Malcolm Middleton

Eye o’ the Dug - St Andrews, Sat 14 & Sun 15 Apr 2012

Fantastic bill featuring Django Django, Malcolm Middleton and more

27 Apr 2012

They may have quadrupled the size of their show, and conscripted beefcakes to man the doors, but the spirit of Fence chiefly prevailed at the inaugural Eye O’ The Dug – a musical hoopla which (kind of) filled a Homegame-shaped hole in the calendar (and…

Human Don’t Be Angry - Human Don’t Be Angry

Komische-influenced instrumental masterpiece from Malcolm Middleton

26 Mar 2012

Scottische Pop (Chemikal Underground) In the bowels of a radioactive pop bunker somewhere between Glasgow and Falkirk, Malcolm Middleton has spent 18 months incubating a (super) heroic alter-ego. We all thought we knew the mild-mannered Middleton…

Review of Reviews - Human Don't Be Angry

What we said and what they said about the debut album from Malcolm Middleton's latest project

26 Mar 2012

What we said ‘While Malcolm Middleton’s solo lyrics are typified by self-deprecation, Human Don’t Be Angry’s vocalisms are more forthright, driven and loved-up.’ The List What they said ‘Middleton is a master when it comes to this and previous…

The Twilight Sad to play final Pinup Nights

Malcolm Middleton, Miaoux Miaoux, Emma Pollock and Sonny Marvello also set to say farewell

21 Mar 2012

Has there ever been an indie night that’s worked as hard as Pinup Nights? Perhaps, but none have managed to alchemise the same mix of cannily chosen guest DJs, intelligently-curated young bands, painstaking theme nights and frankly dedicated gimmickry…

Human Don’t Be Angry - The Arches, Glasgow, Sat 25 Feb

Malcolm Middleton's side project gets a satisfying full-band outing

29 Feb 2012

For those who knew Malcolm Middleton only from his days as one half of the funniest band ever to be famous for misery, or even as the alt folk jangler behind ‘A Brighter Beat’ and one-time Christmas No 1 outsider ‘We’re All Going to Die’, this, the…

Malcolm Middleton - Electric Circus, Edinburgh, Wed 14 Dec

The ex-Arab Strap man isn't as miserable as he makes out

6 Jan 2012

What better way to celebrate Christmas than with Mr Season of Goodwill himself, Malcolm Middleton, the man whose campaign to get ‘We’re All Going to Die’ to the 2007 Christmas number one spot will live long in the hearts of those who believed in it.

Arab Strap - Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, Glasgow, Thu 17 Nov 2011

Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton strip down their back catalogue

13 Dec 2011

As if anyone would have called their band ‘William Harness’ anyway. That was the not-so-secret moniker Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton chose to add deniability to the fact they were getting the old band back together here, even if it was just for one…

Top five Arab Strap lyrics

In honour of Middleton and Moffat's gig at Nice'n'Sleazy's on Thu 17 Nov, we sings their best bits

16 Nov 2011

1 Speed Date ‘The ugly tattooed swingers euphemise and call their mucky hobby “trysts” / But if I saw another man touch you, I'd break his fucking wrists.’ 2 The First Big Weekend ‘It was a beautiful day, and later that evening Malcolm introduced me…

Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat - interview

Moffat and Middleton are set to team up again to celebrate Nice'n'Sleazy's 20th birthday

7 Nov 2011

The mid-90s Arab Strap song ‘I Saw You’ was inspired by The List’s lonely-hearts feature of the same name. Do you remember using I Saw You at that time? That I Saw You feature had just started, and it was quite exciting and cool. I did attempt to use…

Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells and Malcolm Middleton are pick of September singles

Jens Lekman, Josh T Pearson and Django Django also among highlights

16 Sep 2011

The humble lyric is oft-overlooked in the quick-fix rush of the singles market. Come hither, then, as we salute the month’s most loquacious quality popsters. No such discourse would be complete without a nod to Swedish indie-bard Jens Lekman, whose…

The Hot 100 2010 - Mark Millar, Kevin Bridges and Alasdair Gray take top 3 spots

Our annual chart of the people from Scotland being interesting, successful and creative

16 Dec 2010

The Hot 100 is a list of Scots who’ve made a sizeable creative splash in 2010. It includes musicians, artists, writers, actors, fashion designers, technological innovators, shop owners, festival directors, record label heads and one mad cyclist.

Malcolm Middleton - Long Dark Night/Live in Zurich!

