Ending where we started

Scotland's cultural highlights started early with The Happy Lands - an uncompromising film portraying life in a Fife pit village during the General Strike. Developed by Edinburgh-based theatre workshop using local people both to source stories and portray characters, it premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival and toured throughout the UK looking for a general release. Unsuccessful, despite enthusiastic reviews, it is now available on DVD. Go to http://distrify.com/films/6990-the-happy-lands 

January's Celtic Connections festival had a strong left-leaning programme. The ubiquitous FairPley productions served up not only another sellout Songs of Struggle, but packed the huge Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow with a crowd anxious to see Tony Benn promoting his forthcoming film biography, Will and Testament. Other concerts included Songs of the Spanish Civil War, and a tribute concert to Scottish folk singer songwriter, Alistair Hulett, headlined by doyen of the folk scene, Roy Bailey.

Mark Thomas headlined the first sellout Great MayDay Cabaret, the centrepiece of Glasgow's MayDay festival celebrations. A bill including the Co-operative Funeralcare Brass Band, and Marxist magician, Ian Saville kept the Oran Mor audience rocking with songs and laughter. The finale where Mark grabbed a tambourine to join folk's political leader, Arthur Johnstone, and master of the moothie* Fraser Speirs in a rendition of Bandiera Rossa had everyone standing.

Other gems sparkled in an impressive MayDay programme, including a reprise of The Morning Star's own Our Class, Our Culture event that brought composer, Bill Sweeney to talk about Music and the Working Class Movement. 

FairPley also programmed a major part of Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms' Edinburgh Fringe, successfully mixing music, theatre and spoken word events. The Fringe showed an increase in left shows this year, although the low number of shows dealing with the upcoming independence referendum excited some comment. Notwithstanding, a conference on the future of political theatre concluded that it was in fact, in rude health

Assembly Rooms highlights included a return for Tony Benn and for a Songs of Struggle concert, and a couple of interesting short plays in God Bless Liz Lochhead, and Hindsight, the latter the first play from new writer, Keir McAllister. Elsewhere,  an intelligent look at the pressures of politics and the failures of the last Labour administration made The Confessions of Gordon Brown stand out, and the already high level of standup was boosted by the return to the stage of Alexi Sayle and another in the series of Mark Thomas's 100 Minor Acts of Dissent.

Other key events this year have included a cracking satire from a group of writers as part of the always worth watching A Play, a Pie and a Pint series. The Deficit Show took us swiftly back to the days of Wildcat in a sharp, entertaining attack on austerity economics. 

A superb performance of Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto from Canadian violinist, James Ehnes backed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, drew plaudits from audience and reviewers alike.

Finally the year ended with a TV outing for The Happy Lands, when BBC Scotland gave the film a showing (last Sunday 15 Dec) to counter the lack of a cinema release.

*Mouth organ, for those uninitiated! 

A Step for a Star?

If you are looking for something different to listen to tonight, you could do worse than to get yourself along to Glasgow's O2 ABC2 for 7.30, when talented, young Glasgow singer-songwriter, Jasmine, takes the next step in a promising career.

She takes to the stage to promote her newly released eponymous album. It can

be heard and purchased from iTunes here. Tickets for the concert are £10 available from
the O2 ABC or on line.

Jasmine's youth doesn't mean that her music is naive, sentimental or light. Her voice is
both powerful and melodic - with traces of one of her influences, Tracy Chapman - and her
songs are mature reflections on life. Probably because of her experiences. She is from
Pollok, and brought up in a brought up in a single parent family that she describes as 'very
close'.

She says
"Making music is my passion and I could honestly not picture myself doing anything else. I
have been writing, performing and developing since I was ten, and every song I've written
has been about some personal experience that either happened to me or to someone I
know."

Although Jasmine is only 18, she has already worked with a number of important
musicians, including Scottish singer-songwriter, John Taylor, and Wet, Wet, Wet's Graeme
Duffin, (who produced her album). She has supported Luka Bloom, at Oran Mor, and
played concerts to support, anti-poverty charity, Caritas, and the recently the Clutha Vaults
fund

Came for the Adams, left with the Shostakovich!

A huge crowd at Glasgow's City Halls last night, experienced sublime artistry. A performance of a piece of music took flight, in a way that only happens very rarely. The stage for this event was a BBC SSO concert simultaneously broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The artist was Canadian violinist James Ehnes. His playing of Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto took the roof off the City Halls.

Inspired by the Hall, which he admitted was a favourite, and by the piece which had been written while Shostakovich was under severe political pressure, Ehnes gave us all a performance that one sees few times in a lifetime. His playing of the final Burlesque movement, was particularly inspired and had even the orchestra applauding enthusiastically.

