Legendary bands and upcoming talents are heading for this year’s Doune the Rabbit Hole event.
Staged on the shores of West Perthshire’s Lake of Mentieth from July 19-21, the festival’s secured icons The Damned, Sister Sledge and Hawkwind for its 10th edition.
Regarded as one of Scotland’s most eclectic gatherings, DTRH’s opening Friday will see the New Rose punk pioneers being joined by the likes of Lee Scratch Perry, The Vaselines, Skerryvore and Japanese post-rockers Mono.
The big Cardross Estate day two roster’s headed up by Sister Sledge and ex-Czars troubadour John Grant, with others involved in a deep bill including Asian Dub Foundation, John Cooper Clarke, Niteworks, The Skids, C Duncan, Gwenno, Broken Chanter and Dundee’s own St Martiins.
It’s every bit as attractive a line-up on Sunday July 21, with space rock legends Hawkwind being joined by such as The Wailers, Kathryn Joseph, New York math rockers Battles and TeenCanteen’s Carla J Easton, plus a major coup in the shape of cult Osaka pop-punk veterans Shonen Knife, who’re playing the only Scottish show on their latest UK tour.
This year’s significantly enlarged festival also has a huge range of family activities and a strong talks programme including spoken word event Sonnet Youth. Ticket info at dounetherabbithole.co.uk
*** Dozens of Dundee venues are hosting bands for this weekend’s multi-genre Almost Blue Festival.
Back for its eighth year, one of the annual extravaganza’s highlights is a free triple-pronged bill at Beat Generator tomorrow featuring Johnny Cash tribute Jericho Hill, Thin Lizzy homage Skint Lizzy and Bad Company / Free acolytes Straight Shooter, kicking off at 3.30pm.
The live music mecca has a headline set from Cajun outfit Boogalusa on Sunday at 6.30pm, with support coming from classic rock covers outfit Little Miss Debby & The G Men, Boyz Who Bruise, Ruvellas, Sean Findlay, Midnight Alley and Medinas. Also free, it all starts at 2.30pm.
*** Love Me Again chart-topper John Newman’s at Fat Sams on Tuesday. The three-time Brit Awards nominee’s sold over 1.3 million records in the UK since arriving on the scene in 2012 with a turn on Rudimental number one Feel The Love.
The breakbeat exponent’s most recent single Feelings — co-written with Swedish collective Blnk — was released in March. Tickets £16.50 via Ticketmaster.
*** Beat Generator welcomes ex-Damned drummer Rat Scabies tonight for a chat and Q&A session.
The punk legend’s going to be reminiscing about life in the iconic outfit he co-founded in 1976 with Brian James, Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible. Rat’s also worked with a diverse collaborators including Donovan and Specials’ Neville Staple since leaving The Damned in 1995.
Tickets £11.50 from Grouchos and Tickets Scotland.
*** Perth talents Parliamo play a home turf show at Green Room tomorrow.
The intelligent lad rockers recently unleashed new track Youth and the Fair City gig with supports Whitey, Medinas and Logan Gilmartin comes ahead of a couple of big dates in London and Glasgow next month. Tickets £7 via parliamo.bigcartel.com
*** It’s high-octane alt-rock at Conroy’s Basement tonight, with Southsea emo noiseniks Personal Best joined by returning riotgrrls The Twistettes and their Maltese kindred spirits Cryptic Street, plus Perthshire performance poet Rana Marathon. Tickets £5 via Make-That-A-Take Records online.
*** View frontman Kyle Falconer plays PJ Molloys on Thursday, with support from Paris Street Rebels. Tickets £20.81 via Ticketweb.
*** Conroy’s has a diverse metal show tomorrow featuring heavy-duty progsters Solar Suns, witch rock exponents Juniper Grave, electro-fuzz noiseniks Queequeg’s Coffin and Fife stoner outfit Starry Wisdom Cult. Admission’s £7.
*** Aberdeen soul and R&B tribute Funk Connection head south to play at sold-out Clarks tomorrow at 4pm, with all-eras Fife covers unit The Columbos playing for free from 9.30pm.
*** Superstar DJs Rooler, DJ Thera and X-Pander headline a rave at Church next Friday, with the Euro jocks being joined by a host of Scottish talents. Tickets £16.75 via Skiddle.
*** Post-punk rockers Oskar Braves hit PJ Molloys tomorrow, supported by Arcades, The Lutras and Ruvellas. Tickets £6.95 via Ticketweb.
*** The unstoppable Cherry Bombz are at Old Bank Bar tonight, McDaniels and Rewind tomorrow, and Cookies and Klozet on Sunday.
*** Hard-riffing rockers Bad Actress blitz Perth’s Green Room tonight. Tickets on the door.
*** Blues brothers Wolftrain play Westport Bar tonight from 9pm and Old Bank Bar tomorrow.
