MUSIC: Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert Support from Siobhan Wilson

Hear Lies the Body:
​
​“The album title has a dual meaning – sex and death.” These are common themes from Aidan Moffat; since his early days with Arab Strap, he has explored these subjects with a grace and grit that plunges deep into the human soul. But this is no re-hash of the past, rather a further leap forward for Moffat, now teaming up with fellow Scot, singer and guitarist extraordinaire, RM Hubbert, for this new project.

“It can be read as romantic surrender, but of course it’s also a phrase you’ll find on a tombstone,” Moffat elaborates. Equally multidimensional is the music contained within, weaving beautiful, spidery guitar work, haunting piano lines, lush strings, delicate percussion, fizzing 808 beats, synth pop, samba, and moments of jazz, while Moffat’s rich voice carries the narrative in rich grumbles, hushed whispers, and revealing spoken word.

The album begins with first single Cockcrow and a chance encounter of two old flames as they enjoy hen and stag parties in Blackpool – the album follows their story as it moves forwards (and backwards) with wit and wisdom, exploring themes of love, family, fortune telling, deceit, death, Schrodinger’s cat, the multiverse … and marshmallows. The narrative was influenced, Moffat says, by “an article I read about mothers who abandon their families, and how that still remains a pretty taboo subject in our times. When marriages break down, it’s almost always the man who leaves.” 

The video for Cockcrow was directed by Paul Fegan, who made 2016's 'Where You’re Meant to Be' Scottish folk doc with Moffat and is based solely around a performance by Dundee ballet dancer Jack Webb. "It was inspired by a dance piece I saw performed last year by Scottish Ballet. Aidan, Hubby and Siobhan's song felt both tender and cold, vulnerable and hopeful. Jack Webb, Julian Schwanitz (Cinematographer) and I decided on a simple one-shot idea based on these conflicting emotions. Something dream-like. And we wanted to include a bed given it's a prominent element in the singles cover art. Bridging a traditional music video and a performance piece, it's lit in a way that makes the dancer appear like a living painting, specifically an old master, obscured by time - but fierce." Says Fegan.

Siobhan Wilson, whose vocals you can also hear on Cockcrow, along with former Arab Strap drummer David Jeans, will be joining Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert

Website http://www.hereliesthebody.com/

Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGk8Lp1gPLY


Friday 19 th October 
Time: 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: £12.50 (+ bf)
Box Office:  ​01896 756 852
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 

​Licensed Bar 
Over 14s (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult) 

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THEATRE: Stuff by Sylvia Dow

We are what we build around us 

Stuff is about the hoarding of memories, emotions and things. Today the Council is coming to clear Magda’s house. She must find a way to deal with the constant shifting of stuff in her house and her head, as she revisits the past and struggles with the present to find a way to face the future. Told with humour and tenderness this will resonate in its view of our attachment to things, and our need for attachment to each other.

Following on from the success of their collaboration on Threads (2015), award-winning director Muriel Romanes (The List) and acclaimed writer Sylvia Dow are joined by the creative team of Designer John Byrne, Lighting Designer Jeanine Byrne and Sound Designer Philip Pinsky.

Wednesday 24th October 
Time: 7:30pm
Doors: 7pm
Tickets: £10 / £8
Box Office: 01896 756 852
 https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 
                   
 Recommended for ages 12+

MUSIC: Nieves + support from Burnt Paw

                   

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Glasgow-based alt-rockers NIEVES released their debut album 'Exist and Expire' to much critical acclaim earlier this year.

​
Join us for this intimate stripped-down acoustic gig, with a licensed bar throughout and support from the wonderful Burnt Paw.  
 



Friday 16th November 
Doors: 8pm
Doors 7:30pm
Tickets: £6
Box Office: 01896 756 852
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 

​Licensed Bar
 
Over 14s (under 16s must be accompanied by an adult)  

MUSIC: Turin Brakes + support

After an impressive 19 years together, seven studio albums and over a million records sold worldwide, they might be excused a bit of downtime. But no…….the estimable London 4-piece Turin Brakes released their eighth studio album ‘Invisible Storm’ in January 2018 on Cooking Vinyl.
 
