Flett-cetera

Honeyblood @ Electric Circus Review

Posted on 08/10/2016 by alasdairflett

Glasgow duo, Honeyblood brought their distinct brand of low-fi noise pop to Edinburgh this October in what was the final gig of their pre-semaphore release tour. No strangers to the more intimate venues such as Electric Circus, one feels as though this is a band destined for larger stages. The racket they make is barely contained in the packed out bar.

The band were supported by four piece, EAT FAST – a band who seemed to espouse the same wall-of-noise philosophy. Often with noise rock, the vocals are likely to get drowned in the mix with crashing cymbals and layered guitar fortifications suffocating any singing. With this band however, the vocals cut through well due to the singer’s upper range, an effective use of delay and reverb, and sparing cymbal use by the drummer. As a fairly frequent gig attendee, I appreciate these subtle adjustments which allow for extra nuance in what can be a pretty brash genre. Check out their Soundcloud page here.

Honeyblood’s set just managed to stretch an hour, with the band debuting many as yet unheard songs from the upcoming record. Frontwoman, Stella Tweeddale’s candid interlocution between bandmate Cat Myers on drums, their bass synthesiser Sebastian (serving as a comic third member and articulating himself via a series of chirps and bleeps), and the audience, smoothed song transitions and contributed to an inclusive friendly atmosphere.

The strength of Honeyblood’s fantastic self-titled debut was evident with the crowd really relishing such hits as ‘Super Rat’ and ‘Killer Bangs’. This however, did not seem the true objective of the night, which was to premiere the new material. Honeyblood have certainly evolved, adding extra beef by incorporating a bass synth into the mix, guitar with a harder edge than their previously, at times, dreamy soundscape, and adding drum samples. This is a step away from the DIY, low-fi feel of their earlier work, which seems like an inevitable progression as they acquire more acclaim. The catchy choruses and sharp lyrics of their first album are still abundant only now backed up by a more developed sound.

Honeyblood capture that pure punk spirit. By that I do not mean the aggression and revolt of the 70s, but the attitude that anyone can make music, and that it does not have to conform to the guitar/bass/drums model. What the duo have is a band stripped down to its raw elements. Granted, in such a set up one needs to have a real talent for writing to allow the songs to carry, and this is a test Honeyblood most certainly pass. Coming away from a gig such as this elicits a reaffirming feeling that at heart, all you really need is guitar and drums.

Honeyblood’s new album Babes Never Die is out on November 4.

Posted in Music, Review | Tagged alternative, Cat Myers, EAT FAST, Edinburgh, Electric Circus, Honeyblood, indie, low-fi, noise, punk, Review, Stella Tweeddale | Leave a comment

Reise nach Deutschland

Posted on 15/09/2016 by alasdairflett

For the past fortnight I have enjoyed the pleasures and borne the anxieties of solo travel. I’ve always considered myself an uncultured swine for not having seen enough of the world, nor consumed adequately of its literature to compensate. My summer was from the outset a directionless, uncoordinated void so I decided to take measures to rectify this and book myself into a couple of German Youth Hostels. What follows is an account of the time spent in the country complete with detours, tangents and a few pictures for your perusal.

1^st September

Sitting here in Oranienburg im Gartenzimmer called Glaube (belief). An unconventional start to the whole ship’s log – yesterday I was too exhausted to write clearly.

I’m in Oranienburg because on the outskirts lies the Sachsenhausen Gedenkstätte – a town whose most famous tourist attraction is a concentration camp.

Sachsenhausen is massive, and one is bombarded on all sides with copious information detailing the various humiliations, atrocities and appalling violations of human dignity which went on at every corner. The main memorial statue depicts a scene of liberation – a Soviet soldier shelters two cowering, rake-thin prisoners with what appears to be a cape. On the colossal tower which serves as a backdrop to this sculpture there is an array of red triangles – the symbol denoting political prisoners, who were this particular camp’s main victims. Of course in addition to the ideologically opposed the usual cohort of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and other “inferior” races also passed through these gates, a good lot never to return.

More disturbing than sheer statistics were the original features preserved such as execution blocks, hanging poles, prison cells and even mass crematoriums (used before the SS men started getting inmates to burn their own dead in vast open air pyres). It was in the shelter of one of these “ovens” that a weaker, altogether less triumphant memorial than that of the political martyrs stands. This statue depicts the beating of a skin-and-bones prisoner by two camp guards.

2^nd September

Spent the morning and early part of the afternoon in Potsdam, which is a beautiful city with impressive neo-classical architecture. It was the seat of the German Kaisers and the heart of the Prussian Empire under the Fredericks. The town is eager to point out that it is home to the first Brandenburger Tor, and that Berlin’s much bigger gate is only a copycat.

