The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Music legends beating a nostalgic path to city
Punk legend Glen Matlock makes a long-awaited return to Courier Country next week. The former Sex Pistols and Rich Kids bassist is playing a solo acoustic show at Beat Generator on Wednesday – one of just two Scottish dates on his first UK tour since restrictions on live events were lifted.
Matlock, 65, who’s also appearing at Edinburgh’s Bannermans a night later, enjoyed a run of visits to Perthshire and Fife prior to the pandemic.
BACK ON THE ROAD
He starred as a guest of Heaven 17 founder Martyn Ware’s British Electric Foundation at the Rewind Scotland festival at Scone Palace back in July 2017.
He also headed for the unlikely destination of Newport-on-tay alongside legendary ex-david Bowie and John Lennon guitarist Earl Slick for a brace of appearances at the north Fife town’s Rio Community Centre in both May and November 2019.
Unlike his sidekick Slick – whose recent planned live outing at the Green Hotel in Kinross suffered an eleventh-hour cancellation – Matlock is up and running again.
The English leg of his acoustic tour is under way following a rousing full band show at London’s iconic 100 Club earlier this month.
Anyone planning on going along to Wednesday’s gig should look up the Tickets Scotland website.
GOODBYE MR MACKENZIE
Separately, reformed Scottish alt-rock veterans Goodbye Mr Mackenzie kick off their latest tour in Stirling on Thursday.
The Edinburgh-based
outfit have sold out their Tolbooth show, which is the first of five concerts in December.
The Now We Are Married hit-makers are playing north of the border this month – including an appearance at Dundee’s Church on December 11 and a grand finale at the Barrowland in Glasgow on December 17.
Next week’s gig will be the first time the band have played live in almost two years, with their last couple of shows in late December 2019 going down in posterity on their excellent Live: A Night In The Windy City album, which came out 12 months ago.
MACKENZIES’ GLORY HOLE
Besides the tour, there’s more good news for GMM followers in the shape of a another CD offering from the edgy, Nick Cave-influenced, troupe dropping today on the band’s Blokshok Records label.
Originally a series of demo recordings created during 1995 in the band’s front room with the aid of a Tascam 16-track tape machine, the Mackenzies’ fourth studio offering, The Glory Hole, is all set for a 21st Century makeover.
A spokesman says: “The band had run out of cash in 1995, with the tax man chasing them for an ‘estimated’ £84,000 unpaid
VAT bill left behind by their management.
“The cupboard was bare – which was actually fine as the band needed a cupboard to record the guitar amp!
“With that as the backdrop they had to make this album great, even if it was recorded on a shoestring.
HARD TIMES
“It was hard times at the Mackenzie mill and they were on their own. What emerged was a disturbed and sometimes funny album created with a true DIY punk ethic – so back to their roots.
“Basically the band did everything – performing, recording and mixing, sleeve design.”
The rebooted Glory Hole includes new cover art by GMM frontman Martin Metcalfe plus three previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded in 1995 with Stuart Hamilton at Cava Studios in Glasgow – with one of the songs, Stopwatch, discovered on an old cassette tape.
Fans can get hold of the special edition CD of The Glory Hole via the band’s website goodbyemr mackenzie.com and at the live shows.
MORE LIVE GIGS
Elsewhere, PJ Molloys has a set from tribute outfit The AC/DC Experience tonight, with the Dunfermline venue set to welcome indie popsters The Lathums a week later.
The Wigan outfit head north fresh from scoring a number one with their debut album How Beautiful Life Can Be, and unsurprisingly their PJ’S show is long since completely sold out.
Finally, Beat Generator hosts breaking bands Happy Tears, Jeshua and Plasmas tomorrow.
Scottish Tree Festival: Christmas Market
Glamis Castle, Glamis, DD8 1RJ, 01307 840393.
Sat November 27, 10am, £5. Visit Glamis Castle for a spectacular outdoor Christmas Market featuring an array of food, drink and craft stalls. glamis-castle.co.uk
#dundeekindness
City Square, Dundee, DD1 3BG, 01382433507.
Fri 26-Tue November 30, Mon, noon, free. Dundee celebrates the people, organisations and businesses who have gone out of their way to help others with this live exhibition in City Square, and online at dundeecity. gov.uk. dundee.com/event/ dundeekindness
St Andrews Town Walking Tour
Martyrs’ Memorial, The Scores, St Andrews, KY16 9AT, 0141 474 0746, until Sun December 19, 11am, £12 per person. A leisurely (and non-spooky this time) walking tour through the historic town of St Andrews, featuring golf, cathedrals, universities and castles. walkingtoursin.com/ standrews
Dive In! Protecting Our Ocean
Wardlaw Museum, 7 The Scores, St Andrews, KY16 9AR, 01334 461660, until Sun January 30, Mon-fri 11am-7pm; Sat & Sun 10am-5pm, free. This is your chance to explore the wonders of the ocean, learn about the challenges it faces, and discover the actions you can take to help save it. divein.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk
ARTS The Street At The Mcmanus
The Mcmanus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum, Albert Square, Meadowside, Dundee, DD1 1DA, 01382 307200, until Sun October 23 2022, 12.30-4.30pm, free. Take a walk down memory lane and immerse yourself in The Street which recreates the windows of an old toy shop and pawn shop while also giving you a glimpse into ye olde establishments which sold shoes and furniture. These museum favourites span a 150-year period, looking at the history of retail and brewing in Dundee. mcmanus.co.uk
Loss + Resilience
The Scottish Fisheries Museum, St Ayles, Harbourhead, Anstruther,
KY10 3AB, 01333 310628, until Tue November 30, 10am, £9 (£7; children and members free). This exhibition is a study in photography and film of the human stories underpinning Hull’s distant water trawling industry, by award-winning independent photographer and filmmaker Simon Sharp. scotfishmuseum.org
The Marvellous Menagerie Of Alex Heywood
Tower Building, University of Dundee, Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN, 01382 384310, until Fri December 17, Mon-fri 9.30am-7pm, free. Alex Heywood studied Animation at Duncan Of Jordanstone College Of Art & Design, graduating in 2017. He has since attracted international attention for his unique digital artworks, featuring an extraordinary menagerie of curious yet familiar animals. This exhibition features a selection of his work alongside some unusual animals from the D’arcy Thompson Zoology Museum. dundee.ac.uk/museum
No 13 Gallery Winter Exhibition printspace dundee, 13 High Street, Newport on Tay, DD6 8AB, 07769 953282, until Sat December 18, Tue, Thu. Sat 11am, free. Exhibition of art, printmaking and photography from local artists and Edinburgh Lofi
Group. facebook.com/ newportontay
Night Fever: Designing Club Culture
V&A Dundee, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 4EZ, 01382 411611, until Sun January 9, Thumon 10am-5pm, £6-£12. Exhibition on the history of nightclub design in New York, Paris, Manchester, London, Berlin and Scotland,, and its impact on popular culture. vam.ac.uk/dundee
Royal Scottish Academy The Ages Of Wonder: The Art Of Etching On Tour
The Meffan Museum and Art Gallery, 20 West High Street, Forfar, DD8 1BB, 01307 491771, until Sat January 15, Tue-sat 10am3pm, free. An exhibition of 300 years of Scottish etchings, on loan from the Royal Scottish Academy. New works by artists Delia Baillie, Kate Downie, Stuart Duffin, Paul Furneaux, Jessica Harrison, Marion Smith and Frances Walker will be displayed alongside masterpieces by the likes of Rembrandt, David Wilkie, Ian Fleming and Elizabeth Blackadder. angusalive.scot
Drawn: An Exhibition Of Drawings
Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University Of Dundee, Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN, 01382 384310, until Fri January 21, Mon-fri 9.30am-7pm,
