Festivals, mini-fests, multi-band spectacles...

It seems promoters in Scotland are becoming more ambitious. No longer satisfied with their monthly meat 'n' two veg nights of one/two/three bands, many are staging more imaginative formats and more expansive line-ups.

This weekend sees no less than four such events dominate Scotland's two big cities...

• Firstly, a daring one-off live music and arts event will take up residence in the capital, when Hidden Door marks the start of a new era at the Roxy Art House (formerly home to The Bowery). It will play host to around 40 bands, 50 artists, as well as a programme of short films and poetry.

The event was the subject of a feature in today's Scotsman, in which new Roxy artistic director Rupert Thomson (pictured) said his ambition is "to create an internationally recognised arts centre in Edinburgh". So why not pay a visit this weekend to see if the venture lives up to the hype?

• The second Sick Kids Sunday also takes place this weekend in the capital. The GRV will play host to a superb array of talent, including Meursault, James Yorkston (playing the songs of Daniel Johnson) and Sparrow and the Workshop. It's all for a vital and local cause, and with tickets at just £8 in advance, it should be a satisfying way to spend your Sunday.

• Hold on you Glasgow folks, don't leave yet. Would you really not want to know about the Chemikal Underground 15th anniversary event at Celtic Connections on Sunday at the ABC? Celebrate your city's finest record label with music from The Phantom Band, Aidan Moffat, Emma Pollock, Zoey Van Goey, Bill Wells and the debut outing of ex-Aereogramme duo The Unwinding Hours.

• On Saturday afternoon, the more folk-inclined among you can sit back, relax, sip a green tea or whatever beverage comes to hand, and listen to the mellow sounds of Pearl and the Puppets, Findlay Napier, Brother Louis Collective and Kitty the Lion at Hazy Recollections. It's at Stereo from 2.30pm.

• Last but not least, have you seen the line-up for the Fence Homegame yet? It looks amazing, but if you haven't got your ticket you'll need to rely on returns - they sold out in a matter of hours. Full line-up here.

So plenty of ambition from Scotland's music programmers. If only the bulk of it wasn't happening on one weekend...

Words: Nick Mitchell

On the radar: Sick Kids Sunday

This Sunday [10 May] sees a fantastic array of talent come together for ten hours of live music at Edinburgh’s GRV to raise money for the Sick Kids Friends Foundation.

Glasgow based quartet Frightened Rabbit will be along to play an acoustic set, which may well be worth the £8 admission fee alone. Their 2008 album ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ was a sensational collection of rousing tunes and a stripped down showing of these dark, and often hilarious, songs promises to be a fascinating listen.



The terrific Jesus H Foxx also join the bill, fresh from the launch of their limited edition EP ‘Matter’, while Edinburgh luminaries Chutes, Come on Gang, Withered Hand, Le Reno Amps and Cancel the Astronauts complete this stellar roster.

Members of Broken Records and FOUND will also be DJing during the event.

If you can’t find something you like in this line up, you may need to consider a trip to the audiologist.

- Stevie Kearney

Sick Kids Sunday runs from 1pm - 11pm on Sun 10 May at Edinburgh's GRV. Tickets are £8 and the full line-up can be found here