INSIDE
GLASGOW & EDINBURGH EVENTS GUIDE 1 JUN–31 AUG 2017 | ISSUE 744 LIST.CO.UK
FREE
TOUGH LOVE BLISTERING DRAMA GOD'S OWN COUNTRY HEADS TO THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
PLUS OPTIMO 20 TWITCH & WILKES ON TWO DECADES OF CLUBBING
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LEITHLATE CUTTING-EDGE ARTS FEST RETURNS
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2 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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FRONT
CONTENTS
Realist
4
News
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Billy Connolly
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FEATURES
W
ith everything that’s happening around us, it feels like it’s never been more important to go out, have fun and celebrate life. Across this issue, we delve into some of the highlights of this summer’s cultural calendar – so get your pen out and start circling. It’s the Edinburgh International Film Festival’s 70th birthday this year. Find out more about opening film God’s Own Country (page 18), which looks set to be one of the Brit hits of 2017, and new strand EIFF: Play, a celebration of Edgar Wright with added after-parties (page 25). Feeling a T-shaped hole in your life? In July, it’s time for TRNSMT, the new festival on Glasgow Green from the team behind T in the Park. Ahead of the three-day event, we chatted to Belle and Sebastian (page 30) and Gerry Cinnamon (page 32), who’ll be performing over the weekend. Glasgow clubbing pioneers Optimo celebrate their 20th anniversary in August with a massive bash at SWG3. We spoke to them (page 36) and the DJs they’ve influenced (page 38). And after a smashing 2016, Electric Fields is back with another two day-er in September – find out what’s in store on page 46. Of course, August brings us Edinburgh Festival season. It’s a big one too, with the International Festival and the Fringe also celebrating 70 years. Catch up with all of our festival coverage in our Festival Guide (out Wed 5 Jul), weekly August issues and every day at list.co.uk/festival
COVER STORY
Editor
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
GLASGOW & EDINBURGH EVENTS GUIDE LIST.CO.UK
FREE
TOUGH GH H LOVE LO OVE BLISTERING DRAMA GOD'S OWN COUNTRY HEADS TO THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PLUS OPTIMO 20 TWITCH & WILKES ON TWO DECADES OF CLUBBING
TRNSMT GLASGOW GREEN'S NEW THREE-DAY FESTIVAL
LEITHLATE CUTTING-EDGE ARTS FEST RETURNS
The capital gets the red carpet treatment once more as the world's longest-running film festival celebrate its 70th anniversary. We talk to the director of the festival's opening movie, God's Own Country, analyse the cult of Morrissey ahead of his biopic which closes proceedings, and chat with the Scottish filmmaker behind the foul-mouthed Daphne. Plus, we pick other highlights featuring actorly talents Bryan Cranston, Sheila Hancock and Toby Jones.
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Optimo 20
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FOOD & DRINK
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Le Roi Fou
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AROUND TOWN
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Highlights
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BOOKS
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Borders Book Festival
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Reni Eddo-Lodge
68
Highlights
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COMEDY
PHOTO: ALEX LAKE
GREAT OFFERS
1997 was an epochal year in British life but clubs devotees remember it as the year Optimo was born. We talk to Twitch and Wilkes, the men behind the music, and hear from some of the acts helping them blow out the candles.
Win tickets to the Edinburgh International Film Festival Opening Gala 11 Win 12 drop-in classes at Dance Base
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Angelos & Barry
72
Highlights
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Berlin Syndrome
75
A Man Called Ove
78
The Beguiled
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Highlights
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KIDS
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Merchant City Festival
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Highlights
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MUSIC
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Lost Map's Howlin' Fling
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Jazz festivals
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The Divine Comedy
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Classical
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Highlights
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The Red Shoes
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Highlights
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VISUAL ART Clare Woods
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Graham MacIndoe
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Highlights
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TV
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Glow
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Riviera
FIRST & LAST Jan Ravens
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Pam Ann
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Glasgow Comic Con
THEATRE
With no T in the Park this year, Scottish music lovers turn their attention to Glasgow Green for their main three-day summer festival fix. Radiohead, Belle and Sebastian, Biffy Clyro and Kasabian are among your headline acts.
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The Pocket Guide to Whisky
Surge
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1 JUN–31 AUG 2017 | ISSUE 744
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1 JUN–31 AUG 2017 | LIST.CO.UK
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GRAPHIC CONTENT
CONTRIBUTORS
What we’ve been talking about Illusion is in the air, rabbits are up some sleeves and sleight is of the hand as MagicFest prepares to trick Edinburgh, while Penn & Teller mosey into Glasgow to perform feats of largely unimaginable conjuring. We asked some folk to tell us about their all-time favourite magic trick whether it was performed in front of their actual faces or witnessed from the safety of a TV lounge . . .
My mother and I got hypnotised in Gran Canaria circa 1999. I never went under but every time my mum heard the James Bond soundtrack she turned into a gun-wielding 007 agent. It was really embarrassing for me and my 11-year-old brother! Her trance-like state seemed to last the rest of the holiday!
The best magician I’ve seen was Paul Dabek. He combined seriously impressive playingcard wizardry and sleight of hand with roasting audience members. Not literally.
Paul Nathan, who does the I Hate Children Children’s Show at the Fringe each year, turned a flame into a chewy sweet inches from my eyes in the Pleasance Courtyard one year. The sweet tasted great and I’ve never been the same since.
Derren Brown’s The Heist show terrified me. Every time I hear Michael Jackson’s ‘Can You Feel It’, I’m sure I’ll accidentally rob a bank.
CONTENT Editor-in-Chief Yasmin Sulaiman Senior Digital Editor Scott Henderson Content Manager Rowena McIntosh Deputy Content Manager Murray Robertson Senior Content Producer Alex Johnston Content Producers Henry Northmore, Arusa Qureshi, Kirstyn Smith, Louise Stoddart Subeditors Brian Donaldson, Paul McLean SECTION EDITORS Around Town / Music Kirstyn Smith Books / Film Scotland Yasmin Sulaiman Comedy / Front Brian Donaldson Dance / Kids Kelly Apter Film Reviews Emma Simmonds Food & Drink Donald Reid News Rebecca Monks TV Henry Northmore Theatre Gareth K Vile Visual Art Rachael Cloughton PRODUCTION Senior Designer Lucy Munro Freelance Designers Callum Lewis, Carol Soutar, Katie White DIGITAL Senior Developer Andy Carmichael Senior Designer Sharon Irish Software Developer Iain McCusker Data Developer Andy Bowles
I’ve seen Colin Cloud a few times at the Edinburgh Fringe and each time he’s blown my socks off with his mind games, guessing what audience members most embarrassing moments were, what colour car they drive and what they’ve eaten! Spooky!
My favourite magician has to be Piff The Magic Draggooon (yes you have to type it like that). Piff and Mr Piffles were one of my ‘let’s just go see something random at the Fringe’ discoveries. A cheeky, yet charming man with some serious black comedy dressed up as a dragon with a little chihuahua. It’s quite the experience. He was on America’s Got Talent so you know he’s good.
Watching Paul Zenon facilitate an audience member swinging pints of lager around and around at incredible speed without spilling a drop in the Spiegeltent ages ago is still one of the most astonishing things I’ve ever seen. His humour was mildly cheesy but it’s difficult to be brilliant at two things at once.
I went to see a young Paul McKenna long before he was famous in a small town called Camberley. Being a small town it ended up that out of the ten people chosen on stage I knew six of them. They ended up doing any number of bizarre things including feeling so cold that they had to put on about 15 jumpers, pretending to be a spaceship etc. But my favourite part was my best friend being persuaded he was Skippy the bush kangaroo for about 15 minutes. To this day he remembers nothing and still gets confused when told the story. First time I realised that actually people can be hypnotised and it wasn’t just a stooge in the audience.
COMMERCIAL Head of Account Management Chris Knox Senior Account Manager Debbie Thomson Account Managers Rachel Cree, Ross Foley Ad Ops Executive Emma Thompson Affiliate Content Executive Craig Angus Digital Business Development Director Brendan Miles Partnership Director Sheri Friers ADMINISTRATION Head of Accounting & HR Sarah Reddie Director Robin Hodge CEO Simon Dessain
Published by The List Ltd HEAD OFFICE: 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE Tel: 0131 550 3050 list.co.uk, email editor@list.co.uk GLASGOW OFFICE: at the CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD Tel: 0141 332 9929, glasgow@list.co.uk ISSN: 0959 - 1915 © 2017 The List Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without the written permission of the publishers. The List does not accept responsibility for unsolicited material. The List provides this content in good faith but no guarantee or representation is given that the content is accurate, complete or up-to-date. Use of magazine content is at your own risk. Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd, W.Yorkshire.
2 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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food to make you feel good find us at these locations wagamama edinburgh ORWKLDQ URDG wagamama edinburgh ocean terminal wagamama edinburgh st andrew square
1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 3
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The
REALIST PHOTO: JOHAN PERSSON
JUNE
DANCE
2 The Red Shoes Matthew Bourne’s reimagining of the classic 1948 Powell and Pressburger film is a glamorous and tragic homage to the world of dance. Ashley Shaw’s work in her duets with Dominic North is particularly memorable. See review, page 103. King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 6–Sat 10 Jun.
FILM
1 Edinburgh International Film Festival A landmark occasion as the EIFF celebrates 70 years of bringing movies, masterclasses and maestros of the big screen to the capital. Among the movie highlights are openers God’s Own Country, closer England is Mine, and new work from emerging Scottish directors, including Modern Life is Rubbish (pictured). Plus, don’t miss Cars 3 and EIFF Play, a celebration of Edgar Wright. See feature, page 17. Various venues, Edinburgh, Wed 21 Jun–Sun 2 Jul.
AROUND TOWN
3 LeithLate
Another stirring programme of theatre, poetry, music and murals lands in Leith with unique and unusual spaces being utilised for the benefit of the artistic community and local populace. See feature, page 29. Various venues, Edinburgh, Thu 15–Sun 18 Jun.
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So much culture, so little time. We boil it down to 25 of the best events
AROUND TOWN
THEATRE
4 Glasgow Science Festival
5 Shackleton
Science still truly rocks and this year’s GSF takes a look at everything from deep space to the bottom of the ocean, while topics such as climate change and superbugs are discussed, debated and dissected. See feature, page 44. Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 8–Sun 18 Jun.
Sligo’s ever-innovative Blue Raincoat bring a visual eye to the story of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and his epic journeys aboard Endurance. See preview, page 100. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 7–Fri 9 Jun; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 14–Sat 17 Jun.
6 Glasgow Jazz Festival As well as veteran names such as Ginger Baker, Geno Washington and Tony Allen (performing a tribute to Art Blakey), the GJF hosts some younger likes of Kaja Draksler (pictured), Delta Autumn and the Jay Phelps Quartet. See feature, page 88. Various venues, Glasgow, Wed 21–Sun 25 Jun.
PHOTO: © ED RUSCHA
PHOTO: ZIGA KORITNIK
MUSIC
AROUND TOWN
VISUAL ART
COMEDY
7 MagicFest
8 Ed Ruscha
9 Penn & Teller
MagicFest, or to give it its Sunday name, the Edinburgh International Magic Festival, features conjuring types from Belgium, Finland, France and the UK at the Festival Theatre gala while there are also courses, workshops and secret rooms. See Highlights, page 66. Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 30 Jun–Sat 8 Jul.
In Music from the Balconies, the polymath Pop Artist analyses Los Angeles, the West Coast and Hollywood with a series of works from the 60s through to the 21st century. See review, page 108. Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, until Sun 29 Apr, 2018.
While Penn has appeared in the likes of The West Wing and Modern Family, Teller has been content to do what he does best: stay schtum and do some magic. The pair arrive in Glasgow with a barrel-load of fancy business to amaze you with. See Highlights, page 74. Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Thu 15 & Fri 16 Jun.
CHOSEN BY FUNBOX’S ANYA SCOTT-RODGERS
PHOTO: STEVE ULLATHORNE
10 Stuart Mitchell
Slightly biased here, but on a personal basis I am so excited to see my husband Stuart Mitchell’s show Dealt a Bad Hand, which is touring around Scotland and a bit beyond from June. He’s a stand-up comedian who debuted his hour at the Edinburgh Fringe last year to full houses and great reviews. I never got to see it as we usually work opposite hours, so by the time I’m coming home from my shows during the day he’s just heading out to his gigs. We both have very different audiences but in a way they are just as judgemental and vocal if they don’t like you (I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been heckled by a five-year-old) and I was so proud of his success last year. Apparently I’ve provided a fair bit of the material too . . . Stuart Mitchell: Dealt a Bad Hand, touring until Thu 13 Jul; Funbox: Highland Fling, touring Sat 3 Jun–Sun 29 Oct; Funbox: Underwater Adventure, touring Sat 10 Jun–Sun 8 Oct; Funbox at the Fringe, Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh, Mon 7 & Tue 8 Aug. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 5
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JULY
MUSIC
MUSIC
1 TRNSMT Whether we’ll be saying ‘T in the What?’ remains to be seen but Glasgow Green is certainly playing host to an impressive array of acts for this weekender which is set to remind the city what it’s been missing on the music festival front. Among the barnstorming big names are Radiohead, Belle and Sebastian, Kasabian, the 1975 and George Ezra (pictured) but further down the bill lurk plenty pleasures such as the hotly-tipped Louis Berry, the Van T’s, and the ideally titled JR Green. See feature, page 30. Glasgow Green, Fri 7–Sun 9 Jul.
TV
2 Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival
3 Game of Thrones
Everyone seems to be marking an anniversary in Edinburgh so why not the Jazz Fest? There’s a celebration of Ella, Dizzy and Monk’s centenaries while the contemporary likes of Ibibio Sound Machine, Kandace Springs and Yussef Dayes (pictured) add to the mix. See feature, page 88. Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 14–Sun 23 Jul.
Not too long now til the ultimate fate of Westeros is settled as the battle for bloody control is ramped up a dozen notches or so. The remaining Lannisters and Starks are joined by Jim Broadbent, Bastille and, wait for it, Ed Sheeran, while the White Walkers no doubt have something awful up their icy sleeves for the North. See Highlights, page 111. Sky Atlantic, starts Sun 16 Jul.
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KIDS / MUSIC
FILM
FOOD & DRINK
4 Kelburn Garden Party
5 The Big Sick
6 Edinburgh Food Festival
Set in amazing surroundings, this is a weekend fiesta of kids entertainment, bars, pools, a secret forest and music from the likes of Be Charlotte and DJ Food. There’s even a Twin Peaks Cabaret Tent. See Highlights, page 85 and 98. Kelburn Castle and Country Centre, Largs, Fri 30 Jun–Mon 3 Jul.
An impressive Fringey cast (Bo Burnham, Kurt Braunohler and the movie’s co-writer Kumail Nanjiani are all in there) help tell the story of a couple in crisis for a film which has already stormed its way through the festival circuit. See review, page 79. General release from Fri 28 Jul.
Street food, talks and the finest Scottish produce are all on hand to help usher in the capital’s festival season with an event that’s expected to pull in some 25,000 hungry visitors. See Side Dishes, page 51. George Square Gardens, Edinburgh, Wed 26–Sun 30 Jul.
PHOTO: ROBB MCRAE
KIDS
AROUND TOWN
VISUAL ART
7 Mister Maker
8 Glasgow Comic Con
9 ArchiFringe
CBeebies Mister Maker takes Circle, Square, Rectangle and Triangle (aka The Shapes) on tour for an audience participation-heavy gig which promises noise and entertainment aplenty. See preview, page 84. King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 15 Jul.
It should be a magnificent seventh year for Glasgow Comic Con as the event prepares to welcome the legendary likes of Pat Mills, Frank Quitely and Metaphrog while talents such as Elsa Charretier and Amy Reeder are also in town. See preview, page 65. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 1 Jul.
Initiated by engineers, photographers, curators, musicians and (unsurprisingly) architects, this year’s independent platform for new projects once more explores exactly how architecture touches all our lives. See Highlights, page 109. Various venues, Scotland, Sat 1–Sun 23 Jul.
CHOSEN BY AUTHOR PETER ROSS
10 ZZ Top
ZZ Top (in my head, in my heart) are one of a holy trinity of bands – together with Slade and Half Man Half Biscuit – whose greatness is masked by the air of novelty that surrounds them. Those beards, those cheap sunglasses and the heavy reek of booze and cheese prevent us from seeing them as they are: geniuses of rock’n’roll. Unquestionably, almost half a century into their career, ZZ Top are trading on past glories. But what glories! The songs from their imperial phase – ‘Legs’, ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’’, ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ – are undeniable pop pleasures. It’s the material from 1973’s Tres Hombres, though, which establishes them in the pantheon. ‘Waitin’ for the Bus’, ‘Jesus Just Left Chicago’, and ‘Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers’ have some claim to being the best run of opening tracks on any LP, and then you’ve got the mighty sleaze-blues of ‘La Grange’ coming up on the flip. For one night only, Texas is coming to Glasgow. Be there. ZZ Top, O2 Academy, Glasgow, Wed 26 Jul; Peter Ross’ The Passion of Harry Bingo: Further Dispatches From Unreported Scotland is published by Sandstone Press, Thu 17 Aug. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 7
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T S U AUG
AROUND TOWN
1 Edinburgh Festival
PHOTO: PEDRO ARANY
With the Fringe and International festivals both marking their 70th anniversaries, this is set to be a landmark cultural year. Vast numbers of shows have been on sale for some time, so tickets are already getting snapped up for some of the top events. It seems almost unfair to name a mere handful of highlights but here goes: a full month of Tape Face, a brief run of acclaimed US comic Hasan Minhaj, an Alan Ayckbourn play, Vuelos (pictured), Anoushka Shankar, China Goes Pop, PJ Harvey and several classic operas. Plus the city plays host to festivals celebrating TV, fashion and the digital world. See Highlights, page 66. Various venues, Edinburgh, Jul & Aug.
PHOTO: BRINKHOFFMÖGENBURG
PHOTO: TIM MOROZZO
2 Optimo 20 MUSIC
PHOTO: JULIAN BROAD
Twitch and Wilkes prepare to blow out the candles on Optimo’s 20th birthday clubbing cake as they host a dynamic anniversary lineup. This huge all-dayer features the Black Madonna, Happy Meals, Apeiron Crew and Ben UFO, among plenty others. Take Monday off is a piece of obvious yet wise advice. See feature, page 36. SWG3, Glasgow, Sun 6 Aug.
THEATRE
THEATRE
4 This Restless House 5 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the MUSIC
3 Summer Nights Once the majesty of TRNSMT dies down, Glasgow welcomes another summer raft of excellent bands to its stages. Who can possibly argue with the live likes of Pixies, Arab Strap, KT Tunstall, Texas (pictured), Seasick Steve and Brian Wilson performing Pet Sounds? No one, that’s who. See Highlights, page 96. Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, Mon 31 Jul–Sun 13 Aug.
With toes dipped into both central belt metropolises this August, Zinnie Harris’ reimagining of Aeschylus’ ancient drama of a dysfunctional family was a hit when it was first performed last year and completely deserves this return. Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 15–Thu 17 Aug, Thu 31 Aug–Sat 9 Sep; Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 22– Sun 27 Aug.
Night-Time
The National Theatre’s acclaimed take on Mark Haddon’s novel finally comes to Glasgow with playwright Simon Stephens’ vision discovering a fresh audience. When Christopher finds himself under suspicion for the death of a canine, his world is turned upside down. King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Mon 14–Sat 19 Aug.
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LIST CO-PROMOTION There are tons of shows to choose from at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Here are some handy highlights from four of the biggest venues at the Fringe. For full show listings, check out the EdFest.com brochure, free with your copy of The List. You can also download the free app at EdFest.com, and book for shows at all four venues with no booking fees.
– Main Hall 18:00 3-28 Aug
AAAAA ThreeWeeks
Hairy Maclary : Assembly George Square -The Theatre 10:30 3-20 Aug
Jason Byrne: The Man With Three Brains : Assembly Hall – Main
AAAAA The Guardian
Transit : Assembly Hall
In the smouldering kitchen of a remote South African farmhouse, 23 years after apartheid, a single night of brutality and tenderness unfolds between a black farm labourer and his white master’s daughter. The visceral struggles of contemporary South Africa are laid bare as the couple’s deadly attraction spirals out of control and they battle over power, sexuality, memory, mothers and land. Winner of more than 20 prestigious theatre awards, this Yael Farber sensation returns to the Assembly.
Flip FabriQue, the young company of rising stars from Quebec, bring their brand new show to Edinburgh following on from the 2016 hit Attrape Moi. What would you do if you knew it was your very last evening with your friends? How do people handle things when they know they are doing something for the very last time? Wouldn’t something as simple as eating an apple become extraordinary if you don’t know if or when you will ever eat another apple? Flip FabriQue invites you to live in the moment and have no regrets!
‘Out of the gate and off for a walk, went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy.’ Anyone with young children will recognise these immortal words instantly as the opening lines of the book ‘Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy’ by Lynley Dodd. Featuring many of the characters from the books like Hercules Morse, as big as a Horse, Schnitzel von Krumm, with the very low tum and Scarface Claw – the toughest tomcat in town. With music, singing and several of your favourite Hairy Maclary. stories, this show is a must for the whole family.
AAAAA Metro
AAAAA One4Review
Hall 21:00 3-27 Aug Three brains kick into action when Jason is on stage. Left brain scans the audience looking for improv moments. Right side has all the stand up and stunts in there like a filing cabinet, ready to dish out when needed. Middle brain just shouts,“come on, keep pushing yourself”, it’s the drill coach of the three brains.
Borders by Henry Naylor
Scott Gibson: Like Father, Like Son The Craig Ferguson Show
Double Feature
Gilded Balloon Teviot - Dining Room, 16:30, 2 - 28 Aug Following the hugely successful global tour of his third play, Angel, two-time Fringe First Award-winning playwright Henry Naylor premieres his highly anticipated new play, Borders. Inspired by our generation’s cataclysmic refugee crisis, this is an epic story of one young Syrian’s journey to Europe… a Europe that now belongs to the Right – a Europe with Borders.
Gilded Balloon Teviot - Billiard Room, 15:45, 2 - 28 Aug After last year’s smash-hit debut, Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Scott Gibson is back with his brand new show, a blisteringly honest insight into the men who have impacted Scott’s life: the good, the bad, and the… indifferent. A candid hour full of dark truths, personal reflection and uproarious laughter from the man Frankie Boyle described as ‘a natural, gifted, and unapologetic storyteller’.
Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre - Main Theatre, 22:45, 7 - 11 & 14 - 18 Aug Returning to the Fringe for the first time in 24 years, Craig Ferguson is bringing his acclaimed radio show right before your very eyes – and broadcasting it LIVE to America! Joined by comedian and fellow star of The Late Late Show, Josh Robert Thompson, each edition will feature celebrity interviews, your favourite acts from across the Fringe, current events and, of course, our American cousins – listening via satellite!
Gilded Balloon at Rose Theatre - Main Theatre, 19:15, 2 - 28 Aug Scotland’s most-seasoned comic performers, the Fringe First Award-winning Andy Gray & Grant Stott, star in Phil Differ’s play as two old pals granted their dream job – clearing out their former local cinema. Amidst the process of stirring memories and recreating scenes from their favourite movies, their shared fanaticism for film soon makes way for bigger issues that have long remained unsolved…
Butt Kapinski Dome, Ace Dome, 20:10, 2 - 27 (Not 9, 14, 21) Private eye Butt Kapinski invites you to choose-your-own-adventure in a film noir rife with shadows, sex and subterfuge. Kick reality to the curb and play in a world of dark dreams and bad similes. No seat is safe. Winner of the Fringe World 2017 Best Comedy and Innovation Weekly Award at Adelaide Fringe 2017.
James Acaster: The Trelogy
Cirkopolis: Pleasance at EICC, Lennox Skin: Courtyard, Beyond,
Courtyard, Pleasance One, 21:00, 2 -27 (Not 14 and 21) Undercover cops. Jury duty. Witness protection. Comedy. James Acaster returns with his trilogy of award nominated shows. Performing in rep: Reset (Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated 2016), Represent (Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated 2015) and Recognise (Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated 2014).
Theatre 14:30 and 19:30, 4 - 28 (Not 9, 16, 23) Matinees are on 12, 20 and 26 Quebec’s Cirque Éloize bring their jawdropping combination of circus arts, dance, music and theatre to the Fringe following sell out success in over 30 countries worldwide. The 2014 New York Drama Desk Award Winner for ‘Unique Theatrical Experience’ transforms the classic film ‘Metropolis’ into a spectacle for the whole family.
20:00, 2-28 (14 off) After the sell-out international tour of ‘Smother’, 201’s contemporary hiphop ensemble returns with ‘Skin’: a groundbreaking new urban dance show following a boy’s journey through gender transition. Award winning choreographer Andrea Walker directs a fast paced, emotionally driven story of identity and belonging.
Circa: Humans Circus Hub,
Alexei Sayle Med Quad,
Lula del Ray by Manual Cinema
Prom Kween Cowgate,
19:00, 4 - 26 Aug The new, thrilling and heart-stopping performance from the internationally acclaimed Circa (Closer, Beyond, Wunderkammer). Created by Yaron Lifschitz and fresh from a storming season at Sydney Festival, ten acrobats go faster, harder and higher than ever before, taking us on a stirring journey of what it means to be human.
18:45, 2 - 11 Aug The Godfather of alternative comedy returns to the Fringe for the second time in 37 years with a brand-new show. His acclaimed memoirs, Thatcher Stole My Trousers, was published last year and his recent BBC Radio 4 series Alexei Sayle’s Imaginary Sandwich Bar was nominated for a Chortle Award.
Med Quad, 16:30, 2 - 28 Aug From the company behind Ada/Ava (total sell-out Edinburgh 2016), the critically acclaimed Manual Cinema return with Lula del Ray. Told through a live-collage mix of shadow puppets and actors with live music, this show is a mythic reinvention of the classic coming of age story. New York Times Critics’ Pick 2017.
8:35pm, 3 - 27 Aug From the producers of the five-star hits Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho, How to Win Against History and Dizney Rascal, Prom Kween is a coming of age satire for those who hit that age years ago. It’s a musical about falling in love with who you are (with lots of sequins). Proudly part of the Underbelly Untapped season.
underbellyedinburgh.co.uk
pleasance.co.uk
gildedballoon.co.uk
Mies Julie : Assembly Rooms – Music Hall 14:30 3-27 Aug
1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 9
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READER OFFERS 30% OFF EDINBURGH 30% OFF EDINBURGH DUNGEON ADMISSION DUNGEON ADMISSION
Meet the baddest witch in town, Agnes Finnie, Edinburgh’s most powerful witch is back at the Edinburgh Dungeon and wreaking havoc. For a limited time only, come and meet her (if you dare) with a massive 30% off, meaning you get adult tickets for a horribly good £9.00. With 11 live shows, two underground rides and a thrilling journey through Scotland’s darkest history, don’t miss this – or you’ll be gutted! The List have teamed up with Edinburgh Dungeon to give readers 30% off all tickets when booked online. To redeem your discount just log on to list.co.uk/ offers and use the promo code AGNES. Edinburgh Dungeon 31 Market St Edinburgh EH1 1DF
thedungeons.com/edinburgh TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer ends 30 June 2017. This is an online exclusive offer. Full t&c’s visit list.co.uk/offers. The List’s usual rules apply.
WIN A YEAR’S SUPPLY OF TIMBITS
Tim Hortons is coming to the UK, and opening its first store in the heart of Glasgow on June 2 at 184 Argyle Street Glasgow. Be one of the first in the UK to try their legendary Timbits, their freshly prepared sandwiches and wraps and their famous Double Double. To celebrate the new opening, we are giving five winners the chance to win Timbits for a year and to enter, just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
Who is the famous ice hockey player that Tim Hortons is named after? Tim Hortons 184 Argyle Street Glasgow G2 8HA TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes 1 Jul 2017. The five winners will be sent a special Timbits card which will entitle the card holder to one complimentary box of 50 Tim Bits every month starting from July 2017 and ending June 2018. Not redeemable for any other product. Cash value £0.0001p. Not transferrable for cash. Subject to availability. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. One offer per person, per visit. Valid only in UK. Tim Hortons UK & Ireland LTD reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time and without notice. Usual List rules apply.
WIN A MIXED CASE OF BON ACCORD SOFT DRINKS
Bon Accord is back! Once a dominant brand on the Scottish soft drink scene, Bon Accord was a household name and loved by many. Now, four generations on, the company has been revived. Bon Accord Soft Drinks are full in flavour and contain no refined sugar or artificial sweeteners. They are flavoured with 100% natural ingredients and sweetened with honey, coconut nectar and fruit juice. The List have teamed up with Bon Accord Soft Drinks to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a mixed case of delicious, naturally sweetened soft drinks and mixers. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
What ingredients do Bon Accord use to sweeten their soft drinks? bonaccordsoftdrinks.com #bonaccordisback TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 31 Jul 2017. No cash alternative. Winner must reside in the UK. The List’s usual rules apply.
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GET ÂŁ5 OFF AT DRINKLY DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR IN ONE HOUR
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drinkly.co.uk TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer ends Fri 1 Sep 2017. Minimum spend is £15. Must be redeemed online only. The List’s usual rules apply.
The 71st edition of Edinburgh International Film Festival 2017 opens on Wed 21 June with God’s Own Country, a moving and unsentimental story of love and longing in the Yorkshire 7LUUPULZ. The debut feature of Yorkshire born actor and director Francis Lee is rightly being acclaimed as one of
WIN A ÂŁ200 WAGAMAMA GIFT CARD TO USE IN ONE OF THEIR EDINBURGH RESTAURANTS
the best British films of the year. Starring the superb Josh O’Connor as Johnny, working the family farm along with his ailing father played by Ian Hart (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) and stoic grandmother, Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones’ Diary). But when young Romanian farm worker Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) arrives, things come to a head – physically and emotionally – as Johnny and Gheorghe have to spend nights away up in the hills repairing a dry stone wall.
Kings of the katsu curry, wagamama opened their newest restaurant in the heart of buzzing St Andrew Square, Edinburgh in April. To celebrate, they’re giving away £200 in gift vouchers so one lucky List reader can head down and sample their menu for themselves. The third restaurant in the Scottish city; the space is designed to mirror the prestigious yet traditional city scene that St Andrew Square is renowned for. wagamama’s story began in 1992 in London. Inspired by fast-paced Japanese ramen bars, they are designed to offer a revolution in eating experiences by providing the freshest pan-Asian food served in a communal setting. The new Edinburgh offering is split across two floors, championing the stylish dÊcor that wagamama has pioneered through its 25-year history.
The List are giving away a pair of tickets to God’s Own Country opening film and passes to the after party on Wed 21 Jun 2017. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
What edition is the 2017 Festival?
To be in with the chance of winning, just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
Where is the new wagamama restaurant in Edinburgh? wagamama Edinburgh, St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2BD
wagamama.com/ @wagamama_uk TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 1 Aug 2017. The List’s usual rules apply.
God’s Own Country Edinburgh Festival Theatre 3-29 Nicolson Street Edinburgh, EH8 9FT Fri 16 Jun 2017
edfilmfest.org.uk @edfilmfest TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 16 Jun . Only one entry per person is permitted. Entry is open to UK residents only. Winners will be notified by telephone or email, no cash alternative. ;OL 3PZ[ Z \Z\HS Y\SLZ HWWS`
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DISCOVER NZ AT EDINBURGH 2017 TURE – ANCIEN TS CUL E HR NG I IN B E
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VIE DANS UN E MA RI O
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www.nzatedinburgh.com
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NEWS
STUDIO 24 NO MORE Studio 24 has announced its closure with the words ‘it’s better to jump than be pushed’. The venue, which has been a staple of the Edinburgh club scene for 22 years, cited complaints from neighbours and ‘harsh council-enforced sound restrictions’ as part of its reason for shutting up shop. The club and gig venue is set to close its doors in June.
VENICE CALLING FOR MACLEAN Edinburgh artist Rachel Maclean is currently representing Scotland at the 57th annual Venice Biennale. Her new film, Spite Your Face, features in the programme of the prestigious event. It is inspired by the story of Pinocchio and explores the realities of the modern world.
CATS OUT OF THE BAG The shortlist for the 2017 Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) has been announced. Black Beauty, Wind Resistance, Death of a Salesman and A Number are all in the running for Best Production, while Zinne Harris, Wils Wilson, Joe Douglas and Ian Cameron, Andy Cannon, Andy Manley and Shona Reppe are all up for Best Director. There are 10 awards in total, and the winners will be announced at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on Sun 11 Jun.
BIG MURALS FOR BIG YIN Billy Connolly’s 75th birthday is being marked with the creation of three 50ft murals across Glasgow.
For more news go to
LIST.CO.UK /NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS, LINEUPS AND OPINION
The works will be created by renowned Scottish artists John Byrne, Jack Vettriano and Rachel Maclean. Happy birthday, Big Yin. See page 15.
NAE MAY WEST Glasgow’s much-anticipated boutique music festival May West Fest was cancelled. The festival was set to take place on Glasgow Green during the May Bank Holiday. Organisers said: ‘We wanted to try and achieve something new whilst maintaining a low and affordable ticket price. With location issues, mounting costs and circumstances beyond our control, sadly this is not to be.’
ANOTHER PLAUDIT FOR GSA GRADS Glasgow School of Art graduate Rosalind Nashashibi has been shortlisted for the Turner Prize. Her 2017 work, Vivian’s Garden, depicts the relationship between two artists in Guatemala who are mother and daughter.
Cowgate has undergone a major £6.5 million makeover. The venue now has an expanded museum, featuring over 500 historical musical instruments from across four centuries, and an upgraded 200-seat auditoirum.
SELL OUTS In May, Arcade Fire (pictured) announced an intimate gig at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange on Thu 8 Jun. It sold out in just a few minutes – so we hope you got your tickets.
SAFETY CHECKS Following the Manchester attack in May, the SEC Campus in Glasgow will be implementing extra security checks. They advise visitors to allow extra time for full bag searches and pat downs at the SSE Hydro and the Armadillo, and bags larger than 35cm x 40cm won’t be allowed in. You’ll be able to find the latest security information at sec. co.uk
SCOTTISH MADE THE FRINGE GOES GLOBAL The 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh Fringe is being marked by a 24-hour ‘global celebration of festivals’. World Fringe Day takes place on Tue 11 Jul, and will see over 200 events staged around the world, linking back to Edinburgh as the ‘birthplace’ of the fringe festival.
EDINBURGH INVESTS IN ITS MUSICAL HISTORY The 18th-century St Cecilia’s Hall in Edinburgh’s
This year’s Made in Scotland programme for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been announced. Among the many highlights are Apphia Campbell’s new play, Woke; Gary McNair’s latest Letters to Morrissey; FK Alexander’s (I Could Go on Singing) Over the Rainbow; a trio of shows from Scottish Dance Theatre; and an eclectic night from Summerhall music strand Nothing Ever Happens Here. The MiS showcase is supported through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 13
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NEWS PUT TO THE TEST Rebecca Monks takes a look at a Glasgow summer school committed to speeding up the city’s urban regeneration process
COMING UP MEADOWS FESTIVAL Community festival featuring the biggest outdoor market in Edinburgh. Plenty of familyfriendly activities, too, so feel free to take the wee ones. The Meadows, Edinburgh, Sat 3 & Sun 4 Jun. NORTH HOP Craft beer, live music and street food: sounds good to us. This touring festival hits Glasgow. SWG3, Glasgow, Fri 16 & Sat 17 Jun. SAY AWARDS Young Fathers, Kathryn Joseph, Anna Meredith – who’s next in line for the SAY Award? See page 41. Shortlist announced on Thu 15 Jun; winner on Wed 28 Jun. REBUSFEST Ian Rankin curates this festival celebrating his beloved fictional detective, John Rebus. Highlights include a quiz, a whisky tasting and crime writing workshops. Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 30 Jun–Sun 2 Jul.
