Two middle-aged wifies having a witter. End of review.
Well, almost. There's a bit more to it of course, when the wifies concerned are motormouths Susan Morrison and Jojo Sutherland. In an hour that (somehow or other) established where everyone in the audience came from and touched on diverse subjects including family at Xmas, the first drink that made you sick, and the correct way to put a bra on.
It was random, confusing, frequently meaningless and absolutely hilarious, with never a non-laughing minute going by from start to finish. Highly recommended.
Monday 31 December 2018
Friday 21 December 2018
Emily Smith Xmas 2018, Queens Hall
An evening of seasonal songs, mixing traditional carols with folk songs and a bit of Gaelic. The wonderfully pure voice of Emily Smith backed by Jamie McLennan on fiddle, guitar and whistle, Ross Hamilton on bass and the wonderfully talented and very funny Anna massie on guitar. Plus the bonus of Gaelic vocalist Kathleen MacInnes for a few numbers. So there could be no complaints about the quality of the singing or musicianship, and the choice of songs and arrangements were decent enough. Add in a couple of instrumentals that allowed McLennan and Massie to show off their skills (with Anna's being a real highlight of the show) and this should have been glorious xmas entertainment.
So why did it feel so flat as an occasion? It certainly didn't help that Massie was clearly suffering from a nasty cough, and that McLennan had to join in at times. The setting had made a bit of an effort, with lights on the tables and lonely looking star hanging above Smith's head, but it didn't do much to say 'fun'. There were a couple of party-game type events that were well enough thought through, but never really managed to lift the atmosphere of polite applause that dominated. The band did their bit, so maybe this was just one of those audiences. A pity, as Smith is one of our best songstresses, Massie is so talented, and MacInnes' island softness was truly beautiful.
An evening that was less than the sum of its parts.
So why did it feel so flat as an occasion? It certainly didn't help that Massie was clearly suffering from a nasty cough, and that McLennan had to join in at times. The setting had made a bit of an effort, with lights on the tables and lonely looking star hanging above Smith's head, but it didn't do much to say 'fun'. There were a couple of party-game type events that were well enough thought through, but never really managed to lift the atmosphere of polite applause that dominated. The band did their bit, so maybe this was just one of those audiences. A pity, as Smith is one of our best songstresses, Massie is so talented, and MacInnes' island softness was truly beautiful.
An evening that was less than the sum of its parts.
Sunday 16 December 2018
The Felsons, Traverse
Back in the nineties and early naughties they were a weel kent country rock outfit in Scotland, but now The Felsons were back together and playing live for the first time in fifteen years. And doing so in their home town, meaning tickets being sold out some weeks in advance, to a packed and noisily enthusiastic audience.
All four members have gone on to further careers in music, but it was clear from the start that being back together after so long was a joy to them all (even if they were under rehearsed!). An acapella version of the Beatles' Nowhere Man provided a stunning opening before they launched into their own material. Interspersed with songs from the old days were some newer numbers. Band leader and singer/songwriter Dean Owens had written some new numbers for the occasion, and they also played a few of the tracks from his own solo albums. Although the old Felsons tunes still hold up well, it was a clear demonstration of who much Owens has progressed as a writer in the years since.
With Owens distinctive vocals, some tasty lead guitar work from Calais Brown and solid rhythm from bassist Kevin McGuire and drummer Dave Stewart they have a distinctive sound, but covering genres, part pop, part country, part rock, with clear Scots influences in there too. Owens is always amusing in his ramblings and provided plenty of laughs between numbers.
The second set increased the energy in the room, produced a bit of audience singalong, a revival of the single from Smile, the band that begat The Felsons, and a fun rendition of Presley's Hound Dog. Band and crowd could have gone all night, but there are limits to the time, and so we went off into the night invigorated and smiling.
All four members have gone on to further careers in music, but it was clear from the start that being back together after so long was a joy to them all (even if they were under rehearsed!). An acapella version of the Beatles' Nowhere Man provided a stunning opening before they launched into their own material. Interspersed with songs from the old days were some newer numbers. Band leader and singer/songwriter Dean Owens had written some new numbers for the occasion, and they also played a few of the tracks from his own solo albums. Although the old Felsons tunes still hold up well, it was a clear demonstration of who much Owens has progressed as a writer in the years since.
With Owens distinctive vocals, some tasty lead guitar work from Calais Brown and solid rhythm from bassist Kevin McGuire and drummer Dave Stewart they have a distinctive sound, but covering genres, part pop, part country, part rock, with clear Scots influences in there too. Owens is always amusing in his ramblings and provided plenty of laughs between numbers.
The second set increased the energy in the room, produced a bit of audience singalong, a revival of the single from Smile, the band that begat The Felsons, and a fun rendition of Presley's Hound Dog. Band and crowd could have gone all night, but there are limits to the time, and so we went off into the night invigorated and smiling.
Lau, Queens Hall
Regular readers will already be aware of my views on Lau - I'm an unreconstructed fan and have been for ten years. But that does mean I go to the gig with high expectations, and they still have to be met each time.
They were. The first set was largely given over to old favourites, and it was good to hear some choices from the back catalogue, like Unquiet Grave, that I haven't heard live for a long time. As ever the segues are clever and surprising, the musicianship of a high standard, and old favourites have been given fresh arrangements.
The second half was largely given over to new tunes and songs from the forthcoming (fifth) studio album, due out in February. Pushing in new directions, the album looks to feature a high number of songs, and electronic cleverness. Imaginative backing sounds included mewling kittens and a flock of venetian blinds taking off (or so it seemed), a wine glass acting as bell, all integrated into complex soundscapes. Morag, the demanding goddess of digital sounds, featured of course.
The night ended on the ever-moving, and sadly so relevant, Ghosts. Superb.
They were. The first set was largely given over to old favourites, and it was good to hear some choices from the back catalogue, like Unquiet Grave, that I haven't heard live for a long time. As ever the segues are clever and surprising, the musicianship of a high standard, and old favourites have been given fresh arrangements.
The second half was largely given over to new tunes and songs from the forthcoming (fifth) studio album, due out in February. Pushing in new directions, the album looks to feature a high number of songs, and electronic cleverness. Imaginative backing sounds included mewling kittens and a flock of venetian blinds taking off (or so it seemed), a wine glass acting as bell, all integrated into complex soundscapes. Morag, the demanding goddess of digital sounds, featured of course.
The night ended on the ever-moving, and sadly so relevant, Ghosts. Superb.
Saturday 8 December 2018
When Margaux Meets Margaux (La belle at la belle)
Margaux (Agathe Bonitzer) moves through her life aimlessly, dead end jobs, one night stands, useless boyfriends. She leaves her best friend Esther behind in Paris to spend some time with her parents in Lyon. Before she leaves she encounters a strange older woman who tells her not to go home with the guy with the moped.
Margaux (Sandrine Kimberlain) travels up from Paris for the funeral of her long lost friend Esther. At a party before she returns to Lyon she encounters a young woman who she can sense is heading for trouble.
On the train to Lyon the 45 year old Margaux tells what she perceives to be her 25 year old former self, about the mistakes she'll make, and what will become of her. Sceptical at first, the younger woman recognises that her older self knows things about her that she couldn't unless she were telling the truth. As they spend more time together each learns from the other, and that some mistakes have to be made to shape who we are.
A premise that could so easily fall flat is delivered here with charm, humour and surprising credibility. Avoiding any tricksy suggestions of time travel or dreams writer/director Sophie Fillières presents the story to her audience and asks us to accept what we see. She's helped greatly by excellent performances from the two leads who, despite little physical similarity, are perfectly believable as the younger and older versions their self. It's a movie I could happily watch again, aware that there are jokes and allusions I'll have missed out on first time around. Recommended.
Margaux (Sandrine Kimberlain) travels up from Paris for the funeral of her long lost friend Esther. At a party before she returns to Lyon she encounters a young woman who she can sense is heading for trouble.
On the train to Lyon the 45 year old Margaux tells what she perceives to be her 25 year old former self, about the mistakes she'll make, and what will become of her. Sceptical at first, the younger woman recognises that her older self knows things about her that she couldn't unless she were telling the truth. As they spend more time together each learns from the other, and that some mistakes have to be made to shape who we are.
A premise that could so easily fall flat is delivered here with charm, humour and surprising credibility. Avoiding any tricksy suggestions of time travel or dreams writer/director Sophie Fillières presents the story to her audience and asks us to accept what we see. She's helped greatly by excellent performances from the two leads who, despite little physical similarity, are perfectly believable as the younger and older versions their self. It's a movie I could happily watch again, aware that there are jokes and allusions I'll have missed out on first time around. Recommended.
Thursday 6 December 2018
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
A biopic based on the memoir by cartoonist John Callahan, this is a story of redemption through art, faith and love. If that sounds over sentimentalised it reckons without the character of the man himself, and a strong performance from Joaquin Phoenix as the man himself.
From the start there are three timelines woven together. One shows Callahan as a successful cartoonist, giving a talk about his life and work to a rapt audience. So it's clear from the off that there will, eventually be a happy ending of sorts. The second gives the story of the last day Callahan was able to walk, and the road accident that resulted in injuries which left him a quadriplegic, wheelchair bound and with only limited upper body movement. And the third, the bulk of the movie, tells the story of his rehabilitation from the alcoholism that had led to the crash (he'd handed his car keys over to s stranger who was as drunk as he was) and how that enabled him to come to terms with a troubled past that had haunted him through childhood. Much of this focuses on his time at AA meetings, and especially the relationship with the alcohol-recovery guru figure, Donnie (Jonah Hill), or the strangely unreal sexual relationship with Annu (Rooney Mara).
It's a curious mixture of a film, with periods of flatness and a lack of drama, interspersed with high points where the desperation of the addict or the frustration of the paralysed come at us strongly. Not a great movie by any means, but saved from mediocrity by Phoenix. His Callahan is no saint, can frequently be difficult to like, but you can't help but root for him when his sense of humour starts to show through in his cartooning, while staying just the right side of saccharine. Watchable, if unmemorable.
From the start there are three timelines woven together. One shows Callahan as a successful cartoonist, giving a talk about his life and work to a rapt audience. So it's clear from the off that there will, eventually be a happy ending of sorts. The second gives the story of the last day Callahan was able to walk, and the road accident that resulted in injuries which left him a quadriplegic, wheelchair bound and with only limited upper body movement. And the third, the bulk of the movie, tells the story of his rehabilitation from the alcoholism that had led to the crash (he'd handed his car keys over to s stranger who was as drunk as he was) and how that enabled him to come to terms with a troubled past that had haunted him through childhood. Much of this focuses on his time at AA meetings, and especially the relationship with the alcohol-recovery guru figure, Donnie (Jonah Hill), or the strangely unreal sexual relationship with Annu (Rooney Mara).
It's a curious mixture of a film, with periods of flatness and a lack of drama, interspersed with high points where the desperation of the addict or the frustration of the paralysed come at us strongly. Not a great movie by any means, but saved from mediocrity by Phoenix. His Callahan is no saint, can frequently be difficult to like, but you can't help but root for him when his sense of humour starts to show through in his cartooning, while staying just the right side of saccharine. Watchable, if unmemorable.
At War (En Guerre)
Two years after an agreement which saw the employees working more hours for the same pay in return for promises on job security, the Perrin car components plant in Agen is now scheduled for closure. The 1100 workers come out on strike, determined to keep the plant open, and the storyline follows their efforts to engage with the company, the parent company in Germany, and the French government.
Shot as a docu-drama, with a lot of hand held camera work, the director and editing doesn't quite get right the balance between those two approaches. We see something of the domestic circumstances of strike leader Laurent Amédéo (Vincent Landon), but otherwise the characters are presented only in their roles as protagonists in the dispute. The film is strong in portraying the impenetrability, unaccountability and basic inhumanity of the neoliberalism that has bedevilled western capitalism, and the internal conflicts that frequently beset longlasting industrial actions, but there is a sense of detachment that makes it hard for the audience to relate with individuals. And when the shock ending arrives it feels out of place with what has gone before.
For all that I found the time went by quickly enough, so the pace is well judged and there is enough of real life in there to provoke anger and frustration with the actions of the management, and the naivety of the workers. It feels like timely viewing in these times of the 'gilets jaunes', but needs an injection of dramatic tension to raise above 'worthy' status.
Shot as a docu-drama, with a lot of hand held camera work, the director and editing doesn't quite get right the balance between those two approaches. We see something of the domestic circumstances of strike leader Laurent Amédéo (Vincent Landon), but otherwise the characters are presented only in their roles as protagonists in the dispute. The film is strong in portraying the impenetrability, unaccountability and basic inhumanity of the neoliberalism that has bedevilled western capitalism, and the internal conflicts that frequently beset longlasting industrial actions, but there is a sense of detachment that makes it hard for the audience to relate with individuals. And when the shock ending arrives it feels out of place with what has gone before.
For all that I found the time went by quickly enough, so the pace is well judged and there is enough of real life in there to provoke anger and frustration with the actions of the management, and the naivety of the workers. It feels like timely viewing in these times of the 'gilets jaunes', but needs an injection of dramatic tension to raise above 'worthy' status.
Saturday 1 December 2018
Family is Family (La ch'tite famille)
Valentin D (Dany Boon) has it all. He and his beautiful wife Constance (Laurence Arné) live a sumptuous lifestyle in a stunning Parisian apartment, funded by their hugely successful furniture design company which charges the richest clientele a small fortune for the privilege of owning their pieces. All he lacks in life is a family, claiming he is an orphan.
That claim is exposed when his estranged mother (Line Renaud) turns up to celebrate her 80th birth day with him, conned into coming by her other son, Gus (Guy Lecluyse), who wants a loan from his wealthy sibling. Accompanied by Gus' wife Louloute (Valérie Bonneton) and daughter Britney (Juliane Lepoureau) they turn up at an exhibition of the work of Valentin and Constance, exposing not just the orphan lie, but his roots as well.The family speak a northern dialect that is almost indecipherable to the sophisticated Paris set, and Valentin's origins lie in a desolate scrap yard.
When Valentin gets injured, and wakes from a coma with his memory damaged and speaking that same old dialect, there's confusion all round. Can his business survive? Will Constance be able to cope with the stranger he's become? And how much does his family mean to him now?
Cue cutesy tale of misunderstandings, family surprises, love, hate and morality. Predictable at times, and often lacking subtlety (there are some tiresome recurring jokes, and the message that we can't escape our roots is battered into the audience with a mallet), it still has a lot of charm, and plenty of laughs. With so many jokes played out through differences in language I've no doubt lost a lot in having to read subtitles, but they do their best to convey the humour in the situation (even if it does get a bit "Allo Allo" at times), but there are some very funny scenes, especially when Valentin is taken to a diction coach. The performances do little to raise the script above average, although Bonneton does a good job of maximising her laughs. Not the most memorable of movies, but a decent stab at a light comedy.
Worth staying to the end however - the outtakes shown with the closing credits are genuinely hilarious.
That claim is exposed when his estranged mother (Line Renaud) turns up to celebrate her 80th birth day with him, conned into coming by her other son, Gus (Guy Lecluyse), who wants a loan from his wealthy sibling. Accompanied by Gus' wife Louloute (Valérie Bonneton) and daughter Britney (Juliane Lepoureau) they turn up at an exhibition of the work of Valentin and Constance, exposing not just the orphan lie, but his roots as well.The family speak a northern dialect that is almost indecipherable to the sophisticated Paris set, and Valentin's origins lie in a desolate scrap yard.
