The Backline Newsletter - Issue 40

Issue 40

Author

Allan Watson
March 05, 2026

The Backline Newsletter
Issue 40 - Thursday, 5th March 2026

Editorial

Energy is a choice.

Some bands walk on stage hoping the crowd gives them something. Others walk on determined to take the roof off and drag everyone with them. The difference is mindset.

This week’s feature act, Colonel Mustard and The Dijon 5, have built a reputation on controlled chaos, colour, movement and songs that refuse to let you stand still. You do not accidentally end up dressed in yellow in front ten thousand people. That is built. Year after year.

There is a lesson in that for every band reading this. If you want momentum, create moments. If you want people to remember you, give them something they cannot ignore.

Let’s get into it.

Artist Q&A – Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5

1. Who’s in the band, and what do they play?

Colonel John Thomas McMustard on vocals
Full Fathom Five on vocals
Hamoaglaflague on drums
DJ 5 on beats, acoustic guitar and vocals
Queef L@ina on guitar
Mortimer Chester Winthorpe on bass
Badges on trumpet
Bobby Snoobin on saxophone
Vanilla Johnston on trombone
Bongo Gorilla on congas and percussion
Mikey Banana Bandana The Macho Mana From Heavana on keyboard

2. Describe your sound in five words or less.

Party, dance, endorphin friendly tunes.

3. What was your first gig as a band?

Friday 29th January 2012 at The Flying Duck for Pinup Nights. We played Nice N Sleazy the following night and regularly played the Halt Bar as well. Great but blurry days. Partying hard, squeezed on stages and building up a following.

4. Biggest show so far and how did it feel?

Playing Belladrum main stage every year to a sea of ten thousand people wearing yellow is always the big one. Playing the DMZ Peace Train Festival in South Korea was massive as well. It feels like a dream now.

5. Which Scottish venue feels like home?

Our two favourites are the Barrowland Ballroom and The Old Fruitmarket when we play Celtic Connections.

6. If someone’s never heard of you what song should they start with?

These Are Not The Drugs You Are Looking For if listening to the record. For the live experience, Cross The Road.

7. One band or artist you’d love to open for?

The Flaming Lips. We were booked to support them in Glasgow a few years ago and unfortunately it got cancelled. We were devastated. Super Furry Animals would be amazing as well and St Paul and The Broken Bones.

8. What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve done on stage?

Fathom fell off The Old Fruitmarket stage. Luckily she was fine, but it is a big drop. Hoverboarding at the Academy was a close call as I had never used one before and had a few near misses. I used to put people on my shoulders a lot. I was at Rockerbie recently and saw the balcony I jumped off twice. I was in agony for about two months after that. It was big, but it was not clever.

Chris once went missing in Korea and we asked Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols to stand in if he did not make it. Like a hero, he made it in time for the performance. A venue over there called Strange Fruit has a broken door we accidentally smashed the first time we were over. The owner was delighted and refused to let me pay the next day. Sometimes it was just unnecessary daftness.

9. What advice would you give to a band just starting without sugar coating it?

Make the music you would want to hear. Think about how you can make an audience dance and do it. I am amazed how many bands do not. Keep writing and developing and use any criticism as ammunition. Set goals. Enjoy yourself, but watch out for the pitfalls. I always sing sober now and I much prefer it. Alcohol dulls the senses and can ruin a night and many a band. Be nice and compassionate to others, but be assertive when you need to be.

10. What songs are your guilty pleasures?

Black Lace with Superman, Agadoo and The Music Man. Vanilla Ice with Ice Ice Baby. Starship with Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now. New Kids On The Block with The Right Stuff. Pretty much my record collection from the eighties and early nineties.

Upcoming Shows

Sat 13th June Eden Festival
Sat 4th July Paisley Alive, Barshaw Park
17th to 19th July Back Doune The Rabbit Hole
30th July to Sat 1st Aug Belladrum Tartan Heart
Sun 2nd Aug Fringe by the Sea, North Berwick
Sat 8th to Sun 9th Aug Party at The Palace, Linlithgow
3rd to 5th September Lindisfarne Festival, Beal

Essential Gear – Shure SM57

Short Description

The Shure SM57 is a cardioid dynamic microphone designed for instrument capture, particularly guitar amps and snare drums. Built like a tank, trusted on stages and in studios worldwide, it has been a go to mic for decades because it delivers clarity, punch and consistency without fuss.

Why We Love It

There is a reason you see this mic everywhere. It handles high volume without distortion, it rejects unwanted spill from other instruments, and it flatters electric guitars in a way that just works in a mix. On a loud Scottish stage where cymbals are flying and amps are cranked, reliability matters. The SM57 gives you focus and bite without turning your tone into mud.

It is also one of the most cost effective ways to immediately upgrade your live sound.

What It Does

The SM57 uses a tight cardioid pickup pattern, meaning it captures what is directly in front of it while reducing bleed from the sides and rear. That makes it ideal for close miking guitar cabinets and snare drums. It can handle high sound pressure levels, so you can stick it right up against a cranked amp without fear. Engineers love it because it is predictable. What you dial in at soundcheck is what you get on stage.

Best For

Guitarists who want consistent amp tone night after night. Drummers who want a snare sound that cuts through the mix. Bands building their own live rig. Small venues looking for durable workhorse mics that survive being dropped more than once.

If you are building your first serious live setup, this should be one of the first mics you buy.

Bonus Tip

Do not just throw it in front of the centre of your speaker cone and hope for the best. Move it slightly off centre and angle it a touch toward the edge of the cone. Small movements make a big difference. Spend five minutes experimenting at rehearsal and your live sound will improve overnight.

Gig of the Week

Gene
6th March
Barrowlands, Glasgow

There is something poetic about seeing a band like Gene in the Barrowlands. Big choruses, emotional lift and that unmistakable Glasgow bounce in the floor. The Barras rewards melody and conviction. If Gene deliver both, this will feel nostalgic and fresh at the same time.

For younger bands in the room, watch how experienced acts control dynamics. Quiet moments matter just as much as the loud ones.

Best of the Rest

Keo
8th March
SWG3 TV Studio, Glasgow

SWG3 TV Studio is intimate enough that there is nowhere to hide. Keo in that setting should feel immersive and intense. A great room for artists who understand atmosphere and connection.

Chesney Hawks
8th March
Oran Mor, Glasgow

Yes, that Chesney Hawks. Oran Mor is perfect for nights that blend nostalgia with a bit of theatre. Expect a crowd that knows exactly why they are there and is not afraid to sing. Sometimes a great gig is about pure shared memory.

Wrap Up

From festival fields to Barrowlands anthems and intimate city rooms, this week is about spectacle and connection.

If you are in a band, study the artists who make people move. If you are a fan, show up early and support the opener. Scenes grow when audiences lean in.

See you down the front.

Get Involved

Got a story from the rehearsal room, a feature you would like to see, a gig pick, or a gear review you want to share, or just want to plug some great Scottish music, suggest a band or get featured? Have you attended our gig pick - write a review we may feature it a future issue.

Hit us up at [email protected]

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