For housing such grand buildings, the city seems strangely empty. Just discovered that beer is unbelievably cheap here. So is bread.

3^rd September

I do the Berlin walking tour today (as recommended to me by I guy next to me on the flight in). The journey begins to the backdrop of, this time the real, Brandenburger Tor. From there to the Denkmal für den ermordeten Juden Europas, or Holocaust memorial. This is an awe-inspiring and eerie piece of sculpture – but this is spoiled somewhat by the oppressive summer sun and the unfilterable sound of children’s laughter and ignorant play. I resolve to return and visit the museum under the construction.

Next we are ushered a little way down the street to a curiously inconspicuous carpark of all places. We are soon informed of the reason we have stopped – this is the largely unmarked site of Hitler’s bunker.

Partly demolished by the wrath of Soviet soldiers at the end of the war, the remaining structure was filled in with concrete by those who wished to eliminate all trace of the place where the Führer decided to end it all, so as not to fuel the Hitler cult. The plaque, hidden away in the corner of the carpark, to acknowledge the location’s historical significance was paid for by the residents who were sick of the constant enquiries of inquisitive Third Reich tourists. There has been no funding to commemorate the spot by the German federal government.

4^th September

Bundestag Open Day today!

5^th September

Spent the past three hours, and 4 euros, in the Deutsches Historisches Museum. I especially enjoyed the Early Modern section, which was a bit of a throwback to first year – ah, the nostalgia, so long ago!

In the morning I took a walk to the Eastside Gallery – a preserved section of the Berlin Wall. This was definitely worth it, if for the guitarist clad only in beach shorts and a rubber horse mask singing The Strokes’ Someday halfway along alone.

It appears that quite a lot of the wall is not merely maintained, but also updated, with the political emphasis accordingly renewed. Some of the structure does feel like a gallery, and it’s a shame about the fence which cordons off a significant chunk. That being said, those parts without a fence do seem to receive a heavy dose of somewhat less than artistic graffiti – but isn’t that more authentic then?

Around midday the weather took a turn for the torrential and I had to run for shelter having not taken my large hooded coat to conserve space. My newly impulse-purchased bomber jacket served as a mediocre rain shield here. I found myself at a roadside Lidl (well, when in Germany!). Bought a little pizza and, I couldn’t resist, ein Berliner for afters! Basically a glorified jam doughnut.

6^th September

Daytrip to Prague. By some miracle I managed to get there and back on schedule.

I arrived, to my ignorant shame, promptly to discovered that the Czech Republic is not indeed in the Eurozone when I tried to pay for the use of the toilet with a 50 cent piece. The Czechs use crowns.

My impression of the city: Prague is beautiful, but not in a contrived, artificially enhanced way. When she wakes in the morning, dishevelled and unmade up, she still retains a fundamental character of splendour that is inherent and ineffaceable.

What I mean, in less flowery terms, is that despite the rather haphazard layout, smatterings of graffiti, and not exactly ill-kept, but not exactly pristine, streets, Prague defies these minor imperfections with a cultivated and easy charm. Angular diagonals intersect where least expected and one finds oneself unintentionally sucked up an endearing lane flanked narrowly by pastel coloured, ornamented buildings.

I was able to see the magnificent revolving Kafka sculpture outside a shopping centre, and photographed the obligatory astronomical clock. Then I took a hike up to Letna Park, where I am reliably informed once stood the world’s largest statue of Stalin. This was toppled with the fall of Soviet communism and in its place now stands a beguiling animatronic arm which rotates perplexingly for no clear reason. Between two great cauldrons/beacons is now stretched a line upon which several pairs of shoes are strung. Again, absolutely no idea as to the significance.

7^th September

The accommodation at the Burg, Spreewald Youth Hostel is making me question why I visited the DDR Museum in Berlin. This is an East German flat, and no replica either. My room is so orange and low-ceilinged, it’s like I’m on an old sitcom set or in the Utopia prequel episode or something. I laugh to myself as I feel the bathroom furnishings. Everything from the taps to the toilet is plastic – bathed in a Bakelite sheen.

A balmy evening here. Very pleasant. Lebensmittel five minutes away! No Wi-Fi though – eek. Whereas Berlin was bilingual with (pretty much) everyone reverting to English as soon as they were able to pinpoint my nationality, Burg is near the border so signs are also in Polish.

8^th September

So it seems to be Cottbus day today. Unlike in Berlin where one can go pretty much anywhere for 3 euros, this city’s network is more limited in terms of affordable travel. It would cost me around 20 euros each way to visit Leipzig or Dresden from here; I’m not sure that’s a bill I’m willing to front.

Cottbus is lovely though, with the Altstadt being especially pretty. I resolve to hire a bike to expand my radius of possible travel.

