’re in the window seat, basking like a pair of oversized cats in flannel shirts. It’s a fittingly sunny vibe inside; this is a cool one-room space in which every surface seems to be covered in a differently sliced piece of plywood.

There’s jigsaw-like motifs on the coffee bar, a muted Scandi-style colour palette, and enormous fluted glass doors through to the kitchen at the back. The coffee, made with beans from Leith’s own Williams and Johnson, is excellent, and food-wise it’s a simple menu of open-faced and filled bagels.

Now, there’s an urban myth that one bagel has the same amount of calories as five slices of bread. Or is it eight slices? Maybe it’s two or three slices. Anyway, there’s a large amount of misinformation about the heft of the average bagel, but it isn’t until you sit down with a good one that you realise why. These boys are doing the work of many, many slices – a great snap on the edges, an excellent chew, and robust enough to withstand whatever the kitchen throws at them.

A good example is our Reuben (£10.50), which manages to be hench without looking silly. It looks, in the best way, like a sandwich from a cartoon, with the emmental drooping over the sides and a big distinct layer of pastrami in the centre. That pastrami is extremely peppery, the sauerkraut gives the whole thing a nice astringent funkiness, and it has some seriously impressive staying power (in that it doesn’t fall apart at the first sign of moisture).

On the other hand, the open bagel with smashed peas with goat’s cheese and Korean chilli flakes (£11) comes out in full attack mode. You have the choice of peas or avocado, and while we could say, ‘Get the

peas, they’re more local and seasonal, how you gonna grow an avocado in Canonmills in April?’ etc, instead we’ll say to get the peas because they’re great. They’re extremely well-seasoned and balanced, but with plenty of their natural sweetness and freshness. They’re topped with an incredibly funky cheese, a sprinkling of red onion, and a surprisingly a ressive level of chilli flake. Savoury, salty, spicy and one of your five-a-day, all on top of a bagel that’s soft, pillowy, and able to withstand any number of attempts on its structural integrity.

On the sweet side, our frangipane bun (£3.50) is also great. It’s light, it’s extremely tall, and while it might be ever-so-slightly underbaked it makes up for it with ludicrous levels of almond filling. Comical amounts of almond paste. Obscene, but delightful.

Seventy One Steps has all the visual cues of a great brunch place, but behind that fluted glass, the kitchen are doing some exciting and unexpected things. Exciting, chilledout, relaxed, vibrant – Seventy One Steps is well worth the walk, regardless of your starting point.

22 Rodney St, Edinburgh, EH7 4EA

Words: Peter Simpson

Photo: Image courtesy of Seventy One Steps

Photo: Image courtesy of Seventy One Steps

Photo: Image courtesy of Seventy One Steps

Ghost Mountain

By Rónán Hession rrrrr

Rónán Hession’s Leonard and Hungry Paul and Panenka blend intrigue and comfort in a way few works of fiction can. His third novel Ghost Mountain, published by Bluemoose Books, runs with this composite, and pushes it further and further with each paragraph. In an unnamed place brimming with odd individuals, a mountain appears, sparking the curiosity of those in its vicinity. In theory the geological appearance known as ‘ghost mountain’ is a dormant and gentle entity, but it proves to be the setting of many happenings, tragic and touching. The cast of characters expands with each section, but never beyond the means or needs of the novel, and with each new face is a new quirk to endear them to us. Quirks are, alongside several recurring themes, the currency of Hession’s charming stories: an otherwise benevolent man who throws bricks through windows; a man whose estrangement from his father has caused his avowed abandonment of metaphors; a girl who adores the phrase ‘shit in a bag’. Ghost Mountain is the richest and grandest of Hession’s works, yet remains firmly in the bracket of warm and quiet novels of his former works. Death after death can do nothing to detract from page after page of delight. The novel makes a motif out of summing itself up in the most succinct and accurate of ways: Ghost Mountain was Ghost Mountain.

[Jo Hi s]

By Olivia Laing rrrrr

With The Garden Against Time, Olivia Laing has once again produced a work that is part memoir, part landscape history, part literary criticism and part physical journey. The Trip to Echo Spring was her travelogue across America, studying alcoholism in writers; To The River led her to the site of Virginia Woolf’s suicide; and in The Lonely City, the tragic biographies of New York’s artists shaped her own time there. This time, her journey is in search of a common paradise. From her own walled garden in Suffolk, it stretches back to John Milton’s Paradise Lost, a text conceived against the backdrop of the Black Death in 1665. Time is cyclical, Laing remarks from a COVID-ridden England in 2020.

Eden has long coloured our image of heaven on Earth, but reading Laing’s book is more akin to the labour-intensive realities of yardwork: pockets of refuge and nurture break up necessary toil. The history of gardening, of humans occupying and reshaping land to their own design, is expectedly thorny. Still today, Black people in Britain are four times less likely to have access to one. Colonialism’s roots run deep.

But as a queer woman who spent her 20s in communes, Laing shows us the antidotal, alternative histories of our relationship with nature that might just help us imagine a world less beset on domination. There is time and space for us all. [Louis Cammell]

By Michelle Tea rrrrr

Sluts escape definition. Sluts, on the other hand, ventures to explore multiple interpretations of this elusive concept, the multifaceted label which has burdened women for centuries and, more recently, been reappropriated as a term of empowerment, self-acceptance and indulgence independent from gender. Good, bad and outrageous, this anthology has it all. With pieces ranging from intimate personal essays and short stories about childhood first loves to transgressive autofiction about queer sex workers, Sluts does not attempt to take a stance on the morality of sluttiness. This anthology, featuring work by over 30 authors edited by Michelle Tea, examines promiscuity as it relates to race, class, identity, art and technology, to name only a few. Different expressions of sexuality are the common thread, but they also serve as a reference point from which to gauge a variety of larger social issues.

Then again, Sluts might be too comprehensive for its own good. There comes a point in any lengthy anthology where the stories start to blend with one another and, in this case, the pill-popping and bed-hopping soon begin to sound commonplace, even trite. It doesn’t take long before the shock loses its value.

Although some pieces are naturally (and significantly) more accomplished than others, none are individually at fault here: even the bi est sluts recognise there can be too much of a good thing.

[Venezia Paloma]

Evenings and Weekends

By Oisín McKenna rrrrr

Evenings and Weekends is Oisín McKenna’s debut novel, set over two swelteringly hot days in London. Phil, Ed, Ma ie and Rosaleen are the centrepieces of the story – it is June 2019, and each are aching for the weekend, with secrets and dreams that they are desperate to share.

The queers, the artists, their lovers and families, take the stage as McKenna reveals the modern realities of millennial living: being broke, complicated family relationships and generational differences, and the politics of queerness and polyamory. They are woven together into a wonderful, exciting story intertwined with astute social commentary.

The range of characters spanning generations and genders, however, means the particularity of each risks being lost, occasionally blending together. Depictions of some experiences lack realistic substance – the trauma of a major medical procedure, for instance, is underplayed, described in terms of the joy of free healthcare, with the emotional processing an afterthought.

Books, 23 May

Picador, 2 May

Cipher Press, 30 May

The characters are given identity through detailed inner monologues, which occasionally disrupt the story’s flow. It is perhaps the aim of the style, though; with living in London likened to an orgasm that never happens, the pacing sometimes feels similarly frustrating. But McKenna nonetheless demonstrates a command of writing drama and building tension: the anticipation of the weekend is expertly captured, and it feels almost nostalgic – and thrilling, too. [Riyoko Shibe] 4th Estate, 9 May

Bluemoose

Sluts

The Garden Against Time

Dream Gig

Welsh wonder Morgan Rees presents an eclectic lineup for this month’s Dream Gig

Illustration: Tayla De Beer

Cards on the table, I’m terrible at choosing ‘the best’ of anything – I’m more of a compilation guy: I’d be rubbish at giving you the Top 40, but I’d smash a Now That’s What I Call Comedy

What about the festival that had to shut early because of a horrific heckler, who was four years old? Or the gig where the whole front row were on ventilators? Or maybe, the one which left me with a year’s supply of custard?

But really, my favourite gig was last August at Cardiff Glee Club. It was a convergence of firsts: my first time closing at an iconic comedy club; the first time my parents watched me perform; the first time my stepdad turned 50.

Comedy comes from pain, yet to my shame, I have the most loving and supportive family a queer little Welsh comedian could ask for. When I went to university to study mathematics, thinking of becoming an investment banker, my parents urged me to drop out and go to drama school. A reverse Billy Elliot. To this day, I reckon I’m the only person that’s ever yelled at their parents: “Stop telling me to follow my dreams!”

So this gig needed to go well. Not just because I wanted to make them proud, but because I wanted to prove to them I wasn’t wasting my time. I had been doing comedy for eight years, almost all of my 20s, so I’d missed those milestones of making new friends at a 3am afterparty in a stranger’s kitchen, travelling around the world one all-inclusive hotel at a time, and making more mistakes than memories. Instead, I’d chosen to tell jokes in rooms above pubs, spend more time in my car than in any meaningful relationship, and eat late night Maccies (my only happy meals).

To get my parents in the laughing mood, I took them day-drinking before the show to calm their nerves. The stakes were almost as high as their blood alcohol levels. And unlike my student loan, it paid off.

I couldn’t tell you a single thing about the show. There could have been a dinosaur wearing a Borat thong heckling me and I wouldn’t have remembered. The only thing I can recall was my parents holding me saying “I’m so proud of you.” In fairness, it was probably the day-drinking talking.

My dream gig would definitely be at the Hammersmith Apollo for two reasons: 1) I watched Live At The Apollo habitually growing up, and 2), the one time I’ve performed there, I died on my hole. My set went so badly that someone in the audience shouted “come on mate.” Not like how you’d yell at a player from a football stand, but how you’d get shouted at by taking too long in Gre s.

It’s taken me years to admit this: I’m a brilliant comedian, but I am an off-the-charts punter. Great energy, loud laughter and laser-focused attention. I’m an asset to an audience, so that’s where I’d be.

The comedians that make me laugh the most are the acts whose comedy is as far from what I do as possible. To compere, it would have to be Anna Mann – the super creation of Colin Hoult. There are a few comedians who know the cheat code to make me howl and Anna Mann is at the top of that list.

In the first section, I would love The Delightful Sausage and cabaret legend Catherine Cohen. Next, would be the wonderfully unique Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue. They’re a double act who are the definition of honing your craft and doing your own thing. Only absolute professionals could have a mime act that hinges on misheard lyrics and make it work every single time.

And to round off the show, I’d like Roy Wood Jr. Not only is he powerfully funny, but he’s an extraordinary empath. He always manages to find the humanity behind any situation or the greater truth behind it, then decipher it and make it palatable enough to laugh at. He’s truly one of the greats.

The audience would be made up of mates of mine, the other acts’ mates, and their mates, each about three pints in. Before the show, we’d be drinking those pints in the pub across the road. And afterwards, we’d celebrate in the beer garden of a pub that we’d convinced to stay open until 2am.

Morgan Rees: Turning Thirsty, Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, 9 May, 8pm; The Stand, Glasgow, 22 May, 8.30pm

@morgantherees on Instagram

@morganreescomedy on TikTok

Glasgow

Music

Mon 29 Apr

TORS ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:00 Indie from Devon.

AKON

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:00 R‘n’B from the US. THE PAPER KITES THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:00 Indie folk from Australia.

