“A few years ago, the Scottish film industry was a haggis-in-the-sky fantasy in the fevered imaginations of a talented handful. Now apparently over-night, it is a full-grown fact.” Daily Record's 1983 article on Charles Gormley's Living Apart Together.

Caledonia Streaming: A History of Scotland's Moving Image 1967–2027 This book has been brewing for the past two years and already off to a great start - interviews with Trainspotting producer Andrew Macdonald, Outlander producer David Brown, and cinematographer Mick Coulter #scottishfilm #outlander

Hey @scotspostpunk.bsky.social - did you ever see our article on Scottish indie 45s? @grantmcphee.bsky.social and Douglas MacIntyre select seven vital 7s groovy-times.com/scottish-ind...

The Cords' new single "When You Said Goodbye" is a lush, dreamy tearjerker that's bound to become a last-dance staple. Utterly perfect and totally timeless. What a record. lnk.to/cords-goodbye

I picked up this hefty tome of Scottish films by Mark Furse which has just been released. 427 features. 6 of them are by me with another 4 produced and around 40 I worked on or helped in some capacity. Really worth picking up. Very well researched and a worthy addition to Scotland's film story

Easily the coolest and best dressed actor of the 60s. RIP Terence Stamp

"Stuart went to Germany with a Liverpool skiffle group" Fascinating that Sutcliffe's death made the front pages of the news. And bittersweet that the reporting was the only time it would be for his own achievements rather than a footnote to what was about to change everything.

I've put up a couple of unfinished films on YouTube for a short period. Songs From Northern Britain assembly and Fast Forward that became the basis for Postcards From Scotland and Teenage Superstars. www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXws... www.youtube.com/watch?v=DazZ...

Delighted to now be represented as a writer by the Hamilton Agency. A few more books (and films) on the horizon soon too. thehamiltonagency.co.uk

I like your tie for a start. Paul McCartney's unnaturally large makes the front of the Daily Record in December 1965 as the Beatles start the first date of their last UK tour, in Glasgow.

Allen Klein and Ringo, Daily Record 1971

UK, 1967 Verve advert for 1st Velvet Underground album. With the UK/Canadian/New Zealand cover

On this day in 1970 Funhouse by the Stooges was released in the US. It wasn't out here until December but was reviewed in the Nottingham Evening News and Post. Not sure about it being 'All a laugh'. Always amazed at what appears in local papers. Good coverage of Graham Bond too. Poor old Scott W.

18-18 lyrics. Johnny and the Self Abusers after the original name change to Simple Minds, the proposed follow-up single to Saints and Sinners. #simpleminds

Can't wait to join the good folk at Louder than Words for another fun weekend. And excited to bring Caledonia Screaming.

Alex Fergusson (Alternative TV/Psychic TV) signing copies of his CD - releasing July 11 on Glass Modern @glassmodernr.bsky.social @grantmcphee.bsky.social @scotspostpunk.bsky.social @lukehaines.bsky.social @gidcoe.bsky.social glassmodern.bandcamp.com/album/songbook

I put together some thoughts for Bella Caledonia on this Weekend's Punk All-Dayer and how Glasgow treats (and has historically treated) its youth. Anarchy in GDC bellacaledonia.org.uk/2025/06/20/a...

Velvet Underground and Nico in local UK newspapers #23. The Nottingham Guardian, a day after its UK release date, 25th Nov 1967. #velvetunderground

Sex Pistols unseen. Alternative Dundee ticket for a gig which was later rescheduled. Unseen for nearly 50 years. After my book on Scotland's earliest punk days expanded from 3 weeks to a year I was making final touches when this fell onto my lap in its last week via Perth punks 76! . #sexpistols

@plastiknancy.bsky.socialBill Drummond's Penkiln Burn Today is THE INTERVIEWEE, ll aabout when I badgered him to an interview, and his reactions to being badgered into doing interviews. www.penkilnburn.com/home/a-local...

Finally got round to reading this fantastic book by @grantmcphee.bsky.social a really good insight into the Scottish music scene in the 80’s & 90’s highly recommended!

This week's planned reading. About 100 pages into the massive tome on the Scottish music scene and doing a quick trip over the weekend to catch Mogwai and Bob Mould so some Appalachian and folk horror nuggets for the 5 hr train rides

Alex Fergusson (Alternative TV/Psychic TV) 'Songbook' CDR. 13 new acoustic songs preselling now for July 11 @glassmodernr.bsky.social @johnrobbofficial.bsky.social @chrisseventeen.bsky.social @grantmcphee.bsky.social @augstone.bsky.social glassmodern.bandcamp.com/album/songbook

Thanks Russell Leadbetter for including Big Gold Dream in a list of '13 great music documentaries worth tracking down' www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

This morning starts with Swinging Paris and Sylvie Vartan "Quand tu es là" www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR4H...

