Hey it's that time of the month again and 'Born to be Wide' is on tomorrow (Thurs 5th March) at the Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh.
At a time when the greedy have all but crippled the world's financial markets resulting in massive redundancies all over the world, would it not be wonderful if the billionaire failures owned up and brought their easy earned billions back into their respective home countries and PAID THEIR TAXES.Apparently it runs to around 100billion $'s(dollars) a year in America and it must in the billions in the Uk and Ireland as well...I do get a bit excited,but I'm not sorry,just a bit of dreamer.

YOU TOO could show the way though!!


Long live the Revolution....see you at Born to be Wide.

Good news...Born to be Wide( first Thursday every month Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh)...Crosby Stills and Nash..Simple Minds...Belladrum...T in the Park...Ry Cooder..Tommy Riley...Paulo Nutini..Fife...Go North...Spring !!
Bad news...crap petty politics and their 'rantings' against the trams..THE TRAMS ARE A GOOD THING...and Edinburgh(and Scotland)will be better off WITH them. Oh how I hate petty nationalism.....long live the revolution!!

It's 50 years since Buddy Holly died and 50 years since I left school.....wow..I still wonder what it will be like to grow up and I still love Buddy Holly's music and so do many millions of others judging from the news coverage of the last few days.
Tommy Reilly in the charts already and it was only a couple of months ago I was raving about him on this page.....He really is something special and I just hope for his sake that he can keep his musical independence..(check Buddy Holly).
Born to be Wide (www.borntobewide.co.uk)this Thursday(5th Feb.)...a must for fun loving Edinburgh beatniks...see you there!

'Denial'-Aberfeldy ABC2 Glasgow 22nd Dec.2008

Aberfeldy were excellent last week at Glasgow's ABC, ably supported by The Husseys, but it was at the Voodoo Rooms where they excelled. Another special mention for their support act, The Gillyflowers, who were very good indeed and I predict we will all be hearing lots more from Kirsten and co next year.

Vicky Gray, Aberfeldy. Photo: Julia Nicolle

As for Aberfeldy, well, they never cease to amaze me. Riley's new songs are so good and sit comfortably with Aberfeldy classics of old. Murray, Kenneth and Chris were solid as ever and Vicky and Lorna provided seamless harmonies on all songs as well as some neat fiddle and keyboards. Riley was on excellent form and all in all it was Aberfeldy back to their very best.

Torchlight Procession, Calton Hill. Photo: Julia Nicolle

Edinburgh's Hogmanay is coming up and what a start this year with the Torchlight Procession last night. Bigger than ever with fantastic fireworks and intriguing characters up on Calton Hill. Tonight is the dancin' in the Grassmarket and then of course the 'big one' on Hogmanay - can't wait!

Photo - Julia Nicolle

Aberfeldy strut their stuff on Monday 22nd at the ABC Glasgow and then again at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh on 23rd. I'll be going early on both nights to catch the opening acts......the Husseys in Glasgow and Gillyflowers in Edinburgh. I like what I have seen on their myspace pages and look forward to seeing them both live next Monday and Tuesday.



Primal Scream were sensational in Glasgow last week and even the SECC couldn't spoil a wonderful show with both the band and production at their very best....mmmmmmh.



I'm off for Christmas lunch with the lovely Regular Music team now.






Photo- Julia Nicolle

What a great week for live music ..Simple Minds at the SECC..fantastic and then for Radio Clyde's 'Cash For Kids' at the very cool ABC in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow on Sunday and didn't they play well. The last time they played 'The American' in Sauchiehall Street was the first time they played it live and that was at Tiffanys on Wednesday 14th July 1981, strangely enough for the same promoter, Regular Music. This was an amazing gig (Sunday) and 'vibe-wise' was just like 1981..lots of the same songs, same street, same crowd and they didn't look a day older (well ...maybe a bit)...what a show.

Tommy Reilly





Opening for 'The Minds' was a young Glasgow singer songwriter Tommy Reilly, who reminded me of a young Bob Dylan. I thought he was excellent and his 'wordplay' good humour and general performance in front of a knowledgeable and sophisticated crowd was something to behold....watch out for young Tommy... he's a star.




Sober Tongues

On Saturday I was part of a panel judging a 'Battle of the Bands' gig at Edinburgh's newest venue, The Picture House in Lothian Road,which is not unlike the aforementioned ABC. This place was a venue in years gone by, but for the last decade or two it's been a 'cheesy' disco... welcome back, Edinburgh has needed you for a long time. The event, sponsored by the Edinburgh Evening News, was excellent and I was most impressed with all four finalists, Underbelly, 48, Rieser and Sober Tongues. The crowd was not large, but they were very enthusiastic and, like them, I was 'knocked out' by the sheer energy and attitude of Sober Tongues whose high energy 'punk' ethos won me over and they were worthy winners.

My football team won at the weekend and it was a joy to read Gordon Strachan's opinion of the game.......................get real Gordon... the best team won on the day and if you thought the first goal was a fluke then the second was 'pure magic'

Long live the revolution!

I had a splendid time at the annual Nordoff Robbins fund raising bash last Saturday as a guest of the University of the West of Scotland and as always was most moved by the speech from one of the parents of a child who benefits from the wonder of music therapy.The usual guests from Glasgow's music and football world were there in numbers and gave generously during the auction to raise money for the charity. Eddie Reader and Orange Juice received well deserved awards in the middle of all the fund raising and a good time was had by all.

After a year of much writing,but few gigs,Aberfeldy raise their profile this winter with a new record on the wonderfully quirky "17 Seconds Records"(Come on Claire) and two Christmas gigs at the ABC2 in Glasgow on the 22nd December and at the Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh on the 23rd...I'll be at both of course.
I gave a talk at the Adam Smith College in Glenrothes last month ( just before the bi-election...good result I thought) and apart from thoroughly enjoying my day there, I was most impressed with the facilities available to the huge number of students.I really feel if the students can get it together with an active union ,then Glenrothes could be a very important part of U.K. music scene..........The potential is there in terms of the numbers of students and with the teaching staff and facilities( recording/TV/computer/Graphic art etc.)being of a very high standard...then watch out ...the revolution could begin in Glenrothes...I hope so.