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CONTENTS

FRONT

News

Puddles Pity Party

FEATURES

5 NOV 2015–4 FEB 2016 | LIST.CO.UK

Hot 100

Christmas and Hogmanay

The Highland Chocolatier Festive food

AROUND TOWN

THE LIST TURNS 30 CHRISTMAS & HOGMANAY SUNSET SONG CELTIC CONNECTIONS Presents

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COVER STORY

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5 NOV 2015—4 FEB 2016 | ISSUE 736

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THE DEFINITIVE CULTURAL COUNTDOWN IS BACK - WHO IS 2015'S NUMBER 1?

SUPPORTED BY

BOOKS

82 83

Highlights

Reeves and Mortimer

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

GREAT OFFERS

COVER WRAP DESIGN: HILLSIDE AGENCY

The List is a mere 30 years young. Have a look at some of our iconic front covers and hear why we started this whole shebang in the first place.

Win tickets to Glasgow Film Festival

‘Tis the season to be jolly. And why not when there’s so much fun to be had both indoors and out as our major cities deliver the festive goods.

85 87

Highlights

89 89

Carol

Steve Jobs

Highlights

KIDS

97 97

Highlights

100

MUSIC

101

Frank Turner

101

Mogwai

102

Detour

104

Classical Highlights

THEATRE

111 114

115

Scottish Ballet’s Cinderella

115

Glasgow Burlesque Festival

116

Rambert

CHRISTMAS & HOGMANAY

James Acaster

White

PHOTO © FRASER CAMERON

Carrie Brownstein

Highlights

79 79

COMEDY

HOT 100 The year’s cultural activity has been analysed, the arguments have been made and the votes have been cast. Has Peter Capaldi retained his spot at the top of our pile in the guise of Doctor Who? In a word, no. Have a look at our dissection of a hard-fought year in which many good things happened (the cult of Sturgeon, the rise of Kathryn Joseph and a Glaswegian helping bring Star Wars to fruition) and bad stuff occured (the death of The Arches). But which figure is our no 1 . . . ?

FILM

Highlights

Fokus

PLUS:

Irn-Bru Carnival

Book Week Scotland

Editor

The List 30th anniversay

FOOD & DRINK

he end of 2015 already? We can’t believe it either. But there’s no better place to be than Scotland when another New Year comes a-calling. We’ve rounded up the best Hogmanay highlights in Edinburgh and Glasgow (page 51) and have a few Christmas tips (page 49) up our sleeve too. Of course, the year-end at List HQ means it’s Hot 100 time. For the 13th year, we’ve put together our annual list of the most influential figures in Scottish culture. Our list this year includes a host of famous faces and plenty of lesser-known people we love. Who do you think has made the number one spot? Turn to page 27 to start the countdown. And if that wasn’t enough of a reason to celebrate, it’s our 30th birthday too. On page 19, we look back at 30 years of The List, as well as 30 excellent years of culture in Scotland. Plus, we preview some of the season’s highlights, including Terence Davies’ film of Sunset Song (page 58), Book Week Scotland (page 82) and the Turner Prize (page 121) – so there’s plenty to keep you going until we’re back in 2016.

Realist

Highlights

VISUAL ART

119 120

121

Turner Prize

121

William Gear

123

Highlights

125

Win a pair of tickets to The Sound of Music in Edinburgh

Win a fabulous festive overnight stay in Glasgow

Win a family ticket to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Marvel’s Jessica Jones

126

Win tickets to manipulate festival reception

Win a course at Dance Base

Peep Show

127

Win a family ticket to Rapunzel at Citizens Theatre

Win tickets to the grand opening of Stramash in Edinburgh

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FIRST & LAST Matt Berry

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GRAPHIC CONTENT

CONTRIBUTORS Publisher & General Editor Robin Hodge Director Simon Dessain

What we’ve been talking about

EDITORIAL Editor Yasmin Sulaiman Senior Writer and Content Editor Scott Henderson Research Manager Kirstyn Smith Senior Researcher Murray Robertson Research Alex Johnston, Rowena McIntosh, Rebecca Monks, Henry Northmore Subeditors Mercy Breheny, Brian Donaldson, Paul McLean Editorial Assistant Louise Stoddart

As more and more Christmas sparkle starts to appear in shops and we begin to look out our festive jumpers, we at List HQ have been reminiscing about our worst Yuletide gifts both given and received. Let’s hope these sorry stories don’t get a repeat this year...

Don’t know if this counts but I once forgot to get my pal a pressie so when she gave me mine I just took one from under my tree (one that was given to me from another pal). I was dying to find out what it was on Christmas but could never ask her! They never found out.

Millionaire Matchmaker (I love a bit of Patti Stanger and her wine mixers) and The Big Bang Theory (‘penny, penny, penny . . . ‘)

I once gave a friend a DVD box-set of In Treatment, the therapy drama starring Gabriel Byrne. Little did I know that he’d just gone into couples counselling with his wife. Ouch.

My best friend once bought me a bag of fat balls for birds. I don’t have pet birds, he just thought it would be funny ‘since I’d put on weight’.

SALES & MARKETING Media Sales Manager Chris Knox Senior Media Sales Executive Debbie Thomson Media Sales Executive Jade Regulski Sales Support Executive Jessica Rodgers Digital Business Development Director Brendan Miles Partnership Director Sheri Friers ! PRODUCTION Production Director Simon Armin Senior Designer Lucy Munro Designer Jen Devonshire DIGITAL Senior Developer Andy Carmichael Software Developer Iain McCusker Senior DBA Andy Bowles ADMINISTRATION Accounts Manager Sarah Reddie Events and Admin Assistant Claire Cooke

My brother bought me a ceramic elephant garden decoration. I don’t have a garden, not any opinion on elephants.

My mum, god love her, bought me some clothes in the sale, they ranged from a size 6 to a 16, I’m a 12! I ended up giving some of them to my brother’s then petite girlfriend and the rest to charity :(

When I was about 8, I really wanted a budgie. My parents pretended they got me one for Christmas, and then pissed themselves when I opened a card with a picture of a budgie on it. Obviously I found it HILARIOUS. Luckily I am not bitter about it....

My sister’s birthday is on Christmas Eve. For her 12th birthday our Gran bought her a jigsaw, followed by a jigsaw carrier on Christmas Day, because what use is a jigsaw if you can’t take it everywhere with you?

SECTION EDITORS Around Town / Music Kirstyn Smith Books / Film Scotland Yasmin Sulaiman Comedy / Front Brian Donaldson Dance / Kids Kelly Apter Film Reviews Emma Simmonds Food & Drink Donald Reid News Rebecca Monks Theatre Gareth K Vile TV Henry Northmore Visual Art Rachael Cloughton

Published by The List Ltd HEAD OFFICE: 14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE Tel: 0131 550 3050, Fax: 0131 557 8500, list.co.uk, email editor@list.co.uk GLASGOW OFFICE: at the CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD Tel: 0141 332 9929, glasgow@list.co.uk ISSN: 0959 - 1915 © 2015 The List Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without the written permission of the publishers. The List does not accept responsibility for unsolicited material. The List provides this content in good faith but no guarantee or representation is given that the content is accurate, complete or up-to-date. Use of magazine content is at your own risk. Printed by Acorn Web Offset Ltd, W.Yorkshire.

4 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 5

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The

REALIST R E B M E V O N

PHOTO © KEVIN TACHMAN

2 Book Week Scotland BOOKS

Diana Gabaldon, AL Kennedy, Alan Cumming (pictured) and Michel Faber are among those showing up for BWS with the theme of ‘transformation’ being explored through author events, school tours and a chance to vote for the best quote ever in a book. See preview, page 82. Various venues, Scotland, Mon 23–Sat 28 Nov.

PHOTO © IDIL SUKAN

1 Edinburgh’s Christmas AROUND TOWN

An astonishing array of talent has been gathered up for this year’s festive celebrations in the capital so hang on to Christmas hats and spread your tinsel across this lot: Camille O’Sullivan, Austentatious (pictured), Shit-Faced Shakespeare, Scottee, Frisky & Mannish, Stick Man, Liz Lochhead, Circa and Puddles Pity Party. There’s also extra fun to be had with the Big Wheel, the Christmas Tree Slide and Princes Street Gardens Ice Rink. See feature, page 49. Various venues, Edinburgh, until Mon 4 Jan.

3 William Gear VISUAL ART

With a title such as The Painter that Britain Forgot, you can tell that those behind this exhibition insist that Gear is a wholly underrated talent. Judge for yourself. See review, page 123. City Art Centre, Edinburgh, until Sun 14 Feb.

6 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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So much culture, so little time. We boil it down to a selection of the very best events

4 Sonica

5 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

‘Sonic art for the visually minded’ is the festival’s tagline and bearing that out are David Fennessy with a musical journey inspired by Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo, Kathy Hinde’s interactive sound map (above) and Picture Window, a public art projection about song. See list.co.uk. Various venues, Glasgow, until Sun 8 Nov.

The epic global phenomenon comes to a stunning close with the stakes raised even higher for Katniss (played once again by the redoubtable Jennifer Lawrence) and her crew. But what does the future really have in store for Panem and District 13? General release from Fri 20 Nov.

MUSIC

FILM

PHOTO © VICTORIA SANDERS

6 Museum Lates

7 Bill Hicks: Ultimate 8 Peep Show

9 Detour

Hot 100 duo Honeyblood (above) are in town to head up the music programme as hosted by Vic Galloway. Other delights include a Victorian Selfie Studio and the secret history of tattoos. See Highlights, page 111. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Fri 13 Nov.

Some 21 years after his death the preacher comic still has the power to shock, move and enrage. A new collection of classic live shows will keep his memory alive. Though a potential Russell Crowe biopic might do its best to tarnish it. PIAS Comedy, Mon 9 Nov.

The List has a firm hand in the latest Detour promotion as Sixfest (six gigs celebrating six years of Detour) which features the likes of Happy Meals (pictured), Bdy_Prts, Bossy Love and YAK. See preview, page 104. Various venues, Glasgow, Mon 23–Sat 28 Nov.

AROUND TOWN

COMEDY

Hicks

MUSIC

It’s time to say farewell to Mark and Jez (played by David Mitchell and Robert Webb) as the ninth series of the innovative POV comedy series prepares to conclude the pair’s often tragic adventures. See preview, page 127. Channel 4, Wed 11 Nov.

10 The Prodigy

CHOSEN BY SHONA REPPE, CREATOR OF MAGIC SHO

I’m taking a trip down memory lane with my husband and sister to worship at the altar of the Prodigy at Glasgow’s Hydro. Since 1990 this group has left its distinctive mark on the world and with Keith Flint at the helm and featuring special guests Public Enemy, this should be a night to remember (I saw Public Enemy in Australia last year at the Perth Festival in a really small venue and they were one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live). It’s a shame we are seated: I just wish we’d bought tickets earlier as I’m not sure I’ll be able to sit still while listening to ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’. So bring it on Godfathers of Rave! I’m bringing my glow sticks, wearing a whistle and leaving my children at home. The Prodigy, SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 23 Nov; Magic Sho, Traverse Theatre, Thu 19–Sat 21 Nov; shonareppe.co.uk 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 7

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R E B M E C E D

1 Hogmanay

AROUND TOWN

It’s the time of year when Scotland well and truly comes alive as we say ta-ta to one year and welcome in another. In Edinburgh, there’s Concert in the Gardens, the Loony Dook and the dramatic Torchlight Procession while Glasgow ushers in 2016 with a programme of events centred around George Square. See feature, page 51. Various venues, Scotland, Thu 31 Dec.

PHOTO © LLOYD SMITH PHOTO © TANYA BONAKDAR GALLERY, NEW YORK

2 Star Wars: The Force Awakens

3 Turner Prize

JJ Abrams has only gone and broken pre-sale cinema records with the new Star Wars movie. But he couldn’t have done it without the assistance of his Glaswegian AD, Tommy Gormley. May the force be with you and all that. See Highlights, page 96. General release from Thu 17 Dec.

Excitement will be at fever pitch as Glasgow prepares to unveil the winner of the biggest gong in visual arts for the first time ever. The ironically and unusually Glasgow-free shortlist comprises Assemble, Bonnie Camplin, Janice Kerbel and Nicole Wermers. See preview, page 121. Tramway, Glasgow, Mon 7 Dec.

FILM

VISUAL ART

8 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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The

REALIST PHOTO © MAARTEN HOLL

4 Scottish Ballet’s Cinderella DANCE

Choreographer Christopher Hampson has packed the emotion in to his new take on the classic tale of one lady and her missing slipper. Having produced it for the Royal New Zealand Ballet back in 2007, he has form. See preview, page 115. Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 5–Thu 31 Dec; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 12–Sat 16 Jan.

5Wardrobe The Lion, the Witch and the THEATRE

6 Kid Canaveral MUSIC

The Edinburgh-based quartet get themselves firmly into the spirit of the season to put on their sixth annual festive extravaganza with a 3pmlate shindig featuring lovely decorations, a bar and some very special guests. Will you last the distance? Pilrig St Paul’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sat 19 Dec.

7 White

8 Sunset Song

9 Ali Bawbag & the Four Tealeafs

Catherine Wheels’ superb show for pre-schoolers is still going strong after some 1000 performances since it debuted in 2010. Get your little ones along to see a world of colourless clothes, bird boxes, tents and spectacles. See preview, page 97. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 12–Thu 24 Dec.

Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s epic tale of early 20th century rural Aberdeenshire life is brought to the big screen by Terence Davies whose touch has never been less than elegant. Agyness Deyn stars as Chris Guthrie. See feature, page 59 and review, page 91. Selected release from Fri 4 Dec.

PHOTO © DOUGLAS MCBRIDE

From the team who brought you previous festive shows such as The BFG and A Christmas Carol comes a version of CS Lewis’ classic novel about snow, a faun and a magical bit of furniture. See Highlights page 120. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 28 Nov–Sun 3 Jan.

KIDS

FILM

THEATRE

Dave Anderson and Gary McNair are the sharp minds behind this year’s panto for ‘grownup children’ featuring a greedy brother, his aspirational wife and a band of robbers. See Highlights, page 120. Òran Mór, Glasgow, Mon 30 Nov–Wed 23 Dec.

10 It’s a Wonderful Life

CHOSEN BY COMEDIAN MARK NELSON

The event I most look forward to every single December is the showing of It’s a Wonderful Life at the Grosvenor cinema in Glasgow. It’s one of the simplest yet most beautiful films ever made, and watching it truly defines Christmas for me. I cry at the majority of things so naturally this has me in floods of tears every single time I watch it. What I love is the darkness the film manages to address whilst still maintaining that feelgood tone. And the Grosvenor is the perfect place to see it on the excellent Ashton Lane, relaxed and with a beer. I defy anyone to leave this film not feeling better about themselves and the world in general. Attaboy Clarence. It’s a Wonderful Life, Grosvenor, Glasgow, Fri 11–Thu 24 Dec; Mark Nelson is at The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 14–Sat 19 Dec, Thu 7 Sat 9 Jan; The Stand, Edinburgh, Wed 18 Nov, Wed 20 Jan. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 9

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The

REALIST

Y R A JANU

PHOTO © LLOYD SMITH

1 Celtic Connections

2 Sherlock

The UK’s foremost music gathering ofall things celtic (and celtic-related) has another stunning bill to start our cultural year with an almighty bang. Among the far too many highlights to mention are Rickie Lee Jones, Toumani Diabaté (pictured), Alasdair Roberts, Peatbog Faeries, The Unthanks, Phil Cunningham, Lucinda Williams, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Piaf! The Show, the Chieftains and Robert Plant. See feature, page 63. Various venues, Glasgow, 14–31 Jan.

Benedict Cumberbatch takes a break from chatting to Yorick to travel back in time for this one-off, ‘The Abominable Bride’. Set in 1895, it’ll be screened in over 100 UK cinemas simultaneously. BBC One, Fri 1 Jan.

3 Scot:Lands

4 The Hateful Eight

5 Reeves and Mortimer

Shake off those misadventures from the night before to get out and about the capital’s Old Town for an unpredictable journey into much cultural pleasure. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for an exciting line-up of diverse acts who will be doing their Ne’er Day thing. See feature, page 54. Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 1 Jan.

There might not be any police in the audience when you see Quentin Tarantino’s new western, but fans of the outspoken director will no doubt revel in the tale of strangers stuck in a blizzard. Samuel L Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell are among its stars. General release from Fri 8 Jan.

We can only hope that this goes ahead as it could be one of the comedy gigs of 2016. But Bob Mortimer’s health is the key factor in whether catchphrases such as ‘you wouldn’t let it lie’ and ‘what’s on the end of the stick, Vic?’ will be unleashed. See preview, page 85. Edinburgh Playhouse, Sun 31 Jan.

MUSIC

AROUND TOWN

FILM

COMEDY

10 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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READER OFFERS WIN A FAMILY TICKET TO RAPUNZEL

WIN A FABULOUS FESTIVE OVERNIGHT IN GLASGOW

Let down your hair this Christmas at the Citizens Theatre. The colours and chaos of the blooming garden surrounding Rapunzel’s tower burst into the beautiful auditorium of the Citizens Theatre. An abundance of colourful characters run amok through the sunny Italian countryside, played by a motley troupe of actors performing original songs and music live on stage. The List are giving away a family ticket for up to five people to see Rapunzel on Thu 17 Dec. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/ offers and tell us:

Where is Rapunzel set? Rapunzel Citizens Theatre 119 Gorbals Street Glasgow, G5 9DS 28 Nov 2015 - 3 Jan 2016

citz.co.uk TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes 7 Dec 2015. Ticket is for up to five people on Thu 17 Dec 2015. Tickets may be exchanged for an alternative performance at the discretion of the Citizens Theatre. Usual list rules apply.

WIN A FAMILY TICKET TO THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

We have teamed up with the great people at Glasgow Loves Christmas to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a fabulous festive stay in Glasgow. The winner will arrive by train and stay at Grand Central Hotel located in the heart of the bustling city overlooking the concourse of Central Station. With its very own champagne bar and a variety of fabulous, festive activities planned throughout the season, including a Christmas family fun day, the four-star hotel is the perfect place to escape this winter.

“It's a magic wardrobe. There's a wood inside it, and it's snowing, and there's a faun and a witch and it's called Narnia. Come and see.” This Christmas, The Lyceum is delighted to present C.S. Lewis’ classic tale The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Step with us through a dusty wardrobe and into a snowy landscape filled with thrilling adventure. Meet the majestic Aslan, the loveable Mr Tumnus and his fantastical friends and join their quest to free Narnia from the spell of the White Witch. The List are giving away a family ticket to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on Fri 11 Dec 2015, 7pm. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:

Who wrote the book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Royal Lyceum Theatre Grindlay Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AX 28 Nov 2015 - 3 Jan 2016 Suitable for all ages. All children’s tickets half price.

lyceum.org.uk #LionWitchWardrobe | #lyceum50 TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 4 Dec. Prize is for a family ticket only: four tickets which must include one guest under 18. No cash alternative. Usual List rules apply.

This prize also includes two tickets to George Square Ice-Rink. Glasgow on Ice is the coolest day out this winter where you can skate under the sparkling Christmas lights at George Square until 10pm every night. The unique double-deck pavilion will give you fantastic views over the open-air ice rink while you sit back, relax and absorb the amazing atmosphere with a festive drink as you watch the world glide by. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:

In which square will you find Glasgow on Ice? Glasgow on Ice George Square, Glasgow 27 Nov - 31 Dec 2015

glasgowloveschristmas.com grandcentralhotel.co.uk

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes 4 Dec 2015. One winner will receive one overnight stay at Grand Central Hotel for two people and travel to Glasgow. Subject to availability upon booking. Open to UK based residents only. Overnight stay must be redeemed by 5 January 2016. Glasgow on Ice must be redeemed by 31 Dec 2015.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 11

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READER OFFERS WIN TICKETS TO THE WORLD FAMOUS EDINBURGH’S HOGMANAY STREET PARTY!

WIN TICKETS TO THE SOUND OF MUSIC IN EDINBURGH Starring BBC One’s The Voices’ Lucy O’Byrne as Maria von Trapp and Gray O’Brien (Coronation Street) as Captain von Trapp. One of the greatest musicals of all time returns to the stage in a magnificent new production to enchant and enthral the young and the young at heart. The Sound of Music features some of the world’s most memorable songs, including Edelweiss, My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi and of course, the title song, The Sound of Music. This new production of the classic stage musical coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the film version, the best loved and most successful movie musical in history. The List are giving away two tickets to The Sound of Music on Tue 5 Jan 7.30pm performance. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list. co.uk/offers and tell us:

What year was the multi-award winning film The Sound of Music released? The Sound of Music Edinburgh Playhouse Tue 5–Sat 9 Jan

atgtickets.com/Edinburgh playhousetheatre.com TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 14 Dec 2015. Tickets are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash. Usual list rules apply.

Release Your Party Animal this New Year! Last year, a sell-out Edinburgh’s Hogmanay welcomed over 150,000 revellers from over 70 countries to celebrate at the ‘Home of Hogmanay’, with three days of incredible free and ticketed events, spectacular fireworks, music, dance and Street Party extravaganzas. This year an incredible lineup features the very best in live music featuring Biffy Clyro, Idlewild, Maximo Park, Slaves, Shooglenifty, Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, plus much, much more…

WIN TICKETS TO GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2016

From the warm embrace of the Torchlight Procession (30 Dec), radiating light through the winter darkness, exhilaration of the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party (31 Dec) and spectacular Midnight Fireworks, to the inspiring free New Year’s Day arts programme Scot:Lands and hilarious Stoats Loony Dook, Edinburgh comes alive at Hogmanay and continues to be voted as one of the top New Year experiences in the world. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and The List are giving you the chance to kick-start 2016 in style with five pairs of tickets to the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Street Party. To be in with a chance of winning, just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:

What Street Party band’s debut album ‘A Certain Trigger’ is celebrating its 10th anniversary?

Glasgow Film Festival returns for its 12th edition from 17-28 February 2016. While programme details remain tightly under wraps for now, we can guarantee 12 days of premieres, parties and unforgettable special events spread across Glasgow.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay 2016 Wed 30 Dec 2015 – Fri 1 Jan 2016

Last year events ranged from Strictly Ballroom at Kelvingrove Museum to an immersive screening of Mad Max 2 at the IMAX. Guests over the 12 days of the festival included actors Alan Rickman and Cliff Curtis, filmmaker Carol Morley, Gravity’s Oscar-winning sound design guru Glenn Freemantle and beloved author William McIlvanney. The full 2016 line-up will be revealed at the programme launch on Wed 20 Jan, with tickets on sale from Mon 25 Jan.

@edhogmanay Share your Edinburgh’s Hogmanay experience with the world through #Blogmanay

The List are giving away one pair of tickets to the Opening Gala of Glasgow Film Festival 2016 on 17 Feb 2016. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:

Event details and tickets are available now at edinburghshogmanay.com or 0844 5738455. Register at edinburghshogmanay.com for regular event updates and programme announcements. TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 4 Dec 2015. Entrants must be over 16 years old. Visit edinburghshogmanay. com for full T&C's. Usual List rules apply.

When will the 2016 line-up be revealed? GFT, CCA and venues throughout Glasgow 17- 28 Feb 2016 Wed 17 Feb 2016 - Opening Gala

glasgowfilm.org/festival TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Mon 8 Feb 2016. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. No cash alternative. Usual List rules apply.

12 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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READER OFFERS WIN TICKETS TO THE GRAND OPENING OF STRAMASH

WIN TICKETS TO THE MANIPULATE FESTIVAL RECEPTION

Located in the heart of the Old Town Stramash is Edinburgh’s newest live music venue. Operating over two floors with a significant live music stage, accessed from all areas courtesy of a unique mezzanine floor, the quality, appearance and interior, establish Stramash as a ‘larger than life’ venue and one of the most unrivalled and individual bars in Edinburgh. The List are giving you and up to six friends the chance to attend the unforgettable Stramash VIP Grand Opening Party on Thu 26 Nov. Multi award winning band Skerryvore will play, supported by Mad Ferret. The party includes a drinks reception, canapes and live music. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:

Who is the supporting band at the Opening Party? Stramash 207 Cowgate, Edinburgh Thu 26 Nov, 5.30pm to late

stramashedinburgh.com TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 20 Nov 2015. Entrants must be over 18 years old. Usual List rules apply.

WIN A COURSE AT DANCE BASE

The annual festival of innovative and exceptional international visual theatre and film, manipulate, returns to Edinburgh in Jan 2016. The List have teamed up with manipulate Festival to offer readers the chance to celebrate the festival's launch over a glass of fizz and canapés with a few words from Puppet Animation Scotland's Artistic Director, Simon Hart. Winners will also be treated to a performance of The Table from awardwinning and acclaimed theatre company Blind Summit. The Table is about Moses, a cantankerous three-man-operated puppet who lives on a table. A cross between Tommy Cooper and Eddie Izzard, this table-top philosopher and comedian is the funniest cardboard-headed puppet you'll ever meet. Dance Base is on a mission to get more people dancing! They exist to encourage and celebrate the potential for dance in everyone. The List are giving away a 12-week course of your choice at Dance Base. Spring 2016 term runs from 4 Jan – Sat 26 Mar 2016, and courses are available in a variety of levels and styles, including: ballet, tap jazz, aerial, hip hop, acrobalance, flamenco, tango, Cuban salsa and many more. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and complete the title of this famous musical:

Singin’ in the …? Dance Base 14-16 Grassmarket Edinburgh EH1 2JU

dancebase.co.uk TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 8 Jan 2016. One course only to be taken in Spring 2016. Subject to availability. Non-transferable and no cash alternative. The List’s usual rules apply.

The List are giving away two tickets for the reception of manipulate Festival and the performance of Blind Summit's The Table on Wed 3 Feb, starting from 6pm with the performance at 7.30pm. To be in with a chance of winning just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:

Who produces manipulate Festival? Manipulate Festival Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, EH1 2ED Wed 3 Feb 6pm-8.40pm

manipulatefestival.org @PuppetAnimationScot @manipulatefest TERMS & CONDITIONS: Competition closes Fri 22 Jan. No cash alternative. Usual List rules apply.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 13

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CREATIVE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Name of business? The Store Hus Tell us more: Store Hus designs are bright and bold and use strong pattern and colour combinations to create hand screen printed practical and decorative items for the home. The Scandinavian practical and functional approach to design and pattern found in our everyday surroundings forms our key sources of inspiration and our products are designed to bring joy into everyday tasks. Where can we find you? www.thestorehus.co.uk Cultural Enterprise Office offers free advice and support to those starting, running and growing their creative business or practice. Clients come to us for all kinds of help â&#x20AC;&#x201C; defining what they do, promoting their work, sourcing funding, and advice about legal structures and intellectual property rights.

www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk

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NEWS

For more news go to

LIST.CO.UK /NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS, LINE-UPS AND OPINION

MU SIC IN PARA D I S E

H OME ARTS D E P OT

Paradise Palms, Edinburgh’s much-loved slinger of cocktails and tasty Ninja Buns, now has an in-house record store. The Palms Record Store is open on Saturday and Sunday (or by appointment), and vends secondhand albums, 7” and 12” records. Meanwhile, the venue has also launched a record label, which aims to unearth some of the city’s grassroots talent, and will take on all aspects of music promotion, from management and touring to licensing and distribution, with the key focus remaining on the artist and their development.

The venue that was once the Meridian bar on Leith Walk is set to be transformed into a new independent restaurant and mixed arts venue. The Leith Depot is set to open in the near future (no exact date as of yet), and will feature a dedicated events space for 60-70 people, as well as a dining and drinking area.

THE CITY OF BLINDING LIGHTS This year, Edinburgh’s Christmas is stepping it up a notch, with the Virgin Money Street of Light: an architectural installation featuring over 60,000 lights, stretching along the Royal Mile, set to music from a selection of Edinburgh choirs. 100,000 free tickets were snapped up in a matter of days, which if nothing else, proves that people really do enjoy pretty, twinkly lights at Christmas time.

GET WELL SOON, BOB The November and December dates of Vic ‘n’ Bob’s 25 Years of Reeves and Mortimer: The Poignant Moments tour have been cancelled, as Bob Mortimer is recovering from a triple heart bypass operation. According to a spokesperson for the funny man, ‘Bob very much hopes to be fit and well enough to perform the second leg in January next year.’

AUT H OR MU LLS WI N OVE R Mull Historical Society musician and author author Colin MacIntyre has won the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award, for his debut novel, The Letters of Ivor Punch,

published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. The book tells the story of Ivor Punch, a former policeman from an unnamed Scottish island, who sends letters to public figures, most notably Barack Obama.

GLASGOW GETS MOD FOR 2019 2016 still seems far away, but we’re looking ahead to 2019: the year that Glasgow has been selected to host the Royal National Mòd, which will make it 29 years since the festival was last held in the city. 2016’s event will take place in the Western Isles.

FLYI N G T H E LI TERA RY FLAG The shortlists for the Saltire Literary Awards have been announced, and it includes Irvine Welsh, Michel Faber, Kate Atkinson, Janice Galloway (pictured) and Andrew O’Hagan, amongst others. The awards date back to 1937, and there are six categories, including First Book of the Year, History Book of the Year, Research Book of the Year, Poetry Book of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year. Each winner goes on to compete for the overall Saltire Scottish Book of the Year title. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 15

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NEWS Carey Lander: 1982–2015

COMING UP

Malcolm Jack remembers the musician and Camera Obscura keyboard player, who passed away from cancer in October

PHOTO © ©HOWARTH-LOOMES COLLECTION AT NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOT

• Museum Lates: Victorian Sensation Sensation, guest-programmed by The List, is happening on Fri 13 Nov. It’s hosted by Vic Galloway, with live music from Honeyblood and BDY_PRTS, as well as entry to the exhibition, Photography: A Victorian Sensation. • Edinburgh’s Christmas runs from Fri 20 Nov-Mon 4 Jan, with highlights including performances of Stick Man, Circa, Puddles Pity Party and more, as well as the European market, ice skating, rides and attractions. PHOTO © ANNA ISOLA CROLLA

arey lived around the corner from me. We were the same age, 33, when she died from cancer. I can’t claim to have known her especially well, but I do know some of her friends and bandmates, and above all the wonderful music she made with Camera Obscura. My heart breaks over and over again whenever I think of how her passing affects them all. Carey joined Camera Obscura as their keyboardist in 2002, and played on the Glasgow indie-pop band’s next four albums from 2003’s Underachievers Please Try Harder through to 2013’s Desire Lines. Together with singer Traceyanne Campbell – with whom she is pictured on the cover of Underachievers – Carey was in many ways the face of the band, always so beautifully turned out in her vintage dresses and spectacles (when not on tour she could sometimes be found serving behind the counter at a popular Glasgow second-hand store). Her playing was a completely integral part of the Camera Obscura sound as it matured and developed from shy and inauspicious beginnings into the lush, handsome, yearning, treasurable pleasure it is today. Listen to the swirling organ intro of ‘Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken’, the elegant piano line of ‘My Maudlin Career’ or the soaring synth-strings melody of ‘Break It To You Gently’ and you’ll appreciate exactly what I mean. The first I heard of Carey’s illness, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma, was in 2013 when I interviewed Traceyanne for The List ahead of the release of Desire Lines. By that time she had successfully undergone treatment, and

her outlook seemed very positive. She went on to tour Desire Lines all over the world, playing some of the biggest and best shows Camera Obscura ever played. The last time I bumped into her she was at the pub with her pals, talking and laughing and enjoying life. In the summer of 2015, Carey’s illness returned suddenly, ‘tripping me up again’ as she put it. Her final public act was one of humbling bravery and generosity that channeled all the love and respect she and her band have earned over the years into helping an exceptionally worthwhile cause. Her online fundraising campaign for the charity Sarcoma UK went viral and attracted donations and endorsements from friends and strangers alike from every corner of the globe. Carey smashed her fundraising targets several times over (‘Well this is embarrassing . . . we seem to have exceeded £25K ALREADY,’ read her last update), topping £60,000 by the time she passed away. That’s the largest single appeal in Sarcoma UK’s history. Perhaps even more significantly, Carey has raised awareness immeasurably for a type of cancer which tragically occurs most commonly in children and which, because of its rarity, receives scarce attention or funding. Carey’s Sarcoma UK fundraiser remains open in her memory and the total continues to rise. You can and should donate now, to try and help prevent more talented and precious souls like Carey from being taken from among us much too young. Help raise funds for Sarcoma UK by donating at justgiving.com/carey-lander

• Book Week Scotland takes place from Mon 23-Sun 29 Nov, and features author appearances, workshops, activities and reading events. Highlights include Diana Gabaldon, Michel Faber and AL Kennedy. • St Andrew’s Day comes around again on Mon 30 Nov. In Edinburgh, St Andrew’s Square is home to a series of events, including Dean Owens and Stick Man, while Glasgow Loves St Andrew’s Day is taking place in the city centre all day (details to be confirmed). • Edinburgh’s Hogmanay looks set to be a cracker, with the Torchlight Procession on Wed 30 Dec, followed by the world-famous street party, the Concert in the Gardens with Biffy Clyro and the inaugural Old Town Ceilidh on Thu 31 Dec. • On New Year’s Day, Scot:Lands is landing in Edinburgh’s Old Town. This mini-festival features series of events from some of Scotland’s top artists and musicians. Full line-up to be confirmed. • The Turner Prize exhibition at the Tramway wraps up on Sun 17 Jan. Mind and catch it before it does, it’s supposed to be a big deal in the art world or something. • Celtic Connections takes place in Glasgow Fri 15-Sun 31 Jan, featuring an international cast of over 2000 musicians descend upon Glasgow, to create over 300 events.