Pere Ubu - 30 Seconds Over Tokyo www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs3k...

Sex Pistols at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall. This time with Buzzcocks. 20th July, 1976 #sexpistols #buzzcocks

Great article from Laurence Thompson on Liverpool's Bohemian underground and some mentions of our Pool of Life film. www.livpost.co.uk/the-pool-of-...

Delighted to announce Episode 1 of my podcast Beyond The Cringe is out now. I caht about Scottish culture with guests @grantmcphee.bsky.social @kirstininnes.bsky.social and @kevinpgilday.bsky.social

That time Netflix made a TV series which was very similar to one of my films. Pop once ate itself and so have movies. It looked really, really like a low budget feature I'd made 5 years earlier. I'm almost 100% certain nobody from that production saw my film. So how did they end up being similar?...

Postcards From Scotland currently on Amazon UK for £17 www.amazon.co.uk/Postcards-Sc...

Just one week to go until my only confirmed London headline show. Bear in mind that you can also buy my entire solo back catalogue and T-shirts there without having to pay postage and packing – and you can help keep a great local venue and promoter going too!

"David Bowie could become one of our biggest stars". The Motherwell Times predicts the future in July 1967.

I'm doing two library talks this week with my brand new talk about some of the amazing but forgotten women who are included in #TheWomenWhoBuiltBristol Volume Three. As such, you are invited to join me at Southmead Library this Friday (11 April) at 2.30pm for a FREE talk (lasting up to one hour).

8th October 1977, Wishaw. Four days earlier, Johnny and the Self Abusers changed their name to the Simple Minds and performed their second gig under that name. They were too late to change the name for the single. Photo by Peter McArthur. #simpleminds

I had a chat with the lovely My Favourite Beatles Song podcast about Yellow Submarine

Morning listening. Abbey Road by the Beatles. Picked up in a skip pile of Jimmy Shand records. I think this was a brief pressing (possibly export) for Waverly Records when they were part of EMI... #thebeatles #abbeyroad

Patti Smith, Edinburgh 1976. Did this gig happen? Did anyone go? @mickpuck.bsky.social ?

Part of an aural project coming out later this year. Here's the utterly magnificent Urusei Yatsura, a band very worthy of re-listening to, along with many of their pals. They had a great label too, Modern Independent Records, which is now 30 years old! www.youtube.com/watch?v=pclS...

Pablo Picasso (no, not THAT one) performed by Johnny and the Self Abusers. It was also performed by Simple Minds (no, not THAT one but nearly) and later Simple Minds (yes, THAT one) and also the Cuban Heels. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeHJ...

7th May, 1966. The Velvet Underground will soon be heading to Britain according to the Daily Mirror in a full page spread on 'Swinging New York'

I've put together a playlist of 50 excellent tracks by 50 excellent Scottish female artists. Acid folk, indie-pop, noise, garage, electronica, c86 and dream-pop open.spotify.com/playlist/005...

#TheWaterboys SHEFFIELD CITY HALL Fri May 9, hallowed venue where bloke nicked my cap off the drum riser ('89) & The 'Oo's synth tape went out of time on Won't Get Fooled ('71, got the bootleg). Thrilled to return for a no-nonsense night of rock'n'roll. Tx eventim.co.uk/event/the-wa...

The French Connection was last night's movie. A very niche observation. Obviously the impetus for this was revisiting Gene Hackman's performance. However, as I hadn't seen it in about 20 years my work brain, frustratingly kicked in...

Looks like the news about David Johansen is true. For every one person I've spoken to regarding all things punk and cited Starman on ToTP as a formative musical influence, two have said New York Dolls on OGWT was their punk year zero. What a band and what a singer. All gone now. Sad times.

Thanks for everyone's contributions to memories of seeing Scottish punk bands so far – and the 15 minute punk discos. I'm now looking for recollections of specific gigs from touring bands please. Would love to include them in the book as they add so much useful colour and context. Thanks!

Thanks to the wonderful AV8 Records, Will Sergeant and Iain Key for this most excellent booty. All the Young Punks, A People's History of the Clash and Will's Weird as Fish 1978 on vinyl. Reviews soon but get your copies today without haste in shops or via the internets

I first played Edinburgh's noble Usher Hall in 1970. Skool concert. I was in the choir. Me and Frank Todd sang "An ostrich in a pear tree" every time we got to that line. Now I'm returning, in the hope I will redeem my younger self 😀 on June 13 #TheWaterboys Tx: ticketmaster.co.uk/event/360061...