The List Issue 783

ALAN CUMMING & FORBES MASSON

Will Young Faraz Ayub

Gilla Band

Vegan Travel

The National Hannah Regel

Tamzene

Harry Mould Kiasmos

MADE POSSIBLE. EVENTS

PICTURE: LAUREN HARRIS

COVER PICTURE: TOMMY GA-KEN WAN

Whenever I’ve bound someone to a chair and forced them to flick through the mag in order to seek their opinion (yes, I know that someone whose hands are tied is unlikely to be flicking through anything; but let’s skip the details, this is just a fake set-up), at one point they’ll say something along the lines of ‘oh, Fairground Attraction are doing their 75th anniversary tour’. I’ll then probably say ‘I think you may have misread that, and also that’s an advert; doesn’t really have much to do with me. What about the stupid pun headline on page 46. What do you think of that, eh?’

Ads. Adverts. Advertising. Whatever you like to call them, they are not just an integral part of this publication, but pretty much keep the whole operation afloat. Thankfully we’ve got people on the selling side of things that not only seem to know what they’re doing, but are really rather brilliant at their jobs. I wouldn’t normally draw your attention to an advert in this ‘column’, but on page 87 we have an ad which everyone should read. Next year (October if you want a specific month) The List will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. No mean feat in an age where competition for our attention comes at us from almost every angle and at a pitch that could best be described as fevered. Have a read of that and help us make next year one long party. But what of the here and now? Well, just before we all get swallowed whole by the Edinburgh Festival, there’s a busy mag covering two months. We go right back to the future with Forbes Masson and Alan Cumming who last graced our cover together in 1987, mere slips of lads who were about to hit the big time thanks to their Victor & Barry characters. They’re taking a meander down memory lane with a new book of recollections and a pair of high-profile events in Glasgow and Edinburgh to help launch it. Plus, we go TRNSMT crazy via interviews with future legends Rachel Chinouriri and Gallus, allow Will Young to run riot over our Back Q&A, speak to two (yes two) bass players from, respectively, The National and Gilla Band, and very favourably review Daisy Buchanan, Shiny Bob (better late than never), Sunny, Los Bitchos and The Nature Of Love

OK, best dash. Until I can figure out how to work this ChatKFC, those awful puns won’t write themselves you know.

Brian Donaldson EDITOR

Designers Isabella Dalliston

Writers Brian Donaldson, Danny Munro, David Bleese, David Kirkwood, Emma Simmonds, Eve Connor, Fiona Shepherd, Gareth K Vile, Haneen AlEid, Isy Santini, James Mottram, Jay Richardson, Jo Laidlaw, Katherine McLaughlin, Kelly Apter, Kevin Fullerton, Lucy Ribchester, Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, Mark Fisher, Megan Merino, Murray Robertson, Neil Cooper, Rachel Cronin, Rebecca Crockett, Suzy Pope

front

Imouthpiece

David Bleese, director and coowner at Edinburgh’s Monkey Barrel Comedy, reflects on emerging from the pandemic and making the club’s ambitious future vision a reality

t’s been three years since we reopened Monkey Barrel Comedy post-covid. Given the restrictions, it was to a full-capacity audience of 29 people (TWENTY NINE!) and we’d never been happier. To see people on our stage for the first time in 14 months was very emotional for everyone. We were the only comedy club open in Scotland for nine weeks after that. We felt very privileged to be in that position. We felt we were doing something very special. We wanted to re-open with all the energy and ambition of something new, but with the benefit of hindsight, knowing what could be done better. We wanted to be a modern, safe and innovative venue, while remaining true to what the best comedy clubs have been over the years. We wanted to be an independent venue that actively worked to build partnerships with local acts, suppliers, cultural partners, colleges and tradespeople. To help employ, upskill and pay people (fairly). We aspired to be a genuine cultural hub: doing our part to contribute to, and support the arts in Scotland. But most importantly, as a seven-day-a-week Edinburgh venue, we wanted to make live comedy something local people could enjoy throughout the year, not just in August.

Three years on and we now have three stages, hosting over 20 shows a week, featuring some of the best tours, specials and weekend line-ups in the UK. We produce podcasts in our very own studio, regularly live-stream shows, and have been

In this series of articles, we turn the focus back on ourselves by asking folk at The List about cultural artefacts that touch their heart and soul. This time around, Haneen AlEid tells us which things . . .

Made me cry: The New York Times’ Modern Love podcast has become a favourite of mine. For this series, they recruit notable people to read their favourite essays about love. I found myself teary-eyed during narrations of ‘Bringing A Daughter Back From The Brink With Poems’ by Betsy MacWhinney, and Alisha Gorder’s ‘One Bouquet Of Fleeting Beauty, Please’ about grief and finding solace in impermanence.

Made me angry: I read somewhere that the Met Gala this year was a ‘dystopian display amidst a humanitarian crisis in Gaza’. Although the event is a form of creative expression and escapism, the extravagant theme and ignorance among attendees was ultimately a nauseating presentation of social decay, apathy and disparity.

Made me laugh: Ramy Youssef’s HBO special, More Feelings, is out now and after enjoying his performance live in London last winter, I had to watch it again. Youssef fiercely and hilariously dissects our political climate in a way that is so necessarily honest.

Made me think: Pinterest is where my mind goes to bathe in the best of culture. I open it every morning and curate Pinterest boards filled with ideas that resonate with me; from light blue chiffon scrunchies for warm summer days to quotes by the thought leader Edward Said.

Made me think twice: Student encampments throughout American and European universities are the most powerful displays of resistance I’ve seen since the beginning of the crisis in Gaza. Students have a distinct record of being on the right side of history, and parallels between the past and modern day have become even more striking. As always, power to the students.

the home to many solo-show recordings (with plenty more to come). Our fifth vinyl record is being pressed as we speak, and we’re finalising plans for our newest room this August: an exciting collaboration with Edinburgh International Film Festival for a week-long pop-up cinema as part of their 2024 event.

Our own festival programme is perhaps our best yet, and that comes after playing host to three of the last four shows to win Edinburgh Comedy Awards. We do all this with capped ticket prices (and another 10,000 set aside for donation only), paying everyone in our team the real living wage (at least), and offering a fair deal to acts that means they (and the teams supporting them) can genuinely make a decent living from the Fringe.

So, three years on, we’ve come a long way since that show to 29 people, and it seems appropriate to thank everyone who has helped us get here. Thank you to the acts, agents and producers who have shown faith in our intentions, and patience as we’ve grown to meet them. Thank you to everyone who has worked to help us to get where we are today, including those who have left to take on new challenges elsewhere. And thank you to everyone who has visited Monkey Barrel Comedy since the depths of lockdown(s). We couldn’t have done it without you.

 monkeybarrelcomedy.com

playLIST

Taking a break from our themed soundtracks, we hold a mirror up to this issue and reflect its contents in (occasionally tangential) song. Expect tunes by The Smiths, CMAT, Rachel Chinouriri, Beabadoobee, Fontaines DC and several more . . .

Scan and listen as you read:

head head2

MEGAN

There’s a reason disco is still pervasive in clubs, DJ sets and multiple recent albums: nothing is more delicious or movementinducing than a four-on-the-floor beat and old familiar double clap. Whether a reaction to mass global instability or the pandemic, the recent epic return of feelgood dance music simply can’t be denied, and disco has played a big role in this. From Jessie Ware’s identity switch up in 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure? to Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia album from that same year, 1970s-inspired disco instrumentals have seeped their way from the more critically acclaimed end of the pop spectrum into mass mainstream. What we hear in Sabrina Carpenter’s hit songs ‘Espresso’ and ‘Please Please Please’, or up-and-coming star Remi Wolf’s ‘Cinderella’ is of course not authentic disco, but an ode to its rhythmic genius mixed with more contemporary pop references. The result? Chart music that’s actually decent. As a fan of other similarly reproduced genres like reggaeton and salsa, I’m choosing to look past the derivative nature of these tracks and simply revel in the fact that today’s viral music doesn’t make me want to end it all.

from the archive

We look through The List’s 39-year back catalogue to see what was making headlines this month in decades gone by

We’ve defied the laws of space and time to end up in 1990 when Madonna was striking a pose on our cover, but not in her capacity as the queen of pop. Instead it was for her role as Breathless Mahoney in Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy. In this cover feature we peeled back the grotesque, latex layers of this groundbreaking blockbuster. Also inside were interviews with LA performance-art poet La Loca, contemporary circus company Archaos’ founder Pierrot Bidon, and reclusive Scottish actor Iain Glen.

 Head to archive.list.co.uk for our past issues.

Disco claps: they’re in our ears everywhere we turn, from gyms to shops and riddled across your chosen digital music provider. But are they lush listening or sonic swill? Megan Merino and Kevin Fullerton show each other their hands for another raging debate

KEVIN

We’re all prisoners of the pop industrial complex, subjected to the same repetitive beats year after year until trends move on and another simple rhythm is drilled into the public consciousness. Such is the misery of disco claps, an enjoyable enough flourish that’s spread across our chart landscape with the insistence of an aggressive bacteria. Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter (pictured) and many others suffering from ‘the claps’, as medical practitioners call it, have found a way to transmit the infection globally, from the tannoys in H&M to the TikTok feeds of unsuspecting scrollers, and the auto-playing ad banners of Spotify to the rictusgrin playlists at your local gym. Shorn of disco’s original shapeshifting sound, this viral aberration looks unlikely to mutate into anything more interesting than a kitsch malady shamelessly plundering from a respected genre. It’s as authentically disco as John Travolta and his pervert shorts in Staying Alive (a niche reference and, unless you’re hunting for nightmare fuel, one I don’t recommend you google). If the claps have got you down, here’s some advice: switch off the radio and wait for six months until the music biz’s shadowy cabal of song scientists invents a new strain (or steals an old one) to sate the market demand for cookie-cutter formula.

Enjoy our incredible outdoor bars and local street food, discover the next musical smash-hit and catch award-winning comedians - plus so much more!

Book Now

Compagnia Baccalà: OH OH

Edinburgh Comedy Allstars

One Big BATSU!

The Alphabet of Awesome Science

Victor & Barry has been a metaphor for our own authenticity “

After their early days in Glasgow student theatre, Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson have enjoyed glittering careers on stage and screen. As they reflect upon their era-defining characters, amdram aesthetes Victor & Barry, Mark Fisher finds the pair hailing their alter egos as quiet revolutionaries >>

Alan Cumming is sitting in his new Highlands home, a little poggled after a transatlantic flight. Boxes have still to be unpacked and the room is bare, but he does have one of his possessions already unwrapped. He holds it up to the Zoom camera and smirks.

It is a framed poster from 1991 of a show called Victor & Barry: In The Scud Cumming and fellow actor Forbes Masson are standing naked, hands in the air with expressions of terror, while their cravates blow wildly as if caught in a storm. Some way above their ankle socks, the title of that show judiciously covers their private parts. ‘It’s the first thing that was on the wall,’ Cumming jokes.

In a twist that seems to typify the unlikeliness of the Victor & Barry universe, the naked photograph was taken by David Morrissey who at the time was one of Cumming’s neighbours in North London. Long before small-screen fame, Morrissey fancied himself as a photographer and offered to take some full-frontal publicity shots of the pair in advance of their run at that year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

You can glean as much from Victor & Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium: A Meander Down Memory Close, a chatty anthology of reminiscences that charts this double act’s story from their first student Christmas cabaret in 1982 to a farewell gig at the London Palladium in 1992 (plus their reincarnation as Steve McCracken and Sebastian Flight in the BBC budget-airline sitcom The High Life, which is now being developed as a musical to be toured by National Theatre Of Scotland in early 2026).

Today, you will know Cumming as the Hollywood actor with a CV that stretches from GoldenEye to X-Men 2, not forgetting his star turns for NTS doing a one-man Macbeth and a dance tribute to Robert Burns. Masson has a similarly prestigious track record as an RSC regular and roles in everything from Shetland to The Crown. He was most recently seen in Scotland earlier this year, doing a chilling turn in a one-man Jekyll & Hyde

But that is now. If you were a reader of The List in the 1980s, you would know the pair as Barry McLeish and Victor MacIlvaney, luminaries of Kelvinside Young People’s Amateur Dramatic Arts Society (KYPADAS for short). In their matching silk dressing gowns, slicked-back hair and kiss curls, they were camp amdram cabaret artistes with a distorted view of their own talents and a smug love of their own terrible jokes. They were from Kelvinside and the living was easy.

‘We were satirising a feeling we were getting from a new place,’ says the Perthshire-born Cumming. ‘Glasgow was changing so much when we arrived there.’

‘There was that huge shift from the hard-man city to all the wine bars starting up,’ remembers Falkirk-born Masson, joining us on the call. ‘Victor & Barry were the antithesis of what Glasgow had been thought of for all those years.’

Still in their early 20s, Cumming and Masson were cover stars in The List in 1987, only two years after graduating from what is now the Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland. By that time, they had already starred in the panto at Glasgow’s Tron (where they were championed by the late director Michael Boyd) and were starting to pick up straight acting work with Scottish theatre companies. Cumming even had a regular part in Scottish soap opera Take The High Road

In those days before stand-up had turned into the slick circuit we know today, you would see Victor & Barry appear alongside future stars such as Craig Ferguson (as loudmouth Bing Hitler), Lynn Ferguson (in the Alexander Sisters

with Carolyn Bonnyman) and a ferocious Jerry Sadowitz. With their fruity Glasgow accents and musical pastiches of the American songbook, Victor & Barry were an alternative to the alternative. Without being overtly political, they rode the wave of changing cultural attitudes. ‘I was watching some old Mrs Merton shows and it reminded me of Victor & Barry,’ insists Cumming. ‘It’s cute, old-fashioned nostalgia and then she’ll say the most biting things.’

Behind the daft songs and character comedy there was something like serious intent. ‘At drama school, we really fought against RP and tried to speak in our own voices,’ says Masson. ‘It felt like we were being so rebellious, but looking back it seems ridiculous that it was all about “no, you can’t be an actor if you have a Scottish accent.”’

Masson and Cumming were not the only ones. This was the era of ‘Throw The “R” Away’ by The Proclaimers, a song brilliantly pastiched by Victor & Barry as a protest against anti-Kelvinside discrimination. Sample lyric: ‘Milngavie no more, Bearsden no more.’

‘I remember a friend talking about The Proclaimers and going “oh, they’re not very good, they can’t sing in American accents,’” says Masson. ‘It’s ludicrous.’ Cumming agrees their drama school training was shaped by the cultural domination of the south. ‘We felt we had to be subsumed into that, otherwise we would be considered less than. Compare that to us discovering through Victor & Barry how important, how fun and how strong our real voices were. All the things we have done in our lives that have been the most authentic and the most of our own voices have been the most successful. Victor & Barry has been a metaphor for both of us for finding our own authenticity.’

‘It’s not just about Victor & Barry, but the confidence of the artistic scene in Scotland and what that led to,’ says Masson, taking up the theme. ‘There was no parliament in Scotland, but that whole movement was part of it. It’s why we all get so frustrated about the way the arts are treated in Scotland because it’s part of the whole lifeblood. It was tricky for Scottish actors to have a voice. Michael Boyd allowed that for writers and actors, and the Tron became a church for a lot of performers.’

Boyd, who died last year, instituted a Gong Show in the Glasgow theatre’s bar where Victor & Barry triumphed (Robbie Coltrane was the host when they won the Gong Of Gongs). Masson went on to appear in several Boyd productions and to write a string of Tron pantos as well as the musical Stiff!. Cumming starred as Malcolm in Boyd’s Macbeth before he had even graduated.

‘We were really lucky that he came to the Tron just as we were leaving college,’ says Cumming. ‘Michael kickstarted Victor & Barry and also our careers. I did Macbeth, and it was revolutionary that everybody had Scottish accents. It was challenging because we’d had no training in that. I remember finding it really hard having to find a voice, because you didn’t have one. Michael was integral to us feeling confident about being ourselves.’

With its colourful pages and contributions by everyone from Nicola Sturgeon to Kirsty Walk, Victor & Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium has a scrapbook sense of frivolity that recalls the 1970s annuals of The Goodies and Monty Python. But from behind the snapshots, song lyrics, scripts and V&B paper dolls (designed by Cumming’s partner Grant Shaffer) emerges another story: one of a generation of theatremakers finding their voice, gaining in confidence and setting out to conquer the world. For younger readers as well as those of a nostalgic bent, it is a slice of pop-culture history.

‘There are some young people in the play I’m doing just now and I was explaining to them who Adam Ant was,’ says Masson as Cumming gives a look of shock. ‘It must be like explaining to me who George Formby was. It’s been great going back through it all, seeing all those old pictures. There are things we didn’t realise we did. There is video footage and I’m going “I’m not there!”’ Cumming chips in: ‘you know you’ve had a full life when you’ve forgotten that you once played a cactus.’

Their influence persists. When Cumming played the Emcee in Cabaret in London and New York, he repeated some of his Victor & Barry adlibs from their version of the song. These became built into the show. ‘Those lines are still being said,’ laughs Cumming. ‘It’s so hilarious that some Victor & Barry adlibs that we made up in the early 80s are now being performed on Broadway by Eddie Redmayne.’

‘The only reason we did it was because Vic and Barr–ay sounded like Cabaret,’ says Masson, never one to miss a rhyme.

They had the idea for their book in 2020 after an archivist unearthed an old Victor & Barry recording and wanted permission to use it. Listening back, Masson and Cumming remembered how good they had been. ‘In the course of writing this, it has been amazing for us to remember what a great rapport we have as writers, collaborators and friends,’ says Cumming. ‘There’s a special something we’ve got that we found in our sloppy, dopy, drunky writing sessions. Doing it again writing this book has been lovely.’

Victor & Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium: A Meander Down Memory Close is published by 404 Ink on Thursday 25 July; Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson discuss the book at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Thursday 8 August, and McEwan Hall, Edinburgh, Saturday 10 August.