When Valentin gets injured, and wakes from a coma with his memory damaged and speaking that same old dialect, there's confusion all round. Can his business survive? Will Constance be able to cope with the stranger he's become? And how much does his family mean to him now?
Cue cutesy tale of misunderstandings, family surprises, love, hate and morality. Predictable at times, and often lacking subtlety (there are some tiresome recurring jokes, and the message that we can't escape our roots is battered into the audience with a mallet), it still has a lot of charm, and plenty of laughs. With so many jokes played out through differences in language I've no doubt lost a lot in having to read subtitles, but they do their best to convey the humour in the situation (even if it does get a bit "Allo Allo" at times), but there are some very funny scenes, especially when Valentin is taken to a diction coach. The performances do little to raise the script above average, although Bonneton does a good job of maximising her laughs. Not the most memorable of movies, but a decent stab at a light comedy.
Worth staying to the end however - the outtakes shown with the closing credits are genuinely hilarious.
Wednesday 28 November 2018
Cam Penner and Jon Wood, Traverse
Canadians Penner and Wood may look like a grizzly bear teamed up with John Malkovich, but these are very serious musicians with an imaginative approach to their craft. Wood sits quietly playing electric guitar and dobro, adding backing vocals, while also fiddling around with electronics. Penner dominates the stage, either standing out front or sat at the small drum kit, singing, playing acoustic guitar and harmonica, percussion and more electronics.
The songs are lengthy by conventional standards, but each number includes a variety of tempos and lyric styles, breaks for Woods guitar work, and end up as mini symphonies. Rock, folk, blues, hip hop are amongst the influences melded together to create the Penner and Wood sound.
The electronic background soundscapes are mesmeric, the driving rhythms on the rockier number get the feet moving and the lyrics intrigue. In the first half Penner talked little, with only one song getting anything by way of introduction. He said more in the second, and showed he's a fine storyteller. It's a shame he doesn't use that skill more. Whereas his singing is fascinating. It's not, technically, a great voice, but he makes great use of what he's got, pushing the boundaries of his range, gruff, soft, loud, whispering.
At times I felt lost in the complexity of the pieces, so that the occasional simple guitar and vocal number came as a relief. Yet it was a surprise each time to realise the set was an end and 45 minutes had suddenly passed. So they were definitely doing something right!
The songs are lengthy by conventional standards, but each number includes a variety of tempos and lyric styles, breaks for Woods guitar work, and end up as mini symphonies. Rock, folk, blues, hip hop are amongst the influences melded together to create the Penner and Wood sound.
The electronic background soundscapes are mesmeric, the driving rhythms on the rockier number get the feet moving and the lyrics intrigue. In the first half Penner talked little, with only one song getting anything by way of introduction. He said more in the second, and showed he's a fine storyteller. It's a shame he doesn't use that skill more. Whereas his singing is fascinating. It's not, technically, a great voice, but he makes great use of what he's got, pushing the boundaries of his range, gruff, soft, loud, whispering.
At times I felt lost in the complexity of the pieces, so that the occasional simple guitar and vocal number came as a relief. Yet it was a surprise each time to realise the set was an end and 45 minutes had suddenly passed. So they were definitely doing something right!
The Jellyman's Daughter
A return to the House for the first time in a long while, drawn there by one of our favourite bands. I last say Graham and Emily back in April, at the launch of their excellent new album, Dead Reckoning. Now they've got the vinyl version available and are touring again.
Once again they appeared as a four piece band, with Jamie Francis on banjo and, this time, album bassist Paul Gilbody playing the deep notes. The setlist majored on their newer work, with a few oldies thrown in. Memorable melodies, smart arrangements, Coe's virtuoso cello work and Kelly's powerful vocals define the JD sound and satisfy the ears. Plenty of funny stories and comments in between songs. As always Jellyman's Daughter deliver.
Support came from Americans Adrian & Meredith, a guitar, fiddle and vocals duo singing their own songs with a certain je ne sais quoi. Decent musicians, adequate singers, the songs lack memorable melodies, but their zany style and daft sense of humour make them a very watchable live act.
Once again they appeared as a four piece band, with Jamie Francis on banjo and, this time, album bassist Paul Gilbody playing the deep notes. The setlist majored on their newer work, with a few oldies thrown in. Memorable melodies, smart arrangements, Coe's virtuoso cello work and Kelly's powerful vocals define the JD sound and satisfy the ears. Plenty of funny stories and comments in between songs. As always Jellyman's Daughter deliver.
Support came from Americans Adrian & Meredith, a guitar, fiddle and vocals duo singing their own songs with a certain je ne sais quoi. Decent musicians, adequate singers, the songs lack memorable melodies, but their zany style and daft sense of humour make them a very watchable live act.
Wednesday 21 November 2018
Nae Pasaran!
A documentary that combines little known historical fact with a genuinely emotional and heart warming story of solidarity and kindness. Setting the scene, it briefly tells the story of the election, in 1970, of Salvador Allende to the Chilean presidency. His socialist polices were popular with the masses, but less so with big business, much of which was in US hands. Backed by the CIA the Chilean military staged a coup d'etat in '73, using Hawker Hunter jets to bomb the presidential palace. Allende was killed and the fascist regime that succeeded him, led by General Pinochet, imprisoned, tortured and murdered thousands of civilians who were accused of being subversives. Much of the international community reacted in horror at the atrocities taking place in Chile and protest and aid groups sprang up in many countries, including the UK.
Filmmaker Felipe Bustos Sierra is the son of an exile who had to flee from the horrors of Pinochet, and set out to document the story of one group of Scottish workers and the impact their actions had for the people of Chile. Combining archive footage with interviews, CGI recreations and recent events it's a gripping tale, cleverly edited to build up to a climactic ending.
The aforementioned Hunter aircraft used Roll Royce engines which could only be serviced at their plant in East Kilbride. When union shop steward Bob Fulton realised there were Chilean air force engines on their premises he immediately declared he wouldn't work on them, and asked his fellow workers to join him. With the action supported by the local convenor, the engines ended up being put in crates and left outside. They'd rust there for years.
Despite pressure from the Chilean government, and a lack of support from their own union HQ in London, the workers stood firm and refused to compromise, at the risk of their own jobs. They had no idea if their action would have any practical consequences, but their instincts told them that any act of solidarity would have positive consequences. Sadly they never knew just how big an impact they had made until Bustos Sierra sought them out a few years ago.
He was able to show them the hope their actions brought to many at the time, and even led to the release of some prisoners. There are some unsettling moments, with descriptions of the tortures being inflicted, and an interview with an unrepentant air force general who still felt he was the victim of the East Kilbride men's actions! But it's the gratitude of those Chilean survivors, and joyous realisations of the old Scots engineers that remain in the mind most, those and a ceremony that must draw a tear or two of joy from every viewer.
This is an important film, all the more so when fascism is raising it's head in Europe and the US again. Small actions of resistance can have big consequences, solidarity matters, with a united and unionised workforce a key force for good, and it's everyone's job to resist. This is a story for Scotland to be proud of (in contrast to Britain's shame of having a Prime Minister, Thatcher, who was a friend to the brutal Pinochet and did her best to destroy trade unions) and deserves to be known much more widely. See it if you can.
Filmmaker Felipe Bustos Sierra is the son of an exile who had to flee from the horrors of Pinochet, and set out to document the story of one group of Scottish workers and the impact their actions had for the people of Chile. Combining archive footage with interviews, CGI recreations and recent events it's a gripping tale, cleverly edited to build up to a climactic ending.
The aforementioned Hunter aircraft used Roll Royce engines which could only be serviced at their plant in East Kilbride. When union shop steward Bob Fulton realised there were Chilean air force engines on their premises he immediately declared he wouldn't work on them, and asked his fellow workers to join him. With the action supported by the local convenor, the engines ended up being put in crates and left outside. They'd rust there for years.
Despite pressure from the Chilean government, and a lack of support from their own union HQ in London, the workers stood firm and refused to compromise, at the risk of their own jobs. They had no idea if their action would have any practical consequences, but their instincts told them that any act of solidarity would have positive consequences. Sadly they never knew just how big an impact they had made until Bustos Sierra sought them out a few years ago.
He was able to show them the hope their actions brought to many at the time, and even led to the release of some prisoners. There are some unsettling moments, with descriptions of the tortures being inflicted, and an interview with an unrepentant air force general who still felt he was the victim of the East Kilbride men's actions! But it's the gratitude of those Chilean survivors, and joyous realisations of the old Scots engineers that remain in the mind most, those and a ceremony that must draw a tear or two of joy from every viewer.
This is an important film, all the more so when fascism is raising it's head in Europe and the US again. Small actions of resistance can have big consequences, solidarity matters, with a united and unionised workforce a key force for good, and it's everyone's job to resist. This is a story for Scotland to be proud of (in contrast to Britain's shame of having a Prime Minister, Thatcher, who was a friend to the brutal Pinochet and did her best to destroy trade unions) and deserves to be known much more widely. See it if you can.
Kinnaris Quintet & Saltfishforty, Scots Fiddle Festival, Pleasance
Led by well the well established Highland fiddler Adam Sutherland, the Youth Engagement Project featured a dozen or so fiddlers in their early teenage years, combining to form a band that plays interesting tunes in interesting arrangements. Clearly overawed by the size of their audience at first, they became more relaxed in response to the genuine applause, and their third and final number was free flowing and really well played. Some stars of the future in that line up?
The Kinnaris Quintet released their first album, Free One, earlier this year, and it's the best new music I've heard this year. Their live performance is even more exhilarating. I knew what to expect, having seen them at Celtic Connections earlier this year, and they fully lived up to those (very high) expectations. 5-string fiddler Aileen Gobbi is a lively and entertaining personality, and she took the lead in introducing the tunes and the stories behind them. They have some memorable melodies (June's Garden is a thing of simplistic beauty, led by Mary-Beth Salter's mandolin) and imaginative arrangements, played by a band who are clearly having a great time playing for us and with each other. It's a joy to watch their interactions, and the music ranges through a variety of styles in tempoes, from heart tugging delicacy to driving rhythms driven by Jenn Butterworth's guitar and foot stomping. A superb set.
They were followed by Orkney duo Saltfishforty, with Brian Cromarty on vocals and guitar and Douglas Montgomery playing fiddle. Traditional music, modern compositions, songs of death and songs of love, with a common Orcadian theme throughout. Cromarty doesn't have the greatest of voices technically, but sings well to his limitations and does so with a distinctive style and a sense of humour. Whereas there's no faulting the musicianship of the pair. From slow airs to blisteringly fast and exciting reels their technique, interplay and mutual feel for the music produces constant surprises and delights. They're funny guys too, even when playing, and both can tell a good story and get the crowd laughing.
The evening ended with Kinnaris and the Project joining the duo on stage for one big final number that got us clapping along and must have given the youngsters a memorable end to their big stage experience.
Soundhouse Benefit Gig, Queens Hall
Soundhouse has grown from the passion of Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy for providing musicians with gigs where the performers get the ticket money rather than having it sucked up by promoters and venues. They've run gigs in their own home for many years and at the Traverse for the past four, but are now trying to raise funds for a permanent centre where musicians can rehearse, record and perform, something Edinburgh badly needs.
In doing so they've established their credentials as backers of all genres of acoustic music and friends to aspiring to musicos. So for this one-off gig, to raise funds for the Soundhouse charity, all the musicians gave their time and talent for free, contributing to the greater good of the music scene. The fact that the line up contained so much top-line talent is a tribute to just how important Soundhouse is seen by the musicians themselves.
Kicking off the evening was a couple of numbers from the Soundhouse Choir, definitely one of the best of the many amateur choirs in the city, benefitting from direction by Heather Macleod of the Bevvy Sisters, and sympathetically accompanied on guitar by David Donnelly from the same band. Strong arrangements and songs well suited to their abilities.
They were followed by modern jazz trio Bancroft/Caribe/Bancroft with brothers Phil and Tom on sax and drums respectively, and Mario Caribe on double bass. Plenty of improv, long solos, and a strong understanding between them. Not really my thing, so at times it was more admirable than enjoyable, but there was no faulting the musicianship on display.
Closing out the first half was Savourna Stevenson on clarsach, accompanied by Steve Kettley on saxophone and clarinet. A sparkling set, with Stevenson's dexterous harp playing as fascinating to watch as to listen to. Even an evacuation due to a (false) fire alarm couldn't spoil the performance. Modern tunes played in traditional style with the bell like clarity of those strings.
The second half was given over to Moishe's Bagel, the stunningly inventive Kletzmer band I've reviewed before, in 2015 and 2016 and to which I have l;ittle to add. As amazing and surprising and grin inducing as ever.
The evening was rounded out with all the musicians, and choir, joining on stage for one final singalong with the audience. A great night out for a great cause.
In doing so they've established their credentials as backers of all genres of acoustic music and friends to aspiring to musicos. So for this one-off gig, to raise funds for the Soundhouse charity, all the musicians gave their time and talent for free, contributing to the greater good of the music scene. The fact that the line up contained so much top-line talent is a tribute to just how important Soundhouse is seen by the musicians themselves.
Kicking off the evening was a couple of numbers from the Soundhouse Choir, definitely one of the best of the many amateur choirs in the city, benefitting from direction by Heather Macleod of the Bevvy Sisters, and sympathetically accompanied on guitar by David Donnelly from the same band. Strong arrangements and songs well suited to their abilities.
They were followed by modern jazz trio Bancroft/Caribe/Bancroft with brothers Phil and Tom on sax and drums respectively, and Mario Caribe on double bass. Plenty of improv, long solos, and a strong understanding between them. Not really my thing, so at times it was more admirable than enjoyable, but there was no faulting the musicianship on display.
Closing out the first half was Savourna Stevenson on clarsach, accompanied by Steve Kettley on saxophone and clarinet. A sparkling set, with Stevenson's dexterous harp playing as fascinating to watch as to listen to. Even an evacuation due to a (false) fire alarm couldn't spoil the performance. Modern tunes played in traditional style with the bell like clarity of those strings.
The second half was given over to Moishe's Bagel, the stunningly inventive Kletzmer band I've reviewed before, in 2015 and 2016 and to which I have l;ittle to add. As amazing and surprising and grin inducing as ever.
The evening was rounded out with all the musicians, and choir, joining on stage for one final singalong with the audience. A great night out for a great cause.
The House by the Sea (La Villa)
A sleepy village clustered around a harbour near Marseille is the setting for this intriguing family drama, setting the pace of modern life against something gentler and kinder. And the gentle pace of the movie itself gives some clue to which side of the divide the director lies on.
Once a thriving community, the village now has a preponderance of holiday homes. Maurice, one of the few remaining of the old guard, suffers a paralysing stroke and his middle aged children gather to discuss what's to be done about his care. Armand has stayed on, running the family restaurant, true to his father's ideas of catering for the people. Joining him are Joseph and Angele, the former a cynical, depressed, redundant academic, the latter a successful stage actor who hasn't been back for over twenty years following the tragic death of her daughter.