free. Drawing is often seen as the fundamental basis of art, as well as being an important tool in other forms of creative thinking. This exhibition presents highlights from the university’s wideranging collection of around 2000 drawings. It includes rarely seen work by many renowned artists, including Thomas Gainsborough, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, WQ Orchardson, David Foggie, James Mcintosh Patrick, Wilhelmina Barns-graham, and Stephen Sutcliffe. dundee.ac.uk
Royal Scottish Academy The Ages Of Wonder: The Life School On Tour
Montrose Museum, Panmure Place, Montrose, DD10 8HF, 01674 907447, until Sat January 22, Tue-sat 10am-3pm, free. The Life School includes anatomical firsts and old master copies, amazing early paintings by the likes of SJ Peploe and Robert Brough and contemporary responses from Beth Fisher and George Donald. Major parts of this exhibition are the life studies made by emerging artists including new drawings by Paul Brady, Pavel Isupov, Kane Mclay, Louiza Nomikou, Gabrielle Seguin, Lana Svirejevahopkins and Suzanne Taylor which shine a contemporary light on the history of the life school collections. angusalive.scot
Joy And Creativity: 60
Years Of Kirkcaldy Art Club
Kirkcaldy Galleries, War Memorial Gardens, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1YG, 01592 583206, until Sun January 23, 10am, free. Formed in 1961, the Kirkcaldy Art Club have been exhibiting their wares since 1964, and, in this celebration, a wide variety of art and craft (including greetings cards, paintings, ceramics, glass and prints) by their members will be on show and also up for sale. onfife. com
The Pit And The Kit
Wardlaw Museum, 7a The Scores, St Andrews, KY16 9AR, 01334 461660, until Sun January 30, 11am, free. Subtitled Addiction, Heroin And The End Of Coalmining In Scotland’, this exhibition features objects, artworks, poems and photographs from various sources including the National Mining Museum’s collection. st-andrews.ac.uk/museums
A Love Letter To Dundee: Joseph Mckenzie Photographs 1964-1987
The Mcmanus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum, Albert Square, Meadowside, Dundee, DD1 1DA, 01382 307200, until Sat March 5, Tue-sat 10am-5pm, free. Exhibition of black and white photography by Joseph Mckenzie, which documents the changing fortunes of Dundee’s waterfront and its people. mcmanus.co.uk
Design Busters
V&A Dundee, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 4EZ, 01382 411611, until Thu March 31, 10am-5pm, free. Watch the latest Design Busters videos, pick up a free pencil and a range of activity sheets to inspire you. Illustrated by Dundeebased designer Laura Darling, you’ll design cities, future fashions, graphic logos, mashed-up products, striking patterns and more. vam.ac.uk/dundee
BOOKS Live In-person: Black British Lives Matter
Topping & Company Booksellers, 7 Greyfriars Garden, St Andrews, KY16 9HG, 01334 585111.
Tue November 30, 8pm, £6-£16.99. MBE Marcus Ryder and barrister Alexandra Wilson will be discussing a new essay collection Black British Lives Matter, a UK response to the international outcry at George Floyd’s murder. Recognising and analysing the Black British experience, 19 prominent figures including David Olusoga, Dawn Butler MP, Kit de
Waal and Alexandra Wilson write about the importance of Black lives when too often they are undervalued. toppingbooks.co.uk
COMEDY Jason Byrne: Audience Precipitation
Alhambra Theatre, 35 Canmore Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7NX, 01383 740384.
Fri November 26, 7pm, £19.50. The Irish adlib king has learned over the past few years that we all need to play’ a bit more in our lives. With this in mind, he will do what he does best: connecting with the audience in a way no other comic can by inviting/dragging people up onto stage and simply seeing what happens next. alhambradunfermline.com
Menopause
Rothes Halls, Kingdom Centre, Glenrothes, KY7 5NX, 01592 612121.