16 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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BIG PICTURE PUDDLES PITY PARTY

A sensational hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, gigantic clown Puddles (actually the 6ft 8” frame of one Michael Geier) is back to seduce the capital once again as part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. Prepare to be gently coaxed on stage to accompany Puddles on his musical and emotional voyage. For those with even the mildest coulrophobia, he might look like your worst nightmare but the Pity Party man has the voice of an angel. A 6ft 8” baritone angel. St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Fri 18–Mon 21 Dec.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 17

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30 YEARS - OF -

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30 YEARS OF COVERS In the year Back to the Future blazed into cinemas, a new magazine stormed into Glasgow and Edinburgh. The Listâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambition was to capture the major stars of the day and unveil those who would be famous in years to come, both in Scotland and internationally. And never was this story clearer than with our choice of cover stars. Over the last 30 years, our iconic covers have featured major global icons but the cream of Scottish talent has had pride of place: Robbie Coltrane, Shirley Henderson, Ewan Nicolson, Frankie Boyle, Michael Clark and Billy Connolly for just a bunch. Here are 30 of our favourites.

20 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4 Feb 2016

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30 YEARS OF THE LIST

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THE DEFINITIVE CULTURAL COUNTDOWN IS BACK - WHO IS 2015'S NUMBER 1?

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22 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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BOTTLE BANK BAND HABADEKUK IAIN MACFARLANE & INGRID HENDERSON THE WRIGLEY SISTERS GREG LAWSON & PETE GARNETT THE NORDIC FIDDLERS BLOC

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17 28! February! 2016! ! #GFF16! ! glasgowfilm.org/festival Q)F0%FJ5+'/%+H%1&.1D')1+I)*&% -%()F2.1D+@'*2.)&6+'/%+*FE41 F%'F%4'+.&+C%FA%('+A)F+5)*F P/F.&'04&+&/)CC.1D+&CF%%&R

Glasgow Film Festival is an operating name of Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT), a company limited by guarantee, registered in Scotland No. 97369, and registered as a charity (No SC005932).

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24 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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30 YEARS OF THE LIST

WE’VE HAD IT COVERED The List’s publisher Robin Hodge looks back on the last 30 years

he List was launched in October 1985 by a group of people who were committed to supporting and celebrating the cultural life of Scotland. We took the broadest possible view of culture including arts, entertainment and events of every conceivable sort. The hope was that, by publicising all that was happening and drawing attention to the very best, more would be encouraged to happen. The first editors, Nigel Billen and Sarah Hemming, helped put together the initial team, each with a passionate interest in their own area of expertise. They had confidence that the quality of work produced in Scotland and the range of events taking place were of sufficient significance to merit attention. This confidence has been amply justified. We have never been short of things to write about. Over the past 30 years, the range of writers who have established international reputations based on work produced in Scotland has been remarkable. One need only think of Alasdair Gray, Irvine Welsh, Ali Smith, Alexander McCall Smith or Ian Rankin. The international respect for visual artists trained in Scotland and especially at Glasgow School of Art has been repeatedly acknowledged in the award of five Turner Prizes in recent years. Similar achievements are apparent in the world of rock music (Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian, Jesus and Mary Chain), classical music (James McMillan, Nicola Benedetti, Evelyn Glennie) and filmmaking (Ken Loach, Peter Mullan, Andrea Arnold). In the high profile area of acting, Scotland has produced many stars: David Tennant, Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi and James McAvoy. In terms of events, the growth of the Edinburgh Festival has been phenomenal (from less than 1000 shows on the Fringe in 1985 to over 3000 today), together with the impact of Celtic Connections and T in the Park and the numerous festivals which have sprung up across the country. Food and drink formed part of the brief we set ourselves at the start and has grown to become a major part of our annual activity. Through the Eating & Drinking Guide, we have tried to support those who run the best restaurants and, through our Larder series, we have highlighted the unique quality of produce from different parts of the country. This would of course all have happened without The List, but we like to think that we have played a part by at least noticing what was going on around us. At the beginning we concentrated on Glasgow and Edinburgh, but in 2007 we began to expand our horizons. We now publish, in digital format, a guide to events across the whole of the UK. This is growing and expanding week by week and is now viewed by over 2 million people a month. The passion and commitment to supporting the arts and celebrating exceptional work, which was present 30 years ago, continues undiminished.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 25

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26 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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ARTFULLY THE CRAFTED BY

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Since 2003, we’ve been compiling our annual list of Scotland’s most influential figures in arts and culture. Typically, this year’s Hot 100 list is a fine showcase of local talent – from film and TV stars to emerging comedians and theatremakers. Meet the class of 2015... SUPPORTED BY

CONTRIBUTORS: Kelly Apter, Brian Donaldson, Scott Henderson, Rowena McIntosh, Rebecca Monks, Henry Northmore, David Pollock, Donald Reid, Murray Robertson, Kirstyn Smith, Stewart Smith, Yasmin Sulaiman, Gareth K Vile 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 27

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THE NOT 100 EDINBURGH’S ‘RIBBON’ HOTEL We’re not here to knock Jestico + Whiles’ plan for the new hotel which will feature prominently in Edinburgh’s plan to replace the St James Centre. After all, architecture depends on taste and perspective, like any art. But did nobody look at the gold swirl which is intended to make its outer edge look like an uncoiled printer ribbon and think ‘doesn’t that look like something else?’ Lo, the ‘turd hotel’ was born.

BREWDOG Their decision to become a living wage employer in 2014 was reason to applaud them heartily. But this isn’t credit in the bank when your latest dudebrotastic marketing campaign deserves rightful lambasting for implied transphobia and mocking of sex workers. Or ‘Brewdog patter’, as it was christened.

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JIM MURPHY He loved a footballing metaphor, did the former Scottish Labour leader, so we’ll be charitable and call his jaw-dropping loss of all but one of the party’s Scottish seats a massively humiliating own goal. Yet in truth, they were beaten before kick-off. Kezia Dugdale, take note of the lesson: it’s probably something to do with not underestimating Nicola Sturgeon.

EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE ARCHES FAILING We know there are two very different schools of opinion where drug policy is concerned, and that the venue’s troubles started with an undeniably tragic event. But it wasn’t just for a few hundred enthusiastic ravers that the entirely avoidable shutdown of The Arches was a tragedy; the city of Glasgow and her sense of self as somewhere open and welcoming to music and the arts took a major hit.

100

JUSTICE POET

FINNIESTON FAVOURITES

The man who has previously rhymed ‘cider’ with ‘al-Qaida’ returned to the Edinburgh Fringe with Countrybile. Offering a series of poems about the state of Britain viewed from his new residency in rural Dorset, the Bard of Dundee wore his tartan with pride. (BD)

The go-to restaurant of the year in Glasgow, Jonathon MacDonald’s outfit stands out even in its progressive neighbourhood for its creativity, precise cooking (thanks to head chef Daniel Spurr) and poised confidence. A List Eating & Drinking Guide Newcomer of the Year winner back in April. (DR)

Elvis McGonagall

Neil Slorance

SUPPORTED BY

Shudder. Those who were there, trying to get in, picking up or heading out, won’t quickly forget the slow crawl along threadlike country roads. T know what went wrong and they’ve fronted up with a statement promising to sort it out next year, but it was an unpleasant reminder of the precise organisation involved in an event of this scale.

COMIC STRIPPER

Mark Nelson

The Glasgow illustrator and comic artist completed the fourth edition of Dungeon Fun, drew along with Eurovision, created the iconic Glasgow Comic Con poster, contributed artwork (including the cover) to the 12th Doctor comic and still found time for Bake Off fan art. (RoM)

DARK MATERIALIST

98 THAT T IN THE PARK TRAFFIC

Ox and Finch

Richard Gadd

With Older Than Jesus, the Glasgow-based comic cemented his reputation as one of the nation’s sharpest tellers of cheeky if bleak gags. He also appeared in So That’s What We Voted For? at the Assembly Rooms and a monthly satire show at The Stand. (BD)

MOOSE TRAPPER

SQIFF

An eventful Fringe month ended with Gadd having scooped an Amused Moose award for his latest intense and puntastic show: Waiting for Gaddot following hot on the bruised heels of 2014’s Breaking Gadd. A TV pilot is being filmed of this August’s hit. (BD)

PARTY PEOPLE

The Scottish Queer International Film Festival launched this year, and became Scotland’s first inclusive celebration of queer cinema. The programme offered a diverse look at LGBTI people’s lives, and featured more than 30 events over four days, including UK premieres, parties and workshops. (RM)

28 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Sacred Paws HAND MAIDENS

The tropical post-punk duo of guitarist Rachel Aggs and drummer Eilidh Rodgers released their long-awaited debut EP on Mogwai’s Rock Action records in March. They followed it up with a series of great gigs, sweeping audiences onto the dancefloor. (SS)

Andrew O’Hagan ILLUMINATING AUTHOR

The Glasgow-born writer earned himself a third career appearance on the Booker longlist with The Illuminations, a moving story which veers between Scotland, Afghanistan and Blackpool to cover war, homecoming and families. (BD)

JOAN CLEVILLÉ CLEVILLE BOY

A former dancer with Scottish Dance Theatre, Clevillé made the bold move to start his own Dundee-based company this year. If debut outing Plan B for Utopia is anything to go by, his future in dance theatre is very, very bright. (KA)

IRVINE WELSH JOURNEY MAN

Notorious lothario Terry ‘Juice’ Lawson was given a novel of his own in A Decent Ride. Packed with filthy charm and characters old and new, it was a comic triumph with plenty of depth through its exploitation of celebrity culture and the treatment of sex workers. (RoM)

HEATHER LEIGH

processed food in her book Swallow This, exposing the relentless deceit, subterfuge, self-righteousness and, at times, recklessness of the companies who stock our supermarket shelves. (DR)

presence on the Scottish dance scene for a while. But now she’s moved into choreography, things are really hotting up, with Hunting Dust one of the most exciting moments at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. (KA)

NO MISTAKE

TRICKSY BELLE

Releasing their fourth album on Mogwai’s Rock Action label, the Glasgow trio gave us a new Lease of Life and took a bold new step forward in the process. A Glasgow ABC appearance will usher in their 2016. (BD)

Still one of Scotland’s finest DJs (and a designer, to boot), Clair Stirling has filled her year with shows for Rinse FM, a headline European tour, the top spot at LuckyMe’s showcase (she’s a member of the collective) at Amsterdam Dance Event and an upcoming support for Hudson Mohawke at the Warehouse Project. (DP)

ERRORS

NUMBERS FUN FIGURES

Their club dates have been collectors’ items this year, but the Glasgow-founded troupe did manage a Numbers v Optimo special in Barcelona and their 12th birthday boat party in Glasgow in the space of two June days. DJ Deeon, Lory D, Kornél Kovács and Sparky also featured on the label. (DP)

JOHANNA BASFORD REBEL INK

Aberdeenshire-born Basford is known for her colouring books for adults, notably Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book. The ‘ink evangelist’ has now sold over one million copies of Secret Garden worldwide, and Staedtler even featured her illustrations on its pens. (RM)

TAMSYN RUSSELL DUST BUSTER

As a performer, Russell has been a notable

ECLAIR FIFI

BEN READE GASTRO GUY

The former head of research and development at the Nordic Food Lab in Copenhagen marked his return home as part of pop-up restaurant The Scratch Series. Later, he crowdfunded and opened The Edinburgh Food Studio in late October with partner Sashana Zanella. (DR)

SOPHIE LAPLANE HIGH FLYER

A company dancer with Scottish Ballet, Laplane created and choreographed ‘Maze’, a powerful new piece chosen to open the Scottish Ballet autumn season. Laplane also collaborated with filmmaker Eve McConnachie and singer-songwriter Kathryn Joseph on the beautiful music video for ‘The Bird’. (RoM)

STEEL WORKS

The Texas-raised, Glasgow-based former Charalambides and Taurpis Tula pedal steel guitarist released her I Abuse Animal album. It proved a favourite with fans of off-the-grid music, while Leigh went on to play with Peter Brötzmann at Tectonics. (DP)

DRYGATE BREWERS WHOOP

Host of the Craft Beer Rising festival, the Williams Bros and Tennent’s joint venture, incorporating brewery, beerhall, terrace, events space, shop and Vintage eating options, has established itself as a hip hangout as well as a beacon of dynamic collaborations in Glasgow’s food and drink scene. (DR)

JANICE GALLOWAY MOTHER NATURE

Her first work of fiction since 2009, Jellyfish is a superb collection exploring sexual desire and parenthood. The 14 short stories examine insecurities of motherhood, the coping powers of music, and women existing on the fringes of society, all in Galloway’s signature narrative style. (RoM)

SSUPPORTED BY

JOANNA BLYTHMAN REAL FOOD CHAMP

Britain’s foremost investigative food journalist fearlessly digested the murky world of 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 29

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EVENING WARES

SKETCH GUYS

The joint forces of house and techno night Musika along with drum & bass club Xplicit hosted Series 2 of their flagship electronic night Nightvision, welcoming Noisia, Shy FX and Loco Dice to the capital. Series 3 followed fast with Pan-Pot, Scuba and five hours of Mr Scruff. (RoM)

Robert Florence and Iain Connell clearly enjoyed their one-off show (which sold out in one hour) at the Glasgow Comedy Festival in the spring so much that they immediately booked in a number of dates at the Theatre Royal in August. (BD)

NIGHTVISION

DIVE CABARET VAULTERS

This eclectic underground queer party succeeded in ‘blowing a bit of glitter up the arse of the cabaret scene’ during the Edinburgh Festival with smash hit, C U Next Tuesday. This was also the year that Dive earned a nomination in the Equality Network’s LGBTI awards. (RM)

GREEN DOOR STUDIO MUSICAL YOUTH

EAST END BOYS

Brothers Tony and Michael Woods have restored the abandoned Glasgow East End church into a stylish multipurpose music venue, bar and kitchen. The venue not only returns a landmark to its former glory but brings an exciting new player into a lesser developed part of the city. (RoM)

JOHN BURNSIDE POETIC LICENCEE

As part of the five-strong Booker panel, the Dunfermline novelist and poet also earned his own spot on a shortlist for the TS Eliot Prize. He needn’t have felt too upset at losing out, given that he has two of those gongs on his mantelpiece already. (BD)

Home to Golden Teacher, this Finnieston recording studio is renowned as a musical catalyst. yst This year, Green Door has been focused on Youth Stand Up!, a collaborative recording project featuring young musicians from Ghana, Belize and Glasgow. (SS)

SAINT LUKE’S

SUPPORTED BY

BURNISTOUN

COUNTERFLOWS IMPROV CHUMS

Newcastle bard Richard Dawson to Edinburgh. All the while, they supported fantastic new acts like Still House Plants. (SS)

LOUISE WELSH GREAT PLAGUE

The author followed 2014’s A Lovely Way to Burn with the second in her Plague Times trilogy, Death Is a Welcome Guest. This highly anticipated instalment once again delivered her expert storytelling and depth of character in a modern apocalyptic setting. (RoM)

Feeding Glasgow’s enthusiasm for experimental music, Counterflows supports local musicians to expand their ambitions and bring the best of the world to the city. Free jazz and African psychedelia on the Southside, churches filled with avantgarde improvisations: Counterflows is always unpredictable and glorious. (GKV)

DAFT STORYTELLER

IDEAL MEXICO DIY STORE

Ideal Mexico lead the new wave of DIY gig and party promoters, bringing That Fucking Tank’s punk silent disco to Glasgow and

LIMMY The announcement of a series of live shows at the SECC in January topped off a fine year for Brian Limond. He also published Daft Wee Stories, a collection of 71 tales in his trademark dark, silly and surreal style. (BD)

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PAUL HIGGINS SING STAR

Everyone’s favourite second sweary Scot in The Thick of It collaborated with Ricky Ross to write The Choir for the stage and debuted at the Citz. He maintained his screen profile with Couple in a Hole, starring opposite Kate Dickie. (BD)

BILL WELLS AND AIDAN MOFFAT VITAL ORGANS

The pair, who were inaugural Scottish Album of the Year award winners back in 2012, brought forth their second album, The Most Important Place in the World, back in March. It proved to be another uncensored, real and snarling piece from Wells ‘n’ Moffat. (KS)

GLASGOW COMIC CON GRAPHIC ARTISTS

PHOTO © JESSICA MCDE

included Éliane Radigue’s microtonal acoustic works, Hild Sofie Tafjord’s brass extravaganza, and Peter Brötzmann’s fiery saxophone. (SS)

FERN BRADY

RMOTT

FOOL’S GOLD

VAL MCDERMID QUIET RIOTER

A busy year of ups and downs for the Fife crime scribe: she was a speaker at Ruth Rendell’s memorial service, worked with Dundee University on a forensic science course, appeared at Bloody Scotland and published another Tony Hall / Carol Jordan novel, Splinter the Silence. (BD)

KEVIN BRIDGES CHARITY CASE

A strong Fringe debut, People Are Idiots, coincided this summer with the BBC iPlayer pilot of Radges. Set in a referral unit for kids with psychological problems, it starred Sarah Hadland (Stevie from Miranda) and This is England 90’s Nick Preston. (BD)

The festival of comics, graphic novels, comic art and writing created a fantastic programme showcasing big-name stars alongside indie talent. After hitting record numbers by welcoming over 10,000 fans across all its events, the Con is expanding to the Royal Concert Hall in 2016. (RoM)

GRID IRON SOLID WORKS

One of Scotland’s most ambitious theatre companies, Grid Iron’s visually ravishing Fringe hit Light Boxes was followed by

Most news stories on the Clydebank comic this year seemed to focus on a series of hecklers attempting to spoil his A Whole Different Story gigs from Derry to Edinburgh. With a touch of class he donated his proceeds from one ruined show to a children’s charity. (BD)

TUFF LOVE STRONG SUITS

Dreamy Glasgow shoegaze duo and BBC 6 Music favourites Julie Eisenstein and Suse Bear kept moving forward with some great gigs and the new ‘Dregs’ EP. You may have seen them supporting the revived Ride on tour or Paolo Nutini and Grace Jones at Bellahouston Park. (DP)

TECTONICS PLATE EXPECTATIONS SUPPORTED BY

In bringing the classical avant-garde and experimental underground together, Ilan Volkov’s Tectonics has transformed the way orchestral music is perceived in Scotland. 2015 highlights

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their critically acclaimed adaptation of Jim Crace’s The Devil’s Larder, an impish look at transgressive pleasures. Hard to categorise, their work fuses multimedia, text and music to startling effect. (GKV)

MAN OF MOON PATH FINDERS

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FESTIVAL FESTIVAL MATTERS

With The Ideas Factory, EISF produced its most impressive and diverse programme to date with innovative events across a wealth of genres, for everyone from kids to foodies and science aficionados, as well as serious debates on key issues including climate change and fracking. (RoM)

KIRSTY LOGAN GRACE FULL

The Glasgow-based writer won the Polari First Book Prize for The Rental Heart & Other Fairytales and released two more books: the bewitching The Gracekeepers, and A Portable Shelter, featuring 13 stories. (BD)

LITERATURE CARRIERS

A big year for Glasgow’s Freight Books as it acquired Cargo Publishing and brought out everything from Janice Galloway’s new short stories to a biography of Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskás, and The Art of Internet Dating to Pub Dogs of Manchester. (BD)

LUCY RIBCHESTER TIMELY AUTHOR

The Edinburgh-based author and journalist started the year with her debut novel, The Hourglass Factory, which took in the suffragettes, Jack the Ripper, the Titanic and a missing trapeze artist. It led her on to tread the book festival path appearing at Aye Write!, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Bloody Scotland. (BD)

DJANGO DJANGO RING MASTERS

Art rockers Django Django expanded their range and widened their palette with second record, Born Under Saturn. They added surf rock, Caribbean beats and cosmic electro-pop for a complex, eccentric and eclectic album that took their sound global. (HN)

STEF SMITH GULP FICTION

Smith’s Traverse Fringe production was a tough, emotional triumph: Swallow revealed a playwright skilled at capturing both nuanced character development and raw dramatic power. She may still be maturing, but her writing is driven by youthful energy and a piercing intelligence. (GKV)

SHARON ROONEY MAD LOVE

This year’s final series of E4’s My Mad Fat Diary meant the end of the show which made Rooney a star, but she is moving on to plenty other things including a role in Reece Shearsmith’s Stag and more Mountain Goats, the Highlands-based sitcom about mountain rescue volunteers. (BD)

ROBERT CARLYLE FILM FARE

A big year for Bobby as he opened the Edinburgh Film Festival with his directorial debut, The Legend of Barney Thomson. He also stepped from behind his own camera to take on the lead role with Emma Thompson playing his mum. If the rumours are to be believed, next up for him is Trainspotting 2 . . . (BD)

JASPER JAMES SPIN DOCTOR

The son of Subculture’s Harri, Jasper James is set to be Scotland’s next big DJ success. This year he was profiled in The Guardian, released the ‘ZTRK1’ EP on Matt Tolfrey’s Leftroom, installed as resident at London’s Phonox and toured with Annie Mac. (DP)

EDIE

FREIGHT BOOKS

PHOTO © ALAN MCCR

With their psychedelic grooveinfused blues, Edinburgh two-piece Man of Moon are welcome new-ish kids on the block. They may have been around for a while, but their 2015 debut single ‘The Road / This World’ cemented them as a muchneeded exciting new east coast band. (KS)

TOP THEATRE OF THE YEAR Chalk circles and happy days Edinburgh’s Lyceum reminded Scotland of its potential. Beginning the year with a barnstorming Caucasian Chalk Circle (), departing artistic director Mark Thomson revealed a flair for popular, intellectual theatre drawing on cabaret and live music, in the spirit of Brecht himself. A wellreceived Waiting for Godot confirmed that the Lyceum fulfills its remit as a production house that reimagines classic, even over-familiar texts. At the Edinburgh International Festival, the revival of Paul Bright’s Confessions was a consolation to those disappointed by the lack of funding awarded to Untitled Projects, while the Citizens’ Lanark did a solid job of staging Alasdair Gray’s postmodern novel. In Glasgow, Andy Arnold directed his first Beckett for the Tron: a superb performance from Karen Dunbar in Happy Days (ably assisted by Arnold in a minor role) proved that not only Arnold has the skills that made his reputation at the Arches but also that Beckett’s pessimism remains pertinent today. The incisive script was embellished with a visceral poetry through Dunbar’s Scottish accent, and the metaphysical terror was given a new layer of domestic frustration. Although any mention of the Arches is tinged with sadness at its closure, the final Behaviour Festival needs to be remembered as an example of how important the venue has been for theatre. Roving across Glasgow – events happened at the CCA, the Citizens as well as its home theatre – Behaviour gave a platform to veterans and emerging artists alike. Gob Squad nailed the vacuous self-obsession of the internet age in Western Society, neither entirely condemning nor accepting the shaping of identity through ideals of celebrity, bling and social media. Ishbel McFarlane’s O is for Hoolet was an example of the distinctively Scottish work that the Arches has promoted: delicate and sensitive, it weaved a wry humour through a serious meditation on how language defines us. (Gareth K Vile)

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THE

CLUB CLASS

ROSY PARTNERS

Twitch and Wilkes are still a force on the club scene, even though their famed Halloween party (Espookio) came to an end in 2015. The former’s labels Optimo Music, Optimo Trax and Autonomous Africa were also responsible for some of Scotland’s finest club tracks of the year. (DP)

Together at last, husband (artistic director of Red Note Ensemble) and wife (dynamic playwright) made The Garden a rare treat. Their intelligent opera matched serious themes in a terse libretto with a challenging yet eloquent score, all performed live. (GKV)

OPTIMO

JOHN AND ZINNIE HARRIS

IDLEWILD

JACKMASTER NUMBERS MAN

Starting 2015 with an acclaimed new album, Everything Ever Written went on the road, including a triumphant T in the Park return. The lads will raise a glass to their year as part of the sold-out Concert in the Gardens lineup for Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. (BD)

Jack Revill remains one of Scotland’s most exciting and prolific DJs. In a hectic 2015, he’s played dozens of dates across Europe and the Americas, including a 24-hour period in September which took in Numbers in Glasgow, the EH1 festival at Ingliston and its Edinburgh aftershow. (DP)

LIVING STRONG

SEASONAL DELIGHTS

Screenwriter John Hodge helped cause a stir at the London Film Festival with The Program, a feature film about Lance Armstrong starring Ben Foster as the disgraced cyclist. And, if the rumours are to be believed, next up for him is Trainspotting 2 too. . . (BD)

This Edinburgh Southside restaurant picked up one of our Eating & Drinking Guide Newcomer Awards in April, and has continued to be the capital’s most talked-about dining spot among those seeking inventive interpretations of seasonal Scottish ingredients. (DR)

BOOK BOSS

GHOST BUSTERS

Young director Douglas has emerged as a name to watch in the past year. Following on from 2012’s Educating Ronnie, which he wrote and performed, his work with Utter (including topical Fringe success Bloody Trams) champions a populist, story-led theatre that is witty and political. (GKV)

After catching Rolling Stone’s attention, Spook School exploded onto the scene e with their ‘breezily cheerful, sometimes dramatic, always steeped in the best traditions of their nation’s indie history’ debut album Trying to be Cheerful. The band won our hearts by tackling

BUSY BOYS

JOHN HODGE

JOE DOUGLAS

AIZLE

gender identity and sexuality via triumphant pop. (KS)

WHITE PALE RIDERS

Don’t hold some of their numbers’ former membership of Kassidy against them; Leo Condie’s RCA-signed new group are excellent. With their dizzying charge of disco-soaked callbacks to the Associates, Roxy Music and Franz Ferdinand, 2015 was a triumph and 2016 could go one better. (DP)

LARRY DEAN OUTSTANDING WIT

The former Scottish Comedian of the Year made a memorable full Fringe debut with Out Now!, a show about revealing his sexuality but also a rich dissection of Dean’s own family. Those comedy award judges were impressed enough to give him a spot on the Best Newcomer shortlist. ((BD))

SPOOK SCHOOL

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With over 20 events over 7 days, a host of theatrical premieres, animation screenings, visual theatre, dance and lm, welcome to the 9th manipulate Visual Theatre Festival

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Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Dance Base, Edinburgh The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen Norwich Puppet Theatre Little Angel Theatre, London

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ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE STAGE RIGHT

As the Lyceum hits 50 and artistic director Mark Thomson moves on, Edinburgh’s swish theatre celebrated with a season that did justice to a modern classic in Waiting for Godot while still showcasing adventurous new work such as Tipping the Velvet. (GKV)

HUDSON MOHAWKE HEIR APPARENT

WHAT SUP? 5 drinks that aren’t gin or coffee

POTATO VODKA Rather like the proverbial bus, two potato vodkas – Ogilvy and Arbikie – have arrived at roughly the same time. Hailing from fertile Angus, both are family operations whose use of the humble crop has elevated the spud into premium product echelons. This year Ogilvy’s vodka won the overall Vodka Trophy at the prestigious International Spirit and Wine Competition.

DARK MATTER RUM Hopes of an all-Scottish spirit lineup could be in sight as whisky, gin and vodka were joined this year by Scotland’s first rum. The country’s only dedicated rum distillery in Banchory is currently producing a spiced dark rum (a white version is also in the pipeline) using sugarcane molasses, with hits of ginger, allspice and green peppercorns.

WALTER GREGOR’S TONIC WATER With all that gin swilling around the country, there was a gap in the market for a local mixer until Aberdeenshire’s canny Summerhouse Drinks introduced their own tonic water this year. The drink is named after a Victorian minister who resided in the Manse where the company is based.

Carrying a certain weight of expectation thanks to his Kanye-producing activities and the success of TNGHT, Glasgow’s Ross Birchard lived up to it with Lantern. His second album built upon his unique fusion of rave and hip hop with new textures, particularly from guest vocalists such as Antony Hegarty. (DP)

FRANKIE BOYLE STAND-OUT COMEDIAN

In the past, Boyle made headlines for taking shots at largely undeserving targets. But the comedian has recently found a political second wind with his powerful (and hilarious) Guardian column. He’s also back on the road touring, with an extraordinary polemical show. (MR)

CANONGATE BOOKED UP

Another strong year for the Edinburgh publishers, as Jamie Byng’s 21st year in charge was marked by Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s Guantánamo Diary being longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize and Catherine Chanter’s The Well receiving widespread acclaim. Russell Brand, Terry Gilliam and James Rhodes all appeared on the Canongate roster. (BD)

of Aidan Moffat and Luke Sutherland. They popped up at the end of the year with more evocative business for season two of Les Revenants. (BD)

TOMMY GORMLEY STAR WARD

MOGWAI BIRTHDAY BOYS

Celebrating 20 years of sonic drama, Moggers put on two very special nights at Barrowland featuring cameo appearances from the likes

There can’t be many better jobs in the film business than being JJ Abrams’ right-hand man, and this is the reality for Glaswegian Tommy Gormley when he wakes up every

TEA Tea drinkers should raise a cuppa to Scotland’s recent success in producing tea. Fife-based Wee Tea Company’s smoked white variety won the prestigious Salon du Thé Gold Award this year. Also hitting the PekoeTea shops in Edinburgh is Susie WalkerMunro’s Kinettles Gold, a single estate brew grown on her farm in Angus.