Events pull them together and pull them apart, revealing deep bonds and equally deep divisions from the past. The characters reveal their pasts, their fears, and hopes for the future. There's also interactions with Maurice's elderly neighbours, their successful son Yvan, Joseph's much younger lover Berangere, and young fisherman Benjamin who is obsessed with Angele. Add in death, love, refugees and armed soldiers and there is plenty going on to enlarge our knowledge of the siblings, and for them to ponder on their own failures and successes, and for the future to change before their eyes.
With hardly any soundtrack the film allows the audience to judge mood for themselves, to fel along with the people on screen without musical manipulation. There are a few bum notes. Benjamin is the least believable of the characters, while the soldiers feel like add ons to the plot. But overall it's a beautifully balanced film, drama and introspection well mixed, although not much by way of great visual moments. There are strong performances from Jean-Pierre Darrousin as the caustic Joseph and Ariane Ascaride as the wounded Angele.
Thoughtful, thought provoking and very enjoyable.
Once a thriving community, the village now has a preponderance of holiday homes. Maurice, one of the few remaining of the old guard, suffers a paralysing stroke and his middle aged children gather to discuss what's to be done about his care. Armand has stayed on, running the family restaurant, true to his father's ideas of catering for the people. Joining him are Joseph and Angele, the former a cynical, depressed, redundant academic, the latter a successful stage actor who hasn't been back for over twenty years following the tragic death of her daughter.
Events pull them together and pull them apart, revealing deep bonds and equally deep divisions from the past. The characters reveal their pasts, their fears, and hopes for the future. There's also interactions with Maurice's elderly neighbours, their successful son Yvan, Joseph's much younger lover Berangere, and young fisherman Benjamin who is obsessed with Angele. Add in death, love, refugees and armed soldiers and there is plenty going on to enlarge our knowledge of the siblings, and for them to ponder on their own failures and successes, and for the future to change before their eyes.
With hardly any soundtrack the film allows the audience to judge mood for themselves, to fel along with the people on screen without musical manipulation. There are a few bum notes. Benjamin is the least believable of the characters, while the soldiers feel like add ons to the plot. But overall it's a beautifully balanced film, drama and introspection well mixed, although not much by way of great visual moments. There are strong performances from Jean-Pierre Darrousin as the caustic Joseph and Ariane Ascaride as the wounded Angele.
Thoughtful, thought provoking and very enjoyable.
Tuesday 13 November 2018
Outlaw King
Robert the Bruce is one of those big historical characters that's become more myth than reality across the years, and the gaping holes in known fact offer the storyteller plenty of room to imagine. Directed by David Mackenzie, Outlaw King concentrates on period between 1304 and 12307 which saw the Wallace rebellion subdued, Scotland under English military occupation, and subsequent beginnings of the fight which would eventually lead to Bannockburn and untrammelled Scots independence until Darien took a hand three hundred years later.
Bruce (Chris Pine) is first seen, reluctantly, swearing fealty to Edward (Stephen Dillane), along with many other Scots noblemen, and sparring with the king's son (Billy Howle), later Edward II, who takes a childish delight in baiting the beaten Scot, an antagonism that runs through the film and will last beyond into the years that follow. Edward gives Bruce an English wife, Elizabeth (Florence Pugh), as a means of drawing him in further to his influence.
When Edward has the rebel leader Wallace executed and his body parts displayed at strategic points in Scotland the population is even more resentful of English rule and Bruce tries to build up an alliance of nobles to start another uprising. In doing so he murders John Comyn, his rival to the crown, and alienates many of those he needs to convince. An attempt to take on the English army in set battle is treacherously destroyed by Valence (Sam Spruell), Edward's general, and Bruce finds himself on the run with a small band of supporters. Using guerilla tactics he steadily builds an army which, although vastly outnumbered, defeats the English knights at Loudon Hill. Bruce is on his way.
It's a powerful story, but the script lets it down. Too often the dialogue rings false, and there's little depth to the characters. Pine's Bruce attracts loyalty and affection, but it's not always clear why. He's certainly human enough, but his real world cleverness, or deviousness, is not given a chance to show through. There are some comments about his effectiveness as a guerilla campaigner, and he's shown as an effective general in set battles, but the political skills he must have possessed aren't even hinted at, leaving us with a half formed character.
Pine does a good job with what he's been given and does enough to keep us rooting for him. Dillane's underplaying of Edward creates a more sinister character than a more overt performance could, and there's strong support form a host of Scottish stalwarts like James Cosmo, Tony Curran and Alastair Mackenzie. Pugh stands out despite being given little to do and gives her Elizabeth a complexity that belies how little screen time she has.
Then there's the other big star of the show - Scotland itself, both scenically and as the idea of a nation.
So is Outlaw King the new Braveheart? Thankfully the answer to that is No. Unlike it's predecessor it has a more than competent performance from the lead actor, with Pine able to hold up his accent (whether or not it's the 'right' accent is another matter...) and make us feel we're watching a real human being; the storyline hasn't played too fast and loose with historical fact; and I didn't find myself laughing out loud in ridicule at inappropriate moments (although there are a few good jokes which deserve more legitimate laughter, including a sneaking reference to the infamous spider of legend). Outlaw King is by far the better film - but that was never going to be difficult.
Is Outlaw King to be an inspiration for the Yes movement? Mibbes aye, mibbes naw. But there are already so many better reasons to pursue independence than can be provided by a
Is Outlaw King a great movie? No, and by some margin. The script is too flawed, the battle scenes overlong and it barely scratches the surface of it's subject. But it is, tedious minutes of slaughter aside, entertaining enough with a mix of drama, action, period authenticity (there is a LOT of mud!) and some romance that keeps the interest. And gives a sense of being a prequel to some future project that will culminate at Bannockburn. Maybe that's the one to reveal a deeper Bruce.
And make sure you watch to the end of the credits. Kathryn Joseph's closing vocals are worth staying for and will have done her profile no harm at ll.
Bruce (Chris Pine) is first seen, reluctantly, swearing fealty to Edward (Stephen Dillane), along with many other Scots noblemen, and sparring with the king's son (Billy Howle), later Edward II, who takes a childish delight in baiting the beaten Scot, an antagonism that runs through the film and will last beyond into the years that follow. Edward gives Bruce an English wife, Elizabeth (Florence Pugh), as a means of drawing him in further to his influence.
When Edward has the rebel leader Wallace executed and his body parts displayed at strategic points in Scotland the population is even more resentful of English rule and Bruce tries to build up an alliance of nobles to start another uprising. In doing so he murders John Comyn, his rival to the crown, and alienates many of those he needs to convince. An attempt to take on the English army in set battle is treacherously destroyed by Valence (Sam Spruell), Edward's general, and Bruce finds himself on the run with a small band of supporters. Using guerilla tactics he steadily builds an army which, although vastly outnumbered, defeats the English knights at Loudon Hill. Bruce is on his way.
It's a powerful story, but the script lets it down. Too often the dialogue rings false, and there's little depth to the characters. Pine's Bruce attracts loyalty and affection, but it's not always clear why. He's certainly human enough, but his real world cleverness, or deviousness, is not given a chance to show through. There are some comments about his effectiveness as a guerilla campaigner, and he's shown as an effective general in set battles, but the political skills he must have possessed aren't even hinted at, leaving us with a half formed character.
Pine does a good job with what he's been given and does enough to keep us rooting for him. Dillane's underplaying of Edward creates a more sinister character than a more overt performance could, and there's strong support form a host of Scottish stalwarts like James Cosmo, Tony Curran and Alastair Mackenzie. Pugh stands out despite being given little to do and gives her Elizabeth a complexity that belies how little screen time she has.
Then there's the other big star of the show - Scotland itself, both scenically and as the idea of a nation.
So is Outlaw King the new Braveheart? Thankfully the answer to that is No. Unlike it's predecessor it has a more than competent performance from the lead actor, with Pine able to hold up his accent (whether or not it's the 'right' accent is another matter...) and make us feel we're watching a real human being; the storyline hasn't played too fast and loose with historical fact; and I didn't find myself laughing out loud in ridicule at inappropriate moments (although there are a few good jokes which deserve more legitimate laughter, including a sneaking reference to the infamous spider of legend). Outlaw King is by far the better film - but that was never going to be difficult.
Is Outlaw King to be an inspiration for the Yes movement? Mibbes aye, mibbes naw. But there are already so many better reasons to pursue independence than can be provided by a
Is Outlaw King a great movie? No, and by some margin. The script is too flawed, the battle scenes overlong and it barely scratches the surface of it's subject. But it is, tedious minutes of slaughter aside, entertaining enough with a mix of drama, action, period authenticity (there is a LOT of mud!) and some romance that keeps the interest. And gives a sense of being a prequel to some future project that will culminate at Bannockburn. Maybe that's the one to reveal a deeper Bruce.
And make sure you watch to the end of the credits. Kathryn Joseph's closing vocals are worth staying for and will have done her profile no harm at ll.
Dallahan, Voodoo Rooms
Once again I find myself reviewing my favourite Scots/Irish/Hungarian band, and an act not to be missed when the opportunity arises. Tonight's gig was a stop on a short tour to launch their third album, Smallworld. The lineup remains as it was in my last two reviews of the band's live act, and it's good to see that stability enduring. They are Jack Badcock on guitar and lead vocals, Jani Lang fiddling and delivering the occasional, Hungarian, lead vocal, Andrew Waite playing piano accordion and adding some backing vocals, Bev Morris on double bass and the multi talented Ciaran Ryan on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.
A couple of familiar numbers to begin the night and then into the new material. It's mostly familiar Dallahan territory, songs of love and death, Hungarian ballads and sets of tunes surprise with the mix of influences brought into their arrangements. Badcock sings Mother, a plaintive Irish song of famine, Lang's huskier tones work well on the lively Dilmano in an arrangement that takes us a thousand miles away from Scotland, and Waite has written a beautiful melody for his latest nephew, Toby, while Sagan's mixes three original tunes into a set that constantly varies in melody and tempo. Plenty of their better know material mixed in to the set list as well.
Morris provides an imaginative and solid underpinning, Badcock's voice is distinctive, clear and deceptively easy to listen to, and the other three throw in improvisations and embellishments that add depth and variety to well constructed arrangements. They have a decent enough stage presence with some humour and information about the numbers. Their musicianship is not in question. So where was everyone? In what is effectively their adopted home town they only played to about seventy or eighty people. Dallahan are far too good a band to remain a secret to the few, and deserve a much wider following.
Thursday 8 November 2018
The Last Witch, Traverse
Rona Munro's imagining of the events surrounding the last execution for witchcraft in Britain. We're in Dornoch in 1727 and widow Janet Horne (Deirdre Davis) has a local reputation for having a bit of a magic touch. She can help the sick get well, but equally she's said to be able to put a curse on too. In reality she's a fantasist, an imaginative storyteller who's careless with words and heedless of the impact they can have in a superstitious society that still believes firmly in the existence of witches and their links to the devil. That she uses hallucinogenic herbs and her teenage daughter Helen (Fiona Wood) was born with deformed hands and feet only adds to people's wariness and suspicion.
When neighbour Douglas Begg (Alan Steele) accuses of her of putting a curse on his dying cattle the authorities, religious and secular, are bound to investigate. A vivacious Janet teases Niall Graham Mackay-Bruce), the cautious minister of the kirk, and flirts with Captain Ross, the
Captain Ross (David Rankine) the Sheriff, who maintains a very black and white legalistic view of the world. And of women. He is the representative of a deeply patriarchal society that views women as objects to be used or feared. Begg's wife Elspeth (Helen Logan) is acutely aware that she must fit in with the crowd and sacrifice her principles to ensure she doesn't meet the same fate as her friend.
Act 1 takes us through the build up to the accusation and arrest. The post-interval Janet is a very different creature to that we've seen before, of chains, sackcloth and dirt as Ross seeks to break her spirit and make her confess. There is no doubt in the Sheriff's mind that she will and must do so, for the lay requires it. And he's not beyond stooping to dirty tricks to get what he wants. Once the process has begun he can only envisage one ending, whatever the consequences for others (the parallel with the UK's current political chaos is surely coincidental as the script dates back to 2009).
The set is stark, but fascinating, contrasting the cracked bareness of the rocks with a looming sky that shows up the hard life these people lived and providing a focal performance area. There are strong performances throughout with Davis providing a sparkling lead. But most notable was the seventh member of the cast, Alan Mirren as Nick, a traveller who may or may not be the devil, and has a crucial role in the outcome of Horne's fate. Mirren is a sardonic presence, gets some of the best laughs (despite the subject matter Munro has injected plenty of humour), and provides an element of supernatural mystery to the tale.
Flaws? The first act is a bit all over the place and lacks coherence at times, with some overlong or unnecessary scenes. In contrast the second flies by and the execution scene is imaginatively portrayed, although the final scene feels out of character. Despite which I'd recommend going to see The Last Witch. It brings to life a disturbing part of our history and demonstrates the deep roots that underlie the misogyny which still exists. Women's voices need to be heard.
When neighbour Douglas Begg (Alan Steele) accuses of her of putting a curse on his dying cattle the authorities, religious and secular, are bound to investigate. A vivacious Janet teases Niall Graham Mackay-Bruce), the cautious minister of the kirk, and flirts with Captain Ross, the
Captain Ross (David Rankine) the Sheriff, who maintains a very black and white legalistic view of the world. And of women. He is the representative of a deeply patriarchal society that views women as objects to be used or feared. Begg's wife Elspeth (Helen Logan) is acutely aware that she must fit in with the crowd and sacrifice her principles to ensure she doesn't meet the same fate as her friend.
Act 1 takes us through the build up to the accusation and arrest. The post-interval Janet is a very different creature to that we've seen before, of chains, sackcloth and dirt as Ross seeks to break her spirit and make her confess. There is no doubt in the Sheriff's mind that she will and must do so, for the lay requires it. And he's not beyond stooping to dirty tricks to get what he wants. Once the process has begun he can only envisage one ending, whatever the consequences for others (the parallel with the UK's current political chaos is surely coincidental as the script dates back to 2009).
The set is stark, but fascinating, contrasting the cracked bareness of the rocks with a looming sky that shows up the hard life these people lived and providing a focal performance area. There are strong performances throughout with Davis providing a sparkling lead. But most notable was the seventh member of the cast, Alan Mirren as Nick, a traveller who may or may not be the devil, and has a crucial role in the outcome of Horne's fate. Mirren is a sardonic presence, gets some of the best laughs (despite the subject matter Munro has injected plenty of humour), and provides an element of supernatural mystery to the tale.
Flaws? The first act is a bit all over the place and lacks coherence at times, with some overlong or unnecessary scenes. In contrast the second flies by and the execution scene is imaginatively portrayed, although the final scene feels out of character. Despite which I'd recommend going to see The Last Witch. It brings to life a disturbing part of our history and demonstrates the deep roots that underlie the misogyny which still exists. Women's voices need to be heard.
Wednesday 24 October 2018
Fahrenheit 11/9
Michael Moore's latest documentary looks at the threats posed by the rise of Trump and the hard right faction in US politics, and the long term damage that is doing both to democracy and to the lives of many of the people of the country. Starting with the disbelief that a ridiculous reality TV star could ever become the most powerful man in the world he shows why Trump found himself taking on the presidential race and how he, and others, made him become accepted as a real contender. Corruption, greed, petulance and narcissism are all there, but more worryingly so too is a disdain for human rights.
