Sounds and words

Sorry about not having written in a while! :( Let’s go straight to the good stuff: I’ve been to a couple of literary/musical events in the last month, let me tell you about them! :)

Rally & Broad

Venue: Tron Theatre

Price: £5

Date: 28^th May

I knew about this event because one of my classmates was performing at it. Knowing her, I expected this to be amazing, but it surpassed my expectations! The hosts were excellent (a bit too enthusiastic and shouty for my taste, but that’s because I’m a bore, haha), and the performers even more so! The Rally&Broad people are hosting another event at the Tron this Wednesday 25th June, you can read about them here.

Katy Hastie’s reading was a great mix of sexist stereotype smashing, howling laughter, nostalgia, word ritual and macabre humour. I’m sure everyone in the room remembers the piece for which she had to invite over a male friend to read bits of “advice” from an old magazine for teen girls, while she shouted, from the back of the stage, a reactionary sexist’s guide to understanding women / getting sex from them. The last thing she read was a short story about a “game” her family plays at funerals… Hearing about new ways to show love is always welcome. Death, love and playfulness all together. Human condition right there, guys. :)

Alan Bisset performed an extract from his new play. He played all the characters (from Scottish folk tales) masterfully, to the point that he felt like a total stranger when I walked up to him after the show to talk to him. We hadn’t seen the least bit of him during the performance. I still think he should record that bit and upload it on YouTube… it’d make him a worldwide star. Also, it’s a really clever way of looking at the “Better Together” campaign’s arguments: there was no need for counter-arguments. [Note: about the independence debate, check this out]

Katherine Leyton is a poet from Toronto. Her poems felt like colourful pebbles: rounded, polished, smoothly creased, beautiful little things you can hold in your palm. Actually, that idea might be stolen from one of her poems, and that’s why I associate it with them. If so, please tell me! :) I think she didn’t get all the applause she deserved (because she didn’t say “thanks” at the end / make a pause / indicate, or maybe her indications were too subtle for us…). So, in order to make up for it, please receive a written HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE from me!!! She also founded the How Pedestrian project.

The last appearance of the night was a different kind of writer. Shambles Miller is a singer-songwriter (or is it singer/songwriter?) from Glasgow. His songs are honest, unpretentious, hilarious, witty, sweet, playful, sensitive and full of pop culture references. Here, see for yourselves:

I bought “How to Be a Ghost” from him. It’s a comic book he wrote and his friend Neil Slorance illustrated. Again, it’s cute, intelligent and funny, and it even has a feel-good message/advice (slightly cheesy for me, but that’s because I don’t have a heart, and that doesn’t make it any less true). Plus it features the best ghost dog you’ve ever seen. What else can you ask for? :) You can check out Neil's stuff here.

New Writing Showcase

Venue: Cottiers

Price: Free

Date: 12^th June

This event was part of the West End Festival, which I have to say I haven’t made the most of. Again, I knew about this thanks to Katy! I trust her taste, you see. Again, I had a great night! To start with, the theatre at Cottiers (church reconverted into pub/venue) is a beautiful place (stained glass windows and all, mind you). Katy was playing "compère" (I don’t know how this is different from host, but that’s the word they used). The performers were members of the creative writing programme at the University of Glasgow, they were all very different, but all of them were great! The first performer was Agata Maslowska, who played the guitar and sang two songs, one of them from Poland, and the other one of her own. Her voice, the guitar, the stained glass windows… You should have been there! After this lovely opening, there came the readings: Alice Seville, Molly Vogel, Jordan Mulligan, TC, Rose Ruane, Martin Cathcart Froden and Jonathan Walker all wowed us! My memory when it comes to coupling poem/author is not very good, so by way of general comment: you should see them live. I’m sure their poems look great on the printed page and they also sound great in your head, but the way they read them… So much passion and talent! I'm looking forward to hearing/reading more about them! :) You can take a look at the Facebook event here.

Shambles Miller + Reverieme

Venue: 13^th Note

Price: £1

Date: 17^th June

The venue was a basement, it had no windows, it was incredibly hot for Glasgow. But there was cake, smiley faces and great music (and happy dogs). None of my friends came to this concert with me (thankssss guuuyssss…^^’), but I had a great time and ended up making new friends! :D

I’ve already talked about Shambles Miller in this post, so I’ll make this short. Highlight: he broke one of the strings on his guitar mid-song and had to use someone else’s. Also, he doesn’t seem to be content with all of the good stuff people like me say about his music (fair enough), and his new song “Worriers” makes it clear that he can do thoughtfulness too (which everyone already knew, but then again, I understand his discomfort with being labelled as a “comedy musician”). As a mark of respect for both his funny and his serious stuff, here’s “Worriers” (around 13:30, but you should listen to the whole thing!):

The main act of the night was indie pop band Reverieme (Airdrie). I am SO glad I went to see them live. I am going to go on and follow them around like a crazed fan from now on. I kept swinging my head to the music and closing my eyes, and the people around me must have thought I was high, but I was just taken away by the beauty of their music. The lead singer’s voice is mesmerizing, as are the lyrics and the tunes. Their lyrics remind me a little of REM's lyrics: fragmentary, eloquent and suggestive. I can’t recommend them enough. Only “bad” thing: they kept making self-deprecating jokes which were absolutely out of place given their awesomeness! :) Here you have a couple of their songs:

 The blog won't let me post the YouTube video for "Get to Know Me", but you can watch it here.

I hope not to have overwhelmed you with so much good stuff! If you have any recommendations, or if you didn't know about the people I've written about here and are glad you do know them now, please tell me in the comments section! :) I'm away to London on Wednesday and until Saturday, so that'll probably be the next thing I write about!

This Wide Night + Glasgow Film Festival

I have been busy with essays and other stuff lately so I haven't been able to write here! Today's entry is about theatre and film, I hope you enjoy it!

This Wide Night

Venue: Tron Theatre
Play: This Wide Night
Playwright: Chloë Moss
Director: David Greig
Price: £8 (preview)

On the 21st of February, I went to the Tron Theatre here in Glasgow to see This Wide Night, a play by Chloë Moss directed by David Greig, with whom you'll already be familiar if you have read my other entries in this blog. I wrote a review for VOIX Magazine which you can find here.

You can also take this opportunity to browse through their page. This magazine is a young and promising project with lots of talent and enthusiasm behind it! You can also check out their Facebook page here.

On the anecdote side, I tweeted a link to this review, and David Greig himself retweeted it, haha! =) If you don't believe me, you can see it here.

Photograph by John Johnston Photography.

Glasgow Film Festival

You may remember I caught the Glasgow Short Film Festival by the skin of my teeth. I was ready for the Glasgow Film Festival, but there was so much on offer I had a hard time picking which screenings I went to!

I was too late to get tickets for the opening night screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel, but I have heard incredibly good things about this film. If you have watched it, you can tell me about it in the comments! I finally chose these two:

LFO

Venue: Cineworld
Movie: LFO (2013)
Screenwriter/Director: Antonio Tublén
Country: Sweden/Denmark
Language: Swedish
Price: £6.50 (student)

A weird Scandinavian middle-aged guy discovers that Low Frequency Oscillator sound waves can alter people's behaviour. With this powerful and very dangerous tool in his hands, he will try to change his life and, later, the world. This movie is hilarious, sad, creepy, intimate and thought-provoking all at once. The dialogue is brilliant and Patrik Karlson, who plays the protagonist, does a GREAT job both with his face and his voice. I definitely recommend it!

A Touch of Sin

Venue: Cineworld
Movie: A Touch of Sin (2013)
Screenwriter/Director: Jia Zhangke
Country: China
Language: Mandarin
Price: £6.50 (student)

This film follows the paths of four characters in contemporary China, as they are pushed to their limits by corruption, degradation, misery and a restrictive society and government. Visually and music-wise, this movie is amazing. I also think this director has a special way with silences, they're one of the most beautiful things about this movie. I kept expecting the four stories to come together at the end, but they don't (except by the fact that they all suffer the miseries of living in contemporary China). Don't waste your time trying to find clues and connections between them like I did, you'll enjoy the movie more. I was slightly dissatisfied by the first story of the four (with actor Jiang Wu as the protagonist), because I didn't feel his reactions were properly scaled: it all felt a bit too rushed and, at points, gratuitous. The other three were exceptional and not to be missed!

I went to see both films on the same day, and I had a great time! When I came back home, however, someone had tried (and thankfully failed) to break into my flat! *sigh* Anyway! Did you go see This Wide Night? What did you think of it? Also,if you've watched any of this films or other films that have a connection with these, I'd be more than happy to hear what you have to say in the comments! =)

Glasgow's book festival 'Aye Write!' is on just now, so that'll be the next thing I'll write about! I'm going to see writers A. L. Kennedy and Bernard MacLaverty, and I'll be going to a panel session with Caribbean and Scottish Gaelic writers. I'll tell you more about it in a few days' time! =)

Celtic Connections + Burns Night

From January 16th to February 2nd, Glasgow was home to the world-famous Celtic Connections festival. The festival celebrates Celtic and folk music in its many variations (including, of course, fusion between genres and cultures), and their function as cultural bridges. I attended three of the maaaany events I could choose from (a very difficult task, let me say!). Here's what I thought of them!

