Kris Drever and Boo Hewerdine, Pleasance Cabaret Bar

Two superb musicians.  Two excellent singer songwriters.  Two distinctive voices.  Two of the nicest guys on the folk scene.  One of the most virtuosic guitarists around and one truly great songwriter.  We've seen these two many times before, solo, in all sorts of other line-ups, together on stage as members of a band, but never before as a duo.  The tickets were purchased months ago and we'd been looking forward to this one ever since.

The night opened with Kris performing a couple of solo numbers, explaining that he and Boo had got together so recently that they hadn't had time to write enough material for the whole show.  But it's never a hardship to listen to this man.  Then Boo emerged, provided backing vocals and guitar for another couple of Kris numbers, and delivered some solo material of his own.  Plus a lot of laughs.  Mr Hewerdine was on fine funny form with Kris a perfect foil for his dry wit.

In the second half they gave us the new songs that have gone onto their Last Man Standing EP, with each taking turns to deliver the lead vocal.  All immediately likeable and I was delighted to hear Five Past Two in the Afternoon was going to be on the disc, a song that I loved when I first heard it at Kris' gig in February.  The one about having an unproductive day, that felt like it was describing my life.

Throw in a few of Boo's classic songs and great guitar solos from Kris and it all added up to one of the best gigs of the year so far.  The packed house had been whipped into a fine frenzy by the end and raised the volume for the encore.  Mr Drever gave us his version of Boo's evocative Harvest Gypsies, then Mr H had the audience joining in on Sweet Honey in the Rock, an excellent up tempo number to round off the night.

Looked like the CD sales went well too, and I'm looking forward to playing the EP, and Boo's latest solo album.  (We've already got pretty much everything else that was on sale - confirmed fans, us.)  I'd love anyone reading this to have a chance to experience the duo live, but there are only two more nights of the tour to go, and they seem to be selling out everywhere.  Deservedly so.

Woman in Gold

Los Angeles at the fag end of the twentieth century.  Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) is an elderly Jewish Austrian who had dramatically escaped from Vienna after the Germans moved in.  When her sister dies Maria finds amongst her papers some evidence that she might have a legal case to have the Gustav Klimt painting, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, restored to the ownership of her family.  The painting, a fantasy in gold leaf, is of her Aunt, was stolen by the Nazis, and was by then hanging in a major gallery in Vienna.

She asks the advice of the lawyer son of a friend and he, after much persuasion, agrees to take it on.  They go to Vienna, make little progress, and return empty handed.  After various stops and starts Maria decides she's had enough, but the lawyer, Randol Schoenberg, won't give and begins to treat is as his private obsession.  In the end, years later and after a series of US court actions, they will return to Vienna, justice is done and the portrait, and other paintings, are handed over to Maria.

Interwoven into this storyline are flashbacks showing the child Maria with her aunt, and the young woman Maria who had to make the dangerous break for freedom after the Anschluss brought Austria into the Third Reich.  The latter scenes are the best of the film, with a strong sense of period, and genuine tension as Maria and her husband make their getaway.  This Maria is played by Tatiana Maslany who gives the outstanding performance of the film.  (And if you've never seen her starring in the series Orphan Black you should.  You really should.)

There's also a lovely cameo role for Jonathan Pryce as the Chief Justice of the US Supreme court, who brings humour and wisdom to his brief appearance.

Overall this feels more like a TV movie than anything worthy of the big screen, despite the acting talent on display.  Visually it is drab, with no outstanding images or sequences to burn the eyes.  Which is a sad indictment given the beauties of Vienna that were available.  The direction does little to bring out the genuine drama in the story (which is based on real world events) and the conclusion feels tame and predictable.  There's a taste of what could, should, have been a genuinely moving experience when Maria, and other survivors of the period, stand up in court to testify about the crimes committed against them in the past, a reminder of the real horror behind the tale.

The problem lies mostly with the characters themselves.  For all that we're supposed to side with Maria, and it's certainly impossible not to empathise with what she went through in her early life, she is so often rude, selfish and unpleasant that the occasional softer moment isn't enough to make the viewer warm to her (although that's to take nothing away from Mirren, who is as good as ever).  Of all the lead characters only the Austrian journalist who comes to their assistance emerges as a bona fide good guy, so it's hard to feel engaged.

I also found it sad that the portrait is now hanging in New York, when it is such an important artefact of Austrian culture.

Worth having a watch if it comes on the telly in future, but not really worth going out for.

