Westside Cowboy's ramshackle Americana – plus the week's best new tracks
Up next Debut EP out 8 August
Westside Cowboy describe their sound as Britainicana. You get what they mean. The winners of this year's Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition are the product of a burgeoning new Manchester underground scene but started out performing Hank Williams and Bob Dylan covers in drummer Paddy Murphy's bedroom. While the vocals locate them firmly in the UK, there's a distinct country/rockabilly undertow to their sound.
But equally, Britainicana feels like a slightly ungainly term for music that seems so natural and spontaneous. Recent single Alright Alright Alright rattles along at high speed, its influences buried under a layer of fuzz and feedback and punky vigour, the guitar lurching from the central riff into bursts of noisy abstraction: it sounds like a snatched recording of a band playing live, complete with the thrilling sense that their performance is seconds away from collapsing.
The quartet's debut EP is forthcoming, and the first tastes of This Better Be Something Great are more sedate. I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You) lopes in time-honoured slacker style; Shells starts out as a hushed ballad before unexpectedly bursting into life 90 seconds in. But they're equally marked by a mood of ramshackle invention at odds with the studied, polished air of a lot of current alt-rock. The name, incidentally, comes from the horse riders employed to ensure trains didn't exceed a certain speed in 19th century America: another weird choice, given the velocity Westside Cowboy currently seem to be travelling at. Alexis Petridis
Flock of Dimes – Long After Midnight'People say it's not my problem / They say that actions have a consequence,' Bon Iver collaborator Jenn Wasner sings on a beautiful acoustic meditation about offering help against your better judgement.
Kieran Hebden + William Tyler – Spider BalladFour Tet shatters the Nashville guitarist's arid playing into kaleidoscopic fragments, creating a tense, near-breathless strobing effect that evokes glimpsing horror in half light.
Confidence Man x Jade – GossipGossip's delicious, destructive power is brandished like a weapon on this icy double threat, decorated with enjoyably unexpected acoustic guitar and Jade spitting a very rude word in pure South Shields.
Joanne Robertson – GownThe sometime-Dean Blunt collaborator leads her new album with a song that evokes Sinéad O'Connor's Celtic hymnals heard through Grouper's damp-forest haze – with stirring cello by Oliver Coates.
John Also Bennett – Ston ElaiónaFar from his formative years in the Ohio noise scene, Bennett channels the stillness and swoop of the view from his new Athens home, in gorgeous, consciousness-tweaking ambient bass flute oscillations.
Daniel Avery – Rapture in Blue ft Cecile BelieveThe wildly underrated Canadian singer – and former Sophie collaborator – gets a deserved showcase leading this anguished, expansive and surprisingly pop turn by the British producer.
Chuquimamani-Condori – LRC with Pueblo De Dios Capo E DJ edit
One half of one of 2025's best records – Los Thuthanaka – blesses us with a 24-track collection of edits. On this highlight, whistles and heartfelt chanted vocals fight against hypnotic pile-driver production. [Not on Spotify: listen here]
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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
I slipped over yards from where Oasis fan plunged to death at concert – spilled beer & rowdy fans made it a nightmare
Jade was at the gig and stumbled in a domino effect of falling fans 'LIKE AN ICE RINK' I slipped over yards from where Oasis fan plunged to death at concert – spilled beer & rowdy fans made it a nightmare Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN OASIS fan says she slipped over just yards from where a man plunged to his death at the reunion concert. The man - aged in his 40s - was understood to be sitting in the upper tier of the stadium when he plunged to his death at Wembley on Saturday night. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Oasis came to Wembley as part of their reunion tour this summer Credit: RV / BEEM 4 A fan in his 40s was understood to be sitting in the upper tier of the stadium when he plunged to his death at Wembley on Saturday night Credit: RV / BEEM 4 Other fans have blasted the 'deathtrap' Wembley stadium, calling for the venue to be 'held accountable' Credit: Alamy The highest stands in the 90,000-seat venue are some 170ft above the ground. Police and paramedics attended to the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Gallagher brothers said they were "shocked and saddened" to hear about the fan's death. Now, other fans have blasted the 'deathtrap' Wembley stadium, calling for the venue to be 'held accountable'. Gig-goers who danced the night away to Wonderwall say they were forced to hobble along low railings with a steep drop and a "lethal' slippery floor that was 'like an ice rink.' Some are labelling it 'horrendous' given 'the amount of money they've spent on this new Wembley'. Jade, 31, from Essex, was at the gig and stumbled in a domino effect of falling fans, suffering minor injuries. A man a few rows up from her fell down, tumbling into her and knocking her down too. 