The Rah's EP launch - 26 May

Drawing influences from modern-day heroes like Kasabian and Arctic Monkeys, their music is also coloured by the lads’ love of era-defining sounds from Hendrix & The Stones: combining together to make The Rah’s distinctive and appealing sound.

In a couple of weeks’ time, the band will be launching their Give Me Life EP at Cabaret Voltaire, supported by two big names in the Edinburgh music scene, Greg Pearson and The 10:04s.

Promoted by This Is Sound, The Rah’s EP launch on 26 May is all set to let the good times – and, of course, the good music – roll.

Tickets for The Rah’s EP launch can be bought online at Tickets Scotland and are also available from Ripping Records.

Camille O'Sullivan - Feel

Although the light reflecting off a mirrored fascinator half-obscuring her face dances across the walls and ceiling during the number, the singer’s presence flits and soars throughout the venue during the whole of this powerful and immensely enjoyable performance.

Like a bumper version of her much-loved and acclaimed Fringe shows, tonight’s show – part of her UK ‘Feel’ tour – lasts over two hours. This allows Camille to air tracks from her new LP Changeling; as well as a host of past favourites from previous shows: an opportunity she seems to relish as much as the audience.

We therefore get the raw unaccompanied power of Amsterdam and the glittering glamour of In These Shoes; sharing Camille’s songbook with the pounding bitterness of Hurt and the fatalistic romanticism of Brompton Oratory.

Camille makes the cover versions very much her own, wringing the emotion from each song: whether lust and passion; or – more usually – heartbreaking sorrow. Yet, even though the songs edge towards the dark edge of the spectrum, her stage presence and between-song interaction with the crowd avoid the risk of things getting oppressive.

It’s testament to the talent of Camille and her trio of musicians that the show contains no filler; nor does it lag for a moment, with a well-balanced and varied set holding attention throughout. Musically, her band demonstrate a range and versatility to equal the singer’s own: able to drop things down to a barely-audible beat, then ramp things up to a more raucous rhythm with ease.

As the place where she first began to taste her deserved success, Edinburgh holds a special place in Camille’s heart. On the basis of the standing ovation she receives after tonight’s extended encore, that love – like the light from the mirrors during True Love Waits – is reflected straight back at her.

Caught amidst the conflicts of the 1980s Cold War and his own personal relationships, dreamer Craig (Matt Robertson) has a vision: to build a monument of modern-day megaliths to rival Stonehenge on a patch of disused land near Dundee.

Used to his schemes and deals, long-suffering fiancee Kim (LaVerne Hawthorne) is at first sceptical. Then, as Craig’s plan looks set to turn from dreams into reality, she too is caught up in his excitement: until the things he has to do to convince the politicians, bureaucrats and landowners to endorse his plan begin to threaten their relationship.

Standing Stanes is the latest production from Leith-based theatre company Siege Perilous, and the first to be staged in their new home at Malmaison. Director Andy Corelli takes Robert Ballantine’s never-performed absurdist romp and has a great deal of fun with it, using a sparse set and an intimate venue to recreate all the booms and busts of the 80s, to a cleverly woven scene-specific soundtrack.

Thus we see Derek Banner’s deranged government boffin arranging the set to the sounds of Thomas Dolby’s She Blinded Me With Science; and Robertson, Banner and fourth cast member Mark Kydd dancing a perfectly-choreographed punchup to the strains of Cameo’s Word Up.

The cast appear to be having an equal amount of fun with the piece: Kydd and Banner in particular as they slip on a variety of metaphorical masks in a number of comic supporting roles. Robertson is a likable lead, and portrays Craig’s impossible-to-dampen enthusiasm with aplomb. Hawthorne is excellent in both of her main roles: as Kim, a surprisingly well-rounded character amidst the rest of Standing Stanes’ caricatures; and as the hippy femme fatale Penelope, who slinkily makes Craig a fateful offer he can’t refuse.

As the piece gathers an increasingly absurd momentum, revolving around the plot device of an anti-Communist sterilising ray, Corelli’s direction (aided by technical assistance from Kirstin Rodger, Dave Moffat and Caitlin McBride) comes into its own. Somehow, he manages to pull off scenes which flit from the dark corridors of Whitehall power to open-air rock concerts without causing confusion; and instead of lagging, the piece romps along at a satisfying pace throughout its 75-minute length.