Indeed, it eclipsed the rest of the programme - a pity in some ways, as the first piece, Beethoven's 4th Symphony, is already too little known, and the John Adams headliner, City Noir both deserved good reviews - in which some of the magic rubbed off on the orchestra. Ehnes has worked with this orchestra, and with Donald Runnicles a number of times previously. Glasgow will be looking forward to the next occasion.

While it would be difficult to recapture the full experience of the live performance, it is available on BBC iplayer for the next seven days. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03kpdh8

Absent Friends?

Since the Westminster Parliament voted (by 26 votes) to continue with the justly maligned Bedroom Tax, the twitteratti have been having a field day. Bitter recrimination has been piled on accusation and deep loathing. MPs have been targeted for direct action. Threats have been made to oust MPs who have left their vulnerable constituents at the mercy of this iniquitous legislation.

So far, so unexceptional you might think, but in this case the targets are the MPs who represent the party that publicly opposes the Tax; that has committed to repeal the legislation; and that was responsible for the staging of the debate. Whit?!

The substance of the accusations levelled at (some) Labour MPs (and at the Party in general), is that by not having all their MPs in the Commons for the vote, they have let down the fight against the Bedroom Tax. In some extreme cases the claim is that this failure led to their own amendment being lost, despite the obvious fallacy of that!

Now the rights and wrongs of the pairing system aren't an argument that can be dealt with here. Nor, incidentally, are they an issue that was raised by anyone before the debate or vote. However, it is unquestionable that the missing MPs were paired. Thus, all claims that the missing MPs 'cost' the vote against the Bedroom Tax fail, as their appearance would immediately have been matched by the appearance of their 'pair' to vote in favour.

It is also most unlikely that any attempt to 'ambush' the vote would have defeated the tax. Firstly, even if successful, it would not have been binding on the Government, and they would simply have called a vote of confidence, which they would have won. A similar caveat applies to any attempt to impose a three-line whip. That would have been made public, and would have turned the vote into a a vote of confidence with similar results.

Indeed, one MP has pointed out that all the SNP MPs have been absent at one time or another at votes against the legislation containing the Bedroom Tax, while it was going though the commons. While there is one error in her list, the point about absent votes and pairing remains true. No doubt MPs of other parties missed these and similar votes. No doubt all of the above MPs were paired, and their vulnerable constituents not left without a representative. But quite clearly not all parliamentary votes are as significant as others. Indeed these votes actually impacted on the passage of the legislation!

Having said that, there have clearly been failures on the part of the opposition. How else can we explain what should have been a great public opportunity being turned into a publicity gaffe? It should have been anticipated that public interest in the outcome of the vote (even if overturning it would have required the votes of LibDems) meant that any likely absences should have been identified and - if unjustifiable, stopped, if justifiable, explained. After all, many of those criticising believe in extra-parliamentary campaigning, and it is hardly wrong for MPs to also take part in such campaigns. Not preparing for this, and probably allowing some non-attendances that should never have been allowed, has meant a massive publicity opportunity for the Labour Opposition has been lost.

However, what has also been lost in the welter of criticism is any sight of the real villains of the piece. After all the majority of the votes in the Commons were to back the Bedroom Tax - these ConDem MPs are thanking their stars for the furore whipped up by the nationalists and ultra-left.

It's Boyling Point in Glasgow!

Anyone who woke up yesterday to the frost on the cars and on the ground, and who heard the weather forecasters say it was the coldest day this year, will be wondering what this blog is about.

Of course, if you come from Edinburgh, and are a reader of the Evening News, the

Frank Boyle and his work

suspicion may have already dawned that the reference isn't to the temperature at which water changes from a liquid to a gas, but to a well-known cartoonist whose work appears regularly in the pages of that blatt. And you would be right!

Glasgow-based cartoonist of the Edinburgh Evening News (as he styles himself), Frank Boyle is opening a solo exhibition of his work in Glasgow on Friday of this week. This will not only display some of his best known cartoons of the recent past, but in addition, Frank will be displaying some of his water colours and drawings.

Cuts Hurt - Part one of thePublic Works diptych 

 

 Frank has been drawing politicians, celebrities and the topical issues of the day, for many years. He also has done cartoons for trade unions and other good causes. - he drew the posters for UNISONScotland's Public Works campaign - but his watercolours and other work are a revelation.

It's well worth getting along to South Block in the centre of Glasgow between November 11-29 (closed 16,17 & 21-24) to check out Frank's work. and if you can't summon up the cash for an original, his current book Boyling Point 2, is on sale there for a measly £8.99. (Or you can get it from Frank's website with a pound off at www.boylecartoon.co.uk).

South Block itself is a new creative venue in Glasgow City Centre. Developed by the well known WASPS Studio it provides studios and work spaces on the corner of Osborne Street, and King Street.

