Renfield

So, any highlights in 2023?

bruceonthefringe 2023, Bands, Cinema, Edinburgh Fringe 2023, Live bands in Edinburgh, Logan's Close, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

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 💛

Harold, yes, Chris, no, Elsie, yay

bruceonthefringe 2023, Films, Logan's Close, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

I was at the cinema last night to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, oh it was so good. Harold is played by Jim Broadbent, one of our finest actors, a perfect piece of casting! I read the original book a few years ago and Jim Broadbent is just how I pictured Harold, with his gentle manner and slight bewilderment at situations. His wife is played by Penelope Wilton, another of our finest, the two together really show how it should be done!

There is, as usual, a lot cut from the book to fit the story into a movie time frame but the essentials are there. If you happen to see the film and enjoy it, you really should read the book; if I happen to see a copy in a charity shop I’ll definitely by buying it for a second read. The film seemed to be hardly on for any time in cinemas but it won’t lose anything on a smaller screen so do catch it on whatever stream you fish in.

The previous evening I popped out to see Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves, hmmm. Not something I’d bother with without an Unlimited card but the reviews were quite good – erm, reviews by folk who haven’t seen many fantasy adventure films before?! Yes, it was going be fairly generic but I was hoping the script and performances would sparkle, nope. Ok, I enjoyed Michelle Rodriguez, great to see her again, but Chris Pine, nope, nope, nopity, nope (still doesn’t figure how he got the girl in This Means War over Tom Hardy).

Two out of three, that evening between the North West twigs and Yorkshireland, I went to see Renfield, another film only in cinemas for a short time, it was my only chance to see it. So glad I did, Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult together, that only had my interest, but Nic Cage as Dracula?! Oh yeah. Hoult plays our eponymous hero, Renfield the putupon lackey of the vampire; he’s had enough and seeks solace at a self-help group for people in co-dependent relationships…..

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, very funny, sharp and violent; Cage being Cage and Hoult doing that thing he does so well, but with added action and violence. I could definitely watch this again and probably will. Renfield won’t be for everyone, maybe not someone who thinks Dungeons & Dragons is an excellent film.

Anyhow, I need to sort myself out, have a bite to eat, spruce up – I have a date with Elsie tonight! Yes, Logan’s Close are playing a sold out show at the Caves tonight, just over three years since the last time. So, so excited!

Toodle pip!