Fri November 26, 7pm, £9.50. Let off steam for an evening of comedy and beer tasting that features Scottish comedy legend Raymond Mearns. onfife.com
Adam Kay: Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas
Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ, 01738 621031.
Fri November 26, 7.30pm, £27.50; Alhambra Theatre, 35 Canmore Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7NX, 01383 740384.
Thu December 2, 8.15pm, £25. Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas is a love letter to all those who spend their festive season on the frontline, removing babies and baubles from the various places they get stuck, at the most wonderful time of the year. adamkay.co.uk
Adam Kay: This Is Going To Hurt (Secret Diaries Of A Junior Doctor)
Alhambra Theatre, 35 Canmore Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7NX, 01383 740384.
Thu December 2, 5.45pm, £25. Adam Kay, comedian, former doctor and author of the bestselling This Is Going To Hurt (soon to be turned into a BBC comedydrama) shares some eyewatering entries from his diaries as a junior doctor. alhambradunfermline.com
Stand-up Comedy Ft. Connor Burns & Christopher Macarthurboyd
Number 57, 57-58 Dock Street, Dundee, DD1 3DU, 01382 200387.
Thu December 2, 7pm, £7. Join Comedy Dundee for their penultimate show of 2021, featuring host Connor Burns who has supported the likes of Gary Meikle and Larry Dean on tour. Closing out the night is award-winning Glaswegian comedian Christopher Macarthur-boyd. allevents. in/dundee
DANCE
Notorious Dance Presents Underworld The Webster Memorial Theatre, 64 High Street, Arbroath, DD11 1AW, 01241 435800.
Sat November 27, 2pm & 7pm, £10. A dance production featuring a king, a queen and six sisters, all of whom are princesses of the sea. The ocean realm was theirs and the princesses were free to go wherever they wished, except for one place: the surface. angusalive.scot
FAMILY Funbox: Santa’s Pyjama Party
Whitehall Theatre, 12 Bellfield Street, Dundee, DD1 5JA, 01382 434940. Sat 27 November, 11am & 2pm, £14. Anya and Kevin are trying to plan the most perfect, proper, playful, polished and popping pyjama party but it’s all going to pot. Can you help them to stay awake and get everything ready in time?whitehalltheatre.com
Dundee’s Winterfest
Slessor Gardens, Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 1AR, until Sun December 12, Mon-fri, 10am, prices vary. With an ice rink, festive market, bar, big wheel and kiddies rides, it’s all going on in Slessor Gardens this year. slessorgardens.co.uk
Selkie Trail
V&A Dundee, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 4EZ, 01382 411611, until Sun January 2, 10am-5pm, free.
Join Selkie the Seal on a trail to find out more about the V&A building. Pick up a free, family-friendly printed trail and pencil, then explore the museum. Sketch, wander and find out fun facts about the architecture and design. vam.ac.uk/dundee
Seek + Peek!
V&A Dundee, 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, DD1 4EZ, 01382 411611, until Sun January 9, Thu-mon 10am-5pm, free. Designed by Dundee-based illustrator Cara Rooney, this colourful trail will take you and your family on a waterfront wander of discovery around the V&A’S plaza, urban beach and gardens. There’s a whole bunch of excitement to discover. vam.ac.uk/dundee
Robin Robin Adventure Trail At RSPB Scotland Loch Leven
RSPB Loch Leven Nature Reserve, Loch Leven, Kinross, KY13 9LX, 01577 862355, until Fri December 24, 10am, activity packs are £3 each from our visitors centre. Celebrate your inner robin on this festive adventure trail at Loch Leven. Complete the trail and you will learn to sing like a robin, find your own superpower and use all your senses to connect with the red-breasted bird within. The trails and activities are aimed at children aged 3-11 years but are fun for all the family. rspb.org.uk
MUSIC
The AC/DC Experience
PJ Molloys, 7 Canmore Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7NU, 01383 729790.
