Music 2012

Music 2012 
It’s been a year of weddings, nostalgia, resolutions and it has been an interesting hectic year.  

I continue to love music photography but I am much more selective these days about gigs I cover as I have many other priorities. This year was quiet for bigger artists for me – well in 2011 I saw Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and not much can compare with that! 

I’m so proud of the Scottish folk artists and contemporary ones too. Some have recently passed, sadly Michael Marra and there is a concert for him at Celtic 2013. It’s good to follow the new artists coming up such as Biffy Clyro and Karine Polwart. 

New Artists

Emeli Sande Our Version of Events, Lana Del Rey Born to Die, Jake Bugg Jake Bugg,  (the new Bob Dylan? Time will tell), Grizzly Bear Shields, Lucy Rose, Django Django (from Edinburgh). 

Biffy Clyro on Jools Holland stood out for me. They are from Ayrshire Scotland and I had heard of the band but had never seen them live – and what a good live band they are who have paid their dues and are more than ready for those bigger stadiums. Wow is all I can say. 

Older Artists –

Bob Dylan, Tempest, Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas, Muse, The 2^nd Law. 

Folk Artists - Scottish Folk Concerts – Benny Gallagher, Rab Noakes,

Younger folk musicians - Kris Drever, Karine Polwart, Manran, Madison Violet,

Scottish Singer Songwriters

*Emeli Sande.  It’s hard to know what to say. I have followed Emeli’s career for five years and to be there to see her take over the Albert hall stage this November was quite emotional for me, so I can only imagine what this year has meant for her. She sang the most moving moment at the Olympic opening ceremony with a haunting refined and breath taking version of the Welsh song Abide With Me.  Her single Heaven was her first hit song – she also sings of Wonder, Next To Me, My Kind of Love. It certainly has been her path in life to sing for us.

There is Love in this world for everyone, Every precious smile you make, Be sure love is out there looking for you.' Michael Marra

*Respected songwriter Michael Marra died suddenly. He Paints With Words. Sadly quirky and humorous and sometimes poignant artist Michael Marra passed away in November 2912. I have seen him live several times and the last time at Milngavie Folk club in 2011. I wondered he didn’t look so well in the photos. At the sound check he set his keyboards on an ironing board. I will never forget his singing Robert Burn’s 'Green Grown the Rashes O' at his concert at Mugdock theatre in 2007. He returned again in 2008 when I was lucky enough to meet and chat with him and where he signed one of my prints. He said he enjoyed playing in the small theatre with its semi-circle of tiered seats and grand piano. He looked so frail when he first comes on stage but then he lit up the venue with his deep gravelly voice - with his endearing manner and ironic dry wit, Marra sang his medley of songs which are full of unforgettable characters and images of place and time. Mugdock was a perfect venue for him and he held the audience in the palm of his hands. I’m not sure I have ever been so engrossed at a live gig. Songs.Kelly's Visit to Dundee,' 'Muggie Shaw', 'Freda Kohl's Visit to the Tay Bridge Bar', and 'Lonesome Death of Francis Clarke', 'Schenectady Calling'.

Music gigs and Royal Albert Hall. I continue to shoot occasionally at my local folk club. Along side this bigger concerts. It was my delight and pleasure to take photos of Emeli Sande at the Albert hall London at her gig there in November. It’s a venue I never dreamed of going to never mind taking photos at.

Festivals. This year at Celtic the highlight was the Gerry Rafferty Remembered concert organised by Rab Noakes. Rafferty was a truly great Scottish singer songwriter (Stealers Wheel, Bakers Street, Stuck in the Middle With You and much more) who sadly died in 2011. As always the Transatlantic Session proved the value of a great band and excellent musicianship. Edinburgh Book festival, I particularly enjoyed Nile Rodgers talk as he strummed his guitar. Rodgers has written songs for some of the greats – Bowie, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and more.

It is fun to follow the older folk tunes and folk artists alongside the newer pop music songs. I begin to wish some of these older folk artists would collaborate more with the younger musicians. A two way street though - experience and wisdoms might be passed on and the energy and enthusiasms of the younger artists could inspire and innovate. Mumford have cleverly mixed dance rhythms with folk tunes to great success

Is social mobility dead?