The band - founder members Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, along with long-time bandmates Rob Allum and Eddie Myer - returned to their favourite bolthole Rockfield Studios in the Monmouth Valley where with producer Ali Staton they could absorb the vibes left hanging in the air by a long line of musical mavericks, sit down at the piano where Freddie recorded ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and let the music take shape, revealing the next stage in the journey.
 
Invisible Storm is big-picture music played on a small screen, refracted through lyrics that embrace the personal and the universal. Formed in Balham South London, Turin Brakes released their Mercury Music Prize nominated debut album The Optimist in 2001 followed by Ether Song in 2003 which featured the top 5 hit single Pain Killer (Summer Rain). One of the finest indie bands of the last decade with 7 top 40 hits to their name Turin Brakes are a band that’s weathered many Invisible Storms, are sure of who they are and what they’ve set out to do, and know that there’s always a story left to tell…
 
www.turinbrakes.com



Saturday 27th October 
Time: 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: £20 (+ bf)
Box Office: beyondpresents.co.uk
​                      01896 756 852
 https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 
​Licensed Bar 
Over 14s (Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult)

COMEDY: Ray Bradshaw - 
                  Deaf Comedy Fam

1 in 6 people suffer from hearing loss.
 
2 of those people are Ray’s parents.
 
Full of hilarious, eye-opening tales about growing up with deaf parents, Deaf Comedy Fam presents a very first for comedy, as each show will be performed by Ray simultaneously in both spoken English and British Sign Language – which just so happens to be Ray’s first language.
 
There were only 6 BSL-interpreted Comedy shows when Ray debuted at the Fringe in 2015, and he has since made it his personal mission to make comedy more accessible for deaf people – if only to take the pressure off himself when it comes to making his parents laugh.
 
Having launched his comedy career in 2008, Bradshaw has quickly established himself as one of the brightest and most exciting acts on the UK comedy circuit. A two-time Scottish Comedian of the Year finalist, Bradshaw had a total sell-out, smash-hit run with I Dare Ray To… in 2015, as well as two sell-out seasons at Adelaide Fringe in 2015 and 2016. In the past year alone, Ray has performed at Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Singapore Fringe and the Kuala Lumpur Comedy Carnival, amongst others. Ray has numerous radio credits under his belt with BBC Scotland and Radio 4, supported Ardal O’Hanlon on his recent tour, and is a regular guest on Frankie Boyle and Friends. Deaf Comedy Fam debuted at Glasgow International Comedy Festival and completely sold out, before moving to the Edinburgh Fringe for a critically acclaimed, fully sold out run – so don’t miss out on the first ever comedy set at to be spoken and signed by the stand-up themselves!
 
Adelaide Fringe Weekly Innovation Award 2018.
 
'Has a clear comedy gift' ★★★★ Edinburgh Evening News
 
‘Captivating, funny and sharply executed… Bradshaw’s brilliance truly comes to the fore [as] the show is a winning combination of substance and humour’ ★★★★★ Broadway Baby
 
‘Deaf Comedy Fam takes stand-up comedy into a new realm… a show I’ll remember for years – take a bow, Ray Bradshaw’ ★★★★★ Short Com
 
‘I grinned from ear to ear for the entire hour… the result is wonderful’ ★★★★ Voice Mag
 
‘Ray Bradshaw will have you laughing out loud… a mix of dry Scottish humour and great storytelling which might just teach you something in between your giggles’ ★★★★ Fringe Guru
 
‘Like the natural raconteur he is, Bradshaw makes each and every story into pure hilarity… Go on, I dare you to see Ray, and I defy you not to have a good time’ ★★★★ One4Review
 