“ They leapt ten feet in the air and ran screaming into the kitchen

In this extract from the V&B compendium, we hear David Morrissey’s side of that scud-related story

I’d known Alan for a while before I met Victor & Barry. We were neighbours in London and I’d go and hang out with him and his wife at their flat. They were wonderful, happy days. At the time, I was working sporadically as an actor, mostly in the theatre, and so had to supplement my income with a bit of photography on the side. I did portraits and publicity shots for actors and had a fairly decent camera.

One night I went over to Alan’s for supper and Forbes was there. The two of them were just hilarious. I could hardly eat my food for laughing. They were discussing their up-and-coming Edinburgh show, Victor & Barry: In The Scud. I offered to take the publicity shot.

The next day I arrived at Alan’s and went out into his garden to set up. The plan was to shoot them as if they were naked except for their signature cravates. It was a typical North London ground-floor flat garden, overlooked by many other homes in the surrounding street.

Victor & Barry came out, with just cravates and very short undies to protect their modesty. We managed to secure the cravates to a wall with some cotton so it looked like they were being blown in the wind, and V&B pulled shocked faces at being caught in the buff as I snapped away.

The house behind Alan’s was having some work done, and after a while I became aware of some sniggering laughter behind us. I looked up to see several builders on scaffolding pissing themselves at the sight of two semi-naked men with slicked-

back hair and silk cravates, their undies up the crack of their bum, being photographed by a gruff Northerner shouting ‘this way! Work it boys! Work it!’ V&B were oblivious to the audience they’d attracted. Then one of the builders shouted ‘nice arse!’

Alan and Forbes leapt ten feet in the air and ran screaming into the kitchen. I tried to persuade them to come back outside and finish the shoot but they wouldn’t do it. They were mortified, and none of us could stop laughing. I was so nervous I hadn’t got the shot. But once I developed it, I saw that there was one frame, maybe just before they’d heard the

‘nice arse’ shout, that was perfect.

I was so pleased with the finished poster, V&B in the middle looking outraged by their own nakedness, the cravates perfectly floating in the wind, with VICTOR & BARRY across the top, and IN THE SCUD strategically placed at an angle across their crown jewels.

I think that was my only brush with greatness as a photographer. Sadly, after that my acting career took off and I had to ditch my dream of being the next David Bailey.

Bronwyn Kuss: Sounds Good

Children Are Stinky

Afrique en Cirque

on Pointe

Camille O’Sullivan: Loveletter

Middle-aged men weeping after “

were screenings

An emotional semi-autobiographical directorial debut has brought Noora Niasari fully to the film world’s attention. Alongside star actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, they tell James Mottram that Shayda’s story of patriarchal abuse and misogynistic violence is both specific and universal

When

filmmaker Noora Niasari was five years old, growing up in Australia, she and her Iranian mother lived in a women’s shelter.

‘It was just one of those experiences that really shaped me,’ she explains over Zoom, when we connect to talk about her stirring feature debut Shayda. Gradually, she decided it was something she needed to explore on screen. ‘I knew that I wanted to see this story come to life, from an authentic, truthful place, and I felt that I was the only person to do that, given my lived experience.’

Back in 2017, Niasari began to craft the script, needing the help of her mother who dredged through her own memories to shape the story, even writing a journal of her time in the shelter. ‘She gave me the gift of being able to tell this story with her approval and with her collaboration. That six-month journaling process was incredibly cathartic for both of us. I discovered so much about her and our story that I didn’t know, because obviously I only knew it from my five-year-old point of view.’

The result is a powerful semi-autobiographical tale that deals potently with issues of domestic violence and the support that women can offer each other. Shayda (played by Iranian actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi) is an Iranian immigrant in Melbourne who escapes her abusive husband Hossein (Osamah Sami). Together with her young daughter Mona (Selina Zahednia), she finds refuge in a secret suburban shelter overseen by the kindly Joyce (Leah Purcell). But when her spouse returns on the scene, difficulties arise.

The union between Niasari and Ebrahimi, who won Best Actress in Cannes for her role as the investigative reporter in Holy Spider, remains the film’s high point. It was fellow actress Golshifteh Farahani (‘my beautiful best friend’ as Ebrahimi puts it) that first introduced them. Before she had won her prize in Cannes, the actress put herself on tape. ‘She was in Australia. I was in Paris,’ Ebrahimi continues. ‘And as she says, from the very beginning, from that first tape, she just felt “this is Shayda.”’

Niasari nods. ‘I’m pretty sure we auditioned every single Iranian woman in Australia, but we couldn’t find her . . . honestly, within the first 15 seconds of seeing Zar’s tape, I knew she was Shayda. I knew she was everything I was looking for. And more. She brought so much to the role that it’s beyond the words on the page. And so I’m really grateful to Golshifteh for making that suggestion. I think that Zar’s performance is really the heart of the film and she anchors every single scene.’

Winning the Audience Award in the World Cinema dramatic section at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Shayda also comes produced by esteemed Australian actress Cate Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton, through their outfit Dirty Films. ‘They’ve been an incredible support and champions for the film,’ says Niasari, who met with Blanchett over Zoom when they first talked about the project. ‘She was so generous with her time and had a really deep connection to the story . . . as a woman.’

SHAYDA

Indeed, Shayda may deal with the specifics of Iranian marriage and divorce, but the film has a universal quality; not least because Shayda meets other women who have been forced to escape terrible domestic situations. ‘It’s not about culture or religion,’ says Niasari. ‘It’s about the patriarchy and the controls that are constantly hanging over women in a way that’s incredibly violent and harmful. And it’s a true epidemic in Australia. Around 60 documented women were killed by their partners [in 2023]. So it’s an alarming statistic and we need to do more about it.’

While the film may be set over the Persian New Year, Niasari makes sure to show other women in the shelter, including Lara (Eve Morey), a British mother who hasn’t seen her son in more than two years. ‘For me, these characters are all victims, of the situation or condition of that society; or all these societies we are living in,’ says Ebrahimi. ‘In this story, it’s not only about Iranian people or Iranian society. I know some French people who are the same . . . this misogyny with a patriarchal mindset. So it’s not only about those women in shelter; they’ve all suffered.’

Although Niasari didn’t allow her mother on set a great deal (bar a cameo in one uplifting dance-infused scene), Ebrahimi did get a chance to spend time with her. ‘It’s funny because her mother is a very different person to the Shayda I created. She’s so strong. And she said “Zar, you just brought too much emotion to this

character.’’’ Nevertheless, the emotion she brings (especially as Shayda develops an intimate friendship with her friend’s cousin Farhad, played by Mojean Aria) feels exactly right for the character.

Certainly, the effect on audiences, both male and female, has been staggering. ‘I had middle-aged men weeping after screenings; it wasn’t just women,’ says Niasari, who experienced some touching reactions. ‘There was a woman in Utah who told me she was a shelter worker there and how the film spoke to the survivor community in Salt Lake City. She had knitted a scarf for me and she put it over my neck and thanked me with tears in her eyes. It was a very emotional moment.’

Even Niasari felt the film’s power. Despite the long process of scripting, ‘the catharsis only really happened when the film was done,’ says the director, who even had a therapist on set to help her. ‘The performances were so real and strong; there were days where I would just go back to that triggered feeling and that small child, and I’d have to step away, have a cry, have a break. But then I immediately had to come back and direct actors and be a leader. So I felt like I was living in a double life.’ Thankfully, like her mother, she’s proved what a survivor she is.

Shayda is in cinemas from Friday 19 July.

Giving survivors a voice: Noora Niasari directs Zar Amir Ebrahimi; (below) Ebrahimi in her Canneswinning role for Holy Spider

With TRNSMT upon us, we can officially declare summer to have started. As indie pop’s latest shining star Rachel Chinouriri prepares to brighten up Glasgow Green, she tells Megan Merino that a hit album is just the beginning of her rise

PICTURE: LAUREN HARRIS

EVENTS

An air of excitement surrounds 25-year-old singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri, whose recently released debut collection is making waves on the British alt-pop scene. On the surface, What A Devastating Turn Of Events is full of intricately produced bops, combining catchy guitar hooks with dancey drums and synths, but its lyrics tell an altogether different story.

Songs such as ‘My Blood’ and the title track are about Chinouriri’s relationship with self-harm and the devastating suicide of her cousin in Zimbabwe, while ‘Garden Of Eden’ and ‘The Hills’ explore the notion of home and belonging. The Londoner’s delicate, almost jazzy vocals make her an endearing narrator, always packaging her tales in musical melodies, even when their contents plunge into darkness. Lighter moments come too, care of ‘So My Darling’ (which gave Chinouriri a spike of success when it surged on TikTok) and lead single ‘Never Need Me’, which stars Florence Pugh in its Euphoria-coded music video.

‘When I went viral on TikTok, I was constantly chasing after fast songs for quick spurts of success which didn’t really last that long,’ Chinouriri says over Zoom. Hoping to follow down the paths paved by alt-pop icons Charli XCX, Lana Del Rey and Doja Cat who have built large discographies over many years rather than enjoying overnight success, Chinouriri is trying to take that pressure off herself. ‘Even though my first mini-album was a huge deal a few years ago, now it’s such a tiny part of a potentially really long career. The long game will take time and effort. I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I can take that time.’

In what could be seen as an antithesis to TikTok culture, Chinouriri wants people to consume her 14-track debut from beginning to end. ‘An album is like watching a film versus watching the trailers. I feel like we live in a very trailer world.’ Despite having a gratitude for TikTok and all that it’s done for her, Chinouriri is part of a wave of Gen Z artists who romanticise a world before social media. ‘There is a craving for nostalgia or to go back to a time before technology. And I really feel it not just in music but in fashion and the way people hang out. There’s more people than ever who are like “I need social-media breaks, I need phone breaks.”’

This is reflected in the record’s sonic universe, from the addition of analogue cassette sound effects to more general Y2K musical influences that span Noisettes, Coldplay, Sugababes and Adele, who recently gave Chinouriri a shout-out on stage during her ongoing Las Vegas residency. Funnily enough, that’s not the only thing linking the pair. Both singer-songwriters are alumni of The BRIT School in South

London. ‘I think I thrived a lot in BRIT. That’s when I wrote “So My Darling”. I’d always go to the head teacher (who would walk around with no shoes on) and show him my songs.’ Chinouriri’s performing background makes a lot of sense when you see her on stage. Unlike some young acts who are still learning how to feel comfortable in front of a crowd, Chinouriri comes into her own. ‘I think I’m the most free when performing live. Backstage at a show, you have your band there, your family, your friends, your tour manager, singing teacher, glam team. And everyone’s like “are you OK? Are you OK?” And it’s so lovely but it becomes like a cloud where you’re just like “I need to be left alone”. But when I walk on stage, I can say whatever I want and do whatever I want and not a single person can tell me to stop. I have that moment by myself.’

What about the hundreds, sometimes thousands of people in the crowd who are there with you? ‘That’s a group of people who I’ve told that my cousin has died and I’ve been suicidal and I’ve had body dysmorphia. In those moments the compassionate side of myself just ends up coming out. That’s why this year I’ve been prioritising making sure that my live shows are the best, because out of everything I’ve done, even with releasing the album, the live shows are the most spiritually freeing.’

Among these live shows are multiple festivals, including Chinouriri’s first ever TRNSMT performance. ‘I do love festivals but bloody hell can they be chaotic! There’s an excitement of knowing that something might go completely wrong. And then getting off stage and being like “well, most of these people don’t know me, but if I can convince them to like me after, that’s an achievement.”’

Rachel Chinouriri plays King Tut’s Stage, Glasgow Green, Sunday 14 July.

PEOPLE PLEASERS

They’ve conquered Scotland’s small venues, but Gallus are far from done yet. Kevin Fullerton chatted to this adrenaline-fuelled live act about humble beginnings, energetic gigs and avoiding a messiah complex

From Joe Talbot bellowing ‘LOVE’ at the top of his lungs to critical darlings such as Yard Act and Fontaines DC, the past few years have witnessed a renaissance of big bolshy guitar bands. And in Scotland, it’s easy to see Gallus (a boisterous rock outfit who worship at the feet of Rivers Cuomo, Billie Joe Armstrong and Frank Black) as the future poster boys of that revival. These Glasgow lads have become synonymous with chaotic live shows overseen by their frontman-cum-ringmaster Barry Dolan, a frantic showman with the energy and chutzpah to crowd surf an empty room. With new members Gianluca Bernacchi and Matthew McGoldrick recently added to the Gallus roster, band co-founder and guitarist Eamon Ewins is aware more than ever that diehard fans don’t visit their gigs for a mellow experience. ‘The very least you need to do is give a good live show,’ Ewins insists. ‘If some new guy came on stage with us and performed like a cadaver, they wouldn’t last very long.’ Particularly with the scrappy presence of Dolan, it’s tempting to think that the brat-punk noise created by

this five-piece emerged fully formed, yet Gallus were slow to build their talents. ‘We were shite for a few years,’ confesses Ewins, who cuts an unassuming presence when we catch up on Zoom. ‘I mean, absolutely terrible. Because we’d never really been in a band before, we didn’t know what a dynamic was or what we were supposed to sound like. But since around 2019, we’ve got better at it and slowly became whatever we are just now.’

The culmination of that progress arrived in the form of 2023’s We Don’t Like The People We’ve Become, a breakneck collection of tunes that have all the hallmarks of being machine-tooled in a live setting, harnessing the loud-quiet-loud dynamics of OG Pixies and the homegrown pop punk of Paws or early Idlewild to capture the thrill of a small sweaty venue.

‘It’s been a pretty good year since the album came out,’ admits Ewins. ‘But I’m the sort of person who just thinks “OK, what’s next?” as soon as a big project is finished. For the past year, we’ve been extremely prolific. We released our new single “Wash

Your Wounds” a few months ago and we’d love to have a new EP out by the end of this year.’

While not unreflective, there’s a palpable desire for their music to be felt more than thought about, to be embraced in a full-throated, head-banging enthusiasm. These are songs that make gestures towards politics, relationships and the social issues that keep you awake at night, but sonically they’re an unpretentious projection of joy to escape workaday gloom.

‘I want to give people an energy they can feed off when they come to our shows. I really hate music that has a high idea of itself. Musicians are terrible for believing they’re prophets, but we can’t change the world like that. We can change someone’s mood and that might improve their day. That’s what we want a gig to be: an hour of people letting loose.’

5 Others To See At TRNSMT

Hayley Zalassi

Danny Munro spies a quintet of acts you should also be checking out across three days at Glasgow Green

JALEN NGONDA

In a weekend bound to be packed with pulsating performances and high-tempo headliners, why not ease yourself into proceedings with the calming tones of Jalen Ngonda. This modern-day soul supremo has already drawn comparisons to Marvin Gaye. Equipped with more than a handful of catchy tunes and a delectable East Coast swagger, Ngonda’s set will bring a delectably luxurious vibe to proceedings.

n Main Stage, Friday 12 July.

HAYLEY ZALASSI

Now time to allow yourself to be looked after by one of Scotland’s most trustworthy house heads. Calvin Harris will make the headlines, but Zalassi is but one of several impressive Scottish selectors armed with the task of keeping shoulders moving down at an aptly named area.

n The Boogie Bar, Friday 12 July.

THE MARY WALLOPERS

Arguably the most endearing group on this year’s bill, it would be remiss of anyone attending TRNSMT’s second day to not spend a few moments with The Mary Wallopers. With modern takes on traditional ballads and craic aplenty, you’ll feel as though you’ve kissed the Blarney Stone after checking out what this Dundalk six-piece has to offer.

n Main Stage, Saturday 13 July.

KATIE GREGSON-MACLEOD

In two years’ time when she’s performing on the Main Stage, you’ll want to boast to your friends about that weekend when you saw Katie Gregson-MacLeod on the King Tut’s Stage. Do not let that opportunity pass you by.

n King Tut’s Stage, Saturday 13 July.

CMAT

Seeing out proceedings is Ireland’s premier diva. This countrypop icon’s set is almost certain to be the most fun you have all weekend, and will be anything but low-key. Bring your Stetson and remember that nothing is considered over the top when CMAT is in town.

n Main Stage, Sunday 14 July.

Gallus play River Stage, Glasgow Green, Saturday 13 July.

An intimate dining experience in extraordinary surroundings

Relaxed restaurant, bar and garden terrace at the foot of Arthur’s Seat

EDINBURGH FOOD FESTIVAL

George Square Gardens gets its festival buzz on in July, with the return of Edinburgh Food Festival. Celebrating a tenth year, things launch with a bang: they’re hosting the Scottish Street Food Awards during opening weekend. Nine teams will battle it out, including Knights Kitchen, Pitt Beef Boys and Steam Bunny, with hungry punters casting their vote for the People’s Choice Award. Familiar names like Chix, The Buffalo Truck, Pablo-Eggs-Go-Bao and The Peruvian are around throughout the festival, with Bellfield Brewery and Stranger’s Point Gin on bar duty. There are also tastings, demonstrations and events, as well as a special food-themed quiz hosted by Goose’s Quizzes. Come hungry. (Jo Laidlaw)

n Edinburgh Food Festival, Friday 19–Sunday 28 July; Scottish Street Food Awards, Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 July; both at George Square Gardens, Edinburgh, edfoodfest.com

eat & drink

Bean counter

It’s a tough time for the chocolate industry.

Speaking to Glasgow’s Bare Bones Chocolate, David Kirkwood argues that rises in the cost to consumers could be a price worth paying

It feels like everything is getting more expensive at exactly the same time as consumers have less money to spend. Even our favourite cheap chocolate treats are not immune and there’s good reason for this. According to a recent blog by Iain Burnett (aka The Highland Chocolatier), cacao costs have increased by more than 400% since the beginning of the year. Burnett explains this is partially because of half a century of undervaluation; the recent $10,000 per tonne record would be doubled if cacao prices had increased in line with other commodities. The chocolate industry also routinely undervalues the work of cacao farmers, which means growing global consumption has created an increasing gap between the supply of the necessary labour and demand. Throw in reduced harvests due to climate change and a perfect storm is brewing.

Burnett says manufacturers have to pay ‘a more reasonable price than we have been’. That’s a striking phrase: in most contexts, one would assume ‘reasonable’ means paying less, not more. Lara Messer of Glasgow’s Bare Bones Chocolate agrees. She and Cameron Dixon started their ‘bean to bar’ business five and a half years ago and have just raised their prices for the first time. Their cautious acceptance of the need to charge more is matched by a conviction that this is right and proper for all involved.

