Your Informed Daily Update

Wednesday evenings are much like any other evenings during Lockdown, long, interminable and indistinguishable from any other evening, so when my phone rang on Wednesday April 22nd and I saw it was a call from my old pal Fritz I was over the moon. If anything this reflective time has taught us is it is who and what is important and Fritz was an important figure from my teens who I hadn’t been in contact with nearly enough in recent years. However from the moment I heard the tremulous tone in his voice I sensed something was seriously amiss and as his words spilled out  in uncontrolled gasps and shrouded in tears I could barely take them in and  the phrase ‘Bobby’s dead..Bobby’s dead’ hung there in the air making no sense whatever.

It still doesn’t.

Bobby! Please not Bobby!

Two days on it still makes no sense especially as we had spoken only three days before making plans for all we were going to do once this awful current time was over.

It is hard to underestimate just how important Bobby Grierson was to so many people on a personal level and how instrumental he was in helping to create an Edinburgh scene which still exists, albeit in a radicalised form, to this day. But there he was trailblazing his way through the late seventies, eighties and nineties as an essential part of all that was going down. It’s hard to pindown exactly what his role was- there were so many- but wherever the action was his input, exuberance and elan were crucial to what was happening.

My personal experience with him started after I was invited along to an art college house party- I must have been all of fifteen- and was only finding my feet and discovering my own identity after finding shelter under the all encompassing umbrella of the newly burgeoning punk scene. At this party there was Bobby who was obviously someone important but someone who actually spoke to me and made me feel secure about myself. Over the next few years I bumped into him at various gigs and he invited me along to Art College dances and later when he started DJ’INg at a new clubnight JJ’S I really found myself.

To understand Bobby is to understand what family actually means. From the earliest years I knew him he seemed to be creating an alternative family of subversive and creative types that could take on the world both collectively and individually. This family grew exponetially over the years adopting and welcoming new members regularly though there was always a core, The Queer Sisterhood. Conversely you didn’t need to actually be gay to be  part of the Sisterhood, honorary members such as the sadly recently departed Tigre was a clear example of that, you were just simply required to be special within yourself and ultimately be Fucking Fabulous.

And what a fucking ball we had!

After three decades of being at the forefront of everything Bobby started to relax at the beginning of the 21st century and even moved back to his hometown of Cumnock to take care of first his ailing Dad (Bill)and later his Mum (Cathy) after Bill tragically passed away in 2009 with Cathy following in 2014. It was fitting he spent this time with his kin as family on every level was special to Bobby and he was always close to sisters Anne and Beth as well as brother David. He always spoke of them in glowing terms and it turns out he always discussed us, his other family, with them in the same way. He was always building foundations.

One thing I always loved most about Bobby- and something we shared- was a total disregard for money. Extravagance took on a new meaning with him. Restaurants, fashion emporiums, Molton Brown and bars were just some who benefitted greatly from his profligate nature and spending and let’s not forget the holidays as every year he enjoyed a holiday.., or seven.

A perfect example of his disregard for cash came just a few years ago when he had overspent and barely had enough money for the bus fare into town so he demanded that someone who owed him money meet him and pay him immediately. He then phoned me to invite me to meet him also and insisted it be at Harvey Nichols. After collecting the cash he insisted that the three of us repair to the bar upstairs and have a cocktail…or five… and some oysters before he sneakily paid the bill behind our backs and thus was back to square one with no cash.

I, like so many others, have a treasure trove of memories regarding Bobby and once we are allowed out of this awful Lockdown feel we should conspire to give him the send off we know he deserves and would no doubt have demanded!

Even writing this piece I feel him hovering over my shoulder arching that eyebrow of his and interjecting on occasion ‘Aye Dolly if this is supposed to be serving as some form of obituary you better make sure you put the bitch part of obituary in there’

My life like so many others will never be the same now. I loved that man more than anything and he was a huge part of my life.  I want to finish by saying that no doubt he is still busy organising, controlling, laughing, being creative and undoubtedly causing mayhem throwing diva-like strops in the afterlife and the only thing that is likely to RIP is a pair of fishnets!

Top Pic By Peter Tainsh 2012

Bobby and Fritz Photo Booth Late ’70s

Funtimez photo by The Queer Sisterhood 1996

January: the month when the post festivities comedown looms large and refuge is sought in cinemas and art galleries which become sanctuaries and natural habitats where we can seek some form of therapy whilst on a quest to feed our cultural appetites after the over-indulgences of the extended party season which preceded it. Luckily it is also the time when some great films are released as opposed to the Christmas tat and blockbusters which inevitably fill the cinemas in the pre-Christmas sell.

So far this year- or technically last year as both films were released at the tail end- the big two claiming the most attention are a new adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott  literary classic female coming of age tale Little Women and the conceptually interesting Jojo Rabbit, the tale of a ten year old junior Nazi who has as his invisible friend none other than Adolf Hitler.

