Just a quickie (oo, matron). A postcard from Hamburg. Honestly, I will tell more once I stay still long enough to catch myself. Yes, I know there’s been no postcard from Berlin, look that was the shortest visit and things did not go to plan – buying a postcard was the last thing on my mind. I shall expand on my woes at a later date.
Meanwhile, my postcard….
Well. What else did you expect?! A guy in lederhosen?
Scotty gets plaintive, and a tad ‘armless
I was on a downward spiral.
Toodle pip!
Guten Tag aus Bremen! Another town, another Airbnb, more cats. Two cats this time, Gizmo and Alfie, I only met them briefly but they seem quite nice. The place is nice, though the dark grey walls are a tad, well, dark. You may be wondering on my feelings about Airbnb now; I have at least four more on this trip (I haven’t sorted anything out for Munich yet or the few days after that before I fly home) so I’ll hold out for now.
I quite like Bremen, there’s the really old bits, chilled out park areas, ordinary townlife areas, food takeaways of all varieties, studenty parts. Red bricks, it reminds me a bit of lancashire and Manchester!? (hmm, do they have a northern accent here? Haha)
Last night Logans Close played in Odense, hopefully they’ve sobered up from any aftershow shenanigans and are heading this way. Anyhoo, my postcard…..
[If, by any chance, you’re reading this before Friday 10th May 2024 and you live in Munich – fancy putting a moose up for a night?]
Hallo from Germany! Now in Erfurt for a couple of days before I head up to Bremen. Why Erfurt? It was as much erfurt as I could manage, haha (aw, come on). Nah, I just looked at the map and train stops, it fitted in, somewhere to see.
Hurrah, the weather is improving. It’s been a lovely warmish day. A good day for just wandering around. New snack food I found here – its like one large fishfinger in a roll with lettuce and a big dollop of tartare sauce, cold. Well, not cold but not warm either, but very tasty!
Anyhoo, here’s my postcard for you….
Toodle pip!
oh, and there’s pics on Instagram, btw
Well, I made it….
Hmm, doing this on my mobile so I can’t really tell the size of the pictures (no, I didn’t bring my tablet, I have enough things to fret about losing without that!)
I’m putting pics up on my Instagram, do check them out. Linz was good, nice and laidback; a great place for a couple of days stopover.
More soon,
Brucie x
Oh lordy, what a sweet, crazy evening! Oh, yes, last night in Dunbar was as well, but I’m referring to this evening in Stramash. I trotted up there at the back of seven to see The Scat Rats, it was fairly quiet as it usually is at that time, folk just sitting watching the band. Then a couple got up to dance, and how!
I’m not sure who we were all applauding after the number, but the Rats were very appreciative of the dancers; a bit of banter was definitely called for, they were Australian. Well, once Carl started he decided that the group on the other side of the room should show off some dance moves, haha. They didn’t oblige ’til much later but were clearly having a great time.
A few tunes later and Carlos got chatting to the crowd again, the group were from Brazil, as were another table, next two he asked were from Glasgow (oh well, never mind). At the back were a French couple from Paris, but they won’t be there when the Close are playing. Ah yes, that news I knew before – after Logan’s Close play Trento in Italy they’ll be heading to Rome and Paris to support Kula Shaker!!
Now on a definite tour plug, was there anyone in from Germany? Yes! Ah, Frankfurt, not on the tour but not that far from Mannheim where LC are playing on May 5th. No Danes in, he didn’t ask about Italians, how remiss! And back to the music, the aussies were still up to nearly every song, I must say, it is truly a joy to watch a couple dancing and enjoying themselves as much as they were. Oh, to dance like that!
As usual it was John Mackie on sound and lighting, he got a few mentions from Carl. Actually, come to think of it, Carlos may have been a tad drunk, hmm, yeah, he was on the beer tonight (usual for Scotty but not Carl); and there was the shots from the Glaswegian guy. Not that it would ever impair his playing, Paint It Black was particularly excellent tonight. Well, it’s all great but some shine brighter. It all came to a bittersweet end with the usual Bo Diddley cover, of course, the beauty of live music, there’s always sweet little differences and nuances to the playing ❤️
After a spirit deflating day that was a wonderful hug for the soul. I’ll leave you with a lovely pic taken this morning as I headed home from a walk in the park…
Did someone put the heating on? It’s like spring has finally arrived, even the wind hasn’t been so icy. There’s still been plenty of rain this week, rather curtailing my park rambles, bah. Enough about the weather, what’s the moose been up to this week?
