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As some of you might have noticed, Christmas is upon us once more. And as everyone agrees, there’s nothing says “Festive” quite like Bob Dylan’s 2009 Christmas LP, Christmas in the Heart. To get into the spirit of the season, then, we thought we’d bring you this interview with one of the key players on the record, Los Lobos mainstay…

How did all these people get in my room? It’s time for Side Two of our virtual LP, marking the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s birth, featuring tracks chosen by a swinging gang of musicians, writers and other Charleys, Barn-burners and Clydes. If you missed it, you can still give Side One a spin here. Careful not to spill while you sip… “Watertown” chosen by Jill Rodger I’m just currently a bit obsessed with  Sinatra’s Watertown album – and this title track in particular! It was a new one on me, brought to my attention by my pal Grahame Skinner (Hipsway) – who is working on his own version of some of the songs at the moment. I sought it out and immediately fell for the whole album. It’s now been on repeat for months. (Jill Rodger is director of the Glasgow Jazz Festival, and busy getting ready…

This Saturday, December 12, marks the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s birth. To mark the date, we asked a rat pack of musicians, writers and other upstanding citizens to pick us out one favourite Sinatra recording and give us a word or two on why. In response, they’ve come up with an LP’s worth of tracks for us. Pour yourself whatever you’re having while we slip Side One on the Dansette… “Michael & Peter” chosen by Duglas T Stewart Sinatra has sung so many great songs by truly great writers, many of the greatest ever, the Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart & Hammerstein, Cole Porter, Jobim and a personal favourite writer of mine, Rod McKuen. But even so I didn’t have to pause to think twice about what was my favourite Sinatra track. “Michael & Peter” is from 1970’s album Watertown and was written for Sinatra…

We’re super chuffed to tell you that Glasgow Music City Tours are running a series of brand new Trad Trail walking tours as part of Celtic Connections in 2016. Focusing on Glasgow’s trad, roots and folk scene, the two hour tours share tales of the songwriters and storytellers who have shaped the city’s vibrant folk culture. Expect Humblebums, bikers and music hall heroes among many other stories. The tours run on the following Fridays and Saturdays: 15/16, 22/23, 29/30 January.

When Glasgow Music City Tours began our guest blog slot, one of Scotland’s very best feature writers, the award winning Peter Ross, graciously allowed us to post some of his writing about Glasgow. A six time winner at the Scottish Press Awards, Peter was recently shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2015. We’d like to share…

Ahead of his show at The Admiral on Friday 13th November (tickets) , we asked Subway Sect legend and all round post-punk muse Vic Godard if he would like to write us something about playing in Glasgow over the years. Today is the last Godard in Glasgow, bringing us right up to date. We’d like to…

Ahead of his show at The Admiral on Friday 13th November (tickets) , we asked Subway Sect legend and all round post-punk muse Vic Godard if he would like to write us something about playing in Glasgow over the years. In response Vic has composed the definitive guide to Godard in Glasgow…Vic’s Here: VIC.ism 1st and…

Ahead of his show at The Admiral on Friday 13th November (tickets) , we asked Subway Sect legend and all round post-punk muse Vic Godard if he would like to write us something about playing in Glasgow over the years. In response Vic has composed the definitive guide to Godard in Glasgow…Vic’s Here: A long association…

Ahead of his show at The Admiral on Friday 13th November, we asked Subway Sect legend and all round post-punk muse Vic Godard if he would like to write us something about playing in Glasgow over the years. In response Vic has composed the definitive guide to Godard in Glasgow…Vic’s Here: My history of playing in…

Folk punk troubadour Frank Turner plays Barrowland with his trusty band The Sleeping Souls next week, so we took the opportunity to ask the hardest working man in rockendom about his Glasgow gigging memories. When it comes to serious touring, Frank Turner has written the book. Literally. The Road Beneath My Feet, published earlier this year, is more gigography than autobiography, recording his recollections and impressions of the thousands of shows he has played in the last ten years, since splitting his hardcore band Million Dead and going solo. “I read a lot of music books growing up and I always got annoyed when they glossed over what to me is the interesting bit – the mechanics of how you go from being a band just playing with your mates in your bedroom to playing in big venues,” says Turner. “Get In The Van…

Lynne from Pretty Ugly – Glasgow’s longest running alternative club night, which turns 10 this month – tells us about their Decade of Dancefloor Debauchery. Although Pretty Ugly is a Glasgow club night, it was actually born at Born To Be Wide in Edinburgh. Aarti, Lee & Pam all worked at PR firm Burt Greener and were asked to…

Tucked away in a nondescript lane off Argyle Street in Glasgow is the entrance to the world’s oldest surviving music hall, the Britannia Panopticon. It’s one of our favourite stops on our Merchant City Music Past and Present tour, and it never fails to astonish our guests —including Glaswegians. Our guide Fiona onstage at The Panopticon with guests…