The fact that the Hoodoo Gurus were in Glasgow sometime in 1989 came as news to me. My powers of recall charted just a singular appearance, opening for Boner and Co. in 1987. But anyway, it's a bloody long time since they were here.

Given the wealth of material that they can choose from, a Gurus set is never going to be long enough. Tonight there was a curfew that you get in these venues where the gig is a precursor to the disco. Although I’m pretty sure there couldn’t have been anything on a Tuesday night? You can see from that what was played and it was great to be in the company of so many people who knew the songs. I was curious to hear Dave introducd “Death Defying” as “the closest he’d come to writing a country song”. Just the other day, I was thinking that Amy Allison could do a corking version of that very number.

When all is said and done they have a whole caboodle that should have swept the world. Tonight they let us have it with some of ‘em at full tilt volume. They closed the night with a Persian Rugs song (I think it was “Be A Woman”?) and the perennial “Like Wow Wipeout”.

Edinburgh was a strange choice. Maybe next time they’ll shimmy back to the West Coast and I’m sure most of those who were present would make their way there too.

It was great to meet those guys too after all these years. I think I was the first person to review “Stoneage Romeos” here in the UK, a couple of lifetimes ago. The fact that three-fifth’s of the band from the “Mars Needs Guitars” is still available to throw a party of this magnitude (cum loudness) is testament to the world’s rock audiences being largely deaf and/or stupid.

With some Bow Bar pies for pre-show sustenance, The Gurus brought some considerable hoodoo down on this otherwise sleepy Tuesday night in Auld Reekie. They’ve still got it and you need some. I hope the flood gates will open and more Australian combos will make it this far north.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GIRL TROUBLE PLAYS MARYMOOR PARK ANYWAY

As you may know, the first Girl Trouble album, “Hit It or Quit It”, was released on K/SubPop in 1988. In fact, this was the first full-length record SubPop ever released. The record matrix number was K/SP-20. This month SubPop is hosting a huge, two-day concert of SubPop bands in Marymoor Park on July 12/13 to celebrate their 20 year anniversary.

It’s billed as the SP-20 event, one letter off from the old Hit It or Quit It matrix number. Coincidence? You be the judge. Of course, Girl Trouble awaited the invitation to join their old friends and label-mates on stage for this most festive occasion. Unfortunately, the band now suspects that a mistake has been made. They have yet to be contacted by their old label! With only weeks to spare it was obvious there was some sort of unintentional oversight by SubPop.

Girl Trouble has never been a band to let a small detail like not being invited deter them from joining in on any celebration. That’s why they have decided to bring some instruments and play the show anyway, somewhere in Marymoor Park, as close to the venue as they can legally get.

This will be the first all-acoustic Girl Trouble show, playing selections from their SubPop album, Hit It or Quit It, in order. Feel free to look for Girl Trouble somewhere in the park (possibly by some picnic tables or a tree) starting at noon, where they promise to entertain anybody who happens by. Unlike the $30 ticket price for the bands inside the Marymoor Park venue - there will be no charge for this one-day-only performance.

Please join us on Saturday, July 12 for this special event. Don’t forget your picnic lunch, blanket and sun screen. Complementary bag of chips to the first 40 K/SP-20 attendees. Hope to see you there!

Possibly the reason is that, with the possible exception of Mudhoney, no other SP band is up to snuff when it comes to sharing a stage with the mighty Trubb. That's my opinion, of course.