Sunday, 3 December 2006

Damaged Bad At Best


"Crooked spin can't come to rest,

I'm damaged bad at best,

She'll decide what she wants,

I'll probably be the last to know,

No one says until it shows and you see how it is,

They want you or they don't,

Say yes
"







Thursday, 30 November 2006

Back To The Basics

Y'know, it's sad. Sometimes people start blogs and then slowly but gradually lose sight of the great benevolent vision they started out with. Sadly, dear readers, I feel that I have recently become a perpetrator of this dangerous iniquity. But fear not - I will repent, starting now...

Yes! Jars of curry sauce will once again be provided here for your visual delectation! Rejoice!



Madras... a dish best served... with pasta... obviously...


Tuesday, 14 November 2006

Hypnotic...


OK, Italo fans... I know I haven't posted anything for a while, but hopefully this will make up for that sad fact...

Here for your delectation and amusement is one of my current favourite Italo tracks... it's kind of understated, but it combines the melancholy and frothy synth-pop that is critical in music of this kind. I love it!


...of course, the German introduction certainly adds a certain air to the proceedings...

Saturday, 30 September 2006

Cassette Generator





Endless hours of fun at this site, especially, if like me, you are entranced by the idea of 'The Perfect Mix-Tape'...






Monday, 25 September 2006

My Way...


"No, no use in taking their time or in wasting two dimes

On a call to God knows who

When all you feel is the rain and it's hard to be vain

When no person looks at you

So just be gracious and wait in the queue


So when do I get to sing "My Way"?

When do I get to feel like Sinatra felt?

When do I get to sing "My Way"?

In heaven or hell...?"




Monday, 18 September 2006

Tenants


"You are just a tenant here, you say

living in and out of this life


as cheaply as you can.




I sit here in the darkness


gently


Like an old woman


Thoughts knot and click like brittle bones


doing too much


Trying to question all of this


Trying so hard to fade out


in the blackness


all of the fear


all of the tears that bring us to this..."

Anne Clark, "The Sitting Room" (1982)



Wednesday, 13 September 2006

Cook'd and Bomb'd - Chris Morris Archive

http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/
Site offering news and rare downloads from the man who brought you Ted Maul and Jaaaaam... Unmissable.

Sunday, 10 September 2006

62nd Tryout


A quick mention for the newly resurgent force-to-be-reckoned-with on the Perth ska-punk scene, 6nd Tryout (Is there a ska-punk 'scene' in Perth?!?)

Anyway, watch out for these guys pogoing in a sweaty club near you soon. You'll need to brush up on those bar-chords, Dave...





The Boyfriends

Start:     Sep 10, '06 4:00p
Location:     Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
'Strangely finding themselves just about half way betwixt the twin pillars of Manc magnificence and influence of The Smiths and New Order, The Boyfriends have been described in some quarters as gayer than the first and more bevved up than the second. A top flight act either way...' (Bugbear)

Tuesday, 5 September 2006

Fireworks


Sunday night's Firework concert in Princes Street Gardens was a spectacular event for the thousands present watching... and the thousands of others who were startled/woken up/otherwise roused by the tremendous explosions from the sky!

The highlight was undoubtedly the incredible heart-shaped fireworks which you can see here:

http://flickr.com/photos/redlex/234774685/

There you can also listen to a bit of the concert (with all the bangs) which someone has sneakily recorded...





Saturday, 2 September 2006

Useless


"Now he wants her to dress as if you couldnt guess,
He desires to impress his associates,
But he's part ugly beast and hellenic deceased,
So she finds that the mixture is hard to deny.

What shall we do, what shall we do with all this useless beauty?
All this useless beauty"

Tuesday, 22 August 2006

Troilus and Cressida

Rating:★★★★
Category:Other
The Royal Shakespeare Company and EIF's trouble-hit collaboration turned out to be something of a triumph, bringing one of The Great Bard's more, um, "difficult" works to the Festival with bags of epic grandeur and fake-tanned flesh.

Outstanding performances, especially, I thought, Ian Hughes as the parasitic Thersites, Paul Jesson as Pandarus and the ever-sonorous David Yelland as Ulysses.

