Vic's Picks: February 2026
BBC broadcaster, author, actor, musician, DJ and List columnist, Mr Galloway flicks through some music listings to choose his top February gigs in variously sized rooms and across different genres…
Every now and again, it can be quite cathartic to be viscerally blasted by a performance and have those pesky cobwebs blown from the brain. For such an experience in early 2026, let me point you towards electro-punk freakshow Ho99o9, the New Jersey duo who started in 2012 and have somehow harnessed an unholy mix of Death Grips, Bad Brains and Young Fathers in their sound. With a live show to match, their industrial noise-rap will definitely take no prisoners at The Garage in Glasgow (Wednesday 4 February) as they pulverise you with tracks from recent Tomorrow We Escape album. Having witnessed their full-frontal assault before, I can guarantee a wild night out for all the family. See you in the pit!
For a far more gentle affair, one of Scotland’s most beloved bands, Belle And Sebastian, embark on a year of celebrations as they perform their now classic first two albums Tigermilk and If You’re Feeling Sinister in their entirety. No longer the indie-pop shamblers of yore, these days they increasingly resemble a slick, well-oiled pop machine with a growing list of accomplished albums in their back catalogue. However, it was those early records which set the template and cast a spell, enticing us into their metaphorical musical bedsit. See them start the campaign at Troon Concert Hall (Thursday 19 & Friday 20 February) and expect whimsical memories and an impeccable replay of two genuinely beguiling albums from (gulp) 30 years ago.
Mike Skinner aka The Streets reignites his pavement prose once again at Edinburgh Corn Exchange (Wednesday 18 February) and Glasgow Barrowlands (Thursday 19 February) as he wheels out his rabble-rousing anthems to partygoers of a certain age... even if Pepto-Bismol and paracetamol are as hard as the drugs get these days. His documentation of UK club life, dead-end jobs, come-downs, come-ons and heartbreak has always been brutally honest, but also poetic and playful. With classic tracks from A Grand Don’t Come For Free and Original Pirate Material still resonating with listeners, only a fool would miss out. So ‘Dry Your Eyes’ mate, and get along to a show.
Listen to Vic Galloway every Monday night on BBC Radio Scotland or anytime on BBC Sounds; Main picture: Gareth Goodlad.
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