ISSUE 01 CARLA J. EASTON BOY AZOOGA VANIVES MUSIC FILM FOOD AND DRINK TRAVEL LGBTQ VISUAL ARTS WORDS
Edinburgh’s famous fossil shop
5 Cowgatehead, Grassmarket Edinburgh, EH1 1JY 0131 220 1344 www.mrwoodsfossils.co.uk
October
PAISLEY 12-20
www.thespree.co.uk
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Black Sabbath’s
London African Gospel Choir perform Graceland
Tony Iommi Gang of Four the orb Tracyanne & Danny The Pastels The Wandering Hearts and more…
www.thespree.co.uk
CONTENTS WHAT’S ON MUSIC FILM FOOD & DRINK EVENTS | PAGE 07
CARLA J EASTON, SPIRITUALIZED . . . | PAGE 12
SCOTLAND LOVES ANIME, CALIBRE . . . | PAGE 26
REVIEWS, OPENINGS, THE BAR . . . | PAGE 32 Disclaimer: Snack Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. 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 Drink Editors: Emma Mykytyn and Mark Murphy LGBTQ Editor: Jonny Stone Designer/Illustrator: Fionnlagh Ballantine
TRAVEL LGBTQ VISUAL ARTS WORDS DÜSSELDORF | PAGE 42
HALLOWEEN, JOHN GRANT, COMING OUT, FILMS | PAGE 46
RACHEL MACLEAN, MICHELLE COHEN, GDFS | PAGE 54
THE SOLSGIRTH SNAKE | PAGE 58 MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Hello. Welcome to the launch edition of Snack. Right from the very first discussions about what Snack would be, if such a thing were ever to exist, we all agreed on one thing. It would only be done if we created a magazine that we would all love to read if we stumbled across a dog eared copy down our local. So here it is. We hope you enjoy. We’re starting as we mean to go on, with a clear focus on Scottish artists. You’ll find our interview with Carla J. Easton on page 12 where
she talks about her highly rated new album Impossible Stuff, working with Stuart Murdoch and her hopes for her The Unsung Women of Scottish Pop project. We talk to Roan Ballantine of VanIves about life, friendship and planning for their next EP, you can find that one on page 19. Elsewhere we discuss Mogwai and soundtracks, review Rachel Maclean’s dazzling new feature film Make Me Up and express our love for Scottish BAFTA nominated Calibre. I’m sure you’ll find your way around. All that’s left to say is a massive thank you to everyone involved. See you in November. Kenny Lavelle, Editor. Snack Mag Est.2018
WHAT’S ON GUIDE AFRICA IN MOTION 26th October - 4th November Scotland’s annual celebration of African cinema returns for it’s 13th Year to bring Edinburgh and Glasgow audiences a variety of creative stories from all across the African continent. Expect a vast array of screenings, discussions, Q&A’s with filmmakers, workshops, live performance and more. The festival opens at Edinburgh Playhouse with Wanuri Kahiu’s, Rafiki which was banned by the Kenya Film Classification Board for its queer focus but has gained a massive international following after its premiere at Cannes.
GRAPHIC DESIGN FESTIVAL SCOTLAND Friday 19th - 25th October Graphic Design Festival Scotland kicks off it’s 5th birthday with a series of insightful talks and discussion with industry leaders. Attracting both local and global designers , their aim is to celebrate creativity, innovation and collaboration. This year’s programme is packed with workshops, a handson introduction to the art of music videos and exhibitions of contemporary poster design, all promoting Scotland as a hub for creativity and design. Photography: Nathan Hartley Maas
DISCOVERY FILM FESTIVAL, DUNDEE Saturday 20th - 4th November Now in its fifteenth year, this festival brings young audiences the best youth cinema from around the world, at Dundee Contemporary Arts. The Discovery Film Festival encourages young people to engage in film and media, and learn the insights of other cultures. The festival takes place over the course of three weekends full of creative activities, gala events and of course, film.
O CT 1 0 TH O CT 1 6 TH O CT 1 3 TH O CT 2 0 TH O CT 2 9 TH N OV 2 ND N OV 6 TH N OV 8 TH N OV 9 TH N OV 1 0 TH N OV 1 2 TH N OV 1 3 TH N OV 1 7 TH N OV 1 8 TH N OV 2 2 ND N OV 2 7 TH D EC 1 ST D EC 1 5 TH D EC 2 2 ND J AN 1 1 TH J AN 2 3 RD F EB 5 TH F EB 9 TH F EB 1 1 TH M AR 9 TH M AR 2 9 TH
To m W a l k e r SOLD OUT C A T S w i t h G L A S S E S + Guests MARIBOU STATE I D L E S + h e a v y l u n g s SOLD OUT Q M U L i v e LINE UP TBA L a d y t r o n + Bossy LOVE Hothouse Flowers the House of Love O l d D o m i n i o n SOLD OUT Old Dominion Dashboard Confessional Q M U L i v e LINE UP TBA J a x J o n e s 5 alive tour Metric Cabeytu Brothers Q M U L i v e LINE UP TBA Rufus Du Soul Poguefest Th e S i l e n c e r s FROM THE JAM CAKE WHITE LIES D O D G Y + TONY WRIGHT B E H E M O T H ++ wAoTl vTe Hs Ei n Gt hAeT Et hSr o n e r o o m KYLE FALCONER HAYSEED DIXIE
thejazzbar
edinburgh
1a Chambers Street eh1 1hr
LIVE MUSIC UNTIL 3AM EVERY NIGHT!
JAZZ//FUNK//SOUL//BLUES//ACOUSTIC @thejazzbar www.thejazzbar.co.uk What's On Page 7
JOHN CARPENTER, BARROWLANDS Friday 19th October The father of modern terror brings his Anthology Tour to Glasgow. As the director and composer of dozens of classic movies, Carpenter has wwestablished a reputation as one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of modern cinema, as well as one of its most influential musicians. Make sure not to miss the minimal, synthesizer-driven themes to films like Halloween, Escape From New York, Assault on Precinct 13, The Thing, The Fog plus many more come to life at the Barrowlands.
EDINBURGH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
THE SPREE, PAISLEY
Friday October 26th – November 10th Bringing some of the best film-makers and directors from across the world, the ESFF showcases talent from home and away. You have the chance to view some of the UK’s award winning short film programmes at this year’s event as well as both UK and European Premieres. ESFF collaborates with festivals around the globe such as Cannes and Sundance, to produce a packed programme with an ever so wide range of genres on offer from Argentinian Sci-Fi to Peruvian Black Comedy. If you’re not just interested in great film making, there is more on offer; network sessions, discussions and exclusive workshops all to experience the best work in contemporary short film made locally to you.
12th - 20th October Set across various venues around the city this four-day gala is set to bring some cracking music, art and comedy to brighten up all our autumns. Now in its seventh year it features something for everyone to enjoy across the programme of events, with the popular ModStuff and scooter rideout returning and shows from some tremendous comedians, artists and music legends in the iconic Spiegeltent right in the town centre. The festival even has something for the little ones, their very own Wee Spree. On the music side of things the lineup is shockingly good and includes Wolfgang Flür (ex Kraftwerk) playing a late-night set and Scottish indie heroes The Pastels.
SCOTTISH ALTERNATIVE MUSIC AWARDS 25th October The independent music awards ceremony is returning for the eighth year in the funky modernised converted church of St Luke's in Glasgow. The Scottish Alternative Music Awards highlight Scotland’s emerging, one to watch artists. The acts are judged in the 7 categories Best Rock, Best Live Act, Best Newcomer, Best Hip Hop, Best Electronic, Best Acoustic, and Best Metal. These awards have helped give a platform to the careers of some of the best music on the scene from all over Scotland, previous SAMA award winners include Be Charlotte, Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5 and Lewis Capaldi. Edinburgh based electronic bone rattler Blanck Mass headlines the night. Ticket prices (£10/£20 vip) contribute to raising money for Help Musicians Scotland mental health charity, Music Minds Matter.
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER AT HOUSE FOR AN ART LOVER, GLASGOW 25th October By day Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s House for an Art Lover stands all bright and glorious but by night a fun filled spooky time is promised at their murder mystery dinners. Attend an 18th century style dinner party where one amongst you is murdered and puzzle your way through brainteasers to find out the identity of the culprit. It’s that guy isn’t it? Are you up for the challenge as well as a nice meal? Grab your team and change up your usual dinner nights out.
NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND, FUTUREPROOF 28th September - 28th October Glasgow, Moray, Edinburgh, Polmont, Paisley, Dundee, Fife, Highlands, Aberdeen, Shetland, Ayrshire. Futureproof is a nationwide, international festival of radical new work created with young people as part of by Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018. Lucy Gaizely from 21Common as co-curator has brought together some of the most exciting theatre makers from all over the world, who will work side by side with Scottish artists and communities of young people. Ten new productions from some of the biggest global names in theatre-making and the best of Scottish talent will take place in ten locations across the country. Photography: Mihaela Bodlovic
SAMHUINN FIRE FESTIVAL, EDINBURGH 31st October Marking the transition into Winter, welcome the season with an ancient folklore fire festival, for the first time ever on top of Edinburgh’s Calton Hill. Get your costumes at the ready this Halloween to celebrate, with ancient folklore music, wild drumming, dancing on the street and performances with FIRE, making you part of traditional Gaelic Samhuinn. Traditionally, it is actually celebrated from 31 October to 1 November, as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. What's On Page 9
PUMPKIN FESTIVAL AT M&D’S Saturday 13th – 21st October Scotland’s theme park M&D’s is hosting a Pumpkin Festival for their customers this October for all the family. With over 3,000 pumpkins at the ready for you pick and call your own. From pumpkin picking, spooky storytelling, old styled games and Halloween themed events across the park, you can take part in the hay maze, an experience not to be missed. Autumn inspired treats will also be available to add to the spooktacular day.
RCS CULTURAL DIVERSITY SHOWCASE 19th October The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, as part of Black History Month, is host to a variety of events that gives us a great opportunity to recognise the struggles and successes of Black people throughout history. From its diverse and international student body it brings a performance highlighting musical talent, drama and dance demonstrating the creativity of its students in concert.