‘We went out to Uganda to some of the farms we get our cacao from, and I can’t emphasise enough the extent to which it changes lives,’ Messer notes. ‘Becoming a speciality farmer opens basic doors like being able to get a bank account, through to gaining export licences that allow farmers to branch out into other crops as well.’ She speaks compellingly of farmers in Madagascar trying a bar that Bare Bones made with their beans, and their faces lighting up. They’re not the only ones: Rick Stein featured Bare Bones on the Glasgow episode of his Food Stories show, proclaiming ‘this is the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted’.

‘He said that the first time, but then for some reason they had to film it again, and he said something different,’ Messer laughs. ‘We were so happy when we watched and they’d kept it in!’ The episode certainly raised their profile, and they’ve now opened a standalone shop round the corner from their production unit, where you can sit in and sip a (honestly life-changing) Madagascan bean hot chocolate finished with Maldon salt flakes.

There are no simple answers to the chocolate question, especially during a cost-ofliving crisis, but supporting the people that do it fairly seems like the right approach. Perhaps this is one occasion where higher prices are the right thing all round.

Bare Bones Chocolate, 111 King Street, Glasgow, bareboneschocolate.co.uk

tipLIST

Quirky venues

Our tipLIST suggests the places worth knowing about around Edinburgh and Glasgow in different themes, categories and locations. This issue we’re pausing for reflection to bring you our pick of the best new openings of the last six months

The best new openings EDINBURGH GLASGOW

EDINBURGH GLASGOW

CARDINAL

BILSON’S

14 Eyre Place, cardinal.scot

FINGAL

Alexandra Dock, fingal.co.uk

BATTLEFIELD REST

All aboard Fingal for dinner on a ship, without having to leave shore. This award-winning hotel is open to non-residents for cocktails, afternoon tea or dinner. It’s a gorgeous space for a celebration, with views of the islands in the Forth.

Tomás Gormley’s Cardinal is a wee warren of rooms, glowing with candlelight, where both lunch and dinner are curated, fixed-choice tasting affairs. It’s on the relaxed end of fine dining but is still a place for big celebrations or the kind of folk who like to bag the Michelin spots before the inspectors.

ENCORE

KIM’S MINI MEALS

5 Buccleuch Street, facebook.com/mrkimsfamily

2–4 Hope Street, encoreedinburgh.com

This West End bar leans into its basement position to put some ooh in your la la. It’s an absolute blast of campery and fun, with gorgeous booths, interesting bar snacks, live performers and signature cocktails. So glam up, get those pinkies up, and go with it.

You’d think early last orders (8.30pm, no exceptions) and a firm policy on reservations and takeaway (neither allowed) would put folks off, but Kim’s is an enduring institution. Show up, queue up and eat up some of the best bibimbap in town.

MARGOT

PABLO EGGSGOBAO

62 Inverleith Row, eggsgobao.com

7–8 Barclay Terrace, Bruntsfield, margotedinburgh.co.uk

Younger sister of the much-loved LeftField, Margot is a relaxed café by day, refined wine bar by night. That means coffee and croque Margot in the morning, then 23 wines by the glass and ten small plates as evening beckons. Sustainable Scottish seafood is a specialty.

Quirky name, quirky food, and the bao bun/ breakfast fusion you didn’t know you needed. Refined? Nope. Delicious? Oh yeah. Try the breakfast bao: crispy hash browns, square sausage, omelette and melted cheese with sriracha. Takeaway or delivery only.

THAMEL

PARADISE PALMS

41 Lothian Street, theparadisepalms.com

7–11 East London Street, thamel.co.uk

The Himalayan hotpot here is deliciously tangy, the lamb naga packed with spice and the garlic naan dripping with butter. What’s not to love?

Bright and bold Paradise Palms is the antidote to a grey weather day. It’s a bar, a restaurant, a record shop and a venue, decked in neon lights and kitsch ephemera. Cocktails are a specialty, plus a menu of American-style veggie/vegan soul food.

Add in a subterranean craft-cocktail bar hidden behind a bookshelf and you’ve got everything for an entire evening’s experience.

SINGAPORE COFFEE HOUSE

UNDER THE TABLE

3a1 Dundas Street, underthetable.uk

A tasting menu at The Table costs £110 per person, but this new basement bistro offers the same level of finery for a much more accessible prix-fixe affair. Portions are on the small side but packed with flavour. It’s a delicious ode to Scottish produce. (Ailsa Sheldon, Jo Laidlaw & Suzy Pope)

5 Canonmills, singaporecoffeehouse.co.uk Singaporean food is a fusion of flavour and colour, condensed here into a cheery eight-seat restaurant. Roti canai is deliciously buttery and flaky, served with a rich curried sauce. A cup of kopi with condensed milk completes the authentic experience, powering you with sugar and caffeine for your day.

10 Annfield Place, instagram.com/bilsonsdennistoun

55 Battlefield Road, battlefieldrest.co.uk

A Dennistoun townhouse is the setting for modern and hearty twists on brunch, like a ham toastie with parmesan and French dip, or haggis, chicken thigh and roast potato skillet. Front garden seats go fast when the sun’s out.

This restored tram shelter has a history going back to 1914. Since 1993, its petite confines have housed a quaint Italian with bistro-ish plates (smoked haddock crêpe, black pudding salad) alongside pizzas and pastas. Lunchtime offers particularly good value.

LA MASA TACO BAR

HANOI BIKE SHOP

26a Renfield Street, lamasaglasgow.co.uk

8 Ruthven Lane, hanoibikeshop.co.uk

This taqueria leans into its drinks menu, with servers sliding plates and coupes onto high-stool tables or bar spots next to the open kitchen. Several taco and tostado options hit the heights, but the barbacoa offerings nearly steal the show.

Places hidden down lanes always excite. A garland of plants and Vietnamese flags herald your entrance into this canteen-style space of wooden benches and hanging bikes, with vibrant renderings of street foods and hearty dishes. Try the pho, and anything with the homemade tofu.

MADURAI

142a St Vincent Street, madurai.co.uk

NONNA SAID . . .

26 Candleriggs, nonnasaid.com

This contemporary diner serves enjoyable South Indian cuisine featuring the likes of papery dosas, biryanis, grills and coconut curries. Vegetarian choices are decent (including a must-try mini uttapan), prices are competitive and everything is gluten-free.

This place picks up on our ongoing love affair with all things Neapolitan, throws in some eyebrowraising toppings, and indulges an equally potent crush with old-school hip hop. Munch on fried carbonara bites or a lamb doner pizza, while Biggie blasts out of the speakers.

MAISON BY GLASCHU

2nd Floor, Princes Square, maisonglasgow.co.uk

THE TIKI BAR & KITSCH INN

214 Bath Street, tikibarglasgow.com

A luxe celebration of France (with a wee nod to Italy). The smart brasserie vibe befits a shopping centre that still feels a bit special. The trufflesprinkled menu includes classics such as moules, baked camembert, onion soup, roast poussin, and an enjoyable beef bourguignon.

Quirky is kind of the point of tiki bars. Foosball, shuffleboard and popcorn machine downstairs, Thai eatery above and doing some fantastic work on sticky and aromatic curries. You can also order food amid the 50s Americana of the bar while supping on a Zombie from a Polynesian tankard.

THE OLD FISH BAR

THE WEE CURRY SHOP

7 Buccleuch Street, weecurryshop.co.uk

74 Coustonholm Road, instagram.com/the_old_fish_bar

Charming neighbourhood fish restaurant with a menu that changes concept every six or seven weeks but is always underpinned by the Sicilian thrust of the owners. See review page 32. (David Kirkwood & Jay Thundercliffe)

Twenty-odd seats, an open kitchen and the steady stewardship of the Mother India group make for a delightfully quaint ‘front room’ experience where dishes are classically composed but light and modern.

Calum Fraser, Brand Ambassador for Discarded Spirits Co., shares his top recent openings in Edinburgh and Glasgow

Sarah Berardi, Hendrick’s Gin Ambassador, shows us around three of her favourite quirky bars

CHANCHO AGAVERIA

7 Bernard Street, Edinburgh, instagram.com/chancho_edi

A second venue from the team at Hey Palu; this time Mexican spirits are the stars of the show. Described as an agaveria, it’s an ideal place to find out why agave spirits mean so much more than just tequila. Hey Palu was ranked number five in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list, so you know quality cocktails are on offer too.

HENRY’S

5 Abbot Street, Glasgow, instagram.com/henrysglasgow

One of the latest additions to the excellent venues in the Southside, Henry’s offers creative cocktails, enticing wines and a selection of delicious small plates. It’s an ideal date spot and a hidden beer garden makes it perfect through the summer months. Think Chinaskis vibes with Southside cool.

PANIA

60 Candleriggs, Glasgow, pania.uk

Part of a growing trend of day-to-night venues, Pania transitions from café during the day to thriving bar in the evenings. Specialising in charcuterie and wine, it is the perfect spot for an aperitivo in the sun or a glass of wine looking out at the Merchant City through its beautiful big windows.

La Masa Taco Bar Thamel

Pania

It’s a summer of new openings and fresh starts with a distinctly spicy theme, says Jo Laidlaw

Openings abound, for what’s surely a vote of confidence in the power of hospitality to entice us to part with our hard-earned cash.

As always, it’s a big month in Edinburgh, as venues rush to ready themselves for August. Ardfern is a long-awaited opening from Roberta Hall-McCarron. A casual café/bar/bottleshop affair, it’s right next door to The Little Chartroom, so ideal for drinks before or after dinner (Bonnington Road not being particularly well-subscribed with bars); that said, our Ailsa Sheldon says the breakfasts are a thing of beauty in their own right. On the subject of breakfast, eggs-and-puns-specialist Pablo Eggs-Go-Bao have opened a second spot on Comiston Road, while Thamel is a new Nepalese restaurant with downstairs speakeasy on East London Street. It’s from the people behind Gautam’s, and the curries do not disappoint.

There’s plenty happening in Glasgow too. Kinara had planned to open in King Street at the turn of the year but extraction problems meant a prolonged delay. Now fully open, expect vibrant spicing with a strong tandoori element and what looks like a cracking pre-theatre deal. If you fancy a wee trip out, then Sanja, from MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Sagar Massey, has opened at The Kirkhouse Inn in Milngavie. Crumbs looks fun too: it’s all about icecream, cookies and home-baking, with lots of tasty treats for dogs. Finally, in a move that’s divided the city’s foodies, DRG (the people behind the Di Maggio’s group) have bought over cult favourites Paesano Pizza and Sugo Pasta, with reported plans for rapid expansion.

side dishes

good in the hood

We wander through a neighbourhood and tell you where to drop in for food, drink and groceries. This month, Suzy Pope takes a stroll through Stockbridge in Edinburgh

Buzzing brunch spots, basement bars and a bustling Sunday farmers’ market: Stockbridge is a hipster’s wet dream. There’s a village feel to the old stone streets and a plethora of places to eat and drink. Breakfast and brunch are taken seriously: enjoy strong coffee and sourdough-topped breakfasts at Sip & Bark while your four-legged friend is welcomed with a doggy basket and treats. For brunch, The Pantry remains top of the tree, serving local produce and a little greenery to hit your five-a-day. The Pastry Section’s window display entices queues, and Lannan Bakery’s popularity hasn’t wavered since they started selling (and selling out of) laminated baked goods last summer.

Some of the best Stockbridge spots lurk below street level, like Kenji Sushi whose neo-Tokyo decor accompanies sea-fresh sushi platters and filling noodle dishes. For the budget-conscious, Sabor Criollo serves simple Venezuelan fare, including arepas, while Nok’s Kitchen is just as pretty inside as out, showcasing lip-smackingly spicy Thai cuisine.

St Stephen Street is something of a fine-dining destination: there’s the quiet confidence of Purslane Restaurant, which has wowed visitors for years with their Scottish/French-fusion tasting menu. Skua, from Michelin-starred chef Tomás Gormley, is a wine-forward basement spot with precision-plated finery, while the equally starry chef Rodney Wages has recently opened Avery.

For a nightcap, choose between cosy pubs such as The Stockbridge Tap and The Antiquary Bar for craft beers and real ales, or go for classy wine bars and cocktail joints. Smith & Gertrude’s wine selection spans decades and continents, accompanied by cheese and charcuterie, while The Last Word Saloon is an intimate cocktail bar where curated concoctions are sipped by candlelight; the perfect full stop on an evening.

Ardfern

Lannan Bakery

FISH

THE OLD FISH BAR

The Old Fish Bar isn’t short on snappy descriptors. ‘A neighbourhood fish restaurant in the Southside’ piques interest: it’s located to the side of Shawlands’ main thrust, just as it’s starting to feel residential. Painted white brickwork and marble tables are nicely fancy but not proper posh. It feels just about right. ‘The menu changes every six or seven weeks’: such offerings tend to fall into the seasonal bracket or the conceptual one, and here it’s the latter, with an opening menu based around a loose riff on tapas. ‘It’s called The Old Fish Bar because it used to be a chippy’ serves as the perfect starting point for the evening, as the staff share the venue’s story with genuine pride; this carries on as each dish is served with both affection and a thorough explanation.

Flavours are full-on, which works a treat with gordal olives marinated in whisky featuring a sorry-not-sorry sensory assault of Laphroaig, or scallops served with nduja and roe mayo. It’s intense, but the scallops are fat, creamy and cooked well so it’s all good. Toasted brioche with butter and anchovies flirts with unnecessary decadence as the richness of dairy and salt try to outdo each other, and mussels struggle to be heard against curry sauce and pickled ginger. But this is solid cooking, with quirky touches like nori seaweed chips and the most umami prawn cracker you’ve ever had (a nod towards ‘Japanese Vibes’, the next menu concept).

If mixing things up brings return customers, the flipside is that locals love to return for a favourite dish. Cod in beer batter is the closest thing to a concession at this stage, with no grudging presence of a burger or steak. It’s admirable, exciting and intriguing, and a great example of how a properly warm welcome and lovely chats with staff can elevate the dining experience. (David Kirkwood) n 74 Coustonholm Road, Glasgow, instagram.com/the_old_fish_bar; average cost for three small plates £22.

BISTRO

ROGUE BROS AT THE BOATHOUSE

‘Local’ is a tough concept to make work in a tourist-focused wee town, but relative newcomers Rogue Bros might just be pulling it off in South Queensferry’s bustling cobbled High Street. They’ve taken over the long-established Boathouse, and are slowly updating this gaff with new lights, outdoor furniture and splashes of colour against the pre-existing greige. Sensibly though, they’re focusing most of their makeover energies on the kitchen, where James and Mikey Sim (yep, they are actual bros) are sending out the type of food people really want to eat.

Menus change with the seasons, though there’s always a special or two, with Mikey’s drinks-industry experience showing in a compact yet convincing cocktail list. Dishes are divided into the now-familiar snacks/small plates/large plates format. Rather than chasing a trend though, this feels like genuine encouragement to treat the place as your home; popping in for a couple of bites and glass of wine midweek, settling into a lazy Sunday roast lunch with the family, or splurging on the huge pork tomahawk with a selection of sides on date night.

There’s still enough to attract the drop-in tourist diner: fish and chips to go along with the spectacular views of the bridges, maybe? But chicken schnitzel with remoulade is crispy, flavoursome and altogether more compelling, as is tikka masala coley; gently spiced, with perfectly flaking fish. Confidently casual and detail focused, there’s a fresh energy about the old place now, with this new kid on the block set to make waves. (Jo Laidlaw)

n 22 High Street, South Queensferry, instagram.com/ roguebrosattheboathouse; average price for a main course and side £22.

Drinking Games

He’s a confused and tired old man we hire out of pity. That’s right, Kevin Fullerton is back to howl another drinking game into the void and onto these pages. This month’s challenge . . . find the perfect selfie bar in Glasgow

Dear Eat & Drink Editor (I forget your name), For reasons outside my control, there will be no Drinking Games this month. You’ve put me in plenty of intolerable positions over the past year of writing this column, but Editor (what is your name? Did I ever know it? Do we ever really know anyone? I digress . . . ), this is beyond the pale. To demand that I take selfies in a variety of Instagrammable bars across Glasgow when you know I can’t figure out how selfie cameras work is a malignant cruelty.

I tried for you when I visited Champagne Central, a hotel bar overlooking the interiors of Glasgow Central station. There were plenty of IG spots dotted around this glitzy space, particularly the glittering chandelier over the marble-topped bar. I tried to take a photo, but the thing is, how do you stop your thumb from obscuring the lens? Only some kind of finger magician can manoeuvre like that. I drank my Asahi and left, frightened and dejected by technology’s reign.

I soon found myself in a back alley by Bar Soba, hoping its low light and neo-Tokyo murals would be another ‘face photo’ hotspot. Perhaps I could share it on this ‘Instagram’ I’ve heard so much about. I ordered a vegan White Russian (strong on coconut, heavy on alcohol) and lined up my shot. However, there by the neon sign pointing to the toilets, I couldn’t stretch my arms far enough to move my face away from a nightmarish closeness, thus resembling a bearded goblin stealing children in the night.

One final stop in Kong, a hive of colour with a balcony and a bangin’ DJ. Near the entrance, a purple light fixture read ‘welcome to the jungle’. But this wasn’t a jungle, it was a bar (I’m not fooled that easily). I moved under the sign and managed to snap a pic of my bald wrinkled forehead, the reflection of light an ultraviolet reminder of our unceasing march towards inevitable death.

Anyway, Editor (you have no name. Sometimes I wonder if you even exist), that’s my tale. There will be no Drinking Games article this month. Whoever you are, I hope you understand.

Kind regards, Kevin Fullerton

regards,

their top watering hole

When going out to have a drink, it will always be to enjoy one of three things: a creative, exceptionally flavoursome cocktail, a malt whisky that I haven’t yet tried or a buttery glass of white wine. Living in Glasgow is wonderful, yet dangerous. These desires can be conveniently fulfilled almost any time. My current favourite cocktail bar is run by two incredibly imaginative bartenders. At Daddy Marmalades, the attention to detail in their creations is superb, and flavour is never abandoned in favour of any gimmick. I have many beloved whisky bars but own a soft spot for The Lismore (Lois mor) at Partick Cross. They have a comprehensive collection of drams and I often bring my fiddle to the sessions on a Monday night. Lastly, I adore Gloriosa in Finnieston for a glass of wine. Exceptional food and drink, gorgeous art and a great wine list. I love it so much that a trio I’m in named our band after it. Sláinte!

 Laura Jane Wilkie’s debut solo album, Vent, is released by Hudson Records on Friday 5 July.

BAR FILES

Creative folks reveal

FIDDLE PLAYER LAURA JANE WILKIE

SOME GREAT REWARD

What’s better than vinyl shopping? Vinyl shopping with a cuppa, that’s what. Some Great Reward is a record store and café in The Cooperage, a friendly, community-driven space in Glasgow’s Southside whose courtyard is home to exciting indie shops and public events. They have a huge range of records to choose from, specialising in (but certainly not limited to) soul, funk and jazz, and if they don’t stock a particular title, they’ll happily order it for you. For those who would just prefer to browse and catch-up with friends, their café offers sustainable coffee locally roasted by Glasgow’s own Dear Green. (Isy Santini) n The Cooperage, 674 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, somegreatreward.scot

travel & shop

PICTURE:

wanderLIST: Vegan Travel

Kelly Apter waxes lyrical about a global vegan cruise company that has transformed her relationship with travel

As any vegan will tell you, all holiday itineraries need time built in for tracking down food. Having spent years subsisting on banana sandwiches or walking miles to find that the only falafel shop in town is closed on a Monday (or whichever day you happen to be there), Vegan Travel arrived in my life like a cosy beanbag after a long day. Not only could I stop wondering where our family’s next meal was coming from and checking ingredients in foreign languages, but we could hang out with people sharing similar ethical values.

Prior to stepping onboard a Vegan Travel riverboat, I (like many people under 70) saw cruises as the unadventurous option when your wanderlust has all but left you. So imagine my surprise when I encountered 100 people (river cruises are much smaller than seafaring ones) across every age and demographic. Stepping up to the extensive breakfast buffet, the same bemused look crossed our faces: ‘what, you mean we can eat everything?’, only to be similarly delighted at lunch, dinner and (if you can manage to find the space) the late-night snack.

Based in Münster in Germany, Dirk Bocklage started Vegan Travel in 2014 when he identified a gap in the market. ‘There was a lack of exciting holiday options specifically catering to vegans and those curious about a vegan lifestyle,’ he recalls. ‘I also saw a real disconnect between the public perception

of river cruises and the reality. There was a stereotype that they catered solely to older people and offered an outdated experience. But having seen modern river-cruise ships firsthand, we wanted to create an opportunity for vegans, and anyone interested in plant-based travel, to enjoy exciting itineraries in a stylish and comfortable setting.’

Since then, Bocklage has taken curious and well-fed vegans across most of Europe, Patagonia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iceland and along the Nile to name just a few destinations, while future cruises are scheduled for Antarctica and the Caribbean. I used to listen to people talk about the joys of tasting the ‘local cuisine’ on holiday, most of which included animal products, and nod wistfully. But on each cruise, Vegan Travel employs a talented chef to create veganised versions of dishes particular to whichever region we’re passing through. And it’s not just the food that’s vegan; all the toiletries, bedding, drinks and treats that find their way magically into your cabin are too.

‘Many guests say it’s the best vacation they’ve ever had,’ says Bocklage. ‘The all-encompassing vegan experience creates a unique atmosphere where guests share the same mindset. It fosters a strong sense of community onboard and has led to many friendships and even onboard proposals over the years.’

vegan-cruises.com

on your doorstep

Danny Munro recommends three independent Scottish music venues where you may just discover your new favourite band

STEREO

Tucked away down an alley in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre, Stereo is a one-stop shop where gig-goers can eat, drink and take in live music in an intimate space. With an entirely plant-based menu, this hideout makes good use of space and can host up to 300 attendees. Expect a relaxed, inclusive atmosphere and an eclectic line-up of alternative artists.

 22–28 Renfield Lane, Glasgow, stereocafebar.com

SNEAKY PETE’S

my favourite holiday

Musician, producer and one fifth of Grace & The Flat Boys, Robin Frazer recalls a holiday-related epiphany in Derbyshire

The party island of Ibiza may seem like an odd choice for a family holiday, yet my parents’ love of rushing my siblings and I through crowds of boozed-up Brits brought us back year after year. I have many fond memories of those holidays and some of them don’t even involve Pete Tong. Regrettably, it’s been 14 years since I touched Spanish sand. To cope, I have relaxed my definition of a holiday. In short: it’s all about being outside. This includes performing in the fresh air with my best friends. Stiff competition for any Mediterranean beach.

That’s what I told myself last year on the M1 driving from Edinburgh to Derbyshire for a festival; coincidentally, the same place I used to come every time we flew to Ibiza. We pitched our tents in the light of our car headlamps. Dozens of school friends would be attending the following afternoon. I expected to be nervous, but I wasn’t. I was on holiday and the sun was shining. On the itinerary were nostalgic nature walks, card games, bad dancing, and taking to the stage to play one of the best shows of our lives as the sun set. At that moment, I realised holidays are more a state of mind than a destination.

Grace & The Flat Boys play King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Thursday 25 July, as part of Summer Sessions.

Open (and busy) seven nights a week, Sneaky’s works tirelessly to bring vibrancy to the dark and dingy Cowgate. Guests are drawn in by a glowing red sign by the door and needn’t worry about getting lost inside; they keep things simple here with its one-room layout. Though most Edinburgh venues will force you to sling your hook by 10pm, Sneaky’s doubles up as a club, so you can dance the night away at any one of its impeccably curated nights after your gig.

 73 Cowgate, Edinburgh, sneakypetes.co.uk

BEAT GENERATOR LIVE!

Now in its 30th year of operating, the good people at Beat Generator know the value of a decent gig better than most. The largest capacity venue on our list at a respectable 400, Beat Generator acts as the perfect platform for artists on the cusp of being the ‘next big thing’, having famously played host to Oasis and no less than 74 punters back in 1994. A stone’s throw away from a litany of heralded Dundee watering holes, you could do a lot worse than spending an evening in this iconic spot.

 70 North Lindsay Street, Dundee, beatgenerator.co.uk

Sneaky Pete’s

Well plaid

Megan Merino speaks to TBCo founder Emma Macdonald about growing a premium brand while remaining firmly committed to sustainability

Originally founded as the Tartan Blanket Company in 2014, Emma Macdonald’s sustainable wool project has since evolved into TBCo, a B Corp-certified brand specialising in fashion and homeware accessories using only natural and recycled textiles. ‘In fashion, a lot is made of polyester and impactful fibres that have a really negative impact, both in manufacturing and disposal,’ Macdonald says from her spacious shop, studio and office space in Leith. ‘We loved the concept of the tartan blanket because it was made with all-natural wool, and it was traditional. Tartan doesn’t go out of fashion; it always comes back in. So we thought that’s a really nice starting product. And then from there, we built it out.’

TBCo now offers a range of original cotton pyjamas, from which the offcuts produce one-of-a-kind neckerchiefs, scarves, place mats and hair accessories. ‘We’ve got our own warehouse in Edinburgh where we’ll do all of our embroidery. So you can get little initials or names embroidered on the baby blankets or PJ cuffs and things like that for a really nice personal touch.’

While all TBCo products are designed in-house, fabrics are sourced from trusted suppliers to ensure crystal-clear supply chains from start to finish. ‘If you go through the B Corp certification process, you can really guarantee that you are sustainable in those ways. We had to work with our partners to make sure that we had certification for everything.’

In line with those principles, production is kept fairly minimal, with collections revolving more around what can be worn during warmer and colder months as opposed to fashion seasons. ‘We try not to over-produce,’ says Macdonald. ‘We’re always trying to bring in products you can wear season after season after season.’ Carefully distributing stock from its Leith HQ, as well as in prestigious retailers like Liberty, Nordstrom and Selfridges, TBCo continues to do just that.

170b Great Junction Street, Edinburgh, tartanblanketco.com, instagram.com/wearetbco

shop talk

CLUCK VINTAGE

If retro style is your thing, look no further than Cluck Vintage, a Glasgow-based online retailer selling the grooviest 1960s clothing and accessories. Browse their curated collection online or keep an eye out for their pop-ups.

n depop.com/cluckvintage, instagram.com/ cluckvintage

181 DELICATESSEN

Unique treats line the shelves of this charmingly rustic delicatessen. Their stock goes far beyond the classic jams and chutneys you would expect to find, including everything from confit duck to Middle Eastern spice blends, not to

In this issue’s trio of shop recommendations, Isy Santini talks retro clothes, deli-fresh food and books galore

mention more delicious varieties of olive oil than anyone knew existed.

n 181 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh, instagram.com/181delicatessen

VOLTAIRE & ROUSSEAU

This jumbled second-hand bookstore is a treasure trove of literature and antique manuscripts. Stacks of old books make hunting for your next read a delight, especially if you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of their resident cat. Keen to prevent waste, Voltaire & Rousseau also buy used books and offer a house-clearing service.

n 12–14 Otago Lane, Glasgow, voltaireandrousseaubooks.com

181 Delicatessen

Written and performed by Charlene Boyd

Directed by Cora Bissett

Written and performed by Gary McNair

Directed by Joe Douglas

17 – 31 August

Dundee Rep, The Lyceum as part of Edinburgh International Festival and The Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow

Chichester and Coventry

Written by May Sumbwanyambe

Directed by Orla O’Loughlin

Written by David Ireland

Directed by Finn den Hertog

BEYOND VAN GOGH

As history recalls, Vincent Van Gogh made barely one thin dime during his lifetime. But the vast industry around his works and biography continues apace well over a century after his tragic death. In 2022, Edinburgh fans enjoyed Van Gogh Alive, and in similar immersive style, Glasgow audiences can now sample Beyond Van Gogh, which breached the five million attendee barrier across its North American tour. Playful and dreamlike is the vibe this exhibition is going for as the Dutch master’s paintings escape the frames and dance around your consciousness.

(Brian Donaldson)

n SEC, Glasgow, Thursday 11 July–Sunday 4 August.

going out

FNoise solution

Entrusted with leading the line on day two of Glasgow’s Core Festival are Gilla Band. Danny Munro learns that the Irish eardrumbotherers are content doing things at their own leisurely if abrasive pace

amed for an unrelenting commitment to producing impenetrable walls of sound, the Gilla Band boys may occasionally lull you into a false sense of security, but you’re never too far from the nearest prang of reverb or the cry of frontman Dara Kiely. Formerly known as Girl Band, the four-piece have been steadily plugging away for nearly a decade and a half, plying their trade at a speed they dictate. ‘We’re pretty slow in terms of how long it takes us to write music,’ explains bassist Daniel Fox, referencing the fact that Gilla Band have only released two studio albums since their 2015 debut, Holding Hands With Jamie. ‘So we’ve just been chipping away. We’re not going to rush ourselves and we’ve always kind of taken relatively long gaps between records; we’re pretty comfortable with our pace.’

While other artists feel the need to reinvent themselves any time they embark on a new ‘era’, Fox insists, rather refreshingly, that Gilla Band are under no such pressure. ‘It’s a weird landscape these days,’ he muses. ‘We have always followed our nose and I don’t think any of us really felt like it’s led us astray so far.’ It’s this very intuition that resulted in Gilla Band’s most recent album, Most Normal, being lauded with critical acclaim. Though it’s doubtful that the Dublin-based quartet were overly phased by the 8.6 rating handed to them by Pitchfork or the gleaming five-star write-up their album received in The Irish Times, we can only hope that Fox and his associates are pleased by a consistent reverence they’re bestowed from an industry in which they refuse to play by the rules.

Often lazily lumped in with the likes of Fontaines DC or The Murder Capital under the vague guise of ‘post-punk’, Gilla Band is its own institution, with a unique, individual sound. ‘It’s funny, because those two bands are younger than us and we’d been around for a good while before,’ Fox says, offering an explanation for such inaccurate comparisons. ‘And that gap where a lot of bands from Ireland started doing well was a good bit after our first record. By the time the second album came out, everyone had decided that Ireland was very cool all of a sudden. I just kind of found it funny . . . they dared to say we’re cool!’ For those not planning on attending their shift at Glasgow’s Core Festival, rest assured that while there is no official timeline, there is some new music on the way.

‘There’s stuff in the pipeline, but we’re in the fucking-around stage of writing music, which is a nice place to be,’ Fox notes. Anyone who will be leapfrogging their way across the multi-stage set-up in Glasgow’s West End can be sure to expect an engrossing affair. For Fox, the main agenda for the day is not getting ‘too pissed’ in the build-up to the evening slot. The performance itself though, he assures us, will be ‘loud and noisy, but a good time. It’s kind of abrasive, but that can be a party in its own way.’

Gilla Band play Woodside Halls, Glasgow, Saturday 3 August; Core Festival takes place in various venues across the city, Friday 2–Sunday 4 August.

ROOFTOP

“

In that part of the country, there’s not really a lot of avenues into the business

Best known for his role in Channel 4 prison drama Screw, Faraz Ayub takes the lead in Moin Hussain’s unsettling debut feature Sky Peals. Ayub plays Adam, a lonely soul working in a fast-food restaurant at a motorway service station. When his estranged father dies, Adam learns that his late parent believed he was an alien. Is he one too? James Mottram finds out more

Your character Adam is so internal. How was it to play him? It was intense. Definitely intense. The homework was done beforehand; me and Moin had workshops together where we did improvisations, where we worked on the script, where we were allowed to really perform, succeed and fail. And discover that character. So when I went on set, we already came from a background of research. And a creative trust was there between us.

How was it being a lead in every frame of the film?

You’re physically exhausted, but at the same time you are creating art and you’re being creative. So it’s labouring in its own way, but with a passion for what we love.

Do you have any experience of working in fast-food restaurants? Moin had us learn how to make burgers beforehand. So I did go to burger training. I learned how to flip burgers, because you see in the film he has a very precise way of making them . . . it’s a metaphor for his life. So in order to get that level of perfection, I had to undergo how to work in a fast-food environment. You’re making burger after burger after burger . . . but with this character, it’s not just ‘let’s do the job as quickly as possible’, it’s ‘let’s do the job as quickly as possible with detail’. So I had learned how to do that beforehand.

Do you consider Sky Peals a sci-fi film?

I think so, yes. I think that’s what makes this a very unique film, as well as the characters and the location he’s chosen for it, which is the middle of Yorkshire, in a community that is probably not really spoken about much. But yeah, I would call it sci-fi. I would say it’s filled with very strong sci-fi elements; Moin’s cinematic influences for this, especially, were very heavily sci-fi influenced. He had an interest in those movies.

When you say a community not really spoken about, do you mean the Pakistani community?

Broadly, yeah. The character’s mixed race himself, so he’s half English, half Pakistani. It’s very unique in that it’s set there with this character. It has a strong Yorkshire influence, but it’s also a universal story. It’s shown through characters that normally probably wouldn’t be used to represent the universality of people trying to find their identity and who they are, which I think is a question and a thread and a theme that is asked by a lot of people, regardless of where they are.

What’s your own background?

East Midlands. I was born and raised here. But my grandfather came over. He was in the British Army having arrived from Pakistan.

How did you start acting?

I started very young, when I was 14, at a place called The Workshop in Nottingham, which was run by a local television production company there at the time. It was for young people, and was a place where young people could go and really get the first training and the first foot into the industry. Shane [Meadows] got a lot of his actors from The Workshop. There’s one in Nottingham and one in Birmingham. So a lot of those films that you saw Shane Meadows and others do were cast from local actors. In that part of the country, there’s not really a lot of avenues into the business. A lot of them, the drama schools, are very South-based.

Who inspired you to start acting?

It’s very diverse. When I say that, I mean, in terms of the kind of performers; I was very much interested in world cinema so my influences came from all over the world. So people like Andy Lau, a very prolific actor from Hong Kong. Cinema from Hong Kong played a huge influence, especially the action cinema. Ringo Lam was a strong influence. Sultan Rahi, who is in the Guinness Book Of Records, for making more movies than anyone in history was a Pakistani actor. With over a thousand films, he was an actor who had a very strong cultural influence on me.

Sky Peals is in cinemas from Friday 9 August.

GAELIC CULTURE TEUD

‘Brought up in Tiree you’re totally immersed in things there; the music, the Gaelic and the culture that comes with that,’ says Jamie MacDonald of fiddle trio Teud. Their influences include Donegal’s Fidil who ‘focus on their own style’ as well as Cape Breton fiddle players ‘championing their type of music’, explains MacDonald. With trad session origins in Glasgow’s Aragon Bar, the trio see themselves as part of a great scene in Scotland but are keen to foreground their island roots. ‘Bands like Blazin’ Fiddles and Session A9 are really showing the Scottish style, but we want to focus on the Hebridean.’

The band will be on tour this summer around the Hebrides and Highlands, but urban fans won’t miss out. ‘We do have some stuff coming up towards the end of the year which will be in the central belt,’ says MacDonald, who encourages the group’s fans to keep an eye on social media for updates. For MacDonald, the links between music, land and language are indelible. ‘It’s really important for us that Gaelic is at the centre of this project, and we try to do as many of the gigs through Gaelic as we can. Doing so puts the music in the context of its origin, of its place within a culture. It’s important to understand it.’ (Marcas Mac an Tuairneir)  Teud play Tiree Music Festival, Friday 12–Sunday 14 July, and HebCelt, Stornoway, Wednesday 17–Saturday 20 July.

YDANCE

‘The first thing we do as babies is move, not talk,’ says Anna Kenrick, artistic director of Scottish youth dance organisation YDance. Since its inception in 1988, the organisation has harnessed dance’s ‘uniqueness in terms of connecting to our emotions’ to teach communication and teamwork, and build confidence. Their work spans multiple initiatives from offering young offenders in Polmont Prison therapeutic dance sessions to teaching school children the curriculum through dance.