Tue 30 Apr

KULA SHAKER

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Rock from the UK.

RACHEL CHINOURIRI

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie from London.

Wed 01 May

TOM WALKER

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland.

KATHRYN WILLIAMS & WITHERED HAND MONO, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Scotland.

LIL TRACY + BRENNAN

SAVAGE SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Rap from the US. ELEPHANT STONE (TIBETAN MIRACLE SEEDS)

THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Psych-pop from Canada.

SWIM SCHOOL ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from Edinburgh. GRAHAM REYNOLDS (SIMONE SEALES) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Composer from the UK. HUG AND PINT

SHOWCASE (DIVING HORSE + DAPHNE ROUGE + ROOMFORE) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Eclectic lineup.

NIMINO ROOM 2, 19:00–22:30 Hip-hop from London.

Supported by Listings

Looking for something to do? Well you’re in the right place! Find listings below for the month ahead across Music, Clubs, Theatre, Comedy and Art in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee. To find out how to submit listings, head to theskinny.co.uk/listings

Thu 02 May

CHRISTINE BOVILL ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Folk rock and chanson from Glasgow.

LIL YACHTY O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rap from Atlanta. FOOD HOUSE (CHARLIEEEEE) KING TUT’S, 19:00–22:30 Alt indie from the US.

JESSE AHERN THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Americana from Boston. ARTAX (KILLING OUR DARLINGS + SUN STAGS) BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Synthwave from Scotland.

JAH WOBBLE & THE INVADERS OF THE HEART STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Dub reggae. DELI GIRLS (ICEBOY VIOLET + GORESHIT + COMFORT) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:30–00:00 Techno punk from New York.

JIM BOB ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Indie punk from the UK. JOHN DOUGLAS THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland.

GRAYWAVE THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Shoegaze from the UK. GLASGOW STREETSOUND PRESENTS... (LOLA O’DOREL + BLUECLOUDKID + FREDDIE DUCK + BRIAN HAMILTON) ROOM 2, 19:00–22:30 Eclectic lineup. Fri 03 May

FLETCHER O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Pop from the US.

GHOSTLY KISSES (SANDRAYATI)

KING TUT’S, 19:00–22:30 Pop from Quebec.

KAI BOSCH

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Pop from the UK. NEMZZZ

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Hip-hop from Manchester.

BITTERWOOD (FORAGER UK + ATLANTIC RIFT + BELOW THE NECK)

CATHOUSE, 19:00–22:30 Metal from Aberdeen. ORBITAL BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Electronica from the UK. AFFLECKS PALACE STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Indie psych from Manchester.

BLUSH CLUB (LAST SHOW) (TEOSE + LEANOVER) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Post-punk from Glasgow.

WHEN RIVERS MEET

ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Blues rock from Essex.

MARKER STARLING (ELIZA NIEMI) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Indie pop from Toronto. TAKE THAT (OLLY MURS) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the UK.

PETE MACLEOD THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland.

Sat 04 May

THE NEW ROUTINES + BEN INGLIS + MIRTH CONTROL + SONIC NOISE

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Alt lineup.

KEVIN DAVY WHITE SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Blues from France.

EVAN HONER STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Country pop from Arizona.

MICKEY 9S

ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Dance punk from Glasgow. CO:CLEAR (WINDOWSEEKER + TAU CONTRIB + EVIA) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–22:30 Eclectic lineup. TAKE THAT (OLLY MURS) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the UK.

SCOTT ROBERTSON (HANK TREE + SCOTT J. BRICE) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Eclectic lineup.

Sun 05 May

LYRA

KING TUT’S, 19:00–22:30 Pop from Ireland.

MOUNT KIMBIE QUEEN MARGARET UNION, 19:30–22:30 Electronica from the UK. TAKE THAT (OLLY MURS) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the UK.

Mon 06 May

DARIUS RUCKER

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Country from the US. TOM A. SMITH (BIG IMAGE)

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Indie from the UK. KONTRAVOID STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Electro dark pop from Canada. TOKIO MYERS

ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 R‘n’B from the UK. OTTO WILLBERG (ROBYN HADDON + ALEXANDRA SHIRINIVAS) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Bass from London.

Tue 07 May

THE JAPANESE HOUSE

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Dream pop from the UK. ZACH TEMPLAR SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Rock from the UK. THE HANDSOME FAMILY

ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Americana from the US. OLIVIO RODRIGO (REMI WOLF) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the US.

CONCHUR WHITE THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie rock from Armagh. Wed 08 May

THE CADILLAC THREE O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Country rock from Nashville. CLUBDUMM + DEFUSER + SERPENT + SILVER MACHINE KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Alt lineup. HOME COUNTIES (TATYANA) BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Bristol.

LEEE JOHN ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Funk and soul from London.

LIZABETT RUSSO (ALISHA SHA) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Folk jazz from Scotland. OLIVIO RODRIGO (REMI WOLF) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Pop from the US. WALLOWING THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Metal from Brighton. Thu 09 May

THE RIFLES

ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from London. KACEY MUSGRAVES O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Country from the US. TRADE + TRACERS + GRANGE STREET + BLUE NICOTINE KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Alt lineup.

MIC RIGHTEOUS SWG3 19:00–22:30 Rap from the UK. ALLEGRA KRIEGER BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from New York.

KIRAN LEONARD (OTIS JORDAN + AILBHE NIC OIREACHTAIGH) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from the UK.

TENACIOUS D THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Comedy rock from LA. Fri 10 May

THE DREGGS ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Folk pop from Australia. BIG SPECIAL KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Rock from the UK.

ARAB STRAP MONO, 20:30–22:30 Indie rock from Scotland. MYLES SMITH THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 R‘n’B from Luton.

NEIL STURGEON & THE INFOMANIACS (THE METHOD ONE) BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Glasgow.

FLAIR STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Glasgow.

JILL JACKSON

ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Americana from the UK.

FEARS

THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Post-punk from Ireland.

HIPPY (REDLINE + CASSY LOCKHART + LAMENTS) ROOM 2, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Glasgow. Sat 11 May

JACOB ALON

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from the UK.

LIZZIE REID

KING TUT’S, 17:00–22:30 Folk rock from Edinburgh. HOUSEWIFE

KING TUT’S, 17:00–22:30 Indie rock from Toronto. TOMMY WA

KING TUT’S, 17:00–22:30 Indie folk from Ghana. FIONA-LEE

KING TUT’S, 17:00–22:30 Indie folk from Yorkshire. BELLAH MAE THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Pop from the UK. CAMERA OBSCURA BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from Glasgow. PIPPA BLUNDELL STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Glasgow. FAYE WEBSTER (BENET) OLD FRUITMARKET GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Atlanta. JOSIENNE CLARK THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Indie folk from the UK. ELBOW (THE WAEVE) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rock from Manchester. DA GOOGIE (TOO MANY THINGS) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Alt indie from London.

Sun 12 May

JAMES MCVEY (SIOBHÁN WINIFRED + WAITING FOR SMITH) KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Pop from the UK. HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF SWG3 19:00–22:30 Folk from New Orleans. HIGHSCHOOL STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Post-punk from Melbourne. DAIISTAR (SUPPORT) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Alt indie from Texas. FOLD PAPER (HOUND + LEANOVER) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Post-punk from Canada.

MOCK MEDIA (GUT HEALTH) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Punk rock from Canada.

Mon 13 May

PVRIS O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Pop rock from the US. BEL SWG3 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from LA.

BANNERS THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Liverpool. LUKE HEMMINGS BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Pop rock from Australia. BLUE BENDY STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Post-punk from London. KAWALA ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Indie folk from London. Tue 14 May

SLEEPING AT LAST ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Rock from the US.

ARTEMAS KING TUT’S, 19:00–22:30 Pop from London. LUCY SPRAGGAN BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from the UK.

BETH MCCARTHY STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Indie folk from Yorkshire. JAZZ AT THE GLAD (TAO) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Jazz.

Wed 15 May

PATRICK DRONEY KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Pop from the US.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE MONO, 20:00–22:30 Soul from Japan. NATALIE JANE SWG3 19:00–22:30 Pop from the US.

IYAMAH

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 R‘n’B from Brighton. GREY DAZE CATHOUSE, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Arizona. JOE P THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Indie from New Jersey. THE BUFFALO SKINNERS THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Folk rock from Sheffield. Thu 16 May THE EAST POINTERS KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Folk from Canada. BAILEY ZIMMERMAN SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Country from the US. DEA MATRONA CATHOUSE, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Belfast. THE ERA BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Pop rock from Glasgow. ASHENSPIRE STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Metal from Glasgow HOLY OTHER (96 BACK) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Electronica from England. GUESTS (MALLET SPACE + DUNCAN MARQUISS + EDWIN R. STEVENS) THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–22:30 Eclectic lineup. JACK BADCOCK THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Folk and soul from Glasgow. NICKELBACK (LOTTERY WINNERS) THE OVO HYDRO, 18:30–22:30 Rock from Canada. SONNY TENNET ROOM 2 19:00–22:30 Rock from Newcastle. Fri 17 May

RAINTOWN ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Country from Glasgow.

THE HIGHSTOOL PROPHETS

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Folk from Cavan.

CMPND SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Rap from Brighton.

WEATHERMAN

STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Glasgow.

BLANCMANGE

ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Electronica from the UK.

JAMES MICHAEL RODGERS

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Scotland.

Sat 18 May

TEDDY SWIMS

O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Georgia.

ENGLISH TEACHER

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Indie.

COLD YEARS

CATHOUSE, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Aberdeen.

ZHEANI

THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rap from Australia.

MINAMI DEUTSCH

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Tokyo.

BRUCE DICKINSON

BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Heavy metal from the UK.

SUPERHEAVEN STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Pennsylvania.

KMRU (DYLAN HENNER + NOBLE LEISURE)

THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Experimental ambient from Nairobi/Berlin.

RIVERSIDE (KLONE) OLD FRUITMARKET

GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Poland.

AARON WEST AND THE ROARING TWENTIES

ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Folk rock from the US.

YEAH YOU (RENZNIRO + COMFORT)

THE OLD HAIRDRESSERS, 19:30–22:30 Electro pop from Newcastle. THE GLASS SKIES ( THE FROOBZ + COSMIC EMPIRE + FROG SOUP & THE SAPIENS) ROOM 2 19:00–22:30 Indie from Liverpool.

Sun 19 May

SHANE SMITH & THE SAINTS ORAN MOR, 19:00–22:30 Country from Texas.

LOTH’S LAIR

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Hip-hop lineup. THE DEEP DARK WOODS BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Folk from Canada.

FRANKIE AND THE WITCH FINGERS (EASY PEELERS) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Psych rock from LA.

THE POACHERS THE GLAD CAFE, 14:00–17:00 Folk from Glasgow. HIS LORDSHIP THE RUM SHACK, 19:30–22:30 Post-punk from the UK. THE BREEZE THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Country, rock and folk.

Mon 20 May

FRIDAY PILOTS CLUB KING TUT’S, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Chicago. NIGHT BEATS (TRIP WESTERNS) BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Garage rock from the US. THE NOTWIST (WHAT ARE PEOPLE FOR?) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Germany. BLUE MONDAYS: PETER JOHNSTONE ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE OF SCOTLAND, 19:30–21:00 Jazz from Glasgow.

