May 312018
 

Duncan Harley reviews Sunshine on Leith @ HMT Aberdeen

A modicum of politics, a wee measure of Leith and a whole lot of heart inhabit this latest production of Sunshine on Leith.

The musical first saw light at Dundee Rep in far off 2003 following a review of the back catalogues of several Scottish bands by playwright Stephen Greenhorn.

Awaking from the whisky-fuelled review session, Stephen found a post-it note, written in his own hand-writing from the night before, with the words “Proclaimers musical?” written on it. Sunshine on Leith was born.

Since then the musical has morphed into film then back to stage again and now features around eighteen original Proclaimers songs from the day.

Director James Brining would go on to say that:

“One of the really interesting things about the Proclaimers as musicians and songwriters is the breadth of their influences. They’re political – they’re fiercely supportive of Scottish independence and they write about relationships with brutal honesty.”

With a central theme which can only be described as a search for belonging, Sunshine on Leith paints a sometimes-difficult portrait of Scottishness. Identity, sentimentality and relationships come under the spotlight as returning heroes Davy – Steven Miller – and Ally – Paul-James Corrigan –  struggle manfully to reintegrate following a tour of the Afghan battlefields and Davy’s dad Rab – Phil McKee – wrestles with truth, love and morality as he faces consequences of a long-forgotten affair.

The script seamlessly flits from the crisis-fuelled love lives of the ex-squaddies to the crisis-ridden events which emerge to challenge the community. A vicious bar-fight in a Hibs pub, a break-up or two and the emotional rollercoaster of that long-hidden affair inhabit this tale of ordinary folk facing ordinary challenges.

Indeed, the complete ordinariness of this storyline is its true strength. There are no high-kicking brashly dressed chorus-lines here.

The folk in Leith are only slightly caricaturised and, with a fluid set flitting from the familiar High Street to the local boozer, one could almost be forgiven for walking on-stage to mingle with the performers.

As for the songs, all of the big Proclaimers numbers are there. Sky Takes the Soul, Hate My Love for You and Letter from America are just for starters.

The musical numbers sit seamlessly within the dialogue and the band, who are onstage throughout the entire performance, wander amongst the actors sometimes as buskers more often simply as cast-members. Even the title lyrics:

“My heart was broken, my heart was broken; Sorrow, Sorrow, Sorrow, Sorrow.” are used with commendable restraint.

All in all, this is a splendid revival of a commendable classic.

Directed by James Brining with choreography by Emily-Jane Boyle, Sunshine on Leith plays at HMT Aberdeen until Saturday 02 June 2018

Tickets from Aberdeen Performing Arts Tel: 01224- 641122

Words © Duncan Harley and Images © APA

May 182017
 

By Craig Chisholm.

Inverness based promoter Stephen Robertson is slowly but surely making a name for himself in the world of music promotion.

Over the past year he has put on big names such as Motown star Martha Reeves, The Bad Shepherds, who feature comedian Adrian Edmonston, dub and reggae legend Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Manchester indie stalwarts The Fall, Radio 6 DJ Craig Charles with his popular Funk and Soul Club and former PIL bassist Jah Wobble, with his band Invaders of The Heart, among others.

Though based up North he has put a formidable line up of talented acts on in Aberdeen venues such as Café Drummond, The Tunnels and The Lemon Tree.

He’s also been racking up the miles to promote gigs in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Stephen started back in the promotion business back 2006 when he started booking acts for several venues in Inverness. In 2014 he started TwentyTen and took things a step further, booking bands in Aberdeen and not just in the Highlands.

As well as established names he has also put on shows by up and coming bands such as Teleman, Fatherson, Bloodlines and Vokovi – all of whom are destined for bigger things.

Upcoming TwentyTen gigs in Aberdeen include an appearance by critically acclaimed influential New York band Swans and a rare intimate acoustic gig by The Rifles.

Coming up in Aberdeen –

  • May 18th – The Rifles (Unplugged) – The Tunnels
  • May 19th – Swans – The Lemon Tree
  • May 21st – Matt Anderson – The Tunnels
  • May 22nd – Natives – The Tunnels
  • June 3rd – Popes of Chillitown – Café Drummond

Tickets are available to these gigs – as well as others in Inverness, Glasgow Dundee and Edinburgh from – https://www.fatsoma.com/twentyten

Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/TwentyTenEvents/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/2010Management?lang=en

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Jan 282017
 

By Red Fin Hall.

It was a return to league business today, and a relatively short trip north for the visitors tonight. 
These Friday evening games have proven popular, and for a change, the powers that reschedule these games have been sensible in having Dundee the opposition, rather than Motherwell, Hamilton or some other further away club; making it easy for travelling fans is not normally in the remit of the television companies.

The team line-up remained unchanged with somewhat controversial new loan signing, Ryan Christie on the bench.

The strong Dons’ team were looking to win 5 on the bounce on this gine but cold evening.

Approximately 11,000 fans saw Graeme Shinnie get the first strong tackle of the game a mere three minutes into the game.

A minute later good linking play involving Andrew Considine and Niall McGinn with the final ball just your far ahead of Jonny Hayes.

Dundee counter attacked and a good ball into Aberdeen goal mouth, for the first shot on target for the visitors, was safely held by Joe Lewis, the ever-present in the Aberdeen goal.

The Dons were taking some time to settle, with Dundee harassing them and, at this point, their number 33, Craig Wighton, looking sharp. They won a free kick around 4 yards out from the edge of the Aberdeen box, but it came to naught. Then in the 10th minute captain Paul McGowan chipped a ball off the crossbar.

