Scottish Live Music Highlights: July 2023

With most international acts off playing festivals, local is the name of the game this month. Of course, this means many big names will land on Glasgow Green for TRNSMT (7-9 Jul) with Pulp, Sam Fender and The 1975 topping the bill, but dig a little deeper and there’s loads of joy to be found in homegrown talent: Cloth, Hamish Hawk, Swim School, Brooke Combe, Terra Kin and Uninvited being but a few.

At the other end of the M8, in amongst bigger names like Theon Cross, Ibibio Sound Machine, Jools Holland, Nubiyan Twist and Lakecia Benjamin playing the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (14-23 Jul), a wealth of local talent can also be found. Last year’s SAY Award winner Fergus McCreadie is set to play multiple shows during the festival’s run, including four nights in the ultra cool surrounds of the Pianodrome (19-22 Jul). Other highlights include Nathan Somevi Trio (14 Jul) and Chun-Wei Kang (18 Jul) at The Jazz Bar, Graham Costello’s STRATA (14 Jul) and kitti (18 Jul) at St Bride’s Centre and corto.alto (15 Jul) and Georgia Cécile (21 Jul) at George Square Spiegeltent.

Back in Glasgow, weeks-long venue festivals kick off in July too for The Hug & Pint and King Tut’s, with Endless Summer and King Tut’s Summer Nights respectively. Early highlights include Megan Black at The Hug on the 20th and waverley. at Tut’s on the 22nd. Staying in Glasgow, Current Affairs celebrate the launch of their debut album, Off the Tongue, with a show at Stereo (20 Jul), Carsick Charlie launch Angel at The Hug & Pint (28 Jul), Brenda mark the launch of their eponymous debut album with a show at The Glad Cafe (28 Jul) and Martha Ffion welcomes The Wringer with a show at The Hug & Pint (29 Jul) before heading to Edinburgh the following night to play The Voodoo Rooms.

Also in the capital, James Yorkston’s Tae Sup Wi’ a Fifer (8 Jul) returns to The Queen’s Hall with Susan Bear and Lomond Campbell in tow, while the following night you can catch Belle & Sebastian at the Usher Hall (9 Jul). Lewis McLaughlin (20 Jul) and Plasticine (22 Jul) both play Sneaky Pete’s, while next door at Legends you'll find Fundfest, a Girls Rock School fundraiser on that same weekend (21 & 22 Jul) with sets from Fistymuffs, The Farting Sufragettes and Lou Mclean.