Country and western music is very popular for many communities in Glasgow, no less so than at the Grand Ole Opry situated near the Clyde in Kennishead. The performance at the Oran Mor on Tuesday was attended to the point of capacity at the Venue at the Oran Mor. Aaron Lee Tasjan took to the stage in western/sixties clothing donning a hat of great quality. His music suited his clothes, using country, rock n’ roll, blues tunes to make his accompaniment stand out as he performed on his own. His-story telling quality and his grasp on the audience grew greater and greater and his whole show did the same following suit. Performers were behind black curtains as the audience grew in number and moved to the large floor to be closer to the stage wearing cowboy boots and hats. More than not though they wore casual clothing compared to a night at the ‘Opry’ where they wear everything from boots (cowboy) to Stetson hats and even fake guns.

Margo was seen arriving and within moments she was on stage playing her first song which was already full on country style. Her lyrics have been compared with Tammy Wynette in there realistic; heart felt tales from her experience living in the USA. Something to think about is the universal similarity of life experience in places that are many thousands of miles apart this makes the legend even better and the country crowds greater larger and more enthralled by the likes of Price.

The night was a privilege to attend for these reasons, for half the show there was only standing still listening then once again as the show progressed the energy filled more and more of the room. To the levels of actually being quite powerful in the performance, warming up in a link of crowd to performers. These classical identities of country music though wide spread are still pretty unique in the form of stamina that comes from impoverished living. The particular lyrics of Margo were as uncompromising as the confidence with which she swayed the crowd into her control in the most loving manner, strikingly obvious and in a delightful way.

Her voice was powerful, soulful and beautiful, as she showed her dedication to the melodies, and scales of country music. She boldly threw her enthusiasm into the evening and thus the crowd, working very naturally and dancing at points where the music flew faster and swaying also for the softer moments. She drew the crowd in a very non premeditated way being as charming as the music behind her. A gig like this throws caution to the wind in order to celebrate life and famously liven up every audience especially the faithful country and western stars hailing from Glasgow and in the mood to have a good time.

Her mood was created around every aspect of her performance and the show, if it got dark it soon changed to lighten up and if it got too melancholy it soon returned to livening up. By the end there was a real sense that the band wanted to be there, that Margo herself wanted to be there to enjoy, enthral and fulfil an esteemed sense of joy to the packed room, very relaxed stage, very strong and beautiful musical tones

Reviewer: Daniel Donnelly

Celtic Connections

National Piping Centre

26th January 2017

Last night provided my fizzingly excited being with one of those protracted moments which only an international music jamboree may provide. Celtic Connections invites the best of the planet’s world music into its well-lit, bustling cloisters, & it was with great delight that I, for the first time, heard Seth Lakeman play. Ten years ago, while wintering in Sicily, his album ‘Freedom Fields’ had been a constant companion, its blend of civil war ballads & sea-shanties connecting with something primeval in my British soul. The best thing to come out of Cornwall since the pastie, his songwriting is stunning, & when tangled up with brilliant musicianship & a voice through which an electric current runs with violent sincerities – a legend is truly born. People will be singing Lakeman’s songs for centuries to come, believe me, & last night I was privileged to witness him sing them on his own, stripped of his band with only a viola & guitars… plus the occasional programmed bass-drum-beat which provided a pulsing audio-stomp to proceedings.

Lakeman’s warm-up were a couple of American trad-singers, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, who also happen to be wife & wife. Playing with, & loving each other, since the early 80s, they bubbled along like happy schoolgirls through an intelligent & bouyant set. The musical maestro was the motherly multi-instrumentalist Marcy Marxer, whose spell-binding fingerwork on the rarely used cello-banjo kicked off proceedings with ‘Chilly Winds.’ The main vocalist is Cathy Fink, who is no mean musican herself, & together they blend like happily married musicians should. It had been almost three decades since they’d been in Glasgow – playing at the Star Folk Club – but it felt as if they had never left, for their was an friendly easiness to their performance & crowd-cuddling antics which made them feel like friends.