★★★★ The Scotsman

Friday 2nd November
Time: 7:30pm
Doors: 7pm
Tickets:  £8/ £6
Box Office: 01896 756 852
  https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 
                    

MUSIC: The Urban Voodoo Machine

"furiously energetic and versatile" THE GUARDIAN
 
​“The band veers into mariachi-influenced blues, whiskey-soaked country rags and punkabilly-style rave-ups.” — THE WASHINGTON POST
 
The Urban Voodoo Machine is a collective of shadowy, London based, ne’er do wells, led by Norwegian born songwriter/frontman Paul-Ronney Angel. Featuring up to nine musicians at any given time, The ‘Machine mash-up guitars, twin drummers, fiddle, trumpet, tuba, banjo, washboard, upright bass, gong, mandolin, accordion, harmonicas, saxophone, sousaphone and even empty bottles and tie racks to create their unique brand of Bourbon Soaked Gypsy Blues Bop’n’Stroll. 
The stars were very much aligned the night Paul-Ronney Angel was begged by a promoter to be the filling in a triple-bill band sandwich. Never one to turn down a knees-up, P-R realised he had 48 hours to put a band together. No problem! Trawling the dives and doss houses of London, he called in some favours, cracked some whips and so it was that The Urban Voodoo Machine lurched into life.
In 2008 The Urban Voodoo Machine opened for The Pogues on their American tour after a personal invitation from Spider Stacy, which in turn led to them being offered The Pogues full UK & Ireland X-Mas tour later the same year. The following year saw the release of their debut album ‘Bourbon Soaked Gypsy Blues Bop’N’Stroll’, on Gypsy Hotel Records. The album scored top reviews in all the major music magazines and made ‘Albums of the Year’ lists in Classic Rock and Big Cheese magazines. This was backed with lots of live shows and touring including headlining East London’s prestigious and beautiful Hackney Empire and joining the legendary New York Dolls on their UK tour.
 
“Drawing deep from a dirty well where Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Dick Dale are enjoying a burlesque all-nighter with Ennio Morricone.” — CLASSIC ROCK
 
Notable live events since then have included prestige shows in Norway, Hungary, Spain, Finland, Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany and France.
Major festival appearances include Glastonbury, Download, Latitude, Edinburgh, Sziget, Hard Rock Calling alongside Paul McCartney, Bestival, Bulldog Bash and Ukraine Stadium alongside Goran Bregovic and they have performed everywhere from prisons, schools and churches!

​Audio https://soundcloud.com/theurbanvoodoomachine
 
Full Bio http://theurbanvoodoomachine.com/about/biography/

Website http://theurbanvoodoomachine.com/
​
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/TheUrbanVoodooMachine
​
Sunday 11th November
Doors 7:30pm
Starts: 8pm
Tickets: £10 +BF
Box Office: 01896 756 852
 https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 

Licensed Bar 
​Strictly over 18s

MUSIC/FILM: 
Hazel O'Connor
and Breaking Glass                                          
The Film,  Q&A and Live Performance

A very special evening with award-winning singer songwriter Hazel O’Connor, featuring a rare screening of the digitally re-mastered uncut version of the film followed by an intimate Q&A and live performance of some of the films best loved songs.
 
Striding into the spotlight and catapulted into fame in 1980 in the iconic movie Breaking Glass, Hazel not only made the lead role her own, but also wrote all the songs. The soundtrack album Breaking Glass went on to go double platinum during its 38-week chart run, defining Hazel O'Connor as a powerful passionate performer and a force to be reckoned with. Joined onstage by Clare Hirst  (Bellestars, Communards, David Bowie) on sax, Sarah Fisher (Eurhythmics) on keyboards and Josh Blackmore (Troyka /Strobes) on percussion, the superb blend of the three voices and stunning musicianship add a sweet touch of class to their vibrant performance.
 
Live onstage, her unforgettable songs from the  film including Eighth Day, Will You, Big Brother, Decadent Days, If Only and more seem even more relevant in our present times. 
 
