Byrne’s Night Extravaganza
By Jennifer Carr
– 2 min read
Are you living in the West Dunbartonshire area? Do you enjoy live music? Are you a fan of 70s new wave and funk band Talking Heads and their enigmatic frontman David Byrne?
If you are one or all of these, then something special is coming to Dumbarton this May.
It may be little-known outside of Scotland but lead singer-songwriter and guitarist of Talking Heads, David Byrne, was born in our very own Dumbarton, with his family leaving for North America while he was still a youth.
Now super-fan Aliya Hashmi is bringing David Byrne back to his roots with a special tribute to celebrate his musical legacy, both as a member of Talking Heads and as a solo artist.
Noting the lack of opportunities to experience live music in Dumbarton, Hashmi has set up Byrne’s Night in the hope of attracting music lovers away from the big city back to somewhere more local.
It is also a unique opportunity to spotlight the music and artistry of the neurodivergent community, with David Byrne being openly autistic and the event also including contributions from other autistic musicians and artists.
Assisting in bringing Byrne’s and Talking Heads’ music to life, as well as performing their own original music, will be a host of sensational bands from in and around the Clyde Valley area – the first time this has been done in David Byrne’s home town.
Originally from the Glasgow DIY underground scene of the 90s and recently reunited, pop-punk band Lung Leg will be bringing their riot grrrl energy with them.
Meanwhile, formed in 1986 after signing with independent Scottish label, 53rd & 3rd, The Beat Poets will regale us with instrumental rock ‘n’ roll courtesy of long-serving guitarist Tom Rafferty and saxophonist Keith Bruce.
Also joining the show will be Inverkip-bred indie-pop sister duo The Cords, with Eva Tedeschi on guitar and Grace Tedeschi on drums, alongside acclaimed Glaswegian dream-pop singer-songwriter Radhika (whose debut album releases later this year), bringing alternative sounds inspired by the 60s.
But it’s not all about the music.
Byrne’s Night will also feature visual art displays and wall projections provided by artist and illustrator Ash Loydon and a live screen-printing by Manchester’s Matthew Rich, as well as a merch table featuring fan art inspired by Byrne’s music.
Byrne’s Night is scheduled for Friday May 15 2026.
It had originally sold out six months in advance, and the event has now moved to Dumbarton Football Club to accommodate this high level of interest.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at wegottickets.com/event/679775. If you want to keep up to date with announcements, you can also follow the event on Instagram and Facebook at @byrnes.night.dumbarton.