Kenrick maintains that though dance constitutes physical activity, ‘it is more than just a sport; it allows young people to express themselves’. It certainly offers a welcome reprieve from the rotten hand children have been dealt in the last decade; the education system’s increasing reliance on deskbound, rote learning has left ‘lots of kids feeling like they’re failing’, and the lingering sense of isolation from the pandemic threatens to overshadow their formative years.

Though YDance’s annual Project Y Evolution programme has not escaped health or financial crises unscathed, it still provides aspiring dancers a taste of life as part of a professional company. This year’s cohort will attend a fortnight of intense classes with renowned choreographers, including contemporary dancers Paul and Pauline Joseph, hip-hop and krump specialist Kemono L Riot, and Kenrick herself.

Their work will culminate in a performance at Glasgow’s Tramway for which they’ll be accompanied by Nuremberg’s Jugendtanzensemble and Luxembourg’s Confédération Nationale de Danse: YDance’s insistence on dance as a premiere form of connection is not confined to national borders. More than just improving their technical skills, Project Y Evolution dares young people to ask, as Kenrick puts it, ‘what they are learning about themselves and how can they learn about the world around them through their dance?’ No doubt the audience will be challenged to ask the same.

(Eve Connor)

 Tramway, Glasgow, Saturday 13 July.

ARTS FRINGE BY THE SEA

Away from the madding crowds of Edinburgh’s city centre, you can escape to or stay put in North Berwick where a top-quality festival of its own thrives every August. Music provides a strong strand again this year, with several of the top headliner names that Fringe By The Sea devotees have come to expect.

Hot Chip will top the first evening off with a DJ set and beloved Glasgow rockers Del Amitri are preparing to roll back the years. Plus, there’s joy aplenty with Tinderbox Orchestra, moody musings from Andrew Wasylyk & Tommy Perman, trad fare from icons Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, more sweaty nostalgia with The Stranglers, and did we mention The Jacksons? They’ll be there.

A plethora of excellent comedy features, helmed by Adam Hills, Susie McCabe (pictured), David O’Doherty, Liam Withnail, Fred MacAulay and Marcel Lucont. And not forgetting an array of inconversation events with the likes of Richard E Grant, Jenny Colgan, Caitlin Moran, Clive Myrie, Alexander McCall Smith, Hugo Rifkind and Chris Brookmyre.

And you don’t need to fob the kids off with an expensive sitter or unpopular relative as they’ll be thoroughly entertained by Trash Test Dummies, Monski Mouse, Helen Kellock, Miss Googiepants, and Bookbug, plus there’s the enticing sounding Messy Play and Slime Making. (Brian Donaldson)

 Various venues, North Berwick, Friday 2–Sunday 11 August.

PICTURE:

“Charles Dickens is the OG

Literary references abound in their conversation and within the songs of The National. Fiona Shepherd talks to erudite bass player Scott Devendorf about his band’s casual roots and being an accidental DJ

There is wry humour at work somewhere in The National camp, naming an album First Two Pages Of Frankenstein when your lead lyricist has just emerged from a debilitating period of writer’s block. Plus, one of the album’s singles is entitled ‘Your Mind Is Not Your Friend’. Frontman Matt Berninger was able to call on his wife Carin Besser as co-writer, as well as one Taylor Swift who worked with the band’s guitarist Aaron Dessner on her lockdown albums, Folklore and Evermore. Meanwhile, the others were feeling the distance imposed by covid.

‘Everyone lost course a little bit as to what was important,’ says bassist Scott Devendorf. ‘We were all a little bit adrift, so we felt for Matt. If you can’t write words then it’s hard to make songs that make sense for the group, so it was a period of trying to encourage him but also give him space to refind his muse.’

When he did, the band ended up with far more than First Two Pages Of Frankenstein. There was a whole other chapter to this work, additional songs worked up at soundchecks as The National resumed touring. Five months later, their ninth album was followed by a tenth, Laugh Track

‘We were working on Laugh Track on the road,’ recalls Devendorf, ‘and as we played live more together, I think a lot of that energy and spirit made its way back into what we were working on. Frankenstein is more muted and insular in feeling. It’s just hard when there was a longer period of there not being a structure and then you start to fill in things and overwork them. In any band, if there is a good idea and a good feeling you are getting from it, you’re usually on the right path. But if it’s an exercise in musicianship, it’s sometimes a lost cause.’

So it was the worst of times, then the best of times for The National. Devendorf can go for that, given that he cites A Tale Of Two Cities as his favourite first pages of any novel. ‘Charles Dickens is the OG,’ he contends. The National are known for the slow-burn intensity of their music, with careers that have followed a similar pattern.

Devendorf and Berninger studied graphic design together at Cincinnati University with music more of an extra-curricular passion before they left successful roles to form The National in their late twenties in New York. ‘We definitely did not start the band for it to be a job,’ says Devendorf. ‘It started very casually with no real ambition other than we saw a lot of stuff happening around us in New York at that time: The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Walkmen and all these bands in the early 2000s who were very exciting. It made us think that we could do something with it.’

Devendorf still takes a proprietary interest in the band’s sleeve design and visuals but he also indulges more esoteric tastes via his themed Grateful Dead DJ sets (as Grateful DJead). ‘I’m not a professional DJ, I’ll tell you that,’ he counters. And those National soundchecks have a lot to answer for, birthing jamming supergroup LNZNDRF with his brother, National drummer Bryan Devendorf, and touring keyboard player Ben Lanz. ‘We started it for fun, and at one point we had a National opener not be able to make a show, so LNZNDRF improvised for 30 minutes in the spirit of those Krautrock greats.’

The National play Edinburgh Castle, Thursday 11 July.

PREVIEWS

PICTURE: GRAHAM MACINDOE

FILM CROSSING

An Istanbul-set odd-couple story, Crossing marks the latest film by Swedish filmmaker Levan Akin (And Then We Danced). Opening in Batumi, it follows Georgian exschoolteacher Lia (Mzia Arabuli) as she prepares to head to the Turkish capital and find her estranged niece, Tekla (Tako Kurdovanidze). But who with? ‘She’s childless. She never was married. And then she has to go to Istanbul,’ states Akin. ‘And then I’m thinking, if she goes alone to Istanbul, we don’t find out so much about her until she gets there. So she needs someone to go with. Who is interesting?’

Accompanying her is an enthusiastic ex-pupil Achi (Lucas Kankava), who claims to know where Tekla is; a search that will ultimately take them into the city’s transgender neighbourhood. Pairing up his two leads was a match made in heaven. ‘She’s amazing; I love her so much. And he’s amazing. And they became friends in the film. She was a little irritated with him in real life too, because he has a lot of energy. And he asked a lot of questions and she just wants to be left alone!’

As much as it’s an exploration of identity and community, Akin also ‘wanted to make a tribute to empathy and solidarity’, he says. ‘There are small moments in the film such as when she fixes the boy’s collar. And she says “close your jacket, because it’s cold”. Those moments move me.’ He also calls it ‘a love letter to Istanbul’ given that Akin grew up visiting the city every summer with his family. ‘Istanbul is always changing, so you go there one month and then you go back and it’s like, “oh, what’s this building?” It’s a crazy but fantastic place. And I really wanted to capture it in this film.’ (James Mottram)  In cinemas from Friday 19 July.

Yuja Wang © Julia Wesely

Tough call

Most of us know the Samaritans as a trusted group who listen to people in distress, without judgement. But how do they deal with male callers whose chat turns sexual? It was a dilemma faced by the charity way back in the 1950s and now captured in Harry Mould’s play, The Brenda Line. Neil Cooper discovers more

W‘hat do we do about obscene phone calls?’ The question came seven decades ago from some of the women manning phones for the Samaritans, a charity set up in 1953 to provide a sounding board and emotional support for those in distress, feeling suicidal, or who just needed to talk. It was also a question Harry Mould encountered while researching their debut play, The Brenda Line, which opens soon at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

The answer to this question came in 1958, when the service that gives Mould’s play its title was set up. The Brenda Line (originally the Brent Line until that district office of the Samaritans objected) existed for the next three decades as a way of dealing with those obscene calls, before being scrapped in 1987. For Mould, channelling its history onto the stage comes from a very personal place.

‘My mum was a Samaritan when she was very young,’ Mould says. ‘When she was about 19 or 20, she was the youngest Samaritan in Wales, and had these funny little anecdotes she would tell us from around that time. One of these was about the Brenda Line.’ Mould remembered this during an extended illness when they would spend a long time on the phone with each other. This prompted Mould to look into the history of the Brenda Line, including its driving force, Samaritans founder Rev Chad Varah.

‘He didn't believe that these men should be turned away,’ Mould explains. ‘It was always men calling, and it was always women that they wanted to speak to. They put the phone down if they heard a man’s voice. Varah’s whole thing was that he set up the Samaritans with the intention of providing everybody a listening ear, so they couldn’t turn these people away because that would be against their core mission.’

It was the women, however, who interested Mould. ‘There seem to have been some women who thought that they were absolutely doing the right thing, and that the Brenda Line was providing a really vital service. Not just to these men, but also to the women in those men’s lives. Then there are other women who look back on that period of time with real shame. I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been providing that listening ear, treading the line between listening and being empathetic, but not encouraging. It was a really difficult line to tread.’

Mould has set their play in 1979, the year Margaret Thatcher was first elected as Prime Minister. ‘You’ve got this woman in the most powerful seat in the country, but at the same time, conversing about sex or being seen as sexually autonomous was absolutely a nogo for women. On top of that, a really significant proportion of these women who were volunteering as Samaritans were being recruited from churches, so you’ve also got god looming over the whole situation.’

The Brenda Line is very much on the women’s side and Mould’s hope is that audiences will come out feeling a real sense of love towards those who performed this role. ‘Irrespective of why people called, the most important thing is that someone always answered. But because these women were answering a tricky call, and because it was a subject that is still taboo, but in a more complicated way now, they’ve just been written out of history in the way that so many women are. If this little two-hander in the Scottish hills can be a little bit of an outstretched hand, and a wave and a thank you to the women who did this impossible, generous thing, then I’ll be delighted.’

The Brenda Line, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Thursday 15 August–Wednesday 18 September.

GOING OUT FURTHER AFIELD

Get yourself away from the central belt and out into various parts of Scotland where the cultural landscape is just as rich. Among upcoming highlights are an iconic 80s duo, two classic kids shows, and the etymology of many words

ABERDEEN

GRAVITY AND OTHER MYTHS

Ten Thousand Hours is all about the time it takes to master something. An octet of elite acrobats investigate how physical skills can be obtained and perfected.

n His Majesty’s Theatre, Thursday 25 & Friday 26 July.

HEAVEN 17

Anyone who remembers the halcyon 80s days of this synth band will be sorely tempted to check them out. Once a trio, Heaven 17 live on as a duo of founding members Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory. n Lemon Tree, Thursday 8 August.

BORDERS

MUSIC AT PAXTON

Top-notch classical chamber music is order of the ten days here with performances from the likes of Viktoria Mullova, Beth Malcolm, Consone Quartet, Kosmos Ensemble, and The Mithras Trio, while Gavin Bryars is in conversation.

n Paxton House, Friday 19–Sunday 28 July.

DUNDEE

THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA

As Sophie and her mum sit down for a cuppa, a knock on the door reveals a tiger. Many pots of tea are consumed in this musical based on Judith Kerr’s book.

n Dundee Rep, Thursday 11–Saturday 13 July.

EAST NEUK

SHEILA GIRLING

An exhibition of the large canvases by this late Birmingham-born abstract painter which shows her ability to merge British and North American traditions. n Bowhouse, St Monans, Saturday 20 July–Sunday 1 September.

INVERNESS

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE

If the names Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka mean anything to you, then this could be right up your street and will also get you bonus points from the wee ones for all eternity.

n Eden Court Theatre, Wednesday 3 & Thursday 4 July.

SUSIE DENT

The icon of Countdown’s Dictionary Corner gives us an insight into The Secret Lives Of Words in which we discover the curious, unexpected and often surreal origins of things we say on a daily basis.

n Eden Court Theatre, Sunday 25 August.

PERTH HEATHERS THE MUSICAL

Based on the 1989 cult movie, this award-winning stage musical takes you deep into the dark heart of Westerberg High where you better be popular or you might as well be dead.

n Perth Concert Hall, Tuesday 27–Saturday 31 August.

THORNHILL

CLAIRE BARCLAY

Rawness is the title of an installation from this Glasgow artist who engages with the raw materials, land practices and machinery traditionally associated with wool production.

n Cample Line, Saturday 6 July–Sunday 8 September.

Kosmos Ensemble (and bottom from left), Gravity & Other Myths, Susie Dent, Claire Barclay

The Nature Of Love explores how family, friends and class can impact on the potential success of our relationships. Emma Simmonds praises a strongly female piece of filmmaking that is seductive and uncomfortable while defying convention

Female desire is placed front and centre of this appealingly idiosyncratic, erotic and authentic drama from Quebecois writer-director Monia Chokri (A Brother’s Love, Babysitter) which takes an unusually thoughtful and sophisticated approach to documenting an affair. The Nature Of Love digs fruitfully into the attraction and repulsion that can come with dating outside your own social strata.

Magalie Lépine-Blondeau is mesmerising in the role of Sophia, a beautiful 40-year-old philosophy professor living in Montreal, who is stuck in a staid marriage to fellow intellectual Xavier (FrancisWilliam Rhéaume). The pair occupy separate bedrooms despite their conversational compatibility and are putting off having kids due to Sophia’s lack of career stability: at least that’s what she’s telling people.

Sophia is shaken out of her sexual slumber when she meets contractor Sylvain (Pierre-Yves Cardinal, best known for Xavier Dolan’s Tom At The Farm), who she hires to renovate her recently acquired country house (his withering assessment of her purchase reduces her to tears,

but the pair bond after a visit to a bar). An earthy, hirsute type, known locally as a player, Sylvain possesses a strong magnetism and the two are irresistibly drawn together, at first on a purely physical, somewhat kinky level, though feelings quickly follow.

Dealing with a depth of emotion neither has experienced before, Sophia and Sylvain try to make a go of it in a relationship, but the differences in their upbringing, social scenes and opinions seem insurmountable. Sylvain can be prone to crass, casually racist remarks, while Sophia’s initially suppressed snobbery starts to rear its ugly head; she can’t help but sneer at his friends and family, illustrating her own ignorance, while Sylvain’s track record as a womaniser causes some concern. Their pals are perplexed by the relationship, though one (Françoise, played by Chokri herself) is inspired to start up her own affair.

The Nature Of Love is an appropriately seductive piece of cinema, one that’s intimate and convention-defying, funny, uncomfortable and disarmingly sexy. Brilliantly shot by André Turpin (Incendies, Mommy), its grainy texture, warm glow and dynamic, sometimes

film of the issue

unpredictable camera movements evoke the rule-breaking cinema of the American New Wave. Yet that was a movement dominated by men and, with a woman calling the shots here, so much about this film feels fabulously female: from its primary perspective, frank approach to women’s wants and needs, and emotional sensitivity.

Chokri made the film as a rejection of cinema’s tendency to idealise romantic encounters and strip them of a credible social context, observing that elements such as friends, family and status have an inevitable bearing on the success of a relationship. She balances an investigation of how love pans out in practice with philosophical musings on the subject, as Sophia explains the theories of Plato and bell hooks to her students; in one sense she’s an expert on love, in another more real way she hasn’t got a clue.

This film reflects the erratic, often inconvenient nature of life, with cringeworthy pratfalls puncturing sexual tension, while one moment Sophia is masturbating in the shower and the next she’s consoling her mother-in-law about her husband’s deteriorating health. Lead actress Lépine-Blondeau (who featured in Chokri’s debut A Brother’s

Love, but may not be familiar to UK audiences) negotiates this tricky territory sublimely, showing flair for light comedy, while beautifully fleshing out Sophia’s risqué and agonising predicament, with her and the charismatic Cardinal sharing genuine chemistry.

Although The Nature Of Love adopts a non-judgemental approach to adultery, there’s plenty of judgement on display elsewhere. Despite its North American setting, the observations it makes about social barriers will resonate in class-obsessed Britain, and it’s an interesting film to view during such a polarised time politically. It’s fascinating to observe how Sophia can surrender to her sexual urges and throw her future up in the air but cannot deny who she is underneath it all.

As the title suggests, Chokri is attempting to crack one of the most difficult and significant subjects of them all. Using her intellectually curious and sexually courageous protagonist as a mouthpiece, she weighs up the physical, social and emotional factors at play, asking what love is and whether it can ever be enough.

THEATRE SHIRLEY VALENTINE

(Directed by Elizabeth Newman) lllll

Although the script is littered with references to 80s culture, Shirley Valentine retains its powerful message of self-realisation and female liberation. A oneperson show in two acts, playwright Willy Russell catalogues the pressures and oppression of domestic life on a woman who once imagined an exciting future, before offering a tale of redemption.

Sally Reid, as its titular protagonist, captures the first act’s anguish and the second half’s potential. At first, she describes her mundane existence, trapped between husband and adult children, slowly dwindling away until her only company is the kitchen wall and various semi-detached friends. Reid manages to expose Valentine’s pain without slipping into self-pity; even before her personal renaissance, Valentine is compassionate, thoughtful and witty, and Reid expresses the longing and thwarted imagination with charm. When Valentine finds her salvation in Greece, Reid sacrifices none of that charm, but reveals how she is not only saving herself, but willing to be generous to those who, perhaps, once encouraged her to see herself as lesser.

Russell’s script, however, feels uneven. The longer first act dwells in the misery of Liverpudlian life, a series of conversations that Valentine recalls becoming a predictable litany of frustrations, interspersed by surprises which ultimately motivate her to take a risk on holiday. Against this, the second act is too brief, and her redemption only sketched out, leaving the production askew.

Director Elizabeth Newman allows the first act to dawdle before tightening up some energy for the resolution: the imbalance of those two acts, however, encourages a sense that the script drags rather than races. Yet Reid’s performance is as triumphant as the character of Shirley Valentine herself, projecting charisma and passion and the humane dynamism that is Russell’s message. (Gareth K Vile)

n Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Thursday 4 July–Saturday 28 September; reviewed at Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh.