Andy Irvine

Start at the top.  The first folk act I ever paid to see was Planxty, one of the most famous bands ever to come out of Ireland.  And nearly forty years later I was off to the House to see one of the founding members of said legends.  Andy Irvine has had a long, varied and hugely successful career as musician, singer and songwriter, playing not just Irish music, but with strong influences from North America and Eastern Europe.

He is blessed with a voice that, if not the most technically perfect, has an utterly distinctive quality that makes him immediately recognisable.  Tonight he also played a variety of eight stringed instruments - guitar, mandola, bouzouki - and a confusing selection of harmonicas (confusing to him that is, for he constantly struggled to find the right one for any given number!).

As well as that fine, well-articulated voice and intricate accompaniments what we got was a night of story telling.  Both in the introductory patter, which would set the scene, and in the songs themselves.  There were traditional ballads telling tales of highwaymen and murders, American union songs and self penned numbers telling scenes from Andy's life.  Amongst my favourites from the later category were those telling how he came to realise how acting wasn't the career for him and that he would make music his life; and the months he spent living in Ljubljana trying, unsuccessfully, to get his leg over with any of the local girls.  And I was grateful that he found time to include, as his final piece, my request to sing Woody Guthrie's magnificent tribute to Steinbeck's Grape of Wrath, The Ballad of Tom Joad.  Still brings a tear to my eye.

If there was the odd fluffed line or bum note they were entirely forgiveable from a man who's been such a powerful musical force for more than five decades.  A lovely way to spend an evening.

Match Impressions - Edinburgh Capitals SNL vs Dundee Comets, Scottish Cup Final

Back to Fife Ice Arena for our final hockey fix of the 2014/15 season and to see if the Edinburgh side could put last weeks disappointment behind them and retain the Scottish Cup.  The initial signs were not encouraging when a noticeably understrength Caps side took to the ice.  Even more worrying was the discovery that the missing players included the stars of last weekend, the Hay brothers, and the ever reliable Sean Donaldson, greatly reducing the team's offensive power.  It crossed my mind that tiredness might become an issue in the third period.  Which only proves I'm the wrong person to come to for hockey predictions....

Caps were under pressure from Dundee for much of the first period, and Comets would out shoot them nine to six.  But Mallinson in goal was in great form and nothing was getting past him.  As the period went on Capitals became more and more dangerous on the break which brought about a goal after fifteen minutes, Tait given an empty net to fire into after a Paterson break and shot had got the Dundee defence all crossed up.  Caps kept control for the rest of the period, and ended it without any penalty minutes - a sharp contrast to last Sunday and a key factor in how the match unfolded.

The second was more of the same.  Dundee had most of the shots on target, Mallinson kept on saving, and Caps got the only goal of the period. That came less than three minutes in with Joel Gautschi the scorer.  Comets never seemed to have a man in the right place at the right time when it came to scoring.  The biggest worry for Edinburgh came near the end of the twenty minutes when Kieran Black was floored by an illegal hit and took a while to get to his feet.  Although he went off for treatment he was back on the bench within a minute and would go on to play an important part in third period events.

Did I say tired?  The final twenty minutes were almost all Edinburgh.  Caps found themselves with a five on three powerplay and little more than two minutes into the period Gautschi netted again, this time the assist coming from that man Black.  Two more minutes before Joel was in for his hat trick.  Dundee responded with their own pressure, but the same faults in front of goal were apparent, and their indiscipline began to be exposed.  Just past the fifty minute mark Caps scored twice in thirty seconds.  The first by Ireland, with Black again a significant factor in the build up, then Tait getting his second.

What had been a tense encounter was now defused, captain Blackburn kept them focussed and when the seconds ran down Caps were 6-0 winners of the Scottish Cup.  Man of the Match award went to Mark Paterson, who certainly had an excellent game (and never seemed to stop smiling), although my own choice would have been Gautschi, not just for the goal, but as the most consistently creative man on the ice.

It's a shame so few Caps fans made the journey over the water (most of those behind us seemed to be the team's mothers!) because it was a perfect way to end off the year.

Broth (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

The last in this season of A Play, a Pie and a Pint, so I went traditional and had the old Scotch pie, and a pint of Traverse.

Unusually for these short dramas, which normally have a cast of only two or three, there were five actors appearing, a reflection of the complex interactions and steady flow of revelations in the script.  Broth is a black comedy that delivers well on both elements of that term.  It opens with Grandma Mary sitting at her kitchen table, nibbling a biscuit, whilst daughter Sheena and granddaughter Ally stand by, looking horrified.  Not from a dislike of digestives, but because Granddad Jimmy is sat there.  Head on the table, the tablecloth soaked with blood, flowing from a big gash in the back of his head.

