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Bon Accord & St Nicholas Welcomes Scallywags

Feb 192016

With thanks to Phil Moar, Account Manager, Citrus:Mix.

A popular Peterhead children’s clothes shop has expanded into Aberdeen with the opening of a second store.

Scallywags of Peterhead has opened its new outlet at 2 Schoolhill, adjacent to the Bon Accord mall, as demand for its range of baby and childrenswear clothes and toys continues to grow within the north-east.

The new premises are owned by Bon Accord & St Nicholas with the Scallywags brand the latest to join its growing range of retailers.

Its arrival follows the addition of JoJo Maman Bébé to the Bon Accord mall last year and helps enhance the centre’s offering as a go-to destination of choice for all things childrenswear.

Craig Stevenson, manager of Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said:

“Scallywags is already a well-established and respected brand here in the north-east of Scotland so we’re delighted to welcome it to Bon Accord & St Nicholas.

“I’m sure its range of baby and childrenswear will prove popular with shoppers to the centre and its arrival really does strengthen our children’s offering. From Scallywags to the Disney Store and everything in between, we feel we’re moving towards becoming a destination for families to shop within; there’s something for all to enjoy.”

Dawn Strachan, owner of Scallywags, said:

“We’ve been pursuing a second store in Aberdeen for quite some time and we’re delighted to have reached an agreement for the premises near Bon Accord & St Nicholas; we really can’t wait to get properly started in the city.

“Scallywags has been popular in Peterhead and I’d like to thank our loyal customers and staff for being such a central part of our success so far. While our store in Peterhead will continue to operate as normal, the new Aberdeen store is an exciting new chapter for us and we look forward to welcoming shoppers to the store for their first visit in the coming weeks.”

Bon Accord & St Nicholas are at the heart of Aberdeen city centre’s retail sector, offering 840,000 sq ft of prime space and home to around 100 stores. Scotland’s largest Next, Aberdeen’s only Topshop and Topman standalone store as well as the City’s largest New Look and River Island are among the key retailers.

The centres, which attract an average of 275,000 visitors a week, are owned by BMO Real Estate Partners and managed by specialist retail agency Savills. For further on the centres visit www.bonaccordandstnicholas.com.

The Future Of Aberdeen As An Energy City: Part 1

Aberdeen City, Articles, Featured 3 Responses »

Feb 192016

Part One: The global oil price crash. By Mike Shepherd

The oil price has crashed and many are losing their jobs in Aberdeen. As I write, a barrel of Brent crude can be bought for $33, much cheaper than only two years ago when the oil price was over
$100.
At $33 it is difficult to make a profit out of North Sea fields, the costs are too high.

Almost 40 per cent of North Sea fields now make no money and the rest are not giving anything like the financial returns that were seen two years ago.

Expenditure is being cut to a minimum and there is little new exploration going on. The result has been a loss of almost 10,000 jobs from the North Sea oil and gas sector.

With numbers like these, the future looks gloomy for both North Sea oil and Aberdeen. In a series of articles for Aberdeen Voice, I intend to set out the background to the current situation and to speculate as to what might be the future for North Sea oil and Aberdeen in particular.

This first article explains why the oil price has crashed. Oil is a cyclical commodity prone to booms and busts. It hadn’t always been like this. From the end of the Second World War to 1973, the oil price had been kept at a low and stable level, about $2-3 barrel (and equivalent to $20-25 at today’s prices). A small number of oil companies controlled global production and it was this that ensured both oil price stability and steady profits for the companies involved.

A Middle East war in 1973 changed everything. This was when OPEC, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, came to assert themselves. The result was an immediate oil-price hike and a greater degree of price instability as control over production became much more widely dispersed. OPEC would find it difficult to maintain discipline amongst its member countries.

Previous oil price crashes occurred in 1986 and later in 1999. The 1986 crash was brutal in Aberdeen, for example it saw unemployment hit a peak of 81% in the Bridge of Don area. The causes of the recent crashes have been similar – increased production by a small number of oil exporting countries and reluctance by OPEC, Saudi Arabia in particular, to maintain the oil price by cutting production. There has been a will by the Saudis to maintain OPEC market share despite the resulting loss in revenue.

The current oil price crash has been provoked to a greater extent by the success of oil shale production in the United States (fracking) and a reduced need to import oil from outside the country. The United States is a major consumer of the world’s oil.

I often get asked, ‘how long will the oil price stay this low?’ To which the answer is, ‘I don’t know.’ It’s too complex an issue to call. On the one hand, the world population is increasing at a rate of 230,000 extra humans a day. Not only that, the world is becoming more middle class, less so in the west, more so in China and India, where a sizable population are aspiring to a western lifestyle involving big cars and overseas travel. This creates long-term pressure on the demand for oil, and oil is essentially a finite resource.

On the debit side, we will see more oil production from Libya and Iran, while China’s economy is stumbling with potential knock-on effects for the global economy. The Chinese themselves are now becoming acutely aware of the health problems being caused by severe pollution in their big cities. In response, they are restricting car use and taking an interest in fuel efficiencies.

Add into the mix, the recent Paris agreement on climate change – a commitment to limit a global increase in temperature to well below 2^oC by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, principally from the use of hydrocarbons. Global warming is a major challenge for humans, and in combination with massive human population increase, an environmental disaster is looming if nothing is done. Yet, here’s a major flaw in the good intentions set out in Paris last December.

What do you do about transport? The world currently needs oil to move people and goods around. Over half the world’s population now live in urban areas and they depend on their transport networks for food and basic commodities: They would starve otherwise.

The alternative is to electrify the transport networks in cities and to promote hydrogen fuel cells. This will be vastly expensive at a time when world-wide public debt is nearing unsustainable levels and in any case, it will take years to implement. Meanwhile, we will have to depend on oil until a concerted political effort solves this particular problem.

