Scottish Gig Highlights: January 2024

It’s 2024! We did it! Here’s the first gig guide of the year. Pals at The Hug and Pint and King Tut’s are kicking things off on the right foot. Hug’s First Footing series runs from 3 to 18 January, with highlights including Lerones (3 Jan), Saint Sappho (10 Jan) and Bunkhouse (18 Jan), the latter doubling up as the Glasgow band’s My Reptile Brain album launch, while King Tut’s New Year’s Revolution runs from the 3rd right up until 27 January. Highlights along the way include Tina Sandwich (6 Jan), Fourth Daughter (11 Jan), Grayling (24 Jan), and 2023 Sound of Young Scotland winners No Windows (26 Jan).

This month also sees the return of Glasgow’s premiere folk, roots and world music festival, Celtic Connections. Running from 18 January until 4 February, the festival’s jam-packed programme takes place across a multitude of venues in the city, and there’s lots to get excited about. Highlights include Raveloe at The Hug and Pint (19 Jan), and Roaming Roots Revue, celebrating the great Scottish songbook with a slew of famous faces from Biffy Clyro, Idlewild, Del Amitri, Admiral Fallow, Brownbear, Camera Obscura, Emma Pollock, Hamish Hawk and more at Barrowlands (20-21 Jan). 

Hannah Peel collaborates with Beibei Wang for a special performance at Drygate Brewery (21 Jan), Eyes of Others brings his “post-pub couldn’t get into the club music” to Broadcast (24 Jan), and back at Drygate, catch Kathryn Joseph and Lomond Campbell (25 Jan). As the festival rolls on, more local talents can be found. On 28 January, Becky Sikasa and VanIves play Saint Luke’s, while King Creosote plays the Old Fruitmarket, before 30 January sees Andrew Wasylyk play The Mackintosh Church and cellist Su-a Lee playing City Halls.

In Edinburgh, the end of the month brings with it Burns & Beyond. Celebrating Robert Burns, the festival presents a whole host of musical delights – our highlights include The Callum Easter TV Special, Anna Meredith and Nadine Shah who all play Assembly Rooms on 25, 27 and 28 January respectively.

The day after, Independent Venue Week kicks off, running until 4 February. At this point in time, not much has been announced, but we can confirm that some of our favourite venues are signed up, including Sneaky Pete’s, Leith Depot and The Caves in Edinburgh; Stereo, McChuills and The Flying Duck in Glasgow, and MacArts in Galashiels, amongst others. Check your favourite indie venue nearer the time for a full list of shows. And for a full rundown of venues getting involved head to independentvenueweek.com 

Elsewhere, in Edinburgh, keep an eye out for the lineup announcement for OK Pal Records fundraiser for Gaza Aid at Lost In Leith (20 Jan), while on the same night at The Queen's Hall Erland Cooper's new commission helps celebrate the venue's 200th anniversary, with AMPLIFI returning there later in the month (31 Jan). In Glasgow, Joe Hearty, former singer of much-loved Stonehaven indie-pop outfit Copy Haho, plays a show alongside Julia’s Bureau (also, we’re advised, from Stonehaven) at The Hug and Pint (24 Jan), Richard Dawson plays St Andrew’s West Parish Church (25 Jan) and Wicca Phase Springs Eternal plays Stereo (26 Jan).