SODA

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While Irn-Bru still rules the roost, more artisanal, hand-crafty fizz producers have been popping up of late, most notably in the capital. There you’ll find global fusion flavours courtesy of Kitsch, enticing offerings such as sea buckthorn from Timberyard’s Cry Baby Soda poperation or all-natural fruity concoctions from Granton-based Roots Soda. (Jay Thundercliffe)

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morning. Being assistant director on Star Wars: The Force Awakens was not a bad way to spend 2015. (BD)

MACBETH

restaurateurs and food and drink producers coalesced, producing the Let’s Eat Glasgow festival over a sun-kissed September weekend. (DR)

KING WRONG

HONEYBLOOD

The brutal but beautiful Highland landscape is a pivotal character in Justin Kurzel’s gritty retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Directed by an Australian and starring German-Irishman Michael Fassbender as the monarch who succumbs to madness, their Macbeth put Scotland firmly back on the movie map. (HN)

SWEET NECTAR

A hectic, breakthrough year for the fuzz-pop duo of Stina Tweeddale and Cat Myers as they made a mark on the Scottish Album of the Year shortlist with their eponymous debut album, supported the Foos at Murrayfield, and are all set for Hogmanay with the Concert in the Gardens. (BD)

CITIZENS THEATRE GLITTERING STARS

A recent BBC documentary on the Citz, (Blood and Glitter) gave a unique insight into this Glaswegian institution, and its history of staging iconoclastic work and crowd-pleasers alike. At 70, the Citz still surprises with its mix of old (Slab Boys revival) and the new (Lanark adaptation). (GKV)

COLIN CLYDESDALE REAL DEAL CHEF

The chef-proprietor of The Ubiquitous Chip, Stravaigin and Hanoi Bike Shop was the inspiring figure around which the Real Food, Real Folk Co-operative of Glasgow

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CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM MULTI TASKER

The multi-disciplinary performer’s powerful show Give Me a Reason to Live explored body judgement. This brutally physical piece confronted both historical and contemporary attitudes to disability, taking in Nazi Germany and welfare reforms, through expertly choreographed movement, dance and song. (RoM)

OUR LADIES OF PERPETUAL SUCCOUR THE SOPRANOS

There are many reasons this none-moreScottish musical (sourced from Alan Warner’s 1998 novel) was an unalloyed success at this year’s Fringe and beyond. But at the heart of its story lies an extraordinarily talented young cast with not a weak link between them. (MR)

KAREN CARGILL OPERA STAR

Arbroath’s finest mezzo-soprano (we’re willing to take several bets that this is the case) had a blistering year making her US recital debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall, sang with the Red Note Ensemble at the Queen’s Hall and performed Mahler’s ‘Das Lied von der Erde’ with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. (BD) SUPPORTED BY

MICHELLE GOMEZ TIME LADY

Gomez’s unpredictable, dangerous and sparky turn as Doctor Who’s Missy has been such a

delight that it’s easy to forget she’s only been in the show for just over a year. A remarkable regeneration for this often neglected villain, once a camp joke. (MR)

Scotland and a supporter of cancer charity, Bloodwise. (RM)

SUNSET SONG

SAM HEUGHAN TIME TRAVELLER

In 2015 we got Outlander, and thus it was also the year many of us discovered its star, Sam Heughan who scooped a Radio Times award and is tipped for a Golden Globe nomination. In addition to playing an 18th-century hunk, he’s also a patron of Youth Theatre Arts

FUNKY GIBBON

Scottish interest in Terence Davies’ new film is strong as it stars Peter Mullan, is based on Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s 1932 Aberdeenshire-set classic fiction and it’s also the favourite novel of one N Sturgeon c/o Bute House. See feature, page 58. (DP)

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SLAVE LAMENTER

GRAHAM FAGEN

wore on, expectation for his villainous role in Marvel’s Jessica Jones became huge. (DP)

In a show curated by Arbroath’s Hospitalfield House, visual artist Fagen made his fourth visit to Italy as part of Scotland + Venice, but his first as the country’s sole representative. His show was reportedly powerful and significant, examining the nation’s history of slavery through Robert Burns and reggae music. (DP)

PETER CAPALDI

Glasgow-based theatre-maker Gary McNair was a worthy winner of a Fringe First for his sublime Edinburgh Fringe play A Gambler’s Guide to Dying. His subject matter may be heavy, but his sure storytelling and humour meant it was never mordant, sentimental or inaccessible. (GKV)

LESSON LEARNERS

MARVEL ENTERTAINER

Taking their stunning live show on tour with NY post-punk queens ESG and playing dates and festivals across Europe, the must-see Glaswegian team also self-released the ‘Sauchiehall Enthrall’ EP and recorded with reggae bassist / producer Dennis Bovell at

Starting the year with a National Television Award, Tennant continued his knack for wellchosen roles. The divisive second series of Broadchurch and his narration of W1A were pre-existing gigs, but as the year

GOLDEN TEACHER

EX-TOP DOG

GARY MCNAIR

Last year’s Hot 100 victor and Doctor Who number 12 has continued to grow into the part he was destined to play. Capaldi’s Time Lord is an introspective, brusque and playful iteration, and a nice departure after a series of younger men. (MR)

BETTING MAN

DAVID TENNANT

JOHN MACLEAN SLOW BURNER

Formerly a core member of Scottish groups the Beta Band and the Aliens, Fifer Maclean switched to feature filmmaking in successful fashion this year. His debut Slow West reunited him with regular short-film collaborator Michael Fassbender, with the movie winning a World Cinema Jury Prize at Sundance. (DP)

TOMMY SHEPPARD STAND MAN

Not only steering operations at the Assembly Rooms in August and The Stand all year round, Sheppard became the new SNP MP for Edinburgh East. He made an instant impression with his maiden parliamentary speech and a solid appearance on Question Time. (BD)

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GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL WEST WORLD

Directors Allison Gardner and Allan Hunter continue to forge GFF into one of the nation’s most important film festivals. Hitting its tenth year in 2015, the festival welcomed a total of 54 premieres, as well as guests such as Alan Rickman, Ólafur Arnalds and David Robert Mitchell, a Dazed and Confused roller disco, and Cat Video Festival. (DP)

NEU! REEKIE! FRESH TALENT

Scotland’s premier night of rebellious words and music extended its reach in 2015. Michael Pedersen and Kevin Williamson took the ‘Anywhere But the Cities’ tour around Scotland and on to Japan, while two #UntitledLive shows at Edinburgh’s Central Hall were their biggest events yet. (DP)

DAVID GREIG DRAMATURG MOVE

His epic adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s Lanark for the Citizens Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival was one of a number of Scottish theatre highlights this year. And the news that he’ll be taking over as artistic director of Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre in 2016 is cause for high excitement. (DP)

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN PEACE CHANCERS

The Glasgow band started the year with new album Girls in Peacetime me Want to Dance, which h picked up a SAY award rd nomination, before playing an incredible home show at the massive SSE Hydro accompanied by the Scottish Festival Orchestra and amazing ng visuals. (RoM)

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This year’s festival of crime writing was as star-studded as they come, with Martina Cole, Linwood Barclay, y, Ian Rankin, Arne Dahl,, Val McDermid, Lindsey ey Davis and Ann Cleeves es all on the bill. 2015’s edition was also the most successful to date, with almost 6000 tickets sold overr three days. (RM)

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DYNAMIC DUO

MERCURIAL MUSO

The Rally is acclaimed writer Jenny Lindsay; the Broad is BBC Scotland’s first ever poet in residence Rachel McCrum. Together they’ve pulled off another year of top-notch literaryflavoured cabaret, full of spoken word, music and dancing. Rally behind them: they’re class acts. (RM)

Receiving an unexpected but well-earned Mercury Prize nomination for his debut album Architect, the 26-year-old Glaswegian pop songwriter, classical composer and painter Chris Duncan came out of nowhere to become one of the most deservedly celebrated Scottish musicians of 2015. (DP)

NOT-BOOKER WINNER

HEAVENLY PURSUITS

Kirstin Innes’ debut novel Fishnet was released to great critical acclaim earlier this year, and went on to win The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. The writer has appeared at numerous events on the back of its success, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival. (RM)

In September, the Glasgow electro-pop trio returned with their critically acclaimed second album Every Open Eye, a top five hit, while singer and List alumnus Lauren Mayberry carried on her good form in dealing with pervasive misogyny in fearless, righteous fashion. (DP)

RALLY & BROAD

KIRSTIN INNES

C DUNCAN

CHVRCHES

FFS SPARKS PALS

The musical collaboration so perfect we didn’t know we needed it until it was already in our ears. Scottish art-pop foot-stompers Franz Ferdinand teamed up with theatrical altrockers Sparks to create the FFS juggernaut. Their self-titled debut album and a host of UK-wide dates followed, including a spot at the EIF to much critical acclaim. And plenty of idiosyncratic dancing. (KS)

YOUNG FATHERS HIP-HOP POPS SUPPORTED BY

After winning the 2014 Mercury Music Prize, Edinburgh’s Young Fathers continued to blur boundaries and confound expectations on second album White Men

Are Black Men Too. The trio brought a dizzying mix of off-kilter rhythms, sparse electronica, hip hop and indie to life at a series of gigs across the UK, Europe, America and Africa. (HN)

ARMANDO IANNUCCI TELLY SATIRIST

Set behind the closed doors of the White House, Veep has moved on from being a US version of The Thick of It to become the smartest, funniest comedy on TV. And Glaswegian Iannucci is the writer / creator behind the razor-sharp satire. (HN)

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NICOLA STURGEON YES MINISTER

SARAH MUNRO ART DIRECTOR

PHOTO © SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

In the year of probably her most significant achievement as Glasgow’s head of arts – the Turner Prize coming to Tramway – Sarah Munro left to become director of Gateshead’s BALTIC Centre. She leaves a significant legacy from her time as head of arts, director of Glasgow’s Tramway and boss of Edinburgh’s Collective Gallery, including the co-production of 2014’s milestone, the nationwide GENERATION: 25 Years of Contemporary Art in Scotland. (DP)

There is no more influential figure in Scotland today than Nicola Sturgeon. During the 2015 election campaign, such a buzz surrounded her that English voters could be seen on TV lamenting the fact they couldn’t vote SNP. Following the party’s election triumph, Sturgeon exchanged quips with comedian Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour ranked her top of its Power List ahead of Anna Wintour and Angelina Jolie, and Sturgeon capped off her year interviewing Val McDermid at the Edinburgh Book Festival. (SH)

KATHRYN JOSEPH SAY WINNER

PHOTO © JANNICA HONEY

SUPPORTED BY

In June, Aberdeen’s best-kept musical secret Kathryn Joseph (pictured here with musical partner Marcus Mackay) became the first woman to win the Scottish Album of the Year award, for Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I’ve Spilled. Her collection was judged to be ‘the most outstanding’ Scottish album released between January 2014 and March 2015, which we reckon is pretty outstanding indeed. She teamed up with Scottish Ballet to create the video for her single ‘The Bird’, and performance-wise, she appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe, the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival, and has played gigs up and down the country. Let’s hope by 2016, the Kathryn Joseph secret is well and truly out. (RM)

44 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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THE ARCHES CLOSED INSTITUTION

Two and a half decades of theatre, art, clubs and music that helped breathe life into Glasgow’s internationally renowned cultural scene are now lost beneath a heap of licensing restrictions and police visits: we still can’t believe it’s gone. The semantic whys and wherefores have been raked through elsewhere, so all we want to say is that the Arches and the communal spirit involved in efforts to save her were part of what makes Glasgow great. It’ll be a long time before her memory – or the training, experience and inspiration afforded those who worked, created or partied there – has left the bloodstream of the city. (DP)

SUPPORTED BY

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 45

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EIF Director Fergus Linehan

Sufjan Stevens

SUPPORTED BY

The Magic Flute 46 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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&'()*+, -./'01/ and the Edinburgh International Festival

List editor Yasmin Sulaiman talks to a humble Fergus Linehan about topping the 2015 Hot 100 while they chew some fat over the many highs from that memorable month of August

ergus Linehan is a little bewildered by his number one spot. Ever the gentleman, he’s quick to admit that this year’s Edinburgh International Festival programme – his first in the post as festival director – isn’t his baby alone. ‘It’s funny,’ he tells us. ‘I’ve got people who do this stuff. Roy Luxford does a lot of our programming, so does Andrew Moore and Bryn Ormrod. So you feel slightly dising Linehan’s captaincy has been short; he took up the mantle in 2014 from previous EIF director Jonathan Mills after stints helming the Sydney Festival and, before that, the Dublin Theatre Festival. But, thanks to his vision, it’s been a transformative 12 months for the International Festival. The early announcement that Juliette Binoche would star in Antigone gave the EIF a much-needed boost of glamour. But while this might have been one of the most anticipated pieces of Linehan’s inaugural programme, it almost faded into the background in August when the programme’s true highlights revealed themselves. First there was the Harmonium Project: a huge outdoor spectacle projected on to the Usher Hall that celebrated both the EIF shifting its dates in line with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the 50th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus. Speaking to me a week ahead of the event, Linehan expected 10,000 to turn up on Lothian Road to see the event. On the night, there were nearly 20,000. Among the dance programme, Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan’s Life in Progress was, our reviewer said, ‘a magnificent showcase’. We were also particularly impressed by the opera strand – especially Enda ‘Once’ Walsh and Donnacha Dennehy’s The Last Hotel, as well as Komische Oper Berlin and 1927’s visionary The Magic Flute. And among the orchestral works at the Usher Hall, one List-er describes the London Symphony Orchestra and Valerie Gergiev’s triumphant EIF performance of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring as ‘what heavy metal likes to think it’s like’. Among my own favourites were The Encounter, Simon

McBurney’s sensational one-man journey into the Amazon using binaural sound technology and Sufjan Stevens’ breathtaking set at the Playhouse on the festival’s final Sunday. ‘They were both very risky, in a sense,’ Linehan explains. ‘The Encounter was a commission out of the blue, though Simon stacks the odds in your favour because he’s so clever. Sufjan: not that risky because all of his live shows are amazing. But Carrie & Lowell [his lauded 2015 album] wasn’t out at that point. I only got a glimpse of the Sufjan show and what I loved about it is thinking “at last, this is what the Playhouse is for”. We’ve got some really nice stuff in the Playhouse next year.’ Among the other landmark gigs in the EIF’s new music programme this year were a barnstorming set from FFS (see page 42) and a mesmerising Hub Sessions set from Anna Calvi and Heritage Orchestra. Branching out the EIF’s music programme to include more popular artists is Linehan’s defining mark on the festival’s programme to date. But, he insists, this wasn’t about attracting younger audiences. ‘The amount of people I knew who were going to a range of things across the festival and were also going to Sufjan or going to Franz and Sparks was really important,’ he says. ‘It wasn’t like we did these shows for a different group of people; there are people who are generally just intellectually curious across theatre, music and everything else. So those different genres of music weren’t just about “we’ll get the young people in” and all that, it was about filling out a festival across people’s general tastes.’ Linehan’s own festival favourite this year was a performance from the Queen’s Hall series: Matthias Goerne and Daniil Trifonov on the final weekend. ‘It was a very small, very intimate concert but it was so beautiful. You’re very tired and vulnerable at the end, so to have this heartbreaking morning of Lieder on the last Saturday was just one of those moments when everyone in the room was like “oof, this is incredible”.’ Here’s to more incredible moments in 2016.

SUPPORTED BY

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CHRISTMAS

There’s no shortage of Christmas cheer down your way this year. Rowena McIntosh rounds up some of the best that Glasgow and Edinburgh have to offer over the festive season

GLASGOW GLASGOW CHRISTMAS MARKET

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

The market returns to its rightful home in the newly spruced up St Enoch Square. Foremost a celebration of cuisine, the market offers gourmet delights from across the continent. Leave your packed lunch at home and enjoy paella, German sausages and goulash or pick up deli items including breads, cheese, olives and pastries. Shop for handmade crafts, novelty hats and Christmas decorations or squeeze into the gluhwein house for mulled wine, Bavarian beer and an unusually unfestive dance soundtrack. St Enoch Square, Fri 13 Nov–Sun 20 Dec.

The enduring family Christmas film takes to the stage. Originally a 1947 movie starring Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood, it was remade in 1994 with Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson and tells the story of a young girl and a lawyer fighting to prove that the man in Macy’s claiming to be Santa Claus is the genuine article. This new musical, first performed in 2014, brings singing, dancing and plenty of snow to the already heartwarming tale. King’s Theatre, Thu 19–Sat 21 Nov.

GLASGOW SANTA DASH

CHRISTMAS CAROL SINGALONG

A 5k fun run through the centre of Glasgow, dressed in a Santa suit and beard. This untimed event isn’t about bagging PBs — Santa isn’t a sporty kinda guy — but about raising money. Last year over 5500 people jogged and strode through the city in a big jolly throng, freaking out passers-by still hungover from the night before’s Christmas party. The run helped raise a massive £32,000 for two nominated charities and is open to adults and children, with babies and dogs allowed to participate if they start in the last group. George Square, Sun 6 Dec.

After you leave primary school, the amount of opportunities to belt out ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ en masse seriously diminish. Indulge your love of Christmas carols and seasonal favorites, including ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and Frozen’s uber-popular ‘Let It Go’, at this festive jamboree hosted by singer Jamie MacDougall. Music is performed by the Scottish Concert Orchestra and the Consort of Voices choir will help cover up any bum notes. Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Wed 23 Dec.

THE XMAS EXTRAVAGLAMZA

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE ON CHRISTMAS EVE

Okay, so David Bowie isn’t the most obvious Christmas choice, unless you count his rather bizarre 1977 duet with Bing Crosby, but Christmas parties and nostalgia for the glory music of decades gone by go hand in hand. The Sensational David Bowie Tribute Band perform hits from the singer’s illustrious back catalogue with Blondie tribute Dirty Harry and T. Rex tribute Hot Love amping up the retro glam-rock quotient. If that’s not Christmassy enough, the Slade Experience are also on the bill, ready to belt out ‘Merry Xmas Everyone’ should the festive vibe dip.. O2 ABC, Sat 12 Dec.

You might already have Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas classic on DVD, and you can watch it at the cinema throughout December, but the Christmas Eve screenings at the GFT are particularly special, so much so that demand means they now have six screenings on 24 December. Picture the scene – a cinema full of festive cheer, George Bailey realises life’s true riches, Clarence gets his wings, you step outside afterwards and the first snowflakes are starting to fall. Okay it’ll probably be raining but it’ll still be magical. Glasgow Film Theatre, Thu 24 Dec.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 49

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CHRISTMAS

EDINBURGH

EDINBURGH’S CHRISTMAS MARKETS

VIRGIN MONEY STREET OF LIGHT

Why have one market when you can have three? Covering the Mound and streaking back along East Princes Street Gardens, the European Christmas Market brings a taste of the continent to the capital with stalls selling stollen, crêpes and bratwurst plus gluhwein and hot rum. Tucked behind is the Children’s Market while, over in St Andrew Square, the Scottish Market celebrates produce closer to home with sausages, craft beer, seafood and Scottish accessories, but don’t worry, no mulled Buckfast. East Princes Street Gardens & St Andrew Square, Fri 20 Nov–Mon 4 Jan.

New to Edinburgh’s Christmas, the Street of Light is set to brighten up the Old Town from St Andrew’s Day right through to Christmas Eve. An installation featuring over 60,000 lights stretches along the Royal Mile from the Tron Kirk to the City Chambers. Not content with creating a canopy of light to banish the dark winter nights, the display also plays music by local choirs (Edinburgh Festival Chorus, the Edinburgh Gay Men’s Chorus, Edinburgh Royal Choral Union and Edinburgh Police Choir) synchronised with the lights twice an evening. Royal Mile, Mon 30 Nov–Thu 24 Dec.

LIGHT NIGHT

PHIL CUNNINGHAM’S CHRISTMAS SONGBOOK

The formula for switching on Christmas lights in towns and cities is pretty standard – a celebrity, in this case Susan Boyle, is invited to switch on the fairy lights and flashing bells adorning the streets. Edinburgh, however, cranks it up several notches inviting over 50 community and school groups to perform across a series of stages. The performances, ranging from dance to music and song, are designed to celebrate Christmas and Arlene Stuart from Radio Forth is on hand to keep you right about who’s who. This year’s theme is ‘Light’, so prepare to be illuminated. George Street, Sun 22 Nov.

The world-famous accordion player calls together his musical mates and opens up his Christmas songbook once more for a night of traditional and contemporary festive tunes to get the festive spirit flowing. He’s joined by regular collaborators and folk glitterati Eddi Reader, Kris Drever, Ian Carr, Karen Matheson, John McCusker, Kevin McGuire and the Songbook Brass Ensemble. Despite the all-star muso cast, they’ll still need some help singing a few seasonal hits, so get those vocal chords primed. The Queen’s Hall, Fri 18 & Sat 19 Dec.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

RSNO CHRISTMAS CONCERT: THE SNOWMAN

A dramatised version of CS Lewis’ children’s classic about the land of Narnia, where the evil White Witch has made it permanently winter but banned the celebration of Christmas. Set in an enchanted, permanently snowy world populated by beavers, lions and loveable Mr Tumnus, it’s a traditional tale of bravery and friendship. A good choice if you’re looking for a panto alternative, majestic Aslan the lion is highly unlikely to engage in a round of ‘he’s behind you’ or make a crack about the latest X-Factor lineup. Royal Lyceum Theatre, Sat 28 Nov–Sun 3 Jan.

Can only professional singers hit the high notes in ‘Walking in the Air’? Now’s your chance to find out as the animated Christmas staple The Snowman is screened at the Usher Hall with live accompaniment by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the RSNO Chorus and narration by special guest star Georgie Glen. Hosted by conductor Christopher Bell, the concert also features traditional and contemporary carols as well as festive favourites to get everyone’s sleigh bells jingling and ring ting tingling too. Usher Hall, Sun 20 Dec.

50 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 51

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HOGMANAY 2015

‘We had a go on Dave Grohl’s throne’

PHOTOS © VICTORIA SANDERS

52 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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)*""! +"", With Honeyblood drawing the attention of some serious rock royalty, Nicola Meighan chats to the band’s Stina Tweeddale about supporting Belle and Sebastian and the Foo Fighters, and the can of juice which nearly ruined their second album

ou can learn a lot from stalking a band you love on Twitter. You can glean, for example, how much they dug playing alongside Foo Fighters at Murrayfield Stadium; that they’ve recorded with Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole / Smashing Pumpkins); toured the US with Belle and Sebastian; written with pop Midas, Jake Gosling (Wiley, Ed Sheeran); and bagged a superfan in Garbage’s Shirley Manson. Yes, it’s been a wild 12 months for Honeyblood. The raucous grrrl-pop duo have also lost a founder member (former drummer Shona McVicar), gained a fierce new recruit (new skinsbasher Cat Myers), seen their brilliant, eponymous 2014 debut shortlisted for the Scottish Album of the Year Award, and played more than 30 festival dates this summer alone. Next up is a slot at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay on a bill with Biffy Clyro and Idlewild. Oh, and then there’s the matter of making a second album which is, says singer, songwriter and guitarist Stina Tweeddale, ‘the weirdest thing I’ve ever done’. Weirder than playing to tens of thousands of Foo Fighters fans in a rugby stadium? ‘Oh, that whole thing was just unbelievable,’ Tweeddale recalls. ‘The Foo Fighters could not have been more amazing: Cat even got a gift from Taylor [Hawkins]. He gave her a cymbal because she cracked one of hers, she was rocking out that hard. Then he let her sit on his drum riser while he blew her kisses. We had a go on Dave Grohl’s throne. It was like Disneyland for bands.’ Grohl is not the only alt-rock monarch to be won over by Honeyblood’s charms. They recorded a cover of Liz Phair’s ‘Mesmerizing’ with Melissa Auf der Maur after she fell for their debut album, while Shirley Manson proclaimed them to be ‘perfectly lovely’ on Facebook. ‘Melissa’s awesome, and Shirley Manson’s just the biggest deal,’ says Tweeddale. ‘I grew up listening to Garbage, looking up to her, and because she’s Scottish, she just always seemed the coolest. I took a screenshot of her Facebook on every electric device I could find. I was like, “oh my God, I have to keep this forever!”’ she laughs. Tweeddale’s digital diligence does not, alas, stretch to her own creations. ‘Oh, I never back up any songs or anything I write; I’m a nightmare with stuff like that,’ she says. And that is how she came

to lose a record’s worth of lyrics, thanks to a can of juice in a bag that exploded all over her notebook. ‘Oh, that was just the worst. It completely wiped everything,’ she shudders. ‘Everybody I spoke to who’s artistic or musical was like, “you could totally write a full album about that alone!” I got really upset for a wee while, but then I thought, “if the songs are good, they’ll come back to you. The notes are just there as placeholders”. And I’ve got to kind of go with that.’ The songs made their own way back, and Honeyblood are set to record their new LP in December, for release next year. ‘Doing a second album was such a scary idea to begin with,’ Tweeddale offers. ‘The first album is so personal to me; I sat in my bedroom and wrote all those songs thinking nobody was ever going to hear them. My heart’s laid out. This time, I was aware that everyone who heard the old songs might also hear these new ones, and that makes you think about songwriting in a completely different way. That kind of shaped my fear at the beginning, but it’s also really shaped the new album. It’s made it sound completely different from what I’d have expected. It’s given it a personality all of its own.’ Have any key themes or influences emerged so far? ‘I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that my imagination’s gone wild,’ Tweeddale offers with a laugh. ‘So instead of writing an album from a personal perspective, I’ve let my imagination run crazy with stories and characters. When we were on tour with Belle and Sebastian, it really got me thinking about the way Stuart [Murdoch] writes music; how he writes stories about people who are not necessarily to do with himself, and I found that idea kind of offered me a way of transition between our two albums.’ Tweeddale has also been writing with producer and songwriter Jake Gosling, whose credits include Ed Sheeran’s x and the Libertines’ Anthems for Doomed Youth. ‘I’ve been down to work with him a couple of times now and I think he’s absolutely magic,’ she says. ‘I really wanted to get into co-writing because it opens up avenues for me. I love songwriting, that’s my passion. That’s where my heart is. That’s why being nominated for the SAY Award this year was so great. It made me realise that maybe I can write songs. It made me realise that maybe people like them.’ Indeed she can. And indeed they do. Honeyblood play Concert in the Gardens, West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Thu 31 Dec. Also Museum Late, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Fri 13 Nov.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 53

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HOGMANAY 2015

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SMITH

Bringing in mystery venues to llife across Edinburgh on New Year’s Day with music, poetry, dance and more, David Pollock takes a sneak peak at pop-up festival, Scot:Lands 2016

‘T

he perfect way to nurse a hangover,’ is how Vic Galloway describes his experience of attending Scot:Lands last year, and he’s not wrong. Not that the BBC Radio Scotland DJ and go-to champion of young Scottish bands tends to wake up with a sore head on the 1st of January, because he’s generally working the night before; this year, hosting the Waverley Stage at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. In 2016 he’ll be presenting one of the many pop-up arts spaces bringing life to the city on the first day of the year. Now going into its third year, Scot:Lands already feels like a welcome and exciting tradition in a city which was previously inert on New Year’s Day. An afternoon-long popup festival, it features various curated arts events in locations around the city centre, each reached by meeting at a designated starting point and selecting the next stop by chance. It’s a bespoke experience for locals, tourists, families and arts lovers, and it makes full use of Edinburgh’s hidden spaces for an engaging winter’s day out. Beginning this year in Edinburgh’s Old College rather than the National Museum, the lineup will include a Chemikal Underground showcase with musicians RM Hubbert, Emma Pollock and Miaoux Miaoux, music from Blazin’ Fiddles with guests Adam Holmes and Rachel Sermanni, a diverse art

and music fusion from Skye’s Atlas Arts, and a presentation of Dalziel + Scullion’s installation ‘Tumadh is Turas: Immersion & Journey’ live-soundtracked by the Aidan O’Rourke trio. There will also be dance, film, a kids’ area and a closing ceilidh at the National Museum of Scotland. ‘I’m fairly ambivalent about New Year’s Eve, in all honesty,’ says poet Rachel McCrum, Broad in the Rally & Broad partnership, who are bringing their celebrated spoken word night to Scot:Lands. ‘Fireworks and all that. Maybe a small brandy. I do, however, really love New Year’s Day. All that fresh start nonsense, a swoosh of the slate. I love the ritual of it.’ She enjoyed last year’s event. ‘It was kinda wonderful. The lighting was incredibly dramatic, and the music loud, which was appropriate on a strange, otherworldly kind of day. January the 1st is a weird old day. It felt good to be moving in crowds of other bleary-eyed, excited, discombobulated folk.’ She and Rally (Jenny Lindsay) have programmed a bunch of R&B regulars for the cosy-sounding Coorie-In:Land, including Biff Smith and Caroline Evens from the band A New International, poets Colin McGuire, Calum Rodger and Rachel Amey, performance artists Rose Ruane and Rebecca Green, dancer Skye Reynolds ‘and the pair of

us, spraffing us spraffing on’. on’ Galloway’s Lyrical:Land, Lyrical:Land meanwhile, welcomes Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble, fresh from his Concert in the Gardens performance the night before, the Mercury-nominated C Duncan, SAY award 2015 winner Kathryn Joseph, Supermoon (formerly known as Meursault) and poet and Neu! Reekie! founder Michael Pederson. ‘The lyrical theme focuses on words and music,’ says Galloway, ‘and I hope each performer will perhaps concentrate on stories they have of ‘home’ and life in modern Scotland. The venue’s a secret just now, but it’s in central Edinburgh and rarely if ever used as a music or spoken word arena throughout the year. All the acts will be acoustic, or as near to it as possible, so the shows will feel intimate, personal, stripped-back and relaxed – perfect for January the 1st, I hope. The sheer quality of the artists involved and the environs will be very special.’ ‘Special’ is a good word. Scot:Lands is a lovely, inspiring day out which puts Edinburghers and visitors in touch with the city on a day which is built up to feel like something special is happening; it would be a small tragedy were reported cuts to Hogmanay funding to affect this ingenious advert for Edinburgh. ‘I had a stoic Hogmanay in 2014, staying in, writing some verse and saying goodbye to a tumultuous year,’ says Lindsay. ‘I then did my tax return on January the 1st, but I felt like a bit of a sad bastard. This will be much more fun.’ Scot:Lands, various venues around Edinburgh, Fri 1 Jan, edinburghshogmanay.com/events/scotlands

54 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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HOGMANAY MANAY 2015

■ GLASGOW Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 333 Woodlands Road, 8.30pm, £15–£25, until 2 Jan

The bells are ringing (in a good way) and the laughs are heading your way with the relentless Janey Godley, Scott Gibson, Larry Dean, Rosco McSkeleton and host Raymond Mearns. Jersey Boys Theatre Royal, 282 Hope Street, times vary, £15-£64, until 3 Jan

Musical drama about the career of Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs King’s Theatre, 297 Bath Street, times vary, prices vary, until 10 Jan

Festive theatrical extravaganza starring Gregor Fisher, Des Clarke and Juliet Cadzow. Peter Pan SECC, Finnieston Quay, times vary, £14–£29.50, Until 3 Jan

David Hasselhoff stars in this year’s extravagant panto as villain Captain Hook, supported by The Krankies.

Snow Pals Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 10.30am & 1.15pm & 3.15pm, £6–£8, until 31 Dec

A wintery story set in a land of snowball fights and sleigh rides that explores what happens when a friendship frosts over. For ages 3-6 years.

Sleeping Betty Tron Theatre, 63 Tron Gate, times vary, £8–£18 (£9–£13; children £9–£13), until 3 Jan

■ EDINBURGH Circa: Beyond St Andrew Square, 7.30pm, £24–£248, until 3 Jan

This festive circus features an ‘intimate, red-curtained realm’, which ‘draws us into a cabaret, a zoo, an asylum... and a stage.’ Part of Edinburgh’s Christmas. Hogmanay Hootfest! The Stand, 5 York Place, 8.30pm, £15–£25, until 2 Jan

If you’re planning on heading down to the Stand’s Hogmanay extravaganza, you’ve made the right decision – it’s warm in there. Congrats! Laugh it up in celebration with Tom Stade, Vladimir McTavish, Dougie Dunlop, Robin Grainger and host Susan Morrison. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 7pm, £10–£29, until 3 Jan

A festive treat of music and song from the team that brought us The BFG and A Christmas Carol. Torchlight Procession George IV Bridge, 7pm, £12

Join thousands of torch carriers on this pre-New Year procession through the city centre, with a fireworks finale to finish.

FRI 31 DEC ■ GLASGOW Club Noir’s New Year’s Eve Burlesque Classic Grand, 18 Jamaica Street, 9pm, £24.64

Gbx Nye – Welcome 2016 O2 Academy 20 Glasgow, 9pm, £20

Santa Claus is Coming to Town Pavilion Theatre, 121 Renfield Street, Times tbc, prices vary, Until 17 Jan

Family-friendly ceilidhs all building up to Hogmanay with a party-food buffet and a special bells celebration with ‘Auld Lang Syne’ to finish off the evening. Suitable for ages 2–12.

Celebrate Hogmanay with champagne cocktails, canapés, a four-course banquet, followed by a ceilidh and music from DJ Paul Harper. Hogmanay Hootenanny The National Piping Centre, 30–34 McPhater Street, Cowcaddens, 6.30pm–1am, £70 (inc dinner & ceilidh); £30 ceilidh only (child £50 dinner & ceilidh)

Hogmanay party with live music, a ceilidh and piping.

Hogmanay at Loks Loks Bar & Kitchen, 16 Newlandsfield Road, 7pm–2am, £60

Black-tie Hogmanay dinner with fourcourse meal, glass of bubbly, tea, coffee and macaroons. Ticket includes meal, glass of bubbly, live band and ceilidh. ■ EDINBURGH Abandoman’s Bass Drop Ceilidh St Andrew Square, 9.30pm, £26

The ultimate Scottish dance party: think a little bit ceilidh, a little bit rave. Big Wheel East Princes Street Gardens, Princes Street, times vary, £6.

You’ve not truly seen Edinburgh until you’ve observed it from one of the enclosed, weather-proof pods on the Big Wheel. When the pod door closes you’ll hear a short historical tour of the view and the City. Candlelit Concert St Giles’ Cathedral, 6pm, £18.50

Classical concert journeying from Christmas to New Year, featuring choral performances from the St Giles’ Cathedral Choir, directed by Michael Harris. Also performing is the St Giles’ Camerata, led by Angus Ramsay, plus a host of young soloists.

SMITH

The Wee Hogmanay Party The National Piping Centre, 30–34 McPhater Street, Cowcaddens, 5–9pm, £15 (children £12)

Panto with a twist, following Betty Drooper’s eventful 16th birthday party

Grand Hogmanay Ball Hilton Glasgow, 1 William Street, 7.30pm–2am, £99

PHOTO © LLOYD

A brand-new sing-along panto.

Two tartan-tinged burlesque shows at this reliable staplee of e, the Glasgow scene, while DJ Lovelesss and David Stone play retro c. and modern music. ly Dress up is actively encouraged, but noo jeans or trainers.

A programme of family activities for the daytime and early evening of Hogmanay, including traditional music and children’s activities.

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56 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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HOGMANAY 2015

Afore the Bells The Queen’s Hall, 87–89 Clerk Street, 668 2019. 9pm. £40 before 14 Nov; £45 after (under 16s £5).

A traditional Hogmanay knees up as Heeliegoleerie provide the live music at this ceilidh night, plus a piper to bring in 2015, haggis, neeps, tatties, a wee dram and champagne on arrival.

SAT 1 JAN ■ GLASGOW Irn-Bru Carnival SECC, Finnieston Quay, times vary, £13, until 17 Jan

Scottish S tti h B Ballet: ll t Ci Cinderella d ll E Edinburgh Festival Theatre, 1 13–29 Nicolson Street, 2pm & 7. 7.30pm, £13.50–£42.50

Scottish Ballet’s festive S pr production of the classic fairytale, se to the unmistakable score set pe penned by Prokofiev, which is pe performed by the Scottish Ballet Or Orchestra. Street Party Str Pri Princes Street, 7pm–1am, £25.

Concert in the Gardens: Biffy Clyro Princes Street Gardens, 7–11pm, £49.50

This year’s famed Princes Street Gardens Hogmanay will be headlined by Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro with support from Idlewild and Honeyblood. Hogmanay Gala Ball Palm Court, Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes Street, 7pm–1am, £265 (children £130)

Glamorous black-tie Hogmanay party with live jazz, a ceilidh, pipe band and four-course dinner. Hogmanay at Harvey Nichols Forth Floor Restaurant, Harvey Nichols, 30–34 St Andrew Square, 7.30pm–1.30am, £195

Arrive to champagne and bagpipes, sit down to a five-course dinner with paired wines, enjoy live music, dancing and a late-night buffet, then watch the fireworks over the castle. Ladies On Rotation Sounds of Soul NYE 2015/16 Party DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Edinburgh, City Centre, 6pm–2am, £30–£40

The ladies – Blonde Flash and Natasha ‘Kitty Katt’ Probert – with a mix of soul, funk, disco and soulful house at this Penthouse Hogmanay party.

Famed as one of the best New Year Fam cele celebrations in the world, thousands of rrevellers bring in the New Year th centre of Edinburgh with a in the mix of live music, DJs and varying knowledge of the lyrics to ‘Auld Lang Syne’. The Caves Edinburgh Hogmanay Party The Caves, 10pm, £16.87

Bring in 2015 in one of the city’s most unique clubbing venues. Expect a ceilidh, choons old and new, and bags of fun to welcome in the new year. The Old Town Ceilidh City High Street, 9pm–1am, £45

Mega ceilidh in the heart of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town. Dance away with ‘Ceilidh Makers’, and join in on the attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the World’s Longest Strip the Willow. Vegas! Grand Hogmanay Ball Voodoo Rooms, 9pm, £28

The Vegas team return to host another Hogmanay party. Expect showgirls, big band tunes, swing, easy listening, cabaret and burlesque featuring all the usual glamorous shenanigans plus The Soul Foundation, Missy Malone, Gypsy Charms and the Vegas Revue. Wee Dub Hogmanay! Studio 24, 10pm–5am, £15 until 1 Dec.

A bass-heavy way to see in 2016 with a night of international roots and reggae.