Star at the heart of Scottish working class culture

This is the original of a piece in the Morning Star, published on Wednesday 30 October. It isnt (yet) on the Star website so I'm posting here in case anyone needs digital access. 

The increased focus on Scotland, and the higher profile here of the Morning Star, is at least partly because of external activities that have not really featured in the paper until now.In addition to the deployment of a Scotland-based reporter and a network of supporters groups, a Scottish Campaign Group has established a successful activity that, on the face of it, doesn't seem to directly contribute to selling papers.

Over the last three years a series of cultural events in halls and centres across Scotland have been organised. These have caught the eye for the comprehensiveness of their coverage, and the unusualness of their approach. The latest series of 'Our Class, Our Culture' events covering the rest of this year and into next summer, has just started. The events and venues for the rest of the autumn are listed here. http://scottishmorningstarcampaign.blogspot.co.uk

 A couple of events have already taken place, both marking the 40th anniversary of the Chilean coup. In East Kilbride a large meeting heard two trade unionists discuss their part in stopping military supplies being delivered to the Chilean junta, and in Glasgow a fascinating presentation on the poetry of Chilean poet and politician, Pablo Neruda was given by Ruben Romero. The unusual juxtaposition of culture and class is typical of the mix.

On 5 November in Falkirk a discussion on Robert Tressell's Ragged Trousered Philanthropists has become only too topical. The person delivering the talk is Mark Lyons, Unite's convenor at the INEOS plant at Grangemouth! A timely discussion on the nature of capitalism and its repercussions for working people I would have thought.

Other gems include a fascinating-looking event in Paisley on Helen Macfarlane, the woman who first translated the Communist Manifesto (Dec 3). Although from a factory-owning family, her radicalism stemmed from a factory background in Chartism, and carried on as she met both Marx and Engels.

Later in the series (in 2014) highlights are William McGonagall and the radical tradition on Scots poetry (in Dundee appropriately enough, on Feb 4) with well-known contemporary poet, Alistair Findlay, Keith Stoddart on James Connolly, socialism and nationalism - in Edinburgh (18 March) as part of the Edinburgh Irish Festival, and again a hugely relevant discussion in time for Scotland's Independence Referendum later in the year, and 1 April sees a presentation on Jack London's forewarning of fascism - Iron Heel by Rab O'Donnell in Clydebank

As befits its status as a month containing the international workers' festival, May has two events. Stuart Moir on Shelley's Masque of Anarchy, its background and contemporary resonance (6 May in Bathgate), and slotting in neatly to next years MayDay celebrations, an appreciation of UCS cartoonist and author, Bob Starrett, by author and poet David Betteridge, and featuring the man himself! (8 May in Glasgow's STUC Centre).

Helen Crawfurd. Anti war activist

The final two events centre their topic on the centenary of the start of the First World War, but - as you might expect - concentrate on the nature of that's war in Whose War Was it? on the 5 June in Fife (venue yet to be confirmed), and in July (8) in Glasgow, a couple of activists who have been working to ensure that those who protested against the war are remembered for their activities as Bob Holton and the GMB's Richard Leonard discuss 1914 and Keir Hardie.

This series is often eagerly awaited and well attended, drawing in new and existing readers and supporters of the paper. They do more than that though. They have established the Morning Star at the heart of working class culture and celebration in Scotland, along with Glasgow's increasingly successful MayDay celebrations and the Songs of Struggle concerts promoted by FairPley both as standalone and as part of Glasgow's Celtic Connections, and Edinburgh's Fringe Festivals.

Happy Lands needs YOUR vote in second BAFTA nomination

News has reached the Captain of potential BAFTA stardom for a film that has been mentioned once or twice in these pages. Most notably here.

Yes, The Happy Lands - in addition to its earlier nomination for a BAFTA 'New Talent' award - has also been nominated for the BAFTA Cineworld Audience Award in the BAFTA Scotland awards.

This is a public vote, the peoples' vote - so if you want to see this great film getting the credit it deserves, get along to the website and get your vote in!

In addition, you get an extra chance to see the film as it is being shown in the Cineworlds in Aberdeen (Union Square), Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow (Renfrew Street).

The competitors for this award are also being shown between now and Monday 28 October, so you can get a surfeit of good, Scottish film making! But The Happy Lands is on in each of the cities named at 18.00 on Thursday 24 Oct, so you'll need to hurry!

Some of the other films have bigger budgets and even bigger casts! So every vote counts.

Please vote yourself and encourage friends and family to do the same.

Any networks or organisations you can circulate this through would be tremendous and appreciated tenfold.

In addition the film is due out on DVD shortly. By SODA pictures, it is available from Amazon, I-Tunes and Distrify from Oct 28.

To the next stage, comrades!