But Mary seems more concerned about the broth boiling away on the stove, indeed she appears unaware that Jimmy is doing anything more than sleeping.  Sheena and Ally try to understand the situation, uncertain if they should be calling for an ambulance, or the police, or see if they can cover up for the old lady.  A blood stained kettle gives a strong clue as to what may have happened....

Then Granddad jumps up, not so dead after all, and we begin to learn more about the man we'd thought deceased.  The arrival of Patch, Jimmy's old friend, who had been with him before he made his way home, brings further insight into his character.  By the time Mary finishes off her husband, this time using the broth as her murder weapon, the reasons why she has finally reached breaking point have become clear, to the point where Ally might just be ready to finish him off herself....

All five cast members give excellent performances.  Kay Gallie, as Mary, shows great timing and deadpan delivery to bring out the laughs, and Ron Donachie is a suitably manic and menacing presence as Jimmy.  The bleaker moments are genuinely chilling amidst the comedy.  Broth is well worth tasting.

Match Impressions - Edinburgh Capitals SNL vs Kirkcaldy Kestrels, SNL Play-Off Final

Back over to Fife for the follow up to yesterdays Semi.  Caps' opponents were league champions Kirkcaldy, who had disposed of Dundee Comets 6-0 on Saturday.  It would be a game that was all about penalties and powerplays.

Kestrels looked the better side early on in the first period, with Caps giving away daft penalties.  Kirkcaldy took advantage of one to open the scoring just before the ten minute mark, and another powerplay goal three minutes later.  Edinburgh started to get their act together, began to put the pressure on and a tidy move left Kieron Black an empty net to aim at and get one back.  But the period ended with Kestrels on the powerplay once more and looking to put pressure on Caps at the start of the second.

Which duly translated into a goal in the opening minute.  Only for the officials to disallow it for man in the crease, bringing relieved applause from the Caps fans.  That seemed to knock Kirkcaldy back a bit and for most of the period it was Caps attacking.  The equaliser came six minutes in, Ross Hay getting the final touch.  But Kestrels netminder Marr was in great form and kept out everything else fired at him.  It was no surprise to see him given the Man of the Match award.

The Fifers confidence was back in the third and play was evenly shared.  It increasingly looked as though one goal would be all that was needed to settle it.  Once again in was a powerplay goal from Kestrels with barely six minutes left to go.  Like the previous two it was a shot from the blue line with Mallinson unsighted and having no chance of making the save.

Caps gave it their best shot in the closing minutes, but stout defence, and that man Marr, denied them.  With Mallinson coming off to allow an extra skater, a breakout by Kestrels resulted in an empty net goal with six seconds remaining.  And that was that.  Caps only had themselves to blame, being punished for giving away too many penalties, and failing to do anything with their own powerplay opportunities.  It didn't help that  Beatson, normally such a reliable defenceman, had such an error strewn match.

Kestrels made few serious mistakes, took their chances well and fully deserved their victory and celebrations.

Match Impressions - Edinburgh Capitals SNL vs Paisley Pirates, SNL Play-Off Semi-Final

At Fife Ice Arena in Kirkcaldy to see the first of the Scottish League Play-Off semi-finals.  Capitals SNL have lost out on their chance to win the league title this year, but taking the Play-Offs would be some compensation.

After a scrappy start Caps picked up their first goal before the three minute mark.  A James Wallace slapshot from the blue line was picked up by Ross Hay and brother Neil provided the finishing touch.  A few minutes later Wallace scored the second. Paisley got one back after thirteen minutes, on the power play, a goal mouth scramble in which Mallinson made several saves, but was finally beaten.  There were no further goals in the period, but several flashpoints had to be calmed down by the officials and the penalty boxes saw busy traffic.

Both teams seemed tense at the start of the second, end to end stuff with no real rhythm going.  Almost half the period had gone when a drive from Caps' captain, Chris Blackburn, was tipped in by Mark Paterson.  But, as often happens, momentum changed swiftly and within a few minutes Pirates had the lead back to one again.  Caps then began to dominate, but only in the final two minutes did their pressure tell and the Hay family made hay.  First it was Neil scoring from Ross, in a beautifully worked move, then Ross netted a pass from Neil shortly before the klaxon.  There had been fewer clashes between players this period, but sadly the Paisley netminder had to go off injured shortly before the end, and he wouldn't return to the ice.

