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Big Tobacco’s Pinocchio
All four of them wrote & produc’d the show, & I would have loved to be a fly in that room, smoking a doobie or three, supping on the gallons of laughs. Basically, imagine what Futurama might do with Pinocchio & you’ll get the idea. Big Tobacco describe the show as a mostly faithful adaptation…
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10A: The Fitting Room
The fitting room becomes a wonderfully apt little female microcosm – an intimate, exclusively female space where women arrive carrying insecurities, expectations, stories & bodies, & often leave having revealed rather more than they intended. Allen uses this setting to explore feminism, womanhood, vulnerability, domestic abuse & the sometimes enormous gap between what we believe…
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The Boline Inn
Eilis Mulholland is also the director, & she serves us a feverish play which rarely settles, instead remaining constantly rattled by an undercurrent of disquiet. Throughout, the speakers release the bewitching, whispery sounds of a crackling fire, a ticking grandfather clock & the creaks of a rickety house. It render’d a curious, claustrophobic effect upon…
Mumbles
- Big Tobacco’s Pinocchio
All four of them wrote & produc’d the show, & I would have loved to be a fly in that room, smoking a doobie or three, supping on the gallons of laughs. Basically, imagine what Futurama might do with Pinocchio & you’ll get the idea. Big Tobacco describe the show as a mostly faithful adaptation written for adults, using Pinocchio’s transformation to poke around in the relentless absurdity of growing up – only they’ve cramm’d as many jokes as humanly possible into the process. - 10A: The Fitting Room
The fitting room becomes a wonderfully apt little female microcosm – an intimate, exclusively female space where women arrive carrying insecurities, expectations, stories & bodies, & often leave having revealed rather more than they intended. Allen uses this setting to explore feminism, womanhood, vulnerability, domestic abuse & the sometimes enormous gap between what we believe about ourselves & what actually happens to us. The subject matter is undoubtedly heavy, but Allen approaches it with a sharp comic eye - The Boline Inn
Eilis Mulholland is also the director, & she serves us a feverish play which rarely settles, instead remaining constantly rattled by an undercurrent of disquiet. Throughout, the speakers release the bewitching, whispery sounds of a crackling fire, a ticking grandfather clock & the creaks of a rickety house. It render’d a curious, claustrophobic effect upon the auditorium – not oppressive, but sense-enhancing, drawing the ear deeper into the world of the Inn. It was very good indeed. - Uralic: Language of the Minoans
Historical investigator Damo Bullen has done it again! This time he has discovered the true origins of the mysterious language spoken by the ancient Minoans of Crete - An Echo in the Void
Everything becomes task, interrogation & uncertainty. One explosive incident involves a military procedure which the characters had previously laugh’d about – the possibility of turning AI into a killing machine. Some kind of weapon strikes the group, apparently leaving two of them gone. Then, with the click of AI, they are back again – upright, revitalis’d & carrying on. It’s an unsettling demonstration of this absurdly powerful technology, capable of dividing life into pieces until the characters can no longer be certain of their connection with reality itself. - The Real Housewives of the Zombie Apocalypse
The Real Housewives element concerns seven glamorous vixens, each dress’d in a slightly different colour, chatting – or rather singing – about their marriages, husbands, affairs & assorted social catastrophes. There’s another clever layer to the whole thing in their names, each borrowed from women of Greek history & mythology: Jocasta, Cassandra, Selena, Alexandra, Pandora, Elektra & Penelope. It gives these gloriously trashy reality-TV creations a strangely classical pedigree – Euripides by way of Bravo, perhaps – while reinforcing the sense that we’re watching another set of theatrical stock characters being gleefully reinvented. - Meka Mo: New York City Dreams
I guess, deep down, Meka is a master anthropologist, a cultural commentator whose chosen medium just happens to be stand-up. Whether she’s examining Britain, America, race, geography or the strange behavioural codes that separate one tribe from another, she’s constantly observing, processing & converting what she finds into comedy. And the great thing is you barely notice the intelligence beneath it all because you’re too busy laughing. - The Sound Within with Eisenberg and Stern
The central avatars are presented as bespectacl’d ladies of a certain age, possessing genuinely funny banter & an enduring obsession with a near-famous film they made in their youth – scenes from which we actually get to witness on the projector screen deep into the show. There’s something wonderfully ridiculous about the pair still dining out on this almost-brush with cinematic immortality. Of the several double acts that the ladies almost seamlessly transform into, we’re also treated to a musical turn from their two ‘husbands’ – play’d by the girls themselves, of course – a couple of old hippie guys who met at Woodstock. - Gutter
Gutter is billed as the world’s first bouffon comedy night, born in the filth of South London’s Pen Theatre before crawling its way into Soho & now the Edinburgh Fringe. Founded by Tom Greaves in December 2024, the show is built around a vicious bouffon troupe who emerge from a bin to take control of proceedings, dragging audiences into a grotesque world of clowning, drag, cabaret & alternative comedy. If comedy is truth-telling, the company reckon bouffon is truth-telling with teeth. The line-up changes nightly, with more than 60 performers having already given themselves to the bin, including Natalie Palamides, Julia Masli, Elf Lyons, Red Bastard, Jordan Brookes, Su Mi, Rosa Garland & Luke Rollason. - Why I Love American Solo Shows!