So how long will the oil price stay low? It could be as much as fifteen years as was the case with the 1986 crash (which sort of melded with the 1999 crash). Nobody in Aberdeen wants to hear that, but it’s possible. I suspect the time frame could be much shorter – the long-term pressures on oil demand will not go away and the oil price could feasibly start climbing again within the next year or two.

This is a common belief in the industry. Nevertheless, the reality of the situation is that nobody really knows. And if you did, you would make a fortune.

In the next article, I will focus on the impact of low oil prices on the Aberdeen area in more detail and will speculate on the short – term implications for North Sea oil.

Mike Shepherd is author of Oil Strike North Sea, a history of North Sea oil. Join him in two upcoming sessions to discuss the impact of the oil industry on our shores:

March 9^th 6.30 – 8pm – Aberdeen Central Library. Free, but booking essential. Contact the library on 01224 – 652500 or email Libraryevents@aberdeencity.gov.uk
March 17^th 5-6pm – Blackwell’s Book Shop, High Street, Old Aberdeen. 5-6pm. Free, but please reserve a place by phoning 01224 486102 or emailing erin.matheson@blackwell.co.uk.

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Campaigners Raise Awareness Of Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome

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Feb 112016

There is a little-understood, little-known syndrome that strikes 1-2% of the population. Aberdeen Voice’s Suzanne Kelly, a sufferer, is joining with others around the world to raise awareness of this condition, particularly among health care professionals.

Imagine an illness that works like this. You can be fine for weeks, months, and then with less than a minute’s notice, you get hit.

If you manage to take a preventative medication at absolutely the right moment, then chances are you’ll be lucky and avoid an episode. And if you’re not lucky?

Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome attacks see sufferers vomiting for anything from a few hours to a few days.

In rare cases some people have attacks that stretch to weeks, possibly months.

Looking back, I see that I had very infrequent attacks for at least 20 years; I always put these down to food poisoning. Then they increased in frequency and severity, until for a fortnight, I thought I was dying. I spent a day and a half on my bathroom floor, completely unable to get up except to hunch over and be ill again. The pain was searing; then I threw up bile; then I threw up blood.

I really thought ‘this is it’ and assumed I had some kind of cancer. I was either shaking with cold or burning up, or spending hours wondering if I could manage to get up to get any water, and if so, how long I’d keep it down.

Finally making it back to work a week later, I was straight onto my doctor, then a specialist. Being into research, yet knowing the stupidity of self-diagnosis, I came across this illness called ‘Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome’ – it struck people like me, who used to experience migraine headaches (I had them as a child and they abruptly stopped).

Little was known, there was no cure.

The specialist I went to talked to me for nearly an hour – this was after all the blood work was back and had ruled out any terminal illness. He determined that it was CVS I had. The medicine I got to prevent attacks is not without potential side effects, but it seemed to work a charm. That is, if my attack was during the daytime. More often than not, this hits me between 2 and 4 am.

My first waking thought then is not to take a pill, and sometimes before I realise what’s happening, it’s too late. (I sleep with the medicine within reach, and have some stashed on me, and virtually every place I spend time).

I’m an extremely lucky person with this condition.

I’ve found a network of others with the illness. Many of them have it far, far worse than I do. I’ve never had to be hospitalised (although with hindsight, there were two attacks that I probably should have gone to the ER with). I’ve never had to be fed by IV. I’ve never had to plead with doctors or nurses for medicine, never been ridiculed, patronised or ignored.

My back teeth aren’t rotting from being ill as frequently as some of the other people I’ve come to know. And as I’m in a country with free health care (and am lucky enough to have additional health cover through my work), I’ve not had to spend thousands of pounds on treatment. And I’ve not had to have permanent feeding tubes put in me, either. And I’m not either a little child or an elderly person going through this. I am extremely lucky.

Being ignored at ER, being told ‘you’re just after drugs’, being sent home only to throw up blood on the way out of the hospital – this is how people are being treated by those in the health care profession who’ve never heard of CVS. My attacks, and most people’s attacks, have nothing to do with: drinking, emotions, stress, diet. One time I was walking down the street, felt a bit sick, and then that was that.

The worst occasion remains a quiet night in doing some work, and being sick for a week. In all of my attacks I’ve not had a care in the world, and oddly, I’ve never been sick when drinking. The worst parts of this illness is just that – no one really understands what sets it off, how to stop an attack, or how to cure CVS.

Here’s what some of the people with CVS say, and why they want to raise awareness.

“I’ve had CVS for 20+ yrs and still to this day get treated like a drug seeker. I’ve been left feeling tortured & in agony for hours laying in an ER bed more times than I can count.”
– Ryan

“Too many to count, not just medical staff, friends and family too! A few years ago, before I was diagnosed, my best friend in the whole world was bringing me to the ER in the middle of an attack and asked me if there is any chance that my symptoms were psychosomatic? It still hurts me to this day that that was a real question from her.”
– Jenna

“A specialist put me through every grueling test and when they were all negative, told me he could do nothing and I was obviously making it up to get sympathy. My daughter actually figured it out by watching Gray’s anatomy! Researched it, took it to my family Dr who researched further and here I am. Can only manage symptoms is what I get.”
– Susan

“I’ve lived in the same area (so, near the same hospital) since 2004. For 12 yrs. here in VA (20-yrs total with CVS), I’ve had to go to the ER only 2-3 times/year, and I’m STILL treated like a drug-seeker, by about 1/3 of the ER docs I’ve seen. When they do refuse my simple (approved & recommended) abort-meds, my cycle does not end. It can go for days. So, I have to return to the ER after having been kicked out 6-12 hours earlier.