In the third Caps seemed to be cruising a bit, no doubt conscious of the need to conserve themselves for the final tomorrow, so this period was mostly about Pirates.  They scored one early on, but Caps held them off for the rest of the period.  There were some tense moments when Neil Hay served two minutes in the box with only four left on the clock, but the kill was effective and there were few scares in the run up to the end of the match.  Five three was the score and Edinburgh are through.

A strong performance from Caps, with Neil Hay in outstanding form, showing great speed, passing and vision.  We're back tomorrow to see them lift the trophy....

Viper Swing

Once only did I get to see that greatest of all jazz violinists, Stephane Grappelli, back in the mid seventies, but it will always be one of the most memorable musical nights of my life.  Grappelli, of course, made his name playing alongside Django Reinhardt in the gypsy jazz quintet, the Hot Club of France.  And the style of music they developed lives on.

So tonight we were off to the house once more, for the promise of some gypsy jazz and an Edinburgh band called Viper Swing.  This was another gig we were excited about going to, knowing that the Grappelli of the line up would be Dirk Ronneburg, a fiddler who's always impressed us playing with various other bands.  There'd be no disappointments.

VS have Dirk on fiddle, two guitarists, a double bass and an eclectic mix of dress styles (top marks go to the big red shiny tie with the big creamy spots).  For the second half tonight they were joined by a third guitarist.  Unsurprisingly they play many of the old classic jazz songs from the thirties and forties, numbers like Sweet Georgia Brown and September Song.  But I don't think the old Hot Club ever got around to playing jazz versions of Abba and Michael Jackson.  And it takes a special musical imagination to combine Greig's Hall of the Mountain King with the tune from Angry Birds and turn the result into gypsy jazz!

No surprise either that our known quantity, Dirk, was matched with musicians of such ability.  All three guitarists took their turn playing lead and competing in inventiveness, each bringing a different style and approach to their improvisations.  Amongst such virtuosity it can be difficult for the bass player to stand out, but not here.  As well as providing a rippling undercurrent of rhythm he had the oft-feared bass solos nailed and sported a twirling moustache to rival Dick Dastardly.  Topping all this off came Dirk's lead vocals sounding like Louis Armstrong had spent some time getting mellow in Paris.  And all the guys joined in the fun on backing vocals.

Toe tapping, body moving jazz, a few laughs along the way and an enthusiastic audience made for another great evening.  Viper Swing perform every Sunday, early afternoon, in the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh.  I wonder what they've got on the brunch menu?

Fat Alice (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

A rather bland veggie haggis pie today, but the pint of Traverse Ale went down well.

Peter and Moira have been having an affair for ten years and today is the day that he's finally going to leave his wife.  Or maybe not.  Maybe it'll have to wait until the time is right.  Moira's heard it all before.

Their evening is interrupted by some strange noises from the flat above, culminating in the appearance of a large foot through the ceiling.  This belongs to Alice, the obese woman who has spread across the floor in the room she never appears to leave.  How should they deal with the crisis?  The result ensures Moira finally realises exactly where this relationship is going, and will assert herself in an unusual manner.

As a plea for people, and women in particular, to live their own lives and not accept being second best to anyone, the play is heavy handed.  Indeed Moira even admits as much with one of her lines.  The elephant in the room is symbolised by the elephantine woman above and the message is more than obvious.

None of which matters because this is a forty five minutes packed with fun.  The script is full of laugh out loud moments and both actors deliver the comedy enthusiastically.  Meg Fraser as Moira gives a superbly physical performance and looked like she was loving every minute of it.  Fat Alice is well worth seeing.

Favourite moment?  When Peter says "You're not that fat" there's a great reaction from Moira, but an even more impressively coordinated intake of breath from the audience.  There are some things you just shouldn't say.

Blueflint, Voodoo Rooms

A night out at the wonderful Voodoo Rooms, one of Edinburgh's most beautiful venues.

One of the great pleasures of life is going to a gig you've been looking forward to and discovering a support act that excites just as much as the band you've come to see.  Tonight's revelation was provided by Little Rach.  A singer/songwriter from Manchester, it was just her, a guitar, and a sense of humour.  A compelling voice, a folkie with an innate rocker streak, the biggest thrill I got from her music was that of anticipation.  Each song was melodically unpredictable, a fairground ride through storytime, and the audience were never sure what might happen next.  Plus Rach has an engaging, almost naif, ability to amuse with her patter in between numbers, an extension of the wordsmithery that shine in her lyrics.

Great hair too.

