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Comedy At The Belmont – A Review

Feb 052013

By Andrew Watson.

I had delved into the world of comedy once before at Korova but was unprepared for the barrel of laughs that awaited me at The Belmont Picturehouse, given that this was meant to be breathing space for amateurs trying out untested material.

…and all for the fat sum of absolutely nothing. They say you get what you pay for; in this instance I got much more, and got my ‘time’s worth’ too.

Vincent Price, relatively new to comedy, was compere as the ‘Red’ and ‘Green’ teams battled it out for comic supremacy. Member of the audience were to lift either a Red or Green card depending on which side’s performance they preferred.

A quirky fellow, he declared his love for all things Crystal Maze, as Scott Ironside did The Karate Kid at Korova weeks before.

From Eighties films to Nineties television shows, the distance between the two is as much as that between Korova and The Belmont Picturehouse itself. It’s a generation thing, man. At least he wouldn’t be standing in front of as many blank, young faces.

One of the biggest laughs was his discussion of eccentricity; which he inimitably likened to being slightly crazy, yet very wealthy. In other words, you’re a dirty bastard if you’re a layman distinguishing fires with your own piss; but a duke doing the same would just be a rogue.

Patrick Brusnhan teamed up with Sarah Clark on the red side of the room; and Peter Wood and Robert Starr were green, good to go and ready to kick-off the debate – the only comedy debate in Scotland.

First was the pertinent issue of horse meat in Tesco burgers. Wood in favour, and tongue in cheek, said he couldn’t be bothered with famous smug vegetarian bastards, namely the brontosaurus.

Price later remarked that he could have said Ghandi or Hitler, though maybe the flippancy of it all was lost on him?

So Wood instantly got everyone on side, and although Brusnhan got laughs comparing the majesty of a horse to that of the rather boring bovine species; he was left standing, dust in face, and last, in this particular horse race.

0-1 (Wood). Greens ahead in first joust.

Now for poetry. Starr for its abolition, versus Clark for its retention.

Starr, undoubtedly funny and very clever, said things that were over my head, in the least; though the crowd thought differently.

However, Clark was quick on her feet, and encouraged crowd participation. Thought to be caught on the hop when urged to rhyme upon the poetic significance of shoes, or rather a shoe, she came up trumps with witty couplet.

Not one for screaming hilarity, but mournful. Quite sad, the lonely shoe. The crowd, registering surprise, applauded because it was inappropriate…and very funny.

1-1 (Clark). Reds back in the game.

Next up was the ultimate comedy bugbear, a profitable one at that. That of America. Obesity for Wood, and Mormons for Brushan.

Being a Catholic, Brusnhan was able to lay into them, or rather, Mitt Romney, with a veracity and intelligence that had most in stitches.

Swearing, stock and trade for many a comic, usually works fantastic for broad Aberdonians like Wood, but the fat jokes took a while to get off the ground, and consequently flagged a bit.

2-1 (Brusnhan). Reds ahead.

The biggest challenge of all, it seemed, was the ‘change’ game. The participants were given a topic, and, at the behest of compere Price, they had to change their opinion on that topic at the drop of a hat.

The speed at which these mental gymnastics were urged, was at times more apt to that of the flash of a blade. Consequently, the crowd got some of the biggest laughs out of a mixture of on-target rapid fire, and participants shooting oneself in the foot.

To ‘change’ upon the subject of dancing for Wood was no problem, he having, infamously, once been a member of a Logie-based boy band.

The frenetic manner in which he’d chop between slick choreography, and impassioned hatred of all things ‘feet to the swing of the beat’, was a consistently arresting spectacle; if not always entirely on-point in the humour stakes.

Then came time for Starr to shine. He had to ‘change’ upon hitting the gym. This time round, sheer enthusiasm shot him through, with press ups and pull ups to aid his story. Not one for being upstaged by the dance moves of Wood, he pushed valiantly to get the laughs and succeeded.

For Brusnhan to ‘change’ upon cars was as hard for him as it is to change the tyres on his old banger. He cursed Price for stealing his thunder. That being that in the latter’s introduction he revealed to the crowd Brusnhan and his car troubles.

A faltering start, no doubt unaided by the precious seconds Price had stolen, soon gave way to punctuating silences with the names of car parts and other randomly shouted car-related jargon; this time aided by a sympathetic Price.

A bit of a car crash to watch; but at the same time very funny, despite his piece not going to plan.