A couple of minutes later the home team were awarded their first free kick of the game by referee Kevin Clancy, when Hayes was bundle off the ball.

Aberdeen had their first real chance on the quarter of an hour mark, when McGinn placed a corner kick perfectly into the goal area, but Mark Reynolds, up from defence, headed it just wide.

Another corner kick was far too long for anybody to get on the end of. Their next corner was won when a McGinn shot was turned over the by-line.

Dundee then broke upfield and on the 21st minute had a goal chalked off for offside. The Dons by this time had started to dominate the game and a long pass from Ash Taylor which defender Julen Extabeguren got his head to, fell to McGinn who’s chip shot went just over.

Keeping the pressure up, a free kick was awarded when Adam Rooney was fouled, and the effort, again from McGinn, was tipped over by ex Don Scott Bain.

The breakthrough came around the 29th minute, whith good  work  by Hayes and McGinn, with the   latter putting in a superb ball to find Captain Ryan Jack rising through middle of the defending pack, to header home.

1-0

Before you could draw breath, another cross in from McGinn was cut out by in form Bain as Shay Logan was running in.  Logan was then the perpetrator of the next move, when he executed a superb cross from the right wing, which was defended well by Extabeguren.

Taylor and Rooney were the next Dons to have an exchange of play, setting up Kenny McLean, who seems to relish slightly forward p,aging position. His close angle effort was saved though.

With only 6 minutes left of the first half, Dundee got their first corner.

The ever-determined Shinnie then slipped a great pass to McGinn, but the only reward for the move was another corner.

The referee then deemed Hayes had fouled a Dundee player after the Aberdeen man had ran 25 yards to knock the ball off the feet of the man. A ridiculous decision if ever there was one.

Aberdeen were searching for the second goal, and chip from Taylor from 30 yards out was deflected of off Kosta Gadzhalov and into the Dundee stopper’s arms. 

The potential goal of the month came next. Just on half time, a ball into the Dundee box was met by the rejuvenated Taylor, who rose above the defenders and headed the ball back to the oncoming McGinn who majestically volleyed into the net to rapturous salutations from fans and team mates alike.

2-0

Both teams started the second half without making any changes and Aberdeen kicked off towards the home end.

The referee seemed intent in making some baffling decision; this time penalising Shinnie as he stopped the ball just before it reached the feet of an opposition player.

Nine minutes into this half, a free kick taken by McGinn from around 40 yards out, went straight across the front of the goal with no takers.

With 58 minutes elapsed, McLean picked up the ball up and ran swiftly in towards the goal, but his shot was turned round for a corner. McGinn, on top form was tackled as he made yet another goalward run.

At this point Dundee, despite being a much poorer quality team than the hosts, were still trying to create something instead of just playing spoiling football. But the quality isn’t there, especially after losing their top two goal scorers during the summer. Manager, ex-Dons Captain Paul Hartley, was possibly staging a protest against the board by only naming 5 subs to sit on the bench.

After the first booking for Dundee, for a foul on McGinn, his free kick was headed just wide by Rooney.

There then followed a period of scrappy play by both sides, brightened only by Hayes making a fabulous, pacy run into the area, only to have his close range shot saved by the in form Bain.

Shinnie found his way into the referee’s book for persistent fouling with just over 15 minutes left to play.

Dundee were the first team to make a substitution when Faissal el Bakhtaoui replaced Extagabeguren. This substitute for the visitors, changed their style of play, as they swamped the midfield making it harder for Aberdeen to break them down. You got the impression Hartley was now just trying to keep the score somewhat respectable.

With 10 minutes left, the crowd were baying for a free kick as Hayes tumbled to the ground, but, for a change, I believe the man in the middle made the correct decision. It looked like shoulder to shoulder to my eyes.

A minute later, the same man picked up the ball on the left, and fired in great ball. The head of McGinn made perfect contact with it and steered in into the back of the net for his second goal of the night, and his team’s third.

3-0

That’s 4 goals in two games for the Northern Irish International player. If he keeps this form up, and he refuses to sign a new contract, he should be a rather fine, free investment for some club south of the border.

Aberdeen then made their first change of the evening, with Hayes departing the field, and Ryan Christie coming on to a generally warm welcome.

The final 10 minutes saw Rooney, who wasn’t on his sharpest form tonight, being taken off and Miles Storey coming on. Then, two goal hero McGinn was replaced by Scott Wright.

The changes didn’t alter anything, and the latter pair didn’t really have enough time or opportunity to create anything, although Storey looked lively.

After the 3 minutes of allocated stoppage time had passed, the referee blew the final whistle, and another satisfactory victory for Aberdeen was gained to move them, at least until tomorrow mid afternoon, back into second place.

Final Score: 3-0

Aberdeen now face a tough away match against runaway league leaders Celtic on Wednesday before returning to Pittodrie next Saturday afternoon when Partick Thistle will be the visitors. 

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Jan 232016
 

Only one goal divided Aberdeen and Dundee but this belied the excitement of the fixture, says Voice reporter Andrew Watson.

pittodrieIt was a chilly Friday night, and the pitch was decidedly brown and muddy. It probably wasn’t even amongst the worst of grounds in the league either, especially at this time of year.
Ex-Don Nicky Low could be seen soaking up the glory after beating his own keeper during a shooting drill. Team sheets also showed Graeme Shinnie to be Dons captain.

