Live Performance Review: The Staves, The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, Wednesday 30.10.2013, 19:00

The support was passable, though nothing to look out for.

Needless to say there was a lot of similarities with the performance at Oran Mor in Glasgow in early September. 

With it being at the Queen's Hall, it was a better venue with superior acoustics which assisted the vocals. Also with it being this venue the audience were very respectful, to the benefit of the quieter songs. 

The performance was dreamy and beautiful, with perfect harmonising; faultless. It could be suggested it would have benefited from being slightly longer. It has to be kept in mind they have just released one album, though after this tour they are going to be doing the recording of their follow up album. To grumble about the length is just that, grumbling. The ladies, Jessica, Camilla and Emily also appear to be lovely, humble, down-to-earth and with a grand line in banter.

I enjoyed this enough that I nicked a copy of the set-list at the end. I have not done that since I was about 21. I look forward to the next release and general development. Hopefully they will hold on to the agreeable manner. 

Rating: 10/10. 

Live Performance Review: Warpaint, O2 ABC, Glasgow, Monday 28.10.2013, 19:00

I have seen this group previously on 23.08.2011 at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh. On that occasion they gave a very good performance, though it was not excellent. Wikipedia describe them as art-rock. I'm not sure what that means, though I find them very hard to describe beyond being able to say that some of their songs are very dreamy and all of their songs are quite funky (& I think they sound sexy - whatever that is). 

Warpaint are a four piece all female group from L.A., they currently have two L.P. type releases. In 2009 the mini-L.P. (six tracks) of 'Exquisite Corpse' was released followed the following year by the full L.P. of 'The Fool'. Their next long-player is expected to be released early in 2014 and is understood to be self-titled. Of the two releases so far, I prefer 'Exquisite Corpse', though both are very impressive. 

It was only after I became introduced to 'Exquisite Corpse' that I found out that it was recorded and engineered by my rock hero John Frusciante, formally of the Red Hot Chili Peppers who happened to be dating Emily Kokal (Warpaint's lead vocalist) at the time. Once this detail is known, you can hear his touch on the recording. 

There were two supports at the gig/ The first from Liverpool, called 'All We Are' were very impressive and I would have happily have listened to them for longer. If I notice recordings of them in the future I would check them out. The second support were called 'Pins' and are really not worth bothering with. 

Warpaint played all bar one of the tracks from 'Exquisite Corpse', a good dose of ones from 'The Fool', and some new ones that sounded very impressive. The synchronicity and harmonising between the band members was very noticeable and impressive. There was some great jams and musical journeys sensuous enough to to cause ecstatic goosebumps. 

Although all four members were great, particular mention has to be given to Jenny Lee Lindberg (Bass) who clearly acts as the anchor for the band and displayed very dexterous playing. Stella Mozgawa who was very impressive on the drums with lovely little details being fitted in with ease and Emily (on lead guitar and keys as well as vocals). All of the members appeared to be having fun, particularly Jenny. The lighting was also very impressive, and the crowd although not sold-out was a decent size and very enthusiastic. They played for a decent period of time; approx 1 Hour 40/45, and I really find it hard to find any fault at all at with the performance. 

I have the lovely task of reporting that for two nights in a row I feel I have experienced faultless gigs.

Rating: 10/10.   

Live Performance Review: Suede, Barrowlands Ballroom, Glasgow, Sunday 27.10.2013, 19:00

I last saw Suede perform at the very unusual venue of the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh on 13.02.1997. This was on the tour for their third album 'Coming Up' (1996) and was a very good performance.   

I got a ticket for this gig when a colleague who I go to some gigs with mentioned wanting to see them when the tour was announced, and I immediately thought I was up for that. It was only on the day of the gig that I remembered details such as I was introduced to Suede by friends at school in my final year of secondary school. The same friends who also introduced me to others favorites for many years such as The Levellers and Chumbawamba. Also the night that I lost my virginity in 1995, Suede's self titled first album (1993) was playing on repeat throughout the night. Clearly I have some significant memories attached to this group. 

This was the first time I was at the Barrowlands since 2005, and it is still one of my favorite venues, along with the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh. 

The support was forgetably bland. 

Suede's performance focused largely upon their first three albums, the above mentioned two and 1994's 'Dog Man Star', as well as the new album 'Bloodsports' (2013), which I have not heard yet, though have on order. It was a consummate performance with singer Brett Anderson producing an extremely energetic and nuanced display, playing to the crowd as only a seasoned confident front man can. Guitarist Richard Oakes was also of note, approaching his performance with gusto. The gig was sold out and the crowd were rapturous without any signs of the oft Glaswegian gig agro. There was a sense of joyous euphoria throughout capped of with the anthemic 'New Generation' from 'Dog Man Star' at the end of the encore. I would go so far as to say it was a fantastically faultless show. Absolutely brilliant.

Rating: 10/10. 

On a sad note, it was also at the gig that I learned of the death of one of my favorite musicians, with the group dedicating one of the songs to Mr Lou Reed who had died that day. Thankfully I had the pleasure of seeing Lou perform twice. R.I.P. Lou, you helped give courage and confidence to many a deviant.

Film Review: The Blue Black Hussar (15) (U.K. 2013) (Director: Jack Bond) Sunday 06.10.2013 17:45 The Filmhouse Cinema Screen Three, Edinburgh 

This film is not yet on general release and it is not clear if it will get this form of exposure. 

There is mention that it may land up going straight to DVD or other such streams. 

This is a documentary that focuses upon the present day life of Adam Ant, my first ever hero. It is presented in the order that the filming occurred, and so although his previous mental illness is not explicitly discussed, it clearly presents a process of recovery. The film is very raw, unvarnished presentation of the man as he goes about his activities of creating music and collaborating with other artists. 

