Sounds in the City
Glasgow has established an international reputation for its pulsating live music scene, but with up to 100 bands playing across the city most nights of the year, the choice can be overwhelming and the quality can vary wildly. In her regular listings column, Shannon Travers, host of a new independent internet TV show that highlights emerging Scottish music talent, suggests some choice upcoming shows to suit a range of budgets and tastes. This week:
Pete Doherty
Glasgow Barrowlands | Fri 20 May | £18.00 (ticketmaster.co.uk)
Overshadowed by on-off involvement with The Libertines and Babyshambles – not to mention tabloid revelations and legal problems – it’s easy to forget that Pete Doherty is a talented songwriter and solo performer in his own right.
He hopes to become a film star in 2011, acting opposite Charlotte Gainsbourg in a French drama about the life of a 19th century poet. If that career move goes well, this may be your last chance to see him play Glasgow. The Barrowlands is apparently one of his favourite live venues, so hopefully he won’t decide not to turn up for this one at the last minute!
Joan As Police Woman
Òran Mór, Byres Road | Fri 11 Feb | £15.00 (ticketmaster.co.uk)
American singer-songwriter Joan Wasser, an accomplished violinist, has quite the cv. Among others, she has collaborated with Lou Reed, Elton John, the Scissor Sisters and Rufus Wainwright. Her own band, Joan As Police Woman, reflects this diversity. Their third album, released in January, is an entertaining mish-mash of funk, soul and pop that ranges from melancholy to menacing to upbeat. Definitely worth seeing.
Disguise Your Beauty
Classic Grand, Jamaica Street| Sun 13 Feb | £6.00 (tickets-scotland.com)
If you like your rock ‘post-hardcore’, with overly aggressive drumming and raw, shrieking vocals, then Glasgow’s Disguise Your Beauty is the new band for you. The sextet bring their debut EP to light at this 14+ launch night, and have kindly made the tunes available for free download so that fans can howl – sorry, ‘sing’ – along. (myspace.com/disguiseyourbeauty).
Check out Up Next Music TV at: www.upnexttv.co.uk
Want your gig listed here? Email details to info@upnexttv.co.uk