KTSN12: Beerjacket

Beerjacket will be joined by friends to perform his latest album in its entirety
(Photo by Lisa-Marie Ferla)

The horribly clichéd term "singer/songwriter" is thrown around all too frequently these days, with every man, woman and child picking up a guitar in hope of becoming the next Bob Dylan, Regina Spektor or, God forbid, Ed Sheeran. Truth be told, there are very few who have the combined musical ability and lyrical dexterity to truly capture the attention, never mind the hearts, of an audience. Then there's Beerjacket.

With seven releases in the past eight years, one man alt-folk troubadour Peter Kelly is no newcomer to the Scottish circuit. Despite an impressive back catalogue of home-recorded material which has saw him share the stage with (and consequently win over) the likes of Feist, The Guillemots, The National and Ron Sexmith, it was his decision to take a step away from his long time lo-fi, DIY approach and finally take a step in to the studio with producer Stuart MacLeod on latest album The White Feather Trail that helped the music of Beerjacket reach a wider audience, resulting in widespread critical acclaim - and it's this latest offering that will be the focus of tomorrow night's headline King Tut's show, his second of this year.

The usually lonesome figure of Peter Kelly will this time be joined by the lovely Julia Doogan on vocals and the aforementioned Stuart MacLeod on various instruments ranging from the mandolin to baritone guitar, to perform The White Feather Trail in its entirety for the first time ever before treating his audience to a selection of favourites both old and new.

When I am asked what Scottish bands or artists I would recommend (and I am asked this question on a near daily basis) Beerjacket, without hesitation, is always my first response. Never have I came across a more impassioned, hard working and truly inspiring musician and human being and after the success of his recent venture in to the world of professional recording, I can confidently say this is only the beginning for one of Scotland, dare I say it Britain's, finest talents.

Support on the night comes from the stunning Glasgow based, atmospheric six-piece Quickbeam and husky, Oban lad Mike Nisbet whilst Scotland's favourite music blogger The Pop Cop will be selecting tracks for your aural delectation in the downstairs bar from 7pm.

KTSN12: Hector Bizerk + Madhat McGore

Louie and Audrey of Hector Bizerk headline the second night of KTSN12

There once was a time when the Scottish accent was frowned upon if it wasn't being performed by two spectacle wearing twin brothers, but with the rise of Biffy Clyro, and more recently Twin Atlantic, the thick Scottish brogue has well and truly found its voice - and guitar driven music isn't the only genre to benefit from the acceptance of foreign ears. You might not realise it but Scottish hip-hop is alive and kicking and tonight's bill firmly cements that fact.

Headlining the second night of King Tut's Summer Nights are Glaswegian two-piece Hector Bizerk. With just a mic and a drum kit, such a minimal set up not only displays the true genius of Louie's lyrics but allows the band to challenge themselves musically, something which they've proved more than capable of achieving. Fresh from their slot on the BBC Introducing Stage at T in the Park last Saturday (which I previewed here and which you can watch here), this dynamic duo are sure to impress even the most cynical of Scottish music fans when they take to the legendary King Tut's stage tonight.




Supporting is an Edinburgh MC who has been tearing up stages the length and breadth of the country with his sharp lyrics and heavy beats. Madhat McGore is no stranger to the Scottish hip-hop scene, having been writing and producing for the past 12 years, and his knack for rhymes and quick beats has helped put Scottish rap on the map. With the backing of MTV, Radio 1 and even the Daily Record, Madhat's unique blend of dubstep, grime and hip-hop reaffirms his status as one of Scotland's leading MCs.




Rounding off this fine exhibition of Scottish hip-hop is one of Glasgow's best kept secrets in the form of Gasp as well as haunting female vocals with exquisite beats from a personal favourite of mine, Becci Wallace & BilL Breaks. If that wasn't enough to whet your appetite, the girls behind the notoriously awesome MILK Glasgow nights, Aileen and Hannah, will be playing a whole host of tunes from 7pm in the downstairs bar to keep you entertained.

King Tut's Summer Nights 2012

After the success of the previous two years, King Tut's Summer Nights returns bigger and better than ever with another two weeks of some of the best new musical talent Scotland has to offer.

With over 60 up and coming bands and artists appearing at Scotland's most loved music venue over fifteen nights, there's enough diversity to cater for every taste. If that wasn't enough to make you spend a little of your hard earned cash, there will be DJ sets from bloggers and various people involved with supporting Scottish music before the doors to each gig open. So whilst you are enjoying one of Tut's special Summer Nights' offers such as Tacos or an Enchilada plus a bottle of beer or a margarita for £4.50 or a bargain £8 for two, you can also enjoy an array of handpicked tracks from the likes of the Pop Cop, Favourite Son, the MILK girls, Glasgow PodcART and the Detour boys to gear you up for the night ahead. I'll even be spinning some tunes before Midnight Lion so feel free to hurl abuse at me whilst I force some Destiny's Child down your lugs. Each night will also feature a secret midnight guest after the headline act has finished performing so stick around; you never know who you might come across. 

