Gut Reactions (post-gig memories and other trips): Garbage, Edinburgh Castle, Saturday 11th July, 2026

Initially, I wasn't bothered about seeing Garbage in Edinburgh. Then they announced Goodbye Mr Mackenzie as their support act, and I flew to my computer to find a ticket. I'd missed out on Angelfish tickets earlier this year, so this was my best chance of seeing Shirley and Martin reunited on stage.

My hometown was warm, if a bit overcast, so I slapped on the sunscreen (just in case) and headed off, wearing a T-shirt, but no shirt or jacket. Having parked at the Park & Ride at Ingliston, the trip through took an unexpected turn when I discovered the tram was due to terminate at West End, even though the system had let me buy a ticket to St. Andrews Square. Disembarking, I started up a chat with a man wearing a Garbage T-shirt heading in the same direction. He already knew Princes Street was shut to everything, including pedestrians. The quickest way to reach the castle would be through the gardens. By the time we arrived, hiking up the hill, we were both out of breath. He had hospitality tickets and was meeting his wife for dinner, so I thanked him for his assistance, and we parted.

Garbage were conducting their soundcheck, so it was nice to get a free preview of what was to come as I wandered up to the barrier at 4:30 pm. GMM had warned that at the previous night's show, many fans had missed the support act due to a bottleneck (that's how castles were designed back in the day), so to arrive early. I was surprised by the absence of a queue. That was because the official queue was gathering on Johnstone Terrace, a way down the Royal Mile. I ended up not far from the front, though. Fans around me were speculating whether people waiting on the Royal Mile might skip in front of us, but that didn't seem to happen.

When security allowed us to head towards the ticket-check area, it became a bit of a race along the cobbles, albeit not a run. Which line would move fastest? I wondered as I approached the checkpoint. Having chosen, I wasn't lucky, as the security person struggled to scan the tickets for the three people in front of me. Eventually, I made it inside the castle and joined another line, with another bottleneck, this time to get a wristband to enter the Standing area. A few people in front hadn't realised this was the queue for Standing until they neared the front.

The view behind me

The view in front.

Mizzle mixed with smoke from the stage, adding to the overcast gloom, but the body heat of the surrounding bodies kept me warm as we packed in close to the barrier. There wasn't a great deal of drinking going on for a change. There were plenty of fans from overseas gathered here.

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie came on at 7:30 pm and played for twenty-five minutes. No Shirley, though. Thinking about it afterwards, that made sense as she would be preparing to go on (vocal warm-ups, hair, costume, makeup, etc).

My voice was already hoarse by the end of "Hard", their second song. I really enjoyed the set, but it seemed as though there were only three fervent GMM fans at the front, including myself. Few around me were singing along. Having eavesdropped on a conversation in the queue, I realised some Garbage fans were unaware of the connection between Garbage and GMM, so perhaps the lack of enthusiasm was down to ignorance. Garbage fans had flown in from all over Europe and the UK to attend the gig and were not interested in the support act, whoever it was, but still needed to be down the front.

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie

Setlist

Open Your Arms

Hard

Green Turn Red

The Way I Walk (Jack Scott cover) (Big John On Vocals)

Goodwill City

The Rattler

Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie

As we waited for Garbage to appear, the sound of a pipe band could be heard in the distance. The music got louder. On the screens I could see the band marching towards the stage along the side of the standing area. They never climbed onto the stage, instead pausing to play the national anthem from the press pit area in front of the stage.

Laura's Theme, from Twin Peaks, played over the PA to start the show. It was lovely to see the band members wearing tartan kilts. Shirley was also in traditional Scottish wear, with the twist that everything was black, including her sporran. Her hair was pulled back tight and tied into a ponytail, her bright red lipstick and dark eyeshadow accentuating her vampire-pale face. She owned the stage from the moment she stepped onto it. The crowd were in her thrall. The people around me came alive, in full voice, punching the air and making heart shapes with their fingers. This was it, the real thing - Shirley, Queen of Edinburgh Castle, on home soil. A special night.

Shirley's dad had sadly passed away last year, but she paid a loving tribute to him, relating his reaction when she told him her band were booked to play the castle. Although he couldn't be there in person, he was in spirit, with his framed photo proudly presented on the stage.

Shirley's sisters and other family members were present; indeed, it was her older sister's birthday, so Shirley asked us all to accompany her in singing her Happy Birthday.

Garbage's set encapsulated the band's entire career. Obviously, the more popular songs received the bigger response, but I even enjoyed the ones I wasn't familiar with. The sound wasn't too loud, and the vocals were clear.

As the set progressed, a few cheeky individuals sneaked in near the front, but not close enough to annoy me.

At the end of the set, Shirley declared she was a witch, the bassist was a witch, her sisters were witches, her nieces too; in fact, every woman in the place was a witch. Because collectively, they'd weaved a spell to make it rain, just in time for the show finale, "I'm Only Happy When It Rains".

Afterwards, my only gripe was that the stagehands refused to hand out the printed setlists to the crowd. As the hardcore fans waited at the barrier, some urging the staff to retrieve the mementoes, security came along and told them in no uncertain terms to leave. The crew, using wide-headed brushes, needed to sweep the arena littered with discarded cans and cups. I guess they also wanted to get home in a timely manner.

I had to take a detour along Rose Street on the way back to the West End tram station (the gardens were closed). I realised that Princes Street was closed to traffic and pedestrians because of the recent fire at the old Debenhams building. The detour gave me a good excuse to pop into McDonald's for a late dinner and a pee, before the long drive home. I had to be careful walking as my feet skidded and slid on the wet pavement slabs, my Skechers slip-ons turning into slippies.

When I disembarked the tram, I spotted the guy in the Garbage T-shirt from earlier, this time with his wife. They'd enjoyed the show from their Hospitality seats. He remarked he could spot me in the crowd because of the cap I was wearing.

Sitting in the car, damp from the rain, I realised I hadn't needed the suncream after all. Oh well, better safe than burnt to a crisp.

Garbage

Setlist:

Strathendrick Pipe Band introduction, playing Scotland the Brave and Flower of Scotland before the band arrived onstage.

Intro Music played from tape: Laura Palmer's Theme (Instrumental)

There’s No Future in Optimism

Hold

Empty

I Think I'm Paranoid

Stupid Girl

Right Between the Eyes

Vow