Moore switches between the macro view at federal level down to some more local issues that highlight how cancerous these sort of politics are to democracy at all levels. In Michigan a governor who runs the state like a business refuses to address the poisons in the water supply to the city of Flint where the levels of lead in children shoot up. That it's a majority black city looks to be a factor in his refusal to act. It takes grassroots activism and trade unions to get anything done.
After the Parkland school shooting many of the survivors took up the cause of gun control and stood up against the Trump rhetoric, in a way their elders were failing to do. It might not have achieved much in reality, but Moore sees them, and the Flint activists as beacons of hope for the future.
And Moore doesn't spare the Democrats in his critique, looking at the corruption of the Clintons, and how Obama failed the people of Flint in their fight for justice. These are the kind of actions that disenchant voters from the political process, opening the way to populists who promise the earth. Through Moore's eyes they emerge almost as culpable as the real villains.
But the focus always returns to Trump. Disdaining any accusations of Godwinism Moore lays out the clear similarities and parallels between Trumpism and Germany of the thirties, with chilling results. As is the list of fellow sexual predators the POTUS has associated with, not forgetting the shadowy creepiness of Steve Bannon.
If at times the editing feels a bit piecemeal it's not enough to prevent this from being a film that needs to be widely viewed as a work of importance for our times. Two hours long, it never fails to keep your attention, and in typical Moore style mixes scenes to make the blood boil with moments of black humour. Unmissable.
Moore switches between the macro view at federal level down to some more local issues that highlight how cancerous these sort of politics are to democracy at all levels. In Michigan a governor who runs the state like a business refuses to address the poisons in the water supply to the city of Flint where the levels of lead in children shoot up. That it's a majority black city looks to be a factor in his refusal to act. It takes grassroots activism and trade unions to get anything done.
After the Parkland school shooting many of the survivors took up the cause of gun control and stood up against the Trump rhetoric, in a way their elders were failing to do. It might not have achieved much in reality, but Moore sees them, and the Flint activists as beacons of hope for the future.
And Moore doesn't spare the Democrats in his critique, looking at the corruption of the Clintons, and how Obama failed the people of Flint in their fight for justice. These are the kind of actions that disenchant voters from the political process, opening the way to populists who promise the earth. Through Moore's eyes they emerge almost as culpable as the real villains.
But the focus always returns to Trump. Disdaining any accusations of Godwinism Moore lays out the clear similarities and parallels between Trumpism and Germany of the thirties, with chilling results. As is the list of fellow sexual predators the POTUS has associated with, not forgetting the shadowy creepiness of Steve Bannon.
If at times the editing feels a bit piecemeal it's not enough to prevent this from being a film that needs to be widely viewed as a work of importance for our times. Two hours long, it never fails to keep your attention, and in typical Moore style mixes scenes to make the blood boil with moments of black humour. Unmissable.
Talisk, Traverse
One number into the set and we had Mohsen Amini telling us that Glaswegians Talisk are not a band to be quietly listened to, sat passively receiving. They wanted the audience to join in, clap along, whoop and get up and jig about a bit. Fortunately they have the music, and in Amini the personality, for that to feel like the natural response.
This tour marks the launch of their second full album (there's an EP as well), now with new guitarist Graeme Armstrong joining Hayley Keenan on fiddle and the bubbling, animated Amini on concertina. Still young, they already have an impressive array of awards and are building up a strong back catalogue of tunes. Very much traditional musicians, but with a modern approach to composition and arrangements. There's plenty sensitivity in their playing on the slower numbers, but it's the energy and pace of the fast stuff that raises the excitement levels and gets the crowd obeying the aforementioned instructions. The first three sets are enough to get the audience stomping, clapping, crying out and having a bloody good time.
Armstrong is the steady beat of the group. He may lack the imaginative rhythmic complexity you'll find from the likes of Kris Drever or Jen Butterworth, but his playing solidly underpins the fireworks of the other two, and he has his moments of taking the melodic lead. Keenan is a big talent and a great visual counterfoil to Amini. No matter how fast her fingers are leaping across the strings she always looks calm, unruffled, a beatific smile looking back at her audience. While beside her the concertina player is a passionate bundle of life, a controlled frenzy that leaves him and us breathless.
They play a mix of their own tunes and other modern stuff, with little traditional material, and material from the new album is evidence that their musical thinking has moved on and a wider range of influences are pushing the arrangements into new territory, with plenty of moments of the unexpected. Criticisms? Hard to find. In the high notes of some slower pieces the fiddle and concertina had moments of discordant screeching, but that's about it.
Amini has developed into a natural frontman, with a fund of daft stories and a clear desire to build a relationship with his listeners. The audience had a singing role on new tune Farewell and he showed hi ability to get everyone on side when teaching us the 'words' (it was all aaahs!). And he got his wish, with everyone on their feet for the encore. Like he said, this isn't music to listen to quietly, and talisk like to share their passion.
This tour marks the launch of their second full album (there's an EP as well), now with new guitarist Graeme Armstrong joining Hayley Keenan on fiddle and the bubbling, animated Amini on concertina. Still young, they already have an impressive array of awards and are building up a strong back catalogue of tunes. Very much traditional musicians, but with a modern approach to composition and arrangements. There's plenty sensitivity in their playing on the slower numbers, but it's the energy and pace of the fast stuff that raises the excitement levels and gets the crowd obeying the aforementioned instructions. The first three sets are enough to get the audience stomping, clapping, crying out and having a bloody good time.
Armstrong is the steady beat of the group. He may lack the imaginative rhythmic complexity you'll find from the likes of Kris Drever or Jen Butterworth, but his playing solidly underpins the fireworks of the other two, and he has his moments of taking the melodic lead. Keenan is a big talent and a great visual counterfoil to Amini. No matter how fast her fingers are leaping across the strings she always looks calm, unruffled, a beatific smile looking back at her audience. While beside her the concertina player is a passionate bundle of life, a controlled frenzy that leaves him and us breathless.
They play a mix of their own tunes and other modern stuff, with little traditional material, and material from the new album is evidence that their musical thinking has moved on and a wider range of influences are pushing the arrangements into new territory, with plenty of moments of the unexpected. Criticisms? Hard to find. In the high notes of some slower pieces the fiddle and concertina had moments of discordant screeching, but that's about it.
Amini has developed into a natural frontman, with a fund of daft stories and a clear desire to build a relationship with his listeners. The audience had a singing role on new tune Farewell and he showed hi ability to get everyone on side when teaching us the 'words' (it was all aaahs!). And he got his wish, with everyone on their feet for the encore. Like he said, this isn't music to listen to quietly, and talisk like to share their passion.
Friday 19 October 2018
Eddi Reader, Atkinson, Southport
Support came from Brummie singer/songwriter Dan Whitehouse (who I last saw with Boo Hewerdine) with a selection of his own material. Intriguing lyrics sung in his gentle breathless voice backed with well worked layered guitar playing. An effective warm up act, personable, amusing, with clear potential. It would be good to see him fronting a band.
Eddi blew in, as ever, like a whimsical force of nature. Her fans adore her, and rightly so, for she is a star with no side to her, no pretensions and full of human warmth. The band seem pretty fond of her too, and they're an impressive bunch in their own right.
Longstanding members of Team Reader, Boo Hewerdine on guitar and vocals, Alan Kelly on piano accordion and Eddi's spouse John Douglas on guitar, ukulele and vocals form the backbone of the line up. They were joined by John's brother Stephen on drums, the ever reliable Kevin McGuire on electric double bass, Steve Hamilton on keyboards and the impressive Steph Geremia on flute, whistles, sax, vocals and red wine. All had a chance to show off their skills at some point in the evening, notably Kelly leading a wild and rousing instrumental, Hewerdine's vocals on his own song Patience of Angels, and John Douglas' atmospheric ukulele on Fairground Attraction.
But, for all Reader's generosity towards her colleagues, it's herself that can't help but dominate proceedings. The voice continues to be majestic, soaring across the octaves with ease and capable of the most extraordinary high notes. Technical abilities aside, its her inventiveness that marks out the Reader live act, so that even a weel kent standard like Perfect is still able to surprise and delight - even some band members judging from their expressions. In between songs she's raconteur, comedian, friend to all, your favourite eccentric auntie. Each number has a personal connection, lovingly explained.
The set is a mix of half a dozen or so songs from her new album Cavalier, established favourites from her Fairground Attraction days and extensive back catalogue of solo albums, and her act as Auntie Jeannie, fag in hand, entertaining a tenement party with her hilarious rendition of Moon River. Styles range across folk, jazz, pop, rock and blues, Reader and band equally adept at all. It's a joyous, uplifting, emotional and foot tapping experience, and if there's any criticism it's that the 10pm deadline rushed up all too quickly. Both audience and band looked as if they could have gone for so much longer.
If you've not yet experienced an Eddi Reader gig - why not?
Tuesday 16 October 2018
The Last Picture Show (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse
The Great War is finally over and Bob (Matthew Tomlinson) is back in Dunoon, staying with his granny. Before he was sent to the trenches he had played piano in the Glasgow picture houses, often accompanying his great hero, Charlie Chaplin. He'd love to go back to that old life, and the Dunoon picture house has a pianist vacancy, but Bob's come blinded by gas, and how can you play accompanying music to a film you can't see?
Switching scenes between trench life, military hospital, a French billet and the postwar Clyde town, this is an affecting portrait of the fate of a generation decimated by needless conflict, of lifes destroyed and distorted by war. There's songs, Chaplin film footage and soldiers dealing with death, injury, French locals and nurses, plus a very enthusiastic cinema manager. It's cleverly structured, switching easily between time and place, with a smart use of props and audiovisuals, and swift costume changes. Tomlinson is supported by Matthew Campbell, who plays wartime comrade Billy and Dunoon teenager Willie, the latter proving to be the lifeline he needs when he comes home, and by Helen McAlpine as the cinema manager, nurse, Frenchwoman and youngster who takes fright at the sight of Bob's masked appearance.
Tomlinson shows himself to be a competent musician and singer, and looks at ease in the role of Bob. I did feel both Matthews were guilty of under acting at times, failing to deliver the full pathos the writing deserved, but work well together inthe closing scene. McAlpine is superb, bringing life to all her roles, and she does a mean Charlie Chaplin impersonation. There are plenty of funny moments and she makes the best of them.
Overall this is a tremendous 50 minute drama, a fitting centenary piece, and a strong finale to this season of A Play, a Pie and a Pint.
Wednesday 10 October 2018
The Wife
Joe Castlemain (Jonathan Pryce) receives a phone call telling him he's being awarded the 1992 Noble Prize for Literature. Cue joyous dancing with wife Joan (Glenn Close) as they look forward to their trip to Stockholm in December. But at a party to celebrate his achievement, and in their private life, it's clear there are strong undercurrents in this relationship of thirty odd years to suggest all is not what it appears on the surface.
Most of the action takes place in Sweden, where the author is feted and photographed and fawned over, his spouse content to stay out of the spotlight. She even tells him, firmly, not to thank her in his acceptance speech. While son David (Max Irons), also a writer, looks uncomfortable just to be there. Joe is a narcissistic bully, a womaniser, frequently cocky about his success, and you begin to wonder what keeps this marriage together. The reasons emerge as the plot twist becomes clear, sped along by Joe's wannabe biographer, the intrusive Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater). Bone probes Joan for the secrets in her marriage, but, despite a few indiscretions, her loyalty to Joe remains intact.
There's a strong and timely feminist message to this movie that largely redeems the few flaws. A few plot inconsistencies lurk, and visually it's a disappointment. While the emphasis is on the Joe/Joan relationship, and necessarily claustrophobic at times, little effort has gone into creating something of beauty, despite having the backdrop of a snow covered Stockholm to play with. The director has decided that, if in doubt, go for the Close up, and that can get a bit repetitive.
Pryce gives a solid performance, maybe not his best but he does a good job of combining charm with egotistical insecurity. Irons and Slater put a lot into what little they've been given. But this, as the title suggests, is all about Close, and she is magnificent. She must already be an Oscar frontrunner. It's a beautifully modulated performance of slow burning anger, repression and sharp intelligence. I mentioned the frequency of the long studies of Close's face as a minor criticism in visual terms, but certainly not in the acting stakes. Her expressions are a masterclass in minimalist communication of emotion and never fail to move the plot along, sometimes in unexpected directions.
Well worth seeing for the lessons in the awfulness of patriarchy and a wonderful Close encounter.
Most of the action takes place in Sweden, where the author is feted and photographed and fawned over, his spouse content to stay out of the spotlight. She even tells him, firmly, not to thank her in his acceptance speech. While son David (Max Irons), also a writer, looks uncomfortable just to be there. Joe is a narcissistic bully, a womaniser, frequently cocky about his success, and you begin to wonder what keeps this marriage together. The reasons emerge as the plot twist becomes clear, sped along by Joe's wannabe biographer, the intrusive Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater). Bone probes Joan for the secrets in her marriage, but, despite a few indiscretions, her loyalty to Joe remains intact.
There's a strong and timely feminist message to this movie that largely redeems the few flaws. A few plot inconsistencies lurk, and visually it's a disappointment. While the emphasis is on the Joe/Joan relationship, and necessarily claustrophobic at times, little effort has gone into creating something of beauty, despite having the backdrop of a snow covered Stockholm to play with. The director has decided that, if in doubt, go for the Close up, and that can get a bit repetitive.
Pryce gives a solid performance, maybe not his best but he does a good job of combining charm with egotistical insecurity. Irons and Slater put a lot into what little they've been given. But this, as the title suggests, is all about Close, and she is magnificent. She must already be an Oscar frontrunner. It's a beautifully modulated performance of slow burning anger, repression and sharp intelligence. I mentioned the frequency of the long studies of Close's face as a minor criticism in visual terms, but certainly not in the acting stakes. Her expressions are a masterclass in minimalist communication of emotion and never fail to move the plot along, sometimes in unexpected directions.
Well worth seeing for the lessons in the awfulness of patriarchy and a wonderful Close encounter.
Tuesday 9 October 2018
It Wisnae Me (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse
A forensic examination of Scotland's complicity in the history of African slavery doesn't sound the most promising subject for an entertaining hour at lunchtime, but Alan Bissett's script pulls it off brilliantly. From a Space Odyssey pastiche, through suspect interrogation to a powerful closing statement and plea to remember our real past, it's funny, informative, thought provoking and conscience-tugging. Three excellent performances too.
Scotland (Ali Watt) is on trial, with England (Andrew John Tait) - as ever - acting as prosecution. Between them they sketch out, through stereotypes, historical fact, expert witness statements (both contemporary and historical) the creation of the country, the rivalry with our southern neighbour, and the shenanigans and bullying that led to the union. And how our involvement in slavery went hand in hand with the rest of the European colonialist nations.
This is achieved through a fast paced series of scenes that mix monologue, dialogue, mime and slapstick, but, as so often with our histories, all told through the voices of white men. Cue "Black Girl" (Danielle Jam) to provide a more meaningful and legitimate view of that past, and for any claim Scotland makes to suffering to be far outweighed by the suffering it inflicted on others.
