Edinburgh and Glasgow May Gig Highlights

To help you plan the month ahead, here are some of our top gig picks and music festivals taking place across Scotland this May. Get your diary oot and get out to see some live music!

James Yorkston @ Summerhall, Edinburgh, 2 May; Òran Mór, Glasgow, 3 May
Following on from the release of his latest album, The Route to the Harmonium, James Yorkston heads out on the road this month in celebration, stopping by Edinburgh's Summerhall and Glasgow's Òran Mór. A lovely way to kick off the month.

Rozi Plain @ The Blue Arrow, Glasgow, 3 May
Following on from the release of her latest album, What a Boost, which saw her taking listeners on a sonic journey, mimicking her similarly nomadic lifestyle of the past few years, where she’s mostly been on the road playing as a member of This is the Kit, Rozi Plain is set to stop by Glasgow’s Blue Arrow tonight. Be sure to head along early to catch Glasgow singer-songwriter Molly Linen and Lost Map’s latest signing, the accordion-toting Callum Easter on support duty.

Stag & Dagger @ Various Venues, Glasgow, 5 May
Continue your bank holiday shenanigans at multi-venue festival Stag & Dagger, but make sure you plan your day of gig-going out in advance if you want to make the most of your day. Headliners Honeyblood, Dream Wife, Goat Girl and Pip Blom sit alongside a whole host of exciting up-and-coming Scottish bands, including Chuchoter, Crystal, Shredd and Slime City.

Confidence Man @ Saint Luke's, Glasgow, 7 May
If you’re a cool party girl in a cool party world, get down to St Luke’s to see wonderful Aussie party band Confidence Man and their incredible dance routines. Join Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie for a whole lot of madness and a healthy dose of pop bangers taking in everything from 90s dance to Britpop.

wojtek the bear @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 9 May
Following the release of their latest single tonic youth on 3 May, Glasgow four-piece wojtek the bear are hitting the road this May and are stopping by Edinburgh's Sneaky Pete's tonight. Support comes from Golden Arm (My Tiny Robots, Slow Blood) and Fast Approaches (jesus h. foxx, Meursault). wojtek the bear also play Drummonds, Aberdeen, 3 May; Stereo, Glasgow, 4 May; The Green Room, Perth, 10 May.

Faith Eliott @ Skylight; C Duncan @ Summerhall; Annie Booth @ Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh, 10 May
Some people say nothing ever happens in Edinburgh. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth tonight as three excellent artists celebrate new releases in tandem creating a lovely musical triangle across the city. At Henry’s you’ll find Annie Booth launching her Spectral EP and, following the release of Health in March, C Duncan plays Summerhall for, um, Nothing Ever Happens Here (awkward), all the while Faith Eliott celebrates the release of the bestiary-themed Impossible Bodies at the Canongate’s Skylight venue. Choose your poison.

PAWS @ CCA, Glasgow, 10 May; Summerhall, Edinburgh, 11 May
Off the back of releasing their fourth studio album, Your Church On My Bonfire, Glasgow three-piece PAWS are hitting the road this spring and stopping by Glasgow's CCA and Edinburgh's Summerhall.

South by Southside Festival @ Queen’s Park, Glasgow, 11 May
We know, we know, another festival (!!), but there’s a lot about this one we can happily get on board with. First off, it’s taking place in a renovated bandstand in Glasgow’s Queen Park, which is pretty cool. Second, it’s an affordable outdoor, daytime event meaning it’s family friendly. Third, they’ve a lovely line-up confirmed which includes Glasgow-based American singer-songwriter A. Wesley Chung and hip-hop outfit DopeSickFly. Fourth, there will be food stalls and a bar, and fifth, it’s bloody well called South by Southside. Handshakes all round.

Gods of Rap Tour @ SSE Hydro, Glasgow, 12 May
Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and De La Soul team up for the Gods of Rap tour, hosted by DJ Premier. The three iconic groups all celebrate big album anniversaries this year – 25 years of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and 30 years of both It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and 3 Feet High and Rising.

