The show must go on... which is why our going out guide is back

Iwent to see one of my favourite bands, Erasure, a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time in more than two years I’d been to a gig and it felt a bit strange to be in an auditorium with thousands of maskless strangers.

I was soon lost in the moment, though, singing along with the crowd as singer Andy Bell belted out the band’s biggest hits.

Erasure was the first concert I’d ever been to. I was 15 and I went with my best friend, Sharon, and her auntie as chaperone. I was awestruck.

The glow I felt seeing them again lasted the whole of the next week as I revisited songs I hadn’t listened to since my teens. It unlocked something in me and made me realise just how important music has been in my life.

Last week the Covid passport scheme came into force but, as we know by now, even if you have been double-jabbed you can still catch and spread the virus, so going to gigs is a pot-luck decision. But, for me, it’s a risk worth taking. It’s time to start living, and for me that means being able to see live music.

At the beginning of the pandemic we dropped our Going Out pages because, well, no one was going out. I know many of you will still be reluctant to risk mass events. But we feel the time is right to bring back our weekly events pages. On pages 16&17 we’ll be highlighting the best theatre, cinema, gigs and art exhibitions, as well as bringing you interviews with the stars of the show.

This week we feature rock musical Bat Out Of Hell, which is midway through a two-week stint at Glasgow’s King’s. There are many more brilliant shows to come and we can’t wait to share them with you!