Tickets for each night are available in person from King Tut's Wah Wah Hut but I'd rather you clicked the "Tickets" link below after each listed night where you will find cheap tickets, directly from the artists themselves. DJ Sets will begin at 7pm in the bar and all gigs are over 18s unless otherwise stated. To listen to a selection of the selected artists via a King Tut's Summer Night's playlist on Spotify, click here.

#KTSN12

• Thu 12th July - PRONTO MAMA + Brazil Exists + The Little Kicks + Lost City Soul  + DJ Set from Ally & Weaver (Detour Scotland)
• Fri 13th July - HECTOR BIZERK + Madhat McGore + Becci Wallace & BilL Breaks + DJ Set from Aileen & Hannah (MILK Glasgow) (Tickets)
• Sat 14th July - JOHN WEAN + The NK Jays + Seed + Minor Delilah + DJ Set from Susan Ford (Music-News) (SOLD OUT)
• Sun 15th July - XAVIA + Lost in Audio + Atlas : Empire + Seams + DJ Set from Wull Swales (Define Pop) **Over 14s (Tickets)
• Mon 16th July - DANIEL DOCHERTY + Craig Fagan + Chloe Latimer + Anna Shields + DJ Set from Lisa-Marie Ferla (Last Years Girl) **Over 14s (Tickets)
• Tue 17th July - BEERJACKET & FRIENDS PLAY "THE WHITE FEATHER TRAIL" & SOME FAVOURITES + Quickbeam + Mike Nisbet + DJ Set from Jason (Pop Cop) (Tickets)
• Wed 18th July - BROWN BEAR & THE BANDITS + The Sea Kings + Aaron Wright + Lovers Turn To Monsters + DJ Set from Martin Knox (The Banter Magazine) (Tickets)
• Thu 19th July - MIDNIGHT LION + Galleries + Aames + DJ Set from Wesley Shearer (Scottish Scribbler) (Tickets)
• Fri 20th July - HOLY ESQUE + Queen Jane + The Mirror Trap + The 10:04s + DJ Set from Craig Devoy (Fish In A Sub) (Tickets)
• Sat 21st July - JACK BUTLER + Selective Service + Mickey 9's + Kobi + DJ Set from Elaine Liddle (Radar Scotsman) (Tickets)
• Sun 22nd July - THE RECOVERY! + Hunt / Gather + Fat Janitor + No Island + DJ Set from William Ritchie (Rokbun) (Tickets)
• Mon 23nd July - THE UNWINDING HOURS + Olympic Swimmers + Dead Electric + DJ Set from Halina & Kirstin (Glasgow PodcART) (Tickets)
• Tue 24th July - FIRES ATTRACT + Scarlet Shift + The Darien Venture + Crusades + DJ Set from Chris Hay (Favourite Son) **Over 14s (Tickets)
• Wed 25th July - RANDOLPH'S LEAP + Jonny Jack + Blue Sky Archives + Bronagh Monahan + DJ Set from Matthew Young (Song By Toad) (Tickets)
• Thu 26th July - DARC + The Mouse That Ate The Cat + Johnny and the Giros + TeKlo + DJ Set from Iain Dawson (Rave Child) (Tickets)

Cardboard Ships - Campfires In Winter

North Lanarkshire trio Campfires in Winter are set to release their debut EP, Cardboard Ships, and it's certainly worth the wait. For two years the band have been piecing together and perfecting their sound and their hard work has definitely paid off.

I hate to use such lazy comparisons but it's hard not to compare this band to The Twilight Sad. Both share a love for powerful vocals, combining heavy emotions with rousing choruses and blazing guitars and both do it exceptionally well. Even when listening to the title track, you would be forgiven for thinking someone had leaked a rare TS song.

However, comparisons aside, Campfires in Winter are more than capable of standing on their own two feet as the rest of their epic EP shows. The word epic may be over used nowadays but for a three track EP at almost twenty minutes long, epic seems to be the most appropriate word. As an introduction to a band, I would usually expect the EP to be short and snappy, a teaser if you like of what a band is capable of. Yet, despite two of the three tracks exceeding seven minutes in duration, this EP never loses my attention. It's a risky move but they might just have got away with it.