“You must go back; dehydration is no joke. I’ve had to call an ambulance for some of these return trips when I’m completely disoriented. I don’t see how a hospital can bill you for the 2nd stay when treatment was REFUSED during the 1st stay. I’ve fought that before & won – I think everyone should contest billing for any repeat-visits that are due to malpractice: neglect of duty.

“They see me coming back, the nurses at least recognize me, and viola(!) the new doc is suddenly ready to take things seriously. I have much less trouble if someone is with me, “vouching” for me. To summarize, I am luckier than some patients who have more frequent episodes. But, only 2-3 trips to the ER per yr & they think I’m drug-seeking?! (Yes, I’m a 3-time-a-year addict. So dumb!)

“I’m a 40 yr old mom, nothing “wild” looking about me at all. (Not that it should matter, but some advice to others: I’m treated like a drug-seeker more often if I look really messy/out of it. I actually prepare an outfit & hair ties, etc. every night before bed in case an episode starts & I have to go to the ER.)

“I had an episode last weekend & encountered a doc I’ve had the misfortune of seeing in the past. He has a line he loves to use, and he YELLS, no, BELLOWS at me:

“I’m not going to distribute narcotics as they are not indicated for CVS!!!!!”

“The nurses stare in horror at HIM. My preventative meds are anti-anxiety meds. At the ER, to abort an episode, I need 2mg (yes, only 2!!) dilaudid, 25-50mg phenergan (over time), & Ativan or similar & at least 1 bag of fluids. Dr. Pain here should be avoided at all cost. I went back the next day with my father, and there was no delay in giving me that exact Rx to stop the episode. I was very dehydrated by then, however, so the IV was extremely hard to establish & left 10+ huge, black/purple bruises all over my arms & hands.

“I’ve had the great honor of emailing with Dr David Fleischer, “The Father of CVS.” He expressed to me in 2010 that my episodes seemed to require very little to abort, & he added that dilaudid is preferred over morphine bc it is not likely to create nausea – like morphine does.

“I was diagnosed by a GI in Manhattan after every test known to man & even gall bladder removal. I was referred by him to a Neuro back here in VA, who then passed me off to a shrink who only did my Med. Mgmt for anti-anxiety meds & then said I should just have my Primary taking care of this. My Primary is pretty lazy about it, though. On occasion the ER has tried to contact her by her emerg svc, but she’s not very forceful in her care of me, her patient. None of them care!!”
– Emily

The aim of the initiative is to raise awareness in the medical profession of the seriousness – and painfulness of this condition.

A support group is there to help. Colleen from CVS Speaks said:

“CVS Speaks actively works raising awareness and helps support Facebook support groups. We currently have 14 groups teamed up helping suffers in the day to day struggles. We have groups by age kids thru adults, caregivers to suffered only, men’s groups, women, mothers. You name we probably have a group to fit sufferers diverse needs.

“CVS patients often need safe place to feel validated, accepted and learn from others what helps relieve symptoms. Medical professionals often do not have much experience with CVS. So along with groups like CVSA www.cvsaonline.org, we help get them in touch with the most up to date treatment options and research to talk with their providers about.”

More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/CVS.Speaks/

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Range Of Films Planned For Bon Accord & St Nicholas

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Feb 112016

With thanks to Phil Moar, Account Manager, Citrus:Mix.

A series of insightful public information films which showcase the work of a number of Scotland’s leading charitable organisations is set to be shown in an Aberdeen shopping centre.

DFP Television is to stage a community roadshow within Bon Accord & St Nicholas for seven days, starting from Monday, February 22. A total of seven films will be shown within the Bon Accord mall with an aim of raising awareness to the north-east of their subject matter.

The work of St Andrew’s Children’s Society, Scottish Safety Camera Programme, NHS Grampian, Victim Support Scotland, Aberdeen Housing Partnership/Moray Housing Partnership, Home Energy Scotland and Guide Dogs will all fall under the spotlight.

In addition to the films, the DFP team and representatives from the organisations taking part will be available throughout the week to offer help and advice alongside handing out various information packs to those who require it.

Craig Stevenson, centre manager at Bon Accord & St Nicholas, is delighted to welcome the roadshow to the Bon Accord mall.

He said:

“We’re looking forward to welcoming both DFP Television and representatives from the organisations to the Bon Accord mall for what is sure to be a range of informative and insightful short films on some of the country’s most-loved organisations.

“At Bon Accord & St Nicholas, we are always looking at ways of adding to a shopper’s own experience and I’m sure the various subjects included in the films will strike a chord with many of our visitors. If we can help direct people to the correct support that they may require then we would be delighted to do so.”

Picture Credit: “Inside the Bon Accord centre – geograph.org.uk – 1241608” by Stanley Howe. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons

New Ticket Sales Record For Whisky Festival Events

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Feb 042016

You’ll find whisky galore here….X marks the spot for the nation’s treasure.

With thanks to Account Director, Tricker PR

New ticket sales record set as Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival events go on sale to whisky-loving public

Ticket sales for the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival have set new records, with over 2,700 tickets valued at almost £75,000 being bought within the first hour of their launch this week.

Just 10 minutes after the website went live on Tuesday (February 2) transactions reached the same level that took an hour to achieve in 2015, while the same amount of sales in an hour took 24 hours on last year’s opening day.

Over 60 events in the packed programme taking place in whisky’s spiritual home from April 28 to May 2 have already sold out, and many more have limited availability. The events attracts thousands of visitors to Speyside to raise a glass to Scotland’s national drink.

Visitors from the UK, Europe and North America have been the driving force behind the sales, with whisky lovers from as far afield as Bahrain, Australia, Japan and India also snapping up tickets on the opening day.

Festival manager Pery Zakeri says the phenomenal demand has taken everyone surprise, and there seems no sign of sales slowing down.

She adds,

“We have had ticket sales from a total of 22 different countries and in the first 24 hours of going live we had reached a sales value of over £91,000.