Meet and Greet with Hazel immediately after the show

 
Friday 23rd November 
Doors: 6:30pm 
Starts: 7pm
Tickets: £20 + BF
Box Office: 01896 756 852  
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels ​
 * Licensed Bar open during film and Meet and Greet only*                   

MUSIC: The Vaselines

The Vaselines were formed in Edinburgh in 1987 by singers/guitarists Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, soon signing to Pastels frontman Stephen Pastel's newly formed 53rd & 3rd label.

Nirvana's Kurt Cobain regularly cited the Vaseline’s influence in interviews with the music press and Nirvana would go on to cover the Vaselines' ‘Molly's Lips’ and ‘Son of a Gun’ (both later compiled on their Incesticide collection) as well as perform ‘Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam’ on their legendary MTV Unplugged appearance. 
​
Cobain's gospel-spreading no doubt accelerated their rise to cult sainthood, but the Vaselines would have gotten there sooner or later on their own accord. Lewd but naïve and abrasive yet tender, the band's shambling, primitivist squall remains a perfect distillation of pop at its most guileless and euphoric.
 
Eugene Kelly later went on to front Captain America / Eugenius, while McKee spent the better part of the decade out of sight, resurfaced in Suckle, and released a solo album in 2006. The Vaselines reunited proper in 2010 to record their second full album Sex With An X which was released on the Seattle label Sub Pop.

This was followed by V for Vaselines in 2014. The Ramones-inspired album featured many of the same players who helped make 'Sex.....', including Belle and Sebastian's Stevie Jackson, the 1990's Michael McGaughrin and Teenage Fanclub's Francis Macdonald.
​
“Even those too young-or not yet born-for the Vaselines' heyday can appreciate the earnest fun of Sex With an X” – Billboard

“A welcome return, then – let's hope they stick around for a bit longer this time.” – BBC Music

Saturday 1st December 
Time : 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: £19 +BF
Box Office: 01896 756 852
 https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 
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Vaselines Website http://www.thevaselines.co.uk/

Music: The Van T's + support from Heavy Rapids

*The best live act award winners at the 2017 Scottish Alternative Music Awards*

The Van T’s comprises of twin sisters Hannah and Chloe Van Thompson (guitar, vocals), Joanne Forbes (bass) and Shaun Hood (drums).

Drawing you in through their now trademark surf-rock, feedback-laden guitar segments, accented beautifully by glorious harmonies and killer choruses, The Van T's continue to illustrate why they are considered to be the most exciting young band in Scotland.

Having spent summer 2018 appearing at festivals throughout the UK, the band have also supported The Jesus & Mary Chain in Amsterdam at the renowned venue Paradiso, played a support slot with Clean Cut Kid at London’s Scala following this up with two packed shows at Great Escape.

Rescheduled date from March 2018 where they were forced to cancel due to SNOWMAGEDDON, we are thrilled to be welcoming The Van T’s to Mac Arts along with…

Heavy Rapids
Delivering Punk-influenced Rock and Roll and straight off the back of a hot summer of shows, with performances at Electric Fields Festival, The Garage, London supporting 'Starcrawler', Truck Festival and Tramlines Fringe Festival, Heavy Rapids are keeping the ball rolling with some exciting news and gigs to come in the remainder of 2018.

The bands latest offering ‘Stuck With' is a driving, vibrant track which encourages listeners to forge their own path. Vibrant melodies and bright vocals show a slight change in direction from the band's last offering with crunching guitars and a driving undertow cementing Heavy Rapids sound more than ever.

Two of Glasgows’ finest young bands appearing on the same stage at Mac Arts!

Friday 7th December
Time: 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: £6/£4 Students
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 
Box Office 01896 756 852
Over 14s - under 16s must be accompanied by an adult

MUSIC: The Wedding Present- Tommy 30th Anniversary Tour + support from Melys

The Wedding Present are touring to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of their first singles collection, Tommy. Fans can expect to hear tracks from the compilation, as well as favourites from across the band’s career.
 