DANCE BALLET BLACK Heroes lllll

It’s not always obvious what’s going on in Ballet Black’s drama-filled double-bill, but in the face of such exquisite performances, it scarcely matters. As a unit, the company looks sharper than ever, and the technical acumen on display is riveting. Mthuthuzeli November’s re-worked creation, ‘The Waiting Game’, is perhaps the most pondersome. It closes the night with a flash of sparkle (unexpected, given the focus on anxiety) but the fact November was inspired by absurdist writer Samuel Beckett comes as no surprise.

Dressed in a baggy overcoat, dancer Ebony Thomas attempts to find meaning in life beyond work, home, repeat. He wheels an illuminated, opaque doorway around the stage, allowing other dancers to pass through his domain, but remaining lost and alone. Gifted a pearl of wisdom by a fellow dancer (‘just take everything two minutes at a time’), he dons a sequined jacket with the rest of them and they close the show with a jazz hands-esque routine. In short, doing what performers have always done: put on a show, regardless of how they feel inside.

Sophie Laplane’s ‘If At First’ also recognises the quiet unspoken heroism in everyday life. Flipping back and forth between two very different moods, we find the dancers chasing each other to a loud, frantic score, then caught up in delicate moments of reflection and contemplation. The chase itself revolves around a crown, with the current bearer in constant danger of being usurped. But the reflection bears fruit, and by the end, one coveted crown has become nine, and each dancer is a rightful owner. (Kelly Apter)

n Reviewed at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh.

art of the issue

Despite creating their work on different continents, Edinburgh-based photographer Sandra George and radical American artist Keith Haring had more in common than it might first seem. Neil Cooper rates their exhibitions as highlights of Glasgow International

Two very different exhibitions inspired by the 1980s innercity landscapes of Edinburgh and New York caught the eye at Glasgow International. At The Modern Institute’s Bricks Space, five large-scale works by Keith Haring chart the rapidfire perpetual motion of life underground in all its bustling busyness in the Big (if slightly rotting) Apple. Across the river, in the top floor of the former school at 5 Florence Street, photographs by the late Sandra George bring things closer to home by way of a series of black-and-white documentary portraits about life on the margins in Auld Reekie.

Despite being created oceans apart geographically, in sociological and political terms, Haring and George’s respective canons reveal them as frontline near-neighbours, who ended up being regarded in vastly different ways. On the one hand, Haring’s street-smart guerrilla interventions were already lionised by the hipster art establishment prior to his early passing in 1990 aged 31. On the other, George, who died in 2013 aged 56, never exhibited during her lifetime, those images all but forgotten. Only when George’s vast and still largely unseen archive was put into the care of Edinburgh community-based arts organisation, Craigmillar Now, was it rediscovered. As the work shows, both artists possess a sense of place in all the messy state of urban decay that defined their time.

Haring’s chalked and spray painted-on figures have become familiar totems of 1980s pop iconography that seem to dance to a hip-hop beat. The restless energies of their overcrowded cartoonscapes map out an allencroaching world of TV overload and dangerous liaisons. Done quickly on blank advertising hoardings between rentals, Haring’s hit-and-run aesthetic subverted its commercial backdrop with a messy life that the redbrick walls of this show’s Glasgow venue goes some way to honouring. At much the same period that Haring was riding the subway, George (who was one year older) photographed communities in areas of Edinburgh rife with social deprivation. Gala days, free concerts, people’s protests, public meetings and playgrounds all come under George’s lens. Amid the barren cityscapes and shuttered-up community centres, George captures the residents of a women’s hostel, a group of disabled musicians, students of the Royal Blind School and much more. The buildings may be long gone, but the human heart remains in George’s crucial collection, just as it does in Haring’s dance of life.

Sandra George, reviewed at 5 Florence Street, Glasgow lllll

Keith Haring, The Modern Institute, Glasgow, until Thursday 5 September lllll

PICTURE:

THEATRE

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

(Directed by Timothy Sheader) 

Those coming to this 53-year-old musical for the first time will be unsurprised to learn that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s sung-through rock opera started life as a concept album. For watching this latest production of Jesus Christ Superstar is not unlike being at a gig (minus the sticky floors and jostling) which leads to both positive and negative outcomes.

On the upside, the show is dripping with hot, adrenaline-fuelled energy worthy of any summer festival. Punchy choreography keeps this ensemble busy while the leads clutch microphones rock star-style, rather than wearing the usual headset mics. As crowds gather to hear their Messiah sing, the atmosphere shifts between curiosity, reverence and disparity; the mix of euphoria and damnation echoing centuries of conflicted political rallies ever since.

But all of this comes at a cost, and you need a keen eye, sharp ear and existing knowledge of the last days of Christ to truly follow the narrative. Which, in a multi-faith/secular society is by no means a given. As the Bible’s major players take their turn, it’s clear Jesus, Judas, Mary and Pilate are all cracking vocalists, but our emotional investment is jeopardised by a lack of characterisation.

The ending, of course, is known to all, and here the production is not for the faint-hearted. Once the crown of thorns is brutally forced into place, Jesus is met with 39 lashes, and while glitter is used as a metaphor for the whip, there’s no mistaking the agony on Ian McIntosh’s face. (Kelly Apter)

 King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Monday 29 July–Saturday 3 August; reviewed at Edinburgh Playhouse.

FILM

ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY

(Directed by Paul B Preciado) 

‘I am a living body trapped in the heteronormative regime,’ states a pink-haired person directly to camera. Just as the lexicon has changed over time when it comes to gender, the readings of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando nearly a century on since it was published reflect societal progress. The different analyses previously included feminist and lesbian perspectives, joined today by nonbinary and trans politics.

Director/writer Paul B Preciado’s documentary feature is a poetic manifesto for a new way of living that plays out as a sharp and sincere rejoinder to Woolf’s novel. Preciado first came across Woolf’s book (a travel diary through history where the main character changes sex midway) as a teenager and since then has returned to it many times. Sally Potter famously adapted the novel in 1992 with Tilda Swinton in the titular role, yet Preciado felt her interpretation was ‘disappointing’ for trans people like himself as it erased the gender transition through Swinton’s casting.

Twenty-seven different trans and non-binary people, aged from eight to 70, are cast in the role of Orlando. The text is approached in a playful manner as they ponder their lives through artful role-play, and with readings of prose that blend reality and fiction. Visually there are hints of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s expressionism while cinematographer Victor Zébo conjures up a dreamy ambience. At one point an impromptu disco song breaks out in a psychiatrist’s office following an appointment where Preciado points out all the hypocrisy involved in the way hormone therapy is prescribed.

Preciado explores how far society has come in terms of understanding gender fluidity by tracing the personal and political history of each subject and the courageous activists who have shaped this current moment. No stone remains unturned in this joyful and radical documentary. (Katherine McLaughlin)  In cinemas from Friday 5 July.

COMEDY THE MUSLIMS ARE COMING

One of the stronger bills for The Muslims Are Coming rolling tour, this evening offered a varied line-up of acts mainly dipping into their faith background for material. Compere Muhsin Yesilada discloses that he’s doing his PhD on Islamophobia and Islamist extremism. But as befits his hosting role, the selfstyled ‘little Turkish boy’ eschews anything of depth for playful mugging with the crowd. A routine about his nephew being racially abused at school loses impact with its excessive contrivance. But he strikes a chord protesting the difficulty of telling Muslim parents about dates.

Faizan Shah is already building a considerable reputation. And it’s striking how quickly he expands his drolly downbeat outlook into an open admission of his depression and suicidal thoughts, successfully balancing light and dark in observations on marriage, class, sectarianism and the difficulty of impressing immigrant parents. Born in Lahore but predominantly raised in Burnley, a culture shock that he superbly channels with recourse to Will Smith, his suggestion that he’s politically ‘non-binary’ feels clunkily edgy.

Tez Ilyas’ inclinations towards political material has obviously benefited from the ascension of Asians to the highest offices in Britain. And he opines the success of Sunak, Patel and Braverman while waggishly mocking them. Far less showy than when he made his stand-up breakthrough, Ilyas has developed into a more measured and witty social commentator, adopting middle-aged, contrarian positions such as diversity having gone too far or reexamining racism he attracted in his youth from an ironic distance.

By contrast, Nabil Abdulrashid is growing ever more swaggeringly assured, pitting the cultural distinctions of his Nigerian heritage against that of his Pakistani wife; cheerfully lambasting Australians for their friendliness and ’fessing up to his criminal misdemeanours with a rascally lack of care. He might employ broad strokes to characterise London gang conflict as camp, but his ebullient, charismatic incorrigibility is infectious. With wide-ranging and culturally informed material, you sense he’s capable of playing much bigger rooms internationally. (Jay Richardson)

 Reviewed at Glee, Glasgow.

FILM THE CRIME IS MINE

(Directed by François Ozon) 

That most mercurial of French directors, François Ozon (Everything Went Fine, Potiche, Swimming Pool), takes a mischievous look at murder in this fun, if frustratingly slight screwball comedy. Set in 1930s Paris, The Crime Is Mine is an adaptation of the play Mon Crime by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil, and features an eye-catching cast camping it up to the max.

Nadia Tereszkiewicz (Rosalie, Only The Animals) plays aspiring actress Madeleine, who lives with her adoring, similarly impoverished lawyer pal Pauline (Rebecca Marder). When Madeleine is accused of killing an elderly film producer who was sexually harassing her, Pauline transforms her into a star of the courtroom, with the press and public hanging on Madeleine’s every utterance. Fabrice Luchini is a hoot as the investigating judge who is compromised by his associations, while an irresistible Isabelle Huppert emerges to cause some flamboyant, latein-the-game complications as an actress based on Sarah Bernhardt.

The film’s appealing theatricality and appetite for farce nods to its stage origins, as well as the Hollywood comedies of that era, and it zips along with gusto, featuring chic costumes alongside the requisite twists and turns. Tereszkiewicz and Marder are effervescent as the underdogs using their guts and guile to contort things in their favour.

However, given the French film industry’s famously disappointing response to the #MeToo movement, this tongue-in-cheek approach to casting-couch harassment and institutional sexism can sometimes leave a sour taste. Although The Crime Is Mine fires plenty of shots, it doesn’t seem committed to taking out its targets. (Emma Simmonds)  In cinemas from Friday 30 August.

OTHER THINGS WORTH GOING OUT FOR

If you fancy getting out and about, there’s plenty culture to sample such as an electronic duo set for ultra stardom, a terribly cute family heading down to the beach, and an animated franchise with a galaxy of famous voices

COMEDY

LAURA DAVIS

Ahead of her month embedded in Monkey Barrel for the Fringe, this innovative Australian stand-up tinkers around the edges of her new show, ironing out those creases and so on.

n Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, Wednesday 24 July.

FILM

MAXXXINE

Here comes the third of Ti West’s X slasher series with Mia Goth back as Maxine Minx. This segment is set in 1980s Hollywood with our heroine seeking fame while doing her utmost to avoid the Night Stalker.

n In cinemas from Tuesday 2 July.

DESPICABLE ME 4

A sequel to the 2017 animation, this features a predictable riot of famous voices: Steve Carell, Steve Coogan, Steve Colbert and other people who are not Steve Cs (such as Sofia Vergara, Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell).

n In cinemas from Friday 12 July.

TUESDAY

Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as the mother of a terminally ill daughter played by Lola Petticrew. One day, they’re visited by Death in the form of a talking macaw and embark on an emotional journey.

n In cinemas from Monday 19 August.

KIDS

PEPPA PIG

Join Peppa for a Fun Day Out (is there any other kind of day when this pink lady is around?) as family and pals head for the zoo and beach where all manner of cuteness occurs.

n King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 July; Edinburgh Playhouse, Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 July.

MUSIC BICEP

With support from their now Glasgow-based pal Hammer, Irish electronic duo of Andy Ferguson and Matt McBriar continue their unstoppable ascendancy to global powerhouse status.

n SWG3, Glasgow, Thursday 25 July.

THE GLASGOW BARONS

The Barons put on their inaugural Early Music Festival with lunchtime concerts, evening affairs and late-night performances that aim to showcase the best of Scotland's talent in this genre.

n Govan Old Parish Church, Glasgow, Friday 26–Sunday 28 July.

WITCH

The ‘Zambian Beatles’ are in town with a gig to support their first studio album for 40 years: quite the sabbatical. Check out their cover of ‘Ain’t Nobody’ to discover if Zamrock might be your thing.

n Stereo, Glasgow, Saturday 3 August.

THEATRE

SAME TEAM

Created alongside Street Soccer Scotland, this piece is about five women who have one goal: to win the Homeless World Cup. A story with many ups and downs, it’s bound together by teamwork and community.

n Tron Theatre, Glasgow, Thursday 25 & Friday 26 July.

MaXXXine (and bottom from left), Laura Davis, Bicep, Witch

FONTAINES DC

After years of injecting post-punk with hip hop, jet-black goth and lyrics with a literary finesse, Fontaines DC’s fourth LP Romance looks like its shedding the genre entirely. Instead, the Irish lads are tipping their hat to nu-metal titans Korn and playing dress-up in hyper-gaudy threads from the early 2000s. If the full album is anything like lead single ‘Starburster’, expect a confident swagger to global stardom, playing big enough to the cheap seats without diluting vocalist Grian Chatten’s hard-won idiosyncrasies. Get ready for the preposterous chorus ‘I’m gonna hit your business like it’s momentary blissness’ becoming the unlikely singalong of the summer. (Kevin Fullerton) n Romance is released by XL Recordings on Friday 23 August.

staying in

A PLACE IN THE SUN

Not even major life changes and record label upheaval have managed to put a brake on the lofty ambitions of singersongwriter Tamzene. She talks to Danny Munro about exits, existentialism and EPs

It’s been a hectic few years for Tamzene since the release of her debut EP in 2020, having signed to and subsequently left a major label, before swapping the Highlands and Islands for life in London. But now it’s time for her biggest project to date, and Cromarty’s finest export is ready for us to hear the sound of a new-found sense of optimism.

In Any Weather is Tamzene’s most substantial work so far, not only in length but in content too, tackling weighty, introspective topics like freeing yourself from the expectations of others and mastering the tricky art of forgiveness. ‘Existentialism is my middle name,’ laughs Tamzene, reflecting on how her outlook upon life has developed lately. ‘I think part of moving through this industry is that it’s very confronting. You’re confronted all the time with why you’re doing it and who you are. So I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I feel is important, and I think you can kind of hear me figuring that out in the EP.’

And while she admits London is ‘not quite the Highlands’, Tamzene’s relocation has granted her access to a range of new creative minds, such as Bad Sounds, an acclaimed sibling production duo who received a nod at the 2022 Grammys for their work with Arlo Parks. ‘They gave me the space to talk about where I was at,’ says Tamzene of the Bad Sounds brothers, with whom she created the fourth single from the EP, ‘Ain’t Waiting For The World To Turn’. ‘That is so much of what collaboration is: getting to the truth of what you’re feeling and what you want to say.’

Tamzene released a handful of singles with the Universal Music-owned EMI, before leaving after a change in her personal circumstances. But the 27-yearold has been relishing the freedom that her departure from the label has afforded her. ‘Since then, it’s been much more of doing things the way I want to do them . . . not being dictated by a producer’s process; more so approaching it organically and the way that I wanted to.’ It’s this freedom, Tamzene says, that will help listeners take something meaningful from her most important work yet. ‘I hope people can reach for it when they need it,’ she muses. ‘I sing of so many things in this EP. I sing of joy, of sadness, of loss, of self-discovery . . . I just hope that they get something they need, that they maybe hear a bit of themselves and that they could be excited for more Tamzene music.’  In Any Weather is released by Young Poets on Friday 16 August.

BINGE FEST

Our alphabetical column on viewing marathons reaches its season finale with a bit more Y and a tiny flash of Z

Well, my small-screen watching allies, our alphabetical travelogue reaches the end and it’s fitting it should culminate with two classics from very different televisual eras. For anyone of a specific demographic (older types), The Young Ones (BBC iPlayer/NOW) is the sitcom which not only broke the mould but sledgehammered it out of existence. This student-flat (from hell) show, which starred or featured almost every figure from the UK’s early 80s alternative-comedy scene, ended the dominance of sitcoms with posh or wannabe posh people veering from light and gentle to horribly bigoted. Everything from Friday Night Dinner to The Inbetweeners to some things Simon Bird hasn’t been in owes a debt to Rick, Vyvyan, Mike and Neil. From the ridiculous to the sublimely grim, ZeroZeroZero (NOW) is three stories in one, all connected by the global cocaine trade, featuring Mexican, Italian and American casts. Though two of the main stars from the last category are England’s Andrea Riseborough and Ireland’s Gabriel Byrne. And for that extra touch of doomgloomery, Scotland’s Mogwai provided a blissfully sombre soundscape. (Brian Donaldson)

 Other Y & Z binges: Yellowjackets (Paramount+), Yonderland (NOW), Zen Motoring (BBC iPlayer).

future sound

TMarky Wildtype might sound like a 90s New York rapper but is actually the solo handle of London-born, Edinburgh-based multi-band musician Mark Blanford. Fiona Shepherd caught up with him as he strikes out on his own with an emotional new album

he self-deprecating Mark Blanford admits he has been blown away by the positive notices he’s receiving for advance tracks ‘Place Of Peace’ and ‘The Hole’ from his accomplished solo album If Destroyed Still True. These songs are just two examples of his carefully crafted, gently philosophical expansive pop sound; other styles are available, and Blanford can’t resist going back to his rock roots on occasion. But if his music is diverse, the lyrical themes fall into a pattern, inspired by a tumultuous time involving toxic friendships, bereavement and family rifts. This eventually resolved into a collection about, he says, ‘seeing the darker side of yourself, the negative thoughts, anger and sadness, but trying to be kind to them.’