From the traditional whirl of the waltzers and the crash of the dodgems to the brand-new Voodoo Dancer and equally stomach-churning Matterhorn, Speed Buzz and Extreme. Plus, of course, there are gentler rides for wee ones such as the Teacups and the Carousel. Entry price is £13 with visitors receiving ten vouchers which can be used on all rides and most stalls. Each ride is one voucher and stalls are two vouchers (some stalls are taking cash). ■ EDINBURGH New Year Schiltron Edinburgh Castle, Royal Mile, 11.15am & 12.15pm & 2pm & 3pm. Included in castle admission

A medieval warfare re-creation for the whole family, in which you too can find out what it was like to be in a 14thcentury pike formation. Scot:Lands Old Town, times vary, free

Celebrate New Year in the Old Town, with this series of events from some of Scotland’s top artists and musicians. There’s plenty of music, art and theatre to go around, with the line-up still to be announced. See feature, page 54. Scottish Chamber Orchestra: New Year in Vienna Usher Hall, Lothian Road, 7.30pm, £11–£31.50

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s annual New year concert is always a glittering shindig, but the proceeds go to Marie Curie Cancer Care. The programme features the usual Viennese favourites including waltzes by Johann Strauss and works by Brahms, Rossini and Massenet, but also an arrangement by director/leader Joseph Swensen of Clara Schumann’s Three Romances. The Stoats Loony Dook South Queensferry, 1.30pm, £10

Dive into 2016 with a dip off South Queensferry. Gather for the parade, and watch as the swimmers freeze their proverbials off under the iconic Forth Rail Bridge.

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SUNSET SONG

As the long-awaited adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Sunset Song hits the big screen, James Mottram catches up with director Terence Davies and the film’s star Agyness Deyn to discuss loyalty, humanity and subtitles

itting in the swish confines of London’s Corinthia Hotel, Terence Davies is being charmingly modest. He’s talking about his new film, Sunset Song, his long-gestating adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s classic 1932 novel of life in rural Scotland. ‘I cannot believe that we’ve got a halfway decent film out of it,’ he whispers. ‘I’m very proud of it.’ So he should be; his first film since 2011’s The Deep Blue Sea (a luscious adaptation of the Terence Rattigan play with Tom Hiddleston and Rachel Weisz), Sunset Song is more than ‘halfway decent’. Beautiful, emotional, rich and textured, it’s a triumphant take on one of the most famous works of Scottish literature: the story of Chris Guthrie, a young woman growing up in a north-east farming family in the early 20th century. Davies first discovered Sunset Song in 1971, when he came across a serialised version on the BBC. ‘It stayed with me,’ he says. Years later after films like Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) and The Long Day Closes (1992) established his directing career, Davies began dreaming of adapting it. By 2003, he’d got a script together, only to be dismissed by British financiers, ‘which was pretty crushing’, he says. It was only after the moderate success of The Deep Blue Sea that

Sunset Song became a reality. Even then, it was stop-start. Davies, who recently turned 70, cast Agyness Deyn as Chris more than three years ago, without any idea of her former life as an ‘it girl’ model. ‘What moves me is the fact that she stayed with it,’ he remarks. ‘At no point did she say, “no, it’s carrying on too long”.’ He also cast Peter Mullan as her foul-tempered father, basing the decision on a brief clip of his brutal performance in Paddy Considine’s 2011 directorial debut Tyrannosaur. Davies seems bowled over by his cast’s loyalty. Kevin Guthrie (as Chris’ increasingly violent husband Ewan) and Ian Pirie (farmer Chae Strachan) turned down work for two years to work on the film. ‘It’s just heartbreaking in a way,’ sighs Davies. ‘And the performances they’ve given are so extraordinary.’ A ‘nerd fan’, Deyn was as desperate to work with him (‘I wanted to do him proud’), as she was to grapple with Chris Guthrie. ‘She’s so inspiring,’ she says. ‘As a woman, I would want to watch that story. And I think it’s important to have stories like that around for young women. I remember reading Jane Eyre for the first time: one of the earliest punks, in a way! I feel like Chris has that energy.’ Partly for sunshine requirements, the film’s shoot began in New

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SUNSET SONG

‘The animals defecate and urinate all over the place’

Zealand before a Luxembourg leg and finally a return to the book’s spiritual Scottish home, with the production decamping to Ballater in Aberdeenshire. It was a tough shoot, says Davies. ‘There’s nothing glamorous about sitting around on a farm, in mud, in the pouring rain, and then the animals defecate and urinate all over the place.’ Deyn didn’t complain. In New Zealand, she and her co-star Jack Greenlees, who plays Chris’ brother Will, were taught how to farm with old-school methods. ‘We collected the crop and learnt to scythe it and tie it up,’ she explains. That helped her get into the rhythms of Gibbon’s story and when the shoot arrived in Scotland, the inclement weather was just what she needed, emotionally. ‘The coldness and the bleakness added to where we had to be in the film,’ she insists. Sunset Song is a gruelling watch as Chris and Will face grief and violence amid the bone-numbing winters. ‘It’s a hard life and it’s a hard story,’ says Davies. ‘But what I love about the book is that it’s so full of humanity. The ending is about forgiveness for all suffering no matter where it is. That’s a huge statement at the end of any novel. But it’s so humane, I think.’ While Deyn’s performance has been rightly lauded when the film

premiered in September at the Toronto International Film Festival, US reviewers criticised the thick Scottish vernacular, claiming foreign audiences might require subtitles. Davies seems surprised when I raise this. ‘It doesn’t need subtitles,’ he retorts. ‘And the answer would be “no” anyway!’ He’s also uncertain at the praise heaped on the film’s stunning photography, shot in natural light and inspired by Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi. ‘You can make films look beautiful but they can be completely unmemorable. I wouldn’t want to fall into the Sistine Chapel complex, where everything is gorgeous but you don’t give a damn about what you’re looking at. Then I would be worried.’ Rather like his modesty, this is typical Davies who is perhaps burnt by reviews of his earlier films. ‘A lot of people who don’t like my work say it’s ponderous and slow. They’ve said it in print or said it to me, but that’s the way I see it. Some people hate what I do with a passion: I can tell you.’ Perhaps Sunset Song will finally sound a different tune. Sunset Song is on general release from Fri 11 Dec. See review, page 91. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 59

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BEST OF 2016

FILM

THE HATEFUL EIGHT The eagerly awaited eighth film from Quentin Tarantino sees the writer-director returning to the Wild West after the success of Django Unchained. Shot on 70mm, the plot revolves around bounty hunter Kurt Russell and his attempts to protect himself and his prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) from six (or possibly seven) ruthless strangers. Out Fri 8 Jan. SPOTLIGHT Based on a true story and certain to feature heavily in this season’s Oscar race, director Tom McCarthy’s gripping investigative drama stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams as the team of Boston Globe journalists who uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the Catholic Church. See review, page 95. Out Fri 29 Jan. HAIL CAESAR! Set in 1950s Hollywood, the Coen Brothers’ latest comedy stars Josh Brolin as a Hollywood studio fixer who’s tasked with securing

the return of the studio’s biggest star (George Clooney) after he’s kidnapped and held to ransom by a mysterious organisation called The Future. Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson co-star. Out Fri 26 Feb. ANOMALISA If you thought writer-director Charlie Kaufman couldn’t top the weirdness of Synecdoche, New York, think again. Using stop-motion animation, his latest film tells the tale of a customer service author (David Thewlis) who’s convinced everyone around him is identical, until he meets Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) while on a routine business trip. Out Fri 11 Mar. THE JUNGLE BOOK (3D) Primarily a remake of Disney’s animated classic (in that the songs are still featured), this new version of Rudyard Kipling’s children’s tale mixes a live action Mowgli (Neel Sethi) with CGI renditions of all the animal characters, including, tantalisingly, Bill Murray as Baloo the Bear and Christopher Walken as King Louie. Out Fri 15 Apr. (Matthew Turner)

SWEET 16 MUSIC

FOALS The Oxford post-rockers step up to the big leagues after the release of epic fourth album What Went Down with their first arena tour. Expect clattering proggy rock and soaring existential electronica, plus electro-tinged support from Everything Everything. SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Fri 12 Feb.

JANET JACKSON After taking several years out of the game, Michael’s sister returns to the live arena. Famed for her slick mix of R&B, pop and a finely crafted stage show, this will feature classics from her back-catalogue and new cuts from 2015’s Unbreakable. SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 4 Apr.

WOLF ALICE Embracing grunge, garage, feral pop and even a dash of folk, the rise of Wolf Alice (pictured) continues unabated. Ellie Rowsell is a mesmerising focal point to their blistering live shows and, in particular, watch out for her dance moves to ‘Giant Peach’. Barrowland, Glasgow, Wed 16 Mar.

T IN THE PARK No surprise that Scotland’s biggest music festival will be back in 2016. Internet forums are floating Foo Fighters, Florence + The Machine, Blur and Calvin Harris as possible headliners (though these are unsubstantiated rumours). Strathallan Castle, Perth, Fri 8–Sun 10 Jul.

CLINT MANSELL The composer returns for an evening of ‘uneasy listening’ to make up for cancelling in 2014. His work can be found soundtracking everything from Doom to Filth as well as every single one of Darren Aronofsky’s movies, including the haunting ‘Lux Æterna’ from Requiem for a Dream. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Tue 29 Mar.

TINDERSTICKS Brooding baroque pop from Stuart Staples and co. These shows have been billed as ‘cine-concerts’ offering an audio-visual mix of jazz, soul, indie and specially commissioned short films to accompany each song on 11th studio album The Waiting Room. Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Tue 3 May. (Henry Northmore)

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BEST OF 2016

PHOTO © COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND THE MODERN INSTITUTE/TOBY WEBSTER

VISUAL ART

MODERN SCOTTISH WOMEN 1885–1965 A major overview of the work of Scottish women artists from Francis Newbery’s directorship of the Glasgow School of Art to the death of Anne Redpath. Well-known masterpieces will be shown alongside rarely seen but important works. See preview, page 124. National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, Sat 7 Nov 2015–Sun 26 Jun.

MAKING IT: SCULPTURE IN BRITAIN 1977–1986 This touring exhibition shows how sculpture in late 70s / early 80s Britain was reinvigorated through its encounter with conceptual and performance art, as exemplified by the work of artists such as Antony Gormley, Alison Wilding, Cornelia Parker and Tony Cragg. City Art Centre, Edinburgh, Sat 7 May–Sun 3 Jul.

RIAS FESTIVAL OF ARCHITECTURE The Scottish Government has declared 2016 the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, and this festival aims to get people more interested in the built environment around them, with workshops, a major touring exhibition and more. Various venues across Scotland, Mar–Oct.

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE ART, DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE DEGREE SHOW / ABERTAY DIGITAL GRADUATE SHOW Both Abertay – the first university in the world to offer a degree in computer game design – and Dundee run thriving digital art programs. See what the latest graduates have been up to. Various venues, Dundee, May.

GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF VISUAL ART This is the big one: the biennial explosion of Scottish and international visual art that sees Glasgow bursting at its grimy seams with hipness. Various venues, Glasgow, Fri 8–Mon 25 Apr.

NEON DIGITAL ARTS FESTIVAL Continuing Dundee’s digital art dominance, NEoN brings together international and emerging artists to see how art can be realised by means of digital technology. Various venues, Dundee, Nov. (Alex Johnston)

The worlds of music, art, days out and film have got it all going on over the next year. Henry Northmore, Alex Johnston, Rowena McIntosh and Matthew Turner choose some of the future sounds and sights which are set to please you

PHOTO © OVE HANSEN

DAYS OUT

GLASGOW INDOOR GRAND PRIX The Emirates Arena welcomes the best athletes from across the world and with the Olympic Games just six months away, competition will be ferocious as the participants battle it out for a chance to represent their country in Rio. Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Sat 20 Feb.

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW Part agricultural show, part food festival, part family fun day out, with everything from motor, equine and craft programmes to food and drink and children’s activities. Animals and produce compete for much-coveted rosettes. Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, Thu 23–Sun 26 Jun.

BELTANE FIRE FESTIVAL A night of immersive performance and colourful characters to celebrate the beginning of summer and the end of winter. Calton Hill comes alive as a procession leads the May Queen and the Green Man past drummers, dancers, acrobats, elaborately costumed performers and a huge bonfire. Calton Hill, Edinburgh, Sat 30 Apr.

WEST END FESTIVAL STREET PARADE Glasgow hosts its very own Mardi Gras as Byres Road gets pedestrianised to allow dancers, musicians and performers to parade through the West End playing tunes, boogeying and holding giant papier mâché structures aloft. West End, Glasgow, Jun.

EDINBURGH MARATHON FESTIVAL Now in its 14th year, this huge event will welcome over 30,000 runners. Race for charity, fun or to bag a PB. There are seven races to choose from over two days including the marathon, half marathon, team relay, 10k, 5k and junior races. City centre, Edinburgh, Sat 28 & Sun 29 May.

WORLD PIPE BAND COMPETITION In 2015, a Scottish band was crowned the best in the world for the first time since 2005. Watch as Shotts & Dykehead defend their title, and enjoy the music of pipers and drummers from across the globe. There’s also a children’s zone, gourmet food and Highland games. Glasgow Green, Fri 12 & Sat 13 Aug. (Rowena McIntosh)

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 61

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CELTIC CONNECTIONS

PHOTO © GEMMA DAGGER

ONLY CONNECT

Celebrating the best in Scottish and world music, Claire Flynn explores some of the highlights of 2016’s Celtic Connections

eltic Connections, Glasgow’s annual celebration of Scottish and world folk music, returns to the city in the New Year. Launched in 1994, the festival is now in its 23rd year, and its 2016 programme will see thousands of performers from across the globe take to the stage in venues across the city. One of the star attractions this year is a one-off appearance by Robert Plant – the former Led Zeppelin frontman is performing as part of a tribute to the influential Scottish musician Bert Jansch, who passed away four years ago. Plant takes to the stage alongside erstwhile Suede guitarist Bernard Butler and Jansch’s former bandmate Jacqueline Shee (Old Fruitmarket, Sun 31 Jan). Plant calls his debt to the Glasgowborn guitar legend ‘enormous and longstanding’. Piaf: The Show (Theatre Royal, Wed 27 Jan, 7.30pm) is another highlight of the 2016 programme. Part of the final weekend’s Showcase Scotland event, it celebrates the centenary of the iconic French singer’s birth, bringing her well-known songs to the stage, including ‘La Vie en Rose’, ‘Milord’ and ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’. The show is partially based on the Oscar-winning 2007 biopic with Marion Cotillard. In the stage version, which has been performed across three continents, the starring role is played by Anne Carrere. Other tribute nights to keep an eye out for are Edinburgh band Bwani Junction’s performance of Paul Simon’s renowned album Graceland (Old Fruitmarket, Sat 23 Jan, 8pm, £16) and PILGRIMER: A Reimagining of Joni Mitchell’s Hejira (Glasgow Royal Concert

Hall, Sat 16 Jan). The latter was devised by novelist and poet James Robertson, who’s adapted the singer-songwriter’s classic ’70s album into both Scots and a Scottish setting. The cast includes Julie Fowlis, Dick Gaughan and Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Carlton. Meanwhile, indie rockers Admiral Fallow are set to bring their folky tones to the Mackintosh Church (Fri 15 Jan). The five-piece released their third album Tiny Rewards earlier this year. Their Celtic Connections show Common Ground, sees them premiere a new Steve Forman commission, alongside arrangements of Admiral Fallow rarities by Lau’s Aiden O’Rourke and composer Gareth Williams, with chamber group The Auricle Ensemble. Speaking of 21st-century Scottish stars, Siobhan Wilson (pictured) is graciously providing her mesmerising sound to the festival along with some friends (St Andrew’s in the Square, Sun 17 Jan) and electronic trio Errors are showcasing their cutting-edge beats at the O2 ABC (Sat 16 Jan). Also, BBC Radio Scotland have teamed up with the festival again, and are staging free live shows at the CCA. Janice Forsyth (Thu 14 Jan), Vic Galloway (Mon 18 Jan) and Edith Bowman (Wed 13 Jan, Thu 21 Jan, Wed 27 Jan) are among the radio stars hosting these special events featuring performers and music from across the festival. You can register for tickets at bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/tickets Plus, if you’re the kind of person that likes to participate rather than sit and watch, the festival is also putting on a range of workshops to satisfy creative souls. With classes on different instruments (from the bodhran to the ukulele), it’s the perfect time to discover a hidden musical talent. Who knows, maybe you’ll be one of the headline acts at next year’s festival. Celtic Connections, various venues, Glasgow, Thu 14 Jan–Sun 31 Jan. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 63

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FOOD & DRINK

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IAIN BURNETT THE HIGHLAND CHOCOLATIER A chocolate crafted in Grandtully, near Aberfeldy, using cream from a single herd of Perthshire cows and a rare chocolate from the island of São Tomé, claimed the title of the world’s best dark chocolate truffle in October at the International Chocolate Awards’ World Final in London. The plain Velvet Truffle made by Iain Burnett The Highland Chocolatier was one of tens of thousands of chocolates from over 40 countries judged by chefs, sommeliers and food experts from around the world. For more on the Highland Chocolatier and all Scotland’s artisan chocolate makers, look for the Chocolate Larder Food Map at food. list.co.uk

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 65

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FOOD & DRINK

DRINKS NEWS

NEWS & REVIEWS

At the end of October Glasgow got its second BrewDog venue with the opening of DogHouse at 99 Hutchison Street in the Merchant City. Combining bar, BBQ restaurant and bottle shop, it joins the company’s real estate along with a new BottleDog beer shop on Dundas Street in Edinburgh. Lebowski’s proprietors Kained Holdings have named their new bar and restaurant So, What Comes Next? It’s located in the former Crosslands bar (the Begbie fight bar in Trainspotting) at 182 Queen Margaret Drive. The same group have also established a presence on the Southside with a Lebowski’s Pop-up at Sammy Dow’s (see page 70, recent openings).

BINARY DINERY Kelvinside is no destination dining district but a neighbourhood restaurant with a new charitable direction adds up on various different fronts, as Jay Thundercliffe reports

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Attractive, enticing, exciting food at nearbudget prices

Deserves better than MOR music on the stereo

111 BY NICO 111 Cleveden Road, West End, Glasgow, G12 0JU, 0141 334 0111, 111bynico.co.uk

RECOMMENDS . . .

PAESANO PIZZA GLASGOW

Aromatic pizzas cooked in artisan woodfired ovens built by Gianni Acunto of Naples, who have been making traditional ovens for four generations enjoy with a refreshing Birra Moretti. paesanopizza.co.uk

Ave. price two-course meal: £17 (set lunch / dinner) 66 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Our member restaurants choose only the Ă&#x2020; nest Scotch Beef. With full traceability and guaranteed levels of assurance, Scotch Beef is high on welfare, quality and taste. So if you care about your food, look for the Scotch Beef Club logo on your next meal out.

Look out for the member restaurants or go direct to www.scotchbeefclub.org

68 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4 Feb 2016

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SIDE DISHES

The restaurant scene on George Street has thrust itself to prominence with the high-profile opening of The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen, a first Edinburgh venture for Des MacDonald, once head chef at the Ivy and a director of the Caprice Group, and now operator of various London venues including Vintage

Salt. The 180-seat restaurant and bar adjacent to the George Hotel has Fifer Colin Fleming in the kitchen, serving signature dishes including game, in-house smoked salmon and Josper Grill-seared Buccleuch steaks. Immediately next door is upmarket coffee and sandwich stop Burr & Co.

News to nibble on Also opening its doors in a busy autumn around the capital is Field Grill House, a second venue for the likeable West Nicolson Street operation, in the space previously operated by Buffalo Grill on Raeburn Place, Stockbridge. Up in the Old Town, Checkpoint, once a Fringe pop-up, is now permanently open as a daytime café, evening bistro and late-night bar. The new Bar á Vin is open on the street level below L’escargot Blanc, Ben Reade and Sashana Souza Zanella’s Edinburgh Food Studio got underway in late October while the former location of Blue Bar above the Traverse is set to be brought to life before Christmas by erstwhile Forth Floor executive chef Stuart Muir in a venture called Dine with Stuart Muir (pictured right). The BBC Good Food Show Scotland arrives at the SECC in Glasgow from 6 to 8 November with its array of producer stalls, celebrity appearances, masterclasses and restaurant pop-ups from The Gannet, Porter

& Rye and Red Onion. Meanwhile Section 33, a memorable popup in 2014, is back with another guerilla dining event later in November – check section-33.com for the latest. Glasgow openings include a Scottish branch of CAU, a specialist in Argentinian steaks, and a Silverburn location for Thaikhun, wee sister to Chaophraya and a follow-on to their first Scottish branch in Aberdeen. There will be a Bavarian Brau Haus open at 30 Bothwell Street in the Merchant City by the middle of November, while those who like a bit of a Twitter tease can follow the imminent arrival of the publicity-ripe 20poundsandwich.

YOUR OTHER NATIONAL T Ceylon, Assam, Xinyang . . . Angus. Does Scotland have what it take to join the world’s great teaproducing areas? Courtney Hyde Peyton finds out

amily traditions can have fascinating origins. Almost 180 years ago, Charles Alexander Bruce brought assamica tea to the British market, driving the expansion of tea production in Assam. Today, his great-great-great granddaughter Susie Walker-Munro has produced her own single estate tea, Kinnettles Gold. The twist is that, this time, the tea itself is Scottish. Grown and hand-rolled on Kinnettles Farm in Angus, it has taken eight years of hard work, research, learning, growing and absorbing expert guidance for Walker-Munro to deliver the first limited edition Kinnettles Gold to market. The tea was specially developed for the Scottish climate with the help of tea consultant Beverly-Claire Wainwright of Teacraft. Wainwright’s philosophy is to match processing methods to suit the terroir, rather than copying methods from other countries. She was also responsible for introducing Kinnettles to Jon Cooper, owner of PekoeTea in Edinburgh. For Cooper, the tea was unique. ‘I’ve never seen or tasted a tea like this before,’ he says. ‘From my point of view as a tea trader, this tea should fall into the category of a semi-oxidised tea or oolong. But from the colour of the liquor, taste and the new production methods it is very difficult to categorise this tea within any of the main tea types.’ Retailing at an eyebrow-raising £50 for a 20g tin, or £15 for a cup in PekoeTea Stockbridge, one of Cooper’s two specialist tea shops in Edinburgh, Kinnettles has ambitiously positioned itself at the top end of the market and is hoping to lead the way in Scottish artisan tea production. Plans for the future include establishing tea plants in the favourable microclimate of the estate’s walled garden, as part of a scheme looking at the potential for up to 11 other Scottish tea growers transforming their walled gardens into tea gardens. ■ Find out more at pekoetea.co.uk 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 69

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FOOD & DRINK

RARER THAN MEDIUM

RECENT OPENINGS

Cutting into this stylishly presented new steakhouse (using the Laguiole steak knife offered), Donald Reid finds quality running all the way through

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LEITH CHOP HOUSE 102 Constitution Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6AW 0131 629 1919, leithchophouse.co.uk Ave. price two-course meal: £15 (lunch) / £30 (dinner)

The best of the new restaurant, café and bar openings in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for one.

Glasgow

even the base sauce of crushed Strianese tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil is a simple, savoury delight – on a pleasingly chewy and soft super-thin base. It’s an informal affair – bench seating, tumblers for (Venetian) wine, and no bookings – but well worth popping into at any time.

BO KANTINA

LEBOWSKIS POP-UP

KOREAN & MEXICAN 48 West Regent Street, City Centre, 0141 353 6712, bokantina.co.uk, £18 (lunch/dinner) Mexican and Korean cuisine have shacked up together to make beautiful love in a city centre spot, where hand-painted murals and corrugated iron give off a raw-yet-cute vibe reflecting the marriage of street food and Far Eastern flavours. For owners Ben Dantzic and James Forrest of Burger Meats Bun (the Glasgow branch of which this replaces), Mexican is the ‘carrier’ for the exotic Korean flavours, coming in street food-style starters such as kimchi fried chicken wings or mains such as pork with burnt onions, honey and mustard – or combine elements yourself in a burrito, rice or salad bowl. The delicious chocolate peanut butter-crunch Bo bar is like an untamed fiery Korean Snickers.

BAR-DINER 69 Nithsdale Road, Southside, 0141 423 3332, lebowskis.co.uk, £9–14 (lunch/dinner) Samuel Dow’s takeover by Kained Holdings adds another enticing food and drink option in this burgeoning street. Operating as a pop-up means the incomers have time to win over existing customers – Sammy Dow’s has been a feature since 1931 and has a loyal if dwindling clientele – before the promised refit. Trademark Lebowski cocktails – variations on the White Russian – are already in evidence, and the food from the existing tiny kitchen is limited but playfully changes to suit festivities, opening with quality pub grub, into bratwurst and goulash for Oktoberfest, while Mexican food will feature for the Day of the Dead (Hallowe’en). One to watch with interest.

PAESANO PIZZA ITALIAN 94 Miller Street, Merchant City, 0141 258 5565, paesanopizza.co.uk, £12 (lunch/dinner) Another Italian operation from Paul Stevenson, owner of nearby Italian Caffè, Paesano Pizza’s red neon sign entices, and the pitch appeals – proper Neapolitan sourdough pizza, blasted for 90 seconds at 500 degrees in ovens imported from Italy, with simple, elegant toppings such as prosciutto and mushrooms, or peppers, spinach and ricotta. It all tastes great –

Edinburgh SMITH & GERTRUDE WINE BAR 26 Hamilton Place, Stockbridge, 0131 629 6280, smithandgertrude.com, £18 (dinner) A mix of comfy and communal seating, an elegant white-and-blue colour scheme and sleek stripped wood and metal fixtures give this carefully assembled newcomer the trendy, informal vibe of café-style enotecas springing up across Italy, Australia and the US. With the middle-man cut out, many of the 100 bottles of wine available – including 20 or so by the glass – are more affordable than expected, and wine flights are a blessing for ditherers and discoverers alike. There’s plenty of care taken with the food too, in cheese and charcuterie platters featuring a fine Brie

de Meaux and an impressively marbled Coppa.

BARNACLES & BONES PERMANENT STREET FOOD STALL Cathedral Lane, Picardy Place, New Town, 07736 281893, fb.com/barnaclesnbones It’s perhaps more at home in a seaside shack on the Cornwall coast rather than a converted police box by Paolozzi’s Foot on a walkway beside John Lewis, but let’s be happy it isn’t. Two daily choices: one fish (the barnacles), one meat (the bones), are each accompanied by slaw and available on a bun (from nearby favourite the Manna House), with a rocket and quinoa salad or — perhaps the best of the bunch — fries shaken with sea salt and chopped tarragon. Regular options include Fife-caught crab dressed in a light lemon mayo, and a satisfying short rib, slowcooked in sherry.

EL TORO LOCO MEXICAN 28–30 Grassmarket, Old Town, 0131 226 3706, fb. com/eltorolocoedinburgh Part of a mini Grassmarket empire which also includes Gennaro Ristorante next door and Mamma’s American Pizzeria along the road, El Toro Loco is the latest in a line of fashionable Mexican street food places to have sprung up of late, after Los Cardos in Leith, the west coast Pinto chain and the revived Illegal Jack’s. Decorated in warm reds and with lots of bright table seating outside, the food is very agreeable, despite a lack of kick to the fresh hot salsa, with burritos, tacos and quesadillas loaded with meaty, shredded hunks of pork carnitas, baracoa beef or chipotle chicken, beans infused with beer or bacon, and all the regular sides including ‘cactus’ (thin pickled gherkins).

Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Glasgow and Edinburgh are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink 70 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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FESTIVE FOOD Christmas time is getting closer, bringing with it a host of dinners to eat, drinks to be drunk and parties to go to. But don’t get your fairy lights tangled up: over the next eight pages you’ll find a range of festive restaurant offerings in Edinburgh and Glasgow. So whether you’re planning a night out with family, an unforgettable office party or you just fancy a Christmassy drink with friends, there’ll be something for you. Plus, a few top chefs share their tips on how to make Christmas extra special.

OUR RESTAURATEURS MATTHEW KORECKI New Chapter 0131 556 0006

PAUL KITCHING 21212 21212restaurant.co.uk

PAUL WEDGWOOD Wedgwood the Restaurant wedgwoodtherestaurant.co.uk

PHILIP CONTINI Valvona & Crolla valvonacrolla.co.uk

VIKTOR HUSZTI Elements elementedinburgh.co.uk

SAM MATTOCKS Milk cafemilk.co.uk

FRED BERKMILLER L’escargot Bleu & L’escargot Blanc lescargotbleu.co.uk and lescargotblanc.co.uk

MORTEN RENGTVED Bread Street Brasserie breadstreetbrasserie.co.uk

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&A’S FESTIVE Q

I’m planning a Christmas meal and want to offer a couple of unusual twists. What would you suggest? MATTHEW KORECKI My favourite Christmas ingredient is paprika. I would suggest using espelette paste (mild paste made from peppers from the Basque country) or mild harissa for your stuffing.

VIKTOR HUSZTI Swap the turkey for grouse for a really rich flavour; you may need more than one grouse to match the size of a turkey. Try adding chorizo to your vegetables and roast them all together to really make the flavours burst!

PAUL KITCHING Replace your traditional roast vegetables with something a little more exotic. Don’t get me wrong, British roast vegetables are hard to beat but if you want to step away from the norm, try a celeriac mash or serve Chinese radishes, mouli or pumpkin as an accompaniment to your meat. A simple change can make all the difference.

SAM MATTOCKS I always make a side dish of French beans with orange zest, toasted hazelnuts and nut oil. This is great because you can prepare it in advance and serve at room temperature. If I am serving roasted root vegetables I like to glaze them with raspberry vinegar. It just gives them a little extra zing and makes the flavours stand out.

MORTEN RENGTVED I would make Turkey spring roll with cranberry chutney and Christmas pudding strudel with brandy crème Anglaise and cinnamon ice-cream.

PHILIP CONTINI A panettone warmed in the oven and served with homemade crème Anglaise (or thin custard) with a bottle of ice-cold, slightly fizzy Moscato d’Asti.

PAUL WEDGWOOD Make your canapés Christmas tree decorations - for example, confit duck bon bons wrapped in gold leaf

FREDERICK BERKMILLER Christmas should be fun and stress-free when it comes to cooking. A slowly cooked casserole is great, there’s no reason for not cooking a leg of lamb and a nice shoulder of beef on the corner of the AGA.

72 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Kurdish & Middle East Restaurant Located in Edinburgh city centre (next to the University) we are open every day from 12noon until late, offering unique homecooked kurdish and middle eastern cuisine.

- Two course lunch menu from 12-3pm every day - £7 - Pre-theatre menu from 3pm to 6pm - Shisha in different Ø avours is available -£10 - We can accommodate a large party up to 60 people - See our website for special offers on kurdish feast - Bring your own bottle to make a cheaper dinner out

Tel. : 0131 667 2299 26-30 Potterrow, Edinburgh EH8 9BT contact@nawrozrestaurant.com www.nawrozrestaurant.com

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74 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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&A’S FESTIVE Q

It’s Boxing Day and I’ve got half a turkey uneaten. Any recommendations for some legendary leftovers?

MATTHEW KORECKI I can think of a member of my family who would like to have turkey two days in a row. I would suggest going for turkey steaks and cooking only as much as you need.

VIKTOR HUSZTI Try something simple and refreshing such as a turkey Caesar salad – it’ll take the sluggish feeling away. If you are not sold on a salad then take all of your roast leftovers (including vegetables) and cook a one-pot turkey broth – perfect for Boxing Day lunch.

PAUL KITCHING Take two slices of good-quality thick bread, slather on the butter followed by scrambled egg, turkey and a sprinkle of truffles and chives. Finally top with lashings of my favourite HP fruity sauce – it’s a winner!

SAM MATTOCKS

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MORTEN RENGTVED How about a turkey, leek and pancetta pie

PHILIP CONTINI Don’t buy turkey, create a new tradition and buy a Linda Dick free-range, high-quality, really tasty chicken. There will not be a scrap left over, it is so good!

PAUL WEDGWOOD Shred the turkey and mix with the leftover stuffing, then roll in cling film to make a thin sausage. Remove the cling film, coat in leftover mash, roll to make a cylinder and cut to the size of a potato croquette. Breadcrumb, deep fry and serve with a puree made with the leftover vegetables.

FREDERICK BERKMILLER Fantastic! What could be better than a thick baguette sandwich with homemade mayonnaise, a few gherkins, Dijon mustard and green leaves. Make sure that the turkey has not been in the fridge but in the cold oven overnight.

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&A’S FESTIVE Q

Which dishes on your Christmas/ December menu do you most like cooking? And which least? MATTHEW KORECKI

My favourite dish to cook for Christmas is venison and cherries, the least is turkey.

VIKTOR HUSZTI I’m really excited about cooking all of the dishes on our Element Christmas menu! My favourite is our coq au vininspired dish: we marinate the chicken supreme in full-bodied red wine, herbs and vegetables for a full day to give it lots of delicious flavour. It’s then served with creamy mash, button mushrooms, pancetta and a mulled-wine jus.

PAUL KITCHING The least would have to be the traditional turkey. Simply because it’s such a big piece of meat which, however hard you try, never ends up looking attractive on a plate. Instead, I tend to opt for guinea fowl or a joint of beef and serve it with white asparagus, which is so flavourful at this time of year.

SAM MATTOCKS We always have a hearty and healthy vegetarian dish on our menu during the winter months. This year we are planning to have a black dhal with sweet potatoes and coconut chutney – a really soothing and nutritious dish to rival the December excesses.

MORTEN RENGTVED I most like making our cock-a-leekie terrine, and least like cooking the parsnip, cranberry and chestnut loaf.

PHILIP CONTINI We love making a huge ashet of homemade egg tagliatelle with homemade sausage and tomato sugo. We do NOT like cooking on Boxing Day!

PAUL WEDGWOOD A traditional Christmas roast on the 1st of December I love, though not so much on the 24th as I’ve served it so many times!

FREDERICK BERKMILLER I prefer to cook something that will not be time-consuming so I can enjoy time with the family. A couple of good roasts, a nice chunky bit of foie gras, wine and I am the most happy chef in the world. A special salt marsh lamb and a young poularde will keep me in a good mood for a couple of months.

