4 Projects in Scotland's DIY Punk Scene That You Should Know About! - Scene Radar

Welcome to SceneRadar, where we give you advice on how to get involved with your local music scene, as well as what you should be looking out for in terms with the latest DIY activity across Scotland! 

Today we're talking about 4 projects from Scotland's DIY punk scene that you should know about! These projects are keeping DIY alive through their respective genres and areas around Scotland, and can be useful in giving inspiration for you to start your own project! Please check out each project's social media to keep updated on what they're currently up to! 

1 - Hunk of Plastic 

Founded in 2021 and based in Fife, Hunk of Plastic have been one of the most active labels in the connection of US Emo and Skramz to the UK through physical distribution. Working from their small store on LimitedRun, they have been the distributer of choice for many artists within these genres, as a fan of Skramz and Emo myself I am aware that getting physical copies of Tapes and Vinyl from the US is very challenging due to extended delivery times alongside the increased shipping costs which prevents many fans from buying merchandise from overseas. Hunk of Plastic provides opportunities for US artists to have their physical products sold overseas by working with them and their record labels directly! 

Hunk of Plastic Links: 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hunkofplastic/ 

LimitedRun - https://hunkofplasticrecords.limitedrun.com 

2 - Heavenly Creature Records

Heavenly Creature has also found itself to be a growing part of the Scottish DIY scene through similar but different means to Hunk of Plastic, this label has been building it's online "Community" through releasing tracks from artists from all over the world, primarily in Scotland and across the pond in the US where such genre's are thriving. One place where Heavenly Creature has excelled since launching in 2021 has been it's charity compilation albums featuring covers by friends and fans of the label. Their latest release in collaboration with Gold Mold Records is a Modest Mouse Compilation titled Wherever You See Fit, with all profits being donated towards SFAD (Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs). 

Heavenly Creature Links: 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heavenlycrecs/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/heavenly-creature-records-109609961515648 

Bandcamp - https://heavenlycreaturerecords.bandcamp.com  

3 - Gold Mold 

Gold Mold is an older name within the Glasgow music scene, being active since 2013 providing DIY tapes, records and live shows for the bands involved with the local scene. More recently, Gold Mold has been  the Glasgow music scene with local Punk shows whilst also working to release tapes for bands such as Bleaks, Gossiper and Polly so far in 2022. Gold Mold has certainly engrained themselves as a staple project within the Glasgow DIY music scene. 

Gold Mold Links: 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/goldmoldrecords/  

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GoldMoldRecords 

Bandcamp - goldmoldrecords.bandcamp.com 

4 - Mutual Scum 

Launching in 2022, Mutual Scum are a brand new collective of DIY promoters who aim to create a friendly, fair and fun environment for the Scottish music scene. The collective involves: GoldMold, Heavenly Creature, Sunken Sofa, Struggletown, Make That A Take, and Toadstool. Whilst the collective is certainly in it's early days, it is clear that this is something that the DIY scene is in great need of and the collective has high hopes to restore and build the DIY music scene in Scotland to the best it can be. Mutual Scum have their first outing on Saturday the 18th of June, with US Emo Band "Riley!" playing Ushi's Coffee Corner with Support from Sheffield's "Slash Fiction" and Glasgow's own "Frog Costume" 

Mutual Scum Links: 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mutual_scum/  

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mutualscum   

BigCartel - https://mutualscum.bigcartel.com  

Thanks for taking the time to read, if you wish to keep updated with SceneRadar, you can follow Sunken Sofa on Instagram to be notified when there's a new post! 

3 venues that will show you the true Glasgow music scene in 2022!

Welcome to SceneRadar, where we discuss the many great features of Glasgow's music scene, today we are going to be looking at three iconic venues that are ideal for someone looking to experience the true Glasgow music scene. 

This post is ideal for those travelling to Glasgow and looking to just see what Glasgow nightlife has to offer, or even those who may have just moved to the city and want to get their foot in the door in regards of where to look to find some really great artists and nightlife! 

Here are our top picks for venue's that will show you what the Glasgow Music Scene is really like! 

Bloc+ 

Bloc+ is a fantastic example of a Live music pub in Glasgow that caters to a younger generation of music fanatics. The small restaurant provides a fantastic range of beer and has a dedicated fanbase for their comfort food dishes that cater to both meat lovers and the Glasgow vegan food scene. Bloc+ is also known for their free-entry gigs from 9pm, which are a must see for anyone trying to get a real look at the Glasgow live music scene. 

 

The venue space itself provides a small area next to the restaurant that has become a home for live music promoters and record labels to host the best artists from Glasgow’s music scene and has become a staple of Glasgow nightlife with its regular club nights running from 11pm to 3am! 

 

Get a glimpse of an average gig at Bloc+ below:  

Teose - Live at Bloc+ 

 

The Hug and Pint  

For fans of Scottish music trivia, the iconic ‘Hug and Pint’ named after Arab Strap’s 2003 album “Monday at the hug and pint” is the place for you, however this venue is far from being stuck in the past. 

 

The Hug and Pint, owned by one of Scotland’s largest promoters 432 Events, is one of Glasgow’s most active small venues. Hosting live music from Glasgow’s live music scene all the way to giving touring artists from the USA a place to grow their Scottish fanbase, The Hug and Pint creates a friendly atmosphere in it’s venue space located in the basement of their restaurant that provides small dishes that cater best to the Glasgow vegan food lover (but delicious enough to be loved by all) looking for a light scran before a good mosh downstairs! 

 

Get a Glimpse of live music at The Hug and Pint here! 

BLEAKS [Full Set] Live at The Hug & Pint

 

 

 

The Flying Duck 

 

My final entry is for those in dire need of a dance and a good meal. The Flying Duck provides both as one of the most iconic vegan restaurants in Glasgow, whilst also operating as a nightclub/music venue after hours. This venue caters to lovers of the Glasgow Hardcore scene as well as the Glasgow Nightlife scene, which despite being at two very different ends of the music spectrum, shows that this venue is far from being uniform in the audience it caters to. 

 

For those interested in exploring the Glasgow clublife scene, Proxima Glasgow, described as “a brand new Glasgow club night specializing in Funk, Disco and House Music”, is the organisation to look out for, with their next club night at the Flying Duck being the 20th of May 2022! 

 

And for those interested in kicking it in the moshpit, the most active organisation in Glasgow’s hardcore music scene Northern Unrest can be found hosting shows at the Flying duck from time to time, so definitely keep an eye out! 

Get a Glimpse of a night out experiencing Glasgow's Hardcore scene at the Flying Duck here!

Mortality Rate (Canada) - Live at the Flying Duck 

Thanks for taking the time to read through our top picks for live music venues that will get you loving the Glasgow music scene as much as we do! 

We've got another exciting post coming up very soon so keep an eye out!