Born to run (or jog)

Long stretches of road like this are becoming an increasingly familiar sight. I've just started training (I use the term loosely) for my 3rd Great Scottish Run Half Marathon. It takes place in Glasgow on September 4th so I've got a couple of months to throw some stretches in preparation.

The course starts in George Square outside the City Chambers and the run allows you to take in a few other Glasgow landmarks, you get a sterling view of the SECC as you run along the Kingston Bridge. You'll also find yourself in a number of Glasgow's famous parks - Bellahouston Park, Pollok Country Park and Glasgow Green where the added treat is the finish line!

I really enjoy the actual race, it's just the training that's a bit of a bugger. I'm hoping to improve my time this year, somewhere around 1 hour 57 would be great but I'll have to put in the work.

Now, where did I put that bum bag...

Get your Stag on

Stag & Dagger, Glasgow, May 2011

Warnings that the end of the world was nigh could easily have been believed yesterday in Glasgow...rain, rain, rain and many a drenched damsel screaming out to be raptured, I myself was beginning to wish I’d invested in an ark.

Still, this is the west coast of Scotland, it rains sometimes, we don’t let it get us down.

Stag and Dagger is a multi venue festival and yesterday it hit Glasgow with a wealth of great bands that I couldn’t wait to get my ears into.

First stop was Nice n Sleazy’s to catch Tall Ships, a 3 piece from Falmouth and a guitar-led band who are more than happy to break out the synth when required. I really liked their sound, they play around with tempos, have good strong melodies and there’s an almost ‘folky’ sound to Ric Phethean’s voice. I expect they own at least one Foals record between them.

Listen to: Vessels

Then it was a quick sprint up Garnet Street to the Art School to see Ghostpoet – think Roots Manuva crossed with The Streets – stream of consciousness style lyrics, beats you can’t help but nod along to and the best named album of the year so far ‘Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam’

Listen to: Survive It

Next on the itinerary was Glasgow’s own Admiral Fallow at ABC. Like Frightened Rabbit before them the band have a distinctively Scottish sound – largely down to the strong accents they sing with. Clearly a talented young bunch of multi-instrumentalists, Admiral Fallow write beautiful melodies and combine them with heart rendingly honest lyrics.

‘Delivered’ is a favourite of mine “This is your end, this is your end, you’re delivered” sung in Louis Abbott's dulcet tones brings a tear to the eye. Yes, the band could be accused of being a little twee at times but it’s just so damn pretty you can’t help but listen.

Listen to: Delivered

They were followed by Warpaint, an all-female four-piece who hail from sunny LA, my highlight of the day, utterly brilliant! They have such an original sound but for the sake of comparison think The XX, but much better and much louder. They create this beautifully dark, whimsical sound and play so well together, you kind of feel like you’re underwater and to top it off they’re so effortlessly cool it hurts. Clearly the other Stag and Dagger attendees agreed, the ABC was packed out.

Listen to: Undertow

A quick pint brought me out of my dream-like state and off we plodded back to the Art School where we finished our night with Glasgow favourites Sons & Daughters. Vocalist/guitarist Scott Paterson appeared to be wearing a dead fox around his neck – not to worry, probably died of natural causes...

Sons and Daughters do what they do very well, some of their new tunes sound a little samey in parts but the crowd love them, Adele Bethal has a cracking voice and some of Franz Ferdinand were spotted mulling at the back of the room. They finished off their set with Dance Me In, an undoubtedly banging track and a great way to end a great day.

Listen to: Dance Me In

Can't wait until next year!

Through the looking glass

I took a trip to Glasgow’s Theatre Royal this week to see Scottish Ballet’s Alice. It was utterly brilliant, a divine snapshot of its creators wildly fantastic imaginations...and a nice excuse to squeeze in a little gin with mother dearest.

We were treated to two hours of beautiful dancing (ah to have the grace of a ballet dancer!) an array of surreal characters, a lovely score which complimented every movement and an imaginative collection of vibrant costumes which must have taken months and months to create.

This was not a simple retelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s story, a much darker element was present throughout making the content much more adult, but despite this underlying theme it did not take itself too seriously, the ballet was witty, funny and at particular moments genuinely touching as the lead characters, Charles Dodgson and Alice, drifted apart as time took its natural course.

Ashley Page, Antony McDonald and the cast and crew of Scottish Ballet have created something truly intriguing.

It's well worth taking a look... through the looking glass or otherwise.

"Wake Up" Glasgow

They're an energetic bunch that Arcade Fire, after a busy year of touring you would forgive them for feeling a little lethargic, but the truth is this band couldn't be much more lively, they radiate get up and go and even on a cold Sunday night the essence of the Canadian 8 piece is infectious. The gig at Glasgow's SECC was the last of their current tour and they certainly ended on a high. Rest assured, these guys love their job.

They're a fascinating band to watch, lively, engaging and obviously incredibly talented, they take turns at instruments on a rotational basis and throw themselves entirely into the music they play.

'I know a place where no cars go' sings Butler to the sold out crowd (thankfully the thaw has ensured that that 'place' is no longer the M8) The hauntingly brilliant My Body is a Cage follows and breaks into The Suburbs, the title track from the latest album.

They disappear behind the curtains before returning for the encore of all encores. Wake Up - the chugging riff builds sending the crowd into a euphoric frenzy of 'woah oh oh oh oh ohing' (this will make sense if you know the song) . It takes a very special band to fill the rather vast surroundings of the SECC but Arcade Fire do it with ease. Utterly brilliant, tingles up the spine brilliant.

Latitude - pass me the houmous

Last week a band of merry chums and I packed into a polo and ventured south seeking sounds and sunshine.

Ok, ok, so this isn't quite Glasgow related however our fine city was well represented in the fields of Latitude amongst the sea of Guardian readers and mountains of falafel. T in the Park it was not.

Belle and Sebastian were amazing. They played crowd favourites The Boy with the Arab Strap and cheerily titled Get Me Away from Here I'm Dying before inviting a crowd of people on stage for a dance and sing song. Frightened Rabbit also played a blinding set, a nice mixture of tunes off the old and new albums.

In the comedy tent comedian Kevin Bridges went down a storm and we also checked out relative newcomers to the Glasgow scene Mitchell Museum. I'd read reviews raving about them and they certainly held their own.

I also got to see my favourite band in the world The National....utterly splendid. Can't wait until November when they play the 02 Academy!

All in all a good weekend!

By the by check out the winching sheep...