Having already written the live listings for this week, I got a couple of emails about really interesting things happening as part of the Leith Festival and I think I should add a quick update here, because I reckon it’s stuff people will (or should) be interested in.

Leith is by some distance my favourite part of Edinburgh.  It has a reputation for being scummy – it is the old docks after all – but for all there are still some pretty ropey parts, that is a long, long way from being the truth these days.  Nowadays most of my favourite Edinburgh pubs and restaurants are to found either down by the Shore itself, or in the immediate vicinity of Leith Walk.

Also, for all Leith may not be all that scuzzy these days, it is still full of enough drunks, jakeys and weirdos that it feels a lot more like a proper city than the rest of Edinburgh, which can be a bit of an uptight middle class ghetto a lot of the time: very civilised, but everso slightly dull.

I also generally prefer the Leith Festival to the Edinburgh one, I must confess.  Partly because it feels a lot less deliberate, and is hence looser and more fun, and partly because I just prefer smaller, more manageable festivals in general.

Anyhow, the full music programme for the Leith Festival is here, but it can be a little overwhelming, so here are the highlights which have appeared in my inbox over the last day or so:

From Quiet Jon:

Also, The Wee Baby Jesuses (AKA Cheehi and Junior Judo from assorted Fence bands) will be playing a set of Tom Waits songs as part of The Leith Festival. Happening at The Village in Leith, Wednesday night, doors 8ish [i.e.: get moving - now!].

Should be fun.

From Liz:

On Thursday, as part of LeithLate, Elvis Shakespeare have Wounded Knee, Little Pebble, Blueflint and Withered Hand.  6pm to 8pm.

I’m not sending this email as a “plug” – I just thought you might be interested, personally, in the lineup [and you'd be right] and it has the added benefit of being free!

From Matthew from Pet:

We’re playing the Leithlate festival on thursday at the Pilrig Church supporting John Knox Sex Club, HRH and also playing are Sarah and the Snakes. Here’s the link to that bit of exciting spam…
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=202251416479280

So you see, when I do get spammed it tends to be in the politest, most apologetic manner imaginable.  And actually all three of those gigs look awesome, which is why I am passing them all on to you.