Looking first at Little Women directed by Greta Gerwig it is certainly an attractive movie with a cast boasting Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet, James Norton and the impossibly handsome Louis Garrell how could it not be? Add the titanic strength and talents of Meryl Streep as the formidable Aunt March and Laura Dern as the long suffering mother of the four sisters into the mix and the film becomes a powerhouse of collected talents which rather than clashing and overshadowing each other work together and lend each other the necessary space for each character to grow and deliver their own narrative clearly.

However the film-much like the novel-  belongs to Jo March( Ronan) who being a writer is also its narrator but the competitive spirit and different ambitions that exist between her and younger sister Amy (Pugh)are what really drives this story and the chemisty between the two actors symbolises this quite explicitly.

Ronan, for her part, captures the boisterous and impetuous nature of Jo perfectly and lends the part something of the indefatigable character of Patti Smith, or more correctly how I imagine a young Patti Smith might have approached the role. Pugh is much more studied in her characterisation emitting a cool sense of both determination and insecurity.

The film works as a whole however and there are some unmistakeable modern touches which indicate female empowerment without ramming it down the audience’s throat as a feminist manifesto.

The other big film at the moment is Taiki Waitti’s Jojo Rabbit which attempts to introduce some arthouse humpur into the tale of a ten year old boy who as a member of the Hitler Youth programme  has as his invisible friend none other than Adolf Hitler.

Ever since Chaplin’s The Great Dictator filmmakers have attempted to portray the Fuhrer as some kind of blundering slapstick buffoon as if this lends his monstrous acts some misguided comedic effect- particularly poignant as the UK has just elected a dangerous man masquerading as all of the aforementioned in recent weeks . This film and its portrayal of Hitler- played by Waititi himself- is of that line of thinking although this Hitler comes across an an inept, overgrown schoolboy.

Roman Griffin Davis however is remarkable in the role of Jojo capturing the conflict of someone raised on Nazi ideology but befriending a girl his single mother Rosie-played with aplomb by Scarlett Johannson-who as part of the resistance  has hidden in her house. The girl , Elsa,  also happens to be one of the hated jews surrounded in a cloak of disinformation and banal mythology by ridiculous propaganda. At first fearful and wary of her their relationship develops into something more comprehensive as he realises how wrong his prejudices in fact are.

Sam Rockwell also turns in an admirable performance as drunken Captain Klenzendorf who is unfit for battle due to the loss of an eye and has been relegated to indoctrinating and preparing youth for their role in a Nazi Germany.

Not without merit and on the surface wholly enjoyable I feel the film is slightly uneven in many ways. It is nowhere as near as funny as it would like to be and the ‘feelgood’ aspect is something of a cop out in my opinion; it lessens the impact of what the real message is here. Also I am unsure how the jewish community will react to some of the insults and preposterous claims hurled their way in the name of comedy.

Despite these misgivings I did really enjoy the film and the moment David Bowie’s Helden kicks in did bring a lump to my throat and a slight tear to my eye so I guess it does deliver on some of its ambitions.

It’s hard to know where to begin with the tissue of lies, misinformation, disinformation, blustering and accusations which lie at the heart of this General Election. You’d think by now even the most ignorant would see the distraction of ‘Jeremy Corbyn’s an anti-semite’  rhetoric that the Tory media trundle out every time his popularity spikes slightly in the polls is exactly that; a distraction and not based on truth or with any evidence to back it up.

However the Labour leader does himself no favours whatsoever by refusing to defend himself convincingly and unfortunately this is mainly down to him being -and here Prince Andrew could maybe take some lessons- too honourable. In fact his refusal to engage in any convincing battle of words with the Tories and all things considered he has, as Leader of the Opposition, actually done very little opposing.

This is more distressing as over the last four years he has more or less had an open goal with the last three Prime Ministers who have been the most incoherent, shambling and corrupt of any in history and yet he has still not managed to score one convincing victory. Let’s face it if you can’t come out the victor against the charmless Theresa May or the bumbling bullyboy Boris Johnson then your approach leaves a lot to be desired; the melting ice sculptures Channel 4 used as replacements for Johnson and Farage at last night’s leaders debate  about Climate Change had more charisma , empathy and warmth than either of these two as well as any member of the current cabinet you choose to consider.

Today Channel 4 find themselves so threatened by this audacity of using ice sculptures they are being told their broadcasting rights may be inhibited and restricted by a furious Tory party if they get into power; just think about that for a second.

As we enter the final two weeks of campaigning and The Tories have a substantial lead in the polls and even more worryingly are allegedly on track to win with a majority the whole situation is both frustrating and wholly surreal. Who on earth is voting for them? It is totally beyond my comprehension how people are so led by the bias of right wing media when so much information is out there. There is not one policy by the Tories that sounds believable and withstands any scrutiny whilst Labour seem to more be on the right track they are only offering what the SNP has provided in Scotland for years.

