V & A Dundee, opens

In Dundee city of discovery

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma has designed a dramatic sculpted building that looks like the hull of a ship, and he says, the cliffs on Scotland’s east coast. The outside is hard but inside there is a softer feel. – and by contrast there is a huge flow of light and dramatic views over the Tay river and bridge. Kuma studied Mackintosh as part of his training and has clearly been influenced by Mackintosh clean lines, simplicity, and subtle use of light and drama. 

Dundee suffered in the 60s from post industrial decline, and in the middle ages was second only to Edinburgh as a great trading port. When the Tay bridge was build, sadly Dundee lost its water front and harbour.  So now we have this wonderful project to regenerate the Tay waterfront. It is long past time we had a museum dedicated to Scottish design on this kind of scale. It’s a great boost to see Dundee’s water front given this impressive revamp.

Dundee Thoughts.

The openness and long light of the flowing Tay river. The vibrant , honest colour (he paints with words) of the incomparable Michael Marra’s songs – from ‘Hermelss’ to ‘Freda Kohl at the Tay Bridge Bar’– as he mixed his hometown with his American influences. Marra is so much about the story of Dundee, I was sad he wasn’t alive to see this night but his daughter Alice Marra and her choir were the first to sing a song in the new V & A – Dignity.  One of the best gigs I’ve been to was the first time I heard Michael play on the grand piano at Mugdock theatre for his intimate gig – when he finished with the Bards song Ca the Yowes.

Some other incredible musicians from Dundee – Deacon Blue, Danny Wilson. 

“City of survival. Tough old town, not well treated” says actor Brian Cox . “Churchill made a speech,  after he was unelected here, when he said, ‘grass grow green hereon an industrial wasteland.”

 However….here is also an exciting young creative community  and Dundee’s important games industry

The centre piece of the new V & A design centre is the Rennie MacIntosh’s Oak room, which was fortunately put into storage and has now been lovingly restored and sings like a piece of artistic music. (there are 700 pieces and 3 different light fittings.)

The new V & A hosts over 300 objects - the oldest exhibit is a 15^thcentury manuscript and the newest a computer APP. There are three main design sections: The Story of Scottish design, Design and the imagination

 The media and press were given a first look this month, when travel writer Simon Calder compared the building to the Guggenheim in Germany but he says it is better, with an enthralling story of Scottish design. 

Mike Galloway director of development. Dundee council has been instrumental in this regeneration of 8 km stretch along river to reconnect city to the Tay river. 

Dundonians now believe they can do it!

Green Issues?

Does the museum address any “greener” issues – someone suggests why not use jute (as it used to be) instead of wrapping all our food in awful plastic that will never decompose. Strawberries used to come in cardboard punnets

Gina Miller Edinburgh book festival 2018

Miller received a standing ovation! Clearly there was huge support and powerful emotions for her standing up for Parliament having a say in the shambolic Brexit process. 

This is ‘no time for silence, time to rise’ Miller claimed.  

If you fail to make your voice heard, it will be drowned out by those who shout the loudest. Miller is a very articulate, forthright and determined lady! 

There was a petition online against her book, Rise, and a threat of mass burning, even before she had written it! She warned she felt there were throw backs in history that we cannot ignore today. She hoped change is happening – against the fringes not getting their way and that determined ideological voices of reason are rising up.  

She spoke of her case being fourth on the day and that it purely focused on the letter of the Law of the UK, and not on the politics. She was shocked by the language and vitriol that followed - when she was subjected to violence and not only by individuals online. The abusive mail was even worse and the premeditated nature of posting a letter. She didn’t know that we lived in a country like this. 

“Its important to understand the other point of view – to reach out and engage. But there was no reasoning behind it all, only pure hatred. Their hope was to destroy me, to destroy the case.” But she said, “I cannot sit back and watch people hurting. I’d never stop. I’m supposed to be doing this. It is easier to be resilient and a campaigner – to be honest to who you are. I can’t be anyone else. She was also shocked at the level of smears, and casual stereotyping in the mainstream right wing media. I need to absorb that energy. They can’t find fault in my argument.”

Gina spoke of how much she learned from her father. He started out at the petrol pump, got a law degree and became attorney general, in Guyana. Her father was eloquent. Words can bring people together or words can create barriers. She quoted John Mortimer, ‘Words into the courtroom are soldiers into battle.’  We must know our place in the world. – the role of law, and civil justice. We must fight to being back democracy to our country.” 

She said, “These are dangerous times and we are not walking on stable ground, on values and principles, respect for each other. Today the ground is rocking with weak foundations. Some are exploiting divisions in a systematic and cultish way. People are defined by how they voted in a destructive way. There are politicians with a hidden agenda, which can lead to an authoritarian society with less choices. A deliberate re-alignment.” 

She says our politicians are arrogant and lazy with a zombie parliament and with no written constitution. We have two leaders, who are not states people and have no plan. 

A People’s Vote? The politicians don’t want to get their hands dirty – so give it back to the people. Miller advocates three choices for a People’s Vote – Mrs Mays deal/ a Canada style deal / no deal. Around 73% now are in favour of a vote. 

For the younger generation, she feels they don’t teach what the EU is really about in schools. 

It is cheaper to join a club, with the EU we share – medical agency, open skies, legal, environmental agency, infrastructure, research, just in time manufacturing, and much more. Miller wondered, how do we get out of this mess and all the divisiveness.

She spoke of moving past divisions – and I agree – but moving past wealth divisions will not be so easy. The system needs changed through independence.

PS  I don’t want an indy Scotland building walls with its neighbours or with Europe. Indy is not about borders for me. We must speak with both national and international voices. Change can only happen in small places: that's where the creative, innovative, individual voices happen.

I feel the world has tilted off its axis for a while – I can hope it will correct itself! I remember the Berlin wall coming down and we seem to be building too many walls today.  

Val McDermid’s Song Choices!

Nicola Sturgeon and Val McDermid

Alyson Moyet - Blue

Joni Mitchell -  For the Roses

Leonard Cohen’s - I Loved you in the morning

Mark Knopfler - 

Dore Straits – Private Investigations

Annie Lennox - Sisters are doing it for themselves

The National - Lucky You

The Jam – Down in the Tube Station

Rab Noakes – Downtown lights (Blue Nile)

Blondie –  T Birds

Andreas Johnson - Glorious

Dusty Springfield – I close eyes and count to ten

Proclaimers – Letter From America

So I was fortunate to catch the Fun Lovin Crime Writersat the EIBf Unbound this August! – and Val surprised with her strong vocals. What a fun night!! 

*On BBC Radio Six Music Val McDermid did the Paperback Song Choice September 4th. McDermid is one of the most highly respected Scottish crime writers. 

Val spoke of singing and folk clubs when she was younger, and of of trying the open guitar tuning used by Joni. She chose the song For the Roses, because it was about fame, and what fame does to people. And how we must not loose sight of where we come from. She spoke of writing to music without lyrics and of how much music means for her.  

and of the story inside the songs. 

Her final song choice was the Proclaimers song, Letter to America, when Val spoke of her pride in Scotland history – and the sadness over the large Diaspora and of all those who left to make the life they wanted. She hopes that now our country offers a better future and a place they can make the lives they want.. 

Great song choices.

Siobhan Wilson’s All the Saints

Scottish singer song writer and talented musician, Siobhan’s album All The Saints,is on the SAY shortlist – Scottish album of the Year 2018. As well as BBC Radio 6 record of the day.  https://www.sayaward.com

I have heard Siobhan at a couple of gigs and she sings with a purity and engrossing voice. In September she is off on a tour of Canada. A very special and unique voice. 

I wish her good luck! 

SIOBHAN WILSON

https://www.siobhan-wilson.com

REVIEWS

One of the most stunning collections of songs to be released in a long time" - Drowned in Sound

"A sparse, tender record tying English indie-folk with European classical music to spellbinding effect. - The Skinny

Edinburgh Festivals 2018!

The fields are golden, the sun getting lower and a chill begins in the evening air as the first leaves are starting to fall. 

 Its dark now late Sunday and the men are busy packing up the large tents on George street. We know the festival must end, and a normal and quieter Edinburgh return – but also the festival lifts us all higher for a short while, and makes the impossible possible, offers new horizons. 