'Is social mobility dead in the UK? We are now ruled by unexceptional people with exceptional education.'  British author Tony Parsons

There is now no social mobility says Parsons.

From 1960 to 1975 we had five Prime Ministers who were from ordinary beginnings and who were educated at state schools - from Harold Wilson to John Major. Parson argues that there is now no way for that to happen now and the gap between the rich and the poor has got wider. 

The argument against the Grammar schools is that they only lift up 20%  - well the Comprehensives lift up zero per cent!  Some argue that Grammar school selection is unfair - well life is tough and life is unfair.That selected group at least had a chance for university education - now it is zero %.

What happens now in schools is that mediocrity is encouraged in preference to excellence.

I know because my three children went through the present day school system recently. No matter how much work for excellence my daughter put in her efforts were consistently ignored while the less able were favoured. The attitude is that the bright children will do well no matter. What message does this send out to the children when high standards are ignored. My daughter is now training as a paediatric doctor, thanks to her own efforts - and yes my chidlren all went to the local state school.  

One thing that does make a big difference is offering good nursery education, and a good grounding in pre-skills BEFORE schooling even starts.  We lived in America for ten years where my older son was educated until he was six and he benefited greatly there from the training given in Kindergarten school.

It is wrong to say that the Grammar school system was inflexible. There was a young boy who lived near me - he was immature at 11 and never made the Grammar school cut off, but he started to perform well at secondary school and after two years he was moved to the Grammar school and he went on to study for a science degree at university.  In Scotland the Grammar schools were known as secondary moderns.

Parson states that the major parties are against social mobility and that we need to put family back at the centre. British author Tony Parsons on This Week BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/This_Week_06_12_2012/

Tony Parsons (born 6 November 1953) is a British journalist broadcaster and author.

Kate and Morning Sickness

I post here mostly about music, art and words but I digress here...

Kate Middleton's Morning Sickness. I've been through it. I found it best to throw up an hour before meals! That way there was some chance of keeping the meals down, oh dear. Also have regular small protein snacks every few hours to keep blood sugar levels as normal as possible - nuts, cheese, tuna, oatcakes, whatever you feel able to eat. Drink water in small amounts regularly too. I remember even smells in the food stores made me feel sick! Especially raw meat.

Also - DON'T TAKE ANY DRUGS for morning sickness. 

Sadly I was given an anti-sickness drug with my second pregnancy and had a very scary drug reaction several days later when my jaw started to freeze up and we had to drive to the emergency at the hospital. This drug allergic reaction caused me to loose the baby at 16 weeks a few weeks later. Drug allergies can be life threatening. My very strong advice is - DON'T take any medicine when you are pregnant.  
I went on a few years later to have my beautiful daughter (not without the heartache of the loss though).  I was sick again this time and sorry to say sickness can last most of the pregnancy, while it was better the last few months - and I took no drugs this time. Who says having a baby is easy! Maybe if men had to carry babies there would be less war and bloodshed I've wondered? I couldn't watch the news when I was pregnant. 

It may well be a girl for Kate - I had two boys and a daughter and was only sick with my daughter. I wish her well. : )  
Ps Also shouldn't be called morning sickness, more like all day sickness. : (

Trip to the Royal Albert Hall

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. I’ve seen the Albert hall on tv with the Prom nights and for Adele’s triumphant concert there in 2011, and I never imagined myself going to a concert there. I headed past the white stoned historic museums to Hyde Park as the sun moved lower in the winter sky. I walked around the several entrances to the hall. I am early so I went to the café first -  I can’t quite believe I am here and I wanted to savour the moments and those anticipations... I wondered how emotional the sound check would be for Emeli - she has put in so much work since I first heard her sing in Glasgow in 2007.

It feels very strange to be in such an iconic venue. I entered the hall via the Stage Door entrance for my Pass. Professor Green came in shortly after!  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 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. The knowledge that dreams can come true and Sande’s songs of hope.