Alt-blues kingpin Dave Arcari is live on his old Fife stomping ground for the first time in 16 years tonight.
The much-travelled troubadour’s playing Kirkcaldy’s Kings Live Lounge, where he’ll be supported by upcoming songsmith Kenneth Anthony Morton.
Arcari recently completed a UK tour to promote his latest album Devil May Care and was recently named as a finalist in the UK Blues Federation’s annual awards.
The winners are due to be named at a ceremony in London next month.
On a roll again
Dave, who last played Kirkcaldy in January 2007, says he’s on a roll again following a difficult spell: “The effects of the pandemic combined with Brexit and ongoing travel restrictions have made the return to my usual touring territories in Europe and the USA slower than we’d hoped.
“I lost three USA tours and my last visa expired during the pandemic so it’s looking like it’ll be next year before I pick up where I left off in the States. Normality is coming back now, albeit slowly!”
Glasgow-raised Arcari moved to Fife in 1985 to attend Kirkcaldy Tech.
After a spell in London, he ran a recording studio until 1995, later fronting the pioneering Radiotones and going solo in the early 2000s.
Nowadays based near Loch Lomond, he’s playing festivals in Romania, Estonia and the UK this year, plus other dates in Germany and Finland as he works on his eighth full solo album.
Meanwhile, a mod rock celebration is in prospect at Beat Generator tomorrow.
92 Vespa Club
The North Lindsay Street venue’s hosting a sold-out 92 Vespa Club show that features appearances from revivalist outfits Target5, The Substitutes, The Redstarts, Strawberry Bank and Shout! plus DJ sets, with doors opening at 6pm.
For hard rock fans, symphonic noiseniks Catalyst, Dinosaur Death Pose and Burn To Ash are Wednesday’s big Beat G draw.
PJ Molloys in Dunfermline tomorrow will welcome Dundee-based Scottish Alternative Music Awards’ metal champions Catalysis, plus Waves and Fallen Ashes.
Before then, it’s gothic blues exponents The Filthy Tongues and The Ninth Wave frontman Haydn Park Patterson – aka Last Boy – at Molloys tonight.
Glasgow-based alt-country songsmith James Edwyn is back at Lintrathen’s Wee Bear Café following a triumphant solo show at the Angus venue last August.
This time he’ll be accompanied by his longtime cohorts The Borrowed Band, whose ranks now include a new recruit in the shape of ex-BMX Bandits and Lloyd Cole and The Leopards drummer Jamie Gash.
Edwyn’s also playing Broughty Ferry’s Masonic Hall tomorrow night, and he’ll be using both gigs to showcase songs from the six-piece’s lauded 2022 album Highlights Of The Low Nights, as well as airing back catalogue material.
Released last March on the influential Last Night From Glasgow label, Highlights is the band’s third album following The Tower (2014) and High Fences (2018) and was recorded and mixed by acclaimed producer Paul Savage, whose vast list of credits includes such names as Arab Strap, Twilight Sad and Mogwai.
Tickets for both Courier Country shows are available via hypercoastermusic.com
50th anniversary moment
Over in Kinross, it’s Wishbone Ash legend Martin Turner at the Green Hotel tonight and tomorrow to mark the 50th anniversary of the prog hit-makers’ classic LP Live Dates, while there’s a chance to catch a few Britpop veterans on Sunday when The Mel Outsider Reformation come calling.
The Lancashire ensemble includes twin vocalists Hayley Gaftarnick and Ellie Coast, as well as ex-Milltown Brothers keys man Barney Williams.
Separately, Rainbow tribute Blackmore’s Blood hit Kinross next Friday.
Greig Taylor Blues are on home turf at Stirling’s Tolbooth tonight, supported by rock covers combo Stormchaser, while the Jail Wynd venue hosts Scots indie-soul purveyors Brownbear tomorrow. It’s the latest in its series of free-to-enter Creative Scotland-backed afternoon cafe gigs.
Elsewhere, the Hunter S Thompson has a posse of Atmosfera Archives DJs including Miss Cabbage, Mac Caba and Amhailt in action tonight.
The emphasis switches to guitar sounds at the Perth Road venue on Thursday courtesy of Musica, Jutebox and Fuzzy.
Dumfries folk shoegazers Wrest are at Church next Friday and Molloys a week tomorrow.
