The East End Social and Edwyn Collins at Glasgow Green

I last blogged about Edwyn Collins back in June following an outstanding performance at Oran Mor. In the blog I said that I would love to see him do a full stripped back acoustic set at some point.

Well the Gods must have been smiling upon me as on Saturday Edwyn travelled North to play an acoustic show for the East End Social at Glasgow Green as part of the Commonwealth Games. Not only that - it was completely free!

The team behind the East End Social must be heartily commended for the exceptional programme of music that they have curated before, during and after the Games. There have been pop up shows in Dennistoun, a Neu! Reekie extravaganza at Platform in Easterhouse, shows in teeny tiny Bowlers bar in Bridgeton, we had a full on festival at Glasgow Green over the weekend and things are due to be brought to a close in epic style at the end of August with a weekend in Richmond Park featuring Mogwai headlining one night and Optimo the second!

The blank canvas that the team were given has been coloured in beautifully; legends, innovators, cult bands, young bands breaking through and everything in between have been given a chance to demonstrate the musical talent and variety that is on offer in the city of Glasgow.

To be quite honest, it is music that has been the highlight of the Commonwealth Games for me. The East End Social is one thing, there has also been the Belle and Sebastian show at Kelvingrove Bandstand (also loads of free shows there as well as stuff by the likes of The Waterboys) and all kinds of things going on down by the waterfront at the BBC featuring the likes of Simple Minds and the gorgeous Rachel Sermanni.

I could have done with a few weeks off to try and make the most of it!

Anyway, back to Edwyn at Glasgow Green.

Edwyn was thankfully playing inside a beautiful big tent called The Playhouse. I would love to see it installed permanently on the Green, it was a brilliant venue.

What made this show extra special was the fact that we took our 3-year old daughter Zoe. It was her first full gig -quite something for a 3-year old!

There were a number of young families down the front, so we got down and grabbed a seat on the floor, the friendly crowd stood behind the young kids, allowing them the chance to sit and watch a master at close quarters.

Zoe watching Edwyn and James

Edwyn was accompanied by the guitar virtuoso that is James Walbourne and there was a clear bond between the two, despite the fact Edwyn forgot his surname; causing laughter on stage and in the crowd and becoming a running joke.

The duo opened with Losing Sleep and Make Me Feel Again, the tent was packed - due to the fact that a genuine Scottish musical legend was playing - and the rain. People were listening from outside according to friends I spoke to later.

Edwyn was in great form, getting more and more into it the longer the show went on.

Home Again was exquisite; full of melody and emotion. It was my first time hearing it live since reading Grace Maxwell's book Falling and Laughing - The Restoration of Edwyn Collins. I had a little tear in my eye.

When I was a boy

Well I heard somebody singing

And I heard the guitars ringing

And it brought me home again

Home again

James was truly brilliant on the guitar, able to play anything and everything - and that is exactly what they did; delighting the crowd with Orange Juice classics Blue Boy, Falling and Laughing and Rip it Up.

Rip It Up was great fun with Edwyn egging James on and taking the mick in just the right way. The crowd loved it.

Don't Shilly Shally was brilliant and I was a proud Dad as Zoe clapped along and nodded her head.

A Girl Like You closed things in style with Edwyn humming along with the melody and congratulating James on his guitar playing.

This was a great little show. I'd love to see Edwyn play his songs in this stripped down acoustic way again in the future.

Glasgow 2014 - Opening and closing ceremonies

London 2012 was wrapped up a week ago tonight, the closing ceremony was somewhat under-whelming in comparison to Danny Boyle’s epic opening, yet both ceremonies clearly highlighted how important music is to British culture.

It got me thinking about the songs and artists that could soundtrack the Commonwealth Games and Glasgow 2014; what songs would kick-start the bash, prove how friendly, welcoming and organised us Scots can be and then close the Commonwealth Games with a party like only Glasgow knows how to hold.

We certainly have plenty of musical talent to choose from and some of the names listed below would be more than capable of producing a specially written soundtrack for the ceremony – think Craig Armstrong, Mogwai, Bobby Gillespie, Mylo or Calvin Harris.

Putting my own musical preferences to one side and thinking of music and artists that would truly represent Scotland, my own 1 hour-playlist for Scotland would be;

• Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham – A nice traditional start 
• Eddie Reader – performing a Rabbie Burns poem
• Paulo Nutini – taking on Dougie Maclean’s classic ‘Caledonia’ 
• Fairground Attraction - Perfect - cause the Commonwealth Games will be perfectly organised ;-)
  
• Lulu – Shout – raised in the East End of Glasgow, this would be quite fitting and really get things going

• Bluebells – Young At Heart - cause we are all so young at heart
• Calvin Harris – Some rousing electronic pop courtesy of the boy from Dumfries 
• Primal Scream – Movin’ On Up  - not sure if the punk in Bobby G would be up for this, but worth an ask.
• The Proclaimers – 500 Miles - has to be included

• Red Hot Chilli Pipers – An epic rendition of ‘Flower of Scotland’ accompanied by a film featuring people of all ages singing from all around the country in stunning scenery 
• Runrig – Closing the ceremony with a rousing Loch Lomond

 That is a pretty safe choice and there are some shoe-ins there that you have to think you could place your mortgage on. Texas, Deacon Blue, Travis, Wet Wet Wet and Simple Minds are the other big names that will likely feature on the committee's 'want' list. Lets not forget Annie Lennox...

Perhaps an alternative opening/closing ceremony could take place in George Square/Glasgow Green?

Aztec Camera – Roddy Frame with the triumphant ‘Somewhere In My Heart’…’love will see you through’

BMX Bandits – leading the crowd in a sing-a-long of E102’s ‘I’m so happy that love has come around’ chorus

Primal Scream – ‘Movin’ On Up’, ‘Come Together’ and really getting the party started with ‘Loaded’

Superstar – ‘Superstar’ – for the Superstars that will come out of the Games

Beta Band – a reformed Beta Band with the classic ‘Dry The Rain’ - as we really don't want it to rain like it has this summer!
Franz Ferdinand - 'Take Me Out' - an indie anthem
Belle and Sebastian - 'The Boy with the Arab Strap'
Teenage Fanclub - 'Ain't That Enough'

Closing the night in style would be the Optimo DJ's.

To bring the mood down we could bring on;

Arab Strap - reforming for a specially written drunken ramble about the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow akin to this joke 

Glasvegas - 'Flowers and Fitba Tops' 

 Never mind an opening ceremony, lets get a festival of the best of Scottish music on the go!

In short, Glasgow (and indeed Scotland) will not be short of options when it comes to music in 2014 and we should make the most of the opportunity to highlight some of the fantastic artists that the city and country has produced.