The best of 2011

Best books (that I've read this year)

1. The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

2. North And South by Elizabeth Gaskell

3. Adventures In Two Worlds by A.J. Cronin

4. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

5. Enduring Love by Ian McEwan

6. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

7. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

8. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

9. Paradoxical Undressing by Kristin Hersh

10. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson

Best albums (that I bought in 2011).

In alphabetical order.

A Thousand Years Of Popular Music by Richard Thompson

Automatic For The People by R.E.M.

Debut by Bjork

Everything All The Time by Band Of Horses

Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes

God Willing & The Creek Don't Rise by Ray Lamontagne

Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes

Limbo by Throwing Muses

Passenger by Lisa Hannigan

Philharmonics by Agnes Obel

The Suburbs by Arcade Fire

University by Throwing Muses

Best films of 2011 (that I saw. Due to ill health I missed quite a few films that looked great, like Drive, Midnight After Paris, etc. They will be on my dvd list of 2012.)

1. The King's Speech

2. True Grit

3. The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

4. Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy

5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (US version)

6. The Fighter

7. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows

8. 127 Hours

9. Source Code

10. Limitless

Best DVD's (that I watched in 2011)

1. Amadeus

2. Of Gods And Men

3. The Secrets In Their Eyes

4. North And South (2003 tv version)

5. Away We Go

6. The Remains Of The Day

7. 21 Grams

8. The Orphanage

9. Harry Brown

10. Adam

Babes of 2011 (my favorite part of the list)

1. Lucy Liu

2. Amanda Seyfried

3. Norah Jones

4. Nia Long

5. Camilla Belle

6. Cobie Smulders (Robin from How I Met Your Mother)

7. Freida Pinto

8. Zoe Saldana

9. Monica Bellucci

10. Anna Friel

Amadeus

Creative license is a great thing. And it is applied to great effect in Milos Forman's glorious Amadeus. All it needed was a decent car chase and some kung fu action scenes and it would be nothing short of a masterpiece. I watched the director's cut and it did not drag for one second of the 173 minutes of its runtime. This is due to great storytelling, sumptous costume and set designs, wonderful acting, a sharp script and of course the sublime music. The right music is used at the right time in the film, so take a bow Milos Forman and your staff of editors and writers and musical advisers. The portrayal of Mozart caused some upset when it was first released in cinemas. The Mozart in the film is giddy, frivolous, temperamental and naive, hence the creative license, but this is intrinstic to the plot. The story centers around the relationship between Mozart and Antonio Salieri, court composer for Emperor Joesph II of Austria. Salieri is infuriated that God has blessed the childish Mozart with such genius and he is so consumed by jealousy that he schemes to wrestle fortune and fame away from his rival. It is also a form of revenge against God, who he feels is mocking him through Mozart. Salieri was a real person and a much respected composer and teacher in 18th century Vienna, but to the best of my knowledge the depiction of his character in Amadeus is highly fictionalized. I've conducted a little research (okay I just looked up Wikipedia) and there might be some truth that the two composers viewed each other as rivals but this seemed to be purely on a professional level and without the drama and tragedy of the film. Revenge and envy are the driving forces of Amadeus, much of the film being a flashback told by an elderly Salieri to a priest in confession, but significant aspects of Mozart's life and music are shown with a mixture of humor and poignancy: his married and family life, the ups and downs of his musical career, his relationship with his father, and of course his genius. Tom Hulce was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Mozart but he lost out to his co-star F. Murray Abraham. Both are wonderful but, for once, I think the Academy got it right in giving Abraham the award for his portrayal as Salieri. Amadeus is a fascinating, powerful and delicious piece of cinema. 9/10

Lisa Hannigan

Lisa Hannigan made her musical breakthrough with a successful collaboration with Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice on his first two albums. The quality of her vocals have never been in question but since they parted ways Lisa has struck out on her own and she is in the process of establishing herself as gifted singer/songwriter in her own right. I first saw her play live at a Nick Drake tribute concert and I thought that she was the standout performer that night, so when I discovered that she was playing at Oran Mor I snapped up a ticket as quickly as possible. On the night of the concert I was tired and not in the mood for the support act so I arrived just to see Lisa and her band. While the roadies set up mics and fiddled with nobs I sipped on my pint of cider and watched a couple of doe-eyed lovebirds. The couple were closely entwined, his hands on her shapely hips, her hands clasped around his neck, lots of eye contact - they seemed really into each other. (Maybe I should write for Mills & Boon?) Gradually they were obscured by the swelling crowd so I then spent the next few minutes trying to catch the eye of a particulary attractive brunette. I perserved with this until I caught the steely-eyed, hostile glare of a shaven headed security guard and I looked at the floor, shamefaced, for the rest of the evening. When it comes to live concerts you cannot put the cart before the horse. It doesn't matter how well you perform if the songs you play are not good enough. Lisa has two albums worth of very solid material, so that is not a problem for her. On stage she was great, very expressive and with an unmistakably Celtic spirit that is very attractive. Her band were excellent. Some were multi-instrumentalists and this diversity added different dimensions to the songs. I liked the way Lisa and her band tried to make each song a bit different from the studio album version. It kept the concert fresh and interesting. Her onstage personality was very charming and natural, and she enjoyed the banter between herself and the audience. So, that was my third gig at Oran Mor and I have yet to be disappointed, despite the fact that I have consistently failed to pull a gorgeous girl. It's a really good venue and it seems to attract bands that are my cup of tea. I wonder what my next cup of tea at Oran Mor will taste like?

Throwing Muses

A week last Monday I dragged myself off my sick bed to see one of my favourite bands, Throwing Muses, play live at Oran Mor. I got there early, erring on the side of caution, and ordered a bottle of mineral water from a very attractive but icy cold blonde barmaid. I was not drinking alcohol because I had a fasting blood test the following morning and I thought it best not to have any alcohol in my bloodstream. Thus I spent the next few hours in this rare window of sobriety. While waiting for the support act the venue gradually filled up with fellow Bieber hating, Muse loving intellectuals. I amused myself with a few daydreams (repeatedly punching Justin Bieber in the face was my favourite) and checked out the talent (that is the Scottish way of saying that I visually appreciated the fairer sex). The support act was a spunky and likable young singer/songwriter from the Faroe Islands and whose name I have completely forgotten despite the fact that he repeated it about forty times during his set. His songs were a mixed bunch - one was very good, a few were quite good, one or two were very average. While he crooned away my eyes was fixated on his guitar; a splendid, ochre-toned, semi-acoustic that had a gorgeous shape like a woman's curves - thou shall not covet thy neighbour's guitar. I am a snap happy tourist concert goer. Let me explain. While on vacation many tourists take photos constantly and miss out on just experiencing the sights and smells and sounds of a city. I am kind of the same at concerts. I was mentally writing my blog while the band played. Rarely am I able to get totally lost in the music and in this age of countless medicial conditions I am sure that I suffer from some kind of syndrome. Kristen Hersh, lead singer and guitarist of Throwing Muses, blasted her way onstage with a couple of storming numbers and then thanked us for coming out on such a cold, wintery night. She described us as ‘you randy Monday nighters’ or something like that. Well, they were absolutely awesome in concert. Right from the word go. They were so dynamic, intense and expressive. Any fool with a guitar can play with energy and passion but they seemed to channel it with great skill and flair. I'm not a music critic so I can't really explain why they were so awesome but it was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. One thing I can say with certainty is that seeing them play live really made me appreciate Kirsten Hersh more as a guitarist. There were two encores, much to the delight of a highly enthusiastic crowd. The Muses seemed to really warm to us as well and fed off our energy (and drunkeness). In an ideal world, with myself as master of the universe, the Muses would be playing sell out concerts in front of 10,000, but maybe something would be lost in that kind of setting, that special thing that happens when a great band play in an intimate venue to around 200 die hard fans. Just awesome.