Tue 21 May

GARY NUMAN O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Electronica from the UK. HOVVDY (RUNNNER) KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Pop from Texas.

ONEDA NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 19:00–22:30 Rap from Manchester. HONEY REVENGE THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Pop rock from LA. BOB LOG III (HENS BENS + NANOBOTS)

BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Blues folk from Chicago. THE MAGIC GANG ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from the UK. JERRY LEGER & THE SITUATION THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Americana from Canada.

Wed 22 May

EN ATTENDANT ANA MONO 20:00–22:30 Pop from France. DUCKS LTD BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Toronto. WORLD PEACE STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Hardcore from San Francisco.

CHARM OF FINCHES THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Folk pop from Melbourne. MICHAL JAN & IMMORTAL ONION THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Indie from Poland.

Thu 23 May

TWIN ATLANTIC O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Glasgow. TOURIST

MONI JITCHELL

SAVANNA WOODS (GRADY + LIAM

HALLIDAY )

BANNERMANS, 20:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from the US.

Wed 01 May

JACK J HUTCHINSON

BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Blues from London. DELIGHTS THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Indie from Manchester.

Thu 02 May

VINCENT FLATTS FINAL DRIVE

CAFE QUIJANO THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:30 Pop rock from Spain. YUNGMORPHEUS SUMMERHALL, 19:30–22:30 Rap from the US. ALLEGRA KRIEGER (LIFE GARDEN + BELLA GATE)

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Singer-songwriter from New York. BAXTER DURY THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:30 Indie from England.

Tue 14 May

CLOAKROOM THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Americana from the US. Wed 15 May

SLACKRR (OMANOID) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Pop punk from Southampton. OLD TIME SAILORS O2 ACADEMY EDINBURGH, 19:00–22:30 Folk from the UK.

Thu 16 May

FULL FLOWER MOON

BAND

SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Rock from Brisbane.

Wed 22 May

MIMA MERROW (WOODWIFE) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from Ireland. THE WEDDING PRESENT ROOM 2 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Leeds.

Fri 24 May

TWIN ATLANTIC O2 ACADEMY GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Glasgow. LAND OF RUBBER MEN SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Glasgow. THE SLATES BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Mirfield. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS

BARROWLANDS, 19:00–22:30 Alt indie from the US. THE PLASTIC YOUTH STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Indie jangle-pop from Glasgow.

HELICON (AL LOVER) THE FLYING DUCK, 16:00–22:00 Psych from Scotland and LA.

L.S. DUNES ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Post-hardcore from the US.

SIOBHAN WILSON (M. JOHN HENRY ) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Folk from Scotland. NICHE FAMILY THE RUM SHACK, 19:30–22:30 Folk from Glasgow. SISTER MADDS (BRAT COVEN) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Pop rock from Scotland. Sat 25 May

DARREN KIELY (ST LUNDI)

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Garage from the UK. SONS OF THE EAST THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Indie folk from Australia. RATS BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Liverpool. FINLEY QUAYE STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Soul, trip hop, reggae. Unplugged Benefit Concert for SAMH. THE LOVELY EGGS ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Emo, pop and punk. KIM RICHEY (CARLA J EASTON) THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Singer-songwriter from the US.

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Folk pop from Ireland. THE MONOCHROME SET (THE CATHODE RAY )

MONO, 19:30–22:30 Post-punk from London. LEAH KATE

SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Pop rock from LA. AUTUMN 1904 SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Rock from Edinburgh. THE ROSADOCS THE GARAGE GLASGOW, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Sheffield. CUT WORMS BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Indie from New York.

STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Hardcore from Glasgow. EARTH BALL (CHRIS CORSANO) THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–22:00 Psych from Canada. HORSE CCA: CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, 14:00–17:00 Indie from Scotland. PIZZA CRUNCH THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Alt from Glasgow.

Sun 26 May

DIE FOR THE TWINK + HAZEL TERRACE + SACRAMOOT + SURFACE DETAIL

KING TUT’S, 19:30–22:30 Alt lineup.

SONNYJIM + PAV4N SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Hip-hop from the UK. RUM JUNGLE BROADCAST, 19:00–22:30 Surf rock from Newcastle. GLASGOW REVIEW OF BOOKS (DARREN MCGARVEY )

STEREO, 19:00–22:30 Hip-hop.

TINY HABITS ST LUKE’S, 19:00–22:30 Folk pop from Boston. DEAN MCPHEE (BELL LUNGS)

THE GLAD CAFE, 19:30–22:30 Electronica from the UK. HER PICTURE (HARVESTING + WITCHING HOUR) THE HUG AND PINT, 19:30–22:30 Alt rock from Glasgow.

Mon 27 May

JAY SEAN SWG3, 19:00–22:30 Pop from London.

Edinburgh

Music

Mon 29 Apr

DEAD FREEDOM

BANNERMANS, 19:00–22:00 Rock from Bradford. LONNIE HOLLEY

SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:00 Indie from the US. DOWN FOR THE COUNT: A CENTURY OF SWING THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:00 Swing from the UK. DEAD FREEDOM (PIPPIN)

BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Rock from Bradford. LONNIE HOLLEY (DJANA GABRIELLE)

SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:30 Indie from the US.

Tue 30 Apr

PINK MARTINI USHER HALL, 19:00–22:00 Jazz pop from Portland.

BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Blues rock from Birmingham. PARIS PALOMA THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Folk pop from the UK.

OCH VEY (HOUSEKIND + DJ MARK QUINN)

LEITH DEPOT, 19:00–22:30

JOHNNY FLYNN + ROBERT MACFARLANE THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:30 Indie folk from the UK.

Fri 03 May

JAH WOBBLE & THE INVADERS OF THE HEART THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Dub reggae.

ANNIE AND THE JAYS THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Indie pop from Glasgow. GYPSY PISTOLEROS (BLITZ + ADAM + THE HELLCATS)

BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Flamenco rock from Worcester.

INSIDER TRADING

SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:30 Post-punk from Edinburgh. BIG LANES (BLASPHEMER + REND THEM ASUNDER + SUFFERING RITES) WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Death metal.

VALTOS (ASSYNT + JOSIE DUNCAN) THE QUEEN’S HALL, 20:00–22:30 Trad from Scotland.

Sat 04 May

KATHRYN WILLIAMS & WITHERED HAND

SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:30 Indie from Scotland. DISPOSABLE (BRASSER) SUMMERHALL, 19:30–22:30 Metal from Edinburgh. Sun 05 May

ALIA TEMPORA

BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Electronic metal from the Czech Republic. THE ROYSTON CLUB LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Indie.

Tue 07 May

WILLY MASON (AMY MAY ELLIS) THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Singer-songwriter from the US.

SALARYMEN (DAZED & CONFUSED) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Sydney.

Wed 08 May

THE ROCKETZ BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Rockabilly from LA. DEMOB HAPPY THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Alt rock from Newcastle. CORELLA THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Indie pop from Manchester.

Thu 09 May

JOHN ROBB THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:00–22:30 Punk rock from Blackpool. GHOST DANCE (TWISTED NERVE ) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Goth rock from the UK. BEN WALKER SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Montrose.

Fri 10 May

WEE SARA AND THE TEXANS THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Americana from the UK. CODY PENNINGTON COUNTRY SHOW THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:30 Country from Nashville. THE BREEZE ( VICTORIA HUME) WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Country, rock and folk. JOELL SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 R‘n’B from Edinburgh. CLEAVERS THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Punk.

Sat 11 May

THE DEADLY WINTERS THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Rock from Scotland. THE FROOT (TRAMSURFER) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Psych from Hull. CODY PENNINGTON COUNTRY SHOW THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:30 Country from Nashville. FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM SUMMERHALL, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Luxembourg. LA SECURITE (CORRINE + RÉNOVATIONS) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Art punk from Montreal. SANCTUM SANCTORIUM LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Emo, pop and punk. THE MERCIANS THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Indie from the Midlands.

Sun 12 May

PETE SMITH SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Singer-songwriter from Dundee. THOMPSON TWINS’ TOM BAILEY THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:30 Rock from the UK.

Mon 13 May

PRETTY CRIME (PALEJOY + THE RESISTANCE) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Rock from Edinburgh.

HUSH MONEY (TOM KILLNER) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Rock from the US. ERROLLYN WALLEN THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Composer from the UK. RADIO RATZ WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Punk and alternative. THE CASTROS SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Fife. DVNE W: MAUD THE MOTH LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Rock.

Fri 17 May

DIZRAELI THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Hip-hop from Bristol. KARKARA (PK BATS + AGUA MOOSE) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Garage rock from France. GROOVE GARDEN 2 WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Metal and pop punk. CASUAL DRAG (THE CRAILS) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Garage punk from Edinburgh. KENNY THOMAS THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:30 Soul from the UK. ENGLISH TEACHER THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Indie. HIS LORDSHIP CABARET VOLTAIRE, 19:00–22:00 Post-punk from the UK.

Sat 18 May

TROYEN (R66 + TYTUS) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Metal from Warrington. PORRIDGE RADIO (SOLO) + NAIMA BOCK THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Indie punk from the UK. THE HIGHSTOOL PROPHETS THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Folk from Cavan.

Sun 19 May

MURRAY KINSLEY & WICKED GRIN (KELOWNA + THE DEVIL’S FORFEIT) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Roots from Ottawa. HOT GARBAGE SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Psych from Toronto.

Mon 20 May

WAXY BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Stoner rock from California. JERRY LEGER & THE SITUATION SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Americana from Canada.

Tue 21 May

WARNER E. HODGES BAND (CONNY BLOOM (ELECTRIC BOYS)) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Rock from the US.

BOB LOG III THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Blues folk from Chicago. HELLCATS (ATTRACTIVE CHAOS) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Metal from Slovenia. CLIMATE JAM WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Alternative.

GIRL SCOUT (MARATHON) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie from Stockholm. THE SEARCHERS ‘THANK YOU’ TOUR THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:30–22:30 Pop from the UK.

Thu 23 May

UNDER-VOLT (THE KRYSS TALMETH EXPERIENCE + STAGEMINUS) BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Rock from Edinburgh. THE LANGAN BAND THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Folk from Scotland. DUCKS LTD SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie from Toronto.

Fri 24 May

THE MONOCHROME SET (THE CATHODE RAY ) THE VOODOO ROOMS, 19:30–22:30 Post-punk from London. FLAM WEE RED BAR, 23:00–03:00 Jazz and fusion.

ARCADE STATE SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Alt rock from Glasgow. THE LOVELY EGGS LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Emo, pop and punk. MIDNIGHT AMBULANCE THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Alt duo from Scotland. TOURIST CABARET VOLTAIRE, 19:00–22:00 Garage from the UK. Sat 25 May ZOPP BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Jazz prog from Nottingham. EBI THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Pop from Iran. HAYSEED DIXIE THE LIQUID ROOM, 19:00–22:30 Country from Nashville. WILDCARD WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock. THE SLATES SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Mirfield. ELEPHANT SESSIONS THE QUEEN’S HALL, 19:00–22:30 Trad from Scotland. DAY OF THE DEATH LA BELLE ANGELE, 19:00–22:00 Metal.