The highlight for me was when they combined their ukuleles on an instrumental number called 12 Street Rag. Just like the young De Quincey had made a pilgrimage to the West Country to meet Wordsworth & Coleridge, so a young Macy caught a bus to New York & began ringing up all the Roy Clark’s in the phone book until she found the home of Ukulele master, Roy Clark. A few minutes later she was in his kitchen being taught the Rag, & as it reached my ears I felt the true lazar-beams of international cultural distillation. Also feeling in was Mr Lakeman, who was watching the performance with calm appreciation at the door at the back stood by the bouncer.

On came Mr lakeman like the God Pan with his pipes, one of the Lakeman Brothers & a part of the British folk staple for two decades – & hes still only a tender 39. His solo set flew by,  a flurry of violas & guitars, of broadside ballads & disaster laments, all garnished by that curious Cornish warble of his. Lakeman enjoyed tonight, you could tell, for it gave him the chance to revisit songs skimmed over by his band over the past decade – & he delivered them perfectly. Of course as a fan of Freedom Fields, I was tearily delighted  to hear The White Hare & The Colliers, but it was other songs which I’d never heard before which I enjoyed the most. Among these were a rousing number about the Tolpuddle Martyrs & another on the Penlee lifeboat disaster, showing how Lakeman is something of a ‘national bard’ of the  West Country. The musicianship of one of his rare offerings was especially quality – an astonishingly seductive ballad about loveloss written 15 years ago – his harmonic pick-slapping style was pure joy to experience. Yes, I shall be seeing Mr Lakeman again, & regret not latching on to his live performances sooner. I shall be taking the wife next time!

Reviewer : Damo Bullen

THE MUMBLE : Hello Dr Kumaresh, & welcome to Scotland. Is this your first time?

DR KUMARESH: This is my first time performing in Scotland though I have visited Scotland as a tourist.

THE MUMBLE : Could you tell the Mumble about your specialist artform, Saraswathi Veena?

DR KUMARESH: The Saraswathi Veena is the national instrument of India and it’ll be my privilege to present it in the 70^th year of India’s Independence.  The history of the Saraswathi Veena runs parallel with the history of the Indian Music scene. It has been existent in different forms, sizes and shapes through the last many thousand years. The current Saraswathi Veena is a piece of art that is designed with seven strings, 24 frets and 2 resonators.

THE MUMBLE : You come from a long lineage of musicians, what is the nature of the family bond which continues the tradition?

DR KUMARESH: It is a blessing to be born in a family of musicians. I think I heard a lot of music even when I was in my mother’s womb. We were introduced to music even before we were introduced to words. Not consciously though, but the environment at home was such that somebody or the other was constantly teaching, learning, practicing or performing. These melodies reverberates within me like my voices within and made me very comfortable with the system of Indian Classical Music while I started learning it. Each generation of music in my family was exposed to a different social, economic and cultural phase of India. And each of these influences have added on from one generation to the other which is why we are traditional and yet contemporary.

THE MUMBLE : Who will you be collaborating with at your performance at Celtic Connections?

DR KUMARESH: Two wonderful percussionists from India are travelling with me and are going to be performing with me in both the venues. Mr. Jayachandra Rao will be performing the south Indian double headed drum called the Mridangam and Mr. Pramath Kiran will present two very characteristic instruments from the North and South of India – the Tabla and the Morching.

THE MUMBLE : The Mumble is a fan of your album, ‘Mysterious Duality,’ – will we be hearing any tracks from this in Glasgow?

DR KUMARESH: Mysterious Duality is a multi-dimensional reflection of the simple yet complex self, expressed through a single instrument, the Veena. Performed by a single artist, who uses only the Veena for the symphonic compositions, overlaying layers of several veena recordings that are based on the grammars and mathematics of India’s Carnatic classical music. The resonance of each of the many strings of seven different Veenas comes together as a harmonious whole, representing the different personas and thoughts of an individual, and the mysterious dualities of a single existential entity. Maybe I’ll perform some portions of the same.

THE MUMBLE : While in the city, will you be taking in the sights, or catching other concerts?