Not long after kick off, Aberdeen’s keeper Scott Brown was forced into an embarrassing concession of the ball, chasing it out for a throw in.

There was some good linkup play nipped in the bud up the other end.

Jonny Hayes then forced a corner. Adam Rooney appeared to be hustled off resulting incoming ball.

Kenny McLean later just put a tad too much on ball to corner , putting it out for a goal kick. The ball again found itself in a similar position, but went out for a corner.

A scramble in box almost resulted in a goal, going out, then back into the box, a fingertip save from Scott Bain keeping it from goal. There was then a third situation in the box, which Bain again denied with a fantastic stop.

Brown then pulled off similar heroics at the other end. His backline slipped up not long after, but recovered as Dundee put a dangerous ball across the box. Later they floated the ball completely over bar.

Despite this minor onslaught, Rooney changed things for the home team after 14 minutes.

He completed move instigated by Hayes, who powered in a low and sweeping ball to find his teammate at the back post.

1-0 Aberdeen!

Aberdeen played it safe and put ball out for throw in to quell Dundee advance.

Following that, there was a cynical challenge that put Hayes on the deck as he strode forward. McGinn was flat on his backside taking the resulting free kick.

There was then a good block to deny Dundee good crack on goal.

Back up the other end, Shinnie fought for a ball and was awarded with corner.

David Goodwillie then glanced a low shot just wide of the post as Aberdeen caught Dundee sleeping.

Dundee produced similar from a corner of their own, but Brown snuffed it out.

Heavy touches during play denied Aberdeen good chances on goal.

Then Brown made an excellent block, and teammates mopped up a potential rebound opportunity. A later defensive error left him having to make a brave challenge for the ball, but he managed to retain it in his hands.

One of his backline, Ashton Taylor, delivers an expert ball into opposition box, but Dundee rise to neutralise it.

Dundee later linkup well but intercepted outside Aberdeen’s box.

Hayes wins corner but Bain leapt to catch.

Down the other end, brave goalkeeping from Brown kept Aberdeen’s sheet clean.

There was then another Aberdeen corner put away by Dundee. Subsequent play resulted in another corner, which was saved brilliantly by Bain.

Halftime 1-0.

The White Stripes song ‘Seven Nation Army’ blasted through the speakers, the anthem for the Red Army’s very own band. Maybe a lucky number seven for McLean, a gander that he may help his side to subsequent goals?

Anyway, Dundee were back on the pitch quite quick. They could be seen out doing sprint drills.

Come the opening stages of the second half, Aberdeen sweep away a Dundee advance.

Then Brown had to slide to the ground to stop Dundee attack in its tracks.

Shaleum Logan clashes with opposite number, and both went down. He’s then booked for high feet.

“You’re only sheep shagging bastards/
You’re only sheep shagging bastards”

This was, as many are familiar, followed with the stock response:

“We’re only sheep shagging bastards/
We’re only sheep shagging bastards”

There was also ‘We don’t give a peep, whoever you may be’, for ‘Stand Free’, sung by a younger member of the crowd. I always wondered how kids navigated that one when with their parents…

Anyway, once the vitriol subsided, Bain was forced into yet another Aberdeen a goal denial.

McGinn and Hayes were also unlucky as they bombed forward.

Further excellent play was cut out by the Dark Blues.

There followed an unbelievable scoring opportunity for the home side. It went well over the bar despite being more or less a sitter.

Shinnie then threw himself into a challenge, clattering the ball off opponent upon impact.

Taylor then put the Pittodrie men in danger with a lax header back to Brown. He was lucky to get away with the unsuccessful resulting corner.

In turn, the Dens Park men clawed a corner that should’ve never been, as the result of legitimate offside claim that was not acted upon by the linesman.

In fact, the general rhythm of the game appeared to be continually interrupted by a pedantic referee in Alan Muir.

Logan, however, whipped the ball into the box, but the resulting header was held securely in hands of Bain.

Goodwillie later shrugged off a barge and delivered an expert ball along the ground towards the box.

McGinn then came in with right idea, a shot as opposed to passing into net, but with just too much height on the ball.

The Red Army then had their own opportunity to pour scorn on the opposing team, after Shinnie was floored floor by a particularly bad challenge.

Cammy Smith came onto the pitch, replacing David Goodwillie after 82 minutes.

Dundee star man Bain put out a dangerous ball for a corner. It left the box, only to be put back in. Finally, it went out for a goal kick.

There was also a ball right across penalty area, but no takers.

The other Scott between the sticks, Brown, spilt a hard drive but nobody was nearby to pounce.

There followed another mad scramble. This saw Dundee with a real chance of equalising, but the dud attempt, almost clear on goal, went well over the bar. Albeit the man had his back to goal, and all he could do was hit it overhead.

Towards the end, Aberdeen were screaming for a penalty, but no cigar.

Final score:  1-0.

Aug 242015
 

Aberdeen took some time to breakdown an in form Dundee side, says Voice’s Andrew Watson.

pittodrie2There were grey skies and slightly overcast conditions, though the weather remained settled enough to make ideal conditions for football, in Scottish terms anyway.

Generally speaking the home side had more possession in the final third of pitch, but what little of the ball the Dark Blues had they were a bit more productive within the host’s box. This wasn’t necessarily reflected in the score.

On top of that a very so slightly pedantic referee in Bobby Madden ensured the heated moments in the game sometimes boiled over, with four bookings and a dismissal.