The Wedding Present have had eighteen UK Top 40 hit singles… not bad for a band that has, from its inception, stubbornly refused to play the record industry’s game. It all started in 1985 when David Lewis Gedge boarded a National Express coach in London with 500 records packed into a pair of his mother’s suitcases and, in this fashion, delivered the band’s debut single GO OUT AND GET ‘EM BOY! to a distribution company in Yorkshire. That pioneering spirit has been at the core of the band’s philosophy ever since. From GEORGE BEST, “an unmitigated delight” [NME], the first full-length release on their own Reception Records onwards, the band has charted an appealing, if often eccentric, course of its very and in 2017, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of this debut album,The Wedding Present released GEORGE BEST 30. This album featured brand new versions of the original twelve songs recorded by Steve Albini and mixed by Andrew Scheps.
 
Tuesday 11th December
Time: 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: *£20 (*booking fee applies)
Box Office: 01896 756 852
 https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 
​
 

NORTHERN SOUL/ MOD CLUB NIGHT: Kitten Casino

Kitten Casino was established in 2011 by Trisha & Bruce Wagener and since then they have been having regular events throughout Scotland with visitors coming from as far afield as Spain!  
 
Kitten Casino is an exciting and amaaaazing club night full of fantastic people who love to dance to original sixties vinyl with a mixture of classic mod, soul, northern soul, r&b, boogaloo and original ska.  With the colourful set up at Kitten Casino you will not be disappointed. And don't forget the licensed bar, open throughout the evening!
 
Resident DJs and guest DJs from all over the UK and beyond will keep you on your feet or you can take it easy in the chill out area that overlooks the dance floor.  You will get to hear various tunes to keep you entertained and meet a real friendly bunch of people in this incredible venue!
 
We don't have a strict dress policy but we do dress to impress.  All we ask is that you come along and enjoy yourselves. 
 
We look forward to welcoming you if this is your bag, cats! 

Saturday 9th February
Time: 7pm to 12am 
Tickets: £6 (only available on door so get along early)
DRESS TO IMPRESS!
Over 18s only

Mind Reading:
​DNA- We Know What You're Thinking Tour

Andrew and Darren, best known as mind reading double act DNA, took the nation by storm when they appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in 2017 with their incredible telepathic ability known as "The Gift". Wowing the judges, live audience and viewers at home, the duo went on to reach the live finals of the hit ITV talent show. Their first audition has reached almost 10 million YouTube views alone.

Performed completely live, they can ask volunteers to concentrate on the name of celebrities, telephone numbers, credit card numbers, a word in a book, the name of the street they grew up on, a relative’s name... literally anything. With devastating speed and accuracy, the pair are then able to reveal what that name, number or word is, every time.

Their unique mind reading performances have now been enjoyed by tens of millions of people around the world. Aptly named ’The Gift’, the duo have created a show that will blow minds and prove that the impossible really is possible - but only for them!

This brand new show features world exclusive, never before seen material that is being showcased for the very first time!
Now their incredible talents are being taken out to venues across the UK and will be coming to a venue near you in February and March 2019, so book your tickets now! 

Sunday 24th February
Time: 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: *£12 (*booking fee applies)
01896 756 852
​ https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 

Music: Blue Rose Code

A hugely revered talent and presenting a very much in-demand live show (which his loyal fans certainly travel for), Ross Wilson (Blue Rose Code) has recently released his 4th outstanding record ‘The Water of Leith’ on Navigator Records to huge acclaim. 

Ross writes from the heart; eschewing any specific genre but boasting an eclecticism that has become his hallmark - and has seen him compared to John Martyn, Van Morrison and Tom Waits.

