A punk-inspired celebration is set to echo through the streets in honour of a region’s rebellious musical legacy.
From Punk To Paolo, a specially curated gig hosted by broadcaster Vic Galloway, will take place on Sunday, March 29 at Paisley Town Hall as part of the first Paisley Arts Festival.
The event is one of the headline events of the festival and will chart the evolution of the area's recent musical history, including Paolo Nutini.
Galloway said: "I love the fact that Paisley had to become punk HQ in the west because of the Glasgow ban.
"That drew me to this event straight away."
Paisley’s unexpected prominence in Scotland’s punk history began in 1976 when Glasgow City Council banned punk bands from performing following a controversial gig by The Stranglers.
Promoters quickly relocated shows just a few miles west, turning Paisley venues such as The Bungalow Bar and The Silver Thread Hotel into punk strongholds.
Galloway, a BBC Radio Scotland presenter, said the genre left a lasting impression on him even though he was too young to experience its early days first-hand.
He said: "I was a bit too young for punk the first time around.
"In 1976 I was only four years old. I got into punk a bit retrospectively.
"The first band I ever saw live was The Damned in 1985.
"I was only 12 years old and it completely changed my life.
"It’s had a huge impact on me in terms of music, but also in terms of attitude, sensibilities and mistrust of authority."
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The Paisley Arts Festival, opening on Friday, March 27, promises to be a lively celebration of the town’s musical history.
Galloway continued: "We’ve a fantastic line-up of singers.
"We’ve got some original punks – The Rezillos and The Skids – you’ve got the generation which followed with Norman and King Creosote, and Emma Pollock, through to Kathryn Joseph, C Duncan, then the ongoing Paisley link through kitti and Linzi Clark representing young and emerging artists."
"If you’re a diehard punk you’ll enjoy it. If you got into music through new wave, you’ll enjoy it.
"If you’re into post-punk Scottish pop, you’ll enjoy it. If you’re a Paolo fan, you’ll enjoy it.
"We just want people to come along for a knees up and a night out – a celebration of good music and Paisley."
The concert will feature a 10-piece house band led by Admiral Fallows’ Joe Rattray.
They will perform songs by artists ranging from The Buzzcocks to Altered Images and Aztec Camera, as well as Paisley-born talents like Gerry Rafferty and Paolo Nutini.
The line-up includes Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub, Richard Jobson of The Skids, The Rezillos, Kathryn Joseph, King Creosote, Emma Pollock, C Duncan, kitti, and Linzi Clark.
Festival organisers OneRen say it will "chart the evolution of Paisley’s recent musical history, capturing the creativity, resilience, and identity that have defined Paisley through the last few decades".
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