Richard Kuklanski

'It's better to give than receive.' You would be mistaken if you thought these were the words of Jesus or Gandhi or the Dalai Lama. It is actually something that infamous contract killer Richard Kuklanski said when describing how he reacted to being the victim of bullying as a teenager. His opinion was that it's better to give out violence than to receive. I think self-defence is wholly justified and morally acceptable but this 'giving out' by Kuklanski as a teenager soon escalated into a brutality and savageness that went far beyond standing up for himself. Maybe his innate blood-lust would have manifested itself in some way later on in life but soon his talent for violence was noticed by the Mafia and he started to kill for them professionally. He admits that he would rather have chosen a different way of life but this admission does not mean that he had any guilt or regret for the hundreds of men he executed. He reminded me a bit of Ethan Hawke's character in Brooklyn's Finest, a corrupt cop who brutalises a part of himself to kill for money and thus provide for his family. Kuklanski is similiar in some ways. It would be easy to judge him and brand him an evil monster but in the documentary I watched about him on YouTube he claimed to have a genuine love for his family. When interviewed he confessed that the only regret he had was the pain that his eventual arrest and conviction caused his family. There must have been some part of him that was able to disconnect his humanity to lead this double life: to function, on one hand, as a apparently loving family man and, on the other hand, as a ruthless contract killer. In the interviews he gave for HBO in 1992 and then 2001 he is very open about his way of life as a killer and some have accused him of enjoying the pubicity and his own notority. Perhaps this is true but it is hard to know what to make of him. After watching the 1992 interview one journalist said "After watching, you may feel some minds are better left unpenetrated." I certainly don't wish to glamourise or absolve him, and I hope the upcoming film about his life, starring the wonderful Michael Shannon, does not do the same. Richard Kuklanski was an extremely dangerous, fascinating but ultimately tragic man.

44th aniversary of the Abortion Act in UK

Today is the 44th aniversary of the Abortion Act in Britain, which effectively legalised abortion in this country. Since 1967 over 7 million unborn babies have been killed. I was going to write an article about this but instead I will just post a single photograph. The photograph was taken 12 years ago during an operation on an unborn baby's spine. It shows Samuel coming out of anaethesia and reaching up out of the womb. It's a truly remarkable picture that captures the spirit and sanctity of all human life. In my eyes Samuel's gesture of wrapping his hand around the surgeons finger is the childs way of saying 'I want to live'.

The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

My knowledge of American literature is pretty woeful. I haven't even read the supposed classic 'Catcher In The Rye'. My Polish penpal studied American literature at university so I asked her to recommend some good American authors and she put me onto Paul Auster. The New York Trilogy is his fictional debut, three novels based in The Big Apple. They are not conventional crime fiction. A more accurate description would be philosophical queries within a crime fiction or mystery setting. The three stories have an existential and nihilistic thread running through them, which is probably why Auster chose New York as his setting. Auster's New York is a large, sprawling, disconnected city where nothing really makes any sense. Despite this bleakness the trilogy is a compelling and worthwhile read. Auster wrestles with themes like individual identity, and personal meaning and purpose in life (or lack of). The intriguing nature of the three plots is skillfully interwoven with these issues and although the trilogy is never a page turner in the popular understanding of the word the mystery surrounding the bizarre situations of the protaganists is very interesting and the reader is always driven by a desire to understand the characters and their actions. This is a bold and extremely accomplished debut by a writer of undoubted talent. 8/10

Bert Jansch

Sadly this is the second obitury I've had to write this year. I had a ticket to see Bert in concert last month at the Edinburgh Festival but he cancelled a week before much to my disappointment. I had no idea at the time that he was battling with cancer so it came as a shock when I heard on the radio that he had passed away. I remember the first time I heard Bert Jansch. I was reading a book in Mono cafe but I had difficulty in concentrating on the words before me because the music being played in the background kept grabbing my attention. There was something startling original and bewitching about it, so much that I eventually put my book down and gave the music my full attention. On further inquiry I discovered that the cd being played was Bert Jansch's self-titled debut album. I immediately bought a copy and I have been a huge fan ever since. I had the privilige of seeing Bert live in concert three times, once as a part of folk group Pentagle who he played with in the late 1960's and early 70's. Pentagle were good but I was there really to see Bert. He was brilliant live in a solo capacity. Very unassuming and quiet, but he held the audience spellbound with his flair and technical excellence on the guitar and his powerful, raw vocals. He has been described as a pioneer in music, as being ahead of his time. I can't put my finger on what exactly set him apart from others, anybody can be different, but Bert had a touch of genius that put him on a different level. He just had a great gift, that's about all I can say. So it's hardly surprising that he has influenced many generations of musicians including Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Johnny Marr, Neil Young and Jimmy Page. On that note (if you excuse the pun) I will leave you with the words of Neil Young: "As much of a great guitar player Jimi (Hendrix) was, Bert Jansch is the same for acoustic guitar...and my favourite."

Bert Jansch 1943-2011 Rest In Peace

R.E.M. Tribute

Shortly after Amy Winehouse tragically died last month her two albums peaked the UK Albums Chart. I wonder if sales of R.E.M. cd's will soar in the next few weeks following their recent decision to call it a day. I am not trying to compare Winehouse's death with R.E.M.'s split, that would be disrespectful to the former, but I was interested in the publics reaction, both commercial and personal. Certainly on YouTube and an MSN forum there was a huge outpouring of feelings, mostly of sadness and appreciation. It is evident that they were still a very popular and much loved band right up to the end. As a lasped R.E.M. fan I have spent some time watching clips of them on YouTube and it has renewed my interest in their music. I have a soft spot for them because they were the first band that I was really into, like a first love in a musical sense. I will always associate R.E.M. with my adolscence. They were also the first band that I saw play live, at Murrayfield Stadium during their Monster tour. I was miles away from the stage but it was a memorable experience. They opened with 'What's The Frequency Kenneth?', which got the crowd bouncing. Thousands of lighters accompanied 'Everybody Hurts' and one guy nearby beagn jumping up and down shouting 'YES! YES!' when the opening chords of 'Losing My Religion' started up. The highlight was 'It's The End Of The World As We Know It', the climax of the show. A big screen behind the band projected images coming at great speed towards the auidence. Although it was a great experience this concert was the beginning of the end with regards to my fanship of R.E.M. I think they peaked with 'Out Of Time' and 'Automatic For The People' and they were never to retain the same creative heights. Their output since the mid 1990's was patchy, starting with the disappointing 'Monster', but it's better to remember R.E.M. at their best in the early 90's. 'Out Of Time' and 'Automatic For The People' are two classic rock/pop albums, and it has always amazed me that none of the singles from these two albums ever reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. Nevertheless these two albums catapultated them to international stardom, and, without demeaning the contribution of Mike Mills and Bill Berry, I think the secret of their success lies mainly with Michael Stipe and Peter Buck. Michael Stipe was a charismatic and talented frontman, possibly under-rated as a vocalist. He had a very interesting way of singing that made R.E.M. songs distinctive and appealing. The same can be said of guitarist Peter Buck. He was not a flashy guitarist but he was very important in creating the sound of the band. It will be interesting to see in what direction the band members will go. Maybe they need a fresh start and working with other musicians will renew their creative juices. So, to paraphrase one of their songs, it's the end of R.E.M. as we know them. Thanks for the great songs.

Away We Go

This film was recommended to me by a female friend, so I was in a cautious and sceptical frame of mind when I slotted the Away We Go dvd into my television set, the complete Steven Seagal dvd collection at my side to rescue me from what I thought would be another tedious, predictable chick flick. How wrong I was, and how much I will have to grovel in apology to my friend Sana for constantly berating her movie tastes. Away We Go is a whimiscal road trip, following Burt and his pregnant girlfriend Verona as they visit different parts of North America in search of the ideal home in which to bring up their baby. Thanks to the many zany and colourful characters they meet along the way their road trip turns into a series of misadventures and this in turn makes them question what they want for themselves and their unborn child. What I loved most about his film is the relationship between the two central characters, Burt and Verona. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph deserve so much praise for their performances. They have a great chemistry together, which only those with a heart of stone would fail to be moved and delighted at. Burt and Verona express their love and affection and faithfulness for each other in a completely natural and realistic way, a far cry from the false and chessy way that Hollywood often portrays romance and relationships. There are many other great things about this film. The script is both sharp and poignant, the acting is fantastic, and the cinematography and music set the perfect tone for the type of love and relationship that the director is trying to convey and the crossroads that Burt and Verona are at. Judging from the comments that I've read on YouTube the relationship that Burt and Verona have is what many people yearn for, so in a sense the film is quite inspirational. Many thanks to Sana for nagging me into watching this very sweet, funny, moving film. 8/10

'Come to me all you who labour, and I shall give you rest'

The Return Of The Prodigal Son by Rembrandt

A friend sent me this story.

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.

'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

Edinburgh Festival Part 2

Well, there's good news and there is bad news. The good news is that Alan survived his 'Mad Chris' Ibiza holiday. The fundamental reason he survived is because he did not go. The bad news (for myself and Tony and all other fans) is that Bert Jansch cancelled his concert last weekend and instead the pair of us got roped into going to a nightclub. This Saturday was an altogether more cultured affair. First stop was Isy Suttie: Pearl and Dave at The Pleasance Courtyard. Isy Suttie turned out to be a strangely attractive, slightly offbeat but likeable English comedian and actress who bounded onstage with a guitar and an appealing smile. Through a mixture of music, storytelling and comedy she told the whimsical story of 'Pearl and Dave', two characters who reconnect on the internet a few years after failing to act on the mutual attraction they experience the first time they meet at a holiday resort in the mid 1990's. My friend Tony felt that the story of Pearl and Dave began to wear a bit thin after a while, and I guess he had a fair point, but I quite enjoyed how it all unfolded, despite the growing sense that these two characters were a figment of her imagination rather than the real people she claimed them to be. At the very least I think a lot of creative license was applied. Isy is a fairly accomplished guitarist but I agreed with Tony when he observed that all her songs sounded the same. That was probably the weakest part of her act but on the whole I found her performance entertaining and I particularly liked the way she drank from her bottle of mineral water. She would occassionaly pause to take a slug from it like a hard drinking Russian swigging down a bottle of Vodka. After a quick pint and oggling (great word) at the pretty bairmaids we tallied forth (great expression) to the Symposium Hall to see Dr Phil's Rude Health Show.

For some bizarre reason, which I can only attribute to my brain being frazzled at the sight of so many beautiful girls, I had an image in my mind of a big bearded guy with a pirates eye patch and white doctors coat. However I immediately recognised him as the celebrity doctor (he is a real doctor) who appears on various tv shows and writes articles for a satirical magazine called Private Eye. We were hoping that Dr Phil would not make too many medical injokes but we had sufficient knowledge of the NHS (National Health Service) and the human anatomy to enjoy his amusing and insightful observations on the subject. He also included plenty of funny, and occassionally rude, ancedotes from his experience as a practising doctor, so his health show was anything but dry and exclusive. We then had a disastrous chip shop supper: 1) a fish supper cost £7 (outrageous but to be expected at the Festival) 2) Alan ate chips and cheese which came back to haunt him 3) I ordered a smoked sausage supper and then shortly dropped the sausage onto the pavement. It's just as well I did not pay £7 for it. I was severely disgruntled as we arrived at the Assembly Hall for Andy Parsons: Gruntled. Everybody knows this comedian as the bald guy from Mock The Week, a satirical and irreverant quiz show in which the pannelists conjure comedy out of current affairs. The Assembly Hall was packed to capacity, which prompted Tony to make a good obsevation about the pulling power of television.
Andy Parsons is a decent comedian but it is unlikely he would have had this impressive turnout without his regular slot on Mock The Week. Much of his comedy sprang from what was happening in the world of politics and current affarirs, which I did not mind, but it probably alienated a certain part of the audience. It was an enjoyable hour but only once or twice did I laugh with any real gusto. We then weaved our way in a mad dash to the Surgeons Grand for Get Carter, our second play of the Festival. I have not seen the film, much to Alan's amazement, but I had a rough idea of the plot. Jack Carter returns to his hometown to investigate the mysterious death of his brother and in the process he gets drawn into a seedy violent underworld. It was a gritty, hard-hitting production that was not for the faint hearted. It had very strong language and full frontal nudity (we squirmed in our seats as Jack Carter brandished a sawn-off shotgun while wearing only his socks). The acting was very good, making me curse Shia LaBeouf all the more, and the direction flowed along well enough to keep the audience engrossed. The only major flaw of the play was that the identity of some of the characters became confusing. The director or screenwriter should have aimed for a happy medium of making it clearer who exactly was who without diluting the plot or slowing down the action. After the play we had plenty of time to kill until our 1.30AM bus back to Glasgow so we chilled Snoop Dog style in the Pleasance Courtyard with a few alcoholic refreshments. Ideally we would have taken a limousine home Snoop Dog style but we had to suffer the company of a particularly annoying drunken idiot who continually told all the passengers that the bus was not on the correct road to Glasgow. If I had been the driver I would have stopped the bus and tossed him onto the hard shoulder, no doubt to rapturous applause, but that did not happend because life is rarely that just or fair. So thanks to CityLink the Festival started poorly and ended poorly, but everything else inbetween was jolly good fun.