Fri November 26, 7pm, £12. Alongside Abba, AC/DC must be high up in the tribute-act stakes with their legendary sound, spirit and attitude alive and kicking in the form of The AC/DC Experience. Arguably the UK’S top tribute band to the Aussie/tayside rockers, the band are adept at nailing the power and look of the group’s incendiary stage performances. All eras are covered, featuring classics such as Highway To Hell, Back In Black, Thunderstruck, Hells Bells, You Shook Me All Night Long, and Whole Lotta Rosie. facebook.com/events/pjmolloys
Neckwrecker Metal Night Twa Tams, 79-81 Scott Street, Perth, PH2 8JR, 01738 580948.
Fri November 26, 7.30pm, £5. Metal fans rejoice for this Neckwrecker event featuring Edinburgh’s progressive death metal band Nassau, Fife old-school punk unit Grufus and Dundee newbies Hyperstasis who deliver a blend of melodic metal with post-hardcore. thetwatamsperth.com
Abba Tribute: Mamma Mania
Styx, Caskieberran Road, Glenrothes, KY6 2NR, 01592 500121.
Sat November 27, 8.30pm, £10. And here comes this week’s prime Abba tribute act, with Mamma Mania, more specifically a night which fully honours Agnetha and Anni-frid. You know all the words and the dance moves, such as they are, so get on down to Styx. facebook.com/ Glenrothesstyx
All Good Presents Ewan Mcvicar & Jaguar
Fat Sam’s, 31 South Ward Road, Dundee, DD1 1PU, 01382 228496.
Sat November 27, 10pm, £10-£14. Ayr-born DJ Ewan Mcvicar heads for Dundee on the back of huge acclaim for his remix of Rufus and Chaka Khan’s Tell Me Something Good which also brought him to the attention of celeb superfans Annie Mac, Fatboy Slim and Pete Tong. fatsams.co.uk
Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Story Alhambra Theatre, 35 Canmore Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7NX, 01383 740384.
Sat November 27, 7pm, £24. Led by Fisher Stevens and his band, Beautiful Noise, this London West End affair is billed as Europe’s leading Neil Diamond show. The internationally acclaimed production pays homage to Diamond’s career from the tunes he penned during his time at the legendary hit-producing factory the Brill Building, to the later achievements which have made his name. Among the songs you’ll be hearing, and no doubt tapping your toes and singing along to, will be Love On The Rocks, Sweet Caroline, Forever In Blue Jeans, Song Sung Blue, America, and Holly Holy. alhambradunfermline.com
A Foreigner’s Journey
The Green Hotel, 2 Muirs, Kinross, KY13 8AS, 01577 863467.
Sat November 27, 9pm, £21. If your fondness for rock veers away from neckwrecking and moves gently towards soulmassaging, then this two-pronged tribute to soft-rock titans Journey and Foreigner should be more up your musical alley. Given that neither band shores up on these isles very often, this is clearly the next best thing. facebook.com/ backstageatthegreen
Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac
Caird Hall, City Square, Dundee, DD1 3BB, 01382 434940.
Sat November 27, 7.30pm, £29-£36. Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac, the world’s finest tribute to, well, you can probably guess who, return with a brand new show celebrating the very best of the Mac, including a special blues set paying tribute to the band’s legendary Peter Green era. Personally endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself, Rumours Of Fleetwood Mac is the ultimate tribute to one of rock and roll’s most enduring groups. dundeebox.co.uk
The Best Dressed Blues Band
Twa Tams, 79-81 Scott Street, Perth, PH2 8JR, 01738 580948.
Sat November 27, 7.30pm, £5. Lovely Chicago blues from The Best Dressed Blues Band enjoys support from Nico G, a virtuoso Belgian guitarist. thetwatamsperth.com
Scottish Festival Of Brass Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ, 01738 621031.
Sat 27 & Sun November 28, 10am, £12 (£10). It’s brass time in Perth once again as this two-day festival delivers the best of Scotland’s horn players, featuring free performances, masterclasses, competitions and workshops. horsecross.co.uk
Music In Dollar: Alison Affleck Concert
Dollar Academy, Dollar, FK14 7DU.
