Kim Song Il

The latest from the DPRK. It could be the key to where the west is going wrong. If only we had politicians who would sit up all night meditating on our behalf.

Unbeatable?

That is the word used by The Independent’s Hamish Macdonell in his summing up of the SNP in the referendum.

To be fair he precedes that word with “on the surface at least, they appear”

He also says Scotland (not the SNP) is “slick and professional”.

There is no denying that Eck’s performance at Edinburgh Castle was indeed slick and professional. He announced the question “Do you think Scotland should be an independent country?”. The sub text was that depending on how this question is received by the public then there will be another question asking something along the lines of “All right then, if you’re not convinced by that, how about Devo Max?”.

As a humble voter, and whilst I acknowledge that the SNP are the full length of the M74 ahead of the opposition in the PR front, I wonder in what other respects they are “unbeatable”? Most of the people I speak to on the subject are against independence, even those who voted SNP last time, although to be fair many of them work directly for HM Government. As for Devo max, we still don’t know what that is. There will have to be draft legislation in place to study, otherwise the words pig and poke come to mind.

Having thought about it, I remain unconvinced either way or each of three ways if you like.

There are too many unknowns at this stage.

Let the debate continue.

Civilisation – The end is near.

You just know it when you see stuff like this:

Yes, tastless, blingy type garments for wee lassies whose parents should know better.

But let me tell you that I received an email this morning advertising the said product and many more similar ones in the range. For those who don’t know me and may not already have twigged, I own a pet shop.

These dresses are for wee bitches!

It can’t be long now until the apocalypse.

Brilliant!!

This is viola player Lukáš Kmit playing a recital in a Slovakian Orthodox Synagogue. Watch the whole clip but pay particular attention to what happens at 38 seconds.

I suspect this clip has already gone ‘viral’!

Burns Day

It is today.

Rabbie’s 253rd birthday.

This week a survey was done in Scotland to find out peoples’ favourite Burns work. Whilst the most popular answer was “don’t know”, just behind that with 25% was Tam o Shanter.

It is a masterpiece, which you can read in full along with its English translation HERE

What about this for imagery?

But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white–then melts for ever;
Or like the borealis race,
That flit ere you can point their place;
Or like the rainbow’s lovely form
Evanishing amid the storm.–
Nae man can tether time or tide;
The hour approaches Tam maun ride;
That hour, o’ night’s black arch the key-stane,
That dreary hour he mounts his beast in;
And sic a night he taks the road in
As ne’er poor sinner was abroad in.

(Thanks Toronto Tam)

AnElephantCant Forget Burns

If he had written
Haikus we would drink far less
Whisky on Burns Night

Another Tribute

And indeed another tribute to a fine Scottish performer and recording artist.

Russell was in touch to say that Alex Harvey is to be remembered in a two day exhibition and series of events at the Peoples’ Palace on Glasgow Green on February 4th and 5th.

Haud me back!

Cue theme from “The Outer Limits”

This is my ticket for the gig on Sunday night

Enter by door 5, Block C, Row E seat number 84 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Mrs Rab was in seat number 83. I ordered the tickets online and clicked on “give me best available seats”.

Now bear in mind that the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall seats 2475 people and that probably the majority of tickets for each concert are now sold online. I’d think that most folk will probably click the best available tickets option.

Below is my ticket for the Waterboys at the same venue in April. Again I bought the tickets online for myself and my daughter. Again I clicked on best available tickets.

Incredibly again, “Enter by door 5, Block C, Row E seat number 84″. The other ticket is number 83 as above.

Block C, Row E seat numbers 83 and 84 at GRCH shall henceforth be known as The Twilight Zone!

Memorable

The guy sitting next to me at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall last night for “Bring it all Home – Gerry Rafferty Remembered” was from Dundee and probably about 10 years older than me. “When someone whose music you identify closely with dies, part of you dies with him” he said earnestly. I had never met this bloke in my life and he may have been gilding the lilly a bit but I knew what he meant.

I felt it with John Lennon and then Alex Harvey. More recently, although expected, the passing of John Martyn was a bit of a jolt but the biggest reflection for me came with the passing of Gerry Rafferty a year ago this week.

I own just about every recording ever made by Rafferty from his early days with Billy Connolly in the Humblebums, through his solo album Can I have my money back? and the three Stealers Wheel albums through his post Wheel solo career which shone most brightly and reasonably briefly in the three albums City to City, Night Owl and Snakes and Ladders. He continued to record throughout the 80s and 90s but never regained the dizzy heights of 1978-82. This was partly due to his stubborn refusal to tour America (both with Stealers Wheel and after the huge success of Baker Street and City to City) to consolidate his success and fame.

Fame? he was uncomfortable with it unless it was attributed to his songs. He didn’t mind that.

Last night some very diverse artists convened in Glasgow to recognise the song writing and recording talent of a man whose last chart hit was more than 30 years ago. I could add live performer to that description but although he was very good on stage (I saw him at the Royal Albert Hall in 1980) he became resistant to performing live.

Last night’s performers showed no such reticence in marking his memory.

The nucleus of the house band was Roddy Hart and the Lonesome Fire, assisted by longtime Rafferty sidemen Hugh Burns and Mel Collins as well as his friend Rab Noakes and Scottish harmonicist Fraser Spiers.

Highlights for me were the Jack Bruce version of Shipyard Town (see posting below) and Ron Sexsmith’s versions of Right Down the Line and Days Gone Down. Emma Pollock (Delgadoes) did a great version of To Each and Every One and duetted with Rab Noakes on Late Again. Barbara Dickson’s version of Wise as a Serpent and Paul Brady’s One Drink Down (assisted by Martha Rafferty – Gerry’s daughter) were also excellent.

There was also the Proclaimers, Tom Robinson, Maria Muldaur and others. Martha and five of her cousins also performed three numbers in harmony which were poignant moments as was Rab Noakes’s solo version of Moonlight and Gold. Brady it was who had the responsibility of singing Baker Street which he did very well with Mel Collins doing the most important instrumental solo of the evening real justice. Then it was an all join in of Stuck in the Middle followed by an encore of You Put Something Better Inside of Me.

The concert sold out in 48 hours necessitating a second night tonight. I enjoyed it so much last night I tried to secure a ticket for tonight’s show. There were none to be had.

Rarely have I been part of an audience exuding such goodwill and warmth to the performers on stage. I reckon the age profile meant that it might have been a good idea to sell Horlicks and Sanatogen at the bar!

There were twenty six songs in all and I could easily name another 26 and more which could have been sung instead.

A fitting tribute to one of Scotland’s finest ever songwriters.

How’s the Ben looking these days?

Just while I think of how to sum up last night’s concert, Here’s how Ben Lomond looked yesterday about midday as I passed with my compact digital.