DREICH, WEE RED BAR, EDINBURGH, OCTOBER 30 2026

It's nearly Hallowe'en, so what better than a night of black metal?

Tonight's headliners were originally supposed to be HORRENDA, but they can't make it, so...

Line-up:

FEINMHARU: Glaswegian duo, drums and guitar/vocals. Very raw. The sort of black metal you might expect from a demented raven. Also tonight's promoter.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/n1L35omVfgs  https://www.instagram.com/feinmharu666/

GRIEF INCARNATE: Late addition to the bill, after HORRENDA's pull-out. Not really 'black metal', more slam/death. Missing one guitarist tonight, due to the sickness. They seem a tad disappointed by the lack of 'throwdowns', but maybe it's not quite the right audience for that sort of thing.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/mLjY8dUI3Vw   https://www.instagram.com/grief_incarnateband/

DREICH: Aberdeen's kings of DSBM. Boosted up to headliners tonight. Sludgy and grim, the bleakest of metal. Fond of knotted ropes. Not, it seems, very fond of people.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/uJDWTOUbJak   https://www.facebook.com/dreichscotland

That's enough of the metal for now. Next post will feature something entirely different, and then it's a couple o' weeks off before the CORE fest. I've seen that hill in Glasgow, and I'm going to need the time to build up some strength...

HOWLING GIANT, WEE RED BAR, EDINBURGH, MAY 16 2026

 

Touring Americans, from Nashville. Not 'country '...

Line-up:

OBSIDIAN SAND: Local instrumental psychedelic post-metal trio. A bit ISIS-ish, little hints of 1969 PINK FLOYD, generally dead good.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/RNvqwiXVrcY   https://www.facebook.com/ObsidianSand

FUZ CALDRIN: West Lothian psych/stoners. Been around for ages, but somehow I have only seen them once before, years ago. Play a couple of new songs tonight. More than a hint of QOTSA at times. Very fuzzy. Bass player very bendy.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/ZsFSKwiBTJ4   https://www.facebook.com/fuzcaldrinband

HOWLING GIANT: The aforementioned touring Americans. Not nearly as fuzzy and psychedelic as I was led to believe, but more like good ol' Murrican hard rock with proggy vocals. Occasionally drop into a stoner/desert rock groove, though. Which is nice.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/l0gSntgMgVM    https://www.facebook.com/howlinggiant

VEXATIONS, WEE RED BAR, EDINBURGH, OCTOBER 25 2025

 A double EP release show. This one's going to be chaos. With any luck.

Line-up:

OCH VEY: Joyous Yiddish folk-punk, keeping the klezmer spirit alive. Seditious, anti-authoritarian and pro-Palestine. And quite right too. Much dancing happens.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/hmM-U5-55N0   https://www.facebook.com/ochveymusic

SHINLIFTER: Another new band for me, in-yer-face post-punk this time, angular and spiky. Attitude by the bucketful, and always teetering on the verge of chaos but never quite falling in. Joined at one point by friendly heckler Colin, cheerfully improvising along to a song whose words he does not know. 

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/lLixPecIp0M    https://www.instagram.com/shinlifter/?hl=en

VEXATIONS: Local 'off-kilter post punk' quartet giving THEIR new EP a run-through. I HAVE seen these folks before - at THE HOME BAR up the road - and they haven't got any less intense since that gig. Fierce,

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/fFwOKf8N6T4   https://www.facebook.com/vexationsedinburgh

BONUS CONTENT!

At the end of VEXATIONS; set, they are joined for a chaotic rendition of THE STOOGES' 'I Wanna be Your Dog'. Bodies everywhere, Enormous fun.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/hmM-U5-55N0

QUIET THE ART, WEE RED BAR, EDINBURGH, SEPTEMBER 14 2024

Hi there! Remember me? I know, it's been a while, but I'm back now. Easing back gently with a low-key show at the Wee Red, familiar faces all round.

Venue: WEE RED BAR

LINE-UP:

BOARDGAME: Improv ambient electronica duo. Been a couple of months since I saw them last, with QUIET, THE ART in SUMMERHALL. They haven't changed significantly  - still do their bleepy bloopy thing in the dark, in front of a screen showing trippy swirly stuff. It's pleasantly hypnotic, but nigh on impossible to photograph. Also, the audience talk loudly throughout and ruin any chance of a video so you'll just have to imagine it.

IDIOGRAM: Instrumental post-rock/prog loveliness. Not sure how many gigs Idiogram have played - I think this might be just their third since they began in 2019, ALL of which I have attended. It's been a long time since their last, with Covid, family stuff, etc, but they're back now, promoting a new single,  and will surely be playing many, many more gigs in the near future. Yes. (Actually, they WILL be back soon for the proper album release gig)

Thanks to Lesley and the rest of the Idiograms for the lovely t-shirt.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/gJWWh-4wI5Y   https://www.facebook.com/idiogram.band

QUIET, THE ART: Shoe-gazey post-rock duo, mostly instrumental with an occasionally singing drummer. It's good to get another chance to see them so soon after the previous gig, given the camera issues I had last time. 

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/nlVl_Q05wuo   https://www.facebook.com/quiettheart