To celebrate the release of the EP the band will be embarking on a mini 'Flat Tour', seeing the guys play intimate acoustic sets in people's living rooms. The tour kicks off on the 26th of July to coincide with the release of Cardboard Ships and will end with an appearance at the Pin Ups Festival on Friday 30th July at The Flying Duck. The dates and locations are as follows:

Mon 26th - Halina's flat
Tue 27th - Steven and Jenny's flat
Wed 28th - Sean's flat
Thu 29th - Lloyd's back garden
Fri 30th - Pin Up Festival @ The Flying Duck

For more information contact Lloyd Meredith (who has now turned his hand to band management) at peenkoblog@gmail.com


Cardboard Ships is avilable as a free download from 26th July or at gigs in the form of 50 hand-made, limited edition CDs.

You can find Campfires in Winter on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.

Gig: Aye Tunes Vs Peenko II

After the success of the first collaboration, two of Scotland's finest bloggers have teamed up once again to bring you another night of fine music. Tomorrow night, The 13th Note will play host to Aye Tunes Vs Peenko II and what a night it's going to be.





On the bill are an incredibly young, Glasgwegian four piece by the name of Little Yellow Ukuleles. The Yooks have been kicking up a storm over the past year, gigging the length and breadth of the country as well as being Introduced by 6Music's Tom Robinson. I'm not the biggest fan of Little Yellow Ukuleles but they are a much loved and well supported band who I'm sure will more than entertain the crowd at the 13th Note tomorrow night.





Also taking to the stage will be my personal favourites, Randolph's Leap. These guys make cheery, alt-folk nonsense with the odd Scottish ballad thrown in for good measure. Humourous lyrics, infectious melodies and lots of fun, their set (just like their songs) is sure to raise a smile.





Last but not least are We're Only Afraid of NYC. I only recently discovered this band and gradually fell in love with their dark, loud/quiet, melodic rock. They are an exciting band with massive potential and it's easy to see why both Jim and Lloyd rate them so highly.


Tickets are a steal at only £5 but make sure you get down early as it's sure to be a busy night.

This week's gigs

Prepare to 'get your groove on' as Make Sparks bring their infectious guitar-pop to The Captain's Rest tonight. Support comes from a promising Aberdonian outfit, Cast of the Capital as well as Glasgow based Little Yellow Ukuleles (or The Yooks for short), a band who are building quite a reputation. Tickets are £5 and can be purchased on the door, doors open at 8pm. Elsewhere in Glasgow, Johnny and the Giros prepare to squeeze all six members onto Pivo Pivo's tiny stage. A talented bunch of musicians who fuse some funky basslines with catchy hooks and dirty synth. The only downside is the lack of dance floor at Pivo Pivo. Again, tickets can be purchased on the door and are priced at £5.

Thursday is a busy night in Glasgow. Progressive experimentalists Call To Mind launch their EP at Stereo in what is sure to be a stunning night of beautiful music. Support is provided by Diamond Sea and another favourite of mine, Yahweh. £5 on the door. Having received favourable reviews from the likes of Vic Galloway and Nick Grimshaw, Jakil are certainly hot right now. They will play the O2 Academy 2 alongside one of Glasgow's hardest working bands, Tempercalm. A tidy line-up which is definitely worth a look. Tickets are £6 and can be purchased here. As it's Thursday night, the Oran Mor is where I'll be at as The Mill will be showcasing yet another terrific band, Midnight Lion. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm pretty excited for this gig and you can get your hands on a ticket too, free of charge. As with every show at The Mill, the text for tickets system is in place. Just text 'MILL38K' to 82500 or you can register your details here and follow the quick and easy steps. Support comes from another impressive new band, Song Of Return. You'd be daft to miss this gig. If for some strange reason none of these sound appealing, there is an alternative. If it wasn't for Midnight Lion's show at The Mill, this is where I would be. The Captain's Rest will be playing host to the absolutely bonkers but brilliant, Super Adventure Club. Helping them launch their new album 'Avoid Zombies' are United Fruit and The Banana Sessions. Doors are at 8pm and tickets cost £4. Prepare to be scared and amazed.

Friday night sees the delightful Boycotts play The Flying Duck's 'Pin Up Nights' alongside the fantastically folky Washington Irving and the newly formed Male Pattern Band. Tickets are £5 and the club runs from 9pm to 3am. North Atlantic Oscillation's sound is huge and at this rate their popularity may begin to match the sheer size of their sound. You can catch them at Sneaky Pete's in Edinburgh on Friday night and at The Captain's Rest in Glasgow the following night. You can buy tickets for the Edinburgh gig here for a mere £4.50. You better be quick though, there aren't a lot of tickets left. Finally, Glasgow's O2 Academy will play host to Future's Fest on Saturday night. Johnny Foreigner will headline along with a whole host of Scottish artists. The stand outs for me being LightGuides (formerly WeHungYourLeader) who appear to have never heard of a space bar and Acrylic Iqon who will no doubt draw comparisons to Paramore, except the major difference being Paramore are shit. Tickets are priced at £10 and can be purchased here.

Plenty to choose from!