theoldhairdressers

A joint album launch for

The Vallum by Robert Dallas Gray

and

Strange Is the Way by M. John Henry.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser Fred Frith has been making noise of one kind or another for more than 50 years, starting with the rock collective Henry Cow, which he co-founded with Tim Hodgkinson in 1968.

Fred is best known as a pioneering electric guitarist and improviser, song-writer, and composer for film, dance and theater. Through bands like Art Bears, Massacre, Skeleton Crew, the Fred Frith Guitar Quartet, Cosa Brava, and the FF Trio he has stayed close to his roots in rock and folk music while branching out in many other directions.

His compositions have been performed by ensembles ranging from Eclipse Quartet and the Bang on a Can All Stars to Concerto Köln and Galax Quartet, from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to the ROVA and Arte Sax Quartets, from Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Ground Zero to the Glasgow Improvisers’ Orchestra.

Film music credits include the acclaimed documentaries Rivers and Tides, Leaning into the Wind, and Tracing Light, directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer; The Tango Lesson, Yes and The Party by Sally Potter; Middle of the Moment by Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel; as well as Penzel’s Zen for Nothing, Peter Mettler’s Gods, Gambling and LSD, and the award-winning (and Oscar-nominated) Last Day of Freedom, by Nomi Talisman and Dee Hibbert-Jones.

Composing for dance throughout his long career, Fred has worked with Rosalind Newman and Bebe Miller in New York, François Verret and Catherine Diverrès in France, and Amanda Miller and the Pretty Ugly Dance Company over the course of many years in Germany, as well as composing for two documentary films on the work of Anna Halprin.

Theater credits include François Chat’s Setaccio and François-Michel Pesenti’s Théâtre du Point Aveugle in Marseille, where he spent six months in 1990 working with “jeunes rockers en chômage des quartiers défavorisés” on the opera Helter Skelter.

Fred has performed works by and sometimes alongside composers John Luther Adams, Gavin Bryars, Sylvie Courvoisier, Alvin Curran, George Lewis, Annea Lockwood, René Lussier, Jose Maceda, Meredith Monk, Pauline Oliveros, Terry Riley, and Christian Wolff; improvised with Lotte Anker, Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, Peter Brötzmann, Lol Coxhill, Janet Feder, gabby fluke-mogul, Joëlle Léandre, Phil Minton, Ikue Mori, Butch Morris, Bob Ostertag, Evan Parker, Zeena Parkins, Mariá Portugal, Paula Sanchez, Susana Santos Silva and Camel Zekri, to name a few; collaborated with classical virtuosi Evelyn Glennie, Katia Labèque, Viktoria Mullova, and Werner Bärtschi; and—as session musician—recorded on albums by, for example, Brian Eno, The Residents, Robert Wyatt, The Swans, Violent Femmes, Material, Negativland, John Zorn, Matthew and the Unfortunates, and Half Japanese.

He is currently performing solo and with Normal, the Fred Frith Trio and Frelosa, as well as countless combinations of his favorite co-conspirators.

The recipient of Italy’s Demetrio Stratos Prize for his life’s work in experimental music and an honorary doctorate from the University of Huddersfield in his home county of Yorkshire, Fred taught for twenty years at the legendary epicenter of American experimental music, Mills College in Oakland, California; as well as co-directing (with Alfred Zimmerlin) the improvisation master’s program at the Musik Akademie in Basel, Switzerland. He is the subject of Nicolas Humbert and Werner Penzel’s much loved Step Across the Border, cited by Cahiers du Cinéma as one of the 20th century’s hundred most influential films.

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra is a large improvising ensemble of around 20 musicians from diverse artistic backgrounds ranging from free improvisation, jazz, classical, folk, pop and experimental musics to performance art. Since its inaugural project in 2002 the Orchestra has established an international reputation and garnered critical acclaim for its innovative projects and its exploration of improvised music. A host of collaborations with world renowned improvisers and other ensembles have expanded the band’s artistic horizons and given rise to musical connections throughout the world.

Ben Pope (‘a total delight’ – Fest) brings his brand-new stand-up hour to The Old Hairdresser’s, Glasgow.

Look, there’s no easy way to put this. Last year, Ben got circumcised. On purpose, and as recommended by medical professionals. This show is a 55min inventory of his ensuing masculine panic. Expect jokes and stories on: the male ego, pillow talk, charity shops, the sublime mystery of having a father, and also exactly one pig.

It’s a show about losing a part of yourself. A very specific part. See you there. Chop chop.

