:: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 ::

Norman Blake and David Scott


Norman Blake and David Scott, originally uploaded by alister.

Norman Blake and David Scott
The Vaselines
Dunfermline Carnegie Hall 16/05/2008

Last Friday saw a great gig at Dunfermline's Carnegie Hall as part of Tigerfest. Not only did we have Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake joining David Scott of the Pearlfishers we also had one of the first gigs by the reformed Vaselines.

The Vaselines

The Vaselines are Scottish indie legends. A big part of that is their adoption by Kurt Cobain and Nirvana who covered three of their songs. Several years down the road and Eugene and Francis look like someone's Mum and Dad and are backed by four members of Belle and Sebastian. It's like a Scottish indie royal family. A great set though.



Norman and David have a string section which fits nicely with the comfortable seats and excellent acoustics of the Carnegie Hall. They play a mixture of TFC, Pearlfishers and cover songs with a few solo compositions. My personal favourite being Norman Blake's 'Baby Lee'.





Uh, I also saw a peacock window-shopping. Dunfermline, what a town.

peacock in dunfermline


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:: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 ::

Rachel Unthank and the Winterset


Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, originally uploaded by alister.

Rachel Unthank and the Winterset live at Edinburgh Voodoo Rooms 9th May 2008.

I was joking before this gig that we were in for an hour and a half of songs about domestic violence in the Nineteenth century. And the first two songs were...about domestic violence in the Nineteenth century. Or possibly the early Twentieth. But what songs. Judging by the small rooms they are still playing there are still plenty of people who have never heard of Rachel Unthank and the Winterset. If you are one of them then check them out immediately. Far from being bleak they are brilliant natural musicians who play with joy and vitality.

Check out their myspace for a flavour.


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:: Friday, May 09, 2008 ::

Lost Things I Would Like Back


Old Town Map 4, originally uploaded by alister.

Save Our Old Town are campaiging against the sell-off of chunks of the historic old-town to developers. The Canongate and the rest of the old town are not just shortbread tin tourist theme parks, they are reall communities where working class people have lived generation after generation for hundreds of years. These pictures show how residents view their own area as a place to grow up and to live and how it has changed.

More here


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:: Monday, May 05, 2008 ::

Saving Our Old Town on Mayday



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Mayday 2008


Mayday 2008, originally uploaded by alister.

Good weather and a decent turnout for Mayday this year with speeches including Seamus Milne, Colombian trades-unionists and others. Will try to post some video later. Meantime here is an anarcho pirate.


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