'The floor was slippery from loads of spilled drinks,' she told The Sun. 'My bag got soaked. Everyone in the seated section was jumping and dancing and way drunker than other concerts.' Watch the moment that 'proves' Oasis feud is finally over as Liam Gallagher pays emotional tribute to Noel live on stage She fell onto the row in front of her about halfway through the concert, and people helped her up. 'I just got up and carried on. But today I have a dodgy ankle, a few bruises and hurt knees.' 'People were absolutely w***ered,' recalled another on Reddit. 'A bloke near us collapsed, tumbled over a couple of seats and had to be evacuated by the medics - everywhere you looked people were out of their minds. 'It occurred to me that all it would take is one wrong step up there and you'd be a goner.' One fan said on Facebook: 'You'd think a modern venue like Wembley would have sufficient guards for this kind of thing.' 'The top tier is bloody steep. It's dreadful the barrier is so low,' added another on Facebook. Not everyone agrees that the stadium is to blame. One fan said on a fan group: '18 years worth of events, most with 90,000 people attending, and never an incident like it. It's a tragic accident, and blaming it on the venue or security is ridiculous.' An eyewitness to the fatal fall wrote on Facebook: 'He fell from the top tier into our block. My friend's daughter did CPR until the paramedics arrived.' Another shaken onlooker, who was sitting just three seats away, recalled: 'Hearing the bang and seeing the aftermath was just something that will stay with you forever.' 'The atmosphere was incredible,' commented a third on Facebook. 'We were nearing the end of the concert, when in the middle of Wonderwall, he fell right in front of us, a few metres away. "It was very shocking and we left Wembley very upset.' Oasis released a statement about the man, saying that they are 'shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan at the show last night. 'Oasis would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved.' Before singing Live Forever on Sunday, Liam Gallagher appeared to pay his respects to the late fan. He said: 'This one's for all the people who can't be here tonight, but who are here if you know what I mean, and aren't they looking lovely.' But Liam has used that line before singing that hit song on the other tour dates. In the gig after Ozzy Osborne passed away, the Britpop duo paid tribute by displaying an image of the Black Sabbath singer on stage during Live Forever, then dedicated Rock 'n' Roll Star, to Ozzy. In a statement on Sunday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed a man in his 40s was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining 'injuries consistent with a fall'. A Wembley Stadium spokesperson said: "Last night, Wembley Stadium medics, the London Ambulance Service and the police attended to a concert goer who was found with injuries consistent with a fall. "Despite their efforts, the fan very sadly died. "Our thoughts go out to his family, who have been informed and are being supported by specially trained police officers. "The Police have asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them. "Tonight's Oasis concert will go ahead as planned." Saturday's gig was the fourth of seven London shows on Oasis' blockbuster reunion tour. The band crashed ticket sites when they announced they were making a comeback last year - as more than 14 million fans tried to secure a seat at the highly-anticipated gigs. Last month Liam and Noel reunited on stage in Cardiff for the first time since a backstage bust-up broke up the band 16 years ago. The Britpop icons returned to their hometown of Manchester for five dates in July. They performed a 23-song setlist of classic hits, including Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger and Live Forever to a roaring crowd of 80,000 people at Heaton Park. They will head to America later this month before returning to London for two more gigs in September. Wembley Stadium said in a statement to The Sun: "Wembley Stadium operates to a very high health and safety standard, fully meeting legal requirements for the safety of spectators and staff, and is certified to and compliant with the ISO 45001 standard. "We work very closely and collaboratively with all relevant event delivery stakeholders - including event owners, local authorities, the Sports Ground Safety Authority and the police - to deliver events to high standards of safety, security and service for everyone attending or working in the venue."