There is something about this Off-Broadway solo stuff that makes me really understand what it must be like to be American. You see, we in the old tribal soup of Europe are connected to our soil. We’re lazy about it; we don’t really need to express our humanity quite so loudly, so much of that humanity being already embedded in where we come from. But not so for the dislocated millions of Americans, whatever generation, whose soil isn’t quite their own, but whose souls float about in the tank like jellyfish. Therefore, to be human, one must sometimes shout it from the rooftops – or at least spend an hour shouting it from a stage to whoever cares to listen. I care. It’s well cool. - Jacob Hatton: Ruins
The modern world, Hatton suggests, is a world of lies. “This train has Wi-Fi,” for example – a promise which has apparently been running for about fifteen years without anyone seriously expecting it to come true. We’re all addicted to our phones; previous generations had their cigarettes. Civilisations congratulate themselves on progress while human beings simply find newer objects upon which to hang the same old compulsions. - Imogen Andrews: The Unlikeable Worms
There is a secret, unwritten law of physics that affects all Fringe-goers—I call it the clock-factor. Basically, the true judge of a show’s quality is not how many stars it gets, but how late into the hour you take your first furtive glance at the time. With Imogen, so brilliant & completely absorbing were each of her characters, that I didn’t want to look at the clock at all—I just wanted to throw my watch in the bin & surrender to the worms. - Serena Smart: Little Miss Sunshine
Her comedy is sharp, while her ability to engage begins immediately as she enquires after the names & occupations of her audience. It’s a clever way of setting us at ease before coupling those interactions with punchlines—some rapid, some deliberately slow—that keep us laughing while never quite knowing who might become involved next. - Spare Room
This hard-hitting reality is soon brought sharply into focus. Jodie makes the life-changing decision to apply for a room in this student flat, thinking it will be the beginning of a university career full of great things. She gets on well with the boys & girls around her, easily speaking her mind & finding her place among them. Yet she herself has arrived from an abusive upbringing, making this true story all the more potent as we watch another destructive environment slowly take hold. - Lil’ Miss Kate – Ward of the State
Then we were away—galloping forward rip-roaringly on the back of Fiorello thro’ a fully-scripted homage to those thrilling live action-adventure radio serials of the 1930s & 40s, complete with live Foley sound effects. It was all essentially a case of Little Orphan Annie colliding head-first with The Naked Gun. - Eryn Tett: Tasting Menu
Then comes the Main Course, & Tett pulls a masterstroke. It might seem counterintuitive to suggest that pausing to obtain consent from every diner before the audience participation begins actually helps the section flow, but given the heat to which these roasts exponentially build, that individual buy-in is crucial. Because now we want to be roasted. - Afrique en Cirque
Afrique en Cirque is a glorious collision of arts & abilities, celebrating African culture through death-defying acrobatics & pulsating Afro-jazz music. Traditional percussion echoes around the auditorium like distant thunder; backflips fill the air; bodies twist into seemingly impossible positions & human columns stretch towards the sky. - I Made You a Mix Tape
The physical weaving in & out produces some glorious moments. Joyous processions emerge, collide & disappear almost before they can be contain’d, while the creative structure allows pain to surface just as readily as pleasure. Yet the overriding impulse is one of lifted spirits. This is a show intent on cheering us on, making life feel briefly greater & more bearable, arriving in beautiful plumes of motion, emotion & directed movement. - Lilla Multipass: Woman(33)
A major part of Woman (33) is getting the crowd to participate, & she does it effortlessly—no stress, no awkward coercion, just a natural ability to convince a roomful of strangers to join her peculiar universe. At one point she had a fella pull her out of a cardboard womb, while on another there came one of those classic, immortal bits of Fringe action. During the fantastic ‘Boss Bitch’ section, she gets everyone in the crowd to pull their finest Boss Bitch face, before selecting the best ones to compete in an actual Boss Bitch Face Competition. It was superb, like—the kind of gloriously ridiculous communal moment that could only really happen at the Fringe, when performer, audience & sheer August lunacy suddenly fuse into one. - Mel Hudson: Richard Ashcroft Revived My Libido
