Live Music Highlights – July 2012

Merrill Garbus blindsided us all with the sheer inventive strength of w h o k i l l in 2011; tUnE-yArDs' second album was a considerable step up from her lo-fidelity debut and her live show clinched a rare five star review in these here pages when she swung through town last summer. A year on, who knows what fresh voodoo this woman’s hiding up her sleeves. Catch her at Òran Mór on 11 Jul.

You’d imagine RZA must be raging at his absence from the forthcoming ‘Wu Legends’ touring roster, but Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and GZA will be representing the Clan at Glasgow’s O2 ABC on 12 Jul. We’re jonzing for a few choice cuts from the criminally overlooked Wu Massacre, but hell – let’s just be thankful if they all make the flight.   

It’s a pleasure to see Mitchell Museum back on the live circuit, after one of the shortest band breakups in recent history. The playful quartet – whose sweet harmonies land somewhere in the ballpark of Mercury Rev at their more playful – are said to be working towards a follow-up to 2010’s The Peters Port Memorial Service, so new material could well be on the cards at The Captain‘s Rest (18 Jul).

God damn, people. Could there be a more charismatic frontman in Glasgow today than Jacob Yates? Alright, Desalvo’s P6 is in with a shout – but Yates is more from the Alex Harvey School of Dangerous than the Texas Chainsaw University of Abject Terror. With last year’s debut Luck still fresh in the memory, expect swamp blues and rockabilly par excellence from the artist formerly known as Uncle John and his Pearly Gate Lock Pickers, 20 Jul at The Captain’s Rest.

Former Secret Machines (and more recently bandmate of NEU!’s Michael Rother ) man Ben Curtis returns with School of Seven Bells, minus one harmonising twin, to show off the recently released Ghostory in all its ethereal (we only use that word when it counts) shoegazey splendour at Glasgow Stereo (22 Jul).

With Jonah Matranga’s old band Far once again on hiatus, Edinburgh’s ever-dependable Electric Circus takes the honour of hosting his Scottish return to work as emotive lo-fi guru Onelinedrawing (some eight years after he put the guise to bed) on 27 Jul.

By now a yearly occurrence, Morrissey swings by The Usher Hall on 30 Jul to run through the hits (all but Dagenham Dave, sadly) and hold a séance for his quiff. Having recently announced plans to retire in 2014 (before The Smiths’ inevitable Coachella comeback in 2015, be that in holographic form or otherwise), you’d do well not to take these opportunities for granted much longer.

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Do Not Miss!

As fate would have it, the new LP from The Unwinding Hours has just landed on the office doormat as we set about reminding you that they’re playing King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut with Olympic Swimmers (quite possibly still sharing their rhythm section) on 23 Jul. Former Aereogramme men Craig Beaton and Iain Cook’s second album under the moniker is typically layered, at times joyous and most certainly another firm foot forward for the Glasgow outfit. As part of Tut’s Summer Nights series (see listings for full details), this date makes for an unmissable preview before the record’s August release.