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Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe theatre reviews: Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x)
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... THEATRE Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x) Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) ★★★★☆ Before studying English Literature at Cambridge, Jade Franks worked at a call centre in her home city of Liverpool. Having always worked, she takes up a position as a cleaner at the beginning of her undergraduate degree, which is – she soon learns – against college rules. Certainly, working and studying simultaneously is an alien concept for her classmates, since they have never wanted for a job or been inclined to earn their own money, but they also treat her as she were from a different planet, mimicking her Scouse accent like 'aristocratic parrots' and carrying their MacBook computers 'raw' in their 'flimsy tote bags' without any care or concern for their cost. Jade Franks in Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates x) | Contributed Eat the Rich promises an excellent script – a sex scene with love interest and Eaton alum, Greg, is 'like an episode of The Crown, X-rated' and when Jade's sister travels the 199 miles along the M6 to visit Cambridge for the first time, their hug 'is like the reverse of the Big Bang.' There is also excellent use of space throughout, with costumes and props housed inside a desk that functions as the Liverpool call centre, her university bedroom, a lecture theatre, and a nightclub, among other locations. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Devices such as recorded voice-overs represent anxiety-induced out-of-body experiences, perfectly conveying overwhelming feelings when Jade's fears and potential futures overlap. And while an incident featuring a stolen watch becomes a key subplot, the true conflict lies in the overt and covert classism purported by the Cambridge student elite. If you're not in, you're out, and in this, Eat the Rich shows that the price of fitting in – using the correct cutlery at college formals, eating £7 ice creams in summer and ordering plates of fish and chips for £27 – moves swiftly from fantasy to become a socio-economic and moral quandary. JOSEPHINE BALFOUR-OATTS Until 25 August THEATRE The Feminine Urge to Disappear The Vault at Paradise in The Vault (Venue 29) ★★★★☆ Body counts. Brat summer. The limit does not exist. If these phrases don't resonate with you, then large swaths of The Feminine Urge to Disappear may be downright incomprehensible. However, if you're a chronically online woman in your mid-20s, then this 40-minute gem of a show will hit very close to home - and even if you don't fit that demographic, it's still well worth a watch. The show opens as two unnamed women – bedecked with viral Trader Joe's mini pink tote bags and stickered MacBooks – gossip and giggle while #WorkingFromHome (but actually #WorkingFromCoffeeShop). This isn't just any soulless Starbucks, however: this is their ideal coffee shop which has the perfect lighting, ambiance, energy, everything. The pair's energy is frenetic, bordering on manic, as they chatter away about dating apps and body positivity with a cadence known only unto TikTok aficionados. That is, until He walks in. The show's mood immediately turns sour; the women nervously explain that they've actually been exiled from the office while HR works through the formal complaints they've raised against Him. Their vulnerability is palpable and all too familiar for those who have faced sexual harassment before; most upsetting is the manner in which He violates their safe space, eventually forcing them to abandon it altogether. We never see or hear Him – the final scene featuring empty tables and chairs tells us everything we need to know. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At times uncomfortable, at times uproarious, The Feminine Urge is a microcosm of young womanhood in 2025 which is equal parts cynical and affectionate. It never punches down; the script has clearly been crafted with deep empathy for the so-called 'basic' women trying to navigate (or simply survive in) a misogynistic world as best they know how – oat milk lattes and all. ARIANE BRANIGAN Until 8 August THEATRE Nick It for Munich Mint Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) ★★★☆☆ Nick It for Munich is, in many ways, reminiscent of Homer's Odyssey – only, instead of battling Scylla and Charybdis, our teenage protagonist Jamie (portrayed with alacrity by Aric Hanscomb-Ryrie) must somehow get to Munich for the Euro finals between Germany and Scotland, despite both limited funds and time. In doing so, he's forced to rely on his wits – from winning a bicycle race to hiding in a train toilet – in a manner that would make even the wily Odysseus proud. Of course, you have to sacrifice some logic for enjoyment (Jamie allegedly leaves home with only £35, which wouldn't go far in 2025 regardless of the exchange rate). This wouldn't be an issue – Hanscomb-Ryrie is easily engaging enough to keep our disbelief suspended – if it weren't for the more sombre theme of parental illness that is also vying for our attention. There's emotional whiplash as Jamie comforts his ailing mother and argues with his harried father, then gleefully throws himself into an adventure on the continent (even if he does eventually reflect on the journey). Overall, however, there's an awful lot to like about the punchy Nick It – especially the ambition and promise of the young people involved. ARIANE BRANIGAN Until 9 August THEATRE Wannabes Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) until 9 August ★★★☆☆ It's Halloween, and five young women are getting ready to go to a party dressed as the Spice Girls. In a few months time, they'll finish school and the close-knit friendships formed all the way back in primary school will fracture as they head off into different futures. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Writer Emilia O'Donoghue, who also co-directs the show with Ella Matthews, captures the moments when the cracks begin to show. Zoey (Emily Butterfield) has interviewed for Cambridge, while Ellie Mae (Aya Khalid) is focused on a BTEC in Hair & Beauty and her own lash business. Straight-talking Kiera (Millie Hampson-May) knows she won't be going anywhere. Her sick mum needs her, and the wage she brings back from her job at McDonalds. Rational Creatures, an emerging company from Manchester, is committed to exploring voices like these, young working-class women from the north who have been let down by the education system and might never get what they really, really want. Among the gossip about boys and games of Snog, Marry, Kill, they confront their differences and anxieties about the future. While the script sometimes lacks momentum, it is buoyed up by the energy of these voices and blasts of the Spice Girls at every scene change. SUSAN MANSFIELD Until 9 August Make sure you keep up to date with Arts and Culture news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here. THEATRE The Wonder Drug theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39) until 9 August ★★☆☆☆ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In this slow-burning two-hander, a weekly park meeting becomes a subtle study of control, connection and the grey areas of recovery. Connor Eastman and Todd Schwartz deliver understated performances as two men linked by diagnosis, a doctor, and a forced drug meant to suppress their psychopathic tendencies. The writing offers insightful glimpses into their dark pasts, but the threat of going off medication lacks real urgency. Still, as the drug's effects emerge, the shifts in their personalities become intriguing. The dysfunctional bond feels believable, and the evolving dynamic holds some promise. While the play raises interesting questions about identity and suppression, it is missing the emotional grit or dark humour needed to fully land. SUZANNE O'BRIEN Until 9 August THEATRE The Idiot's Guide to Breaking Your Own Heart Greenside @ Riddles Court (Venue 16) until 6 August ★★☆☆☆ Produced by staff and students of St Johns Country Day School in Florida, this show arrives in Edinburgh after the original director died recently and the young cast decided to press on with commendable togetherness and team spirit. George Griggs and Paul Andrew Perez's musical tells of Simon (Nikhil Gupta), a teenage boy struggling to fit in and understand love at high school, and lthough the six-strong ensemble's performances are variable (some occasionally poor mic technique means lyrics are lost amid the noisy recorded score), everyone shows ability. In particular, Samantha Richter as Simon's mother both gets the best song and has a very professional spoken and sung delivery. DAVID POLLOCK Until 6 August THEATRE Frankenstein: Afterglow theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39) until 9 August ★★☆☆☆ This 'response' to Mary Shelley's novel isn't an adaptation of the gothic tale, rather an addendum. Spike Rose Productions mixes puppetry with performance – and not in the way you might expect – and nails the vengeful nature of Frankenstein's monster. It touches upon the right to choose how to end your life as Victor is kept alive against his will by the creature. But it doesn't really add to the debate – or the Frankenstein story itself. Much like the neon lighting that illuminates the stage, it's an unnecessary addition to a story that resists improvement. RORY FORD
The Sun
5 days ago
- The Sun
I quit my job to claim benefits & spend the summer holidays with my kids – I'll be better off not working
