So much culture, so little time. We boil it down to 20 of the best events
4 KIDS Puppet Animation Festival
5 DANCE Whiteout
Another year, another excellent Puppet Animation Festival. Among the highlights of this year’s bash are Celeste’s Circus (pictured), Little Princess Goldtree, Jabberwocky, Willie the Wicked Wolf and Family Treats. See preview, page 85. Various venues, Scotland, until Sat 18 Apr. Barrowland Ballet present a very personal show from choreographer Natasha Gilmore as she draws on her bi-racial marriage and subsequent parenthood as inspiration for a piece about race, gender and sexuality. See preview, page 103. Tramway, Glasgow, Wed 29 & Thu 30 Apr, then touring.
P H O T O © J O A O C A L D A S
6 THEATRE/ART Arika Episode 7
7 STAYING IN Mad Men
8 FILM Force Majeure
Dubbed ‘We Can’t Live Without Our Lives’, this latest Arika affair has radio shows, live performances, talks, discussions and films, and features eclectic and esoteric talents such as Ueinzz Theatre. See preview, page 106. Tramway, Glasgow, Wed 15–Sun 19 Apr. Matthew Weiner’s drama about 60s advertising types has been a hugely satisfying trip but now we’ve reached the final batch of episodes as the 70s arrive. Will Don ever escape his past and who’ll get the flares out first? See Highlights, page 121. Sky Atlantic, starts Thu 9 Apr, 10pm.
A skiing holiday goes down the tubes when the dad flees to save himself from an avalanche rather than help his wife and children. When it’s a false alarm, he has some questions to answer in this stirring film. See feature, page 48 and review, page 81. Selected release from Fri 10 Apr.
9 MUSIC Record Store Day Monorail (pictured) and Scotch Bonnet in Glasgow, Coda and Elvis Shakespeare in Edinburgh: a sample of the venues participating in Record Store Day. Just don’t even think about getting your iPod out. See preview, page 90. Various venues, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Sat 18 Apr.
10 CHOSEN BY MUSICIAN JAMES YORKSTON Blueflint
I first heard Blueflint when they opened for me in 2008 or 2009. It was unusual to see a female duo-led banjo band back then: can’t say it’s exactly common now. They’ve kept on since then, releasing their third
album earlier this year, manufacturing their own tea towels, touring with the Proclaimers, that sort of thing.
They have good songs too, although they’re perhaps slightly less bluegrass than before, but they’ve kept their stories and reasons for being. Quite a unique band really, certainly standing out from the more commonly spotted miserablist DADGAD posse that I encounter on the road, as fun as those fellows can be. With this Crail gig, Blueflint are almost playing in my back yard and I’m most certainly looking forward to it. Blueflint, Crail Folk Club, Thu 9 Apr; James Yorkston performs as part of Nothing Ever Happens Here, Summerhall, Edinburgh, Thu 23 Apr.
2 Apr–4 Jun 2015 THE LIST 7