H
ow do we occupy the post-industrialist city? It’s the eternal question that we all wrestle with on a daily basis. Happily, a select group of international participants are set to tackle this conundrum, once and for all, as part of Test Unit 2017. In a nutshell, Test Unit is a summer school / symposium, which aims to test new models for urban development. This means looking at vacant areas of Glasgow (in 2017, the focus is the Glasgow Canal), and imagining new ways of utilising the empty spaces for the benefit of the city and its community. Laying down its roots in Civic House, Tes Unit is Scotland’s first live city lab. During this weeklong programme, architects, designers, producers and members of the local community will all come together to transform part of the Glasgow Canal area, with the goal of improving the city’s relationship to development and creation in the future. The idea has its roots in practicality, and is all about getting something done without endless meetings and discussions blocking the route to productivity. Speaking about the motivation behind the project, Test Unit’s Rob Morrison says that when it comes to urban regeneration in the area, ‘there’s been a huge amount of consultation over the years – workshops, discussions and meetings – all reiterating the same points.’ He describes Test Lab as a way of ‘trying to bridge the gap between the consultation and construction phase in how we plan cities,’ which is an interesting approach. Simply put, this isn’t about filling
whiteboards in meeting rooms with ideas. It’s about practical regeneration in a city. Throughout the project, a number of influential facilitators will lead separate teams, exploring different aspects of development. The teams then have a week to design and build prototypes that address issues in the area, which may inform and assist development in Glasgow in the future. Notable facilitators include Turner Prize-winners Assemble, who are set to work with Glasgow agency TAKTAL on how we occupy and develop vacant spaces. International lighting designers Jason Bruges Studio will be exploring the role of responsive lighting in public spaces, and artist and architect Valentina Karga’s team will explore alternative forms of economy in an attempt to build a stronger and more resilient community. Organisers are hoping that this new interactive model will have staying power, and influence city structures in the future. ‘I think what we really want to see is that it becomes a recognised model of how we develop buildings and spaces around cities,’ Morrison explains. ‘A huge number of Scottish cities have a lot of vacant buildings and industrial sites. This is an opportunity to see how, through an education programme, we can generate some really interesting ideas about how these buildings can be used for public good.’ Test Unit 2017, Civic House, Glasgow, Sun 18–Sat 24 Jun; Symposium, Sat 23 & Sun 24 Jun.
EDINBURGH FOOD FESTIVAL Back for its third year, the Edinburgh Food Festival (above) celebrates all sorts of Scottish food and drink, with demos and workshops, too. George Square Gardens, Edinburgh, Wed 26–Sun 30 Jul. SUMMER NIGHTS The popular open-air gig series returns. 2017’s lineup features, among many, Brian Wilson, Tom Jones, Texas, Pixies, Arab Strap, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Seasick Steve. Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, Mon 31 Jul–Sun 13 Aug. EDINBURGH FESTIVALS Both the Fringe and the International Festival are celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, so it’s going to be a fun one. Keep up with the latest at list.co.uk/festival Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 4–Mon 28 Aug. FRINGE BY THE SEA North Berwick’s multi-arts festival offers a respite from the madness of Edinburgh in festival season. Various venues, North Berwick, Mon 7–Sun 13 Aug.
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BIG PICTURE
BILLY CONNOLLY The Big Yin may be reaching the latter stages of his performing life, but he’s determined never to be forgotten. Thankfully, most of the country is in agreement with helping him cultivate a lasting legacy, and three of the nation’s foremost artists are chipping in. Jack Vettriano, John Byrne and Rachel Maclean (whose work is pictured) have all created 50ft-high murals which will hang around Glasgow to mark the legend that is Billy Connolly. A BBC programme, Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime, will show clips from his career as well as following the process behind the murals, while the original artworks will be showcased at the People’s Palace. Billy Connolly: Portrait of a Lifetime, BBC One, early June, and People’s Palace, Glasgow, later in June.
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The Czech Centre presents
#czechshowcase #CzechSeasonScotland
Five outstanding out uts s Czech companies with three Herald ald Angels A Awards and four Total Theatre Award Nominations mina offer six unforgettable shows. Featuring the spectacular 420PEOPLE with their Fringe debut. Part of Czech Season in Scotland presenting dance, literature, performance, music and visual arts.
BATACCHIO 4—12 Aug / 18.30 / Cirk La Putyka A magical spectacular inspired by the lavish comedies of the 19th century, by the award winning contemporary circus company. Informed Edinburgh ‘easily one of the best things you’ll see at the Fringe’
GOSSIP 4—8, 10—15 Aug / 20.30 Lenka Vagnerova & Company Thrilling and impressive dance, physical theatre, puppetry and drama in an exploration of gossip, blather, misinformation and rumour. Broadway Baby ‘smart, urgent, and a pleasure to watch’
THE NARRATOR
ONE STEP BEFORE THE FALL F 16—17, 20—22, 24 Aug / 17.00 Spitfire Company The return of the award-winning music and dance show inspired by Muhammad Ali’s journey from champion boxer to Parkinson’s sufferer. The Herald ‘a gut-wrenching tour-de-force’
WIND-UP 10—19 Aug / 15.20 / 420PEOPLE Prague’s 420PEOPLE deliver a dynamic sextet made of ferocious energy, finest movement and original music. Dance Europe Magazine Award ‘a dance bursting with energy’ Czech Radio
14—15, 18—19, 23, 25—27 Aug / 17.00 Spitfire Company Cecile Da Costa dances, sings and undergoes extreme physical strain in a story of secrets, unspeakable truths, and being a woman. ‘the experience one gains from The Narrator is physical in its nature’ Kulturissimo.cz
YOU ARE NOT THE ONE WHO SHALL LIVE LONG 13—19 Aug / 13.20 / DOT504 A look at features of political and social criticism, and the obsession of satisfying our needs for love, sex and money.
VENUE 82: ZOO SOUTHSIDE 117 Nicolson St / Edinburgh EH8 9ER 0131 662 6892 Booking / zoofestival.co.uk / edfringe.com www.czechcentre.org.uk
The Herald ‘this is a company worth watching’ 16 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL WED 21 JUN– SUN 2 JUL Happy 70th birthday EIFF – we salute you. Here, we take a closer look at this year’s Opening and Closing Galas, plus we shine a light on new strand EIFF: Play, and chat to Scottish Director Peter Mackie Burns about the anti-heroine of his debut film. And if you want to see more of EIFF’s history check out the 70th Anniversary Exhibition at various locations around Edinburgh until Sun 2 Jul 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 17
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FEATURE
NO COUNTRY Nikki Baughan chats to director Francis Lee about his bold debut feature, God’s Own Country, which opens the Edinburgh International Film Festival
‘I
grew up in Yorkshire, in a very isolated place,’ says actor-turned-filmmaker Francis Lee about the deeply personal inspiration behind his blistering rural drama debut God’s Own Country. ‘I escaped when I was 20, moved to London and went to drama school. But there was something about that landscape, those people and that way of life that cast a real shadow. When I decided to give up acting and make films, it felt a very natural place in which to explore stories. ‘I’d never seen that part of the world, something I was so familiar with, depicted on screen in the way in which I saw it,’ Lee continues. ‘I always felt like I was looking at the countryside as a tourist vista or a pretty postcard;
it was pastoral, bucolic, calming, relaxing, slow. And I’d never seen it that way. For me, it had been cold, harsh and isolating.’ And it’s against the backdrop of this brutal landscape that young protagonist Johnny (Josh O’Connor) works his family’s struggling farm; a task made even more difficult following the recent stroke of his father (Ian Hart). Geographically isolated and emotionally repressed, he numbs his physical and psychological pain by getting blind drunk and engaging in aggressive sex with anonymous lads. The arrival of sensitive Romanian farmhand Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) changes everything, igniting a spark in Johnny that’s not easily ignored. Both O’Connor and Secareanu turn in astonishing performances in two challenging roles; a result, says their director, of careful preparation that went far beyond
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EIFF
having them work long shifts on local farms ‘My experience as an actor taught me what an incredibly difficult job it is to stand in front of a camera and make yourself vulnerable,’ Lee explains. ‘I knew that I had to build incredible trust with the actors, and give them what they needed to push themselves. With Josh and Alec, we built their characters from scratch, from the moment they were born until the moment we meet them in the film. We plotted everything in great detail – significant events, how they were day to day, what their school life was like, what their family was like, their sexual encounters. So by the time we started to work together physically, the boys were totally immersed in who [their characters] were.’ This carefully structured approach extended into filming. ‘I shot the film chronologically, because I felt it would really help the boys relationship,’ says Lee. ‘Each scene
felt like building blocks that impacted on the next. I kept the boys separate until they met on screen for the first time; I knew that would add an extra layer, an extra frisson. And then once they had met and their relationship was developing, I moved them into living in the same house and they became very good friends. For me, it’s all in the detail and authenticity of character and place.’ Indeed, authenticity is the beating heart of God’s Own Country, from its richly drawn characters and multilayered natural soundscape to its production design – all costumes and props were sourced from local farms and shops – and portrayal of the Yorkshire countryside as far removed from the familiar rolling hills and gentle fields. ‘That was absolutely my intention,’ says Lee. ‘Very quickly, cinematographer Joshua James Richards and I realised that we didn’t want to tell this film in wide shot.
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I knew I wanted this story to be incredibly immersive and emotional, and that I wanted to discover Johnny’s world through his eyes. So the camera is very close to him all the time. We didn’t want to see the landscape, rather the effect it has on the people within it. So we see him traipsing through the mud, how cold he is, how his hood is up and his head is down. He is battling that landscape, rather than enjoying it.’ Some enjoyment does finally come, however, as Johnny and Gheorghe embark on an increasingly intimate relationship which includes some sex scenes that, while being entirely true to the story and its characters, are undeniably explicit. Lee, however, is unconcerned that these moments will become a bigger talking point than the film itself. ‘To me, the sex feels very much part of the world,’ he says. ‘I always knew that Johnny was going to go on what is, for him, a transformative emotional journey,’ he says. ‘But I knew he wouldn’t sit around, navel-gazing and talking about his feelings. So I showed that transformation in the way he reacts to sex, that change that happens within him through intimacy and touch. I had to be truthful with the way I depicted that, visually. Also, I feel that they are no more explicit than what you see on TV; I think the only difference is that they are two men.’ The film arguably also pushes boundaries in the way it realistically depicts the full range of male emotion which, in cinema, traditionally falls into the category of either square-jawed stoicism or campy melodrama. Lee, however, challenges the notion that his film is gender specific. ‘I know I decided to write a film about two men, but I’ve never distinguished emotion by gender,’ he says. ‘The starting point for me in writing this story was working out the toughest thing that I have ever had to go through is falling in love, and making myself vulnerable enough to love and be loved. That was what I wanted to explore.’ As an exploration of love and a study of a little-seen part of British life, God’s Own Country is both a sensitive and accomplished piece of filmmaking and a strikingly bold debut. Its filmmaker, however, laughs off any suggestion that his choice of first project could be described as brave. ‘I could only make this film the way in which I made it,’ Lee says, ‘and I was incredibly supported by the BFI and Creative England who only challenged me to go deeper. ‘Everybody who makes a film goes through the same emotional journey,’ he continues. ‘It takes over your life. I’m just really thrilled that people are finding things in the film they really like, and that resonate with them. That, to me, is the biggest compliment you can get.’
‘We didn’t want to see the landscape, rather the effect it has on the people within it’
God’s Own Country opens the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Wed 21 Jun. General release from Fri 1 Sep. 20 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
THE REMARKABLE TALE OF ROBERT DESNOS
CHILDREN’S DAY
ADVERSE CAMBER: DANIEL MORDEN & CLARE MURIEANN MURPHY
STORIES, CRAFTS, SONGS & GRANNY ISLAND’S CEILIDH FT. KATIE MORAG AUTHOR MAIRI HEDDERWICK
LOST IN BLUE DEBS NEWBOLD
BADLANDS UNTOLD TALES FROM INDIA
SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE STORYTELLER
GUARI RAJE
FOR FULL PROGRAMME & TICKETS VISIT VILLAGESTORYTELLING.ORG.UK
GREATCOMEDY coming to Motherwell Concert Hall
JIMMY CARR 4 AUGUST
The Best of, Ultimate, Gold, Greatest Hits Tour
STEWART FRANCIS 12 AUGUST
Canada’s top one liner Book now at culturenl.co.uk 01698 403120 22 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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EIFF
Ahead of the world premiere of Morrissey biopic England is Mine at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, List music editor and self-confessed fan Kirstyn Smith takes a look at the man behind the myth and the devotion he arouses
I
t’s awkward being a Morrissey fan. It’s even more awkward to be a Morrissey fan, like me, with a couple of very visible tattoos related to the singer. People are inclined to greet you with the phrase: ‘What’s that say? Morrissey? Aw, he’s a c**t.’ As far as separating the art from the artist is concerned, Morrissey is hardly the most complex example – John Lennon, David Bowie, Woody Allen, even Roald Dahl and Picasso carry more convolution than him, but there’s a certain amount of blame-shouldering undertaken when you’re the one who made the admittedly dubious decision to get tributes permanently inked onto your body. As the lead singer with the Smiths, and with an extensive solo career to boot, he’s one of music’s most iconic figures. Always an
outsider, a beacon for the misguided, his fans can be fiercely loyal and willing to defend him throughout his most troublesome interview pull-quotes. For this article, I reached out to a wellknown figure in the Morrissey fan community for their opinion on the Morrissey of today vs the Morrissey portrayed in England is Mine, Mark Gill’s Morrissey biopic. They prefaced an interview with the proviso that they would contribute to ‘any article that portrayed Morrissey in a positive light’, but wouldn’t talk about ‘his politics, or royals, or meat, or racism’, nor respond to questions touching on his personal life and health. It’s hard to write about Morrissey – in articles like this which aren’t music-focused – without side-eyeing his widely reported views on those banned topics. For a man who has made his living from being unafraid to stand up for his beliefs, his fans, in my experience (myself included), are more inclined to stay out of it. Those fans unwilling to dig into the more salacious aspects of Morrissey will still go to see England is Mine. But, is it necessary to know about Morrissey’s younger years, about his personal life, about his political views and wellbeing in order to be a fan? All signs point to no, but it’s against human nature not to be interested, particularly dealing with a man who tantalises contradictory views and opinions in both lyrics and interviews. Why, then, does the film exist? Perhaps to show
a different version of the aloof, curmudgeonly figure depicted by the media these days. Is it a chance to see a Morrissey newcomers might not recognise: a furiously ambitious and talented individual, bored with his tax office job and looking for something more from life? The film, based in 1970s Manchester, depicts a shy, insecure figure, scared to break from the mainstream, but simultaneously desperate to be that fish out of water. Turning points include his discovery of the city’s vibrant underground music scene and friendship with artist Linder Sterling, not to mention the film’s culmination: a fateful meeting with Johnny Marr (the rest, as they say, etc). This bright-eyed, excited soul is at odds with Morrissey today whose brand veers from media troll to someone who has no fucks left to give. Or perhaps someone who just wants to be left alone. Therein lies the crux. The Morrissey brand is also a secretive one, he’s managed to be protective of his personal life his entire career, despite fans and journos alike nipping his ear. Rightly so. Still, it will be an interesting depiction – to see this fictional Morrissey (played by Jack Lowden) unblinkered by fame, unaware of how he will be handled in the public eye, who hasn’t yet opened his ‘mealy mouth’ to the world. England is Mine has its world premiere at Edinburgh Festival Theatre on Sun 2 Jul as part of EIFF. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 23
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EIFF
Director Peter Mackie Burns chats to Eddie Harrison about the collaborative process and influences that lead to the creation of Daphne, his feature debut
‘I
t wasn’t so much our eyes meeting across a crowded room, more like finding each other in an agent’s reject pile!’ Scottish director Peter Mackie Burns is talking about his collaboration with writer Nico Mensinga on their debut feature Daphne, screening at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival. ‘Nico and I both have the same representation at United Agents, and he said, “I don’t like either of your work, so maybe you two should team up!” I’m paraphrasing; the bottom line was that Nico and I got on, and Daphne is the result.’ Emily Beacham (Hail, Ceasar!, Into The Badlands) was cast as Daphne, an objectionable young woman living in London whose attitude to life changes when she witnesses a stabbing. ‘It’s a city film. I’m fascinated by a particular area in London, Elephant and Castle, which is going through massive regeneration. I told Nico that I wanted to make a film about a contemporary female character who lives there, and asked if he had anything. He had a piece that had been rejected a few times, and that short, Happy Birthday To Me, became a prototype for the film,’ says Burns. ‘We showed it to Caroline Cooper Charles (head of Creative England at the time) and she suggested we take it to The Bureau (London and Paris-based film production company). When they saw Emily in the role, they got the tone immediately.’ Burns and Mensinga knew that they had found the right creative home with The Bureau, who had found critical and commercial favour with Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years. (‘I think it would have been a tougher sell to get it made without them. If the character and the world interest them, they’ll work with you on a micro level to get the script ready,’ says Burns.) While Burns has his own style, he’s happy to admit to two specific influences on Daphne’s creation; Mike Leigh’s ‘organic’ character development and Woody Allen’s stunning evocation of Manhattan. ‘Obviously, Emily is nothing like the character of Daphne, who is based on two people that I knew. We developed the character on a biographical level with Emily; it’s a bit like Mike Leigh’s approach, except we can’t afford to hire the actor for two years to prepare,’ says Burns. ‘Adam Scarth was our cinematographer, and we wanted something like the way Gordon Willis shot Manhattan, we used the same lenses and shot quickly, and did fewer takes to keep it fresh. And we ‘d shoot without rehearsing. We didn’t have the money to do 50 takes of a scene like Kubrick, I’d be handed my jacket if I did that!’ Burns won plaudits for shorts in the past, including Golden Bear winner Milk in 2005; now, Daphne will bring his unique sensibilities to a wider audience. ‘Daphne as a person is foul-mouthed, funny, but you want to spend time with her,’ says Burns. ‘It’s been interesting seeing how people reacted at Rotterdam and Texas [at SXSW], and I’m looking forward to seeing how Edinburgh audiences take to her.’ Daphne screens at Cineworld, Edinburgh, Fri 23 & Mon 26 Jun as part of EIFF. General release from Fri 29 Sep.
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BOOK NOW AT EDTHEATRES.COM tango with a 21st Century twist!
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EIFF
As Edgar Wright’s new film, Baby Driver, speeds into cinemas in June (see review, page 76), the EIFF are celebrating the comedy director with EIFF: Play, a new strand where you’ll be able to tackle retro games after watching Scott Pilgrim, play zombies post-Shaun of the Dead, and see Hot Fuzz at a village fete. Here, three of our writers pick their favourites
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD (2010)
SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
HOT FUZZ (2007)
Of all Edgar Wright’s films, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – the 2010 adaptation of Canadian cartoonist Bryan Lee O’Malley’s bright, poppy, Manga-esque series – is the most underrated. Alongside a stunning before-they-were-famous cast (Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans), it starred Michael Cera as the duffelcoated, bass guitar-playing millennial of the title, whose quest is to fight his way through his dream girlfriend’s evil exes as though he were battling his way through an arcade beat-’em-up. A box office bomb (Variety called it ‘attentiondeficit filmmaking at both its finest and most frustrating’), the film’s heavily stylised production – all sound effect text and frantic jump cuts – rubs many viewers up the wrong way as much as the couldn’t-care-less pose and over-crafted, comic book dialogue of the characters. Yet this was a hundred percent the point, and it’s easier to see now that Wright crafted a film that was ahead of its time; a living personification of comic and gamer style for both male and female fans, in which characters invent their own gaming avatars or cosplay personas and live them out IRL. It also set the tone for mainstream cinema in the 2010s, predicting the tone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (David Pollock) ■ See Scott Pilgrim at Potterow on Thu 15 Jun, with a retro game-filled after-party at Teviot Row House.
Horror comedies are tough to pull off: it’s difficult balancing laughs and terror effectively. And while Shaun of the Dead is packed with quotable lines, visual gags and killer comic timing, crucially it never forgets to take its monsters seriously. There was an obvious love of the zombie movies that inspired it, particularly the films of George A Romero. But the stroke of genius was repositioning the action in faceless London suburbia populated by a bunch of slackers – Simon Pegg as the eponymous Shaun and Nick Frost as his mate Ed. Shaun’s attempts to rescue the love of his life, Liz (Kate Ashfield), becomes even more heroic in its shambolic ineptitude. And the love was reciprocated with Pegg and Wright popping up with a quick cameo as ‘photo booth zombies’ in Romero’s return to the genre with 2005’s Land of the Dead. It also marks the first post-Spaced project from the triumvirate of director Edgar Wright and actors Pegg and Frost, the initial entry in what would become their beloved Cornetto trilogy, a skewed take on the trio’s favourite genres: horror (Shaun), action (Hot Fuzz) and sci-fi (The World’s End). Add guest spots from some of the UK’s finest comic actors (including Dylan Moran, Jessica Hynes, Bill Nighy and Peter Serafinowicz) and you have a near perfect recipe for cult comedy heaven with a side order of brainsssss. (Henry Northmore) ■ Head to the Biscuit Factory on Thu 22 Jun for Shaun of the Dead and a zombie after-party.
Hot Fuzz is the second – and best – of Edgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogy. Exceptional London police officer Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is transferred to twee Sandyford, where he and new partner Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) uncover the shocking truth about the Village of the Year in a no-holds-barred action-fest that definitely incurs a lot of paperwork. From lead roles down to cameos, it’s a who’s who of British comedy; Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan and Bill Nighy star as a trio of senior police officers; Stephen Merchant loses a swan; Olivia Coleman is a dirty-minded PC; and the wonderful Bill Bailey plays twin desk sergeants. There’s a tight script with a proper mystery to solve and adversaries to overcome yet it’s full of comedy gold. Plus, it’s laden with film references: The Shining, Lethal Weapon, Mad Max, Goodfellas, Reservoir Dogs – even Jurassic Park. Hot Fuzz allows Pegg to step into a different role: while Tim of Spaced and Shaun from Shaun of the Dead are both loveable man-childs, here he’s tasked with portraying a dedicated stickler-for-the-rules. It gives him and Frost a totally different dynamic: rather than starting off as friends, they become buddies throughout the film. With no token romantic interest to distract from their bromance, it’s the ultimate buddy cop comedy. Bring the noise. (Rowena McIntosh) ■ See Hot Fuzz at EIFF’s very own summer fete, at Church Hill Theatre, Thu 29 Jun.
Find out more at list.co.uk/eiffplay 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 27
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Museum After Hours
2014
2015
Friday Fringe Takeover
National Museums Scotland Scottish Charity, No. SC011130
Experience a taste of the Fringe with handpicked performers, music, comedy and more
27 July— 27 August 2017
#NMSAfterHours www.nms.ac.uk/afterhours
Leading international & Scottish artists, historic surveys and the best emerging talent New publicly sited artwork for the city Free activities for children and families Art Late, events, talks & tours edinburghartfestival.com @EdArtFest #EdArtFest
Friday 11, 18 & 25 August 19:30–22:30 £18/£16 Over 18s only Includes admission to Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites
45+ exhibitions at 30+ venues across the city
Funders and supporters: Supported through the Scottish Government Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund
Week-long courses across Fine Art and Design subjects in June, July and August for Adults and Children. For more information please visit www.gsa.ac.uk/openstudio or contact us on 0141 353 4596 / 0141 566 1311 / 0141 353 4565 or email open-studio@gsa.ac.uk
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LEITHLATE
LATE NIGHT TALES As the area’s creative renaissance continues, director Morvern Cunningham tells David Pollock what’s in store for June’s four-day LeithLate celebration
PHOTO: BRIAN HARTLEY
‘L
eith is a good news story these days – “it’s fabulous, it’s on the up!” – but there’s another side to that,’ explains Morvern Cunningham, director of the LeithLate festival, now in its seventh year. ‘There’s an element of precarity to the area as well: whether you live here or you’re an artist who works here. One of our exhibitions [programmed by Summerhall’s former arts curator Holly Knox Yeoman] is at the Sikh social enterprise café Punjabi Junction, which is currently under threat of property development.’ Featuring Stephanie Mann and an opening performance by David Sherry, the exhibition invites viewers to build their own installation from food and other items which will eventually be distributed to Edinburgh North East Food Bank. Cunningham points out that Leith is on a particular kind of knife-edge at the moment, but this is why it has a unique energy. Maritime and working-class roots gave way to the poverty of the 1980s and then a rapid influx of artists looking for cheap studio space. Then there are many student residences which have sprung up in the last 18 months, and now more wealthy insurgents. ‘I read a thing in the Financial Times recently saying that companies looking for cheap office space all want to move to Leith now. I thought, “is this the future?”’ Maybe, but for now Leith is still climbing the peak of a creative renaissance which hopefully won’t crash when all the artists are priced out. The centrepiece of the annual, four-day LeithLate festival is its Thursday night artwalk, with 25 weekendlong exhibitions debuting up and down Leith Walk. This includes the Leith Walk Police Box, Ltd Inc Corporation’s new studio at the Old Ambulance Depot, a community stage on the lively Kirkgate precinct, and an intervention by Creative Electric at the local laundrette.
‘I see LeithLate as being part art opening, part pub crawl, part doors open day,’ says Cunningham, taking a break from meetings in the Out of the Blue Drill Hall, a well-established grassroots Leith art space near her house. ‘And a party!’ This year she says she’s dedicated to living up to the ‘Late’ part of the festival’s title with a Thursday night afterparty hosted by Lost Map Records at Henderson Halls featuring Kid Canaveral and Savage Mansion, FiniTribe DJs at Franklin Cricket Club on Saturday night, and a closing party at Custom Lane on Sunday evening. That final venue is one of the elements of this year’s LeithLate which make it so much more than it has been in the past: the refurbishment of both the lane and the historic Custom House into artists’ studios creates a large new creative space fit for Sunday’s all-day party, while the Hidden Door festival’s assistance in clearing out the old Leith Theatre paves the way for choreographer Luke Pell’s Friday night dance performance In the Ink Dark (pictured). This conscious combination of the area’s heritage and future helps give LeithLate its character as a festival. This year, regular tours of the area’s murals (some, by artists like Kirsty Whiten and Elph, commissioned by Cunningham herself) will return, joined by a Public Poetry Trail hosted by Edinburgh Makar Christine de Luca. Plus, there’s a video installation by recent Glasgow School of Art graduate and LeithLate award-winner Clara Hastrup in the historic Trinity House’s unexplored vaults. ‘They asked us not to say they’re secret, because school trips go there all the time,’ laughs Cunningham. ‘But in all my years living here in Leith, I actually didn’t know about them. Shining a light on the unexplored places around us is all part of the fun.’ LeithLate, various venues, Edinburgh, Thu 15–Sun 18 Jun, leithlate.co.uk 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 29
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TRNSMT
PHOTO: SØREN SOLKÆR
THE GREEN, GREEN
Ahead of their gig at this summer’s TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, Fiona Shepherd gets the lowdown from Belle and Sebastian on the benefits of home recording and the concept behind their forthcoming trio of EPs
O
nce upon a time, many, many years ago (OK, about 20), a young Glasgow band whose musical beauty was admired all across the land were wooed by an esteemed suitor, offering to whisk them away on a tour of the nation’s larger indoor venues. But the fair young Belle and Sebastian said ‘no’ because they weren’t quite ready to support a group as righteous and respected as Radiohead. These days, it’s a different story, and the Belles (now a lean, mean live machine) were easily persuaded to join Radiohead on the bill of TRNSMT, the three-day non-camping happening on Glasgow Green, brought to you by the makers of T in the Park. ‘They said to us that Radiohead had personally requested that we be on the bill with them,’ says keyboard player Chris Geddes. ‘Whether that is actually true, I don’t know . . . ’ ‘It’s really nice to know you have fans in high places,’ says singer and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Martin. ‘I saw Radiohead really early on in King Tut’s, but they’re not the sort of band that works that well in a little venue and, sure enough, it turns out they are a stadium band.’ Belle and Sebastian have never played at T in the Park (‘by the time it was viable, I was too old to camp in a ditch,’ deadpans Martin) but they are known for their civic-mindedness and love of parks, having organised their own festival in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens in 2004 and rechristened the Kelvingrove Bandstand ten years later with a concert celebrating the opening of the Commonwealth Games.
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GRASS OF HOME Since then, they have released the groovy Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance album, performed their biggest hometown concert at the Hydro (turns out Belle and Sebastian are not an arena band), celebrated the 20th anniversary of their seminal debut Tigermilk, and spent time in the recording studios of their home city, polishing a number of songs to be released on a trio of EPs later this year. A couple of band members now have young families, so the decision to do some home recording was mainly a practical one. Although Geddes, also known for his DJ gigs around town, finds parallels in his extensive record collection. ‘A lot of the music that I really like, stuff from Memphis or Detroit, was just made by people who went into the studio and worked every day in their hometown,’ he says. ‘It’s what we did in the early days when we were in Cava Studios all the time or recording stuff up at Stuart’s church hall [frontman Stuart Murdoch lived above a church hall when the band were starting out]. It’s nice for us to be back in that way of working.’ Keen Belle and Sebastian watchers will spot the historical link with the three EPs – ‘Dog on Wheels’, ‘Lazy Line Painter Jane’, and ‘3 . . 6 . . 9 Seconds of Light’ – which the band released on Jeepster in 1997, containing some of their best-loved songs. ‘I think we all feel that a lot of the best stuff we did was on some of those EPs,’ says Geddes. ‘At the time it seemed the four-track 12-inch was a classic indie format.’ ‘When we first put out those EPs, we weren’t really a proper band, so that was an exciting document of a transitional period of people
growing into an entity,’ says Martin. ‘I wonder if this will end up being a document of a transitional period? I suppose you only really know from the other side, don’t you?’ ‘Thinking of it as EPs rather than an album gave it more of an anything-goes idea that things didn’t have to fit so rigidly into an album structure,’ says Geddes. ‘But that’s not quite how it’s worked out,’ adds Martin. ‘It’s gone through a lot of conceptualisation. I think at one point the notion was to deal with major faith systems and have one that would represent a Buddhist thing, one that would represent Islam, and one that would represent Christianity, and then that quite quickly got moved away from.’ While there is still some recording, production and general curatorial work to be done on the three EPs, it seems quite likely that they will feature material written by all six band members, including contributions from Geddes and bassist Bobby Kildea. Martin also confirms that a title has now been chosen: ‘How to Solve Our Human Problems Pts. 1, 2 & 3’. ‘I suppose most of the songs do concern little problems that people have been preoccupied by,’ says Martin. ‘I don’t know whether we have any clear answers, but I don’t think anybody does really.’ She does, however, have some sage encouragement for local audiences at TRNSMT. ‘If you can walk home from a festival, then you’re laughing . . . ’ Belle and Sebastian play TRNSMT, Glasgow Green, Fri 7 Jul. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 31
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TRNSMT
M
PHOTO: NEELAM KHAN VELA
‘T
he worst parts of playing a festival are walking. Not a fan of walking. The mud I can handle. But the walking? No, ta.’ Walking aside, it’s hard to imagine Gerry Cinnamon having a bad festival. If you stumbled past the T Break stage early in proceedings on the Sunday at T in the Park 2015, you’ll remember the racket that greeted Cinnamon’s set. It’s not that he’s a cult figure as such, but his legion of fans are exactly that: fanatic. In the best possible way. ‘First time playing a festival I’ve been going to since I was 15. No record out. No label. Just word of mouth,’ recalls Gerry. For half an hour before the set even started, fans were gathering and chanting his name. By the time it began, there was barely room for a small one at the back. ‘When it finally kicked off you could feel the energy in the tent. It was electric. Best buzz I’ve ever felt.’ It’s this word-of-mouth – or word-of-socialmedia – that has followers jumping at the chance to catch him live and can be attributed to Cinnamon selling out the O2 ABC in Glasgow in just two days at the end of last year. It’s a
The buzz of festival gigs, trainer theft and a lack of enthusiasm for walking: Kirstyn Smith enters the weird and wonderful world of Gerry Cinnamon
feat that acts with marketing budgets would kill for. It’s the grassroots aesthetic around Cinnamon that’s largely part of the appeal. He describes himself as ‘a shambles’ and he’s tapping into the DIY crowdfunding movement when it comes to his new album, which he’s funded on PledgeMusic. ‘My hands have been busted so it’s taken me a year to finish this album.’ With about four albums worth of material ready to go, his plans are to get this one out, then: ‘wee tour, few headline shows, go abroad, then release all my tunes and wrap it before it destroys me.’
But that’s the future. For now, there’s a summerful of festivals to gear up for: as well as TRNSMT in early July, he’s gigging at ButeFest at the end of July and Belladrum in early August, as well as EH6 Festival later in the year. All of which gives him enough opportunities to create more classic festival memories. ‘The worst was waking up with sunstroke, face down on a lilo at T in the Park about ten years ago and realising the place was empty,’ he tells us. ‘Full can of Carling in one hand, full can of Tennent’s in the other. Both opened. I don’t even drink lager. Three lads from Dundee were battering lumps out of two guys. When I bounced up, I saw I only had one trainer on. Turns out the two older guys were trying to steal the trainers off my feet. Luckily some lovely woman took pity on me and gave me a lift to the train station. By the time I got home I looked like I’d just crossed the desert. It’s funny now but at the time it was tough. Shout out to the lovely woman and the lads from Dundee.’ Gerry Cinnamon plays TRNSMT, Glasgow Green, Sat 8 Jul.
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THE SCOTTISH MUSIC INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (SMIA) PRESENTS
#SAYlonglist17
TWENTY OUTSTANDING SCOTTISH ALBUMS
SAYAWARD.C OM
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PROC FISKAL PHOTO: STEVIE POWERS
GRIME UP NORTH
Proc Fiskal is the latest signing to the ultra-cool Hyperdub. Arusa Qureshi chats to the Edinburgh producer about Scotland’s growing electronic music scene
T
here are few labels in the UK today that can boast a reputation as solid as that of Hyperdub. For over a decade, the electronic music label has defined and conquered the underground, becoming purveyors of the odd yet spectacular, disparate yet diverse. From dubstep to grime and everything in between, Hyperdub’s history chronicles a long list of artists and releases that have influenced the wider electronic music genre, including the likes of Burial, DJ Rashad and label boss Steve Goodman aka Kode9. Each new signing is not only a welcome addition to the growing Hyperdub family but a reminder of the label’s consistently independent and forward-thinking ethos. For Edinburgh-based producer Proc Fiskal, otherwise known as Joe Powers, this ethos is more than just a sign of an excellent label: it’s proof that it cares and prides itself on artistic freedom. As Hyperdub’s newest signing, Proc Fiskal slots into the roster seamlessly, with a sound that is as animated as it is interesting, representing the burgeoning grime scene beyond London. ‘There have been people in Scotland doing grime for a while,’ Powers explains. ‘But I think in the past two or three years, names like Rapture 4D and Polonis have got quite big and
that probably has a lot to do with the internet. It’s definitely helped bring some attention to the fact that people up past England are doing grime and it’s not just a hackneyed rip-off. People love the sound up here.’ The internet, or YouTube to be precise, is where Powers was introduced to grime, eventually reaching out to Rapture 4D, Polonis and LVLZ Radio in Glasgow, where he found a welcoming community of producers. ‘No one I knew was really into grime and electronic music so I had to go out and find it. It was quite exciting to be able to get into something new.’ From making beats in his bedroom to signing with Hyperdub, Proc Fiskal’s journey has been one of swift progression. So how did the mighty force that is Hyperdub come to discover a young grime producer from Edinburgh? ‘I just sent them an email with some tunes,’ Powers says casually. ‘They obviously care a lot about finding new music and are actually paying attention. I have to credit them; I never thought that I would ever be able to do anything with Hyperdub because I always looked up to them as this fucking amazing label.’ Though sending Hyperdub an email ‘with some tunes’ may sound totally unthinkable, the fact that they’re listening is a testament to
their brilliance as a label. For Powers, as well as being highly skilled, his interpretation of contemporary grime is fast and forceful, pushing the 160bpm ‘ruff sound’ facet of grime, and providing a contrast to some of the genre’s more commonly heard elements. Nowhere is this more evident than in the energetic melodies and warped basslines of recently released debut EP ‘The Highland Mob’. ‘I just use a lot of samples; I don’t use any synths,’ he explains when asked about his approach. ‘I’m really into sample digging. Not samples as in finding an old song, but I like finding these weird collections of sounds from early internet days where you used to stockpile sounds. I just like using lots of little odd noises.’ Proc Fiskal may or may not be imminently joining the ranks of the Hyperdub greats, but one thing is abundantly clear from our conversation: as well as being an accomplished producer, Powers is also very humble and willing to allow his music to speak for itself. His recent signing with Hyperdub and release of ‘The Highland Mob’ proves that there is always a reason to keep an eye on what’s happening up north. The Highland Mob EP is out now on Hyperdub. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 35
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OPTIMO
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OPTIMO
Henry Northmore catches up with Optimo mainmen Twitch and Wilkes as they prepare to celebrate two decades of creative collaboration
E
ven after 20 years, it’s hard to define Optimo. In fact, a refusal to fit into neat pigeonholes is one of its defining features. At its heart are Twitch and Wilkes (aka Keith McIvor and Jonnie Wilkes), resident DJs at legendary Glasgow club night Optimo which ran from 1997 until 2010. Their passion, knowledge and extensive record collection created a once-in-a-lifetime meeting of minds, music and audience. What started almost by accident, when McIvor recruited Wilkes to help fill an empty slot at the Sub Club after the previous resident moved to Barcelona, became a Scottish clubbing institution. In the early years numbers were low – they were lucky to get 100 people through the door – but there was something there that captured the imagination. Twitch (pictured, left) and Wilkes (right) were as likely to drop the Stooges as Drexciya, while guests included LCD Soundsystem (James Murphy later stated, ‘Optimo’s the best club in the world’), Peaches, Grace Jones, TV on the Radio and Throbbing Gristle. Optimo was wild and unpredictable, the antidote to staid genre-specific clubbing, its reputation growing and growing until it was packed out every Sunday. The weekly nights ceased after 12-and-a-half heady years, but Twitch and Wilkes now DJ across the world. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Optimo are coming back to where it all started in August for a one-day festival in Glasgow featuring Adult, Errorsmith, Happy Meals, Miss Red & The Bug and, of course, a set from Optimo themselves. How would you define Optimo in 2017? Twitch: Optimo is Jonnie and myself; we’re a touring unit.