DR KUMARESH: I would love to explore the city and learn about the culture and history of Scotland while I’m there.  I’m also hoping to catch a few other concerts at Celtic Connections.

THE MUMBLE : Finally, will you be returning to Tamil Nadu straight away, or will you be performing elsewhere in the west?

DR KUMARESH: We will be returning to Bangalore City (Karnataka) where I live. I recently completed two tours, one in England for Darbar Festival and an extensive trip to the USA in Fall of 2016.

Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh will be performing at Celtic Connections on Saturday the 28th January: Alongside the Jeremy Kittel Trio : 8PM Glasgow Concert Hall

THE MUMBLE : Hi Matthew, so you & the Dodgy boys are coming back to Scotland… where & when are you playing

MATTHEW : We are indeed, can’t wait. We’re in Edinburgh on Thursday 16th Feb at banner mans and then on to Glasgow on the Friday at the Record factory.

THE MUMBLE : What’s it like playing to a Scottish crowd & how have the Scots been with Dodgy over the years.

MATTHEW : Well because of the distance it’s always felt like a holiday and jolly up for us. Scottish folk are very funny, great drinkers and very bright, you know, soulful. Well, the ones we meet are anyway. What’s not to love about that?

THE MUMBLE : You’re promoting your new album, What Are We Fighting For? It took a while, this one, what’s the story?

MATTHEW : There’s no point going through the whole process of writing and making an album unless you believe it’s the best album you’ve ever done. We produced it ourselves and Nige mixed it, so these things take time. There’s no rush. It takes us longer to get off the sofa nowadays.

THE MUMBLE :  What are the stand out tracks for you personally?

MATTHEW : I love the first track, You Give Drugs A Bad Name, it was the lead off track from the album and everyone went nuts over it, it’s immense live And I love the title track – it is so epic that that you need a base camp and your own team of sherpas to navigate it.

THE MUMBLE : What does 2017 have in store for Dodgy?

MATTHEW : Lots and lots of shows. We tried to cut back this year but we keep getting great offers through – Mallorca, a mini cruise to Rotterdam, Carfest. Loads. But lets see if we survive Scotland first.

Celtic Connections

Oran Mor

Sun 22nd January

The Oran Mor venue in the basement of a converted church performs well for both music and plays. It has a rather large standing space, luxury seating, a bar and somewhere to lean on. The Indian music I heard tonight sprang from four artists sat cross-legged in a row. Their sonic creation was pure Indian fusion that would work well for meditation of one kind or another. The singer’s voice floated effortlessly, the result of years of intense training and practice. Her lyrics were all but unknown to me, but I did find myself musing about love and loss.

The stage was then prepared in darkness for the main act, the Suns of Arqa, which was large enough to give these four musicians plenty of space between them. As  the performance began to flow, they reacted to each other calmly while the dancing singer swayed her body to the music and to the lyrics. There was a darker brooding side obvious from the start, but this was not a prerequisite for the whole show at large.

What became evident quickly was how well the performers gelled and emphasised more the space and room between themselves. This connection seems to thrive through the sheer length of experience of a band who have been playing for decades, having formed in the mid-seventies. Their remarkable mix of different cultures has seen them work as intermediaries for the whole fusion scene, so important in today’s musical climate and is well on the way to becoming a world wide phenomenon.

As the show progressed, the band’s experience was brought forth more and more giving us greater and greater insight as the Connection gig progressed. Those of the audience standing were swaying, and were invited to join in singing. There was a serious side of the music and lyrics that imbued a greater respect from the audience viewpoint. And a ceremonial aspect both hinted at and demanded upon by these aspects of the shows great organisation and experimentation within the freeform of jazzy/ folk like swinging to a general sense of drum and bass music.

The band, with some charisma changed instruments, introducing a feeling of good quality and professionalism. Instruments ranged from bongos to age old flutes and bagpipes, while the change of singers gave another fresh aspect because the voices were completely different. The sense and mood of the performance remained constant, however, full of darker tones of which I would have liked to have read the lyrics; one to see if my interpretation were correct and two to see just how well they would enhance the general quality of the show and personal dedication of the band (on and off stage) towards the goal they had of bringing world music to the stage using both very old and very modern equipment.

It was a pleasant evening, relaxed and full of charm. A perfect scene of people quietly paying attention to the stage enjoying a drink from the bar. The music didn’t demand anything more than wanting to be heard and listened to. With clever timing, musicianship and performance.

Reviewer: Daniel Donnelly

Broadcast, Glasgow

20th January

***

On a day when the news was dominated by the inauguration of Donald J Trump as the President of the United States, it was a welcome relief that one day previously, Glasgow’s wonderful Celtic Connections had returned to town with ample musical talents to distract one’s mind from possible nuclear holocausts. What was even more intriguing and exciting was the deliberate inclusion of a number of strong female artists in this year’s line-up, including Olivia Newton John and Scottish Album of the Year award winner Anna Meredith. On the BBC, Celtic Connections Director Donald Shaw is reported saying “I think the festive would be worse off if it did not have a strong female presence. Gender does have a different dimension in the way it produces music.”

Tonight’s headliner Ette was certainly fulfilling the Director’s eagerness to give bright and intoxicating females the centre-stage, but more on them later. Inside Broadcast, performing to only eight people when she first appeared on stage, the humped outline of Glasgow-based songstress Chrissie Barnacle clambering over cables with her acoustic guitar was not atypical of the timid and slightly-awkward image she continually emits upon first sight. In fact, Barnacle is something special. Dreamy and pickled in wonderful insight, she finger-picks, wolf howls, and delineates her stories in a beguiling way which is instantly picked up by each newcomer into the basement. Part-fairy, part-Wiccan, Barnacle’s love-neurosis is neither mawkish nor syrupy but welcomes listeners in to a very personal account of collapsed romances and hopeful times ahead. The sublime “Cannibal Rats Part II” and “Hazelnuts” deserve special mention for such doe-eyed absorptions.

Second support for the night was ‘folk and roll’ two-piece Morrissey and Marshall. The Dublin lads were making their first visit to Scotland and were given a resounding welcome by the swollen Glasgow audience. Opening song “I’ve Got A Plan” reached Number 1 in Ireland and with a measured Beatles-influence, Darren Morrissey and Greg Marshall made a substantial impact with their opening songs, even sharing a mic at one stage during some beautiful harmonising. Songs such as “She’s Got Love” with its catchy riffs and “Pack Up Lady” were endearing stories lending their origins from back home but there were a few hit and miss efforts with Morrissey’s continuous need to mention who they were, indulge the audience in some participation, and the fact that there was a merchandise stall selling their wares at the back of the venue grating somewhat mid-set. Pick of their seven-song performance was “High And Low” which is the final track on debut album ‘And So It Began”, edging into a leisurely-Tom Meighan of Kasabian territory. A comfortable debut with minor indie filler moments and one which I am sure will only enhance their reputation.

Just prior to headliner Ette beginning their set, the audience had finally shuffled away from the seated wings of the room and huddled forward-centre whilst Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Take Me Out’ played over the sound system. The energy levels were rising and by 9.30pm, the first thing the band said was ‘Turn up the synthesizers please’, followed by ‘Amazingly, we’re not sponsored by Roland despite the stage set-up’. A 7-piece band, Ette is the solo project of Teen Canteen mainstay Carla Easton and produced by Dr Cosmos Tape Lab/Them Beatles musician Joe Kane. However, the live sets consist of a number of different musicians from various bands lending their talents – Debs Smith (Teen Canteen), Greg MacAulay (BooHooHoo), John Nicol (The Needles), Paul Kelly (The Martial Arts/How To Swim), and Chloe Philip (Teen Canteen) playing alongside Easton and Kane, deliver a sumptuous cavern of triumphant commotion. Delving into debut album ‘Homemade Lemonade’ which was released in July 2016 by Olive Grove Records, the band’s doubled-up keyboards worked formidably on opener “Bones”. Not unafraid to chat between numbers, Easton leant the personal sketches of where the songs emanated from while producer Kane’s repartee flowed in the good-natured vibe which the band exhibits. Incredibly Easton’s right-hand doesn’t cramp up during the Velvets-Waiting-For-The-Man keys on “I Hate You Song” whilst the percussion and backing vocals offered by TC team-mates Smith and Philip are invaluable during fan favourite “Attack Of The Glam Soul Cheerleaders (Part 1 & 2)”.

The key to such amiability between band members may lie in Easton’s remark that ‘the band don’t play that often’, most probably due to commitments with other projects. However, the quality takes another step up during the gorgeous “Heaven Knows”, sounding twice as good live as it does on record. Easton’s adulating lyric ‘the way you make me feel is so unreal’ sounds like something straight out of the Motown factory, while the danceable accompaniment led by Kelly’s bass dips into summer territory whereas other titles lend themselves to the winter Gods including the inspired “Fireworks” and whooshing synthetic sounds on “Bonfire”; the former of which was guided by some unorthodox knee-slapping and kazoo. Make no bones though, Easton’s vocals are shimmering throughout the set regardless which direction the music takes – a truly stimulating and refreshing voice on the UK music scene which Scotland occasionally gifts to the rest of the world. Having recently been accepted for a singer/songwriter residency at Banff Centre in Calgary, Canada it will be interesting times ahead for the Carluke girl – whether that appears in the shape of Ette, Teen Canteen, Jesus, Baby or any other projects that she chooses to delve into during 2017. However rare this evening’s performance may have been, it will not be one that they forg-ette (sorry) for a long time.

Reviewer : Stephen Watt

THE MUMBLE : Hi David, so where are you from originally & how did you end up in EdinburghDAVID : Hello and thanks for asking! I’m from the Highlands of Scotland originally, and lived in Glasgow too. Later, I went to Paris to be a TEFL English teacher, sucked at it, so became a segway tour guide instead. After a stint of this in Paris, and Berlin, I eventually seg’ed my way back to Scotland.

THE MUMBLE : Who, or what, are Hostel Freaks?
DAVID : Hostel Freaks is mainly me playing cosmic electronica and sci-if synthwave on battered old drum machines, gadgets, & synths that are held together with duck tape (true!). If only I did all this at the same time as piloting a Segway. (Future project?) Also, because I lack the useful quality that is talent, I sometimes get friends and also my brother James to join me. He plays guitar that sounds like BB King stranded on an asteroid.

THE MUMBLE : What are the musical influences behind the band?
DAVID :BB King stranded on an asteroid. Mainly that.  I also quite liked that time when The Human League got lost in a huge 24hr ASDA.  I think that’s when vapour-wave was invented, right?

THE MUMBLE : You have just recorded an EP – can you tell us the motivation behind it?
DAVID :I got lost in the cassette and CD deptartment of Woolworths when I was a child. Luckily, The Pleasure Principle by Gary Numan was being played in full at the time over the shop speakers: I found that soothing. This EP is a re-imagining of that confusing, real life ordeal.

THE MUMBLE : Where, when & by whom was it recorded?

I wanted to record it in the freezer section of ASDA but there was too much bureaucracy involved with that (who’d have guessed?)  So I settled on my living room for the location of recording. It’s got a nice rug.  The rug didn’t affect the sound. But it affects the mind. Such good patterns on it. Kind of Turkish. But probably from IKEA.

THE MUMBLE : What are the plans for 2017 for Hostel Freaks

DAVID : Buy another rug. Stop getting lost in supermarkets. OH! And I’m launching the 4 track cassette EP /. Download at gigs , supported by the incredible Glamour Muscle, and Scotland’s best rapper : MC Almond Milk. You should all come!

Edinburgh, The Safari Lounge, Fri 27th Jan
Glasgow , Old Hairdressers, Fri 10th Feb

The Mumble :  Hello Victor Pope, so is that your real name or a stage persona?

Victor Pope : It’s a stage persona. It looked like my brother was going to make it big in the nineties so I thought I’d change my name so I wouldn’t be living in his shadow. The first pseudonym I had was Oliver Christ. But that seemed a little bit boastful, so I downgraded myself to the pope, and changed the first name to Victor after a nick name my old drummer used to call me. There’s always been some kind of religious theme.

Helensburgh Tower Digital Arts Centre

4th December 2016

Credit given where credit is due. Argyll and Bute seaside town Helensburgh is not an eminent presence within Scottish music folklore but the remarkable transformation of the St Columba church in the heart of the town into a modern performance space, digital education hub, exhibition room, television studio and recording suite, whilst retaining some of its most redeeming features such as the church organ, has breathed new life into the Victorian church. Add some exceptional talents travelling to the town courtesy of Café Improv curator and indie musician, Future Pilot AKA Sushil K. Dade; former member of the Soup Dragons, BMX Bandits and Telstar Ponies, and a lease of new life is stirring in the old girl.

A lengthy queue consisting of the old Glasgow indie mafia, resplendent in winter parka coats, snaked around the side of the building for the third installation of the Café Improv sessions and the arrival of Pulp frontman and radio broadcaster Jarvis Cocker. Inside, a cosy stage was assembled consisting of four lampshades, couches, fairy-lights, piano and drum-kit exuding an enchanting façade to welcome host and interviewer, BMX Bandit frontman Duglas T Stewart. Stepping aside ticket issues at the front desk for the sold-out event, the scene was set to welcome one of the leading figures from the Britpop generation.

Easy chat bounced between Stewart and Cocker, including some of the latter’s earliest memories of beginning a band, using his friends’ interest in his sister Saskia to get them onside. “The shyness I had as a child made me want to start a band as it would mean people would have to come up to me rather than the other way around”, Cocker concedes, “Hi Jarv, I’d want them to say. I really like what you did there”. That feeling of isolation continued as the Sheffield-born pop star revealed his dreams of being a spaceman in his juvenile days. “Perhaps that’s why I associated with the ‘2,000 Light Years From Home’ 7-inch single by the Rolling Stones in my mum’s collection so much – that feeling of being so far away from home was so alluring. Along with your usual comic books, I would read space annuals that were available at the time”. Encouraging the crowd to close their eyes, host Stewart played the song in its entirety to the point where it became a little uncomfortable.

While the chat was pleasant, the congenial qualities between Stewart with Cocker did appear to be somewhat homogeneous at points when discussing interest in androgyny, music, and social ineptness. Little pockets of insight to how Cocker’s interesting mind works presented themselves in an art piece called “Country Rock” by Peter Doid featuring a rainbow on a bridge which appeared on the sleeve of one of Pulp’s albums. “It appears to be some urban thing for badgers or deer, but the rainbow could be a portal to some other place. I like when you get a recognisable event but then a mythical thing happens”. Stewart agrees, offering “We both came from post-industrial, grey landscapes – you can transport yourself on a mind excursion through music”. Heavy, man! After a slight blip with music over the PA, Cocker reveals that after an accidental fall out a window sent him to hospital, he found more time to write his own thoughts down, or “bring your own details into music and bring it to life”. This point about Cocker’s writing would have been a fascinating insight into his lyricism and poetry but unfortunately the interview steered towards production by Scott Walker on Pulp’s fan-favourite “The Trees” from 2001 album ‘We Love Life’, and the opportunity had passed.

An interval signalled the end of the interview session, allowing the audience to indulge in samosas and chai tea. Whilst a snaking queue appeared to confuse itself around the venue, an unfortunate delay that could have been better spent listening to today’s guest unfurled whilst the smarter fans leapt upon the stage, keen to grab the opportunity to meet with their hero. Cocker was pleasant towards those who queued in their numbers to meet him but looked suitably ill-at-ease too, likely keen to take a break of his own. It could be easy to criticise the organisation at this point after two previous Café Improv sessions must surely have encountered similar situations, but with young girls collecting rubbish in refuse bags and friendly ushers peppered around to offer assistance wherever possible, one was quickly reminded that a number of volunteers are used to make the Digital Arts Tower, as director Brian Keating made a quick impassioned speech referring to the particular detail that the Tower hadn’t received any grants – yet. What was being achieved so far was honourable, if a little rugged around the edges in places.

In the second half, Cocker read an excerpt from Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Soul of Man Under Socialism’ in tribute to the point that Wilde had appeared at this venue in 1888 in a programme entitled ‘How to dress as a gentleman’. It was a profound acknowledgement of honest writing as Cocker quoted “Art is the most intense mode of individualism the world has ever known. Leaving guest James Yorkston to take to the stage, the capped Fifer received a warm welcome from the packed audience. Opening with “B’s Jig”, Yorkston’s romantic lyrics and in-between songs chat were perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Each miserable ode was accompanied by a hugely amusing anecdote and having only returned from India 48hrs previously, the Scottish songwriter was unsurprisingly fatigued during each performance – but with its charms. A touching dedication to his late friend and bassist Dougie Paul rounded off a 4-song set with the gorgeous “Broken Wave (A Blues For Doogie)” before apologising ‘Sorry, that was a bit….’, before trailing off. Cocker returned to the stage to perform a wonderful duet with Yorkston on a cover of folk singer Lal Watterson’s “Scarecrow” before an over-needed rendition of Pulp’s “Babies” with Cocker sharing in guitar-duties, kicking from the knee in hallmark fashion.

One further short break later & a resounding version of Pulp’s “Disco 2000” alongside house band The Poppadoms, the evening was concluded with a film-choice selected by Cocker, opting for Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns”, rounding off a fine afternoon of music, film, and food. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember that Jarvis Cocker has been involved in creating music since 1978 and one couldn’t help but feel that a wealth of fascinating anecdotes, advice, and perhaps a couple more songs would have been greatly welcomed but overall, there is stepping stones being planted by the Digital Arts Tower and Café Improv which have to be commended. If I could just get the Tower’s staff to remove a block on my phone number (Checks have been tried and tested, guys – loosen up), then I would be delighted to return and see its progression over the coming months.

Reviewer : Stephen Watt

Usher Hall, Edinburgh

6 / 10 / 16

Is it that time of year already? The leaves are in their first flush of Autumnal colour, like a wee brown bruise on a plum, while in the changing room at the Usher Hall, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is slipping into its stylishly eclectic ebony uniforms, in order to sail us all through a season of classical classics. Then who better to begin with than the master himself, Amadeus Mozart. Back in 1788, the fellow spent a summer composing three of his greatest symphonies, a swansong if you will, numbers 39, 40 & 41. Unfortunately for Amadeus, war broke out in Austria, which saw Vienn’a art-lovers flee the city in fear, thus reneging on the admission fees to see Mozart’s new wok.

In fact, in his lifetime (he died in 1791), only number 40 was performed. Roll on almost 250 years, & the SCO are giving us quite a treat by playing them together. Svend Brown told the Mumble, ‘One of the marvelous hallmarks of these pieces is Mozart’s marriage of ‘learned,’ profound musical thinking with popular courtly dance tunes & the interplay of human drama that carachterises his operas at their most glorious.‘ Yes, a suitably wonderful start from the SCO for the 16-17 season.

As a spectacle, an orchestra begins with its conductor, & Robin Ticciati was on top form. A nimble-footed adonis, he kept up a vastly entertaining barrage of flicks & flows with his mercurial wand. From the jarring start of movement number one, in the 39, we were immediately flung into the marvel that is Mozart’s genius. After an half hour of supreme musicianship from the SCO – one of the warmest orchestras I’ve seen in recent years – the familiar strains of 40 filled the Usher Hall. A smooth, superlatavian ride thro’ Mozart’s muse, one could actually feel the revolutionary thought-waves that were just about to explode across Europe.

There is no whimsy in these three symphonies, no dredge or drudge, only beauty & the honey-laden sparkle of summer. Yes, Mozart captured the moment with perfect diligence, & one which was created last night with dazzling panache. Roll on net month

Reviewer : Damian Besson Bullen