Serving us and boosting our economy - Public Ownership

In the wake of the Ed Miliband/Daily Mail saga, a blog from James Maxwell of the New Statesman has an interesting series of points to make on the difference between Milliband’s pledges on the UK stage and Salmond’s in Scotland.

His point is essentially that while Miliband is (possibly against his will) being forced to challenge the UK consensus that the the Tories, their coalition partners and New Labour have espoused for a number of decades now - that an unregulated private sector is the saviour of the UK economy and that there is no role for the state to intervene; here in Scotland - despite the opportunities offered for challenging this consensus by the independence referendum - Alex Salmond shows no sign of doing so. Indeed he points to many policies where the SNP have actually moved towards the UK consensus.

To be fair, he also points to a range of policies where the SNP and Scottish Government are still to the left of the Labour Party, but the difference in challenging ‘business and its vested interests’ is marked. 

  The Scottish government was almost alone in retaining close relationships with News International, when even their close political pals were abandoning them. They have consistently courted tax-dodging corporations like Amazon, and argued against state intervention to take our share of windfall profits by North Sea energy companies, or to freeze energy prices to the consumer.

And where is the evidence that these policies work? Ofgen warns of power black-outs by 2015 as a result of lack of investment in the privatised energy sector. Privatised rail has the highest subsidies in Europe – except where the publicly owned East Coast line has delivered almost £1billion in profit. A socially disastrous housing crisis has resulted from the inability of the private sector to provide affordable houses. Yet elsewhere in the world there is economic growth – and it is generally in those countries where there is a significant measure of public ownership and active public support for industry.

In this context Sunday’s conference taking place in Glasgow on the need for greater public input

into our economic life is remarkably appropriate. While few at the conference would put much faith in Miliband, the lack of arguments for increased public ownership that have come out of the ‘indyref’ debate despite the spectacular failure of privatised companies, will hopefully be rectified by an impressive range of speakers. Economists and researchers like the STUC’s Stephen Boyd, and UNISONScotland policy chief, Dave Watson will be joined by politicians from both Labour (Neil Findlay MSP) and the SNP (Chris Stephens of the SNP TU Group). The conference will examine the evidence for successful public sector intervention, from the past and from the present, from the UK and from elsewhere in the world.

The conference is organised by the Morning Star’s Scottish Campaign Committee and takes place from 11 am at the STUC offices in Woodlands Road, Glasgow. Further details here.

From Neruda to Starrett. Stargazing across Scotland

The Morning Star is a newspaper everyone thinks they know. In the old joke it is 'read by those people who want another country to run the country', Tony Blair once claimed he 'didn't know that paper was still coming out', and it's line is supposedly dictated to it by the 'politburo'.

Whether or not any of these myths had foundation, the foundations have long been excavated and the paper has made strong strides towards becoming a 'must-read' for any on the left - well, actually by anyone with an interest in the politics, or the cultural life of the UK. And in these days when hacking murder victim's phones, and libelling dead fathers pass for 'news', maybe the opportunity is there for a wider readership?

In Scotland, the twin developments of a Northern print run, meaning the paper gets here on the day of publication, and the appointment of a Scottish reporter, has meant the relevance of its content has increased exponentially. But strangely some of the most positive things about it, aren't things you'll find much about in the paper at all.

One of its strongest props is its network of supporters groups. Readers and Supporters groups have

sprung up across Scotland, and a Scottish Campaign Group who have been instrumental in both successfully lobbying for other organisations (like trade unions and the Co-op) to back the paper in practical ways, running conferences to discuss policies of the left, and chivvying the London organisation of the Star to address its weaknesses in circulation and content.

But possibly it's most successful activity is one that, on the face of it, doesn't seem to directly contribute to selling papers. Over the last three years a series of cultural talks, discussion and even performances in halls and centres across Scotland have been organised. These have caught the eye for the comprehensiveness of their coverage, and the unusualness of their approach. The latest series of 'Our Class, Our Culture' events has just started. The events and venues for the rest of the autumn are listed  here.

Allende y Neruda

Tonight's event  - on the poetry of Chilean poet and politician, Pablo Neruda - has been chosen to mark the 40th anniversary of the armed coup that overthrew Chile's elected government, and is a great example of the genre. It's at the STUC at 7.30pm.

Other gems include a fascinating-looking event in Paisley on Helen Macfarlane, the woman who first translated the Communist Manifesto (Dec 3). Later in the series (in 2014) highlights are William McGonagall and the radical tradition on Scots poetry (in Dundee appropriately enough, on Feb 4 with well-known contemporary poet, Alistair Findlay), Stuart Moir, on Shelley's Masque of Anarchy, its background and contemporary resonance (6 May in Bathgate), and slotting in neatly to next years

Bob's new book

MayDay celebrations, an appreciation of UCS cartoonist and author, Bob Starrett, featuring the man himself! (8 May in the STUC).

