Scottish Live Music Highlights: October 2022

October is overwhelmingly busy for gigs across Scotland. In Glasgow, two city festivals come early in the month with Tenement Trail taking over various venues in the east end on the 8th, while Pop Mutations take over Mono, Stereo, The Old Hairdresser’s, The Flying Duck and The 78 from 13 to 16 October. 

An abundance of local talent can be found throughout the month too, starting early in Edinburgh with Lost Map signees Maranta celebrating the release of their Deux Pleasure EP at Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms (5 Oct), before labelmate and SAY Award nominee Callum Easter plays his biggest show to date at The Queen’s Hall (7 Oct), where he’ll be joined by the Leith Congregational Choir and Law Holt. 

Fellow SAY Award nominees Kathryn Joseph and Rebecca Vasmant play shows this month too; on 15 October you'll catch the former at Glasgow’s St Luke’s, while Vasmant and her ensemble play the Mackintosh Church, before heading east for a show at The Caves on the 16th, which is where you’ll find former SAY Award nominee Lizzie Reid later in the month (25 Oct). Edinburgh post-punks Bikini Body play Voodoo Rooms on the 21st, Carla J Easton and Simon Liddell celebrate the release of their debut album as Poster Paints at The Glad Cafe on the 22nd and Savage Mansion play a run of shows in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow (26-28 Oct).

Stephen Malkmus of Pavement. Photo: Magdalena Zehetmayr

There are a whole host of big touring names passing through the main city hubs this month too. In Glasgow, party band !!! (Chk Chk Chk) play SWG3 on the 6th before popstar of the moment Rina Sawayama brings Hold the Girl to the same venue the following week for back-to-back nights (12 & 13 Oct). Beabadoobee brings Beatopia to the Barrowlands on the 15th before the kings of slacker-indie, Pavement, play the same venue a few nights later (18 Oct). Dubliners Gilla Band bring our Album of the Month to SWG3 on 19 October, while on the 22nd, Japanese Breakfast plays the Old Fruitmarket. Also in Glasgow, Hinako Omori plays The Glad Cafe (25 Oct), Sorry play Stereo (28 Oct), and PVA bring their debut album BLUSH to Broadcast on the spookiest of all days, Halloween.

In Edinburgh, Chester pop three-piece Peaness play Sneaky Pete’s (14 Oct), Angel Olsen brings her Big Time European Tour to Usher Hall, with the talented Tomberlin in tow, while back at The Queen’s Hall, legendary musician and founder of The Velvet Underground John Cale plays on the 23rd.