“I think this just goes to show how eagerly anticipated the Festival is this year. We have garnered a fantastic reputation for putting on a world class event, and people are making sure they get in early to get tickets for the activities they really want.

“As with previous years, the exclusive distillery tours have sold out first. The real whisky aficionados are always looking for very special experiences that are only available at the time of the Festival, so tours of distilleries not normally open to the public, such as Strathmill and Dalmunach, were snapped up within minutes.

“However, with 467 different events on the programme from whisky tasting and blending experiences and from heritage walks to traditional ceilidhs, there are still plenty of tickets available.

“The beauty of the Spirit of Speyside Festival is that it is small enough to be incredibly friendly and welcoming, but big enough so that there is something for everyone. But we’d urge anyone thinking about coming to book their events soon as tickets are selling very quickly indeed.”

The Festival is taking part in Scotland’s Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, and many of the events are focused on the theme. There will be the chance to enjoy drams against the background of stunning architecture, and visitors will learn about the innovation born in the region which is home to the world’s best-loved whiskies.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, says,

“The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is always a massively popular event with visitors from around the world and we are delighted to see so many people eager to take advantage of the opportunity to sample this unique aspect of Scotland’s history and culture in 2016.

“Much more than simply whisky tasting, the Festival celebrates Scotland’s national drink with an exciting and innovative programme of events, and we’re confident that the hugely encouraging sales over these first 24 hours will be maintained ahead of the Festival over the coming months.”

Along with helping whisky fans organise their itineraries and finalising details of the Festival, organisers are balancing that with planning their new mini-festival in the autumn.

It takes place from September 9 to 11 at Elgin Town Hall, and will bring many of the region’s whisky producers together under one roof on their own doorstep from September 9 to 11. Tickets for that event are due to go on sale after the main Festival in May.

Tickets for all events in the 2016 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival programme are available to buy now at www.spiritofspeyside.com The Festival is also active on Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.

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Help For Families Of Deaf Children

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Feb 012016

With thanks to Esther Green, Tricker PR.

Offering support to families when they need it the most. National Deaf Children’s Society is running a families weekend in Edinburgh this month.

Families of young deaf children from across Scotland who gather in Edinburgh later this month to learn that deafness is no barrier to preventing a child achieving their dreams. Peer support, expert advice and professional information will be available for families getting to grips with a baby or toddler’s diagnosis during a weekend course organised by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) and funded by Aberdeen Asset Management.

The gathering, on 27 and 28 February, will be attended by families from Angus, East Lothian, Orkney, Argyll and Bute, Midlothian, Glasgow and other parts of Scotland.

Over 90% of the 3,850 plus deaf children in Scotland are from hearing families with no previous history or experience of deafness, so for many parents the diagnosis comes as a devastating and overwhelming shock.

The NDCS supports deaf children and young people, but in the early years of a child’s development, it is parents who need the charity the most. With the low incidence of deafness in Scotland, families often find themselves to be unique within their immediate communities, leading to feelings of isolation and uncertainty.

Heather Gray, NDCS director for Scotland and Northern Ireland explains:

“The NDCS Early Years weekends empower and inform parents at a crucial stage in their child’s development, and offer vital support and advice at a time when parents are still getting to grips with their child’s diagnosis.

“Families receive clear, unbiased information from audiology, education and from local sources of support over the course of the weekend, giving parents the opportunity to explore the options that are available to their child and ask the questions they have been unable to ask in busy everyday situations.

“Through receiving this information in a safe and relaxed environment, parents are able to gain an understanding of childhood deafness and develop a network of support which can assist them now and in the future.”

By bringing families together, parents have the opportunity to share their experiences and access vital peer support that can often exist far beyond the weekend itself. In addition, families also find reassurance in the shared experiences of parent volunteers, and inspiration and encouragement through speaking to young deaf role models.

The impact of NDCS Early Years weekends is clear – parents have indicated they felt more confident in working with professionals to ensure the right support for their child as a result of becoming informed and connected.

One parent said:

“I have learned more about my child’s hearing loss in the past two days than I have in the past two months. It was eye opening to hear other people with similar or even more difficult circumstances. Great to share stories about struggles.”

Karin Hyland, of Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation said:

“The weekend will help 12 families; enabling parents to become part of a positive community network of mutual self-support. Families will also be informed about access to services which encourage improved community relations, reduce isolation and improve peer support through this valuable outreach work by the NCDS.”

The Aberdeen Asset Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop the Group’s charitable giving globally. The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact and the firm encourages its employees to use their time and skills to support its charitable projects.

For more information visit http://www.aberdeen-asset.co.uk/aam.nsf/foundation/home

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Kris Kristofferson: Music Hall, 18.01.16 – Reviewed

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Jan 282016

By Brian Keely.

The last time I had seen Kris Kristofferson live was at the now demolished Capitol in Aberdeen, in 1996.
Even twenty years ago he was a veteran of the American country music scene, and now as he is approaching eighty years old he is surely in the twilight of his career.

Kristofferson is widely regarded as one of the finest songwriters in the tradition of country and popular music. His output over decades has produced some real classics among his 28 albums.

‘Help me Make it Through the Night’, ‘Me & Bobby McGee’, ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’, and ‘For The Good Times’ are among those most well-known to the wider public.

His vast body of work, however, includes countless songs which resonate with the listener in ways which distinguish the truly great songwriter. His songs often have that unmistakable stamp of authenticity, and his universal topics of love, guilt, regret, anger, etc. are clearly written from his own personal experiences. Alcohol, drugs, women, have all featured heavily in Kristofferson’s life, and he always managed to capture the good, the bad and the ugly times in his lyrics.