For a fifty minute play there are an impressive array of issues raised, not least the need for Scotland to take a good look at itself and decide where it needs to go in the future. But,fittingly, the closing words are given to Jam, the representation for the society we need to be.
Highly recommended.
Tuesday 2 October 2018
Tipping the Hat (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse
Flanders and Swann were a musical comedy duo who achieved considerable fame in the fifties and sixties, writing and performing comic songs of silliness and satire.
Written by John Bett, this homage to the pair features a few of their songs, anecdotes that illustrate the nature of their partnership, and tries to convey a sense of the humour they specialised in. John Jack and Gordon Cree play themselves. They might be dressed the same as F&S, sing the songs and crack the jokes, but they do so as admirers and not impersonators. So their Scottish accents feel entirely appropriate in a production that makes the odd nod to the location of the performance.
Kudos to the set designers. In the bare space that is Traverse 2, and despite keeping things minimalist, they've done a great job of recreating the sumptuousness of the kind of Victorian regional theatres the pair frequently played. Jack and Cree fit naturally into the roles, both good singers, Cree clearly an excellent pianist, and they bring just the right amounts of daftness, audience interaction and comic timing to give some feel for what a live F&S show might have been like. Both make the most of the available laughs, and revel in the smart wordplay that was a hallmark of Flanders' lyrics.
I can remember Flanders and Swann on the radio when I was a child, and that they often made me laugh. But even then they felt like something from the past, out of step with the direction of travel, and that remains a problem for this production. The humour might be clever, but it's so dated in style, so gentile, that it's hard to find it as funny now as people did back then. I'd liked to have seen a more adventurous form to the storytelling, giving us more sense of their place in the history of English satire and greater range of the sociopolitical issues they raised in their work. There was an excellent section of the Beeching rail cuts of the early sixties, and the F&S response, and the show needed more of that, and earlier on, for the first twenty minutes or so dragged a bit.
It is still enjoyable, the performances are first class, and there are things to be learned about the duo and their times. But not enough for me to make a wholehearted recommendation, and I have to wonder what anyone who'd never heard of F&S before made of the show. If the script was tilted more towards fact than whimsy this could have been an excellent show.
Written by John Bett, this homage to the pair features a few of their songs, anecdotes that illustrate the nature of their partnership, and tries to convey a sense of the humour they specialised in. John Jack and Gordon Cree play themselves. They might be dressed the same as F&S, sing the songs and crack the jokes, but they do so as admirers and not impersonators. So their Scottish accents feel entirely appropriate in a production that makes the odd nod to the location of the performance.
Kudos to the set designers. In the bare space that is Traverse 2, and despite keeping things minimalist, they've done a great job of recreating the sumptuousness of the kind of Victorian regional theatres the pair frequently played. Jack and Cree fit naturally into the roles, both good singers, Cree clearly an excellent pianist, and they bring just the right amounts of daftness, audience interaction and comic timing to give some feel for what a live F&S show might have been like. Both make the most of the available laughs, and revel in the smart wordplay that was a hallmark of Flanders' lyrics.
I can remember Flanders and Swann on the radio when I was a child, and that they often made me laugh. But even then they felt like something from the past, out of step with the direction of travel, and that remains a problem for this production. The humour might be clever, but it's so dated in style, so gentile, that it's hard to find it as funny now as people did back then. I'd liked to have seen a more adventurous form to the storytelling, giving us more sense of their place in the history of English satire and greater range of the sociopolitical issues they raised in their work. There was an excellent section of the Beeching rail cuts of the early sixties, and the F&S response, and the show needed more of that, and earlier on, for the first twenty minutes or so dragged a bit.
It is still enjoyable, the performances are first class, and there are things to be learned about the duo and their times. But not enough for me to make a wholehearted recommendation, and I have to wonder what anyone who'd never heard of F&S before made of the show. If the script was tilted more towards fact than whimsy this could have been an excellent show.
Thursday 27 September 2018
Rachel Parris : It's Fun To Pretend, The Stand
The main theme of Parris' latest show is Imposter Syndrome, the feeling we've all had that we're way out of our depth and only pretending to be competent. But this musical comedy offering took us into other places too, like the lack of glamour in sex (where double knotted shoelaces have a lot to answer for) and Rachel's sneaking desire to be Elton John. And several of John's melodies feature in her vocal pastiches which reveal a real talent for keyboards and decent singing voice.
Her persona is open, friendly, with a coquettish innocence that belies the sharp digs at the patriarchy and political jibes at the likes of Trump and, her particular bete noir, Gove. Highlight of the show is a smart, slow-burning metaphor for the shambles of trying to leave the EU that starts with an over confident child at a piano lesson, underestimating the work required to master the complexities of the keys. The odd bit of audience interaction gives her a chance to show off some of her improv skills, but at heart this is a well crafted and consistently funny show that majors on entertainment, but carries a bit of bite at times.
Recommended.
Her persona is open, friendly, with a coquettish innocence that belies the sharp digs at the patriarchy and political jibes at the likes of Trump and, her particular bete noir, Gove. Highlight of the show is a smart, slow-burning metaphor for the shambles of trying to leave the EU that starts with an over confident child at a piano lesson, underestimating the work required to master the complexities of the keys. The odd bit of audience interaction gives her a chance to show off some of her improv skills, but at heart this is a well crafted and consistently funny show that majors on entertainment, but carries a bit of bite at times.
Recommended.
Still Alice, Kings Theatre
It's been a best selling novel and a critically acclaimed film, so the storyline of Still Alice will already be well know to many. Alice Howland, a fifty year old and very eminent professor of linguistics at Harvard, begins to realise she's forgetting things. Not just in the usual way we all have, but in ways that make others think her behaviour odd, like forgetting someone she's met just minutes later, to panic inducing moments like being on a run and finding herself unable to remember her way home. Over a period of four years or so we see her diagnosed with early onset alzheimer's, the steady decline of her mental faculties, and the effects of this on her family and friends. It's a powerful story that resonates with anyone who has experience of dementia.
In the book we learn much from Alice's internal monologue, and the film uses voiceovers to achieve the same result. But how can this be tackled in a stage version? And how best to show the steady shrinking of Alice's world as the disease eats away at the neurons? Christine Mary Dunford's script has taken an approach to both these problems that prove effective. As well as the actor playing Alice we have a character called 'Herself' as an almost constant presence, playing the Alice of thoughts and emotions, the ones she doesn't, or can't, express. And the set, at first packed full of furniture for kitchen, living room, office, cafe etc, is gradually emptied as time passes, until there's almost nothing left.
Sharon Small gives a multi faceted performance as Alice, confident, intellectual, driven at first, through confusion, fear and doubt, with a backbone of determination and rationality that fades away before our eyes. I leave it to those more experience of the illness to pass a proper judgement, but I felt she'd done her homework well and kept alive the core of the woman in the face of her cognitive decline.
In this she's much aided by an excellent Eva Pope as Herself, a figure who circles through and around the action, voicing the unspoken, a figure of fun and hope and affection and rage who's the real core of the drama.
There's decent support from the rest of the cast as Alice's family and the doctors she consults, with nobody outstanding. Martin Marquez as Alice's husband David is surprisingly anonymous at times.
Or perhaps it's simply a reflection of what a strong double act Small and Pope form and how moving their interactions are. It's not a full on tearjerker, but there are plenty of moments of pathos to tug at our sympathy and empathy.
And, as with book and film, it's the latter term that is the key to enjoying this play. Whether you find you're picturing yourself in Alice's position, or that of one of her family, making an emotional connection to the characters is essential. This production is definitely up to the job.
In the book we learn much from Alice's internal monologue, and the film uses voiceovers to achieve the same result. But how can this be tackled in a stage version? And how best to show the steady shrinking of Alice's world as the disease eats away at the neurons? Christine Mary Dunford's script has taken an approach to both these problems that prove effective. As well as the actor playing Alice we have a character called 'Herself' as an almost constant presence, playing the Alice of thoughts and emotions, the ones she doesn't, or can't, express. And the set, at first packed full of furniture for kitchen, living room, office, cafe etc, is gradually emptied as time passes, until there's almost nothing left.
Sharon Small gives a multi faceted performance as Alice, confident, intellectual, driven at first, through confusion, fear and doubt, with a backbone of determination and rationality that fades away before our eyes. I leave it to those more experience of the illness to pass a proper judgement, but I felt she'd done her homework well and kept alive the core of the woman in the face of her cognitive decline.
In this she's much aided by an excellent Eva Pope as Herself, a figure who circles through and around the action, voicing the unspoken, a figure of fun and hope and affection and rage who's the real core of the drama.
There's decent support from the rest of the cast as Alice's family and the doctors she consults, with nobody outstanding. Martin Marquez as Alice's husband David is surprisingly anonymous at times.
Or perhaps it's simply a reflection of what a strong double act Small and Pope form and how moving their interactions are. It's not a full on tearjerker, but there are plenty of moments of pathos to tug at our sympathy and empathy.
And, as with book and film, it's the latter term that is the key to enjoying this play. Whether you find you're picturing yourself in Alice's position, or that of one of her family, making an emotional connection to the characters is essential. This production is definitely up to the job.
Tuesday 25 September 2018
The Lottery Ticket (A Play, a Pie and a Pint)
Back home Salih has a reputation as a storyteller, and so he has a story to tell us. He is an optimistic man, with faith that his god will provide for him, will provide signs of good fortune - even if they aren't always easy to interpret.
Salih (Nebli Basani) and Jacek (Steven Duffy) wake up from their resting place in a back garden bin store, where a flashing streetlight guided them (!) after being thrown out of their hostel. In the night the wind has blown a lottery ticket for that day into Jacek's pocket. Salih knows it's a sign -but what of? Is this to be the moment when he is finally able to return from exile to his Kurdish home, will Jacek again have the money to support his family back in Poland? Salih's optimism is refreshed....
Even when Rhona (Helen Mallon) finds them in her garden and immediately feels threatened. Not just vagrants, but immigrants? One of them an asylum seeker? Salih charms her into accepting their help with a nasty plumbing problem and they set about their task as best they can. Is the lottery ticket on their side, or is Salih's sunny view of the future misplaced?
Donna Franceschild's script provides plenty of laughs, but there's a serious undertone to it all. Using Salih to narrate events not only helps connect the various scenes together, but presents us with a very human portrait of a man caught between the authorities of both his home and his adopted country.
Jacek is his sceptical counterpart, a realist and cynic just trying to get by and do the right thing.
While Rhona is wrapped up in her own world and, outwardly tolerant, has her limits tested.
It's an effective snapshot of how difficult life can be for immigrants in brexit Britain, even in a Scotland that's shown itself to be more open and welcoming that our southern neighbour. Intolerance is easier without understanding. Everyone needs a Salih to tell their story.
Recommended.
Wednesday 19 September 2018
Tap Dancing with Jean-Paul Satre (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse
Have you heard the one about the dancer, the existentialist and the clothes horse? James Runcie's 45 minute joke takes Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn filming in Paris, and throws in Sartre as the third point of the triangle. Done as a musical comedy, there's song and dance, a comparison between existentialism and Hollywood entertainments, and a philosopher playing guitar.
Late fifties Paris and Hepburn (Ashley Smith) is pondering the meaning of her life.
She's rehearsing with Astaire (Darren Brownlie) who's taking a paternal interest in her problems, while revealing his own life only has meaning when he's dancing. So when Sartre (Kevin Lennon) turns up is this her chance to learn what life is all about, and can Fred relate to what he's got to say? Attempted seduction, existential philosophy and dance become entangled, as the Frenchman shows how the joys of tap and swing fit into his views on life.
In one of Astaire's lines he admits his films aren't about plot, just frothy entertainment, and this play takes the same approach, for all the philosophy quotes thrown in. And as a bit of light hearted fun it works well, once you get used to Lennon's cod French accent and occasional lapses into Franglais. The dancing, nor even the singing, are quite at Astaire levels, but all three do a decent job of recreating the spirit of his films, and the direction keeps things moving at a fast pace. There's a lovely comic sequence where Smith pretends to be on film, and Lennon's forays into the audience add a sense of involvement, while Stuart Fleming at the piano becomes an extra cast member in the background.
The play doesn't quite live up to the promise of such a great title, but it's always enjoyable and definitely has sufficient laughs and moments of entertainment to be worth a place in the Play, Pie, Pint canon.
Saturday 15 September 2018
Outside In (A Play, a Pie and a Pint), Traverse
Jay's waiting on his mum coming home. He's anxious. He's always anxious, which is why he doesn't leave the flat very often. A quiet life, in the flat,with his mum, is all he needs. Well, that and the cat downstairs to stop making so much noise.
So when a hand comes through the letter box and drops a gun on the floor it's the very opposite of what Jay needs in his life. A situation made so much worse when Coco arrives, looking for the weapon. But is Coco really the gangster he makes himself out to be? Do he and Jay have something in common? And when PC Kayleigh arrives is she part of the problem or the solution?
Cristian Ortega does a good job of establishing Jay's character in the first couple of minutes, before Martin Quinn's Coco comes on, speeds up the action and gets the laughs flowing. There are clever jokes, there are daft jokes, but it's consistently funny, and the addition of Katie Barnett's policewoman brings elements of farce into the mix. There's also some moments of sadness towards the end before a hilarious, if slightly predictable, final sequence.
It's a lot of fun, laugh out loud enjoyable, and there are strong performances from all three, with Quinn standing out for his great comic timing and malleable characterisation. An excellent start to this PP&P season.
Thursday 13 September 2018
Henry Normal : This Phantom Breath, The Poetry Cafe, London
Drinks and chats in the cafe, downstairs for the performance. The Poetry Cafe is an immediately welcoming place, friendly, casual, easy to feel at home in.
First up was poet, painter and sculptor Pete Ramskill. Dryly amusing in his introductions, calm provider of clarity and humour in his poetry. He switched between verse from his latest published collection, some newer works, and a series of hilarious limericks. His subject matter is his everyday life, memories of the past, and politics (especially in the limericks). Most combine humour with sharply thoughtful observations on the oddities of human behaviour. Consistently entertaining and worthy of further reading.
And then there was Henry. I'll admit here to being biased here for, unknown to me, my wife had made previously contact with him and the result was him reciting, and presenting to us, a poem he wrote for our wedding anniversary. So I couldn't write a bad review, could I?
Fortunately there's absolutely no need for me to make any compromises with my principals. Normal the poet is a natural comedian writing language of such simplicity, but filled with such unlikely juxtapositions and sideways observations that you wonder how you never thought of it yourself. Which you wouldn't, of course, because Normal is blessed with a way of looking at the world that combines a surreal imagination with a warmth of humanity and empathy that very few people have. It's a natural talent for seeing the eccentricities and struggles and love in others and repackaging them into a form that makes us look at ourselves and others from fresh angles. How many people would come up with "a speedboat drags what looks like a cheap sofa full of masochists", or create a poem out of a to-do list?
Go see him if you can. He'll make you laugh, think, feel and be a better human. You won't forget a Henry Normal gig.
First up was poet, painter and sculptor Pete Ramskill. Dryly amusing in his introductions, calm provider of clarity and humour in his poetry. He switched between verse from his latest published collection, some newer works, and a series of hilarious limericks. His subject matter is his everyday life, memories of the past, and politics (especially in the limericks). Most combine humour with sharply thoughtful observations on the oddities of human behaviour. Consistently entertaining and worthy of further reading.