Even Clark had to admit to herself that the cut and thrust of having to ‘change’ rapidly upon that most Scottish of traditions, the kilt, was most taxing. She did well, but the biggest laugh came when she had to admit she wasn’t too sure if she were for or against the customs of her homeland.

2-2 (Wood).

Before the tiebreaker, the big guns came on for some proper stand-up.

Robert McKelvie came on to ponder NetFlix, an online television watching phenomenon these past few years. He was very confident, articulate and commanded the stage quite well. It was clever how he compared his resultant fixation with Dexter and the prompting of NetFlix to watch that one more episode, to the affliction of chasing the dragon.

The heroin-esque overtones were clever, and enjoyed by many – not so much myself. It seemed to raise fairly serious, though admittedly skewed for comic purposes, issues of how NetFlix invades privacy with automatic updates on Facebook of how you’ve been watching Dexter at half four in the morning…

Apparently it was his first ever time onstage, so it was fantastic in that respect.

Gregor Wappler came on afterwards with a set similar to that performed at the aforementioned Korova event.

With the final act over, it was time for the anticipated tiebreaker. Your erstwhile reviewer couldn’t resist, when the crowd were urged to choose the subject matter for winner-takes-all, shouting “Danny Glover”; for his name had been called elsewhere earlier on and had been ignored.

2-3 (Wood) for sheer film references. Funniest moment that night, easily.

Comedy At Korova: A Review

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

Dec 272012

By Andrew Watson.

Not only was this my debut inside what is regarded as hipster central, Korova, but it was also my first taste of stand up comedy. I’d never seen a live comedian in my life, and I ended up seeing eight of them – for £3!
Compere and all-round angry New Deer resident Scott Ironside introduced each of them with a mixture of hollering and urging audience members onto the stage to make noises of animals in various levels of distress.

Take for example the unfortunate giraffe with his shoe laces tied together, falling upon a tinfoil Ford Fiesta.

Before all that, though, he warmed up proceedings with his own set, only to be infuriated by the lack of knowledge within his relatively young audience regarding Eighties silver screen staples like The Karate Kid.

It was to be a night whereby the participants got just as many laughs for jokes that fell flat on their proverbial as they did for their comic genius. Thankfully they were self-deprecating enough to have a laugh at their own expense when unsuccessfully plumping for the latter.

First up was Peter Wood, who endeared himself to the audience declaring his diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It made things a tad awkward, but mercifully much of his material was pinned upon this without seeking sympathy.

The biggest laugh came when recounting his stint in a boy band, based in – his words! – “minky” Logie, which he told the audience was like Torry, but worse.

Having put together a masterful first verse for their Northsound demo tape, they clubbed together their poetic ingenuity for a second. They perfected a dance routine, complete with a question mark drawn through the air in adage to unrequited love, and headed off to Northsound studios only to be told to piss off by security. And leave vehicles in the car park alone.

Next was Wray Thomson, who sought kinship with fellow men and women of Fraserburgh and found none. Nevertheless, the Brocher ploughed on with a hilarious anecdote on the dangers of solitary exercise. What he meant, of course, was the frenzy a man works up within himself when he doesn’t masturbate for a week.

Anyway, in a bid to avoid his mother catching a glimpse of the semen in his eyes, he turned over only to expose the screwdriver lodged up his backside.

Carrying on in the same vein, he nearly brought the house down with a smutty one-liner

A representative from a far off land called Milton Keynes stepped on the staged afterwards, a man by the name of Jason Murphy. There were some laughs, but most of the routine was unremarkable and largely fell on deaf ears. I suppose it didn’t help that his final act was thwarted by an out of tune guitar.

Then when I saw Neil Skene being motioned towards the stage by a helper, I thought that perhaps he was nervous. Turns out he’s blind, though this vulnerability belied a wicked, often caustic sense of humour.

Not one to be patronised, he set off by beseeching the audience regarding widespread attitudes to blind people, yet to have a little sympathy when the girls are in skimpy clothes during summertime and he can’t see a damned thing.

Carrying on in the same vein, he nearly brought the house down with a smutty one-liner.

When his wife, whispering sweet nothings into his ear and describing, sensuously, herself from top to bottom, spoke of her “shaven haven” he had only one thing to say.

‘So that’s the plug blocked again, then?’

A tough act to follow, Gregor Wappler did his best. He was a bit of a bastard, really! His routine concerned one night stands and all things non-committal.

