SPONSORED BY 50 NEU! REEKIE!
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS The ever well-connected, music and poetry collective had Bill Drummond of the KLF shining shoes in a church hall on Easter Road, Irvine Welsh and Ewen Bremner reading from Trainspotting in the stunning Leith Theatre during the Edinburgh Festival, and represented Scotland with Where Are We Now? at Hull City of Culture 2017. (DP)
49 TIDY CARNAGE SHAME OLD STORY
Theatre company Tidy Carnage capture the need for female-focused work. This year, the brilliant,
heart-rending play about dementia, Descent, toured to great acclaim, and Shame focused on slut-shaming, with Unshamed, a social media project running alongside it. Hugely important, now more than ever. (LI)
48 BLOODY SCOTLAND CUTTING EDGE
Scotland’s crime writing festival continues to lead the way in creative programming. The sixth edition featured a torchlit procession, criminal cabaret, podcast recordings, new talent spotlights and experts quizzing authors. No booking fees and a focus on disabled access mean Bloody Scotland is bloody brilliant. (RMc)
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the HOT 100
47 HONEYBLOOD CELL OUT
As well as being shortlisted for this year’s Scottish Album of the Year Award for sophomore release Babes Never Die, Honeyblood have been super- active throughout 2017. Their largest tour yet took them to Singapore and Australia, and Have Yourself a Honeybloody Christmas sees the band headline Glasgow’s ABC in December. (KS)
46 GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS HORIZON
Special events have truly become GFF’s calling card, and it’s hard to think of another i lm fest in the UK that does them better right now. The Thing at Snow Factor and The Lost Boys at M&Ds were remarkable productions. (SH)
45 KAREN GILLAN POST POND LIFE
Karen Gillan returned as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 starting as a villain but ending the movie as the latest member of the Marvel superhero team. Plus a lead role in the Jumanji reboot hits the cinemas this December. (HN)
44 OLD HAIRDRESSERS CLIP JOINT
A bar, gallery and venue situated down Glasgow’s Reni eld Lane, the Old Hairdressers is arguably the most exciting small venue in Scotland, offering everything from hardcore punk and free jazz, to experimental theatre and cult cinema. (SS)
43 SARA SHAARAWI AND HENRY BELL
CHILL OUT Playwright Shaarawi and writer / editor Bell were behind Summerhall’s Arabic cabaret night Chill Habibi during the Fringe, an event which secured Emma Thompson for a reading, while a number of performers were denied visas. They also co- founded Glasgow’s Workers Theatre and took their adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1982, Janine to Egypt. (DP)
42 ALASDAIR ROBERTS PLOUGHING ON
Alasdair Roberts delivered one of his i nest albums in Pangs, its visionary folk balladry enhanced by the jazzy vitality of Stevie Jones and Alex Neilson’s rhythm section. Meanwhile, Furrow Collective won Best Band at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. (SS)
41 EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SCREEN TEST
At i rst glance, God’s Own Country seemed a strange Opening Night selection, but the UK premiere turned out to be an absolute coup: watch out for BAFTAs in the New Year. Their interactive Play strand also elevated EIFF this year. (SH)
40 SAM AINSLEY GOLDEN TEACHER
Sam Ainsley once taught soon-to-be successful Glasgow School of Art students (Ross Sinclair for one) but her own name was well and truly made with her i rst solo exhibition in three decades. Tobermory was the location for her exploration of politics, feminism and the human body. (BD) 1 Nov 2017–31 Jan 2018 THE LIST 31