Moving stuff around, pt 694...

Playlist

Awoke at 5...

...but did not arise till an hour later...

The new shelves...

Work on the new downstairs will start on 16 August...

...but, for now, it's Tuesday the 29th of July...

44 years ago, we got a day off...

This morning, prompted by the announcement of a live performance in November in Toronto of their upcoming LP with Rush's Alex Lifeson ("The Great Lakes Suite"), I discovered a hitherto un-noticed Rheostatics live set from St Catherines, near Niagara Falls from 2019, so, did some work to bring that into the collection and also worked on a Velvet Underground compilation for Willie...

At lunch time, took Anne into Stockbridge to meet up with chum Debbie - she and Sid, fresh back from Japan and Albania earlier this year are now off to Peru, Chile and the Galapagos in October...

We are going to Scarborough, post my gig in Whitby...

Tasty but unpictured home made soup for lunch...

Tried to integrate the CDs and books ejected from the living room, into the back room...

Still work to be done...

Watched a film on Netflix, "Outside the Wire", not bad sci fi hokum...

Anne returned, having enjoyed a long leisurely lunch at Cafe Andaluz, plus afters elsewhere, so soup for her tea later, while I enjoyed this, with the ubiquitous but again, unpictured, beans...

Chicken and chorizo with cheese, en croute...

Very nice indeed...

Some listening in the back room...

...and discovered this Gerhard Richter book has nothing to do with the artist - an entirely different GR wrote the book...

£4 down the drain...

Oh well...

A visit from step nephew-in-law, Blair, who will be affecting the changes to the living room, dining room and hall wef 16/8...

Plans now concreted...

Nephew Ali will also be involved...

Some writing up of this, a "Cold Case" and bed...

Highlight of the Day : New Rheostatics...

Today's New Music:

A trip to the coast...

Playlist

Another week began, as we careered towards the end of July (already)...

Some unrecalled work (no doubt) this morning, followed by an egg based breakfast...

At 10, into the car and off we drove to the coast, to meet up with sister Sheila and family, on their caravan site near North Berwick...

Grand niece, Baby BB is getting big and looks a lot like her dad once did...

Meanwhile, grand nephew Harris, who starts school in a couple of weeks, was "painting stones and shells" with neighbour and part time babysitter, Violet...

Beau the Boxer had at least one pink paw re the paint...

BB awoke and Anne had "a shot"...

The wee one had a bit of a cold and wasn't in the best frame of mind...

Harris did his best to entertain...

...as did his mum, Julie...

Rockets ahoy...

That worked...

Wee Harris is definitely a handful...

Funny wee man...

To sister Sheila and Andrew's "van" for lunch, with Maisie the dog who is, in the main, still out of control but Sheila refuses to give up and is persevering - despite how it encroaches on her life, overall...

The dog disallowed her enjoying the company of son Ali and family - he returned from sourcing gas and we all just sat around in the afternoon, chatting with Ali, Julie and the neighbours, while the kids mucked about...

It had been the intention to go down to the beach but we just ran out of time...

All too soon, it was a bye bye to BB...

...while the kids, now including wee Finlay, seemed to be holding Julie in some sort of hostage situation...

An hour's drive home, failing to avoid traffic...

On my return, some measure of burntness was discovered...

Idiot...

As part of Anne's plan for the living room, "The Shelf" is no more (the other shelf is also no more) and CDs and books were today removed upstairs...

Anne to Pilates and me recording and uploading the podcast...

Tasty fish cakes (with ubiquitous beans) for tea...

...and a "Cold Case", 155 on "University Challenge" and two fakes on "Fake or Fortune" before bedtime...

Highlight of the Day : A trip to the coast...

Today's New Music:

Return of the ubiquitous beans...

Playlist

Awoke at 6:50...

The view from the office this morning...

Good chat with Willie and Ann before heading off around 9:40 for the drive over to Roslin...

My gear was already in the boot...

Set up and ready to go by 10:30...

A short, productive rehearsal of the Minimal" set for Fopp on August 9...

Including a possible new, original, tune - but the jam needs work...

Post rehearsal and pre break down, coffee and Chloe-baked buns...

Home for a rest...

Fish based tea, with ubiquitous beans...

Then, to editing the session and getting the recordings out to the team...

Episode 2 of "Karen Pirie" enjoyed, albeit with a reasonable amount of picking...

Lights out on the weekend...

Highlight of the Day : Rehearsing...

Today's New Music:

Roots and, indeed, branches...and pizzas...

Playlist

Up and producing a new 1969-2025 double CD equivalent compilation of Alice Cooper...

"Titanic Sun", stretching from "Pretties For You" through to "The Revenge of Alice Cooper" - a wee gift to Prog Rock Willie, who was providing me with entertainment today...

At 12 out to Linlithgow to Willie (and Ann's) house for lucnh and chat and then, a walk down the hill to the town's Low Port Hall...

Here's Willie with his Dream Theatre T Shirt on...

In - soundchecking still taking place...

First of many drinks of the day...

Things got underway around 30 minutes late with Kin - father and son, son having stepped in at the last moment to replace an unavailable sax player - the viola worked very well though and we were off to a good start...

Next the four piece Goldfinch, including the first of three appearances of Wet Wet Wet touring guitarist, Graeme Duffin...

While they were good, I preferred the more leftfield/adventurous soundscapes from Kin...

Next, four very enthusiastic young men, Barranquismo, who showed good potential for the future...

Here, a picture of the carpet - possible future album cover...

...and here you can see the small but very enthusiastic crowd...

Next, a solo set (with some backing tracks) from the aforementioned Mr Duffin - which was the surprise of the day - his set included covers of pieces by Miles Davis and Chick Corea and his guitaring skills here were, I imagine, more than those required when he plays with Wet Wet Wet...

Time for tea and we queued outside at the pizza truck for tasty pizzas - mine, a chef's special, included haggis, turnip and pepper sauce - a very weird but very enjoyable indeed pizza...

Meanwhile, on stage now was electric cello and guitar player, Calum Ingram, whose accompanying players were of the top notch variety - they even had a slight Mahavishnu Orchestra vibe to them - although his recorded music is slightly less adventurous...

Then, rock band, Nervous Passenger, who had reformed after 20 years especially for today - very accomplished pop/rock - their old drummer now on guitar, with a younger drummer taking over the kit...

And, all too soon, it was almost time for Held By Trees, the day's headliners - here, their setlist (One of which Willie acquired at the end of the night, to add to the masses of Merch he bought at the table)......

Held By Trees led the applause for local Low Port Records shop owner, Chris, for all his hard work in getting the entire day together - hopefully there will be another...

And so Held By Trees closed out the night, with their TalkTalk/Pink Floyd/Post Rock-esque works from across their growing discography...

They were joined for one song each by both Calum Ingram and Graeme Duffin...

Paul Beavis was on drums , who I remembered from Robert Fripp's Sunday All Over the World, back in the 90's...

James Grant on stand up and electric bass...

David Joseph on guitars and soundscapes...

Robbie McIntosh on guitars...

Laurence Pendrous on keys...

...and Andy Panayi on winds...

Superb and living up to their top of the bill status...

Around 10:45, the take down...

Chatting to the musicians and merch guys and management before the 25 minute walk back up the hill to Willie's for the night...

To bed around midnight...

A good day - and big thanks to Prog Rock Willie!

Highlight of the Day : Festival...

Today's New Music: