The Glasgow School

As winter breaks and the first buds of spring wither beneath the cold, Glasgow's music scene basks in the warmth of nostalgia. Both Eric Clapton (On the 8th, Grand Ole Opry) and Pink Floyd (31st, SECC) receive the tribute treatment, while local legend Eugene Kelly has been added to the VERSAcoustic tour. Manda Rin from Bis will be spinning the discs at YourSound (King Tut's, 4th) and the listings are filled with greats from the past: Dolly Parton and Snoop Dogg (alas, not appearing together) at the SECC, The Mad Professor brings his majestic dub to the Classic Grand on the 31st, and the Fall arrive at the Ferry for two nights of abrasive unpredictability (16th and 17th).

Younger bands reclaim the past: The Grim Northern Social growl their way through 1970s' rawk at Strathclyde University (9th), while the Five O'Clock Heroes, The Rifles and Union of Knives owe more than a passing nod to punk. Perhaps the past is overwhelming the present: the hottest news this year has been the emergence of Nu-Rave, a movement rooted in the indie-dance crossovers of the early 1990s.

Fortunately, this isn't just sentimentality, as self-indulgence is often stripped away and songwriting sensibility is married to dance abandon. The sound might be familiar, but the intention is new: new paths are found, genres are slammed together. Even tribute bands - once a sign of a moribund industry - play their part, keeping alive music that was ignored at the time: the Nick Drake night at the Arches (on the 18th) being an example of how an artist can find posthumous glory.

Over in America, at the prestigious South by Southwest Festival, Glasgow will aim to demonstrate its place on the international map, with a range of bands from Shitdisco, Pop Up and The Cinematics (who release their debut LP this month) showcasing their talent. Of course, The Skinny will be there to see it. Meanwhile, on home soil, it's another full calendar month of bands clamoring to come up to play our city while our bands take on the world.