EIF provides a glorious and golden end of summer bash each year celebrating the best of theatre, comedy, music, dance, art and much much more...Edinburgh offers a festival for all tastes – from the intellectual rigour of the book festival, its significant comedy festival, and extensive theatre.  

Under luminous skies, I entered with the book festival with a heady mix of anticipation, bolstered by the beaming exuberance , shared laughter and well rehearsed singers of the high street.  

The sometimes new and tacky mixes with the unique individual histories. Perhaps I might hope for more of the latter. Some worry Edina is turning into a Theme park and moving downmarket – do we want a Butlin’s image or to attract the more sophisticated traveller? 

Edina has a rich seam of authentic heritage - not only the deep stories of the dark rugged castle rock, but the majestic Georgian new town and the hidden alleyways below and beyond its Royal Mile. 

 There were 4.5 million ticket sales, second only to the Olympics – and this festival takes place every year; but the diversity means there is little TV coverage. From the grand Tattoo show on the castle esplanade,  the main international festival and the youthful Fringe shows and offers a platform for new theatre, 

**TALKS EIBF

Paris Riots 68, with Nael Ascherson

Yanis Varoufakis

Karl Ove Knaasgard

Michael Marra: Arrest This Moment

Gina Miller

**SHOWS that caught my attention

The Beggars Opera - The Kings

Mhairi Campbell, Auld Lang Syne, Storytelling centre

The Red Guitar - 

Midsummer - The Hub

Caledonian Soul - Queens hall
Ulster American - Traverse theatre

I managed a few shows, sadly not time for all.

Edinburgh Book Festival (EIBF) 2018 Photos

Karl Ove Knaasgard

Freedom to make the stories that shape us

Freedom to travel, the horizons we will know and understand, different landscapes, challenging people, new perspectives…

Many spoke of moving on from divisions – but also about us all having a voice. Activist and business women Gina Miller said these are dangerous times, we cannot afford to keep quiet, with her book 'Rise'. Chelsea Clinton was there to talk about women's voices, with her book 'She Persisted.' 

Neal Ascherson and James Naughtie the 1968 Year of Unrest and freedom spoke of the Paris riots of 68, in France they continue to believe they can make a difference. Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis spoke of the difficulties inherent in Europe but also the peace it has afforded us. 

Brian May

There is such a wide diversity of writers at EIBF – 

the big established names, the aspiring new writers, award winners, celebrities, sportsmen, politicians, academics, poets, musicians, artists, critics, crime writers, comedians, novelists, illustrators, children’s authors, psychologists, medical writers, economics, business people.

Bringing different voices together from across the globe, creates an inspiring place to exchange ideas, renew and interact..

The book festival provides an important balance to the daft comedy or the absurd at the Fringe - everything goes in August in Edina. The backdrop of Charlottes Square puts EIBF at the heart of Edina’s historic Georgian new town: the photographers come here from Spain and Italy. 

Chris Brookmyre

 TALKS EIBF

Paris Riots 68, with Neal Ascherson and James Naughtie

The 1968 Year of Unrest and freedom

Yanis Varoufakis

Karl Ove Knaasgard

Michael Marra: Arrest This Moment

Tom Devine: English in Scotland

Gina Miller; Rise

BOOKS

The Gathering poems – Alexander McCall Smith

Gina Miller

There were problems with several writers gaining visas to attend EIBF. Sadly too this is the last year that Scotland will be in the EU, because of this unwanted Brexit being imposed on us– and this has very serious difficulties for an international festival on this scale. 

Activist and business women Gina Miller said these are dangerous times, and we cannot afford to keep quiet. She spoke of moving on from past divisions – and I agree – but moving past our extreme and feudal wealth divisions will not be so easy. It is the system here that needs changed.

False tribalism and division must end for the sake of our country. But there are differences here. I believe difference and informed different views are essential to reach a realistic consensus. But artificial tribes, around old, ignorant hatreds have no place in a progressive democracy.  It is a total fallacy that ’Brexit’ is about any kind of independence – its about leaving the world’s most successful trading block and stopping immigration. By contrast Scotland needs and desires immigration.  

