With such a crowded gig calendar, it can be hard choosing which live acts to spend you money on. Maybe you've never heard of the bands playing; maybe you've heard their name, but haven't listened to any songs yet; conversely, maybe their back catalogue is so large you don't know where to start. Luckily for you, Time Out is on the case: what follows are the five best songs from the five best artists gigging in Glasgow this month. Use it to jog your memory, or to get introduced to something completely unfamiliar – you might just find your new favourite band.
Errors – Art School, Sat 11 Apr
Much-beloved Glasgow electronic team Errors became a trio following the release of their third album ‘Have Some Faith in Magic’ back in 2012, and since then their muse seems to have taken a turn for the clubby. This year’s ‘Lease of Life’ record is their career-best so far, we boldly suggest, a rich and involving listen which lifts influences from classic and contemporary house styles. This track is one beauty among many.
Nicki Minaj – Hydro, Sun 12 Apr
Fearsome rapperess Nicki Minaj slayed expectations with the dark and ominous edges of last winter’s second album ‘The Pinkprint’. There are party tracks on there too, of course, but this song gives a pretty good indication of how much big-budget attitude to expect amidst this live outing (Drake, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown not included).
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ABC, Sun 19 Apr
All hail Quebecois masters and mistresses of doomy post-rock and volume so punishing their gigs leave you feeling like you’ve been in a bar fight Godspeed You! Black Emperor, who are bringing their singular sonic experience to the Glasgow stage again following the release of their latest album ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’. This excerpt of the first of four tumultuous tracks on the record is similarly eccentric of title.
George Clinton & Parliament Funk – ABC, Thu 23 Apr
Those who witnessed his last show in Glasgow will know that funk icon George Clinton can still deliver a great set, abetted by a small orchestra of great players and a sense of smooth, swaggering style that’s inimitable. From the raw funk and gaudy costumes of his early days in the 1960s and ‘70s with signature groups Parliament and Funkadelic to a refreshing mastery of early ‘80s electro-disco (see the Snoop-sampled ‘Atomic Dog’, below), hearing him live is a joyous education.
Flying Lotus – ABC, Tue 28 Apr
Visionary rap and electronic producer and grand-nephew of John and Alice Coltrane, Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison) moved his career on with the far-reaching and pretty psychedelic ‘You’re Dead!’ album on Warp last year, a crossover top twenty hit in the US. See below for zeitgeist squared, with the album’s Kendrick Lamar collaboration ‘Never Catch Me’.