The best bit was when he recounted an argument with an ex-long-term girlfriend regarding kitchen condiments. This raged on for days, and, likening the two of them to a ‘real’ couple, they didn’t even talk when shopping for groceries.

Sick of the tension, he combated it the best way he could. Disarming the hostility, he thought, would only require a simple question.

‘Is this about the vinegar?’

Silly man. Cue instantaneous dropping of baskets and dead eye stares not only from the missus, but from other henpeckers in solidarity against chauvinist pigs.

Grabbing the main support slot was Robin Valo, a strange chino-wearing chap whose own appearance was the butt of his own jokes. A good chunk of the audience enjoyed his stand-up, though I found it – to be particular! – only mildly funny. Some of it was very clever, though, so it was humorous in that respect.

Finally came Andrew Learmonth. This guy simultaneously brought half the house down, whilst leaving the others cringing with their heads in their hands. Was he for real? Was it calculated, or, like the ‘screwdriver incident’, was it true?

His hatred of all things Kilmarnock (bad gig, you see) and his fervent desire for his best mate’s wife combined in a set that was as much funny as it was the masterstroke of an accomplished actor.

Perhaps he was a parody of himself, one partly based on reality? The best actors share a likeness to their roles.

Verdict: A brilliant night, and excellent value.

Historic Dons Door Coming Home

Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport No Responses »

Nov 222012

Has an eBay auction cleared up a sporting etymological mystery? asks David Innes. With thanks to Chris Gavin.

Early doors, a term flung around the airwaves with impunity by fitba pundits and players alike, has always been confusing.

Whilst there are highly intelligent and cultured individuals in the sporting media, anyone who thinks it’s a reference to Jim Morrison’s LA-based acid-fired Crawling King Snakes’ still-astonishing debut album is likely to be wrong.

But maybe the obscure meaning of this mystery cliché has become clearer in light of a news story from last week.

AFC Heritage Trust Secretary Chris Gavin explains:

“I keep a regular eye on eBay for any Dons-related memorabilia. The Trust also sells merchandise via eBay, but it was a surprise to see a mahogany door from 1904, which marks a key milestone in the club’s history, offered for sale by a Wolverhampton antique dealer.

“Its glass panel is illustrated with a commemoration of the Dons’ first trophy success, when they won the Qualifying Cup a year after formation. Nobody is really sure where it originated. Maybe it was commissioned by a Black and Golds fan who owned a pub, or maybe it was from the original Pittodrie pavilion which is, sadly, long gone.

Gavin wasted no time in seeking the approval of his fellow Trustees to bid for this one-off historical memento. The Trust was unanimous in supporting an attempt to acquire the door.

By Saturday morning, the Trust’s bid had been topped, but a quick straw poll of the Trustees gathered at Pittodrie to assist with the charity collection before the Dons played Celtic encouraged Chris to keep an eye on the auction as the bid closing time of 3pm Saturday approached:

“I guessed if it was a fellow Dons fan bidding, they’d most likely be at the game, so just before the deadline I put in a higher bid, which was successful.”

The Trust is now the proud owner of a unique piece of memorabilia and Trustees are certain the individual outbid by these custodians of the club heritage will be happy the artefact has gone to a good and permanent home.

The story doesn’t end there, however…

The publicity which the sale gathered so caught the imagination of Aberdeen fans, its purchase has been funded without the Trust having to dip into its own coffers to pay for it.

The BBC’s – and Pittodrie’s – Richard Gordon, compering the Neil Simpson Benefit Dinner on Monday 19 November, related the tale to those gathered to celebrate Simmie’s career as a Dons legend. Gordon spoke warmly of the Trust’s work, not least its online information resource having been a huge benefit to him in writing Glory In Gothenburg.

Inspired by the story (and perhaps the MC’s broad hint that donations would be very helpful), cash donations totalling £175 were given on the night. The further magnificent generosity of other benefactors Alan Moir (of Fyfe Moir & Associates), former striker Duncan Davidson on behalf of the AFC Former Players Association and a magnanimous gesture from Trustees Bob Bain and Jock Gardiner saw the entire cost of the door covered.

Now the Trust just has to work out the logistics of transporting this unique artefact safely home from the Midlands.

The result may not have gone Aberdeen’s way on Saturday, but the fans have got back a piece of their history. Those same fans dug deep, during hard times, to swell the Trust’s bank account by over £600 donated via the charity bucket collection on the day.

As Chris says:

“A week after a terrific community day at the stadium when the fans’ giant flag was signed by over 800 supporters delighted to be part of the club, this effort underlines how good it can be when we’re all working together to achieve things.”

