Tim Vine, Animal Farm and Mitch Benn at the Edinburgh Festival

                                                                      Mitch Benn

The weather in the week leading up to our first day at the festival was actually pretty decent but on the allotted day it was peeing down with rain. But this was not going to stop us from having fun. First up was a theatre production of George Orwell's classic Animal Farm at the Assembly George Square. I was curious about this, having recently read the book for the first time. The play started with a voice over in what sounded like Russian but with a screen above the stage providing English subtitles. Initially I thought that this was just a reference to the Russian revolution, which Animal Farm partly satirises, but the cast came on stage and started speaking in the same language. This had not been mentioned in the Fringe book. Furthermore, the lines spoken by the cast and the subtitles on the screen were out of synch, so it was difficult to know exactly who was speaking. It took me about 15 minutes to adjust to this, but after that I quite enjoyed the show. The acting was of a decent quality, the stage props and set design were quite clever and much thought had been given to the screenplay. So it was a good production, just not what we had expected. (The cast were actually from Georgia, not Russia, but we only found this out later) After Animal Farm we had a good wait until out next show, so we (Tony, Alan, Hannah and I) had a bit of lunch and a pint while trying to evade the lashing rain. Mitch Benn was next. I was unfamiliar with his work but according to Alan he was a contributor to Radio Four's topical The Now Show. I have listened to it a few times and found it funny and interesting so I had fairly high hopes for Benn. We crossed to the New Town and settled into our seats at The Stand Comedy Club. Benn's show was called Don't Believe A Word and was a humorous foray into astrology, homeopathy, and, somewhat predictably, religion. Basically things that you can be sceptical about. I was waiting for a big religious bashing rant but it never quite amounted to that, thank goodness. Not so much because I am a practising Catholic but I just want to be entertained and not have an atheist push his own agenda. Benn did a bit of agenda pushing but he was not too bad. I disagreed with some of his points of view but wasn't offended at any point. He was more irreverent than offensive. But was he funny? At times yes, so it was a decent show. After Benn we had an early dinner at Conan Doyle's pub and then made our way back to the Old Town, this time hiring a hackney to shelter us from the rain. Tim Vine was our final show of the day. The king of corny but clever one liners and general silliness. We nursed an agreeable pint under the shelter of cover and then queued up for the show, a long queue which did not surprise me. He's a sell out performer. Alan and I had seen him live a couple of years ago and had enjoyed his set immensely, so we knew that we were in for a good show. And indeed we were not disappointed. Corny but very funny. And not one swear word or crude joke. We had a drink at the Waverley Pub, kitsch and fun, and then headed back to Glasgow for one last pint. So, overall a successful start to the Festival. Just hope that the weather is kinder to us next time.

                                                                          Tim Vine

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

The two main characters, Hushpuppy and her father Wink, live in a poverty stricken community in Southern Louisiana that is separated from the rest of the world by a levee. It's a film primarily about defiance and a group of people determined to live life on their own terms. The father/daughter relationship is poignant and moving as an ailing Wink tries to prepare his daughter for what is to come. The cast is mostly made up of non actors but you would not think this given the convincing nature of their performances. Quvenzhane Wallis as Hushpuppy and Dwight Henry as Wink are both outstanding. The soundtrack is superb and mirrors the film's tone and feel: magical, vigorous and life affirming. One of the best indie films of recent years. 8/10

Comedy and the spirit of mockery

                                                              Compere Raymond Mearns


Kaldi's restaurant has become a place of rest and relaxation for my family and I, a place that would make us feel better thanks to the friendly service and convivial atmosphere. Unfortunately it was host to a comedy night that didn't make me feel so great about myself. The compere Raymond Mearns was the main reason for this. His lazy comedy involved picking out certain folk from the audience and making fun of the them. And I was one of his victims. I detest this spirit of mockery. If you are going to make fun of someone then make fun of yourself. Or, at the very least, be gentle in your teasing. The headline act didn't turn up, which was the main reason for me being there, so instead a second rate comedian was called up at short notice. Amid his crude humour he found time to have another dig at me. It was poor stuff. You should go away from this kind of experience feeling uplifted but their style and subject matter seemed to have the opposite effect. Well, as the good book says, shake the dust from your feet and move on to better things.