“Consistently funny and deceptively thoughtful” – The Scotsman
“Always spot-on” – The Skinny
“Excellent” – Joe Lycett

Writer for the News Quiz

Show: 1hr plus local support act

The Chosen Lonely play their first ever full band headline in lead singer Steven’s adopted ‘second home’ of Glasgow, where he resided from 2019-2023, developing the TCL project into the hard-hitting, shimmering, indie pop gloss that it now floats upon.

Launched initially as a solo project, The Chosen Lonely  racked up some impressive milestones during its early  phase.

– ‘Record of the Week’ on BBC Radio Nan Gàidheal – ‘Artist of the Week’ in The Scotsman

And features from The Sun newspaper and The Roddy  Hart Show (BBC).

Developing into a full band during 2024, the group  knuckled down for a year, focusing on crafting their  hard-hitting indie pop with a series of celebrated live  shows.

After support slots with the likes of Glasvegas, Wrest, and Kyle Falconer, The now 4-piece from the Scottish  Highlands, head out on their own headline tour this  spring.

On Friday 7th March, they release their first full band  single ‘Big Blue Bus’, recorded in the Lyth Arts  Centre at the top of mainland Scotland, with Darren  Coghill of fellow Highlanders Neon Waltz. 

GLASGOW, Old Hairdressers – Sunday 4th May DUNDEE, Roots – Saturday 17th May

EDINBURGH, Leith Depot – Sunday 18th May INVERNESS, Upstairs – Friday 30th May

ABERDEEN, The Blue Lamp – Saturday 31st May…all  tickets from www.thechosenlonely.com

BACKSTORY 

The Chosen Lonely felt like the blank canvas Steven was  looking for after two fairly abrupt ends to previous  bands. Returning to acoustic sets under his own name  just didn’t feel exciting enough.

Layering indie-pop melodies over copyright-free drum loops, BBC Radio Nan Gàidheal selected Steven’s debut  EP as their ‘Record of the Week’ in February 2020, on  new music show ‘RAPAL’.

Affirming he was onto something, Steven continued to  develop this sound of “infectious indie mixed with subtle  electronica” – (The Sun), earning himself a place on the  Scotify playlist, with further BBC support ensuing from  The Roddy Hart Show for single ‘Wild Youth’.

Keen to translate these sounds into a live setting, Steven  spent 2024 building a full band around The Chosen  Lonely, and has already supported Glasvegas as a  result.

Appearing now with their first single on Friday 7th  March ‘Big Blue Bus’, the new band set out on FIVE  HEADLINE DATES across Scotland this May.

Recorded in the picturesque landscapes at the top of  mainland Scotland, the track was co-produced by a  member of fellow Highland band Neon Waltz at the  Lyth Arts Centre.

For the first time in Glasgow, the rising Brazilian star presents his globally acclaimed solo concert, which has sold out in many venues in the UK.

Leo Middea was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1995 and currently resides in Barcelona, Spain. He is a singer, composer, and instrumentalist. Over his 10-year career, Leo has released five studio albums, each reflecting different phases of his life and career: Dois (2014), A Dança do Mundo (2016), Vicentina (2020), Beleza Isolar (2020), and Gente (2023), and has given over 300 performances in 16 countries – with 100 of them taking place in 2024 alone.

Leo is reinventing Brazilian music by blending traditional genres with influences from diverse cultures. His music has garnered over 10 million plays on Spotify, and his captivating performances have sold out concert halls across Europe and Brazil. In 2024, he achieved second place in the traditional Portuguese Song Festival, becoming the first Brazilian to reach the final. Leo is currently working on his sixth album, featuring songs recorded live in different parts of the world.

In February 2024, he toured the UK for the first time, stopping in London, Bristol, and Frome. He performed three consecutive sold-out shows in London and also sold out in Frome. In September 2024, he continued his tour in London, Manchester, Oxford, Brighton, Bath, and Weston Super-Mare. Each of his shows once again achieved sell-out status, drawing more than 1,000 attendees.

Glasgows own Sonic Noise will be bridging their energy filled live show to their first booked headline gig at the old hairdressers on the 27th of april, with supports coming from dundees noisegaze in Icerink and Edinburgh Based rockers in Unspeakable Monday.

A double headline show for these two extraordinary solo artists.

Dive into the indie-sci-fi universe of The Upper Strata, a US/Swiss duo that blends music and storytelling for an immersive odyssey. Their latest project is more than an album – it’s the soundtrack to their own graphic novel. An homage to classic sci-fi, anime and noir pulp. It features tales of galactic freedom fighters, an ill-fated detective, and mystical warriors.
Their genre-defying sound fuses dream pop and shoegaze, with ethereal vocals, spacey guitars, and bold synth melodies. On stage, Johnny (vocals, guitar) and Regula (bass, synth, vocals) bring this universe to life. They perform alongside vivid projections from their graphic novel to create a captivating audiovisual experience.