It is impossible to detach the performance from the songs themselves. Kristofferson inhabits these songs, carrying them around in his soul to share with us. They tell his life story and, like all the great country songs, the words are both down-to-earth and deeply poetic at the same time. Kristofferson was an unusually ‘intellectual’ contributor to the country music scene in the early ‘sixties, having once been a postgraduate student of English Literature at Oxford University.

The way his lyrics pull into sharp focus our personal dramas and emotions surely comes from his love of Shakespeare and Hank Williams in equal measure.

On a chilly January night in Aberdeen, Kris Kristofferson took the stage unassumingly, and began his set with ‘Shipwrecked in the Eighties’, which seemed to sum up where he finds himself in the latter stages of his life. Perhaps that was the time when he felt the world was starting to pass him by.

“…The truth slowly dawns that you’re lost and alone in deep water
and you don’t even know how much longer there is to go on…”
– (Shipwrecked in the Eighties)

He is thinner and frail-looking, these days, and did indeed cut a lonely figure on stage. He is alone on stage without a band – and not even a roadie to swap his out-of-tune guitar. It was something of a mystery why he persisted playing his entire set without tuning or swapping his guitar. Even if his own hearing is not what it was, surely his tour manager could have an electronic tuner or a roadie to hand to keep things in tune.

Nevertheless, he carried on through the set, delivering raw, stripped-down versions of songs from his repertoire: Darby’s Castle, Me & Bobby McGee, Here Comes That Rainbow Again, Best of All Possible Worlds, Help Me Make It Through The Night, Casey’s Last Ride, and Nobody Wins. When he sang the title track of his 2012 album, Feeling Mortal, he is talking to the mirror and recognises his own limited time here on the planet.

“I’ve begun to soon descend
Like the sun into the sea
And I thank my lucky stars
From here to eternity
For the artist that you are
And the man you made of me…”
– (Feeling Mortal)

This reflective mood continued with From Here to Forever and Loving Her Was Easier, and somehow he invests a fresh mixture of resignation and sadness into these songs. It is as close to an autobiography as a bunch of songs sung from the heart can be. And when he then sings Billy Dee, Kristofferson seems to be talking about his tortured younger self, and how he might well have ended up.

“…He had to try to satisfy a thirst he couldn’t name
Driven toward the darkness by the devils in his veins…
All around the honky-tonks, searching for a sign
Gettin’ by on gettin’ high on women, words and wine…

“Yesterday they found him on the floor of his hotel
Reachin’ toward the needle, Lord, that drove him down to hell…”
– (Billy Dee)

The anger of his personal commitment to civil rights still comes across in They Killed Him as powerfully as when he wrote more than thirty years ago.

Jodie And The Kid is a poignant song about growing old, and how children grow up and replace their parents. This was the cue for Kristofferson’s daughter Kelly to join him on stage for

Good Love Shouldn’t Feel So Bad, Between Heaven and Here, The Pilgrim: Chapter 33, and The Wonder. Kelly is at best an average singer, and was certainly not singing with her father on merit. Their duets were under-rehearsed and their two vocal ranges didn’t really click.

Kristofferson went on to relate further autobiographical tales of the hard-drinking guitar pickin’ songwriter with Beat The Devil, Sunday Morning Coming Down, and The Silver Tongued Devil.

“I ain’t sayin’ I beat the devil,
but I drank his beer for nothing.
Then I stole his song.
And you still can hear me singin’ to the people who don’t listen,
To the things that I am sayin’, prayin’ someone’s gonna hear.”
– (Beat The Devil)

“…as I was searching from bottle to bottle
for somethin’ unfoolish to say
That silver tongued devil just
slipped from the shadows…”
– (The Silver Tongued Devil

The mood became almost unbearably sentimental with For The Good Times, but he lightened the tone when he hits a bum note (his pickin’ fingers are noticeably slower and less nimble than they once were) and shouts “Ain’t old age a bitch!”

“Let’s just be glad we had some time to spend together
There’s no need to watch the bridges that we’re burning…”
– (For The Good Times)

The set began to draw to a close with A Moment of Forever, and Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends. The latter he had originally recorded with his then wife Rita Coolidge in 1978. Although it is actually a song from the early days (1970), when Kristofferson’s own success story was just starting, it already nails that deep sense of mortality, and how fleeting are the moments in which we live.

“This could be our last good night together
We may never pass this way again.
Just let me enjoy it ’til it’s over, or forever
Please don’t tell me how the story ends.”
– (Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends)

The story of the evening did end, however, with another duet, as daughter Kelly joined Kris on a truncated version of Why Me. This song feels now more than ever like Kristofferson’s last farewell. It is in the form of a prayer by a sinner, who is preparing to meet his maker, and who feels guilty for a life lived to the full.

“Why me Lord? What have I ever done
to deserve even one of the pleasures I’ve known…”
– (Why Me)

And then he was gone. The voice may be past its best and the pickin’ may be more difficult for the old fingers, but the audience at the Music Hall in Aberdeen was generous enough to cut him some slack on this occasion. He may not pass this way again, but the songs of Kris Kristofferson will be around for a very long time, and it felt like a privilege to hear them live one more time… for the good times.

Watch Steve Earle’s excellent 2008 documentary film ‘ For The Good Times – The Kris Kristofferson Story.’

The Temperance Movement Conquers Aberdeen

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Jan 282016

The Temperance Movement returned to a sold-out, packed, eager audience on Tuesday 19th January, their first UK show in a year or so. They’ve toured with the Stones; they’ve toured the States. They’ve released their second album and it’s No. 1 in the rock charts. And here they are at Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom.

Are they are the heirs apparent to The Stones, The Black Crowes and possibly even Zeppelin? Suzanne Kelly thinks so. Suzanne Kelly reviews the show and album; photos by Julie Thompson.

They come from Glasgow; they come from London. They are here to stay. Here are the basics:
The Temperance Movement is Phil Campbell (vocals), Paul Sayer (guitars), Nick Fyffe (bass) and Damon Wilson (drums) and Matt White (guitar on this tour). Luke Potashnick (guitar) has left since recording the album.