9^th September

Okay, so I managed to hire a bike for four days. I feel so powerful – move over pedestrians, I am the king of the pavement (and cycle path) now!

My steed only has three gears, and is not the most comfortable of beasts, but it suffices. Brandenburg is the flattest of the Bundesländer – I can go anywhere! Mobility, freedom and speed are mine!

In a little town called Calau now. I’m overlooking a large pond surrounded by reeds – in the middle there is a small eyelet upon which sprouts an oak. A sizable population of ducks swim hither and thither endearingly. Every time an acorn falls from the encircling canopy above, one of the ducks bolts through the water towards it before it can sink and attempts to force the thing down its gullet. Is this normal behaviour for such waterfowl?

10^th September

I’m sitting on a bench on the outskirts of our Spreewald sister-town, Lübbenau. It seems bigger and more populated than its altogether sleepier relative, Burg. The cycle route to get here was very beautiful – through secluded woods all the way and not so stressful as yesterday’s unsolicited forays into Privatgelände.

11^th September

Bismarckturm! (Also free open day!) The view from the top was basically just trees, seeing as it is situated in the middle of a big forest. In the afternoon I visited the Spreewald thermal pools, which I believe did me some good – sehr entspannend!

12^th September

Cottbus seems to be one of the few free Wi-Fi zones in the entire Spreewald area. I opened my phone to find 58 new notfications *gulp* It seems that Hilary Clinton has pneumonia. Are we one step closer to having Donald Trump become the most powerful person in the world? *shudder*

Reflections on the trip as a whole

Length: although I tried to cram a lot into two weeks of Germany time I feel like the travel to time ratio could have been more weighted in favour of moving around. Berlin is a big city with a great many possibilities and an excellent and affordable transport system to boot. Burg, however, is just a little village, and the surrounding area is full of little villages that while are quaint in their own way, remain fundamentally similar. Here I started my holiday asking for directions; by the end I was giving them.

On the issue of transport, Germany is great for its cycle routes – at least the Brandenburg area for starters. One is never forced to take a direct route with high traffic volumes – there are always side paths and bypasses in what amounts to a vast arterial network that interweaves the forest.

What has surprised or intrigued me? In Germany there are none of the British supermarkets – not a Tesco or a Sainsbury’s in sight. And why have them when they have such wonderful options of their own – Lidl, Aldi and my personal newfound favourite, Netto. There seems to be no such thing as self-service here, which I suppose can only be a good thing seeing as part of the reason for the trip was to improve my oral language skills. Also it seems that Germans do their recycling, or at least part of it, in supermarkets – perhaps there are incentives for such behaviour? Strangely enough, Tesco are in the Czech Republic.

Highlights

+ DDR Museum

+ Eastside Gallery

+ Deutsches Historisches Museum

+ Prague

+ Spreewald Thermen

Lowpoints

– Not being able to open that bottle of .39-euro beer

– Torrential rain with no hood/shelter in Berlin

– Lack of free public toilets!

– No Wi-Fi in Burg

Posted in Personal experience | Tagged 2016, Berlin, Brandenburg, Burg, Cottbus, German, Germany, journal, journey, Prague, Spreewald, travel | Leave a comment

I Found a Mouse on Day Two

Posted on 21/08/2016 by alasdairflett

It feels strange to sit here and type something that will not end up on The Student by some path or another. After a week of battering out review after review of production after production it feels nice to be goalless for once. Of course, I take pride in what I do – caress the keys and mull over every word. Probably somewhere in between there lies the truth.

The words are flowing, leaking out of me like a bloated milk that’s on the turn and burst its plastic shell. What’s with the milk simile? We’ve got twelve pints. Communication breakdown – Robert Plant’s birthday yesterday.

I’m nearing the end of my first week living in my new flat. Cars swish by; determined heels clack past; hammers and drills demolish and erect, and at night the drunken exchanges – their prayers ascend to heaven. That is, me on the second floor.

I found a mouse on day two. I had to hoover. There was no getting round it, I’m compulsive.

Luckily the hoover’s banshee wail covered my own scream of terror.

On Friday I cleaned the bathroom. It felt great. Nothing like a good bit of self-degradation to get the endorphins flowing.

Melissa guided me through, took me step by step on the “Clean my Space” YouTube channel.

I have a roommate agreement to amend, or as we like to think of it – a flat constitution.

Things are getting very real at the moment. I’m almost beginning to feel like a proper adult – although university is just a conscious delay to that process. Having to sort out gas and electricity bills, exemption from Council Tax (thank goodness not actually paying it), dealing with the landlord etc. etc.

Speaking of landlords, and flats…Rent: The Musical. I went to see it last night with low expectations and a hefty dose of scepticism (date night with my flatmate), but in the end it was actually really good. Q: How do you measure a year? A: Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes! It was only after the show, replaying the song in my head, that I realised there was a T.S. Eliot reference: coffee spoons. Even better.

Today also marks a major milestone in my life. My Spotify playlist has reached 100 songs, and therefore it is time to begin anew. So many discoveries to make, I cannot wait.

Posted in Life, Personal experience, Uncategorized | Tagged cleaning, Edinburgh, flat, Fringe, Mice, Mouse, Rent: The Musical | Leave a comment

Greek Spirits Guzzled from a Tetra Pack Chalice

Posted on 25/07/2016 by alasdairflett

A Saturday night starts sprawled out on a new sofa suite in front of sci-fi pew-pew fest, Guardians of the Galaxy.

I say new, I mean to us – Grandad’s moved house and floral print has given way to masculine black leather. Two pieces in all; a mammoth three-seater which had to be manoeuvred through the window to fit in and a slouching monstrosity of an armchair. Comfy though, very much so. A couple of more elegant tub chairs were gained on top of that. Also black.

A Glaswegian Imax was the location of my first viewing. An August night, two years ago. My fifth year results hadn’t gone as well as I’d hoped; I think I was pretty arrogant that year, hence complacency. Anyway, it was a bit of a reality check. This was on the “Piergroup” – youth division of my local modern art gallery – excursion to the aforementioned city and Scottish capital as part of “Generation 2014”. I’m no serious Marvel fan, and only really have a peripheral knowledge of the main comic books universes, but let me tell you I loved that film.

Escapism and fun is what I needed back then, and Guardians of the Galaxy delivers on so many levels. Only, watching it again, there is no mistaking the pro-US government agenda of the plot. “Ronan” (I know right, weirdly innocuous sounding name for a villain) is referred to as a “terrorist”; the beheading near the start of the film is an obvious visual allegory to ISIS, and the “Cree” culture could be taken for the wider Islamic world versus the morally superior “Xander” system. Furthermore, the Xanderians are the only people deemed ethically competent enough to possess the superweapon of mass destruction, the infinity orb, which could be interpreted as the US’s (and the West’s in general) refusal to allow Iran to gain nuclear capabilities. However, one has to bear in mind that the glory days of comic books occurred during the Cold War, and therefore the prejudices that would have originally allegorised the Soviet Union have simply been transferred to the scourge/scapegoat of modern times – militant Islam.

Of course more important than these sweeping political conclusions is one glaring act of plagiarism brought to my attention after watching the film for a second time.

Oddly enough, it doesn’t concern Guardians of the Galaxy at all – a film which steals most of its tropes from Star Wars and other mainstream “sci-fi”, albeit throwing them together in a humourous and self-aware package. No, this parallel is about the first of the new Star Wars trilogy, the rather blandly entitled The Force Awakens (an enjoyable cinematic spectacle, yet strikingly unoriginal and plunders its own history shamelessly to sell on nostaligia). Both films feature “throne room” consultations where an apprentice figure (Ronan in Guardians and Kylo Ren in Star Wars) speaks to a demi-god hologram master figure. Snoke (I know right, the names are utter garbage) plays a painfully close role to the titan Thanos, at least in terms of cinematography.

Back to the night. It was a Saturday, and not just any Saturday but the Saturday night of Shopping Week. For those not in the know “Shopping Week” is the name given to a seven days of festivities commonly dubbed “gala” in other towns across the nation. Here it seems that the commercial element is stressed, and there can be no doubt that a significant increase in public spending occurs across the celebration’s duration. The concluding night commonly features the guest band performing a set at the pier head; young and old gathering in the open air to watch the fireworks, and ubiquitous binge drinking.

After the film we are shuttled down to Stromness. My sister slurps up a strawberry cider through a straw during the drive to disdain and mirthful disapproval.

We hit the town. “Midas Touch” are playing White Cherry’s Play that Funky Music as we strut down to the harbour front. I phone my friend. They’re at the burger van – no, the other burger van. Okay, I see you now.

Greek spirits are guzzled from a tetra pack chalice. I nab unwanted mozzarella from a gourmet bun. The festive mood is upon us, and the fireworks begin.

The display is melancholy. It’s the visual equivalent of listening to the dramatic third movement of a piano concerto, except the damper pedal’s been left on. Thick fog muffles the effect, parching the spectral acoustic.

The murky atmosphere solidifies the orange sodium glow of the street lighting, the smoky traces of the anticlimactic explosions fanned across the night sky by an indifferent yet ever present wind. Pilgrims, stubbornly clinging to a calendrical constant, slog silhouetted across the pier.

It’s over for another year, and yet the night has just begun.