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76 6 THE LIST 5 N Nov 2015 2015–4 4 Feb F b 2016

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&A’S FESTIVE Q

What do you reckon is the most undervalued ingredient in the seasonal/ Christmas repertoire?

SEOUL FOOD

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MATTHEW KORECKI Sauerkraut is very healthy and goes extremely well with the meat.

VIKTOR HUSZTI The most undervalued vegetable at Christmas is without doubt Brussels sprouts! Most people hate or love them. I love them! They can be put in so many dishes, or enjoyed as a healthy snack!

PAUL KITCHING For some reason sprouts get discarded as a potential ingredient throughout the year. You can make wonderful purees from sprouts – especially if they’re frozen.

SAM MATTOCKS I feel like cauliflower needs some good PR. A soup we often have on the menu at Milk is roasted cauliflower with turmeric and almonds, it’s so delicious and has a great silky texture. Cauliflower is great in salads too. It’s a very versatile vegetable, incredibly good for you and cheap.

MORTEN RENGTVED *no suggestions

PHILIP CONTINI Good sea salt. To our palate it really makes a huge difference to the flavour of your cooking with a delicious, complex saltiness but without the bitterness of commercial salt.

PAUL WEDGWOOD Jerusalem artichokes

FREDERICK BERKMILLER Brusssels sprouts have such a great flavour when reheated in a nice gravy with a fair amount of butter.

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&A’S FESTIVE Q

I fancy giving food items for presents at Christmas. Any suggestions? MATTHEW KORECKI Beef, wild mushrooms and sauerkraut stew.

VIKTOR HUSZTI A good homemade piccalilli is always a winner. Or go pro with homemade chocolate truffles, you can coat them with different nuts, flavour them with alcohol such as Baileys or even add some herbs.

PAUL KITCHING Food is the best gift you can possibly give. Make sure you present it well and anything from a selection of chutneys, to cheeses, to something sweet will go down a treat. Last Christmas I gave a good friend a spider crab and they absolutely loved it. My advice would be to go for something different, something they wouldn’t have tried before and then that way it will be more of an experience.

SAM MATTOCKS We have lots of family who live in Kentucky so always seem to have an excess of Bourbon in our house. This year I plan to make smoked caramel apple Bourbon liqueur by infusing the bourbon with homemade caramel, lapsang souchong tea and apples from the apple tree in our garden.

MORTEN RENGTVED Baked Alaska with Christmas pudding ice-cream or cold vanilla rice pudding with cherries and almonds.

PHILIP CONTINI Ben Ryé Sicilian dessert wine. Probably in the top-five dessert wines of all time! At more than £30 for a half bottle it ain’t cheap but because you only need to sip and savour the delicious flavours it goes a long way.

PAUL WEDGWOOD Christmas chocolate brownies deconstructed. Give all the ingredients layered out in a kilner jar, with a little instruction booklet with step-by- step guide!

FREDERICK BERKMILLER Good artisan cheese, some great chutney and a super large tin of goose foie gras.

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f" $ / v" # 0/ ) / ) 1 Edinburgh' s iconic Scotsman Hotel is proud to offer a stunning selection of festive dining this December. From traditional classics, to contemporary Christmas fare... join us at the award-winning North Bridge Brasserie where we will be serving a range of seasonal lunches, Christmas dinners and, of course, our famous tasting menu.

Prices from £16.50

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Email reservations@thescotsmanhotel.co.uk or call 0131 556 5565

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78 THE LIST 5 N Nov 2015 2015–4 4F Feb b 2016

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AROUND TOWN IRN-BRU CARNIVAL

F the latesotr listings annews, reviews, g d list.co.uko to /aroundto wn

Thrill rides, family fun and kids’ activities return to the SECC It’s made of girders, it’s fizzy, it’s ginger, it’s phenomenal, and now it’s Europe’s largest indoor funfair. The Irn-Bru Carnival has cemented its status as the go-to postChristmas day out for thrill-seekers (although there’s plenty to do if you prefer to keep your feet on solid ground too). Held at Glasgow’s SECC over the festive season (with a day off for Christmas), the event is a family-friendly day out that really does cater to all generations. Sure, there’s no disguising the fact that it’s a funfair – thrill rides are the biggest draw – but there’s no shortage of family rides (dodgems, carousel, ghost train fun house, climbing wall) and activities aimed squarely at kids, including a mini Ferris wheel, cups and saucers and trampolines. But your idea of fun might be the ever-

present danger of losing your breakfast candy floss, right? Look no further than the likes of Speed Buzz, Sea Storm, Experience Miami, Extreme (and Extreme XL – so extreme it’s been shunted outdoors) and the not-so-scary sounding (but we’re sure it is) Frog Ride. After all that, you’ll probably need a lie down in a darkened room, but instead there are stalls and attractions to wander through: the wellknown Hook-a-Duck and Penalty Shoot-out stand alongside more intriguingly named Catch a Dog and Spill the Milk (a normal morning in our house). Thirteen quid gets you a standard entrance and ten vouchers – a ride is one voucher and a stall costs two. It’s more exciting than your Boxing Day walk, anyway. (Kirstyn Smith) ■ SECC, Glasgow, Wed 23 Dec–Sun 17 Jan.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 79

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AROUND TOWN | Highlights

HITLIST

traditional trinkets and crafts as well as delicious Teutonic treats (and, of course, glühwein).

EDINBURGH’S CHRISTMAS Edinburgh City Centre, Fri 20 Nov–Mon 4 Jan, edinburghschristmas. com Six weeks of winter wonderland with the east side of Princes Street transformed by a fairground, a host of colourful lights and the fabled European Christmas market with dozens of stalls selling

GLASGOW LOVES CHRISTMAS Glasgow City Centre, Sun 15 Nov–Thu 31 Dec, glasgowloveschristmas.com Watch the centre be lit up at Glasgow Christmas Lights switch-

on, race 5k dressed as Mr or Mrs Claus at the Santa Dash, and enjoy concerts and film screenings in George Square.

IRN BRU CARNIVAL SECC, Glasgow, Wed 23 Dec–Sun 17 Jan, irnbru-carnival.com From the traditional whirl of the waltzers and the crash of the dodgems to the stomach-churning Matterhorn, Speed Buzz and Extreme. Plus of course there are gentler rides for wee ones such as the Teacups and the Carousel.

AROUND TOWN HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add

GLASGOW WWE LIVE – WRESTLEMANIA REVENGE SSE Hydro, Thu 5 Nov, wwe. com The ultimate in ‘sports entertainment’ as the real-deal WWE superstars of US wrestling bring the pain to the UK.

GLASGOW FESTIVAL OF BURLESQUE Classic Grand, Thu 19 Nov–Sun 22 Nov, glasgowfestivalofburlesque. com A weekend festival celebrating the very best in the art of cabaret, with workshops and performances throughout the three days. See preview, page 118. GOOD FOOD SHOW SCOTLAND SECC, Thu 26 Nov–Sun 29 Nov, bbcgoodfoodshowscotland.com

The food and drink extravaganza heads north of the border again for another serving of celebrity chefs and star culinary attractions. Big names at the show include Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, Michel Roux Jr and Tom Kitchin. VEGFEST UK SECC, Fri 27 Nov– Sun 29 Nov, girlsdayoutshow.co.uk The women’s lifestyle, health, beauty and fashion event returns to Scotland.

GIRLS’ DAY OUT SECC, Sat 5 & Sun 6 Dec, vegfest. co.uk The healthiest and most delicious festival around serves up all the fun stuff – comedy, cooking demonstrations, speed dating – plus more serious matters, including a global food sustainability conference and a party political conference. This year round, there’s a brand new Food Village with more vegan / veggie food. ARENACROSS TOUR SSE Hydro, Sat 9 & Sun 10 Jan,

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Highlights | AROUND TOWN

arenacrossuk.com Watch in awe as the riders whip and back-flip their 100kg motorcycles 40 feet above the track. There’s a series of jump offs before a frenzied freestyle free-for-all.

Botanic Lights

NITROCIRCUS SSE Hydro, Thu 4 Feb, nitrocircuslive.com Travis Pastrana’s daring and actionpacked extreme sports show, with freestyle motocross, BMX and skateboard stunts choreographed at death-defying heights and speed.

EDINBURGH BOTANIC LIGHTS Royal Botanic Garden, until Sun 22 Nov, rbge.org.uk Follow a trail of light through the Botanic Garden and see it illuminated by a variety of effects. There’s mulled wine, hot drinks and snacks available too. DON’T WORRY BE SCOTTISH Summerhall, Thu 5 Nov, summerhall.co.uk An evening combining Czech and Slovak filmmakers and Scottish authors, literature, films and theatre. The event is hosted by writer and performer Alan Bisset and presents the UK premiere of a unique series of 16 short film essays.

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LIGHT NIGHT George Street, Sun 22 Nov, summerhall.co.uk Susan Boyle turns on Edinburgh’s Christmas lights, and over 1,300 local performers show off

their talents. BRIGHT CLUB The Stand, Tue 24 Nov, Tue 26 Jan, brightclubedinburgh.blogspot.

com The hardworking staff at Edinburgh’s universities are let out for the night to share their tales about the weird, wonderful, and often very funny, world of research.

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BOOKS

Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /books

BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND

BARBARA SCHELL

Literary celebration with Diana Gabaldon, Michel Faber, AL Kennedy and more Every November, Book Week Scotland heralds a seven-day celebration of the written word across the country. This year’s programme has a theme of ‘transformation’, and is packed full of appearances from literary big-hitters, as well as workshops, activities and reading events. Headlining 2015’s event is Outlander author Diana Gabaldon (pictured), who will appear in conversation with historian and writer Neil Oliver at Stirling Castle’s Great Hall on Mon 23 Nov. Meanwhile, Michel Faber, is set to discuss his novel Under the Skin and its film adaptation at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh on Sun 29 Nov, while Scottish literary legend AL Kennedy will appear in conversation with James Robertson at Cove Burgh Hall (also on Sun 29 Nov).

Other notable events include Kate Mosse (Waterstones, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, Wed 23 Nov), Val McDermid (Cove Burgh Hall, Sat 28 Nov), and Paula Hawkins (Waterstones West End, Edinburgh, Wed 25 Nov). Plus, there will be special appearances from Brian Blessed and Cathy Rentzenbrink in unusual locations across the country. Meanwhile, Alan Cumming, Ian Rankin, Louis De Bernières, Andy McNab and Greg Proops will also be talking about some literary works that have changed their life. This is part of the #ThankBooks strand, which invites readers to share books that have made a big impact on them in some way. Happy reading week, book lovers. (Rebecca Monks) ■ Book Week Scotland, Mon 23–Sun 29 Nov.

82 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Reviews | BOOKS

list.co.uk/books MUSIC MEMOIR

CARRIE BROWNSTEIN

Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl: A Memoir (Virago) ●●●●● Exceptionally talented guitarist and co-creator of Portlandia, Carrie Brownstein takes the reader through her childhood, evolution as a musician through the 1990s in Olympia and behind the scenes on Sleater-Kinney tours and album recordings up until 2006 in a revelatory, poignant and genuinely funny memoir. Brownstein’s candid account of her mother’s anorexia, her father’s eventual coming out and her own battle with anxiety is nicely balanced with witty stories of life on the road. She articulates her unconditional love for fellow band members, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss, as if speaking to a close friend. Her prose flows like an intimate but animated conversation, driving home the formative role music has played in her life. Unguarded excitement rolls off the page when speaking of her appreciation for the Riot grrrl music scene, including bands such as Bikini Kill, Bratmobile and Heavens to Betsy, whose lyrics and energy encouraged Brownstein to embrace her feminism. On her time with Sleater-Kinney and their hiatus, Brownstein is introspective, never wishing to speculate on anyone else’s feelings but her own. She navigates this world with a raw vulnerability, especially as she divulges information on her failing mental health towards the end of their 2006 tour. Ultimately this memoir reads like a rich and rewarding coming-of-age novel where the protagonist confronts her fears in a really cool setting while hanging out with the likes of Jack White and Eddie Vedder and playing dares with Beth Ditto. Disarmingly honest and self-deprecating, it’s inspirational reading for aspiring musicians, outsiders and anyone trying to make sense of their life. (Katherine McLaughlin) Out now.

FICTION

GRAPHIC NOVEL

TRUE CRIME

FICTION

Slade House (Sceptre) ●●●●●

Filmish (Self Made Hero) ●●●●●

His Bloody Project (Contraband)

Beatlebone (Canongate) ●●●●●

DAVID MITCHELL

‘What do you do when you’re visiting someone’s house and their garden starts to vanish?’ says Nathan Bishop during his visit to Slade House. Fans of David Mitchell may recall the set up from a story he composed on Twitter to promote 2014’s The Bone Clocks. This short novel grew from those tweets, and is set in the same universe, where human souls and time are mere playthings. Set over five days spanning five decades, each with its own protagonist, Slade House is a metaphysical haunted house tale that sees guests summoned to the house every nine years. From Nathan to seedy CID officer Gordon Edmonds and the tragic student Sally Timms, Mitchell has that rare ability to fully establish a character in just a couple of pages, and to vividly describe a world not confined by the laws of physics. His language and the tightly woven world he creates are equally enthralling. There aren’t many writers with his imagination or the ability to successfully pull off so peculiar a plot. He does it majestically. (Kevin Scott) Out now.

EDWARD ROSS

Anyone walking through Edinbugh’s Filmhouse cinema in the last few years will have stumbled across Filmish, the lovely comic book treatments of film theory from Edward Ross. Under the same title, the artist and essayist has now expanded into a full graphic novel form with this fun and engaging journey through film history. It's a solid overview of film theory from Laura Mulvey to Gilles Deleuze. However, distilling 100 years of cinematic history (and over 300 film references) into 200 pages is no mean feat, and even those well-versed in the male gaze and technophobia will find rich reward on each page that lovingly celebrates classic images from the big screen. In the tradition of Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics, Ross himself inhabits Filmish, guiding readers through his personal reflections on the subject. As he notes early on, while the medium has continued to evolve, its power to open up the potential of human vision remains undiminished. And so it seems, does the manner in which we discuss it. (Scott Henderson) Out Sat 7 Nov.

GRAEME MACRAE BURNET ●●●●●

When researching his family history in Inverness, author Graeme Macrae Burnet discovered the story of Roderick ‘Roddy’ Macrae, a 17-yearold boy from Culduie in Wester Ross who committed a brutal triple murder. While awaiting trial, Roddy wrote a detailed account of his life and this novel is the first time his memoir has been printed in full (disturbing passages were previously distributed in small booklets known as chapbooks). Roddy recounts a seemingly honest and entirely unromanticised account of the life of a crofter in 19th-century Scotland. The known outcome lends his tale a weighty sense of foreboding. His narrative is followed by an extract from the memoir of a psychiatrist who examined Roddy, along with newspaper accounts of his dramatic trial. These expose inconsistencies and omissions in Roddy’s story, demonstrating not just the unreliability of the individual narrators but the complexity of the justice system’s task in determining whether he, or any criminal, was sound of mind. (Rowena McIntosh) Out Thu 5 Nov.

KEVIN BARRY

The first thing you should know about Beatlebone is that you can take the Beatle part literally. This novel imagines John Lennon at a time of creative strife, escaping for three days to an island he owns, in order to contemplate life, work and his impending 40s in solitude. John’s period of isolation on the island doesn’t last long. He finds himself at the mercy of a shapeshifting driver and suddenly the island is full of foreboding elements that make his creative woes seem a distant memory. It’s been billed as a ‘mystery box’ of a novel, but in practice the opposite is true. Kevin Barry’s clean yet imaginative prose seamlessly puts the reader into the mind of a complex figure in the midst of a creative dry patch, and thus allows us to imagine a whole new world for this man, who was so much in the public eye, but who had a private life plagued with worries and doubts, just like the rest of us. It’s a must for Beatles fans, and even more so for fans of inventive, meticulously crafted contemporary literature. (Rebecca Monks) Out now. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 83

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BOOKS | Highlights

HITLIST

respective fictional worlds. Book sales and a signing are taking place after the talk. Part of Book Week Scotland.

AN EVENING WITH DIANA GABALDON & NEIL OLIVER Stirling Castle, Mon 23 Nov, stirlingcastle. gov.uk An evening with Outlander author Diana Gabaldon and historian Neil Oliver, author of Master of Shadows. The two writers are set to uncover the past and delve into their

NEU! REEKIE! #XMASKRACKER Central Hall, Edinburgh, Thu 17 Dec, centralvenues. org The avant-garde spoken word, film

and music fusion night is back with another #UntitledLive, following on from the inaugural event, which turned out to be a 1000 person sell-out. This festive edition features Irvine Welsh, Liz Lochhead, White and Hector Bizerk, with more acts still to be announced.

RALLY & BROAD: THE TAKEOVER EDITIONS – POETS AGAINST HUMANITY! Stereo, Glasgow, Sun 20 Dec, stereocafebar. com The spoken word institution Rally & Broad is taken over by Poets Against Humanity; a wordy wee evening, inspired by the game Cards Against Humanity.

Come with a sense of humour, please. Special guests to be announced.

BOOKS HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add

author talks about his seven novels, in which barber Barney Thomson becomes embroiled in a world or urban crime. Part of Book Week Scotland.

GLASGOW

FOR THE RECORD Summerhall, Fri 27 Nov, summerhall.co.uk James Yorkston, Vic Galloway and Richard King discuss Fence Records and the Scottish indie scene, plus a live set from Yorkston.

GRAEME MACRAE BURNET Waterstones Argyle Street, Thu 5 Nov, waterstones.com Graeme Macrae Burnet chats about his novel, His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae.

RALLY & BROAD: THE TAKEOVER EDITIONS - THE ANTI-SLAM The Bongo Club, Fri 18 Dec, thebongoclub.co.uk R&B is infiltrated by The Anti-Slam wonders of Paula Varjack & Dan Simpson. With special guests and music from A New International.

CITY LINES WITH LOUISE WELSH & WILLIAM LETFORD Mono, Mon 23 Nov, monocafebar. com An evening of poetry, prose and music by students of HNC Professional Writing Skills from City of Glasgow College. With very special guest performances by awardwinning novelist Louise Welsh and the remarkable poet William Letford. Part of Book Week Scotland BOLD TYPES: SCOTTISH WOMEN’S CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION Glasgow Women’s Library, Tue 24 Nov, womenslibrary.org.uk During October and November, women writers will be submitting short stories and poems for this 4th annual writing competition, on the theme of ‘Renewal and Transformations’. Come and hear the shortlisted writers read their stories in front of a wonderfully supportive and encouraging panel, which will include published writers and Women’s Library staff. Winners will be announced on the night and receive their welldeserved prizes. Part of Book Week Scotland. TIPS FOR GIRLS Glasgow Women’s Library, Fri 27 Nov & Tue 1 Dec, womenslibrary.

ROB MCDOUGALL

RALLY & BROAD: SAID THE JOKER TO THE THIEF Stereo, Sun 22 Nov, stereocafebar. com Literary-flavoured cabaret, with Be Charlotte, Sophia Walker, Billy Liar, Toni Stuart and Hannah McGill.

org.uk Look through the library’s archives and find tips for girls on everything from having dinner with a bachelor to bust size. Workshop for women only, and please note: a lot of these ‘useful’ tips are just that – ‘useful’ in quotation marks. THE BIG GLASGOW COMIC AND CRAFT FAIR Classic Grand, Sat 28 Nov, classicgrand.com The Big Glasgow Comic Page presents a day of assorted geekery complete with over 30 vendors selling back issues, graphic novels, original art, fan art, toys, t-shirts, jewellery, crafts, cupcakes and loads more. POINTLESS BOOK QUIZ Mitchell Library, Sat 28 Nov, glasgowlife.org.uk Do you know your fictional detectives from your Victorian Villans? Which team know more about books? Maximum team numbers are 6, come as a group or join another group when you get here.

EDINBURGH RALLY & BROAD: SAID THE JOKER TO THE THIEF The Bongo Club, Fri 20 Nov, thebongoclub.co.uk Literaryflavoured cabaret, with Findlay Napier, Agnes Torok, Vicki Jarrett, Sam Riviere, Genesee and Martin O’Connor. ONCE UPON A TIME WITH ELIZABETH LAIRD & DANIEL HAHN Assembly Roxy, Sun 22 Nov, assemblyroxy.com Critically acclaimed author Elizabeth Laird, who has been nominated for the 2016 Hans Christian Andersen Award, explores the work of the man himself, along with translator, critic and editor of The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, Daniel Hahn. DOUGLAS LINDSAY AND THE LEGEND OF BARNEY THOMSON Central Library, Fri 27 Nov The

ELECTRIC TALES The Stand, Tue 12 Jan, thestand. co.uk A blended mix of comedy and storytelling, making for a chilled night of funny yarns and verse told by a range of performers, with the sole aim of cheering you up.

WEST LOTHIAN THE BIG BOOK HUNT Various venues, West Lothian, Mon 23–Fri 27 Nov, bigbookhunt. co.uk A literary treasure hunt for all of West Lothian to enjoy. 100 free books have been hidden in the area, can you find them? Look out for online clues to assist you. Part of Book Week Scotland.

SCOTLAND-WIDE BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND Various venues, Scotland-wide A ‘national book festival’ for Scotland courtesy of Creative Scotland, the Scottish Book Trust and many other collaborators across the country. A packed programme of star-studded author events, kids’ activities and the distribution of free books all combine to form a week-long national celebration of reading. See list.co.uk/ books for full listings.

84 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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COMEDY

Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /comedy

REEVES AND MORTIMER Health scare for Bob delays some of the nostalgic fun Just hours before going into hospital for a triple heart bypass operation (which seems to have gone well), Bob Mortimer was tweeting about a piece of work he’d done with Matt Berry which was airing on the BBC iPlayer. This is the spirit of the man, doing something for a mate even in a moment which could have plunged him into dark despair. While the November and December dates of Vic ‘n’ Bob’s 25 Years of Reeves and Mortimer: The Poignant Moments tour have been cancelled, the hope is that 2016 will be ushered in with the pair back on stage. For those of a certain vintage, catchphrases such as ‘what’s on the end of the stick, Vic?’ ‘you wouldn’t let it lie’ and ‘we really wanna see those fingers’

became the stuff of playground / office / courtroom legend and the duo promised all this and more on their anniversary tour. While often dabbling in their own solo projects (Reeves has exhibited his art and presented Brainiac while Mortimer boxed Les Dennis for Sport Relief and can split an apple apart with his bare hands), the magic truly takes off when they’re in a room together. Dubbed the Morecambe and Morecambe of 90s comedy, their influence can be detected in the surrealish works of the Mighty Boosh and most things their pal Matt Berry has been in. Get well soon, Bob. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Edinburgh Playhouse, Sun 31 Jan.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 85

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COMEDY | Previews SATIRE

ANDY ZALTZMAN

The Stand, Edinburgh, Wed 13 Jan The current political landscape seems almost too ripe for satire. In the UK, we have Boris, Call Me Dave, the Corbynistas and, still lurking in the shadows, George Galloway, Nigel Farage and Alex Salmond. And with a US presidential race looming, that lot have provided us with Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Ben Carson and, still lurking in the shadows, Sarah Palin. All of which should make the job for a comic such as Andy Zaltzman like shooting fish (no Sturgeon jokes, please) in the proverbial barrel. With his Satirist for Hire tour, he’s asking people to send him questions that he can tackle on stage (see satiristforhire.com for extended rules and regulations). ‘I recently had an email from someone asking me to satirise the fact that his sister was introducing her new boyfriend to the family for the first time,’ states Zaltzman. ‘At my gig. That was an odd one. Besides, taking someone to one of my shows on a date is pretty much telling them that the relationship has gone as far as it can possibly go.’ While politics remains slightly ahead of celebrity culture as the go-to zone for satirists, perhaps some figures are beyond lampooning, their very existence a long hard joke in and of itself: Donald Trump, for example? ‘He’s not yet beyond satire,’ insists Zaltzman. ‘In five years’ time, after a term in the White House, he might well be. If the world still exists. A combination of that hair and a big red button is not one that humanity should be comfortable with.’ Given that Zaltzman is a massive cricket fan, is there an analogy from that sport which can sum up the current state of British politics? ‘I’d rather not try. Cricket is a far too important and august aspect of human civilisation to be trivialised by association with such an ephemeral, infantile game as parliamentary politics.’ (Brian Donaldson)

SATIRE

PAM ANN: QUEEN OF THE SKY Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Sun 29 Nov

JAMES AND JAMES

Dubbed by Madonna as ‘cruelly funny’, Caroline Reid’s catty air hostess character Pam Ann has supported Cher on stage and played at an Elton John party. With her often savage style of humour, this might have seemed something of a risk for such massive celebs with fragile egos, but Pam / Caroline takes all this stuff in her stride. As she prepares for her next round of flights (aka shows) around the UK, we managed to fire off a few questions which Pam shot back, in short, sharp style . . . So, Pam, what’s the one thing you’d change to make air travel better for a) the flight attendants; b) the passengers; c) the pilot? ‘a) Don’t make eye contact with the pax; b) never ask for anything; c) take the cockpit door off and put in a beaded curtain.’ What’s been the biggest regret from your time in the skies? ‘Allowing economy pax on board.’ Which movie has best represented what it’s actually like to be aboard a plane? ‘Airport ’77 [that’s the one where a multi-millionaire’s private 747 carrying a collection of priceless works of art is hijacked and crashes into an oil rig].' Finally, Pam, imagine it’s 2085. What will the future’s opinion be on how we get around the globe? ‘Emirates will own the world and we will be flying supersonic Emirates Concordes.’ Being of Australian extraction, she may tackle the current shift in the political landcape in her homeland, but chances are she won't be bothered with all that. So just switch your mind to flight mode and enjoy the show. (Brian Donaldson)

STAND-UP

CHRIS RAMSEY

The Stand, Glasgow, Sun 8 Nov; The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 15 Nov Having recently become a father for the first time, Chris Ramsey’s new show All Growed Up has taken on a fresh resonance. While this will surely give him some extra material for the tour, the core point to his show is only made more prominent with this new addition. ‘The show is to do with being an adult and when adulthood happens to you,’ says the genial South Shields comic. ‘I don’t class my dad as an adult, for example, he’s such a child. It’s not me saying I’m immature and just a kid, it’s me saying I don’t think I’m ready. There’s this big part of me going, “take a day off from looking at bathrooms and play with your Lego”.’ Ramsey also has a trampoline in his garden (strictly bought for himself) which could have got him into a bit of bother in the adult world during the summer. ‘I have an accountant, we go for meetings and it’s all done by the book. But I genuinely missed a meeting with him because it was a sunny day and I’d just bought the trampoline. So I played on that all day. I phoned to tell him that. I could have lied but I have to be honest because I would have caught myself out, which is quite a childish thing. So, when do I become an adult and, more importantly, should I become an adult?’ New developments around the Ramsey household suggest that, yeah, that time has probably just arrived, Chris. (Brian Donaldson) 86 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Previews | COMEDY

list.co.uk/comedy

5 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT . . . JAMES ACASTER 1 They used to say that live comedy was full of medics (Harry Hill, Paul Sinha, Simon Brodkin for three) but now it seems that the skin-slapping drumming community is all over the genre. Todd Barry, Al Murray, Dana Carvey, Matt Lucas and now James Acaster are more than adept with the sticks. Having quit the world of education to belt merry hell out of hi-hats in a series of bands, he turned his attention to comedy by attending a course run by the Kettering Volunteer Bureau. 2 Not universally known as a hotbed of comedy (unless you get your giggle-kicks from the likes of statistician Maurice Kendall, Baptist minister Andrew Fuller, Resident Evil actress Sienna Guillory and Hugh Dennis), Kettering is indeed the original base of Mr Acaster. He paid tribute to his hometown with online mockumentary, Sweet Home Ketteringa. 3 Acaster has the unenviable feat of having been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award a record four times without winning. The most recent was in August with winner Sam Simmons referencing this scenario during his victory speech. Acaster’s early Fringe career was marked by a three-act pub gig in 2009 completed by Nick Helm and Josh Widdicombe. Those two have done pretty well for themselves in the aftermath, too. 4 Last October, Acaster told us that The Rock was his comedy hero. That’s semi-retired pro wrestler The Rock. 5 Papa Acaster once took it upon himself to take The List comedy editor firmly to task while both attended a Mike Wozniak Fringe gig. His beef appeared to be a glowing fourstar review for his lad not being nudged up to five. Sometimes, comedy editors just cannot win . . . (Brian Donaldson) ■ Òran Mór, Glasgow, Wed 25 Nov.

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COMEDY | Highlights

HITLIST

DAVE BROWN

atgtickets.com/venues/ kings-theatre

AN EVENING WITH NOEL FIELDING EICC, Edinburgh, Sat 14 Nov, eicc.co.uk First solo tour from the Boosh boy. Also, King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Sun 15 Nov,

JAMES ACASTER: REPRESENT Òran Mór, Glasgow, Wed 25 Nov, oran-mor. co.uk As seen on Russell Howard’s Good News and Mock the Week, so if the bigwigs like him you probably will too. See 5 Things, page 87.

BILL BAILEY: LIMBOLAND Edinburgh Playhouse, Mon 30 Nov, atgtickets. com/edinburgh The master of surreality airs his qualms and doubts about the world via a charming blend of religious dubstep and an interesting new musical take on Downton Abbey. Tour bus willing.

LIMMY SECC, Glasgow, Thu 28–Sun 31 Jan, secc. co.uk The YouTube phenomenon, turned Twitter doyen, turned TV star, turned author presents his first live show. See Hot 100, page 30. 25 YEARS OF REEVES & MORTIMER

Edinburgh Playhouse, Sun 31 Jan, atgtickets. com/edinburgh The first leg of this tour had to be sadly cancelled after Bob underwent triple heart bypass surgery. But the comedy duo are expected to be back on track celebrating 25 years in 2016. You wouldn’t let it lie. And so forth. See preview, page 85.

COMEDY HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add

ANDY ZALTZMAN: SATIRIST FOR HIRE The Stand, Wed 13 Jan, thestand. co.uk See preview, page 86.

Austentatious: An Improvised Novel

GLASGOW

DUNDEE

CHRIS RAMSEY: ALL GROWED UP The Stand, Sun 8 Nov, thestand. co.uk See preview, page 86. Also, The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 15 Nov.

FRANKIE BOYLE: I’M BETTER THAN THIS Caird Hall, Sun 22 Nov, cairdhall. co.uk We thought he’d gone into retirement, but seems he just can’t stay away and we thank him for it. See Hot 100, page 36.

KEVIN BRIDGES: A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY SSE Hydro, Tue 10 & Wed 11 Nov & Mon 16–Wed 18 Nov, thessehydro. com. The biggest name in Scottish stand-up continues his reign. See Hot 100, page 32. JASON BYRNE: 20 YEARS A CLOWN Òran Mór, Sun 15 Nov, oran-mor. co.uk The immensely popular Fringe fave takes to the stage for an hour of his raucous stand-up, reflecting on 20 years as a comedian. Also, Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Fri 20 Nov, alhambradunfermline.com FESTIVAL OF THE SPOKEN NERD Òran Mór, Thu 19 Nov, oran-mor. co.uk A night of unashamed nerdiness and unlimited laughs with Helen Arney, Steve Mould and Matt Parker. DANIEL SLOSS: DARK The Brunton, Musselburgh, Fri 20 Nov, thebrunton.co.uk The Scottish comedian takes a darker turn with his new show. Also, Byre Theatre, St Andrews, Sat 21 Nov, byretheatre. com; Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, Fri 27 Nov, boxofficeaberdeen.com & Eden Court, Inverness, Sat 28 Nov, eden-court.co.uk PAM ANN: FLY Theatre Royal, Sun 29 Nov, atgtickets.com/venues/theatreroyal-glasgow See preview, page 86. LARRY DEAN The Stand, Sun 27 Dec–Thur 31 Dec, thestand.co.uk Larry Dean

DUNFERMLINE

performs alongside Janey Godley, Scott Gibson, Rosco McSkeleton and Raymond Mearns as part of The Stand’s Hogmanay celebrations. See Hot 100, page 34. DAVID O’DOHERTY: WE ARE ALL IN THE GUTTER BUT SOME OF US ARE LOOKING AT DAVID O’DOHERTY Òran Mór, Thu 4 Feb, oran-mor. co.uk Armed with a teeny keyboard and an incredible wit, the former Edinburgh Comedy Award winner presents his latest solo show of comedy and songs, the ledge.

EDINBURGH DAN CLARK: ME, MY SELFIE AND I The Stand, Wed 11 Nov, thestand.co.uk The man behind Beeb 3 sitcom How Not to Live Your Life (three series and a Christmas special just in case you wondered) delivers a show about love, death, crushing loneliness and approaching a certain age (40). See interview at list.co.uk Also, Òran Mór, Glasgow, Fri 13 Nov, oran-mor. co.uk

AUSTENTATIOUS: AN IMPROVISED NOVEL St Andrew Square, Fri 27 Nov, edinburghschristmas.com An irreverent show performed in period costume, borne from suggestions from the audience. It’s got that clever Joseph Morpurgo and equally sharp Cariad Lloyd in there, too. Not that any of them are exactly dunces, mind. THE TONY LAW AND FRIENDS SHOW The Stand, Wed 25 Nov, thestand. co.uk Laughs from the irretrievably mad Tony Law and some of his pals. NISH KUMAR The Stand, Thu 3–Sun 5 Dec, thestand.co.uk Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Nish Kumar performs with Brendon Burns, Martin Bearne and Jojo Sutherland. SHIT-FACED SHAKESPEARE St Andrew Square, Wed 9–Sun 13 Dec, edinburghschristmas. com Shakespeare performed as he would have wanted (perhaps). The play is entirely serious in every respect except that one of the actors is completely shit-faced.