DUNDEE SCIENCE FESTIVAL LADYTRON, QMU, GLASGOW 6th-21st October Do you enjoy science or want to find out more? Then now is your chance to get to Dundee Science Centre for this festival of science. Take part in interactive shows, creative workshops, learn about high voltage or the digital world, there is so much more to offer over this two-week programme of events. With activities for kids to adults it can be a family day out in Dundee.
2nd November Back after 7 years away working on solo projects and collaborations with the next instalment of their shiny mix of synth pop and shoegaze. Ladytron recently released their lush, glam apocalypse, new single The Island from their as yet unnamed upcoming album and bring their new show to the QMU in November.
FESTIVAL OF THE FUTURE, DUNDEE UNIVERSITY October 17th to 21st Dundee’s inaugural Festival of the Future will bring together design, music, art, science, food, drinks and theatre over 5 days this month. One stand out event will see Dundee musician Be Charlotte give a performance demonstrating the results of her collaboration with scientist Dr Kate Stone to develop new technologies that enhance the audience experience of digital music. Other highlights include talks by authors and illustrators including Chris Brookmyre and Louise Welsh plus workshops on programming, street food, animation and more.
Your one chance to see one of the UK’s strongest short film programmes: From: Friday Oct 26th To: Saturday Nov 10th
edinburghshortfilmfestival.com
What's On Page 11
CARLA J EASTON Some artists claim to be pop with a capital P but Carla J Easton is Pop with a Capitol Records tote bag and a huge love for bright and breezy songs. We met Carla in the days before the release of her latest album, Impossible Stuff, which will be out on October 5th . We’re on the brink of the release of your Impossible Stuff record, what emotions do you go through in the days leading up to an album launch? Extreme panic! I had a busy August and decided to take it easy in September. Earlier this year, I was very ill, so having a break was good but when I’m not doing anything I panic. However, yesterday was good, the vinyl arrived, and I had a band practice, so I’m feeling calmer and a lot better. It’s a weird thing when you hold the physical product in your hands and you think wow. It comes out on the 5 th of October and that will be exactly a year since I got back from Canada recording it. It’s the best part of a year’s work so to have it coming out is exciting but I’m nervous. It’s a different sound from my first solo album, under the Ette moniker, and the Teen Canteen album, and I really care about it. With this record coming out under your own name, does it feel a more personal record than previous releases? I think I would have continued to use the Ette name but in March last year I was on a song-writing residency in Banff Arts Centre for Creativity in Canada, after assistance from Help Musicians UK and one of the mentors was Russel Decarle. We talked about records I love, and I played him my new material. We talked about our mutual love of Carole King
USED
You TO BE The
LIGHTS In The Dark
MUSIC
Music by Andy Reilly Page 13
and he said 'you’re writing your Tapestry', not that it will go on to be as memorable as that album, but he said own up to it and put your name to it. I’ve been writing and performing songs for 14 years and it’s taken a lot of confidence building to sit and play my own songs, so it’s been part of that, and it’s all me. The album was supported by Creative Scotland and I feel like I’ve been lucky, I’m really pleased with the album and even if hardly anyone hears it, I feel like I’ve achieved something, and I feel a better person having written and recorded it. You’ve got Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberfeldy gigs alongside several English dates in October and November, are there any songs you are looking forward to playing live? We had a rehearsal last night and the song Meet Me In Paris was so bouncy and fun, it was great. Girl From Before has a real swing to it. I’m looking forward to playing the album live because when I recorded it, I sent demos to musicians in Canada who did their parts, so we never played it live. We set up in the studio and it was so quick because they were great musicians and we’d run through it twice and then record it! In January this year, all the Canadians came over and we played live for the first time. When you play live, there’s an element of human
asked me if I would come down and listen to it and when I was there, he asked me to sing guide vocals… and then he asked me to sing the recorded version. I didn’t think I did a good job because I wrote it for Stuart to sing but it was brilliant to be there. I’d love to perform the song live with them sometime, it would be nice to do together. Your next project is The Unsung Women Pioneers of Scottish Pop documentary. How did that come about and what are your hopes for the work? The documentary started when we were working on the Cherry Pie video (for Teen Canteen, with Blair Young) and we discussed how girl groups were represented in music videos. I was telling him about the history of how Bananarama started and then we moved on to Scottish postpunk girl bands, specifically The Twinsets. We’ve talked to acts who have headlined Wembley, toured the world, had top ten singles, supported The Beatles and done 20 John Peel Sessions between them so there’s a lot of success there. I think Scotland can be a self-deprecating nation sometimes so it’s good to celebrate the heritage and this music. The drummer in Teen Canteen, Debbie, has been my best friend since we were 11 and it wasn’t until our late twenties that we picked up instruments and were in a band together. Yet, as teenagers we were constantly going to gigs, buying records and talking about it, that was what our friendship was based on and I think we need to normalise it. There’s a direct link if you’re in the audience and you see someone like you on stage, you’re more likely to be inspired to do it too, so more girls will go to gigs and join bands. Impossible Stuff is released on October 5th by Olive Grove Records and it’s a further endorsement of one of Scotland’s brightest present-day songwriters.
“WE TALKED ABOUT OUR MUTUAL LOVE OF CAROLE KING AND HE SAID YOU’RE WRITING YOUR TAPESTRY”
error, there’s adrenaline and a live performance is never the same twice, so its super exciting to play live and I’m really looking forward to the tour. You co-wrote and featured on a recent Belle & Sebastian EP, how did that come about? I got an email from Stuart Murdoch that must have sat in my spam folder for a little while! I think he’d been at the Teen Canteen Girl Effect event at Mono, and he asked around about me. It was my first proper co-write. It was terrifying going into it, but you have to find a starting point and let it grow from there. Stuart
Music by Andy Reilly Page 15
BOY AZOOGA
“EVEN IF JUST A FEW PEOPLE HAVE HEARD THE TUNES IT COMPLETELY TRANSFORMS THE GIG. WE’RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO’S BEEN PLAYING OUR TUNES.”
We catch up with Davey Newington for a quick chat before their gig at King Tut’s on 11th October. Where in the world are you just now? In my kitchen in Cardiff. We’re doing a gig in Cardiff tonight, a private thing for PRS, The Future of The Left are playing too so we’re really happy about that. Do you get to play in Cardiff much these days? Not as much as we used to, I kind of spent most of my teenage years and early 20’s playing Cardiff a lot but we try and do 3 gigs a year here, just keep it a little more of an event when we do play. You’ve your King Tut’s gig coming soon right? Yeah, I’ve played there a couple of times, I played drums there about five years ago with my old band, that was really fun. I think King Tut’s is one of those venues that’s just got a really good reputation and of course they’ve got all the steps with all the artists that have passed through there. We played earlier this year supporting The Magic Gang too. It’s quite an unusual layout in the venue, with the stage tucked round the corner but I think that just makes it more intimate. We’ve a bit of a connection with Scotland, my mother is from Edinburgh, my cousin Chris is the singer in Man of Moon. When we were growing up we used to watch The Little Rascals movie at my gran’s house in Edinburgh together, the word Azooga comes from there. Man of Moon are one of my favorite bands and we’re taking them on tour with us. They’ll be DJing after the King Tut’s gig cause it would be weird if they supported us in Scotland. We’ve always said we’d make a record together, it hasn’t happened yet but I’m sure it will.
and I didn’t play as well… and all this stuff, but it was such an honour to play. I had this weird thing in my head, that there was nothing that could be stopping me now, that I would just put my guitar down and walk off. The band has had loads of radio play all summer, do you still get a buzz from that? We’ve been very lucky with that, I’ve been playing in bands for years and I think I underestimated how much radio can help. We’ve travelled really far to places to play and there has been no-one there, that whole thing. Even if just a few people have heard the tunes it completely transforms the gig. We’re really grateful to everyone who’s been playing our tunes. We’re really lucky that Huw Stephens has been a huge champion of the band and I really doubt that we would have got Radio 1 play without people like him supporting us. Is the next album underway yet? Yeah, I’m writing all the time, making sure it’s getting done and avoiding the difficult album syndrome. I want to make as many records as I can. It’s a bit weird now because when I made the first record I was drumming in the other band, and when we were writing it wasn’t until the very last stage that it crossed my mind that people would be hearing it. We were genuinely making it for ourselves, trying to excite each other. Now when I think there might be people listening to it, I need to turn off the voices that are telling me stuff I guess. It’s really important to me that when I’m making something then I’m making something that turns me on.
You played Jools Holland earlier in the year, what was that like? Yeah, it was the most nerve-racking thing we’ve ever done. It was so much fun though, we just tried to enjoy it. Looking back the mix wasn’t amazing Music by Kenny Lavelle Page 17
VANIVES WHEN WE'RE PLAYING ON STAGE WE TEND TO SMILE AT EACH OTHER A LOT
‘People say that when we're playing on stage we tend to smile at each other a lot, I don’t know if we intend to do that but we always have a laugh.’ Says Roan Ballantine, describing the VanIves stage dynamic. Roan Ballantine and Stuart Ramage met at the age of ten when they were both campaigning for a new skate park in Galloway. It’s a long bond that’s evident in their tight on-stage dynamic, ‘we’ve known each other so long and been in bands for so long, we were in bands together at school, so being on the stage together isn’t a new thing or a strange thing. I think it works really well.’ explains Roan. The sound of VanIves, is a genre melting blend of spacious and gently soulful elements. Between Stuart’s softly soaring vocals and Roans hip hop inspired and multi layered electronic production, they construct a sound that comes across at once both highly produced and natural. The VanIves project has been on the go for just over a year now, and they’ve already played some top quality support slots. Just before the summer they supported SG Lewis, Be Charlotte and then Tokio Myers for two nights at the Queens Hall. The duo had already been listening to and inspired by SG Lewis and say they were delighted to get the shout for that one. The Tokio Myres nights were a big highlight for them too, ‘ Queens Hall, it was our first big gig, the first time we played to over a thousand people so that was really special. Both nights were sold out and so many people came up afterwards and had a chat which was really good.’ As a band they’re unusually forthcoming about their musical influences, when they released their debut single Positive in May this year, they put out an accompanying Spotify playlist of tracks they were listening to while working on the song. ‘When we were writing the tracks we were listening to some completely absurd music, we have some quite eclectic tastes. I think it’s nice when you’ve made the track and everyone has heard it that you can say these were the influences, even though one of them might be a 80’s funk song and one might
be a Drake song. You can then put them together and see where the song came from. We like to be completely honest and keep it open, not hide anything. If we can put that out there and someone finds it interesting and they enjoy it then that’s great and that is kind of the point of it.’ They’re planning a physical release with their next EP through Berlin label, Vielen Dank Records who they worked with for their previous releases. The plan is to release both the cd and have it online but vinyl is where they really want to push it. Roan explains that to them the vinyl format is crucial to the experience ‘Stuart has an honours degree in Commercial Music and I’m an art student at GSA so we’re very much artistic. So to us when you get an LP or an album the artwork and how you interact with it is a big part of the album. I remember getting the Led Zeppelin album, Physical Graffiti, when you move it it opens all the windows in the different flats and you can see into different rooms, I’ve always liked that so if we do get a record done on vinyl I think we’ll play about with the design a bit and try to make it quite special.’ ‘We’re just trying to bring the EP together to the best of our abilities, we do everything by ourselves. We record a lot in the house but I did a course at Chem 19 just before the summer and learned how to use a recording studio. So we now go there to record a lot of our vocals and drums and stuff.’ So what’s next for the band? ‘We’ve a gig coming up in Edinburgh on 10th October, I think it’s our second headline show in Edinburgh. So we’re gearing up for that, thinking about how we can make it a bit better than last. Live we’re hopefully getting a drummer on board, we’ve been chatting away with him for ages, we’re good friends. Hoping to get him in for festival shows or maybe more.