Though it may not have the permanence of the monument of its title, Standing Stones is an effortlessly enjoyable and playful piece that consistently entertains. And, despite being set in unemployment-ridden Britain in the 80s, it has little in the way of political message or heavy-handed satire. Instead, its central themes are more the stuff of fairytales: how a hero’s determination will always succeed; and, of course, how love can conquer all.

Standing Stanes runs until 8 May at Malmaison, Leith at 8pm (with a 4pm performance on 5 May). Tickets are available online here, or can be purchased at the venue.

Camille O'Sullivan - Feel

Camille will of course be back in August, where she’ll be appearing in the Fringe once again; and also for the first time as part of the Edinburgh International Festival in The Rape of Lucrece.

She’ll also be dropping by Edinburgh next week at the Queen’s Hall as part of her UK Feel Tour, where on Tuesday 8 May she’ll reprise last year’s Fringe success in the acoustically-blessed venue in Clerk Street.

Expect songs to tug at your heart, to set shivers racing up and down your spine; and more than a few to get your feet stomping too, in a show which will see Camille open her storybook full of classics and tell them in her own unique and mesmerising style.

Ticket information is available on The Queen’s Hall website.

Solid Air by Marc Marnie

However big the star however, Marnie captures not only their onstage energy but a little of their personality too. The late Amy Winehouse is depicted swept away by her muse; whilst a promo shot of singer Camille O’Sullivan shows her looking pensive whilst sporting a pair of angel’s wings.

Solid Air by Marc Marnie

Devotees of photography will appreciate Marnie’s eye for composition and ability to capture the atmosphere of a live gig; whilst music fans will relish the opportunity to see some original shots of their favourite stars.

Solid Air is on show at The Village in S Forth St until 28 April. Entry is free.

A stronger stomach than is usually called for at The Lyceum may be required if you go to see The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Martin McDonagh’s black – and blood-spattered – comedy, directed by The Lyceum’s Mark Thomson.

Mad Padraic (Peter Campion) tortures drug dealers in warehouses, dreams of setting up a more extreme splinter group from the INLA, and only loves one other living thing: his cat, being looked after back home in Galway by his drunken father, Donny (Christopher Fairbank).

When Wee Thomas is found in the road after having exhausted all nine of his lives, Donny and childish Davey (Rory Murphy) panic, fearing what form of retribution Padraic will visit on them when he returns home to find his beloved moggy buried in the potato patch.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is typical McDonagh fare: colloquial dialogue that zips past your ear like airgun pellets; and set pieces which veer from the ridiculous to the violent. Some may find a few of the scenes a little extreme; others may find the subject matter – which mostly ridicules the Irish revolutionaries, but at times flirts with romanticising them – not to their taste. It levels any such criticisms itself however, thanks to its comedic power and sheer absurdity.

Lyceum regulars Liam Brennan, Mark Prendergast and Jamie Quinn play a trio of INLA hitmen, and although their accents flit back and forth across the Irish Sea, they relish their gun-toting roles as they attempt to bring the rogue Padraic to heel.

Rose O’Loughlin is Mairead, a tomboyish revolutionary wannabe with a deadly aim, and she plays the borderline psychosis with more convincing menace than Padraic’s larger-than-life caricature killer. That said, Campion has a great deal of fun with his part, all manic stares and quick-draw fury. Fairbank as the poitín-sodden Donny and Murphy as the bicycle-loving Davey put in the best performances, however; an entertaining double act who get most of the best lines and the biggest laughs.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a bold and often hilarious production, pulling no punches as it amuses and entertains throughout. High drama and explorations of the human condition are not to be found here; but a gory black comedy with several standout scenes is lurking in the wings. It’s to Thomson’s credit that he has brought a play as dark and guiltily entertaining as this to the Lyceum’s stage, showing the Edinburgh institution isn’t afraid of putting on something to cater for every taste.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore runs at The Lyceum until 12 May. Ticket information is available on The Lyceum website.

We’ve been big fans of Smoothiesforme since first hearing her music a few months ago.

The talented 17-year-old singer songwriter from Edinburgh has built up a huge and deserved following on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, and is now set to take things even further after being selected to appear at the influential goNORTH festival and event in Inverness in the summer.