A trophy would be a welcome addition to maintain the returning feelgood factor, of course. As early doors as can be managed, please.

Footnote: the AFC Heritage Trust book commemorating the 1904 Qualifying Cup win is still available from the Trust’s Online Shop:

http://afcheritage.bigcartel.com/product/aberdeen-fc-in-the-scottish-qualifying-cup

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Remembrance: Aberdeen FC Pays Tribute To Its Fallen.

Aberdeen City, Featured, News No Responses »

Nov 162012

In 2009, Aberdeen Football Club Heritage Trust inaugurated its tribute to Dons who perished in both World Wars. Each year since, the Trust has held a simple but moving ceremony to re-dedicate its memorial and pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of young men who perished hundreds of miles from their beloved Pittodrie. The 2012 event was held on 12 November. Images courtesy Alan Jamieson.

The ceremony was supported as ever by local regimental and charitable organisations and, for a second year, WO2 (Retd) Birkaji Gurung.

His comrades from the Gurkha Rifles and their families added a multi-cultural flavour to proceedings.

Trust Chairman Allan McKimmie talked of the special relationship Aberdeen’s Gurkha community has developed with the club, with six members of the city’s Nepalese community employed at Pittodrie.

Members of the Trust reminded those gathered of the names and shockingly low ages of those who did not return from war, and contributed the Laurence Binyon Ode of Remembrance.

Birkaji Gurung read a message of remembrance in Nepalese.

Wreaths were laid on behalf of the local and national institutions which support the Trust’s Remembrance efforts and also help to organise the ceremony.

Dons manager Craig Brown paid his respects on behalf of the club by laying a wreath, and ex-Dons full back Ally Shewan did so representing the Former Players’ Association.
All are on permanent display in the concourse of the Richard Donald Stand.

We will remember them.

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Glory In Gothenburg: Book Review

Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport No Responses »

Nov 092012

Who cares if the envious and small-minded accuse Aberdeen fans of ‘living in the 1980s’? Not Richard Gordon, for whom his book Glory In Gothenburg is a labour of love, nor Voice reviewer David Innes, a terrace veteran of the great 70s and 80s campaigns.

Who better, we opined when covering this book’s launch, to document Aberdeen’s greatest twin achievements than self-confessed Dons fanatic, yet fair-minded broadcaster Richard Gordon?
His own view is that whilst the story of triumph is well-known, there are many behind the scenes tales to be told, to paint an even more vibrant tapestry of what was the zenith of the Dons’ sometimes not-too-glorious history.

The author has succeeded in this objective and Glory In Gothenburg is a fabulous read where the passion drips from the pages.

On more than one occasion I had to swallow something hard and jagged as the emotions of the two year period covered by the book welled up in me thirty years on. Fitba, eh?

What makes it even more special though are the stories never heard before as told by the players.

Gordon’s dogged research has seen him hunt down everyone involved and get the inside line on what were the defining moments of his heroes’ careers.

Cleverly, each of the players quoted are linked to a particular match on the memorable run from Fir Park to the parade, as my late friend Alan said at the time, of Gunther Netzer’s P45 around the track at Pittodrie as the Super Cup plaque confirmed that the Reds were undisputedly the best club in Europe.

Among the surprises is Gordon Strachan’s claim that he didn’t really take in much of the detail and his admission that after watching the Gothenburg final on ESPN relatively recently, he phoned Alex McLeish to declare excitedly, ‘We weren’t a bad team, were we?’

Eric Black weighs in with a comment that beautifully encapsulates the confidence of youth, ‘I had nothing to compare it with obviously, I just thought that was how it was – you turned up, played a game, got shouted at a bit and won a trophy every year!’

There are moving passages about, for example, John McMaster, whose injury problems limited what should have been a sparkling career and which should have seen him capped ahead of others not quite so outrageously-gifted. Stuart Kennedy, by dint of not playing in the Ullevi Stadium, does not merit his own chapter, but he is showered with affection by his team mates throughout Glory In Gothenburg.

They knew, even better than we devotees did, that this was an athlete who contributed incalculably to results and the unique team spirit of that squad.

Even the formidable and fearsome Fergie is shown to have a soft side. Stuart Kennedy, on the bench for the ECWC Final reveals, ‘…at one stage he sent me out to warm up. When I asked why he’d bothered to send me out, he told me, ‘I gave you a run out in front of the fans and let them sing your name’ and I really appreciated that’.

