Before you read this (assuming you read my ramblings and don’t just skip ahead to the listings at the bottom) make sure to check out Fraser’s post gathering together the many benefit gigs in town over the coming weeks in aid of The Clutha. The music community of Glasgow and beyond have really pulled together on this, with 100% of the profits going to the families of those affected by the terrible events of last week. So make sure you get along to at least one of them.
As for the rest of the live music this week, it’s nice and varied with a little something for everyone. For example, the Goths among you have reason to celebrate (if that’s something Goths do) as a double bill of The Mission and Fields of The Nephilim hit the Academy on Saturday. For those of you who skew slightly heavier there are also a few options. Top of the bill would be Touche Amore at Stereo on Tuesday, though if you’re feeling all nostalgic for your late 90’s/early 00’s alt rock, then Placebo at the Academy on Friday are the band for you.
In a similarly nostalgic mode are the once mighty Boyzone at The Hydro on Sunday. Following hot on the heels of Five’s appearance at the SECC a couple of weeks ago, its been a great year for fans of old boybands even if the Boyzone boys are getting on a bit these days. Still, 20 years in the business is something worth celebrating, especially if you consider that tickets for their shows were allegedly in more demand than today’s young pretenders like One Direction.
Top picks of the week however are Haim at the Barras on Thursday and Kurt Vile and his Violaters at The Arches on Sunday. Haim’s debut album ‘Days Are Gone’ is probably the most pleasant surprise of the year. On paper they sound like they should be awful, one of these weird family efforts originally brought together by a record label as a band aimed at tween audiences. Prior to their meteoric rise this year they were primarily known for their appearance on the ‘Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards Soundtrack’ (yes that is a thing). Yet despite all this the album itself is a complete gem, fully earning comparisons to the best of Fleetwood Mac. On my personal year end list it would come probably only slightly behind Kurt Vile’s sublime ‘Wakin on a Pretty Daze’. No matter what the weather is like outside, one listen to this and you’ll feel transported to a lazy summers day drinking warm beers in the sun. Quite how it will fare in a live setting during this especially bleak December remains to be seen, but if anyone can inject a little sunshine into the Scottish winter then it’s Kurt Vile.
Full Listings
| Monday 9 December | |
| Tinie Tempah | The Hydro | £25 | 7pm |
| The Waterboys | Royal Concert Hall | £25 | 7.30pm |
| Purson | Broadcast | £6.50 | 8pm |
| Tuesday 10 December | |
| The Waterboys | Barrowlands | £27.50 | 7pm |
| Touche Amore | Stereo | £12 | 7.30pm |
| Ed Askew | Glad Cafe | £10 | 7.30pm |
| Emily Wells | King Tut’s | £6 | 8.30pm |
| Wednesday 11 December | |
| Simon McBride | The Arches | £14 | 7pm |
| The Courteeners | Barrowlands | £18.50 | 7pm |
| China Crisis | Oran Mor | £16 | 7pm |
| Stuart Henderson + Chris Bathgate | Mono | FREE | 8pm |
| André Rieu | The Hydro | £40 | 8pm |
| Cold Crows Dead | King Tut’s | £6.50 | 8.30pm |
| So Many Animal Calls | Bloc+ | FREE | 9pm |
| Thursday 12 December | |
| Supanova | Classic Grand | £15 | 6pm |
| Pink Lilies the 2nd | 13th Note | £5 | 6.30pm |
| Shed Seven | Barrowlands | SOLD OUT | 7pm |
| Wooden Shjips | SWG3 | £14 | 7pm |
| Missing Myla | Pivo Pivo | £6 | 7pm |
| Haim | O2 ABC | SOLD OUT | 7pm |
| Friday 13 December | |
| The Vatersay Boys | Barrowlands | £20 | 7pm |
| Gun | O2 ABC | £15 | 7pm |
| Ill Bill | O2 ABC | £15 | 7pm |
| Placebo | O2 Academy | £26.50 | 7pm |
| Xentrix | Cathouse | £10 | 7pm |
| Clyde 1 Live | The Hydro | £30 | 7.30pm |
| Papa Shandy and The Drams | Glad Cafe | £TBC | 7.30pm |
| Deathcats | 13th Note | £5 | 8pm |
| Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher | CCA | £10 | 8pm |
| The Men They Couldn’t Hang | King Tut’s | £13 | 8.30pm |
| Saturday 14 December | |
| Gamelan Naga Mas | Mono | FREE | 4pm |
| Primal Scream | SECC | £29.50 | 6.30pm |
| The Post Orgasmic Sunshine Band | Stereo | £6 | 7pm |
| Flux Pavilion | O2 ABC | £14.50 | 7pm |
| Jasmine | O2 ABC | £10 | 7pm |
| The Mission + Fields of the Nephilim | O2 Academy | £26 | 7pm |
| Steve Hogarth | Oran Mor | £18 | 7pm |
| The Amazing Snakehead’s Christmas Party | Kinning Park Complex | £6 | 7.30pm |
| The Uncommon Good | 13th Note | £6 | 8pm |
| Chris Helme | Broadcast | £7.50 | 8pm |
| Alabaster Jones | King Tut’s | £7 | 8.30pm |
| Sunday 15 December | |
| Boyzone | The Hydro | £35.50 | 6.30pm |
| Kurt Vile and The Violators | The Arches | £12.50 | 7pm |
| Toby Jepson | Stereo | £8.50 | 7pm |
| Gogol Bordello | O2 Academy | £18.50 | 7pm |
| Scar the Martyr | Cathouse | £10 | 7pm |
| Edwyn Collins | Mono | £10 | | 7.30pm |
| The Whispery Club | Nice ’N’ Sleazy | £5 | 7.30pm |
| Ásgeir | Broadcast | £8 | 8pm |
Let us know in the comments, who are you going to see this week? Or are there any must-sees which somehow haven’t made it onto our listings?
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