Tuesday night those two Scat Rats were back in the midnight slot at Whistlebinkies, needless to say, another fine time was had by all. That was the last time they’ll be playing at Binkies for a couple of months or so, but they will be at Stramash for the next two Sundays, so there’s chance for a fix before Messrs Marah and Rough head over to the continent.
Tuesday was also cinema night, a double too – two action movies, okay, so one was animated but hell, better than some kung fu films I’ve seen! Yup, Kung Fu Panda 4 rocks, one of the few film series where the sequels haven’t gotten progressively worse. Great voice cast as usual, and hey, I recognised Awkwafina within seconds, a perfect choice for Zhen; Viola Davis played the villian with a wonderfully droll archness.
It was actually my second time seeing it, yes it’s that good. The artwork and animation are just the best, I love watching the fight sequences (really, they need a big screen), but the bit that made me really laugh out loud was recognising part of the soundtrack was Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne but with an Asian twist, brilliant! I reckoned that Kung Fu Panda 4 would be a good light counter to the second film of the evening (a real juxtaposition) Monkey Man; like I said, another action film but the action here is the dark brutal vengeance variety.
Monkey Man is the creation of Dev Patel (most known for Slum Dog Millionaire) as in he co-wrote, directed and co-produced it; it’s “a film that young 14 year old Dev would be proud and excited to see”. Er, okay, it’s an 18 certificate but when has that ever stopped a teenager?! The film encompasses Indian mythology, history and culture, making for a fascinating and enthralling plot-driven film; action and plot in one film? More please, Mr Patel!
Wednesday this week saw the sad announcement that The Jazz Bar on Chambers Street has closed down after almost twenty years. A tragic loss for local and not so local musicians and music lovers. Many will know it as a mainstay of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival as well as a venue for jazz and blues shows during the Edinburgh Fringe. It is a real shame for the town to lose such an institution.
On a brighter note, Thursday saw the return of The Buccaneers to Stramash and boy oh boy, what a night! Truly Carl Marah was in the zone, methinks he was needing this again, this side needed letting loose to run wild. No keyboards this time, Simon Gibb was having plenty of fun on the drums and Ewan Gibson was back on bass. I will mention as well the awesome lighting and sound management of John Mackie, he knows how to bring a little extra to The Buccaneers sets.
Friday I was back at Whistlebinkies early evening for Jed Potts and Nicole Smit doing their thang. Was just me or was Nicole even sassier than usual? She was definitely feeling good, such a beautiful smile and a sparkling light delivery. Jed Potts was pretty damn fine too! What a great week for music, but there’s more, oh yes….
I’ll shortly be hopping on a train over to Dunbar to see Logan’s Close doing a Special Acoustic Performance in Dunbar Parish Church Hall. It’s gonna be a goodie! So I shall bid you adieu and go get something to eat.
EDIT: Didn’t actually publish this before I went out. Wow! The lads were sooo good – and Mr Marah can play the flute! One pic for you….
Where there’s a will there’s a way for a band to play. If you read my previous post you’ll know I had a sweet evening lined up on Thursday. Those rock’n’roll larrikins Ol’Times were back in Edinburgh playing the Mash House, well they were until a power failure late afternoon! If only there was somewhere else nearby ……. like down the steps and along the alleyway?
Half six, tea demolished, I checked my phone for the latest update – the gig had been switched to Stramash, ah well, I was heading there around seven anyway (originally intending to catch the Scat Rats first set). Haha, yes, that hunk of Irish, Kai (see pic alongside) was stood by the corner of Stramash at bottom of the alley leading up to the Mash House to catch any folk unaware of the change of venue. A quick chat with him and other band members revealed that the Scat Rats had been sent up the road to Whistlebinkies, naturally I followed on.
Once in Binkies with a tasty pint of Stewart’s beer in front of me, I spotted that the sound and lighting wizz John Mackie was also up from Stramash; of course, musical chairs all round! The Rats had a new cover (or one they rarely play?) of Funnel of Love by Wanda Jackson, a beautiful understated number, another class choice by the boys. Oh, there’s a short reel of it on my Instagram if you’re wondering how it goes. A quick chat after the set, I was told the latest Logan’s Close news and oh boy, wow, it’s a real doozy, that’s all I’m saying.
