If anyone wants to forgo the office festive ‘team-building’ event (either shooting lasers at each other or watching Ray from accounts drinking his own body volume in sambuca) then there are other nights-out available. Read on…

On Monday it’s Kathryn Joseph, perhaps the final time we can say “last year’s SAY award-winner), at Aberdeen’s Blue Lamp (see her also at Glasgow’s Women’s Library on Friday).
In Edinburgh, in the salubrious surroundings of the Usher Hall, Wales’ finest Super Furry Animals play ‘Fuzzy Logic’ and ‘Radiator’ in full, apparently. Good albums… they’re no ‘Mwng’, mind.

On Tuesday at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen, Frightened Rabbit. They’re at Inverness Ironworks the following night and end up at with a run at Glasgow Barrowland at the weekend)
In Edinburgh, Sheffield duo Chas’n’Becks aka Slow Club give current album ‘One Day All Of This Won’t Matter Anymore’ one final push at The Caves.
At Glasgow’s Hug and Pint, one of our most reliable singer-songwriiters, Beerjacket.

On Wednesday, Britpop outsiders Ash are at the Gatage, playing debut album ‘1977’ in full. (They’re at Glasgow’s Garage the following night)
Somewhere, possibly in Glasgow, possibly at a mystery venue on Bell Street, the electronica legend that is Frog Pocket is appearing, possibly with local alt.folkies Mike & Solveig.
Midge Ure trawls his back catalogue (hopefully choosing PVC2 over Band Aid) at Motherwell Concert Hall.
And NYC no wave legend Lydia Lunch is at the O2 ABC2.

Thursday welcomes a homecoming show for Little Kicks as they release new single ‘Goodbye Enemies, Hello Friends’ (video below), at new-to-us venue Bos’n (the band also play Aviemore’s Old Bridge Inn on Saturday).
One of our bands of the year, Mt. Doubt, are at Edinburgh’s Electric Circus.
In Dumfries, a contrasting couple of shows – locak(ish) folkie Emily Smith is at the Theatre Royal, while bagpipe rock legends Big Country play The Venue (or catch them at Glasgow’s Cottier’s on Saturday).
In Dundee, it’s alt.blues terrorist Dave Arcari, at Clarks on Londsay Street

In Edinburgh on Friday, Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble invites you to his Christmas Hootenanny, at Edinburgh’s Tevoit Debating Hall. (News just in: he’s also at Stirling Tolbooth on the Thursday and the Hug and Pint on the Saturday)

But it’s definitely Christmas on its way – a bumper bundle of festivities over two nights at Summerhall in Edinburgh. ‘Home For The Holidays‘ sees bands including Withered Hand, Meursault, ballboy, WOLF, Book Group, eagleowl, Spook School and DTHPDL cover their favourite Xmas tunes.

Finally, on Saturday, De Rosa celebrate 10 years since their acclaimed debut album ‘Mend’ was released by playing the thing in its entirety. Mend was voted 13th best Scottish album for the years 2000-2009 (its follow-up, Prevention’ was #1, as it happens). And support comes in the form of Adam Stafford (perhaps he’ll celebrate 10 years of Y’All Is Fantasy Island’s ‘In Faceless Towns Forever’. Maybe not though.