If you haven't seen the Star for a while, try your local newsagent, or Co-op food store. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Radical Shifts on the Fringe - Fringe Blog no 2

The Morning Star website is currently being revamped and unavailable, so here is my article published in this weekend's edition. It is a summary of my thoughts on this year's Edinburgh Fringe shows.

If politics is show business for ugly people, then show business should be aware of political attempts to move into their territory more comprehensively!

Before this year's Edinburgh Fringe. some commentators (including this one) identified an increase in the number of political shows. Even with a surprisingly low level of shows dealing with Scotland's referendum, especially from Scottish writers.

After three weeks viewing, I can a) confirm that there was a large amount of both overtly political shows and shows with a political angle, and b) while the referendum was covered, especially in spoken word events, it did not form a major theme. Even in a wide-ranging seminar on political theatre it only got one mention in a uplifting discussion that identified political theatre as still very prominent.

Partly because, as respected commentator, Joyce MacMillan, points out, the constitutional debate has been part of the cultural background in Scotland for years, and many writers have moved on. They deal with wider overarching political and human issues - like David Greig in The Events, which deals with our reaction to atrocity. Inspired by (but not directly dealing with) the Anders Breivik murders, this will become a very important play.

Other productions dealt with political history - like Unite-sponsored, We will be Free, Townsend’s Tolpuddle Martyrs' play, or particular issues, like Northern Stage's How to Occupy an Oil Rig - an entertaining training session on direct action in climate change campaigning.

Many productions deal with non-political topics, but allow political issues to feature. An effective
example, is FairPley's production of God Bless Liz Lochhead! in which a struggling group of thesps attempt to re-create a 12 character play with 3 actors! While the convolutions this entails deliver a very funny play, it also makes a comment on the politics of cultural funding in Scotland.

Of course, there is more to the Fringe than drama. Comedy has always been a strongpoint, and this year the return of many 'Alternative Comedy' legends brought that political edge. Mark Thomas crammed a hugely busy schedule with shows on Extreme Rambling along the Israeli apartheid wall; debates on the efficacy of some of his previous Manifesto pledges; and his new 100 Acts of Minor Dissent project. He reached 26 by organising a stand-up demo outside the Russian Consulate against their anti-gay laws! Alexei Sayle, too, came from stand-up exile to prove he was as ascerbic as ever. After 17 years away, he can be forgiven some slight rustiness!

Vladimir McTavish and Keir McAllister's The State of Britain was one show that took the independence debate head-on, but did seem to be unsure of its audiences, possibly for a similar reason to Steve Richards. The political columnist said in the Guardian that he had had to tailor his act to Scottish or other UK audiences on a show-by-show basis.

A further reason for more politics this year is the massive increase in spoken word events. Once the province of the Book Festival, the Fringe started listing these separately a few years ago. This year has seen an explosion in such shows.

Driven by demand (The Book Festival resolutely refuses to move anywhere bigger), the need for promoters to fill venues during the day, and the relative ease of staging this type of show, debates, discussions, Q&As, demonstrations etc. sprang up all over. Most of all, there is an audience for these shows, which is good news for political debate. Almost all major venue complexes featured some spoken word, but the major venue, was the Assembly Rooms/Famous Spiegeltent. FairPley Productions contributed massively, by importing their Verb Garden from the Belladrum festival. The concept - backed by the Co-operative Membership, covered many topics and presented major politicians such as Tony Benn, and George Galloway MP, journalists like BBCs Brian Taylor and Iain Macwhirter, and academics and comedians. Even including the finalist of 2012 Great British Bakeoff, James Morton!

Stephen Wright of FairPley, thinks that spoken word can only increase. "While you need to
programme different topics carefully," he said. "the demand is there for politics. We will be building on that, both in Edinburgh and elsewhere."

God Bless Liz Lochhead!

God Bless Liz Lochhead - and the politics of art

Can a play that deals with the drama of restaging Scottish Makar Liz Lochhead's Tartuffe under the
gaze of a reality TV camera, showcasing the talents of four of Scotland's leading thesps (Juliet Cadzow, Kate Donnelly, Andy Gray,  and writer Martin McCardie), ever be described as political? Well, this being Scotland, the answer is of course Yes!

In the process of this funny and sharp drama in which the blood and terror of the previous tour of the work resurfaces, the current realities of arts and culture in Scotland are highlighted. Having to produce the play with only three actors, because there is no cash for more leads to compromises in quality. Gray's dialogue between Tartuffe and Orgon with himself as a split personality is laugh out loud funny! As is the need for actors to accept the unacceptable to maintain themselves in work. "Thank God for sectarianism." Says Portia (Cadzow). "Otherwise there would be even less work!"

