We do like, when listing our recommended shows, to cover all geographic areas we can. It gives us a sense of self-worth and a cosmopolitan swing in our step.

So, on Monday, first port of call is at Edinburgh’s Voodoo Room, where adopted Scots (via the Creeping Bent label) Vic Godard and the Subway Sect appear. Meanwhile, back in the west, another bunch of old stagers, inventors of the goth metal genre, Killing Joke are at the O2 ABC.

Our city-hopping ambitions are much helped by recent SAMA award-winners Fatherson, who are cashing in on their new-found fame (and celebrating their being signed up by Idlewild’s management) with a tour which takes them to Dunfermlne’s Jam Jar on Wed 14. More about them in a bit.

Next, and confusingly, we leap back in time, to Wednesday, but it’s Central Time Zone (I think) – yes, just to show how international we are, and that we’re not at all jealous at our ‘colleagues’ that are in Austin this week, there’s the Scottish Showcase at SXSW in Texas on Wed 16th, 8pm: The Twilight Sad, Admiral Fallow, Twin Atlantic, Errors, Kid Canaveral and Withered Hand at Maggie Mae’s (er, that is the strangely-spelled Austin Maggie Mae’s, just to be clear)

And on Friday, at Latitude 30 at 3pm, it’s Jon Fratelli, King Creosote, Rachel Sermanni, Unicorn Kid and Dam Mantle.

To Aberdeen now, but on Thursday for the first of two in a row at the Tunnels, it’s Fatherson (them again) on the 16th and The Fire and I the following night.

On the Friday, Stiff Little Fingers are at Dundee’s Fat Sams (and the traditional St Paddy’s night show at Glasgow’s Barras on Saturday)
Fatherson (them again) are at the Doghouse on the 17th.

Out of all these musical riches, gig of the week for us – in the sense that it’s the only one we’re defintely going to – is The Vaselines making a one-off appearance at Stirling’s Tolboooth. The show on Friday celebartes the venue’s 10th Birthday, and support is from local act Burning Cafe.

If you’re in Edinburgh, one of its remaining venues, Sneaky Pete’s, hosts Aerials Up on Friday, while Edinburgh other remaining venue (we jest, of course!), the Electric Circus has some lot called Fatherson on Sunday 18th.