Nice timing back to Stramash, another pint of Stewart’s, found a good spot to park myself, Ol’Times strolled on stage, perfect. Oh, the exhilaration of pure, timeless rock! Their sound harks back to rock bands of the late 70s and I definitely heard a nod to Thin Lizzy in one number, nothing wrong with that! Lead singer Gabriele Scarale is just brilliant, high-octane with a wink and a smile, reminds me of the likes of Bon Scott and Dave Lee Roth.
Thursday was the first night of a nine date UK tour that goes all the way down to Brighton. If you like your rock old school then join Ol’Times on a Midnight Ride – you’ll be dancing in the moonlight all the way home.
A last note on the evening, hats off to whoever chose the music selection after Ol’Times finished, I mean, Bad Company’s Rock’n’roll Fantasy!! Wow, I haven’t heard that in years and a few tracks later XTC were Making Plans for Nigel, oh my giddy aunt! Enough to wonder if we did all travel back to 1979?!
It’s Good Friday tomorrow, well, it’ll be good if it doesn’t rain again!! It’s been a very soggy week here in Edinburgh with only short bursts of sunshine to tease us. Sunday is egg-rolling day, but just how far will they roll on the sodden ground? Or maybe more eggs will make it to the bottom without being smashed to smithereens? I shall report back on Monday, okay, maybe sometime later depending on the weather.
It’s been a quiet few weeks on the music front – I was away again and managed to miss my favourite dynamic duo not once, not twice but thrice! They’re playing Stramash on Sunday night but as it’s the graveyard set I’ll probably miss that too. Oo, but it will be a good Friday evening, Jed Potts and Nicole Smit (my second favourite duo) are playing Whistlebinkies at seven, sweet, haven’t seen them there in ages! And according to Binkies website Jed and Nicole will also be back there in a couple of weeks (so it says).
I’ll catch The Scat Rats next Thursday (4th April) at Stramash but only for one set, a pre-gig warm-up before I pop round to the Mash House to see Ol’Times. Yes, the boys from Galway will be back in town! Hallelujah! I’m looking forward to that big time. Hmm, is there something in the air? Two more long-time-no-sees within the following week! Nicole and the Back-up Crew and The Buccaneers are back in Stramash and at reasonable times (am I getting old?!).
It’s all go in April on Sunday evenings too; there’ll be the usual Handsome House Jam on the 7th, but l may save heading out til later for the Harry Higgs Trio in Binkies as I rather enjoyed them last month (rock with a twist of blues and a dash of funky jazz). Yay, The Scat Rats are back in Stramash the next two Sundays in April. Yup, living in the Old Town part of Edinburgh really does have it’s advantages, times like these I feel quite spoilt.
It’s still up in the air about Bremen on the 30th. What do you mean, huh? Go back and read my last post! Missing seeing Logan’s Close at the Heartbreak Hotel in Bremen wouldn’t be too much of a disappointment as I’ll have already seen them twice in April. Oh hell, yeah!! Saturday 13th sees the lads back home in Dunbar for a rare acoustic performance, oh my heartses! That is gonna so amazing. Here’s hoping for good weather so I can make a full daytrip of it.
And there’s more! On April 23rd Logan’s Close head over West to play McChuills in Glasgow, of course I’m bloody going! Then with their sweet sounds still swirling round my head I’ll leave Ol’Blighty for Österreich, before catching up with them again seven or eight days later in Bremen or Berlin. It’s all a tad exciting!
In the meantime do have a happy Easter!
Hallo Germany! Have you heard the news? That’s the awesome news that Logan’s Close are heading your way at the very end of April to play seven gigs as part of a European tour! The tour dates were announced last Monday, starting in Odense, Denmark on Sunday 28th April, then on to Germany and Bremen on the 30th; a ten day wander around Germany (with a wee side excursion to Prague) finishing in Munich before heading south to Italy. Get your tickets now!
Exciting for yours truly too – I’m coming over! As luck would have it I’ve been invited over to the continent for a friend’s birthday just as Logan’s Close will be making their way to Odense, well, when the universe dishes out such an opportunity it would be rude to turn it down. Trains, it’s all just a train journey away, I can do this (he says trying to sound positive). Okay, so it’s many, many years since I went Interrailling, no mobile phones, no interweb, yes, we managed perfectly fine, thank you!