Ending on a positive note

Like most people, I have been disturbed by the rioting, looting and violence that occured in parts of London and other English cities earlier this month. For those who don't know, it was sparked by the fatal shooting of a man by police in London: there followed a protest march by friends and family of the departed, and although initially peaceful it soon erupted into violence and other criminal activities. I just want to make it clear that I don't condone such actions and those who are responsible should be brought to justice, but I think it is rich and hypocritical of our Prime Minister David Cameron and other politicans to take the moral high ground in their own condemnation of what has happened. It makes them look like strong leaders to take the moral high ground and use strong words against the criminals. In fact they are either incrediably narrowminded or completely out of touch with reality. They should have the courage and honesty to admit that generations of urban working class people have been neglected and the recent violence and looting are the consequences of this neglect. For generations politicans and the powers that be have failed to invest in adequate education, health care, community services and most of all employment, especially in these urban areas. It is little wonder that a significant proportion of this present generation of youth are completely devoid of hope and purpose. This violent reaction should be a wake up call for the nation but I fear that our politicians will take the easy option and punish the criminal element without addressing the deep rooted problems. I am genuinely amazed that these people get into positions of such power and influence. I could write another 500 words about how useless our politicians are but I will try to finish this blog entry on a positive note. My friend Jackie says that every movie should have a happy ending because real life can be depressing and tough. So here are a few uplifting quotes to end this blog on a high.

"How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. So always think positively." ~ Norman Vincent Peale

"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate."
-Charles Dickens

"It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." - Epictetus

Edinburgh Festival Part 1

Time for more adventures in the capital. The day got off to a predictable start with the 11AM Citylink bus to Edinburgh full to capacity and it passed us by as we stood abject at the bus stop. As my friend Alan pointed out, Citylink run well enough under normal circumstances but you would think that they would run more buses during the Festival or when there is a major event taking place that might involve extra commuters. However, apart from an encounter with an unfriendly monosyllabic member of staff at Easterhouse Train Station, we got the train without much fuss and arrived in Edinburgh in good time. This year we decided to mix things up and branch out into other forms of entertainment rather than our usual diet of standup comedy. First on the bill was 'Singing I'm No A Billy, He's A Tim', a play that deals with the problem of football related bigotry and sectarianism in a humorous but uncompromising way. For those who don't know, a 'Billy' is a Protestant supporter of Rangers Football Club, a 'Tim' is a Catholic supporter of Celtic Football Club. There has been a long standing rivalary between the two clubs, often descending into hateful sectarianism due to the different religions and ethnic origins. The premis of the play is that a Ranger's fan and a Celtic fan get locked up in a prison cell on the day that the two rival clubs play. What follows is the inevitable tension and barrage of insults, each fan questioning the others prejudices and tinted views. However as the play develops they manage to find common ground, often helped by the objective presence of the police officer on duty, and an unlikey friendship is formed. The language throughout is extremely strong and crude, the playwrite maybe trying too hard to give the play a feeling of realism. Despite this it is well written and acted, funny, highly relevant and thought-provoking, and if the language was strongly toned down then I think it could be well worth while showing this play in schools around Scotland.
The rain greeted us as we emerged onto the streets of Edinburgh and it continued to pour heavily for the rest of the day. We found solage in The Three Sisters, a pub that boasted the prettiest barmaids in Scotland. While Tony and Alan watched rugby and sampled the draught cider I spent the next two hours trying to persuade the barmaids to relocate to my local pub in the east end of Glasgow, but alas my efforts were in vain. Our next location was The Spaces on the Mile, which to our bemusement turned out to be the Radisson Hotel. It did not seem like a typical fringe venue. We were there for Absolute Improv, a troupe of young comedy performers who improvise in scenarios and games aided by suggestions and collaboration from the audience. If you have seen Whose Line Is It Anyway? then it is very much like that. The performers were not in that class of comedy improv but they were undoubtedly quick witted and there were plenty of laughs. Not bad for £5.50. We rejoined the rain soaked crowds and headed straight to the Udderbelly's Pasture to see our next show. While waiting we sought shelter under a huge inflatible purple cow. I am infinitely relieved that it did not fall on top of us: that would probably be the most stupid way to die and something I don't want mentioned in my obituary.



Michael Winslow, billed as 'the man of 10,000 sound effects', is best known as the guy from the Police Academy films who makes lots of funny noises with his mouth. Our expectations were high and on the whole he did not disappoint. If his comedy was not always side splittingly funny then he more than made up for it with his sound effects. He did have the help of an effects pedal but nevertheless he possesses an extraordinary talent. It is well worth checking him out in action on YouTube as my words cannot do him justice. His Jimi Hendrix impression was particularly impressive. People outside the tent might well have thought that there was a guy playing a real guitar, such was the realism of his distorted guitar sound. All this from his mouth, quite amazing. So, despite the constant rain and my failure to kidnap any pretty barmaids it was a successful start to the Festival. I have not had a holiday this summer so I was really looking forward to the Festival this year and I was not disappointed. Next up, my guitar hero Bert Jansch in concert. Alan will be MIA* for this due to a holiday in Ibiza with 'Mad Chris', and if Mad Chris lives up to his name then Alan might be MIA for a long, long time. Watch this space.

* Missing In Action

Lucian Freud

Frank Auerbach by Lucian Freud 1976


Love or loathe his style, not many people would deny that Lucian Freud was a painter of immense skill and dedication. The German born British artist focused on portrait and figurative paintings for the bulk of his career, and carved a niche in that part of the art world that was as distinct and brilliant as Rembrandt. Born in Berlin in 1922 Freud and his family fled Nazi Germany in 1933 and settled in London. He studied briefly at various colleges and schools of art before the war and his early work seemed to be strongly influnced by Surrealism, involving an experimental juxtaposition of figures and objects composed with a thin layer of paint. During the 1950's Freud underwent a significant change in style which would last for the rest of his career. He focused more on portraits and the nude, building up his paintings with a thick impasto of often muted colours. This technique would frequently involve cleaning his brush after each stroke. His models were usually friends and family, and he said of his work: 'The subject matter is autobiographical, it's all to do with hope and memory and sensuality and involvement, really.' For Freud, painting another human being was much more than just trying to capture a good likeness. There was a strong psychological dimension and each stroke seemed like an incision in trying to get under the subjects skin and expose the insecurities and flaws beneath. Art critic Martin Gayford had his portrait by Freud and remarked that it seemed to "reveal secrets—ageing, ugliness, faults—that I imagine...I am hiding from the world...". This is what some people might not like about his art. His approach was often raw and brutal and there is a certain nihilism that comes through, often in a subtle way. He has been compared with Francis Bacon and I can understand why. Their art was in many ways a response to the breakdown of 20th century society. It is not uplifting or wholesome and I personally would have major reservations about hanging it up on my bedroom wall. I don't think it would give an environment a positive or joyful vibe. Regardless, Freud is probably my favorite painter of the portrait and nude. His work is incrediably powerful and technically brilliant, and for some reason I find it fascinating, albeit in small doses.