Blanford freely admits he has never written a set of songs like this before. Since taking up guitar in his Guns N’ Roses-loving teens, he has always played in bands and reckons he’s a veteran of ‘seven or eight’ original outfits plus function music and for-fun covers bands, including a punk pop ensemble called Saylor Twift. Even now, he gigs regularly in alt.folk group The Jig Show.

‘There was a fanzine scene so there was a little crowd of like-minded teenage weirdos who used to go to all the gigs,’ he says, recalling his earliest callow efforts while growing up in London. ‘We were young and scrappy so it fell by the wayside when I moved away. But I just loved doing it so much. The fact that it didn’t lead anywhere in terms of success didn’t matter.’

Though he is now drawing from a deeper well, Blanford applies the same enthused attitude to his solo material. He had never considered working alone until challenged by his friend Emily Kelly, of folk duo The Jellyman’s Daughter, to write an acoustic EP. He produced enough songs for an album. Bruising Words And Bitter Pills was released in 2020 and bridged the way for the wider canvas of If Destroyed Still True

‘I don’t know if I’m suited to acoustic,’ muses Blanford. ‘I’ve got too many things I hear when I write a song. I think I had always been afraid to be creative without a band around me but I’ve really enjoyed the process, and stopped worrying so much about trying to fit into a certain niche or lyrical topics. That allowed me to be more experimental but also pick out what works for me. I’ve got better at discerning what I like in a swathe of ideas.’

As to that name, Wildtype is both a nod to one of his previous bands and a genetics term (Blanford originally moved to Edinburgh to study genetics and then virology). ‘The last few years have been very interesting for me. My friends wondered if the ex-virologist had any useful advice during the pandemic.’ And did you? ‘Just wash your hands and wear a mask.’

If Destroyed Still True is self-released on Friday 5 July.

PICTURE: ALICIA WARNER

PICTURE: JOHN MACKIE

first writes

In this Q&A, we throw some questions about ‘firsts’ at debut authors. This issue we feature Amy Neff, author of The Days I Loved You Most about an elderly couple coming to terms with their romantic past and fragile future

What’s the first book you remember reading as a child? I was a very early reader and have fond memories reading aloud to my mom on the couch from the Great Illustrated Classics, from Heidi to The Call Of The Wild.

What was the book you read that made you decide to be a writer? I devoured authors with clever turns of phrase and wordplay, like Shel Silverstein, and I had these tiny notebooks and was always scribbling my own poems inside, trying to manipulate language to create something unexpected.

What’s your favourite first line in a book? In Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife, I was always struck by the opening line of Henry’s first POV section (‘How does it feel? How does it feel?’). Because the character is talking directly to the reader, you can truly feel him searching for the words to describe the sensation of time traveling.

Which debut publication had the most profound effect on you? Speaking of The Time Traveler’s Wife, I read it as a teen and was completely transfixed. It was the first time I realised that one could write a love story.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up on a writing day? I am a mom of a (now) three-year-old and five-year-old, so most of my writing is tucked into the crevices of my life; early mornings and late nights, and during that short-lived era of naptime.

What’s the first thing you do when you’ve stopped writing for the day? Most often the writing ends because I’ve been interrupted by my children up earlier than expected or needing me, and it means switching gears back into mom mode.

In a parallel universe where you’re the tyrant leader of a dystopian civilisation, what’s the first book you’d burn? Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book gave me tools to hardwire good habits to eke out the best version of myself. And honestly, being the best version of yourself all the time is exhausting, and sometimes I would love to just let myself go, to sleep in and rot and eat junk and become the laziest version of myself that accomplishes nothing (just kidding, I love this book: highly recommended).

What’s the first piece of advice you’d offer to an aspiring novelist? There is so much emphasis on rushing to publication, but the real magic is in the process. Don’t worry about how long it’s taking, there is no time limit on your dreams, and there is no shame in being seen trying.

The Days I Loved You Most is published by Bloomsbury on Tuesday 30 July; see much more of this Q&A at list.co.uk

GAMES STAR WARS OUTLAWS

For the longest time, Star Wars video games were everywhere. The adventures of Luke Skywalker and chums have inspired dozens of titles ever since Atari’s tie-in arcade cabinet turned up in 1983, but in recent years there’s been a dearth of The Force. The ball started rolling again from 2019 with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, its sequel Survivor and spaceship simulator Squadrons; and now comes a brand new open-world adventure from Massive, the developers behind Tom Clancy’s The Division

Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi (a cast-iron guarantee that some familiar faces will cameo), Outlaws follows scoundrel Kay Vess on a daring heist adventure. Because it’s an open-world game (a Massive speciality), there will be lots of travel via speeder and spaceship, a fair amount of stealth and, according to early word, much clambering up terrain in a manner that tries to ape the Uncharted games but fails to hit that (very hard to reach) mark. Players familiar with publisher Ubisoft’s other flagship titles, such as Far Cry and Watch Dogs, will know to expect a game map bursting with distractions. Hopefully, Outlaws will step outside the rigid Ubisoft template and show some originality. (Murray Robertson)

 Published by Ubisoft on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, Friday 30 August.

PICTURE:

MIND

GAMES

‘Everyone’s trying to figure out how to live, and I think they’re looking at other people as a way to figure that out.’ Hannah Regel is discussing the themes of her debut novel, The Last Sane Woman, which tells the story of Nicola, a struggling London artist. When she discovers a series of letters written by a deceased potter named Donna, Nicola becomes obsessed. ‘They offer an escape for her, but she also sees parallels between herself and the letter writer.’

Though not autobiographical, the book’s inspiration came from Regel’s own experience with archival work during her PhD. ‘I was working in The Women’s Art Library at Goldsmiths, and the stuff I was working with brought up a lot of surprising questions about property and permission and ownership in a way that I hadn’t quite expected. I realised that actually there are much more fragile and sensitive issues in dealing with the ephemera of someone’s life and how easy it is to just completely project.’

With parasocial relationships now being a fact of life, Regel hopes her novel will speak to contemporary millennial anxieties. ‘I was thinking a lot about the internet and the way that we look at other people’s lives and all the miscommunication which that engenders. The vehicle of the archive made sense without being too on the nose.’

After writing two books of poems, the switch to prose was easier for Regel than even she anticipated. ‘There is a narrative structure in my poetry collection, Oliver Reed. So perhaps my poetry was more novelistic than the other way round,’ she laughs. In other ways though, the novel writing process was totally new. ‘I’d never worked on anything this big or for this long before, but I loved having something long-form to think about. As you go about your life, everything you think about, everything you read, and everything you look at filters through this lens. I enjoyed having that as a way to move through the world.’

Regel got her start writing for and editing the feminist art journal SALT, and while hesitant to call The Last Sane Woman a feminist novel, she is keen to explore women’s lives and female relationships in her work. ‘With women and women’s fiction there’s a sort of assumption that everyone’s interests and affinities are the same and should be shared.’ This is certainly not the case in The Last Sane Woman, however, which sees Nicola’s feeling of ownership over Donna bring her into conflict with other women, especially Donna’s best friend Susan. The title (a reference to The Last Sane Man, a biography of studio potter Michael Cardew) also plays on this. ‘There’s a kind of wink in it because, depending on where your sympathies lie, it could be any one of them or none of them.’

Concerned as it is with depression, failure and even suicide, The Last Sane Woman can be a heavy read, but one that Regel believes will speak to people. Nicola and Donna both repeat the same mistakes, seemingly on a path to self-destruction. ‘If you’ve ever read back on your own diaries, it has that same frustrating cyclical nature,’ she says. But there is an element of hope nestled in the story too. ‘I think at the end there’s a kind of rupture where there’s space for possibility. Nicola’s life will continue and perhaps she’ll figure it out.’

After releasing two collections of poetry, Hannah Regel has made the switch to novel writing with apparent ease. Isy Santini talks to this former co-editor of SALT about a book that’s riddled with failure and driven by hope

2 July.

The Last Sane Woman is published by Verso on Tuesday

ALBUMS BEABADOOBEE

It’s not every young musician who could get away with a declaration as weird and whimsical as ‘I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus’. But 24-yearold Filipino-born, London-bred Beatrice Laus, otherwise known as Beabadoobee, made those desires loud and clear on her 2019 single of the same name.

Weaned on a diet of P-pop and indie rock, her tastes tend to the introspective, lo-fi likes of Daniel Johnston with Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Moldy Peaches as touchstone artists. She was a late bloomer as a songwriter, having only started playing guitar at the age of 17 but wasted no time getting her music out there to rack up the YouTube and TikTok views.

Following a succession of EPs, two albums, and collaborations with labelmates The 1975, Laus is now also a veteran of US stadiums, having supported Matty Healy’s ex, Ms Taylor Swift, on her Eras tour. This makes her part of an exclusive club of artists who have progressed from having Swift as her childhood ringtone to calling her a tour mate.

Her third album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, is about to land, trailed by the sultry indie attitude of ‘Take A Bite’ and fragrant indie folk of ‘Coming Home’ on which she broods about the loneliness of the longdistance musician. In another giant leap for Gen Z-kind, the album was produced by Rick Rubin, who encouraged her to strip songs back to their bedroom pop roots before building them up again. Laus has described the results as a love letter to her younger self. (Fiona Shepherd)  This Is How Tomorrow Moves is released by Dirty Hit on Friday 16 August.

In this column, we ask a pod person about the ‘casts that mean a lot to them. This issue, it’s Sam Lake, the award-winning comedian whose weekly guests sip a favourite beverage while discussing things that make them emotional in I’ve Had A Rosé, Let’s Talk About Feelings

my perfect podcast •stsacdop pod p

Which podcast educates you? I’m quite enjoying The Rest Is Entertainment which delves into a lot of secrets about how TV is made. I’m a bit of a conspiracy theorist when it comes to how TV shows are put together, so anytime I watch anything I’m always wondering how they do certain things.

Which podcast makes you laugh? Dear Joan & Jericha. Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine play two women doing an agony aunt-style show, responding to letters sent in from listeners. But it’s all improvised. They write the letters themselves and try to make the other one break. It’s dark comedy gold and positively unhinged.

Which podcast makes you sad or angry? Has to be Steven Bartlett’s Diary Of A CEO. Firstly, CEOs WHERE!? He’s always interviewing celebs or random health ‘experts’. I only know the pod through TikTok clips and every one infuriates me.

Which podcast is your guilty pleasure? It’s Diary Of A CEO. I listen to every episode. I drink Huel three times a day now, my testosterone is through the roof; I’m so fertile that I have six children despite never having sex. I cured my IBS by turning it into an NFT. Steven Bartlett is now my CFO in my crypto company that makes cloud-enabled milk alternatives. I’ve fixed my depression by simply not being depressed. I make $100m every six seconds. I can clean and jerk my Tesla. He’s a genius. He’s my idol.

Name someone who currently doesn’t have a podcast but should I wouldn’t mind one from that lady who gets told about a new general election and she goes ‘you’re joking!? Not another one!!’ I’d just like to hear what else she has to say.

Pitch us a new podcast idea in exactly 25 words DISGUSTIN! It’s a new podcast by Cher Lloyd that finds out what happened to the girls who didn’t flush the toilet after singing Cher Lloyd.

New episodes of I’ve Had A Rosé, Let’s Talk About Feelings With Sam Lake are available every Tuesday; Sam Lake: Esméralda is at Monkey Barrel, Edinburgh, Wednesday 31 July–Sunday 25 August; see much more of this Q&A at list.co.uk

Admired author and prolific podcaster Daisy Buchanan roars back with a novel that is funny without sacrificing depth. Rachel Cronin admires her refreshing take on relationships and sexuality

Abook of the issue

directly funny but sometimes heavy story of transformative grief, Daisy Buchanan’s easy-to-follow narrative and stand-up worthy observations make for an ideal summer read. Pity Party introduces us to Katherine, a plucky type-A environmentalist struggling to navigate her new life as a 30-year-old widow. The How To Be A Grown-Up author creates a heartbreaking and sorely relatable character as our workaholic protagonist scathes her Gen Z colleagues with Bridget Jones-style wit.

She loses her grip on reality while refusing to accept the death of her husband, and after being sent to a wellness retreat by her wealthy mother-in-law, Katherine’s critical and comical individual drips from the pages. She reluctantly takes part in primal-scream therapy and erotic meditation, making for some hilarious lines and entertaining interactions.

But while Katherine’s judgmental point of view adds an unwavering humour, Buchanan’s sometimes painful tale of an imperfect relationship runs far deeper than a straight comedy. From crystal-crazy spiritualists to manic material girls, the characters of Katherine’s retreat bring about more laughs, while heavier subjects bubble under the surface.

She considers her Gen Z bunkmate with disdain for her newly bought clothes and over-consumption (hasn’t she heard of fast fashion!?). It becomes clear over time that these people share similar struggles, which they interpret in different ways and learn to work through together. Buchanan’s array of layered and realistic female characters conjures an illustration of the complexities and expectations

of womanhood. A strong sense of female solidarity is established by the novel’s end, adding a memorable warmth to the overall story. Meanwhile, the subject of queerness is masterfully approached in the latter half; we can follow our protagonist’s inner monologue, but her queerness is never a subject of shame.

Although she does come with a textbook tragic backstory (orphan-turned-widow), her relationship with another woman is seamlessly woven into the plot without any theatrical coming-out stories or periods of self-loathing. The anxieties surrounding this queer relationship have nothing to do with her partner’s gender, delivering a take on sexuality which is as affirming as it is refreshing.

Pity Party refuses to shy away from the denial, guilt and shame of loss. Over the course of 350-plus pages, the reader progresses from merely observing Katherine to fully understanding her, and knowing the things she needs to accept, perhaps before she knows herself. This progressive perception of the main character is beautifully written and propels the tale’s transformational aspect.

As the plot flits back and forth between, before and after her husband’s death, short chapters help keep momentum simmering until we reach its last epiphany. Daisy Buchanan’s newest novel combines pointed humour with tangled feelings of grief, creating an emotionally driven, quick-to-devour story that could catapult anyone out of a reading slump.

Pity Party is published by Sphere on Thursday 11 July.

TV PROBLEMISTA

(Directed by Julio Torres) 

El Salvadorian writer and comedian Julio Torres is moving along the stage-to-television-to-film pipeline with relative ease, producing high-quality work that stylistically remains uncompromisingly him. His directorial debut Problemista fits snuggly into this artistic universe, alongside his whimsical standup, Saturday Night Live sketches and children’s books.

Problemista follows aspiring toy designer Alejandro (played by Torres) living in New York, working at a questionable laboratory where people can freeze themselves under the uncertain pretence they’ll be reawoken in the future. Alejandro oversees the frozen body of artist Bobby, whose neurotic-but-loyal wife Elizabeth (a washed-up art critic played by Tilda Swinton) is a frequent visitor and headache-generator to the staff. When Alejandro and Elizabeth strike up an unlikely working relationship, we begin to realise the two are more similar than their conflicting personalities first suggest.

In the film’s tender opening moments, young Alejandro is in El Salvador with his mother, played by Catalina Saavedra (Rotting In The Sun, The Maid). Surrealist shapes and sculptures realised by Alejandro’s vivid imagination travel with him, juxtaposed against the concrete jungle of New York City where his ‘rompe cabezas’ (the Spanish term for puzzle directly translating to ‘head breaker’) becomes a fitting metaphor for his visa quest among the unsolvable maze of America’s immigration system. Often opting for allegorical storytelling in the style of magical realism, the film’s hardest-hitting scenes have its leads transform into Don Quixoteesque knights and beasts. This contributes to the maximalist feel of Problemista, which manages to stay equal parts silly, visually interesting and conceptually stimulating. (Megan Merino)

 Available on streaming platforms from Monday 8 July.

BOOKS ELEY WILLIAMS

Moderate To Poor, Occasionally Good (Fourth Estate)

Bold move, to say the least, for Eley Williams to give her latest short-story collection that name. For the sarcastic reviewer, this is practically an open goal, the critical equivalent of pulverising low-hanging fruit. That instinct will be resisted here, albeit alongside an admission that the title is, actually, sadly, reasonably accurate.

There’s no denying the craft, wit and wisdom at play across 19 short stories (at just under 200 pages, this amounts to a set of very short stories), and Williams’ status as one of Granta’s Best Of Young Novelists from their 2023 list is wholly justified. But after completing story 19, while the reader will have received plenty of nourishment for the mind, their heart might remain untouched with barely a single emotion elicited. There are stories about an exam-stressed schoolboy dreaming of a fantastical zoo; a man and a balloon appearing uninvited in a garden; a businesswoman inexplicably locked out of her office building. All of them are carved gently and embossed with a flourish of words that will occasionally have you dashing for a nearby dictionary.

To the uninitiated, that title is a reference to the BBC’s Shipping Forecast and, in a neat meta twist, this eponymous work was read by Williams on Radio 4 in 2022. It’s always tempting to read a lot into a ‘title track’, and ‘Moderate To Poor, Occasionally Good’ is narrated by a forecaster who breaks with tradition by locking themselves in the studio to tell some unfortunate truths about their personal life. It’s unclear whether Williams has ever done this. With such obvious talents at the author’s disposal, it’s to be anticipated that at some point not too far down the line, Eley Williams will call a book Absolute Literary Bangers All The Way. (Brian Donaldson)

 Published on Thursday 18 July.

ALBUMS KIASMOS

II (Erased Tapes) 

Hailing from Iceland and the Faroes, the duo who comprise Kiasmos know a great deal about wild landscapes that can inspire sonic atmospheres. Listen to any Kiasmos track and images of nature will often enter your head; not in a soporific Eno-esque manner, but more likely something that will inspire you to go for a run, down by the beach or across some grass. On this album’s gorgeous penultimate track, ‘Dazed’, you can hear the ambient-techno version of a babbling brook or a flowing fjord. With their own projects constantly on the go, Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen certainly don’t churn out albums together so the expectancy of a Kiasmos record is high: a first full, self-titled set came way back in 2014. And while their lush dance music (Arnalds calls it ‘emotional rave’) has the occasional insertion of anomalies this time around (specifically the video-game bleeps and bloops on ‘Burst’ and an intriguing steel-drum vibe on ‘Flown’), that pulsing melancholy which is the Kiasmos signature remains in place.

