It’s Monday, September 23rd, and for the denizens of Edinburgh, that means it’s Pixies Day, as the legendary quartet (well, 3/4 of them, if you see what we mean) play the Usher Hall.

Elsewhere, rather more lightweight alt.pop at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom with Manchester’s Pale Waves, while the excellent Marika Hackman plays Òran Mór, and New Zealand noisepoppers Mermaidens are at the Hug and Pint.

On Tuesday, Callum Beattie, doubtless licking his wounds after Hibs’ derby defeat (but cheered, you’d imagine, by the stay of execution for Craig Levein), ventures out of Leith into Edinburgh for a show at the Mash House.

Another songwriter, Hozier, is at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, and hot on the heels of Steven Malkmus’s show last week, fellow Pavement artist Spiral Stairs plays Broadcast

Kapil Seshasayee, plus Gaelynn Lea, are at the Glad Café, Glasgow, and Canadian indie rockers Wintersleep play Nice N Sleazy, and out of town (ok, deepest Lanarkshire), Lulu is at Motherwell Concert Hall.

Dunno if you saw the ‘gentle comedy’ Fisherman’s Friends, but apparently it’s a true story, and the band they were based on (well, we assume it’s not the actual movie cast) are at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket on Wednesday 25th. Lusty a cappella Cornish sea shanties, in case you hadn’t seen it.

Also in Glasgow, Fat Cops – the Al “Pub Landlord” Murray vehicle backed by members of The Bluebells and Texas – play G2, while we welcome the return of Attic Lights with a show at the QM.

In Edinburgh, Hozier‘s at the Usher Hall, and we go back to the 70s with Dunfermline’s finest (Skids and Cruiser not withstanding. Oh, and Foreignfox) – Nazareth kick off a Scottish tour at home, in P.J. Molloy’s

It must be Freshers Week (?) as St Andrew’s University Students Union makes its one0time annual appearance on this guide. Mungo’s Hi Fi with Eva Lazarus – the featured singer on new album ‘More Fya’ – don their cloaks and play a show there while Lulu is at the Music Hall in Aberdeen, and also for nostalgia buffs, Nazareth are at The Assembly.

In Edinburgh, John Otway brings musical mayhem to The Voodoo Rooms, and Heavy Rapids are at Sneaky Pete’s, Lulu‘s at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness, while in more intimate setting, Dave Arcari plays The Tooth & Claw,

Plus, Wilco are at Glasgow Barrowland while Rodrigo y Gabriela visit the O2 Academy, and Mungo’s Hi Fi / Eva Lazarus play the Berkeley Suite

It’s 40 years since Gary Numan went solo for his first UK tour, playing a memorable debut show at Glasgow’s Apollo. On Friday he’s at Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom, while starting on, doubtless, the same career path, Dude Trips are down the road at Unit 51, and Damn Teeth play The Wig.

In Dundee, Mungo’s Hi Fi / Eva Lazarus are in the surprisingly salubrious surroundings of The King’s Theatre, Dundee, and in Edinburgh, a choice for the 70s nostalgists. Nazareth play The Liquid Room, while The Adicts (remember ‘Easy Way Out’? No?) are at La Belle Angele.
In Inverness, North Atlas play The Tooth & Claw, and Glasgow welcomes Shaun Ryder for a set at St Luke’s.
Also in the west, The Bevis Frond make a return after some time in the musical wilderness, with a set at The Old Hairdresser’s, while The Snuts make a short journey from their Bathgate base to play Motherwell Concert Hall.

Sadly the Apollo is no more, so Gary Numan is forced to play the O2 Academy in Glasgow on Saturday while one of his contemporaries (ok, she was quite big in the 70s), Lulu, is at Lanark Memorial Hall.
Back in Glasgow (try and keep up), Comfort are at Stereo, and Retro Video Club, plus Marsicans, have a show at St Luke’s.
And former Lucky Luke singer Lavinia Blackwall is at The Flying Duck.

A couple of shows in Dundee on Saturday – Nazareth are at Buskers, and Dude Tripsplay Conroy’s Basement, while in Edinburgh, Folda are at The Mash House, and North Atlas have a show at Cabaret Voltaire.

Finally to Sunday – Wester Hailes jazz maestro Tommy Smith is at Aberdeen’s Music Hall, and in Glasgow, Nazareth play The Classic Grand.