John Rafferty
@glasgowrafferty.bsky.social
* Glasgow * Art * Music * Theatre * Education * Scotland * Travel *
A night of country music with Chris Andreucci at St Lukes in Glasgow, who was generous with number of guests he brought to the stage. Highlight for me was the authentic American songwriting and performance from John Haywood in support.
December 29, 2025 at 1:41 PM
A night of country music with Chris Andreucci at St Lukes in Glasgow, who was generous with number of guests he brought to the stage. Highlight for me was the authentic American songwriting and performance from John Haywood in support.
The incomparable Gary Daly of China Crisis, whose annual Christmas show is relocated to the Fruit Market in Glasgow tonight to cater for growing demand. As ever, full of ribald humour.
December 21, 2025 at 11:50 PM
The incomparable Gary Daly of China Crisis, whose annual Christmas show is relocated to the Fruit Market in Glasgow tonight to cater for growing demand. As ever, full of ribald humour.
Top 10 Theatre of the year:
The Merry Widow (Theatre Royal)
Cabaret (NYC)
Little Shop of Horrors (NYC)
Doubt: A Parable (Dundee Rep)
25th Putnam County Spelling Bee (RCS)
L’Infedelta Delusa (RCS)
Spring Awakening (Bedlam Theatre)
La Boheme (Theatre Royal)
Hades Town (NYC)
Death Becomes Her (NYC)
The Merry Widow (Theatre Royal)
Cabaret (NYC)
Little Shop of Horrors (NYC)
Doubt: A Parable (Dundee Rep)
25th Putnam County Spelling Bee (RCS)
L’Infedelta Delusa (RCS)
Spring Awakening (Bedlam Theatre)
La Boheme (Theatre Royal)
Hades Town (NYC)
Death Becomes Her (NYC)
December 19, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Top 10 Theatre of the year:
The Merry Widow (Theatre Royal)
Cabaret (NYC)
Little Shop of Horrors (NYC)
Doubt: A Parable (Dundee Rep)
25th Putnam County Spelling Bee (RCS)
L’Infedelta Delusa (RCS)
Spring Awakening (Bedlam Theatre)
La Boheme (Theatre Royal)
Hades Town (NYC)
Death Becomes Her (NYC)
The Merry Widow (Theatre Royal)
Cabaret (NYC)
Little Shop of Horrors (NYC)
Doubt: A Parable (Dundee Rep)
25th Putnam County Spelling Bee (RCS)
L’Infedelta Delusa (RCS)
Spring Awakening (Bedlam Theatre)
La Boheme (Theatre Royal)
Hades Town (NYC)
Death Becomes Her (NYC)
Top 5 gigs of the year:
Gregory Porter (Armadillo)
Blue Rose Code (Pavilion)
Starsailor (Barrowlands) Morrissey (O2 Academy)
Nick Lowe (Pavilion)
Not a big year for gigging compared to 2024 - only 16 shows this year and no massive names. Next year Big Thief, Waterboys and Ron Sexsmith lined up.
Gregory Porter (Armadillo)
Blue Rose Code (Pavilion)
Starsailor (Barrowlands) Morrissey (O2 Academy)
Nick Lowe (Pavilion)
Not a big year for gigging compared to 2024 - only 16 shows this year and no massive names. Next year Big Thief, Waterboys and Ron Sexsmith lined up.
December 19, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Top 5 gigs of the year:
Gregory Porter (Armadillo)
Blue Rose Code (Pavilion)
Starsailor (Barrowlands) Morrissey (O2 Academy)
Nick Lowe (Pavilion)
Not a big year for gigging compared to 2024 - only 16 shows this year and no massive names. Next year Big Thief, Waterboys and Ron Sexsmith lined up.
Gregory Porter (Armadillo)
Blue Rose Code (Pavilion)
Starsailor (Barrowlands) Morrissey (O2 Academy)
Nick Lowe (Pavilion)
Not a big year for gigging compared to 2024 - only 16 shows this year and no massive names. Next year Big Thief, Waterboys and Ron Sexsmith lined up.
Outstanding drama, the Holdovers, is well worth a look this Christmas. Excellent performances from Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa. Give one these guys an Oscar. Great screenplay and period setting too. On at the GFT or streamable on Now TV or Netflix.
December 14, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Outstanding drama, the Holdovers, is well worth a look this Christmas. Excellent performances from Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa. Give one these guys an Oscar. Great screenplay and period setting too. On at the GFT or streamable on Now TV or Netflix.
Rob Brydon at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow tonight with his big band. An evening of comic banter and Christmas Songs - suspended only for a rousing rendition of ‘Islands in the Stream’ and the audience pleaser ‘Sunshine on Leith’.
December 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Rob Brydon at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow tonight with his big band. An evening of comic banter and Christmas Songs - suspended only for a rousing rendition of ‘Islands in the Stream’ and the audience pleaser ‘Sunshine on Leith’.
Daughter’s finished backcloth for Sweeney Todd, which finished its run this week at the New Athenaeum Theatre.
December 7, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Daughter’s finished backcloth for Sweeney Todd, which finished its run this week at the New Athenaeum Theatre.
Great way to wrap up the year with a hat-trick of trophies at the CDN College Awards, in what has been Glasgow Clyde College’s most successful year ever. Here’s hoping 2026 is just as good.
December 7, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Great way to wrap up the year with a hat-trick of trophies at the CDN College Awards, in what has been Glasgow Clyde College’s most successful year ever. Here’s hoping 2026 is just as good.
Top 5 listens this year…
December 4, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Top 5 listens this year…
A very professional production of Sweeney Todd tonight at RCS. Superb direction and movement and a fantastic set. Still on for the rest of the week.
December 3, 2025 at 10:18 PM
A very professional production of Sweeney Todd tonight at RCS. Superb direction and movement and a fantastic set. Still on for the rest of the week.
James Walsh of Starsailor dons a vintage Scotland top at tonight’s gig at the Barrowlands.
November 28, 2025 at 11:26 PM
James Walsh of Starsailor dons a vintage Scotland top at tonight’s gig at the Barrowlands.
Well that was an excellent performance of The Fifth Step with Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden. Also treated to a Q&A afterwards with the playwright David Ireland.
November 27, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Well that was an excellent performance of The Fifth Step with Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden. Also treated to a Q&A afterwards with the playwright David Ireland.
Off to see this play tonight with Martin Freeman. Beamback to the GFT cinema.
November 27, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Off to see this play tonight with Martin Freeman. Beamback to the GFT cinema.
The Beat announce a 2026 UK tour, including a slot at the Barrowlands. Definitely up for that.
November 27, 2025 at 8:32 AM
The Beat announce a 2026 UK tour, including a slot at the Barrowlands. Definitely up for that.
Sunday antiquing with daughter in Finnieston in the Hidden Lane.
November 17, 2025 at 6:27 AM
Sunday antiquing with daughter in Finnieston in the Hidden Lane.
Blue Rose Code at Cottiers Theatre tonight. An excellent double set featuring a lot of new music.
November 11, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Blue Rose Code at Cottiers Theatre tonight. An excellent double set featuring a lot of new music.
Blood Wedding at RCS last night. Written by Federico García Lorca in 1932 it foreshadows the violence of the Spanish Civil War in rural Spain with a tale of revenge and jealousy. A script packed with opaque metaphors and allegory made it a really tough shift I’m afraid.
November 8, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Blood Wedding at RCS last night. Written by Federico García Lorca in 1932 it foreshadows the violence of the Spanish Civil War in rural Spain with a tale of revenge and jealousy. A script packed with opaque metaphors and allegory made it a really tough shift I’m afraid.
Tonight’s entertainment, Hamilton at the Theatre Royal. Very familiar with the score, but never actually seen the show live. Looking forward to it.
November 4, 2025 at 6:46 AM
Tonight’s entertainment, Hamilton at the Theatre Royal. Very familiar with the score, but never actually seen the show live. Looking forward to it.
3 graduation ceremonies today - it was daylight when I started this morning!
November 1, 2025 at 9:57 PM
3 graduation ceremonies today - it was daylight when I started this morning!
Great performance of ‘Let the Right One In’ at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland tonight, with a clever set design. Perfect for Halloween week, a humorous and terrifying tale of connections. Tickets for other performances still available.
October 28, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Great performance of ‘Let the Right One In’ at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland tonight, with a clever set design. Perfect for Halloween week, a humorous and terrifying tale of connections. Tickets for other performances still available.
Beautiful Pitlochry in the Autumn yesterday.
October 19, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Beautiful Pitlochry in the Autumn yesterday.
Some fine autumn mushrooms from recent walks.
October 13, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Some fine autumn mushrooms from recent walks.
An enjoyable night at the GFT to see Sing Street followed by an impromptu live show with the main lead, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, and his band the Fynches. Superb singing and musicianship (unsurprisingly for an Irish band).
September 29, 2025 at 6:40 PM
An enjoyable night at the GFT to see Sing Street followed by an impromptu live show with the main lead, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, and his band the Fynches. Superb singing and musicianship (unsurprisingly for an Irish band).
Like Scotland’s Roddy Frame, Canada’s Ron Sexsmith makes songwriting seem so effortless.
youtube.com/watch?v=banL...
youtube.com/watch?v=banL...
Ron Sexsmith - WHATEVER IT TAKES
YouTube video by gobias1
youtube.com
September 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Like Scotland’s Roddy Frame, Canada’s Ron Sexsmith makes songwriting seem so effortless.
youtube.com/watch?v=banL...
youtube.com/watch?v=banL...
Next gig on the cards is La Boheme at the Glasgow Theatre Royal in October. Is there a more beautiful piece of music in existence? No. Really looking forward to it.
September 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Next gig on the cards is La Boheme at the Glasgow Theatre Royal in October. Is there a more beautiful piece of music in existence? No. Really looking forward to it.