HELICON, VOODOO ROOMS, EDINBURGH, FEBRUARY 2026

An evening of psychedelia in one of Edinburgh's nicest rooms.

Line-up:

KAVUS TORABI: London based, Iranian born serial collaborator, has worked with Gong, Knifeworld, Utopia Strong, Steve Davis, Guapo, Cardiacs, amongst (many) others. Gentle psych/prog from a very nice man.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/UBGVCxowvqE   https://www.facebook.com/KavusTorabi

HELICON: Glaswegian psychedelic brain-spinners. Swirly lights, hypno-riffs, sitars, that sort of thing. Last time I saw them was in the fog in Sneaky Pete's, but tonight they're fog-free and so much better for it. They play songs that, I imagine, could go on for hours if unleashed, but they control themselves and keep it snappy.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/_vwbYGeoKcI   https://www.facebook.com/HeliconGlasgow

YOWL, SNEAKY PETE'S, EDINBURGH, JANUARY 20 2026

2026 continues to be a year of bands I've never seen before, have never heard of, and have no clue about.  Here's another three. The only thing I know about these bands is how to spell their names.

Please excuse the appalling pics, but the smoke machine was working overtime and the bands were barely visible much of the time.

Line-up:

SAVE FACE: Gentle indie-pop. With a trumpet. At the merch desk they have many t-shirts for sale, but no recorded music. Nice stuff, though, even if it's very hard to see them at times, due to the ridiculously thick smoke on stage.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/bk1RsMVg3Zg   https://www.instagram.com/savefaceband/

3P SLOT MACHINE: Psychedelic alt-folk oddness featuring lap-steel guitar, something which might be a djembe, and slacker-esque vocals. And a very tall bass player. They have an EP available, but they don't play any of the songs from it, for... reasons. Great fun.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/LqfJxmAxmyE   https://www.instagram.com/3pslotmachine/

YOWL: Robust indie/post-punk balladeers based in, but not actually from, London, not unlike a rougher DAY SLEEPER. They go down well with the crowd, and quite rightly so.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/vO-qglILw1k  https://www.facebook.com/yowlmusic

EARTH TO DUST, BANNERMAN'S, EDINBURGH, JANUARY 17 2026

FIVE POUNDS? THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS!

There's a whole lot of member juggling tonight (NOT an erotic cabaret turn), and I'll try to sort it out as we go.

LINE UP:

NOISEPACK: Local HC/punk outfit, featuring members of Earth to Dust and A.V.L, amongst others. There are two guitarists - let's call them G1 and G2. G1 plays bass in A.V.L with singer Ryan. They play fierce, rapid-fire punky noise, and they are very good. Their songs are short and numerous.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/voRRydxOkUE  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582666613648

A.V.L: Local sludge/noise combo, featuring members of Noisepack and A.V.L, amongst others. G1 from NOISEPACK doing ridiculously complicated things on bass. Longer songs, sludgier sound, but no less ferocious. Ryan's voice still holding out for his second set of the night.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/gmOEXKcwUXA  https://www.facebook.com/avlband

EARTH TO DUST: Local metal/sludge combo featuring, to no-one's great surprise, members of Social Insecurity, amongst others. Two guitarists, G2 from NOISEPACK and G3. More 'metal' than the two openers, with a sound verging on the 'post-metal' at times. Angry, uncompromisingly left-wing and very, very good.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/WueAiEawNQ0  https://www.facebook.com/wytrzeszczpunx

 

SOCIAL INSECURITY: Local crusty h/c punks, featuring... ah, bugger it, you know the deal by now.

Two singers, and guitarist G3 from Earth To Dust. No-nonsense angry punks, I think they've been away for a number of years, but they're back now with, apparently some new members. I really can't say whether they are as good as they were, better than they were, or whatever, but the crowd loves them. And quite right too. Regarding their backdrop message, I think FUCKICE might be a town in Poland.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/ZCBNXvjLQ7E    https://www.instagram.com/socialinsecurity666/

VOLKA, SNEAKY PETE'S, EDINBURGH, JANUARY 9 2026

 All right 2026, let's be having you!

It's not been, relatively speaking, a long winter hiatus this time. Only 3 weeks since the last thing, and already gigs are piling up for 2026. Back in Sneaky's for Gig 1.

Line-up:

HEMLOCK: There's two of them, they're from Glasgow, and they do, apparently, desert rock.

And, indeed, there ARE two of them and they do, indeed, play some kind of desert rock. Like Queens of the Stone Age blended with a grungy variety of Stereophonics, if that makes any sense. They're very good. AND they finish with a sturdy cover of QOTSA's 'Song for the Dead'.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/7CcajAtj7E0   https://www.instagram.com/hemlock_official_

BRASSER: There's two of them, they're from Glasgow, and they do, apparently, post-punky alt-rock. Actually, I HAVE seen these lads a couple of times before, and have absolutely no objection to seeing them again. Which I don't, because they have some kind of family emergency and can't play.

VOLKA: Noisy alt-rock from nearby Livingston. Never seen them before, no idea what they sound like. What can possibly go wrong?

Nothing, as it happens. Despite this being their first gig in about 14 months. Are they rusty? How the fuck should I know? But they sound fine - rousing emo-ish alt-rock songs with big sing-along choruses. It's easy to forgive them for coming from Livingston.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/jYiYCvNn9QQ   https://www.facebook.com/volkaband