Peter Hammill Queen's Hall

First gig for PH for a while, 76 years old and still trouping away. An original talent, a bit hit and miss but the good ones genuinely moving art. Live, the piano songs work better, the guitar songs show the shortcomings. Still, good gig, hopefully not the last time but who knows.

With IJD, GG, FM, BW.

My Room, Just Good Friends, Easy to Slip Away

Too Many of my Yesterdays, The Descent,

The Comet, the Course, the Tail, Shingle Song

If I Could, Driven, Last Frame, Patient, A Better Time, The Mercy,

Stranger Still, Four Pails, Traintime.

Vision

Rosslynlee Revisited

 Very interesting morning courtesy of Dale Garbutt. We went back to visit the remains of Rosslynlee, shut in 2010, burnt down 15th July this year.

New modern houses built in the fields behind Avenue House (itself gone) and Firth Road and the old staff houses. Typical modern insulted affairs.

Man in charge very interested to see us, the actual hospital buildings still to be used as shells where possible. Old ward 10 reroofed and smart, giving an idea of the finished product. A major headache was the amount of asbestos, the most poisonous sort, in the boiler house, the pipes and the old basement archives.

The place looked like it had been bombed.

Took our names for further contact. 

Galashiels

Fun trip with WCW to the Scottish Tapestry Museum in Galashiels yesterday. It's great. 

The 39 Steps

 

Fringe tonight at the Royal Scots Club. Gilly got the tickets, Hazel on costume.
Slick, witty and well done, worth seeing. 

Gig 60

 Leith Depot, Sunday 10th 2025

Super gig tonight, relaxed and tight at the same time. Matthew Deary provided confident entertaining support and was applauded accordingly.

Set list: Pictures Of Biggles, I Need To Clean The Floor, Polish Seamstress, Crusader Castles, Take The Picture, Valentine, Sixteen Steptoe, Room To Rent, Freiburg CH'98, Watching Waters Rise, The g Factor, Cool, It's Abnormal.

Sound by Leonora, very good with newfangled tablet virtual mixer.

Reception: Warm, told we were "on fire". Freiburg notably praised for it's simplicity. We actually got into a groove and overran the film by a few minutes. 

Sparks at the Playhouse 18th July 2025

 Remarkable and marvellous gig tonight, touring their 28th album Mad! which is very good. 5 new songs whose names I'll have to look up and a plethora of great oldies, unexpectedly Academy Award Performance, Goofing Off, All You Ever Think About Is Sex. Really caught fire with Beat The Clock. Russel fit as a flea and in great voice. Ron sang Suburban Homeboy. Great reception, lingered on stage at the end but who could blame them.

Pink Floyd Live at the Cameo

Live at Pompeii film shown at the Cameo, Dale a member so got the tickets. Really enjoyed it, from beginning to end. Gilmour Waters and Mason come across as a bit horrid really.