Playing as part of the event’s music showcase, goNORTH will give Smoothiesforme the opportunity to rub shoulders with other bands and artists like Matt Norris & The Moon, The Stagger Rats and Stanley Odd; as well as the chance of being seen by a host of music industry & media professionals.

As she writes, records, produces and promotes all her own material, this is a great success for Smoothiesforme – and also shows just how much a talented artist can achieve through their own efforts.

So congratultions to Smoothiesforme for being chosen to go north in the summer!

You can follow Smoothiesforme and hear her music on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Her EP New Beginnings is available to download for free here.

The second of our free compilation albums featuring the best of Edinburgh’s local music scene, Sounds of the City: Volume 2 has something for everyone.

Folk, acoustic rock, pop, punk, grunge and blues: they’re all here, performed by a collection of artists who yet again prove how much musical talent Edinburgh has to offer.

So sit back and enjoy the music – or download the album for free here.

The plotting and scheming of 18th century Spanish aristocracy are willingly dragged through the ages and into the present-day boardrooms of the Scottish financial sector in this sparkling and witty adaptation of Beaumarchais’ original by DC Jackson, directed by the Lyceum’s Mark Thomson.

Figaro (Mark Prendergast) and his bride-to-be Suzanne (Nicola Roy) are poised to clinch two major deals: a merger with a major financial institution run by Stuart Bowman’s predatory Chief and Briony McRoberts world-weary Chair; and their impending marriage, to be conducted as a civil ceremony on the office’s 7th floor after the board meeting.

Needless to say, the course of true love (and back-stabbing business deals) doesn’t run smooth: with both Figaro and Suzanne being the subject of unwanted attentions that threaten to scupper their futures. As the farcical elements of the production play out, an agenda of misunderstandings, schemes and subterfuge is followed, before any other business has an opportunity to unfold.

The Marriage of Figaro is an enjoyable and bawdy romp, perfectly set amidst the power and sex struggles of the corporate machine, well-realised by Alex Lowde’s satirically soulless sets. Prendergast is an effective lynchpin as the orphan who has pulled himself up by his braces, displaying strong comic timing – and an impressive singing voice during the nods to the operatic version of the original which take place during the scene changes.

Stuart Bowman excels as the lascivious leader, creating a topical cartoon portrait of a bete noire banker – his pelvis-thrusting efforts to clinch his own deal with Suzanne are hilarious to watch, and his lines drip heaviest with Jackson’s satirical jibes. Molly Innes as sex-starved PA Margery is also hugely enjoyable, with her hemline rising in ratio to her increasing but unreflected desire for Figaro as she chases him around the boardroom table. Jamie Quinn’s ‘hormonal deposit’ Pavlo also raises laughter as the office boy unable to keep his desires in check.

An enjoyable brew of satire, farce and sex comedy, The Marriage of Figaro is a comic highlight of the Lyceum’s 11/12 season: gleefully picking up the respectable boulder of the corporate world and taking mischievous delight in exposing the wriggling, lust-driven creatures scuttling underneath.

The Marriage of Figaro runs until 14 April. Ticket information is available on the Lyceum website.

After its success at 2011′s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, controversial and critically-acclaimed play Dust embarks on a short spring tour, including a performance at the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange 
on 29th March.

As Margaret Thatcher lies dead, Arthur Scargill is haunted by his past and dark secrets in a play which – behind its headline-grabbing conceit – uses its themes of political conflict and social upheaval to provide commentary on ‘broken’ Britain which is relevant today as it was during the dark days of the miners’ strike.

The Dust will settle at the Scottish Mining Museum in Newtongrange at 7pm on Thursday 29th March. Ticket information is available here.

The Edinburgh International Festival 2012 programme

Instead, according to Festival Director Jonathan Mills, speaking yesterday at the official launch of the programme, this year’s festival is more about values of peacefulness and sharing cultures. Values which underpin both the Festival and the Summer Olympic Games, which – as Mills put it – “breathe the same air.”

And, as sportsmen and women from across the world gather to compete in London, so performers from across the globe will congregate in Edinburgh in August, where this year’s programme offers a wealth of world-class culture.

Immediately highlighted were the three “great theatrical imaginations” taking place at the Lowland Hall of the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston. Transformed into an innovative, cutting-edge space, it will play host to productions which would be impossible to stage in traditional theatres. 2008: Macbeth by TR Warszawa is an “unflinching portrait of a killing machine”; whilst Meine faire Dame – ein Sprachlabor is a comic production loosely based on My Fair Lady and set in a language laboratory – “Monty Python goes linguistic,” as Mills puts it.

