So, any highlights in 2023?

January 2024, Edinburgh is a tad cold; not that it’s stopped my walks in Holyrood Park, if anything it’s spurred me on! Early mornings up on Nethers Hill in minus degrees temperatures, biting winds. Not quite early enough to see the sunrise but hopefully I’ll make it one of these mornings, that is, if the weather stays clear, hmmm. Early mornings aren’t really my forte any more, Wednesday morning was a real challenge as I wasn’t abed until nearly three. Yes, it was a Scat Rats Late at Binkies Tuesday (generally fortnightly), I needed my fix and the interweb is only showing one more Rats outing for January (another Whistlebinkies but, well, have they actually mentioned it to the lads?!)

I just couldn’t resist a little dig there – some calendars are more reliable than others. Having said that, looking back over 2023, I saw The Scat Rats nineteen times in Whistlebinkies so I can’t really complain (twelve times in Stramash). I’ve been contemplating my highlights of 2023, funny how it starts with, errrrm, what did I get up to? to, ooo that, and, aw that was great! Let’s face it, seeing Marah & Rough on stage is always a highlight for me – a shot of their sound, bliss. I still say a live recording would be awesome!!

The fine weather in April 2023 saw a particular highlight of my year performing in the sunshine on Waverley Bridge – Ol’Times an awesome rock band from Galway. With a sound very reminiscent of 70s rock and a wiry, charismatic frontman, these guys were an absolute blast! They played to a packed out Whistlebinkies twice, I even went through to Glasgow to see them too! August saw them back again briefly, back on Waverley Bridge, back in Binkies, and in Stramash too. Hmmm, so when the summer comes, will the boys be back in town again?!

Another highlight in April was the three days of glorious weather for my road trip up to Melvaig on the West Coast. The scenery was stunning and with great tunes on the stereo, so good! It was just a shame the weather took a turn while I was at Melvaig, the drive back down was as quick as I could make it.

Checking back, I saw 36 films in 2023, erm, two of the titles I have absolutely no recall of, yup, that memorable. Top two film highlights are definitely Renfield and Barbie. Is it just that I only saw Spirited last month or it might possibly class as a highlight? It was highly entertaining – ask me about it in June.

So what about Fringe 23 highlights four months down the line? Grubby Little Mitts splashing about in little paddling pools comes immediately to mind!! Finally entering The Dark Room presided over by the magnificent and shouty John Robertson. Two brilliant impeccable performances by the Voloz Collective in one day. Seeing Aidan Goatley do 10 Films With My Dad again (one of my all-time favourite Fringe shows). More memories are popping up as I think back, but I’ll stop with those that came to mind first or I’ll end up recounting half my Fringe!

Of course, the biggest highlight my year was getting my mitts on my favourite band’s debut album, that’s Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi by Logan’s Close, in case you weren’t aware. Oh, and all the various videos, top spot to Babestation, stylish and retro, hilarious with slapstick violence, big moustaches, green screen guy, there’s a lot to love in there! LC ended 2023 with a sell-out show at the Liquid Room, an epic way to end the year!

No more highlights spring to mind, adieu to 2023, good night to you, and may your god smile upon you in 2024 💛

Nearly time to get Close again

Aaand he’s back in the city! Another Yorkshire Christmas done, the luggage back is always lighter but my tum somewhat heavier, hmmm. A few walks up to Arthur’s Seat should sort that out. I was up near the top this morning, it’s frightening how quickly one’s stamina drops from inertia. Got to be back on form for New Year’s Day, you know.

A few folk were up there today

I arrived back yesterday early evening, in time to catch The Scat Rats at Stramash, okay, so a couple of numbers in, as is my usual. Oh, they were so good, gearing up for tonight in the Liquid Room no doubt, both on top form (and no alcohol even for Mr Rough, serious stuff). Loved that they did Paint It Black again, like, WOW!! And You Send Me too, such velvety crooning and exquisite guitar, oh my heartses.

The crooning didn’t end there, oh no, next up were Babyface and the Beltin Boys, yay! This is the third time I’ve seen them in Stramash, hopefully they’ll be over some more next year; they’re rather good. Julen Santamaria has a very distinctive voice, kinda old-fashioned, an almost plaintive tone that’s belied by a throwaway delivery (erm, I know what I mean, not sure you will). The guitar sound is moody and quite atmospheric. If you like a little old-time Americana this is a band to catch.

All in all, a fine evening back in the Old Town. A sweet prelude for tonight. Ah yes, in just half an hour the door into the Liquid Room will be opened, a half hour later the support Night Caller will get the room nicely simmering, ready for a full-on boil when Logan’s Close take to the stage at eight thirty. It’s gonna be so good!! Oh, and I’m having a cheeky wee aperitif of a few numbers from Nicole and the Back-up Crew in Stramash on my way there.

Must go and eat something, just one last thing, the Whistlebinkies listing of The Scat Rats at 3am next Tuesday (2nd Jan) is correct! I checked with them last night. So if you’re in Edinburgh with nothing to do on the 3rd, come and have one last blow-out for the New Year!

A wondrous thing indeed

Messaging with a friend the other day, I mentioned I still hadn’t written a review for Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi, “they must think you hate it by now,” he replied. WHAT!?! NOOOOOOO! I love it to pieces. How good to hear the whole album together, Logan’s Close had been slowly dripfeeding us singles and videos since last October, now all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place, yay.

Ten vignettes, ten tales of human frailties and harsh realities; the lyrics are brilliant, pulling no punches with touches of world-weariness while the music swirls around, setting and shifting scenes, completing each picture. To borrow from David Lynch, these ducks all have their eyes in the right place. Ten tunes that will make you feel, build you up, deplete you, cocoon you in a euphoric haze, shatter your heart to pieces – or is that just me?

Starting off with a bang, Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight gets your toes tapping, shoulders jiggling, hips swinging, before you know it you’ll be doing the Slosh (a dance from the early 70s). The banging bounciness of the music belies the story in the lyrics, not much of a life being lived here. From one stuck in inertia, to a tale of a relationship turned sour.

Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi paints a vivid picture, like a 60s sitcom in 4 minutes, do check out the video, both sound and vision are beautifully stylised and lush (Read Never leave the dishes for more) . Next up another disillusioned life, Babestation, already a Logan’s Close classic, first performed on the LimbicTV recording, now a regular part of The Scat Rats acoustic set; sublime vocals already especially Carl’s, how did Dennis Rux get them sounding even better?! Atmospheric, sparse with a soft seductive rhythm.

The sense of despondency ratchets up in Curious Terrain, a relationship seriously on the rocks, but don’t let that put you off it! It may take a few listens, but there’s so much to absorb here; foreboding harsh monotones, plaintive harmonies, Scott’s vocals and words cut deep on this one. The rich, brooding guitars and swirling keyboards have a very Deep Purple feel to me.

From the grand baroque of Curious Terrain to the sparse bleak beauty of Calculations + Guesses, if this track doesn’t move you, maybe check you have a pulse. So ends Side 1 on the vinyl; after the sublime inner torment of Calculations + Guesses you may need a moment or two before getting up to turn the record over.

Side 2, new day, new scene; as Gavin sets a jaunty rhythm going I picture a bright sunny morning, our chap steps out his door, and cue the keyboards. Oh yes, for me Merry-Go-Round is like a 60s film musical number, even down to the tempo change at the interlude when a different set of bright young things would dance briefly into shot; that, or a montage scene, someone get Edgar Wright now!

After all that frivolity, it’s time to crash back to reality and Gouching On The 33. Languid and soporific, the spaciousness, the deliciously delicate harmonies, Scott’s velvety tones; a serene portrait of another casuality of life. This is one of the songs Marah and Rough play regularly, it never fails to move me, hmmm, to still me more like. Half & Half has a lot to recommend it, but for me it’s all about the bass, love it; it’s another track that requires a few listens to really tune into and appreciate all it’s charms, but so worth it.

Track 4 (or 9 on the CD) Mock Marble Linoleum is another grand rock opus to match Curious Terrain; again, parts are very reminiscent of early Deep Purple. So many layers and textures to pick up on here, and Scott really goes for it on this tale of a self-delusional, self-loathing character; the sudden ending suggests a car wreck in my mind’s eye.

Dans Le Jardin brings Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi to a bitter-sweet end. A cool, almost nonchalant, wind-down after all the more turbulent tales. And though it’s not a favourite of mine, goddammit, there’s a whole can of earworms in there, bits and pieces of it forever popping up!

So is the album what I expected? You know, I didn’t place any expectations on how it would sound, this is a new thing, a step forward, Logan’s Close were taking a bunch of new songs into a studio, serious time. There was potentially a chance that in the studio LC could become something other; ha, I was 99.5% sure that whatever came forth from Hamburg would be utterly brilliant (0.5% still critically brilliant, but with a but). Oh yay, how right I was!

Treat yourself for Christmas! Order your own Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi on vinyl, CD or digital download. If you’re in Edinburgh between Christmas and New Year, do yourself a favour and grab a ticket to see Logan’s Close at the Liquid Room on the 29th ( I think there’s still some available). It will be awesome!!!

Now I must away to my bed. Good night, sweet dreams!

A prelude to a wondrous thing

“A polished studio album will surely be a wondrous thing” and how right I was! I wrote those words back in February last year in If you don’t ask …… (clicking on the title should take you to the post, should) just after getting my mitts on the Logan’s Close Live at LimbicTV CD. Checking back on that one, led to looking back at my other posts on the LimbicTV recording and on to playing the CD; then playing Babestation and Mock Marble Linoleum back-to-back with the new album versions (well, back and forth, forth and back, a few times – I was having fun).

Nine days and a trip down to Yorkshireland later, I wrote Driving with Elsie appraising the CD. Reading it again I noticed that Mock Marble Linoleum was now “pretty special” – back when I saw it performed on LimbicTV it was “fine but nothing special” (from my blog post So Close so fine). Well, I’d had a 400 mile return car trip to get into it! Now on Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi, it’s been buffed up, not quite so heavy, but richer; a perfect progression.

Babestation grabbed me from the very first – beautiful desolation, Carl’s lead vocals, then Scott’s velvet backing, blimey Charlie! Totally blown away! Much as I love the whole LimbicTV CD, this track stands apart (still), so how happy was I when I heard it would be on the new album (as Larry, Moe and Curly). Back in April 2021 I’d written “definitely put out this track, please, please, like this, nothing added nothing taken away”, well, in some ways they have. The soul and mood are the same, but OMG, the production takes it so much further (Dennis Rux really has the magic touch).

Lucky me, The Scat Rats regularly play an acoustic version of Babestation that sends me every time I hear it. Though mainly covers, the Rats always played a few LC songs, and now there’s the album to promote, oh yay, they spoil us! There’s clips in my Instagram reels, as much for my own keepsakes as sharing their brilliance with the world.

FYI, in case you’re brand new to my blog, The Scat Rats are Carl Marah and Scott Rough, the two founder members of Logan’s Close, and right now their album Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi has been out on sale for a week; it is on Spotify too, check it out do. The Logan’s Close Live at LimbicTV CD is not on Spotify but you can still watch the original on YouTube (it’s about two hours long – there’s plenty banter as well as music!) and the CD (just over an hour of music) is available on the band’s website.

Next post will be my attempt at reviewing Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi haha, it’s chuffing brilliant! Toodle pip!

Notes from my calendar

It’s Friday the 13th, which means it’s only seven days until the album packed with the juiciest of toons, Heart-shaped Jacuzzi is released into the world. Oh yay! Interestingly I’ve spotted that the single of the title track was released digitally on the 21st October last year, hmmm, I wonder if that’s deliberate symmetry? And there’s not just a new album from Logan’s Close (available on digital, CD and vinyl), oh no, there’s a limited run of a special lathe cut vinyl single with Heart-shaped Jacuzzi on one side and Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight on the other!! Plenty other new merch on their website, check it out!

So far I’ve got through today without anything bad happening, in fact it’s been a rather fine day (touch wood). As soon as I’ve done this I’m popping out to Stramash to catch Duke Duncan and the Hurricanes. Indeed, this next week is a great run-up to Friday, tomorrow there’s Jed Potts & Nicole Smit in Whistlebinkies at two, then The Breeze at seven. Monday evening Jed and Nicole are at Stramash with the rest of the Back-up Crew. Tuesday The Scat Rats are at Whistlebinkies (true this time), followed by the early evening slot at Stramash on Thursday. So, that’s a Marah triple in the next week, yay.

I’m not impressed about next Sunday evening though (22th) as The Buccaneers are playing Stramash at the same time as Jed Potts & the Hillman Hunters play Binkies, bah. Mind, there’s always a chance the Binkies listing is wrong, haha. Moanin’ Bones are back on the scene now that main man Chris Buckley has returned to Edinburgh, I’m looking forward to seeing them again later this month.

And with that I shall bid you adieu, I shall away to Stramash for a pint of Stewart’s and some fine rhythm’n’blues. Toodle pip!

An odd week

This has been an odd week, well, a week of oddities, flashbacks, fun and not-so-much fun. It started on Monday when I got an email that Apocalypse Clown a film I had booked to see in Glasgow the following day was cancelled due to technical difficulties. Dammit! It was my only opportunity too, it only had a very limited release (yup, not a single cinema in Edinburgh was showing it!). You may be wondering what’s so special about Apocalypse Clown that I’d be prepared to trek over to Glasgow for it?

Three of the co-writers were one of my all-time favourite Fringe acts, Dead Cat Bounce, that’s Demian Fox, Shane O’Brien and James Walmsley. Sure its quite some time since they were at the Fringe but they were supertalented, very original and achingly funny; the trailer for Apocalypse Clown looks so good, they obviously haven’t lost the spark. It’s a film with clowns (obviously), vengeful human statues and a slow-motion walrus fight (so I’ve read) – what’s not to love?! A film of semi-epic proportions, I reckon.

So, I wasn’t happy at missing that, for consolation I went to see Barbie for a second time, yay. It made a good start to my evening before Nicole and the Back-up Crew in Stramash, finishing off at Whistlebinkies with The Scat Rats and a wonderful, unexpected delight – the first acoustic rendition of Heart-shaped Jacuzzi, oh my heartses!

Wednesday I decided to check what other old Fringe favourites of mine The Les Clöchards were up to these days – they only have a new album out and it’s on Spotify! Stop, Drop & Rock is a lot of fun, those hobos from a small island near Corsica have still got it – blimey Charlie, it’s ten years since they last played the Edinburgh Fringe when I bought their CD Never Don’t Not.

Interestingly there’s new versions of two songs from that previous album, Love Baby has definitely gone up a few notches but I prefer the raunchier, heavier earlier version of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (but you will love the new version if you’ve never heard the first one, truly you will). I love what they’ve done with Material Girl a great Clöchards reworking, but my current favourite is Bunch of Assholes, delightfully lackadaisical and bouncy.

Thursday night, yay, a rare visit from over West for Baby Face and the Beltin’ Boys to Stramash. Who? Baby Face aka Julen Santamaria of Awkward Family Portraits, purveyor of Western Swing with a very distinctive voice. There was actually just one Beltin’ Boy with him on this occasion, but the two of them were more than enough for a fun time (I’ll stick a reel on Instagram later). See, this is why I pay so much attention to who’s playing where and when, to catch such gems!

Friday morning and a big downer, my throat was on fire, bloody painful. It had been threatening a while, I’d hoped nightly gargling with TCP would do the trick, nope! Nothing was going to soothe it now, it was only a matter of time before my sinuses joined in the revolt. They did and how, for about forty-eight hours and two boxes of tissues; just a few foot soldiers are left behind now, the rest have moved to my chest.

