Snack - Issue 03

ISSUE 03 BIS THE TWILIGHT SAD CELTIC CONNECTIONS OLIVE GROVE MUSIC FILM FOOD AND DRINK TRAVEL LGBT+ VISUAL ARTS WORDS

TICKETS ON SALE NOW burnsandbeyond.com

Museum of the Moon @ St Giles’ A series of free and ticketed events taking place between Mon 21 – Sun 27 Jan 2019

Special Events Programme Mon 21 Jan 7pm – 10pm PREVIEW NIGHT

Wed 23 Jan 6pm – 7pm AN EVENING WITH

Fri 25 Jan 6pm – 7pm AN EVENING WITH

Tickets £6.50 (inc booking fees)

Tickets £15 (inc booking fees)

Tickets £20 (inc booking fees)

Tues 22 Jan 6pm – 7pm

Moon Talk

with The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh and Dr William Taylor Tickets £10 (inc booking fees)

Rachel Sermanni

Roddy Woomble

Thur 24 Jan 9pm – 10pm

Sat 26 Jan 6.30pm – 10.45pm

Tickets £10 (inc booking fees)

Tickets £25 (inc booking fees)

St Giles’ Cathedral Choir

BurnS&Beyond Culture Trail

Photo: Simon Galloway

The Moon by Candle light

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V I SI TO R AT T RA CT I O N

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Conditions apply to all discounts - ask instore for details.

Tour at 9.15pm at The Real Mary King’s Close Limited availability To book and view the menu visit:

realmarykingsclose.com/whatson or call 0131 225 0672

CONTENTS WHAT’S ON MUSIC FOOD & DRINK TRAVEL EVENTS | PAGE 07

THE TWILIGHT SAD, BIS . . . | PAGE 16

PRE GIG MUNCHIES, VEGANUARY . . . | PAGE 32

BUDAPEST | PAGE 38

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Reproduction of this magazine in part or in whole is forbidden without the explicit written consent of the publishers. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content of this magazine but we cannot guarantee it is complete and up to date. Snack Publishing Ltd. is not responsible for your use of the information contained herein.

E: hello@snackpublising.com Editor/Sales: Kenny Lavelle Food and Travel Editors: Emma Mykytyn and Mark Murphy LGBTQ Editor: Jonny Stone Words Editor: Leona Skene Designer/Illustrator: Fionnlagh Ballantine Front cover image: Brian Sweeney

LGBT+ FILM VISUAL ARTS WORDS

RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE, DARREN CRISS . . . | PAGE 42

THE 12TH MAN | PAGE 50

AMOS' WORLD | PAGE 52

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE | PAGE 54 MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Hello. Welcome to the third edition of Snack.

Contrary to popular turn-of-the-year expectations, January and February are looking to be busy old months all around the country. We’ve Celtic Connections and Burns Night (week) to look forward to, which should help brighten up a few dour winter evenings. You’ll find our interview with Lloyd Meredith of Olive Grove Records, where he talks about the label’s plans for Celtic Connections and the upcoming release of The Archipelago

EPs on pages 24 and 25. As luck would have it, not one but two of Scottish independent music’s finest are releasing new albums during the early weeks of 2019 and we’re delighted that we’ve interviews with both James Graham of The Twilight Sad and Manda Rin of DIY heroes, Bis in oor wee magazine. Elsewhere you’ll find Foodie Explorers in-depth guide to Budapest, Jonny Stone’s (always on point) LGBT+ section and loads more besides.

As always, I’m sure you’ll find your way around.

See you in February.

Kenny Lavelle

thejazzbar

edinburgh

1a Chambers Street eh1 1hr

BLACK MIDI Hug and Pint, Glasgow – 30th January In our October 2018 interview with Shame drummer, Charlie Forbes, he recommended Selhurst’s Black Midi as one of the best live bands in the country, who are we to disagree? Noisy, mathy, taut, frenetic, inventive, and off-kilter. From the gathered hype and the rare clips dotted about online, this looks like it’s going to be a special night.

LIVE MUSIC UNTIL 3AM EVERY NIGHT!

JAZZ//FUNK//SOUL//BLUES//ACOUSTIC @thejazzbar www.thejazzbar.co.uk

VERBE PRESENTS FANTASTIC MAN THE GRACIOUS LOSERS WITH SUPPORT FROM L-SPACE Hug and Pint, Glasgow – 20th January Definitely a Scottish band to keep an eye on in 2019, this is a rare chance to catch an acoustic set from L-Space as they join The Gracious Losers for this Last Night From Glasgow event as part of Celtic Connections. Celtic country and americana souls, The Gracious Losers include members of Thrum, God Help The Girl and Sister John, so their pedigree speaks for itself. They’ve sold out loads of gigs recently so probably best to get your tickets organised early for this one.

Stereo, Glasgow – 18th January A rare public screening of this 30 minute documentary about mythical Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor which features interviews with Damon Albarn, Femi Kuti, Martyn Ware and Caribou’s Dan Snaith. Onyeabor never played live and only once spoke to the press, a 6 Music interview with Lauren Laverne in 2014. This Noisey produced film attempts to get to the heart of a life shrouded in storybook-like mystery, with some of the only verified information about him traceable to the nine albums he self-released on his Wilfilms label between 1977 and 1985.

Following the screening you’ll be able catch a live performance from an African percussion and dance troupe.

What's On Page 7

SONGHOY BLUES QMU, Glasgow – 24th January Their 2017 album Résistance brought Malian quartet Songhoy Blues to the cusp of major international stardom. They’ve worked with M.I.A/Django Django producer Neil Combo, and featured guest appearances from Iggy Pop, grime MC Elf Kid and electrofolk/pop trio Stealing Sheep over the last few years. Joyful and kaleidoscopic with upbeat lyrics which defiantly confront the doom-laden stereotypes of their homeland - their sound is immeasurably danceable. This is the band we need to shake off those mid-winter blues.

Extra bonus / you’ll get 10% off a meal in QMU restaurant Scran between 5pm and 7pm with your gig ticket.

HEATHER LEIGH Glad Cafe – 23rd January The West Virginia born and long time Glasgow resident released her ‘pop’ album Throne on Editions Mego records back in October. She’s known for her improvisational, raw, hypnotic and hallucinatory pedal steel guitar compositions, but Throne is a more laid back and song oriented affair - a majestic and uncompromising, woozy, richly gorgeous, but at times uncomfortable beast.

Performed in the intimate Glad Cafe venue this will undoubtedly be one of the most intense musical experiences you’re likely to witness all winter.

BURNS & BEYOND Venues across Edinburgh – 22nd-27th January A new festival in Edinburgh celebrating the life and work of Robert Burns, Scotland’s National Bard, invites audiences to discover the very best in creative talents from across Scotland in some of the capital’s most well-known buildings and a few of its more secretive spaces across both New and Old Town. Highlights include Lau fiddler Aidan O’Rourke and company recreating the atmosphere and the unstructured conviviality of an Edinburgh Old Town tavern, Neu! Reekie! presenting an ebullient evening of live music and poetry, including a dark, erotic, explosive performance of Tam o’ Shanter plus the unmissable Museum of the Moon at St Giles’ Cathedral. burnsandbeyond.com

GREAT LANTERNS OF CHINA Edinburgh Zoo – Until 17th February The Giant Lanterns of China are still at Edinburgh Zoo for a wee while yet. This 1 mile long, loop around the zoo explores Scottish myths, ancient Chinese legends and other incredible creatures through 450 beautifully crafted lanterns and short performances by Chinese artists. Expect unicorns, giants, kelpies and even the Loch Ness Monster.

Don’t expect to see too many of their real life residents as they’ll mostly be cosying inside indoor enclosures where it’s warm. Definitely one for you if you like to wrap up well and get out and enjoy the crisp contrasts of a dark winter’s evening.

ROBOTS National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh –18th January till 5th May From early mechanised human forms to today’s cutting-edge technology, this major exhibition reveals the 500-year quest to make machines human. Featuring more than 100 objects – from automatons to science fiction film stars to the creations of modern research labs – this is your chance to see possibly the most significant collection of humanoid robots ever assembled.

The exhibition explores the creation of these humanoids and the insights they offer into our ambitions and desires in a rapidly changing world.

Includes a T-800 endoskeleton used in the movie Terminator Salvation and a replica of Maria from the iconic 1927 film Metropolis.

What's On Page 9

NEHH PRESENTS… THE VASELINES Summerhall, Edinburgh – 1st February What can you say about The Vaselines that hasn’t already been said? Formed in Glasgow in 1987.

Cheeky, horny, hooky and fun. One of the best songwriting duos that our country has ever seen.

Kurt Cobain favourites. No nonsense approach to obnoxious audience talkers. Slightly reticent to play their biggest tune. That’s The Vaselines. Part of Independent Venue Week.

countries. Extremely Pedestrian Chorales looks to be a highlight with daftness ‘Inspired by JS Bach’s famous chorales and pitched into our presentday lives with just a dash of punk-ish irreverence, subtle snatches of dance and movement combine with loud titles, live music, big shoes, 18th century powder wigs, and general joyful misbehaviour.’

One focus this year will be ‘works in progress’, exploring that creative midway point between initial idea and the fully realised piece. manipulatefestival.org

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL IMPROV FESTIVAL Assembly Roxy and Scottish Storytelling Centre – 7th till 10th February In this it’s very first year, Edinburgh International Improv Festival promises some of the best improvisational comedy theatre and related workshops that the UK has to offer. Featuring performances from Abandoman (award-winning Hip-Hop Musical Improviser), Carter & Murray ( Broad City, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 30 Rock, and The Detour), Couch (long-form improv team from Glasgow) and The Improverts (Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s longest running improvisational comedy troupe).

