May 2006

  • CD gets radio play!

    Way-hay! On top of Lindsay Hutton of Next Big Thing’s brilliant (and approving)assertion that bits of the new CD sound “like Alan Vega sung by Robin Hall and Jimmy MacGregor”, and the playing of That’s Braw by Robbie Shepherd, comes Rob Ellen’s lovely comments on his excellent LochBroom FM/ Scottish Internet Radio programme The Medicine…

  • Rob Newman’s History of Oil

    I interviewed Rob (Robert) Newman, oh, 12 years ago, when his first, critically acclaimed and very short novel, Dependence Day, came out. Then, he was in the immediate aftermath of the Baddiel/Newman pioneering of superstar mega-comedy, to which I was largely immune. Much later, I hosted an STV programme from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and…

  • Eshaness rocks!

    Last night (Friday) saw the Eshaness CATS appeal musical evening, and I think it’s fair to say it went really well. Over £500 was raised for the CT scanner fund (over £100,000 raised so far in total) and I think everyone had a good time. A million thanks to everyone who came along, took part…

  • The glory that was Tutti Frutti (‘how come they’re speakin’ funny? It’s for weans…’)

    Having obtained the unobtainable, thanks to eBay, I have been completely gobsmacked on reacquainting myself with John Byrne’s truly astonishing 1980s TV series Tutti Frutti. The fact that anyone who wants to see it (and hear the phenomenal, cracklingly funny dialogue) has to watch a fuzzy DVD copy of an off-air VHS is a disgrace,…

  • Cold sores, tea, whisky and more music

    Cold sores are NOT healed by the regular application of cold tea bags to the affected area, by the way. Just thought I’d mention it. Whisky seems to work well (cask strength preferably) both internally and externally. Meanwhile, we’re all getting geared up for the gig next Friday at Eshaness Hall, the cosiest in Shetland,…

  • Where’s Shetland?

    I would truly and honestly like to apologise to the operator and supervisor at the Scottish Ambulance Service in Inverness, at whom I have just shouted angrily. But good grief, if sending emergency ambulances out to parts of Shetland is your job, some basic knowledge of the islands’ geography might be a good idea. And…

  • View from the Radiocroft!

      It’s Wednesday, it’s one of those high-pressure Shetland days (weird radio reception, banks of fog, searing blue skies). Cycled to the Radiocroft, where I’ll be broadcasting with the window open…on this. 

  • Shetland Folk Festival flashbacks…

    Phew, it’s all over. Well, apart from tonight’s trip sooth aboard the ferry for those visiting artistes who have survived with their sea legs intact. I’m already in Aberdeen (where I worked out overnight that I’ve stayed in over 20 different hotels in the past five years)but the flashbacks from the festival just keep on…