Okay, so twice I’ve missed The Scat Rats this weekend, hey, I do see them plenty, but The Buccaneers were playing The Jazz Bar after midnight on Friday and I was fully intending on going, damn. Not impressed.

Other bits of news, Logan’s Close have announced 20th October as the release date for their long-awaited debut album Heart-shaped Jacuzzi, get your order in! The loveliest man on the Fringe Aidan Goatley is writing a new show, “the show I’ve wanted to do for several years but only now feel ready for”, this will definitely be one to see next year, can’t wait. Austrian stand-up Elias Werner will be in the UK on Thursday 12th October at The Pen Theatre in London as part of their Fresh off the Fringe season; well, he did tell me he’d be back!

Well, that’s all my news, now I must go gargle some more TCP and get to my bed.

Oh, my precious!

A little procrastination

Hey there! It’s a hot, sunny day here in Edinburgh, someone turned the temperature dial back up! I’m inside, oh, sat beside a wide open window, net curtain blowing in the breeze; there’s five or six more days of this forecast, so I’m good. Been looking through my Fringe diary; forty-one shows, three repeats, flyering and all the sordid details in between.

I stick in the occasional tiny picture found in some Fringe publication or other, to help refresh the memory in years to come. Not that I found many pics this year, the likes of Fest and The List don’t bother much with the sorts of shows I like. Aidan Goatley does a bit about The List in his show, I am fully with him there (no, we’re not fans). The odd newspaper supplements I’ve cast an eye over, rarely mention anything of interest to me. Hey, I’m the alternative! Well, one of them, a wee niche of dark whimsy.

What categories will there be at this year’s Bruce Awards? Last year there were Sweetest, Sexiest, Silliest Fringe Things, all had pretty clear front runners then, but not this year. It seems anything I come up with, there’s always more than one choice, which is bloody stupid as, i) I’m the one making up categories, ii) now I’ve started this I cannot cheat it, really I can’t! Even something like Most Fruit Inclusive, there’s three to choose from, and now I’ve thought of them I can’t unthink them.

I’m going to let them mull things over and go enjoy the sunshine. It’s the first weekend of the month which means the Handsome House Jam are playing at Stramash this evening at seven. This week’s guest host is Austen George a local singer-songwriter, one third of the rather bloody brilliant Miracle Glass Company. I’ve not seen him playing outside of MGC before, I’m looking forward to it. Some good music, a drink or two, just what I need. Maybe I’ll return to my cave inspired!

I’ll leave you with a few pics of posters from the Fringe, just random posters. Toodle pip!

The circus has left town

And that’s it all completely over for another year. Only the larger venues show any signs that something was going on for the past month. I took myself up into the Park today, blow the old Fringe away. I didn’t make it up there for the Comedy Extravaganza, it was just too windy (extremely), I could have been blown over to Fife! Oh, and the Miracle Glass Company were playing at the same time on the corner of the Mound and Princes Street, those two factors combined, well!?

As usual the southern hordes descended upon the town for their Bank Holiday weekend. I braved going to Stramash for the Cumbiatones on Saturday evening, ye gods, it was packed! I didn’t dare take to the dance floor, choosing instead to sway and watch the undulating mass from above (and the upstairs bar wasn’t half as busy).

Sunday evening saw me flaked out on my sofa, lack of self-care had finally caught up with me. A tad annoying as I had half a mind to see the Blueswater at the Jazz Bar at midnight; or the ACMS Awards night at Monkey Barrel 1 at 5 to midnight, they were so good last year! And they inspired me to come up with my own awards, which I fully intend to consider and debate with the voices in my head, more to come on that. Nope, I only stirred to put myself to bed, bah.

Ah, but tonight I get to neatly bookend this year’s Fringe as the Scat Rats are back at Whistlebinkies at midnight, as they were four weeks ago. I shall leave you with pics of Messrs Marah and Rough. Expect roundups and moose awards soon, toodle pip!

Some Tuck, Rats and Hot Blondes!

This time last week I was in Stramash watching The Scat Rats, another damn fine performance as we’ve come to expect from them. The early evening band was Nicole Smit and Jed Potts doing their thang (the first time I’ve seen their double act outside of Binkies) ranging from country, blues, rock’n’roll, and this week Jed went lounge (honestly, eyes shut he sounded like he should be wearing velvet and ruffles!) on a couple of numbers.

Last night I had been expecting to see The Blueswater but alas they had to cancel, well, some of them, so instead Nicole and the Back-up Crew (there are a few overlaps there) did the late night shift at The Jazz Bar. No, I didn’t go, I went to bed at a reasonable time instead! I do hope things are okay again for their Fringe shows (the first one is Wednesday 9th).

I had been wondering at a seeming lack of Tuck this year, nothing in the programme! Surely he’d be up? What anarchy would ACMS descend into without him? And This Is Your Trial without a single Tuck appearance? Surely not. Oh, and TIYT is with Laughing Horse this year, in The Counting House at half past five in the afternoon. It is very random depending many factors but hey, it’s free, definitely worth a punt!

And then, midweek he shared a pic on Instagram of his Fringe schedule so far, yay! Thom Tuck will be in the building, well, a building, a number of buildings, around Edinburgh during August. I like his use of colours, if a tad rough, but curious what Dom and Wogan mean!? 2110 Ginzel’s I think I’ve figured out, some serious acting? I’ll let you know.

This morning I headed up Moose Ridge in Holyrood Park, after a week of slow ambles with old dogs I’ll have to get back into the long climb up, ready for Arthur’s Seat Comedy Extravaganza on Saturday 19th. If you’ve never been up to the top, then that’s the day to do it! Catch a 45 minute free Fringe show with four stand-ups and the most spectacular view in town (unless there’s very low cloud!)

Hot news of the week, Logan’s Close have released another succulently scintillating single from their forthcoming album Heart-shaped Jacuzzi, for which they have also announced a Release Party date in late December, oh yay! So that’s Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight available now on Spotify and other music streams; and Liquid Room on 29th December.

Alas, I was away on Monday when they invited fans to go along and be in the video for Hot Blondes, hopefully it’ll be out before too long. In the meantime, I have put a clip on Instagram of The Scat Rats doing an acoustic version in Stramash.

Anyhoo, time for bed, just three sleeps to go. I’ll leave you with the Rats from last week…

I’m on my way to an Amarillo

Crikey, it’s been a week since my last post – I’ve been busy, honest. I’ve been very busy today too, no sitting out in the sun for me, and just when I thought I was done, I discovered a new moth infestation, bastards! So I writing something short and sweet just now as I’m not sure when I’ll get time next. Short because very shortly Duke Duncan & The Hurricanes will be on at Whistlebinkies – my excuse for a drink. I’ve never seen them before but by all accounts they’re rather good, so it’s beyond time that I checked them out.

Why won’t I be posting for a while? Some long time followers may have noticed this is one of those times in a year that I head back to the old country, Yorkshireland. I’ve kind of sorted stuff to go, uke and music, chocolates from CoCo Company, the Fringe programme (two, mark-up and cut-out), sunglasses.

I’ve already watched the last episode of The Gallows Pole and by’eck its good. Loved the bit when Grace tells David he needs to rally the troops, he turns to the gathered room “Ayup!” Perfect! And there was Peaches by The Stranglers in the soundtrack, pure class. I’ll definitely try to fit in a visit to Heptonstall while I’m down. Oh, I did find my copy of the Cragg Vale Coiners Walk but maybe not this trip down, it’s going to be bloody hot! Maybe next time, let’s face it, these temperatures most likely won’t last long.

Anyhoo, must go, make my way to Amarillo, that’s a pint of, very tasty, from Stewart Brewing, of course. Toodle pip!