VANIVES PLAY THE MASH HOUSE, EDINBURGH ON OCTOBER 10TH Music by Kenny Lavelle Page 19
SPIRITUALIZED AND NOTHING HURT So long you pretty thing? Far too much has been said about how And Nothing Hurt could be the last Spiritualized record, but it’s hard to ignore, especially when the tribulations endured during the creation seemed exhausting and punishing for the artist. And yet, this album is no wake, it’s a record that deserves to be ranked alongside the act’s finest work and one which should lift any listener out of a weary or dejected mindset. This is still Pierce’s sound, it’s still the song of the Spaceman, but he has come back to earth, aged, and realised that his world is different, more cracked but still capable of displaying beauty. There’s always been a feel of heartache and regret to Spiritualized’s work but here, it’s more wistful; it’s
YPRoU ETTY THING
not prepared to “run run run” after losses anymore; in fact, it’s content to sit right here and wait to see how it all pans out. No matter what era or style of the band’s past, you’ll find it here. The ragged free jazz of The Morning After, the lullaby-esque charm of A Perfect Miracle, the care-free bliss of Here It Comes (The Road) and the melancholic contentment of Let’s Dance all clamour for attention and repeat plays. Living with the album for a few weeks proves it is as good as you think it is, you’re not just projecting good wishes on it. If this is the end of the road for Spiritualized; what a way to bow out but hopefully the quality of the record will convince Pierce to remain active. Few acts balance fragility and strength in their music and outlook like Spiritualized and in a time of well-known acts making unconventional turns, this is the album so many of us need today.
HAIRBAND ONE TO WATCH: The term supergroup probably conjures up as many, if not more, negative connotations than positive terms, but at the very least, it’s not wrong to call Hairband a Glasgow super group. If you haven’t had the pleasure of catching them so far, October 2018 is likely to be the month that changes. If you were compiling a list of great nights out, Saturday evening in the Barras would be close to the list of perfect ways to spend your time. On Saturday 27th October, the Glasgow act supports Sleaford Mods, a chance to become familiar with loftier surroundings but with a CCA support slot on the 16th, on a bill with Say Sue Me from Korea, and their EP launch; the group should be road-
ready for the two gigs supporting one of the most important bands of the modern day. There’s also the small matter of the band’s debut 12” being released by Monorail Records on the 19th of October. A Glaswegian music institution giving a relatively new name a leg up is no act of charity or nepotism, it’s an endorsement of a band with an interesting sound and something to say. Bubble Sword has been trailed from the selftitled EP and it ticks all the right boxes for fans of wiry guitar and rhythms that get you out your seat. The Television references in other reviews are wellplaced but if you’ve struggled to find a band that fills the Electrelane shaped hole in your heart, this is a record to listen out for. Having already witnessed the band live, an early support slot for The Warlocks at Nice N Sleazy’s, it’s great to see the act traverse so far and yet, October 2018 looks to only be the start for Hairband.
Music by Andy Reilly Page 21
MOGWAI
SOUNDTRACKS, KIN
Original Soundtracks. OSTs, eh? They can veer from culturally significant monoliths soaking themselves into the public consciousness (see Pulp Fiction), become cult vinyl hits that outlive the memory of the film themselves (Vampyros Lesbos) or footnotes in an artist's catalogue regardless of the movie's impact (Prince's 1989 Batman OST – mostly folly but Party Man is still an absolute purple trouser shaker). The best soundtracks tend to be written and performed by a single artist or group for the specific movie/game/series and Mogwai are pretty much veterans in the field now. Whether the music can work without being paired with the visuals they accompany is a litmus test very few pass but Mogwai have pulled it off with KIN. Mogwai's track record in soundtracks (soundtrackrecord?) is impressive. Zidane: a 21st century portrait in its multi-media guise, is a masterpiece. Sound and visuals blending to mesmerise. Fuzzy harmonics soaring and lilting as the greatest and most precise footballer of his era glides through the game. Does the record work on
its own without the film? My honest answer is "just about". The same is also true of 2016's foreboding Atomic which the band toured with the film as backdrop. Before The Flood and The Fountain were more collaborative efforts (and it showed – particularly in the Clint Mansell dominated latter), but I reserve my greatest praise for Les Revenants. A beautiful, intimate, restrained record that I loved so much, I refuse to watch the series lest it ruins the esteem in which I hold the music. Approaching KIN without seeing the movie or reading a synopsis breeds a question. Will this record move and intrigue me like a regular Mogwai studio release or will it just create soundscapes for a world I might never visually encounter? I went into my first listen of KIN knowing only that the movie is a sci-fi film. No idea of themes or plots but willing to let the music paint my brain with whichever palette the band throw at it. First track "Eli's Theme" starts as the record means to go on. A leading, maudlin piano sits on a deceptively layered arrangement. The recurring
Photography: Stefan Bollmann, Anthony Crook
feeling throughout the first four tracks is restraint and balance – despite multiple, dense track layers, the arrangements feel spacious – there's room for each element to breathe and no one instrument dominates the mix. My impressions of "Eli" from his/her theme are a lonely, pensive soul treading over rubble in a setting that is definitely on Earth but is probably aesthetically closer to post-blitz London than Blade Runner LA. Scrap and Flee, tracks 2 and 3, both feature the kind of synth pattern that fits perfectly into the sci-fi sonic environments. Reminiscent of 80s future romps like The Running Man and Tron, the synth patterns are backed by Stuart's guitar layers bathed in fuzz and feedback but kept to a level in the mix where they provide atmosphere to the overall arrangement rather than leading. Both tracks build until Flee blossoms into a controlled increase of volume, all swooping tom-filled drum parts before the whole thing simmers back down into the quietly brooding Funeral Pyre. The drums throughout the album are worthy of note – at once supremely modern and 80s, it's
quite hard to distinguish which snare noises are post-production treated acoustic snares and which originate from a drum machine with both organic and electronic rhythm noises interacting with scattering modal synths. If the first four tracks are a build towards a release then that release is Donuts. Of everything on KIN, Donuts is the most instantly recognisable Mogwai track. Taken as the tonic to the build of the first few tracks, it's a perfect release of noisy guitar and a more traditional drum beat than the album has provided up to this point. Following this, Miscreants is a drum-free moody dream of bassy piano chimes and fluttering synths that you could almost skim over on first listen but is a brilliantly understated mood-setter. The final 3 tracks feel like a suite. Guns Down recalls the piano coda of Eli's theme before growing into a swirling track full of overdriven rhythm guitar background while Barry Burns' piano gently nudges the main theme coda upwards. Track 8, KIN, develops all of the recurring themes present into a movement more than a song - swelling from low frequency synths into big pads backed by the full thrust of Mogwai in their signature noisy pomp. The only track with vocals, We're Not Done, sits last in line and acts as a second point of release within the album. As the band come in, the bassline suggests early Cure before falling into it's driving shoegazey way - distorted vocals within the mix rather than on top hark back to bands like Swervedriver. Overall, it's a very stylistic album, borne of setting a mood for visuals and, like previous Mogwai soundtrack workings, almost works as a standalone album. It's one that fans of the band will probably listen back to more than once but is unlikely to be on the sort of rotation that their studio albums command. And, do you know what? That's entirely fine. It sets a different, more mature mood than their previous scores and if you want a traditional Mogwai album, there are plenty to get your quiet/loud chops into. Not least, last year's wondrous Every Country's Sun. Music by Stephen McColgan Page 23
SCOTLAND LOVES ANIME
FILM
“FOR THOSE WHO LIKE THEIR ANIME WEIRD AND WONDERFUL, DIRECTOR HIROYASU ISHIDA'S DEBUT FEATURE PENGUIN HIGHWAY IS ONE TO WATCH.”