TTM’s second album White Bear is No.1 in the UK Rock charts – and that’s exactly where it should be.

It can be as much of a curse as it is a blessing if your first album is a critically-acclaimed, hit-laden debut without a bad track on it. The pressure of putting out a follow-up has proved too much for many acts; think of the Stone Roses. SR took over 5 years to make their second record; it cost Geffen fortunes, saw personnel hired and fired on the grand scale, and well… it’s not anyone’s favourite album.

If your first album was so impressive the Rolling Stones took you out on tour, then the pressure’s really on.

TTM did it. This is brilliant. They display more sheer genius and conviction as they take rock and southern rock flavours and again do unique things with power and grace.

The themes from the first album are still there; references to themes from the bible and the actual Temperance Movement are peppered throughout the lyrics and I say ‘hallelujah’ to that ( “I paid silver at the wailing wall” on Three Bulleits, “calling all believers righteous and deceivers alike” on Magnify, and a peppering of words like ‘witness’, ‘brother’, ‘genuflecting’ – for me this is a small but important thread running through their works like a label identifying their writing).

They are also referring back to other bands and songs with a just a word or two eg ‘ pretty vacant’, ‘tiny dancer’, ‘little Susie’ – paying a small homage here and there to past influences.

More importantly, the lyrics still cover themes that resonate to all their fans, loves, lost loves, bad loves, really bad loves, striving. And it’s all, to a line, beautiful and honest:

“high price for wisdom, do your best until the best comes along our love is all that I am / we smile so sleekit (nice bit of Scottish dialect there btw) / death wish rambles where the shadows are long / finger my sunbeam like a dirty joke”
– on the title track, White Bear.

One of my favourite songs is A Pleasant Peace I Feel:’

“beautiful and notorious / warring factions and a pleasant peace I feel.”

All in all, I still feel that the sentiments they capture must have been written from decades of experience, not from a still young band; I don’t see where they’ve found the time to write, record, tour, and have time for experiences that lead to such insightful lyrics.

Lyrics – love them; but the music they’re set to and how they’re played is why I think we’ve really got something special in TTM, and I’m hoping that nothing will interfere with their 3rd, 4th, or 10th albums.

The opening bars of 3 Bulleits makes me think of Zeppelin’s ‘Good Times Bad Times’ and then we’re into pure southern rock honky-tonk with layers of hot guitar and vocals. The album was only recently released when TTM came to Aberdeen, but we were all singing along when they play. The production on this – on all the new material — gets a ‘hats off’ from me; it’s very well crafted.

Unlike some acts, they play this material live beautifully (as you’d expect from them), not as if they were studio act that can’t play live, like a hothouse flower that couldn’t live outside a greenhouse.

‘Get Yourself Free’ – I’m wondering if it’s the ‘70s again – I’m hearing Bad Company, Zeppelin, and CSNY type harmony. Lynyrd Skynyrd could have written this. Or Zeppelin when in one of their southern modes. But it’s pure Temperance. The instrumental section – pure class; high octane, with beats that make me think Bonzo had more than a little influence.

Don’t get me wrong; when you hear elements that make you think of the world’s greatest bands of the past in these songs, you’re never in any doubt that what’s going on here is brand new, high-voltage music that no one else is going to be able to touch for a long, long time.

Oh, just go buy it – White Bear is genius; it’s energy. ‘The Sun and Moon Roll Around’ alone’s worth the price of admission. Praise the Lord. In fact, I tell you what: If rock / southern rock is your thing, and you buy this album and can’t find at least one track to satisfy you, send your album to me and I’ll refund your money (and I’ll think you have no taste).

As an important side note, as well as picking the album up from iTunes, I’ve bought a white vinyl, White Bear LP, which takes me back to the days when albums were LP records, material things to enjoy as objects, too. It’s a sweet piece of art; it’s an elegant gatefold (get one now if you want a signed print included) including a poster, with lyrics and sleeve notes.

When someone puts something out like this, one clear message is that they care more about giving the fans something to enjoy and cherish more than they do about cutting corners to make a better profit margin – but there is nothing about this band on or off the balance sheet to indicate they’d ever cut any corners. More and more people and artists are appreciating the beauty and the sound of vinyl; expect an increase in vinyl sales and albums.

I think I’m going to order a second one, now I think on it. (Earache must be one hell of a label. I’ve worked at labels that were hell).

TTM take on Aberdeen: HMV and The Beach Ballroom

When The Temperance Movement played the Lemon Tree in April 2014, I think everyone there knew they’d seen something big – something important – starting up. Their first eponymous album had taken less than a week to make [Stone Roses – take note] – and perhaps that’s the way to get the energy and immediacy down.

If you need to record vocals or a guitar solo for weeks on end, the inevitable result is that the artist will be sick to death of it – and you can’t hide that.

If you record like the Rolling Stones, by taking over a house in France, going a bit crazy and ‘just do it’, you’ll get something different, fresh and possibly even a timeless classic will be the result.

I think of the Stones and TTM in the same breath not just because I really like them both or because they toured together, but because they both make unique, classic, fresh recordings that seem to flow naturally, almost effortlessly.

Both acts produce music that’s more than the sum of their band’s impressively talented parts. A track like ‘Chinese Lanterns’ from the first TTM album could well fit onto Exile on Main Street, arguably one of the Stone’s best albums. The writing on Exile often captures flavours of raw American music and does something new, memorable with it – just like TTM does some 40 odd years later.

While we didn’t hear ‘Chinese Lanterns’ in the Beach Ballroom, it’s an elegantly simple, infectious song that stays with you, and I still remember the whole of the Lemon Tree singing it in April ’14.

The Sheepdogs, an impressive Canadian outfit opens. The audience is clearly appreciative; and the set is an enjoyable affair. Some of the songs are very powerful and infectious. Sheepdogs – harmonies; keyboard player took trombone; taken from rich American past and mined it for 2015 – much like TTM’s MO.

One particularly beautiful song – ‘Southern Dreaming’ had a particularly bright guitar sound; made me think of ‘Jessica’ and the Allman Brothers. There was another song – must find its name! – that clearly owed a good deal to Bad Company’s Feel Like Making Love’s rhythms, but with a very positive, up-head feel to it. I’d go see them again in a flash.

The Sheepdogs.

As an aside, it took a fair bit of self-confidence for The Temperance Movement to put The Sheepdogs on. The Sheepdogs were great, impressed the audience, and they were coming at music from a similar angle as TTM – not just the rock, but the craftsmanship, quality of playing, and the flavours.

There are many bands that wouldn’t agree to have a warm up act on tour of such quality, mining a similar vein as the main act; clearly TTM love music, love this kind of music, and are, appropriately, evangelical about promoting quality.

In an age not that long ago, some record companies would buy up and deliberately bury any act that might rival an act they were trying to promote to protect their investment. I’d like to think having Sheepdogs open for The Temperance Movement means that someone in TTM’s organisation thinks promoting other excellent music to new audiences is important and worthwhile – and is confident that nothing can touch TTM.

The Sheepdogs are Ewan Currie – Guitar and Vocals, Ryan Gullen – Bass and Backing Vocals, Sam Corbett-Drums and Backing Vocals Shamus Currie – Backing vocals and keyboards (and if I’m not wrong, tremendous trombone); find out more about them on their page.

The Temperance Movement open with ‘Three Bulleits’; everyone’s screaming. Phil’s all over the stage; never still; it’s physical theatre. Numbers from the first album appear; first of these is ‘Midnight Black’, then ‘Be Lucky’ – everyone I can see is singing along; the fact you want to sing these songs because of how they’ve been crafted is a huge part of the appeal.

We also get ‘Pride’, ‘Ain’t No Tellin’, and the beautiful ‘Smouldering’ – towards the end is a personal favourite, ‘Only Friend’ – the whole room is singing loudly; I catch as few seconds on my phone’s recorder as if I could somehow capture a powerful moment. I hope someone’s filming some of these live shows. (We get 16 or 17 songs; it must be exhausting. My only let-down is not hearing ‘Serenity’ from the first record; I love this song. But I realise they can’t play everything).

‘White Bear’ is a thunderstorm. It opens with uplifting powerful major power chords, then grows tender before reaching rising to a remarkable crescendo, falling and rising again. These guys are the heirs apparent to the best rock bands we’ve had. This quite simply, is one of the best songs anyone’s written for years and it’s on an album of other hits.

It’s a short break before the encore; I tell Julie it’s going to be a glowing review.

“Glowing Review?! It has to be a glowing review! Jesus Christ almighty – it was brilliant!” is her reply.

Believe me, that’s not exactly her standard reply. More often than not she’ll leave an act after taking the photos of the first three songs.

If this is only their second album, whatever is next? I’ll make sure I don’t miss a thing about TTM. In fact, think I’ll go check out the rest of their schedule and try to get another show or two in.

This was the band that got me back listening to music – seriously, I stopped listening to any music at all for something like a decade – didn’t buy a single thing; didn’t play music at home (long story). Safe to say, I’ve joined the Movement.

Don’t take my word for it:

“TTM are essentially a classic rock band they have an unbelievably high standard of not only being able to rock but the song craft, melody – there’s not many bands out there that can do that.

“When you listen to them on record – I was quite surprised by the new album; it’s sonically a step forward – sonic, punchier – production is fuller shall we say than the first album, but without compromising any of the song writing craft – you’ve got 11 songs – every song is excellent. It’s not easy for bands to do that. For many bands in the digital age they can’t play live – it’s all about money.” said Joe, a local drummer.

When I see him after the show, he tells me:

“They were excellent. I’m not really surprised they were that good live – but I was really really happy.”

Joe McKenzie said:

“I’ve just watched Sheepdogs; very good! Excellent! TTM never seen them live; can’t wait! Love the albums.”

Lynn Anderson commented:

“We first saw TTM at Belladrum a couple of years ago, a bit by chance really. I walked in and said, ‘yeah, this is my kind of band’.”

Her husband Nick said:

“’Hooked’ isn’t the word. As soon as we got back from that, we downloaded the first album. We downloaded the new album as soon as we could. They’re both on our playlist as favourites.”

On a personal note:

One of my stories/projects had gone far wider than I’d ever expected; for 2 ½ weeks solid I’d been doing interviews. While still managing work and other projects, I found myself scrambling over sand dunes on the Aberdeenshire coast on frozen mornings for Aljazeera and others, filming in Westminster for German TV, arguing with the notorious Bill O’Reilly at midnight, taping BBC World Service TV and radio at dawn, and skyping Australia Sky News from broom cupboards, etc.

I’m pretty sure I broke a toe, and my left shoulder is killing me, god knows why. The day TTM came to Aberdeen was my first day after the madness had ended, and I wanted to celebrate. I couldn’t have had a better night of uplifting fresh music than TTM gave us. It also was clear that the band expend as much energy in one show as I had in a fortnight.

I stumbled into HMV at the tail end of their playing/signing session and had the quickest chat with them. They’re sitting at a table, undoubtedly suffering from writers’ cramp from signing lots of autographs.

“We are happy to be in Aberdeen; the album’s going great – but you’ll have to tell us really.”

I truthfully tell them I’m listening to it and I love it – my voice is down to a rasp by the way; they joke about ‘whether this interview was authorised or not’, and they’re having a good laugh. Clearly, I need a beer to lubricate the over-worked vocal chords. By the end of the night I’ve talked to great people, had great beer, discovered The Sheepdogs, and got knocked off my feet by TTM. I want to go again.

My cynicism is knocked for six; I believe these guys are as genuine, sincere and nice off stage as all their Facebook posts, comments to fans, tweets, interviews hint that they are. I wish them many decades more of doing as they’re doing.

I started the evening knackered; but I’d forgot anything else that was on my mind before they’d finished the first song. The Temperance Movement left me and a few hundred other people filled with a really wonderful, powerful, positive energy, and I’d like to say thanks for that. So – TTM, thanks for an uplifting evening that, well, you just can’t get from any other act I can think of. Praise Be.

Tour dates, merchandise, photos, a tour diary that wears me out just thinking of what they were up to, and some great footage can be found on their official website.

River, Railway and Ravine – Duncan Harley Reviews

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Jan 212016

By Duncan Harley.

Book_Cover_Douglas_Harper_Rivers Railways, Ravines

River, Railway, Ravine by Douglas Harper. A well researched and engaging publication.

At 164pp and profusely illustrated with both period and contemporary images Douglas Harper’s new book examines both the provenance and the history of the patented, made in Aberdeen, Harper and Co rigid suspension bridge.

Until now little documented, the Harper bridges were among the first suspension bridge designs – not to be confused with the ‘Shakkin’ Briggies’ well known in the NE – to employ steel wire rope in order to form a relatively rigid and therefore highly functional bridge.

Harpers manufactured over sixty such bridges for export throughout the British Empire between 1870 and 1910.

Douglas, a direct descendant of the original bridge engineers, has spent over a decade researching the company’s innovative designs and seeking out surviving examples.

The mid 19th century was a period of rapid industrial growth both in the north east of Scotland and throughout the British Empire. The boom times of railway expansion had opened up new markets and stimulated engineering innovation on a scale rarely seen before.

From humble beginnings supplying the likes of the Great North of Scotland Railway’s seemingly insatiable demand for cast iron fence posts and level-crossing gates, Harpers’ were soon exporting caste-iron pre-fabricated pedestrian suspension bridges right across the globe.

Engineered and manufactured in kit form at their Aberdeen foundry and using innovative techniques gleaned from long experience in the designing of fences, Harper’s products required little local engineering expertise to either assemble or construct, making them popular choices in developing countries. These instantly recognisable and iconic bridges – with spans of up to 91m – provided many decades of service in places as diverse as Nepal, South Africa and even the Falkland Islands.

In his book Douglas details over 60 of Harper’s bridges including those erected in the UK, throughout the Empire and also in Estonia. Several are, he writes, still in use including one on the River Muick at Birkhall and another on the River Feugh at Banchory.

This is a well researched and engaging publication and quite literally a riveting read!

Sources include records held by Aberdeen Maritime Museum, the Harper Archive at Aberdeen Museum and Robert Gordon University. Written with the general reader in mind, Gordon’s book will also appeal to engineering enthusiasts and many historians.

River, Railway and Ravine is published in hardback by The History Press at £20

ISBN 978-0-7509-6213-1

First Published in the November edition of Leopard Magazine

Creed – Andrew Watson Reviews.

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Jan 212016

Boxing drama Creed continues the Rocky series as its seventh instalment, both a sequel and spinoff. Aberdeen Voice’s Andrew Watson was there the day of its UK release.

Michael B. Jordan plays ‘juvenile tearaway’, Adonis Johnson.

There were maybe just over a dozen people at Cineworld at Queens Links during the Friday midmorning showing; which would be about right, given it was a weekday and many would’ve been
working.
It borrows a lot from the preceding films in the series, but the repetition is slightly more artistic symmetry than aping years gone by and merely being lazy. It’s not entirely a masterpiece, though.

Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is a tearaway in juvenile hall, who happens to be the lovechild of deceased boxing legend, one of Rocky Balboa’s fiercest rivals and closest friends, Apollo Creed.

Creed’s widow takes him under her wing, and the boy becomes a man that feels as if something in his life is missing.

Partly inspired by his father’s success in the ring, he goes to seek out Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) as the trainer to propel him into the boxing limelight and title glory.

Antagonist-wise there’s real-life boxer and Liverpudlian Tony Bellew, who serves as Creed’s English opposition, Ricky Conlan.

Between training montages and the like, Tessa Thompson serves as Creed’s love interest, Bianca.

There aren’t many of the original characters reprised in this film, and many maybe crestfallen than it’s not just Adrian who isn’t on the go anymore.

Positives of the film include the soundtrack, though much of it in that sense are reprises from previous films. There’s no denying, however, that chill as you hear the tolling of the bell; that the real training has begun. Or the pounding of the drums as he races up that stairwell.

Negatives, though, centre around Adonis. For someone who’s meant to be the blood of Apollo, he appears to have little of the charisma which gave his father such stage presence. To be out acted by a full-time boxer in Bellew, who plays a good villain in the piece, is daresay not very flattering.

Something else, which has carried on from Rocky Balboa, is the believability of the film. Now, this isn’t concerning the much derided fight scenes of the first five in the series. That aspect has definitely caught up with the times, and is far more based in realism than it used to be.

This more concerns how protagonist and antagonist weigh in against eachother. In Rocky Balboa, Rocky squares up to a comparatively rake-like Mason Dixon and so doesn’t look to be in the same weight division.

The same applies when muscular Adonis faces off with Ricky Conlan, though funnily enough the latter is indeed, as in the film, a light heavyweight in real life. Perhaps they elected for how good an actor was for the part, than any issues that may arise concerning body presentation.

All in all, it manages to come to a reasonable enough conclusion to encourage the viewer to stick around for the rumoured parts two and three of a spinoff trilogy. The parallels between this first Creed film and the original Rocky debut are definitely by design, and not accident.

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