Viking Galaxy photoshoot

http://musicfootnote.blogspot.co.uk/viking-galaxy-photoshoot

Glasgow Independent Record shops

LOVE music, 34 Dundas Street, Glasgow, G1 2AQ

Love Music specialises in new, indie and alternative vinyl and CDs. Important section of Glasgow's music scene with a great selection of local acts and specialises in indie, rock, punk and Americana. Love Music Glasgow is an Independent Record Shop in Glasgow, the shop was previously known as Avalanche Records.

Love Music Glasgow is an old-school independent record shop, selling both new and second-hand music. They buy and sell CDs, vinyl LPs & singles, music DVDs and movies on DVD, as well as a range of merchandise such as T shirts, coffee cups, fridge magnets etc. They specialise in rock music, in all its various forms. They are supportive of local groups and record labels and stock hundreds of unsigned artists. They also do in-store performances and signings - Moby, KT Tunstall, James Blunt, Futureheads.  http://www.lovemusicglasgow.com/ 

Monorail, 12 Kings Court, King Street, Glasgow, G1 5RB

Don't mistake the slender couple of shelves in the back room of vegan venue Mono for a lightweight enterprise. Owner and muso Stephen Pastel has been setting Glasgow's hipster pulse from here for years.

Rubadub Records, 35 Howard Street, Glasgow, G1 4BA

Specialist record shop.   http://www.rubadub.co.uk/

Missing Records, 247 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL

Loved and revered in Glasgow and now centred on this main shop near the Arches (with another shop in Paisley). Top class selection of secondhand music and films…

Alba Second-Hand Music, 55 Otago Street, Glasgow, G12 8PQ

Sturdy, long-running store handily situated for the College of Piping, dealing in printed music for most instruments, ensembles and orchestras. http://www.albamusick.co.uk/

Play It Again* Records, 47 Ruthven Lane, Glasgow, G12 9BG

Play it Again* Records are keen to avoid the corporate-ness of logos and more. They sell and buy old records, CDs & DVDs that are in decent condition and fairly priced. Nothing will ever…

Fopp Records Westend

From its origins as a one-man stall in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1981, it expanded to a chain of over 100 branches^[ throughout the country in 2007. With the demise of Music Zone, Fopp became the third largest specialist music retailer in the UK in terms of store numbers (after HMV and Virgin Megastore). Shortly after the takeover of rival chain Music Zone, Fopp went into administration in June 2007, resulting in the closure of many of its stores. Eight stores survived and are operating under the Fopp brand as an independent part of the HMV group.

The first Fopp store was a market stall in Decourcey's Arcade near Bryes Road in Glasgow opened 1981 by Gordon Montgomery.

The Leamington spa store was reopened as Head, a separate store from Fopp, but retaining Fopp's stock and assets. The HEAD store opened on 2007 and employed some of its predecessor's former employees. The store hosts regular performances from local bands, to allow musicians, artists and authors from Leamington and its surrounding areas to sell their work. This was initially a single store, but has expanded into a chain of four sites.

And least we may not all be swallowed up by some big media conglomerates.....Let's remember Virgin media was once a tiny shop in Rose Street Edinburgh owned by Richard B and a pal.. small beginnings...and yes small is sometimes better. Support your small local shops.

Scottish Portraits

Alexander McCall Smith - author

Rab Noakes singer songwriter

Alex Salmond - Scotland's First Minster

Emeli Sande - singer songwriter

Karine Polwart - folk singer songwriter

Dikc Gaughan - traditional folk singer

John Byrne - playwright and artist

Eddi Reader - singer

Ian Rankin - writer

Iain Banks - novelist

I have been building my gallery portraits of Scottish writers, artists, politicians and musicans over several years now at Celtic Connections and Edinburgh festival - Scottish Portraits - http://pkimage.co.uk/scottishportraits

Emeli Sande at Royal Albert Hall

Some days are ordinary grey days, but yesterday was an extraordinary day.

There was a glorious blue sky and those small fluffy white clouds as I headed to South Kensington via bus and tube and for a late lunch at the V & A café, where the pianist played under the ornate Victorian rooftops. 

2012 has been a big year for Sande, not only did she get married, her debut album Our Version of Events was the top selling album and went triple platinum in the UK. She has a glowing warm stage presence with her large smile and her sincerity. I have seen her perform at several of Glasgow's top venues - the Oran Mor, King Tuts and the Old Fruitmarket. 

It felt very strange to be in such an iconic venue. I entered the hall via its Stage Door entrance for my Pass, where we waited. Professor Green came in shortly after!  I shook his hand and said how much I enjoyed his big hit song with Emeli - Read All About It. Green had a beautiful girl with him who looked  like a model. I took in the images on the walls – in particular one memorable image of Frank Sinatra as he waved to his enthralled audience taken from the stage by photographer David Redfern, I was in awe!. I thought how hard it is now to get those kind of images with all the restrictions imposed on photographers these days – only the first three songs, no moving about etc. etc.  I wished to savour every moment knowing these were moments I would never forget.    

I will never forget ascending the narrow steps that entered the arena the theatre’s red and gold lights shimmered above us, where there were the shadow outlines of people on the tiered circle galleries as spotlights hovered and I feel I have now entered a realm of fantasy, folklore, mystique and hidden memories.

Another Emily, from New York – an Emily King played as the support.

When Emeli appeared in the shadows at the top of the dark steps we know she is a star in the making. She savoured the experience, as she paused to take in the atmosphere and those moments as she arrived on the iconic stage.  The halls doomed arena offer perfect acoustics for voices to reverberate and bounce into the air. 

Sande began with her distinctive song Daddy, which was followed by Tiger and Where I Sleep. Then the backing singers and band got a chance to shine with the refrain I Left My Heart in Pluto.

In the middle of her set Emeli sat at the piano centre stage and said, 'This is where I know myself and where I am raw.’ She started with the emotional Clown and she said sometimes we all need to show the Clown in us.  Next she sang her well loved song River. She said she’d had emotional responses to this song and that one young girl who’d never been to a music concert before had said to her that Emeli was 'her river of music.'  Then she sang a song by one of her main musical influences, Nina Simone, ‘I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free’ which drew positive audience reactions.

‘We should all speak up and use our voices.’ Emeli said when she sang Read All About It: and the audience was delighted when Professor Green came on stage to perform for this number one hit song. Emeli returned to the stage in a red dress and with her song Wonder: a song full of light when she got the audience on their feet

Anything can be achieved if you have love, when she spoke of the support of her parents. Then she sang her hit song Heaven that has that danceable drum beat and soaring vocal. Labrinth then appeared to sing their chart song Underneath Your Beautiful. And for her encore she sang her touching Maybe, followed by her rousing Next To Me.

Emeli makes the dream her own, but she also takes us with her. This was one of my best days too.

Having followed Emeli's career for five years since 2007, it is both strange and wonderful to see her now on the Big Stage and called the Voice of 2012. I remember the intimacy of her Oran Mor gig and how moving her voice was there.

THE SET:  Daddy, Tiger, This is Where I Sleep, Breaking the Law, ( two new songs)  My Kind of Love, Abide With Me, Clown, River, Nina Simone’s How It feels to be Free, Read all About It, Wonder, Mountains, Heaven, Maybe, Next to Me,

Proceeds to the Princes Trust. The concert was being filmed for a DVD, photography was restricted, but the colours and vibe were awesome.