At over three and a half hours, this could have been a real endurance test, but the excellent cast kept the action moving along swiftly throughout, and especially during the action-packed second half, never allowing the audience to become complacent.

Some utterly unnecessary nudity did detract slightly, as did the overly-camp portrayal of Achilles. I was especially impressed with the excellent scenery (there were no hitches this time) and the superb Julian Lewis Jones as Ajax who all-but stole the show.

Given the fiasco that had led to the cancelling of the previous night's performance during the interval, it was unsurprising that there was a palpable sigh of relief when the actors came out for the second half. I was very glad they did.

Saturday, 12 August 2006

Stormy...



"I am just a dreamer,

but you are just a dream,

You could have been

anyone to me.

Before that moment

you touched my lips

That perfect feeling

when time just slips

Away between us

on our foggy trip.



You are like a hurricane

There's calm in your eye.

And I'm gettin' blown away

To somewhere safer

where the feeling stays.

I want to love you but

I'm getting blown away."




Friday, 11 August 2006

Hot Chip

Start:     Oct 16, '06 8:00p
End:     Oct 16, '06 11:00p
Location:     The Arches, Glasgow
"We decided to write folk songs and record them on old synthesizers. We decided to sing honest words about food and love, and try to make people laugh the way you laugh at richard pryor in the same song too."

Wednesday, 9 August 2006

Greedy

Start:     Aug 13, '06 5:30p
End:     Aug 13, '06 6:30p
Location:     Smirnoff Underbelly, Cowgate, Edinburgh
An antidote to seriousness.

After causing quite a stir at the festival in 2005, selling out show after show, Greedy is returning to the fringe in 2006.

This left field, slick, sexy and innovative sketch show has been leaving audiences in stitches for over a year now and has attracted a lot of TV interest.

“I laughed so much, I forgot to kill myself” Si Spencer (BBC)

Wednesday, 2 August 2006

Jon in Glasgow, December '05




New Year 2005/6




At Emma's flat

Big In Japan

"I had no illusions
That I'd ever find a glimpse
Of summer's heatwaves in your eyes
You did what you did to me
Now it's history, I see
Here's my comeback on the road again"

[sigh]

It's easy when you're big in Japan...


Saturday, 29 July 2006

This Could Be Our Season


Today sees the start of another Scottish Football season. It has come round rather quick, hasn't it? Usually the start of the season means the impending onset of winter, but somehow that seems quite far off at the moment.

I've been a little morose recently, so maybe something will cheer me up?



Maybe this could be the year for The Terrors to rise from the ashes...?

Fingers crossed...



Thursday, 27 July 2006

Lorelei

"I don’t know what it could mean,

that I’m so sad: I find,


A fairy-tale, from times unseen,


Won’t vanish from my mind.


The air is cool and it darkens,

And quiet flows the Rhine:

The tops of the mountains sparkle,

In evening’s after-shine.


The loveliest of maidens,

She’s wonderful, sits there,

Her golden jewels glisten,

She combs her golden hair.


She combs it with a comb of gold,

And sings a song as well:

Its strangeness too is old

And casts a powerful spell.


It grips the boatman in his boat

With a wild pang of woe:

He only looks up to the heights,

Can’t see the rocks below.


I believe the waves swallowed

The boat and its boatman,


That’s what, by her singing,


The Lorelei has done."


Heine

Link

Wednesday, 26 July 2006

"I am joined with the landed classes"

"Always live within your income, even if you have to borrow money to do so" - Josh Billings

I've just bought a flat!



The last week has been something of a whirlwind, with frantic solicitor- and mortgage-related meetings and phone calls. I've hardly done any of the pile of work I have to do due to sheer excitement, but the worst is over now. I get my keys on the 29th of September. I'll be having a huuuuuuge party and you are all invited!



N


Friday, 21 July 2006

Jamie's Runout Groove

http://jamiesrunoutgroove.blogspot.com/
Indie music blog - doesn't stray from the indie straight-and-narrow too often, but often comes up with the goods nevertheless.

Sunday, 16 July 2006

Don't Cry Tonight...


Don't you just love YouTube?



Quite possibly the best example of teary-eyed Italo Disco, and definitely the closing track to the best party..... ever!

Quite a strange video, too. I suppose every early 80s dance music video had to contain a 'futuristic' computer scenario of some sort. And lots of paranoia. Which is good.