Live double album straddles all-out rawk in Europe and acoustic Glasgow psalms

15 Dec 2010

(Around7Corners) Evoking Simple Minds’ Live in the City of Light and Mogwai’s Special Moves, Malcolm Middleton has affirmed his status as a bona fide local alt-rock deity with this live double album that straddles all-out rawk in Europe (Live in…

Human Don’t Be Angry - guitar-based project from ex-Arab Strap mainman

Malcolm Middleton's new project brings out his sensible side

21 Oct 2010

‘I set out with three unbreakable rules,’ states alt.pop saviour Malcolm Middleton. He’s referring to his brand-new solo endeavour Human Don’t Be Angry. ‘Rule one: don’t do interviews. Rule two: act like you know what you’re doing. Rule three: no beer…

Fence Collective's Away Game takes the party to island of Eigg

Human Don’t Be Angry, Silver Columns and Withered Hand among highlights

6 Oct 2010

Miami sunsets, macaroni pies, tractors-as-transport. Live death metal at 6am, beach campfire concerts, and a bottomless hipflask of whisky doing the rounds long after the bar had been drunk dry. Away Game – the first Fence Records festival on the…

The List: 25 Years - A night at the Arches, Glasgow featuring Errors, King Creosote and Come on Gang!

Event celebrates 25th anniversary of The List Magazine

5 Oct 2010

After 25 years of writing about other people's events, we've decided to put on our own... and it's been worth the wait. We're taking over The Arches for one Friday night only, showcasing the best of Scottish culture, including many of favourite bands…

Autumn highlights: The best albums and gigs from Scottish bands

The Phantom Band, The Twilight Sad and Errors set for action

16 Sep 2010

The Phantom Band Chemikal Underground’s finest, most eclectic and most likely signings of recent years return with the follow-up to last year’s debut Checkmate Savage. The Wants is released on Chemikal Underground, Mon 18 Oct. The Scottish…

Silver Columns and Casiokids in Madonna tribute - JD set 2010

24 Jun 2010

What happens when you put a bunch of labelmates together in one room and throw in some whisky for good measure? Madonna covers, apparently. The JD Set 2010 comes to Glasgow this year with a smorgasbord of artistry from the Moshi Moshi label, including…

The JD Set with Malcolm Middleton, Casiokids, James Yuill, Silver Columns and Cocknbullkid

3 Jun 2010

‘Take an album like Madonna’s Immaculate Collection,’ says Johnny Lynch. ‘That’s basically exactly what it is; immaculate. It’s a perfect pop record in the same way as Erasure’s Pop, or Pet Shop Boys’ Discography are.’ Lynch, who you may also know as…

Malcolm Middleton, Withered Hand and The Unwinding Hours among highlights of Tigerfest 2010

12 May 2010

The concluding stretch of Tigerfest holds some gems, including a night dedicated to the 17 Seconds label – home to Aberfeldy member Chris Bradley, The Dirty Cuts and The Last Battle. Indie legend Martin Stephenson will be performing with local…

Malcolm Middleton and Withered Hand among highlights of Tigerfest 2010

29 Apr 2010

The three-week Scottish mini-festival returns for its seventh year, having featured Scottish heavyweights Idlewild, Frightened Rabbit and Danananananaykroyd in the past. The 2010 line up includes one-time Aereogramme members Iain Cook and Craig B’s new…

Spotify playlist: Christmas advent calendar

1 Dec 2009

Ah Christmas. So much good music, and none of it is really deemed acceptable listening for the other 11 months of the year - although what you do within the confines of your own iPod in July is your business. Join us in counting down the days until…

Strike the Colours - Seven Roads

16 Sep 2009

(Deadlight Records) Jenny Reeve is a well-kent face in Scottish indie circles, having worked with Idlewild, Malcolm Middleton and The Reindeer Section in the past. This second album from her current project is a subtle and considered affair, a…

Exposure: Strike The Colours

10 Aug 2009

Strike The Colours is the song-writing vessel of Glasgow-based multi-instrumentalist, Jenny Reeve. Cutting her teeth on a plethora of guest appearances and tours with the likes of Arab Strap, Idlewild and The Reindeer Section - not to mention frequent…

Edinburgh International Book Festival and Edge Festival add to line-up

25 Jun 2009

From a Poet Laureate to cult TV show writers, this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival launched in style, with a programme boasting writers, poets, politicians, photographers and artists from 45 countries. Highlights of the August line-up…

Malcolm Middleton - Waxing Gibbous

25 Jun 2009

The former Arab Strapper has had some wonderful moments in his seven year solo career, but this fifth album has a faint whiff of treading water about it. The wry, bittersweet lyrical observations are still present in the likes of ‘Don’t Want to Sleep…

David Byrne, The Streets and The Stranglers set for Edge Festival 2009

10 Jun 2009

David Byrne, The Streets, The Stranglers are amongst the highlights of the Edge Festival 2009 in Edinburgh. Other headliners include Múm, Enter Shikari, Mumford & Sons, Bluetones, Amanda Palmer, Andrew Bird, Emiliana Torrini and Foy Vance. Acts from…

10 Best gigs in Scotland

July-August

1 Jun 2009

We Were Promised Jetpacks, Jarvis Cocker, Emiliana Torrini, Malcolm Middleton, Come On Gang, The Cat Empire, The Wilders, Bruce Springsteen, Orkestra Del Sol and Frightened Rabbit.

Fence Collective's Homegame: Homeward bound

16 Apr 2009

In the ever-growing Scottish music festival calendar, the Homegame remains something of a well-kept secret. Despite a steadily increasing profile since its inception six years ago, the weekend, run by Fence Collective head honchos Kenny Anderson (aka…

Summer festivals line-up announced

16 Apr 2009

Here at The List, we can barely take a jaunt to the water cooler without another festival announcement popping into our inbox. At the offices of T in the Park (Fri 10-Sun 12 Jul) there’s been the usual flurry of activity. One of New York’s finest…

The Burst Noel Christmas Party

11 Dec 2008

Like microwaveable turkey dinners, borderline alcoholism and falling out with your siblings, Malcolm Middleton is in danger of becoming something of an unhappy seasonal institution. The ex-Arab Strap guitarist’s bid for a Christmas number one last…

Tryptych announces final line-up

13 Mar 2008

Triptych has announced its final ever line-up, which showcases the festival’s trademark brew of international stars, musical trailblazers and cutting edge grassroots talent. Organisers have said that, after eight years creating one of Scotland’s…

Malcolm Middleton - Sleight of Heart

28 Feb 2008

INDIE (Full Time Hobby) On the public face of it, ex-Arab Strapper Malcolm Middleton may not be getting any happier, but it’s difficult to come away from one of his collections without wiping a grin off your face while the inevitable tear dampens your…

The art of writing love songs

31 Jan 2008

How do you approach writing about love? Kenny Anderson AKA King Creosote, Fife’s own regal tunesmith of the heart With my heart on the accelerator and my head on the brakes. Emotional turmoil is exactly what you need to get the pen moving, but…

Middleton makes moves on Christmas number 1 spot

13 Dec 2007

In a chart awash with X Factor pap and Cliff Richard cast offs, a small unassuming ginger chap from Falkirk has given us a reason to watch Top of the Pops on Christmas Day again. Malcolm Middleton’s festive musical foray, the senstively titled ‘We’re…

Records - Singles & Downloads

3 Jul 2007

(Image: Malcolm Middleton) Think back to when you were 17 or 18. Remember the bands you enjoyed then, when music seemed like the most important thing ever? Now subtract the ones that fill you with toe-curling embarrassment and the ones that somehow…

Records - Singles & Downloads

Singles & Downloads

27 Mar 2007

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad, mad, mad month and first up is a bonkers, skiffle-surf cheese dream offering from Thomas Truax called ‘Have We Been Left Behind?’ (Anarkhy, 4 Stars). I’m not sure exactly what’s happening on the cover of ex-Sugababe Siobhan…

Malcolm Middleton

The future’s bright

13 Mar 2007

It was a truly miserable day when the mighty Arab Strap called it quits last year but this grey cloud did, in fact, have a silver lining of sorts: it shifted the spotlight onto the solo work of Malcolm Middleton. Never the most talkative of characters…

Ballads of the Book

WORDS & MUSIC

27 Feb 2007

Projects like Ballads of the Book don’t come along very often. And, looking at the roll call of writers and musicians involved, it is easy to see why. It must have been a logistical nightmare getting 54 of Scotland’s finest writers and musicians…

Malcolm Middleton - album review

Malcolm Middleton

27 Feb 2007

INDIE (Full Time Hobby) Ex-Arab Strapper Malcolm Middleton posted his intent with the glorious 2005 album Into the Woods, and this remarkable follow-up cements his place as one of the best songwriters in the country. There is an anthemic pop…