My short companion and myself are in London for the weekend, so there will be a paucity of posting until perhaps Sunday evening or some time on Monday.

I understand how devastating this will be for you all, but such is life. I can’t spend all my time keeping you muppets entertained you know. Bugger off and do something a little more wholesome like surf internet porn or get drunk and shag someone you shouldn’t.  Face it, I’m nothing like as diligent as a certain Villain we all know and love.

I’ll be going to see Andrew Bird at the Scala while I’m down, so there’ll be a review of that one to look forward to in the near future. Having read how much the lovely Marcy enjoyed it, I am positively twitchy with anticipation for this one.

I miss my old London pals actually. I lived there for about three years and loved the place. People in Edinburgh have this sort of insecure reflex whereby they have to instantly assert London’s inferiority, long and loud, as soon as you mention not having hated the place. I think this comes from the fact that quite a few folk from here move down to London at some point (both places have huge financial industries, for example), miss the more laid back pace of life and move back up quite quickly. Generally, they seem nervous that this is seen as some kind of cop out and that people will think less of them for it, particularly someone who loves London, like myself. It’s weird though. Try saying you love London around Edinburgh people, they really don’t like it.

I don’t personally care, myself. I like both cities, they are in no way comparable and I am quite happy to like both for different reasons. So, a few days meeting up with old pals, and I’ll be back with you all early next week. And by way of apology, lots and lots of songs with this one.

Calexico – Guns of Brixton
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Grief Came Riding[
The Men They Couldn’t Hang – Blackfriars Bridge
The Pogues – The Dark Streets of London
Cinerama – London
Saint Etienne – London Belongs to Me
Frank Turner – The Ladies of London Town