LUCY BEAUMONT Carnegie Hall, Thu 5 Nov, onfife. com/venues/carnegie-hall/overview Surreal and interactive humour from the 2012 BBC Radio 2 New Comedy Awardwinner, performing as part of the Gilded Balloon Presents comedy line-up. Also on the bill are ex-Scottish Comedian of the Year winner John Gavin and bouncy comic Rob Rouse while Scott Gibson holds the whole thing together with his skills at compering.

MOTHERWELL DAVE GORMAN GETS STRAIGHT TO THE POINT (THE POWERPOINT) Motherwell Concert Hall & Theatre, Sat 7 Nov, facebook.com/ motherwellconcerthall The comedian / writer / general brainbox’s new tour is centred around his trademark Powerpoint presentations. Also, Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Sun 22 Nov, alhambradunfermline. com

PAISLEY STEWART FRANCIS: PUN GENT Paisley Town Hall, Wed 9 Dec, renfrewshire.gov.uk Surreal and deadpan one-liners from the Canadian stand-up and TV regular as he performs in front of his adoring public. Also, The Brunton, Musselburgh, Fri 18 Dec, thebrunton.co.uk

88 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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FILM

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FOKUS Films from Germany season hits cinemas across the country The ineffable cool of Berlin might seem a cliché if it wasn’t for the regular stream of brilliant filmmakers who found their muse in Germany’s capital city. The centerpiece of Fokus: Films from Germany, a programme of new and vintage cinema touring across Scotland, is Victoria, a stunning thriller from actor-turneddirector Sebastian Schipper. Victoria has a unique premise; the entire 138 minute film is shot in one continuous take as dawn breaks over Berlin. Having appeared in the similarly groundbreaking Run Lola Run, Schipper coaxes high-octane performance levels from his young cast as they scramble through hardcore clubbing, a violent heist, a piano recital, a kidnapping, and a police shoot-out, with a tender, bittersweet love story between Victoria (Laia Costa) and Sonne (Frederick Lau) at the heart of the story. Not out until April 2016,

Victoria is a blistering slice of modern cinema that commands attention. Other new work includes documentary B Movie: Lust & Sound In West Berlin (pictured) which deals with the post-punk scene that exploded in the 1980s faster than you can say Einstürzende Neubauten. And a restrospective tribute to Rainer Werner Fassbinder includes not only the brilliantly shot (by Martin Scorsese’s regular cinematographer Michael Ballhaus) Fox and His Friends, but also Baal, his rarely-screened 1970 version of the classic Brecht text beloved by Berlin’s adoptive son David Bowie. With footballing hamster action in family-friendly film My Friend Raffi offering light relief, Fokus offers a strong-enough cinematic selection to make Berliners of us all. (Eddie Harrison) ■ Scotland-wide, Fri 20 Nov–Tue 15 Dec, filmsfromgermany.co.uk

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 89

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Reviews | FILM

list.co.uk/film

DRAMA

ROMANCE

BLACK COMEDY

(15) 130min ●●●●●

(12A) 112min ●●●●●

(TBC) 118min ●●●●●

SUNSET SONG The long-awaited screen version of Sunset Song is as much a Terence Davies film as it is a loving adaptation of the Lewis Grassic Gibbon novel. It offers a plaintive, rigorously unsentimental testament to a stoical struggle against an unforgiving land. There are affinities with Davies’ earlier work in Gibbon’s story of Chris Guthrie (Agyness Deyn), a young woman in the north-east of Scotland during the early years of the last century. She is clearly bright and able, which makes the thwarting of her hunger for a better life all the more cruel. The biggest obstacle is her pious, tyrannical father who regards his wife and family as little more than slaves in his domestic kingdom. Peter Mullan plays the role with a fierce, roiling anger. The tender conviction of Deyn’s performance is a revelation and totally in tune with a film so evenly paced and contemplative that it borders on the monotonous. Davies was never a man to trade in tear-jerking melodrama; he deals in cold, harsh truths about the way we were. His Sunset Song is a wistful remembrance of the joys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies that mark a human life. You suspect it is a film with the force to linger and grow in the memory. (Allan Hunter) ■ Selected release from Fri 4 Dec.

BROOKLYN

THE DRESSMAKER

Writer Nick Hornby’s masterful adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s bestseller may be set in the 50s, but its ideas about displacement and the evolution of the family unit feel entirely modern. These themes are explored through the story of young Irish girl Eilis (Saoirse Ronan), who sets off to harness the opportunities promised by New York City. Although initially homesick, she soon begins to carve out a new life – assisted by dashing local Tony (Emory Cohen) – but her loyalties are torn when tragedy strikes back home. That Brooklyn focuses on an industrious young woman gives it vim and vigour, augmented by stunning work from Ronan who conveys Eilis’s quiet strength in the face of huge emotional turmoil without a hint of melodrama. Despite some heavyhanded moments, director John Crowley shows enough restraint to let Ronan’s performance, and those of the tremendous supporting cast, lead the way. The sumptuous colour palette and evocative cinematography capture the contrasts of rural Ireland and the gleaming, soaring Big Apple, underscoring the enormous journey upon which Eilis has embarked, and making it impossible not to be swept up in her story. (Nikki Baughan) ■ General release from Fri 6 Nov.

Kate Winslet is a goddess in this hilarious, moving and very dark dramedy, based on the bestseller by Rosalie Ham. Winslet’s Tilly Dunnage sashays back into the tiny Australian town of Dungatar in 1951, 25 years after being banished. Although the misfit child has become a sophisticated woman who’s been working in couture in Paris, the ghastly townsfolk are appalled and agog to see her back, and slow to realise that she intends to exact revenge for the lies and tragic wrongs of the past. This is a lot like Hang ’Em High, with Winslet as the Clint Eastwood character, but armed with a sewing machine instead of guns. Tilly’s ability to transform people with stylish makeovers is the weapon she uses against them as, one by one, they fall under her spell. The ensemble is incredible with Hugo Weaving, Judy Davis, Kerry Fox and Liam Hemsworth all adding value. Those who remember the offbeat delights that came from Australia in the 90s will be thrilled to note this is co-written by PJ Hogan (Muriel’s Wedding) with his director wife Jocelyn Moorhouse. And they will be prepared for the tone to veer between wacky wit and cruel, heart-wrenching twists in a film that seems bound for cult adoration. (Angie Errigo) ■ General release from Fri 20 Nov.

ROMANCE

CAROL

(15) 119min ●●●●● Patricia Highsmith conceived her 1952, Manhattan-set story of forbidden love The Price of Salt in a paranoid political climate, when sexism was rife and homosexuality shunned. When the paperback was released she started to receive mail from men and women who felt an affinity with her rich characters and their struggle to find a place in society. Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven) fashions these feelings of guilt, attraction and confusion into an achingly beautiful, tightly wound package of woe that slowly comes undone to reveal something very special indeed. When young department store clerk and aspiring photographer Therese (Rooney Mara) spots sophisticated older woman Carol (Cate Blanchett) across the aisle over the busy Christmas period, she feels giddy but isn’t quite sure why. The two strike up a slowburning romance, meeting for brief encounters in the city before heading off on a road trip of discovery. Blanchett’s performance as the glamorous Carol may just break you. As the weight of a bitter custody battle over her daughter starts to consume her, she wavers delicately between powerful and fragile, threatening to topple at any moment. She’s complemented by Mara who nails Therese’s sexual awakening and maturation. Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy keeps the essence of Highsmith’s text intact, while the melodrama is perfectly judged, with Edward Lachman’s cinematography charging events with a glistening, wintry precision that turns feverish at points. And Carter Burwell’s enticing score swells to perfection in the final throes. Haynes has crafted a breathtakingly romantic study of towering female strength in the face of gruelling adversity. This is, quite simply, exceptional filmmaking. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ General release from Fri 27 Nov. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 91

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FILM | Reviews

DOCUMENTARY

HE NAMED ME MALALA (PG) 87min ●●●●●

BIOPIC – DRAMA

STEVE JOBS

(15) 122min ●●●●● ‘People don’t know what they want until you show it to them,’ declares Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender), a man who doesn’t half believe his own hype. Based on Walter Isaacson’s authorised biography, with a screenplay penned by Aaron Sorkin, it’s a film that – like Sorkin’s superlative The West Wing – illustrates how the professional gets intensely personal when work is, basically, your life. It’s an impressively multifaceted portrait of an utterly uncompromising character, centring on three key product launches (the Macintosh in 1984, the NeXT in 1988, the iMac in 1998), as we go behind-the-scenes for a series of crucial conversations. The approach is theatrical but, if Sorkin keeps the dialogue blisteringly smart, then director Danny Boyle ensures the whole enterprise is correspondingly lively. The film demonstrates a keen sense of what’s at stake for Jobs at each point in time and, even when it’s drowning in tech talk, whips up genuine suspense for the launches. Perhaps anticipating criticism, Steve Jobs mocks its own impossibly neat structure, the way the same pivotal players conveniently choose to offload just as Jobs is preparing to go onstage. It’s performed with furious conviction by a cast that includes Kate Winslet as Jobs’ right-hand woman Joanna Hoffman but, ultimately, it’s Fassbender’s film, as he shows the level of maniacal self-belief it takes to convince the world to buy what you're selling. This remarkable actor unearths the fallible, guilt-ridden and damaged man behind the arrogant exterior, revealing him to us piece by compelling piece. Asked to explain his failings as a father, he says simply, ‘I’m poorly made.’ Luckily the film is far from it. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 13 Nov.

The father of inspirational Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai is the ‘he’ referred to in the title of this uplifting documentary from Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth). Ziauddin named his daughter after a fierce female warrior who, when all hope was lost, led an army to victory. Not only does Guggenheim chronicle Malala’s journey from her near-death experience, after being shot by the Taliban aged 15, to her status as poster-child for female education, he also explores the beautiful bond between a father and daughter who, in Ziauddin’s own words, are ‘one soul in two bodies’ and traces the family’s history using hand-drawn animation. Though Guggenheim loses focus in the latter half of the film, which seems a little rushed, this is a rousing portrait of a young woman’s courageous stand. When the camera is on Malala, it’s hard not to feel inspired by her wise and unwavering spirit as she talks sincerely about the power of forgiveness and the battle against oppression. Yet we are also introduced to a teenage girl who harbours crushes on famous cricket players, as a reminder that she has many facets to her personality beyond being a role model and Nobel Peace Prize winner. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ General release from Fri 6 Nov.

BIOPIC – DRAMA

THE DANISH GIRL (TBC) 120min ●●●●●

BIOPIC – CRIME

BLACK MASS

(15) 123min ●●●●● True-life crime stories are very much in vogue this autumn. After Tom Hardy’s tour-de-force as both Kray twins, Johnny Depp is back to his best as criminal kingpin Jimmy ‘Whitey’ Bulger in Scott Cooper’s thriller. Blue contact lenses and a balding pate lend Depp a chilling death-mask appearance, as he dons the guise of the notorious Boston gangster. Black Mass recalls the crime pictures that James Cagney was making in the 1930s. Bulger may kill with his bare hands but he is also a beloved neighbourhood figure and a loving father. If Depp has the Cagney role then Joel Edgerton is his Pat O’Brien as Jimmy’s ex-schoolmate John Connolly, now an FBI agent. Connolly persuades his superiors to ‘bring Jimmy into the tent’, so they might work together to sweep the Mafia from the streets, and the film’s most interesting elements come as the law enforcer crosses the line, as he becomes lost in admiration for the crime boss. Black Mass loses momentum at times and feels very familiar in places but a strong cast – including Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard and Benedict Cumberbatch, as Whitey’s sly brother – all add substance to this nasty, fatalistic rise-and-fall. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 27 Nov.

The Danish Girl has all the hallmarks of a prestigious, awardsseason contender. The story of 1930s transgender pioneer Lili Elbe is told by Tom ‘The King’s Speech’ Hooper with painterly compositions and a finely nuanced performance from Eddie Redmayne. Yet there are times when it seems to suffocate under the weight of its own sumptuous respectability. Redmayne plays painter Einar Wegener as a man of dashing charm and gentle manners. His marriage to fellow artist Gerda (Alicia Vikander) is loving and respectful. It is the forward Gerda who helps him create the alter-ego of shy country cousin Lili. Painting Lili gives Gerda a renown she has never previously enjoyed, but for Einar this is more than a passing charade; it is the first stage in the realisation that he wants to become a woman. The complex dilemmas that follow are captured in the anguished performance of Vikander, while Redmayne defines Lili in shy smiles, coy gestures and the swan-like grace of a trained dancer. The steely determination in Lili’s decision to pursue groundbreaking surgery makes this a touching tale of courage and empowerment, even if you sense there is more to this story than we are allowed to experience. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 1 Jan.

92 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Reviews | FILM

list.co.uk/film

POLITICAL SATIRE

PSYCHEDELIC FANTASY

HORROR

(15) 107min ●●●●●

(TBC) 130min ●●●●●

(15) 97min ●●●●●

OUR BRAND IS CRISIS David Gordon Green’s fictional variation on Rachel Boynton’s 2005 documentary aims to blend the snappy banter of screwball comedy with the multilayered sophistication of Robert Altman. It succeeds only in creating a slick, painless concoction that glides along on the charisma of its star Sandra Bullock. Bullock’s brash political strategist ‘Calamity’ Jane Bodine has left the rat race behind when she is asked to run the campaign of Bolivia’s former president Pedro Castillo (Joaquim de Almeida). The fact that Castillo's biggest rival is soaring in the opinion polls and has hired the services of Bodine’s arch nemesis Pat Candy (Billy Bob Thornton) makes it irresistible. Our Brand Is Crisis takes easy shots at a political age in which perception is more important than reality and personality trumps conviction. Unfortunately, none of this feels like news and Peter Straughan’s screenplay is never as cutting or caustic as you might have wished, especially as Bodine is nudged towards redemption. Bullock’s comic instincts are as winning as ever and she has feisty chemistry with the snake-like Thornton, but this enjoyable film never quite delivers a killer blow. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 22 Jan.

THE FORBIDDEN ROOM

THE HALLOW

Poisonous leotards and frightening flapjacks are just a taste of the magnificent madness on display in Guy Maddin’s The Forbidden Room. A swirling, mutating apparition conjured from a crazed mind, it showcases a wealth of imagination as it drags us down through ever deeper, ever stranger layers of storytelling, shaped by splashy intertitles and brought to life by game performers. The tales that unfold include that of four terrified submariners who have lost their captain and are tasked with guarding the mysterious ‘blast jelly’. Featuring actors of the calibre of Charlotte Rampling and Mathieu Amalric, like the ordeal of the seamen aboard the SS Plunger, the film is a discombobulating, almost suffocating experience as story springs from story, before we breathlessly claw our way back to the surface. Maddin is known for his love affair with the techniques and stylistic quirks of early cinema, while his latest (co-directed with Evan Johnson) started life as a museum installation. This acid-infused effort explodes onto the screen in fireworks of vivid colour – it’s archaic and innovative, silly and searing. If watching it is entirely overwhelming, it’s an experience like no other. (Emma Simmonds) ■ Selected release from Fri 11 Dec.

A muscular horror that keeps its nerve, this feature debut of British visual artist and pop promo director Corin Hardy (who’s currently working on The Crow reboot) should be sought out by genre fans who like to cast their nets beyond Hollywood. The concept comes from a real-life controversy: shelved plans by the Irish government to sell off public forests. In Hardy’s film, an ancient piece of woodland is sold, and tree surgeon Adam (Joseph Mawle) moves to the area with his wife Clare (Bojana Novakovic) and their baby son to work on the site. The locals are hostile toward the newcomers – mainly because the disturbance is really going to irritate the ghouls and sprites who live there. Hardy and co-writer Felipe Marino set the scene deftly, without taking the easy route into parody; a brief but striking turn by Michael McElhatton helps immensely. Sadly the threat itself is sometimes confusingly realised and the film suffers from a long succession of similar scares. But there are welljudged set-pieces and original ideas, often small ones: for all that the film has in store for her, one of the most chilling moments for Clare is the early discovery of drips of pitch-black goo in her baby’s cot. (Hannah McGill) ■ General release from Fri 13 Nov.

BIOPIC – SPY THRILLER

BRIDGE OF SPIES (12A) 141min ●●●●●

Whenever Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks combine forces, the outcome is impressive. And so it goes with their latest, Bridge of Spies, a Cold War thriller that feels like a worthy companion piece to their WWII efforts, Oscar-winner Saving Private Ryan and the HBO series Band of Brothers. Shot on celluloid, this is filmmaking full of old-fashioned craft. Set in 1957, it tells the real-life story of a delicate prisoner exchange that took place after a spy plane was shot down over Soviet territory, leaving airman Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) imprisoned. Meanwhile, in New York, the Americans arrest a Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a rather gentle soul who seems resigned to his fate. Hanks, who has long been compared to Jimmy Stewart, plays his most Stewart-like character yet in James B Donovan, the insurance lawyer who provides Abel with pro bono legal representation and soon finds himself in the midst of a powerplay, with Abel a bargaining chip. Events are complicated further when a second American – economics student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) – is captured by the Berlin Wall. The upstanding Donovan, who heads to Germany to conduct the negotiations, wants a two-for-one exchange, and much of the film’s escalating tension derives from this stand-off. Boasting a script polished by the Coens, the end product is taut and engaging. Hanks is as dependable as ever but it’s Rylance who shines. Already cast by Spielberg in next year’s adaptation of The BFG, his work here is beautifully nuanced. After years of acclaim in the theatre, and his recent outstanding turn in TV’s Wolf Hall, it would seem now is the time for him to soar on the big screen. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 27 Nov. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 93

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FILM | Reviews

COMEDY DRAMA

TANGERINE

(15) 86min ●●●●●

DRAMA

ROOM

(TBC) 118min ●●●●● Leonard Cohen once sang, ‘There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in’. For Joy Newsome (Brie Larson), her ray of hope comes through the skylight in the shed where she has been held captive for seven years by a man referred to only as Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). Her five-year-old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) has never known any different. His world is as big as the small room he occupies with his ma, and he takes real pleasure in exploring his environment. Joy has thus far given Jack the gift of innocence but, as time ticks by, she decides they need to hatch a new escape plan, and to do that Jack must learn about life. Emma Donoghue adapts her own bestseller for screen, while Lenny Abrahamson (Frank, What Richard Did) directs; the result is a heartbreaking, profound and tremblingly taut experience. The walls of ‘room’ (as Jack refers to it) are covered with an explosion of creativity such as finger paintings and eggshells strung together. When Jack finally emerges from this cocoon it is to exhilarating but scary surroundings, as his eyes are opened to the strangeness of the real world. With much of the film relying on the relationship between Jack and Joy, the casting of the saucer-eyed, utterly believable Tremblay and the excellent Larson ensures their journey to freedom is as gripping as it is emotionally fraught, and the performers share real chemistry. Abrahamson skilfully weaves together Joy’s suffering and impatience with Jack’s pure wonderment as they both grow and falter in their own ways. And he shows how the pair continue to look to the sky for comfort and answers, even after they swap the terror of room for the reassuring embrace of family. (Katherine McLaughlin) ■ General release from Fri 15 Jan.

Sean Baker’s Tangerine is a truly astonishing piece of filmmaking – and not just because it was shot using three iPhones. Baker uses that ultra-portable device to access the fringes of Los Angeles and shine a light on stories that are rarely told. It follows two trans women, Sin-Dee and Alexandra (played by newcomers Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor), who work as prostitutes and are spending Christmas Eve stalking the streets of downtown LA on the hunt for Sin-Dee’s cheating pimp boyfriend Chester (a brilliant James Ransone); a quest which results in a tragi-comic showdown under the neon lights of an all-night donut shop. Despite its slight premise, the film’s appeal is broad, thanks entirely to the vivid personalities of, and intense relationship between, Sin-Dee and Alexandra who give the film both its pulse and its heart, and are never portrayed as passive victims. Their compelling energy is underscored by a well-crafted soundtrack, which combines swelling classical chords, staccato mariachi and grimy hip hop to match the highs and lows of their adrenaline-fuelled existence. Bombastic, organic and utterly original, Tangerine is not just a film, it’s a vital, visceral experience. (Nikki Baughan) ■ Selected release from Fri 13 Nov.

DRAMA

YOUTH

(TBC) 118min ●●●●● BLACK COMEDY

KILL YOUR FRIENDS (18) 103min ●●●●●

Owen Harris’s less-than-thrilling satire wants to shock you but it has a hard enough time sustaining interest. An adaptation of John Niven’s 2008 bestseller with a screenplay penned by the man himself, it’s set in 1997 toward the end of the Britpop craze. Nicholas Hoult plays the hollow, grasping Steven Stelfox, an A&R man who’ll do whatever it takes to rise to the top in an industry he doesn’t seem to care for. James Corden plays his buddy Waters, while the everreliable Craig Roberts is his wide-eyed muso scout Darren. When Steven finds himself in a spot of rather bloody bother, Edward Hogg’s dishevelled detective tries to suss him out, and shake him down. Although Niven’s knowledge of record companies is in no doubt, there’s something rather stale about this coked-up black comedy, whose knives are out but blunted by familiarity. Similar films have had the luxury of leaning on a bravura central performance (think Christian Bale in American Psycho) but Hoult simply doesn’t have the presence or conviction to cut it. Moreover, Harris’s debut lacks visual interest, laughs or momentum, spending too much time in drab office environs. It’s less deliciously nasty, more depressingly so. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 6 Nov.

Youth is a state of mind in the latest extravagant cinematic opera from Italian director Paolo Sorrentino. A baroque reflection on the regrets and indignities of old age, it doesn’t hit the bullseye quite as often as his Oscar-winning The Great Beauty but it is a film distinguished by wondrous visuals, the warm embrace of its soundtrack and strong performances. Michael Caine plays Fred Ballinger, a retired composer and conductor who’s firmly refusing to step back into the limelight. On holiday at a luxury spa hotel in the foothills of the Alps, he is joined by lifelong friend Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel), a film director still in the game and trying to get one last project off the ground. Fellow guests include actor Jimmy (Paul Dano) and Fred’s daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz), while Jane Fonda swoops in for a vicious little turn late in the day as a toughtalking diva. It’s a melancholy reflection on what waits in store for all of us, wrapped up in Sorrentino’s typically flamboyant, often hugely eccentric approach. He still doesn’t seem entirely comfortable working in the English language, but with Youth you ignore the flaws and just savour the three-ring circus. (Allan Hunter) ■ General release from Fri 29 Jan.

94 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Reviews | FILM

list.co.uk/film

COMEDY DRAMA

DRAMA

BIOPIC – COMEDY

(15) 79min ●●●●●

(15) 116min ●●●●●

(12A) 104min ●●●●●

GRANDMA

‘I like being old, young people are stupid,’ so says Elle Reid (Lily Tomlin), poet, trash-talker and pitbulllike protector to her up-the-duff granddaughter, who’s trying to raise funds for an abortion. The pair take a road trip about the vicinity, with Elle calling in favours on a journey that dredges up her past and incorporates a rest stop for a very telling tattoo. With Grandma, writer-director Paul Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy) trades commercial comedy for a salty but sensitively shot indie gem. Tomlin is a hoot as a woman described as a ‘terrible girlfriend’ and an ‘awful mother’, but who’s given another crack at getting a relationship right as she attempts to do good by her grandchild, with the film genuinely hopeful that she might succeed. Always ready with a quip and primed to kick-off, Elle makes for quite the contrast to Sage (Julia Garner) – her sweet, frequently startled young foil. Weitz keeps things largely upbeat and trim in the face of considerable messiness and friction. It’s cast to perfection with Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer and Sam Elliott joining the throng, while the writing is sassy and terrific. This story of a crabby old lady has swagger to spare. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 11 Dec.

FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS Russell Crowe continues his slide into mediocrity in this soapy melodrama with all the sophistication of an episode of EastEnders. He plays author Jake Davis, who’s widowed after a car crash and left to raise daughter Katie (Kylie Rogers) alone. Admitting himself into a psychiatric unit, Jake is forced to leave Katie with her wealthy aunt and uncle, before the story skips forward. ‘Damaged’ from her childhood – i.e. she sleeps around a bit – the adult Katie (Amanda Seyfried) is out of control, until she meets Cameron (Aaron Paul), a fan of Fathers and Daughters, the book her father pens after he emerges from hospital. Gabriele Muccino’s latest is quite brazen in its plotlines but credit debut screenwriter Brad Desch for having the courage of his convictions, furiously sticking to his task of tugging every heartstring going. Indeed, while it’s very much movie-of-theweek territory, it’s by no means disastrous. Oscarwinners Jane Fonda and Octavia Spencer add class in small roles, while Paul is convincingly earnest. The relationship between Jake and the young Katie is also touching, in spite of the film’s best attempts to drown it in mush. The result is an A-list guilty pleasure. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 13 Nov.

THE LADY IN THE VAN ‘I’m not a saint, just lazy,’ explains Alan Bennett (played uncannily by Alex Jennings) regarding his decision to allow the cantankerous Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith) to make his Camden Town driveway her home from 1974 to 1989. Even as he takes pity on her, his thoughts turn to strangulation. This adaptation of Bennett’s play reunites him with director Nicholas Hytner. It’s a study of a woman hiding in plain sight, cloaked in ignominy and a stayaway smell. Smith cultivates sympathy for the titular tyrant, allowing us to clock the vulnerability behind her self-preserving hostility. Bennett’s screenplay is a delight, routinely enriched by his richly comical turn of phrase. It’s contrived, but by offering us two bickering Bennetts – the writer permanently in situ and the man out there doing the living – the film explores the creative process. Cameos from the ‘History Boys’ are a tad off-putting, and the ending is overindulgent. Yet this curious story is worthy of cinematic elevation; shot in the very house on the very street where all this took place, the film shows how the rich and poor of London rub together in a way that’s not always harmonious but that has the potential to be heartwarming. (Emma Simmonds) ■ General release from Fri 13 Nov.

BIOPIC – DRAMA

SPOTLIGHT

(15) 129min ●●●●● Based on real events, Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight is a remarkable film. As methodical and measured as the journalists at its centre, this is the tale of how the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation led to the unearthing of sexual abuse and coverups within the Catholic church. Without wishing to overhype it, it’s up there with that classic study of Nixon-era investigative journalism, All the President’s Men. The crimes at the heart of the story proved even more powerful than presidential wrongdoing – given that the paper’s revelations had a global domino effect, as thousands of abuse victims came forward. McCarthy, wisely, keeps his film focused on events in Boston; beginning in July 2001, when the Globe’s investigative team ‘Spotlight’ is asked by new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) to look into allegations that a priest, Father John Geoghan, has molested more than 80 young boys. Led by Walter ‘Robby’ Robinson (Michael Keaton), the reporters – played by Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Brian d’Arcy James – gradually piece the story together. But it’s hardly a straightforward path. The events of 9/11 mean the team is forced to put the investigation aside; worse still, the paper had previously run stories on abuse without following events up. McCarthy (The Station Agent, The Visitor) has assembled a fine cast – with small roles for John Slattery and Billy Crudup, while Stanley Tucci is particularly good as the mildly eccentric lawyer who represented 86 plaintiffs in the Geoghan case. Even better, the film never over-dramatises. A tribute to the almostlost art of investigative reporting and the power of print media, Spotlight is as attention-grabbing as headline news. (James Mottram) ■ General release from Fri 29 Jan. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 95

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FILM | Highlights

HITLIST

CAROL General release from Fri 27 Nov. Achingly beautiful, slowburning study of lesbian romance and female strength in the face of adversity, with outstanding performances from Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. See review, page 91. THE GOOD DINOSAUR

that wiped out the dinosaurs had actually missed Earth and let them roam in peace.

General release from Fri 27 Nov. Pixar’s film imagines what would have happened if the cataclysmic asteroid

SUNSET SONG Selected release from Fri 4 Dec. Adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s novel about Chris Guthrie, a bright and able young woman in north-east

Scotland in the early years of the last century. Plaintive but rigorously unsentimental. See review, page 91. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS General release from Thu 17 Dec. Will it live up to the originals? Will it at least be as good as the new ones?

Will the force be with JJ Abrams as he continues Lucas’ saga? THE HATEFUL EIGHT General release from Fri 8 Jan. Following the end of the Civil War, American bounty hunters fighting for their well-being are roped into a plot of betrayal and deception.

FILM HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add

film in which story springs from story, including a bunch of trapped submariners, a man who’ll do anything to curb his desire to pinch women’s bottoms, a lumberjack who sets out to rescue a maiden and much more. See review, page 93.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BFI LOVE SEASON Various venues, Scotland, until Mon 21 Dec. A season of romantic films aimed at rekindling the nation’s passion for love. Screenings encompass three themes: The Power of Love, Fools for Love and Fatal Attractions. Films include Brief Encounter, When Harry Met Sally and True Romance.

THE PEANUTS MOVIE General release from Mon 21 Dec. A big-screen adventure for Charlie Brown and Snoopy. JOY General release from Fri 1 Jan. The story of a family across four generations and the woman who rises to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.

BFI BRITAIN ON FILM SEASON Various venues, Scotland. A season of films from the BFI’s archives which portray British life across the country over the last 120 years. BROOKLYN General release from Fri 6 Nov. Eilis leaves her hometown in 1950s Ireland to start a new life in New York City, falling for dashing local Tony, but when tragedy strikes back home she has to return. See review, page 91. THE HALLOW Selected release from Fri 13 Nov. A tree surgeon and his wife move to the countryside so that he can assist with a government deforestation program, but they soon find that local legends about beasts in the woods are true. See review, page 93. STEVE JOBS General release from Fri 13 Nov. Unflattering but impressively multifaceted portrait of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin whip up genuine suspense, and the cast perform with furious conviction, with Michael Fassbender unearthing the guiltridden and damaged man beneath the arrogant facade. See review, page 92. TANGERINE Selected release from Fri 13 Nov. It’s Christmas Eve, and a working girl

KNIGHT OF CUPS General release from Fri 1 Jan. A screenwriter living in LA tries to make sense of the strange events occurring around him. is tearing through Tinseltown, looking for a pimp who broke her heart. See review, page 94. FOKUS: FILMS FROM GERMANY Various venues, Scotland, Fri 20 Nov–Sat 15 Dec. See preview, page 89. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 General release from Fri 20 Nov. The concluding part of the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. BLACK MASS General release from Fri 27 Nov. Thriller based on the true story of James ‘Whitey’ Bulger (Johnny Depp), who became one of Boston’s notorious gangsters during the 70s and 80s. See review, page 92. BRIDGE OF SPIES General release from Fri 27 Nov. During the Cold War an American lawyer is recruited by the CIA to work with them to help rescue a pilot who is being detained in the Soviet Union.

See review, page 93. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN General release from Thu 3 Dec. Igor’s friendship with young medical student Victor von Frankenstein blossoms, and through his perspective we see how Frankenstein became the person we know today. HECTOR On selected release from Fri 11 Dec. For years Hec has wandered between motorway service stations, sleeping under bridges, and living on handouts; however, when his past life starts to catch up with him, the reasons for his self-imposed exile become clear. THE BOLSHOI BALLET LIVE: THE NUTCRACKER Selected release from Sun 13 Dec. Sugarplum Fairies and Rat Kings live from Russia. THE FORBIDDEN ROOM Selected release from Wed 16 Dec. Fluid and delirious sort-of-anthology

ROOM Selected release from Fri 15 Jan. Joy, known as Ma (Brie Larson), has been held captive in a shed for seven years by a man referred to as Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). Her five-year-old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) has never known anywhere else. See review, page 94. YOUTH General release from Fri 29 Jan. Retired composer and conductor Fred is on holiday in a luxury Alpine hotel, where he’s joined by lifelong friend, film director Mick. Flamboyant and hugely eccentric reflection on the regrets and indignities of old age, with wondrous visuals and strong performances. See review, page 94. SPOTLIGHT General release from Fri 29 Jan. The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core. See review, page 95.

96 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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KIDS

Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /kids

WHITE Hit show for pre-schoolers still going strong Five years and almost 1000 performances after it opened in 2010, White is entertaining a whole new generation of little ones. Aimed at ages 2–4, the show invites us into a colourless world of white clothes, bird boxes, tents and even spectacles (all beautifully designed by Shona Reppe). Then, as the simple story unfolds, listen for squeals and exclamations from the tiny audience, as bursts of colour start to appear around the stage – much to the delight of one performer and the consternation of his colour-hating friend. But it’s not just the set that children love about White, it’s seeing elements of their own world mirrored before them: brushing teeth,

throwing things in the bin or eating breakfast. ‘Parents often say that after the show, children point out colours on their way home,’ says writer and performer Andy Manley. ‘Or say “put it in the bin”, which is lovely – it’s great to be part of a child’s development and the questions or play that ensues after the show. ‘And it can subtly change the relationship between parent / guardian and child. We often hear “I never thought he or she would be so engrossed”, which is lovely for the child but equally lovely for the carer to reassess the child’s capabilities.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 12–Sun 24 Dec.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 97

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KIDS | Previews DANCE

SCOTTISH BALLET’S WEE CINDERELLA

Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Tue 22 Dec; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 15 Jan The running time may have been cut down to size, but everything else about Scottish Ballet’s Wee Cinderella is as big as it comes. Following on the success of last year’s Wee Hansel & Gretel, this year’s show will be an hour-long potted version of the company’s main production, with all the bells and whistles. ‘The audience isn’t getting half measures,’ assures Scottish Ballet’s artistic director, Christopher Hampson. ‘They get the full company with the full orchestra, because it’s really important to us that people get that experience.’ Hampson has taken the well-loved tale and given it a natural makeover, so now Cinderella’s transformation is brought about by moths, grasshoppers and spiders who spin and weave her dress and shoes. Despite being an hour shorter than the full-length production, Wee Cinderella will still have a recognisable storyline. ‘It’s a condensed version of the main performance,’ explains Hampson. ‘So audiences still get the arc of the story.’ (Kelly Apter)

THEATRE

SNOW PALS

Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 28 Nov–Sat 31 Dec Lisa Keenan was sitting with her little boy at a storytelling session when the idea came to her. Each week, she noticed, parents and guardians attending the Tron’s Tall Tales would encourage their young charges to ‘share’ and ‘take turns’ – just as she did with her own son. As creator of the Tron’s Christmas show for younger audiences, Keenan realised that the making and breaking of friendships is a subject many will recognise. ‘I was interested in the rules children set up when they play,’ she explains. ‘And it’s all about following those rules – because when you don’t, they can go from best friends to absolute mayhem. And then, a few seconds later, they’re friends again.’ Keenan also wanted to avoid ‘sending a message that Christmas is all about presents’, so Snow Pals is billed as a ‘warming winter tale’ for 3 to 6-year-olds. Surrounded by white wool and wooden twigs, two friends learn the benefits of caring and sharing. ‘The friends live in a magical world,’ says Keenan. ‘But when they fall out, that world gets distorted and the snow stops falling. There’s no big answer – they don’t have to find a solution – it’s just about them being friends and saying sorry.’ (Kelly Apter)

DANCE

BALLETLORENT’S SNOW WHITE

Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Fri 22 & Sat 23 Jan

IAN WEST

Stepmothers get a terrible press in fairytales, always conspiring to bring about misery to their new partner’s offspring. As if somehow, the absence of shared DNA makes the behaviour more palatable to readers. Yet when the Brothers Grimm first penned Snow White, it was the girl’s birth mother who sought to destroy her beautiful young rival. A fact quickly updated when the second version was published. Two hundred years later, choreographer Liv Lorent is daring to return to that original scenario in her new production for family audiences. ‘I think it’s very telling that in the original, it was the real mother,’ she says. ‘And that the Brothers Grimm censored it to make it less traumatic. But that, for me, is what makes it a fascinating story. Many mothers and daughters have those terrible feelings of competition.’ The second in a trilogy of fairytale adaptations (following 2012’s Rapunzel), Snow White will benefit from the balletLORENT creative dream team. Dr Who composer Murray Gold created the soundtrack, former poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy wrote the scenario, and Libby Everall designed the costumes, fresh from working on Game of Thrones. So while it was important for Lorent to ensure the show had shades of light and dark, the team working alongside her did their bit. ‘I’m not shying away from darkness, because I know a lot of adults and children enjoy that,’ she says. ‘But because I work in a collaborative way, it’s a densely layered production. So you’re watching dance but also hearing words, witnessing amazing lighting design, seeing beautiful costumes and hearing extraordinary music. The darkness of the content is tempered by the beauty of the image, or by the cinematic music.’ (Kelly Apter) 98 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Previews | KIDS

list.co.uk/kids KIDS’ CHOIR

SING OUT CHILDREN’S CHOIR

St Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Glasgow, every Tue Ever since Gareth Malone became a regular fixture on our television screens, new choirs have been popping up across the UK. From work places to village halls, thousands of people are discovering the physical, mental and social benefits of singing – not to mention the sense of achievement when you nail a tricky harmony. But while adults are busy having fun, children are often consigned to singing songs at school assembly – whether they like them or not. Keen to give the youngsters of Glasgow a chance to find their voice, Angela Watson formed the Sing Out Children’s Choir in 2014. ‘The choir grew out of an idea my teenage son Aidan had, to run a summer children’s choir in 2013, which was very successful,’ explains Watson. ‘The following year, St Margaret’s Church in Newlands applied for a Heritage Lottery grant to renovate their organ, and they included a bid to properly fund the choir for two years, so children could come along for free.’ And so, Sing Out was born. Aimed exclusively at children in primary 4–7, the choir (which currently has spaces for new members) meets every Tuesday from 3.30–4.50pm, and manages to squeeze in time for a few games and snacks as well. Weekly rehearsals build up to public performances, with children currently rehearsing their festive repertoire, including the fabulously titled ‘I want a hippopotamus for Christmas’. For Watson, who also runs the Pollokshaws Community Choir for all ages, singing and performing is enriching participants lives in many ways. ‘Singing helps young and older people alike to become more confident and foster a sense of healthy team spirit,’ she says. ‘Children love performing and there is a great sense of achievement when they produce a lovely sound and provoke an emotional reaction in their audience. ‘Sing Out has also sung at charity events, and the children really enjoy feeling they can do good work in their community by singing.’ (Kelly Apter)

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5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 99

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KIDS | Highlights

HITLIST

performs in this funny and charming show about a rabbit who never misses a trick and a magician who sometimes forgets to say the magic word. MAGIC SHO Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 19 Nov– Sat 21 Nov, traverse. co.uk Shona Reppe creates, designs and

SNOW PALS Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Sat 28 Nov–Thu 31 Dec, tron.co.uk Two friends learn the importance of sharing and caring, in a

show for children aged 3–6. See preview, page 98. WHITE Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 12–Tue 22 Dec, traverse.co.uk Catherine Wheels’ popular show set in a world of white, until colours change everything. Ideal for tinies. See preview, page 97.

WEE CINDERELLA Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Tue 22 Dec; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Fri 15 Jan, scottishballet. co.uk Scottish Ballet’s Cinderella, specially adapted for younger audiences, performed by the full company and orchestra. See preview, page 98.

BALLETLORENT: SNOW WHITE Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Fri 22 & Sat 23 Jan, balletlorent. com A dark and mystical adaptation of Snow White, created by choreographer Liv Lorent from an original scenario by Carol Ann Duffy, with music by Murray Gold. See preview, page 98.

KIDS HIGHLIGHTS Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add

13 Dec, rbge.org.uk Visit Santa in the John Hope Gateway visitor centre or join him in the garden if the weather is kind.

GLASGOW

STORIES ROUND THE TREE Scottish Storytelling Centre, Wed 23–Thu 24 Dec, tracscotland.org/ scottish-storytelling-centre Cosy Christmas Eve, and Christmas Eve Eve, storytelling session gathered around the decorated Christmas tree with Tim Porteus.

CHILDREN’S CLASSIC CONCERTS: OWEN & OLLY’S CHRISTMAS STOCKING Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 5 Dec; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sun 6 Dec, childrensclassicconcerts. co.uk Have Owen and Olly made Santa’s nice list? Or have they been mistreating their marimbas? Find out in this seasonal concert with the two irrepressible percussionists.

OOR SCOTLAND Scottish Storytelling Centre, Mon 28 Dec, tracscotland.org/scottishstorytelling-centre Andy Cannon’s re-telling of Scotland’s history for ages 6+.

STAND COMEDY KIDS CLUB CHRISTMAS SPECIAL The Stand, Sun 6 Dec, thestand. co.uk Billy Kirkwood, Viv Gee and Neil ‘The Wee Man’ Bratchpiece are on hand to control the kids with a handful of stand-up, games, storytelling and magic. THE RSNO CHRISTMAS CONCERT: THE SNOWMAN Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sat 19 Dec; Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Sun 20 Dec A family-friendly concert of carols and seasonal tunes, including the now annual screening of the 1982 film The Snowman, with live musical accompaniment. IRN-BRU CARNIVAL SECC, Wed 23 Dec–Sun 17 Jan, irn-bru-carnival.com Whirl about on family rides including the dodgems, watlzers, helter skelter and carousel. Rides for small carnival goers include the mini wheel, pirate ship and chairoplane. THE WEE HOGMANAY PARTY The National Piping Centre, Fri 29 & Sat 30 Jan, thepipingcentre. co.uk Dance a reel or two at these ceilidhs with a party food buffet and a special bells celebration with Auld Lang Syne to finish off the evening. Suitable for ages 2–12.

OUTSIDE THE CITIES DISCOVERY FILM FESTIVAL Thu 5–Sun 8 Oct, Dundee Contemporary Arts, dca.org.uk Scotland’s international film festival for young audiences (3+) combines the best youth cinema from around the world with a series of creative workshops and events. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS FAMILY SHOW O2 ABC, Sun 31 Jan, o2abcglasgow.co.uk The Brooklyn band play a family-friendly show with low volume and a bit of house light so it’s all fun and no stress for all ages. CIRQUE BERSERK King’s Theatre, Fri 22–Sun 24 Jan, cirqueberserk.co.uk A large-scale family circus show with jugglers, acrobats, aerialists, dancers, musicians and stuntmen. Highlights include Hercules the strongman, award-winning clown Tweedy and a hair-raising motorcycle routine from Globe of Death. THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD King’s Theatre, Tue 2 Feb–Thu 4 Feb, Tall Stories present Julia Donaldson’s Gruffalo sequel, following the adventures of his child as she

sneaks out in the night to see if the Big Bad Mouse really does exist.

EDINBURGH STICK MAN St Andrew Square, Fri 20 Nov–Tue 29 Dec, scamptheatre.com Scamp Theatre use puppetry, live music and songs to present Julia Donaldson’s popular picture book about a stick man trying to get back to the family tree. CHRISTMAS TREE MAZE East Princes Street Gardens Fri 20 Nov–Mon 4 Jan, edinburghschristmas.com Find your way to the centre of this festive maze and then try to remember your way back out! MEET SANTA AT THE BOTANICS Royal Botanic Garden, Sat 12–Sun

SANTA STEAM TRAINS Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, Sat 28 Nov–Sun 20 Dec, bkrailway.co.uk Steam train journeys with Santa on board with a present for every child and seasonal refreshments for the adults. ROBIN Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, Tue 1–Sun 27 Dec, macrobert.org New show from the makers of Too Many Penguins? about a Robin who gets his feathers in a twist. Designed for children aged 3–6. SANTA’S SLEEPOVER SHOW The Brunton, Musselburgh, Tue 22 Dec–Thu 24 Dec, also touring, funbox.co.uk Dress for bed and bring a Santa hat for this fun sleepover with songs and more from Funbox (formerly the Singing Kettle).

100 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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MUSIC

Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /music

FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS Workaholic singer-songwriter talks days off (or lack thereof) and his intense work ethic Frank Turner has one day off before Christmas and he is spending it doing interviews. Which doesn’t sound like much of a day off. But then Turner has been known for his unflagging work ethic since his days fronting post-hardcore band Million Dead, and that includes touring like a demon. ‘If I wake up and fall asleep in the same bed, that counts as a day off in my world,’ he reckons. He records his ‘encyclopaedic’ memories of many solo gigs in his new tour diary, The Road Beneath My Feet, and is unsurprisingly on the road again – with a Glasgow gig lined up – touting a new album, Positive Songs for Negative People, which he recorded in country music

capital, Nashville. Sightseeing, however, is for slackers. ‘We were there for ten days and recording for nine-and-a-half,’ says Turner. ‘I wanted to have a rough, ready performancesounding record.’ ‘My career has been very self-driven. In the early days it was just me organising gigs and booking studio time. I don’t have to do it all for myself any more but I am pro-active, I don’t want to wait around. People who work with me know it’s best to not bother trying to tell me to slow down.’ (Fiona Shepherd) ■ Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls play Barrowland, Glasgow, Fri 13 Nov.

5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 101

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MOGWAI

Y P P A H S N R U T RE their As Mogwai release oxset, 20th anniversary b raithwaite frontman Stuart B about his tells David Pollock m the favourite tracks fro t they collection and wha mean to the band

‘SUMMER’, FROM MOGWAI YOUNG TEAM, 1996 It was the first song we really did as a band, and the first instrumental we recorded. It was a bit of music I’d written, a bit of music Dominic (Aitchison) had written, and we bashed it all together. The fact it turned out so well is the reason we went down the road we did. Every band starting out tries to go down every road at once, but this was the first time we knew what Mogwai sounded like. ‘MOGWAI FEAR SATAN’, FROM MOGWAI YOUNG TEAM, 1997 It was one of the first songs that came together as a result of just playing

together all the time, which we did at my parents’ house or Martin’s (Bulloch) parents’ house. We just played and played and played, and this felt like we’d taken a step up when we played it live. I love the way it keeps building, and it’s longer than anything we’d done. Yeah, it’s pretty much the only song that people moan about if we don’t play it live, which is a huge compliment after 18 years. If it was a human it could drink in a pub. It never gets boring to play, but it’s frustrating if we’re playing it somewhere and it’s not loud enough or people aren’t paying attention. I sometimes catch sight of someone reading their texts just before the really loud bit and think, ‘you’ll regret that in a minute, mate’.

102 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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MOGWAI

‘CHRISTMAS STEPS’, FROM COME ON DIE YOUNG, 1999 It was the first thing we recorded after Young Team, when we were keen to get started on something else. It felt like another big progression, and it was the first song that (regular collaborator) Luke Sutherland played with us. In a weird way it felt like we’d got away with Young Team. It’s a really good record but at the time it felt rushed and stressful. So there wasn’t as much pressure as you’d think on this one. ‘2 RIGHTS MAKE 1 WRONG’, FROM ROCK ACTION, 2001 We recorded Rock Action with Dave Fridmann again after Come On Die Young, but this time we had a really big budget and we could do what we wanted. With that song we really tried everything, we managed to squeeze so many ideas and so many people on it; lots of singers, lots of instruments, lots of programming. But it’s a good tune and a good melody, that’s the fundamental of how what we do works. ‘HUNTED BY A FREAK’, FROM HAPPY SONGS FOR HAPPY PEOPLE, 2003 I said in an interview recently that’s my favourite album of ours. It was a weird time, the guy who signed us to PIAS – John Niven, now a famed author – quit, and so did our manager. We had to take stock and it was a bit overwhelming, but we reacted by putting everything into that record. We did it really quickly in Glasgow, rather than flying over the world, and we were really happy with it. Barry (Burns) was a big part of what we did by then, he wrote that song. It’s quite different for us, it’s got a conventional pop structure. ‘TRAVEL IS DANGEROUS’, FROM MR BEAST, 2006 We don’t have many songs with vocals on them, especially not with Barry singing. It’s a great song, I’m so glad he tried it out because I can’t imagine it without his singing on it. We don’t sing much more than we used to, we just push the ones with singing more in the hope they get played on the radio. ‘HALF TIME’, FROM ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT, 2006 This was not long after we got our own studio, Castle of Doom in Glasgow, where we did Mr Beast, the soundtrack to The Fountain with Clint Mansell, and then this. This song’s at the heart of the Zidane film, which is one of the best things we’ve been involved in – it’s just Barry playing piano with tons of guitar over the top. Douglas (Gordon) and Phillippe (Parreno) had already shot the film and tried it with the Surgeon remix of ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’ over it; Douglas dragged us into some art gallery in Glasgow and said, ‘what do you think?’ We were engrossed, it was a lot of fun. To be honest, I thought it made people take us more seriously in Scotland – before we were just ‘local noiseniks’. In mainland Europe they’d always taken us seriously. Although, fair enough, they probably didn’t have to listen to all the shite we said. ‘BATCAT’, FROM THE HAWK IS HOWLING, 2008 We haven’t done too many really heavy songs over the years, and this is maybe the best one. It has a really demented structure and it’s fun to play, it shouldn’t really work but it does. What’s a batcat? I don’t know, it’s just classic nonsense. That’s how we name our songs, we just write down any nonsense we hear. Like, ‘Mr Beast’ was on a sign held up at an airport and it amused us at the time. Plus people assign their own really profound ideas to our titles, which I really like. ‘HOW TO BE A WEREWOLF’, FROM HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE, BUT YOU WILL, 2011 This was another really significant album. Aside from being on Sub Pop in America, we put it out through our own label. When someone else puts your record out you just hand it in, but when you do it, getting it finished is when the hard work starts. If it had died on its arse we would have had a real problem, but it did well. Starting our own label was one of the best things we’ve done, it’s so much easier to just take control of things and make them happen. ‘REMURDERED’, FROM RAVE TAPES, 2014 I think it’s maybe the best song on that record, another record that did really well on our own label. It was our most successful record so far and I’m not sure why, but I think most of the songs could have been played on the radio and it maybe got a bit more attention because (Mogwai’s soundtrack for the television series) Les Revenants was really popular. Although I like to think it was just our genius marketing campaign that did it. Mogwai’s 20th anniversary boxset Central Belters is out now on Rock Action.

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MUSIC | Previews WORLD

MDOU MOCTAR

The Hug & Pint, Glasgow, Fri 20 Nov; Electric Circus, Edinburgh, Sat 21 Nov

MARKUS MILCKE

The trailer to Tedalat Taha Tazoughai (‘Rain the colour of red with a little blue in it’) sees Mdou Moctar riding a motorbike across the Sahara desert, a guitar slung across his back. The soundtrack is suitably panoramic: fluid, modal guitar licks, halfway between Jimi Hendrix and Ali Farka Touré, over the cameltrain lope of the drums. The world’s first Tuareg language feature film, Tedalat . . . tells the fictionalised story of the young Agadez guitar hero, folding in more than a few nods to Prince’s Purple Rain and Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come. At the time of going to press, screenings of the movie are still to be confirmed, but Moctar’s live shows – his first in Scotland – are unmissable, with the crackling energy and showmanship that comes from rocking Saharan wedding parties and Western rock clubs alike. Moctar’s music is in the takamba and assouf styles, faster and more raw than that of Tinariwen. His 2008 debut, Anar, is a still-astonishing fusion of Tuareg music, autotune and drum machines, but subsequent releases have focused on his acoustic campfire songs and wild electric jams. Wielding his left-handed Stratocaster, Moctar is one of the most exciting guitarists on the planet. (Stewart Smith)

GARAGE ROCK

COURTNEY BARNETT

O2 ABC, Glasgow, Wed 2 Dec

MARATHON ARTISTS

Courtney Barnett seemed to hit the UK music scene fully formed with her quirky tales of modern life. Humorous lyrics, delivered in her distinctive Aussie twang, are underpinned by searing garage rock. Barnett started writing and performing her own material at the age of 18, also playing guitar with a number of bands in Tasmania and Melbourne (including Immigrant Union formed by Brent DeBoer of the Dandy Warhols). Her 2013 single ‘Avant Gardener’ marked Barnett as a talent in her own right and made the rest of the world sit up and take notice. Her intimate, relatable, funny and brilliantly written vignettes struck a chord. Championed by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and The New York Times, even Jack White’s a fan and recently produced two tracks with Barnett at his Third Man Studios in Nashville. ‘It was a real honour to be invited along to record with him,’ says Barnett, ‘he’s a really nice guy, really supportive. It’s nice to know someone like that is listening to your music.’ Barnett isn’t the most talkative interviewee. It’s hard to tell if she’s uncomfortable, shy or just incredibly laid-back. You get the impression she’s a reluctant rock star, in love with the music but less impressed with the attention offstage. She takes her lyrics from a notebook she keeps every day. ‘It’s pretty scattered. I might just write down a sentence or a conversation I overhear, draw a picture or something. I just keep note of everything so I don’t forget it,’ she explains. ‘Sometimes the right thing jumps out at you and if it feels right I just go with it. I go through my journal and write out my favourite lines, so it’s like a culling process, and I stick them on the wall, rearrange them. It’s madness. I’m sure there’s a better way to write a song.’ (Henry Northmore)

ECLECTIC FESTIVAL

DETOUR AND THE LIST PRESENT SIXFEST

Various venues, Glasgow and Edinburgh, Mon 23–Sat Nov 28 If you’ve not yet heard of Detour, I’m not sure where you’ve been. Weaver, Ally and the team have been kicking around like loveable delinquents for six years now, promoting exciting new Scottish music however they can. Over the years, they’ve turned their hands to video channels, DJ sets, blogs, podcasts, TV – and, of course, gigs. From the tried and trusted sweaty bar night, to 14th-century abbeys, or taking over a planetarium for the weekend, it’s all about innovative musical experiences. For six days in November, Detour will team up with The List for Sixfest – six gigs to celebrate six years of Detour. Throughout the week we’ll bring you gigs across Glasgow and Edinburgh, from BDY_PRTS (pictured) at Bloc (Tue Nov 24) to YAK at Sneaky Pete’s (Thu Nov 26) and Happy Meals at the Poetry Club (Wed Nov 25). There’s also Bossy Love at the Hug & Pint (Fri Nov 27), and a secret party in assocation with Sofar (Mon Nov 23) with a special guest lineup revealed on the night. We’re topping it off with a massive blow-out on Sat Nov 28 at one of Detour’s renowned eclectic venues – sign up at detour-scotland.com. (Kirstyn Smith) 104 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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MUSIC | Records

ALBUM OF THE ISSUE

ELECTRONIC ELECTRO POP

FOUND

Cloning (Chemikal Underground) ●●●●●

FOUND were most recently to be found, as it were, touring the country as part of the Anywhere But The Cities roadshow of musicians, poets and writers. Anything but the usual seems to be this band-meets-art collective’s cultural yardstick. These BAFTA-winning boffins have already created a couple of sound installations to capture the imagination - a musical cabinet of curiosities called Cybraphon and a cyber orchestra hitched up to a record player. Now slimmed down to duo Ziggy Campbell and Kev Sim, FOUND have followed up with their own album of impressively stylised machine music. Cloning was conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film, and features a scattering of atmospheric instrumentals touched by the hand of John Carpenter, and redolent of the synth scores to David Cronenberg’s body horror films of the 70s and 80s. The glacial ‘End Sequence’ comes halfway through, right before ‘Centrepiece’, a rockier electro proposition with some of the claustrophobic urgency of Suicide or early Human League, while ‘Credits’ is a ready-made, retro-futuristic sci-fi snippet. Cloning is not just for genre fans, however. The rest of the album is a treat for lovers of analogue electro pop. ‘A Souvenir For Every Hope You Had’ belies its emo-ish title with a beguiling combination of plaintive vocals, muscular rock drums and beefy synth chords. The foreboding ‘Hit the Clone Button’ comes over like a Caledonian Soft Cell with its mix of New Romantic atmospherics and a stealthy, dramatic vocal melody. ‘The Second Catastrophe’ is a seductive affair, unfurling over eight minutes, while the synth pop ballad ‘Wheel Out Apocalypse’ keeps a tight tonal rein on its message: ‘if I can’t have your lips, then wheel out apocalypse’. (Fiona Shepherd)

KODE9

Nothing (Hyperdub) ●●●●● As the man behind the label responsible for prominent releases by the likes of Burial, DJ Rashad, Ikonika and many others, Steve Goodman has been at the forefront of dubstep and the wider electronic genre for over a decade. Though hard to believe, Nothing is the Hyperdub chief’s debut solo album as Kode9, following two previous albums with vocalist-poet The Spaceape. But after collaborating on, remixing and releasing the music of countless other musicians, Nothing proves to be an exceptional portfolio of Goodman’s deep and profound knowledge of grime, early dubstep, 2-step and beyond. Opening with the foreboding drone of ‘Zero Point Energy’, the album maintains a menacing theme through the contrasting ostinato-like melody and turbulent dissonance of ‘Notel’. ‘Void’ emphasises a kind of desolation which engulfs the album overall, perhaps as a result of the vacant spaces in the track, initially intended for The Spaceape. His presence is felt elsewhere, like the ominous ‘Third Ear Transmission’, on which the vocalist features and final track ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, where the atmospheric nothingness fades to a lingering nineminute haze. ‘Holo’ is a definite highlight with its tranquil vocals floating above footworkinspired rhythms, similarly heard on ‘Vacuum Packed’. Meanwhile, the spirited fanfare of ‘9 Drones’, a version of the classic ‘Nine Samurai’ from Memories of the Future, begins the fitting conclusion to an emotionally intricate journey. The album is ultimately a requiem to a friend and frequent collaborator, with a feeling of emptiness and melancholy running through from start to finish. That’s not to say it lacks character, rather with Nothing Goodman takes a landscape of interesting and disparate sounds and succeeds in creating a mesh of sub-bass, footwork patterns and hypnotic looped instrumentals. Its subject matter might be ‘nothing’, but the album certainly demonstrates something strong and sonically memorable. (Arusa Qureshi)

SOUNDTRACK

SOLO DEBUT

Various artists (Good Grace) ●●●●●

Soroky (Empty Words) ●●●●●

STARRED UP: FILM MUSIC REWORKED Buoyed by the success of his return to critical celebration with hard-hitting 2013 prison flick Starred Up following a couple of lukewarm outings headed by T in the Park-set rock comedy You Instead (2011), Scottish film director David Mackenzie appears to have designs on the ground occupied by John Carpenter; that of director turned soundtrack auteur. This expanded, vinyl-only version of the soundtrack to the former film feels very much like Carpenter’s work, dense with foreboding, and its existence is hard to impeach and easy to welcome. It’s an unsettling but satisfying listen which stands comfortably in its own right. It also fits into Mackenzie’s career much more comfortably than You Instead, given that he’s previously soundtracked his films with the work of The Pastels (The Last Great Wilderness), Talking Heads (Young Adam) and the combined output of Domino Records (Hallam Foe). Here the director is the prime mover, with assistance from Mogwai producer Tony Doogan and contributions from Belle & Sebastian keyboard player Chris Geddes, actor / musician Ewan Bremner and Reid School of Music head and Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra co-founder Professor Raymond MacDonald. The tone is unflinching and rarely changing, but highly evocative. The tracks have names that match their mood, and naturally those called ‘Preparing for War’, ‘Abandonment’ and ‘Violence’ are the most sinister, a blend of thundering, sustained electronic bass notes and menacingly alien synthesiser lines. Yet there are welcome changes of mood here and there – the loose bongo-led funk of ‘Dunking’, for example, or the calming ambience of ‘Respite Paradise’. ‘Between These Walls’ funereal tone is punctuated by crunching, Mogwai-esque guitars, and even the lighter closing one-two of ‘Credit’ and ‘Cell Thief’ possess a mood of institutional distance. It’s an imagination-grabbing selection which sets out a scene beautifully, and hopefully not the last time Mackenzie puts together his own soundtrack. (David Pollock)

ANDREW WASYLYK

Scottish singer and musician Andrew Mitchell is something of a renaissance man. Perhaps best known as the latest in a long line of bassists to have hit the low notes for Idlewild (he joined in 2014), he also boasts a secondary career as the leader of Dundee indie-pop outfit the Hazey Janes and a tertiary gig as a sessioner for the likes of Electric Soft Parade. This is his debut solo record, and it’s a suitable enough departure from all of the above to help paint a vivid picture of just how versatile a performer he is. He’s taken his pseudonymous surname from that of his uncle Iwan Wasylyk and the title of the record from the name of the Ukrainian village in which his grandfather grew up. It’s not a surprising association, because somewhere in the fusion of sounds Mitchell makes there’s a certain Doctor Zhivago-ness, an air of Eastern European romance and melancholy. And there’s much more besides; hints of Magnetic Fields, echoes of Scott Walker, a strong sense of both Mercury Rev and Aztec Camera. There’s also a bit of Alison Moyet in those vocals; a femininity and a rich bassy tone all at once. ‘What of the wonderful world / what of the dreams that we had?’ he asks in a swooning voice over the opener ‘Last of the Loved’, its tense piano and rising strings reminiscent of the saddest Bond theme ever. There’s a folksy Harry Nilsson-meets-Edwyn Collins sense to ‘The Esplanade’, and a general feeling of psychogeographic nostalgia to the record, as if singing of places experienced and missed; in the mournful croon of ‘The Park Hotel’, for example, or his urgent tribute to Mull’s ‘Calgary Bay’. The Scots poet ‘Robert Garrioch’ is paid tribute to in one instrumental, while ‘The More I Believe, The Less I Know’ is the closest the album comes to a masterpiece. In total, it’s something less than the sum of its constituent influences, but for the sureness of its vision and the confidence of its execution, it’s an early effort which is well worthy of recommendation. (David Pollock)

106 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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Records | MUSIC

list.co.uk/music FOLK JAZZ

PIANO JAZZ

Ossicles (Self-released) ●●●●●

Nursery Rhymes (Karaoke Kalk) ●●●●●

SINK

BILL WELLS & FRIENDS

s i n k are a group I first came across at the Pipe Factory, an 1887 red-brick building that is one of Glasgow’s overlooked architectural gems. Now an artists’ studio, the Gallowgate building played host to a fine evening of music headlined by the Edinburgh trio. Performing in the gallery space, with candles and lamps to illuminate them, s i n k created a beautifully intimate atmosphere, their warm and playful music warding off the autumnal chill seeping through the brickwork. Formed in Edinburgh five years ago, the trio of Daniil Dumnov on accordion, Tim Vincent-Smith on violin and Matt Wright on saxophones have developed a near telepathic interplay, allowing them to build on pre-composed elements through collective improvisation. Their sound absorbs disparate influences, from Balkan folk and Parisian cabaret to classical minimalism and free jazz. There are certain sonic affinities with Penguin Café Orchestra, as well as contemporary composers like Max Richter and Yann Tiersen, but s i n k have a spontaneity and rough-hewn edge of their own. Given their music’s cinematic qualities, it comes as no surprise to learn that s i n k have performed live scores for silent movies. ‘Parisian Metro’ conjures images of Left Bank bohemians taking deep, approving draws of their Gauloises cigarettes while Stephane Grappelli plays his Hot Club fiddle. The Hawk & A Hacksaw-esque ‘DownTheStairsAndThroughTheHole’, meanwhile, wouldn’t sound out of place in one of Emir Kusturica’s Serbian capers. As its title implies, ‘Jazzing’ is the closest s i n k get to free-improv, with Wright clearly relishing the opportunity to squabble skronkily with his comrades. His full-bodied soprano squawks are well matched by seasick accordion tones and swaying violin. It’s great fun, but it would be good to hear a little more of this wilder approach integrated into the other tunes. Nonetheless, this is an impressive debut from a hugely talented trio. Dive in. (Stewart Smith)

There’s an amusing and compelling concept at the heart of Falkirk jazz composer and indie collaborator Bill Wells’ latest project; in his words, that he wanted to play nursery rhymes without the ‘sugar-coating’ and with the ‘harsh realities’ buried within exposed to the light. In that context it perhaps hasn’t been entirely successful, for much of the music here is gorgeously warm and comforting. It’s also been created with the help of an irresistible roster of collaborators which is more than the equal of any group Wells has put together before. Yo La Tengo appear frequently throughout, and former Belle & Sebastian chanteuse Isobel Campbell, Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake and country singer and daughter of Mose, Amy Allison, all make a couple of guest appearances. In one of the least likely musical occurrences of the year, Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki takes the lead on ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, her voice ringing and quivering like the bells and gently sawed strings playing in the background. Unlikely sonic convergences abound on this record; take, for example, jazz singer Karen Mantler huskily breathing her way through ‘Three Blind Mice’ while Yo La Tengo grind away at a measured surf-blues alongside Wells’ rangy piano in the background, or Blake and Aby Vulliamy roaming in bassy tones over ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’. It’s predominantly a piano jazz record, and one which reminds us of those colouring-in books for adults in its appropriation of a childhood pursuit for grown-up enjoyment. The sound of these familiar (and perhaps not so familiar, in the case of a number of transatlantic jazz singers whose variety enhances the record greatly) voices singing such unusual choices is undoubtedly a novelty, but there’s some striking music here. Mantler and Vulliamy, in particular, are sublime foils for Wells’ relaxed muse, while Campbell is revealed once more to be a striking, sultry jazz vocalist, particularly on the enveloping ‘Rock a Bye Baby’. (David Pollock)

LIVE RECORDINGS

COMPILATION

Live (Acid Jazz Records) ●●●●●

The Collection (Island) ●●●●●

MATT BERRY & THE MAYPOLES Ahead of an upcoming tour with his band the Maypoles, Matt Berry has insisted that ‘if you come to one of our gigs expecting a character or stand-up routine then you could be very disappointed’. It’s a fair enough warning to those Toast of Londoners or members of The IT Crowd set who think that Berry = Funny. Yet on this live collection there are more than a few moments when a wry smile might play all the way across the lower part of your head. How could you not allow yourself a warm chuckle for the sheer audacity portrayed in his group’s funky wah-wah interpretation of the Ronnie Hazlehurst theme tune to BBC’s Sorry! (the 80s sitcom starring Ronnie Corbett)? And meanwhile, hard-bitten aficionados of 90s Britpop may find it more than vaguely amusing that among the Maypoles crew is one Mark Morriss, the former rugcutting, slight-returning leader of the Bluetones. One of the few problems with this mainly enjoyable collection is, rather unexpectedly, the voice of Matt Berry. For a man who has forged a healthy career in comedy for himself based on wordy bombast and by curling, spinning and manipulating vowels ’n’ consonants all over the place, his singing is surprisingly, regrettably vanilla. And save for the regular ‘thank you very much’ and odd ‘bless you’, he has zero in-between-tune banter to regale his throng with. Instead, the entertainment value is all down to the rigorous work of a very fine band (including Matty on his ever-reliable Kong synth) as they rattle their way through a selection of Berry’s psych-folk / quasi-rock opera repertoire. This includes the joyous ‘Take My Hand’ (the Toast of London theme tune), ‘Snuff Box’ (the Snuff Box theme tune) and ‘So Low’ (a rousing pubstomp from 2009’s Witchazel). It’s hardly an original criticism, but you can very rarely listen to a live CD without feeling just a little left out. This perfectly serviceable Xerox of what sounds like an exhilarating gig simply leaves his listeners not quite in on the joke. (Brian Donaldson)

AMY WINEHOUSE: THE COLLECTION Age and perspective reinforce the idea, fashionable among many, that a wealth of talent and success plus tragic, and in many cases fatal, addiction elevates an artist to a position that’s something other than simply a tragedy. Premature death doesn’t improve the quality of their music and it’s still possible to contextualise someone’s work while they’re still alive; but at least this comprehensive eightdisc vinyl collection of Amy Winehouse’s recorded work has the luxury of distance from her death. And, by extension, from the distasteful tabloid feeding frenzy that threatened to overshadow her ability while she was alive. The collection features both albums released during her lifetime, the posthumous and uncompleted third album Lionness, a live album recorded at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2007, and a rarities disc mostly comprising BBC Sessions and live recordings. Her debut album, 2003’s Frank, isn’t quite a classic, but it still rings with both her huge and undoubted ability as a jazz singer, and the sass which would characterise her biggest hits. Her voice is as lustrous and loungy as that of Frank Sinatra, for whom the record is named, but amid smoky sax ballads like ‘(There is) No Greater Love’, there are musical references to Motown’s moodier days, acid jazz and trip-hop. Regardless of what else has been pieced together from her recordings, of course, 2006’s Back to Black is what her reputation has been founded upon, from the blend of world-weariness and freedom from care of ‘Rehab’, the sadly down on herself ‘You Know I’m No Good’ and ‘Love is a Losing Game’, and the old-time soul of ‘Me and Mr Jones’. It stands up as testament to why she was loved far beyond headline writer circles. There are curios elsewhere on these discs: more than convincing versions of ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’ and ‘The Girl From Ipanema’; her huge hit ‘Valerie’; an energetic live version of ‘Monkey Man’. Yet the sense is that only vinyl completists will be missing what this box has to offer. (David Pollock) 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 107