Third, Les Naufragés du Fol Espoir (Aurores) by Théâtre du Soleil promises to transform the space into an imaginative and fantastical world populated by Charles Darwin, Queen Victoria and commando nuns…

Of course, Edinburgh’s more accustomed theatres also play host to some productions from across the world. At the King’s, Suzuki Company of Toga will perform their “powerful and claustrophobic” staging of Waiting For Orestes: Electra; and Radu Stanca National Theatre of Sibui, last seen in Edinburgh in 2009 with their spectacular version of Faust, bring their interpretation of Gulliver’s Travels.

At the Lyceum, Vanishing Point‘s “edgy and slightly tempting” Wonderland will open the door on the themes in Alice In Wonderland; whilst “cabaret legend” Camille O’Sullivan will perform The Rape of Lucrece as part of the World Shakespeare Festival.

A varied programme of international dance is also on offer, including three works by New York’s Julliard Dance; the “burlesque ballet” of Rio de Janeiro’s Deborah Colker Dance Company‘s Tatyana; New Delhi’s “hypnotising” Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company; and Leigh Warren‘s dance company from Australia, featuring a part-white, part-indigenous ensemble.

A scale model of how the Lowland Hall will be transformed

Orchestras from around the globe take part, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the European Union Youth Orchestra and a rare UK performance from the Emperor of Japan’s Imperial Household musicians with Gagaku, an “exquisite and timeless” performance of traditional music.

More intimate musical performances are on offer at Greyfriars Kirk; whilst in The Queen’s Hall Series, a varied selection of musicians will perform at 11am most days throughout the Festival.

The Festival is opened and closed in spectacular fashion with a performance of Delius’ A Mass of Life by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on 10 August; and by the ever-popular Virgin Money Fireworks Concert by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on 2 September.

Encounters is a series of lectures by renowned intellectuals and academics covering topics as diverse as What It Means To Be British? and – appropriately for the Olympic year – Athletes and Ideals. The Conversations programme also offers the chance to hear people speak: this time focusing on the artists and performers themselves, including Nicola Benedetti and Camille O’Sullivan.

Finally, one of the performances which will literally light up the Festival nights is NVA’s Speed of Light, which will see runners and members of the public wearing specially-commissioned light suits and carrying portable light sources illuminate the normally dark volcanic mass of Arthur’s Seat.

In all, despite its lack of overall theme, 2012′s Edinburgh International Festival programme has a feel of positivity, innovation and celebration. And whilst London may be the focus for the Olympic flame in summer; in Edinburgh, the Festival will very much be carrying the cultural torch.

There are many other highlights within 2012′s programme, which can be viewed online at the Edinburgh International Festival website. Priority booking for Festival Friends and Patrons is now open; with public booking opening on 24 March.

Herring Lassie Tales by Davy Macdonald

A striking series of medium-sized oils, the paintings pay tribute to Scotland’s working ‘herring lassies’, women who followed the fishing fleets around the coast, helping to prepare the catch for market. The works allow Macdonald to combine his fascination for the female form with his interest in Scottish history and social commentary: and the end result is a set of candid and evocative pieces which capture the strength, camaraderie and personalities of the girls.

Three models were used for the series, including the granddaughter of Edinburgh fishmonger Kenny Welch, whose portrait hangs next to the series. A costume designer recreated the impossible-to-source oilskins worn by the lassies, and the well-captured interplay of light and shadow on the surface of the material is one of the many pleasing aspects of the paintings.

Set in Newhaven harbour, the most striking of the works are those where the subjects are set against a light grey sky, almost silhouetted as they go about their work; or – as in the highlight of the exhibition, Herring Lassie Tales – share a moment of laughter and friendship.

A larger piece – Herring Lassies At The Harbour Wall – is compositionally recreated from a photograph Macdonald found in archives whilst researching the project, and the lassies’ stiff and almost uncomfortable pose is softened tenderly by depicting two of them hand-in-hand, as if scared of the camera capturing their image.

Other works from Macdonald’s previous exhibitions hang on the remainder of the gallery’s walls, showing not only the artist’s versatility and thematic influence, but also – when compared to the Herring Lassies – how much he has evolved.

