Commercial Alternative: All day alternative music fest at Mono

Great day, poorly attended (I'm assuming) due to crappy weather, but to be honest, c'mon Glasgow! It was an indoor festival!

My personal highlights were Remember Remember and The 1990's, as they were so bloody tight - Remember Remember had the most amount of folk I've seen in it yet, was bordering on epic, and was great to meet Graeme's Mum who was the most vibrant one in the crowd - go Margaret! I can definitely see RR headlining a main stage somewhere. Top class.

Was the second time I've seen The 1990s live, and I really want to see them again. They just blast energy off the stage and they just meld together so well. Great songs, music, musicianship, presence and engagement with the audience. Bloody brilliant. When oh when will they play the UK again?

Great to discover Astral Planes, and finally hear/see Girls Names, Golden Grrrls, and Peter Parker. (Numpty that I am I completely didn't recognise Roz from Peter Parker who also plays in Miss The Occupier. Different hair, though I had my sneaking suspicions it was the same girl from photos of PP I'd previously looked up! Twat-head strikes again.) Peter Parker snarl out a sexy fifties rock/punk flavour, delivered in tattoos, scratches and pouts. Like it, a lot.

Astral Planes was also sexy and snarly reminding me a bit of Chrissy Hind, Patty Smith and The Kills. Girls Names produced really creative and mesmerising sounds and songs - Beautiful!

Golden Grrrls I've been meaning to see for a while now, with their drummer Eilidh who is great and has been with other bands I've meant to see but never managed. Looking forward to where they head with this.

In all, it was a quality line-up and I would definitely see them all again. If I hadn't been experiencing the mother of all stomach cramps and wanting to vomit for the latter half of the night, it probably would have been one of my best days in the year, especially if I hadn't retired at the end of the night and gone home. I mean seriously, what a lame-ass.

Mono is most definitely one of the top three magnetic poles for experiencing GREAT music in Glasgow if not the UK. The building doesn't provide the best accoustics, but for the consistently great gigs that play there, the fantastic music shop, expos, food, top class beer as well as their own home-made ginger beer, best drinking sun-trap courtyard and the relaxed atmosphere, you really can't beat it.

(Drawings will come)

This week: Swimmer One and WPM at Creation Studios,

(Isn't this a great poster by (if I've got it right)

Dep Downie?)

There's a keek load of stuff on this week. With what I've talked about below, plus New Works New Worlds at the Arches, Glasgow from Wednesday to Saturday, George Burt's improv guitar with the wierd and wonderful kinetic sculptures of Sharmanka Gallery as part of the 'First Thursday' monthly evening event at Trongate 103, plus the Kelburn Garden Party this weekend with Broken Records, Meursault and Panda Su to name a few, it really is going to be tricky deciding what to do, where to go. Especially since I bet there's also a keek load of great stuff in other places I haven't mentioned. I forgot to also mention Cryptic Nights this Thursday at the CCA, Glasgow. Why why why, is there only one of me...

Friday night in Dundee is the launch party of the Guerilla Gallery, hosted by the most entertaining and talented visual wizzos RetchyVSmash - Check out their website to see what beautiful and what 'f**king nuts stuff' they do. And if you want to submit five of your best digital images (no videos this time) email them at guerrillagalleryinfo@gmail.com (deadline this Wednesday).

Y'know Andrew Eaton, arts editor of The Scotsman? Well he just happens to be in a cracking band called Swimmer One and they're playing Glasgow this Sunday at 'Words Per Minute III' at Creation Studios with his band Swimmer One - check out their myspace. http://www.myspace.com/swimmerone

Also check out the Words Per Minute site for the full line up - www.wordsperminute.org.uk Everyone should go to every WPM. It's a feast for all the artistic sensibilities you may have or didn't know you have. Inspiring, entertaining, affable, engaging and great quality. Organised by a few of those involved with Discombobulate, it is guaranteed that your culture-o-meter will whoop up to the next level in a very enjoyable manner. 3.30 - 6pm with DJ sets by Miaoux Miaoux between 6-7pm. £2

However, it kind of unfortunately clashes with some of the cracking all day music festival 'Commercial Alternative' with The 1990s, Phantom Band, Remember Remember, Comet Gain, Spectrals, Golden Grrrrls, Astral Planes, Peter Parker and Girls Names. If the tickets haven't already sold out, get one. It's going to be a really brilliant day of music. The very very nice poster is designed (I think, if not please someone correct me) by the rather talented Dep Downie of Monorail Music himself. I hope they're selling copies of the poster too!

- http://www.monocafebar.com/ £20 (+ bf) if there are any tickets left - phone 0141 222 225

Also on Sunday is the 'Say No To Plastic' vintage summer sale is on at the Oran Mor (church) at the top of Byres Road.

http://www.saynotoplastic.co.uk/ 12-5pm £2

I'm pretty sure you could manage a wholesome piece of all three Sunday events if you're super organised and mobile, but otherwise, keep wishing for the invention of a speedy clone machine.