Saturday 31 December 2011
The Last Post (for 2011)
Wednesday 14 December 2011
Edinburgh's secret spots for sparkle
There are plenty of interesting places to enjoy the festive season in Edinburgh if you are willing to explore a little.
Here are my top tips on how to discover Edinburgh’s festive sparkle.
Tree trimmings - Nestled in the West End Village in Stafford Street, Remus Interiors has a magical array of unusual decorations for your tree. A smart interior design shop, there are lots of displays to browse through until you find your must-have accessory.
Shopping heaven - For a charming alternative to the main drag, shoppers can scour the small, independent retailers of the Old Town. Here the shops are bursting with unusual gifts. For quirky accessories and artworks visit the Red Door Gallery on Victoria Street, for a unique selection of books try Analogue in its new home in Candlemaker Row and for some expert advice on hotly-tipped bands for 2012, pop into Avalanche Records.
Calming Christmas - If the bustle is becoming too much, St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile provides a perfect spot for some time out to gather your thoughts. The stunning stained glass and peaceful air will help restore equilibrium before heading out into the throng once more.
Festive food - Avoid the mass catering of the usual George Street haunts and opt for a cultural experience instead. The Scottish CafĂ© in the National Gallery complex at the Mound serves up first-class Scottish food in comfortable surroundings. At £24.95 for lunch, the prices are on a par with most other local venues. Best of all, there won’t be any office parties loudly doing Noddy Holder impressions. Unless it's me...
Sunday 27 November 2011
Picking up good vibrations
Thursday 24 November 2011
Hatred rules ok
Luke Haines, of The Auteurs, vents his spleen in this memoir of the early nineties. Bad Vibes, Britpop and my part in its downfall, tells the story of Haines' star ascending for a short and troubled time.
All of this takes place in the context of the Britpop boom and Haines watches with disbelief as oafish Northeners dominate the music industry.
Good fun, if vitriolic.
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Modern lovers
Had a first foray into the world of minimalist modern American composers last Tuesday, appropriately enough in the pared –down surroundings of Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall. Under the expert guidance of the Hebrides Ensemble, the audience was treated to five varied pieces of music composed in the last 100 years.
The first and only one by a female composer was Jennifer Higden’s Smash. It was also the only item on the programme to involve all five musicians - the piece was a crash headlong into the world of modernity.
John Adam’s Road Movie followed. The three movements for violin and piano, were my favourites of the evening. The second movement transported me to the long dead-straight roads through the American desert, before being pulled back into a world of busy-ness. For more on this very interesting artist, check out his blog at www.earbox.com.
Then came Charles Ives’ Piano Trio using cello, violin and piano. Clearly the best-known piece of the programme, it is apparently loaded with references to folk tunes and hymns. As a newbie, most of this bypassed me, as did the ‘joke’ of the second movement which is known as TSIAJ: This Scherzo Is A Joke.
Steve Reich’s Electronic Counterpoint was the next piece – unusual in its use of recordings and loops – think My Bloody Valentine for clarinet. Sadly, this just confirmed that I feel no affinity for woodwind….
Finally was The Voice of the Whale by George Crumb. Written in the 70s and you can tell, the composer unusually provides stage directions – blue light and masks. The techniques seem much more experimental than in the other music of the evening as the flautist sings into her flute as she plays and the piano is strummed. The resultant reverberations are supposed to sound like the humpbacked whale. You can see where they’re coming from… An interesting intro to this eerie wowrld of music.