Weissenhauser, Etc

Ok. First off - I've got a gig.

It's been a few yonks since I stood on stage solo acoustic singing songs. Should be fun. I'm sure I'll dip into "Bonjour" - the album I made with Harry Pye. 25th January. Free. Tell your Newcastle pals.

Talking of Harry Pye, here's a film Harry made with his pal Gordon Beswick about Vincent Van Gogh in London. I was sure glad to provide the soundtrack. Apparently it was a toss up between me and Don Mclean.

No - not that Don Mclean.

 Anyway it's only 5 minutes long. Feel free to share...

Teenage Fanclub just returned from playing the Rolling Stone Beach festival in Weissenhauser, Germany.

A few hours before the show I made a flying visit to Hamburger Kunsthalle. Loved it.

Ruffian.

Couldn't get near the Wanderer Above A Sea Of Fog...

Gig was fab...

And if you we're keeping score, this week I did not cock up the intro to "Darkest Part Of The Night".

And now I'm home.

The second week of Series 3 of Cash Trapped is on ITV. I've seen my theme tune compared to Lush, to The Dead Kennedys, and to an announcement that the world is about to end. Hmm. Follow Twitter hasthtag #CashTrapped between 5pm and 6pm most weekdays between now and Christmas and you'll see that passions are running high.

Meanwhile I am putting the finishing touches to some music for a documentary about the creator of a certain bear from Darkest Peru.

Wot no schnitzel?

Last week Teenage Fanclub played the Rolling Stone festival in Rust, Germany.

Twas fun.

Off season Europa-park was a wee bit Euro Disney, a wee bit Vegas, a wee bit Westworld.

Instead of Micky Mouse they have Ed Euromaus. Here's a photo of a photo of Ed showing some Solidarność with Lech Walesa...

Our hotel - El Andaluz - had a Spanish theme; wallpaper with ye olde castille stonewall effect and the like. Meanwhile this chap was the greeter at the Hotel Colosseo.

Not Lech Walesa

At the aftershow party the DJ played The Police "So Lonely". One eschewed the opportunity to dance. But I did remember my first ever concert - The Police supported by The Cramps at Glasgow Apollo in May 1979. I was 8 (!!) years old. The Apollo was a bear pit. Two thousand Police fans chanting "Fuck off! Fuck off! at Lux & Co. I was experiencing sensory overload, wondering if all these people went to mass. But I digress.

In order to celebrate the return of Cash Trapped on STV & ITV, (featuring my music - and no I still haven't met Bradley)...

...I decided to order a celebratory, first taste ever, of Johnnie Walker Blue Label...

Some Johnnie Walker and a glass of Pils last week.

I won't be doing that again in a  hurry...

*Spits whisky out in shock*

Best stick to the tried and tasted...

In other news I can recommend Real Kashmir FC on BBC i-player; "At Eternity's Gate" on Netflix; and this...

(On first reflection I thought I liked it a lot. Now I think I loved it.)

This weekend Teenage Fanclub play Rolling Stone Beach in Weissenhäuser. Should be fun.

Me And Jacky Bird - The Truth

On Sunday (3rd Nov) I donned my tux, googled 'how to tie a black bow tie', and headed off to the BAFTA Scotland Awards 2019 to drink gin and limoncello.

I'm not one to name drop but, yes, I can confirm the rumours that a certain "JB" was at my table.

I provided the music for "In Sight Of Home - The Iolaire". It lost out to Real Kashmir FC in the Single Documentary category. Och well.

However, I also provided the music for both "Yes/No: Inside The Indyref" which did win Specialist Factual...

...and I composed the music for "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" - made by Hannah Currie and Beth Allan - which won best Short Film...

Their acceptance speech is a hoot.

The trailer for this wee gem is here:



Other recent composing news: I am not one to bear grudges. Not for longer than necessary. Thus despite our 3-1 drubbing in the Argentinian World Cup of 1978, I nobly rose to the task of creating my own arrangement of the Peruvian national anthem. Why, you ask? All will be revealed on BBC Two over the Christmas period.

Oh and Cash Trapped is coming back! Mon 11th of Nov. 5 days per week. 5pm. ITV and STV.

I loved working on this; possibly the only Bradley Walsh TV show whose theme music has been compared to The Dead Kennedys. *polishes nails*

I can highly recommend Guilt on BBC Scotland.

I Walked With A Zombie on BBC i-player is the kind of film made for late Friday nights and black and white portable tellys.

I remember standing in front of Las Meninas at the Prado and feeling how paintings can be time machines. The opening chapter of this book hooked me in:

 

I'm grooving to Bob's "Travelin' Thru". The Bob + Johnny Cash sessions are pleasantly loose. And they *sound* so lovely. The reverbs! The space! The vocals! If this doesn't float your boat - well, I'm afraid I can't help you.

Andy finally, Esther...

I'm looking forward to playing Rolling Stone Park Festival 2019 with Teenage Fanclub in a few days.

Schnitzels ahoy!