Sunday 12th June 2011
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| Festival Guide |
Spent the day up the West End and in the evening headed to the Oran Mor at the top end of Byres Road to the Skerryvore concert.
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| Just The Ticket!!! |
I must admit that I had only vaguely heard of this band before and who originally come from Tiree. The place was busy but not totally sold out. The music was really good stuff and in some ways reminded me of Runrig in their prime but any direct comparison would be unfair as Skerryvore are more than an imitation of Runrig and bring a fusion of the traditional and rock in their own inimitable way.
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| Givin It Laldy!!! |
In no time at all, the place was jumping as the new and more familiar offerings brought the audience to their feet. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the whole night and was only disappointed that I couldn't finish off the night with a drink in the bar upstairs as everyone was invited to by the band.
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| The Place Was Soon Jumpin!! |
I was hard pressed to catch the last rain back to Hamilton and so I had to take a taxi back to Partick Station just to make sure I wasn't stuck in town.
Monday 20th June 2011
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| The Illusive Ticket! |
A night of nostalgia was in store as I made my way back up the West End to the Oran Mor once more.
When I was younger the music of Robin Hall & Jimmie MacGregor was a regular feature on television - especially the slot that ended the popular "Tonight" news programme with Cliff Michaelmore as its anchor man.
Later Jimmie was to develop his talents in other areas and was a regular on radio programmes exploring the great outdoors in Scotland and meeting many interesting characters in the process. His many books and writings complemented this as well.
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| The Stage Is Set.... |
I had ordered my ticket on the internet and it still hadn't been delivered a few days before the event. It was with some difficulty that I contacted the ticket agents and arranged to cancel the ticket which had been dispatched but not received, and to arrange to collect another ticket at the door before the event. After doing so and, as I had time to spare, I went up to the bar for a wee drink.
Who should I see there but the man himself!! He didn't recognise me however?!!?? He was having a little libation himself before disappearing downstairs to prepare for his show. He was smaller than I imagined but had a fine heid o hair fur a man his age! Ah wis jist jealous!! Finishing off my drink, I ventured downstairs myself in anticipation.
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| Nice Shirt Jimmie! |
Jimmie set out his stall when he opened the show with a 21st-century recession blues "The Good Times Are A-Comin' But They Don't Say When". From then on the evening reflected the diversity of his career. There were songs, jokes, slideshow memories, poems and opinions and the fact he was 80 last year he says entitled him to say what he feels and be damned with the consequences. I suspect that Jimmie was always like that anyway.
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| Making A Point! |
Looking back over his career, Jimmie accompaned himself on folk standards known to many of us in the audience and with which we joined in. He reminiscenced of encounters with John Wayne and Edward G Robinson, described Elizabeth Taylor as a "cuddly wee wummin" and talked of his musical influences and the work of his associates on the White Heather Club and the Tonight programme. From time to time he hailed old friends in the audience.
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| Hardly A Missed Note Or Word Forgotten! |
His tales of Jimmy Shand and other gigging experiences around the world were a delight as was his recitation of the story of David and Goliath in Scots.
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| Totally Focused |
I came away thinking what a memory the man has! I can hardly remember last week, never mind 50 years ago!!! A truly enteraining evening and at the end I offered my thanks and shook his hand.
Tuesday 21st June 2011
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| Queen's University Symphony Orchestra |
Some classical stuff tonight and the venue was the recently renovated St Andrew's Metropolitan Cathedral on Clyde Street in Glasgow which provided an excellent setting for some equally excellent music provided by the students of Queen's University, Belfast.
Although this event was not part of the West End Festival I have included it here nevertheless. It was in actual fact the first of, it was to be hoped, many such evenings in this impressive building by the River Clyde.
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| An Impressive Backdrop For The QUSO |
The concert was to help fund the restoration of the Cathedral's organ. It was free as such but donations were encouraged. The performance was worthy of an admission fee and the talented young students were well worthy of the enthusiastic response from what was, it has to be admitted, a pretty poorly attended evening. It was deserving of a much bigger turnout.
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| The Talented Students In Full Flow |
Highlight of the evening was Tschaikowsky's Symphonie Pathetique and the setting and acoustics of the Cathedral building provided a splendid backdrop for an enthusiastic and warmly received performance.
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| Taking A Well-deserved Bow!! |
Wednesday 22nd June 2011
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| Love Struck |
Tonight it was back to the West End and to Cottier's Theatre in Hyndland Street and one of the last chances to see "Singing I'm No A Billy. He's A Tim" which has been entertaining audiences for many a year.
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| Club Crests |
After a wee libation in the bar / restaurant of this converted church, it was through to the theatre itself for the main event.
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| Cellmates |
You couldn't call it sophisticated, but the production was good fun. It tells the tale of two football fans from either side of Glasgow's sectarian divide - Catholic Celtic (Tims), Protestant Rangers (Billys) - both of whom have been thrown together into a police cell on the day of an Old Firm match. The two have to negotiate a path between their desire to see the game and their inbred hatred of each other. Billy is proud to be “British”; Tim considers himself an “Irish-Scot”. But both in the end come under the umbrella of shared humanity, as the fate of turnkey Harry’s sick grandson hangs in the balance. As one character says early on: “There’s more to fitba’ than fitba’.” The lesson learned during the course of the play of course is that there’s a lot more to life than football. No matter the misplaced loyalty and bigotry that drives you on to support your team. By the play's end, they realise the foolishness of their bigotry.
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| You Lookin At Me Pal |
The writer balances the celebrating of the tribal affiliations of both sides and points out that the kind of songs that glory in being "up to our knees in Fenian blood" would be intolerable anywhere else. The play reflects the sense of humour and a keen understanding of the west-coast of Scotland sectarian mindset.
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| Swap Shirts |
It was interesting to note the audience's engagement in what they were being entertained by, in-so-far as they were probably of either persuasion themselves, and the actors reflected to a greater or lesser extent their own attitudes as well.
Both of the leading actors played their parts really well and had a perfect feel for the machismo of the terraces and the comedy of the writer. A thoroughly entertaining evening in an intimate setting.
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