Delighted and inspired by the success of the exhibition, Macdonald now intends to continue on his historical documentary path, and plans next to work on a similar series based around the manufacture of Harris Tweed.

As an artist who – on the basis of these evocative and accomplished pieces – has perhaps found his niche at last, Macdonald’s future path will be interesting to follow indeed.

Herring Lassies is on show at the Dundas St Gallery until 17 March

Long-time fans of Edinburgh band The OK Social Club may be surprised to learn the band are only now just about to release their debut single.

“We should’ve changed the name!” says frontman Raff. “Though a couple of the old songs are still there, it literally is a different band.”

“It’s the first time we can really say the band and the music take care of themselves,” adds guitarist Chris. “We all know our roles; we all know what we want.”

After having undergone several changes, The OK Social Club have now settled on a lineup. Raff & Chris are now joined by Gordy on bass and Jordan on the drums.

“There’s been a change in music dynamics,” says Gordy. “Jordan and me have come from different musical backgrounds.”

“It’s a lot more collaborative now,” says Raff. “Before, it was like handing out music sheets to a choir: now I just write the words & melody and everyone does their own parts themselves. It’s like I come in with a black and white picture, which everyone else colours in.”

The OK Social Club’s debut single – The Shape of Things To Come – is released on Platform Records on 12 March; backed up by a launch gig at the Electric Circus on 24 March.

“We wanted to make sure the single was a brand new song,” says Chris. “We’re proud of what we’ve done.”

“It’s the first song I felt I could shine on,” adds Gordy. “The first one where we could all feel equal.”

With support from Edinburgh singer-songwriter Jack Rowberry and Glasgow band The Dots, the boys are looking forward to the gig. And – although the band are now managed by Bulge Promotions’ Tommy Hamilton and have a booking agent in England – they still keep their own creative control.

“It’s important to keep that DIY ethic,” says Chris. “We still load all our own gear!”

“It’s easy to get lazy, but we try not to do that!” says Raff. “But the people we have on board now genuinely believe in us.”

With venues closing and under threat on the one hand, and bands like The 10:04s being lauded as the ‘best new band in Britain’ on the other: it feels like Edinburgh’s in the spotlight at the moment – though not always for the right reasons.

“Everyone’s had a positive couple of weeks,” says Raff. “But it also feels like the carpet’s been pulled from under your feet with venues closing.”

“Truth is Edinburgh’s not really a live music city,” says Chris. “Not enough to justify having all the venues, anyway.”

“But it just takes one band to break through…”

And with a dedicated team behind them, a mighty fine rock & roll attitude and a line-up that now looks set to last, The OK Social Club have as good a chance of being that band as any.

The OK Social Club’s debut single – The Shape of Things To Come – is released on Platform Records on 12 March. The single launch gig is at the the Electric Circus on 24 March.

The second of the National Museum of Scotland‘s Museum Lates events, Night of the Mummy saw the galleries of the Chambers St institution filled with the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Egypt in a fun-packed evening inspired by the current Fascinating Mummies exhibition.

The 2,000 tickets were snapped up soon after they went on sale, and the museum was filled with a mostly young crowd sampling the entertainment and activities on offer throughout the galleries. Whether it was the chance to make a pharaoh’s headdress or unwrap a mummy; be turned into Cleopatra via some artistic and stylish facepaint or view the fashions in the pop-up bazaar: there was something to appeal to everyone.

Although they had to head off to their beds before we had a chance to see them, we have it on good authority the meerkats were well worth meeting: as were the albino python and pygmy hedgehog (apparently the ‘cutest thing ever’!)

The popular Silent Disco was back, and was queued out by 10pm; and less silent musical entertainment came courtesy of a DJ set from Ally McRae and live performances from Edinburgh’s Bwani Junction and Glasgow band Sparrow And The Workshop. There was also the chance to have a private viewing of the Fascinating Mummies exhibition for those lucky enough to secure a ticket; whilst live comedy was on offer in the museum’s auditorium.

This event felt much busier than the first: and there were times when the queues at the bars and food stalls made it feel a little too packed. However, there was so much to see and do around the museum that this was only a minor niggle: and, as at the first event, the smiles on everyone’s faces proved a great time was being had by all.