Posted in Life, Personal experience, Uncategorized | Tagged Guardians of the Galaxy, Midas Touch, Shopping Week, Snoke, Star Wars, Stromness, Thanos, The Force Awakens | Leave a comment

My July

Posted on 13/07/2016 by alasdairflett

Ferry Inn is where I work,

Ferrying, don’t go to kirk,

Colin’s staying in my flat,

On Saturday, the party’s at…?

In August I’ll be at the Fringe,

Reviewing shows, so I can’t whinge,

Or so that may indeed be true,

If application does go through,

Then after that I’m to the land,

Whose tongue I strive to have to hand,

Alone – sole traveller with my backpack,

To salve the wounds of Brexit and fight back,

And when that’s done I’ll start anew,

Begin fresh studies and leave June,

What next year – academically – may bring,

Who can know until exams in Spring?

I hope I’ll find someone who shares my views,

In whom I can confide, that I can use,

But failing that, ‘tis I the priority,

I’ll take all comes my way and make utility

Of all those chances and experience,

And build a case to sell my person with,

Packed and packaged human fodder bale,

Making money, doing studies, shifting ale,

Ale or lager? Vodka coke or rum?

Make your mind before the order’s done,

Or make no mind or matter of at all,

Impassive nihilism is the call.

Posted in Life, Personal experience, Uncategorized | Tagged off the cuff, poetry | Leave a comment

Opinion: Using correct punctuation is increasingly seen as impolite

Posted on 28/05/2016 by alasdairflett

It starts with the full stop. Every time you substitute an emoji for punctuation you are contributing to the erosion of our linguistic convention.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, language evolves; it is a constantly mutating organism. Linguistic rules are only mistakes held in common.

Why then, are we so often moved, consciously or otherwise, to attack the edifice of grammatical orthodoxy? Beyond sheer ignorance of the rules, why do we avoid finality so fervently?

A full stop is just that – a complete halt. A cold, hard boundary between one clause and the next. Full stops are curt. They are blunt instruments in our hands, and they are responsible for breaking the flow of elegant conversation. At best they may appear stiff or standoffish; at worst, rude.

What are the alternatives then? This brings us to another feature of the text-based conversation which is a direct result of full-stop-phobia: overuse of the exclamation mark. If we are so reticent to vulgarly make a statement, it follows logically that it must be shouted. Amplification, however, may result in equal brashness. This mode does allow for the least distortion in meaning, although there is definitely a degree of semantic shift. Liberal exclamation gives an impression of confidence and enthusiasm. However, there is certainly a point where the “Peter and the Wolf” effect comes into play and there is a risk of coming across as insincere.

Another option is our old friend the question mark. This is a popular choice for those who aim at traditional politeness through long accepted means. Framing responses as questions has two main advantages, the first is to soften your sentiment and the second is (particularly in the tennis-like form of online chat) to promote and perpetuate the call and response mode. However, there are serious drawbacks the contemporary conversant must consider. Overuse of question marks can come across as chronic uncertainty. Alternatively, bombardment with questions can be overwhelming, or be perceived as needy (which incidentally I believe most of us are, though we may choose to deny this.)

In my opinion, an increase in the use of questions (and the use of the neutraliser “idk” at the end of sentences) is a symptom of the times we live in. We crave recognition of our own experiences in that of others, and we crave it instantly and effortlessly. Websites such as Buzzfeed and more mainstream memes (which I hope to explore in more detail in a further post) effectively exploit this desire for shared mentality. They reassure us when we ask, “is it just me, or?”

Ah, now the politics of emojis. A smiley face is always a safe bet; but then, what is a safe bet? Lukewarm. Tepid. Beige. We are then forced into riskier territory. Winky face? Shocked? Heart? Open-mouthed smile? Or we may choose to use what is becoming the non-verbal cliché: the ubiquitous crying with laughter face. Only one thing is for sure: never the dreaded thumb.

Is any emoji ever adequate to describe a precise sentiment? Perhaps not, but it is certainly quicker. Pragmatism dictates certain automatic responses; why use symbolic language when we can simply use symbols? Technology is designed to make communication easier, and it does so by allowing us to bypass certain thought processes, thus standardising the way in which we express ourselves. But hey, isn’t that what grammar is in the first place?

I’m not sure how I feel about living in a sort of post-grammar society. It seems part of my genetic makeup to be drawn to rules, structure and strict form. Without the laws of language are we free, or are we simply lost?

Posted in Life, Personal experience | Tagged conversation, emojis, evolution, grammar, language, manners, politeness, post-grammar, punctuation | Leave a comment

Morning, how are you? Fine. Yeah…fine.

Posted on 02/04/2016 by alasdairflett

To blog is to shout loudly in a room by oneself and expect to spark a conversation. It is this mode however, that I find is so easy to slip into during everyday discourse.