Sun November 28, 3pm, £7-£10 (free for students). Music In Dollar host a concert with Ali Affleck, the renowned trad jazz singer and swing dancer. A resident musician at Edinburgh’s Jazz Bar where she hosts her trademark Speakeasy Sessions, Ali delivers the authentic sound of Prohibition-era music, breathing new life into the music and bringing it to a 21st Century audience. musicindollar.org.uk
Lunchtime Concert: Jeneba Kanneh-mason Perth Concert Hall, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5HZ, 01738 621031.
Tue November 30, 1pm, £10. Another of the stupendously musically gifted Kanneh-mason family visits Perth Concert Hall, with pianist Jeneba playing Bach, Mozart, Scriabin and Liszt. horsecross.co.uk
THEATRE
Cinderella
Perth Theatre, Mill Street, Perth, PH1 5UW, 01738 621031.
Fri November 26-Fri December 31, various times, £12.50-£25.50 (£9.50£20.50; children £9.50£13). Join Cinderella and friends for a festive feast of songs, jokes and laughter as the nation’s favourite panto romps into Perth. horsecross.co.uk
A Christmas Carol
Dundee Rep Theatre, Tay Square, Dundee, DD1 1PB, 01382 223530.
Sat November 27-Fri December 31, Mon-sat, various times, £10-£20. Dundee Rep team up again with Noisemaker for this adaptation of the classic Dickens novel. Directed by Andrew Panton and featuring regular rep figures such as Irene Macdougall, Emily Winter and Ann Louise Ross. dundeerep.co.uk
The Mcdougalls In Toyland
The Webster Memorial Theatre, 64 High Street, Arbroath, DD11 1AW, 01241 435800.
Sun November 28, 1pm, £8.50 (group ticket £32). Join Max, Auntie Aggie and Morag The Rabbit as they go travelling on the Toyland Express, and help return the missing toys to their rightful owners back home. There’ll be singalongs, musical mayhem and bucketloads of audience participation, so feel free to come dressed as a toy. angusalive.scot
The Panto That Never Was
Dibble Tree Theatre, 99a High Street, Carnoustie, DD7 7EA.
Tue November 30-Thu December 16, Mon-thu, 7pm (except Mon December 13, 6pm, Tuesday December 14, 5.15pm), £3. Carnoustie Theatre Club’s panto is back, but in a slightly different form given the restrictions of recent times so The Panto That Never Was will be presented as a film. dibbletree.com
The Night Before Christmas
Alyth Town Hall, Victoria Street, Alyth, PH11 8AX. Thu 2 & Fri 3 December, 7.30pm.
Sat December 4, 2pm, £8-£30. This traditional pantomime is given a few modern twists by the Alyth Musical Society as Rudolph goes missing on Christmas Eve, leaving Santa in quite the pickle. Can an intrepid entourage of pixies, schoolkids and reindeer save the day? facebook.com/alythms
Sleeping Beauty
Gardyne Theatre, Gardyne Road, Dundee, DD5 1NY, 01382 434940.
Wed 1-Sun December 5, various times, £16; family ticket £56. The Thomsonleng Musical Society present this classic love story which traverses time over the course of 118 years. gardynetheatre.org.uk
ONLINE
Every Map Has A Scale (Chapter 2) & Sinder
Via Dundee Rep, until
Fri December 31, free. Every Map Has A Scale (Chapter 2) and Sinder are films conceived by Scottish Dance Theatre’s associate directors Tashi Gore and Jess Thorpe. Set in and around Dundee, they both feature a strong sense of community, with Sinder focussing on how local women coped at the beginning of the pandemic and through the various lockdowns, while Every Map Has A Scale (Chapter 2) is a series of short dance films in which a professional dancer teams up with a nonprofessional to see what would emerge. dundeerep.co.uk