Yes,  the other parties where are they in all this?

Every time Jo Swinson makes an appearance in the media the LibDems slip in the polls, mainly because apparently the more often people see Swinson the less they like her. Now that must be encouraging.

The third biggest party in the UK  the SNP look likely to gain on their 2017 showing and perhaps a near total takeover of the Scottish vote whilst Nicola Sturgeon comes across as the most adept and genuine politician in the country winning every debate, argument and challenge hands down. Plaid Cymru and The Greens look on course to at least maintain their support. As for the so called Brexit Party well….

To be honest I am a little weary of politics at the moment as it all feels rather futile but at the same time I recognise that weariness is no solution and the last thing needed is complacency. There is everything to fight for at the moment and let’s all just enjoy the fact that Johnson can mess this up in the next two weeks and at least we have not had to endure the smug arrogance of Jacob Rees Mogg who has been removed from the campaign as collateral damage. He’ll probably turn up having been hiding in a ventriloquists suitcase at some inopportune moment unfortunately.

Elsewhere this week there has been controversy surrounding the Rapman-aka Andrew Onwubolu– directed film Blue Story about postcode gang wars. After violence at a Birmingham screening the Vue chain removed it from their cinemas amongst an outcry that it promoted violence. I have seen this film and whilst violence and gang warfare are at its core in no way would I contend that it encourages these things. Quite the opposite, in fact the film shows the futility at the heart of such battles and there is a love story at its very heart- not just that of two lovers but also the love between two friends who find their relationship ripped apart by pointless violence and imagined grievances.

Why this film was removed from distribution is beyond me as I have seen far worse on TV -Top Boy which it shares a spiritual kinship with is just one example- and on streaming channels such as Netflix. There have been claims it is a race issue and this could hold up as if the protagonists were white we might not be discussing this issue but I fear it has just been a miscalculated over-reaction on the part of the cinema chain and one they are apparently reconsidering in the light of these accusations. Let us not dismiss the fact that racism and xenophobia are very much on the rise however so accusations of racism might not be completely unfounded and Vue are maybe running scared of being tied in with these claims.

It is a great film however and definitely worthwhile catching if you can. The characters are well executed and wholly convincing whilst the subject matter is crucial at a time when knife crime and gang violence is so rife and on the rise. The film acts as more of a warning rather than  offering encouragement or solutions and that is something requiring a wider audience rather than a restricted one.

For those out there who indulge in such things it would appear Black Friday is upon us- I avoid it like the plague or a Tory manifesto both of which are roughly the same thing-  although something of a traditionalist I still believe Black Friday to be the Friday before Christmas when the pubs were infltrated by amateurs out on the lash and making total arses of themselves. Either way  it means Christmas is looming on the horizon. Let’s just hope people use their vote wisely and remember the Turkeys voting for Christmas maxim.

With it looking likelier and likelier that the lying, racist, bumbling and incoherent Boris Johnson is set to be the next Prime Minister of the shambles that is currently The United Kingdom- although it has never been more dis-united- it raises questions as to how it ever got to this dreadful state of affairs.

There was more than a general feeling of trepidation in 2010 when the Tories first entered Downing Street, with their pet puppies from the Lib-Dems supposedly giving them a human approach, but it wasn’t until 2015 when they gained a majority and David Cameron decided to play hard and loose with the countries future over a vanity project he smugly and arrogantly assumed he had no chance of losing-the EU Referendum- which he promptly lost, only to walk away and leave his successor to clear up his mess.

Of course the Successor was the beyond incompetent and uncharisamatic Theresa May, who had all the subtlety and tact of a buffalo with a pair of knitting needles and whose only success was to make Britain the laughing stock of the rest of the world.

Meanwhile Boris Johnson-who had not entered the leadership race in 2016- wisely waited in the wings as May royally fucked things up again and again so that he could swoop in like some superhero able to finish the job she was unable to even start; the nation dividing, totally unrealistic and delusional Brexit.

And now nine years later we are in a situiation where the probable next Prime Minister feels he is not accountable to answer questions on domestic abuse claims against himself and gives answers to journalists enquiring about how he spends his spare time with some incoherent babbling about model buses- omitting the part about lies about the NHS painted on the side- when the shorter more correct answer would have been ‘ Shafting the British Public whilst taking the piss even further by giving you answers which you won’t question as I am above reproach’.

This is an abbreviated version but it is how we have crash landed in the broken society that is 2019.

What a mess.

Integrity seems to have left the building and watching over recent weeks how Westminster reacts and responds to legitimate questions  and statements posed by the SNP- the third biggest party in parliament which seems to anger them no end- shows that as far as Scotland and its people are concerned they, especially The Tories, are no longer even pretending they don’t hate us anymore. In fact hostilities are so open it is almost as if they are declaring a war of sorts. Then again war is the general answer to most things that irritate the Tory party. It is their default setting.

Away from the doom and gloom any escape is rewarding so maybe try and catch a film at the Film Festival. As I haven’t been reviewing this year I can’t comment on the standard of films so far and the Festival certainly doesn’t seem to have the cachet it had had in previous years when events were littered with stars of a higher calibre than the last few years.

In fact many Edinburgh residents aren’t even aware that it is in progress as it is a much more low key event than it was when it was included in the official festival and ran alongside it. As a stand alone event it has never been the impressive beast it once was.

A couple of things worth catching this weekend are the Refugees Benefit at Leith Depot this evening(Friday 28th June) especially after the sad news that the venue will indeed close on October 1 this year. Shame on Drum Properties killing off such an important local venue loved by the community which, along with the closure of the Leith Walk Cafe in the next few weeks, will leave the site derelict and abandoned when month on month leases could have been offered simply to allow the businesses to continue until some resolve could be reached. Unfortunately this is not to be and I foresee an empty site which will remain unoccupied until at some point when it  will be hit by a ‘mysterious’ fire. Sad times indeed.

Also definitely worth catching is an exhibition of early works by American photographer Cindy Sherman at Stills Gallery Cockburn Street which runs until October 6. This is a must see.

Don’t forget the Fringe is just around the corner and although I haven’t even seem a programme yet I can feel the angst and tension starting to emanate from within.

Be Warned!

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At last it seems to be all quiet on the Brexit front but rest assured this is only a temporary respite and no doubt (ab)normal service will be resumed soon. Not that there hasn’t been enough news to catch up on aside from the UK government turning us into an international laughing-stock.

The tragic fire in the Notre Dame cathedral earlier this week reduced much of the world to a blubbering wreck, wringing their hands in grief and the destruction of such a beautifully constructed monument and building is a tragedy of epic proportions; the cathedral is wrapped up in so much history and personal memories for so many. However it is only a building and there was no loss of life and interestingly several billionaires stepped in within forty-eight hours offering upwards of 700 million for its reconstruction. It raises questions as to how if so much can be raised by so few for a building why could the same people not step into assuage poverty, homelessness and other problems inflicted on thus affecting the most  vulnerable in their society.

Certainly the destruction of several rain forests over the last few decades- which took even longer in their gestation than the much trumpeted two centuries of Notre Dame Cathedral- have past with little regret or grief on the scale of the French tragedy; ironically the forests that do still exist no longer grow trees tall enough to rebuild the internal wooden stucture. Whole cities in the middle east flattened in the name of unnecessary wars also remain pretty much unacknowledged.

Closer to home there was the Grenfell Towers tragedy where 72 lost their lives and hundreds lost their homes with many still waiting to be re-housed- despite Theresa May’s ‘promise’ they would all be re-housed within weeks but we all know how much her ‘promises’ are worth. I don’t recall any billionaires stepping forward to help out in that tragedy; possibly because there weren’t any. Whilst I acknowledge French billionaires are not responsible for British tragedies it emphasises again how broken our society is in comparison.

Edinburgh has been rocked by the sad news of Bradley Welsh’s horrific shooting on Wednesday night; a truly tragic event that is hard to understand at the best of times but even more upsetting when you actually know the person and remember them as kind, considerate, funny and a true gentleman. Inevitably in such extreme circumstances theories and stories will eventually emerge but I intend to ignore them and instead concentrate on the good Brad did for young disadvantaged people and his reaching out to help those without the advantages of a good or privileged start in life. Also this is the only Brad I actually ever knew; a bundle of unrestrained energy, witty bon-mots and a charming way of challenging preconceived notions.

At the end of the day the ultimate tragedy is that his daughter has been left without a father, a wife has lost her husband and a family are mourning the unnecessary loss of their brother. My thoughts go out to them and I will always remember Brad with a smile in my heart. Edinburgh has lost one of its true characters and personalities.

On a happier note I attended the Nightingales gig -along with Vic Godard and Subway Sect- at The Voodoo Rooms last night and I must say it was a phenomenal show; relentless, innovative, sweaty and downright streets ahead of anything else I have seen recently. The Nightingales must be among the best live bands gigging in this country just now and although this is only my opinion it was one that was shared by nearly everyone at the gig last night. I was also filmed interviewing drummer Fliss and singer Robert for a new Youtube channel coming soon so watch out for that!

Tonight Joe Malik’s show at the Voodoo Rooms is on my agenda and although totally different in every way from last night’s outing what I have heard has impressed me enough so am genuinely looking forward to it.

Also it is Good Friday and the beginning of Easter weekend so I intend to indulge my chocolate habit with no pangs of guilt-not that I really do guilt anyway- and I suggest you do the same!