Conversation should be like tennis, one side serves the other returns the ball and the rally is maintained as long as each party remains engaged in the game. Unfortunately this is so often not the case and one player ends up dominating play resulting in short and frustrating rallies with at least one of the players, and more likely both, recognising this imbalance.

The graph of conversational satisfaction starts to decline when one of the participants is essentially delivering a soliloquy. We all love a story, but in conversation anecdotes must be kept brief if a happy equilibrium is to be sustained. Good conversation can never occur if one side is simply using the other as a nodding, “uh-huhing” intellectual sounding board.

But there are difficulties to be overcome if we wish to have more of these satisfying types of chats. It is a great strain to constantly approach conversations as journalistic interviews; it’s an effort to evaluate the open-endedness of one’s enquiries and responses to avoid that dreaded dead space, the numbing radio silence.

Equally, no-one wants filler. They want track after track with no dips in quality. Every single a hit.

This seems like an unrealistic expectation, and it is. Going into a conversation with an idea already in your head about every response, every nuance of the “interviewee” mapped out and charted like a script is never a good idea. We’ve all done it (or at least I have); gone into the shower with a real bone to pick, or that one question you’ve always wanted to know the answer to, and come out having written an entire intricately plotted scene in your head complete with directions and camera angles. You’ve got all the counterpoints ready to go, every rebuttal at your disposal. You go out into the world and perhaps you’ll ask the question, make the point, or bring up the subject. Then the disappointment begins.

The best conversations are never pre-planned. They come of their own accord, naturally, when you learn something about the other person you weren’t expecting to discover. Something tangential grows into an arm of its own.

I’ve written these paragraphs as someone hopelessly unqualified to discuss the subject. It is from my experience of frustration in conversation that this has emerged. I more than anyone am guilty of enacting these flawed methods I have highlighted, but it is only by acknowledging these inadequacies that I can hope to move past them.

So I’m going to have these conversations. I’m going to start these dialogues, because lurking within everyone are these overlaps of interest that can spark uplifting, surprising and enlightening discussion. People have so much to offer and everyone has their particular niche.

A conversation shouldn’t be about showing off how much you know about a certain subject, it should be about learning from each other and developing minds. That’s why from now on I’m resolving to berate myself not for being an asocial freak when I fail to have a satisfying chat, but for missing the opportunity to experience what the other person had to offer. Locked within everyone is the potential for fascinating conversation; we (and moreover, I) just have to get better at accessing it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Fickle Friends @ Electric Circus Review

Posted on 04/03/2016 by alasdairflett

Fickle Friends hail from the sunny seaside town of Brighton and this is evident in the summery aesthetic of the scintillating synth pop they supply. This was the band’s first ever performance in Scotland, let alone Edinburgh, and they went home encouraged by the warm responsiveness of the crowd to their infectious sound.

Granted, the set list was inexorably short seeing as the group are relatively new – their first single was released in 2014 – but this did not detract as the quality never let up.

Fickle Friends were supported by two other acts; alt pop four-piece Indigo Velvet and the synth-driven rock duo Monogram. The former, Indigo Velvet, were fantastic. They demonstrated real presence and were locked together impeccably. Particular praise must be attributed to the playful lead guitar; the crisp, clear chorus-glazed licks permeated every song with their witty articulations. Energetic drumming with subtle bongo and woodblock flourishes helped to further define a luscious and interesting sound.

Monogram, consisting of a drummer and multi-instrumentalist (stage left and right respectively), made use of sequencing and a highly technical setup to recreate live their complex full-on soundscape, alongside the more traditional rock guitar. The frontman had good patter with the audience, which broke up their intense offerings into which he launched his entire being. Sequencers and gadgets were integral to every song, and while interesting to watch, this did draw attention to the feeling that this was a “studio band” involved in the reconstruction of something carefully formulated and audio engineered, rather than something more organic.

The headliners, Fickle Friends delivered an uplifting and engaging set. Their music is a pristine, sublime blend of indie pop impossible not to dance to, and dance the audience did. Fickle Friends are imbued with the sheen and inventiveness of Bombay Bicycle Club’s electronic exploration So Long, See You Tomorrow mixed in with the intelligent synth-pop sensibilities of the likes of Hot Chip. Unlikely to shy away from euphoric lead noodling or the gnarliest bass grooves, they retain a sort of eighties sparkle alongside a thoroughly contemporary relevance. Compact and tantalising pop tune after pop tune given voice by an infallibly anthemic female vocalist made me grin from ear to ear.

Posted in Entertainment, Music, Review | Tagged 2016, Edinburgh, Electric Circus, Fickle Friends, indie, live, music, pop, Review, synth | Leave a comment

February, Flats and Frankenstein

Posted on 09/02/2016 by alasdairflett

Happy Pancake Day everyone! Pleasantries aside, welcome to February and to another entry of this long-winded, seemingly never-ending chronicle.

What has changed since when I left you last? Well, I sold out to the mainstream media and wrote for the student newspaper, which is imaginatively indeed The Student newspaper. I say sold out, but I don’t get paid – I only get to suffer the embarrassment.

Yes, the “TV & Radio” section is where I made my big break into the popular press. Without people like me just how would Edinburgh University students be able to evaluate which Radio 4 documentaries to iPlayer? A vital public service I’m sure you’d agree.

I’ve even got my own journalist profile (about the third result down when you type “Alasdair Flett” into Google). Well, it’s really just three articles all loosely connected around a common originator. Nevertheless the link serves to prove permanence of my contribution to the history of light entertainment documentation.

Just as the summer was full of “where you going to uni?” and Freshers’ Week was all “where you from? what you study?”, February’s question is “got a flat sorted for next year then?” Though I will miss my love/hate relationship with the Hermit’s Croft cat, Backus; the convenience of ground floor living; and certainly the weekly bathroom/kitchen clean, going to the few viewings that I have has made me look forward to a more truly independent existence.

Opinions are fairly divided about the etiquette of flat hunting, and I’m in no position to judge who has the right of the issue, seeing as my only reference point is Phil and Kirsty’s Location, Location, Location (which is so mind-numbingly formulaic that the best I could hope for would be some sort of subliminal absorption of its contents). Some are eager to bag a flat now – have the best already gone? Others say to wait until at least May – apparently that’s when most come on the market anyway. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Quite frankly, who cares? Of the two flats we managed to have a quick scan around, peeping through doorways, distracted by the abundance of quirky notes and décor of the current occupants, I was able to identify conclusively that first flat definitely had higher ceilings than the second. I suspect keener observations are required before the signing of any sort of lease.

In the month of January, I made my first trip to the student-run Bedlam Theatre. As a student of English Literature I am a little ashamed to admit that this was my maiden voyage, but hey-ho the experience is soon to be repeated as I’m due to go and see their stage adaptation of Frankenstein later on this week. Billed as an “icy” production, and with source material which I know contains rather a lot of shouting from the mountain tops and protracted pursuits across ice floes, I’m hoping against the odds that the venue will be a little more cosy than my last outing, when the climes made breath visible and did little to stimulate the circulatory system.

January concluded with a gig in Electric Circus. I obviously miscalculated the popularity of the event, and hence spent a rather miserable ten minutes or so outside the venue whilst they “opened the doors” officially. Consoling myself with the obvious realisation that I was not the only one in this situation, I then texted my former boss of the Standing Stones glory days whom I had seen was in attendance to the gig in question on Facebook. After an awkward half an hour or so wandering around inside “circus”, buying myself a pint just for something to do and arousing the suspicion of security just for being such a loner, the support act started.

The openers were nothing to shout about; the crowd were restless and indifferent and the frontman provoked an impassioned division as to the relative merits of the town of Bathgate. After such poetic discourse as “fuck you Tory cunts” the interval was upon us and the intimacy of the venue was soon apparent as members of the main act jumped off and onto the stage, cutting directly through the crowd as they set up their equipment and sound-checked amidst general chatter.

We Were Promised Jetpacks wholeheartedly lived up to expectation and put on an astonishing show. Admittedly, the mainstay of the songs I knew were pulled from their debut These Four Walls, but this placed no limit on my enjoyment both of their indie anthems and their more nuanced, progressive, and deafening alt-rock. The show was then followed by a reunion and a tour of some of my home city’s pubs before culminating in some folk-bar, where I was obliged to plead excuses on account of my comparative lack of alcohol tolerance.

Academically, last week I conducted my German interview with Times Educational Supplement Scotland journalist, Julia Belgutay, which was much less intimidating than initially perceived (probably helped by the fact that other group members were far more fluent than I). I also wrote an essay on Medieval Authorship, and I’m currently trying to decide whether the belle epoch of the nineteenth century was “necessarily doomed.”

Please try to stay happy and coherent and I’ll try to do the same…

B-run xx

Posted in Entertainment, Life, Music, Personal experience | Tagged 2016, February, flats, Frankenstein, German, journalism, music, Pancake Day, We Were Promised Jetpacks | Leave a comment

10 YouTube Channels worth Subscribing To

Posted on 02/01/2016 by alasdairflett

We all use YouTube, quite a lot of us on a daily basis, but I’ve found that as a conversation piece it usually falls flat. Often one of the parties is struggling to grasp just exactly what made a certain video or user worth mentioning, and the other is desperately trying to make their case whilst ultimately conceding that “you just have to watch it” to understand.

Here I’ve compiled my own list of the channels which have recently been of interest to me. If you’re intrigued at all by the preamble I’ve provided prior to each clip then just click the link. Maybe you’ll discover something new, maybe you’ll hate it, but hey at least now I’ve told you!

