Every now and then I like to round up the best music that finds its way to my ears, and the last week has seen missives from new faces and old (no offence to anyone). This roundup features Prince Edward Island, Luke Joyce's I Build Collapsible Mountains, the guitar genius who is RM Hubbard, A Band Called Quinn and The Seventeenth Century. That is a great line-up in any language and listening to their work together puts me in the best of moods.
First off is You Look Like You Need a Drink the new single from Prince Edward Island and which acts as a taster to their forthcoming album This Day is a Good Enough Day. There are suggestions of Ballboy and Arab Strap in their sound which I hope excites you as it does me:
Last year saw the release on Peenko records of A Month of Lost Memories the début EP by Luke Joyce, otherwise known as I Build Collapsible Mountains, and as many will know it was one of my favourite pieces of music of the year. Well he has been over to the States to garner even more acclaim and now he's back. His new album The Spectator and the Act is due in October, and, once I work out how to open the file he sent me with the album on it, I will write more fully about it (it really is a miracle that this blog makes it out). In the meantime here is the opening track Face of Thunder:
Last Wednesday saw the launch of the paperback version of The Year of Open Doors (see The Year of Open Doors) and as well as the impressive selection of writers and readers there was one RM Hubbert playing the most astonishing music. The man's work was new to me, but after getting a copy of his album First and Last I've been listening to little else since. It's a great introduction to his work but he really flies live. If you get the chance to see him I suggest you grab it eagerly. This is Frost and Fire:
Next is a song which you may already be familiar with but it is included here because the video has been selected for the Bornshorts Film Festival. It's a proper piece of old school horror and is a reminder that video, at its best, is as much an art form as any other. This is Wolf Cries Boy from the wonderful A Band Called Quinn, and the song can be found on their underrated album The Beggar's Opera. Don't have nightmares:
Finally there is the latest video from Scots Whay Hae! favourites The Seventeenth Century, one which captures the magic of their live shows. You can find it on their EP The Seventeenth Century (Part II). This is Banks of Home:
Tomorrow night at 7pm at The Arches in Glasgow (Wed 27/7), there is the launch of the paperback edition of The Year of Open Doors. For those who don't know it is a collection of short stories by Scottish writers both well kent and new which was first published by Cargo last year. It became one of the most important, and inspirational, publications of recent times and seemed to not only capture the mood of contemporary Scottish literature, but help set it.
I wrote a review of the book for Indelible Ink, my monthly column on Scottish fiction that you can find ongoing over at Dear Scotland, in July last year and it's so satisfying to revisit the review and see not only that I was justified in my high opinion of the book, but also that I underestimated its impact. It's particularly pleasing that the inspirational nature that I hoped for The Year of Open Doors has come to pass as there is no doubt that others have been inspired by its existence to publish, and that so many of the contributors have gone on to do their best work in the last 12 months. I think it's worth reprinting that column here and now so that you can understand how strongly I felt, and hopefully it will inspire you to go and see some great writers and readers down The Arches tomorrow, or at least look to get your hands on a copy sooner rather than later. Spread the word. It's important that folk are aware when there is great writing out there and as those involved in The Year of Open Doors have shown, complacency is not an option:
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Indelible Ink: Special Edition
‘The Year of Open Doors’
‘Novels are full of padding, they’re clearly objectionable’
Paul Reekie ‘Submission’
The above quote is one of my favourites and comes from the 1996 short story collection ‘Children of Albion Rovers’. It is the way I feel about many novels, and neatly sums up why I have such a love for the short story. There is no sense of writer’s fulfilling a word count, or just filling. Some of Scotland’s greatest writers’ best work has been in short story form. Ali Smith, Anne Donovan, A.L. Kennedy, Alasdair Gray and Agnes Owens all have one or more collections that are must reads, and that’s just the ‘A’s. I still insist that James Kelman’s best work is to be found in his short story collections, yet some readers appear to view them as if they are a ‘lesser’ form, something writers do to fill time in between novels. Those people are wrong.
‘The Year of Open Doors’ is a new short story collection from Cargo Publishing. It features writers with varying degrees of profile and publications and it follows in a fine tradition of collecting some of the best contemporary writers’ work in one place. The aforementioned Kelman, Gray and Owens found a larger audience through the 1985 collection ‘Lean Tales’, but the inspiration for this anthology appears to be ‘Children of Albion Rovers’, the 1996 book that brought together, amongst others, Alan Warner, Gordon Legge and Irvine Welsh. There have been various Scottish short story collections published over the years, most notably by University of Glasgow’s MLitt in Creative Writing and the New Scottish Writing anthologies. While these are always worthwhile they never seem to reach a wider audience. This is a situation that Cargo, a new and innovative independent publishing company, seem determined to change.