One of the producers of the film was present at the screening and explained that the director and Adam had been friends for a considerable number of years, and this is how they were able to get such authentic footage of the two of them just chatting as mates do. These are also some of the most revealing segments of the film where there is clearly no pretense. The film collectively as a whole also comes together to present a clear portrait of a very complex and intriguing man who has many and varied disparate interests.

This is a fascinating portrait of a man. Wither you may be intrigued due to his music or just interested in human functioning and behaviour, I would recommend this. I found it engrossing.  

Rating: 09/10. 

Film Review: The Pervert's Guide To Ideology (15), (U.K./Ireland 2012) (Director: Sophie Fiennes), Friday 04.10.2013 1900, The Cameo Cinema, Screen Two, Edinburgh

This is from a preview screening.
The film is not properly released until 18.10.2013.

This is a audio-visual context for the oratory of charismatic Slovakian Philosopher & Psychologist Slavoj Zizek. The director and Zizek had previously made 'The Pervert's Guide To Cinema' (2006) together, and this is a continuation of what they began with that film.

Zizek has a great interest in film, and 'the guide to cinema' utilized his interest in cinema along with his understanding of psychology to present an examination of many revered films through the lenses of Freudian Phychodynamic thinking. This I found enlightening and entertaining.

This new visual tome broadens the reference palate to also take into account actual events and the news coverage of these, such as the London riots of a couple of years ago. This is a very dense analysis of entertainment, news media and marketing/advertising to examine how people globally tend to accept some notion of a broad ideology generated by some authoritarian 'other', and then in time come to feed the ideology assisting its perpetuation.  

This 'film' requires absolute concentration, and is unquestionably stimulating. I suspect the film would reward several viewings as the information is so concentrated, I would find it hard to imagine most punters being able to process all of it on first view.

I don't feel the film to have been as entertaining as 'the guide to cinema', though I suspect it has further reach in terms of relevance.

Rating: 07/10.  

Film Review: Prisoners (15), (U.S.A. 2013) (Director: Denis Villeneuve), Saturday 28.09.2013 20:30, The Cameo Cinema, Screen Three, Edinburgh

This is a film set in a small community where two young girls disappear from families that are close friends. There is an oddball character who immediately becomes the focus of the community's attentions. 

There are two main characters, the father of one of the girls portrayed by Hugh Jackman & a police officer portrayed by Jake Gyllenhall. Both of the performances are admirable, and I don't usually like Jackman, so that is something. Hugh Jackman is doing his usual hunter-gatherer man thing, though in the context of the role I don't find this objectionable. Gyllenhall gives a usual sturdy performance, though with added elements of frustration and rage. I could not actually fault any of the acting, though specifically mention that leads as that is what they are. 

The film is very good at showing how different people would try to cope/manage differently in such circumstances. The futility of many inquiries is focused upon as well as the resultant frustration. There are questions presented to the notion of morality, as well as profferings to not to assume who is or is not community minded or of 'best' intentions. Further questions are raised as to what behaviour we would accept of ourselves and/or others if we understood the behaviour to be motivated by utter desperation. 

The film allows characters to get to half-truths and partial understandings from the off, though the misunderstood details allow the film to portray the prime-suspect to be as much a victim as anyone else (then at the end when the full detail of who that character is becomes clear it could be argued that they are the biggest victim).      

The film is long though I did not have a sense of this while watching. The film is, at times, not an easy watch, though it is very involving of the viewer. This is a very well considered and put together film whose structure does not forget the little details differing characters know which spins them off in differing directions. This is a film rich in detail and substantially rewarding, though due to the nature of what it covers I find hard to recommend. Never the less...

Rating: 09/10.    

Film Review: Filth (18), (U.K. 2013) (Director: John S. Baird), Saturday 28.09.2013 18:10, The Cameo Cinema, Screen One, Edinburgh

As with any visual work based upon writings of Irvine Welsh, they will always be compared to the adaptation of 'Trainspotting' (1996). I first saw Trainspotting on the night of it's world premiere at a midnight screening at the same cinema. From the screening that night you could tell that it was an important film with a zeitgeist quality about it. It may have been set in the '80's, though the 'choose life' sentiment was very apt at a time when brit-pop and new labour were on the rise.    

Filth does not have this good fortune of cultural relevance, though I still found it to be a very enjoyable and funny film. James McAvoy portrays the central character well, without any cheep shots for sympathy and has no problem carrying the film. Though I have to say I was even more impressed by Eddie Marsan, who portrays James's best friend with such skill that he can appear pathetic yet completely unsympathetic and very funny in a bumbling way. 

There is no question that this far outstrips 'The Acid House' (1998) and 'Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy' (2011) in terms of Irvine Welsh adaptations for the screen, and as enjoyable as it is, it does not have vitality and is not a classic. Though it is a jolly good laugh.

Rating: 08/10.  

Film Review: Ain't Them Bodies Saints (15) (U.S.A. 2013) (Director: David Lowery) Saturday 28.09.2013 15:15 The Filmhouse Cinema Screen Two, Edinburgh 

It is hard to know what time-frame to say this tale of hicks is set. The story essentially revolves around two young lovers on the lam, the woman is pregnant and lands up shooting a police officer. Her lover claims responsibility, taking the rap and the sentence, swearing to return to her. He escapes penitentiary and needless to say his root back to her is messy. There is nothing more to say...

The film is overly simplistic. It clearly has aspirations to be a new kind of 'Badlands' (1973) though falls well short. Whereas that film had intrigue and was beguiling, this was just dull, offering nothing new in regard to the notion that not even love can save you when you operate outside the law. I recommend anyone considering this, to instead rewatch (or if new to, watch) Badlands, that was you are at least assured of a quality film. 

Rating: 02/10.