Lucian Freud 1922 - 2011 REST IN PEACE

(Thanks to Tony Murphy for helping me to post the above image)

Top ten talented actors who deserve better film roles

1. Richard E. Grant - He was outstanding as Withnail in the cult classic 'Withnail and I' back in the mid 1980's. During the 1990's he appeared in some decent supporting roles films such as L.A. Story and The Age Of Innocence but since then he has been criminally underused much to my astonishment and annoyance. An actor of his talent should regulary be seen in quality roles.

2. Christopher Walken - He is certainly regarded as a successful actor and a big movie star but, after watching his astonishing performance in The Deer Hunter, I am surprised that he has not been given similar meaty roles to get his teeth into, at least within mainstream cinema. He got the chance to flex his acting muscles in films such as True Romance and Catch Me If You Can but I feel he deserves better.

3. Michael Keaton - Probably my favourite Batman, Keaton is a very versatile actor. He was as convincing in his straight role in Jackie Brown as he was in his comic turns in Beetlejuice and Much Ado About Nothing. In the last ten years I have seen very little of him, which is a great pity.

4. Adrien Brody - His big breakthrough came in his Oscar winning performance in The Pianist. There followed a couple of interesting roles in The Village and The Jacket but his career has never really taken off on the back of his Oscar win. He was recently the lead role in the lastest of the Predator films. From the sublime to the ridiculous. I hope his career gets back on track.

5. Tim Roth - Best known as Mr Pink in Resevoir Dogs, Tim Roth has maintained a decent career but it has never really taken off in a way which reflects his talent. He was great as the villian in Rob Roy, for which he was nominated an Oscar, but like all the other actors on this list he deserves better film roles, especially since 2000 onwards.

6. Gabriel Byrne - Best known for his role in The Usual Suspects, Byrne has recently been starring in the hit US drama In Treatment, and I am glad to hear that his performance in this has been critically acclaimed. In between then he has dropped in and out of the radar, popping up in very average films such as Stigmata and Assault On Preccint 13. I hope his success in US television reignites his film career.

7. James Caan - Best known for his role as the hot tempered Sonny in The Godfather, a promising career lay ahead for James Caan but, with a couple of exceptions, it has never quite happened for him. The couple of exceptions are Misery and Way Of The Gun, and he is excellent in both. Oh of course, he is in Elf, but it's Will Ferrell who steals the show in that film.

8. Robert Carlyle - His finest hour as Begby in Trainspotting was also the role that launched his career, although he is probably best loved for playing Gaz in the massive British hit The Full Monty. Since then he his film roles have been steady but unspectacular. Hopefully he will be given better film roles to show his acting skills to a wider audience.

9. Michael Biehn - He burst onto the big screen in the mid 1980's as Kyle Reese in The Terminator and for a while things were looking good for Biehn. He starred in Aliens and put in a very impressive performance as a deranged navy seal in The Abyss. During the 1990's he had supporting roles in The Rock and Tombstone which are not to be sniffed at but perhaps the turning point in his career was Alien 3. Originally he was to be the main protagonist but in the final draft of the screenplay his character is killed off in the opening scene and the main role in the film went to Sigourney Weaver. His career might have taken a different path if he had landed the lead in Alien 3 and since then he has struggled to get significant roles.

10. Samuel L. Jackson - Perhaps the surprise choice in this list. He is certainly a massive movie star but since Pulp Fiction he has only had a small handful roles that have matched his acting talents, namely Jackie Brown, Changing Lanes and Lakeview Terrace.

Dumbing down

I recently read an excellent and very interesting article by film critic Barry Norman. He discusses the idea that, following the box office and critical flops of certain films, the days of the 'movie star' are numbered and Hollywood is now catering to a certain niche of cinema goers, namely young people who are more attracted to special effects and blockbuster action than good acting and an interesting storyline. It's something that I have noticed myself over the past few years. Unfortunately these days film companies in Hollywood are increasingly more driven by profits and not the art of making powerful and meaningful cinema. The Transformers franchise is a prime example of this. It is film making at its worse but it has still managed to gross millions of dollars worldwide in box office sales. I could go on a rant about how Michael Bay, the director, has ruined what was a great tv cartoon series in the 1980's but my friend Tony has already done that on his own blog so I will not digress. I have noticed this same trend in mainstream music. Two words, Justin Bieber. And two more words, generic rubbish. I think there has been a general dumbing down in both contemporary mainstream music and cinema, but, and it's a big but, this generation is not yet a lost cause. There IS good contemporary film and music out there but these days, with a few exceptions like The King's Speech and Foo Fighters for example, you have look outside the mainstream market to find it. I've noticed on YouTube that people lament modern music and go on about the golden days of the 1960's when music had integrity and genuine talent. There was certainly an abundance of great music from the 1960's but I'm sure there were many generic bands of that time as well, now of course forgotten because they are not worth remembering. The same will be true, I hope, of Justin Bieber and Transformers.

A line in the sand

While watching a tennis match recently at Wimbledon one of the commentators mentioned that a young female player of about 19 had undergone breast reduction surgery last year to advance her career. Apparently the size of her breasts limited her movement around the tennis court and caused her back pain. Apart from other things it made me think. (I won't tell you what those 'other things' are, 'least it bring a blush of shame to the cheek of modesty', to quote the wonderful P.G. Wodehouse.) Breast surgery, whatever the circumstances, is always a big decision and it made me think of the different reasons that would prompt a woman to take such a step. In my opinion, breast surgery for medical reasons, mostly to relieve back pain I would think, is perfectly sound and irreproachable. The same irreproachability would apply to plastic surgery for people who have been badly injured or burnt in an accident and people born with facial or bodily disfigurements. This is a great achievement of medical technology and skill, and a great thing of course for the recipients. Cosmetic surgery for non-medical reasons is more of a grey area. I used to frown on all types of comestic surgery but I have become a bit more open minded in my old age. I still frown a bit though. I don't understand women who have normal sized breasts undergoing surgery to make them even bigger. I don't agree with this and I think there are deeper issues that these women should address. However, breasts are an important part of a woman's identity and femininity, and flat chested women might be feel less attractive towards men because of their small breast size. A woman's body changes in order to attract men and I'm sure every woman wants to have this attractive power over men (and boy do they use that power!) As a red blooded male of course I find breasts attractive (although I don't why). So in saying that I can understand women getting breast enhancement if they are completely flat chested. In my eyes flat chested women are no less feminine than large chested women but I am not in their shoes so I don't know how it feels. If a woman's flat chest is affecting her confidence and sense of femininity then I think breast enhancement should not be automatically condemned. I can speak to a certain extent from experience. No, I have never had breast surgery, although I am tempted to go under the knife and get my man boobs reduced. As a kid I had prominent front teeth and I wore braces for a few years as a teenager. Wearing braces is not taboo and society does not frown upon improving your appearance in this way. So what is the difference between wearing braces and relying on other forms of cosmetic surgery? I am not exactly sure. I think it is normal to want to look good, there is nothing shallow or insecure about that. But I am of the opinion that it's better to grow old gracefully and accept yourself as you are. Although it is very important to look after your appearance there are some people who take it too far and become fixated on achieving outer beauty. To what extent we focus on our appearance often depends on the state of our inner self. It's strange, in that people with self-esteem problems will react in a different way. People suffering from depression often totally neglect their physical appearance. Similiarly, people with low self-esteem will put on layers of make-up and fake suntan to feel beautiful. For the record I find women like Katie Price distinctly unattractive and artifical. Ultimately, when it comes to comestic surgery and trying to improve our apperanace I think genuine self-esteem and a sense of our own self-worth will help us gain a healthy perspective and enable us to draw a line in the sand.