There are a few links with ‘Children of Albion Rovers’ that give clues as to that book’s influence. Irvine Welsh has written the foreword, and there is a contribution from his contemporary Duncan Maclean, who is the writer of ‘Blackden’, one of Scotland’s great lost novels, and ‘Bunker Man’, just one of Scotland’s great novels. He’s better known these days as a playwright so it is great to have him back writing prose. It’s like having one of your favourite bands release something new. But his importance to Scottish writing is greater than just fiction. He was central to the formation of Clocktower Press, which was the forerunner of Rebel Inc, publisher of ‘Trainspotting’ and, yes, ‘Children of Albion Rovers’. Many of the Scottish writers whose work has been discussed in ‘Indelible Ink’ may not have been heard of without McLean and his compatriots’ determination to publish and be damned. This is the spirit that drives ‘The Year of Open Doors’.
There are a few other well known writers involved. Alan Bissett, author of this month’s featured novel ‘Boyracers’, Kevin MacNeil who you may know from his 2005 novel ‘The Stornoway Way’, and Suhayl Saadi whose 2004 novel ‘Psychoraag’ will feature on these pages in the near future. But this anthology’s greatest strength lies in the lesser known contributors who make up the majority of the book. Names such as Jason Donald, Ryan Van Winkle, Anneliese Mackintosh, Kabka Kassabova and Daibhidh Martin will only be known to a few, but the discovery of the new is always exciting, and this is a collection of real quality throughout.
According to Rodge Glass, the editor of the collection, ‘The Year of Open Doors’ entrance policy was simple; if it’s good enough it’s going in. This has led to the most eclectic and representative collection of writing in a Scottish context, not just of recent times, but of any time. I’m not going to give you my favourites; I’ll leave it up to you to make up your own mind (although just thinking about Aidan Moffat’s story ‘The Donaldson Boy’brightens my day. Yes, that Aidan Moffat). But every story here is worth reading and it is the range of this collection that is its greatest asset. It cuts across nationality, class, culture, gender and genre. This is a confidant and assured book, one which I hope and believe is an accurate reflection of the current mood in Scottish culture. Here’s Rodge Glass in discussion with Cargo’s Mark Buckland to explain the project further:
The role of independent publishers is increasingly important. I think that where the music industry has lead, publishing and literature will have to follow. Just as the major record companies realised that they could make money with little effort by repackaging acts that were already established, so the few bookshop chains that are left feel that they can do similar. In that sense Dan Brown is literature’s Phil Collins. No one comes out well from that comparison.
But new music survives and thrives. In fact there is more good music out there now than at any other time, and access to it has never been better. Short story anthologies remind me of the free compilation CD’s that come with music magazines, or record companies’ samplers. You can discover the new, become reacquainted with the more familiar, and perhaps only listen to some tracks once. They are important as a taster as to what is out there and there is always the chance that you’ll discover a new voice that makes a difference to your life. Such a chance is always worth taking.
This collection should be seen as an opportunity, an example and perhaps even a test case. If ‘The Year of Open Doors’ is a success then it is to be hoped that others will follow, that publishers will take chances on these writers and others, but also that it inspires writers to do it for themselves. There is an audience out there for new fiction, it is a matter of making that audience aware of where to find it. Marshall McLuhan’s famous claim that ‘the medium is the message’ has never been more relevant. This is something that those involved with ‘The Year of Open Doors’ understand. As well as the book there is an audiobook created in conjunction with Chemical Underground, podcasts, live events, video blogs, downloads and an attempt to form a real artistic community. But this is not just a one way relationship. Both writers and readers have to adapt and change to find each other. Buy two copies, and give one to someone you care for. There’s a lot at stake here.
I have to admit I have a soft spot for sports movies. Yes they are often formulaic, logically flawed and have endings which you can see coming from miles away, but Raging Bull, The Hustler, Chariots of Fire and even Slap Shot are among my favourite all time films. However, when such films go wrong they tend to do so spectacularly. A wee while ago I wrote about 2000's A Shot at Glory, (see You Have Been Watching...A Shot at Glory.) which starred Robert Duvall, Michael Keaton, current Glasgow Rangers' manager Ally McCoist and many of the Airdrie team of the same year. I suggested that, although there was some unintended entertainment to be had, this was was a contender for the title of 'the worst film ever made in Scotland'. Then, in an online conversation, someone mentioned The Match.
Released in 1999, The Match is a film that passed me by, which surprised me. It's set in Scotland, it's about football, and a quick look at the IMDB showed me that it promised performances from Ian Holm, Tom Sizemore, Pierce Brosnan and Scots Whay Hae! favourites Laura Fraser, James Cosmo, Gary Lewis, Bill Patterson and David Hayman. How could I have not heard about this film, even if it was straight to DVD? Further reading hinted at the reason. It also boasts in its cast the talents of Neil Morrisey, Max Beasley, Jonathan Watson (a great mimic, but no actor), Alan Shearer!! and Samantha Fox. Then there is the enigma who is Richard E.Grant.
Grant will always be known to film fans as 'Withnail', one of recent cinema's greatest comic/tragic creations, but his subsequent career has proven that this was a glorious fluke. Grant has managed to carve out a successful career despite the absence of anything approaching acting in his repertoire. To try and be fair he has been in some
real stinkers since Withnail and I, but even when given a decent script Rich is reliably terrible. I
think he has missed his calling as his memoir With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E. Grant is hilariously catty and indiscreet. It is also very well written, recalling his
time as Withnail, that spent with the roadshow that was Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula,
when he was rubbing shoulders with Keanu, Winona, Sadie and Gary Oldman with old lady hair, and his time filming legendary turkey Hudson Hawk. If you haven't seen
it, it is one of the most nuts films of all time. Bruce Willis plays
the titular Hawk, a catburglar who times his raids by singing old
show tunes, Sandra Bernhard appears as a gangster's moll, the love interest is Andie MacDowell (need I
say more) and yet Mr Grant still manages to be worse than anyone
around. It's quite a talent. Still, the book's definitely worth a read.
I digress, but only to
emphasise to you just how awful he is in The Match. It's not simply the accent, which is impossibly poor for someone who does this for a living, it's the whole performance. He pouts, flounces, rages, emotes and schemes like someone who has not only never done this before, but never considered what acting actually involves. If this was a one-off I would suggest that it was an attempt to sabotage the film but that would lend him far too much credit. When he is on-screen even the dogs in the street are laughing at him.
Not every performance in The Match is terrible though, in fact that's at the heart of the film's problem. It's a game of two halves. David O'Hara has a curious cameo as the mechanic in a flying helmet who proclaims, in the most deadpan manner, what excites him. Bill Patterson is as charismatic as ever and has a wonderful teacher/mentor relationship with Iain Robertson. Ian Holm is far too good for fare such as this and Tom Sizemore copes well with his character Buffalo, a heartbroken US serviceman who has never made it home. It's a role that could have been an awful stereotype but Sizemore ensures that never happens. In fact there is a lot of loss and sadness in the background of this film which could have taken things in a different and more interesting direction, but all subtlety is thrown aside as 'the match' approaches and every cliché of the genre is ticked along the way.
Here's the trailer, which is, in keeping with the film, ludicrous in that it gives the whole plot away, including the surprise ending. If The Match comes on the telly sometime it's worth a gander to see some great
actors struggling to make sense out of what they are being asked to do,
and some not so great just struggling. But since you are unlikely to watch the whole film (the things I do on your behalf) this tells you all you need to know:
The real shame about The Match is that there has got to be a great Scottish sports movie to be made (if you know of one then please tell me about it. Even a half decent one would be a start, and no, Gregory's Girl doesn't count.) Whether you like sport or not you have to admit that there are times when it brings out the best and worst in people, and the potential for successful drama is undoubtedly there.
There is no other writer whose new release I look forward to with the same anticipation as I do Ali Smith. For me it's like waiting for a new Will Oldham album or Coen Brothers' movie, the closer it gets the more excited I get as I know I'm going to be presented with something new yet of guaranteed quality. Smith's latest, There but for the, fulfils expectations while confounding others and makes me love her all the more.