Fast becoming the hottest ticket in town, Museum Lates is a fun and original night out in stunning surroundings. Tickets to the next event on May 18th – themed around an Alice In Wonderland style tea party – are bound to go quick, so keep an eye on the Museum’s Twitter and Facebook pages to find out when they go on sale.

Photo gallery

Goddess by Strange Theatre

To mark International Women’s Day this year, Edinburgh-based Strange Theatre have devised an intriguing-sounding new play and an accompanying series of arts events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre from 2-28 March.

At the heart of the festival is Goddess, a new devised production directed by Caitlin Skinner. Taking the ancient Celtic archetypes of maiden, mother and crone and juxtaposing them with modern-day equivalents, it promises to be an interesting and topical piece examining what it means to be a woman in today’s Scotland. The play runs from 8-10 March at 7pm.

As well as the play, a series of events are being held at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the Goddess Festival, including the I Am Woman art exhibition, on show from 2-28 March; a Gifts of the Goddess arts & crafts market on the 8th and 9th; and an evening of performance poetry with Strange Theatre’s Rachel Amy on the 7th.

A great opportunity to see some new theatre and mark International Women’s Day, you can feel the power of the Goddess on the production’s blog; and see the full range of events on the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s website.

Edinburgh Spotlight Music - Sounds of the City: Volume 1

We love local music here at Edinburgh Spotlight.

Whatever your tastes, you’re likely to find at least one band or artist in the city catering to it – and usually performing it live with passion, drive and enthusiasm that proves the local music scene in the city is alive and well.

To help the best of Edinburgh’s music be heard by as wide an audience as possible, we’re releasing regular free Sounds of the City compilation albums: each one containing sounds and songs which have caught our ears; and which we wholeheartedly recommend.

This first release is a true sampler – acoustic rock, country, pop, post-punk, hip-hop, world music: the only common thread is that these songs represent some of the best of the varied and exciting music on offer in Edinburgh.

So why not download the free album and hear what some of the city’s talented musicians are capable of!

Track listing

shout first / last words by A Fight You Can’t Win
A Fight You Can’t Win are leading lights of Edinburgh’s alternative music scene, and are currently in the running for ‘Best Metal’ act at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards. Although they’re more punk & grunge flavoured than metal, they’ve got to be slotted in somewhere: and this claustrophobic head-burrower of a track will let you make up your own mind where they best fit.

Joker by Echo Arcadia
Echo Arcadia know how to take pop and polish it until it sparkles with hooks and harmonies aplenty. The Joker is a fine example of their multi-layered sound, which is capable of inducing shivers both on record and when playing live.

By The Sword by Titus Pullo
Singer songwriter Craig Robson can often be found on bass and vocals for the mighty Death Trap City. With Titus Pullo, he turns off the power and joins forces with some musical buddies for some heartfelt acoustic romanticism, as this standout track from recent debut EP Acoustic #1 demonstrates.

Ankh by Emissary
Emissary have been moulded from the molten remains of several prog-metal Edinburgh bands, and now they emerge newly-formed with this powerful and exclusive mix of their track Ankh. If you like your rock to be heroic and many-levelled, you’re going to like it.

Like A Fool by Smoothiesforme
Proof that talent knows no age limits, 17 year-old singer songwriter Smoothiesforme produces shimmering slices of pop which rank alongside the best. Like A Fool is a standout track from her New Beginnings EP, which is available for free download here.

If Love Is A Fight by Al Shields
Al Shields sets his sights west with his accomplished and appealing take on country music. If Love Is A Fight is the opening track from his latest LP Slow Burner, an album filled with the heat and dust of the Americana he conjures up so well.

Two Lovers by The Nature Boys
Live, The Nature Boys are a glorious anarchic riot, thanks mostly to frontman Cammy’s onstage antics. On record, they prove just as exciting, where the jagged spikiness of the tunes and Cammy’s punk poet lyrics can be appreciated in the comfort (and safety) of your own home…

Foolish by Hannah O’Reilly / Augustalia
Hannah O’Reilly and her band Augustalia also look to the US of A for inspiration, but through a dark, noirish lens. Their songs have a frisson of danger and intrigue which wouldn’t be out of place on a David Lynch movie soundtrack. Recent single Foolish sees them in romantic mood, with a harmony-laden track that impresses.

