Plenty to ‘Shout’ about

Whether a teenage Lulu, screaming her way through Shout on a flickering black and white screen, glam showman Alex Harvey in all his 1970s pomp, or artrockers Franz Ferdinand taking the alternative into the mainstream with their global success, Scottish stars have made an indelible mark on the history of rock ’n’ roll.

Liverpool, London and Manchester might all lay claims to be the beating musical hearts of the UK but a glance through the artefacts on display as part of the National Museum of Scotland’s new exhibition, Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop, makes a compelling case for musicians north of the Border being among the greatest ever produced on these islands.

In pop music’s infancy, tribalism was everything: one was a mod, or a ted, or a punk – now artists from across genres sit side by side in an exhibition that celebrates their excellence.

But don’t make the mistake of believing Scottish music’s best days are in the past. With new stars like Young Fathers and Sacred Paws breaking through, Scottish rock and pop is in the rudest of health.