The Dons finally got going in the second half, 66 minutes into the game, with Jonny Hayes crossing the ball to find Adam Rooney. He headed coolly into the net.

1-0 Aberdeen!

Goodwillie was then substituted eleven minutes later. He was replaced by Josh Parker, who’s currently on loan from Red Star Belgrade and has also spent time at Queens Park Rangers.

There was a moment Parker got onto the ball well within the box. Expected to shoot, he elected to pass the ball further into the penalty area. A measured move, but still it was hoped he’d go for glory himself.

Aberdeen then made their second and final change after 87 minutes. This was to take off Hayes and bring on Paul Quinn.

A few minutes into injury time and Rooney was chopped down for a penalty. Dundee’s Gary Harkins was duly sent off for the challenge.

Taken from the feet of the Dublin man himself, Aberdeen went a second goal up with the last kick of the game.

2-0 Aberdeen in the final minute of the three minutes of injury time!

The only main point of criticism is that Shaleum Logan of late hasn’t been bombing down the wings and hitting into the box, like his usual self. Instead, he chooses, yes to come forward, but to pass sideways and even behind himself.

Anyway, let’s hope Aberdeen can keep up their winning streak, this the fourth of four, and again push for that second place spot. This will probably to be hotly contested with the likes of the returning Hearts side especially.

Final score:  2-0.

Apr 202015
 

This New Firm derby developed into a fiery encounter with plenty more to talk about than the solitary goal, says Voice reporter Andrew Watson.

merklandandrewIt was a mild Saturday afternoon with a cool wind blowing, though not enough to drastically alter the play or nature of the game.

The visiting Tangerines haven’t been playing too well as of late, but the Reds could not, and did not underestimate their east coast adversaries.

I once said before, regarding a previous encounter between the Dons and Arabs, that if every player attacked the game with the same sense of urgency as Willo Flood, then it would’ve been an entirely different spectacle.

This time, however, his recent form didn’t suggest this would again be the case. His wayward passing of late has been particularly woeful. Passing sideways, passing backwards; forever negative.

Perhaps though, Flood versus Dundee United is akin to Eoin Jess versus Rangers; always turning it on against their most bitter of rivals.

Again, he was the proverbial bull in the china shop, launching into every tackle. And again, there were boos for him, and Barry Robson, from the away crowd for the duration.

However, it was only fair that he was, again, awarded Man of the Match in this particular tussle of a fixture.  His work ethic, again, almost singlehandedly propelled the Reds’ engine room in the centre of the park.

Despite this, it was striker Adam Rooney who grabbed the headlines after 39 minutes.

Captain Mark Reynolds exploited a lapse of concentration amongst the Tannadice back four and managed to put a ball across the box for Rooney to meet, and find the back of the net.

1-0 Aberdeen!

Rooney came close, but no cigar, in the second half, too; and although United weren’t remarkable it wasn’t all one way traffic.

They forced keeper Scott Brown into a couple of fine saves. His involvement increased after 71 minutes when Robson was sent off for a seemingly dubious elbow on United’s Charlie Telfer.

Ryan Jack came on the pitch four minutes later in place of Niall McGinn. The industrious Flood left the pitch as Donervorn Daniels was drafted in a minute after normal time.

Both switches were aimed to shore up the backline after losing such an influential figure in Robson. The game, more so after his dismissal, became frenetic and bad tempered.

This, I suppose, made the victory all the more gratifying. Okay, they’ve drawn out narrow one nil victories in the past, but rarely have they done so having been reduced to ten men.

Hopefully, they might make Celtic sweat in the race to the top of the table.

Final score:  1-0.

Jan 182015
 

The Dons almost undid all the donkey work they’d done to earn a bumper Pittodrie crowd but the perpetual bottlers salvaged a point, opines Voice reporter Andrew Watson.

pittodrieThey went hell for leather in the opening stages and it was beginning to look, with a seemingly dodgy keeper in Scott Bain, an easy three points for the home side.

His is wayward kicking rarely ended
in anything but a throw for the men in
red.

Anyway, seven minutes into the game, David Goodwillie found the roof of the net via a low drive from the foot of Adam Rooney.

Rooney had instigated a similar move earlier in match, with no one on the end of it, but was second time round rewarded for his endeavour.

1-0 Aberdeen!

The Reds should’ve really taken the game by the scruff of the neck by this point, but couldn’t find the elusive minimal two goal lead.

The Dens Park men then equalised, much against the run of play.

1-1 (Gary Irvine) after 38 minutes.

The punishment didn’t end there, though. A slick back heel set up another drive past keeper Scott Brown.

1-2 (Greg Stewart) only two minutes later. Bedlam in the away end, with jubilant Dark Blues hopping the hoarding but the stewards contained the situation.

Only three minutes into the second half Dundee went two goals ahead due to some poor defensive work from Ashton Taylor, and really took the biscuit with a spectacular volley from reasonable distance.

1-3 (Gary Harkins).

15 minutes later Willo Flood and Cammy Smith came on for Taylor and Peter Pawlett.

This period of the game was frustrating to watch. Aberdeen poured forward with little end product, whether lobbing the ball with no luck or passing the ball aimlessly from side to side, back and never forward.

Lawrence Shankland came on for Rooney on the 82 minute mark. Eventually the tide turned and some productivity came about from their desperate efforts.

Five minutes later Jonny Hayes slotted away a penalty kick, resulting from a foul upon Shankland.

2-3 Aberdeen!