The Numbness by Stanley Odd vs The Banana Sessions
The brainchild of producer Garry Boyle, The Mashup Session is an exciting new musical project which sees two bands camp out in the studio, collaborating on a new version of one of their songs. Then, 24 hours later, the track has been mixed, mastered and is available for free download. This is the second Mashup Session, featuring the hip-hoppery of Stanley Odd and the big brass of The Banana Sessions.

Adunabi by Samba Sene & Diwan
Hailing from Senegal, Samba Sene is now based in Edinburgh and creates an uplifting fusion of world beats and sounds with band Diwan. Adunabi is a great example of Samba’s sound from recent LP Remind Me (Fatalima), practically guaranteed to get your toes tapping!

Hide Away by Jack Rowberry
Jack Rowberry can normally be found playing guitar for Pose Victorious. Now he’s following in the footsteps of some of his musical heroes with his solo singer songwriter project. This warm and relaxed acoustic number is his debut.

Stay tuned

One of the hardest things about creating this compilation was narrowing down who to include on it. Edinburgh has a huge amount of musical talent, which consistently impresses and delights us.

We already have Sounds of the City: Volume 2 planned, featuring exclusive live demos and the latest tracks from the best the city has to offer.

And if you’re an artist or in a band and would like to feature on a forthcoming release, drop us a line.

Even the gigantic figure of Lennie (Steve Jackson) is dwarfed by the huge wooden sets of John Dove’s production of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men. The ramshackle bunk beds and stable walls soar with the mood of post-depression America, where men eke out whatever living they can, protecting both their earnings and their hopes by remaining insular and alone.

Lennie and George (William Ash) are the exception. They travel together, with George taking on a parental role for his simple-minded companion. With dreams of owning their own farm where they can live off the ‘fat of the land’, their fates are set when they take on jobs as ranch hands. Here, Lennie’s love for ‘soft things’ leads the pair down a different road: one where dreams and relationships are under constant and inevitable threat.

The leads are strong: Jackson succeeds in depicting Lennie without caricature, evoking sympathy for the lumbering soul who wishes only for happiness but doesn’t know his own strength. Ash’s portrayal as the caring idealist George is a little less well-defined, although their scenes together as inseparable companions convince.

Peter Kelly shows the best characterisation as the aged one-handed Candy; Liam Brennan’s Slim is the stoical, strong & measured cowboy-type, who also proves to be the most sympathetic. Melody Grove is the only female cast member: her role as Curley’s wife starts as one treated with contempt; by her character’s end, Grove succeeds in evoking pity for this caged bird with dashed dreams.

With its theme of hopes & dreams endangered by gripping onto them too tightly, Of Mice and Men is a classic examination of the human condition. Dove’s production under Colin Richmond’s towering set is a traditional and at times powerful version of the Steinbeck original, but its intimacy and subtlety is at times overshadowed by the expanse of the staging and direction.

Of Mice And Men runs until 17 March at The Royal Lyceum Theatre. More details are on the Lyceum website.

Acoustic #1 by Titus Pullo

The name of the EP’s a bit of a giveaway: Titus Pullo present four gently romantic acoustic numbers, with Robson’s distinctive sugar-coated sandpaper vocals giving them the feel of ripped up love letters pieced back together with tape.

Live By The Sword is a standout, with acoustic guitar, piano and strings embracing each other warmly in an emotional and affecting number. “You don’t have to make it alone,” sings Robson, and the song’s melancholic theme of undying devotion packs quite a punch: and ably demonstrates Robson’s considerable songwriting skills.

Pieces of Me follows a similar musical path, yet this time one walked by a spurned lover. And by the time the spine-tingling chorus has played for a third time, the song has lodged inside somewhere between your heart and the pit of your stomach.

Whilst it’s difficult to imagine the first two songs delivered other than acoustically, the more upbeat So Wonderful sounds as though it could stand its ground fully amped rather than unplugged; though the strums and picks of the acoustic treatment and the female backing harmonies give it a shine which still appeals.

In another example of appropriate naming, the EP closes with The End, a slow burner which adds in the strings, keys and harmonies as it progresses, with Richard Beeby and Garry Boyle’s understated production & mixing helping it build into a musical swell capable of sweeping you away.

Titus Pullo make music which will appeal to the romantic in anyone. Lush strings, gently lapping guitar and vocals which sound as though they’ve been up all night: these are excellently-penned star-crossed tunes which only the hardest of hearts will be unmoved by.