Well worth a tenner of anyone's cash, this show is by turns bitter, humorous and sad, and it serves to remind us that ultimately, everything is political. Are we back to the days when we have to rely on wealthy patrons to produce quality art?

• God Bless Liz Lochhead is a FairPley production at the Assembly Rooms. Till the 25.

Is the Personal, the Political? Fringe Blog no 1

Early in the Edinburgh Fringe, and already themes are becoming apparent. The gap between the personal and the wider population seems to be a significant theme, both directly and indirectly! It is an obvious factor when considering the political situation, and the increase in political topics at this years fringe has maybe contributed to the significance of this (see my piece on this in the Morning Star here ) but it hasn't only impacted on obvious political material.

Hindsight - a first play from Scottish comedian Keir McAllister has no obvious political message, although the broad topic of individual decisions and their impact on others - especially when a male ego is involved - has considerable resonance in many gender politics debates!

How much do we make decisions affecting other people in our own interests, and how often do we take theirs into account? And if we only look at it from our perspective, can we ever supersede our own ego?

McAllister gets that across in what is essentially a one person play - albeit with three actors. And he does it with humour and humanity. Obviously having a director of the calibre of Phillip Differ, and actors like Raymond Mearns, James Kirk and Paul Sneddon, all regulars on the standup circuit, gives the play a fighting chance. You should give it more than that. It is worth it and a good first start. It's at the Assembly Rooms until Aug 24,  1.15pm

One of the plays successes is that it recognises that we may not be aware when we take decisions for our own personal advancement, and not for the greater good. Matt Forde isn't so self aware. His show The Political Party, addresses his enthusiasm. An admitted Blairite, Forde's view is that politics needs more 'characters', and he proceeds to identify (and impersonate some).

This should be more fun than it is. An unrepentant political enthusiast (he was out canvassing at 13!) Forde tries to convince us that the whole thing is such fun, that people whose views are frankly objectionable are great personalities and have charisma. I'm not sure, however, that Nigel Farage as a drinking buddy convinced many people (I'm glad to say).

But it isn't in this that the problems arise for this performance. Even an hour in the company of political personalities leaves one wanting more on the issues. He does the voices well, but Forde is an impressionist, whereas Ian Grieve (who plays Gordon Brown in The Confession of Gordon Brown) inhabits his part. It is also an example of how limited the politics of personality are. Not terrible, but it begins to pall. Matt Forde is in the Pleasance Dome until the 25 August, 4.00pm.

I wont be back in Edinburgh until later in August. Hopefully more culture and politics will be winging it by then!

Do you like it here now? Are you settling in?

The decision by new National Theatre of Scotland (NToS) supremo Laurie Sansom to commission two of Scotland’s finest drama writers/producers - David Greig and Dave MacLennan - to collaborate in producing drama inspired by the referendum ‘debate’ has prompted this response (at last), and possibly even given the lie to Alasdair Gray’s deliberate polemic against the Anglo-centric control (as he sees it) of Scotland’s art establishment.

David Greig

Dave MacLennan

His attack on English people in the arts certainly stirred up the respective nationalist tribes - as he presumably wanted, Early attackers often did themselves no favours by labelling Gray as a racist without reading the essay, although defenders were often disingenuous in the extreme to suggest that offence was being manufactured by the recipients, rather than given by the perpetrator.

It is clear (I think) that Gray is not a racist, but someone of his huge writing talents must be aware of

Alasdair Gray

the impact that his choice of words has. Labelling people ‘colonists’ is obviously designed to tar them with an imperial brush, but ‘settlers’ too - albeit a lesser accusation - is too often bracketed with the adjective ‘white’ to be a neutral term. Indeed it is not that long ago that the advent of the avowedly anti-English ‘Settler Watch’ in NE Scotland caused the SNP to exclude them as racist.

Vicky Featherstone

It is a matter then of considerable regret, that a man of obvious talent, like Gray chooses to have a pop at the people he says control funding/commissioning of Scottish artistic talent on the basis of their place of birth and nationality. Had he done so on the basis of being fully paid-up members of the establishment there may have been more accuracy in his attacks, but to include people like Vicky Featherstone - Sansom’s predecessor as Director of NToS - indicates how far off the radar Gray has gone.

While one can have reservations about some of the directions taken by NToS at the beginning, (and surely any artistic venture must be given space to experiment?) surely the Director who funded and developed Black Watch has some understanding of Scottish culture? Interestingly enough, Black Watch director, John Tiffany also hails from South of the border (Yorkshire - in fact), and has had some pointed things to say about Gray’s comments - not the least of which is to identify the oft-ignored fact that many parts of England also feel badly ruled by London and the South.