For Edinburgh based Blueflint this was the home town launch for their new (third) album.  They are fronted by vocalists and songwriters Deborah Arnott and Clare Neilson, who also play five string banjos and few other instruments besides.  Backing them up were drums, double bass, and the multi-talented Danny Hart on fiddle, acoustic and electric guitars.

Their style is a mix of bluegrass, folk and rock, with plenty of changes of pace throughout the set.  Much like The Proclaimers (who they supported on tour a couple of years ago), Blueflint are at their best lyrically telling tales of the mundane, bringing everyday stories to life in vernacular verse.  Both singers take a share of lead vocals.  Clare probably has the stronger voice technically, but Deborah's is slightly the more appealing, perhaps because her accent comes across so strongly when she sings (much like The Proclaimers!).  Together they combine in some beautiful harmonies.

The band is tight, their enjoyment of their music comes across strongly, and they interact well with their audience.  A highlight was the number where the whole band descended into the crowd to deliver a wholly acoustic performance.

Now looking forward to playing the two CDs, one from each act, we emerged with.  Meanwhile here's one of the best songs of the night to enjoy.  Cool video too.

Take the Rubbish Out, Sasha (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse

Today's pie was veggie haggis, with a pint of Belhaven Best alongside.  Nice peppery pie filling!

Two women and a man are in a living room in The Ukraine.  The women talk as if the man is, and is not, there with them.  Because, it quickly emerges, he is dead, of a heart attack a few days previously.  So the conversations he has with them are both imaginary and real.  The two women are, were, his wife and (possibly) daughter.  The latter mourns him, the former moans about him and the inadequate life he led, his selfishness at leaving them so suddenly.

The action moves on a year, to Sasha's graveside and the tune has changed, the widow now romanticising her past relationship and remembering only the good times.  These illusions will be shattered by the dead man coming back to tell her he wants to return to the living in order to go off and fight in the war with Russia.  Neither woman is impressed that his sole reason for wanting to return has nothing to do with his family.

The live Sasha had two main roles in life - drunk and soldier.  Neither of them of much use to the women in his life.  He was good at taking the rubbish out - but they can easily do that for themselves.  His death wasn't quite the disaster for them as they'd first imagined, and the best of his presence is able to remain in their imaginations.

It's the role of Katya, the widow/mother, who must drive most of the plot, and Jill Riddiford didn't always bring the conviction required, with a performance that was more sound than inspired.  In contrast Paul Cunningham's Sasha lit up the room and provided a brooding background presence watching over the two women.  There wasn't much comedy, unsurprising given the subject, but some good laughs were to be had on presence of a dead man in the conversation.  An enjoyable fifty minutes that had an interesting message.

Mairearad and Anna, Edinburgh Folk Club

Although we've recently seen them both within different line ups (Anna with Blazin' Fiddles, Mairearad in the Poozies) it's been a while since we last saw this duo together, and this was a gig we'd been looking forward to for months.  The reality easily met our high expectations.

I'm not sure how many instruments Anna Massie excels on, but tonight there were only the three - guitar, fiddle and tenor banjo.  She is undoubtedly one of Scotland's greatest guitarists, and gives a pretty fine impression of being a virtuoso on pretty much everything else she has a go at.  And with the duo, who used to only play instrumentals, now adding a few songs into their set list, she also gets to show a pleasant singing voice, at it's best tonight delivering a Nancy Griffith number.  She is also one of the funniest musicians out there, with stand up a possible alternative career should she ever decide to give up the music (dire thought).

Mairearad and Anna have been playing together for more than a decade and it shows in everything they do.  Ms Green is the perfect complement to her partner, primarily on piano accordion, but with a few blasts of highland bagpipes thrown into the mix.  She gives the impression of barely brushing the keys as her fingers dart up and down like a dancing gecko.  And Mairearad, in the one song where she took the lead vocal, has a surprisingly husky voice from such angelic features.

The set includes traditional and modern material, much of the latter penned by themselves, sporting names like T Shirts in March and Malteser Madness.  There is romance, sadness, passion, drama, excitement and danciness sprinkled across the evening, a well balanced choice of tunes and songs.  Anna's accompaniments to the accordion melodies are sparklingly inventive, often a tune within a tune, and there is always something going on to keep the interest levels high.  With a lot of laughs thrown in, musically, verbally and physically.  Both performers contribute to the patter between numbers, with background information on the material and some hilarious anecdotes.  And when they start playing the constant flow of grins and laughs between them is a mark of how much they enjoy playing together.

Highlight of the night was the closing encore, with what might be the ultimate haters' combo of instruments - banjo and bagpipes together.  A rousing set of tunes to end the gig on.

All this and free M&A gin mats too....