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| The Hydro Glasgow |
2014 has proved a dramatic year of change with big highs and lows and expectations.
Winds of change have swept away old
orders with a tide of political engagement in Scotland the like of which I have
never experienced in my lifetime. Scotland 2014 proved to be a world record in
democratic voting, with over 82% turned out to vote.
Iain
MacWhirter writes Sunday Herald 28.12.14, comparing 2014 to the Summer of Love
in 1967 - when social and political landscapes were changed forever, ' The old
order of deference, conformity, convention was swept away by a colourful tide
of positivity and sometimes wacky togetherness.'
Scottish
Independence is a journey we have taken massive leaps towards. As it becomes
clearer and clearer how unworkable devolution is, and with the SNP, Greens and
others now holding the narrative it is only a matter of time on the road to
Independence.
Ten years
ago I wondered was devolution enough but not today. Scotland's voice has woken
up from centuries of silence and apathy and of believing our voices made no
difference - and will not now be easily silenced. Many now realise they can
have a voice and can shape their future.
Highlights
Glasgow
hosted an ecstatic summer of the 2014 Commonwealth
Games. Later in October Gleneagles held the golfing highlight of the Ryder Cup amid the splendour of the
Perthshire countryside.
The Glasgow Hydro brought in 130m for Glasgow with big
acts like Beyonce, Rod Stewart, Justin Timberlake.
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| Del Amitri |
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There was great
tragedy too with the fire at the iconic Rennie MacIntosh Glasgow Art School
which left the beautiful library destroyed. We hope the building can be
rebuilt. Then also just three days before Christmas tragedy struck in George
Square Glasgow when a bin lorry lost control and ploughed through shoppers,
sadly killing six and injuring seven. Glasgow grieved again just a year after
the Clutha tragedy when a helicopter landed on the bar. We are reminded of the
fragility of life.
MUSIC 2014
Music icons
tended to over shadow younger artists this year.
Bob Dylan
released his Basement Tapes of 1967 (also the Summer of love) Kate Bush
performed a month of theatrical sold out shows in London.
Sometimes it
is no easy task to rediscover innovative creativity with clear, meaningful
messages. I also enjoyed this year - Mary
Chapman Carpenter, White Denim, Sarah McLachlan, Head and Heart, Hozier,
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| The Big Dish
SCOTTISH
MUSIC 2014 - produced many top quality and award winning albums, completely
ignored by the London mainstream Record Labels and the BBC Sound of Poll.
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There was rather
bland London singer songwriters like Ed Sheeran, I am no fan of, and he
received a lot of attention this year – but for myself give me these Scottish singer
songwriters to listen to - Withered Hand, King Creoste, Hazey Janes, RM
Hubbert, Poalo Nutini, Julie Fowlis, Chvrches, Biffy Clyro.
Alan Morrison,
writing in the Herald lists his top Scottish albums of 2014 here –
I attended many
top quality gigs art Celtic Connections and at my local folk club.
The National
A new
newspaper was launched in Scotland offering a new voice and democracy of press.
Great to see.
99% of the
Scottish media and press during the Scottish referendum questions was
controlled by a hostile Westminster - this was anti-democracy. In Scandinavia it is illegal not to have a balanced press.