It’s also a record label, and in Glasgow we’re also events promoters.
Twitch: I think Jonnie found it a lot harder than I did. It
was so amazing and such a great night, but I don’t think we could have gone out on more of a high than we did. It just felt like it was the right time. I miss the freedom of knowing a crowd so well you could do anything, but I don’t miss being there every single week. It became exhausting. Wilkes: I couldn’t do it again. It was a hell of a lot of work
as we did everything ourselves. I remember it very fondly; it changed my life and made me a better DJ, but it’s not coming back. How are you celebrating the 20th anniversary? Twitch: We thought long and hard then decided we
wanted to do a really big party in Glasgow. People have always found it hard to nail what Optimo is about and we thought we’d get a lineup that showed the many sides of Optimo. Anyone in particular you’re looking forward to on the lineup? Wilkes: Nurse With Wound. I’m so excited about that:
they’ve been a constant for us, an inspiration. It’s just so perfect that they’re on the lineup. I’m really looking forward to seeing an old friend, K-X-P from Helsinki, who’s playing two sets: a drone set and a more beaty one; There’s a woman called Aurora Halal who’s just awesome; hearing Ben UFO and Black Madonna DJing will be so much fun; Equiknoxx will be mental. Honestly, we didn’t book anything we don’t actually like; we just booked acts we love. Twitch: I have to say Equiknoxx from Jamaica. I saw
Wilkes: It’s been my sole passion from the beginning. It’s
how I approach playing; it’s a need that I have to try to work with music and play tracks that maybe, technically, might not be considered for the dancefloor. And what is your approach to Optimo’s music policy?
about ten minutes of them at a festival in Poland and it was great, but I’m really excited to see their whole set. Another one is Nurse With Wound: defiantly a marginal interest to most people but a long-time favourite of mine. If you can’t be a little bit indulgent on your own lineup, when can you be? What’s next for Optimo?
Twitch: There isn’t a music policy but that implies we’ll
randomly play anything which isn’t true either. I think whatever we play, there is some connection whether that’s a psychedelic track from 1969 or an electronic track from right now: there’s always an aesthetic to what we play which is hard to put your finger on.
Twitch: We never really had a plan. We’ll continue doing
it until we stop loving it but we’re still having such fun. The label will definitely continue: I’ve got about 24 releases in the pipeline. Wilkes: Our diaries are busier than ever: we have a couple
Do you miss the weekly Sub Club nights? Wilkes: Maybe more so than Keith; my grieving process
for the residency was longer. I found the DIY aspect of that was very important to me: building the party and having this staple every week.
of Glasgow-orientated projects which I can’t reveal at this stage. I’m happier than ever as a DJ and I definitely feel very strongly that neither of us have lost our love for music or playing music. There’s plenty of work to be done. Optimo 20, SWG3, Glasgow, Sun 6 Aug.
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SOLID BLAKE
AURORA HALAL
THE BLACK MADONNA
SOFAY
PHOTO: ALDO PAREDES
NIGHTWAVE
OPTIMO
LEGENDS OF THE UNDERGROUND To celebrate Optimo 20, Arusa Qureshi caught up with some of the DJs who have been influenced by Twitch and Wilkes to get their thoughts on what the legendary club night and duo have meant to them over the years
ON WHAT MAKES AN OPTIMO CLUB NIGHT SPECIAL
ON WHY OPTIMO HAVE ENDURED 20 YEARS AFTER THEIR FIRST NIGHT AT SUB CLUB
ON BEING A PART OF THE OPTIMO 20 LINEUP
ON THEIR INFLUENCE
AURORA HALAL: Optimo are simply badass . . . last time I saw them they were blending Slayer’s ‘Angel of Death’ into Italo and making everyone scream with joy. What they do is a pure expression of human connection and that’s what it’s all about.
SOFAY: What I like so much about them is how nothing is too cool or too uncool: there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure record. You could hear Madonna and Iggy Pop then some disco white label or rare Japanese record that you might never hear again. It’s not pretentious, it’s punk; something that is very rare and hard to find in the dance music scene in Glasgow.
THE BLACK MADONNA: At the risk of embarrassing myself, it’s something I would have dreamed of ten years ago and laughed if you’d told me it was possible. I am honoured to celebrate them!
NIGHTWAVE: Optimo are a huge inspiration to me both musically and generally as people. They are both extremely humble, open minded, supportive, approachable. They are a musical encyclopaedia and a party powerhouse. I am constantly learning new things from them and their love of music and the whole culture continually inspires me. They are true pioneers.
NIGHTWAVE: Anything goes: it’s about having the best time and not sticking to a strict policy. It takes everyone on a journey and exploration of new sound and energy. It educates people without being pretentious and brings everyone together in a really special way which is rare these days. It’s what true club culture was all about. SOFAY: My first experience of an Optimo party was going to one of their infamous Hogmanay soirées. Watching live bands play on the dancefloor in a packed-out, sweaty club is fun for everyone and they know that. They’ve always understood what their club is about and they never veer away from that. SOLID BLAKE (APEIRON CREW): When I started going to Optimo nights, most of the others I was going to were a lot of fun, but in this really rowdy way. Optimo was always a great party, but the fun was more free, inclusive, and perhaps more respectful towards the music than I was used to.
THE BLACK MADONNA: Creativity, perseverance, exploration. And, of course, Glasgow itself is so very special. There’s no place on earth more perfect for this experience. SOLID BLAKE (APEIRON CREW): Over these 20 years, Jonnie and Keith have continued to interact with younger people in the scene, educating them in many ways, but more importantly, being willing to learn from them too. This attitude has kept what they do fresh and interesting as new people came through.
SOLID BLAKE (APEIRON CREW): Optimo and their Sunday nights at the Sub Club were so fundamental to my education in music growing up. Coming back to Glasgow always has a lot of meaning for me, and especially now to come and play the kind of event that I’d have been first in the queue to buy a ticket for back in the day feels really special.
SOFAY: It’s clear they both have an insane knowledge when it comes to dance music but it is often the more abstract sounds in their sets and radio shows that inspire me. Their sets sound personal; sometimes they are dark, sometimes they are euphoric, sometimes they are silly. It is that playfulness that is so influential to my DJing. THE BLACK MADONNA: They absolutely represent, and inspired, one of the most important turning points for me as a DJ. It was because I heard Optimo that I began to believe the wider scope of music that I loved could work in a club. The Black Madonna, Sofay, Aurora Halal and Solid Blake (Apeiron Crew) are all part of the Optimo 20 lineup
at SWG3, Glasgow, Sun 6 Aug.
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Don’t Miss Two Fantastic Festivals By The Seaside in 2017. Great Fun For All The Family!
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SAY AWARDS
PICK OF THE POPS It’s Scottish Album of the Year Awards time – and once again, we’ve assembled a crack panel of experts to discuss the longlist. Ahead lies plenty of disagreement, probing, some rejoicing and a wee bit of dancing OUR PANEL: David Pollock (freelance journalist), Kirstyn Smith (List music editor), Stewart Smith (freelance journalist) and Arusa Qureshi (List content producer)
Stewart: Firstly, I’m delighted that Sacred Paws
and Ela Orleans have been nominated. They stand head and shoulders above the competition and if neither of them wins there is no justice. But overall, the longlist is disappointingly male, pale and stale. There was plenty of exciting and innovative new music on the eligible albums list – Helena Celle, Alasdair Roberts, Richard Youngs, Heather Leigh & Peter Brotzmann, Anxiety, Mark Vernon – but we’ve ended up with your indie da’s playlist. Arusa: I agree with you Stewart, especially about
the list being male, pale and stale. Where’s the hip hop, grime, DJs, producers etc.? And perhaps more importantly for me, I think (I may be wrong) that there’s only one person of colour on the list. When I see lists like this it confirms for me how much the creative industries in Scotland are lacking in diversity. And for anyone that dares to use the age-old argument ‘well, there weren’t any decent people of colour this year’, it’s not their job to make themselves known, it’s ours to find them! And if there really aren’t enough people of colour in the Scottish music industry, isn’t that something that the Scottish Music Industry Association should be actively trying to combat? Fair enough that the public will vote for acts like
Frightened Rabbit because they are popular and there’s nothing wrong with that. But how do we ensure that lesser-known acts aren’t left out of the mix? If you’re an underground act and you take a look at the longlist from the past few years, you might think that you have no chance. But maybe there needs to be some effort going towards changing that mindset? Or if that’s not possible, maybe there needs to be a new category especially for those upand-coming acts? Kirstyn: Arusa’s point about a category specifically for those up-and-coming artists is an interesting one: should there be two awards? One for up-and-comers and one for better known acts? It would be hard to categorise who counts as ‘up-and-comers’, but I’m thinking along the lines of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the Fringe. Stewart: I like the idea of an upcoming category.
Perhaps even extend it so you’ve got a few different genre categories. Then you could pick an overall winner – although it’s important we don’t just have a repeat of the Grammys where BAME artists win best urban but lose out on the main prize. To be honest, I find awards a bit icky as a rule, but at least if you have different categories you shine the light on a wider range of acts and make it less winner-takes-all.
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SAY AWARDS
Arusa: As far as people I would have liked to have seen on the longlist, I’d choose 6th Borough Project, Asthmatic Astronaut, Jay Rolex and MC Almond Milk, Law Holt and Lord of the Isles. I’m not saying that these artists would necessarily go on to win but I think they would add some variation to the list.
beardy boo hoo boys. I’m sure you’re right that there will be media outlets saying this is music for snobs and they’ve never heard of half the names. But quite frankly, fuck them. This is a publicly funded project and it shouldn’t be pandering to the philistinism and triviality of the tabloid press.
Kirstyn: For me, Ela Orleans’ Circles of Upper
Arusa: I think (and hope) Ela Orleans will take it but I’d also be happy if Konx-om-Pax won. After three awesome years of Anna Meredith, Kathryn Joseph and Young Fathers, I really hope it doesn’t go in a boring direction. I agree with your description of Circles of Upper and Lower Hell, Kirstyn. It’s an interesting and intense album and it really stands out in my opinion.
and Lower Hell highlights the difference between her album and the rest of the good albums on the list – the importance of not being a passive listen. It’s very hard to forget you’re listening to it; while other albums on the list faded into the background, it was impossible to ignore EO. As well as the consistent wee jarring moments that reminded me to think about the album, the whole thing builds to a crescendo and a resolution, it’s the aural equivalent of a story. It was a bit like a dream that could become a nightmare at any moment. David: I’m in complete agreement about Sacred Paws and Ela Orleans being the best records on the list and each just as deserving of the win. But why shouldn’t Honeyblood be contenders because they use guitars or Frightened Rabbit be there because they’re popular? For every discussion like this, another media outlet is having one about how this is all music for snobs and they’ve never heard of half the names, guaranteed. Stewart: Frabbit shouldn’t be contenders cos
they’re bloody awful. Automatic disqualification for
SAY
LONGLIST ADAM HOLMES AND THE EMBERS Brighter Still C DUNCAN The Midnight Sun ELA ORLEANS Circles of Upper and Lower Hell
David: I think quite simply, I want my favourite albums on the list to win because they sound nothing like what you might imagine when you hear someone mention ‘Scottish music’. But they ARE Scottish music. Great music in its own right plus expectations pleasantly confounded. Stewart: Sacred Paws and Ela Orleans are my
favourites by a long chalk. Sacred Paws are a huge blast of queer DIY pop joy. They use African influences in a way that doesn’t feel appropriative or pastiche, and the dynamic between Rachel and Eilidh is so great. At the end of the day, they make me dance! The SAY Shortlist is announced on Thu 15 Jun, and the winner is revealed on Wed 28 Jun.
FATHERSON Open Book
KONX-OM-PAX Caramel
FRIGHTENED RABBIT Painting of a Panic Attack
MEURSAULT I Will Kill Again
HONEYBLOOD Babes Never Die
MODERN STUDIES Swell To Great MOGWAI Atomic
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN Damage and Joy
PICTISH TRAIL Future Echoes
KING CREOSOTE Astronaut Meets Appleman
RACHEL NEWTON Here’s My Heart Come Take It
RM HUBBERT Telling The Trees SACRED PAWS Strike A Match STARLESS Starless TEENAGE FANCLUB Here TEENCANTEEN Say It All With A Kiss VUKOVI Vukovi
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GLASGOW SCIENCE FESTIVAL
THE HEAT IS ON Glasgow Science Festival injects a healthy dose of fun alongside wake-up calls about the future of our planet, as Alex Johnston discovers
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early 30 years ago, in the summer of 1988, the US experienced record heatwaves. Some 45% of the country endured drought, and the state of Minnesota alone suffered $1.2bn in damage from lost crops. In an effort to understand what was going on, Congress asked scientists if they had an explanation. A NASA scientist named Jim Hansen gave testimony, in which he stated, ‘global warming has reached a level such that we can ascribe with a high degree of confidence a cause and effect relationship between the greenhouse effect and observed warming.’ Hansen wasn’t the first person to draw the world’s attention to climate change, but he did it in such a way that the world started to take serious notice. Nevertheless, 29 years later, climate change deniers have on their side a US president who proposes to slash funding for environmental programmes, and who is trying to reverse history by promoting coal mining. It’s against this background that the Glasgow Science Festival’s 2017 programme offers a number of ways to grapple with the future of the planet. Australian documentary The Silent Achiever explores how to manage increasingly frequent high-intensity disasters. For students only, there’s a zine workshop in which you can discover some of the latest work in climate adaptation. There’s also an afternoon of short films presenting the problem from the perspective of Native Americans, and a talk by George Loumakis of Glasgow Caledonian University which aims to separate fact from fiction in environmental science. Later in the festival, two panel discussions offer food for your anxieties. Optimism, Pessimism and the Human Future looks at what makes us feel how we feel about the prospects for the planet, while My Favourite Doomsday features three experts presenting different ideas about how the world will end: you even get to pick your favourite (we’ll have the Destruction of the Earth by the Sun Evolving Into a Red Giant While Humanity, Having Seeded Itself Across the Galaxy Billions of Years Earlier, Peacefully Interacts with Alien Species, thanks. With garlic bread). But the festival isn’t all about wake-up calls and mythbusting. There are also screenings of some fine films such as James Cameron’s The Abyss (his 1989 marital drama in the shape of a sci-fi blockbuster), and Joe Dante’s 1987 Innerspace, in which a wisecracking, miniaturised Dennis Quaid accidentally gets injected into the ass of a hypochondriacal grocery store clerk, Martin Short. Plus, you can explore museum collections in Kelvin Hall, get your wand on with some Harry Potter-themed science activities, and on the final day, the Hunterian Museum hosts a range of events including workshops with women engineers from the University of Glasgow. Glasgow Science Festival, various venues, Thu 8–Sun 18 Jun.
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
TOP EIGHT INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW BEFORE THE CRAFT SCOTLAND SUMMER SHOW For the finest purveyors of filtered craft inspiration, look no further This August, the Craft Scotland Summer Show arrives at Edinburgh’s White Stuff on George Street for an exhibition of contemporary design-led craft. Shop for stylish jewellery, graphic textiles and beautiful homeware and meet the makers behind the pieces. There’s also a series of workshops delivered by Emiliy Millichip, CARVE and Object Company, where visitors to the show can unleash their inner maker and learn how to craft their own ring, make earrings, carve a wooden spoon and create Carmen Miranda-themed keychains. To help you navigate all the beautiful objects, we’ve selected eight craft Instagram accounts to check out ahead of the show.
CATHERINE AITKEN
HAME
From her Leith-based studio, Catherine Aitken creates contemporary accessories from heritage cloths, such as Harris tweed, Scottish linens and waxed cottons. Think bags, purses, clutches and scarves for the urban adventurer. @catherinaitken
HAME combines traditional hand skills and modern technologies to produce beautiful and useful homeware that celebrates base materials. The account features the manufacturing process, finished products and Maisie the dog. @madebyhame
EMMA MCDOWALL
LYNNE MCLACHLAN
HELEN RUTH
Think concrete is grey and dull? Not the concrete of Emma McDowall, who produces gloriously colorful concrete vessels and objects, with plant holders and pen pots to brighten up your desk, as well as unique clocks. @_studioemma
Glasgow-based Lynne uses digital technology and traditional techniques to create colourful 3D printed jewellery with optical effects. Check out her mesh collection for bold bright pieces that just shout summer. @lynnemaclachlanstudio
Helen Ruth specialises in digitally printed silk and wool scarves, printed in Glasgow and hand-finished in Aberdeen. Her latest collection, Field Notes, is a series of scarves for explorers that mixes flora and fauna motifs in a riot of colour. @helenruthscarf
JULIA SMITH
CRISTINA ZANI
CRAFT SCOTLAND
Modern illustrated pottery handmade in Inverness. Julia’s delicately decorated bowls, plates and mugs are often inspired by nature and are infinitely more beautiful than whatever is in your kitchen cupboard at moment. @julia.smith.ceramics
Before setting up a studio in Edinburgh, Cristina Zani studied jewellery in Seoul. Her preset jewellery is influenced by the Korean urban landscape. Her account features lots of gorgeous textures and materials. @cristinazanijewellery
Craft Scotland is the national development agency for craft. Their Summer Show is their annual flagship event. Follow their Instagram account for snapshots of all 33 makers involved, as well as updates from the Scottish craft scene. @craftscotland
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ELECTRIC FIELDS
BRIGHT SPARKS Last year, Electric Fields was the breakout success of Scotland’s festivals scene. Organiser Nick Roberts tells David Pollock they’re in it for the long haul
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wo months ago Nick Roberts received an ‘on this day’ message on his Facebook wall. It reminded him how little time it had taken to throw together 2014’s first edition of Electric Fields with his brother Alex. Back then, it was a modest, thousand-capacity one-day festival headlined by popular local names Fatherson and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Yet within two years it had become five times the size and added another day, featuring big-named headliners the Charlatans and Primal Scream, and a strong, expansive, supporting lineup. In a Scottish festivals scene shrunk by T in the Park’s absence but otherwise holding its own, Electric Fields is one undeniable breakout success of the last couple of years. This summer, the task is to build on their two-day format’s success, and the organisers have once again chosen popular, commercial headliners in Frightened Rabbit and Dizzee Rascal, with a strong undercurrent of good quality local and international artists in support. The Jesus and Mary Chain, Kate Tempest, Band of Horses, Arab Strap, British Sea Power and Anna Meredith are notable among an eclectic bunch. ‘We started out as a result of going to a lot of different festivals around Europe and down south,’ says Roberts. ‘We then realised that among all of Scotland’s great festivals, there was no smaller event which sat comfortably in a commercial position and wasn’t ashamed of that. We wanted to put on the kind of bands you might get at Latitude, Green Man or End of the Road, but in Scotland.’ The first year was an experiment, the second was an attempt to repeat the experiment’s success (King Creosote and the Phantom Band headlined), and 2016 was the moment things turned a corner. This upturn in fortunes came with the addition of new promoting partners – Paul Cardow from PCL in Glasgow, and Andy Smith and Ben Robinson from Kendal Calling and Bluedot – who just clicked with Roberts. ‘It was pretty great to have new partners involved with business sense, but who were willing to keep the event small and grow it sustainably,’ he says. At the same time, the previous year’s move by T in the Park from its long-established site and the closure of the nearby Wickerman after its owner’s tragic death opened up a need for the likes of Electric Fields. ‘We’ve also seen the demise of Rock Ness while the Connect festival only operated for a couple of years,’ says Roberts. ‘We have to build that confidence again, to convince people that we really do intend to stick around.’ As to why the new Electric Fields has hit the ground running, he has one simple explanation. ‘When I looked over last year’s sales I realised the average age of those attending was 33. That seemed really old, until I realised that it’s me and my brother: it’s a festival put together by people who know what they want, and who know what people their age want from a festival.’ For Electric Fields, that’s the combination of a strong lineup, family-friendliness (already, 500 of the tickets sold for this year are for under-17s), and a bunch of quality extras beyond the music. Roberts points to the fact that Leith’s exceptional food market The Pitt will be making an appearance this year, as well as bar-quality cocktails and the like. ‘It’s common to hear people saying the festival market is saturated right now, and that’s kind of true,’ he says. ‘So it’s about stripping it right back to “if you like the sound of this, you’ll get exactly what you’ve paid for”. You can be assured you’ll be spending two days with good people who are there for the right reasons. I think we’ve had about three arrests in three years.’ Personally, he’s looking forward to Frightened Rabbit, because they’ve been with him since his teens (‘Scott Hutchison came up to me at Record Store Day to say thanks: apparently this is their first headline slot at a Scottish festival’), and Band of Horses. And then there’s Dizzee Rascal. ‘It’s a tricky one, deciding who to finish the festival with on Saturday night, but we realised that a good festival is like a wedding: you start off with the ceilidh, but by the end you want to put a tie around your head and have a disco. He’s still a great artist, but it shows we’re not taking ourselves too seriously. For me, though, the fact that the rest of the bill isn’t filler is a really important thing; it’s packed with up-and-coming acts who are really well thought of by us.’ For the future, Electric Fields is looking at the possibility of getting larger over two days or possibly expanding to three days, but anything they do won’t come at the cost of breaking the ‘promise’ they feel they have with their audience. ‘We won’t jump from 5000 to 25,000 in a year,’ says Roberts. ‘It’s about making sure our audience trust us at each stage . . . we’re on a nice site and we care about what we do. There are always opportunities, but we have no mad desire to reinvent the wheel too quickly.’ Electric Fields, Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway, Fri 1 & Sat 2 Sep, electricfieldsfestival.com
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04 - 28 August 2017 | Tickets available at edfringe.com
70 YEARS OF DEFYING THE NORM
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FOOD & DRINK
For the latest news, listi n reviews, ggs and o list.co.uk to /food&dr ink
THE POCKET GUIDE TO WHISKY Mapping the best in whisky for novices and newcomers Local authors Blair Bowman and Nikki Welch have released their Pocket Guide to Whisky featuring the Whisky TubeMap, an innovative approach to trying out or getting better acquainted with whisky. Based on Welch’s successful Wine TubeMap, the book introduces various whisky blends, malts and styles linked together along railway-style routes, offering initial suggestions followed by recommendations of different but not dissimilar whiskies to try on a tasting and learning exploration. The map has around 50 destinations, all independently selected, and the book provides lots of jargonfree insight from pronunciation tips to irreverent cocktail mixes. ■ The Pocket Guide to Whisky is out now published by Birlinn.
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DRINKS NEWS
NEWS & REVIEWS
Just over a year after its launch, Brewgooder has lots to celebrate. Brewed in partnership with BrewDog, the crowd-funded summer lager is appearing in bars and bottle shops all over the place and has recently signed a deal with Asda. All profits go to clean water projects, and the team are just back from visiting two wells they funded in Malawi. Glasgow Distillery Company, makers of Makar Gin, have produced Kilmahew Gin along with NVA, who ran last year’s Hinterland event at St Peter’s Seminary at Cardross. Flavoured with botanicals from the grounds of the estate, profits will go towards restoring the famous building.
SWISH SWISS
Jo Laidlaw discovers a seasoned chef with Franco-Swiss influences bringing a touch of class and ambition to Edinburgh with Le Roi Fou
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érôme Henry has form – over 20 years at the sharp end of fine dining with stints at Anton Mosimann’s Private Dining Club and Les Trois Garçons under his belt. There are certainly hints of this on the menu of his new restaurant, Le Roi Fou: foie gras, scallops, chateaubriand, a no-choice tasting menu (six courses for £48) – all present and correct. But a closer look reveals a lighter touch. Instead, start with a salad of herbs, leaves, asparagus, poached baby carrots and shaved fennel, all in a slip of bright olive oil and boosted by soft scoops of baked aubergine (a pleasant change from the on-the-verge-of-ubiquitous crowdie). It’s a beautiful plate, but not in a cheffy way; simply a tumble of colour and vitality. There’s simplicity again in a grilled slab of North Sea cod, although this time the puddle of rich, buttery saffron sauce banishes any thoughts of abstention. Beef fillet feels casually Parisian and the chips are excellent (as they should be at a £4 supplement). It’s all very confident and competent, although the wheels do come off a tiny bit at dessert. Pistachio crumble comes out as crouton-sized chunks of crispness which appear to have been rescued from the grill just in the nick of time, while the sharp rhubarb could be a little sweeter and more yielding.
While Henry and partner Isolde Nash cite influences like Dada and the absurd, there’s little evidence of that in the restaurant as it stands (early days yet though). It’s a plain space with picture windows allowing the setting sun to stream into the front area, while olive green walls create a darker feel at the back of the room. And while the pre-theatre menu (two courses for £17.50) is stonkingly good value, Henry and Nash’s dreams of creating a ‘restaurant des artistes’ may stand or fall on the latest round of Creative Scotland cuts, as three courses at any other time represents a reasonably hefty investment. That said, there’s a warm welcome extended to those who just want to perch at the bar for a glass of wine and a nibble, and with Henry’s Swiss heritage strongly in evidence in an excellent trolley of Swiss cheeses accompanied by a couple of equally surprising Swiss wines, that won’t feel like a hardship.
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The happiest of salads
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Desserts not quite reaching the same standards as everything else
LE ROI FOU 1 Forth Street, Broughton, Edinburgh, EH1 3JX, 0131 557 9346, leroifou.com Wed/Thu 5–10.30pm; Fri/Sat noon–2.30pm, 5–10.30pm; Sun 11am–4.30pm. Closed Mon/Tue.
RECOMMENDS . . .
BRGR EDINBURGH/GLASGOW
Big, bold and beautiful, BRGR’s juicy burgers and creamy milkshakes are a match made in foodie heaven. Add in the hand-cut fries and succulent sides, and you have the perfect burger experience. brgr-glasgow.com
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News to nibble on are busily recruiting for a new venue in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh Food Festival, planning its third year in George Square Gardens in the run-up to the Fringe from 26–30 July, will host a two-night pop-up from chef Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor (pictured) with a six-course menu served in the site’s Speigeltent. Gin festival Juniper hits Scotland in June with events at Summerhall
2–4 June and SWG3 9 & 10 June, while out-of-town food fests take place at Crail on 10 & 11 June and Ballantrae in Ayrshire on 11 June. The following weekend of 17 & 18 June sees the Power of Food festival celebrate urban food and growing spaces in 29 community gardens across Edinburgh.
Cometh the spring, cometh a swathe of new openings in Edinburgh. Civerinos Slice sees a second branch of the cult pizza people, this time with a focus on deep dish New York-style pies. Down on Leith’s Commercial Quay, Black Pig & Oyster promises tapas, shellfish and Iberian deliciousness, while Morrison Street newcomer Ishka combines Scottish ingredients with a Mediterranean twist (and a cracking cocktail list). Meanwhile, vegans are dusting off their crueltyfree dancing shoes at the news that Thoughtful Enterprises, the people behind cult Glasgow venues Stereo, Mono, 78 and Flying Duck,
A fearless collection of Glasgow’s top chefs are getting ready to be hoisted high above George Square for Glasgow in the Sky (eventsinthesky.co.uk), from June 15–20, serving diners a pop-up experience while strapped into the ‘sky table’. If you prefer something more down-to-earth, a couple of pop-uppers are settling into their first bricks and mortar in Shawlands, with Surf Dogs dishing up gourmet dogs and Julie’s Kopitiam doing Malaysian street food once Café Strange Brew moves into new premises nearby.
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WINNING FORMULA
RECENT OPENINGS
Nico Simeone brings his rapidly rising stock as a restaurateur into the heart of the fiercely competitive Finnieston scene, as Malcolm Jack reports
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aking over the narrow premises which formerly housed Table 11, Six by Nico’s concept is so appealing as to surely have neighbouring businesses watching nervously. A six-course tasting menu costs just £25, with wine-pairings – large pourings, be warned – only an additional £25. Better still, the theme changes every six weeks making for a fun and functional gimmick. The inaugural ‘chippie’ theme puts inventive spins on Scottish favourites, be it chips and cheese transposed to an amuse-bouche of confit potato topped with frothy parmesan espuma, served in a tea cup, or ‘special fish’ comprising soft white Shetland cod topped with a crispy cloud of beer batter (the ‘wine pairing’ being a pale ale). There’s theatre as the lid is lifted on Ayrshire pork ‘smoked sausage’ in a literal swirl of smoke. Deepfried Mars Bar has no place in a fine-dining restaurant, except when it’s deconstructed to dulce leche, chocolate nougat and malt, each bite a treat. Come back a few weeks later and you’ll eat a different meal altogether – and you will come back. SIX BY NICO 1132 Argyle Street, West End, Glasgow, G3 8TD 0141 334 5661, sixbynico.co.uk £25 (set three-course dinner)
The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.
Glasgow WILD FLOURS CAFE & BAKERY 526 Kilmarnock Road, Southside, 0141 811 0441, wildflours.co.uk, £8 (lunch) Fresh doughnuts are to gluten-free dieters what bacon sandwiches are to vegetarians. So finding that a Louisiana doughnut, or ‘beignet’, is the speciality of Wild Flours bakery is a source of great joy and excitement. This family-run and beautifully remodelled shop and café, a few minutes south of Shawlands, has plenty of other things going on, such as fabulous vegan chocolate cakes, homemade soups and toasties. But the beignets, freshly fried and tossed in icing sugar, steal the show. Sunday service is even devoted to them, with toppings such as strawberries and cream, maple syrup and bacon, and Nutella. This sect of gluten-free worship could well gain followers.
PAESANO PIZZA ITALIAN 471 Great Western Road, West End, 0141 370 0534, paesanopizza.co.uk, £10 (lunch) / £10 (dinner) After massive anticipation, Italian food champion Paul Stevenson has opened a sister to his much-loved ‘peasant-style’ pizzeria in the Merchant City. The recipe for his latest Paesano, in a former bank at Kelvinbridge, is familiar: same short menu of pizzas and salads, beautiful slow-proved dough, soft and creamy mozzarella, and the solid wood-fired oven – none of your ‘wood-fired’ gas imitations here, and it shows in the perfectly light, just-charred pizzas. In this smaller venue, the open kitchen is more a part of the experience, and watching the chefs at
work is entertainment in itself. Ridiculously tasty and tremendous value, this successful train must be about to rumble on beyond Glasgow.
Broughton Street have press-ganged the split-level bar into very 21st century use, with brick walls, slate floors and a strong selection of beer, cocktails and food.
MARCHTOWN
HONEYCOMB & CO
WINE BAR & OFF LICENCE 741 Pollokshaws Road, 0141 423 3328, marchtown.co.uk, £7.50 (lunch) / £7.50 (dinner) This Strathbungo bar/café hybrid has a delightfully unique pitch. It’s a wine bar mostly, though ‘global wine and Scottish craft beer bar to sit in or take away’ would be a more satisfactory (if less pithy) description. Interesting bottles include Austrian reds, Australian malbec, Spanish and Portuguese lesser-spotted varieties – all reasonably priced. By the glass is concisely ‘red / rosé / white’, changing frequently. It’s neat and simple and – as owner Anthony Reynolds says – the way it is when you pop into a wee place on holiday. Food is cold meats and / or cheeses from IJ Mellis. Two beer lines and service with knowledge and warmth seal the deal.
CAFES 1 Merchiston Place, Southside, 0131 228 4641, honeycombandco.com, £14 (lunch) Bright and cheery newcomer Honeycomb & Co blurs the distinctions between café and bistro. Mornings see a concise breakfast menu, including porridge and specials like shakshuka and smoky beans on toast. Lunch focuses on bold, colourful salads, available in four sizes, plus a selection of small plates and maincoursey specials. Apart from an Andante sourdough, everything is made in-house while meat comes from co-owner Susan Booth’s family farm. There’s a lot of experience and thought gone into this venture and it shows – not least in the pricing. That said, the confident, well-sourced food and sunny welcome means locals are positively buzzing about it.
Edinburgh THE SALVATION OF LEITH BARS & PUBS 58 The Shore, Leith, 0131 555 4636, £16 (lunch) / £16 (dinner) ‘The journeyman’s house of call – estd. 1872’ reads the motto stencilled alongside the door of the recently refurbished Salvation of Leith. Formerly the Leith Beer Co, the bar’s main selling point remains the bright terrace out the front with a great view across The Shore. The bar pays homage to the building’s original use as a house for the poor where – ironically – sailors could be saved from the temptation of alcohol. But the owners of Jeremiah’s Taproom and The Empress of
OTRO BISTROS & BRASSERIES 22 Coates Crescent, West End, 0131 556 0004, otrorestaurant.co.uk, £20 (lunch) / £20 (dinner) The team behind Eyre Place’s New Chapter have opened Otro, a new West End brasserie. Open all day, the space is fresh and bright, with a seashoreinspired mural on the main dining room wall. The menu focuses on brasserie-style classics, from fish and chips with mushy peas to a Scottish beef burger stacked with maple-cured bacon, Isle of Mull cheddar, caramelised onions and pickles. There’s strong veggie options and interesting fish choices too. With a set lunch menu that’s definitely worth a look, this is a confident opening.
Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink 52 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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SUPPORTED BY
FOOD & DRINK
n t y e n e g r r h u , e ; e y e s t y e s . . , e d t l & n y e e t s s f e n . e s n f o y y g
TRAD OR FAD? 2017 is Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. Can contemporary food culture, in all its see-and-be-seen, liked and shared, Instagram-chasing ephemerality have any connection with our history and heritage? James Teideman offers a few suggestions
P
ut down your phone and look around. What’s on your plate, and Pinterest, may have a connection with your surrounds. Edinburgh’s Food Heritage Trail explores the links between the city’s built heritage and its food traditions. Sometimes these links are obvious. Take the Witchery, with its name derived from the witch-burning site on Castlehill. There are plenty more places to eat historically in Edinburgh: the Pompadour; Colonnades at the Signet Library; Timberyard’s 19th-century former costume warehouse; the William Playfair-designed Gardener’s Cottage. But the preservation of history is not just for the sake of entertaining tourists. Okay, being housed in an historic building is probably good for business, particularly from tourists, albeit with a few more rules and regulations to follow. But there is often a higher motivation behind their restoration than profit. Some restaurateurs feel a sense of responsibility to uphold the heritage of their city because, as Andrea Pearson of Walking Lunch Tours says, ‘hospitality has long been at the heart of our history. There are many buildings in Glasgow that have been saved for the future because of our love of a good night out – Hutcheson’s, Anchor Line, the Corinthian are prime examples.’ At Hutcheson’s, James and Louise Rusk worked with the National Trust for Scotland to transform what was a Victorian hospital into a high-end bar and brasserie. It took them two years. James Rusk says: ‘Turning an old building into a restaurant means it has a purpose, means that people can enjoy it, that it’s not museum-eque but a living and breathing space that showcases our heritage.’ Sometimes architectural heritage is
intertwined with dining or drinking heritage. When The Buttery looked like it would be lost to property development, Two Fat Ladies’ Ryan James felt compelled to step in. Why? Because his dad used to go there, as did his father’s father, when it was the Shandon Bells. ‘It was basically a romantic notion, a complete labour of love, re-inventing what had been a Glasgow institution since the 60s. Otherwise it would have been turned into flats.’ Opening the restaurant in what was, as Ryan says, ‘arguably the worst location on Glasgow’, the subsequent regeneration of Finnieston means a food heritage site will now live on. Philanthropy has its rewards: a strong food scene attracts visitors, it’s good for business, good for the city. It’s not just restoring old buildings for restaurants that links our heritage with the contemporary food scene. When you wander the stalls at Big Feed or The Pitt, you’ll be following the food heritage of markets that leave their name today; Edinburgh’s Fleshmarket Close was the hottest spot in town to grab a dirty burger back in the day when Auld Reekie residents didn’t go to Iceland but always went to market and guzzled abundant shellfish at riotous oyster parties in city cellars. The popularity of local produce, the importance of sourcing and the emphasis on natural ingredients continues to grow. The lost art of foraging is now trendy. This is restoration of our heritage, a return to our past when, with the proximity of countryside to city, we’d pick our own, grow our own, and harvest because we had to. So, anyone for dandelion? Well yes, it seems. Through their foraging-based pop-up dining events, Buck & Birch are bringing Scotland’s forgotten ingredients back into the
contemporary consciousness. ‘We know where everything comes from because we’ve picked it or we’ve grown it or we’ve met the person who has produced it,’ says chef Rupert Waites, who recommends razor clams and extols the benefits of bitter cress. Like the buildings that are now fine dining destinations, Scotland’s forgotten larder is being restored and revived. Look no further than the Ark of Taste catalogue which promotes and protects heritage products that are rooted in our culture, and that are in danger of disappearing forever, from Soay sheep to the Musselburgh leek. There is an appetite in the contemporary food scene for our heritage. For every quinoa, there’s a chick weed. Restoring these traditions boosts business: take Scotland the Bread, who are building a local grain economy by rediscovering heritage grains that can be grown in Scotland for local breadmaking, and reseeding community baking projects. A sense of food heritage is fostering the entrepreneurial efforts of local producers and sellers, thus driving Scotland’s economy. Scotland’s heritage runs deep, its traditions handed down to new generations and new people in an ever-changing country. Like the Gorbals’ High Rise Bakers, who use Scottish flour in a social enterprise that brings together the community, that welcomes refugees into the heart and hearth of the nation, and bakes great bread like mothers, and grandmothers, and so on, would have done. And helps to make the world a better place. Scotland’s contemporary food scene is inextricably bound with the country’s history and heritage, and its future. Its food heritage will live on long beyond the latest hashtag.
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Ex xpe erie ence e ou ur 1st Au uthe ent n ic i Sic ich huan n Cu uissin ne in n Sco otla and d.
349 Sauchiehall Street G2 3HW
http:// www.sichuanhouse.co.uk
0141 333 1788
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HITLISTED RESTAURANTS
HITLISTS AND AWARDWINNERS FROM THE 2017 EATING AND DRINKING GUIDE The 2017 edition of The List Eating and Drinking Guide is out now, the 24th annual round-up of the eating out scene in Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the guide, nearly 1000 eating and drinking venues are covered by a team of over 70 locally based reviewers, with over 150 new openings included across the two cities. The best of these newcomers are recognised in the annual Eating & Drinking Guide Awards, presented in association with guide sponsors Birra Moretti. Selected by The List’s experienced team of reviewers and editors, the awards highlight and celebrate the venues which have brought something genuinely new, inspiring and original to the local scene in the last 12 months.
SPECIAL AWARD 2017 THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY The List’s annual Special Award for 2017 goes to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, an antidote to the marketing cliché and heavy branding of the whisky industry. Since forming in the 1980s, the society has demystified great whisky with an independent, democratic, inspiring spirit. In its newly refurbished premises on Edinburgh’s Queen Street, they’ve shown their continued commitment to bring the best of whisky and its conviviality directly to members, casual customers and aficionados alike. This year also sees the return of The List Readers’ Award in association with Birra Moretti, and after several months of voting the best restaurants as chosen by you are Edinburgh’s Dishoom and Glasgow’s Grill on the Corner.
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HITLISTED RESTAURANTS
PAVILION 1 Lister Square EH3 9GL WEST END 31 Queensferry St EH2 4QS QUARTERMILE 33 Simpson Loan EH3 9GG EAST END 45 Broughton St EH1 3JU www.soderberg.uk
O S T A R A , LEITH We believe the best food is simple, made with great ingredients and enjoyed with friends. Serving fresh, local food with an emphasis on brunch; our aim is to celebrate the best of Scotland’s food and drink while providing a warm, family-friendly and relaxed environment in which to enjoy it.
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AWARD WINNERS WINNER The List Eating & Drinking Guide ‘Special Award’ for 2017 With breathtaking views over the waters of the Firth of Forth, 28 QUEEN STREET is the home of the Society in the heart of the city. Boasting over 200 whiskies as well as craft beers, fine wines and cocktails, the new KALEIDOSCOPE WHISKY BAR and Dining Room Restaurant are open to all, while exclusive Members’ Lounges are hosted on the upper floors.
NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR NORN Freshly foraged, home-fermented, sharply seasonal, ultra-local – it’s all right on the zeitgeist, and happening at an unassuming Leith side street in the capable hands of Scott and Laura Smith. From the first mouthful of crusty homemade beremeal sourdough to the final sip of natural wine, Norn is razor-sharp, offering plenty of evidence that contemporary Scottish dining is on the move.
EVENING MENU AVAILABLE ON SELECTED DATES Book your alpine experience at www.alplings.co.uk 16 Henderson Street, Edinburgh EH6 6BS Phone: +44 (0) 7527 634 964
LucasKPhotography
OSTARA There’s no doubt that this Leith corner is warm and welcoming and that the food produced offers hearty, wholesome hugs in a plate or bowl. But peer behind the counter at Ostara and you’ll find David McVey and Carey Morrison nurturing a community of customers and suppliers with quiet, steadfast commitment. Simple neighbourhood pleasures encapsulated.
WWW.SMWS.COM
BOOK THIS UNIQUE ALPINE VENUE FOR YOUR EVENT! Contact the A-Team
NEW BAR OF THE YEAR GOOD BROTHERS WINE BAR Across the city’s wine lists terms like organic, biodynamic and natural are becoming common sights. But, until now, this movement has perhaps felt inaccessible to the casual bar-hopper. Step forward two wine-obsessed brothers, Rory and Graeme Sutherland. Their new wine bar in Stockbridge is a relaxed corner where an intelligently sourced and equally carefully priced list brings the best of the new techniques alive, supported by a simple menu.
Traditional Spanish Tapas Restaurant
13A Brougham Street, Tollcross, Edinburgh EH3 9JS • 01314782856
WED - SUN 5.30-10pm
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WHISKY BOURBON
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THE CRAN
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Finnieston
REGULAR TASTINGS IN-STORE The Tanjore - bringing the taste of authentic, home-cooked southern Indian food to Edinburgh
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23 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 1HW 0141 258 8427 info@thegoodspiritsco.com www.thegoodspiritsco.com
6–8 Clerk Street, Edinburgh, ͺ ͻ Ȉ ȋͲͳ͵ͳȌ Ͷ͹ͺ ͸ͷͳͺ www.tanjore.co.uk j HITLIS IN THE EA TED DRINKING TING & G 2012, 2013UIDE 2014, 2016 , & 2017 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 59
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GLENGOYNE WHISKY SUPPERS Available 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 23rd, 24th and 25th August at 9.15pm £30 per person A fantastic tutored whisky tasting by our Glengoyne brand ambassador with two special samples followed by a sensational two course supper showcasing Scotland, land of food and drink. WWW.CONTINI.COM/WHATS-ON/GLENGOYNE-WHISKY-SUPPERS CALL 0131 225 1550 | EMAIL: EVENTS@CONTINI.COM
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HITLISTED RESTAURANTS
AWARD WINNERS Hey! It’s me, Douglas the Boston Terrier errier Come to BODA and nd we can hang g out Ruff ruff!! P.S Nice beers eers and cosy homely ely vibe
NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR
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229 Leith Walk • 0131 553 5900 boda@bodabar.com
Daytime café culture seamlessly stretching into informal evening dining
BILSON ELEVEN Boutique fine dining in Dennistoun? Surely you meant to say ‘Finnieston’? Any doubts about the credentials of Glasgow’s East End to make a mark on the dining scene have been overturned at 1860s townhouse Bilson Eleven, where Nick Reitz is delivering confident, creative and technically adept dishes that celebrate Scotland’s larder while cleverly reflecting the tastes of the city. Insightful and inventive dining has dawned in the East. A’CHALLTAINN At the centre of Barras Art and Design (BAaD), the creative hub in the Barras Market run by Ricky Scoular and Brian Traynor, A’Challtainn taps into the social importance of our food and the way we eat. Imaginative, seasonal, affordable and beautifully presented dishes from head chef Garry Gill are the focus, but togetherness, neighbourhood and creativity are the wider aims. Gather here for creative food centred in community and culture.
Serving Speciality Coffee
Extensive wine list and an array of exciting craft beers available Cosy, relaxed tempo
“Fine dining standards delivered without fuss in a space that positively encourages you to linger long after the desserts have been cleared ” The List 54-56 Morningside road, Edinburgh 0131 281 1885 | enquiries@salt-cafe.co.uk
NEW BAR OF THE YEAR THE DRUGSTORE SOCIAL On a tranquil corner close to Kelvingrove Art Gallery, this newcomer from local group Kained Holdings is an indication of how far they have come in ten years. Beginning with Lebowskis, which trailblazed Finnieston’s current scene, they’ve brought seafood, steakhouse and cocktail venues to the city. The Drugstore Social’s small kitchen delivers hearty rustic meats and foraged delights paired with top-notch wines and invigorating cocktails, all in a well-pitched pharmaceutical setting. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 61
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LAUNCH NIGHT Our annual Eating & Drinking Guide launch parties in Edinburgh and Glasgow celebrated the 24th edition in style. Many thanks to our venues Checkpoint (Edinburgh) and Pizza Punks (Glasgow) – we couldn’t have done it without you. We’re also indebted to our sponsors Birra Moretti, and to Eden Mill Gin, Tamdhu, Glengoyne, L’Art du Vin and Bon Accord for keeping the drinks flowing. Photography Cat Thomson
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AROUND TOWN
F the latesotr listing news, reviews,sgand list.c .uko to /aroundoto wn
GLASGOW COMIC CON Hugely popular convention returns with new boss at the helm There’s a grand old tradition of comic conventions in Glasgow, yet when Sha Nazir started Glasgow Comic Con in 2011, it was the first time a proper comic con had been held in the city in 15 years. Now, six years later, Nazir has handed the reins of a hugely expanded event over to Nicola Love, with the intervening years welcoming creators including Glasgow’s own Mark Millar, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, and moving first to the CCA and now the city’s Royal Concert Hall. ‘When I’m programming Glasgow Comic Con I’m not thinking about what constitutes a good con, I’m thinking about what makes ours different,’ says Love. ‘There are dozens of brilliant events across the country, but we’re
still the only comics-focused convention with a guest list of our scale, so we still stand out in that respect. Maintaining that creator focus has been my most important consideration during the planning process – catering to comic (rather than film, television or toy) fans has always been our main concern.’ This year’s biggest name guests are the writer/ artist team Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie, creators of hit series The Wicked + The Divine, with international appearances from Marguerite Sauvage and Amy Reeder, and a contingent celebrating 2000 AD’s 40th anniversary including Pat Mills, John Wagner, Frazer Irving, Laurence Campbell and Tom Foster. (David Pollock) ■ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 1 Jul.
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AROUND TOWN | Highlights
HITLIST
WEST END FESTIVAL Various venues, Glasgow, Fri 2–Sun 25 Jun, westendfestival. co.uk Glasgow’s West End Festival treats the ears to a great musical lineup, tantalises all the senses with a carnival and delves into the creative depths of local studios and exhibitions with the Hidden Lane open days.
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL MAGIC FESTIVAL Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 30 Jun– Sat 8 Jul, magicfest. co.uk MagicFest presents another programme of close-up conundrums, mindboggling illusions, comic cabaret and other feats of the impossible.
INSOMNIA X RESONATE SEC, Glasgow, Fri 21–Sun 23 Jul, insomniaresonate. com Three-day festival of gaming featuring a professional eSports tournament, a junior ‘gamer zone’, a play hall and a retail zone where gamers can compete and mix with YouTube stars.
MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL Various venues, Glasgow, Sat 22–Sun 30 Jul, merchantcityfestival. com Comedy, theatre and art events cram themselves into the area’s fashionable buildings, while street performers add to the festival atmosphere.
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 4–Mon 28 Aug, edfringe.com The largest arts festival in the world and the greatest show on earth. This year, it’s the Fringe and the International Festival’s 70th anniversary, so expect plenty of celebrations throughout the month.
AROUND TOWN HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
rider or as part of a team, and check out the sites of the city all bathed in glorious moonlight on a 50-mile course.
Science Lates
GLASGOW BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE AND THE JACOBITES National Museum of Scotland, Fri 23 Jun–Sun 12 Nov, nms. ac.uk/national-museum-ofscotland Major new exhibition telling the real story of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the rise and fall of the Jacobites.
SCIENCE LATES: UNDER THE SKIN Glasgow Science Centre, Fri 2 Jun, glasgowsciencecentre. org A look at what makes us tick, with activities to make you smile and squirm, including exploring the human body’s vital organs and putting your reactions to the test.
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FASHION FESTIVAL Various venues, Thu 20–Sun 23 Jul, edinburghinternational fashionfestival.com A festival incorporating runway shows and glam afterparties, plus more intellectual talks on fashion-linked topics. This year is the festival’s first as an officially registered charity.
BRITANNIA PANOPTICON COMIC MART Britannia Panoptican Music Hall, Sat 3 Jun, britanniapanopticon.org Get your paws on comics, memorabilia, collectibles and original artwork at this comic mart. WORLD WAR II WEEKEND Tenement House, Fri 23–Sun 25 Jun, nts.org.uk/Visit/TenementHouse A weekend of WWII-themed events and activities. Learn how to make a rag rug and make your own piece of costume jewellery to take home with you. GLASGOW COMIC CON Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 1 Jul, glasgowcomiccon.com A comic convention with the focus very much on comics and their creators, writers, illustrators and readers. Guests for 2017 include Pat Mills, Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Marguerite Sauvage, Elsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet. See preview, page 65. VILLAGE STORYTELLING FESTIVAL CCA, Mon 3–Sat 8 Jul, villagestorytelling.org.uk A participative storytelling festival with exhibitions, films, music, performances and cutting edge storytelling.
BRICKLIVE SEC, Thu 20–Sun 23 Jul, bricklive.co.uk A celebration of LEGO with displays from fan builders, themed areas and millions of LEGO bricks to play with. IGNITION FESTIVAL OF MOTORING SEC, Fri 4–Sun 6 Aug, ignitionfestival.co.uk Three-day motorsport festival with classic cars, motorbikes, supercars and a live test-drive facility. Attendees include the Top Gear live stunt team, F1 star David Coulthard and rally driver Jimmy McRae. TOTAL BWF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Emirates Arena, Mon 21–Sun 27 Aug, glasgow2017.com The world championships bring together the best badminton players from across the globe.
EDINBURGH ZOO NIGHTS Edinburgh Zoo, Fri 2, Fri 9, Fri 23 Jun, edinburghzoo.org.uk Explore Edinburgh Zoo after hours and join in on the carnival-themed fun which includes live entertainment, talks, Q&As, street food and drink, silent disco, face painting, quirky photo opportunities and much more. LEITHLATE Various venues, Thu 15–Sun 18 Jun, leithlate.co.uk LeithLate is a multi-arts festival that takes place across multiple venues in Leith, showcasing the very best in emerging artists, musicians, poets and filmmakers. See feature, page 29. EDINBURGH NIGHT RIDE Roseburn Park, Sat 17 Jun, edinburgh-nightride.com Crisscross Edinburgh as an individual
FOODIES FESTIVAL Inverleith Park, Fri 4–Sun 6 Aug, foodiesfestival.com Michelinstarred and award-winning chefs cook up a storm at this year’s festival dedicated to epicureans, as well as offerings from local producers and workshops for food lovers young and old. EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Various venues, Fri 4–Mon 28 Aug, eif.co.uk Committed to virtuosity and originality, the International Festival presents some of the finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre. See list.co.uk/festival for more. TRUCKFEST Royal Highland Centre, Sat 5 & Sun 6 Aug, truckfest.co.uk The UK’s largest truck festival with plenty of entertainment for all the family. Expect appearances from Lisa Kelly, Todd Dewey, Jesse McClure and more.
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BOOKS
Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /books
BORDERS BOOK FESTIVAL Annual Melrose literary extravaganza returns with a packed roster The Baillie Gifford Borders Book Festival always punches above its weight with an impressive lineup of authors, writers and speakers descending on Melrose every year. 2017’s fest is no exception with a diverse programme that will appeal to kids, adults, serious readers and book geeks. Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star John Cleese is the big draw, in conversation with Rory Bremner (Sat 17 Jun). Anne Reid (you’ll know her from Last Tango in Halifax and Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies) presents an evening of stories and song (Thu 15 Jun). And Judy Murray, tennis coach and mother of national hero and world number one Andy, will discuss her autobiography Knowing the Score (Fri 16 Jun). With a general election just a week before the festival, there’s plenty of politics to get your teeth into. Jim Naughtie examines Trump’s rise to power (Thu 15 Jun), Misha Glenny discusses cyber security (Fri 16 Jun), Alan Little looks at the future of democracy (Fri 16 Jun), Tim Shipman’s new book covers the lead up to and impact of Brexit (Sun 18 Jun) and former Minister for Women, Joan Ruddock, talks about her memoir Going Nowhere (Sat 17 Jun). There’s plenty of crime royalty in tow too, with Mark Billingham and Chris Brookmyre (pictured) in their ‘unflinchingly sweary two-man show’ (Fri 16 Jun), and Val McDermid (Sat 17 Jun) and Ann Cleeves (Sun 18 Jun) putting in an appearance. And the two day Family Book Festival features Curtis Jobling (author of the Max Helsing series, Sat 17 Jun), Philip Ardagh (Sun 18 Jun) and Captain Firebeard’s School for Pirates author Chae Strathie (Sun 18 Jun). (Henry Northmore) ■ Borders Book Festival, Melrose, Thu 15–Sun 18 Jun.
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BOOKS | Reviews NON-FICTION
RENI EDDO-LODGE Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race (Bloomsbury) ●●●●●
Being a person of colour in the world today is having to constantly affirm your place in society, having to defend your right to exist, to work twice as hard to prove yourself. Being a person of colour who refuses to be seen in this way is aggressive, problematic or ‘obsessed with race’. These are just some of the labels that Reni EddoLodge seeks to probe and dismantle in Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, a seething takedown of commonly held attitudes towards race and racism in the UK and beyond. The title may be provocative but it is entirely essential, symbolising an intense frustration with the way that people of colour are continually dismissed by those that refuse to accept the reality of structural racism. Eddo-Lodge’s insightful discussions on black history from Britain’s colonial past to the murder of Stephen Lawrence and, more recently, Brexit, reveal a deep-seated, institutional hatred of ‘the other’, which has continued to inform and affect opinions today. Her bold choice to include an interview with former BNP leader Nick Griffin underlines this, proving that such attitudes will persist as long there is a resistance to change. By exploring sources of racism, whether it be through historical analysis or by delving deeper into white feminism or the link between race and class, Eddo-Lodge reveals why anti-racist work should be a universal objective, even if racism isn’t a universal concern. The book is ultimately a defiance against the silencing of people of colour. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out now.
DEBUT
DYSTOPIAN FICTION
POETRY
NON-FICTION
JESSICA THUMMEL
KENNETH STEVENS
RACHEL MCCRUM
JOHN GRINDROD
The Cure for Lonely (Freight) ●●●●●
2020 (Saraband) ●●●●●
The Outskirts (Sceptre) ●●●●●
Right from its sucker punch of an opening paragraph, Jessica Thummel’s debut novel is a captivating read. Winner of the Dundee International Book Prize in 2016, it follows Sam Gavin – a twentysomething from Nowhere, Kansas, who’s just beginning his journey into trans manhood. It’s 1989 and after a litany of tragedies, Sam’s teenage obsession Gwen comes back to town. A narcissist fleeing from her fiancee, Gwen convinces Sam to leave town; they end up in San Francisco, where Sam feels free to attempt living as a man. The plot’s occasionally a little thin on the ground, but that’s easy to skip over: what makes The Cure for Lonely so engrossing is Sam’s voice. He’s like an unholy blend of Holden Caulfield and Scout Finch if they lived through the 1980s AIDS crisis. The book’s suffused with literary references too (Sam’s grouchy neighbour Bill turns out to be the Bill that wrote Naked Lunch) and it’s a real pleasure to read. Thummel has great skill with characterisation: here’s hoping we hear more from her soon. (Yasmin Sulaiman) ■ Out Thu 27 Jul.
Set a mere three years in the future, 2020 depicts a bleak but uncomfortably familiar Britain: a terrorist attack on a sleeper train shakes the country, support for xenophobic groups and politicians is growing, and racial tensions are becoming violent. In Stevens’ novel, there is no central character or perspective: instead we are privy to a secret hearing, where events surrounding the terrorist attack and subsequent fallout in the community of Sudburgh are communicated by a stream of different voices who offer a multitude of perspectives and opinions. Despite the many unnamed characters, people are distinct, with brief first-person accounts artfully constructed to create fully formed characters, despite the fact that only a handful feature more than once. The tension is perfectly pitched, building from assaults glimpsed at night to high profile kidnappings. Surprisingly 2020 isn’t a response to Brexit or Trump – most of it was written in 2015 – but it hammers home how easily a divided country can reach crisis point. (Rowena McIntosh) ■ Out now.
The First Blast to Awaken Women Degenerate (Freight) ●●●●● Rachel McCrum’s debut poetry collection is bold yet sensitive, effervescent yet sincere, placing emphasis on the voices of women and their strength, rage and vulnerabilities. There’s a sense of tenderness and melodic richness in McCrum’s language but the lyrical movement of the words and their unpredictable structure encourages a performative quality which works to underline the range of narratives on show. From the displaced in ‘Who wants a home?’ to the fierce in ‘I am Gigi Hadid’s left elbow’, each piece is an insight into histories, memories and identities. The ‘Problems to Sharpen the Youth’ poems are particularly affecting in their discussions of crossing water and the analogies that can be made between modern-day forced movement and migration. Though she now calls Montreal home, McCrum's contributions to the poetry and spoken word scene in Scotland – both as an individual and as half of Rally & Broad – have been indispensable. The First Blast is another impassioned addition to her repertoire (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out Mon 17 Jul.
‘I grew up on the last road in London,’ begins John Grindrod’s Outskirts, a satisfying ramble through the Green Belt of past and future with a backpack full of research. To him it’s both the wilderness which lay at the edge of the council estate he grew up on and a town planning hot topic. Although a sort-of-joke, the line imparts the sense of not quite belonging to either rural or urban space which permeates the rest of the book. As a memoir-slash-social history of post-war Britain and its varying attitudes to progress, Grindrod’s own family becomes a case study by which he examines housing, class, health, the environment and more besides through a particular, personal lens. Although autobiographical detail could be pared back slightly, on the whole the personalisation of plotted land facing competing political and conservational pressures makes for both a thought-provoking read and a compelling argument for quality of life remaining central to balancing the UK’s developed land and open spaces. (Laura Waddell) ■ Out now.
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Highlights | BOOKS
HITLIST
BAILLIE GIFFORD BORDERS BOOK FESTIVAL Harmony Garden, Melrose, Thu 15–Sun 18 Jun, bordersbookfestival.org The Borders Book Festival attracts world-class literary figures. Highlights include John Cleese, Michael Parkinson and Judy Murray. See preview, page 67.
REBUSFEST Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 30 Jun– Sun 2 Jul, ianrankin.net/ rebusfest A celebration of one of Scottish crime fiction’s best loved characters, John Rebus. The festival, curated by Ian Rankin, includes whisky tastings, walking tours, live music, film screenings and crime writing workshops.
GLASGOW COMIC CON Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 1 Jul, glasgowcomiccon.com A comic convention with the focus very much on comics and their creators, writers, illustrators and readers. Guests for 2017 include Pat Mills, Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, and Marguerite Sauvage. See preview, page 65.
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL Charlotte Square Gardens, Edinburgh, Sat 12–Sun 28 Aug, edbookfest.co.uk The world’s largest public celebration of the written word. Look out for all of our Book Festival coverage in August at list.co.uk/festival and in our August issues.
KAITE WELSH Waterstones West End, Edinburgh, Thu 1 Jun, kaitewelsh.wordpress. com Author Kaite Welsh discusses The Wages of Sin, her feminist historical crime novel set in Victorian Edinburgh. Featuring medical student and amateur sleuth Sarah Gilchrist, two further books are due in 2018 and 2019.
BOOKS HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW LESLEY RIDDOCH Waterstones Sauchiehall Street, Thu 1 Jun, lesleyriddoch.com What can post-Brexit Scotland learn from the Nordics? Broadcaster, presenter and journalist Lesley Riddoch tackles the question in her new book McSmorgasbord. ROBIN WARD: EXPLORING GLASGOW Waterstones Argyle Street, Thu 1 Jun, waterstones.com Architecture critic and graphic designer Robin War launches a new guide to Glasgow, looking at the legacy of architecture in the city. Exploring Glasgow illustrates and describes almost 500 buildings and structures. THE BRITANNIA PANOPTICON COMIC MART Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, Sat 3 Jun, britanniapanopticon. org Get your paws on comics, memorabilia, collectibles and more. TRANSATLANTIC LITERARY WOMEN Glasgow Women’s Library, Sat 3 Jun, womenslibrary.org.uk As the centenaries of women’s suffrage in the UK and the US draw close, this free symposium of talks, workshops, readings and performances celebrates the achievements of transatlantic literary women of the period. ALLISON GALBRAITH & ALETTE J WILLIS Waterstones Byres Road, Wed 7 Jun, waterstones.com The duo present Dancing with Trees, a richly illustrated book with over 30 original drawings that brings together folk tales from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland that depict humanity’s relationship with nature.
ALAN LEE Waterstones Sauchiehall Street, Wed 7 Jun, waterstones.com Celebrate the launch of JRR Tolkien’s Beren and Lúthien with Alan Lee, the Oscar-winning artist behind the illustrations in this book. The work has been restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts and is presented as a standalone story. LIZZIE ELDRIDGE Waterstones Byres Road, Thu 15 Jun, waterstones.com The Glasgow-born author discusses her second book Vandalism, which was shortlisted for the Best Novel Award by the National Book Council of Malta. CLYDEBANK COMICS DAY Clydebank Museum, Sun 18 Jun, west-dunbarton.gov.uk Pop into this comic market to pick up bargains and meet artists and writers. You can also take photos with costume characters and visit Comic Invention in the temporary exhibition space. ALLAN CAMERON Waterstones Byres Road, Thu 22 Jun, waterstones.com The writer and translator discusses his new book Cinico; Travels with a Good Professor at the Time of the Scottish Referendum in which a narrator pretends to be an author and an author pretends to be a translator. THE VILLAGE STORYTELLING FESTIVAL CCA, Mon 3–Sat 8 Jul, thevillageonline.org.uk Participative storytelling festival with exhibitions, films, music, performances and cutting-edge storytelling. COMIC AVENGERS ASSEMBLE CCA, Wed 2–Fri 4 Aug, ccaglasgow.com BHP Comics host a superhero comic book drawing class, where kids can create their own super-powered person or be inspired by the world of Marvel and DC comics. Each day is a different comic class.
a doctorate in forensic science, but is perhaps better known as the blogger formerly known only as Belle de Jour. Her most recent novel, You Don’t Know Me, is a pacy thriller taking in call girls and political machinations.
Louise Welsh
EDINBURGH DENISE MINA Blackwell’s, Thu 1 Jun, blackwell. co.uk The popular Scottish crime writer and playwright talks about her work, including her most recent book, The Long Drop, based on the infamous case of Peter Manuel. MARK BOLSOVER Blackwell’s, Fri 2 Jun, blackwell. co.uk The launch of In Failure and In Ruins, a short collection of psychological realist experimental prose-poetry and the debut chapbook by Mark Bolsover. LOUD POETS: EXPERIMENTAL WORDS Scottish Storytelling Centre, Wed 14 Jun, loudpoets.com Leading Edinburgh scientists have been challenged to create new performances in collaboration with Loud Poets. Expect a mashup of science and spoken word about global warming. CAFE VOICES Scottish Storytelling Centre, Thu 15 Jun, tracscotland.org Join storyteller Lauren Bianchi from The Village Storytelling Centre in Glasgow for an evening of Goddesses and Shero tales from around the world. BROOKE MAGNANTI Waterstones Argyle Street, Tue 20 Jun, brookemagnanti.com Brooke Magnanti is a research scientist with
ENLIGHTENMENT EDINBURGH Waterstones West End, Tue 27 Jun, waterstones.com In her new guide to the capital city historian and writer Sheila Szatkowski celebrates the beautiful buildings and influential ideas that gave Enlightenment Edinburgh the moniker ‘Athens of the North’. LOUISE WELSH Blackwell’s, Thu 13 Jul, blackwell. co.uk It’s been three years since the first of Welsh’s Plague Times trilogy was published, 2014’s A Lovely Way to Burn. Here she discusses the final novel, No Dominion. BLACKWELL’S WRITERS AT THE FRINGE Blackwell’s, Thu 3, 10, 17 & 24 Aug, edfringe.com Edinburgh’s oldest bookshop presents a Scottish literary lineup with poetry, Tartan Noir and contemporary and historic fiction. CAROL ANN DUFFY & JOHN SAMPSON The Stand Comedy Club V, Fri 4– Sun 13 Aug, edfringe.com The Poet Laureate and her virtuoso musical collaborator return to the Fringe with an afternoon of poetry and music that pays tribute to the fallen soldiers of WWI and tackles contemporary themes.
OUT OF TOWN PETER ROBINSON Primavera Bistro, Newton Mearns, Thu 17 Aug, waterstones. com Crime writer Peter Robinson celebrates 30 years of DCI Banks and the release of his latest book, number 24 in the series, Sleeping In The Ground. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 69
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COMEDY
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PAM ANN The rudest air hostess alive celebrates 20 years of in-flight insults Had Joan Rivers chosen the life of a spunky air hostess rather than that of a lippy globetrotting comedian, she may have turned out a little like Pam Ann. The caustic creation of Australian writer and producer Caroline Reid has been badmouthing passengers, pilots and other airlines for two full decades and is now jetting around the world to unleash her Touch Trolley Run to Galley 20th Anniversary Tour. Dressed as though she’s wandered straight into one of Don Draper’s wildest drunken dreams, the retro-chic of Pam Ann doesn’t stop at her luminous attire; there’s something defiantly wicked about her refusal to toe anything like a politically correct line, with
barbs about the French particularly skirting the taste boundaries. To her credit though, Pam / Caroline usually reserves the worst slatings for whatever crowd she’s in front of at that moment, and claims that the Parisians adore her bawdy shtick. This former Melbourne goth has come a long way in those 20 years and a loyal following has helped keep her flying high. And just to show that there are no hard feelings, British Airways and Lufthansa have filmed adverts with Pam while Qantas even included one of her live DVDs as their in-flight entertainment. Good sports, one and all. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Sun 18 Jun.
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COMEDY | Previews
SKETCH GROUP
MY COMEDY HERO
ASPERGER’S ARE US
RUSSELL KANE
Summerhall, Edinburgh, Tue 27 Jun; Websters Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 22 Jul
King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Sun 18 Jun
The thing to remember about US comedy troupe Asperger’s Are Us is that they’re nothing like ‘the fictional portrayals on popular rubbish sitcoms’ (yes Big Bang Theory, we’re looking at you). ‘Being held as “poster boys” for the Asperger’s community is very weird,’ says Noah Britton, one of the four comics in the sketch team. ‘We’re very grateful for all the attention we’ve received, and we continue to push ourselves to be funnier and funnier to keep earning it.’ Since 2010, the four-piece have been creating comedy together, and were even the subject of a documentary. ‘It’s called Planet Earth and is narrated by David Attenborough. We appear in the wide shots and weren’t even paid for our appearances.’ As luck would have it, they were in a second documentary called, somewhat appropriately, Asperger’s Are Us, described on their Twitter page as ‘accidentally-misleading’. ‘It's been very helpful for getting us publicity, but shows our less comedic side,’ says Britton. ‘It still has some good funny parts mixed in with the sappy drama, though.’ To get a sense of what their humour is actually like, think absurdist sketches with a healthy dose of wordplay (fans of Vic & Bob, Jimmy Carr and Monty Python should lap it up). Or, as Britton puts it: ‘we probably unintentionally offend audience members a lot more often than neurotypical comedians do and we apologise in advance if any of our fans are stupid enough to be offended. If you caught the sarcasm in that, you'll probably enjoy our show.’ (Kirstyn Smith)
The reason why it’s tricky for me to pick a comedy hero is that up until ten days before I first performed stand-up comedy, I had never watched it, unless you count my dad’s VHS tapes of Jimmy Jones and Roy Chubby Brown. It wasn’t until my mid-20s before I put my arse on a seat in The Comedy Store. Until then, I’d put people like Laurel & Hardy and the Three Stooges on a pedestal. But since I started comedy, who has made me laugh til I cry and who have I taken bits from and absorbed into my DNA like an alien without parents, as that’s what I am when it comes to comedy? Well, don’t tell him, but Stewart Lee would definitely be up there. It’s hard to make a stand-up laugh but his latest show really did that to me. A bit of a mentor bordering on a hero would have to be Lee Mack who I was booked to support on his tour around 2005. I sat at the side of the stage and watched that show every night and learned much of what you will see on Right Man, Wrong Age; that’s about how to use your body and accents and face so that when you tell a joke the whole ripple of it goes through you. That’s how Lee Mack does it, and that was transformative for me. He’s a real bridge between the one-liner comics and the more modern stuff. And Ross Noble has taught me to go on stage with one word and see what happens. So much of what I have going on now is thanks to him. (As told to Brian Donaldson) ■ See more about Russell Kane’s comedy heroes at list.co.uk/comedy
CHARACTER DUO
ANGELOS & BARRY: THE NEW POWER GENERATION TOUR Òran Mór, Glasgow, Thu 8 Jun They’re either a comedy match made in heaven or a touring version of the odd couple. When the 82-year-old Barry From Watford (actually a fortysomething Alex Lowe) and much younger Angelos Epithemiou (Dan Renton Skinner) take to the road, chaos may well ensue. Barry’s extensive media experience from calling in to Steve Wright’s Radio 2 show, as well as performing ventriloquism at his local club allied to burger van impresario Angelos’ days as sidekick to Vic ‘n’ Bob, should help grease the audience’s wheels. More crucially, will they be sharing accommodation on the road? ‘I’d be very happy to do that to save money,’ insists the prudent Barry. ‘Whether that involved sharing a bed or a bunk bed or a put-me-up, a sit-me-down, a lie-me-down or a bendme-over, I do not know.’ ‘He has one of those big oxygen tanks and I’ve said to him if that blows up, I’m moving rooms,’ chips in Angelos. ‘I’ve had to lay down the law a little bit. And he snores.’ ‘I’m sure he’ll be able to sleep through,’ counters Barry. ‘What goes on tour stays on tour. My wife Margaret has given me carte blanche, so I might stay out all night. I'll maybe go to the casino.’ In terms of what they’ll actually be doing on stage, Angelos insists that the ‘big stuff’ will be on their minds. ‘We’ll discuss the economy, ecology, Europe, superyachts. I don’t have a superyacht because it’s a waste of money. If I had all that cash, I’d spend it on something much more worthwhile, like an elephant. At the very least it could wash your car.’ ‘The honest truth is we’re going to be trotting out the usual rubbish,’ confesses Barry. ‘There will, of course, be a number of important themes but if anyone can actually uncover them, that’s another matter.’ (Brian Donaldson) 72 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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list.co.uk/comedy
Previews | COMEDY
LOCAL LAUGHS MATTHEW ELLIS
THE MAN BEHIND JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ TACKLES OUR Q&A A Can you tell us about the moment when you thought: ‘stand-up is for me’? I bought a Richard Pryor VHS from a bargain bin in Tesco’s and I knew from then that I wanted to speak verbal diarrhoea to people.