Ryan Jack then miraculously pounced on a Shay Logan ball to rescue the Dandies from demolition Dundee.

3-3 Aberdeen on the death!

It was disappointing to lose the clean sheet record, but at least they still had the winning mentality when the chips were down. The heads looked down, too, but the twelfth man raised their spirits.

Final score:  3-3.

Oct 232013
 

The dust has settled on the City of Culture Bid, Round One; Aberdeen did not make the shortlist. Dundee however is through to Round Two. Following a review of bid material, recent events and a visit to Dundee, Suzanne Kelly compares the two cities and offers a few observations.

Netherkirkgate

Netherkirkgate, Dundee. Photo by Julie Thompson

It was meant to be so simple to win the City of Culture bid and it was meant to be another feather in the cap of Valerie Watt, Aberdeen City Council’s Chief Executive.
She’d been at the helm when Derry won the right to be City of Culture 2013.
For the Aberdeen bid, the usual city council suspects were called in and a number of arts and culture names and experts were signed up to create our submission.

Rita Stephen, sometime secondee to ACSEF, past promoter of the City Garden Project, etc, was seen as the safe pair of hands for this task.

Perhaps this appointment is why the bid often hones in on business retention and economic issues, with ACSEF getting a mention or two. Aberdeen needed to produce a sharp, smart and creative bid.

The bid team had to demonstrate how the city nurtured talent, used existing assets and involved people. It had to demonstrate that it could come up with interesting new ideas.

High Street

Seeing as we’re not particularly good at any of these things compared to other cities, the bid was never going to survive round one.

So, how can a city down the road from us, without lots of oil money greasing its wheels, without its own ACSEF, and without a dominant uber-wealthy ruling class outperform Aberdeen?

How did we wind up with the bid submission we produced?

How does our city stack up in the culture stakes against our poor relations in the south?

Would the lusted-after Granite Web in our city centre green space have wowed the judges?

And what was wrong about Aberdeen’s proposed Gigs on Rigs?

Two bids

Dundee’s bid actively seeks input from its citizens and groups. It is well-written with sound ideas based around the arts, people, and the environment. It is clear that rather than drawing up pie-in-the-sky concepts, it drew on its resources and existing practice.

The Dundee update webpage confirms the bid proposals, some of which require a bit more effort, but the proposals are not complete fabrication.  They have the arts and culture base because they nourish their arts.

‘”Communities around the Tay Estuary

• a celebration of the environment – connecting the cities green spaces, a festival of the hills in and around Dundee, its yellow flag beach and an outdoor music programme;

• a celebration of our people – a homecoming for those with their roots in Dundee or those who studied in the City;

• a celebration of the light – shining a light on the future, appreciating the quality of light, a night light luminaire and bright minds.”

In terms of consultation, Dundee still want to hear from people with good ideas:- 

…send us ideas for inclusion in the programme.  We have limited space in the bid so we won’t be able to include everything, but we want to hear as many ideas as possible”

To consult with people, Aberdeen took over the premises of what had been an independent music retailer, One Up. One Up had been forced to close, and in its day it contributed to our culture in showcasing local and larger acts and carrying local records. Having its husk used for the City’s vehicle of what culture should be felt a bit odd.

City Square, Dundee (2). Photo by Julie ThompsonIndividuals were invited to write ideas on Post-It notes in the bid centre/One Up. I did, and there were many good ideas.

There were also notes in pure council speak; such buzzwords as vibrant, dynamic, connectivity and transformational were much in evidence.

If these words did have any power or real meaning, their overuse in every City Council report for decades in Aberdeen has reduced them to meaningless jargon.

Predictably, the culture that was put on offer excluded anything remotely controversial, avant guard, or alternative. This was going to be a corporate, conservative cultural exercise.

As to Aberdeen’s final bid submission, ‘transparency’ was lacking, even to some of those who were supposed to be writing it.

A man who asked staff for a copy of the submission at the bid centre was asked, “And who are you exactly?” He couldn’t get a copy at the City of Culture bid centre. Perhaps this was not the ideal way to win support.

Communicating with Rita Stephen and the FOI office afterwards for a copy should have resulted in the bid being emailed swiftly. In the event, it took several requests to get a copy. The first version received was redacted (ie some text was blacked out for secrecy). We’re used to this in Aberdeen.

Most worryingly, it seems only a very few people had a say in how the bid submission would be carried out or what was going into it, and it is not clear if those in charge consulted widely enough with experienced arts and culture experts before the bid was submitted. What local artists, musicians, venue owners were asked for opinions? Who wrote the submission and who read it afterwards?

Various one-off, specially commissioned events took place during the lauch run-up. Despite the Lord Provost’s speech at an open photography exhibition in the gallery in which he stated that this would be a year of culture with or without bid success, the signs are this promise is fizzling out quickly.

This photography show at One Up / the Bid office exhibited some good work, but there were far too many photos displayed too closely together.  Hundreds of 3” x 5” images, only inches apart, competed for attention. A roughly-constructed installation piece with sound inside didn’t exactly fire the imagination.

Two Environments

HMS UnicornDundee loves its waterfront featuring HMS Discovery.

It loves the lesser-known Unicorn, a beautiful, preserved frigate open for tourism and events.

The city holds events on and around the waterfront.

Its town centre nightlife seems to lack as much severe public drunkenness as dominates nights here, although it does exist, as it does in any other city.

It respects its green park. The river is for walking along, stopping at Discovery or Unicorn, or popping into a hotel bar.

