1 GARY Numan, 02 Academy, Edinburgh, Monday, May 9 and 02 Academy, Glasgow, Tuesday.
For those who, like yours truly, who reserve a special place in their hearts for music from 1979-1985 these are big nights. Numan announced his retirement way back in 1981 when he was just 23 but thankfully he has continued to perform every now and then ever since. Cars and Are Friends Electric still cast an alluring electro-pop spell and Numan’s distinctly odd stage persona remains strangely charismatic.
2 Vashti Bunyan: Wayward Just Another Life to Live, Mitchell Library and Theatre, Glasgow, tonight, 6.30pm
AND what an extraordinary life Vashti Bunyan has lived. She turned her back on everything and everyone she knew in 1968 to move to the Outer Hebrides in a voyage of discovery which saw her write the material which became her captivating album Just Another Diamond Day in the 1970s.
It was a resounding failure when first released and Bunyan gave everything up yet again, only to gain a cult following when her album was rediscovered when it was re-released in 2000. After two more critically acclaimed albums and a memoir published earlier this year. She’s talking about that book and her unique musical career in this event, staged as part of the Aye Write festival.
3 The Skids and Big Country, Glen Pavilion, Dunfermline, Friday
GUITARIST Stuart Adamson may have died tragically in 2001 but the wonderful music he created lives on with the two bands with which he found fame in the punk era and its aftermath. Thrill to Into the Valley, Fields of Fire, In A Big Country and the rest.
4 Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, various venues, until next Sunday
THIS nine-day festival offers the best of children’s dance and theatre from all over the world. The opening night tomorrow features the Hope River Girls at the Traverse, described as a combination of explosive choreography, video and text which examines how something as normal as teenage girls coming of age can appear as wholly unnatural.
5 Scotland, Global Solidarity and Mandela Exhibition, Dundee Central Library until Wednesday, May 18
ORIGINAL archival photos and posters are used to explore Nelson Mandela’s relationship to Scotland and the role played by the Scottish people in the global struggle to end apartheid. The exhibition also documents Dundee’s contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle and the campaign to secure Mandela’s release from prison.
6Scotland National Scale Model Show, Dewars Centre, Perth, next Saturday and Sunday
THE annual treasure trove of miniature wonders returns after Covid forced a two-year hiatus. There is a long list of trophies up for grabs, including the best model from an Airfix kit, the best model with a Scottish theme, the best sci-fi model and the best post-war Royal Air Force aircraft.
7 Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: Tales of the Tribe, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Thursday, May 12, Aberdeen Music Hall, Friday, May 13 and Queens Hall Edinburgh, Saturday, May 14.
THIS companion piece to Tommy Smith’s amazing Beasts of Scotland is inspired by ancient Scottish folk melodies and folklore. The host of guest stars include narrator Blythe Duff as well as Phil Cunningham, Julie Fowlis and Megan Henderson. Expect everything from dragons to vampiric ghosts.