The Remains Of The Day

The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

I feel that I don’t have the ability to do justice to this great book but I shall try my best. The Remains Of The Day is told in the first person narrative by an old style English butler called Stevens as he takes a car journey to the West Country to meet an old friend and former colleague, Miss Kenton. This journey takes him outside his comfort zone and he begins to reflect over his life, most of it spent as head butler to Lord Darlington, an aristocratic gentleman involved in foreign affairs. There are two main threads to the story: firstly, Steven’s relationship with Lord Darlington and his view that in serving Lord Darlington to the best of his ability as head butler he is serving the greater interests of humanity. Despite recurring doubts he attempts to justify in his own mind that he has been true and right in pursuing this goal. In this sense he is correct, he did serve Lord Darlington with great loyalty and devotion but this came at a terrible cost. He was so focused on this goal that he does not allow himself to fully develop as a human being and interact with others in a real and normal way. This brings us to the second thread of the story: his relationship with Miss Kenton, the housekeeper of Darlington Hall. During his years of service as head butler Miss Kenton joins the staff as head housekeeper. She is a young, attractive, strong willed woman. In the early stages of their professional relationship they clash on various things, usually concerning aspects of housekeeping, but it becomes evident that this is down to a strong sexual tension between them. They slowly grow to respect and esteem each other and this interaction with Miss Kenton is the closest thing that Steven’s has to a meaningful relationship in his life but he represses his feelings for her, often avoiding or rejecting any flirtatious behaviour or intimacy that she tries to initiate. He is not a stupid man by any means but in many ways he is very blinkered in his thinking and flawed in his character. Perhaps that is a bit too harsh on him. His father was also a butler so you can imagine that this way of life and thinking is all Steven’s has ever known. At times, as a reader, you are wanting him to just express himself outside of his usual protocol and stop pretending. But these flaws do not make him an unsympathetic character. Despite his flaws he is essentially a good and well meaning man, much like Lord Darlington. Both are misguided and somewhat naïve and they are both limited and confined by the social class they were born into. Lord Darlington seems to be more free on the surface but he too is confined to his social class, mixing only with aristocrats and prominent public figure. The novel is in some ways a damning condemnation of the trappings of the social class system. The reader could easy conceive that in different circumstances both men would have lived much happier and fulfilling lifes. The Remains Of The Day is essentially a tragedy, although not in a dramatic or extraordinary way. One reviewer described the book as ’quietly devastating’ and the power of the unfolding tragedy is brilliantly written by Kazuo Ishiguro, who thoroughly deserved to win the Booker Prize for this masterpiece. His command of the English language is superb, and the fact that English is not his mother tongue makes his achievement all the more impressive.
The Remains Of The Day - 9/10

Of Gods And Men

Of Gods And Men, based on actual events, is a French film set in Algeria in the mid 90's and centers around a small community of Cisterian monks who come under the threat of Muslim fundamentalists. I was greatly impressed by this film so I popped onto the Amazon website to see how much the dvd cost. Most of the reviews by other customers were extremely positive and many gave the film full marks but I came across one guy's review which really annoyed me so much that I left a comment on the website.

His review:

'Long,slow,uninspiring and tedious film about a bunch of ageing cistercian monks caught in the islamist uprising in Algeria in the 1990s.
I find it impossible to have any sympathy for any of the characters. These 8 christians,boring, irresponsible and selfish out of touch freaks but with a clear conscience ,lucky them, are in my eyes as fanatically dangerous and reprehensible as their muslim extremist'brothers': willing martyrs to religous fanaticism. Whether they end up basking in heaven or rotting in hell should not be any concern of mine and will leave many unmoved and exasperated.'

My response:

'I watched Of Gods And Men last night. I could not disagree with you more. I thought this was a very powerful and moving film. The cinematography was beautiful, the actors were totally convincing in their roles, and the story compelling. I found the comments about the monks being 'boring, irresponsible, and selfish out of touch freaks' and being 'fanatically dangerous and reprehensible' both perplexing and inaccurate. They lived peacefully with their Muslim brothers and sisters, never trying to convert them or undermine their beliefs (hardly fanatical). They had a medical clinic which many sick people used (hardly selfish) and the Muslim community respected and loved these men. You can see that the majority of the reviews on this website are very positive about this film, and I bet that a lot of those who gave positive reviews are not necessarily religious. You don't have to be religious or even believe in God to enjoy and appreciate this film. You are totally entitled to your own opinion on this film and free to express it but your own comments seemed 'extreme' to me.'

I was not so much annoyed that he found the film 'long, slow, uninspiring and tedious'. I disagree but that's fine, we all have different tastes in film. It was his comments about the moral character of the monks and their way of life that I found insulting and unfair. I guess I am angry because I have been going to a Cisterian monastery guest house called Nunraw since I was eight years old and I have met these 'out of touch freaks' on many occasions. I refute all the insulting and inaccurate labels that he put on the monks. I have read a bit about the Cisterian monks portrayed in the film and by all accounts they sounded exactly like the the monks I have known over the years at Nunraw. In short, very good, down to earth men. There is nothing fanatical about them. Their way of life may seem extreme to many 'normal' people but I can assure you that they are much more well adjusted and sane than some of the broken souls leading what appears to be a normal life in the eyes of modern society. I just want to defend these good men from some guy with a chip on his shoulder and what I would consider his 'extreme' views concerning their moral character.

The film itself is wonderful. My cousin described it as 'beautiful cinema' and I thoroughly agree with him.