BOHEMIAN MONK MACHINE THE MASH HOUSE, 19:00–22:00 Funk rock from Perth.

Sun 26 May

THE MIDDLENIGHT MEN VS CHRIS CATALYST & HIS GROUP BANNERMANS, 19:30–22:30 Rock lineup.

Regular Glasgow club nights

The Rum Shack

SATURDAYS (THIRD OF THE MONTH)

MOJO WORKIN’

Soul party feat. 60s R&B, motown, northern soul and more!

SATURDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH)

LOOSEN UP Afro, disco and funtimes with three of the best record collections in Glasgow and beyond.

Sub Club

SATURDAYS

SUBCULTURE

Long-running house night with residents Harri & Domenic, oft' joined by a carousel of super fresh guests.

FRIDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH)

RETURN TO MONO

SLAM’s monthly Subbie residency sees them joined by some of the biggest names in international techno.

Cathouse

WEDNESDAYS

CATHOUSE WEDNESDAYS

DJ Jonny soundtracks your Wednesday with all the best pop-punk, rock and Hip-hop.

THURSDAYS

UNHOLY

Cathouse's Thursday night rock, metal and punk mash-up.

FRIDAYS CATHOUSE FRIDAYS Screamy, shouty, posthardcore madness to help you shake off a week of stress in true punk style.

SATURDAYS

CATHOUSE SATURDAYS Or Caturdays, if you will. Two levels of the loudest, maddest music the DJs can muster; metal, rock and alt on floor one, and punky screamo upstairs.

SUNDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH)

HELLBENT

From the fab fierce family that brought you Catty Pride comes Cathouse Rock Club’s new monthly alternative drag show.

SUNDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH) FLASHBACK

Pop party anthems and classic cheese from DJ Nicola Walker.

SUNDAYS (THIRD OF THE MONTH)

CHEERS FOR THIRD

SUNDAY

DJ Kelmosh takes you through Mid-Southwestern emo, rock, new metal, nostalgia and 90s and 00s tunes.

SUNDAYS (LAST OF THE MONTH) SLIDE IT IN Classic rock through the ages from DJ Nicola Walker.

The Garage

Glasgow

MONDAYS

BARE MONDAYS

Lasers, bouncy castles and DJ Gav Somerville spinning out teasers and pleasers. Nice way to kick off the week, no?

TUESDAYS

#TAG TUESDAYS

Indoor hot tubs, inflatables as far as the eye can see and a Twitter feed dedicated to validating your drunk-eyed existence.

WEDNESDAYS GLITTERED! WEDNESDAYS

DJ Garry Garry Garry in G2 with chart remixes, along with beer pong competitions all night.

Regular Edinburgh club nights

Cabaret Voltaire

FRIDAYS

FLY CLUB

Edinburgh and Glasgowstraddling night, with a powerhouse of local residents joined by a selection of guest talent.

SATURDAYS PLEASURE

Regular Saturday night at Cab Vol, with residents and occasional special guests.

The Bongo Club

TUESDAYS

MIDNIGHT BASS, 23:00

Big basslines and small prices form the ethos behind this weekly Tuesday night, with drum'n'bass, jungle, bassline, grime and garage aplenty.

FRIDAYS (THIRD OF THE MONTH)

ELECTRIKAL, 23 00

Sound system and crew, part of a music and art collective specialising in BASS music.

FRIDAYS (MONTHLY, WEEK CHANGES)

SOUND SYSTEM LEGA-

CIES, 23 00

Exploring the legacy of dub, reggae and roots music and sound system culture in the contemporary club landscape.

FRIDAYS (EVERY OTHER MONTH)

DISCO MAKOSSA, 23 00

Disco Makossa takes the dancefloor on a funk-filled trip through the sounds of African disco, boogie and house – strictly for the dancers.

FRIDAYS (EVERY OTHER MONTH)

OVERGROUND, 23 00

A safe space to appreciate all things rave, jungle, breakbeat and techno.

FRIDAYS (FIRST OR LAST OF THE MONTH) HEADSET, 23 00 Skillis and guests playing garage, techno, house and bass downstairs, with old school hip hop upstairs.

SATURDAYS (FIRST OR SECOND OF THE MONTH)

MESSENGER, 23 00 Roots reggae rocking since 1987 – foundation tune, fresh dubs, vibes alive, rockers, steppers, rub-a-dub.

SATURDAYS (MONTHLY )

MUMBO JUMBO, 23 00

Everything from disco, funk and soul to electro and house: Saturday night party music all night long.

SATURDAYS (MONTHLY ) SOULSVILLE INTERNATIONAL, 23 00 International soulful sounds.

SATURDAYS (EVERY OTHER MONTH) PULSE, 23 00 Techno night started in 2009 hosting regular special guests from the international scene.

Sneaky Pete’s

MONDAYS

MORRISON STREET/STAND B-SIDE/CHAOS IN THE COSMOS/TAIS-TOI House and techno dunts from some of Edinburgh's best young teams.

TUESDAYS RARE Weekly house and techno with rising local DJs and hot special guests.

THURSDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH) VOLENS CHORUS Resident DJs with an eclectic, global outlook

FRIDAYS (SECOND OF THE MONTH)

HOT MESS

A night for queer people and their friends.

THURSDAYS

ELEMENT

Ross MacMillan plays chart, house and anthems with giveaways, bouncy castles and, most importantly, air hockey.

FRIDAYS

FRESH BEAT

Dance, chart and remixes in the main hall with Craig Guild, while DJ Nicola Walker keeps things nostalgic in G2 with flashback bangers galore.

SATURDAYS

I LOVE GARAGE

Garage by name, but not by musical nature. DJ Darren Donnelly carousels through chart, dance and classics, the Desperados bar is filled with funk, G2 keeps things urban and the Attic gets all indie on you.

SUNDAYS

SESH

Twister, beer pong and DJ Ciar McKinley on the ones and twos, serving up chart and remixes through the night.

POSSIMISTE (FERNS) WEE RED BAR, 19:00–22:00 Pop and jazz. MEMORIAL SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 Indie rock from Brighton. Mon 27 May

DARREN KIELY

THE CAVES, 19:00–22:30 Folk pop from Ireland. FLORRY (TUCK + GURRY WURRY ) SNEAKY PETE’S, 19:00–22:00 DIY country from Philadelphia.

Dundee Music

Fri 10 May

THE CIRCLES CHURCH, 19:00–22:30 Mod from the UK. SHAMBOLICS BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 19:00–22:30 Indie rock from Glasgow. Sat 18 May

EVIL BLIZZARD BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!, 19:00–22:30 Metal from Preston.

Glasgow Clubs

Thu 02 May

SATURDAYS (LAST OF THE MONTH)

SOUL JAM

Monthly no-holds-barred, down-and-dirty disco.

SUNDAYS POSTAL

Weekly Sunday session showcasing the very best of heavy-hitting local talent with some extra special guests.

The Liquid Room

SATURDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH)

REWIND

Monthly party night celebrating the best in soul, disco, rock and pop with music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and current bangers.

The Hive

MONDAYS

MIXED UP MONDAY

Monday-brightening mix of Hip-hop, R'n'B and chart classics, with requests in the back room.

TUESDAYS

TRASH TUESDAY

Alternative Tuesday anthems cherry picked from genres of rock, indie, punk, retro and more.

WEDNESDAYS

COOKIE WEDNESDAY 90s and 00s cheesy pop and modern chart anthems.

THURSDAYS HI-SOCIETY THURSDAY Student anthems and bangerz.

FRIDAYS

FLIP FRIDAY

Yer all-new Friday at Hive. Cheap entry, inevitably danceable, and noveltystuffed. Perrrfect.

SATURDAYS BUBBLEGUM Saturday mix of chart and dance, with retro 80s classics thrown in for good measure.

SUNDAYS

SECRET SUNDAY

Two rooms of all the chart, cheese and indie-pop you can think of/handle on a Sunday.

Subway Cowgate

MONDAYS

TRACKS

Blow the cobwebs off the week with a weekly Monday night party with some of Scotland’s biggest and best drag queens.

TUESDAYS

TAMAGOTCHI

Throwback Tuesdays with non-stop 80s, 90s, 00s tunes.

WEDNESDAYS

TWISTA

Banger after banger all night long.

THURSDAYS

FLIRTY

Pop, cheese and chart.

FRIDAYS FIT FRIDAYS

Chart-topping tunes perfect for an irresistible sing and dance-along.

SATURDAYS

SLICE SATURDAY

The drinks are easy and the pop is heavy.

SUNDAYS

SUNDAY SERVICE Atone for the week before and the week ahead with non-stop dancing.

The Mash House

TUESDAYS

MOVEMENT

House, techno, drum ‘n’ bass and garage.

SATURDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH)

SAMEDIA SHEBEEN Joyous global club sounds: think Afrobeat, Latin and Arabic dancehall on repeat.

SATURDAYS (LAST OF THE MONTH)

PULSE

The best techno DJs sit alongside The Mash House resident Darrell Pulse.

BASEMENT 108 (CRAIG SMITH + PAUL STUART + NICK FERRARA) THE FLYING DUCK, 17:00–22:00 House. ELISCO WITH CRAIG MOOG & FOURTH PRECINCT LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Disco. MIDLAND + JUNGLEHUSSI THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and techno. PONYBOY VS INFERNO EXIT GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Sun 05 May TAKE THAT AFTERPARTY SWG3, 23:00–03:00 Pop and disco. KEEP ON BANK HOLIDAY SPECIAL WITH OOFT! & DAVID BARBAROSSA LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 House and disco. SHOOT YOUR SHOT X DILF - CORMAC THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and techno.

Thu 09 May

CANDLE (LOWREE + FOURTH PRECINCT + GEORGE BEST) THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Electro and acid. Fri 03 May

PERPLEX: HANG TOUGH, GOURLAY, TINTO B2B CONOR CARDEN BROADCAST, 23:00–03:00 Techno and bass. MISSING PERSONS CLUB: ‘THE INFAMOUS’ PLAYER + ANDY BARTON LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Techno. JAIVA: LOUIE VEGA + BUTHOTHEWARRIOR SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 House. BLASHA & ALLATT THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Techno and acid. ORBITAL AFTERPARTY ROOM 2, 23:00–03:00 Techno and house.

Sat 04 May

ACT NATURAL NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 House and italo disco. U SPACE AND ROBERT JOHNSTONE SWG3 23:00–03:00 Techno. SOUND (FEENA B2B SKILLIS + JAMES HOMETOWN + IZIT B2B T- O -D) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Dubstep and bass. STEREO BAR: DIJA STEREO, 22:00–02:00 Garage, bass and house.

VENØM PRESENTS: CYREX, CAFFEINE, EMEL B2B SILKI NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 Techno and gabber. SAY SO X ACLP PRESENTS: JUDE BRADSHAW THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Trance and techno.

Fri 10 May

CONTROL PRESENTS: THE CAGE FT STAN CHRIST SWG3 22:00–03:00 Techno. SCANDAL.GLA & WSHWSH PRESENTS: JAWAHIR [PALESTINE & SUDAN FUNDRAISER] (RAHUL.MP3 + HIBA + HU-SANE + DIJA + PRIYA + DJ DAKILEI + BELLAROSA + 3MR + KTAB) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Bhagra, Arabic pop and bass. HIJACK X LA CHEETAH PRESENTS: DARWIN + RESIDENTS LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Dubstep and techno. 9 YEARS OF HEALTHY W DJ TABLE TABLE THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Hardcore and balearic.