What's the one thing (good or bad) you remember about your very first stand-up gig? The good thing was realising how bad my material was and that I should maybe try a different avenue of comedy. That’s why I tried character comedy even Do you have any prethough I'm making Jellybean show rituals you can tell less of a character and more us about? me these days. When I first started, I had to get dressed EXACTLY the You’re curating your same way or, in my head, own ‘legends of it would be a bad gig. Now comedy’ lineup: who I just stop being a weirdo, are the bill’s top three so before I go on, I put my acts? hands up in the air and say Robin Williams, Eddie ‘I’ll handle this!’ Murphy, Steve Martin. Three different styles of comedy: Where do you draw the improv, stand-up and crazy line when it comes to props. All masters of their ‘offensive comedy’? trade. I love offensive comedy; ■ Jellybean Martinez is at I have a very dark brain. I The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu just don't like it when new 1, Sat 10 Jun (kids show), comedians to the scene Sun 9 Jul; The Stand, do ‘sick’ jokes just to spark Glasgow, Sun 2 Jul (kids a reaction, like making a show). See more of this q&a Madeleine McCann joke ten at list.co.uk/comedy years on.
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COMEDY | Highlights
HITLIST
ANGELOS & BARRY: THE NEW POWER GENERATION Òran Mór, Glasgow, Thu 8 Jun, oran-mor.co.uk Baffled silliness from two deep thinkers. See preview, page 72. RICKY GERVAIS: HUMANITY Playhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 8 & Fri 9 Jun,
atgtickets.com/ edinburgh The latest stand-up tour from cackling Ricky. FERN BRADY: SUFFER FOOLS The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 11 Jun, thestand. co.uk Fern is here with a brand new show on the back of a storming Fringe last August.
PENN & TELLER Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Thu 15 & Fri 16 Jun, sec.co.uk The stalwart Las Vegas magicians (left) take their cheeky show on the road. RUSSELL KANE: RIGHT MAN, WRONG AGE King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Sun 18 Jun, edtheatres.com The
COMEDY HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW COMEDIAN RAP BATTLE The Stand, Glasgow, Wed 7 Jun, Wed 5 Jul, thestand.co.uk Are you fed up with hip-hop scene bores moaning on about their fast cars and beautiful women? Yes, of course you are. We all are. The Wee Man aims to solve this by bringing a Scottish slant to the genre and pitting the country’s best comedians against its best rappers. Game on. TOM GREEN O2 ABC, Glasgow, Fri 9 Jun, abcglasgow.com Canadian comedian, actor, writer and producer who came to prominence due to his The Tom Green Show in the 90s, and who has starred in Road Trip, Freddy Got Fingered and Shred. Classy cinematic cuts, one and all. PAM ANN: TOUCH TROLLEY RUN TO GALLEY 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Sun 18 Jun, atgtickets.com Character comedy from the hostess with the mostess (and in ownership of a filthy tongue). See preview, page 71. LIMMY: THAT’S YOUR LOT Òran Mór, Glasgow, Wed 21 Jun, oran-mor.co.uk Join Mr Limond for a night of storytelling and chit chat as he introduces his second book, That’s Your Lot. Also Dundee Rep, Sun 25 Jun, dundeerep.co.uk KEN DODD: THE HAPPINESS SHOW Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 1 Jul, paviliontheatre. co.uk The veteran brings joy to fans across the country with jokes, songs and stories. Also Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Sun 2 Jul, alhambradunfermline.com
FRANKIE BOYLE: WORK IN PROGRESS The Stand, Glasgow, 10, 24, 26, 30 & 31 Jul, thestand.co.uk The gallus Glaswegian takes his latest work in progress to his beloved punters. Also The Stand, Edinburgh, 16, 18, 23 Jul, thestand.co.uk
2010 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Russell Kane (yes, he’s one of the Comedy Russells that Stewart Lee likes to bang on about) discusses why it’s perfectly OK to be 20 but feel 40 (or vice versa) and explains why nobody really feels their age. Energetic yet thoughtful stand-up. See My Comedy Hero, page 72.
FO EDINB R URGH COVERFESTIVAL AGE, S AUGU ST EE OUR AND G ISSUES LIST O TO CO.U FES.T IVALK/
MICHAEL REDMOND & CHRIS FORBES The Stand, Glasgow, Wed 19 Jul, thestand.co.uk Michael Redmond and Chris Forbes show off this year’s Fringe shows in a wee preview night. SEYMOUR MACE The Stand, Glasgow, Thu 27–Sun 29 Jul, thestand.co.uk Seymour Mace, the clever idiot, gets your laughter muscles working as part of The Stand’s weekend lineup. JOKESLAM TO HELL The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 28 Aug, thestand.co.uk A handful of comics in the know present a show about the weird and wonderful world of professional wrestling.
EDINBURGH JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 1, Sat 10 Jun, Sun 9 Jul, thestand.co.uk Time for the unique comedy stylings of Jellybean Martinez (actually one Matthew Ellis). See Local Laughs, page 73. Also The Stand, Glasgow, Sun 2 Jul, thestand.co.uk SCOTT GIBSON The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 15–Sun 17 Jun, thestand.co.uk The Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer is part of The Stand’s Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows, alongside Dave Fulton, George Lewis and Stu Murphy. COMEDY KIDS The Stand, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Jun, thestand.co.uk Tribe Porty Youth Theatre present eight mini comedians and their pint-sized routines.
Alfie Brown ASPERGER’S ARE US Summerhall, Edinburgh, Tue 27 Jun, summerhall.co.uk Live sketch show from Asperger’s Are Us, a Boston comedy troupe made up of people on the autism spectrum. See preview, page 72. Also Websters Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 22 Jul, webstersglasgow.com PHIL NICHOL & CHRIS FORBES The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 16 Jul, thestand.co.uk A Fringe preview double-bill from two Edinburgh faves. ALFIE BROWN The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 31 Aug, thestand.co.uk Alfie Brown takes on The Stand once the Fringe has finished and everyone’s gone home, as part of the venue’s weekend lineup. Expect plenty of attitude.
OUT OF TOWN FRED MACAULAY The Venue, Perth, Sat 10 Jun, thevenueperth.co.uk The popular morning radio show host shares his witticisms about life and living in Scotland today. Also The Brunton, Musselburgh, Fri 30 Jun, thebrunton.co.uk; East Kilbride Arts Centre, Sun 30 Jul, slleisureandculture.co.uk DES CLARKE Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine, Sat 1 Jul, harbourartscentre.com Erratic word-meister with a taste for puns. PHILL JUPITUS: JUPLICITY Tolbooth, Stirling, Sun 30 Jul, culturestirling.org/tolbooth Phill brings poetry and chat to the masses.
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FILM
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BERLIN SYNDROME Australian director Cate Shortland’s tense thriller explores the banality of evil What begins as a Before Sunrise-style holiday romance quickly morphs into Room in a rigorously humanised thriller based on Melanie Joosten’s novel from Australian director Cate Shortland (Lore). Star-in-the-offing Teresa Palmer gives a nuanced, gutsy turn as Clare, a young Aussie photographer visiting the eponymous city. After a reassuringly conventional ‘meet-cute’, she enters into a highly charged fling with harmless-seeming teacher Andi (Max Riemelt), before finding herself imprisoned in his isolated apartment. Movies exploring backpacking nightmares have tended toward the grindhouse. Instead there’s a touch of Repulsion as Clare struggles with her sanity, and Shortland explores the ‘banality of evil’, represented by a man who presents an ordinary face to the world but who hides a dangerously misogynistic outlook. Scenes of Andi going about his day without arousing a speck of suspicion chill as much as the film’s violence. Fidgety camerawork conveys the anxiety and elation of lone-travelling while the generous runtime accentuates the gruelling nature of Clare’s ordeal. Although near-miss escape attempts deliver the requisite tension, this is far more than a vehicle for cheap shocks. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 9 Jun ●●●●●
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FILM | Reviews
DRAMA
GIFTED (12A) 101min ●●●●●
CRIME
BABY DRIVER (15) 113min ●●●●● A heist movie for the iTunes generation, at times Edgar Wright’s latest feels like an extended pop video. So it won’t come as a surprise to learn that the director of Hot Fuzz explored the central nugget of Baby Driver, albeit in more comic fashion, in his 2002 promo for Mint Royale’s ‘Blue Song’, with Noel Fielding grooving in a getaway car while Michael Smiley, Nick Frost and Julian Barratt rob a bank. Featuring Wright’s first solo-penned script, Baby Driver is an exuberant crime caper, with cars, girls and music. Lots of music. Baby (Divergent’s Ansel Elgort) is an Atlanta wheelman working under duress for Kevin Spacey’s ageing crook Doc. He hardly speaks, preferring to listen to his iPod – partly to drown out the tinnitus that has troubled him since childhood. But behind the wheel, he’s something else. With music so important to Baby, it becomes the lifeblood of the film. Whether pounding the street or pulling 180s on the freeway, the action is choreographed expertly to the beats. From Queen to Simon & Garfunkel (whose song lends the film its title) to the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the choices are eclectic, rarely obvious and perfectly selected to fit the mood of the moment. As soundtracks go, it’s up there with Pulp Fiction. The story is hardly original, as Baby is forced into doing one last heist when he just wants to escape with his girl, diner waitress Deborah (Lily James). But Wright’s zesty direction reinvigorates tired clichés, the car chases are exhilarating and co-stars Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and Eiza González – playing Baby’s fellow bank robbers – revel in the snappy dialogue and macho posturing. Nodding to films like True Romance and Drive, it’s a thunderbolt of a movie. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Wed 28 Jun.
Chris Evans throws down his Captain America shield to take on a role that highlights his dramatic capabilities then squanders them with a rote story. Evans plays Frank, who has been looking after his niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) since his sister committed suicide. Mary shares the same mathematical gifts as her mother, something Frank has tried to hide to ensure her a normal childhood. When a teacher (Jenny Slate) uncovers Mary’s talents, and Frank’s mother (Lindsay Duncan) arrives to stake a belated claim on the girl, Frank finds he has to face a future he is unprepared for. As solid and watchable as Evans is, and while Grace, Slate and Duncan are all excellent, their efforts are not enough to lift Gifted above movie-of-the-week territory. The story ostensibly revolves around Mary but this is just another narrative about one ordinary man’s journey to personal redemption. Following his Spider-Man movies, director Marc Webb returns to the character study terrain of his debut 500 Days of Summer. Whereas that was a quirky take on the well-worn rom-com, Gifted treads a more conventional path. Peppered with schmaltzy dialogue, it’s clear how this story will end right from the opening credits. (Nikki Baughan) ■ General release from Fri 16 Jun.
BIOPIC
CHURCHILL (PG) 98min ●●●●●
COMEDY
BAYWATCH (15) 116min ●●●●● ‘Am I the only one that thinks this is clearly a job for the police?’ whines Matt Brody (Zac Efron) as he accompanies his fellow lifeguards on an investigation that’s definitely outside their purview. Aping the meta lunacy of the standard-bearing Jump Street movies but with less ideas and energy, this irreverent take on the TV show pokes fun at its overreaching exploits. Directed by Seth Gordon, it stars Dwayne Johnson as Mitch Buchannon, a life-saver of nearmythical ability. Matt is a disgraced swimming champion ordered to join Mitch’s team as community service, while Bollywood and Quantico star Priyanka Chopra plays a sultry villainess up to her neck in drug and dodgy property deals. There are some good gags and the film delivers amply on bouncing bosoms and absurd displays of male athleticism (and abs). However watching anonymous individuals nearly drown doesn’t make for scintillating cinema. Attempts to ape the camaraderie of the series also fall flat; the ensemble are likeable but not particularly personable. And the excessive runtime, repetitive antics, cringeworthy cameos and formulaic denouement means that a film that feels like a fun splash-about at the outset is in dire need of rescue by the end. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Out now.
Here is something not many people know: Winston Churchill, the bulldog Prime Minister who led the country through World War II, was vehemently opposed to D-Day. The largest invasion force in history landed on the beaches of Normandy in June 1944, despite Churchill’s agonising doubts and agitated objections. This film from Jonathan Teplitzky uses the days leading up to the invasion and Churchill’s efforts to stop it to explore his character, personality and booze-fuelled struggles with depression. This perception of Churchill is facilitated by an exceptional cast, led by Brian Cox as the great man, with Miranda Richardson as his wife Clementine, John Slattery as Dwight D Eisenhower and James Purefoy as King George VI. Haunted by the tragedy of Gallipoli, Churchill has visions of the seashore red with blood as he growls, drinks and chain-smokes cigars through a succession of monologues and dialogues. While Teplitzky’s film is intelligent and sometimes moving (bravo Purefoy, for his touching monarch), it isn’t notably cinematic, stringing together a series of one-on-one confrontations with shots of Churchill being driven from one stately home or war room to another. Nice locations though. (Angie Errigo) ■ General release from Fri 16 Jun.
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DRAMA
COMEDY DRAMA
ROMANTIC COMEDY
AFTER THE STORM
THE LAST WORD
HAMPSTEAD
(PG) 118min ●●●●●
(15) 108min ●●●●●
(12A) 103min ●●●●●
Asked who his hero is, 11-year-old Shingo (Taiyo Yoshizawa) confidently replies, ‘Grandma.’ He’s referring to the recently widowed Yoshiko (Kirin Kiki) who lives alone in a cramped apartment that exudes warmth, comfort and the aroma of mouthwatering cuisine. She’s mother to a daughter who occasionally takes advantage of her goodwill and a son Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) who, like his father before him, has gambled away his fortune. Ryota is an award-winning novelist, divorcee, dodgy private detective and father, limited to one visit with Shingo a month due to his unreliable temperament. Kiki turns in a gorgeous performance as Yoshiko, conveying playful wit, intelligence, tenderness and a keen eye for crap, and Abe brings humour to a loveably misguided character. As ever, director Hirokazu Kore-eda masterfully investigates the nooks and crannies of the commonplace with delicacy, posing questions about destiny and chance. He serves up a hearty dish where unfulfilled dreams rest closely beside hopeful ambition. And just like much of his previous work – including Like Father, Like Son and Our Little Sister – he probes the nature / nurture debate in a quietly powerful, thought-provoking way. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ Selected release from Fri 2 Jun.
Shirley MacLaine seems to have been playing crusty curmudgeons with hearts of gold for the best part of three decades. Here she’s Harriet Lauler, a control freak businesswoman with a talent for alienating people. Now in her eighties and concerned about her legacy, Harriet demands that journalist Anne (Amanda Seyfried) write an advance obituary that she will shape and approve. Naturally, it is the beginning of an unexpected friendship. Directed by Mark Pellington, The Last Word is a predictable, sentimental affair in which Harriet’s redemption involves sponsoring a nine-year-old urchin and trying to reconcile with her estranged daughter. You can almost feel toes curling and resistance hardening at every cute twist in what amounts to a modern variation on Scrooge. Nothing cuts too deep, nobody bears much of a resemblance to a fully-rounded human being, and no opportunity to tug at the heartstrings is missed. And yet, MacLaine is such a complete professional that she refuses to surrender to the schmaltz. The sheer force of her presence and the skill of her performance makes you care about Harriet and give the film the benefit of the doubt. It is a rare illustration of star power in action. (Allan Hunter) ■ Selected release from Fri 7 Jul.
With its picture-postcard North London setting, Hampstead falls into the bracket of those British films made with one eye on the American audience. Director Joel Hopkins has proved something of a specialist in making twee, star-driven dramas aimed at older audiences (Last Chance Harvey, The Love Punch). Here, Diane Keaton plays Emily, a cashstrapped American widow who works in a charity shop and spends her time with friends she doesn’t really like, led by Lesley Manville’s busybody Fiona. Everything changes, though, when she meets the taciturn Donald (Brendan Gleeson), who lives in a shack in a secreted part of Hampstead Heath. Amid some gentle humour, romance blossoms, but Hampstead is about more than just later-life love. Loosely based on the real travails of Harry Hallowes, it sees developers attempt to oust Donald from his home. There are legal shenanigans as Gleeson’s grump gets his day in court, while Emily faces her own cross-examination from her so-called friends, who are scandalised by her liaison with the town tramp. Keaton thrives in pure ditz mode, and her chemistry with Gleeson is appealing. Will it change your life? No. But it’s funny and watchable enough. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 23 Jun.
PERIOD DRAMA
MY COUSIN RACHEL (12A) 106min ●●●●● An aloof young gentleman finds himself bewitched, bothered and bewildered in this handsomely mounted but hastily relayed adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier classic – its warped romance offering a stark warning to all who dare to fall in love. When his beloved guardian Ambrose dies in mysterious circumstances abroad, Philip (a never-better Sam Claflin) inherits his estate. However, no provision has been made for Ambrose’s widow, their half-Italian cousin Rachel (Rachel Weisz, well cast for reasons beyond the shared forename); and when she arrives in England, this proves very unsettling indeed. Philip is determined to dislike his enigmatic cousin and has good reason to suspect her. Nevertheless, her wicked wit, easy charm and ravishing beauty blows through the dusty, neglected environs like an exotic breeze, banishing the cobwebs and awakening his heart. Writer-director Roger Michell (Notting Hill) is an odd choice for the dark material and it’s no surprise that the suspense here is lacking. Yet cinematographer Mike Eley forgoes the corset-like constraints of period cinema; the film has a fluid and psychologically penetrating feel, framing the central dynamic as a shifting power play. It’s an interesting angle and there’s striking imagery, too, most memorably a gloved hand snaking its fingers through hair. Mildly racy embellishments are incorporated effectively, even if the alterations to the ending undermine that which came before. Although Michell retains many of the book’s best lines, as a whole it feels desperately abbreviated, with Philip going too quickly from vengeful misanthrope to love-struck fool. Events unfold with a certain amount of artistry, just not nearly enough patience. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 9 Jun. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 77
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FILM | Reviews COMEDY DRAMA
A MAN CALLED OVE (15) 116min ●●●●● A massive hit in its native Sweden as well as a double Oscar nominee, writer-director Hannes Holm’s adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s 2012 novel is a familiar story of a curmudgeon who learns to love life after suffering a bereavement. Yet while the themes are nothing new, A Man Called Ove is consistently delightful in the way it uses the cynicism of a suicidal anti-hero to stave off any potential for over-sentimentality. Ageing grump Ove Lindahl (Rolf Lassgård) is the self-appointed prefect of a small community whose regular attempts to end his own life are constantly interrupted by his neighbours, notably mouthy Iranian immigrant Parvaneh (Bahar Pars) and her noisy family. Sensing his turmoil, Parvaneh takes the time to get to know Ove, and discovers how he came to meet, treasure and then lose his lovely wife Sonja (Ida Engvoll). Ove has no real desire for anything other than being reunited with Sonja in death, but his increasing awareness of the problems that Parvaneh faces leads him to re-engage with the authority figures antagonising them both. It’s a shamelessly feelgood story, but Holm adopts a wry tone; the abruptly amusing yet horrifying death of Ove’s father in a freak locomotive accident is one of many such incidents. This welcome streak of black, anarchic comedy lifts the film towards its heartwarming if predictable conclusion. Like its central character, A Man Called Ove has a humble, unassuming quality, epitomised by its performances, with Lassgård and Engvoll particularly good. Morals about moving on from the past and embracing new friends might have seemed pat if Holm’s film were not so deft in the pithy observations it makes about life’s random, too-often cruel nature. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Selected release from Fri 30 Jun.
DOCUMENTARY
BIOPIC
SATIRE
WHITNEY: CAN I BE ME
TOMMY’S HONOUR
THE SQUARE
(15) 105min ●●●●●
(TBC) 112min ●●●●●
(TBC) 142min ●●●●●
Nick Broomfield’s latest documentary, about the life and death of singing sensation Whitney Houston, starts at the end. Accompanying aerial shots of the Beverly Hilton hotel is the 911 call made in February 2012 when Houston was discovered unconscious in her bathtub. But if this suggests Broomfield and his co-director Rudi Dolezal are going down a lurid rabbit hole, think again. The format is fairly traditional – talking heads, archive footage – as the film paints a sensitive and assured portrait of the woman who won seven Grammys and sold 200 million records. When footage plays of an emotional Houston singing her torch song, ‘I Will Always Love You’, on what would prove to be her last live tour, it’s a real lump-in-the-throat moment, even if the film as a whole lacks the overwhelming power and personal feel of Asif Kapadia’s Amy Winehouse doc. Still, there are intriguing interviews here, not least with Houston’s real-life bodyguard David Roberts. Tellingly, Broomfield and Dolezal don’t speak to Houston’s bad boy ex, musician Bobby Brown, or her best friend / personal assistant Robyn Crawford. Puzzle pieces are missing then, but it’s a soulful study of one of music’s great fallen angels. (James Mottram) ■ Selected release from Fri 16 Jun.
Based on the book by Kevin Cook, Tommy’s Honour tells the story of two golfing greats. Tom Morris (played here by Peter Mullan) and his son Tommy (Jack Lowden) are regarded as founding figures of the modern game. Jason Connery, son of Sean, takes the directorial reins of a well-meant but dramatically deficient biopic hampered by its low budget and unimaginative treatment of events. It sees Old Tom look back on his stormy relationship with his son, as it illustrates the stifling pressures that surround them. Tom teaches young Tommy to love the game, but his progeny’s passion for local lass Meg (Ophelia Lovibond) divides the family. Meanwhile, crusty and officious members (like Sam Neill’s Alexander Boothby) threaten to strangle the life out of the sport, with professional betting interests providing a further source of strife. Whatever difficulties the two men had in their careers are never portrayed in any deep or emotional way, leaving a talented cast grimacing behind straggly beards, and the film’s depiction of several generations of Scots as whisky-guzzling, bunnet-wearing fogeys is crude. Tommy’s Honour offers misty-eyed melodrama rather than any real insight into sporting history. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Selected release from Fri 7 Jul.
Ruben Östlund follows the almost surgical precision of breakthrough hit Force Majeure with The Square, an altogether more unwieldy, star-sprinkled proposition (Dominic West and Elisabeth Moss appear). His new film is the cinematic equivalent of an attempt at the great European novel, as he chews over a modern world crippled by selfishness and timidity. The alpha male in this film is Christian (Claes Bang), the successful curator of a modern art museum. There are some easy laughs at the pretentiousness of the art scene but the main focus is on the wavering moral compassion of a man doing his best to live a decent life. Finding himself the victim of a scam that costs him his wallet, mobile phone and cufflinks, he responds uncharacteristically by tracking the phone and leaving threatening letters to all the inhabitants of a block of flats where the stolen items might be. Personal responsibility, the sensationalist modern mindset and the need for everyone to be more connected to their fellow human beings are just some of the themes explored. The Square does beguile with its elegant compositions, talking-point set-pieces and constant sense of provocation but ultimately it leaves you feeling that Östlund has bitten off more than he can chew. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 25 Aug.
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ROMANTIC COMEDY
THE BIG SICK (TBC) 119min ●●●●●
MELODRAMA
THE BEGUILED (TBC) 94min ●●●●● You have to wonder what possessed Sofia Coppola to remake The Beguiled. Thomas P Cullinan’s novel is a slice of Southern Gothic famously filmed in 1971 by director Don Siegel with Clint Eastwood as the wounded Union soldier who arrives at a ladies’ seminary like a hungry fox at the gates of a tasty chicken coop. There was certainly room for a subtle, more feminist perspective on the material but Coppola offers a meticulously crafted, high-camp melodrama that seems happy to invite your derision. Colin Farrell is Corporal John McBurney, a wounded deserter discovered in the woods near a school for girls in 1864. Headmistress Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman) is persuaded to show him Christian kindness. However, he is barely over the door before the seven females are batting their eyelashes and baking him apple pie. Who wants to conjugate French verbs and catch up on sewing when there is a man about the house? The gentlemanly McBurney is not about to disappoint any of them: befriending, seducing and disarming as required. His presence becomes a startling provocation, unleashing jealousies and unseemly desires. He cannot continue to be tolerated. The Beguiled is an elegant looking production but it moves with ridiculous haste through the gears, from atmospheric scene-setting to overwrought psychodrama, complete with crashing chandeliers and a tumble down a sweeping staircase. Kirsten Dunst earns the most sympathy as the love-starved Edwina, leaving an imperious Kidman to handle the flamboyant dialogue (‘Edwina, get me the anatomy book!’) Enjoyable in places, it nevertheless feels rushed and as flustered as some of the women caught in McBurney’s gaze. That can’t have been Coppola’s intention. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 14 Jul.
That this unconventional, appealingly awkward romantic comedy is based on a true story makes perfect sense. Life is, after all, stranger and more messy than fiction. Leading man Kumail Nanjiani co-wrote the script with his wife Emily V Gordon and it puts their dramatic courtship centre-stage. Nanjiani plays Kumail, an aspiring stand-up comedian and Uber driver who falls for Zoe Kazan’s wannabe therapist Emily. Yet he’s obliged to marry a Muslim and when the issue drives a wedge between them, the couple separate. Then Emily is struck down by a mystery illness and as she hovers scarily close to death, Kumail joins her parents (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) at her bedside. It’s the third feature from Michael ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ Showalter and he’s assembled quite the cast. The culture-clash comedy plays out with charming, sometimes toe-curling honesty and an acknowledgement of how complicated life can get when expectations weigh heavy and tradition unceremoniously intervenes. If it runs a tad long, it feels like a film in rude health – provocative, unpredictable and large on laughs. The Big Sick is the perfect cure for anyone who comes over all queasy at the mere mention of a rom-com. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 28 Jul.
HORROR
HOUNDS OF LOVE (18) 108min ●●●●●
DOCUMENTARY
DAVID LYNCH: THE ART LIFE (15) 88min ●●●●● One cannot complain that this documentary on David Lynch is not what it says on the tin. Lynch sits in his studio in the Hollywood Hills and intently paints canvases, while his voiceover answers questions about his life and his art. But not all of them. Lynch devotees will be interested in the septuagenarian filmmaker’s formative years, childhood, influences and reflections on his oeuvre. In keeping with the character of his work, this is by turns opaque, surreal and not entirely linear. Lynch, who still has his distinctive shock of hair, now white, and still looks – as Mel Brooks famously put it – ‘like Jimmy Stewart from Mars’, is eccentric company. And it is fascinating to see his family photos and hear his memories. But there are no specific references to his feature films beyond Eraserhead; this is almost entirely about Lynch’s journey as a painter. That is all very well, and Jon Nguyen’s film (co-directed by Rick Barnes and Olivia NeergaardHolm) is not without its insights, but Lynch is evasive – he starts an anecdote and then stops. This gets quite exasperating, and it ends abruptly, if with a wistful sweetness. Although intriguing, it is perhaps one for Lynch completists only. (Angie Errigo) ■ Selected release from Fri 14 Jul.
Once you’ve seen Ben Young’s impressive debut, it’s difficult to forget. Set in the sweltering heat of a residential street in Perth, Australia, over Christmas 1987, it’s mostly confined to the claustrophobic quarters of a serial killer couple who target young women and is inspired by the Moorhouse murders. The opening sequence assumes a male sexual predator’s gaze but the majority of this superbly performed film delves into the psychology of his female co-conspirator. It takes you into the ordeal of 17-year-old captive Vicki (Ashleigh Cummings) who spots the chinks in the relationship of Evelyn and John White (Emma Booth and Stephen Curry). Young uses the sound of Vicki’s screams and images of bloody rags to paint a harrowing picture akin to Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown. The title nods to the Kate Bush track and album and, although none of Bush’s songs are used, the film blends the feelings of terror and insatiable desire from the record to create a palpable intensity. All the women are looking to break free from something and Young’s fascination with the nature of toxic and co-dependent relationships works on many levels, while he suggests that this moment in time marked a huge loss of innocence. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ Selected release from Fri 7 Jul. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 79
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EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2017 Not sure where to start with the EIFF 2017 programme? Here are some of our top picks, chosen by our editor Yasmin Sulaiman. Read more about the festival on page 17, and go to list.co.uk/film for full listings
DONKEYOTE Odeon, Thu 22 Jun, 6pm; Cineworld, Sat 24 Jun, 8.40pm. Spanish-born Chico Pereira constructs a contemplative documentary study of his uncle whose wonderful spirit of adventure belies all of his 73 years. MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH Cineworld, Thu 22 Jun, 8.40pm; Odeon, Sun 25 Jun, 6.10pm. With this witty and thoroughly engaging romcom, director Daniel Jerome Gill’s debut film charts the relationship between Liam (Josh Whitehouse) and Natalie (Freya Mavor). Initially drawn together by their shared love for music, ten years later they are struggling to see what they saw in each other. SEXY DURGA Odeon, Thu 22 Jun, 8.40pm; Vue Omni, Fri 23 Jun, 8.55pm. Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s improvised nighttime road movie – which won the prestigious Tiger Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival – is driven by a punk sensibility and a great sense of energy. THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH Cineworld, Thu 22 Jun, 8.50pm; Filmhouse, Sat 24 Jun, 3.25pm. Danny Huston directs and stars in this powerful and moving drama. The life of Tom Hammond, a well-to-do Londoner who runs a book shop, is thrown into a tailspin when his bag is stolen at the shop and he loses his most treasured possession, a photograph of him and his son Luke. RETROSPECTIVE LIVE! STOP MAKING SENSE Summerhall, Fri 23 Jun, 6pm. An evening of live music and late-night outdoor screening of Talking Heads’ legendary Stop Making Sense. JUST CHARLIE Cineworld, Fri 23 Jun, 6.10pm; Sat 24 Jun, 1.05pm. Charlie, a young football prodigy, has a bright future
in front of them. But when they come out as transgender suddenly life for everyone is turned upside down. Featuring a marvellous screen debut from young Harry Gilby.
has taken a brief moment in the life of artist Alberto Giacometti and distilled it into an amusing, sophisticated and insightful film about art, life and love, with Geoffrey Rush in superb form as the wonderfully contrary artist.
IT’S NOT YET DARK Vue Omni, Sat 24 Jun, 3.45pm; Odeon, Sun 25 Jun, 1.20pm. Simon Fitzmaurice came to EIFF in 2016 with his feature debut, My Name is Emily. This new documentary tells his story of his brave fight against the life changing effects of the degenerative disease ALS. Sobering in its honesty, and bereft of all nods to sentimentality, this is a deeply enlightening, and absolutely inspirational watch.
EDIE Cineworld, Mon 26 Jun, 6.15pm; Wed 28 Jun, 8.55pm. An elderly woman aims to climb a Scottish mountain. Sheila Hancock is at her sublime best as Edie, an elderly woman who, in the aftermath of the death of her controlling husband, decides to fulfil a long-held dream of climbing a Scottish mountain.
GOODBYE BERLIN Cineworld, Sat 24 Jun, 6.15pm; Mon 26 Jun, 8.35pm. Acclaimed German director Fatih Akin delivers a charming and enthralling film adaptation of Wolfgang Herrndorf’s best-selling young adult novel Tschick.
IN DUBIOUS BATTLE Cineworld, Mon 26 Jun, 6pm; Wed 28 Jun, 8.45pm. James Franco directs (and takes a key role in) this impressively mounted adaptation of the 1936 John Steinbeck novel, delivering a film that feels like an authentic slice of rural Americana, driven by social anger.
KALEIDOSCOPE Cineworld, Sat 24 Jun, 8.35pm; Sun 25 Jun, 3.45pm. Toby Jones is at his very best in this complex and dark psychological thriller. Middleaged Carl, recently released from prison, is trying to adjust to life on the outside. Written and directed by Toby’s brother, Rupert Jones. SONG TO SONG Filmhouse, Sun 25 Jun, 8pm; Wed 28 Jun, 8.50pm. A Terrence Malick film is always a visual treat, especially with his use of imagery and unique style. With Song to Song, the languid sense of wonder is still there, but he has also added romance and even humour to this modern love story, set against the backdrop of the music scene in Austin, Texas. FINAL PORTRAIT Festival Theatre, Sun 25 Jun, 8.30pm. With this enthralling and beautifully mannered labour-of-love of a film, writer/director Stanley Tucci
HALAL DADDY Cineworld, Mon 26 Jun, 8.50pm; Wed 28 Jun, 6.15pm. Young Muslim Raghdan Aziz (Nikesh Patel) struggles to deal with cultural and generational chaos after his domineering father (Art Malik), in a bid to get his son back into his life, takes over a rundown abattoir in the West of Ireland, making it Halal. VAMPIRE CLEANUP DEPARTMENT Filmhouse, Mon 26 Jun, 11.25pm; Cineworld, Fri 30 Jun, 8.35pm. This delightful horror comedy harks back to the great days of 1980s-‘90s Hong Kong romps, and it’s nice blend of comedy, chills and romance makes it a real late night treat. A WEDDING Cineworld, Wed 28 Jun, 6.10pm; Filmhouse, Sun 2 Jul, 8.30pm. A Pakistani teenager in Belgium faces deep rooted traditions with heartbreakingly poignant results in this
intimate family drama about parental love versus religious duty. LAST MEN IN ALEPPO Cineworld, Thu 29 Jun, 6.05pm; Sat 1 Jul, 6.05pm. The shocking story of Khalid, Subhi, and Mahmoud: founding members of the Syrian Civil Defence (The White Helmets), battling to save lives amid the devastating effects of the 2016 siege of Aleppo. THE LITTLE HOURS Cineworld, Thu 29 Jun, 8.50pm; Sat 1 Jul, 1.05pm. Jeff Baena’s (Life After Beth) latest comedy, set in the Middle Ages, is loosely based on The Decameron. Hilariously funny, with a great cast including Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, John C Reilly, Molly Shannon and Dave Franco. WAKEFIELD Cineworld, Fri 30 Jun, 6.05pm; Sat 1 Jul, 3.20pm. Bryan Cranston is superb as successful lawyer and family man Howard Wakefield who, one evening, follows his odd but overwhelming impulse to walk away from his life. Based on a short story by EL Doctorow, the film is driven by Cranston’s amazing performance. IAN RANKIN PRESENTS: REICHENBACH FALLS Filmhouse, Sat 1 Jul, 1.15pm. Written by James Mavor and based on an original idea by Ian Rankin, Reichenbach Falls is a captivating crime drama. EIFF is delighted to welcome Mr. Rankin to the cinema for a post-screening discussion. This screening is part of RebusFest. A QUIET HEART Cineworld, Sat 1 Jul, 6.15pm; Filmhouse, Sun 2 Jul, 6.20pm. This gently powerful and elegantly performed film tackles the tensions between Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community and those of the secular persuasion. Eitan Anner’s awardwinning third film is an engrossing glimpse into a subject rarely tackled.
80 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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Highlights | FILM
HITLIST
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL The oldest continually running film festival in the world turns 70 this year. Highlights include opener God’s Own Country, closer England is Mine, and a celebration of Edgar Wright. See feature, page 15. Various venues, Edinburgh, Wed 21 Jun–
blockbuster. Out Fri 21 Jul.
Sun 2 Jul, edfilmfest.org.uk
isolated retiree who spends his days enforcing block association rules and visiting his wife’s grave, has finally given up on life just as an unlikely friendship develops with his boisterous new neighbours. See review, page 78. Out Fri 30 Jun.
A MAN CALLED OVE Ove, an ill-tempered,
DUNKIRK Christopher Nolan’s latest
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
THE BIG SICK Culture clash comedy written by real life couple Emily V Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani. See review, page 79. Out Fri 28 Jul.
The first collaboration between Sony and Marvel brings Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the lovely Tom Holland in the lead role. Out Fri 28 Jul. BABY DRIVER Edgar Wright, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx – what could go wrong? See review, page 76. Out Wed 16 Aug.
FILM HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
AFTER THE STORM An estranged fighter is able to spend a night with his son when a typhoon forces the family to spend the evening together. See review, page 77. Out Fri 2 Jun. DOUGH A Jewish baker’s business is struggling until a Muslim apprentice accidentally drops cannabis in the dough. Out Fri 2 Jun. WONDER WOMAN The first great female superhero gets her first solo movie, only 75 years after her comic’s debut. Out Fri 2 Jun. MFA AT CITIZENM A selection of videos from the Master of Fine Art programme at the GSA, 2014–2017. CitizenM Glasgow Hotel, Wed 7–Sat 24 Jun, gsa.ac.uk/ life/gsa-events/events/m/mfa-atcitizenm-2017 BERLIN SYNDROME Psychological thriller about Australian photographer Clare, who meets charismatic charmer Andi on a trip to Berlin. Based on the novel by Melanie Joosten. See review, page 75. Out Fri 9 Jun. FROM THE LAND OF THE MOON Adapted from Milena Agus’s novel, this romance is the story of Gabrielle, a young woman married off by her parents who meets a dashing injured veteran of the Indochinese War. Out Fri 9 Jun. THE MUMMY The Mummy is the first part of Universal’s proposed classic monsters universe. Set in the modern world (mainly London) as Tom Cruise takes on the undead curse of Sofia Boutella as the titular terror. Out Fri 9 Jun.
MY COUSIN RACHEL A young Englishman plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms. See review, page 77. Out Fri 9 Jun. THE SHACK A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called ‘The Shack.’ Out Fri 9 Jun. WILSON Wilson (Woody Harrelson) meets his teenage daughter for the first time, in this comedy drama based on a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. Out Fri 9 Jun.
ECA ANIMATION A collection of work from Edinburgh College of Art’s graduating students. Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 15 Jun, filmhousecinema.com/showing/ecaanimation-degree-show-jun17 CHURCHILL Biopic of the UK’s most famous Prime Minister on perhaps the most important day of his life, the 24 hours leading up to D-Day. See review, page 76. Out Fri 16 Jun. FILM IN THE CITY A collection of outdoor film screenings and workshops in the run up to the Edinburgh International Film Festival. This year’s programme includes Mamma Mia, Kubo and the Two Strings, Labyrinth, Cars and Hunt
for the Wilderpeople. Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 16–Sun 18 Jun, edinevents.com/film-fest-in-the-city ROUGH NIGHT A group of friends are horrified when the male stripper they hired for a wild bachelorette party in Miami winds up dead. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Kate McKinnon. Out Fri 16 Jun. STOCKHOLM, MY LOVE Stockholm, My Love follows the journey of one woman through the streets of her native city. Out Fri 16 Jun. WHITNEY: CAN I BE ME? Nick Broomfield documentary about the life of Whitney Houston. See review, page 78. Out Fri 16 Jun. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 81
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FILM | Highlights
FILM HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED HAMPSTEAD An American widow finds unexpected love with a man living wild on Hampstead Heath when they take on the developers who want to destroy his home. See review, page 77. Out Thu 22 Jun.
Cars 3
DESPICABLE ME 3 The minions are back. In the third entry of this popular franchise, South Park’s Trey Parker plays a former child star obsessed with his glory years. Out Fri 30 Jun. HOUNDS OF LOVE When 17-year-old Vicky is abducted by a serial killer couple, she realises that her only chance of survival is driving a wedge between the pair. Inspired by real life crimes. See review, page 79. Out Fri 7 Jul. CARS 3 Lightning McQueen is out to prove to the new cars on the block that he’s still the best racecar in the world. It’s going to take the help of an eager young race technician for McQueen to attempt a comeback
at the Florida 500. Out Fri 14 Jul. Also screening at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Sun 25 Jun. DAVID LYNCH: THE ART LIFE Director David Lynch traces the events that have helped to shape his creative output. See review, page 79. Out Fri 14 Jul.
6 DAYS Drama based on the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege and the efforts of the SAS to defuse the situation in full view of the world’s media. Out Fri 4 Aug. THE DARK TOWER An adaptation and sequel to Stephen King’s extraordinarily popular series of novels, The Dark Tower follows a
knight on a quest to save his world from extinction. Starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey. Out Fri 18 Aug. LOGAN LUCKY Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina. The latest comedy from Steven Sodebergh. Out Fri 25 Aug.
ed film fest memories 70th Anniversary Exhibition 31 May - 2 July 2017
In celebration of our 70th anniversary and the Year of History, Heritage & Archaeology, we’ve been digging into our archives and are proud to present an amazing selection of Festival highlights. LOCATIONS: St Andrew Square Edinburgh, EH2 2AD Festival Square Edinburgh, EH3 9SR Old College Quad 53 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
Join us on a trip down memory lane! www.edfilmfestmemories.org.uk
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KIDS
Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /kids
MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL Week-long celebration with plenty of fun for the kids For most of the year, Glasgow’s Merchant City is synonymous with bars, restaurants and nights out for the grown-ups. But during the Merchant City Festival, kids get more of a lookin, with over a week of fun activities taking place across the area. ‘The Merchant City Festival appeals to a broad range of audiences and promises something for everyone,’ says the festival’s producer, Lorenzo Mele. ‘We always aim to have a significant programme suitable for younger people – and this year’s is exceptional.’ Mele has bookended the festival with two great family events, starting with the Carnival Procession on Sat 22 Jul and the Provand’s Lordship free Family Fun Day a week later on
Sat 29 Jul. ‘Surprises of a winged variety’ are promised at Provand’s Lordship – Glasgow’s oldest house – along with craft activities, dressing up and the chance to meet some of the unusual characters who have populated the building over its 550-year history. The popular Merchant Square Family Zone is back, with daily doses of fun each afternoon, plus storytelling at Scottish Youth Theatre, a Mad Hatters Tea Party at Britannia Panopticon, interactive screenings of Indiana Jones, Moana and more. ‘We’re providing young minds with a creative haven during the school holidays,’ says Mele, ‘with events that will fire the imagination.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Various venues, Glasgow, Sat 22–Sun 30 Jul.
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KIDS | Previews & Reviews
DANCE
TV
MAMABABAME
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
Southside Community Centre, Edinburgh, Thu 1–Sun 4 Jun; Platform, Glasgow, Sat 10 & Sun 11 Jun, and touring. Reviewed at The Brunton, Musselburgh ●●●●●
CBeebies, starts Mon 5 Jun ●●●●●
Starcatchers, the pre-school age children’s theatre specialists, have teamed up with dance company Curious Seed to create a piece of dance that is accessible to children aged 18 months to three years – and those who nurture them. And nurturing is very much the key. This is a duet which uses cuddles and holding, feeding and reassuring, as its language. It has no particular narrative, more an evolution using the kind of movement and dance that intrigues an audience. It’s all played out on a circular stage, with dancers Hannah Venet and Nerea Gurrutxaga surrounded by a low wall of soft material. The audience sits on carpet outside the wall, which the toddlers among us soon realise is just the right size to lean on or clamber over – but high enough to feel like a barrier for those who might start out intimidated by the experience. While Christine Devaney's choreography develops and expands on the changing relationship between child and adult, cellist Robin Mason provides music which is both a commentary on the movement and a soundtrack to dance to. Pitched perfectly for its target age range, MamaBabaMe's presentation and environment is completely understanding of their needs. (Thom Dibdin)
In the adult universe, division is not only rife but a constant source of dysfunction and disaster. Children, as witnessed in a charming new CBeebies series, are by and large the same the world over. They may be naturally prone to local or national customs and have a myriad of languages, but their sense of play and wonderment is a constant thread which binds them all together. And, like everyone else, they can get a little frustrated at their siblings. Across 20 episodes of Where in the World?, we meet the likes of Hamza, an eight-year-old lad from Jordan out shopping for a present for his baby sister; sixyear-old Indian girl Anushka heads for a family gathering in the countryside; Italian Mario (aged seven) writes some verse in a birthday card for his dad in a touching symbol of familial love. A father will always want to give something back to their kid, of course, and unless they’re one of those crazy Competitive Dad types, they’ll copy the pop of eight-year-old Canadian Rhys and deliberately lose at a skiing race (three times over, the legend). Culinary matters are never too far away with Vietnam’s Truc digging up some carrots to make a healthy salad (though all she really wants to do is fire into a bowl of noodles), while Russian Liza has a gentle battle with her brother over some blueberry picking. While the much-consuming leisure pursuits of FaceTime and Snapchat might not be too far off into the distance for these kids, the simple joys of hanging out with family still have a universal appeal. (Brian Donaldson)
LIVE TOUR
MISTER MAKER & THE SHAPES LIVE! King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 15 Jul Like Tony Hart for a generation raised on smartphones, Mister Maker is a TV show – broadcast on the BBC’s CBeebies channel – about making things. Not the complex and painstaking Blue Peter projects of old, but exercises in craft skills which are truly breakneck. Its host, Mister Maker, has a local radio presenter’s exuberance and a range of cartoonish expressions which fit the vividly coloured, hyperreal style of the show. ‘It sounds like a cliché, but being Mister Maker is my dream job,’ says Phil Gallagher, the former Disney and GMTV kids presenter who took on the role in 2007. ‘I wanted to be a children's television presenter from an early age, and to be one on a show that encourages fun and creativity is a dream come true.’ Over the years, Gallagher has inhabited the part, now writing for both the television and stage versions. ‘I’ve always loved making things and being creative, and now as a 40-year-old big kid I’m no different,’ he says. ‘My house is covered in glitter, sticky tape and googly eyes, but I don't mind, because arts and craft has become my life.’ The role has made him a star worldwide; when the Mister Maker stage show first toured the UK between 2015 and 2016 it was seen by 80,000 people, and the following year it made 18 sold-out appearances at the Sydney Opera House. And if he is this generation’s Tony Hart, then guest-stars the Shapes are his Morph; dancing, life-sized shapes which teach basic lessons about form and colour. ‘We have a great theatre show for you – a big, bright, bold and happy party celebrating creativity and fun,’ Gallagher says. ‘It has art at its heart but also includes a lot of the things that make live theatre exciting. There’ll be plenty of singing, dancing and audience interaction.’ (David Pollock) 84 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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Highlights | KIDS
HITLIST
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL Various venues, Edinburgh, until Sun 4 Jun, imaginate.org.uk Edinburgh’s international children’s festival of performing arts presents a programme of dance, storytelling and puppetry, suitable for anyone with an imagination.
MAMABABAME Platform, Glasgow, Sat 10 & Sun 11 Jun, starcatchers.org.uk Dance, theatre and live music for toddlers and their grown-ups which explores the relationship between a newborn and a mother. One for ages 18 months–3 years. See review, page 84. Also touring.
MISTER MAKER & THE SHAPES LIVE King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 15 Jul, mistermakerlive. co.uk Join CBeebies arts and crafts hero Mister Maker and his colourful pals Square, Rectangle, Triangle and Circle for arty adventures, songs and dancing. See preview, page 84. Also touring.
MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL Various venues, Glasgow, Sat 22–Sun 30 Jul, merchantcityfestival. com A week of performances and activities, with a Kids Zone, Carnival Procession, and much more for families to enjoy. See preview, page 83.
KIDS HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW FAMILY GAME JAM Glasgow Caledonian University, Sat 17 Jun, gcu.ac.uk Get creative and make your own computer game at this hands-on workshop, suitable for children aged 8+, their parents and grandparents, too.
PEPPA PIG’S SURPRISE King’s Theatre, Thu 13 & Fri 14 Jul, peppapig.co.uk Fun family show following the adventures of Peppa Pig, who’s having fun playing outside, but Mum and Dad have a surprise. COMIC AVENGERS ASSEMBLE CCA, Wed 2–Fri 4 Aug, ccaglasgow.com A superhero comic book drawing class, where kids can create their own super-powered person or be inspired by the world of Marvel and DC comics.
EDINBURGH RECITALS FOR WRIGGLERS Stockbridge Parish Church, Thu 1 Jun, recitalsforwrigglers.co.uk Classical music, stories and activities especially created for babies and toddlers. Also touring, see list. co.uk/kids for details MEADOWS FESTIVAL Meadows, Sat 3 & Sun 4 Jun, meadowsfestival.org Enjoy lots of family-friendly activities at this annual event, packed with stalls, performances and much more. BIG FISH LITTLE FISH: FAMILY RAVE Teviot, Sat 17 Jun, bigfishlittlefishevents.co.uk Clubbing afternoon for families, with renowned DJs, fun craft and play activities for children. Also touring, see list.co.uk/kids for details THE SUBWAY HELPING HEARTS FAMILY 5K FUN RUN Holyrood Park, Sun 4 Jun, 5ksubway.com Family fun run with all proceeds raised going towards the Heart Research UK and Subway Healthy Heart Grants scheme. BIKE CURIOUS FAMILY WORKSHOP Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, Sat 10 Jun, edfoc. org.uk A workshop to help you get pedalling with children on board. FUNBOX: UNDERWATER ADVENTURE King’s Theatre, Sat 17 Jun, funbox.co.uk Join-in fun at this deep sea adventure from the former stars of The Singing Kettle. Also touring, see list.co.uk/kids for details ENCHANTED BIRDS Lauriston Caste, Sun 23 Jul, edinburghmuseums.org.uk Make a hand-crafted string of magical birds to hang in your home using beautiful fabrics and special embellishments.
BRICKLIVE SEC, Glasgow, Thu 20–Sun 23 Jul, bricklive. co.uk A celebration of LEGO with displays from fan builders, themed areas and millions of bricks to play with. The event comes to Scotland for the first time as it expands across the UK, wooing fans in London, Birmingham ham and Belfast. t.
FO EDINB R URGH COVERFESTIVAL A AUGU GE, SEE OU ST R AND ISSUES LIST GO TO CO.U FES.T IVALK/ SATURDAY MORNING RNING KIDS ACTIVITIES S Monkey Barrel Comedy, every Saturday, monkeybarrelcomedy. com A series of regular morning events with storytelling, crafting, comedy and family entertainment.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW Howden Park Centre, Livingston, Thu 15 Jun, hungrycaterpillarshow.com Based on Eric Carle’s hand-painted books, this stage production uses 75 lovable puppets to bring to life his stories. CBEEBIE’S SARAH AND DUCK’S BIG TOP BIRTHDAY Howden Park Centre, Livingston, Sat 24 Jun, sarahandduck.com CBeebie’s Sarah and Duck take to the stage, with lots of fun theatre and puppetry. Ages 3+. Also touring, see list.co.uk/kids for details KELBURN GARDEN PARTY Kelburn Castle and Country Centre, Fri 30 Jun–Mon 3 Jul, kelburngardenparty.com Large, family-friendly festival with six stages and pop-up nooks, featuring music, art installations, theatre, poetry, workshops, cabaret and more. MUGSTOCK FESTIVAL Mugdock Country Park, Milngavie, Fri 28–Mon 31 Jul, mugstock.org Now in its third year, this award-winning festival is known for its friendly vibe, with something for all ages. THE LITTLE MERMAID Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock, Sat 5 Aug, beaconartscentre. co.uk Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale is brought to the stage in a brand new production by the internationally acclaimed Panto Company.
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MUSIC
Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /music
LOST MAP’S HOWLIN’ FLING Far from a regular music festival hours of Sunday, with organisers holding the setlists close to their chest and keeping schtum on the acts before tickets have sold out. Previous artists include Django Django, Kathryn Joseph, Jon Hopkins, cult rockers British Sea Power and glum indie heartthrobs the Twilight Sad. Given the usual appearances from the Lost Map roster, the smart money is on sets from label newcomers Manuela as well as usual suspects like Kid Canaveral and Pictish Trail. However, you’ll need to beg, borrow or steal a ticket. 2016’s festival may have sold out in only seven minutes but that year’s got nothing on 2017. Back in February, Howlin’ Fling 2017 tickets sold out in just five. (Sam Bradley) ■ Isle of Eigg, Inner Hebrides, Fri 28 & Sat 29 Jul.
PHOTO: JASSY EARL
Lost Map’s alternative island weekender is less of a fling and rather a full-blown love affair between the DIY label and the picturesque Isle of Eigg. Head honcho Johnny Lynch lives on the isle, which is due to celebrate its community buyout’s 20th anniversary. An off-kilter event, hosted previously in 2014 and 2016, Howlin’ Fling pitches up somewhere between music festival and island bolthole for Scotland’s DIY music community, with touring acts and the label’s own roster playing throughout. Unlike your regular music festival scenario, sunburn and mud stains are traded in for ferry crossings and the rugged, beautiful landscape of the Western Isles. Taking place in and around the Eigg Ceilidh Hall, there’s live music and DJs from the opening Friday evening until the early
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JAZZ FESTIVALS
ALL THAT
JAZZ Tis the season for jazz and blues festivals, with Glasgow and Edinburgh putting on their biggest and best in June and July respectively. Stewart Smith takes a look at who to catch
A
sure sign of health for any decent music festival is not its headline acts, but the extent to which it supports emerging talent and reflects developing trends. On that count, Scotland’s two leading jazz festivals are in pretty good shape. Glasgow Jazz Festival marked its 30th anniversary in 2016 with the 30 Under 30 showcase for young Scottish musicians, and several of those artists return this year, alongside a smattering of upcoming acts from the UK and beyond. Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, which turns 40 next year, has always been the more conservative of the two, but its new Cross the Tracks strand is refreshingly contemporary, with a focus on acts fusing jazz with hip hop and electronica. Glasgow represents the American side of this vanguard with Theo Croker’s Escape Velocity. A former student of the great Donald Byrd and a collaborator with rappers Common and J Cole, Croker is a dazzling trumpeter, who combines classic modal moves with slick nu-soul grooves. Edinburgh looks to London’s vibrant new jazz scene to present the Scottish debuts of punchy sax and drums duo Binker & Moses, and Black Focus mastermind Yussef Dayes. Recipients of the 2015 Mobo Award for best jazz act, Binker Golding and Moses Boyd play an energetic and exploratory acoustic jazz based around tight tunes and muscular grooves. Despite the marketing, their music has no obvious hip hop or grime influence, but it does have a directness and sense of freedom that makes it utterly contemporary. Their second album, Journey to the Mountain of Forever, features such guests as Evan Parker, Byron Wallen and Sarathy Korwar, underlining their openness to different schools of British improvised music.
Drummer Yussef Dayes masterminded last year’s Yussef Kamaal album, Black Focus, with keyboardist Kamaal Williams. Draped in hazy Rhodes riffs and wiggly synths, the album fuses the dreamier end of 70s jazz-funk with a London club sensibility, tapping into jungle, trip hop and house. Dayes is joined in Edinburgh by guitarist Mansur Brown, bassist Tom Driessler and keys man Charlie Stacey. Expect head-nodding grooves and classy improvisation. Other highlights of the Cross the Tracks strand include rapper and saxophonist Soweto Kinch and Ibibio Sound Machine with their infectious blend of Nigerian high life, Afrobeat and electronica. Glasgow Jazz Festival features several upcoming British acts who are more squarely in the jazz tradition, while bringing contemporary influences to their sound. Virtuoso bassist Michael Janisch brings his electro-acoustic ensemble, Paradigm Shift, to the city, while Nérija, a female group who emerged out of the crucial Tomorrow’s Warriors development programme, appear with support from Scottish women’s improv collective Bitches Brew. Youthful trumpet ace Tom Syson presents his sextet, while saxophonist Jonathan Chung introduces his Glasshopper trio, featuring guitarist James Kitchman and acclaimed Scottish drummer Corrie Dick. While Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra are always a welcome presence at Glasgow Jazz Festival (their show this year features legendary vocal improviser Phil Minton), the relative absence of the avant-garde from both festivals is a constant frustration. While it could be argued that fans of free jazz and improvised music are catered for by Counterflows, Tectonics and GIO Fest, it just ain’t right for Scotland’s leading jazz festivals to keep marginalising jazz’s most creative side. Given the rapturous Glasgow reception for masters like
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JAZZ FESTIVALS
list.co.uk/music
PHOTO: BEATA SZPARAGOWSKA
JACK LUKEMAN
by arrangement with Neil O’Brien Entertainment
plus special guests
Wednesday 19th July GLASGOW Glad Café
Thursday 20th July EDINBURGH Voodoo Rooms
TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER
regular & cpl by arrangement with x-ray presents
EDINBURGH QUEEN’S HALL
TUESDAY 27 JUNE
GLASGOW THE GARAGE G2 wearesheppard.com
0131 668 2019
‘KEEP ME CRAZY’ OUT NOW
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J n t a C u t n
SUN 29 OCT
O2ABC G asg w
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Konni Kass
NEW ALBUM ‘PRAYER FOR PEACE’ OUT ON 2ND JUNE.
fNMALLSTARS TNMALLSTARS
by arrangement with ITB, presents
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SUNDAY 4 JUNE GLASGOW ORAN MOR
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C I T Y HA LLS
GLASGOW
EDINBUR GH VOODOO ROOMS
0141 35 3 8 000
GLASGOW CCA
Roscoe Mitchell, William Parker, Joe McPhee and Linda Sharrock in recent years, there can be no doubt that Scottish audiences are ready for it. Having said that, it’s great to see Slovenian pianist and composer Kaja Draksler (pictured) on the Glasgow programme. An emerging star of the European improvisation scene, Draksler has recorded a number of solo and leader projects, as well as a fine duo set with the brilliant young Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva. The Amsterdam-based pianist has just released Gledalec, an octet album that draws on free improvisation, jazz, and classical music, with a beautiful detour into the choral music of Slovenian Renaissance composer Jacobus Gallus Petelin. ‘I like melody as an ingredient of music, especially when it’s sung,’ she says. ‘I find it very easy to connect to on the emotional level.’ Her Glasgow solo performance, she explains, will be determined by the piano and acoustics of the room. ‘I don’t know exactly what I will be playing before I get to the actual space. Usually I do a mix of free improvisation with original compositions. Sometimes I play jazz tunes as well, particularly Monk or Duke.’ As for those headline acts? Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen’s tribute to hard-bop drum legend Art Blakey should be fun, while many will flock to see Ginger Baker doing his curmudgeonly thing. But it’s with those emerging acts, in smaller venues, where jazz’s real spirit of adventure presides. Glasgow Jazz Festival, Wed 21–Sun 25 Jun; Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Fri 14–Sun 23 Jul.
by arrangement with WME
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Monday 26 June
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THURSDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
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The Freedom Highway Tour
EVERY VALLEY TOUR
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TWO SETS PER NIGHT:
HOLY BANDITS (FULL ALBUM) & THE BEST OF THE BEST-OF
WED 18 OCT
GLASGOW BARROWLAND
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Sunday 26 November
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MUSIC | Records ELECTRO POP
ALBUM OF THE ISSUE
ELECTRO-FOLK
MARNIE
MARIKA HACKMAN
Strange Words and Weird Wars (Disco Pinata) ●●●●●
I’m Not Your Man (Sub Pop) ●●●●●
When Marika Hackman first released ‘Boyfriend’ as a single, it was an early indication of her intention to broach new territory in the follow-up to her 2015 debut. The heavily sarcastic and tongue-incheek track departs from the innocence and sombre warmth of We Slept at Last, hinting at something bolder and more unashamedly forthright. ‘Boyfriend’, an ode to female empowerment, opens I’m Not Your Man with a clear ‘don’t fuck with me’ attitude, humorously and sardonically depicting the pains of being in a queer relationship. The song’s sunny disposition is mimicked elsewhere in ‘My Lover Cindy’, ‘Time’s Been Reckless’ and ‘Eastbound Train’, but underneath the peppy indie-pop choruses and upbeat melodies often lies a feeling of cynicism and a confidence that uncovers deeper themes. On tracks like ‘Good Intentions’, you can hear the grunge influences seeping in with fuzzy, screeching guitar lines and off-kilter string bends. The softly sung ‘Gina’s World’ similarly harks back to the 90s, landing somewhere in between Nirvana’s ‘Polly’ and Hole’s ‘Doll Parts’. Some of the album’s finest moments arrive when Hackman’s vocals are isolated, as on ‘Cigarette’ with its gentle finger-picked guitar accompaniment while the acoustic guitar on ‘I’d Rather Be With Them’ shadows Hackman's soothing voice, beguiling harmonies and dark lyrics. I’m Not Your Man is certainly more audacious in its overall structure and discussions than Hackman’s debut, demonstrating a previously unseen adventurousness in her compositions. Signalling a liberation of sorts, themes like femininity and sexual identity are dissected in a way that is unrestrained but still highly creative. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out Fri 2 Jun.
Helen Marnie is best known for her place in the icy cool lineup of Liverpool’s Ladytron. Those enigmatic boy-girl synthbots were last spotted in 2011, but have recently intimated their not-a-moment-too-soon return to action, in order to wrestle synth pop from the feeble grip of the likes of Years & Years. In the interim, Marnie returned to her native Glasgow, from where she set to work on her solo debut Crystal World. The elegantly produced follow-up Strange Words and Weird Wars has been a long time coming but packs a pop purity that would ring true and confident in any age. Despite the intriguing title, this is pop music through and through. There’s an inevitable kinship with other solo synth divas such as Grimes and Ladyhawke, who combine love of a good tune with playful or more adventurous soundscapes, but Marnie is sleeker still, thanks to her pure vocals and cleaner production. Such is her ear for a catchy hook that she could even give Lady Gaga a run for her money with the likes of ‘Invisible Girl’. Among various retro flirtations, ‘G.I.R.L.S.’ is a call to female revolution in an attractive New Romantic package, while Marnie harks back to the heyday of Belinda Carlisle with the slick 80s pop of ‘Electric Youth’, the kind of track you would expect to hear over the closing credits of a John Hughes film. Likewise, the dreamy echo-laden robo-pop of ‘Summer Boys’ and ‘Heartbreak Kid’ mine the same wistful teen territory as Lana Del Rey without ladling on the vintage cultural references. The album is not all disposable bubblegum; there are darker shadows to get lost in, from the classy retro-futurist electroscape of ‘Lost Maps’ to the atmospheric torch song ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night’. Named after the Iranian vampire movie, the latter tune layers up Marnie’s vocals to rhapsodic effect and provides a welcome variety in texture while still sitting comfortably in this cohesive collection. (Fiona Shepherd) ■ Out Fri 2 Jun.
ROCK
COUNTRY
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
THE SECRET SISTERS
Every Valley (Play It Again Sam) ●●●●●
You Don’t Own Me Anymore (New West Records) ●●●●●
With second album The Race for Space, Public Service Broadcasting succeeded in paying homage to one of humankind’s greatest endeavours. For Every Valley, the band returns to take on a different piece of history, using a signature amalgamation of guitars, electronics and vintage samples to tell the story of mining in South Wales and its progress, demise and unfortunate aftermath. The album wistfully traces industrial decline, beginning with the glorious eruption of tremolo strings in its title track, signifying the ‘kings of the underworld’ in their heyday. This positivity continues in ‘The Pit’, ‘People Always Need Coal’ and finally ‘Progress’, a tribute to resilience and determination, with Tracyanne Campbell’s soaring vocals coalescing with the samples to stress a firm belief in the prevailing power of progress. The album’s turning point comes at ‘Go to the Road’, which details the closure of a pit followed by ‘All Out’, with the discontent of the miners’ strike represented aptly in the driving and spitting guitar lines. As well as adding their own unique touch, the guest appearances are carefully chosen to match the tone of each story being told. James Dean Bradfield offers an anthemic and spirited refrain in ‘Turn No More’ while album highlight ‘You + Me’ features Lisa Jen Brown singing in Welsh, accompanied by simple and quiet Latin-style instrumentation and rhythms. It provides the album’s most beautiful moment; a point of reflection amid cries of perseverance. Closing track ‘Take Me Home’, an old miner’s song sung by an all-male choir, has a similar effect in its emphasis on memory and the idea of returning to a familiar place. Though the leap from the immensity of space to coal mining in South Wales may seem unusual, Every Valley allows Public Service Broadcasting to once again demonstrate their worth as researchers and storytellers, charting the story of one community to highlight the plight of many all around the world. (Arusa Qureshi) ■ Out Fri 7 Jul.
There’s no shortage of sister harmony outfits in roots music, with the Pierces, the Staves, and Joseph all charming audiences in the past few years. But the discovery of the Secret Sisters at an open audition in Nashville rings like a story from a bygone age. When they first emerged to instant recognition in 2009, Laura and Lydia Rogers were a candy-striped retro dream and a bluegrass Beverley Sisters. Sumptuous singers in their own right, this ravishing double act put a female harmony spin on an old-time folk and country repertoire. But that story includes hard times, menial jobs and legal tussles once they were dropped by their label, mercifully followed by a lifeline in the form of fellow country roots lover Brandi Carlile, who swooped in to produce this delicious and sweetly defiant third album. The Secret Sisters have responded to their travails with a lightness of touch, sidestepping the temptation to embrace a brash modern pop style purely for greater commercial returns. They showcase their heavenly harmonies from the off on the mournful intro to ‘Tennessee River Runs Low’ before the song perks up to a cutesy jaunt with Lydia’s soprano ringing as clear as mountain air. They flirt briefly with a more contemporary country sound while sticking with the rivers on the moody ‘Mississippi’ but the spirit of Kitty Wells pervades ‘King Cotton’, a honky-tonk hymn to their home state of Alabama. Their obvious skills as singers are best served when they can inject some doe-eyed blues into their music: the bittersweet ballad ‘Carry Me’ and lullaby lament ‘To All the Girls Who Cry’ are exquisitely sad. And even ‘Little Again’, for all its breezy whistling coda, carries a certain nostalgic weight in its desire to return to simpler days, while the haunting country gospel of ‘Flee as a Bird’ ensures this album ends in the arms of angels. (Fiona Shepherd) ■ Out Fri 9 Jun.
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Records | MUSIC
list.co.uk/music GRUNGE ROCK
POP
MELVINS
SAINT ETIENNE
Walk with Love and Death (Ipecac Recordings) ●●●●●
Home Counties (Heavenly Recordings) ●●●●●
One delightful thing about Melvins is that they pay zero heed to the notion of the ‘proper’ album. Any one of their releases in recent years – one-off collaborations, an antique lineup reformed, an album with multiple guest bassists, a covers record – would, for other bands, be temporary deviations from the steady path. But for Melvins, the unpredictable is standard operating procedure. Which brings us to A Walk with Love and Death, their first double album. The ‘Death’ disc is a lean collection of fine tracks that could have appeared on any of your favourite Melvins albums. Opener ‘Black Heath’ is from the lush, softer end of their oeuvre, culminating in the kind of elegantly nimble, timebending exercise for which Melvins don’t get nearly enough credit. They’re more often feted for excelling at super-heavy and grindingly slow violence like ‘Euthanasia’ but also have a surprisingly neat line in charmingly poptastic stadium rock, like ‘What’s Wrong with You?’, sung by latest bassist, Steven McDonald (ex-Redd Kross). ‘Love’, the soundtrack to an as-yet-unreleased-but-horrifying-looking short film by Jesse Nieminen, is something else. An amorphous swamp of semi-overheard conversation, field recordings, noisy clatter and ambient drifting murk, it does a great job of sucking you into its ooze, but is perhaps not destined to soundtrack many beach parties. Given their almost identical running times, curious listeners may wonder whether ‘Love’ and ‘Death’ are intended to be played simultaneously. A double album with a secret third sounds like the sort of thing Melvins might do. Sometimes the two are startlingly in sync and complementary; sometimes much less so. But when they cohere, whether by design or accident, when we walk with both love and death in our minds, it opens up a deeper appreciation of the whole. Precisely the kind of pretentious guff Melvins would beat to a pulp with a breezeblock. (Matt Evans) ■ Out Fri 7 Jul.
Nostalgic histories of the 1990s British music scene tend to white out Saint Etienne. Possibly there’s a combination of depressingly blokey blindness to the fact that women other than Patsy Kensit and Trainspotting’s Diane existed in that decade, or residual rockist discrimination against any music which dared to embrace synthetic acid house as much as it did proper oak-smoked 1960s nostalgia. Sarah, Bob and Pete have risen to the challenge of pleasing fans from ye olden days by writing a concept album devoted to the joys of England’s Home Counties. Preceded by promo images of a leafy, detached suburban villa and the trio dressed in finest camel and cashmere, the album is punctuated by excerpts from Radio 4’s The Reunion, Ken Bruce’s ‘PopMaster’ and the sound of birdsong and choristers. The retro-futurism is perhaps needlessly over-emphasised by the added harpsichord on ‘Whyteleafe’ and pan pipes on ‘After Hebden’, yet Home Counties makes tangible the element of harking back which has driven Saint Etienne on since they first emerged. It evokes a mythical pop cultural golden age built on timeless style, from the spine-tinglingly organic Northern Soul orchestra of ‘Underneath the Apple Tree’ to the masterful fusion of LCD Soundsystem cowbells, Club 18–30 disco-funk and Sarah Cracknell’s ever-alluring Dusty Springfield tones on ‘Dive’ and the sinister Sigur Ros atmospherics of ‘Breakneck Hill’. In all but lyrical content (‘What Kind of World’s very overt ‘let’s find another country’ aside) this is the Brexit concept album you never knew you wanted to hear, yet to reduce it to some kind of whimsical Good Life caricature of straight-laced stockbroker-and-civil-servant belt life, of the kind Blur and the Who used to do, is to demean it somewhat. The group are singing of home, and this is a record heavy with genuine fondness and nostalgia; were Saint Etienne’s Home Counties a country of their own, we’d all want to live there. (David Pollock) ■ Out Fri 2 Jun.
POWER POP
ROCK
BREAKFAST MUFF
CIRCLE
Eurgh! (Amour Foo) ●●●●●
Terminal (Southern Lord) ●●●●●
Breakfast Muff comprises a membership roster which has served time in local squads Joanna Gruesome, Rapid Tan, Spinning Coin and Hairband. Glasgow’s lo-fi power-punk trio is a band which combines ferociously functional DIY music with the sharpest, most up-yours lyrical edge we’ve heard in some time. The key track here, simply because the title grabs the attention and demands you skip to it, is ‘R U A Feminist’. It’s a fierce band manifesto and a stamp on the balls for any right-on bro who dares lather themselves in the language of feminism as a cheap chat-up line while using women as an avatar for their own emotional aggression. Their lyrics are slogans dripping with righteous anger (‘You’re a feminist until I won’t fuck you / you’re a feminist until I talk to other guys . . . no, I don’t owe you anything . . . you’re not a fucking feminist!’) and if the music is fairly bythe-numbers power-pop, it’s at least played with determination as they spit out their glorious, serrated lyrics. ‘I want to wear your skin / to my birthday party,’ harmonise Eilidh McMillan and Simone Wilson on ‘Birthday Party’, slipping in a weird key-change mid-lyric over Cal Donnelly’s desperate lead vocal. ‘Sorry we’re fucked up / you made us this way / we are better than you!’ holler McMillan and Wilson on ‘Babyboomers’, channelling Jack Palance and Bill Hicks in their merciless urging for a pan-generational shoot-out; ‘I Like To’ is a hypnotic, X-rated Everly Brothers-style ballad singing the (very graphic) praises of sexual liberation; ‘Duvet’ rides on an invigorating, breakneck riff worthy of Blur at their least reserved and most Graham Coxon-led. They sound raw, unschooled and magnetically compelling throughout, smelting the knowing wryness of Moldy Peaches and the committed anger of Bikini Kill. If the sound of punk is now a heritage concern, its youth, anger and desire to pound the listener awake with the ferocity of imagery and language is reborn in Breakfast Muff. (David Pollock) ■ Out Fri 7 Jul.
For Circle fans, every new release is an adventure. Since their 1993 debut, this Finnish collective have released more than 30 albums, all entirely unique but also unmistakably Circle. There’s a combination of gleeful mischief and lethally intense focus that characterises everything they do, from metal semi-pastiche to amniotic jazz abstraction to muscular, psychedelic Krautrock. There was that one time when Circle weren’t Circle (the year they leased their name to a death metal band) while the ‘real’ Circle operated under the name Falcon. As you do. Terminal finds them returning with heads full of rock. Opener ‘Rakkautta Al Dente’ stitches together a succession of lost Zeppelin riffs and impassioned wails, but its cock-rock swagger is subverted as it melts into a gloopy disorienting space-rock puddle. The title track brings plenty of Stooges-style bite’n’strut, but also a gleefulyet-forlorn melodic refrain that adds a little soul to the punky posturing. ‘Saxo’ finds Mika Ratto barking like a canine drill sergeant over a bruising 6/8 pulse that segues seamlessly into heavy ritual post-punk and overblown operatic 80s art-pop. Taking fragments of bombastic old-school heavy metal and reassembling them in the dark, ‘Imperiumi’ is a slightly peculiar headbanger’s delight. And while reminding people of lumpen boors Kasabian is rarely a source of happiness, closer ‘Sick Child’, with its plodding blokey-shoegaze groove and wordless snide vocal, manages to straddle both of those things by virtue of sheer bloody-minded repetition. Circle have released more innovative, forward-thinking, adventurous, experimental, intellectual and just-plain-strange records. But Terminal is among their most pleasurable collections. There’s something joyous about the way in which they take such overly familiar rock tropes and treat them with precisely the right amounts of moist reverence and granite-faced disdain, all shot through with that ineffable, infuriatingly elusive Circleness. (Matt Evans) ■ Out Fri 23 Jun. 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 91
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MUSIC | Records – Jazz & World
JAZZ & WORLD
EXPOSURE
JAZZ
ALICE COLTRANE The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (Luaka Bop) ●●●●● Ten years after her death, the world is starting to catch up with Alice Coltrane. In the late 1970s, Coltrane withdrew from the music world to become a spiritual leader, taking on the name Turiyasangitananda (‘the transcendental lord’s highest song of bliss’). But she continued to make music, releasing four private press cassettes of Hindu devotional music between 1982 and 1995. With this compilation, that music is finally enjoying a wider release. The cuts gathered here reflect Coltrane’s inclusive vision of spirituality, as she infuses traditional Hindu bhajans (hymns) with the gospel music of her Detroit childhood. This is extraordinary stuff, with vocalists chanting over organ drones and huge waves of synth that recall the mind-bending string arrangements of 1972’s World Galaxy. Coltrane’s husky alto voice is gorgeous: when she accompanies herself on harp on the sublime ‘Er Ra’ there won’t be a dry eye in the house. JAZZ
LOL COXHILL & RAYMOND MACDONALD Morphometry (Glo-Spot) ●●●●● Asked in 2014 what he would like for his birthday, the producer and broadcaster John Cavanagh suggested that a crowd-funder be set up to release an album he had recorded by the saxophonists Lol Coxhill and Raymond MacDonald in July 2008. Now that present is here, resplendent on custard-coloured vinyl, with a delightful front cover woodcut by Ian Barrett. Coxhill, who died in 2012, was a regular visitor to Scotland, and struck up a warm relationship in his later years with Cavanagh, MacDonald and Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra. That quality comes through in these duets, recorded over an evening with a single malt to hand. Coxhill is on typically inquisitive and generous form, offering finely spun threads of soprano sax for MacDonald to elaborate on with his alto. Together they conjure a gently surreal world of chirruping blackbirds, Bashovian frogs, and skylarks improvising freely on Rodgers & Hart. WORLD
DONA ONETE Banzeiro (Mais Em Discos) ●●●●● Brazilian singer-songwriter Dona Onete recorded her debut album, Feitiço Caboclo, at 73. Five years on, she returns with Banzeiro. Before she came to music, Onete was a teacher, folklorist and regional cultural secretary, and her love of Amazonian culture is reflected in Banzeiro’s blend of rhythms from native Brazilians, African slaves and the Caribbean. The title track is a rowdy Amazonian take on ska, its percussive groove laced with greasy saxophones and guitars. Onete’s wonderfully raspy voice is softened by lisping Portuguese consonants, and she gives it her all over the galloping rhythms and rousing backing vocals of her band. The lusty salsa of ‘Quando Eu Te Conheci’ (‘When I Met You’) celebrates a lover’s ‘crazy way of making love’, while the closing ‘Sonhos De Adolescente’ is a wistful and romantic piano ballad, its luscious strings, glistening guitars and bossa rhythms haunted by a ghostly radio signal.
STATIC UNION It’s no news when teenagers are making music – most kids, particularly given Scotland’s musical heritage, pick up a guitar at some point. Not all of them, however, are producing music feted so thoroughly as Static Union are. ‘I wish I was making music like that when I was 18,’ laments Vic Galloway about the band. The Glasgow-based four-piece are creating noises to make people sit up and listen. Their latest single, ‘Finally’, was released in May and the group are set to play Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s in June. Influenced by the National, Arcade Fire, Joy Division and the Smiths, they’re fans of the occasional anthemic banger and write songs made to be played live and loud. We caught up with lead guitarist James Harker to have a blether about their musical peers, the creative process, and how they’d really describe their sound On their sound The next best thing since the Village People. On the creative process Sean [McGarvey]’s been a singer-songwriter for years, so the band started with the four of us and a book full of tunes that he’d written. He still writes all the songs now, but creatively there’s a lot more give and take with the rest of us. I think as we grow as a band the creative stamp that everyone’s individual musicianship and style has on our songs is becoming more and more evident.
WORLD
VARIOUS Pop Makossa: The Invasive Dance Beat of Cameroon 1976–1984 (Analog Africa) ●●●●● Pop Makossa transports the listener to the clubs of 1970s and 80s Cameroon, where the makossa style collided with urban dance rhythms. Dream Star’s ‘Pop Makossa Invasion’ is a striking introduction, as spacey chords and reverb-drenched hand-drums bring an air of mystery to the funk. ‘Yaoundé Girls’ by four-track production wizard Mystic Djinm takes the sound into the 80s, with cosmic synths and rubbery bass riding the most infectious of high-tempo grooves. Equally striking is Pasteur Lappé’s ‘Sanaga Calypso’ from 1981, with its glittering array of synths, processed guitar grit and Caribbean lilt. The same artist’s ‘Sekele Movement’ is a cheeky disco stepper, with clavinets and elastic bass reminiscent of Arthur Russell’s Loose Joints. It’s not hard to see why Bill Loko’s ‘Nen Labmo’ was such a huge hit in 1980: hearing that glorious melody over bright guitars, stardust synths and the syncopated makossa bounce brings instant joy. (All reviews by Stewart Smith)
On their Scottish music peers Shout-out to Glasgow’s Crow’s Feet – they’re the loveliest and Fauves are the grooviest. On the Scottish music scene I think (like mostly everywhere) there’s a lot of great music being made in Scotland at the moment. As someone who’s really passionate about music, it’s frustrating to see a band I love not get the recognition I think they deserve, but on the other hand, it’s great when you do see some young Scottish bands getting high-profile gigs and climbing up the ladder. On what to expect from them next Our latest single ‘Finally’ is out now on iTunes, Spotify etc, plus the video for the single is on our YouTube: youtube.com/staticunion. We’ve got a few tunes in the pipeline for release, as well as a headline slot at King Tut’s in Glasgow and Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh and a slot on the XpoNorth showcase in Inverness. We’re using the summer to experiment with new sounds and to keep on writing. (As told to Kirstyn Smith) ■ Static Union play Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, Sat 17 Jun.
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COMING UP AT THE QUEEN’S HALL FRINGE 2017
HENNING WEHN: WESTPHALIA IS NOT AN OPTION Thu 3–Sun 6 August, 7.30pm Thu 10–Sun 13 August, 7.30pm Thu 17–Sun 20 August, 7.30pm
KARINE POLWART Wed 9 August, 7.30pm
RANT Mon 14 August, 7.30pm
BLAZIN’ FIDDLES Wed 16 August, 7.30pm
MOISHE’S BAGEL Thu 24 August, 7.30pm
PLAYING POLITICS: THE LAST HURRAH Fri 25 August, 7.30pm
MARTIN CARTHY Sun 27 August, 7.30pm
THE QUEEN’S HALL CLERK STREET | EDINBURGH EH8 9JG THEQUEENSHALL.NET | 0131 668 2019 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 93
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MUSIC | Previews CHAMBER POP
THE DIVINE COMEDY Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, Fri 2 Jun Is it too soon to hail the man who sang ‘National Express’ as a national treasure? It’s a term loaded with affection but also hints that the artist’s best work is behind them. Neil Hannon, however, is only getting started. In recent years, he has composed for prestigious opera and theatre companies and worked with a donkey called Wayne who can be heard braying on current Divine Comedy album, Foreverland. Perhaps renaissance man is a more accurate description. His first opera commission, Sevastopol, was an adaptation of a Tolstoy story: ‘it was a bit like when sixth formers decide to do Brecht. I just think I bit off a little more than I could chew.’ Hannon was happier with ‘To Our Fathers in Distress’, an organ piece inspired by ‘the Hannon family average Sunday in the 1970s which generally involved eating fried bread. Now they’ve started telling us that any hint of blackening of the toast is terribly carcinogenic; I should be dead by now, because everything I’ve ever loved is burnt.’ Hannon himself has helpfully dubbed this present period in Divine Comedy history as the ‘imperial phase, when everyone just accepts my domination,’ he deadpans. ‘After the hits and the Top of the Pops era died away, I took it hard for a few years, but the audience stayed with me. It’s like a big cult. Not like the Scientologists, more like the Moonies.’ That fanbase will be out in force when the Divine Comedy bring their sunny wit – and period costume – to Kelvingrove Bandstand. Taking his style cue from Foreverland’s opening track ‘Napoleon Complex’, Hannon will be attired as the diminutive emperor. ‘Really it’s just a great excuse to hire the costume and prance around on stage shaking my epaulettes.’ Suitably imperial behaviour. (Fiona Shepherd)
EXPERIMENTAL POP
ADAM STAFFORD Stereo, Glasgow, Thu 29 Jun; Leith Depot, Edinburgh, Sat 1 Jul Adam Stafford has a history of taking on projects that are tangled up in both sound and vision. So, it’s no surprise that he’s decided to combine the two in his upcoming venture Reverse Drift, a collection of photographs combined with a 40-minute continual-track improvised album. ‘I do always try and think visually in terms of music and what I’m trying to get out of it,’ says Stafford. Having studied film and photography at uni, Stafford has been taking pictures since high school, and the photo book’s selection includes images from as early as 1999. He takes inspiration, photo-wise, from Todd Hido, Andrei Tarkovsky and Edward Hopper, the latter of whose influence can be most seen in Stafford’s stark, humanless scenes. ‘Although a lot of Hopper’s pictures do have figures in them, I’m more inclined to his work where it’s just sunlight on the wall of a room. I think when you bring humans into a photo or a film, it detracts from the landscape and you start to focus on that figure.’ As for the accompanying album, Stafford wanted to take his music in a different direction. ‘There’s a more experimental, compositional dimension from what I’d previously been doing, which was songs with verses and choruses. It’s mostly improvised: the only thing I had written was the first phrase with the chimes and the voice. That was the jumping off point that the rest of the album was made up of as we went along.’ (Kirstyn Smith) FESTIVAL
WEST END FIESTA Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow, Fri 9–Sun 11 Jun The continuing development of the frankly lovely Kelvingrove Bandstand as the epicentre of summer live music in Glasgow continues apace. Regular Music’s Summer Nights is now well-established in August, although their game has been upped several levels this year with a fortnight-long programme featuring everyone from Brian Wilson to Arab Strap and Pixies to Texas. The live action has also moved to June, with the West End Fiesta offering a weekend of crowd-pleasing artists. There’s a smart curation behind the West End Fiesta, with a nostalgic disco focus fusing to a wisely chosen group of artists who best exemplify today’s sound, alongside contemporary names carrying on the party tradition of New York’s 1970s Paradise Garage and Studio 54 scene. The big draw is Nile Rodgers and Chic, who are afforded two headline slots on Saturday and Sunday, and play music so epochal they’re probably worth seeing twice. Rodgers, no shrinking violet and an expert self-mythologist, is admittedly one of the most influential producers and songwriters of the 20th century. As a fulcrum of Chic, Rodgers recorded classics ‘Le Freak’ and ‘Good Times’ before moving into production on albums like Bowie’s Let’s Dance and Madonna’s Like a Virgin, more recently playing his distinctive guitar lines on Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’. Headlining on Friday will be longstanding New Jersey R&B group Kool & the Gang. Jocelyn Brown and Odyssey will also be making live appearances alongside Studio 54 resident DJ Nicky Siano and locals Andrew Divine, Dixon Avenue Basement Jams and Al Kent. (David Pollock) 94 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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Highlights | MUSIC
CLAS SICAL
CLASSICAL / CONTEMPORARY
SEAN SHIBE: SOFTLOUD St Monans Church, St Monans, Thu 29 Jun; Dreel Hall, Anstruther, Fri 30 Jun; The Space @ Niddry Street, Edinburgh, Mon 21–Sat 26 Aug
PHOTO: KAUPO KIKKAS
Proudly bearing a highly coveted Royal Philharmonic Society trophy, awarded in London in May, it’s the second time that the East Neuk Festival has received this prestigious endorsement of its work in engaging audiences. But never complacent, each year’s festival brings something new to East Neuk followers. This year, guitarist Sean Shibe premieres his project softLOUD which brings together Scottish music of the 16th–18th centuries by the likes of James Oswald and Lady Wemyss with contemporary music for electric guitar, inspired by current affairs in his native Scotland. As an initiative which aims to break down genre barriers in music, it’s an innovative approach that is also a tangible reminder that rock’s electric guitar started off life way back as the much gentler lute. ‘When I was asked by East Neuk what I might want to do, I was feeling angry,’ says Shibe. ‘We’d had Brexit and Trump, and as someone in my early 20s I wanted to play raucous, loud music on electric guitar. I wanted to do something that would sum up the emotions of Scotland’s young people. There’s been a lot of political flux and I sometimes feel classical music hasn’t represented that enough.’ In softLOUD, Shibe plays classical guitar repertoire, some of it very definitely in the soft and sweet category, but also Peter Maxwell Davies’ universally loved ‘Farewell to Stromness’, written as an anti-nuclear protest, driving the programme towards the louder music to come. ‘The show ends in a cathartic outpouring of grief and anger,’ he says. ‘Slowly wailing, ancient, grieving, “LAD” was written after the death of a friend of its composer Julia Wolfe, and David Lang’s “Killer” is abrupt and ironclad in its fury’. (Carol Main)
CLASSICAL HIGHLIGHTS HITLIST
CALTON CONSORT Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh, Sat 17 Jun Top notch voices of the Calton Consort are heard in a summery programme inspired by the theme of flowers. American composer Morten Lauridsen turns to the French poetry of German writer Rainer Maria Rilke for his setting of five songs about roses. For Britten, daffodils, primroses and marsh flowers are the inspiration of his Five Flower Songs.
SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE: EASTERN EUROPE EXPRESS Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, Wed 7 Jun, scottishensemble. co.uk The Scottish Ensemble whizz their audience to Poland and the inventive style of Graznya Bacewicz, then France, where Polish composer Frederic Chopin wrote his Op 37 and Op 55 Nocturnes, and finally off to the Czech Republic and the rich romanticism of Dvorák‘s String Quintet in G major arranged for string orchestra. All in the capable hands of tour guide violinist Bartosz Woroch.
EDINBURGH TINDERBOX ORCHESTRA Leith Theatre, Edinburgh, Sun 4 Jun, hiddendoorblog.org A contemporary youth orchestra that’s a fusion of instruments, styles and people, including original compositions and collaborations. Part of Hidden Door festival. PHOTO: SALLY JUBB
RSNO: MAHLER THREE Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 3 Jun Bringing their 2016/17 season to a close, the RSNO and music director Peter Oundjian turn to Mahler and one of the biggest symphonies ever written, his third. The orchestra is specially expanded for the occasion, with mezzo soloist, female chorus and RSNO Junior Chorus all joining in. Also Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Fri 2 Jun.
GLASGOW
this new production of Puccini’s classic score is set in the flea markets of Paris, with all the colour and style that the director / designer team of Renaud Doucet and André Barbe are known for. SUNDAY CLASSICS: SWR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA STUTTGART Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sun 25 Jun, usherhall.co.uk The Usher Hall’s highly successful Sunday afternoon series comes to a close with the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart. Hear them in Mahler’s first symphony with the outstanding conductor Christoph Eschenbach.
OUT OF TOWN HANS ZIMMER The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Sun 18 Jun, thessehydro.com He’s written music for over 150 films and there will no doubt be some that are very familiar in Hans Florian Zimmer’s Glasgow appearance as part of a UK/European tour. Often integrating electronic music with classical orchestral sounds, his scores include The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Dark Knight trilogy.
SCOTTISH OPERA: LA BOHÈME Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Sun 4, Tue 6, Thu 8 Jun, edtheatres. com Inspired by the jazz age,
MUSIC AT PAXTON Paxton House and Country Park, Paxton, Sat 15 Jul Award-winning Carducci Quartet join forces with Scottish harp and wind players, including Emma Wilkins (flute) and Calum Robertson (clarinet) for Ravel’s shimmeringly beautiful Introduction and Allegro. String quartets in the first half by Shostakovich and Philip Glass.
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MUSIC | Highlights
HITLIST
KRAFTWERK Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Fri 9 Jun; glasgowconcerthalls. com; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 10 Jun, usherhall.co.uk Two Scottish dates from the legendary German electronic group who pioneered the genre back in the 70s and who are renowned as the
godfathers of electronic music. ANI DIFRANCO The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Thu 29 Jun, thequeenshall. net Indulgently quirky American singersongwriter. TRNSMT FESTIVAL Glasgow Green,
Glasgow, Fri 7–Sun 9 Jul, trnsmtfest.com Taking over where T in the Park has left off, TRNSMT has some big boots to fill. Headlining the Glasgow festival are Radiohead (Fri), Kasabian (Sat) and Biffy Clyro (Sun) with support from Belle and Sebastian, the 1975, London Grammar, Catfish & the Bottlemen, the Kooks,
Stormzy, Twin Atlantic and more across the weekend. See feature, page 30. REGINA SPEKTOR Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Thu 3 Aug, atgtickets.com/venues/ edinburgh-playhouse This expressive singer/ pianist from New York is just about the only songwriter to do anything
of note with a Kate Bush influence. ARAB STRAP Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre, Glasgow, Sun 13 Aug, glasgowconcerthalls. com Scottish rock duo (Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton) reunite for the group’s 20th anniversary.
MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW MARNIE The Poetry Club, Thu 1 Jun, thepoetryclub.net Singer-songwriter and sometime Ladytron frontwoman with uptempo dream-pop. See album review, page 90. THE DIVINE COMEDY Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre, Fri 2 Jun, glasgowconcerthalls.com Neil Hannon, the always-charming Irish songwriter, leads the Divine Comedy’s musically diverse repertoire. See preview, page 94. THE STAVES Glasgow School of Art, Tue 6 Jun, theartschool.co.uk English sister act blending beautiful harmonies with a Laura Marling-like folkiness. The Stone Roses TYCHO SWG3, Tue 6 Jun, swg3.tv Ambient and experimental electronica artist. ROB ZOMBIE O2 Academy Glasgow, Fri 9 Jun, academymusicgroup.com/ o2academyglasgow The master of shock rock and metal takes a break from directing horror films to get back to the UK. HOUSE OF PAIN O2 ABC, Tue 13 Jun, academymusicgroup.com/ o2abcglasgow American hip hop group, comprising Everlast, Danny Boy and DJ Lethal, best known for their single ‘Jump Around’. HANS ZIMMER The SSE Hydro, Sun 18 Jun, thessehydro.com The composer and musician from Frankfurt performs music from his many soundtracks (including The Dark Knight, Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean).
BAT SABBATH O2 ABC, Sun 18 Jun, academymusicgroup.com/ o2abcglasgow Cancer Bats pay tribute to the founders of heavy metal with a full set of Black Sabbath covers. MARK LANEGAN The Garage, Tue 20 Jun, garageglasgow.co.uk Former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age singer performs alternative rock in support of his Gargoyle album. THE MACCABEES O2 Academy Glasgow, Fri 23 Jun, academymusicgroup.com/ o2academyglasgow The London indie rockers tour for the final time. THE STONE ROSES Hampden Park, Sat 24 Jun, hampdenpark.co.uk The iconic Mancunians, led by singer Ian Brown, do their indie-rock thing.
JEFF LYNNE’S ELO The SSE Hydro, Wed 28 Jun, thessehydro.com ELO frontman Lynne and keyboardist Richard Tandy play their back catalogue of hits. TONY BENNETT Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 1 Jul, glasgowconcerthalls.com The distinguished veteran crooner has aged gracefully and exudes effortless cool in his stage presence and idiosyncratic laid-back interpretations of a host of standards. GREEN DAY Bellahouston Park, Tue 4 Jul, greenday.com Big outdoor show form the irreverent pop punk veterans with support from Rancid and Slaves. BLINK-182 The SSE Hydro, Tue 11 Jul, thessehydro.com American pop punk masters who, despite the
juvenile approach, have become elder statesmen of the scene. Now featuring Matt Skiba, after Tom DeLonge’s departure. NAS O2 Academy Glasgow, Tue 11 Jul, academymusicgroup.com/ o2academyglasgow Multi-platinum selling Brooklyn rapper and part-time actor takes his debut album Illmatic on tour for its 21st anniversary. ZZ TOP O2 Academy Glasgow, Wed 26 Jul, academymusicgroup.com/ o2academyglasgow Big beards and southern boogie blues rock. Expect ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’, ‘Sharp Dressed Man’, ‘La Grange’ and ‘Legs’ to name a few. MODEL AEROPLANES King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Fri 28 Jul, kingtuts.co.uk Upbeat indie
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Highlights | MUSIC
rock from this Dundonian four piece, doomed to be compared to the View. LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre, Sun 6 Aug, glasgowconcerthalls.com Described by Nelson Mandela as ‘South Africa’s cultural ambassadors’, Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been delivering exuberantly energetic performances around the globe for decades. PIXIES Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre, Mon 7 & Tue 8 Aug, glasgowconcerthalls.com Hugely influential indie rock, now sadly minus Kim Deal. SEASICK STEVE Kelvingrove Bandstand and Amphitheatre, Wed 9 Aug, glasgowconcerthalls.com Vagrant American bluesman accompanying himself on a twostringed guitar, wooden box and other handmade instruments. FLAMING LIPS Barrowland, Tue 15 Aug, glasgow-barrowland.com Flaming Lips bring their cosmic eccentric live show, furry animals and fake blood back to the UK. CONOR OBERST O2 ABC, Tue 22 Aug, academymusicgroup.com/ o2abcglasgow The American singer-songwriter, lead singer of Bright Eyes and member of Monsters of Folk turned solo artist brings his unique blend of angst-folk to Glasgow. EMINEM Bellahouston Park, Thu 24 Aug, dfconcertsandevents.com/ summersessions The hip hop superstar returns to perform ‘My Name Is’ and ‘The Real Slim Shady’. All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating. Support comes from Run the Jewels, Danny Brown and Russ. Part of the Glasgow Summer Sessions. THE XX SWG3, Tue 29 Aug, swg3.tv The Mercury Prize-winning trio play an understated blend of indie, house, soul, pop and new-wave.
EDINBURGH DTHPDL Leith Theatre, Thu 1 Jun, hiddendoorblog.org Weird pop / krautrock from Song, by Toad act DTHPDL. Other acts on the lineup include Grid Iron, Ludens Ensemble, Midi Paul, Swvn, Africa in Motion and Kathryn Spence. Part of Hidden Door Festival.
HIDDEN ORCHESTRA Leith Theatre, Sat 3 Jun, hiddendoorblog.org Jazzinflected cinematic soundscapes from Hidden Orchestra: Joe Acheson (bass/electronics), Poppy Ackroyd (piano/violin) and Tim Lane and Jamie Graham (drums/ percussion). Other acts on the lineup include Rebecca Vasmant, Justin Bierkovi and Gazelle Twin. Part of Hidden Door Festival. KATHRYN JOSEPH, TINDERBOX ORCHESTRA AND SOMECHICKCALLEDBOB Leith Theatre, Sun 4 Jun, hiddendoorblog.org Captivating Scottish singer-songwriter/ pianist who proved her chops by winning the SAY Award in 2015, plus experimental 50-piece youth orchestra playing original arrangements and compositions. Part of Hidden Door Festival. ARCADE FIRE Corn Exchange, Thu 8 Jun, edinburghcornexchange.com The headily acclaimed Canadian ensemble perform songs from their upcoming album, as well as their back catalogue. RICHARD DAWSON Summerhall, Thu 8 Jun, summerhall.co.uk Acclaimed Northumbrian singer-songwriter drawing comparisons to John Martyn and Captain Beefheart. STEVE IGNORANT Summerhall, Fri 9 Jun, summerhall.co.uk Ignorant, formerly of Crass, performs original punk songs. MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS La Belle Angèle, Sat 17 Jun, la-belleangele.com Motown diva whips up a soul party with such classic hits as ‘Dancing in the Streets’ and ‘Heatwave’. STATIC UNION Sneaky Pete’s, Sat 17 Jun, sneakypetes.co.uk Epic indie from Glasgow. See Exposure, page 92. THE SUGARHILL GANG Stramash, Wed 28 Jun, stramashedinburgh.com Hip hop pioneers behind 1979 hit ‘Rapper’s Delight’. ROOM 29: JARVIS COCKER & CHILLY GONZALES King’s Theatre, Tue 22–Thu 24 Aug, eif.co.uk Jarvis Cocker and Chilly Gonzales give a voice to ghosts – using music, theatrics, clips from classic Hollywood movies and more – to reveal the secrets of Room 29 of the Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood. Part of Edinburgh International Festival 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 97
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MUSIC | Highlights
MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED BUTE BUTEFEST Bute, Fri 28–Sun 30 Jul, butefest. co.uk Three-day island music festival. The lineup is a mash up of folk, rock, roots and dance featuring the Wedding Present, the Chair, We Are Scientists, Gerry Cinnamon, 3 Daft Monkeys, Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5, Mànran and many more.
KIRKCALDY JAMES YORKSTON’S TAE SUP WI’ A FIFER Adam Smith Theatre, Sat 10 Jun, taesup.co.uk Fife’s folkster James Yorkston curates a programme of musical nights. Joined by Martin Simpson, Duke Special and Seamus Fogarty.
PHOTO: M J WINDEBANK
CHARLOTTE CHURCH’S LATE NIGHT POP DUNGEON Summerhall, Fri 25 & Sat 26 Aug, summerhall.co.uk Dungeon Master, Charlotte Church, brings a mix of tunes, from cheese to disco, and all your old faves.
LARGS KELBURN GARDEN PARTY Kelburn Castle and Country Centre, Fri 30 Jun–Mon 3 Jul, kelburngardenparty.com Kelburn Castle provides the fairytale setting for this eccentric music festival. Lineup includes Mr Scruff, Numbers featuring Optimo, Akala, DJ Food, Spencer & Jayda G, Hot 8 Brass Band, Prince Fatty & Horseman, Flamingods, Mouse Outfit featuring Jehst, Be Charlotte and Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5.
PORT OF MENTEITH DOUNE THE RABBIT HOLE Cardross Estate, Fri 18–Sun 20 Aug, dounetherabbithole.co.uk A boutique music festival that manages a lovely mix of music, theatre, comedy and spoken word performances. Lineup includes Jenny Hval, Liars, Steve Davis (DJ set), Francois & the Atlas Mountains, Roddy Woomble, Songhoy Blues, Earl Gateshead, BMX Bandits, Paws, Pronto Mama, Happy Meals and more.
Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5
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THEATRE
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SURGE Eclectic festival returns to disrupt Glasgow’s streets The company formerly known as Conflux are back in Glasgow, this time under the new moniker Surge, to confound and delight in equal measure. With an anarchic blend of circus, street and physical theatre, spaces are subverted across the Merchant City in the most jaw-dropping ways, with a combination of local and international artists bringing us their unique skills. Surge has become an annual celebration of drama, escaping from the theatre building so that the city itself becomes part of the action. Its eclectic curation – and family-friendly attitude – allows the magic to creep up on unsuspecting pedestrians and shoppers. Austrian artist Willi Dorner’s astonishing Bodies in Urban Spaces may seem self-explanatory, but the results will be fascinating: extremely bendy performers squeeze their bodies into all manner of nooks and crannies, and wrapping themselves around pavements, walls and alcoves. Diane Thornton’s Dance Wi’ the Deil looks at bodies moving in a different way, as she selects a brave volunteer to dance with her in what may be tantamount to signing a Faustian pact. Avanti’s The Spurting Man looks to be an unmissable highlight: one human fountain, 200 litres of water and a spectacle like no other. (Lorna Irvine) ■ Merchant City, Glasgow, Wed 26–Sun 30 Jul.
