Glasgow Podcart is a Scottish based music/arts website which produces weekly podcasts showcasing the best in grass roots and unsigned artists, not just from Scotland, but around the world. The podcast endeavors to expose as much new talent as possible, no matter what style, what size, or how established—Glasgow Podcart believes everyone deserves a platform to showcase their work.
The ladies of Glasgow Podcart, Halina and Kirsten, begin sharing this platform with TVD this week, with both missives from Glasgow you’ll only find at TVD each week, and of course the podcast itself. —Ed.
As I increase in age, I feel myself becoming more of a feminist by the week. Since starting Glasgow Podcart, I do feel the music community that I am part of is male dominant. This is not a bad thing, but the female and male thought process is so drastically different and sometimes you do crave that female gene to understand you a bit better and communicate with.
Two girls who have made a massive impact not only on Glasgow’s music circuit, but my faith in music are MILK—the DIY collective Hannah Currie and Aileen Lynn started as their glorious promotion outfit just over a year ago—are now one of the most exciting collaborations that I have witnessed.
MILK, for those of you who do not know, was devised, branded, and built from scratch by Currie and Lynn. They knew exactly what they wanted to do and planned it in a way that was so simple, yet so ridiculously effective.
Each month they put on new music in Glasgow’s Flat 0/1. The venue itself is pretty much as it sounds. It’s a bar and ground floor stage, slap bang in the middle of what looks like an antique flat. The drinks are cheap, the surroundings are not too pretentious, and the location is central.
It isn’t just about that though. MILK added additional quirky and tempting treats for their punters. The obligatory White Russian, cookies, and my favourite bit, the milk carton which is exceptional. Why so special? Well, Currie and Lynn hand make dozens of milk cartons with the forthcoming artists that are playing the next gig. Reminiscent of Blur’s missing milk carton in their video for “Coffee and TV,” the girls have been very clever in their promotion and all these touches have engaged their audience.
The artists they have selected to play each night have been planned in advance with the knowledge of the artist. All too often you find that promoters just want to make a fast buck or secure the venue use, but it takes a good promoter to know not only the musicians they are booking, but also their audience.
MILK take no profit from what they do. The money goes towards PR cost, i.e. printing, riders, etc and then to the artists. They even pay the photographer who shoots the evening (I am sure any photographer reading this knows the frustrations of not being paid and being expected to shoot for free.)
So, what makes MILK that extra bit special? Well, they care. No, really, they genuinely give a flying fuck about what they do. If it was to earn big bucks and quit their jobs they would not be putting on gigs in Flat 0/1, that is for sure. We have to be realistic about this. I think it is all too easy for people to think that people work their arses off in DIY music because they think the world owes them something or they will become famous. It is essential that these people are part of this ethos otherwise it would be a very boring place. Glasgow is very fortunate in that it has an incredible amount of passionate and decent promoters and venues. Don’t get me wrong, there are the complete dregs with little personality and money signs in their eyes that want to make it difficult and monopolise things, but people know who they are.
The flip side to being a female in this community is that you have to have a bloody thick skin. I can hear the testosterone soaked groans from here, but it is true. I have heard the comments said in jest to the MILK girls that go along the lines of “Who did you shag to get them to play?”
Yes, this is how people think sometimes. Generally people with their medulla attached straight to their scrotum, but nonetheless it still happens. Are you surprised? Jealousy will always spawn bitchiness, and ironically it will be the male that does just that. Thankfully, MILK have been accepted as a welcome breath of ballsy fresh air.
I will be interested to see where the girls take things next. For a pair so young they have tapped into something very special. So, for anyone reading this with cash, time, or even music to invest, then please take time to check MILK out.
Sometimes it is not only the boys that can work their bollocks off. MILK really are legen-DAIRY.