Of Gods And Men - 9/10

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

The iconic opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, which depicts the Allied invasion of Normandy during WWII, is probably the closest I've ever felt to actually being in a warzone. Spielberg masterfully recreates the violence, fear, confusion and horror of going into battle in such a realistic way that the viewer gains a powerful emotional insight of what the experience was really like for the soldiers who fought and died on those beaches. Terry Gilliam's Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, though dealing with a different subject, achieves a similar goal. Watching Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas is the closest I've came to experiencing a drug induced nightmare. Based on a Hunter S. Thompson novel, the film follows the misadventures of a journalist (Johnny Depp) and his lawyer friend (Benicio Del Toro) rampaging through Las Vegas while under the continous influence of a potent cocktail of drugs. The journalist is officially there to cover a rally car race in the Nevada desert but their desire and capacity to induce copius amounts of alcohol and drugs takes precedent over this and they wander from one mindbending scenario to another. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro (two of my favorite contemporary actors) are outstanding in the lead roles. My aunt once said that when she first watched the film she seriously began to wonder if Johnny Depp really was on drugs, such was his utterly convincing performance. There is a strong, almost overpowering, surrealism running through the whole film. This surrealism permeates everything - the acting, script, plot, set designs, music and cinematography. I can't say that I enjoyed this film. It was deeply disturbing and unsettling, but I can appreciate the skill and vision of Terry Gilliam. There is no moral message to the film, at least not directly. It is more an exploration of individual drug use and a portrayal of the drug culture in the late 1960's and early 1970's, which is of course still very relevant today. In that sense the film suceeds very well. The question of why these two men consume so many drugs is never really tackled but their portrayal in this film reminded me of a line in a poem by Ernest Dowson. 'I cried for madder music and for stronger wine.'
7/10

Andy Murray

Apologies for the extended leave of absence on blogworld. I've been under the weather for the past month. One of the consolations of being off work these past few weeks has been watching the French Open at Roland Garrios. Andy Murray was the sole British hope throughout the tournament and he will probably have this burden on his shoulders for the rest of his career. His previous best at the French Open was the quarter finals but the draw was kind to him this year and he reached the semi's only to be beaten earlier this afternoon by Rafa Nadal in straight sets. It was an admirable effort by Murray and he played some good tennis. Although the better player won on the day Murray still continues to fall just short in the major tournaments. He has all the natural ability, technical skill and fitness so why can Murray not make this next step up? I don't have a definitive answer but two things became apparent during the match against Nadal. Firstly, as John Lloyd commented on, Nadal won the big points at crucial times in the match. Murray had plenty of opportunties to break Nadal's serve, eighteen in all, but only won three. I am not sure why he failed in this department but I think a lot of credit should go to Nadal for raising his game when it counts. I have noticed over the years of watching tennis that what often seperates the very good players from the top players is that the top players have the knack of winning a point when they most need to. Pete Sampras used to do this all the time. Whenever his back was up against the wall he would serve a couple of aces. Secondly, I think Murray's mentality lets him down a lot. There is nothing wrong in showing emotion during a game but he gets very negative at times when he plays a bad shot. He can get away with this when playing inferior players but it is a definite disadvantage against the top ten players. I am not sure whether Murray will ever win a major. He has the ability and all the shots, of that there is no doubt, but he needs to find that something extra to overcome the likes of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer. It perhaps unfortunate that Murray is competing at a time when these three outstanding players are dominating the game but you have to play with the cards you have been dealt.

Top ten worst actors

1. Keanu Reeves
2. Shia Lebouf
3. Jean Claude Van Damme
4. Jason Stratham
5. Vinnie Jones
6. Ben Affleck
7. Arnold Schwarznegger
8. Martin Lawrence
9. Daniel Radcliffe
10. Orlando Bloom

The King's Speech

Sorry for not writing anything during February. I just couldn't be buggered. I thought of inventing some excuses but they were not very plausible. Stuff like I had been abducted by aliens but they did not have access to the internet on their spaceship. That's not very plausible because surely an alien species who have the advanced technology to travel millions of light years to earth must have the technology to tap into the internet. Anyway, The King's Speech. A friend asked me to review this multi award winning film for my blog, so this is dedicated to Louise Robertson. The King's Speech documents the coming to the throne of King George VI, the present Queen's late father, and his painful battle to overcome a crippling speech impediment. I am not a fan of the royal family by any means and I often find it hard to relate to them but the human element side of the story overshadowed any existing prejudices. I think this film will help improve the popularity of the royal family but more importantly it gives a voice to a man who showed a lot of quiet courage and perseverance and to a lesser extent acknowledges the loyalty and patience of his speech therapist. The film opens with the British Empire Exhibition in 1925 and the future king George VI, at that time Prince Albert (but known to close family and friends as 'Bertie') has to make the closing speech in front of thousands of spectators. It's painful to watch as he stammers and falters. After many unsuccessul attempts at speech therapy he enlists the help of the Lionel Logue, an unorthodox Australian speech therapist, in one final attempt to overcome his crippling stammer. An unlikely friendship develops as they work together and gradually Bertie gains confidence in public speaking and begins to exert some control over his stammer. The friendship is not without it's trials. Bertie may be royalty but he's portrayed in a very human light. At times he can be snobbish and bad-tempered, but essentially he is a good man who just wants to live quietly with his wife and family. It therefore makes for good cinema when the burden of Kingship is unfairly thrust upon him. His playboy brother, Edward, abdicates to marry an American divorcee and Bertie must face his worst nightmare. If this situation had unfolded fifty years before his time it would not have been such a burden but now through the expansive media of radio the King now has a voice that his subjects expect to hear. The culmination of the film is his radio broadcast to the nation at the outbreak of the second world war. It's my favorite part of the film and my summation of the scene reflects the rest of the film. It's beautifully directed and paced, the music is perfect, the dialogue is well rounded and hits the right note, and the acting is superb. The use of the music is very clever in this scene, as Lionel is almost directing Bertie through the first few sentences of the speech just like a conductor directing an orchestra. Colin Firth deserves his Oscar. He is totally convincing in the role. In an interview he said that pretending to stutter was the most physically demanding and draining acting that he has ever done. Geoffrey Rush, Helena Boham-Carter and Guy Pierce are great in their supporting roles and I'm glad Rush and Boham-Carter were nominated for an Oscar. It's great cinema: entertaining, poignant, funny and powerful. We need more films like this. Films that spend more time and budget on the script, casting, story and direction, without having to rely on box office names, tedious action sequences and special effects to compensate for poor dialogue and acting.
The King's Speech 9/10