Now in its 9th year, the Scotland Loves Anime Film Festival has been going from strength to strength, with sold out showings in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, in association with the great Independent cinemas The Glasgow Film Theatre and The FIlmhouse. Showcasing both old and new Japanese Anime films, from classics to cutting-edge new releases, the festival has everything on offer for the hardened fan to the casual viewer. With recent Live-action remakes of the classic animes Ghost In the Shell and Death Note, and with Netflix continuing to produce original anime series, the wealth of imagination and innovation that Japanese animation has in its locker continues to leave those who see it in awe. Recent output suggests this is still going strong, with the festivals line-up this year featuring some titles to look out for. Both the Glasgow and Edinburgh legs feature most of the same new releases, with the Edinburgh leg pushing some older films in an extended programme. Glasgow audiences have the pleasure of seeing the new production by Kazuto Nakazawa, the director of the anime scene in Quentin Tarantino’s wildly popular Kill Bill. Nakazawa is the star guest in Glasgow, and will be present for a Q & A after the screening of the opening episodes of his Netflix original series B: The Beginning. A serial killer supernatural action show about the hunt for a man going by the name Killer B, expect spectacular action sequences, visual pyrotechnics and interesting characterisation. The classic 1990 production Cyber City Oedo 808 is a late night presentation in both legs, and will surely be an audience favourite. Centring on a future in the year 2808, criminals have a choice about how they serve their time, either in jail or as Bounty Hunters with each successful mission reducing their jail time. A cyberpunk action thriller with enough old school thrills to entertain, here it is presented in the notorious original English dub, with enough swearing to make your Granny blush. Director Mamoru Hosoda has four older films at the Edinburgh leg of the festival, with the most
recent being The Boy And The Beast. Specialising in fantastical tales wherein children are drawn in to other worlds, Hosoda is one of the biggest names in anime at the moment. The Boy And The Beast is a joyously heart-warming and heart-pumping story of a young runaway who finds himself in a world of beasts, and is taken in by the warrior beast Kumatetsu. The relationship of the two is beautifully depicted, and the film grows to an action-packed and touching ending, with Hosoda proving his characterisation and writing is as strong as his visual sense. Hosoda’s new film Mirai screens in both legs, and sounds like another transcendent anime from a modern master of the form. Also screening are Hosoda’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars and Wolf Children. Those fans of the original anime film Ghost In the Shell are in for a treat with that films director Mamoru Oshii’s follow up Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade showing in Edinburgh, which he wrote and created. A sci-fi dystopian thriller set in an alternate postwar Japan with a hint of Hitchcock, the story focusses on a cop Kazuki Fuse and a young girl who traverse the conflicts of the Tokyo Police and the counter terrorism unit. A sombre and affecting slice of 90’s anime, with a restrained aesthetic and serious message, it’s one not to miss. For those who like their anime weird and wonderful, director Hiroyasu Ishida's debut feature Penguin Highway is one to watch. Centring on a young girl and the sudden inexplicable appearance of penguins in her hometown, despite it being far from the sea, the film is a studio Ghibliesque adventure that revels in the technicolour surrealism of the famous studio, and will surely please a wide audience. Other guests of the festival are Jack Liang, a producer with Polygon pictures, one of the longest running studios, and Jonathan Clements, author of Anime: A History. Whether it be you love the unique action and kinetic visual stylings of picks such as Cyber City Oedo 808 or the multi-layered weird world created by Penguin Highway, the Scotland Loves Anime festival this year will be sure to appeal. Film by Martin Sandison Page 25
CALIBRE The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has always been a showcase for emerging talent and this year Matt Palmer’s tremendous Calibre was the talk of the festival and ultimately the star of the show. Calibre is not only one of the best films I experienced here at the film festival, it is one of the best films I’ve seen this year. Matt Palmer has created a superb psychological thriller that is as unsettling, exciting and terrifying as some of the genre bests, I am resisting the urge to create a ‘snappy’ headline comparing Calibre to one of my favourite films, Deliverance (another excellent example of a leisure trip spiralling out of control). The central characters Vaughn and Marcus, played superbly by Jack Lowden and Martin McCann (both have received Bafta Scotland nominations), have organised a hunting adventure
“PALMER CREATES A TAUT SENSE OF ISOLATION, A TOWN STRUGGLING TO EMBRACE CHANGE”
before Vaughn becomes a father. The film is set in the north of Scotland and Palmer creates a taut sense of isolation, a town struggling to embrace change, trying hard to welcome outsiders yet unable to hide the sense of unease this brings. The supporting cast are sensational in Calibre, each part played perfectly, adding to the growing sense of discomfort. There’s a real feeling of tension within the community, something that is further antagonised by out of towners. Although all of the supporting cast are superb I must mention Ian
Pirie’s performance as Brian McClay. A towering and terrifying man, angry at the change he is being forced to embrace. The idea of him being let loose on Vaughn and Marcus will send a shiver down your spine. The film moves quickly, a delightful 100 minutes in total, and when tragedy occurs (I’m determined to be spoiler free in these 500 words or so) the film manages to keep you in a continuous sense of unease. The film looks beautiful, using long breathing takes to capture the angst of the situation. The sound design is tremendous too; a particular dinner scene over, a very rare, cut of veal where the sound of cutlery clashing with plate manages to sum up the terror in the situation perfectly. The final act of the film is a heart pounding 30 minutes of terror and angst. I found myself anticipating, with trepidation, what was coming next, and what else could go wrong, and as the protagonist’s world starts closing in I found myself sitting closer and closer to the edge of my seat.
Palmer handles this with real skill, the tension in these scenes is reminiscent of John Carpenter’s masterful Assault on Precinct 13, and as the film builds to it’s thought provoking conclusion. I was left shaken and amazed by what I had experienced. Here at the festival Calibre won the coveted Michael Powell Award and it was unquestionably deserved. This is a tough, fascinating, thought provoking film. I was fortunate to see this on the big screen, being a Netflix release this wasn’t readily available in cinemas. Thankfully, it is equally enjoyable on the small screen and I cannot recommend it enough. Chris Grant NB – Had I tried to create a ‘snappy’ headline I’d have gone with ‘Deliverance in Drumnadrochit’ but even that doesn’t do this superb film justice. Enjoy. *Calibre has been nominated for five BAFTA Scotland awards: Director-Fiction, Writer Film/ Television and Actor Film (all three nominations).
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Film by Chris Grant Page 27
FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL UK It’s the 26th year of the French Film Festival UK from this October to December which brings the best of cinema from not just France but also Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec and French-speaking African territories. This year sees a couple of firsts for the Festival, a collaboration with the Mobile Film Festival(based in Paris), where a selection of one-minute short films will be shown before features. What is interesting about these short films is that they have all been shot on smartphones or tablets. Informal links have also been established this year with the Festival International du Film Francophone in Namur in Belgium. These links will surely grow and expand the range of films on offer.
SO WHAT’S ON OFFER? The Panorama Horizons section features titles by established directors such as veterans JeanLuc Godard, Jean Becker. Whilst the programme named Discovery Horizons focuses on directors making their first or second features. This section is headlined by Belgium’s Guillaume Senez with Our Struggles, Marie Monge’s thriller Treat Me Like Fire, Hubert Charuel’s Bloody Milk, and actor François Damiens venturing both behind and in front of the camera in Mon Ket. The Classics selection includes master filmmaker Jean-Paul Rappeneau returning to the Festival to present his classic hit Cyrano de Bergerac with Gérard Depardieu. Depardieu returns in Jean de Florette whilst Brigitte Bardot gives an astounding performance in HenriGeorges Clouzot’s legal drama The Truth. The festival hub at Summerhall will see three Sundays of film. On Sunday 28th, the opening scene of a young woman in a wedding
dress running for her life sets the tone of Tony Gatlif’s Geronimo. This is a high energy, vibrant story of clan rivalry set in the south of France. The Director Tony Gatif utilises the cast Céline Sallette, Rachid Yous, David Murgia and more to bring this reworking of West Side Story to the screen. Shortcuts is a selection of films curated by Martine Pierquin of the University of Edinburgh and Cannes award-winning film-maker and lecturer Irvine Allan from Edinburgh Queen Margaret University. The evening, on Sunday 25th November at 17:00, will be an interactive evening with some Directors in attendance presenting their work. Yellowbird is the story of an orphaned bird who has to lead a flock of migratory birds that have just lost their leader to Africa. Travelling from Paris through to the Netherlands, hopping on a sinking ship and, ultimately, arriving in Greenland. This animated feature from director Christian De Vita, a storyboard artist on Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox and Tim Burton’s Frankenweeni, also delivers social messages about the need to protect the environment. French Film Festival UK runs in Edinburgh, Glasgow and various other cities across Scotland and the rest of the UK. For full programme details, head to frenchfilmfestival.org.uk
EDINBURGH SHORT FILM FESTIVAL November sees the Edinburgh Short Film Festival return for its eighth edition, once again bringing some of the worlds best short films to the city. Now at home in Summerhall and Edinburgh Filmhouse, back in the early 00’s festival director Paul Bruce was making films with others in the area when they discovered there was nowhere to show local work. Fast forward to the suggestion of the Leith Festival as a route forward and the rest is history. They filled the back room of Carriers Quarters that first year and continued as part of the Leith Festival till 2010 before launching the ESFF in its own right in 2011. This year the ESFF has put together one of the UK’s strongest short film programmes, screening 29 award winners, including the Audience Award winner from Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals, the Tribeca Grand Jury Award winners and also the best short films from SXSW, Aspen Shortfest, Palm Springs International Shortfest, London and Brussels Short Film Festivals. There’s also an award winner from Europe’s biggest short film festival Clermont-Ferrand, and a Palme D’or nominated film from Cannes. On top of that, they are hosting visiting film festival directors from Italy, Ireland and China, affordable (as in around a fiver affordable) workshops on time-lapse photography and workshops on VFX for independent film-makers and not forgetting their legendary closing night party on Saturday November 10th! Talking to festival director Paul Bruce it’s clear that he’s keen to widen the perception of what short film
is and what it can do. As Paul explains ‘It’s about getting the word out there about how strong short film can be, what you can do with short film. A lot of people in the past used to think it was basically kids jumping on a trampoline or something. Short film at it’s best is free of market forces, film makers are not really looking for a demographic or market, so they’re really just expressing their ideas. It’s the purest form of expression in film. The film maker has an idea and realises this idea in the best way he can.’ Program highlights include Retukiri Tukiri, a Peruvian love triangle comedy set on a children’s tv show, where the Jhony is in love with Camila, but Camila is in love with Tadeo. The problem is that Tadeo is a dinosaur, which Jhony plays in the show. Linden Space, a collection of animated films made by the students of Priit Pärn, the world famous Estonian cartoonist and animation director also is well worth a look. Although you might get lucky walking up on the night, tickets usually sell out well in advance for most shows so it’s a good idea to get your tickets from the festival website beforehand. Get your tickets and view the full program at edinburghshortfilmfestival.com
“IT’S ABOUT GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE ABOUT HOW STRONG SHORT FILM CAN BE” Film Page 29
FOOD
ka PAO AT ACID BAR, SWG3 Sounding like a comic book sound effect, Ka Pao, became the first restaurant residency at SWG3’s new bright and minimalist restaurant and bar space, Acid Bar, which launched in May of this year. And Ka Pao was so good that the residency was extended and will now be in situ until mid-November meaning that there is still time to experience their delicious menu of punchy southeast Asian flavours (Thai, Malaysian...) so expect plenty of chilli, coconut, lemongrass and kaffir lime.