MANIPULATE FESTIVAL Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh – 4th - 9th February Puppet Animation Scotland’s annual celebration of innovative visual theatre and animated film is back with 23 performances by theatre artists and filmmakers from Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Spain and the USA. That’s a lot of

INVISIBLE LANDS Paisley Art Centre - 7th February The Livsmedlet Theatre duo transforms the human body into a living stage in this unique meeting between puppetry, physicality, choreography and video projections. Tiny figures populate the bodies of the performers, creating lines of people struggling up the hill of a bent back, a make-shift boat and people in the water drift the blue-sea painted belly. This utterly unique performance looks through binoculars to witnesses the chaosfilled journeys into exile of displaced people all trying to save their skins.

RAB FLORENCE POETRY & SWEARING VOL 2 Bianco E Nero Funcion Suite, Paisley - 18th and 19th January In 2017 Burger and Keg Live brought Burnistons Rab Florence to the Spree Festival starring in a sold out show Poetry & Swearing Vol. 1. It went down a storm receiving rave reviews and for many, was one of the highlights of the festival. Be ready to embark on a rollercoaster of emotions (zip up your pockets) as you laugh, cry and be induced into some thought provoking questions as a show like none other unfolds before you. Burnistouns Rab Florence is supported by Scot Squads Darren Connell as Paisley once again is promised the magic of modern day poetry.

MOVING JAMAICA Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee - Until 19th January Last chance to see this exciting exhibition of unique historical and contemporary photographs which provide an opportunity to explore past, present and future cultural landscapes of Jamaica and their connections to Scotland. The work of 19thcentury Dundee-based photographers, Valentine & Sons, as well as images held in the University of St Andrews-based Maitland Dougall Collection, are presented alongside the recent work of internationally acclaimed photographers, Varun Baker (Jamaica) and Stephen McLaren (Scotland).

While visual images, such as those by Valentine & Sons, have historically played an important role

in promoting tourist destinations, the exhibition highlights that they run in parallel to more complex, dynamic and revealing stories. There’s also a special panel discussion event on 15th January which takes the exhibition as a starting point for further creative discussions about transatlantic identities, images and spaces.

NOSTALGIA GAMES Dundee Arts Cafe - Tuesday 5th February 2019 The sights, sounds, and styles of classic games such as Space Invaders, Super Mario Bros. or Doom have impacted on every almost other art form worldwide, from graphic design and fashion to music and film. But what extent do video games engage more widely with collective and cultural memory? In this talk, Dr Robin Sloan from Abertay University will discuss “nostalgia games” – video games that generate appeal through their referencing of past games, films, music, technology, and shared memories of days gone by.

What's On Page 11

INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM Supporting independent culture in Scotland

snackmag.co.uk hello@snackpublishing.com 0141 632 4641

BURNS NIGHT Dry January, now that’s a thought, something we could all probably do with after last month’s festivities. As luck would have it, it’s also that time of year when we’re provided with a grand excuse to cut our self depriving January short, Burns night!

As Scots, we all know the uniquely Scottish event that centres around the eating of haggis and the very liberal drinking of whisky. For those of you who have only a passing awareness of the celebration, allow me to take a step back. Burns Night is that time of year when people feast on haggis, neeps (turnip), and tatties (potatoes), and drink whisky… lots of whisky. All this in remembrance of the Scottish people's poet and lyricist Robert Burns, often referred to as Rabbie Burns, or simply ‘The Bard’.

Burns wrote his first poem Handsome Nell at the age of 15 in order to impress the lassie, Nelly Kilpatrick, who he’d been paired to work with harvesting the fields. He would then go on to pen over 700 works, continuing to write songs and poems throughout his life, becoming widely known for his empathy, addressing political and civil issues, and for being radically nationalist. In his own lifetime he was extraordinarily famous rock-star famous - before dying poor as his father warned he might, in his last days begging family for money to pay a debt owed to a ‘rascal of a haberdasherer’.

So a little about the history of the celebration, the first Burns supper was held by the poet’s friends and family in July 1801, marking the 5th anniversary of his death. Held at Burns Cottage in Alloway, Ayrshire, its itinerary was as follows: a delicious meal of haggis, performances of the poet’s work, and a speech in his honour. The resounding success of the celebration prompted

an annual necessity and it was henceforth held on the poet’s birthday, January 25th.

Whether you’re looking for a traditional way to celebrate the Bard’s Birthday or something with more of a twist, there’s no shortage of events all over the country to get your teeth into.

The Hunterian Museum in Glasgow will host a “Night at the Museum” event to celebrate the work of the Bard, with light projections, live music and access to related historical items not normally on display. gla.ac.uk/explore/burns The Big Burns Night takes place every year in Dumfries and offers a slightly less conventional version of the celebration, with Bombscare, the legend that is Craig Charles, Frank Turner, KT Tunstall and The Complete Stone Roses all set to play alongside more traditional acts. There’s comedy too from Ed Byrne and Hardeep Singh Kohli. Probably not an event for the traditionalists. bigburnssupper.com In Edinburgh, following on from last year’s sell out Burns supper, The Real Mary King’s Close have partnered again with Wedgwood the Restaurant to create an evening filled to the brim with poetry, history, and the best locally sourced produce. The talented team at Wedgwood have created a delicious looking menu showcasing the best in Scottish cuisine.

Guests will be treated a three course meal and a recital of Burns poetry, before being escorted to The Real Mary King’s Close for a Burns inspired guided tour of the uniquely preserved streets and spaces underneath the Royal Mile. The evening will finish with a dram of whisky in the beautiful Burgh Courtroom, where guests can raise a glass to Scotland’s favourite son.

realmarykingsclose.com/event/burns-night/ Burns & Beyond is Edinburgh’s new and exciting celebration of all things Burns - an entire festival across both the Old and New Town dedicated to the great man and, as the name suggests, beyond. The centerpiece of the festival is the Burns & Beyond Cultural Trail and to add another layer of excitement, guests will be given a secret location nearer the time of the event from where they’ll begin their explorations. You can take in as many venues as you’d like throughout the evening, enjoying Scottish musicians, artists and spoken word all of whom are reflecting and responding to themes within Rabbie Burns’ work. Highlights include The Red Rose Club (A night of electronic music and DJ’s held in a secret location, featuring Nightwave, Sofay, Ribeka and The Honey Farm), Neu! Reekie!’s annual twist on Burns (this year their centrepiece will be a dark, erotic, explosive performance of Tam o’ Shanter performed by Kevin Williamson and Kixx Collective) and speed whisky tasting (again at a

secret venue so keep your eyes and ears alert if you fancy this one.)

If you’ve not yet caught the Museum of the Moon, by UK artist Luke Jerram on its travels then this is a great time to find out what you’ve been missing at its new home in St. Giles Cathedral.

It really is spectacular. Measuring seven metres in diameter and featuring detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface. There’s an accompanying programme of lunar inspired events, talks and happenings planned for beneath the moon. If you want to nip in during the day for a gander, Museum of the Moon is free to visit daily at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh 9am – 5pm, 21st January – 26th January.

For those celebrating with the whole family there is also a fun ceilidh night at the Freemason’s Hall where everybody can have a grand time dancing to traditional Scottish music. Wherever you are, there’s something for everybody this Burns night. burnsandbeyond.com

“IF YOU’VE NOT YET CAUGHT THE MUSEUM OF THE MOON ON ITS TRAVELS THEN THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MISSING AT ITS NEW HOME IN ST. GILES CATHEDRAL. ”

Burns Night by Sara McCombe Page 15

“IT’S GOT THE MOST ENERGY OF ANY OF OUR ALBUMS YET. IT’S A PRETTY DRIVING ALBUM AS WELL”

THE TWILIGHT SAD Not so long ago The Twilight Sad were openly questioning their place in the world, with singer/lyricist James Graham openly asking the question ‘does anyone actually want a Twilight Sad record?’ Times Change.

Not only are they back sounding more self assured and more ‘Twilight Sad’ than ever but It Won/t Be Like This All the Time is one of the most eagerly awaited releases from a Scottish band in years. It’s an album that’s sure to find a long term home in the hearts and minds of many, an intensely personal and immersive 46 minutes of emotionally raw and affecting music. We caught up with James Graham at the tail end of 2018 as he was looking forward to some quiet time with his son, before the storm of the new album release.

The new album is sounding great, really direct, I’d probably say it’s your most focused work yet.

MUSIC

I think you’re right there, it’s got the most energy of any of our records. It’s a pretty driving album as well, we wanted to hone the energy of what a live show would be for us and for us and to really enjoy playing these songs. Not that we didn’t enjoy the old songs, just that we felt we needed to bring a different energy to this. There’s still some noisy guitar in there and there’s synths from previous records, but as far as the writing goes I think it might be the most direct thing we’ve ever done.

It’s still weird in places and it’s still pretty dark in places, but there’s some hope there as well, I’d like to think. I think that it’s one of those ones, like all of our records, where the more you listen the more it develops for you. I found that even from writing and performing it, as the songs go on, that I’m understanding more.

There’s moments where it takes a bit of a step back, to almost Cocteau Twins territory with The Abor.

Glad you noticed that, Cocteau Twins are one of my favourite bands and they come from about 30 minutes up the road from us as well. They’ve been one of my favourite bands since I started getting into music. When we were on tour with The Cure, Robert had them on his pre show playlist for people coming into the venues. We heard that every night and it kind of sunk into us a bit.

How was it for you, touring with The Cure?

Well you know how you have expectations of something? First of all I was thinking ‘Holy Shit! This is ridiculous that we’re being asked to do this’. You have expectations, that it will go this way or that.

He blew all of them out the water. We’ve been on a lot of support tours over the years, sometimes we’ve been treated great, like Mogwai have been amazing to us and still are. Then there have been some tours where we've been the support and sometimes you feel like you’re, I don’t want to say Music by Kenny Lavelle Page 17

a nuisance but something like that. You’ll get your soundcheck when you get it, that kind of thing.

But with this, Robert made us feel like we were an integral part of the tour. He gave us 45 minutes a night, which for a support band on that level can be unheard of. He made sure we got our name plastered around the arenas so that people could see who we were. He looked after us so much and made sure we had the best opportunity to play our music to people who didn’t know us. Plus he watched us from the side of the stage every night, asked to see our setlist every night before the gig to see if there was a song we hadn’t played the night before. He was the nicest most generous person I’ve ever met. People say, don’t meet your heroes, that couldn't be more wrong in this case. He’s now become one of our good friends and he gives a shit about us, which is amazing.

Do you feel like there’s a lot more people who give a shit what you’re doing now?

Yeah, from doing the two tours recently and going out to speak to people after the gigs, I can see now that people are opening up to us quite a lot. Within the music, I speak about my problems and people see that and wanted to tell us that it helps them. It’s quite a lot to take on but it’s amazing that the music that I write to help me is helping other people. That’s not something that I thought would come with being in a band or anybody would even give a shit that much, but it’s an amazing thing.

There’s a group of fans that are becoming friends through our music, meeting people and travelling the world with each other to see us. We write the

music for ourselves but knowing that all that’s going on just blows your mind. Sometimes when you’re having a down day and you’re maybe not feeling so good about yourself, it helps you get through the day sometimes.

Can you tell us a bit about how you approached writing the lyrics for this album?

I tried to approach it the same way that I approach anything, that I’m only going to write if I have something to write about. With this one I think I’ve been more direct with my lyrics. In the past I’ve used metaphors a lot, and I’m proud of that because I didn’t want people to know the subject matter I was talking about, and still don’t.

But with this, something inside just said ‘You’ve got to talk about your problems, show people what’s going on and how you’re feeling’, because it’s quite a Scottish thing to keep it all inside and just get on with it. I don't like that. I’ve seen it in other people that I’m close to and it does no good for them at all.

I knew it was going to be pretty tough to say some of the stuff that I was going to say. My family still haven’t heard the record, so I’m quite terrified for them to read how I was feeling at the time. But if I didn’t do it then it would burn away inside me and, as a guy who writes songs, it’s a cathartic way of getting things out. It felt like I’d be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t say how I was feeling. Not that I was trying to hide behind anything before, but this time I felt ‘Just just say it and if it’s wrong, just say it for yourself.’

Are there lines within the album that you feel define or encapsulate what you’re trying to say throughout?

Aye, there’s a few different themes within the record and there‘s still some stuff that I don’t want to put out there yet, for the sake of other people more than me. But at the same time, I definitely didn’t like myself too much a lot of the time when I was writing the record. I was given the music by Andy for ‘I/m Not Here [missing face]’ and I was listening to it while I was driving the car. A lot of the time that’s how I write my lyrics and melodies, just driving in my car. In my head I was saying “Why do you do

this, why do you do this to yourself?’” and that just kept on going round. I sang it and it just fitted. It’s a question that I ask myself a lot and I beat myself up quite a lot. I think that quite a lot of people do that, over nothing sometimes. But I think for me those were the lines, why is the self loathing happening?

There’s a song called ‘Girl Chewing Gum’, the lyrics scare me and they’re probably going to scare people who know me, but that’s back to back with a song called ‘Keep It All To Myself’. It’s like if I don’t say that and keep it all to myself, then it’s that typical Scottish thing again. There are a lot of songs that are linked together and if you were to listen to the lyrics you can hear that songs are part 1 and part 2 of the same thing.

Is it right that Andy deleted the album at one point?

Aye, it is. He did that without telling me. We’d written about 75% of the record and he decided he wasn’t happy with the music, that it would be a perfectly fine Twilight Sad album but we couldn’t settle for that. So he went away and deleted every bit of the music and just kept my vocals. Then he wrote the music to follow my vocals, which is different cause we usually do it the other way round. I think that possibly when you said it’s the most direct record, that might have something

to do with it. He didn’t tell me, he sent an email saying don’t freak out, listen to the demos, you’ll recognise the songs, just have a few listens before you judge them. You know what it’s like when you write something and your ears get used to it? It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s for the better, it’s just what you’re used to. So when you hear something completely different you’re like, Woah. I’d say after the first listen I was thinking ‘this feels important’, it felt like he completely got what I was trying to say.

You sold the Barras out in what, 15 minutes?

I remember getting the phone call telling me that, I still can’t get my head round it. The last time we played there was one of the defining moments for the band. We sold it out that time as well and the energy in that room was amazing. Now there’s more weight on what we do, I feel that the gig itself is going to be something else. We played The Liquid Rooms recently and that was one of the most intense nights we’ve ever had. That was The Liquid Rooms and we all know what the Barras can do.

I’m excited but petrified at the same time.

The Twilight Sad album It Won/t Be Like This All the Time will be released on Rock Action Records, January 18th 2019. thetwilightsad.com | rockaction.co.uk

Food and Drink by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 19

BIS DIY Indie legends Bis are back with their oddball and hugely enjoyable new album Slight Disconnects, which, as we seem to be saying a lot recently, is out soon on the fantastic and innovative Last Night From Glasgow Records. It’s their first proper studio album since 2001’s Return to Central and it shows in the best possible way. It’s jam packed with ideas, earworms and hooks amassed over the years, and the end result is as unique and full of energy as you could ever hope. We were delighted to chat to singer and keyboard player, Manda Rin (Amanda MacKinnon) about how the album came together, playing live and working the band around the day to day.

The new album has a number of tracks like Dracula and There Is No Point that hark back to older material, while others feel like you’ve moved on and there’s different influences in there. Was this a different type of album for you to make?

It has been a long time in the making and there were a lot of good ideas that came up over that time.

We want people to see that we can still do what we are good at, the classic Bis sound, but trying to do something a bit different at the same time. An album of 10 of the same songs isn’t going to be interesting to anybody. Some of the songs have been around for a good few years, but nothing had happened with them. They were just tiny wee basic ideas. So we were just expanding on those really and kept coming back to them thinking “Oh this could actually go somewhere”. Then over time they become Bis songs.

Is it still the same collective process between the three of you or do you feel that with people

being grown-ups and having lives and stuff that sometimes you just have to schedule it a bit?

It’s definitely been the most different writing that we’ve done. We’ve moved on from the days of just having 4 track machines at home and getting studio time to just muck about and write a song. We don’t have that much time. But what we have now is technology and email, which I didn’t even have in the early days. John lives up in Inverness so that makes writing and recording a bit more difficult as well. However with technology you set up internet accounts for various things and it goes back and forth. It’s exciting when you’ve a wee chat group with things to share. I love it when you wake up and

see what they’ve been chatting about and think “Oh right, I’m going to get on this now”. It’s funny cause I don’t think anyone would have thought this, but we were the most talkative, the three of us, at 9 o’clock in the morning once we’d all done the school run and could take a breath.

You recently did some matinee all-age shows did that suit the body clocks better at all?

It was actually quite mental. There's a place called The Lexington in London and the promoter, he gets some amazing deals with the venue. He said if we set up and want to play two gigs in the same day, he’d get us a good deal and basically make quite a lot of money from it.

“WE WERE THE MOST TALKATIVE, THE THREE OF US, AT 9 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING ONCE WE’D ALL DONE THE SCHOOL RUN AND COULD TAKE A BREATH.”

Music by Stephen McColgan, Photos - Brian Sweeney Page 21

It went down an absolute treat last time. People just loved it. It’s not just the kids, it’s also the adults who want to get the train home and get to their beds early. I would do the same, I would go to a during the day gig for sure. However, we had Shine festival the night before so it was a bit of nightmare for Steven who was doing all the driving.

We had to get to London early to do a soundcheck for the matinee and we were on stage at 11 o’clock the night before. That was quite different, but we still managed it.

You have three consecutive shows with different set lists coming up in February. Do you think that’s going to be more difficult to rehearse for? Are you looking forward to having something that’s different every night?

It’s definitely going to be challenging, February’s not that far away. A set is usually an hour in total so it won't be the whole of the new album, it will

just be a good chunk of it. We’ll then dedicate the rest of the set to songs from each album and era. I’m the one that gets the most nervous about doing gigs and stuff. I maybe don’t remember things as well as John and Steven. But doing these gigs recently, I’ve been thinking I’m not as bad as I always think I am When I go to rehearse, which is sometimes just the night before an important gig, it all does just come together. I do shock myself that I actually do ok. The only difference now is that we’re playing songs from the new album and people will actually know them after they hear it, I can’t just sing anything if I don’t know the words. I was getting away with it before, I’ll need to up my game with that.

Like a Dunning-Kruger effect for musicians?

We’ve been doing this for 24 years now, it’s more than half of our lives. With some songs, even if we’ve not rehearsed them for a year, we still don’t have to

rehearse them. We don't have to rehearse Kandy Pop, we don’t have to rehearse Kill Yr Boyfriend.

Our kids even know them.

I was playing the album in the house this morning, and We Dream of Canada got a really good response from my 8 year old. Do you find that from the matinee shows and playing stuff to your own kids that there are certain songs that connect with kids because they perhaps connect on a purely rhythmic level?

Possibly, Steven’s children are very musical actually and they give the album a big thumbs up.

My oldest is 5 years old, he heard Dracula for the first time and said ‘It sounds like Kandypop doesn’t it?’ I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing [laughing].

You’ve been together for over 20 years, with quite a lot of side projects also in that time. Is it

comforting after working with other people to come back to working with John and Steven?

It’s always comforting to go back to what you know and what you’re used to.

It’s a nice thing as sound-wise we grow when the three of us are together. But it’s also nice when you’re not doing anything and you’re offered something. I think, “Yeah, I would like to do guest vocals on that song!”. When I’m offered to do something with a punky band like Hard Skin, yeah of course I’ll do that cause that’s the kind of thing I like musically.

Saying that, we’re one of the few Glasgow bands that haven't been in lots of other bands. Everyone knows us primarily as being from Bis. Apart from your musical side projects you’ve also got your badge company.

The badge business is my day job, I’ve been doing it since 2000. That’s what I left working as a radio presenter to do. It was just taking off so much that I didn't have time to do other work. I love having my own business, I like being my own boss.

It’s demanding especially when you’ve got two children and a band on the go. I like not having to ask permission if I want to do band things or go to a hospital appointment or something like that.

Do you think your audiences have changed over the years?

We’re all a wee bit hesitant to do things like Shine, that kind of reunion type thing. Saying that, the best thing is that you get a mix of people who know you people that don’t. That’s why Steven says “We’re Bis from Glasgow, Scotland” on stage so much, because some people don’t know. Just like I got into listening to the likes of The B52’s or The Slits very late, it’s an exciting thing for people to still be discovering us.

Slight Disconnects will be released on February 28th 2019 on Last Night From Glasgow Records. To Celebrate the launch Bis will play 3 venues over the weekend 15th-17th February.

You can get your copy of the album and buy gig tickets at lastnightfromglasgow.com bisnation.com

Music by Stephen McColgan, Photos - Brian Sweeney Page 23

OLIVE GROVE RECORDS – LLOYD MEREDITH Olive Grove Records have consistently provided some of the finest up and coming Scottish music in the past decade. We caught up with top man Lloyd Meredith to talk 2019 gigs and releases.

You’ve got a gig at Celtic Connections in support of The Archipelago EPs – tell us more?

Last year I applied for Creative Scotland funding and it’s being used on working with new artists.

These acts have little to no experience of being in a studio and most people won’t have heard of them.

When the label first started, it was all about promoting new music that I supported and loved.

We’ve veered away from that slightly and I want to go back to square one.

There are six artists in total and the first EP is Jared Celosse and that is stunning, just him and a piano. On the other side of that is Chrissy Barnacle who has been kicking about Glasgow for ages and I’ve wanted to get her in the studio for ages.

After that, it’ll be Pocket Knife, they’re an electric duo and Moonsoup. They’re from Falkirk, they play the songs of Niamh Baker and they just kept cropping up in conversation. I liked what I heard on Bandcamp and then I saw them live. I think it’s the first time I cold-called a band, I just went up to them and asked, “would you like to put out a record with me?”

The last EP is Circle Meets Dot, which is Jo Mango and Wes from The Great Albatross and that’ll come with Lux Canyon.

The artwork, by Chris Ferguson from Mitchell

Museum, will be a series of pictures that look different from each other but when you lie them down next to each other, it’ll form a picture, moving from one city to another.

“I THINK IT’S THE FIRST TIME I COLD-CALLED A BAND, I JUST WENT UP TO THEM AND ASKED, “WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUT OUT A RECORD WITH ME?””

“I THINK THE BEST SHOW WE’VE EVER DONE WAS AT CELTIC CONNECTIONS, IT WAS AN OLIVE GROVE SHOWCASE AT ORAN MOR.” Hug & Pint on the 2nd of February is the launch gig – looking forward to it?

Celtic Connections is an ideal way to stick all the bands together on the same bill. The bands that are paired together on the EP fit each other’s styles but for the gig, it’ll be an eclectic mix. Pocket Knife and Moonsoup are preparing gigs together and they’ve hit it off, so that’s great. I appreciate people may end up taking a punt on the name of the label as opposed to the bands but I believe all of the bands are really strong, and I’m really looking forward to the night.

Olive Grove has been a regular feature of Celtic Connections – any great memories?

I think the best show we’ve ever done was at Celtic Connections, it was an Olive Grove showcase at Oran Mor. I’ve always wanted Olive Grove to be a family and that day cemented it. I’ve got a great photo of us all standing on the stage, and I’ve got so many brilliant memories.

Even this year, Jo Mango, Broken Chanter, Carla J. Easton, Henry & Fleetwood are all playing too, so it’s a festival with great bands!

It’s a festival I love going to and a lot of our bands fit the bracket very well. It brings in a mixed crowd, perhaps an older crowd and it gets people into venues that they may not have necessarily visited before. It’s good in January too, it gets you through a shit month, although to be honest, I’m now worrying about how I’ll fit all the gigs in and I haven’t told the wife about half of them yet.

Olive Grove Records present The Archipelago EPs on Saturday 2nd February at Hug & Pint.

Music by Andy Reilly Page 25

BANANAS Track by Track - Bananas - Malcolm Middleton There will only ever be a handful in your life. Artists whose authenticity seems beyond reproach. You believe what they’re saying, you recognise their irony or disassociation when they use it and you can express yourself without even singing along. Every break in their voice or subtle inflection fits naturally into your own pre-existing feelings and they can make you feel happy and sad in the same line.

I’ve always felt Scottish artists have a particular knack for this – whether it’s an endemic national talent or you simply find it easier to identify with music made from people with similar backgrounds is a different question.

Malcolm Middleton’s voice is an understated national gift. No affectation, no needless warbling, no skimming over the letter R or merging vowel sounds to make anything more palatable. His voice cracks with emotional weight when relevant and

smoothly bellows when needed.

His new album Bananas, complete with selfpainted, pastiche Velvet Underground sleeve, gets off to a galloping and involving start with Gut Feeling. It starts with a pained look at being on the road that’s reminiscent of Red Travelling Socks, the opener to 2009’s Waxing Gibbous. The song structure is something to marvel at. A twinkly arrangement wastes no time before the drums pleasingly switch to double time. Then there's the title quoting chorus, before a hook which is a chorus all of its own. The seamlessly flowing outro mirrors the intro and whole thing will be sang gustily out of open car windows on long journeys for years to come.

The song structure, here and throughout the album, avoids the obvious verse, chorus, repeat, middle eight, chorus to fade pattern. Yes, he’s clearly been influenced by a quite a bit of prog but it’s the ambitious song structures he’s borrowed – eschewing the pompous fantasy lyrics side of prog for nakedly self-questioning lyrics.

The second track, lead single Love is a Momentary Lapse of Self-Loathing, is a 5 minute slice of sweary empathy. Lyrically, it’s full of lines that can be sung along to without having to search too far for them to reflect personal yearnings and disappointments. “I can’t seem to make peace with myself” is repeated three times with the will of a man that trying to talk himself round before the sentiment resolves with “Since you broke my heart”.

There’s a refrain of “F**k off with your happiness” and even the songs title is an introspective reaction to hurt. Awww mate. I feel you.

Again, the arrangement in this song is glorious – piano and guitar take turns to take the lead and, before you know it, just short of four minutes in, the outro is guided along by swirling woodwind.

The album’s shortest song, What a Life, is a dusky-walk-down-a-dirty-street-

while-kicking-a-can chunk of self-examination that will have you singing along by the second listen. “I wouldn’t wish you on me / you caught the worst fish in the sea”. The backing vocals (provided by Jenny Reeve amongst others), cushion the middle of the song in a dream-like quality as though a lonely inner monologue is being pushed along by angels dressed as Fifties waitresses.

Buzz Lightyear Helmet is the album’s longest track at over 8 minutes and starts with a limbering beat from David Jeans before the double bass of Stevie Jones wanders in giving us a furtive, sweaty groove that opens up once the guitar joins in.

Malcolm then delivers a verse wondering “How the f**k, am I gonnae make a Buzz LIghtyear helmet out of this cardboard box and a roll of tape? He’ll be home soon” and every parent that’s ever signed up for a project with their child that is beyond their crafting ability sighs in recognition. I’m having flashbacks of middle of the night school projects, lighthouses and giraffes built out of toilet tubes and shoe-boxes, trying desperately not to disappoint my children with something that falls apart as soon as it’s shown to their peers.

The song manoeuvres through a time change before a sombre section that includes the universal line “Everything is gonna be alright / But today I’m feeling shite”. There’s a breakdown with a tom-led beat drowned in gorgeous, layered backing vocals before the refrain of “We’re gonna have fun fun fun on the East Coast” sends the whole epic off into the sunset rather than returning to where it started.

Twilight Zone begins with a guitar arpeggio augmented by a dancing piano motif that recedes around the vocals. The lyrics seem obviously biographical, the search for inspiration clashing with the wish to avoid including people from your real life. Pittenweem gets a mention which is a big tick for fans of name-checking Fife villages. The song threatens to kick in and get noisier throughout but resists and sticks to ploughing a gentle furrow.

That Voice Again has a more 80's vibe than the rest of the album – featuring a driving electric bass with the guitar’s chorus and delay lifting it above

“MALCOLM MIDDLETON’S VOICE IS AN UNDERSTATED NATIONAL GIFT. NO AFFECTATION, NO NEEDLESS WARBLING, NO SKIMMING OVER THE LETTER R OR MERGING VOWEL SOUNDS TO MAKE ANYTHING MORE PALATABLE.” the other instruments. The album’s second single, Man Up, Man Down quickly follows and these two songs are comfortably at home as a pair.

Man Up, Man Down’s mixture of acoustic and electronic drums give an underground background to distantly echoed repeats of the word “isolation”.

It’s a poignant message which doesn’t need to be spelled out.

The album closes with Salamander Gray, a meandering song where the piano in the pre chorus holds your breath before the circular chorus of “Pain, Pain in my Heart” swishes around like communal sorrow and the album ends quietly with double bass and piano fading.

Bananas is one of those sad yet uplifting albums that often end up in people’s heavy rotation. I listen to its themes of heartbreak, responsibility and loss, and feel a kindred soul. To me, there’s an undercurrent throughout of the experience of the modern man. Facing down the more toxic side of masculinity and allowing others to see the selfdoubt, empathy and responsibility that men have told themselves for years they don’t experience when we all, deep down, know otherwise.

BANANAS

out now on Triassic Tusk Records. malcolmmiddleton.bandcamp.com Music by Stephen McColgan Page 27

CELTIC CONNECTIONS NEW YEAR, OLD TUNES

Out with the old and in with the new. The start of a New Year provides people with the chance to enjoy a fresh start and a clean slate, looking forward with hope and optimism. Celtic Connections is a well-timed festival, allowing gig-goers to blow the cobwebs away, shaking some life into their bones in what many people consider to be the most miserable month of the year.

With Celtic Connections taking place in January and February, there is an obvious focus on the new, but there is also a chance to look back. In fact, in 2019, you’d be forgiven for thinking that nostalgia was the way forward with Celtic Connections line-up.

The Roaming Roots Revue has always been one aspect of the festival that nods its head to the past and this year, the 50th Anniversary of Abbey Road provides the inspiration. The first half of the album detailed the roadmap that the individual Beatles would be pursuing in their solo careers while the second half of the record saw Paul McCartney and George Martin compile a mashed-up masterpiece.

If the gig manages to capture half of the optimism and delight found on record, the cure for the January Blues can be found at The Royal Concert Hall on the 20th of January.

The sound of latter-day Beatles isn’t for everyone and if you’re more inclined to bop to the sounds of the writers that illuminated the Brill Building, the reworking of Carole King’s Tapestry may be what makes the earth move for you this year. With more than 25 million copies sold, this is an album that people hold dear to their hearts and have played so often that they know every nook and nuance of the long-player. So, there’s no pressure on the musicians bringing this record to life on the 29th of January at the Mitchell Theatre.

For those that like their nostalgia to be fresher in their mind, a jazz re-imagining of Radiohead may fit the bill. There will be some who think this night sounds horrendous, perhaps even a Chris Morris lampoon, but few acts who have graced the mainstream in modern times have flirted with jazz and the leftfield in the manner Radiohead have. It may be a night for a niche audience but for those in attendance, it is likely to be an evening to drone on about smugly for the rest of the year.

One of the best things about the Celtic Connections festival is that there is something for everyone. Even people who don’t like music are catered for with the Start To End version of Astral Weeks by Van Morrison.

Celtic Connections, 17th January till 3rd February across various venues. celticconnections.com Music by Andy Reilly Page 29

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CELTIC CONNECTIONS PRE-GIG MUNCHIES

It’s Celtic Connections time again, the international folk, roots and world music festival held in Glasgow every January. It’s also Independent Venue Week from Monday 28th January - Sunday 3rd February and 9 venues in Glasgow are taking part (in Edinburgh there are 3). Whether you’re attending a show at one of these events or just looking for general advice on where to go for scran before a gig, play or film in Glasgow we have a few suggestions to help you out.

LOTUS VEGETARIAN KITCHEN The O2 Academy is just south of the Clyde. Just a short walk a couple of blocks towards town you'll find Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen (69-71 Bridge Street), which has been there for two years now.

Inside, the restaurant is bright but basic - the focus is on the food, a surprisingly large and varied menu which rather than sticking to tofu and vegetables contains many 'mock' meats.

Here all the meat is plant based - in fact all their menu is vegan. China has the world's largest Buddhist population, many of whom adopt a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. Here, they stick to Buddhist principles, so you won't find any pungent vegetables, such as garlic or onion in the dishes either, as these excite the senses!

Lotus has won the admiration of many for their unique menu and friendly service but if you're looking for a pre-gig pint they are not licensed. facebook.com/lotusveget

NAMAK MANDI On the same stretch of road is Namak Mandi (17 - 23 Bridge Street), a new Peshawari restaurant. What is Peshawari cuisine exactly?

Well, you've probably heard of the Peshwari naan, a sweetened version of naan bread usually filled or topped with coconut, almonds and raisins or sultanas. It comes from the area of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan where lamb dishes are popular and spice levels are not too extreme.

If you don't want to stray into unfamiliar eating territory they have biryanis and a surprising portion of the menu is actually veggie-friendly.

Portions are healthy, well worth the money and the service is impeccable too, though like Lotus above you’ll need to stick to non-alcoholic drinks with dinner. facebook.com/NamakMandiGLA

VAN WINKLE If you're heading to the Barrowlands, BAaD or St Lukes then seek out Van Winkle (267 Gallowgate), which celebrated its 1st birthday recently. Inside it's decked out with lots of wood, a wire mesh fence and what looks like corrugated iron giving it a slight hillbilly look!

Van Winkle takes its name from ‘Pappy Van Winkle’ which is considered the 'holy grail' by bourbon aficionados as it has such a small production run, making it quite rare, not to mention expensive!

Although the most coveted 23-year old bottle wasn't on the shelf when we visited there are plans to get it, and they did have the 15-year old, at cost price so slightly cheaper than what you’d pay elsewhere (it can cost up to £90 a shot!).

So, the big draw is bourbon and rye whiskey, the largest selection in Glasgow with just short of 100 varieties, but we're here to talk food and with southern state whiskey comes BBQ. They have a choice of sharable 3 for £10 'wee plates' including mac n' cheese, chicken wings and chilli.

For a more substantial feed, they have chicken & waffles, baby back ribs and 'trailer park steak' which is a sliced ribeye and fries doused in sauce or gravy with onion rings.

Desserts hark across the Atlantic too with options of waffles or a fudge sundae. vanwinkle.co.uk

FOOD AND DRINK

MONO Looking for something less meaty or visiting St Andrews in the Square, The Old Fruitmarket, City Halls or Tron Theatre? Then Mono (12 Kings Court) may be the answer. One of the original vegan restaurants in Glasgow, they have been serving up vegan cuisine since 2002. They have a reasonably large space to dine in, tucked away off the road on a pedestrianised court. They also have a record store, which is open until 7pm, should you have time for a browse.

Their menu comprises a mix of traditional veggie dishes (soup, hummus, bruschetta) besides more unusual choices such as vegan fish & chips (it's beer-battered tofu!), seitan (a gluten-based tofu alternative) schnitzel and 'faux gras', a pate made from green lentils and mushrooms.

They are also well-known for having some of the best vegan pizzas around, which they can also make gluten-free. Don’t forget the vegan burgers, hot dogs, macaroni cheese and a selection of Samuel Smith’s beer, including fruit flavours. monocafebar.com

Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 33

EL PERRO NEGRO They are also well- SSE Hydro, SEC Armadillo, or The Galvanisers at SWG3 where there is so much to choose from for pre-gig food on the nearby Finnieston strip.

Again, we have one meaty suggestion and another vegan. First up, El Perro Negro (966 Argyle Street) who made pop-up appearances here and there over the years before finally opening this permanent location. Their burgers are legendary and were crowned Glasgow's best burger in 2017. They likely only lost their crown in 2018 because they were too busy opening the restaurant to compete!

The first step of producing such an almighty burger begins with beef reared naturally and hormone-free, coming from small reputable farms. The 'Top Dog' is their top burger which is stacked with bone marrow, Roquefort cheese, butter, double bacon, caramelised onions and black truffle mayo. They also have their namesake 'Black Dog' burger topped with bone marrow butter, burger cheese, black pudding, caramelised onions, pickles and burger sauce. In addition to the burgers, they also sell amazing spicy Korean chicken wings. Vegan and vegetarian options exist with two available tofu burgers. You'll need to stick to soft drinks to wash your burger down though as they aren't licensed. el-perro-negro.com

THE 78 A bit further west you'll find The 78 (10-14 Kelvinhaugh St), named after the old gramophone records which used to play at 78 RPM and were affectionately known as 78s, this is a sister pub to the aforementioned Mono but is in an older, narrower building with a real fire in the winter time and extra seating outside in summer. Like Mono, the food is 100% vegan but has a smaller menu focussing more on snacky items like padron peppers, patatas bravas and grilled cheese sandwich. Mains comprise a choice of meat-free burger, a burrito, jackfruit shawarma, protein bowl and spaghetti carbonara.

There's 20% off every Tuesday for students and like Mono they stock a range of Samuel Smiths, and also Williams Brothers beers. the78barandkitchen.com

BLOC

BATH ST BURGER Onto the City Centre now and regardless of where you are heading in town you probably won't be too far from Bath Street, where you'll find both of our picks.

Although the great burger expansion of St Vincent Street and surrounding streets seemed to stop a couple of years ago, nearby Bath St Burger (22 Bath Street) opened up just before Christmas and is especially handy for events at the Royal Concert Hall and not too far from The National Piping Centre.

This American, NYC-styled burger joint specialises in 'smashed burgers', which means that the burger patty is smashed against the grill to increase browning and promote a Maillard chemical reaction - the taste you get when bacon or steak is cooked perfectly. Usually, only chargrilled/ barbecued burgers get the extent of these flavours.

But if beef isn’t your thing they also have chicken burgers and hot dogs including a vegan dog with a choice of toppings, and to celebrate Veganuary they have another two meat-free burgers on the menu in January. Seasoned fries, macaroni cheese, alcoholic milkshakes and vegan craft beer are also available. bathstburger.co.uk

Bloc (117 Bath Street) is not far from King Tut’s and The Royal Concert Hall. It has been popular since we were students (a long time ago!). This dark bar, which itself hosts regular gigs and DJs is tucked away at basement level. From a food perspective it was most famous for the antics of the 'mad chef' who would find ways to work Buckfast and Irn-Bru into items on the menu. Do check out MUNCHIES Guide to Scotland to see him in action (https://munchies.vice.com).

Sadly, the mad chef has now left to concentrate on Durty Vegan Burger Club pop-ups but his legacy lives on in the form of Buckfast ice cream and the Bru Boy burger (slow cooked Irn-Bru and chipotle pulled pork topped with Scottish cheddar served in a brioche bun with pickles and mayo).

The other stand out feature on the menu is the 'Not Dog', a veggie hot dog made from butternut squash, chickpeas, sweet potato, tahini, red lentils, walnuts, herbs and spices, which is loaded with avocado cheese sauce, Quorn chilli, toasted walnuts, dried apricots, mint and French's American mustard. Other recommended choices are the poutine and the tacos. bloc.ru

Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 35

VEGANUARY Currently holding second spot in our ever evolving list of god awful portmanteaus, it’s Veganuary. Putting this dubious award aside, Veganuary gives us a great opportunity to take stock, see where we’ve been in the last 12 months and where the next year might take us. Here at the turn of 2019, never before has veganism been discussed so regularly and so prominently. As far as I can see, it’s mostly surface noise though with very little of it actually discussing the ins and outs of veganism. I should add that I’m in no way denying that it’s been fun to watch Greggs social media team bait Piers Morgan or tory Councillor Steve Charmley inadvertently give a national platform to a factual but otherwise pretty innocuous Veganuary bus advert. To me, this seems to be the way it’s going to be for the foreseeable future. As more and more people move to or at least try a vegan diet for the first time and companies move to serve them better, there will be high profile naysayers getting their kicks and scoring points by dismissing the lifestyle as crackpot and dangerous. Stuff em.

At least it’s being discussed.

“WHAT WE CAN DO THOUGH IS PRESENT VEGANISM AS A POSITIVE CHOICE, SHOW THE OPTIONS, MAKE IT EASY. TO ME THAT’S WHAT VEGANUARY IS ABOUT.”

Here at Snack we’re a mixed bunch, mostly omnivores with a vegan at the helm. Foodie Explorers, our awesome Food and Drink editors, write about loads of businesses that serve up meat and to me that’s not an issue. There’s probably no point in getting into a discussion with anyone on whether eating or not eating meat is the ethical choice and I’m certainly not going to preach here.

It’s a debate I’ve regularly ducked out of with family and friends over the years as viewpoints are pretty entrenched and to me everyone has to make their own mind up on the matter. What we can do though is present veganism as a positive choice, show the options, make it easy.

To me that’s what Veganuary is about, making

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it easy. To coincide with the campaign and meet rising demand for easy vegan food, we’ve seen a recent influx of new vegan ready meals and plant based meats in our supermarkets. I’ve been asked fairly regularly about how healthy these are and with the environmental impact of soy production, if we might not be just as well eating meat? This surely is missing the point though. No one is saying these are particularly healthy choices for our bodies or the environment, at least not outside Unilever’s marketing department. Since Veganuary launched 5 years ago, one of its core aims has been to give people an easy way to try veganism for a defined period of time with the view of potentially continuing if they could in that time find ways to fit it into their

lives. Supermarket ready meals make this transition more accessible and seem less daunting. I’m happy to concede that the environmental impact of soy is an issue, but who really cares if the odd tasty burger is particularly good for you, plant based or otherwise?

Few people will want to learn a half dozen or so new recipes with ingredients they’ve never used before in order to become an instant uber vegan, and why should they have to?

So, if you’re already into Veganuary and enjoying it, brilliant, fair play to you. If on the other hand you’re struggling to find food that’s vegan and suits your tastes then give us a shout on Twitter @ snackmag and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction. There’s loads of vegan restaurants and cafes right across Scotland who’ll happily inspire with delicious, plant based food ideas.

While you’re there, it never hurts to ask the staff for their advice, they might also have a suggestion or two for you. veganuary.com Vegan by Kenny Lavelle Page 37

BUDAPEST HISTORY Budapest is historically famous for being a dual capital city of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the other being Vienna. Often, incorrectly described as being made up of 2 originally separate cities, Budapest is in fact the product of 3 distinct settlements: Buda on the west of

the Danube, Pest on the east and the lesser visited Óbuda (literally ‘Old Buda’), just north of Buda, which has Roman ruins, museums and caves!

Buda is where you’ll find the castle and Pest, the parliament building. Although Budapest is probably considered the lesser capital compared to Vienna, we both reckon that the castle (which you may know from Katy Perry’s Fireworks video) and parliament building in Budapest are far more impressive than their Austrian counterparts! The coffee and cake in Budapest is pretty good too!

The world’s second oldest underground rail system opened in Budapest in 1896, just a few month’s before Glasgow’s underground began operating.

Hungary sided with the Nazis in WWII and like East Germany, after the war it became communist and that leads us onto our history recommendations...

“AN INTENSE MUSIC SOUNDTRACK AND HORRIFIC STORIES MIX TO MAKE VISITING THE HOUSE OF TERROR AN EMOTIVE EXPERIENCE.”

TRAVEL

and horrific stories mix to make visiting the House of Terror an emotive experience.

Statue Park, also known as Memento Park, is just outside of the city and is a graveyard for statues of Communist-era Hungary. Featured here are the statues of Lenin, Marx, Engels, Dimitrov, as well as dozens of Soviet Heroic Memorials and symbols of Soviet-Hungarian friendship. Tours pick up from the main square in a mini bus so you don’t need to make your own way there.

The House of Terror (Andrássy út 60) is a must visit if you want to know about some of the most harrowing periods of Hungarian history. Outside, the building looks like any other classical building in Budapest but inside is another matter. In 1944, it was the Gestapo HQ for Hungary then after Hungary was “liberated” by the Soviet Union it became the secret police HQ for the State Protection Authority. An intense music soundtrack Travel by Mark & Emma, foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 39

SHOP Pest city centre is where the main shopping areas are to be found. Running from Vörösmary tér to Vámház körút is Vàci út which has all the fashionable shops you can shake a stick at as well as restaurants and cafes for the all-important coffee and cake fix. Andrássy has the top names such as Louis Vuitton and Burberry.

Vinyl is popular with niche shops selling obscure labels and Soviet releases alongside DJ favourites. Wave (Révay Köz 1) and Deep (Arada u. 22) are two popular independent shops.

B a b a (Margit Körüt 62) is a treasure trove of goodies with everything from old Nokia mobile phones to cassettes, t-shirts and temporary tattoos.

DRINK Drinking inside or outside Budapest has it covered.

From iconic ruin bars to alfresco clubs on rooftops and traditional bars serving Hungarian beer and wine, Budapest can be a place to party the weekend away or savour the homegrown produce. The neglected urban spaces of the city have been turned into what is known as ruin bars. These are filled with an eclectic mix of styles and clientele. Szimpla Kert (Kazinczy u. 14) got the ball rolling way back in 2002. A mixture of bar, cafe and community centre. Szimpla inspired a slew of copycats bars serving food, alcohol and events. Corvin Club (Blaha Luiza tér 1-2) is at the top of an old department store and features a terrace with views across the city. A ruin bar inside with international DJs playing on the terrace.

If craft beer is more your thing then wander along to Élesztö (Tüzoltó u. 22). Here you will find not only a craft beer bar serving 21 different beers on tap but also a hostel, grill restaurant and brewing school. DOBLO (Dob u. 20) in the heart of the Jewish quarter is worth seeking out. Sit underneath the dimmed lights within the brick arches to discover Hungarian wine.

EAT Brought to Budapest by the Ottomans, coffee took hold of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So it would be rude not to visit the most historic coffeehouse in the city. Gerbeaud (Vorosmarty tér 7) was founded in 1858 by Swiss chocolatier Emil Gerbaud and features beautiful wooden panelling, chandeliers and a wide range of cakes, including their own Gerbeaud cake, a layered dessert of shortcrust pastry, apricot jam and walnut paste topped with chocolate.

Gundel (Gundel Károly út 4) is the place to visit if you are blowing the budget on a fancy dinner.

Service is professional and the food traditional Hungarian with a modern twist. There is an all you can eat Sunday brunch if you want the surroundings without the hit to the bank balance!

A visit to the Central Market Hall (Vámház krt. 1-3) near to the Szabadság bridge is great for a filling lunch, shopping and sightseeing. Buy lunch either from the stalls to take home or sit in the upstairs food area and watch the stall holders charm their customers.

Hungarians love their meat and desserts but don’t despair if you have a special diet. Seek out

Taking to the water is still a popular activity. There is seemingly around 1000 thermal springs in Hungary! No need to travel outside of town as there are a shed load of spas in Budapest. The baths entice everyone from those catching up with friends, those playing chess(!?) and even spa parties where you can party the night away in your bikini or trunks! ‘Sparties’ are a popular weekend attraction as well as to celebrate the New Year. Popular thermal baths include Széchenyi (Állatkerti art. 9-11), Gellért (Kelenhegyi út 4) and Rudas (Döbrentei tar 9).

SLEEP

places such as Nemsüti (Jászai Mari tér 4b) which serves meat-free sandwiches, salads and hot food, many of which are vegan. For treats which are free from gluten, soy, milk, corn and sugar visit Kitchen of Health (Dob u. 2) for hamburgers, risottos, filled tortillas and more.

CULTURE Each side of the Danube has a unique character.

Pest is flat, full of fun and a bit grittier than Buda which is serene, upmarket and hilly. Walk up (or get the funicular) to Budapest History Museum, The Hungarian Gallery, further south is the Citadel fortress (look out for the WWII bullet holes!). Once you have taken in the views from the top wander along cobbled streets in the UNESCO-listed district soaking up the history of Buda Castle and Matthias Church finishing up at the Fisherman’s Bastion for a stunning photo op. While on the Pest side you will find Dohány Street Synagogue, Europe’s largest synagogue and the second-largest in the world!

Budget Wombats City Hostel (Kiraly u. 20) is centrally located, just a short walk from Deák Ferenc Tér where 3 of the 4 metro lines meet. Dormitory beds from £8 per night, private rooms from £32.

Mid-range With a mere 10 rooms, Pest-Buda Hotel (Fortuna ut 3) opened its doors in 1696 and is the oldest hotel in Hungary but looks pretty swish inside today! Situated in the castle district making it handy for visits to the Matthias Church, museums, the castle and the gastronomic quarter. Rooms from £60 per night.

Splurge Corinthia Hotel (Erzsébet art 43-49) is right in the middle of Pest and just off the stylish Andrassy Utca. Luxurious and modern this building was once the Red Star Cinema during the Cold War era and the inspiration for Wes Anderson’s Grand Hotel Budapest! Rooms from £115 per night.

TOURIST INFORMATION See here: budapestinfo.hu

GET THERE Fly direct from Glasgow with WizzAir or from Edinburgh with Jet2 or Ryanair.

Travel by Mark & Emma, foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 41

RUPAUL'S

DRAG RACE I adore RuPaul’s Drag Race. Not a day goes by when I won’t watch UNHhhh, or listen to the deep crevices of RuPaul’s discography, or debate with my boyfriend the performances of queens like straight people do with footballers.

And the audience has never been larger, or as mainstream, as it is now, with everyone from 12 year old girls to the most unlikely of celebrities investing in what could be the best reality TV show of all time.

As a surprise to no one, BBC Three has confirmed that RuPaul’s Drag Race will be heading across the pond for a UK edition, with Mama Ru searching for the next British drag superstar. While no premiere date has been confirmed for the UK iteration, RuPaul said it is “a dream come true to extend our royal family to the United Kingdom” and that he “would be thrilled to have Meghan Markle join us” when the show relocates to the UK. Little has been revealed about the line-up, though suffice to say we’ll be joined by Anglophile judge Michelle Visage.

Of course, it isn’t the first international version of the show: Thailand and Chile each have developed their own take on the competition to great success, proving that the show does not necessarily need to be on American soil to flourish. There is clearly huge demand for the franchise around the world.

However, it is interesting to consider how well the diversity and irreverence of UK drag will translate onscreen, particularly within the Drag Race format. Drag Race has impacted how we perceive drag, queer language (based largely from black and Hispanic lexicon) and more, but all from an American lens. British drag is so vastly varied from city to city and communities have worked tirelessly to create diverse and inclusive spaces: Hopefully the show can reflect this inclusion and irreverence,

and not crowbar it into the Drag Race formula.

Drag legend Paul O’Grady is highly critical of the show (what an amazing judge he could have made…): discussing Drag Race, he stated “That’s not drag! It’s all about shading and contouring your face now and being like supermodels…In my day we had the likes of Phil Starr, who was a glorious comedian… we had Marc Fleming, Auntie Flo, Mrs Shufflewick. We had great comedians in drag.”

While unnecessarily dismissive, O’Grady has a point, at least in recognising the homogeneity of drag as seen in the show’s format.

What is even less certain, I feel, is the real need for a UK adaptation, when the original US version is becoming increasingly homogenised and laboured. Has Drag Race officially jumped the shark? In the immortal words of Gia Gunn, “absolutely” but that ship sailed long ago.

One look at the Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular would indicate that the show has spiralled a little out of its initial trajectory. What started out as a parody of reality TV and shows like America’s Next Top Model has effectively become a parody of itself. The episode was an hour-long advert for RuPaul’s Christmas album. All Stars 3 was not well-received by fans, despite its stellar cast.

The trickery, buffoonery, drama and conflama pulled by producers in an effort to appeal to fans backfired: between unfair eliminations, the clumsy returning queens episode and, regardless of how you feel about the crowned winner, a ridiculous finale twist. But while the producers must have felt this is what the loyal fan base wants, there is no need to pander to an audience that’s already there. And when you follow up one season with another within a week, things start to feel stale and repetitive. Mainstream acceptance and exploitation may be the root cause. Undoubtedly this was what RuPaul and World of Wonder (the show’s production company) wanted to achieve from the get-go: a show that starts off as an underground cult hit with mass appeal that will hit the jackpot once the straight audience catches up.

So you may have outgrown Drag Race. But drag

doesn’t end with a crown and a $100,000 cheque.

Explore and invest in your local drag scene, which is particularly impressive in our own fair city, not as a warm up for Drag Race UK but simply to enjoy the amazing talent within our own community. The Polo Lounge hosts Mothertucker each Tuesday with some of Glasgow’s finest queens, including Lacy Rain, October Fist, RuJazzle, CJ Banks and Perry Cyazine. Wednesdays spell out Suck each week at Delmonica’s, and on Thursdays you can head to AXM and indulge in Trigger, which boasts a roster including Carrie Ann Crow, Frans Gender, Bearberry McQueen and Ann Phetamine. Who knows, we may even see one or two on Drag Race UK. If you find Drag Race and its cultural fall-out a little stale, take the enthusiasm you have for the art form and support your local queens.

So time will tell what Drag Race UK will bring.

LGBT+ Of course I’ll be glued to the screen, because above all, it is still the best show on TV. I would love to see the UK represented well, with queens like Meth, Divina di Campo and Gingzilla being superb examples of the nation’s drag talent. While I would love the show to end on a high and bow out before it loses its glimmer, the end is nowhere in sight. All we can do is pray to God (Cher) that the show doesn’t lose what makes it unique, fun and celebratory: and that Tammie Brown is a permanent judge on Drag Race UK. Seriously, can we petition to make this happen?

“THE EPISODE WAS AN HOUR-LONG ADVERT FOR RUPAUL’S CHRISTMAS ALBUM.”

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 43

PROM Ah, prom: the highlight of most teenagers’ social calendars, in line with every American teen drama’s instructions on what you should do, how you should dress and think about prom as the most important night of your life.

In reality, at least in Scotland, it’s largely an excuse for your mum to take nice photos, poorly conceal vodka in a Diet Coke bottle and feel underwhelmed at the empty afterwards. Still, your school dance can be a special and seminal moment of your teenage life. But while teenagers today may feel more accepted and comfortable within their sexual and gender identities, for most LGBT+ adults, high school was not a positive experience, and the idea of going to prom is likely the last thing you would want to do. However, the Pride Proms Project is offering people the opportunity to re-live the prom they deserve and in turn help LGBT+ kids experience one, too. As a result of fear, discrimination and prejudice a large portion of LGBTI+ young people may feel reluctant to attend their school proms or attend as their true selves: Pride Proms Project want to put a stop to that, and you can help make that happen.

In the midst or even the initial fallout of Article 28 (an act in which local authorities "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality, publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality or promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”),

“PRIDE PROMS PROJECT HOSTS PROMS THAT PROMOTE INSPIRATION AND ACCEPTANCE FOR ALL FOR LGBT+ YOUTH, BUT THEY NEED HELP TO DO THIS.”

schools were not a welcoming place for LGBT+ kids. Teachers had no official remit for policing homophobia and being queer largely made you a target for bullying. In other words, prom may have been the least of your worries, and if you were in the closet, you most likely could not celebrate without being authentic to your true identity.

According to the Pride Proms Project, “While acceptance and understanding of the LGBTI community has vastly improved over the past few decades, we still have a long way to go. Many individuals are still being discriminated against because of their sexuality or gender identity and are missing out on the memorable experiences everyone deserves.” By purchasing your ticket to our adult only fundraiser, you will also be ensuring that a young person can obtain a free ticket for youth prom 2019 by covering over half the cost. So essentially, by re-doing the prom you should haveyou deserved- as a teenager, you are creating the opportunity for young queer people to have the perfect prom where they feel comfortable in their own skin. If that isn’t an adorable premise for a night out, I don’t know what is.

Pride Proms Project is a ground-breaking organisation whose mission is to “Create meaningful experiences for LGBTI+ young people from Scotland that provide attendees with a safe, positive and educational environment, that promotes pride, inspiration and acceptance for all, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.” Pride Proms Project hosts proms that promote inspiration and acceptance for all for LGBT+ Youth, but they need help to do this. Whether you were out and persecuted, closeted and uncomfortable or anywhere in between, this is your chance to celebrate your identity, have the prom you deserved to have all those years ago and ensure that young people like you can experience all the fun they deserve. The evening includes a prosecco reception, a 3-course meal, live entertainment and a variety of fun fundraising activities. The Adult Prom takes place on Sat 16 Feb 2019 7pm-1am at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 45

DARREN CRISS Darren Criss entered the public consciousness as a gay character Blaine Anderson in Glee, and since then has actively pursued gay roles to great success (his turn in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace earned him an Emmy award). Speaking to Bustle Magazine, Criss contended that "There are certain roles that I'll see that are just wonderful, but I want to make sure I won't be another straight boy taking a gay man's role."

He continues to say that while he has enjoyed playing queer characters, he no longer feels comfortable taking those roles: "The reason I say that is because getting to play those characters is inherently a wonderful dramatic experience…It has made for very, very compelling and interesting people." This is a move in the right direction: rejecting the roles that have brought you mainstream success and acclaim in the hop of creating a little more space for minority actors.

Visibility onscreen for queer characters in itself has always been poor. In their “Where We Are on TV” report this year, GLAAD Media revealed that out of 857 series regular characters expected to appear on US primetime scripted programming on the five major broadcast networks in the 2018-2019 TV season, just 75 were LGBTQ, still somehow the highest percentage ever recorded in the 14 years that GLAAD has released the report.

And in May, GLAAD reported that racial diversity in films with LGBTQ representation decreased in the previous year, with characters played by people of colour down to 20 percent from 25.5 percent in 2015 and 32.1 percent in 2014. Gay men (mostly white) make up 83% of LGBTQ film representation. When the roles are so sparse,

“CREATING DYNAMIC ROLES FOR ANYONE TO PLAY AND INVITING EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE SHOULD BE THE RULE OF THUMB” it is right and just to ensure at the very least that minority actors are invited to take these roles at the expense of white, cisgender actors who will find roles inexcusably easier.

Not every actor is as fervently against the idea of straight performers portraying LGBT+ characters.

Two-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett rejects the thought that a performer only really understands or connects to a character when they have shared experiences. At the Rome Film festival in Oct 2018, Blanchett stated that she "will fight to the death for the right to suspend disbelief and play roles beyond my experience," and there is absolutely space for such an argument. An actor’s role includes stepping into an experience and mindset alien to their own and performing. If every actor were to remain pigeon-holed and seek roles exclusively connected to their own identity, would that have an impact on their craft, their ability to perceive and project different characters?

Of course, Blanchett is one of many cisgender straight actors who has benefited financially and critically from portraying LGBT+ characters, receiving an Oscar nomination for 2015 lesbian drama Carol. It must be much easier to adopt

this stance when the opportunity to take on such identity of a character should be irrelevant to an roles is so accessible: this is largely the issue. The actor. However, this conversation about straight opportunity simply isn’t there and actors can actors playing LGBT+ roles is about more than just find themselves being pigeon-holed by their off- minority actors losing out on Oscars. It's about screen identity: transgender actors, for example, Hollywood missing an opportunity to embrace may suffer by only being offered transgender new talent who would better serve these stories.

It should be about balance. We should roles. Actor Trace Lysette tweeted "I wouldn't be as upset if I was getting in the same rooms as be exposed to diverse, challenging LGBT+ Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett for cis roles, but we characters point blank, and in theory straight know that's not the case," in response to Scarlett actors should be trusted to assume those roles.

Johansson’s role as a transgender character However, that relies completely on the condition (which she has since turned down following much that opportunities are presented to their minority criticism). Evidently, opportunity is what separates counterparts – that LGBT+ actors, especially of straight actors and their minority counterparts, and colour, have the opportunity to play such parts straight actors are the ones who benefit financially – which we know is not yet the case. Levelling the playing field is the only way to achieve anything and critically from this arrangement.

In total, 52 straight people have been Oscar- close to equality in TV and film: creating dynamic nominated for playing gay characters, with Tom roles for anyone to play and inviting everyone Hanks, Charlize Theron and Sean Penn accepting to participate should be the rule of thumb, right? awards for roles considered to be bold and brave And the best person for the job will perform for them to consider taking. Charlize Theron beautifully, regardless of their off-screen identity. playing lesbian serial killer Aileen Wournos Until that day comes, it takes actors like Criss to in Monster challenged her to alter virtually allow minority performers the scope to excel everything about her appearance, stance and in their field and accept the opportunities they emotional delivery. In theory, the sexual or gender should be offered in the first place.

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 47

LGBT+ NEWS

and has advocated the abuse of children and young people thought to be gay. His election has resulted in many LGBT+ couples racing to the altar to get married before his presidency officially begins and their rights could be revoked, and even as an act of resistance. The spike in marriages has seen a real sense of community emerge, with people volunteering to cater and photograph each other’s weddings for free and celebrate in the face

QUEER AS FOLK Queer as Folk was truly ground-breaking: a witty, sexy and at times heartbreaking depiction of gay life in the UK, it was a show I watched in secret once everyone had gone to bed with the volume down as audibly possible. The idea of having a 15-year-old gay school boy on TV was genuinely shocking (especially for the closeted 15-year-old gay school boys watching), but in 2019, said kids are out and proud. Twenty years after its debut, the show is getting the US reboot treatment, following its first successful US adaptation in the early 00’s.

This outing feels already more political and angry than its predecessor: with the aftermath of Pulse, the power of the alt-right and LGBT+ dominance in pop culture, there is as much, if not more, to get our teeth sunk into than ever before on Queer as Folk.

of adversity. 2018 saw a 25% increase in samesex marriages in Brazil, and a 42% increase in São Paulo compared with 2017. At least 445 LGBT Brazilians died as the result of homophobic attacks in 2017, indicating the impact of Bolsonaro’s antigay rhetoric on the streets.

BRAZIL

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND

Last month, we covered the election of Jair Bolsonaro, the ultra-right populist leader of the Social Liberal Party in Brazil. Bolsonaro has proudly shared that he “would rather have a dead son than a gay son,” contended that it is the intention of LGBT+ people to “turn the children into gay adults to satisfy them sexually in the future,”

The Church of England has issued advice on how best to welcome transgender people into the Anglican faith, and has some largely inspiring notes on how to be “creative and sensitive” in embracing trans worshippers. The pastoral guidance states that “For a trans person to be addressed liturgically by the minister for the first

time by their chosen name may be a powerful moment in the service.” According to the document, “The Church of England welcomes and encourages the unconditional affirmation of trans people, equally with all people, within the body of Christ, and rejoices in the diversity of that body into which all Christians have been baptised by one Spirit.” While special liturgies to reaffirm a person’s authentic identity were blocked by traditionalists in the church who believe gender is assigned by God and cannot be changed, these efforts from the church should be celebrated; it is encouraging and heart-warming to see the church embracing diversity, and serves as a benchmark for other faiths to step up their game.

LGBT+ CHILDREN Despite the progress we think we have made, especially in regards to young people being more out and comfortable in their identities, recent studies indicate that LGBT+ children still face internal struggles from a young age. According to the first British research into the prevalence of depressive symptoms and self-harm in LGB young people, depression and self-harm starts from the age of 10 because they feel different from their heterosexual peers, while LGB 16- to 21-year-olds are four times more likely to have felt depressed, harmed themselves and thought about killing themselves. The gap widened all the way through to 21, after which it began to close. According to

the study, schools could be inadvertently making the problem worse by making “sexual minority” students feel isolated by focusing too much on straight relationships, which could arguably be addressed by the new laws stating all schools must teach young people with an LGBT+-inclusive curriculum. Evidently, people at home and at school need to be more compassionate and inclusive to questioning teenagers to ensure their mental health and wellbeing are addressed.

CHER I thought the best news of 2018 was that Robyn returned with a new album and world tour. I was wrong. I then thought the best news of 2018 was that the Spice Girls had reunited and were going on tour. I was wrong. What turned out to be the best news of 2018 was that Cher announced a world tour and is coming to Glasgow. Fifteen years after she was last in Scotland, Cher is bringing her Here We Go Again Tour to Glasgow, appeasing homosexuals across the nation and assuring us that the world might be on fire but Cher is alive, well and willing to dress up in previous incarnations of her career and sing Walking in Memphis. I looked at the set list: it is everything you could ask for and more. I have been keeping it very low-key that I bought tickets, as I can’t handle the judgement from people about how much I paid for tickets…the less you know, the better.

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 49

COLD RESISTANCE

Hi Thomas! How are you?

I’m fine, I’m on my couch, recovering from a broken ankle. I did it skateboarding!

Oh No! Could you talk about your background in film and music?

I started when I was 15 years old. I was a turntablist, I’d started producing music when I was in my early 20’s. From 1999 to 2006 I toured Norway, then moved to L.A and I started Djing there before heading back to Norway in 2008 where I started working in TV. One show was like Jackass, on a very charming level! A lot of getting hit in the balls! When I was in L.A I met the director of The 12th Man, Harald Zwart. That was 11 years

A World War 2 film with a fresh twist, The 12th Man is definitely one of my recent favourites.

Telling the true story of Jan Baalsrud, a Norwegian resistance fighter whose platoon are captured by the Germans, and as the only survivor must escape to Sweden and safety.

It’s one of the most intense, but beautifully told and captured survival stories of its kind. Thomas Gullestad stars in the film, and gives a vital, brave performance. We caught up with him at the turn of the year.

ago. I wasn’t pursuing an acting career at all, but here we are!

How did you get involved with the production, was it through your friendship with Harald Zwart?

We met a few times in the past but I hadn’t talked to him in a long time, until I met the scriptwriter working on a TV show we had just released.

He told me about a new show that Harald was involved in, I said to let me know if there’s a part.

A week later he called and said I was perfect. That was prior to The 12th Man, and then I got a call from a casting agent saying Harald wanted to test me for that. It was a huge coincidence!

As a survival story, the film is to me, one of the most intense ever made. Was the shoot as harsh as the film depicts?

I must say, yeah. I watched it for the 6th time recently and all those memories came back. The movie is so intense, you never really get a break in those two hours and fifteen minutes. And that’s what it felt like shooting it - except it wasn’t two hours, it was two months! I thought for the scene where I was digging myself out of an avalanche, there would be fake snow. But it was all very, very real. In the northern part of Norway during the winter it’s so immensely cold, I think it was -30 degrees. They gave me some heads up before we were shooting, “it’s gonna be like going through hell”, and it sure was.

You lost a ton of weight for the film, how was this process for you, and filming those difficult scenes?

That’s the problem with filming in the cold and being 15 kilos down. It was very tough. But in those scenes it was ok, because I didn’t have to do too much! For a lot of the film my character, Jan, is like a package pulled around in the mountains. Going through that process of losing weight is a tough one for the body and mind. The first 10 kilos was pretty easy. The last 6 kilos you’re going through starvation. The guy down there, the stanley I think you call him in some places, stops working! I had

problems sleeping, had tunnel vision. YOU WANT FOOD! Instead I worked on the script like hell and had an extreme focus that I’ve never had before.

Could you describe your working relationship with Harald Zwart, and also with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers?

I love Harald, he’s like a 12 year old boy! He puts everything in to it and he never quits. I have so much respect for him. When he looks in to the monitor and we’ve just shot a scene, maybe for the third time or whatever, he always says “That’s the one, it won’t get better, it will just get more expensive”! As for Jonathan, we hung out for a couple of weeks, and of course for that one shot in the movie. It’s very impressive to experience such a great actor, he has such authority and intensity.

He doesn’t bullshit. He had just come from The Vikings, and really enjoyed doing 12th Man. He said “You’re so lucky to be able to play the good guy. I will never do that, I’m always the bad guy!”

He was a really nice chap!

What’s next for you?

Right now it’s 6 weeks of crutches and music!

This year is the 25th anniversary of my band, so we’re gonna do a lot of touring. I’m also gonna have another baby in Spring. Family is important to me. That’s my Dad arrived! Thanks very much!

The 12th Man is in select cinemas and on Digital now & on DVD from 7th January.

Film Martin Sandison Page 51

VISUAL ARTS AMOS' WORLD Amos' World, at Tramway until 13th March, represents CĂŠcile B. Evans most ambitious installation to date.

This immersive and unsettling three-part installation and video work examines the significance and role of emotion in contemporary societies as well as the increasing influence of new technologies on our feelings and actions. www.tramway.org

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE The thing is, she said to her husband as she spooned the Cornflakes out of his bowl, having already finished her own, that you can get on in this country if you just have the right attitude.

Heather Parry

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