Most tracks clock in at a digestible four or five-minute mark (only the throb-calm-throb of ‘Bound’ breaches the 360-second mark) while they all maintain the pair’s strict policy of single-word titles (‘Sailed’, ‘Laced’ and ‘Sworn’ for three): Arnalds and Rasmussen always add a name to a tune once it’s complete in order to avoid subconsciously trying to apply a perfect sound to that solo word. II is all about open minds and big hearts.

Gentle and lulling are also standard tropes of the Kiasmos manifesto, but some vaguely menacing undertones can be detected in the album’s closer, ‘Squared’; a discordant cacophony threatens to trash the beauty which the album has cultivated to this point. But it’s an exciting and energising finale to another wonderful, albeit rare collection. (Brian Donaldson)

 Released on Friday 5 July.

PODCASTS AKRAM KHAN: MOVE TO LIVE (Marquee TV)

‘Nothing happens until something moves,’ says Akram Khan at the top of his new podcast. Which, in theory, gives him licence to focus on just about anything. As one of Britain’s most acclaimed dancers, Khan has devoted his entire life to movement and, despite having retired from the stage, still regularly gets up at 5am to train. But as a father of three young children, he’s acutely aware that it’s all too easy for us to dive into a digital device rather than a swimming pool. And so, his new Move To Live podcast is here to remind us that our bodies were never designed for a sedentary lifestyle. Or is it? After a short introductory interview with Khan himself, the opening two episodes find him interviewing artist/designer Es Devlin and actor/director Andy Serkis. Devlin’s award-winning set designs and sculptural works alongside Serkis’ extensive acting career and expertise in motion and performance set them both out as artists of note. Which makes this podcast ideal for anyone with an interest in the creative process and its intricacies.

At just under an hour long, with no cut-aways, listening to these extensive conversations is like eavesdropping on a nearby table in a theatre café-bar. What they don’t do (currently) is encourage the rest of us to move, or give a sense of what that might do for us. Khan ends each episode with the words ‘and remember, keep moving’, which is as close to motivation as the podcast comes. But set aside the title and aims of Move To Live, and there’s much to learn and enjoy. (Kelly Apter)

 New episodes available every Wednesday.

TV of the issue

An intriguing central mystery coupled with explorations of grief, trust and the role of AI in our lives propel the compelling, darkly funny action at the heart of Sunny, says Katherine McLaughlin

Apple’s darkly comedic TV adaptation of Colin O’Sullivan’s novel uses its titular android Sunny (a cute creation voiced by Joanna Sotomura) as a way to explore multiple modern anxieties including the moral quandaries of AI advancement. The show follows Suzie (Rashida Jones), an American woman living in Japan (whose husband and son are missing in a plane crash) on an unpredictable adventure through the streets of Kyoto.

The development of robots has come a long way in Japan this century with keen interest in designing one that can help combat the malady of loneliness. Hiroshi Ishiguro’s creepy looking Telenoid was branded as the ‘hugging robot’ and used smartphone technology for long-distance connection and, in recent years, the sale of LOVOTs (a cute pal to keep you company) has hit the 10,000s. With Suzie left to her own devices, domestic helper Sunny becomes a new friend. Programmed by her husband Masa (Drive My Car’s Hidetoshi Nishijima), the question of whether Sunny is to be trusted is at the centre of this surreal journey. In pursuit of the truth, Suzie encounters sex shops, sweaty saunas and a brutal introduction to the Yakuza.

Jones may not entirely nail the dramatic edge of a woman going through extreme grief, but the comedic side works. Her dynamic with Sunny is often amusing as is the robot’s growing sentience and jealousy when it comes to Suzie’s friendship with lesbian bartender Mixxy (played by musician annie the clumsy). The supporting cast includes other big names such as Jun Kunimura, You and Judy Ongg who all bring an A-game to their respective roles, with each of their characters’ imbued with references from Japanese pop culture. The experienced cast are a joy to watch, even if they do outshine Jones at times.

The central mystery is involving, with the show evoking a Search Party meets Under The Silver Lake tone, with shades of 1960s Japanese noir. Seijun Suzuki’s Tokyo Drifter is surely an influence on the pop-art aesthetic and surreal bursts of colour that explode on the screen. The setting of Kyoto is beautifully used and it’s a real treat to follow chases across this backdrop. The tiny bars, temples and alleyways are visually ravishing and specific nods to little details (such as the traditional KFC festive bargain bucket) are good for a giggle.

The show’s conclusion feels a tad rushed in its obvious desire for a second season, yet its deliberations on AI’s threat to humanity and the harnessing of creation for destruction are compelling. Sunny the robot is an expression of her creator and his bias and moral fibre, a situation that very much speaks to modern dilemmas in technology.

Sunny starts on Apple TV+, Wednesday 10 July.

We’re turning

Help us celebrate

In 2025, The List will be 40 years young and we’ve got a host of exciting projects in the pipeline to mark the occasion.

As part of the celebration, we’re on the hunt for any audio clips, videos, photos or recollections from The List’s illustrious past, from gig photos to interviews, snapshots of behind the scenes in The List offices, I Saw You memories to Festival Party reminiscences.

Want to get involved? Then email promotions@list.co.uk with your name, email address, your connection to The List, and a brief description of the material you have (don’t worry, you don’t have to send any material to us quite yet).

Expect more details very soon, but we promise you one thing: it’ll be a birthday blowout to remember.

pittenweemartsfestival.co.uk

•stsacdop

TV A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER

(BBC Three) 

With relationships feeling like life or death, the violence of puberty is the perfect setting for a murder mystery. Holly Jackson’s small-town sleuth book series A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder is the next teen-crime drama to earn itself a glossy TV makeover. But with such an oversaturated genre, this needed to be more than just another open-and-shut case.

Everyone in the town of Little Kilton has already decided golden girl Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh before he ended his own life. But five years later, straight-A student Pip Fitz-Amobi can’t let it go. When she decides to investigate the case for her final school project, she discovers how secrets can fester in such a small community.

Emma Myers’ breakout performance in Wednesday as the bubbly werewolf room-mate to Jenna Ortega’s gloomy Adams, proved that she can hold her own next to a certified teen idol. Leading the cast in A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder as Pip, Myers displays star quality without a hint of her usual American accent.

Unfortunately, this can’t be said for the rest of the series which oozes Stateside influences. Pip and her friends go on camping trips unsullied by indecisive British weather, swapping bottles of cider in the park for hard liquor and frat parties. It’s not surprising given this is a British adaptation of an American book series, but it results in a culture clash which removes any sense of place from the setting.

This also applies to many of the characters as they are forgotten in favour of dramatic montage shots of case boards and quiet country roads. In any good mystery, everyone is a suspect, but this is difficult when by the midway mark you’re still getting the hang of names. For better or worse, A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder demonstrates many of the experiences we all had as a teenager: confusion, an affinity for American culture and total self-obsession. (Rebecca Crockett)

 All episodes available from Monday 1 July.

PODCASTS

SHINY BOB: THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE (BBC Sounds)

For fashionable Gen Z-ers and the nostalgic middle-aged, the 90s can seem like a cosy decade. A time of tie-dye and glow sticks, grunge and raves. Edinburgh dwellers had a Royal Mile unspoiled by mass tourism, The Scotsman building bustled away at its original purpose. But there was also a darker side to the city: sex for sale, financial corruption, unregulated institutions of male power and privilege, and homophobia.

Myles Bonnar’s hit podcast, Shiny Bob: The Devil’s Advocate, tackles all of these, harnessing together threads from mortgage fraud to blackmail, abuse, sex work and the redemptive power of investigative journalism, through the story of a legal scandal that struck Edinburgh in the early 90s. Esteemed QC ‘Shiny’ Bob Henderson (said to be able to ‘light up’ a courtroom) was rumoured to be manipulating the courts by threatening to ‘out’ a list he had of secretly gay judges and lawyers. As Bonnar’s tale proves, however, what was marauding as nasty homophobic blackmail had an even darker side to it.

The story unfolds over six episodes with all the twists of an Ian Rankin novel: the closer it draws towards power and wealth, the more fetid and vile these characters become. It’s an eye-opener for anyone who believes the lie of Edinburgh’s outwardly refined façade, or that institutions of unchecked male power aren’t a recipe for abhorrent behaviour.

With so many threads, the narrative could easily have grown messy or focused only on one salacious plot. But instead Bonnar (aided by investigative journalist Marcello Mega) makes time and space to properly explore each avenue, showing compassion for the story’s many victims. It’s a masterclass in podcast storytelling, up there with S-Town and Serial as one of the best examples of the genre; a reminder that true crime, when explored properly, is a valid lens through which to examine a society’s rot. (Lucy Ribchester)  Out now.

a lbums • smubla •

BOOKS

GRANT MCPHEE

Postcards From Scotland (Omnibus Press)

Director and writer Grant McPhee follows up his feature-length music documentaries, Big Gold Dream and Teenage Superstars, with this tome-like oral history on the same shambly subject. Postcards From Scotland: Scottish Independent Music 1983–1995 uses unexpurgated material collected for the films alongside new and archive eye-witness interviews with over 100 Scottish indie players, including ex-List contributor Ann Donald, who was briefly drummer with Shop Assistants.

Donald is entertainingly candid about a lack of musical ability and her chancer attitude. She and others capture what it meant to be part of this spontaneous scene, which was founded on the DIY principles of punk without the year-zero purism and regimentation. This was a period when relatively generous government benefits meant that messing around making music for the hell of it was a reality rather than a luxury.

Some bands split in disarray, some made it big (Primal Scream, The Soup Dragons, Teenage Fanclub). You get the sense that the more chaotic the band, the more fun was to be had. But here, you have to drill through a lot of material to get to the meat and the occasional juicy anecdote. McPhee provides some context throughout but, with perhaps misguided integrity, he mostly leaves it to his waffling interviewees, opting for unabridged fanzine-style transcriptions which retain every repetition, hesitation and diversion. On the other hand, it stays true to the ramshackle spirit of a time before music-business courses and arts funding were the norm. (Fiona Shepherd)

 Out now.

ALBUMS LOS BITCHOS

Talkie Talkie (City Slang)

What better way to shake off any sophomore album uncertainty than by beginning with a literal ‘Hi!’ in sarcasmtinged unison, followed by a ‘suck on that one, bitch!’ to close that opening track. As a mainly instrumental project, Los Bitchos continue to use vocals sparingly but with gusto. At the top of Talkie Talkie, there seems to be an immediate desire to introduce themselves more personally and invite listeners into the raucous party their music naturally inhabits.

Still firmly set in the rhythms of South American cumbia with a topcoat of Turkish psych, Talkie Talkie doesn’t stray too far from the genetic core of Los Bitchos that we’ve come to know. The differences emerge from occasional ventures into psych rock and 80s synth pop, particularly in ‘Hi!’ and ‘Talkie Talkie, Charlie Charlie’ which feature heavier electric guitars and drums. Colombian guacharaca and tango (two styles central to synth and keytar player Agustina Ruiz’s upbringing) embed themselves in tracks such as ‘Kiki, You Complete Me’ and ‘Tango & Twirl’. But without fail, around every genre bend comes another foot-stomping beat and euphoric hook.

Always filled with joy and humour, nothing about Los Bitchos’ music feels pretentious or overly earnest. Even face-melting solos are delivered with camp theatricality, while repetitive grooves beg to be given some of the band’s silly signature choreography. Once the melodies on this new record have time to fuse into the minds of listeners, they are sure to seduce in the same way as 2022’s Let The Festivities Begin! did and create the perfect live-show soundtrack.

(Megan Merino)

 Released on Friday 30 August.

MORE THINGS WORTH STAYING IN FOR

A packed period of things to do indoors or consume on your travels include a concept album about an iconic pilot, a comedy video game set in a made-up Yorkshire town, and a revolutionary police force in hot pursuit of a serial killer

ALBUMS

CHRYSTABELL & DAVID LYNCH

The acclaimed director and his current muse (Chrysta Bell played an FBI agent in Twin Peaks’ 2017 return) collaborate for Cellophane Memories, a mood album full of ‘crepuscular highways and darkened bedrooms’. Pretty Lynchian, in other words.

n Sacred Bones, Friday 2 August.

LAURIE ANDERSON

Amelia is the first album in six years from the pioneer who once put on a concert for dogs. This collection is inspired by pilot Amelia Earhart who went missing in 1937 while attempting to circumnavigate the globe.

n Nonesuch, Friday 30 August.

BOOKS

EVA BALTASAR

This Catalan poet and novelist publishes Mammoth which features a disenchanted young woman attempting to live a different life; so she befriends a shepherd, fights stray cats and dabbles in sex work.

n And Other Stories, Tuesday 6 August.

GAMES FROSTPUNK 2

Set 30 years after a blizzard has ravaged Earth, our world is now a chilly and brutal wasteland. This survival game puts you directly in the line of fire (and ice) as daft humans attempt to regain a foothold.

n 11 bit studios, Thursday 25 July.

THANK GOODNESS YOU’RE HERE!

Fans of Yorkshire folklore will have a blast here in this comedy caper about the strange (and fictional) town of Barnsworth. And don’t worry, your ears aren’t deceiving you: that is Matt Berry you can hear.

n Panic Inc, Thursday 1 August.

PODCASTS

FAMOUSLY

This new series is split across two themes (In Love and On Trial), as hosts including Larry Dean and Stacey Dooley take a wry peek at celebrity love stories and personalities having very public spats.

n BBC Sounds, new episodes available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

TV THE DECAMERON

A top-notch cast has been gathered for this latest attempt to adapt Boccaccio’s series of novellas from the 14th century. Zosia Mamet, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Tony Hale and Leila Farzad lead the way.

n Netflix, Thursday 25 July.

LAS AZULES

This heavily anticipated Spanish-language drama is set in 1971 and explores the four women who sought to breach the ultra-conservative Mexican police force and form a women-only brigade. Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose and our quartet is determined to ensnare them.

n Apple+, Wednesday 31 July.

LORD OF THE RINGS

We’re deep into the fabled Second Age of Middleearth’s history with kingdoms rising in glory and falling in ruin, while the threat of a terrible evil stalks everyone. Rory Kinnear joins the cast.

n Prime Video, Thursday 29 August.

The Decameron (and bottom from left), Chrystabell & David Lynch, Famously, Thank Goodness You’re Here!

back

PICTURE: JAMIE NOISE

THE Q& A WITH WILL YOUNG

After winning Pop Idol in 2002, Will Young never looked back. The evergreen lad has recorded bestselling songs, won Brit Awards and was nominated for an Olivier with his role in Cabaret. Ahead of an autumn tour, he prepares to unleash his ninth studio album, Light It Up, by taking on our intense Q&A, in which he considers existentialism, espionage and exfoliation pads

Who would you like to see playing you in the movie about your life? David Tennant. He’s perfectly kooky and emotionally vulnerable.

Who do you think the casting people would choose? Probably a Care Bear.

What’s the punchline to your favourite joke? I hate chickens.

If you were to return in a future life as an animal, what would it be? A chicken.

If you were playing in an escape room name two other people (well-known or otherwise) you’d recruit to help you get out? Stephen Fry and Bear Grylls.

When was the last time you were mistaken for someone else and what were the circumstances? Gareth Gates. It happens about once a week; this time it was in an airport.

What’s the best cover version ever? José Feliciano’s ‘Light My Fire’ or Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie’. Please don’t make me choose.

Whose speaking voice soothes your ears? I wish there were more. Probably my hypnotherapist.

Which famous person would be your ideal holiday companion? Emma Bunton.

Tell us something you wish you had discovered sooner in life? Hypnotherapy.

Describe your perfect Saturday evening? Not living in existential angst. Being with people who make me laugh. Or group therapy. Or both.

If you were a ghost, who would you haunt? Abusive teachers and anyone cruel to animals.

If you could relive any day of your life, which one would it be? Winning Pop Idol. It was such fun!

What’s your earliest recollection of winning something? I won nail varnish at a summer fête . . . but I cheated.

Did you have a nickname at school that you were ok with? And can you tell us a nickname you hated? I never had any nicknames. I didn’t like being called ‘Youngy’ though.

What tune do you find it impossible not to get up and dance to, whether in public or private? ‘Golden’ by Jill Scott or Beastie Boys’ ‘Intergalactic’.

By decree of your local council, you’ve been ordered to destroy one room in your house and all of its contents. Which room do you choose? Bathroom: too many old sun creams and exfoliation pads.

If you were to start a tribute act to a band or singer, who would it be in tribute to and what would it be called? Aretha Franklin. It would be called Aretha Franklin In Male Form.

When were you most recently astonished by something? My tulips coming up through the soil.

As an adult, what has a child said to you that had a powerful impact? Why are you so sad?

Tell us one thing about yourself that would surprise people? I could have been a very good 400 metre runner.

When did you last cry? That was yesterday.

What’s the most hi-tech item in your home? Electric bin.

What’s a skill you’d love to learn but never got round to? Guitar or speaking French.

If you were selected as the next 007, where would you pick as your first luxury destination for espionage? Slough.

Light It Up is released by BMG on Friday 9 August; Will Young plays Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Friday 4 October, and Clyde Rooms, Glasgow, Saturday 5 October.

2

1 2 3

Proving there was always life after that loser Romeo, Olivier Award-winning & Juliet considers a different path for Shakespeare’s teenage heroine. This jukebox Juliet, with tunes by Britney, Ke$ha, Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson and Pink, comes to Glasgow’s King’s Theatre (Tuesday 13–Saturday 24 August).

As part of Fruitmarket’s 50th birthday celebrations, artist and performer Jill Smith (the first woman ever to be programmed by the Edinburgh gallery) has been on a Zodiac Journey through the Outer Hebrides. Smith has undertaken a series of ‘ritual actions’ which will culminate in a Fruitmarket show this December.

Looking lean and hungry, the 1988 version of Pixies captured above had them just two months shy of releasing their classic full debut Surfer Rosa. New albums have been forthcoming since then but everyone knows that peak Pixies happens live, so get along to O2 Academy Glasgow on Tuesday 20 August.

PICTURE: MATTHEW MURPHY

PICTURE: TOM SHEEHAN

PICTURE: MHAIRI LAW