A bit of a swift roundup this week for obvious reasons, so bear with us if we miss anything out.

In Inverness, Netsounds’ ‘Winter Showcase’ is on December 28th and 29th at the Ironworks with 8 bands on each night, including, on Wednesday 28th, He Slept on 57, Ian McLaughlin, and Homework . The 29th has among others the Whisky Rover Band, Kobi and Abagail Grey. Full details at www.netsoundsunsigned.com

A choice of old-stagers of various vintages for you on Thursday in Glasgow – The Wedding Present are at Glasgow’s Garage. David Gedge and co are preparing for one of those anniversary-style tours featuring their Steve Albini-‘produced’ album Seamonsters (it’s its 21st birthday next year). That’s spring in the USA for the band, so presumably there’ll be a few oldies as a warm-up for those gigs.

Same night, same town: ‘Punk Rock Blues’ at The Captain’s Rest features Jon McNeill from the Zips; Jonny Parr, frontman of Attica Rage provides the ‘rock’ element, and bearded bluesman Dave Arcari completes a lineup where trio get together in some loosely defined three-man action.

As ever, there’s a fair old choice of stuff to keep you off (or on) the streets at Hogmanay – Glasgow has cancelled all the fun due to the impending finanscial catastrophe, but Edinburgh, clearly feeling that its denizens neeed something to take their mind off paying for their trams or the next millennium, have the usual extravaganza on Saturday night. Thus, Primal Scream perform at the Concert in the Gardens (following on from a sold-out Screamadelica show at the Barras the night before).

Away from the hell that is Princes Street, Embra’s Hogmanay can be seen in in the company of Hidden Orchestra, Broken Records, Withered Hand and Asthmatic Astronaut, at The Third Door on Lothian Street. More here.

Over in God’s Fair City, there is only one place to be – ok, that’s not strictly true, but when Nice’n’Sleazy’s Hogmanay Party boasts Findo Gask performing a full set of Yellow Magic Orchestra covers then what can we say? There’s also “Ben Millenium-bug-butler and Y2k meltdown-mouse-pad” (some band’s cunning disguise we assumed) and a bunch of other acts. It’s all here.