It’s beginning to look a lot like the run-up to Christmas with a plethora of acts who are usually never seen on tour unless it’s either summer festival season, or the musical equivalent of panto. However, here’s what’s in front of us…

See what I mean? On Monday, The Charlatans play the O2 Academy in Glasgow, while only-a-wee-bit-more-vintage act Johnny Hates Jazz are at Cottiers. The Cribs begin the firs of a run of three shows at King Tut’s, and not content wth The View’s nation-spanning tour, Kyle Falconer has a show at the Record Factory. Oh, and Liam Gallagher is at the Hydro.
Elsewhere, former Screaming Tree Mark Lanegan is at Edinburgh Liquid Room and in Perth, Danny & The Champions Of The World have a gig at Inchyra Arts Club.

On Tuesday, Danny & The Champions Of The World are at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, and Glasgow hosts a real nostalgia fest (sadly not all on the same bill): Status Quo are at the Armadillo, one-time Alex Harvey sidekick Zal Cleminson is with his Sin Dogs at Òran Mór, Marilyn Manson plays the O2 Academy, and former Silver Jews / Pavement man Bob Nastanovich is at The Hug and Pint.

Danny & The Champions Of The World make their way to Glasgow on Wednesday – they’re at Stereo – or you could catch Fish at Stirling Tolbooth (see what we did there?) And not forgetting that there’s Steps at the Hydro (but don’t worry, the main ground floor arena is easily accessible).

On Thursday, not exactly party music, but supergroup Lau – Kris Drever, Martin Green and Aidan O’Rourke – will get the crowd jigging with their festive-friendly folk at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall.

If you’re in Aberdeen on Friday, UB40 are at the AECC. If you’re the type that accepts no substitute, bear in mind that there are two UB40s and it often follows that the one containing less significant original members is often the one with the best lawyers (just ask Buck’s Fizz). Maxi Jazz out of Soul 2 Soul is also at the AECC, suggesting that he’s the support.
Another act retreading the boards is Hipsway, playing Dundee’s Tropicana & Vogue (er, which seems to be Fat Sam’s).

On Friday… shhh! Be Charlotte has a show at Dalkeith Library – presumably unplugged if it’s in normal hours. The Little Kicks are in Inverness, at Mad Hatters, and folk-punker Billy Liar is also in town, but at the Market Bar.
Cumbernauld’s Twa Corbies hosts a hometown show for, well, at least some of the members of A New International.

Billy Liar makes his way north on Saturday, for a show at Aberdeen’s Vulture Lounge, while in Kirkcaldy, Bad Manners are at the Windsor Hotel.
Hipsway are at The Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, all nice and warm, but Amy Macdonald, Frightened Rabbit, Liam Gallagher and Deacon Blue are all in Edinburgh too, at Princes Street Gardens. It’s for the Sleep In The Park charity initiative, a self-explanatory event organised by charity Social Bite (and yes, you can join them, see www.sleepinthepark.co.uk). We assume that the rock stars will also be doing some acoustic sets, possibly round a campfire.

In Glasgow, what genre are The Membranes? We usually describe the acts in these wee previews… they were called psychobilly at the time I think, but now they’re a bit more post-punk. Probably. In support, the equally hard-to-classify Twistettes (“excellent” will have to do). Oh, that’s all at the O2 ABC 2.

On Sunday, The Band Of Holy Joy play the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh, Dinosaur Jr. are at Glasgow’s Art School, and Hipsway find themselves at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen.