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Just superb.

Norrie and Bryan,

I dunno.

I wish i could feel differently. I don't understand why you think it 'superb'.

Another dirge to represent Scotland and being Scottish. Let's cheer up.

Rikki looks at best unconvinced about what he's doing, his eyes are emotionless and the performance so lifeless he'd pass for Herman Munster's younger brother.

I'm sorry - it's typical and it's terrible.Just what I expected.

The singing is tuneless and the players do their best with a duff idea.

If this is indictaive of the rest of the concert I'm glad I was at the Hungarian band at The Fruitmarket.

I'm sure Rikki and his partner are really nice people and I know it's your colleague, Bryan but ....

well..I may be biased because I have really bad neuro - assocoiations to anything related to either Deacon Blue or anything that purports to be representative of 'Scotland', like our 'national anthem' which doesn't represent me at all and is a similar dirge.

Ironically, I've always found the song 'Dignity' somewhat undignified - laden with over serious 'meaning/message', both sentimental and twee. The lyric is so utterly improbable, or, if true, so badly expressed I cringe when I hear it - like a 'Nobody's Child for the 80's'.

I even resent the name Deacon Blue, it spoils a great Steely Dan track.

'Renton' in 'Trainspotting' was right, I fear.

Why does everything in Scotland have to be twee: like that appalling McAulay & Co trailer on GIO that drives me round the twist.

Once again, tonight, it was utterly incomprehensible. Totally amateur.

The only nation in the world, surely, with a dirge for a national 'anthem' about a battle we ultimately lost and which inspires disdain for an another nation.

No one else does this stuff: why do we indulge in it?

I don't get it, I never have.

It would be nice to have something cheery: Why couldn't we have McIntosh Ross singing Scotland The Brave? Cliff Hanley wrote that in the 60's.

Well, that'll be me struck off, but Bryan, can you not do something about that dreadful trailer?

The whole of Radio Scotland just seems to me to one giant vox pop, but fundamentally we're being humoured, cause no one is listening.

regardez youse

Henri

Totally agree, Henri, about the Macintosh Ross effort, or lack of it. I do like some Deacon Blue tracks, but dirge is the word for this. I watched and wondered what I was missing, it all seemed so miserable. As for Flower of Scotland, don't get me started.

Sorry about that as I got such a good shout tonight, but it had to be said...

#2 just my opinion which I feel quite entitled to express.

#3/4

Thanks for that, Gaie, I felt certain I would get pelters for honestly expressing how I feel.

I'm sorry,Norrie, I wasn't getting at anyone, least of you or Bryan but the promotion of blatant mediocrity wrapped up in a Saltire as being somehow culturally wholesome just does my nut in. It always has.

100 years of Scottish song:

Never mind 'Sunshine on Leith',I wonder if they did 'Sunshine Of Your Love' - probably the most influential song written by any Scot, other than Robert Burns.

Today is 'Blue Monday' - this dirge is the last thing we need.

Smiffy is off to see the philosopher, Bobby McFerrin, at the concert hall, so I've compensated for my irritation by putting on the Black Eyed Peas album (END) and turning it up.

It's impossible not to smile:

Don't worry, be happy.

regardez vous

henri

#6 excellent
this one's pretty good too:

#6/7

Imagine, you went to celebration of Scottish culture and it was as happy as the Bobby McFerrin link above - pity, such a Scottish sounding name to boot.

I think it's a decent effort but just proves how difficult it is to pull off a big song live, I'm wondering how the Proclaimers come across when they do it.
Having said, that I'm with Henri on Deacon Blue in general, just about summed it up for me.

Henri
One man's emotion is another man's dirge. Thinking Scottish, a great example would be Del Amitris Driving With The Brakes on. If you can or have ever been able to relate to it, it could be quite personal but if not it could be taken as a dirge. Depending on how Flower of Scotland or Scotland the Brave are sung they can both be either dirges or blood stirrers. As for Deacon Blue, don't mind them at all, they wrote some good tunes........








