It’s just after midnight on Christmas Eve, I really should already be tucked up asleep, big day tomorrow. Well, I’m not, so just a few quick words; I meant to write something earlier but there was a good Christmas movie on telly, Die Hard, so naturally I had to watch it (oh yes it is). I did get some presents wrapped while I watched, not really last minute as they’re for relatives I won’t see until the 27th.
I’m back down in Yorkshireland, it was a long grey drive down, buoyed up by festive tunes from South Park and Michael Bublé. In fact that was the first time I’ve played my Bublé christmas cd this year, up until then I’d mainly been listening to The Piano man at Christmas by Jamie Cullum (the double cd edition). They’re both fine musical feasts, then so is Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics, honestly Eric Cartman’s version of Oh Holy Night is something else (once heard never forgotten).
On musical feasts, Blue Christmas on Sunday night was very sumptuous. Once again, Jed Potts and friends played through many old classics (23 in all); and how great to hear Christmas Island, it was one of my mother’s favourites. I’ll put up a couple of clips on Instagram, there is one already up in my Advent Calendar highlights (day 22). That was fun looking back over the year for favourite clips, needless to say Messrs Marah and Rough turn up a lot! The final one tonight was taken at the gig in Munich in May, it was a close call between the clip I used and Scotty throwing shapes to hardcore German techno. Maybe one day, I’ll show those!
Anyhoo, it’s even later now. Goodnight and have yourself a lovely Christmas 💛
Yes, Christmas is just around the corner now, the last two weeks zipped by so quickly. I did get some festive baking done, cinnamon cookies and Christmas crinkle cookies to make up for no cake. They are rather good if I do say so myself, others have said so too! Guzzled a few while out seeing Matilda the Musical, which was rather fine, worth going to see. I did think some of the singing vocals were a tad muffly against the music, were they trying for how stage musicals often sound?!
A new Christmas movie that’s lots of fun is Violent Night, oh boy, is it violent! David Harbour makes a great Santa Claus, world-weary, droll and a dab hand with a big hammer (think Thor but less of the god thing). Violent Night has a vibe of an 80s movie for me (oh, and it was directed by the guy who did Dead Snow, a great film), and it has fun referencing Die Hard and Home Alone and probably others that I missed. Yeah, I could easily watch it again; an addition to the roster of films that must be watched at Christmas.
Usually I go to the cinema the night before I head back to the old country for Christmas, this year I went to La Belle Angele for Blue Christmas, an evening of festive blues, R’n’B and rock’n’roll organised by Jed Potts. That mild-mannered janitor does have a lot of friends he can count on for such an event (all the proceeds go to charity, this year to the Simon Community). Of course, the delectable Nicole Smit was there, in a devine sparkly blue dress (there is a clip of the lady singing Santa Baby on my Instagram along with other snippets from the evening).
I really should dig out my old Elvis’ Christmas Album, I was reminded of it when Charlie Wild did Blue Christmas, erm, not quite as sultry as Elvis’ version. Hearing Rockin’ Robin had me puzzled but I suppose robins are quite a feature at Christmas time. It was a cracking evening, another worthy addition to my things-to-do-at-christmas list. Any blues fans planning a pre-Xmas trip to Edinburgh in future years should definitely check if it coincides with Blue Christmas, just saying.
Up until I set off on the long trek southwards, my December travels soundtrack was Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics, but by the 21st I was South Park-ed out; as mighty fine as it is I needed a change. If you’ve never come across it, I should warn that it is very South Park – not for the easily offended or delicately dispositioned. I’d never heard O Holy Night before, and now I can never hear it without thinking, that’s not a patch on Cartman’s rendition; and his Swiss Colony Beef Log song is awesome. The production values on the album are amazing, and the big musical-type numbers are all wonderfully earwormy.
So after all that offensiveness, I headed homeward to the strains of Michael Bublé and the MonaLisa Twins, gotta say the twins’ version of Santa Baby knocks the socks off Bublé’s! There is something I don’t like about the man, but wow, his Christmas album is awesome, as is the MonaLisa Twins. Those and a flask of strong hot coffee kept me going! It was dark before I got over the moors, which is great at Christmas, seeing distant twinkling lights festooning remote farmhouses (and odd when you thought that bit was sky) with Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas pouring out of the stereo.
I reckon I’ve been good this year, wonder if Santa concurs? Have a merry time wherever you are, and may your gods go with you.
I’ll leave you with a few recent pics….
Some charity shops are not like others!Edinburgh Castle from Bruntsfield Links
Bruce on the Fringe 