ROCKTALK GIG GUIDE BY ANDREW WELSH

• Ex-Marillion frontman Fish heads up a bumper bill at Craigie Hillfest tomorrow.

The neo-progster is making his sole UK appearance this year at the Perth event, where he’ll be joined by the likes of The Rude Boys, New Madrids, Irritable Owls, Carloways, Atrocity Exhibition, Walt Disco, Sandemans, Chris Small Trio and Bohemian Monk Machine.

Fresh from festival turns in Warsaw and Bonn, the Scots troubadour’s been busy working with longtime writing partner Steve Vantsis on his impending 11th solo album. “It’s taken a long time because various things have got in the way,” he says.

“We’ve already put out the A Parley With Angels EP and we’ve another three songs to write. The release date should be at the end of February then we’re out on the road in March, before a European tour and summer festivals.

“We’ve a strong following in countries like Germany. In the Marillion days we played to close to 200,000 supporting Queen at a festival in Mannheim and I sang on stage with Freddie Mercury.

“We were out on the road for two months last year but it’s getting harder on a physical level. We aren’t getting any younger.”

Now 61, the Dalkeith-born Big Wedge hit-maker insists his spring sojourn will be among his final shows as he looks forward to putting his feet up in front of the telly.

“Those will be our only UK dates in 2020 and the following year will be the big farewell tour – that’s when we call it quits,” declares Fish, who used to holiday at Crieff Hydro as a teenager.

“I’ve been touring constantly for 35 years, never a year without gigs. Last year the kids in the crew would be saying, ‘Let’s go and find a bar’.

“I’d been in the town 10 times down the years so I left them to it while I stayed at the hotel with Netflix. Nowadays you can turn to the laptop and tap into anything you fancy.”

Festival tickets are £16.50/£33 via Ticketweb, with under-14s free.

• Alt-pop legend Edwyn Collins plays Beat Generator on Tuesday.

The ex-Orange Juice frontman – who released his first album for six years in March – kicked off his UK tour in Glasgow on Wednesday and he’ll be on equally familiar ground in Dundee having lived in the city in the 60s and 70s.

Edinburgh-born Edwyn, 60, recorded his ninth solo opus Badbea at his Sutherland bolthole.

The impressive set’s diverse offerings include the barnstorming Stooges-like preview single Outside and his new radio hit I Guess We Were Young.

Edwyn rebuilt both life and career after suffering a major cerebral haemorrhage in 2005, releasing the albums Home Again and Losing Sleep on Heavenly before launching his AED label in 2011.

Support at Tuesday’s sold-out show comes from reformed Stornoway indie combo Astrid.

• Ex-Georgia Satellites leader Dan Baird’s back at the Green Hotel on Sunday.

The California-born troubadour’s in Kinross with his band Homemade Sin to promote their fifth studio LP Screamer – the Atlanta outfit’s first album since their frontman was given the all-clear following a shock leukaemia diagnosis.

Formed in 2005, the cowpunk four-piece also includes Jason & The Scorchers guitarist Warner Hodges and Satellites drummer Mauro Magellan. Tickets £23.60 via Ticketweb.

• Yorkshire rockers Tom Killner Band hit Kinross next Friday.

The Rotherham outfit have built a steadily growing fanbase since the release of their debut album Hard Road in 2015, with their frontman’s searing vocals and guitar virtuosity earning plaudits across Europe and beyond.

TKB’s latest offering Get Back Up was produced by Andy Quinn, a cohort of ex-Thin Lizzy six-stringer Eric Bell.

Green Hotel tickets £16.25 at Ticketweb.

• Dundee outfits Razor Dogs and T-Bone Collective plus duo Stephen Thomson and Ben Stewart are playing for the city’s foodbank at Church.

Admission tonight’s free from 7pm, but Tins4Tunes punters are being asked to gift food items and/or make a cash donation to the charity.

• Up and coming talents get a chance to shine at PJ Molloys tomorrow.

The Fife venue has teen songsmiths Conall Adam and Kieran Forbes plus acoustic duo Katie And Lora.

• Number 57 offers a Lawson Brothers acoustic session tonight, followed by good-time rockers Independence tomorrow and Bedrock with friends on Sunday.

• Dylan tribute Hard Rain are at Clarks on Sunday. Tickets are £5 from the venue, Grouchos in Dundee, Assai Records and online at Eventbrite.

• Morrissey and Marr homage Frankly The Smiths make their Dunfermline debut at PJ Molloys tonight. Tickets are £11.25 via Ticketweb.

• Rock covers combo Buck Rogers hit Clarks tonight.

Veteran songsmith Fish, aka Derek Dick, is playing in Perth.