Laura Cantrell - A Tonic For The Lockdown Blues

INTERIOR. MORNING. LIVING ROOM IN SUBURBAN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

A 49 YEAR-OLD DAD, ever stylish but could use a haIrcut, STANDS SQUINTING AT a TV SCREEn. BIG PIXELS MOVE AROUND VIGOROUSLY. 10 year old daughter sits on a bean bag also staring at the screen, wiggling a plastic controller contraption.

DAD:
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

DAUGHTER
(WITH AUSTRALIAN INFLECTION AND IMPLIED "D'UH"):

 "KILLING ZOMBIES."

* * * 

Last night I watched some Kevin Bridges. His wee routine about a Jihadi suicide bomber on a tourist flight from Glasgow to Mallorca was particularly good.

I dipped into a TV doc about Peter Sellers for few minutes and, it being a goodly while after midnight, was about to sip the last of my Johnnie Walker Red and ascend the Wooden Hill to Bedfordshire when I decided to sneak a wee glance at Faceboke.

Who should pop up with a live-streamed, solo acoustic set but Laura blinkin' Cantrell!!

What a tonic for the lockdown blues! A realtime connection with a great artist.

As I like to remind folk now and again, I released Laura's sublime debut album "Not The Tremblin' Kind" on my label 20 years ago, (zoinks!), and - along with her subsequent releases - it still hits the spot. She's a pal but I'll alway be a fan.

Anyway, this live session was just what I needed when I didn't know I needed it. The whisky tasted sweeter and the night got younger.

Laura sang this gem (among many) which made me listen to it again (I bought the LP "Going Up On The Mountain" on ebay a few yonks ago, searching for things associated with the late John Herald - John plays some guitar and sings some harmonies):

Here's an old blog about an amazing trip playing in Spain with Laura. Seems a lifetime and a world away now.

Laura, you were sounding great as ever. Until we meet again... *raises imaginary glass of whisky at computer screen*

OH BY THE WAY... Lady Cantrell will be live tweeting as we all listen to Not The Tremblin' Kind on Tim's Twitter Listening Party. Sunday 21st June, 9pm (UK time)...

See y'all then.

OK. Other stuff I have recently liked:

Tunnel 29 - powerful telling of a true story about West Berliners digging a tunnel under The Wall.

The Dyatlov Pass Mystery - a dark, disturbing true tale about 9 Russian students hiking to their deaths in the Ural Mountains in 1959.

Broken Greek - Pete Paphides ruminates on a childhood as an elective mute, turned on by Sting and Come On Eileen. (Did I ever mention I saw The Police supported by The Cramps at Glasgow Apollo when I was 8 years old? I did?! Oh...)

Billy And Us - Episode 2. Shipyards and Leotards. I do love Billy.

Keith Floyd Uncorked on DVD. Here's Episode 1 on youtube if you give a monkey's...

I also watched Disney's Cinderella avec child. Not entirely sure I'd ever seen it all the way through. Now I keep breaking in to "Salagadoola mechicka boola,  Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo..." for no good reason. Help.

I'm reading this and it's off to a cracking start:

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Let’s see what this rapscallion has to say for himself...

A post shared by Francis Macdonald (@francismacdonald) on May 22, 2020 at 4:52am PDT

Oh and Grayon's Art Club is fab lockdown TV, in my humble opining...

Please Father, that is all I can remember. Now for a good Act Of Contrition.

Toodle pip.

Swingin' Along

Hope folk are bearing up OK.

We bought a swing seat for the garden. Sitting on it feels like going on holiday (not really).

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A post shared by Francis Macdonald (@francismacdonald) on May 6, 2020 at 4:19am PDT

I've been watching Keith Floyd, Better Call Saul and Normal People.

I happened upon this curio about Monty Python making shows for German TV in 1971. On first arriving they were taken to visit a concentration camp. I won't repeat what Graham Chapman shouted when it was closed.

If my experience is anything to go by - any 11 year-olds you know might enjoy Homeschool History on BBC Radio 4.

I caught up with an old doc by director Stephen Bennett called The Boys Of Ballikinrain: a viewing experience to remind you that all behaviour has a reason - and that we need to count our blessings.

