Happy Birthday! The List's 25th Birthday Party

The List has been an indispensable publication regards finding out about things enjoyable, entertaining and enlightening in Scotland and beyond (up until The Skinny came along!). Friday night was it's quarter century birthday.

Fantastic Line-Up, a 'Loud Room' with Come On Gang (First experience of them - Excellent and fun!) King Creosote, Errors - as well as - curated by upcoming publishing company Cargo, a 'Quiet Room', which got less so as the night progressed.

So attached above are a couple of 'mobile phone' drawings, one of the acerbically talented Malcolm Middleton playing beautiful instrumentals with an occasional teasing amount of lyrics as his latest guise 'Human Don't Be Angry', with the other drawing of Alasdair Roberts legendary self.

This was a night off for me however, so I was merely there to observe and listen, not to draw. It was difficult though, and my lack of drawing distracted my attention.

Bear in mind these drawings are less than half the size when I'm actually drawing them. Disadvantage to Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is that it doesn't zoom like Brushes or Sketchbook Pro on your iPod/iPhone/iPad can. You just get what you see though it makes for some interesting stylistic mark making. (These particular pictures were lots of fun to make!) I can admit that. I will.

Sounded like a great line-up of DJs/dance music from the likes of JG Wilkes, Kris Wasabi, Joe Howe and the Pretty Ugly DJs, though I'll be honest, I missed most of them. Also missed Den Haan as spent most of the night in the 'literary' room where I saw the very lovely and superliciously talented Anneliese Mackintosh, RM Hubbert, playing a really heartfelt performance, as well as the young and gifted Allan Wilson who was selected for the very exciting new collection/book from Cargo Publishing - 'The Year of Open Doors'.

Left around 2.15am after the totally magic Graeme Ronald of Remember Remember, his many gadjets, gismos, pedals and guitar, not discounting his can of Iron-Bru. (Also, I swear to god, he has a pedal like the one from the spaceship in Flight of the Navigator, I kid you not!) I can't WAIT for his album launch coming up at Stereo on 5th of November (Remember Remember Kids, Remember Remember.) It will be AMAZING.

I wonder how Hidden Doors went during the weekend. I hate not being able to be in two places, or even 3 at one time, but a girl's got to do, what a girl's got to do. I also missed Ballboy, The Just Joans and The Bobby McGees as part of Edinburgh's Popfest. Grrrr.

Frost and Fire, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow

Sokobauno Puppet Theatre featuring Corpse Baby/Doll

Keith John Adams

Detail of the Corpse Baby/Doll dancing with Keith John Adams

Three Songs from Jenny Reeve

Alasdair Roberts

What a well crafted line-up, what top class artists/musicians/performers, and what a great experience. Unexpected audience participation, a dancing baby doll corpse with an antique silver brush dog, short sets, long sets, darkness, light and laughter, infanticide, St Columbus's Oxter packet - the ultimate cure for depression and a girl called Emma with a dilemma who maybe felt a tremor.

The first night of many in this intimate little venue in The Citizen's Theatre, with The Sokobauno Puppet Theatre, Keith John Adams, Jenny Reeve and Alasdair Roberts it was a line up as eclectically different but as invariably connected as you could get. Good energy in the room, wonderful wordings, and good exchange between audience and artist. Top notch commendations to Howie Reeve from Tattie Toes and multi-experimentalist musician himself for the quality assemblage.

Ballads of the Book - Pictures

What a fantastic day this was! Pity on those who didn't make it into a sell out gig. It really was a feast for all the senses. Great Accoustic, Electric, Readings, DJ's, atmosphere and art?!
Highlights?
Aidan Moffat's poetry and onstage performance is always provocative, darkly humerous and brilliant. He's also a great musician and DJ. And he did the design work for the Ballads album. Is there no end to this man's talent? Think I'll write to him and tell him he's not allowed any more.
Burnt Island, Karine Polwart and Alasdair Roberts performed some stunning music/songs. Foxface were even better than the last time I saw them - D.John is also another man with too much talent. James Yorkston was great with his fellow musicians on stage. I like his gigs but he's a difficult personality to get to know. Emma Pollock was great. Norman Blake sucked - only 2 songs! Didn't give me any time to get right in to what his music is/was - still none the wiser. Missed Sons and Daughters, and King Creosote, but I'm saving up to manufacture another me, so that next time I can indeed be in two places at once!
If anyone wants a visual souvenir/print from £18, mail me at info@jennysoep.com and grab a bargain while I'm cheap enough! Some Originals still left for sale as well if you're lucky enough to get them before they're sold out!
Photos of Expo by Andy Wilson