Edinburgh tales

Recent adventures, some news, a little music ...

1. Looking for something else, I found this old print of David Lynch in Edinburgh.

Isn’t it great? He’s at the top of the Scotsman Steps, with the roof of Waverley Station and the Balmoral Hotel behind him. I can’t remember which photographer took the picture. Neil Hanna maybe? If you know, please let me know.

The other thing I can’t remember is anything about the interview. I remember sitting with Lynch and listening to him speak. I can see it. I just can’t remember what I asked or what he said. There’s probably an old tape somewhere. Anyway, the photo’s a cracker. Fantastic hair.

2. I’ve been in Edinburgh a fair bit lately. I went to see James Taylor up at the Castle and wrote about it for The Guardian. I went to see the Divine Comedy at the Usher Hall and wrote about it for The Times. I enjoy writing about live music, although I’d much prefer not to have to give star ratings. Neil Hannon, at the Edinburgh show, performed At The Indie Disco, a song that I believe was inspired by a night out with Stuart Murdoch at National Pop League. My wife and I used to go there sometimes, before we had kids. It was held in the Woodside Social Club, close to where my sister-in-law lived. Linz used to come with us. Memories are hazy. Drink was cheap. The music was wonderful. There is evidence of that. Every month they’d produce a fanzine with a list of the songs played at the previous night. Here’s what was played on Friday 26 April 2002. Pretty good, eh? I definitely remember dancing to Belle and Sebastian’s Dirty Dream #2. Perhaps Stuart and Neil were too …

   

3. I’ll be back in Edinburgh on August 24, appearing at the Book Festival for an event chaired by Caroline Eden. This will almost certainly be the last event I’ll be doing for Upon A White Horse, so if you’d like to hear me talk about that book and sign copies afterwards, please do consider coming along. Tickets are on sale here. I’m tempted to read from the end of the book, the short chapter about Sycamore Gap, which I haven’t done at any of the other events. I worry that it might be a kind of spoiler, but it might be nice to round things off. What do you think? Maybe I should read a bit about the Ballachulish Goddess instead, given the Edinburgh connection.

4. When I was in Edinburgh this week, walking up the Royal Mile, I was struck by how buzzy and busy it feels, as if the festival had already begun. It reminded me of visiting the city during the pandemic and writing this story for The Guardian about the strangeness of the empty streets. That all seems a very long time ago.