Gordon also tells of his sorrow at losing his friend Phil Goodbrand, who at only 22, died during the final in Gothenburg and how annual celebrations on 11 May are always tempered by the memory of this inexplicable loss.

There have been attempts before to capture the effervescent, ebullient spirit of those days when we swaggered across Europe contemptuously dismissing those who had the temerity to think they could compete with us, but it has taken a highly-articulate and unashamed fan who makes his living from words, to put together this, the best and most heartfelt account of a time we are unlikely ever to experience again.

Note: the publisher has kindly offered three copies to give away as prizes in a reader competition that Voice will arrange in the next week or two. Thanks to Paul at Black & White Publishing.

Glory In Gothenburg. Richard Gordon. Black & White Publishing. 276 pages £14.99
ISBN 978 1 84502 470 3

Glory In Gothenburg – Book Launch

Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport No Responses »

Oct 262012

Glory In Gothenburg was launched at Pittodrie on Tuesday 23 October, in the company of Gothenburg legends Willie Miller and Doug Rougvie. David Innes of Voice had a few words with the author. Alan Jamieson took the pictures.

Richard Gordon Launches 'Glory in Gothenburg' At Pittodrie

Richard Gordon has always worn his heart on his sleeve when it comes to football.
Always the reasonable and unflappable professional on air, he makes no excuses for being an Aberdeen fan and does not let that cloud his judgement, despite the barbed comments of several of his fellow broadcasters whose own claims of club allegiance do not always ring true.

So, who better to write the book commemorating the imminent 30th anniversary of the night that the Dons looked down on the rest of Europe as if the Broad Hill was loftier than the Matterhorn, than Richard Gordon?

Gordon told Voice,

“I love the fact that we can look back now and say that we won a European trophy, and we beat Real Madrid. That’s much better than saying we beat Waterschei or Austria Vienna. That was as good a 120 minutes as I’ve seen from any Scottish side. We hammered Real Madrid 2-1 after extra time.

“They’re a huge name again now; they’ve always been a huge name, and we beat them. They’d have gone into that game fully aware of what Aberdeen had to offer because of what we’d done in Europe already that season and they clearly thought they were still going to win. Whether or not they were over-confident, I don’t know, but if they were, within five minutes it was knocked out of them.

“I know some people say, “Ach, you’re always looking to the past,” but, I’m sorry, the past is hugely important to me as a football fan. I don’t know when the team I support is next going to win a cup. I’m hoping I’ll see this in the not too distant future, but I love looking back on the trophies we did win. That’s what football fans do.”

The launch was all about the club’s unparalleled European pedigree and the book spans the period from John Hewitt’s record-breaking goal at Fir Park which set Aberdeen on the way to the 1982 Scottish Cup win through to their coronation as 1983’s best European side (go on, read that again) with the capture of the Super Cup in December that year.

Yet, both Gordon and Miller took time to share their excitement at the prospects for the current squad of Reds, a blend they both agreed, of youthful enthusiasm and energy and wily, street-wise experience.

We have a copy of Glory In Gothenburg for review and that will appear soon.

Glory In Gothenburg by Richard Gordon is published by Black and White Publishing, is available now and costs £14.99.

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Youth Council Vice Chair Condemns Underage Drinking

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

Oct 112012

The vice chair of Aberdeen City Youth Council (ACYC), the official voice of young people in Aberdeen, has condemned city centre clubs where underage drinking has allegedly taken place and is to write to local politicians encouraging discussion over current age limit policies. With thanks to Kenneth Watt.

The Pearl Lounge and other premises in Aberdeen city centre have had their licences suspended this week due to allegations of underage drinking.

Commenting that these recent cases of underage drinking in city centre premises show why youngsters need to be better educated on responsible drinking Struan King (pictured), who was appointed vice-chair of ACYC last month, said:

“Underage drinking is a serious issue, and the legal drinking age is there for a reason. We need to look at what is happening in society and how decision-makers are catering for cultural changes. “

Mr King, who is also writing to politicians in the north-east urging them to consider better alcohol and drugs education following the problems with youngsters being exposed, went on to say:

“Decision makers need to think seriously about the message young people are receiving and how to further responsible drinking education. Many see getting in to clubs and bars underage as a challenge and, unfortunately, some are succeeding. With little experience or knowledge of their limits of the substance it’s very dangerous as we saw last week with a group of girls – some aged 14 – being allowed in to Prohibition Bar and then being taken to hospital.”