Mel comes onto stage wearing a too tight red dress, but flaunting her womanhood in ways a lot of 60 years-olds wouldn’t dare – no pashmina or button-fronted cardigans for Mel, if she wants to flaunt her figure, go for it girl – you got this! Watching Mel was great – you know, there’s a funny bone in all of us, sometimes a comedian will clang it with a very clever joke, or sometimes a silly one, but Mel got the most genuine ‘Damo’ laughs out of me this Fringe. - Emma Doran: Emmaculate
This domestic world forms the fleshy matter of the show, with Emma chatting mainly about family life & mining it relentlessly for comedy. Her mum & dad are the stars of the first half, brought wonderfully to life through their habits, peculiarities & parental philosophies. Then the generations shift: Emma’s daughter, her own teenage self & the occasionally alarming realisation that the experiences of the latter might actually prove useful when attempting to raise the former become the stars of the second. Emmaculate is essentially three generations of one Irish family bouncing around inside Emma Doran’s head—and, fortunately for us, her head’s a proper funny place to be. - A Highly Suspect Murder Mystery: Knives In
All 170 or so people in the room were soon engaged. Everyone was handed a document containing a collection of protagonists, names, letters & cryptic codes. I joined a group of four and, much to my own surprise, progress actually started to be made. With suspects including the rather strict-looking nurse Ophelia Pulse and a priest called Neil BeforeChrist, you could tell immediately how farcical proceedings were going to become. - Notes: The Comedy B-Sides
We then got five comedians, all ostensibly looking through their phones. I’m not entirely convinced they were rummaging through their Notes apps quite as much as the premise suggests; occasionally it felt like they were adapting to the concept while running through some of their best material. But who cares? What followed was a healthy taste of the Fringe. Hilarity tapas, kinda vibes. - Edith Alibec: The Void
I simply bask’d in the glow of Edith’s illuminative performance. What a joy! As I’ve already said, the visual artistry of The Void is intoxicating. There’s also some clever technician work going on behind the scenes. One guy declares his favourite film to be Fantastic Mr. Fox & soon enough it’s being beam’d into the room. On another occasion, a lassie’s favourite song is booming thro’ the speakers only moments after she mentions it. There’s an impressive sense that anything the audience throws into Edith’s strange little universe can somehow be absorb’d & transformed into part of the show. - Belly
O’Shaughnessy stood to the side, welcomed the room, then went straight into a conversation between the characters Ellie & Susan—only two of the many people she would conjure during the performance. Characters, memories & conversations began tumbling into one another, constantly leaving us to consider the reasons behind each exchange. Schooldays resurfaced from long-ago memory, but beneath them lay something considerably heavier: failure, dissatisfaction, pain & an absence of joy. - The Real Kyle McCarren
I mean, the songs are genuinely great. Even the one about a shitty dick has its moments, & some of the harmonies are absolutely stunning. Each singer gets a chance to shine, but the standout for me was a song about the last snow, sung by Kyle’s girlfriend. By this point we know what’s coming. We know he’s going to die, & that knowledge hangs over the music. - 150% Masala
If comedy be the food of love, then 150% Masala’s nightly rotating cast of South Asian stand-ups is ghar ka khana for the soul. Hoots @ Hilton have managed to create one of the most welcoming basement venues I’ve encountered: cosy but not cramped, genda phool adorning the blacked-out backdrop as a large, lively & diverse audience settles into chattering over the seriously funky bhangra filling the room. - Wild Wild Christian
