Gary Flockhart: When one door closes, SAMA opens

IT was sod’s law that some of the Capital’s best gig spaces should be disappearing just as the city’s music scene is beginning to burgeon into something pretty fantastic.

But rather than dwell on the demise of Cabaret Voltaire and the Bongo Club and drown in a river of tears, I prefer to look on the bright side.

Edinburgh still has loads of cracking venues - yes, it does - and for the first time in yonks we also have plenty of talented local bands playing in them.

If the gods are just, that will be confirmed tonight at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards 2012, when several of our own vie for top honours.

Of course, you never know how these things will pan out, but I’ll be surprised if at least two or three local acts aren’t popping champagne corks by the end of it all.

Flying the flag in the Best Newcomer category are Afrobeat-tinged Bwani Junction who, despite not being long out of high school, already seem fully formed.

Our cover stars a few weeks back, momentum has been building nicely since then with airplay on Radio 1 - and they look like a shoo-in for the award.

Similarly, We Were Promised Jetpacks have a right good shot at winning Best Live Act.

They already have a fearsome live reputation and all I can say is that, to these ears, they’re a class apart from any would-be-competitors.

Then there’s Discopolis, a trio of electro wonder kids from the Capital who are destined for greatness.

They’re competing for Best Electronic Act and, like the others I’ve highlighted above, it would be wonderful to see them rewarded tonight.