Smith loves language, and plays with it with more style and ease than any other writer I can think off. The only Scottish contemporary who comes close is Kevin MacNeil. Names are never given without thought (there's middle-class dinner hosts Gen and Eric, and a teenage punk who mistakenly becomes known as Anna Key), phrases have double, or often triple meaning, and you are never far from an acknowledged pun all delivered with a self deprecating wink. Here's a short example:
"A conjunctiva is a
[unreadable word] of the front of the eye, covering the external surface
of the cornea and the inner side of the eyelid.
A conjuncture is a combination of
circumstances, esp one leading to a crisis.
But but?
And and?
(So simple.)
Conjunctions.
And conjunctions?
(So simple.)
The way things connect."
But Smith's mastery of language is only half the story, she has a wonderful ability to create characters who stay with you after the last page has turned, and often manages to do so within only a few paragraphs. In There but for the the story may at first appear slight. A man goes to a dinner party at the home of people he doesn't know, then locks himself in one of their bedrooms never to emerge. From this premise Smith manages to present questions of class, politics, morality, social anxiety and the modern obsession with celebrity in a manner that never feels hectoring or patronising. The book reminds me of the best of Mike Leigh's work in that the story is told through the lives of people who are recognisable but never stereotypical, and some of whom are extraordinary.
This applies to two characters in particular. First there is the enigmatic and charismatic Miles, a man who is central to the story yet spends most of it absent except in others hearts and minds. He links all the lives of the other characters in a similar manner to Amber in Smith's earlier novel The Accidental, in that no one is sure just how he has brought them together. But the undoubted star of the show is Brooke Bayoude, a precocious young girl, inquisitive, open and whose intelligence often wrong foots the adults who come into contact with her, and at times makes them decidedly uncomfortable. In Smith's fiction, as with Bill Forsyth's films, children are seen and heard, and usually prove to be far more intuitive than the adults who they have to deal with.
If you love reading then you'll love There but for the. The only thing I can imagine that it could be criticised for is that it rather peters out at the end when many may be looking for a neater conclusion, but when I've spent time in the company of Smith and her characters such things don't bother me, in fact a neat endnig would have felt out of place in such a playful novel, a cop out which is not the Smith way. Instead she writes intelligently, cleverly and with a grace that means that she could never be accused of showing off. Like Brooke she is in thrall to the power of words, and also shares the youngster's love of puns, similes and allusion all of which can give the illusion that the story which unfolds is surreal, but that's because once more Ali Smith has managed to tell a story with more beauty, wit and understated skill than we are used to and have any right to expect.
As a wee bonus here is the song she worked on with The Trashcan Sinatras for The Ballad of the Books project. This is Half an Apple:
You can buy a copy of There but for the from the Scots Whay Hae's Local Shop, as well as all good bookshops.
It's time once more for King Tut's Summer Nights and as always there is an eclectic and interesting line-up. 70 acts over a fortnight, four bands every night with the added bonus of an acoustic set in the bar, all for £6 a go. That's got to be a bargain. It kicked off last night with Sonny Marvello supported by The Dirty Demographic, Acutones and The Miss's and finishes on the 28th of July with The Ray Summers, Johnny and the Giros, Mass Consensus and Midnight Harlots. In between are some of Scots Whay Hae's favourite bands. You can check out the full line-up by going to kingtuts.co.uk/summernights where you can also download the free Summer Nights album. In the meantime here's a taste of just a few highlights:
First up is the Winter Tradition with Firelight:
They are on this Monday (18th) with Fatherson, Vukovi and personal favourites The Scottish Enlightenment all of which suggests that this could be one of the best nights of the summer.
Although it faces stiff competition from Tuesday night's line-up which sees Found sharing a stage with this lot. These are Cancel the Astronauts with Funny for a Girl:
Sunday night sees Miniature Dinosaurs headline. This is pretty perfect. It's called Fight or Flight:
It seems to me that if you have to pick and choose then it's the early week nights that offer the most. Monday the 25th sees Meursault, Over the Wall, Capitals and Miaoux Miaoux, and the Tuesday has The Seventeenth Century headline a superb line-up which also includes Endor, Crow Road, Liam Cairns and has this lot in the bar. This is Randolph's Leap with Going Home:
Wednesday (27th) has a really eclectic selection, from the 60's psychedelic pop of Haight-Ashbury to the melodies and acoustics of Bearbones, but you only need one reason to turn up on this night and that is the appearance of Blue Sky Archives. Here they are with Dear Middle Aged Ponytail:
There's plenty more to enjoy than these suggestions, but they are a good place to start. You can get your tickets by going to gigsinscotland.com. Hot Summer Nights guaranteed.