In Edinburgh, Simone arrives on stage to a comfortably-formed room, dressed in a pink cowgirl outfit and cowgirl hat, which immediately sets the tone for the performance. Smooth and silky, “like galaxy chocolate melting in your mouth,” Simone entices her audience to join her on her secret journey through her teenage Diary Journals – from the Rajneesh Religious Cult movement in America in the 1980s to Square Forehead Guy at summer camp, this is a Diary that may be best kept closed, as once Pandora’s box is opened there’s no going back. - Magners Share the Craic presents Ashlee Bentley
The whole story is one day, most definitely, gonna make one of those Irish comedy films that I really love. Ashlee, you need to start scripting it out now, love, while your comedy star is rising. The film will be all about how Bentley surfed her comeback on a wave of fully-funded euphoria. A Funny Women finalist, she’d previously brought a 50-minute show to Edinburgh way back in 2015, but subsequently came close to quitting comedy altogether because she didn’t think she was good enough. Winning Share the Craic suddenly gave her little more than a month to turn herself into a full Fringe act – & she’s pull’d it off with professional aplomb. - Lawrence Dodd: This Can’t Be It
(Fringe26) Early on in the show I got this creeping twitch of the kundalini—just a brief moment in my head, but it was there all the same—and then, at one point, the way Lawrence was firing energy thro’ the room, & the way he was verbalising it, certainly felt like he was shooting thro’ our chakras. I’ve never seen a show like it in 15 years of reviewing comedy! - Indy!
As a spectator, I found INDY! a spirited theatrical account of the first three films, perform’d at high voltage by a trio of three, two men & a woman? Well, I guess I did. Not so much for soul-moving drama, but more for the breathless way they went about switching things around—costumes & props—from scene to relentless scene, for 70 minutes of Olympic-level stagecraft. - David Hoare: How to Live to 100
The seminar schtick is really just a platform for Hoare to show off the full range of his comedic talents. The mentioning of an ADHD diagnosis, about 20 minutes into the show, comes as no surprise to anyone, as mini flights of fancy, sound effects, jingles & public-service-announcement-style interludes à la Harry Enfield’s ‘Mr Cholmondley-Warner’ have been flying at us with a speed and ferocity akin to machine-gun bullets in the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. If you didn’t get the last musical reference, or punchline, don’t worry—there’ll be another five along any minute. - Richard Stott: Streets Won’t Forget
atching Richard is a genuine spectacle. There’s an actor’s training underneath, but also the instincts of somebody who discovered rather late that getting a room to erupt with laughter was more satisfying than acting had ever been. He has since appeared on Comedy Central Live and ITV2’s Stand Up Sketch Show, landed jokes in the Fringe’s annual best-joke lists, and reached the 2026 UK Pun Championship final. I’m sure the show’s, “liquorice is dangerous—people die of all sorts now” would have been in there—very good! - The BIG Interview: Sorabh Dhir & Raj Poojara
South Asian comedy is showcasing at the Fringe – The Mumble got the BIG lowdown - Sorabh Dhir: Good Boy
Sorabh is essentially a stream of interesting facts & biographical revelations issuing from the headwaters of his life-vibrations. Living among the ‘Millwall Whites’ sees a fascinating volte-face from inherently racist white women who only talk to him nicely when he’s out with Rocket. Donald Trump wears a diaper & is constantly shitting himself His dog loves weed only because he gets extra cuddles & treats. Sorabh is nine percent gay – ecletic stuff like that. - Sean Morley: Backchannel
(Fringe26) On another note, Sean is such a cuddly lad. At one point my brain went, ‘go give the lad a cuddle.’ Not that he needed a cuddle or anything, he was smashing it, but he’s such a cuddly lad. For any Lancashire lad reading this I’m sorry, but I did want to cuddle a Yorkshireman – get over it, beyond Hadrian’s Wall we’re all fighting the Picts! - Tom Waits War Songs
(Fringe26) A right bunch of bohemian anarchists, these. Musically they were first class, infusing jazz with flashes of theatrical shimmer all over the shop. They provided a wonderful tapestry for Michelle. Now this girl was something else. Hollywood-elite confidence, a cracking voice and a brilliant percussionist besides, she both commanded the stage and drove the music relentlessly onwards. In a visceral performance, every song was treated differently. Michelle would reach for a trumpet, a loudspeaker, a floor tom or even a set of chains to drive the rhythm, sounding at times like they were being dragged across an Arkansas cotton field. - Paul Hilleard: Grogg