As yet I’ve only booked my flights – did that so I can’t chicken out of going! There’s quite a variety of Interrail passes these days, and there’s an app now, of course; there is still a paper version, I’m weighing up the pros and cons, and just how many days travel do I want? The beauty of Interrailling was always last minute decision-making, not committing early ’cause you never knew what or who may be round the next corner. So far I have planes and trains planned, just need someone with an automobile to complete the set 😁
I haven’t seen much of Germany, just Hannover and wherever it was that my school exchange trip went (it was a long time ago, somewhere in Westphalia is all I remember), so it’s all going to be new to me! Certainly I want to see the lads in Berlin and Hamburg; Bremen is tempting, not least ’cause they’re playing in a place called the Heartbreak Hotel! That would be a lot of travelling in a few days, oh I enjoy train-travels, that I’m fine with, but would it all pan out okay?
After Hamburg the Close head to Köln, then Mannheim the day after, I’m reckoning maybe one of those two, for no apparent reason I’m thinking Mannheim. Oo, I loved Prague when I went some years ago, a return visit would be grand. That leaves Ingolstadt and Munich, both or just one of them? From whichever I’d head back to my friend’s to chill for a couple of days before flying home.
I haven’t begun to think of where I’ll stay each night! And those days when I may have to be up early for an onward train! A bed near the train station or near the venue?! Should I cheap hotel it? There’s Airbnb, I guess, or maybe hostels. Oh, my head’s hurting just contemplating it all. Tips on places to stay or avoid, good cafés, cheap feeds, local transport are most welcome. This moose doesn’t really have a scoobies how this will work out! But hey, it’s gonna be an awesome adventure, a magical musical tour 💛
I stayed up on Sunday night to watch the Oscars, it was on ordinary telly for the first time in the UK and I had a good feeling. And yay, Emma Stone picked up Best Leading Actress, totally deserved! I went to Poor Things for a third time earlier in the evening (as I’ve previously mentioned I would), there was a reasonable size audience for it, good to see (apart from the person who was eating out of a very noisy packet). I’m sure Stone will have a long, successful career but I reckon Bella Baxter will be one of her top performances. Oppenheimer picked up the most Oscars but Poor Things did also get the awards for Make-up & Hair Styling, Production Design and Costume Design, again all three richly deserved.
Oo, I went to see Wicked Little Letters a few evenings ago, what fun!! Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley are both on excellent form, well, the whole cast are a delight. The film is based on a true story that happened in a little English seaside town in the 1920s, but be warned, some of the language is very fruity, okay, there’s long strings of swearing and obscenities like you’ve never heard! Best leave that person behind again, maybe the next film will be nicer and proper. Wicked Little Letters is hilariously funny but there are dark sides around the events too, I thought the balance was played really well.
On the small screen I’ve just watched the final two episodes of Our Flag Means Death, man, that was brilliant telly! Just so many great elements to it, so of course it’s been cancelled, no series three, boo. Mind, this way it remains a beautiful gem, no overstaying and sinking into the mediocrity of weaker stories (though with Taika Waititi at the helm that could have taken quite a while).
In other news, the first batch of tickets for this year’s Edinburgh fringe are on sale, not that I’ve bothered to look, all in good time. What I have had a ganders at was the line-up at the Leicester Comedy Festival in February; good to see plenty of WIPs (Work In Progress), hopefully they’ll be all polished and sparkly by August. Grubby Little Mitts have yet another new show, yay, Luke Rollason too, two for my definites pile, well I assume they’ll be coming to Edinburgh. Very exciting, I see that John Robertson was trying out a new show, I really hope that makes it up here.
I also had a peek at who’s been at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. Eric’s Tales of the Sea – A Submariner’s Yarn is still doing the rounds! I wonder if it’s still the same as when I saw it many years ago or has he tweaked it over time? Manbo and Yippee Ki Yay, two great shows paying homage to two classic 80s movies, popped over. The fabulous Aidan Sadler has been having a whale of a time out there, first time in Australia, first time in drag – I follow them on Instagram, very entertaining stories!
Starting this week and going on until the end of March is the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. I haven’t looked to see what’s on, hopefully plenty of shows being nicely honed for Edinburgh in August. Oh, I do know of one, Napoleon’s 100 Days on for two shows Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th, by the same chap who totally captivated me with the marvellous tale of Mark Twain’s The Stolen White Elephant last year. I’ll be away otherwise I may well have popped across, but hey, it’s going to be at the Edinburgh Fringe, I shall definitely see it then.
Well, my friend, its now very late, so I’ll bid you good night and sweet dreams.
Bruce on the Fringe 