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THEATRE | Previews & Reviews PHOTO: DREW FARRELL
HISTORICAL THEATRE
NEW WORK
GLORY ON EARTH
VILLAGE PUB THEATRE
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, until Sat 10 Jun ●●●●●
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 7 & Thu 8, Thu 15 & Fri 16 Jun
Glory on Earth sits between historical epic and a tragic reflection on a period of Scottish conflict that still echoes in contemporary politics. When Mary, the Catholic teenage Queen of Scots, returns to her throne, misogynistic Protestant John Knox is ready to challenge her rule, drawing on scripture and support from within Mary’s court itself. In Linda McLean’s script, Knox is given a sympathetic defence of his position, despite its unfashionable insistence on religious authority and undercurrent of puritanical anxiety. This generosity extends equally to Mary: her youthful enthusiasm may leave her at a disadvantage against the seasoned theologian, but her joyfulness and moral courage presents her defeat as a tragic downfall. McLean lends her characters a poetic language: while Mary and her court descend into adolescent banter, her dignity as a queen is established in final acceptance of death. Glory addresses a crucial moment in the development of Scottish cultural and political identity. But without connecting it clearly to the present, it risks becoming an epic narrative that reiterates a sentimental version of history. Nevertheless, moments of scenographic brilliance and McLean’s intelligent script ensure that the production offers insight into the past. (Gareth K Vile)
Based in Leith, the Village Pub Theatre is a community of artists determined to prove that drama doesn't always have to be in a formal venue. Promoting new writing and a DIY ethos in production, a visit to the Traverse brings their fresh attitude onto one of Edinburgh’s established stages. ‘Village Pub Theatre has always been a small space for writers to connect with an audience and to take risks through short, sharp and direct plays,’ explains director Caitlin Skinner. ‘This project is the start of us exploring what it might be like to do that on a slightly larger scale. That has to be led by the playwrights who make up the collective, with the focus on supporting the writers in making bold work that can really communicate with an audience.’ The four selections include scripts by Sylvia Dow, Giles Conisbee, Rosanna Hall and Grace Cleary, covering topics from fake news, through personal safety and an updating of The Odyssey, to ‘banana and bongos’. Yet each evening will be about more than just the plays. ‘We try to create events that have an informality and social nature to them, after and in-between the plays,’ concludes Skinner. ‘Although the content of the plays contributes to the discussion of ideas, VPT has an environment where it is that little bit easier for audiences to talk to each other too.’ (Gareth K Vile)
VISUAL DRAMA
SHACKLETON Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 7–Fri 9 Jun; Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 14–Sat 17 Jun Having been regular visitors to Scottish theatres, Sligo’s Blue Raincoat has a reputation for work that combines sharp scripting and an exquisite visual sensibility. Like previous productions, including Ionesco’s absurdist classic The Chair, profound themes of human ambition and failure are addressed in Shackleton. ‘I always liked the story and have been working away with Jocelyn Clarke who adapted the Yuri Gagarin story for us,’ says director Niall Henry. ‘It tended to end up as a male derring-do adventure, so we had a workshop and told the story as an existential journey from the feeling you get looking at the old photographs of him.’ Henry’s approach has always gone beyond literary adaptation in recognising the importance of a show’s visual and choreographic presentation. Shackleton offers the opportunity for spectacular imagery, but Henry never forgets the power of raw storytelling and a precise script. ‘It’s fantastic in the true sense of the word: these events that reflect ourselves,’ he says. Following on from their presentations of a man, Gagarin, who was both inspired and alienated by his trip to space, Shackleton engages with another journey into the unknown and majestic – the Antarctic’s icy Weddell Sea – but imbues it with recognisable human goals and fears. Henry’s enthusiasm for Beckett and Ionesco is matched by his training in Paris in more physical forms of theatre: his direction of The Chairs emphasised both the emptiness of ambition and social dimension of the absurdist’s script. In Shackleton’s expedition, he has found another epic adventure to explore intimate truths. (Gareth K Vile) 100 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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Previews & Reviews | THEATRE
list.co.uk/theatre SHAKESPEARE
BARD IN THE BOTANICS Botanic Gardens, Glasgow, Wed 21 Jun–Sat 29 Jul Each year, weather permitting, Glasgow’s West End plays host to Bard in the Botanics, an outdoor celebration of Shakespeare’s most feted and lesserknown works, often with an iconoclastic twist. 2013’s excellent re-imagining of Much Ado About Nothing had a gay relationship at its core, while the style of the 60s shaped their production of Twelfth Night last year. Following a now familiar fashion, this year sees the women front and centre in the four plays for the summer season: in Queen Lear, Janette Foggo takes the lead, Measure for Measure is female focused, and Nicole Cooper becomes the eponymous hero in Timon of Athens. Having already been acclaimed for her take on Coriolanus in 2016, Cooper is more than familiar with gender-swap Shakespeare. But it’s the often divisive Taming of the Shrew which raises eyebrows for its less than lustrous attitude to gender roles, something artistic director Gordon Barr is keen to address. ‘For us, it’s important not to shy away from some of the difficulties in the representation of women in Shakespeare’s plays,’ he explains. ‘Also, I was fascinated to discover that it might have already been considered fairly controversial in its day. John Fletcher’s “sequel” The Tamer Tamed is a very modern, feminist riposte to the play from the early 17th century, and so the idea was born to incorporate material from this late play and give the women in the story a chance to fight back.’ Bard in the Botanics is an established festival in the Glasgow calendar, and has increasingly developed an imaginative take on the classic scripts. With a lineup as strong as this, all clichés of marginalised fair maidens should be quashed: as long as the weather stays fair. (Lorna Irvine)
PREVIEW: THU 6 JULY 2017
FRI 7 - SAT 22 JULY 2017 resents ompany p C e tr a e h Tron T
By Anthony Neil son Book Tickets:
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THEATRE | Previews & Reviews NEW WORK
ONLY SKIN The Poetry Club, Glasgow, Tue 1 Aug Now in its second year, Only Skin has taken on responsibility for presenting theatre and performance art that was once the domain of the much-lamented Arches. ‘We saw an absence of opportunities for recent graduates and new performers to get their work seen by audiences,’ explains co-founder Ciaran McLaggan, ‘and we wanted to plug that gap a little.’ Although festivals Buzzcut and Take Me Somewhere have carried on the Arches’ legacy by presenting emerging and established performers, Only Skin’s Scratch night consciously provides an opportunity for works in progress and developing ideas to be presented in front of an enthusiastic audience. With the lineup for the August Scratch still to be confirmed (applications close in July), Only Skin has already played host to developmental works from Glasgow experimentalists the Doing Group, playwright Andy Edwards as well as a bevy of other artists from across the performance spectrum. Fellow founder Bron Nixon emphasises that supporting the artists is at the heart of their project. ‘We’ve always aimed to present a relaxed and welcoming environment for the artists. Once their needs are catered for everything else falls into place.’ This ethos echoes the particular energy of Glasgow performance, which is eclectic, dynamic and focused on the individual’s creative process: Only Skin falls within the tradition of events like Arches Live! or the CCA’s open-source programme of events. For the third founder, Nicole Rae, the scratch night is a reminder of theatre’s power for public conversations. ‘We’ve had artists discuss a whole range of topics, and audience members always find ways to engage with the work even if they had no prior knowledge of what they’re seeing. It doesn’t mean everything always works, but the conversation can still take place and that’s better than nothing.’ (Gareth K Vile)
BLACK COMEDY
THE LYING KIND Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 6–Sat 22 Jul ‘Great joy, laughter, surprise, and shock’, are just some of the emotions Tron artistic director Andy Arnold is promising audiences with his staging of Anthony Neilson’s black comedy The Lying Kind. ‘This piece is in the realm of entertainment and a good night out, albeit in an irreverent and hopefully inventive format.’ The play focuses on the adventures of two policemen, the wonderfully monikered Constables Blunt and Gobbel, who have the unfortunate task of relaying bad news to two elderly people. It sets off a chain of unlikely events, and the story should resonate with anyone who likes big belly laughs followed by a sharp intake of breath. ‘It fits in with our summer production schedule which has for several years focused on accessible but dark and edgy comedies – from the first one, Cooking with Elvis, to last year’s The Lonesome West,’ adds Arnold. ‘This show will involve very tight staging and stagecraft, with seven actors in a tight space and a number of set pieces,’ says Arnold who admits he is very excited to bring this production to the Tron. ‘Much of the work has been done by having a script that works and a cast who can deliver the lines to great effect.’ Possibly not recommended for the faint of heart, but for those who like a drop of dark humour with a satirical edge, riffing on modern day issues, this should hit the spot. (Lorna Irvine) CLASSIC ADAPTATION
JANE EYRE Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Mon 5–Sat 10 Jun ●●●●●
PHOTO: BRINKHOFF MOEGENBURG
Director Sally Cookson’s ambition to draw out Jane Eyre’s proto-feminist energy is reflected in an attention to the detail of her upbringing and adventures beyond that romance with Mr Rochester. Jane’s resistance to religious oppression and willingness to transcend the bitterness of her aunt promises a relevant romanticism. Sadly, the production becomes an exercise in storytelling that exposes the dubious morality of the 19th century without truly addressing it. Using a style familiar from other large scale adaptations (such as Kneehigh's Rebecca) Jane Eyre mixes a live musical score and physical theatre interludes, with an ensemble switching between roles. This allows the production to cover large swathes of the narrative, but does not lend itself to either dramatic set-pieces or deeper reflections. Christianity is given a contemporary critique – God, says Jane, is a loving tyrant and his agents are hypocritical or passive-aggressive – and Jane herself is feisty. Yet a key concern – how acceptable is it for a man to lock his mentally ill wife in the attic until she conveniently kills herself – is never questioned. The liveliness of the cast and the moments of invention (such as when the ensemble become Jane’s interior monologue) are undermined by the number of flaccid scenes and stock characters, as well as the set’s disappointing flat-pack aesthetic. In attempting to broaden Jane’s story, and add to it a modern edge, the National Theatre / Bristol Old Vic collaboration forgets to develop a coherent and dramatic focus. (Gareth K Vile) 102 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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Previews & Reviews | DANCE
list.co.uk/dance
DANC E PHOTO: K K DUNDAS
CONTEMPORARY / TANGO FUSION
BALLET / CONTEMPORARY
M¡LONGA
MODERN BALLET GRADUATION PERFORMANCE
Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Tue 13 & Wed 14 Jun
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow, Thu 8–Sat 10 Jun
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is no stranger to collaboration. To date, the contemporary choreographer has teamed up with artists as diverse as Akram Khan, the Shaolin Monks, flamenco dancer Maria Pagés and sculptor Antony Gormley. Much the same could be said of Nélida Rodriguez de Aure, one of the leading lights in Argentine tango, who has performed, taught and choreographed around the world, including stints on Broadway and in Hollywood. When these two forces came together, however, there was some trepidation. ‘m¡longa was a big challenge for me, and at first I was a bit afraid because Larbi’s work is so different from my style,’ admits Rodriguez. ‘But it was also an exciting project because at the beginning we didn’t know what was going to happen – all we knew was that it would be a fusion of two types of dance.’ The resulting piece premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2013 and is now touring the UK, performed by ten tango dancers, two contemporary dancers and five musicians. ‘Some pieces have contemporary music and dance, some have tango music and dance, some use tango steps to contemporary music and we’ve also added contemporary movement into the tango,’ explains Rodriguez. ‘But when you watch m¡longa, if you pay attention to the dancers’ legs, you find that most of the time you can see tango – even when their arms are in contemporary style, their legs are still doing traditional tango steps.’ (Kelly Apter)
When Diana Loosmore talks to students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland about life in a dance company, she speaks from the heart. Since moving to London from her native Australia in 1996, she has danced with Richard Alston and Siobhan Davies among others, followed by a lengthy spell at Scottish Ballet. Now a lecturer on the Conservatoire’s Modern Ballet programme, run in conjunction with Scottish Ballet, Loosmore is also charged with choreographing the final year students’ closing piece. ‘The remit for me is bringing out the best in each individual and giving them the chance to do their best in every way,’ says Loosmore. ‘This is them being sent out into the professional world and it’s an opportunity for somebody to see them and offer them a job.’ Alongside works by Scottish Ballet’s artistic director Christopher Hampson and company dancer-turned-choreographer Sophie Laplane, the show will feature two pieces by Loosmore including Shadow Run, which she collaborated closely with students on to explore the vast quantities of information we absorb. ‘I’ve been working with the students on the digital influences in our world,’ explains Loosmore. ‘The idea of having followers and being followed, and how we’re maybe being manipulated by social media, that’s all been an interesting, rich process.’ (Kelly Apter)
ADAPTATION
MATTHEW BOURNE’S THE RED SHOES
PHOTO: JOHAN PERSSON
King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 6–Sat 10 Jun. Reviewed at Edinburgh Festival Theatre ●●●●● It stands to reason that a choreographer would want to make a dance piece about a dance film, but even that fact only scratches the surface of the layers of blurred fictional fiction and fictional reality in this mesmerising new work from Matthew Bourne. Following the storyline of the 1948 Powell and Pressburger film, dancer Victoria Page becomes the prima ballerina in Boris Lermontov’s company, taking the lead in his adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Red Shoes. But while playing the girl who wanted the shoes that would eventually dance her to death, Page falls for company composer Julian Craster, an affair that threatens her working relationship with Lermontov and forces her to choose between romantic love and love of her art. Music by Bernard Herrmann scores the piece and it swoons and soars with romance and danger. Lez Brotherston’s stage design kaleidoscopes between auditorium and backstage, real and conjured worlds, and as Page’s mental state spirals out of control, Bourne uses this melting of realities to blinding effect. His dance references tread fine lines too, blending parody, pastiche and homage. Page’s miserable music hall turn alongside two clowning ancient Egyptian dancers is offset by the expressionist brilliance of Lermontov’s production of The Red Shoes, where angular tangos are backed by cubist houses and men whirl against a projection of the cosmos. Though it feels as if Bourne is referencing a particular style of avant garde dance here, the effects are also beautiful and sincere in their own right. Ashley Shaw is an exquisite Page, graceful, precise, drenching every gesture in emotion, especially in her duets with Dominic North’s Craster. Shooting straight through the glamorous and tragic heart of the post-war dance world, this is vintage Bourne in every sense of the word. (Lucy Ribchester) 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 103
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THEATRE | Highlights
HITLIST
THE RED SHOES King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 6–Sat 10 Jun, atgtickets.com/ venues/kings-theatre Mathew Bourne’s highly acclaimed new dance production, based on the classic 1948 film. See our five-star review, page 103.
Theatre, Tue 13 & Wed 14 Jun, edtheatres. com/festival Celebrated choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui presents a piece inspired by the latenight m¡longa scene in the intimate bars of Buenos Aires. See preview, page 103.
M¡LONGA Edinburgh Festival
SURGE Merchant City,
Glasgow, Fri 28–Sun 30 Jul, surge.scot A festival dedicated to physical performance, incorporating outdoor, site-specific events for all ages and indoor showcases of performance art. Workshops and masterclasses are also provided for those wanting to develop their
talents. See preview, page 99.
THEATRE HIGHLIGHTS
FO EDINB R URGH COVERFESTIVAL A AUGU GE, SEE OU ST R AND ISSUES LIST GO TO CO.U FES.T IVALK/
GLASGOW
PHOTO: SALLY JUBB
Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
BARD IN THE BOTANICS Botanic Gardens, Glasgow, Wed 21–Sat 29 Jul, bardinthebotanics. co.uk Botanics’ fresh take on Shakespeare featuring female performers. With performances of Taming of the Shrew, Timon of Athens and Queen Lear. See preview, page 101.
FLAMENCO DEL FUEGO La Bodega Tapas Bar, Sat 3 Jun, labodegaglasgow.com An evening of Andalucian passion with performances from international flamenco guitarist Andrew Robinson, singer Danielo Olivera and the rhythmic footwork and expressive choreography of El Fuego de la Noche. THE LIONS OF LISBON Celtic Park, Tue 6 & Wed 7 Jun, celticfc.net Ian Auld and Willy Maley’s play about a group of Celtic supporters who head to Lisbon in 1967 for the European Cup. MODERN BALLET GRADUATION PERFORMANCE Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Thu 8–Sat 10 Jun, rcs.ac.uk Showcase from final year students on the Conservatoire’s BA Modern Ballet Programme, run in conjunction with Scottish Ballet. See preview, page 103. CASABLANCA Òran Mór, Fri 7–Sun 23 Jul, oranmor.co.uk Gavin Mitchell stars in this adaptation of the classic film. LA CAGE AUX FOLLES King’s Theatre, Tue 25–Sat 29 Jul, atgtickets.com/venues/ kings-theatre Bill Kenwright’s production sees Eastenders’ star John Partridge take on the role of Albin alongside Broadway actor Adrian Zmed as Georges in this witty musical number about drag artists and family values, in which the characters are forced to cover up their vibrant lifestyle. PROJECT Y Platform, Sat 29 Jul, tramway. org YDance, Scotland’s national
La Boheme youth dance organisation, presents four new contemporary dance works from choreographers Alan Greig, Hagi Yakira, Steven Martin and Theo Clinkard. THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME King’s Theatre, Mon 14–Sat 19 Aug, atgtickets.com/venues/ kings-theatre Simon Stephens’ adaptation of the darkly humorous book by Mark Haddon, presented by National Theatre. ORESTEIA: THIS RESTLESS HOUSE Citizen’s Theatre, Tue 15 Aug–Sat 9 Sep Zinnie Harris’ acclaimed 2016 hit returns, with its original cast. Also Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Tue 22–Sun 27 Aug. Part of the Edinburgh International Festival. PAISLEY INTERNATIONAL TANGO FESTIVAL Thomas Coats Memorial Church, Fri 25–Sun 27 Aug, coatsmemorial.org.uk Tango dance festival held over three days, with workshops, performances and parties.
EDINBURGH LA BOHEME Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Thu 1–Sat 10 Jun, eif.co.uk Puccini’s tale of young Bohemians in love. Also touring, see list.co.uk/ theatre for details. GLORY ON EARTH Royal Lyceum Theatre, Thu 1–Sat 10 Jun David Greig directs Linda Maclean’s story which re-imagines the historic meetings between Mary Queen of Scots and John Knox. See review, page 100. SHACKLETON Traverse Theatre, Wed 7–Sat 9 Jun, traverse.co.uk Blue Raincoat Theatre present the story of Shackleton and his voyage on Endurance. See preview, page 100. Also Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 14–Sat 17 Jun, tron.co.uk THREE INCH FOOLS Lauriston Castle, Sat 15 Jul, Sun 30 Jul, usherhall.co.uk/venue/ lauriston-castle The Fools present two Shakespearean adaptations: Romeo and Juliet then Twelfth Night.
DEATH OF A SALESMAN King’s Theatre, Tue 20–Sat 24 Jun, edtheatres.com/kings Antony Sher and Harriet Walter play travelling salesman Willy Loman and his wife, Linda, in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s critically acclaimed production of Arthur Miller’s 1949 tragedy. Directed by Gregory Doran. THE LYING KIND Tron Theatre, Thu 6–Sat 22 Jul, tron.co.uk Multiple misunderstandings, a stray Chihuahua and an apparently transvestite vicar contribute to the escalating mayhem in Anthony Neilson’s hilarious pitch black farce. See preview, page 102.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI Douglas Community & Library Centre, Thu 1 Jun, dundeecity. gov.uk/communitycentres/ douglascentre Arturo Ui is a witty and savage parable of the rise of Hitler – recast by Brecht into a smalltime Chicago gangster’s takeover of the city’s greengrocery trade.
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VISUAL ART
Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /visualar t
CLARE WOODS: VICTIM OF GEOGRAPHY New works from one of the UK's most important painters Victim of Geography is a new series of works made over the last two years by Clare Woods which are, in the artist’s words, ‘a build-up of events and experiences that have informed the works.’ Taken from a mixture of sources and personal experiences, Woods works impulsively, selecting her imagery as she finds it: ‘it’s hard to quantify but I just know when I need to paint an image,’ she explains. Originally trained as a sculptor, Woods is today recognised as one of the UK’s most important painters, but her approach to the medium is still distinctly sculptural: ‘I’d describe myself as a painter that paints
thinking about the object,’ she says. Several of the works at DCA measure 3m x 2m, huge aluminium sheets coated with thick swirls of oil, out of which figures and objects emerge. These larger works are painted flat so Woods can ‘really fight with the physicality of the brushes, the amount of paint and the structure.’ It’s an approach she relishes: ‘I can walk up and down the length of the painting allowing my movements of the brush to come from the arm rather than the wrist. Physically I am much more in the painting than when I’m working on a smaller scale.’ (Rachael Cloughton) ■ DCA, Dundee, Sat 24 Jun–Sun 10 Sep.
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Reviews | VISUAL ART
list.co.uk/visualart PHOTOGRAPHY
GRAHAM MACINDOE – COMING CLEAN Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 5 Nov ●●●●●
PHOTO: © GRAHAM MACINDOE
There’s a sense of bittersweet homecoming to this exhibition of self-portraiture from Scots photographer Graham MacIndoe, who was raised in Armadale and Broxburn, studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art and photography at London’s Royal College of Art, and who now lives in New York. It was in the latter city that MacIndoe found the troubles which ultimately led to this exhibition; upheaval and bad choices in his personal life saw him sink into a cycle of sustained drug abuse, mainly of crack and heroin. Through what one can only imagine was some weird combination of self-awareness, masochism and professional instinct, he acted on the urge to document his existence with a cheap, self-timed digital camera – not intending to make the results public, but now clean and sober (and also highly regarded as a magazine and newspaper photographer), and in a position to show an audience ‘what addiction looks like from the inside’. ‘Set’ in the cheap Brooklyn housing project where he lived at the time, this set of interiors is suitably grimy and unattractive, all medical strip-lighting, grubby furniture and nakedly revealing images of the actual intravenous process of drug use. In contrast to the healthy portrait shot at the entrance to the show, the Graham MacIndoe in these images is a pallid green ghost, occasionally lent a kind of garish beauty by the flicker of a lighter’s glow amid the darkness or a bright, religious white light washing through his window and threatening to erase him from existence. This may be the rapture of being on drugs or of deciding to leave them behind, but the remarkably open and honest set seen here combine a sense of cinematic drama with an absolute absence of glamour. The outside world breaks through only in the most distant and disinterestedly anonymous shot of the New York skyline, and in an accompanying montage of threatening judicial letters, reminders of a darker time that it must have taken a lot of bravery – or simple devotion to the process of documentary – to reveal. (David Pollock)
Shop design-led, handmade objects from 33 Scottish-based makers. Get hands on with our inspirational new maker-led workshops. Book through the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 4 to 27 August 2017 • open daily Fringe venue 205, 2nd Floor, White Stuff 89 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3ES www.craftscotland.org • @craftscotland • #edsummershow
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VISUAL ART | Reviews GROUP SHOW
NOW Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, until Sun 24 Sep ●●●●●
PHOTO: © STUDIO NATHAN COLEY
Gathered around Nathan Coley’s iconic ‘The Lamp of Sacrifice’ (pictured), featuring 286 places of worship constructed in cardboard, NOW brings together a collection of works by Scottish and international artists that question the artist’s role in society. Mona Hatoum’s performance documents show her working through issues of estrangement and vulnerability using repetitive material processes that seem closely linked to her identity as a displaced person. A compilation of personal shopping lists gathered by Rivane Neuenschwander questions the habitual mass behaviour that underpins society, while her film The Tenant follows a bubble round an ambiguously institutional building. If the artist’s role is to reflect society while participating in it, then their work requires them to inhabit a position of contradiction or paradox. This produces interesting questions, such as those raised by Dundee artist Pete Horobin’s ‘Data Sheets’, which present a prodigious array of personal information about the artist’s daily life. Made in the 1980s, this work seems to predict the mass surveillance culture and data harvesting which is so familiar to us now. Nathan Coley’s cabinet of curiosities ‘Paul’, constructed inside a model of St Paul’s Cathedral, is a plea for the anachronistic orderliness of a bygone era in which the microcosm and macrocosm still reflected each other. Inside the model, he houses ephemera of the Occupy Movement. The overall reading of these objects falls flat in much the same way that Occupy has been criticised for the unproductive nature of its consensus decisionmaking. NOW subtly inverts the perceived association with states of insanity that artists have traditionally enjoyed. If we suspect an entire culture may be embedded in collusive madness, where is the baseline that defines sanity? (Jessica Ramm)
POP ART
MUSIC FROM THE BALCONIES: ED RUSCHA AND LOS ANGELES Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, until Sun 29 Apr, 2018 ●●●●●
PHOTO: © ED RUSCHA
‘The music from the balconies nearby was overlaid by the noise of sporadic acts of violence,’ runs some text on the large-scale painting from which this exhibition takes its name. The associations evoked by image and words are in sharp conflict: a peaceful, barren prairie versus an imagined scene of disruption, danger and intrusion upon the senses. As the key work in a short exhibition examining polymath pop artist Ed Ruscha’s links with the West Coast of America and Los Angeles in particular, the piece takes on even more vivid significance. It’s possible to see within it two Americas: the untouched and idyllic pre-settlement New World, and laid over it like a bandage, a suggested gauze of tarmac, technology and human activity. Yet humans are absent, including Ruscha’s repeated photographic series of architectural features which speak vocally of LA, even to those who have never been. There are rooftop shots of the West Hollywood skyline from 1961 and a range of acrylic paintings. In ‘The Final End’ (1992), ‘The End’ text of a classic movie overgrown with tall grass, there’s a subtle but powerful call-back to the exhibition’s title image. A filmic narrative can be traced throughout, with one piece as first reel and one piece as final, its theme revealing that everything – life, a city like LA, Hollywood’s glory days, the career of an iconic artist – grows, blooms and returns to the soil. (David Pollock) SCULPTURE
STEVEN CLAYDON: THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CONTENTED PEOPLES – ENDURANCE GROUPS The Common Guild, Glasgow, until Sun 9 Jul ●●●●● All that glitters is not necessarily gold in a first solo show in Scotland by Steven Claydon, former member of avant-electro sleaze merchants Add N to (X), who was shortlisted for the 2016 Hepworth Prize for Sculpture. Here, Claydon’s new (or are they?) constructions question notions of authenticity and value; this could be through a shrine to dead teeth, a similarly worshipful array of multi-coloured gas canisters, or numerous subversions of ethnographic fetishism which illustrate what Claydon calls ‘cultural cannibalism’. Chain-store ‘African’ heads devour gold-painted packets of pills, as if sanctioned by private medicine millionaires who would hike up the prices of life-saving drugs by 1000%. Shredded bank notes – a much more efficient way of dealing with money to burn – are framed as a dappled decorative backdrop. Crocodiles grow out of carved canoes, saved from some biblical flood. All this and the Pink Panther is captured against a rug made of bark. Much of the work The Archipelago of Contented Peoples – Endurance Groups is discreetly highlighted by LED lights, which both make things shinier and put them even more off-limits in a plastic palace where nothing is how it seems. (Neil Cooper) 108 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
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Highlights | VISUAL ART
HITLIST
SCOTTISH DEGREE SHOWS Various venues, Scotland, Jun Tis the season for art school degree shows: the Glasgow School of Art’s takes place from Sat 10– Sat 17 Jun and Edinburgh College of Art’s is Sat 3–Sun 11 Jun. If you want to check out the work of future stars of Scottish art, see list. co.uk/visualart for details.
ARCHIFRINGE 2017 Various venues, Scotland, Sat 1–Sun 23 Jul, architecturefringe. com An open platform for the arts in which people can explore architecture and what it means to them via various projects and events. STEVEN CLAYDON: THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CONTENTED PEOPLES
The Common Guild, Glasgow, until Sun 9 Jul, thecommonguild.co.uk Sculptural work addressing the ideas of jeopardy and pressure. See review, page 108. NOW Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art One, Edinburgh, until Sun 24 Sep, nationalgalleries.
org/visit/scottishnational-gallery-modernart The first in a series of exhibitions celebrating modern Scottish art, with a three-room presentation by Nathan Coley. See review, page 108. ARTIST ROOMS: MUSIC FROM THE BALCONIES – ED RUSCHA AND LOS ANGELES
Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art One, Edinburgh, until Apr 2018, nationalgalleries.org/ visit/scottish-nationalgallery-modern-art Work drawing upon urban landscape and architecture, cinema and other aspects of the visual culture of Los Angeles and Hollywoood. See review, page 108.
VISUAL ART HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add
GLASGOW PIDGIN PERFECT: PLAYING WITH PLACE The Lighthouse, Glasgow, thelighthouse.co.uk A design exhibition that asks the questions ‘Where do we feel most at home? What brings us together? And what difference does culture really make?’ ROB CHURM: PARASITE REX CCA, Glasgow, until Sun 9 Jul, cca-glasgow.com Drawings, prints, comic strips and digital elements that reference science and weird-fiction, new-material, post-human thought, and cult film. FRANK QUITELY: THE ART OF COMICS Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Glasgow, until Sun 1 Oct, glasgowlife.org.uk/ museums/kelvingrove Work by the Glaswegian comic book artist Vincent Deighan, aka Frank Quitely. Quitely is known worldwide for drawing Batman, Superman, Flex Mentallo and X-Men. Alongside the comic art, there are digital interactives where you can discover the process of drawing a comic page. NOMANSLANDING Tramway, Glasgow, Wed 21 Jun– Tue 4 Jul, tramway.org. A sculptural installation designed as a space for performance, listening and contemplation. Featured artists are Robyn Backen (AUS), Andre Dekker (NED), Graham Eatough (UK), Nigel Helyer (AUS) and Jennifer Turpin (AUS). BHP COMICS PRESENTS NEIL SLORANCE: CARTOONS + COMIC ART
CCA, Glasgow, Tue 27 Jun–Sun 2 Jul, cca-glasgow.com A look at the work of the Glasgow-based illustrator and comic book artist.
EDINBURGH AMBIT: PHOTOGRAPHIES FROM SCOTLAND Stills, Edinburgh, until Sun 9 Jul, stills.org A partnership between Glasgow’s Street Level and Edinburgh’s Stills, showcasing works by emerging Scottish photographers. ANNELI HOLMSTROM: -}}}}}} : {{{+}}} Summerhall, Edinburgh, until Fri 14 Jul, summerhall.co.uk Debut UK solo show of Scottishbased artist, drawing on two bodies of work, Levitation and Flood, and building upon meditative and romantic microcosms to create an atmosphere of ‘oneness’ and concentration. A PERFECT CHEMISTRY: PHOTOGRAPHS BY HILL & ADAMSON Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 1 Oct, nationalgalleries.org/ visit/scottish-national-portraitgallery Photographs by the duo of David Octavius Hill (1802–1870) and Robert Adamson (1821–1848), who only collaborated for a few years in the 1840s but who stand at the beginning of social documentary photography in Scotland with their stunning portraits, landscapes and views of the fishing community at Newhaven on the Firth of Forth. EDINBURGH ALPHABET City Art Centre, Edinburgh, until Sun 8 Oct, edinburghmuseums. org.uk/Venues/City-Art-Centre Objects assembled from the Museums and Galleries Edinburgh collections, giving an outline of the history of the city.
GRAHAM MACINDOE: COMING CLEAN Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 5 Nov, nationalgalleries.org/ visit/scottish-national-portraitgallery Images recording the photographer’s addiction to heroin. See review, page 107. LEITHLATE Various venues, Edinburgh, Thu 15 Jun–Sun 18 Jun, leithlate.co.uk LeithLate is a multi-arts festival that takes place across multiple venues in Leith, showcasing the very best in emerging artists, musicians, poets and filmmakers. See feature, page 29. RSA OPEN 2017 Royal Scottish Academy, Sat 22 Jul–Sun 1 Oct, royalscottishacademy.org Paintings, drawings, sculptures and photography by artists from across Scotland and beyond, chosen by the RSA from an open submission. TRUE TO LIFE: BRITISH REALIST PAINTINGS IN THE 1920S AND 1930S Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art One, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Sep–Sun 29 Oct, nationalgalleries.org/visit/ scottish-national-gallerymodern-art A major review of British realist painting in the 1920s and 30s, unlocking some of the secrets of this generally neglected tradition, with works by the famous (Stanley Spencer) and the not-sofamous (Thomas Monnington, Colin Gill, James Bateman and Mark Lancelot Symons).
OUT OF TOWN CLARE WOODS: VICTIM OF GEOGRAPHY Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee, Sat 24 Jun–Sun 10 Sep, dca.org.uk A solo show of 13 raw
Clare Woods: Victim of Geography
and powerful new paintings. See review, page 106. THEY HAD FOUR YEARS Generator Projects, Dundee, until Sun 11 Jun, generatorprojects.co.uk Generator Projects’ annual, sardonically titled exhibition of work by recent art school graduates from institutes all over Scotland. Featured artists in 2017 include Timo Aho, Charlie Cook, Eleanor Elks Herrmanssen, Jack McCombe and Grace Woodcock. LIZ MAGIC LASER: PRIMAL SPEECH Jupiter Artland, Bonnington House Steadings, Wilkieston, until Sun 1 Oct, jupiterartland. org The artist assembled a group of actors with opposing political convictions about Brexit and the 2016 US election and put them in a futuristic version of a primal scream room. MICHAEL SAILSTORFER Jupiter Artland, Bonnington House Steadings, Wilkieston, until Sun 1 Oct, jupiterartland. org Sculptural works by German artist: 1:43-47 (2012), Brenner (2017) and Tränen (2015). 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 109
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TV
Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /tv
RIVIERA Julia Stiles and Iwan Rheon star in new crime thriller from Neil Jordan Beneath the glitz of the French Riviera lies a world of big money and big risks in this new ten-part crime thriller. After billionaire Constantine Clios (Anthony LaPaglia) is killed in a mysterious explosion on board a multimillion-dollar yacht, his second wife, Georgina (Julia Stiles), starts her own investigation into his death. ‘I think “a sunny place for shady people” is a great way to describe this show,’ explains Stiles. ‘While this world is seemingly very glamorous, opulent and beautiful, all is not what it seems and that is echoed in our main characters.’ Georgina thought her husband was a legitimate businessman and philanthropist but his fortune was built on crime and corruption. With a huge legacy and a business empire at
stake, the vultures start to circle, including Constantine’s first wife Irina (Lena Olin), his eldest son (Game of Thrones’ Iwan Rheon) and investigator Jukes (Phil Davis). Riviera has an impressive pedigree. Created by Oscar-winning director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, The Borgias), it’s actually based on an idea by U2’s former manager Paul McGuiness, fleshed out by Jordan, with the first two episodes co-written by Booker Prize-winning novelist John Banville (The Sea). Brought to life by some of Europe’s most interesting directors, such as Hans Herbots (Spiral) and Philipp Kadelbach (Generation War), Riviera reveals the dirt and danger behind the decadence of the super-rich. (Henry Northmore) ■ Riviera starts on Sky Atlantic, Thu 15 Jun.
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Previews | TV
list.co.uk/tv
HIGHLIGHTS FRANK SKINNER ON MUHAMMAD ALI BBC One, Thu 1 Jun, 9pm The comedian explores the life and legacy of his sporting hero in this special tribute to the boxing legend. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK – SEASON 5 Netflix, Fri 9 Jun Hard not to set this up without spoilers about the end of season 4 but let's just say it's all kicking off in the prison dramedy as a riot breaks out. RIVIERA Sky Atlantic, Thu 15 Jun See preview, page 110.
ON THE ROPES Kate Nash talks to Henry Northmore about joining the spandex-clad ranks of female wrestling comedy series, GLOW
N
ew Netflix comedy GLOW is a glorious mash up of Flashdance, Rocky and WWE. Ruth (Mad Men's Alison Brie) is a down-on-her-luck actor who, after flunking yet another audition, finds herself trying out for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a high-concept female wrestling federation funded by an eccentric tinned fruit magnate. It's a fictionalised version of the real life GLOW, a cheap and cheerful, slightly tacky, faux glamorous, all-girl grappling league that aired on US TV during the 80s (you can still track down vintage clips on YouTube). It acknowledges the sexism and stereotypes of the era (some of the more dubious characters in the real GLOW were Jailbait and Jungle Woman) but concentrates on the friendship between this gang of misfits thrown together in bizarre circumstances. Fellow wrestlers include Betty Gilpin, Sydelle Noel, Britney Young, Ellen Wong and Kate Nash. GLOW has strong ties with the team behind Orange is the New Black, with Jenji Kohan and Tara Herrmann acting as executive producers. It also features a similarly strong female cast and crew. 'I just love these women so much,' explains Nash. 'I was so grateful to have the opportunity to work with all these talented women. And that was really down to [showrunners] Liz Flahive [Nurse Jackie, Homeland] and Carly Mensch [OITNB] who were so particular about the women they hired for the show. And Alison Brie, she's such an amazing lead and made sure we were all looked after and treated equally. We had a month of training so we had quite an intimate relationship with each other before we even started filming.' It's an incredibly physical role, with the cast doing all their own stunts, put through their paces by Chavo Guerrero, himself a WWE, WCW and ECW champion and part of the legendary Guerrero wrestling dynasty. 'I never took wrestling seriously, this completely opened my mind,' adds Nash. 'They are incredibly skilled, they have such a unique skillset, it's amazing. I can't believe I underestimated it.' One of the few male roles is taken by US comic and unlikely superstar Marc Maron (even Barack Obama has appeared on his WTF podcast) as the league's hang-dog director attempting to make high art with low-budget ingredients. On working with Maron, Nash laughs, 'He's exactly what you'd expect him to be. He's a grumpy curmudgeon who seems unapproachable but actually he's a real softy and he really cared about us and the show.' Nash always loved acting but first made her mark as a singer and musician. 'I wanted to go to drama school at 18 but I didn't get in so I went back to the music and focused on that.' She recently starred in British feature Powder Room, alongside Sheridan Smith and Jaime Winstone, and an unaired US pilot about the Salem Witch Trials written by Kohan. '[The Devil You Know] was directed by Gus Van Sant and starred Eddie Izzard. Jenji really liked my work and asked me to audition for GLOW. ' However, she's not leaving music behind. A recent Kickstarter raised funds for her fourth album (Nash is aiming for an early 2018 release) and she's on tour to celebrate the tenth anniversary of debut LP Made of Bricks. 'I couldn't let it go unmarked. I think I'm going to perform these songs in a way I've never performed them before, create something really fresh and nostalgic for fans.' Talking to Nash, you can tell how proud she is to be part of GLOW – the love she has for her fellow cast and crew, its message of female empowerment and its pure entertainment values. 'You'd be crazy to not watch it,' she says. 'It's got everything: power, strength, comedy, emotion, 80s hairdos, spandex, glitter and fighting.' GLOW is available on Netflix from Fri 23 Jun; Kate Nash plays Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Tue 1 Aug.
BASKETS – SEASON 2 FOX (UK), Thu 22 Jun, 11pm No one seems to be watching this brilliantly downbeat clown comedy. Do yourself a favour and catch the second season of Zach Galifianakis' beautifully low-key sitcom (cocreated with Louis CK). GLOW Netflix, Fri 23 Jun See preview, left. THE LEFTOVERS – SEASON 3 Sky Atlantic, Sun 1 Jul Another fantastic show that isn't getting the love it deserves. A weird, wonderful series that meditates on theories of religion and loss while also boasting an addictive central mystery and star turns from Justin Theroux and Christopher Ecclestone. Final series.
GAME OF THRONES – SEASON 7 Sky Atlantic, Sun 16 Jul, 2am Summer's biggest show. Sublime swords and sorcery epic packed with drama and bloodshed. Only two series to go so expect fireworks. MIDNIGHT, TEXAS Syfy, Mon 24 Jul Focusing on the small town of Midnight where supernatural oddities (eg vampires, witches and werewolves) have found a safe haven. Based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris (who wrote the books that became True Blood). THE DEFENDERS Netflix, Fri 18 Aug The culmination of the Marvel and Netflix collaboration as streetlevel superhero team (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist) join forces to take down villain Sigourney Weaver. THE TICK Amazon Prime, Fri 25 Aug Reboot of the ridiculous over-the-top superhero sitcom starring Peter Serafinowicz as the eponymous insectoid crusader.
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BACK PAGE PHOTO: STEVE ULLATHORNE
FIRST&LAST JAN RAVENS The impressionist, actress and Celebrity Mastermind winner is set to make her Edinburgh Fringe debut with a show entitled Difficult Woman. Here she tackles Saturday jobs, Springsteen and sunglasses First record you ever bought
‘Fire Brigade’ by the Move. Last extravagant purchase you made
A pair of sunglasses. First film you saw that really moved you
Bambi. Last lie you told
The one about the sunglasses. First movie you ever went on a date to
Slade in Flame.
Last time you exploited your position to get something
Last person you fantasised about
See Bruce Springsteen, above.
Bruce Springsteen.
First three words your friends would use to describe you
First word you spoke
Last time you cried
Easier to ask last time I didn’t cry.
Dunno.
Funny. First crush Last time you made an impulse buy and regretted it
Speeding.
Last book you read
An exercise machine off the telly.
First book you read for a second time
First concert you ever attended
Huffetty Puffetty, a children’s book my mum read to me in the early 60s.
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett.
Never eat anything bigger than your head. Last time you were starstruck
Standing at the side of the stage at Wembley watching Bruce Springsteen sing ‘Born to Run’. Best moment ever.
Gilbert O’Sullivan with my dad. Last time you bought someone flowers
An armful of abundant tulips for a friend who was cooking for me. First object you’d save from your burning home
Last song at your funeral
‘Some Other Time’ from On the Town. First person you’d thank in an awards acceptance speech
My mum.
My dog Thora. First thing you’d do if you ran the country
Get back into Europe. Last meal on earth
Pasta puttanesca.
Last time someone criticised your work
Showing a YouTube film I’d made to my friends Ann and Helen.
Last thing you think of before you go to sleep
‘I wonder if I need a wee’. First thing you think of when you wake up in the morning
‘I need a wee’. First song you’ll sing at karaoke
‘Thank You for the Music’ by Abba.
FRI 1 SEP
Last crime you committed
John Lennon.
First great piece of advice you were given
NEXT ISSUE
First job
Saturday girl in the Peter Pan ladies and children’s clothes shop in Hoylake.
Jan Ravens: Difficult Woman is at Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh, Wed 2–Sun 27 Aug (not Wed 16).
From where we’re sitting, it seems a long time until Glasgow’s summer music season and Edinburgh’s festival extravaganza draw to a close. But September will be on us before we know it so we’re already preparing to deliver you quality wares. From an essential guide to student life to the top cultural highlights for the autumn and onto some spooky goings-on at Hallowe’en, our next twomonth issue will keep you bang up-to-date with what’s happening out there.
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M EO W M EO W’s
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3–27 AUGUST BOOK NOW EIF.CO.UK 0131 473 2000
FORGET THE LITTLE MERMAID YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW. MEOW MEOW’S SUBVERSIVE CABARET IS A FAIRYTALE GONE ROGUE.
An Edinburgh International Festival production of the original Malthouse Theatre and Sydney Festival production
Photo Pia Johnson | Charity No SC004694
THE TIMES
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Opening June 2, 184 Argyle Street Glasgow
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