And then there was Henry. I'll admit here to being biased here for, unknown to me, my wife had made previously contact with him and the result was him reciting, and presenting to us, a poem he wrote for our wedding anniversary. So I couldn't write a bad review, could I?
Fortunately there's absolutely no need for me to make any compromises with my principals. Normal the poet is a natural comedian writing language of such simplicity, but filled with such unlikely juxtapositions and sideways observations that you wonder how you never thought of it yourself. Which you wouldn't, of course, because Normal is blessed with a way of looking at the world that combines a surreal imagination with a warmth of humanity and empathy that very few people have. It's a natural talent for seeing the eccentricities and struggles and love in others and repackaging them into a form that makes us look at ourselves and others from fresh angles. How many people would come up with "a speedboat drags what looks like a cheap sofa full of masochists", or create a poem out of a to-do list?
Go see him if you can. He'll make you laugh, think, feel and be a better human. You won't forget a Henry Normal gig.
Monday 3 September 2018
Blazin' Fiddles with Karen Matheson, Perth Concert Hall
The names of the musicians might have changed greatly over the time, with only the leader Bruce MacGregor still there from the original line up, but the Blazin' Fiddles mission to provide an exciting contemporary take on Highlands and Islands fiddle music remains unchanged. For this twentieth anniversary tour they have been joined by one of Scotland's great voices, Karen Matheson of Capercaillie fame.
They played a mix of tracks from their latest album, and from their extensive back catalogue, modern compositions and old traditional tunes, fast and slow, passionate and exciting. The sound is driven and shaped by the strong rhythm section of Angus Lyon on piano and the multi-talented Anna Massie on guitar, and it's their playing that does so much to make the arrangements feel so fresh.
Matheson came on for a few songs in each half and reminded us of what a wonderful instrument her voice is, so smooth and pure that listening is like being caressed by silk. There were several numbers in Gaelic, but also an American folk song, and a gorgeous rendition of Paul Brady's 'The Island'. Her contribution to the encore was breathtaking, puirt a buel (Gaelic mouth music) delivered at incredible speed yet with every syllable as clear as bell. The mutual admiration between her and the band was evident.
Whether playing ensemble or performing the solos, the four fiddlers are able to tug the heartstrings or raise the heart rate at will, and the abiding memory is of their obvious joy in playing together, feeding off one another and working as team. They can be funny too.
Exhilarating, pulsing, life affirming, Blazin' Fiddles remain one of the best fiddle bands i the world and one of our great live acts.
PS This was my first visit to the Perth Concert Hall and I feel compelled to mention what a great venue it is. Wonderful acoustics, bright, spacious and modern, comfortable seating with actual generous leg room (a rarity at many gigs). I was impressed.
They played a mix of tracks from their latest album, and from their extensive back catalogue, modern compositions and old traditional tunes, fast and slow, passionate and exciting. The sound is driven and shaped by the strong rhythm section of Angus Lyon on piano and the multi-talented Anna Massie on guitar, and it's their playing that does so much to make the arrangements feel so fresh.
Matheson came on for a few songs in each half and reminded us of what a wonderful instrument her voice is, so smooth and pure that listening is like being caressed by silk. There were several numbers in Gaelic, but also an American folk song, and a gorgeous rendition of Paul Brady's 'The Island'. Her contribution to the encore was breathtaking, puirt a buel (Gaelic mouth music) delivered at incredible speed yet with every syllable as clear as bell. The mutual admiration between her and the band was evident.
Whether playing ensemble or performing the solos, the four fiddlers are able to tug the heartstrings or raise the heart rate at will, and the abiding memory is of their obvious joy in playing together, feeding off one another and working as team. They can be funny too.
Exhilarating, pulsing, life affirming, Blazin' Fiddles remain one of the best fiddle bands i the world and one of our great live acts.
PS This was my first visit to the Perth Concert Hall and I feel compelled to mention what a great venue it is. Wonderful acoustics, bright, spacious and modern, comfortable seating with actual generous leg room (a rarity at many gigs). I was impressed.
Tuesday 28 August 2018
Trump'd, C Venues, Edinburgh Fringe
It's 2030 and Donald Trump has been president for 14 years. Elections are a distant memory, Arnie Schwarzenegger is the VP, and that Mexican border barrier is still being built. Loosely based on The Wizard of Oz, our Dorothy (in a very Garland-like outfit) lives in a small border town due to be demolished to make way for the wall and wants to make her way to Washington to complain to the president, who she thinks is a decent man. Flights have been cancelled as an anti terrorist measure, so she's going to have to go overland.
Along the way she picks up companions who have their own reasons for wanting to meet The Donald, including the Mexican Resistance Army and an embittered Hillary Clinton, and has to face up to Arnie. Can they make Trump change his mind, does he have a heart?
Performed by a (mostly) young cast of 8, this is musical comedy at it's corniest. Predictable jokes, less than clever lyrics, dancing that's never quite fully coordinated and hammy acting. Looked at objectively it's nothing to get excited about.
Which reckons without the energy and enthusiasm and infectious sense of fun the group bring to the stage. They know it's not the world's greatest material and they don't care. They're having a good time, they have a good sense of the ridiculous, and want us to join in that sense of joy. It's funny, it's absurd and so bad it's good.
In the real world Trump, day after day, continues to exhibit behaviours so bizarre that he's putting himself beyond satire and parody. Perhaps the Trump'd approach, of simply turning the madness into fun, is the best way we have left to deal with him.
This was the final performance of Trump'd at Fringe 2018.
Along the way she picks up companions who have their own reasons for wanting to meet The Donald, including the Mexican Resistance Army and an embittered Hillary Clinton, and has to face up to Arnie. Can they make Trump change his mind, does he have a heart?
Performed by a (mostly) young cast of 8, this is musical comedy at it's corniest. Predictable jokes, less than clever lyrics, dancing that's never quite fully coordinated and hammy acting. Looked at objectively it's nothing to get excited about.
Which reckons without the energy and enthusiasm and infectious sense of fun the group bring to the stage. They know it's not the world's greatest material and they don't care. They're having a good time, they have a good sense of the ridiculous, and want us to join in that sense of joy. It's funny, it's absurd and so bad it's good.
In the real world Trump, day after day, continues to exhibit behaviours so bizarre that he's putting himself beyond satire and parody. Perhaps the Trump'd approach, of simply turning the madness into fun, is the best way we have left to deal with him.
This was the final performance of Trump'd at Fringe 2018.
Where the Hell is Bernard?, Assembly George Square, Edinburgh Fringe
A city in the distant future. Everyone owes allegiance to, everyone is cared for by, everyone has their role in maintaining The Vine. Compulsory vapourisation at 50 keeps the population numbers in check, and their belongings recycled for further use. The three staff of Pod 17 take the items of the deceased and allocate them to the appropriate places. Life is simple, predictable, regimented.
When one 50 year old, Bernard, escapes his fate and goes on the run his belongings exert a strange influence on the women of Pod 17, and they too take off, seeking Bernard, avoiding capture by The Vine. Removed from their comfort zone they must deal with wholly alien experiences - like books, alcohol, dancing and babies. Can they break free unconditionally, or will the pull of The Vine draw them back?
Using simple storage cubes and clever movements that suggest level upon level, room after room, the set feels like a cross between Fritz Lang's metropolis and Huxley's Brave new World. Our protagonists are in identical jumpsuits and platinum blonde wigs, characters erased, now finding a way to emerge. Although there is some dialogue much of the action is mimed or acted out wordlessly. Despite the sinister nature of the pursuit the action is frequently very funny, especially in their encounters with the new, and all 3 show a talent for physical comedy.
At times baffling, frequently inspired, consistently watchable, it's an enjoyable journey through a scary world, well choreographed and with slick production and tech. It's always a pleasure to watch something surprisingly different, and WTHIB fits into that category. I loved it.
This was the final performance of Where the Hell is Bernard? in Fringe 2018.
When one 50 year old, Bernard, escapes his fate and goes on the run his belongings exert a strange influence on the women of Pod 17, and they too take off, seeking Bernard, avoiding capture by The Vine. Removed from their comfort zone they must deal with wholly alien experiences - like books, alcohol, dancing and babies. Can they break free unconditionally, or will the pull of The Vine draw them back?
Using simple storage cubes and clever movements that suggest level upon level, room after room, the set feels like a cross between Fritz Lang's metropolis and Huxley's Brave new World. Our protagonists are in identical jumpsuits and platinum blonde wigs, characters erased, now finding a way to emerge. Although there is some dialogue much of the action is mimed or acted out wordlessly. Despite the sinister nature of the pursuit the action is frequently very funny, especially in their encounters with the new, and all 3 show a talent for physical comedy.
At times baffling, frequently inspired, consistently watchable, it's an enjoyable journey through a scary world, well choreographed and with slick production and tech. It's always a pleasure to watch something surprisingly different, and WTHIB fits into that category. I loved it.
This was the final performance of Where the Hell is Bernard? in Fringe 2018.
Godley's Cream 20 Years and Counting, Counting House, Edinburgh Free Fringe
Celebrating her 20th straight year on the Fringe, Godley chats about her upbringing in Glasgow, marriage into a gangster family, running a pub, being married to a man with autism and outwitting the police. And when I say 'chat' I mean relate caustically and hilariously. Blunt observations with a twist, Godley commands the room and immediately feels like everyone's pal. She'll insult the hypocrisy and cant of catholics and protestants with equal fervour, but reserves special venom for the current US president, with whom she has history. We're treated to the 2 iconic photos of Janey holing anti-Trump placards which went globally viral after his visits to Turnberry in 2016 and this year. And she doesn't spare her critics either.
Sharp, acerbic, yet almost intimately friendly in her delivery, Godley is still one of the best comedians Scotland has. And one of the best, and most socially aware, on the Fringe. Highly recommended (every year!).
This was Janey Godley's final show of the 2018 Fringe.
Sharp, acerbic, yet almost intimately friendly in her delivery, Godley is still one of the best comedians Scotland has. And one of the best, and most socially aware, on the Fringe. Highly recommended (every year!).
This was Janey Godley's final show of the 2018 Fringe.
Ken Cheng : Best Dad Ever, Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe
An impending move to London prompted Cheng to sit down with his mother and have their first real in depth talk, and he learned things about his family he'd never know, and might have preferred not to. In revealing the past he takes us through tales of Toblerone, soft toys and his own, as it was once put to him, "Chinese-ish-ness".
The casual racism he's encountered features a lot, often with the other protagonist wholly unaware of their own prejudices. He almost manages to regret living up to the stereotype of being good at maths, but can't resist sharing his love of a good spreadsheet. And his own struggle with learning to accept that sometimes being 'different' can work to his advantage, both personally and professionally. Even if 'Chinese' for some apparently encompasses Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean.....
His calm on stage presence is the basis for a stream of well worked jokes, and a circular construction that brings us back to a satisfying emotional conclusion. It breaks no ground, but this is a strong set of observational comedy, with enough food for thought to please anyone hoping for something a bit more cerebral that simple joke telling.
This was Ken Cheng's final show of the 2018 Fringe.
The casual racism he's encountered features a lot, often with the other protagonist wholly unaware of their own prejudices. He almost manages to regret living up to the stereotype of being good at maths, but can't resist sharing his love of a good spreadsheet. And his own struggle with learning to accept that sometimes being 'different' can work to his advantage, both personally and professionally. Even if 'Chinese' for some apparently encompasses Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean.....
His calm on stage presence is the basis for a stream of well worked jokes, and a circular construction that brings us back to a satisfying emotional conclusion. It breaks no ground, but this is a strong set of observational comedy, with enough food for thought to please anyone hoping for something a bit more cerebral that simple joke telling.
This was Ken Cheng's final show of the 2018 Fringe.
Nicky Wilkinson : Happy, Espionage, Edinburgh Free Fringe
Lists, games, music, sweets, parties and sausage rolls are just a few of the things that make Wilkinson happy, and all of them appear in this show. having decided there were already enough angst ridden comics on the fringe she set out to create an hour that was simply fun, and started with her own happy things.
She drags in lots of help from the audience who are split into 2 teams and get to play the music, keep the scores and join in the proceedings. A pub quiz, pass the parcel, setting a world record, they're all in there, along with a tin of mackerel.
It's consistently fun, just a bit daft, and and she succeeds in her aim of sending everyone out with a smile on their face. A happy hour.
This was Nicky Wilkinson's final show at the 2018 Fringe.
She drags in lots of help from the audience who are split into 2 teams and get to play the music, keep the scores and join in the proceedings. A pub quiz, pass the parcel, setting a world record, they're all in there, along with a tin of mackerel.
It's consistently fun, just a bit daft, and and she succeeds in her aim of sending everyone out with a smile on their face. A happy hour.
This was Nicky Wilkinson's final show at the 2018 Fringe.
Saturday 25 August 2018
10 Films With You Pricks, Sweet Grassmarket, Edinburgh Fringe
This one-off night was supposed to be Goatley's exposé of the secrets behind his long running and very successful show, 10 Films With My Dad, as it finally dies after 8 years. But. Although he promises (yet again) it won't ever be returning to Edinburgh, he has been asked to take it to the Adelaide Comedy festival, so those secrets will have to wait.
Instead he used the hour to show us a different side to the usual Aidan, the one that attracts adjectives like warm and cuddly and lovely. This was Goatley unleashed. He started on his hatred of the so-called 'silent disco' that plagues the Old Town at this time of year and went on from there into various rants that were loud, sweary and very, very funny.
That was followed by memories of some of the worst gigs he's ever had in his career, dire situations he turned into hysterically funny material. Nobody who was there will forget his tale of trying to perform 10 Films to an audience still weeping over the death of a teenager, and being told it's what he would have wanted. Although my personal favourite story combined massage, masturbation and delicious toasties.
The show was being filmed and I hope it is made available some time, for it was one of my favourites of this month. This was Goatley in the raw showing just what a naturally funny man he is, and that there's a lot more to him than "being nice". Definitely not for the kids though....
Instead he used the hour to show us a different side to the usual Aidan, the one that attracts adjectives like warm and cuddly and lovely. This was Goatley unleashed. He started on his hatred of the so-called 'silent disco' that plagues the Old Town at this time of year and went on from there into various rants that were loud, sweary and very, very funny.
That was followed by memories of some of the worst gigs he's ever had in his career, dire situations he turned into hysterically funny material. Nobody who was there will forget his tale of trying to perform 10 Films to an audience still weeping over the death of a teenager, and being told it's what he would have wanted. Although my personal favourite story combined massage, masturbation and delicious toasties.
The show was being filmed and I hope it is made available some time, for it was one of my favourites of this month. This was Goatley in the raw showing just what a naturally funny man he is, and that there's a lot more to him than "being nice". Definitely not for the kids though....
Asian Network Comedy, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe
Hosted by the enthusiastic Yasser from the Asian Network Drivetime show, who explained the format then kept his contributions brief, simply introducing the 5 comedians who'd provide the laughs.
Kai Samra was a good man to start with, smart comments on his recent move to London and the differences in life he'd found there, effective observational comedy.
Zahra Barri has a surprisingly squeaky voice, plenty knowing looks and an explanation that with a Muslim father and Catholic mother she was always going to be an atheist. Or that she could understand wearing a burqa, especially on the days when you just couldn't be bothered to make an effort. She's got great comic timing.
