Music Monday: Gigs in Glasgow This Week

The week gets off to a weird start with the Mael brothers Ron and Russell, aka. Sparks. Defined by their chalk and cheese dynamic, playing Russell’s wide-eyed hyperactivity against Ron’s dry scowl, the duo may not have released any new material since 2009, but they have embarked on a string of well received shows, performing for the first time without a live band as part of their Two Hands, One Mouth tour. Here they return to The Arches with that tour’s sequel, the appropriately titled The Revenge of Two Hands, One Mouth, once again limiting themselves to Ron’s keyboards and Russell’s famed falsetto.

Thursday sees the return of celebrated 90’s act The Dismemberment Plan, whose 1999 album Emergency & I is commonly accepted to be one of that decade’s greatest releases. In fact it might just be too good as far as the band is concerned. While 2001’s Change received good reviews, its legacy has been largely overshadowed by that of its younger sibling. Having split up a few years later the band are now back together and touring off the back of their new album Uncanny Valley, whose reception has been decidedly lukewarm. Still, the band continues to ride the overwhelming wave of goodwill off the back of their 1999 classic, and frankly, they would be fools not to play their two most famous party tracks, ‘You Are Invited’ and ‘What Do you Want me To Say.’

Finally, The Hydro continues its run of must see shows with Nickelback and Five. Except Five couldn’t even get The Hydro, and will instead have to make do with the good old SECC (The Hydro is instead playing host to something called Nitro Circus?!?). Anyway, Five seem to be back on high following ITV’s Big Reunion, and there’s no doubt more than enough nostalgia out there to fill the aircraft hanger-like halls of the SECC. Quite how Avril Lavigne’s husband’s band has managed to book The Hydro is anyone’s guess though. Fronted by probably the most reviled man in rock, the band are touring off the back of their newly released greatest hits album, whose title, The Best of Nickelback Volume 1, is probably the most bafflingly arrogant title in music history. Not only does it represent a gross overstatement (a true ‘best of Nickelback’ album would be limited to a single song, the admittedly decent “How You Remind Me”), but it suggests that there’s more to come in the future.

Full Listings

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?