A new leisure complex has been erected on a site which is being revamped. The V&A will soon be on the riverside, creating real arts jobs where the old leisure centre stood. This is regeneration.

Aberdeen chooses to ignore the leisure potential of Nigg Bay, for instance, and financially-motivated expansionists want to allow the industrial harbour to take over this important unspoilt recreational site.

What that would mean to the life – wild, aquatic and human – in Torry in health terms can’t be good. Nigg Bay has two SSSIs, not that this otherwise important environmental protection matters in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire, as witnessed by Trump’s Menie development.

East Grampian Coastal Partnership sensibly and reasonably proposed to construct a small leisure and learning marina, but this idea seems to have been cut adrift.  North of the industrial harbour, which by some coincidence has two of Scotland’s most polluted roads – Market Street, and Wellington Road – adjacent, is the Fun Beach.

Admittedly some good events do take place nearby, but where there was opportunity for interesting seaside bars, restaurants and hotels, identikit shopping malls exist instead. Many on the seafront have no views out to sea, a waste of waterfront opportunity.

Two Cultures

High Street - City CentreDundee loves the arts. Public sculptures abound, and whilst tourists don’t visit specifically for the bronze Desperate Dan, Minnie the Minx or the wonderful dragon, these public artworks are appreciated, photographed and posed with.

The city centre was busy the weekend I visited. Many were tourists who’d come for the day. I was handed a flyer for a fashion/vintage show. A dignified, attractive, creative market was taking place.  Posters advertised bands and art events.

The best summary of what is already in place in Dundee comes from its bid literature:

  • The V&A@Dundee will generate over 300,000 visits per year and 200 jobs.
  • In 2012 there were 2,414,362 attendances recorded at cultural venues in the city.
  • In 2012 217,009 people attended festivals and events in Dundee.
  • Dundee is home to several independent creative collectives –Tin Roof Collective, Generator Project, WASPS, Vanilla Ink and Fleet Collective – with the aim of providing supportive space and resources for designers and artists.
  • Discovery, Scotland’s International Film Festival for young audiences was the joint recipient of an international award for youth cinema in 2012.
  • Dundee Rep is a leading Scottish cultural institution.  It comprises the only full-time repertory theatre company in the UK, Scotland’s contemporary dance company and a cutting-edge community learning team.
  • Scottish Dance Theatre tours internationally as cultural ambassadors from Scotland.
  • Leisure & Culture Dundee was Scotland’s first charitable incorporated organisation to bring together a portfolio of culture, heritage, library and sporting resources into one charitable organisation.
  • Creative Dundee has hosted global event night, Pecha Kucha Night events quarterly, since bringing them to the city in November 2011.  The speed-presenting format has a 200-strong audience attend each event and has had over 80 local, national and international presenters talk.
  • In 2013 Dundee City Libraries won the UK Bookseller of the Year award for public libraries.
  • The Mills Observatory is the only full-time municipal observatory in the UK.
  • Broughty Ferry Castle is managed in partnership with Historic Scotland, is an icon at the mouth of the Tay with a dramatic and bloody history.
  • Caird Hall is one of Scotland’s most popular city centre conference and cultural venues.
  • The award winning McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum collections of fine decorative art and whaling artefacts have been designated collections of national importance.
  • Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design has an international reputation for being at the forefront of contemporary research in art and design.

The Duncan of Jordanstone arts campus is a short walk both to the town centre, and the river, Gray’s School of Art  is a ten minute minimum bus ride away from our city centre.

Aberdeen has a great gallery with some outstanding work and exhibitions and we are fortunate that the annual National Gallery Portrait Awards tour stops here. The Arts Centre also plays host to a number of events and smaller groups and artists.

McManus GalleriesHowever, the city’s treatment of local arts groups in the recent past is nothing to be proud of.

News does travel through the arts community, and Aberdeen has some damage control to do.

The Granite City has at least one bona fide billionaire who makes a big show of wanting things to improve, via building in a common good land garden rather than brownfield, whilst insisting the geographic centre must be the sole focal point.

The world’s great cultural centres, including Rome, Paris and New York do not share this myopia (nor do Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee).

Sadly, when it came to saving the small, independent Limousine Bull Arts collective, none of our well-meaning patrons could find their chequebooks. This modest collective brought art exhibitions, training and studio space to Torry, a supposed priority area for improvement.

Past shows have included a dramatic historical exhibition on the effects on Aberdeen of the Second World War, a show of members’ work, and work created from some of their life drawing students. It brought people into Torry to talk about and enjoy art. The collective had to close its Torry premises due to lack of the sort of funds our city fathers might spend on a good weekend trip.

What can be said about Peacock Visual Arts and how it got so far with its vision for an arts centre, only to be subsumed in a monstrously out-of-scale City Square or Garden Project? The proposal for the Peacock centre wasn’t loved by all, but compared to subsequent ideas, the Peacock plan was the least disruptive, most affordable and most environmentally-sensitive of all.

Years earlier, the then Arts Council ring-fenced £1m or so for an arts project involving the Citadel. It was in no small part down to the then City Council’s lack of diligence that this never happened. The deadline came and went whilst the administration was inactive.

Perhaps the worst, most visible recent slap in the face for arts, culture and charity was the closure of the worthwhile, creative venture, the Foyer.

City Square Market, DundeeAll manner of good work took place here, from helping people conquer their problems to encouraging fledgling artists to hold exhibitions of their work in the restaurant.