A BUSY mum has revealed she ditched her job to look after her kids over the summer holidays. Loren Jade decided it would be more beneficial to stay at home rather than work, since she had no one else to help with her little ones. 2 2 Taking to TikTok, the mum explained that she's always worked hard and still struggled as a single mum. In the viral clip, she revealed she has no one else in the picture to lend a hand, which always left her in a sticky situation over the school holidays. So, the mum planned and paid for her kids to spend most of their time off school at various holiday clubs. "I had it all planned out, I knew exactly where the kids would be," she explained. But as the time got closer, the realisation that she wouldn't see her little ones over the summer holidays and that she'd be spending all of her hard-earned money on childcare hit her "like a ton of bricks." "I cannot force my son who has got SEN needs and a four year old to go to holiday clubs the whole of the six weeks holidays," she said. So, Loren decided to leave her job to look after her kids, which she said worked out better for her. In the comment section of the video, the mum noted that she doesn't currently receive DLA [Disability Living Allowance for children] which is partly why it works out cheaper for her to stay at home and help her son. At the end of the clip, the mum said she would still need to work though, but wasn't sure what her next career move would be. Keen for something out of her comfort zone, the mum said she would try to be a social media influencer on TikTok and asked viewers to follow her so she could give it a good shot. After sharing her decision to quit her job other parents were quick to share their experiences in the comment section of the clip. Kathryn Thomas reveals 'mistake' she made during school run One said: "Sometimes not working actually has more benefits than working. In my case, I have a child with a disability. "I worked for 11 years, and it was exhausting – I was losing myself and my child in the process. Staying home with him turned out to be the best decision." And another mum shared her solution for working during the summer holidays, she said: "I started up as self employed part time cleaner. "I'm on my own basically with no help around me, my six year old SEN is not in school so she comes to work with me. She cant be with others so she cant even do holiday clubs." And someone else said: "I'm having to send my son to holiday club every day as a single mum and I feel so bad as he does not want to go and every morning is a battle." "It's so hard, you work to provide for your family, yet are worse off for working! Its crazy! I'm in the same situation," someone else commented on the clip. How to survive six weeks of school summer holidays IF you are struggling with the six week summer holidays, you've come to the right place... BATTLING BOREDOM: Despite hours of activities and playdates, if your kids are already complaining there's nothing to do, parenting expert Liat Hughes Joshi says: 'Don't feel you have to organise every second of the holidays. Kids benefit from boredom and learn to make their own fun. 'Boredom can trigger creative and imaginative play but you need to encourage kids to get used to not being told how to spend their time. 'Ride out the pleas of boredom. Counter it with comments such as, 'What do you think you could do?' and maybe have a list of 'I'm bored' activity ideas on the fridge.' SCREEN OVERLOAD: It's tempting during the holidays to rely on a digital babysitter but don't let them gawp their whole summer away in front of a screen. Liat says: 'It's unfair to expect older kids to power down but it's important to set some ground rules. 'Set family tech rules together. If you're often distracted by your phone, follow the rules too. Maybe tell the kids they aren't allowed any screen time until they've done set chores, some exercise, or a board game. 'Are there times when you'd like to ban screens completely? Perhaps during dinner or when they have friends over to visit. 'Tech is a battleground for parents, but you have to set boundaries. Stand firm and be prepared to be unpopular.' TOO MUCH TOGETHERNESS: You love your kids, but being with them 24/7 can be exhausting. Do not feel guilty if you need a bit of downtime. Liat says: 'If you're juggling work and household tasks as well as occupying the kids, it's normal to start feeling overwhelmed or jaded and in need of some peace. 'If you can't afford or don't want to send your kids to all-day camps, look for free kids' workshops so you can get on with jobs or have a break for a couple of hours. 'Seeking a spell of quiet every now and then doesn't make you a bad parent — in fact it will probably make you more positive and enthusiastic when you are with the kids.' SCHEDULING CONFLICT: Schedules can go out the window during holidays, but late nights and early mornings can mean tired and unhappy children. Dr Tamara Bugembe, paediatrician and founder of says: 'Children get grumpy, test boundaries and become challenging when routines are broken. 'Sticking to some kind of routine during the holidays is a good idea. 'We release hormones at different times of the day and when regular meal times and bed times are broken, it causes dips and peaks in mood. 'Holidays are about having fun but an early night once or twice a week will make everyone happier.' EXCESS ENERGY: Make sure kids get out in the fresh air to tire them out — and make them healthier and happier. Dr Bugembe says: 'Sunshine also tops up vital vitamin D levels which helps improve bone strength and energy levels in children. Our levels run low in winter so let the kids stock up in warmer weather. 'Letting them run around in shorts and a T-shirt is the best way to top up. Make sure they're wearing sun cream, get outside and have fun. 'Encourage them to try healthy habits such as cycling and walking. They'll hopefully get hooked and want to carry them on when the weather gets colder.'
