It’s hopefully not an omen, but livestreaming shows are back – well, at least, Dave Arcari, saviour of lockdown, is returning to our screens, on Thursday 16th December from 9pm UK time. To be fair, it’s something he’s planned for ages, long before in-person live shows started to look a bit precarious…

That aside, in the real world, there are plenty of gigs to take in (at time of writing…)
On Monday, Enter Shikari (no, not Shakira) are at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, while Nathan Evans – or as you may know him, that sea shanty bloke – is at The Caves.

And Evans is also at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut on the following night (Tuesday 14th, keep up), while Ocean Colour Scheme Scene kick off a run of several shows (no-one is quite sure how many) at the Barrowland.

On Wednesday 15th, Big Country play Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree, while in Glasgow, Seth Lakeman has a show at Oran Mor.

On Thursday night, Nathan Evans plays The Tunnels in Aberdeen, while in Glasgow, synth kings W. H. Lung are at the
The Hug and Pint; local dreampopper Alex Amor play a set at King Tut’s, Bathgate’s finest (E&OE) Luke La Volpe play Saint Luke’s; and dubmeisters Mungo’s Hi Fi are at The Old Toll Bar.

In Stirling, at the Albert Halls (but indoors), it’s Del Amitri.

On Friday, Swedish post-punkers Viagra Boys play Glasgow’s QMU, and a good night is surely guaranteed as at the Barrowlands it’s Goodbye Mr MacKenzie – whose show from two years ago at the legendary venue was recently voted ‘Gig of 2019’.
Martin Metcalfe’s pals The Skids, along with their pals Big Country, are across the way at the O2 Academy.
And as if that wasn’t enough punk / new wave legends for one night, Adverts frontman TV Smith plays at Audio… while at the Hydro, it’s Amy Macdonald.
Elsewhere, Anchor Lane are at Scotland’s longest-running rock club, The Dreadnought, in Bathgate, and even further east, Del Amitri are in Edinburgh, at the Usher Hall, while in Aberdeen, at The Lemon Tree, it’s Elephant Sessions.

On Saturday, wrap up warm in case the show is on ice – Rick Wakeman plays the Queen’s Hall, in Edinburgh, and a rather hotter and sweatier set will be provided by TV Smith, at Bannermans.

Up the coast, The Skids, plus Big Country have a hometown show in Dunfermline, at the Glen Pavilion.

Elephant Sessions play Ironworks, Inverness, and in Glasgow, veteran rockers (no offence) – The Silencers are at SWG3 while relative whippersnappers Memes play McChuill’s, and at Audio, Fraserburgh-formed emo combo Dude Trips.

Technically in Glasgow, I think anyway, Robbie Lesiuk plays The Station, in Bearsden (hopefully that is a pub and not a busking gig) and
Colin Macleod – who you may remember as The Boy Who Trapped The Sun plays Aberdeen’s Tunnels.

Finally, to Sunday – when The Skids are in Leven, at The Aurrie, Deacon Blue play P&J Live in Aberdeen, and in Edinburgh, Wrest are at the Old Dr Bells Swimming Pool.

In Glasgow, you can really tell Xmas is on the way – Del Amitri are at the Barrowland, Supergrass play the O2 Academy, and it’s party time with Deacon Blue at The Hydro.

More intimate alternatives include Helicon at The Rum Shack, Section 25 play The Hug and Pint, Colin Macleod is at Oran Mor, The Paddingtons have a show at Broadcast, and The Poppermost get in the festive spirit, launching their new single ‘Mr Johnson’s Christmas Party’, at The Glad Cafe.