Celtic Connections 2011: Day 4 (16/1/11)

Extreme or just a bunch of twats?

 I'm ironing. How can anyone in a proper job ever find the time to iron. Why, when I stagger home in the morning, the rat race heading the other direction, are they all so beautifully pressed? Where do they find the time? It takes me twenty minutes of steam burns, gritted teeth and blue language to level my shirt. We are now late.

Shoot me. I'm extreme ironing.

Thankfully today we have the friendliest taxi driver and arrive only half an hour late. Soundchecks are tight for Hazy Recollections. All the bands are late. Luckily the box office is also late. Miraculously the entire event runs on time.

Arty Fufkin says kick my ass

It is a strange thing being on the other side of a gig. Usually all I care about is the quality of the music but now I'm commenting on bands in terms of punctuality and duration of set. Yeah they've got a great drummer but they started about two minutes late and over ran by seven minutes. They're never working in this town again. I catch myself asking Rick Redbeard if there's any way he can shave a few minutes off his set. If I was asked that I wouldn't go mental but I'd be all huffy and be muttering about being a professional etc. He took it really well. So well that I realised what a total tool I was being and asked him to tell me to fuck off. Am I turning into Arty Fufkin?

A very dangerous rabbit. Look at those evil eyes.

Hazy Recollections day. We're really excited. The bands are all great. We ran into Rachel Sermanni just before Christmas at the rehearsal rooms down at Berkeley 2. We're currently sharing a drummer. (Not as sordid as it sounds believe me) I was very impressed at how powerful her voice, and her whole band has become... like being savaged by a rabbit.

I think for me Humbert and Humbert stole the show. Backstage their two year old son warmed the harmonicas up for him mum. I asked if hed tuned his Dad's guitar yet. They start their instrument techs young in Japan.

A midnight fairy gliding.

Rick Redbeard's Glasgow version of 'The Shearin's No For You' called 'Kelvin Grove' was amazing. The song proved that what is locally referred to as 'Bummers Bush' has always been a late night meeting place with the line '...Where the Midnight fairies glide...'

By magic or luck, but probably magic I have a line up for the Late Night Session. Liz Carroll and John Doyle have leapt to my rescue. They perform a stunning set with Billy MacComesky. John's new song about The Irish Brigade fighting the IRB at Fredricksburg was great (American Civil War history fans unite!)

At last the weather has improved. It's so mild I think it's safe to wear only one jacket. The definition of optimism. A scottish person not carrying a raincoat. My mistrust of the weather forecast runs so deep that I find myself at the height of summer carrying a light waterproof with me everywhere.

NEW MUSIC:

Kevin Macleod. Beware his wrath.

Todays selection was supplied courtesy of the Kevin Macleod. The Art Club's golden god. He says check out:
Sia
The Pupini Sisters

SIGHT OF THE DAY:
Bands cracking open the quarter bottles of Buckfast to celebrate 5:38pm on sunday afternoon.
A very tired and emotional 'Love and Money' trying to line up for a photo. The moody lighting of the Late Night Session and their swaying plays havoc with the iPhone's camera.

DAYS OFF THE FAGS: 10
DAYS OFF THE BOOZE: 0... I only had one last night though... only one stinking Carlesberg. Not the one from Ice Cold In Alex. More like the one from Luke Warm in Linlithgow.

LIST OF ACTS
Me
Gordon Duncan and Friends (Ali Hutton, Laura Beth Salter, Innes Watson, Calum MacCrimmon and Kevin O Neill)
Iain 'Fingers' Forbes
Liz Carroll, John Doyle and Billy McComesky
Speirs and Boden with Saltfish 40.
Suzanne Houston and Friends
and to finish... Gillian Frame and I