The Beths @ The Mash House, Edinburgh, 13 May
Surely the highest accolade for an album is when as soon as you’ve finished listening to it you want to listen to it all over again? This is the feeling we get from The Beths’ debut, Future Me Hates Me, released last August via Carpark Records. What’s more, it’s one of those rare records that gets better with every listen, which probably also explains why the venue for tonight’s show has been upgraded from Sneaky Pete’s to The Mash House. See you down the front, yeah?

Priests @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 14 May
Washington D.C. band Priests are clearly fans of familiarity, returning to Glasgow nearly two years to the day at the very same venue they last played at in the city. Touring in support of their second album, The Seduction of Kansas, Priests are certain to have you mesmerised by their clever, witty lyrics and diverse exploration of sounds.

Be Charlotte @ Perth Festival of the Arts, Perth Theatre, 17 May
Last March, Dundee singer-songwriter Charlotte Brimner, who performs under the moniker Be Charlotte, was snapped up by Sony Music’s Columbia Records. A year on, almost to the day, she returned with her first single via the label, the super laid-back yet catchy Do Not Disturb, alongside a new look, which no longer features her trademark specs. Following on from a tour of local schools, catch her tonight in the Joan Knight Studio of the Perth Theatre. Be Charlotte also plays Glasgow Garage’s Attic Bar on 16 May.

Neu! Reekie! goes Warhol & Paolozzi @ National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, 17 May
Neu! Reekie! goes Warhol & Paolozzi, as Michael Pedersen and Kevin Williamson bring their multi-arts affair to the portrait gallery to provide their own unique take on its I want to be a machine exhibition. Joining them on the night are Edinburgh hip-hop group The Honey Farm, Belle and Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson and Edwin Morgan Prize winner Roseanne Watt.

Vukovi @ Conroy’s Basement, Dundee, 16 May
Following the amicable departure of Jason Trotter and Colin Irving, VUKOVI are now officially a two-piece, comprised of remaining members Janine Shilstone and Hamish Reilly. The success of their eponymous 2017 debut led to the band receiving PRS Momentum funding in 2018, and they now plan to self-release its follow-up later this year. Expect to hear some new tunes as they hit the road this May for their biggest headline tour to date. VUKOVI also play The Mash House, Edinburgh, 15 May; The Tunnels, Aberdeen, 17 May.

Katherine Aly @ The Mash House, Edinburgh, 17 May
Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Katherine Aly, who recently provided backing vocals on False Bliss' To the Forest, releases her debut single, The Skin I'm Made Of, tonight at The Mash House. Support from Heir of the Cursed and Khalid Al Khajah.

Georgia @ Broadcast, Glasgow, 18 May
We first came across London producer and singer-songwriter Georgia towards the end of last year when she released summer-ready banger Started Out, and we've been obsessed with it ever since. Her recent live performance of it for Vevo DSCVR is a real treat, so head along to Broadcast tonight and see her perform it live in the flesh.

Open Mike Eagle @ The Art School, Glasgow, 19 May
Michael W. Eagle II’s latest album as Open Mike Eagle, Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, was inspired by the demolition of Chicago’s Robert Taylor Homes and it landed a spot on our 2017 Albums of the Year list. Since then, he has won his first ever pro-wrestling match and released a six-track EP, What Happens When I Try to Relax. Unpredictable.

Oh Sees @ QMU, Glasgow, 19 May
One of the most rambunctious bands you could ever hope to see live are coming to Glasgow this month (!!). Every experience we've ever had of watching John Dwyer and co has always featured a lot of stage diving, crowd surfing and an immense amount of sweat, so go prepared for a top night, and maybe pack a change of shirt. Oh, and remember, if you're gonna crowd surf, dinnae be a dick.
 