There is a perennial problem in the arts in that it sometimes becomes more about the event, or the party, and the art itself becomes secondary. I've been to countless openings in galleries or 'spaces' where lots of people attend, take full advantage of the free wine (of which I'm as guilty as anyone), and then the exhibition hangs in an empty room for a month before the next party is due. Similarly I have been to many an album or single launch where half the people are on the guest list (again, guilty) and then the band are left with boxes of CDs which they find hard to shift.
This is unsurprising as there is the widely held desire to always be moving on to the next new thing, but the problem with that is some people who are interested in culture don't seem to give the time to that which they are supposed to be considering while they sup their warm beer. I can see this happening with literary events where we turn up, perhaps buy a copy of the book, even get it signed, and then said publication is added to a 'to do' collection as there is the première of the new Jobson movie at the Filmhouse tonight. Am I feeling cynical today, well perhaps a tad, but as a great man once said 'life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while you could miss it'.
Which brings me once more to the literary journal known as Valve. There have been the fund-raisers and the launch, all of which have been great, but don't let them act as a full stop to the life of Valve. It deserves far better than that. I've been living with my copy for around a month now, dipping into it when I feel the desire rather than trying to consume in one sitting, and, considering this is the first publication for many of those involved, the quality of the writing is astonishingly high. There is fully formed short prose, exerts from novels, poetry that will make you laugh and break your heart, often within the same poem, and a small collection of journalism.
What is particularly interesting, if not surprising, is that the pieces which stood out when I heard them live have such a different dynamic when written on the page. Some improve when read, some work better in a live context. But it is the work which I had yet to encounter that most impressed, possibly for that very reason. What I realised was that those who had given us a sample of Valve's contents hadn't simply put forward the best work to lure us into a false sense of its worth, they were genuinely representative of the quality on offer.
There are too many highlights here to mention them all, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't flag up a few personal favourites. There is Stewart Brower's schizophrenic 'Loyal', which shouldn't work, but just does, Lesley McKeran's poems, Gabrielle Bennet's intricate, hyperrealistic, prose, Chris Beattie's 'The Film', Catherine Baird's visceral, and poetic, 'Snare' and Craig Lamont's poignant and moving 'In Threes'. But there is so much to enjoy here it feels slightly churlish highlighting individuals' work. Anyway, you're bound to disagree with me, and if you do then please let me know. I'd really love to know how others view Valve.
There is the feel of a new beginning here, but if that is to be the case then those involved, particularly readers, have to make sure that we engage with what we are bring offered. This isn't a collection that should be praised simply for existing, it is more than worthy of attention and critical consideration. I truly believe that there are writers in this collection that we will be hearing a lot more from. Remember where you heard it first.
Here's an excerpt from possibly my favourite piece. The reason for that is it looks at one of my favourite Scottish publications, one which I have written about in the past. It's Marianne Gallagher's 'Born Free', her excellent appreciation of the importance of Rebel Inc's The Children of Albion Rovers:
Children of Albion Rovers, the first anthology to come from the Rebel INC. imprint, collected the work of a seminal group of writers together for the first time, to create a landscape of a new literary Scotland. Bringing together the writing talent of Irvine Welsh, Alan Warner, Gordon Legge, James Meek, Laura Hird and Paul Reekie, it capitalised on the growing scene in Edinburgh and spoke to people in voices that they recognised, about things they experienced themselves. It broke with tradition, eschewing the cosy landscapes of the literature that went before, and celebrated the vernacular and the filth of urban Scottish life – both looking for the light in-between the cracks and examining the darkness.
Rebel Inc. itself began life as a literary magazine. Inspired by the punk fanzines of the 1970’s which celebrated their D.I.Y. ethic and challenged the status quo of the conventional music press, Williamson aimed to take a “sledgehammer to the literary establishment”. This counter-cultural journal wanted a place to express the frustrations of a country post-Thatcher, and examine the raved-up and raved-out landscape of Scotland in the 90s. For 4 years it ran, staying true to its mantra of “fuck the mainstream!” with the publication of 1994’s “Ecstasy Interview” which recorded an unedited conversation between Irvine Welsh and Kevin Williamson whilst both were under the influence of the drug MDMA. This, somewhat understandably, brought massive attention to the magazine – both dismissive and approving – and marked it out as a challenging, provocative publication.