Acoustic #1 is available for free download now.

Smoothiesforme - New Beginnings

Smoothiesforme is a talented 17 year-old singer songwriter from Edinburgh. In 2010, she made it through to the finals of The Forth One To Watch Awards, and her self-penned and produced songs have gone on to win her acclaim and fans alike.

New Beginnings is a free-to-download EP, serving as a taster for her full Road To Happiness album – but also as an appetising product in its own right.

Smoothiesforme’s vocals have a vulnerable delicacy to them; a breathiness and tremulous quality which is both distinctive and mature. This is ably demonstrated on EP opener Forbidden, a deep and enveloping production spun with plucked arpeggio guitar wrapped warmly in sweeping strings, creating a subtle track which swells and ebbs like the ocean on a moonlit night.

“There is a road to happiness, we just haven’t found it yet,” she sings, summing up the melancholic lyrical themes on offer on New Beginnings: tales of love lost all too quickly, yet with a sense of optimism and self-belief driving them forward.

Will This Ever End? Is poppier and more upbeat, featuring a keyboard refrain which shoots through the track, giving it an energy and mood completely different to Forbidden. Smoothiesforme’s vocal delivery is the same however: understated and fragile, yet with an undertone of strength which results in a unique and compelling whole. An ambient remix of the song is also included, giving the original much more space to move, like a dancer alone in an empty ballroom just after midnight.

Like A Fool is perhaps the standout track on offer here: with its haunting guitar and moody, claustrophobic production, it begins in atmospheric style before slipping into a shuffling rhythm as it builds in intensity like a slow-burning flame. By the end, only the ashes of Like A Fool are left, but its powerful imprint remains, seared into your memory.

Into His Arms wears its beautiful melancholic heart on its sleeve, the guitar and strings underscoring a mesmerising song of broken-hearted loss and betrayal.

“You are nothing without me,” she sings on the final song Wreckage, which sums up this talented singer’s attitude perfectly: a new, independent voice which will make you sit up and take notice with its confidence and strength as much as for its youth.

Smoothiesforme is most definitely One To Watch: but above all, one to listen to and follow as she journeys from these new beginnings into a future which looks set to be bright for her indeed.

You can keep up with Smoothiesforme’s news and latest songs on her Facebook page and YouTube channel. Road To Happiness is available to download now.

Something’s slightly askew in the Barony this evening. Instead of daily menus, the blackboards are chalked with quotations by Charles Bukowski; instead of the usual fare behind the bar, the drinks on offer tonight include Screw Lager and Man In A Boat beer. Appropriately, it’s like viewing the traditional bar through a drunken, reality-altering haze.

The space is dressed to provide the stage for Grid Iron‘s reprise of their 2009 Fringe hit, Barflies. Directed by Ben Harrison and based on the writings of Bukowski, it staggers a path through the semi-autobiographical tales of Henry (Keith Fleming) and the three loves of his life: women (played by Charlene Boyd), writing and drinking.

The drunken artist archetype is a little passé these days: the life of the tortured barfly more likely to evoke pity than the awe it perhaps used to command. Barflies is aware of this, neither romanticising nor glamourising things; not shying away from the messy chaos of the alcoholic’s life: broken glass, fumbling sexual encounters, unsightly stains and all.

Fleming and Boyd are compelling as Henry and the series of women he collides with. The heightened performances required to portray the drunk at first verge a little close to histrionics: but things soon find their own pace and flow, ending up believable. David Paul Jones (last seen as the murderous conservatoire headmaster of What Remains) plays barman Silent Dave, and also provides musical accompaniment, mixing hymns to drink from the likes of Cave and Burns into the piece.

Grid Iron choose to transport Henry and his muses from LA to Scotland, with some regional vernacular and a few local references in the script. As the alleyways of Scotland are just as soaked as the LA backstreets, this gives the piece a subtle taste of social commentary amongst the slaps and spills of the drunken drama which plays out in front of, behind and on top of the bar.

Barflies comes with no salvation and no solution. By the time Henry and his latest companion stumble from the Barony in another hopeless cycle of self-destruction, Grid Iron’s deliriously raw and excellently-staged production hasn’t left us with any great message or lesson: but neither – thankfully – has it preached.

Barflies runs at The Barony in Broughton Street until 9 Feb, then again from 27 Feb – 1 March. Details are on the Traverse website.