ABSTRAKT X MAXIMUM KONTROL: PER PLEKS ROOM 2, 23:00–03:00 Techno. KIN.X EXIT GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00 Baile funk.

Sat 11 May

SWIFTOGEDDON: ERAS TOUR PREPARTY SWG3 23:00–03:00 Pop.

XOXA NYC - GLASGOW (KILOPATRAH JONES + ROBIN FLUX + PANOOC) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 House and club. STEREO BAR: PANOOC + ROBIN FLUX STEREO, 22:00–02:00 House and club.

OPTIMO RESIDENCY PARTY THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Disco and acid. EVENTS RESEARCH PROGRAMME EXIT GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00 Rave.

Thu 16 May

MEZ- FOR PEOPLE IN HARMONY (LORETO LIHUEN + PRITHVI + CARMEN BAÍA + CAIN) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Latin bass and Bollywood. CÉLESTE SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 Techno and house.

Fri 17 May

BODIES IN MOTION (JOEY NAME AND RUFUS + PORCHCRAWLER + MOVENTIA (VJ)) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Electro and house. THUDLINE: END OF YEAR PARTY THE FLYING DUCK, 19:00–03:00 Bass. NIGHTRAVE WITH NIGHTWAVE + BREAKBEAT ENERGY LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Rave and breakbeat. NUMBERS: OLOF DREIJER + SHY ONE + SPENCER SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 Club. ALL CENTRE X HANG TOUGH ( YUSHH + DJ PITCH + SIMKIN) THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 Techno and bass. BLUMITSU EXIT GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00 Techno and electro.

Sat 18 May

BILLY GILLIES SWG3, 22:00–03:00 Trance.

BLOODSPORT: ESTOC (FLIRTYLOLLIPOP.33 + DJ TINYHANDZ + PUREG1RL) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Hardcore and hard drum. STEREO BAR: NAMAN STEREO, 22:00–02:00 Disco and house. PAPAYA WHIP WITH JUNGLEHUSSI + JSPORT LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 R‘n’B and dancehall. THE BERKELEY SUITE - GUEST ALL NIGHT LONG THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and techno. ANNA & HOLLY’S DANCE PARTY THE RUM SHACK, 21:00–03:00 Rock ‘n’ roll and soul.

A.D.S.R EXIT GLASGOW, 23:00–03:00 Industrial and techno.

Wed 22 May

FEMMEDM X AMNESIA: SURUSINGHE LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Techno and garage.

Thu 23 May

ESOTERICA | FIVE NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 Trance and techno. WET PAINT: RE:NI LA CHEETAH CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Techno and bass. SEB WILDBLOOD + TOM VR + MAYA Q SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 House and electronica.

Fri 24 May CARV + ALEX FARRELL SWG3, 22:00–03:00 Hard techno. BÉTON BRUT PRESENTS: OLDBOY STRIKES BACK (BETON BRUT RESIDENTS) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Techno and garage. POLKA DOT DISCO CLUB THE BERKELEY SUITE, 23:00–03:00 House and garage.

Sat 25 May

AMPHORA + MAVEEN NICE ‘N’ SLEAZY, 23:00–03:00 House and balearic. UTOPIA SWG3 22:00–03:00 Hard techno and house. IVRESSE INVITES: ALWAYS 8:15 B2B D4N (STONK + DÉTOLLY B2B HNTR + SANTIAGO B2B LUC) STEREO, 23:00–03:00 Trance and techno. STEREO BAR: EFFUA STEREO, 22:00–02:00 R‘n’B and Amapiano. WORLD OF TWIST PRESENTS MOVING STILL THE RUM SHACK, 21:00–03:00 Psych and disco.

Sun 26 May

SPIRIT: BEN UFO + PARIAH + BAKE SUB CLUB, 23:00–04:00 Techno and house.

Fri 03 May

WIDE DAYS

AFTERPARTY

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Festival closing party.

FUSION

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Stretch and sentient.

UNTITILED

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Hard techno.

Sat 04 May

LUCKY DIP: ESTOC

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Hardcore from Philadelphia.

DILF (EDDY MURF) LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop and disco.

SAMEDIA SHEBEEN

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Tropical dance machine.

STAG & DAGGER

THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Afterparty.

Sun 05 May

MIDLAND ALL NIGHT

LONG

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Techno from London.

RAVE REVIVAL (BRIX & MORTAR)

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 21:00–02:00 Acid and rave.

Wed 08 May

SWEATBOX

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Global club.

Thu 09 May

MANGO LOUNGE: GHOULISH SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 UK garage from Manchester.

GET HIM BACK: OLIVIA RODRIGO PARTY LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop.

Fri 10 May

PALIDRONE: PARADISE TECHNIQUE SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Bass from Milan. BAILE DO BRASIL LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Brazilian funk.

OVERGROUND THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Rave.

Sat 11 May

NSA DAY CULTURE: IVAN SMAGGHE + MANFREDAS THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Acid and electronica. THE REVEL WEE RED BAR, 22:00–03:00 Annual Art College party. EROL ALKAN - TO THE RHYTHM SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Techno from London. SUMMERTIME SADNESS CLUB LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop and indie.

VIVID THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Hard techno. ETERNAL THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Hard techno.

Sun 12 May

NIKKI NAIR - LUCKYME X POSTAL

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Breaks from Atlanta.

Mon 13 May

SATSUMA SOUNDS THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 House.

Wed 15 May

NIGHT TUBE SEASON FINALE: VOIGTMANN CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00 Deep house and techno. MEMBRANE: PLOY

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 UK techno from London.

Regular Glasgow comedy nights

Drygate Brewing Co.

FIRST AND THIRD

TUESDAY OF THE MONTH

DRYGATE COMEDY LAB, 19:00

A new material comedy night hosted by Chris Thorburn.

The Stand

Glasgow

FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH

MONDAY NIGHT IMPROV, 20:30 Host Billy Kirkwood and guests act entirely on your suggestions.

TUESDAYS RED RAW, 20:30

Legendary new material night with up to eight acts.

FRIDAYS THE FRIDAY SHOW, 20:30

The big weekend show with four comedians.

SATURDAYS THE SATURDAY SHOW, 20:30

The big weekend show with four comedians.

The Glee Club

FRIDAYS FRIDAY NIGHT COMEDY, 19:00

The perfect way to end the working week, with four superb stand-up comedians.

SATURDAYS SATURDAY NIGHT COMEDY, 19:00

An evening of awardwinning comedy, with four superb stand-up comedians that will keep you laughing until Monday.

Regular Edinburgh comedy nights

The Stand

Edinburgh

MONDAYS RED RAW, 20:30

Legendary new material night with up to 8 acts.

TUESDAYS (FIRST OF THE MONTH)

STU & GARRY’S IMPROV SHOW, 20:30

The Stand’s very own Stu & Garry’s make comedy cold from suggestions.

THURSDAYS THE BEST OF SCOTTISH

COMEDY, 20:30 Simply the best comics on the contemporary Scottish circuit.

FRIDAYS THE FRIDAY SHOW, 21 The big weekend show :00with four comedians.

SATURDAYS THE SATURDAY SHOW (THE EARLY SHOW), 17:00

A slightly earlier performance of the big weekend show with four comedians.

SATURDAYS THE SATURDAY SHOW, 20:30

The big weekend show with four comedians.

Monkey Barrel

SECOND AND THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH

THE EDINBURGH REVUE, 19:00

The University of Edinburgh's Comedy Society, who put on sketch and stand-up comedy shows every two weeks.

WEDNESDAYS TOP BANANA, 19:00 Catch the stars of tomorrow today in Monkey Barrel's new act night every Wednesday.

THURSDAYS

SNEAK PEAK, 19:00 + 21:00

Four acts every Thursday take to the stage to try out new material.

FRIDAYS MONKEY BARREL COMEDY'S BIG FRIDAY SHOW, 19:00/21:00 Monkey Barrel's flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

FRIDAYS DATING CRAPP, 22:00 Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, Farmers Only...Come and laugh as some of Scotland's best improvisers join forces to perform based off two audience members dating profiles.

SATURDAYS MONKEY BARREL COMEDY'S BIG SATURDAY SHOW, 17:00/19:00/21:00 Monkey Barrel's flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

SUNDAYS MONKEY BARREL COMEDY'S BIG SUNDAY SHOW, 19:00/21:00 Monkey Barrel's flagship night of premier stand-up comedy.

Fri 24 May

SWIFTOGEDDON: ERAS TOUR PRE PARTY - DEBUT/ FEARLESS LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop. HEADSET

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 UK garage.

INKOHERENT: HARDCORE BIRTHDAY PARTY *UK DEBUT* THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Hardcore and gabber.

Sat 25 May

Thu 16 May

THANK YOU, HAVE A NICE RAVE THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Techno, acid and bass. CLUB SIGNAL: VLADA

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Techno from Berlin.

Fri 17 May

DISCGRACE PRESENTS: DISCGRACEFUL GROOVES

CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00 House.

MEANWHILE: KLÉO

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House from Amsterdam. CALL ME MAYBE: 2010S PARTY

LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop.

EDINBURGH UNDERGROUND THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Hardstyle and trance. COSMIC THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Psytrance. WAREHOUSE ‘92 PRE-PARTY (FLY ) (GAV MILLER + DJ DISGRACE) CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Sat 18 May

HEYDAY WITH PROSUMER

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 Queer house. DECADE LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop Punk Alt Party ASTROJAZZ X CHAOS IN THE COSMOS THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Disco, funk and soul. WAREHOUSE ‘92 AFTERPARTY (FLY ) CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Sun 19 May

WAREHOUSE ‘92 BOILER ROOM AFTERPARTY (FLY ) CABARET VOLTAIRE, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Mon 20 May

MILE HIGH CLUB

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 UK techno.

Thu 23 May

UPLANDS ROAST PRESENTS: FLOWDAN + LE THE BONGO CLUB, 23:00–03:00 Drum ‘n’ bass.

MARGINS: MOXIE

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House from London.

NURSE GEORGIE

CARROLL: SISTA FLO

2 0 22 MAY, 6:30PM –

7:30PM

Don't miss Nurse Georgie Carroll as she brings her hit show Sista Flo 2.0 back to the UK.

KANAN GILL: WHAT IS THIS?

26 MAY, 7:00PM –8:00PM

New hour from acclaimed Indian stand-up comedian.

The King’s Theatre

MILES JUPP: ON I BANG

SWIFTOGEDDONERAS TOUR PREPARTY - SPEAK NOW/RED LA BELLE ANGELE, 23:00–03:00 Pop.

PULSE THE MASH HOUSE, 23:00–03:00 Techno.

Mon 27 May

SATSUMA SOUNDS

SNEAKY PETE’S, 23:00–03:00 House.

Dundee

Clubs

Sat 04 May

DISTORTED

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 Hard rock and post-punk.

Sun 05 May

DUNDEE DANCE

EVENT

CHURCH, 14:30–03:00 Dance and disco. KINGS ON DDE

SUNDAY KINGS, 20:00–03:00 Techno and electro.

Fri 10 May

RUMBLE

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 Techno and dance.

Sat 11 May

LW/N

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 House and funk.

