Live in Edinburgh This Week – 6th September 2009
You could drink yourself into a coma going to every interesting gig in Edinburgh this week. I think I might need a few orange juice gigs, if just to vaguely preserve both liver and waistline. Although it may be too late for both, I have to admit. I think I am going to start driving to gigs (tonight is by necessity, but we’ll see how it goes) just as a way of forcing myself to stick to fizzy water or some such beverage.
Maybe Skinny Water, perhaps (thank you Cogstar), a drink so monumentally stupid that I have stared at that ridiculous primary school website for hours trying to figure out if the damn thing is a hoax or not. It’s so ridiculous I keep thinking that it really must be a piss-take, but it really does appear to be water laced with imaginary weight-reducing ingredients.
As their website claimed*, the water “has been enhanced with a unique combination of ingredients to help you lose weight… suppress appetite, block carbohydrates from converting into fat and increase fat burning”.
This website, on the other hand, claims that this is most ludicrous pile of horse manure to hit the public domain in ages. Although, thinking about it, this product is so transparently idiotic that I find it hard to blame the manufacturers, or the designers of that comedy website. Honestly, if you are so fucking stupid as to fall for this sort of infantile idiocy then you deserve to be ripped off and, honestly, you deserve the continuing cycle of desperate, futile hope followed by the despair of inevitable failure and decimated self-esteem that this sort of obsessive weight mania will certainly bring you. Jesus fucking Christ, if you’re too fat (which I am) then either just accept it and enjoy your life, or get some fucking exercise.
Monday 7th September 2009: The Bowery Re-Opening Party with Dan Costello & Wounded Knee.
I have missed the Bowery over the Festival. Somewhere sane to go would have been appreciated in amongst all the carnage, but Jane and Ruth are back now and celebrate that fact tonight.
Tuesday 8th September 2009: The Pineapple Chunks & X Lion Tamer at Electric Circus.
How these two rather mental bands are going to complement one another on a bill is anyone’s guess, but I really like both and am definitely looking forward to this – unhinged guitar indie and dancey electro stuff. And incidentally, X Lion Tamer has a new EP out, called Neon Hearts, which is available in Avalanche Records on Cockburn Street as of right about now.
The Pineapple Chunks – Art Storage
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Wednesday 9th September 2009: Willard Grant Conspiracy & Doghouse Roses at Sneaky Pete’s.
The Willard Grant Conspiracy are one of my favourite bands ever. Robert Fisher’s voice is deep and rich, and his songs go from the desperate ballad to lovely alt-country to grinding tension, often in the same album. There is no chance I am missing this gig.
Willard Grant Conspiracy – Evening Mass
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Thursday 10th September 2009: Meursault vs Dead Boy Robotics vs Foundling Wheel at the Voodoo Rooms.
Versus gigs are a bit risky in some senses – how to keep the pace up without garbling things, how to get enough interplay between the bands to stop it simply being a standard gig with a shuffled playlist, all sorts of things – but I love the idea in general. The styles on show this evening are pretty varied too, which I think is a good thing.
Friday 11th September 2009: Neko Case at the Voodoo Rooms.
Neko Case has, simply, one of the most gorgeous voices around. I’ve seen her live before and she is lovely – charismatic, charming and a superb performer. There’s a lot on this Friday, so I don’t know if I’m likely to be able to make it, but I really want to go to this.
Neko Case – Tightly
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Friday 11th September 2009: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Come On Gang & Dupec play This is Music at Sneaky Pete’s.
Totally Enormous what? Fucking hell, you really should go for the name alone. This is Music nights are brilliant fun, and this is just that kind of carefree, enjoyable lineup which makes them good.
Saturday 12th September 2009: The Jesus H. Foxx EP Launch at the Bowery, with Some Young Pedro & Golden Ghost.
YES, the offical Song, by Toad Records release of Matter, by Jesus H. Foxx! I don’t know why I ever even wanted to be a record label, but one of the reasons was to be involved with, and make a contribution to, music which I bloody love. I am absolutely thrilled to have this EP on the label and really looking forward to the launch night. I’ve never seen either Some Young Pedro or Golden Ghost before either, so even more room to be excited.
Jesus H. Foxx – Trying to Be Good
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*Until people pointed out that it was total bollocks and they decided to change it.
super
Super indeed. Really super.
i’ve just read that also…..and thought nearly the same…..but the difference was i thought the world is full of shite thick blonde bimbos who will believe this screaming shite.
Well, apparently it’s already been featured on GMTV and Grazia.
I really don’t know what to say.
It’s unbelievable.
X-Lion Tamer EP is in Avalanche (at least the promo is) and is available to download as two separate singles from Itunes etc..Thanks for people’s kind words about it, please go and buy it. and leave feedback!
Oh, and Wounded Knee is fab as well…
Woohoo! They’re going to be making out like bandits!
I’m sure I read something about a man in NYC selling tap water in bottles and making lots of money. In fact, here it is reported in some American paper…
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/company_sells_nyc_tap_water_fo.html
Mind boggling.
Oh my fucking god. Thanks. I’ve just realised Neko is here in Glasgow tonight and I had no fucking idea. Fuck. Will it have sold out you reckon?
first of all, that Jesus H Foxx song is lush! I can’t say enough about how much I love what they’re doing, honest, xx.
You can keep Neko Case, thanks. And I’m glad to see you’ve come out as a Pineapple Chunk lover. I’ve got to track that album down.
And as to this whole fatness and non-calorie water nonsense,the level of ignorance and idiocy about the issue can only be surpassed by attitudes of people here in the US regarding sex education. I reckon just as many believe that you can get fat drinking the wrong kind of water as believe you can prevent pregnancy by douching with a can of diet coke immediately after sex. (no, that’s not a joke. It’s a commonly held misconception by people between ages 15-50.)
I think I prefer the male post-coital ritual of rolling over and going to sleep, myself.
Jimbob – absolutely no idea. There’s been barely a squeak of publicity about it over here, but then the Festival drowns out so much that it must have been a swine to publicise.
Broken Records are playing Herriott (?) Watt Student Union on Thursday. Not sure what the banter is with getting tickets if you are non students, but it is happening anyhoo.
Also reserve a ticket for the foxes ep launch, new song sounds very good.
No worries. Heriot Watt? I know I always miss something, but no surprises I didn’t see that one – they’re hardly a renowned gig venue. But then, it is Freshers’ Week isn’t it, so actually that could be a mental show.
See you Saturday old chap.
ho hum….my memory maybe failing me…but…oh i don’t care!
Ooo, Willard Grant Conspiracy! Any chance of that long-promised Bob Fisher Toad Session?
i still can’t believe that the Willard Grant Conspiracy are playing the shitehole (regardless of the fact i’m becoming rather fond of the place) that is Sneaky Pete’s!!!
Hey, just a mention that the totally excellent ‘Scrim’ are also playing at the Electric Circus tonight (for some reason it wasn’t listed) if anyone was considering going along. Also there’s a quiz, which if you go to, you can stay for the music for free. Might also be ‘drinks promos’, but not sure if that’s just for the quiz or all night.
Hopefully see you there!
Not just ‘a bloke’ selling bottled water, Pepsi did it too: http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/27/news/companies/pepsi_coke/
As for Skinny Water: incredible. Cynical, yes, but amazing. The company itself acknowledges they’re relying on the stupidity of the public: http://www.skinnywater.co.uk/images/PR/Telegraph_22nd-January.jpg
Anyway, Neko Case. That’ll be nice.
“Douching with a can of coke immediately after sex”? Am I the only one with an image of a spotty teen scrubbing his nether regions in coca-cola post coitus? Or does douching mean just having a drink? Also, does type of coke matter? A virgin, for example, would “pop his cherry coke”.
I’d like to stick up for Heriott Watt actually. Keith Easton who runs the Union there has tried very hard to put on weekly shows of real quality for the past 2 years. He’s had some brilliant bands playing but due to a lack of numbers at the shows he’s had to cut back the number of shows he puts on. But, the venue is good, the way your treated by the staff is second to nobody in the city and he deserves more support to be honest. The location is not ideal I guess and I think people can’t be arsed going all the way out there to watch music. But if you take the time to jump on a 25 it only takes about 30 minutes and takes you straight to the door. Well worth the journey for BR.
But is it better than crack and oestrogen laced London tap water?
I somehow don’t think so.
Neko Case’s version of ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ is what I’d play at my funeral (but only if I was American, I suppose.)
There’s a two dayer at the GRV this weekend – the ‘Cocoon Festival’, with some really good names on the bill:
http://www.itsycollective.org/#/cocoon-times/4535529232
Voldermania – that is bloody gorgeous. There are some amazing versions of that tune out in the ether.
Euan – glad someone knows how to spell it! I have never been there, so I wasn’t criticising the place, it was more to do with the fact that I rarely see bills advertised there, so I don’t tend to check their listings.
Bart – I hardly know any of those, but it looks like a nice wee festival. I am busy as hell this weekend, so there’s no way I can go unfortunately, but if anyone fancies pottering along and penning a review that might be a nice idea…
I know you weren’t criticisng the place. I just wanted people to know that Keith puts on lots of good gigs. It’s a bigish venue, it’s only problem I guess is location, but if you can spare the time it’s a good place to catch a gig.
“Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina” I refer you to the ever faithful wiki So, it’s only the ladies that need do, and no, I don’t think the particular type matters, ha
Oh, it’s the WOMAN who gets pregnant isn’t it?
“Vaginal irrigation”? Thats conjuring up even worse images! I’m thinking creaky pipes and steam taps…..ugh.
Surely Versus nights are only ‘a bit risky’ when the door bitches are excessively drunk and stamping each other’s heads with the rubber stamp… Matthew and Neil?
This one is very well rehearsed and it will be the start of something special so do try and make it down.
We are making up the Jesus H. Foxx EPs that night, so I will be up as soon as I can.
Drunk? Whatever do you mean, drunk?
Sorry, that should obviously have read ‘tired and emotional’.
See you on Thursday then!
How does the Versus night thing work exactly?
They all set up together, then start out playing in a ‘battle of the bands’ way one after another, then start collaborating as things progress. I think.
Eeenteresting. I may have to saunter along.