Scottish Music Highlights: 8-14 Aug

Benjamin Clementine and Awesome Tapes From Africa join the Edinburgh festivals party, Glasgow hosts Lambchop and Arab Strap, and Carnival 56 festival launches in Dundee

Preview by Music Team | 08 Aug 2017

Gigs in Edinburgh this week

Benjamin Clementine @ Festival Theatre, 10 Aug
After his recent involvement with Damon Albarn's Gorillaz, former Mercury Prize winner Benjamin Clementine is set to perform new material at the Edinburgh International Festival tonight. He recently told us about what we can expect from his upcoming new album, which you can read here.

Thumpasaurus @ Underbelly, 10-12 Aug
Sometimes you receive an email that's hard to ignore; Thumpasaurus' contact with the subject line – 'LA funk quintet hits the Underbelly Stage this Fringe' – was one such email. Bands they cite as influences include LCD Soundsystem, Talking Heads and Vulfpek and their song I'm Too Funky reminds us loads of The Mighty Boosh so we're convinced this one is worth checking out at some point during August. As well as these dates, they're also playing 17-19 and 24-27 Aug – the band explore their inspirations in our Under The Influence column.

Orkestra del Sol @ Summerhall, 12 Aug
Orkestra del Sol's website describes them as 'bombastic brass 'n' good time honkstep!' Sounds good, right? Off the back of releasing their crowd-funded Gross National Happiness album at the end of June, they stop by Summerhall tonight as part of their Nothing Ever Happens Here series.

Riot Jazz Brass Band @ La Belle Angèle, 13 Aug
Manchester’s Riot Jazz Brass Band have been getting the party started since the late noughties and are bringing their live show to Edinburgh’s La Belle Angèle this month. The nine-piece band – made up of trumpets, trombones, sousaphone, drums and an MC – play a uniquely twisted mix of funk, soul, hip-hop, re-interpreted dubstep, drum’n’bass and dancefloor bangers, including a killer brass version of Britney Spears’ Toxic. PS, the aforementioned Thumpasaurus are supporting!

Gigs in Glasgow this week

Lambchop @ St Luke's, 9 Aug
Kurt Wagner and co are in town tonight, so head along for a slice of Tennessee alt-country like no other. Expect lots of tunes from their latest LP, FLOTUS, which we think is their "most adventurous record to date."

Seasick Steve @ Kelvingrove Bandstand, 9 Aug
Fancy a night of blues music, and don't want to be stuck indoors? Well we've got the perfect thing for you, American blues musician Seasick Steve is playing as part of Regular Music's Summer Nights series at Kelvingrove Bandstand. Lovely.

Vegan Connections Festival @ Various Venues, 11-12 Aug
After the success of their 2016 event, Vegan Connections are back for 2017 and it’s looking more delicious than ever. Taking place over two days across five venues – The Briggait, Stereo, Mono, The Old Hairdresser’s and The Flying Duck – expect vegan stalls aplenty, vegan goody bags and live music from some of our faves including Breakfast Muff, Spinning Coin, Pinact, TeenCanteen and American Clay.

Arab Strap @ Kelvingrove Bandstand, 13 Aug
Another fine night of music as part of Summer Nights comes in the form of Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton's Arab Strap – it may not be the first big weekend of the summer, but you can certainly pretend it is! 


Event of the Week

Carnival Fifty Six, Camperdown Park, Dundee, 12-13 Aug
The line-up for the inaugural Carnival Fifty Six festival in Dundee this month features some big guns like Mark Ronson, Rudimental and The Charlatans, as well as DJ sets from Hot Chip and Basement Jaxx. Further down the bill you’ll find an outstanding collection of Scottish talent which we think deserves your attention: Jonnie Common, Be Charlotte, Elle Exxe, WHITE, King Eider and Indigo Velvet amongst others. Top stuff. [photo: Amy Muir]


Clubbing highlights

LuckyMe Festival Special @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 9 Aug
Glasgow label LuckyMe are back for their annual festival party in the intimate surrounds of Sneaky Pete's and they've brought the big guns with them in the form of Nina Las Vegas, Eclair Fifi, Nightwave and The Blessings.

Awesome Tapes From Africa @ Summerhall, Edinburgh, 10 Aug; The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 11 Aug
Brian Shimkovitz started his Awesome Tapes From Africa blog back in 2006 as a way to share the unique cassette tapes he unearthed while studying and travelling in West Africa. Since then the website has grown into a record label that supports African artists to re-release and tour their music. As Awesome Tapes From Africa, Shimkovitz performs DJ sets around the globe, playing a mix of African disco, Ghanaian hip-hop, South African electro and everything in-between, via two tape decks and a whole lotta cassettes.

Teesh present Glowing Palms @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 12 Aug
Last month Teesh hosted Sneaky Pete's 9th Birthday Party and now they're back for August with a 5am special featuring one of their favourites, Glowing Palms. He played at their night over two years ago and they've been trying to get him back ever since, so make sure you don't miss this one as who knows when he'll be back.