Sat 18 May

DUNDEMO 10

CHURCH, 22:30–03:00 Emo and punk. MUSIC IS THE ANSWER: JAMES ZABIELA KINGS, 21:00–03:00 House.

Fri 24 May

KING’S ART DEGREE SHOW AFTERPARTY (BUTHOTHEWARRIOR) KINGS, 22:00–03:00 House and disco.

Glasgow

Comedy

The Glee Club

LAURA BELBIN: TOO MUCH

2 MAY, 7:00PM-8:00PM

She’s loud, she swears, she’s inappropriate, and she’s the comedian behind the social media antics of Knee Deep In Life.

SUKH OJLA: THE AUNTY YEARS

5 MAY, 6:00PM – 7:00PM

Join Sukh as she approaches 40 and figures out middle age, pretending to be a grown up and the joy of a Tupperware set.

MICHELLE BRASIER: REFORM

19 MAY, 7:00PM –

8:00PM After a sold out run at Edinburgh Fringe in 2023, Michelle Brasier returns with her critically acclaimed show, Reform.

CATHERINE BOHART: AGAIN, WITH FEELINGS

23 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Catherine Bohart's back and older than ever. And adulthood frankly isn't living up to her expectations.

BENEFIT IN AID OF THE PELVIC PARTNERSHIP

4 MAY, 4:00PM – 5:00PM

Featuring Susie McCabe and friends.

8 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM

A joyful show about neardeath.

The Old Hairdressers

HAROLD NIGHT

7 MAY, 7:00PM – 8:00PM

Two Glasgow Improv Theatre house teams performing the improv format The Harold.

YER DA WANTS A WORD

21 MAY, 7:00PM –8:00PM

Friendly neighbourhood improv team Yer Da take to the stage.

IMPROV FUCKTOWN: PILOT NIGHT!

7 MAY, 8:30PM – 9:30PM

Welcome to Improv Fucktown, population: you.

The Stand Glasgow

JOSIE LONG: A WORK IN PROGRESS ABOUT GIANT EXTINCT ANIMALS

20 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Silly, informal shows where Josie tries out new ideas. MATERIAL, GIRL

26 MAY, 3:00PM –4:00PM

The best and most exciting female stand up comics both established and new with regular hosts Susan Riddell and Amanda Dwyer.

SCREEN TIME

16 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM

A new mutlimedia comedy night hosted by Feaghas Kelly.

MARC JENNINGS: MARC-IN-PROGRESS (WIP)

19 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Some Laugh podcast host Marc Jennings returns to the Stand to work on his new stand-up hour.

NEIL DELAMERE: NEIL BY MOUTH

13 MAY, 7:45PM –8:45PM

Catch the usual hilarious tall tales, razor sharp observations and quickwitted improvisations

JONNY & THE BAPTISTS: THE HAPPINESS INDEX / TEN THANKLESS YEARS

29 APR, 8:00PM –9:00PM

A double bill of two shows in one night, from cult multi-award winning musical-comedians.

FIN TAYLOR: ASK YOUR MOTHER

2 MAY, 8:30PM – 9:30PM

That comedian your mother doesn't like you seeing shares a new hour of brutally funny stand-up.

TOM HOUGHTON: IT’S NOT IDEAL

8 MAY, 8:30PM – 9:30PM

Host of Very British Problems: Live and Bad Manors podcast sets out on his biggest show yet.

DINO WIAND: I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE JAVIER BARDEM 2 5 MAY, 5:00PM – 6:00PM An hour of chaotic oblivious confusion, always misunderstanding the situation and self sabotage.

STEPHEN MULLEN: PADDY LATINO 9 MAY, 8:30PM – 9:30PM A whirlwind of comedy from the world of Ireland's favourite cheeky son.

RICHARD HERRING: CAN I HAVE MY BALL BACK?

12 MAY, TIMES VARY Richard makes his muchanticipated return to standup after six years.

MORGAN REES: TURNING THIRSTY

22 MAY, 8:30PM-9:30PM Hitting the milestone of his 30th birthday has made him develop a thirst for life.

Edinburgh

Comedy

Festival

Theatre

I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T A CLUE 27 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM BBC Radio’s multi awardwinning anti-panel show goes back on tour.

Monkey Barrel Comedy Club

MORGAN REES: TURNING THIRSTY 9 MAY, 8:00PM-10:00PM Award-nominated online sensation Morgan Rees heads to Monkey Barrel Comedy Club on his first ever UK tour.

LAURA BELBIN: TOO MUCH

3 MAY, 7:00PM-8:30PM

She’s loud, she swears, she’s inappropriate, and she’s the comedian behind the social media antics of Knee Deep In Life.

LULU POPPLEWELL: YUCK (WIP) 4 MAY, 6:00PM – 7:00PM Returning from her sell-out debut hour, Lulu brings you a new work in progress show about being a yucky young lady.

STUART MCPHERSON: LOVE THAT FOR ME (SPECIAL LIVE RECORDING) 7 MAY, 7:00PM – 8:00PM

Special live recording of Stuart McPherson’s sellout 2023 Fringe show.

LIZ MIELE: SPACE CAMP

10 MAY, 8:00PM –9:20PM NYC comedian Liz Miele is back in Edinburgh with her new hour Space Camp.

TAMSYN KELLY: KICKING OFF IN ALDI

11 MAY, 6:00PM –7:00PM Duchess of Cornwall Tamsyn Kelly talks witches, sex and Aldi in a brand new show.

CELYA AB: WORK IN PROGRESS

11 MAY, 8:00PM –9:00PM After a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022/23, Celya AB is trying new jokes.

KRYSTAL EVANS: HOSPITALITY HORROR SHOW (WIP)

15 MAY, 8:00PM –9:00PM Krystal Evans follows her critically acclaimed, award nominated debut The Hottest Girl at Burn Camp with a brand new hour of stand up.

LOU CONRAN: TANGENT

16 MAY, 8:00PM –9:00PM

Award-winning comedian Lou Conran stops off at Monkey Barrel Comedy Club on her first mini tour around the UK.

DAVID NIHILL: SHELF HELP

17 MAY, 7:30PM –8:50PM After a sold-out international run of his last show Cultural Appreciation, David Nihill is back with his new show Shelf Help.

CARL DONNELLY: GLOW UP!

18 MAY, 8:00PM –9:00PM Carl Donnelly returns looking and feeling great - which is surprising considering he's officially hit middle age and has had a tough couple of years.

AVITAL ASH: WORKSHOPS HER SUICIDE NOTE

24 MAY, 8:00PM –9:00PM Avital Ash returns fresh off the critically-acclaimed run of her Edinburgh Fringe solo show.

GIANMARCO SORESI: THE LEANING IN TOUR 25 MAY, 6:00PM –7:15PM Gianmarco Soresi is a New York based stand-up comedian, actor, and creator known for sharp societal observations and a spry, energetic stage presence.

The Edinburgh Playhouse

ROMESH

RANGANATHAN: HUSTLE

16-17 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM A brand new show by acclaimed comic exploring the tensions in the human condition.

The Queen’s Hall

MILES JUPP: ON I BANG

9 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM

A joyful show about neardeath.

JULIAN CLARY: FISTFUL OF CLARY

11 MAY, 7:30PM –

10:30PM

You've heard of The Man With No Name? Well, here's The Man With No Shame.

THE BIG FAB COMEDY SHOW WITH LARRY

DEAN

16 MAY, 7:30PM –

10:30PM

Scotland's biggest live comedy tour.

TOM DAVISUNDERDOG

24 MAY, 8:00PM –10:30PM

Big Tom Davis' return to stand up should not be missed.

The Stand Edinburgh

SUSAN MORRISON IS HISTORICALLY FUNNY

26 MAY, 5:00PM –

6:00PM

Susan takes you through some of Scotland’s seediest, skankiest and scandalous history. And the funniest.

CHRIS KENT: BACK AT IT

19 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM

Cork man Chris Kent returns with his brand new show Back At It.

FIN TAYLOR: ASK YOUR MOTHER

1-2 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM

That comedian your mother doesn't like you seeing shares a new hour of brutally funny stand-up.

THE GREAT EDINBURGH MAY DAY

CABARET 2024

2 MAY, 8:30PM – 9:30PM

Featuring a fantastic line-up, a celebration of International Workers' Day.

TOM HOUGHTON: IT’S NOT IDEAL

9 MAY, 8:30PM – 9:30PM

Host of Very British Problems: Live and Bad Manors podcast sets out on his biggest show yet.

MARY BOURKE: THE BEST OF ME

19 MAY, 4:00PM –5:00PM Pure comedy gold from the Irish comedian.

CATHERINE BOHART: AGAIN, WITH FEELINGS

22 MAY, 8:30PM –9:30PM Catherine Bohart's back and older than ever. And adulthood frankly isn't living up to her expectations.

PADDY RAFF: GIMME A MINUTE!

23 MAY, 8:30PM –

9:30PM

Unmissable musical and observational comedy.

Glasgow Theatre

Oran Mor A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: LEWIS CAPALDI GOES TROPICAL

1-4 MAY, 1:00PM –

2:00PM

A surreal chaotic comedy following a misfit family from Glasgow's fringes as they prepare a party to say farewell to a beloved blackmarket animal.

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: LOOKING FOR THE ONE

7-12 MAY, 1:00PM –

2:00PM

A new mini-musical comedy that shines a light on the pleasures and perils of dating as a mature grown-up.

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: ROOST 14-19 MAY, 1:00PM –2:00PM

A heartful play about pigeons, home, and the power hobbies have in creating connections but also division.

A PLAY, A PIE AND A PINT: DUNGEONS, DRAGONS, AND THE QUEST FOR D*** 21-26 MAY, 1:00PM –2:00PM

A new deaf queer comedy about finding love in a hopeless place... with dragons. Sign Integrated Performance with captions. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

MODERN BALLET ANNUAL PERFORMANCE 16-18 MAY, TIMES VARY RSC’s annual showcase by students from all three years of its ballet programme, featuring classic and contemporary choreography.

FIELDS OF PERFORMANCE: PARADISE (LOST) 2-3 MAY, 7:15PM –9:15PM Fields of Performance is a dynamic collection of works, ranging from intimate solos to collaborative pieces, in studio theatre settings, online and in public spaces around Glasgow.

FIELDS OF PERFORMANCE: TWO COWBOYS AND THE SKY

3-4 MAY, TIMES VARY Fields of Performance is a dynamic collection of works, ranging from intimate solos to collaborative pieces, in studio theatre settings, online and in public spaces around Glasgow.

FIELDS OF PERFORMANCE: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE 9-10 MAY, 7:00PM –9:00PM Fields of Performance is a dynamic collection of works, ranging from intimate solos to collaborative pieces, in studio theatre settings, online and in public spaces around Glasgow.

FIELDS OF PERFORMANCE: GUESS WHAT

9-10 MAY, 8:30PM –10:30PM Fields of Performance is a dynamic collection of works, ranging from intimate solos to collaborative pieces, in studio theatre settings, online and in public spaces around Glasgow.

The King’s Theatre

SISTER ACT

1-4 MAY, TIMES VARY Disco diva goes undercover in this live musical version of Whoopi Goldberg’s starmaking turn.

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

13-18 MAY, TIMES VARY

A young boy dreams of being a drag queen in this effervescent musical.