(Fringe26) Simple food poisoning jokes being elevated to theological musings (a recurring theme) and a visceral & queasy metaphor involving ‘Frubes’, which produced, unironically, gut-punch laughs. Each of the ‘extended play’ one-liners in this section are unobtrusively linked thematically, in a manner which means that by the time he hits the end of the opening 20 minutes it feels like reaching the climax of a crescendo - Adam Flood: Life & Death of the Party
(Fringe26) While the music pounded away with relentless enthusiasm, Adam prowled the stage with a Shaun Ryder circa-’89 swagger. His microphone was treated with subtle vocal effects that added to the nightclub atmosphere. Interestingly, the slight echo and double-tracking actually made him easier to understand. Talking over dance music is notoriously difficult, but with that extra processing your brain seems to lock onto the morphemes and lexemes much more readily - Kathyrn Henson: Stories From the Office of a Sex Dungeon
(Fringe26) Kathryn herself is the show’s greatest strength. She’s got that easy, conversational style that makes it feel less like you’re watching a performance and more like you’re listening to a pal in the pub who’s somehow ended up with the most bizarre job imaginable. She’s warm, funny and never once comes across as judgemental, either of herself, her colleagues or her clients. - Fringe26 Interview: Mel Hudson
When Mel Hudson fell in love at the Crystal Palace Park Bowl, a dazzling Fringe show was born - The BIG Interview: 100 Questions with Ollie Horn
(Fringe26) There is only one Ollie Horn – The Mumble got the lowdown with a BIG 100 question interview - La Boheme
Clyde Opera bring Puccini’s masterpiece to Glasgow - Uralic: The Language of the Picts
Historical investigator Damo Bullen has done it again! This time he has discovered the true origins of the mysterious language spoken by the ancient Picts – Uralic - The Mumble Review System: Fringe 2026
(Fringe26) The Mumble have always been at the forefront of cultural surveying, & have finally perfected their reviewing system for the Edinburgh Fringe 2026 – this article explains all - Fringe26 Interview: David Tsonos
(Fringe26) Two shows, one comedy genius! The Mumble got the lowdown - Fringe Interview: Ian Stone
(Fringe26) Spirit of the Fringe Award-winning comedian Ian Stone is returning to the Edinburgh Fringe - The BIG Interview: Hayley Gee
THE BIG INTERVIEW: With a brilliant band & an epic gig coming up, The Mumble got a chat with the Sensational spirit behind it all - Fringe26 Interview: Meghan Bean
(Fringe26) Edinburgh welcomes a genuine Mormon Princess to the Fringe this August - Fringe26 Interview: Aarushi Agni
(Fringe26) From selling out NYC to the Fringe is coming a hilarious, heartfelt, ADHD-friendly show - Fringe 26 Interview: Simone McAlonen
(Fringe26) Direct from Soho Playhouse, NYC, comes a coming-of-age story like no other from award-winning comedian Simone McAlonen - Breaking Benjamin / Chevelle
(Glasgow) It was a joy to see this bright performance of serious rock, blending these various genres coming out and grasping the strengths of vocal, drum and guitar. Really great venue, heavy thrash metal with post grunge that never really lost its ground. - 100 Questions: DAMO BULLEN on the debut album ‘IBC’ from ‘INTERSTELLAR BLUES CRUISE’
(Music) July 21st, 2026, sees the long-awaited release of IBC, the debut album from Interstellar Blues Cruise. The Mumble went on a deep dive with the band’s singer & songwriter - Nutter’s Cauldron
(Burnley) The Mumble were in Burnley to catch its monthly feast of fun at Nutter’s Cauldron Comedy night… - Across the Universe 66-70 (part one)
(Burnley) Being a Beatles fan, last night was a wonder, as Across the Universe roll’d into East Lancashire at the exact same time I’d gone to my hometown to watch the World Cup with my dad. Somehow I manag’d to prise him away from the footy – it was only Austria-Spain – & we found ourselves immers’d in the wonderful audiovisual barrage that Across the Universe were presenting. - Fringe26 Interview: Justina Seselskaite
(Fringe26): Justina Seselskaite is bringing her working-class, LGBTQ+ immigrant comedy to the Edinburgh Fringe - Lola Young
There is a uniqueness on the stars and a gambolling in the planets and then came Lola Young to Weegieland. As did her happy legion of Scottish fans who stood up and danced every word in angelic union. - Interview: Andy Dickinson
(FRINGE) The Edinburgh Fringe is rapidly approaching – the Mumble caught up with a local performer who is bringing something authentically Auld Reekie to the table - Keeley