Gordon Legge brought the pop writing, Irvine Welsh the whack of reputation and the schemie slang. Laura Hird gave a tale of a teen Lolita and an aging, ogling teacher. From Meek, one of the more under-rated gems of the collection – the scheming and misbehaviour of Edinburgh traffic wardens was brought into sharp focus, by way of a new uniform and a Chinese board-game. Alan Warner brought the hallucinogens and the hallucinogenic imagery – lest we forget that we are in the grip of the ‘Chemical Generation’.
Although the alignment of music, film and thought saw the Rebel Inc philosophy tied up in a movement, the real success – and intention – of the anthology was in opening up doors. The many literary events and readings which continue on and around Scotland are testament to the ethos of this original team. Rebel Inc may have hung up its boots, but the ideas it brought to the game will continue to run and run.
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To read further extracts go to www.valvejournal.co.uk but what you should really do is buy yourself a copy. You can buy it from the above website, or indeed this one, pick it up in Waterstones or go to www.amazon.co.uk/Valve-Literary-Journal. So forgo that pint of Peroni, you have my word Valve will be the most worthwhile £5 you'll spend this year
After having read some decidedly sniffy reviews about Glasgow set romantic comedy Fast Romance my expectations were not high. What I realise now, having seen the film, is the laziness of these reviews which have little to do with what actually happens on screen. Three in particular were almost interchangeable; all concentating on Richard Curtis's Love Actually, BBC Scotland's River City and Gregory's Girl rather than the film itself. Let's take these one at a time; critics are right, this is no Love Actually. And thank the Lord for that as it is the most smug and manipulative film I can think of off the top of my head. There is more heart and soul in Fast Romance than can be found in any Curtis' feature (I've just remembered the Curtis' 'made for TV' The Girl in the Cafe, so Love Actually might have to drop to number two).
Another accusation thrown at Fast Romance is that it is little more than a long version of River City, the justification for which seems to be nothing more insightful than the fact that some of those on screen have appeared on that soap at one time or another. Now I'll admit that I don't watch River City, but this strikes me as cultural snobbery at its very worst, prejudging that actors who appear in soaps should not appear on the big screen, or that they are only able to do one thing, and then not very well. River City may be a poor example of the genre, I don't know. I haven't watched a soap regularly since Mark Fowler became Tucker Jenkins in Eastenders, but to suggest a causal link in this manner is poor. Review the soap and review the film by all means, but don't try and suggest that your feelings for one have any significant bearing on the other.
The claim that had me most concerned was that this was a film that was trying to rip off Gregory's Girl. As many of you will know I bow to none in my admiration for that film and those that made it. But this is the most ludicrous accusation of all. Fast Romance wears its influences not just on its sleeve, it wears them head to toe and with pride. It has been made by people, director Carter Ferguson and writers James McCreadie and Debbie May, who are fully aware of Scotland's comedic history, and attempts to, if not place itself in this history, then at least pay homage to it. From the music, which has the sax and synth of Bill Forsyth's film, to the poster of Gregory on the wall, and the appearance of Robert Buchanan in a cameo, this is a warmhearted homage rather than an attempt to imitate. Buchanan is credited as Andy which is the name of the character he played in Gregory's Girl. He also gets to say 'I like to watch the smiley faces' which echoes a famous line from the earlier film.
But it doesn't stop there, in a central role is Vincent Freill, Will the 'wolfman' in the 1985 film Restless Natives (see You Have Been Watching...Restless Natives), and there is a copy of said film in one character's DVD collection, along with Local Hero and, yes, Gregory's Girl. There is also a nod to TV's comedy past. Barbara Rafferty, from, amongst other things, Rab C Nesbitt, is perfect as the satanic woman across the close, Dave Anderson, who despite his many credits on stage and screen is still known to many as Mr McLelland from City Lights, and, in one of my favourite moments in the film, there is the appearance of Greg Hemphill from Still Game and Chewin' the Fat delivering flowers from 'Villiers Flowers'. If you don't get the joke I'm afraid it's too convoluted to explain here. There are some lovely subtle touches in the film that seemed to have been overlooked by critics. Perhaps I'm being overly geeky about this, but this is a film which has been made with care.