Folk Nations + James Duncan Mackenzie

Date: Friday 24th January 

Venue: Mitchell Library auditorium

Price: £12

I cannot begin to say how much I enjoyed this concert. I chose it partly randomly (because I didn't know most of the artists that were invited to the festival), and I have to say I am very happy I chose this one. The concert had two parts: first, it was the turn for James Duncan Mackenzie, and then for Folk Nations.

James Duncan Mackenzie plays the Highland bagpipe and the flute. He has just released his first solo album, and he and the accompanying band played some of the tunes included in it. I'm terrible at remembering names, but I particularly enjoyed the song about second sight (which, if I'm not mistaken, is the fourth fragment in the album taster on the webpage). Apparently, the concept (and the experience) of second sight is part of the Gaelic culture in Lewis, where he is from. I don't have such a gift (or curse), but the song itself made you feel like you were touching something otherworldly with the tips of your fingers. It was really beautiful. He was also very entertaining when presenting each one of the songs, and you can do nothing but laugh when someone tells you they composed a song about a pair of piper's socks and another one about a UFO sighting! I look forward to seeing him play again, on his own or with Breabach, the band he's a member of.

Here's a video of him (far left) with Breabach, even though this does not make justice to a live concert:

Folk Nations is actually not the name of a band, but the name of a British Council project "aiming to bring together musicians, creative producers and practitioners from the UK and the South Asia region" (as the project webpage explains). This gave me and the rest of the audience the opportunity to listen to a rather curious medley of musicians, with a very interesting mixing of backgrounds and traditions. Some of the pieces they played were truly amazing (especially those in which they made traditional British and Indian or Bengali tunes match perfectly). Lots of talent and musical beauty!

I can't find a video with the six of them together, but you can get a taste of some of their work for Folk Nations in the following videos:

(Suhail Yusuf Khan and Saurav Moni)

(Patsy Reid, who apparently used to be a member of Breabach!)

Here's a list of the members of the band on the night I got to see them, and some links to their personal webpages, in case you're curious:

- Hannah James (English; voice, accordion and clog dancing)
- Suhail Yusuf Khan (Indian, sarangi)
- James Mackintosh (percussion)
- Saurav Moni (Bengali, voice and percussion)
- Patsy Reid (Scottish, fiddle)
- Georgia Ruth Williams (Welsh, harp and voice)


International Burns Conference

Date: Saturday 25th January

Venue: Mitchell Library

Organisers: Centre for Robert Burns Studies & Mitchell Library
Price: £16 (afternoon session)

I was expecting a conference centered around literary criticism, but this conference offered different and multidisciplinary perspectives on Burns's work. The first presentation dealt with Burns's lyrics writing for the tunes Stephen Clarke collected and arranged as part of the Scots Musical Museum project (led by James Johnson). Katherine Campbell went as far as to sing parts of the songs! After that, Richard Finlay gave a very interesting talk about Burns's legacy and its influence within the 'Commonwealth' (which he justly chose to call by its more historically accurate name, 'Empire'). This made us all reflect on why Burns's subversive messages (most famously, 'a man's a man for a' that') did not spark revolutions in all the corners of the British Empire where his poems were being taught as one of the 'highest' forms of so-called 'superior' British culture.

After a short break for tea (no biscuits...), George Smith gave a very enlightening (as well as highly entertaining!) talk about Antique Smith (no relation, or so he says...), a 1880's forger of fake Burns manuscripts. Apparently, some of his forgeries are still about, being mistaken for the real thing... He told us that, after using old paper from old books with a low market value, he resorted to making them look old by using tea stains! He then rounded the talk off by making us bid for two 'Burns' manuscripts, one of them real, the other an Antique Smith forgery... Had the auction been for real, someone would have gotten a really cheap Burns manuscript, and someone else a really expensive Antique Smith! Murray Pittock gave a plenary lecture about his research on and edition of the Scots Musical Museum, with which they are trying to determine which of the songs in the collection were written/edited/compiled by Burns. After that, there was a reception in the Burns Room to view the new Burns manuscript the Mitchell library has acquired. Let's hope it's the real thing! ;)

International Burns Concert

Date: Saturday 25th January

Venue: SSE Hydro

Price: £25 (expensive, but well worth it!)