Order a few of the smaller dishes to share, or one of the three larger dishes as a main and food will arrive when ready like many eateries in Asia, and here’s what arrived for us, in order. Finger food first – Boom! an appetiser of crispy chicken skins with sriracha dip (£2.50). These moreish crackers, like a cross between Thai prawn crackers and good quality pork crackling, were devoured quickly! The sriracha dip was spicy. Next, the Messy prawns (£8.50) arrived. Squelch! Large plump prawns with a sweet sticky tamarind glaze, a fragrant taste, not overly spicy but rather warming and very tasty! Ooh! The Monkfish, coconut, cashew, green chilli & water chestnuts (£8.50) looked great so earthy and Autumnal. This was the creamiest dish of the lot with meaty fish, herby dill, and some crunch provided by the water chestnuts and cashews. Pop! Then 5p salad (£8.00), a bowl of 5 items, each beginning with the letter P: pork, prawn, papaya, pomelo and peanut, but with a few other ingredients mixed in, such as fresh coriander and lemongrass. It was the most acidic of the dishes and reminded us of ceviche, which we love! If this was 5p we would be eating this salad daily (I know salad!) Zap! The Fried chicken, green chilli dip (£5.50) was perfectly fried crunchy chicken with a mild green chilli dip and thin strips of mooli (tasting a bit like cucumber or radish). We only ordered one of the main dishes, Sea trout, coconut, finger root (£8.50), which was a warming curried dish with lots of fresh dill, aubergine and chilli. And to finish we shared a refreshing Mango ice cream and shaved ice (£4). The recommended cocktails are tropical too and we had a Karma before the storm (£8), a sort of Dark n' Stormy topped with pickled ginger shavings, and a White aromatic negroni (£8) which was a blend of gin, kaffir lime, lemongrass & vermouth.
THE VERDICT Absolutely brilliant, we loved every morsel, and it was so good that it even surpassed a recent trip to a Michelin-starred restaurant but was around half the price at £64 for the two of us! All the dishes had been put together with care, looking great and tasting fresh, aromatic and authentic. Service was great, there’s free WiFi and we enjoyed the background music of Zero 7, Nile Rogers, Fleetwood Mac and the like. Ka Pao is open Fridays for dinner and Saturdays and Sundays for lunch and dinner and is bookable until Saturday 17th November. Get there while you can!
IN BRIEF + Excellent food + Best meal we’ve had in months! + Cool location + Good tunes! - Hand dryer for most of the toilets is outside the actual cubicle - Only open Friday to Sunday
LOCATION SWG3 Studio Warehouse | 100 Eastvale Place | Glasgow | G3 8QG Friday: 6-9pm Saturday: 12-3pm, 6-9pm Sunday: 12-7pm To book please visit kapaogla.com
Food and Drink by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 31
THE LANTERN ROOM BAR AND RESTAURANT AT THE COURTYARD MARRIOTT HOTEL The Lantern Room is located where Leith Walk begins, near to the Edinburgh Playhouse and a short walk from both Edinburgh Waverly Railway Station and Edinburgh Bus Station. Outside there is a partially covered and heated terrace for relaxing and watching everyone go by, but perhaps not at this time of year! Once inside we expected to see lanterns, well it is in the name! There are some dotted about, but the lantern referred to in the restaurant’s name is in fact the room which holds the lights which shines from the top of a lighthouse and a wall is adorned with photographs of one such lantern room.
With our lunch, we shared a bottle of Pontebello Hungarian Pinot Grigio (£20). A surprisingly pleasant, light white for the price, with aromas of honeydew melon, lime and grapefruit, and a good balance of sweetness and acidity. Our starters arrived quickly, beginning with Baked Camembert (£5.50) - nothing fancy here, simply soft gooey President Camembert cheese with a sweet onion chutney and two slices of lightly-toasted bread. We also had the Salmon and crab chowder (£6.95), a large portion, pleasantly creamy with chunks of hot smoked salmon, white crab meat and smoked haddock. The main course of Seared tuna on a salad of mouli, chilli, coriander, mint and lime dressing (£15.50) was a massive doorstop of well-cooked tuna steak on a mountain of grated mouli. The lime was prominent but the chilli wasn’t fiery and the coriander and mint weren’t strong enough. We are huge fans of coriander, and even that was
understated (sob). Some colour was added by a fresh Red onion, tomato and basil salad side salad (£3) but a bit less mouli and more spices and herbs would help elevate this dish without the need for a side salad. Our other main was Confit of Pork belly, chorizo pomme purée and caramelised apple (£15.95). A chunky and moist pork belly with crisp and chewy fat served with a sweet and sticky sauce. The mash was tasty, soaking up the sauce, although it was more of a smoked paprika taste rather than the full-on flavour of chorizo. Of course, desserts were also ordered! Chocolate fondant, vanilla ice cream (£5.50) - warm and gooey chocolate with ice cream is always a winner. Our other choice was suitable gooey and sweet too - the Apple tarte Tatin, whisky ice cream(£5.50). There was enough sugar in there for an excuse to lie down to recuperate. Just remember to leave some space for the Orange and Vanilla brûlée cocktail (£8) comprising Courvoisier VS***, Orange Muscat and Flora sweet wine, vanilla syrup and cream all shaken together. Creamy and decadent and worth those calories! Although our meal wasn’t spectacular, it was enjoyable and we were pleasantly full by the end of our 3-course lunch. The Lantern Room menu has enough tweaks to not be boring but without anything too outlandish or supercilious, the kind of place you could go for dinner after shopping, before a show, or somewhere to take the parents, making it a good all-round restaurant to draw you in on a cold, wet and windy night. The total cost of the meal was £93.90, which included a full bottle of wine and cocktails each. The Lantern Room also do 2 courses and a bottle of wine for 2 deal for only £35 which seemed popular.
The Lantern Room at Courtyard Marriot | 1-3 Baxters Place | Edinburgh | EH1 3AF https://www.thelanternroom.co.uk Food and Drink by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 33
FOOD AND DRINK NEWS MINDFUL DRINKING FESTIVAL
Club Soda is bringing a Mindful Drinking Festival to Glasgow this October. Running from 12-6pm on Saturday 13th October, the free entry festival has lots on offer. From tastings to cocktail masterclasses as well as street food and live music. Heineken® 0.0 and Ceder's distilled nonalcoholic alt-gin will be sponsoring the festival which will have over 30 brands to discover. Where: The Briggait | 141 Bridgegate | Glasgow | G1 5HZ. Web: https://joinclubsoda.co.uk/events/ webinar-our-guide-to-the-mindful-drinkingfestival-glasgow/ Heineken club soda alcohol free drink mindful festival
NEW GLASGOW BAR Cùl Cùil has opened its doors after a complete refurbishment of the Courtyard Bar. The city centre bar, located on West Nile Street in Glasgow, handily placed for post work, pre-club and anytime drinks. A wide range of bar food on offer and sharing platters as well. Where: 82 W Nile St | Glasgow | G1 2QH
CITY CENTRE BREWERY Innis & Gunn have opened another venue in Glasgow. Taking over part of Argyle Street Arches, the space encompasses both a bar and brewery where you can see (and smell) the beer as it is being made on site. The brewery is within a glass room in the last arch - look in to see the huge tanks of beer! Where: 253 Argyle St | Glasgow | G2 8DL
BOURBON BINGO
STACK AND STILL
Bourbon bingo has launched at Van Winkle bar just across from Glasgow Barrowlands. The Gallowgate pub has almost 100 bourbons and wants to share them with you. Take a bingo card and work your way through 5 different types of bourbon. (Of course, it's not recommended to try them all in the one sitting) Follow the rules listed correctly and you can exchange your Bourbon Bingo Card for a Van Winkle T-shirt!
Eagerly awaited Stack and Still opens in Glasgow on 10th October. Brought to you by the team behind Gin71, Stack and Still promises to be the 'the UK's largest urban pancake house with Glasgow's first EVER selfdispense bar!' The pancake menu will offer a gazillion different pancake combinations with over 10 million possible combos with buttermilk, buckwheat, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, sugar-free and protein selections available. As well as the self-dispense beer, there will be a selection of beers, ales, ciders and Prosecco available. Where: 100 West George Street | Glasgow | G2 1PP Web: https://www.stackandstill.co.uk/book
EDINBURGH COCKTAIL WEEK Edinburgh Cocktail week returns from 15th - 21st October. This year the festival includes a Whisky Escape Room challenge, 80 bars, a new Cocktail Village, a hidden Masterclass Hub, a Pornstar Martini Party, and distillery tours. Signature cocktails featured during the event are available to wristband holders for £4 each, with wristbands priced at £6 for a weekday band and £8 for a weekend band. Booking and more information at https://www.edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk/ Food and Drink by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 35
EDINBURGH CRAFT BEER EXPERIENCE 2018
MUMBAI STREET FOOD IN LEITH
Love beer and always looking for something new to try? Then Edinburgh Craft Beer Experience 2018 is the event for you. Coming to Edinburgh 15th to 17th November at Assembly Roxy. The event will have beers from Scotland, the UK and Europe. The Craft Beer Experience will run for five sessions over the three days with beers from over 20 breweries for visitors to taste, with some beers appearing in Scottish taps for the very first time. The Edinburgh Craft Beer Experience will run for five sessions between Thursday 15th and Saturday 17th November at. Tickets include a speciallydesigned schooner glass, a token towards your first beer, a full programme of events and brewers information, as well as access to the demonstrations and masterclasses. Where: Assembly Roxy | 2 Roxburgh Place | Edinburgh | EH8 9SU Web: craftbeerexperience.co.uk
The building which housed Khublai Khans for many years is now Mumbai Street Food serving everything from onion bhajis to curry to kebab. The Kathi Roll sounds great, the menu says these are India's answer to wraps with fillings including vegetables, chicken or lamb served with salad. Where: 43 Assembly Street | Edinburgh | EH6 7BQ Web: mumbaistreetfood.co.uk
THE NATIONAL WHISKY FESTIVAL The National Whisky Festival comes to Paisley as part of The Spree Festival 2018. The National Whisky Festival (NWF) will take place at Paisley Town Hall on Saturday 13 October and will see two sessions of drams, masterclasses, food, whisky-related arts, crafts and a fantastic programme of live music. The National Whisky Festival sessions will run from 12pm - 3:30pm and 4.15pm - 7.45pm and by purchasing a ticket whisky lovers will be able to enjoy: entrance to one of the 3.5-hour sessions, access to over 50 whiskies on the tasting floor, two ÂŁ5 discount vouchers for use on purchases at the on-site bottle shop, a complimentary line-up of fantastic live music and your own NWF branded Glencairn crystal nosing glass to use on the day and take home. Where: Paisley Town Hall | Paisley Web: www.thespree.co.uk
F PIZZA! The pizza boom continues with the team behind Finsbay and Finsbay Flatiron bringing F Pizza to Milngavie. The new venue will be located on Stewart Street in Milngavie in what was Cyan Restaurant. F Pizza will be all about sourdough pizza. The menu includes tasty sounding basic tomato, garlic and oregano pizza for £5 up to £9 for a sourdough pizza topped with ricotta, Stornoway black pudding, spring onion and smoked Cheddar. Sounds delicious. Sides include Stornoway Black Pudding and Mac Bon Bons, and cocktails make for an interesting meal. Where: 14 Stewart Street | Milngavie Web: https://www.fpizza.co.uk
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Food and Drink by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 37
THE BAR FALLEN BREWING GOSE TRAIN
FALLEN BREWING SOUTHBOUND
(330ml can, 4%) A German-style sour wheat beer from Kippen near Stirling. No head so it looked more like real, cloudy lemonade rather than beer. An expected sour aroma with a salty sherbet lemon-lime taste, it’s pretty mild and tame for a sour beer which makes it all the more drinkable! Available from Aldi for £1.39
(330ml can, 5.4%) Described as a ‘Peaches and cream ale’ this also had no head but was a bit more lively though not fizzy or gassy. Quite a murky colour with a tinned peaches aroma! Taste-wise there was more of a bitter grapefruit flavour with some creaminess there too. Retails for between £2.50 - £3.00
FALLEN BREWING WANGANUI
THREE WEAVERS BREWING DAY JOB
(330ml can, 4.6%) Kiwi pale ale hopped with Huell melon hops and Taiheke New Zealand hops, then finished with kiwi fruit making this man exceptionally fruity beer. It’s cloudy orange and initially quite lively but the head didn’t last. A yeasty aroma with a taste of sweet juicy melon, mango, lime, kiwi, with a dry finish. Available from Aldi for £1.39
(355ml can, 5.6%) All the way from Inglewood, California, this is a clear golden/amber pale ale with a thin head and a hoppy pine resin aroma. It’s a pleasantly hoppy ale with marmalade juiciness and a dry finish. Available from Grunting Growler for £3
WOOHA LAGER (330ml bottle, 5%) And now a beer brewed by American Heather McDonald who is now based in Nairn. This is not a typical lager, it’s cloudy and pale, initially very lively it soon calmed down. With a pleasant yeasty aroma, this is a smooth, medium-bodied beer with a mild citrusy taste and a soft bitterness. Available from Aldi, Waitrose, ASDA for £1.59
URBAN WEST One of the best locations in the west end to watch the world (or at least Glasgow!) go by is through the tall windows of Urban West. GWR on Great Western Road. Simple pleasures – coffee and good food in easy going, comfy surroundings, that’s what Urban West. GWR is all about. The decor is clean and bright with an added splash of boutique in the form of a wonderful Timorous Beasties feature wall. The menu is small and focused, a good sign that the kitchen concentrates on what they do best; and that they do. For brunch, you have the option to go for their always awesome waffles (poached egg, bacon and spinach or peanut butter and blueberries) or maybe you’d prefer an omelette with vegetarianfriendly spinach and halloumi? They also serve up a classic gooey cheese and bacon combination which promises to hit all the right spots. If you’re feeling the want to push the boat out you can add extra toppings including bacon, eggs, avocado, smoked salmon and sausage or black pudding. Even better, they’re currently developing a dedicated brunch menu, keep an eye out for that in the next few weeks. There are bagels, inspired from New York, Greece and Italy, with fillings suitable for both
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vegetarians and those who eat everything! Or have some heart warming soup. Their excellent soup and sandwich specials are on offer through Monday to Friday. Owner Giancaro Dalsasso proudly sources from Glasgow suppliers such as Roots, Fruits & Flowers and The Freedom Bakery local and quality the common threads. To top things off, what better way to enjoy people watching than with an expertly-brewed Italian blend of A.Nannini coffee? The WiFi is free and Urban West. GWR is dog friendly too. So whether you are on a dog date, working or just in for a cuppa, this really is a great wee place to relax in.
Food and Drink by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 39
DÜSSELDORF Düsseldorf seems full of business on the surface, however, remove the business jacket and you will find a city with an impressive art scene, stunning architecture (both modern and traditional as well as an old town which claims to be the “longest bar in the world”. Easily reached, thanks to direct flights from both Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, here are some suggestions on discovering more of the capital of North Rhine–Westphalia.
TRAVEL
SOME HISTORY
SHOP
The city of Düsseldorf started where the Düssel river flows into the Rhein. As the city grew, it was ruled by the Counts of Berg, who had a struggle for power over the city with the Archbishop of Cologne. The supporters and forces of The Archbishop of Cologne were wiped out by the army of the Count of Berg and the citizens of Cologne and Düsseldorf. Due to this confrontation, Düsseldorf was officially elevated to city status and you can see not only a monument to this on Burgplatz but throughout Düsseldorf. 5,432 children were said to be so happy that they cartwheeled throughout the city. In modern times the city became highly industrial and during the Second World War was experiencing strategic bombing. Afterwards, Düsseldorf grew to become the city we now know, the fashion centre of Germany, a media hub and home to the third largest population of Japanese citizens in Europe (after London and Paris).
The impressive Königsallee, or the Kö, is the place to shop. You’ll find all the big names (and prices) here, with architecture to match! Visit the Northern end of the Kö to be amazed at the Daniel Libeskind’s striking Kö-Bogen, this shopping mall was completed in 2013 and is where you’ll find the Apple Store and other top brands. When you have shopped out, take time out to relax at the peaceful Hofgarten. For a more quirky shopping experience visit Lorettostrassefor independent boutiques or Ackerstrassein the Flingerndistrict. A must see is also Immermanstrasse for its Japanese-inspired shopping.
“5,432 CHILDREN WERE SAID TO BE SO HAPPY THAT THEY CARTWHEELED THROUGHOUT THE CITY”
DRINK The city is most famous for one particular style of beer - Altbier, a top-fermented dark beer, a bit like an English bitter and quite distinct to the clear straw-coloured Kölsch beers from nearby Cologne. Altstadt or ‘Old Town’ is where to go for this traditional beer and there is a wealth of breweries in which to sample this, and other locally-brewed beers, recommend Zum Schlüssel, Füchschen and Uerige. But it’s not all beer, the cosy Eiskeller(Ice Cellar) wine beer stocks an impressive array of German wine where you can get an education on the different types of Riesling and plenty other wines! Last year they were voted best classic wine bar in Germany and the two owners were ranked as the second best wine sommeliers in the country. Schmittmann, across the river and a few miles outside of the centre, has been producing German spirits since 1818, many award-winning, including gin, korn (a colourless spirit similar to vodka), cherry liqueur, chocolate-chilli liqueur etc.
Travel by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 41
The tours are all in German and so is their website but don’t let that put you off as this is one off the regular tourist trail. You can buy bottles from their shop, all of them are excellent, and you probably won’t find any of these outside of Germany! Too much booze? Then head to ShennongTea Lounge where you can experience premiumgrade teas and even a Taiwanese tea ceremony. If coffee is more your thing than an excellent roastery is further down the same street looking out onto Marktplatz, Rösterei Vier (Roastery Four, so called because of the four processes of harvesting; processing; brewing; and roasting), source their beans responsibly and have even opened a sister cafe in Malawi!
EAT While the brewery restaurants may serve what you might expect, such as bread and lots of meat, there are a few unusual things to look out for, for snacking, why not try a pickled egg at Uerige. Ask for one and see if you can work out how to eat it. There is a particular order to how you should eat it! For something more substantial visit Zum Schlüssel and have some Mettbrotchen - ground meat, with or without onions on top of half a roll, and after that how about an ice cream made from Altbier at Füchschen? For steak, we could not fault MASH, where we got to try four different cuts of meat from four different countries - our favourite being the Uruguayan rib-eye! Having Europe’s third largest Japanese community means that you will also be able to find some of the most authentic Japanese food outside of Tokyo. One place to visit is Hotel Nippon Restaurant Benkay. Maites-Asian cuisine offers food tours and street food classes in both German and English at Tains mein-asiamarkt. Maite is originally from the Philippines but has now made Düsseldorf her home so has plenty of Filipino recipes and local Asian food knowledge to share.
If you plan to stay in an apartment then making your own food needn’t be a chore with the Carlsplatz Market in the Altstadt. The former farmers’ market is a gourmet paradise. Mingle with tourists and Düsseldorfers to find out what is the best to eat (and drink) this season. Open Monday to Saturday. But even the supermarkets in Düsseldorf are a step above. The massive new Edeka supermarket has more of a market feel, with a sushi restaurant and whole foods feel. It even has a staffed asparagus washing machine!
SLEEP Probably the coolest place to sleep in all of Düsseldorf is the brand new 25 Hours Hotel. This French-themed, 17-floor hotel with 198 rooms even has outdoor working bathtubs on some of the balconies! The restaurant and cocktail bar at the top of the building has excellent views across the city that you don’t need to pay extra for.
CULTURE One of the most instagrammable sites is the K20Gallery part of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. You can’t miss that wall. Externally stunning as well as the exhibitions inside. (this is the colourful abstract wall image). The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen presents a demanding and variegated exhibition program at three locations: at the K20 Grabbeplatz, at the K21 Ständehaus and at the Schmela Haus. Tonhalle Düsseldorf was originally designed as a planetarium today the building is home to the Tonhalle. Admire the architecture outside and Every year over 220,000 visitors come to enjoy classical music, cabaret and light music.
TOURIST INFORMATION See here: https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/home/
GET THERE Düsseldorf can be reached directly from Edinburgh and Glasgow airports with Eurowings. Alternatively, you can get there with one change when travelling with FlyBe, BA or KLM.
Travel by Emma Mykytyn & Mark Murphy foodieexplorers.co.uk Page 43
CAMP KITSCH I adore Halloween. It exhausts the people around me to endure my year-round affinity for the macabre, old school horror movies and costume ideas. I love all things ghoulish, witchy, anything gratuitously bloody and wear my orange pumpkin t-shirt year-round with pride. And of course, I am not alone. But is there a particular LGBT+ leaning towards Halloween? In a celebration of camp kitsch, costumes and the macabre, it might not be out of the question. Many believe Halloween does have an inherently queer angle to it, with some tracing this back to San Francisco In 1979, where the ghost of Castro Halloween, as it came to be called, lived on under the leadership of the drag performance group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The San Francisco LGBT community partied in the Castro almost every Halloween in the ‘80s, ‘90s
“IT’S ONE NIGHT WHERE THE MACABRE, CREATIVITY AND FLUID IDENTITY ARE AT THE FOREFRONT.”
LGBTQ “MAKE SURE YOUR COSTUME IS UP TO SCRATCH. NO ONESIES WELCOME.”
and early 2000s, as did the Greenwich Village Halloween parades. With LGBT+ communities enduring so much adversity throughout the last 40 years, perhaps Halloween can be seen as a night of revelry that the community deserved. Anyone can be whoever or whatever they want for a night, and are encouraged to shock, repulse and have fun. Samantha Allen suggests that on Halloween, “straight people shed their inhibitions, dress up in ridiculous outfits, and join us queer folk in the gleeful dissection of popular culture that we find so sustaining.”
When I was little, thinking of and executing my Halloween costume was as much fun as the night itself, and this has remained with me ever since. Am I perhaps at an age now that is social unacceptable to celebrate Halloween? Perhaps… but I feel I’m owed it, partly because I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, but mostly because it’s one night where the macabre, creativity and fluid identity are at the forefront. Why shouldn’t we indulge in the spooky once in a while? On that note, we have compiled everything you will need to make this the gayest of gay Halloweens, whether you take your terror to the streets or are setting up a séance in the comfort of your own crypt. There are a whole host of queer – friendly club nights and events to sink your teeth into this Halloween. Aside from the host of events run by Glasgow’s finest gay clubs like Polo, AXM and Delmonica’s, the Grosvenor Cinema is hosting a special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in a sing-along celebration led by the amazing Mothertucker queens. Anyone even remotely familiar with Rocky Horror nights knows that dressing up is essential, and I would personally recommend a revision viewing earlier in the month to remind yourself of when to use your props! The event is held on Halloween night and tables can be booked at info@grosvenorcafe.co.uk. My personal highlight of Halloween events, however, comes in the shape of Heels of Hell, an all star cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni bring their very best Halloween performances. We are lucky enough to be joined by unofficial bearded lady Willam, season 4 and All Star legend Latrice Royale, Brooklyn’s finest Aja, season 5 winner and Broadway queen Jinkx Monsoon and hidden gem Ivy Winters, the planet Glamtron’s very own Alaska Thunderf**k, and the official Queen of Halloween Sharon Needles. You couldn’t pick a better night to see these queens, especially with Sharon’s $100,000-winning spooky shtick and Alaska’s affinity for turning trash into treasure. So channel your inner Lil Poundcake and be sure to stop off
at Party City before heading to O2 Academy on Monday 29th October. Some of you, however, may want to give the explicitly spooky a miss and prefer something mellower. In which case, there are a number of horror classics showing throughout the city, such as The Fog at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Halloween night. And excitingly, GFT is showing Frankenweenie, an underrated Tim Burton favourite about a young boy who reanimates his beloved pet dog. I sobbed like a baby watching it for the first time. And Cineworld is screening one of my all-time favourites Evil Dead on Halloween night. The Sam Raimi-directed classic follows Ash and his friends as they hike into the woods to a cabin for a fun night away. There they find an old book whose text reawakens the dead when it’s read aloud. The friends inadvertently release a flood of evil and must fight for their lives. Not gay at all: just very important that you know its happening. I have my ticket booked. And wherever you decide to haunt, make sure your costume is up to scratch. No onesies welcome. Better still, there are a whole host of LGBT+ friendly costume ideas, for if you’re flying solo, have a partner or a whole gang of ghouls. If you’re a comic fan, Batwoman, Mystique, Deadpool and Midnighter are all amazing characters that full under the LGBT+ umbrella, while there are a ton of team costumes to think about. For example, a gender-swapping Team Rocket, Patsy and Eddie from Absolutely Fabulous for the trashy and fabulous among you, Willow from Buffy (or anyone from Buffy) and Daria and Jane as a throwback. Oh, and Cher. In fact, everyone just go as Cher.
LGBTQ by Jonny Stone Page 45
JOHN GRANT LOVE IS MAGIC
John Grant returns with his anticipated fourth album Love is Magic, treating audiences to a record just as dark and twisted but far more electronic than his previous work. Grant’s music is hard to pin point to one genre, blending softrock ballads, wistful synth sounds and disco, but his remains a unique voice on pop’s current landscape. Grant previously fronted alt-rock band The Czars between 1994 and 2004 and has since released three solo albums. His first, Queen of Denmark, was critically-acclaimed, but it was his last album Pale Green Ghosts that brought him to a larger audience; the songs are danceable and insanely catchy but contain pretty dark lyrical content and Grant’s self-indulgent musings. “Black Belt” and “GMF” are album highlights. John Grant’s music has the ability to be sad, angry and darkly funny, with pop sensibilities and catchy hooks. His music can make you laugh out loud and cry within the one song, which is no mean feat. Grant is openly gay, addressing his exboyfriends in many of his songs and airing his dirty laundry, as well as exploring what it’s like to be gay and HIV+. It’s refreshing and important for artists to discuss their sexuality and status like Grant does, using music as a platform to explore everything from failed relationships and narcissism to the stigma of HIV/AIDS. “Each record I make is more of an amalgamation of who I am,” says John Grant. “The more I do this, the more I trust myself, and the closer I get to making what I imagine in my head.” Love is Magic is arguably his most electronic record yet, including tracks like “Tempest” in particular. The title track is reminiscent of Touch era Eurythmics or even Supertramp, The record sees Grant collaborate with Benge, an analogue synth
expert/collector and a member of electronic trio Wrangler, Grant’s collaborators earlier this year under the collective name of Creep Show. Stand out tracks include “Preppy Boy,” with its Nintendoera inspired intro layered with chunky keyboards. Listing said preppy boy’s stereotypical attributes, it is surely one of the closest records to his previous work and possibly the most danceable track on the record. “He’s Got His Mother’s Hips”
“THERE’S THE RANDOMNESS AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END, AND THE TRUTH IN THE MIDDLE. IT’S THE MESS OF THE HUMAN MIND.”
wouldn’t be out of place on a St Vincent album: despite its sexy, strutting pace, the track serves as a warning song to women about creepy guys, set to an appropriately cheesy 80s synth chorus. In Grant’s most hysterical (in both senses of the word) assassination yet, the narrator of Italodisco strut “Diet Gum” is simultaneously revolted by and attracted to a lover referred to as Dr. Turd-Face and Stupidzilla, and their time together,
“a cross between Cannibal Apocalypse and Lassie 9.” “It’s the absurd extreme of a relationship,” he explains. “I’m exaggerating aspects of my own personality. It’s a lot of fun, but there’s a lot of truth in there too, about how people treat each other.” The record closes on a thoughtful tribute to Chelsea Manning, the transgender whistle blower who served time in prison for leaking 750,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks. The song is moving, exploring the adversity she has undoubtedly faced in her life, and feels like John Grant at his best. The album is not perfect, and feels, at times, somewhat harder to engage in fully compared to his previous albums. Opening track “Metamorphosis is about going down the road of insanity due to the inability to process feelings, and properly grieve for someone, and getting bogged down by mental illness and addiction,” Grant explains. “There’s the randomness at the beginning and the end, and the truth in the middle. It’s the mess of the human mind.” This all makes for interesting reading, rather than an especially enjoyable listen: the dreamy, space-age synths bleed into frantic synths, creating a jarring introduction to the record. What the record is lacking are the heart-breaking ballads that elevate his previous albums: while he gets close in the tail end of the album, none of the tracks reach the standard of “Glacier,” “GMF” or “Geraldine.” That being said, there is something admirable in Grant’s rejection of previous soundscapes. Few acts make as many bold risks, and in 2018, listening to someone playing with all the colours in the crayon box is nothing short of refreshing. John Grant’s music continues to be searingly honest and progressively ambitious: each record sees him explore a new sound while retaining the dark, honest lyrics that separate him from the crowd. Love is Magic is released on Fri 12th Oct 2018 and John Grant is performing once again at Celtic Connections at the King’s Theatre on Fri 1st Jan 2019.