Why couldn’t we save the Foyer?

Why couldn’t public and private money be found?

Why has nothing else come along to do the necessary work it did?

The administration, Valerie Watts and Rita Stephen, who seems to have had a large hand in preparing the bid, seem unaware that these lost opportunities, thwarted arts groups and other initiatives could have been the very foundation for an independent arts scene. The council runs arts courses and arts events.

Does it have some kind of issue with supporting non state-sponsored or patronised artist and art groups? You could be forgiven for thinking so.

For real progress, and for creativity and community culture and art to grow, the city administration might want to consider loosening its controlling, conservative hold, whilst providing reasonable, accountable financial support. In less-controlling, insular areas, you’ll find arts and cultural activity taking place without having to have a government logo stamped on every ticket and every programme.

Two Visions

Magdalen GreenDundee is encouraging people to use its many facilities, to create, to spend time in its existing contemporary arts centre.

It has a large open green space with a pavilion at the end of the Tay. No-one is seeking to destroy it and no one is complaining it is under-used.

It is a park. It is a green, healthy space. It is there for when it’s needed for relaxation or for events.

Dundee’s jute, jam and journalism tradition has evolved, and past, present and future are all valued here. The events proposed, the venues existing and the forthcoming V&A will enhance what is already there and encourage more visitors.

With its great reserves of personal wealth, helped here and there by offshore tax haven use and abuse, Aberdeen seems to have a considerable gap between the have-nots and the have-yachts.

Arts and music education for school children were cut by the previous administration. We have a mentality here, personified in some of our most successful – financially speaking – residents,  that the purpose of education is to learn how to do a job servicing the oil industry. Humanities and arts are not as much a priority here as in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and of course Dundee.

This attitude towards culture and the arts is reflected throughout most of Aberdeen.

The bill of goods we’re being hard-sold is that to fix our retail and city centre social problems, we have to build something in the only green common good land we have.  No-one seems willing to rejuvenate our considerable brownfield sites, where potential exists for positive social and cultural improvement, or encourage use of the closed Union Street shops.

Money rules here, but that is not always translated to the makers, artists, creators and arts educators in the private sector.  Those teachers, small bars, clubs, galleries, art collectives which do exist, deserve our sincere thanks and our funding.

Victoria Docks, Dundee. Photo by Julie ThompsonWhere Dundee has a host of well-thought through proposals, we had a no doubt well-meaning art student draw attention to our bid by painting himself a different colour every day and sitting in the window of a former indy record shop. Rita, or someone on her team, invented the proposed Gigs on Rigs.

With the hallmarks of an idea scrawled on the back of an envelope after a taxpayer-funded expensive four course dinner, this was never, ever going to work.

The idea was to fly bands to North Sea oil rigs, and beam the live shows back to Aberdeen, where we would pay to attend venues to watch bands play from the rigs. No-one seems to have looked into security, safety, or how bands would feel about this. I haven’t met a musician yet who’d prefer to jump in a helicopter to travel to an alcohol-free, freezing outdoor rig rather than play in a lively town and go out afterwards.

No-one seems to have thought through why people would want to pay to watch remote gigs, how much it would cost, who would prefer a survival suit and a helicopter ride to a limo filled with champagne, and so on. The unpredictable weather that often delays flights to rigs is well known in the industry – what would have happened if an act couldn’t get to a rig to perform? But ‘gigs on rigs’ sounded good at the time, no doubt.

Good Luck Dundee

I am rooting for Dundee; it would be fitting if its bid does well. Their ideas are sound, their encouragement and support for independent creatives is genuine and long-running. Their regeneration of brownfield is admirable.

If we are to have the ‘smart, successful Scotland’ that Scottish Enterprise and other quangos claim to want in their jargon-filled reports, perhaps it’s time to stop this inter-city tribal competitive capitalism, and instead to realise that all our cities need to be encouraged and helped, not made to compete between themselves.

Let’s all wish Dundee good luck, and let’s hope the local myopic, formulaic, conservative art mentality and Philistine environmental attitudes of our mandarins and city fathers may improve from watching what our close neighbour does.

Go Dundee!

Dundee’s update: http://www.wedundee.com/downloads/Dundee_CoC_Toolkit.pdf

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Jan 112013
 

By Mike Shepherd.

“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.”  So said Karl Marx.

The Scottish press has recently been full of echoes of the City Garden Project. First up was Dundee’s unfortunate Victoria & Albert Museum project, where a shortfall in funds has caused serious delays in its completion.

And what do we read in the Guardian this week?

“When the V&A at Dundee project was unveiled in January 2010 the promoters claimed they could quickly raise more than £45m – divided into three £15m chunks to come from the Scottish government, national bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, and wealthy private philanthropists and corporate donors. Two of these have not materialised: the scheme’s only financial backer at present is the Scottish government …. But no generous private donor or cash-rich corporation has yet committed money.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/jan/08/v-and-a-scottish-project-delayed

Aberdeen’s City Garden Project was also £15 million short of private funding, and was also looking for support from the Lottery Fund to the tune of £20 million. The financing for the City Garden was based more on hope than reality and had the project been approved, it would very likely have run into to the same difficulties as Dundee.