TSP PRESENTS KINKY

BOOTS

21-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

Drag meets the shoe business in this joyful musical.

Theatre Royal

EDWARD

SCISSORHANDS

21-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

A sumptuous Matthew Bourne ballet based on the enduring Tim Burton film.

SCOTTISH OPERA: LA TRAVIATA

8-18 MAY, 7:15PM –10:30PM

A lush retelling of Verdi’s tragic masterpiece.

Tramway

KONTEMPORARY

KOREA: A DOUBLE

BILL OF K:DANCE

16 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM

A double bill of contrasting works by leading Lorean choreographers Cheol-in Jeong and Sung Im Her.

Tron Theatre

I HOPE YOUR FLOWERS BLOOM

3-4 MAY, 7:45PM –10:30PM

A romantic, semi-autobiographical show exploring healthy masculinity and working class access to nature.

DEAD GIRLS RISING

17-18 MAY, 7:30PM –

10:30PM

A no-holds-barred comingof-age punk cabaret show about trying to survive in a violent patriarchy.

MAGGIE & ME

7-11 MAY, TIMES VARY

The world premiere stage adaptation of Damian Barr’s modern Scottish classic memoir examining his childhood in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain.

Edinburgh Theatre

Assembly Roxy

THE FASTEST CLOCK IN THE UNIVERSE

21-25 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM

Party preparations are well underway, cake and very sharp knife in tow, in this sharp drama about ageing, love and delusion.

Festival

Theatre

EDWARD

SCISSORHANDS

14-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

A sumptuous Matthew Bourne ballet based on the enduring Tim Burton film.

EDGAS: THE GONDOLIERS

8-11 MAY, TIMES VARY

The Edinburgh Gilbert & Sullivan Society celebrates their centenary year with an enchanting new production of The Gondoliers.

THE MUSIC MAN

21-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

An experienced con man peddling brass instruments finds he may have bitten off more than he can chew in this heartwarming musical.

Royal Lyceum

Theatre

MACBETH (AN UNDOING)

14-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

Acclaimed theatre maker Zinnie Harris reimagines Shakespeare’s seminal tragedy, undoing the original and recentring female agency.

THE GIRLS OF SLENDER MEANS

1-4 MAY, TIMES VARY

Based on the remarkable novel by Muriel Sparks, in which giddy literary and amorous aspirations disguise a creeping postwar peril.

Scottish Storytelling

Centre

RICKLE O STANES

4 MAY, 7:30PM – 8:30PM

A show about Scotland's land: its rocks and mud, what it has grown, what lives it has sustained, how it has been bought, fought for and wounded.

MOCHIN MYRDDIN/ MERLIN’S PIG

7 MAY, 7:30PM – 8:30PM

Welsh storyteller Milly

Jackdaw presents a fusion of traditional storytelling, physical theatre, music and ceremony in this solo performance based on the life of Myrddin, the inspiration for Merlin.

FIRE FROM THE WOODS

11 MAY, 7:30PM –

8:30PM

By reimagining old tales from Lithuania and around the world, storyteller Daiva IvanauskaitÄ— and musician Gaynor Barradell explore the silence between generations.

CALLED BACK: THE POEMS OF EMILY DICKINSON

8 MAY, 7:30PM – 8:50PM

John Hinshelwood’s sensitive musical interpretations based on a selection of Emily Dickinson’s poems.

The Edinburgh Playhouse

THE DRIFTERS GIRL

1-4 MAY, 7:30PM –

10:30PM

Telling the remarkable story of classic R‘n’B group The Drifters through their own songs.

Traverse

Theatre

DEAD GIRLS RISING

21-23 MAY, 7:30PM –

10:30PM

A no-holds-barred comingof-age punk cabaret show about trying to survive in a violent patriarchy.

Dundee

Theatre

Dundee Rep

SUNSET SONG

1-4 MAY, TIMES VARY

A thrilling, contemporary adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s classic novel, voted the best Scottish book of all time.

NO LOVE SONGS

9-11 MAY, TIMES VARY

A tale of the trials of parenting told through music by Kyle Falconer.

DOUBLE BILL: THE FLOCK & MOVING CLOUD

24-25 MAY, 7:30PM –10:30PM

Two of Scottish Dance Theatre’s most physically daring and innovative works get the back-to-back treatment.

Glasgow

Art

CCA:

Centre for Contemporary

Art

LIFE-BESTOWING CADAVEROUS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT

1-18 MAY, TIMES VARY

A group exhibition curated by Rae-Yen Song exploring the vivid possibilities of world-building.

Compass

Gallery

ANNA H. GEERDES

1-4 MAY, TIMES VARY

A new solo exhibition by Scotland-based painter.

Glasgow Women’s

Library

PROJECT ESPERANZA

1-11 MAY, TIMES VARY

Entangled histories of care, migration, trauma and acceptance are stitched together in this quilt created by Project Esperanza’s Women’s sewing group in Edinburgh.

TEENAGE KICKS

1-18 MAY, TIMES VARY

Eight women’s adolescences through the swinging sixties are brought to life in this illustrative exhibition.

GoMA

SAM AINSLEY: WEDNESDAY IS COBALT BLUE, FRIDAY IS CADMIUM RED

1 MAY-30 JUN, 11:00AM – 4:00PM

Renowned Glasgow-based artist Sam Ainsley’s first major exhibition in the city for 30 years continues the artist’s career-long interrogation of the female body.

SWG3 YARDWORKS FESTIVAL

2024 4-5 MAY, 12:00PM –6:00PM SWG3’s annual weekender celebrating outdoor street art and graffiti.

Six Foot Gallery

HND SHOWCASE 1-9 MAY, 10:00AM –5:00PM

An exhibition of groundbreaking work by recent HND students.

SPRING OPEN CALL 2024 10-24 MAY, 10:00AM –5:00PM

An exhibition of diverse, original works responding to the gallery’s open call.

Street Level

Photoworks

JENNY MATTHEWS: SEWING CONFLICT

1-5 MAY, TIMES VARY

Documentary war photography stitched over with local embroidery, examining the obliterating and fracturing effects of warfare.

The Briggait

ROSIE VOHRA + GABRIELLE

LOCKWOOD ESTRIN: HAND OVER

18 MAY-4 JUN, TIMES VARY

A collaborative exhibition exploring collage as a process and principle entangled with ideas of human connection, growth and sustainability.

The Modern Institute @

Airds Lane

URS FISCHER: VIGNETTES

1-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

A series of collage-like vignettes by acclaimed Swiss visual artist.

iota @ Unlimited

Studios

ADELAIDE SHALHOPE: SOMEWHERE

BETWEEN THE SOUL AND THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

11-25 MAY, 12:00PM –5:00PM

A lyrical gathering of paintings and mixed media works informed by the connections of spirit and the strange beauty of the natural world.

Edinburgh Art

&Gallery

REASSEMBLED

4-29 MAY, TIMES VARY

Three artists (JFK Turner, Laura Jane Scott and Derek Wilson) brings together three artists working within restricted colour palettes whose works emphasise ideas of form and structure.

City Art Centre

SHIFTING VISTAS: 250 YEARS OF SCOTTISH

LANDSCAPE

1 MAY-2 JUN, TIMES

VARY

Sweeping landscapes both classical and modern are drawn from the City Art Centre’s permanent collection.

EDINBURGH RISING FROM THE ASHES: 200 YEARS OF THE SCOTTISH FIRE SERVICE

3 MAY-22 SEP, TIMES

VARY

Celebrating 200 years of the world’s first municipal fire service founded in Edinburgh.

ADAM BRUCE

THOMSON: THE QUIET

PATH 11 MAY-6 OCT, TIMES VARY

A retrospective of a largely neglected landmark Scottish artist, who was among one of the first to study at the Edinburgh College of Art.

Collective

Gallery

ELISA GIARDINA PAPA: “U SCANTU”: A DISORDERLY TALE

1-19 MAY, 10:00AM –5:00PM First exhibited at the 2022 Venice Biennale, U Scantu brings together ceramic sculptures and a largescale video installation to explore the Sicilian myth of the ‘donne di fora’ – women from the outside.

Dovecot Studios

ANDY WARHOL: THE TEXTILES

1 MAY-1 JUN, 10:00AM

– 5:00PM

A groundbreaking showcase of the commercial textile designs of one of the most famous artist’s of the 20th century.

PAULINE CAULFIELD TEXTILES

1 MAY-20 JUL, 10:00AM

– 5:00PM

Large-scale screen-printed panels that draw on architecture and ecclesiastical themes, veering between abstraction and illusion.

Edinburgh Printmakers

THIS...I LIKE IT

1 MAY-30 JUN, 11:00AM – 4:00PM

A joint curatorial project between Edinburgh Printmakers and Tiphereth Print Studio, this exhibition looks into curation as a collaborative practice, informed by the Printmakers’ collection. WHOSE GALLERY IS IT ANYWAY?

1 MAY-30 JUN, 11:00AM – 4:00PM

Anyone can add or move artworks around this interactive exhibition that queries ideas of markmaking, art curation and the relationship between artist and audience.

Edinburgh Sculpture

Workshop

CHRIS COATHAM + JOEL DAVIDSON: STINKHORN 1-25 MAY, 11:00AM –5:00PM

A magical, semi-naturalistic tableau of a woodland scene examines ideas of human and nonhuman encounter.

Fruitmarket

MARTIN BOYCE: BEFORE BEHIND BETWEEN ABOVE BELOW

1 MAY-9 JUN, 10:00AM – 6:00PM

Glasgow-based artist whose sculptures rework the textures and forms of the built environment to explore the conceptual histories of art and architecture.

Ingleby Gallery

CAROLINE WALKER: NURTURE

1 MAY-1 JUN, 11:00AM – 5:00PM

A new body of work exploring the artist’s ongoing interest in intimate depictions of women at work in both domestic and labour contexts.

Jupiter Artland

LAURA ALDRIDGE: LAWNMOWER 11 MAY-29 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Textile, ceramic, glass, found objects and moving image examine the emotional and sensory potential of materiality.

ANDREW SIM 11 MAY-29 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Symbolic and mythic paintings explore experiences of queerness and the visibility of the cis/het gaze.

Open Eye

Gallery

ELAINE PAMPHILON: PAINTINGS

3-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

Paintings inspired by everyday objects, souvenirs from travels, patterns, and the romantic countryside around the artist’s homes in St Ives and Cambridge.

CHRISTOPHER MARVELL: SCULPTURE

3-25 MAY, TIMES VARY Inspired by Cornish history and the natural environment, these sculpted animals draw on Modernist ideas of figuration and representation.

MARIANNE HAZLEWOOD: EMERGE: NATURAL DESIGN

3-25 MAY, TIMES VARY

Delicate pieces drawing on the structural possibilities of plant architecture.

Royal Scottish Academy RSA

BETWEEN THE LINES

1-5 MAY, TIMES VARY

An exhibition bringing together various Scottish academicians and their innovative formal approaches.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

DO HO SUH: TRACING

TIME

1 MAY-1 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Exploring the foundational role drawing and paper play in acclaimed South Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s practice.

WOMEN IN REVOLT! ART AND ACTIVISM IN THE UK 1970–1990

25 MAY-26 JAN 25, 10:00AM – 5:00PM Fresh off a stint at Tate Britain, this exhibition documents two decades of seismic social and political change and the art that emerged from and challenged the ensuing culture.

Scottish National Portrait Gallery BEFORE AND AFTER COAL: IMAGES AND VOICES FROM SCOTLAND’S MINING

COMMUNITIES

1 MAY-15 SEP, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Quiet, intimate portrait photography examining the history and ongoing legacy of coal mining on Scottish communities.

Scottish Storytelling Centre

STEPHANÏE VANDËM: FISHING

3 MAY-15 JUN, 10:00AM – 6:00PM

A modern exploration of contemporary identities and heritage, fishing imaginatively combines oil painting and materials salvaged from the shoreline to evoke the connections between Scottish communities and their fishing heritage.

Summerhall

YUMIKO ONO: COMPOSITION IV

1 MAY-1 NOV, 12:00PM – 5:30PM

Developed out of a residency program in Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, this large-scale work explores intersections between art and architecture.

JOHN MOONEY: METAMORPHOSIS

1 MAY-2 JUN, 12:00PM – 5:30PM

A selection of watercolour drawings developed over four decades, exploring ideas of change, contradiction and harmony.

IMOGEN HERO: A TOPOGRAPHY OF MICRO PLANETS

1-26 MAY, 12:00PM –

5:30PM

Photography created through microbial cultures explores ideas of crossspecies collaboration. Part of Edinburgh Science Festival.

FUTURE PROOF: GEOMETRY, ART AND MIND

1-26 MAY, 12:00PM –

5:30PM

Science and art come together to explore the gap between how things are perceived and how they actually are. Part of Edinburgh Science Festival.

DAWN FELICIA KNOX: POST-INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGIES

1-26 MAY, 12:00PM –

5:30PM

Multimedia installations exploring the way plants and fungi work together to undo the toxic residue of industrialisation. Part of Edinburgh Science Festival.

EMMA HISLOP: MYTHIC INSTRUMENTS

1-26 MAY, 12:00PM –5:30PM

Showcasing the intersection between science and craft by exploring ideas of materiality. Part of Edinburgh Science Festival.

YUNING CHEN: MORALITY CALCULUS

1-26 MAY, 12:00PM –5:30PM

A bioart installation that recounts the endeavour of creating bread fermented with yeast-human cell hybrids in a synthetic biology lab. Part of Edinburgh Science Festival.

JAMES STEPHEN WRIGHT: WE PRETENDED IT WASN’T GREEN

1-26 MAY, 12:00PM –5:30PM

Generative animation created through satellite data, in which a frog and mushrooms represent tipping points. Part of Edinburgh Science Festival.

Talbot Rice Gallery

CANDICE LIN

1 MAY-1 JUN, TIMES

VARY

Situated in Talbot Rice Gallery’s former natural history museum, this exhibition examines how ideas of the human and nonhuman have been shaped by histories of science.

EDINBURGH

NAPIER UNIVERSITY

MERCHISTON CAMPUS

2024 DEGREE SHOW

24-30 MAY, TIMES VARY

The Edinburgh Napier Degree Show is a week-long celebration of our students' talent as they present their final projects to friends, family, industry and the public.

The Scottish Gallery

JAMES MORRISON: UNDER A NORTHERN SKY

1 MAY-1 JUN, TIMES VARY

Representational records of the landscape by acclaimed Scottish artist that articulate his experience moving through the natural world.

DOUG CROCKER: THEMES AND VARIATIONS

1 MAY-1 JUN, TIMES VARY

24 wall sculptures use abstract shapes and structures to explore the formal aspects of sculpture, from light and shade to negative space, scale and depth.

LARA SCOBIE: CHROMA

1 MAY-1 JUN, TIMES VARY

A new body of work in fine porcelain detailed with bold and delicate linear patterns.

JOANNE THOMPSON: CHAINS

1 MAY-1 JUN, TIMES VARY Ancient chainmail is an inspiration for this exhibition of intricately crafted jewellery.

Dundee

Art

DCA: Dundee

Contemporary Arts

SUKAINA KUBBA: TURN ME INTO A FLOWER

1 MAY-4 AUG, TIMES

VARY

Industrial and packaging materials examine material objects as carriers of cross-cultural history in the artist’s first solo exhibition in the UK.

V&A Dundee

PHOTO CITY: HOW IMAGES SHAPE THE URBAN WORLD

2 MAY-20 OCT, 10:00AM – 5:00PM Bringing together items from the V&A archive as well as two specially commissioned works to explore how two distinctly modern phenomena – cities and photography – have informed each other.

KIMONO: KYOTO TO CATWALK

4 MAY-5 JAN 25, 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Part-fashion survey, partexploration on material culture, this exhibition traces the history of the kimono from 17th-century Japan to contemporary runways.

Dundee Venues

Lots of exciting new openings in Dundee this month, from a brand new music venue to everyone’s favourite bubble tea joint

Words: Rebecca Baird

Roots

51-53 MEADOWSIDE, DD1 1EQ

After trendy vegan pub Rad Apples closed its doors last year, its much-loved music venue Conroy’s Basement was missed by Dundee’s gig-goers. But this spring, the basement reopened as inclusive music venue Roots. With an aim to support the city’s grassroots entertainment scene, the aptly-named venue has hosted a variety of music nights from metal and punk to indie and singer-songwriter, as well as comedy and even burlesque shows. The Apples may have fallen, but Roots is sprouting green shoots in time for a summer of live gems.

Höfn

7 BANK STREET, DD1 1RL

Opened by Bank Street Tattoo artist Graham Cameron, Höfn is a sophisticated addition to Dundee city centre’s coffee shop offering. Tucked down a lane away from the high street bustle, its sleek, Scandi minimalism combined with generous pastries and high-end light bites make for a slightly more cosmopolitan feel than is common in Dundee’s cosy café scene. Here you’ll find plenty of trendy young folk in various colours of beanie enjoying an array of delicious, if slightly steeply priced open sandwiches. The name Höfn (the Icelandic word for harbour) is a nice touch too, paying subtle homage to Dundee’s riverside locale.

Black Mamba

141 NETHERGATE, DD1 4DP Asian-Spanish fusion isn’t the most instinctive combo, but at Black Mamba, it works. The restaurant, which moved in where student favourite Tonic used to be on Perth Road, has been a roaring success since it opened in late 2023, as it combines Asian flavours and recipes with a tapas style of dining. Small plates abound with an array of options for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike, making it a perfect place to eat with large groups. The plush, modern renovation of the restaurant makes for a big-city feel, and the cocktail menu is mouthwateringly extensive, so leave the car at home.

CUPP

33 REFORM STREET, DD1 1SH

Boba tea franchise CUPP has landed on Dundee’s Reform Street, with customers literally queuing down the block to sample the Taiwanese ‘drink you can chew’. Tapioca balls are the fun feature of this viral drink, and the small but mighty CUPP store in Dundee offers a large range of flavours, from fruit teas (made with real fruit puree) to matcha and even hot boba. Since bubble tea is a culture all of its own, the shop also sells plush toys and merchandise for superfans of the drink.

Photo: Steve Brown and DC Thomson

Photo: Mhairi Edwards and DC Thomson Höfn

Black Mamba

The Skinny On... Lovefoxxx

Luísa Hanae Matsushita, aka Lovefoxxx, from legendary Brazilian electroclash outfit CSS takes on this month’s Q&A with strong opinions on the Bolsonaros, JK Rowling and cocaine

What’s your favourite place to visit?

Tokyo, I feel connected with the culture, being half Japanese. Love the food, their spin on things, the height of furniture and how everything there is so specific and visually appealing.

What’s your favourite food?

Bread and butter... I eat it on special occasions or when I’m sick and need a pick me up.

What’s your favourite colour?

Ochre because it makes me feel comfortable and it varies in shades.

Who was your hero growing up?

The designer Betsey Johnson because she did cartwheels at the end of her shows.

Whose work inspires you now?

German-Brazilian painter Eleonore Koch. She had a lot of confidence in her compositions that can be landscapes with a lot of empty space in them. I love her cropping and colours... and also how she does her edges.

What three people would you invite to your dinner party and what are you cooking?

Hilma af Klint, Leonard Cohen and my boyfriend Chuck Hipolitho; he is cooking spaghetti with ragu.

What’s your all-time favourite album?

This is a very unfair question and y’all know it. Right now I’d say Cocteau Twins’ Heaven or Las Vegas, because I like how their music makes me feel.

Who’s your all-time favourite pop act?

As a band we all love Madonna! The first song we ever played was a Hollywood cover and I love her declarations over the years about the double standards for female artists.

What’s the worst film you’ve ever seen?

Mediterraneo. This Italian movie won an Oscar in 1992. Set during WW2, a group of Italian soldiers go to a Greek island. The female actress that appears the most has no lines but you see her having sex with two soldiers. At some point the Italians go back to Italy and it shows this actress cheerfully waving goodbye, she has a pregnant belly and, yup, she’s gonna be a single mum, but whatever right? The two soldiers look at each other with this expression ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and go “whooooops, LOL.” I cannot believe this shit won something.

What book would you take to a desert island?

In Search of Lost Time by Proust. It would be good to read about rich details of other surroundings that would differ from ‘sand’ and ‘sea’.

Who’s the worst?

The Bolsonaros, that fucking dude with his loser sons, because they are dumb and full of conviction... And his current wife, that evangelical preacher wannabe can also fuck off.

When did you last cry?

I’m very big on crying... My art show last year was called If it’s not for crying, I don’t even leave the house. I cried today at my therapy. I was talking about painting, which is what I am now, I’m a painter… I was discussing how I want to be certain that my work is good... but I can only be certain of the process. I’d like the comfort of being certain, but certainty in art itself is a killer and it makes for boring art.

What are you most scared of? War and to not have a democracy.

When did you last vomit?

When I was living in a 12m2 wooden shack I woke up barfing one day and I believe it was because I was intoxicated with mosquito repellent. I lived at the beach for five years and I would be covered in repellent 24 hours a day, every day.

Tell us a secret?

I never tried cocaine and I’m proud of it. I feel like I’m a rare unicorn snowflake for it, LOL.

Which celebrity could you take in a fight?

I don’t like fighting… so let’s say: who would you like to fuck off? And that would be JK Rowling.

If you could be reincarnated as an animal, which animal would it be?

A rescued stray cat! Because they are vital for the existence of some humans, did you know?

With CSS you’re about to go on tour – what are you most excited about?

To hang out with my bandmates! Being in a van while jetla ed and hungry is a recipe for a lot of creativity! We come up with horrible “would you rather” challenges, and since the old days of our tours we are slowly imagining the worst restaurant in the world.

The UK/EU tour kicks off in Glasgow; do you have a favourite memory of playing Scotland in the past?

So many! The gnocchi in front of ABC – for years that was my favourite food. Our first show in Europe was Indian Summer and I couldn’t believe how into us people were! Right after this show I gave an interview, I’m super hyper, full of adrenaline... and I remember people saying that I was on drugs, but I was just happy!

Do you have any surprises for the tour, can we expect any new music?

This is a reunion tour, probably our last tour ever! We won’t play new songs, I wish though… we have an unreleased song that we made with Dave Sitek one day when we were joking around called Why (Don’t You Suck UR Own Dick Tonight)? It’s so silly, I can’t really sing it because I can’t hold my laughter.

CSS play Drygate, Glasgow, 22 Jun cssmusic.club

Photo: Gleeson Paulino