Band Of Skulls in concert

Their name might sound like a heavy metal band but Band Of Skulls fall more into the category of alternative rock. It's taken them a while to gain a much deserved fan base and recognition but the trio from Southampton have come a lone way since their inception in 2004. I am a fairly recent convert, having stumbled across them on YouTube. Tonight they were playing at Glasgow's Queen Margaret Union and apparently it was a sell out. One advantage of the venue was £2.90 for a pint of Magners cider served by attractive young students. Those at the gig were a mixture of young bright things and ageing rockers - I think I am falling slowly into the later category. I got there early enough to take in the support act. They were quite good but maybe it says something when their best song of the set is a cover version, in this case a haunting adaptation of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game'. Another thing, they didn't tell the audience their band name, which for a fledgling young band is an huge oversight. I refuelled at the bar, spoilt for choice as to which barmaid shall serve me. I went for the blonde this time. By the time I got back the venue was almost full and I had to jostle to get a decent view. After much technical prep by the roadies Band Of Skulls arrived on stage to a roaring welcome. They launched straight into a song that I assumed was from their as yet unreleased new album. It was really good and set the bar for the rest of their gig. I noticed a difference between Band Of Skulls and their support act - the former had much better stage presence and just seemed to nail their songs with a superior sound and energy. Drums and bass were really tight and kept the groove, allowing lead guitarist and joint vocalist Russell Marsden to punch out rock riffs with expression and power. I didn't know all of their songs but it didn't really matter, they are a really top class live band. Quite noisy, so be warned. After the gig, as we all filed out of the Queen Margaret Union, a fight broke out; bouncers jumped in, screams and beer flying in every direction. It was probably the two barmaids fighting over me. Ah well. Only to be expected.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (film review)

Wes Anderson's latest does not disappoint. Witty, inventive, visually striking, delightfully offbeat and quirky are just some of the adjectives that I would use to describe The Grand Budapest Hotel. The assemble cast is outstanding, but it is Ralph Fiennes who really steals the show as the charming, eccentric and ever so slightly camp concierge who is framed for murder and endeavours to clear his name with the help of his faithful lobby boy Zero. The whole cast is great but Fiennes is absolutely brilliant, possibly his best performance since The English Patient. Anderson has great fun with it all and it is hard not to warm to his creativeness and charm. Top notch entertainment. 8/10

Rushmore (film review)

It's hard to believe that this was Jason Schwartzman's first stab at acting - he gives such an honest and accomplished performance as Max Fischer, an eccentric and precocious teenager at Rushmore School who is much more interested in extra-curricular activities than his grades. Teetering on the edge of expulsion, matters are complicated when he befriends a rich businessman, played brilliantly by Bill Murray, and also falls in love with elementary school teacher Olivia Williams. Wes Anderson's quirky and offbeat style really works a charm here, with Owen Wilson collaborating to hone a sharp, inventive and sensitive screenplay. The cool soundtrack is inspired, fitting in perfectly with Rushmore's tone and subject matter. Overall it's just such a loveable, bitter-sweet and funny film. 9/10

Deal Or No Deal versus Wayne Rooney

I enjoy watching a popular game show on television called Deal Or No Deal. It's a simple game; there are 22 boxes with varying amounts of money in them. The contestant chooses a box at random and then opens the other 21 boxes, revealing either high money or low money. After a few boxes The Banker, a character on the show, offers the contestant a certain amount of money. The contestant can either 'deal or no deal'. It's a game primarily of luck and knowing when to deal or to go for the big money. What I like about the game are the contestants. They are just good, ordinary people who deserve this opportunity to win life changing money. Their gratitude at winning, say, £10,000, is a refreshing antithesis to the culture of greed that seems rife throughout modern culture at the moment. Wayne Rooney's recent bumper contract of £300,000 a week really sickened me. No man or woman is worth that. It's unfair, unnecessary, and a slap in the face to the ordinary punters who work just as hard as Rooney but don't earn a fraction of what he is on. It's not good for Rooney either, for his ego or how he values himself as a person. It's something I get really angry about. So that is why I watch Deal Or No Deal. It keeps me sane. Most of the contestants have modest dreams and desires; a deposit for a house, treat the family to a holiday, etc. And I bet, at the end of the day, they value the money more than any Wayne Rooney will ever do.