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

SCARRED LIP, WEE RED BAR, EDINBURGH, MARCH 2 2024

 He's been away, and now he's back with a new project. Which was never meant to happen.

LINE-UP:

LEO BARGERY: Excellent solo performance from DAY SLEEPER/MT. DOUBT singer at the piano, somewhat marred by loud and persistent chat from the audience. 

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/5fmVyCzj7LY   https://www.facebook.com/leor.bargery

MAGPIE BLUE: Brilliant stuff. Emotional and, in her own words, 'brutally honest' songs from Millie, once again battling against the chat. So much so that she felt it necessary to politely ask for a little quiet. Which worked, for a short while.

Nice socks.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/MT3yz0TWTRw   https://www.facebook.com/magpieblueofficial

SCARRED LIP: This is a band which was never meant to happen. It was intended to be no more than a hobby project by local legend Matthew Bakewell, formerly of A FIGHT YOU CAN'T WIN, HALF FORMED THINGS, ETC, with drummer Edwin McLachlan. Tony Wright (VERSECHORUSVERSE/ex ASIWYFA) got involved, but personal issues forced him home to Belfast. Edwin went off to drum for YOUNG FATHERS. An EP had been written and recorded. CIARA joined the party on piano. Some chums pitched in on drums and bass, and suddenly they were an actual band. Gig followed.

The songs played here tonight draw together threads from all of Matthew's previous projects, woven together into something new, but recognisably Bakewell. They're different from the EP versions, re-imagined and re-arranged for-and by - the band. And they're magnificent.

You get a bonus video this time, as they were joined for one song by Magpie Blue, and it was too good not to share.

Scarred Lip don't do Facebook, but you can find Matthew here:  https://www.facebook.com/MattPiecdobrze

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/dC1z3ButQOc

BONUS VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/WMHeBnjf0l4