Play with the city - glasgow

Friday saw a strange night as me and my mate Robert found ourselves sitting drinking bottles of Corona, eating toast with blueberry jam and listening to a really cool band I cant for the life of me remember what was called.

Glasgow clubbers who are tired of the same old club sounds or pine for those seething, sweating club nights in which they danced the night away as teenagers can now rejoice, for the city has a brand new electro and techno club night where you can kick back and actually enjoy your mates and the music. yeah there is space for a boogie, but there is also scope to hear your mates opinion on Cajun Squirrel Crisps. The Flying Duck is the new place to be.

The night held a “Going out is the new staying in” night which offered Glasgow townies; booze, tea, toast, bands and DJs all creating a house party vibe.

The club itself has a  low-fi and low-key atmosphere with a homely familiarity that’s a cross between an old man’s pub and your best mate’s house. The decor itself has to be seen to be believed. On entering the ‘close’, you then travel down the stairs into the hallway of the tenement, through to the “house-inspired” decor of each of the rooms and then you land in ‘the jewel in the crown’, the kitchen. It’s true what they say- The party always ends up in the kitchen!

We has such a great night that we are grabbing a few more buddies and heading back there next Thursday!

So I was expecting glow sticks, furry boots and men in white boiler suits. Boy I was wrong.

The Arches in Glasgow saw a fanny fantastic Friday night with Modeselektor on the 20th. The Berlin duo were so good I don’t think the bar served a single drink the whole time they were on set, the dance floor was absolutely mobed and Glasgow was jumping! My ears are still ringing, and I love it.

Now Ive been to The Arches loads of times, it is one of Glasgow’s hot spots; but I have never seen the place so busy or have I seen the dance floor so instinct with everyone having a fncking great time…

The place was swimming with cheap champaign, one from the duo to cool us all down! Thanks for that guys.

New tunes for th Qashqui, yes indeedalydee.

So anyways, The night itself was a blast. The venue was packed with a shit load of girls wanting to be spotted and the atmosphere was very ‘girly’ girls all out to have a couple of drinks and loads of laughs with their mates. We got pissed, laughed lots, bitched lots and got lost trying get home from the night. Good one, do it again?… “ooh yaa darling”.

He is dead and buried… a more-ish handful of dust somewhere in Ayrshire, but 250 years later we are still celebrating the life’s work of Scotland’s most famous womaniser, philosopher and bard; Robert Burns. A good 250 years hole in the head dead, but boy ‘o’ boy can he can still host a good party! Food, songs, drams and rubbing shoulders with some of Scotland’s finest z-list talents. It all made for a healthy hangover and some fun photos for the album on the morning after.

Held at Oran Mor at the top of Byres Road in Glasgow’s West End, my good self and a few bum chums checked out Burns night.
David MacLennan who is the man in the know when it comes to all things theatre and art, welcomed us all to the night before a choir called The Sirens of Titan held us all in a head lock with an appetiser of Burns in song and Cock-a-leekie soup.

Dave Anderson; another Scottish theatre darling waved a big machete in the air whilst reciting ‘Address to the haggis’  in  broad auld Scots using words that even I couldn’t comprehend let alone understand, before he stabbed a big bag of haggis and dished out our mains. History dictates that The Haggis is borne into the room to the screeching… I mean dullest tones of the  bagpipes and serenaded with Burns’ great paean to the stuffed sheep’s stomach, after the ceremonial piercing; the haggis is toasted with a traditional dram of whiskey. Bottoms up.

So you guess it, the main meal of the night was Haggis, neaps (swede) and tatties with a creamy pepper sauce, loved it! After dinner we had a toast to the Lassies by Jimmy McGregor, a great speech about how much Jimmy loved his women. Reminiscing to a young age when he would court them up the back close in the tenements of old Springburn with nothing more romantic than a poke of chips. Moira Kerr made a reply on behalf of the lassies; a witty speech and a wee sing-song.
Time for desert, the best bit. A Raspberry Cranachan tower with Moustarda of berries followed by coffee and traditional tablet.

David Hayman (the Trial and Retribution guy) made The Immortal Memory speech were he spoke of the charity work that some of Scotland’s finest are doing and the many Scots who have passed but should still be remembered. We of all people ended up with his business card at the end of the night and thought it would be funny sending him some text messages asking “Where do you get those shirts?”
More coffee and tablet.

The finally of the night was Karen Dunbar  her with the nostrils in ‘Chewing the Fat’ reciting what is probably Burns’ most famous poem; Tam O’Shanter. As with all things Karen is involved in, she was a great image up on the stage and got many a laughs from the tables around the room.

There was also a previewing of ten unique and strangely witty paintings, illustrating Burns’s Tam ‘O’ Shanter by the artist and author Charles Nasmyth.

So who was spotted? Robbie Coltrane, Duncan Ballantine, a shed load of the stars of Taggart and River City (I didn’t know any of them) and plenty of others just smelling of TV personality.

It can be found on bus stops, train stations, on bathroom walls and on the outside of your front door. No I’m not talking about smeared human excrement; I’m talking about Street Art… also known in my vocabulary as; drum roll please- Graffiti.

Scotland saw its first ever “high profile” Street Art exhibition last Saturday and Sunday (6th and & 7th December) being organised by Fusion. The ticketed exhibition incorporated live art creations as well as having art pieces that were for sale. It was organised as part of a major fundraising campaign to raise funds for the well known charity, The Prince’s Trust. “Yeah” always good to do your bit!

Taking place at SWG3 Studio Warehouse in Glasgow, the exhibition showcased the work of some of the UK’s top street artists including Elph, Smug and Gazmac as well as some young emerging talent who work within the media of spray art, illustration, stencil, photo realism, and character depictions. I was there with my Gok Wan looky-likey mate Jonny and a host load of other trendy art critics.

The Street art was amazing and I found some things that really went together. I’m not talking Bread and Butter, toast and Jam. Tequila and weeklong hangovers etc. It would appear that cute boys in skinny white jeans, checked lumberjack shirts and spray cans are also a good partnership. Both turning out some spray can style on the streets and working hard to create some of the hottest Art works in Glasgow’s factory galleries.

The DJ played works till 1pm along with a bar full of red bull and vodka. It was a top night and a big event for Glasgow.

Along with fluttering my eyelashes and pushing the best lines, I never even got a snog from Sam Bates AKA Smug… gutted.

Hopefully Fusion will host another event so I can wear my wonder bra, let’s hope!