Ikea Heights

Ikea Heights is a soap opera spoof filmed almost exclusively in the beloved Swedish home furniture store without the company’s permission. A failing husband tries to mend his marriage to his unfaithful wife whilst struggling to come to terms with his reunion with a long lost brother, who suffers from acute amnesia. Meanwhile, a frustrated police detective attempts to untangle a vast and pervasive criminal network at the heart of the lawless hell-hole of “Goddamn Ikea Heights!”

The Yafa Show

This channel was of personal interest as a language student. Yafa interviews people on the street, asking their opinions on certain topics and focusing on the perception of nationality – particularly, German. Although the answers can seem repetitious, and the interviewer shows a pretty shallow understanding of capitalism and socialism, the casual technique offers a valuable international perspective on issues of identity and collective mentality.

Crash Course

Don’t be put off by the 11 minute average length of these videos – they are crammed with quality content. If you want a quick, yet surprisingly comprehensive overview of a given topic in history then John Green would probably be a good place to start. Of course, there are drawbacks to this approach, and not everybody will be a fan of his at times shouty and flippant style, but these are extremely well put together programmes, each neatly wrapping up a coherent argument and providing a succinct gloss on the areas of controversy.

Langfocus

Once you manage to see through the gap in his teeth (haha, see what I did there?) you quickly realise the utility and interesting nature of this more amateur-ish channel of an accomplished linguist. Whenever I’m low on motivation to improve my language skills, this channel is there to give me fresh incentive. Good if you’re interested in languages more broadly, for theoretical discussion as well as practical advice.

Tom Richey

Yes, it’s another history one – but I appreciate accurate, well-researched history channels! Plus I think that they have been pretty useful personally for my university course. YouTube is too full of painful inaccuracies and sweeping generalisations fuelled by “reactionary” comment sections, and this is a peaceful isle of considered reflection in a turbulent sea of often vitriolic misunderstanding. Anyway, if you’re into 18^th/19^th century stuff then this is the place to go.

Alt Shift X

This is a bit of a wildcard, but I think after a 2015 which saw the rise of an internet TV/Film “theory” cult, this channel is worth a mention. The calming sonorous tones of this well-informed Australian coupled with impeccably researched textual evidence and excellent visual presentation is enough to convince me that any of his wild Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire speculations could conceivably be true. The more obvious R+L=J theory is presented eloquently alongside interesting musings on the prophecy of Azor Ahai and the bizarre suggestion that Varys is a mermaid.

KEXP

KEXP is a radio station focused on the promotion of alternative and independent label music, hosting many live studio sessions a week. Although the quality of artists featured varies dramatically and the audio mixing can be a bit hit and miss, there is a good chance that you’ll stumble across something golden every once in a while, which makes the whole trawl worth it. The radio station is comprised of two main branches, one in Seattle and the other in Reykjavik, Iceland – showcasing some serious Scandinavian talent.

Owen Jones

Guardian journalist Owen Jones’s YouTube channel is a good place to go for a discussion of the day’s most divisive current affairs, in particular international news and UK politics. He does present an obvious left-wing bias, and acknowledges the perspective frequently, however, he tries to counter this by deliberately interviewing those he disagrees with so that their points of view are shown in contrast. His coverage of the recent general election in May has been enlightening, especially considering the apparent lack of coverage in the UK mainstream media.

Victorious Sponge

Now for something of a lighter consistency; my favourite YouTube comedy channel, Victorious Sponge. If you like sketches, especially surreal sketches, then you’ll probably like this. The recent vlogs aren’t the best representation of their work in general, but their earlier material is exemplary of the bizarre genre of hilarity.

School of Life

Finally, my top YouTube channel of the year is The School of Life. This is principally a philosophy channel, first established to provide potted guides to great thinkers and to make the subject more accessible. Philosophy has had a reputation for being full of jargon and as quite impenetrable for the great majority of people. The School of Life tries to change this with its excellently produced videos narrated by the kindly and authoritative Alain de Botton.

If I must make a criticism, it would be a tendency to oversimplify and generalise; occasionally the ideas of certain figures are warped to fit the channel’s obvious (but ultimately benevolent) agenda. However, The School of Life is worth sticking with because it so often finds that niche in our psyche which is silenced by the intellectual conventions and prejudices of today’s society. Not to mention that alongside philosophy, it covers topics of government, political theory, art, literature and history. It is a haven of the humanities which offers a pleasing ratio of refreshment and reassurance resulting in a roaring success.

Posted in Entertainment, Life, Music, Politics | Tagged 2015, alternative, art, comedy, history, IKEA, indie, languages, music, news, philosophy, politics, Victorious Sponge, videos, YouTube | Leave a comment