Travis
Glasgow ABC
Fri 26th September
Watching Travis live is hilarious, and not only because Fran Healy appears to be performing dressed as Inspector Gadget tonight (hat and coat – no actual gadgets, sadly).
Gig reviews
ReLoaded
Stirling Tolbooth
Sat 27th September
Ever since Stirling’s Tolbooth reopened as a venue for music and the arts it has held regular showcase gigs, giving local bands a platform to show what they are made of.
More recently pairing the local talents with some of Scotland’s finest indie – alternative – underground bands. more… “ReLoaded”
Zoey Van Goey / The Starlets / John B McKenna
Glasgow 13th Note
Thurs 18th September
“Eh, I’m quite drunk”. So declares John B McKenna, offering a somewhat unnecessary disclaimer to his appreciative audience. If McKenna was to be judged solely on his appearance and verbose lyricism, the verdict would surely be something along the lines of ‘tortured artist type’. But his frequent and charming between-song banter (including a plug of his demo cd followed by, “I only made six though”) reveals an unjustifiably modest and endearingly unpretentious demeanour.
more… “Zoey Van Goey / The Starlets / John B McKenna”
Bon Iver
Edinburgh Queen’s Hall
Wed 17th September
I am well aware that my entire remit as a writer for Is This Music? is to go and watch bands and then summarise the performance in a couple of hundred words, but I must confess I’m at a loss when it comes to conveying just how incredible this performance was. more… “Bon Iver”
Approximately Infinite Universe
Glasgow CCA
18th September 2008
“A caravan of raw sound magic”, the Approximately Infinite Universe tour aims to join the dots between the US psych/noise/drone underground and sympathetic acts on Finland’s Fonal label. The collaborations looked good on paper, but how would they work on stage? more… “Approximately Infinite Universe”
Michael Franti / Spearhead
Edinburgh Liquid Room
Wed 20th August
The joke has been made before I’m sure, but the Liquid Room gets its name from the sweat that generates from the occupants on a warm summer night. Always a ‘cosy’ venue, the intimate setting for larger capacity shows goes off the scale when the warmth that an artist like Michael Franti generates. more… “Michael Franti / Spearhead”
Dunstaffnage Festival slideshow
Dunstaffnage, Oban
Oban, July 2008
We were there! Clearly our writers had way too good a time, but our photographer (Garry Maclennan) was in full flow, and here’s the result of his frenzied dash between the stages at the Oban festival. more… “Dunstaffnage Festival slideshow”
Hydro Connect
Inveraray Castle
Friday 31st August 2008
The Hydro Connect Festival, set amongst the inspiring rolling hills and lochs of Argyshire with the stunning backdrop of Inveraray Castle, is now in its second year, billed as an alternative to T in the Park – a so called boutique festival brought to you by DF Concerts, supposedly aimed at a slightly older more discerning festival goer. more… “Hydro Connect”
Live at Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
July 2008
We were here too! Obviously our writers were having way too much fun to file a report, but intrepid photographer Garry Maclennan captured the event in pictures… more… “Live at Loch Lomond”
Hydro Connect
Inveraray Castle
Saturday 1st August
Although the weather isn’t looking too clever and with the campsite beginning to look precarious, the site holds out remarkably well. more… “Hydro Connect”