Liquid Room

So, any highlights in 2023?

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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 💛

Goodbye ’23, Hello ’24

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When I woke up on the 1st it was raining, oh I was so tempted to go back to sleep but no, and sure enough by the time I was ready to head out the rain had stopped. The proof of the pudding is in the picture….

Yes, that is a traffic cone on top of the trig point!

Yay, my New Year tradition completed again, no thanks to the high winds – I was lucky not to get blown over to Fife! My concerted effort to be up there relatively early (about 10am) paid off, the hordes had not yet ascended, probably still their beds. After the annual pic, I found a slightly sheltered spot in the rocks for my brunch (chicken sandwich and christmas cake washed down with whisky), just taking time to admire the view and exchange new year greetings with passers-by.

I mentioned in my last post that The Scat Rats were playing Whistlebinkies at 3 in the morning on the 2nd (or technically the 3rd), I didn’t make it. The soul was willing but my flesh and bones decided otherwise, a shame. And I bet you’re wondering how the LC gig went on the 29th – totally and utterly bloody awesome!! Mind, I wouldn’t have expected it to be anything less.

It’s been many years since I was last in The Liquid Room, nothings changed; nice that the stage has enough height to allow plenty of the audience a decent view of the band. There is a balcony round the sides and back, tempting (I’ve never been up there) but I’d got myself a good spot close to the front, so was fine.

The lights dimmed to four scattered spotlights, SeanKeys started playing the opening bars of Dans Le Jardin over and over as the rest of the band came on stage and readied themselves (to rapturous applause, natch); Carl next joined in with a lush guitar sound, followed by Scotty’s velvet vocals (and a natty new top he got for Christmas). And they were off!

The set for the evening was Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi in reverse order, so next up was the magnificent Mock Marble Linoleum, yes! Back for the evening was original bassist Ollie Turbitt (he’s definitely acquired some italiano cool), slotting in fine, obviously enjoying himself, sharing plenty of laughs with SeanKeys.

In the absence of Stu, Gavin picked up some of the harmony vocals (there will be four part harmonies in the future, I hear). Great that he was actually visible, and he is a drummer worth watching.

After the chirpy cheeriness of Merry-Go-Round the rest of the band left the stage to Scott and Carl for Calculations + Guesses. It struck me that by the end Scott’s body language seemed to be trying to belie the emotion of the song, distancing himself from it, perhaps? Next, our two troubadours took us way back to an early tune they wrote, very Beatlesque!

The rest of the band returned with two Logan’s Close classics, Lost In You swirling straight through into Give It To Me, what a night!

From there we plunged back into the new album and Curious Terrain, the other grand baroque opus (the studio version is powerful, live it loses none of the nuance and gains from a full-on performance from the band). From there on to the big guns, Babestation then Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi, gotta say this way round really works well live.

It was around this point I get fuzzy, I think it was after the title track that we were treated to a new song (called So Cold, possibly?), I remember a bottle of Buckfast appearing, Scotty saying something like “I’m changing it”, the band going into I Want You which seemed to throw Ollie and Sean a tad. Well, that all happened, though not necessarily in that order!

I do remember the evening ending with Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight and the whole place going hyper. Oh lordy, what a grand evening! And what a way for LC to end the year! Can’t wait to see what happens next in 2024 ❤️

Oh, if you’re new to this blog, do yourself a favour and check out Logan’s Close on Spotify or wherever you listen to music, hear what I’m making such a fuss over (and see why on my Instagram reels).

Wishing you all an excellent 2024! Toodle pip!

Nearly time to get Close again

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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 bit about Elsie, a bit about Eileen

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Just twenty-one days to go until Logan’s Close play the Liquid Room, yay. Tonight they’re playing at Purple Weekend in León, lucky Spaniards! I’ve noticed on Instagram that former band member Alex Palmer will be on drums. Well, trying to round up five musicians all at once can be tricky! Worse than cats. The Liquid Room gig won’t have Stuart on bass but original bassist Olly is stepping in, sweet.

So will I be jigging around to any sounds tonight? Oh yes, The Blueswater are making a rare appearance at The Jazz Bar tonight at nine. If I’m not ready to head caveward after that, there’s the Moanin’ Bones at Whistlebinkies at midnight (well, so Binkies’ calendar says). Feels like ages since I was last out, three weeks is a long time without live music for me. Oh, I was out at the cinema the other night to see Eileen.

It’s an odd movie, left me feeling slightly on edge, on the disturbed side of bemused. The wonderfully ethereal Thomasin McKenzie plays the title character Eileen, a young woman stuck in small town 1960s Massachusetts; she works in a correctional facility for teenage boys and lives with her alcoholic ex-cop father. This young lady spends a lot of time fantasising, fantasies that escape on to the screen leaving the viewer unsure each time, then one day into her life comes a stunning blonde – is this ringing any alarm bells for you too? I wanted to yell, stay away from her, girly, stay away!

She doesn’t. She is utterly bewitched by Rebecca, the new psychologist at the facility. To be honest I was too, come on, Anne Hathaway with a blonde bouffant hairdo! She looked so different and clearly relished the part, enigmatic, independent 60s female, so Rebecca maybe had a screw slightly loose, quirky?! Both actresses were great as ever, there’s a real chemistry between their characters in this dark kinda noir thriller.

No other movies or musical interludes planned for this weekend. I suppose I should get on with present buying and festooning Old Hummus with tinsel. Of course, there’s Dr Who tomorrow evening, I’m so enjoying this little trio of Tennant treats; and last week’s with Mr Cribbins ❤️ oh, my heartses! My eyes may have gotten a tad moist.

Yay, next week is a Scat Rats double, midnight Tuesday in Binkies and seven on Thursday in Stramash. Dr Salad (Scott’s other band) will also in Binkies on Tuesday, hitting the crowd with some saucy, heavy romantic vibes. That’s about it for me until after my Christmas trip to Yorkshireland. Oh no, must grab a ticket for Jed Potts’ Blue Christmas 2023 on the 20th, it was so good last year. Blues fans in Edinburgh, get yourselves in the Christmas spirit at this wonderful event – and the proceeds go to charity!

Anyhoo, time to spruce up for the Jazz Bar. Toodle pip!

Some Tuck, Rats and Hot Blondes!

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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…