Ken Cheng told us why what he's been told is his 'Chinese-ish-ness' is both help and hindrance, and racism is both disgusting and something to be exploited. And a good source of comedy.
Jen Wakefield brought something a bit different, comedy rapping, and talked of her mission to bring Grime to Cheltenham and Guildford. Clever stuff.
Finally the headline act, the well established Paul Sinha on the perils of being an Asian gay man and his parents' disappointment that he gave up being a doctor to do comedy. He's good at extracting humour from awkward situations and his personal misfortunes, but with no sense of making the audience uncomfortable. Tales of his search for a partner were hilarious.
The show will be broadcast on the Asian network at 9pm next Monday (27th), and available to view on iPlayer from 3 September.
Kai Samra was a good man to start with, smart comments on his recent move to London and the differences in life he'd found there, effective observational comedy.
Zahra Barri has a surprisingly squeaky voice, plenty knowing looks and an explanation that with a Muslim father and Catholic mother she was always going to be an atheist. Or that she could understand wearing a burqa, especially on the days when you just couldn't be bothered to make an effort. She's got great comic timing.
Ken Cheng told us why what he's been told is his 'Chinese-ish-ness' is both help and hindrance, and racism is both disgusting and something to be exploited. And a good source of comedy.
Jen Wakefield brought something a bit different, comedy rapping, and talked of her mission to bring Grime to Cheltenham and Guildford. Clever stuff.
Finally the headline act, the well established Paul Sinha on the perils of being an Asian gay man and his parents' disappointment that he gave up being a doctor to do comedy. He's good at extracting humour from awkward situations and his personal misfortunes, but with no sense of making the audience uncomfortable. Tales of his search for a partner were hilarious.
The show will be broadcast on the Asian network at 9pm next Monday (27th), and available to view on iPlayer from 3 September.
Christian Reilly : Gig Economy, Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh Free Fringe
Musical comedy can be a pretty hit and miss class of entertainment. Fortunately Reilly falls strongly on the right side of that divide and proves immediately likeable.
In a straw cowboy hat and guitar in hand he launches into a series of mood chords, pastiches, mash ups and outright silliness. It's fast paced, well thought out and shows him to be a more than competent guitarist with a decent singing voice. He plays blues and country and pop and rock and pretty much anything, adapting his voice to the genre or the character being lampooned. And saving us the trouble of paying to see superstars as he takes on the guises of Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Donald Trump and more.
Above all it's consistently funny, be it the song lyrics, the jokes in between or the facial expressions that accompany his music. There are good digs at the likes of Trump, Bono, "Tommy Robinson" and others, so his politics are sound too. Towards the end he was joined by a fiddler who added a bit of class to some Irish and country sounds.
It's a bit different, often clever, it made me laugh - a lot - and an hour whizzed by. One of the gems of the Free Fringe.
Christian Reilly is on in the Liquid Rooms at 17.20 until 26 August.
In a straw cowboy hat and guitar in hand he launches into a series of mood chords, pastiches, mash ups and outright silliness. It's fast paced, well thought out and shows him to be a more than competent guitarist with a decent singing voice. He plays blues and country and pop and rock and pretty much anything, adapting his voice to the genre or the character being lampooned. And saving us the trouble of paying to see superstars as he takes on the guises of Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Donald Trump and more.
Above all it's consistently funny, be it the song lyrics, the jokes in between or the facial expressions that accompany his music. There are good digs at the likes of Trump, Bono, "Tommy Robinson" and others, so his politics are sound too. Towards the end he was joined by a fiddler who added a bit of class to some Irish and country sounds.
It's a bit different, often clever, it made me laugh - a lot - and an hour whizzed by. One of the gems of the Free Fringe.
Christian Reilly is on in the Liquid Rooms at 17.20 until 26 August.
Paul 'Silky' White : Ziuq, Stand 4, Edinburgh Fringe
The title gives away the premise of the show - the audience puts answers to White and he tries to come up with the answers.
He begins with the classic introduction of talking to various members of the audience, and the added characteristic of ensuring he gets the spelling of their names right - a small touch but a nice one. The youngest member of the audience is given a title and a role in proceedings. There's some communal singing to bring everyone together, and then we're split into teams. White's banter is sharp, but never cruel, just the right side of acidic.
From a Trivial Pursuit set the teams give answers from their cards and White tried to nail the answer, or at least gives one that gets a laugh. He's quick in improvising responses, and has an impressive store of knowledge to draw on. There are various interludes in between, including more singing (he's a decent enough guitarist too), and at the end the winners are announced, and a surprise conclusion drawn.
It's an amiable show, frequently funny, but the repetitive nature of some aspects can become a bit tedious and I was glad when it drew to a close. Possibly more suited to families, especially with teenagers, than a more mature audience.
Ziuq is on in Stand 4 at 13.15 until 26 August.
He begins with the classic introduction of talking to various members of the audience, and the added characteristic of ensuring he gets the spelling of their names right - a small touch but a nice one. The youngest member of the audience is given a title and a role in proceedings. There's some communal singing to bring everyone together, and then we're split into teams. White's banter is sharp, but never cruel, just the right side of acidic.
From a Trivial Pursuit set the teams give answers from their cards and White tried to nail the answer, or at least gives one that gets a laugh. He's quick in improvising responses, and has an impressive store of knowledge to draw on. There are various interludes in between, including more singing (he's a decent enough guitarist too), and at the end the winners are announced, and a surprise conclusion drawn.
It's an amiable show, frequently funny, but the repetitive nature of some aspects can become a bit tedious and I was glad when it drew to a close. Possibly more suited to families, especially with teenagers, than a more mature audience.
Ziuq is on in Stand 4 at 13.15 until 26 August.
Thursday 23 August 2018
Sindhu Vee : Sandhog, Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe
The three main ingredients of Vee's show, and life, are swiftly outlined - marriage to a (very logical) Dane, being a mother to three kids, and her own elderly mum back in India. Which takes her into how to survive decades of marriage and keep winning; adapting to the use of European-style child rearing strategies because Indian ones would be frowned upon here; and dealing with old people logic over the phone. There are a lot of smart observations about cultural differences and similarities, the games you can play on your spouse, and how to manipulate children to best advantage. There's a loveable warmth to her cynicism that keeps the audience onside, even if there's the odd sharp intake of breath at some of her suggestions. Like making your daughter feel guilty about bringing your own death that bit nearer....
There's also some touching moments, especially the reasons for the show's title. It's a solid, professional set, always enjoyable, with some memorable gags sprinkled in. No surprise that her shows are selling out.
Sindhu Vee : Sandhog is on at the Pleasance at 16.30 until 26 August, but all shows are now sold out.
There's also some touching moments, especially the reasons for the show's title. It's a solid, professional set, always enjoyable, with some memorable gags sprinkled in. No surprise that her shows are selling out.
Sindhu Vee : Sandhog is on at the Pleasance at 16.30 until 26 August, but all shows are now sold out.
Dylan Moran : Dr Cosmos, Rose Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe
Moran says he can sort us all out, without even knowing us, because we all have problems. If by 'sort out' he means 'make laugh' then he has indeed found the cure.
There follows a random monologue that hits out at the big stupidities of the world, like Trump and brexit, and the small ones, like going back to live with your parents. As ever with Moran it's not the nature of the observations themselves that hit home, but the bizarre juxtapositioning of words to create unlikely yet perfect images in the mind of the listener. So it suddenly makes perfect sense that Mike Pence's strange smile is down to him strangling a mouse in his pocket, or that Jacob Piss-Dogg is like a long spoon. And that in the pre internet, pre smartphones days we used to use 'building phones' to communicate.
This stream of surreal whimsy is chest-achingly funny and almost bewildering in it's ability to plant a memorable picture in your head yet seconds later throw in another that's wholly unrelated. Full of exhilarating comic invention, Moran's stand up is touched by genius.
Dylan Moran : Dr Cosmos is in the Rose Theatre at 19.30 until 25 August - but, deservedly, has sold out every night.
There follows a random monologue that hits out at the big stupidities of the world, like Trump and brexit, and the small ones, like going back to live with your parents. As ever with Moran it's not the nature of the observations themselves that hit home, but the bizarre juxtapositioning of words to create unlikely yet perfect images in the mind of the listener. So it suddenly makes perfect sense that Mike Pence's strange smile is down to him strangling a mouse in his pocket, or that Jacob Piss-Dogg is like a long spoon. And that in the pre internet, pre smartphones days we used to use 'building phones' to communicate.
This stream of surreal whimsy is chest-achingly funny and almost bewildering in it's ability to plant a memorable picture in your head yet seconds later throw in another that's wholly unrelated. Full of exhilarating comic invention, Moran's stand up is touched by genius.
Dylan Moran : Dr Cosmos is in the Rose Theatre at 19.30 until 25 August - but, deservedly, has sold out every night.
Iain F M Smith Presents.... My Finest Hour!, Southsider, Edinburgh Free Fringe
Smith began by telling us he was more of a storyteller than a comedian, and sells himself short for this is a very funny show. His grandfather was a WW2 hero, whose portrait now hangs in Edinburgh Castle, and this is partly his tale, but mostly about Smith's thoughts on how he himself measures up to the legacy. His tale takes us through some of the more bizarre episodes from his childhood, a coming of age, and discovery of his own kind of fighting spirit.
It also contains practical jokes, embarrassment, goats, nettles and lot of puppies. Indeed it's not only entertaining but also informative, and you'll leave with some new knowledge in your brain. It might not always be useful knowledge, but it is new... and you'll love the facts about goats.
Smith is a charming and engaging storyteller who's put together a lovely, warming show that reflects on our differences and similarities as human beings. Well worth making the trip to this slightly off the beaten track Free Fringe venue. Highly recommended.
Iain F M Smith presents... My Finest Hour! is in the Southsider at 14.05 until 25 August.
PS This show has a strong anti-fascist message, so is not advised for Daily Mail readers...
It also contains practical jokes, embarrassment, goats, nettles and lot of puppies. Indeed it's not only entertaining but also informative, and you'll leave with some new knowledge in your brain. It might not always be useful knowledge, but it is new... and you'll love the facts about goats.
Smith is a charming and engaging storyteller who's put together a lovely, warming show that reflects on our differences and similarities as human beings. Well worth making the trip to this slightly off the beaten track Free Fringe venue. Highly recommended.
Iain F M Smith presents... My Finest Hour! is in the Southsider at 14.05 until 25 August.
PS This show has a strong anti-fascist message, so is not advised for Daily Mail readers...
Aidan Goatley's 10 Films With? Podcast, Sweet Novotel, Edinburgh Fringe
A spin off from Goatley's long running hit show, 10 Films With My Dad, a podcast in which Aidan interviews a fellow comedian about their own 10 significant movies. And, appropriately, he's recording 10 of these in front of a live Fringe audience.
Today (22 August) it was Simon Jay, who's one man show Trumpageddon has been playing to large audiences. Coming, like Goatley, from a script writing background, his reasoning for his choices was interesting. So top of the list came Mrs Doubtfire, partly from his love of Robin Williams and Sally Field, but mostly because he reckons it's such a perfectly structured and well written film. His other selections were even more eclectic, with many in the "so bad it's good" category, like the horror film Island of Death. Or Ed wood, a film about a man who made terrible movies. You get the picture. Jay was never predictable, and a lot of fun, with Goatley getting the best out of him. A very entertaining hour.
Aidan Goatley's 10 Films With.... is on in Sweet Novotel at 12.00 until 24 August.
Today (22 August) it was Simon Jay, who's one man show Trumpageddon has been playing to large audiences. Coming, like Goatley, from a script writing background, his reasoning for his choices was interesting. So top of the list came Mrs Doubtfire, partly from his love of Robin Williams and Sally Field, but mostly because he reckons it's such a perfectly structured and well written film. His other selections were even more eclectic, with many in the "so bad it's good" category, like the horror film Island of Death. Or Ed wood, a film about a man who made terrible movies. You get the picture. Jay was never predictable, and a lot of fun, with Goatley getting the best out of him. A very entertaining hour.
Aidan Goatley's 10 Films With.... is on in Sweet Novotel at 12.00 until 24 August.
A Sockful of Custard, Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Fringe
Part biography, part homage to one of the great postwar comic geniuses, a man to whom modern comedy owes so much. In the year of the centenary of Spike Milligan's birth here's Jeremy Stockwell playing the man himself, with the show's writer Chris Larner joining his as narrator and co-conspirator on stage. Informative and entertaining, it's as chaotic and zany and frequently inspired, just like Spike.
It begins with Stockwell sitting under a sheet, telling the audience what to shout back at him, and that's as good a way as any to introduce the daftness that follows. They enact scenes from Milligan's childhood and war service, remind us he was a talented musician as well, and go into the world of The Goons, with the pressures that brought to bear on Spike and his subsequent mental health problems. All interlaced with bizarre moments like the sight of 2 grown men jumping circles in dustbins - very Spike.
The show's title comes from Milligan's reputation for making bizarre requests to the BBC sound effects department, one of them being the noise of a man being hit on the head with the eponymous dessert filled hose. Stockwell is a convincing Spike, especially in old age, capturing the manic personality well, while Larner acts the 'sensible' role, trying to bring some order to the other's anarchy. At the end the 2 performers leave their characters behind and reminisce on their own memories of the great man (both met him briefly) and the huge impact he had at the time and on those who followed.
It probably helps to know something of Milligan's life and work in getting the most out of this production (there were plenty of moments I recognised from my own knowledge of Spike), but it would still be hugely enjoyable to anyone who appreciates surreal humour and the delights of a fertile imagination. Highly recommended.
A Sockful of Custard is on in Pleasance Dome at 20.00 until 27 August.
It begins with Stockwell sitting under a sheet, telling the audience what to shout back at him, and that's as good a way as any to introduce the daftness that follows. They enact scenes from Milligan's childhood and war service, remind us he was a talented musician as well, and go into the world of The Goons, with the pressures that brought to bear on Spike and his subsequent mental health problems. All interlaced with bizarre moments like the sight of 2 grown men jumping circles in dustbins - very Spike.
The show's title comes from Milligan's reputation for making bizarre requests to the BBC sound effects department, one of them being the noise of a man being hit on the head with the eponymous dessert filled hose. Stockwell is a convincing Spike, especially in old age, capturing the manic personality well, while Larner acts the 'sensible' role, trying to bring some order to the other's anarchy. At the end the 2 performers leave their characters behind and reminisce on their own memories of the great man (both met him briefly) and the huge impact he had at the time and on those who followed.
It probably helps to know something of Milligan's life and work in getting the most out of this production (there were plenty of moments I recognised from my own knowledge of Spike), but it would still be hugely enjoyable to anyone who appreciates surreal humour and the delights of a fertile imagination. Highly recommended.
A Sockful of Custard is on in Pleasance Dome at 20.00 until 27 August.
Wednesday 22 August 2018
Start the Week, BBC Tent, Edinburgh Fringe
The weekly discussion programme, hosted by Andrew Marr, had four guests on the sofas, three novelists ans musician/storyteller. Pat Barker has written a reimagining of The Iliad called The Silence of the Girls, looking at the story from the point of view of the women - voices which are never heard in Homer's original. Icelandic author and songwriter Sjón has a new novel, Codex 1962, in which the narrator is created from clay. James Robertson's comical story To Be Continued... features a talking toad. And singer/songwriter Karine Polwart's latest album Laws of Motion mixes modern themes with those from traditional Scots ballads.
