Issue 706

Iconic Edinburgh venue The Bongo Club relocates to Cowgate

Memories of the club in its Moray House home

As the Bongo Club prepares to pack up and leave their Moray House venue, Henry Northmore catches up with the club and various residents about the past and the future. Why will you miss the Bongo Club at Moray House? Andrew Nation (Assistant Venue…

Amazon, Penguin, Random House and the state of publishing

Author Sophie Cooke explains why Amazon is still a bigger worry than the Random House/Penguin merger

Amazon has always presented itself as a consumer champion, decrying the greed of publishers who insist on maintaining high prices for their authors’ e-books. Amazon is all about the customer. Good service, free delivery, low prices and plenty of…

A History of Classical Music: Part 2 - Really Early Music

Alex Johnston's series of articles outlining the history of classical music - with Spotify playlist

People have been making music as long as there's been people. The earliest musical instruments we have appear to be bone flutes, around 40,000 years old, found in Germany and Slovenia. The earliest composer whose name we know was from Ur, in what's now…

A History of Classical Music: Part 1 - Introduction

Alex Johnston's series of articles outlining the history of classical music - with Spotify playlist

Do you like the odd piece of classical music, but you also feel like you can't tell one composer from another, and you don't know who wrote your favourite bits, and you're finding it all it a bit intimidating, but you'd like to know more? We can…

The Ring

Thrilling sound performance in the dark

There’s not much to see in David Rosenberg’s performance The Ring, in fact there’s nothing at all: almost the whole show takes place in complete darkness. Entering a dimly lit room, each audience member is given a set of headphones through which plays a…

Streetsmart's annual campaign urges restaurant diners to help feed the homeless

£1 added to restaurant bills over Christmas raises money for local charities

The List is pleased once again to be lending its support to Streetsmart Scotland, the initiative which encourages restaurant diners to add a voluntary £1 donation to their restaurant bills over December in aid of local homeless charities. Now in its…

Rustie and TNGHT to perform at Pleasure Principle 2013

Weekend dance festival in Cornwall is the product of a collaboration between Numbers and Dedbeat

Glasgow’s Numbers and the team behind former Dedbeat festival have jointly created Pleasure Principle, a new music weekender to add to the 2013 calendar. The already confirmed lineup features a mix of big names in hip hop and electronic music…

The best of Bob Servant

Ahead of new his BBC TV series, we look back on The List Agony Uncle's finest moments

Ladies and Gentlemen of Scotland, I am writing both to say hello and, tragically, to say goodbye. Over the last few years I have improved the miserable lives of so many of you through my much-admired Ask Bob column. Alas, all good things come to an end…

The Fall - Arches, Glasgow, Wed 21 Nov

Mark E Smith and co deliver set lacking structure but brimming with unapologetic integrity

Mark E Smith is often hailed as the most enigmatic frontman of his generation. Predictably unpredictable, with a biting wit that pours scorn over the most trivial of subjects, generally casting a sardonic sneer down from his perch above, he's certainly…

Rise of the Guardians

An overcooked seasonal family release, with the voices of Jude Law and Hugh Jackman

This latest DreamWorks animation, a 3D concoction just in time for Christmas, is a rather soulless affair. Which, given it features Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, not to mention a whole bunch of elves, might seem hard to believe. But…

Starbuck

Likeable but flawed comedy drama about a prolific sperm donor

David Wozniak (Patrick Huard) is a loser. He works – barely – at his dad’s butcher shop; he neglects his girlfriend Valerie (Julie LeBreton); he’s borrowed money from gangsters to start his own domestic pot farm, and is unable to pay it back. On top of…

Interview: Peter Hook performs Joy Division's new wave, melancholy masterpieces, Unknown Pleasures and Closer

Uber-fan of Joy Division Allan Brown gets a chat with one of his musical heroes, Peter Hook

Peter Hook is one of the most gratifyingly paradoxical figures in all of heritage indie-rock, if that’s a thing. The man and the music just don’t match. The latter, as represented by New Order and particularly by Joy Division, is by turns intense…

Matthew Herbert: One Pig - Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 3 Nov 2012

An unusual though certainly intriguing sound performance exploring the life of a pig