Next up is Glasgow. The Council want to revamp George Square. A short list of six designs from international architects has been drawn up à la City Garden Project and one looks remarkably similar to an early design, the one with glaikit people walking aimlessly across a vast expanse of city square.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-20948763

The language coming out of Glasgow is very similar to the tired clichés that were inflicted on the Aberdeen public for the last four years:

  • International hoohah“Glasgow City Council say the project has ‘caught the imagination’ of the international design community.”
  • Overblown hyperbole“This redevelopment is a hugely exciting moment in the growth of the city as Glasgow strives to forge ahead and meet its future challenges.”
  • Iconic“The prestige of the companies competing to redevelop George Square is a clear indication of just how iconic it is around the world.”
  • – and horror of horrors: “Funding of up to £5m from the overall investment programme will enable early delivery of phase one of the George Square redevelopment with an additional £10m assumed within the Buchanan Quarter TIF Business Case.”   Oh dear, TIF…
    http://www.scotsman.com/news/george-square-designs-are-unveiled-1-2726634

And as if that wasn’t enough, take a breath before reading this one:

“A leading figure in Glasgow’s SNP group has called for a speedy poll on the plans to help decide the fate of the city’s George Square… ‘I’m calling for a city-wide referendum on the George Square proposals, similar to the vote last year in Aberdeen.’”
http://www.heraldscotland.com/demand-for-public-vote-on-future-of-george-square

And finally, one of the Glaswegian activists involved in the campaign (and organising a demo against the plans next month) wrote on Facebook:

“This is a topic of sometimes heated debate, but it seriously doesn’t need to be. We can all be mature and listen to the opinions of others without resorting to personal comments. It’s important that this page gives a good, positive message about what we want for George Square – there are obviously others that disagree with us and that is their democratic right in this country! 

“So let’s all keep the level of debate to a high standard here! Otherwise, we’ll never be taken seriously enough to gain any substantial political support!”

Good luck with that, then…

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Dec 032012
 

By Suzanne Kelly.

The bell tolls for one of Scotland’s most famous businesses, which had exported its products around the world. Its long-serving staff members, some of whom had been with the firm for over five decades, are distraught as the firm lets them go for younger, more modern business models.

Yes, the Dandy has folded in a very literal sense; it is no more.

DC Thomson could have closed one of its other comedy publications such as the Evening Express or the Press and Journal. The circulation of these comics was outstripped by the Dandy. 

In its drive to modernise, however, the firm has decided the world needs more erotic literature and will open a ‘sexy’ publishing arm soon (but obviously not as sexy as the Evening Express).

One DC Thomson insider said:

“We’re considered axing the Evening Express. It doesn’t make as much money as the Dandy, but it sure is funnier. Besides, our new core family values don’t permit us to continue inspiring bad behaviour in young people. The company will therefore continue producing the Evening Express and Press and Journal, which inspire no one, young or old, to do anything. 

“We will now go into the now-respectable mummy porn industry, seeing as ‘Fifty Shades of Gray’ is making so much money, something we haven’t managed to do for some time. 

 He continued:

“One thing is for certain, young people today are always on the Web. We think the reason we have done badly of late has to do with the Web, whatever that is. In fact, we’ve been making a case for building a web in Aberdeen, as the web’s what everyone seems to be into around the world. 

“I can’t imagine why people are against the web and all the connectivity it would bring – whatever that means.  We’ve been gently hinting in our comics in subtle ways that the city should have a web.  Perhaps we need to give the web idea a bit more coverage in our local papers.”

Many of those let go have suffered problems. One young woman, Beryl the Peril, has noted a deterioration in her relationship with her father. Social services have intervened, and she is receiving therapy to find more productive means of channelling her frustrations rather than pelting her father with snowballs. She has been cautioned that her neighbourhood antics could earn her an ASBO, and she may be charged with elder abuse.

“It’s all because we didn’t cover the dual carriageway that my life’s a mess,” Beryl told a press conference; “Without a granite web, what’s a girl to do but get in trouble down the Union Square Mall.” 

A canine was seized under the dangerous dog act, as no one is certain what breed it is.  Gnasher, as it is known, was owned by a former Dandy employee named Dennis. It is thought the dog picked up some aggressive behaviour from its relationship with Dennis, who will be charged with menacing behaviour.

Dennis and Beryl have both been put on mandatory Ritalin regimes and will soon calm down, becoming acceptably well-behaved members of society.

Aberdeen City Council has come forward with at least one job offer for a redundant staff member.

“We have been looking at the accomplishments of one Dandy regular, and hope to poach him for our administration. Roger the Dodger, as he is known, is just the sort of person we need running things around here in an executive capacity. A go-getter like Roger would be the perfect addition to our team, even if he is a bit of an over-achiever and a little over-qualified.”

Sadly, staff member Desperate Dan may not be well enough to find any future work. After decades of eating Cow Pies, he has contracted BSE. Normally a very serious condition, ATOS have assessed Dan and decided he is still completely fit and well for all types of work. The Health & Safety Executive have rightly banned him from shaving with a blowtorch, and he is no longer permitted to lift a cow with one hand, either. According to friends, Dan is feeling desperate.

Health problems are also plaguing ex-DC Thomson employee Bananaman. His binge eating, and use of genetically modified bananas purportedly to gain strength have greatly injured his health. Some say he was actually using performance-enhancing drugs but pretending his strength came from fruit. Others think his delusions of powers including flight stem from a bad drugs experience in the Torry area of Aberdeen.

A team from ATOS will assess his fitness to work (which will say he’s fine) and determine whether or not he needs drug rehabilitation. Social workers will help his rehabilitation by helping him choose appropriate dress for the workplace.

We wish all the comical characters of DC Thomson all the best in their futures.