This concert was just a joy to attend. The mixture of artists and traditions, as well as their great quality and energy, made this a very enjoyable night. The set included Capercaillie, of whom I've already talked about in this blog; wonderful Dougie MacLean with his fantastic voice; Raghu Dixit (member of Folk Nations); the feathery-soft Mae Trio; Karine Polwart and her very moving voice; jovial Fèis Rois; folk/salsa fusion band Salsa Celtica; heartbreaking Rachel Sermanni; terrific Alkinoos Ioannidis; the Mahotella Queens (whose very energetic music lost points with their sexist statements about how to keep a husband...), and some others (for example, John Spillane recited Heaney but you can't see that in the video for some reason). All of these artists were accompanied by the wondrous Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

You can watch most of the concert here:

I enjoyed it very much, but I could have done without the all-too-obvious political nuances. I firmly believe music (and all forms of art) should be a way of connecting peoples and cultures, and I cringe at its being used for political ends (even if I agree with the political ideals being pursued...). Still, it was a heartwarming night; being testimony to human capacity for beauty always does that.

I am very thankful for the opportunity of attending all these events and for the memories that I will keep of them. Thanks to the organisers of Celtic Connections (especially Capercaillie's Donald Shaw) and, of course, the performers and speakers! =) Also, I have to give a shout-out to my flatmate Scott for making Burns night dinner (the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties) on the following day, since I wasn't home on the 25th! Thanks Scott, it was delicious! =)

I hope you enjoy the vast array of music I have mentioned, as well as the conference trivia! 

Capercaillie + NE3 Folk

I know it's been a while since the last time I wrote, things just keep piling up in my mind!

I have since been to two folk music concerts, so get ready for some music! =)

Capercaillie (11th October)

Venue: Paisley Abbey (Paisley)

Price: £16

I don't know how to begin to introduce this fantastic band to you, so I thought I'd better leave you to their own words! What I can tell you is that they have done a great deal to put Celtic music back on the scene, mixing tradition and modernity. I have been a Capercaillie fan since 2004, and I had already been to another of their concerts (during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010). I have to say that they kept up to my very high expectations! The venue did a great deal for the superb atmosphere too. The whole band had a wonderful attitude, and they moved us all! I can say "us" because two girls and a man in the front row just got up and danced to the last song... haha. 

This concert was part of the Spree festival, Paisley's national arts festival. I'll leave you to some of Capercaillie's music, so that you can enjoy a bit of it too!

NE3 Folk (27th October)

Venue: The Royal Oak (Edinburgh)

Price: £5

The members of this band define themselves as a "progressive Scottish folk trio playing contemporary, original and traditional tunes". If I'm not mistaken, they have been playing together since 2012, but this info might be wrong. In any case, they are a fairly new band, but they are certainly very promising. As their website indicates, "NE3 Folk are a band on a mission. Intricate rhythms and dissonance intertwine in subtle and detailed arrangements to sensitively deliver a wide array of traditional and original tunes. Combining Shetland and Scandinavian fiddle with delicate accordion, driving guitar and eclectic influences, they are dragging traditional music kicking, tapping and soaring in to the modern era". I have to say that, grandiloquent as this definition might sound, they really do justice to it. 

Their youth, dynamism and enthusiasm certainly showed during the evening, and their passion for music and experimenting with it did too. This really feels like an ongoing project that is constantly changing before your very eyes, and it just goes to new and amazing levels. I wish there was a YouTube video of their song "Monstrosity" (called that way, as they said, because of how difficult to play it is). It was really very impressive, like nothing I've heard before. I'll leave you to their song "The Other Man" (you can listen to more of their music on their website):

I almost forgot! A special mention to our host, the owner (I assume) of The Royal Oak, a small but well-kept pub in Edinburgh's Infirmary Street (a stone's throw away from the Royal Mile). He had a ton of personality and this was just the icing on the cake of our evening!

Are you a fan of folk music? What do you think of both Capercaillie and NE3 Folk? Do you know any other bands I might be interested in? I'm always looking for recommendations! =)

Greig + Greig + Dinner + Greig

Ladies and gentlemen,

This evening is going to be a very special one. Mainly because we'll travel through time and space, and we'll enjoy 3 evenings in one. Tonight's thematic menu's main ingredient is David Greig. To help you digest the theatre load, we'll have an interlude after the starter and the main dish for a dinner performance. I hope you enjoy yourselves.