Edinburgh born Ross Wilson spent his creative formative years in East London, then moved to South England “to be by the sea’s energy” but it is in his homecoming that he has found where his heart is. Life wasn’t always simple for Wilson. “I have swapped one type of chaos for another” says Wilson.

 A nomad both geographically and musically, Ross writes from the heart eschewing any specific genre and the twelve songs on new album The Water Of Leith, addressing themes of love, loss, travel, home, accepting the past and embracing the future, are painted with colours of folk, jazz, soul and pop; an eclecticism that has become a hallmark of Blue Rose Code and has seen him compared to John Martyn, Van Morrison and Tom Waits.

Wilson cites taking his last drink as the start of living rather than the end of the drinking. Now a committed enthusiast and creative whirling dervish, Wilson has seen the past few years produce some of his most exciting work including the album ‘THE BALLADS OF PECKHAM RYE’, which was nominated for the prestigious Scottish Album Of The Year Awards in 2014 and featured a roll-call of remarkable talent, including Danny Thompson, Karine Polwart, John Wetton, Aidan O’Rourke and Kathryn Williams.

The Blue Rose Code game has certainly changed, they are heard regularly in session for the BBC (TV and Radio), STV, Alba, TG4, Virgin Radio. Live performance is where Blue Rose Code connects strongly with their audiences, they have toured the length and breadth of the UK selling out venues wherever they go and leaving a trail of fans in their wake. Featured in festivals Celtic Connections, Edinburgh Fringe, Looe, Summer Isles, Lindisfarne, Southern Fried, Underneath The Stars.

Ross Wilson has spent most of his musical life curating; he sculpts his band to every mood and temperament in order to create the perfect happening.

As the man at the helm of Blue Rose Code, he is, part director, part sculptor...total chameleon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSOHevyk0e4
​
The Water of Leith is an ode to forgiveness, to letting go of the past and holding on to hope – it's an astonishingly accomplished, pure and sincere record”  ***** THE SKINNY – ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2017

 “ a work laden with beauty, possessed of depth, heart and soul” 
AMERICANA UK 9/10

 “this album deserves your undivided attention” MAVERICK

Saturday 12th March
Time: 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: *£12 (*booking fee applies)
Box Office: 01896 756 852 

​​ https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels 

MUSIC: Holy Moly and the Crackers

2017 and 2018 have been huge years for Holy Moly & The Crackers. The ever-evolving folk-alt-rock group, led by vocalist Ruth Patterson, from Newcastle Upon Tyne released their new album ‘Salem’ in July 2017 on their own Pink Lane Records label. The album received acclaimed reviews from R2 Magazine, Folk Radio UK, The Crack, Clash, No Depression, Blown Speaker and has been championed by BBC Introducing and RadioX.
 
Following the album release, HMATC have toured the UK twice, selling out venues across the country, and made successful debuts in The Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy as well as continuing their success on the festival circuit: They’ve pulled off an accoladed appearance at Glastonbury, appeared at Boomtown Fair, Bestival + Camp Bestival and graced the main stages at festivals such as Beautiful Days, Bearded Theory, Moonbeams and Colours of Ostrava in the Czech Republic.
 
'Salem's' lead single, the barnstorming indie-rock anthem ‘Cold Comfort Lane’, was included on major Spotify playlists including Fresh Finds, Fierce Femmes & New Noise, then found significant sync success, with 'Cold Comfort Lane' used by E4, BT Vision, Capital One, Ultimate Ears, KIA Sportage Cars and the end credits track for the 2018 summer blockbuster movie Oceans 8.
 
2019 brings Holy Moly & the Crackers back out on the world stage with a brand-new album in the Spring, an enhanced confidence and an army of growing fans. Come along for the ride - the craziest party in town always has room for one more...

****For fans of: Frank Turner, Gogol Bordello, Imelda May, Skinny Lister****

Sunday 21st April
Time: 8pm
Doors: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10* (*BF applies)
Box Office: 01896 756 852 
​ ​​https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/galashiels