Initially gaining recognition for his mid-90s forays into deep house, Matthew Herbert has long since favoured more experimental musical endeavours. Whether recording as Wishmountain, Radio Boy, Matthew Herbert Big Band or under his own name, there's…

Trouble With The Curve

A grizzled Clint Eastwood and excellent Amy Adams hold this predictable, sentimental story together

Given that most Clint Eastwood fans thought Gran Torino marked his farewell to acting, Trouble With The Curve comes as an unexpected bonus. It's no vintage but it is an engaging family drama, set against the backdrop of professional baseball, that has…

Django Django to headline NME Awards Tour 2013

Miles Kane, Palma Violets and Peace also on tour, which will take place in February 2013

Django Django, Miles Kane, Palma Violets and Peace have been announced as the lineup for the 2012 NME Awards Tour. The headline slot for Django Django follows wide-spread praise for the psychedelic indie pop quartet's eponymous debut album and…

Alvin Stardust - Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 9 Nov 2012

A polished and engaging, but somehow lacking, show from the 70s rock'n'roll megastar

For those not entirely certain, Alvin Stardust was a kind of evil Shakin’ Stevens. Or a less sinister Alice Cooper. He was a pantomime bad boy rocker, essentially, whose trademark was a single black leather glove and a John Craven’s Newsround sneer.

Tips for performing at poetry and spoken word open mic nights

Advice on how to make your poetry reading debut go well

Reading your own poems out loud to a room full of strangers might sound terrifying. Having done it a few times myself, I can confirm that it is. But with the number of poetry open mic nights in Scotland increasing, sometimes eclipsing their musical…

Robbie Williams announces 2013 UK tour dates

Singer set for summer 2013 solo shows in Glasgow, London, Manchester and Europe

Robbie Williams is set to play a series of concerts through the UK during the summer of 2013. The singer has lined up huge dates in Glasgow, Manchester and London. The 2013 tour follows on from 3 dates at London's O2 Arena and marks a return to…

Mysterious paper sculptures to reappear for Book Week Scotland

Anonymous sculptor plans to hide new pieces throughout Scotland

The artist behind the mysterious paper sculptures that appeared throughout Edinburgh in 2011 has announced that five more creations will be found during Book Week Scotland. The anonymous sculptor is planning to hide these new pieces in five secret…

The Unthanks - Diversions Vol. 3: Songs from the Shipyards

The Unthanks have shrunk. Less than half the size of previous incarnations (since 2009 they’ve hovered at around ten members at any one time), the band behind Diversions Vol 3 is leaner, meaner. There are only five of them. The third release in what…

Garage-funk posse Chain & the Gang return to Glasgow and Edinburgh

The group, led by DC punk veteran Ian Svenonius, promise 'minimal riffs with maximum fuzz'

Ian Svenonius, the outspoken and impeccably dressed originator of the garage-funk hybrid known as ‘gospel yeh yeh’, is returning to Glasgow for a night of shimmying and shrieking. ‘Depend on us for martial rhythms, minimal riffs with maximum fuzz…

Animal Collective O2 ABC, Glasgow, Wed 7 Nov 2012

The often unpredictable AnCo prove themselves hypeworthy, with a technicolour live show

After a frustrating headline performance at ATP last year, it was going to take an unprecedented effort to coax this writer onto the Animal Collective hype-wagon. But anything’s possible right? Having slowly but steadily won over fans and high-brow…

Cinema Komunisto

A slicky-produced documentary about Yugoslavian cinema that would have benefitted from wider context

As Yugoslavia came together as a new nation in the aftermath of World War 2, leader and confirmed film buff Josip Broz Tito fully embraced the power of film to help forge a new national identity. Initially his model for this endeavour came from his…

Glasgow Film Festival 2013 programme highlights

James Cagney retrospective, Mark Millar-curated programme and strand exploring Brazilian cinema

Glasgow Film Festival looks set to continue its mighty fine form this February, making a welcome return to the city, with screenings from around the globe. The three major strands of 2013’s bumper line-up include a new project by Burnistoun…

Annie Mac on crying at the telly, fantasizing about Gosling and saving her record collection

First record you ever bought Guns N’ Roses – Use Your Illusion I and II. Last thing you recommended to someone The Django Django LP. I love it. First film you saw that really moved you ET! Last time you cried Probably at something on the…