In a sparkly skirt, on came Ireland’s own (now based in London) Keeley to play some vivacious music known as dream-rock, a fresh take on traditional punk indie-pop. It was with no little enthusiasm too that the 3 jammed with highly strung overdrive on guitar, and praiseworthy bass, that led to no little energy on stage. - Midge Ure
We danced to Fade To Grey by Visage, we boogied to Dancing With Tears in My Eyes, we embraced to “Vienna” and reflected on the days gone by to The Voice - Brontës: Album Review
Glasgow indie-pop four-piece Brontës releas’d their self-titled debut album in April 2026 – The Mumble have had it on our turntables for a month… - THE CORNISH HYPERBOREANS
A Chapter from the Chisper Effect which seems Damo exploring the Penwith peninsular of Cornwall in search of the Hyperboreans mention’d by Hecateus of Abdera, c.350 BC – it also shows how the Saami god of the wind, Bieggolmai, was worshipp’d by both the ancient Cornish, & the Picts of Scotland, & that together all three tribal groups they were part of the Prot-Uralic speaking Hyperborean diaspora. - Kiefer Sutherland
This great evening was ticking every box, and the venue wouldn’t have been the first place I’d look for such a well known figure in acting. - Teenage Funkland (i): The Murder of Kurt Cobain
Beginning Damo’s retrospective adventure thro’ the Birth of Britpop - Eddi Reader
Reader proceeded with divaesque, yet comfortingly natural, ease to carousel thro’ her percussionless-yet-still-bouncy acoustic repertoire. Reader’s Weegie energy & craik came tumbling forth - Happy Mondays
Back when I was first clubbing, we’d go out & dance to house & techno, whatever, then go back home & put on Thrills ‘N’ Pills. This time it was the complete opposite, for once me & Jonny got back to the ranch, we bang’d on some dancey tunes & kept on struttin’ til dawn. Classic Rhythm Section bonding malarkey. - Vida
As vida’s enthusiasm ran riot, all abloom with confidence, we had loads of fun in a place where there was plenty to be had. - A Wee Daunder to the Glasgow International Comedy Festival
The Mumble took a triple-header trip to the Gael & Grain for the Glasgow International Comedy Festival; Jade Gebbie, James Byron, Isaac Ennis - Interview: Stuart MacLeod
Glasgow indie-pop four-piece Brontës release their self-titled debut album in April 2026. The Mumble caught up with the man behind the desk - Tom A Smith
His latest offerings enbosomed a phenomenal concert that roared on at full steam; a performance to envy for a room full of happy people. The youth of this magnanimous group exuded from the stage. - 400 Year-Old Shakespeare Mystery Finally Solved
A Poet Living On the Isle of Arran has Solved The Greatest Literary Mystery Of All Time - Noso
Softness was on the cards at this gig, softness and a wonderfully skilful kind of peace filled the room, peace and pain and fulfilment. Their story is quite remarkable as is their current tour. - Big Special
The warehouse style brings us back to the 90’s when raving was all the rage. And with that enterprise we were entertained by live vocal and drum, along with a backing track. - Mid Life Krysis: Assorted Nonsense (Album Review)
The album is I suppose then a great introduction to ‘The World of Steven Vickers’ for new listeners, and it takes forward all of the best aspects from all of his various projects so far. For anyone who’s heard his music before, it is another evolutionary step, it is a reafirming of the familiar with new levels of creativity to maximise his message that ‘Victor Pope is love’, but most of all it is a series of songs which will be chanted long and often on the streets of Edinburgh, anywhere he plays. - Over the Moon & Paper Sparrows
Her double bass work along side the banjo’s plucking ran with sensational energy It proved that country can be found in a great many genres. Their joint stance ran through musical treatment, done wearing probably the finest wool and silk there is and those unmistaken awesome hats they get to wear. - Mama Terra & Ariane Mamon
I could write on about this magically sufficient encounter but I must on to the evenings Saint Luke’s Celtic connections headliner Mama Terra. Taking their name from Latin Mama Terra translates as Mother Earth, it took a jazz performance to increase awareness over our connection’s in life (nature) offering up an unlimited invitation for living better through the music and performance. - Blazin Fiddles with Hannah Rarity