In addition to both (so-far) Heads of NToS, and Janet Archer, the new Head of Creative Scotland (surely a much more poisoned chalice) a cursory look round prominent artists who have contributed to the Scottish arts scene produces a fair sprinkling of ‘non-Scots’. Composer Peter Maxwell Davies, for example, has lived in Orkney for 42 years (as long as I have lived in Scotland - not that there are any other links!). Director and playwright John McGrath was born and brought up in Birkenhead and North Wales - anyone suggest that The Cheviot... or Ane Satire of the Four Estaites shows a lack of understanding of contemporary (or historical) Scottish culture?

Interestingly enough in a recent Herald article, Keith Bruce pointed out that choreographer, Matthew Bourne has asked some really serious points about Scottish national identity in his ballet Highland Fling. Indeed he (unusually) has let Scottish Ballet stage it (he normally reserves his work to his own company). It will not come as a surprise to readers that Matthew Bourne too, comes from anent these shores (Walthamstow, since you ask).

The kind of offensive polemic that Gray unleashed is not the tack that the two David’s will take. Although both are enthusiastic and impassioned political beings, I had to read the article to find out which was heading up which side of the debate! Hopefully we can look forward to articulated drama about the real issues - rather than where we were all born.

Red Music?

Following the hugely successful Great MayDay Cabaret last Monday - which saw a galaxy of stars including Mark Thomas, socialist magician Ian Saville, and Siobhan Miller & Jeana Leslie have a great night entertaining a sell-out crowd at Glasgow’s Oran Mor - Glasgow’s Friends of MayDay celebrations get underway for the final week.

Tonight at the STUC centre in Woodlands Road, Glasgow University Professor of Music, and well-known Scottish composer, Bill Sweeney gets to grips with the knotty issue of Music and the Working Class movement. While it is clear that some music is written from (or adopted for) a class or socialist perspective, how can that be identified? Especially if - being an extremely abstract art form - it has no words or history? Is it even a valid argument to claim a ‘class’ or ideological adherence for music? 

Bill Sweeney (left) shows earlier
commitment on the picket line during
1980s BBC Orchestra's strike

With Bill’s talent, experience and political background, expect an intriguing examination of the topic! This is a Morning Star, our class, our culture event starting at 7.00pm.

On Friday in the same venue, the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign joins with the STUC to screen the film - Will the Real Terrorist, Please Stand Up? About the arrest and imprisonment by the USA of the Miami 5, it will be followed by a SCSC social. Again free to get in, but donations will be welcomed, this is at 7.30pm

Vladimir McTavish

And last but by no means least, the next afternoon at 4.00pm, Scottish Left Review stage their comedy and music fundraiser downstairs in the Stand Comedy Club. 101 uses for a Spare Bedroom is hosted by Elaine C Smith, and stars Vladimir McTavish, Susan Morrison, John Gillick and Andre Learmonth. Tickets are £12/£7 from the SLR website.

The musical accompaniment to the SLR gig is by Arthur Johnstone and friends, nicely providing the red musical thread that sews these series of events together.

MayDay Celebrations step up a gear in Glasgow

Things are hotting up as Glasgow delivers the most prominent MayDay celebrations for a number of years. In a major concert, Comedian and activist, Mark Thomas; marxist magician, Ian Saville, and former BBC Young Folk Musicians Siobhan Miller and Jeana Leslie join political song master Arthur Johnstone, and harmonica virtuoso, Fraser Speirs,  in a star studded line-up at the Great MayDay Cabaret that crowns this years’ Friends of MayDay activities tonight.

Mark Thomas said - “It is great that I am able to get back to Glasgow for this MayDay Cabaret. The city’s political activity is well known and it's great that they are revitalising the celebrations for International Worker's Day."The concert is in the city’s Oran Mor from 7.30pm. Tickets are £12.50 from the venue or (including a booking fee) from www.oran-mor.co.uk. The last ones are rapidly going, so get hold of them quick! It is sponsored by the Co-operative Membership.

News is also breaking of an intriguing set planned by singer/writer Dave Anderson. He has been working with the Co-Op Funeralcare Brass band to develop a ‘crossover’ set with different musical strands. Dave said “I’m really looking forward to working with a brass band of the quality of the Co-op. This is a first for me but they have a great reputation as a fine band. I’m sure we’ll deliver a new and exciting set!”

Arthur Johnstone and the Stars band warm 'em up!

This follows a hugely successful MayDay march that wound its way through the city yesterday from George Square (how important it is that the ‘people’s square’ is retained to allow us to gather and rally there) to the O2 Academy in Eglinton Street, where Alvaro Sanchez, the Political Counsellor from the Venezuelan Embassy, Neil Findlay MSP Lilian Macer. UNISON’s Scottish Convenor, Alan Wylie from the No 2 Bedroom Tax campaign, and disability campaigner, Tommy Gorman addressed a busy rally. 

