Live Music Highlights - October, 2009

Carpet-bombing Scotland in early October, Cats and Cats and Cats deploy super-inventive post-rock(ets) that explode with punk energy on impact. They aren't afraid to aim for the heart with bitter-sweet indie vocals either. Weapons grade guitar music, this. Go see them at Glasgow Classic Grand on 4 Oct, Aberdeen Tunnels on 5 Oct and Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire on 6 Oct. VERY recommended.

Supersonic Leeds three-piece Sky Larkin are hands down one of the best power-trios doing the rounds right now. With anthemic distorted guitars, pretty melodies and some of the most down-the-line and just plain spunky basslines you'll hear this side of Krist Novoselic circa 1993 (that's right, we went there) you'd be a sap to miss them at Aberdeen Cafe Drummond on 5 Oct and Glasgow Classic Grand on 6 Oct.

We don't usually feature cover bands - but when Gaz and Danny from Supergrass started thrashing the hell out of classics by Bowie, The Beatles and the Beasties (among many others) we sat up and took notice. With a Nigel Godrich produced album in the pipe and a selection of the best songs ever written at their disposal, you don't need us to tell you that Hot Rats' gig at Glasgow King Tut's on 11 Oct is going to be insane.

Noisy East Larndarn pixie Micachu has a tendency to deconstruct her already quirky pop tunes when she plays live, so expect some off-the-wall sounds when she throws it down at Glasgow Captain's Rest on 9 Oct and Edinburgh Sneaky Pete's on 10 Oct. Hyperactive, melodic fun shall win the day.

Love him or loathe him, there's a reason Nick Cave is one of the most revered live performers of his generation. Few have his stage presence or sense of theatre - not to mention a moustache the likes of which hasn't been seen since the heyday of Magnum P.I. Move fast for tickets at Edinburgh HMV Picture House on 13 Oct.

As much as we wish that Girls was a side project involving members of Women, they're actually a very-hot-right-now posse from San Fransisco who deal in lush, wordy psychedelic pop. Their new LP is an intelligent, hearts-on-sleeves snapshot of modern life and they sound like a lot of fun live - check the buzz at Glasgow Captain's Rest on 13 Oct and Edinburgh Sneaky Pete's on 14 Oct.

Brummy fuzz-pop fiends Johnny Foreigner will play Glasgow King Tut's on 15 Oct. Relentlessly upbeat, their pedal-to-the-metal ethos and complex hook-laden songwriting guarantees fireworks whenever they hit the stage. This is ADHD rock music played with feeling and sincerity.

So you've all heard The Dead Weather by now, and even if you were disappointed by the album you have to admit that the prospect of seeing White and Mosshart on the same stage is pretty dang exciting. With a full compliment of sultry, noisy rockers and a nice line in impromptu cover versions, chances are they'll raise the roof at Edinburgh HMV Picture House on 22 Oct.

Good god, are Ash still going? Apparently so, and you can see them at Dundee Fat Sam's on 23 Oct, The Loft in East Grange on 24 Oct and Falkirk Behind the Wheel on 25 Oct. Renowned as one of the loudest, tighest bands on the circuit and possessed of an enviable back-catalogue, you're pretty much guaranteed wall-to-wall hits.

October ends with a bang courtesy of Japanese garage-metal geniuses Electric Eel Shock. Copping hooks from every classic punk and rock outfit and imbuing it all with the spirit of Sabbath, this is a band who have never written a ballad. Feel the fuzz at Glasgow ABC 2 on 28 Oct.