L'arquitecte (The Architect) (February 2012)

Venue: Teatre Lliure
Play: L'arquitecte (The Architect)
Playwright: David Greig
Director: Julio Manrique

On the right, a well-off household and a deserted city roof. On the center, a building ground and a whole close about to be demolished because it makes its inhabitants unhappy. Left, a truck, a nightclub, an entrance hall and a high-up flat in the same building. The walls between those spaces are made of the difference between intense light and stark darkness.

The city ants that inhabit these spaces have lost the track of the ant in front of them and wander lost. The scarce dry crumbs they can collect from the gray pavement bring them depression, rape, rupture, loneliness, anxiety, Freudian needs, betrayal, destruction and failure. One, two, three... demolition. How soon is now?

Dunsinane (13 September 2013)

Venue: Theatre Royal Glasgow
Play: Dunsinane
Playwright: David Greig
Company: National Theatre of Scotland

Macbeth is dead. But his wife, Gruach, is still very much alive. Can a foreign English general's black-and-white simplicity work in a Scotland divided between a coward king whose (fake?) cowardice keeps him in power and a blazing queen whose look melts the snow? Will there ever be a "settling solution" as long as people are still alive? Is the power of words greater than the power of the sword?

Dinner interlude (21 September 2013)

Venue: The Butterfly and the Pig
Play: Dinner Interlude
Playwright: Chef and kitchen staff
Company: Waiters

A charming basement restaurant, with mismatched decorations that go well together for no apparent reason.

WAITER. Come this way, I'll show you to your table.

The lights are low. The table is set for two people, the candles are alight and there's a jar of ice-cold water and two glasses. The crochet mantelpiece gives the table a vintage look.

WAITER. Can I get you something to drink?

YOUR PARTNER. Yes, a pint of beer, please.

YOU. I'll have just water, thank you.

The WAITER leaves the stage and comes back with a pint and the menus. After a silent scene where YOU and YOUR PARTNER order their food, the WAITER comes back with the plates. 

Menu reads: "Cilla black is back in black in a pudding, with salad, apples,bacon and Parmesan, 

contains black pudden and a wee fried quail egg on top"

  Menu reads: "Fish cakes, but not as you know them, open in a pan made with smoked fish, haddock, trout and meltid leeks, potato and baked eggs. We do our best to remove all bones but some may be lurking"

Menu reads: "ATTENTION PLEASE!!! 

An old fave is back with gusto, Gammon Steak with a baked pineapple, fried egg and of course chips.

It simply doesn’t get any better, trust me."

After YOU and YOUR PARTNER have failed at eating the amount of food that has been served to them, they are brought the remains in a box with a lid with a handwritten message that reads "Love, Butterfly & the Pig" and the bill, on top of which are two rosy coconut sweets. 

WAITER: Thanks very much, come back soon!

YOU and YOUR PARTNER leave the stage with full stomachs and happy faces.

The Events (21 September 2013)

Venue: Tron Theatre
Play: The Events
Playwright: David Greig
Company: Actors Touring Company

Screams mixed with a motley-crew community chorus. A serene terrorist that has simply accepted the void, a tormented victim that compulsively needs to fill the void. "Humanity's obsession and destructive desire to fathom the unfathomable." Rudi Dharmalingam, the actor, possessed, by turns, by the souls of a dozen characters.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you've had a really good time tonight, and I hope to see you again. Any queries or complaints about the menu or the interlude will be answered by the "Comments" bar staff. Thank you very much. ;)

China and Glasgow

On the 24th and 26th of September, I attended two events the main focus of which was the sharing of Chinese culture. 

On the 24th, the event in question was a series of short performances by the UESTC (University of Electronic Science and Technology of China) Student Art Troupe, at the Mitchell Library Theatre. These included Highland Dance, traditional Chinese music and dance/theatre, Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" and Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up", etc.

Some of the songs and instruments I could track down are the following:

Descendants of the Dragon (song)

Chinese lute

Bamboos in the Moonlight (music/dance)

Jasmine Flower (song)

Erhu ("Horse Racing")

The last performance was, of course, "Auld Lang Syne". ;)

Actually, I found a video where the actual UESTC performers appear. It's just little bits of their performances, but you'll get a glimpse of their costumes, at least. =)

The second event was a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, hosted by the Confucius Institute at the University of Glasgow.

There were several speeches about Chinese culture, then we enjoyed the performance of a magician, a prize draw (at which I won a Chinese paper lantern, haha) and, to round off the evening, a taste of canapés which included the traditional "mooncake". These are made of pastry, lotus seed paste filling and duck's egg yolk, and the tradition says that they bring longevity and harmony.

I had lots of fun! This is yet another example of how Glasgow is a welcoming melting pot of cultures and traditions. =)