How can we best protect our civil rights. Maybe if Scotland does this, other parts of England will follow. Recently I saw a map of who owns Scotland recently, and I was shocked by the tiny white sections of publicly owned land. Scotland has the most unequal land ownership in the world. I hope this isn’t all about money and that we can all have an equal voice. We need a culture of equal chances and co-operation, that starts in the early years. of education. 

We must act, and act soon to change all that.  

Chelsea Clinton

Yanis Varoufakis, Maria Alyokhina (Pussy Riot)

**What freedoms do we cherish? Maria Alyokhina fled from Russia to perform in Edinburgh. 

Interesting article on Democracy in Sunday Herald – that into todays world of peer to peer interconnectedness -  this centralised, top down state of government that worked centuries ago is no longer working for us. 

Blue Rose Code and Caledonia Soul Voices, Queens hall

I missed his guitar playing, but the song selection was fab – long live Celtic Soul! .

Tonight’s Fringe show was a celebration of Caledonia soul voices (in association with Made in Scotland)

Blue Rose Code, aka Ross Wilson, played a full on, energetic set of a classy selection of soul-influenced Celtic songs and with a quality line up of Duke Special, Eddi Reader, Julie Fowlis and Hamish Stuart of the Average White band. I first heard Ross last year at my local folk club and became a fan after hearing his authentic and charged soul voice. Born in Edinburgh, Ross has also been south for several years and now returned to his home town, for which he has written his homage song Edina.

Ross showed us his major musical influences tonight, in the perfect surrounding of the Queens hall – in this celebration of soul and Celtic music - and he has great taste! His firm favourites being legends John Martyn, from Glasgow and London, and Van the Man from Belfast (and the deep south influences). Both mix great bass rhythms with perfect expressive soul voices.  

Ross was clearly up for enjoying this packed show and he was sporting new look longer hair and no beard!  He was backed by a full 14-piece band with a string section. He performed some of his own songs, as well as his soul selection. He finished the first set with John Martyn’s, I Only Want to Know About Love. Then in the second set his well loved song, Edina morphed into the Proclaimers ever popular, My Heart.  

Eddi Reader treated us to an upbeat Perfect. It was another joy to hear accomplished guitarist Hamish Stuart, who performed My Fathers Son and a memorable No More Days. While Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis sang, I Just can’t Get Over You (from the film Garden State) and she knows how to take a song on an emotional and intimate journey.  

BRC spoke of John Martyn’s ‘killing it’, and how seeing him live inspired him to be a soul singer too. Ross said, for him the best Van Morrison album was his live 1975 one and his Caledonia soul orchestra. Ross has an ear for the deep emotion of a song, that catches your breath. And none other than Martyn’s double bass player Danny Thompson played on his album.

For the full encore line up finale we enjoyed the cool vibes of renowned Edwyn Collin’s hit song, I Never met a Girl Like you Before, and an inspired version of Van Morrison's Crazy Love - and of course an exhilarating version of the Average White Band’s Pick up the Pieces! 

What a fun night!  Top marks. Thanks Ross.

Postscript: 

A few nights later legendary queen of soul Aretha Franklin died, sadly BRC hadn’t included any Aretha songs!

Van Morrison grew up listening to his dad’s collection of blues and R & B records.  – and mixed his Celtic and soul influences to create a unique soul genre and fusion: when the poignant Celtic moods and stories mixed with the riffs, vibes and relaxed R & B. Along with the improvisation and instinctiveness of the live musicianship of jazz.  

Ross has worked with renowned Gaelic singers Julie Fowlis, Kathleen MacInnes, BBC Folk Award Winner, Ross Ainslie, 2017’s Scottish Jazz Awards’ instrumentalist of the year Konrad Wiszniewski, leading violinist Seonaid Aitken and three of Scotland's finest jazz musicians; John Lowrie, Colin Steele and James Lindsay. His album ‘THE BALLADS OF PECKHAM RYE’, was nominated for SAY awards 2014 (Scottish Album Of The Year) and featured Danny Thompson, Karine Polwart, John Wetton, Aidan O’Rourke and Kathryn Williams.  He can be heard on BBC (TV and Radio), STV, Alba, TG4, Virgin Radio. He has toured the length of the UK to sold out venues and to festivals Celtic Connections, Edinburgh Fringe, Looe, Summer Isles, Lindisfarne, Southern Fried, Underneath The stars.