Tuesday, 11 July 2006

What is this site all about?

This site has been around for a while but hasn't really developed it's own personality yet. Actually, perhaps it's supposed to reflect my personality, in which case you'll all have well and truly seen through me already....

Anyway.

At moment there's a little bit of music, some ranting about curry and some provocative quotes. I think it's a good mix. So that's how I'd like it to continue, although a bit more often, I hope.

I'm hoping to post more regularly on what I'm listening to, so that you can see just what an arbiter of taste I am, as well as posting regular pictures of jars of curry sauce, just to keep the lads interested. Mmmmmmm.....

When I can fight my way to my decks I'll also be posting my latest mix (usually the Italo disco sounds that are rocking my world) in the music section. Don't hold your breath on that one though....

Stay tuned....


Sunday, 9 July 2006

Teannaich Ceilidh

Start:     Jul 28, '06 8:00p
End:     Jul 28, '06 11:45p
Location:     Pollock Halls, University of Edinburgh

Vikram Chandra

Start:     Aug 27, '06 3:30p
End:     Aug 27, '06 5:00p
Location:     Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
Book Festival Event

Saturday, 1 July 2006

...And We Are The Dreamers Of The Dreams


"Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake
in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are
dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it
possible."



T.E. Lawrence



http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/T._E._Lawrence








Monday, 26 June 2006

India 2006




A selection of snaps from my trip to Goa and Mumbai, April 2006

Finding New Music


Keeping tabs on various 'MP3 Blogs' has become my main source of new music since the sad decline of the NME and my continuing indifference to 90% of music radio. The concept is simple - out there, there are other people who have gone to the trouble of finding out where the good music is at, so I don't have to.

It's always good to find out about new artists and new records to buy, but it's also reassuring to find that, sometimes, other people are liking the same weird/bizarre/unfashionable/silly stuff that you are!







Mark Urban

Start:     Aug 27, '06 7:00p
End:     Aug 27, '06 8:30p
Location:     Book Festival, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
Book Festival event

The Island Tapes

Start:     Aug 18, '06 7:00p
End:     Aug 18, '06 9:00p
Location:     Acoustic Music Centre, St. Bride's Centre, Edinburgh
Using silent black and white films from the Scottish Screen Archive as a backdrop to a live film music score, "The Island Tapes" is a fusion of Celtic Guitar playing and Gaelic song. Featuring Acoustic Guitarist David Allison, Classical Player Allan Neave, Fingerstylist Ian Melrose and singer Alyth McCormack, the show was premiered at Scotland's Celtic Connections Festival in January 2006 in Glasgow.

Katie Kitamura and Christopher Ross

Start:     Aug 15, '06 8:30p
End:     Aug 15, '06 10:00p
Location:     Book Festival, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
Book Festival event

Simon Amstell

Start:     Aug 3, '06 10:45p
End:     Aug 3, '06 11:30p
Location:     Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh
Stand-up show from former Popworld presenter

Bastille Day

Start:     Jul 14, '06
Location:     France!
Vive La Revolution!

Access: The Hacker

Start:     Jul 7, '06 11:00p
End:     Jul 8, '06 3:00a
Location:     Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
Access returns for a special 1 off night with a FULL LIVE show from "THE HACKER". Along sides will be fellow GOODLIFE RECORDS man JEROME D (DJ SET) and support from PYZ.

Saturday, 17 June 2006

Vindaloo


OK, so it's not exactly healthy, but sometimes a man must give in to temptation...







Wigwams 2006




10th -11th June 2006, Strathfillan nr. Crianlarich

Tony Robinson's Cunning Night Out

Start:     Aug 21, '06 8:00p
End:     Aug 21, '06 9:00p
Location:     Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh
Having spent years of his working life uttering the phrase 'I have a cunning plan!' Tony Robinson started to believe it. His one-man show will make you laugh, cry, sing along and retch.

Spies In The Wires

Start:     Jul 13, '06 11:00p
Location:     Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
http://www.myspace.com/spiesinthewires

All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas

Start:     Dec 8, '06
End:     Dec 10, '06
Location:     Minehead, Somerset
Music festival, curated by the legendary Thurston Moore