Richard Thompson and Kristin Hersh

Richard Thompson may not be a household name but the main auditorium at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Tuesday was nearly full to capacity. But before I continue on my review of his concert let me give you a quick biography.
He was born in London in 1949. His father was an amateur guitarist and Richard was exposed to jazz, rock and roll and folk throughout his early years. He co-founded the folk rock band Fairport Convention aged 18 and they released two albums. During this time he came to be regarded as an outstanding guitarist (he was in the top 20 of Rolling Stone‘s Top 100 Guitarists of All Time). His first solo album in 1972 - Henry the Human Fly - was a critical and commercial failure. In fact it is Warner Bros worst selling album, ever. Something which Thompson mentioned proudly during the concert. Throughout the 1970’s and early 80’s he collaborated with his then wife Linda, releasing albums that were generally well received on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Their marriage and musical partnership ended in the early 80’s and Richard has toured and recorded solo ever since, accumulating a loyal fan base over the years.
I have seen Richard twice before in concert and he was electrifying. Last year he covered songs from ‘a thousand years of popular music’, starting with medieval ballads and working his way right through to pop classics such as ‘Money, Money, Money’, all delivered with his distinctive and creative aplomb. Not many musicians have the imagination and craftsmanship to pull that off. It was a very Richard Thompson thing to do. This Celtic Connections gig, however, was more conventional. Well, as conventional as you can get with somebody as creative, quirky and off the wall as Richard. The first half of his set was comprised of songs from his latest album ‘Dream Attic’. The second half was a sort of greatest hits selection. Like moths drawn to a light, Richard was surrounded by musicians of the highest order. He could stand alone no problem but his band added a fuller flavour to the evenings entertainment. Richard stayed electric most of the night, only once treating us to some of his acoustic skills. His solos were the highlight of the concert. He would flick a peddle at his feet, giving his guitar some distortion to bring the solo out more, and soar through scales with great imagination and style. With his trademark berry at a rakish angle he seemed to be enjoying himself. His banter was good as well, introducing each song with a funny comment or anecdote. Ticket prices were not cheap but he played for at least two hours and such was the quality of his music you went home feeling that you had got your money's worth.


Kristin Hersh was a blast from the past. She is the co-founder and front woman of alternative rock band Throwing Muses. I was into their music as a teenager but when my cd collection started to replace my now obsolete cassette tape collection Throwing Muses sort of got lost. I don't know why, they are such a great band and pioneers in rock music. I certainly intend to get into their music again. Anyway, I happened to pop into Waterstone's bookstore to collect a book that I had ordered and a poster promoting 'An evening with Kristin Hersh' caught my eye and I quickly snapped up a ticket. She was in the UK promoting her new book 'Paradoxical Undressing', which is essentially a memoir of her late teen years based on a diary she kept at that time. The 'evening' with her would include acoustic perfomance of some songs, reading excerpts from her book and signing copies of whatever you wanted her to sign. It was held in the basement of Waterstones and there was small stage set up with chair and mike for her. The place was packed with fellow Doc Martin wearing intellectuals like myself (ha!). Kristin is petite, cute, shy and possesses really beautiful vivid eyes. The whole set lasted about 45 minutes. There was a song, reading, song, reading, etc. Her acoustic performance was offbeat, raw and distinctive. It was certainly not easy listening rubbish like JLS, that's for sure. Her readings were quirky, funny and occassionaly poignant. I am a third of the way through the book just now and she is a very good writer. When it came to the signing session I found myself third in the queue. This was not through the ardent desire of a die hard fan, more through the fact that people were still to buy copies of her book. The guys in front of me were obviously those die hard fans and chatted away about stuff relating to Throwing Muses. I began to grow uneasy. I could not approach her and say 'Oh, I used to like your music'. When my turn did come I just took a deep breath and asked her to sign my book. While she did this I got a better chance to admire her lovely eyes up close. Although shy, she was very pleasant and polite and after shaking her hand I came away with a big smile. I don't know if I got a buzz from meeting a famous person or meeting a famous person who is not arrogant or egocentric. I don't know but I was certainly charmed. I had recently read about a guy who has spent the last 13 years tracking down celebrities for their autographs, spending about £150,000 in the process. I can't see myself ever doing that, but I would like to meet more famous men and women that I admire, just to see what they are like. So, does anybody have Rachel McAdam's phone number by any chance? I know it's a long shot but, as they say, he who dares, wins. Or in my case, he who dares goes to prison for stalking.

The link in my life between Natalie Portman and Saint Augustine

There was a small column in a newspaper a few weeks ago about the actress Natalie Portman. She is engaged and expecting her first child. I read this much to my dismay as I’ve made it painfully obvious in the course of my blogs over the past year and a half that I’ve had a longtime crush on this beautiful and intelligent lady. So that is another door closed. I should be happy for her but part of me was thinking something like ‘well if I can’t have her then nobody can!’ Although we are worlds apart, figuratively and literally, there was always some small part of me that thought that maybe, just maybe, under the right circumstances we would meet and fall in love and get married and live happily ever after. Well that insane hope is now definitely squashed. I’ll just have to focus my attentions onto Rachel McAdams, again with the same insane hope that faces improbable odds. To marry your spouse you effectively have to renounce every other women in the world. It’s a strange way of looking at it. I have often seen myself with many women but the reality of actually choosing one for the rest of my mortal life is quite something. I don’t think any one person can fulfil all the needs of the other, however much it might be a loving and faithful marriage. There is always some part of us that is yearning and calling out for something more. This is not a bad thing. It just proves that that we are human and we are shackled by our human failings and limitations. I think Saint Augustine summed it up perfectly: Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee.

Best of 2010

Best films of 2010

1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. The Blind Side
4. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
5. Up In The Air
6. A Prophet
7. The Road
8. Toy Story 3
9. The Disappearance Of Alice Creed
10. Brothers

Best albums (that I bought in 2010)

1. Fur And Gold by Bat For Lashes
2. Sew Sea by Lisa Hannigan
3. Lungs by Florence And The Machine
4. Two Suns by Bat For Lashes
5. Martha Wainwright by Martha Wainwright
6. Dream Attic by Richard Thompson
7. Funeral by Arcade Fire
8. A Collection by Anne Briggs
9. The Best of Frank Zappa
10. I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too by Martha Wainwright

Best dvds (that I watched in 2010)

1. Crash
2. Talk To Her
3. My Life As A Dog
4. Open Your Eyes
5. The Fountain

Best books (that I read in 2010)

1. A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
2. The Tenderness Of Wolves by Stef Penney
3. Snow Falling On Cedars by David Guterson
4. The Mill On The Floss by George Eliot
5. Engleby by Sebastian Faulks
6. A Painted House by John Grisham
7. Alone In Berlin by Hans Fallada
8. The Reader by Bernard Schlink
9. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
10. White Teeth by Zadie Smith

I read many excellent books in 2010 so it was very difficult to narrow it down to just ten and rank them accordingly. Here are a few honourable mentions that didn't quite make the list: The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson, The Other Hand by Chris Cleave, Dune by Frank Herbert, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.
I want to give an extra special honourable mention to Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow by Peter Hoeg which didn't make last years list simply because I totally forget to include it. It's an excellent book.
Perhaps the surprise inclusion in 2010's book list is A Painted House by John Grisham. He's actually a very accomplished writer and maybe doesn't get the credit he deserves.

I wish everybody a blessed and happy 2011.