They're gonna have to pull out something special, we're seeing Public Service Broadcasting the night before, and they are phenomenal live...new album out today, theme this time all about Amelia Earhart. I'm sure Pete and Carl will put on a great show, Pete was always up for it when I saw him with Babyshambles and his solo stuff too
You need to treat yourself, and get along to a show...the music is superb, and the visuals throughout are stunning elevating the whole experience. Really looking forward to the next show, it's the first night of the tour
I'm sure you've seen these mate, but for anyone who hasn't, here's the two concerts they did at The Proms... First one a celebration of 50 years since Apollo landed on the moon, the whole of The Race For Space album... Second one last year, celebrating 100 years of the BBC, the whole of This New Noise...
Just had a powerful urge to track down and re watch Ridley Scott’s first film from 1977, The Duellists. Based on a story by Joseph Conrad in turn based on true events, two Napoleonic army officers (Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel) fight a series of duels over 15 years aided and abetted by a cast of great British character actors including Albert Finney, Edward Fox, Tom Conti, Alun Armstrong and Diana Quick. Absolutely ****ing brilliant, a masterpiece, perfectly acted, beautifully filmed and expertly paced. Scott’s best film, including Alien and Blade Runner, by miles and so much better than his more recent stuff that it’s hard to believe the same man made The Duellists on a tiny budget of less than $1m and the garbage that is Napoleon set in the same era for $200m. It’s on quite a few streaming platforms.
Review of northern lights from the back of my house last night. Wow. And now I don’t have to go to north Norway, hooray!
I put these on the photo thread... Came home from a gig in Glasgow last, turned out it wasn't the only show in town... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
I'd missed that fact that Dave Gilmour was playing the Albert Hall, but did a few searches earlier today to try and find tickets. A few available on Viagogo for £2,342! Apparently they were £200 face value, which I would have been happy to pay. **** it.
Everything that is wrong with the resale market...the government say they are going to clamp down on this, but not sure how...if punters are willing to pay these prices then there will be a market for these ****s. On a similar theme, smaller venues are closing at an alarming rate and bands are reducing their touring schedule due to costs...I'm lucky that I can get to pretty much any venue in Glasgow in just 35 minutes and most bands include this on their schedule...MVT calling for VAT to be cut on concert tickets would certainly help. Bands are skipping more towns and cities on tour please log in to view this image Image source,Getty Images Image caption, Sam Duckworth of Get Cape Wear Cape Fly (left) says there is "a spiralling crisis" in live music Ian Youngs Culture reporter Published 13 October 2024 2702 Comments Many UK towns and cities have seen a drastic reduction in live music because bands and singers are playing half as many gigs on tour as they did in the 1990s. Artists are playing 11 shows on an average tour on the grassroots circuit this year, compared with 22 in 1994, according to new figures from the Music Venue Trust. Those figures also "reflect what we're hearing about the mid-capacity and arena level" tours, said Jon Collins, chief executive of the live music trade body, Live. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told a music industry conference on Friday that "too many parts of the country have become cultural deserts" after more than a hundred music venues closed last year. "That is the chance to live a larger, richer life, that should belong to us all, denied to a generation," she said. "And pop is getting posher." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04p27gkyd6o
All the pubs I used to drink in on trips to see Hibs ten plus years ago have sadly closed or been changed beyond recognition, except for the Conan Doyle which used to be good. There are grand old boozers in New Town, but we never made it that far from Leith. We ate exclusively in curry houses and from chip shops, so no fine dining ideas I’m afraid. You could visit locations from the film Sunshine on Leith (bit of a guilty pleasure of mine). If it’s raining or freezing or both the National Gallery of Scotland (the one near Queen St with the old masters) is good. The Stand is a decent comedy club. Then there is the true tourist stuff - the castle, Greyfriars Bobby (worth a full 15 seconds), ghost and historical walking tours etc. it’s a lovely town, one I’d be happy just to wander around with pauses for refreshment.
I love the film of Sunshine on Leith, but wouldn't really know how to find the locations. Could try and find this boozer I guess....
Don't make it too obvious you're a tourist... When are you up, could always swing by Glasgow tonight for a bit of PSB...
The Conan Doyle is still standing on the corner, been a couple of years since I was last in there though, before we went to the Playhouse to see Dara O'Briain (highly recommended). If you like live music @Stroller I always enjoy Whistle Binkies just off the Royal Mile...bands on every night til 3am. The ghost walks are good fun, especially now the nights are getting darker. On a similar vein, the Dungeons at the back of Waveley Station are also a good laugh. Camera Obscura up by the castle is an enjoyable way to spend an hour if the weather is a bit ****, and The Witchery across the street is proper posh nosh, with The Whisky Museum next door... a short stroll up to the castle from there. Dynamic Earth over by Holyrood is good if you've got kids with you - from here you can do Holyrood Palace or the Scottish Parliament and if the weather is decent (it won't be) you could put on your walking boots and head up to Arthurs Seat. Drinking wise, the Grassmarket should be fairly quiet this time of year, with a bundle of pubs to choose from, and if the Mrs is wanting to do shopping, drop her off at Princes Street and sneak one street back on to Rose Street where there's plenty of boozers to keep you occupied whilst she wipes out your credit cards. There's a few pubs up on the Royal Mile, but they are usually full of Yanks and Japanese tourists pretending they know everything about Whisky so I tend to give them a swerve.
Helpful stuff Steels, but it's a very short visit so we won't get to do much of that. Just here for two nights, so tomorrow's our only full day, and as we haven't been here before it's going to have to be touristy stuff. Heading for Arthur's Seat straight after breakfast and finishing at the Castle, which is close to our hotel - not sure about in between yet. Might give the Witchery a try in the evening, but it looks a tad expensive. Chucking down with rain this evening, so decided on a couple of drinks in the pub across the road from the hotel, the Blue Blazer. Full of Septics, who are probably staying where we are and had the same idea.
Really hope you got tickets for this...they were superb tonight...an hour and 45 minute set which flew by...great visuals, they have the stage set up like a flight cockpit, and the videos show on all the dials...plenty of crowd pleasers amongst the set along with the new stuff...Monsoon is going to become one of their staples, epic sounding live. Took Mrs SM tonight as she hadn't seen them before, and she left suitably impressed, even though the guy stood next to us admitted he was "out of his face on mushies" Quick turnaround for the roadcrew as we're back to the Barrowlands tomorrow night for The Libertines...