“It’s disgraceful that premises are failing to ID customers and that they are exploiting vulnerable teenagers, many of whom have only just started secondary school. This needs to stop and I praise the licensing committee for revoking licences this week.”

“As vice-chair of the youth council I hear frequently of people drinking underage and it upsets me that firms are being irresponsible and allowing children in to their pubs and clubs.”

Barry Black, chair of the youth council and Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, who released survey results on underage drinking in the north east in April of this year, said:

“I support Struan in his call for change and am keen to investigate new methods of alcohol education in schools. This is an area of discussion I will continue to encourage within the organisation, especially after the shocking results from my survey were released earlier this year. Youngsters going out underage do not know their limits and are incredibly vulnerable.”

Youth councillor Kenneth Watt added:

“You only need to look at the clubs’ Facebook photos to see how many under-agers are drinking there frequently.”

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Aberdeen Musicians In Bid To Save Historic Organ

Aberdeen City, Featured, History, Information 7 Responses »

Oct 112012

As plans progress for a new 10 storey office block on the former Capitol cinema, Murray Henderson meets Charlie Davidson, an early member of the Aberdeen Theatre Organ Trust, who talks about his hopes for the legendary Compton Cinema Organ, still resident in the now derelict building.

During the Capitol’s spell as a nightclub, few clubbers could have known that beneath their feet lay an exquisite example of one of the most complex and beautiful musical instruments ever produced in Britain.
The mighty Compton Organ was sealed underneath the floor of the nightclub as a condition of planning approval to convert the cinema in 2002. It was built by master organ maker John Compton of Nottingham. His brand was the most popular in Britain, with a total of 261 organs installed in British theatres¹.

Because of the silent nature of early cinema, it was left to virtuoso organists to provide the spine-tingling soundtracks to the era’s films. In its heyday the Capitol’s Compton was of some renown and organ performances in the theatre were even broadcast to the nation.

A previous planning application for the demolition of the Capitol auditorium was approved by Aberdeen Council and backed by Historic Scotland. Though the plans were not progressed, they included the display of the organ console alone, to be rendered unplayable, above the entrance as “a reminder of the original use of the building”².

But that is not enough for former Trust member and Aberdeen-born organ maestro Charlie Davidson, who is intent on saving the entire instrument from the wrecking ball and ensuring that its unique sound can once again be heard in the city.

Aberdeen Voice (AV): Charlie, what is your association with the Capitol’s Compton Organ?

Charlie Davidson (CD): I was born and raised in Aberdeen, and studied organ at St Andrews Cathedral in King Street Aberdeen in the 1960s but also discovered there was a magical Pipe Organ in the Capitol at the same time. I was allowed in to play the Compton on Saturday mornings which was wonderful. This was about 1965 and the Compton in the Capitol was the first Cinema Pipe Organ I ever played. The Capitol Organ, and in fact the entire cinema, was a big part of my life.

AV: Can you describe the Compton and how it felt to play in the Capitol?

CD: The Compton was a wonderful instrument. The acoustics of the Capitol were great and the organ console was on an electric lift situated in the centre of the orchestra pit. It was a great thrill to push the ‘up’ button on the organ console whilst playing and you would be lifted up to stage level in full view of the audience.

AV: How does a Cinema Organ differ from a Church Organ, which people might be more familiar with?

CD: The mechanical side of the organ is very similar to some Church Organs but the stops, or ranks of pipes, are quite different. Because the Cinema Organ was originally designed to accompany silent films, its main purpose was to imitate an orchestra. Having said that, it can still sound like a Church Organ if required.

The technique required is quite different to Church Organ playing. In fact, you will find that practically all cinema organists can play the Church Organ, but few church organists can play the Cinema Organ. The percussions were a major part of this design.

The Capitol Organ has a xylophone, glockenspiel, cathedral chimes, vibraphone and a full set of drums, cymbals and sound effects. The effects are operated by buttons above the pedals and consist of things like horses’ hooves, bells, buzzers, car horns, sirens, etc. – all great fun.

AV: It sounds like a very complex instrument.

CD: The organ is not just the console in the pit; it also has a massive blower in the basement and two rooms full of organ pipes and percussion instruments half way up the proscenium arch on the right hand side. There are also miles and miles of cables and relays etc. Restoration is a big job and I should know as I have removed several of these instruments over the years. The last one was in Mallorca this year.

AV: Can you tell us more about your previous restoration work?