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MUSIC | Records – Jazz & World

JAZZ & WORLD

ALSO RELEASED

JAZZ

THE TURBINE! AUNTIE FLO

Theory of Flo (Huntleys + Palmers) ●●●●●

An album resonantly designed for immersive listening and best experienced through a pair of headphones for optimum effect, Theory of Flo takes the loops and beats of Glasgow producer Brian ‘Auntie Flo’ d’Souza and his regular collaborator Esa Williams’ club set and lends them intimate warmth and texture. Billed as their debut album proper after 2012’s mini-LP Future Rhythm Machine, it welcomes Ghanaian singer Anbuley, the Noisettes’ singer Shingai Shoniwa and members of Red Snapper and Hidden Orchestra to a rich and addictive internationalist sound which draws influence from African and South American styles. (David Pollock)

BOAT TO ROW

I Found You Here (Nocturne) ●●●●●

Despite a gender make-up which sees the women in the band outnumber the men three to two, there’s something in the tone of Michael King’s singing which suggests the manly, world-weary heartbreak of Mumford & Sons. His vocal is crisp and evocative, and their folksy playing is nice, but whether it’s on the buoyant ‘Whistle and I’ll Come to You’ or on the slow ballad ‘Turn the Page’, their tenderness is negated by a lack of real momentum. (DP)

YACHT

I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler (Downtown) ●●●●● Inside this record there’s a classic trying to get out, although it’s somewhat hamstrung by the cloying pop shine of tracks like ‘I Wanna Fuck You Till I’m Dead’ and ‘Don’t Be Rude’. Yet, as befits a group who were signed to DFA until their last album, there are some sublime passages of lighthearted club electro too, like ‘Hologram’ and the Waitresses-channelling ‘War On Women’, the latter a sussed slice of sarcastic feminist pop. (DP)

DAUGHTER

Not to Disappear (4AD) ●●●●● Swooning, sensual and ever so serious is how Swiss-French-North London trio Daughter started out, and it’s certainly how they mean to go on, judging by this earnest but enjoyable sophomore record. It’s lovely, though; Elena Tonra 108 THE LIST 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016

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has a breathy voice, and the way she gasps out lines like ‘I wash my mouth / I still taste you’ on ‘Numbers’ perfectly complements the frosty indie folk implied by Remi Aguilella’s dense, triumphant drumming and Igor Haefeli’s slowly pealing guitar, the latter occasionally hurtling with youthful, exuberant pace. (DP)

BILL RYDER-JONES

West Kirby County Primary (Domino) ●●●●● Bill RyderJones’ brand of slow-paced indie rock is certainly nothing new, but there’s something about the genre that, when played well and without pretension, is hard to dislike. Jones’ sentiment is genuine and his melodies captivating, but the final package is just not original enough to stand out. (Will Moss)

TOKYO TABOO

Leech EP (TT Records) ●●●●● With vocals that imagine themselves to be something akin to Karen O and guitar riffs that look to the greats, Tokyo Taboo closer resemble a 13-year-old singing into a hairbrush and shredding on Guitar Hero in the mirror. The ambition is there but the talent is not. (WM)

BEANS ON TOAST

Rolling up the Hill (Xtra Mile Recordings) ●●●●● Like a stoned Billy Bragg, Beans on Toast has been peddling his leftie foot stompers around the UK festival circuit for some years now. Rolling up the Hill is as brilliantly witty as we have come to expect, but is definitely lacking the pint of warm cider in one’s hand. (WM)

LIL BUB

Science and Magic (Joyful Noise Recordings) ●●●●● Apparently an experimental album from a celebrity alien cat, Science and Magic is perhaps one of the most bizarre releases floating around this year. As it’s supposed creator’s back story might suggest, the album is full of not unenjoyable cutesy 8-bit Gameboy sound and colour, each track as pixelated as the next. (WM)

Entropy/Enthalpy (Rogue Art) ●●●●● To call The Turbine! a double rhythm section would be an injustice: Chicagoans Harrison Bankhead and Hamid Drake, and Paris-based Benjamin Duboc and Ramon Lopez are a complete quartet, exploring an astonishing range of melodies, textures, rhythms and moods over the two discs here. Recorded on tour in France last year, Entropy/Enthalpy eases us in with the bowed bass pedal note of ‘Rotor/Stator’, before Bankhead’s pizzicato lines open up a summer storm of hissing cymbals and fluid tom rolls from Drake, with Lopez laying subtle touches of tabla under it all. Elsewhere, the rhythm section’s buoyancy has the bassists moving from abyssal gloom to Ornette-like folk dances. They’re joined by third bassist, the great William Parker, on two tracks. What might seem like the free jazz equivalent of Spinal Tap’s ‘Big Bottom’ is in fact a deep and compelling listen, with Lopez’s tabla spitting electricity over Parker’s tempestuous bowing. Trumpeter Jean-Luc Cappozzo contributes vivid melodies and extended techniques to ‘Electrical Coil’, while alto saxophonist Lionel Garcin leads the group into uncharted waters on the remarkable ‘Free Power’. JAZZ

ANIMATION

Machine Language (Rare Noise) ●●●●● Bob Belden’s untimely death at 58 means that Animation’s Machine Language will stand as his final statement. Idiosyncratic and forward-looking, the album mixes the electric fusion of 70s Miles Davis with drum’n’bass and contemporary electronica. Belden’s young group is augmented by bassist Bill Laswell, while crooner Kurt Elling performs the role of narrator, ruminating on the theme of man v machine. Laswell’s oleaginous bass can be a bit nasty, but Belden’s concepts and compositions are strong, indebted to his hero, but not bound by him. Pete Clagett’s trumpet is very Miles – languid with a steely edge – while Belden’s soprano saxophone flights are a joy to hear. WORLD

BACHAR MAL-KHALIFÉ Ya Balad (InFiné) ●●●●●

French-Lebanese artist Bachar Mal-Khalifé sings Arabic laments for his homeland, blending traditional melodies with classical piano and contemporary pop influences. Ya Balad ranges from the stately Arabic chamber pop of ‘Kyre Eleision’ to the classy Middle Eastern house of ‘Lemon’, all oud loops and gospel piano. Beginning as a reflective ballad, ‘Layla’ builds into a piano pounding banger, while ‘Wolf Pack’ mixes Cuban piano with Arabic techno rhythms. Add a touch of reggae and the moody, minimal rock of ‘Laya Yabnaya’ and you have an innovative piece of modern Arabic pop fusion. (SS) WORLD

DJ MAHINYA-HINYA

Ekaya Giyani (Shangaanbang) ●●●●● Nozinja’s debut for Warp is the big Shangaan electro album of 2015, pushing the genre forward with its manic beats, rave synths and chipmunk vocals. Fans of the thrilling South African genre should also check out Ekaya Giyani, the debut album from dancerturned-producer, DJ Mahinya-Hinya aka Vusi Lawrence Chauke. With its marimba hooks and twitchy 180bpm beats, the album offers a more traditional take on the Shangaan electro sound than Nozinja Lounge, but Mahinya-Hinya’s melodic and danceable songs are set apart by such quirks as his use of auto-tune, gangsta rap sound effects and bizarre phone-call routines. WORLD

BARETO

Impredecible (World Village) ●●●●● A deft fusion of psychedelic cumbia, space-age exotica and contemporary electronica, Impredecible is the fifth album from Peruvian ‘indie tropical’ band Bareto. With their wonky surf guitar motifs, wiggling synths and loping grooves, Cumbia instrumentals like ‘Pais de la Maravillas’ are irresistible, while the dub reggae/merengue excursions of ‘Viejita Guarachera’ transplant King Tubby to downtown Lima. The sputnik guitars and dinky Casio beats of ‘Bombo Baile’ take the listener to a cosmic ranch, where spaced cowboys glide along the rings of Saturn, while ‘El Loco’, featuring the great Peruvian singer Susana Baca, is a psychedelic reverie. (All reviews by Stewart Smith)

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Records – Singles | MUSIC

list.co.uk/music

SINGLES

Before drawn-in days and dreams of shafts of sunlight through an iron sky gets all too much, lend an ear to Everything Everything’s track ‘No Reptiles’ (●●●●● RCA, out 20 Nov) among this issue’s stack of new releases. Despite some obscure lyrics – yes, reptiles are mentioned, as are eggs for reasons unknown – their trademark head-boppy pop will subdue the blues. Not singing about eggs, The Lovely Eggs’ single, ‘Goofin’ around (In Lancashire)’ (●●●●● Egg Records, out 13 Nov) is grungy punk with wandering, witty lyrics similar to those of Courtney Barnett’s. The sheer ruckus of Damn Vandals’ single ‘I Hate School’ (●●●●● Sexy Beast, out 6 Nov) is enough to make you want to don full leather when you’re going down the shops. Equally gritty, Fist City’s double A-side, ‘Let’s Rip / End of the Good Times’ (●●●●● Transgressive, out 13 Nov) is unhinged and manic in the best kind of way. Now to bring the tempo down and reduce the risk of palpitations. Former

bass player of Wu Lyf, Francis Lungs’ EP, ‘Faeher’s Son’ (●●●●● Songs Records, out 20 Nov) features delicate piano and dreamy vocals and is melancholy and beautiful, while, reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, The Deadline Shakes’ double A-side, ‘Frozen Out / Sweeten the Deal’ (●●●●● Flowers in the Dustbin, out 22 Nov) is busy with some satisfying, feel-good banjo thrown in for good measure. New kids on the block, Merakis’, single ‘Bright Lights’, (●●●●● selfreleased, out 10 Nov) fuses folk and soul in a rousing fashion, while Rare Monks’ self-titled EP (●●●●● B3SCI, out 20 Nov) offers some solid indie rock – the riffs on ‘Warning Pulse’ are catchy without becoming incessantly imbedded in your brain. Looking for less indie, more synths and inter-galactic references, perhaps? Public Service Broadcasting’s new EP, ‘Sputnik / Korolev’ (●●●●● Piccadilly, out 20 Nov) has more in their reworked material than you can shake a stick at. (Hannah Thompson)

EXPOSURE WUH OH Wuh Oh, aka Peter Ferguson, creates catchy layered, sample-soaked tunes. We caught up with him to chat about mistakes, inspiration and living in Glasgow On the name Wuh Oh The last track on my first EP has a sample of a wee kid saying ‘wuh oh!’ towards the end. Most of the favourite things I’ve written have been the result of a mistake, be it while playing the piano or chopping up a sample or whatever. The name ‘Wuh Oh’, to me, represents the magic that comes from the happy accidents. On inspiration Belle & Sebastian were my first favourite band and I think they’ve massively influenced my taste in melody and harmony, along with bands like Frightened Rabbit and Neutral Milk Hotel. I also envy Ben Folds’ ability to make bum notes sound right because his piano playing is so spirited, jazzy and technically impressive otherwise. In terms of beat-making, producers like the Neptunes and Timbaland inspire me in their ability to make stuff that’s so left-field yet catchy and immediate. On living in Glasgow It still feels like this magical alternate reality for me even after five years of living here, potentially because it’s the first place I’ve lived that wasn’t my family home, so I still associate it with freedom and possibility. The experimental electronic music scene that I’ve managed to get involved in has really helped me push myself creatively as I want to impress the producers and promoters in my friend circle and make music we can party or chill out to. On samples One of the samples I’m happiest with so far is that of the drums and voice I used in ‘Trippin’. They’re from a tutorial video by a fantastic drummer called Bernard Purdie, teaching people how to play his trademark ‘Purdie Shuffle’. He’s such a charismatic guy and I love his playing style, so it felt right that he should guide people through a song. On the future My musical partner, Arm Watches Fingers, and I are planning on putting out a split EP (half his music and half mine) in the next couple of months. Most of all I just want to expand my online catalogue to make hunting out my music as worthwhile as possible for those people who take the time to find me. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 109

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17 BAIN SQUARE | CALTON | GLASGOW T: 0141 552 8378 | E: events@stlukesglasgow.com www.stlukesglasgow.com

17 BAIN SQUARE | CALTON | GLASGOW T: 0141 552 8378 | E: bookings@stlukesglasgow.com www.stlukesglasgow.com

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Highlights | MUSIC

HITLIST

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING O2 ABC, Glasgow, Thu 12 Nov, o2abcglasgow. co.uk The Manchesterformed quartet, fronted by the singer Jonathan Higgs, performs art-rock and electro infused indie-pop. MUSEUM LATES: VICTORIAN SENSATION

National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Fri 13 Nov, nms. ac.uk The legendary Museum Lates returns with a Victorian theme. Guest-programmed by The List and hosted by Vic Galloway, Museum Lates offers stellar live music from Honeyblood and BDY_PRTS as well as entry to the exhibition

Photography: A Victorian Sensation. GARBAGE Usher Hall, Edinburgh,

Sat 14 Nov, usherhall. co.uk Dark rock as Shirley Manson and co return. MADONNA The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Sun 20 Dec, thessehydro.com The queen of pop sets off on another huge world tour. Just don’t mention the Brits.

JOHN GRANT Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Tue 26 Jan, glasgowconcerthalls. com The former Czars singer has a baritone to die for and a handful of critically-acclaimed solo albums under his belt. Part of Celtic Connections.

MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS MICHAEL WOOD

Events are listed by city, then date. Submit listings for your event at list.co.uk/add

GLASGOW THE SPOOK SCHOOL The 13th Note Café/Bar, Fri 6 Nov, 13thnote.co.uk Indie-pop by the four-piece band from Edinburgh. Also Nice’n’Sleazy, Glasgow, Sun 6 Dec, nicensleazy.com. BLOC PARTY O2 ABC, Mon 9 Nov, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Post-punk politicists from London. Part of Radio X Road Trip. The Spook School

MAVERICK SABRE O2 ABC, Tue 10 Nov, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Aka English/ Irish rapper/singer Michael Stafford, encroaching on Plan B’s indie crooner territory. ANDREW WASYLYK Cottier’s, Thu 11 Nov, cottiers. com Blend of Baroque pop and nostalgia from Andrew Wasylyk, who has previously worked with Idlewild and the Hazey Janes. He’s touring latest album Soroky, named after the town in Western Ukraine in which his grandfather grew up. Also Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Sun 8 Nov, thequeenshall.net; Gardyne Theatre, Dundee, Wed 11 Nov, gardynetheatre.org.uk FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS Barrowland, Fri 13 Nov, glasgowbarrowland.com The former Million Dead frontman has moved away from his hardcore roots to embrace rabblerousing folk punk in a New Model Army style. See preview, page 101. THE ORDINARY BOYS King Tut’s, Sat 14 Nov, kingtuts. co.uk Indie rockers, famous for laddish hit ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, jump on the reform bandwagon. Also

Liquid Room, Edinburgh, Thu 12 Nov, liquidroom.com; PJ Molloys, Dunfermline, Fri 13 Nov, pjmolloys.org.

barrowland.com Geordie indie rock favourites Maxïmo Park fronted by the man with the combover, Paul Smith.

HAPPY MONDAYS O2 Academy Glasgow, Sun 15 Nov, o2academyglasgow.co.uk Watch out, the gang’s all back together. Madchester nostalgia reigns as the original line-up of The Happy Mondays returns.

MERCURY REV Glasgow School of Art, Fri 20 Nov, gsa.ac.uk The New York dreamy indie-rockers play from their back catalogue.

KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS O2 ABC, Mon 16 Nov, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Sonic Youth-endorsed singer/guitarist from Philadelphia. That’s his real name, by the way. EZRA FURMAN Glasgow School of Art, Tue 17 Nov, gsa.ac.uk The Chicago-based fourpiece plays upbeat, energised rock. MAXÏMO PARK Barrowland, Fri 20 Nov, glasgow-

MDOU MOCTAR The Hug & Pint, Fri 20 Nov, thehugandpint.com Acclaimed Nigerian guitarist. Also Electric Circus, Edinburgh, Sat 21 Nov, theelectriccircus. biz. See preview, page 104. TUFF LOVE The Hug & Pint, Sat 21 Nov, thehugandpint.com The female fronted power trio play lo-fi guitar pop. Also playing Limbo, Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Sat 7 Nov, thevoodoorooms.com THE PRODIGY The SSE Hydro, Mon 23 Nov, thessehydro.com Veteran techno rockers, renowned for their blistering live shows and single ‘Firestarter’, now taking their newest album The Day is My Enemy on tour. Public Enemy provide support.

RÓISÍN MURPHY O2 ABC, Tue 24 Nov, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Happily bonkers ex-frontwoman of Moloko runs free in her own club-friendly world. GHOSTPOET Glasgow School of Art, Wed 25 Nov, gsa.ac.uk Singer and producer Obaro Ejimiwe performs a mix of alternative hip hop and electronica, with dubstep and grime elements, from his album Some Say I So I Say Light. IDLEWILD Barrowland, Fri 27 Nov, glasgow-barrowland.com The Edinburgh indie rockers head out on a European tour in support of their eighth studio album Everything Ever Written. Also Perth Concert Hall, Perth, Tue 24 Nov, horsecross.co.uk/perthconcert-hall COURTNEY BARNETT O2 ABC, Wed 2 Dec, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Guitarled indie-rock with a psychedelic edge from the Australian singersongwriter. See preview, page 104. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 111

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MUSIC | Highlights

MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS BILLY BRAGG O2 ABC, Thu 3 Dec, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Self-styled ‘progressive patriot’ and veteran political activist who is still one of the UK’s finest writers of love songs. Also Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Tue 1 Dec, thequeenshall.net; Perth Concert Hall, Perth, Wed 2 Dec, horsecross.co.uk/perth-concerthall DJANGO DJANGO Barrowland, Thu 3 Dec, glasgowbarrowland.com East London four-piece who formed at art school in Edinburgh playing a heady mix of indie, electro and floaty prog. MATT BERRY & THE MAYPOLES Òran Mór, Thu 3 Dec, oran-mor. co.uk Berry is best known for regular appearances in TV comedies such as The IT Crowd and The Mighty Boosh but he has also provided the music for Steve Coogan’s Saxondale, written a spoof rock opera and tours backed by Brighton-based experimental rockers Jonas 3. SPACE Classic Grand, Thu 3 Dec, classicgrand.com Indie-rock outfit from Liverpool who hit the charts in the mid-90s with the quirky ‘Female of the Species’ and ‘The Ballad of Tom Jones’. Also Electric Ezra Furman

Circus, Edinburgh, Tue 1 Dec, theelectriccircus.biz

multi-million selling trio and Brit rock favourites.

GERRY CINNAMON Òran Mór, Fri 4 Dec, oran-mor. co.uk Acoustic singer-songwriter from Glasgow mixing folk, blues and loop pedals, whose prominence grew substantially thanks to his pro-Indy Referendum anthem ‘Hope Over Fear’.

GUY GARVEY O2 ABC, Tue 8 Dec, o2abcglasgow. co.uk Elbow’s lead guitarist and singer taking it out in solo mode. LIANNE LA HAVAS

ALT-J The SSE Hydro, Sun 6 Dec, thessehydro.com Esoteric four-piece from Cambridge touring their new album This Is All Yours. Support comes from The Horrors. THE RUTLES O2 ABC, Sun 6 Dec, o2abcglasgow.co.uk The ‘prefab four’, satirical creation of Neil Innes and Eric Idle, starred in Rutland Weekend Television and the 1978 mockumentary The Rutles: All You Need is Cash. The group – that’s Dirk McQuigley, Ron Nasty, Stig O’Hara and Barry Wom – play parodies of Beatles songs so intricately realised that you’d be forgiven for believing they were penned by Lennon & McCartney themselves. ASH O2 ABC, Sun 6 Dec, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Alt.rock with indie and punk vibes from the

o2academyglasgow.co.uk Punk legend Rollins sets out on a spoken word tour, sharing passionate streamof-consciousness stories, rants and jokes about his years in rock. THE LIBERTINES The SSE Hydro, Wed 20 Jan, thessehydro.com Pete Doherty and Carl Barat’s outfit specialising in tales of the everyday rebellion and riotous indie-rock debauchery. MASSIVE ATTACK O2 Academy Glasgow, Fri 22 Jan, o2academyglasgow.co.uk Downbeat electronica and other soulful grooves from one of Britain’s most influential dance acts.

O2 ABC, Wed 9 Dec, o2abcglasgow.co.uk Fragrant soulful alt.pop singer/guitarist. THE TWILIGHT SAD Barrowland, Sat 12 Dec, glasgowbarrowland.com Melancholic soaring sounds from indie rock band Twilight Sad. HENRY ROLLINS O2 Academy Glasgow, Mon 18 Jan,

MOTÖRHEAD SECC, Sun 24 Jan, secc.co.uk. The veteran band, led by craggy rock icon Lemmy, plays their own brand of hard and heavy metal. ‘Ace of Spades’ guaranteed. Saxon and Girlschool support.

EDINBURGH PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING The Queen’s Hall, Tue 17 Nov, thequeenshall.net The London duo, who layer spoken word from vintage propaganda films over soaring beats and electronic melodies to thrilling effect, are out and about performing tracks from their second album The Race For Space. ADMIRAL FALLOW La Belle Angèle, Thu 19 Nov, labelleangele.com Folky indie from Louis Abbot’s Admiral Fallow. Also Cafe Continental, Gourock, Mon 16 Nov, cafe-continental.com KID CANAVERAL’S CHRISTMAS BAUBLES VI Pilrig St Paul’s Church, Sat 19 Dec, kidcanaveral.co.uk An all day indie Christmas party curated by KC., who are introducing you to their new album in an intimate setting alongside some very special guests. CONCERT IN THE GARDENS: BIFFY CLYRO Princes Street Gardens, Thu 31 Dec, edinburghshogmanay.com This year’s famed Princes Street Gardens Hogmanay will be headlined by Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro with support from Idlewild and Honeyblood. HOZIER Usher Hall, Fri 8 Jan, usherhall. co.uk Soul and contemporary bluesfolk from the Dublin-based songsmith.

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MUSIC | Classical

L A C I S AS

FESTIVAL

THE PIANO

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Fri 6–Sun 8 Nov An instrument that regularly tops the ‘wish I could play’ list, the piano deserves every bit of celebration that Glasgow’s festival dedicated to it can give. Featuring some of the world’s finest pianists, as well as newer talents and even opportunities for the non-gifted amateur, The Piano is an event with something for everyone who has an interest in this most versatile of musical instruments. Now in its fourth year, the ideas behind The Piano remain the same, says Glasgow Life’s director of music, Svend Brown. ‘The piano is the greatest instrument to connect a wide range of musicians and personalities,’ he says, ‘and the festival makes a link with high-end professionals and everyone else participating. There are so many people learning keyboard who can be on stage, as well as the big names such as John Lill and Richard Goode.’ Making a rare appearance in Glasgow, Lill plays an all-Beethoven programme with the famous ‘Moonlight’, ‘Pathétique’ and ‘Appassionata’ sonatas. For those not quite of his calibre, the Crazy Big Piano Orchestra offers an alternative route to the concert platform. ‘We’ll have 20 people playing two of the most popular piano duets – Handel’s ‘Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ and one of Schubert’s ‘Ländler’, with a new piece being written by jazz pianist Richard Michael,’ says Brown, who is planning to be one of those brave enough to take part. For chamber music and jazz aficionados, Piano Lounge, an initiative taking place at various hours of the afternoon, offers Liam Noble and Euan Stevenson on jazz piano and a Saturday programme curated by Alasdair Beatson of ensemble music by Mozart, Debussy and Brahms. ‘It will be very chilled,’ says Brown, ‘with something a bit edgier from Japanese pianist Maki Namekawa who plays all of the ‘Etudes for Piano’ by Philip Glass.’ (Carol Main)

CLASSICAL HIGHLIGHTS HITLIST SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE Tramway, Glasgow, Fri 13 & Sat 14 Nov, tramway.org First heard on harpsichord, Bach’s Goldberg Variations now receive a completely new interpretation. BBC SSO 80TH BIRTHDAY CONCERT City Halls, Glasgow, Thu 3 Dec, glasgowconcerthalls. com/city-halls The BBC SSO celebrates its 80th birthday in the company of mezzo Sarah Connolly and tenor Andrew Staples. SCOTTISH OPERA: THE DEVIL INSIDE Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Sat 23, Tue 26 Jan, atgtickets. com/glasgow; King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 29 & Sat 30 Jan, edtheatres.com/ kings World premiere of opera which has grown out of Scottish Opera’s Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland initiative.

EDINBURGH SCOTTISH OPERA: CARMEN Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Fri 6, Sun 8, Thu 12, Sat 14 Nov, edtheatres.com Scottish Opera open their new season with one of the world’s most popular operas ever, Bizet’s Carmen, with a couple of rising stars set to bring extra excitement. New York-born tenor Noah Stewart and Lithuanian mezzo Justina Gringyte are hot names at the moment, with the latter singing the title role. PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA Usher Hall, Sun 8 Nov, usherhall. co.uk The Usher Hall’s Sunday Classics series continues with the Philharmonia Orchestra making a welcome return visit to Edinburgh, with 21-year-old violinist Esther Yoo as soloist in Sibelius’ Violin Concerto. KATE ROYAL AND ROGER VIGNOLES The Queen’s Hall, Mon 30 Nov, queenshall.net No stranger to Scottish audiences after appearances at the Edinburgh International Festival and with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, soprano Kate Royal returns to the Queen’s Hall with one

of the world’s finest accompanists for songs by Schumann, Mahler and Barber. THE MARIAN CONSORT Canongate Kirk, Sat 5 Dec, queenshall.net Highly impressive vocal ensemble of young voices give a programme of the early music in which they excel specially themed for Christmas under conductor Rory McCleery.

GLASGOW BBC SSO: ELGAR’S ENIGMA’ VARIATIONS City Halls, Thu 19 Nov, glasgowconcerthalls.com/ city-halls As the nation reflects on those who have given their lives in service, the BBC SSO features two composers whose work is associated with the time of WWI, George Butterworth and Cecil Coles. Partnered with Elgar and Walton, it is an unusually emotive night. RSNO: SYMPHONY, SOUP AND A SANDWICH – TCHAIKOVSKY ONE RSNO Centre, Thu 26 Nov, rsno. org.uk Thoroughly enjoying its new city-centre home, the RSNO

is delighted to invite lunchtime audiences to share its fine acoustics and comfortable auditorium. Today, the symphony to savour is Tchaikovsky’s No 1. HEBRIDES ENSEMBLE: SINCE IT WAS THE DAY OF PREPARATION . . . St Andrews Cathedral, Thu 26 Nov, ticketweb.co.uk A beautifully powerful masterpiece telling of Christ’s Resurrection, James MacMillan’s score, commissioned by Hebrides Ensemble and premiered in 2012, is deeply moving, intimate, and, ultimately, celebratory. Also Fri 27 Nov, St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Edinburgh.

HAMILTON LAUREN SARAH HAYES: 15 SECONDS Hamilton Mausoleum, Sat 7 Nov, cca-glasgow.com As part of Sonica, Lauren Sarah Hayes brings her skills as a performer of live electronic music into one of Scotland’s most extraordinary buildings, the Hamilton Mausoleum, which is the burial tomb of the Dukes of Hamilton and the largest of its type in Britain.

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THEATRE

Fo the latestr n listings a ews, reviews, g nd o list.co.uk to /theatre

SCOTTISH BALLET’S CINDERELLA

Christopher Hampson captures the human emotion in this popular Some stories are so embedded in our culture, we don’t even question them – even when they need questioning. Well, thankfully, choreographer Christopher Hampson did some hard thinking when he created his Cinderella for Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2007. ‘The one big thing I wanted to do differently, was not to tell a rags to riches tale,’ he explains. ‘Because I just don’t think that has a place today. It felt wrong to be propagating the tale of a female getting out of a bad situation through marrying a man – that’s just so old and jaded.’ Quite. Instead, Hampson focused on the characters, still infusing the tale with magic and beauty, but

of a more natural variety. Eight years later, he is re-staging the work at Scottish Ballet, bringing a menagerie of dancing wildlife to life this Christmas. ‘It was key for me that Cinderella’s journey didn’t rely on jewels and riches – even though she does look beautiful – but that actually it’s the garden where her mother is buried that helps her,’ explains Hampson. ‘It’s the silk moths, spiders and grasshoppers, who are all characters, that help Cinderella get ready. The silk moths spin the silk for her satin shoes, the spiders weave her dress. So it all comes from an organic place.’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Sat 5–Thu 31 Dec; Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Tue 12–Sat 16 Jan.

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THEATRE | Previews & Reviews ADAPTION

REBECCA

King’s Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat 7 Nov. Reviewed at King’s Theatre, Edinburgh. ●●●●●

MARK DOUET

MANUEL HARLAN

STEVE TANNER

Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is renowned as a classic thriller of love and jealousy. But Kneehigh’s treatment of it in this touring show gives it a light, almost camp touch. It’s a fun, frolicky evening but might disappoint fans of the book’s darker side. The new Mrs De Winter (here played by a delightful Imogen Sage) arrives at Manderlay with her husband, Maxim (Tristan Sturrock), to an odd welcome. The ghost of the first Mrs De Winter – Rebecca – haunts the impressive house, and she becomes convinced that Maxim is still in love with her. In particular, she comes up against the formidable Mrs Danvers (Emily Raymond), who is obsessed with her former mistress Rebecca and will do anything to keep her memory alive. The chemistry between Sage and Sturrock is just right, her jealousy and his fits of anger keeping the audience sufficiently on edge. It’s wonderfully atmospheric too: Leslie Travers’ design is impressive, filling the stage and inviting the audience into the heart of Manderlay and the forbidding sea at which Rebecca met her death. Emma Rice’s slick direction means the evening skips along – perhaps a little too quickly. It doesn’t linger on the darker heart of the story, and feels a lot less like a thriller than, say, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film adaptation. But Rice’s adaptation is certainly an entertaining night out, one that gives Du Maurier’s story a good shake and an entertaining angle. (Yasmin Sulaiman)

MUSICAL PLAY

MUSICAL THEATRE

VINTAGE POLITICAL THEATRE

Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, until Sat Nov 14

Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 10–Sat 21 Nov

Theatre Royal, Glasgow, until Sat 7 Nov

THE CHOIR ●●●●●

Choirs seem to be having something of a moment, with recent successes Glee and Gareth Malone’s The Naked Choir. Now playwright Paul Higgins, known to many for his acting role in TV satire The Thick Of It, has collaborated with Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross, to create this drama about a community choir in Wishaw. In spite of a slow start, it’s best when dealing in simmering political tensions. All the good work done by affable choir leader Khalid (Peter Polycarpou) is undermined when quick-tempered working-class kid Scott (Scott Reid) debuts his clumsy rap about zero-hour contracts, to the obvious discomfort of Conservative, older couple Jean (Anne Kidd) and George (James Quinn). Debates about social mobility are blown open, and relationships, like that of mismatched Charlotte (Jess Murphy) and Darren (Sandy Nelson), falter. Dominic Hill’s direction is engaging, though issues are often shoe-horned into a slightly cliched script. Ross’ derivative, mawkish songs like ‘Most Of Me’ and ‘Everybody’s Singing Now’ do little to make it feel contemporary. But the sense of belonging, and gorgeous harmonies throughout, make for an energetic, if uneven, production. (Lorna Irvine)

MACK AND MABEL

Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman’s musical is a tale of romance, women tied to railway tracks, clean-cut heroes and moustache twirling villains. Based on real-life characters, Mack Sennett (played by Michael Ball) is a director of silent comedies and Mabel Normand (Rebecca LaChance) a rising star. As Hollywood makes films that would define an era, Mack and Mabel follow a personal dream. LaChance finds it easy to account for the musical’s success. ‘It has a little bit of everything,’ she explains. ‘Slapstick comedy, romance, huge dance numbers, an incredible Jerry Herman score, and a touching ending. We hope we have folks walking out having taken a whole journey with us.’ Despite the magic, there is a serious undercurrent beneath the glamour. ‘Mabel paved the way to equal opportunities for women in the film world,’ says LaChance. She promises fun, too: ‘We’ve been lucky to have had an amazing audience response since our start in Chichester. You have fans of Michael, but the exciting part is that they love everything else about it. There’s nothing more rewarding than a huge roll of laughter or the cheers during curtain call.’ (Gareth K Vile)

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

The recent BBC adaptation of JB Priestley’s most famous play was a reminder that his unflinching analysis of capitalism’s immoral foundations remains relevant even 70 years after its premiere. Written after the Second World War, but set in the aftermath of the First, it exposes the hypocrisy of a bourgeois family, when a mysterious police officer arrives to report the death of a working class woman. The power of Priestley’s fable lies in the harsh condemnation of the values of the ruling classes. Directed by Stephen Daldry (who has been nominated for Academy Awards for his films Billy Elliot and The Hours) and starring Liam Brennan as the titular inspector, this National Theatre production is a timely revival at a time when the selfishness of the British establishment is, once again, a hot political topic. Despite the polemical theme, the slow unfolding of the plot, and the relentless deconstruction of the family’s self-righteousness, Priestley combines the inevitability of tragedy with a supernatural atmosphere, as the identity of the inspector is surrounded by mystery. Add in a structure that seems deliberately to mock the ‘well-made play’ murder thriller, and An Inspector Calls earns its place as a 20th-century classic. (Gareth K Vile)

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