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.