CD: Another of the organs I rescued was from the Rex Cinema in Stratford, east London. This organ has now been fully restored by a team of enthusiasts in the Royalty Theatre in Bowness on Windermere and had its opening on the 6th October³. In addition, I have the unique Ingram Organ from the Astoria Corstorphine in storage and also a fine Wurlitzer Pipe Organ from the Ritz Workington.

AV: I understand the Capitol Compton was broadcast.

CD: Yes, the Capitol organ was broadcast many times on the BBC. We had lots of famous resident organists including Rowland Timms, George Blackmore, Bobby Pagan and others – all of whom broadcast regularly. The Capitol was very well known to the UK BBC audience.

AV: There seem to be a number of different Compton designs, do you know if the Capitol’s Compton was unique, designed especially for the cinema?

CD: There were many designs of organ console. The Capitol console was unusual but not unique. The art deco end boxes are known as ‘coffin ends’ for obvious reasons and are really just for show, to make the organ look more impressive as it rose out of the pit in the spotlight.

AV: Do you have any idea of how rare these instruments are nowadays?

CD: There are now only four Cinema Pipe Organs left in Scotland – the Capitol Compton, a very fine restored Wurlitzer in Glasgow, a Hilsdon organ in Greenlaw (ex Playhouse Edinburgh) and a Compton under restoration in the Heritage Centre Coatbridge. To the best of my knowledge, these are the only Cinema Pipe Organs left in all of Scotland. The Capitol Organ was a particularly good instrument as was the one in the Astoria Aberdeen.

AV: What became of the Aberdeen Astoria Organ?

CD: It was rescued and installed in the hall of Powis Academy. In November 1982, an arson attack by a pupil destroyed parts of the school including the organ. It had a glass surround and organ bench and the organist could change the colour of the entire lighted console at the flick of a stop. It could also be set to ‘auto’ and gently fade through all the colours of the rainbow. These illuminated consoles were known as ‘jelly moulds’ again for obvious reasons. They were unique to the UK which I always found surprising. The American Cinema Organs never had anything like it.

AV: How did you learn the skills necessary to restore Cinema Organs?

CD: Sheer trial and error. I bought my first pipe organ from Letterfourie House in Buckie when I was 14 years old and completely rebuilt it. It was a really historic organ and is still going strong with a local organ builder. It just went on from there and I got interested in the mechanics of Pipe Organs. The restoration encompasses woodwork, electrical, relays, etc. which I love and you end up with something you can play.

AV: In your opinion is the Compton Organ in the Capitol restorable?

CD: The Capitol Compton organ is most certainly restorable. It will require a lot of work, but it is such an important piece of Aberdeen’s history it really has to be done.

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Compton_(organ_builder)

2. Aberdeen City Council Approval Notice for Planning Application (P101757) searchable on ACC website. Current Capitol Planning application is (P101757).

3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-19270424

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Future Shorts Global Short Film Festival: October 25

Aberdeen City, Events, Featured No Responses »

Oct 112012

The Future Shorts Festival is the biggest pop up film festival of its kind, and continues to grow. Showcasing the most exciting short films from around the world, anyone anywhere can set up a screening and join this massive screening network and powerful global community. With thanks to Fiona Soe Paing.

Since November 2011, festival screenings have taken place in over 541 cities and 178 countries with an audience of more than 75,000 people experiencing a showcase of the best short films, often alongside live music, DJs and art.

From London to Tokyo, Cairoto Kabul, screenings have taken place across a massive network of music halls, cinemas, theatres, galleries, clubs, bars and warehouses.

Future Shorts celebrates the best and most innovative short films, connecting global stories with global audiences.

Every three months, Future Shorts HQ in London puts together a feature-length programme of some of the best classic, cult and award-winning short films from around the world. The festival programme is then made available to a global network of film enthusiasts, promoters, entrepreneurs and adventurers who book, organize and host local screening events. Screening partners pay a fixed fee for the festival programme, which varies according to the intended size of their audience, and then promote the screening, charge for tickets and keep any profits.

In addition to the Future Shorts selections, the autumn programme at SNAFU will also include screenings of short films by local film makers, and this first edition will premiere three new animated music videos by local electronica artist Fiona Soe Paing, which have been made with assistance from Creative Scotland.

The organisers of the SNAFU event are sending a call-out to all local film makers who have work that they would like to show at the next event, to get in touch via the Facebook event page – https://www.facebook.com/events/177919612332737/

THE FILMS –

Cafe Regular,Cairo

Director: Ritesh Batra
Egypt- 2012
11mins

A young couple find themselves speaking about things they have never spoken about before. In a city where the old and new meet, with the potential for anything to happen, they try to find their own place in a changing and uncertain world. Winner of Special Jury Mention at Tribeca Film Festival.