These are the highlights of a range of activity in the two weeks around MayDay that ranges from walks to comedy, to films and theatre.

The successful film, The Happy Lands, returned to Glasgow yesterday afternoon. Shown again at the GFT, this great film deals with the General Strike and the subsequent lock-out in a pit village in Fife. Made by Theatre Workshop with local community volunteers and actors, this was a hit of the recent Glasgow Film Festival.

Another film is being screened by the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign. Will the real Terrorist please stand up? will be shown at their social evening in the STUC on Friday 10 May at 7.30. Free but ticketed. Tickets on the door.

The highly-praised talk by Scottish composer, Bill Sweeney on Music and the Working Class Movement, has been revived by the Morning Star Campaigns Committee as part of their Our Class, Our Culture series. This year at the STUC on the evening of Wednesday May 8. At 7.00pm, Free.

Friends at the Scottish Left Review have their fundraising comedy evening next Saturday (11 May) at the Stand in

101 Uses for a
Spare Bedroom

Woodlands Road, Glasgow. 101 uses for a spare bedroom is hosted by Elaine C Smith and features Vladimir McTavish, Susan Morrison, John Gillick and Andrew Learmonth. Music from Arthur Johnstone and friends. Tickets £12/£7 from http://www.scottishleftreview.org/shop/ 

Along with all these goodies - the programme for which is being supported by the STUC as part of its There is a Better Way Campaign, and Thomsons Solicitors - the regular Tron series Mayfesto returns for another year - www.tron.co.uk/mayfesto/ and a Play, a Pie and a Pint continue their innovative programming each lunchtime at Oran Mor.

Two other exhibitions look good - the Rock against Racism archive exhibition - currently at Platform at the Bridge in Easterhouse, and the Street Level photo gallery exhibition of Willy Romer’s photographs of Weimar Germany. On until May 26.

Battleship painter; work-in cartoonist; villa caretaker; film set artist - and now author!

This is the text of a press release that I planned to send out yesterday. Unfortunately, due to BT's decision that this process was 'suspicious activity' on my email account, the day was spent being passed from call centre to call centre, rather than productive work! It also means I'm shut out of emailing anything out for 48 hours. I'm putting this on the blog, rather than it going to waste. Thanks BT!

It’s a long way from Yarrow’s shipyard on the Clyde, to Hollywood. It’s even longer from painting battleship hulls to starring at a author event at this weekend’s Aye Write! festival, but both of these have been done by Bob Starrett.

Bob's Book!

Now 74, Bob - who first came to prominence as the official cartoonist to the 1971-2 UCS work-in - is about to launch his first book of stories and essays, as well as some new cartoons, on Sunday at the Glasgow festival.

The book covers much of his working life, both in the shipyards where he features many larger than life characters, and as a set painter in the London and Hollywood film industry where the film workers - for all the fame of their industry - come across as slightly less than their own estimation!

Bob says “The book is about and for all the guys and gals I worked alongside, who kept baying foremen off my back so I could think creatively! It’s a celebration of all that’s good from my working life.”

Bob himself is quick to point out that none of the stars and directors he has worked with, can hold a candle to UCS leaders like Jimmy Reid and Jimmy Airlie. “Reid and Airlie in full flight were superb.” Bob says now. “I could listen to Airlie over and over again, and Reid never let you down in his analysis. I’ve yet to meet a director or producer to stand alongside them.”

After the successful work-in stopped the mass closure of shipbuilding on the Upper Clyde, Bob left the yards in 1979.

Bob worked on this film in 1985

Following a journey, during which he spent two years ‘minding a palace’ in Italy, he went to art school and eventually ended up working as a painter on films - working with stars like Daniel Day Lewis, Gary Oldman and Jim Broadbent. 

Following his involvement providing much of the artwork for the 40^th Anniversary of the UCS Work-in in 2011, he started to show some of the organisers some of his stories. Stephen Wright from FairPley said that everyone who saw them was impressed. “Indeed we thought they were so good, we asked David Hayman to read some as part of the 40^th Anniversary Concert at Celtic Connections.” said Stephen. “And we put another in the concert programme. Talking to others made it clear that we should put these together in a book.”

The book will be launched on Sunday. It has been recommended by writer James Kelman, UCS supporter and politician Tony Benn, and actor Bill Paterson. a foreword has been written by Sir Alex Ferguson - himself a shipyard worker who has gone on to other work! David Hayman will read some extracts and Arthur Johnstone will be singing!

Bob’s Aye Write! event is at 1.30pm on Sunday in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library. Tickets are available from the Mitchell, or from the AyeWrite! website - www.ayewrite.com.