Someone asked me what the best gigs I’d ever been to were… a few jumped to mind! Here’s a list. It’s impossible to order these things in any meaningful way given the passage of time and the degradation and colouring of memories… but let’s give this a go:

  • Frightened Rabbit - from the first time in The GRV on Guthrie Street to the intimacy of the Queens Hall to Barrowlands to all of the other places (including a few record stores) I loved every gig from this band and will always love this band.

  • Bleachers - honestly one of the highest energy gigs I’ve ever been to… and I was so happy to hear Good Morning and Whole Of The Moon. So much love for this band live. Many thanks to Tasha for introducing me to their music.

  • Rammstein - one of those shows that I won’t forget, mostly due to the pyro and the dingy-crowd-surf!

  • Suburbia - a gig in Hawick in Stampers Bar when I was 17. I still stand by Home as being one of the greatest songs by a Scottish band. 

  • Foo Fighters & NIN - double header at Meadowbank. It was a special gig as part of the T On The Fringe (which I’d forgotten had Silversun Pickups as the support). I thought that there was a toss of a coin decider as to which band headlined but can’t find any mention. Absolutely loved hearing Best Of You.

  • The Proclaimers - Hawick Town Hall. My first proper gig (unless you count Mr Boom, The Singing Kettle or a Queen cover band in Teviotdale Swimming Pool called Magic… and I respect you if you count any of those!)

  • Nine Inch Nails - Glasgow Hydro on the floor. 

  • Barenaked Ladies - yet another Queens Hall gig but I had not expected this one to be soooooo gooood!

  • The Rolling Stones - Bridges To Babylon tour in Murrayfield Stadium in 1999 with an actual bridge into the crowd and playing on a second stage. Thoroughly entertaining spectacle. 

  • Cat Empire - Queens Hall - I thought the place was going to fall down from the sound or the dancing!

  • Skin/Franz Ferdinand/Sigur Rós/Scissor Sisters  - the weird juxtaposition of going from Sigur Ros to Scissor Sisters, being the only people from Scotland at Franz Ferdinand AND the sleep deprivation by being day guests and not campers all made Heineken Open’er Festival 2006 a trippy experience. 

  • Bon Jovi & Matchbox Twenty - I think I was a bigger Matchbox Twenty fan than Bon Jovi fan at this point in time but Crush (and especially It’s My Life and One Wild Night) were absolute staples at WH Smith when I was behind the counter!

  • They Might Be Giants - the gig in the Queens Hall was great but actually the kids gig in Glasgow was a triumph as it was the mini one’s first gig!

  • Proclaimers & Billy Bragg - Underneath The Stars - very different performances but two bands that know how to smash through some hits and the whole weekend was so chilled.

  • The Magnetic Fields - Queens Hall in 2002ish with my flatmates, a good point in some rougher times.

  • Hope & Social at Underneath The Stars - the brass band marching in the crowd after the thunderstorm was perfection!

  • Weird Al - in Oslo no less! A weekend at peak (for the time) UK rail prices. It was madness to think that a weekend in Oslo (including flights and accommodation) was cheaper than getting to London… and seeing Weird Al was a real bonus.

  • Death Cab For Cutie - crap venue (the Corn Exchange) but great to hear the band at their peak. 

  • God Help The Girl/Belle & Sebastian - movie screening then gig. Would have been higher up this list but the astroturf on the floor of the Corn Exchange (worst venue in the world, see Death Cab, Chvrches, Them Crooked Vultures, Radiohead, Queens Of The Stone Age, etc etc) was obviously filthy and had maybe come from outside festival toilets as a bunch of us ended up extremely unwell after we had to sit on it to watch the film screening. 

  • Honourable mentions: Queens Of The Stone Age, Jon Hopkins, Chvrches, Radiohead, Tide Lines, Them Crooked Vultures, Jonathan Coulton, Garbage, Kiltreiser, Steve Earle, Come On Gang, Tourists in the Warzone, Puddles Pity Party