The richness built through the evening told stories of its own, in the rapid conducting huge smiles were placed between them, and huge characters behind it were revealed. The connection’s grasp their audiences with this power of ancient style and in sultry ways make all look effortless. - Celtic Odyssée
Celtic OdysseeCity Halls, Glasgow25th Jan, 2026 Glasgow Merchant square City halls is a wonder to see, the stage was set last night for a Celtic connections gig 2026. It was an evening called Celtic Odyssee and its epic presence lived up to the name. it was a night for stars to shine in their interminable way. The talent poured through the room to the high ceiling livening and… Read more: Celtic Odyssée - Sarah Markey, Rubin with Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell
Their music was fast, loud and we took it in with a certain pride as to what this guy Coates could do. He sat with Cotterell, holding a fiddle and had a mic in front of him, the foot tapping began (creating percussion on a pad on the floor) and a ruckus ensued of fiery energy, beautiful songs. - Buena Vista All Stars and Triptic
Celtic ConnectionsGlasgow Royal Conert HallJanuary 20th 2026 A blur, a whirr, a carousel of lights, joy & mucsic – & that was just the bus ride into Glasgow. Only joking – what a couple of sets that was – the cerebral grooves of Triptic follow’d by a full on Buena Vista Social Club extravaganza. I was well into it, as was everybody else all around me – young,… Read more: Buena Vista All Stars and Triptic - Boo Hewerdine & Yvonne Lyon and Grainne Brady
This too was fresh writing, and it came after an extensive UK tour in 2025. This coupled music comes from projects in full swing performed and conducted with mastery. They shared material, joked about musical differences, their light-hearted collaborations, and exhumed their plumes of talent for the instruments, for writing and for playing. - Black Grape
Of course I had to go – the recent death of the inimitable Stone Roses bass – player, Mani, reminded me with stark vision of how finite the times of my favorite musicians will be. - Beyond Monet
Having concocted what, I feel is the greatest period of art and painting to date (just an opinion), the life size model bridge was almost like you could talk to the guy. It felt somehow sad and melancholy but that was for the heights he made as an artist and a great human being looking at life itself through paint. - The Horrors
As the large, illustrious sound billowed into the crowd it enthralled at atmosphere to rival a lot of rock music’s many faceted barrels. The red, blue light effects stirred the occasion into an enjoyment and celebration worthy of an unmissable attitude brought to live music. - Nouvelle Vague In Edinburgh & Glasgow
The cats on stage had that presence of ultimate music, total showmanship and fiery delivery. Setting soft and great traits of creating a personality standing on a wealthy podium. Refreshed we poured ourselves into a worthy stage of sultry vocals, cunning music of the covers they have made their own. - The Fae, Bedtime and West
As I said earlier, I was excited to see the new Pianodrome headquaters and I couldnae have been more delighted with this wonderful ornate Gothic splendour of a Church. The Church had no heating so was really glad that I had too many layers on, coz I was roasty toasty, with a blankie and cushion for my bum. It was the 2nd performance of the evening. - An Evening with Tess and Will
This was my first introduction to the young delights of this theatre 118, who have fought hard but to their great credit have procured this massive space, an inclusively welcome and generous hub where the delights of theatre may stay well alive. - Hard Life
The overflowing sound of only 4 had bits of great ambience to it directing it and making it to dance to, become free and express yourself. Of the 1000 in the room, which has its own atmosphere, it seems easy to entertain and cajole listening to their intensity, compositional mood striking, laying down in blue light a more than genuine exchange. - Gogol Bordillo
Musically, the instruments that were on stage had surprising variety, offering violin, Corg keys, next to bass, electric guitar, sharing vocals in the right swing of things. Swinging has been mastered by this group, easy extensions into the crowd that you don’t find at every gig. They (particularly singer) drew you out, into a wonderfully well-rounded emotional stage, almost going through some kind of evolution of itself. - An Emergency Fundraiser To Raise Funds For The War-Torn Victims of Gaza.