A Brief History of John Baldessari

Directors: Ariel Schulman & Henry Joost
United States- 2012
6mins

From the directors of CATFISH and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3, A Brief History of John Baldessari tells us everything we do and don’t need to know about this American conceptual artist. Many know Baldessari as “the guy who puts dots on people’s faces.” But did you know that he is 6’7″ and that his wi-fi password is 123456789B? An epic career is crammed into five and a half frenzied minutes. Narrated by Tom Waits.

Rite

Director: Michael Pearce
United Kingdom- 2010
14mins

Mike visits his estranged son on his birthday, wanting to take him out and rebuild a damaged relationship. But drink and the simmering violence from match day inLondontaints the occasion, resulting in a strained afternoon for both father and son. Pearce has been named one of the ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ by Screen International, and Rite was nominated for Best Short Film at BAFTA Scotland.

The Black Balloon

Directors: Ben Safdie & Joshua Safdie
United States- 2012
18mins

Winner of Sundance’s Short Filmmaking Award, the Safdie brothers bring a film intended for children, morphed into a sci-fi urban fable. Black Balloon exploresNew Yorkand the complicated lives of individuals and their daily experiences from the heights of a stray balloon.

On the Line

Director: Reto Caffi
Germany- 2007
30mins

A story about love, voyeurism and guilt. A department store security guard watches a clerk in the store’s bookshop on CCTV and falls for her. After he witnesses, and ignores, a supposed love rival being attacked on a train, guilt begins to destroy his once ordered life. On the Line has won over 50 International awards.

Thurs 25th October.
Doors open 7pm,
films start 8pm.
Adm: £5

Kyle Hewitt – A Jolly Good Velo

Aberdeen City, Featured, Sport 1 Response »

Oct 042012

I’ve been known to walk the three and a half miles to Pittodrie. I have also cycled it. And back. In the glory days, I often wondered on a Sunday morning how I’d got home the night before. But even the efforts of The Red Final’s regular erstwhile correspondent LS Pringle, who used to walk to and from Echt to watch the Dons at Pittodrie, compare poorly with an initiative being undertaken by fanatical Red and cycling addict, Kyle Hewitt, writes David Innes.

With thanks to Chris Gavin, Secretary of Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust,

If you’re planning a trip to next Saturday’s match in Kilmarnock the chances are that you’ll travel in the warmth and comfort of a coach or car, or you’ll go by train. Not so Kyle Hewitt. Kyle is planning to make the journey a good bit tougher for himself by finding his way from Aberdeen to Rugby Park on his bike.

This young man is a seasoned cyclist – with trips including Land’s End to John O’Groats under his belt – who considers 100 miles to be ‘a wee training run’.

Now Kyle is planning a venture to help raise funds for the Aberdeen FC Heritage Trust by cycling to each SPL ground when the Dons play there this season.

Kyle says:

“I have a tremendous passion for the Dons. This is growing stronger all the time and I wanted to give something back by promoting and supporting the Trust, a charity close to the club.

“To do this I’ll spread the word by going to away games on my bike and during my travels encourage, as many members of the Red Army as possible to donate to the Trust in recognition of my efforts.

“Hopefully lots of Dons fans will chip in with donations whilst I am doing the hard work. Just think of it as buying the Trust a pint! I would love it if fellow fans can also help publicise the trips and spread the word by taking photos when they see me en route to games and posting them on the internet. That would be really helpful.”

In a year of high-profile sporting endeavour throughout the UK and most recently across the Atlantic, it’s heartening to see a local sportsman doing his bit for his community by combining his love of football with his passion for cycling to benefit a charity. This is especially true when that charity is working for the benefit of all Dons’ supporters.

To find out more about Kyle’s sporting ambitions, visit CyclingScotsman.com where you will be able to follow Kyle’s routes, the progress of each outing and read his blog.

To find out more about AFC Heritage Trust and to help Kyle with his fundraising, you can tour the Trust’s website, which is packed with information about the Dons, at http://www.afcheritage.org

The Trust’s home page has a PayPal donation button and whatever you’re able to donate, large or small, will be used to preserve and promote the Dons’ history and their place in the community. All donations will be very much appreciated and you’re asked to mention Kyle’s name in your transaction.

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