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.

Well, I am now eight working days away from shiftless unemployment becoming a wildly successful entrepreneur, and as mental a move as this might be I am very, very excited to get going.  I am an obssessive type, as you probably know by now, and I need projects to get just a little bit too focussed on, so this should be perfect.

Anyhow, the inital lineup for the Edge Festival has been announced.  So far so moderately interesting, with bands like Eels, The Low Anthem, Broken Records and Beirut on the bill.  These things tend to get better as they get closer, so I reckon that’s a pretty bloody solid start – now we just need to talk Eels into a Toad Session!

Eels – Not Ready Yet

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In other news, The Pop Cop (see image, but with added sexy) is back online.  After Google decided that simply being accused of something was at least as good as actually doing it and deleted the Pop Cop’s entire original site there was an extensive campaign on Jason’s behalf, but Google did precisely nothing.  I know the appalling DMCA obliges them to remove material accused of copyright violation (not actually in violation of copyright, you understand, merely accused of being so) but it does not dictate their customer service policy, and I have to say their ‘fuck off customers’ approach is an interesting one.  Not entirely novel of course, the music industry have been at it for years, but interesting nevertheless.

Oh, and in terms of festivals, the Leith Festival is now underway, with eagleowl and Blueflint at the Village tonight.  That’s a really nice venue actually, and I really do recommend getting along if you can.  The rest of the musical events can be found here, so have a dig through them – Leith is by some distance my favourite place for a pint in and around Edinburgh, and the Leith Festival will hopefully be less overrun by Southern students and their zany antics than the Edinburgh Festival.  Zany fucking antics.  Yeuch.

Oh, and at the Roxy on Wednesday 16th we have Pekko Kappi and Alasdair Roberts in another Braw Trails gig -  a collaboration between Tracer Trails and Braw Gigs, as well as Lissie, Alan Pownall and The Boy Who Trapped the Sun at the Electric Circus.

Alan Pownall – The Others

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And then on Thursday we have El Mató A Un Policía Motorizado, Debutant and Plastic Animals at the Voodoo Rooms, which also looks rather interesting. And that, Toaderinos, is that.

This is the beginning of what Milo has already pointed out is going to be a monumental period of carousing.  Last week was very, very quiet in terms of gigs, but if you paid any attention to that then the sense of security into which you might have been lulled would very much have been a false one.  Because it all kicks off in earnest this week, and if anything next could be even heavier.  Livers of Edinburgh beware!

From my own perspective I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, in the sense that the year’s tasks are approaching their completion.  This will be a monumental relief, and believe me, that last week before Christmas will be spent going to bed at about ten at night.  Until then though, no rest for the wicked.  Or the stupid.

Thursday 3rd December 2009: There Will Be Fireworks & St. Jude’s Infirmary, with solo acoustic sets from Meursault & Broken Records for the Avalanche Album Club party at the Caves.

There Will Be Fireworks’ album didn’t entirely capture my imagination, I have to confess, sounding a bit too much like an amalgalm of The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit, but they have sold a hell of a lot of copies of it off their own backs after very few gigs and a lot of very good reviews, so they are definitely doing something right.  For me this implies that I should be paying a bit more attention to what they’re doing, and this is the first time in a while they’ve played Edinburgh.

Thursday 3rd December: The Pictish Trail, Rachel & Laura Lancaster & Tisso Lake play Leith Tape Club at the Isolounge.

The Leith Tape Club is one of the nicest nights in Edinburgh.  Rachel and Laura Lancaster more commonly go under the name of Chippewa Falls (when the drummer is present), and Ian from Tisso Lake has a gorgeous voice and a really engaging solo set.  And that Pictish Trail fellow isn’t bad either!

The Pictish Trail – You Covered the Earth With Your Thumb (Toad Session)

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Friday 4th December 2009: Deer Tick at Sneaky Pete’s.

This is a low key gig, but I really would recommend it.  Deer Tick’s album War Elephant really is good, and apparently they’re excellent live.  There are elements of folk and indie rock in the album, although I suppose if you wanted a gigantic generalised banner to pop it under then I would probably use the term Americana.  Either way, highly recommended.

Deer Tick – Ashamed

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Friday 4th December 2009: Fanattica & Blueflint at the Penicuik Arts Centre.

I know I generally don’t cover out of town gigs – it’s all I can do to stay even vaguely on top of local ones – but Penicuik almost counts, and this one intrigued me anyway.  I’ve never been to Penicuik Arts Centre, but the flyer for this promises candlelight and an open fire.  Buses run regularly to and from Penicuik all night apparently, so if you’re looking for a romantic evening this week, and I never ever thought I would hear myself say this, Penicuik might actually be the place to be.

Friday 4th December 2009: FOUND, Meursault & Panda Su play the Ten Tracks Christmas bash at the Roxy Art House.

I think this might be Meursault’s last gig of the year, for which I would imagine they will all be truly grateful.  Being a record label is fucking hard work, but when people put this much effort into their band then it never seems like a chore for a moment.  FOUND have been playing new album material recently, and I have yet to see any of it, so I am not going to miss this.

FOUND – Mullokian

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Saturday 5th December 2009: Schwervon, Withered Hand, the Pineapple Chunks & Enfant Bastard at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

Our Christmas party (ie, our personal one, nothing to do with Toad) happens on this particular evening, and I am sizing up the likelihood of being able to sneak out to see such a cracking lineup without Mrs. Toad taking a big stick to my gentleman’s appendage.  Unlikely, I think, which is a shame because in terms of general wonkiness this bill includes three of Edinburgh’s best bands if you ask me.  And all different, too.  Shite.

The Pineapple Chunks – Art Storage

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Saturday 5th October 2009: The Last Battle single launch at Carter’s Bar.

Another rather intriguing gig here.  Single release?  Already?  Wow!  The Last Battle haven’t been going that long, but have already snuck up on my blind side with a new single, which they’ll be launching at Carter’s Bar, just down the road from Henry’s, on Saturday night.