All in all The Emergency Fundraiser was an excellent showcase of some mighty fine talent that raised awareness and some much needed money indeed it was a fantastic night. Free Free Palestine. - Wendy James
When Wendy James was at the peak of her powers, I was so in love with her charms. Wendy is still a gorgeous vixen and she still has a massive stage presence. Her supporting musicians which in all intents and purposes, although not Wendy’s Transvision Vamp band, but a supergroup of sorts, were all seasoned professionals, - Reef
Their most genuine noise, well crafted in its turns, pitches and group work left me with the feeling of something actually quite rare, as I revelled the sight of the Reef band on stage. The guitarist with a spectacular beard, they just played their music with the passion they have always had, very care free as to their image or style, putting music first, with the most chivalrous rock. - Spear of Destiny
A strong audience of die-hard fans eagerly awaited Kirk’s entrance, and he was received with great enthusiasm. Completing the bands line-up was, Craig Adams The Mission & The Cult) on bass, Adrian Portas ( New Model Army) on guitar and Phil Martini on drums. Not wasting a minute, they struck a chord and bang! - ORIENTAL AUTUMN (OA5): To Gökçeada
I walk’d a few k to the ferry port, overtaken at the last by a big red coach full of old uns. The ticket was 180, about £3.50, & once on board I proceed to charge my two electronic devices – the chromebook & mi phone. I don’t have internet in Turkey, so the phone is now just a camera & MP3 player, but my chromebook is a marvel. I can watch films, write epic, DJ tunes, film myself, connect to the internet – its a real took, & Ive got a nice light one – Lenovo N23. I’m a big fan. - Jim Jones All Stars
It was a loud night, lifting the mood, taking us on quite a journey, as the audience swayed and rocked and steadily livened. The music took some sophisticated turns, unleashing a kind of happy music, and holding a pressing honesty in the lyrics and band accompaniments – ‘Born to Ride’ indeed. - ORIENTAL AUTUMN (OA4): To Canakkale
A few doorways up was a gift shop, & I this guy dropped a fancy key ring, which pick’d up & was just handing it to him when he said, keep it, it’s a gift. Its blue, there’s a metal hand on it, & there’s little eyes on strings, & it feels like it could be some kind of lucky charm, given to me by the gods. - ORIENTAL AUTUMN (OA3): To Istanbul (via Krefeld)
Yesterday was my first full day in Istanbul, which I spent on the Shakespeare-in-Istanbul mission. It meant hacking my way through the metro system, topping up my ‘Instanbul card’ as I did so – its about 35 lira per ride, 70p. I eventually found the Ottoman Archives, & went through an induction system that gave me a shiny card with my photo on it – a great souvenir. - ORIENTAL AUTUMN (OA2): To Jura
I could go on & on about Jura Festival, but let me say the following – it was splendid; a wonderful mix of wonderful people, with opporunities to dance & join in. - ORIENTAL AUTUMN (OA1): To Campbeltown
I set off with clearly too much baggage, including a guitar. Next weekend is the Jura music festival, which I intend to attend after visiting the island in the summer – it really is a joyous place. The idea is to first circumnavigate the Kintyre peninsula en route, which leads me to today, Tuesday morning, typing up this first blog of the tour in Campbeltown library. - Wolfgang Flur / Peter Duggal
I knew it was going to be good but wasnae expecting to be blown away in the way in which I was. That was a brilliant boogie, sure four to the floor but in a refreshing and tantalizing way and I had plenty of room to give it some groove. Oh yes baby, I was having it (Getting my Money’s worth) Electronic magik. Fantastic stuff.