.........just don't start me on the proclaimers!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

I agree with Henri to an extent. I have never liked Deacon Blue, at least partly because Ricky Ross is quite annoying at best. So anything he's involved in immediately raises my hackles... Having said that his country show on the radio is excellent as his knowledge of music is second to none.

If I ever hear Dignity again my head will explode, though...

More like .

#2 With you HH on FOS.

#10 With you PP on The Proclaimers (used to have time for them until they were played to death on GIO).


Never heard of Deacon Blue so can't comment.

Mmmmmm...saw the show on TV last night. Ricky Ross usually gets right on my nerves...maybe because of something as silly as his voice or his Andy Capp fashion statements. Anyway, I recently had a road to Damascus moment when I saw Mackintosh Ross at the concert at the Usher Hall concert with the Ö÷²¥´óÐã SSO etc where I found them to be wonderful...just wonderful performers singing great songs...all thoughts of Lorraine being just a daft wee twirly thing a-woo-a-woo-ing away in the background were banished. However, I wasn't very impressed with the cover version last night. I suppose as a season ticket holder at Easter Road, who's reaction to that particular song is perhaps more intensely felt, I was always going to be critical but, that really didn't come into it. I wasn't very impressed...stangely let down in fact... but I do think that Ricky's voice being more soft and breathy than Lorraine's meant the harmonies didn't work (or perhaps that's just the way it came over on TV). I'm sure it sounded better in the theatre.

#9. I'm a Proclaimers fan and have seen them live a few times. Sunshine on Leith live is beautiful but I have to say that the habit nowadays of Hibbys going along to the concerts wearing Hibs jerseys and carrying scarves spoils it for me a bit.

#15 That's good to know Julie because I think the Proclaimers are a credit to Scotland with the quality of their song writing and general enthusiasm.
I'll make a point of getting to one of their concerts at the soonest opportunity!

NEWSFLASH!

Check out Pauline McLean's 'View from the South Bank' (link near top on right)

She has nice things to say about Kate McGarrigle and Bobby McFerrin.

Dear dear, cannae believe all youse punters. This was a pretty decent rendition of a beautiful and uplifting song that can by no means be given the label "dirge", I can only assume the listener has switched off after hearing the opening lines "my heart was broken ... sorrow...". At many big events Flower of Scotland is played at a snails pace but at the correct tempo is a rousing anthem knocking most national anthems into a cocked hat on that front (not a patch on the Italian or French anthems though)and no more jingoistic than many others. I do agree Scotland the Brave is probably a more appropriate anthem however and the lame excuse that no one knows the lyrics holds no water, we'd all know the words to the song if it was taught in school a'la The Star Spangled Banner in US schools, instill a bit of pride in our nation from an early age, why do we shy away from doing that??
Also the Proclaimers are great and Deacon Blue's first album was a masterpiece so there ;)

All together now -

Hark when the drunk is falling
Hear! Hear the Trump is calling,
Loudly and proudly calling,
"Here - grab my loot!"
There where the hoodie's creeping
Now see the pylons leaping,
High as a junky in a scheme like Beirut

With apologies to Cliff Hanley whom I used to serve in Tennent's in Byres Road.

Fill your boots with dirge for a very worthy cause (Songs for Haiti):

#18 well said.....

DC

#2 Glass half empty - a true scotsman.

#14 You've been away too long.

#18 The voice of reason.

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jesse rae and the thistles are playing new soul city live at the ironworks in inverness on friday the 26th of march. this will be his first gig in scotland since 1999.

On February 1st 2010 it was announced that Jesse Rae The Original Digital Warrior With His 'Live Music Video/Tv Show' At New Soul City Live in The Ironworks Inverness Scotland on March 26th 2010 his first live show in Scotland Since 1999.

The show is advertised as with The Original 1987 'Thistle' Live Music Video Show and brand new unreleased video tracks From Miami in collaboration With 2 time Grammy winner 'The Senator' Jimmy Douglass(Timbaland) and Ill Factor(Justin Timberlake) fresh from The Mix Room, Florida plus The Jesse Rae Partnership with Bernie Worrell (P Funk, Talking Heads)