Big Thief @ SWG3, Glasgow, 19 May
Following the release of their third album, U.F.O.F., Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia, otherwise known as Big Thief, are playing SWG3's TV Studio tonight and you should probably go.

Róisín Murphy @ SWG3, Glasgow, 20 May
Former frontwoman of Moloko, the late 90s/early 00s band responsible for such dance bangers as Sing It Back and The Time Is Now, Róisín Murphy is an artist in her own right with four stellar albums firmly under her belt. Following the release of a few double singles last year, she's out on the road this summer with a slew of festival appearances lined up. Catch her in Glasgow tonight.

Tomberlin @ The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, 23 May
Sarah Beth Tomberlin released her debut album At Weddings last year, which resulted in her gaining an invite to perform on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this year. Head along to The Hug & Pint tonight to see what all the fuss is about. FFO: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, Stella Donnelly etc

Broken Chanter @ Leith Depot, Edinburgh, 23 May
Broken Chanter is the relatively new project from Kid Canaveral’s David MacGregor, which he describes as a musical vehicle for him and his friends. Don’t worry, he’s still friends with Kid C; Broken Chanter is just a very different form of pop. Head along to Leith Depot tonight as MacGregor celebrates the release of latest single Wholesale with a little help from Jill O’Sullivan (Sparrow and the Worksop, BDY_PRTS), Audrey Tait (Hector Bizerk) and Gavin Prentice, whose band ULTRAS will be on support duty. You know what to do.

Erland Cooper @ The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, 24 May
The London-based Orcadian composer is set to release Sule Skerry this month, the second in a trilogy of album releases inspired by his home on the Orkney Islands, which in release order focus on the air, the sea, and land and community. Catch him tonight with his band at The Queen's Hall, and be sure to arrive early to catch Dundee-based musician Su Shaw, who performs under the moniker SHHE.

Knockengorroch @ Carsphairn Hills, Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries & Galloway, 23-26 May
World music festival Knockengorroch is credited with being Scotland's longest-running camping music festival. It returns to Galloway in the South West of Scotland for four days of music, comedy, theatre, spoken word and more over the Spring bank holiday weekend. Benjamin Zephaniah and the Revolutionary Minds headline this year’s festival, with Talisk, Solareye and Samedia Shebeen also featuring.

Interpol @ SWG3 Galvanizer's Yard, Glasgow, 26 May
Those New York lads just can't seem to stop releasing music at the moment, as following the release of 2018's Marauder they've new music to celebrate again this month with their A Fine Mess EP, essentially made up of off-cuts from last year's album. Catch them playing the amazing outdoor space at SWG3 – Galvanizer's Yard – tonight before they disappear into a touring frenzy which might not see them return to Scotland for some time.

Gwenno @ Mono, Glasgow, 29 May
Gwenno Saunders has quite the list of accolades: she used to play in The Pipettes, was previously a cast member of Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance and she's toured as a synth player for Elton John (!!). As a solo artist, much like Cher, Madonna and more recently Cheryl, she opts to go by her first name only and as Gwenno has released two stunning albums, Y Dydd Olaf and Le Kov. Catch her bringing the sounds of Wales and, um, Cornwall, with an electropop bent, to Glasgow's Mono tonight.

Hidden Door Weekender @ Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, 30 May-2 Jun
Following some fairly serious funding issues, in a bid to keep their unique annual party going in the capital, Edinburgh’s Hidden Door made the difficult decision to pare things back this year, and in this case it seems that less is more, as they’re set to bring an absolute stonker of a line-up to Leith Theatre. RAY BLK, Let’s Eat Grandma, Nathan Fake, Kelly Lee Owens, Cigarettes After Sex, George FitzGerald, Chuchoter, Maranta, Jacuzzi General and The Honey Farm all play. We did say it was a stonker.

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For more gig news, be sure to tune in to our weekly EH-FM radio show on Mondays from 12-2pm where we take a closer look at the week ahead in gigs and clubs