Fast Romance is not going to feature in many people's list of the best movies of the year, nor has it any pretension to. It is pure entertainment of the kind that Scottish filmakers rarely attempt, and a film industry worth the name must have space for every genre and style. I don't know if the film makers, Coatbridge's Ickle Flix Ltd, encouraged the comparison with the work of Richard Curtis, but a more apposite comparison would be with David Kane's romantic comedies of the 1990s, This Year's Love and Born Romantic. It is not as accomplished as either of those films (and when is someone going to give Kane the money to make more movies?), but it has the same charm allied to a realistic world view. As with those earlier films, what stays with you is not the comedy or even the romance, but the moments when tragic, and dramatic, reality intervenes. This is when the actors involved shine. Here is the trailer:
Fast Romance has its faults. Some of the relationships, and indeed performances, don't quite work. But most do. William Ruane, as Gordy Boyd, is clearly put forward as the film's Gregory, and is well cast as the young man trying to make sense of what is unfolding around him. Derek Munn, as the decent and put upon Kenny, is the dramatic heart of the film, and Jo Freer's Nadine turns out to be more complex and astute than the audience are at first led to believe. She is also a natural comic actor who wins you over with her positive, idealistic, yet ultimately realistic, world view. In hindsight that is the films major strength, that the central characters who appear one dimensional to begin with develop as events unfold in a manner which is entirely beleivable. There are no dramatic changes of pace, just a gentle progression of people and plot.
The cameos by the more experienced cast threaten to overshadow those lesser known actors, but by the end it is the central relationships, their success or otherwise, that you care about. I'm not really an aficionado of the romantic comedy, but I do know the Scottish branch of the genre, and in a week when I finally got round to watching The Match (which has, from Richard E.Grant, one of the most ludicrous accents of all time, but more of that to come soon) I found Fast Romance really rather refreshing. It doesn't have many belly laughs, but I had a smile on my face for most of it, and was really moved by the more dramatic scenes. At a time when modern romantic comedy often means jokes about every taboo under the sun, this charmed me, and that was an unexpected, and rather lovely, thing to have happen.
Here's a small selection of the best music I have been sent, borrowed or bought in the last couple of weeks. First off is the new single from one of Scotland's top bands, and who got me to buy new vinyl for the first time in decades in the form of their album the peter's port memorial service, one of the records of 2010. Of course it's Mitchell Museum with What They Built, the launch of which is at Glasgow's Stereo tonight (4/7/20110). It is a piece of power pop driven by relentless drums and guitar, and which is accompanied by a cover of MIA's Paper Planes. Here's the single:
Next we have the brilliantly named Jekyll Island, the new single from Rollor. This is a band which I don't know much about, but I'm sure I will rectify that in the near future. I've said it before, but it is refreshing that there seems to be a lot more dirty noise around at the moment than has been the case in recent years. Play it through the oldest speakers you have for maximum effect:
You'll remember that I went right over the top about Cigarette Smuggling by Mummy Short Arms, a song I still play regularly and which is my song of the year so far. It was released on the Glasgow label Flowers in the Dustbin so I thought I'd check out what else they had to offer. There is lots of good stuff which you can browse here soundcloud.com/flowersinthedustbin but my favourite, ok second favourite, is Yorkshire by For Abel. It is classic guitar pop that is reminiscent if The Wedding Present, one of the best bands ever to have plugged into a Peavey. Here you go:
Next up is Arran Arctic with Interrupt Me from his latest album In Your Hands. He is one of my favourite new discoveries, and I did so because he commented on something I had written elsewhere. I liked the name and followed it up, and it took me to his website arranarctic which has lots of examples of the lovely sounds he makes. Lots of stuff like this:
Next up is the first single from the new Sons and Daughter album Mirror Mirror, which many will already be familiar with. The album hasn't yet seduced me as their previous ones have, although admittedly I've only had a couple of listens which I will look to remedy soon, but this is a great track with a cracking video. This is Breaking Fun:
I'm going to leave you with a heads up for the first in the new series of Artworks Scotland on BBC 2 tomorrow night (5/7/2011) at 9pm. Titled Scotland Rocks at South by South West, it is Sir Vic Galloway's guide to the best Scottish bands who visited this year's SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. Those featured include Admiral Fallow, Unicorn Kid, Kid Canaveral, Edwyn Collins, The Proclaimers, Rachel Sermanni and many more. Unfortunately it will only be available in Scotland, although I presume everyone who is able to access iplayer will be able to catch it soon after. Here is the trailer to whet the apetite:
