About The Events

We are thrilled to be welcoming John Douglas (Trashcan Sinatras) to Prohibition on 17th May 2024 for an intimate and acoustic style set!

Scotland’s Reveal Records is pleased to announce that the debut solo album fromone of Scotland’s finest songwriters – John Douglas (Trashcan Sinatras) – will be released worldwide on October 6th.

At long last, fans and newcomers alike are treated to an intimate snapshot of the talent, charisma and depth of this celebrated Scottish indie songsmith. With this release comes the start of a new chapter in John Douglas’ creative life as he simultaneously looks back at a lifetime of musical adventures and accolades and moves forwards.

The album ‘John Douglas’ features new recordings of some of John’s favourite Traschcan Sinatras material, alongside new songs he has written and his own rendition of the Prefab Sprout classic ‘We Let The Stars Go’.

The eleven songs on this record were performed solo, recorded live at Kyoti Studio in Glasgow (with no overdubs) by producer Mark Freegard, who also mixed and mastered the album.

Photo Credit – Susie Lowe

John Douglas explains, “I’ve often been encouraged by friends over the years to make a solo album, but the timing or inclination didn’t flow. Last year – out of nowhere – everything suddenly felt right and the process was quick and natural. Mark just set the mics up and I played my songs. No other musicians or overdubs. Me and my guitar. That way, I became the songs and they became me. The finished record, though varied in song styles, has a mood to it… it’s warm, thoughtful and quiet.. as I generally aspire to be.

Hailing from Irvine on Scotland’s west coast, John has a rich history, making music with Trashcan Sinatras for over thirty years. Apart from his role as a songwriter (and guitarist) there, John has been playing live gigs across the UK and Ireland as part of his partner Eddi Reader’s band.

He has also been performing solo sets at shows with musical friends, such as Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Jill Jackson and James Grant (Love & Money). Whilst visiting Irvine recently, John was invited to guest with Martin McAloon (Prefab Sprout), the two artists having first met in 1990 during Trashcan Sinatras’ ‘Jordan – The Comeback’ tour with Prefab Sprout.

On October 6th, John Douglas’ album will be released on CD and digitally and will be available from fine music outlets worldwide. It can be obtained via Bandcamp ahead of the general release with early-birds receiving an immediate full album download, plus exclusive access to two bonus digital tracks (‘Last Orders’ and ‘The Drink’).

Listen to John on Bandcamp: https://johndouglas.bandcamp.com/album/john-douglas-2023

Supporting John Douglas will be John Canning Yates. 

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – How do you follow up a work described in the Independent on Sunday as “the best debut album since Marquee Moon”? That’s the question facing singer-songwriter John Canning Yates, twenty years on from the critically acclaimed ‘The First Album’ by his band Ella Guru.

It’s a welcome relief amid the rapidly changing musical landscape to find that all that has changed in John’s world is the number of musicians around him. The beautiful storytelling, the art of finding those magical musical moments that will remain with you for years to come: all of that has survived the passing of time intact.

Happiest with headphones on, working alone in the small hours from his Liverpool home, Yates has created another masterpiece.

He explains: “In the wee small hours, with loved ones safely asleep and the busy day done, there comes a hush. Within it, you can breathe and listen. Listen for the infinite possibilities. From those possibilities emerged these portraits. I have sought to find those precious moments: of love and peace in turbulent times, of truth and hope for calmer days ahead. I hope you find them too.”

Entitled ‘The Quiet Portraits,’ the new solo album from John Canning Yates tells tales of people and places, of time, family, history, belonging, forgetting and remembering.

‘The Quiet Portraits’ will appeal to anyone who loves the beautiful melodic soundscapes woven by Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach, and Tom Waits, while Yates’s unique vocals evoke the emotional fragility and compelling narrative of Neil Young, Paul Buchanan, Mark Linkous and Elliott Smith.

Consider this your chance, as a fan, to come hear the artist you love perform in an intimate, inner-city studio environment and also discover new, similar and fantastic musicians.

This is a unique gig experience that puts you at the heart of the artist’s performance. Due to this we have a minimal talking/phone use policy during performances. Any unnecessary noise during performances will result in you being asked to leave the event. We thank you for helping us to create a listening environment and respecting the artists.

A large proportion of the revenue raised from ticket sales is returned to the artists as payment for their talent and musicianship.

Prohibition Recording Studios prides itself in having musical integrity on behalf of ourselves and the artists.

Tickets are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis and are non-refundable.

No under 18s allowed.

Doors open at 19:00 and the show starts shortly after.

We politely ask all guests to arrive before the start time to ensure performances are not disturbed.

Main Act : John Douglas

Support Act: John Canning Yates

More Info

Ticket sales end at 12pm on the day of the event – No tickets will be available on the door unless specified by Prohibition Recording Studios. 

TICKETS AND VALID I.D. (DRIVING LICENSE OR PASSPORT) ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL GUESTS ON ENTRY.

Sold Out? Drop us an email on info@prohibitionrecordingstudios.co.uk with the subject title ‘SIGN ME UP!’ and we’ll add you to our exclusive events newsletter so you don’t miss out next time.

Note: There is limited seating at the venue – to avoid disappointment, please arrive for the event start time, which coincides with the doors opening. There are steps on entry to the building, so we are very sorry, but unfortunately due to restrictions of the building management we cannot offer a ramp for wheelchair users at this time. There may be a small card processing fee, unfortunately Prohibition Recording Studios cannot control this. We absorb all other fees where possible.