Which all led the conversation into the role of myth in modern literature, lessons from history, the power of the writer in giving voice to the silenced and never-heard, the writing traditions which are there to be used by writers today, and the importance of multiculturalism throughout human history in enriching cultures. Interesting contrasts between the strength of the Icelandic language against the perceived withering of the Scots.
At the end of the show there was a short Q&A session with the audience, which will not be broadcast.
Definitely worth a listen when it's on Radio 4, with several interesting issues explored. And see if you can spot the arch-unionist comment from Marr that drew raised eyebrows from independence supporters Polwart and Robertson (and yours truly...).
Which all led the conversation into the role of myth in modern literature, lessons from history, the power of the writer in giving voice to the silenced and never-heard, the writing traditions which are there to be used by writers today, and the importance of multiculturalism throughout human history in enriching cultures. Interesting contrasts between the strength of the Icelandic language against the perceived withering of the Scots.
At the end of the show there was a short Q&A session with the audience, which will not be broadcast.
Definitely worth a listen when it's on Radio 4, with several interesting issues explored. And see if you can spot the arch-unionist comment from Marr that drew raised eyebrows from independence supporters Polwart and Robertson (and yours truly...).
Monday 20 August 2018
Loki, The Scottish Rapper : Poverty Safari Live, New Town Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe
A polemical hour of rap, poetry and narrative calculated to spark thought and discussion. And legitimate discomfort.
Partly it's the fictional story of a young working class Glasgow man, conflicted over the affluence of his girlfriend's middle class world, where the dogs are on leads and people choose to cycle even though they have cars, and the Pollok estate he comes from, where there's knives and heroin and a far lower life expectancy. This is told through song and rhyme, with explosive moments of anger and confusion.
The other part is metatextual narrative, of trigger warnings and explanations. It's unclear if this is a defence against some misinterpretations he's suffered in the past, as he seeks to clearly delineate the boundary between fiction and reality, or an ironic commentary on his Fringe (i.e. largely middle class) audiences who can't share his experiences. Either way this side of the show feels overblown, almost patronising, reducing the impact of the storyline. More poetry, less talk would be an improvement.
That quibble aside this is a fascinating hour, and Loki has a commanding stage presence and mastery of his audience. There's plenty of laughs, with some well crafted jokes, to balance out the tensions he raises and he doesn't push the discomfort levels as far as he clearly could. You emerge thoughtful, rather than provoked.
Unafraid to voice unconventional views, this is a show that rewards careful listening. Which is made easier by his impressive ability to enunciate clearly when delivering lines at such a high syllable rate! He wants to abolish the term 'social mobility' in a society where increasingly the rich get richer, the poor poorer, and presents a strong argument to support that. Loki's well worth an hour of your time.
Loki, the Scottish Rapper is on in the New Town Theatre at 17.00 until 26 August.
Partly it's the fictional story of a young working class Glasgow man, conflicted over the affluence of his girlfriend's middle class world, where the dogs are on leads and people choose to cycle even though they have cars, and the Pollok estate he comes from, where there's knives and heroin and a far lower life expectancy. This is told through song and rhyme, with explosive moments of anger and confusion.
The other part is metatextual narrative, of trigger warnings and explanations. It's unclear if this is a defence against some misinterpretations he's suffered in the past, as he seeks to clearly delineate the boundary between fiction and reality, or an ironic commentary on his Fringe (i.e. largely middle class) audiences who can't share his experiences. Either way this side of the show feels overblown, almost patronising, reducing the impact of the storyline. More poetry, less talk would be an improvement.
That quibble aside this is a fascinating hour, and Loki has a commanding stage presence and mastery of his audience. There's plenty of laughs, with some well crafted jokes, to balance out the tensions he raises and he doesn't push the discomfort levels as far as he clearly could. You emerge thoughtful, rather than provoked.
Unafraid to voice unconventional views, this is a show that rewards careful listening. Which is made easier by his impressive ability to enunciate clearly when delivering lines at such a high syllable rate! He wants to abolish the term 'social mobility' in a society where increasingly the rich get richer, the poor poorer, and presents a strong argument to support that. Loki's well worth an hour of your time.
Loki, the Scottish Rapper is on in the New Town Theatre at 17.00 until 26 August.
I Want an Irish Passport, Stand 2, Edinburgh Fringe
Mary Bourke, conscious that in this brexity UK a lot of people want to become Irish citizens (and who'd want the embarrassment of travelling on a UK passport now?) , gives us her ideas on what they need to qualify for that elevated position. Such as having an Auntie Mary and an Uncle John....
There's a lot more to this show than that though, as Bourke goes about dissolving, and sometimes rebuilding, national stereotypes, and tortures the audience with a bit of Ed Sheeran (briefly, accompanied Bourke's notes on his performance!). There's touring inGermany and the less than modest Berlin comedy MC, her father's experiences of racism in London and her sister's love life. Plus a chance for the audience to let it all out in an unconventional sing-song.
It's a well structured hour with some excellent jokes and a few nice throwaway lines so you need to be paying attention. There's also the odd serious point. If you weren't aware of the (entirely justified) hatred the Irish have for Oliver Cromwell Mary will give you some pointers (and explain why Aldi needed her advice). Laughs and something to think about. Not a bad mix. Recommended.
I Want an Irish Passport is on in Stand 2 at 13.20 until 26 August.
Sunday 19 August 2018
Bite-Size Plays Presents : Neverwant, Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe
Set in possible future where technology and social mores have evolved to banish war, hunger, need, upset. Where the goal of the giant corporation Neverwant is to exercise control over all our lives by providing us with everything we want. Desires and close personal relationships are no longer appropriate, and the Protocol Compliance officers are there to make sure nobody breaches the order.
Guy wants more. He wants love, he wants the freedom to make mistakes and to have to yearn for something. Guy is dangerous to Neverwant. Can he ever get to live the life he wants, not the one he's told to want?
A smart, funny script takes current concerns about the personal intrusiveness of the likes of Google and Facebook and extrapolates into a 1984-like world where personal choice is being eradicated. While it's mostly played for laughs there's a sinister undertone that questions some of the directions our society is currently taking. And look out for several throwaway references to present day culture, the writers were clearly having some fun in the process.
A cast of 5 plays multiple roles, with Thomas Willshire a suitably confused and passionate Guy, and Rosie Edwards excellent as different generation models of the androids being created to fulfill human needs. Neverwant is a comedy that does manage to raise some serious questions about our future, but with a light touch that ensures that entertainment is it's priority.
Recommended.
Neverwant is on at The Pleasance at 14.15 until 27 August.
Guy wants more. He wants love, he wants the freedom to make mistakes and to have to yearn for something. Guy is dangerous to Neverwant. Can he ever get to live the life he wants, not the one he's told to want?
A smart, funny script takes current concerns about the personal intrusiveness of the likes of Google and Facebook and extrapolates into a 1984-like world where personal choice is being eradicated. While it's mostly played for laughs there's a sinister undertone that questions some of the directions our society is currently taking. And look out for several throwaway references to present day culture, the writers were clearly having some fun in the process.
A cast of 5 plays multiple roles, with Thomas Willshire a suitably confused and passionate Guy, and Rosie Edwards excellent as different generation models of the androids being created to fulfill human needs. Neverwant is a comedy that does manage to raise some serious questions about our future, but with a light touch that ensures that entertainment is it's priority.
Recommended.
Neverwant is on at The Pleasance at 14.15 until 27 August.
Lau-Land, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh International Festival
It was a clever move for the band to put themselves at the top of the schedule - their many fans turned up early and that guaranteed that subsequent acts would play to good sized crowds. Of course the downside is having to follow one of the best bands in the world....
There was no shortage of variety on offer, as the following line up testifies :
Born to Explore Stage
LAU 7.30 pm
Whitburn Brass Band 8.35 pm
Joan As Policewoman 9.15 pm
Nadah El Shazly 10.45 pm
James Holden & The Animal Spirits 11.45 pm
Some Chick Called Bob 12.45 am
Beasts of Trad Stage
Rona Lightfoot & Brighde Chaimbeul 9.00 pm
Alasdair Roberts 10.00 pm
RANT 11.00 pm
Landless 12.00 am
Open Trad Singing Session
with Siobhan Miller, Alasdair Roberts, Landless & friends 10.00 pm
Lau provided a predictably brilliant opening to the evening, starting with an acoustic rendition of the haunting Ghosts through to the full electronic experience including a couple of tracks from their forthcoming album. I won't attempt to review the remaining acts as I flitted about and took in bits and pieces. The Whitburn Band was a highlight, playing a modern orchestral piece with control and passion, and Rant were outstanding. The Born to Explore stage lived up to the name with experimental music, and Joan as Policewoman a more conventional pop and soul presence.
It was a delight to see Leith Theatre being fully utilised, both stages occupied, both rooms packed. Lau have created another triumph.
There was no shortage of variety on offer, as the following line up testifies :
Born to Explore Stage
LAU 7.30 pm
Whitburn Brass Band 8.35 pm
Joan As Policewoman 9.15 pm
Nadah El Shazly 10.45 pm
James Holden & The Animal Spirits 11.45 pm
Some Chick Called Bob 12.45 am
Beasts of Trad Stage
Rona Lightfoot & Brighde Chaimbeul 9.00 pm
Alasdair Roberts 10.00 pm
RANT 11.00 pm
Landless 12.00 am
Open Trad Singing Session
with Siobhan Miller, Alasdair Roberts, Landless & friends 10.00 pm
Lau provided a predictably brilliant opening to the evening, starting with an acoustic rendition of the haunting Ghosts through to the full electronic experience including a couple of tracks from their forthcoming album. I won't attempt to review the remaining acts as I flitted about and took in bits and pieces. The Whitburn Band was a highlight, playing a modern orchestral piece with control and passion, and Rant were outstanding. The Born to Explore stage lived up to the name with experimental music, and Joan as Policewoman a more conventional pop and soul presence.
It was a delight to see Leith Theatre being fully utilised, both stages occupied, both rooms packed. Lau have created another triumph.
Lucy Frederick : Even More Naked, Underbelly Bristo Square, Edinburgh Fringe
Looking back at the time when she was a participant in TV reality show "How to Look Good Naked", Frederick is still taking life lessons from her short moment of nationwide fame. She describes how the show worked, how it worked on her as someone who feels a powerful need to be liked, and what it now means to her - apart from giving her material for this show.
Using this platform Frederick, who says she's 'wonky' and 'broken' emotionally and mentally, explores the way society reacts to poor mental health and how hard it is to break those perceptions. There's a smart analogy about wearing a suit of armour to the beach about her inability to reveal herself and enjoy life. She might not be physically naked this time, but she's got the courage to reveal far more of herself inside.
If it does feel a bit like a self therapy session at times, but that might be no bad thing for it clearly resonated with several people in the audience. She builds the tension towards the end, but lets the audience down gently. This isn't the harrowing experience it could be, and there's plenty of laughter, with Frederick able to see the funny side of her own obsessions. That need to be liked is strongly evident in her comedy.
It might not break any new ground, but Even More Naked could be a reassuring show for those who also feel 'wonky'.
Lucy Frederick : Even More Naked is on in Underbelly Bristo Square at 14.50 until 26 August.
Using this platform Frederick, who says she's 'wonky' and 'broken' emotionally and mentally, explores the way society reacts to poor mental health and how hard it is to break those perceptions. There's a smart analogy about wearing a suit of armour to the beach about her inability to reveal herself and enjoy life. She might not be physically naked this time, but she's got the courage to reveal far more of herself inside.
If it does feel a bit like a self therapy session at times, but that might be no bad thing for it clearly resonated with several people in the audience. She builds the tension towards the end, but lets the audience down gently. This isn't the harrowing experience it could be, and there's plenty of laughter, with Frederick able to see the funny side of her own obsessions. That need to be liked is strongly evident in her comedy.
It might not break any new ground, but Even More Naked could be a reassuring show for those who also feel 'wonky'.
Lucy Frederick : Even More Naked is on in Underbelly Bristo Square at 14.50 until 26 August.
Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show (Menu 2), Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh Fringe
Concluding my reviews of the full set of Bite-Size Breakfast shows with Menu 2 and another 5 mini-dramas.
Battlelines is set at a Battle of Hastings re-enactment where things aren't going according to plan and some advocate a more modern approach. Why shouldn't William the Conqueror be played by a woman? Complete with an unusual use for a baguette.
Home is set on a NASA spaceship that's been lost in deep space for 3 years and the 3 crew members start to tell a few home truths before their rescuers reach them. Living is close proximity has created more resentments and secrets than they'd realised, and changes the way they think about being taken home.
I've Tried It Once is narrated by 50-something woman reflecting on her loveless marriage on the death of her husband. The story of a wasted life in 10 minutes is much funnier than you'd think.
Trapped Language of Love is the highlight of the show, as a couple meeting for the first time on a park bench say little to one another, but tell the audience their inner thoughts - expressed as sixteenth century love poetry. It's a clever idea and the result is hilarious (the woman next to me was wiping tears from her eyes long before it ended).
Put Asunder closes proceedings with a slightly daft comedy about a bride, on the verge of the wedding ceremony, finding her colourful past coming back to disrupt her day. A thin premise, but the actors have a lot of fun with it, especially Claira watson Parr as the bride, and Billy Knowelden as her sleazy Italian ex lover.
Another excellent quintet. From the three menus my favourites are definitely today's Trapped Language of Love, and Fagbutt in the Fishbowl from menu 3. But there's no duds here. Highly recommended.
The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show is in the Pleasance Dome at 10.30 until 27 August. Menu 2 is being performed on the 22nd and 25th.
Battlelines is set at a Battle of Hastings re-enactment where things aren't going according to plan and some advocate a more modern approach. Why shouldn't William the Conqueror be played by a woman? Complete with an unusual use for a baguette.
Home is set on a NASA spaceship that's been lost in deep space for 3 years and the 3 crew members start to tell a few home truths before their rescuers reach them. Living is close proximity has created more resentments and secrets than they'd realised, and changes the way they think about being taken home.
I've Tried It Once is narrated by 50-something woman reflecting on her loveless marriage on the death of her husband. The story of a wasted life in 10 minutes is much funnier than you'd think.
Trapped Language of Love is the highlight of the show, as a couple meeting for the first time on a park bench say little to one another, but tell the audience their inner thoughts - expressed as sixteenth century love poetry. It's a clever idea and the result is hilarious (the woman next to me was wiping tears from her eyes long before it ended).
Put Asunder closes proceedings with a slightly daft comedy about a bride, on the verge of the wedding ceremony, finding her colourful past coming back to disrupt her day. A thin premise, but the actors have a lot of fun with it, especially Claira watson Parr as the bride, and Billy Knowelden as her sleazy Italian ex lover.
Another excellent quintet. From the three menus my favourites are definitely today's Trapped Language of Love, and Fagbutt in the Fishbowl from menu 3. But there's no duds here. Highly recommended.
The Big Bite-Size Breakfast Show is in the Pleasance Dome at 10.30 until 27 August. Menu 2 is being performed on the 22nd and 25th.
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