LGBTQ by Jonny Stone Page 47
COMING OUT Coming out is an interesting process, to say the least: largely because you never have one official coming out. Instead, LGBT+ people find themselves coming out every day, and while the act itself may (hopefully) become easier, living with authenticity and pride is always something to be admired. In 2015, more than six out of ten LGBT respondents in Scotland revealed they ‘never’ or only ‘sometimes’ feel able to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity at work (60%) or when accessing services (71%). Whether your coming out journey was smooth sailing, awkward or frightening, surviving the act of sharing our LGBT+ identities should always be worn as a badge of honour. Thursday 11th October marks National Coming Out Day, with 2018 marking thirty years of the official celebration. There is, of course, no one way or reason to come out. It is a journey no one can make but you, and there should never be a pressure to reveal anything about yourself before you are ready. Take it from someone who did so when he was 22, which felt like old age then and almost neonatal in hindsight. If you’re not yet out yourself, and are thinking about it, there are many different ways to come out: perhaps speaking to a trusted friend first, like I did, and slowly informing those most important to you in your own time. There’s no right or wrong, and you should always find a way that feels right for you. For those in need of a little support, Stonewall offers great resources on coming out on their website. National Coming Out Day is a better time than ever to reflect on the power of our identities, and what you can do to help make the lives of all lesbian, gay, bi and trans people that bit better. Why not take this year’s Coming Out Day to educate yourself on an aspect of LGBT+ identity with which
you are not too familiar? For example, 26th October marks National Intersex Day, a day dedicated to educating the world about and celebrating the intersex community, and upon reflection I realised I don’t actually know a whole lot about the experience of intersex people. Intersex is a general term used for a variety of circumstances in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. In other words, there is a variation in their chromosomes, gonads or genitalia. For example, a person might be born appearing to be a cisgender female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Anything that veers from the typical, seemingly fixed set up of cisgender anatomies falls out of the gender binary and into an intersex identity.
“SURVIVING THE ACT OF SHARING OUR LGBT+ IDENTITIES SHOULD ALWAYS BE WORN AS A BADGE OF HONOUR”
And being born with a blend of female and male characteristics is not as uncommon as you might believe: worldwide, up to 1.7% of people have intersex traits, roughly the same proportion of the population who have red hair, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Yet intersex people face scrutiny and barriers one would not immediately suspect. Unnecessary surgery, or procedures done in order to “correct” and conform, is often performed without support from a therapist to process the experience or someone to discuss the repercussions of such invasive surgery. According to a statement in the 2015 Scottish LGBT Equality Report fro an intersex respondent, “There’s still awkwardness and sometimes outright hostility, plus a lot of heterocentrism, from people working within the NHS.” And that is excluding the social stigma so many still enforce on intersex people, from thoughtless insensitivities to social derision. So in light of National Coming Out Day, and upon reflection of my own coming out over five years ago, I look back on a life that didn’t feel fully lived or realised until I decided to be bold. And as I have developed as a person and experienced life as an LGBT+ person, I am aware not only of what progress our community has made but of the privilege I have in comparison to others. In the 2015 Equality Report, transgender respondents generally reported facing greater levels of prejudice, discrimination and disadvantage than LGB respondents, while black and minority ethnic LGBT respondents highlighted particular issues that they faced including multiple discrimination, cultural prejudice and underrepresentation in public life. Coming Out Day might not warrant a gargantuan party with cake (though that does sound appealing…), take time in your day on the 11th to reflect on what your community has done for you and how you can return the favour.
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FILM Let’s be honest: Halloween in town can be scary for all the wrong reasons, and if you too are dreading the unwashed masses of Harley Quinn costumes roaming the streets, you may want to join me in hosting your own Halloween night. And what better way to do so than to host your own camp cult classic movie night? And we have done the leg work for you and looked up all the films you will not want to miss on your list. For me, horror films served as the perfect escape growing up and LGBT+ audiences have always been drawn to horror with a queer angle; whether it was a revenge thriller, subversive archetypes being examined through the lens of a demonic director or just a high camp classic, queer horror cinema is to be celebrated. We have included the very best spine tingling classics to make your Halloween one to never forget. No need to thank us. Costumes are still mandatory, and your host should theme their house accordingly: that’s the Snack Halloween way.
ELVIRA, MISTRESS OF THE DARK While not an explicit horror movie as such, B movie legend Elvira leads this bonkers fish out of water comedy following her as she moves to a small town where her spooky shtick and penchant for the macabre do not go down so well. It. Is. Brilliant.
DRACULA’S DAUGHTER An underrated classic, this 1936 movie rejects any Bela Lugosi (legend) style shenanigans in favour of a more subtle focus on Dracula’s daughter, played by Gloria Holden, who is desperate to rid herself of her murderous addiction but has to accept her destiny and the person she was meant to be. If that doesn’t lend itself to queer subtext I don’t know what does.
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES We recently re-watched this camp classic and learned it makes for essential year-round viewing. Somehow better than the original, this sequel follows a little family going by Addams who indulge in the macabre and sinister, who find themselves infiltrated by a murderous gold digger after Uncle Fester’s fortune. With an all star cast, one liners you will be quoting incessantly after viewing and the alternative hero known as Wednesday Addams, this film is essential viewing.
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY’S REVENGE
HOCUS POCUS Yes, your favourite childhood Halloween film certainly holds its own in the harsh light of 2018. Gay icons Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy cut the comic ham an inch thick is this high-camp tale of three resurrected witch sisters who reek Halloween havoc on Salem, Mass. If you didn’t sing along to the witches’ rendition of I Put a Spell On You…did you really have a childhood?
As mainstream horror films go, it doesn’t get much gayer than this. Actor Mark Patton is often touted as the first male” scream queen,” seeing as rather than having a teenage girl in jeopardy, the audience sees a bisexual male who, intentionally or not, finds himself in untraditionally homoerotic situations as well as peril. Terrifying? Yes. Super gay? Indeed. Plus Freddie Krueger is the quintessential horror villain, especially when he delivers camp one liners.
PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE One of my all time favourite films, Plan 9 is a jewel in the crown of infamous director Ed Wood, often cited as the worst filmmaker of all time. Starring Bela Lugosi in his final role and horror hostess Vampira (inspiration behind the aforementioned Elvira), this berserk horror-sci-fi hot mess boasts vampires, aliens, zombies and terrible special effects. 60s B movie horror at its best.
“TERRIFYING? YES. SUPER GAY? INDEED.”
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VISUAL ARTS GRAPHIC DESIGN FESTIVAL SCOTLAND Graphic Design Festival Scotland (GDFS) returns for its 5th year of promoting the best in international graphic design and visual communication. Running across 7 days (19th-25th October) at The Lighthouse, Mitchell Library and Art School, Glasgow with exhibitions open to the public until 25th November. This year the festival will welcome more than 40 international guests as keynote speakers, workshops leaders, competition jury members and exhibitors.
Visual Arts by Kenny Lavelle Page 53
MICHELLE COHEN ARRAN WHISKY DISTILLERY PAINTING ON GLASS COLLECTION Originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, Micelle Cohen has lived in Glasgow since 2011. The Scottish landscape has become the focus of her recent work, with an emphasis on the sky, the mountains, trees and water. This particular painting on glass collection focuses on the Isle of Arran. The collection is on exhibition till the end of October within The Isle of Arran Distillery in Lochranza, framed in wood typical of their whisky casks.
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MAKE ME UP REVIEW
Hot on the heels of last year’s ‘Spite Your Face’ which was selected for the Venice Biennale, digital artist Rachel Maclean’s first feature film ‘Make Me Up’ takes her out of the gallery and into the cinema with this month’s premier at the BFI London Film Festival followed by a theatrical run and a national broadcast on BBC 4.
This feature length feminist science fiction film was produced to celebrate 100 years since The Representation of the People Act 1918 which widened the vote to all women over 30 (as long as they met the minimum property qualifications). The film is set in a fluffy hyperreal world from the future which could only come straight from the artists mind however it doesn’t take long for things to take a sinister, and all too real, turn as we discover the regime that the female group of hypercute inhabitants are forced to endure. They compete for survival by completing a series of demeaning tasks, inflicted upon them by authoritarian demigod The Figurehead (played
by Rachel). The Figurehead enforces the ideals which the women must follow while being judged by some not so futuristic technology. The technique of cinéma verité is used to bring the characters to life, using the BBC’s sound archives to speak for the characters as their dialogue. The Figurehead is voiced almost entirely by Kenneth Clarks 1960’s visual essay ‘Civilisation’. This voice from the past serves as a reminder not only that history repeats itself, but that the dated views and language also form the foundations of the world we live in today, suggesting there is always more work to be done as alluded to with the MeToo movement.
When they find their voices, the strong female characters views are composed of speeches and interviews from more contemporary figures, including amongst others; Germaine Greer, Rose McGowan, Geri Halliwell, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry (who is a selfconfessed fan of Rachel’s work). This ingenious technique as it’s used, which for me is the star of the show, is a trademark of Rachel’s work. It’s used at times to skilfully subvert the original context and meaning of the speeches and other times they amplify their original message. The role that technology plays in the film mirrors this duplicity; is it a force for good creating
“THE TECHNIQUE OF CINÉMA VERITÉ IS USED TO BRING THE CHARACTERS TO LIFE”
“THE DEPTH TO THE WORK AND POLITICAL THEMES EXPLORED BY THIS ALLEGORY MAKE RACHEL STAND OUT AS A MODERN-DAY DIGITAL GEORGE ORWELL.”
spaces for self-expression and for people to explore identity or is technology our master which encourages unrealistic ideals with our self-worth only measured in likes and follows. With young people now at the greatest risk of depression caused by loneliness, it’s a point that really hit home. I’m not sure I can live without my smart phone and at least some social media, but would I be happier if I did? The film has stayed with me while I wrestle with the ideas and points it raised which is always welcome. The depth to the work and political themes explored by this allegory make Rachel stand out as a modern-day digital George Orwell. I’m delighted that this work of beauty, that will be at home as a part of exhibitions in a gallery space, but I believe best seen on the large screen, will be available to a wider audience. ‘Make Me Up’ Cinematic run from the 12th – 30th October followed by a BBC 4 transmission in November.
Visual Arts by John Davidson Page 57
THE SOLSGIRTH SNAKE The huge metal clasp that held my father’s pit bag jumble, a mesh string sack, was A giant’s safety pin. Lilliputian, I was fascinated. Could never touch, But stared up goggle-eyed as it lay dormant on the kitchen counter. The orange boiler suit he wore, soot-stained, crumpled in a ball Spoke of Work and Tired and Don’t Pester Him. I remember The time he brought a fossil home, glossy, blue-black, with the imprint Of scales, rough, around the outside. It was a snake chunk, squat as a sushi roll. No other thing I had owned had held such dread and glamour: such mystery Ageless, reptilian coal: how I treasured it, clutched it in my hand at night Showed it to other awed six year olds, then snatched it back. I have it still. I am older now, and keep it in a drawer: it bides its time. Leona Skene