Stephen directed "Eminent Monsters" which received its BBC premiere last night (as I type). An important documentary about state-sponsored torture with a story that stretches from Canada to Guantanamo to Northern Ireland and beyond, I was glad of the opportunity to compose the soundtrack.

My music also features on the current series of both "Beechgrove" (BBC Scotland / BBC TWO) and "Emergency Helicopter Medics" (Channel 4). And I wrote the theme tune for "Inside Central Station" - back for a second series on the BBC Scotland TV channel.

A reminder that I contributed a song - Punk Rock Boy - to Juniper's debut album.

Don Fleming and Ira Kaplan play guitars. Crazy. More info here.

(Reader's voice: "Stop boasting!")

Apparently it's 14 years since we lost Grant McLennan. I wrote this about his passing in 2006.

We still have his songs.

My late mum used to sing this.

Stay safe.

Ma Hauns

Hello.

Jeez. Right?

I am trying to get out for regular, responsibly socially-distant jogs. (Recommended for physical and mental health). Yesterday (as I type) I was listening to BBC Radio 3 and they played this and I nearly started snapping my fingers and doing prancing high kicks:

But I never.

And then there's this:

I dug Quiz  (Michael Sheen as Chris Tarrant was a hoot).

I am digging Better Call Saul.

Modern Family continues to deliver.

And Limmy's Homemade Show is also worth a watch.

Gosh in terms of TV criticism - I could be the new Clive James.

I am also making my way through some shows by my favourite now deceased rapscallion.

• Floyd On France? Tick!
• Floyd Around The Med? Tick!
• Floyd On Spain? Tick!
• Next? Floyd In Italy...

They don't make 'em like that anymore.

My 11 year-old is getting on-board with Greg Jenner's Homeschool History.

Roman architecture! The power of faith! Negronis on the veranda! Celibacy! Seminarians playing football! If you missed Priest School (yes, yes, OK, you dragged it out of me - it features my music. Slap the cuffs on!) You can catch up here.

Oh - set the video! This is coming back! Sun 3rd May. 9pm. BBC Scotland.

The opening titles feature my theme music - an' ma hauns...

Btw - this seems like a worthy charity.

I ❤️ NHS. 

Stay safe. And try not to inject any bleach. x

There's A Hole In Daddy's Arm

Greetings, all. Hope we're staying safe.

So it looks like my chance to open for the great Robert Forster at the Strathaven Hotel in May has vanished. (Hopefully postponed as opposed to cancelled.)

Aww. It would have been a brilliant night but, well, some things are more important.

Meanwhile here's how Robert is spending his self-isolation.

Me? 

I've been passing the time various ways, eg writing some music for a well kent TV show about gardening.

Also listening to this gratefully-received masterpiece:

I've been watching Rick Stein's Long Weekends and Floyd On France (wasn't Keith Floyd brilliant?)...

...and Modern Family.

I need to catch up with Better Call Saul.

I gave Tiger King a go but I'm not sure it's for me.

I am reading this:

 

Historical fiction. Need to roll with it's tone. But I'm a-rolling with it.

"Priest School" featuring my music - he said bashfully - is on TV soon (a 3-part gaelic version went out over Christmas (remember Christmas?)):

I saw the late John Prine at The Fleadh, Finsbury Park in 2004. I was there playing with Laura Cantrell. Linda Thomson was along as a guest of Laura's and joined her onstage for "The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter". David Johansen was floating around too. I think he was in London for a New York Dolls reunion show. Anyway, John Prine was great. Especially when he sang "Sam Stone".

When I was at school - a good number of yonks prior to 2004 - I was co-opted into a folk group with my best pal, John McCusker. He wasn't my best pal then. First couple of times I met him I thought he was a precocious brat. But I digress. In order to boost our repertoire I learned John Prine's "Sam Stone" from an LP we had in the house called A Better Class Of Folk. Mike Whellans sang it with a kind of communal sing-a-long chorus that worked better than you might have guessed, given the nature of the song. I would have sung it with our band A Parcel O' Rogues ("I will never listen to this album again" -Mike Harding) when we played The Strathaven Hotel folk club back in the day.

"There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes..."

Farewell, John...

Mrs. Arbuthnot Had Ears Sharpened By Malice

I don't have anything profound to add about the pandemic except to say let's wash our hands. Let's self-isolate. Let's not panic buy. Let's respect our health workers. Whatever we pay our nurses - it's not enough.

Correct technique to wash your hands for proper disinfection. #CoronavirusOutbreakindia #CoronaVirusUpdate #COVID #CoronaVirusUpdate pic.twitter.com/1WeDwlCaF6

— Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) March 19, 2020

I recently read "Mrs Palfrey At The Claremont" by the other Elizabeth Taylor.

Funny, bittersweet, melancholic. Gently heartbreaking. Peppered with subtle zingers throughout.

...Mrs Arbuthnot had ears sharpened by malice...

...'It is three thousand days ago today that my wife died', Mr. Osmond said, to no one in particular...

...'Ah, yes', Mrs de Salis said dismissingly. 'I suppose you just had a local anaesthetic.'
'No, we were living in Norfolk at the time, and my husband insisted on my coming to London.'...

...She gave a smile which meant nothing, and took a cautious sip of her whisky...

...Mrs. Post considered the dish, and then carefully picked out one nut, as if it were different from the others...

...In spite of his question, she decided to enchant again...

...'We were talking about Brighton', Mrs Palfrey said, skipping the varicose veins...

...'Denise is the name of our hostess,' Mr. Osmond said across Mrs. Palfrey, who drew back her bust a little as he did so...

...'Ciggie?' she asked Colonel Mildway, holding out her case, and blowing thin streams of smoke down from her nostrils...

Starting another book right away feels like a disservice.

Keep your eyes peeled for this album...

...and not just because I wrote a song for it called "Punk Rock Boy".

I liked The Two Popes on Netflix.

And I dug Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool on BBC.

I'll finish up with Unbuttoned by the one and only David Sedaris.

And this from Dr. Benjamin Janaway.

Let's stay safe.

Robert Bloody Forster - and some Teenage Fanclub News

All being well I am extremely looking forward to opening for the wunderbar Robert Forster in Strathaven in May.

I *loved* Robert's show at St Luke's last year. 

Here's just one wee gem among many that could slip by if you didn't know better...

I fell for The Go-Betweens around the time of The Friends Of Rachel Worth. I hadn't been drumming long with Teenage Fanclub. We played with them in Madrid and Barcelona. Nov 2000. Quite the epiphany.

Talking of Teenage Fanclub (editor's note: silky...) - ta dah!:

Tickets on sale soon - www.teenagefanclub.com

Album sessions have been fun and productive. Watch this space.

I will be talking about composing for film/TV at this BAFTA Scotland event in Glasgow on 28th March. Tell your aspiring composer pals.

Talking of composing (editor: you're on fire, Francis...) I finally got to see "Eminent Monsters" on a big screen. A powerful film directed by Stephen Bennett and edited by Berny McGurk. I am very glad to have been involved.

I liked this:

Following on from this (which I dug)...

...I am re-reading this (which I am digging).

I saw Scottish Opera's Nixon In China. If I'm honest I loved the staging more than the music.

For some reason I am really enjoying the BBC repeats of Rick Stein's Long Weekends.

That's Rick Stein - not me.

Also grooving to Inside Number 9 and Better Call Saul.

I am working on titles music for a top secret TV project. It's all about... ha! - just kidding. I can't say.

This is still on telly. I tweeted about it and look what happened...

Right - I'm offski. Remember to wash your hands.

Chillin' With My Parsnips

So I read and enjoyed this...

I wonder if the film is any good?

Recently I saw Parasite (liked it very much) and Greed (can't argue with the points it makes about obscene wealth inequality).

I am well up for a bit of this...

Enjoyed watching Wonder Woman avec la famille. (Although the greatest family film viewing experience remains Paddington 2 - personally speaking).

Hurrah for the return of Inside Number 9.

Episode 2  "Death Be Not Proud" was particularly great. In a dark kind of way. Great but dark, but great. But dark. (Mr Jelly's few seconds on screen stole the show.)

I caught the Oscar Marzaroli Exhibition...

...Loved it.

RIP Nicholas Parsons:

Finally, I provided the music for director Stephen Bennett's documentary "Eminent Monsters" - coming to UK cinemas in the next few days.



It's a dark film (you're not going to mistake it for Paddington 2) but powerful. Important. Necessary.

Tickets/info here.