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Edinburgh International Festival: Arab Strap

The much-loved cult indie rock duo of Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton return with their first new album in 16 years.

Edinburgh International Festival: Arab Strap

About Edinburgh International Festival: Arab Strap

Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton grew up in Falkirk and bonded over a love of rock music, sad songs and dancing. Naming their new band Arab Strap, they released their debut album, The Week Never Starts Round Here, in 1996, and soon became a much loved cult duo for their fly on the wall, brutally honest songs about sex, drugs and drinking.

They returned last year with a new album, As Days Get Dark – their first in 16 years – describing it as being “about hopelessness and darkness, but in a fun way.” An older and wiser version of their 90s work, it keeps the ink-black humour of early Arab Strap, while updating it for modern times, as heard on ‘Fable of the Urban Fox’, a stunning single alluding to xenophobia and Broken Britain.

In association with 432 Presents

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